Hong Kong: Fund helps firms seize opportunities A manufacturing company in Tsuen Wan that specialises in chocolates and baked goods is just one of thousands of enterprises benefiting from the Governments Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading & Domestic Sales (BUD Fund). We relocated from the Mainland eight years ago. We have noticed that many consumers in the Mainland are willing to pay a premium for products made in Hong Kong, the companys Senior PR & Marketing Executive Brian Tse explained. From product development, manufacturing to delivery, the enterprise provides a one-stop service to its client companies that sell the end products under their own names. The food preferences of people in Guangdong are similar to those of Hong Kong people. We saw this as a business opportunity and planned to expand our business by making products for clients in the Greater Bay Area. To realise its expansion plans, the enterprise turned to the BUD Fund for assistance. We needed to submit a proposal outlining our business plan in the Mainland, along with financial statements, quotations and proof of our company's operations, the companys Administration & Logistics Manager Yammie Wong said. Business support The Government set up the BUD Fund in 2012 to assist Hong Kong enterprises in exploring and developing the Mainland market through developing brands, upgrading and restructuring their operations and promoting domestic sales in the Mainland. The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) has been tasked with implementing the fund. In light of the positive response from the trade since the funds inception as well as the changes in the economic environment, the BUD Fund has increased its total commitment. The cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise has been increased substantially from $500,000 to $7 million in stages. The funds geographical coverage has also been extended from the Mainland to 37 economies, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Australia, among others. Bouncing back Hong Kong Productivity Council Chief Operating Officer Vivian Lin noted that the number of applications dropped slightly over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic as it was difficult for enterprises to run or apply for projects during that time. However, the number of applications is on the rise again as Hong Kong returns to normalcy. As at the end of February 2023, around 5,700 applications have been approved, involving a total funding amount of around $3.4 billion, benefiting some 4,100 enterprises. The HKPC hosts regular seminars to help enterprises prepare their applications. It has also introduced the Biz Expand Easy Portal and mobile app to support enterprises in accessing government funding schemes. If all their supporting documents are in order, the application can be approved within 60 days at the earliest. Ongoing projects being undertaken by individual enterprises are not eligible for funding support under the programme unless they meet certain criteria. They must facilitate the applicant's ability to promptly or eventually cultivate the target market and enhance their competitive edge. The project must also possess well defined deliverables for monitoring or evaluation as well as a concrete market development strategy. Lastly, the project must have a reasonable, detailed and justified budget. On monitoring the programme, Ms Lin said the HKPC reviews the progress of projects and evaluates their results, adding that enterprises are required to submit progress reports, final reports and audited accounts for review, while the HKPC routinely schedules on-site inspections for selected approved projects to prevent any misuse of funds. This story has been published on: 2023-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A China-Europe freight train is pictured at Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Yibo) Both Europe and China need each other in economic and trade as well as international affairs, a Croatian political analyst said. ZAGREB, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Decoupling from China is neither viable nor desirable for Europe, which is a close economic and trade partner of China, said Kresimir Macan, a Croatian political analyst, in an interview with Xinhua. Macan echoed the statement of European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on April 18, when she declared that "decoupling is clearly not viable, desirable or even practical for Europe." During her speech, the EC president said China's international and economic status, as well as Europe's own interests, make it all the more important for Europe to properly manage its relations with China. Europe must "carve out our own distinct European approach that also leaves space for us to cooperate with other partners," she said. As Europe and China are close economic and trade partners, it is in the interests of Europe to take such a stand, Macan said, adding that both Europe and China need each other in economic and trade as well as international affairs. This photo taken on Nov. 6, 2022 shows a new energy vehicle of German automaker Mercedes-Benz at the automobile exhibition area of the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan) China was the largest source of EU imports and the third-largest buyer of EU goods in 2022, with total bilateral imports and exports reaching 856.3 billion euros (959.96 billion U.S. dollars), according to Eurostat, highlighting China's economic significance to Europe. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which broke out in February last year, and the COVID-19 pandemic have made China a more crucial trade partner to the EU. Macan hailed China's economic growth rate of 4.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, noting that the World Bank has raised China's economic growth rate to 5.1 percent in 2023, significantly higher than the bank's January forecast of 4.3 percent, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set China's GDP growth rate at 5.2 percent this year, a substantial increase from last year's 3 percent growth rate. Photo taken on July 26, 2022 shows the booth of cosmetics giant L'Oreal in the French pavilion at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) In comparison, the IMF expects the global economic growth rate to drop from 3.4 percent in 2022 to 2.8 percent this year, and the U.S. economic growth rate is expected to slow down from 2.1 percent in 2022 to 1.6 percent this year and the EU down from 3.5 percent in 2022 to 0.8 percent this year. "The Chinese economy will continue to grow, and I think that the future of the Chinese economy is bright," Macan said, adding that China will remain as a locomotive of the world economy. 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. Bank of Botetourt plans new branches in Roanoke and Rocky Mount as executives grow one of the few locally based banks. For the Roanoke expansion, Bank of Botetourt will provide banking at the Melrose Center, a planned community hub housing a grocer, adult high school, clinic and bank under one roof. Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, lead sponsor and owner of the $30 million project, chose the bank from an undisclosed number of applicants. The location is at 24th Street Northwest and Melrose Avenue, which will make it Bank of Botetourts first branch in the city of Roanoke. It is expected to open in fall or winter 2024. In Rocky Mount, the seat of Franklin County, the site is on Tanyard Road and expected to open in summer 2024. Based in Buchanan and the operator of 13 branches, Bank of Botetourt serves a lot of customers in Franklin County, said Lyn Hayth, CEO and vice chairman. So do other banks. Five commercial banks have Rocky Mount offices and they held combined deposits of $681.7 million on June 30, 2022, according to the FDIC. The leader in terms of market share is Carter Bank & Trust of Martinsville, whose branch next door to the Harvester Performance Center had a third of that. Bank of Botetourt reported profits of nearly $2.3 million during the January-March quarter, up 49% percent from the same period of last fiscal year. It reported total assets of $715 million. Other than Bank of Botetourt, the only other bank based in the Roanoke metro area is Farmers & Merchants Bank of Craig County in New Castle, which has one office. Old 101.5 tunes now streaming An adult alternative music radio station that went off the air no longer broadcasts throughout the Roanoke Valley but streams on the web, kept alive by the former station manager. Chris Conner operates themountain.live from his Raleigh Court dining room since WVMP Roanoke (101.5) switched to Christian talk radio provided by the Truth Network late last year. Station owner Todd Robinson confirmed by email that he gave Conner the stations music library and some station equipment after the music went off the air. The old version of The Mountain radio broadcast had streamed online before the break and thanks to Conners effort, it continues with him as owner and leader. Bill Trifiro, who presents the news, and Denise Allen Membreno, an announcer, who will be familiar to former 101.5 listeners, are there, too. Weve stayed online and everybodys back and now were going to broadcast from our houses, said Conner, 57, a veteran radio announcer, and hopefully it will be a success because were going to continue to represent the community, the local artists and regional artists and we hope everybodys happy with that. Business funding explained in locally produced videos Access to Capital is a new online video library in which business leaders and economic developers working in Southwest Virginia advise entrepreneurs. The presenters cover business funding, from founders raising dollars from family and friends, to grants, seed funding and exit strategies, in nine segments. Hosts Lisa Garcia, RAMPS director, and Erin Burcham, president of Verge, interview a variety of local business people with expertise and success stories to share. Truist Foundation funded the project, which can be found at vergeva.org/accesstocapital. It was built by Verge, RAMP, the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, The Launch Place in Danville, Appalachian Council for Innovation in Lebanon and Blue Ridge PBS in Roanoke. Tuesday Morning going out of business The owner of the Tuesday Morning retail chain recently announced a plan to close all of its stores for good. The going out of business sale will be in effect at stores in Salem and Roanoke, the company said. The Dallas, Texas, based discount retailer has filed bankruptcy. A substantial collection of former longtime 9th District Rep. Rick Bouchers political records are now housed in Virginia Techs University Libraries special collections and archives. The records include four decades of political history and progress in Southwest Virginia and the collection features 76 boxes including 6,111 folders and 72 awards spanning Bouchers political career, according to a university news release. Boucher, a Democrat from Abingdon, was a member of the state Senate for seven years before being elected to Congress in 1982, a position he held until 2011. With 28 years of service, he is the longest-serving representative in the history of the 9th District. Boucher gifted his collection to the University Libraries at Virginia Tech to make it available to all who wish to learn from it, according to the release. Special Collections and University Archives Project Archivist Bess Pittman arranged and described items in the collection to create a detailed finding aid and other access tools for researchers. The collection reflects Rick Bouchers professional work, including correspondence, numerous handwritten presentations he delivered in committees and on the House floor, hundreds of photos, awards, memos from his office, newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, campaign materials basically everything that came in during his work as a congressman and state legislator, said Pittman, in the release. Said Boucher, in the release: I had a long association with Virginia Tech, working actively with four Virginia Tech presidents. It was the largest institution of higher learning in my district and its largest employer, and I wanted my papers to go there given how respected the institution is. The universitys acclaimed technical expertise appealed to me because a lot of this collection now has the capability of being made digitally accessible by anyone who has internet access. At this point, a small digital exhibit provides online researchers a sampling of just over 200 items from the collection, and archivists are now working to add more digital content from the collection to the site, according to the release. Pittman was responsible for organizing all of the materials into one cohesive collection, a process that took nearly a year. It offers some really amazing insights into the work that goes into governing a region. The primary focus is the 9th District, but you can see the ripples into the broader work that Boucher was involved in, she said in the release. Specifically, Pittman, in the release, noted how instrumental Boucher was in the commercialization of the internet. He was the lead author of the 1992 legislation that, when signed by President George H.W. Bush, for the first time allowed commercial content on the internet, enabling money to be made online and ushering in the world of electronic commerce and revolutionizing the global economy. After Bouchers legislation was signed into law, electronic commerce was born in the United States and then spread to the rest of the world. Among the papers are materials reflecting Bouchers involvement in the major legislation shaping telecommunications policy over a quarter of a century, including the Communications Act of 1996 of which he was a sponsor. The collection also reflects Bouchers work as the lead author of the legislation creating Virginias first national forest wilderness areas and his papers and handwritten presentations from President Bill Clintons impeachment, during which he was selected by House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt to take the lead in the Judiciary Committee and on the House floor as a primary sponsor of the Democratic censure motion as an alternative to impeachment. In the collection are extensive files from the time that as a state senator he carried to passage comprehensive legislation reforming the states criminal sexual assault laws and the states drug laws, according to the release. Boucher, in the release, said he hopes that this collection can influence others to be involved in public service and advance ideas that promote positive change. Researchers interested in Bouchers collection should explore the detailed finding aid to help target material of interest, according to the release. Because of the large volume of material, the collection is housed at an offsite facility which requires advance notice for retrieval. Shellie Falls lives in the Tanglewood area of Roanoke County. Lately, shes been having problems receiving mail. So on April 27 she went on Reddit.com and created a post on the subreddit, r/roanoke. I have the USPS Informed Delivery that shows whats coming in the mail, but the items never show up, Falls wrote in the post. Been going on about a month now. Informed Delivery is a free Monday-through-Saturday email notification service that sends photos of mail destined for delivery that day to customers whove signed up. Thats how Falls knew she was missing mail. The Postal Service advance-emailed her photos of mail that it never delivered, she said. In a subsequent email to me, Falls added: There has been correspondence [from the Social Security Administration] regarding my husbands disability that we never received, court documents, and other very important pieces of mail that have shown as scanned, but then disappeared. Those are just a couple of the dozens of pieces of mail that have never shown up. In all, Falls estimated she and her husband have missed 30 or more pieces of mail that Informed Delivery had told them to expect, but that never showed up. Not all of it was important, Falls acknowledged. Some of the stuff was junk, such as credit-card offers. But one thing that never showed up was an item shed ordered (the sender gave her a refund). Another was a gift card from Tyson Foods. The Reddit.com post quickly racked up 26 replies. A couple of respondents said theyd experienced no mail-delivery problems. But others from Gainsboro, Tanglewood, Hollins, downtown Roanoke and the Grandin Road areas noted deliveries were regularly late. Its the same here, the reply from Gainsboro noted. Informed Delivery will say Wednesday, but I dont see it until Monday. I had a letter about Jury Duty. Another response, from a person who moved from Roanoke to Richmond, said they were experiencing late mail in Richmond as well. George Hodges, who lives in The Orchards community behind the Bonsack Walmart, didnt see Falls post. But hes been missing mail, too. Hodges said his street, Rome Drive, didnt get daily mail deliveries from April 13 to April 24, although the Postal Service delivered Amazon packages during that stretch. We tried to call the post office in Hollins. It just rings and rings and then cuts off. Nobody ever answers, Hodges told me. Hodges asked a Postal Service package delivery guy in his neighborhood what was up with daily deliveries. The man told Hodges his regular mail carrier had gone on vacation the week of April 16. Daily deliveries finally resumed April 25, Hodges said. One person, going on vacation, should not stop the mail flow to an entire neighborhood. They should have more carriers to pick up a guys route when they go on vacation, Hodges said. He noted that many people get their medicines delivered by mail. And then theres my next-door neighbor, Jordan Balke, here on Tillett Road in Grandin Court. On April 28, she invited me over for Friday happy hour. She wanted to show me some mail that arrived April 27. One item was an advertising flyer for Schewels that pitched an April Fools Weekend sale on furniture and mattresses. The promotion ended April 3, more than three weeks before the flyer was delivered. Balke also showed me a Home Energy Report sent by Appalachian Power that arrived April 27. Good thing it wasnt a bill with a balance due. It was dated March 13, roughly six weeks earlier. Although First-Class postage has increased twice in the past year (from 58 to 60 cents in July, and from 60 to 63 cents in January), stories such as these abound in the Roanoke Valley and elsewhere. Lots of people are telling me theyre receiving mail only twice per week, in large batches. In other words, service seems to have gotten worse since the price increases. Thats despite a federal law, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. Among other things, it mandates residential delivery six days per week. Thursday I sent an email to Postal Service spokesman Philip Bogenberger regarding the three customers above. (In an earlier email, back in January, Bogenberger told me the Postal Service had 20 openings in the Roanoke area.) I asked how many of those January openings have been filled. He didnt answer the question. Another query asked how many current openings USPS has in Roanoke. That one went unanswered, too. All Bogenberger would say about hiring was the Postal Service is holding weekly job fairs here. The next one is May 10 at 3601 Thirlane Road. Most post offices are adequately staffed, and delivery routes are covered in the Roanoke area. We have contingency plans when employees are on leave, he wrote. Still, staffing challenges can arise, which has resulted in brief periods of sporadic mail delivery on a few routes. The quote above is a canned response. I know because its the same reply Bogenberger sent in January. A third question I posed was: Are there exceptions in [the Postal Service Reform Act] that allow the Postal Service to ignore delivering 6 days per week? If so, under what circumstances does the law permit that? Bogenberger totally ignored that one. Fortunately, I was able to get answers from the offices of U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. There is no language in the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act regarding exceptions for the six day delivery requirement, said Janine Kritschgau, spokeswoman for Kaine. Senator Kaine has been hearing from many constituents about this issue, and has been preparing a letter to the Virginia District Manager at USPS to share their stories and to learn more about whether USPS is taking adequate steps to address the issues Virginians are experiencing, Kritschgau added. Warners spokeswoman, Valeria Rivadeneira, said his office had experienced a surge of complaints about mail from the Charlottesville area, but not from Roanoke, although that doesnt mean its not happening. Rivadeneira said Congress is paying attention, and soon it will have a new tool at its disposal that should give elected officials and the public a better look at whats happening with our mail. Its a website, a searchable online dashboard thatll give anyone who cares to look a good idea of Postal Service performance in their area, she said. The 2022 law also required that tool, to add transparency to Postal Service operations. This will be the biggest thing that will provide clarity to people and allow Congress to look at the broader picture in terms of what is going on, Rivadeneira said. She said she expects the dashboard to debut in mid-May. I cant wait. How about you? On May 25, 1956, a fire apparently caused by gas leaking from one of the firetrucks, destroyed Santa Marias fire station. Only one truck survived the blaze. See more important May dates in Santa Maria's history right here. " " Smoke and flames rise from an illegally lit fire in the Amazon rainforest reserve, south of Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil, Aug. 15, 2020. CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images The Amazon has long done its part to balance the global carbon budget, but new evidence suggests the climate scales are tipping in the world's largest rainforest. Now, according to a study published July 14 in Nature, the Amazon is emitting more carbon than it captures. This study is the first to use direct atmospheric measurements, across a wide geographic region, collected over nearly a decade that account for background concentrations of atmospheric gases. Advertisement These results have important implications for policy initiatives such as REDD+ that rely on forests to offset carbon emissions. Because different regions of the Amazon differ in their ability to absorb carbon, schemes that use one value for the carbon-capturing ability of the whole Amazon need to be reexamined, scientists say. "The Amazon is a carbon source. No doubt," Luciana Gatti, a researcher at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and lead author of the study, says. "By now we can say that the budget for the Amazon is 0.3 billion tons of carbon per year [released] into the atmosphere. It's a horrible message." Southeastern Amazonia, in particular, switched from being a carbon sink to a carbon source during the study period. Emissions were high in 2010 because of a dry El Nino year, Gatti says, and she expected to see emissions return to normal afterward. But this never happened. The reason: emissions from fires. In the Amazon, forests are often cut during the wet season and burned during the dry season to make way for agribusiness, particularly cattle pasture. According to the study, fire emissions in the southeastern Amazon are three times larger than the net biome exchange (NBE), a measure of the forest's carbon uptake plus all emissions from decomposition and human sources such as burning fossil fuels. Without emissions from fires, Gatti says, the Amazon would be a carbon sink. "In other words, the Amazon is a source because of biomass burning." " " Aerial view of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon taken from a small aircraft used to measure carbon emissions. Image courtesy of Luciana Gatti FLORENCE Franyeris Mercado received the Master of Speech-Language Pathology from Francis Marion University during Saturdays spring 2023 commencement ceremony. Mercado, a Rhode Island native, moved to Florence nearly three years ago to begin the SLP program, and will remain here as shell begin work as a speech language pathologist for Florence One Schools in the fall. Mercados path to becoming a speech language pathologist has been different than some. A non-traditional student, Mercado took a break after graduating from high school to work in both hospitals and doctors offices for several years before returning to school. She received an undergraduate degree in communication disorders from the University of Rhode Island in December 2020. While in college, Mercados best friends son was diagnosed with autism and began speech therapy. Mercado was fascinated with the care her friends son received and began looking into programs that she could enroll in upon completion of her undergraduate degree. Thats when she discovered Francis Marion. Mercado said she was intrigued with FMUs program because it covers the full spectrum of study for someone going into the field and prepares them for work in both medical and educational settings. For me, it was very important to attend a university that prepares future SLPs for work in medical and school settings, said Mercado. I also wanted to go to a place that welcomed diversity and is inclusive. I found all of those things at FMU. Initially, Mercado thought she would work in a healthcare setting, but quickly fell in love with working in the schools after clinical work. I absolutely loved working with the children during one of my clinical experiences, Mercado said. Seeing their eyes light up and their confidence build as they mastered new skills was extremely rewarding. During her time at the university, Mercado served as a student representative for the National Student Speech and Hearing Association and was the recipient of this years Speech Language Pathology academic award. She also presented her capstone project, Moral Decision-Making in Autistic Adolescents, at the statewide convention of the South Carolina Speech and Hearing Association. FLORENCE South Florence High School students and their families Thursday evening crowded into Lulus Coffee Shop on Pamplico Highway to hear poems and stories from their classmates. My life, your life,/Were two different worlds, read Cameron Barr. My life is a scene, your life/Is a movie. I see different colors; You see black and white. The evening was the unveiling of the schools annual Ursa Minor Literary and Art Magazine, named after the schools yearbook, Ursa Major. Students whose writing and art made it into the magazine were recognized, and writers who were present read their work aloud. I need to be the best; youre already better, Barr continued. For me now or never. For you now or later. Students did not get to see the magazine ahead of time, so in between the unveiling and the readings, students and their families poured over its pages, pointing out the artwork and writing they recognized. English teacher Kate Smolen-Morton led the evenings event, announcing those whose work made it into the magazine and called up occasionally nervous students to read. Later, she read her own work. Heavy are the burdens/Of the Lost whose loss loses, she read. Them for time until time/Lessens the blow,/Though all feelings felt/Still flow - Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school was unable to hold unveiling events like this one for the past few years. Students used to have to pick the magazine up at Smolen-Mortons house, she said. Thursdays event had the largest number of people ever, according to Smolen-Morton. Fifteen artists and 41 writers were featured in the magazine, which is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission. All who attended the unveiling received free copies. This article is an opinion held by a subset of members about the potential plan from Microsoft about their enforcement of a TPM to use Windows 11 and various features. This article will not go into great detail about all the good and bad of a TPM; there will be links at the end for you to continue your research, but it will go into the issues we see with enforcement. If youre unfamiliar with what a TPM is or its general function we recommend taking a look at these links: What is a TPM?; TPM and Attestation. As you may or may not have already noticed, many people are wondering about Microsofts new mandatory TPM 2.0 hardware requirement for Windows 11. If you look around the press releases, shallow technical documentation, and the myriad of buzzwords like security, device health, firmware vulnerabilities, and malware, you still havent received a straightforward answer as to why exactly you need this tech. Many of you reading this article may have machines around the house or office you built from silicon that isnt even seven years old. These still play todays latest games without hiccup or issue, and unless you let your Grandma or 6-year old nephew on the machine recently, you likely dont have malware either. So, why do I suddenly need a TPM 2.0 device on my machine, then you ask? Well, the answer is quite simple. Its not about you; its about them. You see, the PC (emphasis on personal here) is in a way the last bastion of digital freedom you have, and that door is slowly closing. You need to only look at highly locked and controlled systems like consoles and phones to see the disparity. Political affiliations aside, one can take the Wikileaks app removal from both the Apple store and Google play store as an excellent example of what the world looks like when your device controls you, instead of you controlling the device. Twenty years ago, Microsoft set forth a goal of trusted computing called Palladium. While this technical goal has slowly but surely crept into Windows over the years, it has laid chiefly dormant because of critical missing infrastructure. This being that until recently, quite a large majority of consumer machines did not have a TPM, which youll learn later is a critical component to making Palladium work. And while we wont deny that Bitlocker is excellent for if your device ever gets stolen, we will remind you that Microsoft always sold this tyranny to look great on the surface (no pun intended here). When Palladium debuted, it was shot out of orbit by proponents of free and open software and back into hiding it went. So why is the TPM useful? The TPM (along with suitable firmware) is critical to measuring the state of your device - the boot state, in particular, to attest to a remote party that your machine is in a non-rooted state. Its very similar to the Widevine L1 on Android devices; a third-party can then choose whether or not to serve you content. Everything will suddenly revolve around this trust factor of your PC. Imagine you want to watch your favorite show on Netflix in 4k, but your hardware trust factor is low? Too bad youll have to settle for the 720p stream. Untrusted devices could be watching in an instance of Linux KVM, and we cant risk your pirating tools running in the background! You might think that Its okay, though! I can emulate a TPM with KVM; the software already exists! The unfortunate truth is that its not that simple. TPMs have unique keys burned in at manufacture time called Endorsement Keys, and these are unique per TPM. These keys are then cryptographically tied to the vendor who issued them, and as such, not only does a TPM uniquely identify your machine anywhere in the world, but content distributors can pick and choose what TPM vendors they want to trust. Sound familiar to you? Its called Digital Rights Management, otherwise known as DRM. Lets not forget, Intel initially shipped the Pentium III with a built-in serial number unique per chip. Much the same initial fate as Palladium, it was also shot down by privacy groups, and the feature was subject to removal. There seems to be a lot misconceptions floating around in social media. In this section well highlight one of them: I can patch the ISO or download one that removes the requirement. You can, sure. Windows and a majority of its components will function fine, similar to if you root your phone. Remember the part earlier, though, about 4k video content? That wont be available to you (as an example). Whether it be a game or a movie, a vendor of consumable media decides what users they trust with their content. Unfortunately, without a TPM, you arent cutting it. Youve probably noticed that the marketing for this requirement is vague and confusing, and thats intentional. It doesnt do much for you, the consumer. However, it does set the stage for the future where Microsoft begins shipping their TPM on your processor. Enter Microsofts Pluton. The same technology is present in the Xbox. It would be an absolute dream come true for companies and vendors with special interests to completely own and control your PC to the same degree as a phone or the Xbox. While the writers of this article will not deny that device attestation can bring excellent security for the standard consumers of the world, we cannot ignore that it opens the door to the restriction of user privacy and freedoms. It also paves the way to have the PC locked into a nice controllable cube for all the citizens to use. You can see the wood for the trees here. When a company tells you that you need something, and its for your own good, and hey, theyre just on a humanitarian aid mission to save you from yourself, one should be highly skeptical. Microsoft is pushing this hard; we can even see them citing entirely dubious statistics. We took this one from The Verge: Microsoft has been warning for months that firmware attacks are on the rise. Our Security Signals report found that 83 percent of businesses experienced a firmware attack, and only 29 percent are allocating resources to protect this critical layer, says Weston. If you read into this link, you will find it cites information from Microsoft themselves, called Security Signals, and by the time youre done reading it, you forgot how you got there in the first place. Not only is this statistic not factual, but successful firmware attacks are incredibly rare. Did we mention that a TPM isnt going to protect you from UEFI malware that was planted on the device by a rogue agent at manufacture time? What about dynamic firmware attacks? Did you know that technologies such as Intel Boot Guard that have existed for the better part of a decade defend well against such attacks that might seek to overwrite flash memory? We are here to remind you that the TPM requirement of Windows 11 furthers the agenda to protect the PC against you, its owner. It is one step closer to the lockdown of the PC. As Microsoft won the secure boot battle a decade ago, which is where Microsoft became the sole owner of the Secure Boot keys, this move also further tightens the screws on the liberties the PC gives us. While it wont be evident immediately upon the launch of Windows 11, the pieces are moving together at a much faster pace. We ask you to do your research in an age of increased restriction of personal freedom, censorship, and endless media propaganda. We strongly encourage you to research Microsofts future Pluton chip. There are links provided below to research for yourself. MERRILL, Iowa Spring planting is again underway in Northwest Iowa, and most of the area's rich farmland is well short of moisture. In Castana, Iowa, in Monona County, recent Iowa State University Extension measurements showed a meager 1.7 inches of subsoil moisture in the top five feet of soil, compared to a historical average of 6.4 inches in the spring. In Ireton, Iowa, in Sioux County, there's 3.15 inches, compared to a norm of 6.4 inches. In Le Mars, there's 3.51 inches, versus 5.8 inches in other years. "It's not really stopping anybody from planting, but it's definitely a thought in the back of everybody's mind," said Leah Ten Napel, Northwest Iowa Extension field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension & Outreach. "Is there enough moisture in the ground, and will we get enough moisture this growing season?" Andrew Brown, 27, whose family has farmed on non-irrigated land west of Merrill for more than a century, said he'd heard of subsoil moisture readings in the area as low as a quarter-inch this spring. "This is probably one of the worst droughts I've ever seen," said Brown, who has been farming full-time with his father since he graduated high school. Like many family farmers, he's been farming, at least on a part-time basis, since before he could drive a car. "There's an old saying, 'Plant in the dust and the bins will bust,'" he added cheerfully. "So, I guess that's our hope and prayer this year." The Brown farm was about halfway done with corn planting as of Thursday; they were just beginning to spray herbicide for soybeans, and Andrew Brown was hopeful soybean planting would commence on Thursday. Everything should be in the ground by the end of this coming week, he said. "That's our goal at least, but, you know, Mother Nature always throws a curveball in there," Brown said. "If it rains, we won't be mad. We need it." Nearly the entire area is in a drought of one form or another. As of this past week, parts of western Woodbury County and Monona County were in either exceptional drought or extreme drought, the worst and second-worst ratings given by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Every other county in Northwest Iowa is either in a severe drought or a moderate drought, except for about half of Lyon County and the northwest corner of Sioux County, which are abnormally dry; that condition is associated either with impending drought or recovery from a recent drought. Northeast Nebraska is far worse -- the entirety of Thurston County, for instance, is in an exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. All the counties surrounding it are either partly or completely enveloped by exceptional drought, including Dakota County. This spring's drought is little changed from last summer's drought, except that it's worse so far. "We're a lot lower, in these areas, even lower than we were seeing last spring," Ten Napel said. "So it's very critical that we get good moisture throughout the growing season." About 20 inches of moisture is needed during the spring and summer to grow a healthy crop. Still, even in the most drought-stricken places, that's not insurmountable -- in an average May 1 to Sept. 30 stretch in Monona County, total precipitation is just shy of 20 inches, according to National Weather Service data. Crop yields last fall, after the harsh drought and spotty rains, were often on the disappointing side. Some fields that didn't catch much rain last summer were "a total loss," Ten Napel said. The average yield in this area was around 170 bushels per acre last year, Ten Napel said; 200 bushels an acre or better is often the target, wishful though it may be. "So they were definitely lower, but there were some fields that were totally fine just because they really caught those timely rains," she said. "Other fields, not so much." The Brown family's yields last year were less than ideal -- their average corn yield was between 140 and 150 bushels per acre, Austin Brown said. "So, pretty good sized loss there," he said. "But some guys I talked to up north, up in O'Brien County, Sioux County, they were 200 bushels of corn there." 125 Years Ago Officers Are All Right: The largest review of Iowa troops held since the Civil War was given on the common a mile west of Camp McKinley this afternoon. No less than 2,800 men were in the ranks, and they looked like a good sized army. The examination of officers was also nearly completed today. There was a statement in the Des Moines papers that Dr. Bergen and Dr. Van Knott, of Sioux City, were rejected, but that was an error. Both doctors were accepted, and Maj. Bergen was immediately mustered in and assigned to the Fourth regiment. Twelve recruits for Company H came in from Sioux City tonight. A Romantic Marriage: The insertion of a notice in a Chicago matrimonial paper resulted in a romantic marriage in Sioux City on Thursday evening between Anthon Marousek, of Sioux City and who works as a tailor for the Dow Clothing company, and Miss Kate Dougherty of Columbus, Ind., the accomplished daughter of a grocer there. The ceremony was performed at St. Pauls Episcopal Church by Rev. E. H. Gaynor with only the immediate relative of the groom present. The bride and grooms relationship began as correspondence after she wrote a response to his notice in the matrimonial paper, though she did not agree to marriage until after they had become acquainted in person. 100 Years Ago Lusitania Sunk Eight Years Ago: Today is the eighth anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania. Dr. Daniel V. Moore, now of Sioux City, was on the Lusitania when it was torpedoed by a submarine about 50 miles from Queenstown, Ireland, and only about 734 of the 3,000 on board survived. Dr. Moore survived by clinging to a keg hed managed to reach in the water. Once he reached Queenstown, Dr. Moore cabled the Journal with news of his survival. Sioux City Takes Final Game of Series with Tulsa, 8 to 4: The Packers pounded the ball hard to claim the last game on the home lot until May 22, defeating the Tulsa team 8 to 4. Both teams played errorless and fast ball. In the last half of the second, with Tulsa one run in the lead, Metz hit to right for one base and went to second when Query was given a walk. With Rasmussens bat, the two scored. Mizzou Park 1923 Mizzou Park is shown in 1923. Sioux City Packers 1923 The Sioux City Packers baseball team is shown in 1923. 50 Years Ago Grain Firm Official, Journal Farm Editor, Killed in Plane Crash: Journal Farm Editor Marc Cox and grain firm executive Dean G. Daniels were killed Sunday morning in the crash of a private airplane near Granger, Minn. Fillmore County, Minn., Sheriff Garl Fann reported the plane crashed almost nose-first in a pasture two miles north of the Iowa-Minnesota border at 9:50 a.m. Cox and Daniels left Sioux City Saturday morning to attend an annual fishing event in Winona, Minn., with Minnesota Gov. Wendell R. Anderson. Marc Cox Journal farm editor Marc Cox is shown. Race in Tour de Sioux City: While not as long nor grueling, the Sioux City version of the Tour de France drew 50 just as enthusiastic participants. The 4.2 mile race was conducted Sunday afternoon by the members of the French language classes at the three Sioux City high schools. It started at Hoover Junior High School and ended at the entrance to Stone State Park. The traveling trophy went to a team from North High School consisting of Ed Newell, Scott Swanson, Bill Skinner, and Debbie Probasco, with Swanson being the fastest cyclist at just over 14 minutes. 25 Years Ago Gingrich Gives Big Boost to Ethanol: House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced a decision that all but assures an extension of the federal tax credit for ethanol to 2007. In a meeting with a group of Siouxlanders on Wednesday, Gingrich stated he appointed two pro-ethanol lawmakers, Reps. Jim Nussle of Iowa and Kenny Hulshof of Missouri, to a House-Senate conference committee negotiating a compromise on a transportation bill. Restoration Begins on 1860 Church: The Emmanuel Lutheran Church is the oldest Lutheran Church in the state of Nebraska. Built in 1860, the Dakota County Historical Society plans to restore the old church to its original condition thanks to a recent donation by Louisa Oberg, the great-granddaughter of the builder of the church. Plans with the restoration include fixing the roof, replacing the floor, and restoring the steeple. Emmanuel Lutheran Church The interior of oldest church in Nebraska, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Dakota City, June 6, 2011, stands as a monument to the faith of pioneers In the Iowa Elks Association's "What the Flag Means to Me?" essay contest for sixth graders, Sioux City student Will Bertrand took second place in the boys division while Sioux City student Suriana Bebee placed third in the girls division. DES MOINES Over the past four months under the Iowa State Capitols golden dome, state lawmakers reshaped Iowas education system and the structure of the state government, placed new restrictions on transgender youth and put restraints on city and county funding to lower property taxes. With a governor invigorated from a landslide election victory and larger Republican majorities in the House and Senate, the party was able to enact a more dramatically conservative policy agenda than in years past. Republican leaders celebrated the session as it wrapped up shortly after noon on Thursday, saying they followed through on nearly all of their campaign promises; but Democrats skewered the majority party for passing bills they said targeted LGBTQ youth and weakened and politicized Iowa schools. Here are eight major bills passed during the session and how they will affect Iowans. Some are already signed into law, while the others will likely become law in the coming weeks. Education savings accounts Lawmakers began the session with a flurry of work to enact one of the most expansive private school choice programs in the country, sending a bill to Gov. Kim Reynolds desk two weeks after opening day. The law, Reynolds top legislative priority of the session, will allow any parent to access a taxpayer-funded education savings account valued at $7,600 the states full per-pupil school spending to pay for private school expenses. Applications for the savings accounts will open May 31, and they will be accessible for the upcoming school year for all public school students and some private school students. The program will be open to all public- and private-school students by 2027 and is expected to cost $345 million annually. Reynolds said in a statement Thursday that the new program was transformational education reform that kicked off a national school choice revolution. Democrats vehemently opposed the law, saying it would siphon money from public schools and allow discrimination against students with disabilities. Democratic leaders said Thursday they were going to closely watch the program to ensure it was not being misused. They pointed to some private schools that have raised their tuition since the bills passage. That is not the intent of the legislation. Im disappointed Republicans didnt see that and try to protect families who are accepting school vouchers, Democratic House leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights said. Government reorganization The structure of Iowas government got an overhaul this session, with the passage of a 1,600-page bill that consolidated the number of cabinet-level state departments from 37 to 16, cut vacant jobs and restructured agency duties. Reynolds pitched the bill, Senate File 514, as a way to shrink the state government and save money while streamlining and improving services for Iowans. The governors office expects the realignment to save the state $215 million by combining services and eliminating vacant positions. Rep. Jane Bloomingdale, R-Northwood, who managed the bill in the House, said the bill was needed to streamline Iowa's government. She said the realignment process might need further attention next year as lawmakers saw the impacts. Theres too many departments, too many redundancies, she said. And I think this will streamline. Well be more efficient, and well save money. Democrats opposed many portions of the bill, proposing dozens of amendments to reinstate departments that got subsumed. They argued it consolidated too much power under Reynolds and was passed without enough time for public scrutiny. School and library restrictions Reynolds is expected to sign into law a bill that puts new restrictions on LGBTQ topics in public schools and library books, part of Republicans attempts to rein in what they see as inappropriate content in schools. Senate File 496 would do the following: Ban discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through sixth grade. Ban books with descriptions or depictions of sex acts from school libraries. Require schools to notify parents if a student requests changing their name or pronouns. Allow parents to review and request removal of instructional materials in the classroom. Require parents permission for a student to participate in any survey that asks about specific topics. Democrats and LGBTQ activists said the changes would sever the trust between students and their teachers, needlessly restrict school libraries and block the teaching about historical LGBTQ figures. But House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said the bill, and other education measures throughout the session, were responses to concerns brought to Republican lawmakers by parents and administrators. The Legislature did not wade into that argument or that debate, it was started at the school district level and brought to us as the Legislature, he said. Property taxes A top priority of Republicans that remained elusive until the last days of the session was a bill to cut property taxes, which Reynolds signed into law Thursday. Lawmakers eventually agreed on a law House File 718 that will consolidate city levy rates and require cities and counties to lower their rates if taxable value rises above a set percentage, which Republicans estimate will cut taxes by $100 million. The law will also require cities to send detailed explanations of a property owners tax bill and require bond referendums to be held during a November election. The bill passed nearly unanimously Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, was the sole no vote in both chambers and Democrats said it would lower tax bills for middle-class Iowans. I cant think of a better way to end a legislative session than adjourning just a few minutes ago and now coming down for a bill signing of the most significant property tax cut that we have ever had in our states history, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said when Reynolds signed the bill Thursday. Gender-affirming care ban Following the lead of Republican states around the country, Iowa Republicans passed a bill to ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries. Reynolds signed the bill into law shortly after its passage. Supporters of the law, Senate File 538, said minors were too young to make potentially irreversible decisions about medical care, and some said gender dysphoria was a temporary phase that most children would grow out of. If youre 18 years of age and you want to have the hormone therapies and the surgeries, great, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, who managed the bill, said. I think it is important to protect children because I think all the data out there supports the decision we made. The law contradicted the advice of major medical associations and doctors who testified before a House committee, saying health interventions for transgender youth are science-backed and happen after months of careful consideration in consultation with doctors and parents. Democrats, and some Republicans, voted against the bill, saying it would put transgender youth at risk of mental health problems and suicide. Bathroom bill Lawmakers also passed, and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed, a law that requires people in K-12 schools to use the bathroom that aligns with their biological sex, barring transgender students from the bathroom that matches their gender identity. Republican supporters said Senate File 482 would protect students who were uncomfortable sharing a private space with a transgender student, but opponents said it ostracizes and discriminates against transgender students. Schools must offer accommodations to students who would like to use single-user restrooms. Democrats said after the session ended they would not be surprised to see more legislation targeting transgender and LGBTQ Iowans in the next session. The Republican disrespect for LGBTQ Iowans should make every person ashamed in this Legislature, Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville said. I was proud to see Democrats stand up for basic freedoms and rights, stand up for parental rights and stand up for the LGBTQ community. Child labor After hours of fierce debate including one that lasted all night and into the following morning Republican lawmakers passed a bill that will allow teenagers to work more jobs and later hours. The bill, Senate File 542, was opposed by labor unions and Democrats, who said it would put children in dangerous workplace environments and did not do enough to hold employers liable. While they ultimately voted against it, House Democrats were able work with Republicans to amend some of what they saw as the most egregious parts of the bill. The amendment rolled back provisions allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to be provided waivers to work in certain jobs and prohibited sex offenders from employing minors, among other things. Konfrst said she was happy Republicans were willing to work with Democrats to address their concerns. It's not the bill we would have passed; we wouldn't have done the bill, she said. We made it a little better because the importance of bipartisanship shone through on both sides. Reynolds has not yet signed the bill, but she said she supports it and it would allow young people to develop a work ethic and prepare for a career. I cant even really understand all of the hoopla about it, she told reporters Thursday. It doesnt seem like very much common sense people are perplexed, literally perplexed, at why we would care if kids want to work or not. Public assistance requirements In an effort to rein in state spending on public assistance programs, Republican lawmakers passed a bill that would disqualify families from federal assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid if they have assets totaling $15,000 or a second vehicle worth more than $10,000. The legislation, Senate File 494, would also require recipients to complete a computerized questionnaire and require recipients of SNAP and Medicaid to comply with child support payments. Critics of the bill said it would disqualify thousands of people from public assistance programs who need them to get by, but supporters said it would make the programs more efficient. According to an analysis from the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, about 1% of people will be kicked off their benefits if the bill becomes law around 8,000 Medicaid recipients and 2,800 SNAP recipients. GLENWOOD, Wis. (AP) A suspected drunken driver shot and killed a Wisconsin sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop before running into some nearby woods and killing himself, authorities said Sunday. During a conversation about field sobriety tests, Jeremiah Johnson was evasive, drew a handgun and shot St. Croix County Deputy Kaitie Leising in Glenwood, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Minneapolis, the state Department of Justice said. After being struck, Deputy Leising discharged her weapon three times, but none of the rounds hit Johnson before he fled to the nearby wooded area, the agency said. People in another vehicle began lifesaving measures Saturday, but Leising, 29, was pronounced dead at a hospital. An hour after the shooting, an officer heard a gunshot in the woods and saw Johnson, 34, fall to the ground, investigators said. Leising was hired by St. Croix County in 2022 after she spent approximately two years working for the sheriff's office in Pennington County, South Dakota, St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said. Leising's body was being escorted by police back to Wisconsin from the medical examiner's office in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will miss her infectious smile and personality. She will be missed by all she touched, Knudson said. The Iowa Legislature adjourned its 2023 session Thursday, leaving behind decidedly mixed results. Today, The Journal editorial board offers its view on five major issues lawmakers worked on during the 116-day session. Property tax relief In the most significant accomplishment of the session, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed on Thursday a $100 million property tax reduction measure. The new law seeks to achieve a reduction in future property tax growth primarily by merging most local government and school property taxes into one general levy, then installing mechanisms that reduce that levy if taxable valuation grows beyond a certain level. When assessments increase 3%-to-6%, the tax levy growth is limited to 2%, under the new law. When assessments increase 6% or more, the levy growth is limited to 3%. The new law, which received strong bipartisan support, with just one dissenting vote in the House and none in the Senate, was largely in response to protests from across the state after local accessors increased home valuations by an average of 22% last month. In Sioux City, hundreds of homeowners are appealing assessments that grew by an average of about 23.5% and increased by over 50% in some neighborhoods. With the new limits on local levies, that means owners of homes, businesses and farms will pay less in property taxes in future years. In the future, lawmakers would be wise to continue the property tax relief beyond the four years specified in the new law. Thumbs up Educational savings accounts A top priority of Gov. Kim Reynolds, majority Republicans early in the session approved a measure that provides Iowa students with $7,598 each year to use for private school tuition and associated costs. The educational savings accounts, or ESA, will be available to all public school students starting in the 2023-2024 school year. Students currently attending private schools must meet income limits to qualify in the first two years of the program. In the third year, all private students will be eligible. We've previously expressed our concerns about funneling such a large sum of taxpayer dollars to private schools -- an estimated $345 million annually after it's fully implemented in the fourth year -- fearing it would lead to reduced funding for public schools. And, we're not alone. "Carving Iowas education funding pie into more pieces necessarily means a smaller piece of pie for Iowas public-school students," according to a resolution the Sioux City School Board approved on the eve of a key legislative vote for the ESAs. Reynolds has argued it would make private schools available for everyone, rather than only those who could afford the extra costs. But will that really be the case? Critics have rightly pointed out that the ESA program has limited value for students with special needs since private schools do not have to follow the same federal standards for educating such students as the public ones. Thumbs down Restricting school books In this space, we've previously expressed concerns about a provision in a sweeping educational bill that would ban from school libraries books or other materials that depict sex acts. (Religious texts would be exempted.) While we would support efforts to remove truly pornographic or obscene materials from libraries, we fear the new law will be fraught with abuses. We're not comforted by Reynolds' declaration that she wants to require all school districts to restrict a school book if just one district does it. As Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, wrote earlier this year, "The idea of banning books runs counter to most peoples concept of freedom." Thumbs down Gender issues The same bill that restricts books in school libraries also bars districts from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-6. Schools also would need to notify parents if a student requests changing their name or pronouns. Transgender minors also would be not be allowed to enter school bathrooms or changing rooms that correspond with their gender identities. Another bill the Republican-controlled Legislature sent to Reynolds' desk also prohibits transgender minors from obtaining gender-related medical care such as puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy or any surgical interventions. We would have preferred that GOP lawmakers had not taken up a cultural issue that inflames passions and divides the public. As a whole, the measures serve to make the state look less welcoming to the rest of the country. Thumbs down Nursing home reimbursements The Health and Human Services budget approved by lawmakers contains a $15 million increase in Medicaid reimbursement for nursing homes. The increases should provide some added breathing room for nursing homes that have been struggling to stay afloat. Seventeen Iowa nursing homes closed in 2022, according to the Center for Medicare Advocacy. The current Medicaid reimbursement rate for Iowa nursing home costs are based on their costs in 2018, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With higher reimbursements rates, nursing homes who provide the valuable service of caring for the elderly and special needs should be in better position to maintain and recruit staff and cover other increased costs. Thumbs up Northwest Iowa is known as a bastion of conservative thinking. People like me were supporters of Steve King even as he was being condemned by his own party. Apparently we now support Donald Trump for president. When I support a political candidate it is because his ethics are consistent with my own. So is there something wrong with me since I haven't had an affair, as a married man, with a porn star or been accused of rape? Where are Republicans in Northwest Iowa even finding these porn stars? Can someone in the know explain to me why my thinking is wrong? -- Donald C. Parsons, Sioux City Im not certain North Carolina has become the most anti-democratic state in the union. But over the past dozen years, weve surely joined the hunt. Our General Assembly has enacted, according to reviewing judges, among the largest, most pervasive racial gerrymanders ever presented to a federal court. Lawmakers used surgical precision to deny Black Tar Heels the right to vote. They created the most bald-faced and unrepentant political gerrymanders seen in modern America. Theyve effectively overturned municipal elections when they didnt like the outcome. And they gutted gubernatorial powers when voters had the gall to elect a Democratic candidateviolating the first premise of democratic governance, that when you lose an election, you dont burn down the governors mansion, you go home, ponder your mistakes, lift yourself off the mat, and try again. Were pros in thwarting democracy here. True believers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, a newly transformed and newly Republican North Carolina Supreme Court announced it was becoming a full, faithful, and enthusiastic partner in the ongoing crusade to achieve disabling electoral suppression. Novembers election had delivered notable changes to the high courts membership. A 4-3 Democratic majority gave way, in January, to a domineering 5-2 Republican tribunal. And the newly empaneled majority clearly had the work of its predecessor in its sights. On April 28, the Court issued three major decisions, all by the predictable partisan margins, which the Charlotte Observer deemed sweeping blows to democracy in North Carolina. The rulings were handed down, and timed, in a display designed to connote the announcement of sea change. A new sheriff was in town. All former pretenders should now give way. No longer would the state courts intervene to protect voting rights. No longer would they fret over the intentional distortion of the political process. No longer, even more broadly, would the justices trouble the Republican General Assembly to govern within the lines. No longer would they offer even the pretense of judicial independence. The new North Carolina Supreme Court is operating as an enabling caucus of the state Republican Party. Full stop. Advertisement Advertisement But first the justices had to throw out the rule books. Late in 2022, the preceding Supreme Court had issued final rulings invalidating the states extreme political gerrymandering and its racially motivated voter ID law. In a move almost unknown to American law, the new Republican justices decided to take up these cases on a motion for rehearing. Never before in the North Carolina Supreme Courts over 200-year history had it granted a rehearing based on a change in the tribunals membership. Much less based on a change in the partisan makeup of the court. Still, the new activists had work to do. Legal notions like stare decisis and the law of the case had to give way. And give way they did. Advertisement Advertisement First, in Harper v. Hall, the Republican majority gave a warm, and purportedly permanent, embrace to partisan gerrymandering. Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote: Our Constitution expressly assigns the redistricting authority to the General Assembly subject to express limitations in the text. In other words, political distortion of the districting process, even extreme manipulation which results in substantial and enduring handicapping of the electoral system, is just fine. The justices essentially offered a green light for future incumbent machinations. A metaphorical get out of jail free card for cheating politicians. Justice Anita Earls thundered in dissent that the ruling stripped North Carolina voters of the right to choose their elected officials and demolished the Courts standing as an independent check on the excesses of the other two branches of government. But Newby wasnt going to let any dissenting voices disturb him. He was on a partisan mission. And he delivered like a champion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ironically perhaps, the state court ruling will likely derail the momentous gerrymandering case presently being considered by the United States Supreme Court (Moore v. Harper) since our justices have now forsworn authority over political gerrymandering cases. One can almost hear one activist, partisan Republican justice, Samuel Alito, complaining that the ambitions of another activist, Republican justice, Paul Newby, are cramping his style. Next, the justices used the same unprecedented rehearing maneuver to do in the earlier state Supreme Court voter ID decision. This time, they simply cast aside trial court and prior Supreme Court factual determinations that a new law implementing a voter identification requirement was meant to handicap black voters. Only months before, the high court had concluded that the provisions of S.B. 824 were formulated with an impermissible intent to discriminate against African Americans. The General Assembly had chosen, intentionally, to pass a law that required the specific IDs black voters disproportionately lack. Advertisement Advertisement Now, though, the new judges said such pesky showings of motivation didnt matter. Justice Phil Berger Jr., the Senate majority leaders son, explained: The people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support voter identification and other efforts to promote greater integrity and confidence in our elections, Issues of racial intention explored by his predecessors were mere efforts of judicial sleight of hand. The legislatures enactment of law, Berger declared, is the sacrosanct fulfillment of the peoples will. Man, sacrosanct. And so, North Carolinas ID law would be resurrected. Phil Berger Sr. lauded his sons bold steps to combat the political whims of left-wing Democrats. Justice Bergers opinion concluded, mightily, that no court exists for the vindication of political interests. Really. It came across like a headline from The Onion. Advertisement Advertisement Finally, the Republican jurists ran the table by reversing a lower court decision extending voting rights for those convicted of a crime. The prior ruling had determined that electoral participation should be restored under the North Carolina Constitution once a prison term had been served, rather than waiting for any period of probation or post-release supervision to be completed. Accordingly, 55,000 North Carolinians were made newly eligible to vote. Again, findings of racial disparity and purpose were cast aside as the justices overruled the voting rights restoration. Justice Trey Allen wrote: Our Constitution ties voting rights to the obligation that all citizens have to refrain from criminal misconduct. For yet a third time, the new North Carolina Supreme Court debased a fundamental human right and eagerly cast aside norms of appellate review to pull it off. They were on a roll. The State Board of Elections immediately took steps to exclude tens of thousands of Tar Heels from the voter rolls. Advertisement For North Carolinians working to preserve their threatened democracy, there is an additional component of these rulings that antagonizes. Chief Justice Newby and his Republican team claim these decisions represent an essential course correction, a returning to principle and a steady assurance of an appropriate separation of powers. Despite trashing procedural norms, brutally discarding stare decisis, changing newly minted results merely because the membership of the court had been altered at the ballot box, and frontally assaulting the foundations of equality and democratic governance, the Republican justices claimed, with seemingly straight faces, to occupy the high ground. Justice Berger was explicit: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This Court has traditionally stood against the waves of partisan rulings in favor of the fundamental principle of equality under law. We commit to that fundamental principle and begin the process of returning the judiciary to its rightful place as the least dangerous branch Our state courts follow the law, not the political winds of the day. Advertisement The Chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, Michael Whatley, got the memo. He explained, unembarrassed: this is a great day for the rule of lawthese rulings are a big step toward restoring respect for the Constitution and taking politics out of the courtroom. Such statements are beyond rich. To mark Aril 28 as a paean to the rule of law in North Carolina is, at the least, ignoble. Its hard to see how you could show greater disdain for the rule of law than by nixing final judicial rulings just because new Republicans came on the court. To claim fealty to the fundamental principle of equality under law as the justices welcomed race discrimination, crushed fair political participation and entrenched partisanship is perhaps even worse. To declare that the North Carolina Supreme Court aims to take politics out of the courtroom is well, I cant say it in print. As a Tar Heel, I can report that many will support these decisions and many will oppose them. But no one in North Carolina believes they arent political. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida (left) with his wife Yuko Kishida and South Korean President Yoon with his wife Kim Keon Hee. Photo: Reuters After the meeting, South Korean President Yoon emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is key to world peace and prosperity. Yoon, who visited Tokyo two months ago, also said he felt a responsibility to mend ties, and the meeting showed that relations are making rapid progress. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida first visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where war veterans are buried, including those from the struggles against Japanese colonial rule. He laid flowers on the grave and paid his respects to the deceased. Handshake in the presidential palace. Photo: Reuters A bilateral meeting between the two leaders followed, and in the evening there will be dinner in the presidential palace. According to South Korean media reports, President Yoon Suk Yeol even cooks himself. The visit of the Japanese leader in Seoul is accompanied by rallies of both opponents and supporters of the rapprochement of the two countries. Continuation of shuttle diplomacy Before leaving for Seoul, Kishida said the two leaders were working to restore this shuttle diplomacy, which includes regular mutual visits and high-level talks. As he said, he expects an open exchange of views based on trust. Related news Japan and South Korea are trying to restore ties and iron out a trade dispute Japan and South Korea are technological superpowers and key US security allies. As expected, the two leaders will also talk about North Koreas nuclear armament and Chinas influence in the region. Dispute after Japanese colonialization of South Korea The East Asian neighbors have long been at loggerheads over historical issues related to Japans brutal colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945, which also included sexual slavery and forced labor. The issue of forced labor severely strained relations in 2018. At the time, South Koreas Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to victims of forced labor during the war, angering Tokyo and triggering a series of economic measures. The two leaders resolved the dispute at a March meeting in Tokyo. For the coronation at Westminster Abbey, for the coronation of his father, King Charles III, members of the royal family arrived, including Prince Harry, who does not have a formal role in the ceremony, as his brothers family does. Harry arrived in England already on Friday by regular airline, and this is said to be the first family meeting after the release of his controversial biography. Prince William and Kate PHOTO: AP You can also watch more about the royal family in a series of documentaries on Voyo. Accompanied by parents Prince William and Princess Kate the royal grandchildren also arrived for the coronation Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal couples younger two children arrived at Westminster Abbey with their parents. Charlotte, 8, wore a headpiece to match her mothers tiara for the special occasion, while Prince George, who is second in line to the throne, joined the other boys in the ceremony. He wore a red uniform, making him the youngest future monarch ever to attend a coronation. Prince William with his family PHOTO: Profimeda To the coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. in 1953, 4-year-old Charles was also present, but he did not play an active role when Elizabeths father was crowned, but she was also able to observe part of the ceremony. She was 11 years old at the time. Prince Georges parents are said to be very proud of his role and excited that he was able to actively participate in this historic event. Prince George with King Charles III. PHOTO: Profimedia Harry he traveled to England without his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, and two hours after the coronation, he is expected to return to California, where they will celebrate in the family circle Archies Birthday. He looked relaxed as he entered the abbey and chatted with his cousin Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall. Prince Harry arrived alone. PHOTO: Profimedia Dressed in an elegant suit, he is the husband of Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzipatting him on the back with a smile on his face before taking his place next to him Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenies husband. Along with his uncle Andrew, Harry does not have a formal role and did not take part in the ceremony as he has relinquished his role in the royal family. This is also the reason why he did not wear a military uniform for the coronation, although he served in the army for a decade and was twice on a mission in Afghanistan. READ MORE LIVE: King Charles III. and Queen Camilla crowned in Westminster Abbey Relations between Prince Harry and other members of the family have been strained since the publication of his memoirs. In the book, he revealed disputes and disagreements with his relatives, and since then he has repeatedly emphasized that he feels different from the rest of the family. Meghans decision to turn down an invitation to the coronation was seen by many as part of these ongoing, unresolved family tensions. The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that he received a promise from the Russian army for more ammunition after the threat to withdraw his men from positions in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. They have promised to give us all the ammunition and armaments we need to continue operations, he said. Prigozhin threatened on Friday to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, the epicenter of fighting in eastern Ukraine, by Wednesday due to a lack of ammunition. Today, according to the French press agency AFP announced that he had a guarantee that the fighters in the Bahmut area will be provided with everything they need. READ MORE Prigozhin was furious: Shoigu, Gerasimov, where is the ammunition!? At the end of April, Prigozhin already called on the Russian authorities to supply his units with more ammunition for the battles for the city of Bahmut, otherwise he would be forced to withdraw part of his units due to the large number of casualties and the lack of weapons supplies. In recent months, he has repeatedly criticized the Russian military command and, in his opinion, the monstrous bureaucracy in Moscow, which is said to be hindering the success of Russian forces. Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin PHOTO: AP Group Wagner led the months-long Russian assault on Bahmut, nearly capturing the city in the longest and bloodiest battle of the Russian offensive into Ukraine. In this, the rivalry between this mercenary group and the Russian regular army came to the fore. READ MORE Prigozhin called on Moscow to hand over the positions in Bahmut to the Chechen forces Prigozhin said today that all decisions regarding the further operations of the Wagner units will be made by the general Sergey Surovikin. This military veteran, who has a reputation for ruthlessness and is admired by the Wagner group, was appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine last October. He replaced him in the position three months later Valery Gerasimov, of which Prigozin is critical. Surovikin is now one of Gerasimovs deputies. He is the only decorated general who knows how to fight, Prigozin said about Surovikin today. Ukraine accused Russia of attacking the besieged city of Bahmut with phosphorus ammunition or incendiary bombs. Drone footage released by the Ukrainian military shows Bahmut in flames as white particles, which Ukraine claims are white phosphorus, fall on the site. White phosphorus weapons are not banned, but their use in civilian areas is considered a war crime. Phosphorus creates fires that spread very quickly and are very difficult to put out. Russia, which has been trying to capture Bahmut for months despite the citys questionable strategic value, has been accused of using this weapon in the past, reports BBC. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Twitter that the Russians targeted unoccupied areas of Bakhmut with incendiary ammunition. Kyivs special forces command added that Moscow forces were continuing to destroy the city. To view content from social networks, enable social network cookies. Enable cookies It is not clear when exactly the alleged attack took place. But footage shared by Ukraine (reportedly shot by a surveillance drone) shows tall buildings engulfed in flames. Videos of fires raging on the ground have also been published on social networks. Russia has been repeatedly accused of using white phosphorus since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, including during the siege of Mariupol at the start of the war. READ MORE Russians allegedly dropped phosphorus bombs on Mariupol after Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest White phosphorus is a wax-like substance that ignites on contact with oxygen and produces bright clouds of smoke. Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that the chemical is dangerous because of the severity of the injuries it causes. It burns at 800 degrees Celsius and can cause severe burns. It is also very sticky, difficult to remove, and can re-ignite. Russia is a signatory to the Convention on Certain Forms of Conventional Weapons, which prohibits the use of incendiary weapons in civilian areas that is, weapons that are intended to ignite. But HRW says white phosphorus does not belong in the treaty, as its main purpose is to create a smoke screen to hide military operations. As HRW also reports, the chemical has been used several times over the past 15 years, including by US forces against IS fighters in Iraq and Syria. However, some analysts argue that using phosphorus as an incendiary weapon near civilians would still be considered illegal. While Bahmut had a population of 80,000 before the war, the area is now virtually devoid of civilians. READ MORE Prigozhin was furious: Shoigu, Gerasimov, where is the ammunition!? The attack came a day after the commander of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner said he would withdraw his forces from Bahmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin in a video he posted online, he accused the top of the Russian army of not supplying enough ammunition, which is causing his soldiers to die. He announced the withdrawal from Bahmut for May 10. In Ukraine, they do not see any signs of the retreat of the mercenaries. A shooting at an outlet mall in the Dallas region on Saturday resulted in the deaths of nine people, including the suspected shooter. Several people were injured, and some remained in critical condition on Saturday night. The US has seen a record rate of mass killings this year, all involving the use of firearms. Authorities reported a shooting at an outlet mall in the Dallas region that left nine people dead, including the alleged gunman, on Saturday. Shoppers were terrified by the gunfire and hurried for cover during the latest Texas shooting incident. According to Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd, seven individuals died at the Allen Premium Outlets, and two more died at a hospital, NBC News reported. By Saturday night, Boyd reported that four patients had stabilized, and three were in serious condition. Harvey did not identify the gunman at a press conference on Saturday evening, but he did state the individual acted alone, according to The New York Times. According to Chief Harvey, the shooter was shot and killed by a police officer who was unrelatedly assigned to the mall at the time and just happened to hear gunfire. Meanwhile, Medical City Healthcare, which was providing medical care to several victims at three trauma centers, reported that those injured ranged in age from 5 to 61 years old. US Officials Extend Condolences Chief Harvey expressed his sympathy to the victims' families and admitted that the incident was tragic and that many people would be looking for an explanation. While US Rep. Keith Self sent his sympathies to the victims and their families, as well as law enforcement professionals on the site of the latest Texas shooting incident. Texas Governor Greg Abbott supported local authorities and sent resources to help them. We are devestated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene. This is an ongoing situation, but Allen PD has full control of the scene. A Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) May 6, 2023 Read Also: Burger King To Shut 400 US Stores President Joe Biden was briefed about the latest Texas shooting incident. He gave law enforcement and regional authorities his support, according to NPR. Nearly 25 miles north of Dallas's city center lies the city of Allen, which has a population of around 109,000. On Sunday evening, Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen will host a vigil. US Mass Shootings Getting Worse The US has established a record rate of around one mass murder per week this year, all of which included the use of weapons, HNGN earlier reported. A USA Today/AP study indicated one mass murder happens in the US every 6.53 days, on average. In a recent event, a home party in California ended with a drive-by gunshot that left a 17-year-old girl dead and five other people wounded. Other incidents this year include a shooting at an elementary school in Nashville, a shooting at a workplace in Northern California, a shooting at a dance hall outside of Los Angeles during Lunar New Year celebrations, a shooting at a Sweet 16 celebration in Dadeville, Alabama, which left four dead and 32 injured, and a shooting in Bowdoin, Maine, where a released prisoner shot and killed four people, including his parents, before shooting at oncoming traffic on a major freeway. Numerous factors contribute to the violence, such as marital abuse, gang retaliation, murder-suicides, school shootings, and workplace vendettas, all of which result in the simultaneous deaths of four or more people. Related Article: Ukraine Accuses Russia of Firing Phosphorus Bombs @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Hegerwho has been leading the interim government since December, is today the countrys president Zuzana Caputovi tendered his resignation. In Slovakia, early parliamentary elections have been announced for September 30, and the president now has the opportunity to appoint a technical government until Tuesday, which will carry out ongoing business until the elections. I asked the president to take away my mandate to lead the government, Heger said, according to foreign press agencies. He explained that he decided to take this step because the president did not accept any of his proposals regarding the leadership of the government in the current political crisis. The president instructed the interim prime minister to allow new elections as soon as possible, but Heger, who is threatened with defeat in the elections, postponed them until the end of September. Heger warns that the elections will once again bring the Social Democrats to power, whom he accuses of corruption and is reluctant to support Ukraine. Hegers position has been further weakened by two resignations of his governments ministers in the last two years. The Minister of Agriculture resigned Samuel Vlcan and the foreign minister Rastislav Kacer. The latter was considered a close confidant of Heger and the main advocate of Slovak support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The center-right government coalition won the 2020 general election on the basis of an anti-corruption program. In April 2021, after a dispute within the ruling alliance of four parties, Heger replaced the party leader in the position of Prime Minister Olano Igor Matovic. After the vote of no confidence in the government by the Slovak parliament last December and the political crisis that followed, Hegers popularity has fallen sharply. In March, he left the center-right party Olana, which he led, and announced the visit of a new party whose goal will be to unite the center-right. Small, local businesses face unique challenges when it comes to marketing. While many marketing techniques may be effective for larger corporations, they may not yield the same results for small businesses operating within a specific community. Investing in expensive advertising campaigns or generic marketing strategies that fail to resonate with local consumers can be a waste of precious resources. To offer their thoughts on the matter, eight Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members weigh in on the following question: Whats one marketing technique you dont feel is as effective for small, local businesses, and why? What should they try instead? Here are the strategies they recommend small-business owners steer clear of. 1. Search Engine Marketing Search engine marketing (SEM) can be a waste of time for small, local businesses especially for brick-and-mortar stores where the majority of their business comes from the community around them. Instead of spending a large budget on SEM, weve seen that a local, direct mail strategy will often pay large dividends over SEM. Mail is more personal and allows businesses to connect more deeply with the community. ~ Arian Radmand, IgnitePost 2. Social Media Marketing If I had to name one marketing technique that isnt as effective for small businesses, I would say, broadly speaking, social media marketing. Sure, there are opportunities to talk to your local customers; however, an overwhelming majority of people who see your content dont live within 50 miles of your physical store. Instead, focus your resources on local SEO, advertising and partnerships. ~ Daman Jeet Singh, FunnelKit 3. Mass Media Advertising Mass media advertising may not be effective for small, local businesses due to its high cost and poor targeting. Instead, these businesses should focus on hyperlocal marketing strategies to connect with their target audience and drive sales. These strategies include local SEO, geo-targeted social media ads, location-based mobile marketing and sponsorship of or participation in local events. ~ Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz 4. Traditional Outbound Marketing Most traditional outbound marketing strategies are really challenging for small businesses as they tend to be both costly and time-consuming. This includes cold calling, TV and radio advertising and untargeted direct mail campaigns, such as mailers to every home in a neighborhood. Youre better off focusing on a more targeted approach that includes SEO, such as Google Business Profile optimization. ~ Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting 5. TV or Print Ads One marketing technique that may not be as effective for small, local businesses is traditional advertising, such as TV or print ads. These methods can be costly and may not reach the right target audience. Instead, small businesses should focus on building a strong online presence through social media and search engine optimization. ~ Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc. 6. Virtual Public Relations Small, local businesses shouldnt spend a ton of time with virtual PR, like guest posting. The people who will eventually read your work are likely not close to your storefront. I recommend putting your efforts into building rapport with your community. Attend local events and focus on attracting people who are likely to walk into your store and make a purchase. ~ Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights 7. Pay-Per-Click Campaigns Digital acquisition methods, including SEO and pay-per-click campaigns, dont always deliver a high ROI for small, local businesses. These techniques are expensive, and you need to spend a lot of money to generate impactful results. Instead, smaller businesses should prioritize customer retention through loyalty programs. Its cheaper to market your brand to existing customers, which yields a higher ROI. ~ Ian Blair, BuildFire 8. An Email List Building an extensive email list isnt an impactful marketing strategy for small businesses. This is because their audience is small and unlikely to need or even like regular email updates. Instead, I would suggest building relationships with their local community through activities like sponsoring events and building relationships with influencers in their area to help grow their brand. ~ Blair Williams, MemberPress A certified public accountant (CPA) from Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, James H. Benkoil, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting fraudulent tax shelters to high-income clients. The announcement came from Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Departments Tax Division. According to court documents and statements made in court, Benkoil promoted fraudulent syndicated conservation easements between 2009 and 2020. In these schemes, several investors form a partnership or company to purchase or invest in land, then donate the property for a charitable deduction. The scheme facilitated false claims of inflated charitable contribution tax deductions in connection with the donation of the conservation easement over land. As a result, Benkoils high-income clients were able to buy deductions to illegally shelter their income from taxation. Benkoil and others involved in the scheme obtained falsely inflated land appraisals to achieve the desired amount of tax deductions. He admitted that his conduct led to a tax loss to the IRS of nearly $2.5 million and has agreed to pay full restitution. The maximum penalty Benkoil faces is five years in prison, along with a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS-Criminal Investigation is handling the case, with Trial Attorneys Christopher Magnani and Richard Rolwing of the Justice Departments Tax Division prosecuting it. Small business owners should be aware of the risks associated with engaging in fraudulent tax schemes and ensure they work with reputable accountants and financial advisors to avoid falling prey to such scams. As this case demonstrates, those involved in fraudulent activities not only face legal consequences but also significant financial penalties and damage to their reputation. For the latest, follow us on Google News. 7. May 2023 at 12:05 I Modified at 7. May 2023 at 17:34 I President Caputova will appoint a government of experts after May 15. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Caretaker Prime Minister Eduard Heger (Demokrati) has asked President Zuzana Caputova to strip his pro-Western interim government of its mandate after she rejected two proposals that allegedly could have helped resolve the latest government crisis. Earlier this week, Heger's Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlcan (OLaNO nom.) decided to step down over a scandal connected to a subsidy from the Environment Ministry for Vlcan's firm. The police are investigating the scandal. Another member of the government, Foreign Minister Rastislav Kacer (Demokrati), announced his resignation following the premier's unscheduled televised address on Thursday evening, in which Heger admitted that Slovakia is in 'a chaotic crisis'. Heger announced on late Sunday morning that he proposed to the president replacing Vlcan and Kacer with her own nominees to solve this week's government crisis. She refused the offer. Heger also offered to resign, but at the same time he wanted the president to keep the already appointed ministers in their posts. The president said no to this proposal as well. Therefore, the premier asked the president to remove his caretaker government from power. The caretaker government was appointed at the end of last year after Heger's government lost a confidence vote in parliament on December 15. This cabinet has had to consult the president on many matters since then. Caretaker PM Eduard Heger and President Zuzana Caputova at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava on May 7, 2023. (Source: TASR - Jaroslav Novak) Technocratic government is next https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/air-raid-sirens-sound-in-multiple-regions-of-ukraine-including-kiev---authorities-1110187040.html Air Raid Sirens Sound in Multiple Regions of Ukraine, Including Kiev - Authorities Air Raid Sirens Sound in Multiple Regions of Ukraine, Including Kiev - Authorities Air raid warning were blasted in several regions of Ukraine on Sunday Night. 2023-05-07T22:11+0000 2023-05-07T22:11+0000 2023-05-07T22:11+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine kiev odessa air raid dnipropetrovsk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1c/1108863592_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_a7376099ddc325bde115412083f0e5ba.jpg Air raid sirens went off in the Ukrainian region of Kiev, including the capital city itself, at around 23:35 local time on Sunday (20:35 GMT), the ministrys online map showed. Earlier in the evening, air raid alerts were issued in the Ukrainian regions of Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia and Poltava. Earlier on Sunday, air raid sirens sounded in the regions of Odessa, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk and the Ukraine-controlled part of Kherson region. Ukrainian media reported that explosions were heard in Odessa and the Kiev region late on Sunday night. Precision strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure have been carried out by Russia since October 10 (two days after the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge). In February, the head of Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo said that direct damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure caused by Russian strikes may amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, with economic losses ranging in billions. ukraine kiev odessa dnipropetrovsk Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukraine, kiev, odessa https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/arab-foreign-ministers-to-hold-emergency-meeting-over-syrias-return-to-arab-league-1110159895.html Arab Foreign Ministers to Hold Emergency Meeting Over Syria's Return to Arab League Arab Foreign Ministers to Hold Emergency Meeting Over Syria's Return to Arab League Foreign ministers of the League of Arab States (LAS) will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday in Egypt's capital Cairo to discuss the situation in Syria, the country's potential return to the LAS and the ongoing conflict in Sudan. 2023-05-07T05:33+0000 2023-05-07T05:33+0000 2023-05-07T05:33+0000 world syria bashar assad league of arab states /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/02/1102935785_0:106:2871:1720_1920x0_80_0_0_519fbc98e1aa420359ac8843e24d6a85.jpg The meeting has been confirmed by Gamal Rushdy, a spokesman for the LAS. The move follows recent decision by some Arab countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to resume diplomatic relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Syria's membership in the LAS was suspended in 2011 after the start of the armed conflict in the country. In mid-April, foreign ministries of several Arab nations urged the LAS to resume Syria's membership, while also stating the need to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria and asking Arab countries' leadership for help in resolving the situation in the country. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230506/league-of-arab-states-may-decide-on-syrias-return-to-organization-on-may-7-1110148556.html syria Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International arab league, league of arab states (las), situation in syria https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/born-in-chaos-forged-in-combat-how-todays-russian-military-structure-came-to-be-1110150149.html Born in Chaos, Forged in Combat: How Today's Russian Military Structure Came to Be Born in Chaos, Forged in Combat: How Today's Russian Military Structure Came to Be Sunday marks the 31st anniversary of the creation of the modern Russian military. What is its makeup and composition? What does the letter Z painted on Russian vehicles in Ukraine mean? How does Russias military stack up against NATO? Read Sputniks explainer to find out. 2023-05-07T07:00+0000 2023-05-07T07:00+0000 2023-05-07T13:54+0000 military military russia armed forces boris yeltsin sergei shoigu ukraine nato russian armed forces russian navy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/06/1110149980_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_de3e5f75691022dc6704e0f2cd9617b7.jpg On May 7, 1992, Russia's first president Boris Yeltsin issued an executive order establishing the Russian Armed Forces and assumed control as supreme commander.Rough StartArguably no part of Russian society was impacted more adversely by the collapse of the USSR than the military. In December 1991, over 3.6 million active-duty generals, officers and conscripts who once pledged allegiance to the Soviet Union awoke to find themselves in 15 different countries.The Air Defense Troops in Estonia have been abandoned and forgotten about. Yeltsin made promises and then reneged on his own words. He has betrayed us, one officer angrily said at a gathering of the All-Army Officers Meeting in Moscow in early 1992. Were surviving however we can.Its very difficult to speak about combat readiness today, since soldiers and officers arent rotated from combat duty for days on end, and there is no one to replace them for even one day. The Army cannot continue to remain in such condition. I for example am a Ukrainian by nationality, my wife is Russian, our four children were born in the Baltics, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. I would like to ask the president at this meeting: what country am I a citizen of today? And what country will I live in tomorrow together with my family? another asked.The Russian military would spend the rest of the 1990s in its most difficult state since the turmoil that followed the 1917 revolutions, facing massive budget cutbacks, severe demoralization, the start of NATO's gradual encroachment toward Russias borders, and a series of conflicts across the post-Soviet zone.It wouldnt be until the appointment of Vladimir Putin as Yeltsins successor on December 31, 1999 (and his election as president in 2000) that the Russian military would begin to recover from the wounds, both figurative and literal, that it had received in the 1990s.Sizing Up Russia's Armed ForcesRussia is in the process of expanding the size of its armed forces in connection with the crisis in Ukraine. In December, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced that the military needed to enlarge from around one million troops to one-and-a-half million. In order to guarantee the fulfillment of tasks to ensure Russias security, its necessary to increase the strength of the Armed Forces to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract servicemen, Shoigu said.In January, the defense chief held a meeting with his deputy defense ministers and commanders on the implementation of the directive, with the initiative to be completed between 2023 and 2026.On May 2, Shoigu offered an update on the current state of the nation's rearmament program, revealing that the military is purchasing nearly triple the amount of weapons of certain types than it did in 2022, and seven times more of those in particularly high demand. The minister emphasized that the capabilities of the Armed Forces depend on the timely replenishment of weapons, meaning the military industrial complex must keep pace with the increase in demand. In general, the military industry is meeting the needs of the Army and Navy. However, its necessary to identify risks of enterprises failing their obligations and promptly take corrective measures in a timely manner, he said.The Makeup of Russia's Armed ForcesThe Russian military consists of five service branches:How Big are Russia's Ground Forces?The Russian Ground Forces are by far the biggest branch, accounting for about 550,000 personnel in 2022. These consist of eight motorized rifle divisions, three tank divisions, one machine-gun-artillery division, and about 100 brigades ranging from motorized rifle and tank units to artillery, rocket artillery, control and communications, electronic warfare, air defense, engineering units, military police and the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops formations. Troops are divided into Combined Arms Armies located in the Western, Southern, Central and Eastern Military Districts.These forces have thousands of tanks (up to 2,800), infantry fighting vehicles (up to 5,100) and armored personnel carriers (up to 6,100), self-propelled and towed guns (over 1,750), rocket artillery (over 1,350) and surface-to-air missile systems (2,530+), and tens of thousands more tanks, IFVs, APCs, towed and self-propelled guns in storage. Part of these stocks has been tapped to shore up equipment engaged in Ukraine, with the military deploying a potpourri of equipment in the conflict zone, from various modifications of the T-72 tank to the T-80, and from Soviet-era BTR designs to the Tigr infantry vehicles introduced in the 2000s. How Big are Russia's Aerospace Forces?The Russian Aerospace Forces are, as the name suggests, the military branch responsible for assuring the security of Russias vast airspace, from the Arctic to the Black and Caspian Seas, and from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The size of the force was about 165,000 in 2020, and they are subdivided between the Air Force, the Air and Missile Defense Forces, and the Space Forces.The main sub-branch, the Air Force, is equipped with a broad array of equipment, from fighter jets and fighter-bombers to heavy strategic bombers, transport and attack helicopters, transport planes, tankers and trainers. Among the best known aircraft are the Sukhoi-Su-34 twin-seat, all-weather fighter-bomber/strike aircraft, single-seat Sukhoi Su-35 air defense fighters, Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunships, Tu-160 'White Swan' strategic bombers and Ilyushin Il-76 jumbo transport planes.The air defense forces are equipped with an array of stationary and mobile radar, air and missile defense equipment, ranging from the stationary A-135 anti-ballistic missile system protecting Moscow from missile attack to road-mobile S-300 and S-400 missile systems. The Space Forces are equipped with tools to assist in space control, and the means to place satellites in orbit.The Aerospace Forces have access to over 100 air bases from the exclave of Kaliningrad in the west to Sakhalin Island in the Far East, as well as several bases abroad, most notably the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria.How Big is Russia's Navy?The Russian Navy consists of about 150,000 personnel, divided into the Baltic, Northern, Black and Pacific Fleets, plus the Caspian Flotilla, the Naval Infantry and Naval Aviation. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, the Russian Navy is the third largest in the world after the United States and China, with its inventory including over 65 attack and missile submarines, 80 corvettes, 60 landing craft, 11 frigates, 10 destroyers, 2 cruisers and 1 aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov.Russia is one of only a handful of nations in the world with a so-called blue water navy which means it can deploy naval assets across the globe in the worlds oceans (hence the term blue, rather than coastal, or brown water). Other countries in the former category include the US, as well as France, Britain, China, Italy and India.The collapse of the USSR forced Russia to significantly scale back its naval ambitions, with the Kuznetsov carrier just one of six sister ships built for the Soviet Navy, which found themselves in various hands after 1991, two of them having been sold to India and China and upgraded and modernized, and one turned into a floating theme park. The never-completed nuclear-powered Ulyanovsk would have allowed Russia to join the exclusive club of countries with supercarriers, but construction was halted in 1991, and scrapped in 1992.Russia has made up for reduced tonnage with a number of asymmetrical solutions, including equipping multiple classes of warships from small corvettes to stealthy attack subs, with the ability to launch nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles. In 2015, corvettes from the Russian Caspian Flotilla showed off the Kalibrs capabilities, firing dozens of missiles at terrorist targets in Syria, over 1,500 km away.What Makes Russia's Airborne Forces and Strategic Rocket Forces Special?The Russian Airborne Forces and the Strategic Rocket Forces are special branches of troops. The former consist of about 45,000 personnel, and as the name suggests, are tasked with airborne assault missions, although they can also join ground operations where particularly well-trained, battle-hardened troops are needed. Along with the Special Operations Forces, the Airborne Forces are considered among the most elite units of the Russian military. The Airborne troops are equipped with light armor, including infantry fighting vehicles and the 2S9 Nona, a specially-designed air-droppable self-propelled mortar.The Strategic Rocket Forces carry perhaps the greatest burden on their shoulders among all of Russias military personnel and are responsible for launching the nations nuclear weapons in the event of an enemy nuclear attack, or conventional aggression so severe that it threatens the existence of the state, to paraphrase the official nuclear doctrine. About 50,000 personnel serve in the Strategic Rocket Forces.Russia is one of five countries in the world with a nuclear triad meaning the ability to launch nukes from a silo, or mobile ground-based units, submarines or aircraft. The nuclear triad gives Russia an important psychological guarantee that in the event of an enemy's first strike - even if its a massed conventional cruise missile strike designed to decapitate the Russian leadership or neutralize its nukes at least some of the warheads will get through.Who Commands the Russian Armed Forces?The Russian president is the constitutionally mandated supreme commander in chief of the Russian Armed Forces.What Does the Letter Z Mean on Russian Tanks?The appearance of the letter Z on Russian armored units during the escalation of tensions in the Donbass in early 2022 has no official military explanation. Most experts speculate that the markings, along with the more rarely observed letters V and O, were painted on vehicles to allow Russian forces to avoid friendly fire, and possibly, to indicate the direction the equipment was supposed to travel Z for Zapad, or West, V for Vostok, or East, or to distinguish between forces from the Western and Eastern military districts. That leaves the mysterious O. The jury is still out on what that letter may mean.In any event, the letter Z has now become the symbol for the military operation in Ukraine as a whole, and used in flags, slapped on vehicles, caps, shirts and other items and even donned by some social media users to show their support for the troops.Is Russias Military More Powerful Than NATOs?Military nerds on internet forums and social media have debated until theyre blue in the face about who would win a conflict between the Russian military and NATO, using arguments ranging from readiness levels to statistics on equipment and ammunition types to combat experience and the ability of economies and military industries to sustain a prolonged conflict. By nearly all military parameters, from total personnel, aircraft and warships, NATO has the edge. The alliance spends significantly more on defense over $1 trillion in 2022 compared to about $86.4 billion by Moscow. The size of the alliances economies is also larger, with a GDP of $18.35 trillion dwarfing Russias $1.8 trillion. Of course, raw numbers arent everything, with the Wests failed sanctions war showing just how dramatic miscalculations about perceived strength can be, and historical conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan demonstrating that grit and determination can count for just as much as or even more than raw power.Whatever the arguments about comparative military power may be, the figures above certainly serve to validate Russias concerns about NATOs eastward creep over the past two-and-a-half decades. Hopefully, theories about which side is stronger will never have to be put to the test, because the fate of billions of lives, and perhaps even humanity itself, may depend on peace between the nuclear superpowers. https://sputnikglobe.com/20180319/documents-nato-russia-yeltsin-expansion-1062700616.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/shoigu-us-allies-implementing-plan-to-provoke-other-countries-to-confrontation-with-russia-china-1109908961.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/watch-russias-tu-160s-flying-over-neutral-waters-of-barents-norwegian-seas-1109843717.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230410/belgorod-nuclear-submarine-armed-with-poseidon-torpedoes-1109325885.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20220430/russian-esports-team-disqualified-from-dota-tournament-for-z-symbol-1095166780.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230323/west-bringing-world-to-dangerous-line-beyond-which-there-is-nuclear-armageddon---antonov-1108707289.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Whats the Makeup of Modern Russias Armed Forces? Whats the Makeup of Modern Russias Armed Forces? 2023-05-07T07:00+0000 true PT1M00S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov russian armed forces, russian army, russian armed forces equipment, russian armed forces size, russian armed forces ranks, russian armed forces uniforms, russian armed forces numbers, russian armed forces, russian military strength, russian military power vs american military power, russian forces in syria, russian military forces, russian ground forces, russian aerospace forces, russian air force, russian navy, how many russian navy ships, how many submarines does russia have https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/entry-into-brics-to-help-algeria-more-than-other-organizations---president-1110157468.html Entry Into BRICS to Help Algeria More Than Other Organizations - President Entry Into BRICS to Help Algeria More Than Other Organizations - President Joining the BRICS alliance of the largest developing economies will help Algerias development more than any international financial organization ever has, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said. 2023-05-07T04:05+0000 2023-05-07T04:05+0000 2023-05-07T04:05+0000 africa north africa algeria brics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/17/1096603406_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_64f767e1c83a58c44342ab703000b01f.jpg "The BRICS organization will help us [in development] more than other international financial organizations have helped us to date," the Algerian president said at a Saturday meeting with major Algerian media representatives. Tebboune added that the BRICS bank contains $100 billion, which is a larger capital than that of the World Bank. "BRICS will finance our projects, we will join their organization and unite politically," Tebboune said. In December of last year, Tebboune said that Algeria hoped to join BRICS in 2023. Algeria submitted its official application to join BRICS in November 2022. BRICS is an association of the world's major developing economies that was formed in 2006 to enhance cooperation among the member countries and elaborate common approaches to global economic challenges. The association comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but is looking to accept new members. Besides Algeria, the list of potential candidates for accession includes Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230503/brazil-aims-to-discuss-assistance-to-argentina-with-brics-imf---president-1110044938.html africa north africa algeria Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International brics alliance, algerian president abdelmadjid tebboune, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/former-veep-pence-supports-scotus-justice-thomas-amid-scandal-1110156043.html Former Veep Pence Supports SCOTUS Justice Thomas Amid Scandal Former Veep Pence Supports SCOTUS Justice Thomas Amid Scandal Former Vice President Mike Pence has publicly voiced his unwavering support for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who currently finds himself under scrutiny due to his close ties with GOP megadonor Harlan Crow. 2023-05-07T01:13+0000 2023-05-07T01:13+0000 2023-05-07T03:29+0000 americas us mike pence clarence thomas gop senate judiciary committee joe biden us supreme court /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/07/1110156091_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_45f9f61205102bbc6ef44980e7c3d572.jpg Pence took to his social media account to express his solidarity with Thomas, condemning what he perceives as relentless attacks on the justice's character. He highlighted that Thomas has faced criticism from the left since his nomination to the Supreme Court back in 1991, including during the contentious hearings led by then-Senator Joe Biden, who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time.The confirmation hearings for Thomas were marked by the explosive allegations of sexual harassment made by Anita Hill, who had worked alongside him at the Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These allegations ignited a national conversation on sexual harassment and brought Thomas's nomination into the spotlight. Despite the controversy surrounding his confirmation process, Thomas ultimately secured his place on the Supreme Court.The recent focus on Thomas centers on his relationship with Harlan Crow, a prominent GOP donor who was thrust into the spotlight due to a series of reports released by ProPublica that shed light on luxurious trips taken by Thomas, which were allegedly funded by Crow. The justice reportedly failed to disclose these trips, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. Other US media also claimed that conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo directed Kellyanne Conway, who was then a GOP pollster, to provide Thomas's wife, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, with a sum of $25,000 in 2012. Notably, Leo emphasized that Ginni's name should be omitted from the transaction records, according to reports.Despite the controversy and allegations, Mike Pence firmly stood behind Justice Thomas, praising him as a man of integrity and a "principled jurist." He commended Thomas's commitment to upholding the ideals enshrined in the US Constitution throughout his life. Pence encouraged fellow Americans to join him in defending Thomas and expressed gratitude for having the justice serve on the highest court in the land.As the discussions continue, it remains to be seen how these developments may impact Justice Thomas's reputation and public perception of the Supreme Court as an institution. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/pence-testifies-to-jan-6-federal-grand-jury-reports-say-1109904198.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Egor Shapovalov Egor Shapovalov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Egor Shapovalov vice president mike pence, supreme court justice clarence thomas, clarence thomas and gop harlan crow, propublica thomas crow investigation, did biden appoint clarence thomas, clarence thomas sexual harassment case, public perception of the us supreme court https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/german-govt-plans-to-refuse-states-additional-money-for-migrants-accommodation---reports-1110167561.html German Gov't Plans to Refuse States Additional Money for Migrants Accommodation - Reports German Gov't Plans to Refuse States Additional Money for Migrants Accommodation - Reports The German authorities do not plan to allocate additional funding to the federal states, which struggle to accommodate and integrate a growing number of migrants and refugees arriving in the country, German broadcaster Tagesschau reported on Sunday, citing the government's draft document. 2023-05-07T10:25+0000 2023-05-07T10:25+0000 2023-05-07T10:25+0000 world berlin olaf scholz germany migrants /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103758/12/1037581291_0:176:3384:2080_1920x0_80_0_0_1a14b768d94cdf2c87ba255691706a67.jpg German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to meet with the heads of the country's states in Berlin on May 10 to discuss refugee issues. Due to the recent influx of migrants to the country, regional governments demand additional funding to accommodate and integrate the people, the report said. However, the draft document seen by the broadcaster says that the federal government is not ready to allocate more money for these purposes, as Berlin considers the respective spending already very high. In particular, since June 2022, the German government has been covering the living expenses of Ukrainian refugees, including up to 75% of their warm rent costs. Last year, Berlin spent about 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) on that. In 2022, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees recorded over 244,100 asylum applications, which was 50,000 more compared to 2021. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been around 87,777 asylum applications registered so far. https://sputnikglobe.com/20211126/new-german-government-plans-to-simplify-citizenship-for-migrants-1091041667.html berlin germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International migrants accommodation, refuse states additional money A flood of migrants is likely to arrive in New York City next week once Title 42 expires, so Mayor Eric Adams said that the city would transport voluntary migrants to other adjacent New York cities. A statement from Adams on Friday, May 5, indicated that the new program "will provide up to four months of temporary sheltering in nearby New York counties, outside of New York City, to single-adult men seeking asylum who are already in the city's care." According to CNN, the mayor said the plan would begin with two hotels in the tiny towns of Orange Lake and Orangeburg, with the possibility of expansion. Adams' spokesman Fabien Levy told the media that the two hotels had an initial capacity for up to 300 individuals, with room to expand. Prospect Locations The little town of Orange Lake is found in Orange County in the state of New York. The population in the year 2020 was reported as 9,770. In Orangeburg, According to the US Census, there are around 4,600 people residing in the hamlet of Orangeburg, which is located inside the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York. New York City has been left without the essential resources for dealing with this problem, despite Adams' calls for a decompression plan throughout the state and the country since last year. "With a vacuum of leadership, we are now being forced to undertake our own decompression strategy," he said. Adams confirmed that both cities' mayors and county executives were made aware. See Also: Some Mexican Border Communities Dread New US-Mexico Migrant Pact Expression of Dissatisfaction On Friday, Rockland County Executive Ed Day voiced his disapproval of Adams' proposal. "This is absurd and we will not stand for it," Day said in a statement. He added, "There is nothing humanitarian about a Sanctuary City sending busloads of people to a County that does not have the infrastructure to care for them." The Rockland County executive claims that he was first given "few other details" regarding the City's plan for asylum seekers beyond the fact that they would be kept at a nearby hotel. Upon more investigation, he learned that New York City "plans to house about 340 adult males" in Orangeburg for four months while they try to get work permits for them so that they may better adapt to society. A work permit may take up to six months to get for asylum seekers, and the County is doubtful that it will be completed in four months, as stated by Day. "There is nothing coordinated about the situation but rather its duplicitous of Mayor Adams to surprise a locality that busloads of migrants are heading to their town." It goes on to suggest that the Rockland location where the migrants would be dropped off is inadequate since it has no resources within walking distance. See Also: Biden Administration to Deploy Troops to US-Mexico Border Ahead of Expected Migrant Surge @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/iaea-says-concerned-about-nuclear-safety-risks-at-zaporozhye-npp-1110157223.html IAEA Says Concerned About Nuclear Safety Risks at Zaporozhye NPP IAEA Says Concerned About Nuclear Safety Risks at Zaporozhye NPP The International Atomic Energy Agency says it has concerns about the safety of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and urged for quick action. 2023-05-07T03:17+0000 2023-05-07T03:17+0000 2023-05-07T03:20+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine zaporozhye npp international atomic energy agency (iaea) zaporozhye /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1a/1109855031_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_f0b406a53a53ec671933b069b1dd7aee.jpg The IAEA said on Saturday that its experts at the ZNPP had received information about the announcement of an evacuation of residents from the town of Enerhodar where most of the NPP staff reside. Earlier on Saturday, ZNPP Site Director Yuri Chernichuk said on Telegram that the nuclear power plants blocks were all shut down and the equipment was maintained in accordance with all the safety and security regulations. Chernichuk said that there was no need to evacuate the ZNPP staff, or Enerhodar residents. Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, told Sputnik on Friday that the ZNPP was operating in regular mode and there was no need to evacuate the plants staff. Acting governor of the Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said on Friday that the counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops in the region would be launched in the coming days or hours. The authorities of the Zaporozhye region decided to temporarily resettle residents living within a 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) zone from the combat line to the south of the region, the governor said. zaporozhye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International zaporozhye nuclear power plant https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/moldovan-police-say-detained-27-participants-of-anti-government-protest-1110177265.html Moldovan Police Say Detained 27 Participants of Anti-Government Protest Moldovan Police Say Detained 27 Participants of Anti-Government Protest The Moldovan police said on Sunday they had detained 27 participants of an anti-governmental protest that was organized by the opposition Sor party in Kishinev due to their "suspicious behavior." 2023-05-07T16:57+0000 2023-05-07T16:57+0000 2023-05-07T16:57+0000 world moldova protest /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/07/1110177104_0:185:2985:1864_1920x0_80_0_0_a8566915433a8e42f4a4e03b11cdcd60.jpg Earlier in the day, Sor's supporters launched a demonstration in the Moldovan capital, demanding the resignation of the Moldovan government. "Twenty seven individuals demonstrating suspicious behavior were taken to the Main Police Department for identification and registration of documents," the Moldovan police said on Telegram. Sor condemned the actions of law enforcement officers, saying that they had also prevented about 25,000 residents of the country's regions from attending the demonstration in the capital by blocking bus traffic. The developments came after Marina Tauber, the deputy leader of the Sor party, was detained at Kishinev International Airport on May 1 in an attempt to leave the country for Israel. A district court in Kishinev decided to place Tauber under house arrest for 20 days. Moldova's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, which controls all state institutions, including the police and courts, faced harsh criticism after the court's ruling, with Sor's supporters accusing it of intention to put the opposition under pressure. Sor has long been carrying out mass anti-governmental protests in the country. Moldova's opposition has repeatedly accused the authorities of failing to cope with the economic crisis. The country's leadership has also been criticized for its unwillingness to negotiate better gas prices with Russia and for putting political pressure on opponents. The Moldovan government, in turn, has called for the end of the protests and for the closure of the Sor party, accusing it of receiving the illegal financing. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230312/anti-government-demonstrators-in-kishinev-try-to-penetrate-police-cordons-1108313946.html moldova Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International moldova, chisinau, anti-governmental protest, sor party https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/moscow-deems-silence-of-intl-organizations-on-terrorist-attack-on-prilepin-unacceptable-1110156299.html Moscow Deems Silence of Int'l Organizations on Terrorist Attack on Prilepin Unacceptable Moscow Deems Silence of Int'l Organizations on Terrorist Attack on Prilepin Unacceptable Russia said that the terrorist attack attempting to assassinate Russians writer and politician Zakhar Prilepin deserves condemnation by International Organizations and the United States. 2023-05-07T01:02+0000 2023-05-07T01:02+0000 2023-05-07T01:02+0000 russia zakhar prilepin terrorist attack ukraine car bomb assassin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/06/1110142577_0:40:1194:712_1920x0_80_0_0_0268869fd28917e6ed332c550d1c3b7f.jpg "The lack of condemnation by Washington of another terrorist attack against a Russian journalist and public figure is self-revealing for the American authorities. The silence of the relevant international organizations is unacceptable," the ministry said on Saturday. The ministry added that the responsibility for the terrorist attack on Prilepin, as well as for other attacks, lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities but also with "their Western patrons, primarily the US, thanks to whose efforts the anti-Russian project in Ukraine, based on neo-Nazism, has been painstakingly nurtured since the coup in February 2014." On Saturday, Prilepin's car was blown up on a highway in Russias Nizhny Novgorod Region. The driver was killed while Prilepin, the co-chairman of the political party A Just Russia For Truth, was injured. The Russian Investigative Committee said that Alexander Permyakov, the suspect in the assassination attempt, admitted during interrogation on Saturday that he had acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, having planted an explosive device along the car's path and set it off remotely. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told Ukrainian media on Saturday that it could neither confirm nor deny its involvement in the terrorist attack on Prilepin. Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram late on Saturday that Prilepin had undergone successful surgery following the attack. Local residents told Sputnik that Prilepin had both of his legs broken after his car was blown up, but he was conscious. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230506/prilepin-targeted-by-kiev-because-hes-best-warrior-of-the-information-front-russias-got-1110150913.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International zakhar prilepin, assassination attempt on russian blogger, russian journalist, writer, ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/moscow-welcomes-syrias-return-to-las---foreign-ministry-1110187168.html Moscow Welcomes Syrias Return to LAS Moscow Welcomes Syrias Return to LAS Russia welcomes Syria resuming participation in the League of Arab States, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. 2023-05-07T22:43+0000 2023-05-07T22:43+0000 2023-05-08T03:37+0000 world arab league syria damascus maria zakharova league of arab states russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/02/1102935785_0:106:2871:1720_1920x0_80_0_0_519fbc98e1aa420359ac8843e24d6a85.jpg On Sunday, LAS foreign ministers announced that Syria was returning to the organization. She added that the resumption of Syria's participation in the work of the Arab League, of which it is one of the founding states, will help improve the atmosphere in the Middle East region. Zakharova expressed hope that LAS will support Syria in its post-conflict reconstruction, which is complicated by the illegitimate unilateral sanctions against Damascus. The Russian embassy in Cairo, Egypt said in a statement that it welcomed the decision of the Arab League to restore Syrias full membership in the organization. The embassy expressed confidence that the return of Damascus will make a significant contribution to overcoming the challenges facing the region and will further enhance the role of the Arab League in international affairs. The 22-nation Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 after a war broke out in the country. Several member states then recalled their ambassadors from Syria in protest against Syrian President Bashar Assad's policies, accusing his government of cracking down on demonstrators in the country. Years later, some of the nations have begun taking steps to reengage with Damascus and reopen embassies. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/syria-resumes-participation-in-arab-league-starting-from-sunday-1110173971.html syria damascus russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, syria, league of arab states, arab league, syria rejoins https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/polish-oil-firm-orlen-says-ban-on-russian-oil-causes-27mln-losses-per-day-1110185030.html Polish Oil Firm Orlen Says Ban on Russian Oil Causes $27Mln Losses Per Day Polish Oil Firm Orlen Says Ban on Russian Oil Causes $27Mln Losses Per Day Daniel Obajtek, the chief executive of Polish state-owned oil company Orlen, told FT that the ban on Russian crude oil was costing the firm around $27 million in losses per day 2023-05-07T19:01+0000 2023-05-07T19:01+0000 2023-05-07T19:01+0000 economy russia poland oil 2022 russian oil price cap russian economy under sanctions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103081/05/1030810571_0:83:1024:659_1920x0_80_0_0_86aa538d9e75a3043a46ef4025b3f39f.jpg At the same time, the Polish businessman himself did not call it a loss, but rather "a matter of not supporting Russia." However, he reportedly admitted that Orlen was still using Russian oil supplied via the Druzhba pipeline at the company's refinery in the Czech town of Litvinov. In December 2022, the European Union imposed an embargo on Russian crude oil, and along with the Group of Seven and Australia, agreed to a $60 per barrel price cap on oil. In February 2023, the EU also agreed to the European Commission's proposal of a $100 per barrel ceiling for Russian diesel fuel, and $45 per barrel for discounted products such as fuel oil. russia poland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, russian oil, russian oil price cap, poland, oil prices https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/possibility-of-ukrainian-counteroffensive-in-coming-days-persists---zaporozhye-official-1110165637.html Possibility of Ukrainian Counteroffensive in Coming Days Persists - Zaporozhye Official Possibility of Ukrainian Counteroffensive in Coming Days Persists - Zaporozhye Official The possibility of Ukrainian troops launching a major counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye Region in the next few days persists, which justifies the evacuation of residents of nearby villages and towns, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, told Sputnik on Sunday. 2023-05-07T09:36+0000 2023-05-07T09:36+0000 2023-05-07T09:36+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine sergei rogov ukraine zaporozhye region kiev russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0c/18/1105771575_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_b03fed61508d526a0dda4409b4018165.jpg "There were assumptions that the counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye Region might start on May 5 or 6, but this did not happen. However, a high probability of the counteroffensive being launched in the upcoming days still persists. Both our troops and the enemy are ready to intensify military actions," Rogov said. On Thursday, Rogov said that Kiev had accumulated its forces at the forefront to launch the counteroffensive. On Friday, Yevgeny Balitsky, the acting governor of the Zaporozhye Region, stated that Ukraine might start its counteroffensive in the coming days or even hours. Residents of 18 villages located near the front line have been evacuated for safety reasons deeper into the region, Balitsky added. Ukraine's upcoming counteroffensive is expected to be accompanied by the shelling of nearby villages, so the authorities' decision to temporary relocate the residents is justified, the official explained to Sputnik. Once Ukrainian troops are pushed back, the people will be able to return to home. The Ukrainian government has been planning a major counteroffensive against Russia for several months. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in early April that Kiev had scheduled its counteroffensive for the summer, while US media reported that it was expected to start on April 30. The Foreign Policy newspaper reported, citing Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova, that Kiev indeed had hoped to launch its counteroffensive in April, but later postponed it indefinitely due to a shortage of weapons. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230505/fsb-uncovers-sabotage-group-of-ukrainian-special-services-agents-in-zaporozhye-region-1110116863.html ukraine zaporozhye region kiev russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukrainian counteroffensive, zaporozhye regional administration, zaporozhye region https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/rfk-jr-russia-cannot-lose-in-ukraine-as-this-is-existential-for-it-1110159116.html RFK Jr Says Russia Faces 'Existential' Fight It 'Cannot Lose in Ukraine' RFK Jr Says Russia Faces 'Existential' Fight It 'Cannot Lose in Ukraine' "The Russians cannot lose in Ukraine as this is existential to them," Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. underscored in a podcast. 2023-05-07T06:28+0000 2023-05-07T06:28+0000 2023-05-07T07:33+0000 us ukraine russia nato john f. kennedy volodymyr zelensky minsk accords americas /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/07/1110158819_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_5f96f052bfed00f6809baf53aefb0fae.jpg "The Russians cannot lose in Ukraine, as this is existential to them," Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. underscored as he spoke with the hosts of the All-In Podcast. He added: "We are being told they are losing, but they cannot afford to lose."Washington has been doing everything to prolong the Ukraine conflict, and the Biden administration has been displaying "absolute intransigence" regarding the many opportunities to end the conflagration. But this can be explained by the fact that the US has been on "a mission to maximize casualties, to prolong what is, essentially, a war of attrition," RFK Jr. said.The lawyer-turned-politician took a step back at this point in the interview and said that the "real story" started in 2014, when "the US government and, in particular, the neocons in the White House and elsewhere participated in and supported the overthrow of the democratically-elected government of Ukraine."This is what prompted Russia's response when it started its special military operation in February 2022 to protect these people. The Ukraine conflict could have been settled if the Minsk accords of 2014 had been followed through with, believes the politician, underscoring that there was no question that Washington had been actively integrating Ukrainian forces into NATO something that Russia's President Vladimir Putin said from the outset was a "red line."Looking ahead, Kennedy said the Kiev regime cannot continue to fight without US support, and that if he became president, he would settle the conflict. As for the incumbent in the White House Democratic POTUS Joe Biden Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged that he was a go-to-war guy."I would settle this," reiterated Kennedy, underscoring the need for de-escalating tensions with Russia and questioning the very need for NATO.These remarks echo what the Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said earlier in the month, when he pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a chance to avoid the conflict with Russia by simply refusing to join NATO.When Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 69, tossed his hat into the presidential race, he explained his motivation to run as stemming from the "rise of corporatism in this country," as well the fact that the modern Democratic Party is "becoming the party of war, the party of censorship, the party of fear and the party of neocons and Wall Street." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230503/rfk-jr-zelensky-could-have-avoided-conflict-with-russia-by-saying-no-to-nato-1110064718.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230420/what-is-known-about-robert-kennedy-jr-running-for-us-presidency-1109690360.html ukraine russia americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko robert f. kennedy, jr., democratic presidential candidate, ukraine conflict, war in ukraine, proxy war in ukraine against russia, regime change, neocons in the white house, minsk accords, donbass, war of attrition https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/russian-politician-prilepin-says-he-drove-car-during-blast-1110184161.html Russian Politician Prilepin Says He Drove Car During Blast Russian Politician Prilepin Says He Drove Car During Blast Russian politician and writer Zakhar Prilepin on Sunday gave his firsthand account of the tragic car bombing attack, saying that he had been driving the vehicle when the blast had occurred, while his deceased associate Alexander Shubin had been in a front passenger seat. 2023-05-07T18:42+0000 2023-05-07T18:42+0000 2023-05-07T18:42+0000 russia zakhar prilepin assassination /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/07/1110183935_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_6a11b51925643d3a2f9089584807484e.jpg On Saturday, Prilepin's car was blown up on a highway in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Region. Shubin was killed, while Prilepin, the co-chairman of the political party A Just Russia For Truth, was injured. The Russian Investigative Committee said that Alexander Permyakov, the detained suspect in the assassination attempt on Prilepin, admitted during interrogation that he had acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, having planted an explosive device along the car's path. He added that he had both legs broken in the blast, with one open fracture, as well as other injuries. Prilepin also specified that two mines had been planted at the scene, but only one had detonated. The politician thanked everyone who had supported him and prayed for him after the attack. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230506/prilepin-targeted-by-kiev-because-hes-best-warrior-of-the-information-front-russias-got-1110150913.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, zakhar prilepin, assassination, ukrainian secre services, terrorist act https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/switzerland-to-decide-on-resale-of-25-decommissioned-leopard-tanks-in-near-future-1110176977.html Switzerland to Decide on Resale of 25 Decommissioned Leopard Tanks in Near Future Switzerland to Decide on Resale of 25 Decommissioned Leopard Tanks in Near Future The Swiss government is planning to work out a stance on a possible resale of 25 decommissioned Leopard tanks to a German manufacturer in the near future, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on Sunday. 2023-05-07T16:49+0000 2023-05-07T16:49+0000 2023-05-07T16:49+0000 military switzerland germany tanks /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/14/1106533192_0:22:3563:2026_1920x0_80_0_0_bf9ab3ba34fa205212d78cfacd80725e.jpg In March, Germany sent a request to Switzerland for the purchase of Leopard 2 tanks. However, the Swiss legislation allows the sale of only decommissioned tanks and any sales deal is subject to parliamentary approval. Later in March, the Commission on Security Policy of the Swiss National Council approved the decommissioning of 25 Leopard 87 tanks, which made their sale to a German manufacturer possible. The foreign minister also said that the government was closely monitoring the parliamentary discussions on the resale of 96 Leopard 2 tanks to Germany, although it had not held discussions on this initiative itself. switzerland germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International switzerland, germany, leopard tanks, decommissioned leopard tanks https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/texas-mall-shooting-leaves-nine-injured-including-one-child---police-1110156628.html Texas Mall Shooting Leaves Nine Injured, Including One Child - Police Texas Mall Shooting Leaves Nine Injured, Including One Child - Police At least nine people, including a child were injured in a mass shooting event at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas. 2023-05-07T02:27+0000 2023-05-07T02:27+0000 2023-05-07T02:27+0000 americas texas mass shooting shopping mall /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/06/1110155570_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9a97ac29015a85ff951ded84332a4cf9.jpg The Allen Police Department said on Twitter on Saturday afternoon that a shooting had occurred at Allen Premium Outlets and that an active investigation was underway. US media reported that several people were suspected to have been hurt or killed in the shooting. CBS News said citing Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner that the gunman was confirmed dead, after he engaged responding law enforcement officers. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey told reporters on Saturday, as cited by Fox News, that there were fatalities, but did not say how many. A spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare told Fox News that eight victims aged 5 to 61 were being treated at their facilities following the shooting. americas texas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International allen, texas, mass shooting, mall shooting The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised concerns about the safety of a nuclear power plant controlled by Russia near the front lines in Ukraine. The governor of the region, who Moscow selected, ordered the evacuation of the city where most of the plant's employees reside, leading to fears of a potential radioactive leak. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has been requesting Russian and Ukrainian leaders to establish a security perimeter around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to prevent the Russia-Ukraine war from impacting the facility, according to AP News. The continuous shelling and fire resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war, which is close to the largest nuclear facility in Europe and the seized city of Enerhodar, have raised concerns. As Ukraine prepares for a counteroffensive to retake the territory acquired by Russia, the situation is worsening. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, residents are being relocated to neighboring towns that are also occupied by Russian forces. Read Also: Texas Mall Shooting Leaves 9 Dead, 7 Injured IAEA chief Grossi emphasized the need to protect the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is twice the size of Chernobyl. He stated that IAEA experts regularly hear shelling at the site, per NBC News. The exiled mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, claims that Russian soldiers are causing gasoline shortages and ATM limitations by creating fear through recent evacuation announcements. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Damaged The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had previously received safety alerts from the IAEA, and intermittent power outages due to shelling resulted in the IAEA issuing a warning about the plant's safety. After electricity lines were damaged, the group issued another warning in March about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's use of diesel generators to maintain crucial cooling systems. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the number of employees in the energy facility has decreased. However, the IAEA has confirmed that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant administration assures that there are still enough people working there to ensure safe operations, as per a report from the BBC. Although the Zaporizhzhia region is primarily under Russian administration, the area's capital, Zaporizhzhia, which is located near the Dnipro reservoir northeast of Enerhodar, is still under Ukrainian authority. Related Article: Xi Jinping Pushes China to Tap Into AI @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. AP Photo / Anis Belghoul Flags of Arab countries are seen in Algiers, Algeria, Monday, Oct. 31st, 2022. Algeria is readying to host the 31st Arab League Summit, the first since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. In the three years that's passed, new challenges have drastically reshaped the region's agenda, with the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and the gulf, and the fallout of the crisis in Ukraine. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/us-running-out-of-ability-to-use-extraordinary-measures-to-avoid-default---treasury-1110175788.html US Running Out of Ability to Use Extraordinary Measures to Avoid Default - Treasury US Running Out of Ability to Use Extraordinary Measures to Avoid Default - Treasury US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday that her department was running out of the ability to take extraordinary measures to avoid default, with the United States expected to hit the debt ceiling on June 1. 2023-05-07T14:31+0000 2023-05-07T14:31+0000 2023-05-07T14:59+0000 economy us janet yellen us treasury us debt ceiling crisis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/07/1110175631_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_3a2c07e08fa5c56faad51d794769acaa.jpg "We've been using extraordinary measures for several months now and our ability to do that is running out," Yellen told an American broadcaster, when asked whether her office still had some extraordinary steps in stock. She noted that US President Joe Biden may invoke the 14th amendment to the US constitution that allows him to avoid default bypassing the position of the US Congress."We should not get to the point, where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt, this would be a constitutional crisis," Yellen said.The 14th amendment to the constitution of the United States provides that "the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned." This section allows the country's president to resolve the debt issue without coordinating with the US Congress.Earlier in May, the US Department of the Treasury said the US government will likely begin defaulting on its debt by June 1 if the so-called congressional limit on the country's debt servicing is not raised by then. In late April, House Republicans passed legislation to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for cuts in federal spending and other measures to reduce the deficit. However, Senate Democrats and US President Joe Biden rejected the proposal, saying it had no chance of becoming law. Inversely, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that a "no-strings-attached" debt limit increase would not pass the lower chamber. Biden is scheduled to meet with McCarthy and other congressional leaders next week to negotiate the raising of the US debt limit. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230506/us-national-debt-so-vast-it-could-implode-world-economy-heres-why-1110144915.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, us treasury, janet yellen, us debt ceiling, us debt ceiling cirisis Horse racing fans seeking a post-Derby fix can find just that in the southwestern corner of the Bluegrass State as Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel hosts the third round of the Kentucky Standardbred Development Fund (KSDF) four-year-old series on Sunday (May 7), followed by one of the most challenging betting cards of the young season on Monday (May 8). All four of Sunday's $50,000 KSDF events center around rubber matches between their respective first- and second-round winners. In the mare trot (Race 1), first-round winner Eternal Lee (driver Andy McCarthy, Post 5, 7-5 morning line) looks to exact revenge on Yanaba (John MacDonald, Post 6, 9-5) after falling a length short of her in round two, Similarly, the male pace (Race 3) will see I Did It Myway (Andy McCarthy, Post 3, 8-5) look to rebound after giving futile pursuit to All Or Nothing (Scott Zeron, Post 1, 2-1) in the second round. In the mare pace (Race 6), Queen Of Success (Andy McCarthy, Post 5, 5-1), who dug in to outlast a four-horse photo in the second round, will again meet with first-round winner Boudoir Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Post 7, 2-1) as well as other late pursuers Ainthesamewithoutu and Dont Fence Me In. Keg Stand (Yannick Gingras, Post 4, 7-5) one of four second-round invaders looks to build on a 1:54.1 win in the male trot and first-round winner Iwont Backdown As (Tony Hall, Post 6, 10-1) will try to rebound from a mid-race break in stride. Sunday's program also features a $1,460.80 carryover in the Late Pick-5, which comprises races 6-10. Monday's card offers a bonanza of betting opportunities as eight of the day's 12 races offer full fields of 10 entrants and a number of challenging conditioned races. To help bettors, Oak Grove offers detailed trip notes for all of their races, along with full-card selections from racing analyst Ray Cotolo at the Oak Grove website. Daily post time is 3 p.m. CDT (4 p.m. EDT). (Oak Grove) Little Rocket Man, despite drawing the outermost post position, won a cavalry charge to the wire and was victorious in the $100,000 Pace Baby Pace Invitational honouring the memory of the late Pacey The Wizard Mindlin on closing day (May 6) at Miami Valley Raceway. A neck separated the first four horses, all of whom were timed in 1:49.3. This Is The Plan was second and favoured Ruthless Hanover, who cut the mile, was third. Hemsworth N was fourth and Bernie claimed the final paycheque by finishing fifth. Ruthless Hanover rushed to the quarter-mile timer in :26.1, then slowed the pace to the half in :55.1. He was forced to speed it up with a :26.2 third panel, then was collared by Little Rocket Man and This Is The Plan in the final stride. All eight of the starters (Let It Ride N was scratched) paced in 1:50 or faster as the entire field finished within 2-1/2 lengths at the finish. Little Rocket Man never saw a pylon during the mile. The seven-year-old son of Rockin Image was parked in eighth in the early going, advanced to seventh in the outer flow at the half and sixth at the three-quarters, then fifth at the head of the stretch before winning the mad dash to the wire. Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman own Little Rocket Man, who is trained by Ken Rucker. It was the winners 43rd victory in 79 tries, good for lifetime earnings of $797,965. Leading driver Trace Tetrick, who entered the final card with 150 wins, was declared the dash champion. He received a $250 gift card to Cin City Steakhouse. Leading trainer Jason Brewer, who notched 58 wins during the winter session, was honoured with the same award. A total of seven drivers earned in excess of $1 million during the four-month meet, led by Tetrick, who won his second dash title at Miami Valley. Others were Brett Miller, Dan Noble, Chris Page, Tyler Smith, Sam Widger and Kayne Kauffman. On the training side, Brewer lead 26 conditioners who won 10 or more races. Other top 10 trainers were Tyler George, Ron Burke, Virgil Morgan Jr., Brewer Adams, Peter Redder, Steve Carter, Michael Hitchcock, Pat Melloy Jr. and Todd Luther. Rollinlikethunder and Trace Tetrick beat Big Booty Rudy and Later Dudes in the $36,000 Gregg Keidel Retirement Pace on the undercard. The winner also stopped the timer in 1:49.3 for owners Carl Hambleton, Donald Fennell and trainer Tyler George. Track records fall in Ohio Sire Stakes The final program of the meet also featured Ohio Sires Stakes action. Eight three-year-old races of $55,000 each were contested with two divisions for each class. The sophomore filly trotters were the first to take the track. Rose Run Yanae won for the second time in four starts this year as she went gate-to-wire in 1:55.3. Chris Page drove for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Triumphant Caviar is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi. Rose Run Yanae has earned $158,663 in her career. Swinging Senorita was second with Along In Time finishing third. In the second division of three-year-old filly trotters, Rose Run Yolanda and Brett Miller grabbed the lead at the half-mile pole and never looked back, cruising to an easy six-length victory 1:53.2. The time was a new track record for three-year-old filly trotters. Todd Luther trains the Triumphant Caviar filly for his brother Greg Luther Racing. Rose Run Yolanda has hit the board in her three starts this year, winning two. She raised her lifetime earnings to $340,528. Global Girl finished second with Waddupgee third. In the first division for the filly three-year-old pacers, Kassagi with Sam Widger had the lead at the top of the stretch, but Dragon By The Sea and Tyler Smith battled the entire stretch and won a photo finish to claim the win. Smith drove the Downbytheseaside filly for his father Jeff, winning in 1:52. It was the second win in as many starts for the Dragon By The Sea. Owned by John Van Horn, Dragon By The Sea has earned $33,500 this year. Tarapasta finished third. Daughters of Downbytheseaside swept the two divisions as Hey Hey Mama and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. blistered the Miami Valley track in 1:50.2, a new track record for three-year-old filly pacers. Trained by Brian Brown and owned by Country Club Acres, Milton Leeman, Joe Sbracco and Acadia Farms, Hey Hey Mama is a perfect four-for-four debuting this year, earning $39,500. Cruise Alert finished second with Seaside Tina third. In the first division of sophomore colt trotters, Rumble Strips, making his first start of the year, went gate-to-wire for the win in 1:54.1. The son of Long Tom, with Kayne Kaufman, grabbed the lead at the quarter pole and hung on down the stretch to win for trainer Mike Polhamus. Rumble Strips is owned by Constance Polhamus and Mary Beth Walters. The son of Long Tom has now won $323,135 in his career. Grand Revival was second with A Real Legend third. In the second division, Jet Hill, with Kurt Sugg driving went gate-to-wire but had to hold on at the finish to win by a nose in 1:54.2 The Edward Miller trainee is two-for-two this year with lifetime earnings of $205,625. The son of What The Hill is owned by Serenity Racing Stables. Jogging Full Trot finished second with John Dutton finishing third. In the first division for three-year-old colt pacers, Brett Miller picked up his second win in Sires Stakes action as he drove Foronce Inmy Life to a two-length victory for trainer Noel Daley in 1:50.1. It was the first win of the year for the son of Downbytheseaside. Owned by Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, John Fodera and Steve Wienick Racing, For Once Inmy life has earned $42,300 this year. Act Fast was second with Mossys Dragon third. In the final Ohio Sires Stakes race of the day, Ron Burke picked up his second training win of the day as Wicked Character and Tony Hall rallied from the back of the pack charging down the stretch to win by a neck in 1:51.3. Owned by Mark Adams, Timothy Sullivan, Robert Jackson and Tom Wilson, the son of Yankee Cruiser won for the second time this year and raised his lifetime earnings to $121,050. Racing Rampage finished second with Rockmelikeyameanit third. The second leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes will begin Monday, May 29 at Scioto Downs when the three-year-old filly trotters and pacers take the track. (With files from Miami Valley Raceway and Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association) Driver Ken Murphy was serious from the start aboard Matticulous GB and went all the way in the opening night top class Saturday (May 6) at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. The Great Britain-born pacer had a powerful start in the outside at post six in the $3,600 Preferred Pace and hustled to the lead with fractions of :28.4, :57.3 and 1:26.2 before fending off a late-charging Middleton Terror in 1:54.3. Third went to Burn Out Hanover. Debbie Element of Village Green owns Matticulous GB in partnership with Matt and David Burke of Stratford, P.E.I. while Colin Johnson handles the training duties. Trainer Johnson had a trio of winners on opening night as Miami Seelster won in 1:59.1 in Race 2 and Premier Joy A won Race 4 in 1:56.1. Rollwithhottytoddy opened the action for the 2023 Summer Meet in Race 1 with a gate-to-wire victory in 1:56.4 for driver Jason Hughes and owner-trainer Trevor Hicken of Montague, P.E.I. The Jenn Doyle Stable was hot on opening day with a training hat trick for the Earnscliffe operation. Steelmeatreasure won Race 8 in 2:00.3, Elm Grove Mistress was the best in Race 9 in 1:59 and Ladylike romped in 1:56.1 in Race 13. The upset of the night came in the Race 15 finale with The Fox coming out of the clouds in the stretch drive to win at 17-1 odds in 1:58.3 for trainer Brendan Curran. The handle for the day was $119,616. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park. (Red Shores) Culpeper resident and Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dan Else seeks to spread the word about the Purple Heart Project, started in 2015 by Rob Cosman, an expert well-known in the woodworking world with a significant YouTube following. Twice a year, Cosman invites six or seven U.S. veterans to a week-long hand-tool training and woodworking course in Niagara Falls, Canada. All costs are covered by donations to the Purple Heart Project, which aims to support veterans mental health through the calming effects of traditional hand tool woodworking. Complementing the program is the Bench Brigade, comprised of volunteers who build a woodworking bench for each veteran who attends Cosmans classes. This year, as part of the Bench Brigade, Else built a bench for fellow Navy veteran Tim Pierce, and drove the three-plus hours to deliver the bench to Pierces Virginia Beach home. Maybe I cant help a veteran medically, but I can help through woodworking, Else said in a recent interview. Anything I can do to help these folks is what Im going to do. If youre a veteran, you have a soft spot in your heart for other veterans. Nobody supports a veteran like another veteran, he said. How PHP started Cosman, who lives with his wife and ten children in Grand Bay, New Brunswick, started designing and producing his own woodworking hand tools to cater to students in his classes who needed tools for aging hands and waning eyesight. One of these woodworkers contacted Cosman and explained how therapeutic traditional hand tool woodworking was for him. A former U.S. Marine suffering from a battle injury, the veteran told Cosman the quiet, focused work helped him cope with the struggles from combat. Cosman said the young man had searched online and thought Cosman made the best saw; but, living on a small military pension, he couldnt afford to buy it. He asked Cosman to let him know if he ever made one with a flaw that he would sell at a discount. Ever since I got involved in hand tool woodworking, its the first time Ive had peace, Cosman said the veteran told him. The phrase had a strong impact on the woodworker. This encounter led Cosman to what he believes is his calling. Not only did Cosman help this veteran get the tools he needed, but with the assistance of many generous donors, the Purple Heart Project was born. Before that, Cosmans students were generally civilian business executives who would come to his classes wound up from their work and highly stressed. I would watch them in my class over the week, from 6:45 in the morning to 11 at night, they couldnt get enough they would start the week tight as a drum and leave loose as a jellyfish, Cosman said. Cosman said he understood the plight of military veterans, hearing of PTSD in the news and the difficulty soldiers had adjusting to civilian life. When the young vet shared how the work had helped him, Cosman thought, Maybe this is something we should be doing to help these guys. With the help of Luther Shealy, a fellow woodworker in Washington state who helps organize the effort, and many good-hearted donors, 12 veterans each year attend Cosmans class, with all expenses covered by the Purple Heart Project: airfare, hotel, tuition, meals an estimated $3,000 per veteran. Some vets have extra needs, like a traveling companion; the donations cover those costs as well, so no one is excluded. In addition, We send them home with about $2,000 worth of quality tools to help them continue their craft at home, Cosman said. Else joins Bench Brigade Dan Else in Culpeper got into woodworking after serving 21 years in the Navy and a career in Congressional research at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. After completing my Ph.D., I thought, I gotta do something after so much time sitting on my butt, Else said. Else explained hes always had an interest in carpentry, and started taking woodworking classes at his local community center. That led to watching YouTube and finding Cosmans channel. Somewhere along the line, this Purple Heart Project popped up, Else said. Ill tell you what, if youre a veteran, youre all in on that. If you sacrificed an arm, a leg, your emotional wellbeing, its the least anybody can do to help you out. Jack Lane, an Air Force veteran who lives in Texas, took on the task of running the Bench Brigade, so veterans attending Cosmans class would have a way to continue their woodworking at home. Lane matched Else to another Virginia Navy veteran, Tim Pierce, who took Cosmans class in September 2022. By January, Else had built the bench and was ready to deliver it. On a rainy winter day, he and his wife drove to Pierces home in Virginia Beach. It was so great to meet Tim in person such a great guy, a wonderful person and now a friend for life, Else said. There are some great Americans out there, Pierce said. Dan is a veteran himself, hes got his own aches and pains to deal with (making a bench) is just pure love, for someone you dont even know. Now were good friends. Our patriotic duty Cosman is not a veteran himself. But my father always taught me to honor veterans and what they did for the country, to always revere them, Cosman said. I saw the Purple Heart Project as our patriotic duty. Every year tens of thousands of military members leave full-time service. Every veteran has a story. Some suffer physical injuries, others suffer internal wounds, including operational stress injuries. Some develop post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. In the United States, the rate of suicide is 22 veterans per day, Cosman said. Working with wood takes the mind to another place, he stated. It gives veterans something creative to do, and doing it without electricity means theres no dust, no danger, no noise. Its very peaceful, Cosman said. Theres a deep sense of satisfaction when you create a piece of furniture from a rough piece of wood with your own hands and your own imagination. Veterans who attend his class join with an equal number of civilians, and the two groups learn from one another. Through the creative process, they become one big happy family, Cosman said. Everyone in the class is filled with compassion and gratitude, he continued. I always tell them, Remember who else was a carpenter. The class makes many veterans feel comfortable with other people for the first time since theyve left the military. Since 2015, Cosmans nonprofit has trained more than 150 former soldiers mostly from the United States and Canada, with a few from Australia and the United Kingdom. A reason to get up in the morning Pierce had a 32-year career in the Navy, retiring in 2003. Working in explosive ordnance disposal left Pierce with traumatic brain injury from the constant exposure to explosions. Being in the wood shop really helps you focus and forget about aches and pains, Pierce said. While youre in the shop, time just melts away, you dont even realize what time it is, so therefore your pain and anxiety melts away also. A fellow vet, Jeff OConnor, introduced Pierce to the Purple Heart Project, convincing him to apply to attend. After being accepted, Pierce spent a week in class with Cosman, each day beginning at 6:45 a.m. and all meals served by Cosmans family at the same location. Pierce said he and the other attendees often worked until 11 p.m., out of pure passion to learn the craft. Nobody can tell you what its really like, Pierce said. Rob is amazing and has the most incredible family in the world, ten kids and they all pitch in. Pierce said hes never met anybody like Cosman. They opened their doors and their hearts and spread their love, made everyone feel extremely welcome, Pierce said of the week-long class. It was unbelievable. Pierce said hes been overwhelmed by Cosman and all the people who donate time and money to the Purple Heart Project. These people give so much, its heartwarming you go, Wait a minute, I dont deserve this! Pierce said. Every veteran Ive talked to thats gone there is doing better, its helped them turn their lives around quit drinking, quit doing other things. Its a reason to get up in the morning and start doing things again. Incumbent Virginia State Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, easily won Saturdays firehouse primary to run as GOP nominee for a fourth term to the 28th District in Novembers election. Reeves received more than three-quarters of the vote in the Republican Party canvass against challenger Republican Mike Allers, a public schools educator from Ruckersville. In a social media statement Saturday night, Reeves said he was deeply grateful and honored to win the primary. Thanks to your unwavering support and dedication, we have secured a mandate for conservative values and policies in our beautiful district, the incumbent said. Together, we will continue to fight for limited government, lower taxes, safer communities, and a stronger economy. Lets roll up our sleeves and get to work. Lets win this in November! Virginia Senate Majority, here we come! #ReevesForVirginia #Victory2023 #ConservativeValues, Reeves posted. Reeves received 2,564 votes (77 percent) to Allers 787 votes (23 percent) in Saturdays party-led election, according to the final tally from David Willis, chairman of the 28th Senate District Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. A total of 3,351 district voters cast ballots. The Districts GOP Committees held voting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at polling locations in Bealeton, Culpeper and Unionville. Redrawn last year, the 28th District spans Culpeper, Greene, Orange, Madison, Rappahannock and parts of Fauquier and Spotsylvania. Unfortunately, we came up short, posted Allers, a retired fourth grade teacher at Gordon-Barbour Elementary School in Gordonsville. He added, We laid it all on the field. We took on the establishment and the swamp of Richmond, and we fought hard. Allers said, Just because we missed the mark, doesnt mean I will stop fighting for our kids, parental rights, and keeping China out of Virginia. The Virginia Public Access Project names Tawana Campbell and Elizabeth Melson as potential 28th District candidates in the November election, both running as independents. Virginia State senators serve four-year terms. Melson, of Flint Hill, confirmed Sunday she was running. In his victory speech Saturday night from the Culpeper Center, Reeves emphasized his commitment to limited government, lower taxes, and individual freedom, and vowed to work tirelessly to improve the lives of the people of the 28th Senate District, according to a release. I promise to continue to be a tireless advocate for our shared values and to work every day to make our community an even better place to live, work, and raise a family, he said in a statement. Reeves is a small business owner, insurance broker, former Army Ranger, and former Prince William County narcotics detective. In the state senate since 2012, he sits on the Committee on Rehabilitation & Social Services, Committees on Local Government, General Laws and Technology, and Privileges and Elections. Sen. Reeves is co-chair of the Virginia General Assembly Military and Veterans Caucus. Thursdays state air quality construction permit hearing for Sustainable Beef LLC offered local opponents a new chance to sound alarms over the North Platte meatpacking plant now under construction. A handful took advantage, with several raising pointed questions during an afternoon open house and five speaking against the permit at the evenings formal Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy hearing. Their message was little changed from Sustainable Beefs 2021 series of city hearings: Meatpacking plants have caused stifling odors and ill health elsewhere. And city leaders rammed the beef plant through without listening. Sustainable Beefs name is just a flowery term for slaughterhouse, said Doyce Williams, 1003 East B St. Weve been dictated to since Day 1. Nobody came ahead of time to ask our opinion or for our input. Dee Fugate, 1671 N. Long School Road, invited people to use her personal research to launch a lawsuit should the plants permit be granted. She is a sister-in-law of longtime plant-site neighbor Larry Golden. Sophia Klein, a granddaughter of Golden and owner of Beyond Envy in North Platte, read from an email she sent NDEE April 29 that quotes news stories and advocacy groups citing health risks from living near meatpacking plants. Her familys land is now partially in my sons and my name, Klein said. We do not want to live in fear every day that when we go outside or open our windows, we could possibly be poisoning ourselves or our children. Klein also referred to Legislative Bill 662, introduced this year but not advanced from committee, that would limit the standing of nearby landowners to object to agricultural operations. If this bill passes, we are counting on your regulations to keep my family, our future grandchildren and the fate of this communitys future safe for generations to come, she said. Jennifer Baker, another relative of Golden, offered a more nuanced critique of the process that led city officials to grant a combined $22.5 million in assistance to the project during 2021. Ive been to every (city) council meeting on this project, said Baker, 818 E. 10th St. Im not necessarily against this project, except for the fact that theyre not necessarily involving the community at the level that the community can receive it. Sustainable Beef organizers didnt attend either NDEE session. But Gary Person, president and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp., said theyve made repeated public commitments in North Platte to use the most modern technology to minimize odors and limit pollutants. Ive worked with the founders of this company for almost three years now, Person said. We went through a long and tedious process from Day 1. The founders assured us over and over again they want this project to reflect the best of the industry. Richard Reimer of North Platte, a retired inspector of the formerly named Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, added his support for the project and NDEEs regulators. I want to say that with the technology that we have today and that has been pursued in developing this is much greater and better than we had 50 years ago, said Reimer, 4980 W. State Farm Road. About 20 people attended what turned out to be a 40-minute formal hearing at the Sandhills Convention Center at Ramada by Wyndham. About half that number showed up for the earlier, more informal open house. NDEE Director Jim Macy, who issued a March 31 notice that his agency intends to issue the air-quality permit, will take Thursdays hearing record and written comments submitted then and earlier into consideration before making a final decision. Staff attorney Susan Ugai presided as hearing officer. Approval would allow contractor Schmeeckle Bros. of Fort Morgan, Colorado, to proceed with installing Sustainable Beefs odor- and pollution control equipment. The construction permit must be converted into a permanent air-quality operating permit when the 1,500-head-per-day plant is ready for production. Shelley Schneider, administrator of NDEEs permitting and engineering division, opened the hearing by saying agency officials fielded requests for a hearing throughout the permitting process that started with Sustainable Beefs permit application Aug. 15. Even assuming the worst-case meteorological and permitted operating conditions, the agencys analysis indicates that the ambient air quality will continue to comply with state and federal standards, Schneider said. She noted that Sustainable Beef has yet to seek a needed wastewater construction permit and a water discharge permit. The project already has a construction stormwater permit granted in March 2022. Applying for a water discharge permit will trigger another public comment period and another chance to request a hearing on that permit, she said. The Legislature last year approved $20 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for a pretreatment system for Sustainable Beefs wastewater. The city of North Platte will have to own that system and install it on its property under ARPAs conditions, City Engineer Brent Burklund told the City Council Tuesday. Rich and Beth DeFreece, two of the three North Platte-area residents who requested Thursdays hearing, attended both the NDEE open house and the formal session. Karen Tickle, who lives near the couple southeast of the project site, was the third. Schneider and several other NDEE officials answered questions during the open house about what the agency will expect of Sustainable Beef and how theyll conduct inspections should the air quality permit be granted. Philip Halsted of North Platte, a program specialist with NDEEs air compliance section, said hell be available to field complaints locals might have. He inspects livestock operations throughout western Nebraska, including Lexingtons 33-year-old Tyson Foods beef plant. The state agency doesnt announce when it does inspections, he said, adding that to do so would violate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys agreement with NDEE for the latter to regulate in Nebraska on EPAs behalf. In most inspections, the violations we see are paperwork-related not signing the right things. When it comes to controlling pollutants, Halsted said, the facilities are usually focused on that, and thats part of the permit. NDEEs West Central Field Office in North Platte also has inspectors who address compliance with water and solid waste permits, he told open house attendees. Patricia West, a Lincoln-based supervisor in the agencys air construction permit section, said local residents also can call the main NDEE office if they perceive odors from Sustainable Beef are getting too strong. But this is a manufacturing plant, she added. Theres going to be odors associated with different parts of the plant. Theyll be unloading cattle, and theres going to be a smell with that. West also said that NDEEs authority over a permitted facilitys operations ends at the fence line. Thats pretty damn close to my place, Rich DeFreece replied. Cinco de Mayo festivities in Scottsbluff livened up East Overland and the Guadalupe Center Saturday. Cinco de Mayo Royalty contestants, horses, The Shriners and more traveled down East Overland for the 30-minute parade. Among the leaders of the parade were Cinco de Mayo King and Queen Jace Wilkinson and Jennifer Camargo, and Grand Marshals Valeria and Gilbert-Tito Rodriguez. Afterward, people gathered at The Guadalupe Center for food, dancing and music at The Guadalupe Center. At the center, organizer Mary Ann Shockley recognized Valeria and Gilbert-Tito Rodriguez, noting their contributions to the community. A selection committee chose the couple as the grand marshals. We had an overwhelming, overwhelming response that Gilbert and Valeria receive this honor as they have dedicated and contributed to the community in many aspects. Not just the Hispanic community, but throughout the valley, Shockley said. Valeria and Gilbert-Tito Rodriguez, who were married in September, both grew up in the area, with Valeria having attended Mitchell schools and Gilbert-Tito having attended Gering schools. They both pursued college educations, earning their degrees, and Valeria continues to pursue a masters degree, according to a biography read by Shockley. The couple believe in doing your civic duty, Shockley said, with a lot of that work being done through the Empowering Families organization, which Valeria co-founded. The organization has worked on projects to help get people registered to vote, with Empowering Families having a booth at the Cinco de Mayo festivities, helped youth continue their education through its Scholarship Saturday events in which they help teens apply for scholarships to continue their education, and is organizing an upcoming convention to help businesses with diversity and inclusiveness initiatives. It is an honor for us as a couple to have been selected, Valeria Rodriguez told the Star-Herald. It definitely took us by surprise that the committee chose us. Information on the Welcoming Communities Conference, to be held June 22, will be available starting Monday on the Empowering Families website, empoweringfamiliesne.org, or Panhandle Partnership website, panhandlepartnership.com. The conference is aimed at community leaders and professionals, Valeria said, giving them tools and information to take back to their businesses or groups to create diversity and inclusivity programs, which will in turn make the community stronger. Valeria also serves as a Department of Justice accredited representative at the Immigrant Legal Center, offering assistance to immigrants navigating the immigration process. Gilbert-Tito operates his own construction business, as well as being involved in the family business, Rodriguez Brothers Meat Processing. The parade and events showcased the Hispanic culture, with dancing from the Los Guadalupanos, a Mexican folklore dance group. Gorditas were prepared and sold as an Our Lady of Guadalupe fundraiser. Food vendor Damian Flores, of La Fondita, shaved seasoned meat for tacos al pastor, with unique drinks and other vendors offered sweet treats like flavored popcorns, apple empanadas and churro cheesecake. The organization has worked on projects to help get people registered to vote, with Empowering Families having a booth at the Cinco de Mayo festivities, helped youth continue their education through its Scholarship Saturday events in which they help teens apply for scholarships to continue their education, and is organizing an upcoming convention to help businesses Information on the convention will be available starting Monday on the Empowering Families website, empoweringfamiliesne.org, or Panhandle Partnership website, panhandlepartnership.com. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates Mexicos victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the United States, the date is largely seen as a celebration of Mexican-American culture stretching back to the 1800s in California. The East Overland Parade and the festivities at The Guadalupe Center are the longest running Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the Panhandle, with Shockley and others at Saturdays events unsure of the exact number of years that the festivities have been offered, but knowing they have been going on for decades. PHOTOS: Cinco de Mayo 2023 Something interesting happened, says Sen. Terrell McKinney, after the public and state lawmakers learned that members of Nebraskas parole board rarely showed up together for parole hearings. The board members started showing up for more hearings. This year, the boards five members have appeared together at hearings twice as often as they did in 2021, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis. Attendance spiked in spring 2022. That came after a Flatwater Free Press story showing that, in the three previous years, the board had recorded votes from all five members at only 37% of hearings. Attendance spiked again this year after McKinney introduced a bill to curtail how often a parole board member can miss a vote. In the two months after that bills introduction, 63% of parole candidates had their cases heard by the full board. The parole board decides whether to allow eligible incarcerated Nebraskans to serve the remainder of their sentences outside prison, and sets parole terms. Parole officials said theres no connection between increased attendance, the bill and the previous story. They cited COVID-19 and board chair Rosalyn Cottons sick leave as reasons for past spotty attendance. I actually think that the data set youre looking at is more the anomaly instead of the pattern, said Nicole Miller, the boards legal counsel. Honestly, 2023 is probably more representative. McKinney, an Omaha Democrat, had a one-word response when shown the improved attendance: Interesting. Board member attendance does matter, an analysis of the past five years shows. When all five members were present and voting in those five years, the board granted parole 62% of the time. When three or four members were present, the board granted parole in 55% of cases. This persistent gap could have kept nearly 200 parole-eligible prisoners behind bars longer between 2018 and 2021, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars, the analysis showed. And that gap persisted into 2023, as the state continues to grapple with prison overcrowding and plans to build a new $350 million prison. We have to figure out a system to make it work, McKinney said. And its not helpful that the parole board hasnt been doing the best of their abilities as far as ... their jobs in a sense. Board members said they try hard to attend hearings and always make the three-member quorum needed for a hearing to proceed. Cotton said she was on medical leave at various points in 2021 and 2022. She missed the most hearings of any board member during the five-year period. There is no problem with our hearings. I dont need to tell the world that Im out on medical as long as we have a quorum, she said. Board members also said that their absence from a hearing shouldnt be interpreted as them not doing work. An example: Last month, Cotton and board member Mark Langan were conducting parole reviews in York, while the rest of the board started hearings in Lincoln, Langan said. Then they rushed to Lincoln to attend the rest of the days hearings. Langan, a former Omaha police detective, said he was confident in his own attendance, which has long been the best on the board. He missed 12.7% of the hearing days between 2019, when he was appointed, and when the FFP story published March 2022. He has missed only 5.5% of hearing days since March 2022. He cited the waning of COVID-19 as the reason for the improvement. In a perfect world, Id like to have five (board members at hearings) just because of those stats that you showed there, said Langan, referring to the fact that the full board paroles at a higher rate. But its not always possible. Cotton said when scheduling hearings, she and board vice chair Layne Gissler strive to make sure five members are there. But the hearings are scheduled a year in advance. Before the article and after the article thats every day I plan on going to every hearing I can said Gissler. Gissler missed 14.3% of hearing days between 2018 and March 2022. He has missed 9.9% of days since. Board member Habib Olomi, appointed in 2021, missed 18.2% of hearing days before March 2022. He has missed 14.3% since. Cotton has missed 22.7% of parole board hearing days since 2018. She said some of these absences were due to her other duties as board chair. Shes the only member whose absence rate has gone up since March 2022, with most of the missed hearings later in the year tied to medical leave and family emergencies, she said. Since she returned from leave, she has missed fewer hearings. As drafted, McKinneys bill would allow only three absences at hearings in a calendar year. He told the Flatwater Free Press that, after speaking with Judiciary Committee members, he will up the number of allowable absences maybe to one hearing day per month. The bill also would raise the parole board quorum to four. It would mandate more training on bias and establish requirements for who can serve on the board. Cotton said the board will take no formal position on the bill. At a March hearing, board member Bob Twiss told the Judiciary Committee that McKinneys bill goes way too far. Twiss attendance improved the most of any parole board member after March 2022. He missed 17.4% hearing days between May 2018 and March 2022, but only 5.5% since. Sen. Carol Blood, a Democrat from Bellevue, pushed back. All Im seeing is an accountability bill. Do you think we go too far when were asking for better accountability? she asked. Its going too far when its only three absences. ... I am all for accountability, Twiss replied. Blood noted that parole board members are appointed by the governor to full-time jobs. Board members made $86,407 last year. Cotton made $94,642 as chair. We are showing up, Twiss said. But I also strongly believe that we are entitled to some vacation along the way, and also the normal type of leave. McKinney is worried that parole board attendance may slip again in the future if the Legislature doesnt pass his bill. Are they going to go back to what they were doing prior when they feel like the heat is off of them? he wondered. Asked if the public can expect to see the boards higher attendance rates continue, Cotton responded: Its our job. This week's most-read news articles discussed the deposition video in Donald Trump's civil rape lawsuit, the opening of a NATO liaison office in Tokyo in 2024, and PETA's usage of ChatGPT to alter the book of Genesis to promote veganism and animal rights. In case you missed any of the week's top news, here's a quick recap: E. Jean Carroll's lawyers revealed 48 minutes of trial deposition video that involved former President Donald Trump. Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s. The clip has been requested by many media sites. During the deposition, Carroll, Johnson, Trump, and Ivana were shown a late 1980s picture. CBS News said that Trump had mistaken Carroll for Marla Maples, his second wife, then he was later rectified. Carroll sued Donald Trump for defamation and violence after Trump said Carroll made up the rape allegations against him. Trump denied Carroll was his "type." Throughout the deposition, he also labeled Carroll "mentally sick." In response to inquiries about the Access Hollywood tape, Trump calls it "locker room talk" that he and other celebrities can get away with. In the deposition video, he becomes most furious when he rejects rape and claims his right to defend himself. A CNN article states that he also questions why he cannot retaliate in kind when he is insulted. Also Read: NYC Mayor Reveals Plan to Relocate Migrants Outside City in Anticipation of Influx Japan is taking steps to strengthen its relationship with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and plans to create a liaison office in Tokyo that year. This will be NATO's first permanent presence in Asia. Despite mounting threats to peace and security in the area, it will facilitate consultants between the 31-nation alliance and Japan, as reported by South China Morning Post (SCMP). The outpost will also have connections to other Asia-Pacific countries. After meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg came up with the idea to open the said liaison office in Tokyo. PETA has used ChatGPT to represent the Book of Genesis in a "vegan" manner, bringing up vegan principles and animal rights. In a report by Fox News, animal rights activists prefer to refer to animals as "beings" rather than "beasts" or "creatures" and advocate using hemp and bamboo instead of animal skins for clothes. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said the Bible has been used to justify injustice throughout history. Therefore, the organization is working on a new translation to make it clear that God does not approve of animal cruelty. The group decided to begin the "vegan" transition with Genesis. According to PETA's news release, in the altered version of Genesis Chapter 21, Abraham and Sarah, who were originally 100 and 90 years old when they produced Isaac, adopt a dog named Herbie to expand their family. In Chapter 22, Abraham shows his reverence for God's creation by befriending a lamb instead of sacrificing a ram. Also Read: Texas Mall Shooting Leaves 9 Dead, 7 Injured @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For many children, warm weather means outdoor activities and fun in the sun. But for the 4.8 million American children with asthma, this time of year may bring on more dread than excitement. If youre a parent of a child with asthma, you know this season can be especially challenging. Springtime staples such as pollen, mold spores, grass, heat, humidity, and blooming flowers may trigger a potentially dangerous asthma flare-up. Asthma flare-ups are also called asthma attacks or exacerbations. Some asthma flare-ups can go away on their own or may require medication. But in severe cases, asthma flare-ups can be life-threatening and may require hospitalization, said Judith Prairie, a physician at Family Care Center of Mooresville. An asthma flare-up can be scary, both for your child and for you as a parent. However, noticing the signs quickly and knowing how to handle a flare-up can be helpful. May is Asthma Awareness Month, the perfect time to learn more about asthma flare-ups and what to do when asthma attacks. What happens during an asthma flare-up? An asthma attack is when the bronchial tube or tubes that allow for airflow to and from the lungs become inflamed and obstructed, said Prairie. In children with asthma, their airways are often swollen and sensitive. The tiniest things can aggravate the supersensitive airways and trigger an asthma flare-up. Some of the most common triggers include pollen, mold, dust mites, pet dander or fur, tobacco smoke, perfumes, infections like a cold or the flu, physical activity, certain medications, poor air quality, and emotional stress like intense crying, said Prairie. When your child is exposed to one of their asthma triggers, the inflammation in their airways worsens. Inside your childs lungs, their airwaysalready narrowed by swellingbecome even smaller as their muscular walls contract and tissue inside them swells, which restricts airflow. In addition, cells inside the airways start to make more mucus, a thick substance that restricts airflow and makes breathing even more difficult. Signs of a flare-up This reaction can cause several symptoms that can be mild or more severe. Signs of a flare-up can develop gradually or suddenly. The most common signs include chest tightness, wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. According to Prairie, some severe symptoms include: Inability to speak more than a few words Severe shortness of breath and wheezing Straining chest muscles to breathe Low peak flow readings No improvement after breathing treatments, like your childs inhaler If the above, more severe symptoms are present in your child, you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Noticing the signs of a flare-up is crucial because it can save a life and prevent hospitalization. But, it is important to take even mild symptoms seriously. Asthma flare-ups, if left untreated, can progress to be more life-threatening and may even lead to intubation, said Prairie. So, when your child starts to show signs of an asthma flare-up, dont wait. Make sure to follow your childs asthma action plan. Treating and preventing flare-ups An asthma action plan can help you manage your childs asthma and help you determine what to do in the event of an asthma flare-up. Since every child is different, their asthma action plans may be different as well. An asthma action plan is an individualized plan that I, as their childs doctor, usually develop with the parents based on their childs symptoms. The plan provides clear instruction on how to detect and respond to changes in a childs breathing pattern, said Prairie. Your childs asthma action plan can help you identify common triggers for your child to avoid, how to identify an asthma flare-up, and what to do when one strikes. It also serves as a guideline for when to take your child to the hospital for further assessment and care. Asthma action plans are key to reducing the need for acute care visits and helps keep your child out of the hospital. It also helps keep the guessing out of managing a flare-up. An action plan provides clear instructions to you, as the parent, or your childs caregiver, on how to reach me during asthma flare-ups, said Prairie. To prevent flare-ups, you should first try to notice a pattern of triggers in your child and then work to avoid those triggers. You can even keep a daily asthma diary and record things like the trigger, the date and time, the location, symptoms, and your childs peak expiratory flow, which measures how well their lungs are working. Following the action plan as directed by your childs doctor, and having asthma well-controlled in the first place, will also prevent flare-ups. Having routine follow-up with a doctor to discuss bothersome symptoms or changes in symptoms will also help, said Prairie. Learn more Prairie practices at the Family Care Center of Mooresville, located on the second floor of Iredell Mooresville at 653 Bluefield Road. She treats patients of all ages, infants to seniors. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Prairie for yourself or for your child, call the office at 704-360-6580. KALAMA Several local businesses, new and old, have been chosen to set up shop in a planned multiuse market project officials hope will attract tourists to Kalama once it opens this year. Port of Kalama commissioners in 2022 decided to funnel $19 million into the Mountain Timber Market, which they hope will serve as a two-story destination for shopping, dining and community events. They hope to have restaurants, maybe a distillery, shops and a student market space for Kalama high schoolers. The designs are drawn, and construction began in February with hopes to open this year. The next step: choosing the vendors. Applications opened in July. And in April, the port confirmed at least some of the business owners chosen, according to its spring issue of the quarterly newsletter. They are: Kalama resident Cristina Lees The Dot Shop; Elizabeth and Tyler Pierces Upstream Ice Cream; Leslye Martinezs taco food cart La Vaquita Feliz; Kailee Davidsons Bloom Cake Studio; Claudia Stoners Luckman Coffee; Craig and Jana Bells Bonny Blooms; Reece Luxury Photography owned by Joe Reece; and Wes and Michelle Parkers wine-tasting room Koi Pond Cellars. Davidson, owner of Bloom Cake Studio, said in an interview this will mark the official opening of her business as a brick-and-mortar storefront. Having worked in bakeries around Portland, Davidson said she hopes to bring a sought-after service to the Kelso, Longview and Kalama area. What I want to do with my business is offer more unique flavors than what Ive seen, flavors that are special and unique to the Pacific Northwest, Davidson said. The eight vendors are all either Kalama residents or live nearby, ensuring the market stays local. Vendor space is still available, and those interested can visit the market website, contact Mountain Timber Market Manager Michelle Nelson at mnelson@portofkalama.com or 360-673-2325. Were encouraging applicants to get their applications in as soon as possible, Nelson said in an interview. The process to choose vendors stretched from July to now, largely because the ports sponsorship of a 13-week business fundamentals course led by the U.S. Small Business Associations Service Corps of Retired Executives. The course finished Dec. 3. Applicants finished the course by pitching to a selection committee before securing their individual spots, the newsletter states. They helped entrepreneurs with the business aspect of it, Davidson said. Learning that core foundation was super beneficial. Nelson said the decision process included rating different pitches based on viability, locality, experience and product mix. What were looking for are the artisan crafters and makers, Nelson said. The construction is on schedule to finish around October, Nelson said, and they hope to open by late fall. Joe Reece, owner of Reece Luxury Photography, said his artwork has been displayed in several locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, but he has yet to open his very own gallery. When he heard about the marketplace, which will open just a few minutes drive from his home in Kalama, Reece said he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. To have a place with my name on it and with my artwork on the walls makes it legitimate, Reece said. His gallery at the marketplace will also include a wine-tasting room through a partnership with Koi Pond Cellars. The wall between the two vendors spaces will come down, offering sizable room for people to browse and sip locally made wines. With artwork, it changes out constantly, Reece said. Whether people come in and want to buy something or not, they still get to see, and that rotation of new art maybe keeps people coming back. Many port officials are expecting to see a boost in tourism in Kalama, especially since cutting the ribbon on a new American Cruise Line dock in April 2022. According to the port, the Kalama waterfront saw 250,000 visitors in 2022 alone. Reece said hes hoping the cruises will bring in a steady stream of new visitors as well as regular customers. Port Executive Director Mark Wilson told The Daily News the port is focusing more on tourism and commercial opportunities now because of the consistently high revenue streams seen in recent years. Financially, were in great shape. ... We have a wide range of different projects, and were looking forward to what comes with the marketplace, he said. The chosen vendors are still ironing out lease terms with the Port of Kalama, the newsletter says. The mayor of the city with the smallest population in Cowlitz County has the second-highest salary of all the county mayors thanks to a council-voted pay increase last fall that has now made filing to run in the upcoming Castle Rock mayoral race the most expensive of all the open seats in November. The mayor of Longview earns about $300 more than in Castle Rock, while about 35,000 more people live in Longview than the latter. Castle Rock and Kelso are the two cities in the county where the city council is the sole definer of their pay, instead of having an appointed salary commission make recommendations. Castle Rock is also the only city in the county without a city manager or administrator on staff to handle some of the citys day-to-day operations, which means one less payroll on the citys budget. A salary bump that was approved by the Castle Rock City Council in October increased Mayor Paul Helenbergs compensation by $800 a month starting in January. Helenberg now earns $1,200 per month as opposed to the previous $400 to oversee the city of about 2,400 people. Now it costs $144 to file to run for Castle Rock mayor $20 more than any of the four Longview City Council races on the ballot this year. The increase affected the election filing fee because the fee is set at 1% of the reimbursement for most elected positions. The deadline to file for the open seats is May 19. A candidate for mayor could avoid paying the filing fee by submitting 144 signatures from Castle Rock voters to the Cowlitz County Elections Office along with their candidacy form. Neither Helenberg nor any Castle Rock City Council member responded to The Daily News requests for further comment about the new salaries. Mayors vs. city managers Castle Rock councilmembers said during the October meeting the pay increase was deserved because of the work Helenberg does. Some councilmembers argued during the October meeting that because the city doesnt have a manager or administrator, the mayors role is closer to a fulltime job than many other elected offices. It also leaves the city with one fewer higher-paid employee. Its been five years. Especially for Paul, because he does a lot of work that it would cost us a lot of money to get a person to come in and do all of that, councilor John Earl Queen said during the meeting. An analysis by Castle Rock staff before the raise showed Helenberg made less money than the mayors of other Washington cities around the same size. Gold Bar and Westport, both of which have population of around 2,300 and no city manager, pay their mayors around $1,000 per month. The increase now places Mayor Helenbergs pay above average for the smaller cities in the analysis and above the mayors salaries in Kelso, Woodland and Kalama. The mayor of Longview receives $1,560 per month. The council also voted to increase their own compensation from $200 per month to $300, taking effect after the next election for each council seat. The increase passed 4-1 with councilor Art Lee opposing. Both pay rates in Castle Rock had not been changed since since 2017. I dont think most councilmembers do it for the money, per se. I think they do it because they want to make a difference, they want to help out. So thats always a hard one for me, councilman Lee Kessler said during the meeting. Longview, Woodland and Kalama have a salary commission to decide if and when a pay raise should be considered, then bring their proposal to the city council for a final vote. Kalama switched to the salary commission approach last spring, with council members saying they wanted to make the decision less political. Elected officials salaries per month Longview: Mayor: $1,560. Councilmembers: $1,010. Population: 38,000. City manager. Castle Rock: Mayor: $1,200. Councilmembers: $300. Population: 2,400. No city manager or administrator. Kelso: Mayor: $1,000. Councilmembers: $500. Population: 13,000. City manager. Woodland: Mayor: $1,000. Councilmembers: $150 plus $50 per attendance at a City Council meeting with a maximum of four meetings per month, plus $25 per attendance at a city membership meeting with a maximum of two meetings per month. Population: 6,500. City administrator. Kalama: Mayor: $700 Councilmember: $100 per meeting, with a maximum of two meetings per month.(As a side effect, the structure means the Kalama City Council races have no filing fee). Population: 3,000. City administrator. Cowlitz County had 10 projects make the initial list for federal funding through the regions representative and senators, which could bring up to $18 million to the area. Over the past month members of Congress finalized their list of projects in their districts that theyre supporting to receive congressionally directed spending, funding allocated to specific local government and community projects as part of the annual federal budget. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez included three projects in the county among her first list of requests for District 3, which could bring $44 million to Southwest Washington. Members of the House of Representatives are capped at making 15 requests per year. The largest local request Gluesenkamp Perez made is $4 million to the Port of Longview to continue building out the Industrial Rail Corridor Expansion. The rail expansion will add new lines and expand the existing tracks to significantly boost the ports capacity to handle rail freight. The port has received millions of dollars in federal funds for the rail expansion over the last two years, including a previous appropriation of $2.5 million that was supported by Sen. Maria Cantwell. A second, much lower Port of Longview funding request focuses on adding portable backup generators and was requested by Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray. Gluesenkamp Perez and Cantwell included two of the same projects on their list of funding requests. One request would provide $1.6 million to build water reservoirs in Ryderwood that would help the city handle droughts. The reservoir idea stems from a study commissioned by Cowlitz County last year about the instability of Ryderwoods water supply. County engineer Susan Eugenis said the reservoirs would hold 100,000 gallons or more of untreated water that would flow to the water treatment plant when Campbell Creek runs are low. The other shared request was $1.5 million to Lower Columbia College to get new machines and equipment for the planned new vocational building. The requests were made around the same time Washingtons capital budget was finalized without funding for the building. Gluesenkamp Perezs office said the length of the project meant the state delay was not a concern for her request. The Congresswoman will fight to bring federal funding to this project, and she hopes that the state Legislature will continue its commitment to vocational training for jobs in the trades, her office wrote. The largest local project supported by any of the officials is a replacement of the pedestrian crossing over the train tracks between Kalama and the Port of Kalama. Cantwell requested $5 million for the project, which would cover about half the cost of the new foot bridge being worked on by the city and port. Both senators requested funding of around $700,000 for an effort by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe to add a mobile unit to their set of drug treatment services. The vehicle would serve Cowlitz, Clark and King counties. The other local projects included on Cantwells directed spending list are: $3 million to Longview to help build a dedicated reservoir fill line that would enhance the citys water system infrastructure. $1 million to build a new ADA-accessible playground at Riverside Parknear Lexington. $670,000 to make the YMCA of Southwest Washington in Longview ADA-accessible. $600,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to monitor sediment in the Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers after the aftermath of Mount St. Helens eruption. Murray requested $180,000 for similar monitoring work in Skamania County. The final decisions about which projects receive federal funding will be made by the end of the year by Congress. Government officials in Alberta, Canada, reported that wildfires in the province have resulted in the evacuation of over 24,000 residents. Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta issued a provincial state of emergency on Saturday after multiple wildfires consumed almost 300,000 acres, UPI reported. Over 100 fires were reported by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, up from 92 on Friday. In response, 14 counties and communities, including the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, have also declared states of emergency. Smith referred to the wildfire outbreak as "unprecedented" and emphasized that the public's safety should come first. The biggest wildfire, EWF-031, ravaged more than 59,000 acres around Edson, according to the AEMA, while wildfire EWF-030 in Fox Lake destroyed 20 residences. Read Also: HNGN Weekly Top 3: Trump Deposed, NATO's New Office, ChatGPT & the Bible The state of emergency has been declared, giving the provincial government more authority to deploy resources and emergency finances, according to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, per Al Jazeera. Immediate evacuations have been ordered for approximately 8,000 residents of Edson, 7,000 of Drayton Valley, and 20 homes in Fox Lake. Hot Weather To Persist in Alberta Despite being a major oil-producing region, no oil sands facilities have reported any danger. Alberta is predicted to continue experiencing hot and dry weather, as per a report from Geo News. According to a federal government fire hazard map, the majority of Alberta, which is now in the midst of an election, a sizeable portion of the Northwest Territories, as well as a large portion of the nearby state of Saskatchewan are at a high risk of fires. Bill Blair, the minister of federal emergency preparedness, tweeted that Ottawa was ready to provide federal support if necessary. Related Article: 'Very Real' Dangers at Ukraine's Largest Power Plant @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apple Inc. rallied Friday after an iPhone rebound helped quarterly earnings beat estimates, even as overall sales at the world's most valuable company remain in decline. The results suggest that Apple is beginning to recover from a slump that's plagued both the computer and smartphone industries. It was a particular relief for investors after Qualcomm Inc., a key supplier, raised fresh concerns about phone demand earlier this week. Apple's sales in China a weak spot for other tech companies also came in a bit better than feared. As expected, Apple announced plans for $90 billion in stock repurchases the same as last year's plan. The company also raised its quarterly dividend 4% to 24 cents a share. The shares jumped 4.7% to $173.57, the biggest single-day increase since Nov. 30. That added $107 billion to Apple's market value and brings its year-to-date gain to 34%. Overall revenue amounted to $94.8 billion in the fiscal second quarter, exceeding the $92.6 billion analysts predicted. Though the sales fell 2.5% in the period, the company had warned investors to expect a drop of roughly twice that. Though the performance was better than expected, it marked two straight quarters of sales declines a first for Apple since the pandemic began. Earnings, meanwhile, were unchanged from a year earlier, at $1.52 a share. That compared with an average estimate of $1.43 a share. On a conference call with analysts, Apple said that revenue in the current period would drop by a similar amount as in the past quarter, which ended April 1. That suggests a dip of about 3%. The company also said it would continue to see a negative impact from foreign exchange rates. The prospect of Apple suffering a third consecutive sales drop raises questions about its growth prospects. I think growth has to be on the mind of Apple investors today, Scott Kessler, an analyst at Third Bridge, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. People have to wonder about whether or not this is a double-digit grower in revenues in the foreseeable future or at any point in the future. Apple generated $51.3 billion in sales from the iPhone its flagship product in the second quarter, topping analyst predictions of $49 billion. That's just a 1.5% rise from a year ago but marked a record performance for a March quarter, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said. The increase came despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, he said in the statement. Like many tech CEOs delivering earnings reports, Cook also discussed artificial intelligence. He said it had enormous potential and that Apple would continue weaving it into products in a very thoughtful way. Read More: Apple's Tim Cook Says AI Concerns Still Need to Be Sorted Out From a supply perspective, the second quarter was an opportunity for the iPhone 14 to rebound. The device had suffered from constraints during the previous period due to Covid policies in China. The iPad saw revenue fall 13% to $6.67 billion, roughly in line with estimates of $6.7 billion. New models, which included a revamped entry-level version and Pro models with M2 chips, didn't do much to spur purchases in the quarter. Likewise, revenue in the Mac division dropped 31% to $7.17 billion. That trailed forecasts of $7.7 billion. Research firms already warned that it was a bleak quarter for the lineup, with IDC estimating that Mac shipments fell about 40% in the quarter. Apple had updated the MacBook Pro and Mac mini, adding faster processors, but they failed to reignite the unit's sales. The home, wearables and accessories division, which includes AirPods, the Apple Watch and the TV set-top box fell less than 1% to $8.76 billion. That beat estimates of $8.5 billion. The company added a faster processor to the Apple TV during the holiday quarter and updated its HomePod speaker during the March quarter. The services business, which includes iCloud, Apple Music, the App Store and the TV streaming service, brought in $20.91 billion, missing estimates of $21.1 billion. Still, it was a 5.5% gain from a year earlier. Last quarter, Apple promised that services revenue alongside the iPhone would accelerate. The company did particularly well in emerging markets, Cook said, pointing to record quarterly sales in Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. He also called out growth in India, where Apple recently opened its first retail outlets. The company's overall sales would have been up last quarter if you held currencies constant, Cook said. For Apple and other US companies with a global footprint, a strong dollar has decreased the value of revenue generated in other parts of the world. Despite these challenges, we continue to manage for the long term, Cook said. The recent surge in solar activity has caught many astronomers off guard. There has been a significant increase in the number of solar flares erupting on the Sun, resulting in abnormally fast solar winds. In turn, this has sparked strong geomagnetic storms on Earth. This is due to the Sun being at its most volatile as it approaches its solar cycle peak. The star entered its 25th solar cycle in 2019, with the peak expected to occur in 2025. However, some studies suggest that it could arrive earlier, given the sudden surge in solar storms. Recently, there was a series of three-day outbursts of M-class solar flares on May 3rd, 4th, and 5th, a SpaceWeather.com report confirmed. These solar flares spewed so many CMEs into space. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has suggested that at least one of these CMEs is heading for Earth. This simply means Earth is in danger of a strong geomagnetic storm, the report added. Solar flare impact on Earth In response to this powerful solar flare, a powerful geomagnetic storm is expected to hit Earth today. "The CME will hit Earth's magnetic field on May 7th around 21:00 UT. The impact could spark geomagnetic storms ranging in intensity from minor (G1) to moderate (G2) and maybe even strong (G3)," NOAA mentioned. Also, when an incoming CME strikes, it can intensify on May 8th as Earth passes through the CME's magnetized wake. The geomagnetic storm has the potential to cause significant harm by damaging satellites, disrupting mobile phone and internet networks, causing power grid failures, blocking radio communications, and more. "During G3-class storms, auroras have been sighted in the USA as far south as Illinois and Oregon," SpaceWeather.com mentioned. Tech behind solar storm monitoring Since its launch in 2016, the DSCOVR satellite has enabled NOAA to monitor solar storms and the Sun's behavior. The collected data is then analyzed by the Space Weather Prediction Center, where various measurements are taken on factors such as temperature, speed, density, degree of orientation, and frequency of solar particles to prepare the final analysis. CLEVELAND, Texas Manuela Laras Mexican food stand is not far from the house on Walter Drive, the one with the Christmas lights still up, where a man next door with an AR-style rifle walked over and killed five of his Honduran neighbors. Lara is also an immigrant and has lived for years in the Trails End neighborhood, where residents say law enforcement was slow to respond to frequent gunfire long before the rural sheriffs department drew scrutiny for taking 11 minutes to get to the scene of the April 28 shooting, and for the ensuing four-day manhunt. There arent enough patrols. The police dont come over here, Lara said. This happened because police didnt come in here. The capture of 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza on Tuesday night has not eased concerns in the largely Latino neighborhood about 60 miles north of Houston, where many immigrant residents feel disregarded and disrespected by officials from the local level up to the governor. In the arrests wake, even some law enforcement officials have questioned how the response was coordinated. Authorities have acknowledged it usually takes deputies from 30 minutes up to an hour to respond to calls in Trails End, but say they face challenges that are familiar to law enforcement across rural America, where firearms are common and officers are responsible for vast stretches of terrain. Three deputies were patrolling the 700 square miles of San Jacinto County when the first call about the shooting came in as a harassment report at 11:31 p.m., according to the sheriffs office. Weve got poor roads. Were understaffed, Chief Deputy Sheriff Tim Kean said. Welcome to rural law enforcement. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, sheriffs deputies received help searching for Oropeza from several local and state law enforcement agencies. But they didnt formally accept help from the FBI until the next morning, according to the bureau. And an official with the two-man agency that does much of the day-to-day police work in the neighborhood said they were left to learn about the shooting and manhunt the next morning through calls from neighbors and news reports. Maybe we could have caught him faster. I cant say that we would have, but when it happens in your own backyard you would hope youd be the first to be notified, said Cpt. Peter Sparta of the San Jacinto County Constables Office. The sheriffs office generally doesnt coordinate with the area constable, who lives a 15-minute drive from where the shooting occurred, Sparta added. Oropeza is now in jail on five murder charges and awaiting the appointment of a lawyer. But some residents question whether the shooting will prompt action needed for local law enforcement to show up quicker next time they call. Others remain angry with Gov. Greg Abbott for calling the victims illegal immigrants, saying immigration status is irrelevant to their being the victims of gun violence. Theyre human beings and they just lost their family, said Shawn Crawford, 52, who also lives on Walter Drive. It had nothing to do with politics, the border, the immigrants. Abbott, a Republican, drew widespread backlash for the comment and his office later apologized, acknowledging at least one of the victims was in the U.S. legally. Diana Velasquez Alvarado, 21, will be buried in the United States, according to her father, who said she had recently obtained residency after leaving Honduras eight years ago. Oropeza was a Mexican national who was deported four times between 2009 and 2016, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trails End is on the outskirts of Cleveland, a diverse town of about 8,000, and homes there sit on wide lots and under a dense canopy of pine trees. As in other rural places in Texas, the legality of firing weapons in ones backyard can be confusing depending on where one lives but seems to be largely tolerated by law enforcement as long as no one is hurt and nothing damaged. Complaints about such gunfire in the neighborhood were daily, according to the sheriffs office. Nearly 31% of Clevelands population are Latinos, and their growing presence can be seen in businesses from taquerias to stores that sell products from Mexico and Central America. Some of the Hondurans killed in the shooting had lived in the U.S. for years, according to their families back home. Authorities say the shooting began after three of Oropezas neighbors asked him to go farther away if he was going to fire his gun so late because a baby was trying to sleep. At a vigil for the victims a few days before Oropezas arrest, Krystal Segundo was one of the many residents who complained about law enforcement not responding in the past to calls about gunfire from neighbors. They accused San Jacinto County Sheriffs deputies of normally not taking any action. I told my husband, after this tragedy now we have so many police. Before, I never saw one officer pass or do anything, said Segundo, who has lived in the neighborhood for five years with her husband and four kids. Wilson Garcia, whose wife, Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, and his 9-year-old son, Daniel Enrique Laso, were killed in the shooting, told reporters that people in his house called police five times after Oropeza brushed them off about firing his gun, and that each time a dispatcher told them help was coming. Deputies took 11 minutes to arrive, Sheriff Greg Capers said. Thats pretty quick, according to Kean. The chief deputy said one of the three working deputies was responding to a robbery at the time of the shooting, but didnt specify where the other two were. The exact timeline of the police response to the shooting remains unclear because the sheriffs office has yet to release call logs, 911 recordings and other records in response to public records requests. You got to remember the initial call on this was somebody firing their gun in the yard, all right. At that point, it wasnt an attack, Kean said. So the aggravated robbery trumps the guy shooting in the yard. But Sparta, the constables captain, who said he grew up nearby, suggested the shooting might have been avoided if more resources went to doing routine police work there. You need to police these communities where these peoples houses are, he said. It prevents burglaries. It prevents things that just happen like this. Resideo Technologies (NYSE:REZI Get Rating) updated its second quarter earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.41-0.51 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.69. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.59-1.64 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.67 billion. Resideo Technologies also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $1.80-$2.00 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. TheStreet upgraded Resideo Technologies from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Resideo Technologies from $26.00 to $23.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. Finally, William Blair reiterated a market perform rating on shares of Resideo Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Get Resideo Technologies alerts: Resideo Technologies Trading Up 0.1 % NYSE REZI traded up $0.01 on Friday, reaching $16.14. 1,173,006 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 531,408. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $17.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.55 and a beta of 1.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Resideo Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $14.95 and a fifty-two week high of $24.87. Insider Buying and Selling at Resideo Technologies Resideo Technologies ( NYSE:REZI Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.11). Resideo Technologies had a net margin of 3.95% and a return on equity of 10.27%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.45 EPS. Resideo Technologiess revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Resideo Technologies will post 1.98 earnings per share for the current year. In related news, Director Nina Richardson sold 3,458 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total value of $64,941.24. Following the sale, the director now owns 47,731 shares in the company, valued at approximately $896,388.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Resideo Technologies news, EVP Jeannine J. Lane sold 14,903 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.39, for a total transaction of $274,066.17. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 118,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,181,054. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Nina Richardson sold 3,458 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total value of $64,941.24. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 47,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at $896,388.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in REZI. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,141,212 shares of the companys stock valued at $307,652,000 after purchasing an additional 286,247 shares during the period. Ariel Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 48.9% in the 1st quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 8,889,988 shares of the companys stock valued at $211,848,000 after purchasing an additional 2,918,450 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,114,290 shares of the companys stock valued at $138,160,000 after purchasing an additional 195,971 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 13.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,922,481 shares of the companys stock valued at $93,477,000 after purchasing an additional 474,448 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,649,839 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,589,000 after purchasing an additional 95,734 shares during the period. 91.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Resideo Technologies Company Profile (Get Rating) Resideo Technologies, Inc operates as a manufacturer and developer of technology-driven products and components that provide critical comfort, energy management, and safety and security solutions. It operates through the Products and Solutions and ADI Global Distribution segments. The Products and Solutions segment includes temperature and humidity control, energy products and solutions, water and air solutions, smoke and carbon monoxide detection home safety products, security panels, sensors, peripherals, wire and cable, communications devices, video cameras, other home-related lifestyle convenience solutions, cloud infrastructure, installation and maintenance tools, and related software. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Resideo Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Resideo Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abbrea Capital LLC trimmed its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating) by 10.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,198 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,459 shares during the period. Abbrea Capital LLCs holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,037,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MS. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 68.9% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 18,416,436 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,455,083,000 after buying an additional 7,514,505 shares in the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter valued at about $451,711,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 123.3% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 3,183,121 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $251,546,000 after purchasing an additional 1,757,682 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 152.3% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,500,681 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $197,539,000 after buying an additional 1,509,589 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 479.4% during the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,390,483 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $109,862,000 after buying an additional 1,150,483 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.48% of the companys stock. Get Morgan Stanley alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes MS has been the topic of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $108.00 to $104.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Odeon Capital Group raised Morgan Stanley from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $88.75 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $95.34. Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley Trading Up 2.7 % In other Morgan Stanley news, Director Thomas H. Glocer sold 4,535 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.11, for a total transaction of $395,043.85. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 98,110 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,546,362.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 24,556 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.23, for a total transaction of $2,412,135.88. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 190,440 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,706,921.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, Director Thomas H. Glocer sold 4,535 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.11, for a total value of $395,043.85. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 98,110 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,546,362.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders own 0.26% of the companys stock. Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $84.88 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $141.76 billion, a PE ratio of 14.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.34. The companys 50 day moving average is $88.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $89.74. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $72.05 and a 52 week high of $100.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $14.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.96 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 11.35% and a net margin of 14.12%. The firms revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.06 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 6.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be paid a $0.775 dividend. This represents a $3.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 28th. Morgan Stanleys dividend payout ratio is currently 53.26%. About Morgan Stanley (Get Rating) Morgan Stanley operates as a global financial services company. The firm provides investment banking products and services to its clients and customers including corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. It operates through the following segments: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC decreased its position in Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE Get Rating) by 5.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,780 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLCs holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities were worth $259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARE. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 4,377 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 242.4% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,499 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $906,000 after purchasing an additional 3,185 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 14.4% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 4,753 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $957,000 after buying an additional 598 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 5,903 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,187,000 after buying an additional 620 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC grew its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 7.3% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 1,086 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $219,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.81% of the companys stock. Get Alexandria Real Estate Equities alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Alexandria Real Estate Equities news, Chairman Joel S. Marcus sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.00, for a total value of $1,512,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 388,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,306,472. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Alexandria Real Estate Equities news, EVP Marc E. Binda sold 3,298 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.21, for a total value of $551,458.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,005 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,203,906.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Joel S. Marcus sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.00, for a total value of $1,512,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 388,729 shares in the company, valued at $65,306,472. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 16,101 shares of company stock worth $2,700,271 in the last 90 days. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Alexandria Real Estate Equities Stock Up 1.7 % ARE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Alexandria Real Estate Equities from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday. JMP Securities restated a buy rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $176.00 to $177.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $162.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $180.00 to $145.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $164.00. Shares of NYSE:ARE opened at $123.64 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.29, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.93. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. has a 1 year low of $114.94 and a 1 year high of $178.96. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $126.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.53. 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 company had revenue of $700.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $686.70 million. Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a return on equity of 3.77% and a net margin of 28.01%. The firms revenue was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.05 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. will post 8.94 earnings per share for the current year. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $1.21 dividend. This represents a $4.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.91%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess dividend payout ratio is presently 106.84%. About Alexandria Real Estate Equities (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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Alexandria Real Estate Equities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alexandria Real Estate Equities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT bought a new stake in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 20,041 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $1,879,000. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 4,709 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $442,000 after buying an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd boosted its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 316.7% during the 4th quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd now owns 166,674 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $10,746,000 after acquiring an additional 126,674 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in WEC Energy Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $408,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. boosted its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 18,600 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,743,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 19,825 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,866,000 after acquiring an additional 2,508 shares during the period. 74.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently commented on WEC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on WEC Energy Group from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on WEC Energy Group from $109.00 to $106.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Bank of America reduced their price target on WEC Energy Group from $106.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com lowered WEC Energy Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, 888 reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $98.80. WEC Energy Group Price Performance Shares of WEC Energy Group stock traded up $0.66 during trading on Friday, reaching $96.01. The companys stock had a trading volume of 899,845 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,039,170. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $80.82 and a 12-month high of $108.39. The company has a market capitalization of $30.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $94.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $93.80. WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.03. WEC Energy Group had a return on equity of 11.60% and a net margin of 14.10%. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.79 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.6 EPS for the current year. WEC Energy Group Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.25%. WEC Energy Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 72.90%. WEC Energy Group Profile (Get Rating) WEC Energy Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the generation and distribution of electricity and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure and Corporate & Other. The Wisconsin segment refers to the electric and gas utility operations. Read More Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Warren Buffett voiced worry about the recent management of the banking sector's chaos at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday. He also cautioned that a standoff over the debt limit might result in unrest in the financial system. In response to the recent bankruptcies of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank, the 92-year-old billionaire slammed the press, regulators, and politicians for their "very poor" message that unduly alarmed depositors, according to Reuters. Buffet underlined the need to make bank CEOs and directors responsible for their behavior and made the argument that the present financial incentives in bank regulation were insufficient. Except for Bank of America, which he admired, Warren Buffett continued to be wary about owning bank stocks and had decreased his exposure to the industry. He referred to First Republic's offer of fixed-rate, non-government-guaranteed mortgages for enormous sums as a "crazy proposition" that remained ignored until it was doomed, The Guardian reported. Warren Buffett said at the annual shareholders meeting that his business has a sizeable cash reserve and is ready to act if required. He added that even though he does not believe that would occur, he wants to be there for the financial system if it ever becomes briefly unresponsive. Read Also: NYC Mayor Reveals Plan to Relocate Migrants Outside City But Buffet cautions that the main problem is that the general public is clueless about the security of their bank savings, especially those that are not covered by insurance, per CNBC. The Berkshire Hathaway chair asserts that even if they had not made that guarantee clear, regulators and Congress would not let depositors lose even a single dollar in a US bank. Buffet: Democracy Must Be 'Refined' as US Moves Forward Warren Buffett voiced worry about a rise in "tribalism" in Washington, where partisanship leads to individuals talking over one another. Nevertheless, he still believes that the United States is in a better situation than it has ever been, but he underscored that democracy must be "refined." A few hours later, Berkshire declared a $35.5 billion quarterly profit and that $4.4 billion in its own shares would be repurchased, signaling that the stock was undervalued. At the time he made these remarks, the shares were trading at a discount. On the other hand, it sold shares in other firms for $13.3 billion in a quarter when the S&P 500 Index increased by 7 percent. Warren Buffett, the sixth most wealthy person in the world, has been in charge of Berkshire since 1965. Berkshire is home to dozens of companies, including the BNSF railroad, Geico auto insurance, and consumer brands like Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom. Related Article: Burger King To Shut 400 US Stores @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $71.32. DVN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price objective on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $84.00 to $71.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Mizuho reissued a buy rating and issued a $71.00 target price on shares of Devon Energy in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Devon Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. They set a neutral rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Get Devon Energy alerts: Insider Activity In other news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total transaction of $393,193.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 262,498 shares in the company, valued at $14,377,015.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $393,193.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 262,498 shares in the company, valued at $14,377,015.46. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Richard E. Muncrief bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $53.28 per share, with a total value of $532,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,973,977 shares of the companys stock, valued at $105,173,494.56. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Devon Energy Devon Energy Trading Up 4.4 % Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sandy Spring Bank boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 2.6% in the first quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 17,455 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $883,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 14.6% in the first quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 319,099 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $16,150,000 after acquiring an additional 40,613 shares in the last quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 4.7% in the first quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,783 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $445,000 after acquiring an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 9.7% in the first quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,987 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $252,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cove Street Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 8.6% during the first quarter. Cove Street Capital LLC now owns 22,634 shares of the energy companys stock worth $1,146,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the period. 78.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. DVN stock opened at $50.36 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $32.42 billion, a PE ratio of 5.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.14 and a beta of 2.34. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $51.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.25. Devon Energy has a fifty-two week low of $44.03 and a fifty-two week high of $79.40. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The energy company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $4.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.29 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 52.20% and a net margin of 31.38%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.39 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Devon Energy will post 6.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Devon Energy Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a None dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This is an increase from Devon Energys previous None dividend of $0.49. This represents a dividend yield of 9.3%. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.77%. About Devon Energy (Get Rating) Devon Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It develops and operates Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Heavy Oil, Barnett Shale, STACK, and Rockies Oil. The company was founded by J. Larry Nichols and John W. Nichols in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nwam LLC increased its position in shares of KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Rating) by 8.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 27,223 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,091 shares during the quarter. Nwam LLCs holdings in KeyCorp were worth $474,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in shares of KeyCorp by 2,228.2% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,593,491 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $41,548,000 after acquiring an additional 2,482,098 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of KeyCorp by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 51,201,153 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $820,242,000 after buying an additional 2,399,018 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of KeyCorp by 211.6% during the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 3,274,208 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $73,277,000 after buying an additional 2,223,588 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners raised its position in shares of KeyCorp by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 32,450,273 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $520,135,000 after buying an additional 1,718,852 shares during the period. Finally, BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in KeyCorp by 1.7% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 84,008,314 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,345,815,000 after acquiring an additional 1,414,839 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.11% of the companys stock. Get KeyCorp alerts: Insider Transactions at KeyCorp In other news, insider Andrew J. Paine III purchased 75,000 shares of KeyCorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $9.78 per share, for a total transaction of $733,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 335,414 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,280,348.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, insider Andrew J. Paine III bought 75,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $9.78 per share, for a total transaction of $733,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 335,414 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,280,348.92. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Amy G. Brady sold 45,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.58, for a total transaction of $701,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 119,121 shares in the company, valued at $1,855,905.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have purchased 87,700 shares of company stock valued at $883,407. 0.61% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets KeyCorp Trading Up 10.1 % A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of KeyCorp from $16.00 to $12.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Barclays lowered their price target on KeyCorp from $24.00 to $15.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of KeyCorp from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $18.50 to $16.50 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Finally, TheStreet lowered KeyCorp from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.55. KeyCorp stock opened at $9.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $9.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $12.82 and a 200-day moving average of $16.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. KeyCorp has a one year low of $8.53 and a one year high of $20.30. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The financial services provider reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.44. KeyCorp had a net margin of 19.09% and a return on equity of 15.63%. The company had revenue of $1.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.45 EPS. KeyCorps revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that KeyCorp will post 1.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. KeyCorp Profile (Get Rating) KeyCorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It provides a range of retail and commercial banking, commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance, student loan refinancing, commercial mortgage servicing and special servicing, and investment banking products and services to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. Read More Receive News & Ratings for KeyCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KeyCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd lifted its stake in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) by 3,552.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 167,000 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 162,428 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltds holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $9,850,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. IFG Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 6,175 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $443,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. 1ST Source Bank boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. 1ST Source Bank now owns 24,341 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,749,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 14,110 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,014,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 4,066 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Advisors Network LLC boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 3,572 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. 73.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Insider Activity at Charles Schwab In related news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at $533,844.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at $533,844.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Walter W. Bettinger purchased 50,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $59.31 per share, with a total value of $2,965,500.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 656,501 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $38,937,074.31. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have purchased 81,000 shares of company stock valued at $4,706,960 and have sold 426,866 shares valued at $34,245,329. 6.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Charles Schwab Stock Performance SCHW opened at $49.24 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $57.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.68. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 1 year low of $45.00 and a 1 year high of $86.63. The company has a market capitalization of $88.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.38 and a quick ratio of 0.38. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $5.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.36% and a net margin of 34.82%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is currently 27.32%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have recently issued reports on SCHW. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Charles Schwab in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. William Blair reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Credit Suisse Group raised Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $81.50 to $67.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $83.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Charles Schwab currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $69.21. About Charles Schwab (Get Rating) The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its holdings in Raytheon Technologies Co. (NYSE:RTX Get Rating) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 405,037 shares of the companys stock after selling 43,907 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.s holdings in Raytheon Technologies were worth $40,867,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of RTX. Wiley BROS. Aintree Capital LLC bought a new position in Raytheon Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $238,000. High Note Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Raytheon Technologies by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 10,041 shares of the companys stock valued at $922,000 after purchasing an additional 598 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Raytheon Technologies by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 36,088 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,954,000 after purchasing an additional 1,730 shares during the period. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC bought a new position in Raytheon Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $278,000. Finally, Wendell David Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Raytheon Technologies by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Wendell David Associates Inc. now owns 66,590 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,720,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 78.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Raytheon Technologies alerts: Raytheon Technologies Trading Up 0.7 % NYSE:RTX opened at $96.58 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $98.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $98.06. Raytheon Technologies Co. has a 52 week low of $80.27 and a 52 week high of $108.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market cap of $141.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.99. Raytheon Technologies Increases Dividend Raytheon Technologies ( NYSE:RTX Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.09. The company 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 for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.15 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Raytheon Technologies Co. will post 5.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This is an increase from Raytheon Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.44%. Raytheon Technologiess dividend payout ratio is 58.67%. Insider Activity at Raytheon Technologies In other Raytheon Technologies news, VP Amy L. Johnson sold 3,622 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.55, for a total value of $356,948.10. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,061 shares in the company, valued at $400,211.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes RTX has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Raytheon Technologies from $106.00 to $113.50 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Raytheon Technologies from $107.00 to $110.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Raytheon Technologies from $119.00 to $115.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of Raytheon Technologies from $103.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Raytheon Technologies from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $117.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.88. About Raytheon Technologies (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). Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Raytheon Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Raytheon Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 20.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 108,736 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 18,327 shares during the quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,970,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 85.6% during the 4th quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC now owns 542 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of NYSE MO opened at $46.69 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $83.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.01, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $40.35 and a 52-week high of $57.03. The businesss 50 day moving average is $45.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.84. Altria Group Announces Dividend Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.01). Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The firm 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 firm earned $1.12 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 24th were given a dividend of $0.94 per share. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 120.90%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MO. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com began coverage on Altria Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Citigroup lowered their target price on Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $45.50. Altria Group 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. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Evoqua Water Technologies (NYSE:AQUA Get Rating) had its target price raised by Stifel Nicolaus from $54.00 to $55.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Evoqua Water Technologies from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $49.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Evoqua Water Technologies from $45.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Evoqua Water Technologies from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $51.00 to $50.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Evoqua Water Technologies presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $49.29. Get Evoqua Water Technologies alerts: Evoqua Water Technologies Stock Performance Shares of AQUA stock opened at $51.52 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 83.10, a P/E/G ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 1.79. Evoqua Water Technologies has a one year low of $30.44 and a one year high of $51.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.78. The firms 50 day moving average price is $48.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.84. Insider Buying and Selling at Evoqua Water Technologies Institutional Inflows and Outflows In other Evoqua Water Technologies news, EVP Rodney Aulick sold 6,494 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.35, for a total value of $326,972.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 127,001 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,394,500.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Insiders own 3.64% of the companys stock. A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Evoqua Water Technologies by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,342,255 shares of the companys stock valued at $673,798,000 after buying an additional 450,010 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Evoqua Water Technologies by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 7,540,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $354,248,000 after buying an additional 713,929 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in Evoqua Water Technologies by 935.2% during the 1st quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 2,552,685 shares of the companys stock worth $126,919,000 after purchasing an additional 2,306,086 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Evoqua Water Technologies by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,424,809 shares of the companys stock worth $113,918,000 after purchasing an additional 72,538 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its position in Evoqua Water Technologies by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,223,367 shares of the companys stock worth $90,028,000 after purchasing an additional 74,583 shares during the last quarter. 93.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Evoqua Water Technologies Company Profile (Get Rating) Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of water and wastewater treatment systems and technologies. It operates through the Integrated Solutions and Services and Applied Product Technologies segments. The Integrated Solutions and Services segment offers outsourced water services, capital equipment for process water and wastewater treatment, and preventive maintenance service contracts. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Evoqua Water Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Evoqua Water Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vectors Research Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR Get Rating) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 20,659 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 811 shares during the period. Vectors Research Management LLCs holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $2,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of DLR. Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its holdings in Digital Realty Trust by 25.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 21,480,318 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,130,012,000 after purchasing an additional 4,341,066 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in Digital Realty Trust by 37.4% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 5,385,149 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $539,969,000 after acquiring an additional 1,466,351 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Digital Realty Trust by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 19,664,834 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,950,358,000 after acquiring an additional 687,715 shares in the last quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Digital Realty Trust by 29.4% during the 1st quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 2,685,997 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $380,875,000 after acquiring an additional 610,266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PGGM Investments bought a new stake in Digital Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $59,617,000. 95.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: Digital Realty Trust Stock Performance DLR stock traded up $0.54 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $96.42. The stock had a trading volume of 2,142,752 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,536,610. The stock has a market cap of $28.09 billion, a PE ratio of 86.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.62. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $97.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.04. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52-week low of $85.76 and a 52-week high of $141.85. Digital Realty Trust Dividend Announcement Digital Realty Trust ( NYSE:DLR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($1.46). The company had revenue of $1.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.41 billion. Digital Realty Trust had a net margin of 7.61% and a return on equity of 2.34%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.67 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 6.71 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $1.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.06%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently 439.64%. Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust In related news, EVP Dyer Corey sold 4,401 shares of Digital Realty Trust stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.19, for a total value of $458,540.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 30,026 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,128,408.94. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have issued reports on DLR. Barclays increased their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Credit Suisse Group dropped their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 17th. BMO Capital Markets cut Digital Realty Trust from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and dropped their target price for the company from $121.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Digital Realty Trust from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Digital Realty Trust from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $116.92. Digital Realty Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Digital Realty Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust, which engages in the provision of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. It serves the following industries: artificial intelligence (AI), networks, cloud, digital media, mobile, financial services, healthcare, and gaming. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DLR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM Get Rating) announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.23, Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $214.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $237.87 million. Wheaton Precious Metals had a return on equity of 6.88% and a net margin of 64.08%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 30.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.35 earnings per share. Wheaton Precious Metals Stock Performance WPM stock opened at $52.09 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.56 billion, a PE ratio of 37.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.92 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $46.90 and a 200-day moving average of $42.31. Wheaton Precious Metals has a one year low of $28.62 and a one year high of $52.76. Get Wheaton Precious Metals alerts: Wheaton Precious Metals Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.15%. Wheaton Precious Metalss dividend payout ratio is currently 43.48%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analyst Ratings Changes A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 6,344,956 shares of the companys stock valued at $301,893,000 after buying an additional 361,138 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in Wheaton Precious Metals by 0.9% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 481,497 shares of the companys stock valued at $22,909,000 after acquiring an additional 4,497 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in Wheaton Precious Metals by 4.9% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 11,778 shares of the companys stock valued at $561,000 after acquiring an additional 551 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals by 21.3% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 20,122 shares of the companys stock worth $957,000 after purchasing an additional 3,535 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals by 245.5% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,530,486 shares of the companys stock worth $120,401,000 after purchasing an additional 1,798,086 shares during the period. 57.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Several equities research analysts recently commented on WPM shares. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Scotiabank assumed coverage on Wheaton Precious Metals in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. They issued a sector outperform rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. TD Securities dropped their price target on Wheaton Precious Metals from $55.00 to $54.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Barclays increased their price objective on Wheaton Precious Metals from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 10th. Three research 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, Wheaton Precious Metals presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $55.44. Wheaton Precious Metals Company Profile (Get Rating) Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. is a mining company engages in the sale of precious metals and cobalt production. It operates through the following business segments: Gold, Silver, Palladium, Cobalt, and Other. The company was founded by Peter Derek Barnes on December 17, 2004 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe In the worst mining accident in decades, a gold mine fire in Peru claimed at least 27 lives, with no more survivors expected to be found. Officials reported that two individuals were rescued from the blaze, which was caused by an electrical short-circuit inside the La Esperanza mine in the Arequipa region, the BBC reported. According to local media, about 30 specialized officers are en route to the La Esperanza mine site to secure the area before commencing recovery operations. On Saturday, photos and videos captured flames and smoke billowing from the Peru gold mine, where miners were reportedly working between 80 to 100 meters below ground when the fire broke out due to an electrical short-circuit. #LOULTIMO | Tragedia en Arequipa: Fiscalia confirma la muerte de 27 trabajadores tras incendio en mina La Fiscalia ha confirmado que los 27 mineros desaparecidos tras accidente en la minera Yanaquihua han fallecido. https://t.co/8GkDrylcoM La Republica (@larepublica_pe) May 7, 2023 Read Also: Hundreds of Pounds of Cooked Pasta Dumped in New Jersey Woods The Peru mine, operated by Yanaquihua, a small-scale firm, has not yet commented on the incident, according to Reuters. Giovanni Matos, a public prosecutor, confirmed the deaths of 27 miners from the Peru gold mine fire and emphasized the need to secure the area to recover the bodies. Victims' Relatives Barred From The Area The regional government stated that the nearest police station was located 90 minutes away from the isolated site, which complicated the emergency response. Relatives of the missing miners arrived at the scene on Sunday morning, as reported by the Peruvian newspaper La Republica, but were not allowed access to the site. This latest mining accident is the deadliest in Peru since 2000, according to data from Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines, per DW. With an annual production of over 100 tons, Peru is the top global gold producer, contributing to about 4% of the world's total output. Peru's mining sector experiences numerous fatalities each year, typically caused by multiple minor incidents. Related Article: Massive Wildfires Force Over 24,000 Evacuations in Alberta, Canada @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A leadership team in Grand Island has come up with a project to help fellow community members in need. Members of Leadership Tomorrow, with the help of Grand Island Senior High and Grand Island Central Catholic students, assembled Fresh Start Cups Wednesday. The cups, which contained toiletries, emergency contact information and other necessities, were given to the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriffs Office, nonprofits and other local resources for distribution. We decided we wanted to do something for the population and Grand Island that kind of gets forgotten, said Tashawna Sawyer, member of Leadership Tomorrow Class 37s impact team. In 2020, nearly 13 out of every 10,000 Nebraskans were homeless, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Grand Islands population in 2020 was nearly 52,944, according to the United States Census Bureau. Sawyer said the needs homeless community members and others in need were in mind when the project was designed. The cups contain one large water cup filled with: a comb, toothpaste, toothbrush, eyeglass wipes and spray, cleaning cloths and a card with phone numbers to local and national help organizations. It was really hard for people to wrap their head around not having those basic things, Sawyer said. We really took the time to think, what do I do every morning when I get out of bed? What are those things that I need in my home? Sawyer said of the antibacterial cleaning cloths, A lot of times people will go into convenience store bathrooms and wash in the sink. We were excited when we got the cleaning wipes. Wednesday morning Grand Island Senior High and Grand Island Central Catholic students worked with the Leadership Tomorrow Team to assemble the kits. Items were donated by CHI Health St. Francis, Unity Eye Centers, Trailview Dental, Stec and Stines Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, AK Stylz and Copycat Printing & Signs. More Information Find out more about Leadership Unlimited's flagship program, Leadership Tomorrow, including how to nominate a local leader and how to apply. Leadership Tomorrow | Grand Island NE (leadershipunlimited.net) I think we just take some things that we have for granted, Sawyer said. Grand Island Central Catholic students assisted the impact team as part of GICC Service Day, a longtime school tradition observed Wednesday. Grand Island Senior High student volunteers included members of the schools chapter of HOSA-Future Health Professionals. The hope is the project will continue through them. Paris, TX (75460) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. The Tri-County Regional Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Member Celebration & Business Awards on April 27, recognizing outstanding local businesses in the community for their leadership, resilience and commitment to creating a better future. The luau-themed event was held to spotlight businesses that have made significant contributions to their local economy and the chamber. The 2023 Large Business of the Year award was presented to Farmers & Merchants Bank of South Carolina, founded in 1912, for its unparalleled commitment to providing personalized customer service. The award is a testament to the bank's unwavering dedication to its community through resilience, innovation and steadfast commitment to its customers. The bank sets the standard for local businesses, providing job opportunities and contributing to the local economy. Kelley Anne's Women's Fashion & Gifts was honored with the 2023 Small Business of the Year award for its rising prominence in the industry. Kelley Anne's passion for her work and deep commitment to her community has resulted in exceptional growth and recognition. The award recognizes the resilience, innovation, and hard work of small business owners in creating thriving enterprises that impact positively on their community. Board Chairman 2023 Buddy Paramore applauded both winners, saying, "We are proud of the energy and dedication shown by these two businesses, and for their commitment to the Tri-County Regional Chamber of Commerce," and acknowledged their efforts in making the future brighter for the region. South Carolina State University is poised to form its own chapter of an association which has helped to shape American higher education since its founding in 1915. S.C. State Faculty Senate President Dr. Alexander Thierry reported during the board of trustees April meeting that the South Carolina conference of the American Association of University Professors recently held its spring meeting at the university. It was a hybrid meeting with faculty from across the state in attendance. ... After this meeting, the S.C. State University AAUP chapter was given new life, with officers being elected. With a few more steps, the South Carolina State University chapter will be formed and reactivated, he said. S.C. States faculty has participated in a number of activities to "bring students up to the standards of the S.C. State brand for retention and success of our students, he said. Those activities include securing grants and other outside funding, receiving awards, publishing and promoting and updating programs the university offers. Some concerns were expressed, however, during his presentation to the board. Thierry reported that faculty members have expressed concerns and would like to see solutions to the way the university has worked to fill not only staff and faculty positions, but administrative positions. Currently, very few of the positions that we have open are on any other job board except the one on our current university website. ... This is something that many faculty and chairs are concerned with as we have positions that need to be filled. By not posting these positions on national job boards, we are limiting the reach that S.C. State has in having a wider pool of qualified and quality candidates for positions," Thierry said. Faculty members have also expressed concerns about students classroom attendance, with faculty trying a wide variety of approaches with limited success. The lack of attendance in courses will most likely result in a high number of students not seeing success academically in those courses. Senators noted that faculty are using the beep and alert system to notify student success and retention, with some faculty stating that the success rate of students returning to class is somewhat low, or not a long-lasting solution. Faculty are very open to help deal with this issue, but are unsure of what else they can do, Thierry said. Shared governance, adherence to the university's policies and procedures and faculty and student safety are among the other issues that the Faculty Senate remains focused on. We all know about the recent safety issues on campus and that being a possible retention issue, but also with student mental health and counseling services and access to those," he said, noting that enhancing faculty morale and facility quality and usage are other issues that need attention. Although we currently have a great list coming of all of the different renovations and things happening on campus, there's still basic things in the classrooms and still dealing with heating and ventilation and air conditioning issues, he said. Thierry said the bolstering of the university's technology infrastructure is also needed "with all of the turnover we've had with IT, and then also still continuously dealing with the telephone situation that we've had for a while. He said the university's new website has also been anxiously awaited as many of our programs are going through accreditation (and) having all of those things up there and available to the public are a part of the accreditation process. COLUMBIA The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame, a division of the S.C. Department of Public Safety, formally inducted five law enforcement officers. This years ceremony recognized five officers from around the state, with one being a historical inductee dating back to 1918. Of the officers inducted into the Hall of Fame for 2022, three were shot and killed in the line of duty, one died from complications from COVID-19, and one died from a medical emergency during a training exercise. This ceremony marks a time where we can come together with the families and departments of our fallen officers and remember them for the heroes they are, said SCDPS Director Robert G. Woods IV. As we formally induct each of these officers into the SC Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame, we are reminded of their selfless dedication and their courage in the face of danger. I am humbled by their honor and their sacrifice. The ceremony brings the total number of South Carolina officers who are honored in the Hall of Fame Memorial Room to 423. Honorees are: Town Marshal Tobias R. Penninger -- Sharon Police Department (York County) End of Watch: Sept. 30, 1918 (Shooting death) Deputy First Class John W. Berry III -- Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office. End of Watch: Sept. 19, 2021 (COVID-19) Corporal Roy A. Drew Barr Jr. -- Cayce Police Department. End of Watch: April 24, 2022 (Shooting death) Deputy First Class Austin D. Aldridge -- Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office. End of Watch: June 21, 2022 (Shooting death) Master Police Officer Tyrell A. Owens-Riley -- Columbia Police Department. End of Watch: Sept. 24, 2022 (Medical emergency during training) COLUMBIA The South Carolina Highway Patrol held a graduation ceremony for 27 troopers from its Highway Patrol Basic Class 122. Attorney General Alan Wilson addressed the graduates as the keynote speaker for the ceremony. The graduating class includes 11 prior-certified officers and 16 who are new to the law enforcement profession. The addition of this graduating class brings the total number of troopers in South Carolina to 766 (including the graduates and 50 troopers currently in training). It is an honor to welcome this group of law enforcement professionals to the Highway Patrol, said Robert G. Woods IV, director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. Each individual graduating today is equipped and prepared to contribute to our mission of saving lives on South Carolina roadways. I look forward to seeing their hard work and dedication lead them to a fulfilling career with our agency. Troopers are assigned to areas based on a number of considerations, which include population density, the number of calls for service and the number of licensed drivers/registered vehicles in an area. To see where the troopers from Basic 122 are assigned, review the information in the link that includes their troop assignments and photos: https://scdps.sc.gov/schp/classes It is often said that law enforcement is not a career, but a calling, said Colonel Christopher Williamson, commander of the S.C. Highway Patrol. Each and every graduate here today has committed themselves to answering that call and we look forward to the difference you will make as a Highway Patrol trooper. Special awards from Basic 122 class include: Major Israel Brooks Jr. Physical Fitness Award: Presented to the trooper who excelled on the physical training test and each day during the early morning exercises. Basic 122: Antonio D. Carbajal Captain Cecil Dilworth Marksmanship Award: Presented to the trooper who demonstrated the best marksmanship during firearms training. Basic 122: Lucas A. Ochs Colonel P.F. Thompson Outstanding Achievement Award: For the trooper who displays the character and dedication symbolic of former Highway Patrol Colonel P.F. Thompson, the longest-serving SC Highway Patrol commander. Basic 122: Antonio D. Carbajal Red-state South Carolina is ready to offer a school-choice program after years of discussion. After 20 years of back and forth on the issue, the legislature has approved a plan and Gov. Henry McMaster has signed the legislation into law. The chief executive has long championed a system allowing parents and students to select a school of choice, be it public or private, and get state support in paying for the choice. The bill sets up what are called education scholarship accounts. Parents and guardians can get up to $6,000 a year to pay for tuition, transportation, supplies or technology at either private schools or public schools outside their district. The program could expand to as many as 15,000 students over several years or about 2% of South Carolina's school-age population. The proposal will cost about $30 million next year and could cost as much as $90 million if it reaches capacity, according to Associated Press reporting. The South Carolina plan comes amid a changing landscape for education that has seen student achievement decline during the pandemic and an increasing push for school choices: traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools and homeschooling. Public support for education, at this time, needs to go beyond traditional public school. South Carolinas plan is a sensible foray, though it will face continuing opposition. A legal challenge is expected as the state constitution prohibits using public money to benefit private educational institutions, according to AP. As they work on getting the two-thirds support needed to put the issue back before the voters to change that constitutional provision, voucher supporters say the program doesn't directly send money to private schools, which courts have found illegal. Instead, parents can access a state-funded account, which is an indirect payment allowed by the law. They also are working on a bill to allow students to attend any public school in the state, including outside their school district if they pay tuition. One leader who will welcome his home states action is Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Congressional School Choice Caucus co-chair. Scott has said, From the rural poor to the inner cities, test scores are down even lower than they were pre-COVID. However, when parents have the choice to send their child to a school that best fit their needs, their kids have a chance. A good education is the closest thing to magic in America. It creates viable options for all families regardless of socioeconomic status. By equipping and empowering families with the ability to choose educational opportunities best suited for their children public charter schools, parochial schools, homeschooling and more we are prioritizing the success of students and our nation. Such success is the priority and we must look for ways to achieve it. Continuing to limit the ability of a majority of students in the state to attend a school other than the one designated for them is failing to look at how the success may be achieved. Launching the choice program in South Carolina will put to the test a lot of theories and positions on both sides of the issue. From there, objective analysis of costs, successes and failures will be needed. By Yi Whan-woo Hana Financial Group announced, Sunday, it formed a strategic partnership with CTBC Bank, a leading private lender in Taiwan, to enhance its global network for its vision to become Asia's best financial services company. The partnership will range from mutual support among their respective overseas branches to collaboration on finding business opportunities concerning corporate banking, investment banking and trade finance and sharing know-how to increase their respective assets abroad. "We expect that the deal will contribute to facilitating financial cooperation on the country-to-country level between Korea and Taiwan," Hana Financial Group Vice Chairman Lee Eun-hyung said during the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Hana Global Campus, the firm's manpower development institute in the multinational corporate district of Cheongna International City in Incheon, May 4. Lee was joined by CTBC Bank Chairman Morris Li. The ceremony took place as multiple representatives from Hana Financial Group and CTBC Bank were attending the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Incheon's Songdo International Business District. Lee called the MOU a "reflection of a strong will between the two companies for global business expansion," expressing hope that it will play a key role to nurture growth engines for both sides. "We will continue to work on enhancing cooperation with other companies in various companies to visualize our goal of becoming Asia's No. 1 banking group," Lee added. Hana Bank, the flagship affiliate of Hana Financial Group, was the first Korean lender to open its branch in Taiwan in April 2022. (TBTCO) - Thi truong bat ong san co vai tro rat quan trong khi ong gop truc tiep va gian tiep lan luot khoang 12% va tu 20-25% cho tang truong kinh te. Do thi truong nay oi mat voi nhieu vuong mac, nen Chinh phu ang tap trung nhieu giai phap voi quyet tam thao go e thi truong phat trien lanh manh, on inh. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). POWELL Buzz Larsen and LeRoy Davey have a lot in common. To start with, May 2 is both of their birthdays. Davey, a former Powell math teacher, was born in 1929. He was a popular junior high math teacher, teaching generations of students in his decades in Powell. Larsen, who operated Larsens Bicycles in downtown Powell from 1973 to 1996, was born in 1933. You dont have to be a math wiz to know they are old friends. Davey taught Larsens daughter, Laurie, and Larsen supplied the Davey family, including wife Marge and children JoAnne, Jacquie and Susan, with bicycles. Mr. Davey made math fun, Laurie Larsen said. The two men met at the bike shop in the 70s. Davey wanted a bike and Buzz had some for sale. Their obsessions with riding area roads brought them together; sort of. They both were active cyclists well into their 80s, often doing the legendary Old Guy Loop a 24-mile ride out of Powell on Avenue E to Wyo. Highway 294, then south to U.S. Highway 14A, taking the four-lane back to town. But they rarely rode together. Instead, theyd ride opposite directions on the loop, stopping in the middle to talk, Laurie said. Another thing they have in common is wrecking their bikes. Davey has twice been hit by cars while riding in the region. He suffered at least one broken leg in the accidents. Larsen has twice become entangled with dogs while riding, forcing him to the ground; broken bones on contact. He broke his jaw and spent a week in the hospital, Laurie said. They both quickly recuperated and never let the incidents deter them from getting back in the saddle. Though they dont ride anymore, both are still tough as nails. Ten years ago they did the Old Guy Loop with a group for their birthday celebrations. Family and friends threw both of them an old-fashioned picnic Sunday a risky party planned for outdoors during Wyomings volatile early spring. Luckily, it was as close to a perfect day as they could have hoped for, with a gentle breeze and the smell of burgers, hot dogs and fixings wafting through the neighborhood, co-mingling with the sound of laughter. Yet the miracle weather wasnt even close to the top miracle of the day. Last September, Marge and LeRoy Davey were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary after LeRoy was moved to Cody Regional Healths Spirit Mountain Hospice House. It didnt look good for LeRoy at the time and he was forced to trade in his bicycle for a wheelchair. Fortunately he started feeling better, heard to say on occasion, Im real slow at this dying thing. They eventually kicked him out of hospice care and, after a stint in a care facility, he returned home. Fast-forward to the Sunday afternoon party a few months later: Buzz was opening birthday cards and sipping on a Flying Start IPA next to Pat, his wife of 25 years, when LeRoy came bopping around the side of the house on his own power (with the help of a walker) looking for his birthday buddy in the crowd of more than 50 partygoers and a cold Guinness. Neither wanted a big party. They didnt want to make a big deal about it, but were making a big deal, Laurie said before a warm rendition of the crowd singing, Happy birthday. If you live on the Wind River Reservation, its a fact of life that youll need to visit nearby Riverton at some point to buy groceries or see family. But many Native Americans on the reservation try to avoid driving into town to limit contact with police, said Kenzie Wallowing Bull, a Northern Arapaho woman who resides there. Say youre at Smiths and you see a police officer in the parking lot, your guard immediately went up, she said. Theyre giving you a look, you know that look, just because youre Native American. Kenzie is always ready to get stopped by police. Even when shes home on the reservation, she doesnt feel safe. I worry my kids might not come home one day, Kenzie said. We are supposed to call the cops, too, when we need them, but why would we? Theres statistics that may explain that mistrust. Figures show Native Americans are arrested by local police agencies at disproportionately high rates compared to other groups. For example, one out of every 10 Riverton residents is a Native American. But seven out of 10 arrests made by Riverton police over the past 10 years are of Indigenous people. Numbers kept by the FBI show similar, but less extreme, arrest disparities involving agencies such as Lander police and the Fremont County Sheriffs Office. Local officials, however, say the statistics dont tell the whole story. Rivertons former interim police chief says the department has invested in cultural training and does not practice discriminatory policing tactics. And a Native American officer in Riverton told the Star-Tribune he has never seen racism perpetrated by the department in the five years hes worked there. But critics say the numbers reflect the reality of life for Indigenous people in the area. And they contend the arrest disparity, along with a culture of discrimination and a handful of high-profile shootings of Indigenous people, arent being adequately addressed by the city. There have been protests, calls for investigations, petitions and even the creation of a local activist group in response. From the city, those critics say, inaction. A decade of data Riverton takes its name from the rivers that converge there at the mouth of the Wind River Basin in central Wyoming. Its the largest city in Fremont County, a working-class area with a history of ranching and mining. The citys land was ceded from the adjacent Wind River Reservation. About 10,600 people lived in Riverton as of 2021. Of those, about 8,200 of residents were white, about 1,060 were Native and the 1,340 remaining were a variety of other races, U.S. Census Data shows. While Native Americans comprise only about 10% of the citys population, they accounted for 73% of arrests made by Riverton police over a 10-year period, FBI crime data shows. Riverton police made about 16,000 total arrests from 2011 to 2021. Indigenous people accounted for about 11,660 of those, according to the FBI data. To put that in context, police would have to arrest every single member of the citys Native population once a year for 10 years straight to reach that number. Although the disproportionate arrests are especially notable in Riverton, the city is not alone. In Lander, which is close to both Riverton and the Wind River Reservation, Native Americans accounted for about 50% of the arrests during the last decade, although they represented only 7.5% of the population. Of the arrests made by the Fremont County Sheriffs Office, meanwhile, 40% were Native American, even though Indigenous people make up about 22% of population. High arrest rates are a trend in cities neighboring reservations, said William Snell Jr., executive director of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council. Law enforcement criminalizing substance abuse is, in part, to blame, Snell said. Drunkenness is the crime that leads to most arrests in Riverton. Its a city problem not an Indian problem, he said. Native Americans interviewed for this story said theyve observed or experienced discrimination, both by police and local officials. In Riverton, racism against Natives is deep-rooted, said Dean Wallowing Bull, a Northern Arapaho man. It is perpetrated by the police department, local government and even businesses, creating a hateful environment that makes it hard to exist, he said. Im automatically seen as a dirty Indian, he said. The darker your skin, the more discrimination. History In the 60s, some Riverton store owners equated Natives to animals when they hung No Indians, No Dogs signs in their windows, said Big Wind Carpenter, an Indigenous activist. Elders shared stories about discrimination in and around Riverton, which dates back much farther than a couple generations. Theres kinda been this window dressing of racism, Carpenter said. It doesnt cease to exist; its just changed its face. Anti-Native sentiments are perpetrated more covertly now, he explained. A business owner might stalk a Native American around a store while he shops and a landlord may specify a preference for renting to single-family households to discriminate against Native Americans multi-generation culture, Carpenter said. Carpenter says he has personally experienced discrimination from Riverton stores not accepting Tribal IDs that are federally recognized to having to leave the Riverton school district after being wrongfully arrested as a teenager. You cant just run around scalping Indians anymore, Carpenter said. But you can find other systems to punish them still. Natives have long been victims of these oppressive systems, said Jeffrey D. Means, chair of the University of Wyomings history department and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. For centuries, the Eastern Shoshone lived on land so vast that it now belongs to four different states, according to the Wyoming Historical Society. In 1863, the United States negotiated a treaty that returned about 44 million acres of this land in what is now the west-central part of the state. A second treaty cut back those lands to a few million acres only five years later. The Northern Arapaho were moved to the reservation in 1878. A final cession of land in 1905, the year before Riverton was founded, cut the reservation down to one quarter of its 1868 size. Today, it is known as Wind River Reservation and home to two tribes the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho. For a time, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho were forced to sell off portions of their reservation to keep their people from starving as game herds dwindled, according to the Wyoming Historical Society. Many European-origin settlers of the surrounding new territory called Wyoming disliked the reservation and were gratified to see it diminish the historical society wrote. These policies created pockets of poverty on reservations across America, Means explained. Financial hardship typically brings crime, said Means. People perpetuate stereotypes that Natives dont work, drink too much and are criminals without taking any responsibility for the fact that Indigenous people were prosperous before colonization. Now youre blaming the Native Americans for being relegated to this pocket of poverty and having all these kinds of problems that come along with that, he said. In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency ruled Riverton was part of the Wind River Reservation after discovering that a 1905 land act thought to have given the land to homesteaders didnt legally do so. The decision was eventually overturned, but Wyoming peoples negative reaction to it showed they never considered Native Americans as part of this state, Means said. A mentality that Natives arent equals gets passed down through generations, which is magnified in Riverton, the epicenter of Native American and white contact in Wyoming. I have students in my class that are from Riverton that tell me thats what they hear in school, he said. You gotta lock your home and your car because Native Americans are a bunch of thieves. View from a patrol car It was 8:50 a.m. on a Tuesday when Riverton officer Christian Amos hopped in his patrol car, which is painted in tattered thin blue lines and stars that mimic the Blue Lives Matter flag. The officer drove by Veterans Memorial Park as he left the station, which is located just behind the building. He pointed to three disheveled-looking men sprawled out in the grass. Its a weird lifestyle, which Ill never understand, said Amos. It really looks bad when people drive by. Of course, they dont like the trash or personal belongings laying around or guys sleeping. But that in itself is not a crime, the officer said. The community reports public intoxication frequently because they dont like the aesthetics, so police have to respond. The department doesnt arrest people unless they are too intoxicated to care for themselves or their own safety based on city and state ordinances, he said. To say Natives are getting arrested more simply because of who they are is misleading, Amos maintains. Its actually Native Americans that are being arrested for crimes they committed, he said. Ive never seen it, and I, myself, have never arrested anyone because they are Native American. Claims that officers wait at a bridge to pull people over as they come from the reservation is untrue, Amos said. Officers only wait at the bridge if a report of a drunk driver is made. Amos acknowledged that many community members have a negative perception of Riverton police because Natives are arrested more than anyone else. But he said the actual demographics of Riverton are different from the official count because there are many transients unaccounted for, and the Native population rises during the day. Officers have a bad stigma, especially with these whole Black Lives Matter, everything is racial, said Amos. He has never seen Riverton officers treat Natives in a rude or racial way. To me, do I think theres bad cops? he said. I dont think theres any here. The ones that maybe were are no longer here. Amos is one of two Native members on the force. He grew up on Wind River Reservation. Hes experienced racism as a civilian and as an officer. As a child, he was bullied for mingling with other races. Recently, he went to H&R Block for tax purposes. He was treated poorly by the analysts until they found out he was an officer, he said. Amos is also used to being called slurs by other Natives because he chose to be an officer, he said. Hes been coined an apple because hes red on the outside and white on the inside. It puts him in a tough spot. Im not arresting you cause youre Native, said Amos. I cant let you go because youre Native. Amos practices community policing. He gets out of his car at City Park, in the alleyways and around the area to build rapport with people. People drink heavily in Riverton, which is a really sad alternative to what they could do, Amos said. He often tries to help people seek counseling, but if they refuse, theres nothing else he can do. I really think it boils down to some trauma that happened in their lives, Amos said. They cant get over whatever they went through. Amos stopped in an alleyway behind McDonalds. There were four Native men hanging out, who he knew by name. Two of the men had felonies in their pasts. One was a former BIA officer. The last man hardly spoke. You guys are looking healthier than yesterday, Amos said, joking around with them. The group explained they werent bothering anyone. Even if Amos is a friend, hes an officer first. Amos always treats the men with respect, they said, so they like him and return that respect. Thats not always the case with other officers. One man said things have gotten much better since some of the old staff left. Another said he would appreciate a blanket when put inside the cold holding cells. They named three officers, two of whom still work on the force, who are mean and slam us around while conducting arrests. The men said they were arrested or ticketed lawfully typically for public intoxication or open container but the officers rough them up for no reason. We show up in Fremont County all busted up and s***, one of the men said. Thats why I have this mark right here. He lifted his long sleeve shirt to reveal a scar on his forearm, which he says he got from a Riverton police officer. Well, thats why we have body cams now, said Amos. At 9:50 a.m., Amos partner, Jack Johnson, received a report of two men passed out on the side of OReilly Auto Parts. A majority of public intoxication arrests are of Natives, said Amos. One of those men was in handcuffs eight minutes later. Amos returned to the station to help with the booking process. He locked his gun in a safe before entering the room, which has a handful of holding cells. People are usually held there before being transferred to a jail in Lander. Both officers helped the man get out of the car. He couldnt speak. The officers had to undress him. He had a bandaged wound on his knee. The man blew a .325, which is four times higher than the legal driving limit. He technically should be in the hospital, but hes fine, said Johnson. He just needs to sleep it off. The man was told to rest on the floor to avoid accidentally falling off the bed in the cell and hurting himself. Bottom line the Riverton Police Department does not practice any form of racist policing, said Amos. Theres still always room to improve, though. You take a situation and internalize it to find out what you can do better next time, he said. With the transients, how can I treat them better? How can I change their viewpoint on me? Later, after Amos had left and two Star-Tribune journalists were standing outside the station, a plainclothes Riverton officer said, while laughing, that the journalists should come back into the station to photograph a man with snot dripping down his face because he was so drunk. The question of trust The Riverton Police Department does not engage in racial profiling and racial intolerance is not tolerated, former interim police chief Wes Romero told the Star-Tribune in an email. To that end, the department has invested in cultural training. I am deeply concerned there are members of the community openly criticizing our officers and department, Romero said. I am also concerned there are Native Americans who feel they are not being served positively by our department. Former Riverton police chief Eric Murphy retired in December. Romero took over as chief in the interim. On April 4, Eric Hurtado was sworn in. The agencys unequivocal goal is to strengthen relationships with everyone in the community, and he is proud of the officers who strive to do so every day, Romero said. Making information easily accessible is a priority, he said. The department wasnt able to provide the Star-Tribune with its own arrest demographic records because the department doesnt have the correct program to do so, he said. While the department inputs that data each month, it does not have a similar program as the FBI to serve as a clearinghouse, Romero said. At no point has the department failed to report required data to that system. We provide reports for citizens when requested and we put out a daily press release, he said. We feel that transparency is important to maintaining trust with the citizens of Riverton. Officers do not target those with substance abuse issues, said Romero. Most interactions police have with community members is initiated by the community itself, he said. Only 12% of calls are initiated by officers. While it is true public intoxication is an issue for some members of our community, the majority of arrests are initiated by citizens concerned for the welfare of an individual or their property, Romero said. Riverton officers have regular interactions with individuals struggling with substance abuse and treat them as human beings, he said. The police department tries to be responsive, receptive and show respect when dealing with people regardless of race, sex, religion or anything else, Riverton Mayor Tim Hancock told the Star-Tribune. From what Ive seen as the mayor, we are doing what we should be doing, said Hancock. He was sworn in as the citys 34th mayor in January. Riverton does not have a worse problem with racism than anywhere else in the state or country, he said. I think that we have a lot of contact with Native Americans here, and I think theres a lot of factors that go into that, he said. Theres a lot of different things including addiction and other factors that lead to those contacts. Overall, its a privilege to live in Riverton and associate with the people in the city, he said. I wish people realized just how great it is. He noted the citys economy is growing, with plans for a new hospital, a new restaurant and several new stores. People are shopping locally, doing things locally, building homes, building businesses here, and a large amount of folks that do that here are Native Americans, he said. I think its good to remember in whatever we do. Asking for help On a Tuesday night in August, a group of concerned citizens approach the podium at the Riverton City Council chambers. They wanted to share their experiences with racism in the community. The wave of commentary wasnt sparked by a shooting or an arrest. Its done with regularity as Native American residents try to convey the day-to-day discrimination they feel is being actively ignored. The Star-Tribune reviewed the citizens comment portion of 50 city council meetings dating back to May 2021. The public asking for help in addressing racism is a recurring theme. That night, activists presented a formal request for inclusion, which included Native input during the hiring process for the then-vacant city administrator position. The former city administrator really wouldnt work with us, Allison Sage, a Northern Arapaho man and member of the Riverton Peace Mission, said during the meeting. Speakers asked city council members how the public could get that and other requests police de-escalation training and the creation of an ombudsman position on the city councils agenda, so they could be seriously considered. But they found some council members skeptical of their suggestions. I dont see the discrimination youre talking to I just dont agree with you, Councilman Kyle Larson said at one point. He later raised his voice and repeatedly cut off another woman, Karen Returns to War, while she was giving testimony. Im not here to argue with you, said Returns to War. The exchange among officials was brought to an end by former mayor Richard Gard, who suggested it wasnt the local governments job to address racism. Are we going to cure the ills of the world from these chairs? I dont think so, said Gard. Can we get a new backhoe bot [an excavation machine]? Definitely. Gard did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Ron Howard, the organizer of the annual Riverton Peace March, also approached the podium. He accused Larson of not being very sincere considering the comments he had posted about Muslims on social media. I want to remind Mr. Larson, and I mean no offense by this, but uh, it was you that posted on Facebook a picture of a pig, and it said, This offends Muslims, please share, Howard said. I just wanted to say that your argument about discrimination doesnt hold much water with me. The post could not be found on Larsons personal or professional Facebook pages. Both accounts were mostly empty besides livestreams of city council meetings and rental listings for properties he owns. The Star-Tribune asked Larson multiple times about the comments made during this meeting and the alleged social media post, but he didnt respond. He was reelected for another term in the weeks following that meeting. Remaining council members Kristy Salisbury, Karla Borders, Mike Bailey and Lindsey Cox also did not respond to multiple requests for comment; Dean Peranteaux declined to comment. Native Americans just want a seat at the table. There are a lot of Natives living in Riverton, including me, Howard said. How many Natives do we see here? There are none. That same night, Kyle Butterfield was appointed as city administrator behind closed doors. Most recently, members of the public called city council to action on March 7, asking them to address racism, offer community-based solutions and to express disappointment that Butterfield was hired without Native inclusion. Theres an effect on seeing people who are in a really bad way, Matt Hartman said during that meeting. It tears you down everybody. Hancock was not the mayor at the time. But since hes been sworn in, hes still trying to figure out what the role of government is in some of these issues that are brought to the council. City government is generally dedicated to supporting causes and attending fundraisers. For instance, some members of the city council and the city administrator attended the Riverton Peace Missions Summit for Unhoused Neighbors in March, he said. If youre taking seriously your role as a representative, youre meant to be something more than just somebody in a chair doing what they like to do, said Hancock. You have to be responsive; you have to be listening to people; you have to be trying to see things differently than just your viewpoint. Whos listening? The experiences seen at the August city council meeting arent unique, observers say. Over the years, Native Americans in Riverton have regularly shared the most traumatic experiences of their life and nothing comes of it, said Antonio Serrano, advocacy director for the ACLU of Wyoming. Its not a battle that can be won with local government or in the Wyoming Legislature, Serrano said. It can be won at the ballot boxes. If those in positions of power dont care about the people in their community, they should not have that power, he said. In Wyoming, its a slow fight for people who are fighting for their rights, he said. Its not that fairytale that people say you go vote and its going to change the world. Thats not reality. Last summer, Serrano hosted a know your rights training in Riverton to help Native Americans cope with high arrest rates. It was based around teaching people how to be safe while also defending their civil rights during police encounters. The activists he worked with on the training began reporting that Riverton police were pulling over Natives and people of color at a drastically increased rate in the days following, Serrano said. They believe it was an intimidation tactic to prevent more outreach from happening in the future. What they believe is, that law enforcement was trying to send a message, Serrano said. That even though you know your rights and you got this training from people outside, we are still going to do this to you. Its easier to discount peoples individual experiences, but the arrest rates speak for themselves, he said. They arrest Indigenous people for ridiculous things, he said. They over-police their communities. Looking Forward Despite what they see as a lack of support from those in power, a group of activists have continued to push forward with the hope of changing the situation in Riverton. Theyve taken everything but our hope and faith, said Dean Wallowing Bull. In 2015, a Riverton parks employee shot two Northern Arapaho men at a detox center, killing one and critically injuring the other. In the aftermath, a group of community members founded the annual Riverton Peach March. The march usually ends with an open mic, where people can publicly discuss struggles with racism in Riverton. On Saturday, they marched again. Activists rallied in red from Tonkin Stadium to City Park for missing and murdered Indigenous people. In 2019, the Riverton Peace Mission was founded during the fifth annual Riverton Peace March. The activist group has promoted an inquest into the 2019 police shooting of Anderson Andy Antelope, held their own mock inquest, put on marches, organized a summit for homeless community members, raised $36,000 in COVID-19 relief money for the reservation and compiled data on racism. Despite being made to feel angry and powerless, the public will not be silenced, said co-founder Chesie Lee. Officials may think this will eventually just go away, but it wont, she believes. Lee hopes to remove the stigma around substance abuse, so that public intoxication can begin to be treated like a disease rather than end in arrest. If I had epilepsy, and I had a seizure, it would be disruptive, Lee said. But I wouldnt get in trouble. Some local officials might not care about Natives on a moral level, but they have to care about them on a fiscal one, said Sage, another board member. The neighboring tribes spend millions of dollars monthly in Riverton. We want better treatment in stores and in the community, he said. They are calling our people transients. Our people live here. Another member, Nicole Wagon, made an example of the local Walmart. Police officers are always there, with their own reserved parking spaces, and they only check receipts of certain people. That isnt seen at the Walmart in Casper or Cheyenne, she said. What does that say for itself? Why do we have to have officers at our Walmart? Wagon said. Evidently, the county has put them there. Theres underlying race issues that no one wants to talk about or deal with. Wagons eldest daughter Jocelyn Watt was murdered at her Riverton home in 2019. A year later, Wagons other daughter Jade was found dead nearly a month after Nicole reported her missing. Now, Wagon is raising her daughters young children. Shes working toward a better city for them. If something happens in their home, is that what its going to take to open their eyes? Nicole said. I think that anybody that rereads their oath, maybe that will help them. It will remind them why they are there, and why and how they were elected into those positions. Shes hopeful the new police chief, Eric Hurtado, who used to work in Alaska, may spark some change. Theres no way I can give up on my own people, Nicole said. Thats why I continue to push and push and push. Anderson Antelope Jr. said after a lifetime of watching officers make detective after beating people up, breaking peoples noses, and getting away with it, he knew something needed to change. His father being shot and killed by Riverton police was the final straw. (Fremont Countys top prosecutor ruled the shooting lawful because the officer was attacked with a knife.) Its hard to break away from old habits, and its even harder to admit those habits were wrong. But Antelope Jr. is holding out hope. It gave me a purpose. It opened my eyes to how police officers and the justice system really work, he said. Until my last breath, Im not going to quit. Photos: Vigil for Northern Arapaho man shot by police Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting Vigil for man killed in police shooting According to Websters, hypocrisy is defined as behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe. On April 27, it was revealed that the president of the Wyoming Senate unilaterally removed the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The President reasoned that because this chairman attended a meeting virtually, he didnt care enough about his leadership role and deserved to lose it. This move might lead one to infer that the Senate President deeply values perfect legislative attendance, being present and ready to vote on all matters during the legislative session and during the interim. That inference would be true if the Senate president hadnt traveled to Mexico for a vacation prior to the 67th Sessions end in early March. This sunny getaway, combined with many instances of the President stepping off of the Senate Floor during critical moments, has resulted in the lawmaker missing over 50 key votes on important pieces of legislation. Constituents of the Senate president may want to know how he voted on bills to ban chemical abortions, to protect unborn life from the moment of conception, to bolster parental rights or to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage. Unfortunately, on each of these bills and many others, President Driskills vote was not cast. It may be hypocritical to punish a member of the legislature for attending a meeting virtually when you dont stand for important roll call votes yourself. Alternatively, it may be that many in positions of power genuinely believe that different standards of behavior should apply depending on ones political philosophy. Perhaps no clearer example of an ideologically-driven double standard exists than the events of Oct. 28, 2021 on the floor of the Wyoming House of Representatives. It was then that former Speaker of the House Representative Harshman breached legislative decorum in a way never before seen in our State. On the House Floor during debate on federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the former speaker referred to a fellow Representative using the most famous four letter word along with a homophobic slur. Ironically, the speaker was attending the meeting virtually. Interestingly, this incident did not result in Representative Harshmans removal as chairman of the House Revenue Committee, nor did the media spend any time covering the incivility of the breach of decorum. The target of the attack was a conservative, so meaningful repercussions for the perpetrator did not materialize. The events of October 28, 2021 and the recent politically motivated removal of a committee chairman from his position are not isolated events. These instances demonstrate a deeper problem in Wyoming politics: for the establishment, one set of rules; for conservatives, another. If you need further proof, investigate the reaction to one conservative legislator jovially using the expression dont get your panties in a wad on the House Floor earlier this year. He was born the eighth child into a hill country family in Tennessee in 1902. He loved books and somehow, considering his financially poor status, went to college in Arkansas and graduated. He and his young wife moved to Minnesota, where he completed his masters degree and, eventually, his doctorate. Clyde Kilby was a man of words. He was especially passionate about researching famous writers private letters and diaries; bringing to life those men/women who so greatly impacted the world. He personally corresponded with C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings). However, his most notable impact in the world was the way Kilby, and his wife, influenced students with his stories and his hospitality. They lived on campus and constantly invited students in for cookies and passionate intellectual conversation. He hoped to shake his students from the dull dogma that shaped so many religious writers. He pushed them to pause and wonder at the remarkable glory of the natural world. He spoke to students, many who would go on to shape Americas religious thinking, about how to keep their sanity and their spiritual curiosity fine-tuned. The following is the resolute heart of Clyde Kilby to live his one life well. 10 Resolutions for Mental Health and for Staying Alive to God in This World Once a day I will look at the sky and remember that I am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me. I will suppose the universe is guided by an intelligence. I will not fall into the lie that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding 24 hours, but rather a unique event, filled with wonderful potential. I will prefer reality to abstractions. I will not demean my own uniqueness by envying others. I will mostly forget about myself and do my work. I will open my eyes and ears by at least once a day simply staring at a tree, a flower, a cloud or a person. I will simply be glad that they are what they are. I will often remember back to when I was a child and think about my dreaming eyes of wonder. I will frequently turn to things like a good book and good music. I will enjoy each moment, not always worrying about what the decade before me will demand from me. I will bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic but rather acknowledge that each day strokes are made on the cosmic canvas that in due course I will understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega. In short, Clyde Kilbys life and words communicate to me that: I will live fully in this moment of wonder and beauty, sorrow and joy. I will expect to be wowed if I am reading Tolkien or studying a bumble bee. I will not concern myself with all my aches and pains and complaints but instead look upward and outward to observe the ongoing glory story we see in nature. I will unreservedly trust the pleased, creative designer of this world and the rhapsodic author of my life. About a year ago, someone broke into the future site of a Casper abortion clinic and lit it on fire. The arson caused nearly $300,000 in damage and delayed the buildings opening by 11 months. It endangered the lives of those residing nearby, as well as the police officers and firefighters who responded to the scene. Afterward, many people in Casper expressed shock, anger and sorrow that someone would use violence to further their beliefs. But there were voices that tried to minimize or even justify what the arsonist had done. In their minds, the arsonist had stopped a greater evil. Last month, Wellspring Health Access finally opened. Although the suspected arsonist had been arrested by that point, safety remained a concern. Would someone else use force to stop the clinic? Into that sea of tension and uncertainty waded Casper Mayor Bruce Knell. Shortly after the opening, he read an article on the subject. By his own admission, he searched for an image of fire and posted it below the article. Many were outraged that the mayor would choose an image of flames to comment on a story pertaining to a building that someone tried to burn down. Knell dug in, saying the flames represented the hell that those who practice abortion are doomed to. And, he added, there was nothing wrong with his actions because they were in furtherance of his religious beliefs. That brought a large crowd to the Casper City Council chambers on Tuesday, where many speakers told Knell that he failed them as a leader. Others sought to buoy his defense. After all, they said, abortion will be punished by eternal damnation. Knell spoke last. He almost immediately choked up, explaining that he realized now that the public criticism wasnt directed at his religious views, but how he communicated his beliefs. He apologized, saying he wanted people to feel safe in his community. But he couldnt stop returning to the topic of abortion. And in that, he was hardly alone. Speakers on both sides of the issue returned again and again to that debate, as if abortion had produced its own gravity that all other conversations were required to orbit. But Knells failure wasnt about abortion. He failed by not recognizing the responsibility of a leader to set an example for how we should conduct our civic lives. He had every opportunity to express his views that abortion is wrong without contributing to the fear and tension and anger thats grown in our community. But he succumbed to the impulse that his righteousness justified behavior that would otherwise be unacceptable. Knell is, unfortunately, not alone in giving into this impulse. Weve seen too often leaders fail to understand that they can make their point without contributing to the growing polarization and animus thats metastasized in our state. Only weeks before Knell posted the image of a fire, Rep. Karlee Provenza shared a meme in recognition of the International Transgender Day of Visibility. The meme showed a smiling person pointing a tactical rifle in defense of transgender people. Critics pounced on the Democrats actions, saying she was inciting violence. Provenza later apologized, while stressing that LGBTQ people have a right to armed self defense. Provenza, of course, is correct that LGBTQ Americans have a right to self-defense. But she, like Knell, could have made that point without raising the temperature in the room. In fact, like Knell, she only distracted people from her message by the way she conveyed it. We could go on. There are Wyoming lawmakers on the right, Sen. Anthony Bouchard being a prime example, who seem to revel in social media posts that outrage, that inflame and that send the message that the ends always justify the means. And the sad reality is this works. Leaders who polarize, leaders who outrage, leaders who escalate are only growing in stature here. But leadership is a privilege bestowed by citizens. And that privilege carries with it a responsibility to serve as an example, to show that we can disagree with civility, that passions do not justify allusions to violence, to harm. Knell had an opportunity to show Casper residents that whatever their feelings are on abortion, there is a way to conduct the discussion so that people feel safe to participate. Leadership requires constant diligence to push back against your own worst impulses. It demands that you avoid being so caught up in our own sense of righteousness that you say things that you might regret. It demands empathy and discipline and myriad other qualities that dont lend themselves to a popular Facebook post, but do contribute to a community thats well governed. The people of Casper, of Wyoming, deserve as much. THIS month we are shining the spotlight on the insidious autoimmune disease - lupus, which is much more common than we think but which does not get the attention it deserves. In less than two years, lupus turned Michel Peters world upside down; it robbed him of his life partner Simone Coelho and step-daughter Kayla who both lost their lives to the chronic disease. His youngest daughter, Keira, has also been diagnosed with lupus and is waging her own personal battle with the disease. By Azernews Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday signed an order "On the provision of a personal pension of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to cultural figures of Azerbaijan." gettyimagesbank By Anna J. Park In a move to foster active corporate M&As to bring about economic innovation, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top financial regulator, has decided to ease the financial burden on potential buyers to prove their capital qualifications, when it comes to launching tender offers. According to the FSC on Sunday, a potential corporate buyer will face less burdensome conditions, when it makes tender offers. Up until now, a potential tender offer buyer is required to prove their financial capacity by depositing the total amount of money necessary for purchasing targeted stocks at local institutions during the entire tender offer period. As this requirement has often been criticized to be an excessive financing cost for potential buyers, the FSC will now acknowledge financial investors' letters of commitment (LOC), capital contribution agreements or investment agreements, as proof of a buyer's capacity to finance a tender offer, thereby, easing the previous requirement. The move is one of many measures that the top financial regulator announced on Sunday in order to efficiently strengthen the economy's M&A framework. "Corporate M&As are not only an important means for companies to achieve management efficiency and business restructuring, but also a way that raises the productivity of the overall economy and that facilitates economic recovery," the FSC said. "While a recent contraction of the local M&A market is attributed to deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, which cannot be solely controlled by the local economy alone, it still is paramount to overhaul and enhances the structural framework of M&A to foster further growth of the market," the top financial regulator explained. With regard to split mergers, the FSC plans to streamline conversion procedures accompanying convertible bonds (CB) or bonds with warrants (BW). So far, the conversion of CB or BW has been conducted manually by each company, but it will now be transferred to the Korea Securities Depository (KSD) for electronic processing of them. Similarly, to foster corporate M&As, securities companies that are equipped with a comprehensive financial investment business operator license will also be allowed increased refinancing loans for the purpose of M&As. The top financial regulator also plans to raise an additional one trillion won ($750 billion) worth of corporate structure innovation funds, so that the Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) can provide liquidity for the goal of corporate M&As. The Korean government is also supporting the strategic M&As of local companies in the area of state-of-the-art technologies and strategic industries. In order to facilitate acquisitions of this nature, the financial regulator provides diverse support, ranging from consulting and market surveys to overseas networks. The FSC plans to complete revisions of necessary regulations by the end of this year, while the financial authority and the Ministry of Justice will jointly announce additional measures during the second half of this year to support corporate M&As. 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. Many persons let the electronic media into their homes and in the process, develop a warm re LOS ANGELES Lou Harris fears little when he spends long days surfing except maybe long-lasting harm if he were not to wear sunscreen. If he doesnt protect himself from the sun, Harris, founder of the Black Surfing Association/East Coast based in Rockaway, New York, says he will burn on his nose, lips and chin. Harris is a regular sunscreen user, but for many people, choosing a sunscreen isnt easy. Some sunscreens can leave a white cast on dark skin, which may make some people of color reluctant to wear it regularly. And while there are a number of brands catering to different skin tones, surveys indicate people of color want more choices. After a long, rainy winter in Arizona and California, summer is coming up fast. But not all of those who venture outdoors may view their chances of incurring sun damage the same. In particular, 61% of Black people and 23% of Latinos said they never wear sunscreen, Consumer Reports found in a 2020 survey. Even the darkest skin has a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 13 while dermatologists recommend a minimum of SPF 30 for daily use, Dr. Janiene Luke, residency program director at the Loma Linda University Department of Dermatology in California, explained in a video. While it is true that people with darker skin may show delayed signs of photoaging (such as fine lines, wrinkles, sunspots etc.), sun protection is still important, Luke wrote in an email to Cronkite News. Those with dark skin are more likely to risk advanced stages of skin cancer, making it potentially more deadly, the American Academy of Dermatology reports. Also, too much sun exposure is one of the factors that can lead to developing patches of darker skin, called hyperpigmentation, according to the Cleveland Clinic. For all people, no matter what skin tone, its essential to choose a sunscreen with a high SPF value and apply it generously before going out in the sun, and often reapply, especially after swimming or sweating, said Dr. Sanusi Umar, a dermatologist in Manhattan Beach, California. A 2022 study published in the medical journal MDEdge Dermatology states that using sunscreens that disappear into the skin offers ultraviolet protection but does little to thwart damage from visible sunlight. Market research firm Mintel, which monitors the $1.8 billion sun protection market, found 84% of Black sunscreen users said there arent enough choices on the market for their particular skin tones. The lack of sunscreen made specifically for darker skin tones plays a role in Black consumers limited engagement in the category, stated Carson Kitzmiller, senior beauty and personal care analyst at Mintel, in the report last month. But increasingly, sunscreens are coming to store shelves that are both fully effective and made for darker skin tones. Thats important since consumers put a higher priority on how they appear wearing sunscreen than on its effectiveness. The MDEdge Dermatology study pointed to a web survey by cosmetic chain Sephora that found 31% of those responding seek cosmetic elegance from a sunscreen, followed by product performance at 10%. Some of the new products were developed by entrepreneurs who themselves are people of color and could sense what the market needed. Sunscreens and skin care products have come a long way in the formulation and cosmetic elegance, and I think this is partly due to the increase in minority founders (and) minority-led companies we have seen over time, said Luke. Finding an inclusive, cast-free sunscreen is easier than some might think. Supergoop! promotes itself as having more than 40 options for all skin types, tones and routines, while Undefined Beauty makes R&R Sun Serum, billed as water-resistant and with a universally flattering tint. Seeing is believing is becoming, said Undefined Beauty CEO Dorian Morris. We incorporate diverse illustrations on the packaging because representation matters. She said with the launch of R&R Sun Serum, her goal was to undefine what the sun care category looks like. Sunscreens should be inclusive, she said, and part of that is changing the narrative. Within the Black community, SPF is often overlooked as we feel that due to our melanin-rich skin, the sun will not harm us, overlooking the fact that the sun is still delivering dangerous, damaging UV rays, Morris added. Harris, whose passion is introducing people of color to surfing, looks to Zinka sunscreen for his sun protection. Its a sunscreen brand that comes in bright colors red, blue, green and others rather than trying to only match skin tones. Harris said he first heard about Zinka after members in his association started showing up with blue, orange or pink nose coats. He quickly noticed that their skin was not burning with the new product. Zinka has been the only sunscreen in which Harris said he has seen instant results, especially after burning on his nose, lips and chin. The company takes such endorsements in stride. We just really want people to have fun and enjoy our products while getting superior sun protection, said Lisa Bohenski, general manager of Zinka Sunscreen. PHOENIX The top Arizona House Democratic leader announced Saturday he is quitting at the end of this legislative session, more than a year before his term is up. Tucsonan Andres Cano, the chambers minority leader, said he has been accepted into the Harvard Kennedy School to pursue a graduate degree in public administration. The one-year program begins in early July in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cano said there appears to be a deal on a state spending plan for the new fiscal year that begins July 1, making this an ideal time to leave. Once he quits, it will be up to the Democratic precinct committee members in Legislative District 20, which covers Tucson from the Rillito River east to Country Club Road and much of the south side, to nominate three individuals to replace him for the balance of the term, which runs through 2024. The final decision is up to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, which must choose from that list of all Democrats. Cano, 30, is the only Tucsonan from either party in a state House or Senate leadership post. Spending priorities He said he will stay through the end of the current budget talks. House Republicans said they intend to release a plan this week, something they said is close to a final deal they are negotiating with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Cano said Democrats have been at the table, though he said they have been looking to the governors office for leadership in dealing with the majority Republicans. The bottom line is, we want a bipartisan budget, he said. We do believe the priorities we have advocated for, K-12, environment and water, are key priorities, Cano said. And I do think that we will see the fruit of those negotiations very soon. He was less firm about whether the final budget will see the demand by Hobbs to roll back the universal vouchers approved last year that allow any parent to get state funds to send children to private or parochial schools. That has proven to be a bigger drain on the budget than anticipated as applicants include students whose parents already were sending them to private schools at their own expenses. Its a top concern for many members of our caucus and I do believe we are close to a negotiation on vouchers, Cano said in an interview Saturday. Leadership loss for Democrats Canos departure is the second leadership loss this session for Democrats. Democratic Sen. Raquel Teran of Phoenix resigned last month to pursue a congressional bid. Maricopa County supervisors are scheduled to pick a replacement this week. The minority leader represents the interests of the Democratic caucus in not just budget negotiations but other priorities. Those in leadership of both parties have some clout in ensuring the needs of their individual districts are addressed. Im not concerned at all about Southern Arizona being represented, Cano told Capitol Media Services Saturday, calling the rest of the delegation tested and resilient. Being elected by your colleagues to leadership does not guarantee the majority of the caucus will follow. That was proven recently when Cano found he was one of just 11 House Democrats out of 28 on the floor voting against what had been dubbed the tamale bill to expand the kinds of home-cooked foods that could be legally sold to the public. It was only after Hobbs vetoed the measure that most Democrats came around to his side. Cano plans to return to AZ Cano was first elected to the Legislature in 2018. He said he plans to return to Arizona, where his family is located, after getting the degree. As to future political outings, he said, all options remain open. I ran for office at the height of the Red for Ed movement, Cano recalled, the time when teachers and their allies demanded and eventually got state lawmakers and then-Gov. Doug Ducey to approve a 20% pay raise over four years. As as product of public schools and a first-generation college graduate, the next chapter in my public service was having an opportunity to represent my district in the state Capitol, he said. That was not his first foray in the political arena. Cano previously was a senior aide to the late Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias. He was also director of the LBGTQ+ Alliance Fund, which provides grants to organizations. I came from nearly eight years in local government understanding the connection between local and state governments and how this place has in more ways under a Republican Legislature caused more harm to the people of Arizona than good, he said. He said much of his political awakening came during the national debate over Senate Bill 1070, the law approved by the Legislature in 2010 to have the state take an active role in finding and deporting those not in this country legally. While most of the law has since been struck down, one portion remains: Requiring police to check the immigration status of those in a vehicle they have stopped. That was an eye-opener for me, Cano said. As a student, I recognized that my passion was in fighting for people from my district who needed voice and who needed meaningful representation here, including the LBGTQ community, low-income individuals and immigrants, he said. One of Canos early political battles in the House was against Republican Ducey and GOP lawmakers who wanted an across-the-board cut in state income tax rates. He pointed out that did little for lower-income residents. Instead of giving a tax break to mom, this bill puts more money into the hands of millionaires and billionaires who dont have to worry about where or how their child is sleeping, what theyre eating, or how theyll pay this months bills, Cano said at the time. Cano also played a role in the 2019 repeal of a 1991 law, dubbed no promo homo, that governed how schools can teach about AIDS and HIV. The law made illegal any course that promotes a homosexual lifestyle or portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative life-style. It also said teachers could not suggest some methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex, though there was no similar bar on teaching about safe heterosexual sex. PHOENIX Arizona lawmakers are moving to make it illegal to sell or possess sex dolls with the faces of real children, as investigators warn that childrens photos are being lifted from social media. The use of childrens faces is a real problem, Detective Randall Snyder of the Pinal County Sheriffs Office told state senators. He said such dolls are available, and not just on the dark web used by criminals and others seeking to hide their activity. These dolls have been found on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, eBay and even Etsy, Snyder told the Senate Judiciary Committee. In some of these cases, these dolls can be modified based upon pictures found on social media to look exactly like the child the predator wants it to look like, he said. These dolls can look like my kids, your kids, your grandkids based upon pictures that are posted on social media .... Scaled back over First Amendment The proposed legislation isnt as broad as originally proposed by Reps. Selina Bliss and Quang Nguyen. The original version of House Bill 2169 advanced by the two Yavapai County Republicans sought to make it a felony for anyone to buy, transport or possess a child sex doll. The legislation defined that as an anatomically correct doll, robot or mannequin with features resembling an infant or child younger than 12 and is intended to be used for sexual stimulation or gratification. Lawmakers had second thoughts when court rulings were pointed out to them that indicate the simple possession of such a doll, absent more, falls within First Amendment protections. The new version awaiting a Senate roll-call vote keeps the essence but with a key distinction: It would only be illegal if the doll uses the face, image or likeness of a real infant or minor who is under 12 years of age. Snyder said the dolls are realistic and not just blowups or something people might get as a party favor, Snyder said: Theyre designed to look like a child, theyre designed to act like a child, theyre designed to sound like a child. Deputy Pinal County Attorney Jim Heard told lawmakers the measure isnt an effort to get ahead of the issue. Were behind this problem already, he said. Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, said she is alarmed to hear about dolls for predators that mimic or resemble a child in their neighborhood, a child in their family, a child that theyve seen, or just any child that resembles a young person. Gateway for predators Snyder said that isnt illegal under federal law because theres no actual harm to a real child, particularly if the image cannot be linked to an actual child. Sometimes the dolls have more generic or computer-generated faces, he said. But he said his experience is that the dolls become a gateway for people to start looking for real children. The dolls can be used by predators to groom children into believing certain acts are normal, he said. Wadsack agreed. Having sex with a child sex doll is going to lead 100% to them no longer getting satisfied in that way and moving on to actual children, she said. She said it should be a warning to parents. When youre putting your photographs of your children online, there is the possibility that somebody is stealing that photograph and creating a doll in the image of your child and having sex with the image of your child, she said. Be very careful, parents, Wadsack said. We live in very dangerous times. Court ruling on protected speech Katherine Gipson McLean, a lawyer with Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, told lawmakers about a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that virtual or artificial depictions of children, including showing them engaged in sexual conduct, was protected speech. No actual children were harmed in the production, she said the court found. McLean said the justices rejected arguments that allowing that type of material would lead to criminal behavior. Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said he is willing to challenge that ruling. But short of that, he said its clear the legal line gets crossed when a doll has the image of a real child. So now, were not talking about a made-up, non-existent person, Kavanagh said. Were talking about an actual real person digital image. McLean was unwilling to concede that would be enough difference to make the measure legal. Bliss disagreed. That 2002 Supreme Court decision on digital art porn is indeed a First Amendment right of free speech, the Prescott Republican told lawmakers. But this, folks, is not digital art. The measure cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee with only Sen. Anna Hernandez, D-Phoenix, in opposition. We do need to keep our kids safe, Hernandez said. But she said shes not sure laws aimed at dolls protect actual children, and that the bills language suffers from vagueness. If the measure gains full Senate approval, it still needs to go to the House, which has not yet considered it. Emergency clause included One issue is timing. As written, the bill contains an emergency clause that would make it effective immediately upon the governors signature. But the emergency clause requires approval by two-thirds of both the House and Senate. If it passes with a lesser margin, it would not take effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends, which at this rate could mean August or later. That possibility bothers Kavanagh. If you dont pass the emergency measure, youll basically be getting people who wish to purchase these who are in Arizona, or sell them who are in Arizona, you would essentially be giving them six months to nine months of time to stock up before its illegal, he said. Rep. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, said shes not convinced thats a problem. Its ownership, right? she asked, noting the language banning possession. She said that would mean a police officer entering a home and finding an offending doll once the law took effect could still make an arrest. Major leadership changes at the University of Arizona offer a ray of reassurance to the campus community after a school year spent grappling with safety concerns following a deadly shooting, a faculty leader and others say. On Monday, UA President Robert C. Robbins announced that Liesl Folks, the provost, will step down and that Paula Balafas is out immediately as chief of the UA Police Department. The university is launching a national search for their permanent replacements. The resignations come after months of criticism directed at the UA administration for its handling of threats lodged by a former student against hydrology professor Tom Meixner. The ex-student, Murad Dervish, is charged with first-degree murder in Meixners shooting death on campus in October. Mondays resignation announcements were hard-fought and expected, said Katharine Zeiders, a UA faculty senator and associate professor of family and consumer sciences. This was an organized move. We had many staff, students and faculty behind the scenes advocating and working on this, Zeiders told the Arizona Daily Star on Wednesday. Weve been organizing and advocating since 2020, and weve been focused on worker protection and fair wages, said Zeiders, who is also an organizing member of the United Campus Workers of Arizona. But then, after Toms death, we felt like enough was enough and we started organizing around accountability of administrators. Last resort After Meixners death, news reports and later two separate investigations, one compiled by faculty and one by outside consulting firm PAX, LLC, publicly revealed that Dervish had sent threatening communications to Meixner and numerous others in the hydrology department for close to a year. Dervish was expelled and barred from campus in February 2022 but that did not stop his communication with Meixner and others, all of whom made numerous attempts to get help from various units on campus, including through the dean of students, Office of General Counsel and the UA Police Department. But, according to the PAX report, because the UA was not running an effective Threat Assessment Management Team, it placed an undue burden on administrative functions, and led to a decentralized and fractured approach to campus safety. The report also cited UAPDs multiple missed opportunities to engage, disrupt or arrest Dervish, who had an extensive violent criminal history, prior to Meixners death. It said the police department lacked effective communication with Pima County law enforcement in illustrating a more complete picture of the seriousness of the threat and provided more substantial reasons for arrest of Dervish. The Pima County Attorneys Office had declined to charge Dervish with misdemeanor threats and intimidation earlier in 2022 based on evidence in a report UAPD submitted about some of his behavior. Once the PAX report was made available to the public in March, Robbins made multiple statements acknowledging that university leaders made mistakes and vowing to make meaningful change and rebuild trust with students, faculty and staff. However, the same day in March, the UA Faculty Senate passed a non-binding vote of no confidence in Robbins and his administrations ability to investigate and manage campus safety. At that time, senators told the Star they hoped Robbins would interpret the votes as a wake-up-call, not a call for his resignation. Organizing around the removal of administrators was our last resort, said Zeiders, who added that she and other faculty members felt unheard by administrators in the aftermath of the Oct. 5 slaying. But over the past month, Robbins has met with numerous faculty members and students to address campus safety reform, and Zeiders said the administrative changes announced Monday give the impression he is taking these conversations seriously. Part of a larger change? We hope this is part of a larger change, Zeiders said, emphasizing higher wages, worker treatment and safety. We want to keep leaders accountable. This is our university, which we love. We want to see these systemic changes at our university. For Kathy Varin, who is the senior business manager in the hydrology department, the resignation of the police chief brings her some comfort as she prepares to return to work on campus next fall. Im glad shes gone. She should have been gone the next day, Varin told the Star. Somebody was not passing these threats up to the police chief. The police chief should have known about that guy. Varin was just around the corner the day of the shooting when she heard gunshots and rushed to Meixners side until police arrived. As soon as I heard gunshots, I knew it was (Dervish), Varin told the Star. I knew he had been making threats, I just didnt know the extent. Varin, whos worked for the UA for 20 years, said the hydrology department had even considered installing a panic button in the building in case Dervish came. But it was expensive and the department would have to pay for it, so it never materialized. We were sitting ducks. I kept thinking, What am I going to do if he comes into the office? How am I going to survive? But when Varin returns to campus next fall, there will be panic buttons in numerous buildings on campus in addition to required background checks for all graduate students. UA is carrying out these and other changes including installing more locks and keyless entries, launching a mobile crisis team, setting up a new safety website and streamlining oversight of offices that deal with safety issues. These are steps in the right direction in the eyes of Varin, who has already seen the worst case scenario of ineffective campus safety protocols. Id like to see more police presence on campus. Maybe theres other students thinking of doing this sort of thing. They need a deterrent, Varin said. If you can keep a Murad Dervish out of your department, believe me, you want to. At the same time, some students say theyre fearful of the kind of climate an increased police presence could create. Nousha Aldhefery, a junior and student activist, said she doesnt want to see any more police officers get hired to serve UAPD now that Balafas is out. Weve never felt safe around police, especially after the death of Professor Meixner, she said at a rally in front of Old Main Thursday where dozens of students called for the additional resignation of Dean of Students Kendal Washington White. In a petition calling for White to resign, activists claim she is unwilling to be part of a process of rebuilding trust with those she is charged to serve, and that to the contrary she contributes to an ongoing culture of fear and retaliation. White and other UA officials have not responded to the Stars requests for comment on the petition. Instead of hiring more police, wed like the administration to work with us to see what would make us feel safe, Aldhefery said. As for Folks stepping down as provost or chief academic officer to establish a UA semiconducting manufacturing center, Aldhefery said: Its good, but its not a solution. If we settle for this, theyll make us settle for everything else. Rebuilding trust Steve Patterson, who is now heading the Threat Assessment and Management Team and started his job as chief interim safety officer on Monday, would not comment to the Star about Balafas resignation. But, he did say that striking a balance between safety and trust is one of his top priorities in launching the new Office of Public Safety. He said hell be working with the newly established Campus Safety Advisory Commission to discuss questions like, How do we engage with the campus community and make sure people feel comfortable reporting to the university or UAPD. He added that campus safety has a broad scope. Its not just for making our campus safe against violence, Patterson said. For example, its about making sure were fire-safe and have enough defibrillators in appropriate locations. Patterson will also have a new police chief and provost to work with to implement that plan, but at a news conference Friday, Robbins said it could be months before the UA permanently fills either of those roles. Organizational change is sometimes a good thing to rebuild trust, said Robbins, who acknowledged that many many mistakes were made during the last school year and that the new provost and police chief will need a safety-first mindset. There are many opportunities for improvement for making our campus safer, he said, but theres a lot of work to do and no one person can do that. ALLEN, Texas A gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others three critically in a shooting at a Dallas-area mall before being fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said Saturday. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting was the latest episode of gun violence to strike the country. It sent hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic. Read more here: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7. Reuters-Yonhap President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul on Sunday for the second summit in less than two months, a highly symbolic meeting demonstrating the neighboring nations are firmly on course to the full restoration of long-frayed relations. Yoon welcomed Kishida to the presidential office in Seoul in an official arrival ceremony that included the playing of the two countries' national anthems and a joint honor guard review. Kishida arrived in Seoul earlier in the day for a two-day working visit and stopped at Seoul National Cemetery to pay his respects to Korea's fallen independence activists and war veterans before heading to the presidential office. Kishida's visit comes as bilateral relations have warmed significantly following Seoul's decision in March to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without contributions from Japanese firms. Yoon traveled to Tokyo 10 days after the decision was announced and held a summit with Kishida as the first South Korean president to pay a bilateral visit to Japan in 12 years. Kishida's visit is also the first bilateral visit by a Japanese leader in 12 years, marking the full-scale resumption of "shuttle diplomacy," or regular mutual visits, as agreed between Yoon and Kishida during their summit in Tokyo in March. Later in the day, Yoon and Kishida will hold a joint news conference, and then have dinner at the official presidential residence, where they will be joined by first lady Kim Keon Hee and Kishida's wife, Yuko, according to diplomatic sources. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, arrive at Seoul Air Base, south of Seoul, May 7. Yonhap The summit was first held in a small group and will later be held in an expanded format, covering issues such as security, high-tech industries, science and technology, and cooperation on youth and cultural affairs, according to the presidential office. North Korea will feature high on the agenda as South Korea pushes to strengthen cooperation with Japan and trilaterally with the United States to counter the growing threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Yoon recently returned from a state visit to Washington, where he and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed on a set of measures to support the U.S. "extended deterrence" commitment to defending South Korea with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons. A joint summit statement noted the two presidents also "emphasized the importance of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation, guided by shared values, driven by innovation, and committed to shared prosperity and security." ROK is the acronym of South Korea's formal name, the Republic of Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives at Seoul Air Base, south of Seoul, May 7. Yonhap Trade and economic issues will likely be high on the agenda as well, given calls for South Korea and Japan to work more closely together to defend their interests in high-tech industries, such as semiconductors and batteries, as the U.S. and the European Union move to protect their own industries. South Koreans will be watching closely for any discussion of Japan's plan to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant crippled by an earthquake and a tsunami in 2011. South Korea hopes Japan will agree to a joint investigation of the contaminated water in addition to the monitoring currently under way by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The two countries are also in the process of restoring each other as trusted trading partners after having removed each other from their respective "white lists" of nations eligible for preferential export treatment amid the forced labor row in 2019. The presidential office said the summit is unlikely to produce a joint statement, though the final decision will be made during the talks and the leaders will announce the outcome of the summit at a joint press conference. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida burns incense as his wife Yuko Kishida stands during a visit to Seoul National Cemetery, May 7. Reuters-Yonhap PHOENIX The state Senate was likely just minutes from approving a measure that would ask Arizona voters to OK a constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to reauthorize any state of emergency called by the governor every 30 days. Then one lawmaker raised questions that sidelined the proposal, possibly for good. The plan to refer the measure to voters in 2024 already had been approved by the House and had gone through the Senates Rules Committee Wednesday. It was being discussed at the Republican caucus meeting where the majority lawmakers talk about items about to go to the full Senate. But then Sen. Ken Bennett sent for his laptop computer so he could look closely at the bill. He quickly started questioning its workability. And as his concerns grew, a handful of other majority GOP lawmakers who hadnt thought hard about the bill joined him. If sent to the ballot and approved by voters, House Concurrent Resolution 2039 would have far-reaching effects on how the state oversees disaster declarations and would impact tens of millions of dollars in federal funding. Many of those declarations can last for years, not because a fire is still burning or floodwaters are still inundating homes, but because the declaration must remain open in order to fund the repairs and rebuilding. As of Jan. 17, Arizona had 41 open state disaster declarations, each relying on an emergency being declared by the governor, according to the state Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. It can and often does take years, sometimes even decades, for a disaster to be closed. An open declaration is needed to qualify for federal emergency funding. They certainly dont need the Legislature coming into a special session every 30 days to decide whether to extend them for another 30 days, said Bennett, a Prescott Republican. Pandemic fallout Fueling this debate now is Republican lawmakers anger over school and business closures ordered by former Gov. Doug Ducey in early 2020 when the pandemic hit the state. Last year, the GOP-controlled Legislature responded by sharply limiting a governors ability to call public health emergencies. Ducey, also a Republican, signed it but only after it was crafted to take effect when he left office in early January, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs became governor. Now, any health emergency is limited to 120 days. After that, the Legislature would need to approve an extension every 30 days. HCR 2039 grew out of the desire of most Republican lawmakers to greatly expand that law to cover not just health but all emergency declarations most often used after fires or floods and enshrine it in the Arizona Constitution. But after an hour of what one GOP senator called a robust discussion prompted by Bennetts questions, the bill was put on hold indefinitely by Senate President Warren Petersen so a working group could figure out whether it can be changed enough to be feasible, Bennett said. Bennett said he knows Republicans are sore about the closures brought on by the pandemic, but thats a rare instance. Its obviously trying to deal with the COVID situation, he said. And, you know, if every emergency was a massive statewide emergency and governors were shutting down businesses and schools and on and on and on, then those types of emergencies might need an outside look from the Legislature periodically. But there are dozens of state emergencies every year or two, and most are small localized things like a wildfire or monsoon flooding. Just in the past two years, there have been 21 state and eight federal emergency declarations. Ballot referrals Democrats on the Senate Government Committee had brought up the problem of having to renew dozens of open disaster declarations each month. They noted that having to do so would put the part-time Legislature in a state of permanent special session. Last week, House Democrats put out a news release warning against the reckless use of ballot referrals by Legislative Republicans to appease a small fringe of the alt-right. The reality is that once a state of emergency is called it slips quickly from the media and the minds of the public, the Democrats release said. However, the lasting effects are ongoing and deeply personal for millions of Arizonans. It went on to list the more than three dozen open disaster declarations, the oldest dating to 1991 and covering statewide search and rescue efforts not linked to any event. Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, said he supports the concept of putting limits on statewide emergencies in the constitution, where different legislatures and governors cant change it. But he said once he learned in the caucus meeting of the number of emergency declarations and their impact, he had second thoughts. I think all that was news to people, Mesnard said. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: On Monday, Janet Yellen reported that in less than a month the Treasury Department will have exhausted all extraordinary measures available to keep the nation from defaulting on our obligation to pay our current debt. If at that point Congress has stubbornly still failed to raise the debt ceiling something it has routinely done in the past, including three times during the Trump administration the calamity of the strongest economy on earth being unable to pay its creditors could start to impact our everyday lives. The most vulnerable will likely to be the hardest hit, from seniors experiencing delays in receiving their social security checks to workers being laid off by panicked employers. The harm to the economy is potentially so huge economists warn of 8 million job losses and a stock market crash rivaling that of 1929 you would think Congress would do everything possible to avoid the slightest possibility we would fall into this economic abyss. But no. Astoundingly, the Republican majority in Congress, joined by southern Arizonas Congressional District 6 representative, Juan Ciscomani, is not only leading the charge to this point of economic collapse, but doing so to gain political leverage, and for what? For budget cuts in that will hurt Arizonas veterans, seniors and students and undermine the prospects for building a stronger future Arizona economy. As a condition of raising the debt ceiling, Speaker Kevin McCarthys bill would require cuts that could, according to the White House and federal agencies: Threaten medical care for 186,100 Arizona veterans, leaving them unable to get appointments for care like wellness visits, mental health services, and substance disorder treatment. Force Customs and Border Patrol to implement a hiring freeze, just when we are facing an increase in demand for agents at the border with the imminent repeal of Title 42. With limited staffing, the agencys ability to carry out inspections would be reduced, risking our border security and an increase in the amount of fentanyl entering the United States. Make life for seniors harder by severely increasing Social Security and Medicare wait times for 1.5 million Arizona seniors due to staff cuts and field office closures. Make college more expensive for Arizonans. It may require elimination of Pell Grants for up to 2,000 Arizona students, it could also force reduction of the maximum award by nearly $1,000 for 314,000 students the who currently receive Pell Grantsmaking it harder for them to attend and afford college. Place hundreds of new clean energy jobs in Arizona at risk and undo recent efforts to battle climate change-driven drought by repealing clean energy production tax credits and consumer rebates, all the while giving huge breaks to big oil companies. Slash funding for low-income students. Arizonas Title I funding could be reduced by $80 million, impacting approximately 260,000 students in Arizona, and cutting the equivalent of 1,200 teachers and specialized personnel from our schools. The Good Faith and Credit of the United States is the bedrock of global markets and makes our economy the envy of the world. An honorable nation, a prosperous nation, pays its bills. Going forward, Congress should aim for revenue neutral legislation, but the need to raise the debt ceiling concerns the need to pay the nations currently accumulated debt, much of it resulting from the Trump tax cut. This is why I am once again running to represent Southern Arizona in Congress. Our community deserves a Representative who will support our veterans, protect seniors, fight to improve access to higher education, secure our water future and provide the resources needed to stop drug trafficking. We deserve a Representative who will put the people and future of Southern Arizona over party politics and results over political gamesmanship. I pledge to be that kind of Representative. An elderly Sperry man was injured in a car accident on Saturday, May 6. The incident occurred around 1:50 p.m. on Oklahoma 20 at the intersection of U.S. 75 just west of Collinsville, according to the accident report. It states that 82-year-old Thomas Buttler, of Sperry, allegedly struck another vehicle, a 2022 Ford F-350, from behind while the other driver was stopped at the westbound red light along U.S. 75. Buttler was transported by Collinsville EMS to a local hospital, and admitted in stable condition with neck, trunk internal and trunk external injuries. The other driver, a 44-year-old Skiatook man, was not injured in the crash. The cause of the collision is still under investigation. The Oklahoma Republican Party has fresh leadership after a Broken Arrow lawmaker won a three-way race to become the new state GOP chairman. Conservative state Sen. Nathan Dahm will lead the Oklahoma Republican Party for the next two years after jumping into the leadership race mere days before Saturdays election. Dahm defeated sitting Oklahoma GOP Chairman A.J. Ferate and former state Rep. Sean Roberts at a GOP state convention in Tulsa that drew hundreds of Republicans from across the state. Dahm said he will retain his seat in the state Senate while simultaneously serving as state GOP chairman. The situation is rare, but Dahm said he checked with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission to make sure he could serve in both positions. The state party chairman leads Republican fundraising efforts, recruits candidates for office and spearheads voter registration initiatives. Dahm said he will prioritize candidate recruitment, especially for local races, and improve coordination between the state party and county parties. He also plans to make sure that Republicans who run as Republicans are following the Republican Party platform. In a runoff election at the state convention, Dahm clinched 60% of the vote, compared to Roberts 40%. Dahm announced his campaign on Tuesday, while Roberts, who unsuccessfully ran for state Labor Commissioner last year, had been campaigning for months. Dahm said he jumped into the race after being asked to run by a fellow lawmaker and praying over the decision with his wife. Ferate, an Oklahoma City attorney who has been involved in the Oklahoma Republican Party for 20 years, was ousted in the first round of voting after getting about 16% of the vote. He then encouraged his supporters to vote for Dahm. Im not afraid to go up against anyone, Dahm said in his convention speech. He referenced legislation he filed early on in his legislative tenure named the Piers Morgan Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms Without Infringement Act. The bill resulted in Morgan inviting Dahm to debate gun rights on his CNN show. More recently, Dahm talked about his efforts to deregulate firearms with popular talk show host and comedian John Stewart in an interview that went viral. Dahm was penalized by Senate leadership in 2021 after he made sexist and derogatory comments about Vice President Kamala Harris, implying the nations second-most-powerful politician had used sex to advance her career. He did not apologize for his comments, and said people shouldnt expect him to be politically correct. In a Facebook video announcing his candidacy, Dahm touted his track record of advancing pro-Second Amendment and anti-abortion legislation. He vowed to unite the party around GOP principles of personal freedoms, limited government and reducing taxes. We are dealing with leftist fanatics that are trying to force Marxism and Communism upon the United States and Oklahoma, Dahm said in the video. Theyre not just infiltrating the Democrat Party, theyre also infiltrating the Republican Party. Those of you that would say the Republican Party needs to be united, I fully agree. We must be united around the principles that make us Republicans. Dahm has unsuccessfully run for Congress and the U.S. Senate. After 30 years of being involved in the Republican Party, Ferate said he was going out on a high note after serving as a state chairman. He said he looks forward to Dahms leadership and wished his successor well. Ferate was elected chairman of the state party last May, filling a vacancy created when controversial GOP Chairman John Bennett resigned to focus on his congressional campaign. Ferate faced criticism from some members of his party after he pushed back against some Republicans claims that there was widespread fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The Ethics Commission is considering changing the states campaign finance rules at Ferates urging. At the convention, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell urged Republicans to unite ahead of next years presidential election cycle. When we leave this room, weve got to be a united Republican Party to beat Democrats, he said. At the end of the day, thats what we should be about, beating Democrats. Republicans elected Wayne Hill, state chapter director for the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, as the partys vice chairman. Hill unsuccessfully ran for the Oklahoma House last year. Welcome to the stunning William Cavert estate, a charming yet spacious English cottage that was thoughtfully re-imagined in 2016 by Chris Murphy to accommodate today's modern lifestyle. Beautifully situated on a half acre lot in the heart of Midtown Tulsa, this incredible property is not only a beautiful home, but it also holds a rich history as the former residence of William Cavert, the owner and president of Triangle Art Company, who contributed greatly to Tulsa's artistic community. The open gourmet kitchen is a chef's dream, featuring high-end stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, full wet bar, and an abundance of storage space. The home offers four spacious bedrooms, each with private bathrooms and considerable privacy. The large primary suite is a luxurious retreat conveniently located on the first floor, featuring a fireplace, large walk-in closet with private laundry connections and a spa-like bathroom with heated, whirlpool tub and separate double shower. An additional guest suite is ideally situated downstairs. One of the many highlights of this stunning property is its prime location in the heart of Midtown Tulsa. You'll be just minutes away from Tulsa's best shopping, dining & entertainment districts, including Utica Square, Brookside, Cherry Street and Downtown. The beautifully landscaped yard offers plenty of outdoor space. You'll find mature trees, a spacious patio with large pergola, and a hot tub making it the perfect place to unwind after a long day. Additionally, there are multiple courtyard areas allowing for more private outdoor enjoyment. The William Cavert estate is more than just a beautiful home; it's also a piece of Tulsa's history. This stunning English cottage has played a significant role in shaping the city's artistic community and is now available for a new owner to make it their own. Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of Tulsa's history in one of the most desirable locations in Midtown. View More In this weeks chapter of Clueless White Guys comes Sen. Micheal Bergstrom of Adair and Rep. Mark Lepak, who passed a civil rights education bill without consulting any Black legislators. They gloss over this fact when patting themselves on the back for being champions against bigotry and for peaceful protests. Though, both consistently vote in favor of discriminating against transgender people. When lawmakers got upset at Black Lives Matter rallies in Tulsa three years ago (employing nonviolent strategies), Bergstrom and Lepak approved the reactionary bill allowing motorists to run over protestors. The two rural Republicans wrote House Bill 1397 to offer a civil rights curriculum to middle and high school students. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the bill into law on Tuesday. It passed the House 55-42 and the Senate 35-9. No Black lawmaker voted in favor of the bill. That alone is telling and ought to have given other lawmakers pause. The bill instructs the Oklahoma State Education Department, led by Superintendent Ryan Walters and his anti-woke brigade, to create lesson plans about the civil rights movement from 1954 to 1968. Its unlikely a man railing against all things diversity, equity and inclusion will accurately design a civil rights history curriculum. The law appears innocuous, until the part of the law that whitewashes the movement. It states the lessons will focus on how the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. drew from natural law and natural rights principles that informed his leadership of the civil rights movement, and the tactics and strategies of nonviolent resistance that he championed in response to the Jim Crow laws of that era. The lawmakers prefer the version of King that is a docile peacemaker. Thats not a complete or accurate portrayal of King. His rich legacy offers a complex portrait of a young leader at a critical juncture in history. He offered peaceful protest as a means to an end, the goal being an Equal Rights Amendment, something far-right conservatives have been chipping at in the past few years. That doesnt mean King wasnt angry. It doesnt mean that he didnt feel a kinship or understanding to those who rioted. This is an example of white lawmakers telling Black lawmakers what perspective of history is worth learning. They are choosing the I Have A Dream part of King over the more pointed and critical Letter from a Birmingham Jail side. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations. He has to get them out. So let him march sometime; let him have his prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; understand why he must have sit-ins and freedom rides. If his repressed emotions do not come out in these nonviolent ways, they will come out in ominous expressions of violence. This is not a threat; it is a fact of history. King wasnt a singular leader; others marched along with him. Some influential leaders with other approaches played significant roles in the movement. But, Bergstrom and Lepak didnt mention Malcolm X or the Black Panthers; excluding them is historical revisionism. Even the years specified in the law appear random. To understand King and civil rights leaders of that era not mentioned in the law is to understand slaverys generational effects that allowed oppressive Jim Crow laws and lingering systemic inequities. Yet, mention the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times 1619 Project that dives deep into those subjects, and some lawmakers will have a freak out even if they havent read it. At issue is a denial of continuing tension around racial inequities. There is a resistance in admitting problems exist today. By putting a time range on the civil rights movement indicates those struggles are in the past. Not so, says Tulsas Rep. Regina Goodwin, who argued against the measure: Its not like the civil rights movement is over. Its not like America somehow has arrived. Of course, that context, expansion or even a discussion would conflict with House Bill 1775; the embarrassing law creating a panic among educators to the point of pulling books and banishing all talk of race and gender. The biggest problem with HB 1397 is how it shut out Black voices the very point of the civil rights movement. The Oklahoma Legislature has an Oklahoma Black Caucus. Its small with only seven members. A frustration among the members is how they are not included in proposals dealing with race, such as HB 1775 and HB 1397. White lawmakers writing laws about race must not do so alone. They are not the experts; they have no lived experience as a person of color. This is not a part of their personal history. As Rep. Monroe Nichols, chairman of the Oklahoma Black Caucus, said during the House debate, excluding Black leaders in race-related legislation matters. It is hard for me to support putting the legacy of Dr. King in the hands of a race-baiting superintendent whose dog-whistle politics is ripping apart the State Department of Education, Nichols said. I think everybody agrees with that on this floor. Nichols pointed out the Tulsa Black Lives Matter protests included walking in streets, a tactic often used by King. Oklahoma lawmakers responded with House Bill 1674 that grants immunity to motorists who unintentionally kill or injure protesters while attempting to flee. The irony is that this body is going to say, Young people, learn more about this great figure in history who did all these great things but if you try to do those same great things, we wont side with you out in the streets. We wont be sensitive to the reasons you might be protesting. Were more likely to protect the folks who dont want you out there in the first place. Bad laws happen when they are passed based on assumption, perception and bias. Instead of talking about people affected or with knowledge, talk to those people. HB 1397 needed more thought and input. Its an incomplete, half-truth that will not serve students well going into a world filled with Americas most diverse population. The Mong Cai City authority in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam has proposed the provincial administration allow self-drive tours from China via the Bac Luan 2 international border gate in the area. The move came after the Dongxing border gate authority in Dongxing City of Chinas Guangxi Province wrote to Mong Cai City suggesting arranging a lane for people traveling between the two countries via the Bac Luan 2 border gate, in a bid to ease the passenger overload facing the Bac Luan 1 international border gate, a city official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday. The Vietnamese border city also proposed the provincial administration allow it to team up with the relevant agencies and hold talks with the Chinese side over the arrangement of self-drive tours. Previously, Hong Gai Tourist and Services JSC had been assigned to pilot self-drive tours from China to Quang Ninh through the Mong Cai international border gate, said the companys director Luong Ngoc Bich. In August 2019, the Vietnam Government Office gave the green light to Quang Ninhs proposed extension of self-drive tours from China to the provinces Ha Long City via the Mong Cai border gate until June 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak then left the pilot tours suspended until now. Self-drive tours from China to Quang Ninh were available in 2016, from which five- to seven-seater cars from Vietnam were permitted to reach Guangxis City of Guilin with a travel distance of some 600 kilometers. Meanwhile, cars from China could travel about 180 kilometers to enter Quang Ninhs Ha Long City. Chinese tourists of self-drive tours to Vietnam were required to get visas and conduct entry procedures as per the Southeast Asian nations prevailing regulations. As initially planned, around 300 cars with less than nine seats from each side were allowed to travel between the two countries per month, with each self-driving trip lasting about five days. Most self-drive Chinese tourists visiting Ha Long City at the time opted for high-end tourism services and strictly complied with the requirements throughout their trips. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Mong Cai City authority in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam has proposed the provincial administration allow self-drive tours from China via the Bac Luan 2 international border gate in the area. The move came after the Dongxing border gate authority in Dongxing City of Chinas Guangxi Province wrote to Mong Cai City suggesting arranging a lane for people traveling between the two countries via the Bac Luan 2 border gate, in a bid to ease the passenger overload facing the Bac Luan 1 international border gate, a city official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday. The Vietnamese border city also proposed the provincial administration allow it to team up with the relevant agencies and hold talks with the Chinese side over the arrangement of self-drive tours. Previously, Hong Gai Tourist and Services JSC had been assigned to pilot self-drive tours from China to Quang Ninh through the Mong Cai international border gate, said the companys director Luong Ngoc Bich. In August 2019, the Vietnam Government Office gave the green light to Quang Ninhs proposed extension of self-drive tours from China to the provinces Ha Long City via the Mong Cai border gate until June 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak then left the pilot tours suspended until now. Self-drive tours from China to Quang Ninh were available in 2016, from which five- to seven-seater cars from Vietnam were permitted to reach Guangxis City of Guilin with a travel distance of some 600 kilometers. Meanwhile, cars from China could travel about 180 kilometers to enter Quang Ninhs Ha Long City. Chinese tourists of self-drive tours to Vietnam were required to get visas and conduct entry procedures as per the Southeast Asian nations prevailing regulations. As initially planned, around 300 cars with less than nine seats from each side were allowed to travel between the two countries per month, with each self-driving trip lasting about five days. Most self-drive Chinese tourists visiting Ha Long City at the time opted for high-end tourism services and strictly complied with the requirements throughout their trips. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 13, 2022. Korea Times file This week's resumption of the leader-level "shuttle diplomacy" between South Korea and Japan is expected to add new momentum to their cooperation in navigating nettlesome challenges, from evolving North Korean threats to China's assertiveness, analysts said Sunday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reciprocated the visit to Tokyo in March by President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the full revival of the shuttle diplomacy after a 12-year hiatus caused largely by historical enmity stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The thaw between Seoul and Tokyo is likely to aid the U.S.' drive to promote trilateral cooperation with its Asian allies to confront shared challenges, but the perceived splintering of the world into competing geopolitical blocs could shrink the room for great-power cooperation over North Korean issues, the analysts noted. "From tensions across the Taiwan Strait to the war in Ukraine and the North Korean conundrum, complex uncertainties could have the potential to develop and descend into a vicious cycle," said Nam Chang-hee, professor of international politics at Inha University. "Under the clouds of the uncertainties, countries may converge on the need to maximize the space for cooperation whenever they can." Their shared external challenges have apparently served as a wake-up call for the two Asian democracies that have been caught in a raft of spats, including over Japan's colonial-era misdeeds, territorial claim to Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo and plan to discharge radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, to name a few. Chief among the challenges are growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Pyongyang has been doubling down on its menacing weapons projects, including those to develop tactical nuclear weapons, and an assortment of ballistic missiles that put South Korea, Japan and the U.S. mainland within range. To curb the threats from the North, Washington has been pushing to cement trilateral cooperation with its two Asian allies, leading Seoul to take a giant step in March to normalize relations with Tokyo: an announcement on a solution to the thorny issue of compensation for Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. The solution under which a government-affiliated foundation is to offer compensation to victims without contributions from Japanese firms was politically risky at home. But in its wake, the two nations have seen the normalization of their once-underutilized intelligence-sharing pact, their trade relations back on track, and the resumption of their working-level dialogues and summit diplomacy. Yoon has defended his push for a thaw with Japan, stressing the two countries are not in a "zero-sum" relationship, in which one side's gain means the other side's loss, particularly under the "grave" international circumstances. "The South Korea-Japan relationship can become a win-win relationship when (the two countries) make more efforts together, and it should definitely do," Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting in March. This week's resumption of the leader-level "shuttle diplomacy" between South Korea and Japan is expected to add new momentum to their growing cooperation in navigating nettlesome challenges, from evolving North Korean threats to China's assertiveness, analysts said Sunday. Yonhap Kishida, on his part, has displayed his desire to improve relations with South Korea by visiting Seoul earlier than expected. His move came on the back of a rise in his approval ratings and his Liberal Democratic Party's win in last month's local elections. He is the first Japanese premier to visit Seoul in a shuttle diplomacy format since then Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited the South Korean capital in October 2011. The resumption of the shuttle diplomacy came ahead of a trilateral summit among Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden and Kishida expected to take place on the margins of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, later this month. The trilateral summit is likely to be a venue where the leaders may further deepen their security cooperation against North Korean threats, as well as joint efforts to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. "The restoration of the shuttle diplomacy could lead to a prominent milestone in the efforts to cement trilateral cooperation," Nam of Inha University said. Progress in the three-way cooperation is already palpable as the three nations agreed to hold missile defense and anti-submarine exercises regularly to tackle North Korean threats during their senior-level defense talks last month. Their leaders have also agreed to share missile warning data "in real time." Tightening tripartite collaboration among the U.S. and its Asian allies came in the context of an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry and growing tensions between the West and Russia over Moscow's war in Ukraine. The growing geopolitical realignment could make it more difficult to promote cooperation among great powers in leading the North to give up its nuclear weapons and choose a path of peace on the Korean Peninsula, analysts said. "Especially in the wake of the war in Ukraine, friction between the U.S. and Russia and between the U.S. and China has dimmed the prospects for their cooperation on the North Korean quandary," said Choo Jae-woo, professor of Chinese Studies at Kyung Hee University. But hopes emerged that the possible resumption of a trilateral summit among South Korea, China and Japan could help ease geopolitical tensions in Northeast Asia and promote cooperation among them. The three countries had held eight rounds of three-way summit talks since their first gathering in December 2018. Since their last summit in the Chinese city of Chengdu in December 2019, tripartite gatherings have not been held amid historical feuds between Seoul and Tokyo, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainties still linger over the future trajectory of relations between Seoul and Tokyo, as Japan continues to lay claim to Dokdo with its right-wing politicians periodically visiting the Yasukuni Shrine seen as a symbol of their country's past militarism. (Yonhap) A fuel trading business in Binh Duong Province, southern Vietnam has been slapped with an over US$37,700 fine for selling substandard gasoline products, according to the national market surveillance authority. The provincial market surveillance force in coordination with local police and relevant agencies had earlier taken gasoline samples from fuel trading companies in the area for quality testing, following the direction of the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The testing results showed that the quality of the gasoline products offered by Morning Star Saigon JSC was substandard. Relevant forces then raided the company, located near Song Than Railway Station in An Binh Ward, Di An City, Binh Duong Province. By the time of the raid, the company had sold more than 15,000 liters of substandard gasoline, valued at over VND353 million ($15,000). The offense resulted in an administrative fine of close to VND885 million ($37,749) being imposed on the Morning Star Saigon Company by the provincial administration. In the upcoming period, the provincial market surveillance authority will step up regular inspections at local fuel trading businesses and strictly handle violators, said a local market surveillance official. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A fuel trading business in Binh Duong Province, southern Vietnam has been slapped with an over US$37,700 fine for selling substandard gasoline products, according to the national market surveillance authority. The provincial market surveillance force in coordination with local police and relevant agencies had earlier taken gasoline samples from fuel trading companies in the area for quality testing, following the direction of the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The testing results showed that the quality of the gasoline products offered by Morning Star Saigon JSC was substandard. Relevant forces then raided the company, located near Song Than Railway Station in An Binh Ward, Di An City, Binh Duong Province. By the time of the raid, the company had sold more than 15,000 liters of substandard gasoline, valued at over VND353 million ($15,000). The offense resulted in an administrative fine of close to VND885 million ($37,749) being imposed on the Morning Star Saigon Company by the provincial administration. In the upcoming period, the provincial market surveillance authority will step up regular inspections at local fuel trading businesses and strictly handle violators, said a local market surveillance official. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnamese diplomatic delegation on Saturday afternoon visited a Russian market and met with overseas Vietnamese traders there to be briefed on their business performance, which has been negatively affected by an economic slowdown in Russia. The delegation, led by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, came to Teply Stan, a local market in southwestern Moscow, according to the Vietnam News Agency. In 2011, Kim Son Trading Company, whose director is Pham Dinh Ly, rented part of a textile and fabric zone at the market for overseas Vietnamese traders to run their business there. To date, the market has housed some 70 Vietnamese-run stalls which offer clothing items and other services. The Vietnamese ambassador and a delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia visited multiple stalls to get more information about their business operations as well as their aspirations. The leader of Kim Son Company and Vietnamese traders briefed the delegation on the establishment and development of the market, in addition to their current business performance. A representative of the market management board said that they would continue closely working with Kim Son Company to create optimal business conditions for the Vietnamese traders. For his part, Khoi expressed his happiness at the market management boards support for the Vietnamese traders. He hoped the Vietnamese traders would continue their support for each other and try to complete legal paperwork when doing business there. The Vietnamese Embassy is willing to support overseas Vietnamese citizens within its capability, the diplomat added. He also advised the Vietnamese traders to keep offering good services at reasonable prices and maintain good ties with the locality where they are living and working, amid the current difficult economic situation. Besides, he expected the Vietnamese traders to promote more Vietnamese products at the market. In addition, Kim Son and the market management board should consider hosting activities for the Vietnamese traders on the occasion of Vietnam's public holidays such as Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or Tet, and Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as promptly forward the Vietnamese Embassys information to the Vietnamese traders, Khoi said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnamese diplomatic delegation on Saturday afternoon visited a Russian market and met with overseas Vietnamese traders there to be briefed on their business performance, which has been negatively affected by an economic slowdown in Russia. The delegation, led by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, came to Teply Stan, a local market in southwestern Moscow, according to the Vietnam News Agency. In 2011, Kim Son Trading Company, whose director is Pham Dinh Ly, rented part of a textile and fabric zone at the market for overseas Vietnamese traders to run their business there. To date, the market has housed some 70 Vietnamese-run stalls which offer clothing items and other services. The Vietnamese ambassador and a delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia visited multiple stalls to get more information about their business operations as well as their aspirations. The leader of Kim Son Company and Vietnamese traders briefed the delegation on the establishment and development of the market, in addition to their current business performance. A representative of the market management board said that they would continue closely working with Kim Son Company to create optimal business conditions for the Vietnamese traders. For his part, Khoi expressed his happiness at the market management boards support for the Vietnamese traders. He hoped the Vietnamese traders would continue their support for each other and try to complete legal paperwork when doing business there. The Vietnamese Embassy is willing to support overseas Vietnamese citizens within its capability, the diplomat added. He also advised the Vietnamese traders to keep offering good services at reasonable prices and maintain good ties with the locality where they are living and working, amid the current difficult economic situation. Besides, he expected the Vietnamese traders to promote more Vietnamese products at the market. In addition, Kim Son and the market management board should consider hosting activities for the Vietnamese traders on the occasion of Vietnam's public holidays such as Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or Tet, and Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as promptly forward the Vietnamese Embassys information to the Vietnamese traders, Khoi said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A project to upgrade and expand the Dung Quat Oil Refinery in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam will carry a price tag of some VND31.2 trillion, or US$1.3 billion, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. The capacity of the oil refinery, operated by Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC, will increase to 171,000 barrels per day from the current 148,000 barrels after the expansion. The expansion project is expected to contribute to boosting the socio-economic development of the country, especially the central region. Dung Quat Oil Refinery, after being expanded, will have five more auxiliary and peripheral workshops with newly patented technology, namely a workshop for processing gasoline with hydrogen, another for processing diesel with hydrogen, an alkylation workshop, a hydrogen production workshop, and a sulfur recovery workshop. Two workshops with non-patented technology will be also included: a sour water treatment workshop and an amine regeneration unit. The project is planned to be conducted within 37 months and put into operation in the first quarter of 2028. Dung Quat Oil Refinery, the first of its kind in Vietnam, currently supplies 35 percent of fuel products in the country. The refinery contributed some VND19 trillion ($810.4 million) to the state coffers last year. The figure is expected to increase by nearly VND1.4 trillion ($59.7 million) per year after the refinery is upgraded and expanded, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper cited the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A project to upgrade and expand the Dung Quat Oil Refinery in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam will carry a price tag of some VND31.2 trillion, or US$1.3 billion, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. The capacity of the oil refinery, operated by Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC, will increase to 171,000 barrels per day from the current 148,000 barrels after the expansion. The expansion project is expected to contribute to boosting the socio-economic development of the country, especially the central region. Dung Quat Oil Refinery, after being expanded, will have five more auxiliary and peripheral workshops with newly patented technology, namely a workshop for processing gasoline with hydrogen, another for processing diesel with hydrogen, an alkylation workshop, a hydrogen production workshop, and a sulfur recovery workshop. Two workshops with non-patented technology will be also included: a sour water treatment workshop and an amine regeneration unit. The project is planned to be conducted within 37 months and put into operation in the first quarter of 2028. Dung Quat Oil Refinery, the first of its kind in Vietnam, currently supplies 35 percent of fuel products in the country. The refinery contributed some VND19 trillion ($810.4 million) to the state coffers last year. The figure is expected to increase by nearly VND1.4 trillion ($59.7 million) per year after the refinery is upgraded and expanded, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper cited the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A gunman shot and killed nine people and wounded at least seven others at a busy mall north of Dallas on Saturday, police said. The gunman, whom authorities said they believe acted alone, was killed by a police officer after he began firing outside of the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas, the city's police chief Brian Harvey said at a press conference. Allen fire department chief Jon Boyd told the same press conference that his department took at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to area hospitals, two of whom died. Medical City Healthcare, which runs 16 hospitals in the area, said in a statement that its trauma centers were treating eight of the wounded victims, who ranged in age from 5 to 61. The hospital did not say what condition they were in. TV aerial images showed hundreds of people calmly walking out of the mall, located about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dallas, after the violence unfolded, many with their hands up as scores of police stood guard. One unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was "walking down the sidewalk just ... shooting his gun outside," and that "he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part." Blood could be seen on sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," said in a statement that the state was prepared to offer any assistance local authorities may need. Allen, Texas, is a community of about 100,000 people. Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 so far in 2023, the most at this point in the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter. Police respond to a shooting in the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, which authorities said has left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters An aerial view of the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, where authorities said a shooting left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters Shoppers leave with hands up as police respond to a shooting in the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, which authorities said has left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters Shoppers leave as police respond to a shooting in the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, which authorities said has left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters A gunman shot and killed nine people and wounded at least seven others at a busy mall north of Dallas on Saturday, police said. The gunman, whom authorities said they believe acted alone, was killed by a police officer after he began firing outside of the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas, the city's police chief Brian Harvey said at a press conference. Allen fire department chief Jon Boyd told the same press conference that his department took at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to area hospitals, two of whom died. Medical City Healthcare, which runs 16 hospitals in the area, said in a statement that its trauma centers were treating eight of the wounded victims, who ranged in age from 5 to 61. The hospital did not say what condition they were in. TV aerial images showed hundreds of people calmly walking out of the mall, located about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dallas, after the violence unfolded, many with their hands up as scores of police stood guard. One unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was "walking down the sidewalk just ... shooting his gun outside," and that "he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part." Blood could be seen on sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," said in a statement that the state was prepared to offer any assistance local authorities may need. Allen, Texas, is a community of about 100,000 people. Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 so far in 2023, the most at this point in the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter. Police respond to a shooting in the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, which authorities said has left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters An aerial view of the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, where authorities said a shooting left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters Shoppers leave with hands up as police respond to a shooting in the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, which authorities said has left multiple people injured in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 6, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters BUSHUSHU -- At least 176 people have died in flash floods in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a regional governor said on Friday, as heavy rain destroyed buildings and forced aid workers to gather mud-clad corpses into piles. The rainfall in Kalehe territory in South Kivu province caused rivers to overflow on Thursday, inundating the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi. South Kivu governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi put the death toll at 176 and said that others were still missing. A local civil society member, Kasole Martin, said 227 bodies had been found. "People are sleeping out in the open, schools and hospitals have been swept away," Martin said. Congolese civilians gather after the death of their family members following rains that destroyed buildings and forced aid workers to gather mud-clad corpses into piles, in the village of Nyamukubi, Kalehe territory in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 6, 2023. Photo: Reuters On Friday, haggard-looking survivors stood outside a wooden shed in which Red Cross workers in blue scrubs placed bodies on top of each other. Many had lost clothing and were covered in dirt. A Reuters reporter counted 72 corpses. The corrugated iron roofs of flattened houses jutted out from beneath thick layers of mud, photos showed. A doctor in Kalehe territory's main hospital, Robert Masamba, said injured survivors had been streaming in since Thursday evening. "My team and I have not slept. We have received 56 patients, 80 percent of which have fractures," he said. Floods and landslides are not uncommon in South Kivu, which shares a border with Rwanda. Heavy rains also triggered flooding and landslides in Rwanda this week, killing 130 people and destroying more than 5,000 homes. The last incident of a similar scale in Congo occurred in October 2014, when heavy rainfall destroyed over 700 homes. More than 130 people were reported missing at the time, according to the United Nations. Dead bodies of Congolese civilians killed in floods are covered following rains that destroyed buildings and forced aid workers to gather mud-clad corpses into piles in the village of Nyamukubi, Kalehe territory in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 6, 2023. Photo: Reuters BUSHUSHU -- At least 176 people have died in flash floods in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a regional governor said on Friday, as heavy rain destroyed buildings and forced aid workers to gather mud-clad corpses into piles. The rainfall in Kalehe territory in South Kivu province caused rivers to overflow on Thursday, inundating the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi. South Kivu governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi put the death toll at 176 and said that others were still missing. A local civil society member, Kasole Martin, said 227 bodies had been found. "People are sleeping out in the open, schools and hospitals have been swept away," Martin said. Congolese civilians gather after the death of their family members following rains that destroyed buildings and forced aid workers to gather mud-clad corpses into piles, in the village of Nyamukubi, Kalehe territory in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 6, 2023. Photo: Reuters On Friday, haggard-looking survivors stood outside a wooden shed in which Red Cross workers in blue scrubs placed bodies on top of each other. Many had lost clothing and were covered in dirt. A Reuters reporter counted 72 corpses. The corrugated iron roofs of flattened houses jutted out from beneath thick layers of mud, photos showed. A doctor in Kalehe territory's main hospital, Robert Masamba, said injured survivors had been streaming in since Thursday evening. "My team and I have not slept. We have received 56 patients, 80 percent of which have fractures," he said. Floods and landslides are not uncommon in South Kivu, which shares a border with Rwanda. Heavy rains also triggered flooding and landslides in Rwanda this week, killing 130 people and destroying more than 5,000 homes. The last incident of a similar scale in Congo occurred in October 2014, when heavy rainfall destroyed over 700 homes. More than 130 people were reported missing at the time, according to the United Nations. King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the British royal family always pay attention to and support Vietnams renovation and development as well as the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, the monarch said while meeting with Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong on Friday during the latters visit to the UK to attend the formers coronation. At the meeting, Vietnamese State President Thuong congratulated the King, British royal family, and people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. He affirmed that Vietnam attaches much importance to the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership and hopes that the king and the British royal family will continue to actively support the deep and comprehensive cooperation in various fields between the two countries. The head of the Vietnamese state also invited King Charles III to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time. In response, King Charles III appreciated the great care of the Vietnamese state leader. He said he was impressed by Vietnams socio-economic development and diplomatic achievements. The monarch also hailed the Southeast Asian countrys commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. King Charles III stressed that he throws great support behind the two countries' collaboration in tackling climate change, saying that the UK-based AstraZeneca Plcs investment of US$50 million in forest and landscape restoration in Vietnam is meaningful. He expected the two countries to further develop their relations in the next 50 years when they celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. State President Thuong was among 100 heads of state at the coronation of King Charles III, held in London on Saturday (local time), at the invitation of the British royal family. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (L) talks with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs On the occasion, the Vietnamese state leader also met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said the two countries cooperation potential is huge. The UK always wants to enhance its connection with Vietnam, Sunak added. He also thanked Vietnam for supporting the UK in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs President Thuong also met with President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Australian Governor-General David Hurley. He held meetings with his counterparts from New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovakia, Austria, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, and Israel, European Council President Charles Michel, and Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Mathias Cormann, among others. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (C) poses for a photo with Australian Governor-General David Hurley (L) and his spouse, and President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr (R) and his spouse in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Leaders of countries and international organizations spoke highly of the effective cooperation with Vietnam. State President Thuong agreed to boost the bilateral relations with other countries and international organizations in the coming time to promote peace and prosperity in the region and the world as a whole. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (R) meets with European Council President Charles Michel in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trade between Vietnam and the UK reached $6.83 billion in 2022, up 3.4 percent over 2021. Of the total, Vietnam exported $6.06 billion worth of products to the European country, a year-on-year rise of 5.2 percent. As of November last year, the UK was among the 15 largest investors in Vietnam with 500 projects and total registered capital of $4.19 billion, up 5.3 percent over 2021. Some 13,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the UK, news site VnExpress reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the British royal family always pay attention to and support Vietnams renovation and development as well as the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, the monarch said while meeting with Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong on Friday during the latters visit to the UK to attend the formers coronation. At the meeting, Vietnamese State President Thuong congratulated the King, British royal family, and people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. He affirmed that Vietnam attaches much importance to the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership and hopes that the king and the British royal family will continue to actively support the deep and comprehensive cooperation in various fields between the two countries. The head of the Vietnamese state also invited King Charles III to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time. In response, King Charles III appreciated the great care of the Vietnamese state leader. He said he was impressed by Vietnams socio-economic development and diplomatic achievements. The monarch also hailed the Southeast Asian countrys commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. King Charles III stressed that he throws great support behind the two countries' collaboration in tackling climate change, saying that the UK-based AstraZeneca Plcs investment of US$50 million in forest and landscape restoration in Vietnam is meaningful. He expected the two countries to further develop their relations in the next 50 years when they celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. State President Thuong was among 100 heads of state at the coronation of King Charles III, held in London on Saturday (local time), at the invitation of the British royal family. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (L) talks with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs On the occasion, the Vietnamese state leader also met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said the two countries cooperation potential is huge. The UK always wants to enhance its connection with Vietnam, Sunak added. He also thanked Vietnam for supporting the UK in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs President Thuong also met with President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Australian Governor-General David Hurley. He held meetings with his counterparts from New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovakia, Austria, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, and Israel, European Council President Charles Michel, and Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Mathias Cormann, among others. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (C) poses for a photo with Australian Governor-General David Hurley (L) and his spouse, and President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr (R) and his spouse in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Leaders of countries and international organizations spoke highly of the effective cooperation with Vietnam. State President Thuong agreed to boost the bilateral relations with other countries and international organizations in the coming time to promote peace and prosperity in the region and the world as a whole. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (R) meets with European Council President Charles Michel in London. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trade between Vietnam and the UK reached $6.83 billion in 2022, up 3.4 percent over 2021. Of the total, Vietnam exported $6.06 billion worth of products to the European country, a year-on-year rise of 5.2 percent. As of November last year, the UK was among the 15 largest investors in Vietnam with 500 projects and total registered capital of $4.19 billion, up 5.3 percent over 2021. Some 13,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the UK, news site VnExpress reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! What you need to know in Vietnam today: Politics -- King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the British royal family always pay attention to and support Vietnams renovation and development as well as the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, the king said while meeting with Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong on Friday during the latters visit to the UK to attend the formers coronation. Society -- Five cars and dozens of motorbikes were burned at a parking area on Tran Quoc Hoan Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi on Saturday. Further investigation is underway to find the cause of the fire. -- Binh Duong Lottery Co. Ltd. in the namesake southern province on Saturday made an apology for printing the phrase 'Dien Bien Phu in the Air Victory,' an event in 1972, on 12 million lottery tickets issued on Friday to celebrate 69 years of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954-2023). -- Thanh Hoa Province in north-central Vietnam experienced the highest temperature of 44.1 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the highest-ever temperature in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. -- Police in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday arrested a woman for setting fire to an apartment building in the district. The apartment building has caught fire five times. -- A fuel trader in Binh Duong Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, has been fined VND885 million (US$37,749) for selling substandard fuels. Business -- Vietnams National Citizen Bank plans to sell 203 million shares, equivalent to an 11-percent stake, at local air carrier Bamboo Airways. -- The Department of Planning and Investment of Da Nang City in central Vietnam has issued an investment certificate approving an increase in the investment in the Ba Na Hills complex, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, to VND39 trillion ($1.7 billion). -- A project to upgrade and expand the Dung Quat Oil Refinery in central Quang Ngai Province will carry a price tag of some VND31.2 trillion, or $1.3 billion, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. World News -- King Charles III was anointed and crowned on Saturday in Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a display of pomp and pageantry that sought to marry 1,000 years of history with a monarchy fit for a new era, according to Reuters. -- Several people, including children were injured on Saturday in a shooting outside of a busy suburban Dallas mall and a suspect was dead, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! What you need to know in Vietnam today: Politics -- King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the British royal family always pay attention to and support Vietnams renovation and development as well as the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, the king said while meeting with Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong on Friday during the latters visit to the UK to attend the formers coronation. Society -- Five cars and dozens of motorbikes were burned at a parking area on Tran Quoc Hoan Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi on Saturday. Further investigation is underway to find the cause of the fire. -- Binh Duong Lottery Co. Ltd. in the namesake southern province on Saturday made an apology for printing the phrase 'Dien Bien Phu in the Air Victory,' an event in 1972, on 12 million lottery tickets issued on Friday to celebrate 69 years of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954-2023). -- Thanh Hoa Province in north-central Vietnam experienced the highest temperature of 44.1 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the highest-ever temperature in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. -- Police in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday arrested a woman for setting fire to an apartment building in the district. The apartment building has caught fire five times. -- A fuel trader in Binh Duong Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, has been fined VND885 million (US$37,749) for selling substandard fuels. Business -- Vietnams National Citizen Bank plans to sell 203 million shares, equivalent to an 11-percent stake, at local air carrier Bamboo Airways. -- The Department of Planning and Investment of Da Nang City in central Vietnam has issued an investment certificate approving an increase in the investment in the Ba Na Hills complex, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, to VND39 trillion ($1.7 billion). -- A project to upgrade and expand the Dung Quat Oil Refinery in central Quang Ngai Province will carry a price tag of some VND31.2 trillion, or $1.3 billion, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. World News -- King Charles III was anointed and crowned on Saturday in Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a display of pomp and pageantry that sought to marry 1,000 years of history with a monarchy fit for a new era, according to Reuters. -- Several people, including children were injured on Saturday in a shooting outside of a busy suburban Dallas mall and a suspect was dead, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A 67-year-old man in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam has been detained for raping a 70-year-old woman who was suffering stroke paralysis, leading to her death, after having violating her once, local police confirmed on Sunday. The accused was identified as Bach Van Liem, a native of My Tan Commune in Cao Lanh City, the capital of Dong Thap. The victim, H.T.H., was living in the same neighborhood as Liem. At around 10:15 pm on Friday, a relative of H. reported the alleged rape and death of H. to the local police. Police officers came to the scene immediately for investigation and identified Liem as the suspect. Liem, while at a local police station, admitted that he knew his neighbor, H., was suffering from paralysis after stroke, so he sneaked into her house to rape her on Friday night, resulting in the death of the ailing old woman. He also confessed that he had raped her once earlier. An autospy report revealed that H. died of a heart attack. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A 67-year-old man in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam has been detained for raping a 70-year-old woman who was suffering stroke paralysis, leading to her death, after having violating her once, local police confirmed on Sunday. The accused was identified as Bach Van Liem, a native of My Tan Commune in Cao Lanh City, the capital of Dong Thap. The victim, H.T.H., was living in the same neighborhood as Liem. At around 10:15 pm on Friday, a relative of H. reported the alleged rape and death of H. to the local police. Police officers came to the scene immediately for investigation and identified Liem as the suspect. Liem, while at a local police station, admitted that he knew his neighbor, H., was suffering from paralysis after stroke, so he sneaked into her house to rape her on Friday night, resulting in the death of the ailing old woman. He also confessed that he had raped her once earlier. An autospy report revealed that H. died of a heart attack. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Some of the worlds top celebrity chefs last night paid tribute to the late Jock Zonfrillo, in a special episode of The Sunday Project. Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone, Shannon Bennett and Matt Moran all rememnbered their friend colleague who died last week, aged 46. There was also a memory from Nigella Lawson. They joined famous faces such as Jimmy Barnes, Rebecca Gibney, Tommy Little, Carrie Bickmore and Grace Tame. A tearful MasterChef judge Andy Allen, interviewed by Sarah Harris in the MasterChef kitchen, said the devastating news had hit me like a ton of bricks. hes the heart and soul of this place. Its really hard being in here. I think this is the toughest that its actually hit me. Hes just always been there for me, and Im just struggling to realise that hes actually gone. Allen said he had a three lunch with Zonfrillo on April 29, less than two days before he passed. Zonfrillo was excited about returning to family and Rome, and to launch the new MasterChef season on 10. We just talked each others ear off for three hours. It was so normal. He was in such good spirits. He was so excited about the show launching. He added Zonfrillo had seen the first episode. Its the best episode Ive seen is literally what he said to me when we were smashin some pasta. And he is critical. So when he says its the best episode he;s ever seen, (then) its the best episode hes ever seen. President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida inspect an honor guard at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sunday. Kishida made a two-day working visit to Korea for a summit with Yoon. Yonhap Japanese PM pays tribute to fallen S. Korean patriots By Nam Hyun-woo South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to establish future-oriented bilateral relations built on mutual trust at a summit in Seoul, Sunday. The pledge was a follow-up to their promise, made in a summit in Tokyo 52 days earlier, to make efforts to normalize chilled bilateral relations. Kishida is the first Japanese prime minister to visit Seoul in 12 years for a bilateral summit. It also signals the resumption of reciprocal visits by the two leaders on a regular basis. The Japanese prime minister's visit comes in response to Yoon's trip to Tokyo in March, during which the South Korean president met with Kishida to improve bilateral relations that had deteriorated to one of the lowest levels in decades after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of wartime forced labor. Before Yoon's visit to Tokyo, Seoul proposed a plan to let a South Korean public foundation compensate the victims without the direct involvement of the Japanese firms a plan that drew domestic criticism that the president was taking a submissive stance. The decision was hailed by the U.S., which has been ardently championing improved South Korea-Japan relations, while Kishida also said he decided to pay a visit to Seoul to respond to "Yoon's courageous decisions." President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, second from left, Yoon's wife Kim Keon-hee, right, and Kishida's wife Yuko Kishida, wave before entering the Korean presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sunday. Kishida made a two-day working visit to Korea for a summit with Yoon. Yonhap During the Seoul summit, the leaders discussed the two countries' major interests, such as national security, advanced industries, science and technology and cultural exchanges so that bilateral relations can be directed on a future-oriented path. In detail, they reaffirmed joint efforts to improve security cooperation to counter North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile ambitions, as well as expressing their intention to engage in close consultations for regional security. The summit marks an important turning point in relations between the two countries, as it signifies their mutual intention to normalize ties and strengthen cooperation in addressing the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida burns incense to pay tribute at the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District, Sunday, before having a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Joint Press Corps People gather for the funerals of Samer El Shafei and Hamza Kharyoush in the occupied West Bank ISRAELI forces have shot dead two Palestinians during a military raid in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The deaths raised to 104 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the start of the year. The raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp near the city of Tulkarem was the latest in Israeli-Palestinian violence that has surged since last year. The ministry and Tulkarems branch of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group with connections to President Mahmoud Abbass Fatah party, identified the pair as Samer El Shafei and Hamza Kharyoush, both aged 22. The Israeli military said the two were suspected of carrying out a shooting at a nearby Israeli settlement earlier this week. An Israeli civilian was injured and vehicles were damaged during the attack at the Avnei Hefetz Jewish settlement. Videos on social media purportedly shows the bodies of the two gunmen lying on a tin roof as two Israeli soldiers search them. Palestinian media, citing witnesses, said soldiers left after ensuring the two were dead. Israel has been staging near-nightly arrest raids in West Bank villages, towns and cities for more than a year in an operation prompted by a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis last year. Israel claims the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks. The Palestinians point to the attacks as further entrenchment of Israels 56-year, open-ended occupation of lands sought for a future independent state. Some 250 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the raids were launched. Israel says most have been militants, but stone-throwing youth and people not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. During that time, nearly 50 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis. Long before he became the sovereign, King Charles III spoke about creating a modern monarchy. Since Queen Elizabeth IIs death on 8 September 2022, Charles has reiterated that idea with talk of slimming down the monarchy by removing superfluous members from the royal payroll. Beyond that, one of the most significant changes Charles has presided over is to the Crowns relationship with religion. Ever since King James IV of Scotland was proclaimed Protector and Defender of the Christian Faith by Pope Julius II in 1507, British monarchs have taken the title Defender of the Faith in differing forms, all of which after Henry VIII as the head of the Anglican Church. For hundreds of years, this has gone on undisturbed. England has been majority Anglican since Henry VIII, going some way to justify the title. However, for much of the British Empire, the number of Hindus and Muslims under British rule would far outnumber that of Protestants. King Charles III shakes hands with Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - Yui Mok/PA Losing faith Today, Britain is a far different picture. Last year, census results revealed that in England and Wales, Christianity was still the largest single religious group, but - for the first time - was no longer the faith of the majority of the population, at 46.2 per cent of the population. That figure was 71.8 per cent 20 years prior. Part of the reason for the reduction in Christianity in the UK is down to an increased diversity of religions with more Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs in the country. That increase pales though in comparison to the increased number of people identifying with no religion. Suffice to say, the religious picture of the country Charles is inheriting is vastly different to the one his mother did. The principal leader of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby play a central role in the Charles' coronation, however other non-Anglican Christian leaders also had prominent parts to play in the ceremony, as well as non-Christian religious leaders. Story continues Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, left, speaks with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall in 2013 - Matt Dunham/AP The original "Defender of Faith" idea Into her later years, Elizabeth II maintained the importance of her personal Anglican faith to her life. In contrast, Charles has a long history of a broader approach to his religious interests. Charles first suggested that he should be the defender of faith as opposed to the Defender of the Faith in 1994, stirring controversy. Charles later noted that he had not intended to imply that his mothers approach was as a defender to the exclusion of other faiths. In 2012, the Queen herself said: The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated. Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country. Although Charles has spoken on multiple occasions to clarify what he meant by his defender of faith comments, any question of whether he would make the alteration to the title was put aside during his accession. Making his oath to the Church of Scotland, he said the following: I, Charles III, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of my other realms and territories, King, Defender of the Faith, do faithfully promise and swear that I should inviolably maintain and preserve the settlement of the true Protestant religion as established by the laws made in Scotland in prosecution of the Claim of Right and particularly by an act intituled an act for securing the Protestant religion and Presbyterian church government and by the acts passed in the Parliament of both kingdoms for union of the two kingdoms, together with the government, worship, discipline, rights and privileges, of the Church of Scotland. A forward thinking religious royal At a meeting of faith leaders shortly after his mothers death and his accession to the throne, Charles spoke more specifically of his approach to protecting faith in the UK. I have always thought of Britain as a community of communities. That has led me to understand that the Sovereign has an additional duty less formally recognized but to be no less diligently discharged. It is the duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for Faith itself and its practise through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals, Charles said. Charles talks to Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod, left, of the Syrian Orthodox Church during a reception for various religious leaders in London, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015. - Alastair Grant/AP This diversity is not just enshrined in the laws of our country, it is enjoined by my own faith. As a member of the Church of England, my Christian beliefs have love at their very heart. By my most profound convictions, therefore as well as by my position as Sovereign I hold myself bound to respect those who follow other spiritual paths, as well as those who seek to live their lives in accordance with secular ideals. He finished with a dedication to his mother. This conviction was the foundation of everything my beloved mother did for our country, over her years as our Queen. It has been the foundation of my own work as Prince of Wales. It will continue to be the foundation of all my work as King. Bel Powley has candidly discussed her experience of sexual harassment. While speaking to The Independent, the A Small Light star recalled being "touched inappropriately" by a crew member on the set of a project before the #MeToo movement was established. "I've had someone grab my a**e and basically touch me inappropriately before," Bel shared, adding that since the perpetrator was a senior crew member, she was "too scared to say anything at the time". The actress explained, "I was too scared to rock the boat... I just avoided that person and it was fine, but what really has changed post-#MeToo is you just know that you're protected." The phrase Me Too was originally coined in 2006 to call out sexual violence and harassment. However, it grew traction in 2017 as a hashtag on social media amid allegations levelled at disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. "At the beginning of #MeToo it was weird. For a while it was like, I feel protected because men are just f**king scared - which was fine too - but now everything's settled into itself," the 31-year-old continued. "People have learnt, and it's like there's a new code of conduct." While Bel didn't name the project or crew member in question, she did describe the set conditions where sexual misconduct thrives. "I did have a couple of bad ones, where everyone's too awkward to ask if you're gonna take your clothes off, and you don't have it written up properly in the contract," she said. "It's low-budget, indie, guerilla-style filming. You're outside, and suddenly it's the scene where you have to get naked and simulate sex, and then you just find yourself doing it because you're too scared to say no, with a young actor who probably felt just as uncomfortable." HA NOI The Viet Smart Travel Card was officially launched by Tourism Information Technology Centre (TITC) under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on Friday. It aims to introduce new utilities applied in the digital transformation of the tourism industry with tour operators and tour guides' community, opening up new opportunities in tourism operation and business in Viet Nam. The Smart Travel Card is a product of the programme "Vietnamese card - one national card" hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It is integrated into the fields of tourism, health care, banks, trade, transportation and education, supporting users with one-touch and online payment. The card has also been integrated into the Vietnam Travel application. When downloading the application, in addition to the smart travel card, tourists have an opportunity to use an ecosystem of technology utilities such as booking airline tickets and hotels, buying e-tickets, looking up tourist digital maps, and searching for businesses providing travel services. According to Hoang Quoc Hoa, deputy director of the TITC, three key products, namely Smart Travel Card, Vietnam Travel application and Tourism Management and Business platform, are widely used in the tourism community in Viet Nam with the goal of promoting digitalisation of the tourism industry, Bui Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tour Guides' Association, said that the smart travel card would facilitate the operation of tourism managers team as well as encourage creativity in the application of digital technology to support tourism development. VNS ROME The Vietnamese Embassy in Italy showcased Viet Nams fruits, vegetables and spices at the 40th Macfrut international trade fair in Rimini city in the Emilia Romagna region last week, within the framework of the Viet Nam-Italy Year 2023 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership. Vietnamese farm produce being displayed includes dragon fruit, pomelo, mangosteen, mango, and pineapple, along with various types of tea, coffee, dried fruits, processed foods, and spices. According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung Viet Nam is the world's eighth largest exporter of fruits, accounting for 3.8 per cent of the total fruit exports. Compared to all other Asian countries with similar agricultural strengths, only Viet Nam has a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), providing a significant advantage if Viet Nam and Italy cooperate and combine their strengths in agricultural production and trade not only in Italy but also in the region and the world. Viet Nam is not only an important supplier of agricultural products but also a large market with great potential as it has nearly 100 million domestic consumers. The rapid increase of the middle class after decades of high economic growth has led to a growing demand for premium Made-in-Italy products in Viet Nam. This is the third time Viet Nam has directly introduced signature fruits and spices to Italian businesses and people, in the context of European and Italian consumers showing their growing interest in consuming tropical fruits, especially those that are good for health and have new flavours. Macfrut is one of the largest annual international trade fairs in Europe for professionals, with about 1,000 booths from over 90 countries, including more than 500 purchasing companies and around 32,500 visitors. Each year, Europe imports farm produce worth over US$160 billion, and Vietnamese farm produce has become high-value export items that raked in $3.34 billion in 2022. In Italy, fruit is a strategic sector of the agricultural industry, with export earnings of $5.6 billion last year, ranking third in Europe and 10th in the world. The fair provides an excellent platform for Vietnamese businesses to establish relationships with Italian importers and explore new opportunities in the European market. VNS LONDON Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in London on May 5 for Vice President Global SHE and Sustainability at AstraZeneca Juliette White and attended a ceremony to announce its investment worth US$50 million to restore forests and landscapes in Viet Nam. After hearing a report on AstraZenecas underway programmes in Viet Nam, especially a project on planting 22.5 million trees worth $50 million to restore forests and landscapes, Son spoke highly of AstraZenecas contributions to the development of Viet Nams health care sector over the past 25 years, which has shown that AstraZeneca is a trustworthy partner of Viet Nam. Viet Nam highly values its cooperation with AstraZeneca, he said. Apart from its positive contributions to the global COVID-19 fight, AstraZeneca provided early and timely support in controlling the pandemic in Viet Nam. The first successful visit by its CEO Pascal Soriot to Viet Nam last May opened up new, potential, and long-term cooperation directions between the two sides, not only in pandemic prevention and control but also in new fields such as climate change response and green development. The tree planting project is in line with Viet Nams rapid and sustainable development policy and strong commitments on net zero emissions by 2050 at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26), he said. He suggested AstraZeneca continue effectively implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on enhancing cooperation with the Vietnamese Health Ministry, contributing to improving Viet Nams health care capacity and self-sufficiency in drugs, vaccines, and medical equipment; sharing experience and technology in emission reduction and climate change response with Viet Nam; and assisting the country in pandemic prevention and control. The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry will continue actively supporting AstraZeneca in its projects in Viet Nam, contributing to strengthening cooperation between AstraZeneca and relevant Vietnamese agencies of Viet Nam, he said. VNS HAI PHONG National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue on May 6 met with voters in Ngo Quyen District, the northern port city of Hai Phong, ahead of the fifth meeting of the 15th legislature. Local voters raised opinions on the draft Land Law (revised), environmental protection, the fight against corruption and wastefulness, cultural and tourism development, firefighting, incentives to businesses, and policies on education-training. They were delighted at socio-economic achievements Viet Nam and Hai Phong in particular recorded last year and the first months of 2023 in the context of global uncertainties and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The top legislator said international friends commended Viet Nams anti-corruption efforts, noting its corruption perception index had been improved significantly. Regarding the draft Land Law (revised), Hue said the bill had been identified as a focus of the law and ordinance making programme of the 15th legislature, and that more than 12 million voters and people had given their feedback on the draft law. According to the leader, the draft law would be further scrutinised at the upcoming session of the NA Standing Committee, and then the fifth and sixth sittings of the legislature, and it would be approved only when it satisfies set conditions. On environmental protection, he asked competent agencies in Hai Phong to provide consultations for the municipal Peoples Committee in issuing legal documents on household solid waste management. The chief legislator also touched upon the public-private partnership in tourism and sports, preferential policies in tourism development, and incentives to lure talents to the education-training sector. He lauded Hai Phongs efforts in reforming administrative procedures and improving its business environment, and urged the city to make better performance in the work. Later the same day, Hue and other officials pressed the button to inaugurate the convention and performance centre project and the technical infrastructure system in the North Cam River New Urban Area. VNA/VNS LONDON Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son had talks with British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly in London on May 5, affirming Viet Nam attaches importance to strengthening strategic partnership with the UK. Minister Son said President Vo Van Thuongs acceptance of the invitation to the coronation of King Charles III by the British Royal Family is a clear testament to increased political trust and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. He expressed his delight at the strong developments of bilateral relationship in various fields, in line with the 2020 Joint Declaration on the Viet Nam - UK Strategic Partnership: Forging Ahead for Another 10 Years. To further deepen bilateral ties in the coming time, Son proposed that both sides facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations, especially those at high level; effectively deploy bilateral cooperation mechanisms, offer mutual support at multilateral forums, actively implement the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), boost bilateral trade and investment cooperation and encourage the UK firms to increase investment in Viet Nam in areas of the UK's strengths that align with Viet Nam's development orientation, such as climate change response, renewable energy, finance-banking, digital transformation, innovation, and high-quality infrastructure. Viet Nam supports and congratulates the UK on completing negotiations for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Son said. He proposed the UK continue assisting Viet Nam in responding to climate change, especially in affected areas such as the Mekong Delta; building institutions and policies, and training human resources in the green transition and sustainable development process. Additionally, the two countries should sign an agreement on research, innovation and startup ecosystem development. Minister Son also sought the UKs support in improving Viet Nam's health care capacity and building a resilient health care system. Cleverly, for his part, thanked President Thuong for attending the coronation of the King, especially at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, saying that it reflects the growing all-around cooperation between the two countries. Highlighting Viet Nam's increasingly important role in the region and the world, he described Viet Nam as an important partner of the UK in the Asia-Pacific and thanked Viet Nam for supporting the UK in its entry to the CPTPP. He agreed on the need to build measures to continue deepening bilateral strategic partnership in an effective and practical manner that matches aspirations and ability of both sides. The host also concurred with Son's proposal to strengthen bilateral coordination across the board, including establishing a trilateral agricultural cooperation mechanism between the UK, Viet Nam, and a third partner; supporting the strengthening of people-to-people exchange, especially in education and youth connectivity. Regarding the South China Sea (known in Viet Nam as the East Sea) issue, host and guest shared the view that ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea plays a crucial role in peace and prosperity in the region and the world. All disputes should be settled peacefully through dialogue in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They supported the observance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the efforts to achieve an effective, efficient and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). VNS Members of a liberal student group hold a rally in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sunday, denouncing the summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held later in the day. Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to Korea was met by strong protests from local civic groups, Sunday, who demanded Tokyo offer a sincere apology over its wartime atrocities. The plane carrying Kishida landed at Seoul Airport at around noon for a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol later in the day, marking the first bilateral visit by a Japanese leader to Korea in 12 years. On the same day, a coalition of anti-Japanese civic groups and students' groups held multiple rallies in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, denouncing Yoon and Kishida for holding the summit without Japan's sincere regret over its colonization of Korea and resulting aggressions experienced by the Korean people. The civic activists called on Kishida to offer a direct apology for Japan's wartime crimes including forced labor and sexual slavery committed during imperial Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. They also criticized the Yoon government's push for friendly relations with Tokyo while turning a blind eye to historical grievances. In recent months, Korea and Japan have been making strides to thaw their yearslong frosty relations, after the Yoon administration announced a compensation plan for Korean victims of Japan's forced labor. Under the plan, the compensation will be paid primarily through Korean firms, relieving the guilty Japanese companies of their responsibility. Such an arrangement has sparked a fierce backlash from liberal civic groups and victims who point out that the government has ignored the victims' demand for a sincere apology and direct payment from Japan. Rallies condemning the Japanese government were also held in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Saturday, which involved environmental activists protesting against Japan's planned release of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima disaster into the sea. Environmental activists hold a press conference denouncing the Japanese government for its planned release of Fukushima radioactive wastewater, in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap A NANG School students from a Nang City will join a cultural exchange programme in Uiwang City, Gyeonggi, South Korea in October following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on co-operation and friendship signed between the citys Hai Chau District and Uiwang City in Korea last week. Chairman of Hai Chau District Le Tu Gia Thanh said the first group of secondary school students from the city will take part in a cultural festival and friendship exchange to be held in Koreas Uiwang City this October. Thanh said the district had signed a MoU on co-operation in culture and friendship from 2021, but the cultural exchange programme had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the cultural programme will form part of a series of co-operation events between the two cities and people of the two countries in the coming time. Also on the Korean trip, a Nang-based ong A University and Kaywon University of Art & Design agreed on educational co-operation consisting of an exchange programme among students and lecturers of the two universities in 2024. The two universities will boost fashion design, a garment industry internship programme, digital marketing, multi-media communications and information technology. Kaywon University of Art & Design is the sixth university from Korea to sign a co-operation agreement with ong A University in education and high-quality human resources training. a Nang also plans to build tour links between Jeju Island, Incheon, Seoul and other localities, including UNESCO-recognised world heritages Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Hue Monuments Complex, Hoi An ancient town and My Son Sanctuary in central Viet Nam. In the past year, a Nang and the South Korean city of Gyeongsan also signed an MoU for the cosmetic industry and tourism development. The city will host the Viet Nam-Korea culture exchange festival at Bien ong (East Sea) Park this September. HanaTour company of Korea and the citys tourism promotion centre hosted an Instagram photo contest, a Nang in My Heart, for Koreans living in Viet Nam and abroad last year. South Korean tourists account for 55.4 per cent of international tourists in a Nang with 1.8 million in 2019. The South Korea Consulate General in a Nang also organised the K-Food Festival event for Vietnamese teams in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien-Hue and a Nang. Tourism promotion between Viet Nam's central region and cities of Korea was also organised by the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Viet Nam in recent years. Korea airlines including Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul and Tway Air have been resuming their air service from Busan, Seoul, Deagu and Cheong Ju to a Nang from last year. VNS By Viet Dung I recently came across a social media post from a mother seeking advice on how to help her child cope with her plan to divorce her husband, and this unfortunate predicament got me thinking about how this genuinely complicated topic is being perceived by children. The post detailed the posters struggle with her marriage and how divorce is the only solution, but she is concerned with how her six-year-old child has constantly said that they want to live with both the father and the mother at the same time. She is understandably worried about how to make sure her child can grow up and be mentally healthy. Nowadays, as more and more topics are viewed with more open-mindedness, most adults would somewhat agree that, while a couple should try their hardest to mend their issues together, divorce is a reasonable last-resort after nothing has worked out. In fact, divorce can be a great solution for a couple that is not compatible with each other to live healthier lives, and even help some people escape abusive spouses. Some people have shared stories about how they wish their parents would have split up instead of trying to tolerate each other and failing. I dont want to divorce my terrible husband because my children will be very negatively affected by that, is something that plenty of wives in Viet Nam (and other countries around the world) have said. And over the years, I have seen opinions on this mindset gradually changing; many people perceive it as the persons inability to cut off a toxic relationship, using their children as an excuse. I am usually in favour of parents going through a divorce if they really cannot work things out, but posts like the above-mentioned one are a reminder that things are not so black and white. That was not even the first time I saw such a post. A few years back, I read a story about how a mother could not divorce her husband because her child literally begged her on their knees not to split the family up. There have also been stories about children who think their divorced parents do not love them anymore, or blame themselves for the divorce. A friend of mine, Nguyen Viet Anh, 26, told me that when he was young, he heard his parents talking about how the parents of his cousin (who he is really close with) are always angry and somewhat abusive toward each other, and remarked that they should consider a divorce. Hearing this, Anh got very upset at his parents for even suggesting that. Lately I have been thinking to myself, why do children see divorce as a terrible thing? I completely understand that if a child of a seemingly happy parents suddenly get asked whether they want to live with mum or dad, that might bring out some very strong emotions. But to ponder a step further: why do they react so negatively? Most children would not be sad if their parents get a new job, hairstyle, hobby, car, pet, friends, etc, so why would they react so badly to parents divorcing? This may sound like a stupid question, but I believe that re-examining things that most people consider obvious is always a good thing. I have a young nephew that loves watching educational TV programmes that teach him good values and morals, like how he should help his mothers do chores, be polite to his father, and be nice to his siblings. One day it dawned on me: all of these TV programmes for young kids always feature a traditional nuclear family - always a father, a mother, and usually two siblings. I also realised that many other childrens sources of information, including school text books, usually feature this type of family, especially when I was young. There have been children comics that have child characters with dead mothers or fathers, but divorced parents are definitely rare. Most of us have an idea of normal instilled in us at a young age, through media, education and our environment. We know that it is normal to have a mother and father because the things we read at a very young age indirectly tell us that, and the books we learnt taught us to be familiar with the concept of mothers and fathers. I believe that this understanding of a normal family extends further. Young kids internalise that a happy family consist of a mother, a father and themselves, always happy, smiling and being nice to each other no matter what. And so, if their family is not like that, they are unhappy. My acquaintance Nguyen Le Gia Linh, 22, agreed with me, saying that children today still have very limited knowledge of family diversity, and what intimidates children is the contradiction between the norm and reality. Obviously a parents divorce will always negatively affect children regardless of their media intake; it is a disruptive change in family environment, in what they are familiar with. Young children might be more prone to anger, depression, even blaming themselves for their parents divorce. However, I believe that the best way to alleviate these negative effects in children of divorced parents is showing them that their situations is not unique to them, and their family dynamic being different from others is not a terrible thing. When I was 14, I used to watch on TV a very famous animated comedy series for kids called Phineas and Ferb, which is a light-hearted show about two brothers making outlandish inventions during their summer holiday. While the young me was mostly captivated by the series humour and creativity, one thing that stuck to me is that fact that the main characters are from a blended family: Phineass mother, who had given birth to him and his older sister, divorced her husband before the series started, and went on to marry Ferbs father, who also had Ferb before breaking things off with his wife. While the show never draws explicit attention to this untraditional family dynamic, it is very clear that the members of this family love each other dearly. Phineas is very close to his brother and father, even though they are not related by blood. Another reoccurring character is divorced and has a daughter who spends her time between her two parents, and they all respect and care for each other, even when the mother is hinted to be dating another man. This show, and other modern childrens shows portraying children with a single parent or same-sex parents as normal, are teaching their young viewers that there are more types of family models than the traditional nuclear family, and this does not make these children unhappy or abnormal. And I definitely think there should be more of these shows and comics. Linh said that in addition to media, it is crucial to have parents and schools to educate children on different family forms and be more understanding towards divorce or separation. Media, education and the surrounding environment have a large effect in shaping the values, morals and mindset of people, especially young impressionable children. And when young children are more used to seeing a wider variety of environment and conditions like having divorced parents, it is more likely that they will subconsciously perceive them in a more nuanced light. VNS DALLAS A man who went on a rampage at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday shot dead eight people before he was himself killed, authorities said. "(We) found seven deceased individuals on scene. We transported nine individuals to the hospital... Of those we transported, two have since died," said fire chief Jonathan Boyd of Allen, Texas. The shooting sparked panic at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling shopping complex in Allen, 40 kilometers north of Dallas, filled with weekend shoppers. A police officer was in the mall on an unrelated call when gunfire broke out around 3:30 pm (2030 GMT), said chief Brian Harvey of the Allen police department. "He heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect and neutralized the suspect," Harvey said. "He also then called for ambulances." The identity of the shooter was not released. His body, sprawled on a sidewalk, was one of the seven deaths at the mall when more police arrived. Among the wounded at area hospitals, "three are in critical surgery, and four are stable," Boyd, the fire chief, said. Some of the victims were as young as five years old, a hospital official told NBC News. Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the mass shooting an "unspeakable tragedy." President Joe Biden "has been briefed on the shooting," a White House official told reporters. Local officials hailed the actions of the police officer who charged and killed the shooter. "We owe a debt of gratitude to first responders that ran toward the gunfire and acted swiftly to neutralize the threat," said Keith Self, a Republican congressman whose district includes the city of Allen. Video footage aired by CNN showed the shooter getting out of a sedan in the parking lot of the mall, and beginning his rampage. Authorities believed initially that a second shooter might be on the loose. As police combed through stores in the mall, frantic shoppers and store employees rushed into parking lots. Harvey later said police believe the unidentified shooter, who CNN said was wearing tactical gear, "acted alone." Janet St. James, a spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare, which operates multiple trauma facilities in North Texas, said it received eight patients from the shooting, ranging in age from five to 61, NBC News reported. A father who arrived at the mall after his daughter, who was inside, phoned to tell him about the shooting, also told CNN that police had informed him there may have been a second shooter. "We saw the police outside the door, and they told us we had to go, and that they are still looking for the person," Jaynal Pervez said, according to CNN. "There's no more safe places. I don't know what to do." Pervez later told broadcaster CBS that scenes in the mall parking lot were chaotic. "I saw the shoes around there, people's cell phones on the street," he said. With more firearms than inhabitants, the United States has the highest rate of gun deaths of any developed country -- 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before. There have been more than 195 mass shootings -- defined as four or more people wounded or killed -- so far this year in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. AFP The most frequently imported fruits from China and Laos are bananas, durians, and jackfruits Vietnamese fruits enhance their position in the international market The most frequently imported fruits from China and Laos are bananas, durians, and jackfruits, with growth rates ranging from 30% to multiple times.According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's most recent report, the value of vegetables and fruits exported in the first four months was $1.39 billion, a 19.4% increase over the previous year. The export of fruits in April increased sharply by nearly two times.With a market share of 58.7% and sales of 576.4 million USD in the first three months of the yearan increase of 27.4% over the same period in 2022China now leads in consuming Vietnamese fruits and vegetables. Laos, Korea, and Japan also increased imports of Vietnamese fruits, in which vegetable and fruit exports to Laos increased the most, increasing by 2.8 times.Durian, jackfruit, and banana have a sudden increase in export turnover. Vietnam's durian export revenue in the first quarter increased by more than 8.3 times over the same period last year, to 153.5 million USD. China accounted for 87% of the market share with a turnover of 133.6 million USD.Also read: China purchases this product from Vietnam at exceptionally high prices According to partners' orders, farmers export thousands of tons durian to China monthly. Due to its high quality, compatibility with regional tastes, and more affordable pricing than Malaysian and Thai goods, Vietnamese durian is frequently bought in significant numbers.Read more: Vietnamese durian fever in China The quality of Vietnamese bananas is comparable to those from the Philippines in terms of price.Also read: Vietnamese bananas hit shelves of Lotte Mart in RoK Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports are gaining more and more popularity, the quality is improving, and they continue to have favorable conditions in the second quarter. Dragon fruit, durian, and banana production are rising in China and other nations, but according to Nguyen, Vietnamese commodities still have a place in the world. Vietnamese fruit care procedures, in particular, provide superior quality to those used in other countries. Unlike other countries, which can only grow the main crop, Vietnamese fruit can also be grown all year round. Therefore, Vietnamese goods will not lose market share if they can take advantage of fruit cultivation when other countries cannot increase due to severe weather. According to Mr. Nguyen, this year's exports of fruits and vegetables to China would bring in roughly $2.5 billion.Read more: Durian Kingdom' in the main harvest season Ms. Ngo Tuong Vy, CEO of Chanh Thu Fruit Import Export Group Joint Stock Company, shared with Vietnamnet that, due to many products, she participates in deep processing and packaging to meet the standards required by partners. Hence, the company receives many orders. Businesses need help to provide adequate fruit items to importers. Not only exported to China, the US but also other markets. Chanh Thu has processing plants in Dak Lak and Ben Tre. This enterprise continuously buys and processes to meet export orders. Ms. Vy emphasized that the development of fruits in the direction of processing helps control prices and increases the value of goods by 3 to 4 times compared to fresh goods. At the same time, increasing the storage time of fruits solve the situation of local redundancy when harvesting the main crop.With positive signals from the export market, Ms. Vy expects the company to reach 150% of the plan in 2023.Currently, there is a plentiful supply, which has led to a substantial decline in the price of local fruit. Durian decreased from the peak of 200,000 VND per kg to 55,000 VND. Hoa Loc mangoes are priced at 51,000 VND per kilogram in Tien Giang, down 22,700 VND from the previous month; Java rambutans cost 20,800 VND, down 2,800 VND; and green skin pomelo costs 23,400 VND, down 1,200 VND per kg.Vietnamnet newspaper reported that Vietnam is in the harvest season of 2.6 million tons of fruit.According to the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), in the second quarter of 2023, the country's fruit output is estimated at over 2.6 million tons. Of which, about 460 thousand tons of bananas, 350 thousand tons of mango, 300,000 tons of durian, 250 thousand tons of dragon fruit, 330 thousand tons of lychee, 217 thousand tons of pineapple, 110 thousand tons of longan, 180 thousand tons of oranges...The supply of fruit is very abundant, able to meet the needs of domestic consumption and export orders. LANSING, Mich. (AP) Karen Kobylik knew her daughter should not have a gun. She had repeatedly called the police since her daughter turned 21, pleading with them to take her firearms because of the risk she posed to herself and others. "They said we cant take any guns away from her because we cannot step on her Second Amendment right, Kobylik told The Associated Press. I was like, Im a mother telling you that this kids got a mental issue that is not currently being addressed. Kobyliks daughter, Ruby Taverner, shot and killed her brother and boyfriend before taking her own life in the early morning of May 8 last year. Kobylik believes all three lives could have been saved had red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, existed in Michigan that would have allowed police to remove her daughters guns and prevented her from purchasing more. Now Michigan is poised to become the 20th state and the first in nearly three years to pass a red flag law. It would allow family members, police, mental health professionals, roommates and former dating partners to petition a judge to remove firearms from those they believe pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. Kobylik said her daughter had been treated for mental health problems including depression since the age of 7 but had stopped taking her medication at 18. Just days before the killings, Taverner purchased the Glock 43X used in the shooting after she had been released from a psychiatric hospital for threatening to take her own life, Kobylik said. Taverner and her brother, Bishop, were both 22. Her boyfriend, Ray Muscat, was 24. The red flag measure faces pushback on the local level in a state where gun-owning culture runs deep. Over half of the states counties have passed resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, opposing laws they believe infringe on gun rights. Some sheriffs have said they will have trouble enforcing something they believe is unconstitutional. At the end of the day, the utmost responsibility for a sheriff is to uphold the Constitution, Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott said. The U.S. is on a record pace for mass shootings so far this year. Touted as the most powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens, an Associated Press analysis in September found red flag laws are barely used in the 19 states and the District of Columbia where they exist. Firearms were removed from people 15,049 times since 2020, fewer than 10 per 100,000 adult residents, according to the analysis. It will be the first time since New Mexico in 2020 that a state has passed a red flag law, but similar legislation is being considered elsewhere as lawmakers seek solutions. The Minnesota House advanced a wide-ranging public safety bill last month that includes a red flag law. It remains uncertain whether the provision will make it through a conference committee. After a Nashville school shooting in March killed six people, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is calling lawmakers back into session after fellow Republicans declined to take up his temporary mental health order of protection proposal at the end of the legislative session they concluded in April. The Biden administration has sought to foster wider use of state red flag laws and recently approved more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer those laws and similar programs. Red flag legislation introduced following a shooting at Michigan State University, which left three students dead and five others wounded, passed the Democratic-controlled Michigan Legislature last month and is expected to be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the coming weeks. It would not take effect until next year at the earliest. A judge would have 24 hours to decide on a temporary extreme risk protection order after a request is filed. If granted, the judge would then have 14 days to set a hearing during which the flagged person would have to prove they do not pose a significant risk. A standard order would last one year. Lying to a court when petitioning for a protection order would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine. Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy has already said he will not enforce the protection orders because he said they lack due process and are ripe for abuse. With 72 of Michigan's 83 counties voting Republican in the last presidential election, many sheriffs will have to choose between following the law or appeasing constituents. Local officials do have discretion as to which laws they will enforce with the resources of their office," Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement to the AP. She added that arguments against the orders are based not on the law but the personal whims of what they want to support." In the Upper Peninsula's Marquette County, Sheriff Greg Zyburt said that while he doesnt agree with everything in the legislation, he doesnt pick and choose what laws to enforce. Its not my place," Zyburt said. Thats why we have different branches of government. In Colorado, 37 counties that consider themselves sanctuaries issued just 45 surrender orders in the two years through 2021, one-fifth fewer per resident than non-sanctuary counties. New Mexico and Nevada reported only about 20 orders combined. The laws have continued to receive widespread support from the public even with the lack of usage. An AP-NORC poll in late July found 78% of U.S. adults strongly or somewhat favor red flag laws. Kobylik is a gun owner who considers herself a conservative. She spoke in favor of the red flag law at a Michigan Senate committee hearing in March. Im not here to excuse Rubys actions," she said. "Far from it. What I am here to tell you is that this never had to happen. Associated Press writers Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, and Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report. Follow Joey Cappelletti at http://twitter.com/Cappelletti7 Ralph Strother was back in a McLennan County courtroom last month, prosecuting a case in front of a judge who hadnt started high school by the time Strother started his 22 years on the bench. Strother, who turns 80 this week, retired in December 2020 as judge in Wacos 19th State District Court, after hitting the states age limit for district judges, but McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens pulled Strother out of retirement in February. I dont know if Im the oldest prosecutor in the state, but how many other prosecutors return to evaluate cases, help younger attorneys and try cases in court when theyre my age? Strother said. Before returning as a prosecutor, he presided over some cases as a visiting judge in surrounding counties, a common role for retired judges, but he did not find the work as rewarding as he had hoped. Friends of mine encouraged me to reach out to Tetens, Strother said. After he took office, I did and I was fortunate enough that he offered me a position. Tetens, who was elected in November and took office at the first of the year, said he is glad to have Strother join. Judge Strother brings a great depth of knowledge and experience to our office, Tetens said. His long history in the courthouse makes him a true asset. Former Gov. George W. Bush appointed Strother to the bench of the 19th State District Court in 1999. Strother returned to the prosecutors table last month in Judge Ryan Lunas County Court-at-Law No. 3, along with Executive Assistant District Attorney Michel Simer, to try a case of aggravated assault with a prior conviction. Strother and Simer faced defense attorney Phil Martinez, and the jury acquitted. In addition to trying that case and mentoring the younger attorneys in the DAs office, Strother said he also reviews cases that have been filed but not yet evaluated by the office. Restrictions related to COVID-19 dramatically slowed the progress of cases through the judicial system, and many cases filed last year under previous District Attorney Barry Johnson remain. Theres a tremendous backlog of cases from COVID, Strother said. I have a box of case files in my office from 2022 that havent been evaluated. The retired judge said he goes through each file and determines whether the case meets the requirements to prosecute. I decide whether to go ahead with prosecution, or whether the case needs additional investigation, or not to proceed, Strother said. Before his 22 years on the bench, Strother said he came to the law as a third career in the 1980s, after military intelligence work in the 1960s and practicing and teaching journalism in the 1970s. He worked in the 1980s and 1990s alternatively as a prosecutor and in private practice of law. He began his career in the mid-1960s working as a member of the Defense Intelligence Agency. I was posted to the U.S. Embassy at Phenom Penh, Cambodia, Strother said. You know there was a war on then (the Vietnam War). Then I worked in the Pentagon in Washington. In the early to mid-1970s, Strother said he worked at the Tribune-Heralds predecessor newspapers, the Waco News-Tribune and the Waco Times-Herald. He started as a reporter and moved up to copy editor, then he went on to join the journalism faculty at Baylor University, Strother said. While on the faculty he attended law school and passed the bar exam, beginning his decades long third career in the law. Tetens said Strothers experience makes him capable and prepared to continue holding criminals who do harm in the community accountable. Citizens want the law enforced, for crimes to have consequences, and Judge Strother is going to continue doing just that as our newest prosecutor, Tetens said. McLennan Community College District 1 Trustee Jonathan Hill won his first election to the seat he was appointed to in February, while Ilda Sabido took the District 3 seat held by Pauline Chavez for nearly 40 years. Hill, a 32-year-old senior brand strategy manager for Baylor University, defeated educational specialist Arash Abnoussi in Saturdays election. Hill won 73.1%, or 472 of 646 total votes, to Abnoussis 26.9%, or 174 votes. Sabido, 39, bested retired Baylor professor James SoRelle. Sabido won 57.7%, or 248 of 430 total votes, to SoRelles 42.3%, or 182 votes. The MCC board selected Hill in February to fill the remaining term of the seat held by Doug McDurham, who announced his resignation in December. Hill attributed his success to getting out and sharing his personal experience with the college as well as his experience in higher education. I think part of it were the opportunities we had to get in front of others and share my story with MCC, he said. As a newly appointed trustee, Hill said he made a point of showing up at various college events and functions to support students, faculty, staff and community members. He said he feels his enthusiasm in sharing what MCC has meant to him and his family counted, even as he found many in the community did not know the MCC Board of Trustees is an elected one. While contested races for trustee positions have been rare in past years, this year had two such races. Im happy to play a part in supporting MCC and continuing to advocate for MCC and higher education in the county, Hill said. Im looking forward to serving out a full term on the MCC board and continue the work that weve started on. Both Hill and Abnoussi had run to support of the community college that they said had played an instrumental part in their career success. Sabido, a Waco native who was 2 years old when Chavez joined the board, said she is delighted that voters had chosen her to replace Chavez, who represented the district for more than three decades. Im so excited and so grateful for all the voters for me. I hope I can make them proud in all the work she (Chavez) has done as Latinos and as women, Sabido said. Commercial real estate developer David Mercer on Saturday lost the seat he has held on the Woodway City Council for three years to a religious book publisher, while a commercial real estate broker fell short of an effort to replace incumbent Council Member David Russell. David Keyston defeated Mercer to win the Ward 1, Place 1 council seat, winning 688 votes, or 53.5% of the 1,287 votes cast. Mercer won 599 votes or 46.4%. Keyston moved to the city in 2019 and has an online publishing business that offers Christian Science Church-related texts, including several he wrote. He also founded a local Christian Science Church congregation. Mercer owns a general contracting business and has several high-profile developments underway. Meanwhile, incumbent at-large Council Member David Russell staved off challenger Gregg Glime to win 705 votes, or 54.5% of the 1,294 votes cast. Glime, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Commercial, received endorsements from Woodway Mayor Amine Qourzal and Waco Mayor Dillon Meek. Russell said the win was a team effort, as he and Keyston campaigned jointly. But the Woodway voters are the real winners, he said, as the win will put them back on track for success. David Keyston and I ran together and we had Lori Whitsell as our campaign manager unofficially, but she was like Kellyanne Conway to keep us on track, Russell said, referring to a former aide to Donald Trump. Without her I dont think we couldve done anything. Other suburban races this year favored familiar faces, many maintaining their incumbents among higher-than-usual voter turnouts. Bellmead All three incumbents will maintain their positions in Bellmead, each facing one challenger in this years election. In Precinct 1, which spans the central part of the city sitting east of Air Base Road and west of Concord Road, banker Karen Coleman won, receiving 96 votes, or 76.2% of the total. Her opponent Ruth Mitchell, owner of Last Chance Bar, received 30 votes, or 23.8%. Coleman said she wants to thank God, her family and supporters in Precinct 1, especially her neighbors in the Belcrest Addition, Clover Addition, Lopez Street and San Pedro Street areas who came out in numbers. She said shes a servant of God in all she does, from her job at the bank to her commitment to the city council. She said in this election she was happy to hear opinions form neighbors about her work in the past two years. She said her neighbors asked for more cleanup around town to protect property values, which is what theyll get. Travis Gibson, who has been on the city council since 2015 and served two terms as mayor, will keep his Precinct 2 seat, receiving 53 votes, or 85.5%. Tax preparer Barbara Van Cleave received 9 votes, or 14.5%. Precinct 2 spans Bellmeads eastern edge and much of Bellmead Drive into U.S. Highway 84. Gibson said he gives all credit to God, but also thanks his wife and family for being patient with him, as it takes a lot of time to run a campaign. He said its humbling when citizens put their trust in him. I want to thank all the people of Precinct 2 who let their voice be heard once again to elect me as representative for another two years, he said. Gibson said his motto has been working together means winning together. He tries to live by that, be himself, serve and protect others and make everyday my masterpiece, he said. Precinct 5 saw a rematch between former longtime mayor Doss Youngblood and incumbent Bryan Winget. Winget ousted Youngblood in 2021, 28 votes to 24. The precinct covers the northwest-most section of the city and includes La Vega Elementary School, the Walmart Supercenter and H-E-B. Winget prevailed again, winning with 25 votes, or 55.6%. Youngblood received 20 votes, or 44.4%. Winget said he thanks everyone who came out and voted, as the support means a lot to him. He said he wants to keep pushing for more community involvement so the city can keep seeing even more voters in each election. Hewitt Hewitts Ward 1, Place 1 seat will take the last name Turner once again. McLennan Community College Professor Bradley Turner won the seat with 322 votes, or 80.9%. His father, Charlie Turner passed away in November after 25 years serving in the same seat. Bradley Turners opponent, PermianLide estimator RJ Pase, received 76 votes, or 19.1% of the total. Turner thanked his opponent for running a fair and respectful campaign. I respect Mr. Pase and I thank him for running a kind campaign for me. I spent about 7 or 8 hours getting sunburnt in the parking lot today, he said. Turner said hes grateful to all Hewitt residents who came out to vote, as their ballot only featured one race. He said the first thing he plans to do is, ironically, listen to feedback from city employees and residents during budget season to see what the first thing should be. Im very excited, he said. Its very surreal. Im just kind of humbled by all the people who turned out to support me and Im just very happy to serve. Crawford City council at-large, vote for up to two: John Weldon 72 votes Lewis Snow (incumbent) 46 votes Shane Spence (incumbent) 16 votes Gholson City council at-large Place 3, vote for one: Jonathan Spence 47 votes, 66.2% Billy Sparks (incumbent) 24 votes, 33.8% Lacy Lakeview Mayor, vote for one: Sharon Clark (incumbent) 30 votes, 19.4% A. Niecey Payne (council member) 125 votes, 80.6% Lorena Mayor, vote for one: Tommy Ross (incumbent) 101 votes, 68.2% Shane Phillips (council member) 47 votes, 31.8% Mart City council at-large, vote for up to two: John Garrett (incumbent) 62 votes Sandra Lynch 48 votes LaToya Beavers (incumbent) 23 votes Ray Tiny Gonzales 47 votes City council special election, vote for one: James Miller (incumbent) 47 votes, 47% Ethan Deike 53 votes, 53% McGregor Ward 1, vote for one: Alfredo Macedo 13 votes, 40.6% Andrew J. Henderson, Sr. (incumbent) 19 votes, 59.4% At-large, vote for one: Sherry Lynn Adams (incumbent) 177 votes, 65.8% Dennis Paul Fehler 92 votes, 34.2% Gholson ISD At-large, vote for up to four: Nelson Moore (incumbent) 24 votes Chris Silva (incumbent) 42 votes Alisha Whited 31 votes Michelle Goates (incumbent) 63 votes Richard Caldara (incumbent) 43 votes McGregor ISD At-large, vote for up to four: David Lillard (incumbent) 241 votes Chris Knox 225 votes Troy Zacharias 118 votes Hunter January 190 votes This beautiful New Orleans style home in historic Castle Heights shows quality in every detail! Built by a prominent Waco citizen in 1939 it is even more lovely today than it was when it was built! Current sellers are only the 2nd people to own this home. The spreading oak trees, and large beautifully landscaped double lot provide the perfect setting for playing, entertaining, relaxing and enjoying life to it's fullest! The outside of this home sets it apart from all others, but when you enter the lovely foyer, the full beauty of the home starts to truly unfold. At one end of the foyer is an expansive formal living area with a light filled sunroom at the far end. At the other end of the foyer is a large formal dining room that has plenty of space for celebrations around the table. Off the dining room is an open, well designed kitchen that offers a large island and plenty of workspace for a dedicated cook. The kitchen is open to a great table space for informal dining and then steps down into a grand den that was added for the comfort and flexibility of the home. Fireplaces in the formal living area as well as in the family room add warmth and hospitality to those areas. Both fireplaces have a gas jet and can be wood burning but are currently set up with gas logs. Enjoy sitting at the informal dining table in the bay window of the kitchen as a favorite spot to watch the neighborhood activites while enjoying the comforts of home. Also on the main floor is a private room perfect for an office or library space. There are 5 bedrooms and 3 & 1/2 bathrooms in the home. One bedroom and bathroom is attached to the garage with a separate entrance from the outside and an entrance from the garage making this a very private guest room, retreat or flex space. There are too many other amenities in this beautiful home to list them all, but following are a few. In addition to the two car garage attached to the home, there is a one car porte cachere at the end of the driveway. This space also includes a huge store room that is large enough to hold all the holiday and party decorations you could possibly desire. The driveway has an electric iron gate for full privacy. In the upstairs master suite, open the French doors to step out onto the upstairs balcony for a treetop experience. The exquisite partially covered New Orleans style brick patio in back extends out to a fountain and large open tree shaded brick patio area. Two extra pull-in parking spaces are just off the driveway in front for off the street guest parking. There is a basement to the home that has a sump pump and houses the mechanicals. Truly a one of a kind home in Waco! View More Quinn Campus Inc., City Center Waco and many other community members and leaders gathered Saturday at William Decker Johnson Hall to celebrate its designation as a local historic landmark and look toward a new future for the building that has stood the test of time. This is a treasure not only worth preserving as now designated with a historic landmark, but is worth preserving because of the historical relevance and significance that it has for this community, said Josette Ayres, chair of Quinn Campus Inc. From a people with little to few resources to be able to pull all of that together in the spirit of community, to build a campus, to build a building that has withstood 100 years that provided educational opportunities, personal advancement, it means a lot. The nonprofit Quinn Campus Inc. is in charge of the facilities Paul Quinn College left behind when it moved from Waco to Dallas in 1990. The historically Black college started serving Waco in 1877, eventually establishing a campus spanning several blocks from the corner of Elm Avenue and Garrison Street. Other facilities have found new uses since the college moved, including as a home to Rapoport Academys middle school and high school, but Johnson Hall has remained vacant. Saturdays event held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the landmark designation, family games, face painting from Artist-N-U and a couple of vendor tables, including Grassroots Waco, McLennan County Historical Commission and Magnolia Foundation, which last year funded a study on whether the building could be used for a Quinn College satellite campus. William Decker Johnson Hall got its local historical landmark status in February, and many ideas have been floated for what the refurbished building might hold, including the satellite campus, office spaces or an event and meeting area. Ayres said she envisions the building becoming a multipurpose facility, a hub for education, job training, office and community space and culture. All of that can be housed with these 36,000 square feet, she said. Its a lot of space. The first brick buildings on the campus were built with a buy-a-brick campaign, bricks going for 10 cents apiece in the late 1800s, Ayres said. It was three faculty members and no more than 10 students, so the community invested in a vision that they themselves werent going to benefit from but knew would propel a people, she said. In the same spirit, the community can invest in Johnson Halls revitalization by buying a brick, starting at $10. She said the designation of the landmark means a historic treasure is getting its due, and will become an anchor for the East Waco community once again. With landmark status comes certain renovation criteria, and Ayres said the work done would pull the campus essence back. Many of the original windows and archways are still intact and functional, just bricked in, she said. Board member Tara Briscoe said the day represented a Sankofa Moment, where were able to look back on the past, but celebrate the future. She said the revitalization in progress shows the community has not forgotten about the significance of Paul Quinn, but will honor its memory. Thinking of the youth who have never seen the building functional is especially exciting, Briscoe said. Jocelyn Williams, Center of Business Excellence coordinator with the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce, said even though Paul Quinn College moved to Dallas in 1990, bringing its presence back through the buildings preservation is beyond important to the community. Within the Elm Avenue corridor I think its really important to kind of sustain that historical background thats already there, she said. Williams said the African American chamber itself recently moved into a bigger and better facility, at 715 Elm Ave., and with the overhaul of Elm Avenue infrastructure, the chamber is excited about being able to bring further economic development to the area. Within the revitalization of the Johnson Hall, to have Paul Quinn come back as a satellite administration to be able to offer space to other businesses in the area it would just bring a newness and even an openness to what is already happening here on Elm Avenue, she said. The building, with three stories and a basement, offers endless possibilities, she said. North East Riverside Neighborhood Association President Jeanette Bell said her neighborhood has been advocating for an African American cultural museum to find a home in the building. Bell said years of misconception, mistrust and cultural divide have separated the east and west of the Brazos River, but she hopes people outside East Waco will participate in celebrating the neighborhoods historic landmarks and destinations, such as the Jockey Club and Greenwood Cemetery. She said she advocated for the revitalization of Bridge Street, which has been home to many Black businesses over time and rose from the ashes and the mud. We have some historic markers over here that a lot of people dont know about, and we want people from the west side of the Brazos River to come over to the east side and learn about our history and our culture, Bell said. Because our history and our culture is American history and culture. Briscoe said the campus holds personal significance to her, as many generations of her family graduated from Paul Quinn College in Waco. William Decker Johnson Hall was once a hub for information and help at the school and housed many departments. Just growing up in the area in East Waco and coming over here it just means a lot because its sat dormant for so long, she said. And just to see life being brought back, it would mean a lot to my family. Briscoe gave a nod to Ayres leadership as someone who did not grow up in the area, but takes the time to listen to the community and learn its vision. Oftentimes people come into a community and they change it for their own good, she said. But honestly, our leader Josette has not done that. She took the time to hear the voices of the people. Paul Quinn graduate Vernon Bailey was involved with the campus for about eight years, attending high school programs before attending the college. Its part of the legacy of Waco, the historical East Waco, he said. East Waco has really been a part of my life, the history, the creation of Waco but the historical Black ancestors of mine built the city, cultivated the city, and a lot of that hasnt been in the conversation. I think more people need to understand what the significance is and what power the people had during the times before now and what a rich legacy of heritage this is, and to be a part of that is just phenomenal. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after a joint press conference following their summit at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap Seoul experts to participate in Fukushima wastewater inspection By Nam Hyun-woo The leaders of South Korea and Japan tried to look beyond historical disputes over wartime forced labor to achieve their "shared goal" of future-oriented bilateral ties, during a summit in Seoul, Sunday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his "heart aches" for South Korean victims who were forced to labor for Japanese companies during World War II. Those comments are viewed as Tokyo's response to conciliatory gestures Seoul made earlier to improve bilateral relations. However, Kishida did not offer a direct apology to the victims. Kishida made those remarks after a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol, where they pledged to normalize ties and establish future-oriented bilateral relations. The prime minister was visiting Seoul in response to Yoon's trip to Tokyo in March, which was the first step in mending relations between the two countries that had deteriorated to one of the lowest levels in decades after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of wartime forced labor. "When Yoon visited Japan in March, I clearly stated that the Japanese government inherits on the whole the historical perceptions of past governments, including the 1998 Japan-South Korea joint declaration, and this position will remain unwavering in the future," Kishida said during a joint press conference after the summit, referring to the declaration in which then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi expressed remorse for the "horrendous damage and pain" Japan's colonial rule inflicted on the Korean people. "My heart aches for those who had to work in harsh environments and went through difficult and sad experiences," he added. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their summit at the presidential office in Seoul, Sunday. AP-Yonhap The remarks are interpreted as Tokyo's response to Seoul's earlier announcement, made before Yoon's March visit to Japan, of a plan to let a South Korean public foundation compensate the victims without the direct involvement of the responsible Japanese firms a plan that drew domestic criticism that the president was taking a submissive stance, while Tokyo is not showing reciprocal responses. "I was deeply impressed that many people have opened their hearts for the future while recalling painful memories of the past, as efforts by the South Korean government continue regarding the proposed plan," Kishida said. "There have been numerous historical events and circumstances between the two countries, but I believe it is my duty as the Japanese prime minister to work and cooperate with President Yoon and the South Korean side for the sake of a better future," he added. Kishida to meet with chiefs of Korean business lobbies Korean traditional cuisine, liquor served at dinner for Kishida PHOTOS Japanese PM in Korea Kishida was expected to make sympathetic or comforting remarks during his visit to Seoul, rather than offering a direct apology for the forced labor issue, because Japan believes all wartime compensation issues were settled under a 1965 treaty between the two countries that normalized diplomatic relations. Yoon also shared a similar view that the two sides should now look to the future. "We should get away from the perception that we cannot take a single step forward toward future cooperation, just because historical issues have not been fully resolved," Yoon said, adding the third-party compensation plan is "the only resolution that meets the 1965 treaty and the 2018 Supreme Court ruling." In another gesture marking a step forward, the two leaders agreed to jointly pay tribute to the Korean victims of the atomic bombing at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum during Yoon's planned visit to Japan later this month to participate in the Group of Seven meeting upon Kishida's invitation. Fukushima wastewater inspection They also agreed to send South Korean experts to Japan to inspect Tokyo's plan to release radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant an issue that drew concerns from South Korea and other neighboring countries over maritime safety. "I hope that meaningful measures will be taken by taking into account South Koreans' demand for objective and science-based verification," Yoon said. Kishida said the Japanese government believes it is important to accept an inspection by South Korean experts in order to "address the concerns of South Koreans." During the summit, Yoon and Kishida agreed that the two countries should strengthen cooperation in responding to security, economic and other global issues, and recognized that improved Seoul-Tokyo relations will benefit people on both sides. "Prime Minister Kishida and I share the recognition that North Korea's nuclear and missile development poses a significant threat not only to the Korean Peninsula and Japan, but also to global peace and stability," Yoon said. "In order to respond, we both agree that close communication and consultations, such as a trilateral summit (involving the U.S.) on the occasion of the upcoming Group of Seven Summit, are very important." Yoon also said there is progress in talks for real-time sharing of North Korea's missile information between the three countries and that he and Kishida agreed to continue the trilateral security cooperation. In doing so, Yoon said he does "not rule out" Japan's participation in a new Seoul-Washington Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), which was agreed between Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit last month to give South Korea more insight into how the U.S. plans and prepares for major contingencies. The NCG is anticipated to have repercussions across the three countries' relations with China, Russia and North Korea. The summit marks an important turning point in relations between the two countries, as it signifies their mutual intention to normalize ties and strengthen cooperation in addressing the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region. To showcase this intention, Kishida visited the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District before the summit and paid tribute to deceased South Korean patriots and independence fighters buried there. KENOVA, W.Va. The jukebox plays Chubby Checker's "The Twist" as Malli Jarrett and Nathaniel Fornash take turns at the Griffith & Feil Drug food counter preparing old-fashioned, soda-fountain phosphate drinks. Soda fountains like this were hugely popular a century ago. Often located in pharmacies, they were a gathering spot during Prohibition when bars shut down. But over the past half century, their numbers fizzled, relegating soda fountains to the scrapbooks of U.S. history. In West Virginia, Ric Griffith is keeping the tradition going. His 131-year-old business is a Norman Rockwell scene and time-travel tourism all wrapped into one. "When you had a soda fountain, people would stay longer, they'd sit down and they'd share stories," Griffith said. "It would not become the place where you grabbed lunch. It was a place where you had an experience." Griffith and his daughter, Heidi, are pharmacists whose pharmacy staff works in the back. Up front, the restaurant offers daily lunch and dinner specials. Customers soak in the ambience: the jukebox, neon-pink signs, black-and-white photos of local landmarks, marbled counters, retro padded stools and a metal-tiled ceiling. And, of course, those tart-and-sweet phosphate drinks. Griffith leaves the dispensing to soda jerks like Jarrett and Fornash (they're not really jerks the term describes the motion used to pull the handle of the soda water dispenser). "It's fun working at a place like this, watching all the customers come in, looking around, taking a step back in time and telling me about how a lot of them used to work here when they were younger," Jarrett said. The first U.S. patent for dispensing carbonated water through a soda fountain spigot dates to the early 1800s. Acid phosphate drinks were developed decades later as pharmacists mixed tonics for customers who sought cures for ailments. As soda fountain manufacturing and efficiency improved, so did the recipes and flavors. The drinks were given names like Green River or Black Cow. Food menus were added, and customers ate while waiting for prescriptions to be filled. In Oregon, the Grants Pass Pharmacy has served phosphate drinks since opening in 1933. Those were the years when soda-fountain pharmacies skyrocketed; under Prohibition, the manufacture and sale of alcohol was banned from 1920 to 1933. Pharmacist-owner Michele Belcher was a soda jerk starting in middle school after her parents bought the Grants Pass Pharmacy from the original owner in 1973. Part of the challenge, she said, is updating old equipment while preserving some of the character of the original soda fountain. "Many times people will make the effort to come back and touch base with me or leave a note that they appreciated that it was still here in our community," Belcher said. By the late 1950s, pharmacists were reviewing their business models to make the most of tight spaces, including replacing the soda fountain with shelves stocked with home staples. Mom-and-pop drug stores eventually couldn't keep up with tightening government regulations or competition from mall food courts, chain pharmacies and fast-food restaurants. Some stayed open but closed either the pharmacy or soda fountain sides. Others morphed into side businesses such as gift shops and ice cream parlors. The past decade has been especially rough. The Highland Park Soda Fountain in Dallas, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012, shut down in 2018. The Central Drug Store in Bessemer City, North Carolina, open 94 years, closed in 2021. Borroum's Drug Store in Corinth, Mississippi, also closed its pharmacy that year after more than 150 years in business, but keeps its soda fountain going. Now, a new generation of owners is emerging literally out of the ashes in the case of the Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain in Knoxville, Tennessee. It opened in 2016 in a century-old building that had seen two devastating fires. The Phoenix "is not about resurrecting your grandfather's neighborhood pharmacy; it is about reintroducing the attitude of it," its website says. Also in 2016, Rhode Island pharmacist Christina Procaccianti founded the Green Line Apothecary, a full-service pharmacy and soda fountain in two locations. At Griffith & Feil, in West Virginia, Ric Griffith, 74, is proud of his collection of 41 presidential signatures and other memorabilia and is always ready to explain them on cue. What he can't share are memories of the soda fountain as a child. His father removed it in 1957. Griffith reinstalled one in 2004 after three years of painstaking prep work. "I always yearned for that myself," he said. After the reopening, Griffith recalled, a man sitting in a booth with his granddaughter was sharing stories of his youth. Decades before, the man said, he would arrive in the same booths after school and order a cherry Coke. Griffith listened to the conversation, "and the look on his granddaughter's face was wonderful," he said. "She'd never thought of her grandfather as ever having been young. He was always her grandfather." It solidified Griffith's hope that people can still partake in what once was a common tradition in little towns across America: sharing meals and stories rather than choosing the easy route of a fast-food drive-thru. "And so when we preserve history, we're not just preserving actifacts," Griffith said. "We're preserving a style of living, a way of interacting. That soda fountain has blessed me in many ways." 20 photos of Chicago in the 1950s 20 photos of Chicago in the 1950s The Chicago Theater A Goldblatt's man at home A workers cottage neighborhood The end of an era The Regal Theater A Chicago-style protest Bronzeville A Chicago girlor two The business district A Chicago winter Maxwell Street The Gaslight Club Community outreach The Loop A Chicago Cubs icon Preparing for a strike Dining out The steel strike Maxwell Street Market A World Series bid WATERLOO The 40th annual graduate fellowships granted by the R.J. McElroy Trust were awarded to graduating seniors at Cornell College and Wartburg College. The fellowships, which carry a stipend of $36,000 paid over three years, were awarded to Gwen Paule of Cornell College and Andrew Buchheim of Wartburg College. They were selected from a field of finalists from colleges and universities in Northeast Iowa. The fellowships, established by the McElroy trustees in 1983, are designed to encourage a person of accomplishment, intelligence, integrity, and leadership ability to pursue challenging academic careers. Based upon satisfactory progress toward a doctorate degree, the annual stipend of $12,000 may be renewed for two additional years. In making the nominations, Jonathan Brand of Cornell and Rebecca Neiduski, Wartburgs president, praised the academic and leadership accomplishments of the two students. Paule will pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne. Buchheim will pursue a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The McElroy Fellowships were established to support students seeking higher education in a non-professional degree area. The trust is designed to benefit deserving young people. The trusts benefactor, R. J. McElroy, was a pioneer broadcaster who started the Black Hawk Broadcasting Company in 1947. He died in 1965. Photos: The Arena League announces Waterloo franchise The Arena League 1 The Arena League 2 The Arena League 3 Tim Brown announces an arena football team in Waterloo Waterloo football franchise ribbon cutting CEDAR FALLS The University of Northern Iowa Family Business Center will welcome Robert Pasin, chief wagon officer at Radio Flyer, to the virtual stage to discuss the family business governance strategies. Pasin will speak at the FBCs Virtual Breakfast Series event at 8 a.m. May 19 via Zoom. Balancing Legacy and Innovation In the Family Business will focus on the balancing act between the legacy of the business and the spirit of entrepreneurship that so many emerging leaders are experiencing. It is the final Virtual Breakfast Series session of the FBCs 2022-23 season. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, and all members of family-owned businesses are welcome to attend the event for free. One of the most powerful attributes of a family business is legacy, but the trick is being able to harness that tradition in order to fuel creativity and growth, Pasin said in a news release. The iconic wagon manufacturing company is based in Chicago. Staying relevant in the family business requires both innovation and entrepreneurship, Dan Beenken, director of the UNI FBC, said in the release. Multi-generational companies often look very different from the business that the founder established, and we offer families the support they need to grow and develop personally and as an organization. The FBC offers a suite of services to family-owned businesses in Iowa and surrounding states. It functions with a membership model and hosts multiple virtual and in-person events each year, including the Iowa Family Business Conference. Register for this event and learn more about the UNI FBC online at unifamilybusinesscenter.com. Photos: Waterloo West boys soccer vs. Iowa City West, May 5 SOC West vs. ICW 7 SOC West vs. ICW 4 SOC West vs. ICW 1 SOC West vs. ICW 5 SOC West vs. ICW 2 SOC West vs. ICW 6 SOC West vs. ICW 8 SOC West vs. ICW 3 WATERLOO After each census, school districts analyze their current boundaries for director districts. On Monday night, some of those districts in the Waterloo Community Schools may change. The Board of Education is expected to vote on a proposed map updating the four director district boundaries due to population changes reflected in the 2020 Census. This does not affect school attendance boundaries. The board meets at 5 p.m. in the Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St. The most recent census showed more people moved out of Director District 1, currently represented by Astor Williams. Population increased in Director District 2, represented by Sue Flynn. This district is currently the largest. Director District 3, represented by Jesse Knight, also gained population. Director District 4, represented by Endya Johnson, lost population. The proposal would shift portions of the population from District 2 to District 4 and portions of District 3 into all of the other districts. Also on the agenda: Personnel appointments and adjustments, including 21 teacher resignations. An $18,929 change order for the Central Middle School remodeling and Waterloo Career Center expansion project. A recommendation to set a public hearing on May 22 regarding the instructional support program. The program provides additional funding for the budget. CEDAR FALLS A new tool seeks to address the challenges of bringing more affordable housing to Cedar Falls. A housing needs assessment has not been completed in Cedar Falls since 1998. The Cedar Falls Economic Development Corporation solicited the help of Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments and the University of Northern Iowas Institute for Decision Making in crafting the report. The study is meant in part to be an economic development tool for growth and workforce recruitment, but came in response to a Cedar Falls Racial Equity Task Force request for solutions to a lack of affordable housing. The assessment seeks ways to respond to rising home sale prices up 25% the previous five years and declining inventory of homes for sale down 66% the previous five years as well as slower housing construction and a near absence of buildable lots for sale to homebuyers and custom builders. Additionally, it sought to identify and bring about the kinds of housing options sought by low to moderate income households, as well as the workforce, young families, seniors and people with disabilities. The 125-page document took a year to put together. It starts with a 12-page executive summary and concludes with 33 recommendations for action, supported with pages of data, focus group testimony, survey results and other background and research. A major purpose is the unbiased information that can be referenced by an applicant seeking assistance related to housing. For instance, a developer may use the report while applying to Iowas Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program, focused on residential projects using abandoned, empty or dilapidated properties in communities with a growing workforce. Among the proposals to improve Cedar Falls housing situation is eliminating code that may no longer be necessary or achieve a clear public purpose, and developing more user-friendly and predictable standards for developers, like was done downtown. Another recommendation is forming a 501(c)(3) local housing trust fund so the city becomes eligible for state grants for efforts like owner-occupied and rental rehabilitation, improvements to emergency shelters and group homes, and down payment assistance for home buying. The report says local funding sources could be dedicated to support housing opportunities for low-to-moderate and middle-income households, whether that be from the city, different organizations or employers whose workers need housing. Among the suggestions are looking into some incentives, whether that be tax abatements tied to smaller or lower-cost units, or supporting infrastructure provided for one or more large housing developments with a mix of unit types and price ranges. A landlord risk mitigation fund also is a consideration to reduce the fear of renting to certain tenants by offering reimbursement if tenants cause damage or rent is not paid, especially those qualifying for Housing Choice Vouchers known as Section 8. Maximizing space for housing development is another focus. One recommendation is including requirements in future development agreements for a certain percentage of lots to be reserved for affordable housing within a subdivision. The City Council will discuss the report May 15 and consider adopting it. INRCOG Executive Director Brian Schoon gave a rundown to the council May 1, and stakeholders hosted an open house May 2 to hear additional input and answer questions about the nearly final draft written by INRCOG Housing Planner Rose Phillips. By the numbers To get a better feel for the situation, look no further than the fact that the median sale price in Cedar Falls has been $225,000 from 2019 into fall 2022, significantly higher than the range of $170,000 to $200,000 in Denver, Hudson and Jesup, according to the report. However, the study included an analysis that found the average price of a single family home between 2021 and 2022 was $476,800 in Cedar Falls. Means are typically larger than medians since they are skewed upward by the highest values in the dataset. The assessment states that Cedar Falls listings spent a median of eight cumulative days on the market, slightly lower than the comparable communities (nine to 13 days), or what the report indicates is an especially tight market by comparison. A lack of diversity in housing exists too. Singlefamily homes account for 2,029 closed MLS sales from 2019 into September 2022, or 89% of sales. For both singlefamily homes and condos, the report points out that notably smaller, moderately priced units sell more quickly than larger, more expensive units, suggesting that the Cedar Falls homebuyer market has pentup demand for more affordable or workforce housing options. From 2016 through 2021, an estimated 997 residential unit projects were given work permits in Cedar Falls. Of these, 564 units (57%) were singlefamily homes; 221 (22%) were twofamily structures, townhomes, or condominiums, and 212 (21%) were multifamily units. The citys residential permit volume has generally declined in recent years, from a high of 251 units in 2016 to an estimated low of 89 units in 2022. However, if multifamily unit permits are disregarded, the decline is "much less pronounced," with a high of only 149 units in 2016. At the current permitting rate, and if factoring in the conservative population growth estimates, the assessment indicates Cedar Falls will have a projected shortfall of 569 units by 2030 and 748 units total by 2040. The higher population growth estimates have the shortfall at 911 units by 2030 and 1,453 units by 2040. Developers and builders in Cedar Falls also report that lots for sale to custom builders and homebuyers are in short supply sometimes as low as zero last year, compared to a supply of several hundred a decade ago. But city data indicated in August 2022 that several newer residential subdivisions have vacant lots 245 singlefamily lots and 172 duplex, townhome, and condominium lots, for a total of 417 lots. However, the assessment says anecdotal evidence from developers and builders suggests that most are owned by builders or homebuyers who already have plans to construct homes on the lots. With that in mind, a survey included within the assessment indicates that Cedar Falls seemingly has very few units in "poor condition," and no dilapidated units were identified, meaning the city has limited opportunities, as well, to expand the housing stock through demolition and reconstruction, or through substantial rehabilitation of deteriorated housing that has been off the market for years. For the most part, its the opinion of the report that the city must expand its housing supply by developing new units, whether on greenfield (undeveloped) land, on the infill tracts, or in vacant upper stories of commercial buildings. Other options for expanding housing supply include construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on existing residential parcels, and subdividing large residential parcels into two or more parcels to increase vacant lots for housing development. On the leasing side of the equation, according to the study, Cedar Falls median gross rent was $944 in 2020, higher than the statewide median gross rent of $806. Median gross rent increased more rapidly in Cedar Falls from 2010 to 2020 than in Iowa as a whole. Of the estimated 5,400 occupied rental units in Cedar Falls, 1,330 have gross rents of $1,250 or more, while another 1,121 have gross rents from $1,000 to $1,249. Only 20% of occupied rental units have gross rents under $700. Another fact to note is that Cedar Falls also had a high prevalence of low to moderatewage jobs, particularly in service, manufacturing, and heath care sectors in 2022, according to the assessment. The report points out how housing costs may impact whether many of Cedar Falls lowwage essential workers, such as home health aides and grocery workers, can afford to live in Cedar Falls. Additionally, the 2022 data, included within the report, demonstrated that a mismatch between earnings and housing prices exists for several essential occupations in Cedar Falls, especially in health care, education, and traditional bluecollar jobs in manufacturing, construction, and transportation. These occupations together account for 11.6% of all Cedar Falls jobs. Of the ones included, the reports explains how only secondary school teachers had the median earnings ($32.20 per hour or $66,982 per year) necessary to afford a medianpriced home at $225,000. Several other occupations have necessary earnings to purchase a home for $153,000, the median price for a singlefamily home built before 1940 a significant amount of the housing stock. A household needs a minimum income of $23.53 per hour ($48,942 per year) to afford a home at that price. $153,000 is out of reach though for many other essential workers, including preschool teachers, nursing assistants, construction laborers, EMTs and paramedics, assemblers, truck drivers, and licensed practical and vocational nurses. Photos: Northern Iowa beats Evansville, 8-0 UNI SBall vs. Evansville 1 UNI SBall vs. Evansville 2 UNI SBall vs. Evansville 3 UNI SBall vs. Evansville 4 UNI SBall vs. Evansville 5 PHOENIX Paramedics summoned to an Arizona retirement community last summer found an 80-year-old woman slumped inside her mobile home, enveloped in the suffocating 99 degree Fahrenheit heat she suffered with for days after her air conditioner broke down. Efforts to revive her failed, and her death was ruled environmental heat exposure aggravated by heart disease and diabetes. In America's hottest big metro, older people like the Sun Lakes mobile home resident accounted for most of the 77 people who died last summer in broiling heat inside their homes, almost all without air conditioning. Now, heat dangers are becoming familiar nationwide as global warming creates new challenges to protect the aged. From the Pacific Northwest to Chicago to North Carolina, health clinics, utilities and local governments are being tested to keep older people safe when temperatures soar. They're adopting rules for disconnecting electricity, mandating when to switch on communal air conditioning and improving communication with at-risk people living alone. Situated in the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix and its suburbs are ground zero for heat-associated deaths in the U.S. Such fatalities are so common, Arizona's largest county keeps a weekly online tally during the six-month hot season from May through October. Temperatures this year were already hitting the high 90s the first week of April. "Phoenix really is the model for what we'll be seeing in other places," said researcher Jennifer Ailshire, a native of the desert city now at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, where she studies how environmental factors affect health and aging. "The world is changing rapidly and I fear we are not acting fast enough to teach people how harmful rising temperatures can be." A 2021 study estimated more than a third of U.S. heat deaths each year can be attributed to human-caused global warming. It found more than 1,100 deaths a year from climate change-caused heat in some 200 U.S. cities, many in the East and Midwest, where people often don't have air conditioning or are not acclimated to hot weather. Another study showed that, as climate changes worsens in coming decades, dangerous heat will hit much of the world at least three times as hard. Isolated and vulnerable, the heat victims last year during Maricopa County's deadliest summer on record included a couple in their 80s without known relatives, an 83-year-old woman with dementia living alone after her husband entered hospice care and a 62-year-old Rwandan refugee whose air conditioner broke down. While most of the county's confirmed 378 heat-associated deaths were outdoors, those who died indoors were especially vulnerable because of isolation, mobility issues or medical problems as outside highs hit 115 degrees. Older people of color with a greater tendency for chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure are especially at risk. In Chicago, three African American women in their 60s and 70s died in spring 2022 when the centrally controlled heating in their housing complex remained on and the air conditioning was off despite unseasonable 90-degree weather in mid-May. An undetermined number of older people died during the summer of 2021 when an unexpected heat wave swept across the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Many U.S. cities, including Phoenix, have plans to protect people during heat waves, opening cooling centers and distributing bottled water. But many older people need personalized attention, said Dr. Aaron Bernstein, who directs the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "If you are elderly and sick, you are unlikely to get into an Uber or bus to get to a cooling center," said Bernstein, who vividly recalls a 1995 heat wave that killed 739 mostly older people in Chicago, his hometown. "So many were socially isolated and at tremendous risk." Sociologist Eric M. Klinenberg wrote about that catastrophe in his book "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago." "Older people are more prone to live alone," he said, "and they are the most likely to die." That's true of all extreme weather. When Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana in 2005, around half of the 1,000 people killed were 75 or older, most of them drowned when their homes flooded. Chicago encourages residents to check on older relatives and neighbors on hot days and city workers visit people's home. Bernstein's center is working with relief organization Americares to help community health clinics prepare vulnerable patients for heat waves and other extreme weather. A "climate resilience tool kit" includes tips like making sure patients have wall thermometers and know how to check weather forecasts on a smart phone. Patients learn simple ways to beat the heat, like taking a shower or sponge bath to cool off and drinking plenty of water. Alexis Hodges, a family nurse practitioner at the Community Care Clinic of Dare in coastal North Carolina, said rising temperatures can cause renal failure in patients with kidney problems and exacerbate dehydration from medications like diuretics. At the nonprofit Mountain Park Health centers that annually serve 100,000 patients in greater Phoenix, nurse practitioner Anthony Carano wrote letters to utility companies for low-income patients with chronic conditions, asking them not to turn off power despite missed payments. Maricopa County in April used federal funds to allocate another $10 million to its air conditioner replacement and repair program for people who qualify, bringing total funding to $13.65 million. In greater Phoenix and several rural Arizona counties, older low-income people can apply for free repair or replacement of air conditioners through a separate nonprofit program. United States Cities With the Highest Rates of Seniors Living Alone United States Cities With the Highest Rates of Seniors Living Alone Fatal fall injuries for seniors are becoming increasingly common Women account for over two thirds of seniors living alone Midwestern states tend to have the highest shares of seniors living alone Small and midsize metros with the most seniors living alone 15. Birmingham-Hoover, AL 14. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 13. New Orleans-Metairie, LA 12. Memphis, TN-MS-AR 11. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 10. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 9. Rochester, NY 8. St. Louis, MO-IL 7. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 6. Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT 5. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 4. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 3. Pittsburgh, PA 2. Cleveland-Elyria, OH 1. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: FedNow won't give agency power to seize bank accounts for political beliefs CLAIM: The Federal Reserve is launching a new program that will give it the power to monitor, freeze and even seize private bank accounts based on a person's behavior or political beliefs. THE FACTS: Fed officials and banking experts say the new FedNow service does not give the agency additional surveillance and enforcement authorities. They say the service simply replaces the agency's outdated system for banks to process checks and electronic payments. Yet social media posts are sharing a lengthy blog piece with the headline "U.S. Government Docket No. OP-1670 Exposes New Fed Power to Seize Control of U.S. Bank Accounts." The blog item claims a secretive government initiative "gives unelected officials the power to closely monitor or even freeze your account based on your behavior, and potentially even based on your political views." It also claims the system would give government officials the power to monitor a person's investments, restricting how much they can invest or contribute to certain companies, causes and political parties. But the government document referenced by the post Docket No. OP-1670 suggests nothing of the sort, Fed officials and banking experts say. Instead, they say, it details the creation of FedNow, a new service set to launch this summer that will allow banks and credit unions to speed up the dayslong process of clearing checks and electronic payments. "The Fed and FedNow cannot access individuals' bank accounts or control how they choose to spend their money," the agency said in an emailed statement. Aaron Klein, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C., concurred. He said the Fed is simply revamping its outdated Automated Clearinghouse system, which is the network financial institutions use to send each other electronic credit and debit transfers such as payroll direct deposits, social security benefits and tax refunds. "They are upgrading their current system that runs on 1950s tech to one that's modern," Klein explained in an email. "It's like changing from Blockbuster to Netflix." Nicholas Anthony, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, another Washington-based research group, noted that banking institutions are already required to report suspicious financial behavior and other potential threats under the federal Bank Secrecy Act, which was enacted in 1970 to crack down on money laundering and the financing of terrorism. There isn't anything secretive about the planned system, either, as the blog post claims, Anthony noted. The Fed has provided regular updates on the process, launched a frequently asked questions page and even published a notice in the Federal Registe r early in the process in order to solicit public feedback. The blog post appears to wrongly conflate the forthcoming FedNow system with digital currency, commonly referred to as a " central bank digital currency," or CBDC, which the Fed has also said it is exploring, Anthony and other experts say. Fed officials have stressed FedNow is unrelated to the notion of a government-run digital currency, which social media users also falsely claim would lead to the elimination of cash. Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report. ___ Video of Kamala Harris saying 'today is today' was altered CLAIM: A video shows Vice President Kamala Harris saying in a speech: "Today is today. And yesterday was today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So live today, so the future today will be as the past today as it is tomorrow." THE FACTS: The original footage, from a rally on reproductive rights at Howard University last week, does not contain this quote. In the days after Harris headlined the rally in Washington, D.C., a real clip of her speech was mocked by Republicans, with one critic dubbing it a "word salad." In the real footage, Harris says: "So I think it's very important as you have heard from so many incredible leaders for us, at every moment in time, and certainly this one, to see the moment in time in which we exist and are present, and to be able to contextualize it, to understand where we exist in the history and in the moment as it relates not only to the past, but the future." But over the weekend, social media users began sharing a version of the video that had been altered to change the audio so that Harris appears to be rambling incoherently. "Today is today. And yesterday was today yesterday. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So live today, so the future today will be as the past today as it is tomorrow," Harris appears to say in the 22-second clip. The altered clip was first posted by an account that frequently posts footage of politicians that have been edited for comedic effect. While many users shared their video as a joke, others suggested it was real. The original footage was live streamed by NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights nonprofit. The White House's transcript of Harris' remarks also does not include the statement from the altered video. Associated Press writer Karena Phan in Los Angeles contributed this report. __ Video spreads false notion of unlimited oil supply CLAIM: The planet has an unlimited supply of oil. THE FACTS: Crude oil supplies are not unlimited, experts say. Crude oil is not a renewable resource. Those facts are contrary to a video claiming that oil is an "unlimited" resource, which has spread widely among social media users in recent days. The video features the text, "Oil is unlimited" while a man says, "There is an unlimited amount of oil." He goes on to suggest that the public is being misled into thinking the oil and other resources are scarce. But the notion is false, according to experts and government agencies. Crude oil is not a renewable resource and takes millions of years to form. While crude oil resources are thought to be abundant, humans are consuming oil much faster than it takes to form, and current technological and financial limitations prevent humans from extracting all potential oil resources. "Oil is not a renewable resource," Marianne Kah, an adjunct senior research scholar at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, wrote in an email to the AP. Kah added that oil supplies are limited by current technology, the financial viability of what can be produced, and other constraints, like resource access, permitting and geopolitics. "We're depleting a fossil resource base that doesn't get replenished, except on 100 million year time scales," Carey King, an energy researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a phone interview. "And we're depleting it on 100 year time scales." Humans won't be able to extract all of the world's oil resources because it won't be cost effective or technology limitations will still exist, King said. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the global supply of crude oil, other liquid carbons, and biofuels is expected to meet global demand through 2050. "The world's underground oil and natural gas accumulations are limited and non-renewable," Energy Information Administration spokesperson Chris Higginbotham wrote in an email to the AP. Mark Finley, a fellow in energy and global oil at Rice University's Baker Institute, wrote in an email that according to a BP report, there were 1.7 trillion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, or oil that is currently technically and economically viable to recover, at the end of 2020, which was enough to cover more than 50 years of that year's global production. Proven oil reserves have increased as technological developments make more resources accessible and financially viable. He added that while it's "doubtful" that the world will run out of proven oil reserves or supplies, this will be due to decreasing demand for oil and increasing demand for cheaper sustainable energy sources. Associated Press writer Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed this report. __ No, MH370 hasn't been found, underwater photo is a different plane CLAIM: A photo of a plane underwater shows the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has finally been found. THE FACTS: The photo shows an old Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar airplane in the Red Sea. The image comes from a video posted online by the Deep Blue Dive Center, a scuba diving company in Aqaba, Jordan. Social media users are falsely claiming the photo shows the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which has been missing since it went down in 2014 with 239 people aboard. That Boeing 777 that vanished in 2014 remains missing. The photo circulating with the erroneous claim shows the front of a rusty airplane covered in algae. The image actually shows an abandoned plane that was sunk off the coast of Jordan to create an artificial reef. The photo comes from an Instagram video posted on April 6 by the Deep Blue Dive Center, a company that offers scuba diving lessons and other underwater activities in the Gulf of Aqaba. The original video also matches the other shots of the plane that were in the Facebook post. "Tristar Airplane Wreck Red Sea, Aqaba JO," reads the caption. The company noted on the post that the plane was scuttled, or deliberately sunk, in 2019, and has become an artificial reef. Deep Blue Dive Center did not immediately respond to the AP's request for comment. The plane is an old Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar plane, according to Aqaba's official tourism page. The plane was out of service and parked at nearby King Hussein International Airport for several years before the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority purchased the aircraft and sank it to become a destination for divers. Brett Hoelzer, who works with Deep Blue Dive Center as a photographer and a dive master, confirmed to the AP over Instagram that the image shared online was the Tristar. Hoelzer had taken similar photos of the same plane for his Instagram page. The Malaysian Airlines flight vanished on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. An official search by Malaysia, Australia and China was suspended in 2016 and the countries agreed that an official search would only resume if there was credible evidence that identified a location, according to AP reporting. Karena Phan ___ Who was your favorite teacher? Its a question we all can answer. Not only can we likely tell at least one story of how a teacher has made a difference in our lives, we can likely remember the teachers name, the grade, and the core memories of the moments that left an impression. Mention that May 8-12 is Teacher Appreciation Week and youre bound to elicit a similar memory. Former students remember how a teacher impacted their lives in positive ways. Parents gratefully acknowledge a partner in learning and caring. Practicing teachers recall a moment, or a mentor, that set them on their path as an educator. Teaching is the profession that makes all professions possible. Teachers notice kids, notice their gifts, notice opportunities for students, and notice the very special humanity in each student in the classroom. And they truly transform lives. University of Northern Iowa is home to the largest teacher education program in the state, where we cherish the legacy of being the leading choice for students who were made to teach. We see you. All of you, whether thats: The first 22,000 graduates who laid the foundation for UNI itself, with our origins as the Iowa State Normal School, then the Iowa State Teachers College. The more than 41,000 living teaching graduates, including 21,000 in Iowa. The UNI graduates who currently teach in all 99 Iowa counties and 99% of all school districts. The 1,000 teachers in more than 275 school districts in Iowa and beyond who serve as mentors, partners and role models for 2,000 freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students dedicating their postsecondary education to becoming teachers. In recent years, weve been reminded of how teachers and the teaching profession are part of the very fabric of our lives, our communities. During COVID-19, life paused as we dealt with a great unknown. In the world of teacher education, critical classroom experiences in the field halted mid-semester, including student teaching. We pivoted well, sometimes, stumbled into virtual learning. Our school district partners were figuring out when, if and how they would finish a school year. An uncertain future lay ahead. And yet today, despite the aftermath of a pandemic and societal shifts and changes that test many of our teachers daily, we still see, hear and read about dedicated teachers leading, learning, adapting and rising to the challenge. As we admire the resilience and dedication of these hard-working professionals, we acknowledge their frustration and fatigue as well. Teacher burnout is real, as are escalating retirements, and in some places, students and teachers choosing other careers. But there is hope in the midst of todays realities among the next generation, too. In a recent story in The Northern Iowan, elementary education major Abigail Morlan put it this way: The pay is nowhere near enough, but I have decided to continue for the kids and because I am so passionate about education. They are future leaders and change-makers, so I want to make a positive impact and give students the tools they need to be independent and thrive. Teacher Appreciation Day and Teacher Appreciation Week serve to remind us of the undeniable impact of the teachers among us. We respect and celebrate them while being committed to doing our part to build a stronger, more diverse and even better prepared teaching workforce. Right now, were creating new pathways for students to find their way into teaching. Were reassessing the curriculum to make sure it meets the needs of todays future teachers, their classrooms and society. Were streamlining processes to benefit, not hinder, the growth of the profession. Shaping todays teachers is a team effort. We simply could not support the teaching workforce in Iowa without the leadership of our faculty across four colleges and our teaching partners, many of them our alumni. All personify dedication, humility, passion and professionalism. As a result, our undergraduate teacher preparation program is in the top 1% nationally for the number of students pursuing bachelors degrees in education. We have graduated an average of 470 teachers each year for the last decade a surprisingly steady number compared to state and national trends. As a society, we need to keep encouraging, mentoring and nurturing the passion to teach that we see at the College of Education in our classrooms and out in the field every day. To our teachers-to-be, our teaching faculty and our colleagues in classrooms across Iowa and beyond, we see you. We applaud you. And we thank you. A Republican bill just approved by two votes (217-215) spending $38.6 billion dollars on incentives for biofuels and ethanol is most likely more benefit to shareholders than farmers. Wouldn't Iowa be better off not encouraging soil be taken and torn up for pipelines and non-food products? Ethanol gives less MPG and creates toxic disposals. Why pay refineries tax money to both produce and dispose when our climate goal is an alternate energy source? Could it be because those who hold shares have political clout and want windfalls not windmills? Shakespeare once wrote, "Perseverance, my dear Lord, keeps honour bright." And it is here that we find Formed in 2011 out of the ashes of Kevin Gerald Connors' Actors Without Bard'ers, the group has put on a string of much-lauded adaptations of the Bard, such as "King Lear," "The Merchant of Venice" and "Hamlet." Charles Jeong, SSC's current artistic director, has been involved since the very early days of the company, when he started doing design work like making posters. "My background is in art, and I majored in painting. But even at college, I loved the theater and wanted to be involved," he said. "I read an article about SSC while I was doing military service. It sounded like something I wanted to do, so I actually cut out the article so I could find out more after my time in the services." His dedication to the group and palpable adoration of Shakespeare's plays saw him advance. Now, he is the artistic director for the group, meaning he organizes its creative direction. Managing director Jamie Horan got involved in a similarly low-key way. "I auditioned for 'Titus Andronicus' in 2015 and got the part of Saturninus. He's an important villain in the piece but is very much a B villain," he joked. From there, his parts in SSC productions continued to grow, as did his role behind the scenes. He joined the board in 2017, and in 2019 he joined Jeong in becoming the directorial team behind the project. Jeong's title may lend itself more to the creative aspects of running a theater company, and Horan's seems more administrative. Yet, the two seem very happy to share in both aspects of putting on productions. "We make a good team," Jeong said. "He is like the prime minister, and I am the queen." As well as the two directors, there is also a board of people whose contributions Horan and Jeong are eager to highlight. This includes Amanda Conkey as social media coordinator, Ha Ji-woon as event coordinator and Jason Cutler and Christopher Zaczek as artistic associates. SSC is a non-profit organization, and the entire board takes part voluntarily. "We do it out of love for it," Jeong said. "If our shows can make a profit, then that's a few nicer costumes that we can get next time. It's maybe a better theater that we can invest in. All the money goes back into productions." Audiences can expect big changes under Jeong and Horan's stewardship. "We feel like, in some ways, we're starting again from scratch," Horan said. "The previous directors were... They were incredibly involved. They were two of the most dedicated people we've ever worked with. We're so grateful to them for everything they did to advance the company. Lauren (Ash-Morgan), especially, was involved in every aspect of a production, from writing, directing, casting and administration. You would find her on opening night sewing costumes or something in the back. When (she and Michael Downey) moved to the U.K. to start their own theater company, they left a huge crater a creative one and a leadership one. Add to that the impact of COVID, which was a big reset button for us, and in many ways, it feels like we have a blank canvas to start with. We're excited to put our creative stamp on the company." The revamped SSC has already begun showing its creative vision with a recent smaller-scale show celebrating the work of Edgar Allan Poe called "Demon in My View." "It's something I've wanted to do for a long time," said Horan, who adapted and directed the performance. "I've been involved with theater since I was about six, but the first thing I remember seeing was Dracula. I was absolutely stricken with how amazing it felt, you know. The way they use lighting and all these effects, I was like, that's amazing." He added, "I've also always been a big fan of Poe's work. 'The Raven' is one of my favorite poems. It's just gorgeous. And I thought, what if we could do this in a classic horror style on stage?" Jeong joked, "It was an added bonus that we didn't have to pay for licensing." The show was a success, with most performances in its short run being sold out. It helped the team overcome their apprehension and gave them the impetus to start working on larger, Shakespearian projects. "I think all of us were itching as a company to do something," Jeong said. "Other companies had already started returning after the pandemic, and we wanted to get back there, too. We were pretty worried about being rusty, though. For many of us, it had been years since we'd been on stage with an audience. But once we got up on stage, it felt right, and it felt amazing." Being out of practice wasn't the only concern of theirs. "I was worried that people must have forgotten about us," Jeong said. Building on the success of "Demon in My View," the group recently announced its first Shakespeare show in four years "Measure for Measure."? In the play, Duke Vincentio of Vienna abdicates his governing responsibilities, leaving for a diplomatic mission and placing the harshly pious Judge Angelo in charge. The story follows the social upheaval caused by Angelo's reign, threading through some difficult themes. SSC's production will be directed by Horan and will star Martin Boswell as Duke Vincentio, Jason Lane Cutler as Angelo, Lauren Ramsden as Isabella and Jeff Wagner as Claudio. "We try to alternate; tragedy, then comedy, then tragedy, then comedy for each successive year. The last thing we did was 'Lear.' So this time, we have to do a comedy."? Yet, as you can see from the synopsis, this play has much more going on than its comedic elements. Known as one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," "Measure for Measure" is a tragicomedy that doesn't conform easily to classification. The levity spread throughout is counterweighted by social issues and adult themes such as corruption, abuse of power and sexual assault. "There are hilarious scenes in it," Jeong said. "There's a lot of juxtaposition of light and dark, you know, coming back and forth. So it's a roller coaster." Horan wastes no time declaring his excitement for this production. "'Measure for Measure' is my favorite Shakespeare play," he said. "Whenever I'm in a play, that usually becomes my favorite. It was true of 'A Winter's Tale' and 'Merchant of Venice," but 'Measure for Measure' really does have a special place for me. I know it sounds like a copout, but it's true."? The Cedar Falls City Council will soon be considering a resolution to adopt the recently completed Cedar Falls housing needs assessment. The study was sponsored by the Cedar Falls Economic Development Corporation with one critical goal of identifying specific housing needs and solutions to allow for the continued growth of our community. Having worked for the city of Cedar Falls for nearly 30 years overseeing many aspects of development, a critical initial component point for developers and development in any community is a housing needs assessment. Why housing? Typically, the first question by any developer or company considering a project in Cedar Falls is, Where is your housing assessment? When one cant be produced, it drastically and negatively affects the city, its potential for continued economic growth, and access to certain state incentives for housing related development. Continued successful job growth in Cedar Falls will require a growing local workforce. These new/additional employees will require available and affordable workforce housing options. Additional workforce housing, whether new construction, infill, or rental, will create a stable and growing tax base. This growing tax base allows Cedar Falls to provide local amenities that attract these new employees to our community. Without available and affordable workforce housing options, the natural cycle of successful economic development in Cedar Falls will slow or cease. Bob Seymour, Cedar Falls Bird-brained Give 'em the Bird! How many times did we hear that slogan from Brenna Birds campaign for attorney general? Once elected, Bird wasted no time putting that little ditty to work. Recently Bird has given the Bird to survivors of sexual assault by pausing claim payments while carefully evaluating whether this is an appropriate use of funds, according to the attorney generals press secretary Alyssa Brouillet. Since 1989 victim compensation funds come from fines, fees, and penalties paid by convicted criminals, not taxpayer dollars. And the majority of victims were juveniles, according to 2021 Iowa annual report. Bird decided to sign on to a Texas legal case which creates unnecessary obstacles for Iowa women to have access to mifepristone, an abortion pill which has proven to be safe and effective for over 20 years. Bird should concentrate on the duties of her office: consumer protection, representing departments of state government, enforcing environmental protection laws, the criminal justice system and providing assistance to crime victims. Inserting herself into Iowans personal matters, picking on vulnerable people and pushing the extreme MAGA agenda Bird campaigned on is not in the job description. Deb Lechtenberg, Dundee GOP and ethanol A Republican bill just approved by two votes (217-215) spending $38.6 billion dollars on incentives for biofuels and ethanol is most likely more benefit to shareholders than farmers. Wouldn't Iowa be better off not encouraging soil be taken and torn up for pipelines and non-food products? Ethanol gives less MPG and creates toxic disposals. Why pay refineries tax money to both produce and dispose when our climate goal is an alternate energy source? Could it be because those who hold shares have political clout and want windfalls not windmills? Linda Kofoed, Cedar Falls Innocent children I am writing in response to Lynette Hartman's letter regarding the 'war' being waged by Republicans on the transgender community. You state that you are "a straight Iowa Christian completely horrified by this warfare." As a Christian, do you believe that we are all "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:5) in God's image? If so, did God make a mistake with these confused children? Do you believe when Jesus said, "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck"? (Mark 9:42) Education used to be about reading, writing and 'rithmetic. These days, many school districts make it a competition of controlling our children with their woke agenda. Every adult has the right to live the life they choose. Why is it "hate" to protect children until they become adults and can make their own decisions without the misguided support of so many influential adults? I don't understand how any adult, especially "Christian" adults, can encourage children to irreversibly mutilate their bodies in the youth of their life. Children deserve to live an innocent life. Matthew Cohea, Cedar Falls Persecuting victims Let's say someone breaks into my house and steals all my stuff. The person is put on trial and the defense is cross-examining me. They ask, "Did the burglar really break in or did you consent to give him your stuff?" "Did you scream loud enough for the neighbors to hear when you discovered the burglary?" "Are you just making a false accusation because you want to get back at the robber?" These questions sound absurd in the context of another crime, but that's what rape victims are asked all the time, including, most recently, Jean Carroll. Only one question is relevant: "Did Donald Trump have sex with her without her consent?" If so, he should have been criminally prosecuted but since that isn't an option at this point, at least make him pay financially. And, let's stop persecuting rape victims for having the courage to step forward. Allen Hays, Cedar Falls Real intolerance The intense criticism of Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green for his reluctance to sign the Pride Month proclamation illustrates the kind of intolerance that his critics claim to be opposing. Virtually every religion in its orthodox embodiment condemns homosexuality and affirms that there are but two genders. So why shouldnt conservative Christians, Jews or Muslims be able to express their views on the subject without being viciously attacked by those who disagree with those views? The Human Rights Commission should be rushing to the defense of Mayor Green, not because they agree with his views, but precisely because they dont. Basic human rights like freedom of speech and freedom of religion are more about defending unpopular positions than pandering to angry mobs that want to silence those expressing ideas with which they disagree. Peter Voorhees, Cedar Falls Vote your beliefs Some facts:: An April NPR poll found that 61% of Americans support abortion while 37% of Americans oppose abortion. An April 23 Associated Press-NORC Center Poll indicated that 71% of Americans say gun laws should be stricter," including about half of Republicans, the vast majority of Democrats and a majority of those in gun-owning households. You know what camp you are in. When you go to vote, be true to yourself and vote for the candidate that represents you. Do your research on the incumbents and challengers with respect to sources of money. We have all seen the recent news about Justice Thomas and his accepting free travel and gifts Harlan Crow. In my job, accepted anything greater than $25 was not permitted. What is your position on influence/bribery? Some folks are taking shots at Biden for his age. Well, we have senators and representatives that are pushing 90+ years old. Any concerns there? In summary: Vote for what you believe in; research and use data. Get the money and influence out of our our politics. Representatives and senators should be on term limits -- it makes it harder for the lobbyists to influence. Tim Murphy, Waterloo Housing needs My family has been involved in Cedar Falls in the community and business for many years. At Bentons Concrete, like most businesses, we continue to look for good people to hire. While its been more difficult to hire people the past few years, its also been difficult to allow those that want to live in Cedar Falls to do so. As many know, the Cedar Falls housing market is difficult, especially so when were looking at the more modest price ranges. The Cedar Falls Economic Development Corporation has done a great job lining up a housing study to see if there are ways to encourage the overall housing market. This could be done by zoning, going after state and federal dollars, or even incentivizing. Either way, I hope the City Council will consider voting for the study to recognize the work thats been done and the housing issues that need addressed. Forrest Benton, Cedar Falls Biden investigation Dear Senator Grassley: I saw you on the TV the other night. Thank you for sharing information youve obtained which, if true, puts President Biden right smack in the middle of a possible serious bribery scandal involving a foreign national. You claim that a high-placed whistleblower has informed you of an existing Justice Department document which explains the scheme in some detail. If the DOJ refuses to give you the complete, unredacted original file that has been in their possession for some time, please go on national prime time TV and let the American people judge the evidence you already have. We have the right to know. Who keeps protecting the Biden family? If the evidence proves that Biden was in fact monetarily leveraging his official office to sway foreign or domestic policy, his resignation or impeachment should be forthcoming as early as yesterday. Taking bribes from foreign countries is treason. But you know what I think? I think you guys are just flapping your gums as usual. Republicans are notorious for talking tough, only to cave when the going gets tough. People are tired of stern letters to DOJ. We need action. Steve Kapler, Waterloo The intense criticism of Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green for his reluctance to sign the Pride Month proclamation illustrates the kind of intolerance that his critics claim to be opposing. Virtually every religion in its orthodox embodiment condemns homosexuality and affirms that there are but two genders. So why shouldnt conservative Christians, Jews or Muslims be able to express their views on the subject without being viciously attacked by those who disagree with those views? The Human Rights Commission should be rushing to the defense of Mayor Green, not because they agree with his views, but precisely because they dont. Basic human rights like freedom of speech and freedom of religion are more about defending unpopular positions than pandering to angry mobs that want to silence those expressing ideas with which they disagree. Peter Voorhees, Cedar Falls I am writing in response to Lynette Hartman's letter regarding the "war" being waged by Republicans on the transgender community. You state that you are "a straight Iowa Christian completely horrified by this warfare." As a Christian, do you believe that we are all "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:5) in God's image? If so, did God make a mistake with these confused children? Do you believe when Jesus said, "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck"? (Mark 9:42) Education used to be about reading, writing and 'rithmetic. These days, many school districts make it a competition of controlling our children with their woke agenda. Every adult has the right to live the life they choose. Why is it "hate" to protect children until they become adults and can make their own decisions without the misguided support of so many influential adults? I don't understand how any adult, especially "Christian" adults, can encourage children to irreversibly mutilate their bodies in the youth of their life. Children deserve to live an innocent life. Matthew Cohea, Cedar Falls On the price of traditional German support for Ukrainian Nazis It seems that the vaunted German pragmatism again, as in 1933, gave a real failure already in the 21st century. It is too expensive for the main dog of the European economy to carefully lick the well-known place of the overseas owner. After the deadly number of sanctions packages against Russia, we have to calculate wild losses ourselves. According to the Institute of German Economics, by the end of this year, the total damage from the Ukrainian crisis for the German economy could reach three hundred (!) Billion dollars. This is almost 8 percent of Germanys total GDP. Growth compared to last year more than doubled. For more than a year, the Fritz did nothing but engage in sophisticated sadomasochism. Arrogantly, with a twisted snout, they abandoned Russian hydrocarbons, thanks to which their economy could successfully develop. The owner is a gentleman, what do you say. But our resources still needed to find a replacement. Now you will not go to Siberia for oil, gas, coal and firewood. And the USA, Norway, the Netherlands, the countries of the Middle East are not very ready to supply their energy carriers on any favorable terms for the Germans. It is not clear how now the German economy, which has turned into a servant of the amers and was severely screwed up by its own morons from the office of the Bundeschancellor, innocently blinking its eyes, explains to its citizens why it failed to maintain both innocence and acquire capital. Where, for example, to get one trillion euros to ensure the ecological transition of their energy system and get rid of the damned Russian fuel forever. Abroad will definitely not help here. And their own funds will flow away for a long time to help businesses that are desperately looking for salvation in Pindostan from the cretinism of their government. What is the main result of the frantic anti-Russian dance of the Fritz to the Washington tambourine? Putting an end to energy cooperation with Russia, the German government was unable to find a driver for the effective development of its country. The wallets of German citizens are already seriously thin, more than 50 percent of the population is in favor of the resignation of the cabinet of liver sausage Scholz. Leading German trade unions will soon be rudely demanding higher wages. And business, in turn, will again have to go with outstretched hands to the state, beg for subsidies for the sake of their own survival. It turns out a vicious circle from which it is very difficult to escape. At this rate, Germany will soon lose its political and economic leadership in united Europe for a long time. To the delight of other Eurogrands France and Britain. This will mean the complete collapse of those political imbeciles who said that the Germans could easily live without Russia. The end of their inglorious careers, and perhaps even darker consequences. Thats when, according to the law of denial of denial, the dreams of the Fourth Reich and the new Fuhrer will be revived instead of the impotents from the liver sausage community. Moreover, around Germany, as a still barking, but weakening dog, a pack of shrill mongrels has formed, who constantly want to eat. Like Poland and its Baltic rump. And if they do not get fresh food in the form of Ukrainian lands, they will ruthlessly kill their elderly leader. Medvedev Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy About 300 community members gathered in prayer and solidarity Friday for missing Winona resident Madeline Kingsbury. Rev. Danielle Bartz of First Congregational led the group in prayer and a candle lighting Friday, as speakers one after another said they would not give up in their search to find Madeline. Megan Kingsbury spoke to the crowd about her sister, Madeline, and her accomplishments. Megan said Madeline had graduated from Winona State University, was working at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and had started a masters degree program at the University of Minnesota. In addition to all of that, she was a devoted mother to her two children, Megan said. Its been 36 long days without Madeline, 36 long days of turmoil as we continue to search for her, she said. My family and I can never say thank you enough or express our gratitude fully to everyone thats taken part in trying to find her. Megan said the time since Madelines disappearance has felt like years, but her family and friends will remain loud and will not give up. Madeline was last seen March 31 when she and the father of her children took their two children to day care shortly after 8 a.m. After returning to her Kerry Drive residence in Winona around 8:15 a.m., she did not show up to work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, authorities said. Authorities have led large, organized searches since Madelines disappearance. Madelines father, David, surrounded by the rest of the Kingsbury family, said Madeline chose to stay in Winona after college because she loved the bluff country but, more importantly, was surrounded by love. We are anxious, but we have faith in the men and women tirelessly looking for her, David said. Take what you heard about Madeline here tonight as a call to arms. Before lighting candles, a slideshow projected photos of Madeline throughout her life, from a child herself to an adult mother. Songs were played along with the photos, including a recording of Madeline singing Lana Del Reys Young and Beautiful. It was a beautiful service and it was well attended, said Winona resident Barb Weaver, who was at the event Friday. I think, maybe with the moral support shown, someone will say something or the guilty will speak up. The Shining a Light for Madeline event was originally set to be at the band shell at Veterans Memorial Park in Winona but moved to First Congregational Church due to inclement weather. Winona County Emergency Management Director Ben Klinger said since the search began, over 50 volunteer organizations have assisted. Everybody just wants to help out, Klinger said. Being a resident of the area my whole life, I cant say Im surprised by the outpouring of support and everyone wanting to help. It is heartwarming and humbling to see every day. Mayor Scott Sherman shared letters from Minnesotas two U.S. senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Madelines favorite color is blue the color associated with healing, courage and tranquility. Gathering tonight, with everyone wearing blue and lighting candles, is a beautiful illustration of how the community has come together with hopes and prayers that Madeline will be found, Klobuchar said in a letter read by Sherman. Madeline has shown people another community, Sherman said, that stretches beyond the borders of Winona. First Congregational member Mike Kartsen helped run the event and said about 300 community members attended in person and the Facebook livestream peaked at 620 viewers. This is Winona theyre going to support. Whatever the family needed it was going to happen, Kartsen said. We are very, very much focused on supporting your neighbor. Rodney Williams asked to take his candle home with him as the event came to a close. I took a candle, so when they find her, Ill be sure to light it again, Williams said. A motorist shot and killed a St. Croix County sheriff's deputy before fleeing into the woods and shooting himself on Saturday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said. The shooting makes 2023 the deadliest year for law enforcement in Wisconsin since 2000. Deputy Kaitie Leising, 29, had responded to a report of a drunken driver who had crashed into a ditch in the town of Glenwood, about 50 miles northwest of Eau Claire, about 6:15 p.m. Saturday, according to the DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation. The driver, Jeremiah D. Johnson, 34, refused Leising's demands to take a field sobriety test for nearly 10 minutes before taking out a handgun and shooting the deputy, the DOJ said. A vehicle of people who had stopped at the scene to help Johnson before Leising arrived gave her aid. She later died at a hospital. After an hourlong search for Johnson in the woods, an officer saw Johnson shoot himself, the DOJ said. He died at the scene. Leising had worked in St. Croix since last year and prior to that served in South Dakota with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office for two years, St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said. "We, as a law enforcement family, will do everything possible to continue to provide support and comfort to her family," Knudson said. "We will miss her infectious smile and personality," Knudson said. The killing comes exactly one month after the fatal shooting of two police officers in neighboring Barron County. On April 8, Officer Emily Breidenbach, 32, of the Chetek Police Department, and Officer Hunter Scheel, 23, of the Cameron Police Department, pulled over a vehicle driven by Glenn Douglas Perry, 50, of New Auburn, after they received a report of concerning behavior, according to the DCI. The killings in Barron and St. Croix counties bring the number of law enforcement officers slain on duty this year to four. In February, a man shot and killed Milwaukee police Officer Peter Jerving after a robbery. "It's devastating to say the least," said Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. "The fact we're barely five months into the year is beyond alarming," Palmer said. "A tragedy like this deeply impacts every officer that puts on a badge and the loved ones that watch them depart each day." The recent staffing shortages faced by law enforcement in recent years mean an officer may be more likely to respond to a scene alone, Palmer noted. "That's especially true in a rural setting where the closest backup could be 20 to 30 minutes away," Palmer said. This is a developing story and will be updated. Close First responders from across the region attend Saturday's funeral in Cameron for slain police officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel. Police from Rochester, Minn., pay their respects for slain officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel during Saturday's services in Cameron. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel laid to rest Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. First responders from across the region attend Saturday's funeral in Cameron for slain police officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel. Police from Rochester, Minn., pay their respects for slain officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel during Saturday's services in Cameron. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Mega Prince Varun Tej has teamed up with young filmmaker Praveen Sattaru for his upcoming action drama movie, Gandeevadhari Arjuna. The film features Sakshi Vaidya of Agent fame as the leading lady. Recently, the makers released glimpses of Varun Tej practising for a high-octane action sequence. The latest news is that the final schedule of the film will begin on May 8, 2023, and will continue until May 24, 2023, in Budapest, Hungary. The final schedule is expected to include bike and car chase scenes as well as on-train action sequences. Produced by BVSN Prasad, the film boasts several notable faces as key cast and crew members. Mickey J Meyer is the composer for this flick, which is set to release soon in theaters. Articles that might interest you: Canelo Alvarez returned home and remained the undisputed super middleweight champion, beating John Ryder by unanimous decision before more than 50,000 fans in his first fight in Mexico since 2011 This photo shows the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under the interior ministry, March 6. Korea Times photo by Choi Ju-yeon One of the surviving South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor has expressed an intent to accept the Seoul government's third-party reimbursement plan, an informed source said Sunday. The person, whose identity was withheld, recently reversed an earlier objection to the plan that the government announced in March to compensate victims thorough a government-affiliated foundation without contributions from Japanese firms, according to the source. The victim is among the three surviving ones who won compensation suits against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel at the Supreme Court in 2018. Earlier in the day, Japan's Kyodo News and Tokyo Shimbun also reported that one victim has shown an intention to receive compensation from the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under the interior ministry. It remains unknown what has caused the victim to accede to the compensation plan. The foundation has just received the victim's intention and no compensation procedures have begun yet, the source said. Should the foundation decide on the payment, it would mark the first such case involving a surviving victim. Some victims and bereaved families have rejected the third-party compensation scheme and called for sincere apologies from the Japanese government and companies. Seoul's initiative to resolve the thorny issue of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula has paved the way for a thaw between South Korea and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Seoul later in the day on a trip to reciprocate the visit to Tokyo in March by President Yoon Suk Yeol and resume the leader-level "shuttle diplomacy" after a 12-year hiatus. At their summit on the day, the two sides are expected to discuss joint efforts to counter growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats, economic security, and other regional and global issues. (Yonhap) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form They say the program will aim to help youths get their high school diplomas, get exposed to more career paths, and create transitional housing for families experiencing homelessness. Relatives of a victim carry a coffin during a funeral for five people killed during the second mass shooting in two days, in the village of Malo Orasje, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, May 6, 2023. In Thursday's attack, a 20-year-old gunman apparently firing at random killed eight people and wounded 14 in two Serbian villages. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Honoring NM civics teachers next week AS AMERICA celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week from May 8-12, we should acknowledge the vital work of N.M. civics teachers. If we hope to build a more civil, less divided country, civics teachers have an important role to play. At the Bill of Rights Institute, we work with more than 70,000 civics and history teachers, including more than 600 in New Mexico. Civics teachers, perhaps more than anyone else, are working in the middle of our national divide. Division and polarization have surfaced at contentious school board meetings, in bitter fights over curricula, and even among students influenced by divisive rhetoric. A 2022 FiveThirtyEight/Ipsos survey found Americans rated polarization as a top concern, outpacing issues like immigration, health care and unemployment. But civics education offers powerful tools, in addition to helping students develop foundational knowledge about our country. Civics teachers equip students with life-long citizenship skills, including the ability to engage civilly with people who hold different viewpoints. They teach students to think critically, consider issues from diverse perspectives, and work with their community neighbors to solve problems. We need our civics teachers now more than ever. They deserve our gratitude this week and every week. David J. Bobb, President and CEO, Bill of Rights Institute, Arlington, Virginia Senate Democrats hobbled APS Police IM NOT making excuses for the APS Police Department; APS lacks the resources to properly investigate and trace weapons. How so, you say? APS is not officially recognized as a police department. Their officers operate as commissioned deputies under the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department. During my tenure as the chief of APS Police, we lobbied the Legislature to make APS Police a recognized police department under state law, similar to the way the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University Police operate. This status would have given APS Police access to NCIC and the ability to run guns through NCIC as well as conduct immediate checks on possible criminals, federal and state funding, and more. Furthermore, it would have given the department greater resources to fight crime, including guns in schools. Although the bill passed the House, it was tabled by the Senate Judiciary Committee thanks to Sen. Linda Lopez, then-Sen. Michael Sanchez and other Democratic members of the committee. They were more worried about our officers having guns in schools and criminalizing students than they were about protecting students from a school shooting. Another anti-crime legislative attempt foiled by Democrats in the Legislature. After this attempt and my departure as chief, to my knowledge APS never attempted to gain this status again. If you want APS to function as a police department, then give it the tools and the support it needs to get it done. Frederick W. Bill Reed, Captain Retired, Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department, Former Chief, Albuquerque Public Schools Police, Albuquerque Let striking writers take the stage THE WRITERS strike involving comedy/talk show writers has led to cancelation of several nightly programs because the stars apparently cant come up with original material themselves. Instead of canceling the nightly comedy shows like Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Steven Colbert, heres an alternative. Why not let the writers come out and read their own material, at the same rate of pay that the star normally receives for reading jokes written by his anonymous, hidden talent? The writers could finally be identified with their work and receive the accolades and recognition the star normally appropriates to himself. The careers of the writers might be given a well-deserved boost, and the audience would be enormously entertained at seeing new faces performing material they had actually written. The presentation would be more like a comedy club event, but with the best writers in the business on stage. What about the rest of the show? Writers could trade nights at the host desk and interview the celebrities normally subjected to the boilerplate banter of the star. What would they talk about? How about discussing with the celebrities the situation faced by writers who arent getting the attention and remuneration they deserve compared to the stars who read their material? Those discussions could be interesting and informative, unlike the normal frivolous exchanges. Again, a writer particularly adept at engaging with the guest in a pleasing manner might be propelled by popular support to greater things. James Taulman, Moriarty Bobs Burgers says thanks to county BOBS BURGERS would like to sincerely thank the Bernalillo County commissioners who passed the Premium Pay for Private Sector Employees Program on Oct. 11, 2022. This grant was given to businesses in Bernalillo County to give to their employees who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. County Commissioners who unanimously approved this grant and who we would specifically like to thank are Debbie OMalley, Steven Michael Quezada, Adriann Barboa, Walt Benson and Charlene Pyskoty. As an employer in the county of Bernalillo, we were eager and grateful to be able to give this to our eligible employees who worked so hard during the pandemic. Our employees, as well as everyone else who continued working during the pandemic, helped keep society running through such difficult and uncertain times. We are very appreciative that we get a way to say thank you to our employees in a way we otherwise would not have been able to without this grant. Clifford, Lydia and Theresa Salas, Owners, Bobs Burgers Go Standard, not Daylight Saving, Time SEN. MARTIN Heinrich is a co-sponsor in the United States Senate of the Sunshine Protection Act (SPA). The SPA will impose year-around, nationwide Daylight Saving Time (DST) on the nation despite research that shows DST disrupts normal sleep patterns and leads to myriad health problems. Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) has announced in the 2023-2024 school year the start time for (middle and high school) grades will be moved (back) an hour this in response to research that shows K-12 students benefit more from school if they are allowed to follow their normal sleep patterns and sleep later. Is it not time for proponents of year-around DST to accept the solution to the hassle of changing our clocks twice a year is to enact year-around, nationwide Standard Time as the law of the land? Ronald Grenko, Albuquerque To naysayers, Unsers have given back WHILE I was reading the many responses to last weeks Top of Mind question with respect to moving the Unser Racing Museum, I realized respectfully many of the naysayers hopefully will learn some truth about the Unsers. Without ever seeking publicity the Unsers have donated millions of dollars to charity, schools, the needy and more. The Unsers even paid millions of dollars out of their own pockets to open a school where students could come to learn, something very near to the Unsers hearts. While previously serving as executive director to the Unser Racing Museum I helped to oversee some planning that brings (in) groups of Alzheimers patients, (those from) assisted living facilities (and also) school groups, and I even oversaw the gifting of a NASCAR race car to a high school auto shop and free posters. This was but just the tip of the iceberg of what the Unsers have done and continue to do in giving back to the very community they believed in. Its very important to realize this is a nonprofit organization were speaking about and all of the amazing things the Unsers have spent their time and money on were simply their way of giving back to the city of Albuquerque that stands to reap the many rewards for seeing the Unser tradition live on. I hope those naysayers will reconsider their thinking and vote yes so that students, visitors and Albuquerque will continue to benefit for years to come. Gary Faules, Santa Fe Gov. Jerry Apodaca leaves great legacy I WAS honored to work for the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women during Gov. Jerry Apodacas administration through a grant from the governors discretionary fund 1976-1977 Governors Office of Employment and Training Administration. Tasia Young was the amazing executive director of the commission. I traveled around our beautiful state telling young high school students about career alternatives, the availability of vocational education and non-stereotyped jobs. Part of my program was showing a movie Choices, which was filmed in New Mexico showing New Mexican men and women working non-conventional trades in the state labor force. The vocational education workshop opened the eyes of so many students who were not sure if college was an option for their personal goals in life. Thank you, Gov. Apodaca for all of your accomplishments in helping your fellow New Mexicans, we are so grateful. You have left a wonderful legacy. Rest in peace. Doris Vigil McBride, Santa Fe Dont blame U.S. for destabilizing world GREGORY CORNINGS assertion in the April 30 Sunday Journal that It is our country, the United States of America, who is destabilizing global relations needs somewhat of a reality check. Possibly he is unaware it is not the United States that has invaded Ukraine, nor is it the United States that lays claims to the ocean south past the Philippines, Vietnam, almost down to Malaysia as well as claiming Taiwan as its territory equivalent, perhaps, to the United States claiming Cuba. Neither is it the United States that is ruled by a chubby little dictator who is more interested in developing nuclear weapons than feeding the people of the country, nor is it the United States that is ruled by a group of religious fanatics that export terrorism in the Middle East and are developing nuclear weapons. If he wishes to step in and put a stop to this renewed arms race perhaps he should gather a group of regular American citizens and travel to Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and Tehran to try to convince them to end their aggressive enterprises. Charles Kooshian, Los Alamos On Saturday, May 13, Fort Stanton Historic Site will host a Mothers Day celebration combining informal teatimes and an opera performance. The Mothers Day event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be two informal teatimes with an opera performance happening between them. The informal teatimes will be held in the Commanding Officers Quarters building, while the opera performance will be in the chapel. To attend the event, visitors will need to contact Fort Stanton, Inc., the FSHS Friends group. Attendance is limited to 20 seats per teatime. Tickets are $25. The site encourages those interested in participating to purchase tickets sooner than later, as same-day tickets will not be made available. Fort Stanton, Inc. can be reached at 575-354-0341. Established in 1855, Fort Stanton may be one of the most intact 19th-century military forts in the country and is the best-preserved fort in New Mexico. Found just outside the historic town of Lincoln and surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest, the 240-acre site is best known for its roles in the Indian Wars and the Civil War. However, over its 160-year history, Fort Stanton has also borne witness to westward expansion, the lawless days of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War, the tuberculosis epidemic that peaked in the 1920s, the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, and the internment of German sailors during World War II. Fort Stantons 12-building parade ground appears much as it did in the mid-1800s, making it easy to imagine military life in the Old West. Outside of the Box captures perspectives brought on by years of a pandemic, social unrest and dramatic change. Open at the New Mexico Art League, the show features paintings, photographs, collage, oil, watercolor, acrylic, mixed-media, colored pencil and sumi ink with 94 works by 46 artists. Retired project manager Mark Werner went on a rafting trip to the Grand Canyon and came home with multiple photographs. He took four or five of the images and digitally blended them. The results are a mosaic of color and movement. We called ourselves the river rats, Werner said. You can see three people in the image. I know who they are, but nobody else will. Werner says he bought his first camera in 1972 and sold his first print in 1972. When he retired to Albuquerque, he joined the Enchanted Lens Club, taking workshops and learning from his fellow shooters. In 2016 I finally considered myself a photographer, he said. It was really looking at what I saw through the lens. I learned to bury my ego and listen to what people have to say because theyre probably right. Since then, his work has evolved from the technical focus of an engineer to a more creative approach. Werner recently took a Santa Fe class on street photography, where he and his fellow students attended the International Folk Art Market. I wanted to be able to walk up to someone and ask if I could take their picture, he said. It was very difficult. By the end of the week, I was walking up to bikers and asking if I could take their picture. I didnt find anyone who would absolutely say no. Im an observer in the Land of Enchantment. Rio Ranchos Carolyn Berry moved to Albuquerque from Kansas 4 years ago. She serves on the board of the New Mexico Art League and teaches classes there. Her piece Wallpaper Lilies is a mixed-media collage made from the peeling wallpaper found in old Kansas prairie homes. I watched this wallpaper falling off the walls, she said. That was the way they would beautify their simple homes. Berry took the material home and washed it. The flowers are photographs of plants, she said. I either scanned them or manipulated them on the computer to look like woodcuts. She sees the wallpaper as windows to the past. You wonder what this wallpaper saw, Berry said. Theres funerals, theres birthdays, theres weddings. I pay homage to all the people who went before. Berry grew up in central Kansas, the only artist in her family. Her grandparents took her to art museums and bought her art supplies. Shes been retired for 10 years. She taught digital media in Kansas. I was the art teacher for 18 years, she said. I learned all the digital processes. I approached everything like, Oh, what can this do? Berry first retired to the Denver suburbs before moving to New Mexico. Its less crowded and more accessible, she said. My goal was to continue to make art, she said. I tell people Ive been here 4 years but 2 were COVID. I keep making to keep me sane. The visual echoes of the santeros trail throughout the work of contemporary New Mexico artists. Open at the University of New Mexico Art Museum, Tradition and Transformation: Colonial New Spain and Contemporary Hispanic America explores that living thread still weaving throughout the art produced here through more than 30 artworks from the museums collection. Tradition and Transformation approaches the Spanish colonial visual language as a living tradition perpetuated by the regions artists. Curator Angel Jiang organized the exhibition into historic work, retablos, santeros and living memory. The common thread is the subject matter and the visual language and style stays consistent over the centuries, Jiang said. A lot of these santeros are still working in traditional methods. Also, how does this translate to modern mediums like lithography? The section Painting and Sculpture in Colonial New Spain demonstrates the dynamism of Spanish colonial painting, a style that infused European models with new palettes, decorative motifs and symbolism. It includes work by Juan Correa,one of the most prominent and prolific painters of colonial New Spain, as well as unattributed paintings of saints and biblical episodes. An historic oil on canvas of St. Roch (invoked against the plague, as well as the patron saint of dogs) dates to c. 1840. His hand lifts his tunic to reveal a sore while his dog waits by his side. People prayed to him during times of plague, Jiang said. Im thinking we should have brought him out during Covid, she added with a laugh. The Art of the Retablo pairs historic painted tin retablos with contemporary printed retablos produced at Tamarind Institute. Retablos refer to either individual panels painted with holy figures, or altar screens made from an ensemble of sculpted and painted materials. While the format and subjects of the retablo remain relatively fixed, artists have experimented with the form for centuries. Another unknown artist painted the retablo Our Lady of Refuge (c. 1821-1880) on tin. Adopting a traditional palette and representing conventional figures, contemporary artists reinterpret the retablo in a distinctly modern medium, transforming into its own artistic tradition. Both Elena Climent (Mexican) and santero Felix Lopez took the retablo tradition to printmaking at Tamarind. Clement created a nearly sculptural version of Virgin in Blue Box, a seven-color lithograph with Tamarind printer Bill Lagattuta. The image of Mary appears in a seemingly three-dimensional frame. This work is interesting because its more illusionistic; its more Western European, Jiang said. Lopez chose to create a memorial five-color lithograph dedicated to his mother in Mensajero: En Memoria de mi Madrecita Eva. The Living Memory section highlights work by contemporary Hispanic artists. It features prints and photographs by New Mexican, Puerto Rican and Guatemalan artists addressing ethnic and national identity, the experiences of various Hispanic communities, and cultural preservation. Luis Tapias sculptural Our Lady of Sorrows features a heart pierced by a halo of spindels made of carved and painted wood in neon colors. Hes more known for big sculptures of lowriders, Jiang said. This sculpture looks a lot more Catholic the sacred heart. Delilah Montoyas photograph of a mans back displaying a Virgin of Guadalupe tattoo reveals a more contemporary version of the santero tradition. She was interested in photographing people with tattoos of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Jiang said. The photographer wound red plastic flowers around the mans shoulders for contrast. In June, staff members will rotate out the works on paper for more of the same from the museums collection to give a broad look at the materials and to protect the fragility of the prints. Gettyimagesbank Conservative Christians oppose Life Partnership Act amid fear of legalizing same-sex marriage By Lee Hae-rin A bill has been proposed that would grant civil union status to a more diverse range of relationships and provide people with a broader range of legal rights and protections, despite stiff opposition from conservative Christian groups in Korea. Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor opposition Basic Income Party and 10 other lawmakers from opposition parties proposed the Life Partnership Relations Act, which recognizes partnerships outside of blood relations and marriage as familial, April 26. "The concept and shape of family is quickly changing in our society," Yong said during a press conference at the National Assembly before proposing the legislation, April 26. "However, the current law and system fail to embrace diversity in the various forms of family that exist." The lawmaker noted that the proposed bill will include a wider range of groups of people living together as a family, such as the elderly, friends and unmarried couples, and provide them with rights in the areas of inheritance, adoption and housing matters, as well as providing other legal protections. Rep. Yong Hye-in of minor opposition Basic Income Party holds a press conference at the National Assembly, Seoul, Feb. 24. Newsis The name Mogollon is found in numerous places in New Mexico, including peaks, creek, plateau and mountains but is probably most well known for the once-booming mining camp turned town in the Gila Wilderness. Robert Julyan in his book The Place Names of New Mexico said the mountains in Catron Countys Gila National Forest were the first be christened with the Mogollon moniker and everything after that was named for the mountains, including the former mining town. The name also appears in Arizona and is used to describe the prehistoric American Indian people who inhabited the mountains of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. The pronunciation of the isolated ghost town varies, depending on whos answering. Julyan describes it as muggy-YOHN. The state of New Mexicos tourism department lists the pronunciation as mo-go-yone. The most popular theory about the origin of the names arrival to the area is that it commemorates Juan Ignacio de Flores Mogollon, the governor of New Mexico from 1712 to 1715 when it was still known as New Spain. Julyan agrees thats a possibility. However, in his book, he says the lack of documentation leaves room for speculation and other possibilities. Stanley Crocchiola, a Catholic priest and historian who served in New Mexico, has another theory. He thinks the word hails from the Mexican word mogollo, which is the name for a thin cake or bread made by Native Americans. But for most New Mexicans, the history that is most relevant is its connection to a time when mining was booming here. The once-busy home of miners cuts a swath through the wilderness; its few remaining buildings crowd the roadway. The only thing separating them from N.M.159s blacktop is an inches-thick band of weeds. Its now classified as a ghost town but does have a regular stream of visitors and a permanent population of 15 people. What it lacks in people it makes up for in history and lore. Sitting at an elevation nearly 7,000 feet and tucked away among a vast forest, the isolated area was a hideout for Geronimo and other Apache Indian chieftains before becoming home to miners, according to a May 31, 1940 story in the El Paso Herald-Post. As the years marched on and this region saw an influx of fortune hunters. Mogollon in the late 70s and early 80s came into the mining picture. Then, as now, the camp was 80 miles from a rail outlet, the story said. Supplies were taken to the Mogollon camp by horse or mule over tortuous mountain trails. Peak production there was from 1907 to 1916, according to the article, when the mines yielded an average of $1 million in gold and silver each year. But it started when James C. Cooney found a strand of gold in the Gila Mountains in the 1870s near what would become Mogollon. He began working his claim in 1876 but was killed during the 1880 Alma Massacre. A prospector named John Eberle built the towns first cabin in 1889 and he seems to have embraced the term Wild West a little too tightly. News of a shooting affray comes from the Mogollons, a May 25, 1893 story in the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. John E. Eberle, who is an old-timer in the Mogollon district, shot Sam Settle through the right breast. Settle had worked for Eberle for a number of years, and it seems Eberle owed him a considerate sum of money. A news report the next day in the New Mexican said the man was incorrectly identified and his real name was Edward Phoenix. The next day, Eberle was distraught over what he had done and offered to pay a doctor $500 to travel to Mogollon and treat the man, according to the May 26 story. He claimed the shooting was an accident. Sadly, he took his own life that night, unable to cope with what he had done. Phoenix died three hours later. The men, it turns out, were not fighting about unpaid wages but a dispute over mining, according to a May 30, 1893 story in the Southwest Sentinel. The two men met on Eberles ground on the afternoon of the 19th and after some words, Phoenix threatened to throw a rock at Eberle. Phoenix turned to look for a rock and Eberle shot him He was immediately taken into custody amidst threats of a lynching. Although Eberle had done more for the Mogollon mining district than any other resident of the camp and was a generous man he had few friends in the camp, the May 30 story said. Mogollon got a permanent jail and post office in 1890 followed by school in 1892. Its first jail was a tree where offenders were chained. Albuquerque Journal staff writer Ollie Reed Jr. wrote a story about the town for the Albuquerque Tribune in November of 1988, interviewing its few remaining residents at the time. According to one story, sawmill owner Harry Hermann donated the lumber to build a proper jail in Mogollon, Reed wrote. The story says that Hermann celebrated the completion of the building so boisterously that he ended up being not only the jails benefactor, but its first occupant as well. Today, some of the few remaining buildings are private residences doubling as cafes and stores. There is one lodging business, the Silver Creek Inn, a small establishment operating in an historic 1885, 5,000- square-foot, two-story adobe house. It offers group retreats as well as individual lodging. The Inn was built by Frank Lauderbaugh in 1885. Its use has shifted throughout history. The downstairs area was once used to sell food and merchandise and in 1914 converted to a barber shop and general store by James Holland, who came to the bustling town from Philadelphia in 1914. Declining silver and gold prices during World War I killed the mining business and the population began to dwindle. According to Reeds story natural disasters also led to its decline. Fires plagued the town 1894, 1904, 1910, 1915 and 1942, and when it wasnt burning, it flooded. Major floods flowed through the town in 1894, 1896, 1899 and 1914. In its heyday Mogollon boasted a population of some 3,000 to 6,000 souls and, because of its isolation, was truly one of the wildest, shoot em-up mining towns in the West, according to the New Mexico Tourism Department. Mining continued up to the 1950s and resumed for a short time in the 1970s before coming to a halt. However, the allure remains. The quaint town has now become a retreat for artists and others looking for a brief respite from civilization. Curious about how a town, street or building got its name? Email writer Elaine Briseno at ebriseno@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3965 as she continues the monthly journey in Whats in a Name? Its time for Albuquerque residents to consider whether their city government is structurally capable of responding to their pressing challenges in the most effective, efficient and transparent way. We believe its time to consider an alternative to the mayor-council form of government, one that will give our city responsive leadership that balances diverse interests, rather than the interests of a select few, and prioritizes sound management over political power. All we have to do is to take a look at our thriving neighbors to the north and south: Rio Rancho and Las Cruces. Under the council-city manager form of government in place in those cities, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima and Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull lead two of the safest, cleanest, economically prosperous, vibrant and socially responsible cities in New Mexico. Albuquerque deserves the opportunity to amend our charter and adopt the council-city manager form of municipal government, too. If voters approved, our city would join the list of great American cities benefiting from a system that increases responsiveness, accountability, financial transparency and management of public services. In fact, it is used in the majority of American cities with populations over 12,000. The council-city manager form throws out the old politics, concentration of power and influence from special interests that we see in mayor-council government structures. In council-city manager governments, the city council hires a professional manager or administrator responsible for government operations and implementing policies adopted by the council. Councilors, representing numerous districts, and the mayor, representing the city at large, have equal voice in policy development and administrative oversight, giving neighborhoods and diverse groups a greater opportunity to influence policy and participate in representative democracy. The mayor is still recognized as the head of the city government and is the presiding officer of the city council, entitled to cast a tie-breaking vote on the council, much like the vice president of the United States or the lt. governor of New Mexico over their respective Senate bodies. If approved by the council and placed on the ballot in November, our proposed charter amendment will ask the citizens of Albuquerque to consider and approve this change to a council-city manager form of government that would go into effect in 2026. Were asking voters to choose diverse interests, not special interests. To choose effective management, not power. To choose people, not politics. And to move Albuquerque forward. As the days become warmer, local New Mexicans and out-of-towners flock toward the states vast landscape to enjoy outdoor living. Camping is a popular form of recreation in New Mexico, and a new study ranks the Land of Enchantment the third best state for the activity. Adventure on the Rock, a site dedicating to sustainable adventure travel, recently analyzed ten factors that contribute to a quality camping trip. Wyoming earned the top ranking for best state for camping, followed by Montana and then New Mexico. Cody Johnson, communications director at the New Mexico Tourism Department, attributes the states high ranking to its size and public lands that are accessible through campgrounds and trails. We always say that were adventure steeped in culture, thats kind of our unique identifier, he said. The adventure part of that manifests in the form of a plethora of outdoor activities that are available, whether its camping, or hiking or water-based recreation. According to the study, the ten factors researchers used to analyze each state were the number of national parks and landmarks per 1,000 square miles, number of campsites, free campsites, hiking trails and RV parks per 100,000 people, deaths per 10 million national park visits, deaths caused by dangerous animal or plant exposure per 10 million people (1999-2020), average fuel prices, animal and plant species diversity, and average yearly rainfall. Regarding New Mexico, the study concluded that the state had the third highest number of free campsites, the seventh highest number of campsites and the 15th highest number of hiking trails per 100,000 residents. It also stated that New Mexico is the fourth most biodiverse state due to its different species of plants and animals. Johnson added that the states climate is a big factor to the popularity of camping as well. I think the amount of sunshine we receive is certainly helpful when it comes to encouraging folks to camp and get outside, and I think the diversity of our climate just within the state lends itself to being a desirable hiking and camping location, he said. Johnson explained that New Mexicos eclectic climate, especially the temperature differences between the northern and southern parts of the state, provides outdoor recreational opportunities for most of the year. He added that New Mexicos state parks are incredibly valuable assets. We have a lot of great state parks that are scattered throughout the state that make the opportunity to camp and get outside pretty accessible and equitable for New Mexicans, he said. The New Mexico Tourism department has emphasized developing a solid infrastructure to develop and manage the experiences for visitors to the state, Johnson shared. The department understands the value of the states culture and its vast landscape, and work with local communities to help support tourism, as well as creative avenues to encourage visitors to explore New Mexico. We just want to make sure that their experiences are great, their expectations are met, he said. When it comes to campgrounds, thats the type of infrastructure that is certainly important for us to continue to invest it. New Mexico offers so much for locals and visitors alike. The states climate, size and culture contribute to its highly-regarded camping opportunities, as well as outdoor recreation as a whole. Whether people are in town for Balloon Fiesta, passing through in the RV on a road trip, or simply looking for a little adventure in their backyard, New Mexico is a fantastic place to explore the outdoors. It may not pop up on your calendar, but May 8-12 is Economic Development Week. Created in 2016 by the International Economic Development Council, the week highlights state and local efforts to create jobs and improve economic well-being. Unlike market-driven growth, economic development is a deliberate policy initiative to improve economic security for families. In New Mexico, this is particularly relevant as the state Economic Development Department (EDD) and our local partner organizations join forces to diversify the economy and attract higher-paying jobs. While the free market has brought us steady growth from many economic sectors, our initiatives target avenues to future-proof New Mexico with innovative, high-paying jobs for New Mexico graduates. The core of this effort supports economic-base industry sectors those that export goods and services and bring wealth into New Mexico from outside our borders. Just as out-of-state visitors bring and spend new money in New Mexico, so do new and growing economic-base companies. Every community will better thrive because these businesses create jobs and wealth; the long-term benefits far exceed the initial cost of any incentives. When Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took office, she prioritized nine industries: aerospace, biosciences, cybersecurity, film and television, global trade, intelligent manufacturing, outdoor recreation, sustainable energy and value-added agriculture. These industries support 21st-century jobs and sustainable economic growth without exporting our culture or history. This strategy is working. Film workers are moving back to New Mexico from California and Georgia, and the state has seen over $1.5 billion in production spending over the past two years alone, which is attracting other private-sector support businesses. In the areas of sustainable energy, biosciences and aerospace we are seeing more jobs and skilled workers choosing New Mexico instead of Colorado, Texas, California or Utah. When the state invests in infrastructure and workforce development for growing economic-base businesses, the community benefits. New jobs and new spending mean additional taxes for police, fire, schools, community development, museums and more. In New Mexico, our two most successful incentives are the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) and the Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP). LEDA provides an investment in infrastructure, necessary for an economic development project to succeed. The infrastructure is permanent especially important in rural communities. JTIP invests in New Mexico workers, which also benefits the growing company. The employee receives a new job and new skills and the business benefits both by partial reimbursement of the employees wages during training and a more skilled workforce. A recent newspaper article on the success of the JTIP program focused on three new JTIP hires at Pajarito Powder a chemical engineering doctorate who returned to Albuquerque for the position and two recent University of New Mexico graduates who were able to stay in their home state and start their careers. JTIP incentivized the hirings and helped a smaller company pay competitive salaries to provide hands-on training. This progress doesnt come overnight. It requires bipartisan support for economic development investments. This week we reach out to all New Mexicans to highlight these successes and thank all of those who have supported them. Happy Economic Development Week to all! I treat children rather than adults, because kids dont generally bring their maladies upon themselves. When they do cause their own injuries, its through failure to fly or some other age-appropriate misjudgment. Even the teens who injure themselves through drugs, (alcohol), reckless driving or TikToK challenges all get a pass the first time or two. I laugh, tease and hopefully instill some insight during that momentary opportunity for reflection that a recoverable injury offers. Kids offer hope through their smiles, jokes, laughter, growth, resilience and healing power. But dead is dead. A critically injured child survived a severe car crash, a prolonged extraction and transport and the emergency department where we placed multiple IVs, a breathing tube, a chest tube (and performed) a blood transfusion and CT exams. She had life-threatening injuries to her brain, lungs, heart, liver, spleen and intestines. She came to the emergency department pale and blue, but through our interventions she was heading to the operating room, pink and perfused with a chance of survival. Leaving her resuscitation, I heard the news of another school shooting. Three kids dead. No opportunity to help. Dead. Not alive. No hope, no laughter, no smiles. Dead. Sometimes children die in the emergency department. Typically they arrive dead or dying and in spite of our interventions do not recover. Telling parents this heart-wrenching news is painful, poignant and best done when they are present during the resuscitation. We explain that the nurses, docs and paramedics in the room are breathing for the child and pumping the blood for them, as their loved ones body can no longer perform these basic functions. But when we stop, in spite of everything weve done, their child will likely die. We stop, and this child dies with parents present holding them, giving love and respect for a life cut short. Dead. Shot to death. No parent, no family, no tears. No nurses or doctors giving CPR, putting in breathing tubes or chest tubes, no CTs, no miraculous saves is the emergency room, operating room or pediatric ICU. Dead. Sprawled on cheap linoleum school floors. Mangled brains, chests and abdomens. Shredded by military assault weapons. Dead. Alone. When are adults going to take responsibility for our kids being slaughtered? Why does the Second Amendment trump our childrens right to live? Guns dont kill people, they just give humans with poor impulse control a really easy way to ruin everyone elses life. We need more good people with guns. No, we dont. Trained police have a difficult time intervening, and a group of well-intentioned amateurs shooting up the scene doesnt increase anyones safety. Its simple math. If you have weapons you are more likely to use them to kill yourself, your loved ones or someone elses loved ones. Its not that hard; take something that can deliver unbelievable harm and misery, and get it off our streets and out of our homes. Open carry, assault weapons, ginormous magazines all weaponize the petty fears of an insecure minority who have no right to kill our children. We must refuse this framed as a Second Amendment debate and remember that life, liberty and pursuit of happiness stops when you are dead. Its better to be woke than asleep at the wheel, impaired at the trigger, or dead. In mid-April, Pelatia Trujillos grandmother was turning 90 in South Carolina so Trujillo, her children, her sister and other members of the extended family made the road trip from Albuquerque to celebrate. The crew visited Myrtle Beach for a couple of days, where Trujillo who was fearless and loved the ocean swam far out past the waves. It was a great trip, her sister recalls. On the long drive home Thursday morning, east of Amarillo and a little over 300 miles from Albuquerque, Trujillos Ford Excursion veered off the road and into a drainage ditch. Trujillo, 38, was ejected from the SUV and died at the scene. Her three children and her eldest daughters boyfriend were hurt but their injuries are not life-threatening. Now, what had been a time of celebration has turned into a period of mourning. Its just crazy the way things work out, Trujillos younger sister, Bianca Cowboy, told the Journal. Its like we got that time for a reason. When Trujillo was about 21 she took in Cowboy, who is nine years younger, and helped raise her. From there, Trujillo graduated from the University of New Mexicos Anderson School of Management. In 2016 motivated by her own family members struggles with addiction Trujillo started a nonprofit centered on harm reduction, health care, homelessness and social services. Cowboy describes the organization Dedicated Outreach and Prevention Education (D.O.P.E.) Services as a one-stop shop for those who are using and need clean supplies or are looking for housing or motel vouchers or help getting into recovery. We just saw, you know, this un-met need all these overdoses, all these unnecessary deaths happening just because people didnt know what to do or how to handle it or even recognize what was going on in our communities as drugs flooded them, Cowboy said. It was just a combination of her business savvy and her big heart that brought D.O.P.E. Cowboy said Trujillo, who she calls Tia, had left South Carolina with her two daughters ages 19 and 12 her 4-year-old son and her eldest daughters 17-year-old boyfriend on Tuesday and made a couple of stops along the way. Texas Public Safety initially reported the 4-year-old was a girl. Around 7:10 a.m. Thursday, on Interstate 40 south of the town Panhandle, Trujillo crashed. It was really windy, high wind gusts, raining at the same time, Cowboy said. She hit the drainage ditch, lost control of the truck and went airborne. She had just taken her seat belt off to help the kids with something in the back. She got ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced gone on scene. My niece had witnessed everything and tried to save her. Trujillos mother and another sister were also driving back and came across the scene about an hour and a half later as the children were being taken to the hospital, Cowboy said. She said the children were banged up and sore and the 12-year-old will have to wear a neck brace for a bit but otherwise they are physically OK. Cowboy said Trujillo had recently found a building she wanted to buy for D.O.P.E. and had been excited about the idea of moving forward. Now, she said, the family plans to take a month off to grieve and adjust and then continue her work in harm reduction. The world is already a dark place and it lost another light that it really needed to have, Cowboy said. Especially in our city with the overdoses and deaths and fentanyl and meth and all these other drugs getting combined together. Were missing a warrior on the front lines with us. Angelo Baldonado, 17, has spent almost a year locked up in the juvenile detention center charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his sisters boyfriend. Now, Albuquerque Police Department detectives arrested his mother because new evidence suggests she was actually the one who pulled the trigger. Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, 47, was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Saturday and charged with murder. She is also charged with possession of material that sexually exploits children because detectives say when they searched her phone as part of the homicide investigation they found photos of children engaged in sexual acts. Its unclear who Ortiz-Chavezs attorney will be. Her sons attorney could not be reached for comment Saturday night. The case against him is still pending, according to court records. Baldonado was arrested nearly 11 months ago after police said their investigation determined he had shot his sisters boyfriend, Josue Ruiz, in an Downtown alleyway near Sixth and Central SW. Both boys were 16 at the time. Witnesses had described a gold or beige sedan leaving the scene with a number of people inside. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, Baldonados teenage sister was pregnant and had told her family that Ruiz had hit her. At the time, police said Ortiz-Chavez had set up the fight between the two teenagers and when they tried to ask her about it she became very irate and no longer wanted to speak with them. Over the several months Baldonado spent in juvenile detention, he and his mother had many cryptic phone calls in which he says things like no matter what happens they are gonna put that conspiracy to commit murder for me, according to the complaint. The break in the case came in mid-March when a woman contacted detectives to say she had been messaging with Baldonados older brother and he disclosed that his mother, Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, had shot Josue and that Angelo was taking the fault, according to the complaint. She advised me that during their conversations (Baldonados brother) did advise her that Angelo and his mother, Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, had gone to fight Josue and that Josue tried to pull a gun on them and that he got shot before he could take out his gun, but that detectives had charged his brother with the murder, a detective wrote in the complaint. Gilbert also disclosed that the crazy part about it was that his brother is not telling on his mom. About 10 days later, Baldonado asked to speak with the detective from juvenile detention. Angelo inquired that if he told me what really happened the day of the incident, if I would drop his charges, the detective wrote in the complaint, adding that he told Baldonado that he would speak with him along with his attorney. Prosecutors have asked for Ortiz-Chavez to be held pending trial. SANTA FE Six months after losing a hard-fought race to be New Mexicos governor, Mark Ronchetti is heading back to the airwaves. Ronchetti, who had kept a low profile since his November general election loss to incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham, plans to launch a new podcast that will feature him and his wife, Krysty, interviewing guests and talking about current events. The initial list of guests includes Riley Gaines, a decorated swimmer who has protested the inclusion of transgender athletes in womens sports, and Jay McCleskey, the high-profile New Mexico political adviser who helped guide Ronchettis campaign. Ronchetti said the podcast idea was pushed by his wife, and he eventually agreed after needing some time to lick his wounds after last years election cycle. We spent a lot of time thinking about what we wanted to do next and how we wanted to move forward, Ronchetti told the Journal. We feel like we need more voices in the state to hold people accountable. The former KRQE-TV chief meteorologist, who stepped down from his job in October 2021 to run for governor, also said hes not currently planning on another run for elected office, though he did not rule out the possibility in the future. Ill never say never, but thats not my focus, Ronchetti said. During both last years campaign and a 2020 run for an open U.S. Senate seat, Ronchetti sought to portray himself as a political outsider, while capitalizing on his name recognition among voters from his TV career. But Ronchetti faced criticism from Democrats and fellow Republicans alike about his readiness to hold elected office, and ultimately came up short in both campaigns after winning the Republican nomination. In last years race for governor, Ronchetti was defeated by Lujan Grisham despite winning 20 of the states 33 counties. However, he received fewer votes than Lujan Grisham in each of the states four most populous counties Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Dona Ana and Sandoval and ended up losing by more than 45,000 votes in a race in which more than 712,000 voters cast a ballot. Since his defeat, Ronchetti filed a lawsuit against a Florida-based consulting firm that, he contends, prematurely launched campaign websites for both his gubernatorial and U.S. Senate bids before he had publicly announced his candidacies in those races. As for the podcast, which is called No Doubt About It and is available on various podcast platforms, new episodes will be released twice weekly for now, he said, and will be recorded from the Ronchettis home studio in Albuquerque, with production help from the couples daughter, Ella. Ronchetti said the podcast will provide a way for him to engage with campaign supporters and other New Mexicans, though he said politics wont be the only focus. If youre talking about it at home, were going to be talking about it on air, he said. Those discussions could include national stories like Tucker Carlsons abrupt departure from Fox News, along with state-level issues such as efforts to overhaul New Mexicos troubled Children, Youth and Families Department, Ronchetti said. He also said hes not sure where the podcast will ultimately lead, but suggested hes not seeking a return to television. We feel like this is a good first step, Ronchetti said. I dont think weve ruled out anything. ABC TV The 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' actress will no longer serve as a presenter at the upcoming MTV Movie and TV Awards to support the Writers Guild of America walk-out. May 7, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jamie Lee Curtis has announced she is stepping down from her role as a presenter at the MTV Movie and TV Awards to show her support for the Hollywood writers strike. The "Halloween" star was originally set to take to the stage to present one of the gongs at the annual bash, which takes place at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Sunday, May 7, but she's now decided not to go because she "won't cross a picket line" amid the Writers Guild of America walk-out which kicked off on Tuesday, May 2. "I'm not gonna be able to go and present because the @wgawest needs and deserves my support and I won't cross their picket line," Jamie wrote and posted a picture of herself in a previous red carpet outfit on Instagram and declared she won't be getting dressed up to go to the awards show. It comes after the awards show's host Drew Barrymore also announced she was pulling out of the show because of the strike. In a statement issued to Variety, she said, "I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie and TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike. Everything we celebrate and honour about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I'll be watching from home and hope you will join me." The show will go ahead as planned, but will no longer be broadcast live and will reportedly be without an audience. Bruce Gillmer, executive producer of the MTV Movie and TV Awards, said in a statement, "As we carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards' show we envisioned that our team has worked so hard to create, we're pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peaks, irreverent categories our audience has come to expect, and countless moments that will both surprise and delight as we honour the best of film and TV over the past year." You can share this post! Marvel Studios Movie The revamped version of Wesley Snipes' movie has been temporarily shelved by studio following the Hollywood walk-out by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) union. May 7, 2023 AceShowbiz - The "Blade" reboot has been put on hold due to the writers' strike. Mahershala Ali was set to take on the role of the vampire hunter previously played by Wesley Snipes in a new big screen version of the Marvel Comics creation with production expected to start in Atlanta, Georgia the coming weeks but reports suggest the film has now been shelved temporarily because of the ongoing walk-out by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) union. The movie will get back on track as soon as the strike is concluded, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Blade" had been scheduled for a 2024 release but it's not yet known whether the delay will have an impact on the planned cinema release. A source involved with Marvel projects told the publication, "There's a billion dollars net in production costs that are exposed because of the strike. That's certainly a concern." "Blade" was previously pushed back from a planned 2023 release after original director Bassam Tariq exited the project just two months before filming had been due to start. Yann Demange took over helping duties and "True Detective" creator Nic Pizzolatto was brought in to work on the script, but ran out of time to complete the project before the start of the WGA walk-out - meaning production has to stop for the time being. The strike began on Tuesday, May 2 and has affected late night talks shows including "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" which have all been taken off-air with re-runs playing instead. Sketch show "Saturday Night Live" is also off-air while TV drama "Billions" was forced to halt production on Thursday, May 4. You can share this post! The streets of Seoul in the summer of 1952 in the image taken by Fred Dustin/ Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff Seoul is a vibrant, never-sleeping, energetic city of museums, palaces, shopping centers, restaurants and contemporary culture hubs that beckons tourists (of all ages) from around the world. Traffic jams of buses, taxis and cars try even the most patient while subways packed during the rush hour rush commuters to and fro. The Seoul of the present is not the Seoul of seventy years ago. In the spring of 1953, Seoul was a city of ruins a victim of the on-going Korean War. Families were torn apart by differing politics or the shifts of battle lines. Sometimes, if they were lucky, they were reunited, but far too often they remained broken, and many children found themselves in orphanages. Theresa A. Potter, a member of the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada, was a witness to the pain and suffering endured by the young victims of the war. She wrote about her experiences in Korea which were reprinted in her local press and cautioned her readers to not "compare, judge or evaluate anything in Korea by Western standards." Times were tough and people did what they had to do in order to survive as seen this image taken by Fred Dustin in the summer of 1952. Robert Neff Collection "This is the Orient," she wrote, "with its own timeless tradition and unique culture, its wide-spread poverty, its own standards of education, cleanliness, hygiene, sanitation. Added to that is the fact that for nearly three years this country has been completely disrupted by war, its economy shattered, its manpower drained, its cities and communications destroyed and its people killed." She went on to add that everyone she encountered in the streets had been greatly affected by the war especially the refugees from the North who had lost everything they possessed except the rags that clothed their gaunt bodies. Thousands of them lived on the outskirts of the city in straw huts that would not be considered good enough to serve as chicken coops in North America. Korean children always captured Dustin's camera lens. His images are refreshing because instead of concentrating on the ugliness of war, he tried to capture the stoic innocence of the youth. Robert Neff Collection Potter had come to Korea to help establish the milk program for children. One of the first people she met was Kim Tae-son (1903-1977), the mayor of Seoul. Having lived and attended school in the United States, the mayor was easily able to express his appreciation to Potter and her organization for getting the "fine milk" to Korea so quickly. He assured her that the "people of Seoul will never forget." The mayor was not the only one expressing his appreciation for the Canadian milk. Lee Chong-bok, whose nephew received milk daily at one of the primary school told her in broken English, "Canada people very good people. I want thank very much." Almost 70 years later, this little boy's smile is still infectious. Robert Neff Collection Potter was worried the children would not like the powdered milk. Prior to this, the only milk most of the children had tasted had come from their mother's own breasts. She was greatly relieved when she observed the children wolf down the warm milk they even went so far as to tip the cups up so as to get the very last drop. When Potter visited Nam Dae Mun Primary School, she was impressed with the students and their teachers. The school was badly damaged during the war and very little had been done to repair it as construction material was hard to come by and the icy wind howled through the broken windows. I am not sure if it is curiosity or mischievousness that radiates in this image taken by Fred Dustin in 1953. Robert Neff Collection The children were inadequately dressed as most of them did not have coats, many did not have socks, and while a large number of them had shoes they were clearly worn out and barely serviceable. Despite the cold, the children seemed excited by her visit. "Koreans children are the most lovable you can imagine, with mobile little moon faces, one moment happy, the next sad," declared Potter who then went on to add, "When you speak to them they are often overcome with shyness, and hand their heads, then run away." A mother and her child in the street in 1952 or 1953 in this image taken by Fred Dustin/ Robert Neff Collection While her descriptions of the schools were somewhat lighthearted and warm, her descriptions of her visits to the orphanages are dark: "The Korean orphanages I have visited are terribly poor, cheerless and tragic, and the thin little bodies, unhappy faces of most of the children are in keeping with their comfortless, squalid surroundings. Everywhere it is the same story too many children, too little food, clothing, fuel, supplies. Also in the shattered economy of this war-torn country, the directors and staff of these institution receive no salary only their board and food, such as it is so it is not altogether surprising that they do not take the interest in their charges which they otherwise would." Potter noted that many of the U.N. military units did try and help by donating food, candy, toys and clothes it wasn't enough. Siblings and friends in the street in 1953 in this image taken by Fred Dustin/ Robert Neff Collection One orphanage she visited had 80 children who ranged from the ages of 3 to 16. These children were, for the most part, from North Korea. Many did not know if their parents were still alive, while others witnessed the death of one or two of their parents. "Many wandered for days before they were rescued, lost, starving and sick." The orphanage received very little help save that from an American warrant officer who occasionally visited with candy and chocolate bars and some government stores. The orphanage, originally a farm, was run-down with no electricity. Fortunately, the children were able to gather twigs and sticks from the nearby forest to use as fuel for the ondol. A man repairing shoes in 1953 in this image taken by Fred Dustin/ Robert Neff Collection The orphanage was also blessed with the surviving denizens of the former farm: "four ducks and a few scraggy hens, whose eggs are divided among the most delicate children." These eggs were used to supplement the porridge made from wheat flour and water. Through the aid of her interpreter, Potter was able to speak with the children, who, despite being shy, all assured her they were happy to be at the orphanage as opposed to being in the streets and begging for food. The lack of food was not the only thing the children suffered from. She was told that very few of the children had underwear. Potter later wrote, "I could see [lack of underwear] was only too true when a group of tiny girls, excitedly running towards me, stumbled and fell. A small child shyly trying to get Dustin's attention in 1952/ Robert Neff Collection Instagram Celebrity The 'New Rules' hitmaker has collaborated with Donatella Versace to create a new womenswear collection which is scheduled to be launched at a fashion show in Cannes. May 7, 2023 AceShowbiz - Dua Lipa has joined forces with Donatella Versace to co-design a womenswear collection for Versace. The 27-year-old pop star and the Italian fashion designer, 68, have worked on the high summer "La Vacanza" women's collection. Due to be launched at a fashion show in Cannes, France, on May 23, the collection will be available in store online on Versace.com immediately following the show. Speaking about the collection, Dua - who made her runway debut at Versace's Spring/Summer 2022 show at Milan Fashion Week - said, "I am absolutely thrilled to have co-designed the women's 'La Vacanza' collection for Versace with Donatella." "She and I have formed such a strong bond over the years, and I'm so grateful for the support I've received from her and the whole team since the very beginning of my career. For her to give me the honour of co-designing this collection and letting all my summer inspirations go wild has been a dream. I am so very proud of this collection and cannot wait to debut it in Cannes." Chief Creative Officer of Versace Donatella added, "I have always been inspired by a collaborative design process. Working with Dua on this collection has been very exciting and I love the dynamic between us. Dua is strong, fearless, and free and her creative vision is exceptional. Summer is a magical time. We will capture this feeling and the colours of that time of the year with a truly special and intimate fashion show in Cannes." You can share this post! Celebrity Dior was quick to dish on the custom three-piece suit donned by the Duke of Sussex on social media soon after the royal arrived at coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey . May 7, 2023 AceShowbiz - Prince Harry donned custom Dior for King Charles' coronation. The Duke of Sussex turned up at the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6 in a three-piece suit designed by Dior Men's artistic director Kim Jones. "Tailoring fit for royalty. Dior is honored to have dressed Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for the coronation of King Charles III in a custom design by Kim Jones. Seen arriving at Westminster Abbey, gain an insight into the savoir-faire of his three-piece suit next," Dior shared a picture of Harry on Twitter and wrote. Dior also posted on Instagram, "For the coronation of King Charles III in London, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was attired in a formal Dior look specially designed by @MrKimJones for the momentous occasion. Pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey, his black wool and mohair peak lapel tailcoat is worn with a matching double-breasted vest and trousers, a white shirt, and grey tie." According to Rain magazine, Harry's outfit consisted of a "custom black peak wool and mohair peak lapel tailcoat, grey wool and mohair pants, a white cotton shirt, grey silk tie, a wool and mohair peak lapel double-breasted best and black leather derbies." Harry, 38, who served for 10 years in the Army and did two tours in Afghanistan, also wore his Afghanistan service medal, along with Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals. He wore the Knight Commander Victorian Order Star decoration around his neck. Harry attended the ceremony without his wife Duchess Meghan Markle, who remained in California with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He left Westminster Abbey for Heathrow immediately after the service, in order to catch a flight back to California so he wouldn't miss Archie's fourth birthday. You can share this post! Cover Images/INSTARimages.com Celebrity The 'Gangsta Boo' rapper, born Tione Jayden Merritt, turns himself in to police around four months after he got arrested for gun possession in New York during a traffic stop. May 8, 2023 AceShowbiz - Lil Tjay has reportedly been arrested for a previous gun charge. However, his lawyer has shut down the report and declared that the "Run It Up" rapper turned himself in to police for a different case. "This arrest is not a new gun charge," Dawn Florio wrote in an Instagram DM to @nydrillofficial. "He had to turn himself in for the case where he was a victim where he was shot multiple times. The allegation is that there were guns in the car." The statement arrived after the outlet reported that Tjay had been arrested for an outstanding warrant. Also, a mugshot of the "Gangsta Boo" rhymer taken in Bergen County, New Jersey made its way online. Tjay was shot seven times during an attempted robbery in Edgewater last year. The incident took place in the early hours of June 22. He was flown to Hackensack University Medical Center and underwent emergency surgery, while a second victim, Antoine Boyd, who is friends with the rapper, was also shot once and was in stable condition. Meanwhile, the shooter was also hit by gunfire, but managed to escape with help from an unidentified co-conspirator. In January of this year, however, Tjay was arrested for gun possession in New York. He was pulled over by cops on East 183rd Street in the Fordham Heights section while he was inside a car with four other people during the traffic stop. Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement officials found two loaded guns. It was unclear why police pulled him over and searched the vehicle in the first place. Tjay and one of his friends were subsequently taken into custody and are facing charges for an alleged weapons violation. It was unveiled that Tjay was headed for the shooting of Ice Spice's music video when he was pulled over. The rhymer, born Tione Jayden Merritt, was then arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court but was finally let go from jail after paying his bail. You can share this post! Instagram Music The Oscar-winning actor is returning to his root as he and bandmate/brother Shannon Leto announce their brand new song titled 'Stuck' is coming out this coming Monday. May 8, 2023 AceShowbiz - 30 Seconds to Mars are set to return with their first new music in five years on Monday, May 8. Days after frontman Jared Leto, 51, made the headlines when he dressed as late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's beloved cat at the 2023 Met Gala, he and his brother Shannon Leto have announced the new track "Stuck" is on the way at the start of next week. "The way you move has got me stuck," the lyric was teased as the rock duo shared a clip of the track on social media. The band haven't released an album since 2018's "America", and their next project will be their first since the departure of guitarist Tomo Milicevic. Jared has been busy with his acting career - with his most recent credits including "House of Gucci", "Zack Snyder's Justice League", "The Little Things", and upcoming roles in the new "Haunted Mansion", "Tron 3", and "Adrift" - however when the world shut down due to COVID-19, he and his older sibling, 53, were both in one place for a prolonged period for the first time in years, and he was inspired to write "about 200 songs." The "WeCrashed" star told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 last year, "As challenging as that time was for so many people around the world and devastating for so many, there was also a flip side to it." "And for both my brother and I, I think it was like the universe doing for us what we can't do for ourselves sort of thing, where really, it was the first time we were in one place for that long since we were little kids." "And even as little kids, we moved around as, you know. We had the kind of vagabond hippie life. And it was a blessing. And I sat and I started writing. It took me a month or two to get into the swing of things. But I wrote about 200 songs. And we have maybe two albums, maybe three, worth of material. And we're going to start putting it out momentarily. I mean, really momentarily. So really excited." Before the release of "America" - which featured the likes of Halsey and A$AP Rocky - the "Walk on Water" hitmaker admitted it would likely be a long time before they put out another record. He said at the time, "We're really slow at putting albums out. I don't mean we're never putting music out again but this may be the last album at least for a while, until I feel I need a collection of songs to say something." You can share this post! Instagram Movie Nick Jonas was recruited for a small role in his wife's new romantic comedy movie because the 'Citadel' actress didn't want to mooch 'a random person' on set. May 8, 2023 AceShowbiz - Priyanka Chopra Jonas refused to do a "sloppy kissing scene" with a random person on the set of "Love Again". The 40-year-old actress plays a woman struggling to cope with the death of her fiance and finding love again with a journalist played by Sam Heughan but was left feeling uncomfortable when the script called for her to kiss another character because it was shot when social distancing was encouraged at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up roping real-life husband Nick Jonas in to film the cameo role. "We totally [hit if off]. He's such a fun and funny guy, and he's nice. For someone who's a Sam fan, they'd be re- ally excited to know that he doesn't just play a good guy in this movie, he's a really, really good guy, a complete gentleman and super thoughtful as a co-actor as well," Priyanka - who also stars alongside superstar Celine Dion in the movie - told Parade magazine. "It was a trying time for all of us as actors coming onto this movie but we all had each other and that was really cool. We could hang out. Sam, me, Sofia [Barclay], and the rest of the cast, we used to all hang out together, grab meals, because we just had each other. It was just very great to be able to have people that you could depend on and get along with." "But the director and I were talking at dinner about, 'Oh, my gosh, there's a slow, sloppy kiss written into the scene.' And I was saying, 'Ugh.' During COVID, kissing a random person sounded very aggressive. And he was like, 'What if we ask Nick since he's here anyway?' " The "Citadel" actress - who has been married to former Disney Channel star Nick since 2018 and has 16-month-old daughter Malti with him - went on to add that her husband had accompanied her to the London-based shoot of "Love Again" anyway and ended up having the "funniest day" on set with him and the rest of the team. She said, "Nick had travelled to London because it was one of the first times I was traveling during COVID and he wanted to make sure to get me settled in. So, he just happened to be there. We asked him and he was an amazing sport about it." "He did the scene, and it was the funniest day on set. I cannot even begin to tell you; it was just a giggle fest. Everyone was just laughing. He was doing something which is the opposite of who we are, so it was just hilarious. I'm really glad Nick came to drop me off in London." "Love Again" is in cinemas from May 9. You can share this post! Cover Images/FAYES VISION Celebrity The 40-year-old 'Vanderpump Rules' star shares his sobriety milestone when performing with his band Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras in Long Island, New York. May 8, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tom Sandoval has decided to become sober following his cheating scandal. When performing with his band Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, the "Vanderpump Rules" star informed concertgoers that he has given up alcohol. "Y'all know it's been one month since I had my last drink of alcohol," the 40-year-old declared during the show in Long Island, New York. In a clip obtained by TMZ, he could be heard adding, "I'm just taking a little break for a second but, yeah, these are Heineken Zeros." Tom's statement was met with support from fans in the audience. They erupted in cheers and applauded the TV personality after he shared his milestone. Tom made headlines earlier this year for cheating on Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss. Ariana learned of Tom's infidelity on March 1 when she saw an inappropriate message from Raquel on Tom's phone. A source previously claimed that Ariana found a video of Raquel masturbating on FaceTime with Tom. Kristen Doute once shared that Ariana found out about the affair when attending Tom's cover band's March 1 concert in West Hollywood, California. "I was actually with Ariana and Tom that night - we were watching his band play at TomTom," Krisen recalled when speaking on "Sex, Love and What Else Matters". She added, "He's done playing, and we'd all gotten up to just kind of chatter and grab a drink." "All of the sudden, I realize Ariana's gone for - it had to be like 20 minutes or something - because she left her coat and her purse," Kristen further elaborated. "So what had happened was, during Tom's performance, his phone fell out of his pocket, and a mutual friend of theirs picks up the phone and hands it to Ariana." Kristen continued, "The real truth is that Ariana had his phone, and she told me that she just had this gut intuition to look at it." After seeing what was on the phone, Kristen said that Ariana was "not doing well," adding, "She's numb, and she's sad." You can share this post! For years, only about nine people have been attending Sunday services at Five Mile Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, which was founded in 1841, 30 years before the City of Birmingham. On Sunday, more than 50 people showed up to say goodbye. The pioneer-era church in the Huffman neighborhood closed its doors after 182 years in the same location at 1137 Five Mile Road. The crowd was such a surprise that there were not enough communion cups to serve grape juice to all those in attendance. The loaf of communion bread, broken into pieces and served on trays, was enough to suffice. The church also ran out of printed copies of its history. But there were more than enough tears. Lay Pastor Sharon Eich choked back tears as she gave her final words of benediction and dismissed the congregation. Music leader David Knox choked back tears as he handed out commendations to those who had served the church. He played guitar to lead the final song ever sung by Five Mile Presbyterian Church: Ill Fly Away. Eich, pastor since 2002, said the congregation had dwindled from about 40 when she arrived to nine now, with most having either died or gone into nursing homes. The few remaining were mostly in their 80s and no longer able to keep the church going. Its just time, she said. The 1880 building and the Civil War-era cemetery will be held and maintained in a trust. The white clapboard church built in 1880 with a bell tower stands next to a brick sanctuary that was dedicated on Oct. 19, 1958, and has been used for most services since then. The final service was held in the brick church, and the reception in the fellowship hall, which will be both turned over to the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley and likely will be sold to another congregation, Eich said. In her last sermon, Eich compared the church to a Middle Eastern excavation where one forgotten civilization built atop another, and another. Once you were no people, but now you are Gods people, she said. Once you have not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Once you had no story. Now you are part of Gods story. Sharon Eich, lay pastor of Five Mile Presbyterian Church since 2002, preached Sunday, May 7, 2023, at the final service of the church that was founded in 1841. (Photo by Greg Garrison/AL.com) See also: Historic Birmingham church plans last service after 182 years Authorities have released the name of a man shot to death late Friday night in a west Birmingham neighborhood. Birmingham police identified the victim as Adrian Dewayne Christian. He was 44 and lived in Birmingham. Police received a 911 call at 11:45 p.m. Friday reporting a person with a gun in the 1100 block of Fifth Street, off Arkadelphia Road. A second call then came in that a person had been shot at that same location, said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. West Precinct officers arrived and found Christian unresponsive in the roadway. Birmingham Fire and Rescue pronounced him dead on the scene. Fitzgerald said the preliminary investigation indicates the unidentified suspect was walking in the neighborhood with a gun. The victim exited a residence and made contact with the armed man. Thats when Christian was shot. The suspect left the scene. It wasnt immediately clear if the two knew each other, but Fitzgerald said the deadly shooting did not appear to be random. No arrests have been made. Christian is Birminghams 42nd homicide this year. Of those, one was an officer-involved shooting by an outside agency and three others have been ruled justifiable. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 57 homicides, including the 42 in Birmingham. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. By Azernews Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on granting awards of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to artists, Azernews reports. This undated photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) shows the lower stages of Korea's first homegrown rocket Nuri at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. Yonhap Officials and researchers from Korea's state-run space institutions, universities and companies have begun last-minute preparations for a mission to put practical satellites into orbit for the first time. Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri is ready to be loaded with eight payloads and its lower stages have been completed for its scheduled launch on May 24 at the Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung. Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, is the core part of Korea's 1.9 trillion-won ($1.44 billion) project to launch 1.5-ton satellites into a low Earth orbit by its own space rocket between 2010-2023. In 2021, Nuri successfully flew to its target altitude of 700 kilometers but failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit, as its third-stage engine burned out earlier than expected. On its second attempt in 2022, Nuri successfully completed its flight sequence and deployed dummy satellites at the target altitude of 700 kilometers as planned. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), which has led Korea's state-run space projects, including Nuri, said unlike the previous two test launches, the upcoming take-off is given a different mission to launch practical satellites into orbit. "This time, Nuri will carry eight payloads. It will make its debut as a rocket to put those satellites into orbit," said Ko Jeong-hwan, who heads the Nuri project at KARI. "It is the first time that Nuri is tasked with handling separate multiple satellites in one flight." This undated photo provided by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) shows officials inspecting a microsatellite developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, codenamed SNIPE, at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. Yonhap The country's second next-generation small satellite, the NEXTSAT-2, is the main payload on Nuri and will be loaded at the very top of the rocket's head. Designed and developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the 180-kilogram NEXTSAT-2 will demonstrate X-band radar technology and measure space radiation on a dawn-dusk orbit for the next two years. Four microsatellites developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, codenamed SNIPE, and located beneath the NEXTSAT-2, will identify temporal and spatial variations of small scale plasma structures in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Data from SNIPE will be shared with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The four SNIPE units were originally scheduled to be launched on a Russian rocket last year, but the plan was scrapped due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The three others are the JAC by Korean engineering company Justek, the LUMIR-T1 by local space firm Lumir and the KSAT3U by startup Kairospace. The launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, is seen in this photo taken on May 3. Yonhap The Alabama Democratic Party approved new bylaws Saturday that eliminated youth, LGBTQ+ and disabled caucuses and reduced the powers of others. The proposed bylaws, which passed the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) 63-49, eliminated the three caucuses because they dont represent 15% of the executive council. The bylaws also reduced the powers of affirmative action; Asian and Pacific Islander; Hispanic; and Native American caucuses to monitor the affairs of the groups listed. The elimination of the caucuses was a victory for Joe Reed, who chairs the partys minority caucus and lost a struggle over the direction of the party in 2019. Reed said Saturday that the 2019 bylaw changes, which had been ordered by the Democratic National Committee, were corrupt and took out a lot of stuff that provided for Black participation in the party. We never shouldve even changed the bylaws, he said. The Democratic National Committee in 2019 ordered the state party to create the caucuses or lose their representation in the presidential nomination process, and it was not clear what the changes might mean for the state partys role in future national contests. An email seeking comment was left with the Democratic National Committee on Friday. But the vote also reflected ongoing feuds over the leadership and direction of the Alabama Democratic Party, which has struggled to re-establish a statewide profile over the last decade. Several SDEC members said their ability to vote Saturday was challenged because they had not paid a $50 fee, which many said they had not been told of. Tabitha Isner, vice-chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, called it a poll tax. Are these people elected members of the State Democratic Executive Committee, or are they not? she repeatedly asked chair Randy Kelley during the meeting on Saturday. Kelley told Isner to sit down and said she was out of order. Members of the affected caucuses were also sharply critical of the vote. Virginia Applebaum, who chairs the Native American caucus, said that the moves seemed like an attempt to erase Native American identity. People are telling me that the current members [of the caucus] will represent us, while taking away the very vehicle that we have to represent ourselves, she said. Applebaum said that the Native American caucus was important to her because indigenous people need representation and the right to self-determination within the party. Imagine for one moment that somebody, other than your representative group, was trying to tell you whats best for you and your people, she said. How would you feel about it? Antwon Womack, chair of the LGBTQ+ caucus, asked how he could be expected to support a party that doesnt believe [he] exists. He said that he believed his voice was not heard by the leadership, especially as it concerns the rights of LGBTQ+ Alabamians in the party. It just basically lets me know that the mindset of Jim Crow doesnt have to look Caucasian, its actually within my own race, said Womack, who is Black. More from @DougJones: "What happened today what the leadership of the Alabama Democratic Party did was to essentially say that we don't represent the democratic electorate in Alabama anymore." He says this decision excludes youth, Latinos, LGBTQ and others from the party. https://t.co/sXEwaFnL27 Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) May 6, 2023 A long feud The party created the new caucuses in 2019 after a standoff between the DNC, which wanted the party to broaden its representation, and former Alabama Democratic Party chairwoman Nancy Worley, who said the DNCs orders were confusing and contradictory. The standoff turned into a proxy battle between a wing of the party loyal to Reed, who backed Worley, and then-U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, whose supporters sought new leadership. Jones supporters won the battle in 2019, creating the caucuses and installing new leadership. But Reeds supporters managed to elect Kelley chair of the party last year. Kelley, who served as vice-chairman of the state party during Worleys term, signaled last year that the caucuses could be abolished. According to the new bylaws, a special committee may be created by the chair, whereas in the previous bylaw, it was set that The Executive Board and the Affirmative Action Committee may from time to time establish additional Caucuses in order to give underrepresented constituencies. Leaders of the party conducted the vote by having members of the SDEC stand to show their support or opposition for a motion. It was unclear whether the votes were verified by another member. Calls for a roll call vote were not heeded. Tori Jackson, vice chair of the Native American Caucus, said there are bigger issues that Democrats should be tackling, such as the recent push against critical race theory, which is not taught in Alabamas K-12 schools. As a Native American and a Black person, they are doing the same thing that they did to Black people, she said. How many years ago? Really not that long ago, honestly. They just took away our voice, and how can you vote on something and youre not really a part of it? The fight over the admission fee further divided the SDEC. Isner said that there was no logic provided if it were required that they pay a fee, that fee would have been required before the May meeting, and that members werent told about the $50 fee when they voted in January. She said that at last Augusts SDEC meeting, members were elected and credentialed, and called it bizarre that these members would be asked to pay a fee now. This was an example of Oh, Im sorry, weve lost your voter registration, for a fee, maybe we could get you back on now, she said. Funny enough when we offered to pay the fee. That was a big deal. They still werent going to let these people be seated. Ralph Young, a Democratic activist, said that there was no interest in an accurate vote, and that there were many procedural problems with the meeting. It was just simply a rush to get one close enough that could be ruled without challenge, he said. Young said that in a party with many marginalized groups, everyone is fighting for some recognition, and that it feels like no one wins. And it feels like a zero sum game, that if I give you any dignity, that comes off my balance, he said. Delandrion Woods, who chairs the Youth caucus, said today was disheartening and disappointing and that a delay is not denial. But Woods said he would continue fighting. In the words of Dr. King, we have to fly, and If you cant fly then run, if you cant run then walk, if you cant walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward, and thats what we have to do is to continue to move forward even if there is delay, he said. Passengers of American Airlines heading from Birmingham to New York City Sunday morning were treated to coffee and snacks ahead of the airlines inaugural nonstop flight to New York. New York is American Airlines seventh nonstop destination available from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. It is the second airline to offer nonstop flights to NYC, following Delta. We are excited that American is showing such confidence in this market, Darlene Wilson, Board Chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority, wrote in a press release. We know customers want more choice when they fly and we continue to work on giving them that. Passengers are headed to LaGuardia Airport in New York City and departed just after 6:00 a.m. A returning flight will depart from LaGuardia around 7:30 p.m. and is expected to arrive in Birmingham at about 9:15 p.m. This schedule is ideal for business travelers and anyone who wants to take in the Big Apple by day and still get home that evening, a press release for the Birmingham Airport Authority read. American Airlines also offers nonstop flights from Birmingham to Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, Dallas, Texas, Miami, Florida, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. The airline said they will offer 19 daily departures from Birmingham this summer. A Brookwood man died Saturday in a crash in Tuscaloosa County. State troopers identified the man as 58-year-old William R. Smith. Senior trooper Justin ONeal, a spokesman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, said Smith was a passenger in a Kia Seltos and was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The car left on Maxwell Loop Road about five miles south of Tuscaloosa City limits and struck a tree. The driver of the car left the scene of the crash before law enforcement arrived, ONeal said in a news release. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. As troopers continue to investigate, ALEA asked that anyone with information about the incident or the driver call 205-553-5531. The parking closures ahead of the Hangout Music Festival begin on Monday and will last until May 25. The City of Gulf Shores released a statement on Friday detailing the road closures, traffic modifications, and beach closures that will be in effect during the 2023 Hangout Music Festival. The 2023 festival takes place May 19-21 on the Public Beach adjacent to the Hangout Restaurant. Top acts include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, SZA, Calvin Harris, Paramore and Lil Nas X. Tickets remain available, with prices starting at $349 plus fees for general admission. Full festival information can be found at www.hangoutmusicfest.com. For ongoing coverage, visit www.AL.com/hangout. Read more about Hangout Music Festival: The city advises residents and visitors to be aware of the changes and plan accordingly to ensure their safety and convenience. Public Beach access points will remain open throughout the festival, and people are encouraged to utilize them to reach the beaches during this time. Monday, May 8 East Gulf Place parking lot Resident Parking closed through Thursday, May 25. Monday, May 15 Public beach access at Gulf Place closes. Tuesday, May 16 4 a.m. - Alabama State Route 59 south of West 1st Ave and Alabama 182/Beach Blvd between West 2nd St. and East 2nd St. will be closed to all vehicular/pedestrian traffic. Access to West Beach: Available through Windmill Ridge Road (preferred), West 1st Ave. to West 3rd St. or by taking West 2nd Ave. Access to Orange Beach: Available through the Gulf State Park, Canal Road, or by taking East 1st Ave. to East 2nd St., East 3rd St., or East 4th St. 4 a.m. - Traffic flow on East 1st Ave. and East 2nd Ave. will be modified to a one-way-only route to help accommodate heavy pedestrian traffic. Two-way traffic flow on East 1st St., East 2nd St., East 3rd St., and East 4th St. will remain. The public is advised to utilize the traffic flow map and directional signage posted in these areas indicating proper traffic flow during this time. Monday, May 22 6 a.m. - Alabama State Route 59 and Alabama 182/Beach Blvd will temporarily reopen to allow for exiting traffic until 12 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 Normal traffic conditions resume. Thursday, May 25 All public beach parking and access points will return to normal use. Public Beach Access: Public beach access points at West 4th St., West 5th St., West 6th St., West 10th St., West 12th St., West 13th St., Little Lagoon Pass, and the Gulf State Park will remain open throughout the festival. All residents and visitors are encouraged to utilize these public beach access points during this time. The Nuri space launch vehicle is seen at Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, May 3. Courtesy of KARI By Baek Byung-yeul GOHEUNG Preparations for the third launch of the Nuri rocket, scheduled for May 24, are smoothly underway at the Naro Space Center in the southwestern county of Goheung, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT and Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), May 3. Given the first and second launches were test flights, they said that the May 24 launch is significant in that Nuri will carry out the mission of placing eight satellites that are to be utilized for scientific research purposes into space orbit. In its first launch on October 21, 2021, the Nuri rocket, also known as Korean Space Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II), failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit. However, its second launch on June 21, 2022, saw Nuri successfully place a dummy satellite and a performance verification satellite into a low orbit of 700 kilometers above the Earth, making Korea the seventh nation in the world to launch a space rocket using domestically developed technology to place an over 1-ton satellite into orbit. Lee Sang-ryool, president of KARI, speaks during a press conference held at Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, May 3. Courtesy of KARI Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, poses with Noubar Afeyan, who heads Flagship Pioneering, in the United States, in November 2021, in this photo released by the South Korean tech giant on May 7. Yonhap Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong has recently met with leaders of global pharmaceutical companies in the United States, the company said Sunday, in line with its efforts to find new growth engines beyond semiconductors. Lee held the series of meetings with CEOs from five major companies: Joaquin Duato of Johnson Johnson, Giovanni Caforio of Bristol Myers Squibb, Noubar Afeyan of Flagship Pioneering, Chris Viehbacher of Biogen Inc. and Kevin Ali of Organon Co. "The series of meetings between Lee and leaders in the biotechnology sector is aimed at further developing the company's global cooperation throughout the industry, with a goal of fostering it as the second semiconductors," Samsung said in a release. Samsung Electronics did not provide further details of the separate meetings but noted that they shared opinions of bolstering competitiveness in the biotechnology industry, as well as fostering new businesses. Lee also met with the employees of Samsung's U.S. operations. "The starting point is not important, as it is the bold and consistent challenge that determines victory and defeat," Lee was quoted as saying in the release during the meeting, calling for the staff to harness what he calls the "success DNA of the semiconductor sector" in the biotechnology segment. Samsung established Samsung Biologics in 2011, followed by Samsung Bioepis - the joint venture set up with Biogen in 2012, in line with efforts to find a new growth engine. In 2022, Samsung Biologics reached a deal with Biogen to purchase the U.S. drugmaker's entire stake in Samsung Bioepis for $2.3 billion. (Yonhap) English News Chinese enterprises make remarkable contributions to South Africa's industrialization Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 5 Mai 2023 This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa. Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, noted that Chinese enterprises have made constant and remarkable contributions to promoting South Africa's industrialization. He hopes that the two countries can achieve more fruitful results in their future cooperation. By Zou Song, People's Daily Wide and flat roads, orderly traffic flow, and neatly built factory facilities - these are the most prominent features of the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park, a manufacturing quarter built by Chinese home appliance giant Hisense in Cape Town, North Africa. "I've been working in this industry for nearly 30 years, and this year marks the 10th year for me to work in the industrial park. I'm glad to see the young people gaining better and better vocational skills today," said Valeri, Workshop Director of Industrial Park Television Factory. Valeri is about to retire. She had gone through the hardships of factory shutdowns and unemployment. For a time, she had to do some vending businesses to make a living. After the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park was built in the Atlantis industrial area in Cape Town, the woman immediately applied for a job there. She started from the most basic position and became a team leader and then workshop director after training. Valeri now has apprentices. The products manufactured by her factory are available in many home appliance shops in South Africa, which makes her proud, Valeri told People's Daily. The Hisense South Africa Industrial Park was jointly built by Hisense and the China-Africa Development Fund in 2013 with an investment of $350 million. After years of development, the park is able to produce 400,000 television sets and 400,000 refrigerators on an annual basis today. Now, Hisense televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators and other home appliance products are sold in over 5,000 shops under 18 major chain stores across South Africa, accounting for 30 percent of the market share in the country. Besides, these products are exported to more than 10 African countries such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, as well as European destinations including the UK. More and more factories on the supply chain of the home appliance industry have been built in the Atlantis industrial area because of the influence of the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park. The Atlantis industrial area has become an important manufacturing hub for electronic and home appliance products in South Africa and designated as a national-level special economic zone. Sizo Nkala, a researcher at University of Johannesburg Centre for Africa-China Studies, told People's Daily that the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park, attracting more and more Chinese enterprises to South Africa, has contributed to South Africa's re-industrialization. While promoting industrialization in South Africa, Chinese enterprises attach high importance on talent cultivation, which helps improve vocational skills of the local workforce. Many local workers including Valeri have joined vocational training programs launched by Chinese enterprises, and now about 70 percent of the management positions are held by local employees. Besides, to improve the vocational skills of local young employees, Hisense and a local middle school have jointly established an electronics technology research and development training base, which offers electronic, software and equipment operation courses. So far, the base has trained a total of more than 1,400 people. Today, Valeri and her family are living an obviously better life than before. She said her job has brought dramatic changes to her family. "We expanded our residence, and I can enjoy my twilight years after retirement," she told People's Daily. A number of residents in the Atlantis industrial area have secured a job near their homes, and many of them have bought their own cars. Since the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park was put into use, it has created around 1,000 jobs for local people and indirectly offered 5,000 jobs. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa. Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, noted that Chinese enterprises have made constant and remarkable contributions to promoting South Africa's industrialization. He hopes that the two countries can achieve more fruitful results in their future cooperation. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Chinese enterprise contributes to Tanzania port construction Acting as a force for reconciliation, peace and harmony in the Middle East China strives to advance ecological progress with green, intelligent technologies Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) Disturbing connections between the macabre practice of necrophilia and Islam are back in the news. "In a shocking revelation," starts one Apr. 29 report, "parents in Pakistan now guard their dead daughters against rape by putting padlocks to their graves. ... [N]ecrophilia cases are on the rise in the country." Addressing this same phenomenon, another report states: That a woman is raped every two hours in a country [Pakistan] taking great pride in its family-oriented values has been hammered to the point of repetition in our collective conscience. But the heart-wrenching sight of padlocks on the graves of females is enough for the entire society to hang its head in shame and never dare to look at the so-called vessels of honour. This is being done as a desperate bid to ensure the sanctity of dead bodies in case some randy monsters cherry-pick them to satiate their lust. Considering the rampant rise in necrophilia, one can't help but understand the urge to protect loved ones. This issue is not limited to Pakistan. According to an Aug. 22, 2022 report, a female Afghan refugee to India "revealed that the Taliban has sex with dead bodies." What to make of these macabre revelations? Is Islam really to blame? As usual, when determining whether a practice is or is not Islamic, one must turn to the prophet of Islam: Muhammad. According to a bizarre hadith (a recorded tradition concerning his sayings and doings) that exists in six of Islam's classical reference texts (including the important Kanz al-'Umal and al-Hujja fi Biyan al-Mahujja), Muhammad once took off his shirt, placed it on a dead woman, and then descended into her grave to "lie with her." As they hurled dirt atop the corpse and Muhammad, the grave diggers exclaimed, "O Prophet, we see you doing a thing you never did with anyone else," to which he responded: "I dressed her in my shirt so that she may be dressed in heavenly robes, and I lay [myself] with her in her grave so that the pressures of the grave may be alleviated from her." Clearly, this hadith leaves much room for interpretation, and there is no reason to insist that Muhammad was actually copulating with the corpse. There are, however, some hurdles: First, the two Arabic words (ataja' ma'ha ) translated above as "lay with her," are also used in Arabic to mean "intercourse." This is similar to the English idiom "to lie with her," which can literally mean nothing more than lying down with a woman but often is an indirect reference to sex. More than a few Muslim clerics have made this linguistic observation. Second, Sunni Islam's four orthodox schools of jurisprudence (or madhahib al- fiqh) namely, al-Hanafi, al-Hanbali, al-Maliki, and al-Shafi'i implicitly permit necrophilia. None of them actually addresses it on its own; rather, all of them give it a nod whenever it comes up in the context of other topics. Thus, in the section on adultery, the Maliki teaching is that "[i]f a husband enters his dead wife any which way, from front or behind there is no penalty for him" (Sharh Mukhtasar al-Khalil fi al-fiqh al-Maliki). Similarly, Shafi'i rulings on ablution point out that it is unnecessary to rewash the body of the dead male or female, adds the Hanbali madhhab after penetrating it, though the penis of the penetrator does require washing. Regardless of all the above, it is not for the non-Muslim certainly not for me to tell Muslims what their texts are really saying and teaching. That is the job of their ulema: scholars and clerics devoted to learning the deep truths of Islam. Thus, the real question remains: do modern-day ulema permit necrophilia? The lamentable answer is yes. For instance, in 2011, a leading Moroccan cleric and founding member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Abdul Bari Zamzami, issued a fatwa permitting the Muslim husband to copulate with his dead wife. He prefaced his decree by saying that, although he does not necessarily approve of this act, it is not for him to ban what Islam permits. As proof, he cited the aforementioned rulings of Islam's schools of jurisprudence. Soon thereafter, in April 2012, when the Muslim Brotherhood held the presidency of Egypt in the person of Mohamed Morsi, news that Islamist Egyptian parliamentarians were trying to pass a law legalizing necrophilia appeared. Although Al Ahram, Egypt's most reputable paper, reported the story, it was quickly dismissed as a hoax in Western media (which often happens whenever Islam makes the news in ways that do not comport with Western sensibilities). As one journalist argued, "[t]his ugly rumor and hoax, thought to originate in a fatwa by [the aforementioned] sheikh Zamzami, a noted Moroccan cleric, should be doubted for the simple reason that no Egyptian Islamist sheikh, or any other Imam, has ever been reported to approve of necrophilia." If that was true in 2012, it wasn't in 2017, when necrophilia was yet again mentioned and legitimized, this time by Sheikh Sabri Abdul Raeuf, a professor at Egypt's Al Azhar the Islamic world's most prestigious university (which Pope Francis considers an ally). During a televised show in Egypt, the sheikh and professor was asked if it is permissible for a husband to penetrate his wife after death. He replied, "It is not favorable in Islam; however, Islamic law considers it as halal" that is, permissible, not a crime or sin deserving of punishment in the here or hereafter. A subsequent Youm7 Arabic report, titled (in translation) "The Books of al-Shafi'i, al-Hanbali, and al-Hanafi Reveal that Sex with a Dead Wife is Not Adultery," verified the Al Azhar professor's claims. Muslim necrophilia has, incidentally, also made it to the West. In the U.K., late one night in 2019, a Muslim man, Kasim Khuram, broke into a funeral home, opened several coffins, and, having made his "selections," proceeded to yank out and "rape" two female corpses. When police arrested him, Khuram explained his actions by laughingly saying, "Every hole is a goal." Despite all the above, necrophilia should not be seen as widespread among Muslims. Indeed, whenever it makes the news in the Arab world, most Muslims as can be expected of most decent people of whichever creed respond with incredulity and revulsion. Rather, the point here is that Islamic jurisprudence is so legalistically slavish to old, sometimes bizarre, texts and often ambiguously worded as to legitimize much that is repugnant to modern sensibilities. Not only does this provide a moral sometimes even pious cover for deviants, but it also may attract them to Islam. Just as pedophiles, rapists, sex-slavers, misaogynists, psychotic mass murderers, extortionists, and those eager to be "breastfed" by women or drink camel urine can find support in the teachings of Islam in ways that the followers of other religions simply cannot so too can those with depraved proclivities for the dead. Image via Picryl. When is a sanctuary city not a sanctuary? When it's declared by a poser more interested in appearing charitable than actually being charitable. The Democrat party is infested with such shameless actors. They sanctimoniously claim moral superiority over the MAGA masses, while they go about destroying all that is good about America using illegal immigration as a tool. It turns out that Lori Lightfoot, the Chicago mayor, is one such poser just like the "humanitarians" on Martha's Vineyard. Her city of Chicago is officially designated as a sanctuary city prohibiting local law enforcement from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to deport illegal aliens. But it turns out that Chicago isn't as welcoming as the "sanctuary" declaration would imply. Mayor Lightfoot has exposed her insincerity through a running verbal battle with Texas governor Greg Abbott. It seems Governor Abbott has been offering illegal aliens in Texas free bus tickets to sanctuary cities. Why wouldn't people in a place where they aren't appreciated want a ticket to a place where they would be welcomed? Thousands have accepted the offer. It's reported that Abbott has bussed over 12,000 illegal aliens to Chicago in the past year. Lightfoot is begging him to stop the practice claiming that what he's doing is inhumane. She hasn't explained how transporting people from a place where they could be arrested to a place where they will be safe (from ICE, anyway) is inhumane. She insists that Chicago doesn't have the resources to deal with an influx of migrants equivalent to what El Paso must absorb every 12 days. It's all very entertaining and revealing. I've never understood the whole "sanctuary city" thing. If they can't handle the influx of aliens, why are they inviting them in? The definition of a sanctuary is a place of refuge and protection. It's not much of a protective offer when those seeking the protection are told to stay out. But Lori and her fellow radicals keep telling us that unlimited immigration is a good thing. Open borders are supposed to be good for the economy by providing cheap labor to perform the jobs that Americans will not do. That argument should insult both immigrants and Americans but the Dems think it makes sense. Accepting the "immigrants" into our communities is also supposed to be good for our humanity. By showing sympathy to the world's downtrodden, we can achieve salvations through charitable deeds and caring for the less fortunate. But now Lightfoot is pleading for Governor Abbott to stop sending them. Has she had too much of a good thing? Is there a limit to the prosperity and salvation that Chicagoans can tolerate? Or was that narrative always a lie which Abbott has exposed for the cost of a few bus tickets? Have Mayor Lightfoot's complaints accidently exposed the Democrat party scam that it was never about prosperity or charity? Has she revealed that the open borders argument is actually something much less noble? Has the "no human being is illegal" rallying cry really been about the importation of voters and chaos, rather than charity? If Hispanics are reliable Democrat voters, then the Dems just need to import a bunch of Hispanics and relax the rules so they can vote. There's no need to sell a radical agenda. Just welcome them in, give them a bunch of free stuff, and tell them how to vote. It's an easy path to electoral dominance just like Ruy Teixeira promised though the Dems haven't been paying attention to Ruy recently. Now he's telling them that they could have had electoral dominance if they hadn't gone bat-guano crazy. The Dems are selectively ignoring that last part of his advice. Unlimited immigration could also be about the chaos. If the radicals want to replace our constitutional republic with something a bit less personal freedomoriented, a little chaos works for them. Is it possible that the people who wish to gift us a socialist paradise see some value in social conflict? Is there some amount of chaos that would convince Americans that our founding principles don't work? That it's time for a change that the radicals will gladly help us figure out? In their minds, are the crime, drug abuse, and social burden from open borders not a tragedy at all but rather simply a transition cost? Was their plan all along to declare sanctuaries inviting in crime and dependents, overburden social safety nets to the point of failure, and promote diversity and hyphenated citizenship until our national identity is destroyed? Once we're ashamed to be Americans, our cities become unlivable, and our country is in financial ruin, will the people who broke everything offer a ready-made plan to fix it? Occam's Razor would suggest that people like Lori Lightfoot are just fools the simplest explanation for something usually being the correct explanation. But if the actions of the left were just idiocy, there would be more randomness to our collapse. However, their actions have resulted in an unrelenting march toward tyranny and have been coordinated at a national level. What we are experiencing seems less like stupidity and more like a well orchestrated evil plan with emphasis on the "evil." Americans are facing an approaching crisis. Has the "sanctuary city" movement actually been part of a bigger overarching plan to facilitate social collapse? Could they be that evil? Does Occam's Razor apply to us? Are we approaching crisis not because we agree with the radicals, but because we were blind to the advance of tyranny, and too lazy to stop it once we saw it? John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker and American Free News Network. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com. Image: Lori Lightfoot. Credit: MacLean Center via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped). Another act to subdue an aggressive mentally ill man leads to another George Floyd media-leftist whitewash of the perpetrator and this time, I think it will not work. Don Surber says it well: Democrats turned subways into hell and now give good citizens the choice between being the victim of a lunatic who kills them or a lunatic justice system that punishes anyone who stands up to the psychos. "Its called anarcho-tyranny. Lets review the comparison. Jordan Neely had a long criminal record -- 42 arrests. He threatened passengers who made several 911 calls without a response. His record showed he was increasingly capable of violence. A New York City police spokesperson told Newsweek that Neely's record has 42 prior arrests, dating between 2013 and 2021. They include four for alleged assault, while others involved accusations of transit fraud and criminal trespass. At the time of his death, Neely had one active warrant for an alleged assault in connection with a 2021 incident [where he assaulted a 67-year-old woman, causing her grave injuries.] He had two arrests in 2015, one for assaulting a 64-year-old man, another for kidnapping a seven-year old girl. In the most widely published accounts, he is portrayed as a peaceful kook who, dressed as Michael Jackson, impersonated the former entertainer. This ignored his more recent history where he was far less gentle and it surely was done deliberately to muddy the truth and scare people from engaging in self-defense. Neely had been allegedly yelling and ranting on the train before being subdued by another subway passenger, according to independent journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez, who reported on the incident via the Facebook page Luces de Nueva York. I don't have food. I don't have a drink. I am fed up, Neely said, according to Vazquez. I don't care if I go to jail, and if they give me life in prison... I am ready to die. Would you find this a threat to yourself and fellow passengers? I would. In fact, two other passengers (one White, one Black, if that matters to you), who appear on videos of the incident assisted a former U.S. Marine, Daniel Penny, in subduing Neely, who later died after being placed in a headlock. The usual bleeding hearts are blaming the subduers and contending that Neely was driven to this because he was homeless. In actuality, he was probably homeless because he was very mentally ill and though former mayor Bill DeBlasios wife spent $850 million dollars ostensibly to improve the citys treatment of the mentally ill, no one has been able to trace how these monies were spent. In any event, the city and its subways appear chock full of aggressive mentally ill people attacking ordinary citizens. Heres a video of Neely aggressively threatening passersby on the street. Neelys conduct is far from unusual. Heres another video of aggressive assaults on a New York subway train. In that case, no one stood up for the woman who was viciously attacked. A typical loony response to such behavior is this: Emma Vigeland on the Majority Report today says that the desire to feel safe on public transit is bourgeois and explains how one time she suppressed those bourgeois feelings when she was assaulted on the subway by a mentally ill vagrant, as everyone should. There are worse things than bourgeois feelings -- like being assaulted or killed. Isnt it odd that we have people screaming that words are violence but violent conduct is not? Isnt it odd that the impulse to survive threatened attacks is attacked as an unworthy aim? The upshot of the Neely death is protestors massing in support of Neely and a grand jury being impaneled to consider whether the man who held him down (though apparently not the two others who aided him) should be criminally charged for homicide. (Let's hope the jurors have to get to the courthouse by subway.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has naturally jumped aboard the get-the-rescuer demagoguery. To his credit, the mayor of New York was critical of her prejudging the case. Once again, we see people trying to fan a race war, just as they did when George Floyd died after being restrained by law enforcement. Floyd had a lengthy criminal history, having served eight jail terms between 1997 and 2005. In 2007 he was charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. In 2009 he was sentenced to a five-year prison term for that. He had a record of drug use. At the time of his arrest and death he was suspected of using a counterfeit bill and refused to enter the police car after his arrest. An autopsy showed he had fentanyl intoxication and had been using amphetamines which had increased the likelihood of death. And he has been elevated to some sort of street sainthood. He was, in fact, a menace to himself and the community. Rather than sympathize with those violent passengers, my sympathy lies with those people forced to use the subways to work, shop, and go to school. Gregory Umbach speaks for me in support of subway passengers: "Riders on the subway deserve to have a ride where they dont feel threatened. And the mentally ill deserve to have the treatment and the protection..." "...that would allow them to work out their struggles in the protected space. We cant have a subway system thats both a system of transportation and housing for the homeless. Those are incompatible goals." Said Gregory Umbach, associate professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, quoted in "After homeless man choked on subway, NYC grapples with treatment of mentally ill" If New York cannot manage its homeless and mentally ill, it will have to forego the nonsense about defunding the police and place cops in the subways and on the streets, or it will be up to more people than the three men who subdued Neely to keep ordinary citizens safe from attack. Maybe the people who are failing their duties to the homeless and mentally ill are the ones who deserve to be in the dock, not those acting to defend themselves and others. Our nation is suffering death by a hundred thousand cuts in the form of drug poisoning deaths every year, which are continuing to rise. On average, thats three hundred Americans dying every single day. In addition to the exploding body count, four million of our fellow citizens enter substance abuse treatment programs every year, two million visit hospital emergency rooms suffering from drug overdose symptoms and, lastly, illegal drugs now cost our society over three trillion dollars per year in lost productivity, as well as social, criminal, and health related costs of every kind. If one wished to purposefully introduce a chemical weapon of mass destruction into a society to destroy it from within, he would be hard pressed to find something more insidious than many of the modern synthetic drugs manufactured and distributed by Mexican drug cartels. In fact, at just two milligrams for a lethal dose, fentanyl is more deadly than many of the other compounds on the United Nations prohibited list of chemical weapons such as sarin, VX, strychnine, phosgene gas, and potassium cyanide. Fentanyl continues to pour across our Southern border in ever more decimating amounts, killing more young Americans than any other cause. Methamphetamine has increased tenfold in the past decade. And now we see the emergence of the ghastly horse tranquilizer Xylazine being trafficked to our citizens. Mexican transnational criminal organizations are flooding this country with cheap, pure, highly addictive, and deadly drugs by the ton, manufactured with precursor chemicals profusely supplied by China. All designed for them to expand their power and riches on the backs of addicted and dead Americans. And too many of our leaders at every level remain feckless and mute. In determining whether Mexican drug cartels should be labeled as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), one must first understand that terrorism is not a specific entity or a particular ideology, it is a tactic -- a tactic designed to cow and crush any opposition through violence and intimidation targeted at both the government and the people. The tactics of the Mexican predators have also worked tragically and alarmingly well against our own current regime in Washington. The Rand Corporation recently produced an anemic position paper arguing that designating the drug cartels as FTOs is hardly a solution. Brian Jenkins, Rands senior advisor to the think tank, maintains that drug trafficking and other organized criminal activities are already serious crimes in the United States and there are ample statutes to deal with it. Well, maybe. But that would only be true if we had a president, attorney general, and the secretary of Homeland Security with the cojones to enforce existing law. They dont. In fact, our current government has demonstrated its frightening weakness repeatedly -- not merely its daily duplicity on the Mexican border, but with grotesquely disproportionate prisoner exchanges involving convicted narcoterrorists Victor Bout and Haji Bashir Noorzai, both of whom have pledged to return to battling against the United States from Russia and Afghanistan, respectively. When we were a serious nation concerned with things like our national security and the rule of law, we had no problem designating transnational drug trafficking organizations like the Colombian FARC, the Peruvian Shining Path, the Kurdish PKK and the Philippines Abu Sayyaf as FTOs. And now, with the ruthlessly efficient and violent Mexican groups that are more proximate, more numerous and pushing more deadly and addictive varieties of illegal drugs than the world has ever experienced -- all enabled and enforced with monstrous acts of barbarity that clearly cross the threshold of what has been traditionally defined as terrorism -- we flinch. To be clear, were not just fighting Mexican drug traffickers, were fighting the worlds most powerful and prolific narcoterrorists who happen to be based in Mexico. Narcoterrorists who not only control the entirety of U.S.-Mexico border, but have their largest presence outside of their own country right here in ours. It has been estimated that the various Mexican cartels have a presence in over 3,000 American cities and towns. They are here solely to sell drugs to Americans and engage in other types of organized crime like human trafficking. I can think of no greater modern example of Ciceros warning to his fellow Romans about allowing an enemy within the gates. Just like international terrorists, the various Mexican organizations are single-minded, zealous, highly ethnocentric, and shockingly violent. And, whether we like it or not, they take our forgiving multiculturalism and our moral and cultural relativism as weakness. The process of FTO designation is actually quite simple and straightforward. Title 8 U.S. Code, Section 1189 vests within the Secretary of State the authority to make such an autonomous declaration. It requires no legislation, no presidential approval, no funding. It can be done today. It should be done today. Secretary Antony Blinken should be made to feel the hot demand to do so by the American people. Yet, we need to understand that this would not be a panacea, the answer to all our border problems. In fact, the Rand piece is quite correct in its argument that launching the full fury and might of the United States military inside Mexico, as the LARPing windbag known as Senator Lindsay Graham is currently hawking, is a complete political non-starter. But, to turn the Rand argument on its head, we dont need to designate the cartels as FTOs in order to engage the U.S. military in Mexico, as we have been providing intelligence and technological support -- as much as they have allowed -- to Mexican forces for many years; that is, until President Andres Lopez-Obrador implemented his policy of dealing with the cartels with hugs, not bullets. The biggest reason for FTO designation is not even about potential actions in Mexico at all. Its about providing domestic law enforcement agencies with the statutory tools to target and arrest anyone providing material support to foreign terrorists. Thus, anyone selling Sinaloas fentanyl, trafficking La Familias methamphetamine, or transporting CJNGs human sex slaves can be prosecuted, their assets seized, and their co-conspirators deported with enhanced urgency. Moreover, states that pass material support legislation that mirrors federal statutes need no longer rely upon Washington to be able to take such action. When DEA Agent Enrique Kiki Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in 1985 by the Guadalajara cartel, along with elements of the Mexican government, the Reagan administration shut down the entire Mexican border to achieve justice for one man fighting for his nation. And, more recently, when the Zetas cartel killed ICE agent Jaime Zapata and wounded his partner Victor Avila in a roadside ambush in Mexico in 2011, law enforcement agencies across the United States organically launched Operation Bombardier, coordinated by DEA, to target, dismantle, and disrupt every aspect of the Zetas organization and activities within our nation, as well as in Mexico. Both follow-on actions were designed not merely to reassert the rule of law, but to avenge injustices against America herself. Just last week, on April 29, thousands of patriots gathered at the steps of the state capitol in Austin, Texas to demand that our government secure our sovereign borders. One of their entreaties was the need to declare every one of Mexicos sinister narcoterrorist groups as foreign terrorist organizations. They are right to do so, as todays avengers require its tools to protect the homeland on our behalf. It is way past time to do so. Jeff Stamm is a 40-year law enforcement veteran, having served as a Deputy Sheriff in Sacramento County, California; a Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and as the Executive Director of the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). He is also the author of On Dope: Drug Enforcement and The First Policeman. Image: BaptisteGrandGrand Last February, Dr. Gal Luft, a retired Israel Defense Forces lieutenant colonel with deep intelligence ties in Washington and Beijing, was arrested as an alleged gun runner. At the time, he claimed the arrest was to stop him from revealing what he knows about the Biden crime family and FBI corruption. Now, Dr. Luft has disappeared entirely. In the early 2000s, Luft formed a think tank called the Institute for Analysis of Global Security (IAGS) that focused on energy innovations and policy. Accordingly, from 2015 to 2018, Luft organized international energy conferences. He did this in partnership, with the China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC-USA), the non-profit arm of CEFC, Chinas huge energy conglomerate that was headed by one Ye Jianming. Ye reportedly has ties to Chinese military intelligence. CEFC-USA, in turn, was headed by Patrick Ho. In September 2020, the story broke about Hunter Bidens laptop, which first revealed that the CEFC began to court the Bidens in 2015: According to documents in the laptop, the Biden family began their ties with CEFC in 2015. In May 2017 the Bidens formed Sinohawk Holdings to carry out their partnership with CEFC. CEFC agreed to pay Sinohawk $5 million and transfer another $5 million to the Biden family as a gift . (Emphasis added.) As the New York Post summarized, Hunter met with Ye, over a private dinner in early February 2017, at which the CEFC chairman made him a generous offer of $10 million a year, for a minimum of three years. The funds, suspiciously, were earmarked for introductions alone. Later in the summer of 2017, Ye was concerned that Patrick Ho might be under investigation and asked Hunter Biden for help. Hunter told the New Yorker that he agreed to represent Ho and to try to figure out if he was under scrutiny by law enforcement. Image: Gal Luft by Web Summit. CC BY 2.0. So where does Gal Luft fit into this? In February 2023, Gal Luft found himself detained in Cyprus on arms trafficking charges as he was about to head for Israel. He claimed that this was politically motivated because had dirt on both the FBI and the Biden family. Hed tried to inform the DOJ in 2019, during Trumps presidency, but was ignored. Now, though, with things heating up around Biden, says Luft, hes being silenced. He contends that Hunter Biden had an FBI mole named One-Eye. That mole told Ye and Ho that the DOJ was investigating them. Further, said Luft, Soon after that tipoff, Ye offered Hunter $1 million to be his private counsel and flew to China, leaving his wife, daughter, son, mother, and nanny in his $50 million penthouse at 15 Central Park West. He was detained in Shanghai three months later and disappeared. Before he left New York, Ye told Ho that the coast was clear for him to come back to the US. On Nov. 18, 2017, Ho flew into JFK Airport, where he was arrested by FBI agents on bribery and money laundering charges. Hos arrest provided another shady business opportunity for Hunter. From the same article: Hunter was paid $1 million by CEFC to represent Ho, which entailed contacting his FBI sources on Hos behalf and engaging another attorney to do the legal work, according to emails on his laptop. Luft claims he contacted the DOJ after Ho was jailed and federal investigators flew to Brussels to interview him in the presence of his attorney Robert Henoch for more than 18 hours on March 28 and 29, 2019. (Emphasis added.) While the Hunter info is interesting, whats really significant is that Luft told the DOJ that an FBI insider was selling sealed U.S. law enforcement information to Chinese individualsand the DOJ didnt care. Now, though, Congressman Comers House Oversight Committee has been investigating Lufts claims: In a March 2 interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox, Comer referred to Luft as the straw that broke the camels back. He said that after word got out of Lufts arrest, weve had three people that were involved in the Hunter Biden shady business schemes that have communicated with my committee staff. The reason Lufts information mattered so much is that it helped explain the money Hunter Biden was bringing in. As Robert Henoch, Lufts lawyer said, Congress has the Biden bank records but it doesnt know the reason for the payments. Now it does . The information that the whistleblower Dr. Luft gave the DOJ four years ago is the missing link for the reason behind the China-Biden money transfers. Clearly, this is explosive stuff. (Emphasis added.) It was this information, which lay dormant in the DOJ for so many years, that was the predicate to Lufts arrest on what he claims are trumped-up charges of arms trafficking to China and Libya and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. One must ask why, if Luft was such a notorious gun runner, he wasnt arrested over four years ago in March 2019 when he spent 18 hours telling FBI agents everything he knew about the Bidens and Hunter. Moreover, while the warrant was issued in November 2022, and it spells out heinous crimes, Luft wasnt arrested for another three months: The government issued its arrest warrant in November. It has a cooperative agreement and relationship with the Israeli Ministry of Justice and state prosecution. And yet, it didnt communicate the arrest warrant to Israel. Israeli officials could have arrested and investigated Luft at any time. (Emphasis added.) That long delay, standing alone, is suspicious. Immediately after his arrest, Luft went public about his claims regarding the FBI, the Bidens, and China: I've been arrested in Cyprus on a politically motivated extradition request by the US. The US, claiming I'm an arms dealer. It would be funny if it weren't tragic. I've never been an arms dealer. DOJ is trying to bury me to protect Joe,Jim&Hunter Biden. Shall I name names? Gal Luft (@GalLuft) February 19, 2023 Lufts arrest prompted concern for his safety. On March 23, former congressman Steve King shared his worries on Twitter: .@JamesComer Dr. Gal Luft is the witness who fills in the blanks on why Chinese CCP paid million$ in tip-off, protection, & influence money to Joe, Jill, Jim, Hunter and Hallie Biden. Luft had better NOT get Epsteined! https://t.co/ZgmEkeTjPL Steve King (@SteveKingIA) March 23, 2023 King may have been right to worry. Things took a sinister turn at the end of March. Luft, who was being held in a Cyprus jail awaiting a hearing to determine if he should be extradited to the United States, was released on bail after finally securing the necessary funds. And then he disappeared: In March, a Cypriot court deliberating a US extradition request had instructed him to surrender his passport to authorities and post 400,000 euros as bail before being released from custody. He was also required to register at the Paphos police station weekly but failed for the past month and did not appear for three trial dates. Lufts car was found abandoned on the island a day after his disappearance was reported. It's currently unknown whether he met with foul play or voluntarily dropped out of sight. However, what is well established is that since that fateful interview with the FBI in March 2019, Luft has made powerful enemies in both Chinese and American intelligence and, of course, in the Biden syndicate. Sometimes, a news story comes along that perfectly encapsulates a moment in time. In the case of Darren Rachel Glines, that encapsulation doesnt exist solely in the story of the not guilty verdict in the indecent exposure case against Glines. Instead, the insanity is also evident in how the Daily Mail has written up the entire case. Here, in all their dystopian, delusional glory, are the opening few paragraphs from the Daily Mail: A judge ruled that a transgender woman could not have indecently exposed her penis in a YMCA female changing room after agreeing with her claim that shes too fat for it to be visible. Darren Glines, who now goes by Rachel, was found not guilty of three counts of indecent exposure at the facility in Xenia, Ohio. Judge David McNamee cleared Glines after agreeing that the size of her belly meant it would be impossible for anyone to see her penis. Glines, 31, has had several complaints made against her dating back to 2021 with at least three people complaining that they saw a naked male in the female locker room. One of the complaints stated that there were three juveniles present during the incident, with a woman going to the front desk to report the issue. But she was reassured by a worker that it was actually a woman and that she shouldnt have been disturbed but the incident. Judge David McNamee said that there was little dispute as to the facts of the case as Glines was authorized by the Executive Director of the YMC to use the women's locker room. Let me restate the facts in normal-speak. Darren Glines is a morbidly obese man who claims that he is, in fact, a woman. Despite making this claim, Glines has declined to chop off his penis and testicles to create a weird simulacrum of the feminine body. When you consider the suffering of Jazz Jennings, a boy whose parents tried to turn him into a girl, Gliness reluctance to have the surgery actually makes sensealthough its likely that he has other reasons for retaining his penis: Its unclear whether Glines has had a boob job or if he simply has the moobs (man-boobs) that often accompany obesity. Image from Gliness now-deleted YouTube channel. In any event, for several years, Glines has frequented the womens locker room at his local YMCA, where he likes to strip down to the altogether. Theres no evidence one way or another that he exercises when at the Y. Given his physical habitus, that seems doubtful. Women have often complained about Gliness presence in the locker room, including a woman who explained to the front desk that there were three young girls in the room when Glines stripped. In keeping with life in the third decade of the 21st century, the employee at the Y insisted that Glines is actually a woman, so it was fine for him to be naked around women and girls. Eventually, a prosecutor with cojones (by which I mean courage, an attribute applicable to both ballsy men and women) charged Glines with indecent exposure. However, the judge concludedapparently without having personally seen Glines nakedthat Glines was too fat for his penis to be visible to the women. The fact that Glines seemingly revels in being naked around women and children was irrelevant to the judges ruling. Oh, and theres a little detail I missed when it comes to Gliness relationship to women: A female YMCA employee testified that he assaulted her by grabbing her crotch, requiring her to get a restraining order. That indicates that Glines doesnt just identify as a woman; apparently, hes also a lesbian. The story is grotesque and disgusting. And honestly, whats just as bad is that the Daily Mail pretends that this fat, crotch-grabbing man is a female. There is no rational, moral universe in which the phrase exposed her penis should ever exist. Glines is not a woman, his name is not Rachel, and he should not be cavorting naked around women and children when its apparent, from his goosing the female employee, that he is sexually attracted to women. The real problem, of course, isnt that this respect for fake women and men extends to all sorts of media. For example, a local news story from Ohio also pretends as if Glines is a female entitled to she and her pronouns: We are teetering so far on the edge of cultural madness that I often fear we will never pull back. Then, I think of the Bud Light boycott, one driven by grassroots revulsion and fed-up-ness, not by corporations and NGOs, and I have hope. Reparations to descendants of slaves is a complex issue and one burdened with pros and cons. Indeed, since slavery ended in 1865, many more cons than pros exist on the reparations ledger. Moreover, a Pew Research Center report finds that three-quarters or more of white adults oppose reparations, as do a majority of Latinos and Asian Americans. Nine Black leaders also oppose reparation payments. Nevertheless, approximately a dozen cities and several states have initiated reparation programs renewing hopes for a national policy of reparations for slavery. The most irrational reparations plan (so far) is Californias. The California reparations panel just approved a payment of up to $1.2 million per black residentwithout requiring proof showing slave ancestors. This is irrationality to the point of madness. California joined the union as a free state in 1850. Californias blacks were not slaves, and Asians, Jews, and Hispanics also experienced fierce discrimination. Californias not the only free state supporting reparations. Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Rabb proposed statewide reparations involving multiple compensation tiers, with the greatest awards going to residents who can prove they descended from generations of black Pennsylvanians. The plan seemingly does not distinguish between actual slave descendants and descendants of free blacks or black slaveowners. YouTube screen grab. That last pointanother con for reparationsreminds us that not all blacks were slaves. Basically, when the subject of reparations arises, it views the issue solely (and falsely) through a racial prism; i.e., blacks were slaves, and only whites were slave owners. In fact, blacks practiced slave ownership, trading, and bounty hunting for escaped slaves. Thousands of blacks owned slaves, with some becoming very wealthy. Five Native American tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole) also owned black slaves. These facts are verified and addressed by several black historians and scholars, e.g., John Hope Franklin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Larry Koger, Glenn Loury, and Carter G. Woodson. Today and consistently over the years, history books and curricula have omitted these facts. Such omissions, consequently, caused and continue to encourage racial misunderstandings and enmities. I did not learn these facts until late in life. I say that as one who focused throughout her life on such history and the continued inequities black Americans suffered. I am a descendant of an abolitionist, Abraham Lincolns law partner and biographer, William H. Herndon. For him, it began when he was in college, and the Dred Scott decision outraged him. I grew up proud that one of my ancestors was on the right side of justice. He also wrote articles arguing for black-and-white equality, a brave stand in the 1800s. Sadly, despite readily available information, we hear and read only the incorrect, binary narrative of white oppressors and black victims. Just reading and hearing current news, one recognizes that oppressors come from all races, just as their victims do. That was true yesteryear and remains true today. During booming immigration times in the late 19th Century and throughout the 20th Century, many immigrants from African or Caribbean nations arrived who were never slaves in America. They and their descendants, who identify as African Americans, are very successful. No one insists that descendants of black slaveowners, traders, or bounty hunters be excluded from reparation payments. Likewise, no one seeks to exclude from reparations all those blacks who came to America after slavery ended (and, likewise, their descendants). Christopher J. Ferguson succinctly stated a great principle: People and cultures are complex. If students were permitted to understand that human failings are universal but can be overcome, it might help to alleviate the depression and anxiety of those unjustly burdened by the sins of their ancestors. All people, regardless of race, can be burdened by the sins of their ancestors. Omitting verifiable facts from American history silently, but powerfully abets, contributes to, and supports calls for reparations. For that reason, and given the breadth of reparation proposals, they become nothing more than entitlements based on skin color alone. Often, those required to pay will never have participated in or benefitted from the slave trade. Meanwhile, regardless of financial status or ancestry, even a multi-millionaire black athlete or a businessman might receive the entitlement simply based on race. Being honest about history doesnt erase the moral wrong of slavery. However, it acknowledges that good and evil are multi-racial, children do not deserve to be taught otherwise, and innocent people dont deserve to pay a debt for which they are not responsible. Such knowledge is a positive and healthy reminder for all. Pursuing truth and justice is always a worthy goal, especially regarding history. Reparations arent based on truth and hardly serve justice. Lee Jae-yong, left, chairman of Samsung Electronics and leader of Samsung Group, poses with Noubar Afeyan, co-founder and chairman of Moderna and founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, during their meeting in Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 16, 2021. Samsung said Sunday that Lee had a meeting with Afeyan and other bio CEOs during his April-May 2023 visit to the U.S. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung Group is seeking to expand cooperation with innovative biotech companies in the United States as Chairman Lee Jae-yong held a series of meetings with the CEOs of bio companies there, Samsung said Sunday. Korea's largest conglomerate added the bio sector as a business that Lee aims to foster as the group's flagship business. Lee also wants to discover new business opportunities in the field through these meetings. Samsung said Lee recently held a series of meetings with the CEOs of big biopharmaceutical companies and bio venture incubation companies in the eastern part of the U.S., known as the world's largest bio cluster. The figures Lee had meetings with are Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson; Giovanni Caforio, CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb; Noubar Afeyan, CEO of Flagship Pioneering; Chris Viehbacher, CEO of Biogen; and Kevin Ali, CEO of Organon. Johnson & Johnson is a global top-tier biopharmaceutical company with over 140 years of history and is a major customer of Samsung Biologics. Bristol Myers Squibb laid the foundation for the growth of Samsung's bio business by awarding Samsung its first order for drug production in 2013. The CEO of Flagship Pioneering is the co-founder of Moderna, which helped overcome the COVID-19 crisis through an agreement with Samsung to produce mRNA vaccines, and the two companies are also working together to discover and nurture promising bio startups. Also, Biogen partnered with Samsung Biologics to establish Samsung Bioepis. Though Biogen sold all of its shares in Samsung Bioepis to Samsung Biologics in 2022, the two companies have continued to work closely with each other, with Biogen handling the European distribution and sales of Samsung's autoimmune disease treatments. Samsung made its foray into the bio business more than a decade ago and became the world's No.1 contract-based drug manufacturer through quick decision-making, bold investments and superior manufacturing technology in close collaboration with these key partners. "The bio industry is a field with high barriers to entry, requiring not only production technology and R&D capabilities, but also trust and reputation building for long-term collaboration. Lee's wide global network is expected to serve as a lever for Samsung's bio business to expand collaboration with big pharmaceutical companies and create future growth opportunities," Samsung said. After meeting with leaders of bio pharmaceutical companies, Chairman Lee also met with employees of Samsung's North American sales office. During the meeting Lee said "The starting point is not important. Bold and persistent challenges will make the difference between victory and defeat," before he called on the company to continue the DNA of success created from Samsung's semiconductor business in the field of biotech. With Joe Biden's end to the Title 42 pandemic restrictions on asylum applications coming on May 11, as many as a million migrants are massing at the U.S. southern border, preparing to charge on in. It seems a little odd, actually. Title 42 had been sparsely enforced by the Bidenites as most migrants, particularly the ones who couldn't be expelled to Mexico based on their countries of origin, got into the states on "parole" anyway, some of them coughing away on COVID, and unlike normal travelers, were exempt from U.S. vaccine requirements, even being allowed to refuse them. The overwhelming majority, one way or another, got in, which kept the surge surging. That one little restriction, though, which gave an illegal border crosser a less-than-50% chance of being thrown out as a pandemic risk, ends, and now a million are headed in? Something about it doesn't entirely make sense, and now Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse has put his finger on it, connecting the dots. His report is a doozy: If you understand what Samantha Power does via her role in using USAID as the mechanism to advance the color revolutions around the globe, these remarks from Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador are subtle like a brick through a window. Power has recently been trying to create political turmoil in Hungary [HERE] and Georgia [HERE]. However, after AMLO delivered a speech where he called out Joe Biden, the DEA and the CIA for trying to interfere in Mexico [HERE], many people reading here predicted Samantha Power would now show up in Mexico. Those of you who made that prediction were correct. You guys are smart! Keep in mind that nearly a million central American economic migrants can be unleashed by AMLO, and likely will be, as Joe Biden and the Mexican president have faced off for almost two years over North American energy policy. Stunningly, AMLO has not backed down an inch, and instead went on the offensive against Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau. This put a target on his back and was likely the impetus for U.S. intelligence agencies to call upon Samantha Power to do her thing. So AMLO is teaching Joe Biden a lesson for his utterly none-of-his-business meddling in Mexico's internal affairs through the Soros crowd, by releasing hundreds of thousands of migrants into the U.S. at one pop. It's significant that Mexico won't be sending any troops to the border to stop the surge, as President Trump had been able to ask Mexico to do, and which did stop previous surges. The Bidenites didn't even dare to ask as they likely already knew what the answer would be. It's also significant that Mexico had been keeping migrants penned up in camps in southern Mexico. Based on the numbers seen, that was then. Sundance cites the political meddling from the Soros crowd which has alienated Mexico, which, interestingly, was also employed by Power's USAID in Central America, notably Guatemala, too, where cash was shoveled out to the government's opposition groups, err, civil society groups -- and quite possibly, the two other countries of the northern triangle, Honduras and El Salvador, too. All of those countries were held up to scorn for their supposed failures of 'democracy,' which was a laugh and a half, given the fiasco of U.S. elections and the banana-republic-style move to jail President Trump before he could run for election again. AMLO himself pointed this out openly. Neither Mexico, nor any of those countries, has what can be called good relations with the U.S. Hunter Biden had been meddling in Mexican affairs, through his ties to Burisma, too, quite possibly on the wrong side of AMLO. We know things were going bad back when Biden visited Mexico City and AMLO couldn't stop publicly needling him for always being late. It was for that reason that Biden couldn't even get talks in on an immigration accord. Lastly, there was the three amigos summit in Washington, where the U.S. and Canada agreed to wreck their economies by "going green," but Mexico refused. Sundance continues: Ever since Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador confronted Joe Biden in the oval office about energy policy, things have increasingly escalated. Remember, Mexico did not join the Build Back Better suicide mission, or the sanctions against Russia. Keep in mind, it wasnt just President Trump who blocked the migrants and secured the U.S. southern border, it was AMLO using 50,000+ active military to stop the migration flow of illegal aliens. Its not a surprise that AMLO is letting the caravans flow to the border, while Biden is trying to undermine the Mexican government. Yet another factor is spying. Apparently the U.S. has stepped up spying operations in Mexico, as has Russia, and Mexico has cozied up to Russia, meaning, Mexico is a U.S. target. According to this Scripps News report (I wrote about that here): The U.S. also suspects that Mexico harbors a large number of Russian spies, a point recently made by a top U.S. military official. "The largest portion of GRU members in the world is in Mexico right now," said General Glen VanHerck, commander of the U.S. Northern Command. "Those are Russian intelligence personnel." The statement is an apparent reference to Russia's huge embassy in Mexico City. "Mexico has very little economic ties with Russia, very little political interaction, so to have an embassy in Mexico that's about 30% larger than their embassy in Brazil is suggestive," Starr said. Valid or not, Mexico's AMLO doesn't appreciate this kind of spying from a leading trading partner. So he's getting ready to give it to Biden, using the migrants as a policy tool. It sounds farfetched, sure, except that AMLO's already done it fairly recently, almost as a dry run. Remember this report from Todd Bensmann of the Center for Immigration Studies? I wrote about that here: The Center for Immigration Studies, sent a senior researcher named Todd Bensman to ask those questions on the ground, going to the immigrants themselves, and he came up with a doozy of an answer: The surprising answer, which the migrants provided independently in different places and at different times, was universal: on Sunday, September 12, the Mexican government effectively sent a mass of migrants it had bottled up for months in its southern states up to the American border. This move, which appears to have been done under the cover of Mexico's independence week of celebration known as El Grito, essentially foisted a humanitarian problem onto the Americans in a single week. Mexico was the one who did it. Turns out Joe Biden promised them some things and based on the available information, apparently never delivered. Mexico's response to that was comparable to that of the underpaid wedding photographer who deleted a camera full of wedding photos after the callous client denied her a bathroom or meal break after a multi-hour shift. They had been penning up thousands of illegal Haitian migrants on their southern border in the town of Tapachula from entering the U.S. and opened the floodgates, all to teach Joe Biden a lesson about messing with them. So now we have come to this, the million-person border surge, premised on Biden making Mexico and its populist president very, very, angry, perhaps convinced that Biden is going to pull "a Brazil" on his party and get them rigged out of the next election, given that AMLO believes that U.S. elections are all about fraud, and the U.S. is complicit in fraudy elections elsewhere, too. He's mad and he's going to teach Joe a lesson, unleashing as many million migrants as possible, in a maneuver U.S. officials know he can stop, but won't. Nice going, Joe. Once again, the Bob Gates maxim about being wrong on nearly every foreign policy issue is operative here. Not only has he opened the border himself, he's angered Mexico enough to send the migrants through. What a loser this is. Once again, Joe did this. Image: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, via YouTube In recent months, Joe Biden has been busy trying to secure Venezuelan oil to supply America's energy needs in the wake of his shutdown of American energy independence. The idea is to get foreign suppliers to replace American output to offset high gas prices at the pump. Ever since Biden ended American energy independence when he shut down the Keystone XL pipeline and closed U.S. public lands to drilling, his minions in the White House, known as "the three stooges," have been targeting Venezuela as a replacement supplier in particular, through negotiations to drop sanctions. Already, they've given Chevron a green light to resume some oil operations. Venezuela has been under Treasury Department sanctions for drug dealing, human rights violations, and corruption. Bad as U.S. and European sanctions may be for Venezuela, it's nothing compared to what Venezuela has done to itself, through the nightmare of socialism, turning its entire industry into a shambles. Maintenance in particular has suffered -- the rusty pumpjacks and other equipment slowly returning to the jungle has already been in the news. But sure enough, Venezuela's tankers, which were once its pride and joy, with many named after Venezuela's beauty queens, are just as neglected. They've become floating junk heaps, firetraps and health hazards, according to an internal report obtained by Reuters. PUNTO FIJO, May 4 (Reuters) - More than half of the 22 oil tankers in Venezuela's fleet are so run down that they should be immediately repaired or taken out of service, according to an internal report from state-run oil company PDVSA that was shared exclusively with Reuters. The report by PDVSA's maritime branch, entitled "Critical deficiencies and risks of PDV Marina's tanker fleet," said years of deferred maintenance had left the entire fleet with "low levels of reliability," at risk of spills, sinking, fires, collisions or flooding. "The ships currently lack seaworthiness classification and certifications by flag nations," the report said. PDVSA and PDV Marina did not respond to requests for comment. The report, dated March 2023, was among eight documents shared with Reuters describing the state of PDVSA's tanker fleet from the oil company's corporate office, trading division and maritime branch, as well as Venezuela's maritime authority. The existence of the documents has not been previously reported. That's bad stuff. There already were indicators of it, back in 2020 when a listing, tilting, Venezuelan oil tanker nearly created an ecological disaster in the Caribbean, reported here. Those ships filled with millions of gallons of heavy fuel could go off like bombs or else spring leaks and create one, two, many Valdezes. If they are allowed to transport oil into the U.S., those hazards are brought here. It's gotten so bad Venezuela has begun chartering ships, according to the Reuters report. But even the ones that don't merit being taken out of service are bound to be in very bad shape with none of the environmental nor safety standards seen on well-maintained U.S. oil company ships. That's what Biden wants brought in here, anything but permit domestic drilling, the vital pipeline from Canada, and professional and safe tanker transport. All it takes is one mistake in a U.S. port for disaster to happen, and we already know that there have been a lot of them here, on ships and at refineries, even without extremely dilapidated states of maintenance. Where are the environmental activists who've got Joe on their puppet strings for that one? Importing any energy from Venezuela should be off the table until those tankers are brought up to western standards of maintenance. Image: PXFuel // CC0 public domain May 5 is Exhibit A in contrasts. Up here, it's a day to eat Mexican food and enjoy a parade. Down in Mexico, May 5 is a day to remember a battle that few people remember. Back in 1862, the French met the Mexicans in Puebla, south of Mexico City. It was a consequential battle because a weaker Mexican force defeated the superior French army. This is the story: It marks the unlikely 1862 victory of Mexican forces over French invaders in Puebla and is nearly as much a symbol of the nation's eternal struggle to maintain its independence as the 16th of September. In the state of Puebla, it is a full-on holiday, with plenty of parades and merrymaking, as well as food and folklore festivals. But for most of the rest of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo (May 5, which this year falls on a Friday) has become a passe holiday, sometimes observed by government offices and schools in order to extend the Labor Day break, but infrequently revered for the importance it played in the nation's history. Strangely enough, though, that is not the case in the United States, where May 5 is revered by Mexican immigrants and gringos alike as a celebration of all things Mexican, including music, art, food, drink and culture. For Mexicans and other Latinos living in the United States, the Cinco de Mayo holiday is seen as an alternative Mexican Independence Day, especially in Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, San Antonio, Sacramento, Albuquerque, Denver and El Paso, where large segments of the population have Mexican roots. And by osmosis, Cinco de Mayo has become a day that commemorates the role that Mexican immigrants have played in their adopted home, with many public schools and offices equating it with Mexican heritage and traditions and even hoisting Mexican flags in honor of the occasion. The holiday has become so ingrained in U.S. culture, in fact, that 16 years ago, lawmakers in Washington passed a resolution calling for its recognition as a historically significant holiday. But while the United States may have expropriated the Cinco de Mayo holiday as its own, the events it commemorates are strictly Mexican. Cinco de Mayo officially marks the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, led by Ignacio Zaragoza against Napoleon III's forces, but not the expulsion of the French from Mexico, which would take another five years to come to pass. Perhaps it was the fleeting nature of Zaragoza's success that is behind the disremembering of the once-important holiday in Mexico, or the fact that it has evolved into a confused gringo celebration of Mexican ethnicity. But for whatever reasons it has lost relevance nationally, it is still on the books as a date of Mexican glory on the battlefield, and certainly merits a hat tip in Mexico, especially if you consider how many tequilas are being raised to toast the Cinco north of the border. Yes, a consequential victory goes largely unnoticed. I lived and worked in Mexico City and saw very little about this day. I remember a few military academies celebrating the day with parades and flag-waving. As the article points out, most of the country doesn't see it as much to celebrate. What would have happened if Mexico had lost this battle? It could have been a major victory for France and its ambitions to turn Mexico into its Algeria on this side of the world. My Mexican friends love that we enjoy enchiladas and beer on "Cinco de Mayo." They say "mucho gusto amigo." At the same time, they'd love their "Cinco" back and more recognition of an important battle and the brave men who fought that day. PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos. Image via Pxfuel. Maybe Donald Trump was right about Iran this whole time. That may be an uncomfortable reality. The Iran deal was supposed to get Iran to stop uranium enrichment. The West must admit that it failed. It should be stressed that Iran has continued developing its nuclear program for a couple of reasons. Libyas Muammar Qaddafi voluntarily abandoned his program, but he was eventually overthrown. Whos to say whether he would have eventually met his demise had he not abandoned his nuclear program, but it is unlikely NATO would have intervened had he possessed nuclear weapons. This same line of reasoning is why North Koreas Kim Jong-Un is ramping up his nuclear arsenal. Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal to Russia as part of the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 in exchange for security guarantees. As we all know now, these guarantees were not worth the paper they were written on. Now of course, Russia has ignored its previous commitments to respect Ukrainian sovereignty. That Iran is also providing Russia with drones and other arms speaks volumes. Whether you like him or not, Trump, regardless of his motives, made the correct decision in removing the United States from the Iran nuclear deal; not because he was an optimist but a realist. A realist may appear cooler and meaner at first glance but is honest and prepares people for the realities of the world around them. An optimist always tries to see the positives even when he fails, but he cannot live with it and blames others for it. Millions of Iranians chanted "Death to America" in demonstrations protesting the Jan. 2020 killing of General Qasem Soleiman by a US drone YouTube screengrab In 2021, unofficial talks between representatives of Iran and Saudi Arabia began. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed that Saudi Arabia wanted "good and special relations with Iran". On March 10, 2023, both sides announced that they wanted to return their relations to normal. The plan is to reopen the embassies within two months. China had taken on the role of mediator in drawing up this agreement. The media took the result as a sign of China's growing influence in the Middle East. From the beginning of 2023 to March 20, 2023, according to Javaid Rehman (Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran), 143 executions were carried out by the Iranian state. In addition, according to the expert, at least 527 demonstrators have been shot or beaten to death by security forces since the protests began. It can be assumed that the regime will become more repressive and uncompromising. As has now been widely reported, Tucker Carlson wasnt fired by Fox news; he was merely removed from its broadcast schedule while continuing to draw his salary (reported to be as much as $20 million a year). It is widely speculated that noncompete language in his contract, as well as possible Mandatory Arbitration requirements keeps him from having much public impact as a commentator, and potentially could silence him for a couple of years, until his contract runs its course. In effect, Fox Corporation is paying $20 million to gag Tucker. Will this investment in silencing Carlson pay off in not just keeping him from influencing others, but in diminishing his popularity as memories of his presence fade? The Washington Post, house organ of the Deep State, recently quoted Ken LaCorte, a former digital-side executive for Fox News, expressing what must be the hope of the Fox brass as well as the papers staff: Fame is a depreciating asset, and Tucker in nine months of relative radio silence would not be nearly as powerful as Tucker is now, LaCorte said. I beg to differ. If Tucker Carlson were an ordinary TV talking head, Mr. LaCorte would be correct. But he is not an interchangeable part, easily equaled by another talking head with more-or-less the same views. Because he raised topics that were basically forbidden, he created a special bond with his audience, who know that they would never have heard the dissenting voices on the Ukraine War, or on the use of millions of illegal immigrants to alter the political balance, for instance, had another of Foxs stable of hosts held his time slot. Tucker was and is a new phenomenon: a rogue member of the de facto aristocracy (prep school, wealth and bow tie history are indicators) bravely turning against it, repenting his previous sins such as support for the Iraq War, and risking his career (as we now see) to tell the truth. The fact that over 80 million views quickly accumulated for his 2-minute first Twitter statement after disappearing from the Fox airwaves is evidence that he is something very special. It may seem outlandish at first, but I think the proper comparison is with Elvis (another major cultural figure for whom no last name is necessary). When Elvis Pressley was drafted into the Army in late 1957, at the peak of his career, having just purchased Graceland. Despite the pleas of tens of thousands of his fans who wrote to the Army in protest, Elvis refused to do anything but dutifully comply and serve his country with honor for two years, during which his career was on hiatus. Did that absence depreciate his popularity? On the contrary, it created admiration for him, even endearing him to some who previously denounced his hip-swinging style but now saw him as a good, patriotic young man. It also stoked a hunger for him to return to public performances. I think it is fair to call Tucker Carlson the Elvis of political commentators because he dared to be new, different, heartfelt, and impactful, even if he took a lot of flak from critics, as Elvis did before he became the king after his service in the Army. Photo credit: Twitter video screengrab (cropped) During the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, between Great Britain and the United States, the border between British Canada and upstate New York saw some of the fiercest fighting, much of which took place around Lake Champlain. This freshwater lake situated across the US-Canada border provided the British a direct invasion route into the heart of America. Had this important travel corridor from the mighty Saint Lawrence to the Hudson fell into the hands of British troops, the results of the American Revolutionary War could have been very different. Anxious to prevent another invasion attempt, immediately following the War of 1812, America decided to fortify the shores of Lake Champlain. A small sandy spit called Island Point was chosen as the site for an octagonal fort. The fort, when finished, was to have 30-foot-high walls and 125 cannons that could blow out of waters any British ship attempting to sail past. Fort Montgomery, also known as Fort Blunder. Photo credit: Axel Drainville/Flickr Construction of the fort began in 1816, and continued for two years when a survey conducted jointly by the United States and Great Britain discovered a problemthe fort was being built on the wrong side of the border. The actual border passed almost a mile south of the fort. Once the embarrassing mistake was discovered, construction of the fort was hastily stopped and the unnamed citadel earned the nickname Fort Blunder. For the next 20 years, the abandoned fort was pilfered by local residents who carried away stones and building materials from it and used them to build their homes and public buildings. In 1842, American and British diplomats sat down to discuss this and many other boundary problems. The original border between New York and Quebec, as ratified by the 1783 Treaty of Paris, was supposed to pass along the 45th parallel, according to which Fort Blunder is on Canadian soil. The United States insisted that the new boundary be pushed up north just enough so that the half-finished fort could return to US soil. This was agreed, and it became one of number of tradeoffs negotiated during the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842. At last, Fort Blunder belong to the United States. Without wasting any time, the US began reconstructing a new fort, and named it Fort Montgomery, in honor of the Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery who was killed during the 1775 invasion of Canada. The fort was still being built when the American Civil War broke out in the 1860s. Amidst rumors of possible British intervention against the Union from Canada, there was a frenzied attempt to complete and garrison the fort. When the basic structure was eventually completed, Fort Montgomery had 48 feet high walls, taller than the previous fort. By 1886, the fort was armed with seventy four guns, all with their barrels trained northward towards Canada. However, by then, the possibility of an attack from the Canadian side had become so far fetched that the idea of fortifying the US-Canada border was seen as absurd. Slowly over the next half a century, the forts old guns, which were already made obsolete by modern artillery, were removed. Once again local scavengers took the fort apart and carried away untold amounts of bricks, lumber, windows, and doors for private use. Eventually, a large part of the fort was demolished and the stones were used in the foundation of a new bridge across Lake Champlain. What little remains of Fort Montgomery today rests on private hands. After massacres in Serbia, copycat incidents multiply Several threats, all foiled. Vucic, 'too many weapons around' (ANSA) - BELGRADE, 07 MAG - After the two massacres in recent days, with a total toll of 17 dead and 21 wounded, episodes of emulation are multiplying in Serbia, as well as in other countries in the region, while police forces have greatly accentuated their activities directed at confiscating illegally held weapons and ammunition. In Belgrade in recent hours a 41-year-old man was arrested who, in a message posted on social media, had threatened to take a rifle and kill all the inhabitants of Ruma, a town not far from the capital. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a resident of Banovici (center) who, under the effects of alcohol, threatened to carry out "a massacre like the one in Belgrade" and informed the police of his intentions, ended up in handcuffs. In Skopje, capital of northern Macedonia, two incidents occurred in as many city schools. In the first, a 16-year-old student who had posted a message on social media with death threats against a teacher was detained. In the second, a juvenile student was summoned by police after he pulled a toy gun out of his backpack during class time and pointed it at his classmates and teacher. On May 3, a 13-year-old boy, shooting at a Belgrade elementary school with his father's gun, killed eight of his peers and a custodian, injuring six other pupils and a teacher. Less than 48 hours later, a 21-year-old man, firing from a car driven by an accomplice, killed eight people and wounded 14 others in three villages not far from Mladenovac, a town some 60 km south of Belgrade. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced draconian measures directed at intensifying controls and significantly reducing the large amount of weapons still in circulation in Serbia, a legacy--as in other countries in the region--of the armed conflicts of the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia. Today in Serbia on the third and final day of national mourning, funerals are scheduled for several victims of the two massacres that rocked the country. In solidarity, Montenegro has also proclaimed national mourning for today. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has blamed heavy Tory losses in the local elections on the pandemic and the Ukraine war. She also noted the Conservative Party had been in power for a long time. The Cabinet minister conceded that voters were frustrated and angry, but claimed Rishi Sunak was starting to regain the publics trust. The Prime Minister has been blamed by some Tories after the party shed 960 councillors in Thursdays poll. Ms Frazer told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: If we could look at the context for the whole local election, weve been in power for a long time. Weve just had a pandemic which has disrupted many peoples lives and has had consequences for the economy, as has the war in Ukraine, which is going on. Pressed on whether she understood the scale of her partys losses, she said: Totally, its really important that we listen to people. I know people are frustrated and angry. She said she recognised the results were not good, adding: I totally understand that we need to do better and I think we are going to deliver. The party was rebuilding trust as Mr Sunak was starting to deliver in a quiet way his five priorities including curbing inflation, Ms Frazer argued. I totally recognise weve had a really difficult few years. I do think that the Prime Minister, whos now been in office for six months, is getting the country back on track and is delivering. I think were starting to gain the trust of the British public. Pressed on whether the Tories needed to offer more than Mr Sunaks promises from January, she told the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg On Sunday programme: We absolutely need to reflect. I think Rishis only been the Prime Minister for six months. Kuenssberg said: Its not five minutes, its six months. Its not five minutes but these are huge challenges, Ms Frazer replied. Some Tories blamed the electoral hammering on the lack of tax cuts. Sir John Redwood (PA) Former minister Sir John Redwood tweeted: Last Thursday many Conservative voters went on strike. They do not want to vote for higher taxes, anti enterprise policies and a failure to take back control of our borders. Ms Frazer insisted the Government was doing those things, saying: The biggest tax cut we can make is a cut in inflation. Tory MP Anthony Browne denied that Mr Sunak was under threat in any way after the dire results. I think a lot of it was a protest vote, the South Cambridgeshire MP told the BBCs Westminster Hour, noting the pandemic and all the shenanigans of last year, which, for people, this was their first chance to actually vote against that. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with deputy leader Angela Rayner (Gareth Fuller/PA) Rishi has calmed things down a lot. He also claimed that Labour has not got the momentum it needs to win a general election. Meanwhile, Labour was celebrating pretty encouraging local election results, which saw Sir Keir Starmers party gain 635 seats and take control of another 22 local authorities. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told Ridge: I think for the next general election Labour feels confident but not complacent. People walk next to a house destroyed by the floods in the village of Nyamukubi, South Kivu province, in Congo, Saturday, May 6. AP-Yonhap The death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen beyond 200, with many more people still missing, according to local authorities in the province of South Kivu. Thomas Bakenge, administrator of Kalehe, the worst-hit territory, told reporters on the scene Saturday that 203 bodies had been recovered so far, but that efforts to find others were continuing. In the village of Nyamukubi, where hundreds of homes were washed away, rescue workers and survivors dug through the ruins Saturday looking for more bodies in the mud. Villagers wept as they gathered around some of the bodies recovered so far, which lay on the grass covered in muddy cloths near a rescue workers post. Grieving survivor Anuarite Zikujuwa said she had lost her entire family, including her in-laws, as well as many of her neighbors. "The whole village has been turned into a wasteland. There's only stones left and we can't even tell where our land once was," she said. Michake Ntamana, a rescue worker helping look for and bury the dead, said villagers were trying to identify and collect the bodies of loved ones found so far. He said some bodies washed down from villages higher in the hills were being buried shrouded just in leaves off the trees. "It's truly sad because we have nothing else here," he said. Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe, close to the shores of Lake Kivu on Thursday. Authorities have reported scores of people injured. One survivor told AP the flash floods came so fast that they took everyone by surprise. South Kivu Gov. Theo Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself. He posted on his Twitter account that the provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter and food supplies. Red Cross staff carry bodies of flash floods victims in the village of Bushushu, South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 6. EPA-Yonhap A man was hijacked at gunpoint by a masked gang and then forced to drive his car with a suspicious object on board to a police station in Northern Ireland. The incident caused a major security alert in Omagh, Co Tyrone, which led to a number of people being evacuated from their homes and cordons erected. While the alert has now ended, examinations are ongoing to establish if the suspicious device is viable. The victim was hijacked by three masked men in the Fireagh Road area, off the Dromore Road in Omagh, at around 10pm on Saturday. The masked men placed a suspicious object in his vehicle a silver-coloured Volkswagen Golf and forced him to travel to the Derry Road area and abandon the car outside Omagh police station. Ammunition technical officers examined the object which has now been removed from the scene. PSNI Inspector Will Brown said the driver had been left badly shaken by the ordeal. He said: The misguided and senseless actions of those responsible have caused disruption in the local community. Our thoughts are with the driver, who was, understandably, badly shaken by the ordeal. He added: Thank you to all those who were impacted and to the wider public for your patience and co-operation. We are also grateful for the understanding of those impacted by the ongoing police activity in the Fireagh Road area. We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of the church on the Fireagh Road, or travelling between the Fieragh Road and Omagh police station between 9pm and 10pm last night. If you saw anything suspicious, or you have dash cam which may assist with our investigation, please get in touch by calling 101, quoting serial 2015 of 6/5/23. Alliance Party councillor Stephen Donnelly said the incident took place close to his home. He said: The thugs behind this incident are a danger to our community and must be urgently apprehended by the authorities, so I would urge anybody with any information to contact the police. Omagh refuses to bow to those who would have our lives ruled by fear. We never have and we never will. DUP MLA Thomas Buchanan said the motorist would remember the incident for the rest of his life (Liam McBurney/PA) DUP MLA Thomas Buchanan said: My thoughts are with everyone involved but the motorist will never forget this for the rest of their days. Its a throwback to the days when the IRA used to force people to become human bombs when targeting police and Army. It was wrong then and its wrong today. Dissident republicans, in particular the New IRA, are believed to have been responsible for a number of attacks and attempted attacks on police in recent months. In February, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot several times in an attempted murder bid which the police have blamed on the New IRA. Dissident republicans were blamed for a gun attack on detective John Caldwell in February (David Young/PA) Detectives also said they believed the group intended to use a number of viable pipe bombs, which were discovered in a Londonderry cemetery following a republican Easter commemoration parade, to attack the police. In November of last year a police patrol vehicle sustained damage after being targeted by an explosive device in Strabane, Co Tyrone. MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely, in response to an upsurge in dissident activity. In 1998 the Real IRA detonated a car bomb in Omagh, killing 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, the worst single atrocity of the Northern Ireland Troubles. The Duke of Sussex has returned to California after catching a British Airways flight within hours of his fathers coronation. Harry arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7.30pm local time (3.30am UK) to reunite with his son on his birthday. Prince Archie turned four on Saturday and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their US home. British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss the details of his trip. The Duke of Sussex departs Westminster Abbey, London, following the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (Toby Melville/PA) The dukes appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare. He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and the dukes stepmother the Queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales. Harry chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church on Saturday in the drizzling UK rain. He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone. The Duke of Sussex arriving ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, London (Phil Noble/PA) It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever. His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that he had no formal role at the event. Also absent from the balcony was the Duke of York, who has stepped away from public life after a controversial Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The former head of the British Army has said he is uncomfortable with the Governments plans to send migrants who enter the UK unlawfully to Rwanda. General Lord Richard Dannatt pointed to the dark history of the east African nation which he said is still cast in the shadow of the genocide. He accused the Home Secretary of running down the remaining political capital of Rishi Sunaks Government with the unpopular policy. The Government is entitled to bear down on people coming on small boats who are simply seeking a better life, the crossbench peer told The Independent. Whether sending people to Rwanda is the right policy, I have my doubts. It seems to be aimed at deterring others from coming, because there is a strong sanction against them. Im uncomfortable with it. Ive been to Rwanda, and the shadow of the genocide there in the 1990s hangs over that country. He told the online paper it is ruled with a very firm hand by Rwandan president Paul Kagame. Its got a pretty dark history, and its not the sort of environment I would put people from Syria and elsewhere in the world into. The UK has agreed a multimillion-pound partnership with Rwanda designed to tackle the number of migrants coming to Britain via unauthorised routes. The 140 million deal will see some migrants who arrive on small boats via the English Channel sent to Rwanda, if they cannot be deported back to their home country. The plan has so far been stalled by legal action and no flights have taken off. Lord Dannatt said: Its somewhat surprising Suella Braverman is persisting with an unpopular policy I fail to understand why the Home Secretary is continuing to run down the remaining political capital of Rishi Sunaks Government. The chief executive of an anti-monarchy group who was among 52 people arrested on the day of the Kings coronation has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody. Graham Smith was released by the Met Police around 11pm on Saturday, while the majority of his Republic colleagues continued to be held. Posting to Twitter, Mr Smith said there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. The Metropolitan Police has been heavily criticised over the detentions, with some campaign groups likening the incredibly alarming arrests to something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Metropolitan Police Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yards actions, saying: Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. Also arrested on Saturday were members of Just Stop Oil and Labour for a Republic. Anti-monarchy protesters demonstrate in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday (Piroschka van de Wouw/PA) The Met said it received information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. But campaigners said the protests were peaceful, describing the arrests as a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation. The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martins Lane following protests from Republic. Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation (Sebastian Bozon/PA) The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Footage from the Mall showed the Just Stop Oil protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence. Animal Rising said a number of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session miles away from the coronation. Nathan McGovern, spokesman for the campaign group, described the arrests as nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent. An anti-monarchy protester being arrested in central London on Saturday (Labour for a Republic/PA) Human Rights Watch labelled the arrests incredibly alarming, adding: This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. Amnesty Internationals chief executive Sacha Deshmukh also raised concerns after police were reportedly given instructions to apprehend people with megaphones. Separately, Westminster Council cabinet member for communities and public protection Aicha Less said she was deeply concerned over reports of arrests of members of its Night Star volunteer team, who assist vulnerable people on the streets late at night. We are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened, and in the meantime, we are in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need, she said. Hundreds of people across Scotland have celebrated the Kings coronation by coming together for sunshine, ice-creams and bouncy castles at Big Lunches. A total of almost 2,000 people participated in events in Ballater, near Balmoral, and in the village of Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond on Sunday. The Coronation Big Lunch, an idea by the Eden Project and made possible by the National Lottery, was set up as a way of reducing loneliness and supporting charities and good causes. In Ballater, which sits in the heart of Royal Deeside and on the doorstep of Balmoral, around 1,500 people turned out for a Coronation Big Lunch picnic. David Corbyn, who helped organise the event, said: Because of Ballaters long association with the royal family its a bit more personal here. People attending a Coronation Big Lunch picnic in Ballater on Sunday (Michal Wachucik/PA) We feel an affinity with the royal family, we have a strong respect for them and they have for us, so this is a celebration of everything theyve achieved and what they are now about to as King and Queen. Its a great opportunity for us to come together and show our appreciation. Ballater sits in the heart of Royal Deeside and is on the doorstep of Balmoral (Handout/PA) Elsewhere in Scotland, more than 300 people turned out for a Coronation Big Lunch in Gartocharn with bouncy castles and ice-cream. James MacRae, 82, and the driving force behind the event, said: These events are important because they pull a community together. I feel on an occasion like a coronation, particularly a once in 70-year coronation, that we must have an event. Tom Newall and his daughter Isla, 10, during a Coronation Big Lunch picnic at the Millennium Hall grounds in the village of Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond (Handout/PA) Grainne McCloskey, Scotland Regional Manager at Eden Project Communities, who are behind The Big Lunch, said she hoped it would become an annual celebration. She said: Community spirit is at the heart of this historic occasion and today was another opportunity for people to strengthen that community spirit while enjoying the celebrations. We hope organisers will go on to make The Big Lunch an annual celebration of friendship, togetherness and neighbourhood. James Nesbitt has said he thinks it is a sign of progress that every main political party in Northern Ireland turned up for the Kings coronation. Political leaders from across the world were in attendance at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, including Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The Northern Irish actor, 58, is taking part in the continued celebrations of the historic event by performing a poetry reading at the coronation concert on Sunday evening. Speaking backstage ahead of the event, he told the PA news agency he was very impressed with the King when he met him a few years ago at a project celebrating Northern Irish produce, as he took such an interest. Reflecting on the coronation, he said: Im just so delighted in the sense that every political party turned up yesterday for it and I think thats progress. Michelle ONeill departs following the coronation of the King and Queen at Westminster Abbey (Phil Noble/PA) In a sense, although a lot of people might disagree with me and we all have our own opinions about it, but I feel that Im representing an awful lot of people from where I come from, and Im glad that he (the King) takes such an interest in the place. Nesbitt added that it was a real privilege to be asked to read the poem at the celebratory concert, which was written for the occasion by Daljit Nagra, chairman of the Royal Society of Literature. It will come as part of the Lighting up the Nation segment of the event which will see colourful illuminations light up landmarks across the UK. Choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will radiate over historic bridges and buildings in cities including Blackpool seafront in Lancashire, Sheffield Town Hall and Newcastles Tyne Bridge. Light shows will brighten up Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations. Today I will attend the Coronation of King Charles III as First Minister Designate. My determination is to keep moving forward, and to represent the whole community. The political landscape across our island is changing. My focus is on building a shared future for all. Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) May 6, 2023 On Saturday, a 21-gun salute rang out from Hillsborough Castle in County Down to mark the coronation of the King. Ms ONeill said she was attending the event to represent the whole community in Northern Ireland. My determination is to keep moving forward, and to represent the whole community, she tweeted on the morning of the ceremony. The political landscape across our island is changing. My focus is on building a shared future for all. Her attendance at the event was seen as another demonstration of the markedly improved relations between the republican movement and the royal family since the peace process. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White have paid tribute to Glasgow-born chef Jock Zonfrillo, with Pierre White labelling him one of the great cooks of the 21st century. It was revealed last Monday that Zonfrillo, who had presented MasterChef Australia since 2019, had died at the age of 46. Victoria Police said officers went to an address in Lygon Street in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton where they found a body at about 2am. They confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious. On a special tribute episode of The Project on Australian TV station Channel 10, Marco Pierre White praised his former apprentice chef. Marco Pierre White paid tribute to Jock Zonfrillo (Steve Parsons/PA) Jock came to me when he was 17 years old, his enthusiasm was greater than his knowledge, but it was that enthusiasm which drove him, maybe fuelled by his fears of failure, by his insecurities, which I could relate to. Very few chefs have an inquisitive mind, an intellectual mind and a creative mind. Thats what makes him special, thats what makes him rare. Pierre White said what he did for the industry in Australia was extraordinary. He was filled with empathy, with compassion, he had qualities very few chefs have, he said. Saddened by the devastating news of Jock Zonfrillo's passing. I truly enjoyed the time we spent together on MasterChef in Australia. Sending all my love to Lauren and the family in this difficult time Gx Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) May 1, 2023 Hell be greatly missed he was a star in the true sense and thats why he has my vote to be one of the great cooks of the 21st century, he was special, he was rare. Ramsay was brought to tears when he spoke about Zonfrillo, who he had worked with back in the 1990s in London. The ripples have been devastating, no-one is going to get over this quickly, Ramsay said. If there is one thing weve done as chefs is weve united and have been talking about the good times, its just so painful. Its just a shock, a massive shock. He was never done as a chef, he still had years to go. In total shock to hear of the sudden death of chef Jock Zonfrillo. Had the best time working with him for this years @MasterChefau. Jock was very generous with his time and spirit in the show and will be so very missed. Sending heart felt love and condolences to all of his pic.twitter.com/Ssa9qOKiFr Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) May 1, 2023 Ramsay said spending time with him on Masterchef was electrifying. Being in the environment together sort of took us back 20 years, there is something quite amazing about two Scots coming together in Australia, it makes you happy at the end of the day, he added. There was always something quite of encouraging about the shit wed gone through to get to where wed been. Jamie Oliver said he remembers meeting Jock for the first time when he was 22 when he took his then girlfriend and now wife Jules to his restaurant. It was me and Jules first date weekend and we went there, and there he was, young Jock, 22 years old, head chef with a beautiful menu and beautiful food, he said. I cant stop thinking about Jock Zonfrillos children, his family. So many are plunged into deepest grief. My heart goes out to them. And I hope their wishes for privacy are respected. Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) May 2, 2023 I remember it because it was the first time I remember being spoiled by another chef. He came from really humble beginnings and he smashed it, just smashed it weve lost a very, very bright star. Nigella Lawson said her heart breaks for Zonfrillos family. My heart breaks as I am sure everyones does for Jocks children and his family, and everyone who loved him, Lawson said. Theres an old-fashioned phrase here but may his memory be a blessing. Ministers are spending 4 million to hire a private law firm to help deliver on the promised bonfire of 4,000 EU-era laws. The Department of Business and Trade has hired lawyers from one of the largest firms in the UK amid reports that the Government is likely to fall short of its plan to rid the statute books of EU law by the end of the year. American-British law firm Hogan Lovells is set to work with the Government until the end of 2023, after being awarded a contract worth around 4 million. A Government spokesman said: The Government is fully committed to removing and reforming burdensome EU law, and has procured external legal support to build on existing capacity in the Government Legal Department to assist with delivery of the REUL Reform programme. Once passed, the Retained EU Law Bill will enable the country to further seize the opportunities of Brexit by ensuring regulations fit the needs of the UK, helping to drive economic growth and innovation. This week, Minister @Nus_Ghani met with @HoganLovells and private equity firms to discuss how we can continue to work with businesses on the National Security and Investment Act to ensure the UK remains a great place to invest pic.twitter.com/gremmelIkQ Cabinet Office (@cabinetofficeuk) April 28, 2023 Hogan Lovells was awarded the contract following a tendering process, with the 4 million contract due to run until December 31. The planned law, which is currently in the House of Lords, will put a sunset clause on the remaining EU-derived legislation. But Brexiteers have grown concerned that the Bill, which has attracted criticism from trade unions and businesses, is in danger of being delayed. Critics warn that rushing through with the plan would create uncertainty, while also threatening legal rights and protections. The exact nature of the support to be provided by law firm is not known, but it has published a number of guides to the Bill. In a post on its website from March, the firm said its lawyers would be following the Bills progress through Parliament and how the Bills powers are used (or not) by Ministers in the second half of 2023. Laurence Hewetson, from Bristol, wore top-to-toe union jacks. (Yahoo Life UK) Despite the rain, the King's coronation and the chance to see Royal Family members process to and from Westminster Abbey yesterday drew in big crowds. Millions of royal fans flew to London or travelled for several hours from their British hometown for this once-in-a-lifetime moment. There was cheer, camaraderie and song but if anyone dared put up an umbrella the crowd would yell in protest, desperate not to have their view blocked. The onlookers weren't all there to celebrate the King. A sea of anti-monarchy protestors stood in Trafalgar Square, carrying yellow flags bearing the 'Not My King' slogan, their mood a stark contrast to the jubilant royal fans, sporting union jack outfits, some clutching plastic cups of bubbly. It was a day of two halves, but how did it feel to be there in person? Laurence Hewetson, 48, from Bristol Lauren Hewetson, from Bristol, let his coronation outfit do the talking. (Yahoo Life UK) "I've come here today with my girlfriend she's my queen! You might have guessed I'm [pro-Royal] from the outfit. I think it's something to be proud of," Hewetson tells Yahoo UK. "Lots of nations are proud of their patriotism, so why not us as well? The Royals are part of our heritage. You can't change history and this is live history in the making. The Royals are part of our heritage today is history in the making "I came here from Bristol because I just wanted to be part of the celebrations, part of the atmosphere. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get anywhere close but I'm very glad I got to see the carriage and the King from Trafalgar Square. Now the ceremony's over, we're heading down to the Mall for some proper royal action." Lucy Wells, 36, from Cornwall Lucy Wells travelled six hours from Cornwall with her sister for the big day. (Yahoo Life UK) "I come from a tiny place, Redruth in Cornwall, so the crowds here in London can be quite overwhelming but it's been great. It's such a buzz, there's a really nice vibe. There hasn't been a coronation in my lifetime or my mum's lifetime, so I thought, 'Why not come along?' "I came up on the train with my sister Jen on Friday. My husband and two children are watching it back home on the telly. My mum is at home too, living the day vicariously through us. We keep Facetiming her with updates! "I come from a county that's 80% dependent on tourism so even though the Royal Family dont live in Cornwall, Wills is now the Duke of Cornwall, and [the associated] tourism is a huge thing for us. We wouldnt have jobs and homes if it wasnt for tourism so I think the Royal Family are really worthwhile and I love the pomp who doesnt? "We saw the protesters when we came here, but we live in an equal society so as long as they're not violent or massively disruptive, let them be. The amount of people who support the monarchy today outweigh the protesters significantly. There's definitely a lot more red, white and blue than there is yellow [the protesters' colour] in Trafalgar Square... My youngest son was due to be born on the same day as George, so I've got a special place in my heart for George "My favourite Royal? My youngest son Ted was due to be born on the same day as George, so I've got a special place in my heart for George. Ted was actually born two days early but when I see George on TV, walking to school and having his picture taken, I think, 'Oh my days!' As George grows up, I think my son will have that same connection to him because their birthdays are so close. "As I'm a country bumpkin [laughs], later on my sister and I will go round all the posh shops that we can't afford to buy anything in Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges and because of my [black and white] hair like Cruella's I'll have an Instagram moment in Liberty's [the young Cruella lands her dream job at Liberty's]." Jill Caine, 49, from Sevenoaks Jill Caine, from Sevenoaks, cracked open the bubbly to celebrate with her friend. (Yahoo Life UK) "Why did I come here today? It's what you do if you're British, be there for the celebration! I came here with my best friend and her mum. We got here at 9.30am and were so far back in the crowd, we didn't get to see the carriage but never mind, we'll need to watch it on TV later. "The atmosphere is really good here everyone's been so lovely and happy, apart from the protesters. I think they should have stayed at home because they've ruined it. If you don't like the Royal Family, don't come here [to the procession]." Renee Mauldin, 59, from Oklahoma, US Renee Mauldin flew over from the US for the coronation and managed to climb up high above the crowds to get a prime view. (Yahoo Life UK) Renee Mauldin managed to climb up high onto an electrical cable box. "Everyone kept getting in my way because I'm so short, so I thought, 'Here we go! I got on top of the box and solved it all.' I got to see the King pass by in the carriage, it was amazing. Everything was beautiful. I managed to get above all the umbrellas too. "I was here for Princess Beatrice's wedding and now I'm here for the coronation. I flew to London first and then I'm heading to Plymouth on Monday to stay with my brother and sister-in-law. For now though, I'm staying right here [up high]. I don't even mind the rain." Sam Keen, 19, from Hertfordshire Sam Keen, from Hertfordshire was hoping to catch a glimpse of his favourite Royal Princess Anne. (Yahoo Life UK) "I came here for the Jubilee and it was such a fantastic atmosphere, I wanted to experience it all again. I'm 100% a Royalist I just love the way the Royal Family represent the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. "I'm most hoping to see Princess Anne today I think she's brilliant. She does a lot for communities and charities and I really like the way she puts herself forward and gets involved. I love seeing everyone in their Great Britain regalia I'm surprised quite how many people are dressed up "I'm planning to stay by the Mall as long as possible and take it all in. I'm surprised by quite how many people are dressed up. I love seeing everyone in their Great Britain regalia all their flags and symbols. It's fantastic." Erika Yip, 20, from Hong Kong, is studying in Oxford Erika Yip, from Hong Kong, is studying in Oxford. She is 'neutral' on the royals, but got up at 4.30am to witness the coronation. (Yahoo Life UK) "My friends and I are studying in Oxford, so we felt it was such a historical moment we wanted to be part of it. We got up at 4.30am this morning to get the train from Oxford it was a long journey but it was worth it. "As I'm not from the UK, I'm neutral on the royals but I'm most looking forward to seeing Charles. I really want to see what he's wearing and see him go by in the carriage. Later my friends and I are going for a meal in Chinatown to celebrate." Watch: Queen Consort waves to onlookers as King's procession moves down Whitehall In this image taken from video released by the Russian Interior Ministry Press Service on Saturday, May 6, Russian police officers stand near a detained suspect in a police station in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow. AP-Yonhap Russia's top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine's special services. The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict. It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow. Prilepin was hospitalized with broken bones, brusied lungs and other injuries; the regional governor said he had been put into a "medical sleep," but did not elaborate. Russia's Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry in turn blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well. "Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since the coup d'etat of February 2014 have painstakingly nurtured the anti-Russian neo-Nazi project in Ukraine," the ministry said, referring to the 2014 uprising in Kyiv that forced the Russia-friendly president to flee. In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as "Putin's brain." The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast. Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies. In this image taken from video released by the Russian Interior Ministry Press Service on Saturday, May 6, a detained suspect sits in a police station in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow. AP-Yonhap The Metropolitan Police made 64 arrests during the Kings coronation day, charging four suspects with public order and drugs offences. The force said 32 of those detained on suspicion of causing a public nuisance have been bailed, alongside 14 arrested on allegations of breaching the peace. Four charges have been made by police so far, with one suspect accused of a religiously aggravated public order offence and two others accused of possession of class A drugs. Protesters were arrested ahead of the coronation on Saturday (Labour for a Republic/PA) Another suspect is accused of an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act with all four due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court later this month. The force came under huge criticism from campaign groups for the detention of protesters on Saturday, with the arrests described as incredibly alarming. A total of 11 others were released on bail on suspicion of offences including sexual assault, breaching the peace and harassment, with two breach-of-the-peace suspects released without charge, police said. Before the coronation, the chief executive of anti-monarchy group Republic, Graham Smith, was among those arrested. He said the force should hang their heads in shame after he was released on Saturday night following 16 hours in custody. A total of eight members of Republics team were arrested as they prepared for a peaceful and lawful protest, he added. He told the PA news agency that officers had been intimidating, heavy-handed, not willing to listen, not willing to co-operate or to engage. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he had demanded clarity from the forces leaders on the arrests. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer told Sky News Sophy Ridge that police got the balance right between allowing protest and enjoyment of the Kings coronation. She defended the Met after the force was heavily criticised by MPs and human rights groups over the arrests, denying that officers had gone too far. US First Lady Jill Biden has joined Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street for a lunch to mark the Kings coronation. The weather stayed dry as Mrs Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden arrived at the event shortly before 2pm. The Prime Minister and First Lady laughed and joked as they met, giving each other a kiss on both cheeks. Mrs Biden, who wore a long white embroidered dress for the outside event, arrived wearing sunglasses and was met by Mr Sunaks wife, Akshata Murty. Rishi Sunak hosting the Big Lunch in Downing Street (Frank Augstein/PA) Also present at the event were Mr Sunaks two daughters, Anoushka and Krishna, and the family dog, Nova who sported a union flag bandana. Two long tables covered in white linen, with vases of tulips and mugs saying King Charles III, were set up in front of the famous black Number 10 door. Guests tucked into dishes including coronation quiches, coronation chicken, sausage rolls and smoked salmon. The food has been sourced from across the UK, including beef from Gloucestershire, which is being served in Yorkshire puddings, Scottish Loch Duart salmon, Northern Irish soda bread and ice cream from Wales. The crockery has been donated by Emma Bridgewater, a pottery with strong royal connections. The street was bedecked in union flag bunting with music played by the RAF Northolt brass quintet. Jill Biden (left) and Akshata Murty (right) talk with guests (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mr Sunak arrived shortly before Mrs Biden, walking out of the famous Number 10 door with his family. He said: Hello, how are you? to the gathered guests before starting to mingle. Recipients of the Points of Light Award, given to ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their community, were among the invitees along with Ukrainians who have come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme after Russia invaded their country, as well as their UK sponsors. Other guests include young people from UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs. Laura Ashurst, a breast cancer campaigner from Stokesley in North Yorkshire, was sitting opposite Mrs Biden at the Big Lunch. She said: Its been absolutely amazing. Weve met some amazing people from all over the country. Theres so many people doing so much admirable and amazing work in their communities and for charity. Finnegan Biden, First Lady of the United States Jill Biden, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Anoushka Sunak, Krishna Sunak and Akshata Murty during a Coronation Big Lunch in Downing Street (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mrs Ashurst said she and the First Lady discussed the work Mrs Biden has been doing with people with breast cancer, and exchanged some stories. She told the PA news agency: Its an absolute privilege to be here. Zoe Clark-Coates, who runs a charity with her husband, Andy, supporting people who have gone through baby loss and is also co-chairing a pregnancy loss review for the Government, said it was such an honour to be amongst so many people doing such great work. Mr Sunak spent about an hour at the event and was given a round of applause as he went back into No 10. He and Ms Murty hosted the event as part of the Big Lunch celebrations taking place across the country over the coronation weekend. The Prime Minister and his wife will welcome volunteers, Ukrainian refugees in the UK, and youth groups to Downing Street for a lunch to mark the coronation. Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty will host the event on Sunday as part of the Big Lunch celebrations taking place across the country over the coronation weekend. They will dine on food sourced from across the UK, including beef from Gloucestershire, Scottish Loch Duart salmon, Northern Irish soda bread, and ice cream from Wales, according to No 10. Crockery will be donated by Emma Bridgewater, a pottery with strong royal connections, including a limited edition King Charles III teapot. Like thousands of other street parties, Downing Street will be adorned with festive bunting. Recipients of the Points of Light Award, given to ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their community, have been invited. They include a couple who founded a charity supporting people who have gone through baby loss, Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates, breast cancer campaigner Laura Ashurst, and Navjot Sawhney, who designed a hand-cranked washing machine used by thousands of people with no access to electric ones. Ukrainians who have come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme after Russia invaded their country, as well as their UK sponsors, will also attend. Invitees also include young people from UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs. Mr Sunak said: Come rain or shine, thousands of friends and neighbours are coming together this weekend to put up the bunting, pour the tea and cut the cake at street parties and community events across the UK. I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment. In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future. Ukraines Eurovision act said they felt part of a family of countries trying to win the fight against evil as they arrived at the song contests opening ceremony. Electronic duo Tvorchi, representing last years winning country Ukraine, joined the 36 other artists for the Turquoise Carpet welcome ceremony in Liverpool on Sunday. The duos producer Andrii Hutsuliak said: Were very excited that we have such friends as the United Kingdom hosting this here. This really means a lot to us, it makes our hearts warm. Its great to be a big family with all countries around to win the fight against the evils that came to our land, because we dont destroy, we create. United Kingdom Eurovision entrant Mae Muller (Peter Byrne/PA) He said he was excited to perform in the final on Saturday. We want to show what we were preparing for all this period of time and we hope we can inspire people, he said We want people to know that no matter how hard time is, because definitely everyone has it, we want everyone to have a good attitude in a negative situation. Vocalist Jeffery Kenny said their experience in the contest so far had been beautiful. Asked what Eurovision fans could expect from their performance, he said: They can expect a show of confidence, a show of bravery and courage and a show that we will win the war at the end of the day. These very good boys are ready for the Turquoise Carpet #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision Follow along with all the glitz and glam here: https://t.co/esd3tTcXwF pic.twitter.com/n7tvbUwpBX Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 7, 2023 UK entry Mae Muller said it was an honour to be the host country on behalf of Ukraine. She said: It feels really, really special. Were really grateful to be hosting in the UK but its important to remember that its their party, its just at our house. I love the Tvorchi boys, I think they are brilliant. Sam Quick attending the National Lotterys Big Eurovision Welcome Party (Peter Byrne/PA) Muller, who will perform I Wrote A Song at next weeks final, said: The nerves are there. Theyre there, theyre having a little party inside but Im just trying to stay focused, focus on the positives and try and enjoy it. Hundreds of fans lined the carpet for the welcome ceremony, hosted by Olympian Sam Quek and Ukrainian presenter Timur Miroshnychenko. Conor ODonohoe, from Irish band Wild Youth, said: Its all starting to feel very real. Everyones getting here now, all the press are here and family are starting to fly in, so its all starting to kind of really settle in. Bookies favourite Loreen said returning to the competition after winning in 2012, she felt like she already knew the community. She said: We unite around music. These are all positive vibrations. Kaarija, representing Finland and wearing a fluorescent green leather outfit, said he was so happy to be at the ceremony. He said: Im excited. Im not nervous because I just want to do my best and enjoy. This is not so serious. Why not? Live my best life. Im ready to win. The contestants wore their finest for the occasion, with Croatian group Let 3 taking to the carpet in bustled gowns accessorised with military-style peaked hats and facial hair. In scenes reminiscent of 1981 UK Eurovision entry Bucks Fizz, the group whipped off their gowns while having their photos taken to reveal white petticoats and vests. Latvian group Sudden Lights paid homage to Liverpools most famous music act the Beatles by recreating the outfits worn on the Abbey Road album cover. The ceremony was followed by The National Lotterys Big Eurovision Welcome outside St Georges Hall, with performances from Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Atomic Kitten. Joanna Gaines traded her signature denim style for a formal gown this past April! The Fixer Upper star attended a State Dinner with President Biden in Washington, DC, with her husband, Chip, on April 26, 2023. The dinner was especially momentous, as it was in celebration of Americas 70-year alliance with South Korea. What an honor it was to be a part of tonights State Dinner to celebrate the 70 year alliance between the United States of America and my mother's home country of South Korea, Joanna wrote on Instagram. Coming off the heels of our incredible trip to Seoul, this evening was another reminder of just how proud I am to be a Korean American For the special occasion, Jo wore a black asymmetrical one-shoulder gown paired with a coordinating black clutch. By her side, Chip looked dapper in a black tux. Understandably, fans couldnt help but gush over the couple. Amazing! You both look sharp, one fan wrote. One for the memory books, Im sure, another fan exclaimed. Congratulations on being able to honor South Korea and America's relationship. Im sure your mother and mother-in-law as well as all your parents are so proud. I would be boasting with joy that I made it to an event like that, someone else said. Anna Moneymaker - Getty Images As special as it was to attend the event, the moment she found out she was invited was particularly memorable. My mother found out that we were going I mean, she cried immediately, Joanna revealed on TODAY while chatting with hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. She was like, 'I would have never thought that my daughter would meet the Korean president,' So it was such an honor. It was such a dream, for sure. You Might Also Like A husband on a birthday trip with his wife was fatally shot helping her escape a carjacking, Louisiana officials said. Paul Holt, a 62-year-old from Arkansas, and his wife were getting in their SUV outside of a Red Roof Plus hotel in Hammond, Louisiana, the morning of Saturday, May 6, when an armed, masked man got into their vehicle and tried to take off with the wife in the passenger seat, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Holt tried to stop the man, later identified as 18-year-old Ladarrius Evans, and managed to help his wife escape the SUV. As Holt was helping her, Evans shot him in the chest and drove off in the SUV, according to the sheriffs office. Deputies responded just before 8 a.m., and Holt was taken to a hospital, where he died, the sheriffs office said. Holt wouldve turned 63 on Sunday, May 7, according to the sheriffs office. Investigators found the stolen SUV later on May 6 and were able to develop Evans as the suspect, the sheriffs office said. He was found with weapons and the victims belongings and confessed to the crime. Evans, who lives in Hammond, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, carjacking, possession of an unidentifiable firearm, armed robbery with a firearm and possession of a machine gun, the sheriffs office said. He has been booked in the Tangipahoa Parish Jail, according to the sheriffs office. Records did not list an attorney who could comment on his behalf. A spokesperson for Red Roof told McClatchy News on May 7 that the company could not comment on an active criminal investigation. Hammond is about 50 miles east of Baton Rouge. Kind and caring elementary school worker killed in road rage incident, CA cops say 15-year-old charged in fatal shooting of store clerk during robbery, Arkansas cops say 6-year-old fatally shot in head while playing video games in his bed, Virginia cops say 21-year-old killed when man frustrated by noise opens fire into street, CA cops say A man being held in the Beaufort County Detention Center, who was awaiting extradition to be charged with open murder for allegedly killing a 19-year-old Michigan woman in 1988, died Saturday, the Beaufort County Coroners Office confirmed. Robert Odell Waters, 53, of Beaufort, was arrested April 30 on a fugitive from justice charge, jail records show. On Saturday, he was found unresponsive in his cell during a routine check in what officials determined was a suicide, according to a news release sent that afternoon. Later Saturday, the Three Rivers Police Department in St. Joseph County, Michigan, which was investigating the cold case, announced Waters death via its Facebook page. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was requested to conduct the in-custody death investigation, the post read. This is an ongoing investigation, and the Three Rivers Police Department is waiting for the results from the Coroners Office before making a statement to the media later this week. Chief R. Scott Boling of the department was not immediately available for comment. Beaufort County Chief Deputy Coroner Debbie Youmans confirmed Waters death Sunday. Youmans said she could not provide any further information. SLED investigating Cathy Swartz, 19, was found murdered on Dec. 2, 1988, in her apartment. An autopsy determined she died from stab wounds and was beaten and strangled before her death, according to previous reporting from WSBT 22, a Michigan news station. Swartz was found by her boyfriend. Her 9-month-old daughter was in an upstairs bedroom and was not injured. Over three decades later, in a May 1 news release, Three Rivers Police Department announced it had used forensic genetic genealogy on DNA found at the scene. From the DNA, police were able to narrow down suspects to a family they interviewed and fingerprinted, officials said in the release. Investigators identified Waters as a suspect and then traveled to South Carolina to interview him. Waters turned himself in to police April 30, Chief Deputy Stephenie Price, a spokesperson for the Beaufort Police Department, previously told an Island Packet reporter. Waters was awaiting extradition to Michigan, where he would have been charged with open murder, which permits a jury not only to decide whether the person is guilty or not but also to say which degree of murder the case involves. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was contacted to open an investigation into Waters death, as is common procedure with inmate deaths, according to the Saturday release. The investigation is active and ongoing, said Renee Wunderlich, SLEDs director of public information, on Sunday afternoon. No other details are available at this time. An administrator with the detention center could not be immediately reached for comment. The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette do not typically write about suicides or suicide attempts unless there is a compelling reason to do so, such as occurring in a public setting or involving a newsworthy subject. From the time he was born 2,082 days ago, Braydenn Powell has never lived a moment outside a hospital or institution. His parents, who live near Dallas, desperately want to take him home. Florida health administrators are paying roughly $250,000 yearly for his care at a nursing home, where he is likely to remain for the rest of his childhood, if not the rest of his life. A medical airlift, at a fraction of that cost, would reunite the medically fragile 5-year-old with his family, and shift the burden of his care from Florida to Texas. But the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration wont pay for that. Florida wont give me my child, unless I can pay for it, said Braydenns mother, Brittany Hayes. They say it is not medically necessary for him to be here. Florida wont give me my child, unless I can pay for it, said Braydenns mother, Brittany Hayes. They say it is not medically necessary for him to be here. How in the world is it not medically necessary for my son to be with his family? With his strawberry blond hair and perpetual smile, Braydenn Powell appears in family photos almost like any other kid his age. Only the ventilator tubing hints at his severe disabilities. Just 37 pounds and not quite three feet tall, Braydenn could be the poster child for a tragedy that, in its scope, is virtually unique to Florida: the housing of severely medically complex youngsters, some of them newborns and infants, in nursing homes, mostly designed for frail elders. READ MORE: Parents, feds fight for kids in Florida nursing homes But Braydenn is no ones symbol. Few people outside state government are even aware that 140 frail and disabled children live in institutions. Florida health regulators wont talk about it. Theyve spent millions administrators refuse to say exactly how many fighting a federal civil rights lawsuit intended to put a stop to the practice. The lawsuit, filed a decade ago by the U.S. Justice Department, is scheduled for trial Monday, May 8. Braydenn and his twin sister, Braylynn, were born on Aug. 24, 2017, at St. Marys Hospital in West Palm Beach when their mother unexpectedly went into labor at only 24 weeks gestation. Both children experienced significant challenges; only Braydenn has struggled mightily to overcome them. The list of Braydenns diagnoses reads like chapters from a medical book. He suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure, and respiratory failure, chronic anemia and lung disease, is dependent on a respirator and a feeding tube, has a shunt in his head to drain fluid and has developed so far only to the level of an infant, according to records and interviews. A few months after the twins birth, their father, Brandon Powell, was laid off from his job as a window and door installer, Hayes said. Following Braylynns discharge from the hospital at six months, Hayes and Powell moved to Denton, a suburb of Dallas, where they could live with Hayes mother until they got back on their feet. READ MORE: Founder of nursing home for kids doesnt want kids there permanently We lost our house. We were homeless, said Hayes, 31. We had a brand new baby. We went to the hospital and bawled our eyes out. My mom was the only reason why we had a place to live. She picked us up and basically gave us her house. Leaving Florida was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, Hayes said. The plan, Hayes said, always was to retrieve Braydenn as soon as the couple was able. But days turned to weeks, and weeks into months. The twins got a baby brother, Colton, a year later, and then another brother, Collin, on March 30 of this year. Hayes and Powell knew their family would never be whole without Braydenn. But every time the couple asked, Floridas Medicaid managed care program, which insures the boy, had a reason why their son couldnt leave Childrens Comprehensive Care Center, a 36-bed Pompano Beach nursing home for fragile children, Hayes said. Records from the managed care plan, called Sunshine Health, and other documents shared with the Herald confirm that Hayes has sought for years to have her son reunited with his family: Florida Medicaid does not cover transportation to another state for the convenience of a recipient wanting to be closer to family, which is what you have described here, an attorney for a Medicaid managed care provider old Braydenns mother. Dec. 11, 2019, Childrens Medical Services report: Braydenns mother wishes for him to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility in Texas, to be closer to family, but there are no concrete plans in place at this time. Dec. 14, 2020, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mother would like [Braydenn] to be transferred to Texas where she resides. Sept. 7, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Per mom, she has been trying to transfer [Braydenn] to Texas where she currently lives. Oct. 15, 2021, Letter from Childrens Medical Services: The request for transfer to Childrens Medical Center in Dallas, Texas for initial hospital care is denied because we have not been provided with any supporting clinical documentation [notes] that establishes the medical need for [Braydenns] transfer out of stateIt has not been shown that [Braydenns] care needs cannot be met by a facility/provider within the State of Florida. Oct. 21, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mom states she was told by Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital social worker to become more vocal with insurance in regards to [Braydenn] being transferred to a Texas hospital. Per Mom, Texas is waiting for Sunshine to agree to pay for his stay in Texas until Texas Medicaid kicks in. Oct. 22, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mother stated that she has never been able to get [Braydenn] to TexasParent stated she doesnt understand why the transfer would be denied. Stated that she believes his treatment cost is much greater than the cost to transfer him to Texas. Oct. 22, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: [Braydenn] is currently hospitalized, and parent would like the member to be transferred from the hospital in Florida to a hospital in Texas. Mother stated that she has never been able to get [him] to Texas. Nov. 4, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mom upset that she cannot get child transferred to Texas and states if she has to she will go to media outlets stating we are holding her child hostage. Nov. 22, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: There is no plan to transfer to Texas at this time due to no funding. Even after Braydenn was diagnosed with liver cancer in the fall of 2021, and Hayes asked the state to transfer him so she could be there for his surgery and recovery, Florida health regulators refused, records show. From Oct. 6, 2021: Due to [Braydenn] being diagnosed with liver cancer, family would like [him] close by. As recently as March of this year, an attorney for Braydenns Medicaid managed care provider denied a request from a disability rights lawyer, Liam McGivern, that Braydenn be airlifted to Texas. Florida Medicaid does not cover transportation to another state for the convenience of a recipient wanting to be closer to family, which is what you have described here, wrote attorney Craig H. Smith, in a March 27 email. The email outrages Braydenns mom: Convenience of the family? What about the convenience of Braydenn? she said. He doesnt even know his family. He knows me, because I talk to him on Facetime, and Im able to go down to Florida to spend time with him. He met Colton and Braylynn one time his entire life. One time. Im sure Braydenn wants to be with his family. They dont care about whats best for my child. I care about whats best for my child. Marjorie Evans, the nursing homes CEO, acknowledged in an interview with the Herald that Braydenn remains there because that was where the money was. Theres no way out for these kids the way the state has set up [their] care. Braydenn suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure, and respiratory failure, chronic anemia and lung disease, is dependent on a respirator and a feeding tube and has a shunt in his head to drain fluid. His mom wants him at home At 5, Braydenn has slipped further and further behind his twin sister, and most children in his age group, Hayes said. He cannot walk or crawl. He doesnt speak. He is functioning cognitively at the level of an 8-month-old, more or less, she said. Hayes said she understands that her son would struggle with physical and intellectual development no matter where he lives, and her expectations for him are realistic. But she also believes that he would be healthier and happier living with his family not in a facility among strangers who are paid to take care of him. I know he has disabilities. Im not expecting too much for my son, Hayes said. But, she added: If theyd just give me my child, I would make sure he meets his goals. Like many parents of children with complex medical needs, Hayes said, as a result of training and experience, she is as qualified to care for her son as any nurse. Shes comfortable with his feeding tube. She knows how to suction his trach. She offered, she said, to transport Braydenn herself, with the help of family members and friends. The state said no. But Hayes scoffs at the idea that she could ever cover the cost of a medical flight, even with the help of doctors at Hollywoods Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital. She said they offered to ride on the plane at no charge. Its a classic Catch 22, Hayes said: She cannot afford a medical flight. And the state wont approve any other options. I dont want my son to be in bed the rest of his life, she said. How in the world is it okay to treat peoples babies like that, Hayes said. Ed Sheeran was in a celebratory mood Saturday night in front of a packed AT&T Stadium crowd for the opening night of his 38-date North American Mathematics tour. And why not? Sheeran, 32, just defeated a copyright infringement lawsuit on Thursday, which he addressed a few times throughout the two-hour, 15-minute performance. Sheerans bare, in-the-round stage sat in the middle of the AT&T Stadium floor, surrounded by a thousand general admission fans. Although bare, the stage was far from minimalist. The outer circle rotated, keeping Sheeran moving each time he left the middle of the stage. The center of the stage, at times, raised him hydraulically. A round video board, which rose from the stage, revealed Sheeran ferociously strumming the fast-moving opener Equals from his 2021 release. Tonight during his tour-opening show at @ATTStadium, @edsheeran made it a point to tell 60,000 that everything we were hearing was being played live. No backing tracks etc.#respect #edsheeran pic.twitter.com/yg6a5LLxuy Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) May 7, 2023 He wore a simple black T-shirt with Dallas in rainbow colors on the front and back, his trademark scruffy ginger hair flopping as he moved around the stage. His five-piece band was spread out around him, stationed at four points away from the main stage. Ive spent the last two weeks in a courtroom, and this is actually what its all about, a connection with people, playing songs, Sheeran said after Blow. Thank you so much. Im so proud to be back here in Texas. Sheeran evenly mixed his 26-song set with tunes from his five main album releases, including his latest Subtract, which came out Friday. He played five songs from each of his past three records, four songs from his second album Division, and three from Plus, his 2011 debut. Now tonight, Im going to play you some songs that hopefully you know, and if you dont know, its going to be a long awkward two hours for all of us, Sheeran cheekily said before delivering a frenetic rendition of Im a Mess, from 2014s Multiply. Early in the show, after his band had left their stations, leaving Sheeran performing alone, he explained to the crowd how he was pulling off a one-man band portion of the set. Using a loop station, controlled with taps of his foot, Sheeran recorded and looped back different sounds, whether it was a chord progression on one of his many acoustic guitars or a drum pattern from thumping the body of his guitar. Everything you hear tonight is completely live; there is no backing track whatsoever, he said. It is all made live, on the spot. The way that it works is you press record to make the first loop, press play, and it loops back, and then you can add another layer and another layer, before singing a scat sound to show off the loop effect. Im going to do a lot of that, he joked. It was an appropriate insight ahead of a dramatic version of Shivers from Equals, which showed off the power of the loop station. Sheeran told the audience that it still surprises him that a kid from a small British town can tour stadiums in America. America was always this place, as an English artist, that youre kind of like, lots of people have tried, and lots of people have failed, he said before joking that his first American show in January 2012 was in front of 70 people, who it turns out, were all English. Eleven years later, hes playing in front of about 70,000 people in Arlington. He introduced The A Team, his first American hit single, as the song that brought him here. If you dont know the words, make them up, he said charmingly. The mixed crowd dutifully sang along, especially when Sheeran urged everyone to hold up their cell phone lights several times, creating a sea of twinkling glow from the floor to the highest perches of AT&T Stadium. The one-two punch of The A Team and the stirring Castle On the Hill from his 2017 album Divide showcased why Sheeran has sold more than 150 albums worldwide. 15 years old and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes, running from the law through the backfields, and getting drunk with my friends, he sang, channeling all of the best songwriters, from country to rock and roll, with personal references to his youth. He followed up the new Curtains, which he labeled one of the most depressing songs ever, with probably the least-depressing song in the world, Galway Girl, which showcased fiddler/violinist Alicia Enstrom for a one-song firehouse. One of the standout moments was the propulsive Overpass Graffiti, which sounds like Coldplay doing a song written by The Weeknd in all the best ways, especially when Sheeran hit the falsetto notes. Ive been looking forward to playing this one, he said before Thinking of You, the song in question of a copyright lawsuit by the family of songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Marvin Gayes classic Lets Get It On. A jury found Sheeran did not engage in willful copyright infringement on Thursday. Sheeran egged the audience into singing along to his calls of Yeah! a perhaps not-so-subtle celebration of his lawsuit victory. He showed off his Prince-like falsetto during Sing, which also gave him a chance to spit out lyrics with the precision of a hip-hop artist. Arguably his most well-known song, Perfect, needed no introduction, and the echo of the entire audience singing along was chill-inducing. The dark-themed Bloodstream highlighted some of Sheerans most trance-inducing guitar picking with its relentless chords and gut-punch coda, with Sheeran singing along to his own looped chorus of all the voices in my mind. It kept building to a haunting crescendo that made it one of the high points of the night despite its haunting subject matter. Sheeran recalled opening for Taylor Swift on her Red Tour in 2013 at AT&T Stadium and being intimidated by the size and its massive video board (which was incidentally dark for the entire show).I remember coming here and being like, bloody hell, this place is big, and I never in a million years thought Id get to play it, he said. This honestly has been the weirdest week of my life, and to get to end the week playing music, singing in front of you guys, and having this communal singalong has been amazing, he said. Its not lost on me that you could be anywhere in the world on Saturday night, and you chose to spend it with me, and I really am grateful, he said before closing on the main set with Afterglow. Sheeran wore a white Dallas Cowboys jersey with the No. 5, presumably for his fifth album release, for his three-song encore that he performed a song each from his first three records, Shape of You, Bad Habits, and You Need Me, I Dont Need You. Sheerans vocal dexterity shined in the finale, a scornful, spite-filled screed that underscored the guts, tenacity, and thick skin and perhaps a little bit of animosity from the lawsuit hassle that an artist such as he must have to rise to the top of the industry at 32. Ed Sheeran setlist, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (May 6, 2023) Black Democrat Rep. James Clyburn, one of South Carolinas most powerful politicians, secretly worked with Republicans during the 2020 redistricting process to dilute the strength of the black vote, making it harder for his party to gain seats in Congress. He did it to ensure hed be able to comfortably continue winning his seat for as long as he wanted to. Thats the explosive charge at the heart of a ProPublica investigation. Despite Clyburns denials to ProPublica, I have no reason to doubt thats precisely what happened. The non-profit investigative journalism outfit documented the behind-the-scenes meetings between Clyburns chief of staff and Republicans tasked with redrawing voting maps. The proof showed up in the 2022 midterms. Rep. Nancy Mace easily won re-election in the First District without having to truly gain support just two years after she skated by. Clyburn again won the Sixth District in a landslide even as the states percent of black voters fell and after his district lost a significant number of residents. The deal, of which we are only now being made aware, meant pushing key Democratic constituents into Clyburns district and made the First District more Republican-friendly. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sued over the gerrymandered voting map. A three-judge federal panel called it a racial gerrymander and said it was effectively impossible to have moved more 30,000 black voters into Clyburns district without it. But the court pushed back against some of the NAACPs claims by showing that Clyburn had requested some of the changes. Its just one example of the ugly often-hidden layer of what we keep referring to as a democracy, a term thats often misapplied given the state of things. In a healthy democracy, the people choose their representatives. Increasingly, thats not whats happening in ours. The most charitable reading for Clyburn is that he had to make a deal with the devil to ensure there would be at least one district in South Carolina that had to take seriously the concerns of the states black residents. The GOP has effectively had full control of the state for decades and has time and again diluted the black vote through a variety of measures. Theres little doubt theyd want a Republican running the Sixth District they run every other district if they could make it happen. In that sense, Clyburn has established a beachhead in the war over voting. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts the kind of white moderate Martin Luther King Jr. warned us about, a greater threat to racial progress than racists gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, making it easier for the GOP to hold fast to power that far exceeds their success at the ballot box. And it is true that despite the enormous power and influence Clyburn wields, the GOP drew the map in a way most favorable for Republicans. But Im sympathetic to the less charitable view, that the 82-year-old congressman prioritized holding onto his power even if he had to do it by helping the GOP further dilute the black vote, which represents about 25 percent of South Carolina voters. He isnt the first elected official to make such a short-term decision, and he wont be the last, the kind of decision that repeatedly harms the most vulnerable among us most severely over the long haul. Former Democrat Tricia Cotham did something similar in the North Carolina legislature when she switched parties and gave the GOP a veto-proof majority that could mean a curtailing of abortion care access Cotham not too long ago vowed to protect. Its enough to make voters cynical, at least those among us who want a healthy democracy even if it means we sometimes wont get our way. Or we may have to make a deal with the devil also, and join forces with the most partisan actors on our side to try and counteract the extremism on the other side. Unfortunately, there are few good options and those are being diluted, too. Issac Bailey is a McClatchy Opinion columnist based in Myrtle Beach. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pose for a photograph inside 10 Downing Street, central London, May 5. AFP-Yonhap After attending the coronation of King Charles III in London, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent four years in Britain's Belmarsh Prison. "It is an embarrassment that a journalist who denounced trickery by one state against another is arrested, condemned to die in jail and we do nothing to free him. It's a crazy thing," Lula told reporters. "We talk about freedom of expression; the guy is in prison because he denounced wrongdoing. And the press doesn't do anything in defense of this journalist. I can't understand it." Lula offered the remarks in response to a question about Assange, who is a native Australian. He said he had forgotten to discuss the matter with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but that he would write to him upon returning to Brazil. Assange has been fighting extradition to the United States, and Lula's comments come at a moment that he has shown little reluctance to voice his differences of opinion with Washington regarding geopolitical matters, particularly in his opposition to providing arms to Ukraine for its war against Russia, and accusing the U.S. and Europe of encouraging the fighting. His stance and repeated statements have drawn sharp rebukes from the White House and Europe. For its part, Australia has been stepping up diplomatic pressure on the U.S. government to call off its prosecution of Assange. On Friday, Australia's Prime Minister Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview that "enough is enough . There is nothing to be served by his ongoing incarceration." Last November, Albanese told Parliament that his "position is clear and has been made clear to the U.S. administration: That it is time that this matter be brought to a close." Signage during a protest to mark the fourth anniversary of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's detention in Thamesmead South-East London Belmarsh prison, in Brussels, Belgium, April 11. Julian Assange is in his fourth year of imprisonment in Britain whilst the U.S. government tries to extradite him to face charges of espionage. EPA-Yonhap Updated May 7, 2023 at 12:04 AM On a warm Saturday afternoon, two girls sit in blue lawn chairs outside a driveway. They watch as a memorial grows and overflows along their corner of the street. This is for Sir, pipes up the younger, her fingers busy braiding the others hair. She says 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown, fatally shot on the 3100 block of Greeley Avenue, was a relative. His favorite color is green. People can come bring stuff if they want. And many already have. Bikes. Candles. Three balloons spelling S-I-R. A wooden cross planted in the dirt. The memorial stands where Sir played outside Wednesday before gunmen exited a car and began firing. The young boy, called a jokester by his teacher, was struck and killed. SirAntonio Brown, left, is pictured with his cousin Qwamayn Frazier, 7. Days later, there have been no arrests in Sirs case. But police say they are getting closer to bringing the family justice. Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, said detectives are making significant progress in apprehending suspects, though she would not clarify exactly what that meant. Chartrand did say, however, that the publics information has been helpful, and she encouraged more people to come forward. We have received tips, she said. While you may not think the information you have is particularly earth-shattering, we still ask them to call. Though Sir may not have been the intended target, Chartrand said the shooters would have known they could hit and kill the child. He was clearly visible, she said. On Thursday, officers located a maroon 2000s model Subaru Legacy in Kansas City, Missouri, believed to have been driven by a suspect that evening. Police are still searching for more than one suspect, Chartrand said, but she said she couldnt say how many. Witnesses told The Star previously that they had seen three masked shooters. Sirs great-aunt Shawna Davis-Scott told The Star that, around 6 p.m., the family was outside with Sir when they heard multiple rounds of gunfire. Davis-Scott looked and saw Sir lying on the ground. He loved his family, Davis-Scott said in an earlier interview. Down to his grandmother, his mother, his sisters, his aunties, his uncles, his cousins that 6-year-old felt like he was the protector. Standing on the other side of the street on Saturday, Sirs aunt, Sharon Wills, watches cars slow down when passing by. Some even stop, roll down their windows, and offer condolences. She crosses the road and picks up a large teddy bear slouching over. Were all grieving, she said. The perpetrator will be caught. Wills said she has also just lost her son in a gun violence incident, and her mother died not long before that. There are no words, she said, watching the girls straighten up the stuffed animal pile. A GoFundMe started by the boys godmother on Friday has raised more than $4,500 as of Saturday afternoon. Mage, beaten by the scratched Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Forte in the Florida Derby, emerged victorious in the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday night under cloudy skies at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Trained by Gustavo Delgado and ridden by 45-year-old Javier Castellano, Mage pulled away from the pack at 15-1 odds in the frontstretch and never looked back. Both Delgado and Castellano are from Venezuela. Gracias Venezuela, te quiero mucho, Castellano said on NBC after the race. Delgado trained horses that finished 18th in the 2016 Derby and 13th in the 2019 Derby. Castellano was 0-for-15 in previous Derby rides, having managed a lone third-place finish as his best result. Castellano was the jockey in the 2023 Derby with the second-most experience. Mage is owned by OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH. This large ownership group includes Restrepo, a Miami native and University of Miami graduate who grew up going to horse races at Gulfstream Park in Florida, where Mage had all of his prior three starts. The emotions are just through the roof, obviously, Restrepo said after Mage won the Derby. The ownership group is four different groups from four different backgrounds, all different age ranges, nationalities. I mean, its one heck of a melting pot that came together for this horse, so the amount of celebration thats going to go on, I cant even describe it going forward. Delgado heads up OGMA Investments, which is a horse racing partnership. CMNWLTH is a company that sells shares to back an athletes or horses career. The 3-year-old, who had never raced at Churchill Downs before, fought off efforts from Two Phils in second and Angel of Empire, one of the race favorites, in third. Two Phils made the turn for home under the twin spires in first place, but Mage charged to his outside and out-dueled him in the final sixteenth of a mile to win. Angel of Empire attempted a late run to Mages outside, but he ran out of real estate before the wire. Mage ultimately prevailed by a length, although Angel of Empire closed the stronger of the other two horses in the money. Two of the top picks for the 2023 Derby Derma Sotogake (JPN) (sixth) and Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice (seventh) never factored into the race outcome. The $1 exacta payout was $150.22. The $0.50 trifecta payout $491.18. The $1 superfecta, which included Disarm in fourth, paid a whopping $15,643.65. The early lead in the race was assumed by Verifying on the inside, who was closely followed by Kingsbarns and then Reincarnate. The opening half-mile was run in 45.73 seconds, and the opening mile of the Derby arrived in 1.36.06, a much brisker pace than was expected given the significant pre-race scratches. Mage won the Derby in 2:01.57, which was also only his fourth career start. He was 15th on the Kentucky Derby qualifying leaderboard with 50 points. Mage now owns a career record of 2-1-0 in his four career races, and this was his first victory since he won a Maiden Special Weight race at Gulfstream Park in January. Im very, very happy, said his trainer, Delgado, who came to America to train in South Florida eight years ago. Im happy for Javier, for my team, for Mage, for my owner, for my family. All four of Mages starts came this year. His sire, Good Magic, also had Reincarnate (13th) in Saturdays race. Good Magic himself showed a knack for the Derby distance of one-and-a-quarter miles, having finished second in the 2018 race. Mage was bred in Kentucky by Grandview Equine, and was sold for $235,000 to New Team at the 2021 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale. He was then sold for $290,000 to OGMA Investments at 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Before Saturday, he had earned $247,200 in his career. Saturdays win alone was worth $1,860,000 for the horse. The outlook for Mage in terms of the Triple Crown also may be better than you think: Mage is only the fourth horse to win the Kentucky Derby following just three previous lifetime starts, but the others were Justify in 2018, Big Brown in 2008 and Regret in 1915. Justify won the Triple Crown. Big Brown won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Mage, with Javier Castellano up, wins the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, May 6, 2023. This years Kentucky Derby defined by deaths, scratches The narrative thats shaped the 149th Kentucky Derby and the one that will likely stick with it is centered around deaths, injuries and other incidents that led to the scratches of Derby contenders. Forte became just the second morning-line favorite in Derby history to scratch on the day of the race when he was removed from the field on Saturday morning at the behest of Dr. Nicholas Smith, the chief veterinarian of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Earlier in the week, four other horses scratched out of the race following Mondays post-position draw. These five scratches represented the most out of the Derby since 1936. All three also-eligibles for the race moved into the field by Thursday night. Additionally, expected Derby contender Wild On Ice was euthanized last week after suffering a leg injury during training at Churchill Downs. Horse deaths have come to define the opening days of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet, which began last Saturday. Seven horses have died at Churchill Downs since the start of the Spring Meet, with the last two coming during Derby Day undercard races. Chloes Dream, who ran in the second race Saturday at Churchill Downs, was vanned off and euthanized after failing to finish the race. Freezing Point encountered the same fate after the eighth race. Another horse, Here Mi Song, left the track in an equine ambulance after Saturdays 10th race, the Churchill Downs Stakes, but was later confirmed OK by The Associated Press. The attendance for 2023 Derby Day was 150,335 people. Last years Derby Day attendance was 147,294. This was an increase of 3,041 people. Seen in a still from a doorbell camera, Jeffrey Roberts, 66, a Long Beach resident, walks up to the front door of his brother's house in North Ogden, Utah, shortly after killing him and injuring his wife. Roberts set the house on fire and was shortly afterward killed in a shootout with Ogden police. (Weber County attorney's office) A 66-year-old Long Beach man drove more than 700 miles to Ogden, Utah, where he fatally shot his brother and set fire to his home before being killed himself in a shootout with police, officials said. On the evening of April 27, Jeffrey Roberts, a heavy-set man with a white goatee, arrived at the home of his brother, retired forestry professor Scott Roberts, in a brown van, authorities said. Jeffrey Roberts was armed with a 9 mm handgun and a total of 23 fully loaded handgun magazines that police photographed later at the scene, police said. Scott Roberts and his wife, Jodi, were eating dinner alone when Jeffrey Roberts rang their doorbell, according to a statement released by the Weber County attorneys office. In video captured by a doorbell camera on the front of the home, Jeffrey calmly tells his brother that he had come by to see their mother. After Scott says that their mother is not there, Jeffrey pulls out a gun and starts shooting as he walks into the home. A few minutes later, Jeffrey exited the house and then quickly returned carrying a 12-gauge shotgun and a brown duffle bag, breathing heavily, the video shows. Police were alerted to the incident by a 911 call from a neighbor who heard shots coming from the home. Jeffrey Roberts began shooting at officers as soon as they arrived, according to the Weber County attorneys office. A total of five officers were on scene and three returned fire, officials said. Jeffrey Roberts was killed in the shootout from a head wound. In video from one of the police officers body cameras, thick black smoke can be seen pouring out of the house the result of a fire that Jeffrey started using road flares, authorities said. Police officials later pronounced Scott Roberts dead from gunshot wounds. Scotts wife was also shot and is receiving medical treatment for her injuries. My mom is alive because my dad fought my uncle and told my mom to run, Kelsey Turner, Scott Roberts daughter, wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up for her mother. Knowing that my dad died a hero is bringing us a small bit of comfort. Turner, who described Jeffrey Roberts as her fathers estranged brother, said the GoFundMe Page was to help her mother buy necessities, since she was left with no clothes or personal items because of the fire. We will be able to recover some things from the house but have been told most of the house was destroyed, she wrote. Dozens of Scott Roberts former students, friends and colleagues shared condolences on the page and described him as a man of wisdom, warmth and humor. Scott, your knowledge and wisdom were remarkable but your sense of humor was limitless. You will be missed by so many, wrote one well wisher. An investigation by the Weber County Force Investigation Team is ongoing. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Modestos biggest annual celebration of Cinco de Mayo took place Saturday amid light rain and cool temperatures. Thousands of people lined Crows Landing Road for a parade sponsored by South Modesto Businesses United. Dancers, equestrians, musicians and more made their way between Olivero Road and Glenn Avenue. Plenty of Mexican flags flew from vehicles headed for the parade, which caused the usual detours. Members of the Ballet Folklorico El Mestizaje de Salida perform during the Cinco de Mayo parade on Crows Landing Road in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 6, 2023. Andy Alfaro/aalfaro@modbee.com The event happened one day after the actual Cinco de Mayo. It celebrates the day in 1862 when Mexico defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla. France ruled for five years. Mexican Independence Day, on Sept. 16, marks the day in 1810 when residents declared themselves free of Spain. Cinco de Mayo parade on Crows Landing Road in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 6, 2023. Andy Alfaro/aalfaro@modbee.com Sonia Cervantes creates some noise during the Cinco de Mayo parade on Crows Landing Road in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 6, 2023. Andy Alfaro/aalfaro@modbee.com Angel of Empire the Pennsylvania-born horse from Schuylkill Countys Blackstone Farm stunned spectators at the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, winning an exhilarating victory as he thundered down the track. At the starting gate, Angel of Empire had promising morning-line odds at 8-1. But five scratches, including the favorite Forte, transformed the odds and dynamics of the race. Angel of Empire was the only horse from Pennsylvania competing in this years Run for the Roses amid a field crowded by competitors native to Kentucky. Angel of Empire finished with an unofficial time of 2:01.57. He finished behind winner Mage (15-1) and Two Phils (9-1), who placed second. Angel of Empire with exercise jockey Edvin Vargas up runs on the track during morning training for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, April 29, 2023. The horses jockey, Flavian Prat, has a track record of success, with a 2019 Kentucky Derby victory and 2021 Preakness Stakes win under his belt, as previously reported by the Centre Daily Times. Angel of Empire took the win with the help of trainer Brad H. Cox, who had a total of four horses competing. The other three were Hit Show, Verifying and Jaces Road. Trainer Brad H. Cox speaks with reporters after morning workouts for Kentucky Derby horses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, April 29, 2023. Cox has four horses in the Derby this year; Angel of Empire, Hit Show, Verifying and Jaces Road. Ahead of the Derby Saturday, owners Christian Black and Doug Black (no relation to each other) described Angel of Empire as a solid horse, telling WGAL in Lancaster about his good health and easy-going attitude. Angel of Empire previously placed second in the Smarty Jones Stake at Oaklawn, dominated the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Ground in February and won tenaciously at the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn April 1. In total, he earned 154 points of the on the Derby leaderboard. Heres a look at the full field, plus its starting positions and odds at the starting gate: Hit Show (24) Verifying (14-1) Two Phils (9-1) Confidence Game (20-1) Tapit Trice (9-2) Kingsbarns (11-1) Reincarnate (14-1) Mage (16-1) Skinner (SCRATCHED) Practical Move (SCRATCHED) Disarm (26-1) Jaces Road (32-1) Sun Thunder (31-1) Angel of Empire (7-2) Forte (SCRATCHED) Raise Cain (32-1) Derma Sotogake (8-1) Rocket Can (28-1) Lord Miles (SCRATCHED) Continuar (SCRATCHED) Cyclone Mischief (27-1) Mandarin Hero (18-1) King Russell (31-1) This story will be updated. People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) ALLEN, Texas (AP) A gunman shot multiple people at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Saturday, killing an unknown number and sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic in the latest gun violence to strike the country, officials said. Calls reporting gunshots came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets. Witnesses told The Associated Press they saw multiple victims, including some who appeared to be children, and that they saw a police officer and a mall security guard who appeared to be unconcious on the ground. Allen police said in a Facebook post that nine victims had been taken to hospitals. Medical City Healthcare, a Dallas-area hospital system, said in a written statement it was treating eight between the ages of 5 and 61. Their conditions were unknown. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when the officer heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets at 3:36 p.m, the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department, the agency wrote in the Facebook post. There is no longer an active threat. U.S. Rep. Keith Self, who represents the area that includes the mall, said he had confirmed with law enforcement that the shooter is dead, and that there was no one else involved in the attack. A crowd of hundreds of people who had been shopping stood outside, across the street from the mall, Saturday evening. Officers circulated among them asking if anyone had seen what happened. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. I said, Was that gunfire? Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene. The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. ___ Associated Press writers Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report. People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) ALLEN, Texas (AP) A gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others three critically in a shooting at a Dallas-area mall before being fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said Saturday. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting was the latest episode of gun violence to strike the country. It sent hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic. Dashcam video that circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the mall and immediately start shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Maxwell Gum, a 16-year-old shift leader at Wetzels Pretzels, was on his lunch break when a family with limited English ran into the back of his store, urgently telling him, Gun! Shoot! as the sound of gunfire could be heard in the background. He brought the family into the long delivery corridor that runs behind the malls stores, hoping it would be a safe place to hide. They found chaos. There were probably like 300 people pouring in from all the different doors, Gum said. People are freaking out, were hearing screaming." Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the victims were in critical condition Saturday evening, Boyd said, and four were in stable condition. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, the agency wrote in the Facebook post. Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to an analysis of The AP/USA Today data. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an unspeakable tragedy. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene. The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. ___ Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. The Duke of Sussex eschewed British fashion brands to wear a suit by French label Dior to his fathers coronation, fuelling speculation he may be about to sign an endorsement deal with the company. Prince Harry was photographed in a suit with waistcoat for the ceremony, at which he sat in the third row. Harry, who left swiftly after the coronation to catch a flight from Heathrow, wore his dark morning suit and tie with his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket. He also wore a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England. (Getty Images) Luxury fashion house Dior tweeted that it had dressed the duke in a custom design by celebrity favourite British-born Kim Jones, saying to do so was an honour. The brand has often been a go-to choice for Harrys wife, Meghan, who wore a Dior outfit to the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations last summer. Last month, the prince wore Dior to the High Court in London for a case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, alleging its investigators hacked his phone. Celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert Miranda Holder told Newsweek: Designer sponsorship deals with celebrities are commonplace, and it is highly likely that the Sussexes have an arrangement with Dior; it would be a highly convenient passive income for Harry and Meghan who make ideal ambassadors for the brand. She said Meghan had opted for Dior on several royal occasions. Tailoring fit for royalty. Dior is honored to have dressed Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for the coronation of King Charles III in a custom design by Kim Jones. Seen arriving at Westminster Abbey, gain an insight into the savoir-faire of his three-piece suit next. pic.twitter.com/rg4r0ER4Ym Dior (@Dior) May 6, 2023 The Duke of Sussex departs Westminster Abbey, London, following the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (PA) I personally feel that she turned to such an elite fashion house in an effort to subconsciously clad herself in fashion armor, attempting to shield herself from the critical gaze of the media and the public, she added. Wearing Dior is a new fashion direction for Prince Harry, who usually prefers a more casual style, particularly now he has moved to California and no longer has to dress up to perform royal duties. Harrys whistlestop tour to the coronation ended as he headed to Heathrow soon after the ceremony was over. Fashion house Dior tweeted that it was honoured to have dressed Prince Harry. Harry was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) by the late Queen. Buckingham Palace said the appropriate insignia was a star and neck decoration with no mantle. Follow our live coverage of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla here More storms are in the forecast Saturday night and Sunday morning for North Texas, and some of them could be severe with large hail and damaging winds, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Storms started forming west of Dallas-Fort Worth around 5 p.m. and moved east, according to NWS meteorologist Hunter Reeves. Tarrant and Dallas counties have been added to a severe thunderstorm watch that will continue through 4 a.m. Sunday. Weather watches and warnings A live data feed from the National Weather Service containing official weather warnings, watches, and advisory statements. Tap warning areas for more details. Sources: NOAA, National Weather Service, NOAA GeoPlatform and Esri. Open Reeves said the greatest threat from this latest round of storms is damaging wind and hail, though the hail could be smaller by the time it gets to the Metroplex. Rain could also cause some nuisance flooding in low-lying areas, but the threat of tornadoes is low. Storm Reports This map contains continuously updated storm reports and damage from the National Weather Service for the past 48 hours. Reports include tornado, wind storm and hail storm reports. The map also includes tornado reports for the past week and recent rainfall accumulations. Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Esri. Open More storms are forecast for Sunday afternoon, but Reeves said they are expected to largely remain west of Dallas-Fort Worth. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a battle plan in August to reduce homelessness by half over a five-year period. Nearly nine months later, county staff presented a progress report on the San Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessnessto the board on Tuesday. Is the plan on track to succeed? It depends on who you ask. SLO County Homeless Services Division manager Joe Dzvonik told supervisors Tuesday that the county is making progress towards reaching the goals outlined in the plan, which includes building more housing from tiny homes and palette shelters to permanent supportive housing as well as expanding mental health, addiction and case management services, and identifying new sources of funding. So far, 461 people have exited homeless into permanent housing since July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, while the county has prevented 499 people from entering homelessness, Dzvonik said. A total of 1,516 people have accessed support services since July 1, he said. However, 1,029 people have entered homelessness during that time, Dzvonik said. I see hope, 5Cities Homeless Coalition Executive Director Janna Nichols said at Tuesdays meeting. Weve got a lot of gaps, but youre hearing people here today coming together. The 5Cities Homeless Coalitions Barca housing project could bring 30 interim shelter beds to South County. New housing projects on the way Four new housing projects are coming down the pipeline over the next three years, Dzvonik said, The 5Cities Homeless Coalitions Barca housing project could bring 30 interim shelter beds to the west end of Grover Beach, Dzvonik said. The $6.5 million Barca project would be funded by 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC), SLO County and Dignity Moves, with support from California State Parks, Caltrans and the cities of Grover Beach and Pismo Beach, Dzvonik said. These groups will submit funding applications for the state Encampment Resolution Funding Program, a $350 million competitive grant program that provides funding for housing opportunities that can help people get out of living in homeless encampments. Additionally, the county will foot the $500,000 bill for the interim shelter beds provided by BossCubez, Dzvonik said, while the city of Grover Beach has already provided $400,000 to purchase the land for the project. Dzvonik said the Barca housing project would function similar to the 5CHCs Cabins for Change program, which operates on a transitional housing model intended to get residents off the street, connected with services and into more permanent housing. Paso Robles could get an $8.5 million housing project consisting of 20 interim beds from transitional housing developer LifeArk. Transitional housing developer LifeArk plans to build an $8.5 million housing project in Paso Robles consisting of 20 interim beds, Dzvonik said. Land at 710 Pine Street has already been donated by the city of Paso Robles, which will join the county and homeless housing provider CityNet in applying for state Encampment Resolution Funding Program funds, Dzvonik said. Similar to the Barca project, this would be a 90-day transitional housing program in the vein of Cabins for Change, Dzvonik said. Farther south, Dzvonik said the city of San Luis Obispo could see two housing developments. The city, the county, Good Samaritan Shelter and Dignity Moves have filed a joint application for $13.4 million in Encampment Resolution Program funds to build the Welcome Home project. That project would consist of 34 interim shelter beds and 46 permanent supportive housing beds provided by LifeArk, Dzvonik said. The county has already provided land for the project on an empty lot behind the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services on Higuera Street, Dzvonik said. San Luis Obispo could see an $18 million motel conversion from Peoples Self-Help Housing using money from the third round of Homekey funding. In addition, Peoples Self-Help Housing of San Luis Obispo County is planning a $18 million motel conversion project in San Luis Obispo using money from the third round of state Homekey funding, Dzvonik said. The city of San Luis Obispo will apply for the funding along with Peoples Self-Help Housing, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County and the county, Dzvonik said. This funding would cover the programs development and first three years of operation, Dzvonik said, which would see the motels rooms converted into 15 family living spaces, with 15 interim shelter beds from BossCubez installed in the motels parking lot. Dzvonik said the projects future will be more clear in the next 10 to 12 business days as the applicants complete the bidding and funding process. The countys plan calls for about 1,650 new low-income housing units to be built by the end of 2027, with 500 of those units designated as permanent supportive housing, Dzvonik said. As of now, the county is a few hundred units short of those goals. A total of 409 new low income housing units are slated to be available by the end of 2024, with a total of 905 new units planned for the end of 2026. Its still clear that more coordination is needed between developers, service providers, the county and city staff moving forward and become better aligned with the numbers in this plan, Dzvonik said. San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services Division manager Joe Dzvonik gives his update on the countys five-year plan to reduce homelessness to the Board of Supervisors May 2, 2023. SLO County to improve homeless outreach, data management The countys current data management system is flawed, Dzvonik said, because there isnt one simple way to track one persons case to determine when they enter homelessness, when they access services, and if they eventually find housing. Service providers often have to enter extensive data sets multiple times to have the ability to share information, Dzvonik said. Right now, we do not have a way to measure which programs are effective or guide us in the reallocation of resources towards success. The SLO County Homeless Services Division is searching for a new data management system into which local homeless service providers could enter data. That way, each agency can see when an individual speaks to a service provider, accesses services such as an overnight shelter and allows the service providers to collaborate to find that individual housing. In March, the Homeless Services Division opened the application process for new data management systems, and will select a new one in August, he said. San Luis Obispo County Supervisors John Peschong, Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson listen to public comment Feb. 7, 2023. When the county has better data to understand how folks become homeless, what services theyve accessed and where theyre falling through the cracks, county staff can do more targeted street outreach, Dzvonik said. During county budget talks for the next fiscal year, the Homeless Services Division will ask for another $1.8 million to support street outreach and homelessness prevention, Dzvonik said. Street outreach is the most critical component of the countywide plan, because unhoused people, or those at risk of becoming homeless cannot be identified, assisted or tracked through the continuum if no one is contacting them directly on a weekly if not daily basis, Dzvonik said. Supervisor Jimmy Paulding agreed. Outreach is a critical link between the safety net that we described with all those services and getting people out of homelessness, Paulding said Tuesday. San Luis Obispo County Supervisors Jimmy Paulding, Debbie Arnold, John Peschong, Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson listen to public comment Feb. 7, 2023. Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site closure still planned The countys five-year plan originally called for an expansion of its safe parking site at Oklahoma Avenue, located just north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 1. In late February, however, the county announced the site would begin drawing down its operations to eventually close over the coming year, though no official deadline was set. This means that the county will close the site to new residents, while continuing to provide services to current residents until they are placed in new housing. Dzvonik emphasized on Tuesday that no current residents will be forced to leave the site before they find new housing. The Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site was initially intended as a 180-day pilot program. Although several residents have been staying at the site since it opened in August 2021, the county still views the site as a transitional opportunity to find housing for residents. More than half of the roughly 60 households currently living on the site have been there longer than 12 months, Dzvonik said. Although there are cases of success where participants achieve enough stability and direction to move on to a better situation in their lives, this has not occurred in the number and timelines originally envisioned, Dzvonik said. Multiple service providers met onsite for the first time Friday as part of this surge in services, which will include efforts from CAPSLO , 5CHC, El Camino Homeless Organization, Transitions-Mental Health Association, LAGS Recovery Centers and the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services program. San Luis Obispo County Public Works Director John Diodati explained that it would be expensive to transform the Oklahoma site into permanent housing because the land was originally a landfill. State law would require the county to remediate the former landfill, which would cost at least $3.1 million, Diodati said at Tuesdays meeting. On Tuesday the supervisors suggested that the county pursue other sites for parking programs that arent as cost-prohibitive. County staff will also look into opening smaller, overnight-only parking programs similar to the programs operated by the city of San Luis Obispo and CAPSLO for people who want to keep living in vehicles and campers, which Dzvonik said have a relatively greater level of success with moving clients into housing than the Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site. Site resident Dave Richford said at the Tuesday meeting that folks at the Oklahoma Avenue site may prefer to continue living in their vehicles. Richford asked that the county look into creating campground-style lots for unhoused people and their vehicles to replace the transitional Oklahoma Avenue site. I just want to stress that if we end up going back to the streets, which we hope to God we dont have to, were going to be dealing with the police department, which is most of our problem, Richford said. The community, we dont want to invade their privacy, their concerns we want to be able to get somewhere where we can have affordable housing. Sudanese Army soldiers walk near tanks stationed on a street in southern Khartoum amid ongoing fighting against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, May 6. AFP-Yonhap Air strikes battered Sudan's capital on Saturday, as fighting entered a fourth week only hours before the warring parties are to meet in Saudi Arabia for their first direct talks. Hundreds of people have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict on April 15 between Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the regular army, and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting has seen warplanes bomb targets in Khartoum and the rival generals' forces engage in intense street battles in the city of five million inhabitants. Multiple truces have been reached, but none has been respected. In a joint statement, the United States and Saudi Arabia said the army and RSF would hold direct discussions in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Saturday, describing them as "pre-negotiation talks". "Saudi Arabia and the United States urge both parties to take in consideration the interests of the Sudanese nation and its people and actively engage in the talks toward a ceasefire and end to the conflict," they said. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan confirmed "the presence of representatives" from both sides, but there was no immediate indication that the talks had begun. Sudanese army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdalla told AFP the talks were "only over the truce and how it can be correctly implemented to serve the humanitarian side for civilians". Daglo, commonly known as Hemeti, took to Twitter to welcome the talks and thank the U.S., Saudi Arabia and other international players for their efforts. The general, whose RSF descended from the Janjaweed militia accused of war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region, affirmed "the need to reach a civilian transitional government that... achieves the aspirations of our people". Both the army and the RSF have sought to present themselves as protectors of democratic values, despite staging a coup in 2021 that derailed the country's transition to civilian rule. A man walks toward a charred car in a looted petrol station in southern Khartoum, May 6. AFP-Yonhap International mediation On Saturday morning, witnesses said warplanes pounded various parts of Khartoum, where telecommunications company MTN said all of its services had been interrupted. The army and the RSF accused one another of opening fire on the Turkish ambassador's car, but did not report any casualties. Burhan had given his backing to a seven-day ceasefire announced by South Sudan on Wednesday, but early on Friday the RSF said it was extending by three days a previous truce brokered under U.S.-Saudi mediation. The U.S.-Saudi statement noted the efforts of other countries and organisations behind this weekend's talks, including Britain, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab League, the African Union and other groups. Khalid Omer Yousif, a former minister, expressed hope the talks would lead to "a complete ceasefire that paves the way for a comprehensive political solution". But an analyst warned there was little consensus in the international community about what to do beyond establishing a ceasefire. "The lowest common denominator of the international community is a cessation of hostilities, but there is no apparent consensus on what to do beyond that initial objective," said Aly Verjee, Sudan researcher at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He said that to be meaningful any new ceasefire declaration needed the warring parties to commit to "consequences in the likely event of ceasefire breaches" and a "credible process to monitor and verify ceasefire non-compliance." People who crossed from Sudan are seen at a refugee camp in Renk County, South Sudan, May 3. AP-Yonhap A law enforcement officer walks as people are evacuated from a shopping center where a shooting occurred Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) ALLEN, Texas (AP) Hundreds of terrified shoppers fled in panic after a gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding seven before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. The shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday was the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept. Police did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room. We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents. Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable. An Allen Police Department officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, the post said. Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one per week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. President Biden was briefed on the shooting in Allen and the administration offered support to local officials, the White House said. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called the mall shooting an unspeakable tragedy. A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance, with multiple ambulances on the scene in the city of roughly 105,000 residents about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. It broke me when I walked out to see that." Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who seemed to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in a Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at an Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned there was a shooting. As he left, Romero said, the mall appeared empty and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and victims of the shooting on the floor of the shopping center. ___ Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. Tamika Manning of Colorado held a Say His Name sign above her chest in the Saturday afternoon heat and faced Kansas City, Kansas, police headquarters, which employed the officer under investigation for the shooting that killed her 25-year-old cousin. She stood on the median of Seventh Street and Minnesota Avenue for almost three hours as part of a rally demanding more transparency from local authorities. Her nephew, Amareeya Henderson, died April 26 during a traffic stop turned shooting near the 12th Street bridge. The officer involved was placed on administrative leave shortly after per police protocol, according to Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman for the department. Manning and her two daughters, who traveled Monday from Colorado to support family, want to know the officers names and see the police footage. Ive already seen Amareeya... I want everybody to see what was done to him, she said while staring down the departments building. Over a dozen people joined her for the protest, organized by Justice for Wyandotte, a local advocacy group, positioned around the corners of the crowded intersection. Im just shocked that theres not more people here, Manning said. I think were just desensitized, this happens so often. For the families Co-founder of the Justice for Wyandotte organization Nikki Richardson explained that while the event initially aimed to advocate for accountability in Hendersons case, they also hope to highlight similar ongoing cases around the metro. She noted some of the events participants arrived carrying signs adorned with the names of other Black men in the metro killed during police shootings such as Tyrea Pryor, killed in Kansas City in 2022, Malcolm Johnson, killed in Kansas City in 2021 or John Albers, killed in Overland Park in 2018 This is for the families, she said. There needs to be reform in the open records request act in reference to officer involved shootings, even though families are submitting requests [for footage], they are getting denied. The lack of information leaves families traumatized and limits the type of changes communities can advocate for, according to Richardson. Early intervention in police misconduct and better access to data in police shootings should be the start, she said. Protesters gathered outside KCKPD headquarters at the intersection of 7th and Minnesota Avenue Saturday afternoon to ask for greater transparency in the investigation of police shootings around the metro area. The event was held by the advocacy group Justice for Wyandotte. Pictured from left to right: Ashley Beck, Mitch Shiller, Ryan Minor, Sebastian Scott and Lindsey Carroll. Organizer Sundiata Moon with Decarcerate KC, a group aiming to end mass incarceration in the metro, believes the calls for more transparency are due to community members growing wary of how police funding is used. Im optimistic... I just think we need a better world for our kids, he said as his 6 year old raced around the curb. Other protesters agreed. Kathy Steen, who learned of Hendersons death over TikTok last night, said she came out to express her support, despite feeling nervous to leave her home. I dont come outside. I used to walk, but I dont walk around my neighborhood anymore. I live in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood, she said. I dont want to be accused of stealing from someone or doing something Im not supposed to do because Im walking in my neighborhood. Steen, who is in her 60s, said this was the first protest she had ever attended. We lost a major part of our family Tamika Manning and her two daughters eyed drivers as they raced by, barely turning their heads to notice the familys posters, each with Amareeya Hendersons name written in bold. It just seems like so little for so much of what we lost... We lost a major part of our family, she said, discouraged by the lack of a public outcry. Her 29-year-old daughter, Deshauna Hayes-Hand, said her mind replays the fateful phone call where she learned of Hendersons death. Hayes-Hand and her family moved away from the metro in search of a safer environment when she was young. Her cousin, Henderson, kept in touch with the rest of the family. Since the age of nine, Hayes-Hand considered him a protector: always mediating any family arguments or fights between friends. He was careful about following rules and a cautious driver, she said. As you can see from this situation, we still cant survive here, she said. In a statement released during the event, the family said they are outraged that Amareeyas life was taken through unjustified violence... If there is nothing to hide, release the footage to the public! But after speaking with a representative from John Albers family, Manning appeared dejected. She told The Star that hearing about their years-long struggle to attain police footage made her doubt whether anyone would get more information about her nephews death. The family has submitted an open records request and has yet to hear back. The Kansas City Police Department is investigating the shooting as an outside agency from the Missouri side of the state line. Texas police seek motive in mall shooting that killed 8 Shoppers leave with their hands up after police responded to a gunman at Allen Premium Outlets By Maria Caspani (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday called on Congress to pass gun control bills in the wake of yet another mass shooting that left nine people dead, including the gunman, at a Texas mall on Saturday. The Democratic president renewed calls for Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as to enact universal background checks and end immunity for gun manufacturers. There is little chance the narrowly divided House and Senate would pass such legislation, although polls show most Americans support background checks. Biden, who has made similar pleas before, said the assailant at Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, a northern suburb of Dallas, wore tactical gear and was armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon. The gunman killed eight people, including children, and wounded at least seven, before a police officer killed him, police said on Saturday. Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 199 so far in 2023, the most at this point in the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter. As of Sunday morning, law enforcement had not released details about suspect's identity or a possible motive. The identities of the victims had also not been released. "We don't have anything that we're ready to release at this time," Sergeant Jonathan Maness of the Allen Police Department told Reuters. "It's a lot of moving parts here." Officials said three people transported to area hospitals were in critical condition as of Saturday, while four had been stabilized. A graphic 10-second video shared on Twitter on Saturday showed several dead bodies slumped against a planter and white wall bearing the sign of retailer H&M. At least one of the individuals, lifeless and bloody, appears to be a young child. Reuters was able to verify that the video was taken at the mall where the shooting took place. In past shootings, social media sites worked to take down links to such graphic images. An emailed request for comment to Twitter, which no longer has a communications team, returned an automated reply with a poop emoji. Some Twitter users said people and politicians needed to see videos like this one to grasp the magnitude and horrific nature of gun violence. Others said it should be taken down. "There is nothing virtuous or ethical about showing easily indentifiable dead children and adults, whose families might not yet know they are dead," wrote Emily Bell, a professor and the director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. "Its deeply unethical - it strips victims and their families of privacy and dignity in death. It serves only Musks click farm." TRAGEDY REIGNITES GUN CONTROL DEBATE The tragedy in Allen, which happened just over a week after another deadly shooting in the Texas town of Cleveland, reignited the heated debate over gun control in the United States. The U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, and that issue is a hot button one for many Republicans, who are backed by millions in donations from gun rights groups and manufacturers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, called the shooting "devastating" in a Sunday morning interview on Fox News but said that the way to effectively tackle gun violence lies in addressing mental health. "There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that's taking place in America," he said. "We are working to address that anger and violence by going to his root cause, which is addressing the mental health problems behind it." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats stressed the need to pass stronger gun safety legislation to curtail gun violence. On Saturday, TV aerials showed hundreds of people calmly walking out of the mall, located about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dallas, after the violence unfolded, many with their hands up as scores of police stood guard. One unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was "walking down the sidewalk just ... shooting his gun outside." (Reporting by Maria Caspani in New York, Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas, Moira Warburton in Washington, and Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) The U.S. Coast Guard released video Saturday of one of its helicopter crews hoisting survivors of a plane crash by the Tar River near Greenville. The Coast Guard Sector North Carolina command center received a call from Pitt County emergency officials Friday requesting assistance at the scene of a crash near Pitt-Greenville Airport, according to a Coast Guard news release. The command center sent an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. On-board video captures the crew safely hoisting the two adult survivors into the helicopter. Each survivor was lifted in a rescue basket. The video lasts for just over a minute. Both survivors are conscious as theyre hoisted, according to the video. One stands up and walks in the helicopter after getting out of the basket, the video shows. The crew took the survivors to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville. The Coast Guard didnt release their names or conditions. The cause of the crash was unknown Saturday. The Assembly polls are just a few days away and Bajrangbali has been introduced into active electioneering by Congress whiz kid Surjewala Will I have egg on my face if, after a three-day trip to Karnataka, I follow my intuition and give the Congress a small advantage? The Assembly polls are just a few days away and Bajrangbali has been introduced into active electioneering by Congress whiz kid Randeep Surjewala. He was taking a jibe at the Bajrang Dals hate-mongering, so he said the Congress will ban the Bajrang Dal should it come to power. He has a talent for blowing sky-high such issues that can be handled in undertones. Remember how, with a purohits self-confidence, he had declared Rahul Gandhi a janeudhari Brahmin, opening up a dubious caste debate. No sooner had Mr Surjewala mentioned the Bajrang Dal than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hovering over the state like an eagle (with 30 rallies and roadshows), swooped on the anti-Hanuman tirade by the Congress. So, they want to imprison Lord Hanuman? he said. A local journalist said the Congress has handed them an issue on which Modi will go to town. Every Hanuman temple in the state echoed to the sound of kirtans. Not to be left behind, the Congress Vokkaliga mascot D.K. Shivakumar raised the stakes even further. Should he become CM, he would build Hanuman mandirs in every district. For the formidable builders lobby, this was honeyed music. The BJPs expectation is that, in the last lap of the campaign, Mr Modis rhetorical talent plus Lord Hanuman will give them the tailwind to touch the finishing line. Seldom have I seen a major political party so totally dwarfed by a leader like Mr Modi. There may be disgust with the BJP across classes -- my taxi driver or a business executive but they had the same comment: Modi will win it for them. Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee had a natural charisma. The charisma of MGR, Jayalalithaa and NTR derived from a combination of factors: cinematic glamour plus linguistic regionalism. That Amitabh Bachchans charisma never took off in the realm of politics was for a simple reason: his undoubted cinematic glamour didnt have linguistic regionalism to boost it. Mr Modis charisma has been choreographed by the media. Every TV channel, English or language newspaper, is captive to his persona. For a deeply religious country, Mr Modis omnipresence recalls jidhar dekhta hoon, udhar tu hi tu hai (Your glory permeates any direction I look). This might imply that the BJP will romp home. And yet, thats not the way it works. Mr Modi is an advantage no other party has. But the states BJP government has been extracting 40 per cent of all government contract payments from contractors, and the contractors have revealed this unchallenged truth on live TV. The burden becomes too heavy even for Mr Modi to carry through. And the 40 per cent scandal is only one of the negatives attached to the BJP in this campaign. One is familiar with Congressmens exodus to the BJP. In Karnataka, however, the traffic is in the reverse direction: key leaders like Jagdish Shettar and Laxman Sarvadi have left the BJP for the Congress. This is a huge psychological setback. All of this should give the Congress an advantage, even though observers suggest the partys campaign suffered from an excessive focus on Mr Modi and his misdemeanours. What the Congress will do for the people was not persuasively put across. Even so, there is a certain bounce in the Congressmens tread. There is another fly in the Congress ointment. The party has two aspirants for chief minister: Siddaramaiah, from the lower-caste Uruba community, and D.K. Shivakumar, an agriculturalist Vokkaliga. The Assembly has 224 seats. Supposing the Congress tally is 80. Should the leadership confer the chief ministership on Mr Siddaramaiah in anticipation of a coalition, why would Mr Shivakumar and his supporters (if he has sufficient numbers) not be lured by the BJP in case the party is short of numbers. Such is the speculation in the ranks of a nervous BJP. BJP spokesman S. Prakash spoke to me with the brazenness of someone determined to create an impression of super self-confidence: We are ruthless; we will splurge money to win over candidates. We have more money than all the other parties. Such speech does not a victor make. To the contrary, it betrays weakness. There are figures galore, and any number of combinations, all pointing to a fierce election. A notable fact is this: there are many more people predicting a Congress victory than a BJP one. Yes, the third party (JD-S) could make for a thrilling entry should the numbers encourage lengthy coalition parleys. No sooner did Mr Surjewalas announcement on a Bajrang Dal ban break than Mr Shivakumar charged off to the Hanuman temple, cameramen in tow, to commit him to posterity as a bhakt. He said the Congress will create an Anjanadri Development Board to develop Lord Hanumans birthplace on the hills of Koppal in Karnataka. The person who must be feeling left out of the excessive Hanuman bhakti must be AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who first started the tradition of reciting Hanuman Chalisa at the drop of a hat. Credit must go to the BJP for hollowing out almost all political parties of their secular pretensions. Mr Surjewalas anti-Bajrang Dal projection was aimed at luring Muslim votes away from the JD(S) which, if inflated, might play the monkey between quarrelling cats. No sooner had Mr Surjewala shot his bolt than the Congress was distancing itself from the controversial statement. At least since Indira Gandhis 1983 Jammu election, the Congress has learnt the lesson of shepherding Hindu votes with care and ignoring Muslim votes proportionately. The writer is a senior journalist and commentator based in New Delhi Drug production and consumption are the hidden facets of the crisis tearing Myanmar apart. A rehab centre in the capital of Kachin State highlights the cooperation between the local diocese and the Irish missionaries of St Columba. The stories of those who overcame their addiction are a source of hope. Myitkyina (AsiaNews) Growing and using drugs is one of the hidden facets of Myanmar's decades-old crisis. The 2021 military coup and the subsequent outbreak of violence have further boosted drug production; yet, there are some signs of hope, this according to Fr Eamon Sheridan, an Irish priest with the Missionary Society of St Columba. One example is the story of a baptism and the daily life of the rehabilitation centre for drug addicts promoted by the local diocese with the support of the Irish missionary institute in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, eastern Myanmar. The missionaries of St Columba first arrived in Myanmar in 1936; the first bishop of the Diocese of Myitkyina was an Irish member of the congregation, Mgr John Howe. Starting in the 1960s, the regime of General Ne Win began expelling foreign missionaries. The last three Columban missionaries were ordered to leave the country in 1977. Yet, they left a mark in Myitkyina that never faded, as evinced by the typically Irish names of Patrick and Columban found among local Catholic men. Since the late 1990s, Irish missionaries were able to re-establish contacts with the diocese, resulting in a new permanent presence in the area. The Rebirth Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Myitkyina is a sign of this continuing friendship. Set up in 2015, it is in the forefront of the fight against drug addiction, open for all those who want to embark on the path of rehabilitation. Although it welcomes everybody, most of its patients are ethnic Kachin Christians. Despite the coup d'etat two years ago and the outbreak of fighting between the military and armed groups in some parts of the country, the rehab centre in Myitkyina has continued to expand with the opening of a womens section last year. The stories of those who come to the centre are seeds of hope even in difficult times; for example, Fr Sheridan remembers Patrick, a heroin addict he met in 2017 at the centre. Heroin is a serious issue in Myitkyina since most of it is produced locally. And because of his addiction, Patrick came close to death several times. At one point, he was even anointed. Having survived, he decided to turn his life around. Fr Sheridan introduced him to the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous, the programme proposed at the rehab centre. For five years, Patrick has been clean, and now teaches karate to the young people of his village, after earning a black belt for himself. "He has gone from hopelessness to bringing hope to young people in the centre where he is a counsellor and a mentor to other people, Fr Eamon explained. Patrick is now married with two children, and last year he asked Fr Eamon toe baptise his second child, a boy. Like his parents, he named his son after a missionary, Eamon Anthony, in gratitude for the help he received. ECCLESIA IN ASIA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN ASIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SUNDAY VIA E-MAIL? SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER HERE. ECU If you enjoy Volkswagen Group products , you've probably heard of the German-based tuner ABT. With all the criticism surrounding the dismal performance of the latest generation of the Audi RS 6, ABT has taken it upon itself to do what Audi seems to be ignoring, commemorating the legendary wagon's 20th year of production with a special edition dubbed the RS 6 Legacy Edition.The Auditography channel on YouTube featured this phenomenal release by the Fussen, Germany-based tuner. This is not an Audi RS 6 for the regular Joe. Only 200 units of this version will be produced globally. ABT didn't hold back, throwing bold words claiming this edition is indeed the 'crowning glory of 20 years of Audi RS 6 history.'They say, "Actions prove who someone is; words just prove who they want to be." Well, ABT wasn't just throwing empty promises the 2023 Audi RS 6 Legacy Edition is much more than it seems on paper.As you'd expect of any ABT release, there are a couple of visual, performance, and hardware upgrades. The comparison in performance figures is enough to shut any critic who dared say the new RS 6 is lazy on its heels.There's nothing pedestrian-paced about 750 hp (760 ps). Stuffed with many performance goodies, the RS 6's 4-liter V8 offers a pitiless performance, with a 129 hp (131 ps) bump over the stock variant (621 hp/630 ps).On the exterior, the German tuner included aggressive Legacy Edition carbon gloss components, front splitters, skirts, a rear roof spoiler, and a diffuser. On the inside, they installed a Dinamica fabric on the dash, an ABT Alcantara steering wheel with a 12 o'clock pattern, and plenty of badging to show it's a limited 1-of-200 RS 6 LE unit.For stability, this brutal RS 6 runs on ABT height-adjustable suspension, anti-roll bars, and a set of jagged-designed 22-inch forged wheels.Under the vented hood, modifications include a fettled(Power R Software), a pair of ABT turbochargers, and an intercooler perfectly routed through optimized intake grilles on the front end. It also comes with ABT stainless steel exhaust with double-end pipes at 102 mm (4 inches). The tailpipe auditory on this baby is competitively threatening.The performance figures are impressive. It'll bolt from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.1 seconds (the factory variant does the same in 3.4 seconds). Top speed figures aren't out yet, but we are certain it won't be a disappointment ABT has a reputation to uphold.Catch some of that raw, aggressive demeanor of the ABT 2023 Audi RS 6 Legacy Edition in the video below. Photo: Hispano Suiza Media Photo: Hispano Suiza Media But did you know that Spain actually had a thriving car industry back in the day? And the cream of the crop was none other than Hispano Suiza. These guys were on par with Rolls-Royce in terms of desirability, producing top-of-the-line models like the 40CV and even Spain's first six-cylinder car. Customers couldn't get enough of their high-quality rides, especially after the revolutionary Benz Patent Motorwagen hit the scene. Fun fact: due to a strike and better access to raw materials and skilled labor, Hispano Suiza opened a second factory in France in 1910. And thus, the French division of Hispano Suiza was born, churning out a slew of iconic car models.In the 1920s, Hispano Suiza came out with a series of H6B models built specifically for racing. These cars were so impressive that they were dubbed "Boulogne" cars after a 1-2-3 sweep at the Boulogne race in July 1923. And the drivers behind the wheel were no slouches either - Joel Woolf Barnato, who would later become Bentley 's top dog, set multiple motorsport records in an H6. He even clocked in at a mind-boggling 92 mph around the Brooklands Circuit in 1924.But the piece de resistance had to be Andre Dubonnet's impressive feat in the 1924 Targa Florio. He drove a Hispano Suiza H6C in the grueling 268-mile race, and guess what? The car didn't suffer a single failure. And to top it off, he drove it all the way back to Naples after the race, covering a total of 443 miles. Talk about reliability! Of course, we've come a long way since then in terms of durability - but hey, you've got to start somewhere, right?In 1919, Hispano Suiza came out with the H6, a car that was so fancy it made other vehicles look like clown cars. It had a powerful all-aluminum overhead camshaft 6.6-liter straight-six engine that was so advanced it was practically an aircraft unit. This baby was the real deal, and it could go from zero to sixty faster than you could say "Hispano Suiza."But wait, there's more! The H6 also had power-assisted brakes, which meant that the car used its own momentum to provide extra power to the brake servo. This was a big deal back then, and other car manufacturers, including Rolls-Royce, quickly caught on and licensed the technology for themselves. So not only did the H6 look like a million bucks, but it also stopped on a dime. It was like having a butler on board who would make sure you got to your destination in style and safety. Who needs a chauffeur when you've got a Hispano Suiza H6?In the roaring 20s, Hispano Suiza was not just a car. It was a lifestyle. The H6B was like the king of automobiles, boasting a powerful engine that was fueled by the tears of lesser vehicles. It was so good that it made Duesenberg look like a Dusie. However, with great power came more outstanding control issues, so they had to give it to the French to handle. The Parisian cars became the creme de la creme, while the Spanish cars were like the discount store knockoffs.But then the J12 came along in 1931, and it was like a gift from the gods of luxury. With a V12 engine that could power a small country, it was the ultimate status symbol. The future Shah of Iran even received one as a child, which probably made all his classmates really jealous. He must have been one cool kid, driving around in a J12 while the rest of us were still playing with toy cars.Unfortunately, the Spanish Civil War came along and put a halt to the party. The Spanish government said that they didn't need more cars; they needed more guns. At the same time, the French said that they needed airplanes, not cars. So, car production stopped, and it seemed like the end of Hispano Suiza. But then, in 2019, they came back with a vengeance. And this time, they're not just making cars. They're making electrifying supercars that will blow your socks off.In 2019, at the Geneva Motor Show, car enthusiasts were greeted with a surprise they didn't expect - the resurrection of Hispano Suiza! Their new car, the Carmen, is an all-electric hypercar with enough power to make the Bugatti Veyron blush. With two electric motors powering the rear wheels, the Carmen churns out 1,019 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to make your hair stand on end and your heart race faster than a caffeinated hummingbird. Carmen's design is inspired by the 1938 H6B Dubonnet Xenia, which was the true beauty of its time. The curves and profile are so striking that they could make the Mona Lisa jealous.Hispano Suiza is now based back in Barcelona and run by Damian Mateu's great-grandson, Miguel. They have even created a new "hyper lux" segment, which combines hypercar performance with craftsmanship, luxury, and attention to detail. Think of it like a Rolls-Royce on steroids. With a limited production run of just 19 units, including the special edition Boulogne model, Hispano Suiza has come roaring back to life. EV MPV Instead, apparently taking a page out of the Blue Oval book of how not to present a model, then take years before releasing it onto the market, Tesla's Cybertruck is one of the biggest disillusions of the past few years. Elon Musk and Co. presented their take on the full-sizepickup truck establishment to much fanfare on November 21, 2019 the same month and year that the cult sci-fi movie Blade Runner was set in.The most significant moment of the evening was not the one when the Tesla Cybertruck was finally unveiled at the Tesla Design Studio in Los Angeles, but rather when American vehicle designer Franz von Holzhausen threw a couple of metal balls at the allegedly unbreakable Cybertruck's Armor Glass' windows and broke two of them. Well, as it turns out, that was the first in a long line of disappointments.Those varied from the humongous 'Gigawiper' for the windscreen to the recent revelation that the promised exoskeleton was swapped with a Honda Ridgeline, Ford Maverick, and Hyundai Santa Cruz-like unibody structure. And that is one novelty that raises important questions regarding the truck's capabilities compared to the Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lighting, and the upcoming 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, or Ram 1500 REV.Of course, people are growing tired of waiting for their reservations to come through, so perhaps they might consider buying a different hauler from Tesla maybe a people mover. But what if the Model S, 3, X, and Y options are insufficient for the family's needs? Then we must defer to the imaginative realm of digital car content creators for a proper solution. Such is the case here with this virtual artist, only known as automotive.ai on social media, who brings us AI-assisted automotive designs from a parallel universe and usually gives us plenty of choices.Not this time, though, as we are only looking at his proposed 'Tesla Cyberminivan' from a singular front three-quarters POV. Well, it might suffice to imagine it as a proper contender in a space that is almost deserted by automakers, especially across the US automotive market. But there are exceptions, including the novel EV variety.Such as the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which is coming next year to remind people of the hippie buses from the 1960s. It will be trendy to embark on all sorts of adventures with the electric, for sure, though we also do not have high hopes that just about anyone will be able to afford one. So, what do you think of a potential Tesla 'Cyberminivan' versus VW ID. Buzz fight? A new LEGO set, a Mars Rover Perseverance, has been found on the internet. Percy, as it is nicknamed, is a robot sent to the Red Planet with a clear mission in mind, seeking signs of ancient life, sampling rocks and regolith, and returning them to Earth.Percy does not come alone. He will be accompanied by his friend, a helicopter called Ingenuity. The Rover will feature 360 degrees steering, movable arms, and fully articulated suspension so that the vehicle will maintain traction on all six wheels on uneven surfaces as in real life. Other features include a power unit, an antenna, cameras, and scientific instruments to help you uncover the secrets of the Red Planet.But the most crucial feature has yet to be mentioned. The Rover can be connected to LEGO's AR app, which will let you bring Percy to life. This app will allow the user to control two-mode steering only by tilting the phone or the tablet and moving the robot's arm. Until now, the app only had a few Technic cars, such as the Lamborghini Sian, Porsche 911 RSR, and the Land Rover Defender. This will be the first space-related vehicle to enter a new world of Augmented Reality.More details on what else we can do with the AR app will be revealed when the set is announced. But we already know that we can expect to discover more information about Mars and Percy and its mission on the planet.The Mars Rover will measure over 9 inches (23 cm) in height, 12.5 inches (32 cm) in length, and 9 inches (23 cm) in width. The building instructions will be available on the LEGO Builder app, allowing the user to rotate and zoom the model in 3D and track the progress.Although LEGO has yet to make it official, this new NASA set with the number 42158 has been found on different European resellers . The build is set to come on June 1, 2023. The price, for now, is only shown for the European Market and will cost 94,99 for 1,132 pieces. Considering that LEGO has comparable US market prices, we could imagine it would be within that range.It is not a coincidence that it comes on June 1, as many countries worldwide celebrate Children's Day on that date or close to it, such as the second Sunday of June as it is in the US. The set is also recommended for children above the age of 10. kWh WLTP AWD Photo: GMC / Chevrolet Adaptive Cruise Control When looking at the week's novelties from around the global automotive industry, not much happened during May's first days. Perhaps it was a slow start motivated by the lion's roar of a thoroughly updated 2024 Peugeot 2008 range . The 'claw' signature is even more poignant, the small diameter steering wheel is still there, and the technology has improved even further.But even more importantly, the French brand is keen on expanding the electrified choice with a new mild hybrid option coming next year and the E-2008 also getting a thorough refresh. Aside from the interior and exterior goodies, there is also a new, more potent 154 horsepower electric motor, a larger 54battery pack, and a higher estimated range of up to 406 km (252 miles) instead of 345 km (214 miles), according to thecycle.Moving to America, the choice of novelties is only marginally more extensive, as many of the week's important news revolves around a couple of reintroductions and two minimal updates. For example, the EV sector welcomes back the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which can be ordered again after switching to LFP batteries, lifting performance for the eAWD configuration, and slashing the MSRPs. Not necessarily in response, Tesla has jumped on board the dynamic pricing hype with new updates for the Model 3 and Y quotations, as well as the re-emergence of the Model 3 Long RangeSpeaking of EVs, Volvo updated the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge models in the US with more power and increased range figures, while Tesla has started exporting Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from Giga Shanghai to Canada! Well, the list of arrivals would be over as the Kia Carnival also entered the 2024 model year with minor changes if not for a significant introduction that dropped early during the week the GMC bid to take heavy-duty trucks further off-road with the brand's all-new, first-ever Sierra HD AT4X and Sierra HD AT4X AEV Edition But do not judge them by their complicated nameplates it would be much better to appraise them against their siblings, the first-ever Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 and Silverado HD ZR2 Bison, with the latter and the Sierra HD AT4X AEV Edition, both made in collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles. Naturally, all four HDs follow in the footsteps of their respective light-duty Silverado and Sierra counterparts.But they also turn into veritable off-road-focused flagship heavy-duty trucks via many tricks and treats, including Multimatic DSSV dampers, a factory lift of 1.5 inches (38 mm) both front and rear, plus 35-inch Goodyear Territory tires, and a new Off-Road Mode. While the "race-proven off-road technologies" might signal these trucks are one trick ponies, the truth is that Chevrolet and GMC did not neglect the usual HD truck features and still seek to "accomplish the toughest work with smart trailering tech and formidable powertrains."So, without sacrificing on-road comfort or heavy-duty truck capability, the Silverado HD ZR2 has a maximum payload of 3,397 lbs. (1,541 kg) with the 401-hp V8 gas engine and a top trailering rating of 18.500 lbs. (8,391 kg) for the 470-hp Duramax diesel mill. Meanwhile, the GMC versions seek to offer the most trailering technology in their class, including the optional industry-first Transparent Trailer View4 for gooseneck and fifth wheel trailering, the Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert, the newwith Trailering, up to 14 camera views, and also the ProGrade Trailering System.Both Chevy and GMC use the same powertrains the standard 6.6-liter gasoline engine with 401 hp and 464 lb-ft or 629 Nm and the enhanced for 2024MY 6.6-liter Duramax with up to 470 hp and 975 lb-ft (1,322 Nm) coupled to a ten-speed Allison automatic transmission. Curiously, the Chevrolet models do have a slight advantage in terms of maximum payload and trailering capabilities, with up to 3,397 lbs. (1,541 kg) and 18,500 lbs. (8,391 kg), respectively, as opposed to GMC's top figures of 3,291 lbs. (1,493 kg) and 18,500 lbs. (8,391 kg), respectively. But is that enough to separate them?Probably not, which is maybe why this comparison will concede the choice could be highly subjective. After all, they have the same powertrains, almost the same HD capabilities, the off-road-focused features, but not the same design inside and out. It would have been easier if one of them was cheaper than the other, but the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 and ZR2 Bison are starting production later this summer. Together with the 2024 GMC Sierra HD AT4X and AT4X AEV Edition, they are scheduled to arrive at dealerships sometime during the third quarter of the year, complete with pricing details that "will be announced closer to the start of production." So, which one would you take home out of the four? 7 May 2023 17:13 (UTC+04:00) By Akbar Hasanov, Day.az Reading the Armenian media is boring and kind of a forced job for us. The work is like that, you become aware of new myths, nonsense from those who simply do not understand the new realities - the Armenian mirages...and so, we hasten to leave it to the judgment of our readers, the outcomes of new Armenian mirages, for which they are going to run to the Armenia. First, we start with a report that 40 PACE parliamentarians demanded that Azerbaijan immediately end the "illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor." This is claimed in a statement released by the Armenian representation in the Council of Europe. Which in itself is ridiculous. For, everything voiced by the Armenian side must be repeatedly checked. In any case, we see an example of childish naivety on the Armenian side. They really believe that by mobilizing, financially and otherwise, a number of deputies in PACE, it is possible to get Azerbaijan to waive the right to establish checkpoint on its territory. Everyone who signed this piece of paper, if there are such signatures in reality, should be reminded that initially everything was turned upside down. It is still illegal on the territory of Azerbaijan, with a passport of citizens of Armenia, tens of thousands of Armenians live. However, there are no Azerbaijanis in Armenia. Event not from the word at all. This is the result of ethnic cleansing by the Republic of Armenia; which would be worth paying attention to in PACE. As well as the fact that in the territory of Azerbaijan, in the Karabakh economic region, the robbery of our natural resources has been going on for almost three decades. It did not stop even after the end of the 44-day war. Actually, that is why the peaceful protest action of Azerbaijani eco-activists began. They demanded, but did not get access to our, Azerbaijani deposits, for monitoring there. So, all these attempts, in the form of collecting signatures in PACE, are no more than playing like a monkey. Because not a single international organization, including PACE, has imposed sanctions against Armenia for all the years while the occupation of our territories by it continued. At the same time, in PACE, in 2021, a completely biased resolution was adopted called "Humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan - the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." "The protracted conflict has had catastrophic consequences for the cultural heritage and property of the region, for which both Armenia and Azerbaijan are responsible," the resolution said. As you can see, it was a primitive manipulation, a blatant lie. For, the 44-day war was fought exclusively on the territory of Azerbaijan, and not on the territory of Armenia. Therefore, an attempt to equalize the aggressor and the victim of aggression is immoral and unacceptable. Moreover, during the 44-day war, by order of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, peaceful Azerbaijani cities were shelled. Yes, Pashinyan is, in fact, a war criminal. And not a "democrat" at all. This, by the way, is the last straw that the forces eager to help the RA have tried and are still trying to catch. From the first days of the "barbecue revolution" Pashinyan was molded into a "democrat of pure blood". He himself happily played this role, even heading the occupying state, which was initially unnatural. What he did not promise to everyone at that time - from personal participation in solving the demographic problem of the RA, to bringing the Armenian army to the level of one of the best in the world. In the end, he got absolutely nothing. And now Armenian politicians and media are competing in how to call Nikol Vovaevich more derogatory. And now we see that the Armenian media are publishing the opinion of Boris Rozhin, an expert from the Russian Center for Military-Political Journalism, about how the vyser of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is indicated there, whom the Russian called no more and no less than Soros' bedding". Further, already other speakers call Pashinyan an incompetent leader and the head of the "junta that seized power in the country." Somehow, all this does not fit in the guise of "democrat" Pashinyan. Who was also called the "conspirator". Those who did this are wondering: "why is he in power, but the whole nation is dying, losing, suffering, humiliated and demoralized?" After that, open accusations are made against the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, who "elected him the head of the state and tolerate him until now." It is interesting, is it just right to listen to those deputies in PACE who scribble anti-Azerbaijani nonsense..? And then - all those who continue to replicate lies about the "island of democracy" called RA? A state that relies most of all on the support, to put it mildly, of countries that are far from democracy, cannot be called such; for example, Iran. Plus, its absurd in general to babble something about the democratic nature of someone who has long been an object of contempt and jokes in its country. Before us is just a failed populist-loser, guilty of unleashing a 44-day war. Taking "revenge" for the defeat in which is another Armenian mirage. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 May 2023 10:33 (UTC+04:00) On April 13, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived on an official visit to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). There, Ilham Aliyev met with the Chairman and members of the Presidium of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zelka Cvijanovic, Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic. Despite the short visit, it was recognized as quite successful, as Azerbaijan acquired "another strategic partner in Europe", and the leaders of the two countries signed a joint declaration on the formation of a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is stated in an article published on The Jamestown Foundation portal, Azernews reports, citing Day.az. The authors of the article note the intensification of the Azerbaijani-Bosnian relations in recent years. "During the pandemic, Azerbaijan sent humanitarian aid to Bosnia, and in 2021 transformed its diplomatic mission in Sarajevo into an embassy. In addition, the Azerbaijani side also invested in a medical center in Banja Luka, as well as Friendship Park and a medical facility in Sarajevo. Chairman Presidium of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zelka Cvijanovic visited Baku on March 1 and met with President Ilham Aliyev.During the meeting, the leaders welcomed the high level of relations between the two countries. For its part, Sarajevo also took the initiative in strengthening relations with Baku. For example, President Ilham Aliyev thanked Bosnia and Herzegovina for its support during the Second Karabakh War in 2020. And as a result of these negotiations, Sarajevo decided to open an embassy in Baku. The article emphasizes that with the expansion of bilateral ties, the visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Bosnia and Herzegovina fits into a wider framework, as Azerbaijan is increasingly turning towards the Balkans. "The war of Russia against Ukraine has significantly upended the security architecture of Europe and increased the relevance of alternative energy and transport routes between Asia and Europe. Thus, although Azerbaijan is not able to completely replace Russia at the pan-European level in terms of gas supplies, it can and does play a decisive role in this regard, both for the EU countries and for individual European countries, by reducing their dependence on Russian gas," the authors of the article explain. Since the EU is interested in ensuring and maintaining stability and security on the continent, the article says, it attaches great importance to Azerbaijan's participation in the Balkans (and in Italy). "This importance was reaffirmed in October 2022 by the historic visit to Baku of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who called Azerbaijan a revolutionary player in Europe's energy security. Later, von der Leyen also participated in the opening of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector, designed to deliver Azerbaijani natural gas directly to Bulgaria," the newspaper notes. As the authors of the article write, Azerbaijan is currently quite closely cooperating with Bulgaria and Greece in the Balkans: at the end of 2022, it was announced that more than 18 billion cubic meters of natural gas had been safely transported to Greece through the Trans Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP). Bulgaria and Italy since the start of commercial operation in 2020. Bulgaria, which has a contract for 1 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas, or a third of the country's annual demand, wants to increase this volume by another 1 billion cubic meters a year after the suspension of Russian gas supplies to the country. "However, this is only superficial information, as there is huge potential for other projects, including the construction of the Romania-Serbia gas interconnector, which can also reduce regional dependence on Russia with the help of Azerbaijani gas. North Macedonia has several times expressed interest in importing gas from Azerbaijan, however, this is largely dependent on the completion of the connecting line between Greece and North Macedonia.Moreover, the Ionian Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) currently under construction will be able to transport Azerbaijani gas from Albania to Croatia via Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina before delivering it to Central Europe, provided that the necessary financial and political support is provided. While the recent strategic partnership declaration, as well as recent statements by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Bosnia, highlight the deepening of bilateral economic ties, including Azerbaijan's investment in the Bosnian economy and Bosnia's participation in the Middle Corridor, the visit of President Ilham Aliyev also raised expectations for increased cooperation. in the energy sector. Mushfig Mammadli, deputy of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, noted that both sides agreed to expand oil and gas cooperation in the field of green energy. Thus, Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to receive 1 bcm from the SPD, which is projected to have a capacity of around 5 bcm, upon completion of the pipeline, with other expected beneficiaries being Albania (1 bcm), Montenegro (0.5 bcm cubic meters). and Croatia (2.5 bcm). Thus, against the background of the current geopolitical events in Eurasia, Azerbaijan has a historical chance to extend its influence in the Caucasus and the Caspian region both to the east (Central Asia) and to the west (Balkans). Increasing Europe's energy supply and further development of the most important connection projects (Middle Corridor) will only serve to increase Baku's aspirations and opportunities. By becoming a stakeholder in the Balkans with the creation of the Southern Gas Corridor and its Balkan TAP segment, Azerbaijan is destined to play a more active role in the region and become a potential hub for transporting critical energy resources to the Balkans and beyond. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 May 2023 09:30 (UTC+04:00) By Vafa Guliyeva I have always been proud and today I am proud that I am Azerbaijani, a world-renowned statesman, the founder and architect of the independent Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev said in one of his speeches which has become an aphorism among the people of Azerbaijan. The man who loved his country and people more than this life, national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, lives in the heart of everybody. There are leaders who go down in history and remain there. And there are leaders who create national history. Heydar Aliyev was a leader who created the modern history of Azerbaijan. History remembers him as a true legend of his time, a strong head of state and a devoted and unique figure able to take on difficult historical task of state building. 2023 marks centennial of national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. On this occasion under the Order of the President of the country, Ilham Aliyev, this year was declared the Year of Heydar Aliyev in the country. National Leader Heydar Aliyev was an outstanding statesman and a world scale politician. 35-year-old history of Azerbaijan covering the period from the late 1960s to the beginning of the 21st century, is directly connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev. His political flair and priceless human qualities enabled the young state to stand on its feet and successfully enter the twenty-first century as an independent country. Under his leadership, he took responsibility for his country, brought together like-minded people and together with them, coped with severe and serious obstacles, created a strong and independent state modern Azerbaijan. Under his leadership, Azerbaijan achieved a great success in economy and became the forefront on an all-Union scale. Over these years, the industrial potential of Azerbaijan has more than doubled. When the large contingent of troops forcefully entered Baku and massacred lots of people on 20 January, 1990, Heydar Aliyev was first who demanded punishment for the organizers and executors of the crime committed against the Azerbaijani people. As a result of an extreme governmental crisis in May-June, 1993, Azerbaijan was on the edge of civil war and loss of independence. The people of Azerbaijan demanded to bring Heydar Aliyev to power in the country, due to which he was elected as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, and on October 3, 1993, became the President of the independent Azerbaijan and was re-elected to the post in 1998. He came to power precisely at the moment when it was most needed, if not be Heydar Aliyev, there would not be a modern Azerbaijan. Not a single person neither in the country nor abroad would deny this truth. As one of the most respected and world scale politicians, the role and importance of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people is so large that his life, philosophy of administration, level of competence and influence for a very long time will be explored by biographers and historians. Heydar Aliyevs experience has played a unique role in the life of modern Azerbaijan and over the years, it has become even more relevant and meaningful. With Heydar Aliyevs return to the leadership of Azerbaijan in 1993, a deep-rooted transformation started in political, social, economic, scientific and cultural life of the country, as well as in foreign affairs of Azerbaijan and development of an independent state-building in accordance with international norms and principles. Heydar Aliyev was a pragmatic politician. His political and managing principles were far from the romanticism and dreaminess. The decisions he took might seem unusual at first sight, but in the end, considering all the reality and correctness, are the most optimal and balanced. With the return of national leader Haydar Aliyev to the leadership of Azerbaijan, a turning point occurred in the socio-political, socio-economic, scientific and cultural life of the country, as well as in international relations. As a result of the urgent measures taken by the national leader, important steps were taken to form the National Army, establish a regular armed force capable of protecting the national interests of Azerbaijan, and defend the lands. The decisive measures taken by Haydar Aliyev to prevent the economic decline, civil war, Armenia's policy of aggression against Azerbaijan, restore the traditions of statehood and stability in the first years of independence soon began to be felt in the lives of every citizen. Since 1993, as a result of the visionary policies and hard work of Heydar Aliyev, the country started to achieve accomplishments in its economic and social development and have obtained great results in terms of integration into the world economy. The biggest achievement at that end was the creation of a new model of economic reforms and development the model of Azerbaijan. In 1994, declaration of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signing of the Contract of the century, adoption of the Constitution in 1995, restoration of the ancient Silk Road connecting East and West and implementation of other important works were achieved. As a result of the thoughtful and wise policy of the great leader, the Azerbaijani economy developed in a short time. As the architect of the new energy strategy of Azerbaijan, national leader Heydar Aliyev was the author of very crucial political decisions in the 1990s that had great importance in shaping energy policy of the country and simultaneously demonstrated the readiness of the Republic to contribute to the energy security of Europe. Accordingly, the "contract of the century" was signed on September 20, 1994, which went down in history as one of the greatest and most significant events of the 20th century. The most important prerequisites for this event were the importance of oil and gas resources of the Caspian basin, including Azerbaijans water area which was rich in hydrocarbon resources. Heydar Aliyev managed to diplomatically eliminate discrepancies around the signing of the contract. Over the 10 years of his presidency, Heydar Aliyev has undertaken radical reforms in Azerbaijan and transformed the ruins of the almost devastated country into a viable state. Heydar Aliyevs multifaceted policy became the state strategy that brought about prosperity and stability in the country. He came to power applying a pragmatic and balanced foreign policy, which helped to build constructive relationships with China, USA, EU and wise partnerships with the closest neighbors Turkiye, Russia and Iran. The Republic of Azerbaijan attained a status of a credible, democratic, legal and secular state in the world in a short period of time. Under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, the foreign policy of Azerbaijan, as well as its relations with leading states of the world and international organizations has started to develop the course based on national interests and far-sighted political perspective. The name of Heydar Aliyev will always live in the hearts of people and future generations. The chronicle of the life of this excellent man is to be read, studied and promoted, because the life of Heydar Aliyev is the history of Azerbaijan that we are living. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 May 2023 12:33 (UTC+04:00) A conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev was held at Turkey's Igdir University under the co-organization of SOCAR's Baku Higher Oil School (HOS). According to the report from the school, BHO Rector Elmar Gasimov, Igdir University Rector Mehmet Hakk Alma, academic staff and students attended the conference, Azernews reports, citing Azertag. Speaking at the conference, Rector Elmar Gasimov spoke about the "Umid" bridge located on the Azerbaijan-Turkiye border, on the Araz river, and the outstanding services of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in opening the bridge. The rector called this bridge, which was put into use in 1992, "the bridge of the heart": "We came from Nakhchivan to Igdir by land, we crossed the bridge, that is, the "Umid" bridge. That bridge was built in 1992 on the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and connected Azerbaijan with brother Turkey." Mehmet Hakk Alma, rector of Igdr University, in his speech thanked Azerbaijan for the assistance provided during the earthquake in Turkiye and touched on Azerbaijan-Turkiye brotherly relations. The Rector called the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye and the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev a historical and significant year. The conference ended with the signing of a document on joint cooperation between Baku Higher Oil School and Igdir University. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 May 2023 14:30 (UTC+04:00) There was no "Armenian genocide". In fact, the victims are Turks. This was stated by former legal adviser in the administration of US President Ronald Reagan Bruce Fein. His words are quoted by the Turkiye newspaper, Azernews reports. It is extremely interesting that the famous lawyer mentions the research on Armenian lies and especially the facts related to the issue of the so-called Armenian genocide. According to Fein, President Ronald Reagan commissioned him and a group of others to conduct research on events that took place in the Ottoman Empire. "We conducted an investigation, we were able to get to various documents of those times, stored in the archives of European countries and the Empire. Having studied all the data, we came to the conclusion that the allegations of Armenians about the" genocide "are unfounded and are an invention of Armenian historians. We should not forget that in In those days, all ethnic and religious minorities on the territory of the Ottoman Empire enjoyed the same privileges as the Turks themselves. Greeks, Armenians, Kurds, Circassians, Arabs and other minorities occupied quite high positions in the state," the ex-adviser noted. In his statement to the foreign media, the former diplomat noted that Armenians are not only treacherous to other nations, but also to themselves. He recalled that during the First World War, local Armenians betrayed their homeland and went over to the side of the enemy. Armenian military units fought shoulder to shoulder with the Russian army on the Caucasian front. "As a result, about 2 million people lost their lives. Despite everything, the Turkish side allowed us to look through all the archives, and the Armenians categorically refused to do so. In my opinion, the truth will come out if someone can look through these archives. Then the Armenians I will have to apologize to the whole world, in particular to the Turks, for the historical lie," Fein added. Besides, in one of his early interviews to foreign media outlets, the American lawyer had criticized remarks of President Joe Biden calling 1915 events "genocide," saying it was a political statement and had nothing to do with the law. According to him, among all the relevant powers in World War I, only Armenia had kept the archives secret, and it arouse a question - what Armenia is hiding? --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 May 2023 21:19 (UTC+04:00) By News Centre The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on Saturday exchanged accusations over an attack on a diplomatic Turkish convoy on Saturday. The official vehicle of Turkish Ambassador to Sudan Ismail Cobanoglu was hit by gunfire in the capital Khartoum on Saturday, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. No casualties were reported and the source of the gunfire was not yet clear. In a statement, the RSF accused the army of opening fire on the Turkish ambassadors vehicle. This most recent attack is yet another blatant violation of international norms and agreements protecting diplomatic missions by the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces), the paramilitary group said. The shooting occurred despite prior coordination regarding evacuation efforts and the fact that the embassy premises are under the control of the SAF, it added. The RSF said that its forces had managed to successfully evacuate the Turkish ambassador and his delegation to safety. But the Sudanese army denied the accusation, saying the RSF was responsible for the attack. The RSF militia fired on the Turkish ambassador's car and held him, the army said in a statement. The RSF is using its media to claim that the armed forces had carried out the attack, but it forgot that the ambassador is there and can simply explain what happened, the statement added. More than 550 people have been killed and thousands injured in fighting between two rival generals army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo since April 15. A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the two sides concerning the integration of the RSF into the armed forces a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups. Sudan has been without a functioning government since fall 2021 when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup." The transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, was scheduled to end with elections in early 2024. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later at night. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. W winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 51F. WSW winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Saudi Arabia-based Al Meswak Dental Clinics Company (Al Meswak) has acquired two dental centres in Abu Dhabi, as part of its strategy to expand its presence across the GCC. Al Meswak, owned by UAE-based Gulf Islamic Investments (GII) and Saudi Arabias Jadwa Investments Company (Jadwa), is the largest chain of dental and dermatology clinics in the kingdom, with more than 90 facilities spread across more than 37 Saudi cities. The Al-Anees and Al-Barazi dental centres acquired by Al Meswak are amongst the most prominent dental service providers in the Al-Ain region of Abu Dhabi. GII, a leading Shariah-compliant global alternative investment company with over $3 billion of assets under management, has supported Al Meswaks expansion into the UAE. GII took a majority share in the Al Meswak Medical Group in May 2022 to co-partner the Saudi Jadwa Investment management and advisory firm. A leading Emirati banking group has provided a substantial financial acquisition facility to assist Al Meswaks regional expansion. Good business Abdullah Al Keraidis, CEO of Al Meswak, heads a team of over 3,000 employees, including more than 760 doctors, and featured recently in Forbes Middle Easts Top 100 Healthcare Leaders 2023. He suggested: This expansion makes good business sense for our patients and operating model. Our network extends across all major Saudi Arabian cities, and as inter-GCC travel and trade expands significantly, our patients know that they will receive first-class dental care wherever they travel in the Kingdom and Abu Dhabi emirate. We are also grateful to GII and Jadwa, who were quick to understand Al Meswaks regional operating potential. Mohammed Al Hassan, Chairman of the Al Meswak Board of Directors, GIIs co-Founder and co-CEO, commented: This investment extends Al Meswaks best in class services and expertise across GCC borders from the kingdom into Abu Dhabi. GII is proud to be the catalyst and active participant for this cooperative venture with Al Meswak.-- TradeArabia News Service Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 74F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 51F. WNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is CJ Staff The N.C. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Greenville's appeal of a lower-court ruling against the city's red-light camera enforcement program. Greenville ended its program last November, eight months after the state Appeals Court ruled the program unconstitutional.The state Supreme Court blocked the Appeals Court's ruling shortly after it was issued in March 2022. But the high court waited roughly a year to respond to the city's request to take up the case.New orders issued Thursday block the Appeals Court's ruling and allow the city to continue its legal fight at the state's highest court.In urging the state Supreme Court in January to take up the case Fearrington v. City of Greenville, the city's lawyers cited a separate lawsuit challenging red-light cameras in Fayetteville. Yet that city also cut off its cameras in November.Only Raleigh and Wilmington run active red-light camera enforcement programs in North Carolina. Wilmington's program faces a legal challenge aided by the same law firm that has challenged Greenville and Fayetteville cameras.Attorneys from the Stam Law Firm in Apex filed paperwork with the N.C. Supreme Court in January. They asked justices to reject the latest plea from Greenville's government. (Attorney PaulStam is a member of the board of directors of the John Locke Foundation, which oversees Carolina Journal).Greenville asked the court for permission to supplement its request for a discretionary review of the Fearrington case. The city also asked the state Supreme Court to takeof the Fayetteville red-light challenge, Allen v. City of Fayetteville.A court takes judicial notice when it declares a fact presented as evidence as true, without the formal process of having the evidence presented.according to the red-light critics' court filing.A unanimous three-judge Appeals Court panel ruled in March 2022 that Greenville's red-light camera program was unconstitutional. Appellate judges agreed the program failed to send enough proceeds from its red-light citations to Pitt County schools.Critics reminded the state Supreme Court that Greenville had modeled its red-light camera program on Fayetteville's.Regardless of the similarities between the two cities' programs, the legal cases are distinct, according to red-light critics' brief.red-light critics contended.Greenville contended that the Fayetteville red-light challenge bolstered its case for a state Supreme Court review.wrote attorney Dan Hartzog, who represents Greenville as the defendant in the Fearrington case.Hartzog wrote.The legal dispute involves Article IX, Section 7 of the N.C. Constitution. It declares that theof fines, penalties, and forfeitures collected in N.C. counties must go to local schools.Hartzog wrote.Sabrina Allen filed suit on Nov. 16 in Cumberland County. She challenges Fayetteville's red-light camera program as unconstitutional. Her complaint cited the March 2022 Appeals Court ruling against Greenville's red-light program.Greenville is pursuing its case at the Supreme Court despite the city council's decision last fall to end red-light camera enforcement.The council voted 5-1 on Nov. 7 to end the program, with plans to stop issuing red-light citations on Nov. 15 and to deactivate cameras at that time.Pitt County Schools netted about 72% of the proceeds of Greenville's red-light camera program. The unanimous Appeals Court panel had ruled in the Fearrington case that the number would need to top 90% to meet state constitutional standards.wrote Judge Jefferson Griffin.State law offers guidance about theof fines and forfeitures, Griffin explained.That meansfor a program to comply with state law and the state constitution, Griffin and his fellow appellate judges concluded.Greenville and the Pitt County school system filed a joint brief with the N.C. Supreme Court. It rejected arguments against the red-light camera program.according to the brief.The city and school system also accused the Appeals Court of overlooking the General Assembly's specific authorization of an interlocal agreement. The agreement allowed the red-light camera program to move forward.The joint brief accused appellate judges of misinterpreting the state constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide in the weeks ahead whether to take a case challenging N.C. prosecutors' approach to impaired-driving cases. Critics contend prosecutors are violating defendants' rights to aPlaintiffs Rogelio Albino Diaz-Tomas and Edgardo Gandarilla Nunez filed a petition March 14 seeking a review from the nation's highest court. Lawyers from the N.C. Department of Justice informed the court on April 4 that the state would not file a response to the plaintiffs' request.N.C. courts have rejected Diaz-Tomas' and Nunez's arguments, including unanimous rulings against them last November from the state Supreme Court.Lawyers for Diaz-Tomas and Nunez accuse N.C. district attorneys ofU.S. Supreme Court precedent by reviving a practice declared unconstitutional in 1967.according to the plaintiffs' petition.the petition continued.plaintiffs' lawyers argued.The plaintiffs specifically challenge district attorneys' approach to N.C. General Statute 15A-932. It explains how prosecutors can enter awhen a defendant fails to appear in court.according to the petition.The prosecutor maintainsover the process, according to the petition.the plaintiffs' lawyers argued.More than 146,000 cases in N.C. Superior Court led to dismissal with leave in the year ending June 30, 2022, according to the petition.North Carolina's highest court rejected the argument that Diaz-Tomas and Nunez could compel district attorneys to reinstate the cases against them.wrote Justice Michael Morgan for a unanimous court.Morgan and his colleagues distinguished the current DWI cases from the Klopfer precedent.plaintiffs' lawyers argued.The U.S. Supreme Court has not yet scheduled a date to review the Diaz-Tomas and Nunez petition. Shutting down perfectly functional, cheap and reliable coal fired power plants to transition to expensive and undependable wind and solar carries a massive sting in the tail for electric customers in terms of much higher power costs. That scenario is underway for North Carolina thanks to the RINOs giving us HB951, North Carolina's Green New Deal, which has already given us a recent 18% electricity rate increase, the first of many to come. That scenario has just played out in the Australian state of New South Wales, whose Labour government has just needlessly closed their major coal fired power plant at Liddell to move to reliance on intermittent wind and solar. The result was an almost overnight 80% increase in electricity prices in the state. https://stopthesethings.com/2023/05/06/energy-transition-turns-high-farce-power-prices-surge-80-after-coal-fired-plant-shutdown/ HB951 will shut down North Carolina's coal fired power plants. One of the key supporters of that awful legislation was the senator (mis)representing Beaufort County in the state Senate, liberal RINO Jim Perry of Kinston. Duke's Christmas rotating blackout was a quick result of the first coal power plant closure in North Carolina.. Woke Duke Energy plans more of the same, approved by the Green New Deal, HB951. This is not the first Australian state to have this experience of electric rates skyrocketing from switching from coal to wind and solar. The former Labour state government in South Australia led the way on that. In their 15 year reign, South Australia's Labour govenment closed and blew up all of their coal power plants and built lots of wind and solar, declaring their state a "renewable energy superpower". The result was that residential power prices went from the lowest in the world to the highest in the world and rolling blackouts became a common occurance. The political result was that a minor party opposed to "green" energy won three of the state's federal senate seats and the conservative coalition parties ousted Labour for control of state government. But it was too late, the damage was done. Lets hope some real conserevative oust the RINOs and Demcorats before they do the same thing to our power prices. Music video on wind turbines killing birds - "Where Have all the Eagles Gone" to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?": By L.A. Williams Christian Action League May 2, 2023 Undoubtedly one of the shortest bills filed in the North Carolina legislature this year, a nine-line proposal to toughen penalties for showing obscenities to minors won unanimous approval in the Senate on Monday. Sponsors of Senate Bill 579, which would raise the punishment for an obscene act in the presence of someone under 18 from a Class I felony to a Class H felony, say it is needed to Prevent Harm to Children, which is their title for the measure. This is a simple update that addresses some of the more disturbing trends weve been seeing in recent years, bill sponsor Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) said in a press release. Our society is heading in the wrong direction and this bill says were not going to let children face such corruption. The bill does not change how obscenity has been defined in North Carolina law since 1974. Instead, it creates the possibility that an offender could face jail-time on the first offense. According to the states sentencing guidelines, Class I felonies wont lead to prison time for people with no prior criminal record. But for Class H felonies, prison is an option, as are lesser penalties such as probation or house arrest. The bill is pretty straightforward: If you dont commit obscene acts in front of children then you have nothing to worry about, Sen. Danny Earl Britt, Jr. (R-Robeson) explained in the release. The fact that there has been opposition speaks volumes to where we are as a society and why the bill is needed. Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) told the media that the fact that the legislation would not expand the definition of obscenity helped allay fears that the bill was targeting drag shows. We all have the same goal of protecting children from access and exposure to materials that theyre not ready for, Grafstein told WRAL. But in his comments to the media, Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke) referenced a March incident at Forsyth Technical Community College during which a drag performer straddled a minor as an obvious violation of obscenity laws. What happened at Forsyth Tech was a clear indication that weve got to do something at the state level, he said. This bill is an appropriate step that will help put an end to this string of vulgar behavior. The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, spoke out in favor of the bill during a recent meeting of the Senate Rules Committee, telling lawmakers that the increased sexualization of minors is a real problem in society. Numerous studies demonstrate that exposure to obscenity can cause psychological harm to children including anxiety, fear and trauma, Creech said. Its up to parents, caregivers and educators to work together to create a safe and supportive environment for children that promotes healthy growth and learning. But because the law is a great teacher and bears the standard directing us to the ultimate end just described, we commend this legislation to you. Senate Bill 579 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Voters decisively chose their Beaumont ISD school board At-Large trustees, and they're sticking to familiar faces. With all votes tallied, incumbents Robert Dunn, Sr. and Denise Wallace-Spooner came out on top, earning 30.78% and 27.47% of the votes, respectively. Following Spooner was Carl Lambeth, Jr. who received 22.98% of the votes and Mikelle Patillo, who received 18.77% of the votes. Voters could cast their ballots for two at-large candidates with the top two vote-getters in the race winning a seat on the board. Just over 21,210 ballots were counted in the race, exceeding the some 17,320 ballots that were cast for at-large candidates in the last school board election cycle in 2019, which also saw a field of four candidates. RELATED: Here's why Beaumont's school board president is running again Dunn, who currently serves as board president, told The Enterprise Saturday night that he was "relieved that this whole thing is over now," adding that he now has "another four years to finish doing what we started." "I had a plan," he said. "Some of the issues here that people are concerned about, the main issue of which is discipline in our school system, when people asked me questions, I gave it to them straight. There are some things that we need to do as a school district and things we need to do with the community and our parents to make sure that we get back control of our schools." In winning a second term on the board, Dunn, 70, said he's eager to meet with community leaders and members in "every part of town" to work together and put a plan together to address the district's challenges. Spooner, 65, who won her third term on the board, could not be reached for comment Saturday night. RELATED: Beaumont school board at-large trustee eyes third term Lambeth, 31, said he was "pretty disappointed" by Saturday's results. "I'm sad for the children and the way that the district is going," he said. "I do hope the board does have a lot of success but I was really wanting to bring some new ideas and new innovation to the school board. I have children that will be going to the district within the next four to five years and a lot of parents have brought a lot of things to me that I was wanting to get taken care of within the next four years. To say that I won't be able to carry that out...I'll still be very vocal, will still work for the community (and I'm) looking forward to the future." Patillo, 27, said Saturday's results indicate to her that the city is "comfortable with everything that's going on with our school district." "Maybe they're not really ready to see the changes they're complaining to see," she said. "Moving forward, I will continue to work in the school district, continue to tutor children who need that extra help and extend my hand wherever I can. We still need our students to be all that they can be, regardless of who's on the board." For Lambeth and Patillo, this race marked a new endeavor -- both were first-time candidates. RELATED: Voter guide: Beaumont ISD school board, At-Large "There might have never have been anything that I've worked so hard for in my life," Lambeth said. "I'm usually very successful on the things that I work very hard on, but running an election is totally different and that's what I'm learning." While the results were not in her favor, Patillo said she'll continue to stay up-to-date on what the school board is doing. "You got your chance to be back (on the board), let's see if you're going to back up everything that you campaigned about," she said. "Let's get the disciplinary measures changed, let's see the reading skills improve, let's see the math scores improve. We need to see everything that you're talking about come to fruition." Dunn said he feels blessed to have been given another term. "We can do the things with the district and our children that need to be done," he said. "They have the confidence in me that I can do that, so I appreciate each and every person that voted for me and I'll proudly gain the confidence of the ones that didn't." olivia.malick@hearst.com James Nesbitt backstage at the Coronation Concert held in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. (Ian West/PA) Ian West James Nesbitt has said he thinks it is a sign of progress that every main political party in Northern Ireland turned up for the Kings coronation. Political leaders from across the world were in attendance at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, including Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The Northern Irish actor, 58, is taking part in the continued celebrations of the historic event by performing a poetry reading at the coronation concert on Sunday evening. Speaking backstage ahead of the event, he told the PA news agency he was very impressed with the King when he met him a few years ago at a project celebrating Northern Irish produce, as he took such an interest. Reflecting on the coronation, he said: Im just so delighted in the sense that every political party turned up yesterday for it and I think thats progress. Michelle ONeill departs following the coronation of the King and Queen at Westminster Abbey (Phil Noble/PA) Phil Noble In a sense, although a lot of people might disagree with me and we all have our own opinions about it, but I feel that Im representing an awful lot of people from where I come from, and Im glad that he (the King) takes such an interest in the place. Nesbitt added that it was a real privilege to be asked to read the poem at the celebratory concert, which was written for the occasion by Daljit Nagra, chairman of the Royal Society of Literature. It will come as part of the Lighting up the Nation segment of the event which will see colourful illuminations light up landmarks across the UK. Choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will radiate over historic bridges and buildings in cities including Blackpool seafront in Lancashire, Sheffield Town Hall and Newcastles Tyne Bridge. Light shows will brighten up Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content On Saturday, a 21-gun salute rang out from Hillsborough Castle in County Down to mark the coronation of the King. Ms ONeill said she was attending the event to represent the whole community in Northern Ireland. My determination is to keep moving forward, and to represent the whole community, she tweeted on the morning of the ceremony. The political landscape across our island is changing. My focus is on building a shared future for all. Her attendance at the event was seen as another demonstration of the markedly improved relations between the republican movement and the royal family since the peace process. The royal box with the royal family and other dignitaries (Yui Mok/PA) Yui Mok The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the Kings coronation pledge of service as the newly crowned monarchs life was celebrated by a host of stars. William took to the stage during the Coronation Concert to speak about the pride he felt for his father, highlight Charles recognition of people of all faiths, all backgrounds and fondly remember his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. During a night of music staged in the grounds of Windsor Castle, actors, singers and entertainers came forward to praise the nations King and Kermit the Frog managed to gatecrash the royal box. Among them was Top Gun star Tom Cruise who paid the ultimate tribute to Charles, telling him: You can be my wingman any time. The Coronation Concert saw 20,000 people gather in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Yui Mok/PA) Yui Mok Take That, billed as pop royalty, and Lionel Richie brought the house down and got the royal family on their feet and dancing including Charles and Queen Camilla during the 95-minute extravaganza. William gave the most passionate tribute of the night, telling his father before 20,000 spectators: Pa, we are all so proud of you. When he took to the stage he delighted his daughter Princess Charlotte, who could be seen pointing out her father to brother Prince George. The future King made a poignant reference to his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, adding: I know shes up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. William paid tribute to his father during the coronation concert. Yui Mok/PA Yui Mok He told Charles: She would be a very proud mother. The prince described how his fathers first words on entering Westminster Abbey for his coronation when he responded to the official greeting by a young chorister were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve, William said. Because for over 50 years, in every corner of the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world, he has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected. He praised the Kings campaigning to protect the natural world and heralded his establishment of the Princes Trust, before adding: Perhaps most importantly of all, my father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported. Katy Perry performing during the concert. Yui Mok/PA Yui Mok William, a future king himself, also made his own historic pledge as he thanked the millions who serve in the military, schools, NHS and local communities, saying: I commit myself to serve you all. King, country and Commonwealth. The concert hosted by Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville saw the Kings life celebrated, from his service in the Armed Forces to his passion for the arts and his charitable work. A host of celebrities recorded messages for Charles or highlighted little known facts, and Hollywood star Cruise delivered his pre-recorded tribute while at the controls of his Top Gun Warbird plane. Highlighting the fact that Charles was qualified as a helicopter pilot, he said: Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time, before saluting and banking off. During the show colourful images to accompany the acts were projected onto Windsor Castle and the royal residence increasingly became as stunning backdrop to the show as night fell. Lionel Richie had the royals dancing in the royal box. Yui Mok/PA Yui Mok Footage from Charles life was shown during the tributes from celebrities who included actors Hugh Jack and Pierce Brosnan, former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Oti Mabuse and adventurer Bear Grylls. Hollywood stars Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy tried to gatecrash the royal box and appealed to Bonneville, with the actress telling the Paddington actor King Charlsey Warlsey was expecting her beau Kermit. The green-coloured star eventually made it into the royal enclosure and was seen waving a union flag while stood in front of the Duke of Edinburgh, who was joined by his family. Katy Perry was a hit with the crowds and Charlotte was spotted singing along to her song Roar that had mum Kate swaying. The American singer dedicated her song Firework to the King and the work that we get to do together with the British Asian Trust and their Childrens Protection Fund. She told the crowd she got to stay in Windsor Castle before joking: No big deal. Take Thats finale got the royal family on their feet with their hit Shine, with Charlotte and George madly waving union flags. In the final performance, the band, who have not performed together for four years, ended with Never Forget as Kermit the Frog danced along. easyJet confirmed the flight had since continued to Belfast. A flight travelling between London Stansted and Belfast International Airport was diverted to Liverpool as a result of a medical emergency, easyJet has said. Flight radars picked up that the easyJet flight U240 declared an emergency around an hour after leaving London for Belfast on Sunday May 7. The plane, over the Irish Sea at the time, was then diverted to land at Liverpool John Lennon Airport at around 5.20pm. The development prompted questions from eagle-eyed Twitter users, with easyJet moving to clarify the nature of the emergency. "EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY40 from London Stansted to Belfast diverted to Liverpool due to a passenger on board requiring urgent medical assistance, said a spokesperson. "Paramedics met the aircraft on arrival in Liverpool and the flight has since continued to Belfast. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority. It comes amid a month Belfast International Airport said would be particularly busy as a result of the three bank holidays. Monday May 8 will be a bank holiday in lieu of King Charles IIIs recent coronation, while a further bank holiday is set to take place on May 29. The airport warned passengers to leave extra time for their journeys. "Passengers due to travel should plan to arrive at least two hours before their departure time and ensure they all have the correct travel documentation, said a spokesperson. PSNI officers responded to a report that a man armed with a gun had entered a hotel in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) Niall Carson Police have made an arrest following reports that a man with a gun had entered a hotel in Belfast and threatened staff and guests. One man was held hostage during the incident on Sunday at the hotel on Ormeau Avenue, police said. Officers received a report just before 6.45pm that a man had entered the hotel with what was believed to be a gun and threatened those present. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content A PSNI spokesperson said: Response officers were on the scene within five minutes. On arrival, the suspect was holding a man hostage. All other persons were evacuated. Specially trained officers arrived shortly afterwards and the hostage was released just after 7pm. The spokesperson added: The suspect attempted to make off from the scene, but was detained by police. It was confirmed that the item was not a firearm. He was arrested on a number of offences and has been taken to police custody, where he remains at this time. I want to thank the staff and patrons present for their cooperation during what was a terrifying ordeal. Thankfully, no-one is believed to have been physically harmed. Officers remain at the scene. I would appeal to anyone who was in the area who may have footage of the incident, or any other information which could assist our investigation, to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1612 of 07/05/23. A man was forced to drive his car to Omagh PSNI Station by three masked and armed men, sparking a major security alert. Police revealed details of the incident that led to homes being evacuated overnight. The alert has ended, but disruption has continued with police searching the grounds of a local church, leading to Sunday Mass being cancelled. On Saturday night, the PSNI received a report that a car was hijacked by three masked men at gunpoint in the Fireagh Road area, off the Dromore Road in Omagh. They placed a suspicious object in his vehicle a silver-coloured Volkswagen Golf - and forced him to travel to the Derry Road area, abandoning the car outside Omagh Police Station. The police station and some homes in Omagh were evacuated. A large cordon was in place around the Derry Road. Army Technical Officers attended the scene. They located the suspicious object, which has since been removed to check its viability. Security alert on the Derry Road area of Omagh (Photo by Aodhan Roberts for Belfast Telegraph) Aodhan Roberts PSNI officers were observed searching the grounds of St Mary's Church in Drumragh on Sunday morning. RTE reported that the car had been hijacked in the vicinity of the church. Father Eugene Hasson from St Mary's told RTE that he cancelled mass in St Mary's this morning as worshippers were not able to access the church. He said it was "deeply frustrating" that the incident had happened. Inspector Will Brown said: "The misguided and senseless actions of those responsible have caused disruption in the local community. Our thoughts are with the driver, who was, understandably, badly shaken by the ordeal. "Thank you to all those who were impacted and to the wider public for your patience and cooperation. We are also grateful for the understanding of those impacted by the ongoing police activity in the Fireagh Road area, he added. We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of the church on the Fireagh Road, or travelling between the Fieragh Road and Omagh Police Station between 9pm and 10pm last night. A leisure centre was opened for those affected. Sinn Fein MLA Nicola Brogan condemned the actions of those responsible for the alert. The West Tyrone MLA said: This is causing huge disruption as people have been evacuated from their homes and busy roads are closed on a Saturday night. There is no place for this type of activity and those responsible have only served to cause huge inconvenience for local families tonight. I would urge people to follow advice from the police and avoid the area until this area under the alert has alert has been cleared and further updates given. Omagh Leisure Centre will be open to provide support and accommodation for people who have been evacuated from their homes. SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said: Disrupting peoples lives at anytime and particularly at this time of night is totally unacceptable. The people of Omagh have been through enough. In August 1998 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, died in a Real IRA bomb in the town. Earlier this year, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot and seriously wounded by dissident republican gunmen. Police have asked anyone with information to contact them via 101. It is the latest in a series of assaults on staff. Translink have offered a 1,000 reward for help in catching perpetrators of assaults on board their services Translink staff have been kicked in the head and punched in the face at an east Belfast Glider stop in what police have described as an unprovoked attack. The incident took place close to the stop at Lanyon Place on Saturday May 6. "It was reported that two male members of staff had been assaulted by another man around 4.15pm, said a PSNI spokesperson. "One of the victims was punched in the face, while the second was kicked to the side of the head. There have been no reports of any serious injuries at this time. "This is an unprovoked attack on two staff members who were simply doing their job. "Enquiries are continuing and anyone with any information or footage that could assist with the investigation is urged to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1300 of 06/05/23." It comes after Glider operators Translink announced the provision of a 1,000 reward for help catching assailants after a spate of attacks on Belfast buses. Read more Translink offering 1,000 reward to help catch Belfast bus attackers A previous assault which took place on board a Glider in the Beechview Park area of west Belfast on May 3 resulted in a member of staff having to attend the Royal Victoria Hospital. Translink said the safety of those on board their services was their top priority. "The safety of our customers, staff and the wider public is our top priority at all times and the vast majority of our passengers experience safe and comfortable journeys, said a spokesperson. GMB and Unite have strongly condemned the attacks, which have all been reported to the police. Peter Macklin, GMB Organiser, said: Positive engagement between GMB, Unite and Translink continues. We support the company's zero-tolerance approach towards all anti-social behaviour and we will jointly participate in a multi-agency approach to mitigate this behaviour. We will work closely with the PSNI including Neighbourhood Policing Teams and the Safe Transport Team; as well as community and elected representatives to reduce and prevent anti-social behaviour. There is a range of measures in place to enhance safety including CCTV systems on board the Glider vehicles and at halts; and staff use body worn cameras. No one should go to work not knowing if they will make it home safe at the end of their shift. This violence must stop. Pictured Fr Kevin Mullan of the Drumquin Parish just outside of Omagh. Fr Mullan was present of the day of the Omagh bombing in 1998. Tributes have been paid to a peace-making priest who helped bring comfort to families of the Omagh bomb victims. Fr Kevin Mullan, who died on Saturday, was best known for a Christmas Day handshake with his Presbyterian counterpart, Rev David Armstrong, during the Troubles. Rev Armstrong and his family had to relocate to England because of subsequent death threats. Originally from Omagh, Fr Mullans time in the priesthood spanned 50 years. He served as parish priest of Langfield, Drumquin and Omagh, helping to lead the community response to the 1998 Real IRA bombing in the town which killed 29 people and injured scores more. The Wave Trauma Centre victims group said his support was unwavering and his words always warm and comforting. In the local community and far and wide, Fr Kevin was renowned for taking risks for peace and his love and respect was felt by everyone who met him, they said. In 1984, in what should have been a symbol of ecumenical reconciliation on Christmas Day, Fr Mullan and then Presbyterian minister Rev Armstrong shook hands outside their respective churches in Limavady. But instead, the simple yet powerful gesture, given the political climate at the time in Northern Ireland, became a focus of hatred against the Protestant cleric. Rev David Armstrong with Father Kevin Mullan (Pacemaker). Rev Armstrong left Limavady after loyalist death threats. He took his wife and four young children to England. Later he retrained as a Church of Ireland minister and served in Co Cork before his retirement from ministry. In 2017, he spoke to the Belfast Telegraph to send his best wishes to Fr Mullan, after the priest fell ill. SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said Fr Mullan was a well-known and beloved figure in Omagh. "He was greatly respected for his compassion, his generosity, and his willingness to help others in need, he said. He was there for the people of Omagh at some of our peoples darkest and most difficult moments, particularly those families who were injured or lost loved ones in the Omagh bomb. Many people in the community have expressed their deep sadness at the loss of Fr Mullan. "He had touched the lives of so many people in profound ways, and his absence will be felt deeply. We are grateful for the legacy of kindness and compassion that he leaves behind. Fr Mullan was also a former secretary of the Derry Feis. Feis Dhoire Cholmcille said: Fr Kevin was until his passing still chairperson of the institution and had as ever paid his customary visit to the feis just a few short weeks ago at Easter. His association with the feis began in the early 1970s when as a recently ordained priest at St Patrick's in Pennyburn he was asked to take over the reigns from the late Fr Willie McGaughey. "His qualifications for the post of feis secretary came as a result of his own participation in the feis as an Irish dancer. Feis registrar Ursula Clifford described the news of Fr Mullan's death as "heartbreaking". Feis secretary Aisling Bonner added: "Fr Kevin was instrumental in keeping Feis Dhoire Cholmcille alive through some very dark days in this city and his love for it never diminished even when his clerical duties saw him move to Drumquin which was close to his native town of Omagh." Avid bakers and cake business owners across the UK have created bespoke cakes for the Kings coronation Avid bakers and cake business owners across the country have put their skills to the test creating bespoke cakes to celebrate the Kings coronation. On Saturday, Charles was crowned King and while the UK witnessed its first coronation in more than 70 years, skilled bakers were hard at work to create intricately designed bakes. From crown-shaped cakes to bakes imprinted with the Kings insignia, the sweet treats have garnered interest on social media for their complex designs. Lee McAuliffe, from Shave in Blackburn who has been baking for 10 years, said his coronation cake took 15 hours to make. In total, including baking, around 15 hours. This was an order for a client to celebrate (the coronation), the 46-year-old told the PA news agency. Lee McAuliffe took 15 hours to create his two-tiered coronation cake (Lee McAuliffe) Lee McAuliffe The two-tiered cake is compromised of a chocolate fudge crown with chocolate fudge buttercream and a gluten-free lemon sponge with lemon curd buttercream for the lower tier. Mr McAuliffe used his trademark look whilst incorporating Union flag bunting to accompany the crown-shaped cake. I knew I wanted a crown to be the main part of the design and obviously, Union flag bunting had to make an appearance, he said. My lower tier has become a bit of my trademark look so with the gold this worked well in combining all the elements I thought of. Catherine Davies, who turns 52 on Sunday, owns her own cake business but is also a teaching assistant in Tunbridge Wells, and created a triple-layered vanilla cake with lemon and elderflower buttercream ahead of the coronation. The cake was part of a raffle with the winner feeling delighted after receiving the sweet treat. Catherine Davies created this gold-drip cake donning the royal insignia (Catherine Davies) Catherine Davies The drip cake is one of my most popular cakes. The lady who won it wanted a nod to the coronation on it, Ms Davies, from Crowborough in East Sussex, told PA. She was delighted to win the cake and was very happy when she saw it, commenting on how beautiful it was. Ms Davies said the bespoke creation, which dons the official insignia, took around two hours to make. I thought the insignia on the top was elegant and looked good in gold, matching the drip down the sides, she said. The flavour was chosen by the customer after I gave her lots of options. Its a lovely summery flavour. The business owner, who has been baking professionally for five years, celebrated the coronation with her son, who is home from university dining on scones with cream and jam. Four-year-old Oliver McCuaigh, from the village of Gartocharn, enjoys an ice cream at the Coronation Big Lunch. (Eden Project) Hundreds of people across Scotland have celebrated the Kings coronation by coming together for sunshine, ice-creams and bouncy castles at Big Lunches. A total of almost 2,000 people participated in events in Ballater, near Balmoral, and in the village of Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond on Sunday. The Coronation Big Lunch, an idea by the Eden Project and made possible by the National Lottery, was set up as a way of reducing loneliness and supporting charities and good causes. In Ballater, which sits in the heart of Royal Deeside and on the doorstep of Balmoral, around 1,500 people turned out for a Coronation Big Lunch picnic. David Corbyn, who helped organise the event, said: Because of Ballaters long association with the royal family its a bit more personal here. People attending a Coronation Big Lunch picnic in Ballater on Sunday (Michal Wachucik/PA) Michal Wachucik We feel an affinity with the royal family, we have a strong respect for them and they have for us, so this is a celebration of everything theyve achieved and what they are now about to as King and Queen. Its a great opportunity for us to come together and show our appreciation. Ballater sits in the heart of Royal Deeside and is on the doorstep of Balmoral (Handout/PA) Michal Wachucik Elsewhere in Scotland, more than 300 people turned out for a Coronation Big Lunch in Gartocharn with bouncy castles and ice-cream. James MacRae, 82, and the driving force behind the event, said: These events are important because they pull a community together. I feel on an occasion like a coronation, particularly a once in 70-year coronation, that we must have an event. Tom Newall and his daughter Isla, 10, during a Coronation Big Lunch picnic at the Millennium Hall grounds in the village of Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond (Handout/PA) Eden Project Communities Grainne McCloskey, Scotland Regional Manager at Eden Project Communities, who are behind The Big Lunch, said she hoped it would become an annual celebration. She said: Community spirit is at the heart of this historic occasion and today was another opportunity for people to strengthen that community spirit while enjoying the celebrations. We hope organisers will go on to make The Big Lunch an annual celebration of friendship, togetherness and neighbourhood. The official coronation quiche at a Coronation Big Lunch hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey, in central London. Picture date: Tuesday April 18, 2023. James Manning Thousands of people across the country will celebrate the Coronation Big Lunch on Sunday to celebrate the crowning of the King, causing a buzz of excitement for organisers. A palace spokeswoman said big lunches will take place from Saturday to Monday in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship. Alongside the thousands of street parties expected to be held at the weekend, people are encouraged to come together across the country for the Coronation Big Lunch. Members of the public and organisers from a number of charities have expressed their enthusiasm ahead of the event. Lucinda Spelman-Ives, from Wilstock, who raised over 1 million to fund a community hub, hopes the Big Lunch will unify and bring everyone together being part of history, making amazing memories, laughing and meeting lots of people who have never met before. Everyone is bursting with pride after yesterdays ceremony, she told the PA news agency. This will be a very special memory for us all. Long live the Big Lunches and long live the King. Kate Welch, chairwoman of Acumen Community Buildings at The Old Rectory in Sunderland, and part of one of the biggest parties in the North East said: The coronation badge is shining from our building, weve made lots of red, white, and blue chains with bunting and flags out in force. We expect 4,000 people to join us tomorrow for Houghton-le-Springs Coronation Big Lunch and the whole town is buzzing with excitement. Emily Connally, who leads the Cherwell Collective in Oxford, an organisation inspiring people to live more sustainably, is thrilled to be part of the Big Lunch. Ms Connally and her team, who are buzzing with excitement will serve dishes using locally sourced ingredients. Were especially thrilled because of (Charless) climate legacy, as our work tries to set an example of sustainable celebration, she told PA. Weve laid tables using only surplus decorations including cut flowers. Were cooking food for an expected 500 people using only surplus and food we grow within one mile. Were even doing our take on the official Big Lunch dish. The King and Queen (Lucy North/PA) Lucy North On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a big lunch in Cranleigh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will visit a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will join a big lunch in Windsor. Buckingham Palace said the Big Help Out on Monday will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation. A palace spokesperson said: In tribute to the Kings public service, it will encourage people to try volunteering, and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of Big Help Out is to create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend. The palace spokesperson said that, according to the latest polling, an estimated 6.5 million people say they are planning to take part in the Big Help Out, ranging from community litter picks to signing up to longer-term volunteering opportunities with a wide range of charities. The palace said that while wholly supportive of the Big Help Out initiatives on Monday, Charles and Camilla will not be attending any of the events in person. King Charles spaniels dressed in union jack coats during the parade across Kings Road, Chelsea, London (Cadogan) Cadogan The organiser of a King Charles spaniel parade on the day of Kings coronation said the march was a fitting way to honour Charles. Jenny Matthews, owner of Love My Human a pet groomers boutique on Kings Road in Chelsea, led a parade of more than 150 dogs to celebrate Charles becoming King and to mark the first coronation in over 70 years. Ms Matthews said onlookers were in wonderment and that hosting the spaniel march was a no brainer. It was fitting to honour King Charles today with a lot of King Charles spaniels, the 53-year-old told the PA news agency. A pair of King Charles spaniels in a pushchair decorated with Union flag bunting (Amira Ibrahim for Kensington and Chelsea Council) Amira Ibrahim for Kensington and Chelsea Council I heard comments saying Oh my goodness, and theres more. I think everyone was charmed by it. Spaniels, young and old, were seen parading through Kings Road passing luxury boutiques and some donned royal attire to mark the historic event. We had much older dogs in pushchairs that came out and the owners decorated the pushchair with bunting and beautiful velvet purple throws, she said. One of the stipulations was if you wanted to take part in the parade, and if your dog doesnt mind, can you get them to wear a crown? We saw all kind of crowns homemade crowns, little shop bought ones, paper crowns and everybody was really keen to comply and we were hoping to create a spectacle. There were lots of dogs wagging their tail down the street. We wanted to really make sure that everyone knew why we were there. King Charles spaniels donned crowns to mark the Kings coronation (Amira Ibrahim for Kensington and Chelsea Council) Amira Ibrahim for Kensington and Chelsea Council The pet company owner was initially dubious that dog owners would not take part in the parade, but was overwhelmed to see the masses of King Charles spaniels walk Kings Road. Its been amazing and I really didnt think it would get the attention that it did, she said. From initially a few people taking up on it, and everyone loved the idea, then all of a sudden overnight 150 King Charles have registered on the Cavaliers of London site to want to take part. At one stage I stood still to photograph the parade and it just went on and on and on. Many spaniels wore regal attire to celebrate the Kings coronation (Cadogan) The parade started at 2pm and the party of dog owners and their spaniels was popular with the crowd as everybody wanted to stop and take a photograph. Ms Matthews said: We got to Dovehouse Green where we were meeting everyone to make our way over to the Duke of York Square, and I was just overwhelmed because everybody showed up. Despite the weather, peoples spirits were not dampened, though Ms Matthews admits that the rain may have helped to limit numbers to make the event more manageable. She added: It was just pouring with rain, and I thought yes, thats so British come rain or shine theyre out with their dog and they didnt care they were getting wet. In a way (the rain) did us a favour because I think everyone with a King Charles spaniel would have come out in force and it would have been overwhelming. Delegates and foreign ministers of member states convene at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP) Uncredited The Arab League has agreed to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step towards bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister to Sundays gathering in Egypt. Thirteen out of the leagues 22 member states sent their foreign ministers to the meeting in Cairo. The decision represented a victory for Damascus, albeit a largely symbolic one. Given that Western sanctions against Assads government remain in place, the return to the Arab League is not expected to lead to a quick release of reconstruction funds in the war-battered country. Syrias membership in the Arab League was suspended early on during the 2011 uprising against Assads rule that was met by a violent crackdown and quickly turned into a civil war. The conflict has killed nearly half a million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement that the decision to return Syria to the organisation, which will allow Assad to take part in the groups summit on May 19, is part of a gradual process of resolving the conflict. This doesnt mean that the Syria crisis has been resolved, on the contrary, he said. But it allows the Arab (states) for the first time in years to communicate with the Syrian government to discuss all the problems. Mr Aboul Gheit also said restoring Syrias membership in the organisation does not mean all Arab countries have normalised ties with Damascus. These are sovereign decisions for each state individually, he said. Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous claimed on Sunday that Syria had been the victim of misinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies for 12 years. He said Sundays consultations reflected the prestigious position Syria holds regionally and internationally. A UN convoy arrives at a camp in Idlib, Syria, following the recent earthquake (Omar Albam/AP) Omar Albam Opponents of Assad saw the move towards normalisation as a betrayal. Arab states have put their own cynical realpolitik and diplomatic agendas above basic humanity, said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign, an international advocacy group. The move, she said, has cruelly betrayed tens of thousands of victims of the regimes war crimes and granted Assad a green light to continue committing horrific crimes with impunity. Sundays decision came days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a road map to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to de-escalate. The Arab League generally tries to reach agreements by consensus but sometimes opts for simple majorities. Sundays session was held behind closed doors, and it was not immediately clear which countries had registered objections. The decision also includes a commitment by Arab governments to try to reach a political solution to the conflict, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq were asked by the league to follow up on developments. The league welcomed what it said was the Syrian governments willingness to co-operate with Arab countries to resolve humanitarian, security, and political crises that affected Syria and the region due to the conflict, including refugees, the threat of terrorism and drug smuggling. Many observers had anticipated Syrias imminent return to the organisation. Arab rapprochement with Damascus accelerated after a deadly earthquake on February 6 that shattered parts of the war-torn country. One of the countries pushing for normalisation of ties is Saudi Arabia, which once backed opposition groups trying to overthrow Assad. Egyptian foreign minister Samer Shoukry said before Sundays meeting that only an Arab-led political solution without foreign dictates can end the ongoing conflict. The different stages of the Syrian crisis proved that it has no military solution, and that there is no victor nor defeated in this conflict, he said. In recent years, as Assad regained control of most of the country with the help of key allies Russia and Iran, neighbours of Syria that hosted large refugee populations took steps towards reopening diplomatic links with Damascus. Meanwhile, two Gulf monarchies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, re-established ties. The earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria was a catalyst for further normalisation across the Arab world. China helped to broker a recent rapprochement between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Jordan last week hosted regional talks that included envoys from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and Syria. They agreed on a framework, dubbed the Jordanian initiative, that would slowly bring Damascus back into the Arab fold. Ammans top diplomat said the meeting was the beginning of an Arab-led political path for a solution to the crisis. The conflict in Sudan is also on the agenda, as Arab states try to stabilise a shaky ceasefire in the ongoing fighting that has killed hundreds of people over the past few weeks. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has expressed growing concern about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, after the governor of the Russia-occupied area ordered the evacuation of a town where most plant staff live amid ongoing attacks in the area (AP) Uncredited The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has expressed growing concern about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, after the governor of the Russia-occupied area ordered the evacuation of a town where most of the plants staff live amid ongoing attacks in the area. The plant is near the front lines of fighting, and Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday that a 72-year-old woman was killed and three other people injured when Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at Nikopol, a Ukrainian-held town close to the plant. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said in a warning on Saturday, before the latest report of attacks. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Grossis comments were prompted by an announcement on Friday by Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of the partially-occupied Zaporizhzhia province, that he had ordered the evacuation of civilians from 18 settlements in the area, including Enerhodar, which is located next to the power plant, which is Europes largest. The settlements affected are 30-40 miles (50-70km) from the front line of fighting between Ukraine and Russia, and Mr Balitsky said Ukraine has intensified attacks on the area in the past several days. The region is also widely seen as a likely focus for Ukraines anticipated spring counter-offensive. Some of the fiercest ongoing fighting is in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces are still clinging to a position on the western outskirts despite Russia trying to take the city for more than nine months. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday that Moscows forces had captured two more districts in the citys west and north-west, but provided no further details. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Ukraines Special Operations Forces on Saturday accused Russia of using phosphorous in the city and on Sunday released a new video showing the tell-tale white fire from such munitions. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians, though it can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. It was not possible to independently verify where the video was shot or when, but chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British army colonel, said it was clearly white phosphorous. This is being fired directly at Ukraine positions and this would be a war crime, he said. I expect because the Russians have failed to take Bakhmut conventionally, they are now using unconventional tactics to burn the Ukrainian soldiers to death or to get them to flee. A Ukrainian soldier near Bakhmut (Libkos/AP) Libkos Russian forces have not commented on the claim, but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus munitions. In a Telegram post on Sunday, the aide to the exiled Ukrainian mayor of the Russia-occupied coastal city of Mariupol said that there was evidence that Moscows forces had intensified their transfer of tracked vehicles through the city and into the frontline Zaporizhzhia region. Petro Andryushchenko claimed that more and more vehicles were being spotted crossing the city every day. He posted a short video showing heavy trucks transporting armoured vehicles along a road, without specifying where or when it was taken. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said he is extremely concerned about the security risks to Ukraines Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (Andriy Andriyenko/AP) Andriy Andriyenko The Ukrainian General Staff said on Sunday that the evacuation of Enerhodar has already begun. According to an update posted on Facebook, the General Staff said the first residents being moved are those who took Russian citizenship following the capture of the town by Moscow early in the war. They are being taken to the Russia-occupied Azov Sea coast, about 120 miles (200km) to the south-east. Mr Grossi said operating staff at the nuclear power plant, whose six reactors are currently all in shutdown mode, had not been evacuated as of Saturday but that most live in Enerhodar and the situation has contributed to increasingly tense, stressful and challenging conditions for personnel and their families. He added that IAEA experts at the nuclear site are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequence for the population and the environment, Mr Grossi said. A destroyed building used as shelter by Russian troops at a farm in Ivanivka in the Kherson region of Ukraine (Bernat Armangue/AP) Bernat Armangue This major nuclear facility must be protected. I will continue to press for a commitment by all sides to achieve this vital objective. Elsewhere, Russian shelling on Saturday and overnight killed six civilians and injured four others in Ukraines southern Kherson region, according to a Telegram update published by the local administration on Sunday. Five civilians were injured in the eastern Donetsk region, the epicentre of the fighting in recent months, local governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces overnight attacked the largest port in the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula with drones, a Kremlin-installed local official said on Telegram early on Sunday. According to the post by Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol, 10 Ukrainian drones targeted the city, three of which were shot down by air defence systems. Mr Razvozhayev said there had been no damage. The site of the exploded car of Russian writer and publicist Zakhar Prilepin (Russian Investigative Committee via AP) Uncredited Russias top investigative agency said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraines special services. The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russias war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict. It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 250 miles east of Moscow. Russias Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry in turn blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well. Russian writer and publicist Zakhar Prilepin (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) Alexander Zemlianichenko Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since the coup detat of February 2014 have painstakingly nurtured the anti-Russian neo-Nazi project in Ukraine, the ministry said, referring to the 2014 uprising in Kyiv that forced the Russia-friendly president to flee. In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as Putins brain. The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast. Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies. Russian news outlet RBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that Mr Prilepin was traveling back to Moscow on Saturday from Ukraines partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novogorod region for a meal. Mr Prilepin became a supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2014, after Mr Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. He was involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of Russian-backed separatists. Last year, he was sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2020, he founded a political party, For the Truth, which Russian media reported was backed by the Kremlin. A year later, Mr Prilepins party merged with the nationalist A Just Russia party that has seats in the parliament. A co-chair of the newly formed party, Mr Prilepin won a seat in the State Duma, Russias lower house of parliament, in the 2021 election, but gave it up. Party leader Sergei Mironov called the incident on Saturday a terrorist act and blamed Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Mr Mironovs sentiment in a post on the messaging app Telegram, adding that responsibility also lay with the US and Nato. Washington and Nato have nursed yet another international terrorist cell the Kyiv regime, Ms Zakharova wrote. Direct responsibility of the US and Britain. Were praying for Zakhar. The deputy chair of Russias Security Council, former president Dmitry Medvedev put the blame on Nazi extremists in a telegram he sent to Mr Prilepin. Ukrainian officials have not commented directly on the allegations. However, Ukraines presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, in a tweet on Saturday, appeared to point the finger at the Kremlin, saying that to prolong the agony of Putins clan and maintain the illusionary total control, the Russian repression machine picks up the pace and catches up with everyone, including supporters of the Ukraine war. Tens of thousands of Israelis have gathered for a demonstration against a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary, demanding the changes be scrapped rather than delayed. The protests have been held on a weekly basis for most of the year and they continued despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing in March that he was postponing the proposals to reach a compromise agreement. Organisers of the protests, now in their 18th week, say they want to ramp up the pressure on Mr Netanyahus government and lawmakers after the parliament resumed its work this week following a month-long recess. Israelis protest against plans to overhaul the judicial system (Ariel Schalit/AP) Ariel Schalit In Tel Aviv, Israels commercial hub and epi-centre of the protests, protestors held a large banner addressing Mr Netanyahu that read, You will never be a dictator. The plan would give Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his partners in Israels most hardline coalition in its history the final say in appointing judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by Mr Netanyahus allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the courts ability to review laws. The plan plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises, ripping open longstanding societal rifts and creating new ones. While the freeze in the legislation eased tensions somewhat, Mr Netanyahus allies are pushing him to move ahead on the overhaul. The talks under way, meant to forge a path out of the crisis, do not appear to have produced any results. Broad swath of Israeli society, including business leaders and the booming tech sector have criticised the proposed changes. Military reservists threatened not to show up for duty if the plan was approved. Tens of thousands of people, largely secular, middle-class Israelis, have regularly joined mass protests against the plan. Star Wars actress delved into feared terrorists history to play republican courier in hubby's new thriller Dead Shot The aftermath of the Old Bailey bomb attack Star Wars actress Felicity Jones took inspiration from IRA bomber Dolours Price for her role in a new movie. Dead Shot begins with a former republican terrorist called Michael, played by Armagh actor Colin Morgan, witnessing the shooting of his pregnant wife by an SAS officer called Tempest (Aml Ameen). When the action switches to London, Michael is out for revenge, and Jones character is an IRA go-between caught up in the fray. The actress (39) said she researched Price, who died in 2013, as a way to understand the headspace of the character. She added: Shes a really intriguing character to be playing. Shes a courier, really. Shes on the ground in London, coordinating the bombings. Dolours Price was a member of an IRA group dubbed The Unknowns who took alleged informers across the border to be murdered and disappeared. She admitted being involved in the murder of mother-of-10 Jean McConville, who was abducted from her west Belfast home by the Provos in 1972. Her body was found buried on a beach in Co Louth in 2003. Dolours Price Dolours Price also led the bombing of Londons Old Bailey in March 1973, which caused the death of a man who suffered a heart attack and injured more than 200 people. She was jailed alongside her sister Marian and IRA men Hugh Feeney and Gerry Kelly, the latter of whom would become a Sinn Fein MLA decades later. Price, who had two sons with actor Stephen Rea before they divorced in 2003, was found dead in her Dublin home aged 62 after years battling booze and prescription drug addictions. Jones and Colin Morgan in Dead Shot Jones, who also watched In the Name of the Father to help prepare for the part, said that while Tempest and Michael were enemies in Dead Shot, you really root for them. She added: They are really victims of these systems, particularly of the malevolent patriarchal figures behind them. Also appearing in the film, which was originally titled Borderland, are Mairead Tyers, who played Auntie Eileen in Kenneth Branaghs Belfast; Love/Hates Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and Shazam and Green Lantern actor Mark Strong. The thriller is set in the 1970s and was filmed in Glasgow. The project was a family affair for Jones, with the film having been written and directed by Charles Guard, her husband, and his brother, Thomas. Another sibling, Tim Guard, edited it. The aftermath of the Old Bailey bomb attack The Rogue One and The Theory Of Everything actress said: It just works. It feels very organic. We often have similar instincts. The brothers cast Mark Strong and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as shadowy bad fathers, as Charles put it, a theme in the film. He told Total Film: We wanted to explore the idea that young men are easily influenced by older men, and how corrosive that can be when the older men dont necessarily have the future generations best interests at heart. That was essentially our pitch: to look at masculinity in that way. We have always been intrigued by IRA films or films set within the context of the IRA, from Carol Reeds Odd Man Out onwards. Dead Shot will be shown on Sky Cinema from May 12 Killer screamed in agony after attack over prison bullying A thug who threw a pot of boiling water over a sleeping killer in an argument about jailhouse bullying, has been handed a 56-month prison sentence. Brian OHagan (30) will serve half the sentence in jail and half on licence but that will only start when the Londonderry criminal has finished his other jail sentence for the shocking robbery of a disabled man who was thrown from his wheelchair and kicked about the head, leaving him with a fractured eye socket. Earlier this year, OHagan, from the Beragh Hill Road in Derry, entered a guilty plea to attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent on Edward Stokes just over two years ago on May 5, 2021. Stokes (47), serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of fellow traveller John Mongan, who was hacked to death in February 2008, was lying asleep in his cell in Magilligan Prison at 9.30am when OHagan filled a pot with freshly-boiled water from the kettle and threw it over him. The defendant shouted as he returned to his cell, I scalded him, he threatened my family, said Judge Roseanne McCormick KC during her sentencing remarks. Edward Stokes was scalded in the attack With Stokes screaming in agony, the judge said the landing orderly and a fellow prisoner responded with commendable presence of mind to pour cold water over his face, arm, chest and neck and also to put him in a cold shower. Stokes refused to go to hospital but Judge McCormick said it was clear the prison nurse had to dress his burns and he was given pain killers. The judge said while there were no long-term consequences, even a day of extreme pain would be a very long day indeed. Meanwhile, OHagan admitted to the prison governor that he had thrown boiling water over Stokes, claiming he was being bullied over a supposed tobacco debt he owed the convicted killer. Stokes, also from Derry, is 15 years into his 22-year minimum life tariff for the gruesome murder of John Mongan in February 2008. Brian O'Hagan has been sentenced for the attack He and his brother Christopher, who has since died in prison, broke into the west Belfast home of John and heavily pregnant Julia Mongan and hacked their victim to death with an axe and a sword, grinning as they struck him 30-40 times. On his way out, Edward Stokes struck his cousin Mrs Mongan over the head with the sword he had just used to butcher her husband. OHagan carried out his attack on October 24, 2018, with the victim, who suffers from spina bifida and epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, being knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face and body by OHagan, who demanded the victims money and bank card, claiming he was from the IRA. Magilligan prison outside Londonderry The vulnerable victim, who suffered a fractured eye socket and bruising in the horrific attack, managed to contact the cops and they were able to arrest OHagan as he fled the scene, seizing his shoes which were stained with the victims blood. On Wednesday, Judge McCormick said OHagan has a sad history replete with adverse childhood experiences but added there was hope for the future as OHagan has acknowledged his addictions and had used his time in custody to complete courses. Whats done is done, Im just getting on with life: Cyclist paralysed in crash says return to sport has been his salvation A man who was subdued by police after attacking his partner has avoided further prison time. Lee Dickinson was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, following a hearing at Newtownards Magistrates Court on Friday. District Judge Mark Hamill said the 40-year-old only avoided a custodial term because he had already served seven months on remand, a stint he described as richly deserved. Dickinson, from Bloomfield Avenue in Bangor, was also fined 75 and told to pay a 15 offender levy. The judge warned him that if he offended again, he would be locked up. Dickinson had earlier entered guilty pleas to inflicting actual bodily harm on his partner, possessing cannabis, using disorderly behaviour at the Ulster Hospital and causing criminal damage to a police cell van. All the crimes were committed on October 8 last year. A prosecuting lawyer told the hearing police were called to Dickinsons home after receiving a report of a domestic abuse. When they arrived, his clearly distressed partner opened the window and told officers she needed help. There was obvious bruising and swelling to her face, the lawyer said. When Dickinson exited the property, police had to use CS spray to subdue him, after which small amount of cannabis fell out of his pocket. As he was being taken to hospital, he spat over the inside of the police cell van. While in the busy waiting area of the Ulster Hospital, he shouted and swore at people. Defence counsel Chris Holmes claimed his client and partner had a rather tumultuous relationship. He accepted, however, that Dickinson had displayed atrocious behaviour. He has been in custody since October, so he has already served seven months, the barrister said. He told the court that despite the attack, the victim was in contact with Dickinson every day. He also noted she had not sought any non-molestation or restraining order. Mr Holmes said the seven months his client had been on remand should be deemed as time served. Describing the incident as a bad example of domestic violence, Judge Hamill said the matter should have been elevated to the Crown Court. He added: [The sentence is] eight months, suspended for three years, but the context of that is the important part because he has served so much time in custody already. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. 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. Melissa Canavan will take over as the Berkshire Immigrant Center's new executive director. "I think BIC has a strong voice, but I want to see ways to amplify it and continue to be that trusted source of information," she said. Recent immigrants to the United States sit with their belongings on the sidewalk in in New York City on Jan. 30. Tonight's rundown: Talking Points Memo: Joe Biden continues to decline with the world watching and remains out of the press reach Presidential Historian Larry Cook weighs in on how Bidens relationship with the press compares to past presidents US Special Forces have been confirmed to be in Ukraine OReilly describes Democrats hosting the DNC in Chicago as Crazy Arrogant The trial of Fox News gets underway 58% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation begins to cool off Smart Life: Utilizing Kelly Blue Book when searching for a new car This Day in History: FDR dies in office Final Thought: what to do when someone is disrespectful to you In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "Reason to Believe" Join 'Team Normal!' Order your gear now at BillOReilly.com! Pre-order Bills next bestseller Killing the Witches NOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Claudia Winkleman and Jack Whitehall have joked about the coronation of Britain's King Charles live on BBC Radio 2, with comedian Whitehall describing it as a Tory Glastonbury. The pair were discussing how Jacks mother and father, Hilary and Michael Whitehall, were celebrating the historic service on Saturday morning when they made the quip. Asked how his 83-year-old TV producer father Michael was feeling about the big day, Jack said: Obviously for him, hes very excited about this because the coronation is like Tory Glastonbury its a huge event. Michael and Hilary Whitehall (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA) Winkleman, who presents a Saturday morning show on the station, jokingly agreed with the sentiment, adding that it was like a Tory Christmas. Jack also revealed that his actress mother, who he described as a royal enthusiast, had been camped out for three days at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the ceremony to secure herself a prime spot in the crowd. Advertisement He said: My news at 10 coronation themed is that my mum camped out on The Mall and is down there right now, shes been there for three days. She got there three days early on her own, obviously not with my dad. I mean, to be fair, I think thats what happens when youve been married to my dad for over 30 years, you would rather have 72 hours in a tent in The Mall with a load of randoms rather than spending another second with Michael Whitehall. The King during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey (Aaron Chown/PA) The stand-up added that she was fully prepared for everything including being loaded with pepper spray in case Holly and Phil tried to barge past her at the last minute. In September, This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby faced a backlash after claims they skipped the queue for the late Queens lying in state. Hilary and Michael Whitehall rose back to prominence in recent years after featuring alongside their son Jack in the Netflix series Travels With My Father. The BBC and representatives for Claudia Winkleman and Jack Whitehall have been contacted for comment. The UKs competition watchdog has opened a probe into artificial intelligence (AI), amid concerns that the technology might impact consumers. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would look into whether rules need to be changed to protect both competition and consumers. But why are regulators talking about AI and what are other countries doing? Why are so many people talking about AI? Weve launched an initial review of artificial intelligence models: https://t.co/zy4GE1W8CE pic.twitter.com/Qo3Me28wl8 Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) May 4, 2023 The release of several impressive new generative AI softwares in the last year has captured the public imagination. Midjourney, for example, has allowed users to write prompts and see a computer generate a realistic-looking image in just seconds of practically whatever they ask for. Advertisement ChatGPT and other similar programmes have allowed users to generate poetry, convincing-sounding university essays, song lyrics and much more. Is ChatGPT really such a game changer? One of the biggest changes in recent generative AI is just how accessible it is to people with only a mobile phone or a computer. AI has been playing a role in society for several years, but has often required users to learn how to code if they want to use it, or even more commonly has not even been accessible to the public. AI technology is likely to bring massive changes to society in the long run. The exact role of ChatGPT in this is impossible to determine for now. Why are regulators getting involved now? Regulators are often sensitive to the same forces that drive public imagination, so they have clearly also had their interest piqued by the recent advances in accessible AI. They have now stepped in to try to figure out if they need to create new rules and laws for the sector. What have global authorities done so far? On Thursday the CMA said it plans to launch a review of the sector. The authority will look into whether competition is strong in the sector and whether consumers are protected. Advertisement In China legislators plan to force generative AI companies to do security assessments, the EU has raised copyright and privacy concerns, and the US Federal Trade Commission has said this week it plans to use existing laws to keep on top of the issue. Will the CMA probe solve all the problems with AI? No, the watchdogs probe is limited to what the CMA has power to influence. Sir Patrick Vallance has said AI might impact jobs as much as the industrial revolution did (Alberto Pezzali/PA) Ireland New AI speed cameras being considered by Gardai Read More But there are much bigger concerns about the impact that AI might have on jobs, especially the white collar roles which have been less impacted by automation in the past. This week former UK government chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said that AI might impact jobs as much as the industrial revolution did. Earlier Googles Geoffrey Hinton resigned from his job at the company, warning that the technology is vulnerable to use by bad actors. An interview with former US president Donald Trump, Claire Byrne's decision to 'walk away' from The Late Late Show hosting role, and secret Russian activity in Irish waters are among the stories on Sunday's front pages. The Business Post leads with a story on Claire Byrne deciding against The Late Late Show hosting role. Our front page today. Pick up a copy in stores or subscribe at https://t.co/LyVcHklEWC for these stories plus: State warned cold war with Web Summit may hurt Irish firms Workhuman boss: 'small few' staff trying to hurt firm Irish bosses' pay packets revealed pic.twitter.com/zLKCKqWPfZ Business Post (@businessposthq) May 7, 2023 The Sunday Independent leads with an interview with former US president Donald Trump, who said said Ireland's housing crisis is a "good thing in one way" because "people want to live in Ireland". Advertisement The Sunday Times leads with a story on Russian activity in Irish waters. The front page of tomorrows Sunday Times - you can read it online with a subscription here https://t.co/hh3xChZS8i pic.twitter.com/Mts5dJIqq3 The Sunday Times Ireland (@ST__Ireland) May 6, 2023 The front of the UK papers on Sunday, the day after the coronation, were dominated by photos of Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Sunday Express had an image of the king with the words Happy and Glorious on their front page. The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Star Sunday ran the coronation on their fronts and also released souvenir editions. The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph:#TomorrowsPapersToday Sign up for the Front Page newsletter:https://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/YdQrPRrQkD The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 6, 2023 The Sun on Sunday led with a photo of the king, calling the coronation day his crowning glory. On tomorrow's front page: King Charles finally becomes the man he was born to be after 74 long years of service as the whole world watcheshttps://t.co/ETkbABWwg1 pic.twitter.com/kHMdN7QEZT Advertisement The Sun (@TheSun) May 6, 2023 The Sunday Mirror shows a standalone image of the king. The Sunday Times used a photo of the king and queen on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the words, at last, their crowning glory. The Sunday Mail labelled Charles the King of the World and said 300 million people tuned in across the world to watch the coronation. The Observer said swathes of Brexit voters have gone back to Labour, according to analysis of the recent local elections. Britain's Prince Harry has returned to California after catching a British Airways flight within hours of his fathers coronation. Harry arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7.30pm local time (3.30am Irish time) to reunite with his son on his birthday. Prince Archie turned four on Saturday and spent the day with his mother, Meghan Markle, at their US home. British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss the details of his trip. The Duke of Sussex departs Westminster Abbey, London, following the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (Toby Melville/PA) Harry's appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare. He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and his stepmother the queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales. Advertisement Harry chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church on Saturday in the drizzling UK rain. He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone. The Duke of Sussex arriving ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, London (Phil Noble/PA) It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the king, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever. His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that he had no formal role at the event. Also absent from the balcony was Prince Andrew, who has stepped away from public life after a controversial Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The chief executive of an anti-monarchy group who was among 52 people arrested on the day of the coronation of Britain's King Charles has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody. Graham Smith was released by the Met Police around 11pm on Saturday, while the majority of his Republic colleagues continued to be held. Posting to Twitter, Mr Smith said there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. The Metropolitan Police has been heavily criticised over the detentions, with some campaign groups likening the incredibly alarming arrests to something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Advertisement Metropolitan Police Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yards actions, saying: Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. Also arrested on Saturday were members of Just Stop Oil and Labour for a Republic. Anti-monarchy protesters demonstrate in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday (Piroschka van de Wouw/PA) The Met said it received information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. But campaigners said the protests were peaceful, describing the arrests as a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation. The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martins Lane following protests from Republic. Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation (Sebastian Bozon/PA) The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Footage from the Mall showed the Just Stop Oil protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence. Animal Rising said a number of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session miles away from the coronation. Advertisement Nathan McGovern, spokesman for the campaign group, described the arrests as nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent. An anti-monarchy protester being arrested in central London on Saturday (Labour for a Republic/PA) Human Rights Watch labelled the arrests incredibly alarming, adding: This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. Amnesty Internationals chief executive Sacha Deshmukh also raised concerns after police were reportedly given instructions to apprehend people with megaphones. Separately, Westminster Council cabinet member for communities and public protection Aicha Less said she was deeply concerned over reports of arrests of members of its Night Star volunteer team, who assist vulnerable people on the streets late at night. We are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened, and in the meantime, we are in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need, she said. Japans prime minister has expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced labourers during Japans colonial rule. Fumio Kishida was speaking as he and his South Korean counterpart renewed their resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen co-operation in the face of shared challenges such as North Koreas nuclear programme. The comments by Mr Kishida during his second summit in less than two months with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are closely watched in Seoul. Mr Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had pre-emptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida burns incense during a visit to the National Cemetery in Seoul with his wife Yuko (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool/AP) Mr Kishidas statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonisation but still sympathised with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for improved ties. Advertisement And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days, Mr Kishida told a joint news conference with Mr Yoon, referring to Japans 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Japan and South Korea share various history and development, and I believe it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to co-operate with President Yoon and the South Korean side as we follow through the effort of our predecessors who have also overcome the difficult times, he said. Mr Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier on Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Mr Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbours in 12 years. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labour. Advertisement Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalised ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each others trade status and Seouls previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated US efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Mr Yoons conservative government took a major step towards mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labour victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a two-day visit to Seoul, reciprocating a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Later in March, Mr Yoon travelled to Tokyo to meet Mr Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps against each other. Mr Yoons push, however, drew a strong backlash from some of the forced labour victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Advertisement Mr Yoon has defended his move, saying greater co-operation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Koreas advancing nuclear programme, the intensifying US-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward for our future co-operation because our history issues arent settled completely, Mr Yoon said on Sunday. US President Joe Biden hosted South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol on a state visit in April (Susan Walsh/AP) Mr Kishida reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but did not make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi said I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Mr Yoon, Mr Kishida and his wife visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Advertisement Buried or honoured in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Mr Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, second left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for their second summit in less than two months (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Kishidas comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticised for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic towards historical victims, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. But Kishida did visit South Koreas national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving Seoul-Tokyo relations. Mr Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are under way to implement their earlier agreement on sharing information on North Korean missile launches. Mr Yoon said he and Mr Kishida reaffirmed that North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Mr Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Mr Biden thanked Mr Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. A gunman shot and killed eight people at a shopping centre in the Dallas area of Texas before he was fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. Seven other people were injured, three of them critically, in the attack at Allen Premium Outlets, the latest incident of gun violence in the US. Police identified the gunman as Mauricio Garcia who had been staying at a nearby hotel. An official said investigators have been searching the hotel and a home in the Dallas area connected to the suspect. The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was shot dead by a police officer. The weapons included an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Advertisement Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. Dashcam video that circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the shopping centre and immediately start shooting at people on the pavement. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Maxwell Gum, a 16-year-old shift leader at Wetzels Pretzels, was on his lunch break when a family with limited English ran into the back of his store, urgently telling him Gun! Shoot! as the sound of gunfire could be heard in the background. He took the family into the long delivery corridor that runs behind the shops, hoping it would be a safe place to hide. They found chaos. Law enforcement officers at the shopping centre after the shooting (LM Otero/AP) There were probably like 300 people pouring in from all the different doors, the teenager said. People are freaking out, were hearing screaming. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the gunman died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the victims were in a critical condition on Saturday evening, Mr Boyd said, and four were in a stable condition. Advertisement Officials received reports of gunshots from the Allen Premium Outlets at around 3.40pm. People gather across the street from the Allen Premium Outlets shopping centre after the shooting (LM Otero/AP) Medical City Healthcare, a Dallas-area hospital system, said in a written statement it was treating eight people between the ages of five and 61. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets at 3.36pm, the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralised the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department, the agency wrote in the Facebook post. There is no longer an active threat. A crowd of hundreds of people who had been shopping stood outside, across the street from the mall, on Saturday evening. People raise their hands as they leave the shopping centre following reports of a shooting (LM Otero/AP) Officers circulated among them asking if anyone had seen what happened. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Mr Payton said. Advertisement People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Mr Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby. Once outside, Mr Payton said he saw bodies. People are evacuated from Allen Premium Outlets after law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting (WFAA/AP) I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the gunman, Mr Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. Advertisement A law enforcement officer walks past as people are evacuated from the shopping centre (LM Otero/AP) I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mr Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told AP. Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and took everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned there had been a shooting. Law enforcement officers patrol a shopping centre after a shooting (LM Otero/AP) As he left the store, Mr Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the ground. Video shared on social media showed people running through a car park while gunfire could be heard. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the shopping centre, with multiple ambulances on the scene. Advertisement A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armoured trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. On Sunday, the community began mourning those killed in the mass shooting. John Mark Caton, senior pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church, about two miles from the shopping centre, offered prayers during his weekly service for victims, first responders and the shoppers and employees who walked out past things they never should have seen. Some of our people were there. Some perhaps in this room. Some of our students were working in those stores and will be changed forever by this, he said. Recalling phone conversations with police officers, he added: There wasnt an officer that I talked to yesterday that at some point in the call didnt cry. The leaders of South Korea and Japan met for their second summit in less than two months on Sunday as they push to mend long-running historical grievances and boost ties in the face of North Koreas nuclear programme and other regional challenges. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in South Korea for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. It was the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbours in 12 years. South Korean media attention is focused on whether Mr Kishida will make a more direct apology over Japans 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula Such comments could help Mr Yoon win greater support for his push to build stronger ties with Japan and ease domestic criticism that he has pre-emptively made concessions to Tokyo without receiving corresponding steps in return. Advertisement Ahead of the summit, Mr Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute at a memorial. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida burns incense during a visit to the National Cemetery in Seoul with his wife Yuko (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool/AP) The cemetery mostly contains the graves of Korean War dead, but also includes memorials to Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Mr Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit in 12 years. He later reviewed a South Korean guard of honour with MR Yoon at an official welcoming ceremony at the South Korean presidential office. I hope to have an open-hearted exchange of views with President Yoon based on our relationship of trust, Kishida told reporters before his departure to Seoul. Since March, there have been various levels of communication in areas including finance and defense, and I plan to further develop this ongoing trend. Sundays summit was to focus on North Koreas nuclear programme, South Korean-Japanese economic security and overall relations, and other unspecified international issues, according to South Korean and Japanese officials. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Advertisement In their summit in March, Mr Yoon and Mr Kishida agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. In recent weeks, the two countries have also withdrawn the economic retaliatory steps they had earlier taken against each other in previous years when their history row rekindled. The most recent sticking point in ties between Seoul and Tokyo was 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their ageing former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labour. The verdicts angered Japan, which has argued that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalised ties in 1965. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a two-day visit to Seoul, reciprocating a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) In an escalation of tensions, the two countries later downgraded each others trade status, while Seoul also threatened to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Some activists and residents in South Korea also staged campaigns to boycott Japanese products. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated US efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Mr Yoons conservative government took a major step towards mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labour victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Mr Yoon travelled to Tokyo to meet Mr Kishida. Advertisement Mr Yoons push drew a strong backlash from some of the forced labour victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Mr Yoon has defended his decision, saying greater co-operation with Japan is required to tackle a set of challenges such as North Koreas advancing nuclear programme, the intensifying US-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain problems. US President Joe Biden hosted South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol on a state visit in April (Susan Walsh/AP) In late April, Mr Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Mr Biden thanked Mr Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chairman at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in an analysis published last week: White House officials have expressed some frustration with the tepid response from Tokyo on the forced labour compensation deal and hope that Kishida will use an upcoming visit to South Korea in early May to do more. Mr Yoon, Mr Biden and Mr Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, Chinas assertiveness and Russias war on Ukraine. Mr Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. Advertisement After his March summit with Mr Yoon, Mr Kishida said he upholds the positions of previous Japanese governments including one carried in the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but did not make a new apology. In the 1998 declaration, then-Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi said I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, second left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for their second summit in less than two months (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Asked whether he will discuss the forced labour victims with Mr Yoon, Mr Kishida said in his pre-departure comments: We will frankly exchange our views on this. Seoul and Tokyo have a slew of other sensitive historical and territorial disputes, mostly related to the Japanese colonisation. In a reminder of the delicate nature of their ties, diplomats between the two countries last week were involved in a spat over a South Korean politicians visit to disputed islets located in the waters between the two countries. Earlier, Seoul protested when Mr Kishida made religious offerings at a Tokyo shrine which it views as a symbol of Japans wartime aggression. These days, federal budgets are just as much marketing and media management exercises as they are financial and economic documents. Thats because the spin doctors role has become central to the way Canberra works. This is just as true under Labor as the Coalition. Media management is a characteristic of government by the two-party duopoly. Budgets are actually the management plan for controling the governments spending and tax-raising over the coming financial year. Because you cant do a budget without first making guesses about what will be happening in the economy at the time, the budget documents contain detailed economic forecasts and commentary about what it has supposed will happen. These days, budgets and the days leading up to them are highly stage-managed by the spin doctors. Credit: Getty Images These forecasts are taken very seriously on budget night, but rarely referred to again. Thats because this era of dominant monetary policy (manipulation of interest rates), conducted by an independent central bank, means its the Reserve Banks forecasts that matter. Weve had those already, on Friday. The financial markets care more about the Reserves opinions than the governments because theyre always trying to guess what the central bank will do to interest rates. Whats more, the RBA revises its forecasts quarterly, so the budget forecasts soon become outdated. For instance, we have free mental health support lines and even free quit smoking help lines, but little support is provided to those with an unhealthy weight or low physical activity levels, points out Jane Martin, the executive manager of the Food for Health Alliance (previously Obesity Policy Coalition). Theres been a lot of finger-pointing at individuals, and its a little bit like climate change an individual cannot solve that, Martin says. We have such a broad problem across the population. This is not a lack of willpower. This is a lack of government action and intervention to shift and shape our environment to support people to be healthy. For instance, telling someone they need to move more if they cant afford a gym membership and dont live in a walkable area or near a park they feel safe to exercise in, is useless. Professor Stephen Simpson, the academic director of the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, believes it could and should be done, but says there are many factors working against people making them. For instance, telling someone they need to move more if they cant afford a gym membership and dont live in a walkable area or near a park they feel safe to exercise in, is useless. Similarly, it is an uphill battle to tell someone to lose weight when they are up against a $550 million annual budget spent promoting junk foods, which are both inexpensive and accessible and are designed to make people crave more of them. So, what can be done? There needs to be a considered strategy that includes a myriad of approaches, community players and messages, says Barrie Elvish, the CEO of AUSactive, Australias peak body for the exercise and active health sector. And, he adds: It needs to be in place for at least five years to instil the necessary change in behaviour. Otherwise, they are doomed to failure and will only add to the publics cynicism. Jones explains that many previous physical activity campaigns have failed because there was no framework in place to support the changes they were encouraging. An example of a campaign that has been effective in creating change is the COVID campaign: When we said get tested, and we actually had testing facilities, she says. And we told you where they were, and we made them available. We gave out free RAT tests, and we said get vaccinated and provided vaccine clinics. So instead of shaming people for not exercising enough or for getting takeaway foods when they are low on time and budget, a better approach would be to invest more in safe parks and walkable areas, in low-cost exercise classes and in making fresh food more affordable and accessible. It can be done, Jones says. It is possible to help people to achieve these sorts of targets and have an impact. Martin adds that there are cost-effective and simple policy levers that have not been pulled yet, like a levy on sugary drinks. Its been estimated that itll raise $815 million dollars that could then be fed back into health promotion, she says. Another change Martin would like the government to support is protecting children from the marketing of unhealthy food on television and digital platforms. Weve got the solution sitting there on a shelf, she says, referring to the National Obesity Strategy, which outlines a range of ways to support change and improve the health of our environment. But, Martin says, the government is yet to outline an implementation plan and allocate funding: It has to be a priority because if we dont act now its going to continue to get worse. And thats what the AIHW report has told us. Mark Butler, the minister for Health and Aged Care, said the government was committed to the National Obesity Strategy, and its targets to halt the rise and reverse the trend in the prevalence of obesity in adults by 2030; and reduce overweight and obesity in children and adolescents aged 2-17 years by at least 5 per cent by 2030. We want a healthy, active Australia, he said in response to the AIHW report. We need to do more on changing the environments where Australians live, work, play and age in to ensure they are empowered to lead a healthy lifestyle. We need to look at getting our kids moving the whole day. We need to address the negative stigma that overweight or obese Australians feel. And we know there is emerging evidence that genetics has a much bigger role to play. 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 grave marker at Tamborine Mountain Cemetery in Queensland bears the name John Vincent Damon. For years, until he died on August 6, 2010, at the age of 69, thats how he was known to others, including his family. But his real name was William Leslie Arnold, and he had a secret, dark past that was unbeknownst to his wife and two adult children in Australia and three surviving stepdaughters from a previous marriage in the United States. William Leslie Arnold (centre) shows detectives where he buried his parents in their backyard in 1958. Credit:The World-Herald When he was 16 and living in Nebraska in the 1950s, he fatally shot his parents during what was later described as a fight over the use of the family car. He then buried them in the backyard of their home. It took about two weeks before the crime was discovered, authorities said. Arnold pleaded guilty in 1959 to murdering his parents. He was sentenced to life in the Nebraska State Penitentiary. During his time there, he was described by authorities as a model prisoner, but on July 14, 1967, he and another inmate escaped. The other inmate was soon recaptured, but authorities couldnt find Arnold for years, and the case eventually went cold. Over the past couple of years, however, investigators with the US Marshals Service were able to gather evidence that eventually led them to crack the case through DNA testing. Advertisement The discovery came as a shock to his surviving family members, who authorities said were oblivious to Arnolds past. To them, he was John Damon, a father and husband. To US authorities, he was a convicted killer and escaped inmate. Surviving family members in Australia and stepdaughters of Arnold in the US declined to comment. Matt Westover, the US Marshals Service deputy who cracked the case, said in an interview that connecting Arnold to Damon took several years and involved sifting through thousands of pages of documents and investigating several leads across the US, as well as in Brazil and Canada. Sixteen-year-old William Leslie Arnold after his arrest in 1959. Credit:US Marshals Service Several law enforcement agencies over the years had tried to piece together what had happened to Arnold after he escaped. The FBI investigated the case into the 1990s, then it was turned over to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Ultimately, it was passed on to the US Marshals and assigned to Westover in August 2020. I was obsessed with the case, Westover said. He reached out to Geoff Britton, who had worked on the case from 2004-13 when he was with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Advertisement Britton, who is now chief of the Office of Law Enforcement Support in California, said that even after he left Nebraska, he continued to look into the case as a hobby. Britton said he and Westover talked frequently about it over the past few years. I spent a lot of nights just reading because I was just amazed at all the different information, and just trying to find something, some kind of lead, Westover said. There were plenty of false leads. One theory about Arnolds whereabouts was that he had fled to Brazil. That was based on an immigration document with his name on it issued to someone in Brazil less than two years after the prison escape. But Westover said Brazilian officials didnt have any record of Arnold, and it was unclear why his name was on that document. Westover tracked down an ex-girlfriend of Arnold, which led to a trove of letters he had written to her and her family from prison. Westover also found a postcard from Canada and one from California with Arnolds name. Those leads proved fruitless. In a wanted poster for Arnold, the US Marshals Service said he was very musically talented and most likely used these skills to financially survive. That detail also failed to yield any leads. Advertisement It just seemed like everything was working against us, Westover said. Over time, various leads led investigators to determine that after Arnolds prison escape, he fled to Chicago, where he started going by his new name, Damon, and quickly met and married a woman with children. He then began to move around, living in Cincinnati and Miami, according to the Omaha World-Herald, which has chronicled Arnolds life through a series of articles and a podcast. Later, he divorced his wife and moved to California, where he remarried and had children, eventually settling down in Australia. It was thrilling. I wont say its like hitting the lottery ... but I was just ecstatic. Matt Westover, US Marshals Service Finally, in November 2020, Westover tracked down Arnolds brother in Missouri. He agreed to provide a DNA sample. Later, in August 2022, Westover connected with a man from Australia who was trying to learn about his late father, Damon, who had told him he was an orphan from Chicago. DNA samples from Arnolds brother and Damons son indicated a match and proved that Damon was really Arnold. It was thrilling, Westover said. I wont say its like hitting the lottery because Ive never hit the lottery Im sure thats a pretty good feeling but I was just ecstatic. Advertisement Then came the hard part: Westover had to break the news to the man from Australia that the father he knew as Damon was actually an escaped convict who had killed his parents. Westover said he told the man over a video call. That was a really hard conversation, he said. Their family didnt know any of this stuff, so its hard not to feel bad for them. Britton has also spoken to Arnolds family in Australia, trying to help answer questions about his past that they knew nothing about. Theyre getting a new perspective on a man they had a completely different view of, Britton said. Thats got to be hard to process. In getting to know the Damon family, Westover said he learnt that Arnold had gone on to become a businessman and ended up living a great life, and [he] apparently changed his ways. He was a great father to them, Westover said. In March, he and other investigators came to Australia to wrap up the case. While here, they visited the grave of John Vincent Damon. Advertisement Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and her close political ally Alex Greenwich have found themselves on opposing sides over plans to keep a controversial pop-up cycleway in the eastern suburbs for another three years. A group of Paddington neighbours and sporting bodies are demanding that the City of Sydney council ditch a proposal to retain the separated cycleway along Moore Park Road until 2026. The cycleway that has caused a rift between Clover Moore and Alex Greenwich. Credit: Dean Sewell The two-way bike path next to Allianz Stadium was installed in 2020 under emergency COVID-19 powers, and led to the removal of 118 parking spaces. Greenwich, the independent MP for Sydney, has weighed into the dispute by urging Moore to remove the cycleway. He told the lord mayor in a letter that he shared residents concerns that it was only designed to be in place for three years, and keeping it longer was unworkable. In determining answers to those questions, we better check the record of decades of federal governments, including Abbotts own. There was something charmingly vintage about Abbott showing up in Canberra last week, all fired up to shoot something down. He may no longer be part of the parliamentary Liberal party, but his spirit lives on therein. It is evident in the extraordinary decision of current Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on the Voice. He has not just denied Liberal MPs freedom on their Voice position, nor has he merely formalised a No position for his party. Dutton has gone as far out as is possible to go to Abbottonian lengths of opposition to say he will actively campaign for a No Vote. Loading Just on a resources level, this seems irrational. The opposition is committing its finite capital both financial and social into turning people off something they are inclined to support. There is a not-so-secret underground of pro-Voice Liberals who feel they have been dragooned into a war they have no interest in fighting. Several frontbenchers will avoid actively campaigning for No. This network of pro-Voice Liberals will launch a public campaign in coming weeks, but even now, there are plenty of high-profile Liberals involved in the Yes campaign. John Howards former chief of staff Tony Nutt is on the board of Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition, the fundraising body for Yes23. So is the Liberal partys pollster Mark Textor. At a state and territory level, Liberal leaders are either pro, or have declared a free vote (so far). Berowra MP Julian Leeser recently stood down from the opposition frontbench, where he held the Indigenous portfolio because he supports the Voice (although he would like the wording of the amendment changed to exclude representations to executive government, to make it easier for undecided voters to support the change). Leeser tells me he has been overwhelmed and humbled by the public reaction to his standing down. He has been hugged at train stations, and inundated with mail. These people fall into two categories, Leeser says: those who say thanks for standing up for the Voice and those who say Im not sure I agree with you but good on you for taking a stand. This is an issue where many Liberals would like to try to find a way to say yes, says Julian Leeser. Credit: Brook Mitchell Our party has a strong tradition of protecting the constitution. I associate myself with that school of thought, Leeser says. But this is an issue where many Liberals would like to try to find a way to say yes. Leeser also says that within his electorate people are speaking to him about their anxieties over cost of living, not the Voice. Liberal party member and former staffer Cameron Hawker is COO of the not-for-profit Killara Foundation, which works with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on housing, employment and mentorship (Marcia Langton is on the board). Loading Hawker said he came to the Voice as a sceptic, and educated himself on it. I have come to the conclusion that it can make real tangible outcomes, he says. I dont see it as overly symbolic, I see it in practical terms. Itll advance reconciliation. This is a minimal adjustment to the constitution. Its not a chamber of parliament, its not a radical alteration, its not a threat. I understand it in a conservative tradition. Conservatism doesnt mean not doing things. Hawker says he is disappointed the Liberal party is opposing it and that he profoundly disagrees with the decision not to offer a free vote. He says there is a split [in the party] from my point of view. Moderates are profoundly disappointed with the situation. Hawker believes there is no good outcome for the Liberals whatever the referendum result. If it succeeds we will look like the Grinch at Christmas we are not part of the celebration and the goodwill, he says. If it fails, its a very hollow victory. Do they celebrate that? Where do they go from there? I have not written on the Voice before because I preferred not to contribute to what Noel Pearson calls the white versus white over black problem when white people have political debates about Aboriginal people. But its now over to us, and (again, per Pearson) one of the barriers to reconciliation, and the success of the Voice, is that unlike with the same-sex marriage cause, most Australians dont know and love an Indigenous person. Loading It is understandable people approach constitutional changes with caution. But while we consider the case against the Voice, lets also factor in the post-referendum scenario where the No case is successful. For the Libs, there would be no upside. For the rest of us we will be left with desperate questions, and no answers to them. What will a No victory do to the cause of reconciliation? How will we have a hope of closing the gap? How can Australia fashion its contemporary national identity if we cant face the violence of our origin story? How will any of us ever be able to sit through a Welcome to Country again? How will we respond to the almost endless protest Pearson has warned of? How much more despair can we heap on the heads of Aboriginal Australians? London: Chris Hipkins has told a British audience there is no groundswell of support for cutting ties with the monarchy in New Zealand, after launching a surprise charm offensive in London based on his love of sausage rolls. The New Zealand prime minister, who replaced Jacinda Ardern in January, was presented with a tray of sausage rolls when he visited both Downing Street and Buckingham Palace last week before attending the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, presents New Zealands Prime Minister Chris Hipkins with a plate of sausage rolls. Hipkins spoke about the encounter during an interview with the BBCs flagship Sunday morning television program hosted by Laura Kuenssberg. He was the only world leader who appeared on the program. There have been some surreal moments in the past week for a boy that grew up in the working-class suburbs of lower Hutt, the Labour leader said. London: It would be wrong to say that the British public had been gripped by the prospect of the coronation. In fact, polls in the lead up showed that two-fifths thought it was a waste of taxpayer money. Another found two-thirds didnt care about it very much or at all. King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace following the coronation. Credit: Getty There has, after all, been a glut of royal pageantry in the past year: Elizabeth IIs platinum jubilee weekend last June, followed by her funeral in September. While one suspects that after having witnessed such a stately event opinions have shifted, Britons are struggling as pressure continues to mount on household finances. New data shows the prices of food and non-alcoholic drinks in the UK are increasing at their sharpest rate in more than 45 years. Before planning a vacation to the Maldives, ask yourself this question: Are you a tourist or a traveller? And dont be coy about it, be honest. Because that is how youll eventually get to experience the beauty of the Maldives just the way you like it. But let us be the first to say: If youre a travel-savvy urbanite whos used to the finer things in life, and who values comfort and quality above pomp and circumstance, then Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is exactly where you want to be. Especially so if youve already been to the Maldives before. Youve had your fill of palm-fringed bungalows and underwater restaurants. Youve checked off snorkelling with Manta Rays in crystal blue waters and splashing into the ocean via waterslide. Lost a hat or two to the brisk Maldivian breeze, dined by candlelight on an uninhabited island Yet at Patina Maldives, Fari islands, new experiences and thoughtful surprises await even the most seasoned visitors to this amazing destination. The Resort Situated in the North Male Atoll, 60 minutes from the airport by luxury speedboat (45 if youre lucky), Patina Maldives is set in a cluster of four manmade islands collectively named Fari Islands. Officially opened in 2021, the resort is designed by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan whos actually best known for his work on private homes and retail design. Little wonder then that Patina Maldives feels rather less like a typical beach resort and more like a luxurious private island owned, say, by a super-wealthy friend of yours whod just invited you over for an ultra-luxe sleepover, Crazy Rich Asians style. The lobby 1/4 The Rake Retail 2/4 The beach 3/4 The Water Sports Centre 4/4 That means you can expect all the trappings of a top-notch Maldivian beach propertygorgeous sunsets, pristine coastlines, glittering Indian Ocean at your feetwithout sacrificing on the creature comforts that are easily accessible back home but often a rarity in the Atolls. Start your day bright and early, grab some awesome nosh, head out to the ocean, chillax in the room, unwind in the spa These are par for the course at any good resort in the Maldives. But could you snack on tacos and sliders from a real food truck? Could you get authentic Italian gelato right next to the waterfront? Could you shop the latest resort-chic mens and womens fashion, as well as jewellery and timepieces from your favourite luxury brands? The answer is clearly no. But theyre just a short stroll away from the villas at Patina Maldives. And did we mention the pizza? Its napolitana puffy crust all the way, babynone of that biscuity crust nonsense. Eating it with friends on the beach is seriously one of the best things you could ever do in the Maldives. The Food Portico 1/3 Wok Society 2/3 Farine 3/3 Patina Maldives has a total of 12 different restaurants, each with a different theme, ambiance, and menu. Portico offers all-day dining, Maldivian and international flavours overlooking the resorts stunning main poolwe especially love the Indian cuisine (they make a really kickass thosai). Wok Society focuses on baos, dumplings, stir-fries, noodles and rice. Chef Sichuan hails from Guangzhou and hell happily accommodate requests for low or high spiciness levels, all you need to do is ask. Farine is the resorts bakery cafe and they churn out some of the sickest bakes outside of Paris. We love the croissants so much that even clouds in the sky remind us of these fluffy little badboys. True story. And because we Asians are always in need of a good Japanese fix, Koen brings us market fresh seafood and authentic ingredients flown in daily from Japan. With an extensive range of restaurants like this, youll literally never want for anything else. The Rooms One Bedroom Beach Pool Villa 1/2 2/2 Yes, a great meal is practically a guarantee at Patina Maldives, but so is an amazing nights sleep. Thats right, we said amazing because thats precisely how wed describe the rooms here. Consistent with the propertys atypical vibe, the rooms immediately enshroud you in comfort and familiarity, as if youve been here before, even if you hadnt. Its not deja vu either. The secret is Kogans deep understanding of personal, intimate spaces, so here, you dont feel like youre in a hotel room at all, but rather, the guest room of a private holiday home to which youve been invited by an ultra-wealthy friend. Its as weve said, Crazy Rich Asians style. 1/2 2/2 Chic bed linen, insanely cosy pillows, ample space for moving about, floor-to-ceiling glass walls for maximum natural light, an extra-large bathroom with his and hers spaces everything is about modernity meets comfort. We loved the bath and shower products by Haeckles, a small British company creating products from seaweed. Nothing is arbitrary here. Even the art had been so thoughtfully selected and the coffee table is at the perfect height for supping while sitting on the floorthe ultimate sign youre completely comfortable where you are. The Service That 60-minute speedboat ride didnt do our stomach any favours, and we were eager to check into our room ASAP, drop our bags, and get some much-needed rest. But the incredible staff at Patina Maldives was already one step ahead of us, for they anticipated our queasiness from the journey and prepared us supper with all the trimmings you could want for in a late-night bowl of comforting noodle soup. The noodles were al dente, the vegetables fresh cut, the soup piping hot in a vacuum flask, and the side dishes were still warm and crisp because they were fried a la minute. One could only imagine the sheer attention to detail that went into this magnificent welcome. Because at Patina Maldives, its not about bells and whistles but the little things, and so, every moment youre on the island you feel like life is just amazing. Its not just postcard-perfect views here but a constant feeling of peace and balance. The Maldives have often been described as heaven on earth. Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is like heaven on earth, version 2.0 for those who have been there, done it all, and who understand that true happiness thrives in the little things. Such as seeing a cloud in the sky that reminds you of a croissant you just ate. Find more travel stories here. HIS MAJESTYS AIRSHIP: The Life and Tragic Death of the Worlds Largest Flying Machine Author: S C Gwynne Publisher: Scribner Pages: 302 : Scribner Price: $32 Also Read From Meta to Zomato, how new online review rules will impact industry Xiaomi Redmi Smart Fire TV 32 review: Among the best smart TVs on budget Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants WPL 2023: Guide to book online tickets The professor's chronicle of reforms Hoover: Bravery and black bag jobs The voice of labour repressed and management during the pandemic US Inc and the pandemic challenge White hats versus black hats The competition for 'virality' A case study in labour vs management The huge British airship was a sight to behold. More than 700 feet long, R101 was the largest flying machine of its time, with a 60-seat dining room, windowed promenades and even a smoking lounge, a curious design choice for an aircraft filled with explosive hydrogen gas. Not to worry, though the room was lined with asbestos, one of many reasons the airship was said to be the safest ever built. That, of course, was not saying much. The inherent dangers of the rigid airships called dirigibles were well known by 1930, when R101 slipped its mooring mast at Cardington, England, and began its maiden voyage to Karachi in what was then British-ruled India. Suffice it to say that the voyage ended badly. Still, another six and a half years would pass before the airship era reached its grand finale, when the Hindenburg went down in flames in New Jersey. R101 was soon forgotten, at least in the United States. The huge British airship was a sight to behold. More than 700 feet long, R101 was the largest flying machine of its time, with a 60-seat dining room, windowed promenades and even a smoking lounge, a curious design choice for an aircraft filled with explosive hydrogen gas. Not to worry, though the room was lined with asbestos, one of many reasons the airship was said to be the safest ever built. At the centre of Gwynnes narrative is a brisk, tightly focused account of R101s first and final voyage, which keeps the pages turning even as he zooms out to tell a larger story of airships and imperial dreams. Britain in the 1920s ruled over more of the worlds people than at any time in history, though for how much longer was anyones guess. We can be grateful to S C Gwynne for bringing it back to life in his captivating, thoroughly researched new book, His Majestys Airship. Like any good popular history, its also a portrait of an age in this case, the age of an empire on the brink of decline. It was an intoxicating vision: Instead of spending a month at sea, a traveller between Australia and England could complete the journey in 11 days, savoring port and fine cigars while floating serenely above oceans, mountains and forests. To backers of the plan, airships were a better long-term bet than airplanes, which at the time could only fly short distances before landing to refuel, assuming that weather or engine failure didnt ground them first. Despite its unrivalled reach, the empire was beginning to come under strain from independence movements in India and elsewhere. Vast distances made governing even harder. So in 1924, Britain launched its Imperial Airship Scheme, which envisioned a skein of dirigible routes binding the country to its far-flung colonies. But the zeppelins had fatal flaws. A single ignition source could turn one into a fireball, as British fighter pilots discovered once they started arming their planes with incendiary bullets. Explosive properties aside, dirigibles were all but uncontrollable in high winds and struggled to stay aloft when rain saturated their cloth skins, adding tons of extra weight. The logic of that bet was one of many mistaken assumptions that undergird Gwynnes narrative. Another was that dirigibles could somehow be made safe. In a chapter titled A Brief History of a Bad Idea, Gwynne tells the familiar but necessary story of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the German nobleman whose eponymous invention served as a terror weapon during World War I, when zeppelins were deployed as bombers over Britain. The effort went badly from the start. In one especially jaw-dropping scene, Gwynne describes the horrific final moments of an R101 forerunner that cracked open like an egg during test manoeuvres over the city of Hull in 1921. The broken airship began to fall in a languid motion, spewing out streams of gasoline and water, while men, fuel tanks and other materiel fell out of the gaping rupture. The breakup was followed by two explosions so powerful that they knocked people down in the streets. These lessons were ignored. In Germany, dirigibles were powerful symbols of national pride, equal parts engineering and ideology, as Gwynne puts it. After the war, and with similar nationalistic motives, Britain embraced the technology that Germany had been forced to shelve under terms of its defeat. Thomson comes across as decent but hopelessly naive, his faith in R101 based partly on bad information from the underlings responsible for building it. They knew the airship was too heavy, and that its gas bags made from cow intestines were prone to leakage. But with few exceptions they kept that knowledge to themselves, for fear of displeasing the boss. That Britain persisted with its airship programme owes much to the books main character, Lord Christopher Thomson, a retired brigadier and Labour Party politician who in 1923 was appointed to run the British Air Ministry. Witty, cultured and handsome, the India-born Thomson had a romantic vision of a peaceful, air-linked world. By 1930, during his second stint as air secretary, there was a chance he would be tapped as the next viceroy of India. Gwynne makes the most of R101s short, doomed flight, which he deftly reconstructs from official post-mortems, accounts by its few survivors, and recent scholarly research that pinpoints the exact cause of the airships destruction. That the ending is no surprise takes nothing from the power of his story. It didnt help that Thomson was on a tight schedule. Having claimed a berth on R101s inaugural, round-trip voyage to India, he was determined to be back in London in time for a conference of colonial premiers. To accommodate him, flight tests were cut short, and the airship took off despite reports of bad weather along the route over France. There is reason to believe that the airships senior officer may have been drunk at the time. Go First has asked the employees who want to resign to serve a notice period of 3 to 6 months depending on whether they are flying or non-flying employees even when the airline is not flying since May 3. Go First employees are looking for job opportunities as the airlines filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, the Economic Times (ET) reported. The airline is also continuing with its simulator training sessions. Announcing that the company is not bankrupt and is planning to revive shortly, CEO Kaushik Khona said that the pilots will be paid by May 15, including for days when the airlines didn't fly. He further added that the company will not release the pilots without a notice period of six months, the ET report said. As Indian airlines recover from the pandemic slowdown, this year is expected to be the busiest year of pilot hiring after 3 years. The carriers are expected to hire senior commanders and trainers who belong to the highest pay bracket, the report said. Go First filed for voluntary bankruptcy on Tuesday after being irregular in paying salaries over the past few months. Earlier, the company had grounded half of its fleet due to a shortage of engines. Also Read Go First seeks interim moratorium, NCLT says no such provision under IBC How China is secretly headhunting foreign pilots to train its air force Tata Group-owned Air India to hire over 1,000 pilots, to expand its fleet One year since Tatas took over Air India, here's how the journey has been Go First bankruptcy: IndiGo, SpiceJet good momentum plays, say analysts OECD CPI falls to 7.7% in March 2023, as energy inflation continues to drop Q1 profits jump to $35.5 bn at Buffett's Berkshire ahead of annual meeting JSW Energy, SECI sign agreement for 300 MW wind power projects Temasek considers investing $100 million in jeweller BlueStone: Report Vedanta resources repays $800 million loans to Standard Chartered Go First has around 800 pilots. IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air are expected to do a combined hiring of over 1,000 pilots this year. IndiGo and Air India even organised roadshows for pilots this week and will be hiring throughout the month. The Wadia Group airline has been facing problems for some time now, with half its fleet of aircraft grounded due to snags in their Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines, and other financial problems. Go First is also the first Indian airline since Jet Airways to approach the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the adjudicating authority for insolvency resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016. The cash-strapped airline filed for voluntary insolvency proceedings with the NCLT, blaming engine manufacturer P&W for its financial situation. In this section First Published: May 07 2023 | 11:14 AM IST Q1 profits jump to $35.5 bn at Buffett's Berkshire ahead of annual meeting OECD CPI falls to 7.7% in March 2023, as energy inflation continues to drop As Indian carriers rake up hiring, Go First insists on notice period Govt may soon invite financial bids for selling 26% in defence PSU BEML Aditya Birla Capital's Q3 net up 27% YoY as retail, SME lending grows Aditya Birla to bring luxury department stores Galeries Lafayette to India ABFRL to acquire controlling stake in TCNS Clothing for Rs 1,650 crore In September 2018, Aditya Birla Group decided to sell its struggling grocery retail chain to focus more on apparel retailing. The sale of the chain was six years after Birla acquired Pantaloons, a clothing chain, from Future Group for Rs 1,600 crore. Since then, Aditya Birla Group has created a sprawling apparel retail business through a series of acquisitions while shutting down its loss-making online retailing arm Abof.com (All About Fashion) in 2017. The apparel retailing flagship Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail (ABFRL) over the years has signed a raft of strategic partnerships in the luxury and the super-premium segment with top-of-the-line haute couturiers like Shantanu & Nikhil, Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, and Masaba to focus on apparel retailing with revenues of close to a billion dollars. On Friday, ABFRL announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire controlling sta To read the full story, subscribe to BS Premium now, at just Rs 249/ month. Key stories on business-standard.com are available only to BS Premium subscribers. Already a BS Premium subscriber?LOGIN NOW Register to read more on Business-Standard.com In 2022, Amazon India created a dedicated website with a talent pool from the Indian military exclusive to military veterans and transitioning service personnel. The company further partnered with the office of the Director-General of Resettlement, the Indian Naval Placement Agency, Indian Air Force Placement Agency and the Army Welfare Placement Organisation to hire military veterans, the report said. Corporate India is taking steps to bring in a diversity of thought, background, leadership and talent. Off late companies like Amazon, JP Morgan, KPMG and Goldman Sachs are increasingly hiring defence veterans, the Economic Times (ET) reported. Head of people, performance and culture at KPMG in India Sunit Sinha told ET that the firm believes that veterans from forces inspire confidence in promoting and building strong bonds in teams and sharp focus. Quoting Liju Thomas, the director of human resources and operations, at Amazon, the report said that defence veterans bring with them a wealth of experience and diverse talent that are an incomparable addition to any company. Thomas further informed that Amazon India's military programme has been growing significantly over the last few years. JPMorgan Chase India also recently hired veterans from the army, navy, air force and paramilitary forces in diverse roles in its corporate centres across functions including operations, technology, business management and chief administrative office, the report said. KPMG recently hired veterans from the armed forces in administrative and niche consulting roles across departments like logistics, telecom, forensic and government advisory. Also Read Amazon, Goldman Sachs employees flood social media with layoff news $1-million penalty: KPMG India settles with US audit regulator PCAOB Deal activity has spiked in India despite global issues: Goldman Sachs MDs Nifty to reach 20,500 by end-2023, implying 12% price return: Goldman Sachs Fiscal deficit in FY24 may be capped at 5.9%, says Goldman Sachs Godrej Properties aims to sell record Rs 14,000 cr in FY24: Pirojsha Godrej Birla builds a billion-dollar apparel chain with a series of M&As Government may soon invite financial bids for selling 26% in BEML As Indian carriers rake up hiring, Go First insists on notice period OECD CPI falls to 7.7% in March 2023, as energy inflation continues to drop Along with hiring veterans, these firms also design special programmes to help them smoothly transition into the corporate work culture. Ex-servicemen from the forces bring with them an important set of skills like leadership, teamwork, integrity, risk management, accountability and problem-solving. Especially the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) skills are the most sought-after skills in the industry that come naturally to veterans. For instance, Goldman Sachs hired veterans for mid-level roles in India and has an affinity network comprising both veteran and non-veteran employees, to help their transition and growth. The government may soon invite financial bids for strategic sale of defence PSU BEML after its non-core business got listed on the bourses last month. In January 2021, the government invited preliminary bids for selling 26 per cent stake in BEML along with the management control. It received multiple expressions of interest (EoIs) for the sale. Following that, in October last year, BEML demerged its non-core businesses into BEML Land Assets and listed the new company on the bourses on April 19, 2023. The listing of land and other non-core assets is complete. Now we will soon invite financial bids for the core assets, which is construction and defence related, an official told PTI. BEML is a diversified company supplying product, services and support to defence & aerospace, mining & construction, and rail & metro for clients within and outside India. The government currently holds 54.03 per cent stake in BEML, which is a public sector undertaking under the defence ministry. Also Read Aero India 2023: India rejuvenated defence mfg sector in 8-9 yrs, says PM HAL hands over advanced light helicopter to Mauritius ahead of schedule PM Modi to inaugurate 14th edition of Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru tomorrow Biggest defence importer for decades now exports to 75 countries: PM Modi World Earth Day 2023: Top 7 Travel Tips For Eco-Conscious Holiday As Indian carriers rake up hiring, Go First insists on notice period OECD CPI falls to 7.7% in March 2023, as energy inflation continues to drop Q1 profits jump to $35.5 bn at Buffett's Berkshire ahead of annual meeting JSW Energy, SECI sign agreement for 300 MW wind power projects Temasek considers investing $100 million in jeweller BlueStone: Report At the current market price, sale of the government's 26 per cent stake in BEML will fetch around Rs 1,500 crore to the exchequer. In 2016, the Union Cabinet had approved the strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control, of the company. By Ragini Saxena and P R Sanjai Go Airlines India Ltd., which went under citing Pratt & Whitney engine failures, is optimistic about resuming flights within seven days if the bankruptcy court restrains lessors from taking back its aircraft. We will hundred percent be able to save the airline if the court starts the insolvency resolution process immediately, said Khona. All our stakeholders, including oil suppliers, service providers are aligned to the fact that we have been continuously cooperating and transparent with them. The airline, controlled by billionaire Nusli Wadias group, has enough funds to sustain operations on a cash-and-carry model for about 10 days, Chief Executive Officer Kaushik Khona said in an interview Saturday. Go Air is also seeking to request for an outstanding emergency credit it is eligible under the Indian governments program to offer life-support to pandemic-hit industries, he said. The court is yet to deliver its final ruling after it heard the case on Thursday, but lessors such as Dublins GY Aviation Lease, SMBC Aviation Capital and Pembroke Aircraft Leasing started moving in to take back possession of at least 20 Airbus jets. Go Air now re-branded as Go First filed for insolvency protection on Tuesday after half of its Airbus SE A320neo fleet were grounded with engine snags, setting the airline back by 108 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) in lost revenue and additional expenses. It has sought a moratorium from Indias bankruptcy court to restrain lessors from taking back its aircraft and creditors from cashing guarantees and letters of credit, the chief executive said. Also Read Air India close to finalise deal of 50 Boeing 737 MAX planes for AI Express India has enough potential for recurring aircraft orders: GE Aerospace Has India's insolvency process attained adulthood? IndiGo, Go First face P&W engine headwinds; over 50 planes on ground IBBI seeks public ideas, comments on regulations under insolvency law Muthoot Microfin to foray into Andhra Pradesh, Telangana in FY24 Paytm's next target is profitability, says CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma PTC India inks agreement for 115 MW power supply from VS Lignite Power Big catching up for new players: Barista CEO Agarwal on growing competition Coal India Q4 profit drops 18% on wage bill; record net profit in FY23 Go Air has said the combustor of Pratt engines degraded much faster than it should, causing premature failures and shutdowns. That technical snag forced the airline to remove 140 engines between 2016 and February 2023, out of a total 510 defective GTF engines that had to be changed and swapped during that period. Problems with Pratt engines have affected the airline industry worldwide ahead of the peak summer travel season. Deutsche Lufthansa AG has a third of its A220 fleet temporarily grounded in Zurich because of issues with Pratt engines. Turkish Airlines has sought leased engines and support from Pratt to repair its grounded A320neo aircraft. Oil producers cartel OPEC's share in India's oil imports fell to an all-time low of 46 per cent in April as purchases of cheaper Russian oil peaked, industry data showed. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations, mainly in the Middle East and Africa, had a 72 per cent share of all crude oil India imported in April 2022. This share slid to 46 per cent in April 2023, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa. OPEC made up for as much as 90 per cent of all crude oil India imported at one point of time but this has been sliding since Russian oil became available at discount in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Russia continued to be the single largest supplier of crude oil, which is converted into petrol and diesel at refineries, for a seventh straight month by supplying more than one-third of all oil India imported. The imports from Russia are now more than combined purchases from Iraq and Saudi Arabia - India's biggest suppliers in the last decade. Also Read IndianOil, Adani-Total, Shell lap up Reliance's KG-D6 gas; IOC top bidder CNG, piped gas prices to be cut but no clarity on deregulation: Analysts Kirit Parikh panel may recommend price caps to help moderate CNG rates India's Russian oil imports cross 1 million barrels a day in December Govt should scrap windfall profit tax on domestic crude oil: FICCI Decoding the fine print of pension schemes: What's good, bad, avoidable Inflation slightly above 'tolerance limit', govt working to control it: FM Defence firm Thales faces French bribery probe over India Mirage deal Crowdsourcing ideas: IBBI seeks public views on IBC regulations till date Rejection rates of DGTR's proposals by FinMin to impose duties rise From a market share of less than 1 per cent in India's import basket before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Russia's share of India's imports rose to 1.67 million barrels per day in April, taking a 36 per cent share. OPEC supplied 2.1 million barrels per day out of 4.6 million bpd oil India imported in April. This gave it a 46 per cent share, according to Vortexa. Indian refiners in the past rarely bought Russian oil due to high freight costs but now they are snapping up plentiful Russian cargo available at a discount to other grades as some Western nations rejected it because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The purchases from Russia in March were double of 0.81 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil bought from Iraq, which had been India's top oil supplier since 2017-18. Saudi Arabia has been pushed down to No.3 spot with 0.67 million bpd supplies. Month-on-month, purchases from Russia rose marginally from 1.64 million bpd of oil imported from the country in March. The UAE, which in March overtook the US to become the fourth largest supplier, sold 185,000 bpd, higher than 119,000 bpd oil sourced from the US. "India's imports of Russian crude in April have set a new record once again, but the month-on-month increase has slowed and could possibly be peaking this month," said Vortexa's head of Asia-Pacific analysis, Serena Huang. Increased competition for Urals from China will likely put a lid on upsides to India's imports of Russian crude. "OPEC's crude market share in India has fallen to 46 per cent last month, down from 72% a year ago, a multi-year low. OPEC may face an uphill battle in winning back the market share as refiners will ultimately be going for the crude that gives the highest margin, outside of fulfilling their term contracts," Huang said. Russia is selling record amounts of crude oil to India to plug the gap in its energy exports after the European Union banned imports in December. In December, the EU banned Russian seaborne oil and imposed a USD 60-per-barrel price cap, which prevents other countries from using EU shipping and insurance services, unless oil is sold below the cap. Industry officials said Indian refiners are using the UAE's dirham to pay for oil that is imported at a price lower than USD 60. According to Vortexa, India imported just 68,600 bpd of oil from Russia in March 2022 and this year the purchases have jumped to 1,678,000 bpd. Corruption, looting, price rise and unemployment are the real "terrorism" in Karnataka today and the ruling BJP had failed to address the actual issues of people while the party was in power, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Sunday. Addressing a huge public meeting at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district here, she said BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are always talking about extremism and national security when elections are round the corner. "They are not talking about your (people's) real issues. I want to tell the BJP leaders that price rise, unemployment and the 40 per cent corruption of the BJP government are the real extremism," she said. She said the BJP is making promises at the time of elections, but the people should cast their votes on the basis of what they have delivered in the last three years in Karnataka. "While talking about dharma, national security and terrorism, the BJP leaders do not see that thousands of farmers had committed suicide in Karnataka under their rule. More than 1,000 unemployed youth have taken their own lives," she charged. The BJP government had looted Rs 6 lakh crore during their rule, she alleged. Medium and small industries in the state have suffered big losses after demonetisation and wrong implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and thousands of youth were rendered jobless. Also Read Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit K'taka on Tuesday ahead of assembly polls They are stealing democracy: Priyanka Gandhi's jibe at BJP in Karnataka Priyanka Gandhi to address Congress' women's convention in Bengaluru today Karnataka Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 2 hike in milk subsidy Priyanka pulls out all stops as she storms with corruption pitch in K'taka Wrestlers protest: 4 Left women's associations call for pan-India support UCC, NRC have potential to divide, K'taka will reject BJP: Chidambaram Karnataka polls: PM Modi holds massive roadshow in Bengaluru amid fanfare PM Modi begins 8 km roadshow in Bengaluru ahead of May 10 K'taka polls K'taka polls: Ahead of May 10, Lingayat shrines draws political visitors The Union government had destroyed the idea of bank nationalisation by merging four public sector banks Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank and Canara Bank which where the pride of Mangaluru, she said. Vadra said all the airports and sea ports in the country including the New Mangalore Port are being sold to crorepatis who are the friends of the BJP regime at the Centre, thereby denying employment to thousands of local people. The BJP is now trying to destroy dairy cooperative Karnataka Milk Federation's Nandini milk brand which has been serving the people of Karnataka by merging it with Amul that is based out of Gujarat, she charged. "It is the terrorism of corruption ruling the country, the Congress leader said. Vadra alleged that as BJP is busy indulging in looting the nation's wealth, they have no time to address the issues of women's development, farmers problems, price rise and the unemployment among the youth. "They don't work for the people when they are in power and visit them during the elections by preaching on dharma, terrorism and security," she said. Vadra said all the people-friendly schemes of the previous Congress government in the state including low-cost food outlets Indira canteens will be restored. Every promise in the guarantee card given to the people will be fulfilled, she said. For the Karnataka Assembly election, Congress has announced five 'guarantees' 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), 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 (Yuva Nidhi), along with promise of free travel for women in public transport buses upon coming to power in the state. Vadra said Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had implemented their promises made to farmers and pensioners in their respective poll manifestos. The Congress will also introduce Rs 10 lakh insurance scheme for fishermen and Rs 1 lakh interest-free loan for fisherwomen as part of 'Stand with Mogaveera' scheme, she said, adding that the diesel subsidy for fisherfolk will be increased. Mogaveera is a major fishing community living predominantly in coastal Karnataka. The opposition Congress is going all out to wrest power from the ruling BJP in the state with polling set to take place on May 10. The results will be declared on May 13. In today's age, when doctors are charging hefty fees for the treatment of patients, there is a team of doctors in Patna who provide free medical checkups and free medicines every Sunday to villagers. A free health camp was organised by Dr Raman Kishore, a physician at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna. Now, under his leadership, his team has so far provided free treatment to more than 10,000 patients. The other doctors in this team also work in AIIMS Patna. Raman started this work about four years back. He said that not a single Sunday has passed since then when they have not set up a camp in a village, adding that 89 health camps have been set up in an area of about 30 km around Patna. During this, they have treated more than 10,000 patients free of cost. Also Read Two air passengers arrested in Patna for travelling in drunken state Covid infection raised risk of facial paralysis more than vax: Report Ranji Trophy: Bad light costs TN yet again; Sai rues conceding late runs Twitter account suspended due to hacking: Kantara actor Kishore Kumar G Patna High Court orders stay on Bihar govt's caste-based survey What about seeking proof from PM over allegations against Cong: Sibal to EC Manipur relaxes curfew in Churachandpur to let citizens buy essentials Obesity in children is rising, it comes with major health consequences Top headlines: Warren Buffet faults US govt, Vedanta repays $800 mn & more Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to address public meeting in Telangana on May 8 Raman said that he spends 70 to 80 per cent of his salary on free treatment of people. He told IANS that people in the rural areas of Bihar are generally not much aware about diseases. Raman said: "I was doing an internship after completing my MBBS, when I saw that many paralysed patients were coming there," adding that if these patients would have been aware about high blood pressure in advance, they could have avoided paralysis. Since then he started creating awareness about the disease among the people in the rural areas. He said that his team keeps in touch with every patient they treat in a village. For this, he has also made an app, in which the complete history and contact numbers of the patients are kept. They interact with the patients from time to time and give proper advice to them about treatment. He said that out of the patients who reach them in the rural areas, about 25 to 30 per cent are hypertensive, while 10 to 12 percent are diabetic, but most of them do not know that they are sick. They say that these diseases don't have any symptoms in the initial stage, so they don't know about them. Raman said that he studied at Gaya Medical College and most of the people who reach here are from the rural areas. "At that time, I decided to help such people." He added that "In the beginning I used to organise camps in the villages alone, but now a team of many doctors has been formed." He informed that Dr Sarita, Dr Ranjit Kumar, Dr Chandan and Dr Akanksha are specialists in different fields. Due to this, people get treatment for most of the diseases in one camp only. Raman said that everyone is on duty from Monday to Saturday and medical camps are organised in the rural areas on Sundays. When asked about future plans, he said that at present these free camps are being organised within a 30 km radius of Patna, but now there is a plan to expand them. He said that after setting up 100 camps in Patna, camps would be set up in other far flung areas. --IANS mnp/prw/bg Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said in order to combat cybercrime, people should not only aware themselves about the menace but also inform others. Terming cybercrime as a big challenge, he also said police are working to counter it using new technologies. The chief minister was addressing a gathering after releasing a book, 'Cyber Encounters', authored by Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and former DRDO scientist OP Manocha. He said it is the responsibility of all to be aware about cybercrimes and also protect others by informing them about it. Criminals are using new techniques every day and the police are working to counter them using new technologies, the chief minister said. This book is based on true incidents and it will not only aware readers but also help them protect themselves against cybercrimes, he said. Also Read Departments should aim to get maximum revenue: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami Irked BJP summons ex-UttaraKhand CMs to Delhi over remarks against own govt Uttarakhand will be drug-free by year 2025: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami visits Joshimath to assess situation Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to meet PM Modi on April 3 in Delhi Manipur violence: SC to hear pleas on Monday over ST status to Meitei Rajnath approves posting of women officers of Territorial Army along LoC 'The Kerala Story' is not just a film, it exposes faces: Anurag Thakur Andhra govt steps up efforts to bring back stranded students from Manipur With nice people, you are nice, with difficult people, you push back: EAM The book's foreword has been written by eminent actor Amitabh Bachchan and this shows its importance, he said Citing examples of different types of cybercrimes, DGP Kumar said cybercrime has thrown up many new challenges before the police, including a large number of cases and tracking and tracing of criminals through digital footprint. He said last year, 14,399 complaints of cybercrime were received by the state police. Delhi Police stepped up security arrangements at Jantar Mantar, where wrestlers are staging a sit-in, and in border areas of the city as hundreds of farmers are expected to visit the protest site on Sunday to extend support to the grapplers. Vehicles entering Delhi were being checked and pickets were increased at Delhi-Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu borders. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday announced a nationwide agitation in support of the wrestlers who have been protesting at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. It said several senior leaders of SKM from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh will visit Jantar Mantar on Sunday with hundreds of farmers. It also demanded the immediate arrest of Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by some of the women wrestlers. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Jantar Mantar. Security forces have been deployed and activities at the protest site are being monitored round the clock through CCTVs to ensure that no untoward incident takes place, a senior police officer said. Also Read IOA President PT Usha meets protesting wrestlers, assures support Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hold nationwide protests in support of wrestlers Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bharadwaj reach Jantar Mantar to support wrestlers My heart goes out to those affected: Abhinav Bindra on Wrestlers' protest Youth Congress protest in Delhi against Rahul's disqualification, detained Do's & Donts for NEET UG 2023 exam today: Here's all you need to know Tharoor slams BJP over Manipur, calls for imposition of President's rule Most accidents in HP occurred during evening rush hrs, police urge caution Will make big disclosure on ongoing Delhi Excise policy scam case: AAP AIIMS Patna physician's health camps provide free care to 10K villagers "We have taken adequate security measures to ensure that the protest at Jantar Mantar remains peaceful. CCTV surveillance is being done and we have deployed an adequate number of security personnel there. Those visiting the protest site are being checked thoroughly as part of precautionary measures," he said. Multiple layers of barricades have also been put in place at the protest site as well as at the border areas of Delhi. "We have intensified our patrolling in the border areas of Delhi, be it Ghazipur, Singhu or Tikri. We have also enhanced the number of pickets and are carrying out intensive checking of vehicles," another senior officer said. On Thursday, a group of farmers coming to Delhi to visit Jantar Mantar was stopped by the police at the Singhu border, with officials saying 24 of them had been detained. The wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23. On April 28, Delhi Police registered two FIRs against Singh on the basis of complaints filed by seven women wrestlers, including a minor. China said on Saturday that the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan was left over from history and should be resolved as per the UN resolutions while avoiding any unilateral action. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang arrived in Pakistan on Friday for a two-day visit, which is his first trip to the country. He co-chaired a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday. The two sides issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the 4th round of the 'Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue' in Islamabad. According to the statement, the entire range of bilateral relations and cooperation, including in political, strategic, economic, defence security, education and cultural domains was reviewed while regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the dialogue. It stated that both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia and the need for the resolution of all outstanding disputes. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir dispute was left over from history between India and Pakistan and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. Also Read Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks discussion in parliament on Jammu-Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar likely to host G20 event: Govt official NIA attaches property of IC-814 hijacking accomplice Mushtaq 'Latram' Massive searches carried out in J&K over militant threat to journalists Searches carried out along int'l border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba LIVE: 9 injured, several people killed at Texas outlet mall; gunman dead President delivers speech in darkness, BJP seeks Odisha CM's apology Meghalaya govt arranges flights to bring back students from Manipur Maintain harmony, dispel fear, insecurity: Manipur Guv appeals to people Biju Patnaik Airport inaugurates 4 MW solar plant, switches to green energy "Both sides opposed any unilateral actions that further complicate the already volatile situation, according to the statement. India has previously criticised China and Pakistan for their unwarranted references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "We have consistently rejected such statements and all parties concerned are well aware of our clear position on these matters. The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has locus standi to comment on the same," the Ministry of External Affairs said last year when the two close allies mentioned the Kashmir issue in a joint statement. China and Pakistan also agreed on continuing their enduring support on issues concerning each other's core national interests, the joint statement said. Reaffirming Pakistan's special place in China's neighbourhood diplomacy, the Chinese side reiterated its firm support for Pakistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as its unity, stability, and economic prosperity, it read. The Pakistani side reiterated its commitment to the One China policy as well as its firm support to China on all core issues of its national interest, including Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. Reaffirming their commitment to high-quality development of CPEC, both sides noted with satisfaction the steady progress of CPEC projects, according to the statement. Both sides reiterated that CPEC is an open and inclusive platform for win-win cooperation and invited third parties to maximise benefits from it. The two sides reviewed the progress of various projects at Gwadar and reiterated their resolve to turn the region into a high-quality port and a hub for trade and connectivity. The two foreign ministers underlined that Pakistan-China friendship was a historic reality and a conscious choice of the two nations, the statement said. The Pakistani side expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for its economic and financial support and its generous assistance package for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation. The two sides reiterated their firm resolve to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, it said. The Chinese side appreciated the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure enhanced security of Chinese projects, personnel and institutions in Pakistan, as well as the steps are taken to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators targeting Chinese nationals in Dasu, Karachi and other attacks, it added. The two sides agreed to further build on the cooperation in security and counter-terrorism domains. The two sides underscored the need for the international community to provide continued assistance and support to Afghanistan including through unfreezing of the country's overseas financial assets. People were seen coming out in large numbers to buy food, medicines and other essential commodities during a curfew relaxation period Sunday morning as life limped back to normal in this riot-affected town. Army and Assam Rifles columns conducted a flag march through the town as soon as the curfew relaxation ended at 10 am. In all some 120-125 Army columns have been deployed in the entire riot-hit state. In all some 10,000 soldiers, para-military and central police forces have been deployed in Manipur. A defence spokesperson said Army has also significantly enhanced aerial surveillance through movement of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and redeployment of helicopters within Imphal valley. The total curfew that prohibited the movement of any person outside their homes was relaxed for three hours, from 7 am, in violence-hit Manipur's Churachandpur district on Sunday morning allowing people to buy essentials such as medicines and food. The curfew imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC. It was also relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. Also Read No curfew in Mumbai, section 144 imposed to ensure peace, says police UN committee calls for probe into Xinjiang Uyghur human rights violations Necessary to include human rights issues in climate policies: NHRC Rajasthan's Dr. Kriti Bharti bags Global Youth Human Rights Champion Award HRCP raises concerns over disappearances, curbs on press in Balochistan Obesity in children is rising, it comes with major health consequences Top headlines: Warren Buffet faults US govt, Vedanta repays $800 mn & more Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to address public meeting in Telangana on May 8 India logs 2,380 fresh Covid-19 infections, active cases drop to 27,212 VP Dhankhar arrives in Delhi after attending King Charles's coronation "With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, I'm pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below (sic)," Chief Minister N Biren Singh had tweeted on Saturday night. The curfew was imposed on May 3 after violent clashes broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced over 13,000 people and killed at least 54. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. The government of Meghalaya is arranging special flights to bring back stranded students in violence-hit Manipur, said an official statement on Saturday. Special flights from Imphal to Shillong are being arranged by the authorities to bring students back at the earliest. Travel arrangements will be made on 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th of May. According to the official statement, two officers have been deputed by the Government of Meghalaya to travel and stay in Imphal to oversee the transfer of students and citizens from the state and arrange for local support for safe travels for the students. Transport Department is arranging vehicles for students/citizens arriving at Guwahati Airport, and food arrangements are also being made at the airport. The Government is in touch with the students in Manipur to monitor the situation and provide them with every assistance for their safe return, read the statement. Sixty-six students were evacuated from Imphal Airport to Guwahati Airport in Assam as on Friday. Eight more students evacuated on Saturday morning. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also held a meeting with officials and sought details of the evacuation process of students from affected areas on Saturday. Sangma took to Twitter and wrote, "Held meeting with officials to check the status of the evacuation process of students from Manipur to Meghalaya. The team is working round the clock to ensure our students from the state are back home safe. Also Read Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended Northeastern Railway cancels all Manipur-bound trains following violence Swearing-in-ceremony of Meghalaya's NPP-led govt likely on Tuesday Centre's approval required to introduce NRC in Manipur: CM Biren Singh There is no crisis in Manipur BJP, says CM; gives details of ministers Biju Patnaik Airport inaugurates 4 MW solar plant, switches to green energy PM Modi congratulates King Charles III, Queen Camilla on their coronation In first rally in poll-bound K'taka, Sonia slams BJP over govt's dark rule INS Magar decommissioned after 36 years service to the country Republic Day 2024: Only females to be part of marching contingents, bands In an effort to encourage female participation in various sectors, the government has decided that the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path will see participation only by women in march pasts, tableaux and other performances. The Defence Ministry, in this regard, has written a letter to the armed forces and other government departments associated with the parade, stating that the marching contingents, military bands accompanying the marching contingents and tableaux will have only women participants. The letter comes as a surprise for several senior military officers and has also created confusion. Many believe that there aren't enough women available in forces for this. The current situation is that some marching contingents consist of men only. Significantly, the armed forces have taken several measures, including assigning command roles to women, grooming them for future leadership roles and allowing them to join artillery regiments, to promote gender equality. According to information, the decision to encourage women's participation in the parade was taken during a meeting held on February 7. The meeting, chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, was attended by senior representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Education. About a month after the meeting, the Defence Ministry formally issued a letter to participating forces, ministries and departments on March 1. Also Read 23 tableux roll down Kartavya Path in national capital on Republic Day Col Geeta Rana becomes first woman to command EME unit near China border Republic Day: Why does India organise a parade to mark the occasion? R-Day: President Murmu unfurls Tricolour, gets ceremonial 21 Gun salute Egyptian president to witness Republic Day Parade as chief guest today Vice-President congratulates King Charles on coronation, concludes visit Kashmir border issue should be resolved as per UN resolutions: China LIVE: 9 injured, several people killed at Texas outlet mall; gunman dead President delivers speech in darkness, BJP seeks Odisha CM's apology Meghalaya govt arranges flights to bring back students from Manipur In the letter, emphasis was laid on the role of women in the parade to be held next year. The letter noted that after detailed deliberations, it has been decided that the contingents (marching and bands), tableaux and other displays during the parade on the Kartavya Path will have only women participants. All the participating ministries, departments and organisations have also been asked to initiate preparations for the same and share the progress made with the Defence Ministry from time to time. Some senior officials believe that the government will do what is practical, and for the time being it is difficult to have only female participants in all marching and band contingents. Significantly, the marching contingents of the infantry in the Republic Day parade constitute the largest number of personnel. Officials argue that women have not yet been included in the infantry. Officers who lead marching contingents consist of personnel below officer rank (PBOR) and the Army has the PBOR cadre women personnel only in the Military Police Corps, they assert. However, it is not that women have no representation in force or that women are marginalised. They are being assigned roles equivalent to men in all three services - they fly fighter aircraft, serve on warships, are inducted into the PBOR cadre, are eligible for permanent commission, are assigned command roles, and also women officers are undergoing training at the National Defence Academy. Despite this, infantry, tanks and combat positions still do not have that participation of women. According to the Indian Army, Colonel Geeta Rana has recently become the first woman army officer to command an independent unit in the sensitive Ladakh region bordering China. Apart from this, for the first time, the army has deployed a woman officer Captain Shiva Chauhan in the world's highest and coldest battlefield Siachen this year itself. The army has also deployed its largest contingent of 27 women peacekeepers to the disputed region of Abyei in Sudan. --IANS gcb/sha Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe, who were evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri, in Shivamogga earlier today.The evacuees profusely thanked the Prime Minister for the proactive steps taken by the government for ensuring their timely and safe evacuation. They recounted the tough circumstances faced by them in Sudan and how the government and Indian Embassy ensured their safety.They said, "The government ensured they did not get even a scratch, and it was all due to the efforts of the Prime Minister." Expressing happiness towards the Prime Minister, they said that in their heart, they feel he represents the strength of not the double engine but a triple engine. Prime Minister recalled how the forefathers of the community members stood alongside Maharana Pratap. He said, "In the whole world if any Indian is in any kind of difficulty, the government does not rest till the problem is resolved." He said that some politicians tried to politicise the issue, and our concern was that if they expose where Indians are hidden, they may face greater danger. So the government worked quietly to ensure everyone's safety. Also Read Operation Kaveri: How India is rescuing its citizens amid crisis in Sudan Politics to the rescue: Hakki Pikkis tribes of Karnataka in war-hit Sudan Nearly 3,000 Indians evacuated from crisis-hit Sudan under Operation Kaveri How the world backed two generals, and put Sudan on the path to war Here's why PM Modi calls evacuation operation in Sudan as Operation Kaveri Wrestlers protest: 4 Left women's associations call for pan-India support People need to trust govt, understand commitment to citizens abroad: EAM Wrestlers' protest: 2000 personnel deployed in Delhi amid farmers' march Centre ready for discussions on Manipur violence, says G Kishan Reddy 4 women's associations give call for protests in support of wrestlers PM Modi asked them to remember the strength of the country which has stood up for them. He asked them to always be ready to help those in trouble and contribute to the society and country. They also talked about how people in foreign countries repose faith in Indian medicine and become happy on hearing that they are from India. As many as 3,862 persons were rescued from strife-torn Sudan under Operation Kaveri, which has now come to a close. The transit facility, which was created at a school in Jeddah, has also been closed, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia informed. The Government of India, under the leadership of PM Modi, had launched Operation Kaveri to rescue the Indian nationals from conflict-ridden Sudan. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will arrive in the city on Monday to address a public meeting to highlight the issue of unemployment in Telangana, her first ever rally in the state after assuming charge as the AICC General Secretary. She will also release the 'Hyderabad Youth Declaration' at the 'Yuva Sangharshana Sabha' scheduled to be held at Saroor Nagar stadium here on Monday evening, the party has said. The Youth Declaration is expected to be on the lines of Farmers' Declaration released by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Warangal. The meeting, being attended by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, would instill "confidence" in lakhs of unemployed youth and students in the state, senior vice president of Telangana Congress and former MP Mallu Ravi told PTI. The unemployed youth and students are "frustrated" in the wake of alleged leak of question papers of recruitment tests conducted by the state public service commission (TSPSC), he said. The 'youth declaration' would contain party's promises to the youth and students about employment generation on a large scale, unemployment dole among others, he said. Also Read Want to implement promises as soon as possible: Priyanka Gandhi in Shimla Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes part in second day of Bharat Jodo Yatra in MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit K'taka on Tuesday ahead of assembly polls When arrogance of party is sky high, voices are crushed: Priyanka slams BJP Andaman & Nicobar Cong protest Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha disqualification India logs 2,380 fresh Covid-19 infections, active cases drop to 27,212 VP Dhankhar arrives in Delhi after attending King Charles's coronation Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hold nationwide protests in support of wrestlers The thread that connects food and ethnicity, identity, history, religion Police recovers 'incriminating materials' from club at Anjuna beach in Goa The Congress, led by its state unit president and MP A Revanth Reddy, has already staged demonstrations against the TSPSC paper leak issue at different places in Telangana in April. "We are sure she (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) will inspire youth, women, farmers, for that matter all sections of society," Ravi said. Congress is hopeful that the party would get a fillip after Priyanka Vadra's public meeting as it seeks to revive its fortunes in the state. Aiming to resurrect its prospects in the state, the Congress has been reaching out to people in various forms. While Revanth Reddy has held a 'padayatra' earlier after the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has been conducting a 'padayatra' since the last 50 days. The Congress has suffered setbacks in Telangana despite the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh realising the statehood demand in 2014. In addition to losing the Legislative Assembly elections in 2014 and 2018, Congress has also fared badly in Assembly bypolls and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election held during the last few years. This apart, the party has yielded ground to the BJP which won two assembly bypolls and the GHMC election impressively. Buoyed by its performance, the BJP is aiming to emerge as the alternative to the ruling BRS. Attorney General for India R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, said consultations on a review of Section 124A were (in advanced) stages. He urged the Bench to post the matter for hearing after the monsoon session of Parliament, scheduled for the end of July or August. A Bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala took note of the submissions of the attorney general and posted the matter for hearing in August. Last week, the Union government told the Supreme Court it had initiated the process of re-examining Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises the offence of sedition. It had added if such cases be registered in future, the parties would be free to approach court and court would have to expeditiously dispose of these. This follows an earlier order by the Supreme Court that the law on sedition be kept in abeyance till the governments exercise of reviewing it is complete. It had asked the Central government and the states not to register any cases under Section 124A. The governments view on 124A is hardly a secret. When in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, the Congress included scrapping Section 124A in its agenda, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised it in the strongest possible terms. Speaking at an election rally in Gujarat in April 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: Are people who want to break the country into tukde-tukde (pieces) not anti-nationals? ... The Congress is now saying that they will repeal the sedition law. Should we expect this from a 125-year-old party? The courts order was hailed by many human rights and civil rights activists. However, lawyers say the use and misuse of the sedition law continues to hang like a sword over the fundamental right of free speech and other rights. Despite the order, FIRs have been filed but no further action taken. I understand investigations have been completed and charge sheets prepared, but there is no arrest. So, it is like an imminent threat. If the Supreme Court stay ever gets vacated, arrests will follow immediately. The law is very much there said Sanjay Hegde, a senior advocate at the Supreme Court and a civil rights lawyer. Also Read Review of sedition law in advanced stage, Centre tells apex court Sedition, repression and the Constitution What does the EWS quota verdict mean for India? Same-sex marriage in India: What did Supreme Court say in the case? Foreign law firms can only advise foreign clients on foreign law: BCI Wrestlers hold candle march to protest against WFI, Brij Bhushan Singh Cybercrime big challenge, police working to counter it: Uttarakhand CM Manipur violence: SC to hear pleas on Monday over ST status to Meitei Rajnath approves posting of women officers of Territorial Army along LoC 'The Kerala Story' is not just a film, it exposes faces: Anurag Thakur The background Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar said at a rally in Yamunanagar: The Congress wants to abolish the sedition law and amend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Such a step will hit the integrity of the nation. We will bring a stronger law against those who want to break the country. Shah was referring to a government-constituted committee in 2020 to review the CrPC and the IPC, headed by the vice-chancellor of National Law University, Delhi, G S Bajpai, with lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani and other members. The mandate was to recommend ways in which Indias criminal justice system could be updated in keeping with the requirements of modern India. The committee has since given its recommendations, about which very little is known. In October last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called a meeting of the home ministers of all states at Haryanas Surajkund. Dubbed Chintan Shivir, Shahs aim was to convey the Central governments thinking on approaches to law and order, including the legal framework that governs this: The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In his inaugural address, Shah said: This Chintan Shivir will help in planning a joint plan to deal with cybercrime, narcotics, cross-border terrorism, sedition and other such crimes... He added: Various suggestions have been received regarding improvement in the CrPC and IPC. I am looking into them, and have invested hours in them. We will very soon come up with new CrPC, IPC drafts in Parliament. Pressure on the government to either scrap or decriminalise sedition is building up. The low rate of conviction in cases pertaining to Section 124A casts serious doubt on the genuineness of the claims made during investigation and prosecution, and shows that the real purpose of such laws is to provide autocratic rulers a powerful weapon to suppress their rivals and control public opinion, the Constitutional Conduct Group said in an open statement signed by 108 former civil servants of the all-India and central services who have worked with the Central and state governments, soon after the Supreme Court order. The signatories included former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, former RAW chief A S Dulat, former textiles secretary Wajahat Habibullah (also the first chief information commissioner), former home secretary G K Pillai, former Sikkim director general of police Avinash Mohananey, and former additional secretary Rana Banerjee. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that a special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur. "A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students," the CM said in a statement. Shinde on Sunday also spoke with the students stuck in Manipur over the phone and assured them of all the possible help, as per the official statement from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's office. "Many students from Maharashtra are studying in Manipur's NITs, IITs and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde contacted Tushar Awadh and Vikas Sharma on the phone and assured them of all possible help. In this regard, the Chief Minister has also directed the Chief Secretary of the state to contact the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Manipur and request them to take care of the safety of the students," the statement said. The Chief Minister further said that these stranded students will be brought to Maharashtra soon by air and the Maharashtra government is monitoring the situation in Manipur. The Northeastern state has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Also Read Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended Northeastern Railway cancels all Manipur-bound trains following violence Centre's approval required to introduce NRC in Manipur: CM Biren Singh There is no crisis in Manipur BJP, says CM; gives details of ministers 54 dead in Manipur violence, Imphal peaceful, most shops, markets open Kashmir Valley awaits economic boost as G20 meeting set to bring new hope Wrestlers vs WFI chief: Khap leaders hold talks with grapplers in Delhi WFI row: 500 farmers allowed to go to Jantar Mantar by buses from Tikri Several injured in blast at restaurant near Golden Temple in Punjab Dry port in Dodhara Chadani: 4-track access road to Nepal border from India Earlier, on May 3, amid the prevailing disquiet and upturn in incidents of violence in the state, the district administration imposed a curfew in Churachandpur district, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing conflict. However, the Manipur government on Sunday partially relaxed the curfew from 7 am to 10 am to allow people to buy essential items. The decision was taken after the law and order situation improved in the Churachandpur district following talks between the state government and various stakeholders, a notification stated. A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now in Manipur and shifted to safe shelters, some in army camps as the army brought Churachandpur, Moreh, Kakching and Kangpokpi districts under its "firm control", an official said on Sunday. "Total 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and were moved to own operating bases and military garrisons, with the help of Army and Assam Rifles," the official said. The past 24 hours also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs and redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the voters of Manipur are feeling "grossly betrayed" just a year after putting the BJP in power and called for the imposition of President's rule in the state that has witnessed violent clashes. Violent clashes had broken out in Manipur last week between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54. In a tweet, Tharoor said, "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised." "The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. It's time for President's Rule; the state government is just not up to the job they were elected to do," the former Union minister said. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. Also Read Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended Not upset or angry with anyone in party: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor Challenge to build 'brand India' continues: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor There is no crisis in Manipur BJP, says CM; gives details of ministers Centre's approval required to introduce NRC in Manipur: CM Biren Singh AIIMS Patna physician's health camps provide free care to 10K villagers What about seeking proof from PM over allegations against Cong: Sibal to EC Manipur relaxes curfew in Churachandpur to let citizens buy essentials Obesity in children is rising, it comes with major health consequences Top headlines: Warren Buffet faults US govt, Vedanta repays $800 mn & more G S Bajpai, vice-chancellor, National Law University, Delhi, in conversation with Aditi Phadnis. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had constituted a committee to rewrite the IPC, CrPC, and other laws to make them suitable for modern India. You were part of the committee. What were your recommendations? The report is under consideration at a government level and no comments are warranted. Sedition law should be applied only in cases where there is a high likelihood of inciting hatred and violence, says, vice-chancellor, National Law University, Delhi, in conversation with The Supreme Court has told the government to refrain from registering FIRs until the law on sedition (124A) is revised. The government has said it is in an advanced stage of revising it. What are the most problematic issues and will sedition be de-criminalised? Nearly 13,000 individuals have been charged under Section 124A since 2010. The law essentially functions as a measure to prevent and regulate certain activities. The data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that the conviction rate is too low. The need is twofold: First change the very expression sedition because this gives the impression we live in a monarchy; secondly, the SC judgment in the Kedarnath case needs to be factored in and the guidelines formulated can serve as major protection against the misuse of this law. The blanket use of this law in all kinds of activities seemingly against the state needs to be graded for proportionate punishment. Multiple SC rulings have stated a speech would amount to sedition only if it involves incitement to violence or public disorder. Yet many have been charged with sedition, which is defined as any act or attempt to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite disaffection towards the government. How can modern India square the circle? The laws having a bearing on the fundamental freedoms in a constitutional democracy must be invoked with great care. The state in a liberal democracy ought to be more tolerant of dissent and criticism of the state (than it is now). As a last resort, sedition law should be applied only in cases where there is a high likelihood of inciting hatred and violence. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar concluded a two-day visit to attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London with a message of goodwill to the royal couple. Dhankhar, who arrived here on Friday, joined an estimated 100 Heads of State and government from around the world invited to the historic crowning of Britain's new monarch. On Friday, he interacted with King Charles at a reception soon after his arrival here to attend the majestic Coronation ceremony. Happy to be present at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla today. On behalf of the people of India, I extend my warmest congratulations to the newly crowned King and Queen of the UK," the Vice-President's office said in a Twitter statement. "May India-UK ties grow stronger in the years ahead, it said. Before his departure for New Delhi, Dhankhar also had an intimate interaction with UK-based Indian students organised by the Indian High Commission in London on Saturday evening. Also Read Classified records pose conundrum stretching back to Jimmy Carter Sushmita Shukla appointed first VP, COO of Federal Reserve Bank of New York Kamala Harris faces new test of political skills in US poll 2024 campaign Apple Music chief to manage the subscription streaming service Apple TV+ Leaders from Shimla district, Rajput community lead in HP cabinet extension Kashmir border issue should be resolved as per UN resolutions: China LIVE: 9 injured, several people killed at Texas outlet mall; gunman dead President delivers speech in darkness, BJP seeks Odisha CM's apology Meghalaya govt arranges flights to bring back students from Manipur Maintain harmony, dispel fear, insecurity: Manipur Guv appeals to people At the gathering of students enrolled at prestigious UK universities, Dhankhar said India was proud of their achievements and talent and called on them to play the role of goodwill ambassadors of the country. He went on to highlight the many strides made by the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stressed its strong democratic credentials. India takes its position on global affairs on its own understanding, for its own welfare and world peace. India is emerging as a superpower, said Dhankhar. The share of India's working age population to total population will reach the highest level by 2030. It will be 68.9 per cent. No other country can make such a claim transparency and accountability are the mantras behind this. Our power corridors, governance corridors have been fully sanitised of power brokers, he said. Reiterating his call to the wider diaspora population he interacted with on Friday evening, the vice-president said it was incumbent upon Indian students based in the UK to counter false narratives about the country. If you don't approve of it, you must antidote it. A false narrative about such a vibrant democracy is antithetical to our national interest if we don't react. And, I have no doubt, the most powerful reaction always comes from rational minds, he said. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his spouse Sudesh Dhankar arrived at Delhi airport on Sunday morning after attending the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in London. The Vice President and his wife were in London to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla which took place on Saturday at Westminster Abbey, London. Ahead of the coronation, Dhankhar and his wife met King Charles III, the United States First Lady Jill Biden and other world leaders during a reception hosted by the Monarch at Buckingham Palace. Dhankhar congratulated King Charles III on his coronation. "Happy to be present at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla today. On behalf of the people of India, I extend my warmest congratulations to the newly crowned King and Queen of the UK. May India-UK ties grow stronger in the years ahead," the Vice President tweeted on Saturday. The United Kingdom had extended an invitation to the international community, including India to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. Also Read Charles to be crowned King in thousand-year-old Coronation ceremony Sunak, wife Akshata to lead with UK flag at King Charles III's Coronation King Charles III to confer thank-you Coronation Medals to thousands Armed forces veterans, get prime spots at King Charles Coronation UK PM Rishi Sunak reads from biblical book at multi-faith Coronation Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hold nationwide protests in support of wrestlers The thread that connects food and ethnicity, identity, history, religion Police recovers 'incriminating materials' from club at Anjuna beach in Goa CM Biren assures safety of Tripura students stuck in violence-hit Manipur 77 elected unopposed in 2nd phase of ongoing urban local body polls in UP Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife landed at Stansted Airport in London on Friday. On the first day of his visit, Dhankhar also addressed the members of the Indian community in the United Kingdom and said, Indian democracy is functioning at the moment at a level which is unmatched anywhere in the world. "I would therefore make an appeal, 32 million Indian diaspora is a formidable demographic component and this demographic component is highly qualified, empowered and vigilant, making the nation proud in every way. It must be reflective on several issues; no one is above criticism, scrutiny and probe. Everyone is subject to these elements if we have to register progress, but then we can't be swayed," said the Vice President. Vice President also joined leaders of the Commonwealth countries at a special event hosted by King Charles III at the Marlborough House, London and exchanged views with Commonwealth leaders on making the institution of the Commonwealth stronger and more focused. Dhankhar interacted with Israel President Isaac Herzog, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. On the second day of his visit to London, Dhankhar interacted with Indian students and said that the DNA of Indians is so strong that there is no challenge to their intellect and they perform well wherever they go. "If we examine the situation from a global perspective, our DNA is so strong that there is no challenge to our intellect. Wherever we go, we perform amazingly well...But one thing which we suffer in our country is a lack of system," Dhankhar said. "Several developed countries thrive on mediocrity because there is a system. In the last 8 years, in the system also, we are making great advances. Our Bharat, at the moment, is on the rise as never before and the rise of Bharat is unstoppable...", he said. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar urged students to strive towards excellence and appreciated their role in advancing India-Britain relations. As many as 500 farmers, who had gathered at the Tikri Border to join a protest in support of wrestlers, were allowed by the Delhi Police to travel to Jantar Mantar by buses. The situation became chaotic when a few protesters, including men and women, got off the buses, thinking that vehicles would not be allowed and began marching. However, the police explained to them that they could travel to Jantar Mantar by bus and they subsequently boarded the buses. "Total ten buses and four cars carrying around 500-550 people were allowed from Tikri Border in the morning. No one was stopped," said Harender Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Outer Delhi. The Delhi Police have tightened security and placed barricades at all the border entry points. According to information, the Delhi Police have stationed around 300 police personnel and paramilitary jawans at the Singhu border. In Outer Delhi, the police have deployed 200 police personnel and security has been tightened at the Tikri border which connects with Bahadurgarh (Haryana). Also Read Scuffle between protesting wrestlers and Delhi cops: What we know so far Wrestlers back to protest at Jantar Mantar: Everything you need to know Congress demands court-monitored probe into Jantar Mantar scuffle Delhi Police tightens security, ahead of farmer's march to Jantar Mantar Farmers, students reach Jantar Mantar after appeal for support by wrestlers Several injured in blast at restaurant near Golden Temple in Punjab Dry port in Dodhara Chadani: 4-track access road to Nepal border from India Unprecedented corruption in sale of liquor in Chhattisgarh, says ED Sikkim brings back 128 rescued students from violence-hit Manipur India regains top spot in Sri Lanka's inbound tourism market They are also keeping an eye on all the vehicles at Faridabad-Delhi border and Ghaziabad-Delhi border. The Delhi Police will not allow any tractor and trolley to enter the national capital from any border. --IANS atk/dpb In a powerful show of solidarity, representatives from various 'khaps' in Haryana gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Sunday to extend their support to women wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Balwant Phogat, President of Phogat Khap, while speaking to IANS, said that leaders from various khaps have gathered at the protest site to unequivocally support the wrestlers in their fight for justice. "We are currently conducting a meeting to discuss and determine our next steps in this crucial matter," he said. Earlier on Sunday, the Delhi Police granted permission to certain Khap leaders to travel from the Delhi borders to Jantar Mantar using their private vehicles. However, it did not allow khap leaders on tractors to enter the national capital. Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Arab Singh Ahlawat, Joginder Singh, and others, also joined the gathering at Jantar Mantar to show their support for the ongoing protest by wrestlers. --IANS Also Read Scuffle between protesting wrestlers and Delhi cops: What we know so far PT Usha calls wrestlers' protest indiscipline, who said what so far! Wrestlers back to protest at Jantar Mantar: Everything you need to know Won't end protest unless Brij Bhushan is put behind bars: Wrestlers WFI row: Police records statement of 7 women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan WFI row: 500 farmers allowed to go to Jantar Mantar by buses from Tikri Several injured in blast at restaurant near Golden Temple in Punjab Dry port in Dodhara Chadani: 4-track access road to Nepal border from India Unprecedented corruption in sale of liquor in Chhattisgarh, says ED Sikkim brings back 128 rescued students from violence-hit Manipur ssh/uk/ The Indian Biogas Association (IBA) has pitched for increasing the share of compressed biogas in total gas mix, saying it will help reduce the country's annual import bill by USD 20-25 billion by 2030. In a letter to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently, IBA suggested that in the process of attaining a gas-based economy by 2030, the oil ministry has to keep a strict vigil on the overall sustainability. The industry body suggested gradually increasing the share of compressed biogas (CBG) in the overall gas mix to at least 10 per cent by 2025 and to 20 per cent in 2030. Furthermore, the CBG-CGD (city gas distribution) synchronization plan, which was launched in April 2021 and is due for review three years later (in 2024), should be extended for at least ten years to provide long-term certainty to players in the CBG ecosystem, it suggested. Increasing the share of CBG will ensure guaranteed offtake and a transparent ecosystem for CBG producers. It will also help fast-track setting up of CBG plants under the SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme, as biogas plant owners will see the value proposition for their investments, it pointed out. Also Read IndianOil, Adani-Total, Shell lap up Reliance's KG-D6 gas; IOC top bidder Excessive methane emitted from mega wildfires fuels vicious cycle: Study No excuse for high methane emissions: Energy agency chief Fatih Birol CNG, piped gas prices to be cut but no clarity on deregulation: Analysts Kirit Parikh panel may recommend price caps to help moderate CNG rates Here's why airlines keep folding in India's booming aviation market ABFRL to acquire controlling stake in TCNS Clothing for Rs 1,650 crore Lupin to acquire French pharma company Medisol for around Rs 160 crore Tata Group airlines see most improvement in on-time performance in April India Inc prepares for a tough road to evolving standards, ESG compliance For instance, it stated that the ethanol blending programme in petrol has gone up from 1.5 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent now. By 2030, the annual import bill reductions of the government shall be USD 20-25 billion (at the current LNG spot price level), and Green House Gas (GHG) reductions shall be 150 million tonne, roughly 10 per cent reduction at 2005 GHG emissions level. IBA stated that the relaxed domestic gas pricing move' must go hand-in-hand with the environmental sustainability goals set by the renewable energy ministry -- 45 per cent reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and net-zero emission by 2070. Particularly for the CBG industry, wherein the offtake price of CBG is benchmarked to its closest substitute, CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), the move turns out to be a deterrent, it stated. For the CBG industry, it is like taking one step backward after a few forward moves like exemption of central excise duty on the onward sale of CBG blended with CNG; resumption of the MNRE subsidy programme; introduction of the BIS standards on design, construction, and operation of biogas plants , and others, IBA said. The CGD companies claim to have been heavily bled with regard to margins in the previous few months, owing to higher domestic gas prices. Amid the global uncertainty, the domestic gas price rose to USD 8 per MMBTU from USD 1.6 per MMBTU(Million British Thermal Units) last year. Now with the recent government gas pricing notification to trim and cap gas domestic prices, it becomes even more unfavourable to procure CBG, it stated. The procurement price gap of CBG and domestic gas shall widen further, it opined. In addition, under the CGD-CBG synchronization scheme formulated by gas utility major GAIL (India) Ltd, the pricing associated with compression charges and transport charges over and above the UBP (uniform base price) of CBG is even more concerning for the CGD players who are willing to procure CBG into its gas mix, it stated. The compression charges are going to increase further, as the PNGRB (Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board) has written to BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard) to increase methane from 90 to 95 per cent, needing an additional hike in the price of CBG, it stated. A roadmap can be set to introduce progressive blending targets going forward which shall be in harmony with CGD companies adopting sustainable growth paths and a gas-based economy set forth by the government, it suggested. Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) II scheme, Rs 2,500 crore was earmarked to support half a million electric three-wheelers. However, only 81,000 E3Ws were sold under the scheme until February 15. As the E3W category is still dominated by lead-acid batteries, which have lower purchase costs than lithium-ion batteries, the demand for subsidies did not see the expected results. The proposed plan is to divert unutilised funds for electric three-wheelers (E3Ws) towards sponsoring about 3,000 additional e-buses. Around Rs 2,000 crore of the E3W category is still unutilised. We are planning to redirect it to buy 2,500-3,000 e-buses, senior officials said. In this section First Published: May 07 2023 | 3:37 PM IST These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper What critics of the govt miss: Not much is lost if the PLI scheme fails Censorship and its costly fallout Perils of new multilateralism Reserve Bank of India goes for a hawkish pause FY24 kicks off a fresh cycle for Indian banking The F word in Indian banking The HR ailment of public sector banks Realtors worried about likelihood of another repo rate hike by RBI DLF, Godrej Prop: Realty stks still have room to build gains, say analysts How can you protect your bank account from cyber attacks? Residential real estate sales to lag commercial in FY23: CRISIL Experts see 2023 as a year of smooth sailing for real estate sector In the last week of April, the Economic Offence Wing of the Mumbai Police arrested the promoters of Nirmal Lifestyle for allegedly failing to hand over flats to homebuyers invested in four projects in Mumbais central suburb Mulund.Elsewhere, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Amrapali Stalled Projects Investments Reconstruction Establishment (ASPIRE) is busy completing 40,000-odd housing units sold by the erstwhile Amrapali Group, and handing them over to the homebuyers. ASPIRE is a not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, set up by the Supreme Court.This is a unique case where Indias highest court and a set of commercial banks have been working together to complete a housing project, abandoned by a rogue builder. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is backing it with certain regulatory forbearance. With a lot of pride, the banking community calls this project hamara aspire.A decad To read the full story, subscribe to BS Premium now, at just Rs 249/ month. Key stories on business-standard.com are available only to BS Premium subscribers. Already a BS Premium subscriber?LOGIN NOW Register to read more on Business-Standard.com Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday expressed confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party securing a complete majority in the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. He was holding a roadshow in Karnataka's Belagavi during the last leg of campaigning. Speaking to ANI, Sawant said, "There has been tremendous infrastructural development in Karnataka under this double-engine government. The people have to bring the double-engine government back and make the lotus bloom". "Congress is dividing people in the name of caste and religion but we are asking people to vote for us in the lines of development and people will vote for us," he added. The BJP is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority. Notably, Karnataka is the only State in the South where BJP is in power. Also Read BJP CEC meeting today to finalise candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls Goa debt swells to Rs 24,000 cr, repay it before taking loans: Oppn Maximum crimes in Goa are committed by migrant labourers: CM Sawant Karnataka Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 2 hike in milk subsidy Cyber crime threat to India's progress, security: Goa CM Pramod Sawant How Balasaheb's 'sack of flour' is known to go against the grain Congress slams Manipur CM over violence, says he cannot absolve himself Electing SAD candidate from Jalandhar will be homage to Parkash: Sukhbir Even six-year-old knows about BJP's corruption in Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi Dynastic parties with casteist mindset ruined Uttar Pradesh: CM Adityanath Campaigning for the assembly elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the State. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday. He also held public meetings at Nanjangud in Mysuru and Shivamogga. The 224-seat Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday that the Congress will come to power in Karnataka, which is now being governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking to reporters in pilgrim town Pandharpur, about 350 km from Mumbai, the 82-year-old politician said that in the current situation, the BJP is in power in five to six states, while the rest have non-BJP governments. As per the information I have received, Congress will come to power in Karnataka. As far as the whole country is concerned, we will start with Kerala. Is the BJP there in Kerala? In Tamil Nadu? I have told you about Karnataka. Is BJP there in Telangana? Andhra? In Maharashtra, just because of Eknath Shinde's smartness, they managed to get the state, he said. Assembly polls in Karnataka will be held on May 10 and votes will be counted on May 13. Pawar, who recently agreed to stay on as NCP chief after stunned party workers did not accept his decision to step down, said that BJP came to power in Madhya Pradesh after some Congress MLAs were poached when Kamal Nath was the chief minister. In Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Bengal, there is no BJP. If you look at the entire map of the country, only five to six states have BJP governments, and in the remaining states, there are non-BJP governments, he said. Also Read NCP committee rejects Sharad Pawar's decision to step down as party chief Won't be in govt if Pawar joins BJP with NCP group: Shiv Sena spokesperson Ajit Pawar's future bright with NCP, he will not join BJP, says Sanjay Raut Ahead of Karnataka assembly polls, Sharad Pawar chairs NCP meeting Congress 'mukt' Bharat not possible, says Sharad Pawar at Pune party office Congress' manifesto doesn't mention banning of Bajrang Dal: Kamal Nath Will make 'The Kerala Story' tax-free if we there's a proposal: UP dy CM Funds to self-help groups helped BJP secure more women votes in Tripura: CM Court order in Delhi excise policy matter shows this case is bogus: AAP Defeat price rise imposed by trouble engine govt, Kharge targets BJP In the present scenario, Pawar said, he won't be able to predict what will happen in next year's Lok Sabha elections. Asked about Barsu in coastal Ratnagiri district where a section of villagers are opposing a mega petroleum refinery project, the NCP chief said local residents' discontent should not be ignored and that their interests be protected. It should also be ensured that the project doesn't adversely affect the agriculture and fishing business of the region, he said. Pawar said it is not appropriate to use police force and suggested that the locals should be taken into confidence before going ahead with the project, referring to police action against some protesters at Barsu last month. To a question about Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), and next year's Lok Sabha elections, he said the three parties should discuss seat sharing if they think the polls will be held earlier than scheduled. On Opposition unity at the national level, the veteran politician said it is the wish of everyone. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited some states. We all are taking efforts on how to go ahead with the same thought and how to bring about a change in the country through elections. All these efforts have my full backing, he said. Asked about NCP state president Jayant Patil's statement that some people were praying to God that his resignation be accepted by the party's high-level committee, Pawar quipped, Who else other than people from BJP can do it. Sharad Pawar on Friday withdrew his decision to step down as NCP president after mounting pressure from shocked party leaders and workers, three days after his announcement that had also put a question mark on opposition unity efforts ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The U-turn by the 82-year-old Maratha strongman known for his deft political manoeuvring also came after what he said that leaders from various political parties across Maharashtra and the country requested him to continue as the party president. Meanwhile, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar asserted in Pune that MVA will remain intact and necessary efforts are being taken. The Tripura government provided huge funds to self-help groups, which helped the BJP get more votes from women in the last assembly election, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday. Addressing a programme of the BJYM in Rabindra Bhaban, Saha said the party's Mohila Morcha did "wonders" in the last elections in mobilising female voters. "The BJP-IPFT government provided huge funds to women through self-help groups (SHGs). It resulted in 3 percentage points more female voters casting their votes for the BJP in comparison to male voters," he said. Saha also praised the BJYM's role in the last assembly elections. "The Yuva Morcha has always been a fighting force for the party -- be it elections or the pandemic. We feel secure as Yuva Morcha is always behind the government and the party," he said. Maintaining that Tripura has a bright future, the chief minister said new industries were coming up in the state. Also Read T20 World Cup Final Highlights: Australia complete 2nd hattrick of titles Women's T20 World Cup: India fail again, lose to AUS by 5 runs in semifinal Women's T20 World Cup Semis: South Africa create history, qualify for final Women's T20 World Cup final: Australia vs South Africa live stream in India India W vs Australia W, Women's T20 World Cup: How to live stream in India Court order in Delhi excise policy matter shows this case is bogus: AAP Defeat price rise imposed by trouble engine govt, Kharge targets BJP Not Rs 45 cr, but Rs 171 cr spent on Kejriwal's 'palace', alleges Congress Congress inflating balloons of lies, but won't get benefit: PM in Karnataka Sonia fighting a lone battle for 20 yrs to establish Rahul: Assam CM "A new unit of rubber thread manufacturing has been set up at Bodhjungnagar Industrial Estate in West Tripura and the products will be exported to Bangladesh. The bamboo tiles produced in Tripura were used in the beautification of the Raj Bhavan in Bihar," he said. Hitting out at the opposition CPI(M), Saha said, "They did not join the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP-led government. The CPI(M) did not even attend the opening ceremony of the newly-built MLA hostel near Khejurbagan. "I have urged the lawmakers to live together in the newly-built hostel because I believe we have another life apart from politics. The bond among the MLAs will get stronger if we all stay together. Don't know why they (CPI(M)) treat us like untouchables!" In the assembly elections held in February, the BJP bagged 33 seats in the 60-member House, while the opposition Tipra Motha got 13 seats, the CPI(M) won 11 seats and the CPI(M) got three seats. Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat) too basked in glory during the coronation of King Charles III in the UK as the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton made her appearance wearing the Bahraini pearl drop earrings for the celebrations in preparation for the historic event, which is a continuation of a longstanding tradition among members of the British royal family. This is not the first time the princess has donned the precious Bahraini earrings. She previously wore the set to Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral in September as pearls are typically seen as mourning jewels in British royal etiquette. This serves to reaffirm the world-renowned reputation of Bahraini pearls, said a beaming Noora Jamsheer, the CEO of Danat. Jamsheer highlighted that throughout history, English, French, and American jewellers have visited Bahrain to procure the finest and most exquisite natural Bahraini pearls directly from their source. These pearls have been taken to various parts of the world, where these jewellers have perfected their crafting and presentation, she explained. Jamsheer, reminisced about the authentic pearl necklace and pearl earrings that the late Queen Elizabeth II had worn on several occasions. When asked about the reasons for her continued preference for the necklace, the Queen reportedly stated that it was a natural Bahraini pearl that she had acquired half a century ago, yet it still maintained its original color and luster as if it were newly made. "The adornment of Bahraini pearls by renowned international female personalities, in the form of necklaces, earrings, and other exquisite jewelry pieces, serves as a remarkable avenue for promoting the distinctiveness of these unique natural pearls," she noted. According to her, Bahraini pearls have been a prominent cornerstone of Bahrain's regional and global reputation, further emphasizing the message that Bahrain constantly sends to the world, reflecting the rich heritage and civilization of Bahrain. "Wearing or possessing Bahraini pearls not only confers a unique sense of distinction and exclusivity but also instills a profound source of pride for all those who cherish them," she stated. Jamsheer pointed out that Danat Institute was dedicated to participating in international conferences and events to promote Bahrain as a prominent centre for natural pearl extraction and trade. Over the past five years, Danat has successfully implemented the National Plan for Natural Pearls, which seeks to establish Bahrain as a global hub for natural pearl examination. Additionally, the laboratory has become the first of its kind in the field of pearl and gemstone testing. "Danat holds a significant responsibility at both the national and global level to protect Bahrain's precious pearl," she stated. "Our duties extend beyond preservation and include ensuring their sustainable extraction, safeguarding their integrity, and further enhancing their reputation as one of the most valuable and distinguished precious assets. We acknowledge the weight of our obligation and remain committed to fulfilling it with the utmost dedication and expertise," she added.-TradeArabia News Service Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda during an election rally on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, "The presence of BJP has weakened in Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming down here and conducting roadshows for two days. This is not a Parliament election. One cannot fool people through roadshows." Addressing the rally in Sidlaghatta town of Chikkaballapur district, Gowda asked, "Not a single Muslim was made a Minister in the BJP government. We are all children of 'Bharat Mata'. Why is the BJP practising discrimination?" Referring to Karnataka BJP leader K. Sudhakar, who defected from the Congress to BJP under 'Operation Lotus', the Janata Dal (Secular) founder added that it must be told who had sent 18 MLAs to Mumbai and who were responsible for the formation of the BJP government in Karnataka. Gowda said that he is waiting for his son H.D. Kumaraswamy to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka again. "In last Assembly election, I did not even imagine that Ravi (local JD-S candidate) would suffer defeat. It is unfortunate that four acre of land was not given to kabristan. I have donated land to the Idgah Maidan and given reservation to the Muslims and Valmiki community. We are all children of one mother and discrimination should not be done," the former Prime Minister added. Also Read Deve Gowda's daughter-in-law eyes Hassan seat, stirs tensions in JD(S) Will stand with Left parties in 2024 LS elections, says JD(S) HD Deve Gowda Gujarat Assembly elections: BJP upbeat ahead of counting of votes Karnataka Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 2 hike in milk subsidy Deve Gowda hits back at Modi for calling JD(S) B-team of Congress Excise policy case: court grants bail to 2; AAP demands BJP's apology Aaditya Thackeray hits out at BJP for campaigning amid violence in Manipur Support strong regional parties in next Lok Sabha polls: Abdullah to Oppn Scared Congress fielded those who stopped campaigning: PM's swipe at Sonia Why elections being delayed in Jammu and Kashmir, asks Farooq Abdullah Former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy alleged that due to the roadshow of Prime Minister Modi, the people were being inconvenienced. "PM Modi is conducting roadshows by troubling people. Due to his roadshows, those who earn their livelihood are going without any income. What is the purpose of the roadshow? This will negatively impact children who are attending NEET exams," he added. --IANS mka/khz/uk/ Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on corruption in Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sought to know how much each engine of the "double-engine government" got from the "40 per cent commission" in the state. He also accused the Prime Minister of disqualifying him as MP for raising the Adani issue in Parliament. "For the last three years, there is a BJP government in Karnataka and the Prime Minister is aware of corruption here. You only call it a 'double engine government'. This time, the double engine is stolen," Gandhi said at a public meeting in Anekal near here in poll-bound Karnataka. "Modiji, please tell the people of Karnataka, which engine got how much out of 40 per cent commission," he asked the Prime Minister. Dwelling further, he said the contractors' association in Karnataka wrote to the Prime Minister that 40 per cent commission was charged from them but Modi did not reply. Stating that there were scams upon scams, he said large-scale irregularities took place in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors, assistant professors, assistant engineers and in the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited which manufactures the renowned Mysore Sandal Soap. Also Read Karnataka Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 2 hike in milk subsidy Rahul Gandhi convicted in Modi surname defamation case: What we know so far Digvijaya offers residence to Rahul after he was asked to vacate bungalow Karnataka elections: Here's what all Congress has promised in its manifesto BJP CEC meeting today to finalise candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls Congress will come to power in Karnataka, says NCP chief Sharad Pawar Congress' manifesto doesn't mention banning of Bajrang Dal: Kamal Nath Will make 'The Kerala Story' tax-free if we there's a proposal: UP dy CM Funds to self-help groups helped BJP secure more women votes in Tripura: CM Court order in Delhi excise policy matter shows this case is bogus: AAP In the Mysore Sandal scam, an MLA's son was caught with Rs 8 crore cash and a BJP MLA said the Chief Minister's post can be bought by paying Rs 2,500 crore, the Congress leader said. "Even a six-year-old child is aware of the corruption that has taken place here in Karnataka," Gandhi said. The former Congress president said the Prime Minister comes and says that the Congress abused him 91 times but he should first tell Karnataka what he did to check corruption, what inquiry was conducted and how many people were jailed. "Everyone knows that there is a double-engine government here. If theft has taken place in Karnataka, then Delhi must have been benefitted. Otherwise, the Prime Minister would have done something for Karnataka government," he added. Gandhi complained that he had asked Modi about his relation with businessman Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, in Parliament, after which his membership was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. "I raised the question of corruption and I was removed from Parliament. The Prime Minister does not act against those who indulge in corruption," he alleged. A local court in Gujarat's Surat sentenced Gandhi in March to two years in jail after convicting him for criminal defamation in a case regarding the 'Modi surname' remark made by the Congress leader back in 2019. A day later, he was disqualified from Parliament. The Gujarat High Court has reserved its verdict on the case after Gandhi moved the court for an appeal. The former MP said three years ago, the government that came to power in Karnataka was a "stolen one". "Your government was stolen three years ago. You chose someone and you got someone else as the MLAs were bought. The government that came by theft, will do theft. It does not know anything other than theft," the Congress leader said. He was referring to the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019 within 14 months of its formation after 16 MLAs were disqualified for switching sides. This way, the BJP which was the single-largest party came to power in 2019. Most of those who resigned fought the 2019 bypolls on BJP ticket and became ministers. Wondering why Prime Minister Modi never spells out the name of other BJP leaders and never takes them in the vehicle during roadshows, Gandhi opined there could be two possibilities. "Probably, he does not want anyone else to be visible other than him. The other possibility is that Narendra Modi knows that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor B S Yediyurappa are absolutely corrupt and he wants to hide them from you," Gandhi alleged. Speaking about the burning situation in Manipur where over 50 people have died due to ethnic violence, he said people are being killed but the Prime Minister or Union Home Minister Amit Shah have no concern for it. "Manipur violence is the outcome of hatred. Our Bharat Jodo Yatra was against this hatred," the Congress leader asserted. Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday claimed Vasundhara Raje and two other BJP leaders had helped save his government during the 2020 revolt by his party MLAs. He also took potshots at the rebel Congress MLAs saying they should return the money they had taken from the BJP so that they can carry out their duty without any pressure. Gehlot's then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against his leadership in July 2020. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party high command. Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president. Addressing a programme in Dholpur, Gehlot said his government could be saved because of the support of three BJP leaders -- former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah. "(Union ministers) Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government. They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised why they are not demanding the money back from them (the MLAs)," he claimed. "I have even told the MLAs that whatever money they have taken, Rs 10 crore or Rs 20 crore, if you have spent anything, I will give that part or I will get it from AICC (All India Congress Committee)," he said. Also Read Vasundhra Raje shares emotional connect with people: BJP MP Dushyant Singh One should stand like rock in difficult circumstances: Vasundhra Raje Explained: Why is Sachin Pilot holding a day-long protest in Rajasthan Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Vasundhara Raje test positive for Covid Despite political crisis, he attended programme: PM Modi on Ashok Gehlot Not weakening India's collective position a collective responsibility: EAM Give tax exemption to The Kerala Story, hold screenings: BJP to Delhi govt The Kerala Story row: The mise-en-scene of propaganda meets probity Congress dividing people while BJP seeking votes for development: Pramod How Balasaheb's 'sack of flour' is known to go against the grain Gehlot alleged that if the MLAs did not return the money, they will always be under pressure from Amit Shah. "He is the Union home minister, he will intimidate...in Maharashtra he divided Shiv Sena," Gehlot alleged. He said that he was made the chief minister by the party for a third time and it was his duty to take all along and forget past happenings and ensure the return of the party to power in the assembly elections, slated for later this year. Gehlot said he, as the state party chief, did not support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as it was unfair, in the same manner, Raje and Meghwal did not support the toppling of the Congress government in 2020. He said that BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah also listened to them and did not support the party. Gehlot and Raje have often been accused by their detractors in their own parties of "going soft" on each other, especially when it came to allegations of corruption. The two leaders have denied any such understanding. A few days ago, Raje had rejected allegations of collusion with Gehlot as lie, saying milk and lemon juice never mix. Dholpur MLA Kushwah had cross-voted in favour of the Congress candidate in Rajya Sabha elections last year and was suspended from the party subsequently. The Congress leader was addressing the programme in the home turf of former chief minister Raje. Gehlot also praised Congress MLAs Rohit Bohra, Chetan Dudi and Danish Abrar for alerting him about the revolt against his government in 2020. He said that these three MLAs, BSP-turned-Congress MLAs and independent MLAs who had supported him and saved his government during the political crisis in 2020 deserved to be made ministers in his government but he could not do so due to political reasons and was sad about it. The Kerala Story has kicked up a political maelstrom in the state over its contention that thousands of women from other faiths were converted to Islam and recruited for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to operate in countries like Syria and Afghanistan. On Friday, addressing a groundswell of supporters at Ballari in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a thinly veiled endorsement of a Hindi movie that has opened old fault lines in Pinarayi Vijayans state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cited it as an attempt to humiliate the state in front of the world. Clearing the air on its release in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and a possible ban, the Kerala High Court on Friday refused to stay the release of the movie. While the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) termed this a planned propaganda against the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said this was a real threat the state had been facing for some time. However, the movie is still a burning topic in the state and neighbouring Tamil Nadu. What is against Islam? There is no allegation against the religion. The allegation is against ISIS, the Bench observed. Also Read The Kerala Story gets 'A' certificate from censor board, 10 scenes deleted Why has the upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story' courted controversy? 'The Kerala Story' controversy: Why are state leaders mulling for a ban? Karnataka Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 2 hike in milk subsidy From Mamata Banerjee to Pinarayi Vijayan, here're CMs' views on Budget Congress dividing people while BJP seeking votes for development: Pramod How Balasaheb's 'sack of flour' is known to go against the grain Congress slams Manipur CM over violence, says he cannot absolve himself Electing SAD candidate from Jalandhar will be homage to Parkash: Sukhbir Even six-year-old knows about BJP's corruption in Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi The main points the Congress leaders from Kerala are highlighting are the descriptor of the movie trailer indicating 32,000 women from Kerala had joined ISIS and the movie indicating the presence of love jihad in the state. The Kerala Story is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorist machinations. The Congress is opposing the film made on terrorism and standing with terror tendencies. Congress has shielded terrorism for vote-bank politics, Modi said about the movie. It is an insult to Kerala and the women of the state. The 32,000 they are quoting is a blunder. More than that, in 2018, the National Investigation Agency said in the Supreme Court that there was not a shred of evidence of love jihad in the state. There are a lot of inter-religious marriages happening in the state, but to declare them as conversions to make them join ISIS is barefaced propaganda, senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan told Business Standard. Love jihad is an alleged conspiracy theory accusing Muslim men of wooing women of other faiths and converting them to Islam. Interestingly, a media report quoting the Union home ministry claims that from 2014 onwards, only 62 people had joined the terror outfit from India, suggesting the 32,000 number was far from the truth. In Tamil Nadu, too, the movie sparked controversy, with Muslim outfits protesting and shows being held with police security across the state. This film is against the Muslims but ISIS. It is a reality that ISIS recruitment happened in India. Those supporting Muslim terror outfits are standing against the movie. If there are further problems, Hindus, Christians and those Muslims who support the truth will stand against it, BJP state President K Surendran told Business Standard. According to a report by the Australian Parliament, there are only about 40,000 foreigners in ISIS from 80 countries, showing the number projected by the movie makers is way off the mark. Our point is that the BJP is trying to foment hatred and split the minority votes in the state by abetting a Muslim-Christian fracture, added Satheesan. Those supporting the movie are highlighting the cases of four women Nimisha alias Fathima Isa, Sonia Sebastian alias Ayisha, Reeala, and Merrin Jacob alias Mariyam who ended up in a prison in Afghanistan after they accompanied their husbands to join the Islamic State Khorasan Province. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Sunday said if there is a proposal, the state government will make the film 'The Kerala Story' tax-free. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 5 credited the movie for bringing out terror conspiracies and used it to attack the Congress during an election rally in poll-bound Karnataka. Asked by reporters if the Uttar Pradesh government will make the film tax-free, Pathak, who was campaigning here for the ongoing urban body polls, said, "If a proposal comes, we will do it." "Everyone should see 'The Kerala Story'. I would appeal to all my sisters that they should watch (the film) and understand how atrocities are committed on sisters in a state," he added. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced to give tax-free status to 'The Kerala Story' in the state. UP BJP secretary Abhijat Mishra on Saturday organised the screening of the controversial film for around 80 college girls in the city. The BJP leader booked a theatre and said the movie should be shown to young girls to prevent them from love jihad. 'Love jihad' is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage. Also Read The Kerala Story gets 'A' certificate from censor board, 10 scenes deleted Why has the upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story' courted controversy? Akhilesh Yadav is Bhrashtachar Bhushan: UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak During SP govt in UP, criminals were mini CMs in districts: Brajesh Pathak 93 hospitals in UP to get NQAS certification: Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak Funds to self-help groups helped BJP secure more women votes in Tripura: CM Court order in Delhi excise policy matter shows this case is bogus: AAP Defeat price rise imposed by trouble engine govt, Kharge targets BJP Not Rs 45 cr, but Rs 171 cr spent on Kejriwal's 'palace', alleges Congress Congress inflating balloons of lies, but won't get benefit: PM in Karnataka Mishra said the movie is based on true events and shows how gullible girls are manipulated and then converted. "The message which I want to convey to these girls, through this movie, is that they need to be aware and should not fall into any kind of traps, and focus on their studies," he had said. "Must watch 'The Kerala Story' to save the lives of young girls. Parties supporting terrorists and love jihad and opposing The Kerala Story should be banned," he had tweeted in Hindi. The film starring Adah Sharma revolves around a group of women in Kerala who are forced to convert and join ISIS. By Tarek El-Tablawy and Abdel Latif Wahba Arab League states moved Sunday to reinstate Syria to the 22-nation bloc, effectively ending President Bashar Al-Assads decade of regional isolation in defiance of US warnings. It may be formalized at an Arab League heads of state summit taking place in Saudi Arabia on May 19. The decision was unanimous, Hossam Zaki, the Arab Leagues assistant secretary-general, told Bloomberg. The move, taken at an Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, caps months of diplomatic efforts to restore ties and a flurry of high-level visits and phone calls. Syria was suspended from the bloc in response to Assads brutal crackdown on opponents after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. China and Russia blocked attempts to sanction Assad at the UN Security Council, prompting the US and European Union to impose unilateral restrictions against him, his government and his supporters. Established more than 80 years ago, the Arab League wields little political heft on the global stage, but the measure carries symbolic weight. Also Read Suspected Iranian drone strike kills US contractor in Syria: Pentagon US' claims to waive sanctions for earthquake relief 'misleading': Syria UN chief Guterres voices concern over escalation of violence in Syria Mukesh Ambani to bid for football club Liverpool FC's takeover: Report Israeli military retaliates after rockets fired from Syria, no casualties 'No good option' except lifting debt limit: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Brazil's Amazon megaprojects threaten President Lula's green ambitions Europe to build satellite constellation akin to SpaceX's Starlink: Report Ukraine conflict: Air raid alerts in Kyiv as multiple blasts rock Crimea UN's nuclear watchdog growingly worried over Ukraine plant safety His restoration to the Arab fold reflects a broader political shift unfolding in the Middle East, where Saudi Arabia is increasingly flexing its economic muscle and seeking to cement its role as regional power broker. With backing from Russia, Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Assad was able to survive the countrys ensuing civil war. The Arab League decision to disregard US reservations reflects Americas waning influence in the oil-exporting region and a growing willingness among allies to forge their own political path and build stronger strategic ties with US rivals. As well as working to reintegrate Syria, the Gulf kingdom has been trying to bring about a cease-fire in Sudan and, with Chinese mediation, has restored ties with Gulf rival Iran. Off the coast of Malaysia, in one of the worlds busiest shipping channels, an explosion on board the aging oil tanker Pablo ripped off its deck like a sardine can and began a fire that sent dark plumes of smoke into the sky. By Alex Longley and Yongchang Chin But for nearby maritime authorities, the headache has just begun. There is little evidence of the owner, a Marshall Islands-registered company whose fleet contains no other ships, and no trace of insurance. Both are vital for a clean-up to begin. It was a tragic accident that could have been a much larger catastrophe. The Gabon-registered ship, capable of carrying some 700,000 barrels of crude oil, was coming through the South China Sea after offloading a cargo in China and so was nearly empty. Out of its international crew of 28, officials report that 25 were rescued by passing vessels. The blast happened just beyond Singapores congested waters. With limited details on who is responsible for this vessel, there has been no one to hold to account as it burned just 40 nautical miles off Malaysias Pulau Tinggi island. Oil, potentially from the wreck, has been reported washing up on Indonesias coast. An Aframax-class crude oil tanker observed in Iranian waters last year, the Pablo underlines the risks that come with the expansion of a dark fleet of aging vessels moving sanctioned oil around the globe. Since the wave of sanctions that followed Russias invasion of Ukraine including the price caps imposed by the Group of Seven, intended to limit oil cash going back to the Kremlin observers in the oil trading community have reported the purchase of hundreds of old tankers by undisclosed buyers. Also Read India to withdraw licenses for oil tankers, bulk carriers older than 25 yrs China, Japan trade accusations over infringement on maritime territory Analysts see pressure on RIL, OMC's profitability amid firm oil prices EAM discusses situation in Indo-Pacific with his Colombian counterpart Jaishankar discusses Indo-Pacific state with Colombian counterpart Duran Chinese users of Binance, FTX show holes in Beijing's cryptocurrency ban US FDA recalls Covid-19 at-home tests by SD Biosensor over bacteria risks Texas mall mass shooting witnesses saw multiple bodies, including security UK Royal family website replaces 'concort' with 'Queen' as Camilla's title South Korean, Japanese leaders to meet again in a bid to improve ties What worries me is that there are ships like these passing through high-traffic straits every day, he added. So the likelihood of more accidents like this happening is actually quite high. The Pablo casualty is tragic, and a stark reminder of what we have been saying all along: the shadow fleet poses a serious threat both to peoples lives and to the marine environment, said Rolf Thore Roppestad, chief executive officer of Gard AS, the largest of the protection and indemnity clubs that insure much of the worlds fleet against risks such as oil spills. But almost a week after this explosion, there is little sign of the insurer to get the process moving. The Pablo is not listed in an industry database of insured vessels, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency did not answer questions on insurance. The cause of the fire is still unclear, though its possible vapors from the remains of the oil cargo played a part. Regardless, when ships like the Pablo explode, the process of cleaning up the mess gets more difficult. Often, insurance companies, salvage businesses and various intermediaries begin dealing with the situation within a few hours of it happening. If the owner cant be contacted, local authorities can seize the ship and try to cover what costs they can, according to Oon Thian Seng, founding partner of Singapore law firm Oon & Bazul LLP and at its associated Malaysian office, TS Oon & Partners LLP. However, its highly unlikely that selling whats left of the charred Pablo would cover the costs of removal. In instances where shipowners are unknown, local authorities will often press the crew for more information as they are one of the few people who know where a vessels orders are coming from. It is unclear whether that has been possible. The dangers the Pablo, and others like it, are clear from its history. The tanker was flying the flag of Gabon, which is a very small destination for vessel registration and falls outside of something called the Paris MoU, set up to promote safe shipping. It was built in 1997, meaning its far beyond the age at which most tankers are sold as scrap. Vessel Pablo Exploded Off The Eastern Coast of Malaysia | Crude tanker has been stranded since the accident about a week ago The tanker spent two months at a shipyard near Shanghai, but before that its last two voyages were to deliver crude to Chinese ports in Shandong province, ship tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show. Data analytics firm Vortexa identifies both cargoes as Iranian heavy crude, which is sanctioned. Further, had the Pablo been laden with its most recent cargo, that would have been a major spill of oil sanctioned by the US. Malaysian authorities said they suspended search operations on Friday evening as efforts havent turned up any sign of the crewmen. The explosion has made the ship unsafe to board, leaving it stuck off the countrys coastline for the time being. For authorities in Singapore, one of the worlds busiest shipping hubs, the question is how to keep legitimate oil cargoes moving while avoiding accidents like this one. The Maritime and Port Authority said it had requested the assistance of 20 vessels in the region to report any sighting of the Pablos three missing crew, and reported no disruption to traffic. Officials did not comment further. Sadly, its the crew, their families, and the coastal communities that are paying the price, Roppestad said. The longer it stays there, the longer it remains a visible reminder of the risks that come with an expanding shadow fleet. Nineteen months after China banned crypto, more signs have emerged that its citizens continue to buy and sell digital assets. By Zheping Huang, Suvashree Ghosh and Alice Huang A shadowy role for Chinese demand adds to the difficulty of parsing the outlook for digital-asset markets, which have partially revived this year from a 2022 crash pockmarked with bankruptcies like that of the FTX crypto exchange. These glimpses of their trading activity support suspicions that some of Chinas 1.4 billion people flout the prohibition Beijing imposed in September 2021 as they hunt for alternatives to investments like property and stocks. The evidence of ongoing Chinese appetite for tokens comes from varied sources, including FTXs creditor profile, citizens who said they used crypto platforms and depictions by industry insiders of workarounds to Beijings ban. There is even speculation the ban on the mainland could be loosened though there are no indications of that happening after Hong Kong pivoted to a pro-crypto stance to woo investment, a step that won quiet backing from Beijing. Also Read Crypto industry wants 0.1% TDS, Sebi-like regulator in Budget 2023 Are the rising Covid-19 cases in China a worry for India? Is it the beginning of crypto's end? Signature Bank pulls back from crypto transactions below $100,000: Binance Crypto firms go out of business as cryptocurrency collapse continues US FDA recalls Covid-19 at-home tests by SD Biosensor over bacteria risks Texas mall mass shooting witnesses saw multiple bodies, including security UK Royal family website replaces 'concort' with 'Queen' as Camilla's title South Korean, Japanese leaders to meet again in a bid to improve ties World trade data shows early signs of 'reglobalisation' across countries Hard to Eliminate Essentially, bans dont work, said Caroline Malcolm, global head of public policy at Chainalysis, which specializes in tracking digital-asset transactions. The decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies and the fact that they can be transferred peer-to-peer and traded on global exchanges make it difficult for any government to completely eliminate them. FTX bankruptcy filing showing customer distribution. US bankruptcy filings for FTX, which collapsed in November last year, show Chinese users accounted for 8% of the exchanges customers. FTX advisers have tallied more than 9 million customer accounts overall, while claims from creditors amount to at least $11.6 billion. Theoretically, crypto trading is outlawed for Chinese at home and abroad but its hard to enforce, Ding said. Often its about compliance systems at exchanges and whether theyll filter out Chinese passport holders, he added. Jack Ding, a partner with crypto regulations specialist Duan & Duan Law Firm, said he represents six Chinese creditors with a combined $10 million of FTX claims. They are part of a committee for foreign FTX customers, he said. Compliance Challenge Beijing cracked down on digital assets over concerns about money laundering, currency outflows and the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. The likes of the Binance, OKX and FTX exchanges had tapped risk-loving investors in China, once the worlds biggest market for Bitcoin trading, to boost growth. Interviews with Chinese investors point to the compliance challenge. Four said they had traded on the Binance digital-asset platform, and a fifth said hed also used OKX, after Beijings prohibition. Binance is the largest crypto exchange while OKX ranks at No. 2, CoinGecko data on 24-hour volumes show. Crypto platforms now try to block Chinese Internet Protocol addresses but virtual private networks can defeat such attempts by masking locations. OKX declined to comment on the issue. A spokesperson for Binance said the company doesnt operate in mainland China or have any technology, including servers or data, based there. The five spoke in part out of frustration over current or earlier suspensions of their accounts. Four said they lived in mainland China and had passed know-your-customer procedures using Chinese identification. Great Firewall Following the September 2021 ban, the Binance platform, including the website and mobile application, has been blocked behind the Great Firewall, the Binance spokesperson said, referring to the system China uses to sever its internet from the rest of the world. A Chongqing police officer surnamed Mu, whos in charge of the case, didnt respond to numerous requests for comment. A sixth Chinese investor, David Jin, said he lives in Silicon Valley and has had $8 million of crypto frozen on Binance since July at the behest of police in central Chongqing city in China. The police were probing tokens allegedly linked to illegal online casinos, Jin added, while denying involvement. Binance reserves the right to reject law enforcement requests that fail legal scrutiny, dont serve a legal purpose or where the investigative approach is flawed, the spokesperson added. The Binance spokesperson said that the company has a policy of cooperating with lawful information requests and legal inquiries from authorities pertaining to investigations, prosecutions, forfeiture actions and suspicious activities. Turning Dominican In March, Bloomberg News reported that another major crypto exchange, Huobi Global, was giving Chinese users the option of applying for a digital identity with the tiny island nation of Dominica. Once on-boarded, their app profile shows them as Dominican citizens, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not be identified discussing sensitive matters. Huobi has exited the Chinese market and barred Chinese users from signing up or logging in, the company has said. Huobi has said that it doesnt operate in China and that Chinese Internet Protocol addresses are strictly prohibited from accessing the platform, and that new customers are from anywhere but China. Since the prohibition, Chinese regulators havent announced sanctions on any offshore exchange for signing up mainland users. The Peoples Bank of China, which announced the digital-asset ban in September 2021 when it said all crypto-related transactions are illegal, didnt immediately respond to request for a comment on the signs that Chinese citizens continue to trade virtual assets. Malcolm from Chainalysis said the ban has either been ineffective or loosely enforced. The average monthly value of crypto flowing to China did roughly halve in 2022 from a year earlier but still remained sizable at $17 billion, the firm estimates. Crypto in China | Crypto activity dropped in China after 2021 ban but hasn't been eliminated The death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen beyond 200, with many more people still missing, according to local authorities in the province of South Kivu. Thomas Bakenge, administrator of Kalehe, the worst-hit territory, told reporters on the scene Saturday that 203 bodies had been recovered so far, but that efforts to find others were continuing. In the village of Nyamukubi, where hundreds of homes were washed away, rescue workers and survivors dug through the ruins Saturday looking for more bodies in the mud. Villagers wept as they gathered around some of the bodies recovered so far, which lay on the grass covered in muddy cloths near a rescue workers post. Grieving survivor Anuarite Zikujuwa said she had lost her entire family, including her in-laws, as well as many of her neighbours. "The whole village has been turned into a wasteland. There's only stones left and we can't even tell where our land once was," she said. Michake Ntamana, a rescue worker helping look for and bury the dead, said villagers were trying to identify and collect the bodies of loved ones found so far. He said some bodies washed down from villages higher in the hills were being buried shrouded just in leaves off the trees. "It's truly sad because we have nothing else here," he said. Also Read United Nations extends Congo peacekeeping force with an eye to its exit At least 100 people killed by floods, landslides in Congo's capital 'India remains concerned on volatile security situation in eastern Congo' Heavy rains, floods in Philippines leave 32 dead, 24 people missing M23 kills 131 civilians including 17 women, 12 children in east Congo: UN LIVE: 9 injured, several people killed at Texas outlet mall; gunman dead King Charles III crowned in spectacle marking a turning point for UK Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar shot dead in Lahore: Report Charles crowned King of UK with Imperial State Crown at historic ceremony UK PM Rishi Sunak reads from biblical book at multi-faith Coronation Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe, close to the shores of Lake Kivu on Thursday. Authorities have reported scores of people injured. One survivor told AP the flash floods came so fast that they took everyone by surprise. South Kivu Governor Tho Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself. He posted on his Twitter account that the provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter and food supplies. Several main roads to the affected area have been been made impassable by the rains, hampering the relief efforts. President Felix Tshisekedi has declared a national day of mourning on Monday to honor the victims, and the central government is sending a crisis management team to South Kivu to support the provincial government. Heavy rains in recent days have brought misery to thousands in East Africa, with parts of Uganda and Kenya also seeing heavy rainfall. Flooding and landslides in Rwanda, which borders Congo, left 129 people dead earlier this week. Local government official Bakenge told AP, "This is the fourth time that such damage has been caused by the same rivers. Not 10 years pass without them causing enormous damage. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said they expect "Taliban leaders" to fulfil their promises of forming an inclusive government, "not only in terms of ethnic groups but also by ensuring the presence of the entire spectrum of Afghanistan's political forces", Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported. These promises, Lavrov said have "yet to be done." "We are monitoring the implementation of their assurances that they will respect human rights, ensure security in the territory of Afghanistan, and eradicate the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking. All of our SCO colleagues have taken a united position on this," the Russian Foreign Minister said. Lavrov while speaking to reporters after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, claimed that there is convincing evidence to the "effect that the United States supports the terrorist groups entrenched in the territory of Afghanistan". These terrorist groups, according to Lavrov, "are opposed to the Taliban, including the Islamic State, the Islamic Movement of East Turkestan, and Al-Qaeda". "The Americans have not abandoned their attempts to reintroduce US military infrastructure in the region surrounding Afghanistan, in Central Asia. Everyone is well aware of the serious threat inherent in these attempts. We will resolutely oppose them," he said. Also Read Taliban asks int'l community to recognise 'Islamic Emirate' of Afghanistan Afghan Americans protest against Taliban ban on women's education No obstacles for United Nations to function in Afghanistan: Taliban Afghanistan's Taliban govt shuts down main border point with Pakistan Freezing weather in decade's 'coldest winter' kills 124 in Afghanistan Australia Treasurer Chalmers warns China boom can't stop global headwinds Very poor messaging: Buffett criticises US govt handling of banking crisis China censors poverty videos in a bid to promote prosperous image Burning oil tanker Pablo in the South China Sea is a global problem Chinese users of Binance, FTX show holes in Beijing's cryptocurrency ban Regarding this, Sayed Jawad Sijadi, a political analyst, said: "Everyone knows that the main condition for getting out of the crisis is to consider the realities in Afghanistan, form an inclusive government and recognize the fundamental rights of the people of Afghanistan." The Taliban has not commented on Lavrov's claim regarding the US's support to terrorists in Afghanistan. However, Taliban deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi, in response to Moscow's call to form an inclusive government, said that the interim government is "inclusive". "The formation of the government is inclusive ... No one has been dismissed, and also, on the political level there are figures from all ethnic groups and provinces," he said, as quoted by Tolo News. Earlier, the foreign ministers of India, Russia and Pakistan on Friday called for a representative government in Afghanistan and the protection of women's rights. The leaders of South Korea and Japan met on Sunday for their second summit in less than two months, as they push to mend long-running historical grievances and boost ties in the face of North Korea's nuclear programme and other regional challenges. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier on Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. It was the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbours in 12 years. South Korean media attention on the summit is focused on whether Kishida will make a more direct apology over Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Such comments by Kishida would likely help Yoon win greater support for his push to build stronger ties with Japan and ease domestic criticism that he's preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without receiving corresponding steps in return. It took 12 years to restore the shuttle diplomacy' but our exchange of visits took less than two months," Yoon said at the start of the meeting. I think this confirms that South Korean-Japan relations, which have started fresh, are moving forward with a speed. Yoon said cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo is essential considering the current grave international political situation and the global polycrisis. He didn't elaborate, but has previously cited North Korea's advancing nuclear programme, the intensifying US-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain problems as reasons for greater cooperation with Japan. Also Read North Korea fires unspecified ballistic missile into East Sea: South Korea North Korea's Kim calls for key party meeting to review state affairs North Korea military orders new artillery firing over South Korea drills N Korea fires missile toward East Sea, Japan says taking all precautions North Korea fires missile that may have been a new type of weapon Elections in country will take place on same day: Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif UK PM Rishi Sunak, wife to host Coronation Big Lunch for community heroes Amid fiscal woes, private dealers in Pakistan turn to Iran for cheaper fuel India regains top spot in Sri Lanka's inbound tourism market Ukraine farmers in Russia-free land risks lives to get rid of explosives Kishida said he and Yoon plan to exchange views to further develop bilateral relations. Kishida said that a series of dialogues has dynamically started moving since his summit with Yoon in March, during which he said the two leaders wiped out somewhat shrunk mood to strengthen our dialogue and cooperation. South Korean and Japanese officials said their leaders would discuss North Korea's nuclear programme, South Korean-Japanese economic security and overall relations, and other unspecified international issues. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honoured in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. In their March summit, Yoon and Kishida agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. In recent weeks, the two countries have also withdrawn the economic retaliatory steps they had earlier taken against each other in previous years when their history row rekindled. The most recent sticking point in their ties was 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labour. The verdicts angered Japan, which has argued that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalised ties in 1965. In an escalation of tensions, the two countries later downgraded each other's trade status, while Seoul also threatened to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Some activists and residents in South Korea staged campaigns to boycott Japanese products, as well. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated US efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoon's conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labour victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon travelled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida. Yoon's push drew strong backlash from some of the forced labour victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Korea's nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. White House officials have expressed some frustration with the tepid response from Tokyo on the forced labour compensation deal and hope that Kishida will use an upcoming visit to South Korea in early May to do more, Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in an analysis published last week. Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, China's assertiveness and Russia's war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. After his March summit with Yoon, Kishida said he upholds the positions of previous Japanese governments including one carried in the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but didn't make a new apology. In the 1998 declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said that I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyo's wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Asked whether he would discuss the forced labour victims with Yoon, Kishida said in his pre-departure comments: We will frankly exchange our views on this." Seoul and Tokyo have a slew of other sensitive historical and territorial disputes, mostly related to the Japanese colonisation. In a reminder of the delicate nature of their ties, diplomats between the two countries last week spatted over a South Korean lawmaker's visit to disputed islets located in the waters between the two countries. Earlier, Seoul protested Kishida's offering of religious offerings to a Tokyo shrine that it views as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression. The majority of residents in Japan are opposed to the country's aggressive defence outlays, or the government's tax hike plan to finance them, a recent local media poll has shown. About 80 per cent of respondents disapproved of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's call to finance a portion of defence spending by taxes, the survey conducted by national news agency Kyodo showed on Saturday. The reading further expanded from the 64.9 per cent rate reported in a similar opinion poll at the end of last year, Xinhua news agency reported. The Japanese government has decided to increase defence spending by more than 50 per cent to about $319 billion in five years from fiscal 2023, as part of its plans to beef up defensive capabilities. For the year from April, non-tax revenue will be used to fund the government's defence outlays according to the budget, which is set to double from the country's long-held cap of spending equalling nearly one per cent of the country's GDP to around 2 per cent of GDP in the year starting April 2027. According to the survey, nearly 60 per cent of respondents considered the five-year defence buildup plan "not appropriate," while 88 per cent felt that Kishida's explanation about enhancing Japan's defence was "not sufficient". Also Read Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in India on 2-day visit Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sacks 3rd minister in a month Japan mulls over more childcare policies amid declining birthrate Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in Kyiv for surprise visit US, Japan to hold Security Consultative Committee meet on Jan 11: Ned Price Obesity in children is rising, it comes with major health consequences Top headlines: Warren Buffet faults US govt, Vedanta repays $800 mn & more Expects Taliban to fulfil promise of inclusive government: Russian Minister Australia Treasurer Chalmers warns China boom can't stop global headwinds Very poor messaging: Buffett criticises US govt handling of banking crisis Among the polled, the largest group of 48 per cent said the public cannot bear further tax burdens when asked about the main reason for the tax hikes to cover the rise in defence spending. The country's broader five-year plan has drawn staunch criticism from the public, opposition parties and scholars, in no small part due to the plan running contrary to Japan's constitutionally-bound pacifist stance. Regarding the country's major policy shift highlighted in its updated security documents, 76 per cent of those surveyed did not know or were not much aware of Japan's new national security strategy and related documents approved in December, which included the plan to obtain counterstrike capabilities and boost its defence spending. The poll also revealed that nearly 60 per cent of respondents believed that possessing counterstrike capabilities would lead to an arms race with neighbouring countries. The Kyodo survey targeted 3,000 men and women in Japan who were aged 18 years or above. The questionnaire was sent out through mail on March 7 and received 2,043 responses by April 17, of which 1,959 were considered valid. --IANS int/khz/ Elsewhere, Ukrainian and Russian media reported explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea, and Russia's defence ministry said its air defences had detected and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight. Russia's Wagner mercenary group appeared on Sunday to ditch plans to withdraw from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, saying they had been promised more arms by Moscow and suggesting they may keep up their assault on what Russia sees as a stepping stone to other cities in the Donbas region. But in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, he said: "We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off (from supplies) will be deployed." A spokesman for Russia's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment after Prigozhin's latest statement. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had said on Friday that his fighters, who have spearheaded a months-long assault on Bakhmut, would pull out after being starved of ammunition and suffering "useless and unjustified" losses as a result. On the Ukrainian side, Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for Ukraineas eastern command, said in response to Reuters questions about Prigozhin's comments that Russian forces have "more than enough" ammunition. Russian officials have repeatedly sought to allay concerns that their forces on the front line have not received adequate supplies. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday, referring to the Russian army as a whole, that they had "received the sufficient amount of ammunition" to effectively inflict damage on enemy forces. Also Read TMS Ep398: Bharat 6G Mission, earthquake, debt MFs, Wagner Group Putin bans use of foreign language words: History of loanwords in Russian Govt turns optimistic on forging G-20 consensus on Russia-Ukraine war Year later, medical students back from Ukraine plan move to other countries US President Joe Biden visits Kyiv ahead of Russia-Ukraine war anniversary Warren Buffett says executives must be accountable for failed banks Pakistan govt reassures China on security as terror attacks increase IMF team flags risks to Bangladesh economy as reserves fall further China's Belt and Road initiative to enter Afghanistan in Taliban victory Arab League to readmit Syria after more than a decade of isolation "Four hundred eighty-nine artillery strikes over the past 24 hours in the area around Bakhmut is that an ammunition hunger? He said Prigozhins s comments are aimed at distracting from the heavy losses Wagner has taken by throwing so many troops into battle. The battle for Bakhmut has been the most intense of the conflict, costing thousands of lives on both sides in months of grinding warfare. Prigozhins s threat to pull out of Bakhmut highlights the pressure Russian forces are under as Ukraine makes its final preparations for a counteroffensive backed by thousands of Western-donated armoured vehicles and freshly trained troops. EVACUATION Ukrainian troops have been pushed back in recent weeks but have clung on in the city to inflict as many Russian losses as possible ahead of Kyiv's planned big push against the invading forces along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line. In its morning update, Ukraine's General Staff said Russian forces were evacuating local Russian passport-holders to the port city of Berdyansk and the town of Prymorsk, both on the coast of the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian military said on Sunday that Russian forces were evacuating residents from the town that serves the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told local television on Sunday morning that six of those missiles had been fired at Ukraine overnight but none had hit its target. In Mykolaiv, governor Vitaliy Kim said in a social media post that a building and territory belonging to an unspecified enterprise were damaged overnight after Russian long-range bombers targeted his southern region with five Kh-22 cruise missiles. Russian forces have stepped up their long-range missile strikes on civilian and infrastructure targets in recent days. In the eastern Kharkiv region, at least five people were injured after an S-300 missile struck a car park in the city of Balakliya, governor Oleh Synyehubov said. Baza, a Telegram channel with links to Russia's law enforcement agencies, reported that Ukraine sent a series of drones over the peninsula, with Russian air defence shooting down at least one over the port of Sevastopol. The overnight strikes coincided with Ukrainian and Russian media reports of multiple explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea. Strikes on Russian-held targets have intensified in the past two weeks, especially in Crimea. Ukraine, without confirming any role in those attacks, says destroying enemy infrastructure is preparation for a planned ground assault. Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. In the southern city of Kherson, which Ukraine liberated last November but which has been under constant Russian attack, six people were killed over the past 24 hours in a variety of strikes, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. The leaders of South Korea and Japan are to meet Sunday for their second summit in less than two months, as they push to bolster cooperation following years of fraught ties over historical issues. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is to arrive in South Korea on Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbours, the first of its kind in 12 years, signals that both nations are serious about strengthening ties in the face of shared regional challenges such as North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal and China's increasing assertiveness. "I hope to have an open-hearted exchange of views with President Yoon based on our relationship of trust," Kishida told reporters before his departure at his official residence. "Since March, there have been various levels of communication in areas including finance and defense, and I plan to further develop this ongoing trend." Yoon's spokesperson, Lee Do-woon, told reporters Thursday that Sunday's summit was expected to focus on security, economic and cultural cooperation. He earlier said North Korea, overall South Korea-Japan relations and unspecified international issues would be on the agenda. In their summit in March, Yoon and Kishida agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. In recent weeks, the two countries have also withdrawn the economic retaliatory steps they had earlier taken against each other in previous years when their history row rekindled. Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have long suffered on-again, off-again setbacks over issues stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Also Read North Korea's Kim calls for key party meeting to review state affairs Kim Jong Un's daughter called 'most beloved' child in 2nd appearance Kim Jong Un claims North Korean successes, says it faces challenges Xi tells Kim Jong-un to bolster 'strategic guidance' over bilateral ties North Korea's Kim Jong Un lays out key goals to boost military power World trade data shows early signs of 'reglobalisation' across countries Multiple people shot dead at Texas' Dallas outlet mall; gunman dead Death toll from flash floods, landslides in Congo rises beyond 200 LIVE: 9 injured, several people killed at Texas outlet mall; gunman dead King Charles III crowned in spectacle marking a turning point for UK The most recent sticking point in their ties was 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labour. The verdicts angered Japan, which has argued that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. In an escalation of tensions, the two countries later downgraded each other's trade status, while Seoul also threatened to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Some activists and residents in South Korea staged campaigns to boycott Japanese products, as well. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated US efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoon's conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labour victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon travelled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida. Yoon's push drew strong backlash from some of the forced labour victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Yoon has defended his decision, saying greater cooperation with Japan is required to tackle a set of challenges such as North Korea's advancing nuclear programme, the intensifying US-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain problems. Some observers say if Kishida offers fresh apologizes over Japan's colonial wrongdoing during his Seoul visit, that would likely help Yoon win greater domestic support for his policy on Japan. Asked whether he would discuss the forced labour victims with Yoon, Kishida said at his residence: "We will frankly exchange our views on this." Seoul and Tokyo have a slew of other sensitive history and territorial disputes, mostly related to the Japanese colonization. In a reminder of the delicate nature of their ties, diplomats between the two countries last week spatted over a South Korean lawmaker's visit to disputed islets located in the waters between the two countries. Earlier, Seoul protested Kishida's offering of religious offerings to a Tokyo shrine that it views as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty will host a Coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street in London on Sunday for community heroes to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla as part of the country's long celebratory weekend. Among the invitees is British Sikh entrepreneur Navjot Singh Sawhney, who won the UK PM's Points of Light Award earlier this year for his eco-friendly hand-cranked Washing Machine Project, which is benefitting over 1,000 families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries or refugee camps. The event is one of an estimated 50,000 Big Lunches or street parties being organised up and down the United Kingdom to celebrate the Coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. Also joining the Downing Street party will be Ukrainians forced to flee the war-torn country amid its conflict with Russia. Come rain or shine, thousands of friends and neighbours are coming together this weekend to put up the bunting, pour the tea and cut the cake at street parties and community events across the UK, said Sunak. I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own Coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment. In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future, he said. The British Indian leader made history at the Coronation ceremony on Saturday when he read a passage from a biblical book at the Abbey as the head of government of the host nation. Also Read Sunak, wife Akshata to lead with UK flag at King Charles III's Coronation UK PM Rishi Sunak reads from biblical book at multi-faith Coronation Charles to be crowned King in thousand-year-old Coronation ceremony King Charles III's Coronation: All you need to know about showbiz side Armed forces veterans, get prime spots at King Charles Coronation Amid fiscal woes, private dealers in Pakistan turn to Iran for cheaper fuel India regains top spot in Sri Lanka's inbound tourism market Ukraine farmers in Russia-free land risks lives to get rid of explosives UK employers offers IVF, menopause benefits to tempt women to work Reconstructing bacterial genomes offers potential source of antibiotics Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and the UK's Indian First Lady, marched in with him as part of a Commonwealth Realms procession. Sunday marks the designated Big Lunch element of the Coronation weekend, a nationwide initiative to bring neighbours and communities together to celebrate the historic event. Downing Street has been adorned with bunting featuring the official Coronation emblem and the Union Flag. Crockery will be donated by Emma Bridgewater the award-winning ceramics company based in Stoke-on-Trent including a limited-edition King Charles III teapot. Besides Sawhney, several other recipients of the Points of Light Award volunteers that have made an outstanding contribution to their community have been invited to attend the event. Winning the Points of Light award and getting recognised by the Prime Minister is a phenomenal privilege. The Washing Machine Project's mission is to alleviate the burden of unpaid labour, mainly on women and children, said Sawhney of his work. Attendees will enjoy food sourced from across the UK, including Loch Duart salmon from Sutherland in North West Scotland and soda farl from Northern Ireland. Beef will come from Gloucestershire in South West England and ice cream has been sourced from Chilly Cow, a company based in Ruthin, Wales. Ukrainians fleeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and their UK-based sponsors will also join the event. They include Olga Breslavska who travelled to the UK as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and is currently studying an intensive English course. Caroline Quill a Homes for Ukraine sponsor has been instrumental in matching 250 families across East Sussex and Kent and will also join the lunch. Young people from organisations such as UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs have also been invited to mark the occasion. Members of Britain's royal family will also attend some community events and street parties during the day before seeing the likes of pop stars Katy Perry and Take That perform at Windsor Castle at the Coronation Concert on Sunday evening. Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is among those scheduled to make an appearance at the concert. As air raid sirens wailed across most of Ukraine overnight for several hours, numerous explosions were reported in Crimea on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. The alleged drone attacks occurred on Sunday as the head of the Wagner paramilitary force urged Moscow to allow Chechen fighters to relieve his forces at the front-line city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and the UN nuclear chief warned of "dangerous" conditions surrounding the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. After the blasts, at least three uncrewed vehicles were downed over the port city of Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea. Damage from the assaults elsewhere on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, was not immediately known. According to Al Jazeera, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Sevastopol governor appointed by Moscow, posted on the Telegram messaging service, "No objects [in Sevastopol] were damaged." Recently, on May 3, as many as 16 people were killed by Russian air strikes in Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Wednesday, local prosecutors said. Also Read Fire erupts at Crimea oil depot as hit by Ukraine's drone: Russian official Uflex down 25% in 1 wk on tax raid report, hits lowest level since May 2021 Ukrainian Military hints hitting Russian cruise missiles in occupied Crimea Uflex drops 4%, hits 52-wk low on report of Income-Tax raid at Noida office Russia attacks Kyiv, eastern Ukraine with drones; air raid sirens heard UN's nuclear watchdog growingly worried over Ukraine plant safety UN assistance mission repeats commitment to stay in Afghanistan amid crisis In a bid to improve ties, S. Korean, Japanese leaders meet again for summit Elections in country will take place on same day: Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif UK PM Rishi Sunak, wife to host Coronation Big Lunch for community heroes "The death toll has risen to 16," the prosecutor's office said on Telegram, adding that "about 22" other people were "injured to varying degrees." According to the regional prosecutor's office, the authorities announced a curfew from Friday evening. "Under the procedural control of the Kherson District Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated into the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," it said. The attack came amid Russia's claims that Ukraine attempted to assassinate President Vladimir Putin when it flew two drones toward the Kremlin overnight. Russia said Putin was not in the building at the time of the attack. He expresses his displeasure at the "very poor messaging" by the US government with regard to the ongoing regional banking crisis, the report said. Berkshire Hathway CEO Warren Buffet on Saturday criticised the US government for handling the banking crisis in the country, reported Livemint. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) recently announced its decision to support uninsured deposits of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. Over the past few months, four regional banks in the United States have faced a crisis. Three of them were taken over by other institutions with the help of authorities. Buffet said at a shareholder meeting, that despite that extraordinary step by the FDIC, customers are still worried, Buffett said at a shareholder meeting of his Berkshire Hathaway holding company. Even as the law allows the FDIC to insure up to $250,000 of customers' deposits in eligible banks, the body insured all deposits for SVB and Signature Bank, including those beyond the legal limit. Also Read SVB Crisis: What led to the collapse of start-ups' favourite bank? SVB crisis: How the ripples of the bank's plunge reached foreign shores SVB crisis: What is contagion risk, and is it expected to spread to India? SVB crisis sends jitters through startup world: Here's what we know SVB crisis: Depositors to get access to 'all of their money' from today China censors poverty videos in a bid to promote prosperous image Burning oil tanker Pablo in the South China Sea is a global problem Chinese users of Binance, FTX show holes in Beijing's cryptocurrency ban US FDA recalls Covid-19 at-home tests by SD Biosensor over bacteria risks Texas mall mass shooting witnesses saw multiple bodies, including security Calling out the press, politicians, and agencies, Buffet said, "It's been poor by the politicians who sometimes have an interest in having it poor, it's been poor by the agencies. And I'd say it's been poor by the press." The 92-year-old billionaire said that this just shouldn't happen and blamed it on the poor messaging by the US government. Berkshire Hathaway logged a $35.5 billion profit for the first quarter of 2023, due to strong financial markets. The multinational conglomerate owns dozens of companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and restaurant chain Dairy Queen. He said that what happened with SVB showed a government takeover with an expanded deposit guarantee that has left the public confused. Buffet is one of the most successful investors of all time and is famously called "Oracle of Omaha". The transformation that some are calling reglobalization will take years, and trade data is only beginning to offer clues about the scope of the changes, and whos winning and losing. Here are eight indicators to watch to help understand the implications of this new era of geostrategic economics. Blame two main forces. Companies spooked by pandemic shortages, price spikes and shipping disruptions are reducing reliances on a single factory or country. Meanwhile, governments especially those in the US and Europe want to ensure access to key materials like semiconductors and rare-earth minerals in case the world trade splinters into geopolitical blocs. The University of Hyderabad is officially accepting online applications for Ph.D. Admission 2023. The deadline for Ph.D. admission in 2023-24 is May 25, 2023. Interested candidates should visit the University of Hyderabad's website at uohyd.ac.in. And the UOH Ph.D.'s official dates. The admission entrance tests will be held on June 17 and 18, 2023. Application Procedure Check the university's official website Navigate to the Admissions tab and click it. You will then be transported to another website. Go over all of the directions. If you are eligible, click the Apply Online button. Insert your information in the required fields and then submit. An application number will be created. Following that, fill out all of your other personal information in the fields provided and pay the cost. After that, upload the appropriate document and finish the application process by submitting all of the information. Application Fee General Candidates- Rs. 600/ EWS Candidates- Rs. 550/- OBC Candidates- Rs. 400/- SC/ST/PWD(PH) Candidates- Rs. 275/ Required Document For Admission 2023-24 10th class Marksheet 10th Passing Certificate 12th Class Marksheet 12th Passing Certificate Income Certificate Passport size Photograph Admissions Process Admission is often granted based on an interview, which may be augmented by a written test if required. Based on academic records, statement of purpose, and other factors, the Institute will invite a limited number of applicants for a written test and interview. Academic qualifications, written tests, and/or interviews will be used to make the ultimate decision. Result Applicants will be seeking the UoH Ph.D. Entrance Exam 2023 Result after completing the UoH Ph.D. Entrance Exam 2023. However, the officials will post the relevant results on their official website. As a result, as soon as the officials reveal the results, we will notify you via our portal. A computer technique based on machine learning (ML) has been created by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to improve the identification of cancer-causing tumours in the brain and spinal cord. Know About the Tumour Glioblastoma is a rapidly and aggressively developing cancer of the brain and spinal cord. Although research has been done to understand this tumour, the therapeutic options are still limited, and the expected survival time after diagnosis is less than two years. The Great Creation To specifically detect driver mutations and passenger mutations in glioblastoma, the technology known as aGBMDriver (GlioBlastoma Mutiforme Drivers) was created. The tool is accessible to everyone online. The GBMDriver website can be reached at: https://web.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo2/GBMDriver/index.html. Driver mutations are those that cause cell proliferation and tumour formation, whereas passenger or 'hitchhiker' mutations, which account for around 97% of all carcinogenic mutations, do not. Researchers Say According to a statement from Prof. M. Michael Gromiha of the Department of Biotechnology at IIT Madras, "We have identified the important amino acid features for identifying cancer-causing mutations and achieved the highest accuracy for distinguishing between driver and neutral mutations." In order to build drug design strategies, Gromiha continued, "We hope that this tool (GBMDriver) could help to prioritise driver mutations in glioblastoma and assist in identifying potential therapeutic targets." The scientists examined 8,728 passenger mutations and 9,386 driver mutations in glioblastoma in order to create this web server. In a blind set of 1809 mutants, driver mutations in glioblastoma were detected with an accuracy of 81.99%, which is superior to current computational techniques. The protein sequence is the sole determinant in this technique. Benefits and Advantages The peer-reviewed journal Briefings in Bioinformatics published their findings. Other diseases can also benefit from using the ML tool. The technique might be one of the crucial factors in determining a disease's prognosis. It is a useful tool for locating pharmacological targets that are specific to a mutation while creating treatment plans. According to Medha Pandey, a PhD student at IIT Madras, "We anticipate that the method is helpful to prioritise driver mutations in glioblastoma and assist in identifying therapeutic targets." The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a behind the scenes video from their coronation day. Prince William, 40, and Duchess Catherine, 41, posted new footage showing their family as they left their Kensington Palace home for King Charles' coronation at Westminster Abbey, along with a special glimpse into how they spent their day. The video opens with father-of-three William leading his daughter Princess Charlotte, eight, and her brother Prince Louis, five, out of their home and into the vehicles that took them to the service. It also includes special moments such as the procession to the Abbey, where Charlotte, Louis and their older brother Prince George, nine, can be seen waving to onlookers from their carriage, and the flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The video was posted on their Twitter and Instagram accounts with the caption: "What. A. Day. Thank you to everyone who made it happen #Coronation." They also retweeted a message from the Royal Air Force which shared pictures of key moments from the afternoon. William wrote: "Noted the rotary crews did the heavy lifting perfect flying conditions if you ask me! A big thank you to everyone for making today happen. W." Meanwhile, William's brother Prince Harry, 38, travelled to Heathrow Airport immediately after the coronation. According to The Sun, Harry's car was seen being escorted by a police motorcade in the direction of the airport. He was then taken into the VIP Windsor Suite at Terminal 5 ahead of his flight home to his family in California. Back row, from left, Honorary Chapter Regent Carol Rogers, Christine Holmes, Jane Hill, Chapter Regent Gayle Burrows, Libby Rogers and Janet Nuckolls. Front row, from left, Jeanne Rybolt, Second Vice Regent Trish Mullins and Registrar Lynne Hill. Chickamauga Chapter NSDAR Leadership Training Graduates at Tennessee State DAR Conference. From left, Jane Hill, Lynne Hill and Cindy Dearing. Chickamauga Chapter Regent Gayle Burrows holds the Chapters award for most new Junior Members by application. Accompanying her are from left, Honorary Chapter Regent Carol Rogers, Christine Holmes, Jane Hill, First Vice Regent Cindy Dearing, Second Vice Regent Trish Mulling, Janet Nuckolls, and Recording Secretary Anne Rodgers. Attending the Tennessee DAR State Conference Regents Banquet were Chickamauga Chapter members. Front row, from left, Second Vice Regent Trish Mullins, Regent Gayle Burrows, First Vice Regent Cindy Dearing. Back row, from left, Recording Secretary Anne Rodgers, Jeanne Rybolt, Jane Hill, Christine Holmes, and Honorary Chapter Regent Carol Rogers. Previous Next Twelve members of Chattanoogas Chickamauga Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution attended the three-day 118th annual Tennessee NSDAR State Conference held at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin, Tn. During the conference, members attended workshops, business sessions, an annual Regents Banquet and Memorial Service. Four hundred ninety-eight DAR members from around the state were in attendance. Chapter Regent Gayle Burrows received the Chapters annual awards packet in recognition of the work of Chickamauga Chapter members during the past year. Among the award highlights: First Place for the most new Junior Members by application to a Tennessee Chapter; the Chapters donation of 30 braille flags for use of the visually impaired; Second Place in the state for the number of cards sent to active duty military members; donations made to NSDAR founded schools; the presentation of an exceptional program on American History; members work on a National Patriot Records research project; and the Chapters work with local Chattanooga schools. Three Chickamauga Chapter members received diplomas for completing one of the NSDAR Leadership Training Courses. The Chapter was given the Sparkler Award for the cumulative number of members who have completed the Training Courses. Those receiving diplomas at the conference were: Cindy Dearing and Lynne Hill for the Members Course and Jane Hill for her completion of the Committee Leaders Course. To learn more about the work of todays DAR, visit www.dar.org. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp on Sunday announced the countys interest in the 11-acre Golden Gateway site being sold by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, with a vision to develop it into a next-generation public school campus. A generational investment in public education in the heart of downtown Chattanooga would send a powerful message about our priorities as a community, while also providing for future growth, said County Mayor Wamp. This is our opportunity to fulfill a promise made three decades ago that the legacy of Kirkman Technical High School would live on. We look forward to working with county commissioners to make a compelling proposal to BCBST leaders that the highest and best use of their site is to prepare Hamilton County students for careers. Hamilton Countys interest in the site for educational purposes follows the school systems recent focus on saving taxpayer dollars through adaptive reuse of existing facilities, demonstrated with the construction of the new CSLA and the planned conversion of the former Cigna facility in East Brainerd, said officials. Leaders at the Regional Planning Agency have advised county officials they should expect significant residential growth in the downtown area to continue, necessitating more capacity at local schools. As residential growth in and around downtown accelerates, there will inevitably be a need for more seats for students in the years to come," said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson. "The existing facility on the 'Gateway' site presents an excellent adaptive reuse opportunity for the school system similar to our recent acquisition of Cignas site in East Brainerd. For months, Ive worked closely with County Mayor Wamp to set priorities for improving the countys school facilities, and this 'Gateway' site fits both our intention to plan for future growth and to provide more career and technical pathways for students in every area of the county. The decisions we make today determine who we will be in the future," said Mayor Tim Kelly. "Investing in quality education for children is perhaps the single most important thing we can do to build a better city, and we are particularly committed to backing projects that strengthen workforce development. Downtown Chattanooga is poised for historic growth and development, and this significant investment by Hamilton County in education could be transformative, bringing quality public education back into the urban core where it thrived for many decades." This opportunity presents a potential win-win for Hamilton County students and taxpayers," said Hamilton County Commissioner Chip Baker. "We support bold solutions that will improve our school facilities in a fiscally responsible way. I could not be more excited about the possibility of a dynamic public school on the Golden Gateway site," said U.S. Senator Bob Corker. "I applaud County Mayor Wamp for his vision and the leadership of our County Commission. The Oklahoma Hall of Fame awarded scholarships to 132 high school students through the 2023 Oklahoma Scholarship Competition, including 21 Cherokee Nation citizens. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 How did the Apostles Peter and Paul die? Why do we know so little about the deaths of arguably the two greatest apostles in the Bible? Its a question that has stymied scholars and laypeople alike, one that seems to run counter to the multiple accounts of deaths in Scripture ranging from figures such as Judas, the most notorious apostle, to seemingly less significant figures like the sons of Korah in the Old Testament or Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts. But astoundingly, the Bible says nothing about the deaths of Peter and Paul. As Jordan Smith, lecturer of Biblical Studies at the University of Iowa, points out, the deaths of Peter, Paul nor any of the other apostles are recorded in the New Testament. According to Smith, our best source of information on the deaths of Peter and Paul are from extra-biblical sources, most of which contradict others on a number of details, including approximate dates and locations of their deaths. For instance, did you know that we have fifteen different versions of the deaths of Peter and Paul four of Peter, five of Paul, and six of Peter and Paul together all written by the sixth century? writes Smith. Heres what we do know: Paul is still alive preaching in Rome at the end of Acts, and at some subsequent point in time, both he and Peter were executed by Nero. Their deaths have traditionally been linked to 64 AD, during a period of persecution against Christians, who Nero blamed for the Great Fire of Rome. According to Roman historian Tacitus, the fire began in July of that year in the Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman stadium, and burned for five days. Nero, who some accused of ordering the fire to be started, substituted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men, loathed for their vices, whom the crowd styled Christians, wrote Tacitus in his Annals. But for Smith, the idea that Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire is highly unlikely since they werent a large and distinct enough group yet in Rome in 64 CE to provide a believable scapegoat. For instance, in his correspondence with the emperor Trajan in 112 CE, Pliny the Younger mentions that he has encountered accusations against a group that he knows nothing about that were called Christians," he wrote. Trajans reply reveals that he has not heard of this group before, either. This would not be possible for a group that less than 50 years earlier Nero infamously blamed for the Great Fire in Rome. Smith says there are two lingering traditions associated with the deaths of Peter and Paul: Peter was supposedly crucified upside down because he felt he was unworthy to be crucified in a manner similar to Jesus, and Paul, a citizen of Rome who could not be lawfully crucified, was executed by beheading instead. While there are a number of different versions of Peters crucifixion account, Smith says it wasnt until the sixth century History of Shemon Kepha the Chief of the Apostles that were told his request to be crucified upside-down was for the purpose of dying while symbolically kissing the place of Jesus's feet. Early Church fathers Origen and Jerome are said to have depicted Peters death as a tradition of humility, according to Smith. As for Paul, Smith says one account of his death bears a strong resemblance to the story of Eutychus in Acts 20. Smith writes, A servant, perhaps cupbearer, of Nero fell asleep in a window listening to Paul and fell to his death. After he was raised from the dead by Paul, the resurrected servant upset Nero by acknowledging Jesus as the eternal king, leading Nero to discover that many others among his own [bodyguards] were Christians. While details vary in later retellings, Nero is said to have ordered the Christians arrested and Paul beheaded, according to Smith. He believes, despite the various later accounts of the apostles deaths, any mention of them in the canonical list appears to have been a conscious decision made by the early Church. Perhaps the idea was to focus only on their lives, Smith wrote. Maybe it is because by the time the Gospels were written, the Apostles had dispersed and the stories of their deaths were unknown. Or, maybe the anonymous Gospel authors simply didnt think that any of the death traditions could be trusted, and excluded them for this reason. It's not clear what Smith meant by "anonymous" authors, since we have known since the first century the identity of each Gospel author: Matthew was written by the apostle Matthew, also known as Levi; The author of Mark, the second Gospel account, was Mark the son of Mary, Barnabas sister; Luke, a physician who was close to the apostle Paul according to Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11, and other texts, authored the Gospel of Luke; and Early church tradition strongly and consistently identified the Apostle John as the author of the Gospel of John, who repeatedly refers to himself as the "disciple whom Jesus loved." Ultimately, is the manner of how the apostles died relevant to 21st century Christians? Darrell Bock, senior research professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, told The Christian Post the fact that some apostles gave their lives for the faith is important. "It shows they truly believed in what they preached about Jesus," said Bock. As for how they died, the idea that Peter was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy of dying exactly how Jesus did says a great deal about the humility of this apostle." Violation of parental rights: Germany denies Christian school accreditation A Christian school has taken its case to the highest human rights court in Europe after German officials refused to grant accreditation because of its innovative hybrid approach, which merges in-person and at-home learning, even though the school fulfills all state-required standards and curricula. The Association for Decentralized Learning filed the case at the European Court of Human Rights last week, according to the rights group ADF International, which is supporting the school provider and maintains that the German states restrictive educational system is infringing upon parental rights and educational freedom. The right to education includes the right to embrace innovative approaches like hybrid schooling, said the groups Director of European Advocacy Felix Bollmann. By restricting this educational model, the state is violating the right of German citizens to pursue education that conforms with their convictions. The Association initially applied for accreditation in 2014, but the application was ignored by state educational authorities for three years, ADF International said. In response to the lack of action, the school filed a lawsuit in 2017. The initial court hearing occurred in 2019, followed by an appeal in 2021, and a third-level court proceeding in May 2022. In December 2022, the Constitutional Court dismissed the final domestic appeal. The Associations hybrid school has been operating successfully for nine years, employing state-approved teachers and following a set curriculum. Students graduate with the same examinations as their public school counterparts and maintain above-average grade points. Jonathan Erz, head of the Association for Decentralized Learning, expressed hope that the court would recognize the value of their innovative educational model, which uses modern technology and individual student responsibility. Despite providing satisfactory education, the Association has been denied approval to open new schools, ADF International said, adding that the administrative courts have criticized the hybrid model, arguing that students spend insufficient time together during breaks and between lessons, which they consider an essential part of education. German educational restrictions, including a ban on homeschooling, are considered to be in violation of both international law and the countrys own constitution. ADF International lawyers argue that the domestic courts interpretation of the German Basic Law (Article 7) renders the right to establish private schools ineffective, constituting a violation of the European Convention of Human Rights. Bollmann underlined the importance of parental rights in international law. It is established clearly in international law that parents are the first authority for the education of their children, he said. What the German state is doing to undermine education is an overt violation of not only freedom of education, but also of parental rights. He also pointed to distance learning during COVID-19 lockdowns as evidence that a complete ban on independent and digitally supported learning is outdated. Gunman kills at least 8, including children, at Texas mall A lone gunman opened fire at a bustling mall north of Dallas, Texas, killing at least eight people, including children, and injuring seven others. The shooter was killed by an on-duty police officer who happened to be at the mall on an unrelated call. At a news conference late Saturday, Allen Police Chief Brian E. Harvey told reporters the officer heard gunshots at 3:36 p.m. local time outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall and immediately engaged with the suspect, neutralizing the threat. The identities of the gunman and the victims had not been released as of early Sunday. U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas., confirmed multiple fatalities, including children, but said authorities remain unsure of the shooters motive, CBS News said. Videos circulating on social media captured the chaos, showing terrified shoppers running through the malls parking lot as loud pops echoed in the background. Reuters said television aerial footage captured hundreds of individuals calmly exiting the mall, about 25 miles northeast of Dallas, following the violent incident. Many of them had their hands raised while a significant number of police officers maintained a vigilant presence. An anonymous eyewitness, speaking to local ABC affiliate WFAA-TV, described the gunman as walking down the sidewalk just ... shooting his gun outside, and that he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part. Visible traces of blood stained the sidewalks outside the mall, and white sheets concealed what appeared to be lifeless bodies. Speaking with CNN, Kimberly Blakey recounted her experience fleeing the parking lot with her 14-year-old daughter during the attack, describing the continuous gunfire. In their attempt to escape, they initially drove toward the gunshots before turning around and getting caught in a traffic jam with other fleeing vehicles. Their car was hit twice by bullets. I told my daughter to get down. She did, and I could hear her start praying, Blakey was quoted as saying. Despite a flat tire warning, they continued driving until they reached home. Witnesses at the mall told The Associated Press they saw several victims, including some who seemed to be children. They also reported seeing a police officer and a security guard who appeared to be unconscious on the ground. At least nine people were hospitalized following the incident, with their ages ranging from 5 to 61, according to a spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare, which operates three trauma facilities treating the victims, according to The New York Times. A picture acquired by CNN seemingly displays the shooter on the ground after being struck, with a firearm resembling an AR-15 close by. Dressed in black body armor, he appears to have multiple additional magazines fastened to his chest equipment. A law enforcement source was quoted as saying authorities believe they have located the deceased suspect's vehicle, and as a precautionary measure, a bomb squad was inspecting it early Sunday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed his condolences, calling the incident an unspeakable tragedy. He offered the full support of the state, including resources and assistance, to help local officials in their response to the tragedy. Abbott told media he has been in touch with the mayor of Allen and the Texas Department of Public Safety, offering the assistance of Texas Rangers and other investigative resources. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has also responded to the scene. The mall, which features over 120 stores, was filled with weekend shoppers at the time of the shooting. The Gun Violence Archive has recorded at least 198 shootings this year thus far, the highest number at this point in the year since at least 2016, Reuters noted. IMB honors life of Rachel Kerr James, missionary nurse to war-torn Vietnam The International Mission Board has announced that a memorial service commemorating the life of longtime missionary and nurse, Rachel Kerr James, who shared the Gospel in Vietnam, will be held this week. James was among the pioneering Southern Baptists to serve in the war-torn country and established medical clinics while raising four children and supporting her husband in founding churches. James, who also served in East Asia, Northern Africa and the Middle East, died on April 18, at the age of 88. Born on Oct. 17, 1934, in Durham, North Carolina, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University. James felt called to missionary work from a young age, inspired by her mothers desire to be a missionary and her own observations of global needs through the experiences of other missionaries, according to an article in her memory, posted on the IMB website. Her commitment to missions was unwavering, as she later stated, Since then, my whole life has been centered around this call of God. She married Sam James in 1957, and in 1962, the couple was appointed as missionaries to Vietnam by the Foreign Mission Board, which is now the International Mission Board. She served as a nurse practitioner in South Vietnam for 14 years during the war. Throughout her time in Vietnam, James provided medical care to rural villages near Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. She recognized a critical need for health care due to the scarcity of Vietnamese doctors and nurses, as many were drafted into the South Vietnamese military. Despite their dedicated service, the James family could not avoid the wars encroachment. Sam James narrowly escaped death on three occasions between 1965 and 1970, according to the ministry. As North Vietnamese forces advanced toward Saigon in April 1975, Rachel James and her children were evacuated to Thailand. Sam remained in the city with a small group of IMB colleagues, tending to the influx of refugees until they were forced to flee five days before the city fell to communist forces. Following their time in Vietnam, Rachel James continued to serve as a nurse practitioner for 38 years in other regions of the world. Her husband held various leadership roles with the IMB, conducting training and conferences in 115 countries and overseeing the construction of a new training center near Richmond, Virginia. In 2002, the couple was granted permission to visit Vietnam several times a year, despite not being allowed to live there. By 2009, Sam was recognized by the Vietnamese government as a professor of religion, allowing him to teach at the newly formed Vietnamese Baptist Bible Institute. The couple officially retired from the IMB on Dec. 31, 2013, to focus on Rachels health. Before their missionary service, Sam had helped found Homestead Heights Baptist Church in Durham, now known as The Summit Church. James is predeceased by her son, Philip, and survived by her husband of 65 years; three children; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. On the Legacy website, Gerald and Brenda Burch wrote, Separation until we are Raptured or called home is always difficult. Rachel will be greatly missed, but in Christ's unfailing love, we will see her again. A memorial service in her memory will be held on May 13 at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. This week in Christian history: Massachusetts bans Christmas, YMCA founder born Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance. Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births and notable deaths. Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while others might be previously unknown by most people. The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week in Christian history. They include the birth of the co-founder of the YMCA, Massachusetts banning Christmas, and the death of a prominent Moravian leader. 1 2 3 4 Next UK churches celebrate King Charles III's coronation with prayers of thanksgiving, Evensong services The celebrations for the coronation of King Charles III continued in churches the length and breadth of the country on Sunday. Many churches planned services of prayer and thanksgiving, and special commemorative Evensongs following the king's coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Some churches also held a 'Coronation Big Lunch' to share food and fun together. Blackburn Cathedral was among them, with their Coronation Big Lunch being followed by a celebratory Choral Evensong that will be livestreamed on itsYouTube channel. In a message released on the eve of the coronation weekend, the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt. Rev. Philip North, said he hoped people would enjoy the celebrations while also reflecting on the Christian message of service that was at the heart of the king's coronation. "Jesus taught His disciples to be servants. He did that as He washed their feet at the table of the Last Supper. He did it above all on the cross when He gave his life away, He made of His life a gift to others. And that's the call of a Christian, to make of our lives a gift to the world," he said. "King Charles III will be doing that as he's crowned, making of his life a gift as servant of nation and commonwealth. Churches around Lancashire seek to do that in their common life as they serve their neighborhoods and their communities especially the poorest and the most vulnerable." He added: "I hope that you and everyone across the nation, and across the globe, really enjoys this coronation weekend and delight in the spectacle. "But I also hope people have a chance to think a bit deeper, to think what's really going on, Charles giving away his life as servant, and inviting us to do the same." The Church of England held a special online service on Sunday morning commemorating the coronation. The service was livestreamed from the Tower of London and led by chaplain Canon Roger Hall. St Paul's Cathedral will also hold a "festive" Choral Evensong in celebration of the coronation with specially selected prayers, Bible readings and celebratory works by Parry and Handel. The Salvation Army Histon Corps in Cambridge was planning to open its doors on Sunday evening to livestream the King's Coronation Concert. On Sunday afternoon, the Salvation Army band will be playing in the Precincts in Canterbury for an hour as part of celebrations organized by Canterbury Cathedral. Many churches already pray for the monarch every Sunday as part of their prayers of intercession. Churches across the U.K. joined in the celebrations on Saturday by livestreaming the coronation in their buildings and holding coronation-themed events like tea parties, music concerts and flower festivals. On the Monday Bank Holiday, many Christians will be rolling up their sleeves to join the Big Help Out, a volunteering initiative organized by a coalition of charities as part of the coronation weekend and supported by churches and faith leaders. Originally published by Christian Today What Ephesians 5 really teaches about husband-wife submission The sentence including Ephesians 5:22 actually starts at 5:18. Paul commands all believers, Be filled with the Holy Spirit, followed by examples of what people do who are filled with the Spirit, concluding with 5:21, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ Paul states that mutual submission is required of all believers. He continues this sentence in 5:22, wives to your own husbands without adding the verb submit. The NIV paragraph break after verse 21 is in the middle of a sentence. This is not justified. It makes no sense for a new paragraph to begin, Wives to your own husbands with no verb. Splitting this sentence into two paragraphs separates wives to your own husbands from the context Paul gives it namely mutual submission. Originally there was no verb in Ephesians 5:22. The earliest manuscripts of Ephesians 5:22 (including Vaticanus) do not include the verb submit. Nor does its citations by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata 4.8.64), Origen, and Theodore of Mopsuestia. Jerome even writes that in Greek manuscripts verse 22 never repeats the verb submit from verse 21. Virtually all editions of the Greek New Testament omit submit: NA, UBS, Nestle, Westcott-Hort, Tasker, Souter, Alford, Tischendorf. The inclusion of submit in The Greek New Testament Produced at Tyndale House Cambridge is inconsistent with its aim to present the New Testament books in the earliest form in which they are well attested, p. vii. The United Bible Societies text ranks the omission of submit as almost certain. The view that submit was originally in the text and that all the earliest manuscripts of this passage and citations of it removed submit must not be true, because once submit first appears in the text of Sinaiticus circa 360 AD, no scribe ever removed it. The missing verb must be implied from Ephesians 5:21s submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. The command that wives submit to their husbands, therefore, should be understood in the context of mutual submission. This context requires that husbands, too, should submit to their wives. In this chapter, Paul calls all Christians to mutual submission and sacrificial love. Since Ephesians 5:21 uses the reciprocal pronoun, it cannot refer to submission to superior rank. Rather, it is about submission in the sense of voluntary yielding in love (BDAG 1042 1.b..). This includes husbands and wives within their marriages. Pauls words are crafted to fit the Greco-Roman households he addresses. Paul encourages wives to respect the man who provides them with food, shelter, clothing, companionship, and love. But this does not exempt them from loving their husbands. Husbands then, like husbands today, could be emotionally distant and have their separate worlds. They needed to be told to love their wives, and this applies to husbands today. But this does not exempt them from respecting their wives. Paul does not give any command here in Ephesians 5 that applies only to husbands (and not to wives) or applies only to wives (and not to husbands). In sharp contrast to patriarchal Greco-Roman household tables, which directly address only the father of the family and assign him final authority in the household, Paul addresses all members of the household and calls all to be accountable to Christ. He tells husbands to love their wives self-sacrificially and masters to treat their slaves justly and with equality (isotes, Col. 4:1). He forbids masters from threatening their slaves and reminds them that there is no favoritism with God (Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25). These statements by Paul undermine the foundation of Greco-Roman patriarchy that male masters are superior to females and slaves. Pauls Christ-centered reframing subverts their Greco-Roman hierarchical purpose. Pauls closely parallel wording in Ephesians 5:23 and 1 Corinthians 11:3 favors the translation, because man [Adam, not the husband] is the source of the woman [not his wife]. Respect for man as womans source can motivate a wife to submit. As explained in my previous op-ed article, authority was not an established meaning of head in the Greek of Pauls day like it is in English, but source was. Source is also what Paul means by head in the Eph. 4:1516, Col 1:18, he is the head of the body, the church, who is its source [arche], and 2:19). Furthermore, source fits how Paul explains head in Ephesians 5:23. Robertsons Grammar, 399 explains that head is in emphatic apposition with savior. As savior, Christ is the source of the church, as Paul explains in verse 25: Christ gave himself up for her. Similarly, the husband, in that culture, was the source of life for his wife since he provided all that was essential for her to live. Head is a natural metaphor for source because the head is the source from which the body receives nourishment, breath, sight, hearing, smelling, and taste. This Ephesians passage goes on to command husbands to love, give themselves for (5:25), nourish, and cherish their wives just as Christ does for the Church (5:29). Nowhere does it say that husbands have authority over their wives. Paul applies submit to one another first to wives in verses 2224 and then to husbands in verses 2533. Some people assert, the husband is told to love his wife the wife is not told to love her husband. Furthermore, Christ is the model for the husband only, not his wife. Neither is true. In the first two verses of this chapter, Paul uses identical words for all believers, including wives and husbands, love ... as Christ loved ... and gave himself up for us. Additionally, Paul writes that wives should love their husbands in Titus 2:4. This passage highlights Christs love and self-giving, not Christs authority. It teaches how much love Christ has for the Church, and therefore how much love husbands should have for their wives. The key point of the analogy Paul stresses is, love your wives as Christ loved the Church (5:25, 28 twice, 29, 33), not that the husband has authority over his wife, and certainly not that the husbands authority corresponds in any way to the authority Christ has over the Church. That would be like deifying husbands! Ephesians 5:32, This mystery is profound but I am speaking about Christ and the church expresses the mystery of Pauls analogy. This understanding of the submission of wives to husbands as one aspect of mutual submission fits Pauls instructions far more extensive and also radical in his culture for husbands to love, cherish, and nourish their wives. The following passages about children and slaves use a different verb, obey. Colossians 3:18 states, Wives submit to your husbands in all ways that are appropriate in the Lord. The Greek text has no comma after husbands. Wives should not submit in ways that are not appropriate in the Lord, such as Sapphiras collusion with her husbands deceit in Acts 5. The NIVs added comma changes as is fitting in the Lord from a restrictive clause into a separate affirmation. Colossians 3:19 explicitly addresses abuse since it commands husbands not to be harsh with their wives. Harshness has no place in Christian marriage. Churches commemorate historic coronation in Sunday services The celebrations for the coronation of King Charles III continued in churches the length and breadth of the country on Sunday. Many churches have planned services of prayer and thanksgiving, and special commemorative Evensongs following the King's coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Some churches are also preparing to hold a 'Coronation Big Lunch' to share food and fun together. Blackburn Cathedral is among them, with their Coronation Big Lunch being followed later in the day by a celebratory Choral Evensong that will also be livestreamed on its YouTube channel. In a message released on the eve of the coronation weekend, the Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev Philip North, said he hoped that people would enjoy the celebrations while also reflecting on the Christian message of service that was at the heart of the King's coronation. "Jesus taught his disciples to be servants. He did that as he washed their feet at the table of the last supper. He did it above all on the cross when he gave his life away, he made of his life a gift to others. And that's the call of a Christian, to make of our lives a gift to the world," he said. "King Charles III will be doing that as he's crowned, making of his life a gift as servant of nation and commonwealth. Churches around Lancashire seek to do that in their common life as they serve their neighbourhoods and their communities especially the poorest and the most vulnerable." He added: "I hope that you and everyone across the nation, and across the globe, really enjoys this Coronation weekend and delight in the spectacle. "But I also hope people have a chance to think a bit deeper, to think what's really going on, Charles giving away his life as servant, and inviting us to do the same." The Church of England held a special online service on Sunday morning commemorating the coronation. The service was livestreamed from the Tower of London and led by chaplain, Canon Roger Hall. St Paul's Cathedral will also hold a "festive" Choral Evensong in celebration of the coronation with specially selected prayers, Bible readings and celebratory works by Parry and Handel. The Salvation Army Histon Corps in Cambridge was planning to open its doors on Sunday evening to livestream the King's Coronation Concert. On Sunday afternoon, the Salvation Army band will be playing in the Precincts in Canterbury for an hour as part of celebrations organised by Canterbury Cathedral. Many churches already pray for the monarch every Sunday as part of their prayers of intercession. Churches across the UK joined in the celebrations on Saturday by livestreaming the coronation in their buildings and holding coronation-themed events like tea parties, music concerts and flower festivals. On the Monday Bank Holiday, many Christians will be rolling up their sleeves to join the Big Help Out, a volunteering initiative organised by a coalition of charities as part of the coronation weekend and supported by churches and faith leaders. Fulani herdsmen kill 12 Christians in central Nigeria Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists on April 16 killed 12 people in attacks on predominantly Christian villages of central Nigeria that continued until April 19, sources said. The assailants burned down the house of a pastor and other homes belonging to Christians in the attacks on Tattara Mada, Migini, Angwan Barau and other villages in Kokona County, Nasarawa state, area residents said. "The house of the pastor of the ECWA [Evangelical Church Winning All] local congregation in Tattara Mada village was burned down, and dozens of other houses belonging to Christians there were also destroyed by the herdsmen," the Rev. Danladi Ndoh, village resident and chairman of the ECWA Angwan Takwa District, told Morning Star News by phone. "Hundreds of our church members have been displaced, and this is aside from the 12 Christians killed." Area resident Chorio Musa identified the assailants as Fulani terrorists. "The victims were murdered like animals, while some inhabitants of these communities are still missing," Musa said in a text message to Morning Star News. "Valuables worth millions of naira have been lost. More than 50 houses have been burnt down to ashes, and food and cash crops were burnt to ashes, too." Survivors were stranded without any assistance from the Nasarawa state government, he said. Pastor Elisha Tangwai said the entire village of Tattara Mada was in confusion after the killings on April 16. "Let us pray for God's intervention, for peace to be restored and for sanity to prevail in this community," Pastor Tagwai said in a text message to Morning Star News. Pius Kyubeh, of the Mada Development Association, said 86 homes were destroyed in area communities. "Tattara Mada is a settlement which predominantly has a collection of thousands of Mada Christians adjoining with other villages like Kama Yanda, Kama Madaki, Ngah Habu, Angwan Barrau, Angwan Takpa, etc.," Kyubeh said. "These attacks carried out by armed Fulani against unarmed Mada Christians of Tattara Mada and environs is the height of unbridled terrorism, as has been perpetrated in other parts of central Nigeria." Kyubeh said that in his team's visits to the area, villagers told them no fewer than 12 Christians were killed by well-armed Fulani herder/militias. "Many Christians have been rendered homeless, and in some cases, Christians have been forced to flee from their homes," he said. Nanham Nansel, spokesman for the Nasarawa State Police Command, said in a press statement that security personnel were deployed to the area. Nasarawa Gov. Abdullahi Sule released a statement asserting, "It is not only the Tattara community that is affected. There're also other communities, Angwan Takpa, Angwan Ayaba and other surrounding communities, that have been displaced." Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors' 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people. In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year. "Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery," the WWL report noted. "This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation... Nigeria's government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians' rights are carried out with impunity." Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom's All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report. "They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity," the APPG report states. Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria's Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians' lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds. 2023 Morning Star News One Laredoan witnessed firsthand the 70th anniversary celebration of the alliance between the United States and South Korea as she watched the countrys president, Yoon Suk Yeol, address the congressional chamber in late April. Monica Perales, who is the in-house counsel for Fasken Oil & Ranch, was invited to the speech by Rep. Henry Cuellar who said he is always provided an extra ticket to give out. Perales happened to already be at the nations capitol at the time of the speech. Cuellar said it's important to show his constituents the importance of the United States on a global scale. I always take the opportunity to listen and how they view the U.S. relationship, and you can also see as the co-chair of the Spain caucus and see how they all view us, Cuellar said. Whether it is South Korea or whether it is Guatemala or Spain, in one way or another we are all interrelated as we have an impact on them, and they have an impact on us. Perales was in Washington, D.C. lobbying against the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions plan to send high-level nuclear waste to Texas, and she was not aware of the South Korean presidents speech. It was the first time ever I was at an event like this, and security was definitely tight, which gave me the feeling that it was a historic event with all of the security and all the black SUVs. So you do get the feeling that you must be at something that is important, Perales said. The Korean president was gracious in thanking America for continually upholding our commitment to freedom, as we did when we supported South Korea when their own freedom and democracy were on the brink of collapse when they were invaded by North Korea. She was moved by the Korean presidents words about American and South Korean soldiers fighting side by side to protect their liberties and about the shared values and customs between the nations. Perales was also intrigued by him drawing parallels between the Korean War and the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At that point, it was when the entire gallery was so moved that they all rose to their feet in applause, Perales said. Perales watched the speech from the top of the chamber where she was next to people such as Larry Cohen, who is the chief of staff for California Congressman Juan Vargas. They discussed issues about a nuclear plant in San Diego having many problems including with nuclear waste. Cuellar said he enjoyed how the South Korean president talked about the history of Congress and its importance to democracy while also sharing stories about how rich the history between the two countries has been since World War II. He said the president spoke about the economic ties between the countries and singled out Texas thanks to the Samsung factory that has been operating in Austin where more than 9,000 jobs have been created. Cuellar also discussed how Yeol spoke about pop culture uniting the countries. He talked about Korean movies that have won the Oscars and even about the famous Squid Game on Netflix, Cuellar said. He was very good at showing how the U.S. and Korea are intertwined in so many ways, and he also mentioned how the Indo-Pacific region has 65% of the global population and 62% of the world GDP. He was very good at also quoting many people, and you can see they did put a lot of thought into this 70th anniversary of the Republic of Korea. Along with watching the speech, Perales also got to meet the ambassador to Guatemala. He was there in his office, and he spoke to me about economic development programs in his country. We spoke about oil and gas development and energy and natural resources, and I told him that we would love to be a resource to him, Perales said. I also spoke to him about how the region that I am working in is called the Permian Basin, composed of five counties, and it spreads from New Mexico to Texas, and that if we were an independent nation then this region would be the third-largest producer of oil and gas in the world. Perales said the ambassador was fascinated by the methods used in Texas to get such production and said they intend to stay in touch to discuss how her expertise and her company could provide guidelines for what they do in Guatemala. Along with all the speeches and meetings, Perales was intrigued seeing Cuellar in his element in Congress and said it is a different feel than seeing him at work in Laredo. It was different to see him there in his element at work, and it was exciting for me to hear firsthand how they all know him, how they all respect him and how they all tell me that he is willing to work with everyone, Perales said. It is comforting when you hear that at a time when you are like gosh, some of these people are not able to reach across the aisle and get anything done. OMAHA, Neb. - In the days since state Sen. Merv Riepe cast the lone vote that blocked a near-total abortion ban in his conservative state, he's faced protests at his office, the cold shoulder from irate colleagues and calls for his resignation. A stranger left an angry note inside his home mailbox. Yet, the 80-year-old Republican has also raked in accolades, becoming an unlikely hero for those fighting to protect abortion access in Nebraska and around the country in the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion advocates wept in the Capitol after Riepe's April 27 vote. A downtown Omaha novelty store is now selling blue T-shirts and tank tops that say "Hot Merv Summer" in bold, white type. Riepe's vote reflects a growing realization among some Republicans that staking extreme positions on abortion might be politically perilous. Since Roe, which guaranteed the right to abortion, was struck down, Republicans have faced pressure from the far-right to ban the procedure in states across the country. But voters, including those who identify or lean Republican, have signaled an uneasiness with taking restrictions too far. A nearly year-long survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute found 54 percent of people in Nebraska believed abortion should be legal in most or all cases compared to 45 percent who said it should be mostly illegal. Just 11 percent said all abortions should be banned. On the same day Riepe, who describes himself as "pro-life," bucked his party here, three Republican women in South Carolina blocked a near-total abortion ban in that state. Republicans in the North Carolina state legislature backed off a total abortion ban, and instead voted on Thursday for a 12-week ban, swayed by what happened in other states. Last year, voters in Kansas and Kentucky rejected ballot initiatives to ban abortion in those conservative-leaning states. Backlash to the Dobbs decision is widely seen as the reason Democrats fared better than expected in the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans have lost the allegiance of women like Carol Russell, a 75-year-old in Millard, Neb., with their hard line stances on social issues. Russell, a lifelong registered Republican who met her husband in a Young Republicans Club in college, can't remember the last national Republican she supported and today considers herself a "closet Democrat." Russell, who has always backed abortion rights, said her frustration with Republicans and their agenda has only become more intense since the rise of Trump, whom she voted against twice. Russell and her husband have lived in a suburban home in Riepe's district for decades. Sitting in an armchair, she gazed out the window at the community pool she's excited to take her grandchildren to this summer. She said she felt too old to go to Lincoln to participate in the protests at the state Capitol before the abortion vote, but she was among many advocates who sent letters and made calls urging Riepe to vote against the ban. "I bet the vast majority of people who emailed him or contacted him were against the abortion ban. So, you know, good for him," Russell said of Riepe, whom she voted for in 2014, his first term in the legislature, and has known personally for decades. "He might not like it, you know, abortion, but he was reasonable in taking his views and his constituents' views, which I don't think enough people do." Ahead of the abortion vote, Riepe passed around a national news article to his GOP colleagues that warned the abortion issue would ultimately hurt the party. He still wanted more restrictions on the procedure, which is permitted up to 20 weeks in Nebraska, but he wanted his fellow Republicans to get behind a 12-week ban, rather than the one they were advancing that would effectively make all abortion illegal. "I know there are probably some in there that think I betrayed them, but I tell you what, I've told them before, I don't answer to them, I am going to vote my own vote. I'm going to vote it how I see it. And if they don't like it, go away," Riepe said in an interview last week. "I've told the party this. My vote belongs to the people of my district, not to the Republican Party." Riepe's district, which comprises part of Omaha and its suburbs to the southwest, has swung between Democrats and Republicans in the last decade. Riepe won his seat in 2014 and then lost reelection to a Democrat in 2018. He recaptured the seat in 2022 when the incumbent decided not to run again. His Democratic opponent, Robin Richards, came within seven percentage points of beating him, and Riepe believes if his challenger had a bit more money and time to campaign, she would have overtaken him. "I love that I live in Merv's head now," Richards said, laughing, in an interview. About a week after the vote, Riepe, tall and lean with thick, snow-white hair, sat on a sun-soaked windowsill in the state Capitol near the chamber floor, doodling dots and lines on a small notepad and connecting them into different shapes. At one point, he sketched a bell curve, writing far left on one end and far right on the other. "The rest of us live somewhere in here," he said, referring to how he thinks people feel about abortion, as he scribbled inside the curve. In a strip mall parking lot in the heart of Riepe's district, Katie, 43, a mother of three whom The Post is only identifying by first name, offered a nuanced take on the divisive issue. She's a Republican who is worried about the economy, religious rights and gender reassignment surgeries for children. She does not believe abortion should be completely banned, but she also feels young pregnant women should be given more information before going through with terminating their pregnancies. In the same shopping center, Taylor Young, 27, called Riepe's vote "a relief." She used to be antiabortion and voted for Donald Trump in 2020. But her work as a surgical technician in labor and delivery has changed her perspective. She said she hadn't been educated about the procedures that are considered an abortion, like those that save a mother's life or end nonviable pregnancies. Now, she doesn't think there should be any restrictions on abortion access. Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral legislature, meaning there's only one legislative body that passes laws. Members are officially nonpartisan although their party affiliation is known. A few Democratic lawmakers have taken to filibustering every bill that comes before the legislature, requiring the state Senate to obtain two-thirds support, which is 33 votes, to end the debate and move forward with a vote. On the abortion ban, Riepe denied them that 33rd vote. "I've reminded them, don't be too snotty or nasty with me, I might be the 33 vote on the budget, or on the property tax ruling. They need to treat me reasonably nice. I haven't rubbed that in, but I do have a lot of power with that vote," Riepe said. "Someone said to me, you're kind of like in Washington at this moment like, Manchin, is it? Joe Manchin" - a reference to the West Virginia Democratic U.S. senator whose singular vote has at times blocked Democratic ambitions in the closely-divided Senate. On a recent Tuesday morning, a group of local Republicans, 11 men and one woman, gathered in the backroom of Wheatfields Eatery and Bakery, an Omaha restaurant where they meet once a month to talk politics over coffee, cheese-smothered eggs and French toast. Posted inside a display case of muffins, cinnamon rolls and other breakfast pastries is a small sign that says, "Protect Life." Riepe often joins when he's in town. "He basically sided with pro-abortion people and he can't take that back. His actions are speaking louder than his words and there are a lot of people really upset with him. I was disappointed by his actions. There are a lot of people who feel betrayed, myself among them, absolutely," said Robert Rohrbough, 76. "I don't know if Merv is Christian " Rohrbough continued before another man cut him off. "Let's not go there," the man said. "You can believe what point life begins, but don't say someone else can't be a Christian. Don't ever, ever say that." "I didn't say that, don't put words in my mouth," Rohrbough shot back. Scott Petersen, listening from the other end of the table said, "It's a very tough subject and those on the left love it when we have these tough discussions, because it divides us and division seems to be the word of the day." Petersen said he was disappointed, but wasn't as worked up about Riepe's vote as others, predicting that Nebraska Republicans would ultimately get a stricter abortion ban passed. Riepe shrugged when told about his breakfast buddies' reaction to his vote. "And if they said, 'I don't think you should come back to this breakfast,' I'd say, 'Ok,'" he said. "Pro-life is not what they specifically define it to be. There are various shades, like everything, of what pro-life is," Riepe said. "Don't give me this bull crap that just because I don't want zero abortions in the country that therefore I'm not pro-life. That's by their definition. And that really angers me when someone tries to define me based on their standards. You know, who are they to do that?" Nancy Meyer, 70, a lifelong Republican who voted for Trump twice, said her politics changed dramatically after Roe was overturned. She and her husband, Bruce, 70, also a lifelong Republican, have recently switched their party affiliation to independent and believe conservatives are going too far in trying to take away women's rights. "The Christian right takes this on because it makes them feel good - they can say they're doing something good that they think supports their religion. They can say, you know, killing is a sin, right?" said Bruce Meyer, a retired certified public accountant and client executive for tech companies. "But the bigger sin is failure to thrive. And failure to thrive to me means: Where are you after the child is born?" The Omaha couple, who live west of Riepe's district, sent letters to senators across the state urging them to not ban abortion. Sitting across from each other at their dining table with Milton, their Yorkshire terrier, sporting a blue bow, laying on Bruce's lap, Nancy described her emails as deeply emotional pleas. "I literally at night would lay in my bed and write to them. I would write these senators like, all the time, and I've never written a senator in my life," she said. "And I'm writing to [Riepe] the night before going: 'Please be brave. Please be strong. Please do the right thing.'" Bruce also wrote to senators in the weeks leading up to the vote, but he described his emails as "more matter of fact. A lot of factual knowledge." The couple, married 49 years, said they've lost friends after becoming more outspoken about abortion rights. Still, Nancy believes there are many more people like them who have long voted Republican and don't want to see women stripped of their rights; they're just staying silent out of fear of being outcast like them. "If the Republicans don't wake up and realize that they're going down this extreme avenue, if they don't realize that women are of extreme value to them, I don't think they'll win," Nancy said. "I think this next election [in 2024] is going to be a one-vote reason. You're going to vote, not for a person, you're gonna be voting for a reason." The Meyers' politics and vocal advocacy were strongly influenced by their daughter, Abigail Delaney, 40, an infertility specialist who works less than 30 minutes away from her parents' home in an Omaha-area medical center. Like her parents, Delaney had once considered herself a conservative who opposed abortion. When she did her OB/GYN residency, she opted out of additional abortion surgical training because of her political beliefs at the time, she said. But throughout her residency, she became more aware about widespread health inequities and saw "all the bad things that can happen in pregnancy." "You recognize that, it's not up to me. At the end of day, you have to take care of patients - and the government really doesn't have a place in that," Delaney said, sitting in the lobby of the Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine on a recent weekday afternoon. Delaney has become an outspoken advocate for abortion rights, joining a group of local female physicians to form a political action committee called Campaign for a Healthy Nebraska in June 2022 to push against antiabortion legislation in the state. Once a registered Republican, she changed her affiliation to independent before ultimately becoming a Democrat after Trump was elected. Delaney said it has been disheartening to see lawmakers in the state push for more restrictions over the past year. But in Riepe, she said, "we finally saw someone who said, 'this is not right' and felt like they could vote their conscience in reflection of their constituents, not what their party wanted them to do. His courage is 100 percent admirable. I'm just grateful." For years, Riepe has kept a small trinket given to him at a conference by a Vermont politician whose name he doesn't remember. It reads: "Do hard things." He's thought a lot about that short mantra in the days since his vote. "I have a philosophy that success is not necessarily where you end up. It's all of the obstacles that you've gone through to get where you're at," Riepe said. "So you may not have a lot of big wins, but you also have to have some honor and stand up sometimes for the right vote, for the vote that you think is right." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EMMETT, Idaho (AP) A far-right activist best known for his showdowns with federal and state law enforcement officials in Oregon and Nevada is waging a one-sided standoff of a different kind after refusing to comply with court orders in an Idaho defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit by St. Luke's Regional Health was filed more than a year ago, accusing Ammon Bundy and his close associate Diego Rodriguez of making defamatory statements against the hospital and its employees after Rodriguez's infant grandson was temporarily removed from his family and taken to St. Luke's amid concerns for his health. Since then, Bundy has ignored court orders related to the lawsuit, filed trespassing complaints against people hired to deliver legal paperwork, and called on scores of his followers to camp at his home for protection when he learned he might be arrested on a warrant for a misdemeanor charge of contempt of court. We can build a defense system from here. ... This is what is going to keep us safe from all the terrible things that are going to come upon us and throughout the world, Bundy told dozens of people gathered at his home in late April, according to a video of the speech posted to Facebook. Bundys rhetoric is similar to how he spoke during his armed standoffs with federal law enforcement in Nevada and Oregon several years ago. But this time despite frequent YouTube videos, far-right media interviews and a call to action text sent to Peoples Rights network members Bundy hasnt gained the same traction. The initial gathering of dozens appears to have shrunk to a handful. In 2016, Bundy led a 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, to protest the arson convictions of two ranchers who set fires on federal land where they had been grazing their cattle. The 2014 Nevada confrontation was led by Bundys father, rancher Cliven Bundy, who rallied supporters to stop officers from impounding Bundy Ranch cattle over more than $1 million in unpaid fees and penalties for grazing livestock on government land. Ammon Bundy was acquitted of criminal charges in Oregon, and the Nevada criminal case ended in a mistrial. Ammon Bundy and his People's Rights organization next drew attention for a series of protests at the Idaho Statehouse over coronavirus-related measures and he was temporarily banned from the government building in 2020. In the current lawsuit, Bundy seems to be following a blueprint, using rhetoric similar to that used in the Oregon and Nevada standoffs to escalate the conflict, said Devin Burghart, the director of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. Burghart has been hired by St. Lukes attorneys to serve as an expert witness in the defamation lawsuit. Bundy has attempted to take the lawsuit and make it into something larger. If hes able to take this trial and turn it into a larger confrontation, that could be very problematic, Burghart said. Fewer people seem willing to put their own lives on hold to stay at Bundys property this time, Burghart noted. The in-person response may be dwarfed by online reaction. At least three witnesses in the defamation lawsuit are unwilling to testify against Bundy in court, according to court documents filed by St. Lukes, because they fear they might be harmed by Bundys supporters. One nurse wrote in court documents that she installed a security system in her home and was scared to wear her hospital badge outside of work. Another health professional said she repeatedly lost sleep and was traumatized because Bundy supporters accused her and others of kidnapping or harming children. Intimidation, defamation, doxing, trespass, threats of violence, armed protests at homes and businesses and, when all else fails, armed standoffs with law enforcement these are the weapons of choice for Ammon Bundy and his more than 60,000-member strong militia, Peoples Rights Network, attorneys for St. Lukes Health System wrote in a recent court filing. Bundy, meanwhile, recently told followers that he would rather go back to Heavenly Father than return to jail though contempt convictions generally carry a maximum jail sentence of five days under Idaho law. Bundy also maintains he wont stop making the allegedly defamatory statements against St. Lukes Regional Medical Center regardless of any court ruling, because he claims his liberty is at stake. I believe its my absolute right to be able to say those things, Bundy told The Associated Press in April. The judge doesnt have the authority to take those away, theyre inalienable rights. Sheriffs deputies stopped by Bundy's property at least twice in recent weeks to serve the arrest warrant, but left when they were told Bundy wasnt home. St. Lukes filed the defamation lawsuit in May 2022 against Bundy, his close associate Diego Rodriguez and their various political and business entities, claiming the pair were making false statements against the company, causing millions of dollars in damages and prompting supporters to harass and intimidate staffers. The case arose from an incident two months earlier, when Rodriguez 10-month-old grandson was temporarily removed from family custody and taken to St. Lukes over concerns about his health. The baby was temporarily placed in the care of the state, and returned to his parents after about a week. Bundy and Rodriguez said the child was wrongfully taken from a loving family after he began experiencing episodes of vomiting after trying solid foods. At the time, Meridian Police said medical personnel determined the child was malnourished and had lost weight, but the family maintained the child was healthy and needed to stay with his mother to breastfeed. Bundy urged his followers to protest the hospital and at the homes of child protection service workers, law enforcement officers and others involved in the child protection case. Rodriguez wrote on his website that the baby was kidnapped, and suggested that the state and people involved in the case were engaged in child trafficking for profit. In the lawsuit, the hospital claimed that Bundy, Diego and their various political organizations orchestrated a widespread smear campaign against the hospital in order to raise their own profiles and enrich themselves. The company asked a judge to award millions of dollars in damages and to bar both men from making any statements calling the hospital officials criminals or claiming that they participate in the abuse, kidnapping, trafficking or killing of children. Bundy, who previously said he was ignoring the court documents because he wanted the case to end quickly, has now asked to have the case moved to federal court. ___ This story was updated to correct the last name of Devin Burghart, who had been erroneously referred to as Burghess. Amanda Loman/AP SALEM, Ore. (AP) A walkout by most Republicans in the Oregon Senate aimed at delaying action on gun safety, abortion rights and gender-affirming health care bills extended to a fifth day Sunday. Senate President Rob Wagner adjourned the body until Monday morning because a quorum could not be reached. LONDON - Human rights groups and politicians in Britain are criticizing the law enforcement response to King Charles III's coronation, following the Metropolitan Police's arrests of dozens of demonstrators during Saturday's pageantry. Republic, an anti-monarchy group that organized a protest in central London during the coronation, said police arrested six of its members, including leader Graham Smith, and seized hundreds of placards even before its event began. Smith, who said he was released from police custody later that day, declared "there is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK." He added, "I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name." Yasmine Ahmed, the U.K. director of Human Rights Watch, was quoted by the Guardian newspaper as calling "the reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting [against] the coronation . . . incredibly alarming." "These are scenes you'd expect to see in Russia not the UK," she tweeted. The arrests came as the Met, as the police force for Greater London is known, warned of its "significant police operation" for the day. Three people were arrested near Buckingham Palace and "held on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage," officials said. It's unclear how many of the arrests, if any, were on suspicion of violating the Public Order Act, a controversial bill that became law days before the coronation and gave authorities new powers to restrict protests. The Met did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday. Met Commander Karen Findlay said in a statement Saturday that 52 arrests were made for "offenses including affray, public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. All of these people remain in custody." "We absolutely understand public concern" about the arrests, Findlay acknowledged. But she added, repeating a position the police laid out last week that sparked a backlash among rights groups, "we said our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low and that we would deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining the celebration." Hundreds of people had gathered at Trafalgar Square - within view of the king's procession to and from Westminster Abbey - to call for the monarchy to be abolished and replaced by an elected head of state. The protesters stood for hours amid rain, holding placards that poked fun at the royal family and criticized the expense of a coronation amid a cost-of-living crisis. Many chanted slogans like "Not My King" or "Down With The Crown." Members of Republic told The Washington Post they had conversations with the Metropolitan Police ahead of their demonstration to avoid any misunderstandings and reduce the risks of a police response. But even before the protest had officially begun, officers arrested Smith and five other members and seized a van containing the group's placards, according to Harry Stratton of Republic. In the United Kingdom, an arrest is more akin to a detention in the United States, though individuals who are then charged must appear before a judge. The Met declined to confirm Smith's arrest, but it said in a statement that six people were arrested near Trafalgar Square "on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance." In making Saturday's arrests, Findlay said that officers had acted on "information that individuals would attempt to deface public monuments with paint, breach barriers and disrupt the official movements." Its statement did not specify how many of the 52 people arrested would be charged with a crime. Ahead of his detention, Smith told The Post that Charles's accession to the throne was a turning point for the republican movement - those who advocate for Britain to become a republic. "Things are changing already," he said. "People are no longer worried about criticizing, challenging and speaking up about being a republican." Separately, the climate change group Just Stop Oil said in a statement that some of its supporters were also arrested during Saturday's coronation. "During this morning's coronation celebrations, around 20 supporters were arrested wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts. No disruptive action was planned, the supporters were not intending to jump the barrier, merely reveal their T-shirts and hold flags emblazoned with 'Just Stop Oil,'" the statement said. Saturday's gatherings were the first test of the Public Order Act, which has prompted concerns from rights groups about diminishing protections for free speech and the freedom to protest. The law severely restricts protest tactics deemed to be particularly disruptive. It is now a crime, punishable by up to six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine, for protesters to attach themselves to "others, objects or buildings to cause serious disruption." The bill also authorizes police under certain circumstances to stop and search protesters for items that could be used to commit a protest-related offense "without the need for suspicion" that the protesters intend to commit an offense, according to the government. The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, said the law "imposes serious and undue restrictions" on people's rights to speak, assemble and associate freely "that are neither necessary nor proportionate to achieve a legitimate purpose as defined under international law." Saturday's coronation arrests also prompted criticism from British politicians. Jess Phillips, a member of Parliament for the Labour Party and opposition spokesperson for home affairs, tweeted: "our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view." Labour lawmaker Zarah Sultana called the arrests of the Republic protest organizers "deeply disturbing." "Whatever you think of the monarchy, the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to democracy," she said. "This is a chilling violation of that right." The Texas congressman who represents the latest community reeling from a mass killing has pushed back against Americans who say more than prayers are needed to curb the violence, labeling them "people that don't believe in an almighty God." Rep. Keith Self (R) appeared on CNN on Saturday after a gunman killed at least eight people, including children, at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen. His response to a question about prayer not preventing such tragedies immediately fueled anger - with many on social media slamming his words as "meaningless" and "pathetic." It is God "who is absolutely in control of our lives," said Self, who identified himself as a Christian and stressed that he wanted "to stay away from politics" and focus on the victims. "Prayers are important, and they are powerful in the families who are devastated right now." Self was among those quick to offer prayers after Saturday's shooting, in which seven people also were wounded. "We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today," he wrote on social media. Self told CNN's Paula Reid that a lack of mental health support was part of the problem. "We have people with mental health that we're not taking care of," he said. Self spoke before authorities had publicly identified the shooter or released information about what may have led to the rampage. Shannon Watts, who founded the advocacy group Moms Demand Action after the Sandy Hook killings more than a decade ago, countered Sunday that "faith without works is dead. Prayers without action are empty." She called on Self to do more to protect Americans. Mass killings like the latest in Allen are "the logical outcome of lawmakers giving unvetted, untrained civilians unfettered access to arsenals and ammunition." Self told The Washington Post later Saturday that "the immediate aftermath is not the time for politics. We have long ago traded faith in God, which means civic action based on that faith, for faith in government." Instead of limiting gun rights, Self said, local governments need to be free to better defend public spaces from armed criminals. "If we are going to have people in our society who wantonly murder people, we are going to have to think about more protection - protecting our schools and soft targets like malls. That is the direction we need to be going: What are we going to do to protect ourselves? Unless we develop some civic conscience which means people don't murder 5-year-olds, then we need to protect society." He said arming public school employees - as some Texas schools allow - is a good step, but more needs to be done. "It's going to take a much wider discussion for every locale to decide what they're going to do," he said. "How are we going to stop the criminals? Because I want to target the criminals." Self called proposals to restrict gun rights, such as raising the age at which people can purchase AR-15-style rifles, "a knee-jerk reaction that does not stop criminals." Self told CNN that "of course" he is concerned about the rise of violence but that his district is "very safe." Statewide, Texas has witnessed a steady rise in the number of firearm deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lawmakers there have expanded access to guns in recent years, with residents now allowed to carry handguns in public without a license. Just last week, five family members were gunned down by a neighbor who allegedly stormed their home with an AR-15. A 9-year-old boy was among those killed. And nearly a year ago, two teachers and 19 students were killed in Uvalde, Tex., by a gunman who terrorized Robb Elementary school for 77 minutes. Since that massacre, more local school districts have considered arming teachers as a way of increasing security. Self, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, has cited the Second Amendment and its right "to keep and bear Arms" in countering calls for stricter gun laws. "It is crucial that we not give rise to those who wish to incrementally strip away our right to self-defense," a statement on Self's website reads. "I will remain steadfast against any effort to restrict our Second Amendment rights." The 70-year-old lawmaker is a former Collin County judge who has represented Texas's 3rd Congressional District since January. During his campaign last year, he said the biggest challenges facing the district were "growth challenges such as transportation, proliferation of drag queen shows that target children and drugs flowing into our area across the border." Self was one of almost 300 Republicans nationwide who ran for office in 2022 and who had denied or questioned the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, a Washington Post investigation found. - - - The Washington Post's Andrea Salcedo, Rachel Pannett, Maria Luisa Paul and Niha Masih contributed to this report. The Texas congressman who represents the latest community reeling from a mass shooting has pushed back against Americans who say more than prayers are needed to curb the violence, labeling them "people that don't believe in an almighty god." Rep. Keith Self (R) appeared on CNN on Saturday after a gunman killed at least eight people, including children, at an outlet mall in a Dallas suburb. His response to a question about prayer not preventing such tragedies immediately fueled anger - with many on social media slamming his words as "meaningless" and "pathetic." It is God "who is absolutely in control of our lives," said Self, who identified himself as a Christian and stressed that he wanted "to stay away from politics" and focus on the victims. "Prayers are important, and they are powerful in the families who are devastated right now." Self was among those quick to offer prayers after the shooting Saturday, which also injured seven people. "We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today," he wrote on social media. Self told CNN's Paula Reid that a lack of mental health support was part of the problem. "We have people with mental health that we're not taking care of," he said. Shannon Watts, who founded "Moms Demand Action" after the Sandy Hook killings more than a decade ago, countered Sunday that "faith without works is dead. Prayers without action are empty." She called on Self to do more to protect Americans. Mass shootings like the latest in Allen are "the logical outcome of lawmakers giving unvetted, untrained civilians unfettered access to arsenals and ammunition." Self told CNN that "of course" he is concerned about the rise of violence but that his district is "very safe." His office on Sunday did not immediately return a request for further comment. Statewide, Texas has witnessed a steady rise in the number of firearm deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lawmakers there have expanded access to guns in recent years, with residents now allowed to carry handguns in public without a license. Just last week, five family members were gunned down by a neighbor who allegedly stormed their home with an AR-15. A 9-year-old boy was among those killed. And nearly a year ago, two teachers and 19 students died in Uvalde, Tex., after a gunman terrorized Robb Elementary school for 77 minutes. Since that massacre, more local school districts have considered arming teachers as a way of increasing security. Self, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, has cited the Second Amendment and its right "to keep and bear Arms" in countering calls for stricter gun laws. "It is crucial that we not give rise to those who wish to incrementally strip away our right to self-defense," a statement on Self's website reads. "I will remain steadfast against any effort to restrict our Second Amendment rights." The 70-year-old lawmaker is a former Collin County judge who has represented Texas's 3rd Congressional District since January. During his campaign last year, he said the biggest challenges facing the district were "growth challenges such as transportation, proliferation of drag queen shows that target children and drugs flowing into our area across the border." Self also appeared on a list of almost 300 Republicans who have denied or questioned the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, according to a Washington Post analysis. - - - The Washington Post's Andrea Salcedo, Rachel Pannett, Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Maria Luisa Paul and Niha Masih contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Anxiety about the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power plant grew Sunday after the Moscow-installed governor of the Ukrainian region where it is located ordered civilian evacuations, including from the city where most plant workers live. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi has spent months trying to persuade Russian and Ukrainian officials to establish a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to prevent the war from causing a radiation leak. The evacuations ordered by the Russia-backed governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia province, Yegeny Balitsky, raised fears that fighting in the area would intensify. Balitsky on Friday ordered civilians to leave 18 Russian-occupied communities, including Enerhodar, home to most of the plant staff. More than 1,500 people had been evacuated from two unspecified cities in the region as of Sunday, Balitsky said. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the evacuation of Enerhodar was underway. Moscow's troops seized the plant soon after invading Ukraine last year, but Ukrainian employees have continued to run it during the occupation, at times under extreme duress. Ukraine has regularly fired at the Russian side of the lines, while Russia has repeatedly shelled Ukrainian-held communities across the Dnieper River. The fighting has intensified as Ukraine prepares to launch a long-promised counteroffensive to reclaim ground taken by Russia. Ukrainian authorities on Sunday said that a 72-year-old woman was killed and three others were wounded when Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at the city of Nikopol, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) across the river from the plant. Grossi said the evacuation of civilians suggested a further escalation. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, Grossi warned Saturday. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. This major nuclear facility must be protected," he said. Although none of the plant's six reactors are operating because of the war, the station needs a reliable power supply for cooling systems essential to preventing a potentially catastrophic radiation disaster. Analysts have for months pointed to the southern Zaporizhzhia region as one of the possible targets of Ukraines expected spring counteroffensive, speculating that Kyivs forces might try to choke off Russias land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula and split Russian forces in two by pressing on to the Azov Sea coast. Balitsky said Ukraine's forces had intensified attacks on the area in the past several days. Some of the fiercest ongoing fighting is in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces are still clinging to a position on the western outskirts despite Russia trying to take the city for more than nine months. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that Moscow's forces had captured two more districts in the city's west and northwest, but provided no further details. Ukraines Special Operations Forces on Saturday accused Russia of using phosphorus in the city and on Sunday released a new video showing the telltale white fire from such munitions. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians, though it can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. It wasn't possible to independently verify where the video was shot or when, but chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British army colonel, said it was clearly white phosphorus. This is being fired directly at Ukraine positions and this would be a war crime, he said. "I expect because the Russians have failed to take Bakmut conventionally, they are now using unconventional tactics to burn the Ukrainian soldiers to death or to get them to flee. Russian forces haven't commented on the claim, but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus munitions. In the south, an aide to the exiled Ukrainian mayor of the Russia-occupied coastal city of Mariupol said in a Telegram post Sunday that there was evidence that Moscow's forces had intensified their transfer of tracked vehicles through the city and into Zaporizhzhia province. Petro Andryushchenko claimed that more and more vehicles were being spotted crossing Mariupol every day. He posted a short video showing heavy trucks transporting armored vehicles along an expressway, without specifying where or when it was taken. In Enerhodar, the first residents evacuated were those who took Russian citizenship following the capture of the city by Moscow early in the war, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said. They were being taken to the Russia-occupied Azov Sea coast, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the southeast, which is where Mariupol is located, the General Staff reported on Facebook. Grossi said Zaporizhzhia plant's core operating staff hadn't been evacuated as of Saturday but that most live in Enerhodar and the situation has contributed to increasingly tense, stressful and challenging conditions for personnel and their families. He added that IAEA experts at the nuclear site are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis. Elsewhere, Russian shelling on Saturday and overnight killed six civilians and wounded four others in Ukraines southern Kherson region, according to a Telegram update published Sunday by the local administration. Five civilians were wounded in the eastern Donetsk province, the epicenter of the fighting in recent months, local Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces overnight attacked the largest port in Russia-occupied Crimea with drones, a Kremlin-installed local official said on Telegram early Sunday. According to the post by Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol, 10 Ukrainian drones targeted the city, three of which were shot down by air defense systems. Razvozhayev said there was no damage. ___ Joanna Kozlowska contributed to this story from London. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Its about 15 minutes from Westport to Bridgeport. Whatever their reputations, there are good people in both places, hard workers, doing their best. Plenty of people with challenges, too. In Westport, a news story this week detailed possibilities for a rebuilt elementary school. There will be language rooms, science labs and all the other accoutrements youd expect in a well-off town. There are even plans for a TV studio. That would be the home of LLTV, the schools very own station run by fifth-graders. Its a wonderful opportunity for children in that town, but one that, we should be clear, is not available to fifth-graders equally across the state. A new TV studio is a sign, in case one was needed, that whatever difficulties a town like Westport might face, the town does not scrimp when it comes to education. It might even be a sign the school system has more money than it knows what to do with. A few exits down I-95, such is not the case in Bridgeport. Say what you want about that citys self-inflicted wounds over the years, but its not running out of ideas on what to do with education funds anytime soon. The point is not to take anything away from the nice children of Westport. The issue is that Connecticut has challenges, and near the top of the list is our huge and ever-widening wealth gap, often based on little more than where someone was lucky enough to have been born. Its not new, but its also not getting any better. Were long past the point of doing much other than accepting these problems as part of the landscape. Very little proposed in the General Assembly this year is aimed at changing those basic dynamics. Its apparently too much to hope someone might try. Instead, were arguing over how not to spend all the money thats flowing into Connecticut coffers. Even there, were not answering one very basic question. How is a tax cut different from new spending? Were talking strictly in budgetary terms, because they have the same effect on the bottom line one sends more money out and one takes less money in, but the impact is the same. So why is one OK and the other not? Its a simple question, and one that the governor and legislative leaders have not adequately answered. If the answer is that tax cuts will spur growth, come on. No one believes Connecticut can win based on cost of living. Its expensive here, and its still going to be expensive no matter what tax cut we pass. Its more about property value than anything else, and no policy change is going to meaningfully affect that. If someone wants to move to North Carolina or Florida, theyre going. For one thing, February exists. Among our Northeastern neighbors, Connecticut is competitive in terms of costs. But someone choosing between us and Massachusetts will have about a thousand considerations before they get to marginal tax rates. Add in the fact that there are essentially no places to live in Connecticut, and the debate becomes even more abstract. Build some housing, then well talk taxes. Theres a thoroughly discredited school of thought that tax credits magically pay for themselves, the idea being that if you cut taxes, you spur that much more economic activity, making up for whatever intake is lost. The problem is that it doesnt work. Lower taxes means less money coming in to the state, every time. Tax cuts that pay for themselves are a conservative myth that has been proven false. So what is it? The governor is adamant that new spending is dangerous because we need to plan for a future when the budget becomes grim again. The same rule should apply to tax cuts. Its not the only issue where straight answers are hard to come by. The debate continues in the General Assembly on baby bonds, which, as a reminder, were passed by legislators and signed into law in 2021. Theyre one of the few proposals in recent years that might do something about that Bridgeport-Westport gap by taking on generational poverty. Since signing the plan into law, the governor has done everything he can to kill the idea. When asked at a Hearst Connecticut editorial board meeting why he didnt simply veto baby bonds, the governor implied that they had been part of a $50 billion budget, as if it were one line item of thousands. Thats not how it happened. Baby bonds were in a discrete bill, one the governor could do with as he wished. Why he signed it remains a mystery. But he expressed basically zero interest in making the program happen. Apparently, thats how it works in Connecticut signing a bill and then quietly killing it is fine. The biggest mystery of this year has been how we are having all the same debates we usually have with nonprofits, education advocates, hospitals, etc., all saying theyre facing devastation without more funding when the objective reality is radically different than it has been in the recent past. You would be justified in wondering how it is that everything sounds the same in Hartford whether were facing a huge deficit or a record surplus. It's just one more mystery in a budget season that has seen far too many of them. HARTFORD Legislative leaders say it has a slim chance of passing. Some even question whether it is even legal. Yet a proposal by state Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, to give some residents in Connecticuts poorest census tracts a break from paying the state's income tax has been thrust into the center of the legislatures annual budget negotiations increasing the likelihood that it could serve as a catalyst for future debates about how to address generational poverty. Fonfara, a 13-term senator who co-chairs the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, inserted the novel tax exemption into a state bonding measure in April, along with a proposal to borrow $165 million to spend on projects specifically within census tracts where more than 30 percent of residents live below the federal poverty line. Under Fonfara's bill, the tax exemption in qualifying tracts would last for up to three years, followed by a review to determine whether enough economic progress has been made in those neighborhoods to remove them from the list, or keep them on for another three years. Democrats on the committee swiftly voted to adopt the measure, though Gov. Ned Lamont and other party leaders remain cool to the idea. During an interview last week in his state Capitol office, Fonfara explained that rationale for the proposal was to provide an incentive for upwardly-mobile earners to stay within struggling neighborhoods, rather than fleeing to the suburbs or tonier areas of the city along with their cash for local business or home improvements. Concentrated poverty isnt just a place where poverty resides, it is a generator of poverty, said the senator, who is also running for mayor of Hartford, one of the cities whose residents would benefit the most from the exemption. The vast majority leave from that area as soon as possible, because they want better for their families just like everybody else, Fonfara said. But when that happens, we further concentrate poverty because we're constantly exporting success stories. Legislative researchers have yet to determine how much the proposal would cost the state in terms of lost revenue, though a preliminary fiscal analysis noted that cities with the highest number of qualifying tracts including Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury accounted for more than $300 million income tax revenues in 2020. Fonfara said that qualifying census tracts likely account for just a fraction of the more than $10 billion that Connecticut collects from income taxes, and that not all residents of those areas would be exempted from paying income taxes. Under his proposal, anyone earning more than $120,000 a year, or $200,000 for a couple, would still be required to pay state income taxes. If passed, experts said Fonfaras proposal would likely be the first of its kind in the nation to target tax relief based on their address, rather than earnings. Jackson Brainerd, a tax and economic development researcher at the National Conference of State Legislatures, said that while many states offer tax incentives to individuals or businesses to invest in certain locations, he was not aware of any other states that offer income tax exemptions based on geographic area. In addition, Brainerd said that the proposal could potentially violate the equal-protection clause of the 14th Amendment, a concern that has also been raised by some of Fonfaras fellow lawmakers. At least one congruent example to Fonfaras proposal, however, may be found in the twin cities of Texarkana straddling the border between Texas and Arkansas. Residents who live in the city on the Arkansas-side do not have to pay state income taxes, in order to discourage people from simply moving to the Texas-side of town, where there is no state income tax. Fonfara said that he hopes other states will look to replicate his idea, along with the federal government, as they seek to turn around declines in blighted, under-developed communities. "The income the same income tax is a pittance compared to the federal income tax, and therefore, that would really have a significant impact on these neighborhoods," he said. In Connecticut, however, leaders of both parties have expressed a desire to stick with broad-based tax relief for lower-and-middle-income earners, as well as an expansion of existing programs designed to benefit poorer workers, such as the earned-income tax credit. The top Republican in the House, Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, called the proposal problematic, adding that Fonfara had a long way to go in convincing his fellow lawmakers after inserting the language into the budget without a public hearing. Just because you have a concentrated area of poverty, you shouldnt exempt everybodys income taxes, Candelora said. Its got to be more individually-based. Both House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, and Lamont have similarly thrown cold water on the proposal, saying that they and other lawmakers would rather cut taxes based on earnings, which would apply in all areas of the state. I get the concept, its just hard to get the votes for it, Ritter said during a news conference Thursday when he was asked about the proposal. Lamont has also expressed skepticism about Fonfaras plan to use bonding to fund programs in the same census tracts, pointing to his general opposition to borrowing money for long-term operating expenses. In an effort to court his fellow lawmakers, Fonfara has had his staff develop maps showing which Senate districts include qualifying census tracts, which he has distributed to his colleagues. WFO SACRAMENTO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Glenn County in central California... * Until 330 PM PDT. * At 258 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Fruto, or 8 miles northwest of Willows, moving east at 10 mph. The storm will move to near Interstate 5 over the next hour. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. Funnel clouds. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Orland, Willows, Artois and Bluegum. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Significant hail accumulation is likely with this storm. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 189 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 452 PM CDT SAT MAY 06 2023 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 189 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ARCHER BAYLOR BROWN CALLAHAN CLAY COKE COLEMAN COMANCHE COOKE EASTLAND ERATH FISHER HASKELL HOOD JACK JONES KNOX MONTAGUE NOLAN PALO PINTO PARKER RUNNELS SHACKELFORD STEPHENS TAYLOR THROCKMORTON WICHITA WILBARGER WISE YOUNG ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Jones and northeastern Fisher Counties through 545 PM CDT... At 453 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Roby, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Hamlin, Roby, Mccaulley, Sylvester, Hitson and Tuxedo. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for west central Texas. LAT...LON 3293 9993 3265 10033 3278 10048 3296 10030 3296 9996 TIME...MOT...LOC 2153Z 225DEG 22KT 3278 10033 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Brown County in west central Texas... East central Coleman County in west central Texas... * Until 600 PM CDT. * At 455 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Thrifty, or near Bangs, moving north 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Lake Brownwood Near Thrifty and Lake Brownwood around 510 PM CDT. Grosvenor around 515 PM CDT. Lake Brownwood State Park around 520 PM CDT. Byrds around 530 PM CDT. Burkett around 535 PM CDT. Cross Cut around 545 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Thrifty. 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 Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northern Eastland County in north central Texas... Stephens County in north central Texas... * Until 1000 PM CDT. * At 859 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Lake Cisco, or near Cisco, 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... Breckenridge, Eastland, Cisco, Ranger, Hubbard Creek Reservoir, Lake Cisco, Necessity, Lake Olden, Caddo, Lake Daniel, Lake Leon, Gunsight, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, Pleasant Hill, Carbon, Staff, Nimrod, Sabanno, Eolian and Harpersville. This includes Interstate 20 between mile markers 324 and 357. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR NORTHEASTERN ERATH COUNTY... At 900 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Morgan Mill, or 13 miles northeast of Stephenville, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Locations impacted include... Stephenville, Huckabay, Morgan Mill, Bluff Dale, Harbin, Patillo, Selden, Hannibal and Lingleville. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 415 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR EAST CENTRAL SCURRY COUNTY... At 415 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Hobbs, or 13 miles east of Snyder, moving northeast at 15 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. This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of east central Scurry County. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Fisher County in west central Texas... * Until 500 PM CDT. * At 416 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Midway, or near Hobbs, moving northeast 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Hobbs around 425 PM CDT. Rotan around 440 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Us- 180 Near The Fisher-Scurry County Line. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Norman OK 443 PM CDT Sat May 6 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Foard, northeastern Knox and northwestern Baylor Counties through 530 PM CDT... At 443 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4 miles northwest of Red Springs, moving north at 15 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Red Springs and western Lake Kemp. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 3360 9938 3361 9955 3384 9959 3382 9926 TIME...MOT...LOC 2143Z 191DEG 14KT 3364 9947 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... East central Haskell County in west central Texas... Northwestern Throckmorton County in west central Texas... * Until 545 PM CDT. * At 445 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near The Intersection Of Us-380 And Highway 222, or near Irby, moving northeast at 15 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. * This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of east central Haskell and northwestern Throckmorton Counties, including the following locations... Us-183 Near The Throckmorton-Baylor County Line and The Intersection Of Us-380 And Highway 222. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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 NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Norman OK 527 PM CDT Sat May 6 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN FOARD...EAST CENTRAL KNOX...SOUTHWESTERN WILBARGER AND NORTHWESTERN BAYLOR COUNTIES... At 527 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles north of Red Springs, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 70 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Locations impacted include... Seymour, Red Springs, and Lake Kemp. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... This is a dangerous storm. Prepare immediately for large destructive hail capable of producing significant damage. People outside should move to a shelter, inside a strong building and away from windows. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Stonewall County through 600 PM CDT... At 527 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles northwest of Hamlin, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Aspermont and Old Glory. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3296 10038 3324 10025 3315 9999 3296 9999 TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 207DEG 19KT 3297 10025 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Archer and southeastern Baylor Counties through 600 PM CDT... At 528 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles east of Millers Creek Reservoir, moving northeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail. Megargel and Westover. 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 3340 9901 3340 9929 3363 9917 3347 9887 3339 9895 TIME...MOT...LOC 2228Z 218DEG 11KT 3335 9922 MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southern Callahan County in west central Texas... Northeastern Coleman County in west central Texas... * Until 630 PM CDT. * At 531 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Silver Valley, moving north at 15 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Rowden around 630 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Us- 283 Near The Coleman- Callahan County Line, Echo, Admiral and Lake Coleman. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY Flood Advisory National Weather Service Norman OK 654 PM CDT Sat May 6 2023 ...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected. * WHERE...A portion of northern Texas, including the following county, Archer. * WHEN...Until 1000 PM CDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 654 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area. Up to 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. - Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are expected over the area. This additional rain will result in minor flooding. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Archer City. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Clay County in northern Texas... Southeastern Archer County in northern Texas... * Until 745 PM CDT. * At 655 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Archer City, moving east at 25 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... Archer City, Scotland, Windthorst, Lake Arrowhead, Shannon, and Joy. Prepare immediately for large hail and damaging winds. People outside should move immediately to shelter inside a strong building. Stay away from windows. Large hail, damaging wind, and continuous cloud to ground lightning are occurring with this storm. 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 San Angelo has issued a Northeastern Shackelford County in west central Texas... Throckmorton County in west central Texas... * Until 800 PM CDT. * At 655 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Fort Griffin, moving north at 30 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 70 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Fort Griffin around 700 PM CDT. Throckmorton around 730 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Us-183 And Us-283, The Intersection Of Us- 380 And Highway 222 and The Intersection Of Us- 283 And Ranch Road 209. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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 NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Norman OK 432 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Wilbarger County through 515 PM CDT... At 432 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5 miles southwest of Grayback, moving northeast at 5 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Grayback. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 3392 9935 3414 9921 3400 9895 3385 9914 TIME...MOT...LOC 2132Z 219DEG 6KT 3393 9922 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southern Stonewall County in northwestern Texas... * Until 515 PM CDT. * At 435 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles northeast of Rotan, or 12 miles west of Hamlin, moving north 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... Aspermont, Peacock, Old Glory and Swenson. Prepare immediately for large hail and deadly cloud to ground lightning. Seek shelter inside a well-built structure. Stay away from windows. 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 WEST CENTRAL COLEMAN AND CENTRAL RUNNELS COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 445 PM CDT... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. 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 west central Texas. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service San Angelo TX 757 PM CDT Sat May 6 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Callahan and southeastern Shackelford Counties through 845 PM CDT... At 757 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Admiral, or near Rowden, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Baird, Moran, Putnam, Rowden, Admiral, Us-283 Near The Callahan- Shackelford County Line and I-20 Near The Callahan- Eastland County Line. This includes Interstate 20 between Mile Markers 305 and 323. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for west central Texas. LAT...LON 3251 9911 3228 9912 3211 9936 3222 9953 3266 9931 3255 9910 3253 9910 3252 9909 TIME...MOT...LOC 0057Z 217DEG 24KT 3230 9933 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 189 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA JOHNSTON MARSHALL IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA CARTER JEFFERSON LOVE MURRAY STEPHENS IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA COMANCHE COTTON TILLMAN IN TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES IN NORTHERN TEXAS ARCHER BAYLOR CLAY KNOX WICHITA WILBARGER THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ARCHER CITY, ARDMORE, DAVIS, DUNCAN, FREDERICK, HENRIETTA, HOLLIDAY, KINGSTON, KNOX CITY, LAKESIDE CITY, LAWTON, MADILL, MARIETTA, MUNDAY, RINGLING, RYAN, SCOTLAND, SEYMOUR, SHEPPARD AFB, SULPHUR, TEMPLE, THACKERVILLE, TISHOMINGO, VERNON, WALTERS, WAURIKA, AND WICHITA FALLS. TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ARCHER BAYLOR BOSQUE BROWN CALLAHAN CLAY COKE COLEMAN COMANCHE COOKE EASTLAND ERATH FISHER HAMILTON HASKELL HOOD JACK JONES KNOX MILLS MONTAGUE NOLAN PALO PINTO PARKER RUNNELS SHACKELFORD SOMERVELL STEPHENS TAYLOR THROCKMORTON WICHITA WILBARGER WISE YOUNG ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN BROWN AND NORTHERN COLEMAN COUNTIES... At 756 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms had move eastward to May to Owens. Earlier heavy radar estimated rainfall ranged from 3 to 5 inches. This will likely produce flash flooding. HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses. Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Coleman, Burkett, Grosvenor, Cross Cut, Silver Valley, Byrds, Glen Cove, Echo, Us-283 Near The Coleman-Callahan County Line, Lake Coleman and Hords Creek Reservoir. This includes the following Low Water Crossings... FM 2273 crossing Rough Branch, County Road 172 crossing Little Pecan Bayou, County Road 485 crossing Indian Creek and County Road 441 crossing Bledsoe Branch. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Brown County in west central Texas... * Until 845 PM CDT. * At 759 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Owens, or near Early, 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Blanket around 815 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Owens. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Central Callahan County in west central Texas... Southeastern Shackelford County in west central Texas... * Until 900 PM CDT. * At 801 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Admiral, or 7 miles north of Rowden, moving northeast at 25 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. Baird around 810 PM CDT. Putnam around 820 PM CDT. Moran around 850 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Admiral, I-20 Near The Callahan-Eastland County Line and Us- 283 Near The Callahan-Shackelford County Line. This includes Interstate 20 between Mile Markers 303 and 323. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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 News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. BROOK PARK, Ohio -- In a unique setting in a room filled with business professionals, Polaris Career Center engineering and aeronautics students received advice from a NASA executive to help them achieve their future career aspirations. Hosted by the Aerozone Alliance, the Southwest Regional Business Advisory Council held its April 20 meeting inside Ohio Aerospace Institute, with members listening alongside Polaris students as Bryan Smith, director of facilities, test and manufacturing at NASAs Glenn Research Center, provided an overview of NASA and its workforce challenges. Polaris Executive Director of Innovation and Career Development Diane Xander explained why student opportunities like this are so important. I wanted them to get firsthand knowledge from someone directly in the aerospace industry to find out what skills and abilities they need, Xander told cleveland.com. She noted that a student panel prepared questions in advance to ask Smith. Its about career development and exploration and showing students whats out there. There are so many opportunities and so many facets to aerospace, Xander said. Smith explained that NASAs overall mission is to advance technology for the aerospace industry. He also described some of the various sectors, including aeronautics, space technology, robotic exploration, astrophysics, exploration systems development and more. Additionally, he said the agency works with the Federal Aviation Administration to develop industry standards. Students heard that project-based, eight- to 10-week summer internships are available, which can help them to decide which engineering-based career path best suits them. NASA Glenn Research Center Director of Facilities, Test and Manufacturing Bryan Smith covered a wide range of career topics when addressing Polaris students at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. (Beth Mlady/special to cleveland.com) In answer to a question about college majors, Smith recommended pursuing a mechanical engineering degree first in order to establish a strong knowledge base. I think it gives you more opportunity to pivot, especially when you go for an advanced degree, Smith advised. He added that having a variety of high school activities listed on a college application, beyond just the academics, is important because it shows involvement with groups and societies and that you have broader interests. For Polaris engineering student James Jones of Olmsted Falls, Smiths advice was well taken. What I heard today confirmed Im on the right path, James said, noting that his interest lies in aerospace engineering. I was debating whether to pursue mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering. This meeting helped me decide I should probably go for mechanical engineering to have more opportunity directly after college. Then, I can specialize in getting a masters degree in aerospace engineering. Read more stories from the News Sun. Al Salam Bank has been named "Bank of the Year - Bahrain" at The Banker Awards 2022, recognising the bank's commitment to service excellence, its diverse portfolio of tailored innovative banking products, and its significant contributions to the financial industry and national economy. The prestigious award also recognises Al Salam Bank's successful completion of the $2.2 billion transaction with Ithmaar Holding, which includes the acquisition of Ithmaar Bank's consumer banking business, expanding Al Salam Bank's client base, and cementing its position as Bahrain's largest Islamic bank, said a statement. The award also acknowledges Al Salam Bank's robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) operational framework, aligning with global best practices and contributing to Bahrain's net-zero targets while accelerating its digital transformation initiatives. Rafik Nayed, Group Chief Executive Officer of Al Salam Bank, said: "Our strong financial performance during 2022 allowed us to stay focused on achieving our growth objectives despite macroeconomic headwinds. Through the implementation of a strategic roadmap, we pursued new growth opportunities, including the acquisition of Ithmaar Bank's consumer banking business and select assets from Ithmaar Holding, resulting in the expansion of our core banking activities and retail banking business." He added: "This award is the result of the collective efforts and dedication of our people. We have continued to empower our clients by introducing an expanded portfolio of curated, digital-first products and services, and we are proud to deliver personalised experiences inspired by our commitment to providing an elevated banking proposition to our growing client base." The Banker Awards ceremony took place in December 2022 in London, honouring global banking pioneers. Owned by The Financial Times, The Banker Magazine is the world's premier source of data and analysis for the banking and financial sectors. Al Salam Bank was also recently awarded the Best Retail Bank in Bahrain at the MEA Finance Awards 2022 for its achievements in digital transformation, specifically within its retail banking division. TradeArabia News Service Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023 in Allen, Texas. Nine people, including the suspect, were killed Saturday at a Dallas-area outlet mall, authorities said, in a shooting that sent shoppers into a panic as they fled for their lives. Seven people died at Allen Premium Outlets and two more were pronounced dead at a hospital, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said. Among those who were injured, three remained in critical condition Saturday night and four had been stabilized, he said. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said earlier Saturday that the suspected shooter was "neutralized" by a city police officer who was responding to an unrelated call at the mall. The name of the suspect was not immediately released, nor were the names of the victims. Janet St. James, a spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare, a North Texas health care provider, said it received eight patients from the shooting who ranged in age from 5 to 61. The shooting happened during a busy afternoon at the outdoor mall, which is about 30 miles north of Dallas. Officials said law enforcement responded to reports of an "active shooter" at 3:36 p.m. on Saturday. Video taken by witness Denison De Souza from the parking lot showed people taking cover and others running into traffic as the sound of nearly a dozen distinct shots could be heard. Other videos posted to social media showed similar scenes. President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting, the White House said in a statement late Saturday night. The White House was "closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with law enforcement, and local officials to offer support," the statement added. There was very little information made publicly available on the suspect. Speaking at an early evening news conference, Harvey said, "We believe he acted alone and we don't believe that there's another threat at this time." Most deposited checks wind up at the bottom of trash cans. But if you find one signed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, it might be worth extra cash. RR Auction, a Boston-based organization that sources and sells historical autographs, manuscripts and artifacts, is auctioning off a $175 check signed by Steve Jobs in July 1976. It was payable to Crampton, Remke & Miller, a now-shuttered management consulting firm that offered advice to other notable tech companies like Atari and Xerox, according to RR Auction. The check is expected to fetch $25,000, over 142 times its original worth, according to the company's press release. "It's a highly desirable, essentially flawless check from a central moment in the history of modern tech," said Bobby Livingston, RR Auction's executive vice president, referring to the early days of Apple. In 1974, Jobs left his role as a video game designer and reconnected with Steve Wozniak, a former high school friend. They formed Apple two years later. Company lore holds that they operated out of Jobs' family garage, though Wozniak told Bloomberg in 2014 the co-founders mostly worked out of their own homes. The check features the company's first address, a Palo Alto-based answering and mail drop service, which Jobs and Wozniak used until Apple found a home base in Cupertino, California, in 1977. When Jobs was kicked out of Apple in 1985, he started a rival computer company called NeXT. The company was acquired back into Apple in 1997 along with Jobs himself. A 1990s business card from Jobs' stint at NeXT is also up for auction. Other items up for bid until May 10 include a draft of Albert Einstein's "The Essence of the Theory of Relativity" handwritten manuscript and a promotional record insert signed by The Beatles. In the past, RR Auction has sold a letter signed by Jobs, a first-generation iPhone and an authenticated Apple-1 computer prototype. The computer, from the mid-1970s, went for $677,000 in August 2022. A month later, the company offered up a gold necklace Elon Musk gifted his college sweetheart, Jennifer Gwynne, in 1994. It sold, along with a photograph of her wearing the jewelry and standing next to Musk, for $51,008. The site authenticates its artifacts through a number of third-party experts. DON'T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our new newsletter! Get CNBC's free report, 11 Ways to Tell if We're in a Recession, where Kelly Evans reviews the top indicators that a recession is coming or has already begun. Gorodenkoff | iStock | Getty Images The cybersecurity world faces new threats beyond targeted ransomware attacks, according to experts at the recent RSA cybersecurity industry conference in San Francisco. Joe McMann, head of cybersecurity services at Binary Defense, a cybersecurity solutions provider, said the new battleground is data extortion and companies need to shift gears to face the threat. Traditionally, ransomware attackers encrypt or delete proprietary data of organizations and ask for ransom before reverting the attack. McMann said hackers are now focusing on stealing customer or employee data and then threatening to leak it publicly. "By naming, shaming, threatening reputational impact, they force the hands of their targets," McMann said. The International Data Corporation predicts firms will spend over $219 billion on cybersecurity this year, and McMann said cybercriminals constantly evolve their exploitations. Hackers shifted tactics after ransomware attacks brought an unwelcome level of visibility by law enforcement and governments, and cybersecurity professionals became adept at solving decryption. Instead of paralyzing hospitals and pipelines, he said criminals changed gears to collect data and threaten companies with customer dissatisfaction and public outcry. At the end of March, OpenAI documented a data leak in an open-source data provider that made it possible to see personal AI chat histories, payment information, and addresses. The team patched the leak in hours, but McMann said once data is out there, hackers can use it. Hackers looking beyond corporate devices Chris Pierson, founder and CEO of Black Cloak, a digital executive protection company, said companies understand the growing threat of data extortion after public breaches. In the past year alone, he said Twilio, LastPass, and Uber all faced attacks that saw hackers targeting employees outside corporate security protection. "For example, the LastPass breach saw one of four key individuals targeted on their personal computer, through a personal public IP address getting in through an unpatched solution," he said. The hackers stole credentials "outside the castle wall environment, on personal devices," he said, using that data months later as a way into the corporate environment. He said the advent of home offices accelerated employee targeting. As every company transformed into a digital-first world, employees naturally started working on personal devices. Before the pandemic, Fortune 500 companies spent millions to secure corporate devices and buildings, but employees are not as well protected at home. "The moment an executive walks out of the building, uses their personal device or home network that they share with corporate devices, the attack surface changes," Pierson said. What's more, digital footprints are easy to find online, he said. "40% of our corporate executives' home IP addresses are public on data broker websites." Pierson said it only takes one vulnerable device on a home network to open up the entire network. Looking across the street at the RSA convention building filled with more than 45,000 industry attendants, Pierson said criminals always choose the path of least resistance. "You don't have to go in through all the gear that's out here at RSA protecting the actual company; you go through the $5 of cybersecurity at home and get everything else," Pierson said. "Cybercriminals are targeting at a personal level because they know they can get the data, and there are no controls out there," he added. New cybersecurity regulations There is higher visibility for cybersecurity this year with an increased number of phishing attempts and scam messages a daily occurrence for most people. And companies know that new SEC proposed guidelines will add another layer of accountability. When finalized, the rules would require public firms to disclose data breaches to investors within four days, and have at least one cybersecurity-experienced board member. Though a Wall Street Journal survey found three-fourths of respondents had a cybersecurity director, Pierson said companies were at RSA looking for advice. McMann said companies should focus on the simple fixes first and not worry about AI chat breaches if they aren't using two-factor authentication on personal accounts. Criminals will first try older methods like ransomware before moving on to new ones. He said practicing for cyberattacks has become as important as any other emergency drill. On a positive note, McMann said the success of cybersecurity professionals is why criminals are looking for new modes of attack. "If you don't have your operations streamlined and effective, if you don't have good people and processes in place, don't worry about the other stuff," he said. "There's a lot of fundamentals that get skipped." Cannabis reform demonstrators gather outside the White House in Washington, D.C., to call on President Joe Biden to take action on cannabis clemency before the November general election, Oct. 24, 2022. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images Marijuana is a multibillion-dollar industry, and across the United States, legal markets are popping up like weeds as more states seek out the tax revenue and jobs the cash crop brings. Medical and recreational marijuana sales are projected to reach $33.6 billion by the end of the year, a trend largely driven by the opening of new adult-use markets, according to an MJBiz Factbook analysis. In Michigan alone, medical and recreational sales together brought in about $325 million in tax revenue last year, according to the state's Cannabis Regulatory Agency. In Delaware, legal weed became a reality last month, when the state passed dual bills that aimed to allow possession by adults 21 and older, and establish a regulatory framework for an adult-use market to take shape in the coming months. The state became the 22nd to legalize recreational marijuana and follows Missouri and Maryland, which did so earlier this year. The victory for the industry concludes a "multi-year effort" with "many hurdles along the way," said Olivia Naugle, a senior policy analyst at the Marijuana Policy Project. "From organizing lobby days, rallies, and town halls, testifying in key committees, conducting media outreach, voter guides, and so much more, years of effective advocacy and teamwork helped us reach this moment," Naugle said. Similar legalization efforts are underway and driving momentum in a handful of other states as the marijuana industry grows. Some states are even moving ahead with proposals or ballot measures to legalize weed, putting them within arms' reach of having recreational markets. These are the states that have a chance to legalize adult-use marijuana in the coming years. Minnesota Leif Hamre of Minneapolis attends a rally at the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, held by members of Minnesota NORML, advocating for the legalization of cannabis, April 23, 2014. Jerry Holt | Star Tribune | Getty Images For the first time in a decade, Minnesota Democrats control both chambers in the state's legislature and the governor's office, a trifecta that has the state on the verge of legalizing marijuana. Jason Tarasek, the founder of Minnesota Cannabis Law, said that a final bill aimed at ending prohibition of weed and establishing a regulated market will reach the desk of Gov. Tim Walz to be signed into law in the coming weeks. Minnesota's House and Senate passed separate versions of the legislation, and lawmakers from both parties are now ironing out key pieces of a final bill, including tax rates and the expungement of past marijuana-related criminal charges or convictions. "Legalization will also create hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs, eliminate the illicit market, and allow law enforcement to focus upon more serious crimes," Tarasek said. Medical marijuana is already legal in Minnesota, and a majority of residents in the state support its recreational use. Walz has expressed support for the bill, and Tarasek expects him to sign it into law before the current legislative session adjourns on May 22. Florida Jared Sadler harvests marijuana plants at a Cresco Labs cultivation facility in Indiantown, Florida. John McCall | Getty Images Florida is about 50,000 signatures away from putting a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot that would allow recreational use of marijuana. Florida legalization advocates have collected 841,130 valid signatures statewide of the 891,589 needed for the amendment, according to Florida's Division of Elections website. The state updates petition counts at the end of each month. Once the measure, which narrowly focuses on allowing recreational use in the state, gets put on the ballot, it stands a good chance of passing. A University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab poll found 70% of respondents "strongly" or "somewhat" support the amendment. The measure does not establish a framework for what a legal market would look like. Florida legalized the sale of medical marijuana in 2016 and it has become a billion-dollar business. Legal sales were $1.04 billion from January 2022 through July 2022, according to data from research firm Headset. "Florida currently has one of the strongest medical cannabis programs in America and if that market is expanded to allow adult use for personal consumption we believe that market will be even stronger," said Lauren Niehaus, executive director of government relations at Trulieve. The company, which operates more than 180 medical dispensaries in the state, has donated $30 million to Smart & Safe Florida, the committee sponsoring the amendment. "Trulieve anticipates, at maturity, that Florida could potentially become a $6 billion cannabis marketplace," Niehaus said. Ohio Ohio may vote on whether to legalize recreational marijuana in November. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol has a proposal that seeks to establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. After the state legislature chose not to take up the proposal, the group has until July 5 to secure 124,000 signatures from registered voters to get the proposal on the ballot. "We are confident that Ohio will legalize marijuana for all adults in 2023," said Thomas Haren, a spokesperson for the group. "This is an issue that crosses political lines. It is popular among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans." About half of Ohio voters support adult-use legalization, according to a poll conducted by Emerson College. Voters most likely to favor legalization are Democrats, at 66.2%, followed by independents, at 50%, and Republicans, at 36.3%, the survey found. Haren said the proposal also plans to build upon Ohio's medical marijuana program and issue additional adult use licenses to new companies. He estimates that under the proposed framework, Ohio would generate $350 million to $400 million in new tax revenue. Researchers from Ohio State University estimate tax revenue would range from $276 million to $374 million in year five of an operational adult-use marijuana market. Pennsylvania Brad Horrigan | Tribune News Service | Getty Images Last week's Shopify earnings report was one more example of how much the pandemic e-commerce boom and consumer goods economy has slowed, with the e-commerce giant announcing it was laying off 20% of its staff and selling its logistics and order-fulfillment operations to Flexport. Shopify president Harley Finkelstein said in an interview with CNBC that after going on a "side quest," the company which represents 10% of all e-commerce sales in the U.S. needed to focus on what it did best, "which is building incredible software for e-commerce." Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke had written in a memo to employees explaining the decisions that "Side quests are always distracting because the company has to split focus. Sometimes this can be worth it, especially when engaging the side quest creates the conditions by which the main quest can become more successful." But Finkelstein also had another side business on his mind last week in an interview that had been pre-taped for CNBC's Small Business Playbook event, the loose-leaf tea side hustle, Firebelly Tea, that he co-founded as an independent entrepreneur. He shared a few lessons he has learned firsthand from running his side hustle and impressed one big lesson on other retail startups: don't allow chasing big-name influencers on Alphabet 's YouTube, Meta Platform 's Instagram and TikTok to become a version of your own side quest in seeking success. Spend the time to learn about the micro-influencers across social media, including those on subReddits and Pinterest boards who are driving engagement in niches key to your business demographic. Finkelstein said it will be cheaper and also likely a more effective way to grow a new business. The creator economy is changing the way business success is generated, Finkelstein said, with the old "Field of Dreams" model "If you build, it, they will come" no longer enough. "You can have a great product and still not be a success," he said. But that does not mean every small business owner with a great product should be chasing MrBeast or Emma Chamberlain for product endorsements. Social media micro-influencers may have a community that only numbers in the "few thousands," Finkelstein said, but their relationship with those followers is deep and results in high engagement, which is why he advises small business owners to look across the entire market of internet personalities. "If you're selling kitchenware or silverware and want to find a great influencer, rather than look for the most subscribers on YouTube, look for small channels that have great engagement," Finkelstein said. "It takes more time, but those are the people to go after, less expensive and you may see a higher return on investment." Finkelstein and his co-founder David Segal started Firebelly during the pandemic and if he were starting the brand today, he said he would take the same approach: not going after the biggest tea and coffee influencers but identifying the "small but engaged" micro-influencers building online communities. One way to track that is by seeing how often these micro-influencers are responding to tweets and comments, as well as the frequency of their posts across platforms. "Those are the things that have been working best for us," he said. "You mind find some alpha, some arbitrage opportunity on a sub-Reddit or Discord group all of your competitors are ignoring, and it changes the entirety of your business." That's not to say he downplayed the importance of the big influencers and platforms. He cited the TikTok hashtag "TikTok Made Me Buy It" which has 50 billion impressions. But Finkelstein also stressed that at a time when the U.S. government is threatening to ban the Chinese-owned social media giant, entrepreneurs should be focused on an omnichannel sales strategy. "If TikTok or Instagram no longer exists in a way Myspace doesn't, the brands that will build the most impressive companies will be channel agnostic," he said. And that goes beyond the internet. After a pandemic boom that pulled forward five years of e-commerce growth into one year, the rate of growth is back to 2018-2019 levels, Finkelstein said, with the lasting difference being a much higher baseline. But the end of the boom reiterates a cautionary tale retailers lived through in prior eras, such as when the 1980s and 1990s traditional shopping mall experience became less popular and less relevant than brands having their own flagship stories and pop-up experiences. "The same lesson applies. You have to try to be everywhere consumers are," he said, "online, offline, social media and anywhere in between," he added. "You may have a customer today that wants to buy in a store or online or at a farmer's market, you need to sell across surface area and reducing friction in those surface areas matters," Finkelstein said, adding that Shopify is thinking about itself today as more of a retail operating system than e-commerce company specifically. To find out where your customers are, business owners have to go back to the most basic option in the book: "Just ask them," he said. Whether engaging on Instagram or TikTok, or Spotify, where Shopify has an artist merchandise partnership, Finkelstein said entrepreneurs need to take advantage of the "hyper-real response" that is available. "Asking what they want to see more and less of is the easiest and least expensive way of marketing," he said. Even as he warned that a great product is no longer enough for success, he stressed that as consumers become more discerning with their dollars it is as critical as ever to be known as No. 1 in your brand niche. "We are seeing a lot more intentionality about buying," Finkelstein said. "Rather than five pairs of sweatpants, it's the one highest-quality pair," he said. Protestors take part in a May Day demonstration on Rennes, France, on May 1, 2023. Damien Meyer | Afp | Getty Images An increase in pension retirement age to 64 from 62 in France has sparked ongoing protests. The U.S. could be poised for a similar change with the Social Security retirement age. That shift would be unlikely to draw the same outcry seen in France. But some experts say younger generations should take to the streets or at the very least take an active role in the discussions over how the program may be reformed. "No one is talking about changing the [current] retirement age or doing anything that's going to affect current retirees" or near-retirees ages 55 and up, said Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "This is going to affect younger people, working-age people," he said. Program changes may 'haunt' younger workers Social Security will face a critical inflection point in the next decade. The program has been structured so that workers' contributions through payroll taxes largely fund the benefit income for current beneficiaries. But with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day which is expected to go up to 12,000 per day in 2024 the program is facing a shortage in funding. The latest projections from the Social Security board of trustees find the program's combined fund will be depleted in 2034 one year earlier than was projected in 2022. At that point, just 80% of benefits will be payable. watch now The country has been here before. In 1983, changes were enacted to extend the program's solvency including taxes on benefits and gradually increasing the retirement age from 65 to 67. Today, that higher retirement age is still getting phased in. People born in 1960 and later now must wait until 67 to receive their full "retirement age" benefits. But as lawmakers swear off changes that would affect near- and current retirees, that largely leaves younger generations to pick up the tab on any coming changes to the program. "All this stuff is coming back to haunt young people," said Laurence Kotlikoff, a Boston University economics professor and Social Security expert. This is generational expropriation. Laurence Kotlikoff Boston University economics professor "This is a time for young people millennials to take to the street and have a rally down in Washington, because this is generational expropriation," Kotlikoff said. A Social Security panel hosted by The Century Foundation and New York University this week focused on another cohort, Gen Z, who were born from the mid-90s to mid-2010s. While Social Security's current dilemma will probably be fixed long before Gen Z is looking at retirement, they may bear the burden for the way the 20% to 25% funding gap is solved, said Laura Haltzel, senior fellow at the Century Foundation. More from Personal Finance: What the federal debt limit fight could mean for Social Security Experts argue Social Security retirement age should not pass 67 69% of people either failed or barely passed this Social Security quiz How raising the retirement age could affect workers Today, Social Security claimants take reduced retirement benefits if they start at 62 or 100% of the benefits they've earned if they claim at full retirement age, which is transitioning to 67. But if they wait until age 70, they get 8% more per year. For example, if you are eligible for a $1,000 monthly benefit at full retirement age, you would get just $700 per month if you started at age 62. Alternatively, if you wait until age 70, you would get about $1,240 per month, Jason Fichtner, a former Social Security Administration executive and chief economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center noted during the panel. Raising the retirement age would reduce benefits even further at age 62, for those earliest claimants who may not be able to afford to wait. Consequently, it would be necessary to consider how such a change would affect high-income versus low-income claimants, Fichtner said. 'There is no free lunch here' Hero Images | Istock | Getty Images Other changes could be on the table that broadly include increased taxes, benefit cuts or a combination of both. That could include raising the payroll tax rate which is currently 12.4% evenly shared by workers and employers or lifting the maximum wage income subject to those taxes, which is $160,200 in 2023. If politicians cannot find either benefit cuts or tax increases palatable, they could turn to general revenue transfers, Fichtner noted. That would amount to another $200 billion to $300 billion per year on top of the current $31.4 trillion national debt, he said. "That means you're piling on debt to the next generation," Fichtner said. Arshad Sharif, who was critical of the Army, was killed in Kenya last October as he fled the country citing threats to his life from the security agencies. The shooting dead of the investigative journalist by police in Kenya caused outrage in Pakistan. Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has alleged that top ISI officer Major-General Faisal Naseer, who tried to kill him twice, was also involved in the brutal murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif. Khan's remarks came while he was addressing a rally in Lahore from his bullet-bomb-proof vehicle. The rally was telecast live in other cities through a video link. "Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)'s Major-General Faisal Naseer tried to kill me twice. He is also involved in the killing of (TV anchor) Arshad Sharif. He also stripped my party Senator Azam Swati naked and inflicted severe torture on him," Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf: chief Khan said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) Milk brand Nido has updated its iconic Youre My #1 campaign to adopt a more modern view on motherhood. The song continues to be an earworm for those who saw the original version on television during the early 2000s. It was first released in 2008 and performed again in 2014. Each version has featured household names in the Filipino showbiz industry, making it even more recognizable. While the song, now 15 years old, still continues to be a powerful and encouraging anthem to mothers, the newer version offers a refreshing perspective to empowerment. Spliced between smiles are scenes of mothers acknowledging their negative feelings, such as failing at tasks or feeling tired. Their children combat these with encouragement, expressing to their mothers that, to them, they are beautiful and strong, and their love has created a safe space for them to grow. Sana you could see you like I do, they sing in the video. The picture of the perfect mother differs from person to person. In fact, the notion of this has evolved massively throughout the centuries. Motherhood was once viewed as the only option for women, balanced only with housework and maintaining the ideal image of a homemaker. Now, the idea of motherhood has changed. Most modern moms balance motherhood with their own careers, ushering in a dismantling of the ideal image built centuries ago. In fact, a study by Meeussen and Van Laar found links between the pressure to meet perfect mother norms and parental burnout. The AsianParent conducted a poll within its community to investigate how Filipino moms are affected by these predominant views on motherhood. The poll found that almost 80% of Filipino moms blame themselves when something does not go right. In addition to that, despite the growing importance of self-care and mental health, 79% of Filipino moms still feel guilty about even wanting to rest, feeling they should be doing chores despite feeling exhausted. This is a global phenomenon. Unrealistic norms around motherhood have also been linked to depressive symptoms a number that doubled during the pandemic. Mothers are pushing back toward this ideal by expressing their difficulties more openly in the hopes of creating a safer space to embark on their motherhood journeys, without the added societal pressure. Photo from Nido As a parent, naturally, some days are harder and met with less sleep than others. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that. With life, everything works in a balance. Blessings come with their fair share of struggles. One fact, however, hasnt changed throughout the years motherhood is a full-time job. Mothers now come in every shape or form, and to their children, they will be viewed as their #1Mom. While the original campaign and the updated one both celebrate mothers, depicting how children are appreciative of the love and support their mothers have given them, the new video embraces how the image of a mother has shifted from fantasy to reality. It shows how well a brand like NIDO 3+ understands that moms are so much more than these images the ideals have painted. As a brand, it ensures that it celebrates all different types of mothers and all the ways they show their kids love. What does motherhood look like for you? Share your stories and experiences with us. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) The number of casualties from the brutal assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo has risen to 10 after a victim on Sunday died of gunshot wounds he sustained in the massacre. On March 4, gunmen entered the home compound of Degamo while he was meeting with constituents and opened fire. The governor and eight others were killed, while 17 were wounded. Fredilino Cafe Jr. became the 10th fatality as a result of the so-called Pamplona Massacre. We mourn the passing of Fredilino Cafe Jr., also known as Putok, from the Provincial Engineering Office of Umanod, Santa Catalina, a statement from the late governors official Facebook page read. His death marks the tenth victim of the Negros Oriental massacre that occurred two months and three days ago in the residence of Governor Degamo, it added. The statement said that Cafe had been in and out of the hospital due to injuries from the shooting over two months ago. Pamplona town Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, mourned Cafes passing. Magkita na mo ni Roel Putok ug sa mga kaubanan nato nga kuyog na sa Ginoo karong mga taknaa. Rest in peace 'Putok.' Si Lord na bahala ninyo ni nong Roel nimo, she said on Facebook. [Translation: You will see Roel and our other friends who are with God now. Rest in peace, Putok. The Lord will take care of you and Roel now.] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) The list of the Marcos administrations priority measures has grown to 42 with the inclusion of 11 new bills, including the proposed creation of the Maharlika investment fund (MIF). House Speaker Martin Romualdez shared the bills added to the priorities of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) ahead of the resumption of session in Congress Monday. President Marcos approved eleven bills designed to address key issues on public health, job creation, and further stimulate economic growth as part of his administrations priority legislation. These measures will be the focus of our legislative efforts when Congress resumes session on Monday, Romualdez said Sunday. The proposed creation of the MIF was approved by the House in December last year. It has yet to reach the Senate plenary. Aside from the MIF bill, the 10 new priority measures approved by Marcos are the following: amendments to the law on Armed Forces officers fixed term; the bill on ease of paying taxes; the bill on local government units income classification; amendments to the Universal Health Care Law; Bureau of Immigration modernization bill; bill on the Infrastructure Development Plan/Build Build Build program; Philippine Salt Industry Development Act; Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System; the National Employment Action Plan; and amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act. The House and Senate have 12 session days to act on pending bills before adjourning anew on June 2. The first four measures on the list have already been approved by the House, while the rest are pending at the committee level in the lower chamber. With the first regular session of the 19th Congress in its homestretch, Romualdez said the House will also do its best to approve the eight remaining bills on the initial list of the LEDACs legislative priorities. It will be on a best-effort basis. We will try to pass the remaining eight bills from the original priority list. If we could do that, we would have approved all the urgent measures identified by President Marcos in less than a year, Romualdez said. The eight priority bills that Marcos mentioned in his first State of the Nation Address that have yet to be approved by the House are the following: the bill establishing regional specialty hospitals; the bill enabling the natural gas industry; the National Land Use Act; creation of the Department of Water Resources and Services and creation of Water Regulatory Commission; Budget Modernization Act; National Defense Act; Electric Power Industry Reform Act; and the bill unifying the system of separation, retirement, and pension for uniformed personnel. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) The Immigration bureau has released an advisory for airports to keep a watchful eye on outgoing Filipinos to make sure they do not fall victim to online job scams abroad. We strengthen our border control at the same time we have to educate as well our mga kababayans tulad ng pag-i-inform sa kanila na for them to work [abroad], dapat ay dumaan sila sa tamang proseso sa POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration), BI deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said Sunday. [Translation: We strengthen our border control at the same time we have to educate as well our fellow countrymen, like informing them that in order for them to work abroad, they need to go through the right process through the POEA.] Under the advisory, airport officials are tasked to check outgoing Filipinos if they have a round-trip ticket and a passport valid for six months. Mabulac also said work applicants should also be reminded not to accept work offered in social media as it is unmonitored by the POEA. Jhomar Malabanan has been an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) living in South Korea for six years. He told CNN Philippines that throughout his stay in South Korea, he has been offered numerous investment schemes where he is asked to shell out a large amount of money with a promise of even bigger returns. Malabanan added that the deals are too good to be true. But still, he said many OFWs give in to these types of exploitation. Medyo naiintindihan po natin dahil sa hirap ng buhay dito sa abroad, gusto nila kumita agad ng malaki without knowing na ang pinapasok nila ay scam, Malabanan. [Translate: I understand that because of the difficulty of life here abroad, they want to earn a lot immediately without knowing that they are joining a scam.] In Pampanga on Friday, authorities rescued more than 1,000 people from several Asian countries who were allegedly trafficked into the country, held captive, and forced to work in online scams, an official said Saturday. At least a dozen suspects supposed to be behind an investment scam underwent inquest proceedings on Saturday. They are facing human trafficking charges. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) The low pressure area (LPA) in the vicinity of Puerto Princesa, Palawan is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday, but another one will likely enter Mindanao. In its latest update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was last spotted at 410 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City, heading to the West Philippine Sea. It will bring cloudy skies and scattered rain showers or thunderstorms over Kalayaan Islands, PAGASA weather forecaster Patrick Del Mundo said. Meanwhile, the other LPA was last seen at 965 kilometers east of Northeastern Mindanao, and it is forecast to enter PAR on Sunday morning. It may not have a direct effect to any Philippine landmass, Del Mundo said. PAGASA noted both weather disturbances are less likely to develop into tropical depressions in the next 24 hours. The weather bureau also said the easterlies and localized thunderstorms will cause partly cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms all over the country. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged the government to improve the management of airports, saying privatization of the country's gateways is not the answer to issues hounding them. Hontiveros added that privatization is not a "silver bullet." "Hindi 'silver bullet' o tamang reseta ang privatization sa lumalalang problema ng palpak na serbisyo sa ating mga paliparan. This is an issue of performance and accountability hindi gaganda ang serbisyo sa NAIA kahit pa pribadong sektor ang nagpapatakbo nito, kung wala namang reporma pagdating sa sistema ng pangangasiwa ng NAIA at ng iba pang paliparan sa bansa, Hontiveros said in a statement on Sunday. [Translation: Privatization is not a "silver bullet" that would fix the worsening problem of poor service in airports. This is an issue of performance and accountability service at the NAIA will not improve even if run by the public sector, if there are no reforms in the system and management of NAIA and other airports in the country.] Airport officials came under fire once more after a power outage hit Terminal 3 on May 1 that led to delayed and canceled flights. On Jan. 1, thousands of travelers were affected as well as a power outage and technical issues in traffic control affected airport operations. After the January glitch, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said there were no plans to privatize anything," especially the countrys airports. In her statement, Hontiveros urged the government to ensure "clear lines of accountability and responsibility in relation to airport operations." "Ayusin natin ang sistema ng pagpapatakbo ng NAIA, para hindi nauuwi sa turuan at kamot ng ulo ang pagtugon sa bawat isyu mapa-power outage man, mahabang pila, o aksidente sa paliparan, she said. [Translation: Let us fix the management of NAIA so we don't have to resort to finger-pointing or head-scratching when issues come up whether it's a power outage, long lines, or accidents at the airport.] "We should demand more from our public officials and not encourage further complacency in the bureaucracy by bringing in the private sector every time our public officials are unable or unwilling to do their jobs," she added. Colorado is the No. 1 state in the nation for auto thefts. On Saturday, state lawmakers passed a bill they hope would help change that. Currently, the severity of criminal offenses for auto thefts in Colorado depends on the value of the stolen vehicle ranging from a class 1 misdemeanor for a car worth $2,000 or less, to a class 3 felony for a car worth $100,000 or more. If enacted, Senate Bill 97 would remove the value-based system and make all auto thefts felonies. The bill cleared its last major legislative vote on Saturday, now only needing minor amendments to be approved before it will be sent to the governor for final consideration. "We'll be treating poor and wealthy victims the same," said bill sponsor Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta. "Now, law enforcement will not look to the value of the car, instead they're looking at going after the criminal. That's what's important here." Under the bill, auto theft would be a class 5 felony at the baseline. It would become a class 4 felony if the thief alters the vehicles license plates, leaves the state, causes $1,000 or more in damages to the vehicle, injures someone or uses the vehicle in another crime. It would become a class 3 felony if the thief has two prior convictions for auto theft. The bill would also create a class 1 misdemeanor offense for "unauthorized use of a motor vehicle": stealing a vehicle but returning or recovering it within 24 hours without damage, which proponents called the joyride provision. The House passed the bill in a 48-16 vote on Saturday, following the Senate's unanimous passage in March. The bill sponsored by two Democrats and two Republicans received bipartisan support, but only Democrats voted against it. While the bill's supporters said they hope increasing the penalty for auto theft would deter criminals from committing the crime, opponents argued that charging thieves with harsher offenses will not deter theft if the criminals are not getting arrested in the first place. Approximately 40,000 vehicles were stolen in Colorado in 2022 but only around 3,900 arrests were made, representing less than 10% of stolen vehicles resulting in an arrest, according to data from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority presented by lawmakers. Of those arrests, approximately 80% were already charged as felonies. "This is not the right move," said Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver, while voting against the bill in committee. "This is not a good first step, it's a step in the wrong direction and it's a step that we're going to be paying for collectively for years to come." The penalties for class 3, 4 and 5 felonies range from one to 12 years in prison and $1,000 to $750,000 in fines. Class 1 misdemeanors are punishable by up to 364 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. Increasing prison sentences of auto thieves could cost the state more than $12 million over five years, based on state estimates. Ultimately though, proponents of the bill said even if it does not lower auto theft rates, it is still needed to create equity for crime victims and send a message to criminals that Colorado will not stand for auto theft. From 2011 to 2020, rates of auto theft increased by 144% in Colorado the fastest rise in the country reaching 524.3 thefts per every 100,000 people, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Thats more than double the national rate of 256. Since 2020, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation estimates that auto thefts have continued to rise by 46% as of 2022. "We need to correct our laws," said bill sponsor Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. "We've seen it in the news, we've heard from our constituents. Their cars are being stolen and ... we know that the value of a car isn't just measured by its dollar value." Lawmakers, including Sen. Julie Gonzales of Denver and Rep. Mike Weissman of Aurora, said they voted in favor of the bill "reluctantly," questioning whether it would have the intended effect but adding they're supporting it because their constituents want them to or out of respect for the work put into the bill. Rep. Lorena Garcia of Adams County said the same thing while supporting the bill in committee, but voting against it in the final House action. The bill is expected to be sent to Gov. Jared Polis in the coming days. If signed, it will take effect on July 1 and apply to offenses committed from that date forward. War has changed greatly over the course of history, that much is obvious. From tactics to weapons to what exactly youre allowed to do to the opposing forces without being considered a war criminal, those interested in seizing others lands in pursuit of liberation, loot, or the second masquerading as the former, follow a much different path than armies of old. Im sure medieval armies would have loved to have a remote-operated, axe-wielding juggernaut drone that could charge the opposing castles champions like heavy-metal Pokemon instead of getting a mace to the face, but they never had such luck. One constant through any generation of warfare, though, is something that doesnt have to do with armies, their armaments, or whether or not poisoning is ok. Its a limitation that ancient lords share precisely with modern generals: the human brains constant capacity to make an incredibly dumb decision. Pure brute strength can only ever carry you so far, and one ill-timed miscalculation can cost you infinitely more dearly than a number disadvantage or obsolete artillery. War is a game in which many lives are on the line, and unfortunately, it can be thrown just as easily as a round of League of Legends. Here are 3 incredibly dumb, and massively devastating, military blunders in history. 3 The Battle Of Agincourt Public Domain For the first incredibly deadly oopsie, lets look at the famous Battle of Agincourt from the Hundred Years War. To set the scene, we can imagine the general state of things before the battle was to begin. In this corner, we have a French army of 20,000 men, primed and ready to deliver a drubbing to the enemy. In the other corner, we have the 27-year-old King Henry V of England, with only 5,500 men, most of whom were currently suffering from dysentery. As you can imagine, the French army had pretty much already marked this as a W. With almost four times the men, and with far fewer of them having active, bloody diarrhea, they were almost celebrating in advance. Advertisement However, it was what stood between the armies that would make the biggest difference: a massive, recently plowed field, turned by rain into a sea of deep mud capable of drowning a pig. The English, understandably, didnt want to fight in the mud, but Henry realized they might be able to goad the French into taking the disadvantageous ground with, basically, a large-scale, medieval version of shouting HEY, I BET YOU GUYS CANT KICK OUR ASS! His army threw up banners and marched only a small distance forward, but this taunt was enough to send the French Army, their minds filled with an Arnold Palmer of equal parts hubris and bloodlust, charging into a literal shitstorm. Their men and horses immediately got stuck in the mud and became a human shooting gallery for the English archers. By the time the battle ended, the French would surrender after losing nearly 6000 men. The casualty count for the English? Roughly 400. If only the French had played Darkest Dungeon. Advertisement 2 The Charge Of The Light Brigade Public Domain Another human error resulting in massive human loss was the battle known as the Charge of The Light Brigade during the Crimean War in the year 1854. Its a battle that even inspired a poem of the same name by Alfred Tennyson, dedicated to the heroism of those that would die in the battle. However, this heroism, and these deaths, were entirely and wholly unnecessary, caused by something that even a modern office worker is all too familiar with: miscommunication among management. Though one could also argue that hundreds of men dying because two big wigs couldnt clearly communicate is itself a poetic treatise on war. Advertisement Advertisement First, the loss that led to the situation that would go so deadly sour: the British and French, fighting the Russians, were forced back from the Causeway Heights, fleeing four fortifications filled with recently installed artillery. The Russian forces were repelled only a short distance later, but Lord Fitzroy Somerset Raglan decided he would really like all those guns they just left back. So he issued an order to try to take back those four fortifications to prevent the Russians from acquiring all that sweet, sweet, weaponry. Except that he didnt say Please go retake the four fortifications we just abandoned, to retrieve our guns. He said instead, advance rapidly to the front and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. The guns he was talking about were the guns in the Causeway Heights. The cavalry he issued this order to, unfortunately, was not in sight of the Causeway Heights. What they were in sight of was a fully entrenched, absolute shit ton of Russian artillery, at the end of an open valley. For some reason, instead of maybe questioning the wisdom of an order that was basically run down a hallway at a mounted gatling gun, George Bingham and James Brudenell, the Earls of Lucan and Cardigan, respectively, shrugged their shoulders and basically went, seems weird but ok. They then charged their men into the valley, at which point they were shot at from THREE SEPARATE DIRECTIONS by Russian gunners. It was basically a horrific, deadly, real-life version of Tower Defense flash game. 670 men participated in the charge. 110 died, 160 were wounded, and 375 horses were killed. They did not win. Advertisement Laws are all bad, of course. For example, one law says you have to defecate in a bathroom, instead of directly on the hood of your neighbors car. Whats the logic behind that? The car is literally right there! However, while we can all debate the necessity of laws that constrict us today, we used to live by even worse laws, which we finally got around to putting in the trash. If you were unlucky enough to be born a few centuries ago, the long arm of the law might put you in a headlock for breaking such rules as... This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate POTIOMKYNE, Ukraine (AP) A grassy lane rutted with tire tracks leads to Volodymyr Zaiets farm in southern Ukraine. He is careful, driving only within those shallow grooves veering away might cost him his life in the field dotted with explosive mines. Weeds grow tall where rows of sunflowers once bloomed. Zaiets land hasn't been touched since the fall of 2021, when it was last seeded with wheat. Now, it's a minefield left by retreating Russian forces. Zaiets eschewed official warnings and demined this patch of land himself, determined not to lose the years harvest. He expects that 15% of his 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) of farmland was salvaged. Workers like Victor Kostiuk still spot mines, but he's ready to start the tractor. We have to do it, he says, Why be afraid? Across Ukraine, the war has forced grain growers into a vicious dilemma. Farmers in areas now free from Russian occupation must decide if it's worth risking their lives to strip land of explosives before the critical spring planting season. They have soaring production and transportation costs caused by Russias blockade of many Black Sea ports, and several neighboring European countries imposed import restrictions on Ukrainian grain to prevent a glut. The dual crisis is causing many farmers to cut back on sowing crops. Bottlenecks in shipping grain by land and sea are creating losses, with expectations of a 20% to 30% reduction in grain output, poorer quality crops and potentially thousands of bankruptcies next year, according to industry insiders, Ukrainian government officials and international organizations. The drastic reduction of grain crops potentially threatens global food security, said Pierre Vauthier, head of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Ukraine. That is the main thing everybody eats. So thats why it is a big concern. More than a year since Russia's invasion, the Ukrainian agriculture industry is starting to see the full impact of what's been dubbed the breadbasket of the world, whose affordable supplies of wheat, barley and sunflower oil are crucial to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia where people are going hungry. The FAO says 90% of agricultural businesses lost revenue and 12% reported lands contaminated with mines. Land planted with grain dropped last year to 11.6 million hectares (28.6 million acres) from 16 million hectares (around 40 million acres) in 2021. That's expected to fall to 10.2 million hectares (25.2 million acres) this year. In the southern Kherson province, between the threat of missiles from the sky and mines on the ground, farmers make the same, often tragic, calculation: Take the risk and plant or lose their livelihoods. The region is among the highest wheat-producing areas in Ukraine and the most heavily mined. Demining services are overstretched, with infrastructure and civilian homes prioritized over farms. But growers cant wait: April and May are key planting months for corn, the autumn months for wheat. Many are switching to planting oil seeds that are less costly. We have nearly 40 big farmers in our area, and nearly everyone is unable to access their lands except two, said Hanna Shostak-Kuchmiak, head of the Vysokopillya administration that includes several villages in northern Kherson. Zaiets is one, and Valerii Shkuropat from the nearby village of Ivanivka is the other. Our heroes, said Shostak-Kuchmiak, who were driving their cars around picking up mines and bringing them to our deminers. Neither farmer felt they had the choice. Both knew that without a harvest this year, they will be insolvent by next. Everyone understands the risks, said Shkuropat, whos vast 2,500 hectares (more than 6,000 acres) of land once grew peas, barley, millet and sunflowers. He estimates that half can be planted. Last month, one of his workers was killed and another was wounded while picking up metal missile remnants. If we sow, if we grow crops, people will have jobs, salaries and they will have a means to feed their families, Shkuropat said. But if we dont do anything, we will have nothing. Russias blockade of Ukraines Black Sea ports stripped the country of the advantage it once enjoyed over other grain-exporting countries. Transit costs, now four to six times higher than prewar levels, have rendered grain production prohibitively expensive. High costs of fuel, fertilizer and quality seeds only add to farmers' woes. Most must sell their grain at a loss. Farmers are responding by seeding less, said Andrii Vadaturskyi, CEO of Nibulon, a top Ukrainian grain shipping company. No one is paying attention to the fact that already 40% less wheat has been seeded (this year), and we expect 50% less corn will be seeded in Ukraine, he said, drawing on data from 3,000 farmers. Nibulon once paid an average of $12 to ship a ton of grain from the southern port city of Odesa. Now it pays $80-$100 per ton, Vadaturskyi said, HarvEast CEO Dmytro Skornyakov said that his agricultural company pays almost $110 in logistics costs to export every ton of corn. It covers our expenses, but doesnt give us any profit, he said. Negotiations are underway on renewing the U.N.-brokered agreement that allows Ukrainian grain to safely leave three Black Sea ports. Shippers say the deal isn't working efficiently. Russian inspections are causing long wait times for vessels, piling on fees and making the sea route expensive and unreliable, Ukrainian grain shippers say. Russia denies slowing inspections. We had some vessels which were waiting close to 80 days in the queue simply to be loaded, said Vadaturskyi of Nibulon. Someone has to lose that money, either the buyer, owner of the vessel or trader. Transit routes through Europe are open even as Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary temporarily banned Ukrainian wheat, corn and some other products over concerns about their own farmers' profits. But those routes are slow and costly. Shipping by sea accounted for 75% of Ukrainian grain exports at the start of the year. Meanwhile, some farmers won't risk planting their fields. Oleh Uskhalos land in Potiomkyne is awash with ammunition, the vast wheat farms reduced to a graveyard of scorched equipment. Inside a bombed-out grain shed lies piles of wheat grain Ushkalos entire prewar harvest rotting under the sun. We can go on for another year, he said. After that, he doesnt know. He hopes for government compensation. I cannot send (my workers) to a field where I know mines and bombs are, Uskhalo said. To send a person to blow themselves up? I cant do that. He faces resistance from his employees, eager to earn wages. The tractor drivers, they say, We can go, we can sign a document stating that we take full responsibility, Uskhalo said. Its too risky, he told them. In the distance, he can see a tractor equipped with disk tillers, a type of plow. I wonder if its Volodymyr Mykolaiovych, he said, referring to Zaiets. All it takes is for one of those disks to hit a mine and thats it. Thats what happened to Mykola Ozarianskyi. In April, the farmer took a chance: He hopped on his tractor in his village of Borozenske, in Kherson, to head to a friends sunflower field to cut stalks. He swerved to turn down a side farm road. He remembers the explosion, then waking up in a hospital bed with a collapsed lung and broken ribs. Every day, he thinks of his 16 hectares (around 40 acres) of land, still unseeded. I will do it, he said, straining to speak while a tube drains blood from his chest. For a farmer, not planting means death. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine and food crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/food-crisis. Mike Duggan is the Kevin Bacon of Connecticut nonprofits. No one is better at playing Six Degrees of Mike Duggan than Duggan. I learned this within minutes of meeting him nine years ago. His first move was to ask where I grew up. Within seconds he figured out that one of the nuns who taught me in elementary school also happened to be his wifes aunt. I was reminded of this Tuesday when I bumped into Ferguson Library CEO Alice Knapp and mentioned I was working on a column marking Duggans anniversary as executive director of Domus Kids (a fete will be held in honor of his 30 years May 13, though he started there in 1991). He is a connector, and within a five-minute conversation, you will find a common connection, Knapp affirms. In our case, it was that I went to Siena (College), as did his daughter. Knapp is wrong about one thing. Five minutes is too long for Duggan. Hes a naturally fast talker, former Domus board chair Gene Waggaman observes. He can fit more words with less punctuation, more unfinished sentences, into a 30-second encounter than anyone Ive ever met. Thats one reason I wont be talking to Duggan for this column. Its too much work to keep up. The other reason is that he would tell me to write about somebody else. Its easy enough to get others to toss around accolades. When Knapp mentioned Duggan to the Rev. Winton Hill, the retired pastor quoted Luke 6:31: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Hill) said Mike lives that phrase. And I would have to agree. His compassion and empathy knows no bounds, Knapp says. He is a completely ordinary, down-to-earth guy who does Gods beautiful work, Waggaman adds. He is the definition of hail fellow well met, says state Sen. Ceci Maher. Craig Baker, deputy director of Domus Kids, strives to summon Duggans essence: I know how simple this sounds. Hes just a good human being. Such laurels have limitations. Duggans work helping children cope with extreme challenges defies summary. But there are common threads in what people say about him. HE CAN TAKE THE HEAT: Maher recalls an early meeting with Duggan, circa 2005, when she was running Person-to-Person in Darien and their agencies were collaborating on a summer camp program. She says she was not very kind calling him out about a procedural flaw, but he calmly responded by creating a better system. He doesnt slash and burn. He doesnt make anyone feel bad. He just changes and makes things better, Maher says. AND HE CAN BRING ON THE HEAT: Baker, who grew up in Greenwich, recalls starting his career in 1999 as a teacher for Domus former charter school, Trailblazers Academy. Duggan immediately asked if he had seen the 1988 film, Stand and Deliver, about Los Angeles teacher Jaime Escalante, who motivated students on the verge of dropping out by teaching them calculus. Can you do that? Duggan challenged. Baker taught social studies, and the film is fictionalized, but he tuned into Duggans frequency: Was I willing to embrace the impossible? A DEI PIONEER: It hasnt escaped the notice of Duggans peers that he introduced trauma-focused work long before it came into vogue. Now everyone talks about the impact of trauma in inner cities, Maher notes. TRUST HIM: After a few years of serving on the Domus board, Waggaman accepted the chairman position on the condition that the board approve everything Duggan brought to them. He knew from experience that ideas were vetted by the time they reached the board, and at best would only need tweaking. Waggaman acknowledges that most boards cant just be rubber stamps, but insists there was nothing where we trusted (Duggan) and it didnt work out. KEEP IT SIMPLE: Matt Quinones, Stamfords director of operations, met Duggan during Quinones previous gig as CEO of the Stamford Public Education Foundation. Theyve been in a lot of meetings together, which can reliably result in a jumble of suggested remedies to challenges. Duggan can be counted on to clear the static by identifying the straightforward solution and asking, why wouldnt we just do this? THE COFFEE TRICK: Baker recalls once being livid at a DOMUS provider he disagreed with. Heres what youre going to do, Duggan advised him. Youre going to find out how that person takes their coffee. Youre going to go to them unannounced, hand them the coffee and look them in the eyes and really hear them out and come to a mutually agreed-upon solution. HE KNOWS PAIN: Waggaman remembers long lines outside the funeral home at the wake for Duggans daughter, Kellie, who died of cancer in the familys Guilford home in 2010 at age 21. Waggaman recalls details, such as Kellies favorite rap songs being played on a boom box. The determination to honor her rather than mourn her and to get people to feel that. It was just incredible. Bridget Fox, who was president of Stamford Cradle to Career before becoming Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons chief of staff, reflected on Duggans compassion. He has felt pain. He knows pain. BOYS TO MEN: On any given day, Baker spots visitors in the 30-40 age range exiting Duggans office with broad smiles. They were once the boys who lived at Domus (Latin for home). For them, Duggan is family. When I call Carlos Diaz, all I know is that he was one of Duggans former mentees. We find common ground (actually water) quickly. He recently changed careers and is working as a swimming pool tech, as I did to pay my way through college. When I pivot to the reason for the call, his loyalty is revealed in the way he says just three words: For Mike, anything. Diaz casts himself as a troubled youth as he starts his story in 2004, when he was 15. His mother had been killed in an accident and he never knew his father, making him a ward of the state. A social worker suggested moving him from his Hartford hometown to live in a Domus group home in unknown, unfamiliar Stamford. He paused to summon the memory of meeting Duggan. Who the hell is this guy? he recalls thinking. Im an inner-city kid. I have my own view of the world. Who is this white guy going around he was massive, in great shape. He makes an impression when he walks in the room. I thought, this is the guy I had to do power-brokering with. Diaz put each of them in their own boxes. The Puerto Rican kid from the south side of Hartford. The big white authority figure from Stamford. He quickly figured out the labels didnt fit. (Duggan) had no BS, which was rare. Everybody wants to feel bad for you as an orphan. Everybody wants to pity you. This is a guy who never took that stance with me. He never allows you to do that to yourself. It did a lot for me. It wasnt easy. It never really is in Duggans line of work. They went toe to toe. Diaz served a spell in prison. Even then, Duggan kept writing to him. He lifted my spirits. He never gave up. Thats his philosophy the idea of never giving up on people, especially children. A lot of people would say youve had your two chances. Mike says you have to give people more chances. You have to believe in them. Duggan could have cashed in on his skill set by flipping to a different career. Something easier, with a more forgiving commute than the 60 miles from Guilford to Stamford. Thats not just conjecture. His colleagues confirm opportunities knocked. Diaz thinks Duggan could have done anything. He could have run a Fortune 500 company. Just based on leadership. He picked the hardest tasks to operate in. Who the heck is doing that? He chose to go into a field thats a losing battle. Thats what were celebrating the consistency of it. I revive Diazs own phrase like a chorus: Mike Duggan has never been afraid to go toe to toe. His mentee sings along. Man, thats why I love him. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas legislative committee recommended Saturday that GOP Rep. Bryan Slaton be expelled for inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old intern. Slaton, from Royse City, could face an expulsion vote by the full House as early as Tuesday. Slaton, 45, has declined to comment on the allegations, and did not immediately respond to a phone message left by The Associated Press Saturday afternoon, but his attorney last month called the claims outrageous and false." The House General Investigative Committee's recommendation was first reported by The Texas Tribune. In the written investigation report, the committee said Slaton gave the 19-year-old intern and another young staffer alcohol at his home, that he had sex with the intern after she was intoxicated, and that he later showed the intern a threatening email but said everything would be fine if the incident was kept quiet. Slaton also asked a fellow lawmaker to keep his behavior secret, the committee said. Slaton's misconduct is grave and serious, the committee members wrote in a report, and that he furnished alcohol to a minor, violated employment laws, abused his position of power and engaged in harassment. The fact that Slaton has not expressed regret or remorse for his conduct is also egregious and unwarranted, the committee wrote. "It is the Committees unanimous recommendation that, considering the factors stated above, the only appropriate discipline in this matter is expulsion." Slatons legislative biography describes him as, a proud East Texan with values and principles that represent the great people of East Texas that were formed by his participation in church and family gatherings. It also sites his degrees from a Baptist seminary school and his work serving as a youth minister. Slaton has repeatedly pushed to ban drag shows for kids and has tweeted his support for laws prohibiting gender-affirming healthcare. Children dont need to be focused on sex and sexualization, and we need to let them just grow up to be children and let them do that as theyre getting closer to being an adult, Slaton said in an interview last year. The misconduct investigation began after two 19-year-old legislative aides and a 21-year-old legislative intern filed complaints in April. The committee hired a former state judge to conduct the investigation, which confirmed the complaints, Committee Chairman Andrew Murr, a Republican, told the 150-member House on Saturday. Murr said he expects a resolution calling for Slatons expulsion on Tuesday. Expelling Slaton would require a two-thirds vote from House members. In the complaints, two of the women said they tried to dissuade the intern from spending time with Slaton and suggested that his behavior was inappropriate. But the intern, who one complainant described as naive, was not convinced and so agreed to Slaton's request to visit his apartment on the night of March 31. The other women went with her, according to the report, and the lawmaker served them rum and cokes. One of the young women drank enough to vomit; the intern was really dizzy and had split vision according to the report. The other women eventually left the home but the intern reportedly stayed. She told her friends that Slaton drove her home the next morning, stopping at a drugstore so she could obtain emergency contraception on the way, according to the report. The Associated Press found that between 2017 and 2021, at least 120 state lawmakers in 41 states have faced public allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment. Among those cases was an Idaho lawmaker who was eventually convicted in 2022 of raping a legislative intern. Often, lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct run again for office and are re-elected. Efforts to remove them are rarer. But this year, a handful of lawmakers nationwide have been expelled or barred from Statehouses for simply taking part in protests or violating decorum rules. Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who is transgender, was barred by Republicans from the House floor after she rebuked colleagues supporting a ban on gender-affirming care for children and opposed their efforts to silence her. Two Democratic lawmakers from Tennessee were expelled by Republicans in April for their role in a protest calling for more gun control after a deadly school shooting in Nashville. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Japans prime minister expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japans colonial rule, as he and his South Korean counterpart Sunday renewed their resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen cooperation in the face of shared challenges such as North Koreas nuclear program. Comments by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol their second meeting in less than two months were closely watched in South Korea, where many still harbor strong resentment against Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Kishidas statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonization but still sympathized with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for an effort to improve ties. And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days, Kishida told a joint news conference with Yoon, referring to the Japanese colonial period. He said he believes it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to cooperate with Yoon to forge stronger relations. Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbors in 12 years. The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labor. Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each others trade status and Seouls previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Their strained ties complicated U.S. efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoons conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labor victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps. Yoons push, however, drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Yoon has defended his move, saying greater cooperation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Koreas advancing nuclear program, the intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward because our history issues arent settled completely, Yoon said Sunday. He said that 10 out of the 15 former forced laborers or their families involved in the 2018 rulings had accepted compensation under Seouls third-party reimbursement plan. Kishida said: Im struck by the fact that many people, despite their painful memories from the past, opened their hearts for the future as measures by the South Korean government related to (the fund) move forward. Kishida also reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations on the colonization issue, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul, but didnt make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said: I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honored in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. Kishidas comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticized for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic toward historical victims, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. But Kishida did visit South Koreas national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving Seoul-Tokyo relations. Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are underway to implement their earlier agreement on a faster exchange of information on North Korean missile tests. Yoon said he and Kishida reaffirmed that North Koreas nuclear and missile programs pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Korea's nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, China's assertiveness and Russia's war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. Kishida said he and Yoon would pay respects before a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima. In another apparent conciliatory measure, Kishida said Japan will allow South Korean experts to visit and inspect a planned release of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. More AP coverage of the Asia-Pacific region is at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) After his swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva walked up the ramp to the presidential palace arm in arm with Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire, instantly recognizable by his yellow headdress and wooden lip plate. But a major railway that would accelerate deforestation in Metuktire's ancestral land risks souring relations between the leftist leader and the chief of the Kayapo people. And it's just one of several mega-projects that activists and experts say would devastate the natural world and seriously dent Lula's newfound image as a defender of the environment if they proceed. Others include an oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River; a highway that would slice through some of the Amazon rainforests most protected areas; and renewal of a giant hydroelectric dams license. Lula is talking about the environment, showing preoccupation with illegal mining, demarcating Indigenous territories. Hes already learned a lot, but needs to learn more. Were still very worried, said Alessandra Korap, an Indigenous leader of the Munduruku people who recently won the Goldman Environmental Prize for work that included battling illegal mining. Under Lulas predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation soared to a 15-year high and environmental restrictions were weakened. The far-right leader filled key positions in environmental agencies with agribusiness allies and military officers. Indigenous peoples rights were trampled. After narrowly defeating Bolsonaro in last year's election, Lula has strived to put environmental protection and respect for Indigenous peoples rights at the heart of his third term. He resumed successful pursuit of international donations for the Amazon Fund that combats deforestation, launched a military campaign to eject illegal miners from Yanomami territory, committed to ending all illegal deforestation by 2030 and restarted the demarcation of Indigenous areas. But Lula faces difficult tests in the large infrastructure projects. While opponents regard them as catastrophic, some in Lula's Workers' Party continue to view them as essential for providing jobs and promoting growth. And Brazil, a developing nation, has heavy demand for socioeconomic benefits. THE OIL-DRILLING PROJECT Ibama, Brazils environmental agency, will decide in coming months whether to license drilling in one sector near the mouth of the Amazon. Approval would surely lead to drilling in the whole region, said Suely Araujo, a former Ibama head now a public policy specialist with the Climate Observatory, a network of non-profits. Its a matter of coherence. Lulas speeches on environmental protection and the climate crisis are bang on point. But if oil exploration is intensified, it will mean expanding fossil fuels. There would be an inconsistency, Araujo said. During Lulas first terms, huge offshore discoveries became a means of financing health, education and social welfare programs. To a large extent, this vision remains, meaning it will be very difficult to persuade the government to give up strategic projects, even when there are significant social environmental risks, said Maiara Folly, director of CIPO, a think tank focused on climate and international relations. With existing production set to peak in coming years, there's sharp interest in securing more off Brazil's northern coast. It's a unique and biodiverse location, home to little-studied swathes of mangroves and a coral reef. Araujo said the project risks leaks that would be carried elsewhere by strong tides. State-run oil giant Petrobras has earmarked almost half its five-year, $6 billion exploration budget for the area. CEO Jean Paul Prates said the first well would be temporary, and that the company has never recorded a leak in offshore drilling. Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira said in March that the area is the passport to the future for development in Brazil's northern regions. Lula has used the same term to describe the earlier offshore oil discoveries. Eighty civil society and environmental organizations, WWF Brasil and Greenpeace, have called for the license to be declined pending an in-depth study. THE HYDROELECTRIC DAM The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, a concrete colossus on the Xingu River, was planned under Lula and built by his successor, Dilma Rousseff. Supporters saw it as a way to generate jobs and add power to Brazil's grid. Indigenous populations and environmental campaigners fiercely opposed it, and studies show its impacts have been disastrous. Civil society organizations estimate tens of thousands of people were displaced, and experts attribute a local surge of violence to lost jobs. One area of concern is the Xingu's Volta Grande, or Big Bend, which has lost much of its water. That caused the disappearance of fish -- the basis of many Indigenous populations subsistence. Belo Monte is back on Lulas agenda, with Ibama weighing whether to renew its license. The agency reported last summer that Norte Energia, the dam's owner, hadn't respected many of the conditions for its original license. Local media said Norte Energia proposed to distribute 20,000 reais (about $4,000) in compensation to nearly 2,000 fishermen. In January, researchers in the region published a letter environmental journalism website Sumauma calling on Lula and his administration to investigate and punish crimes and injustices surrounding the dam. Any government really committed to conserving the Amazon and fighting the climate crisis is obliged to recognize the problems caused by Belo Monte and to fix the damage and impacts caused, the letter said. Local populations are demanding the license be renewed only if Norte Energia agrees to use the water in a way that allows life in and around the river to be sustained. The license was originally issued under heavy pressure from Rousseff's government, said Folly. In a March interview with Sumauma, Lula's environment minister, Marina Silva, promised that this time, nobody is going to be coerced, as they were before, and this represents a total change. THE HIGHWAY The BR-319 highway connects Porto Velho to Manaus. It was abandoned in the 1980s after falling into disuse, but the government has shown signs of wanting to repave it to facilitate the export of commodities. Environmentalists and scientists warn that could lead to uncontrolled deforestation in the region by increasing land speculation and giving easy access to land grabbers. After Bolsonaro announced that a section of the road would be repaved, deforestation in nearby areas quickly surged, according to Brazils national space agency. Lula told Radio Difusora last June that he favored reconstruction, calling it important for the economies of Amazonas and Rondonia states. Ibama's president Rodrigo Agostinho told the AP in March that the agency has slowed the permitting process in order to analyze carefully. THE RAILWAY Similar concerns surround a 933-kilometer (around 580 miles) railway known as Ferrograo that would move grains from the heartland toward the Tapajos River for eventual shipping abroad. The project would mean fewer trucks moving soy and corn, and thus reduced carbon emissions. But it might also mean rising deforestation. A 2021 study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais projected deforestation of more than 230,000 hectares in Indigenous lands in Mato Grosso state by 2035 if it is completed. The railway is on hold pending a court's ruling on the constitutionality of a law that permitted felling forest in the Jamanxim National Park to make way for its crossing. In January, Lula's transport minister, Renan Filho, placed Ferrograo among top priority projects. Doto Takak-Ire, who like Chief Raoni is a leader of the Kayapo, said in a column published in O Globo newspaper in March that the project would threaten the survival of 48 Indigenous peoples, and called it the railway of Indigenous genocide. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) After attending the coronation of King Charles III in London, Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent four years in Britains Belmarsh Prison. It is an embarrassment that a journalist who denounced trickery by one state against another is arrested, condemned to die in jail and we do nothing to free him. Its a crazy thing, Lula told reporters. We talk about freedom of expression; the guy is in prison because he denounced wrongdoing. And the press doesn't do anything in defense of this journalist. I can't understand it. Lula offered the remarks in response to a question about Assange, who is a native Australian. He said he had forgotten to discuss the matter with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but that he would write to him upon returning to Brazil. Assange has been fighting extradition to the United States, and Lula's comments come at a moment that he has shown little reluctance to voice his differences of opinion with Washington regarding geopolitical matters, particularly in his opposition to providing arms to Ukraine for its war against Russia, and accusing the US and Europe of encouraging the fighting. His stance and repeated statements have drawn sharp rebukes from the White House and Europe. For its part, Australia has been stepping up diplomatic pressure on the US government to call off its prosecution of Assange. On Friday, Australias Prime Minister Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview that enough is enough. There is nothing to be served by his ongoing incarceration. Last November, Albanese told Parliament that his "position is clear and has been made clear to the U.S. administration: That it is time that this matter be brought to a close. Assange has battled in British courts for years to avoid being sent to the U.S., where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse that stem from WikiLeaks publication of a huge trove of classified documents in 2010. American prosecutors allege he helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. To his supporters, Assange is a secrecy-busting journalist who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think there must be a movement of world press in his defense. Not in regard to his person, but to defend the right to denounce," Lula told reporters. The guy didn't denounce anything vulgar. He denounced that a state was spying on others, and that became a crime against the journalist. The press, which defends freedom of the press, does nothing to free this citizen. It's sad, but it's true." Last year, Assange's father John Shipton sought to convince Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to address the issue of his son's prosecution with the US' top diplomat, and to get Australia's Albanese to raise the issue with US President Joe Biden at Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral. In his comments to reporters on Saturday, Lula also noted that Charles III asked him to take care of the Amazon rainforest, and that he responded he needs resources in order to do so. Prime Minister Sunak on Friday pledged to contribute 80 million pounds ($101 million) to Brazil's Amazon Fund that aims to stop deforestation, adding to contributions from Norway and Germany, as well as a recent promise from the Biden to seek congressional approval for $500 million. But Lula told reporters that the amount pledged by Britain is not sufficient. ___ Pollastri reported from Sao Paulo Nursing is an art: It requires as hard a preparation as any painter's or sculptor's work. That quote from Florence Nightingale, a trailblazing figure credited as the founder of modern nursing, sums up the devotion and compassion that nurses exhibit every day. May 6 is National Nurses Day, a day which kicks off National Nurses Week and culminates on Nightingales birthday, May 12. It provides us all with an opportunity to honor those who have chosen this profession and encourage others to make that same choice. I recently had the opportunity to see compassion in action during a visit to Sacred Heart Universitys Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, known as DHCON, in Bridgeport. What I witnessed and experienced during a tour led by DHCON Dean Karen Daley and other nursing faculty members has given me an even deeper appreciation for nursing educators and their selfless commitment to training and teaching our future workforce. My experience at DHCON also gave me hope for our essential health care system which has endured -- and met -- so many challenges in the recent pandemic years. Why am I hopeful? Because there is now a greater collective focus on addressing the shortage of nurses in our state. For example, Sacred Heart University is now using a $2.5 million grant to help grow and diversify the next generation of nurses. A coalition, including Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, multiple state agencies, and the Connecticut Hospital Association are all rowing in the same proactive nurse staffing direction. And it makes sense. Nursing can be an intrinsically rewarding career. Its also a sensible second career choice for those who want to make a positive difference later in life. We all have memories of nurses in our life experiences. From the wondrous birth of a child, to broken bones and illnesses, to the end of life, we have all met and relied upon nurses to hold our hands and to help walk us through joyous and difficult moments. They are with us on our lifes journey. Nurses are a constant presence in our lives. So lets commemorate these coming days with a call to action: Do you, or someone you know, have an interest in helping others and making a positive difference? Please visit www.ct.edu/cthealth and www.sacredheart.edu for more information. As I saw firsthand, DHCON utilizes many new beneficial technologies that cant be found in online class settings. Increasing the number of qualified nurses entering the workforce will make a major impact on our states health and wellness. We can also diversify the nursing workforce by supporting tuition for diverse and qualified students. At the state Capitol, Senate Republicans and I are seeking to require state agencies to work with the Connecticut Hospital Association to develop curriculum for a high school Health Care Academy: an early pipeline for future state nurses which should produce positive results, if passed. So as we celebrate Connecticut nurses, lets continue the momentum to fortify this crucial aspect of our workforce. Florence Nightingale attributes her success to never giving nor accepting any excuse. Neither should we. We can honor her legacy by working together to lead nursing to long-term stability, listening to key stakeholders and keeping that jobs pipeline flowing. No excuses. Thats what Florence Nightingale would endorse. WESTPORT Parents and school board members are looking for an overarching approach to what the district's diversity, equity and inclusion initiative will look like ahead of the equity study action plan's presentation on May 15. Board member Kevin Christie said it would be helpful to have a broader view of why the town is doing this work and codify it. "It could serve as a tool to guide the work," he said. The three-year action plan is to address disparities within the district involving race, gender, sexual orientation, language and religion. The action plan has been in the works for months and was introduced along with a New York University study that sparked some opposition within the community. Board of Education member Dorie Hordon said there should be an annual or biannual review of the equity action plan. Hordon said she believes it is the school board's responsibility to come up with parameters for an initiative as large as the equity action plan, similar to how it is handling redistricting. That plan should not include quotas within the school district and the board should have a consensus on those parameters, she said. Hordon said she hopes members create a document of guiding policies for the board to vote on, adding she wants the board members to come forward with points that are important to them and be able to have a transparent conversation about it. However, Chair Lee Goldstein said while they try to always reach a consensus, unanimous decisions are not a requirement of moving forward with a document. Goldstein said she believes it is important for the document to be positive and broad. "We set the vision and the strategy and the parameters, and then the professionals do the work," she said, adding the board discusses that work afterwards. Board member Christina Torres said she wishes this discussion would have happened sooner and the board will probably get more specific in the coming weeks. Superintendent Thomas Scarice said the board previously determined that it would provide a vision statement, an assessment of the code of conduct and training guidelines at the end of the school year, which is what they will talk about on May 15. Vice Chair Liz Heyer said it isn't clear how the voting process will work, whether members would vote on the entire equity study action plan at once or in increments, or another way. "It is never too late to improve upon something," she said. She recommended having the board come up with a consolidated list ideas for the action plan or a workshop. Hordon said she would be open to consolidating a list after the presentation in two weeks. Several parents spoke on the plan too. "We like diversity. We like equity. We like inclusion," parent Jonathan Alloy told the board. "These are all good things. If the professionals are developing something that's researched-based, let them come and present it. Y'all will do your jobs and develop policy around it." Michele Carey-Moody, who spoke as a parent and not as PTA co-president, said she thinks it is a good idea to come up with parameters for the action plan, as they have done with other projects. Camilo Riano, another parent, said it is important to know what individual board members believe is the right direction to go in. He said he doesn't want his children to be treated differently or as marginalized. "Equity is un-American," he said, adding he wants equality instead. "I don't like equity." BRIDGEPORT Despite a settlement with the city over the shooting of 15-year-old Jayson Negron, his family continues to call for the firing and decertification of the officer who killed him. On Saturday, a crowd of about 20 people, mostly family and friends, gathered outside a Walgreens parking lot in downtown Bridgeport, where an officer fatally shot Negron while the teen rode in a stolen car on May 9, 2017. Days before the six year anniversary of Negron's death, family and friends affixed photographs of him along with messages vowing to remember him and "keep fighting" on a street pole near where the fatal shooting occurred. Supporters set up an open graffiti-style box, in which some of them left flowers and candles. Messages on some of their black shirts called for the officer, James Boulay, to be charged with murder. Negron's half-sister, Jazmarie Melendez, said her family was outraged and pained to see Negron "uncovered on the street for hours" after the shooting. "A settlement is not a form of justice. However, it was an important acknowledgement that they did do something wrong," Melendez told the crowd, reading from a prepared statement. "Still, our goal is to tell Jayson's true story and to expose all the ways the police use their position to cover up a murder." Last year, Bridgeport agreed to settle a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of Negron's family against the city, Bridgeport police and Boulay, who shot Negron multiple times after the teen put the car into reverse and stepped on the gas pedal, according to a report by Waterbury State's Attorney Maureen Platt. Before the shooting, Boulay shot one of the vehicle's tires as he approached and tried to get Negron to pull over, the report stated. The state's attorney report found Bouley was "justified" in using fatal force. Bridgeport police cleared Boulay of any wrongdoing in an internal investigation and he remains on the force. In her speech, Melendez said her family is pushing to test the Bridgeport Police Department's transparency under Police Chief Roderick Porter, who was appointed in November. She said she submitted a Freedom of Information Act request last week for records that include a deposition of Boulay and disciplinary records. "I think our community truly needs some clarity on why he's still a Bridgeport police officer," Natasha Tosado, Negron's mother, told Hearst Connecticut Media Group. "That's what justice will look like, that he's no longer a police officer. Tosado has also recently joined a federal lawsuit, seeking to end the practice of charging former inmates for the cost of their incarceration. Attorneys representing her and others involved in that lawsuit have said the state is seeking a portion of the $500,000 she received as part of the settlement with the city of Bridgeport. Her attorneys have said that she owes the state $44,028.98 from the wrongful death settlement to pay for her two-year incarceration on a weapons in a motor vehicle charge. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. BRIDGEPORT The city Board of Education now expects to name a permanent superintendent of schools by mid-June as it aims to narrow down a crowded field of candidates to a handful of finalists. The board has received 19 applications to lead the states second-largest school district, according to Ralph Ferrie Jr., a consultant with McPherson & Jacobson, a firm that is helping organize the search. Ferrie, who said the number of applicants was typical for a district like Bridgeport, told the board Thursday evening that nine of those applicants appear qualified to be the districts fifth leader since 2013 based on their resumes. Weve identified nine individuals that we are going to do some deep vetting on, Ferrie said. We want to make sure we speak with them and speak with their references to ensure which of those nine truly do meet the qualifications. The board has been searching for a top administrator since former Superintendent Michael Testani announced last August that he would leave the district to run the neighboring school system in Fairfield. Paul Laurence Dunbar School Principal Alyshia Perrin has been serving as interim superintendent since Testanis departure. Ferrie, who himself is a former superintendent, said he and his team will spend the next two weeks narrowing down the nine candidates to around three to five individuals who will be presented to the board during a private meeting on March 18. He noted that the consultants will use information theyve gathered from a survey and community forum to help filter the list of candidates. At the forum last month, several residents urged the board to choose an experienced administrator and effective communicator who is committed to serving the district for the long term. Im not sure how many we are going to present to you on the 18th. It will be dependent on what we find out, Ferrie said. We are going to present to you who we believe are the best potential candidates for the position. The board will then interview the candidates the following week during another series of private meetings. The nine-member body plans to use the interviews to further narrow down the field to two to three finalists who will then undergo background checks. The names of the finalists will not become public until they appear at a final community forum on June 7 where residents will have a chance to speak with them directly. The next day, the board will hold a final round of interviews that Ferrie described as a less formal conversation than the first round. It's an opportunity for you to have a dialogue with those candidates to see if you feel comfortable with them as a board, he said. This is something I always refer to as a marriage and you want to make sure you have that good feeling with them. If everything goes according to plan, the board could meet as early as June 12 to vote to enter into contract negotiations with their preferred finalist. Board Chairperson Bobbi Brown said the contract could be approved a few days later during a special meeting on June 15. Board members have not yet publicly discussed the terms of a potential contract with a future superintendent, including compensation and the length of the employment agreement. Testani, who was awarded a three-year contract about a month before he announced his decision to step down, was paid a base salary of $275,000. At the time, Testani was among the highest paid superintendents in the state. An investigation by Hearst Connecticut Media found that he was the 16th highest compensated schools chief when he was paid $250,000 during the 2020-21 academic year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WESTPORT Mary-Lou Weisman's advanced memoir writing class was well underway when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. So she emailed her class and encouraged them to keep writing. All 10 students were on board. And within seven months, the students amassed 700 pages worth of pieces and had forged a community among themselves. "That class was my safe-place," student Maria Zobel said. "Experiencing something so huge, so unknowable, affecting every aspect of our lives, couldnt help but bring us close together." On May 15, "The Covid Chronicles," the collection of writings from the students and Weisman, is launching at the Westport Library, which also is publishing the book. Weisman is an author and was a journalist for publications like The New York Times and Vogue, and has been teaching an advanced memoir writing class at the Westport Library for about 10 years. She said the writings were diary entries, which the class would send to each other. Eventually, students began commenting on each other's entries, and the pieces evolved. Soon, she realized the submissions were about situations everybody was experiencing at the time, from pieces about arrows guiding people through stores to relationships between spouses, and even reflections from two hospitalized students. Some pieces were intimate. Some were angry. Some were philisophical. But each piece had a tight focus, which Weisman taught her students. At first, she said students in the class would say things like, "I'll give it a try," about writing the entries. But soon emailing back and forth "became a great, delightful, rich conversation." "And then, if anything, they became more closely bonded while doing this writing than they had been before," she said. She added that it's always a goal in her classes to get students to bond. As the students became more comfortable critiquing each other's pieces, they would even thank each other. "We dont judge each other; we help each other," Weisman said. As the amount of pieces grew, Weisman said the idea to synthesize it into a book came to her. Another student in her class was Gina Ryan, who Weisman said was tech savvy. She helped collect and organize all of the pieces. Weisman also reached out to Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer, sending him some pieces to review. He agreed that the submissions should be published. Around September 2020, the group met over Zoom. Weisman called it "a little celebration." Since then, some of the students stay in touch and spend time together. Some have even come back to take Weisman's class multiple times. "When youre writing about your life and revealing the things about your life both positive and negative that are meaningful to you, the atmosphere in that classroom becomes very loving and intimate and supportive," she said. Weisman added, "When you're together creating something, its an unforgettable experience." About the book, Zobel said, she hopes readers "are able to see that even in the direst times, there can be community." "Those of us who wrote together even though on Zoom were holding each others hands," she said. "Writing and sharing our thoughts and what we were going through created a bond." She added that she hopes "the message of the book gives the reader a sense that in helping each other, we help ourselves." Zobel said, "I have such admiration for the writing talents of my classmates and their generosity and warmth with which they responded to what was an unprecedented event in our lives." Television cameras did not linger long on the invited guests inside Westminster Abbey eagerly craning their necks to catch every historic moment of the Coronation spectacle. Spectators in row seven, however, had the best seats in the house, immediately behind the Royal Family and next to world leaders. Provided they could navigate the view-blocking plume on Princess Anne's elaborate headwear, they could see all the action. Prominent among them were the Middleton family, the Princess of Wales's mother Carole, her father Michael, whom his son-in-law William calls Mike, and siblings Pippa and James. Given that they are grandparents of the next king but one, it was understandable that Kate should want both her mother, a former flight attendant who was brought up in a council flat, and her father, a one-time aircraft despatcher, close at hand. Prominent among them were the Middleton family, the Princess of Wales's mother Carole (second row, left), her father Michael (second row, right), whom his son-in-law William calls Mike, and siblings Pippa (third row, right) and James (third row, left) Given that they are grandparents of the next king but one, it was understandable that Kate should want both her mother, a former flight attendant who was brought up in a council flat, and her father, a one-time aircraft despatcher, close at hand What was surprising was the presence of her brother and sister when pressure of space meant so many more familiar names were absent from the guest list. For example, there was only room for two members of the King's maternal grandmother's family, Sir Simon and Lady (Caroline) Bowes-Lyon; and for just one solitary representative of the Mountbatten clan a dynasty steeped in royal history in Countess Mountbatten, who was there without her estranged husband, Norton, a Gordonstoun school friend of Charles. Admittedly, James and Pippa, who are both married, came solo and, like the King's wider Windsor family members, were not able to bring their spouses. But beyond this very visible picture of dizzying social mobility that the Middletons represent, their presence more than perhaps anyone else's at Saturday's ceremony is a very clear sign about the future direction of the monarchy. Charles may be on the throne but by including William's in-laws and in such a conspicuous position in the Abbey, there was a tacit acknowledgement of the role the Middletons are undoubtedly going to play. So while this was his father's day, it was also the beginning of a new royal order and the extension of what was once referred to by courtiers as 'The Middleton Rules'. The King and Camilla will lean heavily on William and Kate in the years ahead. Indeed, it is already possible to look not too much further into the future to see the day when the King and Queen step back from overseas tours, for instance, just as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did. This would mean the Prince and Princess taking on those visits to distant Commonwealth countries and far-flung realms, in the way that Charles did when he was Prince of Wales, easing the burden on his parents. When that happens and in the case of the Queen, who finds international travel gruelling, this may be sooner than people realise it will be Mike and Carole Middleton who are called on to help out by taking care of Prince George and his siblings Charlotte and Louis. They have always been the most involved grandparents from the moment of George's birth in 2013 which, in the early days, was a source of some friction between Charles and William. The then Prince Charles complained that he had seen less of his grandson than he would have wished. Yet now, with his duties as King, Charles is bound to have even fewer moments to enjoy his grandchildren's company. Admittedly, James and Pippa, who are both married, came solo and, like the King's wider Windsor family members, were not able to bring their spouses Kate's parents have been 'brilliant', according to friends, at stepping in and helping out, always willing to drop everything at a moment's notice. Mrs Middleton's decision to step back from the day-to-day running of her online party paraphernalia business will free up still more time. Carole has always been just 'Granny' to Kate's three children although they have, of course, been told everything about their other grandmother, Princess Diana. The split with Prince Harry, whose graceless contribution to his father's Coronation saw him leave for the U.S. directly after the Abbey service, is another significant factor in placing Carole and Mike front and centre as the new royal order takes shape. Even without the disgraced Prince Andrew, Charles has continued to enjoy the active support of his sister Anne and brother Edward in picking up the royal slack. There is no such back-up for William, who had always hoped that his brother would be at his side, not just when he was Prince of Wales but also King. With the prospect of any kind of reconciliation fast disappearing, William has no one but Kate to support him through the challenges ahead. And, since Charles has admitted he would have struggled to cope without Camilla to encourage and reassure him, there is an understanding between father and son that anything William can do to ease the burden will be granted. That's where the Middletons come in. Ever since William first began dating Kate back in their university days at St Andrews, Carole and Mike have played a significant part in the couple's lives. He was welcomed into their circle of cosy domesticity meals together and often in front of the television and he loved it. He adored the gatherings for Sunday lunches at his girlfriend's home when all three Middleton children would routinely and happily descend on their parents. He had no experience of such simple family unity if his memories were not of his parents' quarrelling, they were of never being under the same roof as both his mother and father at the same time. Kate's parents have been 'brilliant', according to friends, at stepping in and helping out, always willing to drop everything at a moment's notice When the Middletons were unfairly attacked for their middle-class ordinariness not just from within the royals but in wider aristocratic circles, he bridled at the snobbery of it. And while Mike and Carole never complained, William most certainly did. He had already demonstrated his resolve not to allow Kate to suffer the invasion of privacy his mother had suffered. But soon it went beyond that. After his and Kate's wedding in 2011, William was more determined than ever to transpose the Middletons' way of doing things into his own marriage. It shows most clearly in the way their three children have been raised. It helps, of course, that they are not the offspring of a damaged marriage. But unlike William and his brother when they were young, George and his siblings have not been banished to a nursery floor and the care of nanny. The couple's decision last year to down-scale their living arrangements from Kensington Palace to modest Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park was a key part in ensuring their children do not grow up remote from other boys and girls, as previous generations of royal offspring often have. The property was chosen deliberately because it has no room for live-in staff. It means that Prince George will be the first heir in line to the throne to have grown accustomed to his mother and father preparing the evening meal, getting him up in the morning and ready for bed at night. These may seem modest steps but they are a sea change in how royals have usually been raised where so much is prepared by others, rather than their own family. William's most significant intervention was to weave Carole and Michael into every facet of his and Kate's life. He refused to allow them to be treated as in-laws had in the past, rarely receiving royal invitations. Cleverly, he enlisted his grandmother's help in this ambition. The late Queen was delighted she warmed to the hard-working aspirational values of the Middletons, inviting them to Balmoral, to Royal Ascot and to Sandringham, where they were Christmas Day guests. In the past, in-laws such as the Spencers, the Fergusons and the family of Anne's first husband Captain Mark Phillips had been discarded once the weddings were over. If one picture signified this transformation in attitude it was of the Queen driving Carole over the grounds of Balmoral to join a shoot, something that would have been unthinkable a few years earlier. It spelled out that, unlike previous generations, the Middletons were going to be active participants in the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's lives. There were other crucial aspects to The Middleton Rules, from the couple's decision to spend their early years as a family in Norfolk away from prying eyes, which meant they avoided much of the stiff formality of the royal household that they found suffocating, to choosing the schools for their children's education. In recent times there have been more tweaks. Kate's decision to take control of the children's public images, for example, through providing her own photographs of them for public consumption has been brilliantly successful. Not only has it protected them from the intrusions William and Harry had to endure as young boys but it also sabotaged the paparazzi market for pictures. It has not all been plain-sailing: at times there was conflict with Charles. William resisted anything where he suspected his children might be used to prop up the sagging popularity of anyone in the Royal Family. And after the dazzling Diana years, the last thing Charles wanted was he and Camilla being outshone by the glamour and poise of his daughter-in-law. But then, extraordinarily, out of the royals' greatest setback came an unexpected dividend. Harry's decision first to quit Britain and royal life and then to use his exile to mount attacks on his father, stepmother, brother and sister-in-law brought about a rapid rapprochement between Charles and William. The relationship between the two had not truly been close for years: William often felt he and Kate were simply there to inject an X-factor into royal life. Father and son have short tempers. But now there was cause for a joint enterprise both Charles and William feared that Harry's real and imagined complaints about royal life and the treatment of Meghan was doing serious damage to the royal brand. William's anger at Harry's description in his book of Kate as 'cold' has brought a new warmth with his father and an agreement. Rather than being diminished by Harry's antics, their ties have been strengthened. At the Coronation on Saturday this new understanding between father and eldest son received its first public outing. Their embrace when William declared that he would be the King's 'liege man' was both warming and highly emotional. Charles was at his most vulnerable, the prince at his most accommodating. Sitting in row seven, the Middleton family, meanwhile, were being quietly upgraded. They are not royal, of course, but they are now central to the future wellbeing of the Royal Family. He's the little Prince Charming who never fails to make us smile. And as Charles was officially crowned King at his Coronation on Saturday, it was five-year-old Prince Louis who almost stole the show with his animated expressions. Yet, the apple clearly doesn't fall far from the tree, as these heartwarming and amusing pictures of a young Prince William reveal. Despite many believing it is Prince George who is the spitting image of his father, these pictures of Louis alongside the Prince of Wales will have you doing a double-take. At the Coronation, the fourth in line to the throne appeared at times preoccupied as he yawned during the two-hour ceremony. A similar photo of Prince William from the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in Westminster Abbey in July 1986 shows the young Prince yawning in boredom. Keeping you up? William at the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986 (left) and The Prince and the Princess of Wales's youngest son Louis (right) at Westminster Abbey on May 6 A second snapshot from the Coronation shows how the little royal couldn't contain his excitement at Buckingham Palace as he gestured into the crowd. The newly-crowned King and Queen appeared on the balcony with a select group of senior royals as The Mall was swamped by tens of thousands of cheering patriots. Louis gestured wildly out into the crowd as he spoke to his parents, pointing and commenting: 'Look over there!' An equally excited William was photographed aged four on the Buckingham Palace Balcony in 1986 as he waved to the crowds. Prince Louis offered a double handed wave to the crowds of royal fans who gathered outside Buckingham Palace on the Coronation day This photo shows a four-year-old William waving just like his son Louis Always the doting mother, Diana was often seen being affectionate with her two sons. A heart-warming photo shows an eight-year-old Prince William in 1990 cuddling up to Diana and stroking her face at The International Horse Show in Olympia, west London. More than 20 years later, Louis similarly doted on his mother Kate with kisses and cuddles during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June last year. Like father like son, both young royals are without a doubt their mother's boys at heart. Beloved mother: A heart-warming photo shows eight-year-old Prince William cuddling up to Diana and stroking her face at The International Horse Show in 1990 Prince Louis also showered his mother, Kate Middleton, with kisses and cuddles during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June last year Like father like son: An unimpressed Louis (right) is the spitting image of five-year-old Wills (left) Another photo shows a five-year-old Prince William, dressed in a white and red striped t-shirt, with a look of anguish during a holiday in Majorca, Spain, in August 1987. The resemblance in these photos is uncanny, with Louis' hair trimmed and combed neatly into place, just like his father's was styled during his youth. Even their furrowed brows and displeased smiles hilariously match to a tee. Both Prince Louis and George are also frequently dressed in outfits similar to those worn by their father during his childhood in the 80s. So it comes as no surprise that the young royal is the spitting image of Prince William. A snap of Prince Louis appearing on the balcony to mark Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee shows him wearing the same white and navy sailor outfit, which a two-year-old Prince William wore 38 years ago. Childhood memories: Prince William, then almost three, with his cousin Zara Phillips (left) and Davina Windsor (right) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour in 1985 Look over there! At one point Louis echoed his father and pointed out something to his sister Charlotte and great-grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth Strike a pose! A young Prince William posing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London for the Trooping the Colour ceremony, June 1984 The Trooping the Colour marked the start of the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations - but it was Louis who really stole the show with his hilarious expressions A rather tired looking pair: Prince Louis and William both put their hands on their faces Eagle-eyed royals fans will have clocked that the ensemble is almost identical to the shirt Prince William wore to Trooping the Colour in 1985. Some suggested it could even be the same suit, perfectly preserved for almost 40 years. At one point when Louis was watching Trooping the Colour with his siblings and cousins, he even mimicked his father by pointing out something - just as William did with his cousin Zara almost four decades ago. In other pictures from the same event, Louis pulled a series of hilarious faces - including pulling a surprised look and holding his face in his hands while watching the flypast alongside the late Queen and his mother. It seems like Louis developed his penchant for funny faces from William as the now Prince of Wales was pictured pulling the exact amazed expression while on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London for the Trooping the Colour ceremony, in June 1984. In yet another indistinguishable photo, William was also captured holding his hand over his eyes as he posed on the royal balcony in June 1988, just before his sixth birthday. The apple never falls far from the tree: Both Prince William (left) and Louis (right) sit in their father's arms on the royal balcony Prince William in the royal carriage waving while riding along fan-lined route to church wedding of Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte riding together in a carriage during Trooping The Colour last year While his latest appearance made countless headlines, in many ways, Louis's Trooping the Colour debut was very similar to William's back in 1984. For the event, Kate and William dressed their youngest son in a classic white-and-blue outfit, just as William had worn all those years ago. On the balcony, Louis was held by his father the entire time just as Charles also held William as the young royal looked around in awe at the procession. Last year, the Waleses' three children rode in the Trooping the Colour procession for the first time, expertly smiling and waving as they passed the cheering spectators. The lovely photograph of the siblings was reminiscent of a young William waving to the crowd as he rode in a royal carriage along the route to the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986. While Louis is often compared to his uncle Harry, the Duke of Sussex - who was seen as the 'cheeky' royal growing up - another shot of the playful young William at his uncle's wedding proves otherwise. Four-year-old Prince William, who acted as a pageboy, alongside cousins Zara Phillips and Peter Phillips, then eight, was dressed in a sweet white and blue outfit. However, he showed off his spirited side when sticking out his tongue at Laura Fellowes during the royal wedding. Hilariously, Louis was also caught on camera sticking his tongue out at Kate at last year's Jubilee Pageant. Page boy Prince William sticking out his tongue at Laura Fellowes during the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986 Prince Louis sticks his tongue out at his mother as they attend the Platinum Pageant in June Cheeky grins: William's smile also left him looking exactly like Louis' double when compared to a photo of his son from the Platinum Jubilee Pageant Unimpressed William: The young Prince looking gloomy while riding in a horsedrawn carriage at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June, 1987 The Princess of Wales and Louis arriving for the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel Adorable photos of the young royals sticking out their tongues show their charming family resemblance. His mischievous little smile also left him looking exactly like Louis' double when compared to a photo of his son from the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. A more recent photo of Louis at the Easter Sunday service - just shy of his fifth birthday - shows how the little Prince is growing up fast, looking ever more like his father. The family resemblance between Louis and a photo of the five-year-old William sitting in a carriage is undeniable as both young boys look out with cheeky scowls at the photographers. While it is a universal experience that people are told that they look like their parents, it is truly heartwarming when we see these connections made by the Royals too. SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Mail Best article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. When it comes to lash and brow growth, Grande Cosmetics' GrandeLASH-MD Lash Enhancing Serum is the best-selling product in America with millions of repeat customers. 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Alicia Grande is honored with a Female Founder award at the CEW Awards as they recognized the incredible work done by her beauty business Grande Cosmetics since its inception in 2008 Here, the beauty industry legend lets us into the secret of her beauty industry success in a post-win interview: What does it mean to you to receive the CEW Female Founder award? 'This is truly the biggest honor I have received. It means that my hard work over the past 15 years has paid off. I spent most of my time mentoring my 97% female team and winning a leadership award of this magnitude means so much to me as a leader & CEO. I started this company in 2008 with the mission of empowering women to live their boldest life and am happy to say I wake up everyday with the same passion and mission I had 15 years ago.' What does it take to be a great founder? 'A great founder wakes up everyday with the word yes, not no. 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Alicia uses her platform to give back through her philanthropy initiative, Grande Gives Back, raising over $800,000 for those in need. Head to the Grande Cosmetics website now to check out the range of beauty products loved by millions of women across the States. Advertisement Chick-fil-A is one America's biggest fast food chains. Yet unbeknown to many, the company has a spread of very unique restaurants in its home state Georgia which are a far cry from the standard Chick-fil-A brick and mortar restaurants. As revealed in a recent TikTok by Boston-based TikToker Maggie Calhoun, the one-of-a-kind outposts that she visits embrace various themes, with several looking like a 1950s diners and another inspired by the climbs of Hawaii, complete with palm trees and Tiki-style interiors. Some of the most off the wall Chick-fil-As - called the Dwarf Houses - boast miniature fairytale-esque doors and whimsical exteriors, while all of the unique outposts serve up special menus and merchandise which are unavailable elsewhere. Scroll down for your fill of Chick-fil-A's wacky and wonderful restaurants, which pay homage to the company's late founder, Truett Cathy, and draw fans from far and wide. The Dwarf House Chick-fil-A founder S. True Cathy and his younger brother, Ben, opened The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House) in Hapeville, Georgia on May 23, 1946 It was named The Dwarf Grill because of its small footprint, and it opened with just 10 counter stools and four tables It is here in 1964 that Truett Cathy invented and his customers at The Dwarf House taste-tested what is now known as the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich Shortly after opening the first freestanding Chick-fil-A in 1986, Truett Cathy created a new restaurant to replicate the Dwarf Grill Beginning in the late 1980s and through the early 1990s, Cathy oversaw the construction of multiple Dwarf House restaurants located around the metro Atlanta area There are now five Dwarf House outposts which still serve many of the original diner classics TikToker @paige.mccormick visited one of the Dwarf Houses this year and said 10/10 she 'would do it again' Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy and his younger brother, Ben, opened The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House) in Hapeville, Georgia on May 23, 1946. It was named The Dwarf Grill because of its small footprint, and it opened with just 10 counter stools and four tables. It is here in 1964 that Cathy invented - and his customers at The Dwarf House taste-tested - what is now known as the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. The company still makes the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich the same way today: a boneless, hand-breaded breast of chicken 'seasoned to perfection, pressure cooked and served on a toasted, buttered bun with dill pickle chips.' Shortly after opening the first freestanding Chick-fil-A in 1986, Cathy created a new restaurant to replicate the Dwarf Grill. Beginning in the late 1980s and through the early 1990s, Cathy oversaw the construction of multiple Dwarf House restaurants located around the metro Atlanta area. There are now five Dwarf House outposts which have a a fairytale-like look about them, which miniature doors and redbrick detailing. These Chick-fil-A restaurants still serve many of the original diner classics, including hamburgers, waffles, the famous 'hot brown' (a concoction featuring chopped chicken topped with cream sauce, cheddar cheese, paprika and bacon) and sweet pies according to the 'Pie Lady' Zelma Calhoun's original recipes. TikToker @paige.mccormick visited one of the Dwarf Houses this year and said 10/10 she 'would do it again.' Truett's Grill Truett's Grill - which has the look and feel of a 1950s diner - was originally opened in Morrow in 1996 to commemorate Truett Cathy's 50th anniversary as a restauranteur Truett's Grills offer sit down, counter and drive-thru service Videos posted to TikTok reveal the interiors of the Truett's Grill restaurants, with model trains running around on tracks and wall art documenting Truett Cathy's business success Truett's Grill - which has the look and feel of a 1950s diner - was originally opened in Morrow in 1996 to commemorate Truett Cathy's 50th anniversary as a restauranteur. There are now three locations in Georgia, with the other two in McDonough and Griffin. Videos posted to TikTok reveal the interiors of the restaurants, with some of the more unusual features being a miniature doors labeled 'this door's for little folks and grandparents.' Paying homage to Cathy's love of transportation, the restaurants feature everything from model trains running through the restaurants on tracks to the carcass of cable car carriages to pictures of Cathy and his favorite cars. Truett's Grills offer sit down, counter and drive-thru services, and some of the unique menu items include banana pudding, fried pickles, fried okra, chicken and waffles and collard greens. TikToker @lolo13sanzo, who visited the McDonough location in 2022, says: 'You wont get the full menu in the drive through, you have to go in and sit down!' Overall, she gave the diner 9/10 and told viewers that it is 'worth a try!' Truett's Luau Food entrepreneur Cathy once visited Hawaii and loved the experience so much he wanted to, 'bring Hawaii to Fayetteville, Georgia.' So, in December 2013, he opened Truett's Luau A video posted by TikToker @lolo13sanzo reveals the restaurant's tropical interiors and the unique menu offerings During her visit, @lolo13sanzo rates a number of things at Truett's Luau Summing up Truett's Luau, @lolo13sanzo says: 'Its so worth a visit! Go in and sit down or you wont get the full menu!' Food entrepreneur Cathy once visited Hawaii and loved the experience so much he wanted to, 'bring Hawaii to Fayetteville, Georgia.' So in December 2013, at the age of 92, he opened Truett's Luau. From the outset this Hawaiian-themed restaurant has a tropical feel, with a large rock and waterfall feature in the grounds. On stepping inside, a video posted by TikToker @lolo13sanzo reveals how the theme continues with tables framed by palm tress and ukuleles hanging on the walls. She also tells viewers that it 'smells like coconuts when you walk in.' As she looks through the menu there are dozens of unique dishes that do not appear at any other Chick-fil-A outposts, with these including an 'Aloha fish sandwich' and 'Lava Rocks' which are described as fried wontons 'filled with a flavorful mix of chicken, bacon, cream cheese, green onions, blue cheese and volcano sauce.' During her visit, @lolo13sanzo rates a number of things at Truett's Luau, giving the frozen Hawaiian Milkshake a 10/10, the Big Kahuna Fries a 12/10, the Kalua Pork Nachos a 4/10, the Tropical Nuggets a 10/10, the Luau Burger a 10/10 and the Banana Macadamia Nut pancakes a 9/10. She states in the video's accompanying caption: 'Its so worth a visit! Go in and sit down or you wont get the full menu!' Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A says of its Hawaiian spot: 'Until you can make it to the Aloha State, check out Truetts Luau for the next best thing tasty food and top-notch service in a fun, Hawaiian atmosphere (minus the ocean views).' Truett's Chick-fil-A Truett's Chick-fil-As, which first launched in 2017, are restaurants are dedicated to the life and legacy of Truett Cathy TikToker @g.a.m_2001 visited the Truett's Chick-fil-A in Rome last year with her family and said it was 'sooo good' Some of the most popular dishes on the Truett's Chick-fil-A menu include the Loaded Southern Waffle Fries and Battered Pickles Truett's Chick-fil-As, which first launched in 2017, are restaurants are dedicated to the life and legacy of Truett Cathy. According to the company, they were designed to 'allow customers to learn Cathy's story through family heirlooms, photos and quotes displayed on the walls.' Each restaurant - located in Newnan, Rome, Stockbridge and Woodstock - provides sit down, counter and drive-thru services. Some of the most popular dishes on the Truett's Chick-fil-A menu include the Loaded Southern Waffle Fries and Battered Pickles. TikToker @g.a.m_2001 visited the Truett's Chick-fil-A in Rome last year with her family and said it was 'sooo good.' A video detailing her outing shows how the restaurant has a 'little red door' like the Dwarf Houses. A sign inside the restaurant details the history of the door and explains that the one at the Rome location pays homage to the original door at the first Dwarf House. It adds: 'Then as now, the door is open for a whole new generation of neighbors and friends. Come in, and make yourself at home.' Other features in the restaurant include retro-style interiors, vintage black and white photos of Cathy and locomotives running around a track hanging from the ceiling. An astrologer has claimed to know the reason behind the feud speculation between Victoria Beckham and her eldest son's wife Nicola Peltz. The fashion designer, 48, and actress, 28, came together over the Easter weekend for a family dinner, which was dubbed a 'peace summit', however the pair still appeared to keep a slight distance from one another. The cold war began when Victoria and Nicola clashed over her wedding dress and the Transformers star accused her new mother-in-law of stealing the limelight at her wedding. Victoria is an Aries Wood Tiger in Western and Chinese astrology, while Nicola is a Capricorn Wood Dog. Astrology expert Michelle Bell - founder of Cosmic Fusion - told FEMAIL how their star signs could play a part in their character clash. An astrologer has claimed to know the reason behind the feud speculation between Victoria Beckham (right) and her eldest son's wife Nicola Peltz (left) Michelle said: 'When it comes to their Western star signs, these two characters clash quite significantly. 'Aries like Victoria and Capricorn like Nicola just can't seem to see eye to eye in many areas of life. 'Aries are like a wildfire, always impulsive, impatient, and erratic, never wanting to be held down by anyone or anything. But Capricorns are more like a sturdy mountain, less emotional than Aries and a lot more cautious and reserved. 'As an earth sign, Capricorns are more grounded and less emotional than the fiery Aries. 'These two signs can also clash because Aries, with their feisty nature, might find Capricorn to be a little boring and too rigid for their taste. Meanwhile, Capricorn, with their practical mindset, might see Aries as being overly reckless and irresponsible. He continued: 'Aries just want to go out and live their wildest dreams, but Capricorn is always assessing the situation before taking action. It's a classic case of yin and yang. The cold war began when Victoria (pictured) and Nicola clashed over her wedding dress and the Transformers star accused her new mother-in-law of stealing the limelight at her wedding The fashion designer, 48, and actress, 28, came together over the Easter weekend for a family dinner, which was dubbed a 'peace summit', however the pair still appeared to keep a slight distance from one another Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola attended Mikimoto 130th Anniversary Celebration at Central Park Tower 'On the flip side, their Chinese zodiac signs do actually gel quite well together. They are both Wood elements in Chinese astrology and therefore share a lot of the same qualities. 'They share the same creativity and innovation, and they thrive in environments that allow them to express themselves freely. 'Similarly, the Tiger and Dog are pretty compatible too. They both share a strong sense of loyalty and honesty. They both value independence and freedom. 'If theyre able to find a balance between their Aries and Capricorn signs, theres a chance for a healthy compatibility but it will require a lot of effort from both sides. 'Aries and Capricorn can both be stubborn, they can be incredibly determined when they have their sights set on something, which can make it difficult for them to back down or change their minds.' Cosmic Fusion is available on Apple and Android. Royals and celebrities flocked to Westminster Abbey yesterday, to watch the coronation of King Charles. As the pageantry of the coronation took place royal fans were drawn to the fashion spectacle. From Camilla's signature silhouette gown to Kate's ancient Greece-inspired ensemble there was plenty of sophisticated style on show. While celebrities such as Katy Perry didn't quite hit the mark with her gown but her hat saved the overall look. Here Celebrity stylist MIRANDA HOLDER gives FEMAIL her verdict on the royal ensembles... The Princess of Wales The Princess of Wales wore long white dresses no doubt inspired by the traditional court dresses traditionally worn by Windsor Wives at previous Coronations, topped with a patriotic blue and red robe Kate and the Duchess of Edinburgh both wore long white dresses no doubt inspired by the traditional court dresses traditionally worn by Windsor Wives at previous Coronations, topped with patriotic blue and red robes. Kate was singled out as our future Queen, as she was wearing a sparkling crown of silver leaves, a nod to the King and Queens love of nature perhaps? The look, created by McQueen in collaboration with Jess Collet felt rather ancient Greece-inspired and was no doubt intended to be the least offensive alternative to a real Tiara, Kate also gave us a nod to her late mother in law Diana, by wearing her pearl and diamond drop earrings - a vision in red white and blue. Kates dress was by Alexander McQueen, which is probably her favorite designer with Sarah Burton's contemporary meets classic aesthetic the perfect tone for such a historic occasion. With much controversy surrounding whether the Princess would or wouldnt wear a Tiara, I thought this sparking headpiece was the perfect sidestep in reaction to a potentially tricky sartorial situation. I cant wait to get an even closer look at Kates outfit as I have no doubt the work by McQueen will be just as exquisite as her wedding gown. Although Kate looked breathtakingly beautiful at the event, this was not really her moment to shine on the style front and she gracefully stepped back, allowing full focus to be on the newly crowned King and Queen. Despite Kates demure approach, I cant help but get excited about her honouring her favourite British designer who without fail gives us a masterclass in fashion in its purest original essence - as an artform - every time, wearing that glorious gown with such grace and beauty whilst always making it look effortless. Kate fused ancient tradition with the modern world perfectly, keeping her signature style consistent even at the most momentous of occasions. The ingenious bespoke headpiece, that stunning halo of silver leaves, which was another fashion Royal first, together with her simple but striking couture gown, topped with her patriotic garter robes made it a true fashion moment for Kate. Zara Tindall Zara stepped out in a feminine pale blue coat dress with coordinating shoes, hat and bag for the occasion Zara looked as if she was off to a wedding, stepping out in a feminine pale blue coat dress with coordinating shoes, hat and bag. The ensemble was more feminine and softer than many of Zaras previous formal occasion looks and somehow felt very grown up. Perhaps the Princess has finally settled on a signature style - a style hack that has worked wonders for the late Queen, Camilla and of course Kate. Queen Letizia of Spain Queen Letizia of Spain looked just fabulous in typical fashionable form, wearing a candy pink peplum suit Queen Letizia of Spain looked just fabulous in typical fashionable form, wearing a candy pink peplum suit complete with pencil skirt and dramatic domed hat - one of my absolute favourites so far! The Spanish Monarch is always one to watch and always blends high-fashion with refined regal glamour. Unlike other Royals she is not afraid to dress in younger styles whilst still managing to adhere to the - admittedly more relaxed- Spanish Royal style etiquette - either way, her outfits are always delightfully refreshing. We were treated to some beautiful, eye-catching national dress, the King and Queen of Thailand arrived looking composed, smiling in their richly embroidered blue, the Queens tunic brought bang up to date by some sky high silver stilettos - I just loved this fun touch! Princess Beatrice Beatrices outfit was a standout as she looked radiant in a figure-hugging magenta gown Beatrices outfit was a standout for me, looking radiant in a figure-hugging magenta dress, perfectly complimented her titian hair which positively glowed from her halo of a golden headband which is the second closest well get to a Tiara following Kates show-stealing look. I really loved this look, after a rocky start in her younger years, the Princesss fashion sense is growing and she is becoming ever more sophisticated. She proved herself to be the epitome of chic. Queen Camilla The Queen looked nothing short of magnificent, the full length gown sitting perfectly on her frame Camilla looked nervous but resplendent sitting beside her husband in the carriage, the first glimpse of her gown showed a white fabric embellished with silver embroidery, with her robe of state nestled over her shoulders. The gold embroidery looking glorious against the ornate gold of the State carriage.. The neckline was the perfect depth to showcase the magnificent Coronation necklace which was made for Queen Victoria has been traditionally worn at every coronation by the Queen ever since. Once Camilla enters the Abbey the excitement peaks as the world gets a close up look of her much anticipated gown, designed by Couturier and close friend Bruce Oldfield, who also worked closely with Diana during her time as a working Royal. The Queen looked nothing short of magnificent, the full length gown sitting perfectly on her frame, her added height being 5 ft 7 creating a vision that was positively statuesque. The almost full length central pleat that extends down the front of the garment adding flattering elongation and just a little bit of drama. The gown was in Camillas signature silhouette, a modest neckline, elongated waist which lengthens her torso, softly nipping her in at her middle and extending all the way to the floor with her favourite bracelet sleeves adding a flattering feminine flourish and showing off the slimmest part of her body, her wrists which makes the outfit even more flattering. I thought the Queen looked just glorious and was delighted that she remained faithful to her own personal style - it showed her off perfectly. Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte coordinated with her mum in a sweet white McQueen caped dress and floral headpieces Princess Charlotte coordinated with her mum in a sweet white McQueen caped dress and floral headpieces, an adorable mini me and classic Wales family coordination, presenting that ever-united front to the world. Whilst her behaviour was immaculate, seeing Charlotte so dressed up in her finery gave us all a glimpse of what the third heir in line to the throne may look like as a future Queen, with her look striking just the right balance between girly prettiness and more grown up sophistication. Princess Eugenie Princess Eugenie looked understated in head to toe navy, again opting for the ever-chic monochrome option Eugenie, proudly nursing her ever-growing baby bump looked understated in head to toe navy, again opting for the ever-chic monochrome option. The look, despite the smock dress, long coat and glittering diamonds felt a little severe, aged the Princess and on the fashion front left me cold. The Duchess of Edinburgh The Duchess of Edinburgh looked majestic in her blue red garter robes worn over a long white Suzanah gown Sophie looked majestic, her blue red garter robes worn over a long white Suzanah gown - no tiara of course, just a relatively modest white hat. This was typical Sophie, dressing as she conducts herself within the firm - no screaming, shouting or drama, just subtle sophistication, modesty and excellence. Sophie is a very classic dresser, her wardrobe being more accessible than that of her Royal counterparts and although perfectly executed it was also instantly forgettable. Katy Perry Katy Perry looked patriotic but crumpled in a pale pink skirt suit which was a little pale for her complexion but her fabulous globe-like hat saved her look Katy Perry looked patriotic but crumpled in a pale pink skirt suit which was a little pale for her complexion but her fabulous globe-like hat saved her look, as did the multi-strand Vivienne Westwood pearl choker finished with an on-brand globe topped with a cross resembling several pieces if the Royal Coronation paraphernalia we will see during the ceremony. She also sported long pink opera gloves, a fashion-forward touch - an accessory which was also controversially worn by Kate at the BAFTAS - overall, I really think she could have done better - maybe I should offer her a styling appointment with me?! Finnegan Biden Jill Bidens Granddaughter Finnegan looked stunning in monochrome wearing a dramatic lemon cape dress Jill Bidens Granddaughter Finnegan took a leaf out of the late Queens style book, looking stunning in monochrome wearing a dramatic lemon cape dress with matching accessories, if the outfit wasnt Victoria Beckham it was definitely VB inspired and was unusually elegant. As the Coronation procession made its way up the aisle of Westminster Abbey yesterday, the female under the most pressure fashion-wise was the Princess of Wales. All eyes were on this woman who has evolved into a staggering beauty with world class style and who has honed her taste over the years into something exquisite. 'Royal' dressing can sometimes lead to a stiff, bourgeois look. Kate has elegantly avoided this and next to her European peers, she stands out as a lesson in grown-up glamour. I was asked a million times over the last few weeks which designer Kate would choose to wear for the Coronation. For me it was a no-brainer. I was sure it would be Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. As the Coronation procession made its way up the aisle of Westminster Abbey yesterday, the female under the most pressure fashion-wise was the Princess of Wales The Alexander McQueen dress Kate wore yesterday beneath her red, white and deep blue Royal Victorian Order Mantle delivered the Princess of Wales all the protection she needed Burton is the British designer Kate has put her faith in for so many of her most important moments. It was Burton who designed her mesmerisingly beautiful wedding dress. She has dressed the Princess of Wales for state visits and numerous daytime functions. The McQueen signature style that tailored, structured, nipped-in waist, flared skirt and narrow arm exaggerates Kate's incredible figure. It gives her a silhouette to die for. I was lucky enough at the start of my fashion career to work with the late Alexander McQueen and was dressed by him many times. He designed my wedding dress, when Sarah Burton was his chief assistant, helping to execute his vision with the seamstresses at the studio in London's Hoxton. Alexander was typically blunt when I suggested, at my first fitting, that perhaps I could have a very trendy wedding dress in silver lace, as I loved the way he worked with lace. He retorted that this was a dreadful idea 'You're not supposed to look ''trendy'' on your wedding day. The dress must be white,' he admonished me. 'You've got to look immaculate.' For all his East End roguishness, Alexander was a sophisticate underneath who understood that fashion needed to be appropriate for the occasion. He believed that a considered silhouette, and the construction of it, made for great clothes, and imbued the wearer with an innate confidence. He was trained as a tailor in Savile Row before attending Saint Martin's School of Art, and whether he was designing a jacket or an evening gown, every piece was founded on serious construction. Seams for him were the invisible architecture that supported a garment like the walls of a building. He often said that his clothes were like armour for a woman, a sartorial protection. And everything Sarah Burton has done since she took over as creative director of the brand has honoured that principle. The extraordinary headpiece, made by British milliner Jess Collett for Alexander McQueen, with its crystal and silver three-dimensional leaf embroidery you could call it a non-tiara tiara was an ultra-modern touch But among the velvets and ermines, the sashes and garters, there was an unexpected fashion moment that I won't forget. That was the sight of little Princess Charlotte, walking into the Abbey behind her parents The Alexander McQueen dress Kate wore yesterday beneath her red, white and deep blue Royal Victorian Order Mantle delivered the Princess of Wales all the protection she needed. Made of ivory silk crepe, with its silver bullion and thread-work embroidery incorporating rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs signifying the four nations of the United Kingdom the dress was a work of art that ticked both the chic and the grand box. It was fitting for the pomp and seriousness of the occasion without being stuffy or old-fashioned. The extraordinary headpiece, made by British milliner Jess Collett for Alexander McQueen, with its crystal and silver three-dimensional leaf embroidery you could call it a non-tiara tiara was an ultra-modern touch. Combined with the pearl and diamond earrings that belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, and the glittering George VI Festoon necklace made in 1950 at the request of King George VI for his daughter Princess Elizabeth, Kate was a vision of power glamour. But among the velvets and ermines, the sashes and garters, there was an unexpected fashion moment that I won't forget. That was the sight of little Princess Charlotte, walking into the Abbey behind her parents. She was clad in a three-quarter length, ivory silk Alexander McQueen dress, with its matching cape, and wearing charming white ballet flats along with her own silver Jess Collett headpiece all echoing her mother's outfit. It was a vision of purity, of childlike innocence, and, yet, chic. When it comes to red carpet rankings, Charlotte stole the show. Plum Sykes is a novelist and a contributing editor at American Vogue James Middleton wore cufflinks dedicated to his late therapy dog Ella to the King's Coronation at Wesminster Abbey, he has revealed. The younger brother of the Princess of Wales, 36, arrived at the Abbey with his other sister Pippa, 39, and parents Carole, 68, and Mike, 73, yesterday to watch King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned - as Kate stole the show in her dazzling Alexander McQueen gown. James himself was dressed to the nines in a morning suit, with Pippa by his side in a yellow Claire Mischevani blazer dress with a Jane Taylor hat - but James revealed he had given his suit and tales a special touch. The entrepreneur posted on Instagram a photo of one of his cufflinks, which featured an image of his beloved late pooch Ella who died in January of this year at the age of 15. Posting the close-up shot of the accessory, he wrote: 'Ella still comes with me everywhere I go... even to the Coronation.' James Middleton posted a photo on Instagram of one of his cufflinks he wore to the King's coronation which contained an image of his beloved dog Ella, who died in January He added: 'Very proud day to be British. God save the King.' James announced the death of his much loved pooch in January in a heartbreaking Instagram post paying tribute to the therapy dog who helped him during a battle with clinical depression. The business owner, who founded the dog food enterprise Ella & Co named after her, said Ella supported him 'from my darkest days to my happiest'. He has previously credited the black spaniel with helping him overcome his mental health struggles and introducing him to his wife, Alizee Thevenet. Yesterday the Princess of Wales's family looked in high spirits as they arrived at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III. Carole, 68, looked elegant in sapphire coloured dress as she smiled at crowds alongside her husband, Michael Middleton, 73, who donned a suit with a red patterned tie. James, 36, arrived at Westminster Abbey for the King's Coronation with his 39-year-old sister Pippa (pictured) Posting a snap of the cufflinks on Instagram, James said Ella remains with him wherever he goes The Middletons have maintained a close relationship to the royals, appearing at many family occasions following the 2011 marriage of Kate and William. And as Kate has ascended the ranks of the Royal Family, Carole and Michael have continued to play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. They also continue to remain a pillar of stability for William, who they have known since his university days. It is believed that William is very fond of his in-laws, and that he very much enjoys spending time with Kate's parents and siblings. As well as spending time with their daughter and son-in-law, and their children, the Middletons have also been spotted at other royal events and have even been invited to join the royals at church in Sandringham, Norfolk. After speculation around whether they would or wouldn't appear at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee last June, they were spotted at the Platinum Party on the Saturday night. Making an appearance at a much more sombre occasion, Carole and Michael joined senior members of the Royal Family for the Queen's funeral and Committal Service in September. Last December, Kate's family turned out in full support of their daughter's carol concert at Westminster Abbey, which came after the release of the final three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive Netflix documentary. The Middletons have maintained a close relationship with the royals, appearing at many family occasions following the 2011 marriage of Kate and William. Pictured: Pippa and James entering the Abbey Meanwhile Carole, 68, looked elegant in sapphire coloured dress and matching head piece as she smiled at crowds She was joined by her husband, Michael Middleton, 73, who donned a suit with a red patterned tie Pippa Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey in a bright yellow outfit, contrasting with London's grey and rainy weather Middletons are in high spirits! Carole beamed as she entered the Abbey followed by her daughter Pippa and son James The family will today be showing their support for the new King and Queen as they are crowned. Kate's siblings have also been thrown into the spotlight after her entry into the Royal Family. Mother-of-three Pippa made headlines around the world, when she was maid of honour at her sister's wedding, with many sharing photos of her striking gown. She is married to hedge fund manager and former racing driver, James Matthews, brother of Made in Chelsea star, Spencer Matthews. Her brother James Middleton married his wife Alizee Thevenet at a French Riviera wedding in 2021. Pippa wowed as she wore her hair in a sleek up-do and paired her bold yellow dress with nude coloured heels Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton entered Westminster Abbey for the historic event. The Middleton family also continue to remain a pillar of stability for William, who they have known since his university days He has previously spoken out about how he has battled depression and was also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Speaking on his depression, he revealed to The Telegraph that he 'couldn't do anything', including seeing his family while he was struggling and that he was in a 'dark and miserable place'. He added that Kate would join him at therapy sessions and his mother, father and sister Pippa also supported him. Last year, Kate's family turned out in full support of their daughter's carol concert at Westminster Abbey, which came after the release of the final three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive Netflix documentary. Queen Camilla had some secret names embroidered onto her Coronation dress - including a heartwarming homage to her rescue dogs. The royal, 75, looked elegant in her Bruce Oldfield couture gown as she was presented with a ring which 'married' her as consort to King Charles in yesterday's Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. However eagle-eyed royal fans noticed that Camilla had also paid a subtle tribute to her loved ones on her show-stopping gown. She had the names of her children and grandchildren discreetly embroidered near the bottom of her skirt. Sharing close up snaps of the gown on Twitter royal expert Victoria Howard spotted that the bespoke dress appeared to reveal the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, along with those of her grandchildren, Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza and Lola. Queen Camilla had some secret names embroidered onto her Coronation dress- including a heartwarming homage to her rescue dogs People also noticed two gold terrier pups embroidered onto the gown to represent Charles and Camilla's rescue dogs Beth and Bluebell. The royals rescued the pooches from Battersea Dogs' and Cats' Home in 2017. The two adorable dogs have even made Buckingham Palace their new home. Meanwhile her grandsons were pages of honour during the ceremony and her granddaughter was present on the day. The son of food writer Tom Parker Bowles, Freddy, 13, was a page of honour during the ceremony. While Camilla's daughter Laura Lopes, children Louis Lopes, 12, and the twin brother of Gus also had a role to play and were seen on Buckingham Palace balcony after the coronation ceremony. There was speculation over whether Gus would be able to act as a page of honour after he broke his arm in a bike accident while on holiday. While the Queen's great-nephew Arthur Elliot, who is the son of Ben Elliot and Mary-Clare Winwood, was also asked to be a page of honour. The Queen rescued her beloved Jack Russell pooches from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2017 (pictured with Bluebell and Beth) She had the names of her children and grandchildren discretely embroidering near the bottom of her skirt Camilla's ivory dress which was designed by Couturier and close friend Bruce Oldfield, who also worked closely with Diana during her time as a working Royal, was made from Peau de Soie, a silk fabric. The gown was embellished with silver embroidery which was woven by Stephen Walters in Suffolk. With an ivory, silver and gold colour palette, bracelet length sleeves, a strong shoulder and a wide V-neck neckline, the gown was in Camillas signature silhouette, a modest neckline, and an elongated waist. The mother-of-two accessorised the gown with matching shoes made by British designer Elliot Zed, and the same necklace that Queen Elizabeth wore to her coronation back in 1953. King Charles III and Queen Camilla look out from the balcony next to Page of Honour, Freddy Parker Bowles at Buckingham Palace Camilla talks to her grandson Freddy Parker Bowles on the Buckingham Palace balcony King Charles, Page of Honour, Louis Lopes, Camilla and Page Of Honour, Freddy Parker Bowles depart the Coronation service The pages were amazed by the Red Arrow's as they flew over Buckingham Palace on Saturday Sharing close up snaps of the gown on Twitter royal expert Victoria Howard spotted that the bespoke dress appeared to reveal the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, along with those of her grandchildren, Gus, Freddy, Louis and Eliza Camilla also donned a Robe of State, decorated with the King's favourite flowers, delphiniums, and lily of the valley, a favourite bloom of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The robe boasted hand embroidery using gold thread and depict meaningful symbols of nature, notably specific insects and flowers which hold special meaning for the couple and the wider Royal Family as a whole. Among the flowers embroidered onto the garment were lily of the valley - which was Queen Elizabeth's favourite bloom, ladys mantle, myrtle, maidenhair fern, cornflowers, delphiniums and national emblems - the rose, thistle and shamrock. Camillas new robe, expertly decorated by the Royal School of Needlework (of which Camilla is patron), have also been adorned with bees and beetles to reflect the Royal couples affection for the natural world. Fittingly, an earlier insight into Charles' vision of his Coronation - the event invitation - also boasted similar imagery, with depictions of flowers and insects. While people also noticed two gold terrier pups embroidered onto the gown to represent Charles and Camilla's rescue dogs Beth and Bluebell King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation ceremony This natural theme nods to his love of nature, sustainability and climate conservation, as a monarch who has always held preservation of the environment close to his heart. As a champion of sustainable fashion, Charles donned the same Robe of State worn by his grandfather King George VI for his Coronation in 1937, which boasts a 15ft train. And his wife too recycled an old garment, donning a robe first made for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and resized for the ceremony. The velvet on both robes has been restored by the Royal School of Needlework and the lining and gold lace by Ede & Ravenscroft. Charles and Camilla's next scheduled appearance is today's Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, with headline acts including Lionel Richie and Katy Perry. Other members of the Royal Family will join 'Big Lunches' across the country today. The Duke of Sussex was back on the plane to California after the Coronation Prince Harry shared a 'happy exchange' with his cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank in Westminster Abbey yesterday, a lip reader has revealed. Jacqui Press, who was watching the Coronation proceedings, told FEMAIL the Duke of Sussex, 38, was astonished by his glowing cousin, who is due to give birth to her second child this summer. Jacqui said the conversation between the cousins, who share a close relationship, appeared light-hearted as they waited for the historic occasion to begin and Harry caught up with his beloved relatives in a 28-hour stopover before heading back to California to celebrate Prince Archie's fourth birthday. As he walked into the Abbey, Harry said to Jack and Eugenie: Wow, amazing look at the bump!', using his hands to indicate to a heavily-pregnant Eugenies tummy. 'I know, her husband Jack replied, smiling as he walked towards his seat. Lip reader Jacqui Press revealed what she thought the Prince, who arrived in the UK on Friday morning from California, said to Princess Eugenie and her husband As he walked into the Abbey, Harry said to Jack and Eugenie: Wow, amazing look at the bump!' Prince Harry shared a heartfelt moment with his cousins in Westminster Abbey yesterday, as the Duke of Sussex took his seat at his father's coronation Prince Harry was spotted chatting to Jack Brooksbank as he entered the Abbey Mother-of-one Eugenie, 33, who was dressed in a deep blue smock dress - topped with a matching overcoat and headpiece, is expecting her second child in the next few months. Like the other non-working royals, Harry dressed in a morning suit with medals and the KCVO - Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order - given to him by Queen Elizabeth around his neck. Jacqui noted on his way in, the 38-year-old, who was alone at the service without Meghan or their two children Archie and Lilibet, addressed the well-wishers and congregation, saying: 'Morning, morning, how are you doing?' One person in the crowd told him, 'You look smart', Press said - referring to the moment the suited prince walked into the Abbey for his father's Coronation. Upon arriving at the Abbey, the Duke of Sussex also chatted with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice's husband. The prince was seated between the always friendly Jack Brooksbank and elderly Princess Alexandra, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth, who has not worked as a royal for ten years. In front of him was Princess Anne, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and the Duke of Kent. Before the ceremony, the royal remarked to Mr Brooksbank that he was on a flight that day at about quarter to four. Harry dressed in a Dior morning suit with medals and the KCV given to him by the late Queen Upon arriving at the Abbey, the Duke of Sussex also chatted with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice's husband So soon? was the reply, another indication that lines of communication with even friendly family members are few and far between. Mr Brooksbank also said: 'Oh really, when?' to which the Duke responded: 'I think tomorrow...' Other than pulling the odd comedic grimace, Harry otherwise kept to himself. He did, however, clearly pay homage to his father during the service speaking the words: God save King Charles, Long Live King Charles. May the King live forever.' Harry is now back in California after spending just 28 hours and 42 minutes in the United Kingdom to witness his father, King Charles' coronation on Saturday. Prince Harry flashed a Hollywood-worthy smile at Heathrow as he prepared to jet back to California after an appearance at his father's coronation Following the ceremony, he slipped out of Westminster Abbey - accompanied by a Metropolitan police escort and four outriders - with only the briefest of goodbyes and headed straight for Heathrow Airport. The Duke of Sussex was pictured smiling broadly as he arrived at the airports Windsor suite before his British Airways flight still in a morning suit and sporting his medals. He was back on the plane to California before his father and stepmother, the newly crowned queen, had even finished having their official portraits taken. Harry's British Airways flight from Heathrow direct to Los Angeles landed just before 6.30pm local time. The idea was that he would be back in time for his four-year-old son Archie's fourth birthday party, which was 'low-key', according to sources close to the Sussexes. Countless relationships have started with grabbing a pint at the local pub. But it seems the younger generation are ditching alcohol at first dates, with a new TikTok movement encouraging the practice of 'sober dating' - and offering alternative plans. One user, Issy, who posts updates about her sober life, was asked how she bypasses the issue as 'everyone wants to meet for drinks'. She said: 'I've always been really upfront about it.' She added that she wears her decision to embark on a sober life 'like a badge of honour, rather than being embarrassed of it'. Issy said if people aren't supportive of this, then 'move on'. It seems the younger generation are ditching alcohol at first dates, with a new TikTok movement encouraging the practice of 'sober dating' - and offering alternative plans 'They're not for you, they're not for your journey and they're not going to add anything to your life'. Issy is just one of a host of creators who post on the matter, with other including the Landmark Recovery addiction treatment centre in Norfolk, Virginia. In one video, they asked people on the street whether they would date someone who is sober. The first man said simply: 'Yeah.' Another girl also agreed, while another man said it 'depends' but 'probably'. A team at the Private Rehab Clinic in Delamere told the Independent that this trend demonstrates a 'more positive approach' to alcohol consumption among young people. The Private Rehab Clinic found that 60 per cent of people had reduced their alcohol intake to improve their well being after the coronavirus pandemic Martin Preston said: 'This way of living is inspiring the "sober curious movement" and the latest trend of "sober dating", which is about thinking more consciously about consuming alcohol and our drinking habits.' The Private Rehab Clinic found that 60 per cent of people had reduced their alcohol intake to improve their well being after the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Preston added: 'We're also seeing a rise in the number of alcohol-free dating apps, which allow those in recovery or simply those exploring their relationship with alcohol to find love. 'This dating trend has many benefits, from feeling more safe and secure when meeting strangers to getting to know an individual's real personality instead of their drunk personality, to feeling more clear-headed and having an emotional connection.' The Princess of Wales's stunning floral Coronation headpiece may have been a sweet tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II as it harked back to her wedding day. Princess Kate, 41, looked radiant in her Alexander McQueen gown and Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen Headpiece made from with silver bullion, crystal and silver threadwork three-dimensional leaf embroidery - which looked strikingly similar to the tiaras worn by the late queen's bridesmaids in 1947. Balcony photos from the late Queen's wedding to Prince Philip show her bridesmaids dressed in gowns with tulle bardot necklines and floral headpieces in a very similar style to that worn by Kate yesterday. Eight-year-old Princess Charlotte, who was dressed in a matching Alexander McQueen gown to her mother, also donned the stunning headpiece in what may have been a subtle yet sweet tribute to the late monarch on her son's Coronation day. The dazzling headpiece was a break from tradition for the Princess of Wales who chose not to wear a tiara for the occasion. The Princess of Wales's stunning floral coronation headpiece may have been a sweet tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II as it harked back to her 1947 wedding day She did, however, pay tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana with her pearl and diamond earrings to compliment her outfit. The earrings, made by Collingwood and given to Diana by King Charles ahead of their wedding in 1981, mark a touching handover from one Princess of Wales to the other. Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey with Prince William in a breathtaking ivory silk crepe gown, which featured silver embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to represent each of the four nations. The Princess has long chosen to wear Alexander McQueen for significant moments in her life, most notably choosing its creative director Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress. The four flowers of the home nations - English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish shamrock - were embroidered on to the dress. However Kate's subtle nod to the late Queen's wedding day was clearly evident yesterday. A Norman Hartnell sketch of one of the dresses to be worn by the bridesmaids at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947 The royal group on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after returning from the wedding ceremony between Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey. (left to right) Princess Margaret, Margaret Elphinstone, Diana Bowes-Lyon, Lady Caroline Montague Douglas-Scott, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, the Marquis of Milford-Haven, Prince William, the bride and groom, Lady Mary Cambridge and Lady Pamela Mountbatten (L-R) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Sir Timothy Laurence, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge during the Coronation of King Charles There were eight bridesmaids at the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philips wedding Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, Lady Pamela Mountbatten, Diana Bowes-Lyon, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, Margaret Elphinstone, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott and Lady Mary Cambridge. The Royal wedding took place on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth first met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1934, at the wedding of Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, and again in 1937. Before the marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism and adopted the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother's British family. The wedding was designed to lift post-war spirits in an era when much of London still lay in ruins and economic travails were creating hardship for ordinary families. On the morning of her wedding, as Princess Elizabeth was getting dressed at Buckingham Palace before leaving for Westminster Abbey, her tiara snapped. Luckily the court jeweller was standing by in case of emergency. The jeweller was rushed to his work room by a police escort. Eight-year-old Princess Charlotte, who was dressed in a matching Alexander McQueen gown to her mother, also donned the stunning headpiece in what may have been a subtle yet sweet tribute to the late monarch on her son's Coronation day The dazzling headpiece was a break from tradition for the Princess of Wales who chose not to wear a tiara for the occasion Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey with Prince William in a breathtaking ivory silk crepe gown, which featured silver embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to represent each of the four nations For her wedding dress she still required ration coupons to buy the material for her gown, designed by Norman Hartnell. The official wedding cake was made by McVities and Price, although eleven other cakes were given as presents. With post-war food rationing still in place, ingredients were sent as wedding presents from overseas. The official cake was made using ingredients given as a wedding gift by the Australian Girl Guides. The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher and the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett. The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC radio to 200 million people around the world. Elizabeth and Philip then proceeded to Buckingham Palace, where a breakfast was held at the Ball Supper-room. Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, on their wedding day, 20th November 1947 The wedding breakfast was held after the marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey in the Ball Supper-room at Buckingham Palace. The menu was Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Perdreau en Casserole (a braised partridge dish) and Bombe Glacee. The couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations. Among the Queen and the Duke's wedding presents were 500 tins of pineapple, 131 pairs of nylons, 17 pairs of silk stockings, 16 nightgowns, 30 scarves, 38 handbags, 24 pairs of gloves and a refrigerator. Prince Philip's own gift to his new wife was a platinum and diamond bracelet crafted from a tiara that belonged to his mother Princess Andrew of Greece. The couple departed from Waterloo station with the Queen's corgi, Susan, for their honeymoon. The newlyweds spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Prince Philips uncle Earl Mountbatten. The second part of the honeymoon was spent at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate. All eyes were on the members of the British Royal Family yesterday as they came together in celebration to support King Charles on the day of his coronation. The monarch became the 40th reigning sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, in a lavish ceremony in front of some 2,000 guests. The historic crowning, watched around the globe, was a fulfilment of the King's destiny as it followed the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September after a 70-year reign. Minutes later, the Queen was also officially enthroned. The enthroning of the Queen was a moment in which Charles and Camilla were 'united in their joint vocation before God'. As the royals geared up for one of the biggest days of their lives, body language experts picked up on some of the telling gestures which may have given a glimpse into how they were really feeling as the eyes of the world were upon them. King Charles and Queen Camilla look out into the London rain as they headed to their coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey yesterday In a historic moment, King Charles III is crowned, looking composed as ever - the 40th reigning sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey After the King was crowned, Camilla, who remained in control throughout the day, was also crowned and made his Queen Body language expert Carole Railton told FEMAIL how the movements of the royals indicated their true feelings throughout the day, particularly in relation to each other. Meanwhile another expert, Judi James, took a look at the Duke of Sussex in particular and picked up on how he may have been feeling as he attended the King's coronation in a whistlestop tour of the UK that lasted just 28 hours before he flew back to California to celebrate Prince Archie's fourth birthday. Here, FEMAIL takes a look at how the royals fared under pressure on the historic day of King Charles's coronation - and how their deepening rifts may have been on show. King Charles Carole claimed that, during the King's entrance into the Abbey, he appeared to take a deep breath and readjusted his body and position halfway through his walk, which shows he has good composure and was contemplative during the momentous day. As the King and Queen took their place on their thrones, they seemed to be structured and aware of the 'seriousness of their position', which suggested that they intend to do a good job in their roles as Heads of State, according to Carole. Carole also revealed how Charles appeared overwhelmed during the service at Westminster Abbey and was experiencing 'lots' of emotions While sat in the throne, the King began leaning slightly forward, which could have meant that he was thinking a great deal to himself as he stepped into his role. She added that, at one point during the ceremony, Charles appeared overwhelmed and was experiencing 'lots' of emotions. Carole explained: 'When William was in front of him he looked emotional to me.' She added: 'He is blinking a lot, showing a bit of stress for sure... He also appears tired and the previous deep breath gives notice that he is refreshing his self getting back in step.' The King looked emotional as Prince William paid homage to him, kneeling to give an oath of allegiance to his father. He then kissed him on the cheek King Charles was 'emotional' as Prince William knelt in front of him - and was 'thrilled' with the Coronation, a body language expert has claimed She added: 'He sat on the edge of his seat, showing that he is exciting about what is going on even thrilled.' The King then looked emotional as Prince William paid homage to him, in a break with tradition, kneeling to give an oath of allegiance to his father. He said: 'I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.' He then stood, touched the crown and kissed the King on the cheek. Charles was moved as he nodded to his son, and said 'amen'. Queen Camilla In leading the procession, Carole said the Queen appeared calm and in control, presenting herself as a strong figure as the ceremony proceeded. While Queen Camilla was 'initially nervous' as she was crowned during the Coronation at Westminster Abbey, the body language expert told FEMAIL Camilla was 'comfortable'. She also appeared to be 'without airs and graces', saying: 'Camilla obviously had trouble with the crown balancing and being in place and tried to adjust it herself. Queen Camilla was 'initially nervous' as she was crowned during the Coronation at Westminster Abbey, a body language expert has claimed 'She appears comfortable and in control - relaxed and sure of herself. Smiling and with her hand and arms relaxed, she became graceful and in control following some initial nervousness,' Carole claimed. During the historic ceremony, the Queen looked as though she was taking in her surroundings as she looked around, which according to the expert, showed she was relaxed and posed - ready to take on the day. She continued: 'It struck me how in control she was - she was ready for what was happening and in a subtle way there were no airs and graces. 'She appeared engaged and strong. Obviously excited and engaged in what was happening and there were a couple of times she looked anticipatingly at her partner to comfort him, rather than seek for herself.' Body language expert Carole Railton told FEMAIL Camilla was 'comfortable' and appeared to be 'without airs and graces' (pictured) Prince Harry In comparison to the working royals, Prince Harry was 'out of step with the others around him' as he twisted and bent his body while arriving at the service and his walk into the ceremony was a 'sure sign he was on his own', Carole claimed. The expert added that his hand holding the edge of his jacket might have signalled the need for a 'small hug' to make himself feel better in what was likely to be a tense reunion with his family. His nervous walk into King Charles III's ceremony was a 'sure sign he was on his own', Carole Railton explained, and was 'with his own thinking' The pro added that his hand holding the edge of his jacket may signal the need for a 'small hug' to make himself feel better in what is bound to be a tense reunion with his family Carole also remarked that the twisting and turning of Harrys body would indicate discomfort, which is an 'unusual pose' which we 'do not normally see this with the royals'. Meanwhile, body language expert Judi James told The Sun that Harry levelled his brother William with a 'severe side-eye glance'. She said: 'William is clearly not about to look back here and Harrys severe side-eye glance suggests hes sneaking this thunderous look almost unintentionally. 'When we tell ourselves not to do something the brain only tends to hear the suggestion without processing the 'dont' command, suggesting the more Harry was telling himself not to look across at his brother the more he couldnt stop.' Meanwhile, body language expert Judi James told The Sun that Harry levelled his brother William with a 'severe side-eye glance' He was seated between Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank and Princess Alexandra, the cousin of the late Queen who has not worked as a royal for ten years. William and Kate were in the front row at the abbey for the historic ceremony, with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Eagle-eyed royal fans also speculated that Prince Harry may have stopped singing the National Anthem as his father passed him following his Coronation. Television footage of the Duke of Sussex, whose face was partially obscured by the Princess Royal's military hat, appeared to show him break off from the National Anthem as his father's Coronation procession exited Westminster Abbey. Kate Middleton While the Princess of Wales was the picture of composure during yesterday's historic event, she appeared 'stressed and concerned' at times during her Buckingham Palace walkabout on Friday. However, she 'took control' of her last-minute nerves with one gesture, the body language expert claimed. While she appeared in high spirits as she shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with fans, expert Carole Railton said Kate showed some key signs which hinted at her underlying nerves. The Princess of Wales appeared 'relaxed in her moves' as she approached the crowds with Prince William at the Mall on Friday Carole says Kate's body language was 'tense' to begin with - and noted the 'slight stiffness' to the Princess' posture As Kate approached the crowds with Prince William, she appeared 'relaxed in her moves' at the very beginning. But as time went on, Carole said there were some subtle shifts in the Princess' demeanor. She explained: 'Kate's shoulders are slightly raised [as she spoke with members of the public]. This is an indicator of stress or tension.' What's more, Carole also highlighted the 'slight stiffness' to Kate's posture. The expert said: 'This indicates there is some concern about what she is doing. 'Her head is still slightly tilted forward even when she is at the same level as the people she is interacting with. 'Again, this situation shows she is still not as comfortable as she would like to be as she does not have a completely straight back.' However, the expert said Kate showed signs of 'stress and tension' in her posture and 'posed smile' Highlighting another sign of tension, the expert said: 'Her smile is held very tightly. 'When you smile naturally, your teeth aren't touching in this way.' As Kate tried to shake hands and make eye contact with each person in the group, Carole noted that Princess' decision to 'move quickly' suggests she was in a 'stressful situation'. She said: 'Her voice was a little higher pitched than normal which indicates nerves and stress in a body.' That said, the expert said Kate did settle into the overwhelming task and used one move in particular to regain 'control'. By stretching out her arm and putting her hands on the shoulders of fans - which is rather untypical for a royal - Kate guided those around her and took control of the encounters. Carole added: 'Although it is seen by most people as a comfort pose, you are in fact controlling how the other person moves and where to, or getting them to stay in the position they are in. ' As such, Carole says Kate appeared calmer as she worked her way through the crowds. Carole said: 'Kate got more relaxed as the day went on. The posed smile went and she became more relaxed and genuine with her contact with the public.' He was one of four Pages of Honour who were tasked with aiding new monarch George embarked on his most significant royal duties yet at King's coronation Being second-in-line to the British throne comes with countless responsibilities - and the King's Coronation saw Prince George take on his most significant role yet. George was one of four Pages of Honour for his grandfather, a ceremonial position which required the young boys to attend to King Charles, largely by carrying his heavy robes. It was a long day, but nine-year-old George remained professional throughout, appearing by the King's side for the religious ceremony, the Royal Salute and on the Buckingham Palace balcony. There were even a few poignant moments where Charles was seen whispering to his grandson, who will one day attend the coronation of his father Prince William - and his own. His brother Prince Louis, five, and sister Princess Charlotte, eight, were not so involved in the momentous royal occasion, sitting with their mother and father in the pews inside Westminster Abbey. Prince George, the second in line to the throne, stands behind his grandfather King Charles Prince George and his grandfather King Charles share a quiet moment before the coronation The young royal remained professional throughout what was an extremely long day The King and Queen depart Westminster Abbey after being crowed on Saturday morning Meanwhile, George was stood close to the King as he was crowned - joined by his fellow Pages of Honour: Nicholas Barclay and Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, both 13, and Ralph Tollemache, 12. Page of Honour is a ceremonial position within the Royal Household that only requires attendance on State occasions, like Saturday, when the four boys were tasked with carrying the King's robes. Another four boys - the Queen's grandsons and great-nephew - attended to Camilla. The King's pages looked the part in a traditional style of dress that was first seen at the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902: scarlet tunics decorated with gold lace trim and blue velvet cuffs. These specific outfits were designed by Ede and Ravenscroft during the reign of the late Queen. He was tasked with carrying King Charles' robes throughout the coronation on Saturday Prince George stands outside Westminster Abbey with the King's pages of honour yesterday Prince George and the Pages of Honour stand behind the King inside Westminster Abbey George was joined in the King's party by Nicholas Barclay and Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, both 13, and Ralph Tollemache, 12 - all the sons of notable, royal-linked families George and the Pages of Honour were heavily involved in the ceremony at Westminster Abbey Prince George began his duties at Westminster Abbey early on Saturday, when he was seen deep in conversation with his grandfather in the moments before they entered the church. He and his fellow Pages of Honour then carried the King's robes through the Abbey, and stayed close by his side to be on hand for whenever Charles needed to move his position. George was the picture of professionalism throughout the coronation ceremony, which kept him on his feet for over two hours. But his duties did not end when the King departed Westminster Abbey. Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte watch on as they leave Westminster Abbey Prince George smiles next to his sister Princess Charlotte as they depart Westminster Abbey Senior royals had gathered on the balcony for a flyover in the traditional royal moment Spirits were still high among the King's Pages of Honour as the long day came to a close George with Nicholas Barclay and Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, and Ralph Tollemache, 12 For the rest of Saturday, wherever King Charles went, his grandson was close behind. He, Nicholas, Oliver and Ralph were on hand as the King received a Royal Salute from the British Army, and later helped Charles navigate the Buckingham Palace balcony. It was a rather relentless day, with one of the young boys telling Sky News they would likely 'all collapse' once their official duties finally came to an end. But Prince George made clear that, at just nine years old, he is more than capable of stepping up into a significant role - and making the Royal Family proud. Prince George with Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and the Prince and Princess of Wales on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee last June The three royal children wave as they arrive for the late Queen's Trooping the Colour last June His mother, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, revealed that her eldest son was looking forward to partaking in the ceremony in the run up to the Coronation. Kate said Prince George was 'excited' about the event and had been taking part in rehearsals as a Page of Honour at the Westminster Abbey service. Asked if he was looking forward to it, she replied: 'He is actually. Having done a few rehearsals, I think everyone is a bit more relaxed.' Although nine-year-old Prince George has had previous roles within notable royal events, this is by far the biggest responsibility he's been given yet. Prince George and his father Prince William at the late Queen's funeral in September The family had gathered at Westminster Abbey to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II Last year, George was part of Queen Elizabeth's funeral procession with his younger sister Princess Charlotte. All eyes were on George and Charlotte, who had recently become the second and third in line for the throne. The siblings were the youngest mourners to attend the funeral of Her Majesty, and followed the coffin ahead of Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. George was also visible at the Platinum Jubilee last June, where he rode in a carriage alongside his younger siblings, Charlotte and Louis. The Cambridge trio were pictured waving at onlookers as they continue to be eased into their royal roles. George was also a pageboy at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018, when he walked behind bride-to-be Meghan as she made her way down the aisle to marry his uncle. He stood outside the steps of St George's Chapel while Charlotte - who was a bridesmaid - waved at onlookers. Since this event, it is clear his confidence has grown, as it was reported that George, who was four at the time, hid behind his father's legs when they stood outside. This is a stark contrast to the Prince George we saw yesterday - full of pride, confidence and likely on his way to becoming a great King. The royal children in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding portrait in 2018 Princess Charlotte is pictured second left with her mother Kate and father William as her brother George hides behind his legs outside St George's Chapel in Windsor The Princess of Wales opted for an understated look in a powder blue linen blazer as she surprised royal fans at a Big Lunch gathering in Windsor today. Her casual ensemble was a world away from her appearance at the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla yesterday, when she turned heads in an ivory silk crepe gown by Alexander McQueen. Kate, 41, had matched her daughter Charlotte, eight, who wore a lookalike McQueen gown and a gorgeous, botanical Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece. Today, she toned down the glamour and was back to her typically chic self. The mother-of-three opted for a 298 linen blazer by Reiss and black trousers as she greeted well-wishers who had gathered outside Windsor Castle to celebrate the coronation. The Princess of Wales opted for an understated look in a powder blue suit jacket as she surprised royal fans at a Big Lunch gathering in Windsor today Her casual ensemble was a world away from her appearance at the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla yesterday The Princess of Wales poses for photograph with a royal fan as she attends Windsor Big Lunch Princess of Wales grins at her husband as they attend a Big Lunch event in Windsor She completed her casual outfit with a plain white T-shirt and white and gold trainers. However, Kate did add a glimpse of sparkle to her toned-down look, wearing a pair of 425 pearl drop earrings by Annoushka Ducas. She was joined by Prince William for the outing, who dressed as he typically does in a dark suit - this time with a light blue shirt. The pair were attending a Big Lunch in Windsor - while similar events are being held across the country to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. In one sweet moment, Kate stopped to hug a young girl who was waiting in the crowd. However, Kate did add a glimpse of sparkle to her toned-down look, wearing a pair of 425 pearl drop earrings by Annoushka Ducas In one sweet moment, Kate stopped to hug a young girl who was waiting in the crowd The Princess of Wales speaks to royal fans as she attended the Windsor Big Lunch today Prince William greets children in paper crowns as he attends a Big Lunch event in Windsor Crowds gather in Windsor as Kate Middleton and Prince William step out for Big Lunch Kate's appearance at the coronation yesterday stole the show as she appeared with her lookalike daughter Princess Charlotte, who donned a matching McQueen gown. Both gowns were embellished with ivory stitch embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs, to signify the four nations. The pair completed their ensembles with white shoes and swept their locks back into a chic up-do for the historical occasion. The Princess' has long chosen to wear Alexander McQueen for significant moments in her life. Kate's appearance at the coronation yesterday stole the show as she appeared with her lookalike daughter Princess Charlotte, who donned a matching McQueen gown The pair were attending a Big Lunch in Windsor - while similar events are being held across the country to celebrate the coronation of King Charles Prince William talks to a young girl as he greets royal fans outside Windsor Castle The Prince of Wales was given a can of Organic Coronation Ale has he arrived in Windsor Kate's appearance at the coronation yesterday stole the show as she appeared with her lookalike daughter Princess Charlotte, who donned a matching McQueen gown Both gowns were embellished with ivory stitch embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs, to signify the four nations The pair completed their ensembles with white shoes and swept their locks back into a chic up-do for the historical occasion She has worn the fashion brand on numerous occasions, most notably choosing its creative director Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress. Kate donned pearl earrings that were gifted to Diana before her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. The mother-of-three previously wore the jewellery, left to William and Harry, at the BAFTAs in 2019. They feature a double curve of various cuts of diamond, with a hanging pearl. The Princess of Wales stunned in an ivory silk crepe gown by Alexander McQueen for the Coronation yesterday Her gown was embellished with ivory stitch embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs, to signify the four nations Instead of a tiara, Kate wore a matching Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen Headpiece with silver bullion, crystal and silver thread work three-dimensional leaf embroidery The mother-of-three donned pearl earrings that were gifted to Diana before her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. Princess Charlotte donned an Alexander McQueen gown that matched that of her mother as the family attended yesterday's ceremony Princess Charlotte offered a calming hand to younger brother Prince Louis as the pair arrived at Westminster Abbey During the ceremony Charlotte was seen sitting alongside her little brother Prince Louis in Westminster Abbey after they arrived alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales. The siblings arrived without their older brother Prince George, nine, who was a Page of Honour for his grandfather. The Prince and Princess of Wales' two youngest children were immaculately behaved during the service, with Charlotte proving a reassuring presence to her younger brother, who couldn't help stifle a few yawns during the two-hour proceedings. by Prabir Purkayastha We celebrate World Press Freedom Day in May as a reminder that the role of news organizations is to speak truth to power. Not for manufacturing consentto use Chomskys famous wordsfor the government and the ruling classes. Its an occasion to remember three people who exemplify the need to speak the truth: Daniel Ellsberg of Pentagon Papers fame and Julian Assange of WikiLeaks; and also of Chelsea Manning, without whom we would not have the proof of what the United States was doing, not only in Iraq and Afghanistan but all across the globe. In doing so, I will also deal with the changing nature of government secrets, what outing them means then and now. Supporters of Julian Assange are seen in front of the British Home Office in London, Britain, May 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying) In todays day and world, just as the scale of the governments powers to pry into our lives and activities has increased exponentiallyfor example, NSAs Prism and NSOs Pegasusso has the scale of the leaks. Ellsbergs Pentagon Papers were a mere 7,000 pages, and he photocopied them by hand (Daniel Ellsberg, The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner). Chelsea Mannings papers, which Assange outed, earning the U.S. governments enmity, consisted of about 750,000 documents (Iraq War logs, Afghanistan War logs and U.S. diplomatic cables). Manning used her computer to copy this enormous cache of data. Ellsberg had one of the highest security clearances in the U.S. government. Snowden, a system administrator, is assumed to have exfiltrated more than a million NSA documents. Manning was low down in the military ranks and a mere corporal. Assange had identified one key characteristic of our epoch: the digital revolution means the enormous centralization of information and also the ease with which it can release. In a conference in 1984, Stewart Brand, an author, in a conversation with Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, had brought this duality of information in the digital age: the centralization of information as it is so valuable for the rulers. And also the ease of its duplication and therefore liberating it from the rulers. This is why Assange set up WikiLeaks. People, who had access to this valuable information stored in secure government vaults, could use WikiLeaks to reach the people. Both use the power of digital technologies and their ability to produce copies but for completely different purposes. In 1971, a little over 50 years ago that Daniel Ellsberg leaked a study carried out by the U.S. Defense Departmentthe Pentagon Paperson the Vietnam War to the New York Times and subsequently to a host of other news organizations. The anti-Vietnam War movement, which had exploded in the United States then, with cascading effects around the world for my generation, had turned Ellsberg into a radical. Just as it did many of us around the world who demonstrated against the United States and its war. The Vietnam War had discredited the U.S. empire and produced a radical generation, of which Daniel Ellsberg was a proud member. The Pentagon Papers laid out in detail why the Vietnam War was already a lost cause and why Vietnamese people would defeat the neocolonial puppet government of Ngo Dinh Diem backed by the United States in South Vietnam. Though the study was completed in 1968 that the United States could not win, the United States had enlarged the war from a land and air war against the Vietnamese liberation forces in South Vietnam to the aerial bombardment of North Vietnam and Cambodia as well. Ellsberg believed that if the U.S. public learned the truth about the Vietnam War, they would help stop the war. This is why he, and a former colleague Anthony Russo, shared the Pentagon papers with the press. The U.S. people, he believed, had a right to know about the war being waged in their name. The exposure of Pentagon papers helped the anti-war movement but did not stop the war. It took another four yearsApril 1975before Vietnamese freedom fighters liberated Saigon. The pictures of the U.S. forces leaving in ignominy, clinging to helicopters as they lifted off from the roof of the U.S. embassy, are similar to what we saw recently in Kabul. By the time we reached the Iraq War, the world of information had changed. Information was no longer in paper form. Copies were also not on paper. Digitizing information meant that enormous amounts could be collected, stored and used in real-time for the purpose of war: both its physical-kinetic variety and also the information war. The full power of the United States, its technology might, and its money power could be wielded to build not only the U.S. war machine but also what we now call the surveillance state. Not simply its invasion of every aspect of our lives but also in creating new, invisible hands of the Ministry of Truth. This is an information war of a different kind than in the days of Ellsberg photocopying the Pentagon Papers. This is the world that Assange saw and understood. If Ellsberg understood the world of power, Assange understood the changing nature of how information is created in vast amounts continuously by the government, stored and transmitted. The very nature of technology that permits this almost costless duplication of information and its flows also makes it vulnerable to being shared and made available to the public. Let us look at some numbers here. At the time of Ellsberg, there were perhaps a few hundred, maybe a maximum of 1,000, who had access to Pentagon papers and could have photocopied them by hand as he did. He had a security level of GS-18, a civilian equivalent to a clearance level somewhere between major general and lieutenant general in the military. Chelsea Manning was a specialist, the rank equivalent to that of a corporal in the U.S. armed forces. It is the nature of the change in technology that made it possible for a specialist holding a rank of a corporal to strike a body blow in the U.S. war in Iraq and Afghanistan. You need tech specialists to make the nuts and bolts of the global information infrastructure run. They may have low ranks but by virtue of being closest to the information on these vast military and diplomatic networks maintained by the Governments, they have complete access. And the computer, as a copying device, is a much more potent device for copying information. And lastly, the discs on which we copy data today, including our lowly thumb drive/memory stick, can store hundreds of thousands of pages! It was Assange and WikiLeaks that made possible for Mannings information to reach people across the globe. And even when he and Manning have been arrested, jailed and isolated, the information on Wikileaks still continues to be accessible to all of us. Even today. the Baghdad video of Collateral Murder, posted on WikiLeaks, was seen across the world and brought home that the United States was lying and involved in a massive cover-up of its war crimes. The Diplomatic Cables on Wikileaks informed the Tunisian people about the kleptocratic rule of the Ben Ali family and started what was later named as Arab Spring. The battle of the Chagos islanders in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), illegally removed by the UK and the United States to set up the U.S. naval base in Diego Garcia, was partly based on documents from WikiLeaks. This is only a very small fraction of the information that is now available to activists, and it cannot be erased either from the Internet or from our memory. Just as the surveillance state has invaded every nook and corner of our lives, the pathological need of the surveillance state to access and store all this information also makes the state porous and vulnerable. The latest example of this vulnerability is that a 21-year-old lowly Air National Guard, Jack Teixeira, had access to the top secret documents of the Pentagon and the CIA on Ukraine. He shared these documents on a private Discord gaming server, not for any noble purpose of stopping the war, but for simply getting bragging rights. Whether this was the only leak, are others also leaking documents to create a fog of war, is a mixture of leaks, or are they also plants is another story. What is important to this story is that Airman Teixeira, though near the bottom of the ladder in the U.S. Air Force, has access to top secret documents, normally seen by the top echelons of the armed forces and the intelligence authorities of the United States. He was part of a team that managed the core network and was one of the 1.5 million people who had this level of access. Yes, we today are in a panopticon of the surveillance state where our rulers can look into every part of our lives. But what Manning and Teixeira show us is that the same technology that allows them to look at what we are doing also works in reverse. As long as we have Assange, Ellsberg, Manning and others, they are also visible to us. As the English poet Shelly wrote in 1819 after the Peterloo Massacre, Ye are many, they are few. This has not changed in the digital age as well. Prabir Purkayastha is the founding editor of Newsclick.in, a digital media platform. He is an activist for science and the free software movement. Advertisement They've been divorced since 1996 - yet Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson put on a friendly display when attending the Coronation concert together. The Duke and Duchess of York joined their glamorous daughters Princess Eugenie, 31, and Princess Beatrice, 34, at the musical extravaganza in the grounds of Windsor Castle - as well as other Royal Family members, including the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. But while Sarah, commonly known as Fergie, appeared to be back in the fold for the concert, she failed to be invited to the Coronation yesterday - despite the attendance of her ex-husband and daughters at the historic event. Instead, yesterday the Duchess of York congratulated the newly crowned King and Queen on social media. She marked the moment on Instagram, sharing a sweet snap of the royal couple from the day's celebrations. She posted a picture of King Charles and Queen Camilla waving at royal fans as they left Westminster Abbey with a short and sweet message of congratulations. Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, are seen during the Coronation Concert Tonight, mother-of-one Beatrice appeared excited to be attending the concert. She was joined by her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Her sister Princess Eugenie, 31, also attended and showed off her baby bump in a 2,410 Gabriela Hearst figure hugging dress which she wore at a Big Lunch event earlier today. Taking to Instagram yesterday, Sarah wrote: 'Sincerest congratulations to Their Majesties, the King and Queen.' Her daughters made a glamourous entrance as they arrived at yesterday's Coronation ceremony, with her eldest wearing a pair of ornate 37,000 earrings for the occasion. The royal, 34, lit up the room in a hot pink gown from Beulah, worth 695. The belted ensemble accentuated King Charles III's niece's figure for an elegant and stylish display. Garrard's pricey Blaze Pink Sapphire, Rubellite and Pink Opal Hoop Earrings made the perfect complement to her look, as did the subtly peachy smokey eye of her make-up. Beatrice wore her auburn tresses down in elegant waves and toned the magenta tones down with a chunky bronze headband and beige-hued clutch. Meanwhile Princess Eugenie showed off her baby bump in an all-navy ensemble as she joined her family in London for the historic festivities. On Friday Sarah revealed how she has been celebrating King Charles IIIs coronation - after she missed out on an invite to the historic event. The Duchess of York, 63, shared adorable photos to her Instagram and Twitter accounts showcasing the 'tea fit for a King' that she assembled for the residents at the Manor Care Home in Windsor 'to help them celebrate'. They've been divorced since 1996 - yet Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson put on a friendly display when attending the Coronation concert together Sarah opted for a navy ensemble when attending the occasion alongside her ex-husband in the grounds of Windsor Castle Princess Beatrice appeared excited to be attending the event, and was joined by her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for the concert Princess Eugenie was spotted standing with her husband Jack Brooksbank behind the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Beatrice shared a wide grin with her mother Sarah Ferguson, left, who missed out on an invite to the Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey yesterday In one of the images, a corgi could be seen sitting at the table, with a delicious looking cake in front of him. It's thought the pet could be one of the late Queen Elizabeth II's two surviving corgis, Muick and Sandy. Sarah, alongside her ex-husband Prince Andrew, care for the two beloved dogs following the Queen's death. In April, the Duchess broke her silence on her Coronation snub, telling ITV's Good Morning Britain that she was not offended, citing her divorce from the Duke of York. Next to the set of five adorable snaps of her 'tea fit for a King', she wrote: I hope you have got the bunting out ready for the Coronation tomorrow. I certainly have. Today I assembled a tea fit for a King which I shared with the residents at the Manor Care Home in Windsor to help them celebrate. Enjoy the weekend! Sarah sported a glamourous trait of eyeliner for tonight's event and was dressed in a stylish black number, her red locks cascading down her shoulders In addition to the corgis, Sarah and her team had put together a beautifully prepared selection of sandwiches, a menu offering 'Camilla's tea' with lemon, ginger or green, and a huge cake that had been named 'Charles' Crunchy Cream Cake'. Sarah's followers on social media were quick to comment on the sweet post with many addressing the fact that the Duchess will not be attending the crowning of King Charles and Queen Camilla tomorrow at Westminster Abbey. One person wrote: 'So glad youre taking good care of the Queens corgis.' 'Thats truly selfless and dignified!! I personally think you should be there but I hope you have a wonderful day x,' added another fan of Fergie. While a third follower commented: 'Looks amazing... personally our Duchess of York should be in attendance tomorrow. 'Beautiful. Looks amazing. And you should be there,' penned a fourth fan. 'Awww nicely done,' wrote one person, while another follower added 'Sarah Big Heart'. The Duchess of York recently spoke out about the snub while speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, insisting she's not offended and citing her divorce from Prince Andrew as the reason. King Charles and Queen Camilla dance to Take That's finale of the Coronation Concert The royals were dancing on their feet in the first Coronation concert in history As the show came to a close, Kate spoke to her daughter Charlotte, George waved along while William shared a joke with Camilla and Charles A smilimng Catherine, Princess of Wales, smiles and dances with her two eldest children Windsor Castle and the stage are turned red, white and blue during the Coronation concert celebrations Lionel Richie and Katy Perry got the crowd, and the Windsors, going wild She told presenters Kate Garraway and Adil Ray: 'I'm not [going], it's a state occasion, and being divorced I don't think you can have it both ways. 'I am divorced and I'm really loving being divorced to my ex-husband, not from him but to him, it's important to differentiate.' She added that just because she's 'not there on the state occasion', she can still 'be there' in private. 'That's a lovely feeling to be part of, it really is,' she continued, 'and as I said you can't have it both ways. You mustn't sit on the fence. You're either in or out, don't muck around.' She added: 'The great thing about this moment in time is the unity of family, and I think that Charles and Camilla are doing an exceptional job at unifying the family.' It was previously reported that the Duchess was not expected to attend the Coronation despite the fact that her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were there. Royal commentator Tom Bower previously told MailOnline that Sarah had excluded herself because of her previous 'conduct'. He added that her presence would 'provoke critical comment, which King Charles doesn't need'. Expert Richard Fitzwilliams praised the 'extremely wise' decision from the King because she has been an 'embarrassment to the Royal Family for many years'. Speaking about the absence of Sarah, Mr Bower said she will be left out 'because she is not a member of the Royal Family'. He added that she had excluded herself 'by her past conduct', saying: 'Her presence would provoke critical comment which Charles doesn't need.' Prince William appeared 'nervous' and 'impatient' during his speech at the Coronation concert, a body language expert has claimed. Carole Railton told FEMAIL how the Prince of Wales, 40, switching 'from side to side and initially moving his feet' showed a 'nerve symptom or possibly impatience'. She added that the 'swaying slightly' is 'also used to try and look bigger, a tactic used to consciously calm yourself down'. In his speech, William told King Charles: 'Pa, we are all so proud of you,' and said that he had no doubt the late Queen Elizabeth, the monarch's 'very proud mother', would be 'fondly' looking down from heaven. William delivered his emotional address from Windsor Castle as the nation celebrated the crowning of King Charles and Queen Camilla with the official Coronation Concert, a glorious mix of music, dance and the spoken word. Prince William appeared 'nervous' and 'impatient' during his speech at the Coronation concert in Windsor, a body language expert has claimed Commenting on William's body language, Carole said: '[The Prince] grew stronger and more balanced as the talk went on. A couple of times he raised himself up, this indicates trying to expand.' Set on a spectacular stage shaped like a multi-tier Union flag, the concert was an unashamedly patriotic highlight of a long weekend of celebrations. Events to mark Saturday's Coronation will culminate with a 'day of service' dubbed the Big Help Out as senior royals join volunteers around the country. 'Pa, we're all so proud:' Prince William paid a touching tribute to his father, here is his speech in full The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to the King on stage at the coronation concert. Here is the full text of William's speech: 'Good evening Your Majesties. Good evening Windsor! 'A huge thank you to everyone for making this such a special evening. 'I want to say a few words about my father, and why I believe this weekend is so important. 'But don't worry, unlike Lionel, I won't go on all night long. 'As my grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future. 'And I know she's up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. And she would be a very proud mother. 'For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message: Service. 'My father's first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. 'It was a pledge to continue to serve. 'Because for over 50 years, in every corner of the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world, he has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected. 'Take the natural world. He warned us of the risks to our planet's health long before it was an everyday issue. 'Or the Prince's Trust. It has supported over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to realise their ambitions. 'And, perhaps most importantly of all, my father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported. 'Pa, we are all so proud of you. 'I also want to express my pride and gratitude for the millions of people who serve, in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities. 'I wish I could mention you all. Your service inspires us. And tonight we celebrate you too. 'I commit myself to serve you all. King, country and Commonwealth. 'God save the King!' Advertisement Their Majesties arrived to huge cheers and flag-waving from the 20,000-strong crowd last night, with Camilla looking elegant in a royal blue Anna Valentine jumpsuit. The Prince of Wales, who has become an increasingly assured public speaker in recent years, opened his speech with: 'Good evening, Your Majesties. Good evening, Windsor!' After thanking everyone who had helped make the evening so special, William said he wanted 'to say a few words about my father, and why I believe this weekend is so important'. The father-of-three could not resist shoehorning in a joke about one of concert star Lionel Richie's best-loved songs, saying: 'Don't worry, unlike Lionel, I won't go on all night long.' Turning serious, William left barely a dry eye in the crowd let alone the millions watching around the world as he told them: 'As my grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future. 'And I know she's up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. She would be a very proud mother. 'For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message: service. My father's first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve.' In a heartfelt homage to his father, with whom he has not always seen eye to eye, William praised the King's legacy on everything from charities such as the Prince's Trust to his pioneering work on the environment and attempts to promote interfaith and cultural harmony. He added: 'Pa, we are all so proud of you.' The prince also said he wanted to express his 'pride and gratitude for the millions of people who serve, in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities', some of whom were in the audience. William said: 'I wish I could mention you all. Your service inspires us. And tonight we celebrate you too.' He concluded with his own stirring pledge to the nation as his father's son and heir, saying: 'I commit myself to serve you all King, country and Commonwealth. God Save The King!' Windsor, Queen Elizabeth's favourite residence and a seat of royal power for more than 1,000 years, was an inspired venue for the concert. Stars including Richie, Katy Perry, Take That and Andrea Bocelli brought the audience to its feet. The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art also came together for the first time to create a one-off performance with actor Ncuti Gatwa, who takes over the title role in Doctor Who later this year. Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, the evening's host, warmed up the crowd with some light-hearted jokes, including referring to the watercolour-painting King as 'the artist formerly known as Prince'. The concert, organised by the BBC, also featured video sketches from Tom Cruise, Dame Joan Collins and Sir Tom Jones, who recited little-known facts about the new monarch. The stage resembled the Union Flag, with catwalks jutting out from the centre and multiple levels for the 70-piece orchestra and band. The Prince of Wales delivered a speech at tonight's the Coronation Concert held in the grounds of Windsor Castle Prince William paid a moving tribute to his father, telling him: 'Pa, we are all so proud of you' in front of the crowd and millions of people watching at home As darkness fell behind the castle, its ancient facade came alive with projection and light, at one point linking up with nine other locations around the country for a dazzling 'Lighting up of the Nation'. Among the audience were dozens of winners of the Queen's Coronation Champions Awards, supported by the Daily Mail. Earlier in the day, William and Kate joined well-wishers on the Long Walk at Windsor for a surprise appearance at a Big Lunch event, one of thousands of community street parties taking place across the country, including in Downing Street. The Princess of Wales told guests that her daughter, Charlotte, eight, was 'tired' after making sure her little brother, Louis, five, behaved himself during the Coronation service. But she and George, nine, did join their parents in the Royal Box at Windsor later. Sadly, it was well after Louis's bedtime. King Charles and Prince William seen in the Royal box during the Coronation concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle It emerged yesterday that the King made a private toast to Prince Archie at Buckingham Palace on Saturday to mark his grandson's fourth birthday. Prince Harry's son was at home in California with his mother Meghan and sister Lilibet. Charles's estranged younger son did fly to the UK to briefly see his father being crowned but left straight afterwards to fly back to his family, without taking part in any of the other official or family celebrations. Today, Charles and Camilla thanked the organisers of the Coronation and the spectators who filled The Mall on Saturday. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield.' Royal fans went wild over the moment the Princess of Wales was caught on camera swooning over her husband's speech at the Coronation concert. Prince William, 40, joined his wife Kate, 41, and his two eldest children Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Windsor Castle for the star-studded concert this evening. He took to the stage to pay a touching public tribute to his father the King at the Coronation concert, delivering his speech in front of a crowd of 20,000 revellers. The royal began the speech by insisting he didn't plan to go on 'all night long' like the Lionel Richie song - with the camera quickly cutting to Kate's reaction for the joke. The mother-of-three appeared to be tickled by her husband's humour - and royal fans couldn't help but be delighted over the moment. Royal fans went wild over the moment the Princess of Wales was caught on camera swooning over her husband's speech at the Coronation concert Prince William , 40, joined his wife Kate, 41, and his two eldest children Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Windsor Castle for the star studded concert this evening One excited royal fan commented: 'She looks so proud of him! Their love is strong.' Another wrote: 'She is so proud of him!' A third added: 'She's sooo proud of him! Her smile is everything.' A fourth wrote: 'She looks so in love.' 'Hoping for baby number four soon!' another royal fan teased. Heir to throne William also made a sweet reference to his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II after taking to the stage, adding: 'I know she's up there, fondly keeping an eye on us.' He told his newly crowned father Charles: 'She would be a very proud mother.' He praised the King's decades of service, his campaigning on green issues, Prince's Trust charity and celebration of diversity and support for people of all backgrounds, communities and faiths. William, a future king himself, also made his own historic pledge as he thanked the millions who serve in the military, schools, NHS and local communities, saying: 'I commit myself to serve you all. King, country and Commonwealth.' The mother-of-three appeared to be tickled by her husband's humour - and royal fans couldn't help but be delighted over the moment By publicly calling Charles 'Pa' and expressing the royal family's pride in him, he echoed the speeches his father gave at the late Queen's successive Jubilee concerts, when he referred to her as 'Mummy'. At his Golden Jubilee concert speech in 2002, Charles introduced his mother, as she stood beside him, with 'Your Majesty... Mummy' and later said: 'We feel proud of you.' On Saturday, William was the only member of the royal family tasked with paying homage to the King during the ancient coronation ceremony, as he knelt before his father, touched his crown, kissed him on the cheek and vowed to be his 'liege man of life and limb'. The prince began his stint on stage with the words 'Good evening Your Majesties'. But he made no other direct mention of his stepmother the Queen. The Princess' reaction to William's speech was caught on camera today during the Coronation concert On Saturday, William was the only member of the royal family tasked with paying homage to the King during the ancient coronation ceremony He took to the stage to pay a touching public tribute to his father the King at the coronation concert, saying: 'Pa, we are all so proud of you' William launched into a joke about Richie's well known hit All Night Long as he paid a touching tribute to his father The Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and the Prince of Wales, are seen during the Coronation Concert held in the grounds of Windsor Castle The mother-of-three (pictured right) looked typically stylish in the 2,280 number from one of her favourite British fashion brands, which she teamed with a statement diamond necklace Kate, 41, displayed her sartorial flair in an Alexander McQueen suit as she and the Prince of Wales, 40, arrived at the musical extravaganza with their eldest children, Prince George , nine, and Princess Charlotte, eight. Prince Louis , five, didn't attend Camilla was anointed and crowned with Charles in Westminster Abbey. William launched into a joke about Richie's well known hit All Night Long, saying: 'Good evening Windsor! A huge thank you to everyone for making this such a special evening. 'I want to say a few words about my father, and why I believe this weekend is so important. 'But don't worry, unlike Lionel, I won't go on all night long.' King Charles and Prince William seen in the Royal box during the Coronation concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle Prince William pictured paying a touching tribute to his father King Charles at tonight's Coronation concert King Charles, Queen Camilla and the royals go wild to Lionel Richie's All Night Long with the Monarchs leading the way Prince William gave a moving tribute to his father the King, mentioning the Queen and saying she would be 'very proud' of her son. He also cracked a joke about not talking 'all night long' - after the family danced to Lionel Speaking of the late Queen, he said: 'As my grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future. 'And I know she's up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. And she would be a very proud mother. 'For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message. Service.' He described how his father's first words on entering Westminster Abbey for his coronation - when he responded to the official greeting by a young chorister - were a pledge of service. 'It was a pledge to continue to serve,' William said. 'Because for over 50 years, in every corner of the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world, he has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected.' He praised the King's take on the natural world, saying: 'He warned us of the risks to our planet's health long before it was an everyday issue.' Lionel Richie and Katy Perry got the crowd, and the Windsors, going wild as they played their hits tonight Lionel Richie performed on stage in a performance the royals loved, and even left their seats to dance to Prince George with his father the Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty point and laugh at the show Charles enjoys the cheers from the crowd as Camilla, William, George, Charlotte and Kate also stand And heralded his establishment of the Prince's Trust, adding: 'It has supported over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to realise their ambitions.' William continued: 'Perhaps most importantly of all, my father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported.' While William highlighted Charles's support of diversity, the Duke of Sussex claimed in his Netflix documentary at the start of the year that there was a 'huge level of unconscious bias' in the royal family. In 2021, the Windsors faced accusations of racism following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Oprah Winfrey interview. While William highlighted Charles's support of diversity, the Duke of Sussex claimed in his Netflix documentary at the start of the year that there was a 'huge level of unconscious bias' in the royal family By publicly calling Charles 'Pa' and expressing the royal family's pride in him, he echoed the speeches his father gave at the late Queen's successive Jubilee concerts Meghan, the first mixed race person to marry a senior royal for centuries, told Oprah that an unnamed royal expressed concerns with Harry about how dark their son's skin might be before he was born. More than 20 members of the royal family watched from the royal box as William delivered his speech. Harry and Meghan were thousands of miles away in the US. The duke headed straight back after the coronation ceremony to celebrate his son Prince Archie's fourth birthday, while Meghan stayed in California rather than attending the service. In his final comments, William told Charles: 'Pa, we are all so proud of you. 'I also want to express my pride and gratitude for the millions of people who serve, in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities. 'I wish I could mention you all. Your service inspires us. And tonight we celebrate you too. 'I commit myself to serve you all. King, country and Commonwealth. God save the King!' Actor Michael J Fox said last month that he feared partying too hard in the 1980s could have led to his Parkinson's disease diagnosis. The 61-year-old, who became an A-lister following the success of Back to the Future in 1985, said he believes drinking and other 'chemicals' may have increased his chance of developing the disease. Last year, actor and old friend Woody Harrelson presented Fox with an honorary Oscar. Harrelson said about his friend that 'we did some damage.' Though never proven that was the cause, research suggests that a number of recreational drugs can result in symptoms similar to Parkinson's. Michael J Fox (pictured) told CBS Sunday Morning that his poor habits and environmental exposures in the 1980s could be responsible for his Parkinson's diagnosis The above drugs and chemicals found in common goods have been long tied to the degenerative brain disorder Parkinson's is caused by the death of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra deep in the organ near the brain stem which are responsible for producing dopamine. Dopamine is a vital chemical that acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous systems that help control and coordinated body movements. The lack of dopamine causes symptoms such as tremors, slow movements, muscle stiffness, impaired balance, speech changes, and writing changes. Though researchers are still working to identify direct causes of Parkinson's, there are several factors that can increase the chance of developing the condition. 'There's so many ways that you can, that I could've hurt myself. I could've hit my head. I could've drank too much at a certain developmental period. Most likely I think is, that I was exposed to some kind of chemical,' Fox told CBS Sunday Morning last month. Drugs like cocaine, meth, and MDMA affect similar areas of the brain that are impacted by Parkinson's. There is no suggestion that Fox did any of those drugs, but he has spoken in the past about alcohol and prescription pill addiction after receiving his diagnosis in 1991, when he was just 29 years old. In 1998, he made his struggle with the disease public, shocking the world as it disrupted his bright acting career. Exposure to drugs and other environmental toxins, such as chemicals, have been associated with several cases of Parkinson's: Illicit Drugs Illegal drugs have been shown to influence the production of dopamine. A lack of dopamine can cause the symptoms of Parkinson's, including tremors, slow movements, and muscle stiffness. Cocaine, for example, has been shown to impair the brain's dopamine transporter, which causes abnormal concentrations of the chemical. Research has found that adults who abuse cocaine might increase their risk of developing Parkinson's, and pregnant women who take the drug could make their children more likely to get the disease. Cocaine is a type of amphetamine, or stimulant drug meant to speed up messages between the brain and the body. Legal varieties are typically prescribed for conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy, a condition where the brain can't control the ability to sleep or stay awake. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has reported that amphetamine and methamphetamine use overall can increase the risk of developing Parkinson's. Additional research has also investigated the link. A 2018 study in the journal Neurology, for example, found an association between the two. Additionally, a 2021 study found inflammatory biomarkers that could predict the development of Parkinson's in people who had abused amphetamines. Agent Orange Agent Orange was primarily used in Vietnam from 1962 to 1975 to remove the foliage from trees. It has also caused lasting damage to veterans Though no longer produced, strong pesticide Agent Orange has been linked to Parkinson's. It has not been definitively proven to cause the disease, though the US Department of Veterans Affairs added Parkinson's to its list of conditions possibly caused by the chemical. The US military used Agent Orange to clear foliage in Vietnam from 1962 to 1975. Its main chemical is dioxin, which has been associated with other diseases such as certain cancers, hypothyroidism, heart disease, and diabetes. Military veterans are the most likely group of people today to have developed Parkinson's from exposure to Agent Orange. Trichloroethylene (TCE) Tricholoroethylene is a common additive in several household items, such as tool cleaners, wipes, aerosol sprays, and carpet cleaners Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a colorless liquid used in some household products, such as tool cleaners, wipes, aerosol sprays, paint removers, spray adhesives, and carpet cleaners. It's also used in dry cleaning and spot removers. TCE is a known human carcinogen, meaning that it increases the likelihood of developing cancer. Individuals who work directly with TCE have an increased likelihood of developing Parkinson's. In animal studies, TCE has been shown to cause selective loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells, which is a hallmark of the disease in humans. A small study found that occupational or hobby exposure to TCE was associated with a 500 percent greater risk of developing Parkinson's. Use of the substance is prohibited in New York and Minnesota. Lead Mostly found in the paint of old homes, lead has been linked to a variety of lasting health effects. The chemical was once believed to be safe, and used in paint and other products in many homes. But, research emerged in recent decades linking it to a multitude of health problems. It can especially be harmful to a young child whose brain is still developing. Side effects of prolonged exposure in adults include reproductive problems, high blood pressure, hypertension, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A 2021 study from the University of California Los Angeles found a link between lead exposure and Parkinson's by examining long-term exposure to the toxin on changes in DNA. Additionally, a 1997 report in the journal Neurology found that more than 20 years of occupational exposure to lead plus copper or lead plus iron increased the risk of developing Parkinson's. Trichloroethylene (TCE) Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a colorless liquid used in some household products, such as tool cleaners, wipes, aerosol sprays, paint removers, spray adhesives, and carpet cleaners. It's also used in dry cleaning and spot removers. TCE is a known human carcinogen, meaning that it increases the likelihood of developing cancer. Individuals who work directly with TCE have an increased likelihood of developing Parkinson's. In animal studies, TCE has been shown to cause selective loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells, which is a hallmark of the disease in humans. A small study found that occupational or hobby exposure to TCE was associated with a 500 percent greater risk of developing Parkinson's. Use of the substance is prohibited in New York and Minnesota. Paraquat Paraquat is a toxic herbicide, or plant killer, used for weed and grass control. Though widely used in the US, it is banned in 32 countries, including the European Union and China. It was re-approved for use in 2020 by the EPA. According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, paraquat can increase the risk of Parkinson's by 100 to 500 percent. The Parkinson's Foundation has signed two letters asking the EPA to cancel paraquat's registration in the US. Last December, the EPA agreed to reevaluate the data surrounding the chemical. The EPA has designated paraquat as 'restricted use,' meaning that only people who are licensed can use it. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Scam: The Upvehicle site is backed by Quotient Int whose fake address is above a Dublin shop S.W. writes: After reading your recent article about Car Rate's valuation scam, I am sending you a copy of an email I received from another scam merchant's website, upvehicle.co.uk. I did not realise any payment was due, and now they are demanding money and adding a fine. Tony Hetherington replies: It is no coincidence that Upvehicle and Car Rate are operating the same scam. This is not some back-bedroom online rip-off. It is an organised international fraud. Car owners are invited to give their vehicle registration number and get a valuation. What they don't see unless they scroll down the website is small print that says they will be charged 99 for this service, which many motoring websites offer for free. The email you have received threatens that if you do not pay, Upvehicle will add penalties and call in debt collectors. My advice: don't pay. Call their bluff. They will never take you to court, because if they do, they will be exposed as crooks. And you can call me as a defence witness. Behind both Car Rate and Upvehicle is just one company, Quotient Int Limited. My enquiries show it was registered in the Republic of Ireland in May last year by a woman who gave her name as Irma Rangkuti and an address in Polegate in East Sussex. The name may be false or a case of impersonation. The address belongs to a company formation agency called I-Support-Business. The company's Nic Carnell told me he does not know Ms Rangkuti, adding: 'All our clients must provide proof of identity before they can use our address. 'Our address is being used without our approval.' Upvehicle's website gives an address above a shop in Lucan, on the outskirts of Dublin, but there is no trace of the business there. Much of the address is occupied by a tattoo parlour called Guns N' Tattoos which has no connection to Upvehicle or its owner Quotient Int. Quotient has also used two addresses in London, but is not at either of them. I have passed The Mail on Sunday's evidence on to the Corporate Enforcement Authority, the Irish government agency which investigates false details provided by anyone setting up or running a company in the Republic. Meanwhile, car owners in Finland have also been ripped off by yet another website. Consumer protection officials in Helsinki say: 'This service, Autoarviointi.fi, is operated by a company called Quotient Int Ltd, which states that it is located in Ireland. Its invoicing details, on the other hand, are in Belgium.' More evidence of international organised crime. So where is Quotient really based? Following the money provides clues pointing towards Lithuania. But wherever the crooks are, nobody should pay them a penny, let alone 99. Unisys pension stalls A.P. writes: I have a pension with Unisys of 119 a month. This is a multi-million pound company which last year announced a profit increase of 77 per cent, but it has refused me even a cost-of-living pension rise for the past ten years. My wife has a pension with Unisys as well, but she gets increases. They have given no reason for failing to pay an increase. Scrutiny: Unisys has refused A.P. even a cost-of-living pension rise for the past ten years Tony Hetherington replies: Unisys is an American-owned multinational technology giant, with about 16,000 employees and annual revenue of almost 2billion. Your pension is administered by a UK company, Mercer, which issued an unhelpful seven-page document aimed at professional financial advisers. This was still better than the response from Unisys itself. It simply refused to comment. When your wife worked for Unisys, the rules were different. According to Mercer, the rules of the pension scheme at the time you worked for Unisys were that increases were only applied at the discretion of the pension fund trustees. And every year for the past decade, Mercer says, the Unisys trustees have decided not to exercise that discretion in favour of you or any other retired employee whose pension falls under the same rules. Current employees might like to check the small print in their own Unisys pension cover. WE'RE WATCHING YOU Two months ago I reported how a reader Mr M had been electrocuted while carrying out a simple DIY task in his home, even though he had turned off the power. He later found Scottish Power had sent a contractor to install a smart meter for a neighbour in his block of flats. The contractor had wrongly connected the meter to Mr M's supply, leaving it in 'hot neutral reversed', which meant the supply was live even when switched off. Mr M was lucky to survive. But his flat was without power and he lost two days of work. He even had to pay to have the electricity reconnected. He appealed to Ombudsman Services, the private company which is paid by Scottish Power to referee complaints. It described the whole affair as just a 'shortfall in service', and recommended Scottish Power offer a 'goodwill payment' of 100. Mr M was told that if he expected anything more, he would have to sue the contractor, but Ombudsman Services and Scottish Power could not even name the right firm. Well, the right firm is now known to be Lowri Beck. And when I approached it, Lowri Beck told me neither the Ombudsman nor Scottish Power had been in touch about the affair until just before The Mail on Sunday published its report. The firm says it has installed meters safely all over the country. A spokesman told me: 'Lowri Beck has communicated with the customer and addressed the issues, and the customer has been compensated accordingly.' Mr M has accepted 720 and called on Lowri Beck to review the meters it has installed. He told me without the MoS's pressure, 'I would not have had any semblance of a satisfactory outcome.' If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. An extraordinary $5 billion extra will need to be found in the federal Budget to pay for vital every-day services 'deliberately underfunded' by the previous government. It can be revealed a myriad of essential programs and services - everything from public dental and mental health projects to the popular MyGov app and storage of Australia's radioactive waste - do not have funding beyond 2023. According to Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, these funding shortfalls or 'booby traps' were left by ex-PM Scott Morrison in the hope they would blow up on the incoming Albanese Government. 'It's taken us some time to uncover them because programs are ending on the 30th of June this year or next year,' she said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'And we've worked through that, but there's no doubt they were booby trapped.' The $5billion in extra funds that will need to be found in the Tuesday Budget comes on top of the $4.1 billion in gaps plugged in the October mini-budget after Anthony Albanese's Labor government took over after the May federal election. Mental health programs, funding for eating disorder treatment, monitoring of high-risk terror offenders and continuation of a national domestic violence agreement are particular areas of concern. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said Labor has discovered $5 billion worth of programs and services that the Coalition had no plans to fund The first full budget for this government will be announced on May 9. 'We are cleaning up the Liberals' budget mess in a methodical, responsible and transparent way,' Senator Gallagher said. 'For example, there was no money in the budget for the agency responsible for safely storing and disposing of Australia's radioactive waste, and there was a significant drop-off in funding to keep women and children safe online. 'This was put simply a political strategy to dress up their pre-election budget bottom line and try to trick Australians into voting for them again.' In the October mini-budget, Labor were able to claw back about $22 billion, but they're not anticipating such a high figure this time around. Daily Mail Australia takes a closer look at the initiatives Labor says were 'booby trapped' and not properly costed before they came to power. Climate and Environment Australian Institute of Marine Science The Australian Institute of Marine Science has already been guaranteed $163.4 million worth of funding in the upcoming budget. It comes after Labor learned it was one of many projects teetering on a 'funding cliff' due to run out this year. Parts of the building were unusable due to mould infestations and rotting air conditioning units. AIMS CEO Dr Paul Hardisty said the four-year funding commitment would be 'transformational'. 'The funding is a vote of confidence in AIMS to continue our mission to provide the knowledge which will result in the better management, protection and sustainable development of Australia's tropical oceans,' he said. 'With the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs globally facing enormous pressures driven by increasing temperatures under climate change, this investment in marine science is more important than ever.' Australian Radioactive Waste Agency The agency is one of the 'zombie measures' in which funding was not taken into account beyond this year, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said. Senator Gallagher said there was actually no money at all in the budget for the agency, despite its responsibility to safely store and dispose of Australia's radioactive waste. Senator Gallagher said there was actually no money at all in the budget for the agency, despite its responsibility to safely store and dispose of Australia's radioactive waste Technology There are several agencies and services named as being 'booby trapped' by the former government. Senator Gallagher drew attention specifically to the MyGov app - used by 25 million Australians. She said that despite the fact people use it all the time, there was not enough allocated funding to ensure it remained operational in the same way that it currently is. In addition to the MyGov app, these services also require repair during the May budget: Digital Health Agency Funding mechanism for AusCheck Global Service Centre MyHealth Record Office of the eSafety Commissioner Senator Gallagher drew attention specifically to the MyGov app - used by 25 million Australians. She said that despite the fact people use it all the time, there was not enough allocated funding to ensure it remained operational in the same way that it currently is Health and Mental Health A range of mental health services were also not considered in the last Coalition budget, Senator Gallagher said. But she pointed out the programs that would have been impacted are heavily relied on by the public. They're services that are already established and in place, and any reduction in them could come at a great cost to the community. Senator Gallagher claimed the Budget was 'booby trapped' by Scott Morrison on his way out These are the services identified by the Labor government that they believe were 'booby trapped': Child and young mental health programs Continuity of Psychosocial Support for People with Mental Illness Eating disorders funding Public Dental Similarly, Senator Gallagher is aware of cuts to funding for public dental. In a submission made to the Treasury by the Australian Dental Association, it was revealed that 68,000 potentially preventable hospitalisations occur each year as a result of dental conditions nationwide. In a submission made to the Treasury by the Australian Dental Association, it was revealed that 68,000 potentially preventable hospitalisations occur each year as a result of dental conditions nationwide National Security High Risk Terrorist Offenders This bill was established in 2021 to implement an extended supervision order scheme for high risk terror offenders in the Australian community. It allows tailored close supervision of offenders based on the threat they pose to the community, and an achievement the Coalition described as crucial back in 2021. But Senator Gallagher said her party realised it was not sufficiently funded beyond this year, despite being touted as a pillar of protecting Australian national security. Education Boarding for Rural and Remote Students The National Indigenous Australians Agency revealed the government intends to extend funding for the Indigenous Boarding Providers grants program for an additional 12 months to help support higher school attendance and retention rates. The department revealed $21.6 million in funding for the 2023-2024 year. This was identified as another 'budget booby trap' left behind by the last government, Senator Gallagher said. The National Indigenous Australians Agency revealed the government intends to extend funding for the Indigenous Boarding Providers grants program for an additional 12 months to help support higher school attendance and retention rates Culture Department of Veterans Affairs Senator Gallagher said Labor has had to look long and hard at the Department of Veteran Affairs after it became clear there was significant underinvestment taking place. 'We're seeing long waiting lists for services to veterans,' she said, highlighting it as one of many problems unearthed in the previous government's budget. Senator Gallagher said Labor has had to look long and hard at the Department of Veteran Affairs after it became clear there was significant underinvestment taking place National Library of Australia Trove The government has already assured the National Library of Australia of $33 million worth of funding over the next four years. The NLA runs a digital archive, Trove, which holds billions of resources accessible to the public. Arts Minister Tony Burke said it was crucial the NLA was given a just amount in the budget, after what he described as years of 'culture wars and budget cuts' toward the sector. 'Trove is, in many ways, Australia's digital memory: It records and retains some of our most important stories, moments, challenges, controversies and successes in one accessible location,' he said. 'Whether you're using it to look up a bit of family history, or for academic research, Trove is an incredibly important part of our national cultural institutions.' The government has already assured the National Library of Australia of $33 million worth of funding over the next four years Domestic Violence Family and Domestic Violence National Partnership Agreement The Federal Government launched a national partnership with the states and territories to support domestic, family and sexual violence initiatives. However, the agreement was only funded through to 2023. The Labor government have identified this as an initiative which will require continued funding to ensure the safety of these communities. Family Violence Prevention Legal Service Providers This service was established in 2012 and has been provided ongoing funding. Further funding was not sufficiently accounted for in the previous budget. Again, this is a service that Labor has determined does not currently have enough funding to continue running in a satisfactory manner. A former government adviser on race relations today slammed London mayor Sadiq Khan for spending taxpayers cash on a divisive review of the capital's historic statues. Samuel Kasumu, who wants to be the Tory candidate to run against Mr Khan in the mayoral election next year, said the move was 'virtue signalling' and distracted from more important work. Mr Khan set up the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm in 2020 to make sure 'the capital's landmarks suitably reflect London's achievements and diversity' in the wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement. It has a remit to look at murals, street art, street names, statues and other memorials and in February announced it was spending 500,000 on 28 projects across the city. But Mr Kasumu, who worked on the campaign to get a monument to the Windrush generation installed at Waterloo station, said: 'In principle I have no issue with new monuments to commemorate the contributions of past and present figures, particularly those from communities that reflect London's diversity. It is to be encouraged. '(But) it is a distraction from more important issues including the cost-of-living crisis and improving trust and confidence in our police. This subject is not a priority for me and shouldn't be for the mayor either.' Mr Khan set up the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm in 2020 to make sure 'the capital's landmarks suitably reflect London's achievements and diversity' in the wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Samuel Kasumu, who wants to be the Tory candidate to run against Mr Khan in the mayoral election next year, said the move was 'virtue signalling' and distracted from more important work. Mr Kasumu worked for Boris Johnson until resigning in 2021 and says he played a role in getting a Windrush memorial at Waterloo Mr Kasumu was a special adviser to the Prime Minister on civil society until April 2021. The stepped down when a Government-backed review said Britain is no longer a country where the 'system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities'. He later said some Conservatives believe the path to victory at the next election includes exploiting division and warned a 'culture war' will lead to murder on Britain's streets. He is currently a councillor on Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in Hertfordshire. He is originally from Barnet and studied business and management accounting at Brunel University - where he was student president. He graduated with a 2:1 and later received a postgraduate degree in Ethnicity, Migration, & Policy from Birkbeck, University of London. He has picked up the backing of a string of serving and former ministers including Energy Secretary Grant Shapps, Northern Ireland Office minister Steve Baker and former home secretary Priti Patel. As part of his campaign to be chosen as the Tory candidate for London mayor he has said he would allow outer boroughs to hold referenda on Sadiq Khan's ULEZ tax on vehicles. He has also stood up to the government over its Rwanda migrant deportation scheme. Asked by Talk TV last month whether he backed the Rwanda scheme signed by Mrs Patel, he said: 'If I was Home Secretary I'd be very uncomfortable with it.' 'I am the son of an immigrant as you mentioned earlier. London is the city where 37 per cent of the population were not born in this country. So if I want to be Mayor of London, I have to be one that is completely comfortable with the idea of immigration.' On February 26, 2020 two days after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine Russian Spetsnaz units hatched a plan to hunt down and assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials. The plot was long in the making. At least one of the units said to be made up of personnel from Russia's near-mythical 'Zaslon' unit - was already deeply embedded within Kyiv before the invasion, disguised as civilians and Ukrainian soldiers. A further 400 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group were reported to have arrived in the city by late February 2022, while Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov had also been ordered to send his own forces to eliminate Ukrainian leadership. Other Spetsnaz troops parachuted into regions around the Ukrainian capital, and gun battles broke out on the streets of the city, moving closer to the presidential palace that had hurriedly been turned into a fortress in anticipation of the invasion. The exact details of what happened over the days that followed are foggy, as is the nature of special operations, but what is known is that Ukraine's own Special Operations Forces (SOF) units sprang into action as Kyiv came under attack. This photograph taken on Feb. 27, 2022 shows a Russian Armoured personnel carrier burning next to unidentified soldier's body during fight with the Ukrainian armed forces in Kharkiv On March 2, they ambushed and destroyed a Russian convoy carrying elite Chechen fighters under the National Guard of Russia, killing several reportedly including the unit's commander - General Magomed Tushayev, although this has been disputed. Ultimately, Ukraine's forces successfully repelled the attempt on the presidential palace and, a month later, Russian forces pulled back entirely from Kyiv. Zelensky and his family who refused offers from Britain and the US to be evacuated, opting to stay in Kyiv - were not captured or killed, and he has gone on to become a vital wartime leader for his embattled country. But there's a high chance that the outcome would have been vastly different had Ukraine's special forces failed, and the Russian assassins prevailed. Since then, the two countries' Spetsnaz units have been heavily involved in the on-going 14-month conflict, but in vastly different ways. Here, as Ukraine prepares to launch its next counteroffensive against Russia, MailOnline looks at how the paths of their respective Special Operations Forces diverged from the initial clash in the capital... Ukraine Special Operations Forces (SOF) vs Russian Spetsnaz Both Ukrainian and Russian commando units share their roots in the Soviet Union. Known as Spetsnaz, which historically referred to the Soviet Union's Spetsnaz GRU, the units made up the covert operations branch of the military intelligence service and other security services before the union broke up. Because Spetsnaz is a Russian word, it typically refers to Russia's special forces, but with the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, other post-soviet states also inherited their special forces from the now-defunct Soviet security agencies. As is the case with other military hardware such as tanks, fighter jets and aircraft, Russian and Ukrainian Spetsnaz have also been known to use much of the same equipment - such as various models of AK-74s and Glock sidearms. However, the influx of western weaponry into the Ukrainian military - particularly over the last two years, while Russia has advanced its weaponry from the Soviet era - has meant their equipment has diverged. Differences in how Ukraine and Russian special forces operate have also emerged over the course of the on-going conflict. Ukraine's highly-trained elite units - modelled on western special forces such as Britain's SAS - are limited in number, and so have been deployed in a more conventional and precise way. Pictured: Top-line details on Ukraine's Alpha Team (left) - a special forces unit within the Security Service of Ukraine - and Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) (right) Pictured: Top-line details on Russia's Special Operations Forces (SOF) (left) and the Wagner mercenary group (right) This has seen them working behind enemy lines to disrupt Russian war efforts, destroy key targets, and organise resistance movements in occupied territories. Videos of Ukraine's forces on the battlefield have shown them using drones (either to drop munitions or guide missiles to their targets) and weapons such as the hand-held Javelin missile launcher to destroy high value targets. Other footage from the Bakhmut battleground has shown Ukrainian snipers using thermal imaging to pick off advancing Russian troops hell-bent on seizing the city. In Russia's case, many of the units classed by Moscow as 'special forces' are often only defined by their superior equipment (and in some cases not even that). These so-called special forces have been used for reconnaissance missions, with recent reports placing them in ground assaults alongside regular troops. According to Alexander Lord, a strategic analyst at Sibylline: 'The organisation the Spetsnaz is not directly comparable to the Western concept of 'special forces', and they have frequently been used in ways that would be totally alien to the West.' And according to a recent slew of leaked US intelligence documents, Moscow has suffered devastating losses to its so-called 'elite' units as a result. That being said, Russia does boast true special forces units of their own. Known as Russia's Special Operations Forces (SOF), they are independent from the Russian army. While information around their activities in Ukraine since the 2022 invasion remains murky, they are known to have been involved in missions related to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and during the Syrian Civil War. However, Russia threw many of its best forces into its brazen attempt to capture Kyiv, resulting in heavy casualties. Its doomed assault on Antonov Airport in the first weeks, for example, was deemed a massive failure by Russia's so called 'elite' units. Alpha Group Slightly more is known about the activities of Ukrainian special operations since Russian forces illegally crossed the border on February 24, 2022. There are several military units within Ukraine's own Special Operations Forces, with three being involved in land warfare: The 3rd Special Purpose Regiment, the 8th Special Purpose Regiment and the 140th Special Operations Forces Centre. The 140th is considered the most elite among them, with the unit in 2019 becoming certified as a special ops unit that can be involved in the NATO Response Force, the first from a non-NATO-member state. Meanwhile, the Security Service of Ukraine - Ukraine's law enforcement authority and main intelligence and security agency - also has its own special forces unit known as the 'Alpha Group' which was integral to the defence of Kyiv. The Alpha Group in particular has been visible at key points of the conflict. Pictured: Two Alpha Group personnel are seen during training exercises (file photo) It is understood that the ambush on the Chechen convoy was carried out by the unit, meaning its soldiers were engaged in fighting from the very first days of the war. The Ukrainian side claimed to have destroyed 56 tanks in the convoy and to have killed hundreds of Chechen fighters in the Battle of Hostomel. In addition to the ambush, the unit was reported to have played a key role in repelling a 40-mile convoy advancing on Kyiv. The world watched in horror as satellite images showed hundreds - if not thousands - of Russian armoured vehicles rolled towards the capital, waiting for the seemingly inevitable mass siege and fall of Ukraine's capital city. But then the convoy stalled, and reports from the frontlines brought news of sabotage missions being carried out by a combination of artillery strikes, drones, mines and Ukrainian commandos. Alpha Group has been linked to a number of ambushes in the effort to stop the convoy, reportedly targeting vehicles at the front and the rear of the massive armoured column in order to halt the progress of the other vehicles. Videos in the opening phases of the war showed artillery strikes bombarding Russian tanks, but also javelin missiles - fired by hand-held launchers - striking and blowing up Moscow's heavy armour. Soldiers armed with the western anti-tank weapons were able to sneak up on Russian armour, fire their deadly missiles with pinpoint accuracy, and slip away into the dark. Russian troops in the column struggled for food and fuel as the supply line was disrupted, while the constant fear of attack made sleep difficult. As a result, morale among the Russian soldiers in the column fell. The stalled column became emblematic of Russia's early failures in relying on slow-moving soviet-era tactics. By contrast, Ukraine's more mobile special units equipped with modern tech - such as Alpha Group - wreaked havoc on the Russian army. After a month of being bogged down in thick mud and making little to no progress into the capital, the convoy was forced to pull back, along with all Russian forces in the Kyiv region, marking an embarrassing defeat for Vladimir Putin. Pictured: A group of soldiers from Ukraine's Alpha Group pose in the summer of 2022, after liberating Kupiansk during the Kharkiv counteroffensive Pictured: Alpha Group soldiers pose with a Other Alpha Group fighters were also engaged in the doomed defence of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city just 20 miles from the Russian border. The city was lost within days on account of it being so close to Russia, and a brutal Russian occupation gripped the city. But soon after Russian forces pulled back from Kyiv, Ukraine launched a lightning double-pronged counterattack in the north and south of the country, and Kharkiv was later liberated from Putin's occupying forces. In the north, Russia ceded thousands of miles of territory as Kyiv's forces pushed forward, led by Alpha Group fighters and other special forces units. The elite unit spearheaded Ukraine's efforts to liberate north-east regions of Ukraine, and were pictured by road signs for towns such as Kupiansk - surprising many commentators at how deep they were inside Russian-controlled territory. But it was Russian territory no-longer, and thanks to their efforts, the north-eastern town and many others in the region were rid of the Russian occupiers. Ukraine SOF While the exact operational details of missions carried out by Ukraine's special forces are unlikely to become public any time soon, if ever, the fingerprints of elite units have been all over suspicious and dramatic attacks since the war began. Some such attacks have reached deep over the frontlines into Russian-seized territory, and even Russia itself, prompting speculation of special forces involvement. One example was a huge blast in October 2022 that ripped a hole in the Kerch Bridge, the huge crossing linking Russia to annexed Crimea. Members of Ukrainian special forces engage in zeroing their weapons prior to a mission in the region of Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 6, 2023 The attack was an embarrassing blow for Putin. The bridge - hated by Ukrainians - had been a key project for the despot, and he even personally opened it in 2018. It was also a key supply route for Russian forces in the south of Ukraine. While Ukraine had said the bridge and other sites in Crimea were valid targets for their military, a strike on a target that far away from Ukraine-controlled territory had previously been unthinkable. But on October 8, a fire broke out on the bridge resulting in an explosion. A span of the bridge collapsed into the water below, while the railway bridge was also significantly damaged. Five people were killed. To add to Putin's misery, the explosion struck the day after his 70th birthday and one week after he announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia - none of which were under full Russian control. The attack caused uproar in Russia, and celebrations in Ukraine. Immediately, questions were being asked: Could Ukraine have done this? To this day, no one has claimed responsibility, and President Zelensky stated that Ukraine 'did not order' the attack. However, many have suspected the involvement of Ukrainian special forces. The foreign minister of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu welcomed the explosion and suggested that Ukrainian special forces were behind it. He recalled that Ukrainian authorities had for a long time been calling for an attack on the bridge. To this day, the exact circumstances of the attack remain unclear. Videos from the bridge do not conclusively show how the attack took place. Some suggested elite units may have used a remote, underwater drone, although the prevailing theory is that a truck bomb was used. But whatever the cause, the blast specifically hit a weak point of the bridge, and even ignited a train carriage carrying large fuel tanks on the adjacent bridge - showing that it was a well planned and orchestrated attack. Speaking to the BBC at the time, a former British army explosives expert said of the blast: 'This is a masterpiece of clandestine sabotage.' Pictured: Black smoke billows from a fire on the Kerch bridge that links Crimea to Russia on October 8, 2022. It is believed that Ukrainian special forces were behind the attack Another attack deep inside Russian territory - this time in Russia itself - which raised the prospect of Ukrainian SOF involvement was a December blast that destroyed two Tu-95 bombers at the Engels airbase in Russia's Saratov region. The nuclear-capable Tu-95s - also known as bears - had been used by Russia to attack Ukrainian targets with missiles launched from a great distance, and were seen as a high-value target. But again, the attack took everyone by surprise. Video from the airbase on the morning of December 5 showed a huge flash of an explosion. Three Russian personnel were killed when a fuel truck detonated. The airbase is around 300 miles east of the most eastern point of Ukraine, and even further from the most eastern point currently under Ukrainian control. This means that no artillery in Ukraine's arsenal - even the American HIMARS - have the range to strike it from inside Kyiv's territory. As a result, it is believed that the attack was carried out by a long-range drone which can be launched from 600 miles away, well within range from Ukrainian territory. However, at least one of the strikes is understood to have been made with the help of special forces close to the base, who guided the drones to their target. This was according to a Ukrainian official speaking anonymously to the New York Times. Pictured: A flash is seen from an explosion that struck the Engels-2 airbase near the Russian city of Saratov in December, leaving two long-range bombers damaged Ukrainian commandos are also believed to have been involved in the recapturing of Snake Island, a Ukrainian island located in the Black Sea. Snake Island was captured by Russian forces on the first day of Putin's invasion, when one border guard in its garrison gained near-mythic status. Moments before two Russian warships attacked the island, the crews hailed the garrison telling them to surrender. The border guard responded: 'Russian warship, go f**k yourself.' His remark went viral online and became a rallying cry across all of Ukraine - and even prompted the Ukrainian government to create a postage stamp honouring the soldiers there. From that point on, the island gained a symbolic significance, and not just for its vital tactical position, and on July 1, Ukraine was able to push Russian forces off the landmass once they were in-range of US-provided HIMARS missile systems. However, as Russia retreated, two Su-30 fighter jets bombed the island with phosphorus bombs, perhaps as a scorched-earth tactic to destroy any weapons and equipment left behind to prevent them from falling into Ukrainian hands. This led to Ukrainian military officials suspecting that Russia may have mined the island. Therefore, naval special forces units were sent in. Divers from Ukraine's SOF are understood to have approached the island underwater, checking for mines, before other forces moved in. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry Press Office on Thursday, July 7, 2022, Ukrainian soldiers install the state flag on Snake island after recapturing it from Russia Since the war began, there have been a suspicious number of assassinations of high-profile Russian officials, either in Russia itself or in occupied territory. One of the objectives of Ukraine's special forces since the war broke out has been to organise resistance movements in towns and cities captured by Russia, and these movements are suspected of being behind such attacks. A number of car bombs have been reported, in which officials - such as Russian-installed mayors - have been blown up. One high-profile attack was the assassination of Darya Dugina in Bolshie Vyazyomy, on the outskirts of Moscow, on August 20, 2022. Dugina was the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, a supporter of Vladimir Putin and a far-right political philosopher, who has been a key supporter of the invasion of Ukraine. She is understood to have shared her father's views. Dugina's car exploded at around 9.45pm. Reports suggested that her father had been due to travel with her, but switched cars at the last minute. Investigators later said they found an explosive device fixed to the underside of her car. Two days after the attack, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed the Ukrainian special forces were behind the killing. Pictured: Darya Dugina, 29, was killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow in August 2022 Pictured left: Flames are seen from the car that was blown up in August 2022, killing Darya Dugina. Right: The burnt-out wreckage of her car is seen after the attack Russian SOF While Ukraine's special forces have set about covertly wreaking havoc behind enemy lines, and on Russia's early attempts to seize Kyiv, the role of Russia's Spetsnaz have - from what we know - been far less subtle or effective. According to American documents that were leaked online last month, Russia's senior commanders ordered their elite forces into direct combat in the early phases of the war- not trusting their conventional fighters to be effective on their own. As a result, the units have taken heavy losses. One of the leaked documents, seen by the Washington Post, showed before-and-after satellite imagery of a base used by the 22nd Separate Spetsnaz Brigade. The images of the base in southern Russia reveal that 'all but one of five Russian Separate Spetsnaz Brigades that returned from combat operations in Ukraine in late summer 2022 suffered significant losses,' The Post reports. The satellite images show the base in November 2021, and again a year later. The earlier image shows a well populated base full of vehicles, while the second is far more empty - which the US intel concluded shows a state of extreme depletion. The assessment says the 22nd Separate Spetsnaz Brigade as well as two other units have suffered an estimated 90 to 95 per cent attrition rate, The Post says. Russian spetsnaz officers march during the general rehearsals of the Victory Day Parade in front of the Kremlin at Red Square, on May 7, 2021 It takes four years for Russia to train a Spetsnaz soldier, according to the documents seen by the American publication, which concludes that it could take as long as a decade for Moscow to replenish its ranks of these elite units. Observers have expressed their shock over the tactic. Rob Lee, a Russia military expert and senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told The Post that by pushing special units to the front lines, Russian commanders have burned through them at an alarming rate. According to Sibylline's Alexander Lord, while the structure of Ukraine's special forces is now similar to those in the west, Russia takes a different approach. 'Russia's Spetsnaz 'special designation' forces have a particular reputation, which often leads to direct comparisons with the UK's SAS or US Delta Force special forces,' he explains to MailOnline. 'However, the organisation of the Spetsnaz is not directly comparable to the Western concept of special forces.' One such difference, he says, is the fact that Russian conscripts form a 'significant contingent' of Russia's Spetsnaz units. 'The majority of Spetsnaz units are essentially good light infantry and reconnaissance forces, rather than top-tier special forces akin to the SAS,' Lord says. Therefore, Spetsnaz is not one single elite force, but instead should be viewed as 'highly diverse units that form part of a complex network of competing elite special forces, largely borne of the Kremlin's desire to avoid over reliance on a single force.' On account of different factions forming between Russia's supposed elite units, they often compete with each other for resources, or even with other Russian units such as the FSB's commando forces or the Foreign Intelligence Service's Zaslon unit. Lord says that Russia has deployed many of its elite forces, including Spetsnaz and VDV - the Russian Airborne Forces (which also suffered huge casualties in the early days of the war) - to prop up its front-line infantry. Watch: How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in seven months? 'Moscow also did this in Chechnya and Georgia, and in many instances it has led to highly wasteful deployments of some of Russia's most competent forces,' he says. Pointing to Bakhmut as an example, he said the defensive efforts there by poorly trained infantry are becoming increasingly reliant on elite VDV units. General Colonel Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of the VDV, was recently appointed deputy commander of Russian operations in Ukraine - illustrating the growing importance of the Lord says the distinction 'between Russia's elite forces are becoming increasingly meaningless' as Putin's generals become more reliant on poorly trained reservists. These, he says, are being used 'to plug personnel gaps across the full-breadth of the Russian military including its special forces.' One such example is the well respected 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, which was almost entirely wiped out in Ukraine and reconstituted with poorly trained troops. Lord says: 'This highly attritional war has seen a large proportion of Russia's well-trained units steadily wiped out and degraded, and the same has been true of its special forces.' Meanwhile, the activities of Russia's 'true' special forces units that are more akin to western units and those formed by Ukraine remain clouded in secrecy. Wagner PMC One group that has come out of the shadows since the invasion was launched is the notorious Wagner Private Military Company. The war has seen the mercenary group - seen as the de fato army of President Putin - shift from a secretive Moscow unit allegedly hired to carry out Putin's dubious activities in Syria and Africa (where Russia has military and mining interests) to a mainstream militia widely talked about in the media. And while Wagner had previously been seen as an off-the-books special forces unit doing the clandestine bidding of Putin around the world, they too have been used to prop-up ordinary Russian units as they take heavy casualties in Ukraine. The group was first known to be active in Ukraine in 2014 during Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, where they operated with Moscow's own units. Visitors wearing military camouflage stand at the entrance of the 'PMC Wagner Centre', which is associated with businessman and founder of the Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin, during the official opening of the office block during National Unity Day, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 4, 2022 They were soon deployed to the Donbas, where a conflict was raging between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian forces. There, they were able to help the Russian sympathisers destabilise local governments and take control of towns. The PMCs conducted stealth attacks, reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering and accompanied VIPs - activities that would be expected from special forces units. Later, in January 2022 and a month before Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The Times reported that 400 Wagner mercenaries were flown from the Central African Republic tasked with assassinating Ukraine's President Zelensky. The plan was for the mercenaries to take control of the government in Kyiv and lay the groundwork for Russia to install a puppet government in its place. By March 3, The Times reported that the Ukrainian leader had survived three assassination attempts - two of which were orchestrated by Wagner. The group was also accused of being responsible for war crimes in the region surrounding Kyiv, with reports of torture and executions of prisoners of war. It was also implicated in the Bucha massacre where 419 civilians were killed. However, as with Russia's other supposed 'elite' units, Wagner's role over the course of the war has shifted from attempting clandestine missions to being used as a blunt instrument to try and overwhelm Ukrainian defences. After pulling back from Kyiv, Russia refocused its efforts on capturing territory in the east of Ukraine. Moscow's armies made steady advances, but were brought to a halt around the city of Bakhmut, where fighting continues to this day. In late 2022, Wagner's leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his troops - and his troops alone - were responsible for the capture of smaller towns around the city. Around the same time, it began to emerge that Wagner had been recruiting convicts from Russian prisons to bolster its numbers. With the promise of a pardon if a recruited convict served and survived for six months, as many as 50,000 signed up. What was - a matter of months ago - seen as an elite, off the books unit capable of carrying out missions Russia's army otherwise could not, Wagner's forces instead became cannon fodder for Moscow's military. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin poses with Wagner fighters in Soledar, in a video in which he claimed his forces had seized the small town near Bakhmut Fighting for the city descended into bloodshed, with Ukrainians likening the battle for Bakhmut to a First World War 'meatgrinder' as Wagner crashed thousands of its convict troops against a wall of machine guns and artillery strikes. After months of brutal fighting, Prigozhin dramatically announced on May 5, 2023 that his forces would pull out of the city they had been trying in vain to capture since last summer. Prigozhin said they would withdraw on May 10 - ending their involvement in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war - because of heavy losses and inadequate ammunition supplies. He asked defence chiefs to insert regular army troops in their place. 'I declare on behalf of the Wagner fighters, on behalf of the Wagner command, that on May 10, 2023, we are obliged to transfer positions in the settlement of Bakhmut to units of the defence ministry and withdraw the remains of Wagner to logistics camps to lick our wounds,' Prigozhin said in a statement. 'I'm pulling Wagner units out of Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they're doomed to perish senselessly.' Earlier on Friday he appeared in a video surrounded by dozens of corpses he said were Wagner fighters, and was shown yelling and swearing at Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. 'We have a 70% shortage of ammunition. Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the ******* ammunition?' he shouted into the camera. His tirade contained a torrent of expletives that were bleeped out by his press service. What next for special forces in Ukraine? Prigozhin's announcement comes at a key juncture in the war, with Ukraine expected to launch a long-anticipated counter-offensive imminently. There have already been signs that Ukrainian special forces are once again spearheading the attack, with reports last month saying the highly-trained units had already crossed the Dnieper river, probing for weak points in Russian fortifications. Should Ukraine use the same tactics as it did in its dramatic counteroffensives last year, then we can expect to hear more whispers of Ukrainian commando units carrying out dramatic attacks behind enemy lines. Russia, meanwhile, is facing the prospect of a military force that is increasingly made up of poorly trained reservists. If it continues on the path of placing its most elite units on the frontlines, then even more are expected to die. A former Playboy Mansion butler claims the Bunnies used to ask him to take their photos because they didn't trust 'creepy people' at the mansion but insisted his controversial boss was a 'wonderful guy.' Bryant Horowitz, who is now a professor, worked for Hugh Hefner inside the notorious mansion from 1997 to 2006 and recently posted a photo on his Facebook of them shaking hands. During his nearly 20-year tenure, he experienced the wildly famous parties and said he was even asked by the Bunnies to take their photo. 'There were a couple of times when some of the girls would say something like: "Hey, I need to take photos. I don't trust some of these creepy people around here,"' he told Unilad. 'That was commonplace for us because they knew which ones they could trust, we weren't going to do anything with it.' Bryant Horowitz worked for Hugh Hefner as a butler inside Playboy Manion from 1997 to 2006 and recently posted a photo on his Facebook of them shaking hands. Hefner, who launched the first edition of Playboy in 1953, had fashioned himself as a champion of sexual freedom in a repressive post-war era Several former Playboy Bunnies have accused Heffner, who died in 2017, of sexual misconduct, including faking crying for sex and allegations that he believed he 'owned' the women. Horowitz - who teaches psychology at East Los Angeles College - insisted Heffner was not one of the 'creepy people' because his former boss was 'classy man.' 'Were there times when he put a hand on their back or a little lower just to say hi? Yes,' Horowitz told Unilad. 'I'm not going to dismiss that, it was the culture of times, but if you are thinking about people that are predatory, that was never the intent [from Hefner]. It was always with admiration and love.' The father-of-one said how Hefner presented in public was how he acted in private around his horde of women. 'Hef was as he was in interviews: he was a classy man. He respected women,' he continued. 'He was a great person. He is not the person that some of the girls have made him out to be, especially since he can't defend himself after his death. 'It makes me feel uneasy when people try to blame him for doing things that he didn't do, for dragging his name through the mud, for ruining his character. 'This whole narrative about how he pitted them against each other is completely false.' Horowitz - who got his start after another employee put in a good word for him - said Heffner was 'kind' and 'funny' as long as 'everything was going his way.' 'He just loved being surrounded by people and having a good time,' the former butler said. Horowitz, who is now a professor, said he experienced the wildly famous parties and was often asked by Bunnies to take their photo Former Playboy bunnies Holly Madison (left) and Bridget Marquardt (right) have hurled damning abuse allegation at Hefner since his death, saying he would often shed fake tears in a manipulative attempt to obtain sex The former Playboy Mansion employee began working full-time for Hefner five years into the gig and remembers the boisterous parties From the small events to the 'big ragers' known as 'Hef parties,' Horoswitz has seen it all and said it would take 'weeks' to plan the large celebrations. 'It would be anywhere from 600 to 1400 people that spent time mostly in the backyard - it would be crazy,' he said. 'The parties would start about eight o'clock. A lot of times you would have girls dressed up in nothing but body paint. 'They would be handing out Jello shots, you had anywhere from four to six full bars, lots of loud music and dancing, and the parties would go till about 3am.' Since the butlers were in charge of serving drinks and food, Horoswitz said staff 'got to see what happened behind closed doors.' Secrets of Playboy, a 10-part docuseries that premiered last year, lifted the lid on its 'dark underbelly' how venues became a seedy playground for drug use, sexual abuse, and even bestiality. The series delved into the hidden truths behind Playboy with exclusive interviews with insiders, including Hefner's ex-girlfriends Holly Madison and Sondra Theodore, as well as former 'Bunny Mother' PJ Masten. Hefner is pictured with Playmates Kendra Wilkinson, Bridget Marquardt and Holly Madison The castle-like Playboy mansion and the Playboy clubs would eventually become seedy playground for drug use, sexual abuse, and even bestiality Theodore, now 66, revealed how there was group sex at the mansion five nights a week, which 'broke me like you'd break a horse.' Hefner would also host weekly 'Pig Nights' during which he would invite a dozen 'ugly' prostitutes to have sex with his friends. VIP members of the Playboy nightclubs could do as they pleased, including revered Soul Train host Don Cornelius who allegedly held two Playboy bunnies hostage and raped one of them, according to the docuseries. Madison, a model who dated Hefner for eight years, also told how the Playboy founder refused to use protection during sex and how the Bunny lifestyle even led her to consider suicide. Horowitz defended Heffner, who died in 2017, and said most of his behavior was the result of the 'culture of the times' Bridget Marquardt, another former girlfriend of Hefner, also hurled damning allegations when she joined Marquardt last August on the third episode of their new tell-all podcast Girls Next Level. The two blondes said Hefner would often shed fake tears in a manipulative attempt to obtain sex. Madison and Marquardt were often in the spotlight as two of the magazine tycoon's main girlfriends - and their new show attempts to shed new light on their years in the infamous Playboy Mansion in the early 2000s. 'Like if we were emotional about something or asked about something, he would start fake crying,' Madison, 42, recalled to 48-year-old Marquardt. 'And it was such bad acting and so obvious.' A 11-year-old child prodigy, who has an IQ higher than Einstein, is receiving a master's degree in engineering and hopes to one day be an astronaut for NASA. Adhara Perez Sanchez, of Mexico City, grew up in the low-income neighborhood of Tlahauc and was often bullied in school for being autistic. She was diagnosed with the developmental disability at the age of three after her speech significantly regressed. She was found rocking herself in her high chair, and she began to crawl very quickly. After enduring years of apathetic teachers and bullying from her classmates, which led to her changing schools three times, Adhara began to isolate herself, her family told Marie Claire Mexico. 'The teachers were not very empathetic, they told me that I wish she would finish an assignment,' her mother, Nayeli Sanchez, told the magazine. 'She began to exclude herself, she did not want to play with her classmates, she felt strange, different. 'She could be at school for a while but then she couldn't, she fell asleep, she didn't want to do things anymore,' she continued. 'She was very depressed, people did not have empathy, they made fun of her.' She noticed her daughter had already taught herself algebra and had memorized the periodic table, but Nayeli blew it off, thinking her daughter must have been bored. Adhara Perez Sanchez, 11, of Mexico City, grew up in the low-income neighborhood of Tlahauc and was often bullied in school for being autistic, but now she is working on her master's degree in mathematics and hopes to one day work for NASA Adhara, who has an IQ of 162, endured years of apathetic teachers and bullying classmates, causing her to change schools three times To help with her daughter's depression, she enrolled her in therapy and was soon advised to send her to the Center for Attention to Talent (CEDAT), a school for gifted children. Here, her IQ was confirmed to be a mind-blowing 162 - higher than Albert Einstein and her muse Stephen Hawking, who both had an IQ of 160. She was first introduced to Hawking when she visited one of her doctors, who had an office full of artwork displaying the scientist, who is famous for his discovery that black holes emit radiation. 'He was very intelligent, he manifested with his mind and through the computer,' her doctor told her, according to Marie Claire Mexico, and so her fascination with the British physicist and space exploration was born. She finished elementary school at the age of five, according to Goalcast, then finished middle and high school a year later. After her mother found out she was depressed, she took her daughter to a therapist, who recommended she be enrolled in a gifted student program, where she went on to complete high school by the age of six The 11-year-old has also already received a bachelor's degree in systems engineering from CNCI University and is currently studying a master's program in mathematics at the Technological University of Mexico, according to Marie Claire Mexico Her IQ was confirmed to be higher than Albert Einstein and her muse Stephen Hawking, who both had an IQ of 160. The 11-year-old has also already received a bachelor's degree in systems engineering from CNCI University and is currently studying a master's program in mathematics at the Technological University of Mexico, according to Marie Claire Mexico. She hopes to one day catch the sights of NASA and dreams of exploring Mars. She is often spotted wearing gear with the space company's logo on it on her Instagram, with a broad smile on her face. 'My name is a star from the Canis Major constellation,' she said, according to Goalcast. 'Wezen is right above Adhara. Aludra is right below Adhara. 'I want to go to space and colonize Mars,' she continued. 'If you dont like where you are, imagine where you want to be. I see myself at NASA, so its worth a try.' Her post-secondary education began after her mother accidentally enrolled her in a contest she thought was for children. A teacher had advised Nayeli to send in an application for her daughter and there Adhara discovered she wanted to be an astronaut. She also appeared on the cover of Marie Claire Mexico in April. When Adhara isn't studying hard to become an astronaut, she is working with the Mexican Space Agency to help promote space exploration and mathematics to other young girls The young girl hopes to continue her education at the University of Arizona, where she can study astrophysics. The school had offered her a scholarship, but it was deferred due to visa issues. When Adhara isn't studying hard to become an astronaut, she is working with the Mexican Space Agency to help promote space exploration and mathematics to other young girls. She is also currently working toward finishing her G-tests that will allow her to man flights through an agency that has connections to NASA that supports young scientists. When she passes, she'll be around 17 and the first autistic person to fly, according to Marie Claire Mexico. A blind army veteran claims he was left 'humiliated, belittled and dehumanised' after being kicked out of a pub for having his guide dog with him. John Hardy, 66, said he stopped in for a drink at the Tynte Arms in Somerset with his seven-year-old labrador Sidney when he was immediately ordered to leave because the pub did not allow dogs. And after the veteran explained that the animal was a guide dog, he claims he was told that the pub was closed. Mr Hardy, from Bridgwater, Somerset, says he left and used special software on his phone to try and call his son Dominic to collect him. He claims that the man who ordered him out - thought to be the landlord - then approached him again and said: 'Oh, you can read that then'. The veteran, who served as an army medic in Northern Ireland and the first Gulf War, said: 'It's humiliating and belittling. I was treated like not even a second class citizen, like not even a human being, it's horrible. 'If I'd gone in the pub drunk or rowdy and they'd refused to serve me, fine. If I'd gone in with just an ordinary dog not a guide dog and they say we can't have animals then I'd accept that but Sidney is how I get around. A blind army veteran was left 'humiliated, belittled and dehumanised' and after being kicked out of a pub for having his guide dog with him John Hardy, 66, and his seven-year-old labrador Sidney had stopped in for a drink at the Tynte Arms in Somerset on the way to visit his granddaughter but was immediately ordered to leave because they don't allow dogs - after explaining it was a guide dog he was told the pub was closed John, from Bridgwater, Somerset, left and waited outside while he used special software on his phone to try and call his son Dominic to collect him, he said the man who had ordered him out - understood to be the landlord - approached him again and said 'oh, you can read that then' 'It left me with this pent-up anger and frustration inside, that just churns you up. I'm a veteran and I'm quite used to a battle and I'm not going to let somebody turn me away when I have a right to be there.' After leaving the army, Mr Hardy continued to work as a nurse until 2014 when a retinal artery occlusion - a blockage of blood to the retina - caused sudden sight loss in one eye, followed by the other. He was paired with guide dog Sidney six years ago who he credits with giving him the confidence to do everyday things others take for granted. Mr Hardy said: 'I am totally dependent on Sid for getting around. I do manage with a white stick but I'm a lot slower and more limited. Sid gives me confidence that I'm going to get around and he keeps me safe.' After leaving the army John continued to work as a nurse until 2014 when a retinal artery occlusion - a blockage of blood to the retina - caused sudden sight loss in one eye, followed by the otherPictured: John Hardy from the Gulf War, Saudi Arabia, 1991 John Hardy was working in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in 1991 Hospitality businesses are required under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to not put people with disabilities at a disadvantage, with guide dogs classed as one such adjustment When MailOnline contacted the Tynte Arms about the incident last Friday a spokesman claimed they had been closed at the time and had accidentally left the front door open - despite the pub's website saying they are open all day - but declined to give any further details Hospitality businesses are required under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to not put people with disabilities at a disadvantage, with guide dogs classed as one such adjustment. When MailOnline contacted the Tynte Arms about the incident last Friday, a spokesman claimed they had been closed at the time and had accidentally left the front door open - despite the pub's website saying they are open all day - but declined to give any further details. It is not the first time Mr Hardy claims he has been denied service because of his guide dog. Earlier this year he successfully sued Indian restaurant Bengal Spice in Somerset for 2,000 after he couldn't come in with dog Sidney because it would be 'unhygienic'. Speaking about whether he plans to pursue similar legal action against the pub, Mr Hardy said: 'I just want him to follow his responsibilities under the law. He has a responsibility to treat everybody equally. 'You can't discriminate against somebody if they're a person of colour or because of their gender or sexuality and they shouldn't be discriminating against people with a disability.' Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com Outback Wrangler Matt Wright claims a helicopter pilot was at a drug-fuelled party the night before he was involved in a crash that killed his best mate and TV co-star. Chris 'Willow' Wilson, 34, was dangling from the Robinson R44 and collecting crocodile eggs in a remote area of West Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory on February 28 last year. He died when the helicopter, flown by Sebastian Robinson and operated by Wright's company Helibrook, collided with trees and plunged to the ground. Wright, 43, was hit with seven criminal offences in relation to the crash, including attempting to pervert the course of justice, fabrication of evidence and destruction of evidence. Mr Robinson, 29, was left with severe spinal injuries and has not been charged. In April, Wright said he did not know why he was the main target of police investigations when a toxicology report found 'cocaine derivatives' in Mr Robinson's blood sample. Speaking with the Sunday Telegraph, the Netflix star claimed he recently learned Mr Robinson 'was at a party into the early hours of the day before the crash, where people were using cocaine'. Outback Wrangler Matt Wright is pictured with his wife, Kaia. He has been hit with seven criminal charges over the chopper crash Chris 'Willow' Wilson (pictured) died in the crash in west Arnhem Land while collecting crocodile eggs 'These new revelations are extremely concerning, especially given the references in court to the contents of the pilot's toxicology report,' he told the publication. Wright said the chopper 'never would have taken off' if he was aware of what the toxicology report suggested. The results of the toxicology report were revealed in Darwin Local Court in April in a letter Wright's lawyers sent a letter to prosecutors. Wright also told the newspaper on Sunday that he believes the helicopter crashed because it was not refuelled at Mt Borradaile, as planned, prior to the egg collecting mission. 'Put simply, all of my refuelling places in Darwin use blue fuel, and the fuel at the refuelling station at Mt Borradaile near the crash site was green,' Wright said. According to a preliminary report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), seen by Daily Mail Australia, investigators drained about 250ml of blue fuel from the main tank's bladder. The report also said the helicopter's engine did not have any defects that would have caused it to stop prior to the crash. 'Initial assessment indicated that the engine was stopped when the helicopter collided with the ground,' it stated. Wright told the publication: 'This makes me question whether the helicopter was refuelled at Mount Borradaile, and whether it was fuel exhaustion that caused the crash.' Mr Wilson was collecting crocodile eggs in a remote area of west Arnhem Land when the helicopter (scene pictured) he was hanging 30 metres below collided with the ground Tim Luck, who was in one of three helicopters on the mission that morning, previously told The Australian that he was '100 per cent' sure the crashed chopper was refuelled. Mr Luck said he saw Mr Wilson filling the helicopter with fuel, and that he took over and filled the aircraft's tank 'to the top'. However, Wright said Mr Luck was not trained in refuelling helicopters and was not authorised to do so. The ATSBs final report into the cause of the crash is due for release by September. Wright is yet to enter a plea, but his barrister Greg Jones previously said Wright denies any wrongdoing and intends to fight the charges. He previously told Daily Mail Australia: 'I've seen the damage drugs do to Indigenous and other communities. If I had any suspicion the externally contracted pilot had been using them, he would not have been allowed to fly. 'While not commenting on processes currently before the courts, this does also raise serious questions as to why I have been the main target of investigations, instead of the cause of the crash.' He said it was 'concerning' that police have access to that information, but have chosen to focus on his life and business. 'Nothing will bring Willow back, which will always be the worst part of this. But trying to lay blame on me is not fair or accurate,' he said. The matter will return to court on May 31. The Biden administration has approved the release of the final environmental assessment for New York City's congestion pricing plan for public comment, a key step before the project can be green-lit and finally go ahead. The Federal Highway Administration approval is a milestone in efforts to implement the plan announced in 2019 to reduce traffic and provide funding to improve mass transit by using tolls to manage traffic in central Manhattan. The approval means the New York project sponsors are cleared to put the environmental assessment and draft finding of no significant impact out for a 30-day public notice before the federal agency makes its final determination. In August, New York said drivers could face a traffic congestion charge of up to $23 a day by mid-2024, while the cost of a round trip by car from areas like Princeton, New Jersey, could be as much as $120. The toll would be applied on top of existing bridge and tunnel tolls to congestion charges. All areas south of Central Park will have a flat entry rate of $23 for all drivers President Joe Biden has approved an NYC congestion charge plan that would bill drivers $23 a day Mayor Eric Adams and City Comptroller Brad Lander applauded the announcement A study released last year projected it would reduce the number of cars entering Manhattan by 15 to 20 percent. Other major global cities such as Singapore and London already have congestion pricing policies to clamp down traffic. In New York, the city wants to charge a daily variable toll for vehicles entering or remaining within the central business district, defined as between 60th Street in midtown Manhattan and Battery Park on Manhattan's southern tip. New York, which has the most congested U.S. traffic, would become the first major U.S. city to follow London, which began a similar charge in 2003. MTA officials have said they would need almost a year to set up the new tolling infrastructure once it obtains federal approval, putting it on track to meet its current target of launching congestion pricing in the second quarter of 2024. A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul said the finding 'is a critical step that will allow our Environmental Assessment to be publicly available for anyone to read, and we will continue to work with our partners to move congestion pricing forward.' 'Governor Hochul is committed to implementing congestion pricing to reduce traffic, improve air quality, and support our public transit system,' John Lindsay, a spokesperson for Hochul, said in a statement. 'We've worked closely with partners across government and with community members over the last four years to develop a plan that will achieve these goals.' New York said drivers could face a traffic congestion charge of up to $23 a day by mid-2025 The potential congestion fees are projected to bring in $1 billion a year for MTA, which runs the city's public transit system Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy condemned the approval as 'unfair and ill-advised.' 'Everyone in the region deserves access to more reliable mass transit, but placing an unjustified financial burden on the backs of hardworking New Jersey commuters is wrong,' Murphy said in a statement. 'Simply put, it is a money grab.' New York lawmakers approved the plan in 2019, and it was originally projected to start in 2021, but the federal government under President Donald Trump did not take any action. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said on Friday that congestion pricing 'is a generational opportunity to make it easier for people to get around in, and get to, the Central Business District, by reducing traffic and funding improvements to the public transit system.' The MTA said it was grateful the Federal Highway Administration found the document met standards for legal sufficiency. One user looked ahead at the impact of such a proposal, saying 'after billions of dollars have been wasted, and a thousand broken promises later, NYC politicians will come up with a new scheme to rob taxpayers' One person kept their comments short and sweet, saying 'This is insane. Another reason I am glad to be leaving NYC!' Another Twitter user argues 'HOV lanes were a good idea,' and for NYC officials to 'Stop taxing us. I am sick of tolls, surcharges, fees, etc.' One account argues the congestion pricing would not alleviate the issue it is intended to resolve, saying instead to 'make on street parking costs parity with parking garage fees' Last year, the MTA said passenger vehicle drivers could pay between $9 and $23 to enter at peak times, while overnight tolls could be as little as $5. It would cost between $12 and $82 for trucks. A six-member Traffic Mobility Review Board will recommend a final pricing structure for the MTA board to approve. The environmental assessment found the charge would cut traffic, improve air quality, make buses more reliable and increase transit use by 1-2 percent. The toll would generate $1-$1.5 billion a year for MTA, which runs the city's public transit system and faces a financial crisis as ridership continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. The money would also support $15 billion in debt financing for mass transit improvement. A wealthy Sydney couple had such a bitter divorce that they refused to be buried next to one another. The high society pair, who were splitting an estimated $15million fortune after 21 years of marriage, could only agree on one thing when dividing their money. 'I accept that the parties do not now wish to lie beside each other for eternity,' Justice Robert Harper told the Family Court of Australia. The acrimonious couple - who cannot be named for legal reasons - could only agree on one thing: that they did not want to be buried next to one another This left the court to determine what to do with the adjoining burial plots the couple had already bought in a Sydney cemetery, The Daily Telegraph reported. Both the plots were in the husband's name so the wife suggested that he could be buried somewhere else. The husband disputed this and so the judge ordered that one of the plots be transferred into the wife's name so that the acrimonious couple could sort it out themselves. 'There was no dispute that either plot could be sold,' Justice Harper told the court. 'I will therefore order the husband to transfer one plot to the wife. Either party can then dispose of their plot thereafter as they wish.' The couple, who cannot legally be identified, married in 1983 but then separated in 2004. By 2018, their split had become so vicious that they took action against each other in the Family Court of Australia. The court heard their 'considerable' property pool was worth $15 million, including a $10million Sydney pad. The pair had to split an estimated $15million fortune, including a Sydney property worth $10million But the couple were at loggerheads over how much the house should go for if it did not meet the reserve price at auction. 'The husband proposed a regime involving a 10 per cent reduction of the selling price after the passing of each three-month period after the property is offered for sale by private treaty,' Justice Harper told the court. 'The wife proposed a form of order that the parties would, in effect, accede to recommendations of price adjustment by the selling agent,' he said. The judge took the wife's side in the argument. 'I believe that a form of orders broadly consistent with the wife's proposal is more realistic and allows a sale of the property at a price which is more reflective of the market,' he told the court. He ordered the house be listed for sale with a reserve price of $10 million and if it failed to sell it should then be listed for sale in a private treaty until sold. The Houses of Parliament were lit up in dazzling red, white and blue as part of a series of landmarks that have been illuminated in honour of King Charles III's coronation on Saturday. Shimmering against the night sky, the historic home of the UK government was lit up in the colours of the Union Jack just hours after the King was officially crowned as the reigning monarch at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony marked the first coronation of a British monarch in well over half a century, after the late Queen, who died last September, enjoyed a 70-year reign. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames, the iconic landmark - which is also known as the Palace of Westminster - attracted the attention of delighted royal fans who have flocked in their thousands to the capital for the Coronation weekend. The Houses of Parliament lie just metres from another famous landmark, Big Ben, which was also lit up in a colourful tribute to the King, intermittently changing from blue to red. The historic home of the UK government shone in the colours of the Union Jack just hours after the King was officially crowned as the reigning monarch at Westminster Abbey Saturday's ceremony marked the first coronation of a British monarch in well over half a century, after the late Queen, who died last September, enjoyed a 70-year reign Passersby enjoy looking at the illuminated Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, which have been decorated with the colours of the Union Jack The iconic landmarks will be illuminated again on Sunday night, between 8.30pm and 11pm Poignant messages and images have been projected on to the 96m tower, including pictures of the national plants of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock - as well as the words of the national anthem wrapping around the tower and the phrase, 'Happy and Glorious'. The 180-year-old building has also been illuminated with the phrase: 'Long may he reign.' The projection culminates with the Coronation emblem, designed by Sir Jony Ive, a British product designer and chancellor of the Royal College of Art. The projections snaked on to the Elizabeth Tower, with the flowers and plants blooming on the side of the historic landmark, reflecting the King's love of nature and the environment. When the invitations for the ceremony were sent out last month, they were adorned with images of flowers, birds, insects and the Green Man - while the royal couple's thrones were re-used rather than made new, as would be customary. Poignant messages and images have been projected on to the 96m tower, including the words of the national anthem wrapping around the tower and the phrase, 'Happy and Glorious' During Saturday's ceremony, an ornate, three-sided screen shielding Charles as he was anointed King depicted a tree with 56 leaves representing the Commonwealth nations. Other London landmarks that have been lit up over the weekend to mark the King's coronation include Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Guildhall and Mansion House. The colourful displays will continue into Sunday night, from 8pm until midnight, to coincide with the BBCs Lighting Up The Nation event, as part of the Coronation Concert. Among those taking part are towns, cities and regions of Blackpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Gateshead, Cornwall and Belfast. A choreographed lighting display will envelope Blackpools well-known seafront attractions, while Sheffield Town Hall will showcase a spectacular light-up moment for a community gathering in the Peace Gardens. Newcastles Tyne Bridge and Gatesheads Millennium Bridge will be lit up creating beautiful reflections in the water in front of an audience gathered on Baltic Square at Gateshead Quayside. A memorable light show will be created in Belfast, while in Edinburgh, a public event will take place in Princes Street Gardens. A spectacular drone show will be brought to Cornwall at the Eden Project to light up the sky, while the Biomes turn multicoloured for viewers at home and an audience of specially invited guests from the local volunteer community. Meanwhile in Cardiff, a display of drones will illuminate the night sky above the Wales Millennium Centre. Californias reparations task force has approved recommendations which could give black residents $1.2million each as compensation for slavery and discrimination. The nine-member committee voted Saturday to approve proposals on how the state can compensate and apologize for generations of harm caused by discriminatory policies. A black resident in California who has lived in the state their whole life until the age of 71 could receive more than $1.2million in compensation, if the recommendations are forged into law. But residents who attended the official meeting in Oakland hit out at the estimated costs of reparations, which some believe it is 'nowhere near enough,' demanding $200million direct cash payments to individuals instead. California became the first state to form a reparations task force in September 2020 following national protests over the death of George Floyd who was killed by a white Minneapolis Police officer. Californias reparations task force has approved recommendations which could give black residents $1.2million each as compensation for slavery and discrimination Residents, including Reverend Tony Pierce, believe it is 'nowhere near enough' and demanded $200million as some called it a 'further injustice' and others called for direct cash payments Its final report is to be sent to lawmakers before July 1 where it will forecast compensation estimates calculated by several economists the group is working with. The amount these reparations would cost the state were not outlined in the report but previous calculations from economists predicted it could cost around $800billion- more than twice Californias approximate $300 billion annual budget. The report suggests that the amounts, based on what has been lost to specific types of racial discrimination, should be paid back to black residents. This includes $2,352 lost per person per year for the over-policing and mass incarceration of black communities and $3,366 per person per year of residence between 1933 and 1977 for 'discriminatory lending and zoning'. And $13,619 per person per year of residence in California for 'injustices and discrimination in health' and $77,000 per person for black-owned business losses and devaluations is included in the figure. This means a lifelong black California resident aged at least 71 could receive more than $1.2million in compensation. But the 100 residents and activists who gathered at the meeting were not impressed with the calculations in the report. Reverend Tony Pierce aired his frustration and pointed to the country's 'broken promise' to offer 40 acres and a mule to newly freed slaves. He said: 'You know that the numbers should be equivocal to what an acre was back then. We were given 40, OK? We were given 40 acres. 'You know what that number is. You keep trying to talk about now, yet you research back to slavery and you say nothing about slavery, nothing. 'So, the equivocal number from the 1860s for 40 acres to today is $200 million for each and every African-American.' He then hit out at the panel for not being ambitious enough with the reparations plan. 'You're not supposed to be afraid,' he added. 'You're just supposed to tell the truth. You're not supposed to be the gatekeepers. You're supposed to say what the people want and hear from the people.' Reverend Tony Pierce aired his frustration and pointed to the country's 'broken promise' to offer 40 acres and a mule to newly freed slaves He hit out at the panel for not being ambitious enough with the reparations plan Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer (left), who sits on the panel, said the recommendation of an apology letter from the state of California is one of the most important. State Sen. Steven Bradford is pictured on the right While one woman said: '$1.2million is nowhere near enough. It should be starting at least $5million like San Francisco. 'We want direct cash payments just like how the stimulus [checks] were sent out. It's our inheritance, and we can handle it.' And another resident added: 'This million dollars we're hearing on the news is just inadequate and a further injustice if that's what this task force is going to recommend for Black Americans for 400-plus years and continuing of slavery and injustice that we have been forced to endure. 'To even throw a million dollars at us is just an injustice.' And Elaine Brown, former Black Panther Party chairwoman, urged people to express their frustrations through demonstrations. The report insisted the figures are just estimates and that lawmakers would have to conduct additional research to work out the specifics. Panel members recommended direct payments for those eligible in the report. The initial down payment is the beginning of a process of addressing historical injustices not the end of it, it read. The reparations task force has also asked for those eligible to receive cash 'down payments' as soon as any recommendations are forged into law while they wait for the amount of compensation they are entitled to is calculated. The task force, made up of elected officials, academics and lawyers, decided on the eligibility criteria last year. It determined that any descendant of enslaved African Americans or of a free Black person living in the United States prior to the end of the 19th century should be entitled to reparations. If legislation is passed for the payments, the committee suggested that a state agency be created to process claims and make payments with elderly black residents being the priority. Around 1.8 million people in California identify as black or African American. Cheryl Grills, a member of the task force, said the actual amount that the state pays out is the 'least important' aspect of the program Kamilah Moore, a reparatory justice scholar and an attorney, chaired the task force and previously stated she plans to be as 'radical as possible' when it comes to deciding who will receive reparations and how much The final report is to be sent to lawmakers before July 1 where it will forecast compensation estimates calculated by several economists the group is working with While voting on its final report, the panel also recommended that state legislators formally apologize to its black residents. A preliminary report published last year highlighted how enslaved black people were sent to California during the Gold Rush era. And in the 1950s and 60s racially restrictive covenants and redlining segregated them in many of California's largest cities. A point of confusion in the discourse on reparations has been whether the amount the task force recommends will be a literal suggestion to the Legislature or rather a broader estimation of losses incurred by black people due to decades of inequality. 'We want to make sure that this is presented out in a way that does not reinforce the preoccupation with a dollar figure, which is the least important piece of this,' Cheryl Grills, a member of the state task force, previously told CalMatters. 'It's important, but it's the least important in terms of being able to get to a point in our country's history and in California's history where we recognize that the harm cuts across multiple areas and domains and that the repair needs to align with that. 'It's really unfortunate. I'm actually sad to see that our news media is not able to nuance better. It's almost like, "What's going to be sensational" as opposed to what's important,' she said. But during a task force meeting in March, state Sen. Steven Bradford said it would be an 'uphill fight' to get the Legislature to pass any recommendations. Kamilah Moore, a reparatory justice scholar and an attorney, chaired the task force and previously stated she plans to be as 'radical as possible' when it comes to deciding who will receive reparations and how much. Thousands of trainee officers recruited to boost police numbers left during their probation period, according to recent figures. At least 2,012 trainees did not complete their probation, were fired or resigned, with some dismissed as unfit. It comes after former chief inspector of constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor warned the 'sheer magnitude and speed' of the Government's recruitment campaign risked hiring people 'unsuited' to policing. The officers were being trained as part of a 2019 Government pledge to recruit an extra 20,000 police officers throughout England and Wales by March this year. In Liverpool, a trainee was lost because he could not work handcuffs and had 'difficulty understanding the Merseyside accent', according to the Sun. At least 2,012 trainees did not complete their probation, were fired or resigned, with some dismissed as unfit But the Home Office has insisted all recruits are subject to a 'rigorous' vetting process and must meet national standards in order to be hired. The department was set to spend 3.6billion on the recruitment programme by March this year, with a total cost of 18.5billion over the next 10 years, according to Whitehall's spending watchdog. In June, the National Audit Office (NAO) warned the recruitment campaign would 'exacerbate pressure' on a criminal justice system which is 'already under strain' in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It also said hiring police community support officers (PCSOs), special constables or police staff to fill the roles could lead to vacancies elsewhere in the service. An officer's probation can last two or three years depending on their route into the force. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva revealed on Saturday that King Charles III, a fervent environmentalist, had personally asked him to protect the Amazon rainforest. Lula and the British monarch met at Buckingham Palace in London on Friday evening, on the eve of the king's coronation. 'The first thing the king said to me was that I should take care of the Amazon,' Lula told a press conference in London. 'I replied: 'I need help',' said the Brazilian leader, whose country is home to 60 percent of the world's largest tropical rainforest, a vital carbon sink. On Friday, after a meeting between Lula and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain pledged to contribute 80million ($101 million) to the Amazon Fund, created in 2008 to preserve the rainforest. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva revealed on Saturday that King Charles III, a fervent environmentalist, had personally asked him to protect the Amazon rainforest On Friday, after a meeting between Lula and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain pledged to contribute 80million to the Amazon Fund, created in 2008 to preserve the rainforest The Brazilian leader, pictured with his wife Janja, has urged developed countries to take the climate emergency 'very seriously' On Saturday, Lula urged developed countries to take the climate emergency 'very seriously'. As he did at the United Nations climate conference in Egypt in November, he severely criticised the wealthy nations for not keeping the promise they made in 2009 to contribute $100 billion per year to helping the world's poorest countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. 'These countries, who destroyed their forests when they industrialised 200 years ago, need to understand they have a debt as far as carbon emissions are concerned and they need to pay that debt so we can protect our forest,' he said. Lula, who returned to power in January after two terms of office between 2003 and 2010, has pledged to give priority to protecting the Amazon and to end illegal deforestation there by 2030. 'It's a matter of honour,' he said in London. Under Lula's far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, average annual tree loss in the Amazon rose 75 percent compared to the previous decade. During King Charles's coronation on Saturday, Lula briefly met French President Emmanuel Macron and agreed they would discuss Ukraine by telephone. His senior aide, Celso Amorim, is to travel to Ukraine on May 10 after visiting Moscow in April, he said. Lula has been criticised by the West for saying Ukraine and Russia both bear responsibility for the conflict. Australians are shivering through the coldest weekend of the year with snow, rain, hail and strong winds pegging temperatures up to eight degrees below average. Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Hobart were in the grips of a cold front on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures struggling to get past 14 degrees anywhere in the south-east. In some places the mercury was much lower with freezing conditions felt right across the country. Severe weather warnings have been issued across NSW with wind gusts possibly reaching speeds of up to 90km/h and waves reaching six metres later on Sunday. Australians are shivering through the coldest weekend of the year with snow, rain, and high winds pegging temperatures up to eight degrees below average Southern inland NSW, and the ACT, received a dusting of snow Cooma, Bombala and Nimmitabel (pictured), south of Canberra saw snow on Sunday Central Tasmania was one of the coldest areas, with minus 6C recorded at Liawenee and Ouse. A thousand kilometres north, the same giant cold front saw Alpine areas including Mount Hotham, Thredbo and Falls Creek hover around minus 5C. Both those areas, hills around Canberra and parts of inland southern New South Wales, saw light snowfalls. Canberra also had heavy rain and hail, while snow fell south at Bombala, Cooma and Nimmitabel. The heaviest snow in the south-east came in eastern Victoria at Mount Donna Buang, two hours east of Melbourne. It copped 15cm of snow on Saturday. The wintry weather continued through Sunday, with snow falling more widely across the region. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said the snow extended from Victoria to Canberra and beyond. 'We're looking at snow from alpine areas of Victoria up through the Snowy Mountains and throughout higher terrain around Canberra, possibly up to the central tablelands,' he said. 'Today and tomorrow much of south eastern Australia is looking at temperatures four to eight degrees below average.' Most of the south-east saw only occasional showers, but Melbourne had more persistent rain with falls of between 20 and 25 millimetres around the city, Surrey Hills and Preston. East Gippsland saw slightly more rain with around 30mm recorded. Hopes for a warmer change were dashed with the weather office warning of 'damaging winds', which will keep the weather feeling wintry. Canberra saw rain and hail, which the BoM said resembles snow in photos Cold weather was felt right across south-eastern Australia all weekend Alpine regions, including Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Thredbo saw snow A cold front had millions of people across south eastern Australia shivering all weekend Mr Narramore, said to expect 'treacherous' seas right along the central-to-southern NSW coast, from the Central Coast south. 'When it's windy the air takes all the heat from the body thats why it feels colder than it is,' he said. Wollongong and the Illawarra region will be blasted by wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour, he said. The affected areas will include Wollongong, Bulli, Port Kembla, Albion Park, Kiama and Huskisson. Further north gusty winds will make the beach or on the sea similarly unpleasant. 'Much of southern central NSW coast will be windy tonight and tomorrow with winds between 50 to 70km an hour,' Mr Narramore. 'There are warnings out for hazardous and damaging surf for much of the NSW coast,' he said. 'That means dangerous conditions for fishing, boaties and swimmers, it's gonna be bad: windy cold with big seas and big swells.' Mr Narramore said wave heights will reach up to six metres at times. Brisbane and south east Queensland was out of reach of the cold snap and warm on Saturday, but that won't last. Mr Narramore said the cool air will reach Brisbane on Monday. Even in the west cooler weather is expected. A cold front is expected to bring showers, rain storms and strong winds to southern parts of WA from Wednesday. That will see showers over a huge part of the state, from Geraldton to Margaret River. The Iranian IRGC (Islamic Republic Guard Corps) announced Sadid-365, a new ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) with a range of 8 kilometers and designed to hit the thinner armor on the top of a tank. On closer examination Sadid-365 is crude, limited and not very accurate. The missile weighs about 25 kg (55 pounds) and is launched and guided manually via a data link to an operator in the launch vehicle who guides the missile to its target. This type of guidance system does not provide pinpoint accuracy and has the missile hit within a five meter circle. A video of a test launch against an armored vehicle showed the missile hitting the tank tracks rather than the top. Since the missile follows a ballistic trajectory it can only be guided to distant targets between, at best, 7,000 and 8,000 meters. Sadid-365 appears to be useful only in clear weather during daylight. Iran used an old BMP IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) with the turret replaced by a four missile launcher. The missile operator was inside the vehicle. Iran has become obsessed with these "propaganda weapons," where they hack something together from an existing system and proclaim it to be a breakthrough weapon "designed and manufactured in Iran." It's all rather pathetic, and it all began during the 1980s, when Iran and Iraq were fighting a nasty war. Some of the hacks worked, after a fashion. Iran created a longer range SCUD missile by the simple expedient of lengthening the missile with a larger fuel tank. This changed the flight characteristics of the missile but since these things were being fired at city size (as in Baghdad) targets, it didn't matter. Actually, the Iranians didn't really need the longer range missiles because Baghdad was pretty close to the Iranian border. Iran actually got the technology for these SCUD mods from North Korea but Iranian press releases always touted the achievement as being the work of Iranian scientists and engineers. Every year the Iranian media features several new weapons described as locally designed and produced. This is to improve morale among a population that knows the country has been under an international arms embargo since the 1980s. Some of the new wonder weapons announced earlier included a cruise missile with 200 kilometer range and a submarine torpedo designed for shallow coastal waters. There was also a new 73mm missile that appeared to be a small, unguided rocket, albeit with a good press agent. All of this stuff was fluff, with a bit of recycled reality to back it up. If you go back and look at the many Iranian announcements of newly developed, high tech weapons, all you find is a photo op for a prototype. Sadid-365 went beyond the photo op by adding a larger rocket motor to the older, UAV launched Sadid-345 guided missile that used a more expensive guidance system that did not require operator control. Production versions of these propaganda weapons rarely show up. Its all feel-good propaganda for the religious dictatorship that runs Iran and needs a steady supply of good news for its supporters, at least the ones who do not examine the new weapons with much scrutiny. Prince Harry is back in California after spending just 28 hours and 42 minutes in the United Kingdom to witness his father, King Charles' coronation on Saturday. Following the ceremony, he slipped out of Westminster Abbey - accompanied by a Metropolitan police escort and four outriders - with only the briefest of goodbyes and headed straight for Heathrow Airport. He was back on the plane to California before his father and stepmother, the newly crowned queen, had even finished having their official portraits taken. Harry's British Airways flight from Heathrow direct to Los Angeles landed just before 6:30pm local time. The idea was that he would be back in time for his four-year-old son Archie's fourth birthday party. Prince Harry was back in California after spending just 28 hours and 42 minutes in the United Kingdom to witness his father, King Charles' Coronation on Saturday. His flight is seen arriving Prince Harry was picked up in a black SUV and whisked away to his Montecito home Harry's security drove his Range Rover an hour and a half to the uber-exclusive Private Suites hanger at LAX The Duke of Sussex, 38, was pictured at London Heathrow beaming as he raced to board his flight while clutching his phone and some documents. Prince Harry flashed a Hollywood-worthy smile at Heathrow today as he prepared to jet back to California after an awkward appearance at his father's coronation But despite getting a chauffeured ride from the airport in a black Range Rover SUV, it is doubtful he would have been back with his wife and children much before the kids bedtime. Montecito, California, where the family live is almost 100 miles away from Los Angeles and a good two hour drive even at the best of times given the unpredictability of LA traffic. For months, he had kept the British public - not to mention his own family - on tenterhooks with a cat and mouse guessing game over his attendance. And in the end, it was truly a blink or youll miss it moment. At the main event he was obscured by Princess Annes feathered plume from the cameras for most of the ceremony. After it was all over, he headed straight for the airport and was pictured smiling broadly as he arrived at Heathrow's Windsor suite before his flight, still in morning suit and sporting his medals. Harry was whisked from the plane to his personal Range Rover which waited for him at LAX The prince was picked up from the Private Suites area of the airport Harry then faced a nearly two hour drive north back to Montecito where he now lives Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex was earlier seen arriving at the Windsor Suite in a police convoy before leaving on a British Airways flight from LHR to LAX Harry had long been expected to swiftly return to his wife Meghan Markle in Montecito so they could celebrate the birthday of their son Archie, who turned four on Saturday Harry, 38, had not been expected to play any part in the coronation celebrations apart from his brief appearance at Westminster Abbey. Sources tell the Daily Mail that there were no plans for him to join the procession, take part in the private family lunch or even appear in any of the official or unofficial photographs. The prince was not seen once after it was said he flew in on a scheduled American Airlines flight to Heathrow on Friday morning while the rest of the family were undertaking multiple 'Eve of Coronation' duties in London. On Saturday morning, he left Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor home he and Meghan once shared, almost certainly for the last time after his fathers decision to evict them, just before 9.30am in a BMW with blacked-out windows. He entered Westminster Abbey alongside his non-working royal cousins - Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Lurking at the back of the group, Harry could be seen chatting to Beatrice and her husband, Edo Mapelli Mozzi. Moment the Duke of Sussex , 38, told Jack Brooksbank he would be 'heading off' as they took their seats inside Westminster Abbey, before saying the words 'airport', according to a professional lip reader Prince Harry looks on at his brother Prince William in the front row during the coronation of their father King Charles III at Westminster Abbey Harry pulls an awkward face as he takes his seat inside Westminster Abbey Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, probably now the closest family members to Harry, turned round with big smiles. Like the other non-working royals, Harry dressed in a morning suit with medals and the KCVO - Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order - given to him by Queen Elizabeth round his neck. But he was forced to make his way, somewhat awkwardly, down the Nave in the full view of the congregation on his own. The prince turned twice, once to his right and then to his left and smiled at someone he recognized. But he quietly took his seat three rows from the front in the South Lantern. The front row was reserved for the Prince of Wales - his brother, wife and their children, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. As the historic ceremony drew to a close, Harry left through the Great West Door and, with the same police outriders accompanying him, headed back straight to Heathrow. 11 hours and 5,440 miles later, and a world away from the celebrations in London, he was back in the Golden State, ready to resume his 'California dreamin'' once more. Prince Harry walking down the aisle by himself inside Westminster Abbey Prince Harry leaves Westminster Abbey after the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey Harry walks alone upon leaving Westminster Abbey following the Coronation A drag queen has opened up about the dangers of his job and has vowed to keep performing after receiving death threats for reading to children. Michael Dalton, who performs under the name Dolly Diamond, performed a reading at Mount Gambier's Library in South Australia in March despite staff at the venue receiving death threats. He has since admitted to being scared during the performance due to 'fear of the unknown'. His comment comes as drag performers come under increasing attack for hosting story-time library events with severe backlash prompting a local council to cancel a reading scheduled for May 19. Michael Dalton, who performs under the name Dolly Diamond, has vowed to keep reading to children despite death threats The performer insisted that: 'What is delivered to a younger audience must always be age appropriate' 'There's always someone out there that believes it's their right to take it to the next level and do something physical,' he told the ABC. 'I'm not going to back down on this, because there is no reason to back down.' Monash Council, in Victoria, announced on Thursday it was cancelling a planned drag story-time library event for babies and preschool children following public outcry. The reading was slated to be held on May 19, which is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Protesters stormed the council chambers in Melbourne's southeast to try to stop the sold-out event featuring drag queen performer Sam T at Oakleigh Library. Tensions boiled over as protesters yelled abuse at pro-drag and LGBTIQA+ community supporters. They were filmed banging on glass walls and screaming 'shame on you' at councillors. Monash CEO Dr Andi Diamond issued a statement announcing the decision to cancel the event over safety concerns for staff and those attending. Anti-trans protesters stormed a Monash Council meeting on Wednesday night, sparking chaos (pictured) Mr Dalton, who is based in Melbourne, insisted there is a significant difference in approach to a performance in a nightclub and an all-ages event, such as the one in Mount Gambier, where children are in the audience. 'What is delivered to a younger audience must always be age appropriate,' he said. 'It shouldn't really matter whether it's a man in a dress or a man dressed as a banana, or as a kangaroo.' Mr Dalton said he believed a lot of people had an issue with the drag queen label. 'I've never really viewed Dolly as a drag queen in the [same] sense that Dame Edna was always just Dame Edna,' he says. He said that was because late comedian Barry Humphries was so skilled at building the character up over the years as a woman, not just a man in drag. He posted on Instagram a week ago: 'The fact that were having to justify [drag] at all is f***ing ridiculous.' The family of an Australian journalist who has spent almost 1,000 days behind bars in Beijing has launched an appeal to the Chinese government for her release. Cheng Lei, 47, was a high-profile television anchor for CGTN, an English-language state TV channel aimed at foreign audiences, until August 2020 when she was arrested and charged with 'illegally supplying state secrets overseas'. The exact details of the allegations against her have never been revealed, despite the two-and-a-half years she has spent behind bars. Cheng Lei, who moved to Melbourne with her family when she was a child, has been imprisoned in China for more than two years On Sunday, her partner Nick Coyle told the Australian Financial Review : 'A thousand days is a shockingly long time and I would call upon the relevant authorities in China to resolve this awful situation as quickly as possible' Ms Cheng has not been allowed to speak with her children, age 14 and 11, who are living in Melbourne with her mother. On Sunday, her partner Nick Coyle told the Australian Financial Review: 'A thousand days is a shockingly long time and I would call upon the relevant authorities in China to resolve this awful situation as quickly as possible.' 'Fair-minded Australians, from business leaders to political leaders and in the general public, do not accept the status quo.' Ms Cheng was tried in a closed-door hearing in March, but the court is yet to hand down a verdict. A verdict due in April was deferred again for another three months. Her supporters were hopeful that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could visit China later this year and secure her release, but Beijing has not indicated it would be prepared to let her go. Mr Coyle said his partner is in 'good health', but the separation from her children was a challenge. 'The longer this drags on she really feels it with the kids. That is really difficult,' he told the publication. In March, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government had 'advocated at every opportunity for Ms Cheng to be reunited with her family'. She is pictured with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Her only contact with the outside world is one consular visit a month. She is also allowed to write letters to Mr Coyle and her family which are passed on through the representative from the Australian embassy in Beijing. In March, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government had 'advocated at every opportunity for Ms Cheng to be reunited with her family.' 'She is still waiting to learn the outcome of the trial,' Ms Wong said. 'We share the deep concerns of Ms. Cheng's family and friends about the ongoing delays in her case.' China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, said in January he hoped her case would be solved 'as soon as possible, but we need to respect the legal process'. According to Chinese criminal law, providing state secrets can carry sentences between five and 10 years if the case is considered minor. A case deemed 'serious' can carry a sentence of 10 years to life. China's courts have a conviction rate of 99 per cent. She has resided at her Woonona home for 50 years An elderly woman is being kicked out of her home An elderly woman who has lived in the same home for almost 50 years is being kicked out of her residence by the government because it doesn't 'meet her needs'. Rosemarie Earley, 77, has lived at her Pendlebury Parade house in Woonona, in Sydney's south, for 49 years. But following the recent death of her husband, she now faces expulsion as her name was not on the original lease and her application to be recognised as a tenant was rejected. Rosemarie Earley (pictured), 77, is being kicked out of her Woonona home by the government. She had lived at the property for the past 49 years '(I felt) despair. Like what are they doing to me? I had no idea. I was in tears, like, what am I going to do now?' she told A Current Affair. Ms Earley and her husband had moved into their home after migrating to Australia from England back in 1971. The pair were allocated their home by the state government a few years after arriving into the country. Mr Earley automatically had his name put on the lease, as Ms Earley explained that women during that time were not allowed to have their name on the lease. The couple inquired about buying the property, but the man who collected their rent explained they couldn't purchase it. Ms Earley recalled the man telling the couple, 'This is your house, you can stay here till you die'. Problems arose with Ms Earley's living situation when her husband died from heart failure last November. The grieving widow contacted the government to be recognised as a tenant so she could stay at the property. The government made the decision to kick her out instead despite the change. Ms Earley said she was so happy when she finally signed the paperwork to confirm she could live in the house, and was left shocked when she was told to leave. 'I don't understand why,' she said. Ms Earley questioned why the government was so eager to kick her out after informing her of the decision less than 12 months since the passing of her husband. Ms Earley moved into the property with her husband after the couple migrated to Australia from England back in 1971. Mr Earley died last November Ms Earley contacted the government to be recognised as a tenant so she could stay at the property. The government sent her a letter saying they'd find a 'suitable home to meet her needs' instead The NSW Government informed Ms Earley that she would be moved to a 'suitable home to meet her needs' when such a home was found. A spokesman said they recognised the sudden move would be difficult for Ms Earley. 'After living in a home for 49 years, we acknowledge this transition is incredibly difficult and have advised Mrs Earley that she is able to remain at her current property another suitable property is confirmed,' he said. 'Mrs Earley currently resides in a three-bedroom home as a single occupant, we are reviewing home options to accommodate Mrs Earley while providing appropriate housing for thousands of families on the social housing waiting list in need of larger accommodation.' 'We are committed to providing Mrs Earley and all elderly tenants housing which suits their needs such as lifts, minimal stairs and other modifications.' Ms Earley has called on the government to 'show some compassion' and has described their treatment of elderly people as 'disgusting'. Keir Starmer's allies dodged on whether Labour would do a deal to prop him up in No10 as new analysis today showed him falling short of a Commons majority despite big local election gains. Closely-watched projections have found that Labour would have 298 MPs if Thursday's results were replicated at a general election. That would be up 95 on the standings from 2019 - but still around 30 short of an outright majority. Meanwhile, the figures compiled by academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher for the Sunday Times concluded that the Tories are on track to plunge 127 seats to just 238. The SNP has gleefully seized on the numbers to claim it will be able to force Labour to grant a new Scots independence referendum. The estimates are based on the 4.2million ballots cast for councillors, and come with the caveat that behaviour is often different in Westminster polls. Closely-watched projections have found that Labour would have 298 MPs if Thursday's results were replicated at a general election Asked on Sky News' Ridge on Sunday programme whether Labour would be prepared to deal with the Lib Dems or SNP, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he was 'not even entertaining that prospect' Lib-Lab deal topples Tories in Bracknell A Lib-Lab deal saw the Tories battered in Bracknell Forest last week. The council was taken by Labour after being under Conservative control for more than 25 years. Rishi Sunak's party lost an eye-watering 27 seats in the contest. Some 18 went to Labour, seven to the Lib Dems and two to the Greens. The scale of the disaster was seemingly increased by a local agreement between Lib Dems and Labour that they would not stand in the same wards. Advertisement Asked on Sky News' Ridge on Sunday programme whether Labour would be prepared to deal with the Lib Dems or SNP, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he was 'not even entertaining that prospect'. 'I don't think that's a scenario we're going to be in after the next general election.' Mr Streeting conceded that Labour has 'more work to do to earn people's trust and support'. But he insisted he is 'confident Labour can win a majority'. Labour gained 635 seats and took control of another 22 local authorities in the elections on Thursday, while the Tories suffered heavy losses. With almost all authorities having declared, Mr Sunak's party shed 48 local authorities and 960 councillors, near the 1,000 worst-case prediction senior Tories had floated to manage expectations ahead of the poll. The Liberal Democrats had what leader Sir Ed Davey hailed as the 'best result in decades', taking 12 local authorities and 416 seats. But while Labour were jubilant, the national vote share will give Sir Keir pause for thought and Rishi Sunak some grounds for hope. The Tories were on 29 per cent, the worst in a significant ballot event since 2013. Labour was up five points on 2019 on 36 per cent, but that was only a marginal improvement on a year ago. SNP Westminster Deputy Leader Mhairi Black said: 'At the next election, voting SNP is the best way to lock the Tories out of Scotland. 'A strong team of SNP MPs would put Scotland in the driving seat of a minority UK government - and ensure the power to determine Scotland's future is transferred to Edinburgh. 'Voting SNP would put the choice over Scotland's future in Scotland's hands, ensure the cost of living crisis becomes the main priority of Westminster, and rebuild our relations with Europe.' Azizi Developments, a leading private developer in the UAE, has just announced its plans to launch a hotel brand across the UAE and beyond, as part of its expansion into the hospitality sector. Azizi has appointed Michael Zager as its new Chief Operating Officer - Hospitality. Azizi will soon introduce the new global brand, under which it will both develop and acquire hotel real estate that it will then own and manage. A hotel afficionado and industry leader with over 35 years of experience in international hospitality, German national Michael Zager will spearhead Azizis debut into the sector. Zager has previously held senior leadership positions across several global four- and five-star hotel groups in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG Hotels & Resorts), for which he served as Vice President in charge of the franchised and managed portfolio comprising more than 300 hotels spread over 26 countries. He has also led several industry giants toward enhanced operational excellence as Managing Director of Hospitality360, a hotel management consultancy he established in 2019 to serve clients across Europe and the Middle East. Zager is an award-winning hotel-profession IHK graduate from the Bergius Professional School in Frankfurt, Germany, a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), and has completed the PDP educational programs for Strategic Hospitality Management and others at the Cornell Hotel School Ithaca, New York. Farhad Azizi, CEO of Azizi Developments, said: This monumental announcement is one that we have been preparing for extensively, and that excites all of us at Azizi Developments. The hospitality sector is especially pronounced here in our home, the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai seeing a substantial influx of visitors year after year and continuing to be crowned as the number one destination in the world. As a leading developer, we are now leveraging our real estate aptitude and in-depth understanding of the wants and needs in the realm of accommodation to grant visitors unparalleled hospitality experiences, worldwide. We see our expansion into the tourism sector as the next big stride in our overarching mission of enhancing lifestyles and look forward to showcasing our upcoming hospitality projects to our stakeholders in the UAE and beyond, as well as more announcements in this regard, in due course. Mr. Michael Zager is the ideal leadership figure for our grand entry into hospitality. With him having successfully led high-performing teams for reputable hoteliers across various continents, and with him being especially proficient in heading pre- and launch phases, hotel and asset management, and hospitality as a whole across Europe and the MENA region, where the vision for our first hotels will manifest into reality, we are delighted to welcome him and his wealth of expertise, he added. Azizi Developments is now gearing up for its 2023 completions. The developer is well on its way to deliver a total of approximately 11,000 units across 45 projects in Dubai, spread across the first, second and third phases of Riviera, Park Avenue I, II and III in MBR City, and Berton in Al Furjan. TradeArabia News Service Tories have lined up behind the police's tough response to anti-monarchy protests at the coronation. Amid anger at attempts to disrupt the historic day, the party's deputy chairman Lee Anderson told demonstrators to 'emigrate' if they did not like the UK's system. And Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer insisted that police got the 'balance right' to stop Britain being embarrassed on the 'world stage'. Scotland Yard has faced a backlash after more than 50 people were arrested for alleged affray, public nuisance and breach-of-the-peace offences. The force said it received information that protesters were 'determined to disrupt' the Coronation procession - including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. Three were reportedly detained over a plot to throw rape alarms at horses. But human rights organisations branded the action 'a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation'. Amid anger at attempts to disrupt the historic day, Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson told demonstrators to 'emigrate' if they did not like the UK's system Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer insisted that police got the 'balance right' to stop Britain being embarrassed on the 'world stage' The police service came under heavy criticism after what campaign groups described the arrests as 'incredibly alarming' detentions during republican protests In a furious retort to the protesters on Twitter yesterday, Mr Anderson wrote: 'Not My King? 'If you do not wish to live in a country that has a monarchy the solution is not to turn up with your silly boards. 'The solution is to emigrate.' Asked whether police had gone too far, Ms Frazer told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'No. The police are operationally independent from Government. 'What they had to do was to police an international event on the world stage and I think they took that into account in their policing. 'What they have to do is balance the right to protest, which is important in a democracy. At the same time there's the right of all those other people to enjoy what was a fabulous day. 'I think, overall, they managed to get that balance right.' Home Secretary Suella Braverman has also praised the police, saying she was 'incredibly grateful' for all their 'hard work'. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday programme that he would 'wait and see' whether the police had struck the right balance. He said while he did not agree with the views of the anti-monarchists it was 'legitimate' for them to protest. Shadow home office minister Jess Phillips tweeted: 'Our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view.' Among those arrested was Patrick Thelwell - who tried to egg the King in a visit to York on November 9 last year. Among those arrested was Patrick Thelwell - who tried to egg the King in a visit to York on November 9 last year Wearing a yellow 'Not My King' sticker, the ex-University of York student was held by two uniformed officers as he was escorted past a huge banner reading 'Abolish the Monarchy' The 23-year-old was convicted of threatening behaviour at York magistrates court last month and sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay 600 in court costs. He said he was arrested yesterday 'on suspicion of carrying eggs'. Protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic, including its chief executive Graham Smith, were apprehended during the day - as well as demonstrators from Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising. Smith, who is now out of prison, declared the arrests show 'there is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK.' He continued: 'I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name.' Mr Anderson recently clashed with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley over the force's handling of protests, telling him to 'leave his ivory tower' to deal with demonstrators in Westminster. Under the controversial new Public Order Act, protesters who have an object with the intention of using it to 'lock on' are liable to a fine, with those who block roads facing 12 months in prison. Wagner Group's chief appeared to ditch plans to withdraw from the contested city of Bakhmut, Ukraine after saying he has been promised as much ammunition and weaponry as needed to stay on amid a clash with top 'fat cat' Russian officials. Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Telegram on Sunday that he had received assurances that Russia would supply his mercenaries with the necessary munitions to stay in Bakhmut after announcing he would pull his men out on Friday. Prigozhin, who has been critical of Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu, said previously that officials in Moscow had been consumed by 'petty jealousy' and withheld crucial supplies to his men, resulting in 'useless and unjustified' losses. But in an audio message posted today, Prigozhin said: 'Overnight we received a combat order, for the first time in all this time. 'We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off (from supplies) will be deployed on the flank.' Smoke rises from buildings in this aerial view of Bakhmut, in Ukraine on 26 April 2023 A BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher fires towards Russian positions on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on 23 April 2023, amid the Russian invasion on Ukraine Prigozhin stands in front of the bodies of fallen Wagner Group mercenaries in a video posted on Telegram, lashing out at Russian army chiefs calling for more munitions for his troops The Wagner Group of mercenaries has worked closely with Russian state forces throughout the invasion of Ukraine - as well as in other operations around the world. The private military company was first spotted in Ukraine in 2014, weeks after Russia annexed Crimea. The group has been accused of human rights abuses throughout Africa - and since in Ukraine. It has claimed credit for a number of significant gains in Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including the capture of Soledar. The US has estimated Wagner is spending around $100mn a month to stay in the fight, and reports have shone a light on the 'human wave' death squads pushed into the fight in suicidal marches under heavy gun and artillery fire. Prigozhin has all the while been critical of Russia's generals. While he has been an essential part of Russia's invasion, experts have identified a 'crack' in his relationship with the state as a result of his attacks on official institutions. The threat to leave Bakhmut is the latest in a series of tensions as Ukraine appears to be gearing up for a spring counter-offensive into occupied regions. Yohann Michel, a research analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said previously that Prigozhin's threat of backing out could be taken with a 'shovel of salt'. He said Prigozhin might want to regroup without being accused of retreating, or he may worry about being fired for not taking the city and prefer to say he left on his own, or he could genuinely need more ammunition. 'The only thing I am taking seriously from that declaration is that Bakhmut is probably not ready to fall.' If Prigozhin did pull Wagners troops out of Bakhmut, it would have serious implications, he urged. 'If hes removed from the front line except if Russia surprisingly has reserves that they did not want to use before I think we can say it is the end of this phase of the offensive for Russia.' In another video, Prigozhin pleaded for ammunition after taking 'unnecessary' losse A Ukrainian service member from a 3rd separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fire a howitzer D30 at a front line, near the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine 23 April 2023 Map shows the state of Russian occupied and contested territories in Ukraine as of 7 May 2023 A Ukrainian serviceman gestures as he rides a tank on a road towards the frontline town of Bakhmut amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chasiv Yar, 2 March 2023 During the saga, Prigozhin and Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov stated their intention to replace Wagner Group forces with Chechen Akhmat troops on 10 May. Prigozhin had published a letter to Shoigu declaring Wagner would hand over its positions in Bakhmut at midnight on 10 May, the time he said Wagner would have entirely run out of combat potential. Akhmat forces had already been scattered through parts of Ukraine this year but have not yet committed to major operations. Prince Andrew was allowed to wear his Garter robes to the King's coronation reflecting an apparent softening of Charles' stance towards him. Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties after a controversial Newsnight interview and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, wore the ceremonial robes to Saturday's service at Westminster Abbey. The Duke of York, who stopped using the title His Royal Highness in an official capacity in January 2022, was given permission to wear the robes despite being banned by the late Queen from wearing them in public for her last Garter Day at Windsor Castle. Last June, Andrew did not appear alongside senior members of the family at the annual Order of the Garter despite being a Knight of the Garter. His absence was notable at the time and Buckingham Palace had described it as a 'family decision'. But while Andrew did not have any official role in yesterday's events, he still wore his Order of the Garter robe which holds special significance for the royals. Prince Andrew wore ceremonial robes to Saturday's Coronation service at Westminster Abbey Andrew was allowed to wear his Garter robes to the King's coronation reflecting an apparent softening of Charles' stance towards him The Queen had banned Andrew from wearing his Garter robes in public for her last Garter Day at Windsor Castle Meanwhile, it is understood Prince Harry wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie. The Mirror yesterday reported that they were informed by the Palace two weeks ago that Andrew would not be in Garter robes. The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain. According to the royal family website, in medieval times King Edward III was so inspired by tales of King Arthur and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table that he set up his own group of honourable knights, called the Order of the Garter. Today, the order includes the King, who is Sovereign of the Garter, 'several senior members of the royal family, and 24 knights chosen in recognition of their work', according to the website. The Order of the Garter robes are made of dark blue velvet and can be accompanied by a cap. The robe has a white satin lining, white silk bows on the shoulders, an attached red velvet hood and tasselled cordons. While Andrew donned Garter robes, Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, was wearing a morning suit with his medals. Harry is a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order after being made so by the late Queen in 2015. This means he would be entitled to wear the order's vivid blue mantle. Prince Andrew pictured looking serious as he left Westminster Abbey yesterday It is understood Prince Harry wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie Yesterday's ceremony was a Collar Day meaning the Windsors could wear morning dress with mantles appropriate to the most Senior Order to which they belonged Neither Harry nor Andrew are working members of the royal family and so did not have an official role in the day Yesterday's ceremony was a Collar Day meaning the Windsors could wear morning dress with mantles appropriate to the most Senior Order to which they belonged - the Order of the Garter, Thistle or Royal Victorian Order. The royal family wore an array of intricate gowns and grand velvet cloaks signifying their membership of historic orders of chivalry at the King and Queen's coronation. On the morning of the Coronation, as Andrew was driven down The Mall in a state car towards Westminster Abbey, of small group in the crowd in a grandstand in front of Buckingham Palace booed as he went past. Andrew took part in events surrounding Queen Elizabeth II's funeral but, beyond mourning his mother, Charles has shown no sign of allowing him a return to public life. Andrew stepped away from public life after a controversial Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Giuffre sued Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by Epstein. Andrew denied the claims but paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in the US civil case. In March it emerged that Prince Andrew does not want to move into Frogmore Cottage because he views it as a 'downgrade' from his 30-room Royal Lodge - even though is is thought King Charles evicted Harry and Meghan to hand him the keys. The Duke of York does not want to leave his mansion in the grounds of Windsor Castle despite telling friends he fears he will be unable to afford its upkeep if the King cuts his 250,000-a-year grant. Andrew currently pays a reported 250-a-week for a state-subsidised 30-room mansion complete with 98 acres of land and a swimming pool - and is not keen to leave it after 20 years. The Duke of York is set to lose 250,000-a-year in funding from the King as part of a shake-up of private royal finances and has had to sell off assets including a 19million ski chalet to cover the costs of settling the sex scandal case with Virginia Roberts Giuffre. A mother has been left unable to walk due to a brain aneurysm after she was sent home from A&E with paracetamol. Moji Akinremi, 65, of Newham, has been in hospital for eight weeks, while her family question whether the brain damage would be as great had doctors acted sooner. She first experienced back pain and headaches in early February that persisted for several weeks until the pain became unbearable. According to Ms Akinremi's daughter, 40-year-old Kehinde, the mother was taken to A&E by a friend and waited hours to be seen by doctors. 'My mum has always been fit and healthy and has never suffered from underlying conditions,' said Kehinde. Moji Akinremi, 65, has been left unable to walk due to a brain aneurysm after she was sent home from A&E with paracetamol The mother first experienced back pain and headaches in early February which persisted for several weeks until the pain became unbearable The daughter said they eventually took blood samples but the tests did not show anything, so Ms Akinremi was sent home with paracetamol and referred back to her GP for an X-ray. 'I left work to see her as she was already home from A&E,' Kehinde said. 'She was just a bit stiff. That's all I can say. She was still talking, walking well and just laughing and joking as normal. 'We told her, ''if you're not feeling well, do let us know''. I was concerned they didn't do a scan at A&E. I was also worried she would have to wait a long time for a GP appointment so we thought about going private.' Kehinde went to see her mother again two days later, and said she was still coping okay with the back pain and headaches. By Saturday things quickly escalated. 'I got another call from my mum's friend to say they were at A&E again,' Kehinde continued. 'She told me the pain had got worse and my mum seemed a bit confused at this point. I went straight to the hospital and said to the doctors ''my mum came in on Tuesday, she was sent home but something is clearly wrong. She's a 65-year-old woman, she has headaches and she's in a lot of pain. Please can you do something?''.' After considerable persistence Kehinde said doctors agreed to do a CT scan. According to Ms Akinremi's daughter, 40-year-old Kehinde, the mother was taken to A&E by a friend and waited hours to be seen by doctors From this they discovered Ms Akinremi had suffered a bleed on the brain. She was quickly transferred to the Royal London Hospital where further tests showed a ruptured aneurysm. 'They think she'd been suffering with it for three to four weeks,' Kehinde said. 'Although she was experiencing headaches, mum was mainly complaining of back pain, so we just assumed it was her back. We didn't know back pain is a symptom of a brain aneurysm. It makes sense now because the spine and brain are connected. But like most people, we didn't know about all the symptoms that can present themselves.' Two days later Ms Akinremi underwent emergency surgery to save her life. But she ended up having two more operations due to multiple complications. These included a secondary brain bleed, seizures and vasospasm. She also has post-traumatic Hhydrocephalus - a condition where there is excess fluid on the brain leading to harmful pressure. She has therefore been fitted with a VP shunt in her head to drain the built-up fluid down a tube into her stomach. The impact of the aneurysm has caused Ms Akinremi significant brain damage and disability. She is still bed bound at the Royal London Hospital. She cannot walk and her arms are very shaky. In addition, she has suffered major memory loss. 'She knows who my brothers and I are but she can't remember what day it is and sometimes she gets very confused and doesn't know where she is,' Kehinde explained. While they said the care at Royal London has been amazing, Kehinde and her two brothers wonder whether things would be different if doctors had acted sooner. Currently doctors reportedly do not know if or when Ms Akinremi will regain her mobility and cognitive function 'That five-day window between our mum's first visit to A&E and her first surgery is critical,' Kehinde said. 'When she first went to A&E she was in a lot of pain but she was much stronger. She had suffered from this brain bleed for weeks but was yet to feel the full impact of it. And then a few days after going to A&E she really deteriorated. 'I wish they had scanned her straight away instead of referring her back to the GP. They would have found the aneurysm and, maybe because she was stronger at that point, she wouldn't have had so many complications and as much damage.' A spokesperson for Barts Health NHS Trust said: 'We continue to provide Ms Akinremi with the best possible care at this difficult time. We take any concerns raised very seriously and will review the care she received at Newham Hospital.' Currently, doctors reportedly do not know if or when Ms Akinremi will regain her mobility and cognitive function. They have applied for her to go to a rehabilitation centre, which will be vital to her recovery, but the waiting list is four to six weeks at least. Kehinde and her family are fundraising to cover the costs of a private unit. They are also hoping to adapt Ms Akinremi's house for post her recovery. 'Our mum has always been a fiercely strong independent woman,' Kehinde said. 'When my twin and I were eight and when our brother was a baby, our dad passed away. Mum raised us all on her own after that. So the three of us are trying our best to make sure she's okay and looked after.' She added: 'As well as a specialised rehabilitation centre, we want to ensure our mum has an amazing space to come back to. Before she fell ill, she worked in catering and she loves to cook Nigerian food. 'We would like to make the kitchen user-friendly and, if she's in a wheelchair, we plan to install ramps. We also want to build a downstairs bathroom. Our mum was thinking of retiring not long before her illness. So we ultimately want her to enjoy her retirement years and live as independently as she can.' Australian DJ and music writer Ian Bell has died of a heart attack in Paris while on holiday with his family and en route to the UK for the Eurovision Song Contest. Bell, 60, was a not only a much loved stalwart of the Adelaide music business who was often photographed with stars such as Mel C of the Spice Girls and Rita Ora, he has also been remembered as a 'lovely and kind' person. His career, which started in the 1980s, saw the versatile nightclub DJ develop into a pop culture expert, record shop owner and music writer and photographer. He spun records at a string of clubs including Limbo in the 1980s and also played at Heaven and his own Pop! night on Gouger St in the 1990s. Bell died on May 2 after having a heart attack in Paris, which was the family's first stop on a trip that was meant to include the Eurovision in Liverpool, the Advertiser reported. Australian DJ and music writer Ian Bell (pictured with Mel C of the Spice Girls) has died of a heart attack in Paris while on holiday with his family and en route to the UK for the Eurovision Song Contest The late Adelaide DJ Ian Bell (left) is pictured with British pop star Rita Ora in March 2013 His interviews, reviews and photos were featured in numerous publications and music websites and he regularly performed at the Big Day Out festival. He is survived by his wife Jordan, their daughter Ruby and his sisters Susan and Janet. Writer Andrew P Street said Bell was 'one of the loveliest, kindest, most endlessly enthusiastic people I have ever known'. 'So many friendships, so many relationships, began on the sticky floors of Bang! and Pop! and Ian's many other club nights,' he wrote. Ian Bell (pictured) worked in a wide variety of jobs in the music business Nightclub owner Driller Jet Armstrong wrote on Facebook that Bell was 'a true pioneer'. 'Tried and trusted, from the Toucan club to Sugar and everything in between,' he said. Deb Edwards, a former EMI and Sony records employee, said there would 'only ever be one Ian Bell'. 'Blessed was I to have him amongst my DJ meetings He was always keen as beans to hear and see new music,' she posted on social media. Wise men and women say you miss one hundred per cent of the chances you do not take. By failing to honour an invitation to be a guest at either of the Workers Day celebrations last Monday, Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi missed a huge opportunity to make a lasting impression on workers. At a time when most politicians in Eswatini are unpopular for one reason or another, Buthelezi made the wrong decision. Incidentally, the minister had become an instant darling of the working class a few days earlier, when he visited The Fridge Factory in Matsapha on a fact-finding mission. He paid a surprise visit to the company to follow-up on workers complaints. He visited The Fridge Factory on the National Flag Day holiday. Workers there had alleged that management did not recognise this day as a holiday. This meant that employees were supposed to be at work but expect no extra pay. Addressing management and employees afterwards, the minister said he did not want to see workers being taken advantage of. That seems to have been the same motivation for his visits this past Thursday, to Ruchi Wholesalers and Pitbull Security company premises, also in Matsapha. decrying There, the aim was to monitor employer-employee relations, which is basically the same thing he had visited The Fridge Factory for. At both the companies he visited on Thursday, Buthelezi had separate meetings with workers and employers. He got first-hand reports of the challenges faced by both parties, with employers decrying lack of industry regulations for the security sector, taxation and non-representation in the Wages Councils. As expected, workers had cited remuneration as their main concern. They told the minister that the minimum wage was not enough to meet all their financial obligations. Ruchi Wholesalers was specifically singled out for making employees work on three-month or six-month contracts. This practice affected even people who have worked for the popular wholesaler for up to 10 years. They are worried that when they retire or leave the company for whatever reason, they will go home empty-handed. Several other issues were raised. I am pretty sure the minister is aware that the grievances raised in Matsapha are common in many other companies across the country. He has previously done tours of companies in the sugar belt, predominantly in the Lubombo Region and may have come across similar challenges even there. These `inspections in loco by the minister have earned him an enormous amount of praise. Even social media, which is not normally kind to Eswatini politicians, has been generous with praises for Buthelezi. It is such a pity that he could not capitalise on this positivity and attend Workers Day celebrations. inspections One would have thought that a minister concerned about issues affecting his portfolio, to the extent that he gets out of his office to do physical inspections under the scorching sun, he would take such an opportunity with both hands. He would have been expected to see this as his chance to listen to workers speak as a collective and also address them as a large group. It is common knowledge that during Workers Day events, there is little celebration and a lot of grievances. A minister who does not want workers taken advantage of would have jumped at the chance to travel to Mayaluka in Big Bend or Riders Ranch in Sidvokodvo to be with the people whose issues fall under his portfolio. Instead, workers heard three days before May 1, 2023, that the minister would not attend. His excuse was that he had not received invitations on time. It turned out that the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), which was to hold its event in Big Bend, had actually written an invitation letter to the ministers office on April 20, 2023. The federation requested the presence of the minister or his representative. The government official, who would attend, was to be given an opportunity to address workers and also meet union leaders. The Federation of Swaziland Trade Union (FESWATU) was to hold its event in Sidvokodvo. It sent an invitation to Buthelezi on April 27, 2023. It is now history that the minister stuck to his guns and did not attend either celebration. Instead, he sent a statement to the various media houses, articulating his ministrys plans and challenges where workers issues are concerned. One of the things he promised was that government planned to reduce the unemployment rate to 20 per cent by the year 2025. It currently stands at a worrying 33 per cent, which is unacceptable for a small economy like ours that should be easily manageable. Now, let us picture two neighbours who do not see eye to eye, as is usually the case. invitation They have constant run-ins over various issues but a time comes for one to host a thanksgiving party at his place. He sends an invitation to the neighbour but that neighbour refuses to attend, saying the invitation came too late. Who is the good guy here; the bigger person? We know that it has been quite a while since ministers of Labour in Eswatini joined workers in these celebrations. There seems to be an unwritten rule that they should not attend. Buthelezi should have bucked the trend and attended. What did he have to lose? Is there something the minister knows, which the rest of us are unaware of? After all, he is an elected Member of Parliament (MP), who is in that ministerial position because the people of Matsanjeni North had faith in him back in 2018. They trusted that he was a man of the people who would go to Parliament to represent them and look out for their interests. I do not recall what Buthelezi told voters when he campaigned for election but most aspiring MPs usually say, Ngicela ningitfume, ngitawuba ngumfana wenu.(Please send me to Parliament. I will be your faithful servant). Among the many voters who chose him over other candidates were scores of workers, who are probably disappointed.By the way, who gave politicians the wrong idea that they were not workers themselves? America is on course to have its bloodiest year on record after Saturday's Texas mall massacre brought the number of mass shootings in the U.S. this year to 199. The rate at which mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. this year has also far exceeded that of recent years, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The county surpassed the grim milestone of more than 100 mass shootings on March 5 - nearly two weeks ahead of the date on which the figure was hit in 2022. The horrifying data comes after a gunman killed at least eight people at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas on Saturday before being shot dead. The number of mass shootings in the United States in 2023 is outpacing the number in recent years The gunman dressed in SWAT gear, with a semi-automatic rile at his side, is seen laying dead outside a store at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas after killing eight people on Saturday At least 74 people have been killed or injured in school shootings, including the mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee at The Covenant School in late March, according to one report. The Nashville mass shooter, Audrey Hale, was one of just five female mass shooters in history when she gunned down six people, including three children, before cops shot her dead. In April, Connor Sturgeon, a young employee of the Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, killed five people at his workplace before he was also shot dead, bringing the number of mass shootings in the U.S. to 146. There have been at least 12 mass shootings in Texas alone in 2023, including the latest one on Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets which left eight people and the shooter dead, making it one of the deadlier mass shootings of the year. The mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, in January, is so far the deadliest of the year after 12 people including the shooter was killed. Eight people were killed during a shooting on January 4 in Cedar City, Utah, when Michael Haight killed his wife, their five children and his mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself Louisville gunman Connor Sturgeon inside the Old National Bank on Monday where he killed five colleagues before being shot dead by police The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a non-profit research database that tracks shootings across the US, defines a 'mass shooting' as those with a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter. As well as active-shooter incidents such as those in Louisville, 'mass shootings' include accidental firearm incidents, armed robberies, familicide, home invasions and drive-bys, among others. The GVA does not differentiate, for instance, between a gang shooting and a school shooting when they compile these statistics. Another database, published by USA Today, tracks a much narrower category known as 'public mass killings', which are defined as events in which four or more people are killed, not including the attacker, in a public place such as a school or a bank. The most public mass killings to ever occur in a single year in America has been ten. The Allen massacre was this year's fifth in the same number of months, meaning that the country is potentially on track to set a new record. So far 14,672 people have died in 2023 due to gun violence, including more than 8,000 people through suicide by gun, as well as more than 6,000 who were the victims of homicide, murder, and unintentional shootings. The terrifying death rate is not surprising with about 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. No other nation has more civilian guns than people. In the U.S., 44 percent of adults live in a household with a gun. A report by the US Secret Service published in January found that a history of mental health and a recent life crisis were common among attackers 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 About one third of individuals own a gun personally, according to a November 2020 Gallup survey. And a third of US adults believe there would be less crime if more people owned guns. The latest U.S. mass shooting rocked the small city of Allen, Texas - a suburb about 20 miles outside of Dallas. The lone gunman began his rampage at about 3:30pm on Saturday, forcing a mass evacuation and leaving residents desperate for answers. Dashcam footage showed the moment the gunman, dressed in full SWAT garb, pulled up to the outdoor outlet before opening fire with his AR-15- on unsuspecting civilians, including children. The scene quickly resembled a warzone with at least four bloodied bodies seen lying outside the H&M where the gunman began his assault. Saturday's shooting occurred just shy of the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas which saw nineteen children and two adults fatally shot by an 18-year-old gunman with an assault weapon. 'We are horrified by today's senseless tragedy and outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country,' Allen Premium Outlets said in a statement Saturday night, A terrified child presses her hand against the glass of a school bus window after being evacuated from The Covenant School 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this heinous act. We are thankful for the police officer's heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders.' Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his office had sent state officials from multiple agencies to aid Allen police with their investigation, including the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Rangers. 'Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy,' he said in his written statement. 'I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed.' Mayor Kevin Fulk, a lifelong resident of Allen, added: 'Today is a tragic day for the city of Allen ... We know the days ahead will be difficult and somber.' A teenager who was stabbed to death in east London on the eve of the King's Coronation has been named and pictured by his family. Jordan, 18, died after a machete fight near Dagenham Heathway Tube station. A second man was also taken to hospital with stab wounds. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening. In the space of eight hours three men were killed in East London. A 16-year-old was ambushed as he left school at around 4.30pm and stabbed to death in Walthamstow and a man in his late 20s died from stab wounds in Hackney at around 11pm, the Metropolitan Police said. Jordan's uncle Michel A. Pongo, who is a councillor for London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, has issued a warning over carrying knives. Jordan (pictured), 18, died after a machete fight near Dagenham Heathway Tube station on Friday evening Three male victims were stabbed to death in separate incidents in east London over a period of less than eight hours on the eve of the coronation He said: 'It was with great sadness that this afternoon I learned that my nephew, Jordan, 18, had been stabbed to death in Dagenham last night. 'His mother is inconsolable. If you are gang member, this message is for you. Drop your knife and quit the gangster life before it is too late.' One senior police officer said his team was fully focused on the inquiry despite the 'significant events' taking place in London yesterday. On Friday evening police were called to reports of two groups fighting with machetes. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended. Jordan was found with stab injuries and died at the scene. A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody at this time. Detective Chief Inspector James Shirley said yesterday: 'My thoughts are with the young man's family and friends. I want to offer my full reassurances to them, and the wider community, that despite the significant events taking place in London today, the focus of my team is bringing the person or people responsible to justice. 'Our investigation is progressing at pace and I would thank everyone who has already spoken to officers. I would ask anyone who has not yet come forward to do so as a matter of urgency. I would also ask local residents to check dash cams and doorbell footage for anything out of the ordinary and share that with us as soon as possible. 'Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting 8711/06May. To remain 100% anonymous share your information via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at Crimestoppers-uk.org.' Jordan was stabbed to death on Friday night near Dagenham Heath Tube station. Pictured are police vehicles at the scene Two groups were reported fighting with machetes near Dagenham Heath Tube station late on Friday night In a separate incident in Hackney, three people were arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was fatally stabbed at a residential property on Mare Street. Police were called at 11.07pm on Friday and found a man in his late 20s, who was declared dead at the scene. Two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s - and one woman in her 50s, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. They were taken to east London police stations where they remain for questioning, the Met said on Saturday. Any witnesses are asked to call 101 quoting CAD 8423/05May. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. It is believed detectives are still hunting the killers of the 16-year-old schoolboy. A local resident said his attackers were waiting for him and he died in the street at 4.39pm on Friday. No arrests have yet been made, and headteacher Sam Jones said the attack marked the 'darkest of days' for the school community. 'A Kelmscott student was tragically killed in a senseless knife attack,' he said. 'Kelmscott is a large and tight-knit family and this loss will be felt for a long time to come. 'Hold those that you love close this evening. I know we will come together as a community and support one another through this.' Police stand at the scene where a 16-year-old youth was ambushed as he left school and was stabbed to death in Walthamstow on Friday afternoon In a separate incident in Hackney, three people were arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was fatally stabbed at a residential property on Mare Street (pictured) Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, who is leading the investigation, said the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest, and the boy's family were being supported by specially trained officers. DCI Rogers has outlined his appeal to the public, saying: 'My team is working hard to bring justice for the teenage victim and his family in this case and my heartfelt condolences are with them at this terrible time. He said: 'This is a fast moving investigation and we are aware that this brutal attack took place near a school, and was witnessed by many bystanders and young people. 'My thoughts are with them as they come to terms with seeing such an act of violence unfold and I would ask anyone with footage or images to do the right thing and send them into my team of detectives. 'If you wish to submit images or footage anonymously, please share via Crimestoppers, or you can contact the Major Incident Room where one of my team will be able to take your call. You can also share the images via the Public Portal. 'We also know that there was heavy traffic on Markhouse Road at that time of day and we think there is a strong chance some people will have dash cam footage. Please review what you have and send anything that may assist the investigation without delay. A young boy has lost his life and evidence such as this can contribute to securing justice for his family and friends.' Prince Harry's Dior suit he wore for the Coronation could have been a rebellious move as he and Meghan Markle make a deal with the brand, experts claimed today. The Duke of Sussex looked smart in the bespoke three-piece suit designed by Dior's artistic director Kim Jones especially for his appearance at Westminster Abbey. But royal fashion expert and celebrity stylist Miranda Holder said Harry's choice of a French brand showed he 'did not get the fashion memo or was in a petulant mood' as most other guests wore British labels, adding that his decision 'spoke volumes'. Harry and his wife Meghan have previously worn various outfits by Dior which has prompted claims that they could be working on a partnership with the brand. Brand and culture expert Nick Ede added that now the Sussexes are no longer working royals, they can 'have an arrangement with one of the biggest fashion houses in the world' and Dior would have 'jumped at the chance' to work with them. Royal commentators had speculated about whether Harry would wear a military uniform after he did not wear one for the late Queen's funeral last September. And yesterday he opted for the three-piece suit which consisted of a morning coat and a black vest, which Harry wore with a crisp white shirt and a pearl grey tie. Harry's late mother Princess Diana was also a fan of Dior and wore their outfits in the months before her death aged 36 - including, famously, at the Met Gala in 1996. Dior has said it dressed Prince Harry for the King's Coronation at Westminster Abbey yesterday Prince Harry arrives for the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey yesterday The rear view of Harry's suit yesterday, as he enters the Abbey with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi At that event in New York, Diana wore a Dior silk slip dress and carried a Dior handbag initially known as 'Chouchou' which was later renamed Lady Dior in her honour. The handbag remains one of the brand's most well-known items today. READ MORE Prince Harry shares a joke with Archbishop of Canterbury as he wishes him 'good luck' while walking into Westminster Abbey after claims King asked Justin Welby to broker deal to get duke to the Coronation Advertisement Ms Holder told MailOnline today: 'Harry's brief appearance at the Coronation was always going to be controversial, every second that he was under the watchful eye of the many cameras, every move he made would be ruthlessly scrutinised, and due to him not wearing any sort of ceremonial uniform, his style choices would be at the top of the list.' She said most guests appeared to have 'got the memo to support the best of British brands at such a uniquely patriotic occasion'. Ms Holder spoke of the 'sea of exquisite British couture' from the Alexander McQueen that 'graced' Kate Middleton and Charlotte, to the poppy red Emilia Wickstead coat worn by actress Emma Thompson which she decorated with her MBE. But she continued: 'It seemed however that Harry did not get the fashion memo - either that, or he was in a petulant mood. 'The Prince turned up looking smart if somewhat apprehensive in an immaculate Dior suit, a potentially rebellious move on his behalf. Harry would have been well-versed in the protocol of supporting domestic businesses, and the message doing so would convey. 'In true royal family style, Harry, like his late grandmother, is a true expert in visual representation, and his decision to wear a French designer to this historic occasion spoke volumes. 'The message was clearly, 'I'm here, but I'm doing this my own way', a firm assertion that his newfound independence was not going to change, that he would run alongside the royal pack rather than within it.' The Duke of Sussex departs Westminster Abbey yesterday following the King's Coronation Dior tweeted about Harry's suit yesterday following the Coronation at Westminster Abbey Ms Holder, who posts on TikTok as @TheMirandaHolder, also talked about Meghan opted for Dior on several royal occasions while still in Britain. She said: 'Unlike the quiet luxury of the British designer's aesthetic, Dior feels a little bit more shouty, and a little bit more 'look at me' - feeling slightly more Elizabeth Taylor ratchet than Queen Elizabeth, but Meghan could never have understood our subtle British sensibilities when it comes to these nuances. 'The fact the couple are favouring Dior so much points strongly towards more than just an appreciation for the couturier. It is highly likely that a brand partnership is in negotiation between the parties. 'It would not be the first time a member of the Royal family has worked with a fashion brand in this way, and I'm sure the Sussexes would be grateful for the additional income, as would Dior for the extra exposure.' Meanwhile Mr Ede also spoke today about the importance of Harry and Meghan's tie-up with Dior. He told MailOnline: 'Fashion brands know that celebrity is a brilliant way to sell and create strong credentials. A brand like Dior who have a long history and heritage have jumped at the chance to work with Harry and Meghan. 'The royal family traditionally are unable to endorse brands but now that the pair are not officially part of the family they are able to have an arrangement with one of the biggest fashion houses in the world. 'Dior are promoting that they created the suit for Harry and this will help build his brand equity and I think we will see him and Meghan working closely with fashion houses and lifestyle brands to make money and also endorse. 'This kind of arrangement will be a financial one so they will either have signed an exclusive contract with the fashion house or they will receive a payment if they wear the brand.' Yesterday, Dior posted a picture of Harry in the suit on Instagram, saying: 'Tailoring fit for royalty. Dior is honoured to have dressed Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for the coronation of King Charles III in a custom design by Kim Jones. Seen arriving at Westminster Abbey, gain an insight into the savoir-faire of his three-piece suit next.' Prince Harry also wore a Dior suit when he spoke at the United Nations in New York in July 2022 Meghan wears a Dior dress to a reception in Rabat during a trip to Morocco in February 2019 Meghan wears a dark navy Dior dress to a service at Westminster Abbey for the RAF in 2018 Princess Diana arrives at the Met Gala in New York in 1996 in her iconic Dior silk slip dress The fashion house then posted more photographs of the suit during its manufacture, revealing the 'temporary basting stitches and the canvasing that shapes the lapels, before the balance and fit of each piece are perfected and the finished pieces emerge'. Dior then also issued a picture of Harry smiling inside the Abbey, and said he was 'elegantly clad in his bespoke Dior by @MrKimJones black wool and mohair suit'. Harry is understood to have worn what he was asked to wear to the ceremony yesterday, and had his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. Speaking ahead of the Coronation, military historian Dr Peter Johnston told True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat in April that Harry may be allowed to display a different tribute to his service despite serving two tours in Afghanistan. 'I imagine Harry won't wear uniform [at the Coronation],' he said. Even as a veteran who did two tours in Afghanistan, he won't wear uniform. 'I imagine he'll wear his medals but quite where he fits within the procession and where he comes, I think will be probably reasonably similar to where he was at the funeral as well.' Harry returned to California after catching a British Airways flight within hours of his father's coronation. He arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at around 6.30pm local time to reunite with his son on his birthday. Archie turned four yesterday and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their US home. British Airways flight attendants confirmed that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss the details of his trip. Harry's appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare. Harry's suit for the Coronation ceremony yesterday was designed by Dior's artistic director Kim Jones (left, pictured with Victoria and David Beckham at Paris Fashion Week in 2020) Kim Jones, who designed Harry's suit for the Coronation, is pictured with Lila Moss and Kate Moss at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit in New York on May 1 Harry's suit designer Kim Jones is pictured with Bella Hadid at Paris Fashion Week in June 2021 He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and the duke's stepmother the Queen, and was placed two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales. Harry chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church on Saturday in the drizzling rain. He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone. During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: 'God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever.' His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that he had no formal role at the event. A hero cop who took down the Texas mall shooter made a frantic call for backup just moments before he shot dead the AR-15-armed gunman who killed eight people. Children were among those killed in the bloodbath outside H&M in Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas at 3.36pm on Saturday. The shooter, now named as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was killed by an unidentified cop - who was on the scene for an unrelated call but rushed over when he heard the gunshots outside the H&M. New audio now reveals how the officer made a frantic phone call begging for his colleagues to join him on the scene, radioing: 'I need everybody I got.' The officer bravely ran towards the active shooter - who was armed with 60 rounds and had shot over a dozen people by this point - and killed him. About two minutes after first calling for backup, the cop said: 'I got him down.' Minutes later, another voice is heard on the radio saying: 'We got victims. I need an ambulance.' The FBI and police raided the dead suspect's Dallas home following the massacre and requested a translator to speak with his family. Neighbors say they often saw him wearing a security guard-type uniform, but he was 'very quiet' and had 'very unusual behavior.' His gray Dodge Charger, which was seen at the scene, was often parked outside the home. Shoppers were filed away from the H&M location after the gunman opened fire near the store. He was eventually killed by a heroic cop - however the shooter had already killed eight people The shooting happened at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, and saw at least eight people killed A stampede of hundreds of shoppers was seen racing out of the complex while gunfire rained out - as security and police attempted to shepherd them to safety. People in the store were frantically ushered into lockable rooms, and when they eventually got the all-clear to come out, they saw the broken windows, trails of blood by the door, and bloodied bodies covered in sheets. Dashcam video showed gunman Mauricio Garcia getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk on Saturday afternoon. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off. The gunman was using an AR-15-style gun during the mass shooting, and was dressed in full tactical SWAT gear. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd confirmed that seven people died at the scene, including the gunman, and then a further two victims died in hospital. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, and four were stable, Boyd said in an update on Saturday night. A Dallas-area medical group said it was treating victims as young as five-years-old. Investigators confirmed they believe the shooter was working alone, but they have not yet released any motive for the killings. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. He said: 'It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside. 'I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids,' he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. 'It broke me when I walked out to see that.' Payton then saw the body of the dead shooter - which was the only one not covered, he recalled. The gunman, dressed in SWAT gear with a semi-automatic rile at his side, is seen laying dead outside another Allen store, a few dozen feet from the H&M Police and FBI at the house of the dead suspect who opened fire at the mall Cops and FBI agents raided the home as neighbors said the suspect wore hoodies often and kept himself Another witness, Kimberly Blakey, said she and her daughter, 14, were among the crowd of people rushing to flee the parking lot after the gunfire started. She said the raining bullets were 'non-stop.' Her car got shot at during the ordeal as she tried to escape. Blakey told CNN: 'I told my daughter to get down. I could hear her start praying.' Another witness, Sheliza Ramlall, who was in the Nike store when the violence broke out, said: 'I had the most horrifying experience earlier. I was standing in line at the Nike store when all of a sudden people started to scream and run. 'The people in the doorway saw the man with the gun outside and raised the alarm. All of us in line dropped to the floor and started to crawl looking for a hiding place while falling over each other. 'I crawled behind the counter. At that moment, I realized that we were right in plain sight and and figured that I needed to get away from the front. 'As I looked to the back of the store, I heard someone saying get to the back, get to the back and everyone started running at that point. An employee opened the back door and let us out. We are standing by the roadside shaken, crying, and hugging each other. 'Not knowing where the gunman was or what was happening on the other side was terrifying but I wanted to get out of there so I left the crowd and started to flag the cars down to give me a lift. 'An elderly woman stopped and I hopped in a panic. She started to tell me about the gunshots she heard and drove me to my car. I raced out of there with an elevated heartbeat. 'I am grateful for our brave first responders who stopped the shooter and helped the people to safety.' The first shots were fired outside the H&M before the gunman was killed by an unnamed Allen officer at a burger shop a few stores away Glass is seen shattered across the sidewalk in front of one of the fashion stores in Allen, where the mass shooting took place just after 3pm on Saturday, May 6 Mayor Ken Fulk said in a statement on Saturday night: 'Today is a tragic day for the City of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. 'Allen is a proud and safe city which makes today's senseless act of violence even more shocking. However, I want to commend our police and fire departments for their quick response. 'Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today. We also want to thank all of our surrounding municipalities and law enforcement agencies for offering their assistance at the scene. 'This collective effort is what makes our North Texas communities united.' Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the shooting as an 'unspeakable tragedy.' Steven Spainhouer said he rushed to desperately save a child who had been shot. His own son was working at the H&M store when shots were fired. 'I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people,' he told CBS news. 'The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face.' He said she was already beyond saving. Still set on saving the mess of victims, Spainhouer recalled how he then found another child, who survived the barrage of bullets by being covered by his protective mother, who he said was among eight to die by the gunman. Spainhouer added: 'When I rolled the mother over, he came out. 'I asked him if he was OK and he said, 'My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt.' 'Rather than traumatize him any more, I pulled him around the corner sat him down and he was covered from head to toe. [It was] like somebody poured blood on him.' Allen resident Steven Spanhouer, recalled being one of the first people on the scene - after the now-deceased gunman opened fire outside a clothing store where his son worked Other aerial shooting shows the mass evacuation that transpired as cops reportedly swept each store to assess their safety, with hundreds of shoppers filed away from the H&M location where the bodies were seen In recent years, Texas has witnessed some of the most deadly mass shootings in America. Many believe it's due to the state's loosened gun laws which have come into effect in the past few years. In September 2021, a 'constitutional carry' law came into effect, allowing most Texas who legally own a firearm to carry it openly in public without obtaining a permit or training. At the time, Gov. Greg Abbott declared that the law 'instilled freedom in the Lone Star State.' Just eight months after the pro-gun law was passed, Uvalde, Texas experienced one of the bloodiest school shootings in US history at Robb Elementary School. A total of 19 children were killed, along with two teachers, by gunman Salvador Ramos. The gunman, 18, wrote 'LOL,' an acronym for 'laugh out loud,' on a whiteboard using the blood of his innocent victims. For years in Texas, Republicans have waved aside efforts to tighten gun laws after mass shootings, and even expanded gun rights after the 2019 attack on a Walmart in El Paso. Advertisement The queue for the Coronation concert began ten hours early today and first in the queue was a woman who lined up for 12 hours for the Queen's lying in state. Elizabeth Cotterill, 62, from Nottingham, arrived before 9am to be first in the line of 20,000 members of the public who will get the privilege of joining the King and Queen and some of the world's biggest pop stars to celebrate. Mrs Cottrell said: 'I waited for 12 hours to walk past her Majesty's body and pay my respects, and that was a very sad occasion. 'This is a much more joyous time, and I don't mind waiting this long. 'I wanted to be early because my daughter Emily and I love Take That and we wanted to get a good view of them and the royals.' The queue for the Coronation concert began ten hours early today and first in the queue was a woman who lined up for 12 hours for the Queen's lying in state The concert in Windsor castle starts at 8pm , but keen ticket holders wait since 9am today on the long walk Hundreds have flocked to join the queue on the Long Walk by Windsor Castle Next in line was Rita Gulrajani, 63, from Enfield with her husband Kenny, 66, who was adorned in a Union Jack shirt. Mrs Gulrajani said: 'I am 4 feet 10 tall and if I don't get to the front, I won't say a thing. 'So we were here at 9 am, and I know they're not open the queue until around 4 pm, but it will be well worth the wait. Rita Gulrajani, 63, (pictured) from Enfield said: 'I am 4 feet 10 tall and if I don't get to the front, I won't say a thing' Elizabeth Cotterill, 62, (pictured) from Nottingham arrived before 9am to be first in the line of 20,000 members of the public who will get the privilege of joining the King and Queen and some of the worlds biggest pop stars to celebrate By lunchtime, around 1000 people joined the line along The Long Walk I'm a massive Take That fan as well as Robbie Williams, and I've seen them all over the world dozens of times. I saw Robbie in Vegas and they are all great. 'Of course, Kenny and I are royal fans as well. We love the royal family and bringing Take That and King Charles together. It's just amazing.' By lunchtime, around 1000 people joined the line along The Long Walk. Tonight's Coronation Concert will see Lionel Richie, Take That, Katy Perry, Olly Murs, Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel perform for the Royals. The moment in which the late Queen shared tea with Paddington Bear at Buckingham Palace stole the show at last year's platinum jubilee celebrations. BBC bosses may be hoping for a similar coup at the Coronation Concert by enlisting the services of another beloved literary bear: Winnie-the-Pooh. Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville, Hollywood great Tom Cruise and Dame Joan Collins will also be on stage. The Coronation Concert features a union flag shaped stage, which was barely visible to tourists who paid for a nearby field to try to catch a glimpse. It is set on the eastern facade of the castle with multiple levels, and will hold a 70 piece orchestra with four cat walks around Launch out like the union flag into the crowd. Prince William clutches a can and Kate smiles as the royal couple made a surprise visit to see Coronation revellers in Windsor Kate is greeted on The Long Walk this afternoon Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales arrive in Windsor to greet royal fans William and Kate greeted those queuing ahead of the Coronation concert at Windsor Castle later tonight Coronation Big Lunch events are taking place around the UK on Sunday, including in London's Regent's Park (pictured) Hundreds have gathered in front of large screens in Windsor as they take part in the second of three days of festivities for the King's Coronation The concert will be transmitted live on the BBC tonight from 8pm. Members of the public were invited to apply for concert tickets online, with 20,000 people being chosen randomly as the lucky ones. It came as the Prince and Princess of Wales surprised fans in Windsor with a walkabout as the King and Queen thanked well-wishers for their support. William and Kate made the unannounced appearance ahead of Sunday's star-studded coronation concert at Windsor Castle. The Prince and Princess of Wales greeted crowds gathered in Windsor, shaking hands and chatting to revellers. At one point, Kate, wearing a pale blue blazer and white top, picked up a small union flag on a stick which had fallen on the floor and handed it to the well-wisher who dropped it. William It came shortly after Buckingham Palace issued the first public statement on behalf of Charles and Camilla since they were crowned. A Palace spokesman said the King and Queen were 'deeply touched' by the nation's celebration of their historic coronation. 'Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion - and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield,' he said. Heir to the throne William is to take to the stage to deliver a speech during the musical extravaganza in the grounds of Windsor Castle, with Kensington Palace sharing behind-the-scenes footage of the prince during rehearsals. The King, Queen and royal family will join around 20,000 members of the public at the musical extravaganza to see performances by Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Kate Middleton greeted fans dressed in a pale blue blazer, while Prince William opted for a darker shade as he shook hands with those gathered outside the castle. Alongside the thousands of smaller street parties expected to be held at the weekend, people are encouraged to come together across the country for the Coronation Big Lunch. In Cranleigh, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will join residents and representatives from the Royal British Legion, the Scouts and the Guides - of which Sophie is president. Elsewhere, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will visit a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will join a big lunch in Windsor. It comes as Anheuser-Busch reported a 26 percent drop in sales amid backlash Bar officials denounced the beer company's 'abandoned' support of their partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney The Chicago gay bar, 2Bears Tavern Group, announced Thursday they will no longer serve Bud Light Chicago gay bars pledged not to sell Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch walked back their involvement with Dylan Mulvaney amid sales tanking by 26 percent. The bar with four locations throughout the Windy City, 2Bears Tavern Group, denounced Anheuser-Busch after the company 'abandoned' their support of Mulvaney, 26, on Thursday. CEO of the beer company Michel Doukeris addressed the mass backlash last week claiming that the partnership with Mulvaney was 'not a formal campaign or advertisement.' The 2Bears Tavern Group referred to Doukeris' response to the contention as 'cruel' and 'hateful' while insisting the beer company simply fed into 'anti-trans' criticism. The conflict comes more than a month after the beer company partnered with Mulvaney in March to celebrate her first year as a trans-woman. The Chicago gay bar, 2Bears Tavern Group, announced Thursday they will no longer serve Bud Light. Pictured: 2Bears Tavern on Argyle street Bar officials denounced the beer company's 'abandoned' support of their partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Pictured: Mulvaney drinking Bud Light in a video posted on April 1 Anheuser-BuschCEO Michel Doukeris addressed the mass backlash last week claiming that the partnership with Mulvaney was 'not a formal campaign or advertisement.' The 2Bears Tavern Group referred to the response to the contention as 'cruel' and 'hateful' Doukeris downplayed the partnership with the trans-influencer during a Thursday earnings call with investors. 'We need to clarify the facts that this was one camp, one influencer, one post and not a campaign,' Doukeris said. The CEO attempted to repair its tarnished brand after announcing the partnership tainted the company and tanked sales. The collaboration also led to two marketing executives taking a leave of absence amid backlash. The disastrous marketing bid has seen sales for the American flagship beer plummet 26 percent, despite Anheuser-Busch reporting first-quarter earnings of $1.65billion. Investors were also told by Doukeris that Bud Light will triple its marketing spend this summer in a bid to woo customers back to the tarnished brand. 'We will continue to learn, meet the moment in time, all be stronger and we work tirelessly to do what we do best: Bring people together over a beer and creating a future of more cheers,' Doukeris said. Meanwhile, the LGBTQ+ Chicago pub slammed Doukeris' attempt at damage control as an 'attack' on the country. 'Anheuser-Busch's decision to drop its support of Mulvaney in response to ignorant and hateful objections by some of its customers shows how little Anheuser-Busch cares about the LGBTQIA+ community, and in particular transgender people, who have been under unrelenting attack in this country,' the bar wrote in a statement. 'CEO Brendan Whitworth's excuse that Anheuser-Busch "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people" was tantamount to saying that the rights and safety of transgender people are topics worthy of debate.' Bar officials further ridiculed Doukeris for his lack of 'care' for the LGBTQ+ community. Aside from Bud Light, the pub will also discontinue other Anheuser-Busch brands, including Busch Light and Goose Island 312. Several other LGBTQ+ activists have suggested Bud Light will go extinct. Mulvany posted the content to coincide with the NCAA March Madness tournament Michel Doukeris addressed the mass backlash over working with trans influencer Mulvaney, 26, for the first time in an earnings call with investors on Thursday In a letter to major retailers, the brewing giant addressed the backlash in detail for the first time after they were hit with a major dip in Bud Light sales following the paid partnership Stacy Lentz, the co-owner of the famous Stonewall Inn where many suggest the modern LGBTQ+ movement began, expressed sympathy for Mulvaney in an interview and believes people like her may begin giving up their Bud Lights. 'As far as marketing, I hope and think they realized that as a brand they will be extinct in a few years if they are not fully on the side of equality, as that is what the Gen Z consumer expects and demands,' Lentz said. She also told Newsweek the brewery had 'missed an opportunity to stand by their commitment to the trans community by pandering to and giving into transphobic outcries.' Stonewall Inn, the New York City haunt, was where the 1969 Stonewall Riots launched, widely considered the beginning of the LGBTQ+ movement in the United States. The landmark is no stranger to controversy with the brewer, refusing to serve Bud Light during New York Pride in 2021 over Anheuser-Busch's donations to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians. Lentz also said 'this whole thing was not handled well and she was caught in the middle of a horrible firestorm,' showing concern over Mulvaney in the wake of the backlash. Mulvaney (left) was sent a personalized beer can to mark 365 days since she transitioned. She documented her journey on TikTok and gained millions of online followers Mulvaney posted several videos and images on Instagram for the paid partnership on April 1, leading to an uproar of criticism. It is unknown exactly how much she was paid. Anheuser-Busch reported first-quarter earnings of $1.65billion, which topped Wall Street expectations. The brewer posted revenue of $14.21 billion in the period, which also beat forecasts, with the shares rising 6 percent since the beginning of the year and 12 percent in 12 months. It's unclear if the boycott had any impact on these figures, and whether a larger impact on the firm's finances will be visible for the second quarter of the financial year if the controversy and boycotts rumble on. After the post on April 1, Anheuser-Busch lost more than $6billion in market capitalization in just six days. The beer giant's stock roughly traded at just over 5 percent decrease in the total share value and the company's market capitalization stood at $113.33billion. Advertisement The beloved cheese and pickle sandwich is a core staple amongst many British picnics - and is bound to have played a starring role in the thousands of street parties that took place across the country today to celebrate King Charles' coronation. But it seems Jill Biden was not won over by the quintessential tea party essential as she dined at Downing Street's Big Lunch coronation street party earlier today. The US First Lady was caught on camera holding the popular lunchbox favourite aloft and inspecting it very carefully, having been personally served it by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The celebration at No 10 is among the thousands of street parties being held across the country today as people gather together for the Coronation Big Lunch. The Sunaks laid out Emma Bridgewater crockery for the First Lady and their other guests. The sets, which had been donated by the British brand, would have cost approximately 3,000 if bought. Mr Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty, the heiress of an Indian billionaire, has an apparent fondness of luxury pottery. Last summer during the leadership race she served tea to waiting press in mugs sold for 38 each. US First Lady Jill Biden sceptically inspected her cheese and pickle sandwich at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's big coronation lunch today Finnegan Biden also looks distrusting of the pickled sandwich as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak passes her one to try US First Lady Jill Biden has joined Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Downing Street for a big lunch to mark the coronation of King Charles III First Lady Jill Biden and Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty (right) speak to people attending the Big Lunch party at Downing Street today The First Lady and Prime Minister laughed and joked as they greeted each other, giving each other a kiss on both cheeks Mrs Biden, (left) wearing a long white embroidered coat, and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden were greeted by the Prime Minister's wife, Akshata Murty (right) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty and daughters Anoushka and Krishna attend the Big Lunch event on Downing Street As the festivities continued this weekend to mark Charles' reign, Buckingham Palace revealed the King and Queen were 'deeply touched' by the nation's celebration of their historic coronation. The Palace said newly-crowned Charles and Camilla are 'profoundly grateful' to those who helped make it such a 'glorious occasion'. Mrs Biden, wearing a long white embroidered coat, and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden were greeted by the Prime Minister's wife, Akshata Murty. The First Lady and Prime Minister were seen laughing and joking as they greeted each other, giving each other a kiss on both cheeks. They spent a few moments chatting before Ms Murty guided Mrs Biden towards the tables, where they began meeting guests. Laura Ashurst, a breast cancer campaigner from Stokesley in North Yorkshire, was sitting opposite Mrs Biden at the Big Lunch. She said: 'It's been absolutely amazing. We've met some amazing people from all over the country. There's so many people doing so much admirable and amazing work in their communities and for charity.' Mrs Ashurst and the First Lady discussed the work Mrs Biden has been doing with people with breast cancer, and exchanged some stories. She added: 'It's an absolute privilege to be here.' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to Finnegan Biden at his coronation big lunch today Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty (right), and her daughters Krishna Sunak (left) and Anoushka Sunak (centre) view preparations prior to Downing Street hosting a big lunch to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Finnegan Biden, Akshata Murty and Jill Biden spent a few moments chatting before taking their seats at the table Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds an oversized tea pot as he goes to pour a cup while sitting next to First Lady Jill Biden during the Big Lunch party on Downing Street Jill Biden (right), her granddaughter Finnegan Biden (left) and Akshata Murty are seen smiling and laughing during the Big Lunch outside No 10 Jill Biden and Rishi Sunak are seen conversing outside No 10 before sitting down for lunch Animated Rishi Sunak speaks with Jill Biden during a Coronation Big Lunch organised in Downing Street Jill Biden (second from left) and granddaughter Finnegan Biden (left) speak with Rishi Sunak (right) and wife Akshata Murty (second from right) during a lunch at Downing Street This is how YOU can make your own cheese and pickle sandwich Cheese and pickle sandwiches are a beloved British staple, being a key part of a traditional Ploughman's lunch. They are extremely easy to make: all you need is two slices of bread, a hard cheese, such as cheddar and, of course, Branston Pickle. Branston Pickle is a preservative made with a range of different vegetables, including carrot, onion and cauliflower. It is then pickled in a sauce made out of vinegar, tomato, apple pulp and different spices, making a sweet and tangy chutney. According to Branston Pickle the best way to make your sandwich is by slicing up white Farmhouse bread. Some may choose to spread a thin layer of butter or mayonnaise before adding a generous amount of the pickle mixture. Then take your mature cheddar cheese slices, add to your sandwich, close and enjoy. Cheese and pickle sandwich Advertisement Mr Sunak arrived shortly before Mrs Biden, walking out of the famous Number 10 door with his family. He said: 'Hello, how are you?' to the gathered guests before starting to mingle. Recipients of the Points of Light Award, given to ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their community, were among the invitees along with Ukrainians who have come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme after Russia invaded their country, as well as their UK sponsors. Other guests include young people from UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs. Also present at the event were Mr Sunak's two daughters and the family dog, Nova. Many of the invited guests took photos before taking seats right in front of the Number 10 door. The outside event saw two long tables covered in white linen, with vases of tulips and mugs saying King Charles III set up in front of the famous black No 10 door. The street was bedecked in union flag bunting with music played by the RAF Northolt brass quintet. Guests were tucking into dishes including coronation quiches, coronation chicken, sausage rolls and smoked salmon. The food has been sourced from across the UK, including beef from Gloucestershire, which is being served in Yorkshire puddings, Scottish Loch Duart salmon, Northern Irish soda bread and ice cream from Wales. The crockery has been donated by Emma Bridgewater, a pottery with strong royal connections where a teapot retails for 50, mugs cost 17 each and plates go for 15 a piece. Street parties are taking place across the UK today as Britons are encouraged to come together to mark the coronation. The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised fans in Windsor with a walkabout as a Coronation Big Lunch was underway. William and Kate made the unannounced appearance ahead of the star-studded coronation concert at Windsor Castle at 8pm tonight. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a Big Lunch in Cranleigh, Surrey, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will be guests at a community street party in Swindon, Wiltshire, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will visit a Big Lunch in Windsor. The celebrations come after tens of thousands of people turned out in central London yesterday to see the pomp and pageantry of the coronation, with Charles and Camilla processing through the streets in the Gold State Coach and taking to the Palace balcony in their glittering crowns. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty (right) greets First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden (left) before hosting a Coronation Big Lunch in Downing Street Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gestures as he attends the Big Lunch party at Downing Street to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a plate of sandwiches as US First Lady Jill Biden takes one with a British flag in it Nova, the Sunak family dog, attended the event in a Union Jack themed neckerchief First Lady Jill Biden speaks with guests at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's coronation lunch Millions of Brits break out the bunting as they hold street parties across the nation to celebrate King Charles' Coronation: READ MORE HERE A big lunch party in St Cuthbert's Road, Kilburn, north west London, which has been organised by TV chef Kerstin Rodgers, more commnly known as Ms Marmite Lover Advertisement More than 18 million people in the UK tuned in to watch the ceremony on TV, compared with 26.5 million for the late Queen's funeral in September. A Palace spokesman said: 'Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion - and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield.' Camilla meanwhile asked for her coronation bouquet of English spring flowers to be placed on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in the coronation church, Westminster Abbey. The simple posy, including auriculas, the late Queen's favourite lily of the valley, and one of Charles's favourites hellebores, by the King and Queen's go-to florist, Shane Connolly, was laid at the memorial. Royal brides traditionally send their bouquets to be placed there the day after their weddings in a tradition started by the Queen Mother. Camilla did not carry the flowers on Saturday as it was a wedding not a coronation, the Palace said. In Windsor, royal fans - some draped in Union flags or wearing Union flag dresses - started arriving hours before the concert was due to begin at 8pm. The show, hosted by Downton Abbey and Paddington actor Hugh Bonneville, will see Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Dynasty actress Dame Joan Collins, adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Sir Tom Jones appear via video message. The series of pre-recorded sketches will reveal little-known facts about the monarch and will also include moments from beloved literary character Winnie the Pooh - seemingly echoing the famous moment Paddington Bear drank tea with the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Guests attends a Coronation Big Lunch organised in Downing Street by Britain's Prime Minister and his wife The crockery has been donated by Emma Bridgewater, a pottery with strong royal connections The street was bedecked in union flag bunting with music played by the RAF Northolt brass quintet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dishes out cake at his Coronation Big Lunch today The food has been sourced from across the UK, including beef from Gloucestershire, which is being served in Yorkshire puddings, Scottish Loch Duart salmon, Northern Irish soda bread and ice cream from Wales Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seen serving cake to guests at the Big Lunch event on Downing Street today Jill Biden is pictured drinking what is presumed to be tea at the Coronation Big Lunch There will also be performances by Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, veteran rock guitarist Steve Winwood, and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls. Classical acts including Andrea Bocelli, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel and Chinese pianist Lang Lang will perform too. The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art will come together for the first time to create a one-off performance featuring Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac. Meanwhile, as part of the Coronation Concert, choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will radiate over historic bridges and buildings. Jill Biden, (centre) Finnegan Biden, (left) and Rishi Sunak (right) are seen speaking ahead of the Coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street Rishi Sunak hosts a Big Lunch event on Downing Street to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III Prime Minister Rishi Sunak poses for a photograph with two guests during a Coronation Big Lunch in Downing Street A coronation themed table setting is seen during a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty at Downing Street Seven of the 10 locations involved in the event, Lighting Up The Nation, have been disclosed so far, including Blackpool seafront in Lancashire, where people can join a viewing party from Blackpool Tower. Sheffield Town Hall will showcase a display in the Peace Gardens, while Newcastle's Tyne Bridge and Gateshead's Millennium Bridge lights will cast riverside reflections for an audience stretching between the quays. A drone show will light up the sky above the Eden Project in Cornwall, and its biomes will become multicoloured for spectators invited from the local volunteer community. Light shows will also brighten up Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations. The remaining three locations will be revealed during the concert. Gordon Ramsay was brought to tears when speaking on the loss of MasterChef star Jock Zonfrillo, who it was revealed last Monday had died at the age of 46. 'The ripples have been devastating. No one is going to get over this quickly,' he said on a special episode of The Project, a talk show in Australia. 'If there is one thing we've done as chefs is we've united and have been talking about the good times,' he added. 'It's just so painful.' Jock Zonfrillo was found dead by Victoria Police at an address in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton on 30 April. The death is not being treated as suspicious. Ramsay paid tribute to the late Glaswegian MasterChef Australia judge with Jamie Oliver and Jock's former London mentor Marco Pierre White, who called him one of the great cooks of the century. Barry 'Jock' Zonfrillo was a Glasgow-born chef based in Australia, who died aged 46 On an episode of Australian show The Project, Ramsay paid tribute to the late Jock Zonfrillo The Sunday Project paid special tribute to the late Jock Zonfrillo ahead of the premiere of his final season of MasterChef Australia. Zonfrillo had already filmed the 15th season of the show, which was planned to premiere on 1 May. The release was postponed and fronted by The Project's special episode, reflecting on Zonfrillo's life. The hour-long tribute to Zonfrillo featured interviews with his friends and colleagues, as well as footage of him cooking and mentoring contestants. Ramsay was brought to tears when he spoke about Zonfrillo, who he had worked with back in the 1990s in London. 'It's just a shock, a massive shock. He was never done as a chef. He still had years to go,' he said. Ramsay said spending time with him on Masterchef was 'electrifying'. He added: 'Being in the environment together sort of took us back 20 years. 'There is something quite amazing about two Scots coming together in Australia. It makes you happy at the end of the day. 'There was always something quite of encouraging about the s**t we'd gone through to get to where we'd been.' Zonfrillo, the son of a barber and a hairdresser, was born in Glasgow and raised in Ayr, Scotland. He started working in kitchens at 12 and later took on an apprenticeship at The Turnberry Hotel in Ayrshire. The budding chef later moved to London and worked at the prestigious Restaurant Marco Pierre White. He had no place to stay and very little money to hand. He told AFR in 2019 that he arrived in London 'ever the optimist' and 'knocked on the door and thought "It'll be fine. I'll get a job."' Speaking on The Project, Pierre White reflected: 'Jock came to me when he was 17 years old. His enthusiasm was greater than his knowledge, but it was that enthusiasm which drove him, maybe fuelled by his fears of failure, by his insecurities - which I could relate to.' 'Very few chefs have an inquisitive mind, an intellectual mind and a creative mind. That's what makes him special, that's what makes him rare.' He added: 'He'll be greatly missed... he was a star in the true sense and that's why he has my vote to be one of the great cooks of the 21st century. He was special. He was rare.' Jock Zonfrillo (left) is pictured with Gordon Ramsay on season 12 of MasterChef Australia Marco Pierre White (left) stands with his former apprentice Jock Zonfrillo on MasterChef Jamie Oliver said he remembers meeting Jock for the first time when he was 22 when he took his then girlfriend and now wife Jules to his restaurant. 'It was me and Jules' first date weekend and we went there, and there he was, young Jock, 22 years old, head chef with a beautiful menu and beautiful food,' he said. 'I remember it because it was the first time I remember being spoiled by another chef. 'He came from really humble beginnings and he smashed it, just smashed it... we've lost a very, very bright star.' Nigella Lawson said her heart breaks for Zonfrillo's family. 'My heart breaks - as I am sure everyone's does - for Jock's children and his family, and everyone who loved him,' Lawson said. 'There's an old-fashioned phrase here but may his memory be a blessing.' Former neighbours also shared tributes and fond memories of Jock from his upbringing in Ayrshire, Scotland. Stories revealed details about the young boy, then known as Barry, who became the class clown because he hated going to school at Belmont Academy. His neighbours said they were proud someone from their community had gone on to international success as a chef. Jock's wife, Lauren Fried, called police when her husband failed to answer her calls. Officers found the chef in his bed, having died, and saw no signs of anything suspicious or unusual. Police formed the view the father-of-four had died of natural causes. Jock leaves behind his wife and their two young children, as well as his adult daughters from a past relationship. MBABANE The Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF) has proposed for the provision of a one-stop shop for all compensable claims in the country that relate to both motor vehicle and occupational injuries. The fund believes the compensation for injured workers, as provided for in the Workmens Compensation Act (WCA) of 1983, is similar to the cover offered by the SMVA Fund. When making a presentation before the Portfolio Committee on Labour and Social Security, the fund mentioned that inasmuch as compensation for workmen was compulsory under the WCA, it was also the same case under the SMVA Fund. Any compensation paid by someone else other than the employer in WCA claims is reimbursable by the employer or insurer of the employer. Theoretically, the SMVA Fund could seek redress for any benefits it pays to motor vehicle claimants, the fund submitted to the committee as part of the process of making amendments to the WCA. The fund said establishing a long-term deliberate Act of centralising the processing of claims of motor vehicle accident claimants at the SAMVA Fund was essential. This Act could be extended to all workmen employment accident victims for WCA not just motor vehicle accidents. The SMVA Fund is very wide in its cover for motor vehicle accident victims. This centralisation of benefits will not interfere with the existence of the WCA, but enhance the quality of service for all claimants, the fund said, while also stating that matters of reimbursement would be easy to manage and the WCA would still be liable to incept the cover. It listed a number of benefits it said would be accrued from this, one of which is that the fund has a well-established specialised infrastructure, which includes a modern investigative (radiology) clinic, periodic visitations for check-up, management of minor payments and of people with mental disability. processing The other perceived benefits are: speedy processing of claims and rehabilitation of victims; avoiding the confusion of who pays first and who should be reimbursed; claims costs would be centralised and easy to apportion to the various compensation schemes; and the SMVA Fund itself would achieve organic growth and fully utilise its well capitalised infrastructure. In its view, the fund said there were significant benefits that could be accrued both for the claimants and the country through enhanced and deliberate collaboration with the WCA. Entrenching this within the legislation would enable that a centralised, cost-effective, and efficient claims processing and case management is in place to support the compensable injury claims, the fund said. It, therefore, proposed to the committee that there be a provision of a deferment clause in the proposed amendment Bill enabling the SMVA Fund to process all claimants referred to the WCA for the compensation of workmen. The SMVA Fund now deals with hot cases as the road accident victims are supported immediately the accident occurs from evacuation to treatment, rehabilitation to compensation. Translate the same rehabilitation model to WCA to accelerate the processing and finalisation of the WCA claims, the fund proposed. It also proposed for the establishment of mechanisms through which the SMVA could extend function of its developed infrastructure to WCA cases through its systems, processes and procedures. These, the fund said, would include medical investigations (radiology), access to Ekuphileni Clinic, case management, claims process, etcetera. The fund also proposed this: SMVAF is the only entity that already has capacity and resources that can readily be deployed for a full range of claims assessment e.g. personal injury claims, case management, loss of income, general damages, etc. Establish mechanisms for collaboration and integration.Already, the SMVAf said it complied and aligned with claims triaging, compliance with treatment and rehabilitation protocols. Additionally, the fund said it has the experience and expertise to address claims backlog and would assist extend the capability to clear the WCA backlog. Greg Abbott insists the best way to address the exponential increase in gun violence is to address the mental health problems at the root of the issue. The explanation from the Texas governor comes after his gun-friendly state saw yet another mass shooting on Saturday that left nine people dead at a mall, including the gunman. Gov. Abbott also dismissed critics' claims that the lax gun laws in the state are to blame for the increased mass shootings. Instead, he said that all states have been experiencing an increase in gun violence in recent years. 'We need to recognize the reality we've seen across the United States over the last year or two, and that is an increased number of shootings in both red states and blue states,' Abbott told Fox News Sunday. 'We've seen an increased number of shootings in states with easy gun laws, as well as states with very strict gun laws.' 'I think that the state in which the largest number of victims occurred this year is in California, where they have very tough gun laws,' he added. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said after the latest mass shooting in his state that mental health is the biggest thing that needs addressing in order to decrease the massive spike in gun violence A gunman with an AR-15 and wearing full tactical gear opened fire at an H&M clothing store in the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas on Saturday afternoon. He gunned down eight people, including children, before a hero cop took out the shooter. The cop was on scene for an unrelated call but rushed over when he heard the gunshots. 'One thing that we can observe very easily and that is there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that's taking place in America,' Abbott said in his Sunday morning interview. 'And what Texas is doing in a big time way, we are working to address that anger and violence by going to its root cause, which is addressing mental health problems behind it.' The shooting comes almost exactly a year after another mass shooting shook Texas in Uvalde last May at the Robb Elementary School. New audio footage of the most recent shooting reveals how the unnamed hero officer made a frantic phone call begging for his colleagues to join him on the scene, radioing: 'I need everybody I got.' He bravely ran towards the active shooter - who was armed with 60 rounds and had shot over a dozen people by this point - and killed him. Around two minutes after first calling for backup, the cop said: 'I got him down.' Minutes later, another voice is heard on the radio saying: 'We got victims. I need an ambulance.' The FBI have raided the dead suspect's home following the civilian massacre. Hundreds of shoppers were filed away from the H&M location after the gunman opened fire near the store. He was eventually killed by a heroic cop - however the gunman had already killed eight people The shooting happened at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, and saw at least eight people killed A stampede of hundreds of shoppers were seen racing out of the complex while gunfire rained out - as security and police attempted to shepherd them to safety. People in the store were frantically ushered into lockable rooms, and when they eventually got the all-clear to come out, they saw the broken windows, trails of blood by the door, and bloodied bodies covered in sheets. Dashcam video showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk on Saturday afternoon. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off. The gunman was using an AR-15-style gun during the mass shooting, and was dressed in full tactical SWAT gear. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd confirmed that seven people died at the scene, including the gunman, and then a further two victims died in hospital. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, and four were stable, Boyd said in an update on Saturday night. A Dallas-area medical group said it was treating victims as young as five-years-old. Investigators have confirmed that they believe the shooter was working alone, but they have not yet released any motive for the devastating killings. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. He said: 'It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside. 'I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids,' he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. 'It broke me when I walked out to see that.' Payton then saw the body of the dead shooter - which was the only one not covered, he recalled. In a disturbing snippet, the gunman is seen laying dead outside another Allen store on a few dozen feet from the H&M. He is seen dressed in SWAT gear, with a semi-automatic rile at his side Other footage and snaps taken at the scene, meanwhile, help piece together what exactly transpired at the outdoor mall - with the first shots being fired outside the H&M, before the gunman was killed by the unnamed Allen officer at a burger shop a few stores away A law enforcement officer carries a rifle as people are evacuated from the shopping center Another witness, Kimberly Blakey, said she and her daughter, 14, were among the crowd of people rushing to flee the parking lot after the gunfire started. She said the raining bullets were 'non-stop.' Her car got shot at during the ordeal as she tried to escape. Blakey told CNN: 'I told my daughter to get down. I could hear her start praying.' Another witness, Sheliza Ramlall, who was in the Nike store when the violence broke out, said: 'I had the most horrifying experience earlier. I was standing in line at the Nike store when all of a sudden people started to scream and run. 'The people in the doorway saw the man with the gun outside and raised the alarm. All of us in line dropped to the floor and started to crawl looking for a hiding place while falling over each other. 'I crawled behind the counter. At that moment, I realized that we were right in plain sight and and figured that I needed to get away from the front. 'As I looked to the back of the store, I heard someone saying 'get to the back, get to the back' and everyone started running at that point. An employee opened the back door and let us out. We are standing by the roadside shaken, crying, and hugging each other. 'Not knowing where the gunman was or what was happening on the other side was terrifying but I wanted to get out of there so I left the crowd and started to flag the cars down to give me a lift. 'An elderly woman stopped and I hopped in a panic. She started to tell me about the gunshots she heard and drove me to my car. I raced out of there with an elevated heartbeat. 'I am grateful for our brave first responders who stopped the shooter and helped the people to safety.' Glass is seen shattered across the sidewalk in front of one of the fashion stores in Allen, where the mass shooting took place just after 3pm on Saturday, May 6 Mayor Ken Fulk said in a statement on Saturday night: 'Today is a tragic day for the City of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. 'Allen is a proud and safe city which makes today's senseless act of violence even more shocking. However, I want to commend our police and fire departments for their quick response. 'Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today. We also want to thank all of our surrounding municipalities and law enforcement agencies for offering their assistance at the scene. 'This collective effort is what makes our North Texas communities united.' Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the shooting as an 'unspeakable tragedy.' Witnesses have recalled the horrific moments they realized they were in the midst of a mass shooting - with one man, Steven Spainhouer, saying he rushed to desperately save a child who had been shot. His own son was working at the H&M store when shots were fired. Spainhouer told CBS News: 'I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people. 'The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face.' He said she was already beyond saving. Still set on saving the mess of victims, Spainhouer recalled how he then found another child, who survived the barrage of bullets by being covered by his protective mother, who he said was among eight to die by the gunman. Spainhouer added: 'When I rolled the mother over, he came out. 'I asked him if he was OK and he said, 'My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt.' 'Rather than traumatize him any more, I pulled him around the corner sat him down and he was covered from head to toe. [It was] like somebody poured blood on him.' Allen resident Steven Spanhouer, recalled being one of the first people on the scene - after the now-deceased gunman opened fire outside a clothing store where his son worked The suspect's identity has not been released, nor has a prospective motive for the killings Other aerial shooting shows the mass evacuation that transpired as cops reportedly swept each store to assess their safety, with hundreds of shoppers filed away from the H&M location where the bodies were seen In recent years, Texas has witnessed some of the most gruesome and deadly mass shootings in America. Many believe it's partly because of the state's loosened gun laws which have come into effect in the past few years. In September 2021, a 'constitutional carry' law came into effect, allowing most Texas who legally own a firearm to carry it openly in public without obtaining a permit or training. At the time, Gov. Greg Abbott declared that the law 'instilled freedom in the Lone Star State.' Just eight months after the pro-gun law was passed, Uvalde, Texas experienced one of the bloodiest school shootings in US history at Robb Elementary School. A total of 19 children were killed, along with two teachers, by gunman Salvador Ramos. The gunman, 18, wrote 'LOL,' an acronym for 'laugh out loud,' on a whiteboard using the blood of his innocent victims. For years in Texas, Republicans have waved aside efforts to tighten gun laws after mass shootings, and even expanded gun rights after the 2019 attack on a Walmart in El Paso. The ringleader of the anti-monarchist group who attempted to rain on King Charles' parade yesterday has insisted that they are too 'knackered' to stage any more Not My King protests this week. Speaking ahead of tonight's star-studded coronation concert, Republic's megaphone-wielding chief executive Graham Smith claimed neither he nor his group have the energy to cause further disruption. After spending almost 16 hours in police custody yesterday, Mr Smith told MailOnline: 'We are knackered really.' He added: 'We are going to regroup and plan to carry on in the future. We will sit down and decide this week.' The temporary pause on action comes amid the Met Police facing backlash over how it handled protesters at the King's Coronation yesterday afternoon. Republic chief executive Graham Smith (pictured) admitted he, nor his group, have the energy to cause further disruption this week Dozens of anti-monarchist protesters were arrested by police during King Charles' Coronation yesterday As King Charles and Queen Camilla prepared to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, Mr Smith was among dozens of anti-monarchist activists who were arrested - a move which the Republic chief labelled as a 'direct attack on our democracy'. After being released from custody, Mr Smith said today: 'There were no bounds - it was an an appalling attack on our rights. 'We were there for 16 hours and released at about 11pm last night.' The Met confirmed that 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the Coronation. Officers said they had seized multiple lock-on devices and hundreds of posters. Just Stop Oil activists were also arrested on The Mall, with protesters insisting they were only planning on waving flags and wearing T-shirts during the Coronation. New legislation passed this week means protesters who have an object with the intention of using it to 'lock on' are liable to a fine, with those who block roads facing 12 months in prison. In a 603-word statement following his release today, Mr Smith warned that his group are by no means done with making a stance despite eight of them being detained. Speaking on behalf of the group, he said: 'These arrests are a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country.' He also accused police officers of being 'intimidating, heavy-handed, not willing to listen, not willing to co-operate or to engage', while he said they should 'hang their heads in shame'. Police were seen scouring vans with hundreds of Not My King banners on Saturday afternoon A Republic activist is questioned and searched by police following protests on The Mall this morning Anti-monarchist demonstrations took place in Trafalgar Square as rain poured down from the skies Republic said that they will not be deterred from staging further protests but will pause to go back to the drawing table Mr Smith added: 'We will not be deterred from further protest. We will protest on Trafalgar Square, we will protest on The Mall, outside Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace. 'We will protest outside Downing Street and parliament, in Windsor and around the UK. As much as possible we will continue to protest wherever Charles goes, wherever William goes. We will continue to protest with one simple message: Charles is not our king, it is time to abolish the monarchy.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he had demanded 'clarity' from the Met's leaders on the arrests. He tweeted: 'Some of the arrests made by police as part of the Coronation event raise questions and whilst investigations are ongoing, I've sought urgent clarity from Met leaders on the action taken.' However, in stark contrast, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer argued that police got the 'balance right' between allowing protest and enjoyment of the King's coronation. She defended the Met after the force was heavily criticised by MPs and human rights groups over the arrests, denying that officers had gone too far. The Cabinet minister told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'What they have to do is balance the right to protest, which is important in a democracy. At the same time there's the right of all those other people to enjoy what was a fabulous day. 'I think, overall, they managed to get that balance right.' Supporters of the Republic pressure group protest against the coronation on the edge of Trafalgar Square at the top of Whitehall yesterday Anti-monarchy activists have hailed Meghan Markle as the 'People's Princess' during their protest against the Coronation yesterday Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he had demanded 'clarity' from the Met's leaders on the arrests Footage on Twitter yesterday showed officers using their powers under the new Public Order Act, with a number of demonstrators in yellow 'Not My King' T-shirts having their details taken. In one video an officer said: 'I'm not going to get into a conversation about that, they are under arrest, end of.' Each time Republican protesters broke out into chants of 'Not my King', concerted boos and jeers went up from the rest of the crowd, before turning into cheers when the protesters were drowned out. Republic group director Harry Stratton denied any megaphones or locking chains were being carried or seized, and that they hadn't broken any rules laid out by the force in a series of meetings - which included not mentioning Prince Andrew and the sex claims against him, which he denies. The Royal Family will be relieved to hear that tonight's Windsor Castle concert headlined by Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That, will not be targeted by Republic activists. The Coronation Big Lunch is also taking place today as millions of Brits come together to share food and celebrate the monarch being crowned. Meanwhile tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of opportunities have been made available as part of The Big Help Out initiative. It appears none of these will be impacted by Republic. The left-wing New York Times has been mocked on social media for a Coronation article claiming Anglophile Americans were dining on 'breakfast pie' and drinking 'non-alcoholic Buck's Fizzes'. Royal fans across the country have come together today to hold Big Coronation Lunch events marking the second day of the celebrations. But in an article describing how Anglophile Americans had awoken in the early hours of the morning to watch the event, since been updated and corrected, the New York Times used some questionable references towards the food and beverages consumed by Britons this weekend. The newspaper told of how Americans with links to Britain, or those with mere curiosity, had risen in the early hours to watch the historic occasion take place at Westminster Abbey. But the article detailed how people in the UK had 'dined on scones, Scotch eggs and breakfast pie' during the celebrations of King Charles' Coronation. People take part in a Big Lunch event to celebrate the coronation of King Charles in Gloucester Street earlier today A paragraph in the original article described people dining on 'breakfast pie' and drinking 'Buck's Fizzes' The paragraph has since been updated and edited to remove 'breakfast pie' and the incorrect spelling of 'Buck's Fizzes' It also told of how people 'wore gloves and the small headpieces called fascinators', as well as drinking 'Buck's Fizzes' - describing the cocktail as a non-alcoholic version of a mimosa despite it containing champagne. British readers were left perplexed at the terminology, with many confused over the concept of a breakfast pie and its existence in the UK. One reader said: 'Bucks Fizz "non-alcoholic"? It's made with champagne for goodness sake...' A second added: 'What is breakfast pie? The entire UK would like to know.' A third said: 'Ha! Its a masterpiece of mistakes. A comedy of errors.' Another wrote: 'The words "dined" and "scotch eggs" should never, ever, be in the same sentence. Ever.' It comes after the newspaper labelled the Coronation a 'cringing discomfort' and claimed it 'arrived with little fanfare', despite news outlets around the globe praising the pomp and pageantry. It is not the first time The New York Times has engaged in some Britain bashing, having previously been forced into an embarrassing apology after publishing an incorrect attack on the Royal Family during coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral last year. In an article published ahead of the coronation today, the American paper claimed that 'relations between the British monarchy and its distant realms has come to an end'. On a day when Britain's best was put on display for the world to see - fit with military processions, ancient royal carriages, and traditions that date back ceremonies - the paper then said Britain's 'history tends to be romanticised'. Then, to only add further to it's blotting of Britain, the paper tried to claim that the 'coronation arrived with little fanfare, and some cringing discomfort'. Bryan Freedman, his lawyer, said 'the idea anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous' Ousted FOX News host Tucker Carlson is 'preparing for war' against his former network as he plans his next career move, according to a new report. Carlson, 53, was suddenly fired from the network last month after 14 years, with no explanation given as to why the company would let their most-watched anchor go. But Carlson's contract at FOX News, in which he was paid $20 million a year, does not expire until January 2025 after the presidential election. Carlson is still being paid and therefore is prohibited from joining a rival network or starting his own, Axios reports. Ousted FOX News host Tucker Carlson, pictured last July, is said to be 'preparing for war' with his former network in an effort to get out of his contract Carlson, 53, had previously posted a video to his Twitter page in which he vowed to be back But his attorney Bryan Freedman told Axios: 'The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous.' Friends and sources close with the former FOX News host added that his allies at rival platforms are now preparing to attack the network. 'They're coming to him and saying, "Do you want me to hit FOX?"' an unidentified close friend of Carlson's told the outlet. 'He's been saying, "No I want to get this done quiet and clean." Carlson was said to have met with Elon Musk about a partnership 'Now, we're going from peace time to Defcon 1,' the friend said, explaining: 'His team is preparing for war. He wants his freedom.' Another source close to Carlson added that Carlson 'knows where a lot of bodies are buried, and is ready to start drawing a map.' They say rival media outlets have become more aggressive about getting the 53-year-old on staff. Carlson is said to have been contacted by Rumble and Newsmax, which have both reportedly agreed to pay him more than he was making at FOX. He had a conversation with Twitter chief Elon Musk about working together, but did not discuss specifics, according to Axios. Sources close to Carlson say he is also considering building a direct-to-consumer media outlet, where his millions of fans could pay to watch him. Carlson made his first public appearance on Thursday since departing Fox Carlson and his wife Susan Andrews pictured for the first time after his dismissal since parting ways with Fox late last month The former FOX News host had previously promised his fans he would be back, in a video posted to his Twitter page just two days after he was fired. 'When honest people say what's true, calmly and without embarrassment, they become powerful,' he said in the video. 'At the same time, the liars who have ben trying to silence them shrink, and they become weaker,' Carlson continued, concluding with: 'See you soon.' He then made his first public appearance on Thursday night following with a speech at Oxford Performing Arts Center in Oxford, Alabama, for the annual fundraiser for Rainbow Omega. 'I'm probably the first unemployed person you ever invited to speak,' Carlson joked. 'It's funny. I never give speeches because I'm working. When I accepted this speech six months ago or something, I didn't realize how much free time I would have. 'One never knows, does one?' When asked for comment by DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for FOX News said the network will not comment beyond its initial statement on April 23, which said: '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.' Axios reports Carlson cannot join a rival news organization or start one of his own under his $20 million a year contract with FOX expires in January 2025 (pictured Rupert Murdoch, who owns FOX News, with his sons James and Lachlan in 2016) Following Carlson's dismissal from FOX, its ratings have slumped as fans of the firebrand presenter left the network in droves The decision was made six days after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. Since then, a slew of rumors pertaining to his dismissal have emerged. They span from claims over Carlson's texts that emerged in the wake of the lawsuit, including some in which he claimed he hated Trump. There were also rumors Carlson may have been fired over a gender discrimination suit filed by a former female booker on his show. It has also since emerged that Carlson sent an incendiary text message the day after the January 6 storming of the Capitol - which the board of Fox News learnt about on the eve of their defamation trial. The pivotal role played by the January 7, 2021, text message was originally reported by The New York Times. In the text to one of his producers, Carlson recalls seeing a mob of three white men attacking an 'Antifa kid' and wanting the victim to be killed. But, Carlson wrote, he realized wanting the 'Antifa kid' to die was wrong. Carlson also asserted that white people in general do not act so dishonorably as to launch a three-against-one attack. He did not specify the race of the 'Antifa kid'. 'It was three against one, at least,' Carlson wrote. 'Jumping a guy like that is dishonorable obviously. It's not how white men fight.' Following his dismissal from Fox News, their ratings have slumped as fans of the firebrand presenter left the network in droves. The attack happened in Kleve Walk, Worcester, at around 2am on Sunday Man, 56, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and sexual assault A female pensioner in her 70s was sexually assaulted and stabbed in a street attack. West Mercia Police said the attack happened in Kleve Walk, Worcester, at around 2am on Sunday. A 56-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and has now been further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. He remains in custody. The woman, 71, was taken to hospital in a critical condition with multiple stab wounds. Chief Inspector Brian Gibbs said: 'We are treating the incident in the early hours of this morning as an isolated incident and there is no further risk to the wider public. Kleve Walk is closed off as a crime scene along the River Severn 'However, we understand the impact the concerning nature of this incident has had on the local community and want to let those visiting the city centre this evening know of the steps we're taking to help make them feel safer. 'The mobile police station will be situated in the area with officers there to speak to members of the public. 'Extra officers will also be carrying out patrols in and around the river path which will continue throughout the rest of the weekend. 'I really would encourage anyone who is concerned to speak to one of my officers either at the mobile police station or officer on patrol.' Police at the scene of a stabbing in Worcester MBABANE For the past four decades, ESRIC has been the sole insurer for the compensation and medical treatment of workers who suffer injury or contract disease in the course of their employment. But members of the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee on Labour and Social Security have raised concerns on how the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC) has held this monopoly for such a long time. They have, as a result, recommended an end to the monopoly by amending the Workmens Compensation Act (WCA) of 1983, so as to open the door for the inclusion of other insurers registered in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Although the ESRIC is not opposed to the move to end the monopoly, a labour specialist has warned that this is absolutely unwarranted and the wrong thing to do because the monthly and annual premiums paid by liable employers would be eaten as privately earned dividends by private individuals through their shareholdings in the private insurance companies that would be collecting the compulsory workmens compensation. According to the specialist, Dr. Cleopas Sibanda, the monopoly that was given to ESRIC was wrong in itself and allowing other insurers to come in was a perpetuation of this wrong. What the proposed amendment to include all and any other registered insurance companies in the collection of workmens compensation insurance premiums seeks to do is not to bring the collected workers compensation insurance premiums back into the domain of public or government ownership, where they rightfully and correctly belong, but to just perpetuate an already and long-time wrong situation whereby these premiums have been and continue to be annually eaten or shared out as privately earned dividends by these very lucky insurance companies, Sibanda told the portfolio committee. compensation He submitted that in the face of the known need to de-privatise these workmens compensation insurance funds and bring them back to public or government ownership where they actually belong, this proposed amendment was not in good spirit at all. It just seeks to perpetuate a fundamental wrong! Already, and since 1983, the Government of Eswatini, employers and workers have lost billions of emalangeni in excess collected workers compensation insurance premium funds to shareholders of Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation, Sibanda informed the committee. A report of the committee, which contains submissions made by stakeholders, who include Sibanda, the ESRIC, the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force and the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, has been tabled in Parliament for consideration and adoption. Sibanda is a qualified and experienced Occupational Health and Social Protection Specialist Physician, who worked for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security from 2008 to 2016 and was Head of the Workmens Compensation Unit (WCU) under the Department of Labour, and was Acting Head of the Department of Social Security from 2009 to 2015. He was legally gazetted as Chairman of the National Social Security Technical Working Group from 2012 to 2013. According to Sibanda, there is no justification whatsoever to have these funds parceled out to other insurance companies to further perpetuate the loss of public funds through the proposed amendments of the Act. Instead, what the Workmens Compensation Act cries out for and has been crying out for since 1983 is an urgent redress of this terribly unkind and anomalous situation, he said, while stating that the most urgent amendment was that which would bring back the excess workers compensation insurance funds or premiums back into the domain of the public ownership, and not to further privatise these funds and proposed in the amendment. benefit He said when he was head of the Workmens Compensation Unit, he immediately advised and sought for the excess and unclaimed workers compensation insurance funds or premiums to be brought back to government, where they rightfully and correctly belonged. To my surprise, for trying to do the professionally sound, right and correct thing and for the benefit of the country as a whole, and also for the benefit of government and its people, but especially for the benefit of all the under-compensated workers and employers of the country, I found myself being victimised and being engineered out of my job at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. That is when I realised that I had touched the cash cow of some very powerful people in both government and the private sector, Sibanda claimed. He alleged to have been victimised by his own bosses and engineered out of his job at the ministry and in government but did not believe that the victimisation was from national Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini for correctly advising it in this issue and for trying to do the right thing. And for that, I have been made to suffer, and have suffered and still continue to suffer, good people! But one day, God willing, justice will be served. And I believe, Sibanda added. The ESRIC, on the other hand, reportedly expressed concern at not having been previously warned about the impending legislative changes. Also, the company is said to have showed concern on the transition to the proposed structure. They highlighted that the Bill does not have a provision to cater for the transition into the proposed arrangement, reads the portfolio committee report. assessment Further, ESRIC reportedly submitted that a risk assessment of the current registered insurance company would need to be done by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to determine the capability of these insurers to handle and honour workmens compensation compliance requirements, such as fitness, in addition to simply being registered. The ESRC is said to have also pointed out the need for a new insurer to prepare itself to handle this class of business and that the ministry would have to satisfy itself that the insurer(s) has a firm understanding of its responsibility in terms of the Act. They (ESRIC) then requested that a transition period of eighteen (18) months be given so that all stakeholders could undertake the activities outlined above, the report states. Having considered the submissions of the stakeholders, the committee recommended ending the ESRIC monopoly and that a transitional provision be included in the amendments to allow for any loose ends and handover process that may be necessary. To accommodate other insurers, the MPs have recommended an amendment to Section 25(1) of the Act, which will then read: Every employer other than the government who employs a workman or workmen shall insure and keep himself insured in respect of all liability, which he may incur under this Act with an insurer envisaged in the Insurance Act No.7 of 2005. On the request by the ESRIC to be granted an 18 months transition period, the MPs recommended one year. This will be done through a new sub-clause 25(2), which will read: Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-clause (1), the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation shall continue to be the only approved insurer for a period of twelve (12) months after the commencement of this Act. A teenage girl is dead and five others have been left injured after a drive-by shooting in Chico, California. The gunman opened fire from a vehicle into a group of people in the parking lot of an apartment complex at about 3:30am on Saturday morning. Justina Stubbe, 17, was shot and killed while five others were rushed to hospital from the scene. The victims, aged between 17 and 21, had been at a large party earlier in the night in Chico, about 90 miles north of Sacramento. Justina Stubbe, 17, died Saturday after becoming the victim of a mass shooting outside of a house party in Chico, California Friends and family of Stubbe mourned the loss of the young girl, including family members of the other five victims, all of whom are in stable condition Chico Police Lt. Terry Tupper said officers were still searching for a motive. 'The actual shooting was not random,' he said, though it is unclear whether any of the specific victims were targets. Tributes from family and friends have since poured in for Stubbe. 'Justina Stubbe you were just a baby with soo much life left to live. We are all soo sorry this has happened. This has to stop we are losing our babies too fast !!' wrote Clint Lobo, whose son was one of the other victims of the shooting. A close family friend of Stubbe has launched a GoFundMe. 'No parent should ever have to go through the pain of out living [sic] their baby,' wrote Jackie Wilson. 'Everyone wants to know what they can do to help the family. The only thing right now is donate. Funerals are expensive and it's bad enough this family is grieving.' Of Sunday afternoon, the fundraiser had $4,565 in donations. Another 17-year-old girl and a 21-year-old man were admitted to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries while a 19-year-old man is in a stable condition. An 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old man have since been discharged from the hospital. Stubbe had been at a Chico house party late into the night on Friday into Saturday morning, and after leaving became the victim of a drive-by shooting A family friend launched a GoFundMe to help pay for her funeral costs Relatives mourned the premature loss of Justina, who was one of six shot in the bloody aftermath of the large gathering Police soon deemed the shooting to be an 'isolated incident,' and declared that there is no threat to the community. Investigators are 'aggressively pursuing some substantial leads' in search for a suspect. Police located someone in possession of a firearm and took them into custody in relation to a separate incident that occurred several hours earlier at another house party in the area. A second individual was apprehended at the second party in Chico and was arrested for possession of a firearm and reckless discharge. The mass shooting was the culmination of a hectic night in Chico. Chico Police Chief Bill Aldridge said cops were initially dispatched to the same area just before 3am after a fight broke out when a party guest was asked to leave. 'During the fight, two victims were reported to have been assaulted. One was allegedly struck on the head with a firearm and the other was allegedly hit over the head with a glass bottle,' said Aldridge. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie could take on more work for the Royal Family after they laid on the charm today and made a surprise appearance at a street party for the King's Coronation, a royal expert has suggested. Prince Andrew's two daughter greeted and posed with members of the public as they joined in with a lunch on the village green in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire this afternoon. Beatrice, 34, and Eugenie, 33, are currently not considered working royals and the Duke of York is understood to have previously expressed disappointment at his daughters being omitted from the royal roster of official engagements. But royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has suggested the 'stylish' sisters could take on more work after they were praised by members of the public during their appearance today. He told MailOnline: 'Beatrice and Eugenie are not working members of the royal family, but carry out some royal engagements. The sisters greeted and posed with members of the public as they joined in with a lunch on the village green in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, this afternoon Tens of thousands of street parties were planned as Britain celebrated the coronation of King Charles The working members of the Royal Family and the King's Pages of Honour stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the flypast yesterday 'They seemed stylish and relaxed at a Big Lunch engagement in Buckinghamshire today where they also posed for selfies. They were obviously enjoying themselves and their presence was clearly appreciated. 'The question which is undoubtedly being asked is whether it might be possible for them to carry out some more royal engagements. They both have families and have balanced their private and professional lives well. 'As Princess Anne has just reminded us, there are not many royals who undertake engagements. Also, few of those who do are under 70. 'So this is a matter, as the Palace is currently conducting a review of who should undertake royal patronages, which is up for debate.' Beatrice and Eugenie met representatives from All Together Community, a group which distributed food parcels to vulnerable people during the pandemic and continues to offer the same service, along with running a community fridge. They carried on the party atmosphere as they watched live music ahead of tonight's Coronation concert and admired a Coronation-themed table dressing competition. Their visit comes after the sisters made a glamorous appearance at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey yesterday. The sisters waved at royal fans as they arrived in a tent filled with Union Jack bunting for the occasion Beatrice, who looked stylish in a blue floral look, greeted the well-wishers attended the party today Princess Eugenie, who is expecting her second child, bounded with mothers with young children during the event The two princesses had a laugh with local while they stopped by a bar to get a drink during the street party Earlier today Eugenie took to Instagram to reveal just how important yesterday was for her. She wrote: 'Yesterday meant so much to me, as I'm sure it did to so many watching. What a magical celebration for The King, The Queen, our country, and the Commonwealth. 'The day was such a reflection of dedication and service to our country.' While the King is known to be in favour of a smaller and cheaper monarchy, his sister this week said the idea of a slimmed down Firm was 'not a good idea'. Princess Anne, the hardest working royal in terms of annual engagements, instead insisted the Royal Family brings 'long-term stability', 'continuity' and 'goodness' to the UK and Commonwealth. Since 2020, the Sussexes have stepped down as working royals and Prince Andrew was stripped of his HRH title, patronages and military affiliations by his mother. Before he became King, Charles was vocal about wanting fewer working members of the Royal Family and a cheaper, smaller, institution. But Anne has suggested she believes the pool of working royals is already small enough, in a nod to Megxit and her brother Andrew's fall from grace. At least seven people were killed and multiple left injured after a car struck a group of people outside a migrant shelter in Brownsville, Texas. Police initially said they believed the driver of the Range Rover 'intentionally' plowed into pedestrians waiting at the bus stop outside the Ozanam Center at 8.20am on Sunday, but later clarified they are still investigating the incident. The driver, who witnesses said was yelling insults at the group before accelerating towards the curb, is undergoing testing to see if he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the tragic crash. Police arrested him at the bloody scene in the border town and charged him with reckless driving but more charges may follow as FBI and Border Patrol agents are brought in investigate. Footage from the aftermath showed multiple injured people lying on the ground in bloodied clothing while emergency services rushed to the scene. A police officer is consoled as authorities tended to the deceased at the bus stop outside the Ozanam Center in Brownsville, Texas on Sunday Police are pictured loading a body bag onto a stretcher as they responded to the fatal crash at 8:20am Sunday At least seven people were killed and multiple left injured after they were struck by a Range Rover Shelter director Victor Maldonado said the car hit the group waiting by the bus stop, as well as a few others walking about 30 feet away Video posted online of the crash showed a gray SUV topple over a crowd sitting on the curb The suspect is currently in hospital being treated for injuries, but he is under police watch. Video circulating online shows the SUV running up the curb where a group of about 25 men were sitting at a bus stop, toppling them over one-by-one. 'What we see in the video is that this SUV just ran the red light and was about 100 feet away and just went through the people who were sitting in the bus stop,' shelter director Victor Maldonado told the Associated Press. The SUV then apparently flipped over after running up the curb and continued moving for about 200 feet, striking others who were walking on the sidewalk about 30 feet away from where the group was sitting. The driver then tried to flee the scene, Moldonado told the Washington Post, but was stopped by some witnesses. Some witnesses also said they believed the man was intoxicated at the time. Footage from the scene also showed police arresting a man sitting on the ground - who was not wearing a shirt - outside the homeless migrant shelter. Officials believe he is a Hispanic male from Brownsville, but have said he is 'extremely uncooperative' and have given authorities a few different names. The suspect is seen sitting on the ground with his hands behind his back before being taken into a police car. A witness stands by, looking on at the scenes in Brownsville, Texas Police arrested the suspect, who was driving the car, following the deaths of seven people in the border town The Range Rover that struck a group of people who were at a bus stop outside the homeless center for migrants The intersection remained closed off in the aftermath as authorities, in partnership with the FBI and Border Patrol, worked to investigate the crash Police put up evidence markers around the clothes and accessories strewn across the street Among those who were injured is Luis Herrera, who said he and his friends were waiting to go to the airport when they were struck. It is understood that the group was congregating near the bus stop at the time. 'A woman went by in a car and warned us to get away,' he recounted in an interview with AFP, describing the crash as 'sudden.' 'It was a matter of moments. The killer came [through] in the car, gesturing at us, insulting us,' the 36-year-old Venezuelan claimed. A number of his friends were killed, he told NBC 4, and he was injured on the right side of his body. Eleven people injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals, the Brownsville Fire Department announced on Facebook. One was also airlifted to Valley Baptist Medical Center in nearby Harlingen. The victims' conditions are not currently known. A body is seen on the ground after the SUV rammed into the group of people outside the migrant homeless shelter on the border town Police have arrested the driver following the horrific scenes this morning. At least seven people have died, while multiple others were transported to hospital The Ozanam center is a homeless shelter that serves individuals and families in the area - and because it sits right on the US-Mexico border, many of its clients are migrants. Maldonado said the center has not received any threats in the past, though it has started to in the aftermath of the crash. 'I've had a couple of people come by the gate and tell the security guard that the reason that this happened was because of us,' he said. Maldonado added that most of the men who were struck were Venezuelan men. It is unclear how many of the victims were migrants, and a motive has not yet been established. The Ozanam center is a homeless shelter that serves individuals and families in the area - and because it sits right on the US-Mexico border, many of its clients are migrants The crash comes as the city of Brownsville deals with an influx of migrants. Last month, the city issued a disaster declaration after 15,000 migrants mostly from Venezuela crossed over in a single week, overwhelming border security. In a normal week, only about 2,000 migrants attempt to cross at Brownsville. Tensions flared amid the uptick in migration last month, when some tents housing the immigrants were set ablaze and destroyed. Some migrants blamed cartel-backed gangs, but a government official suggested the fires may have been set by a group of frustrated migrants. The situation may also get worse in the coming week, with the end of Title 42 on Thursday. The COVID-era policy allowed border agents to send migrants back to Mexico. Incident comes just months after coyote attack on young girl in same area The scary face-to-face run in occurred in a suburb of Los Angeles, California Video shows a man and his housecat encountering a coyote in their home A man and his housecat came face-to-face with a wild coyote in their home after the animal entered the house through a doggie door. The scary incident occurred in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday and security camera footage captured the moment the two parties met. Homeowner Mia Shoshan said her brother heard the doggie-door swing open despite both of their dogs being in his room and a commotion in the living room. 'Our cat, Lily, started meowing and screaming, she was terrified and calling for us to help,' said Shoshan. A man and his housecat came face-to-face with a wild coyote in their own home after the animal entered the house through a doggie door The cat is seen in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, on top of a chair, while coming face to face with the coyote In the video, the cat was seen darting around furniture and fearlessly facing the wild animal that intruded on the home. The coyote looks around and saw the cat, only to turn and dance back and forth with the domestic animal. Seconds later, Shoshan's brother walks in and sees the animal, which sent the coyote scattering. The animal fled back out into the yard through the doggie door. 'As soon as the coyote saw him, he ran right back out the doggie door and left,' Shoshan said. 'No one and no pet was harmed thank God.' While no one was injured, the woman said her cat was shaken up. 'Our cat is 14 years old and took it very hard,' Shoshan said. 'She used a lot of energy and she has been resting and spending time with us. I have two very small dogs and they would've been an easy target for that coyote,' she continued. The Los Angeles-area resident is now warning other residents to be weary when walking their pets or leaving their doggie doors open. 'Usually, we leave the door open for them throughout the day and sometimes at night too, but we will no longer be doing that unless we are going outside with them,' said Shoshan. One resident who spoke with KTLA said coyote encounters are far too common. 'A six-foot fence, they'll just jump right over it,' said Ron Lauer. 'They can get in the backyard. They will definitely find a way.' In the video, the cat was seen darting around furniture and fearlessly facing the wild animal that intruded on the home The coyote looked around and sees the cat, only to turn and dance back and forth with the domestic animal The fearless cat sat on a chair in the dining room just seconds before the coyote interaction According to wildlife experts, the coyote population in the Los Angeles area is expansive. Some estimate there could be as many as 750,000 coyotes throughout California. In 2022, a young girl in the same neighborhood was dragged by a coyote in a shocking incident that was also caught on camera. In the video, the family appeared to be getting out of their car when the coyote approached the girl on the lawn and began to draw her by her legs. The 2-year-old girl's father was able to chase after the coyote and the animal let her go. The girl was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Steven Spainhouer, one of the first people on scene at the mass shooting in Allen, Texas, has called for M4s and AR-15s to be removed from the streets despite admitting he is a 'gun lover.' The former police and army officer said that it is long pastime automatic weapons were removed from everyday public life, on account of the rising number of mass shootings. 'It wasn't mental health that killed these people,' he said. 'It was an automatic rifle with bullets,' he told MSNBC. 'I'm a gun lover, I have guns. But these M4s, AR-15s, they've got to get off the streets or this is going to keep happening, and we've got to stop that at some point,' he continued. The Texas gunman, Mauricio Garcia, 33, used a AR-15 to slaughter eight people, including children, at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, on Saturday. "It wasn't mental health that killed these people, it was an automatic rifle with bullets... I'm a former police officer, a former Army officer. These M4s, AR-15s, they've got to get off the streets or this is going to keep happening" - Allen, TX mall shooting witness Steven pic.twitter.com/QFmXgq1DU8 Shawn Reynolds (@ShawnReynolds_) May 7, 2023 Steven Spainhouer shared his belief that it is access to automatic assault rifles, and not a mental health crisis, that is driving the uptick in mass shootings in the US Spainhouer recalled that at least one of those slain was a child, whom he desperately tried to save after rushing to the H&M - where his own son had been working. His call for a ban on high-powered weapons was, in part, a response to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's statement in the aftermath of the shooting, in which he attributed the rise in mass shooting on a mental health crisis. Abbott told Fox News on Sunday: 'We need to recognize the reality we've seen across the United States over the last year or two, and that is an increased number of shootings in both red states and blue states.' 'We've seen an increased number of shootings in states with easy gun laws, as well as states with very strict gun laws. I think that the state in which the largest number of victims occurred this year is in California, where they have very tough gun laws,' he said. Spainhouer, who received a frantic call from his son on Saturday, telling him shots had been fired outside his workplace, said that he works around people with mental health issues, and argued that easy access to automatic rifles is the more severe threat to public safety. 'It could be you, it could be your family,' said Spainhouer. 'I never imagined it would be me, I never imagined it would happen in my community. But it did.' 'We've got to stop this type of carnage.' He then took a swing at politicians, Abbott and Texas Senator Ted Cruz among them, who offer 'prayers and condolences' in the aftermath of shooting tragedies. 'Prayers and condolences won't bring these people back,' he said. 'We need some action in our legislatures at the federal and state level for better gun control, and I'm saying that as someone who loves guns.' In another disturbing snippet, the gunman is seen laying dead outside another Allen store on a few dozen feet from the H&M. He is seen dressed in tactile gear, with a semi-automatic rile at his side Multiple victims have been reported after an active shooter opened fired at an outdoor outlet mall - with one of the gunmen now reportedly dead and another still at-large Garcia, wearing tactical gear and armed with an AR-15 and a handgun, shot dead down eight people, including children, before a hero cop took him out The cop was on scene for an unrelated call but rushed over when he heard the gunshots. Garcia had fired more than 100 times during his rampage, and he had more ammunition and weapons in his car - which was seen coming out of. Investigators now believe he may have been a white supremacist or new-Nazi who followed extremist ideologies. Spainhouer, who sped over after receiving the call from his son, explained how he got there before any first responders - and was faced with the monumental task of trying to save lives. 'I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people,' he told CBS News, recalling how a handful of people around him recorded videos of the bodies outside his son's H&M, where the unnamed gunman's assault is believed to have began. 'The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face,' he said of the first victim he came across, a young girl. Still set on saving the mess of victims, Spainhouer recalled how he then found another child, who survived the barrage of bullets by being covered by his protective mother, who he said was among eight to die by the gunman. 'When I rolled the mother over, he came out,' Spainhouer said, speaking to CBS reporter JD Miles just a few hundred yards from where the carnage was seen only a few hours before. 'I asked him if he was OK and he said, "My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt."' Spainhouer described how he attempted to alleviate the boy's mental anguish by taking away from the grisly scene. 'Rather than traumatize him any more, I pulled him around the corner sat him down and he was covered from head to toe.' Spainhouer added: 'Like somebody poured blood on him.' In the chaos that ensued, the dutiful dad tried to rescue another victim, but was also unsuccessful. Meanwhile, as important minutes continued to pass, Spainhouer - unaware that the unnamed Allen officer was already on the scene - waited for others to arrive and help him with his efforts. 'I was on the phone with 911 and I was telling them we have a mass casualty incident,' the father said, appearing visibly emotional during the TV interview. Spainhouer further added that as he and others waited for medical help, local police were forced to transport several of the victims to nearby medical practitioners - as their condition was too severe to wait for an ambulance. 'No one can see what we saw today and not be affected by it,' he said, saying the events of the day would stay with him. 'It's not a situation I would wish upon anybody, it's just unfathomable to see carnage.' Audio footage of the shooting also reveals how the unnamed hero officer made a frantic phone call begging for his colleagues to join him on the scene, radioing: 'I need everybody I got.' He bravely ran towards the active shooter - who was armed with 60 rounds and had shot over a dozen people by this point - and killed him. Around two minutes after first calling for backup, the cop said: 'I got him down.' The hole and the dune surrounding it collapsed on the teen, as he was not found for several hours A 17-year-old died after digging a hole in the sand at a North Carolina beach A Virginia teenager died Saturday after he became trapped in a dug hole on a North Carolina beach and a dune collapsed in on him. The unidentified 17-year-old was found buried under several feet of sand around 2pm in Frisco, North Carolina, after rangers were called to investigate a teen trapped. According to Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials, the teen's family had been looking for him before they stumbled upon him deep in the sand hole. Rangers and family members worked to pull the teen from the hole while simultaneously performing CPR, rangers said. First responders were unable to resuscitate the unnamed victim. An investigation into the collapse and the death is underway. A Virginia teenager died Saturday after he became trapped in a dug hole on a North Carolina beach and a dune collapsed in on him The unidentified 17-year-old was found buried under several feet of sand around 2pm in Frisco, North Carolina, after rangers were called to investigate a teen trapped According to park rangers, the hole was dug in a back-dune area on the beach. The dune was not visible from the beachfront, a Facebook post read. The National Park Service said it appeared portions of an adjacent sand dune collapsed into the hole. Dare County Emergency Medical Services personnel worked alongside members of the Hatteras Island Ocean Rescue to pull the boy from the hole. Life-saving measures were performed to no avail. Authorities are offering their condolences and warning against the dangers of digging holes in the sand on the beach. 'Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers our condolences to his family and friends,' said David Hallac, superintendent of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. 'We urge visitors not to dig deep holes on the beach due to the danger they present to beachgoers and emergency response staff,' he continued. Under the park's post, commenters were quick to speak out against hole digging on local beaches. 'It's time to start issuing major fines for digging holes. Too many people are dying from digging on the beach,' one person said. 'Put the law in effect..No digging large holes!! Patrol the beaches and enforce it,' wrote another commenter. Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials in Frisco, North Carolina According to Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials, the teen's family had been looking for him before they stumbled upon him deep in the sand hole Rangers and family members worked to pull the teen from the hole while simultaneously performing CPR, rangers said In 2022, Ocean Rescue in the Outer Banks held a press conference urging people to fill in their holes after deaths were reported. 'The holes have become quite a big issue. It's almost as if people didn't hear the advisory or they decided it was a good idea to see what they could get away with,' Ben Battaile, an assistant supervisor with Ocean Rescue, said. Officials were on high alert after TikTok trends showed teens and young adults digging massive holes in the sand on beaches across the U.S. 'We have moms on the beach at night. We have babies going to the water at night,' said Kelly Sloan, the Coastal Wildlife Director at the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). 'They face so many threats already. This is one small thing we can all do to help them,' the woman continued. The rule of thumb, officials say, is that if a hole is dug, it should be no deeper than your knees and it needs to be immediately filled back in afterward. A business traveler who was spending the night in a Nashville hotel woke up to find the night manager of the property sucking on his toes, court records show. The victim said he was sleeping at the downtown Nashville Hilton Hotel on March 30 when he woke at about 5am to discover manager David Patrick Neal, 52, indulging in a foot fetish on his lower digits. Startled, the guest said he screamed and called the police. Neal later said he used a cloned key to enter the room because he smelled smoke, though police reports noted he hadn't reported the smells to anybody else at the time. Neal, who has a long rap sheet that included manslaughter for shooting his roommate dead in the 1990s, was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated burglary and assault. The guest, identified as Peter Brennan, has now sued Neal for sexual assault. David Patrick Neal, 52, who was allegedly caught sucking the toes of guest while they slept The guest, identified as Peter Brennan, has now sued Neal for sexual assault The downtown Nashville Hilton Hotel, where David Patrick Neal and was allegedly caught He told WKRN that after being awoken in March, he immediately recognized Neal because the manager had visited the room the previous night to fix the television set. When police arrived, Neal admitted he'd used a cloned key to access the room, but he threw it out after being caught. The guest said he was horrified by the incident, and it had shattered his sense of security. 'All my life you just have that sense of security, and that sense of peace, right? It's not like you're camping and you have to kind of keep one eye open,' he told WKRN. 'You have that security that's yours, and when you close your eyes, you feel like you're safe and you're protected and it was a complete violation.' 'I was just so, so shocked. It was, 'Who are you? Why are you in my room?' It was almost like a dream, a sort of nightmare. It just didn't make sense. Why is this person touching me? 'He was talking to me but not giving me any substantive answers.' Brennan, who served in the Air Force, obtaining the rank of lieutenant and is also a former intelligence officer, says he is now having trouble in his own bed. 'I'm having problems sleeping - going through some PTSD and talking to a therapist,' he explained. When Brennan reported the act to Hilton's security, he claims they 'did not appear to take his complaint seriously.' He then called the local police who are now investigating the incident. Feeling unsafe and vulnerable, Brennan cut his business trip short and returned home to Texas. Facebook photos of Hilton hotel manager David Neal (at left) of Lebanon, Tennessee Neal, who has a long rap sheet that included manslaughter for shooting his roommate dead in the 1990s, pictured, was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated burglary and assault The victim's attorney, Michael Fisher, told WKRN he was appalled the Hilton had hired somebody like Neal into a job where he would have unmitigated access to guests' rooms. 'Multiple charges of forgery, drinking and driving, a manslaughter conviction as well, which served prison time,' Fisher said. 'When Hilton hired this person, they had to have known. They have to do background checks to know, and the fact that they would put somebody like that in a position where they have the ability to clone keys, have the ability to get into a guest's room.' After his arrest Neal was held after he didn't post $27,000 bail. In 1996 Neal was charged with second degree manslaughter for shooting his roommate dead during a fight. Neal said the killing was made in self-defense, but a jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter. LONDON, ENGLAND His Majesty King Mswati III witnessed the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Westminster Abbey, in London yesterday morning. The King accompanied by Inkhosikati LaMbikiza was among the 2 000 royal guests who attended the coronation, which included Heads of State and governments from the Commonwealth States, distinguished artists like Lionel Richie, ordinary citizens and many others. His Majesty the King is the second Eswatini King to grace the British coronation, as King Sobhuza II did in 1953, when he attended Queen Elizabeths crowning. King Mswati III sat in the second row of the Westminster Abbey theatre very close to the British royals, in particular the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate. The 40th monarch crowning is said to have been followed live across the globe by over 300 million viewers and marshalled by over 7 000 ceremonial troops. In His name, I come as King not to be served but to serve, King Charles said as he was welcomed into the Westminster Abbey theatre. Guests at the Abbey started arriving at around 7:15am and King Mswati III departed his hotel accompanied by the Inkhosikati, driven in a black Rolls Royce Phantom at around 9:30am clad in his Herringbone Morning Tailcoat suits with grey trouser. The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who ushered the King by proclaiming God save the King after crowning him. The archbishop said the church of England will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely. In response King Charles placed his hand on the Holy Bible as the archbishop took him through the oath and kissed the bible at the end. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak read the collect of the Epistle Colossians 1 vs 9-17. The archbishop administered the anointing of the King away from pubic glare. The anointing oil is reported to have been sourced from Jerusalem, following strict biblical history. It is said behind the enclosure, the King knelt on a faldstool in front of the altar and the archbishop continued with Oil of Gladness prayer of blessing. After the anointing, King Charles III was then presented with coronation regalia. The Westminster Abbey service was concluded by the archbishop and the prince of Wales paying homage before inviting the public to do the same. Prince William with his knees on the floor before the King pledged his loyalty to the new monarch. He said: I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God. He then kissed his cheek and rested back to his seat not very far from King Mswati III. The King and the Queen, now crowned, left the Westminster Abbey to be met with cheers from adoring crowds, who weathered the rain and went back to the Buckingham Palace. After the crowds had gathered before the palace, His Majesty King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared for the first time from the balcony of the Buckingham Palace. The monarch was flanked by his family to celebrate a historic coronation ceremony. Other kings at the ceremony included, King Philipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddeien III, Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, King and Queen of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. King Charles, now 74, was cheered by thousands of royal fans to ring in his new reign as King. Prince William and the princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined the monarch. An initial fly pass by the army was scaled back as a result of bad weather condition and was, instead, formed of helicopters and The Red Arrows. His Majesty King Mswati III was expected to join the new King later in the evening for buffet luncheon. Labour and the BBC were criticised last night over the prominence they awarded to Coronation protesters, amid a republican backlash over dozens of 'heavy-handed' police arrests. Trouble started on Saturday as the leader of an anti-monarchy group, who was detained ahead of a planned protest, said police officers should 'hang their heads in shame' over a 'direct attack on our democracy'. In all, 52 protesters were arrested during the celebrations in central London, including activists from Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising groups. Opposition front bench home affairs spokesman Jess Phillips was among Labour MPs expressing reservations over the Metropolitan Police's tactics on Saturday. Questions were raised over the arrest of two women and a man in Soho on Friday night. Westminster councillor Aicha Less said they were volunteers from the Night Stars project, which helps vulnerable people in the capital's West End, adding that she was 'deeply concerned'. The Met initially said those three arrests related to possession of rape alarms which could be used to scare horses in the Coronation procession, but no further information was available last night. Anti-royal: Protesters demonstrate behind well-wishers in Trafalgar Square Round up: Police pack away the protester' 'Not My king' placards During Saturday, officers briefly held Patrick Thelwell, 23, who in April was found guilty of threatening behaviour for throwing eggs at King Charles while shouting 'The King is a paedophile' during a walkabout in York last year. A government source criticised BBC News' initial online coverage of the arrests as 'one-sided', and said: 'The Labour Party and the Twitterati, ably assisted by the BBC, have been quick to pile in with criticism of the police. 'They glance over the fact hundreds of people were allowed to protest peacefully on Saturday. What happened is that officers on the ground took decisions to make arrests in a number of cases where they felt they had cause to.' Graham Smith, chief executive of anti-monarchist group Republic, was held for 16 hours by police before being released. Yesterday he attacked the new monarch as a 'puppet king'. Mr Smith said: 'These arrests are an attack on our democracy and the rights of every person in the country. Each police officer involved on the ground should hang their heads in shame. They showed no judgement, no common sense and no basic decency.' Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer insisted yesterday that police got the 'balance right' between allowing protest and enjoyment of the King's coronation. She told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'What they have to do is balance the right to protest, which is important in a democracy. At the same time there's the right of all those other people to enjoy what was a fabulous day. 'I think, overall, they managed to get that balance right.' Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation called into Andrew Castle's show on LBC, and said: 'I want to correct a few things.' Anti-royal protestors hold up placards saying 'Not My King' as they demonstrate behind well-wishers in Trafalgar Square close to during the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer (pictured) insisted yesterday that police got the 'balance right' between allowing protest and enjoyment of the King's coronation During Saturday, officers briefly held Patrick Thelwell (pictured during the Coronation), 23, who in April was found guilty of threatening behaviour for throwing eggs at King Charles while shouting 'The King is a paedophile' during a walkabout in York last year Protesters wave Not My King signs near to the King's Procession during the Coronation He offered a hypothetical scenario where one hundred people 'pulled the pin on rape alarms as horses rode past them'. He contextualized the situation: 'We as the police have hundreds of incidents brought to us prior to this event and [have to] work out how to keep people safe.' With reference to the scenario, he said: 'I can assure you that would have been the most horrendous incident you would've seen in London.' Sliders and sliding down the aisle. A couple recently tied the knot at an Arizona White Castle - one the bride found as a safe haven when she was homeless as a kid. For Jamie West, saying 'I do' to her partner of 15 years Drew Schmitt at the Scottsdale fast food chain on May 5 was bittersweet. West recalled being under the care of some employees who always assured she was well-fed whenever she would stumble into the restaurant as a 12-year-old runaway from the foster system. 'The first time I walked into a White Castle, the woman behind the counter goes, "You poor thing." She handed me a fresh cup of water, a stack of sliders and let me use the bathroom. I got to clean my face and wash my hands,' West told PEOPLE. She added: 'I only exist today through the love and kindness of strangers who have helped me out along the way.' In true White Castle fashion, West and Schmitt hosted a medieval-themed wedding. The bride styled a blue and gold gown with a tinted-sheer cape and crown. Meanwhile, the groom wore armor and a crown with colors to match his bride. Jamie West and Drew Schmitt tied the knot at an Arizona White Castle on May 5. West claimed White Castles were her safe haven as a 12-year-old runaway. Pictured: the couple on February 14 West recalled being under the care of some employees who always assured she was well-fed whenever she would stumble into the restaurant as a 12-year-old runaway from the foster system. Pictured: the couple in 2021 At the mere age of 4, West was put into the foster system and made her way through 94 different homes until she fled and never looked back. While in foster care she was abused, both sexually and physically, and would go days without food, West said. She referred to the first eight years of her life as a 'terrifying experience.' On a whim, she decided to take a chance on herself and climbed out of a bathroom window - for what would become her five-year homeless journey. 'I realized that I wasn't going to survive the system, unless I took off on my own,' she told the news outlet. It's unclear where West stayed or how she managed to survive, but she found a safety net at a White Castle as she traveled throughout the country. 'For an underage homeless kid, having any kind of safe space is life changing,' West said. 'White Castle was the only place that no matter where I was, if I saw it, I knew it was safe. I knew they'd feed me. I knew they'd have water. I knew I could use the bathroom. I never once got turned away.' At the mere age of 4, West was put into the foster system and made her way through 94 different homes until she fled through a bathroom window and never looked back West has been a loyal customer of White Castle ever since and has turned her husband into a lover of the fast food chain. Pictured: the couple in December 2022 West has been a loyal customer of White Castle ever since meeting her now-husband about 15 years ago. In 2020, the two were sworn into a ritzy club created by restaurant officials in the early 2000s known as the Cravers Hall of Fame. As the two were being honored, West gave a speech about how White Castle saved her life. It was then that Schmitt got down on one knee and asked West to marry him. 'I still can't talk about it without crying. It's incredible,' West told the news outlet. Now, she hopes to help others who might be in the same situation. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence risk 'undermining the fabric of our society', Britain's former cyber security chief warned yesterday. Ciaran Martin said that AI could fuel an explosion in disinformation, with potentially damaging consequences for democracy. Mr Martin, former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, said ministers had little influence over the development of the technology, but suggested they should be doing more to impose safeguards. 'AI is now making it much easier to fake things,' he said. 'So having a sense of what is true and reliable, it's going to become much more difficult. And that's something that risks undermining the fabric of our society.' Mr Martin said the Government was 'struggling to keep up' with AI, adding: 'It's hard for serving ministers to say this, but so much of the development is happening in the American private sector that there aren't always the sort of levers that you can pull.' Ciaran Martin (pictured) said that AI could fuel an explosion in disinformation, with potentially damaging consequences for democracy He told Times Radio: 'The big question that we haven't been able to answer yet, and that's because it's a really hard question, is how do you get technological markets to work in a way that validates information credibly, and in a sort of economically efficient way. 'So is the Government doing enough? And you can make a case that it isn't, but it's partly because it's a really, really difficult challenge.' Mr Martin is the latest senior figure to raise questions about the risks posed by AI, which some critics fear could destroy the human race. Last week, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton quit Google to speak out about the potential dangers of allowing the rapidly emerging technology to go unchecked. In an interview at the weekend he warned that AI could pose a 'more urgent' threat to humanity than climate change. He said: 'With climate change, it's very easy to recommend what you should do you just stop burning carbon... For this it's not at all clear what you should do.' Last month, GCHQ boss Sir Jeremy Fleming warned the Cabinet that AI created a number of 'potential applications and risks' for Britain, including the threat of sophisticated disinformation campaigns designed to undermine democracy. Billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk has called for a six-month 'pause' in the development of the technology to allow society to consider the potential risks. But Government sources dismissed the call, saying that a pause is 'not the right way' to tackle concerns. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer appeared to play down the potential threat yesterday, describing AI as 'both an opportunity and a challenge'. At least two abandoned the study because they were concerned and offended Long COVID patients enrolled in a study at Stanford University have walked out because the staff were not wearing masks while tending to them. The participants were enrolled in a clinical study into whether the drug Paxlovid works to reduce the symptoms of long COVID. Over the course of the 15-week study, participants were expected to visit the clinic in-person on five separate occasions, but after masking requirements were dropped multiple participants said the researchers stopped covering their faces. The walkouts were first mentioned on April 28 in a Reddit post on a forum for those suffering from long COVID. Long COVID patients enrolled in a Stanford University study have walked out because staff were not wearing masks while tending to them during visits to the clinic in Palo Alto (pictured) The lead investigators on the Stanford Medicine study, clinical assistant professor, Linda Geng (left), and professor of Infectious Disease, Upinder Singh (right), did not comment on the walkouts but a spokesperson for Stanford Medicine said 'wearing masks in all clinical settings is no longer mandated' 'We've been traveling hundreds of miles for months in order to try to participate in their study and provide THEM with data about the illness, and this is what they think of us,' wrote the Reddit user, whose wife was a participant in the study, according to the Daily Beast. 'It's frankly abhorrent, selfish behavior, and not only does it demonstrate a complete lack of regard and understanding for the illness in question, in my opinion it calls into question the legitimacy of the entire study,' they added. Masking is no longer mandated by the California Department of Public Health and Santa Clara County Public Health, where the Stanford Infectious Disease Clinic is located and where the trial was held. The Daily Beast spoke with at least two people in the study who withdrew due to the lack of masks. When reached by publication, Stanford Medicine would only confirm that one patient in the Paxlovid trial pulled out over concerns around masks. 'I knew that mask mandates were dropped, but I naively assumed that staff interacting with long COVID patients would still wear masks,' Olivia H., a patient in the trial who requested her full last name be withheld for privacy reasons, told The Daily Beast. 'I was really disappointed when the research assistant and nurse entered my room without a mask on,' she added. 'I would expect that all staff involved in the trial would understand that long COVID patients are fundamentally immunocompromised, and they would take necessary steps to protect what little health we have left from further deteriorating,' she said. The lead investigators of the trial, clinical assistant professor, Linda Geng, and professor of Infectious Disease, Upinder Singh, did not respond to requests for comment. Vinay Prasad, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California in San Francisco, questioned why participants would be concerned about contracting COVID if they had already contracted the virus After participants in the study first started speaking out against the trial, some doctors criticized them for overreacting, including Jeffrey Bien, an oncologist with Stanford Medicine. 'Be careful or you'll upset the super secret ultra-double-long-Covid community,' wrote Bien on Twitter on April 30, according to the Daily Beast. Bien was responding to a tweet from Vinay Prasad, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California in San Francisco. He questioned the disgruntled participants, writing: 'I am confused. If you already got COVID and already developed long covid then what does the mask do?' Long COVID is a little-understood condition that causes some people to experience some symptoms of the illness for long after first getting ill - for months, years and potentially longer. The technical term for the syndrome is 'post-acute sequelae of COVID,' or PASC, but doctors and researchers commonly refer to it as long COVID. More than 16 million people have developed long-COVID since 2019 and it is thought to affect between 5 and 30 percent of those that contract COVID-19, according to Stanford Medicine. However, since the illness is not well understood or defined, it is difficult to quantify exactly how many people have been affected with any certainty. More than 16 million people have developed long-COVID since 2019 and it is thought to affect between 5 and 30 percent of those that contract COVID-19. FILE PHOTO: An unwell man Symptoms generally include chronic fatigue and exhaustion, brain fog, light sensitivity, shortness of breath, stomach issues, and heart palpitations. 'I was (and still am) severely ill, and was excited to enroll in the trial as it would provide me with the chance to ease or eliminate some of my symptoms and participate in a trial that millions of long COVID sufferers are hopeful about,' Olivia H. told the Daily Beast. 'To me it almost seems logical, that long COVID patients in a long COVID trial need to be protected from the virus that triggered their illness in the first place.' Though the two lead investigators involved in the Stanford clinical study did not comment, a spokesperson for Stanford Medicine said in a statement: 'In accordance with the California Department of Public Health and Santa Clara County Public Health, wearing masks in all clinical settings is no longer mandated, but recommended. 'We continue to recommend and support masking and make masks available for health care workers, patients and visitors at our care facilities.' SiriusXM radio host Megyn Kelly weighed in on the Texas mass shooting this weekend by claiming Democrats have lost the debate on gun control and are preventing more pragmatic solutions. Mauricio Garcia, 33, killed eight people - including children - before he was shot dead at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6. Kelly, a former Fox News host and NBC correspondent, admonished gun control advocates in a Twitter rant Sunday morning. 'You've failed to effect change,' Kelly wrote. 'Please face it. You can't do it, thanks to the 2A. We're all well aware you don't like that fact, but fact it is. What next? Must we just stay here sad, concerned, lamenting? Could we possibly talk OTHER SOLUTIONS?' She then suggested 'mental health interventions, greater willingness' to lock up those who are threats, 'fortification of soft targets' and a demand for media to not 'lionize shooters' as a solution. SiriusXM radio host Megyn Kelly weighed in on the Texas mass shooting this weekend by claiming Democrats have lost the debate on gun control and preventing more pragmatic solutions When pushed further, she wrote: 'We need a mental health facility that is secure (guards/locked down) but still humane enough that a loving parent would send her kid there, for one. Right now parents who know theyre raising the next school shooter have next to no recourse.' People were divided on social media about Kelly's take, with gun control advocate Fred Guttenberg - who lost a child in the Parkland massacre - telling Kelly to 'F off.' 'I am sick and tired of people like you embracing an ideology that actually makes the idea of saving lives and reducing gun violence into a debate. I remember when your team reached out after my daughter was killed in Parkland. Don't bother again.' Branden Durst agreed with Kelly however, saying: 'The gun debate is over. Those seeking to curtail the second amendment lost. Can we all just accept that guns are an intrinsic part of American life and try to find other solutions?' The killer fired more than 100 times during his rampage, and he had more ammunition and weapons in his car - which he was seen coming out of before the bloodbath. Garcia, dressed in tactical gear and armed with an AR-15 and a handgun, opened fire outside a H&M store on a busy Saturday afternoon in Allen, Texas. He was eventually killed by a police officer - who was on the scene for an unrelated call but rushed over when he heard the gunshots outside the H&M. Garcia was a security guard, but it is unclear if he worked at Allen Premium Outlets. Kelly, a former Fox News host and NBC correspondent, admonished gun control advocates in a Twitter rant in the wake of the massacre The gunman, Mauricio Garcia, was dressed in SWAT gear with a semi-automatic rile at his side. He is seen laying dead outside another Allen store, a dozen feet from the H&M shop His gray car is seen parked outside his family home in Dallas before the shooting Dashcam footage showed the moment a gunman opened fire and killed multiple civilians - as cops are reportedly on the hunt for a second gunman believed to have aided in the assault A bouquet of flowers is left in front of the Allen Premium Outlet Mall entrance in remembrance of those killed during the mass shooting that happened the day before in Allen, Texas It's also believed that Garcia was living at a motel at the time of the massacre. Police also searched that residence and found additional ammunition, WSJ reports. According to the Washington Post, a patch the gunman was wearing on his chest alluded to his extremist ideologies - although no formal motive has been released. The patch read 'RWDS' which is an acronym for 'Right Wing Death Squads.' This comes after new audio revealed how the heroic officer made a frantic phone call begging for his colleagues to join him on the scene, radioing: 'I need everybody I got.' The officer bravely ran towards the active shooter - who was armed with 60 rounds and had shot more than a dozen people by this point - and killed him. About two minutes after first calling for backup, the cop said: 'I got him down.' Minutes later, another voice is heard on the radio saying: 'We got victims. I need an ambulance.' The FBI and police raided dead Garcia's Dallas home just one hour after the massacre and requested a translator to speak with his family. Neighbors say they often saw Garcia wearing a security guard-type uniform, but he was 'very quiet' and had 'very unusual behavior.' His gray Dodge Charger, which was seen at the scene, was often parked outside the home. Mauricio Garcia, the shooter, died at the scene. He was shot dead by a cop - but he had already let off bullets and killed eight people himself Officers with the Allen Police Department man the mobile command post the day after the gunman shot multiple people Mall employees embrace as they greet each other the day after a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 7, 2023 in Allen, Texas Nasir Willis and Hannah McAbee from Denton come out to the mall to reflect as Nasir has a cousin who was here during the shooting Dashcam video showed gunman Mauricio Garcia getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk on Saturday afternoon. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off. Garcia was using an AR-15-style gun during the mass shooting, and was dressed in full tactical SWAT gear. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd confirmed that seven people died at the scene, including the gunman, and then a further two victims died in hospital. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, and four were stable, Boyd said in an update on Saturday night. A Dallas-area medical group said it was treating victims as young as five-years-old. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. He said: 'It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside. 'I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids,' he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. 'It broke me when I walked out to see that.' The front entrance of a home connected to suspected mall gunman, Mauricio Garcia Police and FBI searching the house on Saturday night Glass is seen shattered across the sidewalk in front of one of the fashion stores in Allen, where the mass shooting took place just after 3pm on Saturday, May 6 Payton then saw the body of the dead shooter - which was the only one not covered, he recalled. Another witness, Kimberly Blakey, said she and her daughter, 14, were among the crowd of people rushing to flee the parking lot after the gunfire started. She said the raining bullets were 'non-stop.' Her car got shot at during the ordeal as she tried to escape. Blakey told CNN: 'I told my daughter to get down. I could hear her start praying.' Another witness, Sheliza Ramlall, who was in the Nike store when the violence broke out, said: 'I had the most horrifying experience earlier. I was standing in line at the Nike store when all of a sudden people started to scream and run. 'The people in the doorway saw the man with the gun outside and raised the alarm. All of us in line dropped to the floor and started to crawl looking for a hiding place while falling over each other. 'I crawled behind the counter. At that moment, I realized that we were right in plain sight and and figured that I needed to get away from the front. MacKenzie Bates embraces her mother Rochelle where flowers were left at the scene of the shooting Residents return in an effort to retrieve their vehicles at the scene 'As I looked to the back of the store, I heard someone saying 'get to the back, get to the back' and everyone started running at that point. An employee opened the back door and let us out. We are standing by the roadside shaken, crying, and hugging each other. 'Not knowing where the gunman was or what was happening on the other side was terrifying but I wanted to get out of there so I left the crowd and started to flag the cars down to give me a lift. 'An elderly woman stopped and I hopped in a panic. She started to tell me about the gunshots she heard and drove me to my car. I raced out of there with an elevated heartbeat. 'I am grateful for our brave first responders who stopped the shooter and helped the people to safety.' Sydney Airport has been plunged into chaos with strong winds causing flight delays and cancellations. Some 37 flights have been cancelled with countless others hit by lengthy delays on Monday. A Sydney Airport spokesman blamed strong winds for closing two of the three runways. Sydney Airport has been plunged into chaos with strong winds causing flight delays and cancellations Travellers have been urged to check in with their airline to get the latest update on their flight. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast wind gusts of up to 45km/h. Forecasters have warned that a freezing polar blast that hit Australia over the weekend sending temperatures plunging is here to stay. Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart were in the grips of a cold front over the weekend with temperatures struggling to get past 14C anywhere in Australia's south-east. Snow and hail blanketed parts of Victoria, NSW and the ACT, where overnight temperatures dipped below zero. Temperatures plummeted below the May average by as much as 5C in NSW, 8C in South Australia and 10C in Tasmania. Ski resorts welcomed falls of fresh powder a month out from the the start of ski season. The bureaus weather observations showed the temperature plunged in Sydney overnight. The temperature dropped to 10.5C at Sydney airport at 4am today but the apparent temperature was a chilly 0.8C as cold winds blasted the Harbour City. At Mount Boyce it was -1C but felt like -8.3C. Temperatures have plummeted up to 10C below average in Australia's south-east Temperatures plummeted below the May average by as much as 5C in NSW, 8C in South Australia and 10C in Tasmania. Ski resorts welcomed falls of fresh powder a month out from the the start of ski season. The bureaus weather observations showed the temperature plunged in Sydney overnight. The temperature dropped to 10.5C at Sydney airport at 4am today but the apparent temperature was a chilly 0.8C as cold winds blasted the Harbour City. At Mount Boyce it was -1C but felt like -8.3C. Boozy revellers headed out into the early hours of this morning to celebrate King Charles' Coronation and make the most of the unusual long weekend. Pubs and clubs across the country were packed out all night long following the end of the King's Coronation Concert that saw stars such as Katy Perry and Lionel Richie perform at Windsor Castle. While thousands tuned in at home to watch the impressive concert, which saw 20,000 spectators sit alongside the royal family at their estate, on their televisions others chose to spend the night in boozers. An army of revellers and royal fans enjoyed lukewarm temperatures as they ventured out, avoiding rainy downpours that many faced yesterday as they celebrated the new monarch in London. In Leeds and Newcastle, partygoers donned crowns, Union Jacks and other fancy-dress gear for their night out on the town. It is the second bank holiday weekend of three to take place this month, with workers enjoying the May Bank holiday last weekend and the late May Bank holiday taking place three weeks today. A group of revellers in Leeds were pictured in a range of dress-up costumes, including a number of characters from the Nintendo game Mario and Luigi, holding up a large Union Jack flag Three women dressed up ready to go out on bar-filled Greek Street in Leeds city centre Two cheery women head out in Newcastle, as King Charles' coronation continues to raise spirits across the UK Two women heading out in Leeds city centre make the most of the extra bank holiday weekend gifted to the public to celebrate the King's Coronation A bunch of friends head out on a boozy night out in Leeds in fancy dress, including one man dressed as Vicky Pollard from Little Britain and two men dressed as the 118 men Two women, one dressed up wearing a crown while the other looks like a dragon, don a Union Jack as they head out in Leeds Partygoers in Newcastle made the most of the balmy bank holiday weather as they headed out into the early hours of this morning Two women pose for the camera as they head out in lukewarm temperatures in Leeds to celebrate the long weekend Three women in Leeds head out to make the most of the extra May bank holiday weekend A group of women, and one man, dress up as police officers as they head out for a boozy Sunday night in Leeds MBABANE Standing Parliament committees have the powers, rights and privileges of the High Court. This is a constitutional provision found in Section 129 (5). Such committees have the powers, rights and privileges of a Justice of the High Court at a trial for enforcing the attendance of witnesses and examining them on oath, affirmation or otherwise. In the same way the High Court does, the members of the Parliament (MPs) committee have powers to compel the production of documents and issue a commission or request to examine witnesses abroad. On Thursday, the Portfolio Committee on the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs is said to have failed to execute its duties like the High Court. The committee, under the leadership of Kwaluseni MP Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini denied the African United Democratic Party (AUDP) the right to make a submission on the Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2023, in their capacities as a political party. Instead, the members of the AUDP who included its Secretary General Sibusiso Dlamini, were advised to make their submissions in their individual capacities. Legal opinion sought by the Times SUNDAY from different legal eagles corroborated the fact or arguement that political parties could only be denied the privilege or right to contest elections and form a government. This is on the basis of a constitutional provision in Section 79, which reads: the system of government for Swaziland is a democratic, participatory, Tinkhundla-based system, which emphasises devolution of state power from central government to Tinkhundla areas and individual merit as a basis for election or appointment to public office. It has been learnt that the individual merit as referred to during the Parliament committee sitting by the Kwaluseni MP applies to election or appointment to public office. It does not apply to submissions in a constitutional dispensation presumably unfolding in the country, particularly on the basis of Section 25 (1) which reads: a person has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Subsection 2 reads: A person shall not except with the free consent of that person be hindered in the enjoyment of the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, that is to say, the right to assemble peacefully and associate freely with other persons for the promotion or protection of the interests of that person. High Court It has been learnt that, on several occasions, the High Court has allowed political parties to file affidavits. They filed the court applications in their capacities as political parties. Political parties who filed court applications and heard by the High Court are the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Ngwane National Liberation Congress (NNLC) and Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA). In the High Court of Eswatini, SWADEPA appears as second applicant in its case against the Elections and Boundaries Commission (first respondent), prime minister of Eswatini, minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, minister of Home Affairs, minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, national commissioner of police and the army. This is Case No. 805/2018. In this case, Mbongiseni Cyprian Shabangu was the first applicant, while Sanelisiwe Tababe Debra Dlamini was the third applicant. The general import gathered from the prayers in this application is, among others, that the first respondent be interdicted from restraining first and third applicants from campaigning for elections and advocating policies and programmes under the banner and manifesto of second applicant respectively. The prayers were strenuously opposed. Presiding over the case were Justice Mzwandile Fakudze, Justice Majahenkhaba James Dlamini and Judge Ticheme Dlamini. In its judgement, the court considered the submissions by both parties and held the view that the applicants application was defective and therefore ought to be dismissed for those reasons. For this reason, the court dismissed the application with no order as to costs, reads the judgment in which SWADEPA was a party to the application heard by the three judges. There was also another case in which political parties were heard by the Supreme Court. The appellants in the case were Jan Sithole, a trustee of the National Constitutional Assembly-Trust, Mario Masuku, PUDEMO, Dominic Tembe, NNLC, Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (now TUCOSWA after a merger with Swaziland Federation of Labour) and Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT). The respondents were the prime minister, government, attorney general and others. This is Appeal Case No.35/2007. PUDEMO, NNLC and others wanted the court to strike down and declare null and void the entire Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland (Eswatini), which came into existence with an enactment on July 26, 2005. They had previously asked the High Court to do so but it refused their application, hence this appeal. As an alternative the appellants sought an order directing the Eswatini Government to convene a constitutional assembly, national convention or other democratic institution, broadly representative of the society to discuss the Constitution. The order was to compel government to also consider oral and written representations in regard to it in order to facilitate the adoption of a legitimate final Constitution by His Majesty the King and all the people of Eswatini. To this end, the appellants sought an order suspending and setting aside the present Constitution for a period of two years. The basis for the appellants wishing to strike down the Constitution or seeking the alternative orders was a complaint by them that in the process involved in bringing the present supreme law into being, they were excluded from participating in it and from making oral and written representations on behalf of their members and of the persons they represented. As indicated above, the eight appellants represented a variety of interests. The first to hear the case was Justice Bheki Maphalala, now the Chief Justice. allowed to participate Justice Maphalala did not decide whether the appellants should be allowed to participate and participate fully in the forthcoming national elections. Hearing the appeal filed by PUDEMO, NNLC and others were Judge P.H. Tebbutt, Judge N.W. Zietsman, Judge Michael Ramodibedi (now late) and Judge J.G. Foxcroft. They agreed that the Supreme Court could not embark on that exercise because it was actually a court of appeal, not one of first instance. There is no judgment on appeal before it on the issue raised. Moreover, the court was informed that there is pending before the High Court an application dealing with the very issue now raised. This court cannot, therefore, entertain any appeal on it before the decision of the High Court has been pronounced, reads the judgment. Notably, the High Court and Supreme Court did not deny the political parties the privilege and right to be heard. At the High Court, it must be said that Judge Maphalala had found that the application was not urgent even though he had not dealt with the substantive arguments raised by the political parties that Section 25 of the Constitution entitled them to participate in the local government elections. A political analyst told this newspaper that the parliamentary committee should not have worried itself about the labels of stakeholders making submissions before it. He said this was due to the fact that its main concern was to get varied opinions that could only enrich the legislation at hand. It does not mean that the committee should incorporate everything that they collect from stakeholders, the political analyst said. It is often said the countrys political system does not discriminate against political parties faithful and even giving examples of how Obed Dlamini and Jan Sithole, both presidents of NNLC and SWADEPA, respectively, made it to Parliament, the political analyst said. It is my properly considered view that the parliamentary committee acted ultra vires and it needs to be called to order. Ultra vires means 'acting or done beyond ones legal power or authority'. The last time an attempt to silence a partisan liSwati was in 2013 when Jan Sithole (late) introduced himself as the President of SWADEPA. He was rebuked by Chief Mvimbi Matse for introducing himself as leader of a political party. Sithole continued to address the King on national issues, with His Majesty the King smiling and did not take issue with the late former SWADEPA presidents declaration. The Times of Eswatini reported that the AUDP had wanted to submit a document on multiparty elections and implementation of the SADC Troika recommendations. The members of the portfolio committee who attended the Thursday session included Gilgal MP Sandla Fakudze, Sithobelweni MP Bhekitje Dlamini, Nkomiyahlaba MP Welcome Shongwe and Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze. MP Mabhanisi Dlamini, the Chairperson of the portfolio, neither answered the telephone call nor responded to the questionnaire texted to him yesterday. His deputy, MP Macford Sibandze said the Kwaluseni MP was the appropriate authority to comment on the issue because the sitting was presided over and concluded. Sources within Parliament suggested that the committee received legal opinion that the AUDP members should address it in their individual capacity, not as party representatives. Committees of Parliament (Section 129, Constitution) (1) Each chamber of Parliament shall appoint sessional committees and other committees as may be necessary for the effective charge of the functions of that chamber. (2) The standing committees shall be charged with such functions, including the investigation and inquiry into the activities and administration of ministries and departments as Parliament may determine and the investigations and enquiries may extend to proposals for legislation. (3) Every member of Parliament not being a Minister shall be a member of at least one of the standing committees. (4) The composition of the committees shall, as much as possible, reflect the different shades of opinion or interest in Parliament. (5) A committee appointed under this section shall have the powers, rights and privileges of the High Court or a Justice of the High Court at a trial for (a) enforcing the attendance of witnesses and examining them on oath, affirmation or otherwise; (b) compelling the production of documents; and (c) issuing a commission or request to examine witnesses abroad. Protection of freedom of assembly and association 25. (1) A person has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) A person shall not except with the free consent of that person be hindered in the enjoyment of the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, that is to say, the right to assemble peacefully and associate freely with other persons for the promotion or protection of the interests of that person. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will raise the age for the single parenting payment in the 2023 Federal Budget. Single parents will now be entitled to financial support on the Parenting Payment (Single) until their child is 14 in a commitment worth $1.9 billion. The decision has been widely tipped in the past few weeks and described as an opportunity for Mr Albanese to make up for a Gillard government move, which pushed single parents off the payment when their child turned eight. The PM has admitted that 'the sole parent payment is an area where we made a mistake'. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will raise the page for the single parenting payment in the 2023 Budget Mr Albanese said: 'Many single parents - overwhelmingly women - face difficulty balancing caring responsibilities and work. 'Those difficulties do not end when their child turns eight.' The updated plan will come into effect from September 20 of this year. Under the new policy, single parents who are currently on JobSeeker will receive an additional $176.90 per fortnight. In total, some 57,000 single parents (90 per cent of whom are women) will benefit. The payment is $922.10 per fortnight. Single parents will now be entitled to financial support on the Parenting Payment (Single) until their child is 14 in a Budget commitment worth $1.9 billion 'By age 14, children have typically settled into high school and need less parental supervision, and single parents are in a much stronger position to take on paid work,' Mr Albanese said. Historically, the single parents payment was for singles with children aged up to 16. But former prime minister John Howard, supported later by Julia Gillard, slashed the age to eight in an attempt to encourage parents back into the workforce. Two advisory bodies urged the government to extend the payment and the eligibility criteria. It is understood mutual obligation requirements will still remain in place to continue to encourage parents to return to the workforce. The PM spoke about the decision on Nova radio in Perth on Monday morning, saying he knew 'firsthand what it's like to grow up with a single mum doing it tough'. 'We want to look after single parents because we know that the role that they play in raising their children is such a priority for them and theyre deserving of more support,' he said. To read more about what to expect in Tuesday's Budget, click here. Britons are falling back in love with homes located in commuter zones as more companies call for their workers to go into the office again, a study has revealed. Property experts said many people living in small towns, villages or the countryside are now moving into so-called 'Commuterville' - but not all the way back into cities. The proportion of people leaving small towns or villages to move to commuter areas has risen to 41 per cent at the start of this year, up from 31 per cent this time in 2022. And data from the estate agents Hamptons also found the percentage of people leaving the countryside for the commuter belt rose to 37 per cent from 28 per cent. They defined 'Commuterville' as areas around larger cities, typically served by faster non-stop commuter trains or that are 30 to 45 minutes' drive from a city centre. A property map of Britain from Hamptons estate agents shows what it defines as a city (red), 'commuterville' (pink), smaller town or village (light blue) and countryside (dark blue) The study shared with MailOnline also found prices in cities rose furthest and fastest between 2009 and 2014, then it was 'Commuterville' from 2015 to 2017, then smaller towns and villages in 2018, and then the countryside between 2019 and 2022. They said much of this was down to the house price cycle, with southern cities driving the recovery imminently after the 2007 crash, with growth rippling out across the rest of the country a few years later. While countryside prices were picking up just before the pandemic began, growth here was extended and boosted but Hamptons now thinks it has been 'Commuterville' which has seen the most growth in early 2023. Some specific areas of 'Commuterville' have seen huge percentage growths in house prices when the last three months of 2022 are compared to the same period in 2021. Top of the list is Saffron Waldon in Essex, a commuter town for Cambridge, where average prices were 460,590 by the end of 2022, up 19.9 per cent in a year. Next is Foxwood near York, where prices rose 19.7 per cent to 346,770; and behind that is Honiton near Exeter, posting a 19.5 per cent rise to 298,180. Also in the top five are Shoreham-by-Sea near Brighton, up 18.9 per cent to 496,200; and Horndean near Portsmouth, up 401,580 to 18.2 per cent. Completing the top ten are East Grinstead near London (494,490, up 18 per cent); Clacton-on-Sea near Colchester (276,300, up 17.4 per cent), Witney near Oxford (373,170, up 17.2 per cent); Eastleigh near Southampton (338,240, up 16.9 per cent); and Rugby near Coventry (321,980, 16.6 per cent). Saffron Waldon in Essex saw average house prices at 460,590 by the end of 2022, up 19.9% Shoreham-by-Sea has also seen big annual house price growth, up 18.9 per cent to 496,200 Speaking about the top ten, David Fell, senior analyst at Hamptons, told MailOnline: 'While these price growth figures will undoubtedly come down this year, we still think they're likely to be the areas with the highest growth and smallest falls. 'These areas in particular have benefitted from hybrid working, meaning they can offer a commute which isn't too punishing two or three days a week, alongside the larger home at a more affordable price for the days spent working from the study.' The turnaround follows a property boom in remote parts of Britain soon after the pandemic began in 2020, when city workers fled for a quieter life to make the most of working from home. But buyers who are now having to spend more days in the office again are looking for quicker and cheaper transport links, which are provided by commuter towns. Others who have moved into the countryside have faced travel misery thanks to the now-regular rail strikes affecting train services and are said to now be preferring a shorter commute. Speaking to The Times, young professionals Joni and Johan Rasmussen, both in their 30s and with a young son, described how the demands of working from the office meant they had to be 'realistic' with where they looked. During the pandemic they looked at moving to the West Country, but eventually went for a property in Cobham, Surrey, which has direct train services to their jobs in offices in Vauxhall and Waterloo where they had to be for at least some days of the week. Mrs Rasmussen said: 'There was a big beautiful house we looked at in the Cotswolds, but it wasn't even close to a local station and we thought, while the pandemic has changed professional working practices for ever, we have to remain realistic. It was that delicate balance.' THE TOP TEN BIGGEST RISES IN PRICES IN 'COMMUTERVILLE' LOCATIONS District Area Near Price Annual growth CB11 Saffron Walden Cambridge 460,590 19.9% YO24 Foxwood York 346,770 19.7% EX14 Honiton Exeter 298,180 19.5% BN43 Shoreham-by-Sea Brighton 496,200 18.9% PO8 Horndean Portsmouth 401,580 18.2% RH19 East Grinstead London 494,490 18.0% CO15 Clacton-on-Sea Colchester 276,300 17.4% OX28 Witney Oxford 373,170 17.2% SO50 Eastleigh Southampton 338,240 16.9% CV22 Rugby Coventry 321,980 16.6% Source: Hamptons and Land Registry. Data gives average house prices in Q4 2022, compared with Q4 2021 But others who have moved out into the sticks have maintained that just because an area is remote, it is not uncommutable. READ MORE Backlash grows over new energy efficiency rules for landlords Advertisement Sue Bailey and her husband Mark Dyson, both in their 60s, bought a six bedroom house in Felliscliffe, North Yorkshire, right in the heart of the Dales and said the area had very good travel links. Ms Bailey told the Times: 'We're in the middle of a beauty spot, but we found that everything was really close. Leeds Bradford Airport is 23 minutes away, and there are four flights per day to Palma de Mallorca. Trains go from Harrogate to Leeds in half an hour, while Manchester takes two hours.' However the couple have now retired and are selling their house for 1.9million with Carter Jonas. Jemma Scott, partner at The Buying Solution buying agency, told MailOnline: 'There is a big focus back on circa 30 minute commutes into London and prices in these areas are reflecting this demand.' She said the main winners were Woking and Weybridge in Surrey, Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire and Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. Ms Scott added that they were 'all beautiful towns and a dream commuter wise at 23 to 31 minutes depending on time of travel' and said they are 'the few home county towns which can claim sub 30-minute commutes into London'. HOW TYPES OF AREA HAVE FARED FOR PRICES OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS Year City - Average Price (AP) Commuterville - AP Smaller towns and villages - AP Countryside - AP City - Price Growth (PG) Commuterville - PG Smaller towns and villages - PG Countryside - PG 2008 237,030 190,100 209,790 300,320 2009 241,320 185,270 202,370 281,170 2% -3% -4% -6% 2010 274,010 200,150 218,140 305,040 14% 8% 8% 8% 2011 274,820 195,960 213,240 296,590 0% -2% -2% -3% 2012 286,740 199,420 215,100 294,100 4 % 2% 1% -1% 2013 303,890 203,450 218,620 296,800 6% 2% 2% 1% 2014 321,100 213,010 228,390 310,190 6% 5% 4% 5% 2015 329,590 225,440 241,670 320,450 3% 6% 6% 3% 2016 337,570 237,770 253,560 331,430 2% 5% 5% 3% 2017 345,140 249,110 265,190 341,870 2% 5% 5% 3% 2018 344,940 254,850 275,740 348,000 0% 2% 4% 2% 2019 343,880 257,030 284,300 362,190 0% 1% 3% 4% 2020 373,860 273,520 300,680 389,690 9% 6% 6% 8% 2021 393,040 290,750 313,400 419,570 5% 6% 4% 8% 2022 413,510 304,340 325,830 456,340 5% 5% 4% 9% 2023 419,830 319,590 333,170 474,660 2% 5% 2% 4% Source: Hamptons and Land Registry, shared with MailOnline. Item in bold denotes fastest rising for that year Research by estate agency Jackson-Stops found 38 minutes is the new 'Golden Hour' commute, with most prospective homebuyers now willing to spend that period commuting into work. It found over a third commute to their place of work more now than six months ago, and just 3 per cent would be willing to commute for more than two hours. Some 31 per cent of the 500 active house hunters surveyed said they commute five days a week or more to work, with those in London and the South West most likely to commute five days a week or more (45 per cent each). Meanwhile 37 per cent want to live in and commute from a city while 33 per cent preferred a town a rise from 21 per cent who wanted to live in a town in 2019. Nick Leeming, chairman of Jackson-Stops, said: 'Calls for people to get back to the office more regularly have once again put a manageable commute back on the radar of prospective buyers. 'We have much faster train links than we did even five or ten years ago, bringing those peripheral town locations with fantastic transport options back in vogue. 'Urban living remains popular as buyers strike the balance between convenience and commutability.' The study also found residents in Northern Ireland on average favoured the shortest commute at 27.5 minutes, whereas those in the East Midlands would be happy to commute the longest at 47.6 minutes. Ian Denton, director of the Jackson-Stops branch in Northampton, said: 'Working patterns are certainly dictating where buyers choose to call home. 'Until September last year, and the synonymous mini-Budget, the halfway house of two days from home and three in the office had become the accepted norm. A longer commute on a part-time basis became a worthy compromise. 'However, a renewed push by employers to get workers back to the office has led some buyers to reconsider their lifestyle altogether. Choosing a place to call home is such a pivotal decision, with our work-life patterns often governing our property wish-lists.' Humans are on the cusp of detecting alien life on a distant planet. This is according to scientists who said that based on all that is known about physics, biology and chemistry, 'we are not alone' in the universe. Experts believe NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) - the most powerful device ever launched into space - will help lead the charge in discovering an exoplanet hospitable for life in the next 25 years. Astrophysicist Sasha Quanz, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, believes aliens will be confirmed in two and a half decades, but JWST will not do it - its successors will. These statements are echoed in a recent study from the University of California that stated extraterrestrials will make contact with humans by 2029, but not with the help of telescopes. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope was not designed to analyze exoplanets, but the device proved it can detect molecules essential for life in atmospheres The UC study looked at radio wave transmission sent to Pioneer 10 in 2002 by NASA - a routine protocol to transmit and collect data. The signal reached a star roughly 27 light-years from our planet as transmission spreads out when they contact an object. The UC researchers hope this signal was intercepted by extraterrestrials that returned a callback to Earth. The JWST has already detected carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of two exoplanets outside our Solar System - the first-ever observations of this kind. This is because JWST can analyze molecules in the atmosphere of distant worlds and identify those essential for life. Building off of the technology and success of JWST, NASA is developing a multi-billion successor tasked with searching for life on Earth-like planets as soon as the early 2040s. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HabEx) will specifically examine the air of Earth-like 'exoplanets' for signs they could sustain life. A recent PBS documentary, New Eye on the Universe, explains how JWST is poised to locate creation's faint fingerprints left in the atmospheres of exoplanets using the telescope's sophisticated spectroscopes. JWST was not designed to study exoplanets, just ancient stars in the universe, but its abilities have surpassed expectations due to its powerful technologies. 'There are two types of science instruments,' said Mike Menzel, lead mission systems engineer for JWST, in the PBS show. 'Cameras that produce images and spectroscopes that produce rainbows.' The colors of the rainbow form according to a specific molecule detected in an exoplanet's atmosphere. 'I think Mike's analogy of a rainbow is a good one,' Lee Feinberg, JWST's optical telescope manager at NASA Goddard, told the DailyMail.com. 'You're spreading the light into its different colors, but the key is that what we're comparing is when the planet is passing in front of the star versus when it's behind the star.' What helps the JWST make these comparisons, Feinberg said, is that its sensors can see farther past the visible light spectrum than previous telescopes like Hubble could deep into the infrared light spectrum. In 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, which has allowed scientists to see further and in more detail than the 33-year-old Hubble telescope The telescope has already detected carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of two exoplanets outside our Solar System - the first-ever observations of this kind This allows scientists to see the amount of water, sodium, carbon dioxide, and methane lurking in the atmosphere, which they can either dig deeper into the exoplanet or move on to the next. 'There are a lot of molecules, classic examples being carbon dioxide and water, where the best wavelength to do it is in the infra-red where Webb sees,' Feinberg told the DailyMail.com. 'Which is why, very early on,' Feinberg says, 'Webb made the first ever confirmed detection of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet's atmosphere.' In November 2022, JWST showed just how much it's become a significant player in the search for alien life after successfully revealing the makeup of an exoplanet's atmosphere in never before seen detail. JWST's powerful instruments captured atoms and molecules, along with signs of active chemistry and clouds - features Hubble and Spitzer could not detect when they observed the planet and those with evidence of signs of life. The target was WASP-39b, a hot Saturn 700 light-years away from Earth. 'In 30 years, scientists have gone from barely being able to detect exoplanets to characterizing key chemical clues in their atmospheres, like water, using facilities like the James Webb Space Telescope,' researchers from Michigan State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) penned for The Conversation. Building off of the technology and success of JWST, NASA is developing a multi-billion successor tasked with searching for life on Earth-like planets as soon as the early 2040s JWST telescopes' work is crucial for future missions capable of looking deeper into an exoplanet. HabEx will search for potential signs of habitability in the atmospheres of exoplanets by seeking signs of water and other biosignature gases, including oxygen and ozone. 'HabEx will be sensitive to all types of planets; however its main goal is, for the first time, to directly image Earth-like exoplanets, and characterize their atmospheric content,' NASA shared in a statement. 'What it can do that's unique will be to actually study the atmospheres of Earth-like planets around sun-like stars,' Feinberg explained to the DailyMail.com. 'Webb can't quite do that.' 'Webb can study exoplanets that are around other types of stars. 'And it can see really big gaseous planets around sun-like stars,' Feinberg said. 'But it cannot see a rocky Earth-like planet and its atmosphere around a sun-like star.' Like JWST, HabEX will also detect molecules, such as methane and carbon dioxide, to determine if they have concentrations higher than Earth. Cambridge scientist Emily Mitchell said: 'We've only got one biosignature, here on Earth. 'But if we have in ten or 20 years, as my optimistic colleagues suggest, thousands of biosignatures, we can start addressing [the question of whether we are alone in the cosmos].' She also explained that if HabEx finds oxygen, water and methane in one atmosphere, 'you could be like, 'Yeah, that's definitely life.'' READ MORE: The top 10 most annoying things that people do on holiday We'll also tell you where to find the best martini on the planet Game-changing experiences can also be had in Hungary and Africa Sometimes holiday experiences become life-changing events. But if you feel like you're missing out on them, here are some suggestions from the Mail's globe-trotting travel writers - game-changing experiences that will make your next holiday less stressful, more memorable and more mouthwatering. Scroll down for the lowdown on the world's best trains, jaw-dropping airport transfer services and the best crisps in Ireland... JAPAN'S BULLET TRAINS Japan's bullet trains are run with military precision timing-wise. Above is an E6 series, capable of 199mph in service Japan isn't the only country with high-speed trains, but its bullet train services are like no other. Not only are they jaw-droppingly fast the H5/E5 and E6 series hit 199mph but they're run with military precision timing-wise. You can set your watch by their arrivals and departures. And the white-gloved conductors lean out of a window and salute as the train leaves the station. Amazing. AIRPORT LOUNGES Once you've experienced lounge life, with its free food and drink and other perks such as showers, high-speed internet and quiet nooks for meetings - it is hard going back to the brow-furrowing throng of the main airport. A good way to gain access to them all is with Priority Pass. The annual 'prestige' membership - which costs 339 ($430) - allows unlimited visits to airport lounges all over the world. HELICOPTER AIRPORT TRANSFERS The Mail trialled the Blade helicopter transfer service in both New York and Los Angeles. Above, our LAX trip to downtown LA Want a 'taxi ride' that's super-fast and comes with a gargantuan dollop of wow factor? Upgrade to a helicopter transfer. We've trialled the Blade helicopter service in both New York and Los Angeles and were bowled over both times. The New York transfer from JFK to a downtown waterfront landing pad takes no more than 10 minutes. This journey could take up to two hours by taxi if the traffic is horrific. In LA we flew just 300ft above the freeway from LAX to a car park helipad, where Blade had erected a chic pop-up bar. And the cost? To charter the helicopter up to around $1,800 (1,400) each way, but on a pay-per-seat basis it's around $185/145 each way. Not cheap, but feeling like a Hollywood star? Priceless. CHAUFFEURED LIMO TRANSFERS Helicopter not available? Try the next best thing - a chauffeured limo service, such as Blacklane. The best feature ultra-polite drivers and executive cars stocked with bottled water. We've used Blacklane in London, New York and Paris and its service jettisons several layers of stress. AIRPORT HOTELS The holiday should start from the moment you leave your house - but that's hard when it's dark, you've only managed a couple of hours sleep, the taxi driver is chatty and you're not sure if the roads will be clear. That's why staying at an airport hotel the night before or after a flight makes sense. It gives you time to relax into holiday mode, check you don't need to pick up any forgotten items at the airport shops and stroll at a decent hour to the departure gates. If after your return flight you've got a long journey home why not stay overnight at a hotel and hang on to that holiday feeling? Enjoy a decent night's sleep and set off again the next day after a hearty breakfast. FIVE-STAR SKI HOTELS Luxury ski accommodation is a game-changer. Above is Cheval Blanc Courchevel in France, a prime example of five-star mountainside accommodation that the Mail recently reviewed Once you've experienced luxury mountainside pampering - with staff taking your ski/snowboard to the slope for you, and bringing it back in again it's tough to downgrade. EUROSTAR TRAINS Use Eurostar just once to reach Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam from London and you'll probably ditch flying to these cities for good. End to end, the Eurostar can match the plane for speed and if you upgrade to standard premium or business premiere, you'll get a decent meal, too. What's more, when you arrive, you step from the train straight into the action. FLYING BUSINESS CLASS MailOnline Travel's Ailbhe MacMahon testing out Finnair's pod-style business class seat Flying business class for the first time is a total revelation. There's getting served fizz on arrival, digging through a high-end amenity kit, receiving a printed menu ahead of your meal, having a tablecloth laid out before you, using proper cutlery and glassware, eating restaurant-standard food the list goes on. It feels wonderfully alien to stretch out in a fully lie-flat bed at 38,000ft if you're only used to feeling relative discomfort for the majority of a flight. There's none of the backache, the cramped leg room and the butting elbows that you're accustomed to in economy. The only drawback? It raises the bar too high - returning to budget seats at the back of the plane after a stint in business is landing back to reality with a thud. LIVE COMEDY IN NEW YORK If you're a fan of live comedy, then the Comedy Cellar in Manhattan is a must-visit with other comedy clubs around the world paling in comparison. It's a revered comedy institution on MacDougal Street, a Greenwich Village strip that's famous for its many comedy clubs. America's most famous comedians have performed there, often taking to the stage unexpectedly to test out new material we've seen filmmaker and comedian Judd Apatow and the comic Amy Schumer step up for impromptu sets. Even if you can't get a ticket for the shows (they're in hot demand), if you simply stand outside you're in with a good chance of seeing popular comics walk past on their way to perform and hang out in other venues around the street. CUNARD CRUISES Want to feel like you're inside The Ritz at sea? Book a berth on a Cunard ship Cunard is like The Ritz at sea just as tea at The Ritz is a popular special birthday and bucket list destination, so are the Cunard ships. Anniversaries and birthdays are celebrated in style and the backdrop of the ship gives it that special grandeur that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because each ship combines history with luxury so that as you step aboard you can imagine the great and the good of yesteryear doing the same thing. There's no getting down with the kids here Cunard is traditional and proud, like a grand old aunt who won't use a mobile phone. BARGAIN HUNTING IN BUDAPEST If you love bargain hunting for clothes and trinkets on holiday, then Budapest should be on your radar. The Hungarian capital is a treasure trove for second-hand and antique finds, from its flea markets and its vintage boutiques to its many charity shops. The Hungarian arm of the Humana Vintage chain of shops - which has thrift stores in several mainland European countries - is a particular standout. In the Karoly krt venue, for instance, clothes are reduced to just a few pounds in their sales each month we found a vintage DKNY skirt that cost the equivalent of 70p. SAFARIS IN THE MASAI MARA The Masai Mara is the Africa you probably think of when you think of Africa No self-respecting bucket list should be without a safari in Africa's Masai Mara - the acacia-peppered Africa you're probably thinking of when you think of Africa. Sightings of leopards, cheetahs, lions, hippos, crocodiles, elephants and giraffes are guaranteed, and in a landscape that drops the jaw at every turn. TRAVELLING BY SCOOTER One of the most thrilling ways to explore a place is by rented scooter - you see the destination in a new light as you zip in and out of traffic, take fun detours and trundle up poky lanes. We found this out in Vietnam, riding scooters with a guide from the city of Hoi An along the coast to Hue, zig-zagging along the winding Hai Van Pass and stopping for a swim in Elephant Springs. It felt like a real adventure, and the views trumped those we would have had from the bus window by a mile. GREEK SALADS IN GREECE In Greece, the Greek salad (pictured above at Angsana Corfu Resort and Spa) is always substantial enough to be classed as a main meal Think you've had a 'proper' Greek salad? You haven't unless you've had one in Greece, where they aren't just a sideshow, but most definitely the main act a salad that's always a full meal, with slabs of feta and mouthwatering handfuls of the freshest olives, cucumber slices and tomatoes. DUKES' MARTINIS No martini is a match for the ones rustled up at Dukes (above) Perfectly chilled and slightly frosted glasses, a rinse of vermouth, a generous free pour of vodka and a spritz of lemon juice. Oh, and beautifully buttery olives... The martinis at Dukes Bar in London's Dukes hotel are simple in design but remarkably hard to repeat. No martini is a match for the ones rustled up at Dukes. This spot was frequently visited by James Bond author Ian Fleming and is said to be the inspiration for the classic line 'shaken, not stirred.' ICED COFFEE IN VIETNAM Vietnamese iced coffee puts Starbucks and Pret A Manger iced coffees to shame. With coffee made from the robusta bean and sweetened with a layer of syrupy condensed milk, it's almost like a dessert - albeit with a huge kick (it has double the amount of caffeine that a run-of-the-mill coffee would have). You can pick it up in cafes and restaurants all over Vietnam, but if a trip is off the cards, Vietnamese restaurants worldwide often offer Vietnamese iced coffee on their menus. Tayto, the unofficial national crisp of Ireland IRELAND'S TAYTO CRISPS If you're partial to a packet of crisps, then it's essential to try a bag of Tayto, the unofficial national crisp of Ireland. They have just the right level of cheese and onion, the perfect thickness, and blow Walkers' and Lays' cheese-and-onion crisps out of the water. You'll recognise the bright red packet by the 'Mr Tayto' cartoon on the front - he's a potato dressed in a fancy suit, and he's a minor celebrity in Ireland. Every corner shop sells them, and most decent pubs across the country stock them behind the counter, so you can enjoy them over a pint. MasterChef has been plagued by a string of scandals and tragedies over the years, culminating last week with the tragic death of Jock Zonfrillo from natural causes. Ever since its inception in 2009, the hosts and contestants of the Channel Ten cooking program have faced dark times and negative headlines. From public spats and courtroom dramas to a failed restaurant empire, Daily Mail Australia takes a look inside the show's troubled legacy. Original hosts sacked in a pay dispute The MasterChef franchise was plunged into chaos in 2019 when its long-serving judges Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris were axed. The MasterChef franchise was plunged into chaos in 2019 when its long-serving judges Matt Preston (centre), Gary Mehigan (left) and George Calombaris (right) were axed The trio, who had appeared on MasterChef for eleven years, exited the show after Ten refused to give them a salary increase. The judges were hoping for a 40 per cent pay rise, which would have seen them earn $1.5million each for a 'guaranteed two years', but the network wouldn't budge. Instead, they were replaced by new judges Andy Allen, Jock Zonfrillo and Melissa Leong in 2020. The trio, who had been on MasterChef for 11 years, exited the show after Ten refused to give them a salary increase. The judges were hoping for a 40 per cent pay rise, which would have seen them earn $1.5million each for a 'guaranteed two years', but the network wouldn't budge Preston and Mehigan jumped ship to Seven, where they hosted the short-lived cooking show Plate of Origin alongside My Kitchen Rules star Manu Feildel. The announcement followed revelations Calombaris' restaurant empire had underpaid its employees by nearly $8million. George Calombaris' wage scandal Ex-MasterChef judge George Calombaris fell from grace three years ago after he lost his hospitality company MAdE Establishment to liquidators. MAdE, which had 22 companies, collapsed in February 2020 after being ordered by the Fair Work Ombudsman to pay workers $7.8million in unpaid penalty rates. Calombaris was personally hit with a $200,000 penalty for the wage rorts but always insisted the underpayments were simply a mistake he blamed on inexperience. Ex-MasterChef judge George Calombaris fell from grace three years ago after he lost his hospitality company MAdE Establishment to liquidators. MAdE collapsed in February 2020 after being ordered by the Fair Work Ombudsman to pay workers $7.8m in unpaid penalty rates The ex-hospitality boss said the payment error was detected after the company made a self-report, but the publicity that followed made it impossible to keep his businesses alive. When the matter was still being resolved in the courts in 2017 and his public profile was plummeting, the Melbourne chef was caught on camera shoving a 19-year-old fan who was heckling him at the A-League grand final in Sydney. Calombaris was convicted of assault and fined $1,000, but the damage to his name was so bad his conviction was later overturned. When the matter was still being resolved in the courts in 2017 and his public profile was plummeting, the Melbourne chef was caught on camera shoving a 19-year-old fan who was heckling him at the A-League grand final in Sydney. Calombaris was convicted of assault and fined $1,000, but the damage to his name was so bad his conviction was later overturned. (Calombaris is pictured arriving at Sydney's Downing Centre in January 2018) A District Court judge agreed with Calombaris' lawyer that he had suffered significant financial and personal loss, and was unlikely to reoffend. In July 2019, the West Australian government also suspended its tourism campaign featuring Calombaris over the Fair Work Ombudsman fine. Ben Ungermann charged with sexual assault Queensland ice cream shop owner Ben Ungermann first appeared on MasterChef's ninth season in 2019, placing runner-up. But it was during his return to the franchise for the Back to Win season in 2020 that the 36-year-old found himself making headlines for all the wrong reasons. MasterChef contestant Ben Ungermann (pictured) was charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in a Melbourne hotel room in 2020 while he was filming MasterChef: Back to Win In early 2020, vague reports began surfacing that Ungermann had been arrested and wasn't going to continue appearing on MasterChef: Back to Win. Host Zonfrillo addressed the matter briefly on the show, saying Ungermann had left the competition due to a 'personal matter'. However, Daily Mail Australia subsequently revealed the nature of that matter: Ungermann had been charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in a hotel room. The chef was staying in Melbourne to film the Channel Ten cooking show at the time of the incident. He was eventually spared a conviction and was instead placed on a diversion program, allowing him to avoid a criminal record. (Pictured: Ungermann arriving at Melbourne Magistrates Court in May 2021) Three sexual assault charges against Ungermann were later struck out in the Melbourne Magistrates Court. One charge of common law assault remained, for which Ungermann was sentenced to a diversion program. The diversion order meant there would be no conviction or formal finding of guilt against Ungermann, even though he accepted responsibility for the common law assault. Following his arrest, Ungermann was also wiped from the intro package of MasterChef: Back to Win as if he was never on the show. And virtually every reference to him was deleted from the website of his family's Brisbane dessert parlour the Ungermann Brothers. Sarah Wilson's vanishing act Long-time fans of MasterChef Australia may remember its former host Sarah Wilson, who appeared on first season in 2009 before suddenly vanishing. The 49-year-old, who is now best known for her I Quit Sugar books, didn't return for the second season because Channel Ten felt she didn't have enough to do. Prior to MasterChef's debut in April 2009, Ten's then-head of programming David Mott described Wilson as a 'natural host'. Long-time fans of MasterChef Australia may remember its former host Sarah Wilson, who appeared on first season in 2009 before suddenly vanishing. Wilson (far left) is pictured with Mehigan, Calombaris and Preston on season one of MasterChef before her departure 'Sarah Wilson has an addictive passion for food and wine, and a vibrant on-screen presence that makes her a natural host for MasterChef Australia. We have no doubt that Australian viewers will embrace her,' Mr Mott said. But it became clear during season one there was no room for a fourth presenter, with judges Mehigan, Calombaris and Preston able to handle hosting duties themselves. David Knox of industry website TV Tonight told News.com.au in 2019 that while Wilson was 'perfectly lovely' in the role, she became 'ancillary'. 'Wilson was left to do little more than read the autocue. Much of the hosting fell to Gary Mehigan, something that would never have happened if other personalities were in the role,' Mr Knox said. Wilson didn't return for the second season because Channel Ten felt she didn't have enough to do. (Pictured: Wilson hosting MasterChef season one in 2009) By September 2009, Channel Ten had announced Wilson's departure from the show. 'This decision has been a hard one to make, but it became clear the appropriate role for Sarah was not achievable without dramatically changing the format,' Mr Mott said at the time. 'Her abilities had outweighed her duties on the show. All parties agree another series that limited her input and expertise was not the best outcome.' In 2017, Wilson reflected on her departure from MasterChef in an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly. Wilson is now best known for her I Quit Sugar books (pictured) She claimed producers had asked her to wear revealing outfits and she felt her role had been 'reduced to [that of] a vacuous talking head'. At one stage, she supposedly snapped on set and told crew members she felt like 'a broom in a ridiculous dress with a wig'. Wilson then 'punched the wall of' her dressing room in frustration and 'broke two knuckles', before quitting the show the next day. Julie Goodwin's drink-driving arrest MasterChef's first winner Julie Goodwin sparked controversy in April 2018 when she was charged with drink-driving twice over the legal limit. The mother of three, 52, was caught after trying to evade a police breath test in North Gosford, on the Central Coast, and was chased by officers to a nearby side street. Goodwin had been driving home from a 'celebratory function' that she was catering when she was stopped for the RBT. MasterChef's first winner Julie Goodwin sparked controversy in April 2018 when she was charged with drink-driving twice over the legal limit After fronting up at court with her husband and acknowledging it was 'an error in judgment' and 'accepting full responsibility', Goodwin was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for six months. (Pictured: Goodwin arriving at Gosford Court, NSW, in May 2018) Goodwin said she felt 'great shame and regret' and said her actions were 'completely out of character' in a lengthy statement following the arrest. After fronting up at court with her husband and acknowledging it was 'an error in judgment' and 'accepting full responsibility', Goodwin was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for six months. She later revealed she had been suffering from depression, and had sought treatment during a five-week stay at a psychiatric facility in February 2020. Adriano Zumbo's failed dessert empire Australian patissier Adrian Zumbo was launched into the spotlight thanks to his regular appearances as a guest judge on MasterChef. Starting his dessert restaurant business in 2007, the 41-year-old soon became known as 'Australia's answer to Willy Wonka' because of his amazing creations. However, this would come crashing down in 2018 when Zumbo's company was placed in voluntary administration with debts amassing about $10million. Australian patissier Adrian Zumbo (pictured) was launched into the spotlight thanks to his regular appearances as a guest judge on MasterChef Administrators appointed to companies directed by Zumbo, made up of landlords and trade creditors, confirmed his eight Sydney and Melbourne eateries would remain open. The exact reason for his company's financial collapse is not known. Previously, five disgruntled employees appeared on A Current Affair in May 2017, claiming Adriano withheld superannuation, hadn't paid them proper rates and failed to pay them overtime. Reynold Poernomo's homophobia scandal Season seven star Reynold Poernomo made headlines in 2020 after Daily Mail Australia exposed shocking homophobic forum posts he had written in 2014. Poernomo, 29, who was competing in MasterChef: Back to Win when the posts resurfaced, had posted a shocking comment in a six-year-old thread titled 'First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?' The then 20-year-old wrote: 'I wish the world made a united decision where they will capture all gay people and put them on a remote island full of gays, that way straight [people] will be happy and the freaks can go on and f**k themselves.' Season seven star Reynold Poernomo (pictured) made headlines in 2020 after Daily Mail Australia exposed shocking homophobic forum posts he had written in 2014 That comment was followed by another on a thread titled: 'Is homosexuality a mental illness?' 'Yes end of thread,' Reynold responded. Reynold apologised for his comments shortly after they resurfaced. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, he said he was 'deeply ashamed' of his remarks. 'I would like to offer my sincere and deepest apologies for the comments that I made in 2014. I am ashamed of these comments and I regret them immensely,' he said. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, he said he was 'deeply ashamed' of his remarks. 'I would like to offer my sincere and deepest apologies for the comments that I made in 2014. I am ashamed of these comments and I regret them immensely,' he said 'At the time these comments were made, I was a very immature, close-minded and insular 20-year-old. I have grown and matured a lot in the last six years. I am not the person I was back then. 'I have many friends and colleagues that are part of the LGBTIQ+ community. I wholeheartedly support them and care deeply for them. I am truly sorry and apologise for any offence or hurt I caused.' Matt Preston's feud with Marco Pierre White Former MasterChef judge Matt Preston was embroiled in a very public spat with British celebrity chef Marco Pierre White in 2017. White famously vowed 'on his mother's grave' to get back at Preston for comments he made on The Kyle and Jackie O Show about his son Marco Pierre White Jr. Former MasterChef judge Matt Preston (right) was embroiled in a very public spat with British celebrity chef Marco Pierre White (left) in 2017 Preston had criticised Marco Jr. after the young man had boasted of his drug binges and sex with prostitutes. 'That's that whole rich, London trust fund babe, trustifarian-type stuff - it's another world,' he said. Marco Sr. was so incensed by what Preston had said that he refused to even discuss it during a television interview the following year. White famously vowed 'on his mother's grave' to get back at Preston for comments he made on The Kyle and Jackie O Show about his son Marco Pierre White Jr. (left) White had previously featured as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia. However, he stopped making appearances after the eighth season due to his feud with Preston and even joined rival program Hell's Kitchen Australia in retaliation. White eventually returned to MasterChef in 2022, after Preston had left the show. Jock Zonfrillo's death The franchise suffered yet another blow when judge Jock Zonfrillo was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room at 2am on Monday, just hours before he was due to begin promotional duties for the show's fifteenth season. He was 46. Zonfrillo is believed to have died of natural causes and nothing unusual or suspicious was discovered in the hotel room where he was found dead, Daily Mail Australia understands. He is survived by his third wife, Lauren Fried, and his four children: grown-up daughters Ava and Sophia, from his first two marriages, and six-year-old Alfie and two-year-old Isla, with Fried. The franchise suffered yet another blow when judge Jock Zonfrillo (pictured) was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room at 2am on Monday, just hours before he was due to begin promotional duties for the show's fifteenth season 'With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday,' his family said in a statement on Monday afternoon. 'So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we're too overwhelmed to put them into words. 'For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky. His death came as MasterChef's fifteenth season was due to premiere on Channel Ten on Monday night, but has since been postponed out of respect for Zonfrillo's family. (Pictured: Zonfrillo with his MasterChef co-hosts Andy Allen, left, and Melissa Leong, centre) 'We implore you to please let us grieve privately as we find a way to navigate through this, and find space on the other side to celebrate our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend.' Zonfrillo became a host of the popular Channel Ten cooking show in 2019 alongside Andy Allen and Melissa Leong. Zonfrillo, who started his career working under Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White in the UK, famously overcame an addiction to heroin during his teenage years in Glasgow before becoming one of Australia's most celebrated chefs. Holly Willoughby is known for her sensational style and blonde locks. And while the assets have become her trademark, a scratch beneath the surface appears to prove the This Morning host's look is not totally her own. It seems Holly, 42, takes huge inspiration from A-lister Margot Robbie, with a slew of her past styles stolen from the star, 32, as well as her fancy dress costumes ripped directly from two of Margot's movies. On Saturday night, while attending Keith Lemon's star-studded fancy dress 50th birthday, Holly's costume of choice was a take on one of Margot's outfits from the new Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie movie, which is due for release in July. In 2016 meanwhile, Holly dressed as Margot's character Harley Quinn from super villain movie Suicide Squad, which was released the same year. In 2019, she sported a different take on the Harley, in another costume. Far from only replicating her characters' ensembles, Holly has also donned matching gowns to the star, red carpet styles akin to Margot's and even styled her hair in a near identical shoulder tickling bob with sweeping side parting. So how has Holly Robbied Margot's look? How Holly Willoughby 'Robbied' Margot's style! From fancy dress costumes to red carpet looks to hairstyles, a look at the This Morning star's A-list aspirations FANCY DRESS The upcoming Barbie movie has fans of both Margot and the iconic doll in uproar - with Holly seemingly joining in the excitement. Back in July, Margot was spotted on-set in Los Angeles shooting scenes opposite Ryan Gosling - who plays Ken - and sporting a cowgirl look. The ensemble comprised a pink waistcoat, high-waisted trousers with a star-adorned frill below the knee and a white cowboy hat. For her former Celebrity Juice colleague Keith Lemon's birthday, Holly near-replicated the ensemble yet opted for a jumpsuit instead of a two-piece. Stunner: In 2016, Holly joined many in donning the Joker's villainous girlfriend Harley Quinn's trademark style - with pulses racing at the sexy look Her Suicide Squad aspirations meanwhile came twofold. In 2016, Holly joined many in donning the Joker's villainous girlfriend Harley Quinn's trademark style - with pulses racing at the sexy look. She slipped into a Daddy's Little Monster torn tee, wore her hair in blonde, pink and blue bunches and paired the look with metallic hotpants and brandished a bat. Holly then returned to her Harley look in 2019, in the wake of the Suicide Squad sequel, The Suicide Squad. She sported Harley's later brightly coloured look. Changing it up: Holly then returned to her Harley look in 2019, in the wake of the Suicide Squad sequel, The Suicide Squad. She sported Harley's later brightly coloured look RED CARPET A slew of Holly's red carpet looks appear to be taken straight from Margot's style book - including elegant gowns and a slick suit. In 2017, the British star wore a near-identical plunging black look to the ITV Pallooza, a year after Margot sported the dress at the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot premiere. Again, after Margot wore a stunning one-shouldered dress to The Wolf Of Wall Street premiere in 2013, Holly stole the look on Dancing on Ice in 2018. Transformed: A slew of Holly's red carpet looks appear to be taken straight from Margot's style book - including elegant gowns and a slick suit Hot stuff: In 2017, the British star wore a near-identical plunging black look to the ITV Palooza, a year after Margot sported the dress at the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot premiere All white? Last year, Holly wore a white suit to rival a similar look of Margot's from 2016 Going for gold: In yet another nod to the star, Holly opted for dazzling gold in a look akin to Margot's 2016 Oscars look DAY TIME DESIGNS In March, Holly sported an LK Bennett dress which was near-identical to the yellow dress Margot was rocking at the G'Day USA Los Angeles Black Tie Gala at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on 2018. When sporting the similar look, she also donned Margot's sweeping hairstyle. Bright and beautiful: In March, Holly sported an LK Bennett dress which was near-identical to the floral dress Margot was rocking at the G'Day USA Los Angeles Black Tie Gala at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on 2018 Roxy Jacenko has splashed a rumoured $50,000 on her son Hunter's extravagant ninth birthday party on a superyacht. The PR Queen, 43, threw a no-expense-spared Hawaiian-themed party aboard the 122ft charter yacht, Ghost II, which is rented out at $2800 per hour. The youngsters were treated to custom-made slippers, and danced away to a DJ on the cruise around Sydney Harbour. The three-hour event took a month to plan with Hunter even getting a personalised cake with a topper of himself on a surfboard and wearing Hawaiian shorts. Roxy told The Sunday Telegraph, her son chose the theme after looking at albums from a family trip. Inside Roxy Jacenko's son Hunter's extravagant $50,000 Hawaiian-themed ninth birthday party on a superyacht - complete with a DJ and custom-made slippers 'Hunter was looking through old photos from when he was little and came across some images of a trip we went on to Hawaii,' she said. 'It was then he decided he wanted a Hawaiian-themed ninth birthday as he has missed out on celebrating with his friends due to Covid for the past three birthdays.' She also revealed her mum Doreen bought Hunter a traditional Hawaiian shirt during her recent trip to Hawaii. Guests were also treated to hula girl dancers and a poi-ball dancer. It comes almost one year after Roxy raised eyebrows after splashing a rumoured $40,000 on her daughter Pixie's 11th birthday in August last year. She went all out for the bash, splashing the cash on neon lights, a personal hairdresser, a DJ and a professional photographer for Pixie and her friends. They were also treated to 360 degree photo booth, a custom pizza bar, and fireworks during the flashy event. The PR Queen threw a no-expense-spared Hawaiian-themed party aboard the 122ft charter yacht, Ghost II, which is rented out at $2800 per hour Roxy told The Sunday Telegraph, her son chose the theme after looking at albums from a family trip. Pictured Roxy, husband Oliver Curtis and children Hunter and Pixie Roxy hit back during an interview with the Today Show taking aim at critics who called the party 'too indulgent.' 'It is not for everyone, but I don't worry about the noise,' she said of the backlash at the time. Roxy, who battled breast cancer in 2016, said she has learned to live her life to the fullest. 'I had cancer, we have lived a life that has been under scrutiny a lot, so I want to make the most of my life because you don't know what happens tomorrow,' she said. MBABANE A PSPF report on the conversion of ENPF into a pension scheme has got the former fearing for its collapse. The Times SUNDAY has seen the report by the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF), through which it lists a number of issues that it believes would lead to its demise should the conversion of the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) into a national pension fund be implemented. However, the ENPF, after being approached by this publication with the contents of the report, responded to each of the issues raised therein and basically said there was nothing for PSPF to fear. For the past 10 years, the ENPF Conversion Bill, which seeks to bring about the change, has been stuck between Cabinet and Parliament. The PSPF believes that it would suffer natural death as the fund would quickly run out of funds and eventually face serious financial challenges due to the following: Paying out benefits more than it receives contribution; selling assets (disinvesting) in order to meet the cost of promised benefits and administration of the scheme; and limited investment due to the lack of funds and constrained investment strategy. But the ENPF has allayed this fear, by stating that: There will never be any natural death on PSPF, especially one caused by ENPF. The PSPF argues that in the last few years it has been facing liquidity challenges, wherein the current contributions are not sufficient to cover the benefits and expenses on an annual basis. A further reduction of the contributions (10 per cent to ENPF) will exacerbate the situation, said the PSPF, further arguing that the contribution rate of 10 per cent payable to the new national pension scheme would be taken from the 20 per cent currently paid to the PSPF, that is, total contribution would reduce from 20 per cent to 10 per cent of payable salary. Reacting to this, the ENPF pointed out that the contributions are 10 per cent of insured salary, not a members full earnings; and the maximum insured salary was currently E3 500 per month. contribution The contributions to ENPF can, therefore, be no larger than E350 per month, based on current insured salary, the ENPF counter argues PSPF and, after drawing up three scenarios based on three different salary scales, the remaining PSPF contribution is actually 85 per cent of the total contribution and not 10 per cent. The provident fund said what should be appreciated is that the PSPF is an occupational pension scheme just like the other pension funds in the country. The national pension fund will act as a first tier in the social security system in the country, thus complementing the occupational pension schemes, inclusive of PSPF, and will provide an extra savings channel for workers to have more than one source at retirement, said the ENPF. On the argument by PSPF that it had been facing liquidity challenges in the last few years, the ENPF said the former is what is actuarially termed a mature fund, therefore, it is not surprising that contributions are not sufficient to pay benefits and expenses. A mature fund is expected to be generating sufficient cash flows from investment to improve liquidity. We would like to believe that this is how it has been able to manage its cash flows, said the ENPF. The provident fund made an example of the 2018 actuarial valuation of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), which is the pension fund of civil servants in South Africa, which is said to show that for a matured fund like the PSPF, the investments now play a critical part on the cash flows. This goes to show that it means that PSPF is failing to manage its investments and as such is in the worse position. We will reiterate that 10 per cent is not what will be lost by PSPF. Their projections are thus incorrect. Any PSPF contribution paid to ENPF is no gift to ENPF. It is buying benefits for its members, said the ENPF. determined It is also the argument of the PSPF that the benefits of the scheme were determined, taking into consideration that the employer committed to contributing 20 per cent to the scheme. A reduction of the contribution rate would necessitate a reduction in the benefits payable. It has been actuarially determined that the benefits would reduce to 1/3 of the current contributions, said the PSPF. A table drawn by the PSPF depicts a scenario where currently the death benefit is 24 months of basic salary yet under the new scheme it would be reduced to eight months of basic salary; where currently the lump sum benefit is two per cent of the full salary multiplied by 15 years of service, multiplied by 25 percent, which under the new scheme would be reduced to 0.6 per cent of full salary multiplied by five of service, multiplied by 8.3 per cent; where currently pension is calculated at two per cent of full salary multiplied by years of service, multiplied by 25 per cent, which under the new scheme would purportedly be reduced to 0.6 per cent of full salary multiplied by years of service multiplied by 25 per cent. To this, the ENPF has noted that the current contribution to the PSPF is 20 per cent, and that if one were to assume that the incorrect allegation of 10 per cent reduction in contributions is correct, then one would expect the benefits to reduce by 50 per cent not 67 per cent as alleged. The ENPF noted that the table drawn by the PSPF defied logic and was not in accordance with PSPF rules as there seemed to be lack of understanding of the benefit structure of the PSPF. The pension formula is not according to PSPF rules. Again, lack of understanding of their benefit structure. With this pension formula, PSPF will be in a very big surplus position, said the ENPF. The provident fund said it was important to note that no individual would be worse off and this was also true even if proposed benefits were kept at this level with the PSPF joining, for example, on 20 year service, E10 000 salary, pension on PSPF would equal E4 000. If joining ENPF at one per cent (rate without PSPF), pension is split as E3 000 (PSPF) plus E700 (ENPF), totalling E4 000. What should be emphasised is that the civil servants are to get benefits from two sources; PSPF and the national pension fund, the ENPF outlined. The provident fund said the PSPF was likely to have the most benefits from the mortality gains of social security, something that was even discussed during the meeting of actuaries. There is also another argument by the PSPF that it would have to make forced sales of its assets at inappropriate times in order to honour promised benefits, which may result in long wait for benefits to be paid. But the ENPF has said this cannot be true: No PSPF assets will be transferred to ENPF. The status quo on how PSPF manage their cash flows will remain. There is also an argument of constrained investments, where the PSPF is arguing that reduced contributions would lead to constrained investments strategy, lack of diversification, which would also affect the economy. liability In response, the ENPF has stated that an appropriate investment strategy is driven by an asset liability modelling, which would, among its output, project cash flow needs. The move (conversion) will not constrain PSPF investment in any way. And it does not hold water that a reduction of the E350 contributed to the national pension scheme would adversely impact the PSPF to the extent that investments would be negatively impacted, said the ENPF. The provident fund said the duty of the PSPF Board, investment committee and management is to continually devise various investment strategies to ensure that they meet the members expectations. PSPF structures would have failed their members if they would hide behind the reduction of E350 to the national pension fund, as affecting diversification of investments and affecting the economy... In fact positively looking at the dual contributions, the PSPF members would now be investing not in one basket, but in two, thus protection of their benefits, stated the ENPF. What the PSPF has also argued on is that government will have two defined benefit funds (PSPF and ENPF) to finance (as sponsor and guarantor). The PSPFs view is that government might find itself having a substantial financial burden to meet the deficit positions of both schemes over time as both schemes may be in deficit. Rebutting this, the ENPF said at no point would government be expected to finance the national pension scheme and neither would any start-up capital be required. The ENPF said government would only be an overseer of the national pension fund because it would be a parastatal. The ENPF in its defined contribution status, for all the 50 years it has been in existence, has never requested government to sponsor nor guarantee any financing. In fact over the years, the government has been assisted through the ENPF in financing national projects, such as the one that was managed by the Eswatini National Housing Board, said the provident fund. It said robust investment strategies were very much key in the administering of pension funds, whether occupational or national. The ENPF said the PSPF would still remain the largest investor. In its recommendations, the PSPF has called for its members to be exempted from joining the new national pension scheme, given that its current contribution rates and benefit level are much higher to those proposed under the ENPF. The PSPFs proposal is that the new pension scheme should focus on employees who do not have a pension coverage at all, and not seek for duplicate benefits. In addition, under the provident fund, public servants were exempt from contributing and membership. In Tanzania, the Public Service Pension Fund was exempted, and the National Pension Scheme focused on private schemes, the PSPF has said in backing the recommendation. This though has been dismissed by the ENPF by arguing that the benefits are not higher and contributions must be looked at in relation to the benefits they promised, especially the actuarial soundness of them. reduction According to the ENPF, the claim of reduction in benefits to 0.6 per cent implies that PSPF contributions are currently not actuarially sound because one of have expected a reduction to one per cent if the contributions were actuarially sound. Defined benefits are like insurance. You need numbers to reduce volatility. Tanzania has the numbers to exempt civil servants. Eswatini is a small country. The Seychelles is a good example of a country with a small population. More solidarity is needed, the ENPF counter argued. The PSPF has also recommended that should their members be part of the new scheme, government should not reduce the current contributions made to the PSPF. The ENPF responded: This is for government to decide. However, any monies paid to ENPF will pay a benefit to the contributors, not to the detriment of civil servants. Another recommendation by the PSPF is that an in-depth consultation with stakeholders is necessary before any decision could be taken. But that the ENPF has stated that consultations were done with all stakeholders in the country, including the Labour Advisory Board (LAB), which is made up of government, workers and employers and which PSPF is part of. The LAB recommended the approval of the Bill for the process to proceed, hence the Bill is now considered at Cabinet level, the ENPF has said. Moreover, the PSPF has recommended that shoud contributions under it be redirected to the ENPF, then government should fund the current deficit of E10 billion, and the benefits be reviewed to be in line with the contributions received. To this, the ENPF said the PSPF has run an actuarially higher deficit than this historically, but government has never paid any additional funds to its obligations, yet the deficit has actually improved to the current one. A deficit needs a recovery plan. This does not mean immediate payment, unless a recovery plan cannot be found. If PSPF believes the State must pay the deficit, assumed for benefit security issues, benefit security will be improved under ENPF since it is starting from an fully funded position, added the ENPF. The ENPF is of the standpoint that the PSPF has not given themselves time to understand the content of the conversion Bill, hence the allegedly gross misconceptions they have. Suki Waterhouse commanded attention from a large crowd on Saturday as she performed for the 10th Anniversary of Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. The model-turned-actress, 31, appeared to be in her element as she performed on day two of the three-day music festival. The beauty looked nothing short of sensational as she donned a sheer pearl blouse with a skimpy black bralette underneath. She put on a very leggy display in textured green mini hot pants as she completed her chic ensemble. To further elevate the sassy look, she also opted for elongating her pins further by donning a pair of chic over-the-knee leather boots. Commanding attention: Suki Waterhouse put on a show and commanded attention from a large crowd on Saturday She also accessorised the look with a pair of oval-shaped sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun. She styled her luscious blonde locks in a bouncy blowout for the day ahead and opted for a glam makeup look consisting of a sheer pink lip and a glowy base. Suki appeared to be in high spirits as she danced across the stage while belting out some great hits. The on-stage performance comes after Suki looked nothing short of sensational in a sheer dress as she arrived with her boyfriend Robert Pattinson to the Met Gala 2023 on Monday. And Suki and the superstar, 36, couldn't keep their hands off each other as they showed off their chic looks on the red carpet. The event returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, with everyone from Kim Kardashian to Paris Hilton set to attend the annual fundraising event. The couple, who only made their red carpet debut late last year despite dating for several years, marked their first time together at the Met Gala as a couple. Performance: as she performed for the 10th Anniversary of Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia In her element: The 31-year-old model-turned-actress appeared to be in her element as she performed on day 2 of the three-day music festival Sensational: And the beauty looked nothing short of sensational while doing so as she donned a sheer pearl blouse with a skimpy black bralette underneath Peachy: She also sent the crowd into a frenzy as she performed on stage in a pair of textured green mini hot pants that highlighted her peachy derriere Sassy: To further elevate the sassy look, the model also opted for elongating her pins further by donning a pair of chic over-the-knee leather boots This year, the ball's theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The late German designer, who died at 85 in 2019, was Chanel's long-time creative director. Suki glowed in a sheer Fendi dress with a skirt that reached down just above her ankles. It had an extra layer over her torso and a ribbed section highlighting her toned midriff. The entire dress was decorated with colourful flower and plant designs, along with a couple of majestic birds to create a lovely nature scene. She complemented the flesh-toned item with her dirty blond ombre hair, which she wore with a middle part as it rested delicately on her shoulders. The Daisy Jones & The Six actress stood tall in a set of beige open-toe heels featuring rhinestone-clad straps. All the accessories: She also further accessorised the look with a pair of oval-shaped sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun Beauty: And styled her luscious blonde locks in a bouncy blowout for the day ahead Glam: She also opted for a glam makeup look consisting of a sheer pink lip and a glowy base She and her partner Robert wrapped their arms around each other and showed off some particularly affectionate glances as they posed on the iconic red carpet. He opted for a fashion-forward black Dior tuxedo, which included an extra skirt, in addition to the trousers. He wore it with a white shirt, and opted for a gold brooch instead of a tie and the Batman star added some sparkle to the look with bedazzled chunky black shoes. The lovebirds have been in a relationship since 2018, but they tend to keep a quiet public profile. In February, Suki spoke to The Times about her long-term relationship. High spirits: Suki appeared to be in high spirits as she danced across the stage while belting out some great hits Met Gala: The on-stage performance comes after Suki attended the Met Gala with her boyfriend Robert Pattinson on Monday 'I'm shocked that I'm so happy with someone for nearly five years,' she gushed. 'I'm always incredibly excited when I see his name pop up [on my phone] or even a text, and I think he feels the same about me. We've always got so much to say, and I find him hilarious.' This year's decision to honor Karl Lagerfeld recently sparked controversy given the many offensive remarks he has made over the years, from slamming the #MeToo movement to opposing same-sex marriage. 'I'm 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. '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.' 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 the Associated Press. Wow: And the model looked nothing short of sensational in a sheer Fendi dress with a skirt that reached down just above her ankles Along with the Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, who runs and hosts the annual event, the 2023 MET Gala was also co-hosted by Penelope Cruz, Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel and Roger Federer. 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. This year the price of admission had been raised from $30,000 to $50,000, according to Page Six. Even those who had the funds weren't guaranteed entry to the party, though many of the guests were sponsored by fashion houses that footed the bill for their tickets. Every guest had to be invited, and a waiting list existed for the coveted golden ticket. First Gala: The couple, who only made their red carpet debut late last year despite dating for several years, marked their first time together at the Met Gala as a couple And status matters, according to The New York Times, meant the hottest stars were a shoo in for an invite. Paris Hilton was among some of the big names who attended and it was her first Met Gala. Meanwhile, Blake Lively, a usual frequent attendee, recently announced that she was not attending the party, however, she stated that she will be 'watching'. 'I will be watching,' she said, according to People. Elle Fanning, Kim Kardashian and La La Anthony were among the other celebs that also attended. As for Wintour's role in the bash, Vogue's editor-in-chief organized the party and oversaw the guest list as well as the menu. She has often served as the Met Gala's chairwoman since 1994 and continues to serve look after look at every event. This TV superstar has become a staple of Saturday night television both in the UK and the US after bursting onto the scene in 2001. He is reported to be worth a whopping 380million thanks to his many business ventures and shrewd investments. Known for his quick whit and acid put downs and unlike the dodgy throwback snap, his sense of style and perfectly trimmed barnet. Having fronted dozen's of TV talent shows he also has managed some of the biggest music stars in the world. But can YOU guess who it is? No idea: This TV superstar has become a staple of Saturday night television both in the UK and the US after bursting onto the scene in 2001 - can you guess who it is? It's none other than Britain's Got Talent's Simon Cowell, 63, who looks world's away from his perfectly put together screen appearances. The music mogul is more often seen in an all black ensemble with a figure hugging top and his trousers famously pulled high. On the latest episode of Britain's Got Talent, Amanda Holden quizzed Simon about when he had longer hair in his younger years. She said: 'Bruno [Tonili] was saying today that you used to have shoulder-length hair,' before Simon desperately urged her not to Google it in embarrassment. It comes after Simon was left fuming during Saturday's episode of Britain's Got Talent when he was covered in pink gunge by 90s icon Mr Blobby. The notoriously badly behaved character appeared on the show to showcase his magic tricks. After performing a card trick, Blobby pulled the show's head judge Simon, 63, up onto the stage, placing him into 'Mr Blobby's Disappearing Box'. Simon was seen taking a seat before Mr Blobby closed the door, with the crowd cheering. However, things took a turn for the worse for the music mogul, as when Mr Blobby was seen closing the door, pink slime was seen sloshing out, much to the astonishment of Simon's fellow judges Amanda Holden, 52, Alesha Dixon, 44, and Bruno Tonioli, 67. The door was then opened once again, showing a very miffed Simon being covered in the slime. Of course! It's none other than Britain's Got Talent's Simon Cowell, 63, who looks world's away from his perfectly put together screen appearances Sleek: The music mogul is more often seen in an all black ensemble with a figure hugging top and his trousers famously pulled high Simon warned: 'Don't touch me! Get away from me!' Keen to get the other stars of the show involved in the action, Simon was seen hugging show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in a bid to cover them in slime too. Nineties TV icon Mr Blobby threw this weekend's episode of Britain's Got Talent auditions into chaos. The manic pink character attempted to impress with his own unique brand of magic before falling flat on his face in front of the judges. Blobby - who found fame in BBC1's Noel Edmond's House Party - was welcomed by a round of applause from the audience. Miffed: It comes after Simon was left fuming during Saturday's episode of Britain's Got Talent when he was covered in pink gunge by 90s icon Mr Blobby Special appearance: The notoriously badly behaved character appeared on the show to showcase his magic tricks Delighted: Simon's fellow judges Amanda Holden, 52, Alesha Dixon, 44, and Bruno Tonioli, 67, loved seeing the record company boss covered in slime However judge Alesha grumbled 'oh no' as soon as she clapped eyes on the pink and yellow spotted star. As he made his way from the stage to the panel he took a tumble, with Bruno declaring: 'Mr Blobby is going to hospital.' He then offered Amanda a card as he attempted to showcase his magic tricks, only to fail dismally. While the audience were left in stitches head judge Simon glared as he appeared to be less than impressed. Created by Charlie Adams, a writer on Noel's House Party, Mr Blobby is a bulbous pink figure who communicates only by saying the word 'blobby'. He topped the UK Charts in 1993 with his Christmas hit Mr Blobby and more recently has appeared on Dancing on Ice, Loose Women and This Morning. Britain's Got Talent continues on ITV1 and ITVX next Sunday at 7.40pm. Married At First Sight's Elizabeth Sobinoff has confirmed rumours she's expecting to welcome her first child with husband Alexander Vega. The TV star announced the exciting news with a cryptic post shared to her Instagram on Sunday. 'Looking at some of these comments in the last few posts I've done. Always so much focus on a woman's body (I've had more than my fair share). I'm navigating my body right now, so many changes, especially internally (I've been pretty sick),' she began. 'I also understand so many people are excited. So am I!!!! It's an exciting time in our (my partner) lives right now.' She continued: 'I'll talk about my experience with it in the future. Mama bear is just nesting right now.' Married At First Sight's Elizabeth Sobinoff has confirmed rumours she's expecting her first child with husband Alexander Many of her celebrity friends and fans congratulated her on the exciting news. 'Ohhhh my goodness!!! YAY!!! Congratulations my beautiful friend such fabulous news! You are going to be a wonderful mother xx,' MAFS' Sarah Roza wrote. 'Congratulations sending you all blessings,' Jackie Gillies commented. 'The most cryptic pregnancy announcement ever!. Congratulations! Our bodies are miraculous, hope you start to feel less sick soon,' another person said. One person commented: 'Biggest Congratulations to you Liz. You're going to be the most incredible mother.' The TV star announced the exciting news with a cryptic post shared to her Instagram on Sunday Lizzie sparked pregnancy rumours earlier this month after she posted a photo of herself wearing an oversized cardigan. Many speculated the TV star was pregnant as she positioned her hands across her midsection. The makeup artist also posted a picture of herself holding a box of coconut-flavoured Raffaello chocolates and a bouquet of colourful flowers, which many believed were congratulatory gifts. It comes after Lizzie recently married her longtime boyfriend Alexander Vega. The reality TV star and her engineer fiance walked down the aisle in front of family and friends in January. She looked stunning in an abstract wedding dress with gold sequin detailing and a dramatic collar as well as sheer panels. Many of her celebrity friends and fans congratulated her on the exciting news Lizzie wrote in one caption on Instagram: 'Best. Day. Of. My. Life.' while adding in another, 'Some moments from the happiest day of my life'. Lizzie, who has been dating Alexander since late 2021, kept her beau's identity secret for months - eventually revealing it at Easter last year. In November, Lizzie sent fans into a frenzy when she shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram of herself locking lips with a mystery man. Daily Mail Australia later revealed the man in the photo was Vega, a field service engineer based in Sydney. Lizzie sparked pregnancy rumours earlier this month after she posted a photo of herself wearing an oversized cardigan 'As a whole, I'm incredibly private, I did reality TV a lifetime ago. I'm so protective over my partner and there are so many negative, gossiping people out there, that go out of their way to talk trash,' she wrote on Instagram at the time. Lizzie rose to fame when she 'married' Sam Ball on Married At First Sight in 2019. The army recruit was public enemy No. 1 during MAFS' sixth season when he body-shamed his 'wife' on their wedding day. Lizzie returned for another go and 'married' Seb Guilhaus on MAFS in 2020 and they dated for a year before splitting. Chelsee Healey looked sensational as she arrived at The Ivy Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday. The actress, 34, showed off her taut abs as she wore a cropped pink and purple Yves Saint Laurent top. She opted for a pair of edgy pink jeans which featured large pockets and patched detail on the legs. The Waterloo Road star carried a pink handbag with her to complete her eye-catching outfit for the evening. Chelsee wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty features and accessorised with a pair of gold hoop earrings. Looking good: Chelsee Healey, 34, looked sensational as she arrived at The Ivy Restaurant in Manchester on Saturday Glamour puss: The actress showed off her taut abs as she wore a cropped pink and purple Yves Saint Laurent top It comes after Chelsee revealed her five-year-old daughter has been subjected to racist abuse online. The actress finds it 'heartbreaking' when trolls focus their attention on her little girl Coco - who she shares with former partner Jack Malloy - but she refuses to get drawn into a war of words with the bullies. She told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: 'My daughter gets sent racist abuse through social media. 'I've been sent a lot of messages about Coco. When it's about an innocent child it's not nice. It's heartbreaking. But I try not to reply back. I don't entertain it.' The star admitted she's been a target for trolls for years, with things getting particularly bad when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, when she came second with partner Pasha Kovalev. She said: 'When I was on Strictly, I got a lot of hate. It's such a big show that was the first time a lot of people had seen me. I got called "hippo" and things like that.' Chelsee insisted she is 'thick-skinned' but says she can't stand people sending cruel taunts about her daughter. The soap star no longer searches online to find out what people have been saying about her because there is 'always' some 'nasty stuff'. In style: She opted for a pair of edgy pink jeans which featured large pockets and patched detail on the legs Fashion focus: The Waterloo Road star carried a pink handbag with her to complete her eye-catching outfit for the evening The soap star revealed that there is a liaison rep that the Hollyoaks cast can talk to if they need any further support. Chelsee first spoke about online bullies targeting Coco when she was just two-years-old. She shamed the vile messages on Twitter after racists branded her toddler a 'black monkey'. Chelsee shared a screenshot of an example message she received, labelling the abuse 'disgusting'. Shameful: It comes after Chelsee revealed her five-year-old daughter has been subjected to racist abuse online The troll's post read: 'Right sl*t aren't ya? Daughter is a black monkey.' Chelsee tweeted a message alongside it, saying: 'You know what, I get nasty messages all day mostly about me! 'I'm a big girl, I can handle that, but saying something so disgusting about my beautiful, innocent baby upsets me. 'Especially when there's nothing you can do to protect them from people's vile words.' Chloe Ferry put on a jaw-dropping display as she arrived at her Newcastle salon on Friday. The Geordie Shore star, 27, struggled to contain her surgically-enhanced assets in a plunging blazer and skin-tight leggings. Chloe repeatedly attempted to cover herself as she spilled out of her daring top, whilst popping to her beauty business HQ with co star Nathan Henry. The reality star teamed her all-black ensemble with sexy stiletto sock boots and carried her belongings in a Givenchy handbag. She styled her long brunette hair extensions into elegant mermaid waves and accessorised with chic pearl earrings. Wow! Chloe Ferry put on a jaw-dropping display as she arrived at her Newcastle beauty salon, on Friday Careful: The Geordie Shore star struggled to contain her surgically-enhanced assets in a plunging blazer and skin-tight leggings Yikes: Chloe repeatedly attempted to cover herself as she spilled out of her daring top` Her busty display came days after it was revealed that Sam Gowland is set to return to Geordie Shore four years after his explosive bust-ups with ex Chloe saw him get fired from the show. The television personality, who also argued with some of the other Geordie Shore castmember, was given the boot in 2019 and has since appeared on Love Island. However, he will be back for the new Geordie Shore series alongside his ex and may cause potential fireworks on the show. Speaking to the Sun, a source said: 'Sam flew out and surprised the cast in Cyprus - it was a total shock to everyone when he arrived, and extremely awkward for Chloe. 'Fans will love to see him back on screen but the cast were really shocked.' A representative for MTV declined to comment. The reality star was in Geordie Shore in its sixteenth series in 2018 but did not return to the show in 2019 after discussions with Chloe. But when they briefly got back together, Sam, who met Chloe on the show in 2017, was involved in filming again. Gorgeous: She styled her long brunette hair extensions into elegant mermaid waves Yum: She to her beauty business HQ with co star Nathan Henry, with the duo tucking into a pastry from Greggs en route Glam: The reality star teamed her all-black ensemble with sexy stiletto sock boots and carried her belongings in a Givenchy handbag Hungry work: Chloe and Nathan shared the pasty from Greggs Making an entrance: Chloe's plunging blazer top boasted sheer sections Finishing touches: Chloe accessorised with chic pearl earrings. However, Sam was suspended from Geordie Shore again in 2019 amid claims he had a major bust-up in the house sparking Chloe to quit. The star was said to have got into the row because a fellow star mentioned his on/off flame Chloe had kissed another man on a Portugal night out while she and Sam were on a break from their romance. Sam allegedly took it 'way too far' in a heated exchange when Chloe's kiss with a mystery man became hot topic of conversation once again, The Sun claimed. A source told the publication: 'He got suspended again because it came out that Chloe snogged a random man during filming in Portugal... 'Everyone thought it had blown over but when he went back into the house it was mentioned and he hit the roof. 'Obviously the producers want fireworks but this was way too far, hence why Sam was slapped with another suspension.' It emerged after claims Chloe had quit Geordie Shore again in protest after Sam was suspended from the show for being involved in a bust-up. Taking turns: The duo took turns biting into their pastry from Greggs Boss lady: Chloe stepped out in her boss lady attire for time at her business Back to it: After fueling up on Greggs pastries, Nathan and Chloe made their way to her salon Insiders told The Sun that Chloe followed Sam as he left for a second time after a row broke out. Sam had previously left the show just weeks before, following a row with Chloe, who he endured an on-off relationship with. She herself quit the show after splitting from Sam but returned weeks after. The promotional push is on for the upcoming new comedy film About My Father, which was co written and stars Sebastian Maniscalco. The story is loosely based on the comedian's life and relationship with his father Salvatore Maniscalco, who's played by Robert De Niro. Both of them were on hand for the premiere screening at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago on Saturday, along with actresses Leslie Bibb and Kim Cattrall. Being that the standup comedian grew up in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois, it was only fitting the the premiere would drop in the Windy City. The other castmembers on hand to hit the red carpet and screening included Laura Terruso, Anders Holm, Brett Dier, David Rasche, and of course Maniscalco's father Salvatore Maniscalco. Premiere night: Leslie Bibb and Kim Cattrall looked glamorous as ever as they attended the premiere of About My Father in Chicago on Saturday Legend: They were joined by cinema legend Robert De Niro, who's also in the film Ahead of the screening, Bibb, 48, strutted her stuff on the red carpet in a spaghetti strap black dress, that was the picture of elegance. The simple but striking number had a plunging neckline and fell down past her ankles, which helped showcase her stylish black heels Rounding out her overall look, the former star of The Big Easy had her blonde tresses styled in a bob-cut of sorts, which came up about her shoulders with a part on the left. After striking a few poses by herself, Bibb was joined for another round with Cattrall, who showed off her fab figure in a fitted green green dress that she paired with a white blazer. Carrying a black clutch purse, the Sex And The City alum, 66, wore her blonde locks several inches past her shoulders with a partial center part. Maniscalco, 49, would also use the arrival of spring as an inspiration for his fashion choices for the evening decked out in all-white. The ensemble consisted of dress pants, top and light jacket, along with a pair of matching sneakers. Elegant: Ahead of the screening, Bibb, 48, strutted her stuff on the red carpet in a spaghetti strap black dress, that was matched with black heels Premise: The story is loosely based on the comedian's life and relationship with his Italian immigrant father Salvatore Maniscalco, who's played by Robert De Niro Lovely: Cattrall would also show off her timeless looks and style at the premiere He would also share the spotlight with his dad, who's often been a source of material for his standup comedy act over the years. His animated father would strike a few poses alongside his son in a black suit with a matching dress shirt. Salvatore Maniscalco and his family immigrated from Cefalu, Sicily to Illinois when he was just 15-years-old, and with him he brought many of his Italian customs and traditions It's those traditions and way of life that his son uses to perfection in his comedy, which no doubt plays a big role in the new movie. Directed by Laura Terruso from a screenplay by Sebastian Maniscalco and Austen Earl, the story follows Sebastian as he informs his dad about his plan to propose to his American girlfriend during a weekend getaway, which Salvo insists he should attend. Family matters: Sebastian Maniscalco shared the spotlight with his father, Salvatore Maniscalco, which is only right considering he has been a source of material for his comedy over the years, including this new film Spring fashion: The acclaimed standup comedian showed off his spring-inspired ensemble of all-white, consisting of dress pants and a light jacket over a t-short Infectious: Sebastian Maniscalco's father Salvatore Maniscalco showed off his infectious personality in a black suit The team: The comedy film was directed by Laura Terruso from a screenplay by Sebastian Maniscalco and Austen Earl Coming soon: About My Father is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the U.S. on May 29 Despite the clash between their two cultures and initial perception of having nothing in common, they eventually become a single, unified family by the end of the summer holiday weekend. The other stars of the film would also makes the rounds in front of the photographers gathered for the event. De Niro, 79, came dressed to impress in a black suit, while Anders Holm, 41, was wearing in a brown blazer with black pants and a white shirt. David Rasche zlso went with black, while Brett Diar opted for blue jeans with a multi-colored shirt, and Laura Terruso wore black dress pants with a matching blouse. About My Father is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the U.S. on May 29. The latest season of Married At First Sight has been a ratings hit, with viewers across the globe tuning in to catch a glimpse of the drama and romance. However, the show's contestants are not happy with Channel Nine's latest move. The network is delaying handing the cast their Instagram accounts back, much to the frustration of the fame-hungry participants. In previous seasons Instagram accounts were handed back two weeks after the finale. However, this year's cast will have to wait another week despite being told they would get their accounts back on May 8. Channel Nine and the production company are reportedly concerned about the cast going rogue on social media while season 10 is still airing overseas. Channel Nine is banning the Married At First Sight cast from becoming Instagram influencers and cashing in on their newfound fame (Pictured: Bronte Schofield and Lyndall Grace) The network is delaying handing the cast their Instagram accounts back, much to the frustration of the fame-hungry participants. Pictured: Melinda Willis and Layton Mills This has left many of the participants feeling angry and disappointed, as they see this as a missed opportunity to cash in on their newfound fame. Evelyn Ellis, Bronte Schofield, and Harrison Boon are just some of the contestants who will be affected by the delay. By the time they get their Instagram accounts back, their 15 minutes of fame may have faded, leaving them with fewer opportunities to capitalise on their MAFS experience. Channel Nine and the production company are reportedly concerned about the cast going rogue on social media while season 10 is still airing overseas 'They won't be getting their Instagram back for another week, and the cast are pi**ed,' an insider told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday. According to the insider, Nine and the production company are worried about certain cast members who have already gone rogue. 'It's safe to say that certain cast members haven't done themselves any favors with Channel Nine and they won't be invited to the Logies this year,' the insider added. This has left many of the participants feeling angry and disappointed, as they see this as a missed opportunity to cash in on their newfound fame By the time the MAFS cast get access to their Instagram accounts, their engagement levels will have dropped significantly, affecting their potential earnings. While the show was airing, participants were allowed to write their own captions on photos supplied by Nine's publicity team, but that is the extent of their permitted social media activity. In the past few days, Nine have allowed the brides and grooms to supply photos and captions to be posted on their behalf. By the time the MAFS cast get access to their Instagram accounts, their engagement levels will have dropped significantly, affecting their potential earnings Comments have also been disabled on their posts and the cast aren't allowed to access their direct messages, which is how sponsors would contact them. One angry unnamed bride told Daily Mail Australia she doesn't have time to wait to get her social media accounts back. 'I've met up with a few brand managers and they told me they tried to contact me via Instagram DM's but couldn't,' they said. 'I'm super pi**ed off, we won't even get your messages.' While previous seasons have seen brides soar to half a million followers during the show's run, the new batch of brides haven't attracted the same level of attention. While previous seasons have seen brides soar to half a million followers during the show's run, the new batch of brides haven't attracted the same level of attention. Claire Nomarhas' (pictured) following has gone from 2,800 to 241,000 followers Claire Nomarhas' following has gone from 2,800 to 241,000, while Melinda Willis - who was already an influencer before the show - has grown her audience from 150,000 to 440,628 followers. Intruder bride Evelyn Ellis has tripled her fan base from 65,000 to 253,330, which is impressive, but far from the heights of Martha Kalifatidis, Domenica Calarco or Ella Ding. Other stars have had only moderate success in building their social media brands. Bronte Schofield, for example, has garnered 123,400 followers, while Tahnee Cook sits on 165,000 followers. Melissa Sheppard has attracted 32,600 new followers, while Tayla Winter has seen an even more modest growth of 89,900 followers. Intruder bride Evelyn Ellis has tripled her fan base from 65,000 to 253,330, which is impressive, but far from the heights of Martha Kalifatidis, Domenica Calarco or Ella Ding Considering the fact MAFS draws up to two million viewers per episode, this growth is pretty underwhelming. The social media expansion of this year's brides pales in comparison to Dom and Ella from last year's season, who left the show with a whopping 500,000 followers each. As the tenth season is still underway in the UK, the brides' accounts may continue to grow in the coming weeks. MBABANE The confusion deepens within the mass democratic movement (MDM) as the national elections kicks-off on Wednesday. Multi-Stakeholder Forums (MSF) reaction toward the Political Parties Assemblys (PPA) neutral position on the election was that the decision by PPA will cause confusion in the MDM. Secretary General (SG) Sikelela Dlamini said though they respected the PPA as an independent group, they were cognisant of the fact that the organisations sentiments highlighted the differences that were existent within the MDM. He said it was true that the position taken by the PPA was going to cause confusion and was proof that the MDM was not moving forward in unison. The PPA is an independent organisation that is made up of several independent affiliate political parties. We cannot, therefore, comment on their unclear position regarding the elections. highlight However, such sentiments highlight the differences that exist within the MDM. But be that as it may, the MDM is resolute in saying that Tinkhudla elections were not democratic and that, it is necessary to fight for a system overhaul to realise the attainment of democracy in our lifetime. Yes, it will cause confusion in that the MDM will not be moving forward in unison, said Dlamini. He emphasised that the MSF was not a political party and was not driven by any ideology except for embracing democracy as a political system of society that should be put in place in the country to allow political pluralism and participation by citizens in matters of their own governance. Dlamini said their mandate was to open up the political space to allow people to speak freely on their political right to elect office bearers through a transparent system. He stated that they were aware that the election process had begun and that the registration process was starting on Wednesday. dispensation The majority of our members resolved not to participate in the elections, hence the position and campaign by the MSF in that regard. As an organisation we are only a platform that houses different other organisations that are in pursuit of attaining the objective end of a democratic dispensation. Our stand has been mentioned at all material times. It is the people who need to take proper decisions insofar as participating in the elections is concerned. We have done a lot inasfar as educating emaSwati about the ills of the upcoming elections. That is how far we could go, he added. PPA Deputy Head of Secretariat Thami Hlatshwayo told the Times SUNDAY that the organisations main goal was to attain freedom and democracy for the people of Eswatini. He said they were not particular on the manner in which such a goal was achieved, but encouraged their members to use possible ways to fight the current system. As PPA we know that our members want the same goal of freedom for the people. Some want to fight the system from within some want to use external methods while others use strategic litigation. This and many others are all strategies used to fight for the same thing so as an organisation, we are united in our diversity, he said. practice Veteran politician, former minister and MP Mfomfo Nkambule applauded the PPA for their stance and said it was paramount for political parties to make their own decisions regarding the election process. I am of the view that suddenly this organisation called PPA is waking up and coming to international norms that it cannot do what the international community has been urging political parties to do for some time now. Let us all remember that political parties (by law and practice) do not exist in this country. It has been a standing practice by PPA affiliates never to try and establish a common ground on an issue that is likely to polarise the affiliates, said the Inhlava chairperson. Nkambule said those who would participate in the elections should be those who care about community development. This Sunday's episode of TOWIE is set to be filled with drama, tension and romance from the outset. Roman Hackett, 20, and Dani Imbert, 23, called time on their romance last year after they joined the show as 'best friends' back in 2021. But Sunday night's episode will show all is not lost, as Roman comes up with a plan to help win her back. In the seventh episode of The Only Way Is Essex, the cast plan a beach party for Jordans birthday before the sun sets on their last day in Thailand, but theyre surprised when hes nowhere to be seen... A shocking showdown between Dani and Roman at the beach ends up in a drink swill, and Dani has some choice words for Diags and Lockie... Plan: Roman Hackett, 20, will come up with a plan to win back Dani Imbert, 23 on Sunday's episode of TOWIE On-off: Roman and Dani called time on their romance last year after joining the show as 'best friends' in 2021 As the cast return to Essex, Roman drafts in Junaid Ahmed, 28, to help get Dani back, but will she give in to his charms? In a trailer for the episode, Roman can be heard saying: 'I lied to the girl that I'm mad over and I need help. I've loved her for ages, you know how much I like her.' Junaid seems willing to help, responding: 'I know how much she means to you so I will do everything in my power to try and get you two back on track. For me, I do want to see you two both together. 'You did make a stupid mistake but you know that and I'm not going to be the one to rub it in your face. 'This is the first step to getting Dani back. You need to graft. Dani Imbert, the one that you love, loves roses.' Fans are therefore left to imagine that Roman will be arranging a romantic surprise filled with flowers for his love. Meanwhile, Jordan and Sophie go from strength to strength as they discuss their upcoming move, and are babies on the horizon? Elsewhere, Harry catches his mum up on the Thailand drama and ponders over his kiss with Junaid - could there be something between the pair? Drama: After a shocking showdown at the beach, Roman will try to pull out all the stops for Dani Sidekick: Roman will enlist the help of fellow castmate Junaid Ahmed, 28, to win her back It comes after Dani and Roman appeared to be enjoying a secret first date at Tarantinos Restaurant in Brentwood back in March. The reality stars, who joined the hit show together as 'best friends' in 2021, looked more loved up than ever as they cosied up outside the restaurant. Dani dressed to impress for the evening in a plunging black mini dress while Roman looked smart in a black shirt and nude trousers. Dani added inches to her frame in a pair of towering dark heels and toted her belongings around in a designer bag. The pair were all smiles as they put on a flirty display following their romantic date night. They walked hand in hand before Roman wrapped his arm around Dani as they made their way home. Earlier in March, The Sun revealed the pair had locked lips and were an item as the TOWIE cast travelled to Thailand for filming. A source told The Sun: 'Friendship turned into romance when they were away in Thailand. Everyone knows they're a couple now. Tension: A shocking showdown between Dani and Roman at the beach ends up in a drink swill 'It's actually very sweet and feels like it was meant to be all along.' Previously, Dani dated co-star Liam Gatsby and was branded a 'f***ing joke' by her new beau Roman before he furiously stormed off. Following the fall out, Roman and Dani had a heart to heart but tempers flared once again after he asked her: 'Have you said to me before you're not happy with Gatsby'. Tearful Dani replied: 'Maybe I've confided in you a bit too much. Maybe it's insecurity, whatever.' Roman was left angry once again and told Dani to: 'Crack on with your fake relationship, yeah. You're a f***ing joke.' Dani and Liam later went separate ways as she revealed that she and Roman spent the night together and shared a kiss. The pair denied any romantic connection, but their co-stars speculated if they were more than just friends. The Only Way Is Essex airs Sunday at 9pm on ITVBE and ITVX. MasterChef Australia judge Andy Allen paid tribute to his co-star Jock Zonfrillo during a special episode of The Sunday Project. In his first interview since the shocking news, Allen, 35, sat down with Sarah Harris and revealed the devastating impact Zonfrillo's death has had on him. The former MasterChef winner-turned-judge was left heartbroken after his beloved co-star tragically died last week aged 46. 'I wanna say I'm OK, but I am not great,' Allen told Harris. 'This has hit me like a ton of bricks. He's the heart and soul of this place... I'm just struggling to realise that he's actually gone.' Allen went on to say that being on the MasterChef set without Zonfrillo felt strange, before detailing the last time he saw him. MasterChef Australia judge Andy Allen (pictured) paid tribute to his co-star Jock Zonfrillo during a special episode of The Sunday Project In his first interview since the shocking news, Allen, 35, sat down with Sarah Harris and revealed the devastating impact Zonfrillo's death has had on him. Pictured: Allen and Harris Recalling their last lunch together, he said, 'We went to Tippo. He ordered the whole menu. We hadn't seen each other for a while, it was a good old catch up about what we've been doing, what we were excited about.' Zonfrillo and his family had recently relocated to Rome, with the MasterChef judge flying back to Melbourne solo for the show's premiere. Andy revealed that Zonfrillo was eager to return to Rome and start a new life with his family. Recalling their last lunch together, he said, 'We went to Tippo. He ordered the whole menu. We hadn't seen each other for a while, it was a good old catch up about what we've been doing, what we were excited about' Andy confessed that a part of him felt guilty for not being there with Zonfrillo during his final moments. When asked about what he would miss the most about Zonfrillo, Allen said: 'Everything. I probably spend more time - in the six months that we film - with him than my wife. 'I am gonna miss everything that this guy has brought into my life... He couldn't wait for Alex and I to have kids as well. He always said I was gonna be a great dad. And I just wish he was around to see that.' Andy confessed that a part of him felt guilty for not being there with Zonfrillo during his final moments. Pictured together on November 1, 2022 Andy paid tribute to Jock on Instagram last week, writing: 'You've taught me so much about food, but it's the lessons I learnt about what it means to be a great father, husband and friend that I'll take away from our time together and will last forever.' Season 15 of the show had been due to launch on May 1 but it was pushed back after the Scottish chef was was found dead by police at a Melbourne hotel at 2am on Monday. 'With the full support of Jock Zonfrillo's family, MasterChef Australia will air at 7.30pm on Sunday, 7 May,' read a Channel 10 statement shared to Instagram on Wednesday. 'It is with Jock in our hearts that we cherish this season and remember the charismatic and big-hearted Judge and Chef who we knew and loved,' it went on. 'Jock will be remembered in the MasterChef Australia kitchen for years to come.' The former MasterChef winner-turned-judge was left heartbroken after his beloved co-star tragically died last week aged 46. Both pcitured Season 15 of the show had been due to launch on May 1 but it was pushed back after the Scottish chef was was found dead by police at a Melbourne hotel at 2am on Monday The creators of Stranger Things have confirmed production on season five has been delayed by the Hollywood Writers' strike. Matt and Ross Duffer, both 39, known as the Duffer Brothers, took to Twitter on Saturday to break the bad news to fans of the Netflix show. They wrote: 'Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. 'We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out.' While the fifth and final season of the sci-fi horror was announced last February, a release date has not been set. Oh no! The creators of Stranger Things have confirmed production on season five has been delayed by the Hollywood Writers' strike (Millie Bobby Brown is pictured in-character) Members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday, hitting the picket line in Los Angeles and New York after their current contract expired. The biggest points of contention in the negotiations are an increased wage floor, and more payments and residuals from shows that are shown on streaming platforms. Charles Slocum, assistant executive director at the WGA West explained the situation to Deadline. 'In streaming, the companies have not agreed to pay residuals at the same level as broadcast, or the same reward-for-success as they have traditionally paid in broadcast,' he said. 'If you write for a streamer, you get two residuals payments one for domestic streaming and one for foreign streaming. It's a set amount of money. If it's a big hit, you do not get paid more residuals in streaming, whereas in the broadcast model, you do because of its success.' The writers want protections against mini-rooms, in which two or three writers, working for the base salary, script out a considerable portion of a series before it gets the greenlight. They also want protections against the use of artificial intelligence. But while writers are striking over their pay, it was reported earlier this year that the show's stars are set for a major pay increase. The cast has been divided into tiers, with the top adult stars Winona Ryder and David Harbour set to make a whopping $9.5 million (7.52m) each for the entire season, according to Puck News. Shame: Matt and Ross Duffer, both 39, known as the Duffer Brothers, took to Twitter on Saturday to break the bad news to fans of the Netflix show (pictured in 2017) Bad news: They wrote: 'Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike' The younger stars of the series are divided into lower tiers with smaller though still sizable salaries for the final season. MailOnline reached out to representatives for Winona, David and Netflix at the time. Winona and David are reportedly making multiple times what they earned for the previous fourth season. The Edward Scissorhands star and the Hellboy actor both received around $350,000 (276k) per episode in that season, which amounts to around $2.8 million (2.22m) total. The outlet reported that a second tier of salaries includes actors Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo and Noah Schnapp. The actors, who represented the original quartet of friends from the first season, will be earning $7 million (5.54m) each for the fifth season, a significant boost from their $25K (19.78k)-per-episode fees in the first season. Sadie Sink, who joined the series in the second season but has become a pivotal part of the main cast will reportedly be receiving the same amount as well. Another group of series regulars playing teens including Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke and Charlie Heaton will apparently be making over $6 million (4.75m) for the final season. Furious: Members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday, hitting the picket line in LA and New York after their current contract expired A final tier is reserved for the other fixtures on the show not included in the previous tiers. Although their salaries weren't disclosed in the report, they are said to be earning considerably less than the other groups. However, one major star is apparently not included in any of the tiers: Millie Bobby Brown, who plays a telekinetic teen who escapes from a government laboratory before joining forces with the quartet of boys to fight evil forces that have escaped into their (fictional) hometown of Hawkins, Indiana. Millie has an exclusive contract with Netflix, so her compensation has been determined separately. Few details have been released about the final season, though the Duffer Brothers, who created the series and serve as showrunners on Stranger Things, told Indiewire in August that they would not be expanding the cast, as they did in previous seasons. 'Were doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season five,' Ross Duffer said. 'Were trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.' Bel Powley has claimed she was 'touched inappropriately' on the set of an indie film in her 20s - but felt that she couldn't speak up at the time. The Diary Of A Teenage Girl actress, 31, who recently starred in A Small Light and Everything I Know About Love, reflected on the industry at the start of her career. The actress said before the MeToo movement, there was a very different culture while filming - especially when she was younger. Bel claimed she was once 'touched inappropriately' by a senior member of the crew while working on an indie film in her early 20s. She told The Independent: 'Ive had someone grab my a**e and basically touch me inappropriately before but I was too scared to say anything. I was too scared to rock the boat.' Speaking up: Bel Powley, 31, said she was once 'touched inappropriately' on a film set in her early 20s Different times: The actress revealed that times on set before the MeToo movement were very different (pictured in 2013) She continued: 'I just avoided that person and it was fine, but what really has changed post-MeToo is you just know that youre protected.' And on camera too things were far from easy as a young woman trying to make it in the industry. Bel said poorly-written contracts and awkwardness meant she felt obliged to feature in sex scenes, even though she felt uncomfortable. However she added that there seems to be a 'new code of conduct' since the MeToo movement as actors feel more protected. Since then she has starred in A Royal Night Out as Princess Margaret and as the lead in Dolly Parton's Everything I Know About Love. Her most recent project is A Small Light, which is now streaming on Disney+. Bel has landed the role of Miep Gies - the infamous guardian of Anne Frank's diary who helped hide her Jewish family. Recent role: Bel plays Miep Gies in A Small Light, which is streaming on Disney+ Romance: Bel and her fiance Douglas Booth are thought to have met on the set of Mary Shelley And it's not the only project she has in the pipeline for release this year, including a historical mini-series about the US Air Force, with a sci-fi romance project also said to be in the works. Bel and her fiance Douglas Booth are thought to have met on the set of Mary Shelley, filmed in Dublin and Luxembourg in 2016. In July of 2021, the couple shared enigmatic posts announcing they had taken their relationship to the next level. Douglas's post suggested he had proposed, while Powley referred to him as her 'husband'. Bel is also close friends with Mamma Mia actress Lily James, with the two said to be part of the same North London social circle. When finishing her role in A Small Light last year, Bel shared a smiling snap of herself outside a film trailer. ' That's a wrap on A Small Light!!,' she wrote. 'Making this show was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you so everyone who made it so special. 'Coming soon to @disneyplus @natgeotv...stay tuned.' Starring role: Bel starred alongside Emma Appleton in Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love in 2022 According to IMDb, she's also lined up for a guest role in another historical mini-series - this time about the US Air Force, called Masters Of The Air. According to British GQ, the show - which also stars Austin Butler, Rafferty Law and Anthony Boyle and is produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg - details the stories of airmen who fought for the Allies in the skies during World War II. It's a sequel to the 2001 hit Band of Brothers. Deadline also reports that a sci-fi romance starring the actress - called Turn Me On - is in the works. Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes delivered an emotional tribute to Jock Zonfrillo on The Sunday Project. The rock legend performed a moving rendition of The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond for the MasterChef judge and fellow Scot following his tragic passing at age 46. Jimmy had many viewers sobbing at home as he belted out the beloved song accompanied by bagpipes. 'Beautiful tribute to a beautiful person. Loved everything including the finale by Jimmy Barnes,' wrote one viewer. 'F*cking hell. Now Jimmy Barnes is making me cry again,' added another. Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes (pictured) delivered an emotional tribute to Jock Zonfrillo on The Sunday Project The rock legend performed a moving rendition of The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond for the MasterChef judge and fellow Scot following his tragic passing at age 46. Pictured: Jock and Jimmy 'I was keeping it together until the bagpipes. Now I'm a mess. Nothing but love to the ones that he loved and that loved him. Going to miss you Jock Zonfrillo,' commented a third. 'Bagpipes ALWAYS make me cry but this is just so sad,' wrote one more. 'Okay, I've lost it with Jimmy Barnes' tribute to Jock,' said another. 'My Scottish ancestry is making this very hard to watch. Brilliant Jimmy,' wrote a fifth viewer. 'Ahhhh Jimmy Barnes. Youre killing me! Bloody legend,' wrote one more. Jimmy had many viewers sobbing at home as he belted out the beloved song accompanied by bagpipes 'Beautiful tribute to a beautiful person. Loved everything including the finale by Jimmy Barnes,' wrote one viewer The Scottish-Australian chef was found dead by police at a hotel on Lygon Street in Carlton, Melbourne, at about 2am on Monday, May 1. Zonfrillo, who joined MasterChef Australia as a judge in 2019, quickly became a favourite with fans due to his warm demeanor, culinary expertise, and mentorship to contestants. His passion for Indigenous Australian ingredients and his philanthropic efforts in the culinary world were well-known and admired. Police found Zonfrillo's body after they were called to a hotel in Carlton, Melbourne for a welfare check. The Sunday Project dedicated their entire show to a moving tribute to Jock Zonfrillo following the MasterChef Australia star's shock death at age 46. Jock's fellow judge Andy Allen and renowned chefs Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Curtis Stone all shared their memories in the heartbreaking special. Conspicuously missing was Jock's co-star Melissa Leong, who did not appear in the program. MasterChef fans posted to Twitter wondering why Melissa was absent, with several speculating that she was too grief-stricken to take part. 'Is it weird that Melissa isn't part of this?' asked one person on Twitter, with several others replying. The Sunday Project dedicated their entire show to a moving tribute to Jock Zonfrillo following the MasterChef Australia star's shock death at age 46. Conspicuously missing was Jock's co-star Melissa Leong (pictured), who did not appear in the program MasterChef fans posted to Twitter wondering why Melissa was absent, with several speculating that she was too grief-stricken to take part. Pictured with Jock and Andy Allen 'It is a bit, yeah...' agreed one person, but others felt differently. 'No? Everyone grieves differently. It might be still too soon for her to speak/open up. I hope she's okay,' said one. Another wrote: 'Andy was struggling enough. I'm thinking Melissa just couldn't do it. Everybody grieves differently, and people only discuss that grief when they are ready (if ever).' Someone else said: 'Not at all. If you're not in the space to do it, you cannot do it', while one more agreed, 'I don't think she could do it. She was shattered. 'Maybe she's still processing it and it would be to much for her,' yet another said. 'Is it weird that Melissa isn't part of this?' asked one person on Twitter, with several others replying This past week, Melissa pulled out of a scheduled event at the Sydney Opera House following the death of her co-host Jock 'She was his 'work wife' Would have been so hard. Well done to Andy for sharing his thoughts/grief. Saddest week ever,' one more speculated. This past week, Melissa pulled out of a scheduled event at the Sydney Opera House following the death of her co-host Jock. Leong was meant to host a live Q&A with American cookbook writer Alison Roman on Tuesday, but it was announced on Thursday she would no longer be attending. 'Following the sad news of the passing of her colleague and friend Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong is no longer able to join Alison Roman in conversation on Tuesday, May 9,' a Sydney Opera House spokesperson said in an email sent to ticketholders. Replacing Leong will be MasterChef Australia season two winner Adam Liaw. Zonfrillo was found dead by police at a hotel in Melbourne's inner-north at about 2am on May 1, the same day Channel Ten was meant to premiere the fifteenth season of MasterChef Australia. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has praised The Sunday Project for its 'amazing' tribute to MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo following his death at age 46. Oliver, 47, who was a close friend of Zonfrillo's, took to social media on Sunday night to express his gratitude to the show's producers and presenters. 'A sincere thank you to Channel 10 and the wonderful team at The Project for making this amazing tribute show for Jock and his family tonight and turning the show around so fast. I know many of you knew him personally and this must have been so hard to do but the right thing to do. Bless you all Jamie oxxx,' he wrote. The hour-long tribute to Zonfrillo featured interviews with his friends and colleagues, as well as footage of him cooking and mentoring contestants. The show also featured a performance by Jimmy Barnes, who was also a close friend of Zonfrillo's. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver praised The Sunday Project for its 'amazing' tribute to MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo, who died suddenly last week. Pictured: hosts Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris Oliver, 47, who was a close friend of Zonfrillo's, took to social media on Sunday night to express his gratitude to the show's producers and presenters Viewers also took to social media to praise The Sunday Project's moving tribute, with many saying it was a fitting way to remember Zonfrillo. 'Beautiful tribute to Jock. Jock, you will be so missed,' one fan wrote. 'What a beautiful heartfelt tribute to Jock from The Project and the wonderful Andy Allen. Well done Channel10. Thank you ,' a second wrote. 'That tribute to Jock Zonfrillo was incredible; so emotional and heartbreaking. Vale Jock ,' added a third Another wrote: 'I knew it was going to be hard, I didn't think it would be this hard.' 'Beautiful tribute to a beautiful persons. Loved everything including the finale by Jimmy Barnes,' said one more 'I need a bloody hug. I'm gonna miss jock so much,' wrote another. Viewers also took to social media to praise The Sunday Project's moving tribute, with many saying it was a fitting way to remember Zonfrillo The Scottish-Australian chef was found dead by police at a hotel on Lygon Street in Carlton, Melbourne, at about 2am on Monday, May 1. Zonfrillo, who joined MasterChef Australia as a judge in 2019, quickly became a favourite with fans due to his warm demeanor, culinary expertise, and mentorship to contestants. His passion for Indigenous Australian ingredients and his philanthropic efforts in the culinary world were well-known and admired. Police found Zonfrillo's body after they were called to a hotel in Carlton, Melbourne for a welfare check. Jamie Oliver has revealed he welcomed two Ukrainian family into his home last year, in the wake of the country's war with Russia. The TV chef, 47, announced his act of kindness while appearing as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia's fifteenth series. He had been presented with a Russian and Ukrainian dish, borscht and pampushka, by contestant Larissa Sewell, when he told of his living arrangement. Jamie, who already has a full house with children Poppy, 21, Daisy, 20, Petal, 14, Buddy, 12, and River, six, married his wife Jules, 48, in 2000. He said: 'With things going on in the world at the moment, it's kind of profound you're here this year with both a Russian and Ukrainian dish. Family: Dad-of five Jamie Oliver, 47, revealed he and wife Jules secretly welcomed TWO Ukrainian families into their home amid Russian invasion Packed: Jamie, who already has a full house with children Poppy, 21, Daisy, 20, Petal, 14, Buddy, 12, and River, six, married his wife Jules, 48, in 2000 'Can I give you a little secret that no one really knows? I have had two Ukrainian families living with me for the like the last seven months. 'We have done fundraisers with top chefs from Ukraine, so I have had my fair share of borscht. This is absolutely fabulous.' Borscht is a sour soup common in the country made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients. On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded it's neighbour Ukraine and occupied parts of the country resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. As civilians fled the country it instigated Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. It comes after the chef praised Aussie TV for its 'amazing' tribute to MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo following his death at age 46. Jame, who was a close friend of Zonfrillo's, took to social media to express his gratitude to the show's producers and presenters. 'A sincere thank you to Channel 10 and the wonderful team at The Project for making this amazing tribute show for Jock and his family tonight and turning the show around so fast. I know many of you knew him personally and this must have been so hard to do but the right thing to do. Bless you all Jamie oxxx,' he wrote. One big happy family: The TV chef announced his act of kindness while appearing as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia's fifteenth series War: On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded it's neighbour Ukraine and occupied parts of the country resulting in tens of thousands of deaths The hour-long tribute to Zonfrillo featured interviews with his friends and colleagues, as well as footage of him cooking and mentoring contestants. The Scottish-Australian chef was found dead by police at a hotel on Lygon Street in Carlton, Melbourne, at about 2am on Monday, May 1. Zonfrillo, who joined MasterChef Australia as a judge in 2019, quickly became a favourite with fans due to his warm demeanor, culinary expertise, and mentorship to contestants. His passion for Indigenous Australian ingredients and his philanthropic efforts in the culinary world were well-known and admired. Police found Zonfrillo's body after they were called to a hotel in Carlton, Melbourne for a welfare check. Emotion: It comes after the chef praised Aussie TV for its 'amazing' tribute to MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo following his death at age 46 MBABANE Political parties have mixed reactions towards the announcement of the election dates. While some were excited on the election process, others were not happy and others said the elections should have been announced after a national dialogue. Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Secretary General (SG) Penuel Malinga said they were ready to oppose the election process. PUDEMO has a very powerful programme which will be felt by the regime. We will not go to the mountain top with a megaphone to announce our actions. We will do any means necessary to shock the regime beyond their expectations, he said. Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) SG Futhi Msibi said her organisation was ready to exercise their right to elect a new government. SWALIMO is continuing to mobilise and educate emaSwati on the rationale and importance of participating in the process to ensure they make the right decision on selecting their voice. Encourage Continuous mobilisation and education remains the fundamental tool for the organisation, particularly for all emaSwati to register for voting. We encourage all citizens to register so they do not miss the opportunity to vote, she said. Inhlava Party Chairperson Mfomfo Nkambule welcomed the announcement of the dates, but said he was hoping that Parliament would be dissolved first before such a pronouncement. The announcement of the registration should have been done after dissolution of Parliament to level the playing field for the aspiring emaSwati and those who have been in this country for some time. I hope when the general elections are done and dusted then the real politics, the national dialogue, will resume with preparatory phase, he said. Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF) President Busi Mayisela said participating in the elections was an edorsement of the current system of government and they were not going to participate. I am not surprised by the regimes stance on continuing with the elections before the dialogue. Announcing the elections was not a surprise at all. The regime continues to ignore the call by emaSwati and international stakeholders to prioritise dialogue. SFDF still believes that participation in the undemocratic elections is endorsing it. resolution SFDF will stand by the resolution taken not only by the party, but by MSF and PPA where it affiliates. We work as a collective in the Mass Democratic Movement. Some strategies cannot be revealed as PPA and MSF is in the right position to share them, she said. Swaziland Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) President Vusi Shongwe said political parties who were participating in the election process had no backbone. We call on our fellow compatriots not to register for these elections as a way of registering the rejection of the whole Tinkhundla system. The SPLM says fellow political parties participating in these elections are displaying the highest order of political contradictions, banana backbone and chameleon politics, and the people cannot be fooled, no wonder some of them were even booed at May Day celebrations, they cannot be trusted, he said. Other political parties were not immediately available to react on the announcement of the dates. Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead glammed up for her annual trip to the 149th Kentucky Derby in Louisville on Saturday alongside her photographer father Larry Birkhead. The Bahamian-born 16-year-old posed at Churchill Downs wearing a $2,350 Leo Lin sunflower-print 'Nadia Voluminous Gown' as the 50-year-old Kentucky native coordinated with his little girl in a baby-blue suit, gold necktie, and sunflower pin. Dannielynn accessorized with a cute sunflower fascinator and her late mother's archival necklace and bracelet. Birkhead enlisted hairstylist Ryan Austin and make-up artist Rick Bancroft to get her red-carpet ready. This year, Larry treated the high school junior to a private guitar lesson from none other than former Bon Jovi guitarist, Richie Sambora. Spring style! Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead (L) glammed up for her annual trip to the 149th Kentucky Derby in Louisville on Saturday alongside her photographer father Larry Birkhead (R) Dannielynn looked adorable wearing her glasses as she played a few chords of five-time Grammy winner Janet Jackson's 1989 rock song Black Cat for the 63-year-old Grammy winner. Birkhead - who boasts 142K social media followers - wrote of the encounter: 'Richie spent a ton of time giving her confidence building tips and mastering the art of playing the guitar. Great guy!' The not-so-typical teenager and her protective father are huge fans of the 56-year-old R&B diva, having met her twice in person after attending her concerts in May 2022 and July 2022. 'She's getting ready to [get her driver's license] and we're working on it,' Larry told the Courier Journal on Saturday. 'I'm trying to get the budget of the car down to what she wants. She was talking like Tesla up here and I'm trying to go down a little bit. So we'll see how that works out but she's starting her driving courses now.' Aside from the Barnstable-Brown Kentucky Derby, Birkhead keeps Dannielynn out of the spotlight so she can have a normal life and solid foundation. 'She's very grounded and very humble,' the University of Louisville grad told DailyMail.com on Saturday. 'She is not one of these entitled celebrity kids. She's gone to a public school all her life. That's what she chose. She said I want to go to public school and not to private. Daddy-daughter day out! The Bahamian-born 16-year-old posed at Churchill Downs wearing a $2,350 Leo Lin sunflower-print 'Nadia Voluminous Gown' as the 50-year-old Kentucky native coordinated with his little girl in a baby-blue suit, gold necktie, and sunflower pin Anna's mini-me! Dannielynn accessorized with a cute sunflower fascinator and her late mother's archival necklace and bracelet Big Southern hair! Birkhead enlisted hairstylist Ryan Austin and make-up artist Rick Bancroft to get her red-carpet ready Rocker: This year, Larry treated the high school junior to a private guitar lesson from none other than former Bon Jovi guitarist, Richie Sambora (M) Talented teen: Dannielynn looked adorable wearing her glasses as she played a few chords of five-time Grammy winner Janet Jackson's 1989 rock song Black Cat for the 63-year-old Grammy winner Birkhead wrote of the encounter: 'Richie spent a ton of time giving her confidence building tips and mastering the art of playing the guitar. Great guy!' Their favorite pop star! The not-so-typical teenager and her protective father are huge fans of the 56-year-old R&B diva (M, pictured July 23), having met her twice in person after attending her concerts in May 2022 and July 2022 'Dannielynn is on the honor roll and she makes great grades. She is taking college level classes. Anna would be very, very proud of her. I know I am.' This year marks the 20th anniversary of Larry's first 'magical' Derby encounter with the Playboy and Guess model, whom he dated on/off for four years until her tragic 2007 accidental drug overdose at age 39. 'I met Anna first in 2003 and she blew me kisses. I was intrigued by her but we didn't have too much interaction,' Birkhead told DailyMail.com. 'I think when she came back in 2004 to the party that her confidence had changed. And she was a totally different person. The second year when she came back that is when the magic happened. 'She was blowing me kisses, but I thought she was doing that for everyone. Being flirtatious for the camera. I never thought that she would want some guy like me from Kentucky when she could have any guys who wants.' Larry moved to Anna's Hollywood home three months later and after her death, a DNA test confirmed he was the father of her child. Birkhead subsequently changed her birth name from Hannah Rose to Dannielynn in order to honor Smith's middle name Lynn as well as her late half-brother Daniel who died, aged 20, from an accidental drug overdose three days after her birth. 'She's very grounded and very humble': Aside from the Barnstable-Brown Kentucky Derby, Larry keeps Dannielynn out of the spotlight so she can have a normal life and solid foundation Birkhead told DailyMail.com on Saturday: 'She is not one of these entitled celebrity kids. She's gone to a public school all her life. That's what she chose. She said I want to go to public school and not to private. Dannielynn is on the honor roll and she makes great grades. She is taking college level classes. Anna would be very, very proud of her. I know I am' This year marks the 20th anniversary of the University of Louisville grad's first 'magical' Derby encounter with the Playboy and Guess model (L, pictured in 2004), whom he dated on/off for four years until her tragic 2007 accidental drug overdose at age 39 'I never thought that she would want some guy like me from Kentucky': Larry moved to Anna's Hollywood home three months later and after her death, a DNA test confirmed he was the father of her child RIP: Birkhead subsequently changed her birth name from Hannah Rose to Dannielynn in order to honor Smith's middle name Lynn as well as her late half-brother Daniel who died, aged 20, from an accidental drug overdose three days after her birth The Texan 5ft11in bombshell acted in six films including Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), and Be Cool (2005). Anna (born Vickie Lynn Hogan) also guest starred in episodes of Fox legal drama Ally McBeal and NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet Eventually Smith brought her larger-than-life boisterous personality to her very own E! reality show The Anna Nicole Show, which ran for three seasons (2002-2004). Psalm West celebrated his upcoming fourth birthday on Saturday during a lavish party that was thrown by his mother, Kim Kardashian, who shared several photos and videos from the event on her Instagram Story. The 42-year-old reality television personality went all out for her youngest son, who turns four on Tuesday, by pulling out all the stops for a firefighter-themed birthday party. The entrepreneur, who recently reconnected with her ex Pete Davidson at the Met Gala, was also joined by her younger sister Khloe, who appeared in several photos and videos that had been taken during the event. Kardashian began by sharing a video of several firefighters from Calabasas, who had been invited to the event, standing in front of a vintage fire engine. The social media figure then entered 'Psalm's fire department' and showed off a sizable mural that showed her son responding to a fire alarm. Special occasion: Psalm West celebrated his upcoming fourth birthday on Saturday during a lavish party that was thrown by his mother, Kim Kardashian, who shared several photos and videos from the event on her Instagram Story Birthday boy: The 42-year-old reality television personality went all out for her youngest son, who turns four on Tuesday, by pulling out all the stops for a firefighter-themed birthday party The influencer also showed off her son posing in front of a balloon sculpture that showed a firefighter hosing down a blaze. Psalm was later seen as he took a look at the mural, of which he seemed particularly impressed. Kardashian showcased a mocktail station that she had set up for the event in another one of her clips. The reality television personality also had custom plate decals printed that featured text reading: 'Psalm is fired up to be 4!' The entrepreneur then gave her fans a look into 'Psalm's firehouse,' where partygoers could get their hands on custom-printed 'Psalm merch.' Many of the guests were provided with firefighter's costumes featuring their first names printed on the back of their coats. She went on to show off one of the event's dessert tables, which featured various Dalmatian-themed biscuits, cupcakes and marshmallow sticks, and she also had a churro stand installed at the event. Kardashian later donned her own custom-made firefighter's jacket and held her son's hand as they walked through the party's grounds. Sparing no expense: The entrepreneur then gave her fans a look into 'Psalm's firehouse,' where partygoers could get their hands on custom-printed 'Psalm merch' Staying close: Kardashian later donned her own custom-made firefighter's jacket and held her son's hand as they walked through the party's grounds Unforgettable! Several of the party's guests went for a ride in a vintage fire engine Sweet treats: She went on to show off one of the event's dessert tables, which featured various Dalmatian-themed biscuits, cupcakes and marshmallow sticks, and she also had a churro stand installed at the event The reality television personality lovingly held her child as the partygoers all sang Happy Birthday. The entrepreneur's youngest son subsequently attempted to break open a fire engine-shaped pinata, and he was later high-fived by one of Calabasas' firefighters. She went on to show off a rolled ice cream stand that had been set up for the party. Kardashian provided the party's guests with their own Dalmatian-esque stuffed animals, and each came with a 'certificate of adoption.' The social media mainstay went on to share videos of various dessert and candy tables that had been set up for the guests. Kim and Khloe were later seen while riding in the vintage fire engine, and the latter posted a photo of her daughter True, aged five, wearing a t-shirt bearing her aunt's image on her Instagram Story. The 38-year-old's daughter was also provided with one of the custom-printed firefighter's jackets. Psalm's older sister North shared a video to her TikTok account in which she went for a ride with her friends in the fire engine. Having fun: The entrepreneur's youngest son subsequently attempted to break open a fire engine-shaped pinata, and he was later high-fived by one of Calabasas' firefighters Having fun: Kim and Khloe were later seen while riding in the vintage fire engine Showing off: Khloe posted a photo of her daughter True, aged five, wearing a t-shirt bearing her aunt's image on her Instagram Story Proud mom: The entrepreneur later shared a selfie featuring both True and her baby son that had been taken during the event Family affair: Psalm's older sister North shared a video to her TikTok account in which she went for a ride with her friends in the fire engine Kardashian shares Psalm and North, aged nine, with her former husband Kanye West. The influencer and the 45-year-old rapper previously tied the knot in 2014, and they also share son Saint and daughter Chicago, aged seven and five. The former couple eventually split up and their drawn-out divorce was finalized last year. The performer has since moved on with Bianca Censori, whom he married in a non-legally binding ceremony. Will Poulter has spoken out about the heartbreaking reason he once went dressed as Sid from the movie Toy Story for Halloween. The actor, 30, was tasked by GQ with going undercover on social media to find out what people were saying about him. Taking to Twitter, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star stumbled across a message from someone asking why he dressed as the character Sid Phillips from Toy Story back in 2017. They wrote: 'Thought he hated this comparison, so how did this happen in the end? Knowing him he must have done it for a reason.' While Will insisted he dressed up as Sid as people were comparing him to the film character, he revealed there was a much more serious reason behind his decision. Touching: Will Poulter, 30, has spoken out about the heartbreaking reason he once went dressed as Sid from the movie Toy Story for Halloween (pictured last month) Throwback: Taking to Twitter, the star stumbled across a message from someone asking why he dressed as the character Sid Phillips from Toy Story back in 2017 Raising awareness: While Will insisted he dressed up as Sid as people were comparing him to the film character, he revealed there was a much more serious reason behind his decision 'I did do it in light of some of the comparisons between me and Sid from Toy Story that were going around on the internet,' he explained. 'I work with Anti-Bullying Pro and the Diana Award, I did it during anti-bullying week to raise awareness of that organisation. 'So, that was that.' The organisation's website states that 'The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Program raises awareness of bullying behaviour and supports schools and young people to tackle it across the UK and beyond.' Staff provide school training, webinars for educators, and programs that target racist and sexual bullying. Before heading out for Halloween in 2017, Will shared a picture of himself dressed as Sid on social media at the time. He could be seen wearing a black T-shirt with a white skull on the front while he held a doll of the flick's character Sheriff Woody Pride and a magnifying glass. Will wrote at the time: 'This Halloween I thought I should respond to the comparisons with Disney Pixar's biggest bully next door and go as Sid from Toy Story! Lookalike? Will wrote at the time: 'This Halloween I thought I should respond to the comparisons with Disney Pixar's biggest bully next door and go as Sid from Toy Story!' 'In addition to having a laugh at my expense I wanted to try and raise some attention for a cause I am an ambassador for! @antibullyingpro. 'As this month is Bullying Prevention Month in the USA and Antibullying Week in the U.K. is just around the corner. 'I would really appreciate it if you could please give them a follow before you like or share and help support the cause to make school a safer and happier place for young people. 'Thank you! @antibullyingpro #HappyHalloween #Antibullying' Cat Deeley looked glamorous as she cosied up to her dapper husband Patrick Kielty at the 20th Irish Film and Television Academy Awards in Dublin on Sunday night. The presenter, 46, showed off her sense of style in a white thigh-split gown for the event where she dazzled on the red carpet. The star put on a daring display in the skimpy number which revealed her toned and tanned legs and also had a cut-out section at the front. She completed the look with chunky gold heels and toted a sparkly silver clutch bag in her hand. Cat wore her blonde tresses in perfect styled curls over her shoulders and opted for a typically bronzed makeup look. Stunning: Cat Deeley looked glamorous as she cosied up to her dapper husband Patrick Kielty at the Irish Film Awards on Sunday night Glowing: The presenter, 46, showed off her sense of style in a white thigh-split gown for the event where she dazzled on the red carpet Beside her Irish Patrick, 52, looked dapper in a black suit and crisp white shirt which he teamed with a bow tie and shiny black shoes. The family made London their home once again at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic when they relocated to the capital. Cat and Patrick left the US with their two sons Milo, six, and James, four, almost three years ago after 15 years of living in Beverly Hills. The star previously revealed the 'catalyst' for the family's departure was the terrifying moment Patrick and their eldest son narrowly avoided a public shooting incident at the Century City Mall. The couple were also keen for their boys to be schooled back home in the UK and be closer to their friends and family. The family were back in LA last year, but only temporarily, with Cat telling The Telegraph that they had relocated for the school holidays and would return to the UK when her show wraps. 'You have such a small amount of time when everyone wants to hang out, so we moved back to take advantage of that. And then the pandemic hit' she explained of how they have settled back in the UK. 'We didn't want to put anyone at risk in the pandemic because, well, young kids! But we're making up for it now. All smiles: The star put on a daring display in the skimpy number which revealed her toned and tanned legs and also had a cut-out section at the front Style: Siobhan McSweeney arrives on the red carpet ahead of the 20th Irish Film and Television Academy Look: She opted for a lilac puffy dress and toted a cream and green clutch bag for the star-studded event Chic: Joan Bergin also made an appearance at the event where she wore a ruffled black dress with a silver broach Details: She added to her look with and black and silver fascinator and wore a glowing makeup look Star: Jessie Buckley arrives on the red carpet ahead of the 20th Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards ceremony Stunning: She wore a chic black suit 'I taught Milo how to read and how to ride a bike in the pandemic. It was nice to all be together.' It comes after Cat shocked viewers of the Ellen show in June when she revealed her 'naughty' sons refuse to keep their clothes on. Cat laughed that 'it's fine now but not when they are 17 and doing it in supermarkets'. The TV personality was on the daytime show to speak about So You Think You Can Dance which had been delayed by two years due to the pandemic. She laughed: 'They look at me in the eye and say ''Mummy lets get handsome'' and then take everything off. Well that's not technically correct but I like their positive body image'. Cat and Patrick tied the knot in a traditional Catholic ceremony in Rome, Italy, in September 2012, which was an intimate affair with just six family and friends each. The couple were friends for 10 years before they tied the knot and Patrick insisted there was 'always a spark' between them before their relationship became romantic. Duo: AJ Buckley from SEAL Team and his wife Abigail Ochse arrive on the red carpet Pose: They worked their best angles for the camera Smart: John C O'Reilly (left) and Colm Meaney on the red carpet ahead of the event Having fun: They larked about He said: 'There was always a little bit of a spark between us but either she was with someone or I was with someone and by the time we were both single she was in America. 'It was always one of those things that never worked out. 'Women tend to be in charge and we men just have to get on the pitch, stand on the leg that's shaking most and not drop the ball when it comes our way.' The pair met when they presented Fame Academy together in 2002 and remained friends for almost a decade before making their debut as a couple in March 2012 and they married six months later. Abbie Chatfield has revealed she is now in an 'exclusive' relationship with a new man. Speaking on stage during the Adelaide leg of her Trauma Dump tour, the podcast host, 27, said she was 'trying out' monogamy again. But she admitted she was confused by some of the terms involved. 'I don't get monogamous language,' she told the sold-out crowd at the Thebarton Theatre in Torrensville. 'I didn't know what exclusive meant.' Abbie Chatfield has revealed she is now in an 'exclusive' relationship with a new man Speaking on stage during the Adelaide leg of her Trauma Dump tour, the podcast host, 27, said she was 'trying out' monogamy again but was confused by some of the terms involved The Hit Network presenter did not reveal the identity of her partner, telling the audience her new relationship was still in its very early stages. 'It's been six days!' she said. She also addressed rumours she'd dated American musician Yung Gravy while he was in the country in February. At the time, footage surfaced online of Abbie and the Betty rapper, 27, looking cosy at several venues in Sydney. Abbie commented on the speculation at her Adelaide show, shutting down reports the two had slept together. She also addressed rumours she'd dated American musician Yung Gravy (left) while he was in the country in February 'I certainly didn't spend two nights at his hotel [with Gravy],' she said in a sarcastic tone, leaving the audience to speculate. 'Nothing happened. We just had Macca's.' Gravy is not the first high-profile man Abbie has been romantically linked to. The bisexual media personality broke up with Bachelorette star Konrad Bien-Stephen last August after dating non-exclusively for about a year. The bisexual media personality broke up with Bachelorette star Konrad Bien-Stephen (right) last August after dating non-exclusively for about a year Abbie is touring the country telling tales of some pretty concerning past relationships, which saw the Adelaide audience swing between roaring with laughter and fighting back tears. She also shared adorable photos from when she'd appeared in the local newspaper as a child, joking paparazzi had been following her since birth. 'My trauma is your joy,' she said. Channel Ten has dropped the tagline 'Secrets & Surprises' from the new season of MasterChef Australia following the unexpected death of judge Jock Zonfrillo. Recent seasons of MasterChef are known to use taglines to highlight gimmicks or format changes, including Back to Win (season 12) and Fans & Favourites (season 14). But 'Secrets & Surprises' has been cut from all promotional material for season 15 out of respect for the Scottish-born celebrity chef, reports The Australian. Production company Endemol Shine is also working around the clock to scrub the new season of any references that could potentially seem insensitive in light of Zonfrillo's death. One insider said the changes made to the show 'won't be too heavy-handed' and will 'try to remain true' to Zonfrillo's personality. Channel Ten has dropped the tagline 'Secrets & Surprises' from the new season of MasterChef Australia following the unexpected death of judge Jock Zonfrillo. (Pictured from left: Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen) Recent seasons of MasterChef are known to use taglines to highlight gimmicks or format changes, including Back to Win (season 12) and Fans & Favourites (season 14). But 'Secrets & Surprises' has been cut from all promotional material for season 15 out of respect for the Scottish-born celebrity chef. (Pictured: a commercial for MasterChef that aired on Channel Ten last Monday, before news broke of Zonfrillo's death) MasterChef's major sponsors, including Coles and Leggo's, have also said they will continue to support the program this year following Zonfrillo's passing. Season 15 had been due to launch on May 1 but it was pushed back to May 7. The decision to postpone the show was made by Ten just hours after the restaurateur was found dead by police at a Melbourne hotel at 2am last Monday. Ahead of Sunday's rescheduled season premiere, fellow MasterChef judge Andy Allen paid tribute to his co-star during a special episode of The Sunday Project. In his first interview since the shocking news, Allen, 35, sat down with Sarah Harris and spoke of the devastating impact of Zonfrillo's death. Production company Endemol Shine is also working around the clock to scrub the new season of any references that could potentially seem insensitive in light of Zonfrillo's death 'I want to say I'm okay, but I am not great,' Allen told Harris. 'This has hit me like a ton of bricks. He's the heart and soul of this place... I'm just struggling to realise that he's actually gone.' Allen went on to say that being on the MasterChef set without Zonfrillo felt strange, before detailing the last time he saw him. Recalling their last lunch together, he said, 'We went to Tipo 00. He ordered the whole menu. We hadn't seen each other for a while. It was a good old catch-up about what we've been doing, what we were excited about.' Zonfrillo and his family had recently relocated to Rome, with the MasterChef judge flying back to Melbourne solo ahead of the show's premiere. Ahead of Sunday night's rescheduled season premiere, judge Andy Allen (left) paid tribute to his co-star Zonfrillo during a special episode of The Sunday Project Allen said Zonfrillo was eager to return to Rome and start a new life with his family. When asked what he would miss the most about his mate, Allen said: 'Everything. I probably spend more time - in the six months that we film - with him than my wife. 'I am gonna miss everything that this guy has brought into my life... He couldn't wait for Alex and I to have kids as well. He always said I was gonna be a great dad. And I just wish he was around to see that.' Molly-Mae Hague shared a heartwarming snap on Saturday of Tommy Fury's mum with their little daughter Bambi. The former Love Island star, 23, took to her page as she posted a rare picture of his mother Chantal cradling the little one in her arms. Molly-Mae - who shares Bambi, four months, with boyfriend Tommy, 23, - penned the story: 'Grandma's birthday'. The grandma of Bambi is captured in a sweet moment as she holds Bambi and looks at her. Earlier on Saturday, the influencer also shared a snap showing a bouquet of white roses in the backseat of the car as Tommy drives. Sweet: Molly-Mae Hague shared a heart-melting snap on Saturday of Tommy Fury's mum with their little daughter Bambi Grandma: The former Love Island star, 23, took to her page as she posted a rare picture of his parent Chantal cradling the little one in her arms She penned it: 'Tommy's mum's birthday.' The couple appeared to be meeting Chantal at the Trafford Centre in Manchester - as the grandma made one very rare appearance. Chantal - who is of Mauritian descent - has avoided the spotlight as much as possible in the past, but she did appear on the 2019 season of Love Island when her son was starring in the show. Meanwhile, Tommy's shares his father John with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury - who trains him. Tommy and Tyson are also 11 years apart and have three other brothers. Molly-Mae kept delighting followers with sweet snaps of her daughter as shared an adorable photo of her daughter Bambi on Saturday morning. As the influencer celebrated the King's Coronation, she said that their child was a 'happy girl.' The snap she posted showed Bambi dressed in a comfy brown baby grow as she lay in a bouncer smiling. Special day: Earlier on Saturday, the influencer also shared a snap showing a bouquet of white roses in the backseat of the car as Tommy drives Family: The couple appeared to be meeting Chantal at the Trafford Centre in Manchester - as the grandma made one very rare appearance Mum: Chantal - who is of Mauritian descent - has avoided the spotlight as much as possible in the past, but she did appear on the 2019 season of Love Island in the Meet The Parents episode Family tree: Meanwhile, Tommy's shares his father John with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury - who trains him Coronation day: Molly-Mae kept delighting followers with sweet snaps of her daughter as shared an adorable photo of her daughter Bambi on Saturday morning Heart-melting: The snap she posted showed Bambi dressed in a comfy brown baby grow as she lay in a bouncer smiling Chic: It comes after Molly-Mae took to Instagram to showcase the stylish outfit she wore earlier in the week, including a 9k Chanel bag and 700 Loewe shirt '5 star airport shopping': She recently divided her social media followers, who accused her of flaunting her wealth by posing in an airport terminal surrounded by her 4,000 luggage Molly-Mae wrote: 'Good morning happy girl' as a caption to the sweet Instagram story post. Meanwhile, the reality star revealed that she was watching the Coronation festivities and took a photograph of her television, adding a crown emoji. It comes after Molly-Mae took to Instagram to showcase the stylish outfit she wore earlier in the week, including a 9k Chanel bag and 700 Loewe shirt having previously set tongues wagging over 'flaunting her wealth'. Captioning her snap, she penned: 'Not everyday tracksuit. Much to my sadness.' While Molly-Mae looked comfortable in her pricey ensemble, she recently divided her social media followers, who accused her of flaunting her wealth by posing in an airport terminal surrounded by her 4,000 designer luggage. Having just returned from a lavish family holiday in Dubai, the star cut a casual figure in a black T-shirt, matching leggings and an oversized blazer as she sat outside a Hermes boutique in a post shared on Sunday. She styled her long blonde tresses pulled back in a claw clip leaving strands to frame her face as she leaned on her hand. The reality star seemed less than impressed in the picture as she sat next to her 2,200 Louis Vuitton suitcase and her matching 1,790 travel bag. Molly-Mae looked ready for her flight as she kept her AirPod Max headphones, which are worth over 500, around her neck. Referencing her surroundings in the accompanying caption, she wrote: '5 star airport shopping.' However the post, shared in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, prompted an inevitably divided response from followers. Replying to her latest update, one quipped: 'If there ever was a caption to humble the working class.' Elsewhere a second quickly added: 'Thanks for reminding me to work harder,' while a third remarked: 'the caption is a little controversial ha' Another simply added: 'Read the room.' However others defended the influencer, with one fan writing: 'she isn't pictured with Hermes shopping bags though. 'She's saying 5* shopping and has a tiny paper bag from purchases... working class can walk round all shops at an airport too... people have a choice how they spend their hard earned money.' While another added: 'Stop taking offence ffs.' Molly-Mae Hague enjoyed a day out in Hale Trafford with boyfriend Tommy Fury and their daughter Bambi as they celebrated his birthday on Sunday. The former Love Island star, 23, cut a casual figure in a navy blue hoodie and matching tracksuit bottoms. She completed the look with a pair of fresh white trainers while carrying Bambi in her car seat. Molly opted for a natural makeup palette and scraped her platinum blonde locks into a neat bun. Meanwhile Tommy, who turned 24 on Sunday, donned a pale pink top and black Nike tracksuit bottoms as he got into their 120k Mercedes. Family outing: Molly-Mae Hague enjoyed a day out in Hale Trafford with boyfriend Tommy Fury and their daughter Bambi as they celebrated his birthday on Sunday Looking good: The former Love Island star, 23, cut a casual figure in a navy blue hoodie and matching tracksuit bottoms Before the outing, Molly shared a sweet montage video to Instagram to wish beau Tommy a happy birthday. The PrettyLittleThing Creative Director spoiled Tommy on his birthday as he woke up to presents, a cake, balloons and a photo display. It comes after Molly shared a heartwarming snap of Tommy Fury 's mum with their little daughter Bambi. The influencer took to her page as she posted a rare picture of his mother Chantal cradling the little one in her arms. Molly - who shares Bambi, four months, with boyfriend Tommy - penned the story: 'Grandma's birthday'. The grandma of Bambi is captured in a sweet moment as she holds Bambi and looks at her. Earlier on Saturday, the influencer also shared a snap showing a bouquet of white roses in the backseat of the car as Tommy drives. She penned it: 'Tommy's mum's birthday.' The couple appeared to be meeting Chantal at the Trafford Centre in Manchester - as the grandma made one very rare appearance. Chantal - who is of Mauritian descent - has avoided the spotlight as much as possible in the past, but she did appear on the 2019 season of Love Island when her son was starring in the show. Meanwhile, Tommy's shares his father John with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury - who trains him. Tommy and Tyson are also 11 years apart and have three other brothers. Molly-Mae kept delighting followers with sweet snaps of her daughter as shared an adorable photo of her daughter Bambi on Saturday morning . As the influencer celebrated the King's Coronation, she said that their child was a 'happy girl.' Stunning: Molly opted for a natural makeup palette and scraped her platinum blonde locks into a neat bun Birthday: The PrettyLittleThing Creative Director spoiled Tommy on his birthday as he woke up to presents, a cake, balloons and a photo display Grandma: The former Love Island star took to her page as she posted a rare picture of his parent Chantal cradling the little one in her arms The snap she posted showed Bambi dressed in a comfy brown baby grow as she lay in a bouncer smiling. Molly-Mae wrote: 'Good morning happy girl' as a caption to the sweet Instagram story post. Meanwhile, the reality star revealed that she was watching the Coronation festivities and took a photograph of her television, adding a crown emoji. It comes after Molly-Mae took to Instagram to showcase the stylish outfit she wore earlier in the week, including a 9k Chanel bag and 700 Loewe shirt having previously set tongues wagging over 'flaunting her wealth'. Captioning her snap, she penned: 'Not everyday tracksuit. Much to my sadness.' While Molly-Mae looked comfortable in her pricey ensemble, she recently divided her social media followers, who accused her of flaunting her wealth by posing in an airport terminal surrounded by her 4,000 designer luggage. Having just returned from a lavish family holiday in Dubai, the star cut a casual figure in a black T-shirt, matching leggings and an oversized blazer as she sat outside a Hermes boutique in a post shared on Sunday. She styled her long blonde tresses pulled back in a claw clip leaving strands to frame her face as she leaned on her hand. The reality star seemed less than impressed in the picture as she sat next to her 2,200 Louis Vuitton suitcase and her matching 1,790 travel bag. Molly-Mae looked ready for her flight as she kept her AirPod Max headphones, which are worth over 500, around her neck. Referencing her surroundings in the accompanying caption, she wrote: '5 star airport shopping.' However the post, shared in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, prompted an inevitably divided response from followers. Replying to her latest update, one quipped: 'If there ever was a caption to humble the working class.' Coronation day: Molly-Mae kept delighting followers with sweet snaps of her daughter as shared an adorable photo of her daughter Bambi on Saturday morning Heart-melting: The snap she posted showed Bambi dressed in a comfy brown baby grow as she lay in a bouncer smiling '5 star airport shopping': She recently divided her social media followers, who accused her of flaunting her wealth by posing in an airport terminal surrounded by her 4,000 luggage Elsewhere a second quickly added: 'Thanks for reminding me to work harder,' while a third remarked: 'the caption is a little controversial ha' Another simply added: 'Read the room.' However others defended the influencer, with one fan writing: 'she isn't pictured with Hermes shopping bags though. 'She's saying 5* shopping and has a tiny paper bag from purchases... working class can walk round all shops at an airport too... people have a choice how they spend their hard earned money.' While another added: 'Stop taking offence ffs.' The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has signed three agreements with the Nuclear Power Operations Research Institute, the China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas and the China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation. China has 56 nuclear energy plants in operation, with a further 20 units under construction. China has recently announced a programme to invest $440 billion to build a further 150 reactors over the next 15 years to boost their energy security and energy sustainability. The MoU signings were attended by Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Enec. Operations and maintenance The MoUs with the Nuclear Power Operations Research Institute and the China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas were signed by Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Executive Director for Fuel Procurement and Analysis at Enec and the Chinese counterparts. The first MoU will focus on possible collaboration between the two parties in nuclear energy operations and maintenance. Whilst the second MoU will focus on cooperation in the field of high temperature gas-cooled reactors. The MoU with the China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation was signed by Dr Mohamed Chookah, Nuclear Fuel Management Vice President at Enec and will focus on possible collaboration in nuclear fuel supply and investment. Al Hammadi met senior officials from the organisations, who presented their business plans to discuss opportunities for future collaboration. During the visit, Al Hammadi, who became President of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) in October 2022 met with senior staff of the WANO Shanghai branch office to meet the teams there and receive updates on their latest activities. WANO includes more than 120 members responsible for operating more than 430 nuclear energy reactors across 30 countries around the world. Enec is responsible for the development of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the Arab Worlds first operational nuclear energy plant. Barakah is a successful global benchmark for other nations looking to diversify their energy portfolio during a time of international energy crises, with three units of Barakah delivered in three consecutive years, generating up to 4,200 MW of baseload, reliable, clean electricity 24/7.-- TradeArabia News Service Nicola Peltz looked sensational in a busty red co-ord as she took to her Instagram on Sunday. The American actress, 28, displayed her stunning figure in a red embroidered blazer and a matching mini skirt which displayed her toned legs. Nicola flaunted her cleavage as she flashed a racy black bralette underneath. The stunner shared a mirror selfie snap on her stories as she posed up with pal Andie Jane - who owns a scent candle business - doing a peace sign. The Our House actress slicked her hair back with a black large headband and wore her brown tresses down. Leggy: Nicola Peltz looked sensational in busty red co-ord as she took to her Instagram on Sunday to share a snap with her pal Andie Jane Glam: Nicola flaunted her cleavage as she flashed a racy black bralette underneath Nicola showcased her natural features by opting for a light and quite natural make up look. The Bates Motel star highlighted her cheeks and added pink blush to it, and finished off with a nude lip-gloss. Later in the day, Nicola shared another snap as she sat in the backseat of the car as she held a paper glass in her hand with a toothpaste and a toothbrush inside it. The model posed for the camera as she flashed a big smile. She also shared a sweet snap of her hugging her dad as he laid on the bed. 'I love you so much dad,' she captioned with a white heart emoji. It comes after Nicola and her husband Brooklyn, 24, kept a low profile while out in New York on Wednesday - after Gillian McKeith's daughter Afton claimed she once had a fling with him. The famous son of Victoria and David Beckham and the actress were shopping in What Goes Around Comes Around in Soho, New York. Brooklyn held their beloved pooch Lamb on a lead as he dotingly followed behind his wife, who he tied the knot with in April 2022. Sweet: Later shared a sweet snap of her hugging her dad as he laid on the bed Dapper: Nicola and her husband Brooklyn, 24, kept a low profile while out in New York on Wednesday - after Gillian McKeith's daughter Afton claimed she once had a fling with him Smitten: The famous son of Victoria and David Beckham and the actress were shopping in What Goes Around Comes Around in Soho, New York He opted for a laid-back look as he sported a black sweatshirt and matching denim jeans. Meanwhile, Nicola looked stylish even for a casual outing in a black fitted top that exposed a portion of her toned midriff. She added denim mom jeans and chunky heeled boots for a practical look as she walked her dog. Gillian McKeith's daughter Afton claimed that she once had a fling with Nicola's husband Brooklyn. The 23-year-old claimed she dated the famous nepo baby when she was younger - but added she no longer 'keeps up' with what he's doing. She also told how she recently had an awkward run in with Brooklyn and his wife Nicola at an LA supermarket. She told The Sun: 'I didn't watch any of his wedding. I actually don't keep up with what he does. 'But I actually bumped into him not so long ago in Los Angeles at my local supermarket - Erewhon - and her as well. It was extremely awkward. 'You know, they seem good. I wish them the best. I hope they have a really long and happy marriage.' Afton has previously told how Brooklyn blocked her on Instagram. Their fling was reportedly in between Brooklyn's relationships with Madison Beer and Chloe Grace Moretz. A source told The Star at the time: 'The romance didn't last too long but Afton definitely grew feelings for Brooklyn.' Reps for Brooklyn have been contacted by MailOnline for comment. StockNews.com lowered shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD Get Rating) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning. A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on BUD. UBS Group lowered shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $64.70. Get Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV alerts: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Trading Down 1.6 % NYSE BUD opened at $64.83 on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $63.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $59.49. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a twelve month low of $44.51 and a twelve month high of $67.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The company has a market capitalization of $112.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.90, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.23. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Increases Dividend Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( NYSE:BUD Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The consumer goods maker reported $0.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.26. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV had a return on equity of 11.54% and a net margin of 12.78%. The company had revenue of $14.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.19 billion. Research analysts forecast that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV will post 3.22 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be given a dividend of $0.611 per share. This is an increase from Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NVs previous annual dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a yield of 0.95%. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NVs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.61%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Accurate Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Castleview Partners LLC lifted its stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 105.1% during the 4th quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 445 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the period. James Investment Research Inc. acquired a new stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 70.3% in the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 499 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 5.53% of the companys stock. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Company Profile (Get Rating) Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Middle Americas, South America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Global Export and Holding Companies. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $6.00-$6.10 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Atmos Energy Trading Down 0.3 % Shares of NYSE:ATO traded down $0.40 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $117.56. 1,169,195 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 778,851. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $113.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The stock has a market cap of $16.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.62. Atmos Energy has a fifty-two week low of $97.71 and a fifty-two week high of $121.92. Get Atmos Energy alerts: Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The utilities provider reported $2.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.01. Atmos Energy had a return on equity of 8.57% and a net margin of 18.18%. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.73 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.37 EPS. Atmos Energys revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Atmos Energy will post 6 EPS for the current fiscal year. Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.74 dividend. This represents a $2.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 19th. Atmos Energys payout ratio is presently 50.86%. Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on ATO shares. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Atmos Energy from $128.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Atmos Energy from $107.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Atmos Energy from $125.00 to $115.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 9th. StockNews.com upgraded Atmos Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Atmos Energy from $117.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $123.25. Insider Buying and Selling In other Atmos Energy news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 12,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.54, for a total transaction of $1,431,750.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 217,668 shares in the company, valued at $24,931,692.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Atmos Energy news, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 12,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.54, for a total transaction of $1,431,750.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 217,668 shares in the company, valued at $24,931,692.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Diana J. Walters sold 390 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.50, for a total value of $45,825.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,584 shares in the company, valued at $303,620. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 25,390 shares of company stock valued at $2,941,825 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Atmos Energy A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ATO. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in Atmos Energy by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 6,224 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $634,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Atmos Energy by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 40,526 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,543,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its stake in Atmos Energy by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 3,890 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $436,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 11,484 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,287,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 5,013 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $511,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.03% of the companys stock. Atmos Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Atmos Energy Corp. engages in the provision of natural gas services. It operates under the Distribution, and Pipeline and Storage business segments. The Distribution segment is involved in regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations. The Pipeline and Storage segment includes pipeline and storage operations of Atmos Pipeline-Texas division and natural gas transmission operations. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Atmos Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Atmos Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD Get Rating) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The bank reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.07, Yahoo Finance reports. The company had revenue of $9.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.43 billion. Banco Bradesco had a return on equity of 13.43% and a net margin of 11.49%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.12 EPS. Banco Bradesco Stock Performance Shares of BBD stock traded up $0.19 on Friday, reaching $3.01. The stock had a trading volume of 46,114,218 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,640,630. The stock has a market cap of $32.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.71. Banco Bradesco has a 1 year low of $2.34 and a 1 year high of $4.32. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.83. Get Banco Bradesco alerts: Banco Bradesco Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be paid a $0.0036 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. Banco Bradescos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.33%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Bradesco Several brokerages have commented on BBD. Barclays cut their target price on Banco Bradesco from $3.50 to $3.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Banco Bradesco from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the company from $3.70 to $2.70 in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $11.93. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Centiva Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco in the 2nd quarter worth $88,000. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco by 56.8% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 26,493 shares of the banks stock worth $86,000 after buying an additional 9,602 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco by 59.8% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 22,522 shares of the banks stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 8,428 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco by 36.4% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 16,506 shares of the banks stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 4,407 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco in the 1st quarter worth $57,000. 2.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Banco Bradesco Company Profile (Get Rating) Banco Bradesco SA engages in the provision of financial and insurance services. It operates through Banking, and Insurance segments. The Banking segment includes banking activities. The Insurance segment covers auto, health, life, accident and property insurance, and pension plans aw well as capitalization bonds. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Banco Bradesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Bradesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2025 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $6.15-$6.35 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Chesapeake Utilities Stock Up 2.3 % Chesapeake Utilities stock traded up $2.86 on Friday, hitting $127.80. 78,846 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 57,273. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $127.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $122.27. The firm has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.51 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Chesapeake Utilities has a 1 year low of $105.79 and a 1 year high of $138.49. Get Chesapeake Utilities alerts: Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $187.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.00 million. Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 13.20% and a return on equity of 10.57%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Chesapeake Utilities will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year. Chesapeake Utilities Increases Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.59 dividend. This is a boost from Chesapeake Utilitiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Chesapeake Utilitiess dividend payout ratio is currently 42.71%. A number of brokerages recently issued reports on CPK. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Chesapeake Utilities from $112.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Chesapeake Utilities in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Chesapeake Utilities from $131.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider John R. Schimkaitis sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.02, for a total transaction of $317,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 77,442 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,836,682.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Chesapeake Utilities news, SVP Kevin J. Webber sold 540 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.00, for a total value of $69,660.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 7,453 shares of the companys stock, valued at $961,437. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider John R. Schimkaitis sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.02, for a total value of $317,550.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 77,442 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,836,682.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 5,100 shares of company stock valued at $652,950. 2.68% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chesapeake Utilities Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new stake in Chesapeake Utilities in the 1st quarter worth approximately $450,000. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities during the 3rd quarter valued at $438,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 63.2% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,177 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $438,000 after buying an additional 1,230 shares in the last quarter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC bought a new position in Chesapeake Utilities in the 1st quarter worth $389,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Chesapeake Utilities in the 1st quarter worth $326,000. Institutional investors own 74.23% of the companys stock. About Chesapeake Utilities (Get Rating) Chesapeake Utilities Corp. engages in the distribution and transmission of natural gas, propane and electricity, and the generation of electricity and steam. It operates through the following segments: Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment distributes and transmits gas, natural gas, and electricity. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Chesapeake Utilities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chesapeake Utilities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG Get Rating) and RLI (NYSE:RLI Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, risk and profitability. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for The Hartford Financial Services Group and RLI, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get The Hartford Financial Services Group alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score The Hartford Financial Services Group 0 6 7 0 2.54 RLI 0 2 0 0 2.00 The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has a consensus price target of $86.15, indicating a potential upside of 23.55%. RLI has a consensus price target of $150.50, indicating a potential upside of 9.61%. Given The Hartford Financial Services Groups stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe The Hartford Financial Services Group is more favorable than RLI. Volatility and Risk Dividends The Hartford Financial Services Group has a beta of 0.85, suggesting that its stock price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, RLI has a beta of 0.42, suggesting that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500. The Hartford Financial Services Group pays an annual dividend of $1.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%. RLI pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. The Hartford Financial Services Group pays out 29.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. RLI pays out 7.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. The Hartford Financial Services Group has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years and RLI has increased its dividend for 47 consecutive years. Insider & Institutional Ownership 89.9% of The Hartford Financial Services Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.2% of RLI shares are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of The Hartford Financial Services Group shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 5.1% of RLI shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Profitability This table compares The Hartford Financial Services Group and RLIs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets The Hartford Financial Services Group 8.33% 18.45% 3.41% RLI 35.28% 19.18% 4.91% Earnings and Valuation This table compares The Hartford Financial Services Group and RLIs top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio The Hartford Financial Services Group $22.36 billion 0.97 $1.82 billion $5.81 12.00 RLI $1.70 billion 3.68 $583.41 million $13.84 9.92 The Hartford Financial Services Group has higher revenue and earnings than RLI. RLI 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. Summary The Hartford Financial Services Group beats RLI on 9 of the 17 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 RLI (Get Rating) RLI Corp. operates as a holding company, which engages in the provision of insurance and underwriting services. It operates through the following segments: Casualty, Property and Surety. The Casualty segment offers healthcare and transportation insurance. The Property segment consists of commercial fire, earthquake, difference in conditions, marine, facultative and treaty reinsurance, including crop and select personal lines policies, including pet insurance and homeowners reinsurance services. The Surety segment engages in writing contract surety coverage, licenses and bonds for commercial, energy and industrial sectors. The company was founded by Gerald D. Stephens in 1965 and is headquartered in Peoria, IL. Receive News & Ratings for The Hartford Financial Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hartford Financial Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HubSpot (NYSE:HUBS Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $4.80-$4.85 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.27. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.08 billion-$2.09 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.06 billion. HubSpot also updated its FY23 guidance to $4.80 to $4.85 EPS. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have weighed in on HUBS. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of HubSpot from $360.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of HubSpot from $380.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of HubSpot from $375.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of HubSpot from $350.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of HubSpot in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, HubSpot has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $428.04. Get HubSpot alerts: HubSpot Stock Down 1.0 % Shares of HUBS stock traded down $4.64 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $444.21. 737,784 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 561,343. The stock has a market cap of $22.05 billion, a P/E ratio of -151.61 and a beta of 1.61. The stocks fifty day moving average is $407.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $343.96. HubSpot has a 52-week low of $245.03 and a 52-week high of $468.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.25 and a quick ratio of 2.30. Insider Activity HubSpot ( NYSE:HUBS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The software maker reported ($0.20) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.22. HubSpot had a negative net margin of 7.71% and a negative return on equity of 10.48%. The business had revenue of $469.66 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $444.95 million. Equities analysts predict that HubSpot will post -1.75 EPS for the current year. In related news, insider Brian Halligan sold 8,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.85, for a total value of $3,339,225.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 622,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,653,623.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, CFO Kathryn Bueker sold 710 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $424.80, for a total transaction of $301,608.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 41,124 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,469,475.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian Halligan sold 8,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.85, for a total transaction of $3,339,225.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 622,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,653,623.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 17,710 shares of company stock worth $7,233,358 over the last 90 days. 5.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On HubSpot Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of HubSpot by 23.0% during the 4th quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,143 shares of the software makers stock valued at $330,000 after buying an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position in shares of HubSpot by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 255,780 shares of the software makers stock valued at $73,954,000 after buying an additional 2,398 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its position in shares of HubSpot by 60.2% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 665 shares of the software makers stock valued at $192,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in HubSpot by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 24,281 shares of the software makers stock valued at $7,020,000 after purchasing an additional 789 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in HubSpot by 33.6% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,118 shares of the software makers stock valued at $323,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.87% of the companys stock. HubSpot Company Profile (Get Rating) HubSpot, Inc engages in cloud-based customer relationship management. Its platform includes marketing, sales, service, operations and content management system, as well as other tools, integrations and a native payment solutions. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. See Also Receive News & Ratings for HubSpot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HubSpot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.64-2.74 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.55. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.51-6.63 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.41 billion. Ingersoll Rand also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.64-$2.74 EPS. Ingersoll Rand Price Performance Shares of IR traded up $2.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $59.17. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,022,148 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,189,572. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $56.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.52 and a beta of 1.42. Ingersoll Rand has a 1-year low of $39.28 and a 1-year high of $60.39. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.54 billion. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. Analysts predict that Ingersoll Rand will post 2.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. Ingersoll Rand Dividend Announcement Analyst Ratings Changes The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be issued a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 23rd. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.14%. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio is currently 4.94%. Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $64.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $59.30. Insider Activity In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 102,856 shares in the company, valued at $6,171,360. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.75% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 0.4% during the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 59,377 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,990,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 2.3% during the first quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 11,646 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 2.1% during the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 15,879 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $799,000 after acquiring an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 1.0% in the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 49,057 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,064,000 after buying an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 4.2% in the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 12,684 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $534,000 after buying an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.73% of the companys stock. About Ingersoll Rand (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Resideo Technologies (NYSE:REZI Get Rating) updated its second quarter earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.41-0.51 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.69. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.59-1.64 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.67 billion. Resideo Technologies also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $1.80-$2.00 EPS. Resideo Technologies Stock Up 0.1 % Shares of REZI stock traded up $0.01 on Friday, hitting $16.14. The stock had a trading volume of 1,173,006 shares, compared to its average volume of 531,408. The business has a 50 day moving average of $17.61 and a 200 day moving average of $17.77. The stock has a market cap of $2.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.55 and a beta of 1.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 0.99. Resideo Technologies has a 12-month low of $14.95 and a 12-month high of $24.87. Get Resideo Technologies alerts: Resideo Technologies (NYSE:REZI Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. Resideo Technologies had a net margin of 3.95% and a return on equity of 10.27%. Resideo Technologiess quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.45 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Resideo Technologies will post 1.98 EPS for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets Insiders Place Their Bets A number of equities analysts have weighed in on REZI shares. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Resideo Technologies from $26.00 to $23.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. William Blair restated a market perform rating on shares of Resideo Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Resideo Technologies from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. In other Resideo Technologies news, Director Nina Richardson sold 3,458 shares of Resideo Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total transaction of $64,941.24. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 47,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at $896,388.18. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Nina Richardson sold 3,458 shares of Resideo Technologies stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total value of $64,941.24. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 47,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at $896,388.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Jeannine J. Lane sold 14,903 shares of Resideo Technologies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.39, for a total transaction of $274,066.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 118,600 shares in the company, valued at $2,181,054. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Resideo Technologies Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 77,122 shares of the companys stock worth $1,269,000 after purchasing an additional 680 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 23,619 shares of the companys stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 761 shares during the last quarter. Eaton Vance Management raised its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 26,148 shares of the companys stock worth $623,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 10,553 shares of the companys stock worth $201,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of Resideo Technologies by 72.5% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,467 shares of the companys stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 1,037 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.99% of the companys stock. About Resideo Technologies (Get Rating) Resideo Technologies, Inc operates as a manufacturer and developer of technology-driven products and components that provide critical comfort, energy management, and safety and security solutions. It operates through the Products and Solutions and ADI Global Distribution segments. The Products and Solutions segment includes temperature and humidity control, energy products and solutions, water and air solutions, smoke and carbon monoxide detection home safety products, security panels, sensors, peripherals, wire and cable, communications devices, video cameras, other home-related lifestyle convenience solutions, cloud infrastructure, installation and maintenance tools, and related software. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Resideo Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Resideo Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Paramount Resources (TSE:POU Get Rating) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from C$41.00 to C$40.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. CIBC dropped their target price on shares of Paramount Resources from C$40.00 to C$37.50 in a research report on Friday, April 14th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Paramount Resources from C$35.00 to C$38.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. National Bankshares lifted their price target on shares of Paramount Resources from C$37.50 to C$40.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Scotiabank lowered their price target on shares of Paramount Resources from C$36.00 to C$32.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, ATB Capital lowered their price target on shares of Paramount Resources from C$40.00 to C$39.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Get Paramount Resources alerts: Paramount Resources Price Performance Shares of Paramount Resources stock opened at C$31.26 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of C$4.44 billion, a PE ratio of 6.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.14 and a beta of 3.54. Paramount Resources has a 12-month low of C$22.16 and a 12-month high of C$40.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.25. The companys fifty day simple moving average is C$30.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$29.82. Paramount Resources Dividend Announcement Paramount Resources ( TSE:POU Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 7th. The company reported C$1.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.01 by C$0.40. The company had revenue of C$597.70 million during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts expect that Paramount Resources will post 3.1995906 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.80%. Paramount Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 32.40%. Insider Buying and Selling at Paramount Resources In other Paramount Resources news, Senior Officer John B. Williams sold 8,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$33.25, for a total transaction of C$266,006.40. 46.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Paramount Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Paramount Resources Ltd., an independent energy company, explores for, develops, produces, and markets natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids in Canada. The company's principal properties are the Montney and Duvernay developments located in Alberta and British Columbia. It also invests in public and private corporations. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Paramount Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Paramount Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners) Dar, a renowned international multidisciplinary consultancy, has acquired a majority stake in Su-Yap Engineering & Consulting Su-Yap, one of Turkiyes premier engineering consulting firms. With some 200 multidisciplinary professionals, Su-Yap is a regional leader in water, wastewater, infrastructure, energy, dams and hydropower. Announcing the strategic move, Dar Al Handasah said this was aimed at strengthening its foothold in Turkiye and Central Asia and reinforcing its leadership position in the Middle East and Africa in water resources, dams and hydropower. Founded in 1956, Dar is a renowned international multidisciplinary consultancy providing planning, design, engineering, and project management services for buildings, cities, transportation, civil infrastructure, water, and the environment. With 7,800 professionals spread across 47 offices in 30+ countries, Dar has delivered 4,500 projects worth over $540 billion for 950 clients worldwide. "The addition of Su-Yap to our family of brands supports our strategy for growth in key sectors and regions," remarked Talal Shair, the Dar Group Chairman and CEO. "We share a common mission to serve communities and deliver complex multidisciplinary iconic projects which create long-term social value," he stated. Director of Operations for Turkiye at Dar Beshara Wakim pointed out that this partnership presented a significant opportunity to leverage its combined resources and competencies for collaborative growth and renewed ambition. On the key transaction, Su-Yap's Chairperson Sedef Odabas Erdogan said: "We are thrilled to become part of the Dar family, as we share common values and a purpose of 'Making Progress Together'." "We are excited about the potential opportunities this transaction brings for our staff, clients, and communities," she stated. Su-Yap will continue to operate independently under its own brand while benefiting from the vast international network, resources, and capabilities of Dar Group where world-class specialist brands collaborate on quality, innovation, reliability, delivery and excellent customer relationships, she added.-TradeArabia News Service New Delhi/Islamabad, May 7 (UNI) Wanted Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar was shot dead by unidentified assailants in a drive-by shooting in Lahores Nawab Town neighbourhood on Saturday. Panjwar, 63, chief of the Khalistan Commando Force-Panjwar group, received a fatal gunshot to the head, police said. When the attack happened, Panjwar was on a morning walk at around 6:30am, accompanied by his bodyguard near his residence in the Sunflower Housing Society, police said, Dawn reported. Panjwar received a fatal gunshot to the head. His bodyguard was also wounded in the attack and shifted to hospital, where his condition was said to be critical. The assailants fled the scene after the attack. Thomson Reuters (TSE:TRI Get Rating) (NYSE:TRI) had its price target raised by National Bankshares from C$170.00 to C$184.00 in a report published on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Several other research firms also recently issued reports on TRI. TD Securities boosted their price objective on Thomson Reuters from C$175.00 to C$185.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday. National Bank Financial downgraded Thomson Reuters from an outperfrom under weight rating to a sector perform under weight rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Thomson Reuters from C$182.00 to C$184.00 in a report on Wednesday. Get Thomson Reuters alerts: Thomson Reuters Price Performance Shares of TSE TRI opened at C$160.37 on Wednesday. Thomson Reuters has a twelve month low of C$119.23 and a twelve month high of C$180.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.04. The company has a market capitalization of C$75.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.23, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$172.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$160.67. Thomson Reuters Cuts Dividend Thomson Reuters ( TSE:TRI Get Rating ) (NYSE:TRI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported C$0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.86 by C$0.13. The firm had revenue of C$2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$2.36 billion. Thomson Reuters had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 20.19%. As a group, analysts expect that Thomson Reuters will post 4.5787715 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 17th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.22%. Thomson Reuterss payout ratio is currently 69.41%. Thomson Reuters Company Profile (Get Rating) Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Thomson Reuters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thomson Reuters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California Public Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in Ball Co. (NYSE:BALL Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 1,988,606 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $101,697,000. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ball in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,695,575,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Ball during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,145,245,000. State Street Corp bought a new position in Ball in the 3rd quarter valued at $666,807,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in Ball in the 3rd quarter valued at $419,203,000. Finally, Sustainable Growth Advisers LP bought a new position in Ball in the 3rd quarter valued at $281,391,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.65% of the companys stock. Get Ball alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently commented on BALL. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Ball from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Truist Financial reiterated a hold rating and set a $58.00 target price on shares of Ball in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ball from $55.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on Ball from $58.00 to $59.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $58.56. Ball Stock Down 1.1 % BALL stock opened at $58.60 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $53.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $53.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.27, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.78. Ball Co. has a fifty-two week low of $46.00 and a fifty-two week high of $75.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.47. Ball (NYSE:BALL Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.57 billion. Ball had a return on equity of 23.92% and a net margin of 2.98%. Balls revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ball Co. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current year. Ball Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.37%. Balls dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.34%. Insider Buying and Selling at Ball In related news, Director John A. Hayes sold 100,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.40, for a total transaction of $5,840,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 480,552 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,064,236.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. Ball Profile (Get Rating) Ball Corp. provides metal packaging for beverages, foods, and household products. It operates through the following business segments: Beverage Packaging North and Central America, Beverage Packaging South America, Beverage Packaging Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Aerospace. The Beverage Packaging North and Central America segment includes multi-year supply contracts to fillers of carbonated soft drinks, beer, energy drinks, and other beverages. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BALL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ball Co. (NYSE:BALL Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ball Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ball and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,266 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $303,000. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ADM. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 71.9% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 18,699 shares of the companys stock worth $1,688,000 after acquiring an additional 7,821 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 1st quarter valued at about $277,000. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 1st quarter valued at about $226,000. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. raised its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 31,004 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,798,000 after buying an additional 5,586 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 459,907 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,512,000 after buying an additional 9,327 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.23% of the companys stock. Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts: Archer-Daniels-Midland Stock Performance Shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland stock opened at $75.96 on Friday. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a one year low of $70.02 and a one year high of $98.28. The company has a market cap of $41.37 billion, a PE ratio of 9.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.51. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.89. Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement Archer-Daniels-Midland ( NYSE:ADM Get Rating ) last announced 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 business had revenue of $24.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.90 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.8 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 16th. Archer-Daniels-Midlands dividend payout ratio is presently 22.58%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts recently issued reports on ADM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of 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 shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded Archer-Daniels-Midland from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price 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, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $98.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Archer-Daniels-Midland presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $100.78. About Archer-Daniels-Midland (Get Rating) 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE:RGA Get Rating) has received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $155.50. RGA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $141.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com raised shares of Reinsurance Group of America from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Reinsurance Group of America from a sell rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the company from $133.00 to $158.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $147.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Get Reinsurance Group of America alerts: Reinsurance Group of America Trading Up 7.8 % Shares of RGA opened at $145.76 on Friday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $136.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $140.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.84 and a beta of 0.91. Reinsurance Group of America has a twelve month low of $109.06 and a twelve month high of $153.35. Reinsurance Group of America Announces Dividend Reinsurance Group of America ( NYSE:RGA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The insurance provider reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.37 by $1.79. The company had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.23 billion. Reinsurance Group of America had a return on equity of 27.91% and a net margin of 5.66%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Reinsurance Group of America will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 15th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.20%. Reinsurance Group of Americas dividend payout ratio is 34.78%. Institutional Trading of Reinsurance Group of America Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Reinsurance Group of America by 129,207.8% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,117,433 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,721,766,000 after purchasing an additional 12,108,062 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Reinsurance Group of America by 1.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,115,698 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $895,227,000 after purchasing an additional 88,957 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 4.7% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,411,086 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $263,917,000 after acquiring an additional 108,922 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Reinsurance Group of America by 7.5% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,670,053 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $210,109,000 after acquiring an additional 116,382 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,518,615 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $191,056,000 after buying an additional 32,087 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.46% of the companys stock. Reinsurance Group of America Company Profile (Get Rating) Reinsurance Group of America, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Corporate and Other. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Reinsurance Group of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Reinsurance Group of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Axim Planning & Wealth raised its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) by 6.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,050 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 300 shares during the quarter. Royal Caribbean Cruises comprises about 0.3% of Axim Planning & Wealths holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Axim Planning & Wealths holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $250,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the third quarter worth $34,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 32.1% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 885 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Accurate Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 86.2% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 489 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.27% of the companys stock. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently commented on RCL. William Blair restated an outperform rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $86.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $78.00 to $88.00 in a research note on Friday. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $82.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued 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 $82.77. Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Up 5.2 % Shares of NYSE RCL traded up $3.73 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $75.61. The company had a trading volume of 5,900,097 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,300,698. The firms fifty day moving average price is $65.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.41. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a one year low of $31.09 and a one year high of $76.30. The stock has a market cap of $19.33 billion, a PE ratio of -18.58 and a beta of 2.43. Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.71) by $0.48. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a negative net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 25.86%. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($4.57) EPS. The firms revenue was up 172.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year. Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile (Get Rating) Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise company, which engages in the ownership and operation of the following global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The firm also holds interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA Get Rating) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,668,324 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 17,021 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System owned 0.23% of Corteva worth $98,064,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tower Bridge Advisors grew its position in shares of Corteva by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Bridge Advisors now owns 18,514 shares of the companys stock worth $1,058,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Corteva by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,660 shares of the companys stock valued at $438,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. increased its stake in shares of Corteva by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. now owns 4,567 shares of the companys stock valued at $261,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Corteva by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 4,710 shares of the companys stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. increased its stake in shares of Corteva by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 3,985 shares of the companys stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.45% of the companys stock. Get Corteva alerts: Corteva Stock Performance Shares of CTVA stock opened at $58.25 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $60.28 and a 200 day moving average of $62.05. Corteva, Inc. has a 52 week low of $50.03 and a 52 week high of $68.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.96, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. Corteva Dividend Announcement Corteva ( NYSE:CTVA Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $4.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.74 billion. Corteva had a return on equity of 8.03% and a net margin of 6.64%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Corteva, Inc. will post 2.91 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. Cortevas payout ratio is 37.04%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently issued reports on CTVA. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Corteva from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Corteva from $78.00 to $76.00 in a report on Friday. OTR Global downgraded shares of Corteva to a positive rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Corteva in a report on Thursday, April 6th. They issued a market perform rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Corteva from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $73.31. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Corteva news, CEO Charles V. Magro purchased 40,000 shares of Corteva stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $60.64 per share, with a total value of $2,425,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 126,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,646,400.80. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders. Corteva Profile (Get Rating) Corteva, Inc engages in the provision of seed and crop protection solutions, which focus on the agriculture industry and contributing to food supply. It operates through the Seed and Crop Protection segments. The Seed segment is involved in developing and supplying advanced germplasm and traits that produce yield for farms. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Corteva Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corteva and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chimera Investment (NYSE:CIM Get Rating) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.16 by ($0.03), RTT News reports. The company had revenue of $189.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $86.60 million. Chimera Investment had a positive return on equity of 9.69% and a negative net margin of 25.38%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.39 EPS. Chimera Investment Price Performance Shares of Chimera Investment stock opened at $5.19 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.69. Chimera Investment has a 1 year low of $4.91 and a 1 year high of $10.66. The firms 50-day moving average is $5.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.23. Get Chimera Investment alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $6.50 price target on shares of Chimera Investment in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Chimera Investment in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $7.00 target price on shares of Chimera Investment in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Chimera Investment currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $7.50. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Chimera Investment Company Profile Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CIM. Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chimera Investment by 62.0% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 65,982 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 25,250 shares in the last quarter. Bridgefront Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chimera Investment by 91.5% in the 4th quarter. Bridgefront Capital LLC now owns 20,070 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 9,587 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chimera Investment in the 4th quarter valued at about $266,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chimera Investment by 47.6% in the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 134,200 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $738,000 after buying an additional 43,253 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Chimera Investment by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 254,601 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,400,000 after buying an additional 15,011 shares in the last quarter. 47.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. (Get Rating) Chimera Investment Corp. is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the business of investing in a portfolio of mortgage assets, including residential mortgage loans, Agency RMBS, Non-Agency RMBS, Agency CMBS, and other real estate-related assets. The company was founded on June 1, 2007 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Chimera Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chimera Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deluxe (NYSE:DLX Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.90-3.25 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $3.01. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.15-2.21 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.18 billion. Deluxe also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.90-$3.25 EPS. Deluxe Stock Performance Shares of Deluxe stock traded up $0.61 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $14.41. The companys stock had a trading volume of 307,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 177,227. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $15.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $17.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.70, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.96. Deluxe has a one year low of $13.61 and a one year high of $27.62. The stock has a market cap of $625.11 million, a P/E ratio of 10.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.56. Get Deluxe alerts: Deluxe (NYSE:DLX Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The business services provider reported $0.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Deluxe had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 25.08%. The company had revenue of $564.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $552.90 million. As a group, analysts expect that Deluxe will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year. Deluxe Announces Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 5th. Investors of record on Monday, May 22nd will be given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 19th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.33%. Deluxes dividend payout ratio is presently 88.89%. Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Deluxe in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Deluxe from $32.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Institutional Trading of Deluxe A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State of Tennessee Treasury Department raised its position in shares of Deluxe by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 111,708 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,897,000 after buying an additional 4,131 shares in the last quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. raised its position in shares of Deluxe by 93.1% during the 4th quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 68,899 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,170,000 after buying an additional 33,224 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in shares of Deluxe by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 130,568 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,217,000 after buying an additional 3,544 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Deluxe during the 4th quarter worth about $6,739,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Deluxe by 98.9% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 265,739 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,512,000 after purchasing an additional 132,157 shares during the last quarter. 85.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Deluxe (Get Rating) Deluxe Corp. engages in the provision of marketing products and services. It operates through the following segments: Payments, Cloud Solutions, Promotional Solutions, and Checks. The Payments segment includes treasury management solutions, including remittance and lockbox processing, remote deposit capture, receivables management, payment processing and paperless treasury management. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Deluxe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deluxe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB Get Rating) by 8.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,975 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 476 shares during the quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Campbell Soup were worth $339,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Old North State Trust LLC bought a new position in Campbell Soup in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Campbell Soup by 121.5% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 536 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the period. Exos TFP Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Campbell Soup during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its stake in Campbell Soup by 149.8% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 597 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. Finally, Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Campbell Soup in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.39% of the companys stock. Get Campbell Soup alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CPB shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Campbell Soup from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Campbell Soup from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $50.00 target price on shares of Campbell Soup in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on Campbell Soup from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Campbell Soup from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Campbell Soup currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $51.92. Campbell Soup Trading Up 0.8 % Shares of CPB opened at $54.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.77. Campbell Soup has a 52-week low of $44.37 and a 52-week high of $57.78. The firm has a market cap of $16.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.27, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.34. The businesss fifty day moving average is $54.16 and its 200-day moving average is $53.54. Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 8th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.43 billion. Campbell Soup had a return on equity of 26.97% and a net margin of 8.86%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Campbell Soup will post 3.01 EPS for the current fiscal year. Campbell Soup Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th were paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. Campbell Soups payout ratio is 54.82%. About Campbell Soup (Get Rating) Campbell Soup Co engages in the business of manufacturing and marketing food and beverage products. It operates under the Meals and Beverages, and Snacks segments. The Meals and Beverages segment includes soup, meals, and beverage products in retail and foodservice. The Snacks segment offers cookies, crackers, bakery, and frozen products. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CPB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Campbell Soup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Campbell Soup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) by 86.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 186,529 shares of the energy companys stock after purchasing an additional 86,605 shares during the quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $11,473,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of DVN. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Devon Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $364,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Devon Energy during the first quarter worth about $188,000. Blair William & Co. IL raised its position in Devon Energy by 52.1% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 99,120 shares of the energy companys stock worth $5,861,000 after acquiring an additional 33,936 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Devon Energy by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 414,354 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $24,500,000 after acquiring an additional 34,870 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.08% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Devon Energy Trading Up 4.4 % Shares of NYSE DVN opened at $50.36 on Friday. Devon Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $44.03 and a 52 week high of $79.40. The stock has a market cap of $32.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.52, a PEG ratio of 0.14 and a beta of 2.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.25. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.30. Devon Energy Increases Dividend Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The energy company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($0.09). Devon Energy had a return on equity of 52.20% and a net margin of 31.38%. The business had revenue of $4.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.29 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a None dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a yield of 9.3%. This is a boost from Devon Energys previous None dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio is 8.77%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Devon Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. They issued a neutral rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $84.00 to $71.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Citigroup cut their target price on Devon Energy from $77.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their price target on Devon Energy from $79.00 to $72.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong 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 $71.32. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $393,193.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $393,193.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,377,015.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Richard E. Muncrief purchased 10,000 shares of Devon Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $53.28 per share, for a total transaction of $532,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,973,977 shares in the company, valued at $105,173,494.56. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock. Devon Energy Profile (Get Rating) Devon Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It develops and operates Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Heavy Oil, Barnett Shale, STACK, and Rockies Oil. The company was founded by J. Larry Nichols and John W. Nichols in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Louisiana Illuminator photo illustration On Dec. 2, 1996, Beatrice Taylor hobbled out of her apartment complex to a nearby payphone and dialed 911. She told a Gretna police dispatcher she needed officers to come out to her home for the second day in a row, according to court records. Her ex-boyfriend had become violent again, stomped on her foot and broken it. I went straight to the phone across the street. I didnt want to go back in my house, Taylor told the police a few hours later. Her ex, Stanley Zukowski, had threatened to kill her that morning, as he had done many times before, she said to officers that day, according to a transcript of her interrogation. I was terrified of the man, she said. In the 911 call, Taylor didnt mention that Zukowski might be injured, but when the officers arrived, they found him stabbed in the chest and slumped over a loveseat in Taylors apartment. Within a couple of hours, he was declared dead and she was arrested. Experts describe Taylors case as a textbook example of a woman fighting back while in the throes of a violent relationship, but the events of that day touched off a 23-years prison sentence for Taylor. In 1997, a Jefferson Parish jury convicted Taylor of murdering Zukowski and sent her to the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel. Taylor was sentenced to life without parole and expected to die in prison, until Gov. John Bel Edwards granted her a rare sentence commutation in 2020. In his second term, Edwards and his parole board have awarded release to Taylor, now 76 years old, and a handful of other incarcerated women on clemency after reconsidering the role intimate partner violence played in their convictions. Advocates for domestic violence victims are grateful, but they say its not enough. They are pushing for a state law change to require courts to take into account expert testimony on human trafficking, sexual assault and intimate partner violence in cases like Taylors. The legislation would affect future cases and those of people already in prison. The Tulane University Womens Prison Project estimates the proposed law could reduce sentences for 30 to 50 women behind bars in Louisiana. Those ladies left behind deserve the same freedom and justice that I was given, Taylor told state lawmakers at a hearing last week. Fighting back The general populations understanding of intimate partner violence has improved over the past three decades since the landmark federal Violence Against Women Act passed. But harmful stereotypes of abusers and survivors persist. Experts say the pervasive notion that domestic violence victims are passive influences the way they are treated in the criminal justice system. Over 40% [of domestic violence victims] are fighting back at some time, said Amanda Tonkovich, a social worker and state Crime Victims Reparations Board member. For some reason when it comes to domestic violence, we dont see that as appropriate. Police can mistake intimate partner violence for a mutually violent relationship, especially if they have been called to the same home to break up a couples fights over and over again. A victim of domestic violence who calls the police several times can be viewed as a nuisance rather than a person in need of protection, according to survivors advocates. This dynamic was likely a factor for Taylor, who is identified by her former married name Beatrice Jones in court documents related to her case. Gretna police had every reason to be familiar with her and Zukowski. During their eight-month relationship, Taylor said she called the police about once per month to put him out of her apartment, including the night before he died. After that penultimate visit, an officer responding to the call described Taylor as acting insane and characterized Zukowski as orderly in a police report on the incident. She was yelling, while he calmly agreed to leave her apartment. Court documents also referred to the couple as heavy drinkers whose relationship became more volatile after they consumed alcohol. On the day of Zukowskis death, he and Taylor ran into each other at the Naughty Knight nightclub in Gretna at 6:30 in the morning. Taylor said she went to the bar to buy cigarettes, and Zukowski was apparently on his way to work at the time, a friend said. But Zukowski had cocaine in his system and a blood alcohol content more than three times the legal limit when he died a couple of hours later, according to an autopsy report. Experts say its not unusual for victims of domestic violence to behave erratically or turn to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism, but this can affect law enforcements perception of them and later allow prosecutors to paint them in a negative light. When you are a victim of abuse, when you are in trauma, your brain is not good at laying down a linear story. It is focused on survival, Tonkovich said. The way their brain is working may be really jumbled. I dont know what happened Jumbled is one way to describe Taylors answers to police questions on the day Zukowski was killed. Initially, she told officers who arrived at her apartment that Zukowski might have gotten his chest wound by falling on the knife. Later, she would say she couldnt recall how he had been injured. I dont know what happened, she told police during an interrogation the day Zukowski died. The knife was in the bedroom. I left it there last night because I was afraid of him last night. Im going to be very honest with you. All I could see is red chest and then blood, she added. Six months later, Taylor repeated that she had no recollection of stabbing Zukowski during an interview with a psychiatrist, William Ritchie, who was evaluating her ahead of her trial. Taylor said she just cant remember the knife going into him, according to Ritchies written evaluation of her state of mind at the time. In an interview with a reporter 25 years later, Taylor reiterated she didnt remember stabbing Zukowski. I dont remember much of any of it because I was in shock, she said. Taylors experience matches up with many victims of domestic violence. Many survivors cant remember what happens during traumatic encounters, according to experts. The abusive party has this really nice linear story of what happened and why their partner attacked them, Tonkovich said. [The victim] cant even talk. They cant tell their story and they are in fear. Some women are unable to remember traumatic aspects of the battering or their actions during such episodes even when they want to, due, in part, to a dissociative amnesia resulting from exposure to violence, wrote Mary Ann Dutton, a Georgetown University professor and trauma expert in a 1996 report Validity of Battered Women Syndrome in Criminal Cases Involving Battered Women. Taylor may not be able to remember the specifics of what happened the day Zukowski died, but she has always been very clear that she was subjected to months of abuse at his hands. In her police interrogation on the day of his death, Taylor told the police that Zukowski abused her for many months, and that Zukowski told her directly that morning that he was going to kill her. Her neighbors also testified in court that they had seen Taylor with bruises and a fat lip while she was dating Zukowski. One person also witnessed Zukowski hit Taylor outside her apartment. A complication in Taylors defense, however, was that she had been accused of stabbing a previous ex-boyfriend, Kent Berthelot, in 1994, two years before Zukowskis death. Like Zukowski, Berthelot was stabbed in the chest once with a kitchen knife, but he survived with a punctured lung and chose not to press charges against Taylor, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office report. Berthelot later said that he had been harassing Taylor at the time of the stabbing. Taylor also characterized Berthelot as abusive toward her. She told police Berthelot had attacked her the day he got stabbed, though as with Zukowskis stabbing two years later, Taylor couldnt recall the specifics of the incident. Kent was a stalker and broke into my house through windows, Taylor told Gretna police the day of Zukowskis death when they brought up Berthelots stabbing. You know what I think Im going to do? Get rid of kitchen knives. she said during her interrogation. Lackluster legal representation The jury heard about Taylors alleged attack on Berthelot at her trial, but some crucial information about Zukowskis past was left out of the record. Prior to moving to Louisiana, Zukowski had been criminally charged 13 times and convicted of five crimes in Kentucky. One of his arrests was for an alleged assault on a spouse in 1993. He was also accused of general assault, drunk driving and kidnapping, according to court records from Taylors appeal of her conviction. Other information that may have proven Taylor was suffering from battered wife syndrome and shouldnt be held entirely responsible for her actions was also kept quiet at her trial. The court rejected Taylors request that she be able to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. This resulted in evidence related to her history with domestic violence and state of mind at the time of Zukowskis death being kept out of the court record. An assessment done of Taylor at the Jefferson Parish jail in July 1997 that concluded she suffered from battered wife syndrome was never brought before the jury. Ritchie, the psychiatrist, had concluded that Taylors personal history her mother was in and out of mental hospitals when she was a child and her father abused alcohol led Taylor to a string of abusive relationships with men, according to his report. Violence from men paradoxically reinforces the feeling in her that she is being loved, he wrote. Taylor had also been diagnosed as having battered wife syndrome a few years earlier, in 1992 when she was hospitalized for two weeks with suicidal thoughts, according to a report from the the treatment center she attended. At the time, she was separating from her third husband and living in Missouri, though the jury never heard the details of this medical assessment either. There were also issues with the jury itself that handed down Taylors conviction, said Stanislov Moroz, Taylors most recent attorney and a Tulane University law professor. Men made up 11 of the 12 jurors at Taylors trial, and the prosecution used several of its pre-emptive jury strikes to remove women from the jury pool, Moroz said. The foreman of the jury also publicly stated that it was acceptable for a husband to hit his wife if she was nagging him. People familiar with Taylors case believe weak legal representation is responsible for some of the mishaps she experienced at trial. Her lawyer was a public defender who had never worked a murder trial prior to Taylors case. An inexperienced young attorney sacrificed his client for headlines, wrote Wayne Manusco, a subsequent attorney for Taylor, in an unsuccessful legal brief appealing her conviction. Taylor is not alone in having lackluster legal representation. Becki Kondkar, director of the Tulane Law School Domestic Violence Clinic, said many domestic violence survivors who find themselves behind bars for killing abusers have had similar problems with attorneys. I still havent interviewed one of these women whose attorney consulted with an expert in domestic violence, Kondkar said. Kondkar helps run Tulanes Womens Prison Project, which provides legal representation to incarcerated domestic violence survivors who feel they were wrongfully convicted. The organization connected Taylor with Moroz, the attorney who eventually got her free with the governors help. The Louisiana Supreme Court made clear in 2018 that attorneys representing domestic violence survivors need to consult with a psychology expert to pursue a battered wife syndrome line of defense in a murder trial. That year, the court overturned the conviction of Catina Curley of New Orleans, who spent more than 10 years in prison for killing her husband after suffering years of abuse from him. The court found that Curleys attorney John Fuller, erred in not calling an expert on domestic violence to testify in Curleys case. Fuller agreed with the courts ruling and supported Curleys release. Clemency is not enough, survivors say Advocates for domestic violence survivors consider the Louisiana Supreme Courts ruling in the Curley case a major victory for their clients, but the decision does not apply retroactively. It did nothing to help other people who were already in prison for similar offenses. Often, the only avenue for relief for women who have killed their abusers is through a gubernatorial pardon or clemency, which is highly subjective and largely dependent on the viewpoint of the governor. Edwards has given dozens of convicted abuse survivors an opportunity to get out of prison, but his predecessor, Gov. Bobby Jindal, released just one incarcerated person from prison an inmate who worked as Jindals personal butler during his entire eight years in office. I was told by my counsel that youre just going to have to file for clemency, but dont do it while Bobby Jindal is in office, Taylor said in an interview late last year after she had been released. I waited eight years to file. Instead of relying on the governor to grant clemency, advocates for domestic violence survivors are hoping state lawmakers agree to pass a proposed law that would open up an avenue to have their sentences reconsidered. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, allows people in prison who are victims of intimate partner violence, human trafficking or sexual assault to have their cases reexamined if their attorneys failed to introduce expert testimony on those topics at their trials and those factors were relevant to their crimes. The cases could also be revisited if evidence or arguments based on misconceptions of intimate partner violence, human trafficking and sexual assault were used at trial. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE Prosecutor opposition Barrows bill is supposed to be debated on the Senate floor next week, but faces an uphill battle. The Louisiana District Attorneys Association opposes the legislation and lawmakers, in general, are wary of any proposal that could be interpreted as soft on crime one of the top political issues in this falls elections. Prosecutors have said Barrows legislation is too broad and could lead to serial killers and death row inmates getting their sentences reduced. Jacob Johnson, a Calcasieu Parish assistant district attorney, testified in a hearing last week that two-thirds of the states death row inmates suffered child abuse and would be able to use the legislation to get their sentences lessened or reversed. Advocates for domestic violence have called the prosecutors characterization of the legislation absurd. They said its highly unlikely a judge or jury would entertain lessening a serial killers sentence based on child abuse that may have taken place years before their crimes. This has nothing to do with letting out serial killers or people on death row or whatever they are talking about. Moroz said. This law wouldnt have anything to do with those cases. Prosecutors have also suggested a law change is unnecessary. They said if the Womens Prison Project at Tulane approached district attorneys with compelling individual cases, district attorneys would consider revisiting some womens sentences. Moroz said his organization has approached several district attorneys offices about their clients cases, and the prosecutors have rarely been willing to look at old convictions. We do go to the DAs. What we hear is: Those cases are old. Were not going to look at them again, he said. When it came to Taylor, Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connicks office wrote a letter opposing her release in 2020 on the grounds that her version of Zukowskis death kept shifting. Likewise, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro fought against Curleys release, even after the state Supreme Court overturned her conviction. If [a domestic violence victim] is the one that dies, she becomes the victim, Kondkar said. But if she fights back and she is the one that survives, then they are going to prosecute her. Finally, a chance for incarcerated women This most recent push for sentencing relief is different from most others in Louisiana because it would be expected to primarily affect incarcerated women. Most other efforts have predominantly affected incarcerated men. This is a group of survivors that has really not received a lot of attention or services, said Becki Kondkar, who helps run the Womens Prison Project at Tulane Universitys law school. Historically, they havent been getting a lot of advocacy from the mainstream domestic violence community or the mainstream criminal justice reform community.which makes them all the more invisible, she said. Women, on average, go to prison later than men do, so incarcerated women have been a lot less likely to benefit from the new access to parole that was given to people convicted of crimes as juveniles a few years ago, Kondkar said. Incarcerated women are also far less likely to qualify for exoneration. They are not as likely as men to have been misidentified and cleared through something like DNA evidence, she said. The jailhouse programs that incarcerated men particularly those facing life or very long sentences use to appeal their cases and seek post-conviction releases also arent particularly well-developed at Louisianas only womens prison. We didnt file because we were never given the mindset that we were anything other than hidden away, said Beatrice Taylor, a formerly incarcerated woman who received clemency from Gov. John Bel Edwards. People on the outside never even gave a thought that theres a womens prison, said Taylor, who was released from prison after 23 years in 2020. The post After 23 years in prison for killing her abuser, she hopes no one in Louisiana has to do that again appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. FMC (NYSE:FMC Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by Mizuho from $150.00 to $147.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on FMC. KeyCorp lifted their target price on FMC from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on FMC from $155.00 to $159.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on FMC from $141.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 9th. UBS Group lifted their target price on FMC from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded FMC from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $125.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $143.38. Get FMC alerts: FMC Price Performance Shares of NYSE:FMC opened at $113.49 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $14.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. FMC has a 52 week low of $98.24 and a 52 week high of $134.38. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $121.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $124.67. FMC Announces Dividend FMC ( NYSE:FMC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. FMC had a return on equity of 27.91% and a net margin of 12.51%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.88 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that FMC will post 7.76 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 20th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a $0.58 dividend. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. FMCs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.49%. Insider Buying and Selling In other FMC news, CEO Mark Douglas purchased 4,121 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $115.53 per share, for a total transaction of $476,099.13. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 41,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,814,366.16. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other FMC news, insider Nicholas Pfeiffer sold 4,421 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.70, for a total transaction of $573,403.70. Following the sale, the insider now owns 12,064 shares in the company, valued at $1,564,700.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark Douglas acquired 4,121 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $115.53 per share, for a total transaction of $476,099.13. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 41,672 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,814,366.16. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,376 shares of company stock worth $1,465,016. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of FMC Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of FMC by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,253,322 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,506,576,000 after purchasing an additional 99,473 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in shares of FMC by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 11,561,614 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,222,062,000 after purchasing an additional 209,813 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of FMC by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,085,382 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $326,126,000 after purchasing an additional 386,465 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of FMC by 80.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,557,733 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $319,205,000 after purchasing an additional 1,142,531 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of FMC by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,554,751 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $318,254,000 after purchasing an additional 40,964 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.28% of the companys stock. FMC Company Profile (Get Rating) FMC Corp. is an agricultural sciences company, which engages in the provision of solutions to growers and development of pipeline in crop protection, plant health, precision agriculture, and professional pest, and turf management. It offers insect control products under the Rynaxypyr and Cyazypyr brands, herbicides under the Authority, Boral, Centium, Command, and Gamit brands, insecticides under the Talstar and Hero brands, flutriafol-based fungicides, and bionematicides under the Quartzo and Presence brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for FMC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FMC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lifted its stake in Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN Get Rating) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 23,402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock after buying an additional 705 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Garmin were worth $2,159,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GRMN. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Garmin by 0.7% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,791,804 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $1,428,861,000 after purchasing an additional 115,941 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Garmin by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,457,126 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $1,161,051,000 after buying an additional 230,945 shares during the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership boosted its position in Garmin by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 6,922,720 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $555,964,000 after buying an additional 492,576 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Garmin by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,798,228 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $545,971,000 after acquiring an additional 355,087 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Garmin by 213.1% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,501,507 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $200,896,000 after acquiring an additional 1,702,480 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 63.29% of the companys stock. Get Garmin alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GRMN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. VNET Group reissued a maintains rating on shares of Garmin in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Garmin from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. TheStreet raised shares of Garmin from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Monday, March 13th. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Garmin in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. They set a sector weight rating on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Garmin in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Garmin has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $118.80. Insider Buying and Selling Garmin Price Performance In other Garmin news, Director Sean Biddlecombe sold 867 shares of Garmin stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.71, for a total value of $85,581.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at $605,092.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . In related news, Director Sean Biddlecombe sold 867 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.71, for a total transaction of $85,581.57. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 6,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at $605,092.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Also, EVP Patrick Desbois sold 3,991 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.50, for a total transaction of $393,113.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 47,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,634,425. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 16,610 shares of company stock worth $1,635,921 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 20.34% of the companys stock. Shares of NYSE GRMN opened at $103.78 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $19.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.94. Garmin Ltd. has a 1 year low of $76.37 and a 1 year high of $108.32. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $98.30 and a 200 day moving average of $96.68. Garmin (NYSE:GRMN Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.09 billion. Garmin had a return on equity of 15.98% and a net margin of 19.94%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.11 EPS. Research analysts expect that Garmin Ltd. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Garmin (Get Rating) Garmin Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of navigation, communications and information devices, most of which are enabled by Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. It operates through the following segments: Marine, Outdoor, Fitness, Auto OEM, Consumer Auto, and Aviation. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GRMN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Garmin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Garmin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, April 20th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a dividend of 0.16 per share by the financial services provider on Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. Hilltop has raised its dividend payment by an average of 23.3% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 6 consecutive years. Hilltop has a dividend payout ratio of 38.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Hilltop to earn $1.62 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.64 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 39.5%. Get Hilltop alerts: Hilltop Stock Performance NYSE HTH opened at $31.56 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.14 and a beta of 1.05. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $30.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.30. Hilltop has a one year low of $24.18 and a one year high of $34.87. Insider Activity Hilltop ( NYSE:HTH Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $353.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $277.55 million. Hilltop had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 5.65%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.28 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Hilltop will post 1.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other news, CEO Jerry Schaffner sold 40,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.33, for a total value of $1,333,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 136,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,558,310.79. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CEO Jerry Schaffner sold 40,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.33, for a total value of $1,333,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 136,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,558,310.79. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Hill A. Feinberg sold 9,001 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.39, for a total transaction of $291,542.39. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 600,135 shares in the company, valued at $19,438,372.65. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 22.30% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Hilltop Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Hilltop by 29.5% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,482 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Hilltop by 44.8% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,155 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 976 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its stake in Hilltop by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 3,192 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its stake in Hilltop by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,860 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vestcor Inc acquired a new stake in Hilltop in the 4th quarter worth approximately $150,000. 79.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have commented on HTH shares. Stephens reissued an equal weight rating and set a $33.00 target price on shares of Hilltop in a research report on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Hilltop in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. About Hilltop (Get Rating) Hilltop Holdings, Inc engages in the provision of business and consumer banking services. It operates through the following segments: Banking, Broker-Dealer and Mortgage Origination. The Banking segment includes business banking, personal banking, wealth and investment management. The Broker-Dealer segment includes the following lines of business: public finance, capital markets, retail, structured finance, clearing services and securities lending. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hilltop Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hilltop and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:MDC Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Monday, April 17th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a dividend of 0.50 per share by the construction company on Wednesday, May 24th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.83%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. M.D.C. has increased its dividend by an average of 21.6% annually over the last three years. M.D.C. has a dividend payout ratio of 66.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect M.D.C. to earn $3.51 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 57.0%. Get M.D.C. alerts: M.D.C. Stock Performance Shares of MDC stock opened at $41.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 2.84 and a current ratio of 9.12. M.D.C. has a 52 week low of $27.04 and a 52 week high of $42.67. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $38.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.23. Insider Activity at M.D.C. M.D.C. ( NYSE:MDC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The construction company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.64. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $887.13 million. M.D.C. had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 16.34%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 17.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.02 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that M.D.C. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year. In related news, CEO David D. Mandarich sold 157,044 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.45, for a total transaction of $6,509,473.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 5,097,022 shares of the companys stock, valued at $211,271,561.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other M.D.C. news, Director Herbert T. Buchwald sold 8,349 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.20, for a total value of $302,233.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO David D. Mandarich sold 157,044 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.45, for a total transaction of $6,509,473.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 5,097,022 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $211,271,561.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 172,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,091,773. Corporate insiders own 23.30% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On M.D.C. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of M.D.C. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $263,371,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of M.D.C. by 259.7% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 593,177 shares of the construction companys stock worth $18,744,000 after acquiring an additional 428,286 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of M.D.C. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $13,291,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of M.D.C. by 262.9% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 419,533 shares of the construction companys stock worth $13,257,000 after acquiring an additional 303,943 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of M.D.C. by 671.1% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 275,420 shares of the construction companys stock worth $8,703,000 after acquiring an additional 239,700 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.21% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MDC shares. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating on shares of M.D.C. in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of M.D.C. from $30.50 to $27.50 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of M.D.C. in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $27.50. M.D.C. Company Profile (Get Rating) M.DC Holdings, Inc engages in proving homebuilding and financial services. It operates through the following business segments: West, Mountain, and East. The West segment includes operations in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. The Mountain segment refers to the operations in Colorado, Idaho, and Utah. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for M.D.C. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M.D.C. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 29,575 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,854,000. Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of STZ. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 52.1% in the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,582,020 shares of the companys stock valued at $593,276,000 after purchasing an additional 884,513 shares in the last quarter. Bain Capital Public Equity Management II LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands in the third quarter valued at approximately $104,286,000. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. grew its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 56.1% in the third quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 1,224,813 shares of the companys stock valued at $281,315,000 after purchasing an additional 440,230 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 984.4% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 378,465 shares of the companys stock valued at $86,928,000 after purchasing an additional 343,564 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,601,280 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,902,327,000 after purchasing an additional 313,344 shares in the last quarter. 84.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Constellation Brands alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have recently issued reports on STZ. Roth Capital restated a neutral rating on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Constellation Brands from $253.00 to $257.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Constellation Brands from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Constellation Brands in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Constellation Brands from $279.00 to $277.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $252.58. Constellation Brands Stock Up 0.5 % Constellation Brands stock opened at $223.44 on Friday. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $208.12 and a twelve month high of $261.32. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $222.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $230.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.95 billion, a P/E ratio of -438.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.03. Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 6th. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.12. Constellation Brands had a positive return on equity of 20.48% and a negative net margin of 0.70%. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.37 earnings per share. The companys revenue was down 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 11.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Constellation Brands Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 4th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. This is a positive change from Constellation Brandss previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. Constellation Brandss dividend payout ratio is -698.03%. Constellation Brands Company Profile (Get Rating) Constellation Brands, Inc engages in the production, marketing, and distribution of beer, wine, and spirits. It operates through the following segments: Beer, Wine and Spirits, Corporate Operations and Other, and Canopy. The Beer segment includes imported and craft beer brands. The Wine and Spirits segment sells wine brands across all categories-table wine, sparkling wine, and dessert wine-and across all price points. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Constellation Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Constellation Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Madison Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Primo Water Co. (NYSE:PRMW Get Rating) by 13.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 367,886 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 43,293 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC owned 0.23% of Primo Water worth $5,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Primo Water by 76.0% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,325 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 1,004 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Primo Water by 556.1% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,257 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,913 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new position in Primo Water in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Primo Water by 77.3% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,961 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 1,291 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Primo Water in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.68% of the companys stock. Get Primo Water alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets PRMW has been the subject of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Primo Water from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 20th. CIBC downgraded shares of Primo Water from a sector outperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 24th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Primo Water in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, TheStreet downgraded shares of Primo Water from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, March 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $19.33. Insider Activity Primo Water Stock Performance In related news, Director Jeremy S. G. Fowden sold 47,630 shares of Primo Water stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.01, for a total value of $762,556.30. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,268,770 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,313,007.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Corporate insiders own 4.40% of the companys stock. Primo Water stock opened at $14.32 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $14.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.04 and a beta of 1.05. Primo Water Co. has a fifty-two week low of $12.15 and a fifty-two week high of $16.47. Primo Water (NYSE:PRMW Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $533.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $547.69 million. Primo Water had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 7.43%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Primo Water Co. will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Primo Water Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 1st. Primo Waters dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 118.52%. Primo Water Profile (Get Rating) Primo Water Corporation provides pure-play water solutions for residential and commercial customers. It offers bottled water, water dispensers, purified bottled water, self-service refill drinking water, premium spring, mineral water, sparkling and flavored water, filtration equipment, and coffee. The company offers its products under the Primo, Alhambra, Crystal Rock, Mountain Valley, Deep Rock, Hinckley Springs, Crystal Springs, Kentwood Springs, Mount Olympus, Pureflo, Nursery, Sierra Springs, Sparkletts, Clear Mountain Natural Spring Water, Earth2O, Renu, and Water Event Pure Water Solutions brands in the United States; Canadian Springs and Labrador Source brands in Canada; and Decantae, Eden, Eden Springs, Chateaud'eau, and Mey Eden brands in Europe and Israel. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Primo Water Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Primo Water and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ashland (NYSE:ASH Get Rating) had its price target lowered by Mizuho from $139.00 to $129.00 in a report published on Thursday, The Fly reports. Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ashland in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Ashland from $115.00 to $110.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 17th. UBS Group raised their price target on Ashland from $131.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Ashland from $135.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Ashland from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and lifted their target price for the company from $104.00 to $105.00 in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $121.25. Get Ashland alerts: Ashland Stock Up 2.4 % Ashland stock opened at $91.02 on Thursday. Ashland has a twelve month low of $87.84 and a twelve month high of $114.36. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $100.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $104.76. The company has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.25 and a beta of 1.00. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Ashland ( NYSE:ASH Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The basic materials company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.09). Ashland had a net margin of 9.32% and a return on equity of 9.66%. The firm had revenue of $603.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $627.61 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ashland will post 6.17 EPS for the current year. Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Ashland by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,321,944 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $249,680,000 after buying an additional 61,216 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 1.2% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,857,351 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $176,392,000 after acquiring an additional 21,482 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Ashland by 1.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,762,930 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $167,425,000 after purchasing an additional 33,518 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in Ashland by 0.5% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,645,262 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $156,251,000 after purchasing an additional 8,086 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,354,749 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $133,321,000 after purchasing an additional 111,135 shares in the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Ashland Company Profile (Get Rating) Ashland, Inc engages in the provision of architectural coatings, construction, energy, food and beverage, nutraceuticals, personal care, and pharmaceutical. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences, Personal Care, Special Additives, and Intermediates. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ashland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ashland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSE:ONC Get Rating) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$2.06 and traded as high as C$2.17. Oncolytics Biotech shares last traded at C$2.14, with a volume of 70,981 shares. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ONC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and set a C$9.00 target price on shares of Oncolytics Biotech in a research report on Monday, March 6th. HC Wainwright reissued a buy rating on shares of Oncolytics Biotech in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Get Oncolytics Biotech alerts: Oncolytics Biotech Stock Performance The stock has a market cap of C$135.08 million, a PE ratio of -4.55 and a beta of 1.77. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$1.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$2.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 8.86 and a current ratio of 9.05. Oncolytics Biotech Company Profile Oncolytics Biotech ( TSE:ONC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 3rd. The company reported C($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C($0.07) by C($0.07). Equities analysts anticipate that Oncolytics Biotech Inc. will post -0.41 EPS for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) Oncolytics Biotech Inc, a development-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery and development of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of cancer. Its lead product is pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Oncolytics Biotech Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oncolytics Biotech and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Glenview Trust Co decreased its position in shares of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE Get Rating) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 12,858 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Glenview Trust Cos holdings in ONEOK were worth $845,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of OKE. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 275.5% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,850 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $201,000 after buying an additional 2,091 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 6.6% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 5,339 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 331 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 500.5% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 167,226 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $11,812,000 after buying an additional 139,379 shares during the period. Aviva PLC lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 20.7% during the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 161,711 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $11,422,000 after buying an additional 27,697 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential PLC purchased a new position in ONEOK during the first quarter worth approximately $614,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.16% of the companys stock. Get ONEOK alerts: ONEOK Price Performance Shares of OKE stock opened at $64.51 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $28.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.64. ONEOK, Inc. has a 1-year low of $50.50 and a 1-year high of $71.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $64.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.08. ONEOK Dividend Announcement ONEOK ( NYSE:OKE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $4.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.13 billion. ONEOK had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 36.54%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that ONEOK, Inc. will post 5.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be given a $0.955 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.92%. ONEOKs payout ratio is currently 72.08%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have weighed in on OKE. Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of ONEOK in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of ONEOK from $71.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Scotiabank began coverage on shares of ONEOK in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. They set a sector perform rating and a $74.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of ONEOK from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of ONEOK from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ONEOK presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $75.00. ONEOK Company Profile (Get Rating) ONEOK, Inc engages in gathering, processing, fractionating, transporting, storing and marketing of natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids and Natural Gas Pipelines. The Natural Gas Gathering and Processing segment offers midstream services to producers in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OKE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for ONEOK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ONEOK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC reduced its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Get Rating) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 27,877 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 1,389 shares during the period. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $5,972,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 34.1% in the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 26,203 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $7,275,000 after buying an additional 6,665 shares during the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $42,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 6,211 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,724,000 after buying an additional 644 shares during the last quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC grew its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 7,595 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,109,000 after buying an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,422,000. Get iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Stock Up 2.1 % Shares of IWF stock traded up $5.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $247.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,047,672 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,561,025. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $238.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $229.30. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a one year low of $202.05 and a one year high of $258.84. The firm has a market cap of $63.77 billion, a PE ratio of 26.14 and a beta of 1.08. About iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rafia Zakaria in The Baffler: IT WAS HIGH TIME for someone to throw Mike Pence a bone. It arrived on April 7, hurled all the way from Texas. On that day, Matthew Kacsmaryk, a U.S. District Court judge, issued a bizarre but consequential ruling that sought to halt the use of mifepristone, which is part of a two-drug regimen to induce a medical abortion. Kacsmaryk, a judge in northern Texas who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, took issue with the Food and Drug Administrations approval of mifepristone twenty-three years ago. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit took on the case soon after, narrowing some of Kacsmaryks ruling but also questioning the FDAs efforts in recent years to ensure easier access to the pill. They issued a preliminary ruling, with a full-case appeal to come. Pence, who lives in a McMansion in a tony Indianapolis suburb, excitedly caught the bone from Texas in his teeth. The former vice president, who is trying to position himself as the great hope of evangelicals in the GOP presidential race, took to the airwaves prepped with all the talking points he had been dying to use. On CBSs Face the Nation he declared that he wanted the abortion pill off the market. It was an A-plus performance, with Pence frowning and extrapolating on how problematic he found the FDAs approval of the drug twenty-three years ago, as if it had been on his mind every day since. Finally, to make sure that he was also pinning blame on the Biden administration as evangelical enemy number one, he decried current policies that have permitted the drug to be obtained through the mail. More here. Persimmon Plc (LON:PSN Get Rating)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,309.81 ($16.36) and traded as high as GBX 1,390 ($17.37). Persimmon shares last traded at GBX 1,367.50 ($17.09), with a volume of 693,462 shares changing hands. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on PSN shares. Citigroup reiterated a sell rating on shares of Persimmon in a report on Monday, March 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Persimmon to a sell rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Peel Hunt reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 1,190 ($14.87) price target on shares of Persimmon in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Persimmon from GBX 1,469 ($18.35) to GBX 1,396 ($17.44) and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Berenberg Bank cut their price target on Persimmon from GBX 1,600 ($19.99) to GBX 1,400 ($17.49) and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 1,521.63 ($19.01). Get Persimmon alerts: Persimmon Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 4.16, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of 4.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 701.28, a PEG ratio of -1.74 and a beta of 1.29. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,268.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 1,310.78. Persimmon Cuts Dividend Insiders Place Their Bets The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th were given a dividend of GBX 60 ($0.75) per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 13th. This represents a yield of 4.13%. Persimmons dividend payout ratio is currently 8,717.95%. In other Persimmon news, insider Jason Windsor sold 4,371 shares of Persimmon stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,226 ($15.32), for a total transaction of 53,588.46 ($66,952.10). 3.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Persimmon (Get Rating) Persimmon Plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a house builder in the United Kingdom. The company offers family housing under the Persimmon Homes brand name; executive housing under the Charles Church brand name; and social housing under the Westbury Partnerships brand name. It also provides broadband services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Persimmon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Persimmon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PPL (NYSE:PPL Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of $1.50-1.65 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $1.59. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of PPL from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. TheStreet upgraded shares of PPL from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of PPL from $32.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Monday, March 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of PPL in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of PPL in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. They set an equal weight rating on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $31.00. Get PPL alerts: PPL Stock Performance Shares of NYSE PPL opened at $28.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $21.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.77. The firms fifty day moving average is $27.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.30. PPL has a 52-week low of $23.47 and a 52-week high of $31.74. PPL Increases Dividend PPL ( NYSE:PPL Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $2.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.86 billion. PPL had a net margin of 9.00% and a return on equity of 7.81%. PPLs revenue for the quarter was up 35.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.41 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that PPL will post 1.58 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a $0.24 dividend. This is an increase from PPLs previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. PPLs payout ratio is currently 91.43%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other PPL news, insider John R. Crockett III sold 5,500 shares of PPL stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.00, for a total value of $154,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 9,161 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $256,508. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On PPL A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of PPL by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,759,744 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,229,596,000 after purchasing an additional 1,971,238 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of PPL by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 12,884,134 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $367,969,000 after purchasing an additional 775,294 shares during the period. Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of PPL by 38.5% during the 2nd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 6,019,137 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $116,331,000 after purchasing an additional 1,672,885 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of PPL by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,204,831 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $120,090,000 after purchasing an additional 199,575 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of PPL by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,292,612 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $65,480,000 after purchasing an additional 50,658 shares during the period. 70.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. PPL Company Profile (Get Rating) PPL Corp. engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the two reportable segments: Kentucky Regulated & Pennsylvania Regulated. The Kentucky Regulated segment consists of LKEs regulated electricity generation, transmission and distribution operations of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company as well as regulated distribution and sale of natural gas of Louisville Gas and Electric Company. See Also Receive News & Ratings for PPL Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PPL and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Quaker Chemical (NYSE:KWR Get Rating) issued its earnings results on Friday. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.54, Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $500.15 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.29 million. Quaker Chemical had a negative net margin of 0.32% and a positive return on equity of 8.78%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.42 earnings per share. Quaker Chemical Price Performance Shares of KWR opened at $208.64 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $190.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $184.91. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Quaker Chemical has a 12 month low of $129.06 and a 12 month high of $216.45. Get Quaker Chemical alerts: Quaker Chemical Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th were given a dividend of $0.435 per share. This represents a $1.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 13th. Quaker Chemicals dividend payout ratio is currently -483.33%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Insider Activity A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on KWR shares. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Quaker Chemical from $206.00 to $203.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 27th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Quaker Chemical in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Quaker Chemical from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. In related news, Director Michael F. Barry sold 200 shares of Quaker Chemical stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $40,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 90,126 shares of the companys stock, valued at $18,025,200. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Quaker Chemical by 30.2% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $131,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in Quaker Chemical by 10.9% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,213 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in Quaker Chemical during the 1st quarter worth about $237,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Quaker Chemical in the 4th quarter worth about $300,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Quaker Chemical in the 2nd quarter valued at about $314,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.91% of the companys stock. Quaker Chemical Company Profile (Get Rating) Quaker Houghton engages in the business of developing, producing, and marketing formulated chemical specialty products. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Global Specialty Businesses. Its products include can making lubricants, cleaners, coatings, cold rolling oils, corrosion preventives, die casting lubricants, dust suppressants, greases, ground control agents, hot rolling oils, hydraulic fluids, industrial lubricants, longwall fluids, metal forming fluids, metal removal fluids, pickle oils, surface treatments, temper fluids, and tin plating. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Quaker Chemical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quaker Chemical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $4.40-4.80 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.40. Royal Caribbean Cruises also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $4.40-$4.80 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently commented on RCL. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $78.00 to $88.00 in a report on Friday. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $82.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $80.00 to $85.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $86.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $82.77. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance RCL opened at $75.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.41, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.35. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 12 month low of $31.09 and a 12 month high of $76.30. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $65.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $61.30. Institutional Trading of Royal Caribbean Cruises Royal Caribbean Cruises ( NYSE:RCL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.71) by $0.48. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a negative return on equity of 25.86% and a negative net margin of 9.72%. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($4.57) EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 172.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year. Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 8,977 shares of the companys stock valued at $444,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund grew its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 7,861 shares of the companys stock valued at $298,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 5,077 shares of the companys stock valued at $425,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 17.4% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. grew its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 1,495 shares of the companys stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.27% of the companys stock. About Royal Caribbean Cruises (Get Rating) Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise company, which engages in the ownership and operation of the following global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The firm also holds interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE Get Rating) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.16, Briefing.com reports. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 14.47% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The business had revenue of $6.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.91 EPS. Sempra Energys quarterly revenue was up 71.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sempra Energy Stock Performance Shares of Sempra Energy stock opened at $154.92 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $151.01 and a 200-day moving average of $154.93. Sempra Energy has a 1-year low of $136.54 and a 1-year high of $176.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The company has a market cap of $48.75 billion, a PE ratio of 19.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.73. Get Sempra Energy alerts: Sempra Energy Increases Dividend The company also recently declared 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 represents a $4.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 21st. This is an increase from Sempra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Sempra Energys dividend payout ratio is 61.34%. Analyst Ratings Changes Insider Transactions at Sempra Energy SRE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $169.00 to $166.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $167.25. In related news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 10,413 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.99, for a total value of $1,572,258.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 19,261 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,908,218.39. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 19,260 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.09, for a total value of $2,813,693.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $146.09. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 10,413 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.99, for a total transaction of $1,572,258.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,261 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,908,218.39. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,979 shares of company stock valued at $4,728,393. Company insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sempra Energy Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Sempra Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,000,291,000. Morgan Stanley increased its position in Sempra Energy by 24.9% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,933,253 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $762,385,000 after acquiring an additional 982,317 shares during the period. ClearBridge Investments Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy during the first quarter worth $130,223,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 22.2% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,287,516 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $384,577,000 after buying an additional 416,022 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 13.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,756,164 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $295,246,000 after buying an additional 201,853 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.75% of the companys stock. About Sempra Energy (Get Rating) 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sempra Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sempra Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $8.60-$9.20 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.01. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Sempra Energy also updated its FY 2024 guidance to $9.10-$9.80 EPS. Sempra Energy Stock Performance SRE traded up $1.43 on Friday, reaching $154.92. The company had a trading volume of 1,293,764 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,166,953. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $151.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $154.93. Sempra Energy has a 1 year low of $136.54 and a 1 year high of $176.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.75 billion, a PE ratio of 19.96, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.73. Get Sempra Energy alerts: Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.16. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 14.47% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The business had revenue of $6.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 71.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Sempra Energy will post 8.96 EPS for the current fiscal year. Sempra Energy Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 22nd were issued a $1.19 dividend. This represents a $4.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.07%. This is a boost from Sempra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 21st. Sempra Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 61.34%. SRE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Sempra Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $169.00 to $166.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $167.25. Insider Buying and Selling at Sempra Energy In other Sempra Energy news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 10,413 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.99, for a total value of $1,572,258.87. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 19,261 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,908,218.39. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 10,413 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.99, for a total transaction of $1,572,258.87. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 19,261 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,908,218.39. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 19,260 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $146.09. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,979 shares of company stock valued at $4,728,393 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sempra Energy A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of SRE. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Sempra Energy by 0.6% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,141,824 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $191,963,000 after purchasing an additional 6,246 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 780.0% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,804 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy in the first quarter worth $782,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 3.6% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 668,646 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $112,411,000 after acquiring an additional 23,431 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 77.4% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 13,575 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,276,000 after acquiring an additional 5,924 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.75% of the companys stock. Sempra Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sempra Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sempra Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abbrea Capital LLC raised its position in shares of The Allstate Co. (NYSE:ALL Get Rating) by 11.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,641 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 470 shares during the quarter. Abbrea Capital LLCs holdings in Allstate were worth $633,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Allstate by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,700,343 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $3,200,463,000 after buying an additional 275,168 shares in the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC grew its holdings in Allstate by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 5,028,442 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $626,192,000 after buying an additional 49,793 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its holdings in Allstate by 384.6% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,707,454 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $337,094,000 after buying an additional 2,148,764 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Allstate by 19.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,567,535 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $319,735,000 after buying an additional 409,229 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Allstate by 549.8% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,476,190 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $308,361,000 after buying an additional 2,095,124 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.48% of the companys stock. Get Allstate alerts: Insider Transactions at Allstate In related news, CFO Jesse E. Merten sold 29,451 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.18, for a total transaction of $3,951,735.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 16,668 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,236,512.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Allstate Trading Up 1.5 % A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on ALL shares. TheStreet lowered Allstate from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Roth Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Allstate in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Barclays decreased their price target on Allstate from $125.00 to $122.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Bank of America increased their price target on Allstate from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on Allstate from $150.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Allstate currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $141.15. Shares of Allstate stock opened at $115.73 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $115.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $126.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The Allstate Co. has a 12 month low of $103.20 and a 12 month high of $142.15. Allstate (NYSE:ALL Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The insurance provider reported ($1.30) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($1.94) by $0.64. Allstate had a negative return on equity of 7.77% and a negative net margin of 4.33%. The firm had revenue of $13.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.58 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that The Allstate Co. will post 3.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Allstate Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. This is a boost from Allstates previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.08%. Allstates dividend payout ratio is presently -40.14%. Allstate Company Profile (Get Rating) The Allstate Corp. engages in the property and casualty insurance business and the provision of protection solutions. It operates through following business segments: Allstate Protection, Protection Services, Allstate Health and Benefits, Run-off Property-Liability, and Corporate and Other. The Allstate Protection segment offers private passenger auto, homeowners, other personal lines, and commercial insurance marketed under the Allstate, National General, and Answer Financial brand names. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Allstate Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Allstate and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in Ingevity Co. (NYSE:NGVT Get Rating) by 7.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,032,803 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 72,490 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans holdings in Ingevity were worth $72,751,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of NGVT. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in Ingevity by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,657,366 shares of the companys stock valued at $298,398,000 after purchasing an additional 322,066 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Ingevity by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 928,657 shares of the companys stock valued at $56,304,000 after purchasing an additional 104,938 shares during the period. Aperture Investors LLC increased its holdings in Ingevity by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Aperture Investors LLC now owns 434,809 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,362,000 after purchasing an additional 82,001 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Ingevity by 160.9% during the 3rd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 119,450 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,242,000 after purchasing an additional 73,668 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Ingevity by 40.6% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 215,345 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,597,000 after purchasing an additional 62,198 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.01% of the companys stock. Get Ingevity alerts: Insider Transactions at Ingevity In other news, CAO Phillip John Platt sold 8,847 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.71, for a total value of $722,888.37. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,534 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $452,183.14. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Ingevity news, CAO Phillip John Platt sold 8,847 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.71, for a total transaction of $722,888.37. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,534 shares in the company, valued at approximately $452,183.14. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Richard Allen White, Jr. sold 1,439 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total value of $116,559.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 6,530 shares in the company, valued at $528,930. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,254 shares of company stock valued at $1,247,519 in the last ninety days. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Ingevity Stock Performance A number of research analysts recently issued reports on NGVT shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Ingevity from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Ingevity in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Loop Capital cut Ingevity from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the company from $92.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $77.00. Ingevity stock opened at $60.57 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $72.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 2.57. The stock has a market cap of $2.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47 and a beta of 1.81. Ingevity Co. has a fifty-two week low of $59.35 and a fifty-two week high of $90.81. Ingevity (NYSE:NGVT Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.26 by ($0.17). Ingevity had a net margin of 12.01% and a return on equity of 30.82%. The firm had revenue of $392.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $411.22 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.62 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Ingevity Co. will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Ingevity Company Profile (Get Rating) Ingevity Corp. engages in the manufacture of specialty chemicals and carbon materials. It operates through the following segments: Performance Chemicals and Performance Materials. The Performance Materials segment consists of automotive technologies and process purifications product families. Automotive technologies produces automotive carbon products used in gasoline vapor emission control systems in cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NGVT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ingevity Co. (NYSE:NGVT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ingevity Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingevity and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tradewinds LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm bought 1,267 shares of the aerospace companys stock, valued at approximately $209,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in TXT. James Investment Research Inc. acquired a new position in Textron in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Textron in the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its stake in Textron by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 600 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Textron in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Textron in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $52,000. 84.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Textron alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Textron from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Textron in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. They issued a peer perform rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $81.67. Insider Activity Textron Stock Up 1.2 % In other news, CEO Scott C. Donnelly sold 222,319 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.35, for a total transaction of $16,307,098.65. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 683,136 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,108,025.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In related news, CFO Frank T. Connor sold 63,361 shares of Textron stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.35, for a total value of $4,647,529.35. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 151,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,109,224.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, CEO Scott C. Donnelly sold 222,319 shares of Textron stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.35, for a total transaction of $16,307,098.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 683,136 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,108,025.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders. TXT stock traded up $0.79 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $66.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,283,919 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,468,230. The company has a market capitalization of $13.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.33, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a 50 day moving average of $68.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $69.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Textron Inc. has a 1 year low of $57.11 and a 1 year high of $76.11. Textron (NYSE:TXT Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The aerospace company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. Textron had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 12.82%. Textrons revenue for the quarter was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.88 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Textron Inc. will post 5.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Textron Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.12%. Textrons dividend payout ratio is currently 1.98%. About Textron (Get Rating) Textron, Inc is a multi-industry company, which leverages a global network of aircraft, defense, industrial, and finance businesses to provide customers innovative solutions and services. The company operates its business through the following segments: Textron Aviation, Bell, Textron Systems, Industrial, and Textron eAviation. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TXT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Textron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Textron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Van ECK Associates Corp cut its stake in shares of Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW Get Rating) by 0.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,154,065 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,747 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.45% of Sibanye Stillwater worth $33,622,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sibanye Stillwater during the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC raised its stake in shares of Sibanye Stillwater by 146.0% during the 1st quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC now owns 3,075 shares of the companys stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 1,825 shares in the last quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Sibanye Stillwater by 991.7% during the 4th quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,275 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 2,975 shares in the last quarter. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new position in shares of Sibanye Stillwater during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sibanye Stillwater by 452.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 4,334 shares of the companys stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 3,550 shares in the last quarter. 6.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Sibanye Stillwater alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In SBSW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Sibanye Stillwater from $13.00 to $9.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Sibanye Stillwater from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $11.00 to $10.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $13.48. Sibanye Stillwater Trading Up 3.1 % Sibanye Stillwater Cuts Dividend SBSW opened at $9.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 3.01. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $8.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.78. Sibanye Stillwater Limited has a 1-year low of $7.82 and a 1-year high of $13.38. The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 8.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 23rd. About Sibanye Stillwater (Get Rating) Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. engages in the provision of precious metals mining services. Its portfolio includes the platinum group metal (PGM) operations in the United States, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; gold operations and projects in South Africa; and copper, gold and PGM exploration properties in North and South America. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Sibanye Stillwater Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sibanye Stillwater and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nicholas Leach in The Conversation: In the summer of 2021, Canadas all-time temperature record was smashed by almost 5. Its new record of 49.6 is hotter than anything ever recorded in Spain, Turkey or indeed anywhere in Europe. The record was set in Lytton, a small village a few hours drive from Vancouver, in a part of the world that doesnt really look like it should experience such temperatures. Lytton was the peak of a heatwave that hit the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada that summer and left many scientists shocked. From a purely statistical point of view, it should have been impossible. More here. Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD Get Rating) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.16, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $238.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $259.01 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 10.96%. The companys revenue was down 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.12 earnings per share. Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance Shares of NYSE WD opened at $66.43 on Friday. Walker & Dunlop has a fifty-two week low of $62.30 and a fifty-two week high of $115.19. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $74.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $82.35. The company has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.18 and a beta of 1.39. Get Walker & Dunlop alerts: Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 17th. Walker & Dunlops dividend payout ratio is 50.00%. Insider Buying and Selling at Walker & Dunlop Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop In other Walker & Dunlop news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 5,596 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.04, for a total transaction of $498,267.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,077 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,164,376.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Insiders own 5.47% of the companys stock. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Covestor Ltd grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 5,066.7% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 310 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter valued at $65,000. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 7.6% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,590 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $153,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 1,959 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $154,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop during the 3rd quarter valued at $211,000. Institutional investors own 77.78% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. JMP Securities lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Walker & Dunlop Company Profile (Get Rating) Walker & Dunlop, Inc is a holding company. engages in the provision of commercial real estate and finance services. It focuses on multifamily lending, debt brokerage, and property sales. It also involves the delivery and servicing of loan products for its customers. The company was founded by Oliver Walker and Laird Dunlop in 1937 and is headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Walker & Dunlop Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walker & Dunlop and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Published on: May 7, 2023 | Updated on: May 7, 2023 Army and Assam Rifles personnel conduct a flag march in violence-hit areas amid tribal groups' protest over court order on Scheduled Tribe status, Manipur , Friday, May 5, 2023. (PTI) VIJAYAWADA: AP government has arranged two special flights to bring back students from Andhra Pradesh stuck in violence-torn Manipur. Officials said one plane with AP students on board will land in Hyderabad and the other in Kolkata. From there, the students will be redirected to their native places. AP government will bear the expenditure incurred on both the flights. The flight for Hyderabad will leave at 9:35 a.m. on Monday with 108 AP students, with the flight number being IMF HYD 0935/1235. Another 49 AP students will be on IMF CCU 1110/1220 flight, which will leave for Kolkata at 11:10 a.m. on Monday. Officials said this way total 157 students of Andhra Pradesh are being brought back to their native places from the strife-torn Manipur. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (PTI) New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the voters of Manipur are feeling "grossly betrayed" just a year after putting the BJP in power and called for the imposition of President's rule in the state that has witnessed violent clashes. Violent clashes had broken out in Manipur last week between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54. In a tweet, Tharoor said, "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised." "The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. It's time for President's Rule; the state government is just not up to the job they were elected to do," the former Union minister said. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar announced the completion of Operation Kaveri through which nearly 4,000 people, mostly Indian nationals, were evacuated from war-torn Sudan. Terming it as Indias "most dangerous" evacuation operation, Jaishankar said on Sunday that Indian diplomats risked their lives to rescue Indians stuck in Sudan, including negotiating checkpoints and arranging petrol from the black market for hired buses used to evacuate Indians from Sudans capital of Khartoum to Port Sudan, a journey of 850 km by road. Taking a veiled jab at senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, who had questioned the Centre in the initial days of the evacuation mission regarding the rescue of some tribals from Karnataka stuck in Sudan, the EAM said, "These are the times when people need to trust the government. This government has systems in place and is committed to Indian citizens abroad. The team had to undergo several processes." About 11 per cent of Indians rescued from Sudan were from Karnataka, the EAM added. In a video message, the EAM said, "We have just completed Operation Kaveri. It was the most dangerous operation by people who risked their lives. When the fighting started, most of the Embassies were quick to leave. Our Embassy stayed put because there were Indians in Khartoum." He said he had to order the Indian Ambassador and diplomats to relocate to safer places within Sudan after the operation was practically over since they refused to leave Sudan because some Indians may be stuck in parts of the war-torn nation. Stating that if some Indians are still stuck, then "additional efforts" would be made to rescue them, the EAM said. Jaishankar said he told the Indian envoy and other diplomats that by staying back and not relocating, their lives would be at risk. It may be noted that India recently relocated its Embassy from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Stating that if some Indians are still stuck, then "additional efforts" would be made to rescue them, the EAM said, "Operation Kaveri was a particularly complicated operation. I was genuinely worried that if we highlighted the predicament in which our people were stranded, we would be putting their lives at risk. So since April 15, when the fighting began, we have been working efficiently, without putting out too many details in the public domain. We have brought back almost 4,000 people, with nearly 11 per cent of them being natives of Karnataka. We used the Air Force and there were 17 evacuation flights while the Navy helped with five evacuation sorties by ships." Elaborating on how the IAF carried out a daring landing operation on an airstrip that was sparsely used, in a conflict zone in the absence of local air traffic controllers, Jaishankar said the courage of the IAF personnel was only matched by the courage of the Indian diplomats, who had rounded up all stranded Indians and taken to the airstrip for evacuation. The EAM said some rescue operations were planned even from Nigeria via Chad to extricate Indian nationals from the western part of Sudan. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Several farmers Union members joined the wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar demanding action against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations. Four national womens organisations have also given a joint call to hold nationwide protests for the immediate arrest of the BJP MP and Haryana minister Sandeep Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Further, the 31-member committee, which is advising the wrestlers, said if Singh is not arrested by May 21, it will take a "significant decision," even as Vinesh Phogat insisted that their protest has not been hijacked by farmers. Singh, meanwhile, urged the farmer leaders not to make the "mistake" and instead wait for the outcome of the probe. He again claimed he is innocent and alleged that he is being targeted as he has brought reforms in the selection process for wrestlers. The WFI chief made the remarks in a video posted on social media. In the 25-minute video posted on Facebook on Saturday night, Singh said, "Chacha-Taau (uncles), I am not saying that you should not come to Delhi. You can come to Delhi and do whatever you want." "From the first day I have said that if charges against me are proven, I will hang myself." Believe me, if daughters of your village are into wrestling, then ask them when no one is around if the allegations against Singh depict what Singh is. After that, you can do whatever you want. "But, one thing I would say with folded hands is that when the probe is complete, I will come to your khap panchayat. If I am guilty, you can beat me to death with shoes," he added. In a statement, the All India Democratic Womens Association, National Federation of Indian Women, Coordination POW-PMS-IJM All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan, and the All India Agragami Mahila Sangathan expressed solidarity with the protesting wrestlers. "Hundreds of protests will be held in different parts of the country. Women will hold meetings in villages, bastis, and mohallas to expose the anti-women face of the BJP. Lakhs of signatures will be collected, which will be sent to the Prime Minister through district collectors," the statement said. "The Delhi police has already stepped up security arrangements and vehicles entering Delhi are being checked and pickets increased at Delhi-Ghazipur, Tikri, and Singhu borders. Security forces have been deployed and activities at the protest site are being monitored round the clock through CCTVs to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Those visiting the protest site are being checked thoroughly as part of precautionary measures," he said. Several farm and khap leaders, including BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, shared the dais. "We decided that members from every khap will come to the protest site every day. They will stay here during the day and return by the evening," Tikait said before a huge gathering. "The wrestlers committee will take care of the protest and we will support the wrestlers from outside. We have scheduled a meeting for May 21. If the government does not offer a resolution, we will devise our next strategy," he added. The wrestlers, along with hundreds of supporters, carried out a candlelight march in the evening. Slogans of inqilab zindabad reverberated as the wrestlers walked holding each others hands. Patriotic songs such as Mera Rang De Basanti Chola were played just before the march started. The SKM has said that during May 11-18, an all-India agitation shall be held in all state capitals, district headquarters, and talukas. Public meetings and protest marches shall be held in support of the agitating wrestlers. MLC Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad Rao termed the TD as an evil and unfair party that is anti-poor, as evidenced by its filing the petition against a verdict in favour of the poor. (File Photo: DC) Vijayawada: Leaders of the YSR Congress came down hard on Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu over the ongoing class war, related to land allotments to the poor in Amaravati, questioning which side he was with, stating that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was supporting the poor and oppressed communities. This follows Jagan Mohan Reddy previously claiming that all Opposition parties were standing by the elite and the wealthy, shunning the poor, with MLC Dokka Manikyavaraprasad Rao referring to a special leave petition filed in the Supreme Court against the AP High Courts verdict on the land allotment. MLC Manikyavaraprasad termed the TD as an "evil and unfair" party that is anti-poor, as evidenced by its filing the petition against a verdict in favour of the poor. He said: "In the history of Andhra Pradesh alone, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has the honour of distributing houses to around 30 lakh poor people. Which side are you (Chandrababu) in the class war? Are you on the side of the poor or the rich?" Further stating that the TD failed in giving a statement on the High Court verdict, he echoed Jagan Mohan Reddys view that "this is a class war between the poor and the TD." Accusing the TD leader of a narrow view, the MLC said: "A capital means universities like SRM, VIT and only high-class people should stay cant the poor people come here? Why can't low-class families stay here? How did the Chandrababu government allocate large-scale sites to universities such as VIT and SRM and others, without developing any infrastructure in the once-capital region of Amaravati? The TD's intention is that the poor should not have houses in Amaravati." Manikyavaraprasad stated that the state government has the responsibility to comply with the High Court order to provide houses to all the people irrespective of caste, rich and poor. Referring to the Ashwini Kumar case, he said that the Supreme Court directed allotting houses to the poor. "The Jagan Mohan Reddy's government will abide by that Supreme Court verdict. The programme of distributing houses for all is being done continuously. The development will happen here if houses are given to all communities," he said. Housing minister Jogi Ramesh, water resources minister Ambati Rambabu, MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, MLC Lella Appi Reddy and advisor to government (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, among others, also termed Chandrababu Naidu and other TD leaders "anti-SC/ST/BC and against minority classes, with the opposition to house sites to poor in Amaravati showing it. They deplored that communists, who used to stand by the poor also now are against house sites to poor people in Amravati, which is severely objectionable." They demanded Naidu clear his stand in the class war and whether he supported the poor and suppressed communities or only the wealthy. Shivamogga: Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections, in Shivamogga district, Sunday, May 7, 2023. (PTI Photo) Bengaluru: The war between Russia and Ukraine resulted in costs of fertilisers reaching a record high in the world, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday and claimed that farmers' of the country have been freed from the burden of bearing the cost of hike in the prices of fertilisers which would come around Rs 2 lakh crore in the country. At an election campaign in Shivamogga in Karnataka, Modi said the burden which would have fallen on farmers but now the Union Government has taken on the burden of fertilisers costs going up. "I did not wish to burden the farmers over the rise in prices of fertilisers going up in the market," Modi said and stated that the country has emerged among the top 10 agricultural produce countries of the world while the agriculture exports of the country were limited under the Congress party. Under BJP, he said, imports got lessened while exports went up. Over areca nut growers, Modi said with the import of areca nut coming down in the country, it benefitted the areca nut growers of Karnataka and now the Minimum Support Price for areca nut has gone up from Rs 100 per kg earlier to Rs 350 per kg now to help areca nut growers. Modi stated that under his regime facilities have been made available for farmers seeds to market facilities and farmers now have access to more than 2,000 new varieties of seeds and termed "It a record" created in the last 9 years of his rule over the country. The Prime Minister accused the Congress partys farm loan waiver scheme benefitted only its own people and to fill-up its treasury while under him, farmers got benefitted of about Rs 18,000 crore by way of transfer of money directly into the accounts of farmers under Prime Minister's Kisan Samman Yojana. Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections, at Nanjanagudu in Mysuru district, Sunday. (Photo: PTI) Bengaluru: In a blistering attack on the Congress during his last campaign rally in Mysuru district ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the party of openly advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India. He alleged that the "disease" of the "tukde-tukde gang" had reached the Congress' top level. Targeting the BJPs arch-rival in the impending elections, the Prime Minister at the Shivamogga rally said the "scared" Congress brought in its veteran leader Sonia Gandhi for campaigning in the Karnataka elections after its "lies did not work". Earlier in the day, Mr Modi held a massive roadshow in Bengaluru and interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe, who were evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri, in Shivamogga. Addressing a public meeting in Mysuru district, Mr Modi claimed, "When it comes to working against India's interests, Congress' 'royal family' will be at the forefront. I want to speak about a serious issue here... I want to say it because there is a lot of pain in my heart. This country can never forgive such a game. This family, to influence the politics in the country, is encouraging foreign forces to interfere." Continuing his attack, Mr Modi accused the Congress leaders of secretly meeting foreign diplomats who hate India and repeatedly indulging in activities that insult India's sovereignty, adding, "they were not ashamed of it". Stating that in this Karnataka election, the Congress' "shahi parivar" had gone a step ahead "breaking all the limits and crushing the feelings of the country", Mr Modi said, "not only Karnataka, I want to tell this to the entire country with a lot of pain that in this election Congress' 'shahi parivar' yesterday came to Karnataka and said that they want to protect the "sovereignty" of Karnataka. "Karnataka's sovereignty -- you know what is the meaning of it? They have sat in Parliament for so many years, they have taken oaths on India's Constitution, and they say this... When a country becomes Independent, it is called a sovereign country. The meaning of what Congress is saying is that the Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India," he said, without taking any names. Asking people whether they approved of it and whether they would punish the Congress for such a statement, the Prime Minister said, "It meant that the Congress was openly advocating for separating Karnataka from India." "I had never thought that the disease of the tukde-tukde gang would reach the Congress' top level," he said, accusing the party of insulting Kannada fighters who fought for India's Independence and insulting the patriotism of crores of Kannadigas. Noting that this was the land where "Rashtra Kavi" Kuvempu had said Karnataka was an integral part of India with the lines in the state anthem, "Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate Jaya he Karnataka Maate", Mr Modi said, "For every Kannadiga, Karnataka is a mother and she has been described as the daughter of 'Bharat ma'. I can feel the feelings of Kannadigas." Insulting the feelings of Karnataka was like insulting the "culture and pride" of the state, he added. At an election rally in Shivamogga, Mr Modi, without taking the name of Mrs Gandhi, said, "Now, the Congress is so afraid and scared that when their lies did not work, then those who are not taking part in campaigning are being brought here. The Congress has started dumping the responsibility of defeat on each other." On Saturday, Mrs Gandhi, who has largely stayed away from campaigning and public rallies since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls reportedly due to health reasons, addressed her first election meeting in Karnataka, which votes on May 10. The Prime Minister also said that the Congress' "balloon of lies is no longer working as people have burst it". As Mr Modi was presented a Hanuman idol and a saffron-colored "Shivaji" turban, the crowd roared with "Jai Sri Ram" (Hail Lord Ram) chants while the Prime Minister raised "Bajrang Bali Ki Jai" (Hail Hanuman) slogans. The Prime Minister said that he was touched by the overwhelming response to his roadshow held in Bengaluru earlier on Sunday. "It was supposed to be a long roadshow, but due to the NEET exam, I told our party that our exam (election) is on May 10, whereas the children's exam is today. Hence, we should take care of their exams. So, we did a roadshow in the morning and finished it early," he said. Mr Modi said that despite being a Sunday, the strength Bengaluru displayed, the faith it reposed and the love it demonstrated touched his heart and he will be indebted to Karnataka. The Prime Minister said he wanted to pay back the love and blessings showered on him by the people. "I want to give you the original guarantee for your love and blessings; I will develop Karnataka and refund your love with interest," he said. In Bengaluru, a day before the final day of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, the Prime Minister held a massive roadshow in the city, waving at a large number of enthusiastic crowds lined up on both sides of the 8 km route from Kempegowda statue at New Thippasandra Road to Trinity Circle. The roadshow that began with Mr Modi paying floral tributes to the statue of Kempegowda (the founder of Bengaluru) passed through parts of east and central Bengaluru, touching about half-a-dozen Assembly segments. The Prime Minister was accompanied in the specially designed vehicle by Union minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka and Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan. At the Trinity Circle, where the roadshow culminated, Mr Modi repeatedly bowed with folded hands to the large crowd gathered there, amid loud cheers. In Shivamogga, the Prime Minister interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe, who were evacuated from Sudan. The evacuees profusely thanked the Prime Minister for the proactive steps taken by the government to ensure their timely and safe evacuation. They recounted the tough circumstances they faced in Sudan and how the government and Indian embassy ensured their safety. The Prime Minister recalled how the forefathers of the community members stood alongside Maharana Pratap. He said that if any Indian anywhere in the world was in any kind of difficulty, the government would not rest until the problem was resolved. "Some politicians tried to politicise the issue, and our concern was that if they expose where Indians are hidden, they may face greater danger. So the government worked quietly to ensure everyone's safety," Mr Modi was quoted as saying. The Prime Minister asked them to remember the strength of the country that has stood up for them and always be ready to help those in trouble and contribute to society and the country. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers are feeling the absence of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the Karnataka Assembly election but the Delhi Chief Minister has been tied up with work in the national capital, party state unit president Prithvi Reddy said on Sunday. With campaigning for the high-voltage elections set to wind up on Monday, Kejriwal has been missing from electioneering for the AAP that is contesting in 209 seats in Karnataka this time. He had visited the state on March 4 to launch the party's election campaign in the state from Davangere. "Of course, we feel the absence of Arvind Kejriwal but that's more of a sentimental issue. Arvind Kejriwal is no longer an individual, he is an idea. The idea of Arvind Kejriwal is very much prevalent in this election because the three other parties have been copying the AAP's narrative," Reddy told PTI. Also Read | AAP manifesto promises corruption-free administration in Karnataka He said the primary responsibility of Kejriwal is to ensure people of Delhi "do not suffer" as two senior party leaders have been arrested by central agencies. "Arvind Kejriwal started off the election campaign in Karnataka in March and since then, a lot has happened in Delhi due to which, our leaders were tied up. Two of our senior leaders (former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain) got arrested who were otherwise taking care of running the government. Hence, Arvind Kejriwal's primary responsibility right now is to ensure that the people of Delhi do not suffer in any way," he said. Other senior leaders of the party who campaigned in Karnataka were Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh and senior leaders Dilip Pandey and Atishi. When asked how many seats the party expects to win in Karnataka, the state AAP president said: "Earlier when we fought the elections in Karnataka in 2018, AAP was just an idea. There was no proof of the concept. There are contenders who appear for the exams just to pass. We have prepared to get a hundred marks. A lot of the work that we started earlier in 2015 wasn't in a ready state or showing results in 2018. Moreover, we fought in only 28 seats in 2018. This time, we are fighting in 209 seats." Check latest updates on Karnataka elections here Speaking about the remarks of other political parties on AAP fighting the Karnataka Assembly election, Reddy said other parties have been underestimating the AAP at their own risk and that the party represents the aspirations of people. "Let's not forget that we have been called seasonal insects by then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. At a time when nobody knew AAP, we won 28 seats in Delhi. When they said we will get 5 to 6 seats, the AAP got 67 in Delhi. It is at their own risk that they are underestimating the AAP because it is the only party that truly represents the aspiration of people," Reddy told PTI. He further said AAP is fighting the election in Karnataka on three primary issues -- corruption, "no-negligence" governance and farmers. Lashing out at the BJP, Reddy stated that the allegation of 40 per cent commission made against the government was not levelled by any political parties but rather the state contractors association, schools association and the maths. "When we talk about elections in Karnataka, the first major issue is corruption. The BJP always promised 'double engine sarkar' but what has doubled here is the commission. The accusations of 40 per cent commission is not something that the political parties have made, it is the contractors association, the schools association and the maths which are the religious institutions," Reddy told PTI. He further accused the MLAs in Karnataka of neglecting their own constituencies and contended that several districts in the state need the government's attention. "It is a large state and large areas and regions outside Bengaluru have been neglected. No attention has been paid in various districts. The consecutive parties that have won from north and south Karnataka chose to come to Bengaluru and do real estate business," he alleged. Speaking about the issues faced by farmers in Karnataka, Reddy said the three farm laws that were repealed by the Centre after intense protests must be withdrawn from the state as well while the Swaminathan Commission report on providing minimum support price (MSP) should be implemented. "Being an agrarian state, the farmers here have been asking for implementation of Swaminathan Commission report for a very long time for the MSP. The Karnataka government also didn't withdraw the three farm laws that were implemented and then withdrawn by the rest of the country. There's a huge loan burden on farmers and we assured loan waivers to the farmers as well," he said. " " Flame azaleas bloom along the Appalachian Trail in the Roan Highlands at the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Brett Maurer/Getty Images Many people have heard about the storied Appalachian Trail, one of the first long-distance hiking paths in the U.S. But relatively few realize that the AT, as it's often called, is part of a select group of 11 National Scenic Trails that wind more than 18,000 miles (28,968 kilometers) across the American landscape. Advertisement These trails pass through 31 states and Washington, D.C., showcasing the nation's incredibly diverse terrain: deserts and swamps in the south, massive mountain ranges on the East and West Coasts, and the Great Lakes in the Upper Midwest. President Lyndon B. Johnson can be credited with spurring the creation of a network of long-distance hiking trails, when in 1965 he charged Congress with preserving the nation's most beautiful outdoor spaces, in part by creating scenic trails across the country. Congress listened, and in 1968 passed the National Trails System Act, which provided for the creation of four classes of trails: National Recreation Trails, which provide outdoor experiences in urban areas National Historic Trails, which trace travel routes of national historic significance National Scenic Trails, which showcase the significant physical characteristics of various regions National Side Trails, which provide access to the three previous types of trails Because the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails were already in existence in 1968, the legislation also designated them America's first two National Scenic Trails. While "National Scenic Trail" may not be a familiar term to many, that doesn't mean these paths aren't getting any use. "The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that more than 3 million visitors use the Appalachian Trail annually," says Tyler Ray, senior director for programs and advocacy at the American Hiking Society. And the Ice Age Trail Alliance website boasts the Ice Age Trail another of the 11 attracts 2.3 million users every year. In addition, a 2021 study by the Outdoor Industry Association shows the annual number of hikers has grown from 32.5 million in 2010 to 57.8 million in 2020. With so many people out trekking, many are inevitably using our National Scenic Trails, Ray says. And I'm one of them. After discovering this select group in 2012, I set a goal of hiking all 11; I'm currently on No. 7. Intrigued? Here's a brief description of each trail, in the order they were designated. AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had arrived in Karnataka for campaigning failed to raise real issues bothering the people including that of unemployment, price rise and instead raised issues of terrorism and national security in Karnataka. At an election rally held at Kolnad in Mulki on Sunday, Priyanka said, Terrorism and national security are not an issue in Karnataka. If there is atank (terror) that the people of Karnataka are facing, then it is about the 40 per cent commission, price rise and unemployment. Around 2.5 lakh posts are lying vacant in the state and the BJP government has fixed the rate for each post, she alleged. There is terrorism of no action being taken when crores of rupees are seized from the son of a MLA and MLA is taken out in a procession after getting bail, she said. The BJP which failed to raise real issues are raking up emotional issues pertaining to religion during the election, to come back to power. Also Read | 'Scared' Congress bringing leaders who had stopped campaigning: Modi's jibe at Sonia Gandhi rally Elections give an opportunity to change the future, she said and added you have been struggling for the past three and a half years and forced to pay commission for every work. Hence we have come with our guarantees which will help everyone in the state. The Congress leader also asked people to exercise caution while selecting the right candidate saying their focus should be on employment and future. Gas cylinder, diesel, petrol everything has become costly because of the corrupt government, she said. She said that Rs 1.5 lakh crore was looted in the last three years. With the money 30,000 smart classrooms, 100 AIIMS and others could have been built. She further raised the issue of farmers suicide and said that the government remained silent on it. Stating that Dakshina Kannada is known as cradle of banks with the birth of Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, she said due to the policy of the BJP led government banks were merged and now only one bank is remaining in the region. She credited Jawaharlal Nehru for giving the district an airport and Indira Gandhi for building a port. She asked the public to whom the airport and port has been sold now? If this is not terrorism, then what is terrorism? she asked. The Congress has fulfilled all the promises made. The Congress is committed to implement the guarantees in Karnataka and will fill the 2.5 lakh posts lying vacant in the government sector in Karnataka. On allegations of efforts being made to merge Nandini with Gujarats Amul brand, she said the Congress would strengthen Karnatakas brand and will stand with the Mogaveera scheme that was announced in the manifesto. She also reiterated the promises that Tulu will be included in the Schedule eighth of the Constitution, Rs 10 lakh insurance cover for fishermen, Rs one lakh interest-free loan for fisherwomen, among others will be provided. Priayanka began her speech by greeting people in Tulu Manteregla enna solmelu and said the region is a land of daivas, dharma, Jainism, Durgaparameshwari of Kateel and Bappanadu and said people here are living in harmony with truth in their hearts. Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister B Janardhan Poojary took part in the campaign rally. The head of the Wagner mercenary group said on Sunday that Russia had promised his fighters enough ammunition to stay in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, after threatening to pull out in scathing videos. Rivalries between Yevgeny Prigozhin and the conventional army had boiled over during the battle for the now-devastated flashpoint, where Wagner is leading the assault. "Overnight we received a combat order... they promised to give us all the ammunition and armaments we need to continue the operations" in Bakhmut, Prigozhin said. His group has been assured "that everything necessary will be provided", he added. On Friday, he had threatened to pull out of Bakhmut on May 10, blaming Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov for "tens of thousands" of Russian casualties in a series of blistering, profanity-laced videos. Also Read | Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile with US air defence system "Their unprofessionalism is destroying tens of thousands of Russian guys and that is unforgivable," he said. The internal row comes as Russia has reported increasing drone strikes and sabotage inside its territory ahead of an expected spring counteroffensive from Ukraine. Ukraine also reported casualties early Monday morning from fresh Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight. The Ukrainian air command said that all 35 Russian drones launched at the city had been detected and shot down, while the local military administration said at least five people were wounded, with falling debris blamed for damage in multiple areas. In Odessa, the district military administration reported an airstrike hitting a warehouse, adding that "there has not been any information about victims". In one of his previous video broadsides against the Russian army, Prigozhin stood before what he said were rows of dead Wagner fighters. "They came here as volunteers and they are dying so you can get fat in your wood-panelled offices," he said. On Saturday, he asked Moscow to let him hand over his positions to Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who had said that his forces were "ready to move" toward Bakhmut. Prigozhin has for months accused the conventional army of refusing to deliver ammunition to his men. Nevertheless, the emotive language used in Friday's videos and the ferocity of his attack on the leaders of Russia's campaign in Ukraine were unprecedented. On Sunday, Prigozhin said Russian General Sergei Surovikin, one of Gerasimov's deputies, would oversee Wagner's operations. "He is the only decorated general that knows how to fight," Prigozhin said in a fresh dig at Russia's other army chiefs. Surovikin was named military commander in Ukraine in October. Three months later, he was replaced by Gerasimov, whom Prigozhin regularly criticises. Also Read | Russia says US 'primarily' responsible for attack on writer Russian troops have battled since last summer to capture Bakhmut, the political importance of which has come to surpass any strategic value. On Saturday, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, visited the eastern front. "The enemy is not going to change its plans and is doing everything possible to take control of Bakhmut," Syrsky said in a statement published on Sunday. Ukraine has been gearing up for a counteroffensive, with some experts suggesting that the drone strikes and acts of sabotage on Russian-held territory are part of its preparations. The strikes precede Russia's May 9 public holiday, an event that celebrates the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II. On Sunday, the Russian army said it had repelled 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea. Shortly before, authorities in Russian-annexed Crimea, surrounded by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, said they had downed more than 10 drones over the southern peninsula. The Russian security services also said they thwarted a drone attack on an airfield in the Ivanovo region. As the counteroffensive looms, Moscow has ordered families with children and elderly members to temporarily evacuate a slew of Russian-held areas in southern Ukraine. More than 1,500 people have been evacuated, including 632 minors, the governor of the southern Zaporizhzhia region said Sunday. The partial evacuations concern at least 18 towns and settlements, including the town near Europe's largest nuclear plant. "The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous," UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Saturday. "I'm extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant." Meanwhile, Russian pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin issued a defiant message on Sunday, a day after being wounded in an attack on his car that killed his assistant. "I tell the demons: you will not intimidate anyone," Prilepin wrote on Telegram in his first message since the attack. Moscow has blamed Ukraine and the United States for the car attack, which Kyiv has suggested was due to in-fighting between rival Russian factions. Eight people, including a child, died and more than a dozen were injured on Sunday when the pickup van they were travelling in was hit by a speeding truck here, police said. The accident took place near Khairkhata village on the Dalpatpur road under the Bhagatpur police station area, they said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hemraj Meena said a group of people were headed for a marriage function in the pickup-van when a truck hit it. Eight people died and around 15 more were injured, he added. VIDEO | Eight people, including a child, were killed and more than a dozen injured when a pickup van in which they were travelling was hit by a speeding truck near #Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh earlier today. pic.twitter.com/zV33lhCdvO Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 7, 2023 The injured were taken to the district hospital and five of them were referred to a private medical facility. There were 26 people in the vehicle, police said. The district administration is making arrangements to ensure proper treatment of the injured, officials said. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday claimed Vasundhara Raje and two other BJP leaders had helped save his government during the 2020 revolt by his party MLAs. He also took potshots at the rebel Congress MLAs saying they should return the money they had taken from the BJP so that they can carry out their duty without any pressure. Gehlot's then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against his leadership in July 2020. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party high command. Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president. Read | EC should ban PM Modi from campaigning in Karnataka: Rajasthan CM Gehlot Addressing a programme in Dholpur, Gehlot said his government could be saved because of the support of three BJP leaders -- former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah. "(Union ministers) Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government. They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised why they are not demanding the money back from them (the MLAs)," he claimed. "I have even told the MLAs that whatever money they have taken, Rs 10 crore or Rs 20 crore, if you have spent anything, I will give that part or I will get it from AICC (All India Congress Committee)," he said. Gehlot alleged that if the MLAs did not return the money, they will always be under pressure from Amit Shah. "He is the Union home minister, he will intimidate...in Maharashtra he divided Shiv Sena," Gehlot alleged. He said that he was made the chief minister by the party for a third time and it was his duty to take all along and forget past happenings and ensure the return of the party to power in the assembly elections, slated for later this year. Gehlot said he, as the state party chief, did not support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as it was unfair, in the same manner, Raje and Meghwal did not support the toppling of the Congress government in 2020. He said that BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah also listened to them and did not support the party. Gehlot and Raje have often been accused by their detractors in their own parties of "going soft" on each other, especially when it came to allegations of corruption. The two leaders have denied any such understanding. A few days ago, Raje had rejected allegations of collusion with Gehlot as lie, saying milk and lemon juice never mix. Dholpur MLA Kushwah had cross-voted in favour of the Congress candidate in Rajya Sabha elections last year and was suspended from the party subsequently. The Congress leader was addressing the programme in the home turf of former chief minister Raje. Gehlot also praised Congress MLAs Rohit Bohra, Chetan Dudi and Danish Abrar for alerting him about the revolt against his government in 2020. He said that these three MLAs, BSP-turned-Congress MLAs and independent MLAs who had supported him and saved his government during the political crisis in 2020 deserved to be made ministers in his government but he could not do so due to political reasons and was sad about it. Police here have arrested a close aide of senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for allegedly forcibly evicting a person from his house, officials said. The accused, Aley Hasan Khan, a former circle officer, was arrested from his residence in Delhi, the police officials said. Also read | Revenge of nature is brutal: Azam Khan attacks UP govt Chaudhary was arrested following the issuance of non-bailable warrants in two cases by the MP-MLA court, the police said. He was arrested for allegedly forcibly evicting a person from his house, they said. Further details are awaited. Adah Sharma to those panning 'The Kerala Story': 'Google ISIS and Brides' Adah Sharma to those panning 'The Kerala Story': 'Google ISIS and Brides' Actress Adah Sharma, whose latest release The Kerala Story is getting a good response, has shared some words of wisdom to those who are still calling the film a "propaganda". Adah took to Twitter and wrote: "And for the the few still calling #TheKeralaStory a propaganda film, saying these incidents do not exist even after watching testimonials of several Indian victims, my humble request, Google two words ISIS and Brides...maybe an account of white girls narrated to you might make you feel that our Indian movie is real." And for the the few still calling #TheKeralaStory a propaganda film ,saying these incidents do not exist even after watching testimonials of several Indian victims,,,my humble request , Google two words ISIS and Brides...maybe an account of white girls narrated to you might make pic.twitter.com/qYBp3B3owQ Adah Sharma (@adah_sharma) May 6, 2023 Released on May 5, the film according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh has hit the double digits on second day of its release. Also Read | 'The Kerala Story' evokes mixed response in Kerala, HC refuses to stay screening He tweeted: "#TheKeralaStory is SENSATIONAL, sets the #BO on on Day 2a Shows BIGGG GAINS across all circuitsa Hits double digits, a REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT for a film that's *not* riding on stardom, but word of mouth... Fri 8.03 cr, Sat 11.22 cr. Total: a, 19.25 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice In 'The Kerala Story', actress Adah Sharma is playing the role of Fathima Ba, a Hindu Malayali nurse, who is among the 32,000 women who went missing from Kerala and were then recruited to the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) after being forced to convert to Islam. 'The Kerala Story' has been written and directed by Sudipto Sen and stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani. It got into controversy after the trailer of the film stated that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, ISIS. Two Maoists were killed after an exchange of fire with the police in a forest area of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district of Telangana bordering Chhattisgarh on Sunday, police said. According to the police, based on reliable information that one action team of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) was moving in Puttapadu forests with a view to attack police, special police parties took up combing in the area, when the ultras fired on police personnel. Also Read | Chhattisgarh: IED planted by Naxalites recovered in Narayanpur There was an exchange of fire between cops and the Maoists, after which police conducted searches in the area during which the bodies of two of the ultras were found from the scene, the police said. One of the deceased was identified as Cherla LOS (local organisation squad) commander Rajesh while the identity of the other was being ascertained, the police added. Police seized weapons including one SLR (Self-Loading Rifle) and other items from the scene. The combing operation was still underway, police added. The Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of Nagpur police on Sunday arrested a Congress leader in connection with alleged embezzlement of nearly Rs 1.5 crore in a shrine trust, an official said. Sheikh Hussain Abdul Jabbar, who was the chairman of Taj Bagh Trust that manages the affairs of Hazrat Tajuddin Baba Dargah, has been accused of transferring Rs 1.5 crore to an account linked to his wife without the permission of the Charity Commissioner and not getting the books audited during his tenure, he said. Jabbar, a former city Congress president, headed the trust between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2016. Also Read | Differently-abled teen dies in freak accident in Nagpur Other than Jabbar, his former secretary Iqbal Ismail Velji was also arrested in the case, the official said. The arrests came on a complaint, lodged in September 2022, by Taj Ahmed Ali Ahmed Syed after he took over as the secretary of the trust. The official said that Jabbar and his ex-secretary had applied for anticipatory bail in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court but did not get relief. They then moved the Supreme Court which directed the two to appear before a local court. The local court remanded the two in EoW custody till May 10, he said. A few months ago, the BJP had accused Jabbar of making offensive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its office-bearers had submitted a complaint against Jabbar at the Sadar police station, demanding his arrest. The Maharashtra government would send a special aircraft to Manipur to bring back the students from the state who are studying in the now riot-torn north-eastern state. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to some of the students who are stranded in Manipur, where they are studying in the NITs and IITs. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is learnt to have spoken to Shinde and Fadnavis on the need to immediately evacuate the students. According to the latest reports, around 22 students from Maharashtra are stranded in Manipur. Read | '23,000 flee violence in northeast India,' says army Shinde spoke to Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the issue of the security of the students of the state. Shinde asked chief secretary Manoj Sounik to make arrangements to airlift the students of the state. There are 22 students from Maharashtra who are in Manipur. I have spoken to two of them Vikash Sharma and Tushar Awhad and assured them of arranging a special flight to return home, Shinde said, adding that he has told the students not to be afraid of anything. Immediate arrangements are being made by the Maharashtra government to bring these students safely, said Fadnavis. Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar too wrote to the government asking for an immediate evacuation. Fidelity European Trust PLC (LON:FEV Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as GBX 255.50 ($3.19) and last traded at GBX 355.50 ($4.44), with a volume of 1156394 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 354.50 ($4.43). Fidelity European Trust Stock Up 0.3 % The company has a market capitalization of 1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2,539.29 and a beta of 0.78. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 341.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 329.11. Get Fidelity European Trust alerts: Fidelity European Trust Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 30th will be issued a dividend of GBX 4.62 ($0.06) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This is a boost from Fidelity European Trusts previous dividend of $3.08. This represents a dividend yield of 1.42%. Fidelity European Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -5,714.29%. Fidelity European Trust Company Profile Fidelity European Trust PLC is an open-ended equity fund launched and managed by FIL Investment Services (UK) Limited. It is co-managed by FIL Investments International Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of Continental Europe. It makes its investments in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Fidelity European Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fidelity European Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The former head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit Col Edith Nakalema will now head a new outfit inside the state house to protect investors from extortion and the need for bribes. According to the new directives from President Museveni, the new anti-corruption unit will be named the State House Investors Protection Unit, and will sit close to him. This is the second anti-corruption unit created by President Museveni and headed by Nakalema in less than five years. The initial creation was meant to handle corrupt culprits that had eluded the Inspectorate General of Government (IGG) but it did not leave to its billing after it was also accused of hunting for petty thieves while leaving the filthy corrupt officials walking day and night. Recently, President Museveni indicated that corruption was limiting Uganda's chances of growing its economy, adding that he was going to get tough on the corrupt government officials and civil servants who are taking bribes and frustrating investors. The president said he would form another unit for the job soon. Letterkenny native Pat McArt, the former editor of the Derry Journal, was accorded with a Civic Reception on Wednesday night. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Sandra Duffy, hosted the function at the Guildhall. Mr McArt was honoured for his contribution and commitment to journalism in the city and district. He joined the Derry Journal in 1981 and worked for the paper until his retirement in 2014. Living in Burt, he helped to strengthen the Journals presence in Inishowen and he steered the paper through some of the darkest days of the Troubles. Pat was joined by his wife Rosie, family members and former colleagues for the function. In 2022, writing about the 250th anniversary of the inception of the Derry Journal, Pat said that the Troubles did totally over-shadow my entire editorship. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Sandra Duffy making a presentation to former Derry Journal editor Pat McArt at the Guildhall on Wednesday evening, in recognition of his contribution and commitment to journalism in the city and district. Included are family and former Derry Journal colleagues. He wrote: And I am not going to gloss over it and say they were the good old days they werent. They were tough, they were demanding and many were the nights I lay awake into the wee small hours worrying. But heres the thing: Would I do it all again? Absolutely, in a heartbeat. He also recalled how, during his time as editor, Journal provided the grounding for some truly wonderful journalists many of whom later went on to become household names locally, including the likes of the BBCs Martin McGinley, Keiron Tourish, Paul McCauley, Dessie McCallion, Garbhan Downey and Joe Doran, UTVs Mark McFadden, the Irish Times Freya McClements. He now writes a column for the Mirror and has been hosting a podcast with Jude Collins for several years. Two Donegal Beauty Therapy lecturers from North West Regional College (NWRC) have been nominated for a Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT) excellence award. Vanessa Canning, from Manorcunningham, and Noelle Boyle from Donegal Town, who both teach Nail Technology at Strand Road campus, are in the Tutor of the Year category which recognizes educators who have gone over and above to support their students. Noelle who has been a lecturer at NWRC since 2001, previously taught Vanessa when she was a student at the college. Vanessa joined the lecturing team in 2021, and runs her own nail salon Polish Perfect. Susan Cassidy, Curriculum Manager for Hair and Beauty at NWRC said: Well done to Vanessa and Noelle, I commend them for their outstanding contribution in training and innovative practice within the nail technology curriculums, supporting and facilitating future nail technology practitioners with the best possible training. Both are inspirational educators. Noelles nomination was supported by former student Annie Whiteside who said: I truly believe Noelle deserves acknowledgment for her great work, no matter how tough it gets she remains positive and professional, and I believe I wouldn't have been as successful or confident after this course if it wasn't for her! All I can say to Noelle for this is from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Vanessas former tutor Corriena Moffatt who supported her nomination, said she has an infectious passion for teaching. She added: Throughout my years both teaching and working with Vanessa, I have experienced an individual with resilience and drive like no other! She continually strives to be the best version of herself in her role. "Exceptionally gifted at making students feel comfortable and always maintaining a positive atmosphere in the classroom, so much so, that I invite her to give motivational talks to my students about her journey from Level 2 Beauty Therapy to Level 5 Hair & Beauty Management. Noelle said lecturing at NWRC is a completely student led experience. She added: I am delighted to have been nominated for this award, she said. Vanessa and I work in a wonderful department here at Beauty Therapy and we are absolutely delighted. Vanessa said she was buzzing with the nomination adding: I loved being a student at NWRC, progressing to run my own business and now Im working as a lecturer myself. There are so many career opportunities for our students and we love helping them achieve their ambitions by supporting them as they go on to work in the industry. If youd like to study with the hairdressing and beauty therapy team at NWRC go to www.nwrc.ac.uk/apply to see the full range of courses. You can also download the prospectus at www.nwrc.ac.uk The Irish Government has been asked to make a presence felt in India, where the trial of the man accused of the 2017 murder of Buncrana woman Danielle McLaughlin remains beset by delays. The 28-year-old was found dead in a secluded area of the Canacona resort on March 14, 2017. Vikat Bhagat has been charged with rape and murder, but his trial has been held only intermittently. Bhagat has been in custody since 2017, but Indian police recently failed to produce him at court for a seventh successive time. Sources in India have said that this is due to staffing shortages with police escort staff. Bhagat last appeared before the Sessions Court of Margao in South Goa on February 27 and is scheduled again to be before the court on May 19. On one occasion, police said they were unable to locate Bhagat in prison. How does this happen?, Ms Danielles mother, Andrea Brannigan, told RTE. How many years are we chatting before this is all over. Am I even going to see the end of this? I would like it to be fast tracked. The trial is due to hear from a total of 58 witnesses, but only 15 have fully given evidence to date. Ms Brannigan has continually asked for a video link in order to watch court proceedings, but has repeatedly been declined. She said: We have been told they have no way of doing it, but they have ways of doing it for him (Bhagat). All I want is to see whats going on in the courthouse. Six years after her daughters tragic death, Ms Brannigan regularly messages Danielles phone. Its my way of keeping in contact, she said. Bhagat has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, murder, violent robbery and destruction of evidence. Danielles family have become increasingly frustrated at the lack of haste in court proceedings. It is so surreal to believe that we are still waiting on a result and were no further forward, Danielles sister Jolene said. We dont know when its going to end or how its going to end. Its so hard that we cant get over it and we dont have our justice for Danielle. We dont say justice too much because we wont get true justice. Danielle wont be a mother and she can never live her life. We would rather that the whole world knows the truth of what happened to her and know who she is. Jolene said the family would like the Irish Government to make its presence known in Goa. Buncrana-based Sinn Fein TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn has branded the delays as outrageous and unbearable. We need the Irish Government to be there and present, he said. Some of the stuff that has been going on is outrageous. It is disrespectful in the strongest possible way. The Irish government must do more to stand up for them. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said that ensuring a quick conclusion to the trial is a significant priority for the Government. The Department said that concerns over the pace of the trial have been raised with the relevant local authorities. I am never confident anymore because we have been misled in the past, Danielles mother said. Now, we just wait and see and we hope that things will change. Progress has been made in the investigation into the death of soldier Sean Rooney in Lebanon last year, according to the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin. Mr Martin was speaking at Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick ahead of the first deployment of Irish peacekeeping forces to Lebanon since the death of the 24-year-old. Private Rooney was born and raised in Dundalk, County Louth but he spent much of his later life in Newtowncunningham, where he was later buried with full military honours. Private Rooney was shot and killed in December when the armoured UNIFIL vehicle he was travelling in was attacked in a coastal village in the south of the country. Its a challenging assignment which carries very significant risk, as was evidenced before Christmas with the tragic death of Sean Rooney. I think that illustrates the sacrifice and the bravery of all those who serve our country, in the pursuit of peace, and particularly in conflict zones in communities impacted by war and by potential violence. "The investigation is still very much ongoing with Lebanese officials and the process is continuing but it has made progress. Obviously, thats a matter we dont interfere with but were keeping a very watchful eye on that particular case. Mr Martin said no stone will be left unturned in finding those responsible for Private Rooneys death and bringing them to justice. Ive already engaged with the Lebanese authorities in that regard, he said. We are still some months away from the Apple iPhone 15 launch event, and there are already a lot of details we know about the iPhone 15 series due to leaks and rumours. Now, Lew from Unbox Therapy has shown off an iPhone 15 Ultra mockup that corroborates many of the supposed changes and features of the upcoming iPhone model. 5 iPhone 15 Ultra features that we expect to see so far 1. iPhone 15 Ultra could come with a brushed metal look on the side frame and a matte finish at the back. This could lend more grip to the phone. Since the new iPhone will be thicker compared to an iPhone 14 Pro Max, the grippy back could help in handling it better. The thickness could also mean the protrusion of the back camera rings would be less obvious and there will be more space for the battery inside. 2. Bowing to the mounting pressures from the EU and other government regulations, Apple could finally equip an iPhone with USB-C and that is apparent in the iPhone 15 Ultra mockup too. Compared to a lightning female port, the cavity has a slim pin in the centre. Now, not every USB-C cable would be fully compatible with the new iPhones as Apple is reportedly integrating a chip into the port that checks for MFI-certified cables. Only cables of this kind could support fast charging and optimum data speeds. Opposing this EU has brought a new mandate however the same will be in action a couple of years from now. 3. The mute switch is now a button, at least its so in the iPhone 15 Ultra mockup. This appears to be in application like the action button on the Apple Watch Ultra. 4. The bezels, as per Lew, are half of what is on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. For symmetry, the corners have also been shrunk. Dynamic Island is also more noticeable because of the resulting larger screen-to-body ratio. 5. Meanwhile, inside the iPhone 15 Ultra, we could expect A17 Bionic based on a 5nm manufacturing process. Finally, for the iPhone 15 Pro series pricing, we rely on a few sources other than Lews video which tells us to expect a $100 hike. That could result in the iPhone 15 Pro's price being $1,099 and the Pro Maxs pricing being $1,199. Only time will tell how much of these speculations turn out to be true. Well keep you posted. Also Read: For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page. Aid efforts have been suspended and hundreds have been killed since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April. Large parts of Khartoum (pictured here) now resemble a ghost town. Jeddah Representatives of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose bloody clashes across Sudan have ignited a humanitarian crisis, claimed hundreds of lives, and left thousands more wounded or displaced, today began 'pre-negotiation talks' in Jedda in Saudi Arabia. In a joint statement, the US Dept of State and the government of Saudi Arabia, who have co-brokered the talks, "urge both parties to take in consideration the interests of the Sudanese nation and its people and actively engage in the talks towards a cease fire and end to the conflict, which will spare the Sudanese people's suffering and ensure the availability of humanitarian aid to affected areas." The statement also stresses "the efforts of the countries and organisations which supported these talks, including Quad countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the USA), the League of Arab States, and partners from the Trilateral Mechanism (UNITAMS, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development). Co-brokers Saudi Arabia and the USA also urge "continued, coordinated international support for an expanded negotiation process that should include engagement with all Sudanese parties". In a press circular yesterday evening, the General Command of the SAF confirmed the departure of its delegation to Jeddah. The office of the official spokesman for the SAF confirmed the "a delegation of the SAF left for Jeddah this [Friday] evening to discuss the details of the armistice, in order to secure and create conditions appropriate to deal with the humanitarian aspects of our citizens in light of the current conditions". Both the SAF and RSF have emphasised that the discussions will centre around negotiating a humanitarian truce, to allow civilian to find safety, and allow for medical and food aid to reach those most affected by the conflict. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Internal and local mediation efforts and negotiation initiatives to contain the crisis have faltered, as the warring parties refuse to communicate. International parties, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Djibouti, Canada, theUSA, Israel, Turkey, and Ethiopia, have all proposed mediation initiatives. 'Power politics' However, the talks have attracted criticism from commentators. Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Africa Centre, and former chief of staff to the US special envoy to Sudan and as director of African affairs at the National Security Council, dismissed the talks as "pure power politics". In an uncharacteristically strongly worded Tweet, Hudson asserts: "They are talking about talking. Neither Saudi [Arabia] nor the US gives a [expletive deleted] about civilian rule or democracy in Sudan at this point. This is pure power politics." Humanitarian catastrophe As reported by Radio Dabanga this week, in an open letter, a group of Sudanese first responders outline the growing humanitarian catastrophe in the country. The group laments that the country's healthcare system is "just days from collapse", highlights that the fighting that erupted across Sudan on April 15 has had a devastating impact on civilian lives and infrastructure. "The worst impacted city is the capital Khartoum, where the UN has reported over 500 casualties and 4,000 wounded. The figures are mounting by the hour and probably a significant undercount given the number of victims it is not possible to count in the chaos," the letter says. Over 100 Louth groups joined the National Spring Clean 2023 campaign with local communities removing 22 tonnes of litter from various locations across the county, An Taisce has revealed. The National Spring Clean is Irelands official anti-litter campaign, and over the past 24 years, the initiative has been highlighted the collective responsibility we share in tackling and preventing our national litter problem. It is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Mars Wrigley Ireland. Throughout the month of April, the National Spring Clean encouraged communities from across Ireland to tackle the problem of litter in local areas and to see the benefits of a litter-free environment. This year over 100 Louth groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the county making Spring Clean 23 one of Irelands largest anti-litter campaign to date. Almost 4,000 volunteers joined Spring Clean 23 in County Louth removing an approximately 22 tonnes of litter. Furthermore, National Spring Clean has been a starting point for a large number of groups to organise regular clean-up events all year long. In County Louth, clean-ups took places in various locations, including Dundalk, Drogheda, Carlingford and many more. Volunteers from Stabannon Tidy Towns held their very own National Spring Clean week from Monday to Thursday evening and collected 53 full bags of litter in their area along with many junior tidy towns members this April. Dundalk Tidy Towns did various clean-up events for Spring Clean 23, including teaming up with The Irish Wheelchair Association to conduct a few National Spring Clean clean-up events in the town centre in Dundalk, County Louth. Finally, Peninsula Marine Litter Project in Louth conducted a dedicated Earth Day clean-up for National Spring Clean in association with Clean Coasts to help keep their local beaches clean. National Spring Clean 2023 has been an amazing opportunity for communities in Louth and nationwide to come together and do their bit for their local environment, contribute to creating a more sustainable community, be with like-minded people and make a difference. This year, the aim for National Spring Clean was also to raised awareness about how the adoption of a circular economy model, will reduce our litter, and climate impact, meaning that as we transition to a more circular economy, well see less waste, less litter, and lower emissions, and thus, cleaner planet. The principles of a circular economy have always been central to the ethos of National Spring Clean for the past 24 years. This year, some 35% of all waste collected was recycled, thanks to recyclable waste bags provided to groups and individuals who register, while the removal of litter from our natural environment has helped tackle biodiversity loss. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, said of the initiative: An Taisces National Spring Clean continues to showcase the dedication of volunteers all over the country. "The commitment of volunteers in continuing to organise local clean-ups each year is a testament to the spirit in Irish communities and I would urge as many people as possible to get involved in the campaign. "My Department will continue to support the campaign and An Taisce, whose role in organising this successful campaign each year, deserves to be acknowledged. I look forward to the many events that will be held all over the country in the coming months. National Spring Clean, manager, Emlyn Cullen, added: This was one of our biggest years ever with regards people taking part. We cant thank the volunteers enough for giving up their time and energy to make Ireland a cleaner, greener country this April. "Huge credit also goes to the Local Authorities who work hard during the month to collect the full bags after events. Also Id like to thank our funders, the Dept. of Environment, Climate and Communications and sponsors, Mars Wrigley Ireland. Even though April has come to an end, there are plenty of campaigns and activities that The National Spring Clean run and endorse that you can get involved in. A few of these include: Khartoum / Kordofan People in Khartoum and Kordofan suffer from water and electricity outages, scarcity of food, and rising prices owing to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The humanitarian crisis in Khartoum is worsening as chronic illness patients struggle to access basic needs. A doctor from the Sudanese Doctors Committee shared a video plea online for international support. A resident of El Kalakla neighbourhood in Khartoum told Radio Dabanga that the electricity and water supply was cut off three days ago. The price of two barrels of water reached SDG 10,000 during the first days of the crisis, while the price of bread rose to SDG 1,000 for seven loaves. The situation in El Kalakla is calm, but there are fears of looting. In North Kordofan, residents of El Obeid are facing high prices, looting, and theft. Significant increases in the prices of consumer goods were reported, "due to the greed of merchants and their exploitation of the current situation." The price of one piece of bread stood at SDG 50, while a kilo of sugar cost SDG 1,200, and a barrel of water SDG 1,800. The difficulties in obtaining drinking water exacerbate the crisis. There are warnings of theft and looting at night. In West Kordofan, people reportedly traveling from Khartoum to Darfur are stranded in En Nahud and El Fula, in desperate need of aid. Some managed to leave West Kordofan to Darfur, while some are still stranded and need food, drink, and blankets. The release of prisoners from all the prisons in the state increased the crime rate, prompting locals to form popular committees to protect markets and property, according to locals' testimonies. Despite the ongoing conflict, the security situation in West Kordofan remains stable. There have been no armed confrontations between the army and the Rapid Support Forces since the outbreak of war in the country last April, largely owing to civil administration mediation. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Healthcare collapse The humanitarian crisis in Khartoum is worsening as chronic illness patients struggle to access basic needs. Charitable organisations are struggling to keep up with the demand for medical aid and donations due to the war. In an interview with Bashir El Sadig, head of charity organisation El Ahlam, he warned that their stocks of medicine are running low. "The few operating hospitals prioritize wounded soldiers, leaving civilian patients without access to medical care", he explained. Dr Alhan Bashier, a member of the media office of the Preliminary Committee of Sudanese Doctors, issued a plea on social media Facebook for help from the global community. She emphasized the urgent need for medical supplies, particularly in Khartoum, where the war has disrupted the flow of supplies. She also called for the establishment of safe routes for doctors. WHAT could State Assistant Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster and Blarney author Michelle McDonagh possibly be discussing over coffee? We were discussing how to bury a body, which is quite a complicated process! says Michelle, who is mum to Lucy, 14, Jake, 12 and Kiana, 10, and has just published her debut novel, Theres Something I Have To Tell You. I emailed Margot during the course of my research for the book, and she was very generous with her response and her time, she adds. Alan Crowley, crime scene examiner, walked through my fictional crime scene with me, and he advised me on what would happen in real life. He was great to share his time and expertise with me. Michelle did in-depth research for her novel. A farmer, Brendan OConnell, whom my husband knew, was kind enough to give me a tour of his slurry pit and an in-depth explanation of how it all works. Not a request he gets every day of the week, I suspect! Michelle is a city girl at heart. I was amazed at the size of the slurry tank; its a really huge tank that is so dangerous, so lethal, used every day on a working farm. Michelle, with impressive research under her belt, found time to write her two-year project at home and in a local car-park! I didnt want any distractions, she explains. And sometimes my husband, Greg, who works from home, can be more noisy than the kids! I often took my laptop to a local car-park for some peace and quiet so I could do some editing! Theres Something I Have To Tell You is a cleverly plotted whodunnit with a fantastic cast of characters. Or you could call it a whydunnit, says Michelle about the thriller set on a family farm, Glenbeg, in her native Galway, where rumours swirl and secret tensions bubble away in the background. The plot is compelling. When the bodies of wealthy matriarch Ursula Kennedy and her farmer husband Jimmy are pulled from the slurry pit, shock ricochets through the family and community. Everyone has questions, including the gardai. Was this a tragic accident? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? Their son, Rob, once destined for a high-flying career, is now involved in the family business. He seems distraught about his parents deaths, but rumours soon spread about a blazing row he had with his mother before she died. Robs wife Kate had a difficult relationship with Ursula. Life will certainly be easier now, without her every move being controlled by her imperious mother-in-law. Meanwhile, Christina the victims fragile daughter, is carrying a private pain shes never been able to speak about. As vivid memories rush back of another tragic death on the farm some 16 years earlier, a toxic secret is set to come to the surface, one that has been simmering for decades. Michelle has been writing as a journalist since she left the then University College Galway in 1994. Writing fiction is a whole other kettle of fish! she says. Michelle got going on her novel as her 50th birthday loomed. I spent more time talking about it than ever actually writing anything. It has always been my dream to write a book. It is like her fourth baby. Yes! It is like a fourth child, agrees Michelle. Its a bit like sending a child out into the world to be judged and hoping people will be kind. Happily, most of the reviews have been positive and warm. I see it on shelves in bookshops with my name on it, but it still seems surreal. How did she make her dream come true? Over the years I did a number of creative writing courses and read countless books on writing, says Michelle. Even though I spent a hell of a lot of time [more] talking about it, than ever actually sitting down at my desk and writing. Greg, Michelles husband, spoke about it too. He made a show of me at our wedding 15 years ago, says Michelle. Greg told everyone I was a novelist-to-be! And she was. Michelle is now working on her second book, a dark family drama set between Galway city and Connemara. Where does she get her ideas from? I get lots of ideas from reading the papers and listening to radio, and stories people tell me, says Michelle. Truth really is stranger than fiction in my experience. Im fascinated by the stories behind the headlines. I covered court and inquests for years myself as a journalist and while there are always all kinds of rumours and gossip in the wake of a tragedy or suspicious death in a small community, its often not until the court case or inquest that some of the truth starts to emerge. But nobody, apart from those living behind those closed doors, ever knows what really went on. As a child, Michelle read a lot. I was such a bookworm. My father was a big reader and he brought myself and my sister into the old library in Galway every Saturday morning as children to get books. He had so many dark crime thrillers on the bookshelf at home that we joked hed never meet another woman. My mother, Lucy, died at 56. I dedicated the book to her. Michelle, like many authors, writes about what she knows. Her dad suffered from Alzheimers and in this book, Jimmy is in the early stages of the disease. Jimmy is drifting into the grey world of Alzheimers, says Michelle. He is different to my dad, who was jolly. There is a small bit of Christina in me; I think Im less neurotic. She goes through her own struggles with anxiety and depression. Ryan Tubridy likened Theres Something I Have To Tell You to John B. Keane meets Agatha Christie. Ill take that! says Michelle. An experienced writer for more than 25 years, including 12 as a staff reporter at the Connacht Tribune, she has crafted a distinctly Irish crime thriller that relates to all Irish people with a relationship with the land. What advice would Michelle give to other would-be novelists? You need to make yourself sit down and write and keep writing, one word after another, until the book is finished, she says. As the author Neil Gaiman said; its that easy and its that hard. There is no point in waiting for the right time for inspiration to strike, or as Gaimen says, for elves to come in the night to do it for you; just sit down and start writing. Michelle did just that. She just sat down and started writing. For two years I was dipping in and out between working and home-schooling. Fiction writing is a different creativity. Michelle, like most journalists, is nosy by nature. I know if Id nine good reviews out of ten, the one bad one would stick in my head. Im too nosy not to though, and fortunately, they have been positive so far. There is another budding writer in the household. My youngest daughter, Kiana, 10, also loves writing little stories, as I did at her age, says Michelle. Who knows? Kiana could yet follow in her mothers footsteps. Then Greg would have two women in his life to boast about! Theres Something I Have To Tell You, by Michelle McDonagh, is published by Hachette Books Ireland. Available now Cork TDs have called on the Government to act to protect women and children in the courts system, following the publication of a major new report showing that many have been left down by the criminal justice system. Women should not be faced with an obstacle course when they report domestic violence to state bodies, said Cork North Central Socialist Party and Solidarity TD Mick Barry. Real change is needed now. "There is a long and sorry history of excellent reports being left to gather dust on the shelves of Government Ministers. "Pressure needs to be applied by campaigners to ensure that that does not happen in this case, he added. The Report on the Intersection of the Criminal Justice, Private Family Law and Public Law Child Care Processes in Relation to Domestic and Sexual Violence, was prepared for the National Womens Council and the Department of Justice by experts Nuala Egan and Ellen OMalley Dunlop. According to the authors: Unfortunately, the in-camera rule has had a very negative impact upon the development of a body of data and of research in relation to many vital details of the civil court experience in domestic and, or sexual violence cases. Among many criticisms, the report found that the various arms of the State, including gardai, and the child and family agency Tusla, have collectively failed to collaborate in many instances to protect vulnerable victims of domestic violence. Sinn Fein TD for Cork South-Central, Donnchadh O Laoghaire, said the report is deeply concerning. It is essential that the gardai and Tusla and the courts are taking instances of domestic violence very seriously, acting urgently when that is appropriate to protect women and to protect children in these circumstances. One of the big issues I would be concerned about is the lack of refuge places, and this may be contributing to the fact that, because there are not enough refuge places, that perhaps Tusla and the gardai, can be reluctant and slower to act. That needs to be urgently addressed. Victims of domestic violence need to be at the centre of any decisions that are made. There should be no reluctance in collaboration, added Mr O Laoghaire. The report recommends that the Courts Service commission an annual survey of the experiences of persons within the private family law processes in those cases in which allegations of domestic or sexual violence are raised. The case against a 24-year-old man accused of having drugs for sale or supply and carrying a retractable blade has been struck out for lack of directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Christopher Duggan of St. Vincents Hostel, Anglesea Terrace, Cork, appeared again before Cork District Court in relation to the case. Eddie Burke, defence solicitor, informed Judge Colm Roberts that the case had been adjourned peremptorily against the state where the prosecution was required to directions in the case from the DPP. Sergeant Ciaran Kelleher confirmed that no such DPP directions were available. The accused had been arrested at Gas Works Lane on May 28 2022 and charged with having 3,000 worth of cocaine on being searched at the Bridewell garda station for the purpose of sale or supply and possession of a retractable blade. Volunteer crew members of Courtmacsherry RNLI today laid a wreath at the site of the wreck of the RMS Lusitania to mark the 108th anniversary of the sinking of the famous ocean liner. The wreath-laying at the site of the wreck, 12 miles off the Seven Heads coastline in West Cork, is an annual tradition of the station. Coxswain Mark Gannon and crew Dara Gannon, Denis Murphy, Dean Hennessy, Stuart Russell and Conor Dullea today launched the stations new all-weather lifeboat, the Val Adnams and travelled to the location to commemorate the tragic sinking. Of the countless callouts in the stations long history, perhaps the most notable occurred on this day 108 years ago. That fateful day in 1915, the Lusitania, a British Cunard line ocean liner was on passage from New York when she was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat south of Courtmacsherry Bay, with the loss of 1,201 lives. The Courtmacsherry RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew were alerted to the tragedy. The crew rowed the 'Kezia Gwilt' lifeboat 11 miles out to the wreck because there was no wind to sail her with, and helped rescue survivors. Lifeboatmen involved on that day included Tim Keohane, father of Antarctic explorer Patrick Keohane. In 2015 the lifeboat crew and residents of Courtmacsherry village, many of whom are related to the original 1915 RNLI Courtmacsherry harbour lifeboat crew who were called to service, staged a re-enactment of that heroic row by the then lifeboat crew to the site of the Lusitania. Works to repair a burst watermain in Cork which left hundreds of properties without water today have been completed. Earlier, Uisce Eireann said it had identified a burst in a watermain in the Kerry Pike area. The water services company said it was working with Cork County Council to restore water as quickly as possible to approximately 500 properties. In an update this evening, a spokesperson for Uisce Eireann told The Echo the issue has now been resolved. Repair works have been completed and most customers should see their supply return shortly, they said. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Eireann receive direct communications from the company for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours. Uisce Eireanns customer care team is available to help 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact the company on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For further updates see the Uisce Eireann website www.water.ie. A DELEGATION of Customs Officers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led by their Director of Customs and Excise Mr Rene Kalala Masimango has praised the sixth phase government led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) for the completion of Kwala Dry Port in the Coastal Region. Mr Masimango who is in-charge of the Haut Katanga, Lualaba, Tanganyika and Lomami provinces made the remark on Friday when he visited the dry port to see its progress. "We commend you for the good work, among the provinces which are under my supervision Haut Katanga receives 80 per cent of the DRC cargo which pass through Dar es Salaam Port ... this tour is very important to us to see its readiness to handle our cargo, get firsthand information and activities being done here," he said. On his part, Tanzania Ambassador to the DRC, Said Juma Mshana noted that the purpose of the tour was for business improvements, especially strengthening trade between the two countries. While at Kwala Dry Port, the delegation visited and inspected the 10 hectare area allocated by the government for Handling DRC cargo passing through the Dar es Salaam Port. On his part TPA Property Manager, Mr Alexander Ndibalema said that upon completion the port will help to reduce congestion at Dar Port by 30 per cent and increase government revenue through the cargo served at the port. The completion of the dry port which has reached 95 per cent is a result of good leadership of the sixth phase government that pumped in 83.247bn/- for the construction and development of the port. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Construction Tanzania Congo-Kinshasa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The project involved construction of a 15.5 kilometres concrete road Morogoro Highway at Vigwaza area with the Kwala Dry Port. The port will also have rail, water, road, electricity and community infrastructures that will simplify operations at the port and the project area in general. The operations of Kwala Port will help to reduce congestion at Dar Port because it will store on-transit cargo to neighbouring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi. The ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi's (CCM) Election Manifesto directs the government to develop transport infrastructures of all ports, since they are crucial in stimulating social economic development of the country. The Third Five-Year Development Plan 2021/22 - 2025/26 has also stressed the importance of improving the performance of the ports in the country. The impending functioning of this dry port, located in Coast region, would usher in a new era of carrying cargo by train from the Dar es Salaam Port, thus, relieving roads from catering for heavy cargo trucks from the country's mega port. Currently, long vehicles congest Dar es Salaam every day to load containers before shipping them to the neighbouring countries, and end up causing heavy traffic jams in the city roads. If the Wu-Tang produced it in '23 instead of '93, they'd have called it D.R.E.A.M. because data rules everything around me. Where once our society brokered power based on strength of our arms and purse strings, the modern world is driven by data empowering algorithms to sort, silo and sell us out. These black box oracles of imperious and imperceptible decision-making deign who gets home loans, who gets bail, who finds love and who gets their kids taken from them by the state. In their new book, How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms, which builds off their existing curriculum, Columbia University Professors Chris Wiggins and Matthew L Jones examine how data is curated into actionable information and used to shape everything from our political views and social mores to our military responses and economic activities. In the excerpt below, Wiggins and Jones look at the work of mathematician John McCarthy, the junior Dartmouth professor who single-handedly coined the term "artificial intelligence"... as part of his ploy to secure summer research funding. WW Norton Excerpted from How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms by Chris Wiggins and Matthew L Jones. Published by WW Norton. Copyright 2023 by Chris Wiggins and Matthew L Jones. All rights reserved. Confecting Artificial Intelligence A passionate advocate of symbolic approaches, the mathematician John McCarthy is often credited with inventing the term artificial intelligence, including by himself: I invented the term artificial intelligence, he explained, when we were trying to get money for a summer study to aim at the long term goal of achieving human level intelligence. The summer study in question was titled The Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, and the funding requested was from the Rockefeller Foundation. At the time a junior professor of mathematics at Dartmouth, McCarthy was aided in his pitch to Rockefeller by his former mentor Claude Shannon. As McCarthy describes the terms positioning, Shannon thought that artificial intelligence was too flashy a term and might attract unfavorable notice. However, McCarthy wanted to avoid overlap with the existing field of automata studies (including nerve nets and Turing machines) and took a stand to declare a new field. So I decided not to fly any false flags anymore. The ambition was enormous; the 1955 proposal claimed every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it. McCarthy ended up with more brain modelers than axiomatic mathematicians of the sort he wanted at the 1956 meeting, which came to be known as the Dartmouth Workshop. The event saw the coming together of diverse, often contradictory efforts to make digital computers perform tasks considered intelligent, yet as historian of artificial intelligence Jonnie Penn argues, the absence of psychological expertise at the workshop meant that the account of intelligence was informed primarily by a set of specialists working outside the human sciences. Each participant saw the roots of their enterprise differently. McCarthy reminisced, anybody who was there was pretty stubborn about pursuing the ideas that he had before he came, nor was there, as far as I could see, any real exchange of ideas. Like Turings 1950 paper, the 1955 proposal for a summer workshop in artificial intelligence seems in retrospect incredibly prescient. The seven problems that McCarthy, Shannon, and their collaborators proposed to study became major pillars of computer science and the field of artificial intelligence: Automatic Computers (programming languages) How Can a Computer be Programmed to Use a Language (natural language processing) Neuron Nets (neural nets and deep learning) Theory of the Size of a Calculation (computational complexity) Self-improvement (machine learning) Abstractions (feature engineering) Randomness and Creativity (Monte Carlo methods including stochastic learning). The term artificial intelligence, in 1955, was an aspiration rather than a commitment to one method. AI, in this broad sense, involved both discovering what comprises human intelligence by attempting to create machine intelligence as well as a less philosophically fraught effort simply to get computers to perform difficult activities a human might attempt. Only a few of these aspirations fueled the efforts that, in current usage, became synonymous with artificial intelligence: the idea that machines can learn from data. Among computer scientists, learning from data would be de-emphasized for generations. Most of the first half century of artificial intelligence focused on combining logic with knowledge hard-coded into machines. Data collected from everyday activities was hardly the focus; it paled in prestige next to logic. In the last five years or so, artificial intelligence and machine learning have begun to be used synonymously; its a powerful thought-exercise to remember that it didnt have to be this way. For the first several decades in the life of artificial intelligence, learning from data seemed to be the wrong approach, a nonscientific approach, used by those who werent willing to just program the knowledge into the computer. Before data reigned, rules did. For all their enthusiasm, most participants at the Dartmouth workshop brought few concrete results with them. One group was different. A team from the RAND Corporation, led by Herbert Simon, had brought the goods, in the form of an automated theorem prover. This algorithm could produce proofs of basic arithmetical and logical theorems. But math was just a test case for them. As historian Hunter Heyck has stressed, that group started less from computing or mathematics than from the study of how to understand large bureaucratic organizations and the psychology of the people solving problems within them. For Simon and Newell, human brains and computers were problem solvers of the same genus. Our position is that the appropriate way to describe a piece of problem-solving behavior is in terms of a program: a specification of what the organism will do under varying environmental circumstances in terms of certain elementary information processes it is capable of performing... Digital computers come into the picture only because they can, by appropriate programming, be induced to execute the same sequences of information processes that humans execute when they are solving problems. Hence, as we shall see, these programs describe both human and machine problem solving at the level of information processes. Though they provided many of the first major successes in early artificial intelligence, Simon and Newell focused on a practical investigation of the organization of humans. They were interested in human problem-solving that mixed what Jonnie Penn calls a composite of early twentieth century British symbolic logic and the American administrative logic of a hyper-rationalized organization. Before adopting the moniker of AI, they positioned their work as the study of information processing systems comprising humans and machines alike, that drew on the best understanding of human reasoning of the time. Simon and his collaborators were deeply involved in debates about the nature of human beings as reasoning animals. Simon later received the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on the limitations of human rationality. He was concerned, alongside a bevy of postwar intellectuals, with rebutting the notion that human psychology should be understood as animal-like reaction to positive and negative stimuli. Like others, he rejected a behaviorist vision of the human as driven by reflexes, almost automatically, and that learning primarily concerned the accumulation of facts acquired through such experience. Great human capacities, like speaking a natural language or doing advanced mathematics, never could emerge only from experiencethey required far more. To focus only on data was to misunderstand human spontaneity and intelligence. This generation of intellectuals, central to the development of cognitive science, stressed abstraction and creativity over the analysis of data, sensory or otherwise. Historian Jamie Cohen-Cole explains, Learning was not so much a process of acquiring facts about the world as of developing a skill or acquiring proficiency with a conceptual tool that could then be deployed creatively. This emphasis on the conceptual was central to Simon and Newells Logic Theorist program, which didnt just grind through logical processes, but deployed human-like heuristics to accelerate the search for the means to achieve ends. Scholars such as George Polya investigating how mathematicians solved problems had stressed the creativity involved in using heuristics to solve math problems. So mathematics wasnt drudgery it wasnt like doing lots and lots of long division or of reducing large amounts of data. It was creative activity and, in the eyes of its makers, a bulwark against totalitarian visions of human beings, whether from the left or the right. (And so, too, was life in a bureaucratic organization it need not be drudgery in this picture it could be a place for creativity. Just dont tell that to its employees.) 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. press release Beirut Security Campaign Criminalizes Peaceful Dissent The Egyptian authorities have since late April 2023 arrested at least 12 family members and perceived supporters of Ahmed Tantawy, a former parliament member who said in March that he would run for president in the 2024 elections, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrests appear to be solely based on the individuals' relationship with Tantawy, preempting his announcement that he would return to Egypt from abroad on May 6. The authorities should immediately release all those detained merely for exercising their basic rights to free association and expression or because of their relationship with Tantawy, and present anyone for whom there is evidence of wrongdoing before a judge to review the legality and necessity of their detention. "The arrests of relatives and supporters of Ahmed Tantawy demonstrate that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government is determined to stifle peaceful dissent and label all critics as threats," said Amr Magdi, senior Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Such abuses infringe on the rights of those targeted and severely reduce the country's prospects for democratic and human rights for many years to come." Lawyers told Human Rights Watch that the authorities arrested two of Tantawy's uncles at their homes in Kafr el-Sheikh, a city north of Cairo, on May 2 and 3. The lawyers said that security forces also arrested at least 10 other men perceived to be supportive or friends of Tantawy. Prosecutors ordered the detention of all 12 people for 15 days pending investigation on the charge of "joining a terrorist group," while some of them faced additional charges of financing that group, "possessing publications that undermine public security," and possessing fireworks, explosives, or firearms. An Egyptian human rights lawyer, Nasser Amin, tweeted that some of those arrested have been in custody since April. Tantawy said in a Facebook video on May 5, recorded in Lebanon, where he has been living for several months, that this arrest campaign is the third time authorities have targeted his family and supporters to silence him in recent months. Tantawy announced that he plans to return to Egypt on May 6 and run for president in 2024. He is the former head of the leftist al-Karama Party, and was one of the very few critical voices between 2015 and 2019 in the parliament, which was and remains overwhelmingly dominated by supporters of the president. In August 2022, Tantawy left Egypt for Lebanon after he resigned from the al-Karama Party. Members of his party said in local media reports that he resigned and left Egypt under pressure from security agencies. "When the closest and most beloved people in my social circle are harmed, this is definitely a type of indirect pressure. It is definitely painful," Tantawy said in a BBC interview in September. Security forces have in recent years arrested several members of the party over their political activities. Human Rights Watch has documented a clear pattern of Egyptian authorities' reprisals against families in Egypt of activists and critics living abroad, using unlawful home raids, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and prolonged detention of family members without trial or charges. Two lawyers who attended the prosecution interrogation session with the two uncles, Mohamed Naguib Tantawy and Mohamed Sayed Attia, said that National Security agents held the two at a National Security Agency building in Kafr el-Shiekh for about 24 hours with no communication with the outside world before taking them to the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo. The lawyers said that prosecutors ordered the uncles detained for 15 days on Security Agency allegations that the men, ages 71 and 61, were distributing publications calling on people to meet Tantawy at Cairo airport upon his arrival on May 6 and use "force" to release him if security arrested him. The National Security Agency is an Interior Ministry division involved in widespread abuses, some of which have most likely amounted to crimes against humanity. Members of the Supreme State Security Prosecutions in Egypt typically remand people in custody for months or years without trial, and frequently base their decisions on unsubstantiated security allegations. International human rights law necessitates taking anyone detained before a judge or the equivalent, not a prosecutor, swiftly - within 48 hours - to review their detention and assess whether they should be released. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Egypt Legal Affairs Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Lawyers said that prosecutors presented 20 pieces of fireworks and 70 leaflets as the material evidence to support the detention of Tantawy's uncles. The lawyers said that security forces who arrested one of the uncles knocked on his door at dawn, asked for his national identification document, and then escorted him away without searching his home. President al-Sisi won 97 percent of votes in unfair and unfree presidential elections in 2018. In the weeks and months before the election, the authorities successively eliminated key challengers who announced their intention to run for president by arresting two of them, placing one under house arrest, and pushing another two to withdraw due to concerns over the safety of their supporters and government manipulation. In the end, al-Sisi ran against one of his own supporters with no real competition. "There will be no fair or free elections in Egypt as long as authorities continue to stifle basic freedoms and crush the rule of law to intimidate critics," Magdi said. Faced with a funding crisis, the World Food Programme will suspend food aid to over 200,000 Palestinians starting next month. The agency will continue to provide aid for 140,000 of those deemed most at risk in the West Bank and Gaza. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Keystone School junior was found dead Thursday at the bottom of a cliff near Heroes Stadium. The body of Siri Reddy, 16, was discovered about 5 p.m. in the 4700 block of David Edwards on the Northeast Side, according to a San Antonio police report. Siris mother had gone to pick her daughter up at school, but she was not there. The mother, however, was able to track her daughters phone to a large area near the stadium. ALSO READ: SAPD calls: Body found in flooded West Side creek; man dead after hit by train on the East Side As officers were heading to that location, Siris mother found her at the bottom of the north ridge. Emergency medical personnel attempted to save her life, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police do not know why Siri was there, but she appears to have fallen and died from her injuries. The investigation is ongoing. Monte Bach / Staff William Handmaker, principal of Keystone, said in a statement that the school was greatly saddened by Siris death. Our heartfelt sympathies are with her family, friends and every member of the Keystone School community, he said. ALSO READ: Fisherman finds dead mans body along San Antonio River at Espada Park The school has made on-campus counselors available to Keystone students, teachers and staff member to discuss the incident confidentially. Handmaker said the school requests that all members of the community cooperate with law enforcement, should they become involved. Siri was a member of the National Honor Society, an award-winning member of the schools Science Fair team and a member of the Upper School robotics team. She also contributed to The Keynote, the schools newspaper. ALSO READ: Dead body with gunshot wounds found at suspicious fire Last year, she sang Vedrai Carino by Mozart at Music Fest at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and she sang in the cast of the Upper School musical Grease. She will be deeply missed, Handmaker said. Boerne voters turned to political newcomer Frank Ritchie as their next mayor, sending the local businessman to an easy victory over long-time City Council member Nina Woolard. Ritchie, who operates a local auto repair shop and didn't run a traditional campaign, captured 76 percent of the ballots to Woolard's 24 percent, according to complete but unofficial results. "It's pretty, pretty staggering results, considering the fact that I ran a nontraditional campaign where I didn't really campaign at all," Rtichie told the Express-News on Saturday night. "I'm excited that the community has put their faith and their trust in someone who's an average guy that just cares about the community and loves his neighbor." Ritchie will replace departing Mayor Tim Handren, who decided not to seek re-election after four years in office. MORE BOERNE COVERAGE: Departing mayor has no apologies as Boerne continues to grow, change Transportation-related issues and the pace of development were the key issues in the race, as Boerne continues to grapple with rapid population growth. Boernes population increased from 10,471 in 2010 to an estimated 19,109 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Woolard, who has been the City Council District 2 representative for more than 10 years, and other city officials have faced criticism from some in the community who accused them of not doing enough to regulate and control development in the city and county. Woolard's campaign website laid out a litany of policy positions addressing growth-related issues. LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: Proposition A, city council and mayor Ritchie, who operates Ritchie Automotive in Boerne, describes himself as a grease monkey that loves Jesus." He received grassroots support from one of Boernes largest private Facebook groups and from residents who oppose development in the rapidly growing city. Supporters made campaign signs, posters and car stickers for Ritchie, who refused to campaign in such capacities. "That's the whole point of me running: Bringing that sense of community and not a sense of a city back to Boerne," Ritchie said. Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer City Council races In Boerne City Council District 2, two candidates were in a tight race to replace Woolard on the council. Sharon Wright held a slim 21-vote lead over challenger Joe Bateman, 252-231, in unofficial results. Wright, a nurse practitioner, citing a tipping point in the citys quality of living as her reason for running. Shes spoken out against the citys recently passed thoroughfare plan and the eventual arrival of a Buc-ees store in the city two hot-button issues among politically active residents. Bateman ran on a platform of conservative governance and fiscal responsibility, as well as prioritizing water when analyzing the citys growth. Bateman said hed prioritize reducing response times for emergency services. In City Council District 4, incumbent Bryce Boddie was unopposed in his bid to retain his council seat. Local attorney Neal Linnartz won the race to become New Braunfels' next mayor, and voters also said yes to the city's $140 bond package, according to complete but unofficial results Saturday. New Braunfels Mayor Rusty Brockman, who was elected in 2020, did not seek re-election. NEW BRAUNFELS NEWS: Police warn about "jugging" robberies targeting bank, ATM customers Four candidates lined up to replace Brockman in a race defined by questions about dealing with growth and infrastructure challenges. Linnartz, an attorney who has served on a number of city boards, captured 56 percent of the vote, carrying him past second-place finisher Michael French, who received 27.1 percent of the votes. George Green, a former New Braunfels City Council member, received 12.5 percent, while political novice Edward Martinez Jr. netted 4.4 percent. Bond propositions New Braunfels voters also signed off on a $140 million city bond package that would provide funding for transportation projects, park improvements and a new public library branch. The bond proposition vote came as New Braunfels is trying to upgrade its infrastructure to deal with rapid growth. The city's population increased from 57,740 in 2010 to 98,857 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The biggest piece of the bond package is Proposition A, which seeks $99.3 million to pay for eight transportation projects. It will be spent on widening streets, adding turning lanes and repaving roads. The measure passed easily, winning approval from 71.2 percent of voters. Voters also approved Proposition B, a $12.1 million plan to pay for a second phase of improvements to Mission Hill Park, a 10-acre park in northwest New Braunfels. The city last year began work on an initial phase, aimed at providing trail access to natural areas. Mission Hill Park is the first public park for residents west of Loop 337, according to the city. Proposition B provides funding for parking, restrooms and event space, multilevel observation tower, a canopy walk with access to observation tower decks, and soft and hard surface trails with a trailhead. It passed with 56.9 percent of voters approving. Proposition C calls for $28.6 million to pay for the construction of a new branch of the New Braunfels Public Library in southeast New Braunfels. Plans call for a 23,250-square-foot library space south of the Guadalupe River and east and south of Interstate 35. A specific site has not yet been selected for the new branch. Proposition C passed with 55.3 percent of votes cast in favor. City Council races New Braunfels voters in two City Council districts District 5 and District 6 also were voting on their council representatives. In District 5, Mary Ann Labowski and Bently Paiz were running to replace Council Member Jason Hurta, who did not seek reelection. Labowski captured 79.9 percent of the vote to 20.1 percent for Paiz. In District 6, incumbent City Council Member James Blakey lost his seat. April Ryan led the race with 46.8 percent of the vote, while Steven Voges was second at 28.4 percent and Blakey was third at 24.8 percent. As neither captured more than 50 percent of the vote, Ryan and Voges will face off in a runoff election. New Braunfels school board races Three New Braunfels Independent School District Board of Trustees seats were also up for grabs in Saturday's election. In District 2, incumbent Nancy York ran unopposed. In District 4, challenger Jackie Sanders won with 63 percent of the vote over incumbent John E. Tucker's 36.9 percent. A three-way race for an at-large trustee position saw Kimberly Goodwin win with 51.9 percent to Bill Lewis' 30.6 percent and Falon Cochran's 17.5 percent. If spring cleaning has you weeding out clothing you haven't worn lately or kitchen items that you no longer use, local nonprofit organizations will gladly take items in good condition off your hands to help those in need. Here are some spots to donate clothes and other items in San Antonio. More on Express-News: Residents move into S.A.s first permanent housing community with services for homeless older adults Christian Assistance Ministry CAM provides safety net needs for vulnerable and at-risk populations. The organization, which is located downtown and northwest San Antonio, will give out daily sack lunches, bags of grocery store items, financial assistance, school supplies and clothing. The most common items needed include childrens clothing sizes 6 to 18, mens jeans and shoes, womens bras and mens and womens underwear that are still in the package. Right now, the downtown campus needs bras of all sizes and mens jeans. The northwest campus needs mens shoes and womens socks. More information can be found on the CAM website. Family Violence and Prevention Services This organization assists families in need through education, emergency shelter, traditional housing and early intervention. It also takes clothing, food and household donations for people in need. Needed donations include new socks, gently used boys and girls sweaters and jackets, ladies and childrens pajamas and diapers for ages 5, 6 and 7. The organization will also take gently used bed sheets and kitchen goods, such as pots, pans and silverware. The entire list of acceptable donations is on the donation center website. Boysville Auxiliary Thrift Store Boysville provides short-term emergency shelter for girls and boys in need in Converse, Texas, as well as foster care and adoption services. All profits made at the thrift store go to the organization and the children in care. The store accepts all clothing, shoes and furniture that is new or gently used. It also takes small appliances such as coffee machines, blenders and flat screen televisions. More information on what is acceptable for donation can be found on the Boysville Thrift Store website. Arms of Hope This nonprofit Christian care organization provides assistance to mothers and children in need with a childrens home just 60 miles northwest of San Antonio. It accepts clothing and shoes of all sizes for men, women and children as well as accessories, such as purses, backpacks and belts. The organization also takes books, toys and small appliances. Arms of Hope also offers to pick up the donations from your home for no cost. Dress for Success Dress for Success is a nonprofit that assists lower-income women in obtaining and maintaining employment in San Antonio. They are primarily focused on career development and access to professional clothing through donations. The organization will accept interview appropriate attire, such as suits, blouses, slacks, closed-toe shoes, portfolios and handbags. All clothing that is donated should be dry-cleaned or laundered beforehand because many clients will go directly to an interview from Dress for Success. Outdated clothing and makeup will not be accepted. ELECTION CENTRAL: Full election Results | Latest Political News | Bexar County Elections Site Police union President Danny Diaz cracked a huge smile as soon as he saw early voting returns come in three-quarters of voters who'd cast ballots ahead of election day had rejected Proposition A, a wide-ranging measure to change San Antonio policing policy. When all ballots were counted Saturday night, the city charter amendment had indeed failed badly, with only 28 percent of voters supporting it. Diaz wasnt sure what to expect when he walked into Ajuua restaurant on the Northwest Side early that evening. His memories of May 2021 and the narrow victory the union eked out when another police-related proposition was last on the ballot were still fresh. He was even a little nervous, he admitted. Im grateful to the community and how they saw that this was a bad proposition for them and for us as a city, Diaz said. The San Antonio Police Officers Association launched a massive ad campaign against the city charter amendment, spending nearly $2 million to bombard radio and television airwaves, put up yard signs across the city and reach countless drivers with electronic billboard messages. The business community, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and most City Council members also came out against the charter amendment, largely because it would expand the list of misdemeanor offenses for which police officers would be required to give a citation rather than make an arrest. READ MORE: Mario Bravo lags behind education consultant Sukh Kaur. Districts 1 and 7 are headed for runoffs. The debate around Prop As cite-and-release provision and whether it would lead to rampant crime overwhelmed supporters efforts to motivate young voters to turn out for a chance to decriminalize abortion and marijuana and ban police chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Supporters largely focused on Prop A's provision to decriminalize abortion the first chance Texans had to vote on the issue since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, triggering a near-total ban on the procedure in the state. They also touted its marijuana decriminalization provision, which would have halted arrests and citations for low-level possession of the drug something a growing list of Texas cities have done, including nearby San Marcos and Austin. At the beginning of this, it was assumed that we would win I even heard that from the mayors office back in January and it really just goes to show how big-money interests, misinformation and fear can really squash the vote and the will of the people, said Act 4 SA Executive Director Ananda Tomas. She was one of the lead organizers behind the petition campaign that got the charter amendment on the ballot. Unlike 2021s measure, which aimed to strip SAPOA of its right to collectively bargain with the city, Prop A faced hurdles from the get-go. Less than an hour after the city clerk certified the petition signatures, City Attorney Andy Segovia called a news conference to say that all but one of the charter amendments provisions would conflict with state law. The city would enforce only the creation of a justice director at City Hall, were the measure to pass, Segovia said. Despite the outcome, Tomas didnt regret lumping all the provisions into a single measure. The whole feeling the whole time was, we have to push this as far as we can to start with, she said. We knew it was going to be bold, we knew it was going to be ambitious and we wanted to make sure that we started the conversation there." What's next Diaz believes the union's campaign, and his more than two years leading the union, has shown elected officials that hes willing to sit down and work with them. That attitude, he said, will go further than Saturdays results as the union seeks to increase the size of San Antonio's police force. The San Antonio Police Department is seeking to add 100 new patrol officers in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Though the department is short-staffed, our officers are working hard and working extra and doing what they need to, Diaz said. READ MORE: Prop A supporters say Mayor Nirenberg has unspoken reason for standing against charter amendment For Tomas, Saturday's results indicate that organizers need to do a better job of educating voters on criminal justice reform. Organizers saw expanding cite-and-release as a way to divert people from the criminal justice system and address the difficulties that people who have arrest records or criminal convictions have securing work, housing or a school loan. Though the mayor and a number of City Council candidates campaigned on the need to combat rising crime in San Antonio, Tomas was heartened that the two incumbents who supported Prop A District 2 City Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 5 City Councilwoman Teri Castillo easily won their races. That shows that the community is ready to find solutions and find change and that this resonates with them," she said. "We just hope that elected officials both locally, and at the state and federal level, consider that and think about this. Pursuing another provision in the near future, this one narrowly focused on abortion and marijuana decriminalization, isnt off the table for organizers. Despite the decisive victory, Diaz said he was open to meeting with Tomas to try to find common ground. The main thing is to make sure, lets keep San Antonio the way it is. Its a safe community, its a diverse community. My thing is, lets work together to keep it that way, he said. ELECTION CENTRAL: Full election Results | Latest Political News | Bexar County Elections Site District 1 City Councilman Mario Bravo, who had been defending his seat against six challengers for months, ended election night in second place and now faces a re-energerized Sukh Kaur in an upcoming runoff. Bravo trailed Kaur, a public education consultant and first-time candidate who won 34 percent of the vote to Bravos 26 percent. Marketing executive Jeremy Roberts wasnt far behind Bravo, with nearly 21 percent. The runoff election will be June 10. In the only other council runoff, Marina Alderete Gavito and Dan Rossiter will vie for the open District 7 seat on the West and Northwest sides. District 10 was the only other open seat in Saturday's city election. Business attorney Marc Whyte fended off six other candidates to win the Northeast Side district without a runoff. Kaur spent election night greeting a crowd of friends, family and supporters on the rooftop of Sanchos Cantina and Cocina on Jackson near downtown with her dog, Heera, in a carrier on her hip. KAYLEE GREENLEE BEAL 2023 Many of the dozens of attendees were sporting custom-made purple T-shirts that Kaur had made with her Cricut craft machine throughout the campaign season. Even Heera, who was calm despite the loud music and constant cheering, wore a purple bandana that read Vote for my mama. All right, everybody, Kaur told her supporters in her victory speech. Tie your shoelaces even tighter because we have five more weeks to go. Going into election day, Kaur said she was content and without expectations, that she'd given her all on the campaign trail. I think they saw that my heart and my passion is in the right place, Kaur said of residents who voted for her. Its truly to create change for District 1. LIVE: Election results for every race on the ballot Though six people ran against Bravo, Kaur and Roberts were his strongest challengers on the campaign trail. They were also the first to announce races against the first-term incumbent in a district that covers the inner city and parts of the North Side. Both Kaur and Roberts announced their candidacies soon after news broke that Bravo berated former District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, his former romantic partner, on the sidelines of a Sept. 15 council meeting for not supporting his plan for using $50 million of excess CPS Energy revenue. Kaur, 34, is a former middle school teacher. She's founder and CEO of EDreimagined, an education consulting organization. Bravo was an Environmental Defense Fund project manager until March last year, when he quit to focus full time on the City Council. He serves on three council committees: audit and accountability, public safety, and economic and workforce development. This isnt the councilmans first time in a runoff election. He won the seat in a 2021 runoff against three-time incumbent Roberto C. Trevino after losing a race for Bexar County commissioner in 2018. Bravo said a head-to-head race in the runoff will benefit him. Everybody wants to be in first place starting off, Bravo said Saturday night. Theres plenty of examples out there where somebody comes from behind. This race and the next race are entirely different races. So you cant compare them. The councilman advocates for building more housing stock to keep up with the citys growing population. While on the council, he has made improving energy efficiency in San Antonio a major focus. READ MORE: Prop A trounced as early votes are counted Since Ive gotten into office, I think Ive demonstrated that Im somebody who listens to all sides, whos accessible, somebody who has a balanced approach, and Im very proud of that, Bravo said ahead of Saturday's election. Kaur wants to bolster public safety, improve streets and sidewalks, collaborate with small businesses and address rising property taxes. Proposition A, also called the San Antonio Justice Charter, was a major issue in most council races, including District 1's. It would have decriminalized abortion and marijuana, expanded cite-and-release and banned some policing techniques. It also would have created a citywide justice director to oversee the implementation of the policy changes. The measure lost badly, garnering only 28 percent of the vote. While campaigning, Bravo wouldnt give a straight answer about whether he supported or opposed the proposition, saying he agreed with some of its provisions but was concerned about others. Kaur had said she planned to vote for Prop A because she supports abortion rights. READ MORE: All but one S.A. incumbent appear on their way to another term District 7 Gavito carried 43 percent of the vote, while Rossiter won 21 percent against three others in the District 7 race. Gavito, 41, is an adviser at SA Digital Connects, a nonprofit that works closely with Bexar County and the city to expand internet access to low-income neighborhoods. She had been the executive director before launching her campaign. Before SA Digital Connects, she was the innovation business development director for San Antonio insurance and financial services giant USAA. Gavito has close ties to San Antonios burgeoning tech community. She previously worked at Rackspace and served as the founding executive director at Tech Bloc. She also was vice president of the Woodlawn Lake Neighborhood Association and vice chair of the VIA Metropolitan Transit board of trustees. She has served on the Bexar County Child Welfare Board and the advisory board of the University of Texas at San Antonio's college of engineering. Her father is former District 7 Councilman Joe Alderete, an ally of Mayor Henry Cisneros in the 1980s and a current Alamo Colleges trustee. Her mother is Chris Alderete, a former chairwoman of Port San Antonios board of directors. The seat opened when Sandoval, a three-term councilwoman, stepped down in January to take a job with Bexar County-owned University Health. The office is currently held by interim Councilwoman Rosie Castro, a civil rights activist and the mother of twin brothers Julian Castro, a former mayor, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. Rossiter was a founding member of the citys Housing Commission Renters Solutions Subcommittee, which helps create rental policies to benefit tenants. He served on several local boards and commissions, including the 2022-27 Streets Bond Committee, where he played a role in advising the council on how to spend half a billion dollars to improve roads. Rossiter, 32, had thought for years about running for council. When Sandoval left office in January, Rossiter sought to serve as an interim council representative until a new person was elected, but the council said it would consider only temporary applicants who were not also running for office. During his four years as president of the Thunderbird Hills Neighborhood Association, Rossiter secured 10 acres for parkland. He served on the Brooks Development Authoritys board of directors for two years before leaving to run for office. Rossiter is a computer scientist who oversaw transportation projects at Southwest Research Institute before leaving his job in February to focus on his campaign. Rossiter still owns a real estate investment and rental management company, which he would continue to run if elected. Roads are his top priority. Rossiter said he wants to eliminate waste in the city budget and improve public safety through ongoing investment in the Police Department. He has outlined policy recommendations to consolidate city-owned utility operations and improve animal control. District 10 For months before Whyte filed for the seat, former District 10 councilmen pressed Clayton Perry, 67, not to run and lined up behind Whyte. Perry, a three-term incumbent, decided in February not to seek re-election after driving his Jeep Rubicon while intoxicated into a Honda Civic on the Northeast Side and fleeing the scene Nov. 6. Perry was handed one year of probation last month as part of a plea deal. He also must pay $500 and perform 24 hours of community service. All seven former District 10 council members still living in San Antonio backed Whyte, 43. Perry announced his endorsement of Whyte in April. The business attorney has served on San Antonios Ethics Review Board, the citys bond committee and the Port San Antonio board. He had been a zoning commissioner since 2019 but stepped down to run for council. Though many District 10 leaders turned away from Perry, opting instead to support Whyte, the two have very similar politics. Whyte easily won the seat with 58 percent of the vote. A staunch conservative, he echoes several of Perrys themes. He said he wants to lower property taxes and reform the appraisal system, as well as reduce crime and attract new businesses to the city. However, Whyte said he doesnt want to be the council's lone dissenter, as Perry frequently has been. Theres been too many 10 to 1 votes, Whyte said last month. And I think that where Im going to be different is Im going to really try to work to find six votes for a lot of the things that I want to do. There is an infuriating disconnect between those lawmakers who pray for mass shooting victims and praise first responders only to refuse to consider gun safety legislation. Weeks away from the one-year anniversary of the murders of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texans are grieving two more mass shootings. The slaughter of five people April 28 in Cleveland, just outside Houston, after family members asked their neighbor to not fire his weapon so close to their home. And now the killing of at least eight people at a mall in Allen, outside Dallas, on Saturday afternoon. At least seven people were injured. Once again, we call on Gov. Greg Abbott and state lawmakers to respond to the persistent and agonizing crisis of gun violence. Once again, they do nothing. We are at a pivotal but tragically prolonged moment in addressing gun violence. Americans are largely in agreement on policies that many Republican lawmakers oppose. Consider recent polling from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin: 76 percent of respondents expressed support for raising the purchase age of all firearms from 18 to 21. Another 72 percent supported red flag laws, which would require a person to temporarily surrender their guns, under court order, if found to be a danger. A Quinnipiac poll from June 8, weeks after the Uvalde massacre, found 74 percent of Americans supported raising the purchase age to 21 for any type of firearm. Respondents also overwhelmingly supported universal background checks and red flag laws. Polling from the Pew Research Center in April 2021 said much the same thing. The tension isnt really a debate about gun rights or gun safety reforms, after all, honor the rights of responsible gun owners but rather a political class that is incapable and unwilling to meaningfully respond to an ongoing crisis. A mass shooting should never happen, but theyve become commonplace in America. At a moment when there is substantial agreement about gun policies, the United States is on pace for a record number of mass shootings in 2023. At a moment when lawmakers refuse to enact popular reforms, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers from age 1 to 19. Change will take years, perhaps generations, of advocacy, and it will require political and nonpolitical responses. On the political front, perhaps the most interesting number in the Texas Politics Project poll is 64. Thats the percentage of Republican respondents who either strongly or somewhat support raising the purchase age for a firearm and red flag laws. But you would never know this from the partys base or the GOP talking points. In the aftermath of Uvalde, we witnessed party activists boo U.S. Sen. John Cornyn at the Texas GOP convention for leading modest bipartisan federal gun safety reforms. We have also seen the Texas GOP censure U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents San Antonio and Uvalde, for supporting this legislation (among, in their eyes, other transgressions). Somehow the voices of the 64 percent need to be activated and heard in Republican primaries. Somehow in general elections, gun violence must be at the top of voters minds. This tension underscores the harm gerrymandering injects in our politics and the need for an independent redistricting commission in Texas. In too many districts, there is little to no pressure for incumbents to embrace popular bipartisan reforms. Beyond politics and the quest for new laws, we desperately need a broader conversation about guns that frames violence as a public health crisis. Implicit in that conversation is investing in mental health care, championing safe storage laws and identifying and supporting those in distress. In 2021, 4,733 children and teens were killed by firearms. In Allen, a 5-year-old was shot. In Cleveland, a 9-year-old was killed. Americans have rallied around efforts to reduce motor vehicle child deaths and drownings. A public health campaign around reducing gun violence, with an emphasis on children, could do wonders. Mass shootings capture our attention because they could happen to any of us at any time as we attend school, worship or shop. But mass shootings remain a small fraction of overall gun violence. In recent weeks, we have grieved the death an 8-month-old shot on San Antonios Northeast Side as, officials said, her parents fought over a gun. We were shocked that two cheerleaders were shot and injured in an H-E-B northeast of Austin after one mistakenly tried to enter the wrong vehicle. We were horrified Abbott pushed to pardon a convicted murderer who shot and killed an armed protester in Austin. Gun violence is pervasive in America, but it should never be accepted. With persistent advocacy, dialogue and voting, the change most Americans and Texans yearn for will come. That day cant come soon enough. Uganda has been selected to host the 12th high-level oversight meeting on peace, security and cooperation framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes Region. The decision was reached on Saturday during the 11th high-level meeting held in Bujumbura, Burundi was attended by the heads of state and government of the signatory countries of the peace, security and cooperation framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The meeting was meant to review recent developments in the region as well as progress and challenges in the implementation of the framework, ten years after its signing in February 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was agreed that the leaders will meet again in Kampala, Uganda, in 2024 to further review the implementation of the framework. During the summit in Bujumbura, the outgoing chairperson, Felix Antoine Tshishekedi (President of DRC) handed over leadership to Burundi President, Evariste Ndayishimiye. The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres said DRC is a rich country endowed with priceless natural resources, but noted the citizens have not benefited from them due to the instability in the country. He rallied other countries in the region to put resources together to help their neighbor gain stability so that it can develop socially and economically. Audrine Faith Otieno, the chairperson of peace and security of the regional youth forum of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) attributed the high levels of unemployment and poverty in the Great Lakes Region to instability. Otieno also urged leaders in the region to fulfill the resolutions they come up with during high level summits so that these interventions don't go to waste. The outgoing chair of the framework, Felix Tshishekedi appreciated participating countries for their endless efforts in ensuring that DRC regains stability. The President of Burundi Ndayishimiye, who is also the incoming chairperson thanked President Museveni, who was in attendance, for playing a vital role in ensuring peace and security in the region. He also lauded the peace process facilitator, the former President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta for the job well done in ensuring that DRC gains stability. ELECTION CENTRAL: Full election Results | Latest Political News | Bexar County Elections Site It's a great night for incumbents after early voter totals were released. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and nearly all sitting council members appear on their way to another term in office with one exception Mario Bravo. The embattled District 1 councilman is likely headed to a runoff with challenger Sukh Kaur. Prop A Proposition A was struck down by 67% of the votes. Click here for our full coverage on Prop A. Mayor Mayor Ron Nirenberg likely will avoid a runoff with 61% of the votes cast. His closes competitor was Christopher T. Schuchardt, who had 22%. The race drew several challengers, but the eight people running against Nirenberg didn't appear to be a serious threat to the incumbent, who had over $330,000 headed into the campaign season. City Council Districts District 1: Challenger Sukh Kaur will take incumbent Mario Bravo to a runoff. Kaur led with 34%. Bravo trailed with 26%, followed by Jeremy Roberts with 21% of the votes. Bravo faced six challengers in his bid for a second term. He was one of two council members who received the rare vote of no confidence in November. Bravo received the vote for violating the city's anti-harassment and anti-violence standards when he berated District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval in September. Soon after news of his behavior broke, a couple of challengers announced their candidacy, including Kaur and Roberts. District 2: Jalen McKee-Rodriguez will keep his seat without a runoff with 56% of the votes. A runoff initially seemed likely as the East Side councilman had nine challengers. He made history in 2021 when he unseated his former boss, first-term councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan, becoming the first openly gay man to serve on the council. District 3: Incumbent Phyllis Viagran barely kept her seat without a runoff. She received 51% of the early votes, with Erin Gallegos Reid following with 22%. In 2021, Viagran was one of a dozen people trying to fill the then-open seat that had previously been held by her sister. This year, Viagran had three challengers. District 4: Adriana Rocha Garcia easily kept her seat with 75% of the votes. Rocha Garcia, the first woman to represent this Southwest Side district, faced one competitor in her bid for a third term. District 5: Teri Castillo also earned another term in office with 63% of the votes. She was followed by Rudy Lopez with 31%. Castillo was one of 11 candidates vying for the open seat for District 5 in 2021, but she's only going up against two other candidates. One of them is a familiar face, though Lopez, who also ran in 2021 but lost in a runoff to Castillo. District 6: It's unlikely Melissa Cabello Havrda will need a runoff with 54% of the votes. Her closes competition is Irina Rudolph with 35%. Both her challengers Chris Baecker and Rudolph went up against Cabello Havrda two years ago, but neither came close to unseating her. District 7: The open seat vacated by Ana Sandoval earlier this year is headed to a runoff with Marina Alderete Gavito earning 43% of the votes, followed by Dan Rossiter, who got 21%. District 7 is one of two open seats, which typically draw a slew of contenders. Five people want to represent the district, which currently has temporary Councilwoman and Civil Rights activist Rosie Castro filling the seat. She was appointed after Sandoval resigned for a new, higher-paying job at University Health. Sandovals decision came after the November 2021 death of her father and the birth of her first daughter, who is now 8 months old. With her fathers death, Sandoval said, she is playing a bigger role in her mothers life. District 8: Incumbent Manny Pelaez will remain for another term with 70% of the votes. Pelaez is running for a fourth and final term representing this Northwest Side district. He faced lone challenger Cesario Garcia, who tried to unseat the councilman in 2021. District 9: Incumbent John Courage will keep his seat with 62% of the votes. Courage has represented the traditionally conservative North Side district for three terms and is seeking a fourth, which would be the last allowed under the city charter. District 10: Marc Whyte is poised to take over the open seat without a runoff with 58% of the early votes. District 10 is the second of two open seats, so unsurprisingly, it is a crowded race with seven candidates. Incumbent Clayton Perry, 67, decided not to run for a fourth and final term on the council in the wake of drunken driving and hit-and-run charges against him. Seven former District 10 councilmembers lined up in support of attorney Whyte, 42, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in Texas House District 121 in 2018. Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Cloudy with a few showers. Thunder possible. High 58F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Open Farm Sunday is set to return on 11 June, with farmers being encouraged to sign up to the initiative to share the farming story to the public. Educational charity LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) aims to boost the number of farms opening their gates to the public for the 2023 event. As the largest annual celebration of British farming, Open Farm Sunday gives the public a closer look about what it takes to be a farmer in Britain. It is an opportunity for farmers to engage with the local community, share the farming story, bust any myths about the industry and give visitors a positive experience. Visitors to farms across the UK will learn first-hand how farmers are committed to sustainability, biodiversity, animal welfare, and managing the countryside. Prior to the pandemic, over 350 farmers and landowners opened their farms across Britain, with over 250,000 visitors attending. LEAFs Open Farm Sunday manager, Annabel Shackleton said: Whether you host an event for 20 people or 200, the day is really rewarding, a great way to involve your local community and is hugely positive PR for British farming. "A simple self-guided farm walk is all you need to offer, and LEAF has lots of free resources and top tips available to help with your planning. The NFU, which is urging farmers to sign up to next month's initiative, said each farm could offer something unique. "This can range from a simple self-guided walk to a large open day with trailer rides, demonstrations, and fun activities for children," the union said. "Activities differ from farm to farm, and you may include: a farm walk, nature trail, tractor and trailer rides, demonstrations, pond dipping, activities for children, a mini farmers market, or a farm shop. "If youre not able to open your farm on the day, perhaps you could attend, help with or promote another Open Farm Sunday event where you can." Last year, over 250 farms opened their gates, welcoming over 175,000 people onto farms across Britain. LEAF asked visitors what they took away from visiting a farm, with the vast majority (85%) saying they now had more trust in British farming. A majority (79%) said they learned something new about farming, while 72% said they felt the industry was doing something to help combat climate change. Almost half (49%) of visitors said that OFS 2022 had inspired someone in their group to consider a career in the agri-food sector. And nearly all (98%) of visitors said they had a better understanding of what 'sustainably produced' food meant. Thomas Markle believes it was "for the best" that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex did not attend the coronation of King Charles. Why Thomas Markle believes it was for the best that Meghan did not attend the coronation The 41-year-old royal has been married to Prince Harry, 38, since 2018 but the pair stepped down from royal duties in 2020 to focus on a new life in LA and now Meghan's estranged father has claimed it was "for the best" that she missed the coronation of her father-in-law King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla on Saturday (06.05.23) because there are "too many disagreements" within the family. He told The Mail on Sunday: "It was for the best [that she stayed at home]. There are too many disagreements between Meghan, Harry and the Royals. It was wonderful to watch the good people of Britain welcome their new King and Queen." Prince Harry arrived for the coronation of his father but did not appear on the balcony along with the King and Queen or their fellow working royals The Prince and Princess of Wales and Anne, Princess Royal, instead reportedly opting to leave just hours after the crowning took place to catch a 3.45pm flight back to California. A source close to the couple also claimed that the former 'Suits' actress - who has Archie, four, and 23-month-old Lili with Harry - stayed at their Montecito mansion on what was also her eldest child's birthday because doing anything else would have seemed inappropriate. The source told the outlet: "[Meghan] stayed home to celebrate Archies birthday because she felt it would be inauthentic to do anything else." The former Hollywood film director - who is also father to screenwriter Samantha, 58, - did not attend Meghan's wedding in 2018 and has become estranged from her in recent years over claims he had staged paparazzi photos of her and even though he suffered a major stroke last year, the pair have not spoken for a number of years and she has previously claimed that she has "lost" him. Just days ago, Thomas wondered whether it was "worth" Meghan cutting him out and expressed his wish that they could "work things out." 7NEWS Spotlight: I refuse to be buried by her... is it worth getting rid of her father? I wish that we could sit down and talk. I wish we could work out our differences. I think Harry should take the lead here and try and put us together in some way. I think he could help. Kerry Katona is scared of getting married again. Kerry Katona is planning to marry Ryan Mahoney but she's in no rush to walk down the aisle again The former Atomic Kitten star who was previously married to Brian McFadden, Mark Croft and the late George Kay is engaged to Ryan Mahoney but while he was excited to learn COVID-19 restrictions are easing in the US, where they have planned to tie the knot, the 41-year-old star admitted her stomach sank at the news. In her column for new! magazine, she explained: Ryan texted me the other day saying, Joe Biden is lifting the law so you can travel to America unvaccinated. Weve always talked about getting married in Vegas, but I was like, Whats the rush?! My stomach sank the thought of walking down the aisle again scares me. I thought, Its only been five years, cant we wait a little bit longer? We havent made any plans for a wedding at all, but Im alright for now. Theres plenty of time for that in the future." The mother of five, whose third husband died from an overdose in 2019, previously admitted she was anxious at the idea of getting married again. She wrote in her column last summer: "I'll be honest, getting married gives me anxiety. I've been through two divorces and I'm a widow, so I feel scarred by what I've been through. I couldn't be happier with Ryan. I can't wait to call him my husband., but my heart races at the thought of it. A couple of years ago I would have been rushing to get married, but I don't feel any need to be like that now." Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Our tips will help you get the most bang for your yen Japan is a bucket list destination for many, but it must be acknowledged that it doesnt come cheap. The countrys vibrant capital Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities on the planet, but that doesnt stop it from being a super sought-after place to go. If you are a fan of all things Japanese, we have some tips that will help stretch your yen on holiday. Pick Your Travel Time If you really want to save on flights, stay costs and tourist attractions, winter is the time to visit. Add Tokyos Budget Attractions To Your Itinerary Book yourself on a free walking tour of the city on one of your first days to orient yourself with the city; make sure to tip generously. The busy Shibuya Crossing, known across the world, is free to marvel at. Take yourself to Memory Lane, also called Piss Alley, in Shinjuku for Japanese street food that wont put a dent in your wallet. And, for a great view of the city from above, head to the observatory platform of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Consider Capsuling If youd rather spend your money on experiences rather than a pricey hotel, consider Japans famous capsule hotels. You will get a capsule or pod to sleep in, with clean linen, an alarm clock and wifi. Bathrooms are shared but you can expect them to be spotless. Eat From The Vending Machines Dont worry, its not as basic as it sounds. Find yourself a vending machine restaurant, select your meal at the machine, take your ticket and give it to the server, who will bring your food to your table. The choices are excellent and you can eat a meal for as little as $ 3. Or Hit The Supermarkets Just Before Closing Most shopping malls have supermarkets located in the basement. Noodles, tempura, sushi - youll find fresh food discounted just before closing time. You just have to time it right. Be Smart About Travel Costs If youre looking to explore beyond Tokyo, do some research to see if a Japan Rail Pass would work for you. With it, you can travel unlimited to almost anywhere around the country. It is also valid on some local trains and on the Yamanote line in Tokyo. Also consider taking overnight buses and trains to save on travel costs as well as a nights accommodation. Some overnight trains are covered by the Japan Rail Pass and come with sleeping spaces, showers and dining areas. Images: Shutterstock Also Read: Take The Best Travel Photos You Can German exports were down by 5.2 per cent and imports by 6.4 per cent on a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted basis in March this year compared with February figures, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported. Exports increased by 5 per cent year on year (YoY), while imports fell by 5.5 per cent YoY. After calendar and seasonal adjustment, Germany exported goods worth 129.7 billion and imported goods worth 113 billion in March. German exports were down by 5.2 per cent and imports by 6.4 per cent on a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted basis in March compared with February figures. Exports increased by 5 per cent year on year, while imports fell by 5.5 per cent YoY. On a nominal basis, the country exported goods worth 146.7 billion and imported goods worth 123.4 billion in March. The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 16.7 billion during the month. On a nominal basis, Germany exported goods worth 146.7 billion and imported goods worth 123.4 billion in March. Compared with March 2022, exports thus increased by 5 per cent, and imports decreased by 5.4 per cent during the month. The unadjusted foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 23.3 billion in March. In March 2022, the surplus was 9.2 billion. On a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis, Germany exported goods worth 69.3 billion to European Union (EU) member states, while it imported goods worth 60 billion from the same countries in March 2023. Compared with February 2023, calendar- and seasonally-adjusted exports to the European Union (EU) countries dropped by 6.2 per cent, with imports from the same countries falling by 4.4 per cent. The value of the goods exported to euro area countries totalled 48.8 billion in March this year, and the value of the goods imported from these countries was 40.3 billion. In the same month, goods worth 20.5 billion were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the goods imported from such countries was 19.7 billion on a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted basis. Exports of goods to countries outside the EU (third countries) amounted to 60.4 billion in March, while imports from those countries totalled 53.0 billion. Compared with February 2023, exports to third countries declined by 4 per cent and imports by 8.6 per cent. Most German exports were destined for the United States during the month, with goods exports down 10.9 per cent compared to February after seasonal and calendar adjustment. Exports to the United States thus dropped to 12.5 billion. Exports to China decreased by 9.3 per cent to 7.7 billion, while exports to the United Kingdom increased by 1.5 per cent to 6.4 billion. Most imports arrived from China in March. Goods to the value of 12.6 billion were imported from there, which represented a 7.2 per cent decrease compared with the previous month, after calendar and seasonal adjustment. Imports from the United States rose by 1.4 per cent to 7.8 billion. Imports from the United Kingdom dropped by 4 per cent to 3 billion during the same period. Exports to Russia increased by a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted 1.8 per cent to 0.9 billion in March from February. Imports from that country fell by 0.4 per cent to 0.3 billion during the month from February. Compared with March 2022, imports from Russia dropped by 92.6 per cent. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Sukesh Chandrasekhar Pens Letter For Jacqueline Fernandez: Jacqueline Jacqueline grabbed eyeballs after she was allegedly linked with accused conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. After she was questioned in connection with the 200-cr extortion case, Jacqueline maintained that Sukesh "played with my emotions and made my life hell." The alleged conman, Sukesh Chandrasekhar still seems to be madly and deeply in love with the Sri Lankan beauty. He wrote a new love letter to his alleged girlfriend and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, calling her his 'baby girl' and 'bomma'. In the letter he lauded her recent performance at the Filmfare Awards and also revealed that he has planned for a 'special surprise'. The letter, reportedly, was issued through his advocate Anant Malik on Thursday. SUKESH CHANDRASEKHAR'S NEW LOVE LETTER FOR JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ Sukesh's letter read, "My love, my baby Jacqueline, my bomma I watched the Filmfare Awards on April 28, I should confess that you were outstanding, and your performance was the best. In the whole show your dance act was the showstopper baby, you were elegant, classy, super-hot and you have made me in love with you even more crazier all over again. I just have no words, you are a Bom, Super Star, My Baby Girl." "I am blessed to have you in my life, My Queen. Botta Bomma, I love you to bits my everything, every second it's only about you, you know how crazily I love you, also know how crazily you love me." "I have been missing you way too much... Also I have a super surprise for your birthday, you are gonna love it, I am keeping my promise! Can't wait! Baby I just want you to keep smiling, I am here, the countdown for the truth has begun, don't worry baby," the alleged conman added in the letter. Meanwhile, Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the Tamil Nadu-based businessman was arrested by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with an alleged extortion case. He was accused of trying to extort money from a businessman in Chennai by posing as an official in the Ministry of Home Affairs and threatening him with dire consequences if he did not pay up. Jacqueline Fernandez was also questioned by the police in connection with this case, as she was allegedly linked with Chandrasekhar. However, she was later granted bail after her questioning. The case is still under investigation and Sukesh and his wife Leena Paulose are in Mandowali jail currently on charges of alleged money laundering. President Museveni, who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces, has in the latest UPDF reshuffle deployed at least 14 of the 18 pioneer graduates of the Uganda National Defence College in Buikwe district. In the latest changes communicated by the defence spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye on Saturday, Brig Peter Onzia Chandia who was among the first graduates in January this year has been sent to Karama, about 40 Km off Mubende Fort Portal highway as the commandant of the Armoured Warfare Training School. The school is meant to develop human resource capabilities for Motorised Infantry and Armoured Brigade of the UPDF which includes tank crews among others. Whereas he has spent the last eight years in the Special Forces Command(SFC) where he rose from the director for strategy and plans in 2014 to becoming the overall commander in 2021, Brig Chandia previously excelled as a tank platoon commander, tank squadron commander, tank battalion procurement officer, tank battalion maintenance officer, tank battalion operations and training officer and later tank battalion commanding officer. During those positions, he amassed an experience of nine years between 2004 and 2013. Therefore, being deployed at the Armoured Warfare Training School in Karama, Brig Chandia returns to a position he is familiar with and will now replace Brig Richard Chemonges. Col Edith Nakalema In the latest changes, the president also appointed Col Edith Nakalema as the head the newly created State House Investors Protectorate Unit. The unit is mandated to deal with bribery in public offices especially those who fleece money from investors in form of kickbacks. Col Nakalema a stern and compulsive public servant is not new in the fight against corruption, having previously served as the head of the State House Anti Corruption Unit. Others The president has also deployed Brig David Biheimaiso Isimbwa as the commander of the Ground-Based Air Defence Training School (GBAD), Brig Chris Ogwal as the commander of the Junior Command and Staff College in Jinja. On the other side, Brig Bonny Geoffrey Wolimbwa who was previously the commander of the Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Nakaseke district has been sent to Kaweweta Recruits Training School (KRTS), in Nakaseke district as the commandant. The commander in chief has also deployed former defence spokesperson, Brig Flavia Byekwaso to Jinja as the Chief of Staff for the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre whereas Brig Anthony Mbusi Lukwago has been deployed as the Chief Operations Officer and Brig Daniel Mugumya Kakono returns as the commander of the Field Artillery Division headquartered in Masindi. Col John Patrick Otongo has been deployed as the second in command for the first infantry division, headquartered at Kakiri in Wakiso district whereas Col Christopher Ogumelaki has been appointed the director for Operations other than War (DOOW) in the UPDF. Also deployed is Col Wycliff Ruterana Keita as the new commandant of the Uganda Military Academy Kabamba. National Defence College Uganda's National Defence College opened in December 2021 as the UPDF joined other countries like South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, the US and the UK among others with such facilities to train senior officers. The college is a national security and strategic studies training and educational institution, premised at producing graduates in strategic leadership to government on national and international security matters. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Arms and Armies By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The officers are trained in areas of policy formulation and analysis, strategic leadership, strategic planning and management, political economy, national and regional security studies, international relations, peace and security studies and defense resource management among others. Previously, the country would send the officers abroad for training but this will be done from here. The first ever graduates of the National Defence College located in Buikwe district graduated in January 2023 and these were first-star generals (Brigadier) and senior military commanders (Colonel) . The College is affiliated with Makerere University, Uganda's oldest and largest public university and Maj Gen Francis Okello is its first commandant. Kangana Ranaut Opens Up On Her Struggling Days: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has come a long way. She made her Bollywood debut in 2006 with 'Gangster', and there has been no looking back. Kangana also won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for the film Gangster, however, recently during an interview she recalled how she was mocked and humiliated during her struggling days. Kangana started her career as a model, but the journey was not easy. During a recent interview, Kangana opened up about not getting proper modeling assignments in Delhi because of her height. The actress was in her teens when she started her career as a model but she was told that she was good for nothing. KANGANA RANAUT SAYS SHE WAS HUMILIATED BY HER MODELLING AGENCY A report in Hindustan Times suggests that during a recent interview, Kangana opened up when she was asked if she had been to Mumbai before becoming an actress. To this, Kangana revealed that after she left her home in Himachal, she studied in Chandigarh and came to Delhi for a few years. Kangana added, "I came to Mumbai for a modeling assignment and threw away the phone my agency gave me. I even tore my ticket when they called me back (to Delhi). I told them that I don't want to go back. Mujhe woh kaam karna hi nahi hai, kyunki mujhe woh humesha modelling me neecha dikhate rehte they (I don't want to work there because I was humiliated at the agency)." KANGANA RANAUT REVEALED SHE WAS MOCKED FOR HER HEIGHT She recalled that she was mocked for her height. "Unko lagta tha ki Delhi me ramp model zyada hote hai. Uske liye 5'11 to 6 ft ki height chaiye hoti hai ladkiyo ko. Aur meri 5'7 ki height hai. Main sara din baithi rehti thi. Mujhe kehte they 'aaj bhi kaam nahi mila tumhe, tumhara kuch nahi hone wala modelling mein' (They used to believe that to become a ramp model in Delhi, an average height of 5'11-6 ft was considered. I was 5'7. I used to be seated idle throughout the day, and they used to mock me saying that I am good for nothing)." Kangana further revealed that she started getting catalogue shoots and ads where she had to stand behind others. Kangana revealed that her first visit to Mumbai was for a catalogue shoot of a saree, and she never left. Rotterdam, the Netherlands, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- His Excellency William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, visited the floating headquarters of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Rotterdam today to participate in a Strategic Dialogue on the Africa Climate Action Summit. The Africa Climate Action Summit is being co-hosted by the Government of Kenya and the African Union Commission on 4th to 6th September 2023, and is co-convened by the African Development Bank and GCA. The visit follows a meeting between Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA and President Ruto in Nairobi in February 2023 where they discussed driving the implementation and financing of climate adaptation through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). GCA, as the only international organisation focused exclusively on climate adaptation, is working closely with the Government of Kenya to mobilize financial commitments for adaptation during the Africa Climate Action Summit. The Strategic Dialogue discussed developing Adaptation Country Investment Compacts and other mechanisms to determine the adaptation investment needs and financing opportunities for each country. The Summit will coalesce partners, including international financial institutions and the private sector, around accelerating adaptation financing and climate action leading into the United Nations Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit and COP28. The President, who is the Chair of the African Union's Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, was welcomed to the city of Rotterdam and the GCA Headquarters by GCA CEO Professor Verkooijen; the Mayor of Rotterdam, Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb; Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002-2010) and GCA Executive Board Member and Feike Sijbesma, Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum, GCA Co-Chair. His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and GCA Co-Chair; Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment and Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice-President of the African Development Bank joined the Strategic Dialogue virtually to discuss the Africa Climate Action Summit. The discussion highlighted the importance of rich nations coming forward with commitments to honor the pledges made at COP26 in Glasgow to double adaptation financing by 2025 and how the Summit can help deliver the priorities of African governments to advance the "Green Agenda for Africa" including opportunities in green industrialisation. Speaking during the dialogue, His Excellency William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, said: "The world is now edging close and closer towards the brink of a climate disaster whose warning signs so far are the most catastrophic environmental and atmospheric phenomena humankind has ever encountered. The GCA exists to remind us of these fundamental truths, and to mobilise and empower effective responses in ways that are both reassuring and inspiring." Professor Patrick Verkooijen highlighted the importance of the Africa Climate Action Summit to mobilize climate finance for adaptation: "African countries are at ground zero of our climate emergency - they are already losing up to 15% of GDP growth due to climate change even though they are responsible for only 3% of global emissions. They must be given the chance to survive and thrive even as they suffer the impacts of a crisis they did not cause. Africa has the solutions but it needs climate finance and investment. I commend President Ruto for his leadership in hosting the Africa Climate Action Summit and look forward to the real and tangible commitments it will deliver." Notes to Editors About the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) An Africa-owned and Africa-led program, the AAAP, is a joint initiative between the African Development Bank (AfDB) and GCA with the goal of mobilizing $25 billion for adaptation in Africa by 2025 through four pillars: food security, resilient infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship and job creation, and innovative climate adaptation finance. The African Union endorsed AAAP's two financing mechanisms. The first mechanism is the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility hosted by GCA, which has already influenced over $5.2bn in investment for adaptation in Africa since its inception in 2021. The AfDB administers the second financing mechanism through the climate set aside under the ADF-16 replenishment, which builds on the AfDB's commitment to finance $12.5 billion of adaptation programs - half of the AAAP investment target. About the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sectors. Founded in 2018, GCA operates from its headquarters in the largest floating office in the world, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Beijing, China. About the Africa Climate Action Summit The Africa Climate Action Summit in Nairobi will be held from September 4th to September 6th. This summit is expected to bring together leaders, experts, and policymakers from across the world to discuss the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on Africa. The Africa Climate Action Summit will focus on a number of key areas, including adaptation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate finance. Participants will share their experiences, best practices, and strategies for addressing climate change, and will work to develop a roadmap for African countries to achieve their climate goals. Attachment SHENZHEN, China, May 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On 28 April, the 26th Shenzhen International Exhibition for Clothing Supply Chain (Fashion Source), the AW2023 Shenzhen Original Design Fashion Week, and the Premiere Vision Shenzhen SS24 (PV Shenzhen) have brought hustle and bustle to Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. The three-day grand event gathered more than 600 selected exhibitors and welcomed over 30,000 visitors. At the 50,000 sqm venue featuring eight exhibition zones, visitors could see over 10,000 pieces of the new products, enjoy 13 fashion shows and more than 50 forums, or join about 300 business matching activities. The exhibition was unprecedentedly busy, indicating the clothing industry has been showing distinct signs of recovery. And in 2023, the Fashion Source, Shenzhen Original Design Fashion Week, and PV Shenzhen have been and will be the driving forces behind the industry. Under the theme of "Optimistic Striver" this year, the FS Summit for Clothing Supply Chain shared several sessions shed light on the opportunities in the latest economic context in 2023 with some typical case studies, which attracted a packed audience. Meanwhile, FS Knitting Trends gathered the most creative top designers and leading companies. 200 selected original knitted panels were exhibited together with knitted ready-to-wear collections, art installations, and 3D sample window displays, encouraging inspiration and creative designs. To better connect exhibitors and buyers, FS Business Matching invited key buyers like bebe, V-GRASS, and ELLASSAY, identified their needs, and introduced them to appropriate suppliers. Another highlighted exhibition - PV Shenzhen had two main focuses: high-end fashion backed by China's R&D and sustainable fashion, attracting over 40 creative textile manufacturers from France, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, and China. Three key activities including PV Shenzhen Trend Area, PV Shenzhen Sustainable Focus Area, and PV Shenzhen Sustainable Fashion Talks presented the trending colors, textures, and sustainability of PV SS24. The AW2023 Shenzhen Original Design Week centered around "Healing Energy", with 100 original design brands, nearly 13 fashion shows, and several industrial forums. Together with over 100 KOLS and Gen Z communities, these high-quality activities not only ignited heated discussions online and inspired original design, but also refreshed and enlivened China's fashion industry. The next autumn edition from 20 to 22 September, the three events will be held at the same place at Bao'an, Shenzhen and keep you updated about the fashion trends. We look forward to seeing you at the next fashion party of the clothing supply chain! Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2071321/GL_Events_FashionSource.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fashion-source-original-design-fashion-week-and-pv-shenzhen-weave-a-spell-again-301817800.html It was the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla but there was as much attention on Prince Williams wife Catherine, popularly known as Kate. The dignified and favoured daughter-in-law played her part well in Saturdays elaborate ceremony. Kate wore an ivory Alexander McQueen gown made out of silk crepe with silver bullion and intricate thread-work embroidery with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs. She accessorised it with stunning pearl and diamond earrings that belonged to Princess Diana and the George VI Festoon Necklace, which George VI commissioned for his daughter Princess Elizabeth in 1950. And in line with the green tone set for the coronation by the King, she ditched the tiara for a floral headpiece. And thats what everyone is talking about. The Green King Charles is dubbed the Green King. He has been a long-time environment advocate with a passion for nature. Its something he extended to the pared-down coronation ceremony. He sent out coronation invitations featuring the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore symbolising the arrival of spring and rebirth. He also picked cruelty-free holy oil for the coronation. Kate took a cue from her father-in-law and decided to do things differently. The break with tradition was mainly in keeping with Charles reported desire that the coronation be meritocratic not aristocratic, which saw the aristocracy largely replaced with community heroes who had earned their place, according to Reuters. At the last coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, almost all senior royal women and women aristocrats wore tiaras featuring precious stones and pearls. However, the Princess of Wales decided to ditch the tiara. Instead, she wore a silver Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece with three-dimensional leaf embroidery, Buckingham Palace said. Kates flower crown had everyones attention. It was definitely modern and as fashion writer Rachel Tashjian wrote in The Washington Post it acknowledged the discomfort of monarchy in the 21st century, but also sidesteps the controversies of dubiously acquired jewels, like the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Days before the ceremony, Royal family biographer Sally Bedell Smith told UKs The Times newspaper that the floral crown would show the Kings reverence for nature and his passion for flowers. She had also said that as the wife of the future king, she will set an example for the other women in the congregation. The princess has reportedly toyed with the idea of ditching jewels for petals in the past. On her wedding day in 2011, Kate wore the Cartier Halo tiara that the Queen had lent her as her something borrowed, but it seems she almost didnt. Following in the footsteps of her mother Carole, who wore flowers in her hair when she married Kates father Michael in 1980, it is thought that Kate had originally wanted to wear a flower crown, according to The Mirror. Our coverage of King Charles coronation Long Live the King! The best moments from King Charles historic coronation Some Ancient, Some Stolen: Spoon, spectre, crown and other jewels to be used in King Charles coronation Explained: The whos who at King Charles coronation and the role they will play How King Charles coronation will reflect his love of nature What is the Star of Africa set in King Charles royal sceptre? Why are South Africans demanding its return? Not My King: How Britain is going after anti-monarchists ahead of Charles coronation The Ex Factor: Why Queen Camillas naughty first husband has received a coronation invite Explained: Why Charles coronation is taking place nine months after he was proclaimed king Like mother, like daughter On Saturday, Kates gown and headpiece became the talk of the town. The embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs on her dress signified the four nations of the United Kingdom. Her daughter Princess Charlotte, a granddaughter of King Charles, once again proved she is her mothers mini-me. She wore a headpiece that matched her mothers while her dress was also by Alexander McQueen and featured similar floral motifs. Flower power Queen Camilla, meanwhile, turned to British couturier Bruce Oldfield, a favourite of the kings former wife Diana, for her coronation dress. Her ivory silk dress with silver and gold embroidery featured garlands of abstract wildflowers from fields and hedgerows: daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine and scarlet pimpernel, the palace said in a statement. Oldfield designed dozens of evening gowns several of them iconic for Diana before she died in a Paris car crash in 1997. Oldfield has since become one of Camillas favourite fashion creators. He designed the elegant black evening gown Camilla wore on the royal couples state visit to Germany in March. Charles, a biodiversity enthusiast, had a four-acre (1.6-hectare) wildflower meadow at his former Highgrove home in Gloucestershire, western England. To mark his coronation, 200,000 packets of wildflower seeds have been sent to primary schools for children to scatter in their green spaces and encourage them to develop a love of nature. At the coronation that the world watched in awe, the Royal Family made quite a fashion statement. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After playing a cat and mouse game of will he or wont he, Prince Harry finally made his way to London on 6 May to attend his father King Charles IIIs coronation. His return to England from the United States came sans wife Meghan. This was Harrys first appearance with the royal family after making damning revelations in his memoir Spare. But a look at the ceremony and it was truly a blink or youll miss it moment. Obscured for most of the ceremony, he slipped out of Westminster Abbey, with only the briefest of goodbyes and headed straight for Heathrow Airport only to reunite with his wife back in California. So where did he go? Why did he jet off so quickly after the coronation ceremony? Harry at the ceremony The Duke of Sussex, Harry, flew to London on Friday a day prior to the Coronation. His presence at the Coronation was confirmed three weeks ago that he would attend the historic event, leaving behind his wife, Meghan, and their two young children Archie and Lilibet at their Southern California home. Dressed in a morning suit with a white shirt, grey tie and his military medals (he didnt wear his military uniform perhaps because he is no longer a working royal), he was one of the first royals to arrive at Westminster Abbey on Saturday (6 May) alongside his uncles, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, and two of his cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. He was assigned to sit two rows behind his brother, Prince William, and many believe that the seating was owing to him quitting his royal duties and, thus, no longer ranking as a senior family member as well as alienating himself from his father and brother by airing grievances and telling palace secrets in his explosive best-selling memoir, Spare. If anyone had hoped the coronation would help in the reconciliation between Harry and his brother William, they would have been disappointed. The two, who were believed to close once upon a time, were not seen speaking or even acknowledging each other during the ceremony. It has been reported that Harry nodded, waved and spoke a few words to clergy and several guests before the ceremony began. During the two-hour spectacle, keen attention was focused on Harry by the media and royal watchers. He appeared to join the congregation in one of many refrains of God save the king during the pomp-and music-filled ceremony. Some British tabloids even consulted professional lip-readers to interpret what Harry was saying. The Daily Mirror revealed that it appeared he said, hello, morning and nice to see you when he entered the church. The King Charles coronation in full Long Live the King! The best moments from King Charles historic coronation Making Her Own Rules: Why Kate ditched the traditional tiara at coronation The Great British Loot: The jewels stolen by the Royals Some Ancient, Some Stolen: Spoon, spectre, crown and other jewels used in King Charles coronation Not my King protests on Coronation Day: The Brits who want to dump the monarchy Fashion at the Coronation: What did Kate wear? Who else stood out? The era of King Charles: From postal stamps to passports, the big changes in Britain From Charles lover to mistress to queen, the fascinating life of Camilla No balcony appearance for Harry And shortly after the over two-hour ceremony, came the Buckingham Palace balcony scene. Members of the Royal family standing and waving to the crowds, is probably the most unforgettable moment at royal ceremonies. Remember William and Kate at the balcony during their wedding? But it was not to be for Prince Harry. As King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped out on to the balcony, they were joined by other members of the family Prince William, his wife, Kate, their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, Prince Edward, Duchess Sophie, Princess Anne and others. The Royals enjoyed the flyover by the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Forces aerobatics team, who streaked past and left red, white and blue trails in the sky from the balcony. However, neither Harry nor his uncle Andrew were present for this family moment. Commentators on the BBC were quick to point out that it was only the working family on the balcony. In other words, those whose day-to-day job is supporting the monarchy. The balcony moment also marked the end of Charles official appearances on Saturday. Where did Harry go? So, while the royals enjoyed the flypast where did Harry go? The paparazzi caught the fifth in line to the throne at Heathrow Airport still in his morning suit and sporting his medals. Bearing a cheeky smile, Harry was seen at the airports Windsor Suite before his British Airways flight took him home. But what was the rush? Was it that he had been snubbed at the coronation ceremony? Was it because his brother refused to acknowledge him at the event? Some said Harrys rush off from the ceremony had everything to do with his son Archie. It was his sons fourth birthday on the same day (6 May) and according to a source speaking to US outlet Page Six, Harry intended to make every effort to get back in time for Archies birthday. And it seems that CNN royal historian Kate Williams description of Harrys appearance at the coronation as a flying visit was accurate. He came, he smiled, he said the words and then jetted off. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Congress leader Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Lok Sabha has put the spotlight on provisions of an Act which has been used to removed 42 members from Parliament since 1988, with the 14th Lok Sabha witnessing the ouster of 19 lawmakers in connection with the cash-for-query scam and cross-voting. Among major reasons behind their disqualification are changing political allegiances, for conduct unbecoming of a parliamentarian and after being convicted by a court for crimes that have a jail term of two years or more. The latest round of disqualification of Congress leader Gandhi, NCP leader Mohammad Faizal P P, and BSP leader Afzal Ansari came after their conviction by courts with jail terms of more than two year, invoked the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The Act deals with automatic disqualification of MPs and state legislators upon being convicted and sentenced for two years or more in a criminal case. The disqualification of Faizal, who represents Lakshadweep in the Lok Sabha, was revoked after he obtained a stay over his conviction and sentence, in an attempt to murder case, from the Kerala High Court. Gandhi has moved the Gujarat High Court to seek relief in the criminal defamation case involving the Modi surname in which a Surat court had sentenced him to two years in jail. The first disqualification of a Lok Sabha member after the anti-defection law was enacted in 1985 was that of Lalduhoma, a Congress member, who filed his nomination papers for the Mizoram Assembly elections as a candidate of the Mizo National Union, a party founded by him. The ninth Lok Sabha, when the then Janata Dal leader V P Singh formed a coalition government, saw nine Lok Sabha members fall foul of the anti-defection law, which led to their disqualification. However, it was the 14th Lok Sabha which saw ouster of maximum members from the House 10 for unbecoming conduct as member for accepting bribe for raising questions in Parliament and nine for cross-voting during the Vote of Confidence sought by the UPA-I government in July 2008 after the Left front withdrew support to it over the civil nuclear deal with the US. Six members of the BJP, two from BSP and one each from the Congress and RJD were expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2005 over the cash for query scam. One Rajya Sabha member from BSP too was expelled from the House. The expulsions were upheld by the Supreme Court. None of these cases were referred to the President for approving the expulsions since the legislature itself is competent to do so, Devendra Singh Aswal, former Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha, told PTI. The 10th Lok Sabha, when then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao led a coalition government, saw four members being disqualified from the House under the anti-defection law. The Rajya Sabha also has its share of disqualifications under the anti-defection law Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (1989), Satyapal Malik (1989), Sharad Yadav (2017) and Ali Anwar (2017). Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren and Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan were disqualified from the Rajya Sabha in 2001 and 2006 respectively for holding an office of profit. While Soren was the Chairman of the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council, Bachchan was the Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. A disqualification petition against the then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, for holding an office of profit of Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, became infructuous as she quit as member of the Lok Sabha. To avoid possible political upheaval, the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, was amended in 2006 retrospectively w.e.f. April 4, 1959 and similar petitions became infructuous, Aswal, who is also a member of the Bar Council of India, said. A judgment of the apex Court, referred to as the Lily Thomas case, laid down the legal position making it clear that any conviction which carries a sentence of two years or more will automatically result in disqualification of an elected representative. The Lok Sabha Secretariat only has to notify the vacancy by issuing a notification so that the Election Commission can start the process for a bypoll, Aswal said. As a result of the judgement, Rajya Sabha member of the Congress, Rasheed Masood was disqualified from the upper house due to his conviction in a corruption case. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and JD(U) member Jagdish Sharma were disqualified from the Lok Sabha following their conviction in the fodder scam. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday said money was collected illegally from every bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh and evidence of unprecedented corruption and laundering of Rs 2,000 crore generated by an alcohol syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, has been collected. Anwar was arrested by the federal agency under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the early hours of Saturday from a hotel in Raipur while he was trying to run from the back door, it said in a statement. He has been remanded to four-day ED custody by a special PMLA court even as his lawyer said the arrest seemed to be politically motivated and that they would move the Supreme Court. The agency said Anwar Dhebar did not join the probe in the case despite being summoned seven times and charged that he was continuously using benami SIM cards and internet dongles, and was changing locations. When he was zeroed in at the Raipur hotel, he tried to run away from the back door instead of accepting the summons but was subsequently caught by the ED team, it said. Aijaz Dhebar is known to be an influential leader of the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh. Investigation found that an organised criminal syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar was operating in Chhattisgarh. Anwar Dhebar, though a private citizen, was backed by and was working for illegal gratification of high-level political executives and senior bureaucrats. He weaved an elaborate conspiracy and stitched a wide network of persons/entities to execute the scam so that money was illegally collected from every bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh, the ED alleged. It said raids were conducted at 35 locations in Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Delhi, including the residential premises of Anwar Dhebar at Raipur, in March and this led to the collection of evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore between 2019-2022. Anwar Dhebar, the ED alleged, was responsible for the collection of this entire illegal money but is not the ultimate beneficiary of this scam. It is established that after deducting a percentage, he had passed on the remaining amounts to his political masters, it claimed. This money laundering case stems from a 2022 Income Tax department charge sheet filed against state IAS officer Anil Tuteja and others before a court in Delhi, the ED said. Describing the liquor policy in Chhattisgarh, the ED said revenue from liquor (excise duty) is one of the highest contributors to the state kitty. Excise departments are mandated to regulate the supply of liquor, ensure quality liquor to users to prevent hooch tragedies and to earn revenue for the State. But investigation revealed that the criminal syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar has turned upside down all these objectives, the agency alleged. In Chhattisgarh, it said, the state controls all aspects of liquor trade from procurement to retail sale to consumers. No private liquor shops are allowed. All 800 liquor shops are run by the state and the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) centrally procures all the liquor, the ED said. The CSMCL, it said, issues tenders for manpower suppliers who run the shops, cash collection tenders and selects bottle makers and hologram makers. With the support of the political executives, Anwar Dhebar managed to get a pliant Commissioner and MD of CSMCL and hired close associates like Vikas Agarwal alias Subbu and Arvind Singh to make the system completely subservient to him. He controlled the entire chain of the liquor trade starting from private distillers, FL-10A license holders, senior officers of the excise department, district-level excise officers, manpower suppliers, glass bottle makers, hologram makers, cash collection vendor, etc. and leveraged it to extort maximum amount of bribes/commission, it said. The agency said the alleged liquor syndicate working in the state under Anwar Dhebar charged a commission of Rs 75-150 per case (depending on the type of liquor) which was fastidiously charged from the suppliers for each accounted cash procured by the CSMCL. Anwar Dhebar, in conspiracy with others, started getting manufactured unaccounted country-made liquor and selling the same through government-run shops. This way they could keep the entire sale proceeds without depositing even Re 1 in the state exchequer, the ED claimed. The probe found that between 2019 and 2022, this kind of illegal sale was almost 30-40 per cent of the total sale of the liquor in the state and this act generated Rs 1,200-1,500 crore of illegal profits. This was an annual commission that was paid by the main distillers for getting a distillery licence and a fixed share in the market purchase of the CSMCL, the ED said. The distillers used to pay bribes as per percentage of market share allotted to them. Procurement was done strictly in this ratio by the CSMCL, the agency claimed. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Speaking on his interaction with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, If I have a good guest, I am a good host. He also dealt with Bhuttos India media engagement in which the Pakistani foreign minister raked several issues barring SCO and said, Pakistan conducts terrorism and asserts its right to do terrorism. The EAM also said that Pakistan which is a SAARC member doesnt follow basic rules of international relations and supports terror and blocking connectivity. Not in our interest to be locked into perpetual hostility with Pakistan, nobody wants that.somewhere we have to draw and stand by our red lines said EAM Jaishankar, adding, if neighbour attacks my cityI dont think it should be business as usual. Jaishankar on Friday called Bhutto Zardari a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of the terrorism industry. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a collaborative effort, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles successfully rescued around 23,000 civilians from the violence-hit state of Manipur and safely shifted them to operating bases. The Indian Army said in a statement that no major incidents of violence were reported during the rescue operation. Additionally, authorities relaxed curfew hours in Churachandpur earlier today so people could get essentials. Ray of hope due to efforts of 120- 125 Army and Assam Rifles columns who are working tirelessly for past 96 hours to rescue civilians across all communities, curb violence and restore normalcy has emerged with no major violence being reported and curfew, therefore being relaxed from 7-10 am today in Churachandpur followed by flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter, the Army statement said. It added, Total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and were moved to own operating bases/ military Garrisons. Manipur has been witnessing intense clashes owing to tensions over High Courts direction to include Meitei in scheduled tribes. The district administration imposed a complete curfew in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur. In the past 24 hours, the Army also increased its surveillance over the state by monitoring the movement of UAVs and redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley. The Manipur government deployed the Assam Rifles and the Indian Army in the area on May 3. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said. The Army stated on Friday, The situation has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Congress accusing it of inflating balloons of lies, and said that irrespective of what the party does, they wont be getting any benefit, and Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government with a full majority. Addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnatakas Shivamogga, PM Modi said, Congress is so scared ahead of the polls that they are forced to bring people for campaigning so that they can put off the whole blame on each other. Congress has created an ecosystem to peddle its lies. These blatant lies have no truth at the ground level. But, the people know about the truth of the party. So, irrespective of how large a balloon they create, there wont be any benefit, he said. Referring to his roadshow in Bengaluru that was held earlier in the day, the prime minister also said that the party had started the roadshow earlier than scheduled because of the NEET exam on Sunday. We conducted the roadshow early as there was a NEET exam today. No political party dares to conduct or address any rally or public meeting so early. I received a lot of love today from the public of Bengaluru, PM Modi said. He further said that the politics and development of the Congress party are only on paper, and they can never develop the state of Karnataka. The women of Karnataka were completely neglected by the Congress government in the past. They have done no development work for the farmers. BJP has worked for the farmers of the state. Now all the lies of Congress are fully exposed and BJP will form the government with full majority, he said. PM Modi added, The education of girls and womens empowerment were pushed back during the Congress rule. The girls used to drop out of school because Congress did not make separate toilets for girls. But BJP campaigned to remove the injustice done to girls and today more and more girls are going to school. The Prime Minister also mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine crisis led to record increase in fertilizer prices, but still, the burden was not allowed to fall on the nations farmers. Through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, we provided facilities to the farmers. In the name of loan waiver, Congress used to fill middlemen and its coffers. We made a direct transfer of Rs 80,000 crore from the Kisan Samman Nidhi to the farmers accounts. We have provided 2,000 new types of seeds to farmers in 9 years. Despite crises, we have never allowed any shortage of fertilizers in the country, he said. Referring to the first-time voters, PM Modi said, Can a party, whose aim is only corruption and appeasement, develop the state of Karnataka? Can a party that takes 85 per cent commission, make the future of the youth? Congress has never worked for the youth. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. With inputs from ANI Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has said the murder of self-styled blogger Ibrahim Tusubira alias Isma Olaxes who also goes by the name Jaja Iculi is a clear manifestation that no one is safe regardless of his or her political affiliation. Kyagulanyi, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) made the remarks shortly after the murder of Jaja Iculi last night. Iculi is said to have been attacked by unknown gunmen in Kyanja Central Zone as he was heading to his home. Although the motive for his killing is still unclear, police said preliminary reports indicate that an unidentified gunman armed with an SMG opened fire on the vehicle, resulting in his fatal shooting. He was seated in the passenger seat at the time of the attack, according to police. He was in the company of his driver identified as Mathias Wasswa who seems to have escaped unhurt. In a statement, Kyagulanyi said Iculi's murder comes not even a week after the murder of Minister Charles Engola, adding that this follows so many other unresolved murders. "What is clear to all of us, regardless of your political affiliation, is that in a sinking boat, there are no winners. Whenever we complain about armed regime operatives dressed in civilian clothes causing mayhem, abducting or even killing our people, the same regime apologists say we are politicising things," he said. "I will say it again; everyone is a potential victim of the lawlessness of the Museveni regime. Let the dead teach the living," he added. The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga said the killing of Ichuli, and last week's assassination of Col Charles Engola speaks to the deeper problem the country is facing at the moment. After the 2017 - 2018, mysterious killing of civilians in Masaka, Nansana, and Entebbe plus Muslim clerics and some prominent political leaders like the late Ibrahim Abiriga among others, Mpuuga said president Museveni assured the country that the solution to this insecurity was in installing security cameras in townships and highways. "More than Shs 376 billion was forked out for the purpose but the killings did not stop, and no the killers have been found including those who were on a police truck that knocked dead Ritah Nabukenya at Nakawa,"he said. He said the police have asked for another Shs 187 billion to buy more cameras whose purpose is evidently to go after opposition politicians and supporters. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The ADF storyline that was used in the previous killings can no longer hold because Museveni and his spinners told us that they (ADF) were no more. I hope our colleagues in the regime will open their minds to what we have been saying for this entire time and rise up against this systematic killing of Ugandans," he said. Few days after the murder of Minister Engola, Iculi released a video where he was celebrating the death of the Minister, accusing him of failure to look after his workers including his shooter and bodyguard, Private Wilson Sabiiti. He castigated Engola for causing the arrest of Ugandan citizens and claiming the UPDF personnel captured battering Ugandans on video were from West Africa. Cartoonist Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo said it is very sad that Iculi's life ended this way, noting that it is not easy to mourn him because he celebrated the killings and torture of others. "But I still want to think that he was a hungry man not so reflective on how far the search for food should go .He should have lived to know that violence is unsustainable," he said. Police have said they are investigating the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 8-kilometer-long roadshow in Bengaluru today ahead of the Karnataka polls next week. This is the second roadshow by the prime minister in two days as the Bhartiya Janata Party reaches the last legs of its campaign. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10. The roadshow from Kempegowda statue at New Thippasandra Road to Trinity Circle is expected to be covered in about one-and-half hours, according to party sources. Before embarking on his journey, PM Modi paid floral tributes to a statue of the founder of Bengaluru, Kempegowda. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his roadshow in Bengaluru ahead of #KarnatakaAssemblyElection PM started his roadshow from the Kempegowda statue at New Tippasandra Road and it will end at Trinity Circle. pic.twitter.com/E0nTk6eifJ ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023 A huge number of people gathered to extend their support to the prime minister who also held a roadshow yesterday. The roadshow will conclude at Trinity Circle by 11.30 am and with this, the two-day-long mega roadshow of PM Modi in Karnatakas capital will come to an end. The BJP on Friday modified Modis two-day long roadshow routes in Bengaluru in the view of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). After his yesterdays roadshow, Modi tweeted, If only words could describe what I just saw in Bengaluru! I bow to the people of this vibrant city for showering me with affection that I will cherish for my entire life. The prime minister will also hold four public meetings in different parts of the state later today. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Shivamogga: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe who were evacuated from Sudan through Operation Kaveri, in Shivamogga. The evacuees profusely thanked the Prime Minister for the proactive steps taken by the government in ensuring their timely and safe evacuation, officials said, adding that they recounted the tough circumstances that they faced in Sudan and how the government and the Indian Embassy had ensured their safety. The evacuees expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying the government ensured that they escaped without a scratch, an official said. The Prime Minister recalled to the tribal people how their forefathers had stood alongside 16th century ruler Maharana Pratap, and stressed that if any Indian anywhere in the whole world was in any kind of difficulty, the government would not rest until the problem was resolved. Some politicians tried to politicise the issue, and our concern was that if they expose where Indians are hidden, they may face greater danger. So the government worked quietly to ensure everyones safety, Modi was quoted as saying. The Prime Minister asked the Hakki Pikki people to remember the strength of the country which had stood up for them, and asked them to always be ready to help those in trouble and contribute to society and country. The evacuees told the Prime Minister about how people in foreign countries had faith in Indian medicines and become happy on hearing that they are from India, the officials said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a roadshow in Belgavi ahead of Karnataka polls 2023. The southern state will go to polls on May 10. A huge crowd of BJP supporters surrounded Amit Shahs vehicle and escorted the procession. Shah waved and greeted the crowd lined up on both sides as he seeks the support of voters during the last leg of campaigning. Correction| #WATCH Union Home Minister Amit* Shah holds roadshow in Belagavi South Assembly constituency #KarnatakaAssemblyElection pic.twitter.com/zDv0WSi6cs ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023 Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an 8-kilometer-long roadshow in Bengaluru. This was the second roadshow by the prime minister in two days. The roadshow from Kempegowda statue at New Thippasandra Road to Trinity Circle covered about one-and-half hours, according to party sources. The BJP on Friday modified Modis two-day long roadshow routes in Bengaluru in view of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). After his yesterdays roadshow, Modi tweeted, If only words could describe what I just saw in Bengaluru! I bow to the people of this vibrant city for showering me with affection that I will cherish for my entire life. The prime minister will also hold four public meetings in different parts of the state later today. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. An explosion that happened late on Saturday night in Amritsars historic area near the Golden Temple may have injured up to five or six people. When a forensic team arrived to conduct investigations, they found some powder close to a damaged window. It is too early to say anything," Amritsar police commissioner Naunihal Singh told the media. Approximately six girls riding in an autorickshaw were hit by glass shards and suffered minor injuries, according to a local. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Bengaluru: Keeping in view the hardship of delivery persons, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday reiterated his partys promise to set up a Gig Workers Welfare Board in Karnataka with a corpus fund of Rs 3,000 crore and minimum hourly wages for them. Gandhi spoke about the promise once again during an interaction with gig workers and delivery persons of various companies here in poll-bound Karnataka. Over a cup of coffee and masala dosa, Gandhi discussed with them to get an understanding of the lives of delivery workers, lack of stable employment and rising prices of basic commodities, Congress said in a party release. He also keenly listened to why the youngsters had taken up gig jobs, and what were their working conditions like, the release stated. Bengaluru alone has over two lakh people doing gig jobs. The Congress party has made specific promises for them in the manifesto, mainly to set up a Gig Workers Welfare Board with a corpus of Rs 3,000 crore and to ensure minimum hourly wages for gig workers and other workers in the unorganised sector, the party said. Gandhi later hopped onto the pillion seat, and went on a ride with a delivery partner. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khans close aide has been arrested by police for allegedly forcibly evicting a person from his house, officials said. Aley Hasan Khan, a former circle officer, was arrested from his residence in Delhi, police officials said. He was arrested following the issuance of non-bailable warrants in two cases by the MP-MLA court, the police said. He was arrested for allegedly forcibly evicting a person from his house, they said. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the Gandhi family, during a rally in poll-bound Karnataka. Take a swipe at the Gandhis, the PM called them Congress royal family. He also said that the Congress is trying to separate Karnataka from India. In this election, Congress royal family said that they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka. Do they even know anything about sovereignty? They have been sitting in the parliament for years. Congress is trying to divide Karnataka from the country. I didnt think that their Tukde-Tukde gang problem will reach this level, the PM said. Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis meetings with Chinese diplomats in the past, PM Modi said, The royal family of the Congress works against the interest of the country. They secretly meet the diplomats of countries which are against India. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The burning of incense and Poe is a tradition of Himalayan Buddhists, harking back to Indian rituals of offering aroma (gandhapuja) and the ancient Bon smoke offering. Not only do these fragrances provide mental peace, but they also symbolize the purity and perfection of the five elements of sensual pleasure. In Bhutan, this ritual is personified in the form of the female goddess Dugpoema and is an essential part of any religious ceremony, from small village shanties to grand state temples. As I entered Nado Poizokhang, the oldest incense-making workshop in Bhutan, at the beginning of March, I was warmly welcomed by 79-year-old Ap Nado (Ap meaning elderly in Bhutanese). This renowned incense factory in Thimphu has been in business since antiquity, and its products ranging from incense sticks to powders, are sought after by households, monasteries, and even the royal palace. As I assemble each incense stick, Im constantly reminded that a tranquil state of mind is the cornerstone of true bliss. And by sharing these sticks with the world, Im spreading happiness one whiff at a time, proudly exclaimed Nado. Pink mattresses adorned with Bhutanese fabrics were placed around the room, and a small wooden table sat in front of him, with a sweet-smelling incense scenting the air. Attired in an orange Gho, fastened by a hand-crafted Kera, Nado, donned a Tego jacket with its long cuffs folded back, adding a dignified touch. Adjacent to him hung a painting of the Vajra master Padmasambhava and opposite him, a screen print of a Bhutanese goddess. I leaned in with curiosity in my eye, ready to listen to his explanation of the two paintings. With a dramatic wave of his arm to the painting of Padmasambhava, he began, Tibetan Buddhism finds its roots in the teachings of Padmasambhava, who endowed his followers an oral lineage (kama) and a lineage of the hidden treasure texts (terma). Even today his spirit is evoked during guru yoga practices in the Nyingma school. Its no surprise that his teachings hold such a prominent place in Buddhist spirituality. He paused, gesturing to the other painting. And here we have the Buddhist goddess Dugpoema of the fragrant art of incense. According to Nado, the great Lord Buddha created incense and blessed the world with it through devoted people like Dugpoema. He is proud to be a part of their fellowship, humbly taking part in the holy mission of making this divine incense spread its sweet aroma around the world. He then opened the door to reveal a storeroom full of fragrant, dried herbs and explained that their incomparable quality was due to the excellent botanicals used in its ingredients. You can experience total relaxation with our 100 per cent organic incense. Our signature spikenard scent is derived from delicate Jatamansi flowers, combined with juniper boughs to create an aroma that will soothe your soul. Theres no need to worry about chemical-laden incense when you can enjoy the finest organic incense products. We take our commitment to excellence very seriously and it shows in every single product we craft. For more than half a century, Nado has been perfecting his craft of creating incense masterpieces, following the ancient Buddhist scriptures. His creations are made with utmost care and attention to detail, using only the best and most organic selection of flowers, bark, woods, leaves, fruits, and roots. Each incense is 100% toxin-free and promises an exceptionally pure, fragrant scent. Weve got a longstanding relationship with these recipes some of which are over 700 years old. In the majestic Himalayas, in the highest of high places, yak herders and families gather the ingredients that make up our blends. We also collaborate with the community-based sustainable management of medicinal plants, a project devoted to teaching collectors how to gather and cultivate natural products sustainably, proclaims Nod. He adds, Burning incense is a sacred part of Bhutanese culture, and its a daily custom to begin and end each day with. To create the most exquisite aroma, I wait for the perfect time just after Thrue-Bab when the monsoon ends and the suns warmth brings life to the land. Then, I craft incense sticks and powder with their ancient powers. In Bhutan, incense is not only for special occasions its an essential part of our culture that has been around for centuries. Even today, we use incense in both powder and stick forms, just as our ancestors did. We take pride in this meaningful practice and in keeping its tradition alive. Nado enthused that his powdered incense is far from ordinary, which is often seared on hot embers in temples, homes, and monasteries. Not only is it presented to the gods, but it also has many other purposes: fumigating sacred rooms and holy artefacts, pacifying malicious spirits, and clearing away negative energy. Furthermore, the delicate scent of fragrant smoke can be a soothing remedy for the soul, creating a sense of peace and a positive shift in mood. But, he excitedly added, his incense recipe can do even more; it can free blocked energy, and provide relief from various ailments. Nados incense formula has been a closely-guarded family secret ever since he and his daughter Lamdon stumbled upon it in the Mindrolling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in India a recipe passed down for over three centuries. He implies, Ive had to make a few changes to the original recipe the enormous amount of saffron it used to demand, would make it incredibly expensive. So Ive added a mixture from the Drukpa Kagyu tradition of Buddhism to make it even more aromatic and enhance its healing powers. The normal incense I use is made with thirty ingredients, but for special religious ceremonies, it requires 108 a number considered to be really auspicious among Buddhists. The incense with 108 ingredients is only made on special days, according to the Buddhist astrological calendar. Nado then takes me on a tour of the milling room of the workshop, where the staff are hard at work creating the mysterious blend of bark, spices, woodchips, flowers, and leaves, without knowing the exact proportions. As he cheekily reveals, They have no idea about the secret ingredient I add at the end. He divulges that the powder intended to be burned outright is mixed with powerful herbal components before being packaged up, while the powder for sticks is concocted with water, honey, and a natural purple dye to form a slick dough that sits and matures in a large vat for up to a week, allowing for optimal fermentation. Nado slowly opened the lid, and an enchanting floral aroma wafted out. He then ushered me to the production room, where Gyenzang and her team of twelve female workers were hard at work. Gyenzang was feeding handfuls of the fermented dough into the hopper of a remarkable machine. In a flash, the clay-like paste was magically transformed into spools of soft incense. Yeshey then gave it the finishing touch, rolling the incense out flat along the edge of a wooden block. They go off to the attic to be air-dried, trimmed and tied into bundles ready for market. We make nearly 20,000 incense sticks and 355kg of powder every month, and we even export our products to the international market, said Nado, who has been devoted to his Buddhist practices for over fifty years and sees his incense business as a spiritual journey. His voice was full of emotion as he spoke: This is my calling, and it brings me such joy to know that my incense brings contentment to so many. The factory produces the most exquisite incense varieties, like Bamboo A, White Morning and Red Evening, each containing tremendous potential energy. You can make your life a little more fragrant with these delectable gems without having to break the bank the price starts from just Ngultrum 65 ($1 or INR 65) and goes up Ngultrum 1800. With more than a decade of writing experience and a passion for exploring the world, the author is a travel journalist with a knack for captivating storytelling. Views are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, was wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver on Saturday and investigators said a detained suspect admitted acting on behalf of Ukraine. The attack took place three days after Russia said Ukraine attempted to hit the Kremlin with drones Ukraine denied it had anything to do with the attack. Russias Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the Western states backing it, particularly the United States, for the latest attack on the writer, an ardent proponent of Moscows military campaign in Ukraine. Ukraines security services, in its standard response, refused to confirm or deny involvement. A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of staging the incident. Russias state Investigative Committee said Prilepins Audi Q7 was blown up in a village in Nizny Novgorod region, about 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow, which it was treating as an act of terrorism. It said Prilepin had been taken to hospital. The committee released a photograph showing the white vehicle lying overturned on a track next to a wood, with a deep crater beside it and pieces of metal strewn nearby. The committee later issued a statement saying investigators were questioning a suspect identified as Alexander Permyakov. The suspect was detained and, in the course of questioning, he provided testimony that he acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, said the statement, read by a woman in uniform. The governor of Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, said on Telegram that doctors had successfully operated on Prilepin and that he was now under sedation to help his recovery. Russias Foreign Ministry, in a statement on its website said: Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with Ukrainian authorities, but also their Western patrons, the United States in the first instance. It said Washingtons failure to denounce this and other attacks was self-revealing for the U.S. administration. State news agency TASS quoted security sources as saying the suspect was a native of Ukraine with a past conviction for robbery with violence. Ukraines SBU Security Service issued its standard response of declining to confirm or deny involvement in the bombing. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he believed Russian authorities had staged the attack. Everyone understands that this is all a staged performance, Podolyak told Ukrainian television. This is staged and the bombings at the Kremlin are aimed at domestic audiences. The novelist was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscows full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the deaths of journalist Darya Dugina and war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in the two previous attacks, and Kyiv has denied involvement. Ukrainian news site UNIAN ran an online poll asking readers who in the pantheon of Russian scum propagandists should be targeted next after Dugina, Tatarsky and Prilepin. Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. No comment was immediately available from Britains Foreign Office. It was the second time this week that Moscow has accused Ukraine of carrying out terrorist attacks on behalf of the West, a narrative it appears to be pushing with increasing urgency but which Kyiv and Washington reject as baseless. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine denied that too, and the White House said accusations that Washington had a hand in it were lies. Prilepin often speaks out in support of the Ukraine war on social media, with more than 300,000 followers on Telegram and his own website and YouTube channel. He fought for Russian proxy forces in eastern Ukraines Donbas region before last years invasion and led a military unit there, boasting in a 2019 YouTube interview that his unit killed people in big numbers. These people are dead, they are buried and there are many of them, he said. Not a single unit among the Donetsk battalions had such results. It was outrageous chaos what we did there Not a single field commander had such results as I had. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Despite initiatives to promote their voluntary repatriation, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have insisted that they would not return to Myanmar to be confined in camps after making their first return visit. In the Bangladeshi border district of Coxs Bazar, nearly a million Muslims from the Rohingya ethnic group reside in filthy camps. The majority of them have been there ever since they fled a military-led crackdown in Buddhist-majority Myanmar in 2017 and havent been home till now, despite Bangladeshi officials have visited Myanmar on many occasions in an effort to bring the refugees home. On Friday, twenty Rohingya Muslim refugees and seven representatives from Bangladesh visited Maungdaw Township and adjacent villages in Rakhine State to observe the relocation plans. The Rohingya have expressed doubt about the preparations for repatriation and stated that they will only return permanently to Myanmar if their security is ensured and they are given citizenship. We dont want to be confined in camps. We want to get back our land and we will build our own houses there, Oli Hossain, who was among the refugees who visited Rakhine State, told Reuters by phone. Well only return with citizenship and all our rights, said the 36-year-old Hossain, father of six children. Myanmar is offering Rohingya national verification cards (NVC), which Rohingya refugees regard as inadequate. Myanmar is our birthplace and we are citizens of Myanmar and will only go back with citizenship, said refugee Abu Sufian, 35, father of three children. Well never accept NVC. This will effectively identify Rohingya as foreigners, he told Reuters. The authorities had even changed the name of my village in Rakhine, he added. Repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar is the only solution to the problem, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the commissioner for refugee relief and repatriation in the Coxs Bazar district of Bangladesh, told the media. We want nothing but a safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation, he was quoted as saying by Reuters. Coxs Baz refugee relief and repatriation commissioner for Bangladesh, Mohammed Mizanur RahmanHe added that a Myanmar delegation would visit Bangladesh in a week as a follow-up to help the Rohingya gain confidence. The Rohingya have been treated as foreign invaders in Myanmar for years, denied citizenship, and subjected to abuse. Up until lately, the military there had shown little interest in accepting any of them back. However, a delegation from Myanmar visited the camps in March to confirm the identities of a small number of returnees for a test project. An official from Bangladesh stated that although there was no defined deadline, the endeavour will involve roughly 1,100 people. Beginning repatriation efforts in 2018 and 2019 were unsuccessful since the refugees refused to return out of fear of violence. Every refugee has an inalienable right to return to their place of origin, according to the UNHCR, but such returns must also be voluntary. UNHCR maintains that dialogue with the Rohingya refugees is a must to make an informed decision, the agency said in a statement. Visits are an important part of voluntary refugee returns, providing a chance for people to observe conditions in their home country first-hand ahead of return and contributing to the making of an informed decision on return, it said further. (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The National Assembly has had eight Senate Presidents so far in the Fourth Republic. The first five of them were from the South-east region. The 2023 transition process in Nigeria will be concluded with the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly and the election of the presiding officers of the two chambers. The inauguration has been scheduled for 5 June, a week after the swearing-in of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on 29 May. At least six senators are running for the seat of the president of the 10th Senate. The contestants are from four of the nation's six geo-political zones: the North-west, South-east, South-south and North-central. The two other zones - South-west and North-east - having produced the president and vice president-elect respectively, are not favoured to produce the head of the Legislature and third to the president in the order of succession. The National Assembly has had eight Senate Presidents so far in the Fourth Republic. The first five of them were from the South-east region, the next two from the North-central region and the outgoing one from the North-east. The South-east delegation monopolised the seat in the first two assemblies of the dispensation between 1999 and 2007 under the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency. Those who held the seat include Evan Enwerem from Imo State, who served between June and November 1999; Chuba Okadigbo from Anambra State who served from 1999 to 2000, Pius Ayimn from Ebonyi State who served between 2000 and 2003, Adolphus Wabara from Abia State who served between 2003 and 2005 and Ken Nnamani from Enugu State who served from 2005 to 2007. The North-central produced the next two Senate Presidents, who shared the next two assemblies between 2007 and 2019. They are David Mark from Benue State who presided from 2007 to 2015, and Bukola Saraki from Kwara State who served from 2015 to 2019. The incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who was elected in 2019, is from Yobe State in the North-east region. Mr Lawan is the first senator from his region to be Senate President. He has been elected for the fifth term to the Senate but has not officially declared interest in retaining the top seat. However, his prospect of retaining the seat is considerably dimmed by the fact that he is from the same region as Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima and of the same Muslim faith as Mr Shettima and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu. Battle Barau Jibrin from Kano State and a former governor of Zamfara, Abdulazeez Yari, are the two contestants from the North-west. Their supporters have urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to allocate the seat to the zone as a reward for its strong support for the party in the presidential election. The APC got its largest votes per zone from the North-west, larger than it got from the home zones of the President-elect and Vice President-elect. From the South-east, there were three aspirants in the race. They are incumbent governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; a former governor of Abia State who is the incumbent Senate Whip, Orji Kalu, and Osita Izunanaso from Imo State. However, Mr Umahi announced his withdrawal from the race on Friday. A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who was Senate Minority Leader between 2015 and 2019 before he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC, is yet the only contestant from the South-south to have declared his bid, although Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and former national chairman of the APC, has also been mentioned from the zone, in spite of being a first-term senator. Mr Akpabio's ambition got a boost last week as he got the endorsement of APC governors as well as that of Mr Umahi.Sanni Musa from Niger State in the North-central is also in the race but has indicated a preparedness to accept the deputy Senate President seat should the APC zone the top seat elsewhere. Unlike in the preceding two assemblies (2015 to 2019 and 2019 to 2023), the APC has a slimmer majority in the incoming 10th Senate with 59 members. The PDP has 29 members, the Labour Party has six members, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party have two members each. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young Peoples Progressive Party (YPP) complete the 109-member Senate with one member each. The ruling APC has yet to decide on which zones to produce the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives but there had been indications the South-east and South-south were being favoured for the presidency of the Senate. The zones that miss out on the allocation of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President will share the positions of Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader and Senate Whip, who are the other principal officers of the Senate, alongside the Minority Leader and Minority Whip who are members of the minority caucus. Chances Should the APC zone the Senate presidency to the North-west, Mr Jibirin will be the favourite to take it. The Kano lawmaker has been in the Senate since 2015 representing Kano North District. He is the current Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. In the 8th Assembly, he served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND. His rival from the zone, Mr Yari is coming in as a first-timer in the Senate. Although he won an election to the Senate in 2019 while concluding his second term as governor, a crisis in the Zamfara State chapter of the party led to the Supreme Court stripping him and other APC candidates elected from the state of their seats after affirming that the party did not conduct valid primaries for the nomination of its candidates for the general elections. Under Senate rules, only ranking senators, who have served more than one term, can vie for the seats of presiding officers. APC Governors endorse Akpabio On Friday, the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, said governors of the ruling APC had decided to zone the Senate presidency to the South-south. The governors, under the umbrella of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), had earlier recommended the seat for either the South-east or South-south. They also proposed that the position of majority leader, deputy majority leader and chief whip should be used as compensation for those that may be asked to step down from the leadership race. In a video circulated on the internet by African Independent Television (AIT), Mr Ganduje also said the APC governors decided to support Mr Akpabio. The video showed Mr Ganduje and some of his governor colleagues, including Ben Ayade of Cross River State, in a meeting with some individuals. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will come from the South-south and no other person than the former governor of Akwa Ibom, the uncommon governor, the uncommon minister who will be the uncommon president of the Senate. We have resolved that, so we are giving you assurance. We are waiting for the deal day to be the Senate President of Nigeria," Mr Ganduje said. However, of the contestants who had declared their ambition, only Mr Umahi has, so far, announced that he would step down for Mr Akpabio. Also, there had been reports that the sitting Senate President, Mr Lawan, was opposed to the bid of Mr Akpabio over developments connected to his supervisory roles in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Mr Lawan was said to have proposed amending the Senate Standing Rules to allow newcomers such as Mr Oshiomhole to run for the seat, should the party insist on the South-south. The region is probably being favoured because it gave more votes to the APC in the presidential election than the South-east, despite the latter having two APC governors. The South-south has also not produced a Senate President since 1983 when the late Joseph Wayas held the position throughout the Second Republic. The South-east is the only southern zone to have produced the Senate President in the Fourth Republic but it is also the only zone in the region that has not produced the President of Nigeria. With the declaration of the APC governors despite the open objection of Mr Lawan, more drama is expected on this issue until 5 June when the 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated. Foreign Minister and State Councillor of China Qin Gang has stated that China is prepared to help Afghanistan achieve self-sufficiency, peace, stability, growth, and prosperity. According to a report by Khaama Press, Qin Gang, during a meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistans Acting Foreign Minister in Islamabad under the caretaker Taliban regime, said China will always stand firmly with the Afghan people and support Afghanistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions. The Chinese foreign minister said that China will continue to respect Afghanistans sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. He added that Afghanistan must uphold its promise to fight terrorism while also ensuring the safety of Chinese institutions and troops stationed there. Muttaqi, on the other hand, emphasised that Afghanistan will never consent to any military using its territory for anti-China actions. As part of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), Muttaqi aspires to increase infrastructure, trade, and people-to-people interaction with China for the benefit of both countries. Qin Gang, the foreign minister of China, also suggested coordinating reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan with Pakistan. He also said, China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Pakistan on the Afghan issue and to contribute to the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan jointly. In order to participate in trilateral discussions on Afghanistan from May 56, Qin Gang travelled to Pakistan for two days. In terms of geopolitics, Afghanistan is key to China because, within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it serves as a link between South and Central Asia. However, most importantly, Afghanistan is important to China because it has undeveloped mineral riches worth billions of dollars that attract Chinese investment. (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said the law could make illegal some ordinary duties of American business people, academics and journalists in the country, Asia Times reported. On April 26, the National Peoples Congress (NPC) standing committee passed an amendment to strengthen the countrys anti-spy law, which will come into effect on July 1. According to Asia Times, the definition of offenders will be expanded from people who join or accept tasks from an espionage organization to those who take refuge in it. The coverage will also be widened from state secrets and intelligence to other documents, data, materials and items related to national security and interests. Burns during a webinar organized by The Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank on Tuesday, said: This is a law that could potentially make illegal in China the kind of mundane activities that businesses would have to do. We need to know more about it so we are asking questions here in Beijing. Burns said American firms have to do due diligence before they can agree to major investment deals, while they also need to have full access to economic data to make projections. The law could possibly imperil academic research. Professors and journalists could get caught up on this. But what we know so far is not positive, he said, according to Asia Times. (With inputs from ANI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tens of thousands of Israelis participated in demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus hotly contested proposals to tighten restrictions on the Supreme Court. The proposed revision, which would have allowed the government to choose Supreme Court nominees and allowed parliament to overturn many decisions, was put on hold after opponents launched some of the largest street demonstrations ever witnessed in Israel, which are currently in their 18th week. The revision is required, according to the administration, to rebalance the relationship between the judiciary and elected lawmakers after activist judges have been accused of taking over the work of parliament. News agency Reuters quoted critics of the proposals as saying that it will eliminate crucial checks and balances that support a democratic state and give the executive branch unfettered power. According to a poll aired by Israels national television on Friday, 74% of Israelis believe the government is not functioning well five months into the term of the far-right coalition. In a show of resistance against proposals that they view as an existential danger to Israeli democracy, crowds gathered in the centre of Tel Aviv on Saturday. According to Israels Channel 12, there were at least 110,000 protesters in Tel Aviv alone, and there were also more demonstrations in other cities across the nation. Im very worried for my country, protester Bental Shamir, a 60-year old teacher told Reuters in Tel Aviv. I dont want a corrupted country. The scheduled revision has been postponed in an effort to give Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who serves in a mostly ceremonial capacity, time to mediate a compromise between the coalition and opposition that may see the legislation reduced. However, compromise talks have not yielded results thus far. Im sure that we are closer than we can imagine, lawyer Dor Lasker, 35, told Reuters regarding the compromise talks. Im positive that it could happen. Israeli flags in blue and white, which have come to symbolise the protests over the last three months, were waved by demonstrators. King Charles III greeted Herzog after the coronation ceremony in London and thanked him for his efforts in mediating, according to a statement from the office of the Israeli president. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began his historic visit to South Korea on Sunday where he will meet his counterpart President Yoon Suk Yeol. The two countries will hold discussions amid increasing threats from North Korea and Chinas assertiveness in the region. Kishidas visit, the first such trip to Seoul by a Japanese leader in 12 years, comes after Yoon went to Tokyo in March, where they sought to close a chapter on the historical disputes that have dominated Japan-South Korea relations for years. The South Korean president is facing criticism at home for not doing enough to maintain stronger relationships with Japan. He is also being pressed to propose that South Korean businesses compensate victims of wartime labour during Japans 1910-1945 colonial occupation. South Korean officials are hopeful that Kishida will make some kind of gesture in return and offer some political support, although few observers expect any further formal apology for historical wrongs. Yoon himself has signalled he doesnt believe that is necessary. The focus of the summit instead will likely revolve around security cooperation in the face of North Koreas nuclear threats, said Shin-wha Lee, a professor of international relations at Seoul-based Korea University. She said, Within the framework of the Washington Declaration, which outlines plans to strengthen extended deterrence, Korea will explore ways to enhance the collaborative efforts with Japan. We have a lot of opportunities to cooperate when it comes to addressing the threat of North Korea, a Japanese foreign ministry official said. Tensions between Washington and Beijing are more palpable than ever as China continues to hold territorial dominance over Taiwan and in the South China Sea, while the US shores up alliances across the Asia-Pacific. Historical differences between Japan and South Korea are expected to cast a shadow over the blossoming ties between the tow leaders. The majority of South Koreans believe Japan hasnt apologised sufficiently for atrocities during Japans 1910-1945 occupation of Korea, Lee said. They think that Prime Minister Kishida should show sincerity during his visit to South Korea, such as mentioning historical issues and expressing apologies, she added. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The festering crisis in Myanmar will loom over talks between Southeast Asian leaders in Indonesia this week, as they renew calls for an end to the escalating violence. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military putsch that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis government in February 2021, with the juntas bloody crackdown on dissent sparking social unrest and an economic disaster. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) long decried by critics as a toothless talking shop has been trying to kick-start a five-point plan agreed with Myanmar two years ago after mediation attempts to end violence failed. But its efforts have stalled as the junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents, which include ousted lawmakers, anti-coup Peoples Defence Forces and ethnic minority armed groups. An air strike on a village in a rebel stronghold last month that reportedly killed dozens of people sparked global condemnation and worsened the juntas isolation. Diplomats told AFP that the crisis would be a key issue during the May 9-11 summit on the Indonesian island of Flores. The 10-member regional bloc will again strongly condemn the air strike and demand an immediate end to the violence in its end-of-summit statement to be issued by this years chair Indonesia, according to a draft seen by AFP. This would be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue to find a sustainable peaceful solution in Myanmar, the draft statement said. Myanmar remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from top-level summits over the juntas failure to implement the peace plan. Quiet diplomacy Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Friday that her country was using quiet diplomacy to speak with all sides of the Myanmar conflict and spur renewed peace efforts. But former Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said the worsening crisis posed an existential threat to ASEAN. He urged the bloc to do more or risk being sidelined as other nations, such as China and individual member countries of ASEAN, take the lead in trying to resolve the situation. Natalegawa said ASEAN should openly invite the National Unity Government (NUG) a shadow administration dominated by lawmakers from Suu Kyis party which is working to overturn the coup to their meetings to make the junta feel the consequence of their intransigence. We are led to believe that there is some quiet diplomacy going on, but it cant be too quiet that it becomes a deafening silence, Natalegawa told AFP. But Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has urged caution and strategic patience. We need to make sure the actions we take collectively and individually do not make the situation worse and do not allow or encourage or enable the military to shed more blood for their own narrow parochial interests, Balakrishnan said in Australia last week. This weeks ASEAN leaders summit is the first of two to be held in Indonesia this year. Jakartas chairmanship of the bloc has raised hopes ASEAN could push for a peaceful solution, using its economic weight as well as its diplomatic experience. ASEAN has long been criticised for its inaction but its initiatives are limited by its charter principles of consensus and non-interference. Among other issues to be discussed at the summit will be the disputed South China Sea. Several ASEAN members have partial claims to the waterway, which China claims almost entirely. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is also expected to outline a roadmap for East Timors membership in the bloc. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. At least 347 people made suicide attempts in nine different provinces of Afghanistan last year. Poverty, family violence, unemployment and lack of freedom were among the major reasons behind this. However, there are more female suicide instances in Afghanistan than male ones. At least 60 of the people who attempted suicide lost their lives. At the top of the list is Badakhshan province with records of 251 suicide attempts, Tolo News said. Tolo News reached out to a 20-year-old woman in Badakhshan who attempted suicide but survived after being taken to the hospital. The womens relatives said that she attempted suicide after struggling with poverty. She drank acid to commit suicide. We took her to the doctor and then took her to Faizabad. We brought her two to three times to the hospital here, she has now gone through surgery and she is in good condition, said Sakhi, her brother. We have registered 250 suicide attempts. Of them, 188 are female and 62 are male, said Homyayoun Frootan, head of the provincial hospital. A total of 14 people attempted suicide in Ghor province, 11 people in Khost province, seven people in Sar-e-Pul province, five people in Nangarhar province, five people in Maidan Wardak, three people in Bamiyan, two people in Urozgan and one person in Kapisa province who attempted suicide. Sadidqullah Shaheen, commander of Bamiyan, said: We registered three suicide attempts and the motive behind these suicides is said to be family violence. 14 suicide attempts happened. The motives behind them were economic difficulties and family violence, said Mustafa Haqqani, the head of the security department of Ghor. Psychologists believe that many suicide attempts in Afghanistan are due to economic hardships and family violence. The suicide attempts happen mainly due to family violence, poverty, illiteracy, unawareness, being homeless and jobless and also facing an uncertain future, said Qadeer Baran, a psychologist, as quoted by Tolo News. According to local officials, a woman recently committed suicide and ended her life in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan. A man also in the Yangi Qala district of Takhar shot himself and ended his life, the provincial officials said. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 800,000 people attempt suicide globally every year. (With inputs from ANI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. King Charles IIIs coronation ceremony was celebrated by some and protested by others. One such anti-monarchy group called Republic found itself on the wrong side of the law after its head Graham Smith was arrested by police for demonstrating. Smith, however, has now been released from jail. The anti-monarchy group Republic is fighting to get an elected head of the state. Members said that Smith, the groups chief executive, was released some 16 hours after he was first detained. He was one of more than 50 people held using new powers rushed into law this week by the UK government to crack down on protests by direct action groups. Not many welcomed the move by the Metropolitan police to arrest people including volunteers of a local womens safety team that the force supports. According to a month-old report by Daily Mail, the protestors had planned to throw rape alarms to spook horses taking part in the parade, which included military bands. The newspaper also reported that climate change activists from Just Stop Oil were also planning to disrupt the Kings coronation. Just Stop Oil members were among those picked up on Saturday. Republics Smith, who last week told reporters he and other members had no plans to disrupt the procession. The protest went ahead, with opponents waving Not My King placards and booing. He tweeted, I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. Im now out of the police station. Still waiting for my colleagues. Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. Graham Smith (@GrahamSmith_) May 6, 2023 Human rights groups likened the arrests to those in authoritarian states but police defended their tactics, claiming it was proportionate in line with relevant legislation after public concern. London has been repeatedly targeted in recent years by direct action groups. Hardline interior minister Suella Braverman promised police more powers to stop protesters using guerilla tactics. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. OPECs share in oil imports of India have fallen to an all-time low of 46 per cent in April as purchases of cheaper Russian oil peaked, as per the industry data. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations, mainly in the Middle East and Africa, had a 72 per cent share of all crude oil India imported in April 2022. However, the share slid to 46 per cent in April 2023, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa. OPEC made up for as much as 90 per cent of all crude oil India imported at one point of time but this has been sliding since Russian oil became available at discount in the aftermath of Moscows invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Russia continued to be the single largest supplier of crude oil, which is converted into petrol and diesel at refineries, for a seventh straight month by supplying more than one-third of all oil India imported. The imports from Russia are now more than combined purchases from Iraq and Saudi Arabia Indias biggest suppliers in the last decade. From a market share of less than 1 per cent in Indias import basket before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Russias share of Indias imports rose to 1.67 million barrels per day in April, taking a 36 per cent share. OPEC supplied 2.1 million barrels per day out of 4.6 million bpd oil India imported in April. This gave it a 46 per cent share, according to Vortexa. Indian refiners in the past rarely bought Russian oil due to high freight costs but now they are snapping up plentiful Russian cargo available at a discount to other grades as some Western nations rejected it because of Moscows invasion of Ukraine. The purchases from Russia in March were double of 0.81 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil bought from Iraq, which had been Indias top oil supplier since 2017-18. Saudi Arabia has been pushed down to No.3 spot with 0.67 million bpd supplies. Month-on-month, purchases from Russia rose marginally from 1.64 million bpd of oil imported from the country in March. The UAE, which in March overtook the US to become the fourth largest supplier, sold 185,000 bpd, higher than 119,000 bpd oil sourced from the US. Indias imports of Russian crude in April have set a new record once again, but the month-on-month increase has slowed and could possibly be peaking this month, said Vortexas head of Asia-Pacific analysis, Serena Huang. Increased competition for Urals from China will likely put a lid on upsides to Indias imports of Russian crude. OPECs crude market share in India has fallen to 46 per cent last month, down from 72% a year ago, a multi-year low. OPEC may face an uphill battle in winning back the market share as refiners will ultimately be going for the crude that gives the highest margin, outside of fulfilling their term contracts, Huang said. Russia is selling record amounts of crude oil to India to plug the gap in its energy exports after the European Union banned imports in December. In December, the EU banned Russian seaborne oil and imposed a USD 60-per-barrel price cap, which prevents other countries from using EU shipping and insurance services, unless oil is sold below the cap. Industry officials said Indian refiners are using the UAEs dirham to pay for oil that is imported at a price lower than USD 60. According to Vortexa, India imported just 68,600 bpd of oil from Russia in March 2022 and this year the purchases have jumped to 1,678,000 bpd. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In order to tighten the noose around local terrorists operating from Pakistan, the state investigation agency (SIA) in Jammu and Kashmir has executed proclamation proceedings against a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Doda district. Mohammad Hussain Khateeb, who is a resident of Bhaderwah town and is presently based in Pakistan, has been given 30 days to appear before the court to face trial in a terror funding case, failing which his property will be attached, an official said. Khateeb is wanted by the SIA in a terror funding case of last year, also involving former minister Jateinder Singh alias Babu Singh who is presently lodged at Central jail in Kot Bhalwal Jammu. Singh, chairman of Nature-Mankind Friendly Global Party, was arrested on April 9, last year, 10 days after he went underground following the arrest of his worker Mohammad Shareef Shah, a resident of south Kashmirs Kokernag, along with Rs 6.90 lakh hawala money in Jammu. On September 24, the SIA filed a charge sheet against three persons, including Singh and Khateeb, in the court of third additional session judge Jammu. Three supplementary charge sheets were subsequently filed against nine more accused persons. Of the total accused, nine are facing trial while three, including Khateeb, are absconding. The SIA said the former minister was allegedly in contact with Khateeb over encrypted social media applications and had clandestinely visited Dubai for arranging funds. Shah was designated as Secretary of this party, who received these funds in Kashmir through an unknown person and travelled to Jammu to handover these funds to Babu Singh and this fund was arranged by Khateeb, who is a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist operating from Pakistan, the official said. Executing the proclamation proceedings under section 82 of the CrPC against Khateeb, the SIA affixed posters of the absconding accused at his residence at Masjid Mohalla in Bhaderwah and other conspicuous places. Khateeb has been granted a period of 30 days by the court in its proclamation order to appear before it to face trial. If the accused fails to appear before the court within the period of 30 days, proceedings under Section 83 CrPC shall be launched against him and his property will be attached, an official said. He said the proceedings were conducted in presence of respectable persons of the vicinity where Khateebs family is putting up. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A violent mob lynched a man in the Mardan region of Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after he was accused of blasphemy during a rally of former prime minister Imran Khans political outfit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday night. In a viral video, several people can be seen beating the man before dragging the man believed to be in his 40s, in the Sawal Dher area. The deceased was identified as Maulana Nigar Alam. He was accused of announcing, before the crowd at a rally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, that he respects PTI chairman Imran Khan like a Prophet as he is an honest man, reported The Friday Times. The alleged statement soon instigated anger among the gathering at the scene. Some reported that police reached the spot to push the crowd back. The people attacked the man while they were holding talks with some elders there. Meanwhile, a report, cited by The Friday Times, said that before the incident, some clerics belonging to the Deobandi school of thought had demanded that a case be filed against the victim on blasphemy charges. Various social media users were of the opinion that the sensitive statement by the person provoked the public that led to the lynching of the man, according to The Friday Times. International and Pakistani rights groups say accusations of blasphemy have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores. Pakistans government has long been under pressure to change the countrys blasphemy laws, but other political forces in the country have strongly resisted, media reported. Earlier in February, a person accused of blasphemy in Nankana Sahib was forcefully taken out of the police station by an enraged mob of people and tortured to death. The incident was reported in the Warburton area, where the accused, a Muslim male, was detained in on the charges of blasphemy and witchcraft for using pictures of his ex-wife. The man was also accused of setting pages of the Holy Quran to fire. He had recently been freed after spending two years in jail, as per The Friday Times. The mob attacked the police station where the accused was held in a lockup, while the SHO of the police station and other law enforcement employees fled to save their lives. Sources, quoted by The Friday Times, stated that the crowd dragged the accused out of the lockup, and tortured him to death and set his body on fire. An investigation was ordered into the incident by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He asked the police why they did not stop the violent crowd, and said that rule of law must be ensured at all costs, The Friday Times reported. (With inputs from ANI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Wrapping up his trip to Kenya and Ethiopia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the need for more cooperation, ranging from climate and energy policies to migration of skilled labor to Europe. There was a clear message from Olaf Scholz during his 3-day trip to Ethiopia and Kenya -- Berlin wants to build partnerships on eye level with countries of the Global South. The German chancellor stressed that today's world was a multipolar place and that he made a strategic decision to visit the African continent for a second time since taking office 17-months ago. Germany needs to make friends on the continent. China has already gained massive influence in Africa, for instance with big infrastructure programs. And Russia has also started a charm offensive to gain sway. Hence, the US and other Western countries are trying to step up their game. On a visit to Ethiopia in January, the Chinese foreign minister said that Africa did not need bloc competition but rather solidarity and cooperation. The African Union has already made clear it refuses to be seen as an arena for others to compete for influence. So even though there was no official mention of China during the Scholz trip, it was still the elephant in the room. An "inspiring climate champion" Kenya is not one of the countries likely to turn away from the West. This year, Germany and Kenya celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations -- West Germany was the first country to officially recognize the Republic of Kenya in 1963. On the last day of his 3-day trip to Ethiopia and Kenya, Olaf Scholz visited Olkaria, the largest geothermal power plant in Africa around 120 kilometers north-west of Nairobi. It covers 50% of Kenya's electricity needs and Germany has been supporting its development for the past two decades. It stands as a symbol for Kenya's pioneering role on the continent, especially in the energy sector. The country's president, William Ruto, has set the ambitious goal to fully switch to renewable energies in only a few years. "I am very impressed that Kenya wants to achieve its goal of going from 90% to 100% renewable electricity production by 2030 even faster," the German chancellor said. Scholz said that Germany was ready to support Kenya in that effort and intended to strengthen its energy and climate partnership with the East African country. The German chancellor called it an "inspiring climate champion." About a dozen business representatives have joined Scholz on his trip. Kenya being Germany's most important trading partner in the region, there are of course also hopes that German companies will find lucrative investment opportunities in Kenya's energy sector. AU to become a G20 member soon? Another step towards engaging on eye level was Scholz' announcement on the first day of his trip to support G20 membership for the African Union. "We want to support the African Union getting a seat in the G20, so that it can participate and have a say in decision-making. Africa must play a bigger role in international relations, a role that does justice to the continent and its growing population", Scholz said during a joint press conference, noting he was "convinced" the AU would get a seat at the G20 soon. It's something that would be a big step forward for African countries. For decades, they have been trying to get more international representation. With its 55 member states, the African Union represents the interests of roughly 1.4 billion people. The AU would have a say especially regarding issues such as climate change, that affect many African nations. Peaceful resolution of Sudan conflict In Addis Ababa, Scholz also met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Tigray's President Reda Getachew. There was no press conference but according to a statement by the German government, Berlin supports Ethiopia's transitional justice efforts after the devastating war in Tigray that ended last November. The current crisis in Sudan was also on the agenda and Scholz stressed Germany's support for a peaceful settlement of the conflict and said he appreciated Kenya as an anchor of stability. "Kenya is an established democracy and as such the country is a stabilizing player in a very troubled region. We really appreciate the mediation efforts Kenya has put in place over the past few years," Scholz said. Migration and employment The German and Kenyan leaders also discussed migration and employment, with Scholz seeing opportunities for Kenya to help with Germany's skilled labor shortage. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa East Africa Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "We see great potential in Kenya for skilled labor migration in many areas of our economy," he said. The German chancellor explained Berlin wanted to strengthen regular labor migration while at the same time reducing irregular migration. "This is a win-win situation for the countries that participate," he added, with Ruto backing the proposal. "There is an opportunity for close to 250,000 people to work in Germany from different countries," Ruto said during the joint press conference in Nairobi. "We would value that opening, but we would also undertake that any persons from Kenya who do not measure up to good standing and are against the law in Germany, would be returned to Kenya." Kenya boasts a large number of skilled workers in the IT and digital sector, with Nairobi being dubbed the "Silicon Savannah" due to its innovative start-up scene. For Germany, the need for skilled workers is urgent. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil said in parliament last week that all the stops must be pulled to secure jobs and skilled labor, adding that "if we don't do that, we will be short of seven million workers and skilled workers by 2035." Edited by: Andreas Illmer A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet intercepted a Polish patrolling plane over the Black Sea, causing the latter to temporarily lose control, Warsaw said on Sunday. According to a statement by Polands border force, the Russian plane in question did not make radio contact before carrying out aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres, approaching the border guard plane three times without keeping to the required safety distance. The Polish plane was patrolling the area on behalf of the European Unions border agency. It experienced significant turbulence and the crew temporarily lost control of the aircraft and lost altitude. Warsaw noted that the Russian jet flew close enough to be near the Polish planes nose and crossed its path at a distance of around five metres. Romanias defence ministry which was the first one to report the incident condemned Moscows aggressive and dangerous behaviour. Romania said that the Polish border guard plane was on a routine Frontex patrol with Romanian border police Friday when it was intercepted. The Polish plane safely landed in Romania after the incident occurred. Additionally, Romanian and Spanish planes were briefly put on pre-alert by NATO when the incident happened. It took place in international airspace over the Black Sea, around 60 kilometres (37 miles) east of Romanias airspace, said the ministry. This incident is further evidence of the provocative approach of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea, said Bucharest. The Polish plane has been deployed in Romania from April 19 and is due to stay there until May 17, part of a Frontex operation organised by Romania that also includes Spain and Sweden. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Amid Russias ongoing invasion in Ukraine, the UN nuclear chief has warned of dangerous conditions around Europes largest nuclear power plant as Moscows evacuation of civilians from near the Zaporizhzhia station has sparked fears of escalating conflict in the area. On numerous occasions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised concern over the safety of the six-reactor plant in southern Ukraine the front line since Russian forces seized it last year. Blaming stepped-up shelling from the Ukrainian side, Russia last week ordered families with children and elderly to temporarily leave the nearby town of Enerhodar. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement on Saturday. While the nuclear plants staff remain onsite, IAEA experts have received information that the announced evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar - where most plant staff live - has started and they are closely monitoring the situation for any potential impact on nuclear safety and security, Grossi added. The Enerhodar evacuation is part of a wider removal order that extends to 18 other frontline locations in the Zaporizhzhia region. Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Melitopol, a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, accused the Russian forces of proceeding too quickly with the evacuation, with buses departing every 20-30 minutes starting Friday. Posting pictures on Telegram of the checkpoint between Russian-occupied Melitopol and annexed Crimea, he said on Saturday that there was a mad panic and no less mad queues. The partial evacuation they announced is going too fast, and there is a possibility that they may be preparing for provocations and (for that reason) focusing on civilians, Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Moscow has blamed Kyiv and its Western supporters for a series of attacks and sabotage operations, including on the Kremlin. Ukraine has been preparing an offensive against Russian forces for months and some analysts see these recent incidents as a sign it is now imminent. (With inputs from AFP) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Two-thirds of Ukraine reverberated with air raid alarms for many hours Saturday night into early on Sunday morning. News agency Reuters quoted Ukrainian officials as saying that multiple drones were shot down by air defence systems, including one that was flying over Kyivs airspace. During the last air alert, an enemy reconnaissance UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was detected in the airspace of Kyiv, the military administration of Kyiv said on the Telegram messaging app. The drone was destroyed Preliminarily, there have been no casualties or destruction. The warnings covered the whole of Ukraine, from the capital city of Kyiv and the areas west of it to every region in the east and south to the Kherson region and the Russian-occupied Crimea. According to a Russian official stationed in Crimea, Ukraine sent more than 10 drones over the peninsula. Local authorities in a number of Ukrainian regions said that air defence systems had been deployed throughout the course of the previous night, but there was no immediate word early on Sunday on probable casualties or property damage. (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. London: A total of 52 arrests were made during the Coronation including the head of the countrys largest anti-monarchy group, a move defended by Scotland Yard as part of its efforts to ensure protests did not become criminal or disruptive. The Metropolitan Police said on Saturday evening that the arrests were made for offences including affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and the people remain in custody. Among them is Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, who was arrested at Trafalgar Square during a #NotMyKing protest against the crowning of King Charles III. We absolutely understand public concern following the arrests, said Met Police Commander Karen Findlay, who led the security operation for Coronation Day. Protest is lawful and it can be disruptive. We have policed numerous protests without intervention in the build-up to the Coronation and during it. Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. We also have a duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption, she said. This depends on the context. The Coronation is a once in a generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment, she added. The Met insisted that despite the arrests a protest involving large numbers did go ahead at Trafalgar Square with police knowledge and no intervention. Earlier this week we said our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low and that we would deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining the celebration, the force said. It said it took action only on information that protesters were determined to disrupt the Coronation procession. This included information that individuals would attempt to deface public monuments with paint, breach barriers and disrupt the official movements. The police claimed lock-on devices which protesters can use to secure themselves to things like railings had been seized. Recent changes to the law, passed earlier in the week, made it illegal to prepare to lock-on. However, the Republic group said officers had misconstrued straps meant to secure their signs in place. So much for the right to peaceful protest, it said on Twitter in the wake of the arrests. Some climate protesters were also among those arrested as part of one of the largest security operations mounted by the Met Police, involving over 11,500 officers on Coronation Day Saturday and a total of 29,000 for the entire long weekend of celebrations. The Met Police hailed the magnificent team effort as thousands of people travelled into central London to watch the procession and mark the historic moment, which the force said went off largely smoothly. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Western Canadian province of Alberta declared a state of emergency on Saturday as wildfires flared across the area, forcing 25,000 people to flee their homes. In an event that has been described as an unprecedented crisis by a top Canadian official, thousands of people have been urged to leave the region at a moments notice. The total number of wildfires has gone up to 110 owing to strong winds. One-third of these blazes have been listed out-of-control. Weve declared a provincial state of emergency to protect the safety, health and welfare of Albertans, the provinces Premier Danielle Smith told a news conference after a meeting of her governments emergency management committee. A hot and dry spring coupled with kindling gave rise to the deadly wildfires in Alberta, she said. It is important to note that the province is also one of the worlds largest oil-producing regions. These conditions have resulted in the unprecedented situation our province is facing today, she said. Today, we declared a state of public emergency in Alberta. The number of wildfires and evacuations has increased again and we must prioritize the safety of Albertans. We are putting all our resources toward fighting these fires, and we are grateful for the support of our Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) May 6, 2023 According to Smith, more than 20 communities have been evacuated and at least 122,000 hectares (301,000 acres) have burned so far. By declaring a state of emergency in the region, the government of Alberta will have greater powers to respond to extreme situations, she added. Almost all of Alberta which is in the midst of an election and much of neighboring Saskatchewan province as well as a large swath of the Northwest Territories face extreme fire risks, according to a federal government fire danger map. Nearby towns and provinces have extended help to Alberta. Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair tweeted that Ottawa stood ready to provide federal assistance if needed. The situation is being closely monitored by Oil sands facilities, although none of them have reported disruptions in production. Some of the more grotesque, eerily-coloured smoke plumes Ive ever seen tonight over central Alberta wildfires #ABfire #ABstorm pic.twitter.com/npHSvSkXIe Kyle Brittain (@KyleBrittainWX) May 6, 2023 Drayton Valley with 7,000 residents about 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of Edmonton was among the communities evacuated as firefighters battled an out-of-control blaze. Some 550 kilometers north of the provincial capital, a severe fire consumed 20 homes, a general store and a police station in the community of Fox Lake. Boats and helicopters were deployed to evacuate citizens. In recent years, western Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On May 6, 2023 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan Interim Government Amir Khan Muttaqi in Islamabad, Pakistan. Qin Gang said that China and Afghanistan are traditionally friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. The two countries have been supporting, understanding and trusting each other. No matter how international and regional situations evolve, China will always stand firmly with the Afghan people and support Afghanistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions. China will, as always, respect Afghanistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, deepen China-Afghanistan cooperation in various fields, and help Afghanistan realize self-reliance, peace, stability, development and prosperity at an early date. Qin Gang emphasized that Afghanistan should earnestly fulfill its commitment to fighting terrorism, resolutely crack down on terrorist forces, including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Afghanistan. China will continue to advance the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue and cooperation based on the principles of equal consultation, practical cooperation and friendship, mutual benefit and win-win results. Amir Khan Muttaqi said that Afghanistan attaches great importance to developing relations with China and will never allow any force to use the Afghan territory for anti-China activities. Afghanistan hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and infrastructure development within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to safeguard the common interests of the two sides and benefit the two peoples. Afghanistan hopes to live in harmony with China, Pakistan and other neighboring countries and is ready to actively promote Afghanistan-China-Pakistan trilateral cooperation to promote regional stability and prosperity. Smoke rises following a shelling in the Al-Tayif neighbourhood of Khartoum, Sudan (file photo). After three weeks of fighting, envoys of Sudan's rival generals began "pre-negotiation talks" on Saturday. Meanwhile, aid shipments have started arriving. DW has the latest. The US and Saudi Arabian governments have confirmed that direct talks between the warring Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were beginning in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Saturday. The statement comes as violence continued in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and other parts of the country. A joint statement by Washington and Riyadh on Friday welcomed the "start of pre-negotiation talks" and asked for continued global support to quell the clashes. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States urge both parties to take in consideration the interests of the Sudanese nation and its people and actively engage in the talks toward a cease-fire and end to the conflict," the statement said. Sudan's two warring generals sent their envoys to Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks, in light of several failed attempts at a temporary cease-fire. The internal power struggle between Sudan's de facto leader Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who leads the regular army, and his deputy-turned-rival Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary RSF, has left hundreds dead in three weeks. RSF leader Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, said he welcomed the Jeddah talks, hoping they would "achieve their intended goals." "We are committed to democracy and the transition to a civilian-led government," Hemeti said on Twitter. He added that his paramilitary force believes in the "the need for a transitional civilian government that fosters a sustainable democratic transition and fulfills the aspirations of our people for security, stability, and development." Meanwhile, explosions were reportedly heard from Khartoum's city center. Some local media also said shots were fired in the neighboring city Omdurman. Here are other key headlines about the crisis in Sudan for Saturday, May 6: Turkey to move embassy after reported gunfire Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey's embassy will be moved from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Earlier on Saturday, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources, that a convoy that included Turkish Ambassador Ismail Cobanoglu came under fire by unknown assailants in the Sudanese capital. No casualties were reported after the incident. "With recommendation from the transitional government and Sudan army, we decided to move our embassy temporarily to Port Sudan for security reasons," Cavusoglu told reporters. East African leaders concerned about cease-fire violations The leaders of East African nations have voiced their concern over the violations to a cease-fire in Sudan, urging the warring generals to talk. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, the region's lead mediator, spoke with Burhan and Dagalo on Friday regarding his and the other leaders' concerns. "President Salva stressed the need for the parties to observe the ceasefire and send their representatives to an agreed venue to commence talks," the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. A 7-day cease-fire was announced by South Sudan earlier this week. Yet, violations have continued, as was the case with all previous cease-fires. Aid supplies arrive in Sudan A shipment of emergency medical supplies for some 165,000 arrived in Port Sudan from Dubai, the World Health Organization said on Saturday, being among the first to arrive in the country that has been torn by fighting for over three weeks. The shipment is some 30 tons and includes trauma and emergency surgical equipment. It's due to be distributed on 13 health facilities, the WHO said, though distribution will depend on "security and access clearances." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Qatar also flew a relief flight carrying some 40 tons of food. The Qatari plane touched down in Port Sudan, before returning early Saturday with 150 evacuees. Hundreds dead, thousands have left homes Data by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project shows some 700 people have died -- largely in Khartoum and the western Darfur region -- since the conflict began on April 15. Some 450,000 civilians have already fled their homes since the fighting began, the International Organization for Migration said, including more than 115,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Britain, the United Arab Emirates, the League of Arab States and the African Union are a few of the countries and international organizations who have supported talks in Jeddah, according to the US-Saudi statement. Sudan's pro-democracy Forces of Freedom and Change political coalition welcomed the start of political talks in Saudi Arabia. rmt, mk/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP) Smoke rises following a shelling in the Al-Tayif neighbourhood of Khartoum, Sudan (file photo). After three weeks of fighting, envoys of Sudan's rival generals traveled to Saudi Arabia for "pre-negotiation talks" on Saturday. Meanwhile, aid shipments have started arriving. DW has the latest. Representatives from the warring Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary were in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Saturday, with the two expected to start direct talks on securing an actual cease-fire. The US and Saudi Arabian governments confirmed the presence of the representatives and said that the two sides would take part in "pre-negotiation talks" -- the first direct discussions since fighting broke out on April 15. It was not immediately clear if the two sides actually began direct discussions on Saturday. The development comes as violence continued in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and other parts of the country. Sudan's two warring generals sent their envoys to Saudi Arabia in light of several failed attempts to enact temporary cease-fires. The internal power struggle between Sudan's de-facto leader Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who leads the regular army, and his deputy-turned-rival Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary RSF, has left hundreds dead in three weeks. RSF leader Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, said he welcomed the Jeddah talks, hoping they would "achieve their intended goals." "We are committed to democracy and the transition to a civilian-led government," Hemedti said on Twitter. He added that his paramilitary force believes in "the need for a transitional civilian government that fosters a sustainable democratic transition and fulfills the aspirations of our people for security, stability, and development." Both sides, however, have made it clear that the talks in Jeddah would only concern a humanitarian truce, and not involve discussions about an end to the conflict. Meanwhile, explosions were reportedly heard from Khartoum's city center. Some local media also said shots were fired in the neighboring city Omdurman. Here are other key headlines about the crisis in Sudan for Saturday, May 6: Turkey to move embassy after reported gunfire Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey's embassy will be moved from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Earlier on Saturday, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources, that a convoy that included Turkish Ambassador Ismail Cobanoglu came under fire by unknown assailants in the Sudanese capital. No casualties were reported after the incident. "With recommendation from the transitional government and Sudan army, we decided to move our embassy temporarily to Port Sudan for security reasons," Cavusoglu told reporters. East African leaders concerned about cease-fire violations The leaders of East African nations have voiced their concern over the violations of a cease-fire in Sudan, urging the warring generals to talk. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, the region's lead mediator, spoke with Burhan and Dagalo on Friday regarding his and the other leaders' concerns. "President Salva stressed the need for the parties to observe the ceasefire and send their representatives to an agreed venue to commence talks," the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. A 7-day cease-fire was announced by South Sudan earlier this week. Yet, violations have continued, as was the case with all previous cease-fires. Aid supplies arrive in Sudan A shipment of emergency medical supplies for some 165,000 arrived in Port Sudan from Dubai, the World Health Organization said on Saturday, being among the first to arrive in the country that has been torn by fighting for over three weeks. The shipment is some 30 tons and includes trauma and emergency surgical equipment. It's due to be distributed on 13 health facilities, the WHO said, though distribution will depend on "security and access clearances." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Qatar also flew a relief flight carrying some 40 tons of food. The Qatari plane touched down in Port Sudan, before returning early Saturday with 150 evacuees. Hundreds dead, thousands have left homes Data by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project shows some 700 people have died -- largely in Khartoum and the western Darfur region -- since the conflict began on April 15. Some 450,000 civilians have already fled their homes since the fighting began, the International Organization for Migration said, including more than 115,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Britain, the United Arab Emirates, the League of Arab States and the African Union are a few of the countries and international organizations that have supported talks in Jeddah, according to the US-Saudi statement. Sudan's pro-democracy Forces of Freedom and Change political coalition welcomed the start of political talks in Saudi Arabia. rmt, mk/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP) Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. George visits Japan where he visits with the Emperor and gets a tattoo. George was only a prince and a teenager when he visited Japan while serving in the British Navy. Along with him were his older brother Albert (who was ahead of George in the line of succession until dying in 1892. The two princes paid a formal visit to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken of Japan. While there, George received tattoos of a dragon and a tiger on his arms while Albert had a pair of storks tattooed on his. In addition to the tattoos, the brothers also rode in a rickshaw, used chopsticks for at least one meal, and engaged in a great deal of sight-seeing. In future decades, George would speak very positively about this visit. 2. The "HMS Thrush", under the command of George arrives at Bermuda. George served on active duty of the British Royal Navy from 1877 to 1892. (Had his brother Albert not died as a young man, George would probably have continued his career in the Navy.) He was in command of the gunboat "HMS Thrush" from 1889 until 1891 as a Lieutenant. During George's years in command of the ship, it was stationed in the West Indies and Canada. George would reach the rank of Captain while on active duty and Admiral of the Fleet after leaving active duty. 3. George visits St. Petersburg, Russia, for the funeral of his uncle, the Tsar, and stays for the wedding of his cousin, the next tsar. By 1894, George was second in line for the throne so it was appropriate that he attended these events along The with his father and mother. St. Petersburg had been the capital of Russia since the early 1700s. The deceased uncle was Alexander III (1881-1894) of the Romanov dynasty. The marrying cousin was Alexander's son, Nicholas II, of whom George was rather fond. Nicholas II was marrying Princess Alix of Hesse, who was one of George's paternal cousins. By 1894, George was second in line for the throne so it was appropriate that he attended these events along The with his father and mother. St. Petersburg had been the capital of Russia since the early 1700s. The deceased uncle was Alexander III (1881-1894) of the Romanov dynasty.The marrying cousin was Alexander's son, Nicholas II, of whom George was rather fond. Nicholas II was marrying Princess Alix of Hesse, who was one of George's paternal cousins. 4. George visits Australia where he opens the first session of the new Australian Parliament. By 1901, George was the heir to the throne since his father, Edward VII, had become King near the beginning of this year. George would officially open the Parliament for the new Australian commonwealth on May 09. in the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, Victoria, which would serve as the temporary capital of Australia until it was moved to Canberra in 1927. 5. George visits Spain to witness the the wedding of his cousin to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. George's cousin was Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (another paternal cousin). She had been a particular favorite of Queen Victoria. Unfortunately the marriage between her and Alfonso XIII was not particularly happy, as he had several mistresses during their marriage. Alfonso would later return the favor and visit George's United Kingdom more than once, including at the 1910 funeral of George's father, Edward. 6. George visits Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, for the 300th Anniversary of its founding. George, as Prince of Wales, the representative of the royal family, was in attendance at the Tercentennial celebration of Quebec City. The settlement had been founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. It, along with Quebec and the rest off what was considered Canada, became British following the conclusion of the French and Indian War. The attendance of George and his wife, Queen Mary, was commemorated in 1908 Canadian postage stamp. 7. George V visits India for his Delhi Durbar, par of his enthronement as King-Emperor of the British Empire. The Delhi Durbar, which recognized the British King/Queen as the Emperor/Empress of India, had previously occurred in 1877 (Victoria) and 1903 (Edward VII). George, however, was the first monarch to attend in person. The ceremony took place in Coronation Park in Delhi, the capital of India. Following the ceremony, George and Mary visited other places in India, as well as Nepal, where George was able to indulge in his hobby of hunting. 8. George visits the troops on the Western Front during World War One. Britain was involved in World War One from 1914 until 1918. On six occasions during the war, George paid visits to the troops stationed on the Western Front (in France and Belgium). He also paid numerous visits in Britain to meet wounded soldiers in military hospitals. In 1917, to reduce connections to Germany, George changed the name of the Royal Family's dynasty to Hanover. Britain was involved in World War One from 1914 until 1918. On six occasions during the war, George paid visits to the troops stationed on the Western Front (in France and Belgium). He also paid numerous visits in Britain to meet wounded soldiers in military hospitals. In 1917, to reduce connections to Germany, George changed the name of the Royal Family's dynasty to Hanover. 9. George visits World War One cemeteries in Belgium and France. George again traveled to Belgium and France in the post-war period on behalf of the Imperial War Graves Commission. He visited various cemeteries including the memorials that were built or being built there. One piece of information I would like to know is if some of the deceased soldiers who were buried in the military cemeteries were soldiers he had met on his visits to the front during the war. This was one of the last times that George traveled outside of Britain during his lifetime. 10. Home at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England, makes his famous comment "Bugger Bognor". By the mid to late 1920s, George began suffering from various health issues. As he lay on what would be his deathbed in January 1936, medical personnel tried to cheer him up by suggesting that when the weather was better he could visit the seaside town of Bognor. George, who was just tired of it at this point is said to made his famous statement. While in one sense he was not making a journey, in another his death would represent the beginning of his final journey to the hereafter. Source: Author bernie73 This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. The country's warring rivals continue to fight each other in the capital and Darfur. Meanwhile, both the army and the powerful RSF paramilitary have sent representatives to talks in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Battles flared in Khartoum on Sunday, with fighting in Sudan between the armed forces and the powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group well into its fourth week. Representatives from both parties are meanwhile attending talks in Jeddah, mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia with the aim of achieving a sustainable truce. Multiple cease-fire agreements announced since the start of the fighting on April 15 have been consistently breached. The Arab League is also meeting in Cairo on Sunday and scheduled to discuss the situation in the conflict-torn country. Escaping the fighting Fierce battles in Sudan have killed some 700 people, mostly civilians, with thousands more wounded. A mass exodus of some 100,000 have fled the country, including Sudanese as well as foreign nationals. "Yes, I am happy to survive," Manahil Salah, a 28-year-old laboratory doctor on an evacuation flight from the coastal city of Port Sudan to the UAE told Reuters news agency. She had hidden with her family for three days in their home, located near the army headquarters in Khartoum. "But I feel deep sadness because I left my mother and father behind in Sudan, and sad because all this pain is happening in my homeland." Talks unlikely to stop violence Despite agreeing to the Saudi-hosted talks, both sides have repeatedly stressed they signed up to cease-fires to facilitate humanitarian corridors rather than to end the fighting. RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo confirmed on Saturday his group's attendance at the talks. He said he hoped they would achieve their intended goal to "establish a cease-fire, open humanitarian corridors, and provide essential services to the people of Sudan." Both Dagalo and Sudanese Army General Abdel-Fattah Burhan have vowed to continue the fight until the end. Andreas Krieg of King's College London told the French AFP news agency that "the battle for Khartoum is quickly developing into a war of attrition where both sides have similar capabilities and capacities." rmt/wd (AFP, Reuters) "We express our condolences to the relatives and the people of Arequipa for the death of the 27 miners, an event that occurred in the Yanaquihua sector, Condesuyos province in Arequipa," said a statement posted on Twitter by the country's Presidency. Likewise, the government agency reported that the Ministries of Interior and Defense have been working since the beginning of this tragedy to rescue and transfer the bodies. "As a Government, we will provide all the necessary support to the regional government and the Municipality of Condesuyos in these moments of pain," it added. On Sunday, the Public Ministry confirmed the death of 27 miners, who were trapped early Saturday morning due to an explosion in a tunnel inside the artisanal mine located in Yanaquihua district in the province of Condesuyos (Arequipa region). This was reported by Prosecutor Giovanni Mattos of the Provincial Corporate Criminal Prosecutor's Office of Condesuyos, based on the number of miners who relieved another similar group at around 7:00 p.m. Therefore, it does not rule out more deaths. The explosions at La Esperanza I mine located 8 hours away from the city of Arequipa are believed to have been caused by a short circuit that sparked a nightmarish fire inside the tunnel. The fire spread rapidly through the wooden props supporting the deposit. Expresamos nuestras condolencias a los familiares y al pueblo de Arequipa por la muerte de los 27 mineros, hecho ocurrido en el sector de Yanaquihua, provincia de Condesuyos en Arequipa. Los ministerios @MininterPeru y @MindefPeru trabajan desde el inicio de esta tragedia en el Large-scale study reveals autoimmune disorders now affect around one in ten A new population-based study, involving 22 million people, shows that autoimmune disorders now affect around one in ten individuals. The work, which is published in The Lancet, further shows important socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional differences for several autoimmune disorders and provides new clues on possible causes behind these diseases. Autoimmune diseases occur when the normal role of the immune system in defence against infections is disturbed resulting in it mistakenly attacking normal healthy cells in the body. Examples of such diseases include Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and Multiple sclerosis and there are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases known. Some autoimmune disorders, such as Type 1 Diabetes, are reported to have increased over the past several decades, raising the question as to whether the overall incidence of autoimmune disorders is on the rise, driven perhaps by common environmental factors or behavioural changes. Exact causes of autoimmune diseases, particularly whether these are genetically predisposed or driven by modifiable factors, also remain largely a mystery and is subject to much research. Because individual autoimmune diseases are rare, and because there are so many different types of autoimmune diseases, it has been very difficult to undertake sufficiently large studies and establish reliable estimates to answer these questions. A consortium of experts in epidemiology, biostatistics, rheumatology, endocrinology, and immunology, from KU Leuven, University College London, the University of Glasgow, Imperial College London, Cardiff University, the University of Leicester, and the University of Oxford, have come together to answer some of these questions. Their study used a very large dataset of anonymized electronic health records from the UK from 22 million individuals to investigate 19 of the most common autoimmune diseases and to examine if cases of autoimmune diseases are rising over time, who is most affected by these conditions and how different autoimmune diseases may co-exist with each other. They found that, taken together, these 19 autoimmune diseases studied affect about 10% of the population 13% of women and 7% of men. This is higher than previous estimates, which often relied on smaller sample sizes and included fewer autoimmune conditions, and shows how important it is to study autoimmune diseases and to better understand their causes and treatments. They also found evidence of socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional disparities among several autoimmune disorders. They suggest that such variations are unlikely to be attributable to genetic differences alone and may point to the involvement of potentially modifiable risk factors contributing to the development of some autoimmune diseases. Finally, their research also confirmed that some autoimmune diseases tend to cluster together (for example, one person with a first autoimmune disease is more likely to develop a second autoimmune disease than someone without autoimmune disease), however at a much larger scale and for a much larger set of autoimmune diseases than previous studies. These findings reveal novel patterns that will likely inform the design of further research on possible common causes behind different autoimmune disease presentations. First author of the paper Dr Nathalie Conrad, based at the KU Leuven in Belgium, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, said: We observed that some autoimmune diseases tended to co-occur with one another more commonly than would be expected by chance or increased surveillance alone. This could mean that some autoimmune diseases share common risk factors, such as genetic predispositions or environmental triggers. This was particularly visible among rheumatic diseases and among endocrine diseases. But this phenomenon was not generalised across all autoimmune diseases - multiple sclerosis for example, stood out as having low rates of co-occurrence with other autoimmune diseases, suggesting a distinct pathophysiology. Co-author on the paper, Professor Iain McInnes, Vice-Principal of the University of Glasgow and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, said: This remarkable report documents changing patterns of immune diseases over two decades in the UK. These conditions pose a huge burden on individuals and upon wider society and currently represent an enormous unmet clinical need. This pioneering study provides invaluable insights that will inform improved understanding of immune diseases and their treatments going forward. Senior author of the paper, Prof Geraldine Cambridge, University College London said: Our study highlights the considerable burden that autoimmune diseases bring upon individuals and the wider population and the complexity of disentangling commonalities and differences within this large and heterogenous set of conditions. There is a crucial need therefore for recognising the importance of increasing research efforts that might help to elucidate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and support the development of targeted prevention measures such as those to reduce the contribution of environmental and social risk factors. The full study can be read here: Incidence, prevalence, and co-occurrence of autoimmune disorders over time and by age, sex, and socioeconomic status: a population-based cohort study of 22 million individuals in the UK. Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 6557 or 0141 330 4831 Sudan's warring sides to meet for talks in Saudi Arabia Iran Press TV Saturday, 06 May 2023 3:17 PM Representatives from Sudan's army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are set to meet in the Saudi city of Jeddah for their first direct talks, amid international efforts to end the ongoing conflict in Africa's third-largest country by area. In a post on his Twitter account on Saturday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan confirmed the direct talks between Sudan's warring sides, expressing hope that both sides would "engage in dialogue that will lead to the end of the conflict." Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia and the United States welcomed the start of the "pre-negotiation talks" between the Sudanese army and the RSF in a joint statement, urging them to actively engage in the talks toward a ceasefire and an end to the conflict. This is while both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the RSF commander commonly known as Hemeti, welcomed the talks as he confirmed his group's attendance, hoping that the negotiations would achieve their intended aim of securing safe passage for civilians. He also affirmed "the need to reach a civilian transitional government that... achieves the aspirations of our people." Sudan's army also confirmed that it has sent envoys to the Red Sea port city to discuss "details of the truce in the process of being extended" with the RSF. However, Dafallah Al-Haj Ali, Sudan's undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the army would not sit down directly with any delegation that the "rebellious" RSF might send. Fighting erupted between Sudan's army and the RSF on April 15. The latest figures show the fighting has killed about 700 people so far. Multiple truces have been reached, but none has been respected. Thousands have also been wounded in the fighting, which has displaced tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese and citizens from neighboring countries, who have fled, including to Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan. International organizations have, however, warned that millions of Sudanese are unable to flee and are trying to survive acute shortages of water, food, medicines, and fuel as well as power and internet blackouts. According to experts, the situation in Sudan could worsen at any moment, with intense violence in the days to come. Meanwhile, airstrikes have rocked Sudan's capital, Khartoum, hours before the warring parties meet in Saudi Arabia. Witnesses said warplanes pounded various parts of the city, with telecommunications company MTN saying all of its services had been interrupted. Witnesses also reported gun clashes and airstrikes over residential areas. Mediation efforts have multiplied since the conflict began, but the army said Wednesday it favored those of the East African regional bloc IGAD, because it wanted "African solutions to the continent's issues." However, it was ultimately the US-Saudi initiative that gained leverage as Sudan had been suspended from the African Union since the 2021 coup. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US F-16 jet crashes during S Korea drills near Seoul Iran Press TV Saturday, 06 May 2023 11:24 AM A US F-16 jetfighter has crashed during military drills near South Korean capital Seoul, the US Air Force has announced, saying the pilot had safely ejected prior to the crash. "An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing crashed in an agricultural area near Osan Air Base at about 9:45 am" in Gyeonggi province, the statement said on Saturday. The jet's pilot safely ejected before the crash and was taken to the nearest hospital, the statement added, noting that an investigation into the incident was underway. Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon said on his Twitter account that the local fire department was dispatched to the crash site and extinguished the fire. "There are no civilian homes nearby the crash, causing no further damage (other than the jet)," a police official further stated as quoted by the local Yonhap news agency. Washington is Seoul's key military ally and continues to maintain over 28,500 troops 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. The US military recently announced plans to deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea in a purported move to show its resolve to protect Seoul against the North Korea. North Korea strongly condemned the move which makes way for deployment of American nuclear assets to the Korean Peninsula. The country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), quoted Choe Ju Hyon, a senior international security analyst, as making the remarks early Monday. Last week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, agreed on the regular deployment to the peninsula of strategic assets. In line with the deal, Biden has pledged to deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea for the first time in four decades to supposedly defend its ally against what they claim to be growing nuclear threats from the North. Choe was cited by the KCNA as saying that the agreement has stipulated the allies' willingness to take "the most hostile and aggressive action" against North Korea. The stationing of American strategic assets has placed the situation of the Korean peninsula in a "quagmire of instability," and is intended to build "aggressive and exclusive military blocs" in the region, the report said. "It is just aimed to [allow the US] dodge the responsibility for the worst-ever nuclear-related crimes it has committed by systematically destroying and violating the nuclear nonproliferation system, and in particular, pushing the situation of the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war," the report added. Reacting to the agreement on Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, warned that Pyongyang would strive towards "further perfection" of its nuclear deterrence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Seven UN Peacekeepers Injured as Convoy Hit by Bomb in Central Mali - MINUSMA Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Seven UN peacekeepers were injured in an explosion when their convoy was hit by a bomb in central Mali, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said on Saturday. "Today, 6 May, an IED [improvised explosive device] explosion on a MINUSMA Force convoy, at 34 km [21.1 miles] North Douentza city wounded 7 peacekeepers," the mission tweeted, adding that the victims are receiving appropriate medical care. So far, six incidents involving improvised explosive devices have been recorded in central Mali in 2023, according to the UN mission. MINUSMA was established through an April 25, 2013 UN Security Council resolution. The mission is responsible for the protection of the civilian population, the observance of human rights and the creation of conditions for the provision of humanitarian assistance. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Ready to Intensify Cooperation With Pakistan on Afghan Issue - Foreign Minister Sputnik News 20230506 BEIJING (Sputnik) - China is ready to strengthen coordination with Pakistan on the Afghan issue and facilitate the process of peaceful restoration in the country, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said. "China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan on the Afghan issue, facilitate the process of peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan, as well as stability and progress in the region," Qin was quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying. The Chinese foreign minister also said that the Chinese-Pakistani cooperation was aimed at the global development and security initiatives. The previous meeting of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue was held in July 2021 in the Chinese city of Chengdu. Qin is paying an official visit to Pakistan from May 5-6 to hold talks with Pakistani President Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Afghan counterparts, as well as partake in the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue. An interim Afghan government led by the Taliban* came to power in the fall of 2021 after the withdrawal of US troops from the country and the collapse of the US-backed government. The Taliban takeover has heightened the fears of the Central Asian nations concerning the spread of radical fundamental Islamic ideas, as happened in 1996 when the Taliban first came to power in Afghanistan for five years. The country has since been facing deteriorating economic conditions and food shortages, exacerbated by sanctions and a US freeze on national assets, bringing Afghanistan to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. *Organization is under UN sanctions over terrorist activities Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 12:58 | Arica (Chile), May. 7. Hundreds of mostly Venezuelan and Haitian migrants have been stuck in the border area for over two weeks after leaving Arica in northern Chile because Peru refused to let them continue into the town of Tacna, alleging they lacked the necessary documentation. Not long ago, authorities in Lima declared a state of emergency at the country's borders , deploying troops to reinforce checkpoints and block undocumented workers from crossing over from Chile. Many of the migrants say they are trying to go home, or seeking to continue northwards in a bid to reach the United States. "The plane has just taken off... to Caracas," Chilean government delegate Ricardo Sanzana told reporters in the city of Arica, 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) north of Santiago. He added that 115 Venezuelans who had registered to board and had been waiting for more than two weeks at the Chacalluta border crossing were on board. The plane belonging to a private airline had arrived from Caracas on Friday and is financed by the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro. According to the UN refugee agency, there are on average 150 to 200 migrants a day left stranded between the South American neighbors. (END9 AFP/RMB A plane carrying more than a hundred Venezuelan migrants left Chile on Sunday, in a repatriation flight for people who have been stranded for weeks at the northern border with Peru.Publicado: 7/5/2023 UN chief calls for bolstered efforts to end violence in Great Lakes region 6 May 2023 - At a time when more than 100 armed groups are plaguing communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with grave human rights violations and sexual violence, the UN chief said on Saturday that swift, bolstered efforts must end the chronic cycle of conflict in the natural resources-rich Great Lakes region of Africa. "It is time to end the violence," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the high-level meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, held in Bujumbura, Burundi. Since the resurgence of the M23 armed group in DRC in 2021, more than 500,000 people have fled the violence, he said, also raising concerns about the current "extremely worrisome" security situation in Ituri province. Current crisis demands action "The current crisis shows that much still remains to be done," he warned, adding that the ongoing violence is threatening the stability of the entire Great Lakes region. The Framework, signed in 2013 in Addis Ababa, had "raised many hopes" of ending decades of violence, he said, encouraging redoubled efforts from the signatory countries, African Union, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). 'Lay down your arms' Reiterating his call to armed groups, he said "lay down your arms immediately and rejoin the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration progress." Within the Framework, boosted efforts must now focus on building a foundation of dialogue among parties to identify sustainable solutions to differences, ending impunity for perpetrators of cross-border crimes, and inclusively advancing peace, he stressed. Indeed, for peace to be sustainable, he said the voices of women, young people and displaced persons must be fully heard in all political, security and judicial processes. Peace and development go 'hand in hand' Turning to the region's bounty of rich natural and cultural resources, he said DRC is home to the world's second largest rainforest, accounting for 10 percent of global biodiversity. "We must ensure that it becomes a source of prosperity and development, not of conflict, rivalries, and unsustainable exploitation," he said. "Peace and development must go hand in hand." "The UN remains fully engaged, by your side," he said, welcoming the initiative taken by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in February to revitalize the Framework. "Only together can we achieve the common objectives of peace, security, and cooperation of the Addis Ababa Framework," he said. "The peoples of the region are counting on us." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Asks Afghanistan's Taliban to Address Terrorism Worries By Ayaz Gul May 06, 2023 Pakistan on Saturday hosted top diplomats from neighboring China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan for a trilateral dialogue that seeks to promote regional security, trade, transit, and counterterrorism collaboration. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who faces United Nations travel restrictions, was granted a waiver to attend the meeting in Islamabad. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, led their respective delegations at the fifth round of the trilateral framework. The participants held "productive discussions on political engagement, counterterrorism, trade, and connectivity," said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry in a brief post-meeting statement without elaborating. Official sources said Pakistani and Chinese delegates had shared with Taliban representatives the security concerns stemming from a growing threat of terrorism in Afghanistan and the challenges it poses to neighboring countries. The delegates exchanged views about how to support the de facto Afghan authorities in the economic reconstruction of the conflict-ravaged impoverished South Asian nation. Terror concerns Qin said before the trilateral meeting that China and Pakistan were ready to support "actively" the Afghan reconstruction efforts, but he pressed the Taliban to deliver on their regional and international commitments. "We hope that Taliban would embrace inclusive government and moderate policies and maintain friendly relations with its neighbors," the top Chinese diplomat told reporters after bilateral talks with Zardari. Qin spoke through his official interpreter. "It is important that [the] Taliban take the security concerns of its neighbors seriously and take stronger measures to counter various terrorist forces within Afghanistan," he noted. Qin said that China was ready to step up counterterrorism and security cooperation with Afghanistan and Pakistan to jointly fight terrorist threats such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Beijing has long alleged ETIM militants use Afghan soil to wage cross-border attacks against China. An Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group, known as IS-Khorasan, lately has also increased attacks in Afghanistan, targeting civilians, Taliban members and even Chinese nationals. Speaking alongside his Chinese counterpart, Zardari also underscored Islamabad's worries stemming from a spike in terrorist attacks in his country since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan nearly two years ago. "For us in Pakistan, our core issue, our red line is the issue of terrorism, which poses a serious threat to our regional stability, regional peace and is a real stumbling block in the way of the progress of the Afghan people," Zardari said. Pakistan says fugitive leaders and members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, use Afghan sanctuaries to plot cross-border terrorism. Officials in Islamabad maintain that terrorist activities have increased since the Taliban reclaimed power in Kabul in August 2021, killing hundreds of Pakistanis, mostly security forces. TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, is an offshoot and close ally of the Afghan Taliban and played an instrumental role in their 20 years long insurgency against U.S.-led NATO forces that brought them to power nearly two years ago when the international forces left Afghanistan. The Taliban deny they are allowing anyone to use Afghan soil to threaten Pakistan or other countries. Critics question those claims, citing the presence of fugitive TTP chief in last year's failed peace talks with Pakistani officials that were brokered and hosted by the Taliban in Kabul. Taliban leaders pledged they would respect the rights of all Afghans, including women. Instead, the hardline de facto authorities have gradually imposed their strict interpretation of Islamic law or Sharia. They have stopped most women from working and banned teenage girls' from receiving an education beyond the sixth grade. The restrictions have outraged the international community and deterred it from recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan. Afghanistan-CPEC Qin said Saturday that his government also was determined to link landlocked Afghanistan to a multibillion-dollar infrastructure development project in Pakistan with Chinese investment under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, is building new road networks, power plants, and ports to link the two countries and help Islamabad improve its economic productivity. "We will help extend the CPEC toward Afghanistan, promote our exchanges on cooperation in trade, investment, and interactions, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges between our three countries," Qin said. China initiated the trilateral dialogue with Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2017 to help ease tensions between its two uneasy neighbors, which share a 2,600-kilometer border. The Taliban were at the time waging a deadly insurgency against the then-U.S.-backed Afghan government, though Beijing and Islamabad maintained contacts with insurgent leaders. The U.S. and other Western governments had moved their diplomatic missions out of Kabul to Qatar when the Taliban seized power. But China, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Russia are among around 20 neighboring and regional countries that have kept their embassies open or returned to Afghanistan. While Western nations have suspended their economic cooperation with Kabul since withdrawing their troops, Beijing, Moscow, and Islamabad have increased engagement with the new Afghan authorities. China recently secured a 25-year contract to extract oil from the Afghan Amu Darya Basin and are actively negotiating other investments with the Taliban. Russian exports to Afghanistan reportedly have increased to more than $10 million monthly. The trade balance between the Taliban government and Pakistan has tilted in favor of Kabul for the first time in the history of bilateral ties. Taliban Commerce Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi, accompanying Muttaqi on his Islamabad visit, met Saturday with his Pakistani counterpart, Syed Naveed Qamar. An official statement said the two sides agreed to enhance trade volumes and streamline procedures to ensure "efficient border management" to improve bilateral trade and economic cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 06 May 2023 - Day 437 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 six Russian regions, occupied Crimea, and 21 cities have cancelled their 09 May Victory Day parades citing security concerns. Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Moscow's Victory Day celebration is likely to go ahead but on a smaller scale. Russian President Vladimir Putin's reception following the parade (last held in 2019) will not go ahead. The traditional March of the Immortal Regiment, where family members display photographs of deceased veterans of the Second World War, associated with Victory Day, has also been cancelled. This follows the recent cancellation of the Russian-hosted International Army Games. The timing of the UAV strike on the Kremlin a few days before Victory Day shows Russia's increasing vulnerability to such attacks and has almost certainly raised the threat perception of the Russian leadership over the Victory Day events. The potential for protests and discontent over the Ukraine war are also likely to have influenced the calculus of the Russian leadership. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during this day, Russian forces launched 6x missile attacks, in particular on the cities of Chasiv Yar, Kostiantynivka and Kherson. In addition, the Russian Federation carried out 25x airstrikes and more than 20 rounds from MLRS. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. The threat of launching missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high. Russia continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive actions on the Bakhmut and Mar'yinka axes. Heavy battles are being fought for the cities of Bakhmut and Mar'yinka. In general, during the day, Russian forces conducted more than 30x attacks. Volyn' and Polissya axes: no signs of the formation of offensive groups were found. Training of Russian territorial defense units continues at the training grounds of the Republic of Belarus. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains a military presence in the border areas with Ukraine. During the day, Russian forces carried out airstrikes in the areas of Zareche, Leonivka and Krasny Khutir settlements of Chernihiv Oblast. They carried out mortar and artillery shelling of the settlements of Zalizniy Myst, Leonivka, Chernihiv Oblast; Rivne, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Volfyne of the Sumy Oblast, as well as Lemishchene, Graniv, Kozacha Lopan', Strelecha, Lukyantsi, Neskuchne, Staritsa, Vovchanski Khutory, Okhrimivka, Chorne and Khatnye in the Kharkiv Oblast. Kupyansk axis: Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensive actions near the settlement of Synkivka. Krasne Pershe, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Synkivka, Pischane, Vyshneve and Stelmakhivka of the Kharkiv Oblast were subjected to artillery and mortar shelling. Lyman axis: Russian forces is searching for weak points in our defense. They led offensive actions on the axis of Bilogorivka and Spirny, but were unsuccessful. Makiivka and Nevske of the Luhansk Oblast and Belogorivka and Spirne of the Donetsk Oblast were hit by artillery fire. Bakhmut axis: Russian forces continue offensive actions. Fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. During the day, Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensive actions on the axiss of Bohdanivka, Ivanovsky, Predtechyny and New York. Vesele, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Markove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Kostyantynivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pivdenne, Toretsk, Severnye and New York of the Donetsk Oblast were affected by Russian shelling. Avdiivka axis: during the day, Russian forces did not carry out any offensive operations. They shelled the settlements of Berdychi, Avdiyivka, Severna, Karlivka, Netaylove and Pervomaiske of the Donetsk Oblast. Mar'yinka axis: units of the defense forces repelled numerous Russian attacks in the vicinity of Mar'yinka. At the same time, the settlements of Georgiyivka and Pobyeda of the Donetsk Oblast were subjected to Russian shelling. Shakhtars'ke axis: during the day, Russian forces did not carry out offensive actions. Fired at Vodyane, Vugledar, Prechistivka and Zolota Niva of the Donetsk Oblast. Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axis: Russia continues to be on the defensive. Russian forces carried out shelling of populated areas, which are not far from the frontline. In particular, these are Burlatsk, Vilne Pole, Novopil' of the Donetsk Oblast; Olhivske, Malynivka, Gulyaipole, Charivne, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, Mali Shcherbaki, Kam'ianske of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Zolota Balka, Antonivka of the Kherson Oblast and the city of Kherson. The Russian occupiers do not stop robbing Ukrainian citizens and businesses in the temporarily occupied territories. In Energodar, as of May 5, not a single car was left on the territory of the Elektropivdenmontazh-10 enterprise. The warehouse was looted, and machine tools were also taken away. Increasingly, information is being received about the low level of morale and psychological condition of Russian personnel. Thus, in one of the divisions of the Russian occupation forces, located in the village of Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod region, commanders openly refer to subordinates as "cannon fodder." In addition, servicemen complain about unsatisfactory medical care, as well as provision of personal protective equipment and equipment. About 50% of the personnel do not have the opportunity to issue payment cards, they fear that in the event of their death, their funds will not reach their families. During the day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out 5x strikes on areas where Russian personnel and military equipment were concentrated, as well as a strike on the Russian forces' anti-aircraft missile system. During this day, Ukrainian defenders destroyed 4x attack UAVs "Shahed-136/131" and 2x reconnaissance drones. During the day, units of missile and artillery forces hit the control post, 3x areas of the concentration of Russian weapons and military equipment, as well as an artillery unit in a firing position. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, the attacks, launched by aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces, have resulted in the neutralisation of the AFU units close to Kislovka and Berestovoye (Kharkov region). The AFU losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles and one Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer. In Krasny Liman direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, as well as the artillery of the 'Tsentr' Group of Forces, have neutralised the enemy near Nevskoe and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, one armoured fighting vehicle, three pickup trucks, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system and two D-30 howitzers. In Donetsk direction, the assault detachments continued to conduct combat actions against the enemy in the western part of Artyomovsk. The Airborne Troops units were constraining the enemy movement on the flanks. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, as well as artillery of the Yug Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on the enemy units close to Chasov Yar and Bogdanovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The Russian aviation have made 7 sorties in this area during the day. The Group's artillery have performed 72 firing missions. The enemy losses were over 185 Ukrainian servicemen and mercenaries, one tank, four armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two D-20 howitzers and one D-30 howitzer. In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the aviation and artillery operations of the 'Vostok' Group of Forces have resulted in the neutralisation of the AFU units near Gulyai Pole (Zaporozhye region), and Ugledar (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 90 Ukrainian personnel, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer. One ammunition depot of the AFU 35th Marine Corps Battalion has been destroyed close to Velikaya Novosyolka. In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 85 artillery units of the AFU at their firing positions, manpower and military hardware at 104 areas. One U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-48 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed close to Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk People's Republic). Air defence forces intercepted three HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles and one HARM anti-radar missile. Air defence facilities have shot down 32 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles close to Novoandreyevka, Svatovo, Pshenichnoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Gorlovka, Volnovakha (Donetsk People's Republic), Vasilyevka, Chubaryovka and Orekhov (Zaporozhye region). In total, 418 airplanes, 230 helicopters, 3,995 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 air defence missile systems, 9,002 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,096 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 4,748 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 10,002 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese experts hail end to COVID global health emergency, urge long-term monitoring Global Times By Global Times Published: May 06, 2023 02:22 PM After the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared an end to COVID-19 as a global public health emergency, many Chinese medical experts expressed optimism for further social and economic recovery, while stressing a necessity for long-term monitoring of the virus in the new stage of epidemic prevention. The end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency means that countries no longer need to implement corresponding social public health measures and prevention and control measures, which will bring new changes to global and China's transportation, trade and tourism landscape, said Liang Wannian, head of China's COVID-19 response experts' team. A range of recent indicators point to a new balance between natural immunity and the virus being formed; in other words, global COVID-19 has achieved important progress, Liang said in an interview with China Media Group on Saturday. The global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has achieved important progress, and there will be new changes in many fields that further benefit social and economic development and international exchanges, Liang said. "This is further conducive to social and economic development and international exchanges, and further reduces some inconvenience caused by the epidemic," Liang said, adding that countries will have more energy and time to focus on economic development and improving living standards. Liang, who leads the expert panel of COVID-19 response of China National Health Commission, further explained that the end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency does not mean the epidemic will disappear, nor the harm caused by the disease, but it means that countries now have the ability to effectively control the harm. Prevention and control measures such as monitoring and early warning still need to be maintained, especially vaccination for high-risk groups and key groups, Liang noted. Many medical experts have expressed similar sentiments to that of Liang after the WHO declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency. "The virus will still exist, but the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and return to normalcy feels great," reads a message posted by Shanghai-based renowned infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong on Saturday. Chen Xi, associate professor of health policy & economics at Yale University, told the Global Times that at present, the threat of the virus to people's life and health and the medical system has not been reduced to a "tolerable level," citing that the weekly death toll from the COVID-19 in the US is still more than 1,000, more than many other diseases. Countries around the world still need to cooperate to monitor the mutation of the virus, a threat that needs long-term attention, Chen said. "The WHO announcement ending the COVID-19 emergency is based on its approval of global pandemic control situation with positive development, sending signals that things are returning to normal," a Beijing-based medical expert, who requested not to be named, told the Global Times on Saturday. There is little possibility of large-scale rebound of pandemic, given factors including the current warm weather in the northern hemisphere and broad public experience in combatting the virus, the expert predicted. However, the Chinese public should remain alert and monitor notices issued by the WHO and the country's public health authorities, ensure frequent household ventilation, reduce unnecessary gatherings, and maintain good personal hygiene habits, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau May 6, 2023 London, United Kingdom Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak. The prime ministers discussed Russia's illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and reiterated their ongoing and steadfast support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. They spoke of the need to further coordinate support for Ukraine's reconstruction efforts, noting the upcoming Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in London next month. Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Sunak expressed ongoing concern with the consequences of Russia's actions for the Global South and agreed to further advance initiatives with allies and G7 partners to support those most affected, including through greater collaboration to increase equitable access to concessional financing for low- and middle-income countries. The prime ministers agreed on the importance of close coordination between partners and allies to build the resilient supply chains required to advance the transition toward low-carbon economies. The two leaders spoke of the extremely close and productive relations between Canada and the UK. Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and looked forward to the conclusion of an ambitious bilateral free trade agreement. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing collaboration on national security. They looked forward to working together to advance mutual priorities, such as economic security, at the upcoming G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Sunak agreed to continue coordinating closely on shared priorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Do Chinese carriers only play theatrical role? Shandong aircraft carrier fleet's first Western Pacific drills effectively refute such smears Global Times By Deng Xiaoci and Guo Yuandan Published: May 06, 2023 08:57 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Saturday released videos and pictures of just-concluded combat readiness drills of the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet, saying that the fleet entered the Western Pacific for the first time in a systematic and large-scale manner, which according to Chinese experts, effectively refuted the Western media's smears that Chinese aircraft carriers only "play theatrical role but pose little threat." The fleet of PLA Navy Shandong aircraft carrier has recently returned to their home port, after concluding combat readiness drills in the Western Pacific, according to the PLA Navy official WeChat official account on Saturday. During the drills, the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet entered the Western Pacific for the first time in a systematic and large-scale manner. The PLA Navy said that faced with the complex situation of foreign warships and planes taking turns to conduct reconnaissance, the fleet quickly and accurately grasped the situation, and efficiently controlled the actions of troops, and always responded positively and handled things safely, effectively improving its actual combat capabilities. These important real-world combat-like drills responded to the enemy's provocations, Song Zhongping military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Saturday. Song said that the official release indicates that aircraft carrier will play its due role in the military actions in the Taiwan Straits. And that besides combat and supply capabilities, Chinese aircraft carriers have also formed joint combat capability with other PLA forces, Song noted. Reuters on Friday said that it could be more than a decade before China would be able to mount a credible carrier threat far from its shores, citing four military attaches and six defense analysts familiar with regional naval deployments. A military expert who requested not to be named told the Global Times that the recent drills conducted by the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet, based on the official release, demonstrate its joint combat capability with PLA forces including air forces as well as underwater forces, showing that Shandong's first far sea maneuvers started from a strong position. Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted a PLA Navy flotilla consisting of the aircraft carrier Shandong, a Type 055 large destroyer, two Type 052D destroyers, two Type 054A frigates and a Type 901 comprehensive replenishment ship as they sailed from the Western Pacific to the South China Sea via the Bashi Channel, according to a press release from Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff published on its website in late April. Referencing interactions with foreign warships and planes in the official release also showed that there were provocative moves during the drills and Shandong's practice has not been affected, but instead, included them in the training subject, elevating real combat skills, Song noted. Experts quoted in the Reuters report contended that in a conflict, China's carriers would be vulnerable to missile and submarine attacks, noting that the People's Liberation Army Navy has not perfected protective screening operations, particularly anti-submarine warfare. Responding that, Song said that admittedly, it would be a process for Chinese aircraft carriers to establish and hone their protective screening operations, and frequent drills in variety of sea areas prove that China was rapidly developing such capabilities. Also, as the situations surrounding China continue to deteriorate, China has the need to strive to speed up the enhancement of its aircraft carrier fleets' combat capabilities within a decade or two which would take other countries decades or a century. From the commissioning in December 2019, to the first far sea training in the Western Pacific in April, it took Shandong more than two years, the same process took the US many years, Song said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raksha Mantri visits Army Base Camp in Rajouri, J&K; Reviews defence preparedness & security situation along the border India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Lauds Army's unmatched valour & zeal while operating in challenging situations; Motivates them to continue serving the nation with bravery & dedication Nation feels secure because of your courage, commitment & constant vigil; We are with you always: Shri Rajnath Singh to soldiers Posted On: 06 MAY 2023 5:42PM by PIB Delhi Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh took stock of the operational preparedness of the Indian Army and the security situation along the border during his visit to the Army Base Camp in Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir on May 06, 2023. J&K Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were present during the review meeting. The Raksha Mantri interacted with the soldiers and commended their valour and zeal while operating in challenging situations. He asserted that the Nation feels secure because of the unmatched courage, commitment and constant vigil of the soldiers of the Indian Army in difficult areas. He motivated them to continue working with the same dedication and bravery, stating that the Government and the people of the country are with the Armed Forces always. Shri Rajnath Singh also paid homage to the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service to the nation in Rajouri on May 05, 2023. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, he said. **** ABB/Savvy (Release ID: 1922303) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TACTICAL RESCUE OPERATION FROM SUDAN BY IAF C-17 NON-STOP OPERATION OF NEARLY 24 HOURS India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 06 MAY 2023 9:55AM by PIB Delhi In the midnight hours of 03 - 04 May 23, an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft airborne from Hindan, flew through the night to land in the early morning hours at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft refuelled at Jeddah to undertake a nonstop flight from Jeddah, via war torn Sudan and back to India. The aircraft took excess fuel from Jeddah to avoid a situation of non-availability of fuel and refueling delays in Sudan. The mission was one of a kind, with the aircraft carrying 192 passengers, mostly ladies, children and elderly persons, who either were NRIs, foreign nationals or OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India). These people could not be taken to Jeddah, and hence were required to be flown directly to India in a nonstop flight by the heavy jet. At Sudan, the aircraft carried out an overhead steep tactical arrival followed by an assault approach to land the heavy jet. During the entire duration of the ground operations, the aircraft engines were kept running in readiness of a quick exit from the airfield, in case of such a need arising. The crew encountered another unplanned emergency when one of the passengers became unconscious during the flight. This situation was immediately and proficiently handled by the crew who administered him 100% Oxygen to stabalise him. The aircraft landed at Ahmedabad late in the evening on 04 May 23 late in the evening and then at the home base of Hindan late in the night on the same day. The crew thus flew through extended duty periods of nearly 24 hrs to get some of the last stranded countrymen back to India. *** ABB/AM/SM (Release ID: 1922246) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry for Foreign Affairs condemns execution of Swedish citizen in Iran Government Offices of Sweden 06 May 2023 The Ministry for Foreign Affairs summoned Iran's acting Ambassador today, Saturday 6 May, to protest against the execution of Swedish citizen Habib Chaab earlier in the day. The Ministry conveyed its strong condemnation of the implementation of the death penalty. The death penalty is an inhuman and irreversible punishment and Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its use under any circumstances. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cmdr: Iran Navy destroyers equipped with Abu Mahdi missiles IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 6, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Commander of Iran's Army Navy Force Rear Admiral Shahram Irani says that Iranian navy destroyers have been equipped with a new generation of cruise missiles Abu Mahdi. Irani said on Saturday that Abu Mahdi cruise missile is a product of Iran's Aerospace Industries with a range of over 1,000 kilometers that can destroy any target. Rapid reaction, management of target selection, and evading the enemy's defense systems are among the characteristics of the Abu Mahdi cruise missile. The missile has been named after Martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi Resistance commander who was assassinated in a US air strike in January 2020 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. 9376**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meraki restaurant, the authentic Greek concept restaurant in Riyadh, said that its Culinary Director, Sanjay Dwivedi, will be hosting a public dinner at Meraki restaurant in Al Faisaliyah Tower in Riyadh May 9 at 8pm. The dinner will be a unique opportunity for food lovers to experience the elevated Greek-Mediterranean dining experience that Meraki is known for. The dinner will feature a panel of esteemed guests, including representatives from the Greek Embassy, the Ministry of Tourism, Saudia Airlines, and media and influencers. This mix of guests ensures a diverse and engaging experience for all attendees. Since joining Meraki in April 2022, Chef Sanjay Dwivedi has challenged the restaurant's kitchen team to imagine and realize its vision of an elevated Greek-Mediterranean dining experience. Chef Sanjay Dwivedi is an internationally acclaimed chef and the culinary founder of the iconic fine-dining destination Coya. His innovative take on gastronomical experiences is recognized globally, having worked at a diverse range of London's top restaurants. "We are on the cusp of something monumental, on a global scale," said Chef Sanjay Dwivedi. "Now is the time to refine and redefine, not only the menu but the vision is to lift the overall package, 360 degrees of client experience. I have been tremendously impressed by the passionate team here at Meraki. Without whom this vision cannot be realized. Talented individuals should feel empowered with knowledge and freedom to be autonomous so they can flourish as Meraki grows. I look forward to championing their successes!" Meraki was created in 2017 in the heart of Fitzrovia central London, and it has since expanded to a global audience that knows no boundaries. Known worldwide for its Greek-influenced, Mediterranean-style menu, Meraki's restaurants in Riyadh (2021) and Porto Cervo (2021) opened with great success. "We are delighted that Chef Sanjay Dwivedi will be in Meraki Al Riyadh for this public dinner," said Peter Waney and Olivier Eynard, co-founders of Meraki. "His expertise and vision have helped us to elevate the Meraki experience to new heights, and we are excited to share it with the public. We look forward to welcoming guests to our restaurant and providing them with an unforgettable evening of Greek-Mediterranean cuisine, where they can have the opportunity to interact with Chef Sanjay and enjoy his signature dishes." TradeArabia News Service Iran's top priority in foreign policy to establish ties with neighboring, regional countries: Ghalibaf ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 6 May 2023 / 14:13 Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stressed the need for parliamentary cooperation between Iran and Uzbekistan. He made the remarks in a meeting with the Parliament Speaker of Uzbekistan Nurdinjon Ismoilov, who arrived in Tehran on Friday night at the head of a parliamentary delegation. During the meeting, Ghalibaf said, "The top priority of the Iranian parliament in foreign policy is to establish relations with neighboring and regional countries, especially Islamic countries". "In Central Asia, Uzbekistan with its high population provides excellent opportunities for collaboration in various fields such as economics, transportation, and transit," he went on to say. Pointing to his previous visit to Tashkent, Ghalibaf said, "Last year, detailed negotiations were held in Tashkent between the two countries' officials and after that Iranian president paid an official visit to Uzbekistan. This month, the President of Uzbekistan will visit Iran to further expand relations, especially in the areas of economics, transportation, and cultural development". Elsewhere in his remarks, Ghalibaf also emphasized the need for serious cooperation between neighboring countries to help Afghanistan achieve stability and development. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Swedish-backed mastermind of 2018 Ahvaz terrorist attack that killed 25 Iranians executed Iran Press TV Saturday, 06 May 2023 6:38 AM The ringleader of a separatist group responsible for several terrorist operations in Iran, including the 2018 deadly terrorist attack in southwestern city of Ahvaz, has been executed. Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian Judiciary, reported that the death sentence against Habib Farajollah Chaab, also known as Habib Asyud, the ringleader of the Harkat al-Nazal terror outfit, was carried out on Saturday morning. Back on March 12, Iran's Judiciary confirmed the death sentence "on charges of corruption on earth through the formation, management, and leadership of a rebel group called Harkat al-Nazal and the design and execution of numerous terrorist operations in Khuzestan province." He pleaded guilty and confessed last year to masterminding the 2018 atrocity as well as many other acts of terror targeting the Iranian nation. Chaab had admitted to being naturalized by Sweden and backed by the Scandinavian country's government, saying he had been provided with a device that would alert Swedish security officials to rescue him whenever he was in danger. The Swedish-backed terrorist was arrested in November 2020 on the back of a set of "specialized and combined measures" by Iranian intelligence forces. The Harkat al-Nazal terror outfit has been pushing to separate the southwestern province of Khuzestan a home to the country's Arab population a from the rest of Iran by engaging in an armed conflict against the Iranian government. In September 2018, it claimed responsibility for an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, Khuzestan's provincial capital, which killed 25 people, including members of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and civilian bystanders, and injured more than 270 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Swedish-Iranian Dissident Executed By Iran For Being 'Corrupt On Earth' By RFE/RL's Radio Farda May 06, 2023 Iran has executed a Swedish-Iranian dissident who went missing from a Turkish airport two years ago before turning up in Iranian custody accused of terrorism, state media reported on May 6. Habib Chaab, a founder and former leader of a separatist group called the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz (ASMLA), had been sentenced to death for being "corrupt on earth," a capital offense under Iran's strict Islamic laws. Iranian officials accused Chaab of leading a "terrorist group" called Harakat al-Nidal and organizing and carrying out bombings and terrorist operations in the southwestern Khuzestan Province. The group was blamed for a bomb attack on an annual military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz in 2018 that killed at least two dozen people and injured scores more. The execution was carried out in Tehran, state media reported, after the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on March 21. At the time of the court ruling Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom blasted the death sentence, saying it was "an inhumane and irreversible punishment and that Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its use in all circumstances." Chaab, also known as Habib Asyud, went missing during a visit to Turkey in October 2020. A month after his disappearance, he was shown in a video on Iranian state television in which he claimed responsibility for launching an attack and working with Saudi intelligence services. Former prisoners and rights groups say Iran systematically uses torture and forced, televised confessions against alleged criminals and political detainees. Iran's foreign minister at the time of the Ahvaz attack, Mohammad Javad Zarif, later blamed that bombing on foreign enemies and their "U.S. masters." Chaab's former wife, Hoda Havashemi, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in January 2022 that she didn't believe he was involved in the Ahvaz bombing and feared he wouldn't get a fair trial. She said Swedish authorities were not being granted access to Chaab. Iran does not recognize dual citizenship. ASMLA is primarily based in the Netherlands and Denmark. Its leadership has been accused by Danish authorities of financing and promoting terrorism in Iran with Saudi Arabia's backing. In late October 2018, the Danish intelligence service accused the Iranian intelligence service of plotting to assassinate at least one of the three leaders of the group's Danish branch, which Tehran denied. In November 2017, a leader of the ASMLA was shot dead in The Hague in an attack that the Dutch government said was linked to Iran. With reporting by AP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/sewdish-iranian- disssident-chaab-executed/32399477.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Executes Swedish Iranian Dissident By VOA News May 06, 2023 Iran said Saturday that it had executed a Swedish Iranian dissident. Habib Farajollah Chaab was convicted of the charge of "being corrupt on Earth" for his activities with Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, an Arab separatist group in Iran. State television said the group launched an attack on a military parade in 2018 that killed 25. Chaab was detained in Turkey in 2020 by Iranian security forces. The details of his arrest in Turkey by Iranian forces were not immediately clear. Sweden had expressed concerns about Chaab's Iranian arrest and conviction. However, relations between Iran and Sweden were already tense, because Sweden handed down a life prison sentence to a former Iranian official for his part in the mass executions of political prisoners in Iran in 1988. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 4th round of Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue Joint Press Release Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs At the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang of the People's Republic of China undertook his first official visit to Pakistan from 5 to 6 May 2023. On 6 May 2023, the two Foreign Ministers co-chaired the 4th round of the Foreign Minister-level Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad. During the dialogue, the entire range of bilateral relations and cooperation, including in political, strategic, economic, defense security, education and cultural domains was reviewed. Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan congratulated the Chinese leadership on the successful holding of the 'Two Sessions'. He wished China's people and the new leadership greater success in building a strong, prosperous and modern socialist country. He also expressed his resolve to work together with State Councilor Qin Gang to further fortify the Pakistan-China relationship. Recalling the consensus reached between the leadership of the two countries during the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing in November 2022, the two sides agreed to further strengthen Pakistan-China strategic relations amidst profound regional and international changes. The Foreign Ministers expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China while reaffirming the need for convening important bilateral sectoral engagements. The two Foreign Ministers underlined that Pakistan-China friendship was a historic reality and conscious choice of the two nations. As 'All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners', Pakistan and China enjoy complete mutual trust, and their iron-clad friendship enjoys complete consensus in both countries. Both sides agreed on continuing their enduring support on issues concerning each other's core national interests. Reaffirming Pakistan's special place in China's neighbourhood diplomacy, the Chinese side reiterated its firm support for Pakistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as its unity, stability, and economic prosperity. The Pakistani side reiterated its commitment to the "One China" policy as well as its firm support to China on all core issues of its national interest, including Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and South China Sea. Welcoming the completion of a decade of CPEC in 2023, the two sides hailed CPEC as a shining example of Belt and Road cooperation which has accelerated socio-economic development, job creation and improvement of people's livelihoods in Pakistan. Reaffirming their commitment to high-quality development of CPEC, both sides noted with satisfaction the steady progress of CPEC projects. The two sides reiterated the key significance of ML-1 project under the CPEC framework and agreed to advance its earliest implementation. They also agreed to actively advance the Karachi Circular Railway alongside key areas of cooperation including, inter alia, agriculture, science and technology, IT, and renewable energy. The two sides reviewed the progress of various projects at Gwadar, including the Friendship Hospital and New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA). Both sides reiterated their resolve to develop Gwadar as a high-quality port and a hub for regional trade and connectivity. Acknowledging industrialization as highly conducive to long-term sustainable economic growth and development, they also agreed to work together in the guidance of the Framework Agreement on Industrial Cooperation to actively advance industrial cooperation. Both sides reiterated that CPEC is an open and inclusive platform for win-win cooperation and invited third parties to maximize benefits from CPEC. The Pakistani side expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for its economic and financial support, and its generous assistance package for post-floods reconstruction and rehabilitation. The two sides reiterated their firm resolve to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Acknowledging the endeavours and sacrifices made by Pakistan in fight against terrorism and extremism, the Chinese side appreciated the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure enhanced security of Chinese projects, personnel and institutions in Pakistan, as well as the steps taken to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators targeting Chinese nationals in Dasu, Karachi and other attacks. The two sides agreed to further build on the cooperation in security and counter-terrorism domains. Reviewing their cooperation on regional and international issues at multilateral forums such as the United Nations and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the two sides agreed to further deepen their coordination and cooperation to safeguard mutual interests. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and support for multilateralism, free trade and win-win cooperation. The Pakistani side supports the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative put forward by the Chinese side. The two sides are ready to advance cooperation on the GDI and GSI bilaterally and in multilateral fora. The Pakistani side welcomed the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by the Chinese side. Both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia, and the need for resolution of all outstanding disputes. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments of the situation in Jammu & Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir dispute was left over from history between India and Pakistan and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. Both sides opposed any unilateral actions that further complicate the already volatile situation. Stressing that peace and stability in Afghanistan is vital for socio-economic development, connectivity and prosperity in the region, both sides called on all stakeholders to work together for a peaceful, stable, prosperous and united Afghanistan, which would firmly combat terrorism and live in harmony with its neighbours. The two sides underscored the need for the international community to provide continued assistance and support to Afghanistan including through unfreezing of Afghanistan's overseas financial assets. The two sides agreed to continue their humanitarian and economic assistance for the Afghan people and enhance development cooperation in Afghanistan, including through extension of CPEC to Afghanistan. Both Pakistan and China reaffirmed their firm resolve to further strengthen their time-tested and All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership through continued close consultations at leadership level, enhanced practical cooperation and robust implementation of the CPEC projects. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin thanked Foreign Minister Bilawal on the warmth and hospitality extended to him and his entire delegation. Islamabad 6 May 2023 84/2023 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Foreign Minister Tells Pakistan It Must Overcome Political Instability By Sarah Zaman May 06, 2023 Expressing concern about Pakistan's increasing instability, the visiting Chinese foreign minister told the host nation to overcome political differences to pave the way for economic progress. China's foreign minister, Qin Gang, was in Pakistan on Saturday for the fourth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue held in Islamabad. It was Qin's maiden visit to the country since becoming Beijing's top diplomat. "We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so it can focus on growing the economy," Qin said, addressing a press briefing alongside his Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, after the closed-door strategic talks. Pakistan is facing intense political turmoil since former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted a year ago in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. A lack of consensus between Khan's party and the 13-party ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the election schedule has plunged the country into a political and constitutional crisis. The country also is mired in a crippling financial crisis. To help Pakistan revive a stalled bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund and avoid default, China has provided relief by rolling over debt and parking funds there to boost dangerously low foreign exchange reserves. Qin said his country will "continue to do our best to support Pakistan's foreign exchange and financial stability." Pakistan's former envoy to the U.K., U.S. and U.N., Maleeha Lodhi, told VOA her country would have defaulted without China coming to the rescue. "It was the Chinese decision to roll over even commercial loans to Pakistan that has helped keep Pakistan financially afloat. So, China's help has been extremely vital to help Pakistan, at least keep its [foreign exchange] reserves," said Lodhi. China is also Pakistan's single biggest lender, though, with the South Asian nation owing one-third of its external debt to Beijing. That debt has skyrocketed since the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 10 years ago. Known as CPEC, the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure and development project is part of China's global Belt and Road Initiative. By not providing large-scale debt forgiveness to Pakistan, policy expert and former adviser to the Pakistani government Mosharraf Zaidi said Beijing is telling Pakistan to manage its affairs better. "[The] Chinese, I think, will keep insisting that we will not let you fail completely, but we will not support mismanagement and misgovernance, which is really what Pakistan over the last year-and-a-half in particular has done," Zaidi told VOA. Both foreign ministers rejected the perception that Pakistan is a victim of "debt-trap diplomacy" and the assertions that China targets struggling economies through unsustainable loans to pursue its geo-strategic goals. "There is no basis whatsoever in the so-called debt sustainability, debt trap ... concerns that are propagated. Chinese investment and financial support ... is in keeping with the traditions of our unique, time-tested friendship" Bhutto Zardari told journalists. "For those who make false suggestions about debt trap," Qin said in a veiled reference to Washington's criticism of China's investment pattern, "I suggest that you ask those people, 'what have they done for the national development and well-being of the Pakistani people?'" The U.S. is Pakistan's biggest export market, followed by China. Along with Pakistan's economic and political instability, the safety of its citizens is a major concern for China. Despite multi-layered security guarding Chinese projects in Pakistan, including a special military unit, Chinese workers have faced lethal attacks from militant groups that oppose the Pakistani state or see Chinese projects as an extension of what they regard as the state's encroachment of their resources. Qin said his Pakistani counterpart had shared "the meticulous arrangements by Pakistan to protect China's citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan. Our two sides agreed to hunt down and bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks targeting Chinese." Last November, a Pakistani counterterrorism court gave death sentences to two men accused of killing 13 people, including nine Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project, in a suicide attack in July 2021. During his brief stay in Pakistan, China's top diplomat took part in trilateral talks with his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts. The Afghan Taliban's interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, who faces travel restrictions by the United Nations, was granted a waiver to come to Islamabad. Bhutto Zardari noted that for Pakistan, the core issue with Afghanistan is terrorism, which he called a "red line." Pakistan blames Kabul for not reining in terrorists present on its soil who have been mounting near-daily attacks on Pakistani security personnel. As China deepens its interests in Afghanistan, Qin said before the trilateral talks, he hoped that "Pakistan and Afghanistan will bear in mind the larger picture and try to work out the issues between them through dialogue and consultation." Qin's visit to Pakistan comes on the heels of the Pakistani army chief's visit to Beijing just over a week ago and a bilateral political consultation there in March. The two heads of state met in China last November. A recent Washington Post report on U.S. intelligence leaks revealed Pakistani officials sought to distance the country from the U.S. on key issues to avoid hurting its relationship with China. Standing with the Pakistani foreign minister, China's top diplomat took swipes at the U.S., at one point saying Beijing and Islamabad will keep working together to "oppose the cold war mentality, zero-sum game." On the challenges of balancing relations with two competing global powers, former Pakistani envoy Lodhi told VOA, "Pakistan has made it clear it will not be part of any anti-China coalition that the United States is trying its best to mobilize across the world." In policy expert Zaidi's opinion, however, Islamabad's compulsion is to maintain strategic ties with China and strengthen its weak relationship with the U.S. because Pakistan is "too big to choose a side, but it's also too small to choose a side successfully." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pro-Kremlin Writer And Political Activist Wounded In Car Bombing By RFE/RL's Russian Service May 06, 2023 The pro-Kremlin writer and political activist Zakhar Prilepin was wounded in a car bombing in the city of Nizhny Novgorod on May 6, the state-run TASS news agency reported. According to reports, Prilepin's driver died in the explosion which occurred in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers east of Moscow. Once a left-wing dissident, Prilepin has become one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken supporters on the right and backers of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. It is the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of prominent Kremlin-connected far-right ideologue Aleksandr Dugin. Russian authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast. Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating it. TASS quoted Prilepin's spokespeople as saying that he was "OK." No details were given about the extent of his injuries. Gleb Nikitin, the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, later said on his Telegram channel that Prilepin had "minor fractures" and that "there is no threat to his health." Quoting unnamed sources, Russian news outlet RBC reported that Prilepin was traveling back to Moscow on May 6 from Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novgorod region for a meal. Police are investigating the incident, the report said. Prilepin became a Putin supporter in 2014, after Putin illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. He was involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of Russia-backed separatists. Last year, he was sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2020, he founded a political party, For the Truth, which Russian media reported was backed by the Kremlin. A year later, Prilepin's party merged with the nationalist A Just Russia party that has seats in the parliament. A co-chair of the newly formed party, Prilepin won a seat in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in the 2021 election, but gave it up. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the United States and NATO were to blame for the alleged car bombing but did not provide any proof to back that claim. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told Ukrainian media that it cannot confirm or deny involvement in the attack or other incidents inside of Russia. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-prlepin-writer- bombing/32399592.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry's statement on the terrorist attack against writer Zakhar Prilepin organised by Ukrainian security services 6 May 2023 20:40 879-06-05-2023 On May 6, Alexander Shubin, a veteran of military operations in the LPR, was killed and Russian writer, publicist and public figure Yevgeny Prilepin (Zakhar Prilepin) gravely injured as a result of a car explosion caused by an explosive device planted along its route in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating all the details of the incident. However, it is already clear from the materials received due to the prompt efforts of the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee that it was another terrorist attack organised and carried out by the Kiev regime backed by its Western curators. The terrorist attack against Yevgeny Prilepin is yet another demonstration of the systematic approach to eliminating ideological opponents, which has been actively nurtured in Ukraine since 2014 through the efforts of Washington, becoming the Kiev regime's basic reflex. One of the first practical steps to begin the elimination of dissenters was the launch of Mirotvorets, a criminal website which still operates today and publishes personal data of people who are considered to be critical of the Ukrainian authorities. This information is actively used by hired killers carrying out assassinations when they receive the corresponding order. After the murder, the mark "eliminated" appears on the photographs of the victims in the hit list. Since the very launch of this website, Russia has been consistently pointing out that such public databases are illegal and demanded that Ukraine shut them down, and that the Western curators of the Kiev authorities give an appropriate assessment of the actions, or rather the inaction of their protAgAs. Time has shown that Washington and its satellites deliberately ignore this and other crimes of the Ukrainian authorities. Today, a real hunt has been declared for unbiased journalists, writers, and public figures. In August 2022, saboteurs of the Kiev regime used the same method - a car explosion - against Russian journalist Darya Dugina; in March 2023 they made an attempt on the life of the Tsargrad TV channel founder Konstantin Malofeyev. An improvised explosive device was also used to murder Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky), a military correspondent. The responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies on the Ukrainian authorities together with their Western patrons, mainly the United States, through whose efforts the anti-Russia project blended with neo-Nazism has been painstakingly nurtured in Ukraine since the coup in February 2014. The lack of condemnation by the US authorities of another terrorist attack against a Russian journalist and public figure speaks for itself. The silence of relevant international organisations is unacceptable. We express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and wish Yevgeny Prilepin a speedy recovery. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prilepin Targeted by Kiev Because He's 'Best Warrior of the Information Front' Russia's Got Sputnik News 20230506 Ilya Tsukanov Russian author and politician Zakhar Prilepin was targeted in an assassination attempt Saturday, with a car bomb killing his driver and injuring Prilepin. A suspect detained in connection with the crime admitted that he acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services. Who is Prilepin? Why did Kiev consider him an important target? Zakhar Prilepin is no stranger to Kiev's wrath. Traveling to the Donbass in 2014 as a war correspondent, the Russian author became known for his humanitarian activities and support for the Donbass People's Militias. Between 2016 and 2018, he served as a deputy commander of a Donbass special forces unit, and as an advisor to late Donetsk People's Republic head Alexander Zakharchenko, who was killed in a bomb blast in Donetsk in 2018. Prilepin's name and profile can be found on Myrotvorets, a notorious online 'enemies of Ukraine' kill-list database supported and promoted by officials from Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs. The database includes Prilepin's detailed personal information, including his personal address and exact date of birth. His "crimes" range from being an "accomplice to terrorists," to the "illegal crossing of the state border of Ukraine" and the "smuggling of goods." The site dubs him a "Russian mercenary." Ukraine's Security Service has an open file on him, charging the writer with "participating in the activities of a terrorist organization," and the "financing of terrorism," charges which ordinarily carry a hefty prison sentence. But Ukraine's special services apparently preferred a more direct approach - targeting the author with assassination via a massive car bomb on Saturday in Nizhny Novgorod region. The blast was big enough to rip Prilepin's car in half and cause a massive blast crater. Prilepin's driver was killed, but the author himself miraculously survived, sustaining a number of injuries. Russian investigators opened a criminal case into the incident, and a suspect detained by police admitted during interrogation that he acted on the Kiev regime's behalf. "Zakhar is, first and foremost, a man of great altruism, who does not spare himself one bit to help the weak, the oppressed, and simply those he considers good people," Anna Dolgareva, poet and military correspondent who has known Prilepin since 2016, told Sputnik in an interview. Dolgareva said Prilepin has spent time recently supporting the Oplot Battalion, a tactical unit of the Russian Ground Forces formally subordinated to the Donetsk People's Militia. "Zakhar's foundation provided the battalion with a great deal of assistance, and Zakhar himself previously served there...He is a political officer serving on equal footing with everyone else, without any PR. I think RT were the only ones to ever do an interview with him, and literally just a couple weeks before the end of his tour," she said. Prilepin, known in Russia for his best-selling novels, as well as his work as a popularizer of history and hot-button political topics, and most recently as a politician from the A Just Russia Party, "is a person doing a lot for Russian culture," Dolgareva said, noting that he is perhaps the most significant modern 'duty officer for culture' in the country today, "doing everything that the state should be doing" in this area, and doing it on his own. Prilepin has also been a consistent proponent of greater Russian support for the Donbass, the war correspondent noted, pointing to the two books he wrote on the conflict - 'Some Will Not Go to Hell' and 'Militia Romance'. "These are really the only big works of prose dedicated to the Donbass War. These were his two important works," she stressed. Dolgareva believes the targeting of Prilepin by Ukraine's security services isn't solely about trying to kill him, but about trying to liquidate the leaders of public opinion - "passionaries working to create the Russian national idea. And yes, Ukraine has now switched to terrorist methods of warfare, acting as a kind of second Daesh,* but which has settled in the heart of Europe," she said. "All of the well-known Donbass field commanders - they died not in battle, but were killed in terrorist attacks. Now we had an attempted terrorist attack against Zakhar Prilepin...He served for several months in the special military operation and was seriously wounded only after returning home, which suggests that the Kiev regime cannot cope with our commanders on the battlefield, with our well-known, ideologically motivated people. That's why they use terrorist attacks in the rear areas inside Russia," Dolgareva pointed out. Natalya Makeeva, a journalist, author and poet who is a member of the Russian and Donetsk People's Republic Writers Unions, echoes Dolgareva's sentiments on Kiev's motivations, but suggests one has to look deeper to uncover the true culprits of attacks on figures like Prilepin. "The Kiev regime is, of course, involved in this situation to a certain degree, but not more than as an intermediary. Because behind the Kiev regime itself, which does not enjoy sovereignty, are our so-called 'Western partners' - Washington, London, the CIA or the Mi-6. These are the forces responsible for what's happening on the territory of the former Ukraine, and, without exaggeration, for everything happening in the post-Soviet space. What's happening today is the continuation of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and we know very well who was behind the collapse of the Soviet Union," Makeeva told Sputnik. The journalist believes the Ukraine of today should have been internationally recognized as a 'terrorist organization' a long time ago, because the territory can no longer be considered a state in the direct sense of the term due to its tolerance for absolute lawlessness and criminality. This contemporary Ukrainian "pseudo-state" is being "used as a weapon against Russia," according to Makeeva, and the attack on Prilepin was another example of this. "Zakhar is without question one of the most prominent representatives" of Russian Spring movement that emerged in 2014, the journalist said. "Moreover, he has participated in all of these events starting from 2014. This is something I emphasize to those who think the conflict started in 2022. Beginning in 2014, he took part in hostilities, organized the supply of huge amounts of humanitarian aid." Makeeva, who knows Prilepin thanks to ties from the worlds of literature and poetry, said that politically, Zakhar is one of few public figures who have not abandoned their political and ideological convictions, and someone who has proven himself a man of principle. "He has proven it throughout his biography...He is a man of principles, a man of ideas, a man of the 'Russian World'. He once published a book called 'Platoon: Officers and Militias of Russian Literature', and then he himself became a militiaman of Russian literature," she said. "He couldn't not go [to the Donbass, ed.], because he's someone who's ready to stand up for his convictions - for him these are not just words. His books are not just some kind of abstract literature, they are his life," Alexei Iovchev, a Russian rock musician and friend of Zakhar's, told Sputnik. "He talked about the need for military support for the Donbass, but did more than just talk. He put on black boots, tied the laces, packed his backpack and went off, and organized a battalion there, and supplied it. He was, in fact, a fighter of this battalion. His words don't diverge from his deeds. This, I think, is one of the most valuable qualities this person has," Iovchev said. Iovchev says Prilepin specifically was targeted because he's probably "the best warrior of the information front" that Russia's got, someone able to concisely formulate meanings and convey his truth. "The enemy considers its necessary to remove these people, because in 2004 [the first Maidan in Kiev, ed] we lost the war for people's minds specifically, and now we are now forced to fight it with steel, because the war for minds was lost and the Americans 'recoded' Ukrainians, turning them into weapons against us. That's an important message - that losing the war for minds is unacceptable," Iovchev said. "It's said that no one is irreplacable but using the example of Zakhar I say - there are such people...I would like to wish Zakhar a sure recovery, and our inevitable common victory!" the rocker summed up. * Daesh (also known as ISIS/ ISIL/ IS) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Suspect in Prilepin Assassination Attempt Admits Acting on Ukrainian Special Services' Orders Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Alexander Permyakov, the suspect in the assassination attempt on Russian politician and writer Zakhar Prilepin, admitted during interrogation on Saturday that he had acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, the Russian Investigative Committee said. Earlier in the day, Prilepin's car was blown up on the highway in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, as a result of which the driver was killed and the politician was injured, a law enforcement source told Sputnik. Permyakov was detained by the regional police in hot pursuit. "The suspect has been detained, during interrogation he is testifying that he was acting on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services," the committee said on Telegram. The suspect admitted having planted an explosive device along the car's path and setting it off remotely, the committee's statement read. Permyakov said in a video released by investigators that he had been recruited by the Ukrainian special services in 2018, and in 2022, he had arrived in Russia with the aim of killing Prilepin. The Russian Investigative Committee added it had continued questioning Permyakov. Experts took swabs from his hands and clothes in order to conduct forensic examinations. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Saturday that the silence of international organizations on the terrorist attack on Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin is unacceptable. "The lack of condemnation by Washington of another terrorist attack against a Russian journalist and public figure is self-revealing for the American authorities. The silence of the relevant international organizations is unacceptable," the ministry said. The ministry noted that the responsibility for the terrorist attack on Prilepin as well as for other attacks lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities but also with "their Western patrons, primarily the US, thanks to whose efforts the anti-Russian project in Ukraine, based on neo-Nazism, has been painstakingly nurtured since the coup in February 2014." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mrs. Boluarte made these remarks in an interview with El Comercio newspaper in response to what was stated in a report issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on the situation of human rights in Peru. In its report, the Commission notes that said killings may amount to extrajudicial killings and a massacre. "We categorically deny extrajudicial executions here, particularly a massacre, and the fact that this has been framed within a stigma based on racial grounds," she stated. Regarding the document issued by the IACHR, the dignitary underscored that it will be viewed as it is, without further nuances. Likewise, the President highlighted that the document should state that former President Pedro Castillo perpetrated a coup d'etat on December 7, 2022. "After that announcement, at the national and international level, the false claim that it was Congress or Dina Boluarte who perpetrated the coup d'etat against Pedro Castillo, was dispelled," she pointed out. Individual responsibilities Likewise, the country's top official underlined that neither she nor State ministers are empowered to decide on the Armed Forces' and National Police's protocols for use of force. (END) FGM/RMB No extrajudicial execution or massacre has taken place in Peru, said the President of the Republic Dina Boluarte , who also denied that the deaths occurred during recent political protests were racially motivated.Published: 5/7/2023 Car of Russian Author Zakhar Prilepin Blown Up in Nizhny Novgorod Region Sputnik News 20230506 Ilya Tsukanov Prilepin, 47, is one of the best known fiction authors in contemporary Russia, and is also a renowned journalist and aspiring politician. He has actively engaged in reporting and commenting on the crisis in the Donbass since 2014. The car of Russian author, journalist and politician Zakhar Prilepin was blown up on a highway in Nizhny Novgorod region about 450 km east of Moscow. The driver was killed and Prilepin has been injured, a law enforcement source told Sputnik. "The explosion took place on the highway in Bor District. The emergency services, police, and the Investigative Committee are heading to the scene of the tragedy," the source said. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the destruction of a vehicle in Nizhny Novgorod region, saying one person was killed, and that Prilepin was injured. Later in the day, police announced that they had detained an individual suspected of possible involvement in the incident. Prilepin's press service indicated that the author is alive, and that "it hasn't been established what exactly happened." Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin confirmed that Prilepin "is fine," and said law enforcement is continuing its investigation into the circumstances of the incident. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suspected a foreign trace in Saturday's incident. "Washington and NATO have bred another international terrorist cell - the Kiev regime. Bin Laden, ISIS (Daesh)*, now Zelensky and his thugs. This is the direct responsibility of the United States and Britain," the spokeswoman wrote on her Telegram channel. "We're praying for Zakhar," she added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that he was aware of the reports regarding the destruction of Prilepin's car, but reserved judgement in attributing blame until more information becomes available. Who is Zakhar Prilepin? Zakhar Prilepin is one of the best-known fiction writers of contemporary Russia, penning bestsellers including 'The Monestary', 'Sin' and 'Sankya', and winning a host of prestigious literary awards for his work, which is known for its politically-engaging style and revolutionary overtones, and the display of strong emotions. He is also politically active, mixing support for Russia against the West with criticism of some of the government's domestic policies. He founded the Za Pravdu ('For Truth') party - a national patriotic, socially conservative, economically left, anti-liberal party in 2020. The party merged with A Just Russia, a major Russian socially conservative, economically social democratic party, in 2021. Prilepin served as a military correspondent in the Donbass starting in 2014, with his work appearing in major Russian publications. He also engaged in fundraising drives, collecting millions of rubles to purchase humanitarian aid for the civilian population, as well as money for ammunition for the Donbass militias. He was recruited to serve as a deputy commander of a Donbass special forces battalion between 2016 and 2018. Ukraine's Security Service opened criminal proceedings against him, charging him with "participating in the activities of a terrorist organization" and the "financing of terrorism." Prilepin retired from the Donbass in 2018, but continued to speak and write about the conflict extensively. If Kiev's involvement in Saturday's incident is confirmed, it will be the latest instance of an attack on a Russian national engaged in journalistic activities, with previous incidents including a car bombing which killed journalist Daria Dugina, the daughter of Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, and the bombing of a cafe in St. Petersburg last month which killed war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky. Russian authorities have accused Ukraine's intelligence services and military of systematically targeting journalists, civilians and officials in the Donbass, civilians in other Russian regions bordering Ukraine, and infrastructure ranging from nuclear power plants to the Kremlin. Investigators have opened thousands of criminal cases against authorities in Kiev. Earlier Saturday, Russian Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin reported that over 126,000 residents of the Donbass have been recognized as victims of the conflict since it began in 2014. * A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Reliably Supplies Gas to Hungary via Turkish Stream - Energy Ministry Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia continues to reliably supply gas to Hungary via the Turkish Stream pipeline under a long-term contract, a representative of the Hungarian Ministry of Energy told Sputnik. In the context of the energy crisis and sanctions against Russia, the priority is to ensure the security of supplies, the representative said, adding that, under a long-term contract, Russia "reliably supplies gas" to Hungary via the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. The representative added that the amount of gas in Hungarian storage facilities is 1.9 billion cubic meters, which is significantly more than at the end of the previous heating season, and will help to properly prepare for next winter. According to the Hungarian energy ministry, gas imports from Azerbaijan and Black Sea shelf production are possible ways for landlocked European countries to diversify supplies in the future. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in April that Russian energy giant Gazprom had extended the agreement on additional gas supplies to Hungary in excess of long-term contract volumes. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raeisi says Iran committed to supporting Syria, confident victory will come Iran Press TV Saturday, 06 May 2023 6:14 PM Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has reiterated the Islamic Republic's unrelenting support for Syria and the resistance axis, saying the Arab country would certainly achieve final victory in the face of enemies. Raeisi made the remarks in an interview with Syria's official SANA news agency and Syria TV broadcast on Friday as he wrapped up a historic visit to Damascus, the first by an Iranian president since the foreign-backed militancy gripped the Arab country in 2011. He said the Americans occupied some areas in Syria to plunder its resources in an attempt to achieve what they could not through terrorism. "Syria is not a poor country but a rich one with its people, agriculture, and underground resources; it can witness a huge economic growth," the president stated. He said the US and some Western states allied with the Israeli regime could never weaken the Syrian military so they have resorted to an economic blockade. Raeisi said the Syrian people's resistance would surely thwart that scheme. The Iranian president said despite threats and sanctions, Syria is on the right path. Raeisi said Syria is at the forefront of resistance against Israeli greed and aggression, adding that restoration of Syrian sovereignty over all its territories would alleviate the concerns of Syria's neighboring countries. "There should not be any presence of Turkish troops in any Syrian territory," Raeisi said. Pointing to relations between Iran and Syria, Raeisi said the two countries opened a new chapter in mutual ties after the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Tehran and Damascus, he said, have been steadily developing ties, as "the axis of evil", led by the Zionist entity and the United States, weaved various conspiracies against Syria. Resistance against Israel and support for the Palestinians, Raeisi said, have become the hallmark of Iran's foreign policy. As declared by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, the Iranian president said, Palestine is the top priority of the Muslim world. Elsewhere in his remarks, Raeisi pointed to the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and said the restoration of relations between the two countries will tip the balance in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US set to provide Chinese Taipei with $500mn worth of weapons amid rising tensions with China Iran Press TV Saturday, 06 May 2023 4:26 PM The United States is preparing an express weapons delivery for Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), despite Bejing's repeated warnings to Washington against arming the self-ruled island, which China considers a part of its territory. The administration of US President Joe Biden will use the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to expedite the arms shipment to Taiwan, Bloomberg reported. In a report on Friday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said the $500-million shipment would be the first time Washington has used a Ukraine-style mechanism, the emergency authority which has been used more than 35 times to provide weapons to Ukraine. The PDA authorizes the US president to transfer articles and services from US stockpiles without congressional approval. China has sovereignty over Chinese Taipei, and under the One China policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty. The US, too, recognizes Chinese sovereignty over the island but has long courted Taipei, drawing the ire of Beijing. Beijing has repeatedly criticized the US arms supplies and military relations with Taiwan. Earlier on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denounced the US provocations on Chinese Taipei and accused Washington of "turning Taiwan into a powder keg." "Lately the US and the Taiwan authorities have been stepping up military collusion," the spokesperson said. "It is further proof that the US is turning Taiwan into a 'powder keg', which only spells trouble for our Taiwan compatriots." Her remarks came in response to the Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum held in Taipei earlier in the week. Washington has authorized multiple weapon deals with Taiwan in recent years, including a major sale of F-16 fighter jets. "US arms sales to the Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiquAs," Mao said, stressing that "China firmly opposes them." She also warned of taking "strong and resolute measures" to "firmly defend" Chinese sovereignty and security interests in the face of external forces. "Any external forces that interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait shall bear the consequences and pay for their erroneous acts," she said. In recent months, tensions between China and the US have been rising over Washington's growing military and political support for Taiwan. China often conducts military drills around the island as a warning to Taiwan's separatist forces and their collusion with the US. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Taiwan President's China Visit Highlights 'One China' Issue By Erin Hale May 06, 2023 In late March, Taiwan's former president, Ma Ying-jeou, made a historic trip to China, becoming the first former or serving Taiwan leader to visit the mainland since 1949. Ma, who served from 2008-16, said he wished to visit his ancestral homeland in Hunan province and several Chinese cities. The photo ops were many, but most attention was paid to his remarks on Taiwan's and China's unique relationship and how they are both part of "one China." Not so long ago, his comments might have had little traction. Taiwan is formally the Republic of China, named for the government that fled to the island, a former Japanese colony, at the end of the Chinese Civil War in the late 1940s. For many Chinese families who left with the government led by the nationalist Kuomintang, or KMT, party, seeing the two sides become one country was a lifelong dream barred by the politics of the Cold War. This time, however, a former president was lambasted by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and largely seemed out of touch. In contemporary Taiwan, the dream of a united China has all but vanished except among a small minority of Taiwan's residents, most of whom are older or contemporaries of the 72-year-old Ma. The change has been relatively swift. As late as 1992, as many as a quarter of Taiwan residents still saw themselves as "Chinese" and another 46% as both "Taiwanese and Chinese," according to a long-running identity poll by Taiwan's National Chengchi University, but those numbers have dropped sharply in the past 30 years to just 2.7% and 32.9%, respectively. Instead, more than 60% of respondents identified as "Taiwanese" in 2022 up from just 17.6% in 1992, as a new nationalism has gained ground following democratization in 1996. The KMT and Taiwan's other major political party, the Democratic Progressive Party, have followed suit and now either see unification with China as a distant goal or one that is wholly unwanted. "If reunification is on the right, and de jure independence on the left, then the KMT is on the center-right, and the DPP is on the center-left," said Kwei-bo Huang, vice dean and associate professor of diplomacy at National Chengchi University College of International Affairs. Even as Taiwan finds its new identity, its political parties are still being shaped by a century-old historical legacy based in China. The Republic of China was founded in 1912, after the collapse of the Qing Empire. That government led China during the turbulent decades preceding World War II before fleeing the victorious Chinese Communist Party to Taiwan. From Taipei, the KMT-led government claimed to still represent China as it ruled Taiwan under an authoritarian grip until democratization in the 1990s. It is still shaped by this legacy, even as it has evolved into a modern political party. The party, for example, still adheres to the republic's constitution's claim to be the "sole legitimate government over mainland China and Taiwan," said Chih-Yung Ho, deputy dean of the KMT's Institute of Revolutionary Practice, which advocates reunification with China under the premise of "freedom democracy, and an equitable distribution of wealth." In practice, however, it has had to change with the times, given that China's current government is unpalatable to most Taiwan residents. Support for "moving towards unification" from the current "status quo" has dropped from a peak of 19.5% of respondents in 1996 to just 6% in 2022, according to NCCU's survey, so the KMT has pivoted to pursuing "peaceful development of the Taiwan Strait." Unification, said Ho, is a distant question for "future generations to come" for most KMT supporters. Within the party itself, some conservative factions remain, such as those led by Ma that seek reunification in the near future, but they are still in a small minority. Party members such as 84-year-old hardliner Wang Chien-shein who announced plans to run for president in March under a banner of "peaceful unification by 2025" are also considered fringe elements. For Taiwan's other major political party, the DPP, these are all issues that belong in the past, along with the KMT-led authoritarian martial law that defined Taiwanese life from 1945-87. Founded in the 1986 as decades of martial law were winding down, the DPP offers a very different approach to Taiwan politics that emphasizes Taiwan as a distinct political identity that is neither defined by the Republic of China nor the People's Republic in Beijing. It has also come to champion Taiwan nationalism, which draws on Taiwan's pre-1945 history and the contributions of Japanese and indigenous Taiwanese culture, as well as that of earlier Chinese groups who immigrated to Taiwan hundreds of years ago. The DPP stops short of publicly advocating for independence - meaning for a Taiwan separate from both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China - because it would trigger an attack by Beijing. Instead, leaders such as President Tsai Ing-wen have taken the approach that Taiwan is de facto an independent country and steadily dropped most references to the "ROC" on diplomatic offices, passports, and in the media. Their policy mirrors widely held feelings of many Taiwan citizens - more than half of whom want to maintain the status quo "indefinitely" or "decide at a later date," according to NCCU polls. Nearly a third of respondents also said that they would like to maintain the status quo and "move towards independence," although it was not defined when. This could change soon with next year's presidential election. DPP presidential candidate William Lai Ching-tee, the current vice president, is far more outspoken than Tsai on issues such as independence while the party is also in the midst of a transition, said Lev Nachman, an assistant professor at NCCU who studies Taiwanese party politics. It is unclear whether more pro-independence or more "status quo" forces will take the helm of the party, he said. A similar struggle is likely happening inside the KMT, Nachman said, as that party has yet to select its candidate. Frontrunners include New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yih, who has stayed quiet on issues such as unification, and billionaire Foxconn founder Terry Gou, who has criticized the DPP's more open "pro-Taiwan independence" stance. "The thing to keep in mind is all parties are run by factions, Taiwan is no exception. The status of factions is now in flux because all the parties are trying to figure out what their next presidential campaign will look like," Nachman said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan welcomes possible U.S. weapons aid: MND ROC Central News Agency 05/07/2023 12:15 AM Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Saturday declined to confirm a Reuters' report that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration plans to send US$500 million worth of weapons aid to Taiwan, using the same emergency authority that it has used to help Ukraine defend itself, but the ministry said it welcomed such a plan. The ministry was asked to respond to the Reuters' report on Friday that as a part of the 2023 budget, U.S. Congress authorized up to US$1 billion worth of weapon aid for Taiwan using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which expedites security assistance and has helped to send arms to Ukraine. The drawdown, which authorizes the president to transfer weapons and services from U.S. stockpiles without congressional approval during an emergency, would be the first from that $1 billion authorization, according to Reuters. In response to the report, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said the main purpose of the PDA is to provide Taiwan with U.S. weapons stockpiles to make up for the defense gap created by delays in U.S. ams deliveries. The PDA is one of the acts under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023, the MND said, adding that it "welcomes the assistance of allied countries." Such a measure was used to provide weapons to Ukraine 35 times since the Russian invasion of the country began, the Reuters report said. It was unclear whether the aid would be entirely free weapons for Taiwan or a loan that would have to be paid back with interest. Details of the plan could not be immediately obtained. However, two analysts contacted by CNA said they believed the aid would be free weapons that already exist in the United States' stockpile. One analyst said the proposal is not so much based on an assessment of any imminent military conflict involving Taiwan, but an effort to deal with the criticism the Biden administration has faced of not being able to expedite the much-delayed delivery of weapons systems Taiwan had procured. The delay is believed to be partly due to Ukraine's massive need for weapons. Biden administration officials have said they don't believe there's an imminent danger of the Chinese People's Liberation Army attacking Taiwan. Ely Ratner, United States assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said at a Senate hearing in February that he does not think China will engage in any "major aggression" against Taiwan before the end of this decade, meaning by 2030. In order to quickly supplement Taiwan's defense capabilities, the United States weapons package to Taiwan should primarily include precision ammunition that can precisely hit a specific target, a military expert told CNA on Saturday. The US$500 million could allow Taiwan to purchase 3,000 Javelin missiles or 6,000 Stinger missiles, or 500 harpoons or 120 MIM-104F (PAC-3) Patriot missiles, Su Tzu-yun (ece), a research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said. While Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are among the treaty allies of the U.S., the military expert said Taiwan, Singapore and New Zealand are partners of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy. Washington strengthening military sales to Taiwan will help improve the country's defense capabilities as well as regional security, the expert said. Considering China's gray zone threats, he said a strategic agreement could also be reached between Taipei and Washington for the latter to lease to Taiwan two naval vessels and several missiles as part of the US$500 million weapons package so as to rapidly increase Taiwan's defense resilience. Referencing the Russia-Ukraine war, Su believes that if there was really a similar weapon provision to Taiwan, the articles could primarily include missiles. The strengthening of U.S. military assistance to Taiwan is due to the heightened instability in the Taiwan Strait, including China's increasing military harassment of Taiwan, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Chang Yen-ting (aaa) said. Chang further echoed Su's view that the US$500 million weapons aid could consist primarily of precision ammunitions such as the Javelin and Stinger missiles, but also drones and other related equipment, based on the concept of asymmetric warfare. In the report, Reuters, however, said it was unclear what would be included in the aid package for Taiwan, while the timing was also unknown. There were also no details as to whether Taiwan would eventually have to pay the U.S. back for the weapons. (By Wu Sheng-hung and Ko Lin) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada: 6 May 2023 The Prime Minister hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Downing Street this evening. 6 May 2023 The Prime Minister hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Downing Street this evening, following the Coronation of His Majesty the King. The leaders remarked on how special the occasion had been and reflected on their conversations with counterparts from across the world. Discussing the UK's recent accession to Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for his support, and both agreed to use the momentum to further bilateral trade talks. Looking ahead of the G7 in Hiroshima this month, both welcomed the strong alignment between G7 nations on addressing global challenges and praised Japan's focus on economic resilience during their presidency. The leaders also discussed how Canada and the UK could deepen collaboration on defence and security technology, including in cyber security and quantum. Turning to Ukraine, the leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring Ukraine continues to get the support it needs for its defence and reconstruction, now and for years to come. They looked forward to an important summit for NATO at Vilnius. The leaders looked forward to seeing one another at the G7 later this month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Britain's King Charles Crowned in Lavish Coronation Ceremony By VOA News May 06, 2023 Thousands of Britons were clamoring Saturday for a glimpse of Britain's newly crowned King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The royal couple greeted the jubilant crowds. The royal couple was joined on the balcony by senior royals, Charles' son and first in line to the throne, Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their children. Charles' siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, also were there. Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, a non-working royal, did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony, though he attended his father's coronation. Despite a pouring rain, the Red Arrows a the Royal Air Force's aerobatic team a flew over Buckingham Palace, leaving red, white and blue trails in the sky. The impressive military fly-past was scaled down because of wet weather. Thousands of marching military troops saluted their commander in chief on the lawn of Buckingham Palace. Among the foreign dignitaries who attended the coronation in Westminster Abbey were U.S. first lady Jill Biden, leading the U.S. delegation. In a phone interview with the Associated Press, she described as "really surreal" the moment when King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned. "You know, you can't imagine that moment where you actually see the crown being placed" on their heads," the U.S. first lady said. Protesters gathered on Trafalgar Square, holding placards and wearing yellow t-shirts to stand out, saying, "Not My King." According to polls, support for the monarchy is waning. "It is disgusting and massively over the top," said Kevin John, 57, a salesman from Devon who was among the protesters. "It basically symbolizes the inequality of wealth and power in our society," said lawmaker Clive Lewis, who was among the anti-monarchy protesters. The coronation is a weekend-long affair with many activities planned. While it is reported to be a scaled back version of what was originally planned, it is still believed to carry a multimillion-dollar price tag for British taxpayers. The lavish affair in Westminster Abbey featured robed clergy, prayers, majestic music and the high-pitched singing voices of young boys and girls. Britain's King Charles III was crowned Saturday, like so many of the country's monarchs before him. The last coronation was 70 years ago when Charles' mother, Elizabeth, was crowned. William, the Prince of Wales and the heir to the throne, participated in the ceremony. After Charles was crowned, William knelt before his father and pledged his loyalty to him. Charles' crown weighed 2.2kg and was decorated with precious jewels. The crown was first used at the coronation of King Charles II in 1661. Charles III wore another crown by the end of the coronation, which has been regularly worn by his predecessors for official occasions. Camilla also was crowned at the ceremony. She curtsied before the king after being crowned. Charles was the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. His prayer said in part: "Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace." Millions of people around the world were able to witness the coronation on television and the internet. One of the questions on many minds was the role Charles' son Harry, the Duke of Sussex, would have in the ceremony. He attended the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey alone without his American wife Meghan Markle and sat two rows behind his brother, the Prince of Wales. Harry left immediately afterwards, planning a same day return to the U.S. to join his wife and attend his son's 4th birthday. Harry and the royal family have been on shaky ground since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 and have revealed uncomfortable details about tensions within the royal family in a documentary and Harry's best-selling book Spare. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kyiv Says Six Killed By Russian Shelling During Demining Operation As Air-Raid Sirens Blare By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 06, 2023 Six explosives experts with Ukraine's emergency services were killed by Russian shelling while conducting a demining operation in the Kherson region, the head of the State Emergency Service (SES) said on May 6, as air-raid sirens blared throughout much of Ukraine, including in the capital, Kyiv. "While performing demining tasks in the Kherson region, our pyrotechnicians came under fire. Six of our specialists were killed," SES chief Serhiy Kruk said on Twitter. "Terrorists continue to violate all norms of international law.... This is unforgivable!" he added. Kruk also said that two others, including a female paramedic, had been injured and were being treated at a hospital. Photos of the six slain staffers were included with the online post. Further details were not immediately available. Elsewhere, Reuters reported that authorities issued air-raid alerts for much of eastern Ukraine on the evening of May 6. The area affected stretched from Vynnytsya in the west to all eastern regions and south to the Kherson region and Russia-annexed Crimea. Meanwhile, Russian invading forces continued their assault on Bakhmut, the Ukrainian military reported on May 6, a day after the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary force threatened to pull his fighters out of the besieged Ukrainian city in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine that Russia has been trying to seize for months amid reportedly rising casualties. In its daily report on May 6, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Ukrainian forces repelled some 50 attacks in Bakhmut and elsewhere in the Donetsk region, including Maryinka and Avdiyivka. Russia also launched seven drone strikes at Ukraine overnight with Ukrainian air defenses destroying all of them, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said early on May 6. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said that Russian troops, spearheaded by mercenaries from the private Wagner group, are making every effort to capture Bakhmut by May 9, the date when Moscow celebrates its World War II Victory Day. "To achieve this, they are bringing in Wagner forces from other battlefields who are being replaced with paratrooper assault units that are currently fighting in the Bakhmut direction," Malyar said on Telegram on May 5. "The Russians are inclined towars symbolism and their key historic myth is May 9 and they really have established the objective of taking control of Bakhmut by this date," Malyar said separately on Ukrainian television. Malyar's statement contradicted an apparent threat by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who earlier on May 5 claimed he would withdraw his fighters from Bakhmut in what looked like an escalation of his ongoing feud with Russian Defense Ministry over supplies and support. In a video posted by his press service on May 5, Prigozhin said he would pull out Wagner forces from Bakhmut by May 10 -- the day after the Kremlin's planned World War II Victory Day commemorations. "We were supposed to take Bakhmut by May 9, but pseudo-military bureaucrats, who knew about it, literally cut us off from artillery ammunition," Prigozhin said in the video, as he addressed the camera with a group of apparent Wagner soldiers in the background. AFP reported on May 6 that Prigozhin had asked the Kremlin to allow him to relinquish his positions in Bakhmut to Kremlin-backed authoritarian Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov. "I ask you to issue a combat order before 00:00 on May 10 concerning the transfer of the positions of the Wagner paramilitary units in Bakhmut and its periphery, to the units of the Akhmat battalion," Prigozhin said in a letter to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, referring to Chechen units under Kadyrov's control. Reuters quoted Kimberly Marten, a Russia specialist at Barnard College and Columbia University, as saying Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenaries are "essential elements of Russian military intelligence, so we don't believe anything he says." "This is all smoke and mirrors, so we are just guessing," said Marten, who added that it would be dangerous for a military commander to "broadcast" battlefield moves in advance. Earlier this week, the White House estimated that since December, Russia's overall casualty tally in Ukraine --- killed and wounded - total at least 100,000. That includes 20,000 Russians killed in action, of which about half of that number were Wagner mercenaries. "The majority of [that figure] were Russian convicts fighting in Bakhmut," White House spokesman John Kirby said on May 2. The Kremlin declined to comment on Prigozhin's remarks, as did the Defense Ministry. In another video statement released on May 4, Prigozhin was shown standing next to dozens of corpses-- what he called "freshly killed Wagner fighters." In an expletive-filled rant, he accused Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, the chairman of Russia's General Staff, of complicity in their deaths, because he said Wagner's forces aren't getting enough ammunition. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bakhmut-besieges- russian-attacks-repelled/32399442.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'The Whole Army Must Move Forward': Fighting Rages In Bakhmut As Momentum Builds For Ukraine's Counteroffensive By Andriy Kuzakov, Andrei Krasno, Reid Standish May 06, 2023 BAKHMUT, Ukraine -- Along the northern flank of Ukrainian-controlled territory on the outskirts of the eastern city of Bakhmut, tank crews from the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade are waiting for the ground to dry up so they can begin a long-anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces. The tank operators continue to support Ukrainian infantry during battles and provide cover fire from afar, but the muddy roads brought by thawed frozen ground and heavy spring rainfall have left them playing a less forward-leaning role. "The Russians still have enough artillery and anti-tank weapons, including ATGMs [anti-tank guided missiles]," Mykola, a tank operator, told Current Time, following Ukrainian military protocol of only providing his first name to journalists. "We still have far from an easy time here and while it's raining like it is now, it's difficult to work." The battle for Bakhmut, which Russia sees as a stepping stone to other cities in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, has been the scene of the war's most intense fighting for months, costing thousands of lives on both sides. Ukrainian forces have been pushed back in recent weeks, but have managed to keep some control of the area while inflicting as many losses as possible on regular Russian troops and fighters from the Wagner mercenary group. Despite many military experts disputing its strategic value, Ukrainian officials have underlined the importance that Kyiv attaches to holding Bakhmut as Ukraine makes the final preparations for its expected counteroffensive, which will be backed by thousands of Western-donated armored vehicles - including tanks - and freshly trained troops. When, where, and how Kyiv launches its push are crucial questions that Ukrainian officials have kept closely guarded. Analysts say the counteroffensive will have far-ranging consequences for the future direction of the war and the degree of its success could impact the level of Western support moving forward. Among the tank crews stationed along the front with Bakhmut, attention remains fixed on the nearby battle that has become the epicenter of the war. Fighting in the area has been divided into two theaters: street combat inside the city and more distanced engagements in fields and villages to the northwest and southwest, where Russian forces are trying to encircle Ukrainian soldiers. Petro, a tank operator in the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, says that fighting has slowed down in their area in the northwest recently as clashes in the city have intensified with the Ukrainian military reporting the arrival of fresh Russian reinforcements. "Fighting in Bakhmut drew away a very huge [Russian] force from [this area], and now it's much quieter as the intensity is not the same," Petro told Current Time Petro told Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Many of the tank crews say Russian defenses are more dug in than they were during the early stages of the war and Petro says that combat is becoming more and more like "trench warfare." Still, the tank operators say they are prepared to break through Russian lines and eagerly awaiting the looming counteroffensive. "I would very much like to meet with their tankers, [but] it doesn't matter if the tankers are there or the infantry," said Mykola. "They need to be driven out of here!" A Victory Day Push In Bakhmut Ukrainian officials have said that the intensified fighting in Bakhmut is part of a Russian effort to capture the city by May 9, the date when Moscow celebrates its World War II Victory Day. Russia is sending in reinforcements, including additional numbers of Wagner mercenaries and Russian paratroopers, according to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar. Ukrainian soldiers have faced a blend of Russian troops and Wagner fighters for some time in Bakhmut, with the mercenary group increasingly turning to prisoners to fill its ranks. Those convicts have suffered heavy casualties and been sent in waves in risky assaults as part of a tactic meant to wear down Ukrainian defenses for subsequent attacks by more skilled Russian forces. The statement from Malyar appears to be at odds with a May 5 announcement by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin that he would withdraw his forces from the city on May 10 because of insufficient ammunition. In a tense and profanity-laced announcement, Prigozhin said his forces had no choice but to withdraw to rear bases to "lick the wounds" in what appears to be the latest episode in an escalating feud between the mercenary group and the Russian Defense Ministry. It remains to be seen whether Prigozhin actually does withdraw Wagner forces, but the move could jeopardize Moscow's push to claim Bakhmut and reshape the battle in the process, even if rotations of regular Russian soldiers replaced Wagner forces on the front lines. The grinding battle in Bakhmut has led to high casualties for both Russian and Ukrainian forces. The White House said on May 1 that Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties since December, including 20,000 troops killed in action. U.S. officials believe that many of those casualties have occurred in Bakhmut. "By throwing its own forces into Bakhmut, Ukraine has tied up a large proportion of the Russian military, inflicting heavy losses," Matthew Sussex, a military expert at Australian National University, wrote in a May 3 analysis of the eastern front. "Its approach is both a strategy of corrosion -- the gradual attrition of the invader -- and absorption, soaking up repeated Russian assaults while taking the pressure off other parts of the conflict zone." It's unclear how many casualties Ukrainian troops have suffered in that same span. Kyiv keeps those numbers a secret and the U.S. government has refused to disclose similar estimates on Ukraine's losses. U.S. intelligence documents from late-February allegedly leaked by National Guard airman Jack Teixeira on the Discord platform indicated that up to 17,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in action since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The leaked intelligence assessment also said that as many as 42,500 Russian troops had been killed during the war's first year. Waiting For The Counteroffensive While Bakhmut continues to be a focal point of the war, Russian occupation authorities ordered nearly 70,000 civilians living near the front line in southern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya region to leave their homes and businesses on May 5. Ukrainian authorities have also implemented a curfew in the frontline city of Kherson for the long weekend's Victory Day holidays, while some residents were seen leaving in cars and buses on May 5. Together, the moves are additional indicators that Ukraine's counteroffensive is approaching, analysts and officials say. Strikes on Russian infrastructure, including drone attacks on refineries and train sabotage, have multiplied in recent weeks, and are also seen as part of Ukrainian preparations for a spring offensive intended to target Russian Army supply chains in border regions and in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Kyiv has not claimed any of the acts, including a May 3 alleged drone attack on the Kremlin that Russian officials say was meant to target President Vladimir Putin. Russia accused Ukraine and the United States of involvement. Both countries have strongly denied any role in the incident. Aslan Ocherkhadzhiev, a ethnic Chechen volunteer soldier fighting with Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut, told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service that fighting there remains intense, with Russian shelling increasing and their artillery apparently well-stocked in the city. He says that Ukrainian forces will continue to engage with Russian troops in Bakhmut, but that in order to shift momentum, the Ukrainian side needs more long-range artillery in the area. After months of tough winter fighting in Bakhmut, Ocherkhadzhiev adds that many soldiers are talking about Kyiv's approaching counteroffensive and that he and others are eagerly watching for the ground to dry up so that Ukraine can begin its push against Russian forces. "The ground will dry up and the armored units, along with the infantry, need to go on a counteroffensive," Ocherkhadzhiev said. "The whole army must move forward." Based on reporting by Andriy Kuzakov in Bakhmut for Current Time and reporting by Andrei Krasno for RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service. Written, with additional reporting, by Reid Standish in Prague. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bakhmut- counteroffensive-russia-fighting/32399805.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address " " Overnight prowls could be numbered for cats in Iceland. Thomas Winz/Getty Images Cat people, you know how it is: Your cats are out carousing all night, and they think they're doing you a favor by bringing a dead or, worse, half-dead mouse into the house at the break of dawn. You've tried to enforce a curfew, but they just laugh in your face and go out to rumble with their friends and enemies alike. Cats, man. The people of some towns in Iceland have decided enough is enough and instituted cat curfews. Beginning in 2023, the town of Akureyri, which has a population of about 19,000 humans and 2,000 to 3,000 cats, will require housecats to stay indoors from midnight to 7 a.m. Akureyri isn't the only town in Iceland where cats have a curfew or are even banned from outdoor life completely but it's been the hottest battleground, with an opposition party that supports the free movement of cats. Advertisement The cat curfew people cite two main reasons for keeping these adorable demons inside at night: First, they kill a lot of wildlife. And second, they're a nuisance. Let's tackle the wildlife question first. A pretty famous 2013 study by researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute found that "free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.3 to 4.0 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually." Yes that's billion with a B! However, the very next sentence in this study says, "Un-owned cats, as opposed to owned pets, cause the majority of this mortality." It is very hard to impose a curfew on cats without homes. Granted, that is a lot of animals that die at the paws of our domestic housecats. And Iceland may have a point, since the Smithsonian study estimated that the effect of felines may have more impact on islands: "Free-ranging cats on islands have caused or contributed to 33 (14 percent) of the modern bird, mammal and reptile extinctions recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List." Those are pretty compelling reasons, but why the residents of Iceland want to impose a curfew are a little smaller in scope. People complain about cats spraying urine on their patio, or trampling flowerbeds, or loudly fighting in the middle of the night. Annoying, yes. Causing mass extinction, not so much. But it turns out that housecats may have an outsized impact on wildlife after all. A 2020 study published in Animal Conservation tracked 900 cats with GPS in the U.S. and found that cats kill very, very locally. They don't often range any farther than their own yard, or maybe their neighbors'. Yet they're responsible for billions of deaths, which means those kills are concentrated. So our friendly housecats can have more impact on wildlife populations than wild cats, which range over much larger territories than, say, a suburban block or two. Peter Marra, the lead researcher on the 2013 Smithsonian study, told Science News: "The big message is responsible pet ownership." So maybe cat curfews can save some birds and some neighbors' sanity. Now That's Fancy If you want to give birds a fighting chance of escaping your furious feline, a tinkly little bell on their collar isn't going to cut it. To give birds enough of a head start, the bell would have to be huge. Instead, use a colorful, ruffled color or collar cover (like these from BirdsBeSafe). Birds are highly visual creatures, and a big, bright collar will take away your cat's stealth bonus. It will also make them look ridiculous, which is always a plus. Francis Fukuyama: It Would Be Hard For Putin To Survive Losing Crimea By Vazha Tavberidze May 06, 2023 Francis Fukayama is a U.S. political scientist at Stanford University. He is perhaps best known for his 1992 essay The End of History, in which he argued that the struggle between ideologies was at an end. RFE/RL's Georgian Service interviewed Fukuyama after his recent appearance at the Economic Policy Research Center in Tbilisi. Fukayama talked about the right time for "real negotiation" between Moscow and Kyiv, what each side stands to lose, and how Georgia's "neutrality really benefits Russia." RFE/RL: Let's begin with discussing Russia's war on Ukraine. In the grand scheme of things, what's at stake there? Francis Fukuyama: I think that the ground for a massive Russian failure has already been laid by the Ukrainians and their completely heroic ability to defend themselves. We are currently at a stage in the war where there's been a pause; the Russians had been losing a tremendous number of people trying to take this one small town, Bakhmut, in the Donbas. But everybody's awaiting a Ukrainian offensive, and I think that's going to be critical for the way that this war may come to an end. Because if the Ukrainians can liberate these two oblasts in the south, particularly Kherson and Zaporizhzhya, then I think you'd be in a position for a real negotiation. And you could see a kind of cease-fire, armistice, that might have some chance of holding for a while. Right now, I think if you had a peace negotiation, it would be very bad for Ukraine, because it would really give the Russians a good slice of Ukrainian territory. And that would not be a good situation. RFE/RL: What fate do you envision for [Russian-occupied] Crimea in the event of any eventual negotiations? Fukuyama: Well, I think that it could be an actual big point of Russian vulnerability. Because if the Ukrainians are able to liberate Kherson Oblast, they will basically have cut Crimea off [from other Russian-occupied land], you know. There's one rail line that goes from Russia into Crimea, and there's the strait bridge, and they'd be in a position to really cut both of those arteries. And they don't have to invade Crimea at that point, they can simply hold all of the Russian forces there hostage. And that is a big vulnerability that Ukraine would then have over Russia. RFE/RL: From a geopolitical perspective, if Russia in any negotiations has to concede Crimea, can it be called anything but a loser, even by the domestic audience in Russia? Fukuyama: Well, if they have to concede Crimea, it's hard to see how Putin survives that, given how much they've invested in taking it back. So yes, I think they will be in a very tough situation. But the thing is that the Ukrainians don't even have to take back Crimea. They can cut it off. And any moment, they can apply a lot of pressure that the Russians will feel. And so it would be a very big, strategic advantage for them to be able to do that. RFE/RL: What I was getting at is,... let's take your scenario: They don't take Crimea, but they kind of lay siege to it, then there are negotiations and Russia is asked to give up Crimea. Can Russia agree to that in negotiations? Fukuyama: Politically, it would be quite difficult. There's also a question of whether Ukraine would be willing to concede part of the Donbas [region of eastern Ukraine], because in many respects, it would be a nightmare for them to actually have to govern the Donbas under current circumstances. (Editor's note: Russian forces or their separatist Ukrainian proxies since 2014 have controlled wide swaths of the heavily Russian-speaking Luhansk and Donetsk regions, where they have been accused of killing, expelling, and persecuting pro-Kyiv residents.) So both sides at that point have vulnerabilities and things to lose. And that means that you could have a more realistic kind of negotiation at that point. But I don't really see either side formally agreeing either to concede Crimea or to concede the Donbas. And so I think you'd have to have a more informal kind of arrangement. RFE/RL: You wrote more than a year ago that "Russia is heading for an outright defeat in Ukraine." So, more than one year on, how has this prediction aged, do you think? Fukuyama: At the time that I wrote that, Russian troops were still trying to besiege Kyiv and bring about the fall of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy's government. Since that time, [Russian troops] had to withdraw from northern Ukraine; they've had to withdraw from Kharkiv; they then had to withdraw from [the city of] Kherson, and so they showed incredible weakness. There does appear to be a little bit of a stalemate at the moment, but I think [the Ukrainian military] is going to break out of that. So my general confidence in Ukraine's ability to defend itself is still there, but it has taken a longer time than I was hoping for at that point. RFE/RL: Onto Georgia now -- and, to echo the first question, we started with Ukraine, what's at stake for Georgia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Fukuyama: Well, everything's at stake for Georgia. There's a fork in the road that Georgia is at right now, where it can continue its effort to become part of Europe, part of the EU, possibly even join NATO, or it can go in the Russian direction. And there are forces in Georgia politically pulling it in both directions. But whether it goes down one path or the other will heavily depend on what happens in Ukraine, because the stronger Russia is, the more the Russian path is determined. And conversely, if Russia is really set back in Ukraine, every time [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is weakened, every country around Russia has more freedom of action. So I think that Georgia's fate is bound up in this Ukraine war. RFE/RL: Similar to many others, you're vocally critical about what you call insufficient support from Georgia to Ukraine. And not to play a devil's advocate here, but let me ask you what they could and should have done to, you know, not deserve such criticism? Fukuyama: Well, it would have been nice if the Georgian government had taken a clear position in support of Ukraine. I think that neutrality really benefits Russia. And quite frankly, there are a lot of reports and evidence that Georgia is actually quietly helping Russia evade the sanctions that have been imposed by Europe and by the United States. RFE/RL: Something that the Georgian government vehemently denies. Fukuyama: Well, yeah, that's the problem: that this government is really not transparent about its motives and what it's actually doing. And so it can play a double game where it claims to be neutral but, in fact, is really helping one side rather than the other. And I think that's the consequence of the kind of pro-Russian tilt that this government has. RFE/RL: You said during your speech that as long as [former Prime Minister and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina] Ivanishvili and company stay in power, EU membership for Georgia would be unthinkable. Let me ask you a theoretical question: Had Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream displayed more of a Western bent in foreign policy, say, for example, toward Ukraine, would that have changed things? Would Georgia's European future be more realistic then? Fukuyama: I think it would have been more realistic. I think that what they've been doing is everything they can to make sure that they're not taken into the European Union. And so that's why I think they're mistreating [imprisoned ex-President] Misha Saakashvili, because that's something that's going to anger the Europeans. If he dies in their captivity, that's going to be an obstacle. And that's a real problem. Because all the poll data [and other] evidence suggests that an overwhelming number of Georgians are in favor of the European path and not the Russian path; and so the government really needs to figure out how to block that, and I think that's what they're seeking to do. And that means that the policy on the part of Europe and the United States has to be one that's not directed against Georgia as a whole country, but really...it has to be directed at the government that is causing this shift towards Russia. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/fukuyama-interview- russia-ukraine-crimea-putin/32399499.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Talks On Black Sea Grain Fail To Reach Agreement On New Ship Authorizations By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 06, 2023 Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the UN were unable to reach an agreement on the continuation of Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports, a UN spokesman said on May 5. The parties failed to authorize any new ships under a deal allowing safe Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain, though daily inspections of previously authorized ships continue. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the United Nations urged all parties to "continue discussions, overcome operational challenges and work towards the full implementation and continuation of the initiative." He said Guterres had forwarded to all parties a proposal for further actions aimed at improving and expanding the initiative, taking the positions of all parties into account. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the grain export deal in July to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Russia's war in Ukraine. Under the deal, officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul that implements inspections and other provisions of the deal. The current extension of the deal expires on May 18, and Russia has said it will not extend the pact beyond that date unless its list of demands is met to remove obstacles such as restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance. Russia told its JCC counterparts last month that it will not approve any new vessels to take part in the exports of Ukrainian grain unless their operators guarantee the transits will be completed by May 18, according to a letter quoted by Reuters. Ukraine has been putting forward daily a list of ships to be authorized. Once approved those ships are then inspected by the JCC before traveling to a Black Sea port to collect Ukrainian grain and return to Turkish waters for a final inspection. The inspections provide assurance to Russia that no weapons are being shipped into Ukraine. The agreement also provided for the lifting of restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products. Top UN trade official Rebeca Grynspan met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin in Moscow on May 5 to discuss UN efforts to "to facilitate the unimpeded export of Russian food and fertilizer, including ammonia," Haq said. Talks between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey are to continue next week when the countries' deputy defense ministers meet to discuss the grain export agreement. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-black-sea- grain-agreement-failure-russian-demands/32399463.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Armed Forces Chief Says Discussed Situation at Front With US Counterpart Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on Saturday he had discussed the situation at the front and Kiev's preparations for a counteroffensive with his US counterpart, Gen. Mark Milley, during a phone call. "I am staying in a stable dialogue with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley," Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram, adding that he had informed Milley of the situation at the front and the next actions of the Ukrainian troops. Zaluzhnyi also thanked his US counterpart for the latest military aid package announced by Washington. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the United States had authorized additional security assistance for Ukraine including heavy artillery and ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and other field equipment valued at $300 million. The Ukrainian government has been planning a major counteroffensive against Russia for several months. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in early April that Kiev had scheduled its counteroffensive for the summer, while US media reported that it was expected to start on April 30. The Foreign Policy newspaper reported, citing Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova, that Kiev indeed had hoped to launch its counteroffensive in April, but later postponed it indefinitely due to a shortage of weapons. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kishinev Notifies Kiev of Plans to Limit Imports of Ukrainian Grain Sputnik News 20230506 CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Moldovan Agriculture Minister Vladimir Bolea has notified Kiev of Kishinev's plans to temporarily limit the imports of Ukrainian grain with a view to protecting domestic farmers, the Moldovan Agriculture Ministry said on Saturday. "Moldova plans to join the decision of the European Union to impose temporary restrictions on the import of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflowers, with the provision of transit through our country. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea has informed his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Solskyi, of it," the ministry's statement read. The amount of local grain in Moldova's storage facilities is high, which puts pressure on farmers, who are concerned there will be no place for the new harvest, Bolea told Solskyi. On Tuesday, the European Commission decided to limit the imports of agricultural products from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia until June 5, following a pledge of the five countries to lift national restrictions on the imports of grains and crops, which they imposed in April to protect domestic farmers from the uncontrolled influx of cheap Ukrainian grain. Earlier this week, Moldovan farmers appealed to the country's authorities requiring similar measures, with the Moldovan Agriculture Ministry showing readiness to meet their demands. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two Ukrainian Ballistic Missiles Shot Down Over Crimea - Crimean Authorities Sputnik News 20230506 SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) - Russia's air defense systems on Saturday shot down two ballistic missiles launched by Ukraine's Grom-2 operational-tactical missile system (OTRK) over Crimea, Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov, said on Saturday. "Updated information. Two Grom-2 OTRK ballistic missiles were shot down over Crimea," Kryuchkov said on Telegram. Earlier in the day, Aksyonov said that one missile of that kind had been shot down over Crimea by the Russian air defense systems. "A ballistic missile launched by Ukraine's Hrim-2 OTRK was shot down over the Republic of Crimea by the air defense," Aksyonov said on Telegram. The incident did not cause any damage or victims, he added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Three Captured Russian Pilots Released From Ukrainian Captivity - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Three Russian military pilots have been released from Ukrainian imprisonment and have already returned from the Kiev-controlled territory after complex negotiations, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. "On May 6, following complex negotiations, three Russian military service members, pilots of the Russian aerospace forces, have returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. Their lives were under threat in prison," the ministry said, adding that the pilots were being provided with "all the necessary medical and psychological assistance." Earlier, Russian Defense Ministry said that a total of 40 Russian military personnel returned home from the Ukraine-controlled territories as a result of a negotiation process. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses Over 185 Troops, Mercenaries in Donetsk Direction in 24 Hours Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 185 soldiers and mercenaries, as well as 12 units of military equipment in the Donetsk direction in the last 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. "In the last 24 hours, over 185 Ukrainian soldiers and mercenaries, one tank, four armored fighting vehicles, four cars, two D-20 howitzers and one D-30 howitzer were eliminated in this [Donetsk] direction," the ministry said. Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR, LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Over 170 Enemy Targets Hit in Krasny Liman Direction - Russian Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230506 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces have inflicted fire damage on more than 170 enemy targets in the past 24 hours, including over 150 locations with accumulations of manpower and firepower of Ukrainian troops, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik. "In the Krasny Liman direction, units of the 'Tsentr' Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on more than 170 targets within one day, including with the use of over 150 artillery units in areas where enemy manpower and firepower were concentrated," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that about 20 artillery positions and more than 10 mortar crews of nationalists were discovered and suppressed. In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)-type rockets in the areas close to Kreminna and Severodonetsk. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We must return and will return all our people from Russian captivity - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 6 May 2023 - 19:35 Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today is an important day for our warriors, the Day of the Ukrainian Infantry. It is a professional holiday for defenders that always deserves special attention. The largest component of the Ground Forces, those whose resilience is crucial for defense. Those whose effectiveness is especially important. I had the honor to congratulate our infantrymen today, to present state awards to the warriors and honorary decorations to our brigades for their courage and bravery. The 10th separate mountain assault brigade, the 14th separate mechanized brigade, the 56th separate motorized infantry brigade... Thank you, warriors, for your performance! I thank each and every one of you who has the honor to serve in the Ukrainian infantry! Today I handed over the Order of the Gold Star to the family of our Hero, Captain Valerii Hliebov. He was killed in action. He was the commander of the motorized infantry company of the motorized infantry battalion of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodny Yar". This chevron, the chevron of the Hero of Ukraine, was given to me by his daughter Victoria. I will keep it. It is a great honor for me. Today, our team managed to bring back 45 more of our warriors from Russian captivity. 42 male defenders of Ukraine and 3 female defenders. They all defended Azovstal. National Guardsmen. 35 privates and sergeants, 10 officers. We must return and will return all our people from Russian captivity! I am grateful to our team involved in exchanges. Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Malyuk, Lubinets. Thank you, guys! Today I met with representatives of Utah, one of the strongest states in America. We discussed our cooperation, and this is a good example of how a particular state can help protect freedom and people. Humanitarian support, assistance in reconstruction, political cooperation. We have enough opportunities to work together for the common interests of Ukrainians and Americans. And one more thing. Today, the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the First Lady of Ukraine are representing our country in the United Kingdom, where the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place. On behalf of the entire Ukrainian people, I congratulate Their Majesties, true friends of Ukraine, on this historic event that begins a new era of the British monarchy. I wish King Charles III many years of successful reign, and the people of the United Kingdom - prosperity and joint victories with us. It was an honor for me to meet His Majesty in person in London, I remember our conversation, I remember the sincere emotion for Ukraine and Ukrainians. And thank you for your support! Thank you to all the British people! Thank you to each and every one who helps protect life and freedom! Glory to all our warriors who are now in combat! Glory to our beautiful people! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with representatives of the state of Utah President of Ukraine 6 May 2023 - 19:21 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the delegation of the American state of Utah, led by President of the State Senate Stuart Adams. The delegation also included representatives of business and charitable organizations. The Head of State emphasized the importance of such visits as signals of support for our country not only at the national level, but also at the regional one, and also praised the full and unconditional support of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression - the fight for common ideals and democratic values - expressed by the representatives of the State of Utah. "I would like to thank you on behalf of the Ukrainian people, because our society, we all feel and rely on your support - the support of the United States from the very beginning of the full-scale war, from the very beginning of the Russian aggression," the President said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the United States helps our country not only at the federal government level, but also at the level of individual states. This includes, among other things, housing reconstruction projects, assistance to internally displaced persons, and humanitarian support. Addressing the delegation, the Head of State urged American business to actively invest in Ukraine and create new jobs already now. "It is important for us to create new jobs. If you can help with this, please do so. This is also a contribution to our victory," the President emphasized. He noted that Ukraine needs the support of private business to rebuild homes, schools and universities destroyed by the aggressor, as well as the energy infrastructure destroyed by Russian missile terror. "I urge you to invest in the Ukrainian agricultural industry and the IT sector. Such cooperation will be mutually beneficial," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. In the course of the meeting, the President informed the representatives of Utah about the situation in Ukraine. The parties exchanged views on the steps that the representatives of the state could take to help our country defeat the aggressor. The Head of State emphasized that he would welcome the deepening of bilateral cooperation with American business in the field of arms production and creation of new defense technologies. "We are open to this. We invite you," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prince Harry looked confident as he walked into King Charles coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, beaming as he chatted with his royal cousins, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. However, things between the 38-year-old royal and his brother, Prince William, werent as cordial, with one body language expert claiming Prince Harry gave the Prince of Wales a thunderous glance during the ceremony. Prince Harry was pictured giving Prince William a 'thunderous' glance. Photo: Getty Images Speaking to The Sun, Judi James said Prince Harry couldnt hide his feelings as he sat in the Abbey taking in the pageantry of the day. Despite his act of bravado there were some more telling moments and expressions from Harry, like this pensive one when he seemed to glance across at William, she said. William is clearly not about to look back here and Harrys severe side-eye glance suggests hes sneaking this thunderous look almost unintentionally. When we tell ourselves not to do something the brain only tends to hear the suggestion without processing the dont command, suggesting the more Harry was telling himself not to look across at his brother the more he couldnt stop. RELATED: Prince Harry's visit to the UK was a fleeting one. Photo: Getty Images Prince Harry spent most of the ceremony obscured from the view of cameras due to the high feather atop Princess Annes hat. However, he was spotted smiling in a heartwarming way as Prince George walked by. The nine-year-old acted as a Page of Honour for his grandfather, King Charles, holding up one corner of his robe as he walked down the aisle of the Abbey. Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020 when they moved to Canada and later the US. "There were discussions that the seating could be arranged on line of succession," a source revealed to The Sun. "But that would have put fifth-in-line Harry front and centre and with William and Kate. Story continues "Instead the decision was working royals only at the front and work back from there. Harry will be a long way from his father." Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Harry's attendance at the coronation, with one user writing: "Why is Harry sat so far away, his dad's the bloody King." "Wow, Harry is quite far back isnt he?" another added. "Sad to see Prince Harry excluded so completely from the #Coronation," a third said. Prince Harry flew back to LA straight after the ceremony. Photo: Getty Images Harry was pictured smiling as he entered Westminster Abbey and took his seat, with one user writing: "They wanted [Harry] to be sad. They wanted him to be ashamed. They wanted him to stay away. They got none of those things." "Prince Harry looks so happy and well bless him I bet hes thinking about his precious mum today. Hell be back with his gorgeous family soon enough," someone else added. Another user shared a photo of Harry entering on his own, writing, "This moment will be one of the lasting images of the #Coronation. Prince Harry on his own. Very symbolic." Prince Harry was spotted hopping into a car outside Westminster Abbey as soon as the ceremony was over. The prince flew back to LA to be with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children on Prince Archie's fourth birthday. Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyles daily newsletter. Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com. President at the Infantry Day celebrations: No matter what our enemy does, Ukrainian infantrymen are stronger, our time is the time for victory President of Ukraine 6 May 2023 - 17:23 On the Day of the Infantry of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the infantry soldiers, presented state awards and honorary decorations. The ceremony took place in territory of the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv. "Today, Ukraine celebrates the bravery and strength of its infantry soldiers - the very thing that gives our country the most significant results and the invincibility of our defense. Mechanized, motorized infantry, mountain assault military units... Our heroic infantry is the basis of defense on the battlefield, and therefore you are the source of strength for our entire Ukraine, for all those who fight for our country. The state stands strong because you are fighting with dignity - together with all Ukrainian defense and security forces! I thank you for that!" the Head of State said, addressing the soldiers. The President noted that he is honored to congratulate them on Infantry Day, as well as honored to represent our warriors in relations with the world on a daily basis. "Every time Ukraine talks to the world, the military achievements of our country's warriors are an extremely important and convincing argument," he said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that it is not easy for the world to get rid of the long-standing illusions about the allegedly invincible Russia, but Ukrainian soldiers, in particular infantrymen, are overcoming this seemingly invincible evil, and with their resilience and courage are changing history, uniting the world around Ukraine. "Every time I return from various trips with new powerful weapons for you, for Ukrainian warriors, every time negotiations at various levels give our defense more opportunities. This means that the world believes in you, our warriors, believes in Ukraine! And this is thanks to your heroism, thanks to the fact that Ukrainians and Ukraine are invincible!" the President emphasized. The Head of State noted that great warriors gave their lives for Ukraine to live and win. The attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of all the heroes who gave their lives for the sake of Ukraine's freedom and independence. "Ukrainian infantryman! No matter what this enemy does, you are stronger! Yes, our path ahead is not easy, it is also difficult, like last year's path. However, now Ukraine is much stronger than last year or in any other year of this war for the freedom and independence of our country. Moreover, now Ukraine is stronger than at any other time of confrontation with this empire. Our time is the time to win!" - stressed Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Head of State wished the infantrymen to continue to be a reliable, unbreakable foundation of the heroic defense of Ukraine. "Destroy the occupier wherever possible and impossible! Let the liberation of our native Ukrainian land become a personal success for each and every one of you. A success for which all future generations, your children, your grandchildren, all Ukrainians will thank you. Ukraine will win!" Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Oleksiy Kuleba met with the new Head of the ICRC delegation to Ukraine JArg Eglin President of Ukraine 6 May 2023 - 09:48 Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleksiy Kuleba met with the new Head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross to Ukraine JArg Eglin. The parties discussed the issue of further cooperation, as well as compliance with the fundamental norms of international humanitarian law amid violation by the aggressor state of all the principles of waging war. The Deputy Head of the President's Office thanked the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross for helping Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. "Evacuation of people from the combat zone and occupied regions, humanitarian, medical and financial assistance - Ukraine highly appreciates the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross in overcoming the consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine. Your help has proved to be a real salvation for millions of civilians," said Oleksiy Kuleba. In addition, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office expressed his belief in strengthening cooperation. In particular, in the restoration of life in the de-occupied regions, as well as in meeting the needs of internally displaced persons and children of Ukraine. "Our priority is also to return all Ukrainian prisoners of war, provide them with humanitarian aid and medicines, including those held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine," added Oleksiy Kuleba. For his part, Head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross to Ukraine JArg Eglin expressed willingness for further cooperation. "When I arrived in Ukraine, I saw with my own eyes the incredible suffering of people. In order to continue to help Ukrainians in the best possible way with humanitarian aid, I am committed to further deepening our cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine," said JArg Eglin. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wuhan, China , May 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NeaChat team is honored to announce that it has obtained access to OpenAI's latest generation of artificial intelligence language model GPT-4, becoming one of the first teams in China to obtain authorized access to GPT-4. GPT-4 is a powerful AI model with excellent natural language understanding and generation capabilities, with significant improvements in functionality and performance over its predecessor, GPT-3.5. The core advantages of GPT-4 lie in its vast knowledge base, efficient problem-solving capabilities, natural language generation, and wide range of applications. We believe that the introduction of GPT-4 will bring a richer and more intelligent experience to NeaChat users. NeaChat is an AI-powered chatbot developed based on ChatGPT, serving users in various industries such as education, research, finance, healthcare, and law. With the powerful capabilities of GPT-4, we will further optimize and expand NeaChat's performance in the following application scenarios: Academic research assistance: GPT-4 can help students and researchers efficiently find materials, generate literature summaries, draft papers, and interpret complex concepts, improving research efficiency. Educational tutoring: GPT-4 can provide teachers with personalized course design suggestions, while offering students homework assistance, Q&A, online quizzes, and automated grading services. Financial analysis: GPT-4 can help financial industry users quickly generate market analysis reports, interpret financial data, and predict market trends, improving investment decision-making efficiency. Medical consultation: GPT-4 can provide doctors and patients with medical information search, symptom analysis, and drug recommendations, enhancing diagnostic efficiency and patient management. Legal consultation: GPT-4 can provide lawyers and legal practitioners with legal clause interpretation, case analysis, and contract review services, improving work efficiency and accuracy. The NeaChat team has always been committed to providing users with the most advanced AI technology services. We will continue to pay attention to market demand, optimize product functions, and actively expand more application scenarios to create greater value for users. Stay tuned for more innovations and convenient applications that NeaChat will bring in the future. Moving forward, NeaChat plans to collaborate with industry partners to explore the potential of GPT-4, aiming to provide more professional and personalized services for a wide range of users. We believe that through continuous research and innovation, NeaChat will create greater value for users in different industries and promote the application of AI technology in various fields. We look forward to witnessing NeaChat's continuous growth and development under the technological leadership of ChatGPT. Please follow our latest updates on our official WeChat account (NeaChat) and Twitter(@neachatcom)website (www.neachat.com), Or search for: NeaChat download experience in the Google Play Store. Contact information: Company name: Hubei JuliangYun Computing Co., Ltd. Email: hello@neachat.com City: Wuhan Country: China Twitter: https://twitter.com/Neachatcom Official website: https://www.neachat.com This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Rotterdam, the Netherlands, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- His Excellency William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, visited the floating headquarters of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Rotterdam today to participate in a Strategic Dialogue on the Africa Climate Action Summit. The Africa Climate Action Summit is being co-hosted by the Government of Kenya and the African Union Commission on 4th to 6th September 2023, and is co-convened by the African Development Bank and GCA. The visit follows a meeting between Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA and President Ruto in Nairobi in February 2023 where they discussed driving the implementation and financing of climate adaptation through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). GCA, as the only international organisation focused exclusively on climate adaptation, is working closely with the Government of Kenya to mobilize financial commitments for adaptation during the Africa Climate Action Summit. The Strategic Dialogue discussed developing Adaptation Country Investment Compacts and other mechanisms to determine the adaptation investment needs and financing opportunities for each country. The Summit will coalesce partners, including international financial institutions and the private sector, around accelerating adaptation financing and climate action leading into the United Nations Secretary-Generals Climate Action Summit and COP28. The President, who is the Chair of the African Unions Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, was welcomed to the city of Rotterdam and the GCA Headquarters by GCA CEO Professor Verkooijen; the Mayor of Rotterdam, Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb; Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002-2010) and GCA Executive Board Member and Feike Sijbesma, Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum, GCA Co-Chair. His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and GCA Co-Chair; Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment and Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice-President of the African Development Bank joined the Strategic Dialogue virtually to discuss the Africa Climate Action Summit. The discussion highlighted the importance of rich nations coming forward with commitments to honor the pledges made at COP26 in Glasgow to double adaptation financing by 2025 and how the Summit can help deliver the priorities of African governments to advance the Green Agenda for Africa including opportunities in green industrialisation. Speaking during the dialogue, His Excellency William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, said: The world is now edging close and closer towards the brink of a climate disaster whose warning signs so far are the most catastrophic environmental and atmospheric phenomena humankind has ever encountered. The GCA exists to remind us of these fundamental truths, and to mobilise and empower effective responses in ways that are both reassuring and inspiring. Professor Patrick Verkooijen highlighted the importance of the Africa Climate Action Summit to mobilize climate finance for adaptation: African countries are at ground zero of our climate emergency - they are already losing up to 15% of GDP growth due to climate change even though they are responsible for only 3% of global emissions. They must be given the chance to survive and thrive even as they suffer the impacts of a crisis they did not cause. Africa has the solutions but it needs climate finance and investment. I commend President Ruto for his leadership in hosting the Africa Climate Action Summit and look forward to the real and tangible commitments it will deliver. Notes to Editors About the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) An Africa-owned and Africa-led program, the AAAP, is a joint initiative between the African Development Bank (AfDB) and GCA with the goal of mobilizing $25 billion for adaptation in Africa by 2025 through four pillars: food security, resilient infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship and job creation, and innovative climate adaptation finance. The African Union endorsed AAAPs two financing mechanisms. The first mechanism is the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility hosted by GCA, which has already influenced over $5.2bn in investment for adaptation in Africa since its inception in 2021. The AfDB administers the second financing mechanism through the climate set aside under the ADF-16 replenishment, which builds on the AfDBs commitment to finance $12.5 billion of adaptation programs half of the AAAP investment target. About the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sectors. Founded in 2018, GCA operates from its headquarters in the largest floating office in the world, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Beijing, China. About the Africa Climate Action Summit The Africa Climate Action Summit in Nairobi will be held from September 4th to September 6th. This summit is expected to bring together leaders, experts, and policymakers from across the world to discuss the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on Africa. The Africa Climate Action Summit will focus on a number of key areas, including adaptation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate finance. Participants will share their experiences, best practices, and strategies for addressing climate change, and will work to develop a roadmap for African countries to achieve their climate goals. Attachment MINNEAPOLIS, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With utter shock and grief, Atomic Data shared today that its CEO, co-founder, and co-owner of 22 years passed away suddenly at his home on May 5th. Jim leaves behind a wife and two sons, whom he loved above all else. Jim's hundreds of friends, employees, and clients grieve immensely with the family during this shocking time. Respected and known by many in the philanthropic, business, and sporting communities, Jim was an exceptional changemaker who never hesitated to speak truth to power. Born 1968 in Nebraska as the youngest of five siblings, Jim's entrepreneurial drive was clear at a young age. At 13, Jim's lawn care company would go on to fund his way through high school and college. In 2001, Jim co-founded Atomic Data and painstakingly molded it into the thriving company it is today. Jim's passion for technology, business, and truth-telling would lead him to create multiple successful IT companies, employing hundreds of people. This success allowed him to give back to the community, working tirelessly for decades to change the world through local and global nonprofit projects. Jim's philanthropy, kindness, and compassion were unmatchable. Through his companies he contributed millions of dollars to the arts, mental health, cancer research, veteran support, refugees, disabled persons, youth programs, homeless shelters, food banks, green energy, and many others. His 2012 visit to Africa led to the construction of a permanent free library in Uganda, providing education and opportunity for 3,000 book-starved refugees a month. When literacy nonprofit Start Reading Now was struggling to survive, Jim took control and funded operations indefinitely so kids would continue receiving 10 free books a year. When an employee was experiencing housing insecurity, Jim arranged financing for their first home. When Jim recognized the woeful underrepresentation of women and minorities in tech, he set out to create a specialized IT training program, providing no cost education and job offers to those who needed it most. When Jim saw a way to make a change in the world, he simply did it. His legacy of change lives on and the world will feel it for decades to come. Jim was a selfless and compassionate business leader, mentor, human-rights advocate, husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He will be painfully missed by so many, including all of us at Atomic Data. Going forward, Atomic Data's General Manager will oversee business operations with the direct support of company co-owners Larry Patterson and Dr. John Dowdle." In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Start Reading Now. -The Atomic Data Family A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/69e7613f-f23e-45c8-93af-79eec6a6b57a Sharjah, UAE, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Blockchain marriage service, Web3Wed.io, hosted the first blockchain wedding on April 28, 2023, at Bali's K-Club, Ubud. Ilya and Elizabeth tied the knot and recorded their union in a smart contract on the Polygon blockchain. Web3Wed.io offers an innovative approach that allows couples to formalize their relationship without any legal obligations, making it an ideal solution for couples who want to live together but are not ready for a full-fledged marriage. The service writes a necessary smart contract on the blockchain and updates it in case of divorce. The first blockchain wedding marked the official launch of the Web3Wed.io platform. "The world is changing so fast, but marriages are still the same as centuries ago," said Yury Reut, the founder, and CEO of Web3Wed.io. "Why can't we connect people using blockchain? Co-living defeated the old matrimony system; it is a fact." Web3Wed.io is one-of-a-kind service on the market at this moment and has pioneered some unique features. Couples choose NFT wedding rings that symbolize their participation in the marriage. Additionally, the service can add Bitcoin to the NFT wedding ring, making it an asset for the couple that would be returned in the case of divorce to the wallet of the ring owner. Furthermore, couples can invite their own witnesses or choose divine witnesses such as Buddha or Jesus. "We're excited to offer an innovative solution to couples who are looking for a new way to formalize their relationship," said Reut. "Our platform offers a decentralized, secure, and transparent way to record and manage marriages, making it the ideal solution for modern couples." The first-ever NFT engagement rings collection by Web3Wed.io will be available in June. Couples can purchase NFT wedding rings and initiate their blockchain marriage with them, while NFT engagement rings will allow them to make a beautiful proposal. For more information, please visit Web3Wed.io or follow Discord. Disclaimer : There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. This is not investment advice. Please do your own research. Media Contact Company: W3BNDZ LLC Contact Person: Yury Reut Address: Shams Business Center, Sharjah Media City Free Zone, Al Messaned Email: hello@web3wed.io City: Sharjah State: Sharjah Country: United Arab Emirates Website: https://web3wed.io Attachment Scott Berlucchi remembers the early days of his tenure as president and CEO of what's now known as Auburn Community Hospital. The hospital's financial troubles were well documented. It filed for bankruptcy in 2007. The medical center was a laughingstock, Berlucchi said. But there was a belief that brighter days were ahead. Sixteen years later, there are big things happening at Auburn Community Hospital. A $15 million cancer center is under construction at the corner of Lansing and North streets. The hospital is also launching the Auburn Heart Institute, a facility that will provide cardiac care to Cayuga County residents and, if the vision comes to fruition, people from far outside central New York. "What's happening right here in Auburn is the 'Field of Dreams,'" Berlucchi said. They are all going to be coming here. We'll take care of Auburn. We'll take care of Cayuga. But mark my words, you'll see out-of-state plates. You'll see Canadian plates. You're going to see the whole region coming to Auburn for the level of care that we're providing." Dr. Ronald Kirshner has been named chair and medical director of the Auburn Heart Institute. Kirshner is a heart surgeon who previously was the chief of cardiac services and cardiothoracic surgery at the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute at Rochester Regional Health. In Auburn and Cayuga County, Kirshner sees a need for a comprehensive cardiac care center. For residents here, he said the risk of dying from heart disease is "significantly higher" than other parts of the state. Kirshner recalled that Berlucchi asked him to come to Auburn and recommend improvements to its cardiac care offerings. The idea to establish the heart institute was borne out of that study. The institute, which will be located on the third floor in a renovated wing of the hospital, will offer many cardiac care services, from diagnostic testing to a cardiac catheterization laboratory. The long-term goal is to be able to perform procedures and surgeries at the facility. "We're going to start out with the highest quality and that will be our North Star," Kirshner said, adding that he thinks the heart institute will be part of Auburn becoming a destination hospital. The destination piece of that strategy won't be just for patients. Berlucchi noted that when Kirshner led the heart institute in Rochester, officials from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic visited to learn more about what they were doing at the center. With the addition of the heart Institute at the hospital, Berlucchi thinks that leaders from rural health systems across the country will come to educate themselves about what's happening in Auburn. The latest developments at Auburn Community Hospital, its leaders say, are due to their different approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. As other health systems were reeling from the effects of the crisis, Berlucchi said they were looking ahead to the future. "Nobody ever expected a pandemic. Nobody ever expected COVID," Berlucchi said. "But when it did hit, we all understood the importance of the hospital and the men and women that are dedicated to serving the hospital. We watched (hospital systems) collapse all around... But Auburn Community Hospital stood firm in the tempest of the winds. We rode the tide." He continued, "It was scary at some point but the board leadership, administrative leadership, we just stayed extremely focused on the needs of the community." That strategic planning was rewarded by the state earlier this year. New York awarded $21 million to Auburn Community Hospital for two projects, including operating room improvements part of the hospital's plan to expand surgical capacity. The state grant will also help fund the establishment of the heart institute. As attorney general of Texas, Greg Abbott made a name for himself by fighting the federal government and suing the Obama administration 31 times. As governor, Abbott has found a new enemy -- local governments -- and, in recent days, hes raised the stakes in that war.Texas has a reputation for blocking local laws that contradict its hands-off approach to regulation. In 2014, for example, the oil-friendly state sued a town that voted to ban fracking and then later passed a law preventing other cities from doing the same.For us to be able to continue our legacy of economic freedom, it was necessary that we begin to speak up and to propose laws to limit the ability of cities to California-ize the great state of Texas, said Abbott at an event with the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute last month.As state lawmakers gather for their biennial session this spring, they're weighing whether to rein in localities that ban plastic grocery bags, extend civil rights protections to LGBTQ residents, discourage cooperation with federal immigration authorities, impose driver screening requirements for ride-sharing companies and regulate the chopping down of trees.Those types of clashes, particularly between liberal cities and conservative states, are increasingly common throughout the country, in part because Republicans have a historically high level of control over state governments.But in Texas, Abbott now suggests that instead of spending time and money battling these issues individually, the state should issue a ban across the board on municipal regulations.One strategy would be for the state of Texas to take a rifle shot after rifle shot after rifle shot approach to try to override all these local regulations, Abbott explained to the conservative audience last month. I think it would be far simpler, and frankly easier for those of you who have to run your lives and your businesses on a daily basis, if the state of Texas adopted an overriding policy to create certain standards that must be met.The governor has not laid out many more details on how that approach would work, and his press office referred back to his remarks.But one possibility, says Bennett Sandlin, executive director of the Texas Municipal League, is that the state could strip all 352 home-rule cities, which are free to enact regulations as long as they dont expressly conflict with state law, of their home-rule powers. They would then be treated as general-rule cities, which are usually small and can regulate only areas the state specifically gives them permission to oversee.Thanks to U.S. Supreme Court rulings in the early 1900s, states have broad authority to decide what powers to grant to municipalities. Texas is one of 39 states to follow the so-called "Dillon's Rule" for at least some of its local governments. The rule makes clear that municipalities are subordinate to state government.The Texas constitution also specifies that even home-rule cities can't pass ordinances that contradict state law. In other words, cities wouldn't have much recourse if Texas decided to preempt their powers.One reason states give cities home-rule authority, though, is so the state legislature's agenda isn't clogged with local-interest legislation. That's a particular concern for states like Texas, where the legislature only meets for a few months every other year.Sandlin, from the municipal league, has naturally been an outspoken opponent of Abbotts attacks on municipalities. He says this hostility toward cities and local control didnt exist at the Texas Capitol before Abbott became governor.Its only been since 2015 that weve seen this new tactic, where local control is no longer a good thing, its actually an evil thing," says Sandlin. "The new good thing is now liberty from local regulations."While Abbott decries the patchwork quilt of regulations that local ordinances present to businesses, Sandlin says it makes sense sometimes. In fact, the Texas Municipal League has changed its Twitter avatar to a photo of a patchwork quilt.Sandlin says plastic bag bans are a good example of why case-by-case regulations are necessary. Fewer than 10 Texas municipalities have banned single-use plastic bags, but theyve done so for different reasons. Ranchers in the conservative town of Fort Stockton complained that the windswept bags interfered with feeding their cattle. In South Padre Island, the bags killed marine wildlife and turned off tourists who didn't want to go to a trash-littered beach.Under Abbotts one-size-fits-all approach, "what would you say to the rancher in Fort Stockton or the hotelier in South Padre Island? You just wouldnt have anything good to say to them. It would be ridiculous," says Sandlin.The governors objection to local ordinances is personal and philosophical -- and to some, contradictory.Abbott was upset when the city of Austin, where he lives, wouldn't let him cut down a pecan tree in his yard without planting several additional trees. Austin is one of 50 Texas cities that regulates the chopping down of old-growth trees.I saw firsthand how my own private property rights were being mowed down by these regulations, Abbott said at the event last month.To many of his critics, Abbott's crushing resistance to localities' rights contradicts his staunch defense of states' rights. If he's so against the federal government intruding in states, one could logically assume he would be against states intruding in localities.But Abbott, who once served on the Texas Supreme Court, argues that states have a unique role in American government.The controlling document that we live under in this country is not some city code. Its not county rules and regulations. Its not even state law. The predominant doctrine that creates the architecture that we are governed by and live under is the United States Constitution, he said, and he noted that the Tenth Amendment delegates power not granted to the federal government to the states and to the people -- but not to municipalities.I sued the Obama administration 31 times because I thought they were violating the U.S. Constitution. It wasnt because of local control, he said.Sandlin, however, dismisses the governors constitutional argument as a legal truism that doesnt amount to much because it doesnt address how the state government should best govern a place as diverse as Texas.Texans dont want to be told they have to conform to one way of thinking or one way of living --whether it comes from Washington or from the governors office in Austin, Sandlin wrote in a recent op-ed . "If Texans feel warm and comfortable under a patchwork quilt, those who seek to do business here -- and our governor -- should recognize and respect that. (TNS) A Colorado Springs company that operates an AI restaurant ordering service has found that one group that struggles to find work is a great fit for a key job that keeps its technology running smoothly: people on the autism spectrum.Synq3 Restaurant Solutions and its intelligent virtual assistant technology (or IVA for short) has been fielding phone orders placed at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants since May 2018. Broomfield-based Noodles & Co. uses the service as well, with several other major U.S. restaurant brands expected to start using it soon, Synq3s CEO Steve Bigari said in mid-November.As the IVA service grows, so too does one job title at Synq3, the companys intent analysts. And that means more opportunities for workers with autism.What were finding is people who are on the spectrum are naturally drawn to it and naturally do incredibly well with it, Bigari said of the positions, launched earlier this year.Analysts help the automated voice ordering system interpret the wide world of human speech. If someone is placing an order in a loud room, speaking in a thick Chicago accent or using phrasing that IVA doesnt understand right away, it appeals to an analyst for help. The system displays a handful of options of what it thinks the customer is saying on the analysts screen, the analyst listens to a digital whisper of the word or phrase and picks the right option. It all happens within a few seconds so the ordering process moves along smoothly.Chipotle is a great example because many people mispronounce chorizo, Bigari said. A normal voice assistant would just fail. Im sorry. I dont understand. Please repeat that. Im sorry. I dont understand. Please repeat that. And then youre throwing your phone out the window. What happens here is it gets an immediate feedback loop.Bigari developed the intent analyst job alongside Kevin Reiss, Synq3s human resources director. Both expected it to be a good fit for people with autism.Bigaris 19-year-old daughter, Anna, is on the spectrum. The responsibilities of the job fit the skill set of atypical people like her, he said: fond of detail-oriented work, repetition and instant feedback like scorekeeping but not adept at interpersonal interaction or comfortable dealing with customers face to face. She joined the company in June as its fourth-ever intent analyst. It the first job shes had.Nearly half of people with autism reach the age of 25 without ever holding a paying position, according to statistics on the website for Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization.I feel like I have a purpose, Anna Bigari said while taking a break during a recent shift at Synqs headquarters. Before, I was just lounging around the house. Here, I make friends. I help people over the phone even though I dont talk to them.She is particularly fond of an internal messaging service that allows Synq3 employees to give each other kudos.Automation is often looked at as an employment boogeyman, snatching jobs for human workers and giving them to machines. That not the case with Synq3, Steve Bigari said. The company got started as a call center in 2002, fielding drive-through orders placed at McDonalds restaurants. In the early 2000s, it employed around 50 people. Today it has over 800 employees either working at its office at Mark Dabling Boulevard in Colorado Springs or in their homes.The company employs about 50 intent analysts and expects to add many more as its operation scales up. Pay starts at $11.75 an hour, but that figure is expected to rise, Bigari said.Seventeen of those employees were referred to the company through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employments Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The division and Gov. Jared Polis recognized the company for its work at an awards ceremony in October. The job is not reserved for people with disabilities, Bigari said.Dave Boennighausen, CEO of Noodles & Co., has autism in his family. He considers Synq3 one of the states most innovative companies.With the labor situation that we have today with unemployment at historic lows, theyve created an absolute win-win, he said.Its not just solving the labor challenge but also providing opportunities for a workforce that is particularly well-suited to provide a superior work.Anna Bigari is as excited as her father to see the program keep growing.I think theres a lot of hope if we keep doing what were doing, because this job is really made for people like me who are atypical, she said, people who stand out. King Charles IIIs coronation: Reflections on his last visit to Ghana Vicky Wireko Reality Zone May - 06 - 2023 , 11:32 Today will mark a historic day in the history of England, the Commonwealth and, indeed, the world. It is going to be a significant weekend and a unique moment, especially for Britain, as the nation celebrates the Kings coronation to be crowned to formally succeed his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died at age 96 last September. King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, will be formally crowned at the London Westminster Abbey in the presence of about 2,000 guests, including foreign monarchs from across the globe as well as the monarch of the Asantes in Ghana, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his wife, Lady Julia. It is going to be a special moment for England because the last of such coronations was 70 years ago, surpassing two generations. The immediate past monarchs (Queen Elizabeth IIs), coronation was in 1953, having served as one of the longest-reigning monarchs in that country. It is alleged that Queen Elizabeth IIs coronation was attended by 8,000 guests. With the great interest the history of the British monarchy has attracted over the years, the coronation, no doubt, will attract viewing from millions of people around the world, including some of us. In 2018, the then heir apparent, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, Duchess Camilla, visited us in Ghana. I take readers down memory lane with excerpts from an article I wrote for this column during that memorable visit as reproduced below: Prince of Waless visit, any significance? It might not have been a holiday destination for the British royal couple, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. From all indications, however, they had a jolly time, combining leisure at British James Town, sampling and dancing to authentic highlife tunes at a state banquet and enjoying rich culture in Kumasi and even visiting a cocoa farm in Ashanti. But behind the scenes, the serious business of finding solutions to threats of youth unemployment and the sustainability of our ecosystem were clearly on Prince Charles mind. Retinue of issues The media reports on the four-day royal visit show significant direction for the better as we look for closer collaboration rather than dependency. And so, at the Young Entrepreneurs Forum which took place on day three of the visit, one followed, with keen interest, on issues highlighted by His Royal Highness at the forum. He raised quite pertinent issues on productive youth engagement, unemployment, environmental pollution and the threat they pose to countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, Ghana not excepted. Plastic pollution Challenging, however, is the Prince of Wales call for closer collaboration among Commonwealth countries to help address some of the challenges and minimise their impact. Coming from the seat of the Head of the Commonwealth, Prince Charles was dead on point, especially on the issue of plastic pollution. This is not only a concern for Commonwealth countries but a global canker posing a greater threat to aquatic life. Using statistics to prove his point, he said a whopping eight million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans every year. This is a big threat to the blue economy, including employment generation. In Ghana, the danger of plastic pollution has stared in our faces for far too long, with no end in sight. Related environmental and health threats multiply daily for as long as we continue to produce and import non-degradable plastic materials for food and other packaging. Youth engagement His Royal Highness highlighted another threat that the Commonwealth of Nations should turn serious attention to and work together as governments to minimise it. He pointed out that the Commonwealth has a combined population of two billion under the age of 30 years. Though this could be good news, looking into a sustainable youthful future, it is also a threat to unemployment among the youth and the ramifications that go with it if governments do not put a deliberate focus on job generation, including entrepreneurship. Youth unemployment is a security risk for countries. It is, for example, fuelling mass migration for seemingly greener pastures. Those who engage in it risk many perils including death. If we work together to fix our economies, our youth would have a better future by staying at home and contributing to development. The Prince of Wales definitely left us with challenges to be attended to. From where he sits, he has given us clues as to how we could coexist to create common wealth for all people within our Commonwealth of Nations. The world now is more of collaboration and partnerships. No one country can do it alone. Prince Charless visit should mean a lot to us. He and his wife came; they enjoyed and danced to our highlife; worshipped God on our soil, by courtesy of Accra Ridge Church, witnessed our rich traditional culture and shared fun with acrobatic young talented youth displaying their X-Factor. In all that, he left us with the advice to collaborate. Today, as he ascends the throne of England as its King, we in Ghana wish His Majesty, King Charles III, and his wife Queen Camilla, the best. We pray the long bond that has existed between his country and ours will continue to thrive. We wish them well. The Mirror to celebrate mothers in grand style at Oak Plaza Hotel Hadiza Nuhhu-Billa Quansah Life May - 06 - 2023 , 16:58 This years Mirror Mothers Day celebration promises to be full of excitement with various activities lined-up to make the day a memorable one for all mothers. This years event falls on Sunday, May 14, 2023 and will be held at the Oak Plaza Hotel on the Spintex Road in Accra. According to the Director of Marketing and Sales of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Franklin Sowa, The Mirror, Ghanas most popular and biggest-selling weekly newspaper and its digital platforms, will be offering the public, an unforgettable experience dubbed: My mother is a testimony of love and endurance. Mr Sowa said it was expected that more than 100 mothers would be in attendance at the ticketed event and be served with finger-licking buffet lunch, drinks and various exciting prizes for guests. There will also be a live band to dish out music for the mothers to dance while veteran gospel duo, the Tagoe sisters, will be performing most of their hit songs. Passing through is Evangelist Diana Asamoah, another well-known gospel artiste.) He said, as part of the programme, the campaign for Mirror Model Mother 2023 would be unveiled during the ceremony. The Model Mother campaign is to celebrate an ideal mother in society, with national and international appeal, on Mothers Day. The campaign is also meant to create opportunities for readers and audiences to appreciate mothers in a unique way by educating and promoting good motherhood in society. The partners for this years event are Oak Plaza Hotel, Woodin, SS Wellness Salon & Spa, Latex Foam, Grandeur Cosmetic, SIC Insurance PLC, Goil, Blue Financial Services, Bible Society and Total Health Family Organisation. To purchase tickets in advance, interested persons can call 0242202447, 0507067988 or 0549025616. A double ticket is going for GH500 and GH300 for a single ticket. Police investigate the death of Constable allegedly shot by a senior colleague Kweku Zurek May - 07 - 2023 , 08:05 Tragedy struck the Western North Regional Police Command in Ghana on Friday, May 5, 2023, when a Police Constable was allegedly shot by one of his senior colleagues. They were returning from an operation when he was shot. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The police have commenced investigations into the death. The incident occurred on the previous night, and the victim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention and was pronounced dead on arrival. In response to the incident, the Police in a statement said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has dispatched teams to assess the situation and interact with personnel. The first team was led by Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Habiba Twumasi Sarpong, Director-General/Welfare. A second team, led by Commissioner of Police Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Director-General/Administration, was dispatched to visit the family of the deceased and formally notify them of his passing, commiserate with them and also assure them of a thorough investigation into the incident. A Police clinical psychologist has been assigned to the family to support them through this difficult time, and another team of clinical psychologists has also been deployed to the Western Regional Police Command to offer psycho-social support to the personnel of the Command following the tragic loss of their colleague. The suspect Police officer is in custody as part of the investigation process in line with the due process of the law. Somanya Diocese of Methodist Church holds synod Ezekiel E. Sottie May - 06 - 2023 , 12:25 The Somanya Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana has held its 2023 Annual Synod at Akosombo in the Asuogyaman District. This years four days synod which was the 20th edition, was on the theme: Discipleship: Living a transformed life in Jesus Christ and was held at the Wesley Methodist Chapel at Akosombo. In attendance were the Somanya Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Moses K. Jackson; the Diocesan Lay Chairman, Abraham Asare Sackitey; Diocesan Secretary, Very Rev. Jane D. Dor; Assistant Secretary, Very Rev. Mark N.O. Bartlett and Diocesan Treasurer, George Tetteh Kwadjoe, as well as a past Diocesan Bishop, Rt Rev. Albert Ofoe Wright, among others. The synod, which took stock of the work of God in the diocese, discussed various reports from the various circuits in the diocese, including strategic plans of the diocese. The Somanya Diocese, which was carved out of the Tema Diocese in 2003 with Rt Rev. Abeiku Blankson as the first Bishop, currently has nine circuits. They are Somanya, Akosombo, Dodowa, Akuse, Agormanya, Kpong, Asesewa, Osudoku and Obawale/Nsutapong/Aboabo circuits. Social service In his address, the Somanya Diocesan Bishop, Rt Rev. Jackson, lauded the coordinating offices of social service in the diocese for establishing a health and sanitation office to assist Methodists and others in the society to meet the health and sanitation needs in their various communities. The coordinating office for social service is to promote the establishment of circuit health teams in all the circuits and assist them in their efforts to help the church in its commitment to the promotion of good health in our communities, he stated. The Diocesan Bishop was equally grateful to the leadership of Compassion International, for their support in helping families to alleviate poverty in the diocese. He said children from underprivileged homes benefited immensely from the work of Compassion International. Bishop Jackson also praised the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Dr Paul K. Boafo, for his pastoral visit to the Somanya Diocese last year, which took him to some of the circuits including Asitey in the Somanya Circuit - Obawale/Nsutapong/Aboabo and Anum in the Akosombo Circuit, where he performed foundation stone laying ceremonies. New circuits Rt Rev. Jackson reported that two sections had been carved out of Dodowa and Akosombo Circuits. They were Doryumu and Atimpoku sections respectively, which had moved to stage A in accordance with the constitution and standing orders of the Methodist Church Ghana. That he said, had increased the circuits from nine to 11, stressing that plans were far afoot to also carve out the Adonteiman-Danfa Section to be a circuit next year. The Presiding Bishop, Most Rev. Dr Boafo said, the Diocesan Synods of the Methodist Church were very important meetings for the fellowships they provided to build each other in the Methodist faith journeys among others. He said the project the church embarked on - The Wesley Towers was nearing completion, adding the work done by the contractors had given a new look to the area. Schools, infrastructure The Presiding Bishop said the church had been a major partner in the establishment of schools in both rural and urban communities, which had contributed to quality education delivery in the country. He, however, said despite these and other good reports, there was a major concern in terms of school buildings or infrastructure, which he entreated all synods to address as it was a serious challenge confronting Methodist schools in all the dioceses in the country. Some of our schools are not in good shape and pose death trap for both teachers and students/ pupils alike. Our part of the partnership with the government includes the provision of suitable infrastructure for learning. All stakeholders must come on board to change the situation in our schools, he urged. Bawumia is ordained to lead NPP - Mampong MP Graphic Online Politics May - 07 - 2023 , 14:32 Kweku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Member of Parliament for Mampong and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has expressed his conviction that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, is destined by God to become the leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the future. In a radio interview with Accra based Okay FM, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong praised Dr. Bawumia for his long-standing service to the NPP and his demonstrated competence and vision, which he said has earned him the support of party members and would lead to his resounding election as the party's leader for victory in the upcoming presidential primary. Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong added that Dr. Bawumia enjoys the support of over 100 MPs in the NPP Caucus in Parliament, who demonstrated their overwhelming support during his meeting with them last week. He said after the meeting, he was sure that Dr. Bawumia's upcoming victory will be earth-shaking. Bawumia's commitment Ampratwum-Sarpong also lauded Dr. Bawumia's commitment to the party and his support to the current government, as well as his demonstrated competence and capabilities. He believes that Dr. Bawumia's vision for Ghana's future would build on the current government's achievements and bring positive impacts to the party, the nation, and the youth in the country. The Mampong MP cited digitisation as an example of Dr. Bawumia's vision, which has been thriving and making a significant impact in Ghana. Politics of marginalisation or misplaced priority? Dr George Asekere Politics May - 06 - 2023 , 12:14 Abuse of power in any form in a democracy is worrisome and must not be encouraged. This brings to mind the historical assertion by the Akans that efie biaa, Mensah wo mu, to wit every household has a third born, named Mensah. The Mensah factor and the position held by the Mental Health Authority of Ghana that one in every five people in the country has some form of mental challenge, may be relevant in any attempt to explain abuse of power in our country. If these theoretical claims were the dominant factors accounting for abuse of power in Ghana especially by security agencies and politicians, then victims of abuse could heave a sigh of relief, package their worries, anxieties and sense of helplessness and do what the people of Bongo-Balungu do best; cross their legs and squat on a stone, unable to sit, and give everything to God. Marginalisation However, the problem goes beyond the fate-based Mensah conduct and the mental health-induced behaviour. This is what we must be concerned with because any attempt by dominant cultural, political, or economic groups to subordinate or exclude minority or less powerful individuals or social groups constitutes politics of marginalisation. This can manifest itself through a variety of policies and practices, such as unequal access to education, employment, housing, movement and other political and social resources. The reported abuse of people by some police officers, the intelligence-led operation by the Ghana Armed Forces in Ashiaman, as well as the unwarranted attacks on people by supporters of big men and women in our society, and the inability of the state institutions to address these concerns, are disturbing, to say the least. But what is paramount today is the issue of marginalisation relative to the fight against terrorism, a fight we must all support. It is interesting to note that the Ghana Immigration Service has in-land borders in the form of checkpoints as part of efforts to prevent people from entering the country illegally, in a bid to prevent terrorism. While this may not be the devil, the parts of the country where these in-land checkpoints are mounted and the modus operandi raise serious questions that cannot escape scrutiny in the politics of marginalisation literature. First, officers at these checkpoints appear only to see and stop commercial vehicles, tricycles and sometimes motorbikes. They hardly stop V8 and most SUV users. Interestingly, the commercial buses they stop and search for suspected illegal migrants/immigrants hardly include the STC, VIP, and OA kind of buses. The others; owned by ordinary people and perceived to be patronised by the less endowed economic class are very sensitive to these immigration officers. The absurd part of it is that some passengers, whose faces look unGhanaian are sometimes asked to produce Ghana Cards! Do Ghanaians look like the descendent of Anak; Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites and Canaanites? Second, the operations appear dominant in the northern zone of Ghana, especially from the Bono East, Savannah, Northern, North East, Upper East, and Upper West regions. While there may be reasons for this, the composition is problematic. If it is inland checkpoints aimed at ensuring that unauthorised people do not move beyond certain areas, then it must be done nationwide. The Members of Parliament from these areas may not be concerned because we all prioritise our security over any other thing but, again the style of operation raises issues worthy of public discourse. Recommendation Third, it is vital to state that no citizen of any member country of the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS) is an illegal migrant in Ghana. In other words, citizens from ECOWAS member countries do not enter Ghana illegally; they have the right to free entry and are subject only to all necessary security checks that apply to Ghanaians as well. The best way to prevent terrorists from entering Ghana is to implement stringent security measures at points of entry, such as airports and border crossings. We may also learn from other countries that employ biometric scanning and intelligence-sharing networks to help detect any potential threats before they enter the country. The fight against terrorism is a serious business and must be tackled as such. If we cannot prevent criminals from entering the country through the porous points of entry, then searching to find them in tricycles and other passenger vehicles will be a cos90 exercise. It is recommended that we maintain, improve and fortify our main entry points and use more of intelligence in the fight against terrorism. As such, all checkpoints in the Northern zone of Ghana purposely erected in the name of fighting terrorism must be removed. God bless our homeland, Ghana. The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Political Science Education, University of Education, Winneba. Fisker and Ample, a provider of energy management and module battery swapping, are partnering to deliver Ample-powered Fisker EVs. This partnership is important to Fiskers long-term strategy to increase scale and adoption of its EVs in the United States and Europe. The initial target customer for Fiskers Ample-powered EVs will be fleet operators who are looking to transition to electric mobility without economic or operational compromises. Amples technology makes it possible to deploy EV infrastructure rapidly so that Fisker can make its vehicles available to larger markets on a faster timetable. Fisker and Ample will share revenue related to the battery swapping mechanism. Battery swapping offers drivers energy delivered as quick as gasoline and at a lower per-mile cost. For drivers looking to transition to electric, speed and cost are key and more so for high mileage drivers, such as those in the ride-hailing industry. Joint development between Ample and Fisker is already underway, with the goal of providing battery swappable Fisker Ocean vehicles by Q1 2024. An Ample EV battery is made out of battery modules that can accommodate any make, design, model or driving profile. Using a combination of computer vision and secure wireless communication with the vehicle, the Ample station can identify the exact location of each battery module to be swapped. Once discharged battery modules are removed from the car, they are placed on shelves so that they can be charged and ready for the next vehicle. In February, Ample received a nearly $15-million grant from the California Energy Commission to support the expansion and operation of Amples first automated battery module production facility in Brisbane, California where it will produce swappable battery packs for roughly 14,400 vehicles annually. An Auburn man's conviction stemming from a 2019 shooting death has been reversed by a mid-level appeals court, citing concerns of an illegally constituted grand jury. The state Appellate Division-Fourth Department determined in a May 5 decision that there was a flaw in the grand jury selection process leading up to the conviction of Gage Ashley, who was sentenced in Cayuga County Court in 2021 on murder charges and other counts connected to the killing of 36-year-old Joshua Poole at 8 Delevan St. The appeals court ordered that the conviction be reversed, Ashley's previous guilty plea be vacated and the original indictment against Ashley is dismissed without prejudice for the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office to again present any appropriate charges to a different grand jury. The court said it agreed with the defendant's contention that an error was made in refusing to dismiss the indictment "on the ground that the grand jury was illegally constituted," because one of the grand jurors was not qualified to serve due to a prior criminal conviction. Todd Sloan, Ashley's attorney at the time, had filed a motion to dismiss the indictment ahead of the trial after learning about one of the grand jurors had a felony conviction. At an August 2021 hearing, Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone heard arguments on the matter from Sloan and the attorneys for Lucciano Spagnola, who had also been charged in connection with Poole's death. Ashley, Spagnola and co-defendant Tyree Anglin had all been in front of the same grand jury. Leone ultimately upheld the indictments, agreeing with the DA's office's argument that the defense needed to show how the convicted felon's presence on the grand jury prejudiced their clients. The judge said the defense "did not show prejudice" existed in the indictments of their clients. "Despite the illegally constituted grand jury, the court nonetheless determined that dismissal of the indictment was unwarranted inasmuch as the alleged defect did not result in any prejudice to defendant," the appeals court said in its decision. "We conclude that it was an error for the court to require a showing of prejudice before dismissing the indictment." Ashley pleaded guilty to every charge he faced, and Leone sentenced him to 21 years to life in prison for first-degree murder and second-degree murder. He was also given 15 years to life and 5 years of post-release supervision for first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, plus sentences for less serious charges. Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina, who frequently handles appellate work for the DA's office, told The Citizen the office respectfully disagrees with the decision. "This is somebody who admitted in open court that he committed the crimes. The appellate division noted that there was no prejudice," Valdina said. "And in fact, our research disclosed that case law from the court of appeals going back 150 years holds that a disqualification of a grand juror does not require dismissal of the indictment, so we were both surprised and disappointed by the court decision. We're looking to move forward with a case (and) we're reviewing that currently." Valdina also pointed out the DA's office is not involved in the grand jury selection process. When asked if the DA's office intended to place Ashley in front of another grand jury, he said, "we're reviewing our options going forward." In regards to the possibility of the DA's office trying to appeal the appellate division's ruling, he again said the office was reviewing its options He also noted the previous convictions for Spagnola and Anglin are still in effect. Spagnola was sentenced in November 2021 to 17 years to life in prison for two counts of second-degree murder. Anglin, who originally faced a murder charge, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in late June 2021 and was sentenced around a year later, in mid-June 2022. David Elkovitch, the attorney who handled Ashley's appeal, pointed out that the appeals court's ruling was unanimous. "I think the appellate division believed it was a cut-and-dry answer to the issue of whether the grand jury was valid or not. Basically, they said it was illegally constituted because there was a convicted felon on the grand jury and that's one of the disqualifications," he said. Ben Susman, one of Spagnola's defense attorneys prior to his conviction, filed a motion in 2021 with attorney Norm Chirco to have Spagnola's indictment dismissed due to the grand jury issue and made arguments along with Sloan at that August 2021 hearing. Susman said he will be reaching out to Spagnola to inform him of the appeals court's ruling and to speak with him about "how he'd like to proceed moving forward." Susman said he could potentially file a motion for his client's indictment to be dismissed. "I think the fourth department got the decision correct. It's the exact argument we made in the trial court," Susman said. Apple and Samsung have annual releases for their smartwatches, while Googles Fitbit line tends to get updated on a two-year cycle. As per an industry source, Google will be going for an annual release cycle on the Pixel Watch. We can expect a new Pixel Watch, likely to be called the Pixel Watch 2 alongside the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro later this year. If track record is anything to go by, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro should come out in October when the online giant has historically unveiled its flagships. The only exception is the Pixel 5, which launched in September. We still dont have any details regarding the Pixel Watch 2. However, some speculations include that the overall dome design is unlikely to change drastically, just be refined instead, potentially and hopefully with a larger display and smaller bezels. Perhaps a similar design would also mean that the watch band attachment mechanism will stay the same, allowing users to carry forward current Pixel Watch bands. In terms of internals, we might see the Snapdragon W5+ make an appearance with its 4nm manufacturing process, hopefully allowing the next Pixel Watch to last longer on a single charge. We would also love to see different sizes for the watch, but there has been no indication of that as of yet. Google does have an upcoming Google I/O event set for May 10, which is where the Google Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold are likely to make a debut. Google could also offer up some teasers and extra info on other devices like the Pixel Watch 2, so theres that. Hopefully, we learn more as we get closer to the supposed October release date. Source Week 18 in review: Sony Xperia 1 V and Pixel 7a leak, Google shows off Pixel Fold The Sony Xperia V's design is now revealed, thanks to a billboard in Hong Kong. Not that we weren't sure what the phone would look like, but it's nice to see the triple color scheme - White, Black, and Green. The Xperia 1 V will become official on May 11. Nothing teased the Phone (2), showing us a glimpse of what appears to be the phone's back. There's a red LED video recording indicator, like the one on the Phone (1), and what looks like a switch. The phone will pack a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. There were plenty of Google Pixel 7a leaks this week. Its specs got detailed, we saw a long video hands-on, a video teardown, and, for good measure - a teaser from Google itself. Expect a 90Hz display, 64MP main camera, a 13MP ultrawide, wireless charging, and a Tensor G2 chip - the phone is coming on May 11. Google also formally confirmed the Pixel Fold through a quick video. Google didn't say anything about the specs or the price, but we're still happy with the high-quality 360 look we got. Those were the highlights of the week. Stick around! Pixel 7a specs leak: 90Hz display, 64MP main cam, wireless charging All three are firsts for the Pixel a-series and bring the 7a quite close to the feature set of the Pixel 7. Asus ROG Ally European pricing tipped The upcoming gaming handheld will be available from mid-June. Google Pixel 7a goes through Geekbench as announcement nears It performed in line with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. India bans 14 messaging apps used for spreading terror" Banned apps have no representatives in India, pushing the government to prohibit their usage. Today will be the first meeting of an investigative subcommittee launched by the Guam Legislature to probe the origins of a forged document purporting to cut funding for school teacher raises. Lawmakers voted to launch the investigation in March, following the dissemination online of what appeared to be an official legislative document bearing the initials of Republican Sen. Chris Duenas. The document was circulated and then retracted by Progressive Democrats of Guam Chapter Leader Julian Janssen, a classified employee of the government who has denied any involvement in creating the forgery. Janssen has said that he understood the document came from the Clerk of the Legislature, but Rule Committee Chair Sen. Chris Barnett has said a cursory investigation has not revealed any trace of it in the legislative files. Members of the investigative committee have already been impaneled, according to Barnett: Democrat Sen. Barnett; Democrat Sen. Sabina Perez; Democrat Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas; Republican Minority Leader Sen. Frank Blas Jr.; and Republican Sen. Tom Fisher. Members will meet for the first time on Monday to sort out leadership positions, Barnett said, and to decide how to proceed. The Rules chairman said it was his understanding that the actions of the committee will proceed similarly to the Legislative Committee on Ethics, which meets in private. In the previous Legislature, all screenings and investigations of the Ethics Committee remained confidential, barring a decision by the committee to open up proceedings. Rules can change from term to term. Barnett said a disclosure may take place after the investigation is completed. Sen. Tom Fisher, who championed the launch of an investigation in March, said he felt differently. This is something that happened to the peoples legislation, they certainly have a right to know what it was. So my inclination would be that it would be held public, but Im not the only voice on the committee, Fisher said. Barnett told the PDN there have been informal discussions on the matter, but said he wanted to wait for the first committee meeting before commenting on any direction that may be taken, we have to respect the entire process of the investigation. Fisher said we are formulating certain strategies, as far as evidence collection. He said he expects subpoenas to be issued to phone providers and others. He declined to comment on specific suspects, but said, I will say that there are people who we do think are involved, other than Julian Janssen. Asked whether he was still thinking about Adelup, which has denied involvement: I think about everything, Fisher said. Motorists and residents are advised to drive cautiously through the construction zones, observe all posted speed limit and construction signs, and carefully heed flaggers (when present). Alternate routes and/or adjusting drive times when feasible are encouraged. Road construction updates from Monday to Sunday: Route 5 and Portion of Route 12, Reconstruction and Widening (Route 2A to Naval Magazine/Route 12) Santa Rita Construction activities will continue along Route 5 from Route 2A to Plumeria Street with intermittent lane closures. Motorists are advised to slow down while driving through this area. Route 14B (Ypao Road) Reconstruction and Widening (Route 14 to Carmen Memorial Dr), Phase 1 Cliffside Tamuning There is a full road closure between Congressman Palting Loop and Pale San Vitores Road for the construction of a new retaining wall and widening of Ypao Road. Motorists will have to take alternate routes. Route 14 Resurfacing from Route 1 to Route 14B Tamuning From Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., motorists are advised that there will be lane shifts and intermittent lane closures along ET Calvo Memorial Parkway and Route 14 (Chalan San Antonio) from Route 1 to KFC. The contractor will also continue surveying along Route 14. Flaggers will be present to assist surveyors. On Saturday, between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m., there will be lane shifts and intermittent lane closures along Route 14 Pale San Vitores Road from Archbishop Felixberto Flores Circle to the Hilton Hotel. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes. Islandwide Safety Improvements on Primary Roads (Striping and Marking), Route 8 Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., temporary lane shifts and intermittent closures will occur at the following intersections: Monday - Route 8 / Route 33 Intersection Tuesday to Friday - Route 8 / Route 20 Tiyan Parkway Intersection Islandwide Village Street Pavement Resurfacing Mai Mai Road, Chalan Pago-Ordot The DPW HMC crew will be preparing Mai Mai Road for milling and paving. Work will occur on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. There will be intermittent lane closures. GWA Waterline Upgrade Along Metal Road, Harmon Industrial Park GWA will continue upgrading a 6-inch waterline along Metal Road in Harmon Industrial Park. Motorists should expect lane and road closures. Work is expected to be completed on May 29, 2023. Road safety reminder of the week: Collisions Understand factors that lead to collisions so you can try to avoid them. The most common causes of collisions are: Driver distractions Unsafe speed Improper turns Not following the right-of-way rules Not following stop signals and signs Driving on the wrong side of the road A vehicle traveling faster or slower than the flow of traffic If you see a vehicles emergency flashers ahead, slow down. There may be a collision or other road emergency. Pass carefully. Avoid driving near collisions, if possible. If anyone is injured, they will get help faster if other vehicles are not blocking the road. When Jill Linkletter became a mother, she was searching for a community of moms in Flagstaff. While the support of family and friends is priceless, she was yearning for other women in the community who understood what she was going through; a group of ladies that could make early motherhood feel relatable and safe; people she could vent to, ask questions and share the experience with. Linkletter stumbled upon Mom Walk Collective online when someone she followed became an ambassador for the company and began hosting their own walks in their city. Inspired, she reached out to the company and got started bringing the Mom Walk Collective to Flagstaff. Mom Walk Collective was started in 2022 by new mom Jamie Easton, who posted on TikTok hoping to start a group of moms in her area. Much like other new moms, she felt the need for community in this new phase of her life and hoped to find some in the area. This search turned into a movement, and Mom Walk Collective is now popping up in cities all around the United States. As an ambassador, a mom brings the collective to their city and hosts two walks a month. Linkletter was happy to take on this duty, bringing this mom community to Flagstaff. I know from experience that, as a new mom, you need that community, Linkletter said. Sometimes it can feel lonely. I wanted to be that person to make a space for moms to come just as they are with a stroller and their water and to just walk, talk and connect with other moms. We all just get it and understand each other. Linkletter saw the importance of this shared community and wanted to offer a safe space for new or experienced moms to share with one another. She said it is very valuable to be able to shoot a text over to a mom friend and ask for advice, or even just to check on them and see how their morning is going; to have a friend who is on a similar path as you and understands what youre working through. When I had my first baby, you have people around you and people who visit you, but its hard to find the connection of a mom who is going through the same thing, Linkletter said. I felt like if I opened this up in Flagstaff, it would create a community of moms that come together and make new friendships. I always say on the walks that you might not meet your best friend this walk, but maybe you will on the next walk. While the main focus of the monthly events is to get outside, exercise and meet the community Linkletter and other Mom Walk ambassadors make it even more fun with the addition of sponsors and giveaways. At the last walk, she was happy to score a sponsor for her community. Sometimes for the walk, theres a sponsor, Linkletter said. For the last walk, I had a mom who started her own sensory bin company sponsor the walk, so everyone got a discount and we did a giveaway so a mom won a sensory bin. It was super fun because I got to help this mom grow a business that she started from her home but also help other moms get little play ideas for their kids. There is no age limit for the kids that the moms bring along, and Linkletter encourages all moms in Flagstaff to stop by, have fun and share their knowledge. I want more moms to know about it, Linkletter said. Any mom can join in. If one mom has heard about it, they tell another mom, and it trickles. I hope to grow it into something big and amazing. You can see us walking the streets with our big groups of strollers. I want moms to come and make friends. Its a judgment-free zone and safe place for moms to come and get outside, especially now that the weather is better. To learn more about Mom Walk Collective to find a walk near you or to learn how to become an ambassador in your city, head over to their website. For more information on the Flagstaff branch and upcoming walks, follow them on Instagram at @themomwalkco.flagstaff. Haiti - Politic : Dominican nationalists worried about the advance of political Muslim groups in Haiti The "Instituto Duartiano" and the movement "Pro Nacion" expressed their concerns about the rise of certain Muslim groups in Haiti more political than religious... Wilson Gomez Ramirez, President of the Duartiano Institute, and Pelegrin Castillo, Vice President of the nationalist group "Pro Nacion", declared that although Muslims have a minimal presence in the Dominican Republic, in the current circumstances the authorities must be vigilant, because certain politico-religious groups seek to influence politically Haiti where thousands of citizens live in an irregular migratory situation on Dominican territory. The two leaders agree that the presence of Muslims in Haiti will have a major impact in Haiti as this country is going through a multifaceted crisis with the control of armed gangs and a weakened population. They emphasize that the presence of mosques plays an important role from a philosophical, religious and political point of view and this in an environment conducive to the propagation of certain ideologies... "I think that respecting the freedom of worship and the sovereign integrity of Haiti, the Dominican authorities must monitor what is happening in Haiti with the Muslim presence and we we have to act in relation to our country and nothing else, Haiti has a particular religiosity to which are now added Islamic philosophies" declared Gomez Ramirez Pelegrin Castillo said that among those who support the advance of Islam in Haiti is the Muslim group "Nation of Islam" of the United States which is part of the African-American movement. He believes that the presence of some Muslims in the neighboring country is worrying because "[...] it is not a spontaneous movement, but a directed one, and with a clearly political background." He indicated that the security agencies of various countries have documented more than fifty new Muslim centers in Haiti, prayer hall, Mosque "including Islamic schools similar to those which gave birth to the Taliban which ended up controlling Afghanistan". He points out that dozens of Muslim organizations are making progress in Haiti thanks to funding from various NGOs, Muslim universities and other types of international organizations... SL/ HaitiLibre SL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2023/05/06 | Source New stills added for the upcoming Korean drama "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938" (2023) Advertisement Directed by Jo Nam-hyung, 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 Published on 2023/05/07 Actress Han So-hee has been announced as the newest global brand ambassador of CHARLES & KEITH, joining the brand's growing family. Advertisement "Han So-hee embodies the spirit of CHARLES & KEITH with her authentic individuality, confidence and creativity. We are delighted to welcome her onboard the CHARLES & KEITH Family and inspire new possibilities together", said brand co-founder, Keith Wong. Han So-hee is set to star in the brand's Fall Winter 2023 campaign which will be unveiled in the third quarter of 2023. 100 years ago 1923: Mayor Tom E. Pulliam requests that those who object to the speed cops recently put on duty, and to whom several arrests for speeding have been credited, make their objections to the city council and direct it toward the ordinance. Pressure has been brought to bear on some of the three boys who have been timing autoists. He said the boys were only doing their duty, and instead of being censured, should be commended for doing it fearlessly. The ordinance against speeding is one of the oldest ones we have, and Pulliam feels that just as long as it is on the books it should be enforced. If it is to be repealed, it is up to those who object to it to have it repealed. Review of work being done by the Flagstaff Social Service Club: This body of public-spirited women is accomplishing great things in the betterment of our town. Many families have been tided over financial difficulties that were due to ill health or lack of work. The supply station where partly worn but clean and mended clothing, shoes, etc., are sent has proved a source of wealth. Many children are kept out of school because of lack of proper clothing in the cold weather. If parents lack funds the child is fitted out if possible from the supply station, otherwise new shoes or other necessary wearing apparel is obtained. 75 years ago 1948: The Lost Treasure of the Padres, a great fortune in silver and gold believed hidden in the vicinity of the San Francisco Peaks, will be sought on one of the series of Flagstaff Cavalier tours this summer, according to Lloyd Harrell of the Chamber of Commerce. The tours are planned for visitors in the area and will be conducted by local men who are experts on various attractions, including Grand Falls, the Hopi Villages, the American Meteorite Museum, Oak Creek, Canyon Diablo, etc. The treasure, silver and gold, is said to have been buried by the priests when they fled from the Indians during the rebellion of the late 17th century and has been sought by many as recently as the 1930s. Underweight women are poor marital risks, because too-thin women are usually jittery women. So says Dr. James F. Bender, director of the National Institute for Human Relations. If that is true and statistics show that women who are 15 or more pounds underweight have an excessively high divorce rate then American women have been choosing the wrong type of woman to admire and emulate. The too-thin woman is the Queen Bee in feminine circles. It is her figure that other women strive to copy. She also sets the pace for the activities of other women. Its the woman who says that she has to be constantly on the go and who prods her sisters into taking on more activities than they can handle. 50 years ago 1973: Thousands of Flagstaff and northern Arizona residents will enter the hospital Sunday. Their visit will be brief and they wont even have to be sick to get in between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday, you see, is the time for the official grand opening of the new $4 million hospital tower, which will be unveiled for the first time. It was just over a year ago that the most massive construction project in the hospitals history got underway. The work actually was completed ahead of schedule but the official opening was delayed to permit the installation of fire dampers in the heating and ventilating ducts. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour 110 patient rooms and specialized areas on each of the three floors of the tower -- which will be opened immediately. The fourth floor of the tower has been roughed out, but it wont be finished until a later date when expansion is needed. 25 years ago 1998: As Arizonians enter the 1998 gubernatorial election season, they have a much different set of issues on their minds than they did four years ago, according to a new statewide poll. Back when Fife Symington was running against Eddie Basha, 38% of those surveyed listed crime as their top concern in the 1994 Arizona Survey conducted by the Social Research Laboratory at Northern Arizona University. The economy (16%) and education (14%) were a distant second and third. But this years Arizona Survey, conducted in late March and early April, found education as the top voter issue at 30%, with crime (11%) and taxes (9%) trailing well behind in second and third places. This years poll was based on telephone interviews with 438 respondents and has a margin of error of five percentage points. In a campaign marked by growth debates, traffic plans and little quarreling, two former city employees have taken off the gloves and renewed their call for the firing of Flagstaff City Manager Dave Wilcox. They allege in a publicity pamphlet for their joint campaign that they have endured threat, intimidation, cover-up, evidence-tampering and more inside City Hall. They also charge the city with $14.3 million in financial improprieties. City officials have cited personnel and legal constraints in declining to comment since the pair filed a lawsuit for $15.3 million and unspecified punitive damages -- first in superior, then in federal court. That lawsuit is still moving through the federal court system, although no trial date has been set. A year ago, despite the lawsuit, running for public office was the last thing on their minds. But they said they decided to run so that the city would be operated by people who know how: themselves. The Flagstaff Police Department (FPD) responded to 10 automobile burglary calls in April, with items being stolen from 15 vehicles. Roughly half of the crimes happened near hiking trailheads and outdoor recreation areas. The uptick led FPD spokesperson Jerry Rintala to post a warning to residents on Facebook that read, Flagstaff Police Department would like to remind you: Move it or lose it! This includes entrances to fitness locations such as Buffalo Park, Mount Elden Trail Head, and other popular hiking areas in and around Flagstaff. We have seen an uptick in auto burglaries in these areas. Two burglaries were reported at the Campbell Mesa trailhead. In one case, the car was left unlocked. In the other, the lock appeared to be manipulated, according to police. At the Fat Mans Loop trailhead, located at the base of Mount Elden, the victim reported that their car had been broken into despite the fact that they locked their door. As temperatures warm, burglaries and break-ins of this nature tend to become more common, Rintala said. Vehicles at trailheads are targeted because often when people are going on hikes, they dont want to carry certain items, and, unfortunately, they will leave them in plain sight in their vehicles or neglect to lock their vehicles, said Rintala. Police are currently investigating any possible connections between the trailhead burglaries. We document the time frame the act occurred, the way entry was made, what was taken, and process the vehicle for fingerprints and/or DNA evidence. Often patterns can be developed ... in sprees where we can target the methods to reduce burglaries, Rintala said. Not every car that was broken into, or left unlocked and rummaged through in April was parked near an outdoor recreation area. On April 2, camping equipment, a fishing pole and a .22 caliber Winchester Model 67 rifle were stolen out of the backseat of an unlocked Jeep parked at a West Flagstaff apartment complex. The case has been forwarded to FPDs criminal investigations unit, and if a suspect is apprehended they could be charged with felony burglary. In Sunnyside, just three days later, $180 worth of Takis were snatched from an unlocked van while the owner was loading her vehicle. A neighbor told police she had seen a group of teenagers steal the spicy corn chips from the van. Police havent made any arrests, but because such a large quantity of snacks was stolen, the suspects could be subject to felony charges. As police look into the surge in thefts, they emphasize that burglaries are often crimes of opportunity. In the case of the stolen chips, the vehicle was unlocked. In still other burglaries reported this month, valuables were simply visible to would-be thieves. Valued items should be left at home, placed in locked areas such as glove boxes or trunks, or carried with the owners and not left in vehicles. Overall, dont leave anything in plain sight in vehicles and lock the doors, said Rintala. Being a history "nerd," I've enjoyed reading the Flagstaff History column in the Daily Sun every Sunday since I moved here in 2006. The column has always intrigued me, but it has become even more fascinating and relevant since Susan Johnson began researching the archives and writing the column a while back. The archives are packed with interesting (and sometimes dull or boring) information, but Susan has chosen bits and pieces that have as much relevance in today's world as they did 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. Take yesterday's (April 30) column for example: 1923's entry is about water supply in Flagstaff and even mentions a need for a "means of conserving it." That's an issue we deal with today. And 1948's entry includes the Arizona attorney general's ruling to not allow Bibles in schools due to the First and 14th amendments. Was that really 75 years ago? Aren't we still dealing with the separation of church and state issues today? The entries Susan chose for 1973 and 1998 are also as pertinent today as when they were written 50 and 25 years ago. If you haven't been reading Susan's Flagstaff History column in the Sunday Daily Sun, it's time to start. Thank you so much for your wonderful column, Susan! Happy archiving and keep up the great work! MARILYN RUGGLES Flagstaff The ultra-low-cost airline, Go First, filed for voluntary insolvency and cancelled its flights till May 12 while JP Morgan Chase Bank came to the rescue of First Republic, another embattled US financial firm to fail after Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). This and more in our weekly wrap of the top five business stories that made headlines: Top five business news of the week: Go First crisis and highest ever GST collection in April. 1. After filing for voluntary insolvency before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) earlier this week, cash-strapped airline Go First on Friday announced the suspension of flights till May 12. The tribunal will also hear two petitions seeking insolvency proceedings against the crisis-hit airline on Monday. The Wadia-group owned air carrier has blamed "faulty" Pratt & Whitney-an American aerospace manufacturer-engines for the grounding of about half its fleet leading to the bankruptcy filing. 2. The CBI on Friday conducted searches at seven locations including the premises of Jet Airways and its founder Naresh Goyal in Mumbai in connection with an alleged 538-crore fraud case in Canara Bank. The CBI searches were spread across the residences and offices of Goyal, his wife Anita, and former airline director Gaurang Ananda Shetty. 3. GST collection grew by 12 per cent in April to 1.87 lakh crore, the highest monthly mop-up since the rollout of the indirect tax regime. The gross GST revenue collected in April 2023 is 1,87,035 crore of which CGST is 38,440 crore, SGST is 47,412 crore, IGST is 89,158 crore (including 34,972 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is 12,025 crore, the finance ministry said in a statement. 4. Indias services sector activity, as measured by the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), reached a 13-year high of 62 in April, according to data released by the S&P Global on Wednesday, despite rising cost pressures for the beginning month of fiscal 2023-24. 5. US-based First Republic Bank was closed on Monday by the local regulators as it entered into an agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank to purchase and assume all deposits and assets of the troubled bank in a bid to protect depositors. (With agency inputs) Czech car maker Skoda Auto has said India will become an export hub for the company as it is set to commence exports of vehicle kits for assembly in Vietnam from next year. The company's new logo is seen on a Skoda Vision 7S Concept electric car on display during the presentation of the new brand identity of the Czech automobile manufacturer Skoda in Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic on April 25, 2023. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP)(AFP) The company, which posted a whopping 125 per cent year-on-year surge in its vehicle sales at 53,721 units in 2022, also sounded hopeful of growing into double-digit this year as well. Similarly, Volkswagen Group sales grew 85.48 per cent year-on-year at 1,01,270 units in the previous calendar year. The Group is present through Skoda Auto, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini brands under Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWPIL). ALSO READ: Skoda has discontinued this car from India. Here's why "India is an absolutely important market as part of our regional strategy of Skoda Auto, and India will become an export hub for Skoda," Petr Solc, Brand Director at Skoda Auto India told PTI in an interaction. Volkswagen is already exporting vehicles from India to Mexico and South Africa while Skoda Auto is exporting to the Middle East and North Africa. From next year we will start exporting vehicle kits for assembly in Vietnam, Solc stated. Export is already an important part and will continue to be an important part of the strategy for Skoda and Volkswagen, he stated. Noting that Skoda Auto India for the first time delivered more than 50,000 cars in the domestic market last year, he said we would like to grow with the market or even faster and our ambition is to grow into double digits. He said that 2022 was specific for the company on account of the Slavia launch and added that So, there was this kind of a one-time effect of any new model introduction. Now, we have both models (all-new Slavia sedan and Kushaq SUV) in the market and can now enjoy having both models for the full year in the market, he said. Solc said that the 7-seater updated SUV Kodiaq will also play a role in terms of the company's growth strategy, particularly when there is much greater supply now. To a question on Audi, which at a point of time was the undisputed leader in the domestic premium luxury car market, Christian Cahn Von Seelen, Member of the Board for sales, marketing and digital at SAVWPIL said that its growth has been "impressive in terms of volume in 2022 compared to the year earlier and that was still hampered significantly by the chip supply situations even in Europe. So the growth of Audi is impressive, and we are definitely planning to continueSo as much (as) I think, I can say we will see loads of new product introductions here on the other side. On the company's EV foray in the Indian market, Solc said it depends on the development of the segment in the country. Late last month, the European car maker Skoda announced its EV roadmap, which includes six electric cars in a phased manner by 2026. "We as a manufacturer and Skoda, we will be ready. And if we see good traction, we are talking about the prognosis that the car market or the EV can go within 5-10 years, up to 20, maybe 30 per cent. We don't know necessarily, he said. So this could be part, we would like to be also within that range, but depends again, on the response. If we see more manufacturers going, there is an infrastructure built here and there's an acceptance from the customers to buy electric cars, and we will be ready, he said. He said that the company is discussing which models it should bring in the future also to India as an EV. "And if we see the potential in the market, we will bring them as well. So I cannot say necessarily what the percentage will be. But if the market is going towards more than 20 per cent of the electric vehicles of the total market, we would like to penetrate within the EV segment, Solc added. Honda has launched its 2023 Brio facelift in Indonesia, where the car will be available as the standard Brio, and Brio RS. 2023 Honda Brio Facelift (Image courtesy: Team BHP) 2023 Brio facelift: Powetrain According to HT's sister publication Live Hindustan, the model is powered only by a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol motor engine. Each trim, however, has been given both manual and CVT transmission options. 2023 Brio facelift: Exterior As per Live Hindustan, the exterior is the same for both the trims. Honda has enlarged the front grille, while the thick horizontal bar has been thinned. Headlights have been given a new LED signature lighting and a new bumper. 2023 Brio facelift: Features Brio RS comes with features such as LED headlights, LED fog lights, request sensors, outside rear-view mirrors (ORVMs) with LED indicators, push-button start, 7-inch infotainment screen with smartphone integration, 15-inch alloy wheels, etc. 2023 Brio facelift: Colours The common colour schemes are Electric Lime Metallic, Crystal Black, and Meteorised Grey Metallic. Colour schemes exclusive to Brio are Taffeta White and Rally Red, while those for Brio RS are Phoenix Orange Pearl (2-tone) and Stellar Diamond Pearl. 2023 Brio Facelift: Price The car has a starting price of Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 191,900,000 (approx. 10.6 lakh). The price is ex-showroom. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON South Africa: President Ramaphosa mourns Dutch anti-apartheid activist Klaas de Jonge President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of Dutch anti-apartheid activist and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) fighter, Klaas de Jonge. De Jonge passed away on Friday, 5 May 2023, at the age of 85 following an extended illness. President Ramaphosa extends his condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Klaas de Jonge who, under Dutch law, exercised his right to assisted death to end his battle against cancer. The former freedom fighter was a Dutch civil rights activist who became internationally known as an activist against apartheid in South Africa, when he was forced to spend two years as an asylum seeker at the Dutch Embassy in Pretoria in 1985. From 1981 until 1985, the Presidency said, De Jonge was a member of a special operations unit of MK, the armed branch of the African National Congress (ANC), doing reconnaissance work and bringing in arms and explosives into South Africa. This led to his arrest in 1985 by the South African Police, managing to escape and acquired asylum in the Dutch embassy in Pretoria until after two years he was exchanged for the South African commander of the apartheid regime, Wynand du Toit, in 1987. He continued to do work for MK and the Dutch Anti- Apartheid Movement until the end of 1989. His life partner, Belgian citizen Helene Pastoors, was also imprisoned for her armed action against the apartheid regime. The Presidents Office said the couple is remembered as distinguished liberation fighters on whom South Africa conferred the National Order of the Companions of OR Tambo. President Ramaphosa said: At the very close of his life, Klaas de Jonge exercised the characteristic clarity and bravery with which he had conducted his multifaceted life, a great deal of which he dedicated to fighting for our liberation. He made critical and perilous sacrifices for the cause of freedom in South Africa a struggle that took him to different parts of our continent where he established bonds of solidarity and built networks of armed resistance to apartheid and colonialism as part of a new generation of progressive Dutch internationalists. President Ramaphosa said the country remains appreciative of his heroic and unselfish contribution to the struggle. He will live on in the memory and values of our nation and our continent. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Turkish Airlines has expanded its flight network to include Palermo, the capital of the island of Sicily in southern Italy, increasing its number of destinations in the country to nine. The flag carrier will operate the Palermo flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, making a total of four reciprocal flights per week, following its routes to Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Bergamo, Bologna, Catania, and Bari in Italy. Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi said We are glad to add Palermo to our extensive flight network as our 344th worldwide and 9th Italian destination. As we strengthen our bonds with Italy with the new route, our guests from Palermo will be able to enjoy the unparalleled flight network of our flag carrier on their travels while our guests from all around the world will have the chance to experience Palermos wonders with Turkish Airlines privilege. The planned flights to Palermo will be operated with Boeing 737-800 type aircraft from Istanbul Airport to Punta Raisi Airport. Turkish Airlines offers passengers the opportunity to travel at special launch prices starting from $259, including all taxes for round-trip flights. Founded by Phoenician traders and boasting a cosmopolitan culture, the city of Palermo derives its name from the Ancient Greek word "panormus," which means "all harbor." With agriculture and trade as its primary sources of income, Palermo attracts many domestic and foreign tourists every year. TradeArabia News Service (Global Times)From any perspective, the hype by some Canadian politicians and media over the so-called Chinese interference in Canada's internal affairs has been a failure. The Canadian intelligence agency has been fabricating reports to feed these accusations, and the country's politicians and media have been working very hard to spread them. The hype on this topic has lasted several months, but still failed to create the storm they expected in Canada. The key reason for this is that they cannot provide convincing evidence, and the majority of the Canadian public is not as easily fooled as they think. However, amid this continuing manipulation of public opinion, Canadian diplomacy overreacted in a way it should not have, revealing once again its immaturity, lack of independence, and instability. It started with a 2021 report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), recently revealed by some Canadian media. The report claimed falsely that a Chinese consular officer "coerced" a Canadian legislator and his family, in addition to the usual rhetoric about "China's interference in Canada's internal affairs." This made a few vociferous Canadian politicians and media finally see a glimmer of hope of making a greater deal out of it after several months of "persistence." CSIS has repeatedly made groundless accusations on China-related issues and made a fool of itself in the process, undermining its integrity as a result. Moreover, it is evident to all that those who hype "Chinese interference" barely conceal their political intentions. Given all these factors, the Canadian government should be quite clear about what this report is all about, and it is unlikely that anyone with some sense of judgment will believe it. Despite all this, the Canadian foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador based on false allegations and made a fuss about it, and even said that it was considering expelling the Chinese diplomats concerned. This move was widely reported by Western media. In fact, it was done with anti-Chinese politicians and Washington to complete a smear attack on China, artificially creating a diplomatic spat that should not have occurred and having a negative impact. Deliberately demonstrating assertiveness to China in various ways has become a common problem for Western countries, including Canada, in recent years. On the one hand, this is because their perception and mentality toward China has become sick. On the other, it reflects their vulnerability and weakness in the face of radical and irrational political forces at home and Washington's hegemony. When it comes to "foreign intervention," Canada does face a lot of it. But it is barking up the wrong tree: It is Washington that has interfered in Ottawa's internal affairs the most. But these Western countries have neither the courage nor the ability to correct deviations and mistakes in their China policy. They are even more afraid to resist US pressure and often adopt a conniving and pandering attitude. This has led to a collective degradation and misdirection of US and Western diplomacy toward China, of which Canada is a typical example. Choosing "Chinese interference in Canadian internal affairs" as a point of sensationalism is not accidental. This is a field that the US and its Western allies have long sought to exploit in spreading the "China threat" theory. In the eyes of those who are malicious but lack creativity, there are few things that can better hype up China's "threat" to "Western democracy" and more easily stir up people's sense of urgency and vigilance toward China than "interference in internal affairs." However, anyone with a basic understanding of China knows this is pure nonsense. China is a victim of Western interference in its domestic affairs and is the most steadfast defender and practitioner of the principle of non-interference. China has never had any interest in interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. China's historical record in this regard is much cleaner than even Canada's, not to mention the scandalous one of the US. For a relatively long time, China and Canada have maintained good bilateral relations. The two complemented each other in many aspects, and held various close exchanges and interactions, which was the expected norm for the bilateral relationship. Unfortunately, under pressure from the US, Canada has repeatedly made wrong decisions, pushing it further away from becoming a "middle power" known for mediation and reconciliation. When some Canadians point their finger at China over "interference in internal affairs," their powerful neighbor, the US, is gloating and laughing up its sleeve. How Canada truly shows its resistance to foreign interference lies in where it stands in defending its national interests rather than the interests of politicians, and choosing the right path for the country. In this regard, Ottawa needs to show courage and earn respect for itself. A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Canada said, "Should the Canadian side continue to make provocations, China will play along every step of the way until the very end." These are assertive words, indicating the malicious behavior of the Canadian side. It is truly sad that Canada's diplomacy toward China has been hijacked and coerced so easily by a few anti-China politicians who use false reports to manipulate the media. We hope that the history of mutually beneficial and win-win relations between China and Canada in the past few decades will enable Canada to return to a calm and rational attitude toward China as soon as possible. Corruption, looting, price rise and unemployment are the real "terrorism" in Karnataka today and the ruling BJP had failed to address the actual issues of people while the party was in power, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Sunday. Corruption, unemployment are real 'terrorism' in Karnataka: Priyanka Gandhi Also Read - BJP unit arranges a special screening of The Kerala Story in Bengaluru, invites young women Addressing a huge public meeting at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district here, she said BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are always talking about extremism and national security when elections are round the corner. "They are not talking about your (people's) real issues. I want to tell the BJP leaders that price rise, unemployment and the 40 per cent corruption of the BJP government are the real extremism," she said. She said the BJP is making promises at the time of elections, but the people should cast their votes on the basis of what they have delivered in the last three years in Karnataka. "While talking about dharma, national security and terrorism, the BJP leaders do not see that thousands of farmers had committed suicide in Karnataka under their rule. More than 1,000 unemployed youth have taken their own lives," she charged. The BJP government had looted 6 lakh crore during their rule, she alleged. Medium and small industries in the state have suffered big losses after demonetization and wrong implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and thousands of youth were rendered jobless. The Union government had destroyed the idea of bank nationalization by merging four public sector banks Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank and Canara Bank which where the pride of Mangaluru, she said. Vadra said all the airports and sea ports in the country including the New Mangalore Port are being sold to crorepatis who are the friends of the BJP regime at the Centre, thereby denying employment to thousands of local people. The BJP is now trying to destroy dairy cooperative Karnataka Milk Federation's Nandini milk brand which has been serving the people of Karnataka by merging it with Amul that is based out of Gujarat, she charged. "It is the terrorism of corruption ruling the country, the Congress leader said. Vadra alleged that as BJP is busy indulging in looting the nation's wealth, they have no time to address the issues of women's development, farmers problems, price rise and the unemployment among the youth. "They dont work for the people when they are in power and visit them during the elections by preaching on dharma, terrorism and security," she said. Vadra said all the people-friendly schemes of the previous Congress government in the state including low-cost food outlets Indira canteens will be restored. Every promise in the guarantee card given to the people will be fulfilled, she said. For the Karnataka Assembly election, Congress has announced five 'guarantees' 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), 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 (Yuva Nidhi), along with promise of free travel for women in public transport buses upon coming to power in the state. Vadra said Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had implemented their promises made to farmers and pensioners in their respective poll manifestos. The Congress will also introduce 10 lakh insurance scheme for fishermen and 1 lakh interest-free loan for fisherwomen as part of 'Stand with Mogaveera' scheme, she said, adding that the diesel subsidy for fisherfolk will be increased. Mogaveera is a major fishing community living predominantly in coastal Karnataka. The opposition Congress is going all out to wrest power from the ruling BJP in the state with polling set to take place on May 10. The results will be declared on May 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on 8-kilometer roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday, covering the eastern part of the city. The two-day mega roadshow of the Prime Minister has ended at the Trinity circle. PM Modi's Bengaluru roadshow ends, At around 10 am, PM Modi started his rally from a Kempegowda statue in New Tippasandra and he reached Trinity Circle through HAL road 2nd stage and Halasuru. Thousands of supporters were seen on both sides of the road and PM Modi was showered with flowers. As the election campaign reached its last leg, PM Modi will now head to Aynur near Shimoga city of Karnataka. He is said to hold a key public meeting and he will address the crowd from Aynur. According to Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, around a million people showed up for the mega road show on Saturday. It was initially scheduled to be a single day long rally which was set to cover 17 constituencies out of 28 constituencies in Bengaluru. However, keeping the traffic snarls in mind, the state unit of BJP has divided it into a two-day road show. Meanwhile, the election commission is gearing up for conducting polls on Wednesday in Karnataka in all 224 constituencies. Both Congress and the BJP have shown confidence in winning the mandate and JD(S) also claimed that the party once again is going to play a key role in Karnataka politics. The results for the Karnataka assembly polls will be declared on May 13. A day after, Kapurthala police added a non-bailable offence in an already registered case against Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the Congress MLA alleged that the state government for openly playing vendetta politics. Khaira had handed over an alleged obscene video of a Punjab cabinet minister to the Governor Banwarilal Purohit. (HT File Photo) Khaira had handed over an alleged obscene video of a Punjab cabinet minister to the governor Banwarilal Purohit, who in turn had asked the Chandigarh director general of police to check its authenticity. As per sources, on Saturday, Purohit forwarded the forensic report of an objectionable video to chief minister Bhagwant Mann. On Saturday, police added Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a case registered case against on April 27 under other several bailable sections on the complaint of Bholath SDM, who accused Khaira of misconduct and unruly behaviour. The addition of the non-bailable section has been done with the sole motive of arresting me. This has been done on the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann to settle personal scores for exposing his ministers gross misconduct, Khaira said, adding, I vow to continue my tirade against the anti-Punjab and anti-sikh policies of Mann and his government. The case was registered at Bholath police station under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function), 189 (Threat of injury to public servant), 342 (wrongful confinement), 500 (Punishment for defamation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC after as per Bholath SDM Sanjeev Sharma complaint to Punjab chief secretary that Khaira alleged misbehaved during his visit to his office on March 29 and April 10. Srinagar district development council (DDC) chairperson Aftab Malik has blamed a member owing allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajaz Hussain, for using derogatory words against him and J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha in an instant messaging platform group. Srinagar district development council (DDC) chairperson Aftab Malik (in picture) has blamed a member owing allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajaz Hussain, for using derogatory words against him and J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha in an instant messaging platform group. (Sourced) Malik also accused the DDC member from Balhama of using inappropriate language against him and calling him drunkard and donkey. However, Hussain said it was a one-month-old incident and claimed that he didnt exchange anything in the group. Malik said after using abusive language, the BJP member quit the official WhatsApp group of the Srinagar DDC. He is a senior leader of the Apni Party and a prominent businessman of Srinagar city. Malik and Hussain hail from the same assembly segment -- Sonwar -- in Srinagar district. While Malik got elected from Lasjan, Hussain won from Balhama DDC seat in 2020 and was among three DDC members owing allegiance to the BJP who won from Kashmir. Interestingly, the BJP had supported the candidature of Malik as the chairperson of the Srinagar development council. Hussain had some issues with sarpanch, who belongs to the Apni Party. And now, he has used very offensive language against me in the official group which isnt acceptable, said Malik. The DDC chairperson said he has brought the issue to the notice of the party leadership and LG Manoj Sinha. I want action against him, he added. Hussain in his post in the DDC group even raised questions over the functioning of Manoj Sinha and boasted of his association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. Malik also blamed the DDC member for using abusive language against Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari and former minister Ashraf Mir, who represented Sonwar constituency after defeating former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah in 2014 the elections. In 2019, Ashraf, along with several other former legislators, had joined Altaf Bukharis Apni Party. Hussain, meanwhile, said the group chats could be fake. He alleged that Malik doesnt know the dignity of chair. He isnt doing any work for the public. Such things are bound to happen. When a chairperson is absent for the past three years, people suffer, he added. The district police arrested three inter state arms smugglers belonging to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and recovered five .32 bore pistols and one .30 bore pistol from them, cops said. Police said the three arms smugglers used to supply arms and ammunition to anti-social elements in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. (Representational Photo) SSP Dr Ravjot Grewal said that based on a tip, the police arrested Gurtej Singh of Bareilly, UP and Dilawar Singh alias Dagar of Panchkula Haryana. Cops recovered two pistols from them, the SSP said. During questioning, the name of Sher Singh alias Shera cropped up. He was arrested from his village Auriya in Haryana, and a .32 pistol and a magazine were recovered from his hideout in Kalka, the SSP said, adding, The interrogation of Dagar lead to recovery of three magazines and two pistols of .32 bore from his village Nangla Kandyala in Kalka district. SSP said that these three arms smugglers used to supply arms and ammunition to anti-social elements in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. She said that the accused will be interrogated thoroughly, and more arrests and recoveries are expected. A total of 2,677 candidates, aspiring to secure a seat in undergraduate medical courses, appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exam at four centres in the city on Sunday. A total of 2,737 candidates had registered for the exam. A student during security check outside a NEET-UG exam centre. (Manish/Ht) The examination was conducted at four centres in a single shift from 2 pm to 5.20 pm. Students were allowed to enter the examination centres from 11 am till 1.30 pm. The Tight security arrangements were ensured at all the centres. Out of 960 candidates, 947 appeared at Nankana Sahib Public School, Gill Road, 415 out of 432 candidates were present at Darshan Academy, Bhamia Kalan, 539 out of 553 registered candidates appeared at BCM Arya Model School, Shastri Nagar, and 776 out of 792 candidates appeared at Atam Devki Niketan, Kidwai Nagar. A total of 60 students were absent as the attendance stood at 97.8%. Arshdeep Kaur of Machiwara, who took the exam at BCM, Shastri Nagar, said that she is the first member of her family to pursue medical stream. Talking about the exam, she said that although difficulty of the physics portion was moderate, chemistry and biology were a bit tricky. She expects the cut-off to increase this year. Students are required to attempt 180 questions of four marks each, out of a total of 200 questions. One mark is deducted for every wrong answer. Prabhjot Singh, who came from Nawanshahar with his father, said that he is hoping to secure a seat in MBBS at a government college in the state. His father is a driver by profession. He added that he has been preparing for exam for two years. NEET is an entrance exam for students who wish to pursue undergraduate medical, MBBS, dental, BDS, and AYUSH, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS etc., courses in India as well as those who wish to pursue primary medical qualifications abroad. Paramjit Kaur, city co-ordinator for the exam, said it was conducted smoothly at all four centres. As several mustard growers are struggling even to recover cost input by selling their produce, the Punjab government has planned that from the next rabi season, oilseeds would be purchased by Markfed, a state-run premium cooperative organisation, on account of a market crash. In 2022-23, Punjab witnessed mustard cultivation on about 60,000 hectares. ((HT Photo/Sanjeev Kumar)) State agriculture director Gurvinder Singh said on Sunday that the move will help in boosting diversification in rabi crop cycle. Last year private players paid farmers much higher rates than the MSP. But our hopes were dashed after rates of mustard seed crashed unexpectedly. From next season, if the farmers are paid below the MSP, the state government would buy the stock from farmers, he added. Sources said Markfed is a market leader in the cooking oil sector and its presence in the market can play an important role stabilising oilseed rates. Nachhatar Singh took 13-acre land on lease at Bathindas Naruana village hoping to earn well from the mustard crop for the second consecutive season this time. But his hopes were dashed as the buyers are not even paying him 4,000 per quintal, less by more than 1,500 of the minimum support price (MSP) of 5,450. In 2021 for the first time, I ventured into mustard cultivation by taking 12 acres of lease and earned handsomely as the market rates last year were as high as 7,000 for a quintal. This time I added another acre as a plan for rabi crop diversification but I am unable to recover even the cost input of 12,000 per acre that included lease amount, seeds and fertilisers. I am keeping my entire yield for another 2-3 weeks hoping the rates may improve. The government should have a defined plan to assist farmers in such circumstances while pushing crop diversification, he said. State agriculture authorities said in 2022-23, Punjab witnessed mustard cultivation on about 60,000 hectares or 1.50 lakh acres in the semi-arid districts of Fazilka, Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa and a few other parts of the state. As per the official data, last time in 2004-05 rabi crop cycle, Punjab touched 60,000 hectares. However, it was much less than 1974-75 when the total area under the crop in the state was 4.4 lakh acres. Market watchers say as the government failed to intervene when farmers were paid less rates this year, rabi diversification push is likely to get discouraged in Punjab. A leading mustard trader Rakesh Rathi said edible palm oil imported is available cheaper and it has a direct fallout on the domestic oilseed market. This year the mustard seed is being purchased at less than the MSP. The trend may have an adverse impact on the morale of farmers who may be forced to step away from wheat. The centre government should increase duty on imported oil as a measure to support mustard growers, said Rathi. A progressive farmer from Abohar in Fazilka, Nikhil Setia said after a low wheat yield in 2022 and a poor yield of cotton in the last two seasons, he sowed oilseed on 18 acres for the first time. But it was a discouraging experience. Rates of mustard seeds are dismal even as farmers got an average yield of 7-8 quintals per acre. Since mustard is a low labour-intensive crop, demands lesser cost input and requires very little irrigation with the scope of handsome returns, it is a good alternative to wheat. But it needs an initiative from the government to balance the market if farmers are paid less for their produce, said Setia. Already a month into the new academic session, the government schools selected under the School of Eminence scheme are yet to welcome the new batch of students from Class 9 and Class 11 as the process to commence the classes at these schools remains overshadowed by uncertainty. The entrance exams for the scheme launched amid much fanfare were conducted on April 16 for Class 11 and on March 26 for Class 9 after being postponed on two occasions. (HT File Photo) The entrance exams for the scheme launched amid much fanfare were conducted on April 16 for Class 11 and on March 26 for Class 9 after being postponed on two occasions. While the list of Class 9 students who have qualified for the SOE test has been released, teachers at 16 government schools have received no instructions regarding the modalities and the number of students who will be inducted in each school. No major infrastructural updates and additional staff have been provided to the schools as per the announcements. The education department had also announced that classes other than from 9 to 12 will be discontinued at the schools, the decision was cancelled after the department could not find a solution to accommodate the students at other nearby government schools. The current state of affairs has left the teachers at senior secondary schools and as well as students who are hoping to get admission into the schools in a tizzy. Out of the total 117 selected schools, 16 fall in the district. Prabhkirat Singh, a resident of Punjabi Bagh, said, I was elated to know that a school close to my residence is being upgraded into the school of eminence. I appeared for the entrance exam for Class 9 in March. He said as he is currently studying in a private school, he is confused whether he should take readmission at the same school or wait for the admission process to begin. Sonakshi, a government school student, said that even though GSSS, Sekhewal ,which is among the schools selected under the scheme is 10 km away from home, she had appeared for the entrance test and was confident that she would get admission, but has received no update. A government school principal of one of the selected schools requesting anonymity said, As per the proposed plan under the eminence scheme, only 30 students will be taught in each classroom. The school which has students from classes 6 to 12, is already running in two shifts. He said launching the scheme without providing the required infrastructure and staff will only add to the pressure on school staff. He added that as the summer vacations will also start from June 1, the admission process is expected to be delayed until July. An education department official said that the government will organise a training session for staff members at these schools at Guru Nanak Dev University. District education officer (secondary) Harjit Singh said the department is trying its best to complete the process before the summer vacations. He said the results of Class 11 will also be announced soon after which seats will be allocated to each school. He said the process to allocate funds for infrastructure and staff is also underway. The schools which have been selected are GGSSS Shaheed-E-Azam Sukhdev Thapar, GMSSS Miller Ganj, GSSS Doraha, GSSS Jagraon, GSSS Sahnewal, GGSSS Khanna, GSSS Mundian Kalan, GSSS Gill, GSSS Samrala, GMSSS Model Town, GSSS Baddowal Cantt, GSSS Division no three, GSSS Jawahar Nagar, GSSS Indra Puri, GSSS Dadhahur, and GSSS Sekhewal. In these classes, 75% of seats have been reserved for government school students while 25% of students will be selected from other schools. Security forces on Sunday averted a major tragedy by recovering and destroying an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing 6kg on the disclosure of a militant associate in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered an improvised explosive device weighing approximately 6kg in Pulwama on Sunday. (ANI) The police said they have arrested Ishfaq Ahmed Wani, a resident of Arigam in Pulwama, who revealed about the hidden IED. Pulwama Police averted a major tragedy by apprehending a terror associate Ishfaq Ahmed Wani R/O Arigam Pulwama and recovering an IED (approx 5-6Kgs) on his disclosure, Kashmir zone police said in a tweet. The police have already registered a case and started investigations. The IED, which was concealed in a plastic container, was recovered from a ditch and destroyed in collaboration with the Indian Army. Chinar warriors and J&K Police averted a major terror incident today by recovering & in-situ destroying an IED at Arigam Orchards, Pulwama along with other insinuating material. Indian Army stands by its commitment to keep Kashmir terror-free, Chinar Corps said in a tweet. Meanwhile, security forces on Sunday busted a hideout constructed in the house of a terror associate who was arrested in connection with an ambush on an army vehicle in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir last month, officials said. Five army personnel were killed when their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Bhatta Durrian forests on April 20. Nissar Ahmed, who was among six persons arrested for providing support to terrorists, led the security forces to his house, where a hideout was busted, the officials said. They said the search of the hideout led to the recovery of two hand grenades, three AK magazines and some cash. Former militant associate held with grenade A former militant was arrested with a grenade in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, police said on Sunday evening. Kupwara police, along with army, arrested a former militant who later turned into an over ground worker (OGW) of Hizbul Mujahideen from Kralpora area of the district along with a grenade. Acting on specific intelligence generated by Kupwara police, a joint checkpoint was set up at the main market. As Rafiq Ahmad Khan tried to evade the naka, he was apprehended and one grenade was recovered from his possession, the police said in a statement. Rafiq, a Pakistan-trained terrorist, had surrendered, but began working as an OGW for Hizbul Mujahideen, it added. The police said that he had procured the grenade from Chogul area of Handwara. It was to be delivered to someone in Kralpora area on the instructions of his Pakistan-based handler, the statement said. Tightening the noose around local terrorists operating from Pakistan, the state investigation agency (SIA) has executed proclamation proceedings against a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Doda district of J&K. Tightening the noose around local terrorists operating from Pakistan, the state investigation agency (SIA) has executed proclamation proceedings against a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Doda district of J&K. (Image for representational purpose) Mohammad Hussain Khateeb of Bhaderwah town, who is presently based in Pakistan, has been given 30 days to appear before the court to face trial in a terror-funding case, failing which his property will be attached, an official said. Khateeb is wanted by the SIA in a terror-funding case of last year, also involving former minister Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh who is presently lodged in central jail in Kot Bhalwal, Jammu. On September 24, the SIA had filed a chargesheet against three persons, including Singh, in the court of third additional session judge, Jammu. Three supplementary chargesheets were subsequently filed against nine more accused. Of the total accused, nine are facing trial while three, including Khateeb, are absconding.The SIA said the former minister was allegedly in contact with Khateeb over encrypted social media applications and had clandestinely visited Dubai for arranging funds. Executing the proclamation proceedings under Section 82 of the CrPC against Khateeb, the SIA affixed posters of the absconding accused at his residence at Masjid Mohalla in Bhaderwah and other conspicuous places. Khateeb has been granted a period of 30 days by the court in its proclamation order to appear before it to face trial. If the accused fails to appear before the court within the period of 30 days, proceedings under Section 83 CrPC will be launched against him and his property will be attached, an official said. He said the proceedings were conducted in presence of respectable persons of the vicinity where Khateebs family is putting up. Photo: PLA navy (Global Times) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Saturday released videos and pictures of just-concluded combat readiness drills of the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet, saying that the fleet entered the Western Pacific for the first time in a systematic and large-scale manner, which according to Chinese experts, effectively refuted the Western media's smears that Chinese aircraft carriers only "play theatrical role but pose little threat." The fleet of PLA Navy Shandong aircraft carrier has recently returned to their home port, after concluding combat readiness drills in the Western Pacific, according to the PLA Navy official WeChat official account on Saturday. During the drills, the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet entered the Western Pacific for the first time in a systematic and large-scale manner. The PLA Navy said that faced with the complex situation of foreign warships and planes taking turns to conduct reconnaissance, the fleet quickly and accurately grasped the situation, and efficiently controlled the actions of troops, and always responded positively and handled things safely, effectively improving its actual combat capabilities. Days after an undertrial escaped from the Ludhiana Central Jail, the Division number 7 police lodged another first information report (FIR) against him for possessing a mobile phone on Saturday. Two months after receiving the complaint, police finally registered an FIR on Saturday under section 52 A (1) of the Prison Act. (iStock) The same comes weeks after the jail staff had on March 5 recovered a mobile phone from him in an apparent attempt to save their skin. Earlier on Saturday, police had lodged an FIR under section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused Rohin Bhatti of Mohalla Tajpur of Machhiwara road of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshehr) after he escaped from the jail on Friday evening. According to the jail officials on March 5, the accused managed to procure a mobile phone while returning from a Nawanshahr court after the hearing of his case. The same was recovered by the jail employees during a checking at the main door of the jail. The staff had written to the Division number 7 police to lodge an FIR against him. Two months after receiving the complaint, police finally registered an FIR on Saturday under section 52 A (1) of the Prison Act. Speaking of the same, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mewa Singh, who is investigating the case, said he was not present at the police post and was not possessing the documents so will need to scan through the paperwork before commenting. The undertrial had managed to give jail officials a slip, escaping through an under-construction watchtower at the prison late on Friday. Two juveniles escape from observation home Two inmates lodged at the observation home here managed to escape by scaling the compound wall. They scaled the wall using wire and blankets. They were facing trial in drug peddling and theft cases. Following the complaint of the officials of the juvenile home, the Shimlapuri police lodged an FIR against the inmates. The officials came to know about their escape during attendance. They found wires and blankets hanging from the compound wall. Inspector Pramod Kumar, SHO at police station Shimlapuri, stated that the FIR has been lodged following the statement of observation home officials. A hunt is on to trace the juveniles. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A day after Delhis Rouse Avenue court granted bail to two people in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday said the court order vindicates the partys stand that the case is a fabrication to defame the party, and that there is no corroborative material or evidence to back up the allegations. The AAP also demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tender an apology for levelling false allegations against it. AAP members at an April 27 protest over ED arrests in connection with the Delhi excise policy. (ANI) The BJP hit back, noting that the court had, at an earlier date, rejected the bail application of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on February 8 arrested Punjab-based liquor businessman Gautam Malhotra in connection with the case, and arrested Rajesh Joshi, the owner of Chariot Production Media Pvt Ltd, a day later. ED claimed that Malhotra was a part of a cartel formed by liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Joshi, meanwhile, is alleged to have helped the other accused in laundering money by creating fake invoices without providing any service. ED has also alleged that Joshi was a close associate of co-accused Vijay Nair, and he was involved in the channelisation of illegal kickbacks through expenditures borne by AAP in connection with the 2022 Goa assembly elections through his media agency. On May 6, special judge MK Nagpal granted bail to both on condition of furnishing a bail bond of 2 lakh each. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Delhi cabinet minister and AAP leader Atishi said Joshi and Malhotra were central figures in the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation cases of AAP allegedly receiving kickbacks from the irregularities in the excise policy, but the court granted them bail as the agencies could show no evidence. ED had first alleged a scam of 100 crore, then it settled to allege a scam of 30 crore, and finally, the court stated that there is absolutely no material evidence to even prove this. ED had accused Rajesh Joshi of translocating 30 crore to Goa through paper slips but it failed to prove any such activity in the court, Atishi said. Separately, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, Now even the Court has said that there is no material evidence of any kickback or money laundering. We have been saying right from the beginning that the entire liquor scam is bogus and meant only to malign AAP. HT reached out to the ED, but officers with the central agency did not comment on the AAPs allegations. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said that if the AAP is fond of reading the courts observations to give certificates of honesty, then Atishi should also read what the court said about former deputy CM Manish Sisodia. While denying bail to Manish Sisodia on March 31, the court had observed that he is a prime accused and prima facie the architect of the criminal conspiracy in this case. If the chief minister believes in the court, why was he tongue-tied after that court order? They should stop giving certificates of honesty to themselves, Khurana said. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, Atishi should understand that not only CBI, ED and BJP, but everyone in Delhi wants to know why the commission of wholesale liquor traders was increased from 2% to 12%, why liquor shops were opened in restricted areas, and why the liquor policy was withdrawn as soon as the investigation started. The directorate of education will hold a summer camp for students in Classes 3 to 8 as part of its learning competency programme Mission Buniyaad beginning May 11 to strengthen students foundational learning levels in Delhi government schools, said officials aware of the matter. HT Image Nandini Maharaj, additional director of Mission Buniyaad, directorate of education, said in a directive to schools on Thursday that all students from Classes 3 to 8 should be invited to the summer camp. In addition, schools have been instructed to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the parents of participating students. Mission Buniyaad is a learning competency programme that aims to close learning gaps and improve childrens reading, writing, and basic mathematical abilities in Classes 3 through 8. As part of the programme, trained teachers conduct a baseline assessment of students, following which interventions are implemented to close gaps in areas of concern. Continuous assessments are used to track students progress. The camp will run until June 10 in the morning, and teachers are expected to report to school daily. Except for gazetted holidays, second Saturdays, and Sundays, the camp will be held from 7.30am to 11am on other days. Four 45-minute sessions will focus on reading and writing in both Hindi and English, as well as numeracy and co-curricular activities. The teaching-learning sessions should be organised with the childrens current reading and numeracy levels in mind, Maharaj said in her directive. Various activities have been planned based on these levels, according to officials. The goal for students in Classes 3-5, who can read paragraphs or are below that level, will be to read advanced stories fluently. For children in Classes 3-8 who cannot do subtraction with borrowing or division, the activities will help them learn to do operations without simple division. In the case of all remaining children, the emphasis will be on activities that promote fluency with unfamiliar words, writing independent texts with no errors, and performing higher order mathematical operations involving multiplications and divisions with a clear understanding of place value, Maharaj said. An assessment exercise will be conducted in the second week of June following the learning activity. In addition, schools have been asked to invite parents to see their childrens progress after summer camp. Sukhbir Singh Yadav, principal of Government Co-ed Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 21, Rohini, said the school had already informed parents about the summer camp through a recent mega parent-teacher meeting, and NOCs will be sought soon. We have children at two different learning levels at Mission Buniyaad: Level 1 and 2. While children at level 1 require more assistance, students at level 2 learn more effectively. Parents are aware of the summer camp, and we will request an NOC from them beginning Monday, Yadav said. The Delhi Polices special cell on Sunday said that the interrogation of gangster Deepak Pahal alias Boxer, 26, who was arrested from Mexico, has helped police solve nearly two dozen serious criminal cases, including 10 murders, adding that 14 of his accomplices were arrested. Deepak Boxer is presently lodged in Tihar jail, led gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogis gang after Gogi was shot dead in a courtroom in Rohini court complex on September 24, 2021. (ANI) Boxer had fled to Mexico using a forged passport and was brought to India on April 5. Police said that the arrested accomplices facilitated his escape from India and also planned his shift to the USA. Boxer, who is presently lodged in Tihar jail, led gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogis gang after Gogi was shot dead in a courtroom in Rohini court complex on September 24, 2021, by two hitmen from the rival gang on the directions of Sunil Baliyan alias Tillu Tajpuria. Tajpuria was stabbed to death on Tuesday (May 2) inside Tihar jail by four Gogi gang members. The 14 suspects were arrested for a case under charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy, which the special cell registered on March 16. The case was registered after the anti-terror unit learnt that Boxer and some of his accomplices were making extortion calls to businessmen and that he had fled India in December last year using a fake passport. The passport was under the name of a fake person, Ravi Antil, a resident of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. All of them were arrested over a month, said special commissioner of police (special cell) HGS Dhaliwal. Among those arrested were Boxers cousin Ravinder Pahal, alias Tola, 21, who played a key role in his escape from India from Kolkata airport; Gavin Grang alias Gavy, 30, from Patiala in Punjab, who scheduled the journey to the US using a donkey channel; and Mehfooz Khan alias Bhura, 47, and Mohammad Junaid, 25, both from Moradabad, who helped Boxer procure the fake passport. Donkey channel is a phrase used to describe illegally entering countries using touts, agents, traffickers, and others. Ravinder not only arranged the fake passport for Boxer but was also instrumental in arranging other logistics, including his accommodation in various countries during his scheduled journey to the US via Mexico, Turkey, and Dubai. The other arrested suspects were identified as Vikram Dahiya, 27, and Rohit alias Moi, 28, from Sonepat in Haryana, Sachin Maan alias Monu, 30, and Sandeep Narwal, 32, both from Karnal in Haryana, Amit Gulati, 31, from Chandigarh, Dinesh Mathur, 35 from Karala in Delhi, Kapil alias Gaurav, 32, from Saharanpur in UP, Vijay Maan alias Kapil, 26, from Alipur, Yogesh alias Tunda, 30, and Ankesh Lakra, 35, from Mundka in Delhi. Rohit, Vijay, Yogesh, and Ankesh were already in judicial custody when they were arrested in the case. Yogesh is among the four inmates who allegedly brutally stabbed to death Tillu inside Tihar jail on May 2. The special cell also added forgery, cheating, and sections under the Arms and Passport Acts to the FIR. Before Boxer departed from India, Ravinder had already taken the same routes Dubai and Almaty in Kazakhstan to reach Turkey and arrange accommodation for him. Ravinder was already in Turkey when Boxer reached there in February. After ensuring Boxers safe and brief stay in Turkey and scheduling his journey further, Ravinder returned to India, said a special cell officer, requesting anonymity. According to the officer, the forged passport that Ravinder used to travel between India and Turkey was made using the same channel, involving people from Punjab and UP. However, even with all arrangements in place, Boxer could not reach the US because he was caught from Cancun in Mexico following a coordinated operation involving Indian law enforcement agencies, Interpol, the Office of the Legal Attache of the US Embassy in New Delhi, and Mexican immigration and law enforcement agencies. Gavy charged Boxer 40 lakh to arrange his safe escape to the US. A member of the donkey channel, who was supposed to ensure Boxers arrival and accommodation in the US, was Gavys contact, added the officer. Ankesh was the alleged mastermind of the double murder case in Mundka and the murder of hotlier-cum-realtor Amit Gupta, both of which happened the same day in Mundka and Burari in August last year. Ankesh planned the killings sitting inside a Delhi jail, police said. Dhaliwal said that Boxers interrogation revealed his involvement in nearly two dozen cases and that he played a key role in Gogis escape from police custody in 2016, apart from the escape of Gogis key aide Kuldeep Maan alias Fajja, following a shootout with the police team escorting him at GTB hospital in March 2021. According to the special cell, Gogis associate Deepak Bhanja introduced Boxer to him in 2015. Boxer wanted to make his name in the crime world and joined Gogis gang but Gogi was arrested in 2016. His associates planned his escape from police custody and Bhanja asked Boxer to assist him in freeing Gogi, to which he agreed. The two, with others, robbed two cars to execute the plan. As planned, Boxer, Sanjay Phalla, and Praveen Lara boarded the Haryana Roadways bus in which Gogi was being escorted while others were following the bus in their two cars. When the bus reached Sakol in Bahadurgarh, the two cars intercepted the bus. Mohit Panchi threw red chilli powder in the eyes of the police personnel while Boxer and others snatched their weapons, freeing Gogi and fleeing with him in the robbed cars, said Dhaliwal. While aiding Fajjas escape, after directions from Gogi, Boxer and his associates, including Ankesh, exchanged nearly 20 rounds of fire with Fajjas police escort team at GTB hospital in March 2021. One assailant, Ravi, died while Ankesh was injured in the firing. Boxer managed to escape with Fajja, who was shot dead three days later in another gunfight with the special cell team at a residential society in Rohini, police said. Boxer was also wanted in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case registered by the special cell in 2018, against the organised crime syndicate led by Gogi and his associates. There are nearly 70 cases against the members of this syndicate and its 16 members have been arrested in the MCOCA case. Six charge sheets have already been filed and the case is pending trial. Charges have already been framed against 15 people, added Dhaliwal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In the pipeline for almost two decades, the Jama Masjid redevelopment plan has received a fresh push with the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) inviting fresh bids from firms to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) even as Indias grandest mosque and the its precincts continue to battle disrepair, chaos, congestion and poor sanitation. The redevelopment of areas around Jama Masjid was conceived in 2004 by the Delhi government to improve the general condition of the monument and the area around it. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) Last month, we opened the tender for appointing a new consultant for redevelopment of the Jama Masjid precinct, said a PWD official asking not to be named. To be sure, preparation of a DPR would just mean a layout of the activities that are required to be taken up for the facelift, and it could be years before actual work on the ground starts. Also read: Mosques urge people to keep Yamuna clean Jama Masjid is not a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The responsibility of the mosques maintenance rests with the Delhi Waqf Board. However, as a special case, repairs on Jama Masjid have been carried out, from time to time, by ASI since 1956. In recent years, ASI has not taken up any conservation work at the mosque. The finial of Jama Masjids central dome was damaged in May last year following heavy rain and thunderstorm. In June 2021, a slab of red sandstone from the minaret collapsed and ended up damaging the courtyard beneath it. Other issues that plague the structure include narrow approach roads, and the presence of shops and residential areas opposite Jama Masjids main entrance, near gate number 1. With markets and eateries lining the premises, sanitation is also a concern. Attempts at revamping the mosque, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1656, began in 2004 with the Delhi government conceptualising the Jama Masjid area redevelopment plan. The redevelopment of areas around Jama Masjid was conceived in 2004 by the Delhi government to improve the general condition of the monument and the area around it. Architect Pradeep Sachdeva was entrusted with making a master plan for the area. After detailed surveys, Sachdevas firm formulated a plan, which was discussed and revised as per suggestions from various stakeholders. The plan was submitted to the Delhi high court in 2006, and ratified by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) in 2009. After the trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi -- the nodal agency -- the plan was handed over for execution to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. In 2012, it was transferred to the Public Works Department (PWD) and then finally to the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC). As more changes were required, the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) board in August 2019 decided that to expedite the execution of the redevelopment plan, the detailed project report will be divided into two parts one concerning the vicinity of the mosques precincts, including Meena Bazar, Urdu Bazar and all approach roads leading to the masjid, and the other about the main monument precincts, which means the areas within the walled premises of the main masjid. The project was yet again put on hold as PWD did not hire a consultant to review and replace aspects of Sachdevas plan that were not approved by SRDC. However, the plan was stuck in limbo as the Covid-19 pandemic added to another two years of inertia. Five years later, the PWD issued a fresh tender for preparing a DPR in March this year, the PWD official quoted above said. He said the scope of work entails the redevelopment of the 12.7 hectare area, preparation of DPR, study of site activities on the extended upper plinth of the mosque, redevelopment of the surrounding area and the renovation of several mausoleums situated in the vicinity of the mosque such as Dargah Sheikh Kalimullah, Hare Bhare Shah Mazaar, Ubhre Shah Mazaar, and the mausoleum of General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Indian National Army, and most importantly the refurbishment at Meena Bazaar. It will also include construction of walkways, plaza, pedestrian passages on all approach roads, common utility duct for services, underground development of drainage, trenches, provisions for illumination of precincts, installation of fire fighting facilities, removal of overhead electric cables , as well as surface development of roads and footpaths, signage, horticulture, street furniture and street art. Also read: NMA approves Jagannath temples reception centre just outside prohibited zone Officials said Sachdevas old design suggested some construction work inside the Tikona Park, located on Kasturba Hospital Road and shifting of the entire Meena Bazar and occupants around the Dargah Shaikh Kalimullah, which according to SRDC was unfeasible according to the provisions of the Delhi Master Plan and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. We have asked the PWD to provide timelines for implementation of the first part regarding redevelopment of the Jama Masjid vicinity and the second part which will require a new DPR for revamp within the premises. Once we get the details, we can arrange for the funds required for redevelopment, said Nitin Panigrahi, deputy general manager, SRDC. Historian Swapna Liddle said that while planning for the redevelopment of the area, the original design aspect and the current use of the area should be kept in mind. There are two important aspects: design and the usage. It is very important to see what was the original alignment between the Jama Masjid and the Southern Gate of the Red Fort. The spirit of that alignment and the fact that this was an important public space, a cultural hub should be kept in mind while planning for the area. The other aspect is about its current usage. A day after Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to two of the accused in the Delhi excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday called the liquor scam bogus and said it was a means to malign the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal(HT Photo) Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said, Now even Court has said that there is no material evidence of any kickback or money laundering. We have been saying right from beginning that entire liquor scam is bogus and meant only to malign AAP. At a press conference, Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Sunday said, BJP ministers and leaders have constantly held press conferences and claimed that liquor scam happened in Delhi. The allegations these ministers levied then occurred in CBI and ED chargesheets. These two organisations have been investigating the case for over six months. They have employed over 500 officers for investigating the caseYesterday, Rouse Avenue Court, in its judgment, released two people who had been arrested in the case on bail. The court also released an 85-page order. The Rouse Avenue court released Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra on bail on Saturday. Rajesh Joshi is the owner of Chariot Media Production Private Limited and Gautam Malhotra is the son of former Akali legislator in Punjab Deep Malhotra. Both Joshi and Malhotra had been arrested in February. ED arrested Gautam Malhotra on February 7 and alleged that he was a part of the cartel formed by liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Joshi was arrested on February 8, and was alleged to have helped another accused in laundering money by creating fake invoices without providing any service. Speaking about the order she said that she wanted the BJP and the media channels who have been running news about the scam to read the order. She says the order states that ED and CBI do not have any documents to prove a scam of even one rupee. The judge only says one thing again and again in the order, that no evidence has been provided by ED in the case. She further added, There is no specific evidence showing any such cash evidence of bribe or repayment of kickbacks. The only evidence presented has been some vague statements by witnesses, and on the basis of these statements, it cannot be inferred that cash payments were given as bribes. Atishi alleged that the chargesheets were not drafted in ED or CBI offices but rather in BJP offices. She said that people have been threatened to become witnesses in the case and three major witnesses Sameer Mahendru, Arun Pillai, Chandan Reddy, took their statements back. She added, On PMO's orders AAP leader Sanjay Singh's name had been added in ED's chargesheet and when they receive a legal notice, they apologise. Hence, one thing is clear, whatever is being said about the liquor scam is absolutely a lie. The Delhi governments 2021-22 excise policy aimed to revitalise the citys flagging liquor business. It aimed to replace a sales-volume-based regime with a license fee for traders, and promised swankier stores, free of the infamous metal grilles, ultimately giving customers a better buying experience. The policy also introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor, a first for Delhi. The plan, however, came to an abrupt end, with Delhis lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommending a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime. This ultimately resulted in the policy being scrapped prematurely and being replaced by the 2020-21 regime, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging that Saxenas predecessor sabotaged the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues. AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested on February 26 by the CBI and is currently under investigation by the CBI and ED. Former AAP Minister Satyendar Jain was also arrested by the ED in May 2022 in a money laundering case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Sunday oversaw the plantation of cherry blossoms and chinar trees across three islands in the Yamuna, located between Qudsia Ghat and the ITO barrage. The trees 150 of each species have been planted as part of the revival and aesthetic upgradation of the river and its floodplains, officials aware of the development said. LG VK Saxena at the plantation drive in New Delhi on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) This is also the first time that these two tree species have been planted in the Capital, the officials said. Cherry blossom and chinar are being planted for the first time in Delhi, marking a new beginning in the drive to deck up Delhis landscape. The saplings of these two species have been planted at the highest points on each of the three islands with three metres of space between two saplings, an LG House official said. Apart from cherry blossom and chinar, 1,400 trees of other species were also planted, including kachnar, weeping willow, semal, bottle brush, bougainvillea and kaner. The initiative is aligned with the LGs vision of making Delhi a city of flowers, for which he has been personally monitoring the progress of these works and coordinating with multiple agencies, the official said. During Sundays plantation drive, Saxena instructed officials to deploy Territorial Army personnel to protect these islands from encroachment, while the forest department will be maintaining the plants. He further said that seeds of a variety of flowering shrubs like marigold, cosmos and others will also be sown along the river banks, creating a flower bed along the edges of the river. Pradip Krishen, environmentalist and author of the book Trees of Delhi, said both cherry blossom and chinar are unlkely to survive in Delhis climate as they are accustomed to much cooler temperatures. The cherry blossom does well in Japan as that country has a much cooler, temperate climate, whereas in Delhi, the mercury can go beyond 45 degrees Celsius, which will put tremendous stress on the sapling. Agencies will have to work overtime and put in extra efforts to make it survive. Similarly, the Chinar tree is also an exotic species, which can grow well in Jammu and Kashmir as it has a much cooler temperature than Delhi. It is not a good idea to plant them in the floodplains or anywhere in Delhi, Krishen said. Gurugram: Nuh police on Saturday arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly conspiring the murder of his wife at his residence in Sector 105 in 2021, police said on Sunday. Man held for conspiring in wifes murder The suspects father, who was a retired Army personnel, had surrendered himself to police hours after murdering his daughter-in-law and three tenants on August 24, 2021. He later died by suicide in police custody. The investigation was handed over to Nuh police and an SIT (special investigation team) was formed in December 2021 for further probe in the case, said police. Varun Singla, Nuh superintendent of police, said they conducted an investigation and based on circumstantial evidence and results of a lie-detector test, they arrested the suspect, identified as Anand Kumar. Our teams had questioned the suspect several times and each time he tried to mislead the police. We were not satisfied with his response due to which we had got a lie-detector test done. He was found to be lying and was under police scanner, Singla said. Police said they found his involvement in the murder of his wife as he was continuously in touch with his father and the last call from his fathers mobile phone was also made to him. On August 24, 2021, Rao Rai Singh Yadav (59), a retired Army subedar allegedly murdered four people, including his daughter-in-law and three other tenants, with a knife used to prune plants and later walked into the police station with the murder weapon to confess his crime. He had killed his daughter-in-law Sunita Yadav, tenant Krishan Tiwari, (45), tenants wife Anamika Tiwari, (35), and the couples nine-year-old daughter. All of them suffered multiple stab wounds. The couples younger daughter, a three-year-old, survived the attack. According to investigators, Singh suspected that his daughter-in-law Sunita was in a relationship with Krishan Tiwari. Police said Yadav had bolted the doors of the house and murdered the four victims when they were sleeping. He had surrendered at the Rajendra Park police station around 6am. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved shifting three tigresses from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) to two other state reserves, forest officials said on Saturday. (Representative Photo) The news comes a day after the only tigress MT-4 in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) died of illness. Confirming the development, RTR field director Sedu Ram Yadav said the technical committee of the NTCA has approved the states request for shifting three tigresses. One tigress will be shifted to MHTR in Kota and two to Ramgarh Visdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi. The request was made to maintain the one plus two (one male, two female) rule. The tigresses are being identified and soon will be shifted after completing all the procedures, Yadav said. Also Read: Maha saw a 25% rise in tiger population in 4 years The MHTR is left with only one big cat (MT-5), as the nine-year-old pregnant tigress MT-4 died of illness on Thursday afternoon. The tigress had fully formed cubs still unborn in her womb. An official said it was the first case of prolapse of the rectum with a tiger in the country. The tigress was shifted to MHTR in 2019, and a tiger T-110 was shifted in 2022 from RTR. In 2018, the tiger relocation plan was altered due to pressure built by the previous government. The tigers from RTR were relocated to the Darrah range of MHTR instead of Seljar against the NTCAs approval. However, after five tigers, including three cubs, died and one male tiger MT-1 disappeared mysteriously, the state again sought permission from NTCA to pair the lone surviving tigress MT-4. Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, which the Centre approved in 2021, has one male and one female big cat, and two tigresses in phases will be shifted. A forest official said the population of big cats at RTR is increasing, and they need more space/ territory or else they would either fight or migrate. The Ramgarh Vishdhari and other reserves had been an old natural habitat for tigers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the Election Commission (EC) should place a ban on Prime Minister Narendra Modis campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka for his religious statements. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot (Twitter Photo) His remarks came following PM Modis statement during which he urged the people of Karnataka to say Jai Bajrangbali as they vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The PM was addressing a public meeting in Uttara Kannada district on Wednesday. The Election Commission should ban Prime Minister Modi from campaigning. If someone talks on religious lines, his propaganda should be banned as per the provisions of law, Gehlot said. Giving an example in a similar context, Gehlot said that former Rajasthan chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat once contested from Ganganagar and Bali where he spoke about Ram Mandir against which a petition was filed with the EC for invoking religion and he was about to lose his membership. Also Read: Say Jai Bajrangbali while casting vote, PM says in Karnataka; Cong defends stand on Bajrang Dal However, he asked, that the prime minister, who is speaking openly on the basis of religion, EC is not even seeking answers from him. That is why PM Modis election campaign should be banned, said Gehlot. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the people of Karnataka to say Jai Bajrangbali when they cast their vote to punish the Congress for its culture of abuse, as the BJP stepped up attack on the opposition party over its election manifesto promise of banning the Bajrang Dal. The Congress manifesto for Karnataka polls included a ban on organisations such as the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Bajrang Dal. Congress said it was committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the PFI for spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion. On the threat to kill Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family, Gehlot said he (Kharge) is a veteran politician holding the position of party chief and he and his family members are being threatened in Karnataka. It is condemnable to threaten him like this. Despite this threat, nothing has been said from the PM or by the Union home minister. The EC is silent even after the kind of threat that surfaced. Congress on Saturday alleged that a sinister and ugly plot is being hatched by the BJP to kill its party president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family. Congress played an audio clip at a press briefing in Bengaluru, claiming that the BJP candidate from Chittapur Manikanta Rathod could be heard using derogatory language for Kharge and talking about eliminating him and along with his family. Gehlot further said that many organisations name themselves after Ram or Shiv, but government action is based on the role of the organisation and not the name. It all depends on the intention of the organisation. The issue of Bajrang Dal did not become an issue in Karnataka which is why BJP leaders are frustrated, he added. State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara also condemned the threat on Kharge and his family alleged by a BJP candidate. Also Read: Owaisi attacks Sonia Gandhi as she campaigns for RSS man Shettar: Didnt expect from you Such threats to Congress national president is condemnable. They are weakening democracy. The PM has not taken any action, nor the Union home minister has made any statement they are busy in road shows and winning elections, Dotasara said. We urge the PM if they have morale then take immediate action but the hopes are less as the women wrestlers protesting for weeks havent been given justice, he said. Commenting on it, BJP MLA Vasudev Devnani said the PM never spoke anything on religion nor made any appeal. He just mentioned a Gods name against which there is no constitutional violation. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. Campaigning for the May 10 elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Work has begun on a low-income housing project in Big Sky aimed at bolstering the areas housing supply. The Big Sky Community Housing Trust and the Lone Mountain Land Company broke ground on RiverView Place on Tuesday. The project, between both organizations, intends to build 97 units for workers in Big Sky. Matt Kidd, managing director of CrossHarbor Capital, Lone Mountain Land Companys founding organization, said that housing has long been an issue in Big Sky. From 2015 to 2020, we have lost, not filled, 1,000 units of housing to short-term rentals, Kidd said. Each of the units in RiverView Place will be deed-restricted, meaning that none of them can be converted into short-term rentals. Kidd said that the goal of the collaborative project is to make Big Sky more livable for locals and workers in the area. Rent in the units will be based on income, Kidd said. RiverView place is another piece in the Lone Mountain Land Companys effort to develop a wide spectrum of housing, he added. For example, a couple hundred yards from RiverView place is the companys Powder Light workforce housing project. That development offers 24 dormitory-style apartments with 228 beds for workers in Big Sky. Kidd said that CrossHarbor has invested over $300 million in housing, which equated to 480 housing units that the company has either built or acquired. Not every single unit in that is deed restricted, however. He added that the company plans to develop another 900 units over the next decade. David OConnor, the executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, said that the organization has identified that between 800 and 1,000 more housing units need to be built in the area to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of workers. The groundbreaking also signaled a new step in housing development. OConnor said that up until that point, the main focus was all housing, any housing. Now, the plan is to broaden the types of housing being built. OConnor said that the goal is to not just build workforce housing, but to also build housing for a middle class that was pushed out of Big Sky. The West Bengal government will neither implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) nor let the Centre do it, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday at an administrative meeting for Malda and Murshidabad, the districts where Muslims comprise a majority of the population. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee (File Photo) They (Centre) have again sent a letter regarding NRC, although not naming it directly. They raise it before every election. I give my word, we will not enforce it, nor allow anyone else to do it either. Their letter says people who dont have all the (citizenship) documents will be declared foreigners. Which means they will be sent to detention camps, what we saw in Assam, said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief. She did not mention when and from whom the letter came. Also Read: Would be happy if BJPs downfall starts with Karnataka assembly polls: Mamata Banerjee Enroll your names in the voters list. Update Adhaar cards after 10 years. Casting votes is your right as a citizen. If you do not cast your votes, they may delete your name. There is nothing they cannot do, Banerjee added. In Bengal, where TMC and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have launched a full-fledged campaign for the upcoming panchayat polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha contest, political observers saw Banerjees statement as an early countermeasure against the saffron camps electoral promise in poll-bound Karnataka. On May 1, the BJP released its election manifesto in the southern state saying it will implement the uniform civil code (UCC) and NRC if it retains power. The UCC treats all religious groups and communities equally in terms of the law. Bengal TMC leaders said Banerjee started focusing on NRC much before BJP national president JP Nadda released the manifesto. On April 22, while addressing a few thousand Muslims on the occasion of Eid in Kolkata, Banerjee made similar remarks and even accused the BJP of attempting to alter Indias history and the Constitution. In Bengal, NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have been inseparable issues in all recent elections because of the composition of the population. The Muslim population stood at 27.01 % during the 2011 census and is projected to have increased to around 30 % now. The community can play a decisive role in as many as 120 out of 294 assembly seats, according to surveys done by political parties. Among Hindus, who account for 70.54 % of Bengals population, CAA which promises fast-tracked citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh before 2015 is among the list of demands raised by Dalits who entered Bengal as refugees from Bangladesh. Their support helped BJP win 18 of Bengals 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 although the saffron camp has so far not announced a deadline for implementation of the citizenship law in the eastern state. Banerjee claims that CAA is unconstitutional as it links citizenship to faith in a secular country. The Bengal BJP had so far maintained silence on implementation of NRC in the state although the issue was raised by TMC before all recent polls. Also Read: TMC doors shut forever: Abhishek Banerjee on rebel candidates in panchayat polls However, while reacting to the remarks Banerjee made on Thursday afternoon, Bengal BJPs chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said: NRC is one of the biggest political standpoints of the BJP. It cannot be and will not be diluted by any BJP state unit. NRC is connected to Indias internal security. NRC will be executed under any circumstance. CAA, too, is necessary for the benefit of Hindu refugees and Indian Muslims. Banerjee must answer why the number of voters in several districts lying along the India-Bangladesh border has gone up in recent years. It is because birth control programmes have failed or, is it because of illegal infiltration? Bhattacharya said. The tussle has surfaced at a time when BJP is trying to woo Muslim voters. Prime Minister Narendra Modis focus on Muslims in his January 17 address at the BJP national executive meet has forced the partys Bengal unit to reach out to the minority vote bank which was always described by the saffron camp as the subject of Banerjees appeasement policy. While launching the Lok Sabha campaign in Bengal on April 14, Union home minister Amit Shah said the TMC government will collapse automatically if voters can ensure BJPs victory in more than 35 seats in 2024. It is difficult for any party to win 35 Lok Sabha seats without support from Muslims. They currently comprise around 34% of the population according to our estimate. I am sure Muslims will vote for us in 2024, Ali Hossain, former president of the BJPs state minority morcha (cell), said. The minority community is abandoning the ruling party. TMCs defeat in the recent Sagardighi assembly bypoll in Murshidabad district was an eye-opener. The chief minister is concerned, added Bhattacharya. Also Read: Who fired bullets? Mamata Banerjee on Mrityunjay Barmans death in Kaliaganj TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said that the NRC and CAA are some kinds of non-existent ploy that the BJP has been using for the last six years to threaten a section of the population. He said that these have been devised to create a rift among Hindus and Muslims. BJP raises the NRC issue just before elections in some specific states. It did not figure in the BJPs agenda during the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls. Suddenly, it is an issue in Karnataka, added Majumdar According to political science professor Udayan Bandopadhyay, NRC will again create a rift in the society before the coming polls. The signs are visible although it is too early to say which party will benefit from it. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A farmer of West Bengal's Nadia district, who "mistakenly" crossed over to Bangladesh while working on farmland at the international border, returned home on Saturday after 15 months in the neighbouring country, officials said. Many areas at the international border between the two countries do not have fencing. (AFP) (Representational Image) Also Read | Will never allow NRC in West Bengal: CM Mamata Banerjee Nasir Seikh, a resident of Brahmanagar in Chapra police station area, entered the Bangladeshi territory by mistake while working on farmland, and was apprehended by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), they said. Many areas at the international border between the two countries do not have fencing, and people of both sides often crossover into each other's territory unintentionally, they added. Seikh said he was handed over to the police by the BGB and subsequently produced before a court, which sent him to jail for 2 months. However, due to several complications, he had to remain there for around 15 months and could only return home after the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh intervened. He was handed over to the BSF by the BGB at the Gede check post. His brother Siraj Seikh went to the check post along with a local panchayat member to receive him. "I am feeling good that I could return home after 15 months. I received good behaviour during my stay in Bangladesh," he said. He has four children, while his wife died about seven years back. His brother Siraj said, "Nasir is the eldest of our seven brothers. He used to work as a farm labourer. He has three sons and a daughter, who have been living like orphans after his arrest. We are happy for his return." Mumbai: On Saturday, two elderly women in the city were cheated by cyber frauds to the tune of 10.5 lakh using different modus operandi. HT Image In the first case, an Andheri-based homemaker was targeted by cyber frauds who made seven fraudulent transactions amounting 9.48 lakh in four minutes. According to the police the victim identified as Usha MS, 76, had received a text message saying that her electricity bill was unpaid, and her power supply would be disconnected the same night for non-payment of the dues. Oshiwara police officials said the victim lost her savings which she had gotten after retirement. Usha, who was worried that the electricity will be disconnected, called up a number to inquire about the text message that she received about the disconnection of the power supply despite paying the bill. Usha was then asked by the fraud to download a remote access app (Quick Support) and pay 100 to verify the payment that she had claimed she made. Through the app the frauds got the victims banking details. Within the next four minutes, the frauds made seven transfers from Ushas account. Usha stays in Pune but was visiting her son who stays at Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri West when she was targeted by the frauds. In her complaint, Usha said, I was told that I had not made the electricity payment and asked to download an app on my mobile and made an 100 payment to verify my claims. The fraud told me that the payment would be updated in a few minutes. However, just four minutes later, I began receiving text alerts on my mobile. The first fraudulent transaction was carried out for 2 lakh. Following this, six more transactions were made where I ended up losing 9.48 lakh that I had saved from the job before my retirement, Usha told the police. In the second case, the principal of Thakur Shyamnarayan BEd College in Kandivali East lost 97,000 to cyber frauds when she tried to book a hospital appointment online. The 47-year-old Megha Gokhe told the police that she had been visiting the Bhakti Vedant hospital regularly for his husbands illness for the past seven months. On her last visit, the doctor gave her a mobile number to book appointments with the hospital. On April 14, when Gokhe called up the number, the person who responded asked her whether she wanted to book an appointment. The fraud then sent her a link on her WhatsApp and asked her to fill in the details and send 5 to book the appointment. When she sent the payment through Google Pay, the transaction did not go through. The caller then told Gokhe to download an app and pay through the app. Gokhe said that she did what she was told but the payment did not go through the app either. Gokhe then switched off her phone. She then sent a message to the doctor that their appointment had not been booked. The doctor then sent her another number which was not reachable, which she informed the doctor, said the police officer from Samta Nagar police station. Officers said that Gokhe then received a phone call from the hospital informing her that her appointment had been booked for that evening. The next day Gokhe received two messages from her bank informing her that 98,000 had been debited from her account. Despite repeated warnings issued by the power supply distribution company, people fall prey to the fraudsters trick. We have sought details from the bank of the accounts to which the money got credited after siphoning it from the victims account, said a police officer of the Oshiwara police station. We have booked the unidentified men and are tracing them, said an officer from the Samta Nagar police station. Mumbai: Former vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh and pro-vice-chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni of the University of Mumbai (MU) are in the fray for the post of V-C, sources said. Mumbai, India - July 28, 2017: Sanjay Deshmukh, Vice Chancellor during 25 years of India-Israel growing partnership & Beyond at Mumbai University in Mumbai, India, on Friday, July 28, 2017. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo) With these two big names, around 10 professors from various departments of the university are on the shortlist, sources have confirmed. Deshmukh, who was asked to step down from the post of V-C in 2017 by the then governor after hasty implementation of the onscreen marking system (OMS), is also shortlisted in the interview process of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). Recently, the universitys V-C selection-cum-search committee sent an email to 21 candidates out of over 100 applications received for the post for the interview, which will be held in Mumbai on May 19 and 20. After the interview, five names will be given to the governor, who will select the V-C. Kulkarni is considered a strong candidate for the post as he has worked as a pro V-C for almost four and half years during the tenure of the former V-C professor Suhas Pednekar. Kulkarni was also part of various state committees which were appointed to implement the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) in the state. Presently, he is also heading the committee appointed by the higher and technical education minister to implement the NEP in the state. An educationist said, Kulkarni has huge experience in academic research as well as administration of the MU. He may be the first choice of the committee. While sources claimed that provisions of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, do not make any former V-C for re-appointment. But Deshmukh is eligible as he was not able to complete his term. Apart from Kulkarni and Deshmukh, Mumbai School of Economics and Public Policy director Dolly Sunny was also shortlisted as well as SPPU V-C interview, sources confirmed. Apart from these names, professor Karunashankar Upadhyay, professor of Hindi department of MU, professor R P Deore, and professor Jyotshana Prajapat from Mathematics department of MU, professor Chandrahauns Chavan, former director, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), are some of the applicants shortlisted for the post. Meanwhile, Deshmukh, Sunny, and Kulkarni were unavailable for the comments. Professor Chavan refused to have received any email from the selection committee for an interview. Mumbai: Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said 22 students from Maharashtra currently stuck in riot-hit Manipur will be first shifted to Assam from where a special flight will be arranged to bring them home. Shinde has asked the chief secretary Manoj Saunik and additional chief secretary Bhushan Gagrani to organise the special flight. CM Shinde also spoke to Manipur CM N Biren Singh and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma voicing his concerns about the security of these youths. The CM also asked his officers to organise a special plan to get the stuck youngsters to Maharashtra (Deepak Salvi) The CM said that 14 students were safely taken to Shiv Sena Bhavan in Manipur and the rest will be brought back to the state soon. Violent clashes broke out recently between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community in the north-eastern state of Manipur, which has so far displaced more than 13,000 people and killed at least 54. Students hailing from Maharashtra have been approaching various political leaders in the state for help. CM Shinde also spoke to Manipur CM N Biren Singh and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma voicing his concerns about the security of these youths. The CM also asked his officers to organise a special plan to get the stuck youngsters to Maharashtra. Shinde also spoke to students Vikas Sharma and Tushar Awhad. He said that students are worried about their security. I have assured them that the Maharashtra government is with them and they must not worry. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar told reporters at Baramati in Pune that he had written to Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to ensure the students are safely brought back from Manipur.The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader appealed to the CM and his deputy to coordinate with the Centre and the Manipur government to facilitate the return of the students from Manipur. LUCKNOW City-based Colvin Taluqdars College organised a Literary Fest titled EUNOIA on Sunday. The word EUNOIA was taken as a title for the event as it meant camaraderie between the speaker and the listener. The fest began with the lighting of the lamp by Carlyle McFarland, Principal, La Martiniiere College (HT Photo) The event witnessed Saraswati Vandana, a dance performed by girls, followed by debate competition, Hindi declamation, quiz, creative writing, and a sketching competition at various venues within the college premises. The topic for English debate was Feminism is hoax in todays society. In the Hindi declamation contest participants from various schools delivered speeches spoken by great leaders of the world. Earlier in the day, the programme began with the lighting of the lamp ceremony by Carlyle McFarland, Principal, La Martiniiere College. Meanwhile, Colvins Headmistress Sangeeta Chauhan and Anupama Singh, Principal, U.P. Board Wing greeted the guests. The idea of this fest was concetualised by four student coordinators -- Srijan Tiwari, Anudrat Hada, Maulik Gupta, Saksham Rastogi. Along with them, the efforts of the staff, other Class 12th students, and Principal Anoop Raj made the event possibile. On this occasion, McFarland spoke on the importance of literature and language in a students life. He also encouraged students to keep organising such programmes from time-to-time for their wholesome development. Anjana Mishra, who has been a teacher in Loreto Convent for over 30 years, spoke about the importance of Hindi literature to the students. She is also a renowned author. The programme concluded with vote of thanks by DSangeeta Chauhan, headmistress of the College. Notably, several schools participated in the Literary Fest organised by Colvin. LaMartiniere College, Seth M.R. Jaipuria, Brains Convent, St. Teresas Day School, Gurukul Academy and Al Huda School were present for various competition. LaMartiniere College, Seth MR Jaipuria and Gurukul Academy bagged maximum prizes. A Guwahati-based couple, both doctors by profession, were arrested for allegedly abusing their 4-year-old girl child, whom they adopted a few years back, police said. (Representative Photo) The incident came to light on Friday after their neighbour approached the police with a photo of the minor girl tied to a pole on the terrace amid scorching heat. Dr Walliul Islam, a gastrointestinal and advanced general surgeon, was detained by the police on May 5 from their residence located in Guwahatis Manipuri Basti area, police said, adding that his wife Sangeeta Baruah, a psychiatrist, was arrested on Saturday night from a house in Meghalayas Ri Bhoi district, where she was hiding, police said. Also Read: Bharatpur: Man gets 20 years imprisonment for minor girls rape Police have registered a suo moto case against the couple under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including attempt to murder (307), voluntarily causing grievous hurt (325), wrongful restraint etc. Police said that in the initial investigation, they found that Dr Baruah used to hit the minor with a hot iron rod and even poured hot water on her body. Baruah has confessed to his crimes during interrogation, according to the police. Police said that they also interrogated the domestic help of the couples house who told them that she was asked to tie the minor as a punishment because she was being disobedient and naughty. The couple got married a few back and they adopted the kids around three and a half years ago, there were allegations against them in the past, but no official complaint was lodged, police said. Guwahati-based child rights activist Miguel Das Queah said that there were earlier complaints too about the doctor couple abusing their adopted daughter, however, there was no proof until the neighbour got the pictures of the minor being abused by the couple. LUCKNOW In a run-up to the Bada Mangal season in the city, the Lucknow police unit has asked Bhandara organisers to inform the police station concerned so that proper security arrangements could be made and deployments could be arranged for traffic and parking purposes. Besides, they have been asked to inform the Lucknow Municipal Corporation so that proper cleanliness is maintained at the spot where Bhandaras (free offering) are organised. The first Bada Mangal will be celebrated on the coming Tuesday (May 9) (HT Photo) In Lucknow, Bada Mangal is celebrated with traditional fervour every Tuesday in the Hindu month of Jeyshtha, and many individuals, societies, and organisations organise Bhandaras, free distribution of food and drinks, on this occasion. The first Bada Mangal will be celebrated on the coming Tuesday (May 9). Earlier on Saturday, the Lucknow police issued a press note directing all organisers to take permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the zones concerned before holding Bhandaras. The press note stated no organisers should block the road or interrupt traffic and make necessary arrangements for parking. The order stated that its the duty of the organisers to maintain cleanliness. It further read that stern action will be taken against those violating the directions. The Lucknow police, however, on Sunday issued a revised press note in which they removed the rider to take permission from the DCP concerned. Now, the Lucknow police commissionerate territory that includes the entire district is divided into five zones including East, West, North, South, Central. The Sunday press note stated that the organisers just have to inform the police station concerned in their areas so that necessary deployment for security, traffic management, and parking could be done. It further stated that the entire list of Bhandaras to be held will be shared with Lucknow Municipal Corporation so that proper cleanliness could be maintained in the city. Moreover, it read that the list of Bhandaras to be held will help maintain coordination with the organisers and streamline things. The Nagaland government in collaboration with security forces on Sunday evacuated 676 of its civilians, mostly students and working professionals based in Imphal, who were stranded following May 3 violent clashes in different parts of neighbouring Manipur, people familiar with the matter said. The civilians were brought back to Nagaland in 24 buses with security escort (Twitter/@ANI) The civilians were brought back to Nagaland in 24 buses with security escort and were received by family members at a reception organised at the Assam Rifles camp in Kohima, officials said. Deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton, who was present to receive the civilians, welcomed them home and acknowledged all those who coordinated in bringing them safely. Also Read: Over 1500 people move to Assam from violence-hit Manipur Chief minister Neiphiu Rio took to Twitter to express happiness and thank security forces who helped in bringing back the stranded people. Happy about the safe return of people from Nagaland. I express my appreciation to all those involved in coordinating the process, and to the paramilitary forces, especially the Assam Rifles for partnering with the State Govt. in ensuring the return of our people from Manipur, Rio wrote. Officials said at least 650 more people from Nagaland, who are currently in Imphal, will be evacuated in the next few days in a phase-wise manner. The state government has appealed to all its citizens who are in Manipur and wish to return home due to the prevailing situation to be patient and contact the state helpline numbers. Nearly 10,000 soldiers from the army and the Assam Rifles have been deployed in Manipur, which was rocked by clashes between the Meitei community, who mainly live in Imphal Valley, and Kuki tribals, who are inhabitants of the hill districts. Slain mafia-politician Atiq Ahmads lawyer Khan Saulat Haneef has told the police that Atiq had entered into an argument with lawyer Umesh Pal over the phone and their altercation led to Umeshs killing on February 24. Atiqs lawyer tells police how and why Umesh Pal was murdered (file) Police claim that Umeshs intrusion in Atiqs illegal real estate business had infuriated Atiq. Police questioned Khan Saulat on May 3 during the 12-hour custody remand sanctioned by the court and during this period the lawyer reportedly revealed that Atiq had sent his aide Guddu Muslim to meet Umesh Pal. During this meeting Guddu called Atiq in Sabarmati Jail and then handed over the phone to Umesh and in this conversation, Atiq asked Umesh to stay away from his illegal property business. He also asked Umesh to withdraw his case against him. Umesh was an eye witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. Police claimed that Atiq issued threats to Umesh but things turned ugly when Umesh reportedly gave a stern reply to Atiq which resulted in a heated exchange of words between them. Police claimed that Atiqs wife Shaista also tried to pacify Umesh but to no avail. Police said that Khan revealed that Atiq felt insulted following the argument with Umesh and ordered Ashraf to eliminate Umesh Pal. On Atiqs initiative, his son Asad met Ashraf at Bareilly jail with Guddu Muslim, Ghulam, Vijay Chaudhary, Arman and others on February 11. It was here that Umeshs murder was planned, police claimed. After returning to Prayagraj, eyed attempts to target Umesh. On February 21 the assailants reportedly had assembled near Umesh Pals house but failed to target him due to the arrival of a police jeep. However, on February 24 the plan to eliminate him was executed. Police have found a record of transactions worth several crores while scanning chat history of iPhone recovered following questioning Atiqs lawyer Khan Saulat. On his confession police have recovered three phones, a 9 mm pistol and three cartridges from his home. Saulat claimed that Asad gave him the pistol for his safety on the instructions of Atiq Ahmad. Saulat said that iPhone was used for communicating with Atiq, Ashraf and Asad through FaceTime app. Police found FaceTime ID of the trio in the iPhone along with chat history of transactions worth several crores made by different persons. Saulat also informed police that one Vijay Mishra called the assailants to give Umeshs location when he left the district court. Officials said that Khan Saulat may again be taken into custody remand for further questioning. In order to keep water from spilling over an Idaho dam, the Bureau of Reclamation has told Wyoming officials that it plans to cut flows out of Jackson Lake Dam to what could be fish-killing levels downstream. The bureau's Upper Snake Field Office notified the state the releases would be cut for six to eight weeks starting May 10 to prevent water from topping Milner Dam, which is located east of Twin Falls, Idaho. The agency cited concerns about above-average snowpack, according to a Wyoming Game and Fish Department press release. The Snake River drainage currently has a snowpack 124% of normal. Milner Lake had a water elevation of 10 feet. Since the aged dam was reconstructed to create hydropower, the highest lake level was 11.5 feet in 2021. According to WGFD, the Bureau of Reclamation intends to reduce water flows from 280 cubic feet per second to 50 cfs. The minimum flow required to maintain the fishery below the dam and maintain water within the world-famous Oxbow Bend is 280 cfs. The 4.5-mile stretch of river below the dam is critical habitat for Snake River cutthroat trout, shore birds, wildlife and the bluehead sucker a species of greatest conservation need. Any reduction of water flow below 280 cfs in this area will harm the ecosystem and negatively affect outdoor recreation, tourism and angler opportunities, Wyoming Game and Fish said in its press release. The BOR's Snake River Office did not respond to a request for information in time for this story. The Wyoming State Engineers Office, Wyoming Water Development Office and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department have been working with BOR in an attempt to find reasonable solutions to maintain flows at levels that will not be harmful to native wildlife, WGFD wrote. The BOR has not initiated a reduction of flow to this magnitude in decades. This drastic change in water operations by the Bureau of Reclamation with extremely short notice has made this situation particularly challenging, said Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik. To this point and through many discussions with the BOR, we have not been able to find long-term solutions, however we continue to maintain hope we can buy some time to find mutually agreeable ways forward. Water storage was purchased by the state of Wyoming in the early 1990s. BOR is demanding that Wyoming use its available water storage to supplement water flows to maintain fisheries. This requirement is concerning to Game and Fish, particularly since there is above-average water runoff predicted in the Snake River drainage. The state of Wyoming is prepared to utilize its available water storage in an effort to maintain water flows, but current predictions estimate the account will be exhausted prior to the end of the period BOR intends to reduce flows. This decision by BOR has the potential to impact spawning native fish, anglers and recreational users and visitors at Wyomings beloved Grand Teton National Park, Nesvik said. Reducing flows during a year when we have significantly more water available than normal is hard to comprehend and Wyoming cannot support this reduction. The state of Wyoming is calling on BOR to develop alternative solutions quickly to keep flow rates at the minimum level to conserve wildlife. The State Engineers Office, Wyoming Water Development Office and Game and Fish remain committed to working with BOR to maintain flows at levels that will avoid negative impacts to the fishery. State leaders are also working in good faith with senior officials in the Department of Interior to find a mutually agreeable path forward that protects critical wildlife habitats. PATNA: The Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL) has served notice to the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) to surrender its 854 MW thermal power out of the states central allocation of 6,560 MW, said state power officials. The NTPC Barh power plant. (HT Photo) The BSPHCL seeks the de-allocation of 854 MW power from NTPC super thermal power plants (STPPs) in Kahalgaon of Bihars Bhagalpur district and Farakka in West Bengal from October 13, as per the mandatory six-month notice on April 16. The decision follows power regulator Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC)s nod, allowing the BSPHCL to exit from the 25-year-old power purchase agreement (PPA); the then unbundled Bihar State Electricity Board had with the Kahalgaon and Farakka STPPs. The ministry of power (MoP) allows termination of PPAs 25 years or older, said officials. Bihars power allocation from Kahalgaon (stage I) is 351.6 MW and 502.4 MW from Farakka (stage I) STPP. State power officials, however, allayed fears of any power shortage following the power firms decision to surrender 854 MW. We will get between 1,300 MW and 1,400 MW by December this year from the existing PPAs through new and upcoming thermal power plants of the NTPC in North Karanpura (Chatra district of Jharkhand) and in Barh (Patna district), besides one of SJVNL in Chausa (Buxar district), said Mahendra Kumar, managing director of the South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) and the Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL). Going by the power purchase cost optimisation rationale, weve taken the decision to terminate old PPAs. The cost of purchasing power from the two thermal power plants of NTPC would be more than the renewable energy sources we are trying to tap as part of our commitment to green energy, Kumar said. The state is committed to meet 40% of its total power requirement through renewable energy by 2030-31. As of now, 15% of its power requirement is met through renewable energy that was almost at par with the Centres present target of renewable purchase obligation (RPO) for the state, he said. We have new RPOs to meet through hydro, wind, and solar power, besides pump and battery storage plants. Unless we exit from old PPAs of thermal plants, we will not be able to fulfil our commitment through renewable energy, added Kumar. Once commissioned, the average per unit power purchase cost from renewable sources will be between 2.60 and 3.14, depending on the location, whereas it is around 4.19 from the two thermal power plants of Kahalgaon and Farakka, he said. The average per unit cost of purchasing power from NTPC Kahalgaon plant was 4.13 and 4.19 from the Farakka plant. However, the per unit power purchase cost was 4.02 from the NTPC North Karanpura (unit I). The difference in unit cost was because of the low transportation cost, as the North Karanpura thermal power plant was a pit-head power station, located near the coal mine in Tandwa block of Chatra district in Jharkhand, said an NTPC official. On the states recent request for 300 MW additional power to the Centre, in light of its decision to surrender 854 MW, Kumar said, We have made the request for 300 MW additional power from the Centre only during peak hours in summer (April to July) when our peak load demand goes up, and not to allow scheduled maintenance of NTPC plants during this period. We will surrender our share of 854 MW to the NTPC in mid-October when our demand begins to go down, the MD said. Gujarat has already evinced interest in the power Bihar will surrender. We will transfer to Gujarat the power that Bihar surrenders as the western state has sought an additional 1,500 MW from the Central sectors. It is rare to get thermal power cheaper than the per unit cost of 4.19, which we were supplying to Bihar through our plant in Farakka, said the NTPC official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A video clip showing residents of Sasaram city in Bihar's Rohtas district jumping into a drain to collect currency notes has been making the rounds on social media. The incident that occurred on Saturday near the Moradabad area, which is around 150 km away from the capital city Patna, has elicited strong reactions from social media users who commented, People will do anything for money. After grabbing bundles of currency notes, locals of Sasaram city were seen drying them up at homes. (Twitter/@HindustanUPBH; Prasun K Mishra/HT Photo) The viral video showed individuals frantically attempting to retrieve bundles of currency notes that had been submerged in water for a considerable amount of time. In the footage, both men and women, as well as children, could be seen competing for as many notes as possible, despite their deteriorated condition. The scene played out in knee-deep water and garbage beneath the Moradabad bridge of the Sone Canal. It should be noted, however, that Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Early morning walkers stumbled upon a pile of currency notes in denominations of 20, 100, and 500 inside a jute bag under a bridge, prompting them to start fishing the bundles and rushing home to dry them. As the news spread, a crowd of locals gathered at the site to collect as many notes as they could. While some locals claimed that the notes were genuine, others suggested that they could be counterfeit and may have been planted to cause panic. Also Read | PWD initiates process to set up drain master plan for Delhi Rohtas Superintendent of Police Naveen Kumar stated that a police team was dispatched to the location in response to the viral videos, but they found nothing. The police are currently examining the videos and attempting to identify the individuals seen in them. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PUNE Also,402 licences were suspended for violations, including a major chunk of 250 chemists from the Pune district. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have cancelled the licences of 107 chemists and suspended the licences of 402 chemists in the Pune division found violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 while carrying out inspections from April 2022 to March 2023. The 107 errant chemists include 73 wholesalers, distributors, and 34 retailers. Of them 30 chemists are from Pune district, Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune rural, said the officials. Also,402 licences were suspended for violations, including a major chunk of 250 chemists from the Pune district. The report for the same has been sent to the state government, said the FDA officials. According to the officials the violations include, operating without a pharmacist or qualified staff, poor record keeping, dispensing medicines without a valid prescription, improper storage of temperature-sensitive drugs, and non-maintenance of records of scheduled drugs amongst others. Inspection of chemist shops, wholesalers and retailers was conducted between April 2022 to March 2023 by the officials. During this, 867 pharmacies in the Pune division were inspected and 509 errant pharmacies were identified. A senior FDA official requesting anonymity said, licences are cancelled only in case of serious violations, for example; a pharmacist unavailable for a couple of days or during the inspection is less serious in comparison to Pharmacist unavailable for several months. If a chemist is unavailable during a visit, the licence can be suspended; however, if the pharmacy is operating without qualified personnel, the consequences are serious. In such circumstances, severe action, such as licence cancellation, is taken, he explained. The action was taken per the FDA Commissioners guidance, according to SV Pratapwar, Joint Commissioner of FDA, (Drug), Pune region, and the inspections are part of routine inspections. We are ensuring that all rules are strictly followed. Initially, show cause notices were issued to these pharmacies, requesting an explanation. We took further action, such as suspending or cancelling their licences, after receiving their explanation. However, they cannot function until then since they have been handed orders to halt the sale, but they can file an appeal, Pratapwar explained. The FDA employee in Pune discovered a discrepancy in the records of Scheduled pharmaceuticals such as sleeping pills and habit-forming medications. At three chemists, the record of a popular pharmaceutical, Mephentermine sulphate injections among gym enthusiasts to grow more muscle swiftly was found to be mismatched and unmaintained. According to officials, such errors are made on purpose to sell the injections on the black market at excessive prices. As a result, the licences of all three chemist shops were revoked, and they later filed an appeal. Sushil Shah, president of the Chemists Association of Pune District (CAPD), stated that the organisation regularly informs its members to respect the norms and do business. FDA officials will visit shops and conduct inspections. It is their responsibility. Chemist shops should follow the rule while on duty because it is our responsibility. Only when violations occur is an action taken. The organisation never supports someone who breaks the law. The association holds monthly workshops and meetings where they are instructed on how to respect the guidelines. Even if some of them do not obey the rules and suffer punishment, it must be acknowledged, Shah stated. PUNE A number of theatre/acting workshops are being organised for children and young adults which are garnering a good response due to theatre being an integral part of Punes culture. (HT PHOTO) For years now, summer- camps and workshops have been about school- and college- goers learning skills such as swimming, singing, dancing, writing and art but the trends are changing and the focus is now shifting to imparting and imbibing newer, more modern capabilities. For instance, various summer schools around Pune city are offering classes in science, information technology (IT), Robotics and virtual reality (VR) where students and parents are exposed to these new-fangled concepts. Hope Foundations International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) is organising a Summer Innovation Camp for teenagers interested in Geoinformatics, web development and coding among others. A participant in this camp said, The initiative has been taken with the thought to provide students a more hands-on experience. Children are growing up in a tech-savvy world and we want them to understand how the applications (apps) used by them are made. Similar such camps are helping youngsters gain practical knowledge through live projects and interactive sessions. Many institutes are offering culinary, acting and even pottery classes to help children learn and hone new skills. The Line Story Studio is conducting pottery workshops with special batches for children during the summer. Ameya from The Line Story Studio says, We have been organising pottery workshops for the past three years now. Parents bring their kids for a different experience. We cater to a wide range of customers and organise customised workshops. A number of theatre/acting workshops are being organised for children and young adults which are garnering a good response due to theatre being an integral part of Punes culture. Whereas some institutes are offering camping and trekking activities which not only give children an opportunity to explore nature but also inculcate a spirit of adventure in them. One such, the Pugmarks Summer Camp, has local as well as outstation trekking and camping packages catering to different age groups. A three to five days trekking and camping programme costs anything between Rs19,000 and Rs30,000 depending on the package selected. There is also a local trek worth around Rs12,000 in which the parent can accompany the child. According to the director of the Pugmarks Summer Camp, Camping and trekking can give children not only a sense of adventure but also the exposure of being independently away from their parents. Children can make their own decisions, although they are obviously under the supervision of our volunteers. We have trained and specialised volunteers for each group of children. We follow all safety and health measures at all times along with all the guidelines provided by the Maharashtra authorities. We take due permission whenever it comes to hill- and mountain- trekking and we even require a health certificate at times. We have female volunteers as well and make sure that the children get all the amenities, he said. With summer at its peak, all these camps and workshops are proving to be a blessing for children and parents looking for fun new ways to spend vacations. Alia Bhatt has said actor-husband Ranbir Kapoor has a saint-like mind as opposed to her. She said that he also doesn't like it when she raises her voice whenever she gets angry over something, especially 'incompetence, which she said doesn't go down well with her. Also read: Alia Bhatt says Priyanka Chopra told her to find her at Met Gala: 'You'd have to take me to the bathroom' Alia Bhatt has made a new statement about Ranbir Kapoor. Alia and Ranbir married in April last year and are parents to six-month-old daughter Raha. The two also delivered their first film together Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva last year. In a recent chat with Vice.com, Alia shared her seven vices including envy and a anger. On being asked if she envies something about Ranbir, she replied, "I envy my husband Ranbir because he has a saint-like mind. If you were to open my brain up" On the topic of what makes her angry, Alia said, "The one thing that immediately puts me in a fit of anger is incompetence. And I have to try very hard to control my anger because my husband does not like (it) when my voice goes above this decibel. Because he thinks it's not fair and it's important to be kind even when you are unhappy." As the video was shared on Reddit, many objected to how she placed Ranbir on a pedestal. Many shared laughing emojis for her calling Ranbir saint-like'. A Reddit user wrote, She loves and adores him way too much. Bhala hai burra hai jaisa bhi hai mera pati mera devta hai (good or bad, my husband is my God). Another said in her defence, Maybe they meant that he is very zen and chill? Not an actual saint. Alia recently made her MET Gala debut and it was the first time she left Raha with Ranbir for the longest of time. She walked the white carpet in a white gown which had 1 lakh pearls hand embroidered in India. It was accompanied by designer Prabal Gurang. She will next be seen in her Hollywood debut, Heart of Stone and Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.She is yet to begin work on Farhan Akhtar's Jee Le Zaraa. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Kareena Kapoor and her son Taimur Ali Khan were seen out and about in Mumbai. For their Sunday outing, the actor channelled her inner desi girl and opted for a traditional look with a twist. On the other hand her son kept it casual. A paparazzi video from their residence has now surfaced online. Also read: Kareena Kapoor waves at fan who tells her ek baar hath lagane do, internet supports her decision Kareena Kapoor and Taimur Ali Khan in Mumbai. (Photo: Viral Bhayani)(Viral Bhayani) In the video, Kareena and Taimur are seen waiting for their car outside their building. Kareena wore a printed pastel-coloured kurta-pant set. Her outfit also came with a matching jacket. She paired it with hoops, sunglasses and had her hair tied in a bun. Taimur wore a red T-shirt which had his name written on the back. The mother and son got into their car and zoomed off. They were later seen arriving at The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. Kareena Kapoor at The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)(Varinder Chawla) Taimur is Kareena and Saif Ali Khan's oldest son. They also have a two-year-old son, Jehangir Ali Khan. The couple got married in 2012 after years of dating, and are stay in Bandra, Mumbai. The family is among the favourites of paparazzi and is often chased by media. On Saturday evening, Kareena and Saif were out on a dinner date. They arrived at a restaurant in their car. While Saif kept it casual in a grey t-shirt and denims, Kareena wore a yellow top with black pants. As she got down from the vehicle, her security guided her. Amid this, a fan also approached her. Kareena seemed rather uncomfortable when the fan walked to her and requested, Ek baar hath lagane do (let me touch your hands). The fan kept repeating it after the actor's security denied her. However, Kareena smiled and waved at her before entering the venue. After the video of the incident was shared on social media, several fans came out in support of Kareena's decision. Kareena is currently working on her next film, The Crew. It also stars Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, and Tabu. Besides The Crew, she is also a part of Sujoy Ghosh's upcoming film, based on the book The Devotion Of Suspect X, with Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat. She also has Hansal Mehta's next untitled film. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At King Charles III's coronation concert, actor Sonam Kapoor will wear a floor-length gown co-designed by Kolkata-based Anamika Khanna and UK-based designer Emilia Wickstead, as per a new report. Sonam, who has been wearing Anamika Khanna looks for years, often chooses the designer for special occasions, from her wedding reception in 2018 to her appearance at Cannes Film Festival red carpet in 2014. Also read: Sonam Kapoor to perform at King Charles' coronation in London, Tom Cruise will be part of it too Actor Sonam Kapoor at an event in Mumbai. (File Photo) King Charles III's coronation concert will include performances and appearances from several celebrities. Apart from Sonam, Tom Cruise, and The Pussycat Dolls are expected to attend. As per a report, Sonam, who lives in London with businessman-husband Anand Ahuja and their son Vayu, will appear on stage to deliver a spoken word performance to introduce the Commonwealth virtual choir. This will be Sonam's first appearance at an event for the royal family. As per a new Vogue India report, Sonam's bespoke floor-length gown for the concert features a band detail around the shoulders that frames the corseted bodice, extending into a full skirt lined with architectural godet pleats. While the gown was designed by Emilia Wickstead, Anamika Khanna contributed the calico-inspired print to finish the whole picture. The report added that the Indian designer took inspiration from the 17th and 18th-century calico prints, which were a commodity commonly traded between India and the UK in the yesteryears. After her long break from acting, Sonam Kapoor is all ready to make a comeback with Shome Makhijas Blind. This will be her first film since she gave birth to son Vayu Kapoor Ahuja in August last year. Last month, the first look from the film was shared by the director on Instagram. The film features Sonam Kapoor in the lead role with Purab Kohli, Vinay Pathak and Lillete Dubey in supporting roles. Blind is a remake of the 2011 Korean film of the same name and centres around a blind police officer in search of a serial killer. The film's shooting in Glasgow, Scotland, among other places, was wrapped up in February 2021. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Taapsee Pannu is currently vacationing in New York and has shared a few pictures from her stroll around the city. The actor wore a saree with a white crop top and sneakers as she spent her time in the sun. She is on a trip with boyfriend and badminton champion Mathias Boe and sister Shagun Pannu. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan shoots with Taapsee Pannu in leaked video from Dunki shoot in Kashmir; poses with fans. Watch Taapsee Pannu in a saree during her New York trip. Sharing pictures of how she spent her time on Saturday, Taapsee shared a few pictures in a purple saree, white top and white sneakers, with which she also wore shades in the sun. Sharing a picture of her sitting in a bar, she wrote, Clearly anti-bar person. It was followed by a picture of her having a beverage outside a cafe. She captioned it, Now more like it. Taapsee Pannu at a bar and at a cafe in New York. Taapsee Pannu in New York. Shagun confirmed they were all together by sharing a group selfie on her Instagram Stories which showed them posing on a street. While Taapsee was seen in a brown jacket and grey pants, Shagun was in yellow jacket and blue denims. Mathias posed with his arms around both of them as they all smiled for the camera. Taapsee is currently on a break from the shoot of Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki. She is working with Shah Rukh Khan in the film for the first time. Vicky Kaushal also has a pivotal role in the film. Shah Rukh and Taapsee were recently in Kashmir for the film shoot. Taapsee is dating Denmark's Mathias Boe since several years now. In an interview with Times of India, Taapsee had said, its been really long and its the same person that I have been dating, thankfully. It is not like I have ever shied away from owning up to it. On not sharing their pictures on social media, she said that they are not trying to run away from accepting our relationship, and added, Thankfully, we end up finding time for each other and that has helped this long-distance relationship work for over nine years now. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Kerala Story, which has been mired in controversies even before its release, is now no longer running in theatres in Tamil Nadu. The movie had released in very few theatres but is now not available for booking in any theatres in Tamil Nadu. Helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, The Kerala Story has triggered a massive political row with many calling it a propaganda film. Also read: Vivek Agnihotri warns The Kerala Story team will get unimaginable hate, feel suffocated': Your lives won't be same Adah Sharma in a still from The Kerala Story. The Kerala Story stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles. The trailer came under fire as it previously claimed that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, ISIS. The Kerala High Court had noted on Friday that the producers have published a disclaimer along with the movie which specifically says that the film has fictionalised and is a dramatised version of events and that the film doesn't claim accuracy or factuality of historic events. President of Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, M Subramaniam, confirmed the news that the few multiplexes that had shown the film had decided to withdraw it. He told PTI, The film was only shown in a few multiplexes owned by pan-India groups, mostly PVR. Locally-owned multiplexes had already decided not to show the film, as it did not have any popular stars. In Coimbatore for instance, there were two shows so far -- one on Friday and one on Saturday. Even those did not do well. Given that, theatres decided that it was not worth going through the threat of protests and such. Film trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai, who had earlier said that he was planning to watch the film on Sunday, tweeted on Sunday, "#Multiplexes stop screening of the controversial #TheKeralaStory from today (Sunday) all over #TamilNadu! They have cited potential law and order issues and lack of reception from general public as reasons for the move! Sreedhar Pillai tweeted about The Kerala Story on Sunday. The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) in Tamil Nadu headed by actor and director Seeman had staged a protest against the release of The Kerala Story in Chennai. Seeman said that if the film is screened in cinemas despite the protests, they would break the screens and theatres. However, the opening two-day collections of the film looked decent. According to the figures shared by film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the film had opened at 8 crore on Friday and improved to 11.22 crore on Saturday. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Veteran actor Zeenat Aman has responded after fashion designer Amit Aggarwal shared a post and called her a 'woman who defies time'. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Amit posted several pictures of Zeenat and also himself from his new store in Delhi. For the event, Zeenat wore a shiny black dress. Amit was also seen in a black outfit. (Also Read | Hours after slaying at fashion event in black gown, Zeenat Aman digs into burger: 'My Friday night explained in 2 pics') Zeenat Aman attended the store opening of fashion designer Amit Aggarwal. Sharing the pictures, Amit captioned the post, "Eternity has always been an emotion at the heart and in every genome of the brand and its core. So it is no surprise why we as a brand are so magnetically pulled to Ms Zeenat Aman. A woman who defies time, with whom the lens of the past, present or the coming future feel blurred." "Ms Aman cannot be placed within the context of time. She has inspired not just one but all generations since she created magic for the first time on celluloid. An epitome of what it means to be eternal and timeless, I am grateful to Ms Aman for bringing so much light to our new store at DLF Emporio," he added. "@thezeenataman thank you for taking this journey with me, I believe we are creators from our soul, we will never cease to exist, just will keep coming back to create art that makes everything feel infinitely possible," he concluded. Amit also added the hashtags--Amit Aggarwal, DLF Emporio, Amit Aggarwal at Emporio. Reacting to the post, Zeenat commented, "Thank you for having me at your beautiful new store. I wish you all success (purple heart emoji)." A fan commented on the post, "Stunning Zeenat Aman. Sheee is so gracious." Another person said, "Such a Queen! Yesterday, today, always." Some praised her beauty. "So beautiful Zeenat ma'am, old is gold," read a comment. "This lady is elegance personified," wrote an Instagram user. "What gorgeousness, the muse, and the dress both!! She still looks amazing. That face card never declines," said another fan. "Wow.. isn't she any Hollywood Superstar? Would you please tell her that she is our all-time favourite and she is looking stunning each and every day," wrote another person. Zeenat also shared the post on her Instagram Stories with a purple heart emoji. On Saturday, Zeenat shared two pictures on Instagram from the event. In one of the pictures, she wore the black dress while in the other Zeenat was seen in a white bathrobe munching her burger. She described her evening with the caption, "My Friday night explained in two pictures by @zanuski. Dress by @amitaggarwalofficial , burger by @burgerama.in." Zeenat is quite active on social media and recently her video from the event with the Uorfi Javed emerged online. Both of them were seen talking to each other. The actor, who gave several hits such as Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Qurbaani, Dhund, Don, Manoranjan and Yaadon Ki Baarat, played unconventional roles and broke the stereotypes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Each spring, students across Montana receive their end of term grades showing if theyve mastered their classes. Similarly, as the end of the Montana legislative session has drawn to a close, its time to evaluate whether the Legislature met its most important goal: creating opportunity and improving the lives of Montana workers, families, and retirees. The Republican Legislature ended the 68th session by drawing national attention for their attempts to silence a Democratic legislator who outspokenly disagrees with their agenda. Id like to remind Montana Republicans that Might does not make Right. All Montanans deserve to be retreated with respect and have a voice in their government. This latest Republican double-standard should not distract from the Legislatures failure to improve the lives of Montanans. Instead of working with Democrats, Republicans failed to help Montanans with the problems they face every day. This report card uses three common-sense standards to measure the Legislature: Did it protect our personal freedoms? Did it promote fairness? And did it help families? Sadly, on all three counts Governor Gianforte and the Republican Legislature failed to make a positive difference in the lives of Montanans. Did the Legislature protect Montanans personal freedoms? Instead of protecting our personal freedoms, Republicans have created the most intrusive government in state history and injected it into almost all aspects of our private lives. Whether it's interfering with a woman's relationship with her doctor, controlling what Montanans can watch on their phone, binding the hands of those investing your money for retirement, or restricting what books you can read, the legislature repeatedly attacked the freedoms and liberties we hold dear. Grade: Fail Did the Legislature promote fairness? The Legislature passed tax cuts, but they predominantly went to the wealthy. Instead of focusing on working citizens, Gianforte and Republican legislators gave the wealthiest one percent of Montanans a tax cut of $6,000 per year. Middle-class Montanans, however, will see a benefit of only $70 less than the cost of a dinner and movie night for a family of four. The Republican Legislature ignored the urgent needs of working families, renters, retirees, resident hunters. Instead, at every opportunity, when given the chance, the Republicans chose to make life easier for the top 1%, second-home owners, private landowners, and the wealthiest in the state. Grade: Fail. Did the Legislature help families? Nursing homes across Montana are closing, 12 in the last year alone, leaving many families desperate to find coverage for their loved ones. The governors response? To propose a budget that continued to short-change long-term care and would have resulted in more nursing homes closing. Only pressure and hard work by the Democrats brought in additional needed funding. Turning to education, the Republican Legislature harmed the ability of public schools to educate Montanas next generation. Public schools are the backbone of our communities, but the legislature instead passed even more private school tax credits that will drain needed funds from our schools. Grade: Fail. As any student knows, getting passing grades requires hard work and attention to detail. Unfortunately for all of us, Montana Republicans flunked the course work that would have helped Montana working families. Indeed, the only class that Republicans could pass is one focused on extremism, hot air, and hypocrisy. The radicals of the Freedom Caucus have captured control of the legislature, representing a hardline ideology that embraces a self-righteous were always right attitude that sees itself as superior to average Montanans and our long history of respecting our neighbors and supporting our communities. The clearest example of the Montana Republican Partys embrace of extremism is their decision to silence a duly elected Legislator, Rep. Zooey Zephyr. In the end, Montana taxpayers are the losers. This legislative session should have focused on addressing the problems families face every day. But it failed. Now Montanans as the citizen owners of our government need to hold the legislature accountable. Citizens deserve real, concrete solutions for everyone who calls Montana home. BTS member Suga interacted with his fans after his concert in Rosemont, US. Suga held a live session on Weverse on Sunday and talked about the concert. He also responded to an internet user who asked him to talk in English. Speaking to the fans, Suga said in Korean, "Today the tension (energy) of the crowd was great so it was great." (Also Read | Suga talks about BTS' tradition of taking 'shots' before performances on Jimmy Fallon show, tries playing Haegeum. Watch) BTS' Suga gave a 'pretty savage' response to an internet user. Talking about his health Suga said, "I'm quite healthy, my condition is great too. My throat is slowly getting accustomed." He also said, "It has been 10 years since I've been an artist, don't I have to do this much live?" When a fan asked Suga to visit Mexico, he said, "Go to Mexico? I also wanna go to Mexico, I wanna go to Mexico and have tacos. I really like Mexican food." Talking about his latest show, Suga said, "How was the concert? It was fun. Wasn't it for you guys, the audience? It was fun from the point of view of the performer." When a person asked him to speak in English, Suga responded, "No I don't want to. I am going to talk in Korean." Reacting to his comment, a fan wrote on Twitter, "Channeling his inner Taehyung. Love that they're all getting pretty savage in their weverse since Taehyung's last live. The Taehyung effect." "I love Yoongi for this," read a comment. "Hit them more," said another fan. A Twitter user said, "If I were in his position and telling Yoongi to speak English and he responded like that I would be so embarrassedgood job Yoongi whoever put that comment serves them right and itll serve it as a lesson for them not to ask that stupid request again." After the show, Suga shared a series of pictures on @bts_bighit, the official Twitter account of BTS. He wrote, "I was very happy to see everyone's happy faces while performing on stage. See you again in LA." Suga will next perform in Los Angeles (Kia Forum) on May 10-11, and May 14 while he will wrap up his US tour in Oakland (Oakland Arena) on May 16-17. Suga will return to Asia to perform in Indonesia's Jakarta from May 26-28, in Thailand's Bangkok on June 10-11, and in Singapore on June 17-18. He will also hold concerts at Seouls Jamsil Indoor Stadium on June 24-25. Suga will end his solo tour in Japan. His tour comes a few weeks after he released his first official solo album D-DAY. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Meghan Markle spoke candidly about her relationship with Kate Middleton and the false tabloid story that Meghan had made Kate cry before her royal wedding with Prince Harry in May 2018. In fact, Kate made her cry, Meghan had revealed. The former actor also spoke about how the British tabloids loved to pit Kate and her against each other, creating a false narrative that the two women were feuding. Also read: Prince William, Kate Middleton were religious fans of Suits before meeting Meghan Markle, Prince Harry says Meghan Markle with Prince Harry at their 2018 wedding, and with Kate Middleton during an event. (File Photos) Meghan Markle and Prince Harry moved to the US after they officially withdrew from royal duties in January 2020. They welcomed son Archie in May 2019, and daughter Lilibet in June 2021. In an old interview, while she was pregnant, Meghan had said that 'the narrative with Kate, which didnt happen, was really, really difficult' for her and something that she thinks 'changed everything'. "No [I didnt make Kate cry]. No, no, the reverse happened. And I dont say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised, and she brought me flowers and a note apologising and she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone. To just take accountability for it," Meghan had said during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. She had further said, "There wasnt a confrontation, and I actually think its...I dont think its fair to her to get into the details of that because she apologised and Ive forgiven her What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didnt do but that happened to me." During the interview, which Harry was also apart of, Oprah had asked Meghan about the headlines, where she was being compared to Kate, including in stories where Kate was being praised for cradling her baby bump, while about Meghan it was said she 'cant keep her hands off her baby bump for pride or vanity. Meghan had at the time that she doesn't know why there was, in Oprah's words 'a standard for Kate' and a different one for her. Meghan had added people really wanted there to be 'a narrative of a hero and a villain'. On May 6, after years of family tensions, Prince Harry attended his father King Charles III's coronation in the UK. Meanwhile, Meghan stayed at home in California, US with the couples children, Archie, who turned 4 on the same day, and Lilibet, one. Harry's attendance at his fathers coronation, and that of Meghan and their children, had been a subject of constant speculation after interviews, documentaries and Harrys memoir Spare portrayed a growing rift in the royal family. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is set in the fictional place called Rann Pradesh, where Savitri (Dimple Kapadia) runs her empire from a large haveli (mansion), operating under a front called Rani Cooperative. She and her small army of female workers create a more potent version of cocaine called Flamingo, which they ship out even internationally. The Disney+ Hotstar series, created and directed by Homi Adajania, follows Savitri as she welcomes her NRI sons Harish (Ashish Verma) and Kapil (Varun Mitra) back home. Their arrival sets off a series of events that threaten to bring down her whole business, beginning with the accidental overdose death of a politician's teenage son. (Also read: Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo trailer: Dimple Kapadia and her women-gang run a drug racket) Dimple Kapadia in a still from Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo. Savitri, also known as Rani Baa, is the quintessential woman in a man's world, one who is forced to step up and become self-sufficient for the sake after the murder of her husband. Originally a banjaran (nomad), she is carrying a lot of trauma from the incident and has become the type of person, who places the business above all. She has recruited her daughter Shanta (Radhika Madan), and daughters-in-law Bijlee (Isha Talwar) and Kajal (Angira Dhar) to help her out. A few episodes in, Savitri announces she will name an heir, immediately causing chaos between her children, bahus (daughters-in-law) and loyal deputies. This causes a few of them to turn on one another for the chance to run the empire. While it is incredible that Savitri ran this illegal drug trade, mostly without detection for all these years, towards the end of the series, it feels a bit off that after backing her daughter and bahus to keep her empire running, now suddenly she considers her sons as worthy heirs too? Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo starts and stops its narrative momentum too many times and ends up being far too messy. There are too many characters to keep a track of, as they disappear for long stretches and reappear conveniently to make things harder for the central characters. There is a Frenchman named Donze (Mark Bennington) who helped kick off Savitri's opium trade, who returns for a reunion. Meanwhile, Bijlee has a girlfriend, Naina (Monica Dogra), on the side that wants her to leave this life of crime. Naseeruddin Shah also has a minor role as a shady ally. And of course, there is the law on their tracks with the purposeful ACP Proshun (Jimit Trivedi) who is keen to expose Savitri's real face and bring down the drug trade. As one can imagine, over time, Savitri has gathered a few enemies, including one unrelenting foe named Monk (Deepak Dobriyal). They too pop in and out to become thorns in the family's side. There are several interesting layers in the narrative that don't get fully explored, especially with Harish and Kapil thinking they can handle the 'family business' over the women who have managed it for so long. But this series loads its characters with too much information, everyone has something to hide. It can become quite exhausting after a point. Dimple Kapadia is formidable as the fierce Savitri, the series more than rights itself when it is focused on her. But moving on to the rest of the characters, it gets a bit chaotic. Besides Trivedi, there aren't many standouts in the cast as their characters get caught in narrative stereotypes. Dobriyal's Monk is supposed to be this big bad menace, but instead comes across as just flat. Many sequences in the series don't have the intended impact. Even seeing the badass group of women finally take on Monk and his men, doesn't feel as exciting as it should. The last episode predictably ends on a cliffhanger and while I admit I am curious to find out what happens next, I hope the second season can iron its multiple storylines into one cohesive line. The focus on Savitri definitely helps. Samantha Ruth Prabhu will soon be seen in the Indian version of Prime Video's spy thriller web series Citadel. Varun Dhawan will also feature alongside her. One of her fans wondered if people would watch the Indian version, given that Priyanka Chopra's Citadel premiered in various Indian languages last month. Samantha reminded fans that the Indian version is not a remake. (Also read: Samantha Ruth Prabhu feels truly lucky and blessed, shares pics from Citadel premiere) Samantha Ruth Prabhu reminds fan that her Citadel is not a remake of Priyanka Chopra's web show by the same name, but an Indian version. Samantha recently posted pictures from her birthday celebration. In the comment section of the post, one of her fans wrote, "@samantharuthprabhuoffl I have one question is Priyanka's Citadel and your Citadel the same story?? Why I am asking is Priyanka dubbed in all Indian languages so if you are doing the same story for Indian audiences then many would have already watched it. I am a bit confused can you clarify if it's same or different?? BTW (by the way) happy birthday dear God bless you!!" Samantha was quick to respond to the comment and she wrote, "@theweavingideas it is not a REMAKE!!" Another fan of the actor also decided to explain it all and wrote, "Citadel main series has different spin-offs in different countries. And one of the spin-off casting has Samantha and Varun paired which is Indian spin-off. It has Spainish, Italian and Mexican spin-off too which run parallel to the main series with little or no merge with the main one. Hope this clarified your question!" Samantha's response to the comment also made fans appreciate the fact that she reads her comments section. Many of her fans also posted requests that she must never feature in a remake ever. Samantha is currently working on the Indian version of Citadel. She posted pictures from her birthday celebration that showed that the team of her upcoming Prime Video web show made special arrangements for her birthday. Sharing the pictures, Samantha wrote on her Instagram page, The rules were simple no surprises, no cake, certainly no f**in balloons. I clearly get what I want The week that was." The Indian version of Citadel reunites Samantha with her The Family Man director-duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The shoot of the final season of Netflix's original Stranger Things has halted due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The series co-creators and co-showrunners Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer brothers, shared a statement to announce it. (Also Read | Stranger Things animated series 'in vein of Saturday morning cartoons' ordered by Netflix) The production of Stranger Things' final season has been delayed. The Duffers issued a statement from the Stranger Writers Twitter account, which has offered Stranger Things fans a glimpse into the series' writers' room over the years, reported Variety. Writing on the fifth and final season commenced in August 2022, shortly after the fourth season premiered. The post read, "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong." As the most streamed series of 2022, Stranger Things now joins a growing group of Netflix series, such as Big Mouth and Cobra Kai, facing delays and production pauses amid the ongoing writers' strike. After the original Stranger Things concludes, fans can expect an animated series set in the Stranger Things world, which is set to be produced by the Duffer brothers, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. The animated series is the latest Stranger Things offshoot to stem from the Duffers' Upside Down Pictures banner, which is based on a rich overall deal at Netflix. In addition to the upcoming fifth and final season of the original series, the siblings recently announced a London stage show, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and have another untitled live-action spinoff of the flagship series in the works. Created by the Duffer Brothers, the Netflix original show is set in the 1980s and takes a look at the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a secret government lab accidentally opens a door to another dimension referred to as the Upside Down. The show features an ensemble cast of Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery and others. The show will conclude with its upcoming fifth season. In a show of protest against climate change, a group of Italian climate activists threw "vegetable-based charcoal black liquid" into Rome's famed Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi on Saturday. Protestors standing in the fountain of the four rivers in Piazza Navona in Rome(ultima-generazione) The Fiumi Fountain, commonly known as the Fountain of Four Rivers, was built in 1651 by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome's famous Piazza Navona plaza. The Ultima Generazione, or Last Generation group, associated with the campaign 'WE DON'T PAY FOR FOSSIL' and behind the protest, said in a statement, Our future is as black as this water: without water there is no life. "Difficult years await us, but if we don't zero emissions immediately, they will be terrible," the statement added. ALSO READ: Why hundreds of climate activists staged protest in Netherlands | Video Why did they choose the Fountain of Four Rivers? The Fountain of the Four Rivers features statues depicting the four main rivers of the Earth, one for each continent known at the time: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de la Plata. The campaigners say, the earliest civilizations arose along rivers since water is a requirement for human life and makes the land fertile and cultivable. However, they protest that the current climate crisis, which is marked by heat waves, prolonged dry spells, and extreme catastrophes, threatens this equilibrium, which has enabled and continues to enable all of us to live. Climate activists allege that the government continues to use taxpayer funds to support the fossil fuel sector rather than taking action to preserve crops, the economy, and, most importantly, the population. ALSO READ: This time we won't be alone: UK eco-groups threaten govt until demands met The police make arrests, Italian government condemns the protest Members of the group were arrested and are now facing accusations of defacing a public monument, according to CNN. Italys minister of culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, slammed the activists protest and said those guilty must "pay out of their own pockets," CNN reported. The same group staged protests at other Italian historical sites, including the Barcaccia fountain in Rome's centre, which they poured dark liquid into last month. Describing the group as "eco-vandals", the Italian minister continued, "We have to record yet another defacement that endangers the beauty of one of our nations iconic works of art." Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Responding to a notice issued by the Election Commission of India regarding the corruption rate-card advertisements published in newspapers by the Congress on Friday, state president DK Shivakumar on Sunday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were the ones who provided the corruption rate-card. Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar addressing a public meeting ahead of the state assembly elections, at Kunigal, in Tumakuru. (DK Shivakumar Twitter) Also read: Karnataka elections: EC issues advisory asking parties to get clearance for print advertisement It was not me who gave the rate card. It was the BJP. It was BJP leaders Goolihatt Shekhar and H Vishwanath, who gave the rate card. The BJP has said how much the rate is for the post of the chief minister and the rate for Swamijis of Mutts. This rate card was given by BJP, Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday. Ahead of the assembly elections, Congress had released a set of posters and advertisements which alleged that under the BJP-led government in the state, there were fixed rates of bribes that people needed to pay for jobs and transfers. On Friday, the BJP alleged that Congress was making false allegations of corruption against them and filed a complaint with the EC. On Saturday, the EC sought empirical evidence from the Congress party to prove its allegations of corruption and said that the party must submit the evidence before 7 pm on Sunday. It is a fair assumption that INC possesses the material/empirical/verifiable evidence based on which these specific/explicit facts have been published, an action which can fairly be assessed to embed knowledge, motive and intent to do so by the author, the EC notice read. It also asked Shivakumar to convey the empirical evidence of the same, for example, the evidence for rates for kinds of appointments & transfers, kinds of jobs and kinds of commission mentioned in the advertisement given by you along with if any explanation by 19.00 hrs on 7th May 2023 and also put that in the public domain. In its advertisements, Congress called the BJP the trouble engine and depicted various scandals of the ruling government in the state including the 40 per cent commission charge by the state contractors. The corruption rate card alleged that the ruling govt in the state had looted 1,50,000 crore in the last four years. 40% sarkara has looted over 1,50,000 crore from the people of Karnataka in the last 4 years at this rate, there will be no state left. Stop the loot, it stated. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday called on the poll watchdog to seek proof from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his allegation that the Congress is taking part in backdoor political negotiations with those linked to terrorism. EC: Seeks proof from Congress for graft claims against BJP. What about Seeking proof from PM when he accused Congress of backdoor political negotiations with those linked to terrorism! Sibal tweeted. The BJP are yet to respond to Shivakumars allegations Meanwhile, the Income Tax department raided properties belonging to Congress MLA Priyank Kharges close aide, Arvind Chauhan, in Kalaburagi on Sunday. The IT department raided the residence, hotels, office, and stone crusher unit belonging to Chauhan, according to officials. On Saturday, the IT sleuths raided the residence of a former District Congress Committee minorities department chairman Waheed Ali Fatehkhani in Kalaburagi. Fatehkhani, who is into the real estate business, is also a close aide of Congress leader late Qamar-Ul-Islams family. Also read: ECI cautions parties against provocative statements ahead of Karnataka polls Reacting to the raids, Priyank Kharge on Sunday said that the BJP has become desperate and works as per their rule book by intimidating the Opposition. The BJP party has become completely desperate, and as per their rule book they are working. You see their standard operating procedure for any election. First, they try to bring in communal narratives, and then they try to bring in communal disturbances. Then if nothing is working and they are losing the election, they start using the central agencies to attack our leaders. Thats what is happening in Kalaburagi also. People stepped out of a curfew briefly on Sunday for the first time since ethnic violence singed parts of Manipur and killed at least 37 people, as a massive military deployment, and peace efforts appeared to soothe some nerves. Security personnel during a rescue operation in Manipur on Sunday. (ANI) Also read: Shashi Tharoor calls for President's rule in Manipur: voters feeling grossly betrayed The army said on Sunday no major flare-ups were reported overnight and that a curfew was lifted between 7-10am in Churachandpur district, one of the main flashpoint areas. Army drones and helicopters kept watch as the Indian Army pegged the number of people it was sheltering at military bases at 23,500. We can confirm that 37 deaths are directly linked to the violence. The reported number is a little more. We are verifying the other deaths. It takes time to verify each case because officials are also working to restore peace and engaged in confidence building measures, said Kuldiep Singh, the security advisor to the state government and the former director general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Singh said the administration will hold meetings with community leaders and public representatives, and relax curfews in more parts of the state where violence erupted on May 3. We held peace meetings at 9 places. Community leaders have assisted us in ensuring that people do not resort to violence. People have also been surrendering arms. We told community leaders to tell everyone not to believe in rumours and call up the helpline if there is any confusion, he added. A large number of arms were stolen by rioters from police stations, and Singh said 134 weapons had been recovered. Separately, a BJP MLA and chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) Dinganglung Gangmei moved Supreme Court against the HC order on ST status for Meitei community. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narashima and JB Pardiwala is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday. On Sunday, a sense of tension was palpable in Imphal, which, like most other parts of the state, was shut down for the fifth day in the row. The unrest in Manipur erupted after a protest march by a tribal group over a Manipur high court order asking the Centre to provide scheduled tribe reservation to dominant Meitei tribe. In wake of the violence, the government issued shoot-at-sight orders in extreme cases, imposed curfews and cut the internet. Tribal groups including the Kukis are unhappy about the prospect of the states majority Meitei community being recognised under a scheduled tribe category. L Sanglun Simte, 29, a Kuki community member who along with 11 members of his family was among hundreds camping outside the airport in Imphal, said many members of his ethnic group were now fleeing their homes. We fled for safety. Things are not okay. They are just attacking us Kukis, he told a news agency. Simte said his 49-year-old cousin, Siemcha Gangte, was killed by a mob on Thursday and his house was set on fire. He alleged that when they were attacked by being called outsiders, the police did not help them. Simte, who has booked a flight for Agartala, the capital of neighbouring Tripura, said he would return only if security improved. We dont feel safe right now, he said. States director general of police P Doungel said that the situation in the state improved after the intervention of security forces. Also read: Manipur violence: 676 Nagaland civilians evacuated from Imphal The autonomous committee administers the hill districts of Manipur, where Kuki and Naga tribals, who are about 40% of the states population, are in majority. The more dominant Imphal valley, which sends 40 of the 60 MLAs to the state assembly, has Meitei majority, who are 54% of the states population. The petition said the order directing the state government to recommend a tribe for the Scheduled Tribes List falls solely within the jurisdiction of the State, and not the High Court, while seeking to quash the high court order. On March 27, the high court directed the State to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has gathered evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of 2,000 crore in liquor sales for four years in Chhattisgarh which was being carried out with the backing of high-level politicians and bureaucrats in the state, the agency said on Sunday. The Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) centrally procures all liquor sold in the state. (HT Archive) The federal agency also said that IAS officer Anil Tuteja, joint secretary in department of industry and commerce, was the kingpin of this illegal syndicate along with Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, who was arrested and remanded in custody for four days on Saturday. The money laundering case stems from an Income Tax (I-T) department charge sheet filed earlier in connection with alleged tax evasion and irregularities in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh and some other states. ED, which is probing the matter under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of I-T departments charge sheet, had raided several places in the state in March this year. The state government controls all aspects of liquor trade, from procurement to retail sale. No private liquor shops are allowed. All 800 liquor shops in the state are run by the government. The Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) centrally procures all liquor sold in the state. In a statement on Sunday, the agency said that it has collected evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of 2,000 crore between 2019 and 2022. The federal agency also said that investigations revealed that an organised criminal syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar was operating in Chhattisgarh. Anwar Dhebar, though a private citizen, was backed by and was working for illegal gratification of the high level political executives and senior bureaucrats. He weaved an elaborate conspiracy and stitched a wide network of persons or entities to execute the scam so that money was illegally collected from every bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh, it added. In its remand paper submitted before a sessions court in Raipur on Saturday, ED said the sale of unaccounted, illicit liquor was almost 30-40% of the total sale in the state. Anwar Dhebar was the main collection agent and frontman of this (liquor syndicate)...that had completely hijacked the administration of the excise department in Chhattisgarh, the agency said. It was a travesty and irony that unaccounted liquor was sold from state run shops to the customers. Duplicate holograms were provided Duplicate bottles were procured in cash Liquor was transported directly from distiller to shops by-passing State warehouses Excise officials were involved. Manpower was trained to sell unaccounted liquor and the entire sale was done in cash. No income tax, no excise duty, etc. were paid Poor consumer was the only one who was unaware that he was buying unaccounted liquor. The entire sale was off the books, it added. ED probe also revealed that with the support of political executives, Anwar Dhebar managed to get a pliant commissioner and managing director of CSMCL and hired (his) close associates to make the system completely subservient to him. He controlled the entire chain of the liquor trade starting from private distillers, FL-10A license holders, senior officers of excise department, district level excise officers, manpower suppliers, glass bottle makers, hologram makers, cash collection vendor etc and leveraged it to extort maximum amount of bribes/commission. Various other stakeholders also illegally benefited in the process, the agency said. ED said that Anwar Dhebar is responsible for collection of this entire illegal money, but is not the ultimate beneficiary of this scam. It is established that after deducting a percentage, he had passed on the remaining amounts to his political masters. Anwars advocate counsel Rahul Tyagi dismissed the allegations against his client. The allegations seem to be politically motivated. We will knock on the doors of the Supreme Court in the matter, he said. Genres : Action, Adventure, Drama Starring : Isao Natsuyagi, Ryohei Uchida, Junko Miyazono, Tatsuo Endo, Ichiro Nakatani Director : Hideo Gosha Plot Synopsis Legendary genre auteur Hideo Goshas gleefully anarchic, spaghetti western-informed samurai adventures are finally available to North American audiences in one complete set. SAMURAI WOLF: Isao Natsuyagi stars as Kiba, a charismatic ronin who wanders into a small town and ends up ensnared in a local conflict that's more than meets the eye. After dispatching a pair of highway criminals seen robbing a courier wagon, Kiba agrees to assist a beautiful blind woman who runs the local shipping company. Double- and triple-crosses ensue, illustrated with savage but economical violence courtesy of famed director Hideo Gosha's (THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI, VIOLENT STREETS) striking black and white filmmaking. The result is a lean and mean triumph of samurai cinema, cementing Gosha's status as a master of the genre. SAMURAI WOLF 2: HELL CUT: Charismatic ronin Kiba (Isao Natsuyagi) returns, once again entangled in a complex web of intrigue, involving a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical swordsman, and an arrogant dojo master. Master filmmaker Hideo Gosha brings his trademark tight pacing and stylish action to this brisk morality play, inevitably punctuated by the explosions of violent swordplay beloved by fans of the genre. Bonus features, include: Outlaw Director - Hideo Gosha featurette with Tomoe Gosha; Audio commentary by Chris Poggiali, co-author of These Fists Break Bricks; 20-page booklet with a new essay by Robin Gatto, author of Hideo Gosha, cineaste sans maitre. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday asked all political parties and candidates to get clearance from the media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) before publishing any advertisement in the print media on the date of polling and a day prior. The Election Commission of India (ECI). Days ahead of the crucial May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka, ECI wrote to editors of all major newspapers in the state, holding them responsible for any advertisement published in their newspapers. Also read: Corruption, unemployment are real 'terrorism' in Karnataka: Priyanka Gandhi An editor shall be responsible for all matters, including advertisements, published in the newspaper. If responsibility is disclaimed, this shall be explicitly stated beforehand, the ECI said in a letter to editors of newspapers in Karnataka, citing the Press Council of Indias norms for journalistic conduct. The poll panel also shared the advisory issued to political parties with editors of all newspapers. Polling for the 224-member Karnataka assembly will be held on May 13 and counting of votes on May 13. Campaign for the high-stakes elections is set to end on Monday. No political party or candidate or any other organisation or person shall publish any advertisement in the print media on poll day and one day prior to poll day unless the contents of political advertisement are got pre-certified by them from the MCMC at the state/district level, as the case may be, ECI advisory to political parties, issued on Sunday, said. This is not the first time the commission has directed the political parties to pre-certify advertisements. In April, it issued a stern notice to parties to follow the directions. instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature published in print media have been brought to the notice of the commission in the past. Such advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiate the entire election process, ECI said. Also read: Owaisi attacks Sonia Gandhi as she campaigns for RSS man Shettar: Didn't expect from you ECI asked political parties, candidates and newspapers in the state to apply to the MCMC at least two days prior to the publication of the advertisement on poll day and a day prior to poll day. A day after the arrest of Anwar Dhebar, brother of Congress leader and Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it has found evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering worth 2,000 crore, which was being run with the backing of high-level politicians and bureaucrats in the state. ED said it has collected evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of 2,000 crore between 2019 and 2022. (Representative Image) Anwar Dhebar was arrested by the federal anti-money laundering agency on Saturday from a hotel in Raipur while he was trying to flee from the back door. The agency said in a statement on Sunday it has collected evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of 2,000 crore between 2019 and 2022. The money laundering probe, it said, has revealed that an organised criminal syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar was operating in Chhattisgarh. Anwar Dhebar, though a private citizen, was backed by and was working for illegal gratification of the high level political executives and senior bureaucrats. He weaved an elaborate conspiracy and stitched a wide network of persons or entities to execute the scam so that money was illegally collected from every bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh. Raids were carried out earlier in March in the case. The ED probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on an Income Tax department charge sheet filed in May 2022. The agency also claimed in its remand paper submitted before a court on Saturday that Anwar Dhebar was the main collection agent and frontman of this (liquor) syndicate...that had completely hijacked the administration of excise department in Chhattisgarh. Also Read| Chhattisgarh: ED arrests Raipur mayors brother; sent to 4-day custodial remand The Chhattisgarh government controls all the aspects of liquor trade from procurement to retail sale to consumer in the state. No private liquor shops are allowed. All 800 liquor shops are run by the state. Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) centrally procures all the liquor sold in Chhattisgarh. ED probe has revealed that with the support of the political executives, Anwar Dhebar managed to get a pliant Commissioner and managing director of CSMCL and hired (his) close associates to make the system completely subservient to him. He controlled the entire chain of the liquor trade starting from - private distillers, FL-10A license holders, senior officers of excise department, district level excise officers, manpower suppliers, glass bottle makers, hologram makers, cash collection vendor etc and leveraged it to extort maximum amount of bribes/commission. Various other stakeholders also illegally benefited in the process, said the agency. Also Read | ED searches premises of Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar in Chhattisgarh coal levy scam Detailing the modus operandi of the syndicate, ED said the accused persons were benefitting in three ways. First, a commission of 75-150 per case (depending on type of liquor) was charged by the syndicate from the suppliers for each accounted cash procured by CSMCL, ED said. Then, Anwar Dhebar started getting manufactured unaccounted countrymade off-the books liquor and sold it through government run shops. This way they could keep the entire sale proceeds without depositing even one rupee in the state exchequer. Duplicate holograms were provided, and duplicate bottles were procured in cash. Liquor was transported directly from distiller to shops bypassing state warehouses. Manpower was trained to sell unaccounted liquor. Entire sale was done in cash. Entire sale was off the books and sale consideration was siphoned off with everyone in the illegal chain getting its share including - distiller, transporter, hologram maker, bottle maker, excise officials including higher echelons there, senior IAS officer (s) and politicians, ED said. The ED probe has revealed that between 2019 and 2022, this kind of illegal sale was almost 30-40% of the total liquor sale in the state, which generated 1,200 to 1,500 crore illegal profits. The third method used by the accused was an annual commission which was paid by the main distillers for getting distillery license and getting fixed share in the market purchase of CSMCL. Distillers used to pay bribes as per percentage of market share allotted to them. Procurement was done strictly in this ratio by CSMCL. Commission from FL-10A license holders was also charged from foreign liquor suppliers. These licenses were given to the associates of Anwar Dhebar, ED said. The agency has estimated 2,000 crore was generated by the syndicate in a short span - from 2019 to 2022. Anwar Dhebar is responsible for collection of this entire illegal money, but is not the ultimate beneficiary of this scam. It is established that after deducting a percentage, he had passed on the remaining amounts to his political masters, ED statement said. The agency had earlier carried out searches at 35 locations across Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Delhi including the residential premises of Anwar Dhebar in March. However, he slipped out of a secret trap door and did not participate in the search. He was summoned on seven occasions but did not join the probe. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mangboi Hauzel, 60, is overcome with exhaustion as he sits with hundreds of others outside the airport in Imphal on Sunday morning. I have become a refugee in my own country, he said, sitting with no luggage, a sign like the hundreds of others like him waiting at the compound that spoke of a hasty exit from Manipurs capital. People from violence-hit areas of Manipur being shifted to a relief camp set up by the Assam government, in Cachar district, on Sunday. (PTI) Also read: Manipur violence: States step up evacuation efforts, arrange special flights and buses The Imphal airport on Sunday resembled a refugee camp in a war zone, with roughly a thousand members of Manipurs Kuki tribe waiting for planes to take them to neighbouring states after ethnic violence swept through large parts of the state on May 3, prompting the government to issue shoot-at-sight orders, enforce a curfew and ban internet services. Most of us dont have enough money. We are waiting for friends and relatives in other states to buy us tickets. The heavy rush of passengers, coupled with suspension of internet services across Manipur by the state government, have made communications impossible, said a woman, who identified herself as Hauzels next door neighbour but did not want to be named. On May 3, violence broke out after a solidarity march by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to protest the Meitei community demand to be included into the scheduled tribe category following an April 19 Manipur high court directive to the state. At least 28 people are confirmed to have died in the violence, which involved arson, rioting and targeted killings, but the toll could be significantly higher. Churachandpur, the epicentre of the violence, located around 70 km from Imphal, saw the first signs of normalcy on Sunday when people stepped out for two hours when the curfew was relaxed, while thousands of troops kept guard. Comprising around 53% of Manipurs population, the majority Meiteis community is also affluent while the Kukis, who constitute about 44% of the population, mainly live off of agriculture on the hills and are more economically deprived. With geography and demography playing equally important roles, the current scenario is being widely seen as the conflict between the valleys and the hills. Although ethnic violence is not new in Manipur, efforts are being made to add communal colour to the recent clashes because of the large section of Kukis embrace Christianity over the decades while most of the Meiteis are Hindus. The root of this conflict is political, not ethnic or religious, said Kimboi Guite, a Kuki community member, who spent three days in a relief camp set up by the CRPF in Imphal. Armed groups of Meiteis and Kukis fought each other, not common people. A section of the media carried misguided and even biased reports that worsened the situation, Guite added. But some others differed. We witnessed clashes between armed militant groups of the Nagas and the Kukis in 1997. But, what is happening now is unprecedented, a Kuki community member said, accusing the Meiteis of carrying out a series of attacks on homes, establishments, churches and vehicles. A sizeable number of Kuki community students from Manipur university are among those leaving the state. This is almost like ethnic cleansing. Our churches were attacked, our homes were ransacked. The Meitei leaders entered our hostel and selectively drove out Kuki inmates. People who were friends till yesterday, turned into enemies, a student said at the airport on condition of anonymity. Meiteis equally angry The Kukis were never original residents of Manipur. They infiltrated from Myanmar. Now, they are claiming equal rights. They started the violence and killed our people, said a trader near the state-run RIMS Hospital in heart of Imphal, where bodies recovered from the sites of violence were still in the morgue. Many families have not come to claim the bodies, said the police officer on duty at the morgue. After two-hour relaxation of the curfew ended on Sunday morning, the Manipur capital appeared to be a city under siege. Barring a few civilians who were out for emergency reasons, roads were in the control of the para-military forces. There were check-points at every intersection and security personnel did not allow anyone outside their homes, until they had a valid reason. Also read: Manipur violence: 23,000 civilians rescued, Army increases aerial surveillance. Top updates Residents also complained about price gouging. Some traders are taking full advantage of the curfew. They are selling petrol at 250 a litre, said Herojit, an autorickshaw driver. Some locals said prices of essential food items too had sky-rocketed as interstate movement of vehicles was halted. Almost all hotels locked their gates and refused to take in customers. We have no vacant rooms since our staff members are staying in view of the current situation. People are afraid to go home, a manager of the hotel Mahatma Gandhi Avenue said, requesting anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Manipur violence: 23,000 civilians rescued, Army increases aerial surveillance. Top updates The Indian Army and Assam Rifles, which had been called to quell the ethnic violence in Manipur, have rescued more than 23,000 civilians and moved them to the operating bases and military Garrisons, the army said in a statement on Sunday. Read more Indian Army with Assam Rifles personnel conduct rescue operation in the violence-affected Manipur, on Sunday.(ANI) Watch: Virat Kohli's animated chat with Ishant Sharma, Axar Patel goes viral after DC vs RCB IPL 2023 tie It was a happy homecoming for Virat Kohli as Delhi's greatest batter in the modern era returned to the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium during the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. Read more Kirti Kulhari leaves fans shocked with brand new hairstyle, shares video of short hair: 'She looks like Ken doll' Kirti Kulhari has chopped off her long tresses and in a long note, spoken about her decision to go short. The actor shared a video montage of herself flaunting her short new hair as she took to Instagram Reels on Sunday. Read more Dog Anxiety Awareness Week: 5 common mistakes pet owners make when dealing with dog anxiety Dealing with dog anxiety can be challenging, but addressing it as soon as possible is important. Many pet owners may unintentionally make mistakes when trying to manage their dogs anxiety. Read more Viral 80-year-old Class 5 Commerce paper stumps the Internet. Seen it yet? An old question paper for Class 5 students has gone viral online, leaving many baffled. You may ask why. Well, due to its difficulty level. The paper, which is 80 years old, was shared by a retired IAS officer and includes questions on Commerce, a subject typically taught to older students. Read more Benefits of muskmelon Muskmelon has several nutritional and heath benefits. Here are some of them. Read more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jaipur Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and two other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders helped save his government during the 2020 revolt by fellow Congress legislators, including his then deputy Sachin Pilot. Ashok Gehlots remarks came a day after Pilot, who represents the Tonk assembly constituency, said he would continue to fight against corruption. (file) Also read: Election commission should ban prime ministers campaigning in Karnataka: Gehlot Taking potshots at his rivals in the party, Gehlot said he had requested those Congress legislators who took money during the 2020 political crisis to return it to Union home minister Amit Shah. Amit Shah, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government. They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised why they are not demanding the money back from them (the MLAs), Gehlot said while addressing a programme in Dholpur. I have even told the MLAs that whatever money they have taken 10 crore or 20 crore if you have spent anything, I will give that part or I will get it from the AICC (All India Congress Committee), he added. In July 2020, Congress leader and then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other party MLAs revolted against Gehlots leadership. The crisis that lasted nearly a month ended after the party high command intervened and removed Pilot as the deputy CM and state Congress chief. Gehlots remarks came a day after Pilot, who represents the Tonk assembly constituency, said he would continue to fight against corruption even though some people may not like it. Gehlot said his government could be saved because of the support of three BJP leaders former CM Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and legislator Shobharani Kushwah. He said just as he did not support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat when he was the state Congress president, in the same manner Raje and Meghwal did not support the toppling of the Congress government three years ago. What wrong had they done? They said it was not ethical to topple an elected government. Gehlot said, while addressing the gathering at the home turf of Raje. Thats how the government got saved. Late on Sunday, TV channel quoted Raje as calling Gehlots remarks a conspiracy and insult. Kushwah had cross-voted in favour of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections last year, following which she was suspended from the BJP. Gehlot said if the MLAs did not return the money, they will always be under pressure from Shah. He is the Union home minister, he will intimidate, like he threatens in Gujarat, in Maharashtra he divided Shiv Sena into two, the CM alleged. As a third-term CM, Gehlot said it was his duty to take everyone along by forgetting past happenings and ensure the return of the Congress to power in the assembly elections, scheduled for later this year. Gehlot also praised Congress MLAs Rohit Bohra, Chetan Dudi and Danish Abrar for promptly informing him about the 2020 revolt against his government. Had they not supported me at the right time, I would not have been a CM today, he said. He said these three legislators, the BSP-turned-Congress MLAs and independent MLAs who supported him and saved his government in 2020 deserved to be made ministers but he could not do so due to political reasons and was sad about it. Also read: Why delay in taking action?: Sachin Pilot on exam paper leak incidents in Rajasthan Rejecting Gehlots claims as baseless, a senior BJP leader said the party had nothing to do with the rebellion in the Congress. What happened in July 2020 in Rajasthan was the result of infighting and resentment among the Congress MLAs with the state leadership. The BJP was in no way involved with it, said BJP MLA and spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma. On Gehlots claims of Congress MLAs having taken money from Shah, Sharma added: If the CM has evidence against his MLAs why not expel them. The party chief is from his camp, then why the delay in getting them expelled? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two years ago, 48-year-old Mateen Ahmad and his family would cower in their bunker a few hundred metres from the barbed wire fence on the Line of Control in Uri every time shells or bullets were fired from Pakistan when tension would flare up between the Indian and Pakistani armies. But with the guns falling silent since the ceasefire in 2021, the bunker lay abandoned until Ahmad put it to good use for growing mushrooms. Ahmad is among the dozen villagers who have set up mushroom units in Nambla and neighbouring villages. (HT Photo) Ahmads is an overground bunker, a 10x10 sq ft stone and mud hut, protected on one side by a hillock. As he harvests his first mushroom crop, Ahmad, a landless labourer, is literally reaping the dividends of peace. He is not alone at least a dozen villagers have set up mushroom units at Nambla and its adjoining villages. The dark and damp pigeon-hole bunkers nestled in pine and deodar thickets provide perfect growing conditions for the fungi. The yield from the bunkers, which are under the constant vigil of Pakistani posts across the LoC divided by Hajipeer Nullah, has been encouraging enough for more villagers to grow mushrooms in disused sheds, underground bunkers, even spare rooms in their homes. Till 2021, all we thought of was our safety and security. Shells would land in our villages and bullets would hit our houses whenever tension escalated. Since peace returned on the LoC after the ceasefire, I have been thinking of ways to improve our lot. I started growing mushrooms and sold 50kg last week, says Ahmad, proudly showing off more mushrooms that will soon be ready for sale. Villagers here measure their crop in bags, with each bag selling for around 500-750. I have a small unit of 100 bags but after seeing the demand in the market, Im planning to increase it to 200 bags with the guidance of the agriculture department. I can comfortably earn a decent livelihood from this unit, Ahmad says, adding that he has been besieged by enquiries from villagers. I have enough experience of turning abandoned huts into profitable ventures, he smiles. Peace yielding profit Uri sector in north Kashmirs Baramulla district has always been in the line of fire whenever tension escalates between India and Pakistan. Villages such as Balkote, Nambla, Silikote, Hatlanga and Churunda become targets for shelling from across LoC and villagers have sometimes been forced to migrate to safer places. In the past two decades, more than a dozen people have lost their lives to shelling and firing, and hundreds have been injured in Nambla alone. But with peace, in some form, returning, villages close to Zero Line have started reaping rich dividends. The fields that villagers once abandoned are being revived. And now, there are mushrooms to be grown. Abida Begum, a community mobiliser running a self-help group says she first cultivated mushrooms last autumn and harvested in 40 days to earn 40,000. This time again, my mushroom crop is ready. We dont have enough land so this will be a good source of income, she adds. Another landless young man, Mukthair Ahmad Najar, a BSc graduate, says he was unemployed and turned his room into a mushroom cultivation centre. I earned 50,000 from one crop of 100 bags. Many locals are now interested and are using underground bunkers for mushroom cultivation. The produce is typically bought by local vendors. Nambla, the mushroom village Recognising the success of mushroom farmers, the government is developing Nambla as the regions mushroom village. The agriculture extension officer in-charge of Nambla, Naeem Shafi, says mushroom cultivation is a boon particularly for the landless. The department is training villagers in Uri on how they can grow two crops of mushrooms in a single season in these bunkers. The department proposes to use community bunkers for self-help groups growing mushrooms. Last autumn, he says, 20 mushroom units were set up in Uri, while this spring, four more have come up. Technical aspects, such as cross-ventilation and installation of exhaust fans, are being looked into by our teams. This can prove to be a game-changer and provide people a sustainable source of income. The bunkers were built in the 90s due to frequent cross-border shelling, however. The 2005 earthquake that hit north Kashmir left most of those bunkers damaged. Locals and the government again started building the bunkers after 2015 due to frequent cross-LoC firing in Uri. While the size of personal bunkers varies from 100 to 150 square feet, community bunkers are larger and spread over 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. Feasible conditions, best for landless Dr Bilal Ahmad, the scientist in-charge at the Mountain Agriculture Research and Extension Station, Sheri Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), says Uri has sub-tropical temperatures feasible for mushroom cultivation in spring and winter. We are trying to see if mushrooms can be cultivated throughout the year. Its the best and preferred choice for the landless. All it requires is an enclosed space where temperature and humidity can be controlled and maintained. Mushrooms require temperatures ranging from 24 to 26 degrees C. Each bag holds 2.5kg to 3kg of mushroom and people buy it for 250 a kg. A farmer or entrepreneur can earn 60,000 to 80,000 within two months without any hard labour, he says. Daljit Singh, the sub divisional officer, agriculture has unearthed a local proverb that translates as: Finding a mushroom is testimony of good fortune. He says: We hope mushrooms cultivated along the LoC will bring fortune, peace and prosperity to the villagers who have always lived under the shadow of death and destruction. The process has begun. In Uri alone, there are more than 100 bunkers built by villagers and the government that can easily be used for mushroom cultivation after making minor changes without huge investment. The government may consider hiving off the department of chemicals and petrochemicals from the fertiliser ministry and bring it under the administrative control of the petroleum ministry for better synergy as India aspires to become a hub for the $4 trillion global chemical industry, two persons aware of the matter said on Sunday. HT Image While the idea was under discussion for some time since 2016, the petroleum ministry recently told a parliamentary panel that this could be strategically a better option that would require detailed deliberations, the persons said, requesting anonymity. Replying to a query raised by the parliamentary standing committee on whether bringing the department of petrochemicals under the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (P&NG) would lead to better synergy in implementation of petrochemical integration projects in refineries, the oil ministry said: Yes. Therefore, bringing Department of Petrochemicals under the Ministry of P&NG will be strategically a better option as it will bring better synergy in planning and implementation of petrochemical units to meet ever growing import and self-sufficiency in petrochemical, the committees report dated March 23, 2023 said, quoting the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG). Spokespersons in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers and the cabinet secretariat did not respond to an email query on this matter. According to an industry report, the global chemicals market was estimated to be around $4 trillion in 2021, where Indias contribution was just $190 billion, with tremendous potential of growth with the right policy push such as a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Petrochemicals are the largest sub-segment of the chemicals market. Commodity polymer and fibre intermediates are the major segments comprising almost 80% of the total petrochemical demand in India. While the oil ministry underscored the importance of synergy between petroleum and petrochemicals, it, however, told the committee that this needs a detailed deliberation amongst stakeholders. In fact, the department of chemicals and petrochemicals was earlier part of the petroleum ministry and it was transferred from the ministry to the chemicals and fertilizers ministry on June 5, 1991. Refineries are being integrated with petrochemicals to improve their profitability and sustainability to address energy transition and substitution of conventional transportation fuels by renewable in future. Refineries are major producer of petrochemical feedstock and intermediates viz., propylene, naphtha, aromatics, PTA [purified terepthalic acid] including refinery offgases, which can also be used as feedstock, the ministry told the committee. The panel also said in its report that the petrochemicals industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India with demand increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 8% in the last five years. The committee said the petrochemicals market in India is dominated by basic petrochemicals (about 45%) in which upstream and downstream petroleum companies of the country have a large presence. Recently, ONGC commissioned the largest petrochemical plant of the country in Bharuch, Gujarat. Indian Oil Corporation is also executing several petrochemical projects to increase its present Petrochemical Industry Index of about 5% to 15% by 2030. The committee observed that Indias petrochemicals sector has expanded since the 1990s and it is on course to becoming a major petrochemicals hub of the world. The OMCs [oil marketing companies] of the country have also become large, diversified and integrated. Here, the Committee feel that transfer of Petrochemicals division from the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers to the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas will benefit both the petroleum & petrochemicals sectors through better policy formulation and implementation and also utilizing the synergies between two sectors, it said. The committee, therefore, asked the petroleum ministry to examine the expediency of transfer of petrochemical divisions from the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers to the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, the people mentioned above said. Hubbali/Belagavi/Bagalkot: Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Karnatakas first non-Congress chief minister, Ramakrishna Hegde, have become talking points in this election, at least in the northern part of the state. In most elections, a party has not been able to consolidate its position in both (Old Mysuru and Kittur Karnataka) the battlegrounds, leading to hung assemblies. (HT Archive) Rajiv Gandhis remark in 1985 that only 15 paisa from a rupee released by the government reaches the needy is the BJPs key mantra to counter the 40% commission charge against it. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a BJP district vice president to an unnamed party worker involved in preparations for a rally, everyone argues that Gandhi meant an 85% commission during the Congress regime. The effects of this concerted campaign will be known only on May 13 when the results to the elections for the 224-member assembly will be declared. Meanwhile, from a security guard of a hotel in Hubbali to bank managers in Dharwad, many believe its a tough fight between the BJP and Congress in Kittur Karnataka (erstwhile Mumbai Karnataka). This electoral region, the largest after Old Mysuru (64 seats), has 50 seats and is likely to decide who will come victorious in the Vidhana Soudha. In most elections, a party has not been able to consolidate its position in both (Old Mysuru and Kittur Karnataka) the battlegrounds, leading to hung assemblies. It was Ramakrishna Hegde who became chief minister in 1985 and who did exceedingly well in both Old Mysuru and the Mumbai (then Bombay) Karnataka region. For both the BJP and the Congress, emulating Hegde is the only way for success. In the districts of Bagalkot, Belagavi, Vijaypura, Dharwad, Gokak and Haveri (all in Kittur Karnataka), the bipolar fight between the BJP and the Congress hovers around issues that are different from the more affluent southern Karnataka. Floods in Belagavi and demands for compensation, agriculture and migration in Belagavi and quota issues and aspirations of the Lingayat community in Dharwad and all across the state are factors that both sides are trying to address. For the Congress, the inclusion of former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar and deputy CM Laxman Savadi brings hope for more Lingayat votes. Sitting in the partys poll office in Belagavi, a senior leader admitted that the two leaders quitting the BJP will have an impact. They are stalwarts in their respective regions, the leader said, seeking anonymity. As the Congress fielded former party chief Sonia Gandhi to campaign in Hubbali (in Dharwad), two BJP supporters in Dharwad claimed, Had Shettar contested as an Independent, he would have earned more sympathies. In Congress, can he defend his stand on Uniform Civil Code (the pet issue of the BJP)? For the Congress, the charges of corruption and misgovernance against the Basavaraj Bommai government and local issues are key elements of the campaign. We are vocal for local (issues), quips Md. Zafar, city unit president of Haveri. For the BJP, Prime Minister Modis campaign is the trump card. The BJPs district president of Haveri, Siddaraj Kalkoti, makes it clear: Across Karnataka, we are fighting the elections in the name of the Prime Minister. This is the CMs district, but he too, is seeking votes talking about Modi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On India and Pakistan sparring on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Goa which was attended by Pakistan's foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on Sunday said he is a good host if the guest is good, implying that the Pakistan foreign minister does not qualify as a good host. Jaishankar said Pakistan's foreign minister spoke on India in press conference but nothing on the SCO issues. Answering a question at a meet on the foreign policy of the Modi government -- in Mysore-- Jaishankar said the Pakistan foreign minister was invited to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers' meet. "But if you look at his public utterances outside the SCO meet, he has only spoken on India, -- G20, Kashmir, BBC documentary; but nothing about SCO. What do I do as a host? If I have a good guest, I am a good host. But..." Jaishankar said amid a round of applause from the audience. "We invited the Pakistani foreign minister because there was an SCO foreign ministers' meeting. When it comes to multilateral meetings, you invite people to discuss that subject. He (Bilawal Bhutto) was invited in his capacity as a representative of Pakistan to put across his views on matters pertaining to the issues pertaining to SCO. We could differ...he may have his viewpoint, I may have my own viewpoint and there's an SCO meeting room where we would discuss and differ. That's one thing," Jaishankar said explaining the rationale behind inviting Bilawal to India. After the SCO meeting, Jaishankar slammed Bilawal Bhutto and said the victims of terrorism and the perpetrators of terrorism should not sit together -- replying to Bilawal's 'weaponsing terrorism' comment. The Pakistan foreign minister too replied to Jaishankar's jibe and said he was rattled and insecure because India's "fake narrative" about Pakistan got hurt as Bilawal came to India. "What do you mean we should not weaponise terrorism? That means, as a victim, I'm supposed to put up with it. So you not only commit terrorism, but you say, oh, please, do not even speak about it? Come on. So to me, that sentence, it spoke so much about a mindset of that country that you can all see for yourselves," Jaishankar said. On India's push for the port in Iran, Jaishankar said unless something miraculously happens in Pakistan, India has to find a way around Pakistan to develop access in Central Asia and beyond. "It is not in our interest to be locked in perpetual hostility with Pakistan. Nobody wants that. It's against common sense. But we have to draw the line. If a neighbour attacks me, I don't think it should be business as usual," Jaishankar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India on Sunday logged 2,380 new cases of Covid-19. The active cases came down to 27,212 from 30,041 the day before. Throughout the week the figures remained comparatively low. On Friday, India recorded 3,611 fresh Covid-19 cases bringing down the active cases to 33,232 from 36,244 a day before. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the country reported 3,325 and 3,720 cases respectively. A health worker taking samples of a person for Covid test.(HT File Photo) Meanwhile, the tally of infections was 4,282 on Monday. The daily positivity rate presently stands at 1.71 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is at 2.38 per cent. The recovery rate in the country was calculated at 98.75 per cent. As many as 5,188 Covid patients have recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours increasing the total number of recoveries to 4,44,10,738. India's active caseload currently stands at 27,212. However, the death toll has climbed to 5,31,659 with 15 more fatalities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday announced that the Covid-19 pandemic was no longer a global health emergency. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, made the announcement while addressing a media briefing on Covid-19 and global health issues. For more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend, Tedros said at a press conference on Friday. This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19, Tedros said. Yesterday, the emergency committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice, he added. (With agencies' inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 'National Enquirer' With King Charles' coronation foremost in tabloid minds, the 'National Enquirer' cover story naturally looks for royal scandal, and comes up with: "Sly Kate Traps Mean Meghan! Dirty trick revealed!" Employing its trademark journalistic balance and objectivity, the rag explains how "protective Princess Kate" outfoxed "Harry's fame-hungry wife" by inviting her to the coronation, but with "lousy seating arrangements, dinner party snubs and family peace talks" designed to play to Meghan's ego and force her to stay home in California, according to an unnamed palace courier. While Meghan planned to let Harry go solo at the coronation on May 6, it's hard to realistically blame Princess Kate for her absence, since the royal family guest list was drawn up by King Charles and Queen Camilla, with input from Prince William. Whatever animus may exist between Kate and Meghan, it's unlikely to have been Kate's hand behind the invitations. The 'Enquirer' can't help going overboard and adding that Kate is now "angling to have Prince Harry's haughty wife permanently banished from the U.K." a power in the hands of the British Home Office that is not among those exercised by the King, let alone by his daughter-in-law. What does the President know, and when did he know it? Or, as the 'Enquirer' prefers to put it: "Was Dough-Boy Joe In The Know?" In what the rag calls "yet another family scandal," court papers claim that Joe Biden's brother Jim traded on his family name and connections to negotiate deals with Iraq and Saudi Arabia when Joe was vice president in 2012. There are legitimate questions of potential influence peddling that require answers, and Jim Biden has denied ever negotiating the deal with the Saudis, but the only question the 'Enquirer' cares about is whether Joe Biden had a clandestine hand in the affair. Does it have the answer? Of course not. "Pentagon Lies To America About UFOs!" When the Pentagon denies that aliens are behind multiple UFO sightings, it must be lying in a "shocking cover-up," the 'Enquirer' claims, using its own brand of impeccable logic. The director of the Pentagon's UFO analysis team Dr Sean Kirkpatrick recently told the Senate Armed Services Committee there is "no credible evidence" of "extra-terrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics." But the 'Enquirer' knows better. As if to prove its point, the rag reports than an "expert blames new cattle mutilations on aliens among us." Can't argue with science. The 'Enquirer,' which once acted as though Donald Trump walked on water, has turned on him in recent months. But now they also appear to be turning on Trump's Republican rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, gratuitously publishing "Freaky Facts About Puddin' Head Ron!" The rag accuses DeSantis of a "shocking racist past" as part of a Tea Party group, overseeing "wickedly sadistic acts against Muslim juhadist prisoners" while an attorney at Guantanamo Bay, and though it's hard to know why the 'Enquirer'' think this is shocking playing in the 1991 Little League World Series. If the 'Enquirer' is ragging on Trump and DeSantis, who will they back in the 2024 election? Of course, the week wouldn't be complete without some fat-shaming: Kandashian clan momager Kris Jenner's boyfriend Corey Gamble is accused of having "Big Moobs" (apparently short for man-boobs), while Kim and Khloe Kardashian allegedly believe that sister Kourtney has been "letting herself go to pot" and is "piling on the pounds." Meanwhile Angelina Jolie is a "skeletal. . . scarecrow." Compassionate and caring journalism, as ever. 'Globe' It's been talked about for years, whispered in the corridors and backrooms of Washington, D.C., and has never risen above wishful thinking, yet the 'Globe' has seized on it for this week's front page: "Michelle's White House Comeback Exposed!" Michelle Obama is reportedly being begged by "desperate Democrats" to challenge "floundering President Joe Biden" for the 2024 party nomination. Many Democrats reportedly fear that Biden, aged 80, is too old for a second term in the high-pressure job, and while that may be true, that doesn't mean they are turning en masse to Michelle, whose husband, former president Barack Obama, has already endorsed Joe Biden. Royal scandal is the order of the day under the headline: "Brawl In The Family!," claiming that "Charles' and Camilla's sons trade potshots as new feud explodes." While it's true that Prince Harry had some uncomplimentary words for his step-mom Queen Camilla in his recent memoir 'Spare' he called her a "villain" who "played the long game to become queen" it's hardly surprising that her own son Tom Parker-Bowles should come to her defense, saying of the coronation : "I don't care what anyone says, this wasn't any sort of end game." It's hardly "another royal war" exploding, as the 'Globe' would like us to believe. It seems like every week the tabloids are hoist by the petard of their own early deadlines. This week the 'Globe' claims to reveal the "real reason Tucker got the ax!" Allegedly Fox News fired Tucker Carlson because he "foolishly committed the cardinal sin of insulting Donald Trump." The 'Globe' woefully missed the story that every other publications has been crowing about for the past week: how Carlson's obscene and racist emails shocked Fox into pulling the plug. 'People' Jane Fonda is this week's cover girl, pronouncing: "Life Gets Better With Age." At 85, in remission for cancer, she omits to add the obvious coda: ". . . as long as you have millions in the bank." "Being young is really hard," she says. "Don't let anyone kid you." Apparently life is hard, and "marriage is fking hard!" she says. "God Granted Me a Miracle," says Maria Menounos, referring to the baby she is expecting by surrogate. But for some reason God doesn't get the credit for her 2016 bout with brain cancer, or the pancreatic cancer she was diagnosed with in January. That's what two millennia of good PR will do for you. 'Us Weekly' With an interesting choice of words, the rag devotes its cover to "The Powerful Padma Lakshmi," who talks about motherhood and self-care, and evidently is one of the few celebrities who willingly sit down to talk with the rag, with no evidence that force or sharp objects were used. Thankfully we have the crack investigative team at 'Us Weekly' to tell us that Brie Larson wore it best, that actress Roselyn Sanchez "can move my nose like Samantha in 'Bewitched,'" and that the stars are just like us: they curl their hair, play pickleball and go mountain biking. Life-changing information. 'In Touch' "King Charles Makes Peace With Harry!" screams the cover. Flying in the face of all evidence to the contrary, the rag reports on Charles' and Harry's "emotional reunion at coronation." You can judge the validity of this information based on the fact that the issue appeared on newsstands three days before the coronation took place, and two days before Prince Harry even flew to England. 'Life & Style' "Engaged!" declares the front page, over photographs of Brad Pitt and his girlfriend of recent months, Ines de Ramon, who works for a jewellery brand. The duo met in November 2022, spent New Year's together in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and have been seen out and about at art openings and private dinners. But most "insiders" claim that twice-wed Pitt, having put ex-wives Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie in the rear view mirror, is in no race to the altar. 'Life & Style,' on the other hand, claims to have inside information about his "secret proposal in Paris," and "why he's inviting Jen to the wedding." Jen shouldn't hold her breath waiting for the invite. Onwards and downwards . . . The news that Indias population surpassed that of Chinas prompted a flurry of stories and columns in leading global publications about whether this is truly Indias moment in the geopolitical spotlight. But if youre looking at it in terms of whether India is likely to catch up economically with China, lets just say that India has one hell of a mountain to scale, argued columnist Sadanand Dhume on this weeks Grand Tamasha podcast, a co-production of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Hindustan Times. Grand Tamasha podcast is a co-production of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Hindustan Times. (HT) Dhume, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the Asia columnist for the Wall Street Journal, joined Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution and host Milan Vaishnav to discuss the symbolicand substantiveimport of Indias population milestone. In addition to Indias population, the trio also discussed Indias democratic credentials and its foreign policy credibility more than a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dhume noted that while theres a fair amount of boosterism as far as Indias current economic performance, one has to be mindful of the distance it has yet to travel. Look at urbanisationChina is about two-thirds urban, India is only about one-third urban. Look at female participation in the labour force; its roughly around 20 percent in India and its roughly three times that in China. Look at per capita incomeits about almost six times higher in China than in India even though they were at the same level essentially as recently as 1990, remarked Dhume. Nevertheless, the moment is brimming with geopolitical import, noted Madan. The milestone symbolises Indias scale and serves as a reminder of what its rise means for the world, in terms of the decisions it makes both at home as well as on the world stage. Madan noted that there are only two countries in the history of the worldChina and Indiathat have brought this kind of scale to bear on global economic and political debates. But how India shapes these debates will depend in large measure on how it manages several demographic-induced challenges at home. If youre trying to look ahead into the next two, three or four decades, some of it is just economic catch-upindustrialisation, urbanisation, women in the labour force, stated Dhume. But the more profound questions are political: is Indias political system going to be supple enough to navigate these huge inequalities, not just between the educated and the illiterate, but also these growing inequalities between the richer parts of the countrywhich also happen to be the least populouswith the poor and populous Hindi heartland? The implementation of the four labour codes, passed by Parliament between 2019 and 2020 and which seek to bring sweeping changes to Indias job market, has been stalled. They are unlikely to take effect before the general election slated for 2024, people aware of the matter have said. The four labour codes were passed by Parliament between 2019 and 2020. (PTI) The four codes consolidated a complex web of 29 central labour laws. These are the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; and the Code on Social Security, 2020. They have been both praised and criticised in equal measure. Critics see them as controversial and anti-worker, while those demanding freer labour policies say they will boost growth and employment,and end outdated laws no longer in sync with a rapidly transforming economy. The codes or laws represent one of the most significant economic reforms undertaken by the Modi government. For instance, the changes will increase the number and type of companies that can fire workers without government approval, enforce new norms on how unions can call strikes, discard rules that bar women from working night shifts and, importantly, introduce a new social-security regime. Three key reasons are holding up the codes, the persons quoted above said. One, some states are yet to publish rules to set the codes in motion, as required, since labour is a subject over which both Centre and states have jurisdiction. Two, talks between the Union labour ministry and unions have stalled and, three, the Centre is inclined to take all stakeholders on board for which there needs agreement on key provisions. Given that the Modi government had to withdraw the farm laws in 2021, the Centre does not want a situation where unions go on industrial strikes and disrupt the economy, one of them said. It was being hoped that all formalities regarding the labour codes would have been completed and they could take effect in the beginning of the financial year 2024, that is April 2023, one official said, requesting anonymity. Ravinder Himte, the general secretary of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), said there was no possibility of agreeing to some of the codes until the government accepted their recommendations, especially on the Industrial Relations Code and The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated BMS said it whole-heartedly welcomed the other codes. The Code On Industrial Relations lays down new conditions on the right of workers to go on strike. Unions will now have to give 60 days strike notice. If proceedings are pending before a labour tribunal or the National Industrial Tribunal, workers cannot go on a strike for 60 days after they are concluded. These conditions apply to all industries. Earlier, workers could go on strike by giving between two weeks and six weeks of notice. Flash strikes will be outlawed. A platform of 10 trade unions, barring the RSS-affiliated BMS, had urged labour minister Bhupender Yadav to scrap the four codes, saying they were anti-worker. The codes are exploitative and represent a serious erosion of labour rights, said TN Karumalaiyan of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. Currently, 31 states have published draft rules under the Code on Wages, while 26 states have come out with draft rules on occupation safety code. On the industrial relation code, preliminary processes have been completed by 28 states. A similar number have published draft rules on the social security law. Maharashtra notified rules for the codes on March 20. The Union government had recently directed the Union Territories to speedily frame rules regarding the key industrial relation code, which have been complied with. These are the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry. Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Bihar, and UT of Jammu and Kashmir, have framed required regulations under the new labour laws. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Reacting to the Election Commission of India's notice to Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar seeking empirical evidence for allegations made by the party of corruption against the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday asked why the poll panel did not seek proof from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his backdoor political negotiations with those linked to terrorism comments. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal,(PTI file) The EC, taking note of a complaint by the BJP filed a day earlier, on Saturday asked for proof regarding claims made in a Congress ad titled Corruption Rate Card, in which it gave the amounts allegedly charged as bribes for appointments, transfers and government deals. "EC : Seeks proof from Congress for graft claims against BJP. What about : Seeking proof from PM when he accused Congress of " backdoor political negotiations with those linked to terrorism ! Is it that EC dare not seek proof from PM ? Sibal tweeted. The Karnataka Congress has filed a police complaint against Modi for accusing the party of shielding terrorism for the sake of vote-bank during a poll rally in Karnataka on Friday. The complaint filed at Bengalurus High Grounds police station sought action against the prime minister under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act, the Indian Penal Code and other provisions of law. On Friday, Modi began the first leg of his three-day campaign blitz for the May 10 Karnataka assembly election with a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of kneeling before terrorism to save its vote bank as he referred to the protests against the release of controversial film The Kerala Story. The Kerala Story film is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorists design. Congress is opposing the film made on terrorism and standing with terror tendencies. The Congress has shielded terrorism for vote bank, the PM said while addressing the rally. The BJP has always been tough on terrorism. But whenever there is an action taken against terrorism, Congress develops a stomachache. Today, the whole world is worried about terrorism. We have suffered from this for a long time. Terrorism is anti-humanity, anti-human values and anti-development. I am surprised that for the sake of its vote bank, Congress has surrendered before terror. Can such a party protect Karnataka and its civilians in any way. Under the climate of terror, the industries here, the IT industry, farmers, and rich culture and heritage here will be destroyed, Modi said. The Congress, however, was involved in backdoor political bargaining with people that had a proclivity with terror groups, he alleged, adding that people of Karnataka must be cautious about the Congress. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Assam chief Himanta Biswa Sarma once again raked up the Tipu Sultan issue on Sunday, ahead of the Karnataka assembly election, and asked if the erstwhile ruler of Mysore was a freedom fighter, what about the 80,000 Kodavas who died for their homeland. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Bengaluru.(ANI file) Hitting out at the Left's narratives, Sarma said the New India needs a history that recognises the sacrifices made by our heroes to protect their land and dharma. If we were to even examine the argument that #TipuSultan is a freedom fighter solely because he fought against the British to defend his own kingdom, what about the 80,000 Kodavas who bravely sacrificed their lives for their homeland and to safeguard our culture and Dharma ? Enough of history written by the left. New India needs a history that recognizes the sacrifices made by our heroes to protect their land and dharma, the Assam chief minister chief minister tweeted. The debate around Tipu Sultan, the erstwhile 18th-century ruler of Mysore, has taken centrestage in the political corridors of Karnataka. The Bharatiya Janata Party has that the upcoming election will not be fought between the BJP and Congress but between VD Savarkar and Tipu Sultan. On Saturday, Sarma had targeted the Congress during campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka and dubbed its leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar as family members of Tipu Sultan. "Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are family members of Tipu Sultan," Sarma at an election rally in Virajpet assembly of Kodagu district. "I came from Assam and in Assam 17 times Mughals attacked us but Mughals could not defeat us, we remain undefeated. Today, I bow to this holy land because the Kodagu people also defeated Tipu Sultan many times," he added. The BJP leader also said if Siddaramaiah intended to celebrate the Tipu Sultan Jayanti, he should do so in Pakistan. "80,000 people sacrificed their lives. And today, Siddaramaiah is saying that they will celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti. If you want to celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti go and celebrate it in Pakistan and Bangladesh. But you don't have any right to do it in India", Sarma added. "If the Congress will come then slowly Karnataka will also become PFI valley," he alleged. The Congress, in its manifesto, has promised to ban Bajrang Dal in Karnataka if the party comes to power, on the lines of the Popular Front of India, a move which has triggered massive political controversy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid heated political discussions over multiple cups of tea in the small village of Athahalli in Mandya, a diverse range of voices reflected the political divide in the region. The fate of the JD(S) is crucial in Karnatakas political landscape. If the regional party gets more than 35 seats, the chances of Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming a government on their own reduces significantly. (Agencies) While Congress supporters questioned the Janata Dal (Secular) partys attitude towards the villages after HD Kumaraswamys son Nikhil lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, JD(S) loyalists argued that supporting their party was the only way to ensure a Vokkaliga chief minister. Didnt he (Kumaraswamy) take away projects he announced just to get back at us, argued Umesh Gowda, a driver. 53-year-old Ramesh NK, a LIC agent, gets up from the rock he was sitting on. Opposing his friends arguments with the animated hand gestures, he says that once Dodda Gowda (HD Deve Gowda) comes to the village, all the differences will be forgotten. If you want the chief minister to be to Vokkaliga, voting for the JD(S) is the only option, he said, looking at the others for support. But the response from his fellow tea lovers remained muted. Athahalli comes under the Nagamangala constituency, one of the seven seats in the Mandya district swept by the JD(S) in the 2018 elections. The party won the seat with a margin of over 47,000 votes and around 61% vote share. In this election, however, the mood in the villages isnt as undivided. In Bindiganavile village, the headquarters of Nagamangala taluk, Guru Prakash, one of the JD(S) workers who shifted to the Congress, pointed at the lake near the main road. There was some rain, so we got enough water, but the project, which was to irrigate the area, has not taken off. We were staunch JD(S) supporters, but we want someone who takes care of the work, said Prakash. Voices of the voters like Prakash and Gowda resonated across the constituency, but there were enough voices countering them. However, such a shift in support, especially in the strongholds of the JD(S), is concerning for the party known to be the kingmakers of the state. The fate of the JD(S) is crucial in Karnatakas political landscape. If the regional party gets more than 35 seats, the chances of Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming a government on their own reduces significantly. In the 2018 election, the JD(S) won 37 seats, and the community accounts for 11-14% of the states population. Six chief ministers of the state have hailed from the community, and 42 Vokkaliga MLAs were elected in the 2018 assembly elections, 23 from JD(S), 11 from Congress and eight from BJP. The BJP angle Bidappa, (just leave that) said Nyame Gowda of Srirangapatna when asked about the BJP narrative about Uri and Nanje Gowda killing Tipu Sultan. The entire story was cooked up, and they have also realised it. You should not waste time on it. The real issue is that the BJP will gain in votes, said the former government servant. Over the past year, the BJP, a dominant force in northern Karnataka, has raked up Hindutva issues in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the region multiple times, announced development projects and constantly invoked the valour of the 16th-century Vokkaliga chieftain Kempegowda. He even installed a giant statue of him outside the Bengaluru airport. BJP leaders attempted to give a communal colour to many issues, including that of Tipu Sultan. According to Nyame Gowda, it is not what the BJP has done but what JD(S) hasnt done that will help the saffron party. He said that JD(S) MLAs are facing anti-incumbency in the region, but it may not be enough to change the fate of many seats. The rivalry between Congress and JD(S) is old here. So, anyone leaving the JD(S) will not vote for the Congress but BJP. The BJP may not win many seats here, but they will get enough votes to make their presence felt, he added. In the 2019 byelection, in two constituencies in the Old Mysore region, Chikkaballapura and KR Pete, the BJP had registered a surge in its vote share. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJPs vote share in Chikkaballapura was as low as 3.21% whereas, in the recent by-polls, the party won with 48.53% of votes polled. In KR Pete in Mandya district, which has traditionally been the forte of the JD(S), the BJPs vote share in the 2018 election was as low as 5.64%. In the by-polls, the party candidate Narayan Gowda who switched his allegiance from the JD(S) to the BJP, won the election garnering a 39.41% vote share which is the first for the BJP in this constituency. DK Shivakumar factor In July last year, by making his chief ministerial ambition clear, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar gave a clarion call to the Vokkaliga community to support his chief ministerial bid. Shivakumar conveyed his CM ambition to the Vokkaligas gathering, saying, Ive reached this stage. For me to become the CM, the Congress should come to power. For that, Ive asked people to rally behind me. The base vote of the Congress party is around 34%. Only once did the partys vote share go below this mark in 1994, it was 26%. Even though the BJPs base vote is around 34%, as the vote banks are concentrated, it could win them up to 100 seats. For Congress to get over 40% vote share, they will have to get votes from the Vokkaliga community, and the party was counting on DK Shivakumar to aid this shift of votes. But in the villages of Mandya, Ramanagaram and Bengaluru rural, dominated by the Vokkaliga community, Shivakumar is not considered a mass leader of the community. Puttanna Gowda of Channamanahalli village said that if the Vokkaligas want a chief minister from their community, it can only be HD Kumaraswamy. Shivakumar is a city man. What will he understand about the needs of the villages? he said. When asked about his influence over the Vokkaliga voter banks, Shivakumar said he was a pan-state leader and not limited to a party. I am not just a Vokkaliga leader. I stand for all sections of the society. May it be Lingayats, Vokkaligas or the backward classes, I have support from all of them. Like the Congress party, even I am for everyone. I want to be a representative of all sections of the society, he said. The dip in the chart A JD(S) leader in Mandya said that the party had requested former prime minister and senior party leader Deve Gowda to campaign in the district extensively towards the end of the campaign. We are at a position where we can lose seats. We are at the top. In some seats, we have tough fights. So, if anything can work in our favour, it will be the presence of the senior Gowda, he said. However, the numbers dont look good for the JD(S). As per a survey by Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), 2,143 randomly selected voters from across 21 randomly selected assembly constituencies found that Vokkaligas appear to be divided mainly between the Congress and JD(S). Among them, 34% supported the Congress, and 36% favoured the JD(S). The consolidation of Vokkaliaga votes led to a Congress seat tally coming below 20 and JD(S) going beyond 30 seats in the region in 2018. The trend is likely to see a shift if the sentiments on the ground are to be believed. But former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy remains confident. According to him, the party will cross the 40 seats mark in the upcoming election. We gained traction as we focused on groundwork well before the state switched into poll mode. Those who said JD(S) would not win more than 15 seats are now saying that the party can win around 40 seats. We will win more than that this year, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Twelve years ago, in March 2011, India handed over a list of 50 most wanted fugitives in Pakistan during bilateral Home Secretary-level talks here in the Capital with Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) Chief Paramjit Singh Panjwars name prominent among other notorious notables taking hospitality of the Pakistani deep state. Paramjit Singh Panjwar was designated a terrorist under the UAPA, and has been accused of drug smuggling, dealing with fake Indian currency, and a list of five dastardly crimes. Today, the murder of a 63-year-old once dreaded terrorist at 6 am on Saturday was featured in prominent Pakistan media as a routine killing of a Pakistani Sikh called Sardar Singh Malik. Panjwar was pumped with bullets fired from a 30 calibre pistol as he took his morning constitutional at Johar Town in Lahore along with his gunman. There is no mention of the injured gunman in Pakistani media as Khalistan votary Panjwar died in abject anonymity with Islamabad not ready to give visa to his Germany-based sons to travel to Pakistan for his last rites. In the meantime, preparations are being made in his Panjwar village in Tarn Taran in Punjab to conduct religious ceremonies at the behest of Sangrur MP Simranjeet Singh Mann to mark the death of the Khalistan terrorist. The murder of Panjwar in Lahore demolished Pakistan's lie once again as it has blatantly denied the presence of any of the Indian fugitives in their country including the 1993 Mumbai carnage main accused Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen. Panjwar was designated a terrorist under the UAPA by the Union Home Ministry on July 1, 2020, and has been accused of drug smuggling, dealing with fake Indian currency, and a list of five dastardly crimes including killing 18 students of Thappar Engineering College, Patiala in cold blood. He was also responsible for trafficking Afghan heroin to the US, UK, Germany, and Canada to raise funds for separatists to target India. None of this finds any mention in Pakistan's major media and Panjwar in all probability will be buried in an unmarked grave in Lahore by his handlers in Pakistan ISI. It is understood the entire Khalistan operation is handled by an Army Colonel in the ISI Directorate. While Panjwar has now been confined to the dustbin of Khalistan separatist history, the killing inadvertently would also put of the fear of god into other Indian fugitives hiding in Pakistan even though no group has claimed responsibility for the gunning down of the KCF chief. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A terror associate was apprehended and a huge amount of improvised explosive devices (IED) was recovered averting a major tragedy in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Sunday. Around 5-6 kg of IED was recovered by police following the disclosure by the terror associate identified as Ishfaq Ahmed Wani, a resident of Arigam in the Pulwama district. A case has been registered in the matter and the investigation is underway. IED recovered by Pulwama police. Kashmir Zone Police tweeted: Pulwama Police averted a major tragedy by apprehending a #terror associate Ishfaq Ahmed Wani R/O Arigam #Pulwama and recovering an #IED (approx 5-6Kgs) on his disclosure. Case registered and investigation started. The recovery was made two days after five soldiers were killed in a terror ambush in Rajouris Kandi forest area. The security forces established contact with the holed-up terrorists on Saturday morning and one ultra was neutralised in the ensuing gunbattle. Another terrorist is likely to be injured in the encounter, according to the Army. No fresh contact has been established since then with remaining terrorists in the forested Kandi area as a massive search operation entered the third day on Sunday, reported PTI quoting officials. There was no fresh contact with the terrorists after Saturdays encounter. The area witnessed heavy rains in the evening (Saturday) but the operation is on and the area remains under tight security cordon with all escape routes plugged, a senior security official said. Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday took stock of the operational preparedness of the Indian Army and the security situation along the Line of Control during his visit to the headquarters of the 25 Infantry Division in Rajouri. Singh was accompanied by Army chief Gen Manoj Pande and Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha. The minister paid condolences to the fallen soldiers and commended the troops for their valour and zeal while operating in challenging situations. Singh said the nation feels secure due to the eternal vigil and sacrifices by Army in hard and difficult areas. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PRAYAGRAJ: The Phaphamau police on Sunday arrested a man for the murder of a 55-year-old woman Keshlali whose body was found in the fields in Rangpura area on May 2. The arrested man belongs to the same village and confessed to have committed the murder after a scuffle over irrigating his fields, said police. On the confession of the accused, the axe used in the crime was recovered (Pic for representation) SHO of Phaphamau police station Ashish Singh said the body of Keshlali, bearing severe injury marks, was found in the fields on May 2. On the complaint of her son Rakesh Yadav, an FIR was lodged against unidentified assailants. After investigations, Shyam Yadav of the same village was arrested. He confessed to his crime and told the police that Keshlali used to run a tubewell through which she used to irrigate fields of farmers in return for money. Shyams fields were earlier irrigated by Keshlali but he had not made payment. However, he was pressurising Keshlali to irrigate his fields again. On May 2, Shyam had a scuffle with Keshlali over the issue following which he assaulted her with an axe and killed her, police said. On the confession of the accused, the axe used in the crime was recovered, the SHO added. The Indian Army and Assam Rifles, which had been called to quell the ethnic violence in Manipur, have rescued more than 23,000 civilians and moved them to the operating bases and military Garrisons, the army said in a statement on Sunday. Vehicles set ablaze after a clash broke out during the 'Tribal Solidarity March called by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Torbung area of Churachandpur to protest the demand of Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley, in Manipur on Thursday.(ANI) News agency ANI reported that since the rescue operations began, no incidents of violence have been reported and the curfew hours had been relaxed from 7am to 10am. Ray of hope due to efforts of 120- 125 Army and Assam Rifles columns who are working tirelessly for past 96 hours to rescue civilians across all communities, curb violence and restore normalcy has emerged with no major violence being reported and curfew, therefore being relaxed from 7-10 am today in Churachandpur followed by flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter, the army statement said. In the past 24 hours, Manipur witnessed the army significantly increasing surveillance efforts by using aerial means. There has also been an increase in Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as well as army helicopters in the Imphal valley, ANI reported. Since Wednesday, clashes took place between Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal valley with over 53 per cent of the total state population, and the tribal communities, especially Kukis, residing in the hill districts. The immediate trigger for the violence was a proposal to include Meiteis in the scheduled tribe category. The toll after ethnic clashes in Manipur rose to at least 55 on Saturday but there was little clarity on the true scale of the damage and fatalities. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter to slam the BJP for the violence in Manipur. As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised. The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. Its time for Presidents Rule; the state Govt is just not up to the job they were elected to do, Tharoor tweeted. Meanwhile, the number of people that have escaped Manipur and fled to the border areas of Assam, including Cachar, grew to at least 1,500 on Saturday. Eight camps have been set up by the Assam government, and a peace committee has been set up. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hitting out at the ruling BJP in Manipur over the clashes between tribals and members of the dominant Meitei community, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday called for President's rule in the state. Tharoor said the voters of Manipur are feeling gross betrayed just a year after voting the Bharatiya Janata Party back into power. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called for President's rule in Manipur. As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised, Tharoor wrote on Twitter. The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. Its time for Presidents Rule; the state Govt is just not up to the job they were elected to do, he added. The northeastern state saw ethnic clashes between Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal Valley with over 53% of the total state population, and the tribal communities, especially Kukis, residing in the hill districts. The immediate trigger for the violence was a proposal to include Meiteis in the scheduled tribe (ST) category. The death toll rose to at least 55 on Saturday but there was little clarity on the true scale of the damage and fatalities after the state convulsed through two days of violence. The state government, meanwhile, has relaxed the curfew that prohibited the movement of any person outside their homes will be relaxed for three hours in violence-hit Manipur's Churachandpur district on Sunday morning to allow people to buy essential items, according to a notification. The curfew imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be relaxed from 7 am to 10 am, it said. It was also relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. "With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, I'm pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below (sic)," chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted on Saturday night, sharing a copy of the notification. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The blast outside a temple in Tamil Nadus Coimbatore last year was planned in the interior forests of the states Erode district during conspiracy meetings, which were attended by self-inspired Islamic State (IS) operative Jameesha Mubeen, who wanted to do something spectacular, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said in a charge sheet. HT Image Inspired by Maulvi Zahran bin Hashim, a Sri Lankan radical Islamic cleric who was the mastermind of April 21, 2019 bombings in the island nation that claimed over 260 lives, Mubeen wanted to carry out similar attacks in India, NIA has said in its first charge sheet filed on April 20. On October 23 last year, a vehicle carrying improvised explosive device (IED) and being driven by Jameesha Mubeen exploded outside the Kottai Eswaran Temple in Coimbatore. Mubeen was killed in the blast. Conspiracy meetings were organised in the interior of forested regions of Asanoor and Kadambur areas of Sathyamangalam forest, Erode district, in February 2022, which were attended by Umar Farooq, Jameesha Mubeen, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sheikh Hidayatullah and Sanofar Ali, where they decided to prepare for and execute spectacular terror acts in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, said an NIA official, sharing details of the charge sheet. The agency has named six people in its first charge sheet who had helped Mubeen to prepare for the blast. According to the charge sheet, Mubeen started preparing for the attack by gathering items for preparation of IED, the official said, requesting anonymity. His associates Mohammed Asarutheen, Mohammed Thalha, Firos, Mohammed Riyas, Navas and Afsar Khan helped in arranging logistics. For instance, Thalha sourced the Maruti 800 car which was used in the blast; Firos, Riyas and Navas had loaded explosives, gas cylinders, etc in the car, so that it leads to multiple explosions and fire; while his cousins Asarutheen and Afsar procured, weighed, mixed and packed the chemical constituents used to manufacture the bomb, the officer added, citing the charge sheet. The anti-terror probe agency had recovered handwritten notes from Mubeens residence in which targets, including government buildings, district court, parks, and railway stations, were mentioned. The anti-terror probe agency had recovered handwritten notes from Mubeens residence in which targets including government buildings, district court, parks, railway stations etc were mentioned. Mubeen was questioned by NIA in 2019 as well, while Azharuddin had headed an IS module in Coimbatore in 2018-19. Other accused in the case are currently lodged in different prisons. NIA has till date arrested at least 175 people in close to 40 cases of terror attacks, conspiracy and funding which have been inspired by the IS ideology in India. The charge sheets have been filed in over 32 cases linked to the IS. It has also prepared a databank on IS modules busted so far with detailed analysis on handlers, funding, modus operandi, countries visited, and ideologues etc. Concluding his campaign for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress was bringing in veteran leaders for election rallies as it was scared and accused it of advocating for separating the state from the country. The PM held the second part of his roadshow in Bengaluru.(HT_PRINT) Also read: Congress called its veteran leader in Karnataka because they are scared: PM Modi The PM held the second part of his roadshow in Bengaluru, covering the central and eastern parts of the state capital, on Sunday, and addressed two elections rallies in Shivamogga and Mysuru. At the public meeting in Mysuru, he accused the top leadership of the Congress of indulging in activities that insult Indias sovereignty. Not only Karnataka, I want to tell this to the entire country with a lot of pain that in this election Congresss shahi parivar yesterday came to Karnataka and said that they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka, he said. Do you know what is the meaning of it... When a country becomes independent, that country is called a sovereign country. The meaning of what Congress is saying is that the Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India, he said. In a veiled attack at the Gandhi family, the PM said, When it comes to working against Indias interests, Congresss royal family will be at the forefront. I want to speak about a serious issue here, I want to say it as there is a lot of pain in my heart. This country can never forgive such a game. This family, to influence the politics in the country, is encouraging foreign forces to interfere. Further accusing the Congress of creating a rift between the states and spreading communal fire, the PM said that whenever the party did such things, the people of India united to defeat them. I had never thought that the disease of the tukde-tukde gang would reach the Congress top level, he said, accusing the party of insulting Kannada fighters who fought for Indias independence and insulting the patriotism of crores of Kannadigas. Congress wanted to somehow come to power in Karnataka to get political oxygen, he said, adding that people here can never forgive them for this sin... Congress will get the response for this on May 10 with full strength. Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a rally in Shivamogga, where he said that the Congress was scared because its lies did not work. Now, the Congress is so afraid and scared that when their lies did not work, then those who are not taking part in campaigning are being brought here. The Congress has started dumping the responsibility of defeat on each other, he said. His comment came a day after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed a rally in Huballi-Dharwad her first election campaign activity since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jagadish Shettar is contesting as a Congress candidate from the constituency. Both politics and development work of Congress are only on paper. They can never develop Karnataka. They are just peddling lies. Women of Karnataka were completely neglected by the Congress government in past. They have done no development work for the farmers. BJP has worked for the farmers of the state. Now all the lies of Congress are fully exposed and the BJP will form government with a full majority, Modi said. Expressing gratitude for the overwhelming response he received during his roadshow, which was cut short due to the NEET exam, in Bengaluru, Modi said, I have received so much love from the people of Karnataka, that language is not going to be a barrier between us. The NEET exam was supposed to be conducted today. Hence, I told my party members that our exam might be on May 10, but the childrens exam has to be kept in mind. So, we took out our road show in the morning itself and completed it early, he said. The PMs roadshow was initially scheduled to be an eight-hour affair on Saturday, but was split into two parts to avoid inconvenience to the public. In view of the national eligibility cum entrance test, the BSP further modified the two-day event. Also read: Karnataka elections: Sonia enters campaign arena, accuses BJP of spreading hate Targeting the PM and the BJP over the roadshow, the Congress tweeted, If you look at the roads being blocked and the people locked up inside, it is doubtful that India really got Independence. A woman with a young child had to fight with the police because could not take the auto. Kannadigas have had no benefit from Modi, and now, there is no peace as well. Is this democracy? Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, at a public meeting in Kalaburagi, said, Modi keeps saying what the Congress has done in the last 70 years if we hadnt done anything in 70 years, you would not have been the Prime Minister of this country. We brought Independence. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will be on May 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the Congress was scared and had called its veteran leader (Sonia Gandhi) for campaigning in Karnataka after its lies did not work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Karnataka (Twitter/ANI) Ending his poll campaign with a rally in Shivamogga, the prime minister without naming Gandhi, took a swipe at the Congress leader for addressing a rally on Saturday in Huballi-Dharward, from where former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagadish Shettar is the Congress candidate. Gandhi addressed a rally in in northern Karnatakas Huballi, where she accused PM Modi and the BJP of spreading falsehoods and dividing the country. Sonia Gandhi, 76, had not participated in an election rally since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Now, the Congress is so afraid and scared that when their lies did not work, then those who are not taking part in campaigning are being brought here. The Congress has started dumping the responsibility of defeat on each other, Modi said. Also Read: Corruption, unemployment are real terrorism in Karnataka: Priyanka Gandhi During the rally, Modi, who was presented with a Hanuman idol and saffron-coloured Shivaji turban, declared that the Congress balloon of lies was no longer effective, as the people had burst it. PM Modi expressed gratitude for the overwhelming response he received during his roadshow in Bengaluru earlier in the day, which was cut short due to the NEET exam. PM Modi embarked on an 8-kilometre roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday, covering the eastern part of the city. The two-day mega roadshow ended at the Trinity Circle. The PM began his rally with the Bajrang Bali ki jai. I have received so much love from the people of Karnataka, that language is not going to be a barrier between us, Modi said. Further slamming the Congress, Modi said, Both politics and development work of Congress are only on paper. They can never develop Karnataka. They are just peddling lies. Women of Karnataka were completely neglected by the Congress government in the past. BJP has worked for the farmers of the state. Now all the lies of Congress are fully exposed and the BJP will form a government with full majority (in Karnataka), Modi said. Sundays affair was shorter than the three-hour roadshow the prime minister held on Saturday in Bengaluru, on a different route. It marked the end of campaigning in Bengaluru for the saffron party ahead of the Assembly polls slated on May 10. Thousands of supporters lined both sides of the road, showering flowers on the prime minister and chanting slogans such as Modi, Modi, and Bharat Mata ki Jai amid the sounds of the beating of drums. The PM was accompanied in the specially-designed vehicle by Union minister of state and Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan. The roadshow, earlier scheduled to be held for eight hours on Saturday alone, was split into two parts to avoid inconvenience to the public. On Saturday, Modi held a 26 km roadshow in the state capital, passing through parts of south and central Bengaluru, touching about a dozen Assembly segments. Also Read: Election commission should ban prime ministers campaigning in Karnataka: Gehlot According to Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, around a million people showed up for PM Modis mega road show. Slamming Modi for causing inconvenience to the public with its roadshow in Bengaluru, the Karnataka Congress took to Twitter and said: If you look at the roads being blocked and the people locked up inside, it is doubtful that India really got independence. A woman with a young child had to fight with the police because could not take the auto. Kannadigas have had no benefit from Modi, and now, there is no peace as well. Is this democracy? Attacking Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said only his jacket is famous and he changes it four times a day. Modi keeps saying what the Congress has done in the last 70 years. Arre Bhai, if we hadnt done anything in 70 years, you would not have been the PM of this country. We brought independence, Kharge said at a public meeting in Kalaburagi on Sunday. Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah held a massive roadshow at the Belagavi South constituency, where he was seen along with Belagavi South BJP candidate Abhay Patil, and urged the people of Belagavi to vote for the BJP. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will be on May 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe who were evacuated from Sudan through Operation Kaveri, in Shivamogga. PM Modi interacting with members of Hakki Pikki tribe on Sunday in Shivamogga(ANI) The evacuees profusely thanked the Prime Minister for the proactive steps taken by the government in ensuring their timely and safe evacuation, officials said, adding that they recounted the tough circumstances that they faced in Sudan and how the government and the Indian Embassy had ensured their safety. The evacuees expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying the government ensured that they escaped "without a scratch", an official said. The Prime Minister recalled to the tribal people how their forefathers had stood alongside 16th century ruler Maharana Pratap, and stressed that if any Indian anywhere in the whole world was in any kind of difficulty, the government would not rest until the problem was resolved. Also Read | Ashok Gehlot urges poll panel to ban PM Modi from campaigning in Karnataka Some politicians tried to politicise the issue, and our concern was that if they expose where Indians are hidden, they may face greater danger. So the government worked quietly to ensure everyones safety, Modi was quoted as saying. The Prime Minister asked the Hakki Pikki people to remember the strength of the country which had stood up for them, and asked them to always be ready to help those in trouble and contribute to society and country. The evacuees told the Prime Minister about how people in foreign countries had faith in Indian medicines and become happy on hearing that they are from India, the officials said. PM Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election campaign in Karnataka has received enormous popularity. Modi's rally in the state capital Bengaluru has been the most touted one. Amongst the roadshows and the rallies that the Prime Minister held, his 36.6-km-long roadshow in the state capital gained massive traction. The roadshow covered 17 out of the 28 assembly constituencies in Bengaluru. PM Modi to Asaduddin Owaisi - here are the list of people who made news this week.(HT File Photo) King Charles III: King Charles III was officially crowned as the monarch of the United Kingdom on Saturday at Westminster Abbey. The coronation of King Charles III was the first in the last 70 years. In addition to being the head of the state of Britain, King Charles III assumed the role of the monarch for 14 other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Papua New Guinea among others. Arvind Kejriwal: The Delhi CM has been in the news over controversies related to his house renovation. It was reported that an amount of 44.78 crore was spent on renovating the residence of CM Arvind Kejriwal in Civil Lines between November 2020 to April 2022 when the world grappled with Covid-19. Adding fuel to the fire, conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, on Saturday, alleged that he paid for the high-end furniture and bedding at the AAP chief's house. Rahul Gandhi: The Congress leader visited the DU campus hostel on Friday and interacted with the students. The DU proctor Rajni Abbi raised an objection to his visit and said that the leader breached security. She added that many students complained that they didn't get food due to the crowd gathered at the hostel premises at the time of his visit. Asaduddin Owaisi: The AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as she campaigned for BJP turncoat Jagadish Shettar in Karnataka. Congress has fielded Jagadish Shettar from the Hubbali-Dharwad Central constituency. Shettar won the previous assembly elections from this constituency on a BJP ticket. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday said that corruption, price rise and unemployment are the real terrorism in Karnataka and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had failed to address the actual issues of the people. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi (Twitter Photo) BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are always talking about religious and national security issues when elections are around the corner, Priyanka said, addressing a public meeting at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district. During his visit for the Karnataka elections, the prime minister talked about terrorism. I was surprised as to why terrorism was being discussed in the context of Karnataka. I would like to inform the prime minister that in Karnataka, on average, five farmers are losing their lives every day. If there is any form of terrorism in Karnataka, it is the terrorism of unemployment, rising prices, and corruption, the Congress leader said. Also Read: Congress called its veteran leader in Karnataka because they are scared: PM Modi She claimed that over the past four years, 6,487 farmers died by suicide due to poverty, over 542 have died due to rising prices, over 3,000 have died due to unemployment, and more than 1,600 have taken their lives. Prime minister Modi, if there is terrorism in Karnataka, then it is your governments 40% terrorism because the state government is responsible for addressing these issues. It has become a trend for BJP leaders to focus on religious and security issues during election campaigns and mislead the public. While these issues are important, we must not forget the pressing issues that are affecting the state Priyanka said. She added that the BJP-led Union government destroyed the idea of bank nationalisation by merging four public sector banks Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank and Canara Bank which were the pride of Mangaluru. Priyanka alleged that all the airports and sea ports in the country, including the New Mangalore Port, are being sold to crorepatis who are friends of the BJP regime at the Centre, thereby denying employment to thousands of locals. The BJP is now trying to destroy dairy cooperative Karnataka Milk Federations Nandini milk brand which has been serving the people of Karnataka by merging it with Amul which is based out of Gujarat, she charged. The Congress leader also asked people to exercise caution while selecting the right candidate, saying their focus should be on employment and the future. Gas cylinders, diesel, petrol everything has become costly because of the corrupt government, she said. Priyanka added, if voted to power, all the people-friendly schemes of the previous Congress government in the state, including low-cost food outlets in Indira canteens will be restored. Every promise in the guarantee card given to the people will be fulfilled, she said. Congress has announced five guarantees 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), 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 (Yuva Nidhi), along with the promise of free travel for women in public transport buses upon coming to power in the state. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting at Anekal in Bengaluru Urban on Sunday and reiterated the corruption allegations against the ruling BJP in the state. Scams are everywhere you look. MLAs son is caught with 8 crore and a BJP MLA says that CM post can be bought for 2,500 crore. The corruption prevalent in Karnataka is known to a 6-year-old, Rahul alleged. Also Read: Election commission should ban prime ministers campaigning in Karnataka: Gehlot There is a BJP government here since the last three years and PM Modi would also know about the corruption in Karnataka. You had said that the double engine was stolen. So, Modi Ji, tell me which engine got how much of the 40% commission? he asked. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appealed to the public to elect the Congress party in the upcoming elections and called the BJP rule in the state a trouble engine government. Defeat the price rise imposed by Trouble Engine Govt. Stop the loot of 40 per cent Commission Sarkara. Elect Congress, Elect Progress! Kharge wrote on Twitter. Union home minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, slammed the Congress for its false promises, and expressed confidence that the BJP would come to power with a full majority. We will win the elections with a full majority or at least half mark plus 15 seats. In these four years, Yediyurappa and Bommai-led government has done a lot of work. Congress gives false promises everywhere and loses elections. They take support of SDPI and PFI which Karnataka people dont like and are furious about it, Shah said. (With inputs from agencies) Political leaders paid tributes to Bengali polymath and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his 162nd birth anniversary. Remembering the Tagore, Union minister for road, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari tweeted, Remembering Nobel laureate and true soul of our National Anthem Jana-Gana-Mana Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore ji on his birth anniversary." Rabindranath jayanti: Rabindranath Tagore birth anniversary: Rabindranath Tagore painting at his desk.(Wikimedia Commons) The Congress also paid tributes to Tagore. On his birth anniversary, we remember Nobel Laureate and the man who composed India's National Anthem, Rabindranath Tagore. The Bard of Bengal' contributed immensely to Bengali literature and became the first Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Today, we cherish his legacy, the party tweeted. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde wrote: Greetings to Asia's first Nobel laureate, world-renowned Indian poet, writer, philosopher and educationist and composer of the Indian national anthem, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary. The official Twitter page of the Nobel Prize is celebrating the anniversary of the birth of a true great Rabindranath Tagore. "We're celebrating the anniversary of the birth of a true great: Rabindranath Tagore, who was born #OnThisDay in 1861 in Calcutta, India. The first non-European literature laureate, he was awarded the #NobelPrize because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse... Facts about Rabindranath Tagore: Rabindranath Tagore was born, according to the Gregorian calendar, on May 7 in 1861, but according to the Bengali calendar, it was the 25th of Baishakh. A poet, musician and artist, reshaped Bengali literature and music, introduced Indias rich cultural heritage to the West and was the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize. He also composed Jana Gana Mana, Indias national anthem. He is famous by many names - Gurudev, Kabiguru, Biswakabi and is often referred to as "the Bard of Bengal". The most widely held view is that Sri Lankan composer Ananda Samarakoon wrote the music and lyrics of the Sri Lankan national anthem inspired by Tagore. It was Tagore who gave Gandhi the title of Mahatma. He also regularly corresponded with the eminent scientist Albert Einstein and the duo held each other in great esteem. The Bengali polymath gave the world Gitanjali, a collection of sensitive Bengali poems, which won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Some of Rabindranath Tagore's best-known works, apart from Gitanjali, include Gora (Fair-Faced) and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World), Chokher Bali, Kabuliwallah, The Postmaster and Shesher Kabita, among others. Tagore was married to Mrinalini Devi in 1883 and the couple had five children. His wife passed away in 1902 and he breathed his last on August 7, 1941, aged 80. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Several states have made arrangements including sending special flights to bring back their students and residents from ethnic clashes-hit Manipur, where at least 55 people have been killed so far in widespread violence that started last week. Students from Tripura, studying in Manipur, arrive in Agartala by a special flight arranged by the government. (ANI) Also read: Thousands rescued as Manipur remains tense Since May 3, clashes took place between Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal Valley with over 53% of the state population, and the tribal communities, especially Kukis, residing in hill districts. The immediate trigger for the violence was a proposal to include Meiteis in the scheduled tribe category. A total of 128 students of Sikkim were rescued from violence-hit Manipur, and were being brought back to the state on Sunday, officials said. The stranded students were first brought to Kolkata from Imphal on flights arranged by the Sikkim government. From Kolkata, they boarded buses for Siliguri in north Bengal, from where they will be brought to Gangtok by SNT buses, officials said. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said they were closely watching the situation in the northeastern state. A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students, the chief minister said in a statement. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also voiced concern over the safety of students from the state. The news of some students of Rajasthan being trapped in Manipur violence is worrying, he said in a tweet in Hindi. The Kerala government has also requested the Manipur government to take care of the safety of its residents stranded in the violence-hit state. Senior Congress leader VD Satheesan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to ensure safety of Kerala residents stuck in Manipur and their return to the southern state. In the letter, Satheesan, the leader of opposition in Kerala assembly, also raised concerns about the tragic events of vandalism of Christian churches and persecution of members of the Christian community in the state of Manipur. His statement came a day after the Church raised its concern over Christians been targeted in Manipur. On Saturday, the Andhra Pradesh government set up a helpline and a control room in Delhi to help bring back states students, who are studying in Manipur. We are in constant touch with Manipur government and local administration to ensure all help, the Andhra Pradesh government said in a statement. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that efforts were underway to reach out to states students in Manipur and provided helpline numbers for those seeking assistance. The Nagaland government has deployed 22 buses to bring back around 600 people from the state who are stranded in Manipur, said deputy chief minister Y Patton. The Tripura government led by chief minister Manik Saha arranged two special flights to evacuate states students. Also read: Shashi Tharoor calls for President's rule in Manipur: voters feeling grossly betrayed The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Sunday made arrangements to evacuate stranded people and bring in additional troops to Manipur. Curfew was relaxed in some parts of the state on Sunday. The AAI in coordination with the Manipur government indefinitely extended 24-hour flight operations at the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in the state capital Imphal. As internet services have been suspended in the state, the AAI has set up help desks with LAN internet facility at the airport for the printing of flight tickets with food services available for stranded passengers. Alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has written a new letter to Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and lauded her performance at the recent Filmfare Awards, promising her a super surprise on her birthday on August 11. This photo of Sukesh Chandrashekhar and actor Jacqueline Fernandez went viral last year. Chandrashekhar, lodged in Delhi's Mandoli jail in connection with several frauds, issued the letter through his advocate Anant Malik on Thursday and expressed his love for Jacqueline and how much he has missed her. "My love, my baby Jacqueline, my bomma I watched the Filmfare Awards on April 28, I should confess that you were outstanding, and your performance was the best. In the whole show your dance act was the showstopper baby, you were elegant, classy, super-hot and you have made me in love with you even more crazier all over again. I just have no words, you are a Bom, Super Star, My Baby Girl," Chandrashekhar's letter read. "I am blessed to have you in my life, My Queen. Botta Bomma, I love you to bits my everything, every second it's only about you, you know how crazily I love you, also know how crazily you love me. "I have been missing you way too much... Also I have a super surprise for your birthday, you are gonna love it, I am keeping my promise! Can't wait! Baby I just want you to keep smiling, I am here, the countdown for the truth has begun, don't worry baby," the letter added. In his previous letter last month, Chandrasekhar sent Easter wishes to Jacqueline and wrote that he missed celebrating the festival with the actress and showered her with compliments, including that there was "no one as pretty as her on the planet". My bunny rabbityou and me forever come what may mine forever, the letter declared his commitment. While continuously expressing how much he missed her, Chandrasekhar had also expressed confidence that Jacqueline shared his feelings and even assured her that the next Easter will be the best ever she has celebrated in her life. Chandrasekhar also mentioned Jacquelines one of the latest television advertisements of the Lux Cozy brand. Baby I was thinking about us yesterday while I watched your latest ad Lux Cozythat ad was so about us, he said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made Jacqueline an accused in a supplementary chargesheet filed against Chandrashekhar in a Delhi court. The earlier chargesheet filed by the ED said actresses Jacqueline and Nora Fatehi received BMW cars, and other expensive gifts from the accused. The chargesheet said Fernandez got three designer bags from Gucci, Chanel, and two Gucci outfits for gym wear. A pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a bracelet of multi-coloured stones, two Hermes bracelets. She also received a Mini Cooper which she returned. Last month, a court in Delhi allowed Chandrashekhar to buy a cake for his wife's birthday from the prison bakery, saying he needs to be given the confidence to be emotionally connected and attached with his family members. The couple is incarcerated in the Mandoli prison complex on charges of alleged money laundering and duping several people. The court directed the superintendent of Mandoli jail to hand over the cake to Chandrashekhar's wife Leena Paulose on April 28. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three days after moving into an assisted living facility in Amherst, John Allen walked out the door and set off a frantic search by police, the public and worried family members. The 70-year-old, who has Parkinsons disease and dementia, was missing for nearly 30 hours last weekend in cold, soggy conditions before a neighbors tip helped lead police to him. He was found lying in the mud chilled, dehydrated and covered in scratches and tick bites. He was in such bad shape that his children didnt initially recognize him at the hospital. I thought we found the wrong person, said Reba Allen, Johns daughter. Amherst police have closed their investigation but the state Health Department and Attorney Generals Office are both looking into the incident at Brompton Heights. This is at least the second time in six years that a resident has wandered away despite a security alarm system that's meant to prevent such occurrences. The 200-bed facility at 275 Brompton Road, owned by Buffalo-based Hamister Group LLC, is one of the largest assisted living facilities in Erie County and one of the most penalized by state regulators in recent years. Brompton Heights defended its handling of the incident. Everyone at Brompton Heights is relieved that Mr. Allen was found safe, a Brompton Heights spokesperson said. All protocols were followed. And a preliminary review by state regulators found that personnel acted appropriately throughout this situation. John Allens children remain shaken by the incident. But they are grateful for the efforts of the police and others, even strangers, who helped find their father. I mean it when I say Buffalo is a place like no other when it comes to these kinds of things, said Rory Allen, Johns son. Comfortable with facility John Allen worked as a machinist and was a well-known area musician who played saxophone and flute in the Outer Circle Orchestra. His family said he was diagnosed with Parkinsons eight years ago and this disease is known to lead to some dementia. He has moments of lucidity, and his short-term memory is sharp, but he can get confused and his mental acuity tends to decline later in the day, Reba Allen said, a condition known as sundowning. John Allens family recently needed to find a temporary place for him to stay because his wife had surgery scheduled and would not be able to care for him during her recovery. About three weeks ago, John Allen moved into his sons North Buffalo home. One day, Reba Allen visited her father, who asked her to drive him to see a friend in Allentown. She said she couldnt. That evening, John Allen went anyway, packing a suitcase and walking 4 miles before arriving in the early morning hours. Days later, the Allens placed him at Brompton Heights. The family was comfortable with what they saw at the facility. They were very attentive to his needs, Reba Allen said. It just seemed great at the time. Facility employees demonstrated the security measures in place to keep residents safe. They explained residents wore bracelets with sensors that would set off an alarm if they tried to leave though they didnt allow staff to track their location. They told us that if, if the alarm goes off, there's somebody there and that he wont get two steps out the door, Reba Allen said. A frantic search John Allen moved into Brompton Heights on April 26. Three days later, he went missing. Staff told police they last saw John Allen around 5:30 p.m. April 29. Reba Allen said she got a message from her fathers wife, who had been alerted by the facility, at 7:17 p.m. Rory and Reba Allen said they dont know why the facility waited two hours before notifying them and Amherst police. By 9:30 p.m., police K-9 units arrived to track John Allens scent. It seemed he left through a facility side door, walked toward Brompton Road and headed south toward Main Street, Reba Allen said. He then went west on Main Street, his children said, toward Williamsville. At some point, he turned around and started walking east but the dogs lost his scent. Police issued a missing person alert at 11:25 p.m. April 29. His children grew worried as the temperature fell into the 40s overnight. Rory Allen shared news of his fathers disappearance on Facebook, receiving numerous well-intentioned tips in response. Then, on the afternoon of April 30, Dr. Jared Shatkin and his girlfriend, Alyssa Russell, called police to say they had seen John Allen a few hours earlier. Shatkin said he and Russell came home from breakfast around 11 a.m. when they saw an older man walking behind their Beresford Court home, south of Brompton Heights. Thick woods and trails are behind the homes on the east side of Beresford. At the time, Shatkin and Russell didnt know police were looking for someone missing from Brompton Heights. But a few hours later, Russell spotted the online alert for John Allen, Shatkin said. The man they had seen looked exactly like John Allen, the couple realized. They called 911 and, soon after, contacted Rory Allen through Facebook. It was just like we were at the right place at the right time, Shatkin said. 'We found him' The sighting revived the search for John Allen. Police returned to search the woods near Beresford Court. Reba Allen drove to the scene and waited there for several hours before opting to return home to wait for news. By this point, more than 24 hours had passed since John Allen vanished. Sometime after 10 p.m. April 30, Reba Allen got a call from Amherst Police Detective Samantha Kozlowski. "We found him," the detective told Reba Allen. "He's alive." Reba and Rory Allen met their father in the emergency room at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. He had dirt on his teeth. He had cuts on his lip. He looked like he had been hanging out in a puddle, Rory Allen said. He remained in the hospital as of Friday, with doctors worried about the effect of dehydration on his kidneys and about Lyme disease from the tick bites, his children said. John Allen hasnt said where he was headed that night. His children figure he was trying to get somewhere in Buffalo before he realized how far away he was and turned around to return to the facility. Theres a big gap in the timeline of where he was, Rory Allen said. The family is still figuring out what to do once he is healthy enough to be discharged. He will not return to Brompton Heights, his children said. They don't understand why the facility doesnt have tracking capability in the security bracelets and they hope this incident prompts Brompton Heights to make this change. I would call it a big deficiency in their system, Rory Allen said, because for $25 you could put an (Apple) AirTag on the bracelet. Amherst police say no criminal charges are pending against the facility or its employees. The state Attorney Generals Office is reviewing the incident. The Health Department launched an investigation May 1 into the incident, spokesperson Monica Pomeroy said. Not the first time This isn't the first time a resident has wandered from Brompton Heights for hours. In the early hours of Dec. 9, 2017, 87-year-old Alice M. Klosko was dressed in only a nightgown when she left her room and went outside on a wintry night. Klosko, who had mild dementia, wasn't found until about 7:30 a.m. and was taken to the hospital semiconscious, bruised, frostbitten and suffering from hypothermia. Klosko, who survived the incident, died in January 2019 at a different facility at 89. It wasn't until July 2019 that the incident's full details were made public. That's when the state Attorney General's Office announced the arrest of four Brompton Heights workers and charged them with endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person. Authorities said one of the workers slept for half of his overnight shift, while the three other workers ignored two emergency alarms or muted them before going outside for more than an hourlong break. After wandering senior nearly froze to death, Amherst facility is fined $1,000 Alice M. Klosko spent hours outside the Amherst adult care facility Brompton Heights, dressed only in a nightgown, before she was found Dec. 9, 2017. She was taken to a hospital semiconscious, bruised, frostbitten and suffering from The Health Department fined Brompton Heights $1,000 for the incident, part of the $90,060 in civil penalties imposed on the facility over a two-year period, The Buffalo News reported in December 2019. Further, the Health Department has issued 36 violations to Brompton Heights from 2019 to 2022. While that is the highest number of violations among the 38 adult care facilities in Erie County during that four-year period, Brompton Heights is one the largest facilities in the county and had the third-highest total of Health Department inspections. The facility was hit with one $3,525 civil penalty over the four years, with four other Erie County facilities racking up more in fines. But little information about what led to those violations is readily available on the Health Department's website. That has been a point of frustration for consumer advocates, who say families need those details to pick the best facility for their loved one. "Seniors and their families are largely left in the dark about the quality and safety of the assisted living facilities in their community," said Richard J. Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition. In the wake of reports that 44.78 crore has been spent on renovating the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has reportedly wrote a fresh letter to the lieutenant governor VK Saxena claiming to have funded lavish furnishings present in the Delhi chief minister's residence, Live Hindustan reported. 'Conman' Sukesh Chandrashekhar leaves Patiala House court after being produced in connection with a money laundering case. (ANI file photo) Chandrashekhar's letter comes days after Saxena directed chief secretary Naresh Kumar to secure all relevant records, examine the records related to the expenditure and submit a report for the perusal of the L-G. The Aam Aadmi Party has already dismissed the allegations related to the expenditure. Lodged in Delhi's Mandoli jail, Chandrashekhar, who is facing several cases of extortion, cheating and money-laundering case, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 16, 2023, for allegedly duping businessman Malvinder Singh's wife Japna Singh for 3.5 crore. In the letter, the 'conman' claimed that he had personally paid for the lavish furnishings and alleged that they were selected by Kejriwal himself, alongside jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain. Chandrashekhar, in his letter sent to Saxena through his advocate Anant Malik, also claimed some of the furniture pieces were imported from Italy. "This is to bring to the urgent notice that as the recent ongoing investigation in regard to the residence of Mr. Arvind Kejriwal and the expenses used from the public funds to luxurify the official residence, I would want to make full disclosures. During the said renovation and post, there were high-end furniture and bedding which were paid by me for the very same residence of Mr. Arvind Kejriwal which is currently under scrutiny," Chandrashekhar alleged in the letter. "The furniture was personally selected by Kejriwal and Satyender Jain based on pictures which were sent by me on whatsapp and facetime chats of Kejriwal's mobile and Jain's phone," the letter added. Chandrashekhar also alleged that he had purchased several items, including a Visionaire 12-seater dining table made of onyx stone in an olive green colour worth 45 lakh, a Visionaire dressing table for his bedroom and the children's bedroom worth 34 lakh, seven Visionaire mirrors worth 18 Lakh, D. Rugs, bedspreads, and pillows totalling 30 pieces from Ralph Lauren worth approximately 28 lakh, and Panerai wall clocks worth 45 lakh. "These furniture mentioned were purchased by me on billing from Mumbai and Delhi, as all the above furniture were imported from Italy and France. The payments were made by me from my firm's News Express Post and LS Fisheries and the statement of records will be tendered to the investigation agency along with the whatsapp chats between me, Kejriwal and Satyender Jain, confirming it," he alleged in the letter. Chandrashekhar also claimed that all the furniture were directly delivered to the official residence of Kejriwal and installed there by his staff member Rishabh Shetty. "Apart from these furniture mentioned he wanted silver crockery, which was given by a famous South Indian Jeweller worth 90 Lakhs in exchange of an allotment, kickback in Karol Bagh Project of the Jeweller introduced by me. There were 15 thali plates and 20 silver glass, few idols and multiple bowls, spoons all in pure silver, delivered to the official residence," the letter further read. "Once investigated all the above will be fully confirmed and proven. I humbly undertake to submit all the bills during investigation," it added. The Bharatiya Janata Pa rty has alleged that Kejriwal, while saying he is a common man, is living like a king. In turn, the AAP has stressed that the renovation was necessary because the CMs residence was constructed 80 years ago and there had been three recent incidents of roof collapse. The AAP said that, following this, the Public Works Department, responsible for the maintenance of the bungalow, recommended rebuilding it. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A social media post shared by a retired IAS officer, Badri Lal Swarnkar showed questions involving commerce subjects in a class 5 question paper. The question paper which is from the year 1943 was shared widely on social media. The question paper which was shared widely on social media.(Twitter) The post, which featured the 80-yr-old question paper with 100 as the maximum score, had 10 questions related to accountancy and a duration of 2.5 hours. The paper for the half yearly examination also asked students to calculate gold prices and write business letters to enquire about market rates. Sharing the post on Twitter, the retired IAS officer wrote, Look at the standard of Class 5 papers in the half-yearly examination in 1943-44 in #India. Soon, the social media post amassed several likes, comments on Twitter. It's difficult to solve for today's 5 th or 7th std students.. wrote a netizen whereas another tweeted, "The last question is very interesting." These kinds of questions should be reintroduced into NEP." A third responded saying, It's fake. In the years 1943 - 44, our country was under British rule. And printing technology is not developed. How can we decide that the paper is olden days? What are your opinions on this? The Anti Terrorist Squad of Uttar Pradesh police on Sunday arrested two men from Varanasi over their alleged association with the banned Popular Front of India. The UP ATS(HT File Photo) According to a press statement issued by the police, the accused -- Parvez Ahmed and Raees Ahmed - had been absconding in a 2022 case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and were carrying an award of 50,000 each on themselves. Both the accused were involved in spreading radical ideology of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Varanasi. The two were wanted in a couple of cases lodged in Varanasi under various sections of the IPC and UAPA, it said. PFI was banned by the Union government last year for its involvement in unlawful activities. The ATS said the duo was also involved in activities against the state during the anti-CAA/NRC protest of 2019. The duo used to get trained in PFI sessions held in several states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. The two used the training to build a cadre and were living in hiding since the last year, the statement added. PRAYAGRAJ: The UP Board for High School and Intermediate Education has decided to launch a new initiative to groom students enrolled in around 28,000 schools affiliated to it across Uttar Pradesh, to become more informed and suitable for jobs in future. Under the initiative, inspirational programmes will be prepared for morning assembly in schools. (Pic for representation) For this mission, the board had decided to start an inspirational programme Naya Savera (New Dawn) from the forthcoming academic session, informed Board secretary Dibyakant Shukla. Under this, inspirational programmes will be prepared for morning assembly in schools, he added. In the beginning, the initiative was being introduced in all government inter colleges (GICs) and government-aided secondary schools in all 75 districts of the state and would soon be extended to the remaining institutions as well, he explained. All education department officers had been asked to attend the morning assemblies of these schools twice a week on rotation basis and inspire the children with reminiscences about what they themselves wanted to do in future and the way to move forward to pursue various careers, UP Board officials said. Former meritorious students of the schools will also be invited to these morning assemblies so that they can become a source of inspiration for others. The District Inspectors of Schools (DIOSs) and their associate officers will interact with the children in the morning assembly and give them tips on how to plan a bright future.. Dibyakant Shukla formally started the programme on Saturday at the Government Inter College in Prayagraj. He interacted with the students and said that the board had started working on a new strategy from the new academic session itself. All DIoSs have been instructed in this regard. Shukla said that now the times were changing fast and the students needed to be aware of the changing career scenario. There has been a lot of changes in the format of education as competition is intense. In such a situation, every student needs to update himself/herself and prepare a strategy about which field to choose. They will have to study as per that strategy or plan, he shared. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a global humanitarian network that operates in nearly every country around the world and it provides assistance and support to those in need during emergencies, disasters, conflicts and other crises. The movement works to alleviate human suffering, protect human dignity and promote peace, health and well-being. World Red Cross Day 2023: Date, history, significance, celebration, theme of Red Crescent Day (Photo by Twitter/Surveyflix) Date: World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, also known as World Red Cross Day, is observed on May 8 every year. It commemorates the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. History: World Red Cross Day has its origins in the efforts of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The history of World Red Cross Day can be traced back to the establishment of the Red Cross movement itself. In 1859, Henry Dunant witnessed the suffering of wounded soldiers on the battlefield of Solferino, Italy, during the Second Italian War of Independence. Shocked by the lack of medical care and support, he organized local civilians to provide assistance to the wounded, regardless of their nationality. This experience led Dunant to write the book "A Memory of Solferino," which called for the establishment of volunteer groups to care for the wounded during times of war. In 1863, his efforts led to the creation of the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, later known as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC aimed to provide neutral and impartial humanitarian aid during armed conflicts. The idea of World Red Cross Day was proposed during the 1920s and gained momentum in subsequent years. It was officially established during the 20th International Conference of the Red Cross in Tokyo, Japan, in 1933. The conference designated May 8th as the day to commemorate Henry Dunant's birth and honor the humanitarian work of the Red Cross movement. Since then, World Red Cross Day has been observed annually on May 8th. Significance: The purpose of World Red Cross Day is to honour the humanitarian work carried out by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement globally. It serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about the organization's principles, mission, and activities, as well as to recognize the dedication and courage of its volunteers and staff. World Red Cross Day serves as a reminder of the importance of humanity, compassion, and solidarity in times of crisis. It highlights the vital role played by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in providing humanitarian assistance and promoting humanitarian values across the globe. Celebration: On World Red Cross Day, various events and activities are organised by national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the ICRC. These activities may include blood drives, first aid training sessions, fundraising campaigns, public awareness campaigns, and recognition of outstanding volunteers and humanitarian achievements. Theme: According to The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is a time to celebrate the spirit of humanitarianism and recognise the individuals who make a difference in their communities. It stated, This year, our theme is: Everything we do comes #fromtheheart. We want to celebrate the people in our communities, the person next door, who often are the first ones to step up and support those in need around them. They could be someone at work; a neighbourhood business-owner; a Red Cross or Red Crescent community volunteer; someone at the gym, shop or market we go to; or someone living close by who has always been by our side. However they support us, they do it with love and #fromtheheart. Emirates expressed its optimism for the next summer season in terms of the strong recovery with full occupancy rates on a large number of flights within its global network of destinations. Emirates adds 5 new Airbus A380s to summer flights schedule, braces for travel surge (File Photo) The Dubai-based international air carrier revealed that it is adding 5 new Airbus A380s to the summer flights schedule, to serve more routes amidst the continuing momentum in customer demand after the Covid-19 pandemic. Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Chief Commercial Officer, affirmed that customer demand is still witnessing strong levels, and it is expected that 2023 will be a year of robust recovery, exceeding the levels recorded during 2022. Kazim told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2023) in Dubai, that Emirates is deploying a fleet of 85 A380s which increases to 95 in the summer peak season by the end of the financial year in next March. The large wide-body airliner is serving 43 destinations in the summer flights schedule, he added. He said that the airline operates about 3080 departure flights per week, or more than 440 flights per day for passengers within its global network. He revealed that the Emirates is currently considering adding more capacity to the North American market and other global markets such as China, in conjunction with the deployment of more aircraft into service and also the delivery of the first aircraft from its order for the Airbus A350. Kazim said that Emirates is planning to debut flights to five new cities: London, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, in addition to San Francisco (15th July), Singapore (1st June) and Houston (15th June). Emirates is part of the sustainability initiatives taking place in the UAE, as our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint are increasing in line with the growth in passenger numbers, he said, adding that Emirates has successfully completed a demonstration flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as part of the global aviation industry's push to use more of the greener fuel to meet carbon emission targets. Emirates also recycled 500,000 kg of plastic and glass discarded on board flights. At ATM, Emirates received 16,000 visitors, held 300 business meetings and signed eight agreements with travel and tourism agencies. Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma expressed on Sunday that human-level artificial intelligence will open up new avenues of opportunity and improve efficiencies in current businesses. In a note to shareholders following the Q4 results, he claimed that Paytm will be at the forefront of the AI revolution. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma is very hopeful of AI. (File) I believe that in 2023, with advent of early-stage AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), we will see more opportunities to bring efficiencies in business and Al-first offerings," said the Paytm chief executive. He went on to compare artificial intelligence to smartphones. "I see AGI (artificial general intelligence) as something like smartphones 10 years back. ALSO READ: Biden, Harris meet with CEOs to discuss artificial intelligence risks 'Next goal is to become free cashflow positive' In a message to Paytm's investors, Vijay Shekhar expressed joy that the company has delivered EBDITA (before ESOP) profit. It is profit made by company before subtracting interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and before accounting for the cost of employee stock ownership plans (ESOP). Paytm stated Q4 FY2023 revenue climbed by 51% year on year to 2,334 crore, while full-year revenue increased by 61% year on year to 7,990 crore. (ALSO READ: Paytm's Q4 earnings exceed market expectations, reports revenues of 2,334 cr) Paytm's EBITDA before ESOP costs increased to Rs234 crore in Q4, a considerable increase over the previous fiscal's Q4 figure of (Rs368 crore). Paytm's CEO outlined the next objective of achieving positive free cash flow by aiming to generate more cash from its operations than it spends on investments. 'Paytm will be at forefront of the AI revolution' Shekhar tried to assure stockholders that the company will embrace technology and be at the "forefront of the AI revolution." He further said that Paytm is delighted about the opportunities that India provides and is committed to building a world-class technology company in India. "We firmly believe use of inhouse built technology for risk management and controls has become significant competitive advantage and we will continue to invest in this area as a key focus area," the fintech company's CEO added. The technology sector is a rapidly developing field, and with artificial intelligence strengthening it, the industry has gained momentum as new innovations are introduced at a rate that has never been seen before. Catch up all that matters here: Tech news wrap of the week.(Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash) 1) Mute unwanted WhatsApp calls Not everything unexpected is worth embracing, and an unwelcome WhatsApp call is no definitely not; it right away violates our privacy. Fortunately, there appears to be a way out. WhatsApp intends to offer a function that would allow users to mute calls from unknown numbers. And the Beta version is now available. Details that are worth reading! 2) Consult celebs in Twitter policy change decisions: Ex-Twitter India head to Musk Twitter experiments are putting our patience to the test. Many users, including renowned figures, have lost the coveted Blue badge as a result of Elon Musk-led initiatives. The sloppy implementation caused widespread uncertainty about the verification process and raised concerns about fake news. Ex-Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari also couldn't hold himself back. He urged Musk to consult celebrities in policy change choices, referring to them as "indispensable stakeholders." Read his other four recommendations 3) Godfather of AI voices concern over the technology risk Novel opportunities and use cases for artificial intelligence are being uncovered rapidly. But so are the concerns about the misuse of AI. Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist known as "the godfather of artificial intelligence," has resigned from Google to speak out against the technology's hazards. Should read about his concerns here 4) Google's Pixel Fold is here Love smartphones but find yourself with less options? There's some great news! Google has officially launched the Pixel Fold, the company's first foldable smartphone. The Pixel Fold is set to make its debut at Google I/O, which takes place on May 10. All features are available here 5) Government bans 14 apps in J&K The government voiced concerns about 14 mobile applications, including some well-known ones like IMO, which, an official told HT, were used by terrorists to communicate internationally and propagate terror in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of Information and Technology (Meity) has blacklisted these apps in J&K. Here's the full list of the 14 apps 6) Google's Bard could have arrived earlier than OpenAI's ChatGPT Bard, Google's artificial intelligence chatbot, is having difficulty competing with ChatGPT. The OpenAI AI tool drew users' attention, sparking a new technological revolution. When it was first introduced, the programme was unique, which is one of the reasons for its enormous popularity. However, if a fired employee of Google is to be believed, Bard might have arrived earlier, but got late only because he raised certain security-related concerns. Read his claims 7) Tim Cook says no mass layoffs in Apple presently Sunday is unquestionably the best day of the week, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has given us yet more cause to rejoice. The iPhone maker's CEO stated that layoffs are considered as a last resort and that the Cupertino-giant is not currently looking for mass layoffs. This came as a refreshing drink of coconut water in the sweltering heat, because other tech behemoths such as Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, and Amazon have let off thousands of people in recent months. Here is the news The death toll has risen to eight after an SUV slammed into a crowd of people waiting for a bus Sunday outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. At least 10 others were injured, police said, as they prepared to arrest the hospitalized driver. Law enforcement officers investigate the scene after a deadly incident where a car ran into pedestrians near Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and homeless, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S.(REUTERS) With no bench at the unmarked city bus stop, some of the victims were sitting on the curb around 8:30 a.m. when the driver hit them, surveillance video from the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center showed. Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval, who confirmed the latest death Sunday evening, said police did not know whether the collision was intentional. Shelter director Victor Maldonado said the SUV ran up the curb, flipped and continued moving for about 200 feet (60 meters). Some people walking on the sidewalk about 30 feet (9 meters) from the main group were also hit, Maldonado said. Witnesses detained the driver as he tried to run away and held him until police arrived, he said. Also Read | Neighbors asked man to stop firing rifle outside. He then shot 5 people in Texas "This SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about 100 feet (30 meters) away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, said Maldonado, who reviewed the shelters surveillance video. Victims struck by the vehicle were waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the overnight shelter, said Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men, Maldonado said. Brownsville has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the last two weeks for unclear reasons, authorities said. On Thursday, 4,000 of about 6,000 migrants in Border Patrol custody in Texas Rio Grande Valley were Venezuelan. The driver was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained when the car rolled over, Sandoval said. There were no passengers in the car, and police didnt immediately know the drivers name or age, Sandoval said Sunday afternoon. Sandoval said there are three possible explanations for the collision: It could be intoxication; it could be an accident; or it could be intentional. In order for us to find out exactly what happened, we have to eliminate the other two. Hes being very uncooperative at the hospital, but he will be transported to our city jail as soon as he gets released," Sandoval said. "Then well fingerprint him and (take a) mug shot, and then we can find his true identity. Police retrieved a blood sample and sent it to a Texas Department of Public Safety lab to test for intoxicants. The surge in the number of migrants this week has prompted Brownsville commissioners to indefinitely extend a declaration of emergency during a special meeting Thursday. "We dont want them wandering around outside, Pedro Cardenas, a city commissioner, said Sunday after the crash. So, were trying to make sure theyre as comfortable as they can be so they dont have to go out and look for anywhere else. Brownsville has long been an epicenter for migration across the U.S.-Mexico border, and it has become a key location of interest for next week's end to pandemic-era border restrictions known as Title 42. The Ozanam shelter is the only overnight shelter in the city and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody. Maldonado said the center had not received any threats before the crash, but did afterward. I've had a couple of people come by the gate and tell the security guard that the reason this happened was because of us, Maldonado said. About 2,500 migrants have crossed through the river daily into Brownsville in the past few days, Cardenas said. He said the Border Patrol is aware of the citys capacity of 1,000 at their processing area near the crossing point and a downtown building where city employees and volunteers guide migrants on how to purchase bus or plane tickets to their final destinations. The city is considering expanding services to accommodate needs in the coming days, Cardenas said. While 80% of people released from federal custody leave the same day, the citys emergency management official said, a bottleneck has formed over the past few days. Most of the people coming across dont want to stay in Brownsville, but we dont have enough buses for them to buy their ticket to leave, Cardenas said. Some are waiting for family members. The Ozanam shelter can hold 250, but many who arrive leave the same day. In the last several weeks, an uptick in border crossings prompted the city to declare an emergency as local, state and federal resources coordinated enforcement and humanitarian response. In the last two months, weve been getting 250 to 380 a day, Maldonado said. While the shelter offers migrants transportation during the week, they also use the citys public transportation. Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, said in a statement shared Sunday afternoon: I hope that today serves as a wake up call, and that state officials will begin investing in a humanitarian response that might have helped the people who were impacted by this mornings tragedy." U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said Sunday that local officials are in communication with the federal government about the crash. We are all extremely sad and heartbroken to have such a tragedy in our neighborhood," he said. ___ US President Joe Biden renewed his call Sunday for a national assault-weapons ban and other gun safety measures, a day after eight people were murdered at a Texas shopping mall in the latest mass shooting to shake the nation. US President Joe Biden.(AFP) Responders, distressed witnesses and police described scenes of panic and horror north of Dallas, where video footage circulating online showed the shooter exiting a sedan in an outlet mall parking lot Saturday and firing with a semi-automatic rifle on people walking nearby. An officer on an unrelated call nearby quickly responded and "neutralized" the shooter at the large facility in Allen, police said. Seven people were pronounced dead at the scene, in addition to the shooter. Two other victims died in the hospital while "three are in critical surgery, and four are stable," Allen fire chief Jonathan Boyd said Saturday. Multiple US news outlets, all citing unnamed law enforcement sources, identified the shooter on Sunday as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. "Eight Americans - including children - were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation," Biden said in a statement Sunday morning. He ordered US flags lowered to half-staff "as a mark of respect for the victims" and repeated his call for lawmakers to take action against a gun "epidemic." "Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines," the 80-year-old Democrat said. He also demanded lawmakers require universal background checks for gun purchases and end legal immunity for manufacturers' whose weapons are used in attacks. "I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe," Biden said in a statement. The attack is the latest in an alarming trajectory of deadly US gun violence. Barely a week earlier, a man shot and killed five neighbors in Cleveland, Texas after one of them asked him to stop firing his rifle in his yard at night while a baby slept. Several other people have also been gunned down in recent weeks over petty disputes or common mistakes, such as knocking on the wrong door or getting into the wrong car. Awash in firearms, the United States has already endured 199 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization which defines a mass shooting as four or more people wounded or killed. "Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables," Biden said, as he berated his political opponents for inaction. "Republican members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug," he said. "Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough." - No 'quick solution' - The gunfire at Allen Premium Outlets, 35 miles (55 kilometers) north of Dallas, erupted Saturday afternoon when it was busy with weekend shoppers, police said. The officer in the mall "heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect and neutralized the suspect," said chief Brian Harvey of the Allen police department. Biden joined local officials in hailing the quick actions of police for likely saving lives. The police chief later said authorities believe the unidentified shooter "acted alone." CNN showed a cropped photograph of the apparent gunman dead on the ground, wearing tactical gear with extra magazines, and with an AR-15-style rifle at his side. Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy." But on Sunday, as Democrats repeated calls for Congress to enact gun safety legislation and blasted Texas and other states for allowing permit-less carry of firearms, the Republican governor refused to be drawn on whether restricting guns was an answer. "People want a quick solution. The long-term solution is to address the mental health issue" including the increased "anger and violence" in America, he told Fox News Sunday. - 'Unfathomable' carnage - Steven Spainhouer, a former police officer, said he was confronted with horrific images when he rushed to the scene and performed CPR on victims before emergency responders arrived. Finding one female victim on the ground, "I felt for her pulse, pulled her head to the side, and she had no face," Spainhouer told CBS News. He found the son of another victim lying alive under his dead mother and "covered head to toe" in her blood. "It's just unfathomable to see the carnage," he said. With more firearms than inhabitants, the United States has the highest rate of gun deaths of any developed country -- 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before. A fire Saturday morning caused an estimated $370,000 in damage to a home in Clarence Center, the Amherst Central Fire Alarm Office reported. According to the report, a resident at 9550 English Ivy Court, off Lantana Drive, called at about 11:20 a.m. to report that a lawn mower had caught fire inside an attached garage. Clarence Center Fire Company volunteers arrived within three minutes, the report said, and found that the blaze had extended into the house. The fire was brought under control in 20 minutes. Damage was estimated at $200,000 to the building and $170,000 to the contents. The cause is under investigation by the Erie County Sheriff's Office and the Clarence building inspector. Clarence Center firefighters were assisted by fire companies from Clarence, Main-Transit, East Amherst and Getzville. A Brazilian low-cost airline, Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, aircraft suffered a breakdown after its engine caught fire on the runway moments before take off. It incident took place on May 4 when the plane was readying for its internal flight from the Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro to Porto Alegre. The GOL Airlines Flight 2040 caught fire before take-off in Brazil. (Mirror) Shortly before it was due to depart a technical problem caused flames to erupt from the engine and the flight was aborted, reported the Mirror. None of the passengers were hurt in the incident that caused the runway to shut for an hour. The airlines said the technical issue was detected in time and all emergency protocols were followed by the pilots and crew. GOL reports that this Thursday, Flight G3 2040, operating the Rio de Janeiro to Porto Alegre route at 5.20 pm, had its take-off interrupted after a technical failure was detected in engine two," informed the airlines' spokesperson. The decision was taken while taxiing at low speed during the first stretch of the runway at Santos Dumont Airport. The crew followed the established procedures and returned to the parking position to disembark, which occurred without incident." To minimise the impact on customers, the company is offering places on the next flights, it added. Passengers affected by the incident were accommodated on other flights departing the area. A spokesperson for aviation authority Infraero said, Operations at Santos Dumont Airport were suspended between 5:27 pm and 6:26 pm on 4 May due to debris left on the runway by an aircraft from the airline GOL, which encountered a problem during takeoff. There were no injuries. Maintenance and operations teams promptly carried out an inspection and the cleaning of the runway. An investigation into the technical issue is ongoing, the report said. Beijing: China is ready to help Afghanistan realise peace and stability at an early date and is opposed to any interference in the countrys internal affairs, Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang has said amid reports of widespread rights abuse including the worsening rights of women and girls under the Taliban regime. Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang (left), Pakistans foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (centre) and Afghanistans foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi posing after a meeting in Islamabad, on Saturday. (AFP) A Chinese readout of the meeting between Qin and his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan in Islamabad said Beijing is willing to set an example of cooperation with neighbours, focus on mini-multilateralism and resolve issues through bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, with the two countries. Qin met Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government Amir Khan Muttaqi over the weekend for the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers Dialogue. Muttaqi who faces a travel ban and an asset freeze under UN Security Council sanctions travelled to Islamabad after being allowed to do so by the world body. On terrorism, Qin was quoted as telling Muttaqi that Afghanistan should earnestly fulfil its commitment to fighting terrorism, resolutely crack down on terrorist forces, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Afghanistan. They (the three ministers) made it clear to oppose interference in Afghanistans internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and all acts that undermine regional peace and stability, the statement said. Qins visit to Islamabad for bilateral meetings with Pakistans top leadership as well as for the trilateral dialogue comes in the backdrop of Chinas increasingly hectic engagement with countries in the region with a sharp focus on the resource-rich but isolated Taliban-led Afghanistan. China and Afghanistan have been supporting, understanding and trusting each other, Qin said, noting that no matter how the international situation evolves, China will always stand firmly with the Afghan people and support Afghanistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions. Neither the Chinese statement on the trilateral dialogue nor the one on Qin-Muttaqi meeting mentioned the rights situation in Afghanistan. A report released in March by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett catalogued widespread abuses in Afghanistan. The report, according to the rights body, Human Rights Watch pointed out serious abuses, noting that the Taliban authorities have normalised the systematic violation of the rights of women and girls. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned that, increasingly, the Taliban is ruling Afghanistan through fear and repressive policies aimed at suppressing communities, and women in particular, the UN report said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said that he had received "a promise" of more ammunition from the Russian army. This came after Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to pull his Wagner troops out of Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, is seen, (AP) "They promised to give us all the ammunition and armaments we need to continue the operations," Yevgeny Prigozhin said criticising Russian military chiefs over the situation in Bakhmut. Bakhmut has been the epicentre of Ukraine's fight against Russian forces. The Wagner group has spearheaded the Russian assault on Bakhmut. The Wagner chief also said that they had been assured "that everything necessary will be provided" to fighters around Bakhmut as he threatened to "pull out Wagner units from Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they are facing a senseless death". While Yevgeny Prigozhin has made similar threats to pull out from Bakhmut in the past, with a video statement on Friday that included scathing personal criticism of the leaders of Russia's Ukraine campaign. Without more support, Yevgeny Prigozhin had said that he would pull back his fighters on May 10 "and withdraw Wagner units to rear camps to lick our wounds". General Sergei Surovikin will from now on take all decisions concerning Wagner's military operations in cooperation with the defence ministry," he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A man was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of blasphemy at a rally for former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party, officials said Sunday. Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.(AP) Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence. Video of the lynching has been shared widely on social media, with police seen vainly trying to stop a frenzied mob from beating the alleged blasphemer. Also Read | KCF chief Panjwar dies in anonymity, his sons seek Pakistan visa from Germany The incident took place on Saturday in the Sawal Dher area of Mardan city in the country's ultra-conservative northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Police said a man identified as Nigar Alam was asked to deliver the concluding prayer at a rally organised by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party when the crowd took offence to his comments. He managed to flee the scene, police said, but a mob tracked him down to a relative's house. "A group of individuals climbed over the wall, barged inside, and beat him to death with sticks and batons," said district police chief Najeeb-ur-Rehman "The mob was so agitated that it became extremely challenging for the police to even recover the body," he told AFP. Another local police official, Umair Khan, confirmed the incident. PTI leader Khan was not present at the rally and party officials had no immediate comment on the incident. Few issues in Pakistan are as galvanising as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests and incite lynchings. According to the Centre for Social Justice -- an independent group advocating for the rights of minorities -- more than 2,000 people have been accused of committing blasphemy since 1987, and at least 88 people killed by lynch mobs for similar allegations. Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy are often wielded in Pakistan to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the targets. At Britain's most prestigious event, something that King Charles III had been waiting for all his life the spotlight was not him, but Prince Harry. His estranged son who flew for his father's coronation after publicly shaming his family with his controversial book Spare. Britain's Prince Harry, right center row, looks on as front row from left, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Kate, Princess of Wales and Edward the Duke of Edinburgh attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey, London, Saturday May 6, 2023. (Yui Mok, Pool via AP)(AP) Pushed to the third row at the ceremony, two rows behind his brother, Prince Williams, he sat alongside his cousins and controversial uncle Prince Andrew, who was ousted by the Royal family over sexual abuse charges. Even though he was surrounded by his family members and celebrities from across the world Prince Harry looked lonely, bearing a fake smile to hide his discomfort. He could have chosen to be with his wife, Meghan, who skipped the ceremony to celebrate her son's birthday, but decided to attend the most uncomfortable event of his life. Many on social media are hailing his act as Brave and Courageous, whereas others terming it as a facade. The man considered to be the black sheep of the family walked down Westmister Abbey, with a brave face, with his cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie, and their respective partners, he could not have looked more lonely. With his wife Meghan Markle not by his side he had no one to share his agony at the biggest event for his family, amidst glaring public eye. Despite serving the British Army for 10 years Harry did not wear a full army gear and chose to wear a simple black suit because he was asked to, according to The People magazine. He did not even join his other family members at the Buckingham House balcony or at the post ceremony lunch and cut short his time in London to return to the US immediately after the coronation ceremony ended. His abrupt return to the US meant he may have not been invited for a perfect family picture at the balcony for the finale of the day after the Palace confirmed earlier that he had no formal role at the event. All throughout the ceremony he maintained a poker face and a plastic smile. It was the first time he was seeing his father King Charles III, Prince Williams, and other members of the royal family after his explosive book Spare made public his views about his family. His shocking revelations included William physically attacked him, as well as his thoughts on Queen Camilla, his sex life, his drug use and his kill count during his time served in the army. 'It takes bravery, humility and a good deal of self-awareness to face the music after youve caused a right royal fuss. For that, Harry deserves to be commended.' writes Victoria Richards for The Independent. Further adding, the fact that he turned up in the first place is admirable enough many wouldnt have been able to stomach it. Harrys arrogant facade hid a cruel reality - the isolated Prince knows he's lost the most important role of his life', wrote Don Watton for Daily Mail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The UN's top humanitarian official arrived in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on Sunday for talks aiming for a ceasefire between Sudan's warring generals, a spokesperson said. UN emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths. (AFP) "Martin Griffiths is in Jeddah at the moment and the purpose of his visit is to engage in humanitarian issues related to Sudan," spokesperson Eri Kaneko said. A high school student in Antoich, Tennessee, pepper sprayed her teacher twice after the latter confiscated her phone. The incident, which was caught on camera, has caused outrage on social media platforms. The video, which was originally shared on Reddit shows the student assaulting the teacher a second time with the pepper spray. The student was reportedly "texting and Googling answers for her school work" when the teacher took away her phone. A student in an Antoich, Tennessee, high school was seen pepper spraying her teacher twice in a video after the latter confiscated her phone. The student is an adult, and this is not the first time such an incident has occurred at the high school. Two months ago, the same teacher was punched in the face when he confiscated another student's phone when the latter was caught cheating. Some Reddit users claim that incidents of assault are quite common at the particular high school. The incident has sparked a debate on social media about empowering teachers in high schools and whether it is legal for students to carry pepper spray to school. While pepper sprays are marketed as aerosols that can be used to defend oneself from attackers, they contain an inflammatory compound called capsaicin, which can be harmful. A Twitter user reacted to the tweet, "The teacher is the authority there and a representative of the state, being paid by taxpayers to do a job. Plenty of policies outlining the use of technology in schools, and the fact that the teacher was able to take the phone proves that it was not where it should have been to begin with. This is a legal matter, that was assault, multiple times, with a less-than-lethal weapon on a representative of the state doing state business on state property. And her actions disrupted the jobs and education of numerous other students and staff. In Summary: That was an effed up move." Another Twitter user reacted comparing the school culture in America and third world countries, they wrote, This. She would be expelled immediately in a third world country. Often time, I wonder why the young people dont respect their teachers in America. Is kind of a cultural shock to me. Im an immigrant. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in my native country. All netizens were not against the student, a Twitter user tried to defend her actions saying, Maybe her phone didnt have a passcode and had sensitive information or pictures, I dont think she handled it correctly but she also didnt spray enough, he was completely able to make his way out of the classroom and have a conversation while making eye contact The gravity of the whole incident lies in various legal, ethical, moral and psychological aspects of teacher-student relationship in a school environment. To quote a tweet, The student definitely wasnt justified either legally or ethically with their actions towards the teacher. The issue with the current generation of kids is that electronics are so embedded in their social structure, some kids have an almost addictive behaviour when its taken away even if just temporarily. Thais queued under the blistering sun outside temples, shopping centres and schools to cast their early ballots Sunday ahead of a much-anticipated election next week. Voters wait in line to cast their ballot during advance voting at a polling station in a school in Narathiwat, southern Thailand.(AFP) More than two million Thais nationwide are registered to vote early ahead of the kingdom's May 14 election, which is shaping up to be a clash between army-backed establishment parties and resurgent opposition movements. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha, who took power in a 2014 coup before cementing control in a controversial 2019 election, has been languishing in opinion polls with voters favouring old-school opposition party Pheu Thai and the more radical Move Forward Party. But with an electoral system heavily stacked in favour of the army-backed parties, challengers must achieve a landslide victory to have any hope of forming the next government. "I hope this election will change the country in a better way," said shopping mall worker Srisuda Wongsa-ad, 28, after casting her ballot. She was among hundreds queuing quietly at a polling station in Bangkok's fashionable Ekkamai district to vote at the Wat That Thong temple, overlooked by golden standing buddhas. "I am voting for a candidate and party that I like, that can answer my needs," she said, adding that she was voting early as it was more convenient for her. Elsewhere in the capital, the Royal Paragon Hall shopping centre was packed with voters, albeit cooler ones, enjoying the complex's air conditioning. Despite the early hour, temperatures across the capital -- which like much of Thailand endured a vicious April heatwave -- were soaring and expected to hit 39 degrees Celsius later Sunday. Shortly before midday outside one of Bangkok's largest poll sites at Ramkhamhaeng University, machines sprayed a fine mist of water over orderly queues as the day's heat rose. But crowds were still out in force, with traffic and congestion around busy polling stations. "I am quite excited," said first-time voter Pasawee Sriarunothai, 20, who will not be in Bangkok on May 14. "I decide to cast my vote based on the party's policies, and I hope this election will bring the country a better future," Pasawee said. - 'Try something new' - "I want the new generation to be running the country. I want to try something new," said Nantthapon Phomput, 28, before voting at Wat That Thong. Among the challengers are opposition party Pheu Thai, fielding Paetongtarn Shinawatra -- daughter of exiled former leader and billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra -- as a prime ministerial candidate. While Pheu Thai remains in the lead, Paetongtarn was overtaken as surveyed voters' preferred PM candidate by Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the rival opposition Move Forward party. Polls will close at 5:00 pm (1000 GMT), with alcohol sales across Thailand banned until 6:00 pm. Authorities had anticipated large numbers of early voters. Police told local media Saturday there would be around 3,000 security officers on duty across the capital, and warned of heavier traffic congestion around poll sites. An additional 100,000 Thais living overseas will also vote early, with some having already done so. More than 52 million citizens are eligible to vote in this election. The Canadian government has advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the north-eastern state of Manipur in India even as ethnic clashes have claimed over 50 lives there. Charred remains of a vehicle are seen on a street, days after violent clashes in Manipur, in Imphal, India on Friday. (ANI) In an updated travel advisory, it attributed the elevated risk level to safety and security issues due to the protests in Manipur. Also read: Thousands rescued as Manipur remains tense Violent demonstrations have been taking place in Manipur State since May 3, 2023, resulting in casualties. Protests have led to disruptions to traffic and public transportation. Curfews have been imposed in several districts and mobile and internet services may be limited, the advisory noted. It also asked those already in the state to monitor local media for the most recent information, follow the instructions of local authorities, be prepared to modify plans in case of disturbances and to expect enhanced security measures and an increased police presence. Under this alert category, Canada advised travellers from the country that their safety and security could be at risk. You should think about your need to travel to this country, territory or region based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with the region, and other factors. If you are already there, think about whether you really need to be there. If you do not need to be there, you should think about leaving, it elaborated. Assam already figured in the parts of the north-east that were deemed to be flagged for avoiding non-essential travel. Canada continues to warn against any travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the unpredictable security situation, as there is a threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest and kidnapping. That advisory, however, does not extend to the Union Territory of Ladakh. Also read: Fleeing violence, thousands in Manipur face uncertain future It continues to warn against all travel to areas within 10km of the border with Pakistan, in the states of Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, due to the unpredictable security situation and presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance. Overall, for the entire country, it counsels travellers to exercise a high degree of caution because of the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The GCC states are discussing plans for a Schengen-style visa for tourists covering the Gulf region, Bahrains Minister of Tourism Fatima Al Sairafi has been quoted as saying. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) held in Dubai last week, Al-Sairafi said the countries were studying how to achieve a unified single visa, according to a Zawya report. Explaining the benefits of such a scheme, she said: When we announced our five-year strategy, leading up to 2026, our KPI for 2022 tourist numbers was set at 8.3 million. But 9.9 million tourists came. And the key initiative we did last year was to co-promote Bahrain with other GCC countries, starting with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We noticed that co-promoting Bahrain as a unified destination resulted in increased footfall in the country, along with an increase in the diversity of nationalities coming, she said. We see people flying from abroad to Europe usually spending their time in several countries rather than in one country. We really saw the value this can bring not to each country but all of us, Al Sairafi said. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority, also hailed the success of a unified destination strategy, citing the kingdoms use of the tagline Welcome to Arabia for the positioning of its entire tourism branding. We look at tourism as a region and not a country, Hamidaddin said. World travellers look at the region as a whole, and thats how we should think as well. [The] success of each complements the other, like a tide that lifts all ships. Abdulla Al Saleh, Undersecretary, Government of UAE, said this was a strategy that has also seen the emirates rise in the tourism rankings over the years. We have seven emirates in the UAE, and each has developed itself as a destination for tourists. They are competing with each other, but it is healthy competition that adds value to the UAE as a tourism destination, he said. Samira Al Gharib, assistant undersecretary for tourism at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Trade, stated that plans for a unified tourism visa are being considered by GCC Interior ministries, which will be responsible for visa-related formalities. The unified visa targets frequent visitors to the GCC, she said. Once the system is finalised, nationals from the 35 countries would be able to visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman under a single visa, a report in Middle East Briefing said. With the provision of a unified visa, GCC residents will also be able to travel visa-free, just like nationals, to all the countries under the GCC. Clover Group, a real estate development firm headquartered in Lancaster, is about to get hit with two federal lawsuits that accuse the firm of deciding where to build senior housing on the basis of race. According to a legal complaint expected to be filed this week in federal court in Buffalo, a former executive at Clover Group's local headquarters charges that, as a matter of policy, the company avoids building senior housing in neighborhoods where the Black population exceeds 20%. Another former Clover employee who was based in North Carolina told The Buffalo News that he plans to file a similar lawsuit. Fair housing groups claim Clover Group discriminates against people with disabilities Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) has announced on its Facebook page that it has joined with six other fair housing organizations across four states in filing a federal lawsuit against Clover Group, a real estate company headquartered in Williamsville. A 24-page legal complaint to be filed this week by Peter C. Rizzo, the firm's former director of development, does not accuse Michael Joseph, president of Clover, of personally espousing racist views. But Rizzo said he witnessed other Clover executives openly acknowledging the company's racist housing policies. "Clover Entities executives and employees referred to Black people by the derogatory term, 'Canadians,' " according to the lawsuit. "Clover Entities executives referred to the unwritten site selection criteria concerning the percentage of Black people living within both a three-mile radius and a five-mile radius of a prospective development site as the 'Canadian Factor,' and regularly rejected development of prospective sites when the reported Black population percentages were at or near 20 percent." In a statement, Clover denied those charges. 'It could have been avoided': VA Cemetery planners' warnings went unheeded before crash killed two vets "I think that my dad would most definitely happily give up his life to bring light to a dangerous situation and save somebody else's life," the daughter of one of the accident victims said. Peter Rizzo, an angry and disgruntled former employee, has made meritless, baseless, and misleading allegations," the statement said. "Clover does not make business decisions on the basis of any unlawful criteria. The company intends to defend itself vigorously." In doing so, it may well have to fight allegations against Richard A. Greenspan, the vice president of Clover. In Rizzo's lawsuit, Greenspan emerges as the key figure accused of enforcing a race-based policy Clover is accused of using to evaluate potential new sites for market-rate senior apartments. Greenspan referred to Black people as "Canadians," as well as a racist Yiddish term, and told Rizzo that Clover would not develop projects in what Greenspan called "heavily Black areas," Rizzo claims in the lawsuit. Neither Greenspan nor Joseph returned messages for comment. "The Canadian factor" Rizzo arrived at Clover in August having just weathered big trouble in his former government job. He was one of two Department of Veterans Affairs executives who fought for safety improvements at the new Western New York National Cemetery, only to see his suggestions dismissed and to see himself removed from the project. Two veterans died in a crash at that intersection, but Rizzo was later partially vindicated when the state and the VA agreed to make modest safety improvements there. For Rizzo, though, it was time to move on to the private sector. In August, he joined Clover, which says on its website that since 1989 it has developed $1.5 billion in affordable senior housing not just in metro Buffalo, but also in seven other states. One of Rizzo's duties was to find promising sites for new Clover apartment complexes. In doing so, he said in the lawsuit, he discovered that the company collects racial demographic data on such proposed sites and rejects proposals in areas with significant Black populations. Recordings of internal conversations between Rizzo and other Clover executives, which were obtained by The Buffalo News and quoted in the lawsuit, show Greenspan and other Clover executives using the term "Canadians" to describe Black people when discussing potential sites for senior housing. VA cemetery managers who pushed safety changes before deadly crash claim retaliation The two federal employees who pushed for a safe redesign of the intersection near Western New York's new veterans cemetery are now in what one supporter described as "professional purgatory." For example, one Clover executive is heard on an audio recording discussing a potential Clover development near East St. Louis, Ill., which has a population in which 96.2% of the people are Black, according to census figures. "There are a ton of Canadians, if I'm using the term correctly, immediately to the west in East St. Louis," the Clover executive says in the recording. Shortly thereafter, Rizzo asks his then-colleagues: "What is it about the quote 'Canadian factor' that drives kind of our decisions and where we're going? How does it affect our business?" Robert Jack, executive vice president for development at Clover Entities, then replies: "Man, that's an uncomfortable question." That conversation took place Jan. 4. VA cemetery boss who fought for Pembroke safety changes alleges retaliation, discrimination in lawsuit James R. Metcalfe II, the director of the Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke, has filed a civil suit, accusing the VA and its leaders of discrimination and retaliation that stripped away many of his responsibilities. Jack terminated Rizzo three weeks and two days later, saying, according to the lawsuit: "The financial situation of Clover is not good." But Rizzo's court complaint claims that his dismissal was "a blatant and illegal act of retaliation." He is seeking $15 million in damages and a jury finding that Clover broke both state and federal fair housing laws. In response, Clover said in its statement: We believe that these allegations constitute a malicious effort by Mr. Rizzo to defame and disparage the company and its management in order to garner an unwarranted monetary payment." According to the Wayback Machine web archive, Clover added a diversity, equity and inclusion mission statement on its website March 6. "One of the core tenets of Clovers mission is the companys commitment to building in all communities that fit our 55+ age demographic," the statement says. "This commitment is not a new initiative for Clover, but we continue forward in this work with a more deliberate focus. We believe in providing housing to all people, representing all forms of diversity." A growing presence While the Clover name isn't as well-known as that of some other Buffalo-area developers, the company has been a growing presence in the region and elsewhere for three decades. And Joseph, the company's founder, has grown in influence, along with his company. Clover owns 11 senior housing complexes in the Buffalo area, stretching from the Transit Pointe Senior Apartments in East Amherst to the South Pointe Senior Apartments in Hamburg. Joseph has remained a prominent figure in the Buffalo community, even after he and his wife purchased a $15.9 million mansion in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2021. Joseph serves as chairman of the board at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, a position he has held at least as far back as 2013. He serves on the board of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, also sitting on the AK360 project committee that led the transformation of Buffalo's leading art museum. He has donated large sums to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz and other prominent politicians, most of them Democrats. He chaired Poloncarz's transition team after the Democrat won his first race for Erie County executive in 2011. According to state records, Joseph, his wife, Roberta, and Clover have given a total of $380,410 to state and local politicians in New York since 2000. Nearly half of that money went to Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat who served as governor from 2011 until August 2021, but $55,000 went to Hochul, some of it when she was lieutenant governor and some after she succeeded Cuomo. The Josephs also gave $25,000 to George Pataki, a Republican who served as governor from 1995 to 2007. The Josephs also donated $127,775 to federal politicians since 2000, with former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, now-Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo among their major recipients. Clover Group settles fair-housing lawsuit for $7.1 million Under the agreement, Clover will spend $6.3 million to improve handicapped accessibility at the senior housing properties, located across the Northeast and Midwest. Prior and future trouble? Even as Michael Joseph built his company, a sign of trouble emerged last year. In August, Clover agreed to pay $7.1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Buffalo's Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) and other fair-housing organizations in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri. Those organization charged that Clover operated housing that was not accessible for the disabled. In the settlement, Clover agreed to pay for millions of dollars in renovations. It was something we just decided to settle, rather than litigate, Joseph told The Buffalo News at the time. We did what we thought made sense. Clover soon could face the same question settle or litigate as the company faces Rizzo's lawsuit and another one expected to be filed by Shane Forrest, a former Clover development director in North Carolina. Forrest told The News on Friday that he, too, plans to file a lawsuit against Clover. Like Rizzo, Forrest claims he was terminated without just cause, and that he, too, heard Clover executives refer to Black people as "Canadians" during meetings at Clover's Buffalo-area headquarters. "I have heard that term used, yes," by Greenspan and other Clover executives, Forrest said. Like Rizzo, Forrest said he proposed locations for new Clover apartment developments, only to be turned down "based on their (racial) profile and internal requirements." If Clover did that, it could be a violation of both federal and state law. Passed in 1968, the federal Fair Housing Act bars housing discrimination on the basis of race and charges the Department of Housing and Urban Development with enforcing the law by bringing civil charges. New York's Civil Rights Law also bars housing discrimination. Told of Rizzo's and Forrest's expected lawsuits, Clover declined to provide any more details of what the company's response will be. "Because this is an anticipated litigation that has not yet been commenced in court, prudence requires us to not make any further statement at this time, the statement said. In a recorded conversation in which Rizzo challenged Clover executives to define the "Canadian factor," the company's land acquisition manager, Russell Caplin, appears to acknowledge that the policy could cause the company problems in court. "Let's just all hope we never get deposed on that," he says. News staff reporter Stephen T. Watson contributed to this report. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan accused the opposition of being "pro-LGBT" at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday, as he stepped up his rhetoric against his opponents a week before what is expected to be a tight election. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president.(Bloomberg) Elsewhere, protesters threw stones at Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), during an election rally in the eastern city of Erzurum, a stronghold of Erdogan's AK Party (AKP). Imamoglu later claimed nine people had been injured at the event. Turkey is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14 and opinion polls show that Erdogan faces his biggest electoral challenge in his two decades in power. At his rally in Istanbul, the president was appealing to his conservative Muslim voter base. "AK Party and other parties in our alliance would never be pro-LGBT, because family is sacred to us. We will bury those pro-LGBT in the ballot box," he told the crowd. Erdogan has toughened his rhetoric against the LGBT community in recent years, frequently labelling members "deviants". On Sunday, he also attacked his key election rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads the main opposition alliance. "My people will not allow drunks and boozers to take the stage," Erdogan also said. "Mr. Kemal, you can drink barrels of it, nothing can cure you," he said. "My nation will make the necessary response on May 14. We will not allow Kilicdaroglu, who is hand in hand with terrorists, to divide our homeland," Erdogan said. Erdogan has also accused Kilicdaroglu of getting support from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency since the 1980s in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. It is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The opposition has previously denounced claims by Erdogan linking them to terrorists as divisive and dangerous campaign rhetoric. At the event in Erzurum, Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, who would become vice president if Kilicdaroglu wins the election, was addressing his supporters from the top of an open air bus when some members of the crowd threw stones at him and his supporters in the crowd, video footage showed. Imamoglu cut short his speech and left the scene in the bus. "We are leaving for your safety," Imamoglu told his supporters, adding that he would file a criminal complaint against the Erzurum governor and police chief for allowing the violence. Footage showed at least one person wounded in the face. "Erzurum's governor called and told me that seven people were wounded. I spoke to nine wounded people at this time," he later said in a tweet. In the 2018 presidential election Erdogan won 72% of votes in Erzurum. A night manager of a hotel in the United States was arrested for allegedly sneaking into a guest room, and sucking on his toes while he was asleep. The manager, identified as 52-year-old David Neal, made a key card and crept into the hotel room at the 4th Avenue South Hilton Hotel in Nashville, New York Post reported. The police said that they have not yet found the room key card Neal used to enter the hotel room. (Representational image) The visitor told the Nashville police department that he woke up to Neals mouth around his toes and immediately confronted him. He further added that Neal was one of the employees, who had come to his room a day before, to fix his television. Neal acknowledged entering the visitor's room to the cops but made no mention of sucking his toes. He claimed that he did so to ensure the guest's safety after smelling smoke. However, the police said that he never mentioned the smell of smoke to hotel security, and none of the other hotel guests or staff reported smelling smoke either. The police further said that they have not yet found the room key card Neal used to enter the hotel room. He was arrested at his home in Lebanon on Friday and charged with aggravated burglary and assault. Neal is currently jailed on a $27,000 bond, the police added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two Cattaraugus County residents are accused of fraudulently receiving nearly $30,000 in food stamps over a five-year period because they failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from scrapping during that period. Kayla A. Kellogg, 38, and Christopher M. Amrhein, 49, are charged with grand larceny and welfare fraud, both felonies, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office reported Sunday, while Kellogg faces an additional 12 counts of offering a false instrument for filing, also felonies. They both live on Abbott Road in Cuba but a news release did not disclose their relationship. The Sheriff's Office said an investigation into Kellogg and Amrhein began following a complaint of suspected welfare fraud from the county Department of Social Services in August 2021. Sheriff's investigators say the probe determined Kellogg and Amrhein had failed to report $270,000 in income from selling scrap metals between 2016 and 2021, allowing them to fraudulently receive $29,733 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits during that period. They were arrested Friday afternoon at the county Social Services Department in Olean and are due back in Olean City Court on June 6. At least seven people were killed in Brownsville on Sunday morning when a Range Rover ran a red light and plowed into people waiting at a bus stop near a migrant shelter, officials said. The crash occurred at 8:30 a.m. near the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and the homeless. Police said they had a male suspect in custody. They described him as a Hispanic male who lives in Brownsville. He was at a local hospital under 24-hour guard and will be tested to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the tragedy, police said. Authorities said it was unclear whether the driver ran into the group of people intentionally or whether he lost control of the vehicle. The FBI was assisting Brownsville police in investigating the deaths. The people who were struck were waiting at a bus stop across the street from the migrant shelter. More on EN.com: Photos of the U.S.-Mexico border and migrant holding facilities. The shelter director, Victor Maldonado, said the bus stop is not marked and has no bench, so people were sitting on the curb. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men, Maldonado said after viewing surveillance video of the scene. What we see in the video is that this SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about 100 feet away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, Maldonado said. In addition to those killed, at least 11 people were injured, authorities said. The Ozanam center operates a food pantry, after-school tutoring, transitional housing and a 24-hour homeless shelter with dorms and meals. It has become a respite stop for migrants who have crossed the border from Mexico. Myrna Miriam Arteaga, center manager, said that after a surge of migrants two to three years ago, Ozanam began to allow new arrivals to stay there for up to four days. At a bus stop across the street from the shelter, migrants can catch rides to a bus station, where they can find transportation to destinations in Texas and other states. Shelter staff members bring migrants to the stop at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. most days to wait for buses, she said. At 8:30 a.m. Sunday, "about 20 of our residents were across the street to take the bus to the bus station to get to their destination with their tickets in hand, because they were leaving already to meet up with their families," said Arteaga, 59. "They were all waiting there when this individual just came and plowed them down." She said people sitting on benches outside the center watched in horror as the disaster unfolded. She said witnesses said the driver drove onto the curb where the migrants were sitting, rolled his SUV and then emerged, yelling and swearing at the victims. "It was horrible," Arteaga said. "It was like a movie. Thank God our community has helped us so much. We have counselors from all over the place, helping these family members because some of them were cousins, some of them were friends. They literally saw these people flying up in the air, and we had bodies all over the street." The people at the bus stop were men, ages 18 to 50, and all from Venezuela, she said. Arteaga said she had met some of them when they registered at the center, and she recalled their happiness at having reached American soil. Brownsville police disputed reports that they had determined the driver deliberately struck the migrants. "I'm here to clarify that Brownsville police has never taken the stand that this was an intentional accident. It is a factor that we have to look at," police spokesman Martin Sandoval told ABC5 News. Earlier in the day, Brownsville police posted a video to Facebook informing the public of a "major accident" at North Minnesota Avenue and Austin Road and advising motorists to avoid the area. This article includes information from the Associated Press. Sunday marked the third day since a Shell chemical plant in Deer Park caught fire, and the smoke continued to rise. The plant caught fire Friday afternoon due to a heat exchange between two heavy gas oils that occurred during "routine maintenance," according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Nine contractors taken to the hospital but were released Friday night. Saturday morning, Shell announced the fire had been extinguished, but it later reignited around 3 p.m. WHAT TO KNOW: What to know about the Shell chemical plant that caught fire in Deer Park As of Sunday evening, the fire was still burning but it was contained to a controlled zone, plant officials said. Shell was warning residents Sunday morning of "black smoke, flaring and increased noise from the facility." The plant is located about 15 miles southeast of downtown Houston and less than two miles from the Houston Ship Channel. Sunday morning, Shell announced the runoff water from fighting the fire had exceeded the facility's wastewater storage capacity and would begin to be released into the channel as a "controlled discharge." The company said it would be deploying a boom a large physical barrier used to contain oil spills to keep any product from contaminating the water in the channel. Following Sunday's rain, Shell posted that a sheen was reported outside of the boom, and additional clean up crews were deployed to deal with it. The sheen was not in the path of the controlled discharge. Shell said it expected it will need even more water to cool down the equipment once the fire was extinguished. Shell Chemicals along with the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality were responding to the fire. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was onsite Friday and Saturday to perform air quality testing but it did not report any harmful levels of chemicals in the air. Such evaluation and air monitoring remained ongoing Sunday and TCEQ still had not detected any harmful chemicals, according to Shell. "There is no danger to the nearby community," Shell posted. But Air Alliance Houston, a nonprofit advocacy group, released a statement warning residents the smoke from the fire could cause respiratory issues. Air Alliance Houston also urged Deer Park residents and others nearby to seek medical help should they experience any health issues after being exposed to the smoke. PARTICULATE MATTER: SpaceX Starships huge debris plume highlights unsolved physics of historic launch OnScene TV A 16-year-old was shot in the head and killed Saturday night while sitting in a vehicle with his mother, according to Houston police. Around 9:30 p.m., mother and son were sitting in a parked vehicle near the 5900 block of Selinksy Road when another vehicle drove in front of them and began shooting, Lt. Ignacio Izaguirre told OnScene TV reporters. A total of five or six shots were fired, one of which hit the teenager in the head. The shooter immediately fled, Izaguirre said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Guido Herrera walked into the Galleria with a Bible in one hand and a long gun in the other, making his way so very near to where hundreds of young girls were competing in a weekend dance competition. Radio traffic warning of an armed man made it to an off-duty Houston police sergeant working a security job. That sergeant quickly found and tackled Herrera to the ground before he could reach the Westin Galleria conference area, a brave act on Feb. 5 that may have thwarted a mass shooting, according to prosecutors. As authorities searched him, they found 120 more rounds for the assault-styled weapon and a loaded handgun among his layers of black, baggy clothing including tactical pants, gloves and a shirt emblazoned with the vigilante Punisher skull logo. He had bookmarked the Old Testament scripture he clutched to a Genesis passage about Sodom and Gomorrah, officials said. The accusation and that of a second gun-related incident at the FBI field office a month later resulted in two misdemeanor charges disorderly conduct and unlawful carrying of a weapon both of which landed at random in Criminal Court of Law No. 8, leaving Judge Franklin Bynum on Thursday to decide how to punish Herrera for a crime that harmed no one but threatened public safety. Bynum, whose fate on the bench is pending a decision from the Texas Supreme Court for complaints of leniency toward defendants and bias against prosecutors, opted for the maximum sentence that he is legally allowed to hand down to Herrera for the Galleria incident: Six months in the Harris County Jail. 'I DECIDED TO FIGHT': HPD sergeant speaks out on stopping potential mass shooter We have a genuinely dangerous situation with a genuinely dangerous person, Bynum said in court, expressing perplexity that authorities could not secure a more serious charge against Herrera. This situation, where someone is roaming around a federal building and malls with loaded firearms and youre in front of me? Why? Out of the thousands of misdemeanor cases in Harris County, prosecutors said they believe Herreras case presented the most risk to community safety. The state brainstormed with the Department of Justice on whether federal charges would be better suited but nothing worked. Authorities were left with very few options on how to charge Herrera because of a lack of prior convictions. His circumstance kind of fell in the gaps, prosecutor Barbara Mousset said. He took advantage of some technicalities in the law he had the right to have that firearm and ultimately this was the only charge that we could get him on. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Bynum was poised to force Herrera to undergo several rehabilitative programs during the two years of community supervision that would follow jail time until the state revealed that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold could return the Argentine national to his home country after finishing the sentence, which could last up to one year and six months for the two crimes. He then reconsidered the order, noting that the rehabilitative programs may not do Herrera any good. I dont know what the future holds for you, Bynum told the defendant. But Ive done the most I can do today with the rules I have. I wish you well. Herrera said nothing in return. Harris County District Attorneys Office Gun-loving Texan Defense attorney Armen Merjanian advocated for his clients right to possess the weapons he had during both arrests the latter of which was a bond violation. When it came to the defense to argue for a lesser sentence, the lawyer accused the judge of not liking guns a remark that prompted Bynums ire as inappropriate and inaccurate. Hes a gun-loving Texan, Merjanian said. He has a right to possess these weapons whether we like them or not. The Galleria, which is private property, prohibits firearms. Police officials noted in court records that the Galleria outlines its firearm policy on its website and at the mall entrance. Texas law does not necessarily restrict who can carry a long gun which forced prosecutors to prove that Herrera carried the weapons in a manner to cause alarm. A Harris County magistrate issued a general order bond for Herreras release soon after that first arrest. He failed to show up for his first court appearance and authorities deemed him a fugitive. The lawyer, in an attempt to explain Herreras actions, said his client had been fearful of his neighbors and an ex-girlfriend and that he felt that law enforcement had let him down following past 911 calls. That fear led him to the next incident. Vigilantism is discouraged, Merjanian continued. He felt like his cries were not being heard and thats why he went to the FBI field office. ON DEATH ROW: Execution date nears for ex-Missouri City cop convicted in wifes murder-for-hire killing On the morning of March 18, Herrera wanted for more than a month after failing to appear in court drove to the FBI field office in northwest Houston. He arrived around 7:45 a.m. at the security gate at 1 Justice Park for a purported meeting with the FBI Director, a remark that struck Special Agent Torrence White as alarming, he testified, because the director, Christopher Wray, is based in Washington D.C., not Houston. When asked, Herrera said he did not know the FBI directors name but that he wanted a meeting about returning to Argentina. A security contractor noticed a handgun in Herreras lap and called for backup. White arrived and ordered Herrera to show his hands and get out of the vehicle which he did. White then asked Herrera why he brought a weapon to the field office. He informed me that the weapon was for his protection against police, White testified Thursday during the sentencing. In the car, authorities found several boxes of ammunition in the trunk. The handgun, which was legally obtained, was purchased online and had been in Herreras possession for about two months, according to court records. The arrest at the field office prompted Bynum to raise his bail to $100,000 and Herrera has remained jailed since. For the FBI incident, Herrera accepted a plea agreement Monday that sentenced him to one year in the Harris County Jail, with credit for time served. The six months stemming from the disorderly conduct conviction was stacked onto that punishment. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer He didnt hesitate Prosecutors lauded the Houston police sergeant who confronted Herrera for likely stopping violence, noting that the defendant was an arms reach from the door where young dancers were competing. He didn't hesitate, prosecutor Jacob Salinas said. The 41-year-old sergeant, Kendrick Simpo, testified Monday about his role in apprehending Herrera. The 14-year HPD veteran chose to keep his firearm holstered as he searched the Galleria for Herrera to avoid panic. Few shoppers were in the mall but it was open to morning strollers and the dance competition. Herrera walked by the Macys department store, up the escalators and toward the ballroom with purpose. He was about 10 feet from the doors to the competition area when they crossed paths, Simpo said Friday to the Chronicle. Simpo chose again not to draw his weapon because it was too late he would be at a disadvantage, he said. He was in the open with nowhere to find distance or cover should his attempt to stop the gunman take a turn for the worse. The encounter, he knew, would be physical. I could possibly be shot and it was going to hurt but thats when the fight-or-flight kicked in, Simpo said. I decided to fight. 'HE'S NO MURDERER': Family of man killed by Harris Co. sergeant over Dollar General theft speaks out At this point, Herrera had already seen Simpo. He and another security officer appeared poised to calmly walk past the gunman when Simpo suddenly pushed the officer out of the way and grabbed the barrel of the long gun from behind. He knew that the rifle could easily fire at any point and strike him but tried to keep it pointed at the ground or his own legs. Within seconds, Simpo wrestled Herrera to the ground and disarmed him of the Radical Firearms rifle and a Taurus semi-automatic handgun. I caught him off guard, Simpo continued. Simpo notes that Herreras intent wasnt known but that his presence didnt sit right with me. He acknowledged the limitations on prosecuting Herrera. The DA's office did the best of their ability to make sure they could keep this guy in jail, said Simpo, who is expected to receive a commendation from HPD for his effort that day at the Galleria.. nicole.hensley@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Kinney County Sheriffs Office reported that between 100 to 150 migrants were found on a train illegally in southwest Texas. Kinney County Sheriffs Office deputies found the migrants around 1:30 p.m. Friday, and the investigation reportedly lasted until 8 p.m. outside the Spofford Railyard in Spofford, west of Uvalde and nearly five hours west of Houston. MORE ON LOCAL: US Coast Guard searching for missing man near Surfside Beach A conductor on the train contacted the Union Pacific Dispatchers after realizing he had unauthorized passengers on his train. The dispatchers notified deputies and when they arrived, they found between 12 to 15 people lying flat on the roof of the first gondola train car. It was located behind the second engine and moved slowly toward the railyard. Deputies were in the middle of apprehending the passengers when one stated that there were more inside some of the gondolas. As deputies began inspecting inside the gondolas, people began jumping out and running into the brush. Deputies called for backup as well as emergency medical services due to the extreme temperatures inside the train cars. "They told us there were well over 100 people on board the train, scattered throughout the gondolas, said Chief Deputy Armando M. Garcia. If they'd gone all the way to Uvalde in those Gondolas, they'd be dead by now. Officials reported that temperatures were over 100 degrees inside the gondolas. MORE ON LOCAL: Harris County I-45 rebuild from downtown Houston could take decades Minor injuries were reported by authorities. A woman fainted while exiting the train but was caught by authorities before she hit the ground. Garcia said that at least 100 people managed to escape into the brush when authorities found them while other deputies estimated escapees to be around 50. Roughly 90 people were taken into custody at the railyard and were turned over to Border Patrol for identification. The train is responsible for trading agricultural products such as grain from Mexico into the U.S., according to Matt Benacci, public information officer with the Kinney County Sheriffs Office. Youre inside a metal box with no air conditioning or ventilation with people clustered together, Benacci said. Its probably 110 to 115 degrees at least in there. The Sheriffs Office is filing criminal trespassing on railroad property charges on those in custody. Houston Chronicle Houston has moderate air quality resulting from agriculture fires in Mexico, according to the National Weather Service. MORE ON LOCAL: Over 100 migrants found hiding in a train in southwest Texas National Weather Service Houston was being pummeled with rain capable of potentially producing flash floods as a cluster of thunderstorms already drenching much of Fort Bend County made its way north Sunday. The set of storms had been slowly making its way northeast from Victoria toward the Houston area, according to the National Weather Service. The storms were producing 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour around 10 am., although the weather service expected the system to gradually weaken during its approach to the Houston area. Six months ago, Reah Ysa, 54, began photographing her water meter every few weeks and meticulously logging the readings in a spreadsheet after seeing a steady climb in her monthly water bills she no longer could ignore. Since moving into their three-bedroom townhouse near Montrose a year ago, Ysa and her husband have paid more than $1,900 for water, but their actual usage should have amounted to only about $1,100, according to their meter readings and payment history. The discrepancy, Ysa said, came from Houston Water charging the couple based on estimates rather than their actual usage. Five of their six most recent bills were marked "ESTIMATED," indicating the city did not read her meter during those months. The Ysas are among roughly 48,000 households about 10 percent of the city's water customers whose water usage is estimated each month, a stark contrast to 2018 when less than 1 percent of Houstonians received estimated bills. This growing dependence on estimation has led to more erroneous charges and a surge in complaints within an already strained bill dispute system, according to residents and officials. RISING BILLS: The average Houston water bill will jump up $11 in April. Here's why. Houstons water meters are designed to automatically read household water usage and wirelessly transmit the data to the city's server through radio signals. However, aging meters and delayed replacements have caused the number of malfunctioning reading devices in a given month to more than double from 36,800 in 2020, to 91,000 in March, according to Public Works data. Due to a staffing shortage, the department does not have enough workers to manually read meters in every case of equipment failure, so it resorts to estimating those bills based on historical data. This alone depicts one of our largest challenges today in what we're dealing with from a resource (perspective), to get reads every day and have the feet on the ground to do so, said Lisa Garrison, director of customer account services at Public Works. Because of the manual reading that has to take place from our aged inventory, we do have customers that contact us daily to dispute their bill or express concerns about their bill. Ysa said she suffered a 53,000-gallon leak last May after city workers accidentally damaged her water line. Although the city eventually reimbursed her for the $1,387 bill, she said the leak likely skewed the city's calculation, resulting in inflated estimates ever since. Public Works spokesperson Erin Jones acknowledged the current estimation algorithm is unable to eliminate the impact of one-time incidents such as water leaks, which, according to 311 call data, thousands of residents experience every month. TOP COMPLAINTS: See what your Houston neighborhood is complaining about the most, according to 311 data Houston Water is working to modify the algorithm to prevent overestimation caused by leaks and other outliers, Jones said. Meanwhile, residents like Ysa said their trust in the city has been undermined by what they believe to be inaccurate estimates. Every bill has an estimated usage on it, and they are estimating extremely high, Ysa said. The city is a government entity and we should be able to trust them, but I feel like they are trying to rip me off. Whether thats happening or not, it just feels that way. Failing meter equipment Many of Houston's electronic meters date back to 1998 when Public Works first implemented an automated reading system that, according to the department, has saved the city more than $100 million in labor and other costs. As the devices aged, however, their reliability has decreased. In 2020, City Council approved a plan to replace its meter readers, some of which already had surpassed their 20-year life expectancy. The project initially aimed to replace 119,400 devices by the end of June 2023, but because of chip shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, only 34,600 have been replaced to date, Garrison said. Unfortunately, four months into that project beginning, the supply chain shortage was announced due to COVID, Garrison said. We are almost approximately two years behind in our plan. Currently, around 20 percent of Houston's automated meter readers are experiencing failures, unable to accurately detect and transmit household water usage data. That is a sharp increase from 2017 when, despite unprecedented equipment damage during Hurricane Harvey, the percentage of faulty readers peaked at 11 percent. Garrison said Houston Water's internal review process has confirmed inaccuracies in only 0.8 percent of all customer bills. That amounts to an average of 384 errors every month or approximately 4,600 mistakes a year. Houston District F Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, however, said the error rate likely is much higher, noting a growing number of her constituents have reached out for help with unusual jumps in their water bills but never got their charges adjusted. SLOW RESPONSE: New records shed light on behind-the-scenes chaos of Houston's boil water notice That number should be a lot higher because most people, when they go through the dispute process, probably stopped at one point and didnt go through the entire process, Thomas said. It wouldnt be 0.8 percent if people actually walk through the entire process and then Public Works acknowledges theyre real errors. Last fall, a resident in Thomas' westside district started receiving estimated bills around $100 higher than usual, the council member said. One month, the resident turned off their lawn sprinklers to conserve water, but the bill came with the exact same amount as the previous month, down to the penny. Something is off for it to be a steady increase of residents requesting assistance, Thomas said. There has to be a real conversation about how these meters are clocking peoples water usage. Rising bill concerns Equipment failures and inaccurate billing only have exacerbated the frustration for Houston water customers already struggling to comprehend their rising costs, officials say. In September 2021, the city approved its biggest rate hike in decades to raise water and wastewater costs by 47 percent and 63 percent, respectively, over five years. The Turner administration said the additional fund was necessary to comply with a $2 billion consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency stemming from sewage leaks that mostly occurred in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. As a result, a household consuming 4,000 gallons per month, for example, would see its bill go from $57 in 2021, to $89 by 2026. Meanwhile, residents have been dealing with a surge in water leaks due to aging pipes and extreme weather conditions. In the first eight months of 2022, Houston lost nearly 20 billion gallons of water because of leaky pipes. At the height of last year's drought, the city lost 20 percent of its total monthly water supply to leaky pipes. HUGE LOSS: Houston doubles spending to fix pipes that have leaked 20 billion gallons of water so far this year There are multiple things happening. Its the water rate. Its the leaks. It's the meters. It's the estimates, Thomas said. And what happens is, when Houstonians see their bills go from $75 to $200 and were not even in peak summer yet, they dont know whats going on. Natalie Vega, 39, owns a three-bedroom townhouse near West University Place. Over the years, her monthly water usage has averaged around 4,000 gallons, with some seasonal fluctuations, her bills show. Last year, however, her water bills shot up over a few months, going from $42 for 3,000 gallons in April to $495 for 22,000 gallons in September. After notifying the city, Vega consulted two plumbers who found no leaks. One plumber, after manually reading the meter, suggested in a text message shared with the Chronicle that the city "had been reading the meter wrong." Despite spending hours filling out forms and contacting Houston Water, Vega said she awaits a resolution. Frustrated, she and several neighbors facing similar issues plan to hire a lawyer to address their billing problems. Karen Warren/Staff photographer This cant be right. Theres no pool. Theres no hot tub. Theres a townhome yard, but it doesnt even have grass and theres nothing to water, Vega said. Why would they just magically decide that the bill is now several times more than what its been for years? A combination of factors, including a rising number of leaks, rate increases and aging infrastructure has led to confusion and sometimes misconceptions about the city's water billing system, District C Councilmember Abbie Kamin said. A lot of people think, even with the water rate hikes, that the city just wants more money, but as a city, we legally are only allowed to recoup water usage costs, Kamin said. And sometimes a resident would get slapped with an insane bill because nobody was aware of a leak. They would come to us, but theres a formal administrative process that we arent allowed to have any say in. Overwhelmed dispute system Right now, Houston Water handles around 43,000 monthly calls from residents about their water bills. By law, customers disputing a water charge may request an administrative review within 90 days of the bill's receipt. If unresolved, they have another 10 days to request an administrative hearing. As a last resort, customers can seek a review by the city's Water Adjustment Board, which meets quarterly. On average, of all the monthly inquiries, 269 get escalated, 74 enter an administrative review, eight reach a hearing and four cases are reviewed by the Water Adjustment Board, according to Public Works. Jones said the department has made progress improving the dispute process in recent months, including hiring 35 new customer service representatives in January, which significantly reduced wait times. Some residents, however, said the dispute process still lacks transparency and efficiency. Bradley Harmes, a 68-year-old retiree, said he experienced that firsthand when he received two water bills totaling $1,648 for 67,000 gallons in late 2022. His typical usage was just a few thousand gallons a month, his bills show. After Harmes called Houston Water to challenge the charges, city staff re-read his meter and confirmed there was a billing error, but it was not easy to get the overcharges cleared, he said. Harmes said he had to contact the department every 30 days for six months to extend a hold on his account to prevent a service cutoff. Last month, he finally received a credit for the erroneous charges. I have probably invested 20 hours of my time over the past six months trying to solve this problem, and theres just a lot of head-scratching and uncertainty, he said. Most frustrating customer service experience I have encountered. OPEN DITCHES: Most of Houston's open ditches are in minority neighborhoods, and poor maintenance puts them at risk District A Councilmember Amy Peck said the dispute system frequently has failed her constituents, leaving them with lingering questions and unexplained high bills. We get constituents all the time that go through this system, and from what we can tell, almost none of them are successful every time they go through that process, Peck said. The answer they get is usually just, well, you used a lot of water this month, or you must have a leak somewhere, but thats not always the case. The city ordinance often limits Houston Water's ability to help residents, Jones said. For example, she said, the department can adjust only one unusually high bill a year for each household, and it cannot correct a customer's water charges if they wait too long to seek assistance. We're restricted to all those different things, Jones said. To make the process shorter or change the process, thats something the City Council handles. People need to go to their council member if they want to make these changes. For now, residents have to continue to grapple with a complex dispute system, which can be particularly challenging for those with demanding schedules or who are unfamiliar with how the system works, said Harmes, who worked as an insurance advisor to local governments for 40 years before he retired. "This is hard work. You have to meet deadlines. You have to check in every month and follow their instructions. I wonder how an older person or some with a full-time job copes with this just to keep their water up," Harmes said."I've seen a lot of public sector problems, but nothing quite so broken as the city of Houston water department billing system." A Town of Tonawanda employee is facing assault and weapons charges after police responded to a reported domestic violence incident Thursday morning, authorities said Sunday. Kristopher D. Kinsella, a senior code enforcement officer, remains an active Tonawanda employee as town officials weigh what, if any, disciplinary action can be brought against him, Town Supervisor Joseph Emminger said. Kinsella, 44, was charged after town police were called to a home on Glenably Drive at about 4:25 a.m. Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Erie County District Attorney's Office told The Buffalo News. Kinsella is accused of injuring the victim, who was not identified, by squeezing her neck with his hands, the spokeswoman said. This purportedly happened in front of a child. Tonawanda police also removed six firearms from the home, according to prosecutors: three pistols, two semiautomatic rifles and one shotgun. Kinsella was arraigned later Thursday in Tonawanda Town Court on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, as well as assault, criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors. Kinsella was released on his own recognizance and a temporary order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim. He is set to return to Town Court on Monday morning. Kinsella declined comment when reached by The News on Sunday. Attorney Sunil Bakshi, who is representing Kinsella with co-counsel Peter Todoro, declined comment beyond saying, "We do intend to vigorously defend the charges." Kinsella, who is also the town's fire inspector, is still on the town payroll. He earned $99,403 in 2022, according to SeeThroughNY payroll records. Kinsella has played a key role in the town's efforts to force Frank Juliano, who owns numerous apartment buildings on and along Kenmore Avenue in Tonawanda, to make renovations to his properties. Kinsella in September inspected several garages on Kenmore and St. John's avenues and determined them to be unsafe. The Town Board in November formally accepted this assessment but Juliano has filed suit to block any demolition of the structures. Kinsella in March provided an affidavit as part of the town's response to the lawsuit, court records show, and it's not clear what effect his arrest could have on that legal case. Emminger said he was notified of Kinsella's arrest on Thursday and he, in turn, informed other Town Board members. The Town Board discussed the matter on Thursday and will do so again prior to Monday's board meeting. Emminger said he was limited in what he can say about a personnel matter but the board will consider what discipline, if any, it can impose against a town employee accused of off-duty misconduct. This is a different set of circumstances than the situation involving Roger D. Murphy, a motor equipment operator who was at the wheel of a Highway Department street sweeper when it tipped over, spun around and crashed April 7 on the westbound I-290. Murphy, who was charged with driving while intoxicated, was placed on paid leave and later fired. His union has filed a grievance contesting his termination. WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Knox County in northern Texas... * Until 615 PM CDT. * At 527 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Benjamin, moving northeast at 5 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... Benjamin, Truscott, Gilliland, Vera, and Rhineland. 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 600 PM CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN TAYLOR COUNTY... At 528 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near View, moving north at 30 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. This severe storm will be near... Caps around 540 PM CDT. Merkel and Dyess Afb around 545 PM CDT. Tye around 550 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Camp Butman. This includes Interstate 20 between Mile Markers 263 and 273. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN JONES AND EAST CENTRAL FISHER COUNTIES... At 530 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near The Intersection Of Us- 180 And Ranch Road 126, or 7 miles south of Neinda, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Neinda around 540 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Us-180 And Ranch Road 126. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of east central Foard, west central Wilbarger and southeastern Hardeman Counties through 600 PM CDT... At 531 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Margaret, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Vernon, Chillicothe, Margaret, Medicine Mound, and Copper Breaks State Park. 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 3398 9967 3412 9980 3439 9948 3416 9929 TIME...MOT...LOC 2231Z 232DEG 23KT 3410 9967 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather Governor Launches New Climate Resiliency Program BOSTON Governor Maura Healey and Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper announced a new pilot program to support cities and towns across Massachusetts in updating and putting their climate change resiliency plans and projects into action. The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Planning 2.0 (MVP 2.0) expands the MVP grant program, which provides communities with funding and technical support to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement priority actions to adapt to climate change. After a year of reviewing the initial MVP Planning Grant program and conducting extensive stakeholder input, EEA developed MVP 2.0 to include new methods, tools, and resources for updating MVP plans and actions. "The climate crisis is one of our greatest challenges, but there is enormous opportunity in our response. We have the science, data, tools and commitment to help communities understand how climate change impacts them and take action to advance resiliency and preparedness," said Governor Maura Healey. "With the next phase of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, we will harness the incredible resources at our disposal and bring people together to protect our environment, grow our economy and build a more resilient future." MVP 2.0 provides communities with guidance and funding to center residents most impacted by climate change in the update process. Cities and towns will also receive innovative training on climate resilience best practices, equity, and environmental justice, revisit priorities in their current MVP plans based on this new knowledge and engagement and receive technical assistance and $50,000 of guaranteed funding to develop and implement an?action project. A new web tool called Guides for Equitable and Actionable Resilience (GEAR) will launch with the program in the next few weeks and aid communities in understanding how local climate impacts may intersect with topics like housing and public health through data explorations, case studies, and key actions communities can take to build resilience. "As we transition to clean energy, we also need strong protections against the climate impacts already burdening our residents," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. ?"We are excited to keep growing and evolving this program to meet the needs of our communities while achieving our climate goals." EEA will award funding to a maximum of 30 communities, five in each region, to undergo the two-year pilot program. Pilot communities will hire a vendor with skills in climate resilience, facilitation, and equity and build a community team with community liaisons, or community members who are from and/or have strong relationships with environmental justice and other priority populations who will be the most impacted by climate change. These community liaisons will be compensated for their time through grant funding. "The emphasis on engaging environmental justice communities and organizations most impacted by climate change and requiring climate justice training for participants are exciting parts of this new pilot program," said Undersecretary of Environmental Justice and Equity Maria Belen Power. "I look forward to working with the MVP program and other Commonwealth grant programs to ensure our funding supports our environmental justice and equity goals." Currently, 99 percent, or 349, of municipalities in Massachusetts have completed or are currently completing the original MVP Planning Grant process. Dunstable, Florida, Gill, Oakham, Peru, Russell, Shelburne, and Wales received awards this year. Communities that completed the initial MVP Planning Grant program are eligible to apply to implement their climate resilience priorities through the MVP Action Grant program. Communities are encouraged to apply to MVP 2.0 as regional groups where feasible, and communities with MVP plans that are five years old are particularly encouraged to apply for the MVP 2.0 pilot to update their plans with the new process, tools, and data that are incorporated into the program. Federally-recognized and state-acknowledged Tribes and Regional Planning Agencies applying on behalf of a municipality or group of municipalities are also able to apply. "We look forward to providing resources for community-based planning and climate resilience projects through the MVP 2.0 pilot and using this work to inform a full rollout to all communities anticipated next year," said Undersecretary of Decarbonization & Resilience Katherine Antos. "We will also provide opportunities for communities to network, share lessons learned, and provide feedback to EEA as we continue to improve the program." The FY24 round of MVP Action Grant funding is also currently open for applications through May 4, 2023. MVP Action Grants provide funding for communities' climate resilience priority projects focused on proactive strategies to address climate change impacts. This may include actions to invest in and protect environmental justice neighborhoods and improve public health, nature-based solutions to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat and flooding, and climate resilience-focused regulatory updates, among others. Communities participating in the MVP 2.0 pilot round will still be able to apply for and implement MVP Action Grants at the same time. After the pilot round, EEA intends to require all communities to undergo MVP 2.0 to maintain eligibility in applying for MVP Action Grants, starting with those with the earliest MVP plans. MassDOT Berkshire County Temporary Closures HINSDALE, Mass. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will temporarily close Middlefield Road (SkylineTrail) in Hinsdale and Peru. A temporary detour will be in place from Monday, May 8, to Friday, May 12, and motorists will be redirected to take Route 8 (South Street) to Route 143 to Creamery Road. The closure and detour are needed to facilitate paving operations over the newly installed culverts as part of the project to reconstruct the Skyline Trail (Middlefield Road). MassDOT is also conducting bridge repairs and guard rail repairs in the evening and overnight hours the week of May 8 on I-90 in Montgomery, Russsell, Becket, and Blandford. Travel on I-90 will be maintained through the work zones. The following work is scheduled: In Montgomery and Russell, Sunday night through Friday morning, May 7 to May 12, bridge repairs will occur requiring lane closures on I-90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 36.0. Work starts each night at 7 p.m. and concludes the following day by 5 a.m. In Becket, Monday night through Friday morning, May 8 to May 12, guardrail repairs will occur requiring lane closures on I-90 eastbound and westbound between mile markers 17 and 20. Work starts each night at 7 p.m. and concludes the following day by 5 a.m. In Lee, Monday and Tuesday nights, May 8 and May 9, bridge repairs will occur requiring lane closures at mile marker 8.3. Work starts each night at 7 p.m. and concludes the following day by 5 a.m. In Blandford and Becket, Monday and Tuesday nights, May 8 and May 9, guardrail repairs will occur requiring shoulder closures between mile markers 14.2 and 26.4. Work starts each night at 8 p.m. and concludes the following day by 4 a.m. Signs, traffic control devices, detours and law enforcement details will be used to guide drivers through or around the work zones. MassDOT encourages drivers to reduce speed and use caution while approaching and traveling through or around the work zones and to allow for extra time through this area. All work is weather dependent and is subject to change without notice. Ishmael Thomas, who was held in slavery by Williamstown's Benjamin Simonds, is memorialized at Field Park for his role in the Revolution, but not that of Ishmael Titus, who fought in the Carolinas both as an enslaved substitute and as a freeman. Williamstown's Broad Brook Park, near the White Oaks neighborhood where Ishmael Titus lived, is one area being considered to honor the Black Revolutionary War veteran. PreviousNext Hidden Heroes: Exhibit, Monday 'Teach-In' Highlight Williamstown's Ishmael Titus An image of Ishmael Titus on a plaque installed in Charlotte, N.C., in 2015 recognizing his service in the battles of Kings Mountain and Guilford Courthouse with Gen. Nathaniel Greene's forces. Posted by the American Legion. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. A group of Williams College students is working to promote the life of a neglected town hero. And they want the town to follow suit. Tryphena Bossman and Olivia Johnson last week met with the town's Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee to talk about the work they have done in an Africana studies class to research the life of Ishmael Titus, an enslaved American who fought in the Revolutionary War and relocated to Williamstown in the earliest days of the republic. "Ishmael Titus is a Revolutionary War veteran, and he also was an active resident within White Oaks," Bossman said, referencing a neighborhood on the north end of Williamstown. "He served in the war in the stead of his enslaver, Lawrence Ross, and he ultimately freed himself and journeyed to the White Oaks community. He not only resided in White Oaks, he resided in nearby states like in Bennington, Vt." But Titus' story, like that of other Black residents, largely was written out of the town's history. Bossman, Johnson and other students from professor Allison Guess' course "Race, Land, Settler Capitalism: Ongoing Topics in (Dis)/(Re)possession," created a display of historical records about Titus that was scheduled to go on view at the college's Sawyer Library this weekend and which the students hope to bring to other locations in town. And on Monday, at 6:30 p.m., the students will hold a teach-in at the college's Paresky Auditorium that is open to the public. The event will feature Solomon Titus, who will talk about his ancestor's legacy. "Moving forward, we would love to collaborate with the DIRE Committee on efforts to both mark and preserve Ishmael Titus' memory within Williamstown, specifically within the White Oaks community, where he resided," Bossman said. "One of the ways we'd like to do that is by having a street or park named after Ishmael Titus." Prior to last week's meeting, a member of the DIRE Committee suggested the students consider Broad Brook playground, adjacent to the former school. "We want to choose a place that will provide the honor we're looking for, and part of that is choosing something in an area that is close to where Ishmael was, which this is," Johnson said. "We're looking at Broad Brook as a viable option." One potential problem with the park, the students said, is that a marker at the site dedicates it as the "Lt. Herbert Allan Field Memorial Playground," for a service person who died in action in World War II. The students' discussion with the committee touched on the fact that the town has other locations named for people whose histories are fraught, including Ephraim Williams himself, now recognized as a slave owner. But the town has little recognition of people of color. "Ishmael Titus is not the only Ishmael who is a proud patriot from Williamstown," DIRE Committee member Andrew Art told the pair. "Ishmael Thomas, who was enslaved by Benjamin Simonds, for whom Simonds Road is named, and who lived in a historic home which has been preserved and has historical markers that make no reference to that enslavement, is also omitted from the Williamstown history." Art noted that Thomas, unlike Titus, is recognized on the town's war memorial at Field Park. Simonds, on the other hand, has a portion of U.S. Route 7 named for him. DIRE Committee member Noah Smalls pointed out that memorializing slave owners, like Benjamin Simonds, and erasing enslaved people is a national issue. "Is there a reason we're holding onto honoring these individuals versus people who are American heroes and under-recognized in American history?" Smalls asked rhetorically. "It doesn't always have to be a swap or a flip-flop, but I think it can be very powerful when it is. It can offer some healing." Three days after the April 28 presentation from Bossman and Johnson, the topic of historical erasure was still on the table for the DIRE Committee members. And a choice the town made for its town flag loomed over that table and drew Smalls' attention. While town leaders' discussions about potential flag designs dragged on for weeks back in 2015, none of those discussions included full consideration of the message sent by highlighting the 1753 House, a replica of a Colonial-era structure erected at Field Park in 1953. "I keep looking at this flag here as it is celebrated," Smalls said, pointing to the flag hung in the Select Board Meeting Room. "It really does speak a lot to history. At the reception of [the 1753 House's] unveiling, there was a re-enactment of the running off of indigenous people and violent incidents surrounding that. I know this because it was in the newspaper back then, and I read an article that was complete with individuals in headdresses who were not Indigenous." Art said the replica structure and the flag it adorns celebrate white colonialism and ignore the Black and indigenous people who always have been connected to the town. "The tragic part to me is, without having a conversation about the actual history, we then have a perpetuation in the form of the flag of this caricatured celebration of Colonial Williamstown," Art said. In recent years, the residents of a neighborhood of Main Street have disavowed its former name and removed a sign identifying it as "Colonial Village," and the Colonial Shopping Center on Main Street has been rebranded the Williamstown Plaza. "It's not a coincidence that [the 1753 House] ended up being a symbol of the town," DIRE Committee Chair Shana Dixon said. "It was a caricature then, so it was offensive then. And it has not not softened at all with time or by putting it on the flag. It still represents the same moment. It has the same intent on the flag as it does on the town green. "What I would suggest here is aggression toward marginalized groups by positioning this in the center of town and positioning it on the flag should not be lost either as we try to work through understanding that these things don't just happen this way. They're often meant as a different kind of monument. It sends a different kind of message." The DIRE Committee members agreed to engage the town's Historical Commission and 1753 House Committee about how the town's historical markers and monuments can be made to be more inclusive. A woman who is expected to testify in the upcoming federal trial of a Cheektowaga strip club owner was arrested this week on two misdemeanor drug charges. Phlycia Hunt, 32, was arrested on drug possession charges filed by the FBI this week relating to two incidents in October 2021 and October 2022, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in court papers made public Friday. These are drug possession charges for personal use. Her case has been put off until Wednesday of next week, and my top priority at this point is to help this woman get help and treatment for her drug problem, said Fonda Kubiak, a federal public defender who represents Hunt. Ex-DEA agent, strip club owner should be tried together, judge says Defense teams for Joseph Bongiovanni, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent and Peter Gerace Jr., owner of Pharaohs Gentlemens Club in Cheektowaga, each sought separate trials. After a district judge's ruling, the two men are scheduled to be tried together next month. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy arraigned Hunt on Friday and ordered her to be held in jail until the court appearance next week, Kubiak said. Two sources familiar with the case said Hunt is a former employee of Peter Gerace, the owner of Pharaohs Gentlemen's Club in Cheektowaga. Both sources said Hunt is expected to testify as a government witness at Geraces upcoming trial. Strip club owner facing trial arrested on new charges of witness tampering Peter G. Gerace Jr., 55, was arrested Friday on new charges after he was accused of sending threatening Facebook messages to a potential witness against him, according to federal court documents and his attorney. Gerace faces drug-trafficking, bribery and sex-trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Geraces co-defendant is a former federal drug agent, Joseph Bongiovanni, who is accused of taking bribes to help Gerace and other reported drug dealers avoid prosecution. Bongiovanni also has pleaded not guilty. The two men are scheduled to go to trial next month before District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr.. In 2020, Gerace filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Katrina Nigro, and Hunt. Attorney Steven M. Cohen, who represents Gerace in his criminal case, declined to comment on Hunts arrest. GCash, the Philippines leading fintech company, is pushing for more digital technology innovations to boost the countrys financial inclusion agenda as it gathers key public sector partners in the second part of its GCash for the Nation workshop series. Photo shows from L to R: Cathlyn Pavia, AVP for Public Sector Partnerships, San Fernando City treasurer Mary Ann Bautista, David Balamon, e-government specialist at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), MyEG Philippines, Inc. CEO Ann Margaret Saldana and Vice president for Commercial Operations, Luigi Reyes Entitled "Building Capabilities: Harnessing the Power of Digital Technology", the program discussed how the industry can be more effective in utilizing digital technology and push for more innovations in the fintech space. Moreover, the event also expounded how the fintech sector can empower communities, especially the unbanked sector, through constant innovations. "While GCash has come a long way in its digital finance transformation journey, theres still more that needs to be done, Said Martha Sazon president and CEO of GCash. Thats why at GCash, we are constantly innovating to democratize finance for all Filipinos. But we also recognize that fact that we cannot do this alone. Together with our partners, we will continue to spearhead digital initiatives and explore innovations that can bring more meaningful and essential financial services to all Filipinos, wherever they are, Sazon added. The program was attended by key GCash partners and industry leaders namely David Balamon, e-government specialist at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), San Fernando City treasurer Mary Ann Bautista, MyEG Philippines, Inc. CEO Ann Margaret Saldana, GCash local government unit team lead JR Marfoni, data tech enterprise team lead Faye Guanlao, and GLife sales manager Allyza Jimenez. Set to be held throughout the year, the series kicked off last February at the Diamond Hotel in Manila followed by the recent program at Escala Hotel in Tagaytay. The succeeding workshops will further deep dive into important discussions and relevant issues in the Fintech industry, and how these can help bring the benefits of th digital economy to more Filipinos. With over 79 million registered users, GCash, together with its partners, continues to introduce game-changing innovations to help millions of Filipinos achieve a better, safer, and more inclusive future, especially in an increasingly more digital world. For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Republican secretaries of state in Ohio, West Virginia and Missouri have promoted their states elections as fair and secure. Yet each also is navigating a fine line on how to address election fraud conspiracies as they gear up campaigns for U.S. Senate or governor in 2024. The split-screen messaging of Ohios Frank LaRose, West Virginias Mac Warner and Missouris Jay Ashcroft shows just how deeply election lies have burrowed into the Republican Party, where more than half of voters believe Democrat Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president. Even election officials who tout running clean elections at home are routinely pushing for more voting restrictions and additional scrutiny on the process as they prepare to face GOP primary voters next year. All three withdrew their states last month from the Electronic Registration Information Center, a bipartisan, multistate effort to ensure accurate voter lists. LaRose did so less than a month after calling the group one of the best fraud-fighting tools that we have and vowing to maintain Ohio's membership. He defied backlash against the organization stoked by former President Donald Trump before relenting. The three also have supported increased voter restrictions in their states part of a national trend for Republicans that they say is intended to boost public confidence. Those bills impose new voter ID requirements, shrink windows for processing ballots or ease the ability to consolidate voting precincts. For Republicans aspiring to higher office, "its kind of hard to skip some of these things if you want to succeed in GOP primaries, said Nancy Martorano Miller, an associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton. That includes appearing responsive to Republican voters' belief in Trump's false claims of a stolen 2020 presidential election at the same time they promote the job they're doing in their own states. Youre secretary of state, so its your job to run elections and make sure theyre fraud-free, Martorano Miller said. Youre kind of stuck between, I need to show Im doing these things to battle fraud,' but at the same time, 'if I make it seem like theres too much fraud, it looks like Im not doing my job. Warner and Ashcroft have announced campaigns for governor while LaRose is considering a U.S. Senate run. When he unveiled legislation in February aimed at standardizing election data, LaRose said it was all about providing transparency so voters would "have confidence in knowing that when the election is over, that the true voice of the people was heard. A couple weeks later, he was sitting on an elections panel titled They Stole It From Us Legally at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. LaRose's spokesperson said the panel was renamed at the last minute, but the secretary used the opportunity to promote the integrity of Ohio elections. Voter fraud is exceedingly rare in Ohio because we take election security very seriously, aggressively pursue those who commit it and refer the potential crime to the attorney general and county prosecutors, Rob Nichols said. Similarly, Ashcroft has said Missouri has secure elections and praised Gov. Mike Parson for signing a package of election law changes last year that included a new photo ID requirement. Missouri voters are passionate about their right to vote," he said. "This bill makes Missouri elections safer and more transparent, which instills confidence and trust. Then in January, Ashcroft hosted a meeting at his office with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a conspiracy theorist who travels the country fueling distrust in elections. The meeting alarmed some voting rights advocates in the state. Warner has defended Trumps false claims of a fraudulent 2020 election and demonstrated alongside Stop the Steal protesters, while also promoting the integrity of West Virginia's elections. He said in a recent interview that he is working to strike a balance between those on the right who believe the 2020 election was stolen and those on the left who argue theres nothing to see here. The truth is obviously somewhere in the middle, he said, while adding: I will admit Biden won the election, but did he do it legitimately? Or did that happen outside the election laws that legislatures in certain states had put in place? Thats where I balk and say no. Warner said he would like to see an after-action review of the 2020 election, like those conducted in the military, to ease citizens minds and make elections better. Trump and others have criticized the expansion of mail voting in 2020 in the COVID-19 pandemic, although there is no evidence of any widespread fraud and multiple reviews in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss have upheld the results. The House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol found that Trump advisers and administration officials repeatedly debunked allegations of fraud in the weeks after the 2020 election, but Trump continued to push the lies, anyway. In a recently settled defamation case against Fox News, a Delaware Superior Court judge ruled it was CRYSTAL clear that none of the claims repeatedly aired on the network about Dominion Voting Systems machines rigging votes against Trump was true. 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 Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Robert Smith, the frontman of The Cure, has shared an anti-monarchy cartoon. The artist shared the satirical piece, which was written and drawn by artist First Dog on the Moon, hours before the coronation of King Charles III. Charles was ceremonially crowned as monarch on Saturday (6 May) in an event that dominated the UKs news cycle. Smith, who has been an outspoken critic of the monarchy in the past, shared the cartoon on Twitter. The image features a character saying: All hail the nature arbitrary of privilege thats hereditary. The huge cost of this ceremony could buy each British child a pony. Yet distracting profligacy must calm the masses all, lest we the fury of the poor unleash. Let them eat Coronation Quiche! the cartoon ends, echoing the infamous words of overthrown French monarch Marie Antoinette. In 2012, Smith rejected the idea of receiving a knighthood from the Queen, remarking in an interview: I would honestly cut off my own hands before I would go there, because how dare they presume that they could give me an honor? Im much better than them. Theyve never done anything! Theyre f***ing idiots. Smith isnt the only celebrity to have voiced dissent amid the waves of pro-monarchy celebration. Robert Smith of The Cure (Getty Images) Speaking on a podcast this week, comedian Russell Brand described the British public as bloody stupid for putting up with the coronation. Speaking on his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand, the comedian said: The whole of censorship is underwritten by the idea that were too bloody stupid to understand anything. And perhaps to a degree, we are. Because were willing to put up with expensive ceremonies to anoint further royalty. Lets face it, the death of Queen Elizabeth II meant that this is [the] time for a radical appraisal and review of whether or not we even need a monarchy. And the answer to that is no, we dont. Because what even is a monarchy? Over the weekend, the Met Police has also faced condemnation for an alleged totalitarian crackdown on protesters, and was heavily criticised for arresting late-night womens safety volunteers ahead of the coronation. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The leaders of South Korea and Japan met for talks on Sunday in which they pushed for closer ties, alongside the US as a shared regional ally, to counter the serious threat to peace posed by North Korea. Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida arrived in South Korea for a two-day visit to meet president Yoon Suk Yeol, the first visit by a Japanese leader to Seoul in 12 years and the latest step towards a thaw in tensions that date back to their wartime history. Mr Kishidas visit, which came on the heels of Mr Yoons trip to Tokyo in March, reflects the restoration of shuttle diplomacy regular back-and-forth bilateral visits that ended abruptly in 2011 over historical issues. It took 12 years to restore the shuttle diplomacy but our exchange of visits took less than two months, Mr Yoon said at the start of the meeting. I think this confirms that South Korean-Japan relations, which have started fresh, are moving forward with a speed. The two leaders agreed on their essential trilateral cooperation involving the US to counter North Koreas nuclear threats. The international situation surrounding us is making cooperation between Japan and South Korea increasingly essential, Mr Kishida said, He described North Korea as a serious threat to the peace and security not only of South Korea and Japan, but the entire world. Mr Yoon reciprocated the feeling by saying he is open to Japan joining a recently agreed to nuclear planning framework with the US to counter Pyongyang. Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee wave with Kishida and wife Yuko (EPA) He added that he feels the responsibility of creating healthy relations in their bilateral ties that are even better than the good times of the past. Mr Kishida thanked his counterpart for his warm welcome to Seoul, saying he is pleased that the two countries are restoring shuttle diplomacy between them. North Korea, which has ramped up provocations in the Korean peninsula by firing some of its most powerful missiles ever in recent months, was expected to feature high on the agenda as the US is also pushing for greater trilateral cooperation. The meeting comes after Mr Yoons talks with US president Joe Biden in Washington in April, where the two agreed to have US nuclear-armed submarines dock in South Korea under the Washington Declaration. During a joint news conference then, Mr Biden had thanked Mr Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Japanese and South Korea leaders attend welcoming ceremony at the presidential office (Reuters) South Korea and Japan recognise cooperation as a way of staying a step ahead of North Korea, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. North Korean provocations and weapons developments are expected soon, so it is important for US allies to stay a step ahead of Pyongyang. They can do so by better coordinating sanctions enforcement, intelligence sharing, missile defence exercises, and anti-submarine drills, he said. Progress on such trilateral cooperation is likely to be highlighted by a Biden-Yoon-Kishida meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima later this month. South Korea is not part of the G7 but has been invited by Japan as one of eight outreach nations. The Seoul talks this weekend were also closely watched by South Korean media to see whether the visiting Japanese leader will make a direct apology for Japans 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. An apology would have helped Mr Yoon win greater domestic support for his ties with Japan. However, Mr Kishida said he upholds the positions of previous Japanese governments including one carried in the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but didnt make a new apology. In the 1998 declaration, then-Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi said that: I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Muslim scholar was lynched to death by a mob for making allegedly blasphemous remarks at a political rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, police said. Maulana Nigar Alam, 40, was beaten by an angry mob of hundreds of people in Sawaldher village in Mardan district, north-east of Peshawar, on Saturday night, police officer Iqbal Khan said. Disturbing and graphic videos of the incident which are being widely circulated on social media in Pakistani showed a charged- up crowd beating the man with batons and later stomping after he fell unconscious. The man allegedly made a blasphemous remark while standing on stage to deliver a prayer at the end of a rally in support of the Pakistani judiciary. A video of his speech shows the man wearing white traditional attire as another man standing beside him tries to stop him from making the remarks. "Some words of his prayer were deemed blasphemous by a number of protesters, leading to torture and death at the hands of the angry mob," said Mr Khan. The incident happened despite the presence of police officers at the rally. According to eyewitnesses, the police deputy on duty at the rally locked the man inside a nearby shop to save him from the mob but people overpowered the police and broke through the door, dragging him out. Alam died at the scene and later the police took the body into custody. Accusations of blasphemy, a crime under Pakistans laws, have led to a number of mob lynchings in the Muslim-majority country. It is a highly sensitive issue as even false allegations have led to killings and other incidents of violence. Pakistans anti-blasphemy laws carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam or the Prophet Muhammad. Human rights groups have criticised the law and say it has been used to disproportionately target minorities, as well asto settle personal scores. Last month, Pakistani police rescued a Chinese national who was working on a joint dam project between Pakistan and China after he was accused of blasphemy. The man was first arrested and later airlifted to safety after a mob protested and demanded he be handed over. In February, an angry mob entered a police station in Pakistans eastern city of Lahore, snatched a person accused of blasphemy from his cell and killed him. And in 2021 a Sri Lankan national named Priyantha Diyawadanage, who was working as a factory manager in Pakistan, was beaten to death and then set ablaze by an angry mob over allegations of blasphemy. In 2019 the nearly decade-long blasphemy saga involving a Christian woman known as Asia Bibi came to an end after Pakistans Supreme Court acquitted her and said there would be no further reviews of her case. Real name Asia Noreen, she has now been granted asylum with her family in Canada, and has released a memoir about her eight years on death row entitled Enfin Libre! (Finally Free). Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, attended the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London. However, it was their yellow and blue outfits that turned heads, as many people believed the fashion choice was a potential tribute to Ukraine. Dr Biden represented the United States at King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation. The university professor was also joined by her 23-year-old granddaughter, Finnegan, as her plus one for the historic event. The first lady arrived at Westminster Abbey on Saturday in a cornflower blue suit set by Ralph Lauren, according to Vogue. The outfit featured a crossover neckline top over a pencil skirt, which she paired with matching suede gloves and a small fascinator. The second eldest daughter of Hunter Biden also attended the service in a pastel yellow gown by Markarian. Many people on social media noted how the grandmother-granddaughter duo appeared to be wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag, a potential nod to Americas continuing support for Ukraine more than one year after Russias invasion. They were even sat next to Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska during the coronation service. This is a wonderful nod of support to Ukraine, and they are sitting with Ukraines First Lady, commented one person under Vogues Instagram post of the pair. They both look gorgeous! Love that its the Ukraine colours too! wrote someone else. Perfect Ukrainian nod. Brilliant use of colour to make a point, a third person said. The first lady emphasised her support for Ukraine just one day before the coronation, when she shared a picture of herself posing with the Princess of Wales and the Ukrainian first lady. Lovely to see @FLOTUS and @ZelenskaUA this evening, the official account of the Prince and Princess of Wales tweeted on 5 May. We stand with Ukraine, Dr Biden said in response. First lady Jill Biden told the Associated Press that she and her granddaughter sat down for some afternoon tea together after the service, in line with British tradition. She added the coronation was just amazing to witness and that it was an honour to attend the royal ceremony. You cant imagine that moment where you actually see the crown being placed on the head of the king and then on the head of the queen, Dr Biden said. Its really surreal to see and experience that moment. It was so meaningful to me that I could bring Finnegan here, that we could travel together and experience this together and its meant a lot to both of us. The first lady also recalled the conversation she shared with the Princess of Wales the night before, during King Charles reception for foreign visitors at Buckingham Palace on Friday evening. The grandmother of seven explained that Princess Kate was considering feeding her children specifically, Prince Louis candy to keep them quiet during the coronation. First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, during a reception at Buckingham Palace with the Princess of Wales (Getty Images) [The Princess of Wales] said she didnt know if her son could sit still for two hours and we just had a good laugh over it, Dr Biden told the AP. Its just something, I think, thats common to a lot of us. First lady Jill Bidens appearance at the coronation of King Charles III comes after US President Joe Biden received criticism for sending his wife in his place. Former president Donald Trump hit out at Biden for his disrespectful decision to not attend the service. I was surprised when I heard that he wasnt coming, said Trump. I think its very disrespectful for him not to be there. No American president has ever attended a British coronation. Instead, the White House confirmed that Biden would travel to the UK for a state visit in the near future. Follow for live updates from the coronation. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Queen Camilla subtly carried her family with her on the day of her coronation she had the names of her children and grandchildren sewn into her gown. The royal, 75, wore a Bruce Oldfield couture gown, created in Battersea, London. The dress had some expected additions: the cuffs of each sleeve bore the flower emblems of the four nations of the United Kingdom a rose, a thistle, a daffodil and a shamrock. The symbols appeared on the official invite for the coronation event and have been heavily featured by the royal family in the past. But there were other unexpected embellishments to the dress, such as the names of her close family, embroidered near the hem of the skirt. Sharing close-up pictures of the gown on Twitter, royal expert Victoria Howard spotted that the dress appeared to reveal the names of her two children, Tom and Laura, along with those of her grandchildren, Gus, Freddy, Louis, Eliza and Lola. Camillas grandsons served as her four Pages of Honour during the coronation ceremony on Saturday (6 May). Royal fans also noticed two gold terrier dogs embroidered onto the gown to represent Charles and Camillas rescue dogs Beth and Bluebell. The dress appeared to reveal the names of Camillas two children, Tom and Laura, along with those of her grandchildren (PA/Getty Images) Camilla adopted the pooches from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2017. Elsewhere, Camillas shoes were made by British designer Elliot Zed and are made of the same silk fabric as her coronation dress. She also donned a historic necklace that was worn during coronations in 1902, 1911, 1937 and 1953. It was previously owned by Camillas late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, as well as by Queen Mary before her and Queen Alexandra. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the diamonds in the coronation necklace come from Queen Victorias collection of jewellery. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has hosted a Big Lunch at Downing Street to mark King Charles IIIs coronation today (7 May). Its thought more than 67,000 of the celebratory lunches have been planned across the UK to mark the momentous weekend. Community heroes, Ukrainian families and youth groups attended the special lunch, which Sunaks wife, Akshata Murty, also attended, as well as US first lady, Jill Biden. Crockery has been provided by award-winning ceramics company Emma Bridgewater, including a limited edition King Charles III teapot. Downing Street has been transformed into a patriotic haven, adorned with union jack bunting and regal colours. I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own Coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment, Sunak said in a statement. In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Close The key moments from King Charless coronation ceremony Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The first official portrait of King Charles following his coronation has been unveiled. Buckingham Palace tweeted the photo, in which the monarch poses with his crown and sceptre, after three days of celebrations to mark the event drew to a close. It came after a number of royals took part in The Big Help Out on Bank Holiday Monday, a day of volunteering aimed at bringing communities together and creating a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend. Prince Louis attended his first official royal engagement, joining his family as they helped renovate a Scout Hut near to their Windsor home. Last night, his father Prince William made a poignant speech in honour of his father Charles at a glittering coronation concert held at Windsor Castle. The newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla joined around 20,000 members of the public at the concert in Windsor where, along with other family members, they enjoyed performances by Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla came to an end on Saturday 6 May, after a display of grandeur and tradition at Westminster Abbey. Britains new King and Queen were crowned in front of 2,000 guests as well as a worldwide audience, with more than 20 million people tuning in to watch the crowning moment. The coronation was a time of reflection and solemnity for the royal family and the nation, as a new Carolean era begins. However, there were several moments of levity that many people couldve missed if theyd simply blinked during the ceremony. From an unexpected appearance from the grim reaper to the Duke of Sussex pulling an awkward face while taking his seat in the Abbey, weve rounded up six moments you might have missed. The grim reaper visits Westminster Abbey Twitter users have pointed out a moment where a figure that appears to be dressed as the grim reaper walks underneath an archway in the Abbey as the congregation makes its exit. Cloaked figure runs through Westminster Abbey during coronation Anyone else just notice the Grim Reaper at Westminster Abbey? wrote one person on Twitter, while another added: Who invited the Grim Reaper? In mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper causes a victims death by coming to collect their soul. Find out more about the identity of the mysterious cloaked figure here. Camilla fears crown mishap The new Queen was crowned with Queen Marys Crown during the ceremony. Camilla will now be known as Queen Camilla, not Queen Consort (Reuters) As it was placed on her head by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Camilla could be seen adjusting her hair out of her face. As she walked to her chair after being crowned, the new Queen looked nervous and held herself rigidly, as though trying not to let the crown fall off her head. Prince Harry sees a ghost The Duke of Sussex attended the coronation without his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, or his two children. Prince Harry looked startled at one point during the coronation ceremony (Getty) However, he appeared in good spirits as he entered Westminster Abbey with his cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their respective husbands. Prince Harry was also photographed smiling widely at the Princess Royal as he took his seat in the third row in the Abbey. However, at one point, a candid photograph caught the duke pulling an awkward face, which has been compared to him seeing a ghost. One Twitter user joked he may have seen the grim reaper. Ant and Decs odd facial expressions Harry wasnt the only person at the coronation pulling strange faces. TV hosts Ant and Dec were caught on camera making bizarre expressions as they moved their jaws while waiting for the ceremony to begin. One viewer quipped: Thats a someone farted look. Another suggested that the pair were like two schoolboys who cant contain their laughter. Three Camillas are better than one? The Queen kept two companions close by to support her during the coronation ceremony. They were her sister, Annabel Elliot, and one of her close confidantes, Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne. But eagle-eyed social media users couldnt help but point out that all three blonde women, who all wore ivory-coloured dresses, looked quite similar to one another. During the ceremony, a viewer tweeted: Assuming The Three Camillas will sing us out? Another social media user called them Camillas stunt doubles. King Charless emotional moment King Charles III appeared touched after his son, Prince William, paid homage to him during the ceremony. Charles looked emotional as his son, William, kissed him on the cheek (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) After the crowning, William became the only blood prince to pledge his allegiance to his father and kissed Charles tenderly on the cheek. The new monarch seemed emotional as he nodded at his son and said: Amen. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Charles III was crowned King in the coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on Saturday (6 May). The former Prince of Wales ascended the throne following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, the countrys longest-serving monarch. Fans of the royal family have previously expressed concern for the king over photos in which his fingers appeared excessively red and swollen. Follow our live blog for all the latest updates on the Kings coronation The images have prompted speculation from various members of the medical community, who have suggested the swelling could be caused due to a condition called oedema. According to the National Health Service (NHS), oedema is characterised by swelling in the arms, hands, ankles, feet, and/or, legs. This swelling is usually caused by a fluid retention in these areas, as per the NHS website. However, the Kings hands have been a topic of discussion since the day of his birth, as his late mother the Queen observed in a letter to her former music teacher. According to The Mirror she wrote: The baby is very sweet and we are enormously proud of him. He has an interesting pair of hands for a baby. They are rather large, but with fine long fingers quite unlike mine and certainly unlike his fathers. It will be interesting to see what they become. I still find it hard to believe I have a baby of my own! King Charles also referred to them himself, once in a letter to a friend after Prince Williams birth. As quoted in Howard Hodgsons biography Charles, The Man Who Will Be King, the 73-year-old wrote: I cant tell you how excited and proud I am. He really does look surprisingly appetising and has sausage fingers just like mine. Charles and Camilla stand behind the bar after the former prince pulled a pint, during a visit to Clapham Old Town, to celebrate the reopening of non-essential shops as Covid coronavirus restrictions were eased (AP) His digits also drew national attention in May 2021. On 27 May 2021, Charles and the former Duchess of Cornwall Camilla travelled to Clapham Old Town in South London to celebrate the re-opening of non-essential stores as Covid restrictions were eased. Many wondered whether the swelling was due to a health condition, after a photograph of Charles pulling a pint of beer went viral. Charles hands also appeared visibly swollen during a 2019 trip to India, as seen in photographs obtained by Metro. The King isnt the only member of the royal family to have poked a bit of fun at his sausage fingers. In 2018, Prince William made a lighthearted reference to them during a speech on the occasion of Charless 70th birthday. The now-Prince of Wales expressed his desire for Charless sausage fingers to stop writing so many letters, so that he could spend time with his grandchildren. Follow the latest updates after King Charles III was officially declared monarch Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} King Charles III and Queen Camilla were deeply touched by the nations celebration of their historic coronation, Buckingham Palace has said. A Palace spokesman said: Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield. Charles and Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey yesterday morning where they were later crowned King and Queen after a religious ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The service lasted two hours, with some of the 2,000 guests arriving at the Abbey four hours before the event started. Read our live coverage of the coronation weekend here. An average of 18.8 million people in the UK watched the lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey across 11 channels and services, with audience figures peaking at 20.4 million when the King was crowned just after midday, according to overnight ratings released by the research organisation Barb. Thousands of royal superfans flocked to the Mall, with many camping out in the days leading up to the event. However, there were several moments of levity that many people couldve missed if theyd simply blinked during the ceremony. From an unexpected appearance from the grim reaper to Katy Perry looking extremely lost as she attempts to locate her seat, weve rounded up six moments you might have missed. Prince Harry arrived at the event on a commercial flight from Los Angeles, marking the first time he had seen his family since he released his controversial tell-all memoir Spare. Buckingham Palace has said that Charles and Camilla are touched by the celebrations (2023 Getty Images) He bolted for the airport shortly after the event wrapped up yesterday afternoon and arrived back at LAX Airport after 7pm local time for Prince Archies belated birthday celebrations. This comes as chief executive Graham Smith of an anti-monarchy group, who was among 52 people arrested on the day of the Kings coronation, has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody but the majority of his Republic colleagues continued to be held, amid heavy criticism of the Metropolitan Police. Over the weekend, the Met Police has also faced condemnation for an alleged totalitarian crackdown on protesters, and was heavily criticised for arresting late-night womens safety volunteers ahead of the coronation. As the coronation celebrations continue today, Charles and Camilla will be joining around 20,000 members of the public at the concert this evening, where they will see performances by Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Follow our live coverage of the coronation concert here. Its a tough contest to handicap. Of all the waterways in Western New York that have been polluted and nearly destroyed by industrial activity and development both commercial and residential which has suffered the most? The Buffalo River and Scajaquada Creek are both strong contenders for this tragic distinction, but there has been significant, encouraging progress with the Buffalo River, which is finally coming back to life and is now a prime destination for recreational boating. The Scajaquada has been a tougher battle. But now there is stronger hope for its recovery, thanks to $900,000 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, secured by U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, along with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, which will be using these funds to start a comprehensive cleanup of Scajaquada Creek, has its work cut out. Given its success with the Buffalo River, though, if any organization can take on such a Herculean task, this one can. The remediation of Scajaquada is key to restoring healthy habitat and reducing pollution that harms humans as well as wildlife throughout Western New York, from Lancaster to Black Rock. A waterway with lost connections Scajaquada has many problems that the Buffalo River has been spared, including the fact that about half of the creek has been deliberately buried underground, due to sanitation and flooding concerns. The underground parts of the 13-mile tributary run beneath the Walden Galleria; a section of Buffalos East Side, where it is also known as the Scajaquada drain; and then parts of Delaware Avenue and its namesake expressway. The fact that so much of this waterway is invisible to Buffalonians makes it easier to ignore as a pollution problem. Its not until its reappearance in Forest Lawn or around Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park that walkers and bikers notice the creeks unhealthy appearance and smell. Thats not surprising; the waterway has been buried, mangled by development and polluted with periodic sewer overflows along its entire length. Continuing sewage pollution Though most people only notice the high-profile sections of the creek within Buffalo, the citys eastern suburbs is where significant damage has happened. During periods of heavy rain or quick snow melt, excessive water from the storm sewers in Cheektowaga overwhelms the sewage disposal pipes along the creek. When these systems cant handle the extra flow, untreated sewage, chemicals and other pollutants flow directly into the stream. Last December in Cheektowaga, millions of gallons of untreated sewage and wastewater were discharged into the creek. Cheektowagas sewer authority has been working to make sure this doesnt happen again, but the Cheektowaga system feeds into the Buffalo system, which has problems of its own. In 2022, an estimated 4.4 billion gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater poured into area waterways from the Buffalo Sewer Authoritys roughly 800 miles of underground pipes, despite mitigation efforts that began in 2014. Since then, $70 million has been spent, but theres a long way to go. As Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Executive Director Jill Jedlicka notes, We know how to fix it. Its just that it takes a long time and a lot of money to do it. A complex and costly restoration With its new funding, Waterkeeper will undertake technical studies to help decide how this and future allocations could be used to help Scajaquada Creek replicate the Buffalo Rivers successful and ongoing transformation. It will also consult with all the communities who live alongside or above the creek about how they could best benefit from the restoration work. Waterkeeper has already been working with community partners to improve wildlife habitat along the lower reaches of the Scajaquada. These efforts have been most evident in Forest Lawn, where the team has reconnected the creek with area natural springs, dredged Mirror Lake, replanted the banks of the creek and improved pathway and signage. This work, unlike much of what the organization does, can be easily seen and appreciated within a short period of time. But reality intrudes when this $900,000 is put up against what it will ultimately cost to bring Scajaquada Creek back to life. Waterkeepers Jedlicka puts the final amount in the neighborhood of $50 million and notes that the Buffalo River cost roughly $100 million over 20 years. She quickly points out that $5 billion in funds for such work throughout the Great Lakes watershed have already been allocated at the state and federal level and that this $900,00 positions the organization to receive more of that bigger pie. Its a long haul, but it will be worth it. More than 100,000 residents live within the 29-square-mile area of Scajaquada Creeks watershed. They, as well as the waterway and its wildlife, stand to benefit from this long overdue work. 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. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Princess of Wales wasnt the only member of her family to earn praise during the King and Queens coronation, as royal fans were also excited to see Kates siblings and parents in attendance. On Saturday 6 May, Kate Middletons sister Pippa Middleton, 39, arrived at Westminster Abbey ahead of the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla alongside their brother James Middleton, 36, and their parents Michael and Carole Middleton. For the occasion, Pippa, the younger sister of the Princess of Wales, wore a pale yellow suit dress with a matching fascinator, while her brother James wore a morning suit consisting of a black blazer, grey trousers, and a yellow waistcoat in the same shade as his sisters dress. Kates mother Carole, 68, wore a bright blue jacket with statement shoulders, which she paired with a headband in the same shade of royal blue, and was joined by her husband Michael, who also wore a morning suit for the historic occasion. During the ceremony, Kates family sat together to watch the ceremony, while the Princess of Wales was seated in the front row with her husband Prince William, their daughter Princess Charlotte, eight, and son Prince Louis, five. The couples eldest son, Prince George, nine, held a special role in the ceremony as one of the Kings Pages of Honour. On social media, Pippas attendance at the coronation was met with joy from royal fans, with many excited by the rare appearance of Kates younger sister. Pippas appearance at the coronation comes after she recently welcomed daughter Rose, nine months, with husband James Matthews. The couple also share son Arthur, four, and daughter Grace, two. (Getty Images) (Getty Images) (Getty Images) A moment for Pippa Middletons look she is stunning, one person wrote on Twitter, while another said: Pippa Middleton stealing the show again, in lemon. Breathtaking. Others said they were disappointed to only catch glimpses of Kates sister during the coronation, with someone else writing: Not enough Pippa Middleton coverage. #coronation. The yellow and blue outfit choices of Pippa and her mother Carole also sparked comparisons to the dresses worn by US First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden, who wore blue and yellow, the colours of the Ukraine flag, in a display of support for Ukraine. Jill and Finnegan also sat with Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, during the ceremony. (Getty Images) Ahead of the coronation, the US first lady made her support for Ukraine clear when she tweeted a photo of herself, Kate and the Ukrainian First Lady taken during a reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday night and wrote: We stand with Ukraine. Follow along for live updates from the coronation. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} William and Kate delighted well-wishers with a walkabout in Windsor on Sunday as crowds gathered for the star-studded coronation concert. The Prince and Princess of Wales sipped homemade cocktails with royal fans as they soaked up the atmosphere and also came across a special coronation ale dedicated to the King. It came as Buckingham Palace said the King and Queen were deeply touched by the nations celebration of their coronation. More than 18 million tuned in to watch the ceremony on TV, peaking at 20 million at the moment Charles was crowned in Westminster Abbey. William and Kate on the Long Walk outside Windsor Castle on Sunday (REUTERS) William and Kate chatted to picnicking families who were enjoying the summer sunshine. At one point, Kate comforted a little girl who was visibly upset as the crowd surged to meet the couple. She gave the teary youngster, who was wearing a headband with union flag deely boppers and a navy dress, a long hug. Before they left William told one group of well-wishers: "Enjoy the concert tonight." Thousands queued to get into the concert at Windsor Castle (Reuters) The walkabout came shortly after Buckingham Palace issued the first public statement on behalf of Charles and Camilla since they were crowned. A spokesperson said the couple were "profoundly grateful" to all those involved in organising the celebrations and ceremony, and the spectators who attended the day. Their majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion - and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield. Princess Anne attends a Big Lunch coronation party in Swindon (Getty) William was due to take to the stage during the evening concert, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, to make a speech. Meanwhile, Camilla asked for her coronation bouquet of English spring flowers to be placed on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. The simple posy, including auriculas, the late Queen Elizabeths favourite lily of the valley, and one of Charles favourites hellebores, by the King and Queens go-to florist, Shane Connolly, was laid at the memorial. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} After his swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva walked up the ramp to the presidential palace arm in arm with Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire, instantly recognizable by his yellow headdress and wooden lip plate. But a major railway that would accelerate deforestation in Metuktire's ancestral land risks souring relations between the leftist leader and the chief of the Kayapo people. And it's just one of several mega-projects that activists and experts say would devastate the natural world and seriously dent Lula's newfound image as a defender of the environment if they proceed. Others include an oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River; a highway that would slice through some of the Amazon rainforests most protected areas; and renewal of a giant hydroelectric dams license. Lula is talking about the environment, showing preoccupation with illegal mining, demarcating Indigenous territories. Hes already learned a lot, but needs to learn more. Were still very worried, said Alessandra Korap, an Indigenous leader of the Munduruku people who recently won the Goldman Environmental Prize for work that included battling illegal mining. Under Lulas predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation soared to a 15-year high and environmental restrictions were weakened. The far-right leader filled key positions in environmental agencies with agribusiness allies and military officers. Indigenous peoples rights were trampled. After narrowly defeating Bolsonaro in last year's election, Lula has strived to put environmental protection and respect for Indigenous peoples rights at the heart of his third term. He resumed successful pursuit of international donations for the Amazon Fund that combats deforestation, launched a military campaign to eject illegal miners from Yanomami territory, committed to ending all illegal deforestation by 2030 and restarted the demarcation of Indigenous areas. But Lula faces difficult tests in the large infrastructure projects. While opponents regard them as catastrophic, some in Lula's Workers' Party continue to view them as essential for providing jobs and promoting growth. And Brazil, a developing nation, has heavy demand for socioeconomic benefits. THE OIL-DRILLING PROJECT Ibama, Brazils environmental agency, will decide in coming months whether to license drilling in one sector near the mouth of the Amazon. Approval would surely lead to drilling in the whole region, said Suely Araujo, a former Ibama head now a public policy specialist with the Climate Observatory, a network of non-profits. Its a matter of coherence. Lulas speeches on environmental protection and the climate crisis are bang on point. But if oil exploration is intensified, it will mean expanding fossil fuels. There would be an inconsistency, Araujo said. During Lulas first terms, huge offshore discoveries became a means of financing health, education and social welfare programs. To a large extent, this vision remains, meaning it will be very difficult to persuade the government to give up strategic projects, even when there are significant social environmental risks, said Maiara Folly, director of CIPO, a think tank focused on climate and international relations. With existing production set to peak in coming years, there's sharp interest in securing more off Brazil's northern coast. It's a unique and biodiverse location, home to little-studied swathes of mangroves and a coral reef. Araujo said the project risks leaks that would be carried elsewhere by strong tides. State-run oil giant Petrobras has earmarked almost half its five-year, $6 billion exploration budget for the area. CEO Jean Paul Prates said the first well would be temporary, and that the company has never recorded a leak in offshore drilling. Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira said in March that the area is the passport to the future for development in Brazil's northern regions. Lula has used the same term to describe the earlier offshore oil discoveries. Eighty civil society and environmental organizations, WWF Brasil and Greenpeace, have called for the license to be declined pending an in-depth study. THE HYDROELECTRIC DAM The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, a concrete colossus on the Xingu River, was planned under Lula and built by his successor, Dilma Rousseff. Supporters saw it as a way to generate jobs and add power to Brazil's grid. Indigenous populations and environmental campaigners fiercely opposed it, and studies show its impacts have been disastrous. Civil society organizations estimate tens of thousands of people were displaced, and experts attribute a local surge of violence to lost jobs. One area of concern is the Xingu's Volta Grande, or Big Bend, which has lost much of its water. That caused the disappearance of fish -- the basis of many Indigenous populations subsistence. Belo Monte is back on Lulas agenda, with Ibama weighing whether to renew its license. The agency reported last summer that Norte Energia, the dam's owner, hadn't respected many of the conditions for its original license. Local media said Norte Energia proposed to distribute 20,000 reais (about $4,000) in compensation to nearly 2,000 fishermen. In January, researchers in the region published a letter environmental journalism website Sumauma calling on Lula and his administration to investigate and punish crimes and injustices surrounding the dam. Any government really committed to conserving the Amazon and fighting the climate crisis is obliged to recognize the problems caused by Belo Monte and to fix the damage and impacts caused, the letter said. Local populations are demanding the license be renewed only if Norte Energia agrees to use the water in a way that allows life in and around the river to be sustained. The license was originally issued under heavy pressure from Rousseff's government, said Folly. In a March interview with Sumauma, Lula's environment minister, Marina Silva, promised that this time, nobody is going to be coerced, as they were before, and this represents a total change. THE HIGHWAY The BR-319 highway connects Porto Velho to Manaus. It was abandoned in the 1980s after falling into disuse, but the government has shown signs of wanting to repave it to facilitate the export of commodities. Environmentalists and scientists warn that could lead to uncontrolled deforestation in the region by increasing land speculation and giving easy access to land grabbers. After Bolsonaro announced that a section of the road would be repaved, deforestation in nearby areas quickly surged, according to Brazils national space agency. Lula told Radio Difusora last June that he favored reconstruction, calling it important for the economies of Amazonas and Rondonia states. Ibama's president Rodrigo Agostinho told the AP in March that the agency has slowed the permitting process in order to analyze carefully. THE RAILWAY Similar concerns surround a 933-kilometer (around 580 miles) railway known as Ferrograo that would move grains from the heartland toward the Tapajos River for eventual shipping abroad. The project would mean fewer trucks moving soy and corn, and thus reduced carbon emissions. But it might also mean rising deforestation. A 2021 study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais projected deforestation of more than 230,000 hectares in Indigenous lands in Mato Grosso state by 2035 if it is completed. The railway is on hold pending a court's ruling on the constitutionality of a law that permitted felling forest in the Jamanxim National Park to make way for its crossing. In January, Lula's transport minister, Renan Filho, placed Ferrograo among top priority projects. Doto Takak-Ire, who like Chief Raoni is a leader of the Kayapo, said in a column published in O Globo newspaper in March that the project would threaten the survival of 48 Indigenous peoples, and called it the railway of Indigenous genocide. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Duke of Sussex has returned to California after catching a British Airways flight just hours after his fathers coronation ended. Harry arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7.30pm local time (3.30am UK), just in time to reunite with his son on his birthday. Prince Archie turned four on Saturday, the same day as King Charless coronation, and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their home in Montecito, California. Read our live coverage of the coronation weekend here. British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight. The dukes appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he criticised his family in his controversial tell-all memoir Spare. He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and the dukes stepmother the Queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales. Prince Harry arrived at the coronation alone, after flying inbound on an American Airlines commercial flight. He was seen smiling at several points throughout the service, and was seated near a heavily pregnant Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall and Anne, the Princess Royal. He was also sat in the same row as Prince Andrew. Prince Harry wore a Dior suit to the coronation (Getty Images) Harry arrived alone at the event and did not appear to have any interaction with his brother, William. He seemed in good spirits, though, chatting with Beatrices husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and was also photographed smiling widely at Princess Anne as he took his seat in the third row in the Abbey. It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. Fashion house Dior later confirmed that Prince Harry wore a formal Dior look specifically designed for the royal. During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever. After the service, the Duke of Sussex quickly got into a car with a blank expression on his face after leaving Westminster Abbey. Harrys vehicle, which had blacked-out windows, followed the coronation procession back towards Buckingham Palace. His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that day that he had no formal role at the event. Prince Harry has lived in the United States with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Archie and Lilibet, since he stepped down from his position as a senior royal in 2020. With additional reporting from PA. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The front of the papers on Sunday, the day after the coronation, were dominated by photos of the King and Queen. The Sunday Express had an image of the King with the words Happy and Glorious on their front page. The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Star Sunday ran the coronation on their fronts and also released souvenir editions. The Sun on Sunday led with a photo of the King, calling the coronation day his crowning glory. The Sunday Mirror shows a stand alone image of the King. The Sunday Times used a photo of the King and Queen on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the words, at last, their crowning glory. The Sunday Mail labelled Charles the King of the World and said 300 million people tuned in across the world to watch the coronation. The Observer said swathes of Brexit voters have gone back to Labour, according to analysis of the recent local elections. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ministers are handing 4 million to a top London law firm for help delivering on a promised bonfire of 4,000 EU-era laws. The business department has hired lawyers from one of the largest firms in the UK amid reports that the government is likely to fall short of its plan to rid the statute books of EU law by the end of the year. American-British law firm Hogan Lovells is set to work with the Government until the end of 2023, after being awarded a contract worth around 4 million. A government spokesperson said: The government is fully committed to removing and reforming burdensome EU law, and has procured external legal support to build on existing capacity in the Government Legal Department to assist with delivery of the REUL Reform programme. Once passed, the Retained EU Law Bill will enable the country to further seize the opportunities of Brexit by ensuring regulations fit the needs of the UK, helping to drive economic growth and innovation. Hogan Lovells was awarded the contract following a tendering process, with the 4 million contract due to run until December 31. The planned law, which is currently in the House of Lords, will put a sunset clause on the remaining EU-derived legislation. But Brexiteers have grown concerned that the Bill, which has attracted criticism from trade unions and businesses, is in danger of being delayed. Critics warn that rushing through with the plan would create uncertainty, while also threatening legal rights and protections. The exact nature of the support to be provided by law firm is not known, but it has published a number of guides to the Bill. In a post on its website from March, the firm said its lawyers would be following the Bills progress through Parliament and how the Bills powers are used (or not) by Ministers in the second half of 2023. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Madeleine McCanns sister has spoken publicly for the first time since her siblings disappearance 16 years ago. At a vigil marking the anniversary, Amelie, now aged 18, said: It's nice that everyone is here together but it's a sad occasion. The informal prayer meeting, attended by about 70 people, took place in the family's home village of Rothley in Leicestershire on Wednesday evening. Parents Kate and Gerry McCann took part, although Sean, Amelie's twin brother, did not. They wrote: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction. Still missing .. still very much missed. It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel. Amelie, accompanied by a friend, joined in repeating mantras read out by people in the crowd including Never never give up, leave no stone unturned, dont forget about me and still missing, still missed. Gerry and Kate also shared a poem titled The Contradiction by Clare Pollard which they said resonates strongly with them. Gerry and Kate McCann released a poem marking the 16th anniversary of Madeleines disappearance (PA Wire) It contains the lines: The absence contradicts itself. The missing conjures what we miss. You are not here, Im not myself, But still I talk to you like this. Rob Gladstone, leading prayers at the event, told supporters: We are here this evening to show our loving concern for Madeleine and for all young children who have been taken away from their families against their will. We are also here to encourage one another to keep up hope and pray for a renewal of strength even after this long time. The parents added: The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough. Thank you to everyone for your support- it really helps. Madeleine disappeared in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007 (METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Gett) It comes after a rape charge against the main suspect in the McCann investigation was dropped after a German court said it did not have jurisdiction over the case. Christian Brueckner was due to go on trial for an alleged rape in Portugal but a court in the city of Braunschweig threw out the case, Bild newspaper reported. The rape allegation is not linked to Madeleines case. The courts decision means that legal authorities in Braunschweig have no jurisdiction over Madeleines case, who disappeared in Portugal in 2007 aged three, lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher said. Bruckner spent many years in Portugal, including in the resort of Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine's disappearance there in 2007. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance. A rape charge against suspect Christian Brueckner was dropped (Reuters) The suspect is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005. In the German legal system, a court must decide, after it receives an indictment from prosecutors, whether to take a case to trial. The Braunschweig state court said its supposed responsibility for the case had been based on Bruckers last residence before going abroad and then to prison. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Martin Lewis has issued a warning to pensioners who could miss out on a 301 payment from the government. The consumer champion shared the advice on Wednesday's Good Morning Britain, where Mr Lewis helps viewers navigate the cost of living crisis in his Wallet Wednesdays segment. He warned that around a million people have just over two weeks to access a Pension Credit benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions. Pension Credit is a top-up benefit that helps those of state pension age who are not getting enough income. Now, I've long been saying there are one million pensioners in the UK eligible for it who do not claim it. It's an absolute tragedy, Mr Lewis told viewers. They've paid into the system for all of their lives and they're not getting this important top-up. He added that it is a really crucial time to be accessing these payments. While the current Cost of Living payment has already started being paid out and for most people the eligibility period is over, Pension Credit can be backdated, so what this means is if you are eligible you will get that 301 and you've got until the 19 May in order to claim. Simply by claiming Pension Credit, even if you're only entitled to a small amount, you will get the 301. The warning comes as more than seven million households across the UK will have received a 301 cost-of-living payment by the end of Wednesday, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said. The payments are part of a package of wider government support announced to tackle the cost of living in 2023-24, including a further 300 payment for eligible families in autumn 2023, with a payment of 299 in spring 2024. Mel Stride, work and pensions secretary, said: Paying more than seven million households 301 in a little over a week underlines our commitment to ensure those on the lowest income are protected from the worst of rising prices and give them peace of mind. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: We know the impact that rising prices are having on families, which is why we are providing significant support to millions through these direct cash payments. People will be eligible for the 301 cost-of-living payment if they have been entitled to a payment for certain benefits between 16 January and 15 February 2023, including, for example, universal credit, pension credit and child tax credit. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Met Police has been fiercely criticised by Labour MPs for arresting womens safety volunteers in central London during the early hours of coronation day. Campaigners told The Independent that volunteers who work for Westminster Councils night life safety team had been detained in custody for 15 hours. The Metropolitan Police said that, at around 2am on Saturday, three people were stopped by officers and arrested in Soho on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance. Britains largest police force said rape alarms were some of the items they seized. Kate Osborne, a Labour MP who sits on the women and equalities committee, told The Independent it was an absolute disgrace that Metropolitan Police officers had arrested people for doing the voluntary work they do every week handing out rape alarms to women. The politician added: The nonsense excuses from the Met Police that they were acting on a potential risk and policing proportionately must be challenged. Ms Osborne said that womens trust in Britains largest police force has greatly deteriorated. She warned: These actions alongside the other arrests of protesters at the weekend are grotesque attacks on the right to protest and civil liberties. It comes after the Met Police said it received intelligence that indicated groups and individuals seeking to disrupt todays coronation proceedings were planning to use rape alarms to disrupt the procession. The chief executive of an anti-monarchy group who was among 52 people arrested on the day of the Kings coronation has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody (Labour for a Republic/PA) (PA Media) Three individuals a 37-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man were transported to a south London police station, where they underwent questioning. Jamie Klingler, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, a leading campaign group which focuses on policing, neighbourhood safety, and protest rights, said the volunteers were wearing protective Hi Viz that clearly demonstrated that they were who they said they were as she noted the Met Police supports the scheme. She added: But why listen to reasonable explanations? Why believe women? Why use common sense when you can wield your power and hold volunteers in custody for 15 hours for doing the work that the Met refuses to do. People were playing tubas astride those horses; a rape alarm would have made no difference and the back tracking now is yet another black eye for the Met. It comes after the Met Police battled criticism for their heavy-handed response to anti-monarchy protesters on Saturday - with dozens of demonstators from anti-monarchy and environmental organisations arrested in what was condemned as a dystopian nightmare. Discussing the arrests of the womens safety volunteers, Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, told The Independent: These arrests are not only an infringement on the fundamental democratic right to protest, but have also prevented nighttime safety volunteers from assisting vulnerable women with rape alarms. They are yet another example to add to the Met Polices appalling record of institutional misogyny. Dr Charlotte Proudman, a prominent feminist barrister, said: Its ironic that a police force described as institutionally misogynist, which had rapists working within it, wants to clamp down on rape alarms. Councillor Aicha Less, cabinet member for communities and public protection at Westminster City Council, said they were deeply concerned by reports of our Night Stars volunteers being arrested overnight. She added: This service has been a familiar and welcome sight in the West End for a long time and have extensive training so they can assist the most vulnerable on the streets late at night. David Challen, a prominent domestic abuse campaigner, called for the Met Police to provide clarification of the circumstances of the arrests. Criticism of the Met Police comes after a scathing report into policing in March found that officers had failed to protect women. Rape cases were dropped because DNA evidence was ruined when it was stored in over-stuffed, dilapidated or broken fridges and freezers used by the Metropolitan Police. The Baroness Casey Review concluded that Britains largest police force is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. It found that a culture of denial had allowed predators to flourish, and that officers had used their position of power for sexual purposes. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} James Nesbitt has said he thinks it is a sign of progress that every main political party in Northern Ireland turned up for the Kings coronation. Political leaders from across the world were in attendance at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, including Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The Northern Irish actor, 58, is taking part in the continued celebrations of the historic event by performing a poetry reading at the coronation concert on Sunday evening. Speaking backstage ahead of the event, he told the PA news agency he was very impressed with the King when he met him a few years ago at a project celebrating Northern Irish produce, as he took such an interest. Reflecting on the coronation, he said: Im just so delighted in the sense that every political party turned up yesterday for it and I think thats progress. In a sense, although a lot of people might disagree with me and we all have our own opinions about it, but I feel that Im representing an awful lot of people from where I come from, and Im glad that he (the King) takes such an interest in the place. Nesbitt added that it was a real privilege to be asked to read the poem at the celebratory concert, which was written for the occasion by Daljit Nagra, chairman of the Royal Society of Literature. It will come as part of the Lighting up the Nation segment of the event which will see colourful illuminations light up landmarks across the UK. Choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will radiate over historic bridges and buildings in cities including Blackpool seafront in Lancashire, Sheffield Town Hall and Newcastles Tyne Bridge. Light shows will brighten up Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations. On Saturday, a 21-gun salute rang out from Hillsborough Castle in County Down to mark the coronation of the King. Ms ONeill said she was attending the event to represent the whole community in Northern Ireland. My determination is to keep moving forward, and to represent the whole community, she tweeted on the morning of the ceremony. The political landscape across our island is changing. My focus is on building a shared future for all. Her attendance at the event was seen as another demonstration of the markedly improved relations between the republican movement and the royal family since the peace process. In 2021 Pope Francis called on the worlds priests to be shepherds living with the smell of the sheep. Ever since the Buffalo diocese implemented the Family of Parishes in their Road to Renewal, weve had five different priests celebrate one particular mass in the last five weeks. I asked a fellow parishioner, If you needed spiritual guidance, who would you go to? He didnt know. Our parish is now one of five in our family and has only one pastor assigned for those five hence, his congregation is now five times larger, placing him a good distance away from the smell of the sheep. Our former pastor was reassigned and now oversees the pastors of six different families, putting him even farther away from the smell of the sheep. One of my friends is not Catholic; his wife is. His mother-in-law, also Catholic, lived with them and when she eventually needed in-home hospice care his minister visited her every single day. Her Catholic pastor came only once and administered last rites. I dont blame the priests at all. Those that I know are good, sincere, spiritual ministers and want to work with their people, but they also have to work within the structure and framework of the diocese. Theyre trying and theyre giving homilies, but when I go to church, it doesnt feel like theres a connection. Somethings missing; maybe its continuity. There is no one ministering to the spiritual needs of the parish, much less the personal needs of an individual. It seems to me that the administration of the diocese is more concerned with maintaining the image, persona and fiscal solvency of the barn at the expense of living with the smell of the sheep. John Jarosz Lake View For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White have paid tribute to Glasgow-born chef Jock Zonfrillo, with Pierre White labelling him one of the great cooks of the 21st century. It was revealed last Monday that Zonfrillo, who had presented MasterChef Australia since 2019, had died at the age of 46. Victoria Police said officers went to an address in Lygon Street in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton where they found a body at about 2am. They confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious. On a special tribute episode of The Project on Australian TV station Channel 10, Marco Pierre White praised his former apprentice chef. Jock came to me when he was 17 years old, his enthusiasm was greater than his knowledge, but it was that enthusiasm which drove him, maybe fuelled by his fears of failure, by his insecurities, which I could relate to. Very few chefs have an inquisitive mind, an intellectual mind and a creative mind. Thats what makes him special, thats what makes him rare. Pierre White said what he did for the industry in Australia was extraordinary. He was filled with empathy, with compassion, he had qualities very few chefs have, he said. Hell be greatly missed he was a star in the true sense and thats why he has my vote to be one of the great cooks of the 21st century, he was special, he was rare. Ramsay was brought to tears when he spoke about Zonfrillo, who he had worked with back in the 1990s in London. The ripples have been devastating, no-one is going to get over this quickly, Ramsay said. If there is one thing weve done as chefs is weve united and have been talking about the good times, its just so painful. Its just a shock, a massive shock. He was never done as a chef, he still had years to go. Ramsay said spending time with him on Masterchef was electrifying. Being in the environment together sort of took us back 20 years, there is something quite amazing about two Scots coming together in Australia, it makes you happy at the end of the day, he added. There was always something quite of encouraging about the shit wed gone through to get to where wed been. Jamie Oliver said he remembers meeting Jock for the first time when he was 22 when he took his then girlfriend and now wife Jules to his restaurant. It was me and Jules first date weekend and we went there, and there he was, young Jock, 22 years old, head chef with a beautiful menu and beautiful food, he said. I remember it because it was the first time I remember being spoiled by another chef. He came from really humble beginnings and he smashed it, just smashed it weve lost a very, very bright star. Nigella Lawson said her heart breaks for Zonfrillos family. My heart breaks as I am sure everyones does for Jocks children and his family, and everyone who loved him, Lawson said. Theres an old-fashioned phrase here but may his memory be a blessing. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour is confident but not complacent that it will win a majority at the next general election, the shadow health secretary has said. Wes Streeting said the party has made enormous progress since Sir Keir Starmer became its leader in 2020. The Ilford North MP said that voters who had previously turned their backs on Labour were turning to Labour again. He also avoided discussing whether the party would go into coalition with the Liberal Democrats if it falls short of a majority at the next general election, saying confidently: Were not even entertaining that prospect. His comments came as the results of Thursdays local elections appeared to suggest that the party is winning back swathes of pro-Brexit voters across the country. As the Tories faced a drubbing in Rishi Sunaks first electoral test as prime minister, Labour made significant gains and is now the largest party in local government. The party took control of key councils including Stoke-on-Trent, which was seen as a test of the Labour leaders ability to win in areas that backed Brexit in 2016. Based on the results, Labour also expects to reclaim seats in the strongly Brexit-backing constituencies of Great Grimsby, Redditch and Burnley at the next general election. Figures seen by The Observer showed that support for Labour rose by seven points compared with 2021 in the most heavily pro-Leave wards. And a polling expert told The Independent that Brexit was becoming less of a factor in how people voted. Martin Baxter, chief executive of Electoral Calculus, said: It is not the case that Leave voters are super attracted to Labour, but they are not as repelled by Labour as they were under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019. In 2019, Leave voters were actively repulsed from Labour, and that effect now seems to have faded. He said the removal of Brexit as a driving factor could lead to a windfall at the ballot box for Labour at the next general election. Mr Baxter said: The Conservatives won in 2019 for four reasons: the charisma of Boris Johnson, the anti-charisma of Jeremy Corbyn, getting Brexit done, and because the left-of-centre opposition parties were split. Of those, three out of the four Conservative advantages have gone, he added. But while Mr Baxter said opposition to voting Labour has eased under Sir Keir, he added that Leave voters are not necessarily enthusiastic supporters of the party either. Mr Streeting told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: Right across England, in places where we need to win to form a majority, Labour is winning back support. And we are confident we can win a majority at the next election, but not complacent. Wes Streeting said the Labour party is winning back support across the entire country (PA) Culture secretary Lucy Frazer insisted the Conservatives are winning back support, adding that Labour and the Liberal Democrats did not actually do as well as the polls have suggested. She told the BBC: When people see us delivering, then we will regain the trust of the British people. Mr Baxter has previously told The Independent that there is a narrow path to victory for Rishi Sunak at the next election, but that as things stand, Labour is heading for quite a big majority. In Thursdays local elections, the Conservatives lost 1,064 seats exceeding even the most pessimistic forecasts and lost control of 49 councils. Labour picked up 528 seats and took control of 22 councils, while the Liberal Democrats saw their best result in decades. The party picked up 407 seats and took control of 12 councils, many of which are in Tory heartlands. Sir Keir claimed the results show Labour is on course to form a majority government at the next general election, which is expected to be held next year. In another blow for the Tories, the Liberal Democrats are now targeting more than 20 Conservative seats in the once-safe blue wall. Key targets for the party, which is now on general election footing, include former Conservative Party strongholds such as Stratford-on-Avon, Windsor and Maidenhead and Surrey Heath. Wins across the blue wall for the Liberal Democrats could see senior Conservatives including Michael Gove, Nadhim Zahawi and Theresa May ousted from their seats. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has explicitly rejected any coalition with the Tories under Mr Sunak, but avoided ruling out a coalition deal with Labour, stressing that his partys focus is getting rid of Conservative MPs. Mr Streeting, meanwhile, challenged on the Sunday political shows, appeared several times to avoid ruling out a deal with the Liberal Democrats. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The former head of the British army has attacked the governments plan to send migrants who arrived on small boats to Rwanda saying the country is still living under the shadow of genocide. General Sir Richard Dannatt warned of Rwandas dark history and told The Independent it is not the kind of country to which people fleeing conflicts should be sent. In an extraordinary intervention, the former army chief also accused home secretary Suella Braverman of continuing to run down the remaining political capital of Rishi Sunaks administration with the unpopular policy. The government is entitled to bear down on people coming on small boats who are simply seeking a better life, Lord Dannatt said on the governments desired crackdown on Channel arrivals. But he warned: Whether sending people to Rwanda is the right policy, I have my doubts. It seems to be aimed at deterring others from coming, because there is a strong sanction against them. Im uncomfortable with it. The crossbench peer, who visited Rwanda as chief of the general staff in 2009, sits on the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on war crimes, which looks into those who participated in the Rwandan genocide. He argued that it is unwise to send people from all over the world to a nation still recovering from the political violence that afflicted it in the 1990s. Ive been to Rwanda, and the shadow of the genocide there in the 1990s hangs over that country. Its ruled with a very firm hand by Paul Kagame, he said of the current president, a former military commander. Its got a pretty dark history, and its not the sort of environment I would put people from Syria and elsewhere in the world into. Ms Braverman has come under increasing pressure over the plans after saying it was her dream to see failed asylum seekers put on one-way flights to Rwanda. She has also faced criticism over claims that Channel migrants have values that are at odds with those of the British people and are linked to heightened levels of criminality such as prostitution and drug dealing. General Sir Richard Dannatt (right) in Afghanistan in 2007 (PA) Lord Dannatt said: Its somewhat surprising Suella Braverman is persisting with an unpopular policy ... I fail to understand why the home secretary is continuing to run down the remaining political capital of Rishi Sunaks government. Former Conservative deputy PM Michael Heseltine also weighed in on the debate, warning that Ms Bravermans nasty comments about asylum seekers are damaging the party. Referring to her remarks about criminality, he told The Independent: This is not the Conservative Party I joined, and there is a very nasty flavour of commentary beginning to develop. I was deeply concerned at the implication that somehow there is a different sort of human being that is seeking refuge in this country. Lord Heseltine, who was namechecked by Jeremy Hunt in this years Budget, said: I think the party to which I belonged, to which I still belong, understands that the basic tolerance of colour, class and creed is fundamental to decency and human behaviour. Theresa May famously warned in 2002 that the Tories were seen as the nasty party, as she cautioned that they would remain out of power unless they changed their image. Ms May has described the governments small boats bill as a slap in the face for those who actually care about the victims of modern slavery. Rishi Sunak backs Suella Bravermans dream of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda (The Independent) Last month, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith also hit out at what he said were the plans unintended consequences for modern slavery victims, saying it was targeting a group of people that are not the problem. The comments come after the continuing legal battle over the Rwanda policy revealed that two Afghan asylum seekers who previously tried to seek safety in the African country were deported and ended up back in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Documents presented to the Court of Appeal showed that, as the deal was being drawn up in March 2022, two Afghans were turned back from Kigali airport. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that at least one of them was affiliated with international forces, and both said their lives were in danger following the Taliban takeover. The Rwandan government has denied directly sending them to Kabul, and the UNHCR said they were initially deported to Kenya, onwards to Dubai and then to Afghanistan. The agency argued that the incident was still a breach of the UN Refugee Convention, and appeared to be part of a wider pattern of migrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East being systematically refused asylum for unspecified security reasons. I think the treatment of these two Afghan asylum seekers raises more questions about the basis of the governments Rwanda policy, Lord Dannatt added. Home secretary Suella Braverman on her visit to Rwanda (PA Wire) Lawyers representing people selected for deportation told the court that Rwanda is an authoritarian one-party state which imprisons, tortures and murders those it considers its opponents and perpetuates police violence and legal repression. Its government signed a similar offshoring agreement with Israel, which operated from 2013 to 2018. But the Court of Appeal heard that asylum seekers sent from Tel Aviv were detained without being given the opportunity to claim asylum. Many disappeared, while others were smuggled to Uganda, and an unknown number died while fleeing Rwanda and attempting to travel towards Libya. Afghans still account for the highest number by nationality of the migrants arriving on small boats. Under proposed legislation, the government will seek to declare their asylum claims inadmissible and attempt deportation without considering their circumstances. Lord Dannatt has previously backed The Independents campaign to stop the threatened deportation of an Afghan war veteran to Rwanda, saying there is a flaw in the governments policy if Afghans who helped British forces could be deported as part of the crackdown on small boat crossings. Senior military figures and MPs are among more than 50,000 people backing The Independents petition calling for the UK to give refuge to Afghan war heroes who served alongside British forces. Recommended Thousands of Afghan refugees to be evicted from Home Office hotels with no offer of housing A Home Office spokesperson said the agreed partnership with Rwanda will see people who come to the UK through dangerous and illegal routes relocated to Rwanda, where they will be given the opportunity to settle and rebuild their lives. They added: Rwanda is a safe and secure country and they stand ready to welcome and support refugees provisions are in place for accommodation, education and employment, with an estimated capacity to relocate several thousands of people. We have a strong relationship with Rwanda and both sides are equally committed to delivering the policy and seeing people relocated as soon as possible. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of people across the country will celebrate the Coronation Big Lunch on Sunday to celebrate the crowning of the King, causing a buzz of excitement for organisers. A palace spokeswoman said big lunches will take place from Saturday to Monday in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship. Alongside the thousands of street parties expected to be held at the weekend, people are encouraged to come together across the country for the Coronation Big Lunch. Members of the public and organisers from a number of charities have expressed their enthusiasm ahead of the event. Lucinda Spelman-Ives, from Wilstock, who raised over 1 million to fund a community hub, hopes the Big Lunch will unify and bring everyone together being part of history, making amazing memories, laughing and meeting lots of people who have never met before. Everyone is bursting with pride after yesterdays ceremony, she told the PA news agency. This will be a very special memory for us all. Long live the Big Lunches and long live the King. Kate Welch, chairwoman of Acumen Community Buildings at The Old Rectory in Sunderland, and part of one of the biggest parties in the North East said: The coronation badge is shining from our building, weve made lots of red, white, and blue chains with bunting and flags out in force. We expect 4,000 people to join us tomorrow for Houghton-le-Springs Coronation Big Lunch and the whole town is buzzing with excitement. Long live the Big Lunches and long live the King Lucinda Spelman-Ives, from Wilstock Emily Connally, who leads the Cherwell Collective in Oxford, an organisation inspiring people to live more sustainably, is thrilled to be part of the Big Lunch. Ms Connally and her team, who are buzzing with excitement will serve dishes using locally sourced ingredients. Were especially thrilled because of (Charless) climate legacy, as our work tries to set an example of sustainable celebration, she told PA. Weve laid tables using only surplus decorations including cut flowers. Were cooking food for an expected 500 people using only surplus and food we grow within one mile. Were even doing our take on the official Big Lunch dish. On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a big lunch in Cranleigh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will visit a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will join a big lunch in Windsor. Buckingham Palace said the Big Help Out on Monday will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation. A palace spokesperson said: In tribute to the Kings public service, it will encourage people to try volunteering, and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of Big Help Out is to create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend. The palace spokesperson said that, according to the latest polling, an estimated 6.5 million people say they are planning to take part in the Big Help Out, ranging from community litter picks to signing up to longer-term volunteering opportunities with a wide range of charities. The palace said that while wholly supportive of the Big Help Out initiatives on Monday, Charles and Camilla will not be attending any of the events in person. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An investigation was launched after a slain grizzly bear was found near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Officials from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Wyoming Game and Fish Department say that a probe is underway after the killing of the male bear, according to The Cowboy State Daily. Wildlife photographer Amy Gerber that the 500-pound bears carcass was by a roadside between Cody, Wyoming and the world-famous parks East Gate. That bear cant die in vain. The very few people who are so vehemently hateful toward grizzlies, that doesnt represent us. Thats not Cody, Wyoming, she said. It seems like theres this perception that people here hate wildlife, and particularly predators, and thats not true. The outcry over this bear being killed is strong. And she rejected suggestions that the bears may have been fatally struck by a vehicle rather than deliberately shot and killed. Theres no doubt in my mind that the bear was shot, she said. And theres zero evidence of a roadkill in the area. Theres no skid marks or shrapnel from a car. And she added: This was a big bear. Im guessing at least 500 pounds. If it had been struck by a car, especially the way cars are built these days, there would have been car parts all over the highway. Grizzlies are under federal jurisdiction in Wyoming and the USFWS says it cannot comment on the state of the investigation. USFWS Special Agent Richard Gamba confirmed that the investigation was underway but could not provide any further details, reported the newspaper. Anyone suspected of killing a grizzly bear is prosecuted through the US Attorneys office with the maximum penalty being a $50,000 fine and up to one year in prison. People can kill a grizzly bear in obvious cases of self-defence but must report it immediately and prove their case to investigators. Its usually pretty easy to determine when a case was self-defence, the agent added. The Yellowstone area has seen its population of grizzly bears grow from 136 in 1975 to around 1,063 in 2021, according to the National Park Service. Close Shooting at Texas outlet mall Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The law enforcement officer who took down the mass shooter at the Allen Premium Outlets mall has broken his silence for the first time. In a statement released on Monday, the unnamed officers attorney described him as a brave servant with a gentle heart and said he is doing well but is asking for privacy as he continues to process this life altering tragedy. The officer was at the mall in Allen, Texas for an unrelated incident when gunman Mauricio Garcia opened fire killing eight innocent shoppers on Saturday (6 May). Garcia was shot dead by the officer. The eight victims which include three small children have now all been identified. Gruesome footage depicting the victims in the moments after the shooting circulated around Twitter over the weekend and into Monday, leaving social media users horrified. Twitter and its CEO, Elon Musk, were criticised for allowing the graphic images on the platform and being slow to remove them. The motive remains unknown but a social media profile, reviewed by The Independent, reveals that he stalked the mall in the weeks before the shooting to identify peak visitation times. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Eight people have died and seven were injured when a gunman dressed in tactical gear and armed with an assault rifle opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas. The suspect was shot dead by a police officer who was responding to an unrelated call, police said. He has been identified by law enforcement sources as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, according to NBC News. Hundreds of shoppers fled from Allen Premium Outlets, a large outdoor shopping centre, after gunfire erupted at about 3.30pm local time on Saturday. Seven people, including the gunman, were pronounced dead at the scene, and one more died after being taken to hospital, the Allen Police Department said. Heres what we know so far about the shooting. How the shooting unfolded Dashcam video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman getting out of a grey sedan just outside the malls entrance and immediately beginning to shoot at passersby in the carpark. More than three dozen shots could be heard in the footage. Witnesses told CNN that panicked shoppers screamed and hid behind cars as the suspect shot indiscriminately. Inside the mall, families and employees rushed to take cover in storage areas and hallways, witnesses said. According to Allen police, an officer attending an unrelated call at Allen Premium Outlets heard gunshots at 3.36pm on Saturday. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralised the threat, police said in a statement on Facebook. Hundreds of shoppers exiting the Allen Premium Outlets after a mass shooting on Saturday. (Associated Press) Audio footage obtained by the Daily Mail captured the officer telling dispatch: I need everybody I got. About two minutes after calling for backup, the officer told said he got him down. The area was soon flooded with law enforcement officers and medics. An image obtained by the media appeared to show the suspect lying on the ground after being shot. He was dressed in black body armour, with additional magazines strapped to his chest, and an AR-15-style rifle was lying beside him. Maxwell Gum, a 16-year-old pretzel stand worker, told the Associated Press that terrified shoppers stampeded as they sought safety. He said that he sheltered in a storage room. Another witness Kingsley Ezeh told CNN he heard a woman behind him scream someones shooting, and saw a man holding a neck wound that was dripping with blood. Mr Ezeh said he and others huddled at the back of a store for more than two hours as police cleared the scene. Allen resident Steven Spainhouer said he rushed to the scene after his son, who was working at an H&M store in the outlet, called him. Dashcam footage shows the gunman opening fire ( AP) Mr Spainhouer said he saw several children among the deceased, and tried to perform CPR on several victims. At least three of the people he tried to save succumbed to their injuries at the scene. I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people, Mr Spainhouer told CBS News. The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face. Video footage showed hundreds of shoppers exiting the mall with their hands raised. What we know about the victims Seven people including the suspect were killed at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said at a press conference on Saturday. Nine people were transported to hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries. Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard at the mall, was identified by family members as one of the victims on Sunday. LaCours grandmother posted a tribute to her grandson on social media. He was such a beautiful soul, she wrote. I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him 2 weeks ago. Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who moved to the US from India, was also killed in the attack. Christian LaCour was killed in the shooting in Allen, Texas (Facebook) Thatikonda was shopping with a friend at the mall when she was shot and killed by the gunman, a family representative told WFAA. Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26, died in the Allen mall shooting Her friend was also shot and injured in the shooting and is currently in stable condition in hospital. Thatikondas family is planning to fly her body to India where she has family. Aishwarya Thatikonda died in the Allen mall shooting (Family photo) Kyu Song Cho, 37, Cindy Cho, 35, were out shopping with their two sons, William Cho, 6, and James Cho, 3 when the horrific mass shooting occurred, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family. Kyu, Cindy and James all lost their lives during the shooting. William is the only surviving member of the family. Parents Cindy and Kyu Cho were killed along with their three-year-old son James in the Texas mall shooting (GoFundMe) Elementary school sisters, Daniela Mendoza, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8, were also killed in the shooting. Daniela, a fourth grader, and Sofia, a second grader, were out with their mother Ilda Mendoza when the shooting occurred. Ilda remains in the hospital according to a GoFundMe page set up for the family. Sisters Daniela, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8, were among those killed at the Allen mall massacre (GoFundMe) A 32-year-old man named Elio Cumana-Rivas also died during the shooting. Three survivors were undergoing surgery and remained in critical condition on Saturday night, while four others were in stable condition. Medical City Healthcare spokesperson Janet St James, said their trauma facilities received eight patients between the age of 5 and 61 following the shooting. What we know about the suspect Mauricio Garcia, 33, was identified on Sunday as the gunman who killed seven innocent shoppers and a mall staff in Saturdays horror attack. Garcia drove to the mall with several weapons and opened fire as soon as he stepped out of his vehicle. An AR-15 rifle and a handgun were reportedly found on him and in his car. Police have not released a possible motive, but investigators are looking into Garcias possible neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs. Garcia was wearing black body armour and a patch on his chest that suggested he may have harboured extremist ideologies, law enforcement sources told The Washington Post. The patch read RWDS, which stands for Right Wing Death Squad, a popular phrase among far-right extremists. Police sources told NBC News that Garcia had posted and engaged with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online. People gather at the shopping mall after the mass shooting (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) A social media profile on the Russian-based platform ok.ru that seems to have belonged to Garcia gives a glimpse into his thought process in the days before the attack. Posts seen by The Independent show Garcia posted more than two dozen photos of the Texas mall and Google information that shows when the mall is at its busiest. He also included photos showing SS and swastika tattoos, praise for Adolf Hitler, misogynistic screeds that echo incel (or involuntary celibate) ideas and forums, and complaints about the state of his mental health. Garcia entered the US Army in June 2008 but was terminated three months into his initial training, Heather J Hagan, US Army Public Affairs Spokeswoman, said in a statement provided to The Independent. Mauricio Garcia entered the regular Army in June 2008; he was terminated three months later without completing initial entry training. He was not awarded a military occupational specialty. He had no deployments or awards. We do not provide characterisation of discharge for any soldier, Ms Hagan said. However, a US Army official indicated Garcia was terminated due to, Other designated physical or mental conditions. After that, he became a security guard, most recently working for an aluminum supply company. Through his work as a security guard, Garcia underwent firearms proficiency training as recently as 2018, according to the Texas Online Private Security database. The online records show that he began training in 2015 before becoming a commissioned security officer in April 2016. His licence expired in April 2020. During that time, he is listed as working for three security companies: Ruiz Protective Service, Statewide Patrol and Verified Response Security & Investigations. Police officer on the scene of the mall shooting It is unclear why his security guard licence was suspended. It is unclear if he had any connection to the mall where he carried out Saturdays rampage. Private security guards are vetted and are barred from gaining a license if they have convictions for crimes such as assault or sexual offenses, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to CBS News reporter JD Miles, Garcia was a security guard with no serious criminal record. At the time of the shooting, Garcia had reportedly been living in a motel. A girl runs as other shoppers leave with their hands up after a mass shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas (via REUTERS) FBI agents raided a Dallas home where Garcia had been living with his parents for years, according to Fox News. Officers were stationed outside the address on Sunday. The suspects family requested a translator to speak with authorities. The Texas Bureau of Public Safety is leading the investigation into the suspect. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Rangers have also been deployed to assist local law enforcement agencies with the investigation. What lawmakers are saying Allen Mayor Ken Fulk said in a statement that the quick thinking of law enforcement had prevented greater loss of life. Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today. He said the community would wrap our arms around the victims and families impacted by the tragedy. Allen is a proud and safe city which makes todays senseless act of violence even more shocking, he said. Law enforcement officers at a mall in Allen, Texas, where a gunman killed eight people on Saturday. (Associated Press) Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who recently signed laws easing gun restrictions, called the mall shooting an unspeakable tragedy. His comments were met with anger from gun safety advocates, and state and national lawmakers. Roland Gutierrez, a Texas state senator, told MSNBC there was a special place in hell for lawmakers who do nothing to stem the unprecedented wave of gun violence. I dont care about their thoughts and I dont care about their prayers, Mr Gutierrez said. Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was murdered in the Parkland school shooting, called on Mr Abbott to tell Texans the truth about why mass shootings continue to occur. You need to explain that your policies failed and that you lied. Your policies are to blame. Survivors of the Allen mall mass shooting are escorted away from the scene by police officers. (via REUTERS) President Joe Biden implored Congress to send him a bill banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and enacting universal background checks. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug, he said in a statement. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough. He ordered American flags at the White House, public buildings and on military bases to fly at half mast as a mark of respect to the victims. Senator Ted Cruz said he was praying for the victims and the wider Collin County community. Thank you to the incredible law enforcement who put a stop to the monster who committed this act of evil. The shooting came one week after five family members were killed by a neighbour in Cleveland after asking him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been nearly 200 mass shootings already in 2023. FBI asks for video of shooting The FBI is asking for anyone with video, audio or photographic evidence of Saturdays shooting to share it with them. The bureau has set up a portal where evidence can be submitted anonymously. The FBI told CNN it was present at two locations in Dallas, and is helping state and local police by devoting all available resources to include investigative, intelligence, digital forensics, and victim services personnel among others. Texas dark weekend The mall shooting marked the start of a dark weekend for Texas. In Brownsville, eight people were killed when an SUV slammed into a crowd of people outside a migrant shelter in the border city on Sunday afternoon. Horrifying footage, taken from a security camera and shared by Texas Rep Henry Cuellar, shows a group of people waiting for a bus outside the citys Ozanam Center. The SUV then rams into the victims. Seven people died before an eighth victim succumbed to their injuries in hospital later that day. At least nine others were hospitalised. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men who had spent the night at the shelter and were boarding a bus to return to downtown Brownsville. Officials initially said that the incident appeared to be intentional and described the driver whose identity remains unknown as very uncooperative. Police on the scene of the car crash in Brownsville Also on Sunday, one person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on a DART train in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday just a 30-minute drive from the mall massacre. Gunfire broke out on board a Green Line train near Hatcher Station when two people got into an argument on Sunday afternoon, accoding to authorities. DART police said that officers were called to reports of a shooting on the northbound train at around 4.30pm. Officers arrived on the scene to find two people one of them a bystander suffering from gunshot wounds. They were both transported to local hospitals where one of the victims was pronounced dead. The condition of the second victim the bystander is unknown. A third individual was also wounded in the shooting after being struck by shrapnel and was treated at the scene, police said. Now, DART police are searching for the suspected shooter, whose identity is unknown. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A gunman clad in black body armour and armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle opened fire at a Texas mall on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring seven others. The suspect was identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, a security guard and former US Army trainee. Dashcam video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman getting out of a grey sedan just outside the entrance of the Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling centre on the outskirts of Dallas, and immediately opening fire on passersby in the carpark. An Allen Police Department officer attending an unrelated call at the mall heard the gunfire and neutralised the suspect, police said. What we know about the suspect Mauricio Garcia, 33, was identified on Sunday as the gunman who killed eight innocent shoppers and mall staff members in Saturdays horror attack. Garcia drove to the mall with several weapons and opened fire as soon as he stepped out of his vehicle. An AR-15 rifle and a handgun were reportedly found on him and in his car. Police have not released a possible motive, but investigators are looking into Garcias possible neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs. Garcia was wearing black body armour and a patch on his chest that suggested he may have harboured extremist ideologies, law enforcement sources told The Washington Post. A girl runs as other shoppers leave with their hands up after a mass shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas (via REUTERS) The patch read RWDS, which stands for Right Wing Death Squad, a popular phrase among far-right extremists. Police sources told NBC News that Garcia had posted and engaged with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online. A social media profile on the Russian-based platform ok.ru that seems to have belonged to Garcia gives a glimpse into his thought process in the days before the attack. Posts seen by The Independent show Garcia posted more than two dozen photos of the Texas mall and Google information that shows when the mall is at its busiest. He also included photos showing SS and swastika tattoos, praise for Adolf Hitler, misogynistic screeds that echo incel (or involuntary celibate) ideas and forums, and complaints about the state of his mental health. Garcia also trained with the US Army but was terminated in June 2008, three months into his training without completing entry training, US Army Public Affairs Spokeswoman Heather J Hagan told The Independent. After that, he became a security guard, most recently working for an aluminum supply company. Through his work as a security guard, Garcia underwent firearms proficiency training as recently as 2018, according to the Texas Online Private Security database. The online records show that he began training in 2015 before becoming a commissioned security officer in April 2016. His licence expired in April 2020. During that time, he is listed as working for three security companies: Ruiz Protective Service, Statewide Patrol and Verified Response Security & Investigations. Police officer on the scene of the mall shooting (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) It is unclear why his security guard licence was suspended. Private security guards are vetted and are barred from gaining a license if they have convictions for crimes such as assault or sexual offenses, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to CBS News reporter JD Miles, Garcia was a security guard with no serious criminal record. At the time of the shooting, Garcia had reportedly been living in a motel. FBI agents raided a Dallas home where Garcia had been living with his parents for years, according to Fox News. Officers were stationed outside the address on Sunday. The suspects family requested a translator to speak with authorities. How the shooting unfolded The gunman arrived at the mall just after 3.30pm local time on Saturday. Video showed him exiting a grey sedan vehicle, dressed in black tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style weapon before opening fire. People gather across the street from a shopping center after a shooting Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Hundreds of shoppers could be seen trying to flee the scene on aerial footage after the gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style gun. Bodies of the victims, including several young children, were covered by sheets. Seven people including the suspect were killed at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said at a press conference on Saturday. Nine people were transported to the hospital where one succumbed to their injuries. Three survivors were undergoing surgery and remained in critical condition on Saturday night, Mr Boyd said. Four others were in a stable condition. The injured included children as young as three, a Dallas area hospital told CNN. The victims Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard at the mall, was identified by family members as one of the victims of Sundays massacre. LaCours grandmother posted a tribute to her grandson on social media. Christian LaCour was killed in the shooting in Allen, Texas (Facebook) He was such a beautiful soul, she wrote. I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him 2 weeks ago. Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 26-year-old engineer who moved to the US from India, was also killed in the attack. Thatikonda was shopping with a friend at the mall when she was shot and killed by the gunman, a family representative told WFAA. Aishwarya Thatikonda died in the Allen mall shooting (Family photo) Her friend was also shot and injured in the shooting and is currently in stable condition in hospital. Thatikondas family is planning to fly her body to India where she has family. Parents Cindy and Kyu Cho were killed along with their three-year-old son James in the Texas mall shooting (GoFundMe) Kyu Song Cho, 37, Cindy Cho, 35, were out shopping with their two sons, William Cho, 6, and James Cho, 3 when the horrific mass shooting occurred, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family. Kyu, Cindy and James all lost their lives during the shooting. William is the only surviving member of the family. The Cho family was American nationals and citizens but of Korean descent, a Houston counsul for South Korea told NBC News. Sisters Daniela, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8, were among those killed at the Allen mall massacre (GoFundMe) Elementary school sisters, Daniela Mendoza, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8, were also killed in the shooting, the Wylie Independent School District confirmed to NBC News. Daniela, a fourth grader, and Sofia, a second grader, were out with their mother Ilda Mendoza when the shooting occurred. Ilda remains in the hospital according to a GoFundMe page set up for the family. A 32-year-old man named Elio Cumana-Rivas also died during the shooting. Texas dark weekend The mall shooting marked the start of a dark weekend for Texas. In Brownsville, eight people were killed when an SUV slammed into a crowd of people outside a migrant shelter in the border city on Sunday afternoon. Horrifying footage, taken from a security camera and shared by Texas Rep Henry Cuellar, shows a group of people waiting for a bus outside the citys Ozanam Center. The SUV then rams into the victims. Seven people died before an eighth victim succumbed to their injuries in hospital later that day. At least nine others were hospitalised. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men who had spent the night at the shelter and were boarding a bus to return to downtown Brownsville. Officials initially said that the incident appeared to be intentional and described the driver whose identity remains unknown as very uncooperative. Police on the scene of the car crash in Brownsville (AP) Also on Sunday, one person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on a DART train in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday just a 30-minute drive from the mall massacre. Gunfire broke out on board a Green Line train near Hatcher Station when two people got into an argument on Sunday afternoon, according to authorities. DART police said that officers were called to reports of a shooting on the northbound train at around 4.30pm. Officers arrived on the scene to find two people one of them a bystander suffering from gunshot wounds. They were both transported to local hospitals where one of the victims was pronounced dead. The condition of the second victim the bystander is unknown. A third individual was also wounded in the shooting after being struck by shrapnel and was treated at the scene, police said. Now, DART police are searching for the suspected shooter, whose identity is unknown. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Texas man has opened up about the devastating scene he witnessed as he tried to rescue victims after a gunman opened fire at a mall on Saturday afternoon. Eight people were killed during the vicious attack that also left seven others injured at the Allen Premium Outlets. The gunman, who has not yet been named, was also shot and killed by police. Pictures of the scene showed what appeared to be the shooters AR-15-style gun, tactical gear and extra magazines, according to CNN. A scene of chaos unfolded as hundreds of mall-goers tried to flee the violence before a police officer ultimately managed to neutralise the suspect. Allen resident Steven Spainhouer was not at the mall when the shooting unfolded but rushed to the scene after his son, who was working at an H&M store in the outlet, called him. Speaking of the horrors he witnessed as he desperately tried to perform CPR on several victims, Mr Spainhouer said he saw several children among the deceased. At least three of the people he tried to save succumbed to their injuries at the scene. I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people, Mr Spainhouer told CBS News. The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face. Mr Spainhouer recounted separating a little boy from his mothers dead body. The woman died while protecting her son from the gunshots, he said. Rather than traumatise him more, I put him around the corner. He was covered from head to toe in blood like someone had poured blood on him, Mr Spainhouer said. Witnesses told WFAA that the gunman, who police say they believe acted alone, was dressed in black. Helicopter video also showed a silver car in the street in front of stores with its doors open and riddled with bullet holes. Mall Shooting Texas (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Its tough when you see a family thats out shopping, having fun, get wiped off the face of the Earth because somebody with a gun has some other type of issue, Mr Spainhouer told CBS. In a video posted to Twitter people could be seen running through a car park with the sound of loud gunshots heard in the background. News channel footage from helicopters showed long lines of people being escorted away from the shops with their hands in the air. Allen Premium Outlets is an outdoor mall with more than 120 outlet stores, its website states. It is located around 25 miles north of Dallas. APTOPIX Mall Shooting Texas (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he was monitoring the situation. Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, said Governor Greg Abbott. I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has video footage is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324. Reading the recent letter regarding extremism in todays politics, I was moved to write to express the following thoughts from a historical perspective. Despite the past few years, I believe most rational persons, except perhaps Barry Goldwater, who have considered the issue, would agree with the basic principle that extremism as the basis for governing policy is undesirable. It is ironic, perhaps, that the writer references the founding fathers and their acceptance of John Lockes philosophy and other principles of the enlightenment. Not sure, but I bet old King George would have consider their ideas for his colonies as extreme. Thats the underlying problem in the writers premise. One mans freedom fighter is anothers terrorist. Some of the virtuous and intelligent advancements in this countrys social and political cultural were the result of persons, thoughts and movements initially thought to be radical and extreme for the prevailing societal norms. In almost all cases, the ideas and movements were fought with social and/political exclusion, insult and ostracization. Others were outlawed, the leading proponents silenced and arrested. The abolitionists, suffragettes, Upton Sinclair and other muckrakers, trust busters and new dealers all were challenged as extreme. The civil rights movement, Gay/transgender advocates, and gun control advocates are challenged daily as unamerican, unconstitutional and threatening to the fabric of an American culture that may never had existed in the first place. Such is not limited to America. Gandhi, Mandela and, Sadat/Begin were extremists in pursuit of righteous advancement. To me, the greatness in America and its people is its ability to evaluate such movements, and ultimately, ensure that the right side prevails. Ah, but there I go again. My right side is surely another persons side of the devil. Maybe thats the greatness of American. In a Trump free political world, two Americans, with full respect for each other can disagree, without anger, name calling or lingering animosity. Tom Conway Tonawanda Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jordan Neely suffered from demons after his mother was murdered in 2007, a lawyer for his family says. Neely, 30, died on Monday after he was placed in a chokehold on a New York City subway train by ex-Marine Daniel Penny. Neely was just 14 when his mother Christine Neely was strangled, stuffed in a suitcase and left on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York by her former partner. Family members say Jordan Neely fell into a deep depression and never fully recovered from the tragedy, and was homeless at the time of his death. Attorney Donte Mills told Al Sharpton on MSNBC's PoliticsNation that Neely had been living with his mother and her boyfriend Shawn Southerland at the time of her killing. He learned his mother had died and tried to say goodbye to her before leaving for school, but was blocked from entering her bedroom by Southerland. He had to live with the fact that he left his mother dead in their home, Mr Mills told MSNBC. So, thats a lot to live with and he had troubles with that. Jordan Neely was an accomplished Michael Jackson impersonator. (GoFundme) Neely testified at the murder trial at the age of 18, helping to secure a murder conviction and 30 year prison sentence for Southerland. Mr Mills said that Neely had become an accomplished street performer and Michael Jackson impersonator as a way of dealing with the trauma. He was determined to make other people happy and thats what he did, the attorney told MSNBC. "A part of that was entertaining. He really enjoyed Michael Jackson, he emulated him and his style," he added. Mr Mills said that family members had been trying to get help for Neely at the time of his death. We all know people who are on the brink of going through something major, a catastrophe where they just cant seem to get everything back together and thats where he was, he told MSNBC. But he had a life that he was living and was reaching for. Manhattan prosecutors are investigating Neelys death after the citys medical examiner determined he died from the compression against his neck. His death was ruled a homicide, and no arrests have been made. The medical examiners ruling does not determine criminal culpability, and any charges would be pursued by the Manhattan district attorneys office. Neelys death has set off waves of protests across New York as demonstrators call for authorities to charge Mr Penny. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden made it clear that he believes the conservative right bears the responsibility to act and offer solutions on Sunday after America awoke to news of the latest horrific massacre to strike a public place. In a statement released by the White House, the president said that Republicans could not simply shrug away the latest news and must instead act to reduce the number of guns prevalent in the United States. Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence, said the president. Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough, Mr Biden continued. Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe. The House and Senate, under the leadership of Democrats in both chambers, last year passed the first major gun control legislation at the federal level in decades. The legislation allowed for the expansion of background checks and worked to create a grant program to encourage states to pass red flag laws. But the legislation did little to address the overall prevalence and availibility of guns in American society, and the tide of mass shootings continues unabated with new attacks making the headlines seemingly every week. Texas itself has recently been the site of several other acts of mass gun violence, leading to a particular pressure on state lawmakers for action. Gov Greg Abbott, a Republican, has faced scathing criticism in the wake of the latest attack over a 2015 tweet resurfaced by his critics in which he calls on his states residents to buy more guns. With Republicans now in control of the US House of Representatives, the possibility of any legislation reaching the Senate that does not constitute a dead-on-arrival attempt at political messaging is low; the chances of another major piece of gun control reform passing through both chambers at present is almost nonexistent. Still, the political reality of the situation does little to quell the slow-boiling anger that has been growing across the US for years as more and more mass shootings occur with greater frequency and lawmakers find little success in enacting real solutions. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson is preparing for war against his former network, a source with knowledge of the situation has claimed. Axios reported the state of TuckerWorld on Sunday with a headline indicating Tucker Carlson ready to torch Fox News. The former cable news star remains under contract at Fox News, preventing him from signing deals with other networks or streaming services for his content. He was fired from the right-wing news network last month after having been found to have disparaged Fox executives in private texts using sexist language, while using overtly racist rhetoric in others. That was far from the extent of the text messages released during the months-long Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit that eventually culminated in a $787m settlement and Carlsons ouster. In others, he admitted that he and other Fox stars were platforming allies of Donald Trump whom they knew to be lying about the 2020 election. Now, according to Axios, Carlson is preparing for a potentially very public fight with his former network but hes holding his fire until the time is right. "Now, we're going from peacetime to Defcon 1," said an ally of Mr Carlson, speaking to Axios. "His team is preparing for war. He wants his freedom." "[Allies] are coming to him and saying: 'Do you want me to hit Fox? that source added. "He's been saying: 'No. I want to get this done quiet and clean.' How much Carlson will be successful in keeping his war against the company quiet and clean remains to be seen. The former host has given little indication of his plans, other than a short video to his folllowers promising to see you soon. While at Fox, his show was routinely criticised for platforming white nationalist talking points, including the Great Replacement Theory, a racist conspiracy which argues that Democrats are trying to replace white people in America. Since his firing, the network has been the target of a seemingly unending cascade of ridicule and mockery for allowing the situation stemming from the Trump campaigns 2020 election conspiracies to get so out of hand. President Joe Biden even took the opportunity to pile on during his address to the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner, telling guests that Fox journalists were present for the opportunity of a free meal. The network itself did not issue a comment on Axios reporting, instead directing reporters to the statement issued after Carlsons firing which falsely claimed that the two sides had agreed to part ways. Carlson is supposedly considering offers from Rumble and Newsmax, among other conservative outlets, which could rival his old contract with Fox News valued as much as $20m a year in size. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russian forces evacuated residents from a town near the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Sunday as the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he was extremely concerned about the safety of the facility. Ukraines military said local Russian passport-holders were being taken to the port city of Berdyansk and the town Prymorsk, both on the coast of the Sea of Azov. The evacuation, which could not be verified on the ground, comes as Ukraine is expected to launch a much-anticipated counteroffensive to retake Moscow-held territory in the area. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed deepening concern amid reports Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at Nikopol, a Ukrainian-held town close to the plant. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, he said. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of the partially-occupied Zaporizhzhia province, announced on Friday that he had ordered the evacuation of civilians from 18 settlements in the area, including Enerhodar, which is located next to the power plant. The settlements affected are 30-40 miles from the front line of fighting between Ukraine and Russia. (via REUTERS) Ukraines Special Operations Forces on Saturday accused Russia of using phosphorous in the besieged city of Bakmut and released a new video showing the tell-tale white fire from such munitions. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons - munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries - in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians, though it can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. It was not possible to independently verify where the video was shot or when, but chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British army colonel, said it was clearly white phosphorous. This is being fired directly at Ukraine positions and this would be a war crime, he said. I expect because the Russians have failed to take Bakhmut conventionally, they are now using unconventional tactics to burn the Ukrainian soldiers to death or to get them to flee. Russian forces have not commented on the claim, but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus munitions. Mr Grossi said operating staff at the nuclear power plant, whose six reactors are currently all in shutdown mode, had not been evacuated as of Saturday but that most live in Enerhodar and the situation has contributed to "increasingly tense, stressful and challenging conditions for personnel and their families". He added that IAEA experts at the nuclear site "are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis". "We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequence for the population and the environment," Mr Grossi said. This major nuclear facility must be protected. I will continue to press for a commitment by all sides to achieve this vital objective. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Close Vladimir Putin accuses the West of creating real cult of Nazism For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russia fired cruise missiles at Kyiv on Tuesday and paraded troops across Red Square for its annual celebration of victory in World War Two. In a fiery 10-minute speech in front of the Kremlin walls, Vladimir Putin thundered against Western global elites and said civilisation was at a decisive turning point. A real war has been unleashed against our homeland, said the Russian leader, who last year ordered what the West calls an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, destroying cities and killing thousands of civilians. Meanwhile, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had been told he and his men would be regarded as traitors if they abandoned their positions in the city of Bakhmut. A combat order came yesterday which clearly stated that if we leave our positions [in Bakhmut], it will be regarded as treason against the motherland. That was the message to us, Mr Prigozhin said. [But] if there is no ammunition, then we will leave our positions and be the ones asking who is really betraying the Motherland, he added. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Success for Ukraine in its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia could spell the complete collapse of Vladimir Putins military or even the Russian economy, a senior minister in Volodymyr Zelenskys government has said. In an interview with The Independent, deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov was deliberately vague about the timing of the counteroffensive, which is expected imminently as the mud and rains of spring give way to more favourable fighting conditions. But when it does come very soon, according to comments made by President Zelensky at a press conference last week the offensive will expose the truth behind Russias tightly controlled propaganda regarding the war effort, and lead to a reckoning among ordinary Russians, said Mr Havrylov. We will launch our counteroffensive when and where it doesnt matter now, he said. [And when that happens] Russia will be in panic; you will see a lot of panic. They still dont understand that [their] propaganda is demonstrating a false picture of what is actually happening on the ground. This war will be won on the ground, not on the TV screens, not on the internet. Mr Havrylov claims that Russia has suffered 200,000 casualties since Mr Putin invaded Ukraine on 24 February last year, though this number could not be immediately verified. Last week, Moscow rejected a US assessment that 20,000 of its troops had been killed and 80,000 injured in just the last five months, though the Russian government declined to provide its own figures. The Kremlin has hidden the true scale of Russian losses from its own people, Mr Havrylov said, but will no longer be able to do so when Ukraine starts retaking territory and those casualties rise further still. You cant fool your people for many years... especially if they are starting to see a difference on the ground, they are starting to see the killed and wounded, they see families who lost the men of their houses. You cant hide the death of your son, or your husband, or your brother. They [Moscow] will suffer the consequences from this. ... I would not be surprised if on some day, maybe this month or next month, we will see something which contributes to the immediate collapse of Russian strategy or its military, [its] economy, the deputy defence minister continued. Holding the salt-mining city of Bakhmut in Donetsk has been key to Ukraines preparations for the counteroffensive, allowing the defending forces to dictate the terms of the frontline and grind down Russias core military resources. The situation there has left the mood among Russian officers at a very low level, the deputy minister said. By maintaining a foothold in the fortress of Bakhmut, Ukraine has exposed the fact that the Russian war machine is not [of] the quality we saw a year ago when Russia launched the full-scale invasion in Ukraine and rolled in tanks in the first wave. It means they are inevitably coming to the end in a disaster sooner or later, Mr Havrylov said. Bakhmut demonstrated that, not only to us in Ukraine but also to the enemy, that there is no military solution for Russia in this war; even worse, there is a military disaster awaiting Russia at the end of this war, and we will see it soon. The deputy minister said Ukraines Western allies and commercial arms companies were reluctant to supply the country in the early stages of the war without full payment up front, assuming that Ukraine wouldnt be around for long enough to complete payment by instalments. Not many countries in the world believed that Ukraine could sustain this war, he said. British Challenger tanks in Ukraine, seen here in an image released by the Ukrainian military (Ukrainian Defence Ministry) Now, though, the countrys forces are trained up on Challenger tanks sent in by the UK, M1A2 Abrams and Bradleys from Washington, and a collection of new and refurbished Leopard tanks from European allies. They are also equipped with rising numbers of shells and drones. We demonstrated our courage to others, that we are reliable, serious and ready to defend our country with all means, he says. And he reiterated Ukraines call for its allies to take the next step and supply advanced fighter jets, saying there is no other way to stop Russias own modern aircraft launching strikes from deep within Russian territory. We need something more sophisticated [than ground-based air defences], with a long-range strike capability to shoot down Russian airplanes at a distance of more than 100km (62 miles) just to secure our people. Thats why we are asking our partners to provide modern fighter jets like F16s or similar... and we insist it be sent to us as soon as possible, because it [is] about [saving] the lives of civilians. This war will be won by Ukraine for technological advantage and superiority, added Mr Havrylov. Trust us. Turn more positively towards Ukraine and help us achieve a result. What that result might look like remains unclear, with Ukraine still refusing to entertain the idea of any peace settlement that involves its territory remaining in Russian hands including the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed back in 2014. Nothing will stop us from retaking this part [Crimea] of our territory, and we are very open about that, Mr Havrylov said, without detailing the military course of action that could make this a reality. We are ready to do that. Russia has to accept it as an inevitable part of this war. With the stage set for Ukraines counteroffensive, Mr Havrylov said the situation could start to move very rapidly on the ground after many months of attritional conflict. I can only say that we are doing everything possible to end the war as quickly as possible, he said. I would really like 2023 to be a year of victory. Russias Wagner group appeared to climb down on its threat to withdraw from Bakhmut on Sunday after being promised more weapons as the UNs nuclear watchdog warned it was extremely concerned about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia power plant. The mercenary groups chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Friday that his fighters, who have spearheaded a months-long assault on the eastern Ukraine city, would pull out after being starved of ammunition and suffering useless and unjustified losses. But in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, he said: We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off [from supplies] will be deployed. Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty this afternoon hosted a Big Lunch at Downing Street to celebrate King Charles IIIs coronation (7 May). Community heroes, Ukrainian families and youth groups attended the special event, with US first lady Jill Biden even dropping by for a cup of tea. The street was transformed into a symbol of patriotism, plastered in union jacks while British produce was served up to guests. Its thought more than 67,000 of the celebratory lunches have been planned across the UK this weekend. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. The Prince of Wales chatted with royal fans about his sons music taste during a walkabout in Windsor on Sunday, 7 May. The Prince of Wales told well-wishers that Prince George is a big fan of rock bands such as AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. William joined his wife, the Princess of Wales, to greet Big Lunch attendees and coronation concert-goers in an unannounced walkabout for around 40 minutes on The Long Walk. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. News / National by Simbarashe Sithole Outspoken Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa on Sunday went in Churches campaigning. Mliswa said via Twitter that he went to Roman Catholic, Methodist in Zimbabwe and Zaoga."Today was a Sunday and l was preaching a message of peace as we go towards the 2023 elections.Here at Roman Catholic's Church in Norton addressing the congregants," he wrote."I also visited ZAOGA FIF which is celebrating 100 years for it's leader Archibishop E.Guti. It was a great opportunity to present the bricks which l initially pledged for the Eunor Guti primary School in Norton," he added.Mliswa is feeling the heat as Richard Tsvangirai, son to late pro-democracy icon Morgan Tsvangirai, contests him.Richard, a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) member and loyal follower of party leader Nelson Chamisa, has already started his campaign despite the party's silence over the issue. Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated King Charles III on his coronation. The president of Ukraine described the new monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, as true friends of Ukraine as he addressed the royal family. On behalf of the entire Ukrainian people, I congratulate Their Majesties, true friends of Ukraine, on this historic event that begins a new era of the British monarchy, Mr Zelensky said. I wish King Charles III many years of successful reign. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Conservatives did so badly in the local elections that their own spin backfired. Greg Hands, the party chair, said he was expecting to lose 1,000 seats, with the transparent intent of claiming a good result if it turned out to be not quite as many. With one council to finish counting on Monday (Redcar and Cleveland), the Tories have lost 1,061 seats. But Keir Starmer is engaged in a spin operation of his own. The results were good for Labour, but he insisted: Make no mistake, we are on course for a Labour majority at the next general election. He was contradicted by John Curtice, the doyen of psephologists, who said that if Thursdays votes had been reflected in a general election, the result would probably have been a hung parliament. Curtice heads a team of number-crunchers who produce an estimate for the BBC of how the whole country would have voted if there had been elections in Scotland, Wales, London, and the other parts of England that didnt vote on Thursday. Their final estimate was a Labour lead over the Conservatives of nine percentage points in share of the vote. He was supported by Michael Thrasher, who carried out a similar analysis for Sky News. Thrashers latest estimate is a Labour lead of seven points. These estimates both fall short of the double-digit lead that Curtice set in advance as the threshold at which Labour would be able to say it was on course for a parliamentary majority. Extrapolating from local votes to produce a national picture is hard enough; projecting that picture in turn onto a notional general election requires a host of further assumptions, giving Labour spinners plenty of scope to quarrel with the experts. There is no way that the Liberal Democrats will win 20 per cent of the vote in a general election (Curtice) or even 18 per cent (Thrasher), says Labour: that vote would transfer in Labours favour when people knew they were choosing a government for the country. I am afraid this is a faith-based rather than an evidence-based assumption. A better argument by Labour spinners is that Scotland has moved Curtices double-digit lead target in their favour. The partys gain in support at the expense of the Scottish National Party means that it can hope for a 20-seat bonus in the next parliament. If we are generous to Starmer, we could say that, if the local elections had been a general election, they might have produced a range of outcomes from a hung parliament, in which the Tories were the largest party, to a tiny Labour majority. However, such an artificial exercise can take us only so far. Things will happen between now and the general election, and in a general election people will vote differently. The predictive power of local elections is low, but there is one potentially significant fact that Stephen Fisher, one of Curtices colleagues, has pointed out. In all but one of the sets of local elections held under Tory governments since 1983, Labour has performed worse at the general election later that year or the year after. This cannot be an iron rule, but the exception to it is interesting: in May 2017, Labour did disastrously badly in local elections, only to recover dramatically in the general election a month later, depriving Theresa May of her majority. That does not seem to me to be a useful model for what might happen at a general election next year. On the contrary, I would say it is likely that the outcome for Labour in the general election will be worse than the seven- to nine-point lead it secured on Thursday. Which is why I have been writing about hung parliaments every now and then for months, when I have not been writing that the chances of Rishi Sunak retaining power are higher than most people seem to think. The Labour leader is not keen on the subject of hung parliaments, which is why he was so eager on Friday to predict a Labour majority at the next election. He wasnt even in the Commons before the 2015 election, but he knows what happened to Ed Miliband, his predecessor and sponsor. The Conservatives knew then that Labour couldnt hope to win a majority in that election, so framed the choice as being between a stable Tory-led government and a coalition of chaos, in which Miliband would be relying on Nicola Sturgeon to keep him in No 10. That kind of attack on Starmer has been blunted a little by the collapse of the SNP, but there is still plenty of scope for the Tories to sow confusion and apprehension about a minority Labour government propped up by a ragtag group of minor parties. Starmer knows he would be in a strong enough position in almost any hung parliament, because unless the Tories have a majority with the Democratic Unionist Party, as they did in 2017, there is no one else with whom Sunak could strike a deal. Thus Starmer could form a minority government and get most of his early programme through parliament, safe in the knowledge that the SNP and Lib Dems would hold back from voting for a Tory government or forcing another general election. He would hope to govern consensually for six months or a year, and then hold a second election on his own terms. Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, went coy on the subject of a coalition with Labour in a recent interview, but I suspect his party wouldnt want him and his colleagues to take ministerial office in a Labour-led government. Even so, the Lib Dems would not use their votes to obstruct a minority Labour government, and nor would the SNP, whose only unifying force apart from independence is hostility to the Tories. Starmer does not want to explain all this to his party or to the voters, who tend to regard a hung parliament as something akin to a scene painted by Hieronymus Bosch. Hence his spin on Friday. But the real message of the local elections is that Labour is on course for a minority government in a hung parliament at the next general election. Let us hope that Starmer is preparing for it, even while he pretends it is not going to happen. Company last month won a High Court order in London allowing it to seize the Cervantes Institute building in London. Pictured, Instituto Cervantes, Eaton Square, London An international investment fund with operations in England and Ireland is attempting to seize assets from the Spanish government and has claimed Spain has defaulted on its national debt repayments for the first time since 1936. The exploration will take 12 weeks and aims to follow up historic high-grade zinc, lead, copper and silver mineralisation finds. Photo: Juan Jose Napuri/Getty Getty Images/iStockphoto London-listed Irish exploration firm Unicorn Mineral Resources is to begin its exploration drilling programme on its Kilmallock, Co Limerick, property this week. Unicorn's first phase six-hole drilling programme at Kilmallock will take 12 weeks and aims to follow up historic high-grade zinc, lead, copper and silver mineralisation discoveries. Unicorn is chaired by Donegal-based car park and toll tag entrepreneur Paddy Doherty and counts a number of Irish mining scene veterans among its team. CEO Richard OShea, previously CEO of Ovoca Gold, said he was delighted that we can now commence a drill programme. The property has had some positive results from previous drilling and is located 20km south of the Pallas Green project owned by Glencore. " In addition, drilling by another operator on the Ballywire prospect 10km to the east of Kilmallock has recently produced some good results which is encouraging for the Limerick Basin in general," OShea said. Media organisations are feeling the pinch. Some of the new-ish kids on the block are struggling: BuzzFeed News has just shut its doors and Vice Media is rumoured to be filing for bankruptcy. The older players are struggling too. Legacy media is juggling with declining circulation figures in most markets and increased costs relating to printing. Global advertising revenue for print has halved in the last six years. And digital revenues, whether subscriptions or advertising, are struggling to plug the gaps that prints decline has created. Media needs a saviour. Well, thats what Elon Musk seems to think. And who better than the Chief Twit himself to save the day. Last week Musk tweeted the following: Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click. This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public. So could Twitter micropayments save media outlets? Or at the very least provide some valuable incremental revenue? Can micropayments really be a win-win, or are we looking at another idea that makes sense in Silicon Valley, but will fall flat in the real world? Sadly, the evidence to date would indicate its the latter. Micropayments arent a new idea. They havent worked before. So its unclear why they might work now. One outlet thats ploughed the micropayments furrow is Blendle a Dutch company that launched in 2014. Some big legacy players wanted skin in this game; Blendle secured 3m in funding from the New York Times and Axel Springer SE. But by 2019 it still wasnt profitable. The product was sound; an ad free reading experience, offering readers their money back if theyre not satisfied and a social element allowing users to share and discover content with their friends. Commercially, it offered publications 70pc of revenues, and allows them to set the prices for their content. Only 1.2pc of the Dutch market signed up, with only 20pc of those becoming paying users. All this effort for the lowest value customers, meant that Blendle was always going to struggle. And Blendle wasnt alone. A few years ago there were a slew of startups working on iTunes for journalism. Just as iTunes broke apart the album into individual songs that could be purchased, the thinking was that there was value for readers and media organisations in offering individual articles for sale. But this unbundling of news products is one of the biggest strategic mis-steps that media organisations made when the internet came along. Any alternative may seem implausible from our vantage point, but splitting output into individual articles that could be shared and crawled online ceded distribution power to Facebook, Google and other digital gatekeepers. Micropayments are the last evolutionary step in this unbundling, so from the big tech perspective, they seem like a logical step. Elon Musk wants Twitter users to be able to pay for single articles But publishers are right to be wary. Seen from the publishers perspective, micropayments dont make much commercial sense. If a subscriber is worth 100 per annum to a publisher, and each individual article worth 20c, then publishers need 500 micropayments to equal the revenue for each subscription. Actually, its more, given the cost per acquisition and the transactional fees for third parties, but lets not even go there. Even more damning, every subscriber who reads less than 500 articles is likely to wonder why they are paying full whack. A stable base of customers who have an affinity with a brand and will pay a premium will always be more valuable than one and done readers that pay pennies. Transpose the thinking to another sector. Could Netflix grow revenues by offering access to individual episodes of Squid Games for one off payments? Would it make any sense to partner with a particular social media outlet to offer these individual episodes? Unlikely, because the value is in the bundle. Its unclear how Twitters micropayments might overcome this hurdle. The problem is compounded by the fact that Twitter has become a far less valuable referral source for traffic in recent months. Plus, it doesnt help either that Musk has alienated many advertisers, media outlets and decision makers in recent months. The media sector should have learned at this stage to be wary of geeks bearing gifts. And micropayments are a particularly illusory gift. Theyre a Silicon Valley mirage they sound like a high volume, low margin opportunity. But they are in fact a high volume, high effort enterprise where the margins quickly evaporate. The high cost of acquisition per reader means readers who have no loyalty and pay very little are barely worth acquiring. Rena Maycocks child protection software Cilter raises 1.67m in seed funding The raise is believed to be one of the largest first seed-funding rounds among sole female-founded companies in Ireland Cilter founder Rena Maycock said the money would be used to get the software ready for market and to hire 14 new people. Photo: Tony Gavin Sean Pollock Sun 7 May 2023 at 03:30 Daryl McCormack stars alongside Emma Thompson in new film 'Good Luck To You, Leo Grande'. Photo: Getty Images Future Publishing via Getty Imag The 2023 The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards winners will be revealed at a gala event in Dublin this evening. Nominees across 28 categories have been shortlisted by Irish Academy members as well as specialist jury panels of industry experts from around the world. Paul Mescal and Emily Watson in 'God's Creatures' Across all film categories, including craft and technical, Martin McDonaghs The Banshees of Inisherin leads with 11 nominations, followed by Aisha with 10, while Roise and Frank and The Wonderhave six nominations each. God's Creatures,staring Paul Mescal and Emily Watson, has received five nominations, new release Lakelands has four, while It Is In Us All and documentary Nothing Compares are both nominated in three categories. Daryl McCormack stars alongside Emma Thompson in new film 'Good Luck To You, Leo Grande'. Photo: Getty Images Future Publishing via Getty Imag For acting, Colin Farrell, Paul Mescal and Daryl McCormack are nominated twice. Farrell for his roles in The Banshees of Inisherin and The Batman, Mescal for Aftersun and God's Creatures, and breakthrough star McCormack for Good Luck to You, Leo Grandeand Bad Sisters. Colin Farrell, left, and Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin. Photo: Searchlight Pictures/PA Jonathan Hession Sharon Horgan is up for two awards also, for Leading Actress - Drama as well as Script - Drama for her work on Bad Sisters.Lakelandshas two lead actor nominations for the performances of Eanna Hardwicke and Danielle Galligan. Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon are also nominated for their supporting roles in The Banshees of Inisherin. Bad Sisters In the drama categories, Apple TV's Bad Sisters is up for 12 awards, The Dry has eight nominations and Conversations with Friendsis shortlisted for seven awards. Smother and Vikings: Valhallahave each earned five nominations while Holdinghas received three. One of the most coveted honours at the ceremony is the IFTA Rising Star award, which shines a spotlight on Irish professionals who have not only honed their craft in the formative years of their career, but have also excelled in their respective fields. Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include Saoirse Ronan, Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, John Michael McDonagh, Sarah Greene, Gerard Barrett, Jamie Dornan, Aisling Franciosi, Stephen Fingleton, Tomm Moore, Patrick Gibson, Jacob McCarthy, Nicola Coughlan and Colm Bairead. The 2023 Nominees are: Aoife McArdle (Director - Severance) Danielle Galligan (Actor - Lakelands) Daryl McCormack (Actor -Bad Sisters, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande) Eanna Hardwicke (Actor -Lakelands) Kathryn Ferguson (Director - Nothing Compares) Eanna Hardwicke and Danielle Galligan star in 'Lakelands' Aine Moriarty, Chief Executive of IFTA, Irish Film and Television Academy said the prestigious award recognises excellence in their skill and achievement and bolsters the next exciting phase of their careers. "These five superb individuals are a true reflection of the brilliant new wave of Irish talent who are proving themselves to be world-class screen professionals, she said. Meanwhile, Desiree Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland, which is sponsoring the award, described it as an incredible showcase of the new voices and talent making waves across the Irish screen industry. "Each nominee is being recognised for their drive, vision and skill, both in front of and behind the camera, and we cant wait to see what they do next, she added. This years IFTA awards are being held at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre and will be hosted by actor/comedian Deirdre OKane. An IFTA awards highlights programme will be aired on RTE2 tomorrow evening, Monday, at 9.35pm. Ex RTE political reporter Micheal O Leidhin was sentenced to 15 months in jail in 2022 The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a former RTE political reporter over his conviction for sexual assault after he argued that his sleeping victim had given continued consent to sexual activity, due to earlier consensual foreplay. Crime Man arrested on suspicion of murdering woman in Sligo was known to the deceased Gerry is in no rush to leave town, hes a reminder to gardai of their failure, says Hutch relative There have always been garda suspicions that Daniel Kinahan might have been an informer overseas, that this is why we havent seen moves against the Kinahans yet, says a senior security source. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch remains in Dublin city Ali Bracken Sun 7 May 2023 at 03:30 Uniformed members of the navy, air force, army and cadets attended a ceremony to remember the Battle of the Atlantic. (CBC - image credit) A bell chimed 24 times on the shore of Halifax's Point Pleasant Park on Sunday morning during a roll call counting the number of Canadian navy ships lost in the Battle of the Atlantic. People gathered in honour of the more than 2,000 navy sailors and more than 1,500 merchant mariners who died during the six-year campaign (1939-45) against German and Italian naval forces. About 100 uniformed members from the navy, air force, army and cadets marched to the sailors' memorial as part of the ceremony. "Without their sacrifice there would be no world as we know it today," said Rear Admiral Brian Santarpia, who laid a wreath at the ceremony in tribute to those who lost their lives. The navy commander said both Halifax and Sydney were vital to the Allied war effort by transporting troops and desperately needed supplies to Britain. CBC "Halifax played a major, major role in what happened in the eventual victory," Santarpia said. Navy ships escorted more than 25,000 merchant vessels carrying tons of cargo across the North Atlantic. German submarines made the missions perilous. Santarpia said 377 of the convoys left from Halifax, with 177 leaving from Sydney. "The vast majority of the merchant sailors who sailed in Canada's merchant marine, they came from Halifax, from Halifax's north end, and their death toll was horrific," he said. CBC HMCS Sackville, which played a pivotal role in winning the battle, was in the harbour at Point Pleasant Park for the service. A CH-148 Cyclone helicopter participated in a fly-past. Bob Noakes, who served in the navy decades after the battle, was there to remember. While now nearly 78 years since the war ended, he is keen to make sure it is not forgotten. He is president of the White Ensign Legion. "I think remembering what they went through is very important," he said. "It was not a small thing to fight a war for as long as they did that. That's a significant achievement. And I give them all the credit in the world." Story continues CBC The sacrifices of the battle, which lasted 2,075 days, cannot be overstated, according to Santarpia. But beyond the statistics are the individual stories he spoke about to the crowd present for the memorial. "The fear that those sailors, those merchant mariners and the aviators who fought in the Battle of Atlantic must have felt every single day for over six years," he said. The legacy of the battle and its meaning to Nova Scotia is one he hopes lives on in the memories of those who were involved. MORE TOP STORIES A senior civil servant based in Leinster has been identified by gardai as a suspect in an attack on a farmer in Co Wicklow, who has closed his land to all walkers on a popular hiking trail as a consequence of the incident. Over 50pc of the population are migrants but there are no extra resources from government Samy Abdelrahman with his wife Mona Khalifa and children Yasmin and Ahmed in Clones. Photo: John McVitty Hundreds of migrants, who fled conflict zones around the world, now face a different sort of battle in the small Border town of Clones, Co Monaghan, due to a lack of government support. According to Clones Family Resource Centre (CFRC), more than 50pc of the towns population is now made up of migrants from Syria, Ukraine, Egypt, Russia, and other countries who have sought refuge. Many of these migrants face health and learning difficulties, and have a limited proficiency in English, leaving them with nowhere to turn except the CFRC. But the CFRC is stretched to its limits, and its manager, Angela Graham, warns that her four staff members are at breaking point. We welcome everyone, from every background, every culture, every religion. It doesnt matter to us, everyone is welcome here, she explains. I am very discontent and we are worn out However, Graham warns that the lack of resources is putting pressure not only on the CFRC, but also on the schools and the resources that the entire community relies upon. There is high unemployment, high poverty levels, low educational attainment levels, and 30 years of the Troubles affected the town hugely. It has never recovered, and now theres this, she says. The family resource centre has tried to secure additional funding, but has been unsuccessful. We have pleaded, but we got nothing. We have lobbied politicians and we have written letters. I am very discontent and we are worn out. We only have four staff members, and it is taking a toll on them. She says the situation has reached a critical point, and warns that if the CFRC were to close, the migrants would be left with nowhere to turn. If we closed tomorrow, none of these people would get any help. They would be left on their own. There is no communication from the Government on any of these issues. The families are being let down. They are being dumped in Clones and then left to fend for themselves. She highlights the fact that many of the Ukrainian migrants who arrive in Clones have highly skilled backgrounds but they struggle due to the language barrier. Angela Graham of Clones Family Resource Centre, with Colm Laighneach and Sandra Anderson. Photo: John McVitty I say to the Government, the community here can no longer be ignored. We need people on the ground to help us. We dont need wafflers. Samy Abdelrahman, a CFRC board member, has been living here with his wife Mona Khalifa for 18 years but he still remembers the stark differences between his life in Ireland and his native Egypt. Clones has become, you know, my homeland. I go for holidays to Egypt, which is strange, but Ireland is my home now, he says. Mona Khalifa has also found life in Clones to be an altogether positive experience. The couple have two children, Yasmin and Ahmed, who have grown up in the town. It is hard being away from my family, but I like it in Clones, she says. Mohammad Hamadi fled the war in Syria and was selected to come to Ireland in 2018. Clones is a safe place, people here treat me as if I am an Irishman, he says with a smile. My brother is still there, his life is in danger However, he is concerned about his son Nadeem, who is still in Lebanon. He says he does not sleep at night because his life is in danger. His other son Maher (18), says: Back home, they could shoot each other and nothing was done about it. My cousin was shot and killed in Lebanon. My brother is still there, his life is in danger. My cousins death reminds me of the threat against my brother, and against everybody I know in Lebanon. Despite the traumas of his past, he says he is grateful for the welcome he has received. The volunteers in the community centre are the nicest, kindest people. His brother Samer echoes the sentiment of his father and brother. I have never experienced racism in Clones. Everything I need is here but there is no work. Mohamed Mohamed and his wife Zenab have been living in the town for several years. The war in Syria separated them from their daughter and her family. I am worried about my daughter, who is in Lebanon with her three children, he says. Nobody there is helping her. Her husband was taken by an armed group in Syria, and life is complex and very difficult. I worry about her all the time. Zenab shared his worries, saying: I cry myself to sleep every night thinking of my daughter and her children. My wish is to see her with us here in Clones. Thats all I can think about. Rehab Ramadan with daughters Norseen and Laureen and sons Ahmed and Adam. Photo: John McVitty Rehab Ramadan is a mother of four children Norseen, Laureen, Ahmed, and Adam all born in Clones. She speaks highly of her new hometown. I like the area, it is quiet, she says appreciatively. Despite her circumstances, she has found support in her community. Im a single mother, but everyone is very kind, she says. Support worker Sandra Anderson, who has been teaching English to many of the migrants, says Clones is a really respectful community. When more and more people from different countries come here, we have to accept them for who they are, love them for who they are. We dont try to make them Irish, because they are not. It is about respecting them and integrating them into our community, a new community, she says. As a family support worker in Clones, Colm Laighneach has witnessed the massive changes that have occurred in the town over the past few years. The first wave of change came from Eastern European countries, which the resource centre managed to integrate and welcome into the community. That worked out well. Despite the high level of diversity in the town, he believes the people of Clones are very welcoming. To share this space is not the problem at all, he says. They tried to use local issues to spread their hate However, he warns that the town is in need of urgent assistance, saying: Theres a huge impact on schools, doctors, and housing. It is impossible to get registered with a local GP or dentist. Despite lobbying for extra resources, he says he has been getting nowhere. Clones is already one of the most deprived areas in Ireland, he says. Even before the influx of migrants, over 70pc of the population were depending on welfare in some way. He says there have been efforts by some to take advantage of the situation, including a far-right group that came to Clones to try to stir up racial hatred. It fell on deaf ears because the community made a concerted effort to talk against that. They tried to use local issues to spread their hate. The problem of integrating new communities into the area is just one of the issues touched on in a new book by CFRC, Our Shared Way of Life, which is to be published in a few weeks time. Majella Beggan, the principal of St Tiarnachs Primary School, expresses her pride in the way her pupils have integrated and supported one another. Its testament, she says, to the people of Clones and a lesson, perhaps, to the entire country. The children have brought positivity to our school, she explains, adding that the pupils range in age from four to 12 and they are from 18 different countries. The children communicate with each other, even though they might not have a single word between them. They do this by embrace, by gesture, by inclusion as Clones is doing. New land levy aimed at fixing the housing crisis could apply to farmers and put them out of business Liam Butterly in his vegetable field in the village of Rush in north Dublin. Photo: Tony Gavin A north Dublin vegetable grower is facing a potential 120,000 tax bill because of a government levy targeted at developers hoarding prime building land but which is also hitting farmers. The land tax is part of the Governments Housing for All policy to encourage developers to build on sites zoned for housing, or sell them. Liam Butterly said two fields farmed by his family for decades were rezoned as residential land by the local authority without their knowledge, so are now liable for the tax. The fields are close to the coastal village of Rush, a rapidly growing residential area in a community that has a rich agricultural heritage. The region is responsible for 70pc of Irelands fruit and vegetable production, thanks to its fertile soil. Mr Butterlys family has farmed vegetables there for generations. Mr Butterly said the new residential zoned land tax (RZLT) means the family will face a tax bill of an estimated 120,000 on the two fields, a payment they cannot afford to make, potentially forcing them to sell. We are farming all our lives. This is not really about the money, he said. Farming is what we do. We dont see ourselves being able to do anything else, he said. The fields were planted with turnips and cabbages over winter and with potatoes in spring, and have never let us down, he said. The land here is brilliant. Everything you put into it grows well every year. If you were to sell and move, you are taking a chance on whether you would get ground as good. I know there is a housing crisis but if farmers are forced to sell their ground, there will be a food shortage. The tax applies to all land that has been zoned residential by local authorities, at a rate of 3pc of the sites market value. It will be applied from next February. Local authorities are currently compiling maps identifying sites with a tax liability. Landowners can appeal to An Bord Pleanala to have their lands removed from the land tax maps. In addition, farmers have until June to petition local authorities to de-zone sites from residential to agricultural. However, Mr Butterly said given the location of his familys fields in the rapidly growing suburb of Rush, such a request could trigger the local authority to acquire the Butterly fields by compulsory purchase order. There is an option to get the land de-zoned but people are reluctant to do that because you run the risk that if the council wants the land, they could put a compulsory purchase order on it, he said. In a submission to An Bord Pleanala, the family said the lands were integral to the fruit and vegetable and flower nursery business they operate. The Butterly family are not involved in property development and have a distinguished heritage in fruit and vegetable growing throughout north county Dublin, it said. Despite continuous growth in population and house building in the Rush area, [the Butterlys] have never indicated that these lands were to be developed. Despite significant economic turmoil including spiralling costs, the family have grown their business to be one of the most respected growers of potatoes and vegetables in north Co Dublin. It is the intention of future generations of the family to continue this legacy of farming and growing top-quality produce. Farmers and property developers have protested against the tax, which was announced by Housing Minister Darragh OBrien. The Irish Farmers Association has written to the Department of Finance, protesting that farmers who are genuinely farming land found to have a tax liability are being penalised unfairly. Separately, Galway Independent TD Sean Canney told the Dail that some farmers were completely unaware their lands had been rezoned residential by local authorities. It was done without their knowledge or consent, and left them in a precarious position. Some property developers, meanwhile, claim they cannot build on land that has been zoned residential because they do not have planning permission. It was reported last month that Cork developer Michael OFlynn has been told that 12 of 18 sites that were listed as a liable for the residential zoned land tax have now been excluded. Announcing the latest land maps last week, the Housing Minister said: Ireland requires increased housing supply to meet our housing needs. The RZLT aims to incentivise landowners to activate existing zoned and serviced residential development land for housing on identified lands and lead to the building of more homes. He encouraged landowners to note the June 1 deadline for making a submissions to their local authority about their inclusion on the map of residential zoned land. The Department of Housing said farmland must be both zoned for residential use and be serviced or have access to services to fall within the scope of the residential zoned land tax. Farmland that is zoned residential but not serviced is exempt. Gardai are anxious to trace the Toyota Cressida car belonging to Conor and Sheila Dwyer The mystery of how a middle-aged couple disappeared without a trace 32 years ago remains an active investigation as gardai are currently following up a number of live inquiries, according to the lead detective in the case. Last week marked the 32nd anniversary of the disappearance of Conor and Sheila Dwyer from Fermoy, Co Cork. They were 62 and 61 respectively when they were last seen alive in 1991. Detective Sergeant James OShea of Fermoy garda station has been the lead investigator for the past six years in the unsolved case that has perplexed the local north Cork community. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he said gardai would love to solve it in order to give some closure to the Dwyers two sons. We do have a few live inquiries right now. We do have a few leads. There is ongoing liaising with Interpol in relation to this case. But have nothing concrete in terms of a development. It is a very tragic and unique case. This is a particularly hard time of year for the family, he said. On This Day in History 7th May It ranks as one of Irelands most unusual missing-persons cases, as the disappearance of a couple rather than an individual is rare. Despite repeated appeals, possible sightings from various parts of Ireland, Germany and even France, no trace of Conor and Sheila Dwyer has even been uncovered. The couple were last seen on April 30, 1991, as they walked the short distance from their home in the north Cork town to a requiem mass. Local girl Catherine Fenton greeted them as they passed on the street the last confirmed sighting of the couple. The alarm was raised just over two weeks later on May 22 when, concerned about being unable to contact them, a member of their family alerted gardai and officers gained entry to the family home on Chapel Hill. No money was missing, all their clothing and passports were present and there was no sign of a disturbance. Their post lay unopened where it had been delivered. Their bank accounts have also never been accessed since they disappeared. The only thing missing was the couples Toyota Cressida car. Detectives have always believed that tracing the vehicle holds the key to the mystery. They have urged anyone with information to contact them. The car was a white saloon with the registration plate 5797 ZT. There have been numerous reviews of the case over the past three decades and gardai have followed up every suspected sighting of the couple from members of the public. The River Blackwater has been searched several times over the years as gardai investigate the possibility that the car could have entered the water. The fact the Dwyers passports were found in their home always suggested to gardai that the couple never left Ireland, but Det Sgt OShea said nothing can be ruled out. It is a very tragic and unique case. There have been a lot of sightings and possible sightings. It is very hard to know what has happened. We are left with a lot of unanswered questions, he said.. I would like to encourage anyone with information, to get in touch with gardai in Fermoy because we will continue to follow up every piece of information. A possible sighting was reported in Munich, Germany, in 1993 but Bavarian police and Interpol were unable to confirm it. It was later determined to have likely been a well-intentioned but mistaken report. The German information intrigued gardai as Mr Dwyer, a handyman, had worked for a time in Ireland for a German businessman, Fritz Wolf, who had a home in nearby Castlelyons. Mr Dwyer ran errands for the businessman and also looked after his cars, including a vintage Rolls-Royce. Det Sgt OShea said the couple were well liked in the local community. They were always together. It has been considered if they left the country they were people who travelled. But the fact that their passports were found in the house, as well as a sum of money, has to be considered. After the couple disappeared, officers conducted a careful search of the property and there was no indication the couple had packed for a trip. Despite numerous appeals, TV reconstructions and even an RTE Radio documentary, gardai have never made a major breakthrough. A neighbour near their Chapel Hill home saw them at 9.30am on April 30 as the couple left to attend a funeral. On May 22, the alarm was raised when Mrs Dwyers sisters, Maisie and Nellie, became concerned at their repeated inability to locate the couple. The disappearance shocked neighbours, friends and family as all had reported nothing unusual with either Conor or Sheila. Both were described as a normal couple who followed a weekly routine in terms of shopping, attending mass and contacting friends and family. The couple had two sons, both of whom were working overseas in 1991. At this time of year, we get calls and emails from the public and we welcome that. Finding their car has always been a priority, Det Sgt OShea said. We cannot rule anything out, in terms of what happened, including entering the River Blackwater. When that river flows, it flows hard. But that is just one possibility. It is an awful tragedy for the family to still have no answers after all these years. Nadine Lennon Watters had married Leigh on April 14 A young mother has died just weeks after marrying the love of her life. Nadine Lennon Watters (31), married husband Leigh at a special ceremony in the chapel at St Vincents Hospital Dublin, on April 14. Nadine was originally from Dublin, but she and Leigh lived in Co Wexford with their two children Nathan and Daisy. Leigh, Nadine, Nathan and Daisy walked down the aisle together before the couple exchanged vows. In a social media post thanking the staff at the hospital, Ms Lennon Watters said it was her dream come true. "This is my dream come true in the best possible way I thought it could possibly happen, if not more. Even though, its the hardest of times, Im very lucky to have all my family around me and their support has been incredible. I didnt know if I could walk up the aisle but I did, she wrote. "The staff in SVUH, especially in St. Michaels & St Annes Wards, have been unbelievable - I cant even put into words how amazing they have all been, going above and beyond in every way possible. To be able to leave the hospital today to go out for food is really special. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Ms Lennon Watters was diagnosed with cancer in January 2021 and she underwent extensive treatment in recent years. Her family announced her death yesterday, in a heartfelt Facebook tribute. Our angel. We want you back, they wrote in a joint message. The Lennon Watters family would like to inform you that Nadine passed away yesterday at 4pm, in the loving arms of her husband Leigh and family. Nadine was so strong and fought right up until the very end. She will always be in our hearts and her legacy will live on through her beautiful children Nathan & Daisy. "Nadine would be so grateful for all the love and support each and everyone of her followers has been expressing, the family added. A funeral notice on RIP.ie says Nadine will be very sadly missed by her loving family. "Loving daughter of Sandra and Tommy, sister of Amanda and Sabrina, daughter-in-law of Andrea and Damien, brothers-in-law Dylan, John and David, sister-in-law Layla, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, neighbours and friends, the death notice says. James Kavanagh: I had nothing to panic about, thats what was annoying me. But then ferocious panic attacks every night The TV presenter, podcaster and influencer talks about coping with anxiety, his business partnership with boyfriend William, and how he learned to beat the bullies Mellow yellow James Kavanagh has learned to handle his anxiety with the help of medication. Picture by Steve Humphreys Liadan Hynes Sun 7 May 2023 at 03:30 I just want to get home Irish couple and their newborn son shelter from bombs in Ukraine Jane Cunningham of Cork travelled to Kyiv to pick up baby Jasper, who was born there via surrogacy Jane Cunningham and baby Jasper in Kyiv Sean Pollock Sun 7 May 2023 at 03:30 It is likely Ireland will soon have a new drugs policy. The current policy of criminalisation clearly hasnt worked, and evidence from Portugal suggests decriminalisation, while it doesnt end drug use, at least mitigates some of the harms from it. The Irish Government set up a Citizens Assembly on drug use, due to meet again next weekend. The index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSB) showed that 31 countries were found to be in a very serious situation (Hasan Albari / Pexels) According to this years RSF World Press Freedom Index, disinformation, artificial intelligence, and biased propaganda are threatening journalism in numerous countries across the globe. The index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSB) showed that 31 countries were found to be in a very serious situation, with the best countries listed as green and the worst in the world as red on the map. Talking about it, the RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire told The Guardian: There is more red on the RSF map this year than ever before, as authoritarian leaders become increasingly bold in their attempts to silence the press. The international community needs to wake up to reality, and act together, decisively and fast, to reverse this dangerous trend. But which countries around the world were found to be the worst and the best for media freedom? Here is what the report revealed. Which are the worst countries for media freedom? North Korea The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea was found to be the worlds worst country for media freedom. Known for being one of the strictest authoritarian regimes, RSF said it tightly controls information and strictly prohibits independent journalism. The Korean Central News Agency, which the RSF refers to as the governments official mouthpiece, is the only permitted local news source in the country. And the few foreign press agencies that are allowed to exist are kept under close surveillance. China The Peoples Republic of China was the second worst when it came to press freedom. RSF describes the country as the worlds largest prison for journalists, saying its regime conducts a campaign of repression against journalism and the right to information worldwide. The biggest media groups in the country are state-owned and directly controlled by the authorities. Vietnam Vietnam, the third-worst country for media freedom, was defined as being closely controlled by the single party that has been in power since 1975, with independent journalists and bloggers being jailed. Story continues This has led citizens to use social media and messaging platforms to circulate news and accurate information. Iran Following the passing of Mahsa Amini, a student who was arrested for being inappropriately dressed according to the countrys strict Islamic laws, on September 16, 2022, a huge wave of protests began. The press, however, was repressed from covering this, for the most part. The RSF calls Iran one of the worlds most repressive countries in terms of press freedom and says it is now one of the worlds biggest jailers of reporters. Turkmenistan RSF says that the news in Turkmenistan is only in the form of propaganda, praising the government. The organisation highlights the governments tight control of the press and shared that citizens have no access to worldwide information on the internet and get fined if they try to use a VPN. Which are the best countries for media freedom? Norway Norway was found to be the best country in the world for press freedom, with the nations laws closely protecting journalism. The RSF describes the media landscape in Norway as vibrant, featuring a strong public-service broadcaster and a diversified private sector. Ireland Ireland was crowned the second best when it came to journalism freedom, with reporters allowed to work freely and without state interference. Denmark Denmark took the number three spot, with its diverse news landscape. With the Danish peoples high level of distrust in social networks, the bond between the public media and society is said to have reached a new level of strength during the pandemic. Sweden Sweden, the worlds first country to adopt a press freedom law, highly values press independence. However, the RSF noted, journalists in the country are still targeted by threats, abusive lawsuits, and online hate campaigns. Finland When Finland was under Swedish rule, it also benefitted from the worlds first censorship law. While most media outlets are totally independent, the RSF notes that the recent state secrecy lawsuits against the countrys leading newspaper have created a climate of uncertainty. Leo Varadkar made a very good suggestion in the Dail last Wednesday. He wants Paul Murphy TD, of People Before Profit, to be the focus of a question-and-answer session in the Dail. Murphy, the Taoiseach suggested, should make himself available to his political peers, and answer questions about a controversial incident in which he was involved in 2014. Yes, almost a decade ago. But an excellent idea nonetheless. This flew in the face of what Mr Varadkar had demanded just minutes earlier but, what the hell, its a good idea, lets run with it. I think the politicians had a sleep-in on Wednesday: the Dail day began at 2pm. Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, read out the Order of Business. Heres a taste of it: Notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 34A(1), oral Parliamentary Questions pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) to a minister other than the Taoiseach shall not... Hardly had Ms Naughton finished the tiresome task when the Dail was treated to the unmistakeable sound of a dead horse being flogged. Paul Murphy was objecting to the order of business. Mr Murphy wanted the Order of Business changed, to allow junior minister Niall Collins to answer questions about his legendary property controversy. Remember when the Dail got all excited about Mr Collins and his controversial properties? Oh, that was, way, way, way back almost as far back as the previous week. Which is when Mr Collins merely made a statement about his controversial property business, with no questions allowed, although everyone knew there were unanswered questions. Mr Murphy was seeking some of those answers, seemingly unaware that the Dail has the attention span of a three-year old. Sure, didnt they talk about Niall and his properties a week ago or, at least, Niall stood up and read out some words and that counts as a comprehensive analysis of the controversy. When the FG/FF cartel want to kill an issue they have the numbers sit down, shut up. I object to the Order of Business, Deputy Murphy said, standing over the dead horse, flogging away. On the grounds that we need a question-and-answer session with Deputy Collins this week. Labours Ged Nash, intervened. We need an urgent debate in this House on the extraordinarily high price of groceries. Not a bad idea. Up spake Mattie McGrath, on an issue that sounds enthralling: On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I call for a debate in the House on the madness that is going on with the importation of wood chippings from Brazil. But it was far from wood chippings that Mr Varadkars thoughts had wandered. It is not often enough remarked upon that the once-and-future Taoiseach has a tendency to personalise matters. Its as though he cant help harbouring a grudge against anyone who refuses to acknowledge the superiority of his party and himself, in all matters. The previous week, it wasnt enough to boast about what he sees as his great achievements in housing, he had to denigrate Mary Lou McDonalds personality, in a kind of drive-by personal insult. According to Mr Varadkar, this governments performance in dealing with the housing crisis is so breathtakingly brilliant that its something that even somebody as mean-spirited as the Deputy should be able to acknowledge. Its not just Ms McDonalds politics that the current Taoiseach finds objectionable, its the poor quality of her very spirit. Attacking opponents, Mr Varadkars taunts, smears and denigration is unmatched. Similarly, should you be his comrade, Mr Varadkar is generous in his enmity for your adversaries. So it was, last Wednesday, that Mr Varadkar pooh-poohed suggestions that Niall Collins still has questions to answer. Ministers can be questioned about their ministerial performance, Mr Varadkar said. But Niall Collinss property controversy does not relate to his ministerial performance, and therefore it follows that he cant be questioned on it. Bit of a stunner, if you ask me. No matter what accusations, or allegations, are made about a minister, no matter what evidence emerges, the Dail must confine itself to questions about the ministers departmental performance. Really? Odd, but, there you are, Mr V is the expert. Having said this, Mr Varadkar went on to demand that Paul Murphy (not a minister) should make himself available for questioning about the Jobstown events (not at all related to ministerial matters) back in 2014. He detained two women against their will, said the now-and-then Taoiseach. In the 2007 general election, Labour got 10pc of the vote. Then Fianna Fail crashed the economy. In the 2011 election, Labour almost doubled its vote, to 19pc, and the party went into government with Fine Gael. The subsequent austerity policies hit Labours supporters hard. By 2014, and the Jobstown events, the Labour Party was slightly less popular than the average genital wart. In the 2016 general election it got a mere 6.6pc of the vote. By 2020 that was down to 4.4pc. The Jobstown events of 2014 can be summarised briefly. Labour leader Joan Burton, then a minister, was attending an event in Tallaght, with an assistant. When word spread of Burtons presence in the area, locals gathered to demonstrate their anger. They sat down in front of the garda car in which she sat, along with her assistant. The guards were there in force, a helicopter above, the Public Order Unit down below. Paul Murphy, TD for the area, turned up and negotiated with police to slow-walk the car out of the area. The State subsequently charged seven people with no kidding false imprisonment. Anyone found guilty of false imprisonment can be sentenced to up to life in prison. Guards gave evidence that Paul Murphy said words that implicated him in an effective kidnapping of the women. Video was shown to the court that showed this evidence to be untrue. Why Mr Varadkar last Wednesday should suggest digging up the Jobstown events and having them as the centrepiece of a grilling of Paul Murphy TD is hard to credit. It cant all be about personal bitterness and a belief that the jury and the video evidence was somehow wrong. At the time, I chose one defendant at random and checked every word of evidence given against him the trial transcripts were online. The defendants innocence was undeniable. The jury was right, on the evidence. All the defendants were innocent. Some people have never accepted that. It was an immense affair in terms of the credibility of the garda force. The ability of some to reject hard evidence, in favour of their feelings about the matter, was quite startling. The current Taoiseach seemed at the time to respect the jury verdict. He made statements about the controversial garda evidence being worrying. He seemed to understand how that could undermine the force. That no longer seems to be a worry. The current Taoiseach for some reason wants Paul Murphy to answer Dail questions about the Jobstown affair. Fair enough, seems to me. There is one other person who should tell all he knows, in the Dail the chap who was Taoiseach when the jury examined weeks of evidence and found Mr Murphy and the others to be innocent: thats Mr Varadkar. He had access to all the States doings. Its a matter that to this day hangs over the force its time to clear it up, and no one is in a better position to clear the air than Mr Varadkar. Will new drug put an end to the scourge of this neurodegenerative disease? Last week the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly issued a press release stating that its drug Donanemab significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline in people with early symptomatic Alzheimers disease. They had carried out what is called a Phase Three trial and reported that the drug slowed the pace of the disease by a third. Shane Ross: King Charles can be hailed in Ireland as a healer, not an adversary Coronation is another stepping stone on road to Irish reconciliation as throne is taken by a man who has shown an extraordinary ability to forgive after the IRA killed his great-uncle Charles and Camilla were both crowned at Westminster Abbey. Photo: Jon Super/PA Jon Super Shane Ross Sun 7 May 2023 at 03:30 Lindy McDowell: Not quite ostracised, but still an awkward day for Spare Harry who walked up aisle of Westminster Abbey on his own New Delhi/IBNS/UNI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Dinganglung Gangmei, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Manipur High Court's order in relation to the Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community as a tribe of the state. The petition filed by Gangmei before the Supreme Court sought a direction to the state government on whether to recommend a tribe as the Scheduled Tribes List falls solely within the jurisdiction of the state, and not the High Court. The petition filed by Gangmei, a BJP MLA, said that the Manipur HC order has resulted in the unrest in Manipur that has caused the death of 32 people. "Due to the order, the tension between both the community have taken place and violent clashes have erupted across the state. As a result of it so far 32 tribal people have been killed, various places in the states are blocked, the internet is completely shutdown and more people are at risk of losing their lives," the petition said. There are two other petitions also filed before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court registry, and officials directly connected with listing the matters, said that keeping in view the seriousness and importance of the case, the matter is likely to be listed very soon. The outbreak of violence in Manipur can be traced back to the 'Tribal Solidarity March' initiated by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM). The march was organized as a form of protest against the demand to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, which was prompted by a directive from the Manipur High Court on April 19. The march served as a catalyst for the subsequent escalation of violence in the region. Approximately 53 percent of the population in Manipur comprises Meiteis, residing predominantly in the Imphal Valley, while the remaining 40 percent consists of tribal communities such as Kukis, residing primarily in the hill districts surrounding the Valley. Image: Twitter/BJP4India New Delhi/IBNS: A day after a massive three-hour roadshow in poll-bound Karnataka's Bengaluru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a shorter one on a different route on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier said a mega eight-hour roadshow was planned initially, but they decided to split it into two -- 26 km on Saturday and 10 km on Sunday -- to avoid inconvenience in the wake of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). With just three days to go for the polls, the BJP's Assembly election campaign is in its last leg, and the party is banking on the PM's popularity for the last push to retain power in what is expected to be a very closely contested election. On Sunday too, people gathered in huge numbers carrying musical instruments, including drums, to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister. PM Modi held a nearly 26 km roadshow on Saturday in the city covering nearly 13 constituencies. Supporters lined up on the sides of the road and showered flower petals on the PM, who was seen enthusiastically greeting the crowd. He began the roadshow at 10 am from the Kempegowda statue at New Tippasandra Road and moved towards the HAL 2nd stage, Old Madras Road. The roadshow concluded at Trinity Circle around 11.30 am. "If only words could describe what I just saw in Bengaluru! I bow to the people of this vibrant city for showering me with affection that I will cherish for my entire life," the PM had tweeted after Saturday's roadshow. If only words could describe what I just saw in Bengaluru! I bow to the people of this vibrant city for showering me with affection that I will cherish for my entire life. Here are some glimpses. pic.twitter.com/iMTpzeLLPP Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2023 PM Modi will also address four public meetings in different parts of the state later in the day. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. Image Credit: Pixabay Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested two people in Varanasi, and summoned 70 others for questioning from different parts of Uttar Pradesh for their alleged links with the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) during a special operation by the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the UP police on Sunday, an official spokesman said. The spokesman said that in September 2022 PFI and its 8 affiliated organisation were banned by the Union government for destructive activities, promoting a terror-based, regressive regime, inciting anti-national and radical sentiments and posing a threat to the integrity, security, and sovereignty of the country. He said at that time country-wide action was taken against the members connected with PFI and in this series one Abdullah Saud was arrested and a case was registered against him under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Lohta police station in Varanasi last year. The spokesman said that two of the accused Parvez Ahmad and Raees Ahmad were absconding in the same case and a cash reward of Rs 50,000 was announced on their arrest. "They were spreading radical ideology of banned organisation PFI in Varanasi and along with other accused two more cases were lodged against them in Chetganj and Adampur police stations," he said. He said that Parvez and Raees were arrested during a special campaign by the Varanasi unit of ATS on the basis of electronic and physical surveillance. "Both the accused had gone underground and were changing their location frequently," he said. The spokesman said that the ATS has identified 211 suspicious people who had links with the banned organisation in the past. "The ATS launched a one-day secret special campaign to take action against the identified suspicious people and field units in Noida, Saharanpur, Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bahraich, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Azamgarh were activated," he said. The spokesman said that the Additional Superintendent of Police (East) was nominated as the nodal officer and 30 special teams were constituted to carry out the raids. He said that during the raids 70 people have been summoned for questioning-11 in Shamli, 10 in Ghaziabad, 9 in Lucknow, 8 in Varanasi, 5 in Bijnor, 4 in Meerut, 3 each in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Barabanki, 2 each in Bahraich, Kanpur, Deoria and 1 each in Sitapur, Moradabad, Balrampur, Rampur, Siddharth Nagar, Bulandshahr, Amroha, and Saharanpur. The spokesman said that the suspects were being questioned extensively and data analysis of electronic gadgets was being done to ascertain their social media activities and anti-national activities. (With UNI inputs) In the words of author, publisher, and Cheshire resident Peter J. Malia, History has the advantage of knowing what happens next. Such knowledge in ones life is a rarer thing, as Malia himself can attest. His own professional career as a researcher, writer, and journalist led him into industries including geo-spatial satellites and paper manufacturing. The combination may seem incongruous, but it matches up well with his academic training as a historian, one whose life work has involved combing through reams of recorded data and other evidence in order to bring back to life the stories of those who lived in the past. As publisher of The Connecticut Press based now out of his Cheshire home and an author of several books on colonial history, Malia continues to tell those stories and look forward to what comes next. Malia has a raconteurs talent for recounting the lives of people who lived hundreds of years ago. One of these figures is the American author Washington Irving. After Malia graduated from Fordham University with his Ph.D. in history, one his first jobs was cataloguing Irvings papers for the Rockefeller Foundation. Malia is still familiar with Irvings journeys, and can provide a number of anecdotes from Irvings early success as the best-selling author of The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gentleman, to his ambassadorship to Spain and his somewhat dissolute life of travel, courtly romances, and theatre. In fact, Malia says, Columbia University still has a number of Irvings unpublished works. That sense of history being lost to indifference has prompted Malia to write some of his works. As a publisher, Malia also does the historians duty of presenting the best available evidence. The Connecticut Presss most recent offering is one such example. The Myth & Reality of Slavery in Eastern Connecticut, written by former Connecticut Assistant State Archivist Bruce P. Stark, offers a detailed look at the claim that a slave plantation existed in Connecticut near Lyme, where the author grew up. Drawing on land records and numerous other sources, both contemporary and contemporaneous, Stark presents a more nuanced understanding of the situation. An extensive biography also points the way for future researchers to make their own studies. Although much of his own research has focused on his former hometown of West Haven, Malia has also published work with special interest for Cheshire residents. One of these is a photo-illustrated history of Elim Park, published on the occasion of the Baptist Homes 100th anniversary. Another project of Malias is an entry in the Ancient Town Records series. First begun in 1917 as a project of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, the work involves the transcription of written colonial records into an accessible printed form. Malias book, Volume IV in the series, contains the New Haven Town Records of 17691819. The compilation offers a tremendous resource for researchers. Recently, Malia has been involved in getting to the heart of a mystery that has involved parties on both sides of the Atlantic. While writing his history of colonial West Haven, Visible Saints, Malia grew interested in the story of a Scotsman named William Campbell, who was killed during the British invasion of New Haven in 1779, but whose life was full of extraordinary achievements. Adjutant Campbells story, Malia says, will be his next project, a narrative biography. Using clues from the historical record, Malia has begun to uncover enough details to draw the attention of Campbells successor unit, the Scottish Coldstream Guards the unit which, incidentally, is responsible for the protection of soon-to-be-crowned King Charles III. His correspondent, Colonel Robin Buchanan-Dunlap, recently wrote about Adjutant Campbell for The Guards Magazine and, with Malia, seeks to bring official recognition for Campbell. Col. Buchanan-Dunlap also has a special relationship to history, as the grandson of Archibald Buchanan-Dunlap, who participated notably in the Christmas Truce of World War I. No matter the uniform, the time, or the place the crucible of war has always forged lessons that magnify the best and worst in our human nature, as Malia puts it. As Malia tells the story, Campbell was a Highlander who obtained his commission the hard way through meritorious action in the field of battle and by working his way up through the ranks from private. Malia writes that Campbell is the only known enemy combatant honored by the very American town he invaded with both a monument and a principal avenue named in his honor. British troops, including Campbell, stormed New Haven in July 1779, but, as Malia explains, Under the command of Captain James Hillhouse and Col. Aaron Burr, who happened to be visiting his uncle, Pierpont Edwards, in New Haven at the time, a ragtag army of some 150 Yale students, militiamen and Connecticut Foot Guardsmen had dug in behind a stone wall along the top of Milford Hill. They defended the hill with such tenacity that they initially drove the British advance guard back several hundred yards, Some of those militiamen, Malia adds, were from Cheshire, as troops from all over New Haven County descended upon New Haven to fight the British. When a Reverend Williston was injured during the melee, Campbell ordered his troops to show mercy. We make war on soldiers, not civilians, Campbell was allegedly overheard saying. He ordered the troopers to carry the minister back to the parsonage, and then summoned the regimental surgeon to set Willistons leg, writes Malia. A small monument exists for Campbell, but official recognition is a work in progress, much like the full story of the past. Image Credit: Pixabay Rampur (UP): A retired policeman was arrested from the Azim Nagar area of Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday after a court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him for not appearing before it, a police officer said here. Circle Officer (City) Anuj Chaudhary said that Hassan Khan was absconding for a long time. He was arrested by Azim Nagar Police and was produced in the court amid tight security arrangements, he said. The arrested former cop is said to have close connections with SP leader Azam Khan. Police sources said that Hassan Khan, who retired as the CO, is considered close to senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan. "He is a co-accused in several cases lodged against Azam. Cases of land grabbing are pending against him in the court," they said. Police sources said that after Hassan Khan retired from the police services, he was appointed as the Chief Security Officer of Jauhar University. "He was wanted in two cases," they said. Meanwhile, Hasan Khan said that the police force is his family and he is a law-abiding citizen. He said that the NBW was issued by the court only two-three days back and he was not aware of it. (With UNI inputs) Image tweeted by @HafizZiaAhmad1 Islamabad: The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has agreed to allow Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, paving the way for billions of dollars of infrastructure investment in the sanction-hit country, Bloomberg reported. On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a meeting in Islamabad, where they expressed their commitment to collaborating on Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts, including extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to the nation currently under Taliban rule. The CPEC, with an investment of $60 billion, aims to enhance connectivity and promote economic development in the region. "The two sides agreed to continue their humanitarian and economic assistance for the Afghan people and enhance development cooperation in Afghanistan, including through extension of CPEC to Afghanistan," according to a joint statement issued by Pakistan's foreign ministry following the meeting. Taliban government had expressed interest to participate in the project and the prospect of attracting infrastructure investment to the cash-strapped country. According to Talibans deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the group's top diplomat Amir Khan Muttaqi visited Islamabad and held discussions with his Chinese and Pakistani counterparts and reached an agreement, the report said. The Taliban is hoping for increased Chinese investments in Afghanistan's abundant resources, which are estimated to be worth around $1 trillion. In January, the Afghan government signed its first contract with a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation to extract oil from the Amu Darya basin in the north. During the meeting between the Chinese and Pakistani ministers, emphasis was placed on the importance of unfreezing Afghanistan's overseas financial assets. Currently, approximately $9 billion of Afghanistan's central bank reserves held abroad have been blocked from access due to concerns that the funds could be utilized for terrorist activities. Image Credit: Videograb from Twitter Dallas/IBNS: At least nine people were killed as a shooter went on a rampage at an outlet mall in US' Texas on Saturday, media reports said. Seven others have been injured in the shooting incident. "(We) found seven deceased individuals on scene. We transported nine individuals to the hospital... Of those we transported, two have since died," said fire chief Jonathan Boyd of Allen, the Dallas suburb where the shooting took place. A police officer reached the mall after getting an unrelated call when gunfire broke out around 3:30 pm (2030 GMT), said chief Brian Harvey of the Allen, Texas, police department. "He heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect and neutralized the suspect," Harvey was quoted as saying in the media. "He also then called for ambulances." Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the mass shooting an "unspeakable tragedy." Authorities initially thought there might be a second shooter at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling shopping complex in the city of Allen, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Dallas, CNN said. Police then searched through stores in the mall, and photos and drone video from the scene showed shoppers and store employees rushing into parking lots. The police later said the shooter was wearing tactical gear and "acted alone." Representational photo by energepic.com on Pexels Beijing: Chinese fresh graduates are dissatisfied and angry over growing unemployment in the country as they are facing difficulties in getting jobs matching their qualifications, Tibet Press reported. Though China's economic recovery has begun to gain momentum, with growth rebounding to 4.5 percent in the first quarter after pandemic restrictions were scrapped early this year, youth unemployment has remained a persistent area of pain, according to reports. Instead of providing job opportunities, the Chinese government is urging graduates to accept other menial jobs involving "manual labour" work. They are shifting the blame of soaring unemployment on jobless university graduates, accusing them of refusing to put aside their professional ambitions and take on manual labour, reports Tibet Press. The Communist Youth League last month criticized young graduates for holding on to their professional aspirations, accusing them of refusing to "tighten screws in factories" and exhorting the current generation to "take off their suits, roll up their sleeves and go to the farmland". Simultaneously, the propaganda machinery of the Chinese state is circulating fake stories on social media about people making a good amount of money in non-white collar jobs, reports Tibet Press. Representational image by Aatiph via Wikimedia Commons South Waziristan: A Pakistan army soldier was killed during an exchange of fire with militants in South Waziristan on Friday, The Dawn reported, quoting the local police. According to reports, a hawaldar of the army was killed during an exchange of fire between the security forces and militants in Khaisur area of South Waziristan district. The security forces launched an intelligence-based operation following information about the presence of militants in the area, reports said. An exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants, in which hawaldar Zameen Khan embraced martyrdom, an official told The Dawn. However, no official statement was issued by the armys media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Representational image by Voice of America (VOA) via Wikimedia Commons Kurram: A complete road-block and shutter-down strike were observed in various areas of Pakistan's Kurram including Parachinar against the heinous killing of eight persons including seven Shia school teachers in the Teri Mengal area of Parachinar. Protest marches were held on Friday against the massacre of Shia school teachers, which KPK authorities tried to prove a land dispute. The horrific incident took place after unidentified gunmen killed a person at Shalozan on Thursday, following which, terrorists stormed a school at Teri Mengal and brutally murdered seven teachers in the firing, according to reports. Following the killing of Shia teachers, Kurram Teachers Association representative Zahid Tooro announced the closure of all private and government schools. As a result of the strike, board exams for 9th and 10th classes were postponed, and Parachinar and other areas remained deserted with no traffic on the roads and markets closed. Demonstrations were reportedly at several places. Representational image Islamabad: Pakistan's Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday vowed to bring the matter of non-compensation of their land before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, raising its voice for landholders in Shah Allah Ditta area, where a new sector C-13 will be developed. Locals of the area, which is close to Margalla Hills in the western side of the federal capital, staged a demonstration when MQM leaders visited the area and assured them that they would be supported, reports The Dawn. We will bring the issues of forced acquisition of land by the CDA before the PM, MQM leader Abu Bakar said during the protest staged by the locals. Bakar said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had announced the award of the land of sector C-13 in 2008 but local landholders have so far not been given the compensation amount against their lands and built-up properties. Zahid Malik told The Dawn that hundreds of locals of Shah Allah Ditta had not been given their due compensation against their lands and properties. Malik said city managers have cordoned off the area and registered over 500 first investigation reports (FIRs) against those who came out of their houses and demanded their rights. Recently, a woman gave birth to a baby at her home as she was scared of leaving her home to rush to the hospital, he added. The local leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have not turned up there to listen to the voices of the locals, The Dawn reported. The locals sought the MQMs help to get their problems resolved as the party had already raised the issue on social media and in some relevant quarters including the National Assembly. The exclusion of women from the Scheduled Tribe community in the inheritance rights provisions of the Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005 has been addressed by a DMK Member of Parliament P. Wilson. He requested the government to issue a notification for their inclusion. Section 2(2) of the Act denies these women equal rights to inherit their father's or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) properties. What did the MP argue? The issue of inheritance rights in India has been a topic of debate for a long time. In 2005, the Hindu Succession Act was amended to grant daughters equal rights to inherit their father's or HUF properties. However, there are still some issues surrounding inheritance rights that have been highlighted. Unsplash/Representational Image One of the main issues is the exclusion of women from Scheduled Tribes in the Hindu Succession Act. Wilson has argued that this is discriminatory based on gender and goes against Article 14 of the Constitution of India, which advocates for equality before the law. He pointed out that women from Scheduled Tribes are a more disadvantaged group due to historic oppression and lack of access to education, employment, and property. To address this issue, Wilson urged the Government to issue a notification that would include Scheduled Tribe women in the ambit of the Hindu Succession Act, except in cases where the customs of a particular Scheduled Tribe give women an advantageous position. This would ensure that women from Scheduled Tribes are not excluded from their inheritance rights and are treated equally under the law. Is hinduisation necessary to inherit property? In December 2022, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of Kamala Neti (deceased), represented by her legal representatives, vs the Special Land Acquisition Officer. This ruling has sparked a debate over the extension of the provisions of the Hindu Succession Law (HSL) to Scheduled Tribes (ST) and the potential impact on the cultural and social identity of these tribes. BCCL/Representational Image The Supreme Court directed the government to examine the need to extend the HSL provisions to STs and to make suitable amendments to ensure equality under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. However, there are concerns that the burden of proof is on the tribal claimants to secure the benefits of the HSL, and that this could result in the Hinduisation and assimilation of tribal women into the social hierarchy as a caste category. The court's rulings suggest that the Hindu Succession Act would apply in cases where evidence shows that parties belonging to tribes were practising Hindu customs and not those of the tribe. However, securing rights over the inherited property should not come at the cost of the cultural identity of Adivasis. STs are determined not by religion Palla Trinadha Rao, a lawyer working for tribal rights, writes in Down to Earth that Section 2(2) of the Hindu Succession Act excludes STs, but this does not mean that they must convert to Hinduism to acquire the benefits of the act. Similarly, the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act and the Hindu Marriage Act are not applicable to STs unless extended by the central government. STs are determined not by religion, but by social, cultural, and economic characteristics and the region or state in which they live. This means that communities that practice religions other than Hinduism may still be included in the list of STs. The extension of the Hindu Succession Act to Hinduised tribals could pave the way for non-tribals to adopt tribal children or create fictitious adoption deeds to grab constitutional benefits reserved for STs and usurp tribal lands. This would defeat the purpose of notifying STs for constitutional purposes. The court's view may run counter to the constitutional scheme, and securing rights over the inherited property should not come at the cost of cultural identity. The extension of the HSL to STs must be carefully considered to ensure that it does not lead to the loss of constitutional benefits reserved for STs. Unsplash/Representational Image The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 is a codified law that governs the rules of inheritance and succession of property for Hindus in India. Prior to this law, succession and inheritance were governed by the Mitakshara school of Hindu law, which only recognized male descendants as legal heirs. The Act was passed to remove gender discrimination and provide equal rights to both male and female heirs. The Act applies to all Hindus, including Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and followers of Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj. It does not apply to Muslims, Christians, Parsis, or Jews. The Act recognizes the concept of a joint Hindu family, in which the male descendants of a common ancestor, along with their mothers, wives, and unmarried daughters, are considered legal heirs and hold the family property jointly. What is the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005? BCCL/Representational Image The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 is an amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, which governs the inheritance of property by Hindus in India. The amendment was passed in September 2005 with the aim of addressing gender discrimination in Hindu inheritance laws. The main provision of the amendment is the recognition of daughters as coparceners, with the same rights and liabilities as sons, in the ancestral property of a Hindu family. Under the original 1956 Act, only male heirs were considered coparceners, which meant that daughters could not inherit property in the same way as sons. With the amendment, Section 6 of the Act was modified to make daughters of coparceners equal coparceners "by birth in their own right in the same manner as the son." This means that daughters now have the same inheritance rights as sons in the ancestral property of their Hindu families. The amendment also provides for the equal distribution of property among all heirs, regardless of gender. It applies to both ancestral property and personal property inherited through intestate succession, which means succession according to law, rather than through a will. reduced its debt to GDP ratio by 23.3 percent in 2022 The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the importation into Nigeria, pesticides already banned in Europe. NAFDAC also expressed worry over the toxicity associated with the misuse and abuse of pesticides, saying it affects food safety and food security. The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the alert in a statement signed by the agencys Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola. It read, The dangers posed by pesticides are of immense concern to the agency and there have been recent concerns from stakeholders such as the report of the study conducted by Heinrich Boll Foundation; a non-governmental organisation that claimed that 40 per cent of pesticides used in Nigeria had been banned in the EU. READ ALSO: NAFDAC Raises Alarm Over Substandard Cough Syrup In Circulation There was also an alert received from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development cautioning on the possibility that the European Union and the United Kingdom were exporting banned Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Nigeria and other poorer countries. Emphasis was placed on Chlorpyrifos and its variants due to their harmful effects on humans, animals, beneficial insects, and the environment. NAFDACs mandate, as enshrined in the Constitution, is to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, detergent and others. This necessitated the review and analysis of the list of registered pesticide and agrochemical active ingredients in the NAFDAC Registered Product Automated Database vis-a-vis activities banned, non-approved. The agency said the outcome of the review was shared with stakeholders at a three-day virtual stakeholders engagement. It further said the review meeting focused much on the proposed phase-out and ban of the active ingredients. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that pesticide and agrochemical importers and manufacturers would be advised to institute stewardship plans such as Post Marketing Surveillance and research in their companies. NAFDAC would collaborate with research institutes in the conduct of research and scientific data generation on pesticides to enable the agency to make evidence-based decisions and policies. NAFDAC would also intensify Post-Marketing Surveillance nationwide, adding that there would be continual sensitization and education of relevant stakeholders on the safe and responsible use of pesticides. NAFDAC would engage with other sister agencies like the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Standard Organisation of Nigeria. Other organisations the agency would engage with are the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, it said. It added that the engagement was to ensure synergy in the regulation of pesticide and agrochemical products. Name: Gage Rynard Work: UPMC Carlisle Specialty: Emergency Department Hometown: Boiling Springs How long have I been a nurse: 3 years What is the most rewarding aspect about your job? Being able to interact with each patient and do my best to make them feel at ease while they are sick and working in a collaborative effort within the department to heal them. Creating the trusting patient/RN bond that develops partly due to the amount of time we spend with our patients. What is the toughest challenge with your job? The most challenging part is having to see death occur. While people may say that you know what you are getting into when you take on the role as an emergency department RN, it still is never easy to come to terms with seeing it, especially in the younger population and sometimes dealing with the death of an infant or child. Whats your proudest accomplishment so far? Having the opportunity to help people in their time of vulnerability and the unexpected moments that bring them to the Emergency Department. It makes me feel good to be able to make someone feel comfortable, safe and cared for in their time of distress. What advice would you have for young nurses entering the field? First, school is difficult; stay the courseyou will thank yourself for the opportunities having your degree can open up for you. Second, I have seen quite a few brand new RNs come to the Emergency Department and they come to find out that this is definitely not the department they want or can handle. Do what makes you happy because that is the most important thingto be able to get up every day and look forward to coming into work. What goals do you have for your career? I have been at the Emergency Department for three years, when the kids are a bit older, I am going to pursue my masters degree in either CRNA or CRNP. Two months ago, I opened up my IV hydration and vitamin infusion business named Revive Infusions. I offer a mobile service that can come to the patients home, work, hotelliterally anywhere. I found that this town needed a service like this to be able to receive IV fluids and vitamins outside of the hospital setting and in the comfort of their own location of choosing. I am very excited to see my business grow. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged politicians in the country to accept the failures and successes of the 2023 general elections in good faith. The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga, made the submission on Saturday, during a meeting with newsmen to celebrate the success of the States election. Effanga said its interesting how politicians attribute their victories to a win for democracy and blame everyone but themselves for their defeat. His words: It was interesting that at some point, when some of the elections were concluded, we had a few protests and interestingly the three political parties that won various seats in the State had at different times complained where they didnt win. READ ALSO: 2023 Poll: Court Fixes Date To Begin Hearing Of Peter Obi, Others Petition Against Tinubu Victory I have found it interesting that where they won, they were happy about it, where they didnt win, in some instances, they raised the issue about it and I think it is part of the game politicians play that whenever they win it was a victory for democracy, it was a reflection of how the people loved and voted for them. And when they didnt win, they would always try to find reasons to excuse themselves and blame everyone apart from themselves. We gave everybody the opportunity to protest at our offices. We listened to them, we received their complaints and there was little we could do about the complaints. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is planning to influence the outcome of the 2023 presidential election tribunal in its favour. PDP raised the alarm on Sunday during a press conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba. The PDP alleged that apart from plans to influence the tribunal in favour of its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC is also involved in the intimidation, harassment, threats, and vicious attacks against Nigerian youths and other eminent Nigerian personalities speaking out against the partys planned moves. The major opposition party, therefore, called on well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to prevail on the APC to allow the judiciary to work independently. The statement reads, Gentlemen of the press, the PDP has invited you this evening to alert Nigerians and the International Community of the shocking revelations, reports and allegations of plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to influence the outcome of the Presidential election Petition currently pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. READ ALSO: No Cause For Alarm Lagos Govt. Assures Residents After Fire Guts Surveyor-Generals Office The PDP also alerts of recent intimidation, harassment, threats and vicious attacks by APC leaders against Nigerian youths and eminent Nigerian personalities for speaking out against APCs planned moves to install a government that does not enjoy the mandate of majority of Nigerians as expressed at the Polling Units. The alleged planned onslaught by APC leaders on eminent Nigerians and our democratic institutions, including the Judiciary, stems from APCs apprehensions given the weight of evidence against it as well as the continuing refusal by majority of Nigerians to accept the outcome of the flawed Presidential election. There are apprehensions in the public space, having regards to the reputation of certain individuals within the highest level of the APC who have demonstrated capacity and proclivity to compromise democratic institutions in our country. It would be recalled that on Friday, May 5, 2023, our Party raised alarm over the massively condemned comments by the APC Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the commissioning of some judiciary projects in Port-Harcourt Rivers State, wherein he attempted to corrupt, cultivate and patronize the Judiciary. More alarming are allegations in the public space of attempts by certain APC leaders to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and to orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers. The PDP calls on the APC and its leaders to immediately come clean and publicly address Nigerians and the world on these disturbing allegations and revelations which are already in the public domain. Further to this is the provocative resort by the APC and its leaders to threaten Nigerians with treason for speaking out against the manipulations of our democratic processes by the APC. More alarming are allegations in the public space of attempts by certain APC leaders to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and to orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers. For emphasis, majority of Nigerians are insisting on the review of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election because it was marred by wide-spread manipulations, open alteration of genuine election results from the Polling Units, allocation of fictitious figures to the APC and brazen violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as INEC Manual and Guidelines by INEC itself in its declaration of a winner of the election. The PDP therefore restates its call on the Judiciary to resist and insulate itself from the alleged and reported antics of the APC in the discharge of its Constitutional duties as independent and impartial arbiter in the pending Petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. It is imperative to state that the reckless violation by INEC of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Guidelines and Manual in the 2023 Presidential election portend grave consequences to our democracy and political stability as a country. The bizarre response by INEC, which is an umpire that ought to be independent, to the Petition of the PDP and our Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, requesting for the dismissal of our Petition, is further evidence of the complicity, corruption and compromise of INEC by the APC. It is instructive for INEC and the APC to note that the tribunal hearing is part of the electoral process. The APC and INEC are therefore advised to halt further steps to hinder the ability of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to dispense justice in the matter in accordance with the law The only way to guarantee peace, unity and stability of our nation is to uphold the Will of the people as expressed at the Polling Units in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election and the PDP is confident in the ability of the Judiciary to discharge its Constitutional duties in this regard independently. Thank you and God bless Nigeria! Former governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni has condemned Nigerians calling for an Interim National Government (ING) after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari ends May 29. Recall that the Department of State Services (DSS) had raised an alarm of a plot to install an interim government and stop president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from being inaugurated as the president. Oni an interview with The Punch on Saturday, Oni maintained the call for an interim government is unconstitutional, an aberration and not sensible. The former governor said Nigerians should find a way of conducting as much inquisition into the system if it is not working so the future can be better. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the last Ekiti governorship election added tha the idea of an interim government should not come from anybody who loves democracy. He said: Who will preside over an interim government and how will we arrive at that? From a democracy to an interim government, who constructed that path? Is it constitutional? I dont see it as sensible. READ ALSO: Segun Oni: I Left PDP Because I Dont Collaborate With Cheats This is part of the aberrations we talk about. Nigerians can make anything look sensible. If this system is not working, let us find a way of conducting as much inquisition as possible so the future can be better. The idea of an interim government should not come from anybody who loves democracy, he said. Reacting to if Nigeria is progressing democratically, Oni said: It depends on what you mean. I said earlier that it is a surprise that in this age, an official of the government refused a court order twice and got away with it. Will you call that a sign of progress in any system? I believe the CSOs should not just rehash criticisms, they should have a way of conducting an audit, they can set up their ombudsmen where people can send their concerns, they can find out and raise issues which appropriate government bodies will look at. According to him, the country made some progress in some aspects like the conduct of elections. So, there are aspects of our elections that we know have been better a million times. We are not making progress all round but we have made some progress, he added. The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has arrested a man who allegedly inflicted bodily injuries on his 11-year-old son for his inability to recite the Holy Quran. Its spokesperson, Mrs Joke Ladenegan-Oginni stated on Saturday in Lagos that the man had been detained at Meiran Division of the Nigeria Police Force. The assault on the 11-year-old went viral in social media as his body showed welts received from belt whips leading to excessive bleeding. READ ALSO: Nigerian Student Sentenced To 11 Months Imprisonment For Assaulting Wife In UK Ladenegan-Oginni stated that DSVA received the report from concerned citizen on repeated assaults on the child. The agency received a report from a journalist of an 11-year-old male who was physically assaulted by his father. The DSVA gathered that the father meted the assault because the boy had not been able to recite the Holy Quran. Following repeated assaults, the boy has haematuria (blood in urine), two episodes of loss of consciousness, bleeding from the ears and nostrils, she stated. Ladenegan-Oginni added that the child was receiving medical attention facilitated by the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the states Primary Health Care Board. She advised members of the public to report all cases of abuse, assault and sexual violence against persons to the agency for justice to be served. Popular Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham has expressed optimism that the country is about to experience a new dawn, come May 29. Information Nigeria reports that her comment is coming hours after her name was included in the list of committee members for the inauguration of president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Abraham, who disclosed this in her Twitter post at the weekend, also said Nigeria is about to witness a positive and great phase we have never experienced before. READ ALSO: Stop Reading Meanings To My Posts, Ive Moved On Toyin Abraham Tells Nigerians The actress who rallied support for Tinubu during the campaign, also urged Nigerians to pray and support the new administration that will take over in a couple of days. Recall that while backing the former Lagos State governor, the actress was called out, insulted and trolled on social media. She tweeted: We are about to experience a new dawn. A positive and great phase like we have never experienced before, I believe. So help us God. Please for once lets pray, support and show love to our government. Love and Light. I love you all. Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and governor of Plateau State, says the All Progressives Congress Northern Governors (APC) did not necessarily want the president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to be Nigerias president when they supported the power shift to the southern part of the country. Lalong, who was the Director General of Tinubus Presidential Campaign organisation, noted that their push for a southern presidency was rather in order to promote the unity, peace and stability of Nigeria within the spirit of fairness, equity and justice which the late Premier of the Northern Region, Ahmadu Bello, stood for. The governor disclosed this on Saturday at the 9th Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture on Leadership and Good Governance held in Lafia, Nasarawa State, via a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Macham Makut. His words, When I led my colleagues the Northern Governors to push for power shift to the South, it was not because we wanted Asiwaju to be President. Rather, we wanted to ensure that justice and fairness prevail in our nation for unity, peace and harmony. That is what we believe our revered father of blessed memory, Sir Ahmadu Bello, would do in such circumstances. Fortunately, the party delegates chose Asiwaju who was eventually accepted by Nigerians as he was unanimously elected. READ ALSO: Not Interested In Being Chief Of Staff, Im Taking A Break To Private Sector El-Rufai He further urged all Nigerians, both in the North and across the country, to support Tinubu as he takes on the mantle of leadership. According to him, because the late Sardauna lived a life of accommodation, tolerance, justice and fairness, his legacies have endured long after his demise and continue to inspire leadership in the region and country at large. Lalong added that the North is an important stakeholder in the Nigerian project and its contributions towards his election cannot be over emphasized. The Northern region needs serious attention in various sectors ranging from security, education, infrastructure, agriculture, economic revival and restoration of law and order in various areas that have been ravaged by insecurity. It is heartening to note that the Northern Governors Forum, under my leadership, has done a great deal of work on bringing our people together as one people with a common destiny, Lalong added. Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has debunked rumours of him aiming to become Chief of Staff in president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubus cabinet. According to reports, El-Rufai was in Gombe State to inaugurate the construction of 550 housing units and Gombe Geographic Information Systems (GOGIS) Service Centre. While addressing newsmen in the State on Saturday, he described the reports on the different portfolios being assigned to him and published in national dailies as mere speculations. Elrufai stated he was more interested in contributing to the development of Nigeria than jostling for positions. He furthered that being in government was not the only way to contribute to Nigerias development, adding that even if he was not in government, he would remain committed to the progress of the country. I have not had that discussion with the president-elect and I dont like to speculate. I read in the newspapers all kinds of portfolios assigned to me but you know, I am a committed Nigerian. READ ALSO: May 29: Transition Council Has Reached Advanced Stage For Orderly Handover FG I want to see my country make progress and whatever I can do to contribute to the development of the country, I will do it. But, I dont have to do it working in government. Everyone who is working either in the private sector or civil society is contributing. There is not just one way to contribute to the country and I will never stop working for Nigerias progress, he said. The governor said upon leaving office in the next 22 days, he would take a break but be available to provide advice, where needed, on how to move the country forward. I will be in the private sector, not any chief of staff. I will take a break and advise people like Governor Inuwa Yahaya if they need it, he said. On Tinubus presidency from May 29, El-Rufai said Nigerians would not regret voting the president-elect, stressing that better days were ahead of Nigerians under Tinubu. The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in collaboration with local security outfits have rescued 58 kidnap victims from identified kidnappers den in communities contiguous to the territory. The spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the bandits/kidnappers on sighting the security team coordinated by the police, engage the security team in a shootout duel. She said the victims were rescued at Udulu Forest, Gegu LGA of Kogi State, bordering Sardauna Forest, Nasarawa State, and other identified kidnappers den in communities contiguous to the FCT. The bandits were overpowered and escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries leaving behind their victims, she said. Adeh said the rescue operation was part of efforts by the commands leadership to sustain joint operation with other security agencies, vigilantes and hunters from the various local communities. READ MORE: Police Gun Down Kidnapper, Arrest Five Others In Delta She said the idea was to combat violent crimes in the FCT, rescue victims and bring perpetrators to book. The PPRO pledged the commitment of the command at sustaining efforts to prevent threats to safety and security of FCT residents, assuring that the command would also not relent in ensuring the rescue of any resident held hostage by criminals as well as bringing the perpetrators to book. Adeh said the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the FCT, Mr Haruna Garba, has called for cooperation from FCT residents. She said the CP enjoined the residents to be security conscious and provide credible information to the Police. Adeh said one of the kidnap victim, Tama Jonathan, unfortunately, sustained injury during the rescue operation and died on the spot. She said the remains of the victim had subsequently been released to his family for burial. She said that the other 58 rescued victims were being stabilised in the hospital and would be reunited with their families. Panic ensued amongst passengers as a Max Air aircraft reportedly crash-landed with tyres bursting into flames upon getting to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday. The passengers were allegedly coming from Adamawa State. However, the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service operators at the airport were swiftly deployed to the scene to put off the fire. Mike Ogirima, the former president of the Nigeria Medical Association, who gave an account of the incident to Daily Trust, was quoted as saying that the tyre burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport. But, the aircraft crash-landed in Abuja with emergency officials already on the ground to put off the fire before the passengers disembarked right at the runway. READ ALSO: 16-Year-Old Anambra Female Student Emerges Overall Best In UTME Ogirima said, We thank God. We are still on the runway and the pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall. We bless God because we have witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into a prayer session. I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God. A Nigerian poet based in the United Kingdom, Ndukwe Onuoha of the Labour Party, has been elected a councillor in his ward. Onuoha was elected to represent the Mackworth and New Zealand ward in Derby City Council. The Derby council announced the poets victory via a tweet on Friday. READ ALSO: UK Nursing Council To Probe 512 Nigerians Over Fraudulent Exam Results According to the Derby council, Onuoha polled 1,168 votes to become councillor. The council tweeted, MACKWORTH & NEW ZEALAND RESULTS Ndukwe Onuoha (Labour), Gaurav Pandey (Conservatives), John Whitby (Labour) have been elected. Labour GAIN, MACKWORTH & NEW ZEALAND RESULTS Ndukwe Onuoha (Labour), Gaurav Pandey (Conservatives), John Whitby (Labour) have been elected. Labour GAIN.#LocalElection2023 Derby City Council (@DerbyCC) May 5, 2023. Nwando Umeh, another Nigerian and a Labour Party candidate, contested as one of the representatives of the Mackworth and New Zealand ward, but lost after she polled 1,084 votes, the council said. Recall that the law provides that a British or a citizen of the commonwealth to which Nigeria belongs, having been colonised by the British is eligible to contest for a councillor position in the UK. The UK-based poet was nominated by his party in November 2022, was the only candidate of African descent to have emerged winner. The Missouri Senate voted Friday to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year, sending the bill to Gov. Mike Parsons desk for his signature or veto. The Department of Social Services estimates the extension would cover more than 4,000 people who otherwise go uninsured two months after the end of pregnancy. Missouri had the 12th highest maternal mortality in the nation from 2018 to 2020, and three-quarters of pregnancy-related deaths in the state were preventable, the Missouri Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board found last year. Thirty-two states and Washington, D.C., have already implemented the extension. If we want healthy babies, we have to have healthy mamas, Sen. Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, who sponsored a version of the legislation, said in an interview Friday. There are several postpartum illnesses that can creep up, she said, citing postpartum depression and heart issues, which may not be obvious within 60 days of birth. Gov. Mike Parson, in his annual State of the State address in January afternoon, committed to tackling the states high maternal mortality rate, calling the states low ranking nationally embarrassing and absolutely unacceptable and the fact that three-quarters of maternal deaths in the state are preventable a tragic Missouri statistic. An area in which we are heartbroken to be failing is maternal mortality, Parson said. The proposal earned support from an ideologically-diverse coalition, including both Pro-Choice Missouri and Campaign Life Missouri. But opposition from conservative members of the Senate, which blocked the bill last year, seemed it could jeopardize its passage again this time around. Last year, the bill came close to winning legislative support but conservative senators blocked it in the waning days of the session. Conservative senators wanted to include language designed to prevent anyone who receives an abortion from receiving the benefit. Advocates said including the language would jeopardize federal approval, and though it was added when the bill initially passed the Senate, it was excluded from the version on its way to the governor. As late as Friday morning, Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, said in an interview he wasnt sure if he would try to block it again. Theres a lot of moving parts right now that were trying to move to the legislature, so I dont think weve made a final decision yet, Eigel said, regarding a potential filibuster. But while Eigel voted against the bill, he made no effort to stop its passage. It was approved on a 26-6 vote. The bill that passed Friday also encompassed several other proposals, including one which would create a transitional benefits program for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Rep. Alex Riley, the program would allow a step-down of those benefits until the participant reaches 200% of the federal poverty line. Benefits would decrease proportionate to income increases, with those at the highest end making between 190% and 200% of the federal poverty line receiving just 20% of the monthly benefit. Supporters framed the proposal as a way to encourage work and self-sufficiency, arguing that some families have to make the difficult calculation of whether to accept small raises or promotions and risk losing benefits entirely. The Department of Social Services, which oversees eligibility for both programs, would need to seek a waiver from the federal government to fund the program, according to the fiscal note. There are currently no state plan options for SNAP or TANF that would allow the state to implement the provisions of this legislation[Family Support Division] assumes that if the waiver requests are not approved by the federal partners, the provisions of this legislation will not be implemented, the fiscal note states. The bill also makes permanent and expands a transitional child care subsidy program. Recipients can receive the transitional benefits without first needing to be eligible for full child care benefits so someone at an income between 170% and 190% of the federal poverty line, for instance, would qualify for 40% of the base benefit. Previously, a participant needed to first qualify at the baseline income threshold of 150% to then be eligible for transitional benefits. Other provisions of the bill include a prohibition on health care providers performing pelvic, prostate or anal exams on patients under anesthesia without first receiving explicit, informed consent. It also would direct medical providers serving children to provide education to parents and guardians of kids under age 4 regarding lead hazards and testing, as well as change lead testing requirements. Unknown gunmen have reportedly attacked the Care Taker Committee chairman of Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State, Mr Boyi Manja, and killed his orderly on Sunday, before taking him to an unknown location. The incident was said to have happened along the Takum-Chanchanji road in the Takum LGA of the state. READ ALSO: Three Persons Confirmed Dead In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Accident The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Usman, who confirmed the incident said that the command was carrying out a massive search for the chairman as well as the assailants. I can confirm to you that the chairman of Takum Local Government, Boyi Manja, was attacked on Sunday, May 7, and his Orderly was killed in the attack. The attackers, believed to be kidnappers went away with the chairman and as we speak, his whereabouts are still unknown. From preliminary investigation, we gathered that the assailants mounted a roadblock when they saw the chairman approaching and asked his driver to open the trunk of the car. As he made to do that, those who laid ambush opened fire on the Orderly and killed him before whisking the Chairman away. As we speak, we have commenced a massive manhunt in the area to track down the kidnappers and rescue the chairman. The command will do everything possible to ensure that those who killed the security officer are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law. We also call on members of the public with any useful information to quickly make it available to our men. I assure you that their identities will be kept safe, he said. Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has urged supporters of political parties hurling insults at one another on social media to embrace peace. According to him, war of words on social media cannot affect the outcome of election petition tribunals, adding that the hope of the country lies in who the court declares as president. While disclosing this on Saturday in a Twitter post, he stressed that Nigerians should find a cause to work for, imploring them to chart a course of action that will benefit the country. He tweeted, Realise and accept that elections are over. The only hope for a change in who the next President will be is the courts. READ ALSO: Be Afraid; With Adamawa In The Bag, PDP Coming For You At Presidential Tribunal Reno Omokri To Tinubu Fighting supporters of other parties on social media wont affect the judicial outcome. So, let us heal and behave like human beings with a common destiny. The Nigerian author and social media influencer added, The election brought about identities like Obidients, BATists, and Kwankwasiyya. Now, we need to step out of that limited circle and resume our original identity as Nigerians. Instead of abuse, let us amuse each other. Rather than curse, let us chart a new cause. The newly deployed Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Olushola Oluwagbire, has warned illegal crude oil bunkerers, sea pirates and other criminal elements to stay clear of the commands area of responsibility (AOR) or risk being arrested and prosecuted. According to Oluwagbire who gave the warning on Saturday while addressing journalists during a familiarisation visit to the Nigerian Naval Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. Meanwhile, the flag officer also inspected some ongoing projects being executed under the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim. He said: The only word I have for criminal elements who have remained unrepentant is that they should stay out of the Eastern Naval Commands area of responsibility because we are going to look for them. We are going to smoke them out and we are going to prosecute them. READ MORE: Ex-Navy Officers Threaten To Storm Headquarters In Protest Over Unpaid Allowances Oluwagbire added that under his leadership, the Eastern Naval Command would do all it can to ensure that the mandate given to the command by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Jubril Gambo, is fulfilled. He lauded the commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim, for his efforts to provide a conducive working environment for personnel of the Nigerian Navy. He said: With what I have seen here today, I am simply impressed by the efforts the commander of NNS Pathfinder has put in place and I can only wish him well. The February 25 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has described the late former president of Nigeria, Umaru Musa YarAdua, as an embodiment of patriotism and exemplified excellence in public service. He said this on Saturday in a statement via his verified Twitter handle while paying a tribute to the late President who died May 5, 2010. Obi added that YarAdua was a believer in true governance, transparency and accountability. President Umaru YarAdua was a true democrat, a detribalised leader, who desired to reposition the nation based on unity, peace and progress. He was a leader who believed in true governance, transparency and accountability. He was also an embodiment of patriotism and exemplified excellence in public service. READ ALSO: Im Determined To Follow YarAduas Footsteps Tinubu He was equally a man who understood that true governance and societal development are non-tribal, non-religious and non-partisan and this I have always maintained. Nigerians will always remember him for good. It has been 13 years since he departed this world, but the good legacies he built in the nation live on forever. Rest on Sir!, he tweeted. Meanwhile, former President, Goodluck Jonathan, who was YarAduas deputy, at the time described him as a great and selfless leader while the president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu described him as a brother and friend. The 31-year-old man charged this weekend with shooting and wounding his 3-year-old son inside a Grays Ferry home last week concocted a cover story with the boys mother in an attempt to avoid being charged, according to Philadelphia police. James Weldon was arrested Saturday by U.S. Marshals and Philadelphia police, and court records show he was arraigned Saturday night on charges including conspiracy, weapons offenses, endangering the welfare of a child, and obstruction. He was being held on $3 million bail in that case, the records show. Weldon was not eligible to possess a gun because he had several previous convictions for drug and gun offenses. He was also out on bail at the time of the shooting for drug crimes he was charged with in January, court records show. After he was arrested Saturday, Weldon also was charged with more drug and gun offenses over an incident that happened last month, the records show. The details were not immediately available Sunday, and Weldon did not yet have an attorney listed in court documents in that case or in the alleged shooting of his son. Advertisement The shooting happened around 5 p.m. last Sunday, when Weldons son was shot in the cheek. At first, police said, 23-year-old Laylaah Muhammad, the boys mother, told officers shed been carrying him along the 1500 block of South Taney Street when she heard several gunshots and saw two men in dark clothing running away. Muhammad said she then looked down and saw that her son had been shot, police said. A stranger driving by gave her and the toddler a ride to a fire station, and he was taken from there to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia in critical but stable condition. But investigators later found evidence suggesting the shooting happened inside a house on that block, not outside of it, police said. Muhammad was charged during the week and accused of lying to police. She was arraigned on counts including conspiracy, obstruction, and child endangerment, and was being held on $1 million bail, court records show. Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Sunday that police now believe Weldon was the one who pulled the trigger and shot the boy, and that ballistics evidence and blood were found in the house. Vanore said he didnt believe Weldon intentionally shot the child, but that Weldon was nonetheless barred from having a gun in the first place. Weldon was arrested Saturday morning on the 1300 block of Dover Street. He was charged in both the shooting of his son as well as the drug case connected to last month, court records show. Vanore said police were working with the Department of Human Services to find the boy safe custody. Weldon has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next month, court records show. An overhead of the Franklin Towne Charter High School and its surrounding complex. A top executive at Franklin Towne Charter High School said this years lottery was fixed, with students from certain zip codes shut out. Read more Each of the 800-plus Philadelphia families who applied for seats at a nationally recognized charter school thought their children had a fair shot at a spot in this years upcoming freshman class. Pennsylvania law guarantees it. But some had no chance at all. A top executive at Franklin Towne Charter High School said this years lottery was fixed, with students from certain zip codes shut out, and others eliminated because they or their older siblings exhibited academic or behavioral problems. Some children were also excluded because Franklin Townes chief executive didnt want to take anyone from a particular charter elementary school, in the event he might have to pay for their transportation. Patrick Field, Franklin Townes chief academic officer and an administrator at the school for 17 years, said the lottery tampering was ordered by Joseph Venditti, the longtime former CEO. Venditti abruptly resigned Feb. 27, citing health reasons, after Field alerted the charters board chair about the lottery issues. Advertisement Venditti did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Franklin Towne said in a statement that it had commissioned an investigation into the allegations, which it called a serious matter. In the meantime, Franklin Towne is reviewing outside lottery vendors for solutions that will eliminate any possibility of undue influence on the student enrollment process, said spokesperson Ken Kilpatrick. Peng Chao, chief of the Philadelphia School Districts charter schools office, which oversees all Philadelphia charters, said he was aware of the allegations. We absolutely are looking into them, Chao said. We take them very, very seriously. The Inquirer reviewed a summary of the January lottery results showing that 205 students of 813 who applied were offered seats. The accepted students came from 22 zip codes; in 17 other city zip codes, none of the students who applied got in. It is astronomically unlikely with odds of 1 in 1,296 trillion that no students would be selected from those zip codes if Franklin Towne conducted a random lottery as is required, an Inquirer analysis found. Field, who is still employed by Franklin Towne, said he chose to alert authorities and come forward to The Inquirer because children are being cheated, and because taxpayers are footing the bill. Charters are independently run but publicly funded. As an administrator in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I dont have a choice, Field said. As an ethical person, Im just heartbroken that were doing this at a school that Ive given so much of my life to. What did I just hear? A high school of 1,300 in Bridesburg, Franklin Towne boasts strong academics, with a 97% graduation rate in 2021. It previously was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The charter also has fielded allegations over its enrollment practices. Though its required to admit students from across the city, Franklin Townes enrollment is primarily white a demographic mismatch in a primarily Black school district a concern raised in 2018 at a School Reform Commission meeting. It has previously been accused of discriminating against special-education students. Field was proud of the schools success, which he credited to remarkable teachers and supportive families. But on Jan. 4, he overheard a conversation that gave him pause. According to Field, Venditti was talking with a school secretary about the upcoming lottery telling her the school had the names we wanted and that he would connect her with a member of the IT staff. I thought, What did I just hear? said Field. Field felt uncomfortable, so a couple days later initiated a conversation with the secretary. I was told that [Venditti] was tired of having bad families automatically get into the school, Field said. The secretary mentioned Venditti wanted to cut out students from Christopher Columbus Charter School, in South Philadelphia, because their special-education students had come with a mandate that Franklin Towne had to pay for their for school-bus transportation. Hes going to have our IT person pre-run the lottery so that none of the students that he doesnt want will get in on the day of, Field said the secretary told him. Franklin Townes lottery happens the Friday before Martin Luther King Day, in the schools auditorium. Field has, for years, been the lotterys public face, reading a script, answering questions for families. On the morning of Jan. 20, before the lottery results were announced, Field said a secretary asked him to remove from his script any reference to automatic admission for siblings and students from Franklin Townes grade school preferences the charter typically grants. He had a quick conversation with the IT staffer assigned to the lottery. I was told that he had the secret squirrel file, Field said. He said, Joe gave me a list of zip codes that I was supposed to remove. I thought, This is a little bit bigger than maybe I thought it was. Field didnt know what to do. If I had walked out of there, there would have been a lot of trouble for me, he said. The lottery proceeded as Venditti had orchestrated it. But it wasnt until Feb. 3 that Field got a clearer picture of who had been excluded, when he saw a file with the lottery results. Everything that I hoped I wouldnt find was there, he said. None of the 10 students who applied from Christopher Columbus Charter were selected. (Im surprised, said Edward Poznek, Christopher Columbus CEO, of the allegations. Theyre supposed to be a Blue Ribbon School. That puts them at the upper echelon of charter schools. Ive always had a good working relationship with them.) There were then two lists, with 11 students each. One, labeled do not take, included students with siblings at Franklin Towne apparently because their siblings had behavioral or disciplinary issues or special education plans, Field said. Franklin Towne also typically admits students who attend its elementary school, on the same campus. But some grade school students were on a not in good standing list children Field said had disciplinary, attendance or academic issues. As public schools, charters cant legally exclude students for those reasons. Field combed through years of school documents to see if he could find any definition of what not in good standing meant. He found nothing. And when Field examined the demographic profiles of the 205 students who had been admitted and the 608 who werent, something stood out, he said. In 17 city zip codes, all 110 students who applied were denied. For instance: None of the 14 students who applied from 19148 in South Philadelphia were accepted. Neither did any of the 10 students who applied from 19146 Graduate Hospital and parts of Grays Ferry and Point Breeze or the nine students who applied from 19150 in East Mount Airy. By contrast, 5 of the 17 students who applied from 19154, in the far Northeast, got in. In 19137 Bridesburg, where Franklin Towne is located 16 out of 36 students got in. In total, accepted applicants came from 22 zip codes. The Inquirers analysis of the results found there was virtually no chance they were random. The probability of the 17 zip codes all being excluded in a random lottery is 0.000000000000077%. A random lottery would very likely have chosen at least 21 students from those 17 zip codes, according to the analysis. The lottery particularly disadvantaged Black residents. Applicants who were selected lived in areas with a smaller share of Black residents than those who werent chosen, the analysis found. Philadelphia school district officials have in the past called out Franklin Towne for its demographics not reflecting the citys. Fifteen years ago, we were one of the white charter schools in the city, Field said. In recent years, though, the schools population has grown more diverse today about 54% white, 23% Hispanic, and 12% Black. Field said he didnt know whether or not that was one of the rationales for why certain zip codes are redlined. Most of Philadelphias 83 charters now participate in a centralized application process that lets parents apply to schools across the city simultaneously. Franklin Towne, though, continues to collect applications and hold lotteries independently. Field said he wasnt aware of previous tampering with the lottery. In hindsight, it would seem like we didnt join the centralized process, he said, because then we cant do this. He was outraged By Feb. 8, Field decided he had to come forward. He reached out to Joe Garbarino, the Franklin Towne board president. He sent Garbarino an email with a timeline and an analysis of the file he had seen. Garbarino was outraged, and pledged to launch an investigation, Field said. But according to Garbarino, that plan was scuttled by fellow board members, some of whom had met with Venditti before a Feb. 27 board meeting. During the board meeting, Garbarino said he proposed hiring the Fox Rothschild law firm to investigate the allegations, but board members voted 5-2 against it. (Minutes from the board meeting dont mention the vote, but say Garbarino summarized concerns related to the lottery, and several board members suggested having Brianna ODonnell, the new CEO, look into the allegations.) Garbarino resigned during the meeting. Its troubling that the high school attempted, in my opinion, to prevent children from being admitted without cause, Garbarino said, adding later that if this is proven, this is deplorable. Kilpatrick, the Franklin Towne spokesperson, said Garbarinos claims about the boards actions were false. Meanwhile, Venditti also immediately resigned after announcing days earlier that he wouldnt leave until June, Field said. The board minutes say Venditti recently had surgery and could no longer perform his CEO duties, and that Garbarino asked the board to present him with a retirement package, with Venditti entitled to two weeks salary for every year worked. In light of the schools current financial and academic success under his leadership, it was suggested to present him with a check for $350,000, the minutes state. Garbarino, who said he believes Venditti resigned because of the allegations, said Venditti was owed the check as part of his contract. Its known that the board doesnt vote against Joe Venditti, Field said. The board gives Joe what Joe asks for. Margie Wakelin, an Education Law Center-PA lawyer who has worked with families in complaints against Franklin Towne in the past, said changes are imperative. We need to ensure that our public schools and charter schools are public schools have public accountability, and are serving our students of Philadelphia, said Wakelin. All zip codes, all students. Deptford Township Police Officer Robert Shisler died Sunday, two months after he was shot in the line of duty while pursuing an armed suspect. Read more A Deptford Township police officer died Sunday from a gunshot wound sustained in the line of duty two months ago, authorities said. Officer Robert Shisler, 27, had been hospitalized at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after he was shot in the leg on March 10 by an armed suspect during a foot chase through a residential neighborhood in the Gloucester County community. Shisler returned fire, hitting the man Mitchell Negron Jr., 24 who was declared dead at the scene. The incident remains under investigation by the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office, which has released few details about what led up to the chase. The department announced the death of Shisler a Deptford Township native and four-year veteran of its police force in a Facebook post on the departments website Sunday afternoon. Officer Shisler will always be remembered for his dedication and his commitment to the residents of this great community, it read. We are extremely grateful and thankful for his service. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. Shisler had been assigned to Platoon B of the departments patrol division and was described by his fellow officers on Facebook as an avid weight lifter and tireless volunteer. His father and brother are also police officers, his grandmother Ethel Hawkins said in an April 24 post. Hawkins described Shislers injuries as extensive, noting hed had multiple surgeries and lost part of his right leg since he was shot. Advertisement Thank you so very much for your prayers and love, she wrote. We appreciate each and every prayer for him and our family. She did not immediately respond to request for comment Sunday. Friends and community members rallied around Shisler during his prolonged hospital stay, raising awareness through a social media campaign with the hashtag #shislerstrong and through blood drives, charity T-shirt and lawn sign sales, and by placing flowers on police cars throughout the township. An online fundraiser to help cover Shislers medical bills has attracted more than $130,000. And within hours of the announcement of his death, officers and community members began to gather outside the police headquarters to greet a police procession carrying Shislers body from the hospital. Black bunting adorned the buildings facade in his honor and a police cruiser stood parked with flowers on its hood. Traffic was temporarily halted on the Walt Whitman Bridge as the motorcade crossed into Pennsylvania from New Jersey. Philadelphia police officers lined 15th street, outside their headquarters at Broad and Callowhill Streets as the procession passed by on its way to the Medical Examiners Office in Center City. Meanwhile, officials across the state honored Shisler and expressed their condolences to his family. I am grateful for the service and sacrifice of Officer Shisler and police officers across our state, and saddened by this tragic loss, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.) said Shisler had served his community with honor and integrity. He made Deptford a better and saver place for everyone, Norcross said. We must never forget Officer Shislers service and sacrifice, and we will remember him as the hero that he is. Funeral details were not available as of Sunday evening. A 25-year-old man died after the car he was driving crashed into a utility pole and a house in Northern Liberties early Saturday morning, police said. Police identified the driver of the 2011 Mercedes as Tyreese Clark of the 2500 block of Marston Street in North Philadelphia. Police responded to the scene of the crash, at the 700 block of North Seventh Street, shortly after 3 a.m. Medics took Clark to Jefferson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said Clark was driving northbound on Seventh Street at a high rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle. No one else was injured in the crash, police said. The Crash Investigation Division was investigating. The initial version of this article included background information on Tyreese Clark that was subsequently removed because it was deemed not relevant. On May 16, Philadelphia voters will go to the polls and cast their primary election ballots. Given that the citys electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic, whichever candidate emerges the winner will likely become Philadelphias 100th mayor in November. While months of campaigning have winnowed the race down to five top contenders, polling shows that with only a few days left, all five Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart remain competitive. In the closing arguments that follow, prominent supporters of each campaign make the case for why their candidate is the best choice to lead Philadelphia. Jeff Brown listens to workers By Ernest Garrett As a city employee, I worked for almost six years without a raise and no increase to my health-care benefits under the Michael Nutter administration. I promised that if I were ever in union leadership, I would ensure my members were educated, engaged, and represented in the political process. Advertisement In 2016, when I represented 1,400 men and women, I contacted City Council members to help them understand the challenges we face as city workers. We talked about the citys broken payroll system, and how it cheated our workers of pay and time off. I shared how the citys failure to fill job vacancies created a huge hardship for workers. Some of them listened, but none of them helped us. None of them did anything about it. I had the same conversation with Jeff Brown, and he listened. We discussed ways to fix the payroll system for the city, and how workers should get paid without error or exception. But, equally as important, we talked about what he would do to help people. Too many politicians sat on Zoom in the safety of their living rooms during the pandemic while my members were out in the streets providing essential services to Philadelphians. At the same time, Brown was in his stores every day, making sure our residents had access to the food and other products they needed to survive. He told me about how he provided loans and grants to small businesses. In a crisis, Brown delivered. Thats why I believe he is the only person who is qualified to be mayor of this city. READ MORE: Jeff Brown could be Phillys first outsider mayor in a century. Can a grocer run the city? | Meet the candidates Brown has a proven track record. While people in City Hall were yelling through bullhorns, running Council offices with no Black staffers, writing reports, and cosigning on every major decision the current mayor made, Brown created 60,000 union jobs, trained and hired returning citizens, and helped grow small, diverse businesses. He is not a politician, and that comes across when he speaks. Brown has been delivering for neighborhoods and communities across the city. He listens to Philadelphians and then gets to work. Hes the mayor we need in a crisis and this city is definitely in a crisis. Brown is the only candidate with a history of managing a large union workforce. It says a lot that the unions he works with every day in his stores were among the first to endorse him. Before my union decided to support him, I spoke to Wendell W. Young IV of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, who was the first to endorse the campaign. We had a real conversation, and he reinforced everything I thought: that Brown is a man of integrity who cares more about people than he does about political ambition. The political establishment is working hard to make him look bad. They know with him as mayor, the people will always come first. Im proud to support Jeff Brown and look forward to working with him as mayor. Ernest Garrett is president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33. Helen Gym has earned our trust By Jerry Jordan I am a lifelong Philadelphian, a graduate of our public schools, a teacher, a union leader, and someone who cares deeply about the future of our great city. Theres no candidate I trust more to be our next mayor than Helen Gym. Gyms leadership as a teacher, a mother, an activist, and a City Council member has led to tangible change and charted the course for a monumental shift in our citys approach to politics. In the decades Ive known Gym, shes stood with educators, students, families, community leaders, and unions to define what it means to fight for a system of public education that our students and educators deserve. Shes made real gains when naysayers said it was impossible. Gyms lifes work has been centered around developing a collective vision for a better future. In 2013, things were devastatingly bleak. The city faced school closures, layoffs of more than 3,000 school staff, and the tragic death of 12-year-old Laporshia Massey, a sixth-grade student who died after suffering an asthma attack at her school with no nurse on duty. The consequences of disinvestment could not have been clearer. Since the day I met Gym, I have seen her lead with compassion and conviction, and during this tragic time, Gym helped secure nursing and counselor positions for every public school. READ MORE: Helen Gym wants to finish the fight she started 30 years ago. Would she be Philadelphias activist-mayor? | Meet the candidates When schools were facing an urgent crisis of lead in the drinking water last year, Gym was unwilling to accept that there was no immediate solution to this pressing need. She organized around identifying and achieving a solution. Now, because of Gyms leadership, every school in this city has hydration stations, effectively eliminating a serious health hazard for students and staff. For too long, status quo politicians and leaders have accepted that our young people a majority of whom are Black and brown and experiencing poverty can eke by with less than the bare minimum. Gym approaches policy from the fundamental belief no, knowledge that it is our obligation as a society to meet the needs of our students and our communities. And we cannot do that without bold vision and sustainable investment. I know I want a leader who will be relentless in not only her fight for every resource for our young people but also a leader who will forge ahead with actual plans to implement her vision. That leader is Helen Gym. Gym acts with the bold urgency that this moment requires. From a Green New Deal for Schools to a community safety plan rooted in investment and a culture of care, she has outlined meticulously thoughtful plans that are as aspirational as they are pragmatic. Its no surprise that members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers voted unequivocally to endorse Gym for mayor. They know Gym has a fundamental understanding of the work they do and the resources they need to do it. And they know Gym believes as they do in the incredible promise of our young people, of public education, and of our city. Our children, our educators, and our entire city need and deserve a mayor who will lead with the tenacity, fortitude, and pursuit of justice that has driven Helen Gym for her entire life. Jerry Jordan is the president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Cherelle Parker rises to the top By Derek S. Green When Philadelphians cast their ballots May 16, we will elect a new mayor and have the most direct say in the future of our city a city at a crossroads. The person who we elect will need to lead Philadelphia through crises of public safety, poverty, a struggling education system, and the declining sense of the Philly pride that makes our city great. After suspending my campaign for mayor, I carefully considered which candidate I believe will be the best equipped to lead our city through the next decade and beyond. Like many Philadelphians, I was undecided. I began a process where I evaluated the backgrounds, careers, policies, and campaigns of the most qualified candidates. I personally interviewed each of them. After this process, one name kept rising to the top of the list: Cherelle Parker. I am voting for and fully supporting her to be our next mayor. Let me explain a little more about why I chose Parker. Parker is the balanced, tough-on-crime candidate this city needs. Gun violence is the number one issue facing Philadelphians. The solution needs to be a holistic approach that brings back real consequences for owning illegal weapons and adds more crisis-trained police to neighborhood patrols. Parker is the first candidate who put out a neighborhood safety and community policing plan, and the only candidate with a truly comprehensive approach to tackling public safety. READ MORE: Cherelle Parker is proud of her West Oak Lane roots. As mayor, could she save Phillys middle neighborhoods? | Meet the candidates Parker wont shy away from hard truths: 74% of the victims of gun violence and the shooters look just like me, my son Julian, and her son Langston. We need a mayor who not only understands the fear of parenting a Black child in America but who will speak those fears out loud for every parent to protect every child. Parker says the things that need to be said, and will not tolerate any misuse or abuse by police. Parker has a real plan to address our education system. Her plan includes year-round education, schools that open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., so children can learn and parents can afford to work. It includes bringing in the business community and skilled instructors from the building trades to train our kids who arent going to college so that they can build rewarding careers. And she has a plan to rebuild our unsafe school buildings. Parker is a convener: She knows how to bring people from all walks of life, geographies, and political ideologies to the table to hammer out solutions. This is critical if we are going to address the issues facing our city. The stakes could not be higher. As a city, we need to bring back that Philly pride and we will when we make our city the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in America, with opportunities for everyone. As our very first Madam Mayor, Cherelle Parker is the only candidate who can bring hope and pride back to our city. Derek S. Green is a lawyer and former councilmember at-large. Allan Domb is ready for the challenge By Jay McCalla With a life that includes childhood poverty, working as a janitor, and washing dishes, Allan Domb knows about the struggles that working people face. He came to Philadelphia in 1977, got an education, became an entrepreneur, and raised his family. The local economy was healthy back then, and public education was good. Domb prospered along with the rest of us. Amidst the good times, Domb started his real estate business on the thinnest of shoestrings. He could not afford to make a mistake every decision mattered. His success hinged on hard work and sound judgment. That kind of high-stakes challenge was superb training for becoming the mayor of a city in crisis. Domb did not rise through the quid pro quo world of ward politics; he didnt have powerful mentors or inherited wealth. While he was literally minding his own business, he couldnt ignore the deterioration of the city he loved nobody could. He successfully ran for City Council, where he organized a powerful coalition to reduce taxes on our working poor. He won Council approval, but Mayor Jim Kenney vetoed the bill. Normally, a mayoral veto is the legislative version of the fat lady singing, but not for Domb. He expanded his already robust coalition and overrode Kenneys veto. He beat the mayor, and as a result, 60,000 households received wage tax refunds. At-large councilmembers are often ornamental, but Domb was not. READ MORE: Allan Domb grew a real estate empire from nothing. Can one of the citys biggest landlords be its mayor? | Meet the candidates Growing up poor helped him appreciate the enormous benefit that the earned income tax credit could be to folks who work hard but still struggle to meet their needs. Because of Domb, all employers are now required to notify employees of their eligibility, and more workers are benefiting than ever before. Domb is animated by his concern for the working poor, and my support for his campaign is animated by that. His business acumen and sense of outrage collided when he learned the city of Philadelphia bought and sold property without an independent appraisal. He understood this could give rise to wasted tax dollars and corruption. He drafted and passed a law requiring independent appraisals. Millions of dollars have been saved. Each mayoral candidate very well knows weve got a crisis of official corruption, but Domb is the only one to create a formal plan to combat that corruption. He collaborated with a nationally recognized ethics expert based at the University of Pennsylvania. For moms and dads, Domb promises to open libraries and recreation centers seven days a week. Were thrilled hell make sure all 70 public swimming pools will be open and safe. For too many neighbors, the only time their streets were cleaned was when it rained. Domb has promised to clean every street in the city and shorten 911 response time. Domb is respected by the other mayoral contenders. During the seemingly endless number of debates and months of the hardest of hardball politics, no other candidate has attacked Domb. That speaks volumes. Jay McCalla is a former deputy managing director under two mayors and former chief of staff to Council President Joe Coleman. Rebecca Rhynhart is the best choice By Ed Rendell In less than two weeks, the citizens of Philadelphia have a very important decision to make. We are electing a new mayor. Our city has been hit by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been foreseen and which have forced it to the edge of a precipice. Based on her experience, her record as an elected official, and her personal character, I believe Rebecca Rhynhart is the best candidate to lead Philadelphia. In 2008, Rhynhart left a well-paid private sector job to work in public service. Her decision to take a substantial pay cut to work in the public sector demonstrated a strong commitment to the people of Philadelphia. She went to work in Mayor Michael Nutters administration, first as city treasurer and then as budget director. Nutter said of her work: Rebecca Rhynhart crafted a budget plan that guided Philadelphia through the worst recession since the Great Depression. She was relentless in trying to find the choices that would serve our citizens well and protect the city from fiscal danger. After Nutters term ended, Rebecca went to work for Mayor Jim Kenney as his chief administrative officer. In early 2017, she decided to run for city controller, taking on a popular three-term incumbent, Alan Butkovitz, who was strongly supported by the Democratic machine. READ MORE: Rebecca Rhynhart is promising to make government work. Does Philadelphia want a technocrat in a time of crisis? | Meet the candidates When I first heard she was running for controller, I thought she did not have a chance. But she was indefatigable and grew as a candidate every week of the campaign. She often did four or five small meetings in private homes in a single night, and she convinced many Philadelphians of her ability to provide new leadership and vision for the city. She won a substantial victory, garnering 58% of the vote. In 2021, her record as controller was so good that she had no opponent in either the primary or general election. She was aggressive in seeking change and applied an analytical approach driven by data to the many good suggestions she made for reforming municipal government. She displayed strong positive executive leadership, in both her ability and the courage she showed in taking on dug-in bureaucracies. In my long career in public life, I have found that a good leader must be willing to take prudent risks in putting forward solutions that may not be immediately popular. Rhynhart has demonstrated the willingness to propose such solutions when she is convinced that it is the best way to deal with the problem. She is willing to take political risks for the public good. It is one of the reasons I believe she is a proven leader. Her experience as city treasurer, budget director, and chief administrative officer, combined with her excellent record as controller, make her the clear choice in a very strong field. Rhynhart has the greatest depth and broadest experience in the governments executive branch. Rebecca Rhynhart is the best choice to lead us on the long road it will take to overcome our challenges. Ed Rendell served as the 96th mayor of Philadelphia (1992-2000) and the 45th governor of Pennsylvania (2003-2011). READ MORE: The Inquirers 2023 Endorsement Guide | The Editorial Board vetted candidates in key races to help you decide. Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) displays a copy of a painting featuring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas alongside other conservative leaders during a hearing on court ethics reform in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2 in Washington, D.C. Read more Abe Fortas may have died in 1982, but the former Supreme Court justice and friend and political ally of Lyndon B. Johnson is having a moment in 2023, more than a half-century after the scandal that forced Fortas to retire from the high court. Its naive to say that 1969 a peak year for the Vietnam War, the SDS, and the Black Panthers was a simpler time in America, but it is clear in hindsight that the eras views around judicial ethics were more robust than the anything-goes vibe of todays Supreme Court. Fortas, bolstered by his close ties to LBJ, was both a powerful advocate for expanding justice (especially to young people) and a power broker with friends in high places. One of Fortas friends was the most notorious shady Wall Street trader of the 1960s, a man named Louis Wolfson. Shortly after joining the Supreme Court in 1965, at a time when Wolfson was under investigation, the financiers foundation made an arrangement to pay Fortas a $20,000 yearly retainer. Months later, the justice realized this was a really bad idea and paid the money back but when Life magazine exposed the dealings in 1969, the pressure on Fortas was enormous. The new, hardball-playing Republican president, Richard Nixon, had no qualms about ordering the Justice Department to investigate Fortas. Perhaps more importantly, outgoing Chief Justice Earl Warren, a friend and liberal ally, urged Fortas to resign which he did, just days after the Life article appeared. A Supreme Court justices early retirement due to scandal was unprecedented. And apparently, it may never be repeated even as ethics on the nations highest court plunges to unthinkable lows. While $20,000 was a lot of money in 1969, that figure is dwarfed by the apparently seven-figure spending spree by a right-wing Texas billionaire, Harlan Crow, around the friendship he struck up with sitting Justice Clarence Thomas in the early 2000s. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Crow spent on private jet travel, yacht outings, and luxury accommodations from the Adirondacks to Indonesia for Thomas and his wife, Ginni, Crow bought from Thomas and fixed up the Georgia home where his mother still lives, and even paid the private school tuition for a relative Thomas was raising as guardian. Such dealings might be legal under the courts murky ethical standards, but Thomas was required by law to disclose them. He did not. Advertisement Like the Fortas scandal, the Thomas-Crow affair was revealed by a news outlet, ProPublica. Thats where the similarities end. Theres no sign yet that the Justice Department, led by the notoriously milquetoast Attorney General Merrick Garland, is investigating Thomas seemingly open-and-shut violation of disclosure laws. Chief Justice John Roberts not only has not called on Thomas to resign, but he refuses to appear before Congress to explain things like why the Supreme Court unlike the rest of the federal judiciary lacks even a simple ethics code. Is there any basic instinct to protect and preserve the integrity of the high court (whats left of it, anyway), let alone any sense of shame among the nations most powerful? We havent had that spirit here since 1969. Meanwhile, in one sense, todays ethics scandal at SCOTUS is beginning to remind me of another epic scandal from 50 years ago the Watergate affair that took down Nixon and his henchmen in that, were starting to see competing journalists coming out with new bombshells, sometimes more than one in a day. In the matter of Thomas, one could argue that his lucrative Crow arrangements as bad as those look arent even as potentially scandalous as the web of intrigue around the justice, his wife, and her highly paid outside work. Despite revelations that Ginni Thomas was deeply involved in efforts to overturn President Joe Bidens 2020 election that led up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, her husband has not recused himself in related cases. Last week we learned that in 2012, Leonard Leo dark-money maestro behind the right-wing takeover of the court directed pollster Kellyanne Conway to pay Ginni Thomas $25,000 but disguise the check. READ MORE: The giant U.S. scandal we dont talk about | Will Bunch Newsletter Thats a horrible look, but whats even worse is that the Supreme Courts ethical rot runs far deeper than just Justice Thomas. We now know that a network of other conservative activists has been wining and dining justices at fancy restaurants and their luxury homes and that Justice Samuel Alito reportedly leaked a key pending decision to these wealthy benefactors. Upon joining the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch unloaded a Colorado property he co-owns to the head of a law firm that frequently appears before the court. We probably dont know the full extent of allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh because his FBI vetting was so shoddy. And why doesnt Chief Justice Roberts crack down on all of this? Could it be embarrassment over his wifes lucrative outside work, earning more than $10 million as a kind of headhunter for law firms with cases before her husbands bench? The idea that SCOTUS will police itself is hopelessly innocent. But heres where times have radically changed since Watergate and Abe Fortas: in the lame response to these disclosures. Theres no indication that the Justice Department is investigating the improprieties of Clarence and Ginni Thomas not even his clear-cut violation of disclosure laws. Impeachment of Thomas the founders prescribed remedy for judicial misconduct, and seemingly warranted wont happen in a Republican House determined to deny Biden an opportunity to replace a conservative jurist with a liberal one. The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee did hold a hearing last week on Supreme Court ethics, and while Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.), our leading critic of judicial corruption, brought the fire The justices have been playing out of bounds, he declared there was little heat, given GOP intransigence and the unwillingness of Thomas or Roberts to appear before Congress and testify in person. Democrats, or anyone else who cares about American democracy, need to turn up the knobs, considerably. For one thing, lawmakers, journalists, and the broader public need to understand that these ethical breaches arent coincidental, but all connected to a bigger conspiracy: the rights determination to control the court as a check on democracy and our fundamental rights. Conservative kingmakers like Crow or the Federalist Societys Leo want to offer like-minded justices who make $285,400 a year a billionaires lifestyle. These rainmakers want to keep Thomas and his fellow justices from either retiring or drifting leftward by enveloping them in a bubble of unthinkable opulence and personal wealth, where the only voices they hear are the pro-business prattle of the billionaire chewing on steak next to them. Staying inside that billionaire bubble is what insulates the courts majority from the pressure of public opinion and what gives them strength as they rule against the will of the people in robbing women of their reproductive rights or taking away governments power to protect the air that you breathe. Well probably see it again if the court strikes down the backbone of the governments power to regulate Big Business the so-called Chevron doctrine and maybe even if a disputed 2024 presidential election falls into its lap. As U.S. democracy increasingly falters, the buying of the Supreme Court isnt some sidebar. Its the lead story. We dont need polite hearings. We need people to be screaming bloody murder. There should be a stepped-up and concerted effort by a majority of Democrats not just the handful weve seen so far to issue bold pronouncements that Thomas must follow the trail blazed by Abe Fortas and resign. When he doesnt, Democrats in the House majority should bring an impeachment resolution to the floor and force Republicans on the record defending Thomas corruption. Introduce legislation mandating a Supreme Court code of ethics and outlawing the corrupt practices currently on display, and when Republicans wont enact that, make it the centerpiece of a political campaign for congressional control in 2024. The threat of legislative reform including the possibility of radical change, such as term limits or expanding the size of the court needs to loom large. That pressure could force Roberts to at least take some steps to get his own house in order. A show of political strength could even force Thomas to resign, although I wouldnt hold my breath. More likely, as happened after the Jan. 6 hearings, a bolder approach could convince Garland and his recalcitrant Justice Department to do their jobs. The current gridlock and dysfunction in Washington, D.C., is no excuse for a bemused shrug to the worst scandal in the high courts 234-year history. In a forceful response to Watergate and the corrupting of the executive branch under Nixon, the system worked ... for a brief time. If we dont treat the ethical meltdown of our judicial branch with the same vigor, the system will fail ... for good. READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter A white University of Virginia alumna has claimed a former schoolmate and well-known Black social justice activist led a mob that ruined her life. Now she has prepared a draft lawsuit against UVa and university officials, claiming they did not do enough to protect her. Morgan Bettinger was called a Karen, attacked on social media, tried before the student-run University Judiciary Committee, expelled in abeyance, investigated by the UVa Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights and while the last investigation did not find her guilty has said she has had to live in a state of limbo since. The start of all that trouble was July 17, 2020, when Bettingers schoolmate and Charlottesville native Zyahna Bryant was participating in a Black Women Matter protest organized by Charlottesville Beyond Policing. According to Bryants account, Bettinger arrived at the protest and told us that we would make good speedbumps. Bryant shared video footage of the moments after the alleged incident on Twitter, led an email campaign urging students to demand that Morgan face consequences for her actions and that UVA stop graduating racists and filed a formal complaint with the UJC. The UJC found Bettinger guilty of threatening the health or safety of students. She was expelled in abeyance which allowed her to continue her schooling but with a demerit in her file and instructed to perform 50 hours of community service, meet with public policy professor Brian Williams to discuss the history of police-community relations and write an apology letter to Bryant. According to Bettingers account, when she encountered the protest she told a truck driver blocking the road, Its a good thing that you are here, because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps. Bettinger is the daughter of a policeman, who died of cancer in 2014, and is admittedly pro-police, but she says she was misheard by protesters and taken out of context. An inquiry conducted by UVas EOCR would find that Bettingers narrative was the more likely case and that her remarks, whatever they were, were not clearly threatening on its face. In an interview with libertarian magazine Reason, Bettinger said that despite the EOCR decision, the UJCs expulsion in abeyance had become a permanent stain on her record. The permanent record of her disciplinary violation will interfere with her later opportunities for higher education and employment, according to a draft lawsuit Bettinger has filed against UVa President Jim Ryan and the schools governing Board of Visitors. Bettinger has asked Ryan to expunge her record, but he has declined. Board of Visitors policy instills the university president with the power to impose appropriate penalties including expulsion. But precedence says otherwise. Our system of student self-governance gives this important authority to students, who apply facts to law in the course of adjudicating allegations of misconduct, Ryan wrote in a response to Bettinger. The President of the University does not have the authority to reverse the final outcome of the disciplinary process, and there is no precedent for the President claiming this authority. The university has gone further. A statement from UVa spokesman Brian Coy defended the UJC and said the judiciary committee received legally accurate instructions about free speech and applied that correct standard to the evidence presented during Bettingers hearing. A University evaluation of this case determined that Ms. Bettinger received a fair hearing and review by both the UJC and the Judicial Review Board (JRB), a panel of students, faculty, and staff unaffiliated with the UJC who are tasked with hearing appeals of UJC cases, Coy told The Daily Progress. Under our system of student self-governance, students rely on their peers to reach a conclusion after directly hearing the evidence and testimony in these student conduct matters. Unsatisfied with the university response, Bettingers lawsuit requests the school issue an apology, award her damages for the emotional pain caused and harm to her reputation, expunge and destroy the records of her UJC trial and revise the UJCs procedures to be in line with constitutional due process standards. Although Bryants complaints are a critical part of her complaint and her name appears more than 100 times in her draft lawsuit against the school, Bryant is not named as a defendant. Bryant, typically an outspoken figure at the local and national level, declined to comment to The Daily Progress. Bettinger, who told Reason she stays off the grid out of fear of being harassed, could not be reached for comment. Charles Buddy Weber, Bettingers attorney and a prominent Republican figure in Charlottesville, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Progress. In an ironic twist, after the publication of Bettingers interview with Reason in late April, now Bryant is facing backlash on social media. Anonymous Twitter users are calling Bryant a liar and race hustler who destroyed a womans life with a lie in order to sew more division in attempt to further her race baiting career. Three years ago, it was an anonymous Twitter user that wrote Good morning everyone but Albemarle High grad, UVA student and daughter of a cop, Morgan Alyse Bettinger, who threatened protestors in Charlottesville last night by saying from her blue Subaru that wed make good speed bumps likely the first tweet to identify Bettinger by name in relation to the incident. Reason writer and editor Emma Camp, also a fellow UVa graduate, said Bryant has thrived since the incident while Bettinger lives in a state of limbo. Meanwhile, local groups tied to Bryant and her causes have rushed to her defense. Hate-Free Schools Coalition of Albemarle County, Showing Up for Racial Justice-Charlottesville, Charlottesville Beyond Policing and Congregate Charlottesville issued a joint statement supporting Bryant on April 29 rejecting the alleged attacks on her integrity from right-wing media outlets pushing a familiar mythology of white grievance and victimization. Zyahna has been thriving, local organizations wrote in their joint statement. Yet, the Reason article is desperate to frame that success as a negative. They do so by rehashing a common and insidious narrative of the right wing: a fictionalized story of white grievance and victimization whose goal is perpetuating the dangerous movement to take back universities for conservative white students. The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington. That big infusion of cash that Congress approved last year to shape up the beleaguered IRS is having an unexpected side benefit. The funding increase has helped the agency to catch up on processing new and backlogged tax returns. Read more Return on investment House Republicans have passed a bill titled the Limit, Save, Grow Act, which cuts future government spending in support of raising the limit on the national debt. Aside from cutting services that cost our elected government tax money, the bill also reduces the funding for the IRS to accomplish its duty to lawfully collect taxes owed by taxpayers who do not pay them either mistakenly or willfully. This bill repeals previous IRS funding ($80 billion over 10 years) for the auditing of tax returns submitted by persons earning more than $400,000 a year. Audits have declined over the years due to lack of funding and a decreasing workforce. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that properly funding the IRS will generate $207 billion of revenue over 10 years. That amounts to a net gain of $127 billion in revenue that would have otherwise been added to the national debt. Bellyaching about paying taxes is an American tradition protected by the First Amendment, but ignoring the nonpayment of taxes is not only corrupt, it actually increases the debt. Wayne Williams, Malvern Timely and important I would like to thank Inquirer reporters Chris Palmer, Ellie Rushing, Vinny Vella, and Dylan Purcell for their well-researched and clearly written article, Philly has a gun problem. Straw buying makes it worse. It provides a chilling description of a mechanism for illegal guns to get onto the streets of our city. I was particularly impressed that once law enforcement was made aware of the possible straw gun purchases, they were able to quickly apprehend and prosecute the offender with existing laws and technology. If the database scanning process described in the article were automated, it would provide an important tool to reduce the flow of illegal guns. This could be an important preemptive tool for police, given the high level of gun violence in our city. The article is important and timely, and an example of The Inquirers high-quality journalism. Thank you for your diligence. Malcolm Davis, Philadelphia Group dynamic What happened to street gangs? In the article West Philly street group members charged with three shootings, including two homicides, the term street group is used at least nine times to identify the associations of various murder suspects. Is street gang considered insulting to its members? Is The Inquirer trying to stay away from advertising this lifestyle? Is there a new political lobby group that has pressed for the sanitizing of the criminal street gang image? What is going on here? Every person identified in the article that is under arrest is identified as part of a street group. The identified street groups are not groups of musicians, artists, athletes, teachers, law enforcement officers, war veterans, journalists, etc., they are in a group identified by the District Attorneys Office as participating in gun violence. These groups dont hold fundraisers on weekends, or sponsor 5K runs to raise money for their endeavors. They are groups of young men who engage in criminal behavior, full stop. So please, in plain English, will you tell me why you sanitized the gang affiliations in this article? What editorial standard are you following? What social norm are you upholding? We have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous if we cant identify murder suspects (with multiple previous arrests) as members of street gangs. Geoff Deasey, Wynnewood Private equity The Inquirer missed two opportunities to investigate the role of private equity in the health care (Crozers landlord uses complicated financial maneuvers to mitigate a troubled investment) and medical weight loss (New York weight-loss-surgery provider has sued more than 300 patients) spaces. Private equity can be, and often is, a financial wrecking ball, burdening viable portfolio companies with huge debt, an emphasis on efficiencies and profits at the expense of jobs and wages, and extracting wealth from communities and the companies it captures. The debacle involving Hahnemann University Hospital is a case in point in which The Inquirer, again, missed an opportunity to inform its readers of the dynamics that led to its closure, which affected thousands of Philadelphians. Reporting on private equity is hard and complex, but readers need to know. Maron Fenico, Philadelphia Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online. An attendee watches a mayoral forum at the Arch Street Presbyterian Church hosted by the Mazzoni Center. The city's mayor's race could come down to who gets out the vote in the final stretch. Read more Philadelphia, get ready for an even bigger deluge of text messages, phone calls, and people knocking on your door. For all of the TV ads in the tight mayoral race, its the ground operation to get people to the polls that could be the difference maker in who wins the May 16 Democratic primary. It could come down to actual election day turnout, said Amanda DeMaria, a campaign consultant based in Philadelphia who is not affiliated with a mayoral campaign. Which means, how good is your day-of operation? The campaigns are planning to blanket the city with people pitching their case or even physically guiding voters to the polls on election day. Recent polling suggests that as many as five candidates have paths to victory, so a small number of votes could separate the winner. And upward of 20% of voters said they were undecided, meaning the final 10 days wont just be about turning out committed voters but persuading some to vote at all. Advertisement And primary voters are more likely to change their minds than general election voters, meaning every campaign and the groups supporting them are jockeying to reach voters in the final days and hours. For years, much of the work to sway voters was coordinated by the Democratic City Committee and labor unions aligned with its candidates. Committee members aim to turn out Democrats in their neighborhoods, and they hand out sample ballots at the polls that list the partys preferred candidates. The city committee is technically neutral in the mayors race, but chairman Bob Brady has embraced Cherelle Parkers candidacy, and she has been endorsed in more than 40 of the citys 66 wards. But many observers say progressives have the strongest ground game in town, and that group has coalesced around Helen Gym. Left-leaning groups like Reclaim Philadelphia, the Working Families Party, and labor union Unite Here are known for their ability to mobilize volunteers and voters to knock doors and hand out literature at the polls. Many of the same groups supporting Gym were key to lifting progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner to his first victory in 2017. And their influence has only grown since then. Whoever works the hardest between now and the election is going to win, said Emiliano Rodriguez, political director of Unite Here Local 274, which represents hospitality workers and is knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors alongside other progressive groups. We know field, we know how to do the work, and we know how to talk to voters in the city. He added: Were knocking on doors until 7:59 p.m. on election day. Unions and progressives are blanketing the city In addition to having much of the Democratic Partys elected officials and ward leaders in her corner, Parker also has the backing of the citys Building Trades and Construction Council, which is known to deploy members in big numbers to help with get-out-the-vote efforts. Ryan Boyer, business manager for the building trades, said the group is planning a maximum effort to knock on every door of voters weve identified to be pro-Cherelle Parker. He said he sees particular opportunity among the large number of Black voters that polls showed were undecided. We believe theyre not really undecided as to their candidate, but sharing a general mood in the country of skepticism about elections, he said. If we get them out to the polls, theyll be positively disposed to vote for Cherelle Parker. READ MORE: In a mayors race stacked with political outsiders, Cherelle Parker is the consummate insider Parker also has the carpenters unions on her side. A super PAC supporting her candidacy this week reported an in-kind donation of $500,000 from the carpenters for canvassing efforts alone. But labor is not entirely aligned. The unions that represent law enforcement and the citys largest municipal union are backing Jeff Brown. And the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is one of Gyms biggest backers. PFT President Jerry Jordan said the teachers union is calling members and knocking on voters doors to move people into Gyms corner. You can watch a commercial and you might have a question or questions after you watch the commercial, but you dont have the ability to ask that question, he said. And thats why canvassing door to door is so important. We have the ability to really spend the time with the individual. READ MORE: Philly's progressive organization aims to rival the Democratic Party itself in size Gyms campaign said in a statement that they believe she has the strongest base of grassroots support compared to her rivals. In addition to working with organizations like the Working Families Party, theyre also coordinating with open wards, or Democratic Party wards that have an open endorsement process seen as friendlier to progressives. Those groups and Gyms campaign also have a multipronged election day plan that includes handing out their own sample ballots at the polls and conducting so-called knock-and-drags, where volunteers knock on doors and then walk with or transport voters to the polls. DeMaria who worked for Councilmember Kendra Brooks during her bid for City Council as a member of the Working Families Party said that can be key to a strong ground game. A lot of times voters will vote for the last person they hear about, DeMaria said. Thats why the campaigns all spend a lot of money to have people at the polls. Its the theory that the last person you see is the person youre likely to vote for if youre undecided. Candidates and campaigns will work to break through Allan Dombs campaign manager Rashad Taylor said theyve lined up hundreds of canvassers and aim to make tens of thousands of phone calls and texts. The campaign also set up field offices in Northeast and West Philadelphia. Close elections really come down to turnout, and so the next two weeks are going to be critically important, Taylor said. Weve probably got one of the most aggressive field operations out there, from union workers to teachers to small-business owners volunteering. With mail ballots coming in earlier, Taylor said the campaign has had to treat every day since ballots were mailed out like election day. This is the first time no-excuse mail voting will play a major role in a Philadelphia mayoral race. So far, about 30% of the nearly 80,000 Democrats who requested mail ballots have returned them. Campaigns can access data on who has requested mail ballots and not returned them and then target those voters. We know theyre voting theyve already taken the step of requesting a mail-in ballot, said Joe Corrigan, another unaffiliated campaign consultant in Philadelphia. Those are voters you want. Rebecca Rhynharts campaign has also touted the strength of its field operation, including how she submitted more nomination petition signatures in March than any other candidate. A spokesperson said her campaign has had more than 1,000 people volunteer to knock on doors and call tens of thousands of voters. Rhynharts campaign stressed that their canvassers are unpaid volunteers. Parkers campaign spokesperson Aren Platt said their campaign has always assumed thered be many undecided voters late in the race who could be swayed by a strong field program. These are voters who have a lot on their mind; theres meals, theres rent, theres getting to work. Casting their vote for the next mayor is very important, but its not necessarily top of their mind, Platt said. Its a large swath of undecided voters who tend to break later, and we want to make sure were in front of them. Ultimately, DeMaria said, the final weeks are about controlling everything you can, given other unpredictables. I keep saying rain, she said, could make or break this election. Inquirer staff writers Chris Brennan and Jonathan Lai contributed to this article. Horses run after leaving the gate during the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Read more LOUISVILLE, Ky. Two more horses died in the hours before 15-1 shot Mage won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, capping a rocky stretch in which seven in all died and casting a shadow over the 149th edition of the worlds most famous race. Mage had only one victory in three previous races before holding off 9-1 shot Two Phils in the stretch. The colt, who didnt race as a 2-year-old, ran 1 miles in 2:01.57 under Javier Castellano. The 45-year-old Hall of Fame jockey, who hasn't been as in-demand lately, snapped an 0-for-15 skid in the Derby. He and trainer Gustavo Delgado are from Venezuela. I never give up, Castellano said. I always try hard to do the right thing. It took me a little while to get there. I finally got it. Advertisement Mage joined Canonero II as Derby winners with Venezuelan ties. Canonero II won the Derby and Preakness in 1971. Turning for home, he had a lot of heart, Castellano said. He's a little horse with a big heart. Forte, the early favorite, was scratched in the morning with a bruised foot, one of five horses that dropped out in the run-up to the race. That left 18 3-year-olds vying to wear the garland of red roses. Two Phils was second and 4-1 favorite Angel of Empire, who was bred in Schuylkill County, was third in front of a crowd of 150,335 on a warm and partly cloudy day at Churchill Downs. READ MORE: Pennsylvania-bred Angel of Empire is among the Kentucky Derby favorites Mage paid $32.42, $14.58, and $9.08. Two Phil's returned $10.44 and $6.52 at 9-1 odds. Angel of Empire paid $4.70 to show. Earlier in the day, Chloes Dream, a 3-year-old gelding, and Freezing Point, a 3-year-old colt, were injured in their races and later euthanized, becoming the sixth and seventh horses to have died at the track in recent days. The string of horse deaths was on the mind of some Derby-goers on a mostly cloudy and warm day. Its concerning, and I hope theyre quickly trying the best they can to correct whatevers going on, said Michael Freeze, who along with his friend dressed up as jockeys. They need to do whatever is best for the horses and the sport in general. Chloes Dream got hurt in the second race Saturday. The horse was taken off in an equine ambulance with a right front knee injury and was euthanized, trainer Jeff Hiles confirmed to the Associated Press. He just took a bad step out there, Hiles said. "They could do the same thing running in the field as they could on the track. So its very unfortunate. Thats what we deal with. Freezing Point suffered a left ankle injury in the Pat Day Mile and was euthanized, trainer Joe Lejzerowicz told the AP. He said Fort Bragg, who finished third, came over and slammed into Freezing Point during the race. He just got bumped in the backstretch, Lejzerowicz said. He never took a bad step or bobble. He had a big heart. New antidoping and medication rules enforced by a central governing body of the sport are scheduled to take effect May 22. Theres something going on, said Pat Murtha, who was attending his first Derby. They need to find out, and set some rules and regulations to protect these animals. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, is nearing the end of a two-year ban issued by Churchill Downs Inc. One of his horses, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby and failed a post-race drug test. The horse was disqualified, and Baffert was punished. In 2019, over 30 horse deaths occurred at Californias Santa Anita racetrack, rattling the industry and leading to safety reforms. Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow had his license revoked in 2011 for 10 years by New York officials. Regulators found syringes loaded with unauthorized medication in a desk in his barn. Dutrow reopened his stable last month. The horse deaths included Derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was indefinitely suspended by the track, although investigators have yet to determine a cause for the deaths of his horses. Four horses were scratched Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar, and Skinner in recent days. Practical Move and Skinner had fevers, while Continuar wasnt in peak condition, according to his Japanese trainer. Lord Miles was Josephs Derby horse. Disarm was fourth, followed by Hit Show, Japan-based Derma Sotogake, Tapit Trice, Raise Cain, Rocket Can, Confidence Game, Sun Thunder, Japans Mandarin Hero, Reincarnate, Kingsbarns, King Russell, Verifying, Jaces Road, and Cyclone Mischief. Warren Buffett is undeniably the most famous and influential investor in modern history, based on his extraordinary performance record. Not surprisingly, the investment portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A), the holding company employing the Oracle of Omaha as chairman and CEO, receives wide media attention and scrutiny, even though Buffett is no longer making every investment decision. Despite his unparalleled success, Buffett's investment model has long been transparent, straightforward, and consistent. He invests in large, blue-chip companies with strong balance sheets and attractive valuations. Buffett often invests for the long term, but he's never been afraid to make significant new investments or drop longtime holdings. Key Takeaways Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio's five largest positions are in Apple Inc. (AAPL), Bank of America Corp (BAC), Chevron (CVX), The Coca-Cola Company (KO), and American Express Company (AXP). Apple is Berkshire's largest holding, accounting for 39% of its stock portfolio. The top 5 holdings account for about 75% of the portfolio. Here are the top five stocks in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio, according to the 2022 year end report. (latest figures available). 1. Apple Apple, the maker of iPhones, is by far Berkshire Hathaway's largest stock holding at $119 billion as of year-end 2022, accounting for 39% of its stock portfolio and for 5.7% of Apple's outstanding shares. Berkshire Hathaway acquired the bulk of its stake in Apple between 2016 and 2019 for just over $35 billion. At the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Warren Buffett said "Our criteria for Apple was different than the other businesses we ownIt just happens to be better business than any we own." In 2022, Berkshire Hathaway added another 333,856 shares of Apple, already its largest single holding, worth about $119 billion dollars as of Dec. 31, 2022. 2. Bank of America Berkshire Hathaway's second-largest holding is Bank of America, with a stake valued at $34.2 billion as of the end of 2022, accounting for 11% of the portfolio. Berkshire Hathaway held 12.9% of the bank's outstanding shares. Buffett acquired 700 million of the 1 billion Bank of America shares Berkshire Hathaway now holds in 2022 for warrants Berkshire Hathaway received when it made a $5 billion investment in the bank's preferred stock in 2011. 3. Chevron Buffett dramatically increased Berkshire Hathaway's stake in Chevron to $30 billion as of the end of 2022, making the integrated oil giant his company's third-largest holding. Chevron shares accounted for 9.7% of Berkshire Hathaway's equity securities portfolio, while Berkshire's stake amounted to 8.5% of Chevron's outstanding shares. "Chevron is not an evil company in the least and I have no compunction about owning Chevron," Buffett said at Berkshire Hathaway's 2021 shareholders meeting when asked about Chevron's role in climate change. 4. Coca Cola Buffett famously consumes five 12-ounce servings of Coke per day, and once said he is "a quarter Coca-Cola" based on the drink's share of his caloric intake. Berkshire Hathaway makes do with a Coca-Cola stake of $25.4 billion, representing an allocation of 8.2% in its stock portfolio. That accounts for 9.2% of Coca-Cola's outstanding stock. After Buffett began accumulating the position in 1988, he said he planned to hold it "for a long time" in the next letter to shareholders. "In fact, when we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever," Buffett wrote. 5. American Express Berkshire Hathaway's $22.4 billion stake in financial services provider American Express accounted for 7.2% of its portfolio as of the end of 2022 and 19.97% of American Express shares as of March 2022. The stake dates back to 1994 when Buffett acquired AmEx stock in exchange for warrants from a $300 million preferred stock investment that returned 64% over three years. Berkshire Hathaway has significantly increased its American Express stake over the past decade. Buffett, who turned 92 on Aug. 30, 2022, began his career in the early 1960s. As he aged, many investors and analysts grew concerned about the absence of a formal succession plan at Berkshire Hathaway. At the company's 2021 shareholders meeting, Buffett said he expects to be succeeded as CEO by Greg Abel, head of the company's Berkshire Energy Holdings power and natural gas distribution subsidiary. What Is In the Rest of the Top 10? Warren Buffett runs the Berkshire Hathaway holding company, which, in turn, is a major shareholder in a number of large public companies. After the top five listed above, Berkshire's next largest public company investments include The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) Moody's Corp. (MCO) Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) HP Inc (HPQ) In addition to its stakes in publicly listed companies, Berkshire Hathaway owns numerous subsidiaries, including GEICO Insurance, BNSF Railways, Duracell, and International Dairy Queen Inc., among many others. Will Berkshire Hathaway Buy Occidental Petroleum? No, according to Warrent Buffett at the 2023 annual meeting. "Theres speculation about us buying control, were not going to buy control. We wouldnt know what to do with it," he said. Which Railroad Does Warren Buffett Own? BNSF Railways (formerly Burlington Northern Santa Fe) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Which Insurance Companies Does Warren Buffett Own? Berkshire owns several insurance companies including GEICO, Cypress Insurance, General Re, Berkshire Hathaway Re, National Fire & Marine Insurance Co., and National Indemnity Co. What Is the Origin of Berkshire Hathaway's Name? The Berkshire Hathaway name originated with the 1955 merger of Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates of Adams, Massachusetts, and the Hathaway Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Buffett began accumulating Berkshire Hathaway shares in 1962 and bought the company outright in 1964. He had agreed to sell his stock to management, only to discover that the tender offer's price was below what he had been promised. "This made me mad," Buffett recalled. He bought the first insurance business for Berkshire Hathaway in 1967 and closed the company's last textile mill in 1985. The Bottom Line As investors go, Warren Buffett is the cream of the crop. His investment model is simple: buy blue-chip stocks (dividends never hurt anyone) at reasonable valuations and hold them for the long term. He also looks favorably at companies with strong management teams and solid balance sheets. He relies on a trusted team of advisors, most importantly Charlie Munger, his partner since the early days of Berkshire Hathaway as an investment vehicle, to help make his investment decisions. Investors around the world have wondered for years who would take the reins of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) once its current 91-year-old CEO Warren Buffett passes away or retires. On May 1, 2021, they got their answer. At the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting, executive vice chair of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger made an offhand comment indicating the man succeeding Buffett as CEO would be Berkshire's 59-year-old vice chair of Non-Insurance Business Operations, Greg Abel. Buffett confirmed the news in a CNBC interview the following Monday. If the actual remark"Greg will keep the culture," Munger said, discussing Berkshire's decentralized operating structurewas a surprise, the individual in question isn't. Abel had long been considered one of the front-running heirs apparent for CEO, along with his fellow board member Ajit Jain, Vice-Chair of Insurance Operations. Neither Buffett nor Munger gave any indication of exactly when Greg Abel would assume the head post. But they did reaffirm his place in the company at the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. They said they were "100% confident" in their decision. They went on to say Greg understands capital allocation as well as I do. Thats lucky for us, Buffett said at the meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. He will make those decisions, I think, very much in the same framework as I would make them. We have laid out that framework now for 30 years. Still, let's meet the man who is poised to preside over one of the largest U.S. corporations in the post-Buffett era. Key Takeaways At the Berkshire Hathaway 2021 annual meeting, executive vice chair Charlie Munger made an offhand remarking identifying Greg Abel as the successor to CEO Warren Buffett. Greg Abel is currently Berkshire's vice chair of Non-Insurance Business Operations and the chair of subsidiary Berkshire Energy Holdings. Abel has been at Berkshire since 2000, when the conglomerate bought an energy company he'd been running. Known as a low-key but hardworking dealmaker, Abel has spearheaded some of Berkshire's biggest and most successful acquisitions. No date has been set for Buffett's departure or Abel's succession. Investopedia / Alex Dos Diaz Early Life and Education Born June 1, 1962, and raised in Edmonton, Canada, Gregory Abel graduated from the University of Alberta in 1984 with a commerce degree. He became an accountant and, after a stint with Big Four accounting firm PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), joined a small electricity company, CalEnergy, in 1992. He rose to become president of the business in 1998, which expanded into a variety of energy operations, changing its name to MidAmerican Energy Holdings (after one of the firms it acquired). Abel became part of Berkshire Hathaway when the conglomerate bought MidAmerican in 2000. The firm eventually was re-dubbed Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE). Abel served as its Chief Executive Officer from 20082018. He currently serves as its chair. With subsidiaries focused on coal, natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear energy, BHE had about 24,000 employees and reported more than $25 billion in revenue in 2022. Notable Accomplishments That ability continued at Berkshire. BHE has accounted for/been involved in some of Berkshire's largest acquisitions, including PacifiCorp in 2005, Nevada utility NV Energy in 2013, and Dominion Energys pipeline business in 2020. Abel also nurtured Home Services, a small real estate brokerage that came with the purchase of another company; it's now one of Berkshire's most successful holdings. Both at MidAmerican and at Berkshire, Abel was mentored by David Sokol, who seemed a likely successor to Warren Buffett until his resignation from Berkshire in 2011. Sokol was singing Abel's praises to Buffett as early as 2007. $19M Greg Abel's compensation in 2022. It includes $16 million in base salary and a $3 million bonus, according to Berkshire's SEC filings. An Heir Apparent Although he tended to avoid public appearances and shareholder meetings, Abel's reputation began to spread throughout the financial and business worldas did speculation about his role at a post-Buffett Berkshire. In September 2017, JP Morgan analyst Sarah DeWitt wrote in a note, The most likely successor in our view, who Warren Buffett regularly praises, is Greg Abel. Then, in 2018, came the move that marked Abel as a potential heir apparent: Buffett elevated and appointed Abel, along with Ajit Jain, to the Berkshire Hathaway board of directors, creating two new seats for them. Abel received his current title, Vice-Chair of Non-Insurance Business Operations. As such, Abel oversees all of Berkshire's railroad, auto utilities, manufacturing, and retail subsidiariesover 90 companies in all. All told, the noninsurance operations represent $150 billion in sales and comprise 250,000 employees. Until Munger's inadvertent mention at the 2021 shareholder meeting, Jain and Abel were both seen as likely successors to Buffettin fact, some gave Jain the edge. It's possible that Abel's agehe's over a decade younger than the 71-year-old Jainultimately was the decisive factor in his being tapped over Jain. While at MidAmerican, Abel acquired a reputation as a superb dealmaker, leading and growing the company in more diversified directions through smart mergers and purchasesand managing the new acquisitions intelligently and efficiently. His handling of purchases of Enron's gas lines and of a British firm, Northern Electric, stood out in particular. In his 2014 letter to shareholders, Charlie Munger characterized Greg Abel and Ajit Jain as "proven performers who would probably be under-described as 'world-class.' 'World-leading' would be the description I would choose. In some important ways, each is a better business executive than Buffett." Management Style A resident of Des Moines, where Berkshire Energy is based, Abel leads a relatively low-key life, like Buffett. Although something of an insider's secret, he has stepped up public appearances in the last two years, a notable onstage presence at recent annual meetings. His answers to questions, especially about energy conservation and sustainability, went down well with analysts and shareholders. Hockey is one of Greg Abel's passions. He played the sport as a boy and coaches his children's teams. He also sits on the Hockey Canada Foundation's Board of Directors. Who Is Warren Buffetts Successor? In 2021, Greg Abel, chair of Berkshire Hathaway, was named Warren Buffett's eventual successor. What Is Greg Abel's Net Worth? Greg Abel's net worth is estimated to be between $484 million. How Much Is Warren Buffett Worth? As of August 2022, Warren Buffett's net worth is estimated to be just over $102 billion. The Bottom Line Greg Abel will face challenges when he steps into the big role. An increasingly activist group of Berkshire shareholders is agitating for the company to spend more of its considerable cash reserves, to reduce its carbon footprint, and to promote diversity. All this, along with the fact that he's not Warren Buffett. But then, he won't be inheriting Buffett's exact role. The job Buffett did will probably be divvied up among various people. Abel will be the CEO of Berkshire, but Buffett's son Howard is likely to be named Berkshire Chair of the Board. Jain seems likely to continue as vice chair of the insurance operations, and his job could expand further. He's also been cited as next in line for CEO, should anything happen to Abel. Finally, there may well be a bigger role for Todd Combs and Ted Weschler. Both of these men are investment managers for Buffett and have been taking on greater responsibilities in managing smaller companies in the Berkshire portfolio. It is possible that both will be given more responsibility after Buffetts departure. The China market moved into full throttle so far this year and retail sales grew fastest, buoyed by a recovery in consumption after Beijing abandoned strict covid restrictions at the end of 2022. Growth is expected to be boosted further with a record-breaking 320,000 business executives from 40 countries, jostling their way around the Canton Fair, expect to close deals for 2023 to make up for the lost sales during the covid years. The Canton Fair, Chinas major export and import fair and one of the largest globally, which ran from April 15 to May 5, has been a key event for many Irish traders who traditionally use the event to close out deals right up to deliveries for Christmas. Also, this year there was a strong attraction for Irelands SMEs trading in the green space, as a new sector was established with well over 500,000 green and low-carbon products on display. Exports down by one third However, despite the return to rapid growth, Ireland's exporters to China are facing a sudden lack of interest in their offerings. So far this year, Irish exports to the market fell by an unprecedented one third across January and February, according to the Central Statistics Office, despite the return to rapid growth in the Chinese economy, in what seems to herald a new low in Sino-Ireland commercial relations. Adding to the worry is the fact that exports to China from other EU member states did not fall in the year to date. Many exporters believe Ireland may be part of collateral damage from the rising trade tension between the US and China, and could lead to a re-assessment of Irelands positioning as an outpost for US multinationals supplying into Asia. There is also the concern that China is pushing all suppliers to the market to switch away from trading in US dollars to their local currency the Yuan, again potentially impacting on Irish exports to the market. Meanwhile, the US Chamber of Commerce stated in April that Chinas new counter-espionage law has dramatically increased the risks and uncertainties of doing business in that country by casting a wide net over the range of documents, data, or materials considered relevant to national security. A more in-depth look at the CSO releases indicates the vast bulk of the export loss sales has been in computer hardware and peripherals products. These are mainly associated with US manufacturers located here, indicating that the deteriorating political relationships between the US and China may have reached the Irish-based manufacturing facilities. Complications But complicating the picture are the range of China-owned companies with facilities in Ireland and trade extensively internationally, such as Huawei, Tencent, Lenovo, Chinasoft, SATIR, and Firecomms, which may be creating tension for US companies here, who may worry about security risk. Further to this is the complication arising from the close relationship between Russia and China. The EU has deplored what it sees as Chinas "pro-Russian neutrality in the aggression by Russia against Ukraine". Currently, there is merely diplomatic tension, but this could change if Beijing is found to be furnishing arms to support Vladimir Putins war effort. The Chinese government has denied having any such intention and, despite the US secretary of states claim in February that Beijing was considering the provision of lethal support, no evidence for this has come to light, though suspicion has been attached to the Chinese supply to Russia of dual-use technologies. If this red line were crossed, the US, the EU, and Ireland would indeed be confronted by a united anti-China pact on both its diplomatic and commercial relations, and Irish trade with China could well be severed. A sanguine business review of prospects in Chinas market and the countrys commitment to higher-level opening-up is prompting multinationals across the globe to try to expand their presence there. However, the political tension is putting a counter-pressure on businesses and creating winners and losers, depending on risk appetite. The big worry is that Ireland and its exporters could be the losers, with a potential loss of 12bn in exports sales over the next 12 months. However, a peaceful settlement of relationships with China offers its ability to lift global economic growth. In these circumstances, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted in April that Chinas economy will grow by 5.2% in 2023, indicating that the greatest spillovers will be to countries with strong trade links to China. John Whelan is a consultant on Irish and international trade Irish racehorses are among the best in the world, and our tillage farmers are famous for their high yields, but the increase in oilseed rape crops could put them on a collision course. Several trainers in Ireland and the UK have blamed the crop for exacerbating respiratory problems in horses. Horses depend on their "wind" for performance, but the equine respiratory system can be affected by many environmental conditions. Wind problems are the most frequently diagnosed conditions in sport and racing horses in veterinary checks after poor performance. However, stabling and management practices are the most common causes of such problems, according to vets. Exposure to dust and chemically active substances like ammonia are thought by many vets to pose the greatest challenge to the respiratory tract. Horses are predisposed to inhaling dust, pollen, spores etc from the environment. Much of this inhaled material is filtered, but some particles reach the lungs, and horses can develop allergies to pollens and grasses in their environment. But oilseed rape is only one such allergen. Others include many grasses and weeds. However, moving horses away from pine trees or oil seed rape crops is recommended by some vets. Trainer Harley Dunne said he has been forced to relocate his stable of horses from Clonroche, Co Wexford, to a field 20 minutes away, due to the effect a rapeseed oil crop had on them. He told the Racing Post there are 150 to 200 acres of oilseed rape near his yard. He said it caused problems last year and this year, and that other trainers also blame it for reduced racehorse performance. "Im not sure about the specifics, but I just know that it can cause horses who are capable of winning races to stop two or three furlongs out. "There would be no apparent reason post-race either, as they would scope clean and the bloods would come back perfect". He said his relocation to land about 20 minutes away, at the start of April, has helped his horses. "It doesnt seem to affect every horse, you could run five horses and four of them would run bad and on another day only one of them would run bad". UK horse trainers who publicly linked oilseed rape to reduced performance include Paul Webber and Sarah Humphrey. It is not surprising that the crop gets blamed for horse setbacks, because it is also blamed by many members of the public for increasing their problems with hay fever and other such respiratory complaints. Medical sources say that rape seed pollen (and related irritants) can induce asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis. But sources disagree on how common such allergies are, even in areas of intense rapeseed cultivation. There is no justification for regulating the planting and growing of oilseed rape, based on the scientific evidence currently available of its effects on humans, according to Defra, the UK government's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. In Ireland, the oilseed rape crop increased 40% in area from 2021 to 2022, to 15,800 hectares, according to the Central Statistics Office. It can be a highly profitable crop, especially if viewed across the entire crop rotation, because yield increases of up to 19% have been recorded in winter wheat after an oilseed rape crop. This is due to rotational benefits such as the control of problematic grass weeds, using labour resources on the farm more efficiently, and better soil health. There is a certain Tolkien-esque feeling when you first spot the Rock of Dunamase perching above the well-tended plains of Laois. Much of what can be seen today is the shattered ruin of a once-mighty medieval fortress, but the site has earlier origins. It first appears in recorded history when the abbot of Terryglass sought shelter here in AD 844 when it was a fort known as Dun Masc. The defences of this earlier incarnation did not hold and the abbot was slaughtered by the Vikings. The formidable natural defences of this great rock outcrop were noted by the Anglo-Normans. Dunamase formed part of the dowry paid by the King of Leinster, Diarmait MacMurchada, when his daughter Aoife married Richard de Clare (Strongbow), the leader of the Norman invasions. It is thought that Strongbow may have appointed Geoffrey de Constentin to fortify the site, some time in the 1170s. However, by 1181, Meiler FitzHenry had been ordered to hold the castle, which was on the dangerous and unsettled borderland with powerful Irish tribes. The famous chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis, who was a first-hand witness to the early days of the Norman invasion, described FitzHenry as, a dark man with black, stern eyes and keen face he was very strong, with a square chest was high-spirited, proud, and brave to rashness'. FitzHenry was seen as the perfect man to hold the fiercely contested borderlands of Laois. Though his formidable character also led him to battle his allies as much as his enemies, and he regularly quarrelled with the other powerful Anglo Norman lords. In particular, Meiler FitzHenry became highly disgruntled when Dunamase was given to William Marshal as part of the dowry Marshal received upon marrying de Clares daughter, Isabella. It was Marshal that continued the work begun by de Constentin and FitzHenry, and who transformed Dunamase into a truly formidable fortress. The Rock of Dunamase: The barbican gate of the Rock of Dunamase The castle was developed with an outer barbican surrounded by a deep ditch. This could only be traversed through the barbican gate, protected by its murder-holes and a portcullis. It gave access into the Inner Barbican, where attackers would have to overcome steep ditches and tall stone walls. The walls feature fighting platforms and wall-walks, from where archers could have rained arrows down upon the enemy. The twin-towered gatehouse gave access into the lower ward. This area had a number of buildings, including accommodation for the troops and essential facilities such as forges and blacksmiths workshops to ensure the weapons and armour were well maintained. The inner ward on the summit of the hill was the heart of the fortress, and housed the great hall. From this vantage point you can enjoy spectacular views over the rolling countryside below. Through the 14th century Anglo-Norman control in the midlands began to weaken and crumble under the relentless pressure of the local OMordha (OMoore) family. The OMordhas finally managed to seize Dunamase in the 1330s, but they left the site unoccupied. The castle then fell into disrepair and then much of the fortress was deliberately destroyed, often attributed to Colonel Hewson, one of Oliver Cromwells officers during his invasion of Ireland in the 17th century, although no records of this survive in Cromwells accounts and the damage may have occurred much later. The Rock of Dunamase: Looking down to Holy Trinity Church from the Rock of Dunamase The Rock of Dunamase was acquired in the 18th century by John Parnell, (great-grandfather of Charles Stewart Parnell). It had become fashionable during the 18th century to refurbish ruins to serve as picturesque settings for glamorous soirees and dinner parties. John Parnell took many features such as the stone-lintelled doorway and the window mouldings from other later medieval sites in the area and brought them up to decorate his hall at Dunamase. The work was never completed by Parnell and after his death the site continued to fall into disrepair. Evidence of the final destruction of Dunamase can be found near the gatehouse. There you can find a small lime kiln that probably dates to the 19th century. The stones were taken from the walls and heated in kilns like this by local farmers to create unslaked lime, which was then added to the fields to help to neutralise the acidity of the soil and increase fertility. So piece by piece this once mighty stronghold was broken down. Today all we are left with, are just the shadows and scattered fragments of its once fearsome defences. The site is a wonderful place to explore, but be careful with young children as there are some very steep drops. Although there are good paths throughout, the steep slopes may pose a challenge for some wheelchair users. How to get there Youll find the Rock of Dunamase at coordinates Lat. 53.031783, Long: -7.210743. It is just off the M7. Take the exit from the M7 at Junction 16 (Stradbally/Carlow/R445). Take the second exit off the roundabout and continue on this road for a little under 4km. The Rock of Dunamase will be on the right. Alternatively, take the N80 from Portlaoise and follow the signs for the Rock of Dunamase. Israel Integrates Iron Fist Active Protection Systems (APS) in the Eitan Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) and Panda Armored D9 Bulldozer. A final test series completed the integration process, demonstrating successful interception tests in various challenging scenarios. The video documenting the tests depicts a new version of the APS, employing a smaller radar panel and protected launchers. According to Yehuda (Udi) Vered, General Manager of Elbit Systems Land, the Iron Fist Active Protection System is unique, being a lightweight system that can be installed on a variety of fighting vehicles, including APCs. The tests were performed by the Ministry of Defense Tank and APC Directorate, Iron First developer and manufacturer, Elbit Systems Land Division, and the the IDF Ground Forces Command. The Iron Fist version used on the Eitan and D9 is a lighter version of the system, optimized for lighter armored vehicles. Subscribe to get more insightsThe APS system developed by Elbit Systems is an advanced active protection system that provides 360-degree coverage against multi-range threats in open and urban environments. In addition to its defensive capabilities, the system provides APC teams with situational awareness as it indicates the appearance and locations of sources of fire that can put the protected vehicle or the operational unit at risk. This contribution is critical for rapid sensor-to-shooter engagement, in modern, multi-domain operations. Iron Fist employs an early warning electro-optic sensor and radar for target search, track, and distance measurement performed by the main processing unit. The system employs two rotatable launchers, launching interceptors against threats that are considered a direct and imminent threat to the protected vehicle. In the recent tests these effectors demonstrated the neutralization of different threats at a safe distance from the protected APC. According to Head of the Defense Tank and APC Directorate in the Israel Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Oren Giber, The Tank and APC Directorate is currently completing its preparation for the delivery of the self-developed Eitan advanced 88 wheeled APC to the IDF. The Iron Fist system is an important part of this project. It is currently in advanced stages of development and deployment to the Eitan APC and the bulldozer, undergoing rigorous trials to ensure its suitability for the battlefield. The Iron Fist will substantially improve the protection of the Eitan APC and enhance the vehicles maneuverability in combat while protecting combat soldiers. APS A Maturing Protection Capability APS are currently considered an important capability for new and modernized combat vehicles. The most mature is the Trophy APS from Rafael, equipping the Israeli Merkava Main Battle Tank (MBT) and Namer APC of the Israeli Army, M-1A2 SEPV2 in the US Army, the german Leopard 2 and British Challenger MK 3. The system is proposed by the German tank manufacturer KMW, the German part of the Franco-German AFV manufacturer KNDS, as a standard protection for the Leopard II tank. Trophy has also been included in the demonstrator for the future MBT proposed by the company unveiled at the recent Eurosatory 2022 defense expo. The Hungarian Army selected the StrikeShield APS from Rheinmetall, to protect its new KF41 Lynx Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Other systems are currently in development in Turkey, and South Korea. Iron Fist has been selected by several international users, including the Dutch Army for the CV9035, and the Australian Army for the successor of the M-113 APC, to be selected soon under the Land 400 Phase 3 program. The system has also been integrated into the next generation turret carrying the 50mm cannon considered by the US Army for its future Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV). The lord mayor of Cork has travelled to South Korea to attend a conference that will highlight the key roles of the former lord mayor, Terence MacSwiney, and Michael Collins, in Irelands struggle for independence. Your home for a collection of news, views, sports and business reporting from - and specifically about - the Cork region. Their stories will be told alongside those of Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevara, and Thomas Muntzer, the leader of the German Peasant Revolution in 1525, at the major international conference in the city of Jeongeup in South Korea, examining the role of revolutionaries in cities around the world. Fine Gael councillor Deirdre Forde, the mayor of Cork City and the first to travel to Korea in an official capacity, is accompanied by the city librarian, David OBrien. All their accommodation and flight costs have been sponsored by the authorities in Jeongeup. The city, about 180km south of Seoul, is the birthplace of the Donghak Peasant Revolution in the mid-1890s, which marked the beginning of the modern Korean era and encouraged its various popular movements. The Jeongeup City Government said it wanted to connect with other cities with a revolutionary past, and last year it hosted its first international forum to learn about how other cities have commemorated their history. As Ireland hosted its Decade of Centenaries events commemorating the War of Independence period, many of which were focused in Cork, Jeongeup extended an invitation to Cork City Council to participate in its second forum, being held next week. The organisers said they believed that Cork's history of resistance during the War of Independence and the city's commemoration programmes would broaden their horizons. Mr OBriens presentation to the conference will include a special focus on Terence MacSwiney, the Sinn Fein lord mayor of Cork in 1920, whose death in Brixton Prison after 74 days on hunger strike helped bring Irelands struggle for independence to international attention. The deputy mayor of Dublin, and its deputy city librarian, will also attend, with an address on Michael Collins, with delegates from Alta Gracia in Argentina focusing on Che Guevara, and delegates from Muhlhausen in Germany focusing on Thomas Muntzer. Ms Forde said she is delighted to be the first lord mayor of Cork to visit Korea, and to help showcase the citys Decade of Centenaries programme to an international audience. Korea is the worlds 10th largest economy, and I am also looking forward to exploring the possibilities which exist for our city," she said. I would like to thank our hosts in the city of Jeongeup for their hospitality. Their itinerary includes attendance at the national commemoration of the Donghak Peasants Revolution, a visit to Seoul and a tour of Seoul Library with its collection of some 200,000 books, meetings with Corkonian civil society and business representatives, and a meeting with a member of the Colomban Order, which has a long history of missionary work in Korea. Ms Forde will also lay a wreath at the Korean War memorial in honour of combatants from Cork who died in the Korean War. The Irish Institute of Korean Studies is based in UCC. It was a great night for the Banshees of Inisherin and Bad Sisters as the Irish stars of tv drama and film were honoured at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) gala awards ceremony on Sunday night. The red carpet was rolled out at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre for the 20th-anniversary ceremony, hosted by comedian Deirdre OKane, to honour those who work in front of and behind the cameras. Martin McDonaghs Banshees won best film, Brendan Gleeson won best supporting actor for his role as Colm, while Kerry Condon won best supporting actress. Brid Ni Neachtain won the best lead actress in a film award for her work in Roise & Frank, the comedy-drama set in Ring, Co Waterford, while Paul Mescal won the best lead actor in a film for Aftersun. Frank Berry celebrated on the double, picking up the best film script and best film director awards for Aisha. Anne-Marie Duff IFTA winner of Best Supporting Actress Drama. Picture Andres Poveda On the small screen, Sharon Horgan won the lead actress in a drama award for her role in Bad Sisters, the black comedy series she created, her co-star Anne-Marie Duff won best supporting actress, while Dearbhla Walsh won best director of a drama for her work on the show. Stephen Rea won the lead actor in a drama award for The English, the gritty western mini-series on Amazon Prime, while the supporting actor in a drama award went to Ciaran Hinds for his performance in The Dry. The IFTA for best drama script went to Lisa McGee for the Derry Girls: The Agreement episode. With an Oscar and Bafta under its belt already, An Irish Goodbye won the IFTA for best live-action short, while Netflixs Oscar-winning All Quiet On The Western Front won best international film. The coveted Rising Star award went to Omagh native, Aoife McArdle, for her work co-directing the smash hit Apple TV series, Severance, with Ben Stiller. Austin Butler won the best international actor award for his portrayal of Elvis in the movie of the same name, while Cate Blanchett won the best international actress award for her performance as a troubled conductor, in Tar. The George Morrison feature documentary award went to Kathryn Fergusons Nothing Compares on the life and legacy of Sinead OConnor, Soft Tissue won the best animated short film, best editing went to Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa for Elvis, best original music went to Sarah Lynch for The Dry, best cinematography award went to Piers McGrail for It Is In Us All, Consolata Boyle won the IFTA for best costume design for her work on Enola Holmes 2, Tom McInerney and Joe Whelan won the award for best hair and make-up for their work on Valhalla, while best sound went to Sparrow. Brendan Gleeson Winner of the Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the IFTA Awards. Picture Andres Poveda Meanwhile, veteran costume designer Joan Bergin was presented with the Irish Academys industry lifetime achievement award by Jim Sheridan for her outstanding contribution to the Irish and international film and television industry over some four decades. The multi award-winning designer has worked with some of the best directors and actors in the world including Mr Sheridan, Christopher Nolan, Mike Newell, Joel Schumacher, Neil Jordan, and has designed costumes for stars including Daniel Day-Lewis, Amy Adams, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Christian Bale, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett and Richard Harris. Costume designer Joan Bergin who received the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award. Picture Andres Poveda She has worked on major productions such as The Prestige, The Tudors, Vikings, In The Name of the Father, The Field, My Left Foot and Disenchanted. IFTA CEO Aine Moriarty said: Joan has been an avid member and supporter of the Irish Academy since its inception in 2003 and an extraordinary mentor to new talent coming through, sharing her knowledge and expertise for new generations to come. We are all so very proud of her achievements." The Government has convened a meeting of the Retail Forum to discuss concerns over high food prices. Representatives from major supermarkets will gather for the meeting on Wednesday, which has been called by Neale Richmond, the minister of state with responsibility for retail business. The minister said the Government had the power to introduce price caps on products, but did not want to have to do that. Neale Richmond said food prices had not decreased despite inflation reducing (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Richmond said inflation had decreased in Ireland in the last year, but prices had not reduced. Inflation this time last year was running at about 10%, it is down to 5% now. We should be seeing prices coming down, he told RTEs The Week in Politics programme. He added: We are very worried that they havent and we want to engage openly and honestly with the retail sector. What is directly open to Government is the powers under the 2007 Consumer Protection Act which allows the Government to introduce price caps on certain products if it so chooses. We really dont want to do that, that comes with very serious consequences, but it is something that is open to the Government. Right across Europe we have seen food inflation increasing, an average of about 27% across the EU in the last two years But director of Retail Ireland Arnold Dillon denied prices were higher in Ireland than the rest of the EU. He told RTE: Right across Europe we have seen food inflation increasing, an average of about 27% across the EU in the last two years. In Ireland, however, we have seen food inflation increasing by about 17%, so very significant increases, but less than what has been happening elsewhere in Europe. The Dail will also vote this week on legislation related to a new authority called The Agri-Food Regulator. Its aim is to identify and levy fines of up to 10m on operators engaging in unfair trading practices. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said there needed to be more transparency over retail pricing (Brian Lawless/PA) Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said there needed to be more transparency around pricing from the retail sector. She said: If you zoom out and look at the situation we have at the moment the taxpayer subsidises the cost of food because all farmers get a subsidy to produce food from the Department of Agriculture. When you subsidise it at that level the supermarkets buy it at the reduced cost thanks to the taxpayer, then we dont know what happens in between there and when we get to the customer. Caitlin Ui Aodha doesnt cry easily but tears arent far from her eyes when she talks about Dearbhla. While this is the name of her youngest daughter, it was also the name of her 25-metre trawler. It hurts, it really hurts, she says through stifled sobs when she talks about it. She is upset because late last year, she closed a door on a proud fishing tradition that has been in her family for more than 150 years. She did what she never thought she would do: she applied to decommission the boat. The last trip was in December last year. Her brother Tomas Kelly, who retired from fishing last year, was with her as they both stood in silence as the boat sailed slowly into Galways remote Rossaveel Harbour. Laden with its last catch, Tomas put a comforting arm around Caitlins shoulders as she shuddered with stifled sobs watching the boat approach the harbour wall in the drizzling rain. She was very upset, the 74-year-old, who had been with her for comfort but also to sail the boat to the breakers' yard, recalled. People probably wouldnt really appreciate how much owners are invested in their boats. Losing them is losing a part of their lives. The MFV Dearbhla is one of around 42 or so vessels to be scrapped in the Department of Agricultures 75m Voluntary Decommissioning Scheme. Decommissioning is a horrible experience to go through says Caitlin Ui Aodha, standing in front of a wall photo of her father at her fish restaurant Iasc, in the centre of Dungarvan town, Co Waterford. Picture: Neil Michael. What future? For her part, Caitlin no longer sees a future in an industry that just has, as she puts it, too many negatives. A stalwart of an industry that claimed the life of her husband Michael in 2012, she is angry about the way successive Irish governments have failed the country's fishing industry. The quotas which rule how much fish Ireland and other EU countries are allowed to catch in EU waters are getting tighter and tighter every year, she said. We had gone through a few difficult years, with covid, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which brought extraordinarily high fuel prices last year. I just found it impossible to carry on, and I get very emotional. Its very upsetting for me to talk about it because its like I'm losing a limb, an identity and something I have been associated with for all my adult life. The tradition she is turning her back on dates to before the Famine.As far back as the early 1800s, the O Ceallaigh family the Kellys were fishing out of An Rinn, the small coastal Gaeltacht cape overlooking Dungarvan Harbour in Waterford. Her grandfather William Kelly, fished on the boat Betsy out of Helvick Harbour, while his brother fished An Bhardal out of nearby Baile na nGall. Once they were old enough William took his sons, including Caitlins father, Tom Kelly to sea. Helvic Harbour, Co Waterford. Witness to generations of fishing families. But is there a future in the industry for future generations? Picture: Neil Michael. Tradition He was a renowned seine fisherman, who fished with a seine net that hung vertically in the water with its bottom edge held down by weights and its top edge buoyed by floats. Like her uncle Seanie in his 50ft Taobh a Ghleanna and her second cousin Mossey in his 50ft Ardmhor, her father fished out of Helvick Harbour. A large black and white photograph of him fixing his nets has pride of place against a wall in Iasc, Caitlins traditional fish and chips seafood bar in Dungarvan. Caitlin herself began fishing as a teenager out of Helvick, starting on a herring boat before a stint on the Sinead, her brother's boat, before getting her skipper's ticket in the early 80s. Shortly afterwards, she was approached by Board Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and offered finance to build her own boat. Caitlin took that chance she was given, and eventually took delivery of the 40 foot MFV Inis Ealga, which her late husband, Michael Hayes and herself fished out of Helvick for several years. She bought the 25m Dearbhla after Michaels death in the 2012 Tit Bonhomme disaster off the west Cork coast. He was one of five to perish on the boat he owned and skippered. The vessel had left Union Hall, Co Cork on Friday, January 13, 2012 with a crew of six to go fishing. But after experiencing technical difficulties during the trip, it returned to Union Hall in the early hours of January 25. The sea was very rough at the time and the boat broke up after getting stranded on Adams Island on the way into Glandore Harbour. As well as her husband, crew members Kevin Kershaw, Wael Mohamed, Attaia Shaban and Saied Ali Eldin also perished. Michael wasnt far from her mind when she gave Dearbhla up last December. It was a very big decision to go back fishing after Michael died, and my children would have been concerned. But leaving her was also very hard too, she said. But leaving her was also very hard too. On the bigger picture, she says it has become much more difficult to make a living in the industry. There are no friendly faces for fishermen and women in the Department of Agriculture or associated agencies, like the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. Dont get me wrong, I am all for controls and regulations when it comes to health and safety and of course, the quality controls on our fish. But we are just constantly under surveillance, constantly under any number of threats to our quotas, and everything is just so micromanaged, its unreal. I struggle to think of any industry where every single little thing you do gets so much attention by so many people whose only real job is to control what you do. Fishing in Ireland has just become so difficult to do that you actually wonder if the State would just rather the industry was left in the hands of a few huge companies. It feels as if small, family-run companies like ours are just being hounded out of the industry. It has just become a very hostile place to work, and I dont mean the sea or the actual fishing. It's very difficult to encourage your kids to take it up because it's such a hard life number one, to be a fisherman itself. It's not a place you want to be to have a normal life. I would have loved one of my children to take over and I had a daughter who was very, very keen but I just couldn't allow her in the situation that it is in at the moment. I couldn't allow her to take that on. There are those who say this heron in Helvic Harbour will one day soon be the only thing left fishing in the area. Picture: Neil Michael. It's extremely sad. It's in the family since my father's father and his father, going back way before the famine. It's horrendous to see where we have gone as a nation that is totally surrounded by some of the most abundant fishing waters in the world. She doesnt blame the Irish people, who she believes are hugely supportive and interested in the Irish fishing industry. The Irish people have a great affiliation with the sea, she said. There's no place in Ireland that you're not that very far from the sea. People love to go down to the sea. She is reminded of the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogues often repeated references of his fondness and understanding of the fishing industry because of his having grown up on a farm near the Co Donegal coast. But it doesnt wash with her; she firmly believes the problem lies at government and State level. Any person that's been involved in politics in this country knows the problems in the Irish fishing industry, she said. They know Ireland ended up getting a farcical deal, so there's no point in going back and constantly blaming Europe for everything. What is also farcical is the fact that we as a country did very little about it and the Irish fishing industry has been unfairly treated ever since. More than 85% of the fish in our own waters is fished by someone else, and that shouldnt be right. What Id like to hear the minister tell us is what has he done to get us more quota and secure the future of the Irish fishing industry? A decommissioning scheme is hardly a plus, as it further erodes what fleet we have, and leads to even less jobs among fishermen and women. The Department did not respond to these specific queries when addressed to them by the Irish Examiner. The decommissioning scheme and a number of tie-up schemes over the past two years were designed to help mitigate against the quota and financial losses Irish fishermen and women sustained because of Brexit. The post-Brexit EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) led to the transfer of a substantial amount of EU fishing quotas to the UK. Maybe we should have burned things, says Caitlin Ui Aodha's brother Tomas Kelly, who believes Irish fishermen were probably too polite and peaceful for their own good compared to their French or Spanish counterparts. Picture: Neil Michael. Quota of heartache However, while Irelands quota cut helped the TCA over the line, the deal has made it harder for Irish fishermen and women to earn a living. Irelands fishing industry losses from Brexit will amount to around 43m a year by 2026 as part of a five-year EU-UK post-Brexit quota adjustment phase. This amount is the biggest single loss for any country, leading to repeated calls for equitable burden-sharing among all member states. Both schemes are funded by the 1bn Ireland got from the EUs Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) fund set up to help member states most affected by Brexit deal with the resulting adverse economic, social, territorial, and environmental consequences. After it was originally capped at 60m, Mr McConalogue put an extra 15m into the decommissioning scheme. But that has failed to dampen disquiet in the industry about the scheme among boat owners reluctantly having to accept a proportion of the total value of their boats back. Added to that, instead of being able to sell them on, boat owners accepted for decommissioning have to scrap their boats and pay back funds they received during the pandemic. A number were paid not to fish for a number of months over the past two years under the Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-Up Scheme. Caitlin and her brother are not the only ones banging the quota drum. The leading fishing industry CEOs have been in their own words blue in the face trying to get successive Irish governments to up their game on the issue. They include Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisations Patrick Murphy, Irish Fish Producers Organisations Aodh ODonnell, John Lynch, CEO of the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation and the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Associations Brendan Byrne. But Tomas sums up the feelings of the industry when he says: On the bigger fishing boats, you had everything. We had Sky TV, lovely hot showers and Wifi. But the one thing we didnt have enough of was always the same quota. Quota is the main problem, and if we havent got quota in our own waters, we will end up without our own fishing fleet. It is as simple as that. The chief executive of an anti-monarchy group who was among 52 people arrested on the day of King Charles coronation has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody. Graham Smith was released by the Met Police around 11pm on Saturday, while the majority of his Republic colleagues continued to be held. Posting to Twitter, Mr Smith said there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. The Metropolitan Police has been heavily criticised over the detentions, with some campaign groups likening the incredibly alarming arrests to something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Metropolitan Police Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yards actions, saying: Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. Also arrested on Saturday were members of Just Stop Oil and Labour for a Republic. Anti-monarchy protesters demonstrate in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday (Piroschka van de Wouw/PA) The Met said it received information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. But campaigners said the protests were peaceful, describing the arrests as a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation. The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martins Lane following protests from Republic. Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation (Sebastian Bozon/PA) The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Footage from the Mall showed the Just Stop Oil protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence. Animal Rising said a number of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session miles away from the coronation. Nathan McGovern, spokesman for the campaign group, described the arrests as nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent. An anti-monarchy protester being arrested in central London on Saturday (Labour for a Republic/PA) Human Rights Watch labelled the arrests incredibly alarming, adding: This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. Amnesty Internationals chief executive Sacha Deshmukh also raised concerns after police were reportedly given instructions to apprehend people with megaphones. Separately, Westminster Council cabinet member for communities and public protection Aicha Less said she was deeply concerned over reports of arrests of members of its Night Star volunteer team, who assist vulnerable people on the streets late at night. We are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened, and in the meantime, we are in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need, she said. The leaders of South Korea and Japan met for their second summit in less than two months on Sunday as they push to mend long-running historical grievances and boost ties in the face of North Koreas nuclear programme and other regional challenges. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in South Korea for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. It was the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbours in 12 years. South Korean media attention is focused on whether Mr Kishida will make a more direct apology over Japans 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula Such comments could help Mr Yoon win greater support for his push to build stronger ties with Japan and ease domestic criticism that he has pre-emptively made concessions to Tokyo without receiving corresponding steps in return. Ahead of the summit, Mr Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute at a memorial. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida burns incense during a visit to the National Cemetery in Seoul with his wife Yuko (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool/AP) The cemetery mostly contains the graves of Korean War dead, but also includes memorials to Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Mr Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit in 12 years. He later reviewed a South Korean guard of honour with MR Yoon at an official welcoming ceremony at the South Korean presidential office. I hope to have an open-hearted exchange of views with President Yoon based on our relationship of trust, Kishida told reporters before his departure to Seoul. Since March, there have been various levels of communication in areas including finance and defense, and I plan to further develop this ongoing trend. Sundays summit was to focus on North Koreas nuclear programme, South Korean-Japanese economic security and overall relations, and other unspecified international issues, according to South Korean and Japanese officials. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) In their summit in March, Mr Yoon and Mr Kishida agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. In recent weeks, the two countries have also withdrawn the economic retaliatory steps they had earlier taken against each other in previous years when their history row rekindled. The most recent sticking point in ties between Seoul and Tokyo was 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their ageing former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labour. The verdicts angered Japan, which has argued that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalised ties in 1965. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a two-day visit to Seoul, reciprocating a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) In an escalation of tensions, the two countries later downgraded each others trade status, while Seoul also threatened to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Some activists and residents in South Korea also staged campaigns to boycott Japanese products. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated US efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Mr Yoons conservative government took a major step towards mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labour victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Mr Yoon travelled to Tokyo to meet Mr Kishida. Mr Yoons push drew a strong backlash from some of the forced labour victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Mr Yoon has defended his decision, saying greater co-operation with Japan is required to tackle a set of challenges such as North Koreas advancing nuclear programme, the intensifying US-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain problems. US President Joe Biden hosted South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol on a state visit in April (Susan Walsh/AP) In late April, Mr Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Mr Biden thanked Mr Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chairman at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in an analysis published last week: White House officials have expressed some frustration with the tepid response from Tokyo on the forced labour compensation deal and hope that Kishida will use an upcoming visit to South Korea in early May to do more. Mr Yoon, Mr Biden and Mr Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, Chinas assertiveness and Russias war on Ukraine. Mr Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. After his March summit with Mr Yoon, Mr Kishida said he upholds the positions of previous Japanese governments including one carried in the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but did not make a new apology. In the 1998 declaration, then-Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi said I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, second left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for their second summit in less than two months (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Asked whether he will discuss the forced labour victims with Mr Yoon, Mr Kishida said in his pre-departure comments: We will frankly exchange our views on this. Seoul and Tokyo have a slew of other sensitive historical and territorial disputes, mostly related to the Japanese colonisation. In a reminder of the delicate nature of their ties, diplomats between the two countries last week were involved in a spat over a South Korean politicians visit to disputed islets located in the waters between the two countries. Earlier, Seoul protested when Mr Kishida made religious offerings at a Tokyo shrine which it views as a symbol of Japans wartime aggression. Japans prime minister has expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced labourers during Japans colonial rule. Fumio Kishida was speaking as he and his South Korean counterpart renewed their resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen co-operation in the face of shared challenges such as North Koreas nuclear programme. The comments by Mr Kishida during his second summit in less than two months with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are closely watched in Seoul. Mr Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had pre-emptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida burns incense during a visit to the National Cemetery in Seoul with his wife Yuko (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool/AP) Mr Kishidas statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonisation but still sympathised with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for improved ties. And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days, Mr Kishida told a joint news conference with Mr Yoon, referring to Japans 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Japan and South Korea share various history and development, and I believe it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to co-operate with President Yoon and the South Korean side as we follow through the effort of our predecessors who have also overcome the difficult times, he said. Mr Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier on Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Mr Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbours in 12 years. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential office in Seoul (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labour. Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalised ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each others trade status and Seouls previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated US efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Mr Yoons conservative government took a major step towards mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labour victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a two-day visit to Seoul, reciprocating a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Later in March, Mr Yoon travelled to Tokyo to meet Mr Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps against each other. Mr Yoons push, however, drew a strong backlash from some of the forced labour victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Mr Yoon has defended his move, saying greater co-operation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Koreas advancing nuclear programme, the intensifying US-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward for our future co-operation because our history issues arent settled completely, Mr Yoon said on Sunday. US President Joe Biden hosted South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol on a state visit in April (Susan Walsh/AP) Mr Kishida reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but did not make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi said I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Mr Yoon, Mr Kishida and his wife visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honoured in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Mr Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, second left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for their second summit in less than two months (Jung Yeon-je/Pool/AP) Kishidas comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticised for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic towards historical victims, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. But Kishida did visit South Koreas national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving Seoul-Tokyo relations. Mr Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are under way to implement their earlier agreement on sharing information on North Korean missile launches. Mr Yoon said he and Mr Kishida reaffirmed that North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Mr Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Mr Biden thanked Mr Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, ADNEC Group is set to host the 16th edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2023) and the 7th edition of the Naval Defence Exhibition and Conference (NAVDEX 2023), which will take place on 20-24 February 2023. Organized by ADNEC Group at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, in association with the UAE Ministry of Defense, the events are set to showcase a wide range of new features and attract leading participants and exhibitors from the international defense industry. The upcoming edition of IDEX marks the 30th edition of the event and, along with NAVDEX, these events have become the largest of their kind in the world. The events are expected to host high-caliber participation, including leaders, decision-makers, ministers, and senior officials, as well as industry experts and professionals from all over the world. As part of the event week, in a first of its kind, ADNEC will host a series of high-level round table discussions with prominent industry thought leaders and commentators. These leading industry experts will gather to discuss recent and critical topics around the defense and naval industries, with an outcomes-based objective to collaborate on focused industry reports. Two of IDEXs media partners, Arabian Defence and Defense-Update, have teamed to produce on-site and online coverage of the exhibitions, distributing thousands of magazines and online posts to visitors and followers in Abu Dhabi and worldwide. With IDEX and NAVDEX will introduce IDEX Next-Gen, a space dedicated to startups that will enable entrepreneurs to demonstrate their solutions and technologies in the defense and naval sector to leading figures in the industry. The events will also introduce the Innovation Trail, a focused journey through the exhibition, highlighting the latest products and innovations for the defense and naval community, from the worlds leading brands. Exhibitors will be able to submit their newest and most innovative products and solutions for selection as part of this curated journey, which will attract the interest of thousands of international and local buyers. On the content side, and again as a first of its kind, IDEX and NAVDEX will each feature dedicated free-to-attend theatres for attendees to learn about the latest industry critical topics., NAVDEX Talks, located in the brand new marina hall, will focus on the naval defense industry, whereas IDEX Talks will include sessions that will cover a variety of engaging topics related to the global defense sector. These topics include Women and, Youth in Defence, Defense Heroes, and Motivational Masterclasses. The events will also feature an area for fans of defense history. Defence Through the Decades will showcase an interactive gallery style, highlighting products and technology from the industry throughout the past 30 years. IDEX and NAVDEX provide a globally leading platform, showcasing the latest international defense innovations and technologies, along with the most advanced technology and equipment developed by defense industries across the world. The previous editions in 2021 recorded renowned success, welcoming over 62,000 visitors and more than 900 local, regional and international companies from 59 countries, in addition to hosting 35 national pavilions. 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. The Vietnam Defense Exhibition, held at the Gia Lam Airport near Hanoi, attracted over 170 exhibitors, about 60 from Vietnam and the rest from 30 countries. China was absent from the fair, which had been invited but declined to attend. Vietnam has a long-standing territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea and energy exploration in the area, leading to concerns about a potential confrontation between the two nations. As a prominent Southeast Asian nation, Vietnam has a policy of avoiding commitment to regional or international alliances to remain independent and avoid conflicts that do not directly threaten the country. This policy has allowed Vietnam to rely on its defense forces and the resilience of its people, as demonstrated throughout the 20th century. However, this policy is being tested by the growing regional threat posed by Chinas expansion in the South China Sea, which conflicts with the interests of other nations, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. While the dispute is primarily over maritime affairs, Vietnam shares a land border with China. With an estimated defense procurement budget of $8.5 billion over the next four years, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for defense marketing from US, Russia, Europe, and Asia companies. In the past, Vietnam relied heavily on Russia for its arms supply. Still, it is seeking to diversify its sources of arms procurement due to the growing relationship between Russia and China and the availability of more affordable options in India, Israel, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the United Arab Emirates. Regional players such as Australia, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore also have the potential to establish defense relations with Vietnam. However, the absence of South Korea from the exhibition was notable. The Vietnam Defense Exhibition featured an aerial display of Su-30 aircraft and Mi-8/17 helicopters and a ground display of various weapons and equipment. These included ballistic missiles such as the SCUD-B and Hwasong-6, 4K44 Redut M coastal defense anti-ship missiles, and missile-launched torpedoes. The exhibition also featured several Vietnamese-developed drones and radars and air defense systems dating back to the Vietnam War, such as the S-125 Pechora-2M (SA-3) and ZSU-23/4 (Gundish). Modern air defense systems on display included the Russian SA-10 and Israeli Spyder. Vietnams main modern battle tank is the T-90, available in the /S and /SK variants. However, its other armored fighting vehicles and towed artillery, such as the BRDM-2, BTR-60, BMP-2, D-20, D-30, and M-46, are outdated. This has prompted the Vietnamese government to set an ambitious goal for defense procurement and modernization in the near future, to diversify its sources of arms and reduce its reliance on Russian suppliers from 80% to approximately 65%. India is quickly stepping up to offer Hanoi its military hardware and has allocated a $500 million credit line to support such sales. Our impression from the Vietnam Defense 2022 exhibition clearly indicates this trend. India was the largest foreign exhibitor here, and as a testament to the close relations between the two countries, Vietnams Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh was the guest of honor at the inauguration ceremony of the Indian pavilion. Vietnam is interested in acquiring equipment from India, Israel, and the US and plans to become self-reliant through its own Make in Vietnam program, similar to Indias policy. However, Vietnam cannot currently produce its weapon systems and will need foreign support to establish an industrial base for local production. The exhibition provided local companies with an opportunity to showcase their capabilities and find potential foreign partners. Vietnam has adopted the Make in Vietnam policy similar to Indias to strengthen the capabilities of its local defense industry and support significant defense procurement programs. As a nation that adheres to a policy of non-alliance, Vietnam is likely to refrain from joining with foreign countries on cooperative development or production programs. Still, India and Vietnam have signed an agreement for sharing logistical support and operational facilities in ports along the South China Sea. Vietnam can also offer logistical support for aircraft or naval ships at Vietnamese ports and logistics services by local technicians once they absorb these technologies for their military. Read more coverage on the foreign exhibitors at Vietnam Defence 2022 In an interview with France 24, Angolas president Joao Lorenco expressed his hope that his mediation efforts could restore peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He explained that the M23 rebel group had agreed to uphold the ceasefire that was reached a few weeks ago and that their next step was to be cantoned and disarmed, for which Angola is ready to send 500 troops. However, he stressed the need to speed up the process and that the Congolese authorities were still preparing for the next stage. He also praised Rwandas president Paul Kagame for being helpful in putting Angolan officials in contact with the M23 leadership, showing that he was keen on finding a solution rather than fueling violence. President Lorenco expressed his deep concern about the escalating violence in Sudan and called for a ceasefire and the urgent search for a long-lasting position. Regarding the war in Ukraine, he distanced himself from Brazilian president Lula da Silvas claim that Ukraines president was as responsible for the war as Russias president. He affirmed Angolas support for preserving the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, and called for China and the US to work together in finding a solution to the conflict. Finally, with regards to the accusations of embezzlement of public funds against Isabel Dos Santos, the daughter of former president Eduardo Dos Santos, President Lorenco stated that she had nothing to hide and therefore nothing to fear, and that a red notice for her arrest had been issued by Interpol, but he refused to speculate on whether it would be implemented in the near future. It only took a few ride-alongs for Gina Bell to realize she was interested in a career in law enforcement. She was working as a personal trainer and fitness manager in California, and one of her clients was a police officer. As it turned out, one female cop ended up inspiring another woman to join the force whose ranks are predominantly male. Bell is an officer at the Albany Police Department and a member of the regional SWAT team. Women make up about 12% of sworn police officers in the United States, according to FBI data. The number of women in leadership roles within police agencies is even smaller, coming in at 3%. Albany police Chief Marcia Harnden is a member of that tiny class. And shes committed to increasing female representation in her department. Thats why APD has signed on to the "30x30 pledge," a national initiative to increase the representation of sworn female officers to 30% on police forces by 2030. One other agency in Linn and Benton counties, the Oregon State University Police, has also signed on. The universitys public safety department/police force is also led by a woman, Shanon Anderson. Other departments in the state that have signed the pledge include Oregon State Police, Salem PD, Grants Pass PD, University of Oregon Police and the Washington County Sheriffs Office. Gender is not what gets you in the door; its the quality of the person that gets you in the door, Harnden said. But we want to make sure that women who have the drive to serve the public, are critical thinkers and have good empathy and good emotional intelligence (are) welcome in our department. Bell is a part of the 16% of APDs sworn officers who are women. While APD is already above the national average and committed to increasing its current staff of female officers, Harnden emphasized that the pledge is not about a quota its a goal. Shes looking at quality candidates, no matter the gender. We believe that diversity makes us stronger, she said. So that's really kind of our push there. Potential barriers This month, Harnden marks 30 years in law enforcement. She said she had many women before her pave the path, and she was fortunate to have support over the years. Her initial aspiration was to become a teacher. Although she was physically fit enough to pass all the tests to join the police force, she thought she was too small. But Harnden said she had mentors who told her not to buy into old stereotypes. Some are self-imposed obstacles, Harnden said. We feel we have to be perfect or we feel we have to be able to do everything the guys do, and that's just not the case. Bell faced some of her own self-doubt when becoming a cop, saying she was intimidated in the early years of her career. I remember thinking things like, I need to fit in, I need to wear these certain clothes, Bell said. I remember contemplating whether or not I should put makeup on my face because I didn't know if I did, (they) would take me seriously. Bell said her field training officers helped her get comfortable and to bring out her innate confidence. But she also felt intimidated when she applied to be on the regional SWAT team. At the time, there were no other women on the team. I worked my butt off coming up to the application process because there's a physical portion of the process, Bell said. I remember doing push-ups everyday because that's part of it, and for the men it's really easy for them to knock those out. But for me, it wasn't, even with a background in fitness. Bell stands at 5 feet, 2 inches, but that didnt stop her from making the team. Harnden said Bell stood out among the other applicants to the SWAT team. I overcame it and got that position that I was striving for, which was a really good feeling, Bell said. And I think in the back of my mind, throughout these internal dilemmas that I have, I constantly think, Hey, you're here for a reason. You are in this position and got here just like everybody else did. Family obligations Another barrier that may prevent women from joining the police force or may play a role in why they leave the job is family. Harnden said women tend to be the partner who leaves a career to focus on family a move she can't fault. She added that being a single parent can also pose challenges to maintaining a police career. Bell was the first officer in years to get pregnant at APD, she said. They had to kind of fix/change/alter the policy because they were kind of playing it by ear with me and didn't know when I should go on light duty. There was no structure to that, she said. So I kind of helped with that policy and created a new normal for any future officers who became pregnant. Now a mother of three, Bell's partner is an Oregon State Police trooper. She said she has always felt a maternal pull and wants to be with her kids. For example, if one of her kids is sick, shell call out sick too. She joked that she has also taken on the team mom role at APD and is happy to do so. A female advantage In her three-decade long career, Harnden said shes been lucky to have encouragement along her journey up the ladder. But she didnt always believe shed be a chief. It's a matter of finding your niche in a career and building your skills around that and really being as good at the job as you can be, she said. If I said that there weren't still higher hills to climb for women than men, I would be lying. They're still out there. But I think we're making slow and steady progress. While some barriers may still exist, women may actually have biological advantages when it comes to being a cop. Harnden said women tend to develop emotional intelligence in their 20s faster than men, and female officers tend to use less force and use less excessive force. She said men and women often approach some scenarios differently. This job is way more about (your mind) than it is about guns and beating people up, she said. You have to be able to do that if need be, but its about how you interact with people. Bell said she tries to approach encounters with the community while on the job with a certain level of empathy. She said she remains professional but also thinks of the people she makes contact with as her own family members. I am a firm believer that we all deserve respect, and I would say that that motherly figure inside of me definitely helps with that, Bell said. Women in law enforcement Harnden and Bell both said their male counterparts in law enforcement have been supportive, and they've been able to look up to other female cops who have gone before them. They acknowledge, however, community members can hold onto traditional views on policing. Bell said she often gets told she doesnt look old enough to be a cop. But looks can be deceiving. It's called command presence what I've worked on and what I've just had since I started, Bell said. Its my stance and my face. Even though I'm smiling, I'm still on high alert. Harnden said she was in a grocery store when a community member saw she was wearing her police lanyard. They asked her if she worked in the records department or dispatch. She told them she was the chief. Recruitment efforts Harnden said its been frustrating for her to not see a lot of women promoted within police departments. At APD, Harnden doesnt have any female sworn police officers in management or leadership roles following behind her. Shift changes that come with promotions can be complicated for officers with families. But Harnden hopes thatll change. Shes a part of the Northwest Womens Law Enforcement Network, which aims to boost recruitment and promotion of female officers. APD is also hosting an upcoming womens hiring event in June. Bell said having Harnden as chief is meaningful for her and the community. It's inspiring for other female officers, she said. It's inspiring for little girls who are watching her speak in front of others. And it's just a change in what I think is the right direction. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. Harnden said the pledge and the departments overall goal is to have the police force reflect Albanys own demographics. I think most police departments want to be representative of the communities they serve, she said. Albany is around 50% women, so why wouldn't you have 50% of your workforce be women? Charles III and Camilla receive congratulatory messages from global leaders on their coronation. Congratulations poured in from leaders in the United States and Europe to Britains newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday, while China called for cooperation and peace. US President Joe Biden, whose wife First Lady Jill Biden attended the lavish ceremony in London, hailed the enduring friendship between the US and the UK. He tweeted that the countries relationship was a source of strength for both our peoples and that he was proud his wife could be there for the historic occasion. Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their Coronation. The enduring friendship between the U.S. and the U.K. is a source of strength for both our peoples. I am proud the First Lady is representing the United States for this historic occasion. In an interview aired Friday, he said he would meet Charles, 74, in July to talk in particular about environmental issues. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the UK to work for a stable and mutually beneficial relationship with his country after recent strains in their relations. China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, he said. The head of the European Unions executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, called the coronation a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy. A symbol of stability and continuity, von der Leyen tweeted, alongside a picture of her at the pageant-filled ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The Coronation is a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy. A symbol of stability and continuity. EU Council President Charles Michel said the members of the 27-nation bloc, which the UK voted to leave in 2016, appreciate the kings vast experience to promote understanding and respect and his tireless efforts to promote the sustainability of our planet. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also welcomed the newly crowned monarchs interest in tackling climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the ceremony, sent his congratulations to Charles and Camilla, calling them friends of France. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sent her best wishes to King Charles III, to Queen Camilla and the entire British people. The foreign ministry in Greece, where Charless father Prince Philip was born, tweeted to warmly congratulate HM King Charles III, a proven friend of Greece, in his Coronation day. AFP Chechen forces requested to take over Bakhmut positions, according to Wagner leaders request to Moscow. The chief of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner has requested Moscows permission to hand over his groups positions in the city of Bakhmut to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Follow our live blog for updates on events related to the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). The page is no longer being updated, but for more coverage on the war in Ukraine, visit our website. Ukrainian officials have issued air raid alerts for most of eastern Ukraine, extending from Vynnitsya in the west to all eastern regions and south to Kherson region and Russian-annexed Crimea. The Ukrainian Security Services reported they could not confirm or deny involvement in a car bombing that injured a Russian writer or other attacks. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and Western countries of being responsible for the car bombing, which injured a Russian writer and killed his driver. President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated King Charles on his coronation and thanked him and the British people for their support in the war against Russia. Russian shelling killed six Ukrainian explosives experts engaged in demining operations in the southern Kherson region. Russian investigators have said Ukrainian agents are responsible for a car blast that injured a pro-Kremlin writer. Ukraine has hailed the return of 45 Azov battalion fighters captured during the battle for Mariupol, while Russia said three of its pilots had been released by Kyiv. Russia claimed its forces had downed a Ukrainian missile over the Crimean peninsula. The chief of Wagner has requested for his groups positions in Bakhmut to be handed over to the Chechen combat units under the command of Ramzan Kadyrov. Ukraine has claimed to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defence systems. President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Swiss parliament. Leaders of South Korea and Japan praise enhanced collaboration in spite of their history of colonialism Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed condolences for Koreans who suffered under Japans colonialism during his official bilateral visit to South Korea, amid efforts to reset strained ties between the two countries due to North Korean threats. Kishida met with President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has made improvement of Korea-Japan relations a priority for his administration. The two countries, both crucial security allies of the United States, have been at odds over historic issues such as Japans brutal 1910-1945 colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula, including sexual slavery and forced labor. Bilateral ties were damaged in 2018 because of South Koreas Supreme Courts order for Japanese firms to compensate the wartime victims of forced labor, however, Yoon has sought to bury the hatchet and improve relations with Japan. During their meeting, Kishida reaffirmed the heartfelt apology made by previous administrations in Tokyo, but stopped short of offering a new apology. The two leaders agreed to hold a trilateral meeting with the United States on the sidelines of the upcoming G7 summit to address the threat of North Koreas nuclear and missile development. Some South Africans are advocating for the return of the Star of Africa, the worlds largest diamond, which is set in the royal sceptre held by King Charles III during his coronation on Saturday. The diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and given to the British monarchy by the colonial government when the country was under British rule. As the conversation about returning artwork and artefacts looted during colonial times gains global attention, South Africans want the diamond to be brought back. The diamond in the sceptre, officially known as the Cullinan I, was cut from the 3,100 carat Cullinan diamond, mined near Pretoria. Another diamond cut from the same stone, the Cullinan II, is set in the Imperial State Crown worn by British monarchs on ceremonial occasions. The crown jewels, including the sceptre, are stored in the Tower of London with the Cullinan diamond replica displayed at the Cape Town Diamond Museum. ( Jowhar with Reuters) Otherwords.org ) Last year, my client Susan called me to discuss her immigration case. During our conversation she referenced the news that immigrants were being bused from the southern border to cities in the North, often under false promises, only to be left stranded in an unknown city. In confusion and fear, Susan asked me: Why do they hate us so much? While I couldnt answer Susans question, her underlying concern highlights a startling escalation of public aggression against migrants over the past year. There seems to be a growing us versus them mentality towards immigrants. This divisive language serves no purpose other than to divide our country, undermine the legal right to seek asylum in the United States, and cultivate a fear of the most vulnerable. A clear example is showcased in recent media coverage of northbound migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. Many outlets describe recent migration through the Americas as a flood, influx, wave, or surge language that reinforces the notion that migration is akin to an imminent, uncontrollable, and destructive natural disaster. Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash These descriptions are accompanied by sensational photographs and videos of long lines of brown and Black immigrants wading across the Rio Grande, crowding along the border wall, or boarding Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) vehicles to be transported to detention. Woven into this framing is the near-constant use of the term illegal or unlawful to describe unauthorized crossings. As an advocate for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and trafficking, Im alarmed by the use of this language to describe a migrants attempt to survive. Moreover, its often simply incorrect. A noncitizen who has a well-founded fear of persecution in the country from which theyve fled has a legal right protected under both U.S. and international law to enter the United States to seek asylum. When mainstream media wield the term illegal as though it were synonymous with unauthorized, they misinform readers and falsely paint asylum seekers as criminals. Worse still, they encourage politicians who call immigrants themselves illegals, a deeply dehumanizing term. And the more dehumanizing language we use, the more likely it is that we will see immigrants as the other to justify cruel immigration policies. We must retire the use of this inflammatory rhetoric, which distracts from real solutions that would actually serve survivors arriving at our borders. Migrants expelled back to their home countries are at grave risk of severe harm or death at the hands of their persecutors. Those forced to remain in Mexico as they await entry to the United States are increasingly vulnerable to organized crime or abusive and dangerous conditions in detention. And those who have no choice but to desperately navigate dangerous routes to the United States to avoid apprehension are increasingly dying by dehydration, falling from cliffs, and drowning in rivers. The words we use in everyday discourse mean something they can spell out life or death for those among us who are most vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Now more than ever, Id urge the public and the media to retire the use of sensationalizing, stigmatizing, and misleading imagery and rhetoric surrounding immigration. Now is the time to apply accuracy and humanity in our depictions of migrants. Lets not repeat the errors of our past. Daniella Prieshoff Daniella Prieshoff is a Senior Supervising Attorney at the Tahirih Justice Center, a nonprofit that supports immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. She thanks Phoebe Quinteros for her contributions to the research for this piece. Otherwords.org Minnesota Reformer ) Justice Clarence Thomas might be the most egregious when it comes to taking gifts and not disclosing them, but hes not alone. His colleagues on the U.S. Supreme Court also havent been shy about taking fancy freebies from rich people many of whom have an interest in the actions of the court. The justices seem not to think its fair to have to entertain themselves on their $268,000 salaries that are in addition to whatever other income they get from book deals, investments and other sources. So it might not be a coincidence that in 2016, those same justices unanimously voted to make it a lot harder to prosecute public officials including themselves for accepting bribes. No matter how much fun they are to hang out with, average people arent likely to be offered a $500,000 Indonesian vacation on a private jet and a superyacht. Nor is a billionaire likely to buy your mothers house, pour tens of thousands into it, and let her live there rent-free. But when ProPublica exposed those regal freebies and the fact that Thomas failed to disclose those and others for decades the justice in a statement characterized them as just the kinds of things good buddies do when they want to hang out. And he implied that his status as a Supreme Court justice had nothing to do with it. Describing Texas billionaire and conservative activist Harlan Crow and his wife as among Thomas and his wifes dearest friends, Thomas wrote, As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them. He added that he had no conflict because it was personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the court. Thomas made the claim even though Crow has spent at least $14.7 million on conservative causes over the years including to move the judiciary to the right. That figure doesnt include any 501(c)(4) dark money contributions by Crow that Thomas helped to facilitate with his affirmative vote in the 2010 split decision, Citizens United v FEC. Photo by Claire Anderson on Unsplash Crow didnt make Thomass acquaintance until he was on the Supreme Court and it seems unlikely that their friendship would be so dear if Thomass powers were limited to working a cash register the most common job in the United States as opposed to having a potentially dispositive say over the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. And in his statement, Thomas didnt mention that as part of many of the freebies hes taken from Crow, the justice was in close proximity with other conservative activists who also have had business before and a strong interest in the makeup of the federal courts. Across the ideological spectrum Thomas has been far from alone on the court in enjoying the largesse of the uber-wealthy. Late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in 2018 took a trip to Israel compliments of billionaire Morris Kahn, who had business before the court just a year earlier. Late Justice Antonin Scalia took at least 258 subsidized trips while he was on the court and he was on one when he suddenly died in 2016. Scalias more-liberal colleague, retired Justice Stephen Breyer, took at least 225 subsidized trips between 2004 and 2016. They include a 2013 trip to the exclusive island of Nantucket compliments of private-equity billionaire David Rubenstein, Gabe Roth, executive director of the group Fix the Court, reported. Those were some of the 1,309 trips Supreme Court justices took compliments of others between 2004 and 2019, according to a list compiled by the watchdog group Open Secrets. Thats nine trips per justice, per year, and its unlikely they stayed at the Holiday Inn on most of them. And those are just the ones that justices disclosed. Its unclear how many like decades of Thomas travels have been unreported, or whether the justices will suffer any consequences for not reporting them. Disturbing examples of such non-disclosure continue to flow in thanks to investigative reporters, not the justices themselves. Politico recently reported that Justice Neil Gorsuch had been trying for some time in 2017 to unload a 40-acre property he co-owned in Colorado. Nine days after he was confirmed to the Supreme Court, the property was purchased by the CEO of a law firm that has had numerous cases before the court and whose clients Gorsuch has sided with much more often than not. Gorsuch disclosed that he made between $250,000 and $500,000 off of the sale, but he left blank the box that would have informed the public of the identity of the person who paid the money, and who had a lot of lucrative business that Gorsuch would preside over, Politico reported. Despite all the ethical lapses, at least some justices from across the ideological spectrum are indignant at the notion that their conduct should be scrutinized. When Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2006 proposed an inspector general to keep an eye on the justices, liberal icon Ginsberg likened it to Stalinism, saying that such oversight is a really scary idea that sounds to me very much like [how] the Soviet Union was, Roth of Fix the Court wrote. Watering down bribery prosecutions In the midst of such hostility to oversight, the court in 2016 took up McDonnell v United States. Perhaps not surprisingly, it sided in its decision with a powerful public official who had taken expensive gifts from a wealthy friend who was pushing a special interest. Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife had been convicted in 2014 on charges of bribery. But the McDonnells appealed their convictions, arguing that federal prosecutors failed to show that McDonnell undertook an official act in return for the presents they received. The couple got about $175,000 worth of stuff from Jonnie Williams, including rides in a private plane, a Rolex, $20,000 worth of designer clothing, a $50,000 loan and $15,000 for their daughters wedding. Williams, the CEO of Star Scientific, was trying to market a nutritional supplement made from a compound found in tobacco, and he wasnt having much luck interesting the scientific community in conducting research. To help, the governor directed Williams proposals for research at the Medical College of Virginia and the University of Virginia School of Medicine to his director of health and human services. When that didnt bear fruit, McDonnell hosted a lunch at the governors mansion and brought in university officials. Even so, the actual scientists were skeptical of Williams claims and didnt embrace his supplement. As a general matter, governors have great sway over state budgets and public universities partly depend on state funding. Governors also often appoint public universities governing boards in the case of the University of Virginia, the Board of Visitors. So, when McDonnell pushed Williams supplement on his health director and on university officials, it probably wasnt easy for them to say no. But in writing for the Supreme Court in the case, Chief Justice John Roberts said McDonnells attempts to help Williams didnt amount to an official act. An official act is defined as any decision or action on any question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy, which may at any time be pending, or which may by law be brought before any public official, in such officials official capacity, or in such officials place of trust or profit, Roberts wrote. Somehow, he and the other eight justices couldnt see it as an abuse of the governors place of trust or profit when he brought subordinates and quasi-subordinates to his official residence to hear a new-age medical pitch from a guy who had given the governor $175,000 in fancy presents. Perhaps the gifts the justices themselves were taking had influenced them in ways they didnt see. Out of touch In an interview last week, Roth of Fix the Court said the Supreme Court decision in McDonnell made it a lot harder to prosecute public officials in federal court for taking bribes. I think (the decision) appears to be a simultaneously textualist and tone-deaf decision, he said. The opinion is focusing on what the parameters of what the law are as written by Congress, but its never that easy. Its never just, Oh, hey, Im going to do a bribe. Perhaps making it seem extra tone-deaf lately has been Roberts continued inaction as Thomass failure to report millions in gifts and payments to his wife from conservative groups is serially revealed. In concluding his opinion in McDonnell, the chief justice seemed to express his own hostility to oversight, slamming federal prosecutors for their boundless interpretation of bribery laws. The claim seems hard to square with exploding dark money expenditures by undisclosed special-interests as federal corruption prosecutions have gone down in recent decades. But Roberts implied that the feds are out of control when it comes to charging public officials with taking bribes. There is no doubt that this case is distasteful; it may be worse than that, Roberts wrote. But our concern is not with tawdry tales of Ferraris, Rolexes, and ball gowns. It is instead with the broader legal implications of the Governments boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statute. A more limited interpretation of the term official act leaves ample room for prosecuting corruption, while comporting with the text of the statute and the precedent of this Court. Recent revelations about the lavish freebies Thomas and his colleagues have been accepting cast the decision in a new light. Roth said that when the McDonnell decision was handed down seven years ago, the public wasnt as sensitized to the fact that many on the court are taking ritzy presents from oligarchs, granting them extended facetime and then pretending it doesnt influence their decisions. I was screaming about this in 2016, he said. Now folks are getting wise to the fact that the lavishness is not restricted to state officials in Virginia, but it has in fact infected the highest court. It is an incredibly elite, incredibly out-of-touch institution. Take me out to the ballgame Roberts illustrated such a lack of self-awareness in his opinion. He used an example of a social interaction that overzealous bribery prosecutions might dampen that is wildly different from Thomas trip to Indonesia, Ginsbergs to the Holy Land and Scalias many, many luxurious hunting vacations that came compliments of billionaires. Whats wrong, Roberts asked, with constituents wanting to take an official to a good, old-fashioned ballgame? The basic compact underlying representative government assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act appropriately on their concerns whether it is the union official worried about a plant closing or the homeowners who wonder why it took five days to restore power to their neighborhood after a storm, the chief justice wrote. The Governments position could cast a pall of potential prosecution over these relationships if the union had given a campaign contribution in the past or the homeowners invited the official to join them on their annual outing to the ballgame. When wealthy patrons shower justices with gifts the likes of which average Americans will never see its only logical to think they expect something in return, Roth said. The justices say they only care about what they see or read that exists within the four corners of the page, he said. But clearly if someone is taking the time to get to know someone once hes already on the court you cant help but expect there to be some sort of quid pro quo or ulterior motives there. He added that its up to Congress to fix the problem. 8 Shares Share Its often said that medicine is an art: that practicing it requires more than just a knowledge of theory, but a certain flair, intuition, and attention to style. We might agree that medicine has the form of art. But what about medicine as the content of art: as the material and even the inspiration for artistic expression? That isnt as strange as it seems. In fact, in the Islamic tradition of medicine, a growing body of medical knowledge and discoveries was routinely expressed using the artistic mode of poetry. Lets plunge back in time, explore this lost art form, and see whether we can revive it for a modern audience. The Islamic Golden Era, typically dated from 750 CE-1250 CE, led to a flourishing of intellectual activity across a diverse range of cultures and peoples. Combining them was Arabic, the language of Islamic scripture, which now served as the lingua franca of the new empire. At the time, Arabic was already a language with an extensive poetic heritage. Nomadic bedouins, the keyholders of the tongue, had used it to defend their tribes honor, recount romantic meetups, and describe the haunting beauty of their desert landscape. But now, taken up by the nascent Islamic civilization, the register of Arabic poetry was expanded beyond its original tribal context. The richness of scientific discovery combined with the eloquence of the Arabic tongue to create a unique genre: didactic poetry, the poetic expression of academic subjects. Thus we find, for example, that a 9th-century astronomer named al-Fazari composed a work called Poem on the Zodiac, a poetic catalog of celestial knowledge intended as a transmission to the next generation of astrologers. But the subject matter that inspired the most didactic poetry was medicine. In the centuries coinciding with the Islamic Golden Age, hundreds of didactic medical poems appear. And out of these, one of them would become so well-known that it would come to define the whole genre. The medical poem of Ibn Sina, an Islamic polymath known as the Prince of Physicians, is the most famous Arabic didactic poem. Formally known as Rajaz Poem on Medicine, it numbers over 1300 lines and covers every medical topic known during its time, from the composition of the four humors to the treatment of ailments by herbal remedies. The following line appears early in the poem and provides Ibn Sinas definition of medicine: Medicine is the preservation of health and removal of disease / From causes in a body which has symptoms In this simple line, many aspects of medicine are exhibited: prophylaxis (preservation of health), treatment (removal of disease), etiology (from causes) and clinical medicine (has symptoms). And all of this is in a concise formulation, following a meter called rajaz that lends itself easily to memorization. In fact, so effective was the poems ability to convey medical knowledge that its Latin translation which was devoid of its aesthetic qualities was nonetheless studied for many centuries at medical schools in medieval Europe. Is medical poetry an archaic genre, destined to be lost to time? Or are there opportunities to bring anew its relevance and application in modern times? Of course, medical knowledge has expanded so much that a fully comprehensive work would be impossible. But what has been lost in comprehensiveness is gained in detail: Today, there are many information-rich topics that are open to the creativity of any poetically-inclined physician. As for the formal aspects of Arabic medical poetry, the features of the rajaz meter are easily transferable into English. Each line is divided into halves called hemistiches, each of which conserves the same meter and rhyme scheme. In my own practice as a psychotherapist, I have developed several rajaz-like verses in order to keep diagnostic criteria in mind. The following covers depression: For depression at least one of two / loss of interest or a lowered mood And then some of these symptoms combined / so in total they make at least five Changes in appetite or in weight / sleeping too much or staying awake Agitation or movements are slow / high fatigue or the energys low Thoughts of guilt or of not having worth / trouble concentrating on their work And the last one is thinking to die / either thoughts about it or to try And the symptoms continue at least / a duration of time of two weeks Like Ibn Sinas rajaz, this short verse keeps a consistent meter (triplets) with doublet rhyming. It contains the necessary criteria for a major depressive episode, including its chronicity. Ultimately, it is intended as a shorthand: a catchy rule-of-thumb that I can use to arrive at a diagnosis. As for medical diagnoses, heres what a portion of a verse about hyponatremia might look like, taken from the clinical recommendations of Braun et al. (2015): If the sodium level declines / so its lower than 135 Then you know right away when youve seen it / that the patient is hyponatremic And the follow-up test has to be / for the serum osmolality If the patient is measuring low / meaning 280 points or below The condition is called hypotonic / and that means that its true and its honest And the follow-up test you should do / is to check the TBW If the patient is measuring high / but the total sodium is fine Then the fluids may just have appeared / from an overabundance of beer Or there arent appropriate rates / Of secretion of the ADH Between mental and physical health diagnoses, health care providers can find many topics that lend themselves to the art form of medical poetry. It takes art to practice medicine. But medicine itself, as a subject matter, can inspire art and moreover, art that serves educational needs. The didactic poetry of medieval Islamic physicians, most notably that of Ibn Sina, give us a nice template to express medical knowledge through verses: for the enjoyment of the creator, the memorization of students, or purely aesthetic interests. For poetically-inclined readers, I offer the following: Lets work to revive the lost art of medical poetry, which reached its pinnacle in the Islamic tradition, and find catchy aesthetic expressions of medical knowledge. Farid Alsabeh is a clinical psychologist. IFA President Tim Cullinan said its very concerning that more than one in three pork products in the Irish foodservice sector doesnt come from Irish pigmeat. The results of the Irish Foodservice DNA Verified Survey for 2022, launched in the Irish Farm Centre today, indicate a clear gap between the support that retailers show for the Irish pig sector (97%) compared to that of foodservice, where 39% of their pork products tested as non-assigned for Irish pigmeat. Irish foodservice is not supporting the Irish pigmeat sector. They must now come forward and close the gap on the benchmark which Irish retailers have set, Tim Cullinan said. The Irish pig sector continues to experience turbulent times, and the results of this survey highlight where the support must come from to help pig farms overcome the 18 months of decline in price, he said. With 582 samples tested across 2022, over one quarter of the samples tested as non-assignments of Irish pigmeat. 181 samples were tested from retailers, with 97% of those samples coming back as assignments of Irish pigmeat. The remaining 401 samples were tested from the Irish foodservice, which included 34 individual outlets. Its estimated that these companies have a combined reach of 2,600 locations nationwide. In late 2021, the IFA National Pigs Committee, led by the Chair Roy Gallie, initiated a farmer-led DNA testing scheme of the foodservice sector. The purpose of this testing was to indicate areas of foodservice that had room to improve. While this is just year one verified testing, the results of the have confirmed our suspicions that the foodservice sector is not supportive of Irish product, Roy Gallie said. The survey also showed the breakdown of pork products being offered by the foodservice outlets and how they ranked, with premium cuts of pork testing the best at 85%. Ham came in next at 65%, with typical breakfast products such as rashers and bacon testing at only 55%. Some results have identified cases where businesses advertise product as Irish, but when tested, this is proven to be false and this is hugely disappointing. These companies are marketing themselves off the back of the high-standards of production which Irish pig farms hold, and for them to undermine that label is unacceptable, Roy Gallie stated. We have written to a number of businesses on the matter and have plans to further increase the testing over the coming weeks and months, he said. Bord Bias Irish Foodservice 2022 Report indicates that foodservice is expected to grow over 11% in value in 2023. The report also highlighted that circa 60% of adults want to have an offering of food that is locally sourced/produced available to them. It is important that we engage with foodservice businesses now to raise the concerns of Irish pig farmers and highlight the glaring differences between the retail and foodservice figures. In doing so, we want to encourage the procurement of Irish pigmeat products within the foodservice sector to help bridge this gap, and would ask that businesses make a conscious effort to buy Irish, Roy Gallie said. As he stepped into a Royal Air Force C-17 transport plane on August 19, 2021, while chaos swallowed Kabul, Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat had a thought: What if he stayed behind and took his men into Kabul to kill as many Taliban fighters as they could? The decision would likely have meant death for him and his troops. Ultimately, he boarded the plane. Sadat was among thousands of people airlifted out of Afghanistan that tumultuous and bloody month, when America ended its 20-year military presence in the country after the Taliban took control of Kabul following a swift and furious march across the country. The Afghan National Army disintegrated much quicker than intelligence services assumed and the NATO-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan collapsed soon after. Sadat remembers being horrified and humiliated. But, mostly, he remembers dragging the empty shell of his body into the aircraft. "I left my soul behind," he tells the Denver Gazette. Sadat was the commander of Afghan Special Operations and frequently fought alongside coalition special forces. As he left Afghanistan for medical treatment in the United Kingdom, the Taliban moved into Kabul, undoing 20 years of NATO-led coalition work in the nation. Of the 122,000 evacuated from Afghanistan in what's known as the Kabul Airlift, about 2,000 now call Denver home. Denver began welcoming Afghan refugees in December 2021, and, out of war, a vibrant community emerged half a world away. The best and happiest community of Afghans we have met so far were in Denver and Utah, Sami says, a few days after joining a panel organized by Metropolitan State University of Denver. We are grateful, and Afghans will never forget the great welcome and the support that US citizens provided to them in those dark times, he adds. Veterans: Efforts to get allies out of Afghan lacking Sgt. 1st Class Tom Kasza, a Special Forces engineer sergeant, known to the Army as an 18c, had to leave 17 of his soldiers behind when the NATO-backed government fell. Kasza was responsible for leading a team to clear improvised explosive devices. To date, he has managed to get three of his men out through a nonprofit, called the 1208 Foundation, that offers aid and immigration assistance to surviving members of the National Mine Reduction Group and other Afghans who served with American special forces operators. Other Green Berets were successful in getting some of their guys out. I was not, Kasza tells The Denver Gazette. (The rescues) have all been internally funded. These guys are eligible for the special immigrant visa. However, everything else we had to do for them was all on us. The rapid fall of the NATO-backed government and the chaotic evacuation that ensued left thousands of Afghan allies stranded in the country. Last year, a group that advocates for fast-tracking the work to get Afghan allies out to safety estimated that at least 78,000 were left behind. In its April 2023 report, the Association of Wartime Allies paints a direr picture, in which Afghan allies trapped in the country face years-long bureaucratic delays of processing of Special Immigrant Visa applications. "There is a pervasive sense of betrayal and abandonment felt by many Afghans who feel that they have been left to fend for themselves in a very dangerous situation," the group says, citing testimonials. As he watched 20 years of work in Afghanistan disintegrate over the course of a few weeks, Kasza couldnt quite comprehend exactly what he saw. In one aspect, it was simply just surreal, he said. That sense of numbness just morphed into a lot of enduring anger over the last 20 months. Kasza was critical of American leadership, saying theyve largely abandoned Afghanistan to its fate, leaving it to nonprofits, such as the 1208 Foundation to try and pick up the slack. But those organizations can't do this forever, Kasza said. Brig. Gen. Khosh Sadat he and Sami are not related warned that many of the things that preceded the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and others are now again happening in Afghanistan. And he fears though he hopes it won't happen another attack may take place, recalling the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole and other terrorist activities in the 1990s. The U.S. got out because in the Doha Deal, the Taliban promised to them on paper that they will not allow anybody to attack the United States. Im amazed how much trust is put there, he said. The Taliban are not 10 feet tall, where they can just find out in which valley, in which village, any foreign terrorist group is planning attacks. The Doha Agreement, signed by President Donald Trump and the Taliban in 2020, served as the first step in a peace agreement between the parties. It also required Afghan fighters loyal to the government to stop fighting the Taliban, something Khosh Sadat and others were none too keen to do. Negotiations with the Taliban began in 2019, and Khosh Sadat said they were not offered a seat at the table. "That's when the betrayal started," he said. "There's a lot of examples of the betrayal, but the most important one was putting pressure on us to not fight the Taliban." Sami Sadat agreed, saying the agreement removed the strategic deterrence in their region. Countries such as China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan knew not to interfere with the Afghan government, so long as a coalition forces remained in the region, he said. Once the U.S. began to leave, "they started empowering our enemies," he said. A 'Golden era' lost, a generation deprived of a future The immediate focus by veterans and refugees is how to get allies still trapped in the once-again-Taliban-occupied nation. The economy is in free-fall. Womens rights have gone back to the eighth century at best. Institutions are crumbled and theres a massive brain drain going on, Kasza said. But we are trying to highlight to the world at large that there is a little ember that needs some care and attention but can still come back into existence. Afghanistan's youth grew up in a world that was free of the Taliban, they noted. Sami Sadat said the countrys eyes had been opened, and it was connected to the rest of the world. During the occupation, boys and girls went to school in Afghanistan, the country traded with other countries, and its citizens traveled to the outside world. This was the best thing that could have happened to us in the last 50 years, Sami Sadat said. Our era, compared to the Taliban, looks like a golden era. Although with the war and everything, there was freedom, there were jobs, there were people who had the work opportunities ... You could live a decent life in Afghanistan. Sami Sadat acknowledged that, before the fall, there was fighting in the suburbs, countryside and remote villages, but the cities were largely becoming metropolitan. The society of Afghanistan completely transformed for the better during those 20 years, he said. The Taliban rolled all of that back as its forces steamrolled into Kabul and the Afghan government fled. Khosh and Sami lamented that this younger generation of Afghans was never given the chance to take the reins of their country's leadership. The U.S. government spent a significant amount of money training junior officers, they noted. But where the investment in young leaders and junior officers paid off, the investment in government leadership did not, they said. Whether corruption, nepotism or incompetence, Khosh said certain political leaders hindered Afghanistans progress. Some of the partners were not genuine partners toward the people of Afghanistan or towards the United States, he said. That really resulted in breaking the morale on the frontline. Both generals also lamented the tendency of the central government to appoint people, themselves included, to different roles at will. Often neither general was able to fully settle into his new role before being transferred to another. In contrast, they said, U.S. personnel can spend a significant amount of time in a role, giving them ample opportunities to get to know their unit before receiving a new assignment. But the blame does not entirely fall on the Afghan government the United States played a significant role, as well, they said. Part of the problem was a disconnect between the White House and the Pentagon, where a new administration could come in and undo the work of the previous president, giving new missions to military leaders regardless of how much progress had been made with prior ones, they said. Another, they added, was a general lack of attempted cooperation between service members and the indigenous population. This is something that sets special forces apart, Kasza said, as they place a high premium on working with and through the locals. Theres a fundamental misunderstanding about the culture and how deeply entrenched some of these norms were especially within rural villages, he said. We put an 18-20-year-old kid in peoples backyards and didnt understand the impact of that offense, which came back to bite us in the long term. Despite being exiles, the two generals look to the future of their country with a sense of hope. Both want to return. The first big step in Sami Sadat's mind is restoring Afghanistan's democratic constitution, which was adopted in 2004. He sees a bright future for his country as a trade hub, noting Afghanistan has significant mineral deposits and oil and gas reserves that can make the country a worldwide player. "We want to utilize that and make Afghanistan prosperous and return the lost respect to our country, so our citizens can feel this is their home," he said. "Nobody is running away, everybody can live at peace, make money, go to schools and live in our country." The Herald reports: A mental health patient at Auckland Hospital was made to wait 94 hours in the emergency department because there were no beds available in the psychiatric unit, according to a damning internal email obtained by the Weekend Herald. The nearly four-day delay was the longest any patient, under ANY service, has ever waited for an inpatient bed in our department, a senior emergency doctor told hospital executives in an email on March 29, soon after the person was finally admitted to the adult mental health ward. Anecdotally, it may be the longest ever stay for a MH [mental health] patient in any new zealand ED, the doctor said. Two other acutely unwell patients were marooned in ED at the same time. They waited 58 and 65 hours to be admitted to Te Whetu Tawera, the 58-bed inpatient psychiatric facility, the email said. President Joe Biden announced on May 5 that Neera Tanden will succeed Susan Rice as the White House domestic policy adviser. BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $4.60-$5.15 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.88. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.10 billion-$17.90 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $17.23 billion. BorgWarner also updated its FY23 guidance to $4.60-5.15 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have weighed in on BWA. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of BorgWarner from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com lowered shares of BorgWarner from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of BorgWarner from $58.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Friday. Bank of America lowered shares of BorgWarner from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $78.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of BorgWarner from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $52.64. Get BorgWarner alerts: BorgWarner Trading Up 4.2 % BWA stock traded up $1.81 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $44.61. 3,744,584 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,037,698. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. BorgWarner has a 52-week low of $31.14 and a 52-week high of $51.14. The company has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.41. The stocks fifty day moving average is $47.90 and its 200-day moving average is $44.43. BorgWarner Dividend Announcement BorgWarner ( NYSE:BWA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The auto parts company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $4.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.16 billion. BorgWarner had a net margin of 5.97% and a return on equity of 14.85%. BorgWarners quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.05 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that BorgWarner will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.52%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. BorgWarners dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.63%. Insider Transactions at BorgWarner In related news, CAO Tonit M. Calaway sold 14,026 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.59, for a total value of $695,549.34. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 40,875 shares in the company, valued at $2,026,991.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other BorgWarner news, CAO Tonit M. Calaway sold 6,889 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.87, for a total transaction of $350,443.43. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 28,105 shares in the company, valued at $1,429,701.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Tonit M. Calaway sold 14,026 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.59, for a total value of $695,549.34. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 40,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,026,991.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 100,707 shares of company stock valued at $5,027,503 over the last three months. 0.45% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BorgWarner Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 25.2% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 371,687 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $14,458,000 after acquiring an additional 74,902 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 86.7% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 22,086 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $859,000 after acquiring an additional 10,257 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 23.1% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 65,231 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $2,537,000 after acquiring an additional 12,257 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 6.6% in the first 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 acquiring an additional 1,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 1.8% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 46,314 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,802,000 after acquiring an additional 840 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.44% of the companys stock. BorgWarner Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BorgWarner Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BorgWarner and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of City Office REIT (NYSE:CIO Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. Separately, B. Riley lowered their target price on shares of City Office REIT from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 27th. Get City Office REIT alerts: City Office REIT Price Performance CIO stock opened at $5.18 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $6.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.48. City Office REIT has a 52-week low of $5.08 and a 52-week high of $14.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.47, a PEG ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 2.48 and a current ratio of 2.48. City Office REIT Cuts Dividend Institutional Investors Weigh In On City Office REIT The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.72%. City Office REITs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 470.62%. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd boosted its position in shares of City Office REIT by 25.3% in the second quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 4,736 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 957 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of City Office REIT by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 13,281 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $111,000 after buying an additional 1,107 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of City Office REIT by 22.3% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 6,571 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $116,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in City Office REIT by 23.6% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 7,533 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 1,437 shares during the period. Finally, Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in City Office REIT by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 41,142 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $345,000 after buying an additional 1,589 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.80% of the companys stock. City Office REIT Company Profile (Get Rating) City Office REIT, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It focuses on acquiring, owning and operating office properties located primarily in metropolitan areas in the Southern and Western United States. The company was founded on November 26, 2013 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More Receive News & Ratings for City Office REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for City Office REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ESAB (NYSE:ESAB Get Rating) had its price target upped by Stifel Nicolaus from $73.00 to $75.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of ESAB from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Bank of America began coverage on shares of ESAB in a report on Monday, March 20th. They set a neutral rating and a $63.00 target price for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of ESAB from $68.00 to $70.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $66.00. Get ESAB alerts: ESAB Stock Up 3.2 % ESAB stock opened at $60.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $58.54 and a 200 day moving average of $52.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.65 billion and a PE ratio of 18.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. ESAB has a 52 week low of $32.12 and a 52 week high of $63.32. ESAB Announces Dividend ESAB ( NYSE:ESAB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.11. ESAB had a net margin of 7.61% and a return on equity of 18.50%. The company had revenue of $684.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $622.26 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.17 EPS. ESABs revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that ESAB will post 3.94 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. ESABs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.08%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Christopher M. Hix sold 837 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.62, for a total value of $48,227.94. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,644 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,111,427.28. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other ESAB news, Director Christopher M. Hix sold 4,721 shares of ESAB stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.65, for a total transaction of $272,165.65. Following the sale, the director now owns 41,363 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,384,576.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Christopher M. Hix sold 837 shares of ESAB stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.62, for a total transaction of $48,227.94. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 36,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,111,427.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,977 shares of company stock valued at $647,322. 7.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESAB Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESAB. Truist Financial Corp acquired a new position in shares of ESAB during the 1st quarter valued at about $263,000. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its position in shares of ESAB by 12.6% during the 1st quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 24,776 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,464,000 after acquiring an additional 2,770 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of ESAB by 22.5% during the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 8,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $502,000 after acquiring an additional 1,563 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ESAB during the 1st quarter valued at about $9,565,000. Finally, Granite Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of ESAB during the 1st quarter valued at about $18,580,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.23% of the companys stock. ESAB Company Profile (Get Rating) ESAB Corporation engages in the formulation, development, manufacture, and supply of consumable products and equipment for use in cutting, joining, and automated welding, as well as gas control equipment. Its comprehensive range of welding consumables includes electrodes, cored and solid wires, and fluxes using a range of specialty and other materials; and cutting consumables comprising electrodes, nozzles, shields, and tips. Read More Receive News & Ratings for ESAB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ESAB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG Get Rating) in a report released on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the information services providers stock. Phoenix New Media Price Performance FENG opened at $2.71 on Thursday. Phoenix New Media has a 1-year low of $2.10 and a 1-year high of $5.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 2.39. The business has a 50 day moving average of $2.32 and a 200-day moving average of $2.81. Get Phoenix New Media alerts: Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 13th. The information services provider reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $32.47 million during the quarter. Phoenix New Media had a negative return on equity of 9.47% and a negative net margin of 15.01%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Phoenix New Media Company Profile An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Phoenix New Media stock. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Phoenix New Media Limited ( NYSE:FENG Get Rating ) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 21,805 shares of the information services providers stock, valued at approximately $58,000. (Get Rating) Phoenix New Media Ltd. is engaged in the provision of media and advertising services through internet, mobile, and television channels. It also provides mobile internet and value-add, and video value-added services. It operates under the Net Advertising Services and Paid Services. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Beijing, China. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix New Media Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix New Media and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $4.40-4.80 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.40. Royal Caribbean Cruises also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $4.40-$4.80 EPS. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently issued reports on RCL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Friday, April 28th. They set an overweight rating and a $94.00 price target on the stock. William Blair restated an outperform rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Thursday. Bank of America upgraded shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price target for the company from $40.00 to $78.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $88.00 to $100.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $78.00 to $88.00 in a report on Friday. Five investment 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, Royal Caribbean Cruises has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $82.77. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance RCL stock opened at $75.61 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.41. The company has a market capitalization of $19.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.58 and a beta of 2.43. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 12 month low of $31.09 and a 12 month high of $76.30. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $65.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.30. Institutional Trading of Royal Caribbean Cruises Royal Caribbean Cruises ( NYSE:RCL Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.71) by $0.48. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.82 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a negative net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 25.86%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 172.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($4.57) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year. Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of RCL. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,553 shares of the companys stock worth $968,000 after buying an additional 2,068 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 30,004 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,514,000 after purchasing an additional 1,861 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 35,806 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,000,000 after purchasing an additional 818 shares during the period. Aviva PLC boosted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 54,096 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,532,000 after purchasing an additional 21,415 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential PLC bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 1st quarter valued at $300,000. 74.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile (Get Rating) Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise company, which engages in the ownership and operation of the following global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The firm also holds interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $4.40-4.80 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $3.40. Royal Caribbean Cruises also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $4.40-$4.80 EPS. Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Up 5.2 % Shares of RCL opened at $75.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.41, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.26. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 1 year low of $31.09 and a 1 year high of $76.30. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $65.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.30. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.71) by $0.48. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a negative return on equity of 25.86% and a negative net margin of 9.72%. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($4.57) earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 172.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 4.8 EPS for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $65.00 to $71.00 in a report on Friday. Barclays lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $88.00 to $100.00 in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $86.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Royal Caribbean Cruises from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $82.77. Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 63.1% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 742 shares of the companys stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 38.5% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 928 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 17.4% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the companys stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 1,495 shares of the companys stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 527.8% during the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 1,651 shares of the companys stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 1,388 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.27% of the companys stock. About Royal Caribbean Cruises (Get Rating) Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise company, which engages in the ownership and operation of the following global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The firm also holds interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Get Rating) by 11.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 21,969 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,299 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLCs holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $1,397,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KO. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.7% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 301,952,085 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,915,357,000 after purchasing an additional 4,994,047 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Coca-Cola by 61.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 10,764,084 shares of the companys stock worth $667,373,000 after acquiring an additional 4,095,881 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in Coca-Cola by 141.0% in the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 6,834,434 shares of the companys stock worth $382,865,000 after acquiring an additional 3,998,128 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 363,258,425 shares of the companys stock worth $20,349,737,000 after acquiring an additional 3,864,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in Coca-Cola in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $169,838,000. 68.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Coca-Cola alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $69.00 price objective on Coca-Cola in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Coca-Cola presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $67.80. Insider Activity at Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Stock Up 0.5 % In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 34,875 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total value of $2,103,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 351,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $21,216,775.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In other Coca-Cola news, SVP Nancy Quan sold 74,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.71, for a total value of $4,344,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 219,790 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,903,870.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CEO James Quincey sold 34,875 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total transaction of $2,103,660.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 351,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $21,216,775.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders sold 305,296 shares of company stock valued at $18,906,171. Insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. KO opened at $64.02 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.45. The Coca-Cola Company has a 52 week low of $54.01 and a 52 week high of $66.38. The company has a market capitalization of $276.86 billion, a PE ratio of 28.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The company reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.69% and a return on equity of 42.96%. The business had revenue of $11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. Coca-Colas payout ratio is 80.70%. Coca-Cola Profile (Get Rating) The Coca-Cola Co engages in the manufacturing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Global Ventures, and Bottling Investments. The company was founded by Asa Griggs Candler on May 8, 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW Get Rating) had its price target reduced by Stifel Nicolaus from $240.00 to $236.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Illinois Tool Works in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Citigroup boosted their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $250.00 to $227.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $174.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $222.00 to $255.00 in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Illinois Tool Works has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $228.21. Get Illinois Tool Works alerts: Illinois Tool Works Stock Up 1.4 % NYSE ITW opened at $230.31 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. The stocks 50 day moving average is $234.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $228.03. The company has a market capitalization of $70.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.03, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.10. Illinois Tool Works has a 1-year low of $173.52 and a 1-year high of $253.37. Illinois Tool Works Dividend Announcement Illinois Tool Works ( NYSE:ITW Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.98 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 92.13% and a net margin of 19.27%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.11 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works will post 9.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. Illinois Tool Workss payout ratio is 52.40%. Institutional Trading of Illinois Tool Works Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Spire Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 39.8% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 3,055 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $673,000 after acquiring an additional 870 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 52,903 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $11,653,000 after acquiring an additional 870 shares during the last quarter. Balentine LLC grew its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Balentine LLC now owns 5,063 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,115,000 after buying an additional 1,043 shares during the period. CX Institutional grew its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 77.6% in the 4th quarter. CX Institutional now owns 2,092 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $461,000 after buying an additional 914 shares during the period. Finally, Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 1,267 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.83% of the companys stock. Illinois Tool Works Company Profile (Get Rating) Illinois Tool Works, Inc engages in the manufacture of industrial products and equipment. It operates through the following segments: Automotive OEM, Test and Measurement and Electronics, Food Equipment, Polymers and Fluids, Welding, Construction Products, and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment produces components and fasteners for automotive-related applications. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Illinois Tool Works Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Illinois Tool Works and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI Get Rating) in a research report released on Thursday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. China Pharma Stock Down 8.2 % NYSE CPHI opened at $0.35 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $2.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.43 and a beta of 0.49. China Pharma has a fifty-two week low of $0.29 and a fifty-two week high of $4.15. Get China Pharma alerts: China Pharma Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Articles China Pharma Holdings, Inc engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products. The firms product portfolio includes Central Nervous System (CNS) and Cerebral-Cardiovascular Diseases, Anti-infection and Respiratory Diseases, Digestive Diseases, Comprehensive Healthcare, and Protective Products. Receive News & Ratings for China Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abbrea Capital LLC boosted its holdings in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) by 23.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 5,716 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 1,078 shares during the quarter. Abbrea Capital LLCs holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Madison Wealth Management boosted its stake in Charles Schwab by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Madison Wealth Management now owns 114,186 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $9,507,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ boosted its stake in Charles Schwab by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 291,457 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $24,267,000 after purchasing an additional 6,578 shares during the period. Founders Financial Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 15,961 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,329,000 after buying an additional 771 shares during the period. Glenview Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 11,231 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $935,000 after buying an additional 964 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 90,059 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,498,000 after buying an additional 2,565 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.49% of the companys stock. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have issued reports on SCHW. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $61.00 to $56.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 14th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $81.50 to $67.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $53.00 to $51.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Charles Schwab presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $69.21. Insider Activity at Charles Schwab Charles Schwab Stock Performance In other Charles Schwab news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at approximately $533,844.48. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other news, President Richard A. Wurster purchased 2,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $54.39 per share, for a total transaction of $108,780.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 101,391 shares in the company, valued at $5,514,656.49. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, Director Marianne Catherine Brown purchased 5,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $53.47 per share, for a total transaction of $267,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,984 shares of the companys stock, valued at $533,844.48. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders have acquired 81,000 shares of company stock valued at $4,706,960 and have sold 426,866 shares valued at $34,245,329. 6.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. NYSE:SCHW opened at $49.24 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average is $57.02 and its 200-day moving average is $71.68. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 52-week low of $45.00 and a 52-week high of $86.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.38. The company has a market cap of $88.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.45, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.88. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $5.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 34.82% and a return on equity of 27.36%. The businesss revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year. Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.03%. Charles Schwabs payout ratio is currently 27.32%. Charles Schwab Company Profile (Get Rating) The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. From delivering babies to saving lives in emergency rooms, nurses perform countless difficult and sometimes heartbreaking duties each day. They risk their lives to help others. They worked long hours, day and night, helping the sick and their families. "Nurses and healthcare workers were heroes long before the COVID-19 pandemic," said Alabama editor Sarah Robinson, who oversees the Dothan Eagle and Opelika-Auburn News. "We join the Wiregrass community in recognizing their dedication to the countless people they serve daily." As we enter National Nurses Week, we honor winners of Dothan Eagle's "Nurses: The Hearth of Health Care" initiative. In February, we asked the public to nominate nurses or health care professionals who have gone above and beyond to make a significant impact in the lives of others. Our winners earned the most votes. Cherry & Irwin Trial Lawyers sponsored the effort. Here are the stories behind our Heart of Health Care honorees: Editor's note: Carol Tucker, a nurse at Medical Center Enterprise, was also named as an honoree. She was not available for an interview. Vectors Research Management LLC reduced its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Get Rating) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 19,971 shares of the retailers stock after selling 427 shares during the period. Vectors Research Management LLCs holdings in Walmart were worth $2,832,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fiduciary Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $443,000. Spotlight Asset Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $536,000. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 77.9% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 20,181 shares of the retailers stock worth $2,862,000 after purchasing an additional 8,840 shares in the last quarter. PFS Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $355,000. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $17,529,000. 31.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Walmart alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Walmart from $157.00 to $161.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Walmart from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Walmart in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Walmart from $164.00 to $169.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $165.09. Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart Walmart Stock Performance In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.37, for a total value of $1,382,127.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,371,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $195,330,785.78. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In other news, major shareholder Jim C. Walton sold 852,215 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.26, for a total transaction of $122,940,535.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 266,841,420 shares in the company, valued at $38,494,543,249.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.37, for a total value of $1,382,127.96. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,371,994 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $195,330,785.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders sold 21,044,002 shares of company stock worth $2,981,168,308. 47.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Shares of NYSE:WMT traded up $1.30 during trading on Friday, hitting $151.77. 4,845,491 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,477,839. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $409.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.48. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $117.27 and a 1-year high of $154.64. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $145.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $144.84. Walmart (NYSE:WMT Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The retailer reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $164.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $158.67 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 20.45% and a net margin of 1.91%. Walmarts revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.53 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 6.06 EPS for the current fiscal year. Walmart Dividend Announcement 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 given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. Walmarts payout ratio is 53.27%. About Walmart (Get Rating) 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A deadly car crash in front of a Brownsville, Texas, homeless shelter, which has been housing migrants for months, has left at least seven people dead and injured several others, according to the Brownsville Police Public Information Officer. CNN's Rosa Flores reports. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Meet nurse Brandon Skinner Who has been a mentor to you and helped you in your career? Laura Inman, the charge nurse on the med-surg ward at WMC when I started working here took me under her wing. Whats a moment that youre most proud of as a nurse? Graduating from nursing school and earning a bachelors degree." What is it about the Wiregrass Medical Center community that makes you enjoy serving the people here? This is home." What helps you get through the day? Just remembering that I can only do what I can do. I do my best. My best is all Ive got. Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Democratic Progressive Azad Party president Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said abrogation of Article 370 has ended terrorism and stone pelting from the erstwhile State. "There are many things that the centre should not have done here like removing Article 370, it was not in the interest of the people here but one thing is for sure, it has ended terrorism and stone pelting. The incidents that happened in Rajouri and Poonch are a matter of concern. Terrorism is not in anyone's interest," Azad told reporters here. Also Read | Kerala Boat Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 15 in Malappuram Boat Capsize Incident. Meanwhile, a massive search operation which began on Friday to hunt down terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri continued on Sunday. "Search operation to track down terrorists underway in the Kandi area of Rajouri," officials said. Also Read | Kerala Boat Tragedy: Tourist Boat Capsizes Off Tanur Coast in Malappuram, Six Dead; Rescue Operation Underway (Watch Video). A total of five soldiers lost their lives in the anti-terror operation in the Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri on May 5. The five soldiers were killed during the anti-terror 'Operation Trinetra' of the Indian Army with Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). On Saturday, one terrorist was neutralised and one was injured in a fresh exchange of fire in Kandi, Rajouri district."One terrorist was neutralised and one likely injured" in a fresh exchange of fire in Kandi in the early hours of Saturday," Army officials said. Moreover, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 6 reached Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district to review the security situation amid the ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Kandi forest area. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Imphal (Manipur) [India], May 7 (ANI): Assam Rifles has successfully rescued 188 employees of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) stranded in violence-hit Manipur and shifted them to safer places in Mizoram, an official statement said As per the Assam Rifles' press release on Saturday, the NHIDCL has requested the paramilitary force to assist in evacuating stranded employees to a safer place. Also Read | Reel Madness Continues! Youngsters Flaunt Weapons, Perform Dangerous Stunts on Vehicles, Play With Lives for 15 Seconds of Fame. "On May 6, Assam Rifles (AR) Battalion under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), proactively reacted to the request of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited representatives whose movement was stopped by locals of Sinzawl village owing to the situation in Manipur," the statement said. "Though the locals did not pose a physical threat to the employees, the blockade was imposed by some local leaders. The blockade caused extreme psychological tension to the employees and their families," it said. Also Read | Wrestlers Protest: Delhi Police Put Barricades, Dumpers at Singhu Border Ahead of Farmers' Call To Protest in Favour of Wrestlers (Watch Video). The statement said that AR's Aizawl Batallion reacted swiftly by launching rescue columns from their nearest operating bases. "The officers of AR coordinated with the VCP of nearby villages of the incidence of location and leaders of CYMA, MZP(Mizo Zarlai Pawl), and with locals of Sinzawl village in resolving the situation thereby preventing the problem from going out of control. The 188 NHIDCL workers were evacuated safely to nearby operating bases and given food and shelter. Though the villagers of Mimbung blocked the road, the issue was resolved amicably," read the statement further. "Assam Rifles appreciate the mature and timely action of VCPs, local leaders of villages of both sides and CYMA and MZP office bearers which resulted in peacefully resolving the issue of shifting stranded employees from the sensitive area of Manipur to safer places in Mizoram," read the statement. "Such showcasing of compassionate behaviour on humanitarian grounds will go a long way and as a role model during tense situation prevalent in Manipur," the Assam Rifles statement added. Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said. The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. "The situation has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhaderwah (J&K), May 7 (PTI) Tightening the noose around local terrorists operating from Pakistan, the state investigation agency (SIA) has executed proclamation proceedings against a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Mohammad Hussain Khateeb, a resident of Bhaderwah town who is presently based in Pakistan, has been given 30 days to appear before the court to face trial in a terror funding case, failing which his property will be attached, an official said. Also Read | Delhi Weather Forecast and Update Today: National Capital Records Minimum Temperature of 21.4 Degrees Celsius, IMD Predicts Light Rain at Few Places. Khateeb is wanted by the SIA in a terror funding case of last year, also involving former minister Jateinder Singh alias Babu Singh who is presently lodged at Central jail in Kot Bhalwal Jammu. Singh, chairman of Nature-Mankind Friendly Global Party, was arrested on April 9, last year, 10 days after he went underground following the arrest of his worker Mohammad Shareef Shah, a resident of south Kashmir's Kokernag, along with Rs 6.90 lakh hawala money in Jammu. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi's Brother Pankaj Modi, Family Members Perform 'Pind Daan' for Parents at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi (Watch Video). On September 24, the SIA filed a charge sheet against three persons, including Singh and Khateeb, in the court of third additional session judge Jammu. Three supplementary charge sheets were subsequently filed against nine more accused persons. Of the total accused, nine are facing trial while three, including Khateeb, are absconding. The SIA said the former minister was allegedly in contact with Khateeb over encrypted social media applications and had clandestinely visited Dubai for arranging funds. Shah was designated as Secretary of this party, who received these funds in Kashmir through an unknown person and travelled to Jammu to handover these funds to Babu Singh and this fund was arranged by Khateeb, who is a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist operating from Pakistan, the official said. Executing the proclamation proceedings under section 82 of the CrPC against Khateeb, the SIA affixed posters of the absconding accused at his residence at Masjid Mohalla in Bhaderwah and other conspicuous places. Khateeb has been granted a period of 30 days by the court in its proclamation order to appear before it to face trial. If the accused fails to appear before the court within the period of 30 days, proceedings under Section 83 CrPC shall be launched against him and his property will be attached, an official said. He said the proceedings were conducted in presence of respectable persons of the vicinity where Khateeb's family is putting up. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 7 (ANI): Amid the ongoing debate over the 'The Kerala Story' film, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda will attend a special screening of the movie on Sunday in Karnataka's Bengaluru where he is campaigning for the party for the upcoming Assembly polls. The BJP chief will attend the screening at 8.45 pm in the Garuda Mall. Also Read | What Is ONDC or Open Network for Digital Commerce? All You Need To Know About ONDC Platform Taking On Food Delivery Giants Swiggy and Zomato. Taking to Twitter, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Tejasvi Surya said, "'The Kerala Story' is an important movie documenting & reflecting social issues of our times, in Kerala & other parts of the country. It has a salient message for our young women. We are inviting young girl students of Bengaluru to join National President of BJP Sri @JPNadda Ji for a special screening of the movie, today evening at 8:45 PM, Inox, Garuda Mall, MG Road." Earlier, while addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 'The Kerala Story' movie is based on a terror conspiracy. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Man Stabbed to Death in Mangolpuri After Altercation Over Snacks; Three Accused Arrested. The Prime Minister said that the film 'The Kerala Story' shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorists' design. He added that the film is based on a terror conspiracy. "'The Kerala Story' film is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorists' design", the PM said. He also hit out at the Congress party and said that Congress has shielded terrorism for the vote bank. "Congress is opposing the film made on terrorism and standing with terror tendencies. Congress has shielded terrorism for the vote bank", PM Modi said. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier said in a statement that the movie was deliberately made with the aim of communal polarisation and to spread hate propaganda against Kerala. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the newly released movie has been made tax-free in the state stating that the 'The Kerala Story' "exposes the conspiracy of love Jihad, religious conversion and terrorism," Helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film has triggered a massive political row with various leaders reacting to the upcoming movie. 'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles. The trailer of Sen's film 'The Kerala Story' came under fire as it claimed that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, ISIS. Faced with backlash the makers then withdrew the figure and called the movie the story of three women from Kerala, in its trailer description. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 7 (ANI): Exuding confidence in Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory in the upcoming Karnataka elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the party will return to power with a full majority. Shah held a mega roadshow in Doddaballapura on Sunday. Also Read | NEET Aspirant Hangs Self on Eve of Exam in Chhattisgarhs Bhilai, Cops Suspect Stress As Trigger. "We will win the elections by full majority or at least half a mark plus 15 seats. In these four years, Yediyurappa and Bommai government has done a lot of work," the Union Home Minister told ANI. The 224-seat Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: I Will Vote for Indira Gandhi's Party, Says Farmer in Gadag. Attacking Congress, Shah further said, "Congress gives false promises everywhere and loses elections. They take support of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) which Karnataka's people do not like and are furious about it." The BJP is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority. Notably, Karnataka is the only State in the South where BJP is in power. Campaigning for the 10 May elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the State. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday. He also held public meetings at Nanjangud in Mysuru and Shivamogga. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Meet nurse Jimmy Huynh Who has been a mentor to you and helped you in your career? "Stacie Holland. She is my director and really helped me learn the ropes when I was a new nurse. Heather Easterwood also played a big part in helping me because she was preceptor." What's a moment that you're most proud of as a nurse? "I was named Flowers' employee of the year in 2022. Shortly after that, I was selected for the Daisy Award after one of my patients wrote an amazing letter about me. Those two achievements kind of brought me back to why I decided to do nursing." What helps you get through the day? "My team here at Flowers and my family. Having that strong support system is crucial." Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], May 7 (ANI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday hit out at the Congress party alleging that it is "dividing" people in the name of caste and religion. "Congress is dividing people in the name of caste and religion but we are asking people to vote for us in the lines of development and people will vote for us," Sawant said here in Belagavi holding a roadshow in poll-bound Karnataka which is scheduled to go to Assembly polls on May 10. Also Read | What Is ONDC or Open Network for Digital Commerce? All You Need To Know About ONDC Platform Taking On Food Delivery Giants Swiggy and Zomato. He further said that the people of Karnataka will elect the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power as the 'double engine' government is working for the development of the state. "The infrastructure development that has taken place in Karnataka is due to the double-engine government. People of Karnataka are going to vote for the lotus symbol," he added. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Man Stabbed to Death in Mangolpuri After Altercation Over Snacks; Three Accused Arrested. As the religious controversy around Lord Hanuman is taking centre stage in this election after Congress' manifesto promised to ban Bajrang Dal, Sawant said that his party will get 10 per cent more votes due to this. "People want Bajrang Bali, definitely people are ready to vote for BJP, we are getting 10 per cent more votes due to this," Goa CM said. The Congress party on Tuesday in its manifesto for the upcoming May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections said it will take "decisive action" as per law including banning organisations like Bajrang Dal, the Popular Front of India and others. The Congress manifesto said the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion. Accusing the Congress of hurling abuses at him Modi earlier on Wednesday, said the people of Karnataka do not support this "black culture" and that they should punish those making abuses by saying 'Jai Bajrangbali' when they cast their vote. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, May 7 (PTI) Security has been beefed up in north Kashmir ahead of a G20 meet in the valley later this month, in view of three back-to-back encounters with militants in which five ultras were killed, officials said on Sunday. Additional security personnel have been deployed on the ground and drones are being used for aerial surveillance, they said. Also Read | Bajrang Dal, VHP to Organise Hanuman Chalisa Chanting Across India on May 9 Day Before Karnataka Assembly Elections. Sniffer dogs are assisting security personnel in checking vehicles at various check points established to prevent movement of militants or explosives, they said. The officials said the security apparatus has been put on a heightened alert as Kashmir will host the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting later this month. Also Read | Navi Mumbai: Woman Dies After Falling From Balcony in Ulwe; Husband, In-Laws Booked for Dowry Harassment and Mental Torture. North Kashmir has witnessed three back-to-back encounters between security forces and militants in the past five days, in which five ultras were killed. Three of these five ultras hailed from south Kashmir. Their presence in north Kashmir, close to Gulmarg tourist resort, has given rise to apprehensions about the possibility of a major terror strike in the valley, the officials said. Police officials said the forces were alert to thwart any possible plan of militants to carry out attacks in the run-up to the event. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Baramulla Amod Ashok Nagpure said the intelligence grid was working very hard and the forces have been able to neutralize the threats. "Our forces are on alert for the summit. Our intelligence agencies are also working hard, our network is very strong. So, we are getting timely information of all the suspicious activities in the area, Nagpure said. He said the security agencies are confident that the summit will pass off peacefully and successfully because of our preparedness. The SSP said the security forces have been able to neutralize the threats as there is a complete synergy among various agencies. The first of these back-to-back encounters in north Kashmir took place on Wednesday as the forces foiled an infiltration bid near the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector, in which two militants were killed. On Thursday, two militants were killed in an encounter in Wanigam Payeen Kreeri area of Baramulla district. A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was killed in an encounter in Karhama Kunzer area of Baramulla on Saturday. While there was a brief lull with no gunfights in the valley over the past few weeks, Wednesday's encounter took place a day after Additional Director General of Police of Kashmir Vijay Kumar had chaired a joint meeting with the officers of police, intelligence agencies and security forces to discuss overall security arrangements for the G20 event. During the meeting, all SSPs were instructed to conduct anti-terrorist operations on specific inputs. The officials were also instructed to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies to gather information about any potential security threats and take necessary actions to neutralise them. While reviewing the security arrangements for the G20 event, the ADGP emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to ensure fool proof security for the summit. The officials also discussed the deployment of security personnel, traffic management, and crowd control measures to be adopted for the peaceful conduct of the summit. The meeting focused on the deployment of security personnel, counter drone measures and other critical aspects of security planning. He directed the officials to ensure that the security arrangements are put in place well before the summit, and the deployment of security personnel should be done in a manner that does not cause inconvenience to the local residents and tourists. The ADGP emphasized the need to be vigilant and take pre-emptive measures to prevent any untoward incident during the summit. Kumar also stressed the importance of river and lake domination in ensuring the security of the summit. He also emphasized the need for the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) to be put in place to provide a strong security cover for the water bodies around the summit venues. He said that an NSG team will be used for counter any fidayeen attack along with Special Operations Group the counter-militancy unit of J-K Police. Specialised NSG teams will be deployed at all venues to check drone activities, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, May 7: The high voltage campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka will come to an end on Monday as all three major political parties in the state -- BJP, Congress and JD(S) -- are busy making their last pitch to woo the voters. The top guns of all the major political parties were on a campaign blitz across the state in the past few days, even as the ruling BJP has been striving to break the 38-year-old pattern of alternating governments and retain its southern citadel. The Congress on its part is working hard to wrest power from the BJP to give itself much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bajrang Dal, VHP to Organise 'Hanuman Chalisa' Chanting Across India on May 9 Day Before Karnataka Assembly Elections. The JD(S) led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda was seen putting all its might into campaigning, wanting to emerge as "king" and not "kingmaker", hoping to get the required numbers to form a government on its own. "Government with full majority" seemed to be the favourite slogan of the leaders of all the political parties during the campaigning for the elections to the 224-member Assembly, as they stressed on getting a clear mandate to form a strong and stable government in the state. While BJP's campaign largely centralised with the focus being on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 'double-engine' government, national issues and programmes or achievements of the union government coupled with a few from the state, the Congress's by and large focused on local issues and was also run by its local leaders initially. However, its central leaders like AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined in subsequently. JD(S) too ran a highly localised campaign, anchored solely by its leader H D Kumaraswamy, with party patriarch Deve Gowda too joining in, despite advanced age and related ailments. Modi's campaign juggernaut in the past one week since April 29 moved steadily ahead with as many as 18 mega public meetings and six road shows so far. The PM canvassed votes for BJP candidates across the state with the poll slogan 'Ee Baariya Nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara' (This Time's Decision: Majority BJP Government). Ahead of the March 29 announcement of polls, Modi had visited the state seven times since January, to unveil several government schemes and projects, and addressed numerous meetings of beneficiaries of the government's various schemes. According to BJP leaders, Modi's campaigning across the state has boosted the party's morale and confidence among the electorate, which they hope will convert into votes and help the party script history in the polls. Union Home Minister Amit Shah too has extensively travelled the state, campaigning and strategising for the polls. "PM and Shah have put Congress on the backfoot in the run-up to the polls," a senior BJP leader said. A number of BJP leaders including party national president J P Nadda, Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states like Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adiyanath, Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma, Madya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa's Pramod Sawant as well as Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Smriti Irani, Nitin Gadkari, among others too have travelled to various parts of the state for campaigning. Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: BJP Will Retain Power in State, Says PM Narendra Modi in Shivamogga. After having faced difficulties in forming the government on its own strength in 2008 and 2018, as it fell short of a majority despite emerging as the single largest party, the BJP is this time hoping for a clear mandate with full majority, and has set a target of winning at least 150 seats. The BJP is making all-out efforts to make inroads into the Old Mysuru region, where traditionally it has been weak. The region has 89 seats, including 28 in Bengaluru, and according to leaders, the party fell short of a majority, getting 110 seats in 2008 and 104 seats in 2018, because of its inability to improve its tally from this belt. For Congress, wresting power from the BJP will be a morale booster, and a key for reviving its electoral fortunes and strengthening its credentials as the main opposition player against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. By winning Karnataka, it also wants to give a momentum of sorts to workers to take on the battle-ready election machinery of the BJP later this year in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Focused on this, the party has been involved in high-stakes campaigning this time. Though the campaign initially centered around state leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, Kharge gave it momentum and thereby prepared the pitch for the party's top leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi to join in. The brother-sister duo extensively travelled the state, challenging the BJP's campaign machinery led by Modi, countering and challenging him on various issues, most importantly on the issue of corruption, while promising to provide a better alternative to Karnataka. During the final days of campaigning, their mother and former AICC president Sonia Gandhi addressed a party rally in Hubballi on Saturday. This poll is also a prestige battle for the grand old party with a Kannadiga Kharge, who hails from Kalaburagi district, at its helm as the national President. The party has set a target of winning 150 seats. Will the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls be a battle of political survival for JD(S) or will the regional party once again emerge as kingmaker, like it did in 2018, in the event of a hung verdict? That is the debate in political circles this time too. Plagued by desertions, internal rifts, and with the image of being a "family party", Gowda's son Kumaraswamy has in a way single-handedly managed the JD(S) campaign across the state, with the aging father taking the back seat. Though 89-year-old Gowda initially stayed away from campaigning due to age-related ailments, he has been travelling and campaigning for JD(S) candidates in the past couple of weeks, especially in the party bastion of Old Mysuru region, making an emotional pitch and countering the Congress and BJP's attacks against his party. Both national parties, BJP and Congress have alleged that JD(S) is the 'B team' of the other, and also that JD(S) was hoping to win just 35-40 seats in order to play a crucial role in government formation in event of a hung Assembly. Despite facing these criticisms, Kumaraswamy has kept to the topics of regional pride and Kannadiga identity in his campaigning, along with issues related to welfare of farmers and poor. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 7 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh reported 24 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed through a bulletin on Sunday. A total of 107 recoveries were made in the past 24 hours. Also Read | Rajasthan Congress Crisis: CM Ashok Gehlot Attacks Sachin Pilot Camp, Asks MLAs To 'Return Rs 10-15 Crore Taken From Union Home Minister Amit Shah'. "No death was reported in the past 24 hours and the active cases in the state stand at 452," the bulletin said. "A total of 533 tests were conducted out of which 377 were RT-PCR tests," it mentioned. Also Read | India TV-CNX Opinion Poll of Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Congress May Emerge As Single Largest Party in Poll-Bound State, but Not Get Majority. Meanwhile, India reported 2,380 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. India's active caseload currently stands at 27,212. As many as 5,188 COVID patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours increasing the total number of recoveries to 4,44,10,738. The recovery rate in the country is 98.75 per cent. The daily positivity rate currently is 1.71 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is 2.38 per cent. Earlier on April 20, in the wake of the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, Dr PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting to assess the situation. During the meeting, a comprehensive presentation was made by Rajesh Bhushan, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare providing an overview of the global COVID-19 situation. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that the Covid-19 pandemic is over as a global health emergency. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, made the announcement while addressing a media briefing on Covid-19 and global health issues. (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, May 7: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Sunday appointed Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education as the new Chief Secretary in Manipur. "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the repatriation of Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education to his parent cadre on the request of the Government of Manipur," Deepti Umashankar, Secretary Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and Establishment Officer said in the letter. Manipur Violence: Central Government Ready for Talks and Settle Issue, Says Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. Vineet Joshi, a 1992 Manipur cadre IAS officer, replaced Dr Rajesh Kumar as the new Chief Secretary. Earlier in February 2022, IAS Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, was appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Copy of Appointment Letter: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the repatriation of Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education to his parent cadre on the request of the Government of Manipur. pic.twitter.com/rfR1E7YlO4 ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023 "Consequent upon relieving of Shri Manoj Ahuja, IAS(OR:1990) from the post of Chairman, CBSE w.e.f 14.02.2022 (A/N) vide office order dated 14.02.2022, the charge of Chairman, CBSE is assigned to Shri Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education in addition to his existing assignments. This issues with the approval of the competent authority," the official order read. The Northeast state has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Manipur Violence: Indian Army, Assam Rifles Rescue 23,000 Civilians; Curfew Partially Relaxed in Churachandpur. Earlier, on May 3, amid the prevailing disquiet and upturn in incidents of violence in the state, the district administration imposed a curfew in Churachandpur district, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing conflict. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Imphal, May 7: Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. As per the statement, no major incidents of violence have been reported since the rescue operation began resulting in the relaxation in the curfew hours which are now from 7 am to 10 am today in Churachandpur. Manipur Violence: Curfew Relaxed in Churachandpur for Few Hours Today To Allow People Buy Essentials. "Ray of hope due to efforts of 120- 125 Army and Assam Rifles columns who are working tirelessly for past 96 hours to rescue civilians across all communities, curb violence and restore normalcy has emerged with no major violence being reported and curfew, therefore being relaxed from 7-10 am today in Churachandpur followed by flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter," the Army statement said. "Total 23000 civilians have been rescued till now and were moved to own operating bases/ military Garrisons," it added. Earlier on May 3, owing to tension over the move to protect forests in the face of resistance from illegal immigrants and also the High Court's direction to include Meitei in scheduled tribes, the district administration imposed a complete curfew in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur. As per the statement, the past 24 hours also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs and redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley. Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. Manipur Violence: CM N Biren Singh Assures Safety and Security of Tripura Students Stuck in State Following Violence During Tribal Solidarity Marches. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said. The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. "The situation has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated Violence had erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 (ANI): A massive search operation which began on Friday to hunt down terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri continued on Sunday. "Search operation to track down terrorists underway in the Kandi area of Rajouri," officials said. Also Read | Delhi: Sikh Widow Alleges 'Love Jihad', Files Case of Rape and Conversion Threat. More details are awaited. A total of five soldiers lost their lives in the anti-terror operation in the Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri on May 5. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: PM Narendra Modi Begins Mega Roadshow in Bengaluru (Watch Video). The five soldiers were killed during the anti-terror 'Operation Trinetra' of the Indian Army with Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF. On Saturday, one terrorist was neutralised and one was injured in a fresh exchange of fire in Kandi, Rajouri district. "One terrorist was neutralised and one likely injured" in a fresh exchange of fire in Kandi in the early hours of Saturday," Army officials said. Moreover, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 6 reached Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district to review the security situation amid the ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Kandi forest area. On his visit to the Army Base Camp in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence Minister reviewed the operational capabilities and security situation along the border. Appreciating the valour of Army troops, Singh said, "Keep your spirits up, you will definitely get success." During his visit, he was briefed on the security situation by senior Army officers for around 40 minutes. He also interacted with troops and appreciated their efforts in securing borders. "India salutes their devotion towards protecting our motherland", the Defence Minister said. He was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Northern Army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and other senior Army officers. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Vijaynagar (Karnataka) [India], May 7 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Sunday urged the people of Karnataka to 'bless' the party by re-electing the double engine government in the state. He said that the continuous support of the people shows their appreciation for the development-oriented policies of the ruling BJP. Also Read | Moradabad Accident: Eight Killed, 15 Hurt As Truck Hits Pickup Van on Dalpatpur Road in Uttar Pradesh. Taking to Twitter, Nadda said, "It was nice to be among people. The continuous support of the people of Karnataka to the BJP shows their appreciation for the development-oriented policies of our government. I appeal to the people to bless us by re-electing the double-engine government with a full majority". https://twitter.com/JPNadda/status/1655217911013990404?s=20 Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: PM Narendra Modi Should Specify Which Engine Got How Much From 40% Commission in Double-Engine Government, Says Rahul Gandhi (Watch Video). Earlier in the day, JP Nadda held a roadshow in Harapanahalli in Karnataka's Vijaynagar district on Sunday. Nadda was seated in a specially designed vehicle. A huge crowd of BJP supporters and party workers surrounded it and escorted the procession. He waved and greeted the crowd lined up on both sides of the road to welcome him. Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held roadshows in Doddaballapura and Belagavi South Assembly constituency during the last leg of campaigning. The Home Minister also exuded confidence in the party getting a full majority in the upcoming polls."We will win the elections by full majority or at least half a mark plus 15 seats. In these four years, Yediyurappa and Bommai government has done a lot of work," the Union Home Minister told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday. He also held public meetings at Nanjangud in Mysuru and Shivamogga. The BJP is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority. Notably, Karnataka is the only State in the South where BJP is in power. Campaigning for the assembly elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the State. The 224-seat Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, May 7 (PTI) Fraudsters have created a fake Facebook account in the name of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Vishwas Nangre Patil and approached his contacts to seek their information and monetary help, a Mumbai police official said on Sunday. Also Read | Reel Madness Continues! Youngsters Flaunt Weapons, Perform Dangerous Stunts on Vehicles, Play With Lives for 15 Seconds of Fame. Patil, posted as the additional director general of Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau, has approached the Mumbai cyber police and lodged a complaint, he said. Also Read | Wrestlers Protest: Delhi Police Put Barricades, Dumpers at Singhu Border Ahead of Farmers' Call To Protest in Favour of Wrestlers (Watch Video). The fake Facebook account has now been deleted. Patil, who is also a motivational speaker, has more than one lakh followers on Facebook. The crime was brought to his notice on Saturday by a contact person from Nashik whom the fraudsters approached. During the probe into the matter, the police found a man posing as Patil demanded his contact person's mobile number and money also, the official said. The contact person suspected something wrong and he immediately approached Patil on his mobile number and alerted him. Patil then alerted all his contacts and lodged a complaint with the cyber police, the official said. Later, Patil in a Facebook post said, "Some fraudster has created fake account on my name and sending random messages to some of my contacts as below. I am taking prompt legal action. But pl do not respond or share any kind of info as it must be attempt to dupe!" The fraudsters were demanding urgent help posing as Patil. The Mumbai Cyber police wrote to Meta Platforms (the company which owns Facebook) and got the fake profile removed, the official said. Later, Patil posted another message on his FB account saying, Thanks to cyber police team, Mumbai for prompt action and getting my fake fb profile account deleted. (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, May 7 (PTI) Two brothers were arrested and a juvenile was apprehended for allegedly stabbing a man to death in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri area on Sunday, police said. The accused have been identified as Jatin (20) and Mohit (19), they said, adding the incident happened in the early hours of the day. Also Read | Odisha: PhD Holder Arrested by STF for Extorting Money From Several Government Officials by Impersonating As Vigilance Officer in Puri. Police said a scuffle broke out between victim Jitender (28) and four others following which they stabbed him. Information about the admission of a man with a stab injury was received from a hospital around 6 am, they said. Also Read | BMTC, KSRTC Not To Operate Their Full Fleet for Passengers on These Dates Due to Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023, Bus Operations To Be Disrupted in Bengaluru. During the inquiry, it was revealed that a reception function of Jitender's brother was organised in a temple. While consuming alcohol with his friends in a in a nearby lane, the victim slapped one of the accused when he refused to bring gutka' for them, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Harendra K Singh said. Angered by this, the accused stabbed the victim in his thigh, he said. Jitender was taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was further referred to a private hospital where he succumbed owing to excessive bleeding, the DCP said. The experts of the Forensic Science Laboratory and Crime team conducted an inspection of the crime scene and a case was registered, he added. After checking several CCTV footage, it was revealed that Jitender and the four accused had engaged in a scuffle which led to his murder, police said. After identifying all the accused persons, several teams were formed and three two men were arrested and a 17-year-old boy was apprehended, DCP Singh said. Efforts are on to nab the fourth accused, 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) Meet nurse Ryley Snell Who has been a mentor to you and helped you in your career? "It's hard to think of one person in particular. I feel like in each setting that I've worked in, I've had a lot of great mentors along the way." What is it about the Wiregrass community that makes you enjoy serving the people here? "It's home. I've worked at Flowers for about six years on and off. It's like a big family here, so I feel like this is the best place to be." What helps you get through the day? "Co-workers. It's important to have good co-workers alongside you." Thane, May 7 (PTI) A 28-year-old motorcyclist was knocked down and killed by a car on Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai, police said on Sunday. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: I Will Vote for Indira Gandhi's Party, Says Farmer in Gadag. The incident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when the victim who was on his two-wheeler was knocked down by a speeding car, an official from NRI Sagari police station said. Also Read | Rajasthan Congress Crisis: CM Ashok Gehlot Attacks Sachin Pilot Camp, Asks MLAs To 'Return Rs 10-15 Crore Taken From Union Home Minister Amit Shah'. The victim Pukharn Gulab Sharif, a resident of Koparkharine, sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he died this morning, he said. An offence under sections 304(a) (death by negligence), 279 (rash driving) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act has been registered against the errant car driver, the official said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 7 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that a special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur. "A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students," the CM said in a statement. Also Read | FM Nirmala Sitharaman to Review State of Economy at FSDC Meeting Tomorrow. Shinde on Sunday also spoke with the students stuck in Manipur over the phone and assured them of all the possible help, as per the official statement from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's office. "Many students from Maharashtra are studying in Manipur's NITs, IITs and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde contacted Tushar Awadh and Vikas Sharma on the phone and assured them of all possible help. In this regard, the Chief Minister has also directed the Chief Secretary of the state to contact the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Manipur and request them to take care of the safety of the students," the statement said. Also Read | Punjab Blast: Bomb Explosion Near Golden Temple in Amritsar, Several Injured (Watch Video). The Chief Minister further said that these stranded students will be brought to Maharashtra soon by air and the Maharashtra government is monitoring the situation in Manipur. The Northeastern state has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Earlier, on May 3, amid the prevailing disquiet and upturn in incidents of violence in the state, the district administration imposed a curfew in Churachandpur district, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing conflict. However, the Manipur government on Sunday partially relaxed the curfew from 7 am to 10 am to allow people to buy essential items. The decision was taken after the law and order situation improved in the Churachandpur district following talks between the state government and various stakeholders, a notification stated. A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now in Manipur and shifted to safe shelters, some in army camps as the army brought Churachandpur, Moreh, Kakching and Kangpokpi districts under its "firm control", an official said on Sunday. "Total 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and were moved to own operating bases and military garrisons, with the help of Army and Assam Rifles," the official said. The past 24 hours also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs and redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 7 (ANI): Hitting out at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Sunday said the Congress has fielded a candidate whom central agencies raided for links to funding extremists and is now speaking of sovereignty. Resharing the post shared by Congress on Twitter, Annamalai said, "Congress party, which was in cohort with banned PFI, extends an olive branch to parties such as SDPI for electoral gains, has fielded a candidate who central agencies raided for links to funding extremists is speaking of sovereignty. Kindly stop making a mockery of yourselves!" Also Read | Tamil Nadu Government To Start Distribution of Coconut Oil and Groundnut Oil Through Ration Shops. A post shared by the official handle of the Congress party said, "CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas, 'The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity." Addressing an election rally in poll-bound Karnataka's Hubballi district on Saturday, Sonia Gandhi also said that the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra perturbed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it was carried out against 'those spreading hatred.' Also Read | Goa Municipal Election Results 2023: BJP-Backed Candidates Win Polls to Two Civic Bodies. Sonia Gandhi said that Bharat Jodo Yatra was done against those people who are spreading hatred in the country and the BJP got perturbed by it. "Bharat Jodo Yatra was done against people who do only one work: spreading hatred. Such people can never bring any development in Karnataka. BJP got perturbed by Bharat Jodo Yatra", Sonia said. She alleged that the BJP leaders never answered any questions. "They (BJP) think democratic principles are in their pockets. Does democracy work like this?" she added. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Rome [Italy], May 7 (ANI): A group of climate activists in Italy have poured what they described as "a charcoal-based black liquid" into the water of Rome's famous fountain 'Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi', CNN reported on Sunday. The Fountain of Four Rivers, as is known, is a famous monument located in the famed Piazza Navona square in Rome, the Fiumi Fountain was designed by Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1651. Also Read | Australian Woman on Day Trip to Victorias High Country Goes Missing for Five Days, Survives on Wine and Lollipops. Italy's Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano condemned the activists' protest saying those responsible must "pay out of their own pockets." "Our future is as black as this water," the group called Ultima Generazione, or Last Generation, said on their website, according to CNN. Also Read | Canada Wildfire: Alberta Declares State of Emergency Over Wildfires, Over 24,000 Evacuated (Watch Video). Images showed protestors standing in the fountain's water up to their waists while donning orange vests. As dozens of bystanders took pictures, they unfurled orange banners with a message in Italian that read, "Our future is as black as this water." The same group of environmentalists is thought to have organised protests at other Italian historical landmarks, such as the Barcaccia fountain in the heart of Rome, where they poured dark liquid into it on April 1, CNN reported. Similar demonstrations took place in places like the Vatican museums and Florence's Uffizi galleries when protesters glued themselves to works of Italian art. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, May 7 (PTI) Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that there is no curtailment of any democratic value system in India and it is blossoming and flourishing as never before as he stressed that it was incumbent upon Indian students based in the UK to counter false narratives about the country. Dhankhar, who arrived here on Friday, joined an estimated 100 Heads of State and government from around the world invited to the historic Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Also Read | Texas Mall Shooting: Nine Killed, Including Gunman, Seven Injured After Shooter Opens Fire at Allen Premium Outlets Mall in US (Watch Video). Before his departure for New Delhi, Dhankhar interacted with UK-based Indian students at an event organised by the Indian High Commission here on Saturday evening. At the gathering of students enrolled at prestigious UK universities, Dhankhar said India was proud of their achievements and talent and asked them to play the role of goodwill ambassadors of the country. Also Read | Allen Premium Outlets Mall Shooting: Nine People Hospitalised After Gunman Opens Fire at Mall in Texas; Shooter Neutralized (Watch Video). He went on to highlight the many strides made by the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stressed its strong democratic credentials. India takes its position on global affairs on its own understanding, for its own welfare and world peace. India is emerging as a superpower, said Dhankhar. There can be no more freedom of expression in any part of the world than in India, he said. There is no curtailment of any democratic value system in our country. It is blossoming, it is flourishing as never before. Reiterating his call to the wider diaspora population he interacted with on Friday evening, the vice-president said it was the responsibility of Indian students based in the UK to counter false narratives about the country. If you don't approve of it, you must antidote it. A false narrative about such a vibrant democracy is antithetical to our national interest if we don't react. And, I have no doubt, the most powerful reaction always comes from rational minds, he said. He said India becoming the most populous country in the world is a great advantage as it has learnt the art of leveraging the demographic component by registering economic progress. The share of India's working age population to total population will reach the highest level by 2030. It will be 68.9 per cent. No other country can make such a claim transparency and accountability are the mantras behind this. Our power corridors, governance corridors have been fully sanitised of power brokers, he said. "From a global perspective, our DNA is so strong that there is no challenge to our intellect," Dhankhar said, adding "wherever we go, we perform amazingly well." "For the first time, our education policy allows young minds to fully blossom without constraints. Young people in Bharat are now not job seekers. They are now job creators," Dhankhar said. All policies in India are people-centric. They have to affect the lives of ordinary people in the country and that has been the only mantra that is "our guiding principle". The technological revolution has transformed our society beyond imagination. This is primarily because of our youth, he added. Dhankhar said India was being dragged for decades because there was no ease of governance. The vice-president concluded his two-day visit to the UK with a message of goodwill to the royal couple. Happy to be present at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla today. On behalf of the people of India, I extend my warmest congratulations to the newly crowned King and Queen of the UK," the Vice-President's office said in a Twitter statement. "May India-UK ties grow stronger in the years ahead, it said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir in a meeting with the Afghan Foreign Minister under the caretaker Taliban regime, Amir Khan Muttaqi, stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan to "effectively" tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism, Geo News reported. According to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Afghan Foreign Minister under the Taliban, who is currently in Pakistan for a four-day visit, called on the army chief at his office in Rawalpindi. Also Read | Nepal: Three People Killed, Nine Injured in Avalanche in Karnali Province, Says Report. The two discussed issues of mutual interest including aspects related to regional security, border management, and formalisation of bilateral security mechanisms for improvement in the current security environment, according to Geo News. COAS General Munir, besides discussing bilateral issues, also reiterated the need for full support and commitment from the interim Afghan government in matters of mutual interest, the military's media wing stated. Also Read | Texas Mall Shooting: Nine Killed, Including Gunman, Seven Injured After Shooter Opens Fire at Allen Premium Outlets Mall in US (Watch Video). Moreover, the visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan's traditional support for the people of Afghanistan and acknowledged the important role that the country continues to play in facilitating peace and development in Afghanistan. He also expressed his desire to work closely with Pakistan to promote regional stability and prosperity, according to Geo News. Both sides during the meeting, agreed on the importance of maintaining regular contact to strengthen bilateral ties and address issues of common concern. Later, the army chief reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): Several workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been arrested by the Islamabad Police from the rally in solidarity with the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan, ARY News reported. According to details, a large number of police personnel along with the prisoner van were deployed at F9 Park Islamabad. The Islamabad Police started arresting PTI workers as the rally approached the F9 park, as per the news report. The Islamabad Police arrested four PTI workers including two women. Also Read | Warmest Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Coronation, PM Narendra Modi Tweets. The police has vacated Jinnah Avenue from the PTI workers, according to the news report. On Saturday, PTI carried out rallies across Pakistan to showcase solidarity with the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial amid a standoff between the judiciary and the government regarding the date of the election, ARY News reported. PTI held rallies in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and other cities of Pakistan on Saturday. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will hold rallies every day starting next week till May 14, Geo News reported. Also Read | King Charles III Crowning: Queen Camillas Rescue Dogs Bluebell and Beth Embroidered on Her Coronation Gown (See Pics and Video). PTI chairman Imran Khan made the announcement while addressing workers at a rally at Lakshmi Chowk metro station in Lahore held to "support the Constitution, Supreme Court, and the chief justice of Pakistan". Imran Khan's party PTI carried out rallies in four cities - Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Peshawar, as per the Geo News report. While referring to Shehbaz Sharif-led government, Imran Khan said, "It is the entire nation's decision to stand with the Constitution and [against] the way this mafia is putting pressure on and doing propaganda against the chief justice and [other] judges," according to Geo News report. Imran Khan announced that he would come out and prepare the people to protest if the elections were not held. He said, "When a country's Constitution is violated, it means the justice system and the rule of law have ended. Most of all, it means that the nation has lost its freedom and become slaves." He further said that they will not rest until the elections are conducted and "Pakistan is free." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): Months after running a campaign against the Pakistani Army, a user, who was reportedly a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media team, has come forward and apologised for his treatment against the deaths of armed forces through his fake Twitter and Facebook accounts, Geo News reported citing Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). A resident of Charsadda, reportedly a member of PTI, claimed that he had been an active social media member of PTI operating from Dubai, UAE. Also Read | UK PM Rishi Sunak, Wife Akshata Murty to Host Coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street in London for Community Heroes. Taking to his Twitter, the user, who is identified as Abdul Rehman Kamal, admitted that he indulged in posting inappropriate language and propaganda against the dead armed forces on his micro-social media account, which is registered with the fake name Raheela Sadpara. According to Geo News, citing APP, Kamal had been residing in Dubai and was a member of the PTI's social media team for the last six years. He had fake accounts, including three on Twitter and one on Facebook. Also Read | Australian Woman on Day Trip to Victorias High Country Goes Missing for Five Days, Survives on Wine and Lollipops. After realising his mistake, Kamal said, he regretted his past conduct and vowed not to use any unsuitable language in his posts in future. He also apologised to the bereaved families of dead Pakistani soldiers for his offending posts. Last year, a series of posts became a trendy thing which was vilifying the army and its officers were promoted in the recent past. After the chopper crash in Lasbela last year, a section of social media activists and certain political zealots launched an abhorrent and unacceptable online campaign to advance their personal and political malice, which drew a strong reaction from people belonging to all walks of life, political leadership and the state institutions. The ruling coalition blamed the PTI's social media team for launching the smear campaign at the behest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. In August 2022, the military expressed strong disapproval of "false propaganda and insensitive comments on social media". Later, the FIA constituted a team to trace and arrest those behind the campaigns. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Damaged car lying overturned on track next to wood after Zakhar Prilepin was injured (Photo Credit: Reuters) Moscow [Russia], May 7 (ANI): Russian nationalist writer and a fervent supporter of the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, Zakhar Prilepin was injured and another person was killed in a car bomb blast in a village east of Moscow on Saturday, The Washington Post reported citing Russian authorities. As per the news report, 47-year-old Zakhar Prilepin has been a supporter of the Kremlin's military action in Ukraine. Alexander Shubin, a military veteran who fought in Ukraine's Luhansk region during the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow was killed, The Washington Post reported citing the Russian Foreign Ministry. Also Read | Warmest Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Coronation, PM Narendra Modi Tweets. According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the blast occurred in a village in the western Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia, The Washington Post reported citing TASS. It further said that an explosive device was kept under the car. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs said that Zakhar Prilepin was taken to hospital after injuries. Zakhar Prilepin's press secretary said he was doing fine. She said, "What exactly happened is not clear at the moment," The Washington Post reported citing Russian media outlet RTVI. Also Read | King Charles III Crowning: Queen Camillas Rescue Dogs Bluebell and Beth Embroidered on Her Coronation Gown (See Pics and Video). The Investigative Committee of Russia said it had detained a man who allegedly "planted an explosive device on Prilepin's path." The Investigative Committee in a post on Telegram said that he fled from the spot, however, he was detained by law enforcement officials while he was leaving the woods in another locality. According to the statement, the man was acting on orders from the Ukrainian special forces. However, a Crimean partisan group has claimed responsibility for the blast, as per the news report. Kremlin refused to comment on the incident. In response to a question whether Ukraine was to blame, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that they must receive information from law enforcement agencies, The Washington Post reported citing TASS. In a statement on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova offered condolences to Alexander Shubin and wished a speedy recovery to Zakhar Prilepin. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday discussed bilateral trade and security cooperation during a meeting in Islamabad, reported Pajhwok Afghan News. The two sides held a candid and in-depth exchange on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, as well as trade and connectivity. The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their desire to pursue continuous and practical engagement, read a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Office. Also Read | Singapore to Plant 10,000 Trees to Mark Founder PM Lee Kuan Yews 100 Birthday. Muttaqi has long been subjected to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo under Security Council sanctions. According to a letter to the 15-member Security Council, Taliban sanctions committee, Pakistan's UN mission requested an exemption for Muttaqi to travel between May 6-9 "for a meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China." Also Read | UK PM Rishi Sunak, Wife Akshata Murty to Host Coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street in London for Community Heroes. Pakistan hosted a day-long trilateral dialogue with China and Afghanistan in Islamabad after the arrival of the Chinese and Afghan foreign ministers, Qin Gang and Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. This was the Chinese foreign minister's first visit to Pakistan, Muttaqi last travelled to Pakistan in November 2021, just a few months after the Afghan Taliban took control in Kabul. Chinese and Pakistani officials have both said in the past that they would welcome Taliban-led Afghanistan into the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project, part of the Belt and Road Initiative. On peace and security, the Foreign Ministers emphasized the need for enhanced coordination to counter terrorism and deepen bilateral cooperation, read the statement. Regarding bilateral and transit trade, the two sides stressed the importance of removing trade impediments to advance the goal of enhanced regional economic integration and connectivity. Meanwhile, Muttaqi acknowledged Pakistan's role in establishing peace in Afghanistan while talking to Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir during a meeting at GHQ in Rawalpindi, reported Radio Pakistan. The visit to Pakistan by the Afghan minister comes in the same week the UN hosted a conference on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, without inviting the country's Taliban rulers. Addressing the Doha conference on May 2, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Taliban's suppression of women's rights in Afghanistan, including the ban on education."Let me be crystal clear, we will never be silent in the face of unprecedented systemic attacks on women's and girls' rights. We'll always speak out when millions of women and girls are being silenced and erased from sight," Guterres said. The UN chief was categorical that the Taliban would not be recognised as the rulers of Afghanistan. "The meeting was about developing a common international approach, not about recognition of the de facto Taliban authorities," Guterres told reporters in Doha. Pakistan maintains close ties with its northwestern neighbour. The two countries share a 2,600 km-long (1,660 miles) border, also known as the Durand Line. Muttaqi's visit comes at a time when Pakistan has seen a dramatic increase in violent attacks in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern region of Balochistan, both of which border Afghanistan. Authorities in Pakistan allege the attacks are launched from within Afghan territory by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an armed group ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban. China, the third participant in the dialogue, also has significant interests in the other two countries. Beijing is Pakistan's key economic and defence partner and has invested heavily in Pakistan, headlining USD 60 billion in the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. However, multiple attacks by armed groups have targeted Chinese nationals and their interests in Pakistan in recent years. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) ENTERPRISE It was a beautiful day last October in the City of Progress with no hint of the tragedy to come. Every year around this time, Enterprise has its annual Boll Weevil fall festival. Downtown streets are crowded with thousands of visitors eating funnel cakes and visiting shops decorated with pumpkins and other fall decor. The streets clear, the sun sets, and night falls, but just before dawn, the unthinkable happens. A fire breaks out in the back of the All About Art Studio and quickly grows and spreads to other businesses. Enterprise emergency dispatch receives the first call at 5:38 a.m., sending all active-duty firefighters and volunteers to the scene. Meanwhile, the fire continues to rage in the heart of the business community. Once the smoke clears, three businesses are now reduced to cinders. The blaze ravaged peoples livelihoods and destroyed everything they had worked to build. Regena Lacey and her daughter, Jessica Lacey-Goodson, own the All About Art Studio. It is the only business of its kind in Enterprise and the fire killed all their community activities including walk in art classes, parties, and student art lessons. The fire also spread to the Laceys other business, The She Shed. We were in total shock; what we had worked so hard and poured our hearts into for so long was now gone, Lacey said. Nearby, The Coffee Corner, family-owned local favorite, was getting ready to celebrate its first year in business. The fire changed everything. It was a shock, but also the amazing feeling of people hugging us asking what they can do. Thats why we live herewe had a wonderful first year, wonderful customers and regulars, Jenny Chancey said. Its like a whole part of our lives are gone. We know good things are gonna come out of it, but its still hard to look at. Chancey is also grateful to the citys first responders. Our fire department and police department in Enterprise are top notch. The way they fought that fire and kept it from spreading to the rest of the street was incredible. After assessing the damage, the Alabama Fire Marshal declared it accidental, and the community sprang into action coming to the aid of all three businesses and offering support and donations. This is no surprise to state Sen. Josh Carnley, who reflected on the fire and the community response. As a resident of Coffee County and someone who owns a business, we want to encourage those people to build back and support the community like they had before, Carnley said. Funds started coming in from multiple entities. Enterprise T-shirts started selling shirts with the design of the three businesses on them. Being screen print and embroidery small business owners for 26 years, we sympathize with those affected by the fire and wanted to find a way to help, owner Cathy Roth said. What better way than to offer a fundraiser that shows our love for Enterprise? A family friend of the Laceys also started a Go Fund Me campaign. There has been a tremendous amount of prayer and emotional support from the community, which is what we needed most, Lacey said. Regena Lacey is grateful, as recovery from the fire will come at a substantial cost. It will be a tremendous expense to rebuild given that we lost everything, especially in todays economy, Lacey said. The demolition of all the burned businesses is now complete and plans are being made for reconstruction. Once theyre in place, the next step is to seek approval from the city. Its different when you are building downtown rather than at your home. There is a whole lot more involved, Lacey added. Getting started is the hardest part, she said. The rebuilding process is expected to take six to eight months and the funds will come from insurance settlements. The money will be nice, but what has meant more to the owners is knowing the community has their back. You cannot replace relationships, Chancey added. Thats the number one thing that has helped us. We have a wonderful Friends of Main Street Business Association. Everyone is always asking what can they do? How can they help? While its a long and tedious process to rebuild, as Lacey put it, We will rise from these ashes. New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK248 entered Indian Airspace after failing to land in Lahore airport due to bad weather. According to an Indian aviation official, "The PIA aircraft entered Indian airspace for about 11 minutes after failing to land at Lahore airport due to heavy rain." Also Read | Odd Man Out! Prince Harry Was All Alone at Father, King Charles III Coronation Spectacle. The incident was reported to Delhi Flight Information Region (FIR) on May 4 at around 08:10 pm while the PIA plane was returning from Muscat to Lahore. "The pilot had to avoid CB clouds and wind gushes so he turned eastwards. The Lahore airport is a few miles from international borders. ATC Lahore handed the plane to Delhi FIR and after seeking permission from them it detoured from using the eastern route, avoiding the weather system altogether to head to Multan," a PIA spokesperson told ANI. Also Read | Singapore to Plant 10,000 Trees to Mark Founder PM Lee Kuan Yews 100 Birthday. "It is not unusual in commercial aviation. Sometimes Indian carriers do the same because of bad weather after taking necessary clearance from Air Defence and ATC," Captain Amit Singh, an aviation expert told ANI. The matter has been reported to the relevant authority in India. As the matter is related to Pakistan, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided not to comment on it. (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, May 7: As many as 500 farmers, who had gathered at the Tikri Border to join a protest in support of wrestlers, were allowed by the Delhi Police to travel to Jantar Mantar by buses. The situation became chaotic when a few protesters, including men and women, got off the buses, thinking that vehicles would not be allowed and began marching. However, the police explained to them that they could travel to Jantar Mantar by bus and they subsequently boarded the buses. Police Beef Up Security at Delhi-Ghazipur Border Ahead of Farmers' March to Jantar Mantar. "Total ten buses and four cars carrying around 500-550 people were allowed from Tikri Border in the morning. No one was stopped," said Harender Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Outer Delhi. The Delhi Police have tightened security and placed barricades at all the border entry points. According to information, the Delhi Police have stationed around 300 police personnel and paramilitary jawans at the Singhu border. In Outer Delhi, the police have deployed 200 police personnel and security has been tightened at the Tikri border which connects with Bahadurgarh (Haryana). Wrestlers Protest: Delhi Police Put Barricades, Dumpers at Singhu Border Ahead of Farmers Call To Protest in Favour of Wrestlers (Watch Video). They are also keeping an eye on all the vehicles at Faridabad-Delhi border and Ghaziabad-Delhi border. The Delhi Police will not allow any tractor and trolley to enter the national capital from any border. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2023 03:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, May 7: A woman who went missing for five days in the Australian bush allegedly survived on wine and lollipops. The woman identified as Lillian (48) was found to be "safe and sound" after she lost her way on a day trip in Victoria's High Country. Reportedly, the woman who had gone missing for five days had nothing but a few snacks with her. On Friday, emergency services spotted Lillian walking along a hilly terrain. According to a report in the Mirror.CO.UK, Lillian told officials that she went missing after she took a wrong turn and her car got stuck in the mud. She also said that she was unable to call for help as there was no mobile reception. Lillian who also did not have the power to walk miles due to her health issues was forced to spend her time in her car in a remote bushland which was about 37 miles from the nearest town. Dog Attack in Costa Rica: 2-Year-Old Boy Mauled to Death by German Shepherd After Deceased 'Accidentally' Stumbles on Family's Pet. Speaking of how Lillian survived, Sergeant Martin Torpey said, "The only liquid Lillian, who doesnt drink, had with her was a bottle of wine she had bought as a gift for her mother so that got her through." The sergeant said that as Lillian had planned a short trip, she carried only snacks and lollipops with her but did not carry any water. Sergeant Torpey also lauded Lillian saying that "she used great common sense" and stayed with her car instead of wandering off into the bushland. Torpey said that this assisted them in order to find her. After Lillian's family raised an alarm about her missing, the police began a search operation and even deployed a helicopter. Australia Seeking Info on Dual National Missing in China. Cops also said that the temperatures in the area had plunged to 7 degrees Celsius, however, Lillian kept herself warm by using her car's heater. Local authorities said that the woman was "extremely relieved" on spotting the police. After being rescued, she was shifted to a hospital and treated for dehydration. At present, she is under observation. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2023 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has been sending e-mail to his constituents about what he has done as a member of the Senate. It appears that his team (but arguably not the Senator himself) has toured farms, truckers, and producers in lower Alabama. Also, his financial team met with bankers and other leaders in Alabama. With regard to the 2023 federal government annual budget, only two of Alabama's elected delegates stood up for the people of Alabama. They were retired U.S. Sen, Richard Shelby (R), whose budget brought $666 million federal dollars to Alabama and U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D), who brought $42.8 million to help the Black Belt in the Central part of Alabama. Sen. Tuberville and other GOP delegates like Mike Rogers acted against their constituents by not bringing any federal dollars to better help the people of Alabama. I wonder what Sen. Tuberville and the GOP representatives in the U.S. House have done to improve the lives of the people in Alabama? Dr. Richard Penaskovic Auburn Bridget Masterson has seen the headlines and heard the stories. She knows Easton Arts Academy Elementary Charter School administrators have been accused of rigging grades and creating a toxic work environment. She knows about the audit that uncovered a $570,000 bookkeeping error. But the administrators responsible for these issues dont work for the Easton charter school anymore. They are no longer here, said Masterson, who serves as Easton Arts Academy elementary school board president. We put a lot of procedures and policies internal processes in place so these things arent going to happen again, she said. Shes been the board president for about a year. She was at the helm when the school at 30 N. Fourth St. in Easton had its five-year charter renewed last month, retroactive to the start of the 2022-23 school year. With a new five-year charter in place, she has done her best to clean the slate and start over. She said the school needs stability if it wants to succeed and grow. The school hired Paul Hunter last month as its third CEO. Its on its seventh principal, Charles Bomboy Jr., as it ends its sixth school year in operation. These officials were hired with the hope that theyll stick around. The school also needs stability on its board. A fifth board member was recently appointed, Masterson said. The charter requires six board members who live in the Easton Area School District boundaries. Masterson said shes shooting to seat nine board members. The Palmer Township woman said shes fighting for the schools success because some children need an alternative to public schools. Her son is an Easton Arts Academy graduate, her twins are enrolled at the school and her 4-year-old will go when hes old enough. The school has classes in kindergarten through fifth grade. Its enrollment is just under 300 students. She believes in the schools mission: that an arts-based curriculum helps some children learn better than a standard curriculum. I love education. Im a lifelong learner, Masterson told lehighvalleylive.com. Charter schools are privately run but publicly funded. Children can enroll from anywhere in Pennsylvania. The sending school district pays for the education of each child. Critics say charter schools siphon away funds that could be used to grow the public school system. Masterson sees charters as complementary to public schools. A charter is an extension of the district, she said. She admits charter schools arent for every child. They fill niches for children who can benefit from an alternative type of education, she said. If youre looking for instrumental music lessons, Easton Arts Academy probably isnt your choice, Masterson admitted. The school doesnt offer those lessons but it does infuse arts into everyday instruction. Children spend more time in music, theater, dance and visual arts classes than they would in public schools. And the teachers incorporate art into traditional school subjects. If theyre learning something in social studies maybe theyre acting it out in theater or maybe theyre drawing it in art, Masterson said. Masterson sent her children to the school in 2018. She joined the school board in 2020 in part because she wanted to learn more about what went wrong in the schools first few years and in part because she wanted to help the school succeed. My goal is to support the school and to help make decisions that promote growth and make it a great place to learn, she said. To learn more or to apply for a vacant school board seat, email Masterson at bmasterson@eastonartsboard.org. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. A motorcycle driver was injured and taken to an area hospital after a crash Sunday on Route 22, according to Pennsylvania State Police. A 21-year-old man drove a 2006 Honda motorcycle into a car, according to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Nathan Branosky. The man was heading west toward the Cedar Crest Boulevard exit in South Whitehall Township, Branosky said. A lehighvalleylive.com freelance photographer said he headed to the crash after hearing a police dispatch at 10:50 a.m. Sunday. Branosky said the motorcyclist was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment of unknown injuries. A condition on the motorcyclist was unavailable Tuesday. Pennsylvania State Police continue to investigate the crash. A motorcycle driver was injured Sunday morning, May 7, 2023, on Route 22 westtbound near the Cedar Crest Boulevard exit.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Reporter Pamela Sroka-Holzmann contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. An elderly woman has denied assault and threatening behaviour at a pub in Laois. Annette Brennan, 74, of Graigueaverne House, Graigueaverne, Ballybrittas is accused of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour and assaulting a man at the Gandon Inn, Cappakeel, Emo on December 4, 2021. She denied the allegations at Portlaoise District Court. Ms Brennan applied for legal aid and said she would accept whoever you appoint to her case. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby provided her with disclosure in relation to the case. You will have to fill out a statement of means, Judge Andrew Cody told the woman before putting the matter back to later in the day. When the case resumed, Judge Cody approved legal aid and asked which solicitor she would like to represent her. The defendant said she was previously represented by Ms Fitzpatrick. However, Ms Fitzpatrick said that as she felt it wasnt appropriate as she was handling another matter for the accused. Solicitor Philip Meagher agreed to represent the accused. Judge Cody adjourned the matter until September 12 and said he wouldnt be hearing the matter. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. View of the La Esperanza mine, where at least 27 people died in the Yanaquihua district of Arequipa, southern Peru, on May 7, 2023. - / AFP At least 27 workers died in a fire at a gold mine in a remote area of southern Peru, authorities said on Sunday, May 7, making it one of the worst mining tragedies in the country's recent history. Grief-stricken relatives gathered near the mine looking for news of their loved ones. "Where are you darling, where are you?" cried Marcelina Aguirre, whose husband was among the victims. "We know there was a short circuit and from that an explosion. We are very shocked by everything that happened," said Francisco Idme Mamani, whose 51-year-old brother Frederico also perished. Police and the public prosecutor's office confirmed that the fire, which engulfed a tunnel inside the La Esperanza 1 mine in the Arequipa region, was caused by a short circuit. Public prosecutor Giovanni Matos told channel N television that there were "27 dead inside the mine." Local media said earlier that the blaze started after an explosion at the mine in the remote Condesuyos province, a 10-hour drive from the city of Arequipa, the regional capital. The explosion ignited the wooden supports inside the mine in the town of Yanaquihua. The victims were 100 meters below ground, local media said. News of the fire was only published on Sunday once police had gathered details of those who died. Rescue teams were trying to secure the mine before removing the victims' bodies. "We have to make the place where the dead are safe so we can enter it and recover the bodies," said Matos. There have been no reports of survivors, nor confirmation about how many people were in the mine at the time of the fire. Yanaquihua mayor James Casquino told the Andina news agency that most of the miners would have died of asphyxiation and burns. 39 dead in 2022 in mining incidents The incident is one of the worst mining accidents in recent years in Peru, the largest gold producer in Latin America. "The interior and defense ministries have been working since this tragedy occurred on the recovery and transport of the bodies," said the presidency in a tweet. Family members headed to the nearest police station for information on their relatives. The mine, operated by Minera Yanaquihua, is a legal enterprise but there are many illegal mines in the region. The company has been operating mines in Peru for 23 years. Mining is one of the engines of the Peruvian economy, accounting for more than eight percent of GDP. Last year, 39 people died in mining-related incidents, according to the mining and energy ministry. But in 2020, four miners died after becoming trapped when a mine in Arequipa collapsed. Peru is the world's second-largest producer of silver, copper and zinc, according to official sources. It is also Latin America's top producer of zinc, tin, lead and molybdenum. Le Monde with AFP In this frame grab from a video provided by WFAA, people are evacuated from Allen Premium Outlet, on May 6, 2023, in Allen (Texas). AP A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and started shooting people at a Dallas-area outlet mall Saturday, May 6, killing eight and wounding seven others three critically before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting was the latest episode of gun violence to strike the country. It sent hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic. Dashcam video that circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the mall and immediately start shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room. "We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents." Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. STEWART F. HOUSE / AFP Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the victims were in critical condition Saturday evening, Boyd said, and four were in stable condition. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 pm, the police department wrote on Facebook. "The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel," the agency wrote in the Facebook post. Staggering frequency Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an "unspeakable tragedy." A member of the Allen SWAT team returns to the parking lot near the scene of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. STEWART F. HOUSE / AFP Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing. "It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside," Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. "I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids," he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. "I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him," Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. "We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping," Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene. The Dallas office of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. Le Monde with AP People wait to sign the book of condolences in front of the Vladimir Ribnikar school, two days after a 13-year-old boy used his father's guns to kill eight fellow students and a guard, in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, May 5, 2023. DARKO VOJINOVIC / AP Serbian education minister Branko Ruzic resigned on Sunday, four days after a school shooting that saw a 13-year-old kill eight students and a security guard. Ruzic offered his condolences to the victims' families of a "cataclysmic tragedy" that has rocked the Balkan nation in an open letter sent to Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. "As a responsible and well-mannered person, professional in performing all previous public duties... I submit my irrevocable resignation from the position of Minister of Education in the Government of the Republic of Serbia," Ruzic said in a letter he shared on Twitter. The 47-year-old prominent member of Socialist Party of Serbia a junior coalition partner in government originally blamed the internet, video games and "Western values" for the unprecedented massacre. Opposition parties and human rights groups immediately called for minister's resignation, while thousands gathered in front of the ministry a day after the shooting conveying the same message. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Serbia mourns after deadly school shooting in Belgrade Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? Less than 48 hours after the school shooting, the small Balkan country was shocked again with another massacre as a 21-year-old gunned down eight people in a village near the capital Belgrade. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic pledged to launch a large-scale disarmament plan, while police vowed to deploy officers to patrol around schools. Serbia has among the highest gun ownership rates in the world, with more than 39 firearms for every 100 civilians, according to the Small Arms Survey project. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Serbian president vows to tackle gun control after shootings Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? Le Monde with AFP A newly opened train route has increased the total number of China-Europe freight train routes passing through the Alataw Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to 104. The route linking central China's Henan Province with Kazakhstan saw a China-Europe freight train loaded with machines and tires, weighing about 1,468 tonnes, passing through this major land port on Wednesday, according to the Customs of Alataw Pass. Recently, the average daily number of China-Europe freight trains handled by the port remained at 17, with a maximum of 21 trains per day. To ensure the efficient operation of China-Europe freight trains, the Customs of Alataw Pass provides round-the-clock customs clearance services. Alataw Pass has handled more than 2,000 China-Europe freight trains since the start of this year, up 12 percent year on year. The trains have reached 20 countries including Germany and Poland. A COMPACT heart monitoring device developed by two Limerick students is in the running for a prestigious national award. Aidan Oscar and Taha Nije, who attend Colaiste Chiarain in Croom won the regional title at the TUS Moylish SciFest, which welcomed over 190 secondary school students from across the Mid-West. Their project, Heart monitor ECG using arduino, saw them work on creating a small hand held modular compact heart monitor device to keep track of one's cardiovascular health. They were mentored by teacher Ms. Edel Farrell and will now go onto the national finals. An all-island STEM initiative, SciFest fosters active, collaborative and inquiry-based learning among second-level students. The programme operates throughout the school year and, being locally based and free-to-enter, is highly inclusive and accessible. Dr. Pauline Ryan, SciFest co-ordinator at the TUS Moylish campus said: Every year I am so impressed by the high standard of research that goes into the entries and this year is no different. The quality of the research being done by the second-level students from across the region highlights the passion the students have for science, technology, engineering and maths. We are so proud to take part in SciFest, as it not only encourages the students to learn more about STEM but it is all inclusive. Winners from the national final, which takes place in November, will go on to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in America and in the Hong Kong Global Youth Science and Technology Bowl. They will also attend the Long Night of Science in Berlin. The SciFest programme is funded primarily by Intel Ireland, Boston Scientific and EirGrid. THE BISHOP of Killaloe may only have one Limerick parish in his diocese but he has left a lasting impression on it through TikTok. Bishop Fintan Monahan is one of the very few, perhaps only Irish bishop on TikTok. The social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering short videos has taken the world by storm. Following the Confirmation of Castleconnell NS pupils, Bishop Monahan made a TikTok video featuring the village, school, Mick Mackey statue, the beautifully decorated church, the pupils making their Confirmation and their creative artwork. It has been well received locally with hundreds upon hundreds of views. Bishop Monahan (pictured below) agrees that social media and TikTok is a good way of communicating with his flock, keeping in touch with people and identifying with younger people. I have been on Twitter and Facebook for over 10 years and it developed into all the different platforms. I expanded into Instagram because it is a very pictorial medium and then onto LinkedIn which is more of a business medium and in recent times You Tube. When the pandemic started I began doing little videos to keep in touch with people. I have a fairly extensive You Tube collection - there are over 600 videos on that, said Bishop Monahan. In more recent times he has become a TikTok aficionado. It is a lovely combination of the visual and music and you can have a nice creative message. It is very responsive compared to the other media. You get a huge amount of interaction and hits on it compared to the other ones they are static to a degree, just basically your own followers. TikTok is very random you might get 300 or 400 views in a short space of time whatever way the algorithm shares it, he explained. Bishop Monahan can even go back as far as Bebo, one of the first social networking websites. Bebo is the original one and then once the older folk gravitated onto that younger folk went to Facebook and then once older folk went onto Facebook younger people went onto Snapchat. They keep migrating. Once the parents and grandparents follow them they move onto something else. It is amazing how it becomes an older age group very rapidly. TikTok happens to be the relatively younger one at the moment but you can be sure they are already working out new platforms! said Bishop Monahan, who encourages his priests to have more social media interaction. Absolutely. We have had encouragement courses and for parishes to have Facebook pages. During Covid that came on in leaps and bounds. A huge number of parishes did get into Facebook live and webcams and also different video messaging. A huge number embraced it. A lot have eased off it now that we are back to meeting in reality but it is still there as a permanent feature. We have a nice combination now of having online and real meetings the hybrid reality is very much here to stay, said Bishop Monahan, who will continue to spread his message from the pulpit and on TikTok. GREAT news for St Ita's Community Hospital as new rehabilitation equipment is donated to the west Limerick facility, which continues to help accelerated patient rehabilitation. The Friends of St Ita's have donated further high-tech medical exercise equipment to the Newcastle West hospital's rehab department costing close to 50,000. St Ita's provides services including rehabilitation, assessment, palliative day care, respite and continuing care to the people of Limerick and beyond. On the donation, chairperson of the voluntary group, Fergus Scanlan said, this is in addition to other very specialised electronic exercise equipment which we donated to this department in 2021 at a cost of 63,500. In total, this brings the group's overall expenditure on this type of equipment to close on 113,500, he added. According to the fundraising group, they have raised 4.3 million to date, and over the last 20 years, have spent 3.7 million which has helped fund many of the major projects and improvements that we have been involved with. Continuing, the group added that the donations they give to boost the hospital have only been possible with the help of various fundraisers, donations, and the outstanding support and generosity of all sections of this great community and beyond. The most recent fundraiser organised in aid of the community hospital was the CD fundraiser, Autumn Melodies, which was released by now valued members of the committee, Theresa Doyle, Siobhan Doody, and Mary T Mulvihill. This fundraiser alone has now raised over 10,500 and is expected by the group to make 11,000 with the sale of more CDs, which are still on offer in outlets across the region. Having seen first hand the generosity of the Limerick community towards the hospital, Fergus added, needless to say, we feel greatly buoyed up by our many wonderful success stories which, I might add, serve to inspire and motivate us in our quest to continue to improve the standard of care and quality of the lives of our much loved residents and patients. Being a 19th century building, the chairperson added that improvements and refurbishments are ongoing, and so their need to reach out for donations and financial assistance is also ongoing. This is why we appeal to your generosity once more for whatever support you can give to help us answer that call when it comes, he said. Needless to say it will be greatly appreciated as always, said Fergus Scanlan. 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We take no responsibility for the content of advertising materials, including any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies included therein. HTML reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to amend or vary any of these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice or intimation. Sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, and strategic investors are among 12-14 entities competing for a stake in Housing Development Finance Corp.s Credila education loan unit, according to two people aware of the development. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Singapores GIC, Blackstone, BPEA EQT (formerly Baring Private Equity Asia), and Warburg Pincus are some of the suitors that have expressed interest in acquiring a stake in HDFC Credila Financial Services Ltd (Credila), the people said on the condition of anonymity. Among lenders, IndusInd Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank are considering a bid for Credila, one of Indias largest education loan financiers, one of the people said, adding that Tata Capital was also interested but might have decided against bidding due to the restricted shareholding structure. A steady increase in the number of Indians pursuing higher education, along with rising education costs both in India and abroad, has led to continued growth in education loan demand in the country. Warburg Pincus already owns a majority stake in rival education loan financier Avanse Financial Services Ltd, while Blackstone has a majority stake in mortgage lender Aadhar Housing Finance. BPEA EQT has a minority stake in RBL Bank, while GIC and ADIA have investments in several Indian lenders. GIC also has a stake in HDFC itself. Spokespersons for Blackstone and ADIA declined to comment, while email queries to spokespeople for BPEA EQT, Warburg Pincus, GIC, Tata Capital, Kotak, IndusInd Bank, and HDFC did not elicit a response. HDFC selected Jefferies Financial Group Inc to manage the sale of Credila and could seek a value of as much as $1 billion (around 8,100 crore), one of the two people said. Last week, Keki Mistry, chief executive of HDFC, said the company received several bids for its Credila stake, without naming the bidders. The mortgage lender needs to reduce its stake in HDFC Credila to 10% over the next two years and stop onboarding new customers, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directive for its merger with HDFC Bank. A variety of people are calling and making bids, and we are still collating all that," Mistry had said. On 25 April, Mint reported that HDFC would make a representation to the RBI to let HDFC Credila continue signing up customers until it finds a buyer. Brothers Anil and Ajay Bohora founded Credila Financial Services as an education loan financier in 2006. A year later, DSP Merrill Lynch bought a 40% stake in the lender. HDFC acquired the stake held by DSP Merrill Lynch in Credila back in 2009, following the acquisition of DSP Merrill Lynch by Bank of America. The Bohora brothers exited HDFC Credila in December 2019, with HDFC acquiring their 9.12% ownership for around 395 crore ($56 million), valuing HDFC Credila at $614 million (approximately 4,331 crore). As of 31 March, Credila had a loan book of 15,238 crore. Net profit rose to 276 crore in the year ended 31 March from 206 crore in FY22. Its gross non-performing assets ratio stood at 0.17% on 31 March, compared to 0.24% as of 31 December. NEW DELHI : Low-fare airline Go First may lose valuable airport slots to other airlines if its operations remain suspended, two people aware of the matter said. Given the intense demand for airport slots, authorities and stakeholders may be forced to allocate them to other airlines ready to operate a route, first on an ad-hoc basis and later permanently if Go First remains grounded, one of the two people cited above said. A slot is a specific period of 5-20 minutes during which an aircraft can take off or land. Slot timing can impact airline yield, revenue, efficiency and profitability. Given the high demand for early morning and late evening flights, slots at these times generate better yields for airlines. High demand during the upcoming peak summer travel season is another factor which is set to accelerate the process of other airlines getting additional aircraft to deploy capacity on routes which have seen a significant dip in the number of flights leading to skyrocketing airfares amid strong travel sentiment," the second person added. Data from the travel website Ixigo showed last-minute fares on the Delhi-Leh route now cost over 29,000, nearly five times the cost of spot bookings a week back at around 6,000. Similarly, Delhi-Srinagar flights are now approximately three times more expensive, costing nearly 27,000 compared to 9,000 a week earlier. Spot airfares for flights on routes where Go First operated, such as Mumbai-Goa, have more than doubled to around 10,000 from nearly 4,000 a week ago. Those for Delhi-Pune have risen to around 9,000-10,000 from over 6,000 a week earlier. The Wadia Group-backed airline has voluntarily filed for insolvency at the National Court of Law Tribunal; however, its petition is yet to be admitted. The court reserved its order after an hours-long hearing on 2 May. The Go First counsel sought an interim moratorium from the NCLT bench in the hope that this would freeze their assets in the current form, such as slots and aircraft. However, one should not forget that the civil aviation ministry and DGCA clarified during Jet Airways NCLT proceedings that slots were never an asset or property of Jet Airways and hence, were not to be subjected to a moratorium," a lawyer said.If the ministry reserves the same opinion as before, and Go First continues to suspend flights over 1-2 months, these slots will have to be adjusted in view of passenger inconvenience," he added. After 25 years of service, full-service carrier Jet Airways stopped flying in April 2019, facing severe financial issues. A slot allocation committee under the civil aviation ministry comprising officials from DGCA, the Airports Authority of India and private airport operators then temporarily redistributed its slots to other airlines as per their plans on aircraft induction and crew availability. Priority was given to those airlines that were adding capacity or aircraft, serving virgin and underserved routes, or withdrawing aircraft from adequately served routes. The proposed date of operations commencement was also considered before allotting slots. The ad hoc transfer was for an interim period with a 30-day notice period for withdrawal. In the case of Go First, it comes down to how soon the airline can restart flights. If the airline can resume flights in a few weeks, it has slots in place. But, if it does not have aircraft to resume flights or the suspension continues further, slots will have to be allocated for the interim as it is a scarce commodity," a third official said. NEW DELHI : Home buyers may be spared the agony in insolvency cases where they have bought and occupied a house without completing the necessary paperwork, a person aware of the development said. Currently, such houses are considered part of the builders inventory and hence open to resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The government is planning a special carveout within IBC to exclude such homes, the person cited above said on the condition of anonymity. In some cases, customers got possession but not occupation certificates, as the developer failed to pay the local authority for the land. The change would prevent situations where a home buyer who has taken possession of the house and has been living there for years faces questions about his eligibility for the full value of the house while other creditors have to take a haircut as part of debt resolution of the builder because that house is still deemed to be the builders inventory, the person cited above said. In the real estate sector, land value is huge, and the payment period for the builder is long. If timely payment is not made by the builder, approvals could get delayed," the person added. The move is meant to soothe home buyers and simultaneously offer a tailored debt resolution regime for the real estate sector, a large employment-generating industry which is struggling. About a fifth of all companies ending up in bankruptcy tribunals are from real estate, according to data from the regulator Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India. Experts said the move would benefit consumers, but the process could get complex. Approaching insolvency resolution in the real estate sector on the basis of individual projects rather than at the level of corporate entity is a novel idea. However, it would require rules to be put in place so that there is no confusion or ambiguity in executing this process, given the complexities and the often clashing interests of creditors involved," said Anoop Rawat, partner (insolvency and bankruptcy) at law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. Media reports suggest that developers owe several thousands of crores of rupees to the Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway authorities against the plots allotted to them for construction. A second area of emphasis in the proposed amendments to IBC is a new regime for handling the insolvency of business groups for which a new chapter will be introduced in IBC, said the first person quoted above. At present, IBC only deals with debt resolution of individual legal entities, not of a group, which is far more complex. The new group debt resolution regime will draw from the governments experience of handling the debt resolution of the group entities of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS), which was done outside IBC. A regime to handle the insolvency of a group as a whole could bring much better outcomes of debt resolution by coordinating the process at the level of different downstream entities rather than attempting their resolution individually, said Rawat. The proposed regime is likely to cover only those entities in a group which are in distress and not the solvent members of the group. Under this, a lender could file joint bankruptcy applications against multiple group entities. The government intends to bring a Bill to amend the IBC in the monsoon session of Parliament, which is likely to commence in July. An email sent to the ministry of corporate affairs on Friday seeking comments for the story remained unanswered. The Nang Sangkhane (Miss Lao New Year) procession, one of the activities that attract many Lao people and tourists during New Year celebrations. (Photo: VNA) Thailand took the lead in the number of visitors with 344,405, and was followed by Vietnam and China with 179,885 and 143,312, respectively. The number of European tourists topped 57,400 and those from Russia reached 11,573. The tourism industry of Laos has recently received much praise from media publications around the world as it is considered one of the most attractive destinations in 2023. With the number of visitors arriving in the country in the first quarter, the Lao government will most likely fulfill its goal of attracting 1.4 million foreign tourists this year, thereby contributing to speeding up the recovery of the industry as well as the national economy, which has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic ./. New Delhi: India is holding high-level talks with the UAE to work out a solution for pricing norms in the Gulf nation that act as a barrier to Indian generic drugs and vaccine exports, two people privy to the development said. The UAE along with several high- and middle-income Gulf and European countries use whats called external reference pricing (ERP) to regulate pharmaceutical prices. Under this policy makers specify a basket of countries whose prices they use to inform the price of medical supplies in the country.Trade experts say profit margins for drugs are fixed in the UAE, which means wholesalers or distributors are not allowed to offer bonuses or discounts to pharmacies, leaving them with no incentive to sell low-cost Indian generics. The UAE has a $3.5 billion pharma market and imports 80% of its pharma products. It is a transnational hub that can give Indian drugmakers access to other global markets, especially large GCC markets such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In addition, the UAE in 2020 adopted a national policy on vaccination that listed the US, Germany, France, Switzerland and Ireland as import partners of vaccines but not India. As a result Indian covid-19 vaccines were not able to make their way to the UAE. UAE has a generic drug substitution policy since 2018, and allowed more than 6,000 generic drugs that cost 60% less than branded products. The main issue is public preference and no incentive for local pharmacies to promote low cost medicine," Arpita Mukherjee, a professor at ICRIER said. To be sure, every country regulates the price and quality of imported drugs. In India, pricing of imported drugs is looked into by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority and the quality is monitored by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.Experts said that under the free trade deal that India signed with the UAE, it managed to get fast-paced drug approval. However, the pricing barrier remains. As per the agreement, the UAE had agreed to allow market access for Indian medicines within 90 days of approval in the US and UK. Indias drug and pharma exports to the UAE has more than doubled to $342.47 million during the last financial year compared with FY17 when outbound shipments stood at $128.29 million. In FY22 pharma exports to UAE stood at $332 million. A person aware of the development said that reference price is being discussed at the highest level" as the issue is a cause for concern for Indian drug manufacturers which dominate the affordable generic drug industry. As per a London School of Economics research, the UAE uses reference prices from relatively developed markets including Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy ,Switzerland and the UK. Experts said that the absence of India and China where prices are low means that the price mechanism would be tilted on the higher side and therefore act as a barrier for Indian exporters even as India produces affordable medicines. External reference pricing tries to ensure that a country does not pay more for a product than other comparable countries, or that lowerincome countries pay less. It may or may not lead to affordable prices, and the prices set through external reference pricing are often used for further price negotiation. Experts also stated that external reference pricing is widely used in many European countries, as well as in high and middle income countries in other parts of the world such as Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Blame two main forces. Companies spooked by pandemic shortages, price spikes and shipping disruptions are reducing reliances on a single factory or country. Meanwhile, governments especially those in the US and Europe want to ensure access to key materials like semiconductors and rare-earth minerals in case the world trade splinters into geopolitical blocs. The transformation that some are calling reglobalization" will take years, and trade data is only beginning to offer clues about the scope of the changes, and whos winning and losing. Here are eight indicators to watch to help understand the implications of this new era of geostrategic economics. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg Despite talk of globalizations demise, economic integration via cross-border commerce has shown remarkable resilience through war, famine and a pandemic. Over the past three years, world trade as a share of global production has softened a bit but remains largely in line with historical trends. In fact, there has been no meaningful shift in the trajectory toward greater trade openness since at least 2006, according to a recent ING Groep NV analysis. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg The increase of geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing spurred speculation about a sectoral decoupling between the worlds largest economies. While the value of US imports of Chinese goods and services reached the highest on record in 2022, there are signs that US tariffs are shifting bilateral trade flows. Last year, US goods imports from China that are subject to tariffs fell by about 14% versus 2017 pre-trade war levels, according to analysis from Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg Over the past five years, US tariffs, export restrictions and subsidies have persuaded American companies to diversify their imports away from China. The total share of Chinese imports to the US has slipped about 3 percentage points since 2018, when former President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on thousands of Chinese goods. During this time, China ceded a portion of its share of total US imports to other Asian export nations like Vietnam, India, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg That said, Chinese manufacturers looking to sidestep US tariffs and shorten supply chains are opening operations in nations such as Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico. Mexico is becoming a key US sourcing alternative to China. Highly integrated US-Mexico supply lines and preferential trade treatment under the USMCA are helping to create investment opportunities across the border. Importers and even some Chinese exporters looking to diversify their supply chains are racing to snap up Mexican industrial space, which reached a 97.5% occupancy rate in 2022. Demand for warehouses and other industrial properties is particularly high along the US border near Tijuana where industrial vacancy rates are near zero. Some 47 new industrial parks are either planned or under construction, according to the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg President Joe Bidens efforts to improve trade relations with Europe have resulted in a shift toward greater US reliance on imports from Europe than from China. The pivot came after the US and Europe shelved duties on bilateral trade worth $21.5 billion in 2021, paused an aircraft-manufacturing dispute dating to 2004, and launched talks to reduce overproduction of steel and aluminum. Over the past year, the value of US imports from Europe has increased by almost 13%, whereas US imports from China only grew by 6%. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg Smartphone manufacturers like Apple Inc. are working to reduce their dependence on China as a trade war between Washington and Beijing intensifies. In the year through March, Apple tripled its Indian production footprint to manufacture more than $7 billion of iPhones. India now accounts for some 7% of Apples global iPhone output, and annual sales in the country have surged to $6 billion. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg Vietnam is another hub for companies looking to diversify away from China. Over the past seven years, US container imports of Vietnamese furniture grew 186% versus only 5% growth in such imports from China. Vietnam now accounts for half of Chinas total export volume for US-bound furniture products, according to Descartes Systems Group Inc. Recently, orders for Vietnamese furniture are beginning to decline due to falling global demand for consumer goods. View Full Image Graphic: Bloomberg Beijings industrial policies have catapulted China to become the largest exporter of electric vehicles after Germany. This year, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are on track to reach about 40% of Chinas total vehicle deliveries. Meanwhile, Europes share of global electric vehicle sales are likely to grow this year as more models become available and supply-chain issues ease," according to Bloomberg Intelligence. The Congress on Saturday wrote to the Election Commission seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "Congress shielded terrorism for vote bank" remark and accusing him of making "malicious and false" allegations to vitiate the atmosphere of poll-bound Karnataka . PM Modi on Friday had alleged that for the sake of vote bank politics, it (Congress) has nurtured, given shelter, and surrendered before terror, according to the news agency PTI. "While we have objections to the entire tone and tenor of the prime minister's speech, in this representation we wish to highlight the completely unprecedented and malicious allegations, far worse than any ever made by a sitting prime minister in the history of India," Congress general secretaries Randeep Surjewala and K C Venugopal said in a memorandum. "He has not only crossed the 'lakshman rekha' but brazenly tarnished every norm and decorum set by his predecessors. This cannot go unchecked, unanswered, and unpunished," the memorandum said. Gehlot also urged the Election Commission to ban PM Modi from campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, PTI reported. Speaking at a press conference here, he alleged that Modi was seeking votes on the basis of religion in the southern state. Gehlot also hit out at the BJP over an alleged threat by a party candidate in the Karnataka polls to wipe out Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family. "Read the law... if someone talks in the name of religion, on religious grounds in an election campaign, a ban should be imposed," he added. Voting for the 224 assembly seats in the state will take place on May 10 and results will be out on May 13. (With PTI inputs) It started off as just another obscure asset management company (AMC) that dotted the financial landscape of India. Now, its morphed into a behemothalbeit without any bank or corporate parentage. That should tell us why Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services Ltd, more popular as PPFAS, has been labelled Indias own Berkshire Hathaway, the company founded by global investment guru Warren Buffett. PPFASs spectacular rise is mirrored in the growth of its mutual fund (MF) arm. Its flagship Flexicap Fund is among only 11 equity MF schemes in the country with assets under management of more than 30,000 crore. The Parag Parikh Flexicap scheme was launched in 2013 with just 150 crore in assets. A decade later, it has grown 200 times its size and delivered a stunning 18.8% CAGR, or compound annual growth rate. This story charts the success of Parag Parikh Mutual Fund and the unorthodox path that it took in Indias crowded MF industry. The fund was initially founded as a portfolio management service (PMS) in 1996 by the late Parag Parikh, a broker who was also highly respected as a value investor. Parikh converted the PMS into a MF in 2013 after maeket regulator Sebi increased the minimum investment amount for PMSes from 5 lakh to 25 lakh. View Full Image Mint In its more than 17 years of existence as a PMS, Parikh delivered a roughly 18% CAGR to his investors and built up a steady following. The journey, though, was not without its ups and downs. Parikh stayed away from hot technology stocks during the dot com boom and realty/infra stocks in 2007. The PMS also underperformed in highly bullish years, including in 2007, and it led to some disappointed investors opting for an exit. This was a jolt for Rajeev Thakkar, a chartered accountant who had joined Parikh in the early 2000s and was managing the PMS. Parikhs backing, however, kept him going. 2007 was the only time that Rajeev offered to quit due to underperformance," recollects Neil Parikh, chief executive officer (CEO) of Parag Parikh Mutual Fund. AMCs generally offer investors a plethora of schemes, including large-cap funds, mid-cap funds, focused funds and value funds. However, when Parag Parikh launched his new fund house, he took a radically different approach. There would be only one scheme on its menu and it would invest across market segments and international stocks (up to 35% of the corpus). It would also retain the ability to hedge during bull markets using arbitrage (derivatives) positions. Parikh and his team would be open to questions on any stock in the scheme at every annual unitholders meetings. There would be no sales targets. The AMC would grow from pull and not push and all distributors would get the same commission. We think of ourselves as professionals, not businessmen," said CEO Parikh, explaining why PPFAS does not have any sales target. A surgeon cannot set targets for heart bypass surgeries. Doing the right thing for the patient is what matters most." Parikhs radical approach, however, did not work in the initial years. The MF industry was driven by distributors and large banks who cared more about commissions. But, PPFAS wasnt playing ball. Parikhs single scheme approach meant that he was highly dependent on that single scheme doing well. The victory of the National Democratic Alliance, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparked a massive market rally post the 2014 elections and the conservative value-driven PPFAS underperformed. Then, in 2015, the AMC suffered a major body blow. Parag Parikh was killed in a car accident while returning from Warren Buffetts annual investor gathering in Omaha, US. We were anxious about a run on the fund and made detailed plans to liquidate assets and create a cash buffer," said Neil Parikh. The panic never materialized. Neil Parikh took over his fathers role as CEO and the other key personnel continued with their jobs. Yet, another bull rally in 2016-17 caught the fund house unawares. This one was led by mid and small-caps, and PPFAS had a small allocation to these segments compared to its peers. At that point, it seemed like we would never be able to cross 700 crore in size," said Parikh. And, then the tide changed. When the tide turns, you realize who is swimming naked," goes an old market saying. A default in IL&FS caused Indias stock market to lose steam in 2018-2019. PPFAS stood out as one of the few exceptions. US tech stocks were also doing well, adding tailwinds to the fund houses global portfolio. The AMC had also just completed five years of existence, bringing it on the radar of wealth managers and agencies that soon assigned it star ratings. In 2019, PPFAS Flexicap delivered a 15.3% return, compared to 11% for the category. In 2020, this accelerated to a scorching 33.55% (compared to 16.75% for the category). We were sitting on 17% cash when the pandemic hit," recounts Neil Parikh. There was fear all around and it was tempting to wait for the market to go down further. Rajeev, however, would have none of that. He saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Parikh added. In calendar year 2021, the scheme rose by an incredible 47%, beating the flexicap categorys 33.6%. Thus began its glory days, but PPFAS has had its share of critics as well. Some said its performance comes on the back of a rally in US tech stocks and could be replicated by simply buying Nifty and S&P 500 ETFs in a 65:35 ratio. Without international stocks, it would be just a mediocre performer, they argued. The company responded by launching the Parag Parikh Taxsaver Fund in 2019 that put paid to all this criticism. A purely domestic-focused fund, the scheme has beaten the ELSS, or equity linked savings scheme, category in every single year of its existence. Another innovationa debt fund with the ability to invest a small amount in dividend-yield stocks and real estate and infrastructure trusts (REITs/InVITs)also proved successful. PPFAS Conservative Hybrid Fund has delivered 7.66% since its launch in May 2021, beating the conservative hybrid category as well as most debt funds. Another concern for the firm has been the declining international allocation (17% at present, down from 30-35% around three years ago) due to the MF industry hitting the limit set by the Reserve Bank of India for overseas allocation. This does take away a key strength of PPFAS AMC but may prove a temporary challenge that can be overcome once Indias forex reserves strengthen and the central bank lifts the limits. All AMCs mean revert at some point and after three years of increasing outperformance, PPFAS, too, hit a rough patch in 2022. However, the AMC has always advocated a minimum 5-year time horizon and it has already seen a recovery in 2023. I have underperformed before, and I will underperform again," Rajeev Thakkar, who was now the chief investment officer, told a surprised audience in the 2022 unitholders meeting. However, Thakkar added that this should not matter for long-term investors. For those willing to accept the way of the tortoise, (implying a slow and steady growth) significant wealth creation may yet be in store. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neil Borate Neil heads the personal finance team at Mint. A former colleague called them 'money nerds' and that's what they are. They cover topics like mutual funds, taxation and retirement, all to improve your chances of building wealth. Neil graduated with a degree in law and economics. He passed the CFA Level I exam and began his writing career at Value Research, a mutual fund research firm in 2016. He joined the personal finance team Mint in 2019. Everyday, the Mint Money Team tackles personal finance questions such as where to invest and where to borrow, through articles, charts and reader queries. They also have a daily podcast - 'Why Not Mint Money' and an annual ranking of mutual funds - the Mint 20. Read more from this author NEW DELHI : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded from the AAP government in Delhi to exempt The Kerala Story film from entertainment tax. The saffron party has also asked the Delhi government to hold special screenings of the film for girls in the 15-16 age group. In a letter to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the film was based on the serious issue of love jihad", religious conversion" and pushing innocent girls into terrorism. 'The Kerala Story' has been given an 'A' certificate for viewing only by adults, while nowadays the danger of love jihad is gravest for the girls of 15-16 years of age. Therefore, the chief minister should contact the Film Censor Board and get it a 'U/A' certificate for Delhi so that more and more girls belonging to the sensitive category can be made aware by showing this film," Kapoor said. The film starring Adah Sharma revolves around a group of women in Kerala who are forced to convert and join terror group ISIS. Information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday lashed out at the opposition parties and said those who are opposing The Kerala Story film are supporters of the PFI and terror outfit ISIS. Madhya Pradesh government has announced that the film will be tax free in the state. Uttar Pradesh Dy CM Brajesh Pathak has said that it will not oppose any proposal to grant similar status in the state. In Tamil Nadu, multiplexes across the state have cancelled screenings of the controversial film from Sunday, citing law and order issues and poor public response. The Manipur government will relax the curfew from 7 am to 10 am today, Sunday, to allow people to buy essential items. The decision was taken after the law and order situation improved in the Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders. State governor Sushri Anusuiya Uikey on Saturday appealed to the people in the state to maintain brotherhood and dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity, said an official release from the governor's office, according to a report published by ANI. I appeal to all of you, being Governor of this state, that according to Manipur state's excellent co-existence, brotherhood, and mutual cooperation, all of you should maintain brotherhood, dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity and cooperate with the people around you," the statement read. Governor Uikey added that she was informed that an atmosphere of insecurity, mistrust, and fear has been created among the citizens due to these incidents in Manipur. However, she assured the citizens that all the security forces including the Army, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are all continuously working in the state to bring the situation under control, ANI reported. Security forces are patrolling all the areas and take care of your safety. The security forces are ready and always at your service to deal with any disturbance." If any kind of incident nuisance disturbance or spreading fear, looting damaging property or causing human harm occurs around you, immediately inform the 24-hour control room of the army No. 9233637014 or the police," she added. Earlier on May 3, owing to tension over the move to protect forests in the face of resistance from illegal immigrants and also the High Court's direction to include Meitei in scheduled tribes, the district administration imposed a complete curfew in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also conducted a meeting with the representatives of the 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' in the wake of the violence in the State. The meeting follows violence that erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. (With ANI inputs) MUMBAI : Reliance Home Finance Ltds lenders, led by Bank of Baroda, got a relief with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) overturning a May 2021 order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on the defaults in payment of the non-convertible debentures issued by the company after the insolvency proceeding was initiated against it. NCLAT granted the lenders intervention plea and directed the Mumbai bench of the tribunal to reexamine the matter on 16 May. NCLT shall pass a reasoned order (after) considering all the contentions and arguments put forward by all parties, including ICA (inter-creditor agreement) lenders. The appeal is allowed and the matter is remanded to NCLT, Mumbai. The (16 May) order is set aside," said a bench led by Justices Rakesh Kumar Jain and Alok Srivastava. Inter-creditor agreements help streamline the resolution process for stressed assets valued at 50 crore or more, and involves multiple creditors of a single borrower. Reliance Home Finance owes approximately 7,109 crore to lenders, primarily consisting of public sector financial institutions, and major private banks. Several debenture holders participated in secured non-convertible debentures issued by Reliance Home Finance. IDBI Trusteeship Services was appointed as debenture trustee. The agreement between Reliance Home the debenture trustee for the authorized issuance of secured non-convertible debentures worth 3,000 crore was executed in November 2017. After Reliance Home failed to repay the NCD holders IDBI Trusteeship referred the company to the NCLT. During the hearing at the NCLAT, the counsel for IDBI Trusteeship said that despite repeated requests for redemption of NCDs, Reliance Home failed to honour its commitments. On behalf of all the lenders, Bank of Baroda filed an intervention application in NCLT after IDBI took Reliance Home to the insolvency tribunal. The NCLT, however, turned down the lenders request for intervention. Aggrieved by its order the lenders moved the appeals court seeking relief. The lenders appeal in the NCLAT was that the tribunals order of May 2021 did not grant Bank of Baroda an opportunity for hearing in the case. Its counsel argued that the request for intervention in the matter was because it is a person interested in the matter" under the Companies Act. He submitted that the lenders are secured by a first ranking pari passu (on the same footing) charge on all the book debts, receivables, cash and cash equivalents of Reliance Home, but had refrained from enforcing their security interests to resolve the financial situation of the firm in the interest of stakeholders. However the debenture trustee argued that BoB cannot be termed as aggrieved person" and it does not have the locus to file the plea as it was not a party at the NCLT. Principles of natural justice were followed as BoB was allowed to file a plea seeking intervention but NCLT rejected it, it added. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Priyanka Gawande Priyanka Gawande is a senior legal correspondent at Mint. She has worked as legal reporter for four years with both television and digital mediums. Based in Mumbai, she reports on disputes across sectors including banking, corporates and finance. This also includes insolvency and bankruptcy cases and intellectual property rights (IPR) litigation. Her focus also comprises tracking capital markets and disputes relating to securities law. Previously, Priyanka worked with Informist Media for 2.5 years covering major insolvency and bankruptcy cases and corporate developments. She started her career in journalism with Business Television India (BTVi) where she reported on primary markets, banking, finance and insurance companies. Read more from this author Speaking on 'Foreign Policy of Modi Government,' he said, "I would have offered to take classes on China from Rahul Gandhi but I discovered he was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador." Jaishankar was responding to the Congress leader's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's handling of relations with China. He also referred to Rahul Gandhi's meeting with the Chinese ambassador to India during the Doklam crisis, where Gandhi attacked the government, suggesting that new territory had been lost to China's salami slicing. ALSO READ: Jaishankar slams Pakistan on cross-border terrorism, takes on China "I know everything in politics is political. I accept that. But I think on certain issues, we have a collective responsibility to at least behave in a way that we do not weaken our (India's) collective position abroad to do what we have seen in the last three years in China," Jaishankar said, adding, "often very misleading narratives are put in." Jaishankar also hit out at misleading narratives and misrepresentations, adding, "We had, for example...a bridge which the Chinese were building on Pangong Tso. Now, the reality was that the particular area first Chinese came in 1959, and then they occupied it in 1962. But that's not the way it was put across. This happened in the case of some of the so-called model villages as well, that they were built on areas which we lost in 62 or before 62. Now, I don't believe you will very rarely hear me say 1962, that shouldn't have happened, or you are wrong, or you are responsible. What has happened has happened. It's our collective, I would say failure or responsibility. I do not necessarily attribute political colouring to it. I would like to see is actually a serious China conversation. I'm prepared to accept that there are different viewpoints on that, but if you reduce it to kind of slanging match, what can I say after that?" Prior to this also, Jaishankar criticised Rahul Gandhi while speaking at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi in relation to his Indo-Sino relations. "When Panda huggers try to be China hawks... it doesn't fly," the minister said, adding, "He [Rahul Gandhi] speaks admiringly about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He compares, very poetically, I must say, the BRI with the Yellow River in China gushing forward. The BRI goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It violates our national integrity and sovereignty. He doesn't have a word to say about it," Jaishankar said at the Conclave. With agency inputs. An earthquake of 6.5 magnitude on the richer scale and a series of strong aftershocks struck Ishikawa Prefecture on Japans west coast on Friday, according to Bloomberg News. The quake caused multiple homes to collapse in the city of Suzu. Speaking to media persons, National Public Safety Commission Chairman Kouichi Tani informed that one man died and a number of landslides have been reported. Japan Meteorological Agency warned that more landslides and aftershocks may still be ahead. There is no threat of a tsunami from the quake. The government is sending a team to assess the damage. Local officials have not sought aid from the countrys Self-Defense Forces," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at an emergency news conference. The earthquake, which hit at 2:42 p.m. local time, caused no power outages in the surrounding areas or damage to communications networks or to gas and refinery facilities, according to government ministries. Nuclear power plants at Hokuriku Electric Power Co. and Japan Atomic Power Co. were unaffected, an official at the Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority said. Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc. said on its Twitter account that its halted Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant sustained no damage from the quake, Bloomberg reported. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was in Singapore meeting his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on Friday, with plans for a summit in South Korea starting Sunday. Nothing has been decided on whether the earthquake would affect Kishidas travel plans, Matsuno said. Bullet train operations between Nagano and Kanazawa stations stopped shortly after the tremors began, but resumed operation later in the afternoon, West Japan Railway Co. said. Delays of up to 90 minutes affected thousands of people who were traveling during Japans Golden Week holidays, it added. The quake had a depth of 12 kilometers and hit a seismic intensity of an upper 6 out of 7 on Japans scale to measure the degree of shaking, the countrys weather agency said. The agency earlier estimated the quake was 10 km deep and had a magnitude of 6.3. (With Bloomberg inputs) Warren Buffet on Saturday said he is more comfortable with Berkshire Hathaway Inc deploying capital in Japan than Taiwan, reflecting the growing tensions between the United States and China. The billionaire investor contrasted Berkshire's recently increased investments in five Japanese trading houses with its recent U-turn on a multi-billion dollar investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, or TSMC. "It's a marvelous company," Buffett said at Berkshires annual meeting, referring to Taiwan Semiconductor. But "I would feel better about capital that we've got deployed in Japan than in Taiwan.... That's the reality." Berkshire invested more than $4 billion in TSMC last year, only to sell most of it within three months. Tensions between the U.S. and China have simmered in recent months, with some investors worried that China might invade Taiwan. Meanwhile, Berkshire revealed last month it had increased its stakes in Itochu Corp, Marubeni Corp, Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui & Co and Sumitomo Corp to 7.4%, and Buffett said his company might buy more. Berkshire in August 2020 had first disclosed owning 5% stakes in each, in investments then worth more than $6 billion, and reported increasing the stakes to more than 6% in November. Buffett said the investment reflected their similarities to his own conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc. "The Japanese thing was simple," Buffett said. "There were five very very substantial companies, understandable companies" paying decent dividends and repurchasing their shares, and where Berkshire could manage the currency risk by selling yen-denominated debt to finance the sale, he added. "They're doing intelligent things, and they're sizable, so we just started buying them," and have been "more than pleasantly surprised" at their progress, he said. Berkshire does not pay a dividend. Buffett's longtime business partner Charlie Munger took a different view, pointing to Apple Inc's success in using China as a major supplier, which he said has been good for both the company and the country. "I think we're equally guilty of being stupid," Munger said, referring to the U.S. and China. "If there's one thing we should do it's get along with China and we should have a lot of free trade with China, in our mutual interest," he said. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska and John McCrank in New York; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and Chizu Nomiyama) Illustrative photo The website of the Luxembourg Government - gouvernement.lu - announced that Prime Minister Bettel's official visit is conducted at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and in response to PM Chinh's visit to Luxembourg in December 2022. Tageblatt.lu - a daily newspaper in Luxembourg - ran an article saying that Vietnam has become an attractive trade partner globally. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Southeast Asian nation has opened up to the world under reform orientation since late 1980s and has become an important economy not only in the region but also in the world. According to the article, in terms of foreign policy, Vietnam wants to have friendly relations with all countries, while in terms of foreign relations, Vietnam relies on independence, and supports bilateral partnerships and multilateralism. Due to geopolitical uncertainties in the world, Vietnam is increasingly sought by Western companies as a new partner, including Luxembourg. The European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has brought many new opportunities for Luxembourgish businesses that operate in the service and financial sectors. Currently, many Luxembourg enterprises are operating in Vietnam. The article also highlights positive trade relations between Luxembourg and Vietnam in recent years including bilateral trade reaching more than 160 million euros (about 179 million USD) in 2022, up from 120 million euros in 2020. In another article published by the newspaper, it is said that during Prime Minister Bettel's visit to Vietnam, the two sides signed many bilateral cooperation agreements, including those on aviation cooperation, the extension of an agreement to avoid double taxation, and cooperation against climate change through green funds. Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation (LuxDev) will launch two projects worth 2 million euros in Vietnam. Luxembourg-based airline Cargolux will soon receive a license to fly to Ho Chi Minh City besides Hanoi. The article quotes Prime Minister Bettel as expressing optimism about the possibility that Luxembourg tourists in the future can enter Vietnam without a visa when the National Assembly of Vietnam considers extending the visa-free policy at its meeting late this month. Luxembourg's online newspaper virgule.lu has just published an article about the prospect of Vietnamese electric vehicles entering the country's market. The article said Prime Minister Bettel and Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Minister for Tourism Lex Delles visited Vinfast's facility and experienced test driving its electric vehicles. Other Luxembourg newspapers such as Today.RTL.lu, diegrenzgaenger.lu also reported on Bettels visit to Vietnam./. This incident occurred in March 1948. Then ruling Congress was set to split for the first time since Independence. Acharya Narendra Dev, a proponent of socialist ideology, and his associates were forming the Socialist Party. About this move, Narendra Dev said: We have not taken this decision to separate from the Congress because of any animosity or proclivity for futile protest. We have no feelings of bitterness. Many of our allies and friends are members of Congress, and we will always have cordial relationships with them." Govind Vallabh Pant, the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, was brought to tears by this decision, and Purushottam Das Tandon, another freedom fighter, said, Politics is a weird thing. There is always the risk of a split...If the ideals of those splitting differ from those of the national and provincial governments, the separation is justifiable...[I]f they are doing so to gain power, we cannot condemn them. The desire to attain power is a normal urge." Let us now travel to 1975. Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency that year, which became the cause for all of the setbacks the Congress faced in later years. But Indiras problems had begun months before she imposed Emergency. On 5 December 1975, Jayaprakash Narayan wrote to Indira from Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai: You have accused the Opposition of trying to lower the prestige and position of the countrys prime minister. But in reality, the boot is on the other leg. No one has done more to lower the position and prestige of that great office than yourself. Can you ever think of the prime minister of a democratic country who cannot even vote in his parliament because he has been found guilty of corrupt electoral practices?" Needless to say, when Indira loosened her grip on the Emergency in 1977 and held national elections, people rejected her. JP was behind this mandate. He later went to visit Indira at her official residence. He was concerned about Indira and her family because he was a close friend of her father. Indu, you are no longer in the post, so how will you manage household expenses?" JP asked her during this meeting. Indira said, I will be able to live on the royalties from my fathers books." JP then assured her that the Janata Party government would not take any retaliatory action against her. It is a separate matter that the father of Sampurna Kranti was rejected by his own disciples for his kind gesture. Indira was investigated by an inquiry commission led by Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah. She began referring to this commission as a means to harass her and played the victim card to great effect. The narrative was strengthened by her arrest and subsequent release. We may see a similar sequence of events play out in the current Karnataka election, too. The blame game about the use and misuse of government agencies is rampant. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge recently compared the Prime Minister with a poisonous snake at one of his public rallies. Realising his error, he quickly apologized, but the prime minister and the BJP got a chance to react. The situation would have been avoided had Kharges son, Priyank, not used insulting language at the prime minister later. The BJP is also making it an issue. Im not sure how much this incident will affect voters, but such misdeeds clearly pollute democracy. It seems we are doomed to suffer such pollution, election after election. Such tendencies do not grace the political leadership of a country that claims to be the worlds oldest democracy. Elections come and go. Someone wins, and someone loses. The same thing will happen in Karnataka, but there is an adage that says, No harm is more severe than that caused by a tongue." In this day of social media, where the least movement of the tongue first creates an uproar and then history, our politicians must consider that maintaining the democratic values that our forebears handed down to us is more important than victory and failure. It is not without reason that when the elections are announced, neutral people become terrified. They brace against the days that are bound to be filled with mud-slinging. Why do those involved in this forget that we are the worlds largest and youngest democracy? According to one study, about 175 million young people will vote in the general elections of 2024. Arent we encouraging them to vote on emotive issues and not real ones? This rising trend must be halted, but who will do so, when everyone commits the same sin? Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal. A civil war has broken out in Sudan. It will rage on, forgotten by the world once foreign governments have pulled most of their nationals out. It will remain ignored until the level of atrocities surges beyond the normal that weve already become accustomed to. Like Syria, Myanmar, Yemen and half a dozen other spots, the conflict carries relatively little importance for countries not directly affected. Some countries and non-state actors benefit from the conflict economy. They launder money, sell arms, supply fuel and exploit natural resources. Sometimes neighbouring countries try to gain advantage by backing one side. Sometimes the belligerent seek the patronage of a major power. But mostly the conflicts are of peripheral interest to the major powers, which have bigger fish to fry. Without external dousing, the fire ends only when it burns itself out. One entity is conspicuous by its irrelevance, if not silence. Im referring to the United Nations, which has ended up what teenage gamers call a non-playing character (NPC) in international politics. It was not always this way. When we got satellite television in the 90s, the UN was a major part of BBC and CNN news bulletins. It played an important role in international diplomacy over the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and the Middle East. Whatever the outcome, the United Nations Security Council was the big table. So much so that the unchallenged superpower of the day still found it necessary to make its case in New York and Geneva. Even if US diplomacy after 9/11 and its decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan were driven by a need to acquire legitimacy for things it was going to do anyway, the fact that it did so reveals the UNs importance. Putins annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine shows how much that has plunged in the past two decades. Aware of its fading relevance, the UN system is attempting endogenous change. In a recent briefing paper published by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Richard Gowan shows how the Secretary-Generals High-Level Advisory Board of Multilateralism has been setting an agenda for change over the past two years. Another report is expected in June, ahead of a Summit for the Future in September. These initiatives contain some fine ideas on conflict prevention, peacekeeping, nuclear risk reduction, arms control, artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems, climate change and gender equity. Unfortunately, it is highly likely that the UN will fail in these areas even if world leaders approve of the agenda. Thats because none of them addresses the underlying reason for the UNs growing irrelevance: its political structure. It resolutely reflects the balance of power of the Industrial Age of 1945, even as that power has not only massively shifted in the past three decades, but human civilization itself has entered the Information Age. Power, interest, authority, responsibility and accountability are extremely mismatched, and until this is fixed, the UN cannot reverse its course of increasing ineffectiveness. But, as Gowan notes, Many UN-based diplomats have, however, already concluded that (Security Council reform)... is infeasible." This is not surprising. Large complex organizations seldom show an appetite for the bold changes necessary even when their survival is at stake. They tend to add more bureaucracy, more complexity, and look for flashy new things to do so that they appear trendy. They keep doing this until they are completely upstaged by competitors with new business models and organizational structures. Indeed, the UN Secretary General would do well to ask his high-level advisors to bite the bullet and come up with proposals on how the gargantuan UN system can be restructured to reflect todays reality. Thats the UNs lookout. Since the late-2000s, when it became clear that the five permanent members of the Security Council were unlikely accept its expansion, I have argued that India must invest in creating alternative platforms for global governance. The formation of the G20 in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis offered us an option. We underinvested in it until this year, when it was Indias turn to head it. New Delhi must sustain the momentum even after the baton is passed on to other countries. If the G20 can become the nucleus of a new global high table over the next decade, we might not have to be overly concerned over the UNs fate. Some of the UNs specialized agencies like Unicef and UNHCR do an admirable job under exacting circumstances when no one else will do it. They need to be strengthened and we might already be at a point where their work is impaired because of the UNs political dysfunction. Just like how several pre-existing multilateral institutions came under the UN umbrella in 1945, could the UNs components be spun off or attached to more effective international bodies? If this is heretical thinking, it is called for in the face of a failing orthodoxy. The tragedy is that the reform the UN really needs is also the type that none of its stakeholders will champion. The odds that world leaders will give the UN a clear mandate for the future in September are slim. Even if they do, conflicts like the one in Sudan will go unchecked until major powers achieve some kind of stable balance. That is unlikely to happen at the UN. Nitin Pai is co-founder and director of The Takshashila Institution, an independent centre for research and education in public policy. They're up there with double-decker buses, red phone booths and Big Ben when it comes to quintessentially British things, but the uniforms sported by Queen Elizabeth II's guards weren't designed to look aesthetically pleasing. They were devised as essential accoutrements of battle against the United Kingdom's enemies during the 1800s. So why do these guards wear tall black hats and conspicuous red tunics? As hard as it may be to believe, the uniform was supposed to intimidate opposing armies. "The idea was that you made your foot soldiers look taller and therefore more fearsome," said Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator based in London. "They used to fulfill a practical need for a foot soldier in battle. They were used when fighting the French in the Napoleonic wars. In fact, Napoleon's Imperial Guard wore them, too." Related: What was the largest empire in the world? The hats are known as bearskins because you guessed it they're made of bear fur. The pelts come from Canadian black bears (Ursus americanus) that are culled each year to control their numbers. That means no bears are killed specifically to make the 18-inch-tall (46 centimeters) helmets, but the idea still makes some people uncomfortable. In fact, since the U.K. left the European Union in 2020, there has been talk of outlawing the fur trade altogether . For now, though, the British Army buys between 50 and 100 of the hats, which cost about $900 each, per year, according to the British high-society magazine, Tatler . These days, the headpieces add a bit of pomp and circumstance to the British Army's uniform when its soldiers are performing ceremonial duties, such as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace or the annual parade for the queen's official birthday. But those who wear the bearskins also don regular uniforms in camouflage when the time calls for it, performing other, non-ceremonial roles in the British Army. "If you look at the queen's guards and think they only have ceremonial duties, then you're making a big mistake," Fitzwilliams told Live Science. "All of them are serving soldiers on rotation from other active military roles." The Honor Guard marches on parade in gray coats. (Image credit: Denise Minichini / EyeEm via Getty Images) As for the red tunics, which are worn during the summer months (longer gray coats are worn during the winter), there's a long-standing rumor that the Brits chose scarlet because it disguised bloodstains, which were bad for morale and unsightly. But that's nonsense, Fitzwilliams said. Instead, it all came down to frugality. "The reason British soldiers traditionally wore red is because it was the cheapest and most readily available dye," Fitzwilliams said. "These days, it seems like a bad color for battle because it would mark you out, but in the smoke and confusion of battle, it also allowed you to distinguish your friends from foes and stopped you being killed by your own side." After all, these uniforms hark back to the days of traditional European warfare, where battling sides showed up on a given field and literally formed lines to attack each other a far cry from guerrilla tactics. So, the British queen is guarded by officers who wear the same uniforms as soldiers on active duty did two centuries ago. Anachronistic, maybe, but it's traditions like this that make the British royals famed the world over, Fitzwilliams said. "We have the world's most high-profile functioning monarchy, and the guards play an important role," he said. "They are one of the great tourist features of London." Originally published on Live Science. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The case against a former teacher aide accused of making threats at Clark Middle School in January 2021 has been dismissed, according to her attorney. Irma Yvette Granger at one point faced five counts of terroristic threat with a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Granger is accused of making terroristic threats of extreme violence against students and teachers at Clark Middle School, forcing the school to be placed on lockdown for the safety of everyone on the premises, the Webb County District Attorneys Office said when they announced her indictment on April 28, 2021. At the time, Defense attorney Rene Cantu said that it seemed that the prosecution was rushing the case. Cantu mentioned that in 15 years of practice, he had never seen a case turned over by the Laredo Police Department to the District Attorneys Office for a grand jury within a two-week period. In general, a case takes at least 60-90 days from the date of arrest before they are completed and turned into the District Attorneys Office for further review, Cantu said at the time. Cantu said on Wednesday that justice was done. As we stated all along from the beginning of this case, Ms. Granger was and remains innocent. She was a proud employee of UISD and had a passion for her work in the educational field, he said. Based on the forensic report we provided and produced to the Webb County District Attorneys office, the evidence presented established numerous hackings on Ms. Grangers Wi-Fi which caused these messages to be sent. We are grateful that justice was done in this case. At the time of the incident, Granger was accused of sending five threatening messages that caused the lockdown of Clark Middle. An arrest affidavit stated that the threats included messages of shooting and killing people on campus. In these alleged threats, the sender mentioned he or she wanted to be treated better by the teachers. Among the messages that were sent at the time included: I will destroy Clark middle tomorrow! Shoot every stupid individual in that school! Fire it up just how I know! Next time tell your teachers to treat me better! Get ready for your Clark middle teachers to get shooted we have arrived and you think your smart but your not get ready for the party b---- and your polices are so stupid they will find us but after everybody is dead! Ill start slowly! This is not over b---- we are still hiding and we will shoot one way or another right now clark middle teachers and everyone will pay your about to hear some gun shots you all will pay. Your not smart I will destroy you all anytime now or next week if I have to put a bomb to kill everyone I will and you will not know when it will explode iam smarter that you officers f--- everyone We will be watching until we are done and over with all of you. Your so stupid every student and teacher at Clark middle will get shooted one by one and this is not a threat anymore I will take action and kill you all we are watching. Cantu mentioned that the allegations were false and without merit. Grangers case was dismissed in November. Her record was expunged in March. Ricardo Rick Rodriguez -- the UISD Trustee for District 2 and Webb County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief -- was arrested on Thursday for assault at a Laredo emergency room in March. The 62-year-old man was charged with Assault EMS Personnel Providing Service, a third-degree felony. He was booked and released the same day on a $10,000 bond. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar has relieved Rodriguez of his duties and placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. A criminal complaint detailed the night of the incident in which Rodriguez reportedly had a health scare in front of family members, arrived at the emergency room heavily intoxicated and assaulted both a doctor and his wife in front of numerous witnesses. Below details information taken directly from those documents. Laredo police arrived on the scene on March 18 after the alleged incident at STAT Emergency Center of Laredo at 1023 Bob Bullock Loop. On the night of the incident, a class A assault report was filed with no charges against Rodriguez. But days later detectives began further investigation as they gathered video surveillance and interviewed all parties involved. Rodriguez and his wife declined interviews with the detectives but instead provided written statements. Health scare Rodriguez told detectives he and his wife attended a party the night of the incident where he had a few glasses of whiskey with dinner and a couple of tequila shots before leaving. He said "he had not been sleeping well and figured a few drinks would relax him." Rodriguez was brought home by his wife later that night and said he went straight to bed upon arrival at around 8:30 p.m. He said he did not remember anything after that moment. Meanwhile, Rodriguez's wife told the detectives that night was "the biggest scare of their lives" as he was making noises while asleep, sweating and was not responsive. She said he had also previously suffered a few health problems within a week of the incident. A 911 call was placed to take Rodriguez for treatment. Upon the ambulance arriving, however, Rodriguez "appeared scared and was acting very defensive," according to his wife. Paramedics said Rodriguez was "combative" and refused treatment. They were advised he would be transported by family in a personal vehicle instead. During the drive, Rodriguez allegedly fainted, his wife said. Arriving at the ER After Rodriguez arrived with his family at STAT, a man from their vehicle entered the facility screaming, "He stopped breathing!" according to the receptionist. Multiple members of the emergency room staff called a "code stat" as a nurse grabbed a crash cart. Another informed the lone doctor present that a "patient was not breathing." A nurse, however, went to the car and checked Rodriguez's carotid artery. They determined he was breathing but described him as "gone" as he was unresponsive. Staff members said Rodriguez smelled of alcohol. Family members present described him as "really intoxicated" and told staffers "he had been mixing tequila and whiskey" and was "being aggressive." Nurses said Rodriguez regained consciousness but refused to go inside the facility, as one said he was "swinging and pushing his family off of him." They informed the family they could not force him to go inside but would be ready to help if he wanted it. They left a wheelchair behind for him to use if he wished to go in. The family reportedly was able to convince Rodriguez to get into the wheelchair and go inside. Numerous witnesses said at one point Rodriguez slid completely off the wheelchair and onto the ground before being helped back into it. It was at this point Rodriguez began to curse and tell everyone to get off of him, a staffer said. An altercation begins Rodriguez was brought into an examination room. The doctor stated that he "went to move the bed to create space" for the wheelchair so that Rodriguez could stand up. To do this, he turned his back to Rodriguez, and that's when he said he was struck in the back. The doctor said he was in shock by the incident, as Rodriguez did seem angry with his family but not "to the point where it would lead to an assault." However, one staffer said that they witnessed the event and saw Rodriguez "deliberately got up with the intent of causing harm." They said that it appeared "as though the patient knew what he was doing" and that he landed a full closed fist punch to the doctor's back while using his whole body to throw the punch. Another staffer said they saw Rodriguez grab the doctor from the back and punch him. They said he threw approximately 3-4 punches and thought the doctor was hit at least twice, although the doctor himself only recalled being hit once. A family member of Rodriguez said that he "did not know why Rodriguez became upset" but that he "did not see him make contact with the doctor." Rodriguez's wife said that he "pushed the doctor aside with one hand." Numerous witnesses then stated Rodriguez began cursing at the doctor in Spanish, calling him "p---" multiple times and threatening him. The receptionist said from the other room she heard someone yell for the police to be called. She said she was asked by a family member not to call them but did anyway. Then numerous witnesses stated they saw Rodriguez strike his wife "causing her to fall to the floor." Rodriguez reportedly hit her hard enough that she started bleeding. According to a nurse, the woman allegedly saw the blood on Rodriguez and said, "Oh my god, you're bleeding," as she thought he was bleeding and did not realize it was her blood on him. After the altercation Following the incident, staff members said they managed to get Rodriguez outside with his family through the emergency ambulance double doors. They then closed them "because they were scared." While he was back outside, a staffer described Rodriguez as "throwing a tantrum," "crawling and falling down" and "being irrational." LPD reportedly arrived at the scene within five minutes of the assault, as the call came to them at 11:07 p.m. Officers stated they tried to speak to Rodriguez upon arrival but they were not able to due to him being intoxicated. They instead interviewed others who were on scene. Police spoke to the doctor who said that he did not wish to press charges but a report needed to be filed for their records. The doctor later claimed he felt lingering pain for a couple of hours afterwards. Local veterans are expressing their disappointment after seeing their push for House Bill 2540 -- done in part to honor the memory of Laredo's Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza -- fall short on Thursday. House Bill 2540 was written by Rep. Richard Raymond and aimed to award G.I. Bill rights to other members of a military member's family if they died while single and with no kids. Rep. John Kuempel's Chief of Staff informed the veterans during a conference call that the bill would not be able to make the deadline for being heard this session, and they now must wait two years before trying again. It's like emotions are coming back again, the emotions of disappointment, Veterans of Foreign Wars 9194 Post Adjutant Ricardo Quijano told Madden. We are trying to do something here for veterans and the future of veterans, and it is very disappointing that the chairman of the higher education committee did not put this on the agenda when I left messages and I called them multiple times, and that is when I started researching of who is the chairman and thats when I started contacting them. Quijano brought the idea for House Bill 2540 to his supervisor at the Webb County Veterans Affairs Office after meeting with Espinoza's siblings. He was one of several veterans providing insight to Raymond as he worked to expand benefits under the Hazlewood Act. Quijano said he was especially frustrated because the bill was filed back on Feb. 13. Espinozas mother, Elizabeth Holguin, was also involved in the call and said she was saddened the bill would not be heard. She showed a certificate explaining how he was assured $97,596.17 in GI Bill funds upon his recruitment, and she questioned what happens to that money now. Where does this money go? This was what he was supposed to receive, Holguin said. I understand that he was the one enlisted, but we all paid the ultimate sacrifice as his family, and I would really like to know where is this money going since it was already assigned to it. Holguin thanked Quijano and the other veterans for their continued support. VFW Post 9194 Junior Vice Commander Maxine Riveles said she was frustrated and emotional from the news. I think we brought it up with enough time, and obviously the response that we are getting wasnt what I was expecting, she said. Some veterans may sign up for love for their country, and some people may sign up because there are benefits and are like, 'let me do this.' Regardless whether you did it for love for your country, you knew when you signed up knowing that you had all these benefits, and then you are gone and everything ends. VFW Post 9194 Commander Gilberto Gonzalez told Holguin and Madden that they will continue working to make sure the bill has a better chance next time. Raymond told LMT that support was there for the bill but that more is needed for it to be chosen. We have passed and are passing several bills that help or benefit veterans, he said. This bill, if it passed, would help siblings of veterans. Obviously I support it and many legislators support it, but right now not enough of them support it. Madden said the veterans can use the intermittent time between sessions to network with state representatives, members of the higher education committee or even a state senator who is willing to co-sponsor the bill. She also suggested having the writer of the bill meet with the committee chairman. Madden thanked Holguin for her family's sacrifice and said she'd update Kuemple on what was discussed during the call. Quijano said he will speak with Raymond and Rep. Tracy O. King about the bill in order to get support for the next session. He also wants to request a meeting with State Sen. Judith Zaffirini to ask her to support the bill as well. In July, Veterans of Foreign Wars members are going to Austin for an officer training seminar which all officers and members in the state of Texas go, and we are going to voice what was said in this meeting, Quijano said. We are going to contact the Seguin VFW to explain HB 2540 and the meeting we just had. It was so cold that way it was said, that the chairman chooses what bills go before the committee. That is what angered us all. It is a shame what State Representative John Kuempel from District 44 did to the siblings of those who sacrificed all. Thats what this bill was. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Teacher Appreciation Week was very different for 39 middle school teachers from Laredo Independent School District who were awarded with the Texas Education Agency Teacher Incentive Allotment -- which will allow a significant increase in their salary for five years -- during a ceremony held at the LISD Performing Arts Complex on Wednesday. The Teacher Incentive Allotment was created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to provide a realistic pathway for top teachers to earn six-figure salaries and to help attract and retain highly effective teachers at traditionally hard-to-staff schools. TIA recognizes effective teachers on three different categories: Recognized, Exemplary and Master. The designations are based on factors such as student growth, classroom observation and professional development. Laredo ISD now has 17 Recognized, 20 Exemplary and two Masters teachers. LISDs state allotment for the 39 teachers is approximately $524,000. Stipends go directly to teachers annually for five years. Amounts are based on the level of designation earned and the socio-economic status of the students at the teachers campus. Since 2019, TIA has allocated $138.7 million in additional funding to school systems across Texas. Now in its fourth year, a total of 373 districts across all 20 ESC regions are actively participating in TIA. LISD Superintendent Dr. Sylvia G. Rios said that these teachers reflect the high standards to which they hold themselves at LISD. These exceptional educators are leading the way for excellence in academic achievement, and their efforts are resulting in positive student outcomes. We are proud of the work that they are doing on behalf of every student who attends our schools, Rios said in a statement. On behalf of the LISD Board of Trustees, staff and the school community, I commend the TIA recipients for this outstanding recognition. LISD Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Gerardo Cruz reiterated the fact these professionals underline the commitment to which LISD ascribes. We are pleased to offer these outstanding teachers a way to earn significantly more for their classroom endeavors, Cruz said. This distinction ensures that our teachers reap the benefits of the funds made available by the state. Cruz said that teachers from all four LISD middle schools were awarded this incentive. TIA has been around since 2019, but this is the first year that we have submitted our data and now we have these teachers receiving this money, he said. He added that this state funds now will be part of the awarded teachers salary. And it could be also part of their retirement system, so we are very excited to announce that we have these teachers who qualified because they are good in the classroom and that they have good student scores in terms of STAAR test, he said. Cruz said that for this year LISD only included middle school classroom teachers for Reading and Mathematics and there was a criteria to evaluate them. The teachers needed to have good evaluations. In other words, they had to be excellent teachers in the classroom and also the students that they serve had to meet certain performance such as a high score on their STAAR test and evaluations from the campus principals, he said. Then we collected this data, we analyzed it and we submitted it to the TEA to validate it and to make sure that it is accurate. Also, LISDs Curriculum and Instruction, Human Resources and Testing and Assessment Departments collaborated to make this incentive possible for the 39 teachers. Cruz added that this incentive also serves to recruit and retain good teachers in the district. The purpose is to recognize high performing teachers to recruit and to retain them and also to keep them in the teaching field because as we know statewide the number of persons that are interested in becoming teachers is decreasing, so this is just another way for LISD to recruit teachers, to become part of our teaching community district and to add something monetary, he said. He announced that for the next school year LISD hopes to expand the number of teachers in terms of numbers of grade levels. For this particular group is just middle schools, but for the next coming school year we are going to include elementary and high school teachers -- as well as the four core areas -- so we can get more teachers involved in this program to ensure that we have good student outcomes, he said. We have already submitted an application to TEA to let them know that we want to include elementary and high school teachers, and we are waiting for their approval. For Cruz, this is a good moment to be recognized with this prestigious incentive. It's fitting right now because it is Teacher Appreciation Week, and this is just one way for the school district to recognize the outstanding teachers and to let other teachers know that this program is available to anyone interested in becoming a teacher, he said. He congratulated all 39 teachers and encouraged them to keep doing an excellent job. Keep doing the great work that you're doing. Remember that your work does not go unnoticed. We know that being a teacher is is a lot of pressure but initiatives like these just affirm what we're doing for our students because we do want every student to be able to learn and we want to make sure that we have a great teacher in every classroom, he said. Among the recipients are Dr. Joaquin Cigarroa Middle School teachers Roberto Castro, Maria Guadian, Graciela Mendez, Leticia Morales, Lydia Ratel, Alexandra Sanchez, Daphne Trevino, Janet Villarreal and Maria Villarreal. L. J. Christen Middle School teachers receiving the TIA stipend include Amanda Arellano, Eileen Bustamante, Adriana Chavarria, Sonia Garcia, Sandra Landa, Abigail Lopez, Roberto Reyes, Jr., Irene Salas and Yvette Sena. M.B. Lamar Middle School teacher being paid the TIA Allotment include Sarai Belmonte, Cheryl Carielo, Irma Carrillo, Pedro Enriquez, Mary Garcia, Jessica Herrera, Maria Macalindong, Brianna McCain and Jessica Talamantes. Memorial Middle School teachers getting the TIA stipend include Delia Bagona, Nancy Bernal, Rosa Gonzalez, Martha Loera, Luis Mancillas, Lisa Martinez, Alma Pro, Maria Ramirez, Susan Suarez and Jose Villarreal. Recipients of the TIA also include Esmeralda Rubio, Francisco Farias Elementary School; and Sylvia Santos, F.S. Lara Academy, a multi-disciplinary alternative education setting. Maria Belen Villarreal is a Cigarroa Middle School Reading teacher who was awarded with the Master category. She teaches to students with hearing problems and said that she was about to retire but with this incentive she has decided to stay teaching for five more years. It was a great news, just a great blessing, totally unexpected, she said. I was about to retire, but definitely it's just a great blessing and I will stay. Villarreal recognized all the people behind her like her assistants and all LISD faculty and staff who helped her to obtain this incentive and thanked her students for being amazing kids. Not that only do I teach but I learned from them. I love being part of their culture and being part of everything. They drive me to do better each and every day, she said. She said that her students get a high score in the STAAR test due to her being able to relate problem situations to real world. I think that is one of the most important things so they can see why we do things the way we do, so they can test but also it's extremely important to just talk to them being kind and of help and to tell them to never give up and just try again. You know our brain is a muscle, and we need to work and it will retain all information. She also thanked God for this opportunity and for being able to show that teachers are so dedicated. Not only these 39 teachers, but teachers all over the world. We are the main reason why we have doctors, attorneys, presidents, she said. Luis Mancillas -- a Memorial Middle School Reading teacher, who was also awarded with the Master category -- said that he is very excited to receive this incentive and thanked his team for helping him to get the designation. Its not only me, it's my team that helped me, that pushed me this way. Also thanks to my mentor teacher, my principal, my administration team, so it's not only me getting it but I feel like they're part of this as well, he said. He thinks the way he works with the students helped him to receive the incentive. I think that building the rapport with the kids and then having that communication, trying not to be above the students but be at their level," he said. "I grew up the same way, and I can understand them and I always remind them that this is not the last step, that there are more and they need to move forward." Regarding how he has helped his students achieve high scores on the STAAR test, he said that he sets goals for them to meet. They achieved these goals with the attitude that they can do it, he said. Brian Svendsen/AP Seven people were killed after a driver drove a car into multiple pedestrians in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday morning, Mireya Villarreal reported for ABC News. More are being treated for serious and minor injuries at local hospitals. Authorities said that police had a male suspect in custody and he was also taken to the hospital, under a 24-hour guard watch, where he is being tested for alcohol and drug use, Villarreal wrote. Per a report by Valerie Gonzalez with the Associated Press, the victims were waiting at an unmarked city bus stop outside of a migrant shelter when an SUV struck them around 8:30 a.m. The crash was captured by a surveillance video camera belonging to the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, located at 656 N. Minnesota Ave. It is the only overnight shelter in Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody, per AP's reporting. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (L) and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA) During his stay in Vietnam, Bettel held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Chinh, witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in finance, including an agreement on strategic partnership in green finance between the two countries finance ministries, met with the press on outcomes of the talks, had a meeting with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and visited the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. The PM also visited Ho Chi Minh City, attended and delivered a speech at the Vietnam-Luxembourg Business Forum, visited the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange and the War Remnants Museum, and scoped out climate change impacts in the area along Sai Gon River. During the meetings, the two sides affirmed their wish and determination to advance the bilateral relationship to a new development period, making it more intensive, extensive and substantive. They agreed on measures to enhance the political trust and deepen the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries such as increasing all-level delegation exchanges, effectively implementing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and establishing new ones, and pushing ahead with the construction of logistics centres. The Luxembourg PM consented to effectively and fully materialising the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in order to boost bilateral trade, and to urge other EU countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). The leader also noted his support for EU-Vietnam cooperation in sustainable fishery, and the EC to remove its 'yellow card warning on Vietnamese seafood at an early date. Apart from green finance, the two sides concurred to step up collaboration in culture, science-technology, information-communications, people-to-people exchange, tourism, and climate change response. Regarding regional and international issues of shared concern, they affirmed their further coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations such as ASEAN-EU cooperation, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the United Nations, especially at the time when both countries are members of the UN Human Rights Council, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. On the East Sea issue, they reiterated the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, neither using force nor threatening to use force, and settling disputes by peaceful measures in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two sides expressed their support for the early approval of a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law. Following the visit to Luxembourg by PM Chinh in December 2022, PM Bettels official visit to Vietnam demonstrates the two countries resolve to work together in elevating the bilateral cooperation to a new height./. Multiple people were shot, some fatally, at a mall near Dallas by a gunman who authorities believe was acting alone and who is now dead and at least nine victims were transported to trauma facilities, officials said. After an absence of two years due to Covid-19 the Annual 2022 Multiple Sclerosis Christmas Day Run returned to the usual route Newtowncashel to Lanesboro. Over 80 people participated on Christmas Day and 15 completed it on Christmas Eve. There were also virtual participants in Australia. Congrats and well done to all who participated and donated. We are delighted to announce the total amount raised is 6,645. Thanks to all who donated on the GoFundMe or left sponsorship/donations with any of the committee, rest assured your funds have now reached the Longford Branch of Multiple Sclerosis. Thanks to Joe & Martina OBrien for allowing donations to be left in the Shop for collection by the Committee. Grateful appreciation again to Peter Hanley Motors who once again sponsored the T-Shirts. Sincere appreciation again to participants and all who helped out in any way and to Breda Slattery who coordinated the GoFundMe page. The 32nd Christmas Day Run cheque handover took place over the weekend where Michael Flood and Brigid Mullooly handed over the cheque to Longford Branch of the MS Society. Pictured is Brigid Mullooly & Michael Flood handing over the proceeds from the 2022 Christmas Day Run to the Longford Multiple Sclerosis Committee - PJ & Mary Cox, Celine O'Rourke and Ann O'Brien BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. Azerbaijani village of Tugh in the Khojavend district has a very good tourist potential, Chairman of the Board of Management of Nature Reserves of the State Agency for Tourism Murad Aghabayli told Trend. Tugh is one of the oldest and most beautiful villages in Azerbaijan. At the same time, Tugh has a very good tourist potential. In order to prepare the concept of tourism of the village of Tugh, we chose three main directions. The first of these directions is the development of cultural tourism with the preservation of the historical architectural style of the village, followed by the development of ecotourism using the rich nature of Tugh in the second, and as the third direction, the potential of agrotourism, which the village of Tugh has. We are thinking of developing tourism in this direction, using the agritourism potential, he said. We will carry out work towards the creation of an initial tourist infrastructure in the historical part of the village at the initial stage. Work in this direction has already begun. We design various objects according to the concepts. We are thinking of creating a parking and other necessary tourist infrastructure at the entrance to the village. Then, we are thinking of restoring the village school, the Melik palace complex. We are also planning the construction of a tourist information center, a culinary center, as well as the construction of public catering facilities," he said. He also spoke about the historical architectural style of Azerbaijani village of Tugh. Most of the buildings and historical monuments have been vandalized by Armenians. And when I talk about vandalism, I don't just mean the destruction of these historic buildings. At the same time, many of our monuments were changed by making many additions during the occupation, as a result of which they lost their historical appearance. We are again exploring these monuments with the joint efforts of foreign and local experts. We will conduct a second study and return them to their original historical appearance, he said. He pointed out that tourists traveling to Shusha will receive information about the surrounding villages with the creation of a tourist information center. Local News By Long Island Published: May 06 2023 Police are searching for a man who allegedly attempted to lure two 11-year-old girls in a Long Island neighborhood. According to Nassau County Police, authorities are on the lookout for a man who reportedly attempted to lure two 11-year-old girls in a residential neighborhood in Long Island. The incident occurred on May 5, Friday, at approximately 3:20 p.m. in Wantagh, as the girls were walking home from school along Twin Lane North. As per police reports, a gray SUV pulled up next to the girls and the driver told them to approach his vehicle, but the girls refused and ran away. The suspect's vehicle was last spotted heading towards Wantagh Avenue. (Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the "friendship" between the UK and Canada, as well as between himself and Justin Trudeau as he welcomed the Canadian premier to Downing Street. The pair met over tea, as part of a series of bilateral meetings the prime minister was holding around the King's coronation. Trudeau was one of the world leaders who watched the royal event at Westminster Abbey earlier. The two leaders hugged when Trudeau arrived at No 10. Speaking in front of the media ahead of their private talks, Sunak said: "We've seen each other a lot over the past few months, but I think that speaks to the friendship between our two countries and between you and I. "We're members of all the same clubs, whether that's the G7, the Commonwealth obviously important at the moment, Nato." He thanked Trudeau for his support in the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and said they would continue to work together to support Ukraine. The Canadian leader stressed the two countries' shared values. "We are aligned on how we're going to move forward, standing strong for our values, making sure there's opportunities for jobs and growth for citizens across our countries and around the world as we work together." He noted the pair would meet again at the upcoming G7 summit in Japan, saying there would be "lots of opportunities for us to make sure that as we always are, we're aligning in our values, in our approach". The duo then admired coronation teacups made by Emma Bridgewater, a pottery with strong royal connections. According to a read-out of their meeting, Sunak and Trudeau "remarked on how special the occasion had been and reflected on their conversations with counterparts from across the world". "The leaders also discussed how Canada and the UK could deepen collaboration on defence and security technology, including in cyber security and quantum." They "agreed on the importance of ensuring Ukraine continues to get the support it needs for its defence and reconstruction, now and for years to come". At the coronation, Trudeau was joined by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, governor general Mary Simon and several other dignitaries. Canada's premier tweeted: "Today, we celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III and reaffirmed Canada's enduring commitment to the Commonwealth." Canada is one of the 14 Commonwealth realms where the British monarch is head of state. Trudeau had a video call with the King as part of a busy run of diplomatic duties for Charles ahead of the coronation. The King also met with Canadian indigenous leaders, Chief Roseanne Archibald, Natan Obed and Cassidy Caron. Sunak's calendar of pre-coronation diplomacy, which came amid a difficult set of local election results for him, also featured meetings with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers, the emir of Qatar and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday. By Sophie Wingate, PA Political Correspondent source: PA Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved. As Im sure you know, working up a sweat is an important tool for keeping your mental and physical well-being in tip-top condition! The Ministry of Health recommends exercising for at least 21 minutes a day, so Sweat with Pride is challenging Kiwis to hit this target every day for the month of June while asking for sponsorship from friends and whanau. Youll be improving your own health, and the money you raise will help to improve the health and wellbeing of others in our community. A Russian fighter intercepted a Polish plane patrolling for the EUs border agency over the Black Sea, Romanias defence ministry said Saturday, denouncing Moscows aggressive and dangerous behaviour. The Polish border guard plane was on a routine Frontex patrol with Romanian border police Friday when it was intercepted by repeated aggressive and dangerous maneuvers, performed by the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter, said a ministry statement. Romanian and Spanish planes were put on pre-alert by NATO when the incident happened, but the Polish crew managed to land safely, the statement added. The incident took place in international airspace over the Black Sea, around 60 kilometres east of Romanias airspace, said the ministry. This incident is further evidence of the provocative approach of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea. said Bucharest. ADVERTISEMENT Contacted by AFP, the European border agency Frontex did not immediately respond. Polish border guards declined to comment, saying a statement would be issued on Sunday. The Polish plane has been deployed in Romania from April 19 and is due to stay there until May 17, part of a Frontex operation organised by Romania that also includes Spain and Sweden. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Only Congress can grant legislative charters to operationalize government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCS), amend their charters, or abolish or merge GOCCs, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Sunday said. The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) was created under Republic Act No. 2081 of 1958 and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) was established by RA No. 3844 of 1963. Both have separate legislative mandates. The proposed merger of DBP and LBP necessitates the amendment of their charters by Congress. Only Congress can amend or repeal statutes, Lagman stressed. The projected merger cannot legally be effected by a mere executive order, he added. Legislative enactment, not executive fiat, is mandatorily required to operationalize the proposed merger of DPB and LBP, he said. Earlier, Senator Risa Hontiveros called for an investigation into the proposed merger of the DBP and LBP. ADVERTISEMENT In a proposed Senate Resolution No. 570, Hontiveros emphasized that the merger raises concerns on the potential risks and benefits it may bring to the economy, the stability of the financial system, and various stakeholders, including the employees of both institutions. On March 28, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced that the government was contemplating a merger between the two state-run financing institutions, with LBP as the surviving entity. This would also create the largest banking institution in the country, with more than P4.179 trillion in assets. If the merger pushes through, according to Hontiveros, the welfare and livelihood of thousands of employees of both institutions may be at risk. PSR No. 570 also underscored the concerns raised by The Land Bank of the Philippines Employees Association (LBPEA) and DBP Employees Union (DBPEU), stating that the LBP and the DBP violated the terms of their Collective Negotiations Agreements by failing to consult with the unions beforehand. As the two banks merge operations, it is possible that certain jobs will be eliminated or reduced in size. It will negatively affect employee morale and job satisfaction. Changes in leadership, organizational structure, and company culture can create anxiety. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will go to Indonesia for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on Tuesday, May 9. The President has just completed his working visit to the United States and attended the coronation of King Charles III in London. He will be in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia from May 9 to 11 for the ASEAN summit. Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Angelito Nayan said President Marcos will discuss long-term food and energy security, economic recovery, transnational crimes, and the need to upgrade technical and vocational education and training during the summit. Nayan said 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. ADVERTISEMENT President Marcos is also expected to assert the importance of demonstrating ASEANs centrality in the region amid geopolitical issues, the DFA official said. DFA spokesperson Ambassador Ma. Terersita Daza said the opening ceremony of the 42nd ASEAN Summit will be held in the morning of May 10. Talks with other leaders from both ASEAN and non-ASEAN guest countries are possible at the sidelines of the summit. This will be the Presidents 12th trip in his first year and the second time he will visit Indonesia. During the last ASEAN summit, the President pushed for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea based on international law, which he said should be an example of how states manage their differences. Since then, aggressive Chinese intrusions into the West Philippine Seaand a stronger US presence in the regionhave raised tensions in the South China Sea. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. LIAN, BatangasA group of volunteers led by Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) headed to the coast of Lian, Batangas for a mangrove-planting activity as part of the All-Toyota Green Wave Project (Green Wave). The project is the companys expansive and multi-sectoral effort towards carbon neutrality (CN) and biodiversity conservation within TMPs network amid the serious threat of global climate change. In observance of Earth Month, TMP gathered over 50 volunteers from its own workforce, parent company, subsidiaries, the Philippine National Police, and the local government unit. TMP volunteers during the mangrove-planting activity in Lian, Batangas. The group, spearheaded by TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto, planted 5,000 mangrove propagules at Sitio Sulok, aiming to reforest a coastline that is part of the Verde Island Passage, considered as the worlds center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity. TMPs multi-pathway approach to CN goes back to Toyotas commitments announced in 2015 under the global Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 (TEC 205). Under this, Toyota has outlined the Companys targets to achieve Zero CO2 Emissions and Net Positive Environmental Impact by the year 2050, Okamoto said. ADVERTISEMENT Today, we take time away from our usual workplace to be in harmony with nature, and push CN beyond the emission reduction efforts TMP has at its manufacturing plant and with the Toyota electrified vehicles, the TMP president added. Recognizing the VIPs importance as the planets marine frontier and the call for climate mitigation measures, TMP has initially adopted since 2020 a 10-hectare mangrove plantation at Barangay Binubusan in Lian municipality. The adoption is under the National Greening Program, which is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources nationwide reforestation program aimed at involving and enhancing private sector participation towards carbon neutrality. In collaboration with Lians Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office and fisherfolk association, TMP has planted a total of 20,000 mangrove propagules and is nearing project completion. MENRO Lian head Alvin Jonson said the projects success is linked to the mangroves survival and maturity rate as the reforested areas are expected to later contribute to livelihood of fisherfolks and serve as a natural barrier to protect nearby communities from calamities, such as storm surges. In expanding the Green Wave to other ecological systems, TMP recently signed a partnership with DENR Region IV-A CALABARAZON and respective LGUs to adopt new NGP sites: an 8-hectare mangrove plantation in Calatagan, Batangas, and a 50-hectare upland forest block in Siniloan, Laguna. TMP has four active NGP sites with a total of 108 hectares, including the other two in Lian, Batangas (10 ha) and Maragondon, Cavite (40 ha). Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. The delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Khalaf Khalafov paid a working visit to Austria in order to hold another round of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs of Austria, the Azerbaijani MFA told Trend. The Austrian delegation was headed by Director General for Bilateral Affairs and Common Foreign Policy of the EU of the Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs Political Director Gregor Kessler. The sides analyzed the current state of Azerbaijani-Austrian relations, exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation. The parties discussed the organization of high-level mutual visits and the development of cooperation in the fields of energy and investment, stressing the wide potential of trade and economic relations between the two countries. They touched on the potential for extending partnership within the framework of international organizations and spoke about relations in the domains of culture, science, and education. Azerbaijan's efforts to establish lasting peace in the region, Armenia's unconstructive position and incessant provocations, construction and restoration work in the liberated territories, steps taken towards the implementation of projects for the return of citizens to their native lands, the reintegration of Armenian minority of Azerbaijans Karabakh into the legal, economic and social environment of Azerbaijan were brought to the attention of the opposite side. Meetings were also held with the third Chairman of the National Council of the Austrian Parliament Norbert Hoffer, members of the Friendship Group with the Countries of the South Caucasus of the Austrian Parliament, Director General for Economic Affairs, Innovation and International Policy of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy of Austria and Co-Chairman of the Joint Commission for Cooperation in the Fields of economy, Agriculture, Industry, Technology and technologies between Azerbaijan and Austria by Florian Frauscher during the visit. The inter-parliamentary relations of the two countries were discussed and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy was emphasized at the meeting with the third Chairman of the National Council of the Austrian Parliament Norbert Hoffer. The opposite side was provided with detailed information about the efforts and steps to implement the peace agenda in the South Caucasus region during the meeting. The importance of the activities of the relevant friendship groups for the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation was emphasized at a meeting with members of the friendship group with the countries of the South Caucasus of the Austrian Parliament. The sides exchanged views on the situation in the region, during which the Azerbaijani delegation provided information on the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Deputy Minister Khalaf Khalafov and Director General for Economic Affairs, Innovation and International Policy of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy of Austria, Co-Chairman of the Joint Commission on Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Austria Florian Frauscher discussed cooperation in the fields of economy, agriculture, industry, machinery and technology. The importance of the activities of the Joint Commission for the Development of Cooperation was noted. A flight bound for Amsterdam made an unscheduled landing in Boston due to an unruly passenger on Friday, according to The Boston Globe. The Delta Air Lines flight, an Airbus A330-300, took off from Detroit destined for Amsterdam but was forced to land at Boston Logan International Airport before 9 p.m. because of the passenger, according to a Delta Air Lines statement to the Globe. The flight was met on arrival at Boston Logan by local law enforcement, where the customer deplaned, a Delta Air Lines statement said. No specifics about what the passenger did to cause the diverted flight were provided. There were 282 passengers on the flight, according to the airline. We have zero tolerance for unruly behavior on our aircraft and express apologies to our valued customers and crew for experiencing this unfortunate delay in their travels, the statement said. SPRINGFIELD Three years ago, workers hurriedly erected a triage center at Baystate Medical Center to handle patients sickened by COVID-19. It was built to handle between 30 and 40 patients at a time. It closes this week. The state and national COVID 19 public health emergencies expire Thursday. The World Health Organization announced Friday its global health emergency has also ended. But health experts who worked through the pandemic in the region caution that the coronavirus will continue to affect public health. As the emergencies expire, a raft of special provisions for hospitals and health care in general also face change including rules for insurance and mask-wearing in healthcare settings. Dr. Mark A. Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, has been pondering whats next for Baystate and for public health in the region. Exit the pandemic. Enter the endemic. Coronaviruses will continue to infect people and, for the infirm, warrant preventive vaccination. The blue envelope The change most people are noticing is an end to pandemic rules that prevented people from being kicked off MassHealth, the states Medicaid program, for exceeding income cutoffs. In normal times, the state would check on MassHealth eligibility every few months. That stopped during the pandemic to keep people insured. Now, the state is checking income eligibility, a process called redetermination, for the more than 2 million people enrolled in MassHealth, about a third of the states population. So if you get that blue envelope in the mail, you need to take action, Keroack said. And we are going to be working without insurance partners to make sure people can navigate that process. Helen Caulton-Harris, commissioner of Springfields Department of Health and Human Services, said the pandemic laid bare that there are two economies when it comes to public health, separate and unequal. One economy is the reality for members of low-income communities, Black and brown populations and homeless people. There were members of our community that were forced to go to work to keep their families fed and others who were able to work from home. The pandemic ripped the Band-Aid off of the health disparities that have confronted our community, she said. The difference was evident in the toll of the pandemic. The distrust of the medical community and vaccinations were on full display as Springfield reported some of the lowest vaccination rates in the Commonwealth, Caulton-Harris said. Every quadrant of our health was impacted by the pandemic, physical, mental, spiritual and emotional, not to mention the learning loss and misinformation that permeated the airwaves. Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris speaks on the steps of Springfield City Hall in April 2022. (Hoang Leon Nguyen / The Republican) The city continues to respond to what is now called the COVID-19 endemic. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Caulton-Harris department hands out test kits to the public at the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, at 311 State St. Vaccinations are offered every Tuesday at the Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center. The city offers clinics across designed to reach Springfields unhoused population. Keroack, an infectious disease specialist who often appeared with Caulton-Harris at weekly City Hall news conferences to update the public on COVID, said the pandemic pointed out that Massachusetts system of 351 separate city and town health departments is inadequate and disjointed. That left many communities without hometown public health professionals. Baystate supports legislation introduced by state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, that would encourage regional public health partnerships to achieve greater professionalism and data sharing. Gov. Charlie Baker, left, greets Baystate Health President & CEO Mark Keroack with an elbow bump in January 2021, less than a year into the pandemic. (Don Treeger / The Republican) Masks then and now Looking back, Keroack laments the skepticism and outright hostility that met some public health measures during the pandemic. Especially when it comes to masking up. Masks were helpful, he said. We started them late. If you can remember, we were saying that most people didnt have to wear masks and then that changed. But they were helpful. Baystate Health still requires, for now, masks at all times of visitors, staffers and patients. But perhaps not for long. I suspect that this week we will be taking a look at that, Keroack said. Not eliminating masks entirely. Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, and its parent MassGeneral Brigham, will end universal masking effective Friday. Due to a combination of factors, including widespread immunity against severe disease, available vaccines and therapeutics, and less virulent variants, we are moving towards treating COVID-19 the way we do many respiratory viruses, read a message sent to Mass General staffers last week. Gov. Charlie Baker gets his temperature checked as he arrives at Baystate Medical Center in January 2021. (Don Treeger / The Republican) At Holyoke Medical Center, Masks are now optional, spokeswoman Rebecca MacGregor said. Neither Keroack nor MassGeneral Brigham officials expect that mask use will end entirely. Even outside the hospital. Keroack doesnt wear one out and about any longer, he said, not like he used to. But the other day I found myself in a large public gathering that was in a space that was not well ventilated. Id wished I had a mask and I probably will wear one if I ever find myself in a situation like that again, he said. In general, the message: Dont let your guard down. There is still a fair amount of the virus out there, Keroack said. For that reason, people should keep the virus in mind. Especially if they are experiencing COVID symptoms cough, fever or shortness of breath, and, in new cases, pink eye. Numbers sharply down But the COVID numbers have fallen. There were 35 patients with COVID in Baystate hospitals at one point in late April. A year ago, there were 320. There were 14 newly confirmed deaths statewide in a recent week, according to state statistics released Thursday. The state has reported more than 22,000 COVID deaths since 2020. Hampden County reported three COVID deaths in the last two weeks. There were zero COVID deaths in all of Franklin, Hampshire and Berkshire Counties in the last two weeks. Angel Luis Perez Roman receives a COVID-19 vaccine aboard the Holyoke Health /Tufts Vaccination Bus during a stop at Veterans Park in Holyoke in May 2021. Nurse Magdalena Kennel administered the shot. (Don Treeger / The Republican) All told, there were 2,161 deaths in Hampden County. Franklin County had 19 cases in the last two weeks, Hampshire County, 58; Hampden County, 200. Numbers are down, Keroack said, because of vaccinations and because having had COVID imparts some immunity. So if you are not vaccinated, go out and get the new bivalent vaccine, he said. The CDC recommends that people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised get additional doses of updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Keroack said it remains to be seen if the general public is asked to get further boosters, like with the annual flu shot. Recommendations changed throughout the pandemic, he said. And he wishes those in public health had done a better job explaining to the public why that happened. Recommendations changed as scientists and health experts learned more, or as the virus itself changed. Nothing was changing on a whim, Keroack said. In hindsight, he says he was wrong about the possibility of transmission without symptoms. At first, he was skeptical that such a thing was happening. He said Massachusetts was also too slow to reopen schools, a step he said in hindsight should have been taken more quickly. Tens of thousands of people lined the Hampshire Pride Parade route Saturday laughing, dancing and singing along with marchers, all in solidarity with the area LGBTIQA+ community. About 50 formal marching groups stepped off from Sheldon Field on Bridge Street at 11 a.m. headed toward the Hampshire Pride event in the Armory Street parking lot. But even before the 11 a.m. step-off, downtown Northampton began to fill up. Ross Calabro and Bee Garrard found a good observation point near Thrones Market. This is my first Pride parade, Garrard said. I first came out in high school in Plymouth, which is a very conservative area. Even so, you couldnt dress like this at all. Calabro grew up in Southwick and said they havent been to a Pride parade since the last one in Northampton in 2019. Down the street, Deb Mokrzaki and her husband Dave found a spot on the lawn of the Hampshire County Courthouse to set up their folding chairs and to sip Jakes coffee. They came Saturday out of curiosity and to show support. We have some family in the lesbian and gay community, she said. Parade Director Clay Pearson said his group, Hampshire Pride, took on the organization of what should be the 41th-anniversary parade in January after the predecessor organization abandoned the project. However, due to two years of COVID-19 shutdown, and a couple more years of organizational inertia by the past group, Hampshire Pride 2023 is the 37th parade, Pearson said. When he took it on, Pearson said he hoped the new organization and the four-year lag in events didnt dampen enthusiasm for the parade. The organizers just took it on faith it would work. We actually never did ask anyone to join the parade, Pearson said. We are a new group, and we did not have the bandwidth to ask thousands of people. All we did was put up a Facebook page and people came to us asking to join in. We got grassroots organic growth and the people who are seeking out pride are the ones that got us to where we are now. The 2023 Hampshire Pride Parade in Northampton turned out to be an event at which the LGBTIQA+ which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, intersex, Queer/Questioning, Asexual and other gender and sexual orientation terms community is accepted and celebrated. Corporate, agency and business involvement in the 2023 parade included banks, healthcare facilities, governmental agencies, universities, public school systems, churches, Girl Scout troops and at least one labor union. The marchers in the formal parade, for the most part, celebrated their own orientation, openly displaying their individual take on sexuality and/or gender identification. In 1983, during the second event, then called the Gay Pride Parade and perhaps one of very few in the country, marchers stepped off knowing that their participation was much more daunting; the equivalent to coming out, of openly proclaiming their sexuality to the world, for better or worse. One young woman walked alone in that parade carrying a small sign that read, I told my mom I was going to the movies. As Northampton Police closed off streets and readied for crowd control issues, local shopkeepers and restauranteurs hung out Pride flags and readied for more foot traffic. Ash Bara, manager of Ana Bandeira Chocolates on Main Street, said the shop was preparing special offerings prepared by pastry chef Taylor Dalton. Bara said a portion of the profits would be donated to GLAD, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the legal rights of the LGBTIQA+ community. Some of our employees are members of the LGBT community, Bara said. We are definitely pleased to be able to use some of our profit to benefit the community. Next door at Beryl, employee Tobi Sznajkerman said the company always hangs the Pride flag in front of the shop during the parade to show solidarity with the community even if it doesnt translate into a large increase in business. Some filter in, she said, but it is not necessarily a big thing for us. Not so at the Majestic Saloon, at 24 Main St. Drag performer and show producer Priscilla Porcelain called the bar the big hot spot for queer life. Porcelain, real name Molly Cox, said the bar was preparing for a huge after party following the Pride festival going on just a few blocks away. Indeed, Majestic drag performers put on a special show for festivalgoers. As the end of the formal parade passed by many parade watchers abandoned their seats on the sidelines and joined in with Pride marchers magnifying and lengthening the parade and mixing lesbian, gay and the rest of the community with straight. After the last float, everybody can walk in the parade, said Pearson. The people on the last float have a bullhorn and as they pass by, they will be invited anyone to join in. It will be like a kind of pied piper bringing all the people to the festival. At least for the day, being a member of what was once an outcast group was celebrated in Northampton. But the amount of open support shows that after 40 years of celebrating itself the LGBTIQA+ community has finally wrought a degree of acceptance. I think thats a good thing, Pearson said. We have some of the local banks and local small businesses. We have veterans organizations and non-profit organizations like HeadCount, a get-out-the-vote group, and a lot of different groups. Its not just a commercial thing. I think that having clear acceptance is only a good thing. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Theres a movement in many communities today to shift the focus of police work away from just catching the bad guys to working within their communities. The best police officers do both. That was something colleagues and admirers say John Gibbons always understood, long before recent urban and racial tensions, captured most vividly by the murder of George Floyd in 2020 by a Minneapolis officer, brought a national reassessment of the nature of policing. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has implemented numerous technical projects in the countries of Central Asia together with different international partners, a source at the UNWTO told Trend. According to the organization, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) were among the stakeholders in carrying out those projects in the region. "For instance, jointly with ADB, UNWTO has implemented Promoting Sustainable Tourism Development in the Republic of Tajikistan, which had three pillars: tourism statistical assistance, elaboration of a sustainable tourism development plan and preparation of an international and domestic tourism survey and report," the source said. Moreover, in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, jointly with ABD, UNWTO has implemented a project on Accommodation Classification System for Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor. In Uzbekistan, with support from the EBRD, UNWTO has led the project on Facilitating Tourism Recovery in Aftermath of COVID-19 Uzbekistan and elaborated Tourism Diversification Strategy for the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan, the source added. "These are only few of the projects of technical nature implemented in the region and many more are scheduled for the near future," the UNWTO concluded. In South Korea since 2019, nearly 210,000 kids and teenagers had visited a hospital for depression or anxiety disorders , revealed data from the National Health Insurance Service. The number of children and teenagers who visited physician for mental health disorders expanded 25.8 percent from 50,433 in 2019 to 63,463 in 2021. Depression in Korean Children By illness type, 135,068 adolescents received treatment for depression, while those for anxiety disorders came to 74,497 during the four year period. Advertisement High school students, or adolescents between the ages of 16 to 18, accounted for the majority of patients with 63.8 percent. " Reference : Does Young Adults' Neighborhood Environment Affect Their Depressive Mood? Insights from the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey; Da-Hye Yim et al - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908501/) Source: IANS In the early half of 2022 alone, the figure came to 46,504, the report showed.By illness type, 135,068 adolescents received treatment for depression, while those for anxiety disorders came to 74,497 during the four year period.High school students, or adolescents between the ages of 16 to 18, accounted for the majority of patients with 63.8 percent. Mental health problems that occur during a person's adolescent years can impact the individual's family, social and work life throughout adulthood," Kim said.Source: IANS BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. The cooperation agreement signed between the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) and the Czech EGAP (Export Guarantee and Insurance Corporation) should serve as a supporting tool for developing mutual business between the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan, Jan Cerny, Spokesperson of the EGAP, told Trend. "This agreement is a tool enabling more effective mitigation of risks related to business transactions between these two countries, especially in the case of capital goods transactions," he said. According to him, in many cases, exports from the Czech Republic are accompanied by risks mainly on a corporate side resulting in a significantly higher premium rate covering export financing as it would be in the case of DBK involvement. "The deal, on the other hand, makes transactions to Kazakhstan more viable and provides more accessible technology from the Czech Republic for Kazakh companies and producers," Jan Cerny said. Since the Czech Republic has a solid background in the fields of technology in machinery, transportation technologies, the power sector, construction, and various products including production machines for numerous industries from mining over textile to agriculture, this deal with EGAP will let Kazakhstan take advantage of this Czech experience at lower prices. In addition, the EGAP representative said that since DBK knows the Kazakh market well, this agreement may assist the Czech Republic to minimize risks concerning customer satisfaction. "Technology imported from the Czech Republic opens new opportunities for Kazakh companies to generate products with higher added value and generally opens the exchange of goods among both countries as well as supports new exports to third territories. Czech machinery, technology, and transportation products have a long-term tradition of high quality for affordable prices and it is also an aspect that may be taken into consideration besides the effective cooperation of EGAP and DBK," he said. Concerning the cooperation with Kazakh entities EGAP has signed also a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kazakh export credit agency "KazakhExport", to develop cooperation in mutual business activities. According to the EGAP spokesperson, along with Kazakhstan, EGAP also operates in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. With Azerbaijan, as he noted, the EGAP had the largest transaction in insurance of financing of the railway infrastructure project. Following the Kazakh-Czech Business Forum held in Astana on April 25, major Czech companies signed agreements and memoranda with Kazakh companies and the government. Among those companies was also EGAP. Huron County 73B District Court cases disposed from April 25-May 2, 2023: Raymond Joseph Peyerk, 39, Filion, one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct-force or coercion and 10 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct-force or coercion, bound over to 52nd Circuit Court. Joseph Wesley Lacourse, 51, Kinde, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, harboring a felon, driving while license suspended-second offense, driving with no insurance; bound over to 52nd Circuit Court. Lance James Loughner, 20, Bad Axe, felony firearm and possession of a controlled substance-marijuana, bound over to 52nd Circuit Court. Jessica Nicole McCoy, 36, Sandusky, four counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer, disturbing the peace and possession of a controlled substance; bound over to 52nd Circuit Court. Christopher Thompson, 28, Warren, bail abscond, bound over to 52nd Circuit Court. Jessica Denise Stejakowski, 36, Caro, disorderly person, $675 in costs and fines. Calvin Roger Booms, 32, Deckerville, failure to report an accident, nine months probation and $560 in costs and fines. Jarrod Kenneth Bowers, 40, Kinde, failure to report an accident and driving while license suspended-second offense, $875 in costs and fines. Michael David Harp, 28, Bad Axe, driving while license suspended-second offense and no proof of insurance, $725 in costs and fines. Chad Beachy Huscher, 54, Bad Axe, malicious destruction of property over $200, costs and fines totaling $1,336.77. Chandler Mark Cady, 21, Kinde, operating while visibly intoxicated-first offense, $1,250 in costs and fines. Maria Elena Mendoza, 29, failure to report an accident, $535 in costs and fines. Gabriel Jesus Paredes, 35, Sebewaing, stray dog, $375 in costs and fines. Gonzalez Vazquez, 39, Snover, allowing suspended/revoked person to operate a motor vehicle, $315 in costs and fines. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALLEN, Texas (AP) Federal officials are looking into whether the gunman who killed eight people at a Dallas-area mall expressed an interest in white supremacist ideology Sunday as they work to discern a motive for the attack, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official cautioned the investigation is in its early stages. Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe were used by Mauricio Garcia, 33, and posts that expressed interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views, said the official, who could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Garcia also had a patch on his chest when he was killed by police that read RWDS, an acronym for the phrase Right Wing Death Squad, which is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups, the official said. In addition to reviewing social media posts, federal agents have interviewed family members and associates of Garcia to ask about his ideological beliefs, the official said. Investigators are also reviewing financial records, other online posts they believe Garcia made and other electronic media, according to the official. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey declined Sunday evening to answer questions from the AP, saying of the investigation, we actually dont have a lot. The Texas Department of Public Safety identified Garcia as suspected of killing eight people at a Texas outlet mall, a day after the attack turned an afternoon of shopping into a massacre. Garcia was fatally shot Saturday by a police officer who happened to be near the suburban Dallas mall. A law enforcement official said investigators have been searching a Dallas motel near an interstate where Garcia had been staying. The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was killed, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun. Two law enforcement officials said investigators also searched a Dallas home connected to the suspect. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation. A woman who lives three houses down from the low brick house said she saw a large group of uniformed officers go into the home Saturday between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. They went in like real fast, and I seen them do that like twice, said Marsha Alexander, who said officers were still in the area when she went to bed around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. They were gone by Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, a woman named Julie was sitting on the porch of her house, next door to the one searched the day before. She declined to give her last name to an AP reporter but said she awoke from a nap around 6 p.m. Saturday to see four police squad cars and a large group of officers outside her neighbors home. She said they entered the home and were joined about an hour later by FBI agents and other people wearing plainclothes, who she also took to be law enforcement. The woman said she did not know her neighbors well, but knew them to be very polite, very nice people. She said the man she now understands to have been the shooter was always friendly and would wave or honk his horn as he came and went. At about 2 p.m. Sunday, a man entered the home that was searched, but when reporters knocked on the door and waited, no one answered. In a statement, President Joe Biden said the assailant wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. He urged Congress to enact tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts, said Biden, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff. Republicans in Congress, he said, cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. The shooting was the latest attack to contribute to the unprecedented pace of mass killings this year in the U.S. Barely a week before, five people were fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked a man to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept, authorities said. This year has seen an average of about one mass killing per week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Information about the gunman in Allen emerged as the community mourned the dead and awaited word on the seven people who were wounded. Authorities have not publicly identified those who were killed. The wounded remained hospitalized Sunday, three in critical condition and four in fair condition, the Allen Police Department said in a statement. John Mark Caton, senior pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church about two miles from the mall, offered prayers during a regular Sunday morning service for victims, first responders and the shoppers and employees who walked out past things they never should have seen. Some of our people were there. Some perhaps in this room. Some of our students were working in those stores and will be changed forever by this, Caton said. Caton offered similar sentiments during a Sunday night vigil at the church attended by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings in Texas, and other elected leaders. Earlier that day, Abbott said on Fox News that Texas wouldn't enact gun control now. People want a quick solution, Abbott said. "The long term solution here is to address the mental health issue. The attack unfolded at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center. Witnesses reported seeing children among the victims. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. Andria Gaither, the assistant manager at the Tommy Hilfiger clothing store, said Sunday she was at the back of the store Saturday afternoon when she saw two young girls trying to hide in a dressing room. At first, she thought they were playing. Then she heard one say shots were being fired. Gaither looked around to see customers and the store manager running to the back of the store. Eventually, Gaither and the others ran out a back door. As soon as I got outside the back of the store, you could hear the shooting, Gaither said Sunday. It was so loud. Id never ever heard anything like that in my life. It was deafening." Allen, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas and with a population of about 105,000 residents, is among the Dallas-Fort Worth area's diverse suburbs. The area saw the largest Asian American growth rate of any major U.S. metro area, according to U.S. Census figures. Those statistics show Allen's population is about 19% Asian, 10% Black and 11% Hispanic. Allen also is connected to another of Texas recent mass shootings. Patrick Crusius lived there in 2019 before he posted a racist screed online that warned of a Hispanic invasion and drove to El Paso, where he opened fire at a Walmart, killing 23. Crusius, 24, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and weapons charges in February. __ Balsamo reported from Washington, and Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press writers Vanessa Alvarez in New York, James Vertuno in Austin, Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) First lady Jill Biden, who represented the United States at Saturday's coronation of Britain's King Charles III, said there was such beauty in the pageantry of the ceremony and it was just amazing to see. You can't imagine that moment where you actually see the crown being placed on the head of the king and then on the head on the queen, she said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press after the ceremony in London. It's really surreal to see and experience that moment. Charles' wife, Camilla, also was crowned queen during Britain's first coronation in 70 years. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last September after a seven-decade reign. An American president has never attended a British coronation and President Joe Biden asked the first lady to represent the U.S. in his place. The White House said Jill Biden's appearance marked the first time that a U.S. first lady was present for a British coronation. She brought one of her granddaughters, Finnegan Biden, 24, on the trip. It's my honor to represent the people of the United States and I wanted to be here, Jill Biden said. It was so meaningful to me that I could bring Finnegan here, that we could travel together and experience this together and it's meant a lot to both of us. The first lady spoke as she and Finnegan headed to afternoon tea following the coronation at Westminster Abbey. We thought that was something that was so British, she said of their tea time. It was something we really wanted to do together. She said sitting and watching the ceremony led her to think about the importance of traditions. I felt as I sat there, I felt this sense of decorum and civility that binds together people of all nations, she said. At the coronation, Jill Biden sat beside Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine. Jill Biden said they talked about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that Zelenska thanked her again for the support from the United States. Jill Biden said she paid close attention to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's message that people everywhere seek hope and joy. And I thought that was such strong message because I think that is true, she said. "And it's true for all people everywhere, but I think it was important at this moment that the clergy brought that in to this moment in history. The first lady attended a Buckingham Palace reception Friday that was hosted by Charles. She said Charles recounted to her his most recent telephone conversation with President Biden and asked her to give my best to your husband. She said she and Princess Kate chatted as mothers about the lengths to which they go to keep their children quiet in church, feeding them pieces of candy and such. She said she didn't know if her son could sit still for two hours and we just had a good laugh over it, Jill Biden said. It's just something, I think, that's common to a lot of us. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Finnegan Biden is 24, not 23. CAIRO (AP) The Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister to Sunday's gathering. Thirteen out of the league's 22 member states sent their foreign ministers to the meeting in Cairo. The decision represented a victory for Damascus, albeit a largely symbolic one. Given that Western sanctions against Assad's government remain in place, the return to the Arab League is not expected to lead to a quick release of reconstruction funds in the war-battered country. Syrias membership in the Arab League was suspended early on during the country's 2011 uprising against Assad's rule that was met by a violent crackdown and quickly turned into a civil war. The conflict has killed nearly a half million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement that the decision to return Syria to the organization, which will allow Assad to take part in the group's upcoming May 19 summit, is part of a gradual process of resolving the conflict. This doesnt mean that the Syria crisis has been resolved, on the contrary, he said. But it allows the Arab (states) for the first time in years to communicate with the Syrian government to discuss all the problems. Aboul Gheit also said restoring Syrias membership in the organization does not mean all Arab countries have normalized with Damascus. These are sovereign decisions for each state individually, he said. Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous claimed Sunday that Syria had been the victim of misinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies for 12 years. He said Sunday's consultations reflected the prestigious position Syria holds regionally and internationally. Opponents of Assad saw the move toward normalization as a betrayal. Arab states have put their own cynical realpolitik and diplomatic agendas above basic humanity," said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign, an international advocacy group. The move, she said, has cruelly betrayed tens of thousands of victims of the regimes war crimes and granted Assad a green light to continue committing horrific crimes with impunity. Sunday's decision came days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a road map to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to de-escalate. The next Arab League summit is to take place May 19 in Saudi Arabia. The Arab League generally tries to reach agreements by consensus but sometimes opts for simple majorities. Sunday's session was held behind closed doors, and it was not immediately clear which countries had registered objections. A spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published by state media that normalization with Syria should be tied to a political solution to the conflict but that it always seeks to support what will achieve an Arab consensus and will not be an obstacle to that. Sunday's decision also includes a commitment by Arab governments to try to reach a political solution to the conflict, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq were asked by the league to follow up on developments. The league welcomed what it said was the Syrian governments willingness to cooperate with Arab countries to resolve humanitarian, security, and political crises that affected Syria and the region due to the conflict, including refugees, the threat of terrorism and drug smuggling. Many observers had anticipated Syrias imminent return to the organization. Arab rapprochement with Damascus accelerated after a deadly Feb. 6 earthquake that shattered parts of the war-torn country. One of the countries pushing normalization is Saudi Arabia, which once backed opposition groups trying to overthrow Assad. Egyptian Foreign Minister Samer Shoukry said before Sunday's meeting that only an Arab-led political solution without foreign dictates can end the ongoing conflict. The different stages of the Syrian crisis proved that it has no military solution, and that there is no victor nor defeated in this conflict, he said. In recent years, as Assad regained control of most of the country with the help of key allies Russia and Iran, neighbors of Syria that hosted large refugee populations took steps towards reopening diplomatic links with Damascus. Meanwhile, two Gulf monarchies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, reestablished ties. The Feb. 6 earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria was a catalyst for further normalization across the Arab world. China helped to broker a recent rapprochement between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Jordan last week hosted regional talks that included envoys from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and Syria. They agreed on a framework, dubbed the Jordanian initiative, that would slowly bring Damascus back into the Arab fold. Ammans top diplomat said the meeting was the beginning of an Arab-led political path for a solution to the crisis. The conflict in Sudan is also on the agenda, as Arab states try to stabilize a shaky cease-fire in the ongoing fighting that has killed hundreds of people over the past few weeks. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Sam Magdy and Noha El Hennawy in Cairo, contributed to this report. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israeli authorities released a Jordanian lawmaker to his home country on Sunday, Israel's domestic security agency said, after he allegedly tried smuggling dozens of rifles and handguns through an Israeli-controlled border crossing. Legislator Imad Al-Adwan's arrest threatened to further strain ties between Israel and neighboring Jordan, which have had tense relations recently despite a nearly three-decade-old peace treaty. Israel viewed the incident as serious, but Al-Adwans release signaled it was hoping to put the potentially combustible affair behind it. Al-Adwan was arrested on Apr. 22 with bags full of more than 200 guns, the Shin Bet agency said in a statement. It said its investigation revealed that Al-Adwan carried out 12 separate smuggling attempts since early 2022, using his diplomatic passport to bring in anything from electronic cigarettes to gold to birds. The Shin Bet said that since the start of the year, he made numerous successful attempts to smuggle in arms. The smuggling was done in exchange for unspecified amounts of money, the Shin Bet said. The agency said he was released for further investigation and pursuit of justice by Jordanian authorities. Jordan's Foreign Ministry, as well as a brother of Al-Adwan, could not immediately be reached for comment. Jordanian state media reported that authorities were taking steps to bring Al-Adwan to trial based on evidence made available to them. Those steps included lifting his parliamentary immunity and referring his case to judicial officials. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence over the past year. Israel says the area has been flooded with illegal weapons, including guns smuggled from neighboring Jordan. Since Israels hard-line government took office late last year, relations with Jordan have deteriorated over Israeli settlement construction, violence in the West Bank and policies over holy sites in Jerusalems Old City. The ties were at a nadir in 2017, when a security guard at the Israeli embassy in Jordan shot and killed two Jordanians, alleging one attacked him with a screw driver. The Israeli guard and Israels then-ambassador were given a heros welcome by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, infuriating Jordan. Jordan controlled the West Bank and east Jerusalem before Israel captured the areas in the 1967 Mideast war, but the kingdom retains custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Muslim holy sites in the Old City. ___ Associated Press writer Omar Akour contributed to this report from Amman, Jordan. ANN ARBOR, MI - Its May, and the flowers are blooming almost as fast as the traffic cones. In downtown Ann Arbor, the major Main Street resurfacing project is advancing north, while construction on U.S. 23 is here to stay. Heres a list of road work that could affect commute times and travel across Washtenaw County for the week beginning Sunday, May 7. ANN ARBOR Huron Parkway/Glazier Way: Beginning Monday, May 8, intermittent lane closures will be in place on Huron Parkway in both directions between Geddes and Hubbard roads for a road repair and resurfacing project. On Glazier Way between Green and Earhart roads, lane closures will also be implemented, with traffic shifts and flagging operations until Wednesday, May 17, when the roadway will close in the eastbound direction. Work is expected to be completed on both roads by Tuesday, June 6. Geddes Avenue: The street is closed to through traffic between Observatory and Hill streets for a resurfacing and utility project. The project will proceed in phases, with the first estimated to conclude on Friday, June 9, when Geddes will reopen to westbound traffic only. South Main Street: As of Friday, May 5, the street is closed between Liberty and Huron streets for the second phase of a major resurfacing project. The Washington and Main intersection is also closed. Pedestrians can still access the businesses in the Main Street commercial district. Crews will replace a water main, make crosswalk improvements and put new pavement on the crumbling downtown street. The project is slated to run until Wednesday, July 12 with a third phase in the cards within the Main/Huron intersection, beginning after the Ann Arbor Art Fair, July 20 to 22. Read more: Whats that under Ann Arbors Main Street? Mysterious bricks spark theories South State Street: The downtown street is closed to vehicle traffic between North University Avenue and Huron Street until Friday, Sept. 1, for the second phase of a major overhaul extending curb-less design in the area near the University of Michigan Diag and bringing water and sewer upgrades. The intersections on either side of the work zone will remain open. Regular updates can be found online from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. Broadway Street: The street is closed through Monday, Aug. 21 between the Traver Creek pedestrian crossing island, just south of Jones Drive, and Plymouth Road for a project bringing water main upgrades, sidewalk improvements and pavement resurfacing. The dead-end section of Broadway southwest of the roundabout next to the Beekman on Broadway development is also closed as crews complete utility installations through June 9. Platt Road: The road on the citys east side is reduced from four lanes to two between Packard Road and Huron Parkway until Friday, Aug. 1. The restrictions will allow for crews to replace an existing water main, as well as replace curb, sidewalk and ramps while resurfacing Platt Road. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Scio Church Road: A section of the road between South Seventh Street and South Maple Road is closed until May for a resurfacing project, bringing improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. Construction on the first phase of the project is set to run through Friday, May 26, when Scio Church Road will reopen in the eastbound direction, and officials will notify residents of a new traffic pattern. During the project, the Maple Road intersection will remain open to traffic turning left onto Maple or right onto Scio Church to ease congestion because of the damage to the Liberty Road I-94 overpass. Research Park Drive: The west side of the road will close between Tuesday, April 25 and May 26 for the installation of a new water main. Burns Park Run Closures: Several streets in the Burns Park neighborhood will close between 7 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 7 for the Burns Park Run. A full list and the race course map are available online. Long-term projects: North Fifth Avenue from Detroit to Catherine streets will have a lane shift through June 2024 for a new development. Eastbound South University Avenue traffic between East University Avenue and Church Street is closed long-term for high-rise construction. The Liberty Road bridge over I-94 is reduced to single-lane traffic, with temporary traffic signals, until further notice after being damaged by a truck on March 13. The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to design and contract for a bridge replacement, officials say, though no timeline has been released for the project. OTHER WASHTENAW COUNTY PROJECTS: Pittsfield Township - U.S. 23/Michigan Avenue: A major project widening Michigan Avenue in Pittsfield Township and upgrading the U.S. 23 interchange will cause shoulder closures and lane closures on a stretch of U.S. 23 south of Ann Arbor. On Michigan Avenue between Carpenter and Textile roads, a single-lane closure is in place. The construction is scheduled to run through November. Pittsfield Township is posting regular updates. Ypsilanti - I-94 and ramp: The southbound Huron Street ramp to eastbound I-94 will close nightly between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for construction between May 7 and Monday, May 15. The interstate itself will also see nightly two-lane closures in each direction at the Huron Street interchange between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the project. Ypsilanti - Hamilton Street: A single lane in the southbound direction on the street is closed between Pearl and Ferris streets through Thursday, Aug. 31. Ypsilanti - Michigan Avenue: A single lane in the eastbound direction is closed between Washington and Huron streets through Aug. 31. Read more: Construction coming to downtown Ypsilanti as utility, street renovation projects resume Ypsilanti Township - Michigan Avenue/I-94 ramp: A road reconstruction project will close Michigan Avenue between I-94 and a point just east of Hewitt Road beginning Friday, May 12 and running eight weeks. A detour map is available online, and north/south traffic on Hewitt will be maintained with lane restrictions. The westbound I-94 off-ramp at Michigan Avenue will also close during the project. Saline Township - Michigan Avenue: The road will see a single-lane closure in both directions at Marion Road between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. until May 12. Sylvan/Lima townships - I-94: The interstate will see overnight single-lane closures in the westbound and eastbound directions between Freer Road and the Washtenaw/Jackson county line for construction until May 12. York Township - U.S. 23/Willis Road interchange: Willis Road at U.S. 23 is closed in both directions through late June as bridge construction takes place. The eastbound Willis Road ramp to northbound U.S. 23 also is closed during the project. Augusta Township - Pitman Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between Judd and Willis roads for drainage, forestry work and limestone resurfacing through Thursday, May 11. This project has been extended. Augusta Township - Talladay Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between McCrone and Hitchingham roads for drainage, forestry work and limestone resurfacing through May 11. This project has been extended. Augusta Township - Judd Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between McCrone and Pitman roads for drainage, forestry work and limestone resurfacing through May 11. This project has been extended. Augusta Township - Bunton Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between Willow and Talladay roads for drainage work between May 8 and Thursday, May 18. Dexter Township - Intersection of Dexter-Pinckney and North Territorial roads: The intersection will see intermittent lane closures through Friday, May 12 for traffic signal work. Dexter/Lyndon townships - Waterloo Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between Beeman and Island Lake roads during the week of May 8 for drainage and forestry work. Dexter Township - Brand Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between Quigley and North Territorial roads during the week of May 8 for drainage work. Lodi Township - Textile Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions between Alber and Dell roads during the week of May 8 for drainage work. Lyndon/Sylvan townships - Various roads: Several roads in the townships will see intermittent lane restrictions through July for a Consumers Energy natural gas pipeline replacement project. A project map is available online. Read more: We cant save our trees: Washtenaw County residents lament impact of Consumers Energy pipeline Sylvan Township - Sibley Road: The road will be closed between Conway and Bush roads from April 17 to Saturday, July 1 for the Consumers pipeline project. Pittsfield Township - Morgan Road: The road between Carpenter Road and Michigan Avenue is closed for sanitary sewer installation until June 30. A detour map is available online. Pittsfield Township - Platt Road: The road will see intermittent lane closures between Bemis Road and Michigan Avenue through September for construction of a non-motorized pathway. Pittsfield Township - Crane Road: The road between Textile Road and Michigan Avenue will be closed through Wednesday, May 26 for sanitary sewer installation. A detour map is available online. Pittsfield Township - Lohr Road: The road will see lane restrictions between Oak Valley Drive and Lohr Circle until Friday, May 19 for the installation of a pedestrian crosswalk. This project has been extended. The road is closed between Textile Road and Regents Park Court for a resurfacing project until Sunday, May 14. This project has been extended. Pittsfield Township - Warner Creek Drive: The road will see lane restrictions the week of May 8 between Sauk Trail and Platt Road for resurfacing. Pittsfield Township - Wedgewood Drive: The road will see lane restrictions the week of May 8 between Wedgewood Circle and Warner Creek Drive for resurfacing. Pittsfield Township - Linda Avenue: The road will see lane restrictions the week of May 8 between Wedgewood Drive and Hidden Creek Drive for resurfacing. Pittsfield Township - Textile Road: The road is closed between Carpenter and Crane roads for sanitary sewer installation. The project runs through September. A detour map is available online. Scio Township - Huron River Drive: The road will see intermittent lane closures between Zeeb and Delhi roads for Border-to-Border Trail construction through Nov. 15. Ypsilanti Township - Ruth Avenue: The avenue will see daytime lane closures between Georgina Street and Hull Avenue for DTE Energy gas line replacement running through November. Ypsilanti Township - Grand Boulevard: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 12 between Michigan Avenue and Forest Avenue. This project has been extended. Ypsilanti Township - Rue Deauville Boulevard: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 12 between between Holmes and Clark roads. This project has been extended. Ypsilanti Township - Rue Willette Boulevard: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 12 between Rue Deauville Boulevard and Clark Road. This project has been extended. Ypsilanti Township - Sweet Road: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 12 between Holmes and Clark roads. This project has been extended. Ypsilanti Township - Textile Road: The road between Bunton and Bridge roads will see intermittent lane restrictions through May 26 for gas main work. Between Whittaker Road and Huron River Drive the project will also result in intermittent lane closures through May 12. It will also affect a stretch between Bridge and Rawsonville roads with lane closures until May 12. Ypsilanti Township - Textile Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions through May 15 between Hitchingham and Whittaker roads for drainage work. Ypsilanti Township - Grove Road: The road will see daytime lane closures through November between Arthur and Emerick streets for a DTE gas line replacement project. An updated list of Ann Arbor city street closures, the weekly Washtenaw County Road Commission schedule and the MDOT road closure map are all available online. More from The Ann Arbor News: This is a warning: Ypsilanti leaders hear options for fixing long-term budget trouble Strikers file grievance for lack of payment from University of Michigan Man sentenced 15-25 years for role in Egypt Covington slaying Despite recent uptick, Ann Arbor arrest numbers still lower than 2019 LAPEER, MI The latest recipient of the highest honor given to a youth Marine is a 16-year-old high schooler in Lapeer. Isabella Benson, a junior at Lapeer High School, has been named the National Young Marine of the Year the top honor available for Young Marines. Belding, MI -- One person in Otisco Township near Belding has been hospitalized for apparent stab wounds after what police are calling a domestic assault. According to the MSP Lakeview Post, troopers were sent at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, May 7, to a home near the area of Ostrum Road and Hawley Highway for a domestic assault report. Lakeview Post troopers are investigating a domestic assault that occurred early this morning near Belding. One person was transported to the hospital from what appears to be stab wounds. The suspect is known and the incident remains under investigation. pic.twitter.com/eGD0VXwoPX MSP Sixth District (@mspwestmi) May 7, 2023 An investigation is underway after troopers said they arrived on scene to find two victims, one requiring medical attention. No updates have been provided on the victim who was taken to a nearby hospital, but the identity of the suspect is known to MSP. No further details were immediately available. More from MLive: Michigan had more poor-rated roads in 2022, according to new report Jackson, Grand Rapids ranked as top cities for energy-efficient buildings Michigan voters rejected extremism at the polls, but culture wars still loom large Michigan could gain 56,000 electric vehicle jobs but itll need workers BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. The most promising area for developing Lithuanias export opportunities to Kyrgyzstan is engineering industry, a source at the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania told Trend. According to the ministry, Lithuania has potential to increase exports of various machines and equipment to Kyrgyzstan. It mainly includes medical and laboratory equipment, as well as equipment for sewing, food industries, and cargo handling machines. There is also prospective to boost exports of rubber and plastic products, as well as electrical equipment, including various parts of electric circuits, electric heaters, and spare car parts. As for the food industry, Lithuania has potential to export vegetable and animal fats and oils, animal feed, and confectionery to Kyrgyzstan. In chemical industry it is mainly various construction materials, paints, and varnishes. "Diversification of export markets is a priority for the Lithuanian government. According to Lithuanian Statistics, in 2022, Kyrgyzstan ranked 30-th by trade turnover among 211 Lithuanias trade partners, 24 by exports, and 45 by imports," the source said. According to the department, trade turnover between Kyrgyzstan and Lithuania amounted to 371.8 million euro last year. Exports to Kyrgyzstan amounted to 325 million euro in 2022, including exports of goods of Lithuanian origin - for 6 million euro, and reexports for 319 million euro. Lithuanian imports from Kyrgyzstan totaled 46.8 million euro. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A confrontation between two men left one hospitalized with stab wounds Friday night, police said. At about 10:30 p.m. May 5, officers from the Grand Rapids Police Department received a call from a man claiming to have been stabbed at an apartment building near Fuller Avenue and Adams Street. Officers found the man at the scene suffering from stab wounds to the side of his chest, said Lt. Phil Evans. The adult male victim was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries, which were not considered life-threatening, Evans said. The victim was not forthcoming with information about the incident, Evans said. It is not known at this point what led to the stabbing. A suspect has been identified, though no arrests have been made at this point, Evans said. An investigation is still underway. More on MLive: 6th arrest made in homicide of woman found wrapped in tarp near Monroe Police chase ends with crash that kills 1, injures 3 in Ann Arbor area Grass Lake woman accused pediatrician father of sexual abuse before she died of fatal overdose 2 drivers killed in wrong-way crash on I-696 near Detroit SAGINAW, MI Mavis Taylor sits in a recliner in the living room of her longtime Saginaw home surrounded by family photos, including a few fuzzy portraits of her much-younger self, listening to her favorite song: Cooling Water by Lee Williams & the Spiritual QCs. In one of the frames hanging on the wall is her late husband, Robert Taylor, who served in the U.S. Army during WWII, posing proudly in his military uniform. Mavis Taylor, wearing a pearl necklace and earrings to match, beams when she thinks of him. The Saginaw woman will turn 100 this month. When asked to reflect on her long life and what shes most proud of, she replies, My husband. They were married for more than 40 years until Robert Taylor died in the 90s. They had five children. I was a stone fox, wasnt I? Mavis Taylor says with a laugh, holding a photo of herself and Robert Taylor as a young couple. Thats me and my husband. ...He was a good man, real good man. Mavis Taylor, one of 16 children and originally from Alabama, moved to Saginaw in the 1940s when she was in her 20s. She isnt the first woman in her family to live to be 100 -- far from it. One of her sisters lived to be 105, their mother lived to be 104, and a great-aunt lived to be 117. Theres a bit of confusion about when Mavis Taylor will officially become a centenarian like those women before her. Her mother and the midwife who helped deliver her never agreed on the exact date, so Mavis Taylor says her birthday is both May 8 and May 15. Either way, she doesnt feel like a 100-year-old. I tell them all the time, I feel like Im 16. I really do. Mavis Taylor keeps active by bowling with friends, attending church every Sunday and taking an occasional trip to the casino, but not too often. She never drank nor smoked, takes no prescription medications and is generally healthy. She had a stomach ulcer once that she believes was cured by drinking raw egg and goats milk, something she still drinks every night and recommends to others. I used to listen to a little radio, she recalls. Whatever they said was good for you on the radio; thats what I bought. Mavis Taylor also attributes her longevity and good health to being kind to others and never holding a grudge. Whats the secret? Well, I always try to be good to everybody. Mavis Taylor will celebrate her milestone birthday with a three-day-long party this Mothers Day weekend, Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 14. Hundreds of family members and friends are expected to attend. Theyre taking her to Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort on Friday, throwing a party at downtown Saginaws Bancroft on Saturday and going bowling at her favorite bowling alley, Stardust, on Mothers Day Sunday. They also bought a billboard in her honor at the corner of 6th Street and Washington Avenue in Saginaw. She still gets up every morning, makes herself breakfast, said her granddaughter Rhonda Sanders, who will be traveling from Arizona to Michigan for the party. Her mind is sharper than mine. Mavis Taylors daughter Geraldine Swift added, Were truly blessed, I know that. Even as shes preparing to celebrate her 100th birthday, Mavis Taylor doesnt think much about her age or getting older. I just live, she says. I really enjoy living. Read more from MLive: Saginaw community center, The Neighb, has big plans for $2.4 million in ARPA dollars Self-ish Selfie Shoppe brings new experience to Old Town Saginaw Cream & Sugar Ice Cream eyeing Old Town Saginaw for potential second location Notchyo food truck owners open permanent location at Birch Run outlets, plan for more 2023 Freeland Walleye Festival guide: Disc golf, carnival rides, bingo and rummage sales GRAND RAPIDS, MI-- Students from Forest Hills Central headed downtown Saturday evening for their 2023 prom. The Rangers casino themed prom was held at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on May 6. JACKSON, MI -- It was a Masquerade Ball for the Jackson High School prom on Saturday, May 6. About 310 students and guests attended the event at the American 1 Credit Union Events Center at Keeley Park in Jackson. Welcome back to another weekly recap! Lets get you up to speed on the latest political news coming out of Michigan. To start, former President Donald Trump is set to return to Michigan as the keynote speaker for a dinner hosted by the Oakland County Republican Party on June 25, the party announced in a Facebook post Wednesday. Trump was last in Michigan in October 2022 to rally with the states top Republican candidates for the midterm elections. His stop this summer will be his first Michigan visit since being indicted on charges stemming from an alleged campaign finance violation, in which Trumps former attorney says he was directed during the 2016 campaign to pay $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for silence about a past affair with Trump. Heres more that you may have missed this week: Will Michigans financial disclosure law reveal politicians long-hidden perks? Its up to them. Last November, two-thirds of Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring Michigans state elected officials to disclose information about their personal finances for the first time. Proposal 1 provides some broad disclosure requirements descriptions of assets and debts, sources of earned and unearned income, memberships in organizations without much more detail. Its led to a lot of unanswered questions, which MLive senior politics reporter Simon Schuster dove into getting answers from experts. The proposal itself required lawmakers to pass a law implementing the financial disclosure system by the end of this year, although they may have the latitude to decide how. Could they implement this in such a way that essentially not much gets reported? Potentially yes, Lansing attorney Steven Liedel, with the firm Dykema, said. But they could also implement it a different way. Military voting access boosted with new Michigan election law One component of another constitutional amendments implementation giving military and overseas voters more time to return absentee ballots was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Monday, May 1. Senate Bill 259, which goes into effect immediately, gives Michigan voters living overseas and those serving in the military a grace period after polls close. As long as a ballot is postmarked by Election Day and received by the local clerk no more than six days later, the votes will count. Past policy required military and overseas ballots to be returned by the time polls close on Election Day, the law for all other voters. But overseas ballots were thus 20 to 70 times more likely to be received late, Michigan Secretary of State legislative policy director Erin Schor told the Senate elections committee last month. Lawmakers are working on an extensive bill package to implement more of the Proposal 2 changes, including an early in-person voting period of nine days, single-signup absentee voting and state-funded absentee ballot tracking and drop boxes. A new Senate proposal to recruit Michigan teachers: pay their student loans Teacher Stephanie Nielsen leads her kindergarten class at Shawmut Hills School, 2550 Burritt St. NW, in Grand Rapids on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Nielsen was named the Region 3 Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Department of Education. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)Cory Morse | MLive.com A $10,000 sign-on bonus. Or $25,000 for a down payment on a home. Thats the lengths some Michigan school districts are going to try to bring new teachers on board. Now, a $250 million program baked into the Senates school aid budget proposes to pilot a different incentive statewide: reimbursing educators student loan payments. Individual districts would apply into the program, then employees would apply with the districts for the payments by providing evidence of their loans. This is just one proposal out of the state legislature as budget talks ramp up in the coming weeks. Other proposals include environmental spending increases and high-speed rail investments. Michigan lands $400 million hydrogen fuel gigafactory, Whitmer announces Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen will build a $400 million gigafactory in Michigan to manufacture equipment that produces hydrogen fuel, Whitmer announced Wednesday, May 3. Though the factory was described in a press release as automated, the investment will reportedly also create more than 500 good-paying clean energy manufacturing jobs. Nels factory in Michigan, the release said, will instead be the first in the U.S. to produce electrolyzers, which use electrolysis to produce hydrogen from water. A site for the factory has yet to be chosen by the company. The release said the development conforms with Michigans desire to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Read more from MLive: Michigan legislation would shift gravel mine permitting to state Brides in chains call on Michigan to end child marriage Republicans demand removal of House labor chair amid AFL-CIO sex assault allegations Keep your religion at home: Muslim faith kept student from job, complaint says Jocelyn Benson: lift Michigan lawmakers cloak of secrecy The 24th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) witnessed a lot of excitement and fanfare. However, one artist who did not live up to expectations was Lasmid, the hitmaker of the popular song 'Friday Night.' Lasmid's performance was met with disappointment as it failed to meet the expectations of his fans and music lovers who were eagerly anticipating a great show from him. Many took to social media to express their disappointment, with some describing his performance as a flop. The artist's performance started on a dull note and failed to pick up momentum throughout the show. This left many fans feeling let down, especially since Lasmid's hit track 'Friday Night' had gained a lot of popularity in recent times. Several netizens took to social media to express their disappointment in Lasmid's performance. A Twitter user said, "Lasmid behave yourself over there," while another added, "Naah this is terrible! And this is not the first time people are complaining about Lasmids performance!" Another user asked, "Lasmid what performance be this?" Despite the negative feedback, Lasmid was able to walk away with the award for Best Hip Life Song Of The Year with his hit track 'Friday Night and also the Best New Act of the Year. The VGMAs is one of the biggest music awards ceremonies in Ghana, known for celebrating and recognizing the best talents in the music industry. Watch the performance below; Amerado, a Ghanaian sensational rapper, has expressed his joy after winning his first Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) rapper of the year award. The rapper had previously been nominated for the award twice but lost on both occasions. Amerado was in competition with Lyrical Joe, his beef counterpart, who was optimistic about winning the award for the second time in a row. However, Amerado emerged victorious and expressed gratitude to everyone who had supported him throughout his journey, including Strongman, Delay, and others. Taking the stage to receive his award at the 24th VGMAs, Amerado expressed his gratitude and said, "ma br3," which means "I have suffered" in the Akan language. This was in deep expression of the challenges he had faced in his career and the effort he had put in to finally win the award. Amerado's win, as he rightly said, is a testament to his hard work and dedication to his craft. The rapper is known for his unique style and has gained a lot of popularity in recent times, particularly his release of Obiaboa which won him the award. His win at the VGMAs is expected to propel him even further and cement his place as one of the best rappers in Ghana, alongside Sarkodie, M.anifest, Medikal, Strongman and others. Kingsley Ohene Amoako, Host of The Seat show 06.05.2023 LISTEN Leadership of Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA) has been commended for urging their members to review the prices of goods they sell. According to Ohene Amoako, host of 'The Seat' political show on Net 2 TV, the decision by the leadership needs to be appreciated as it does not normally happen in the country. Affectionately called The Flagbearer in the media space stated, "I must commend GUTA leadership for showing concern to the plight of Ghanaians by calling on their members to consider adjusting their prices due to the current encouraging performance of the Ghana cedi. It is a good news because it does not happen in this part of our world." He attributed the success to good policies laid down by the Akufo-Addo - Bawumia leadership during those trying moments of the global pandemic. On the issue of alleged double salaries taken by some NDC appointees in the erstwhile Mahama era, Mr. Ohene Amoako called for update on the matter from the appropriate authorities. "I am appealing to the Bank of Ghana and the Finance ministry to update us in how far the matter as gone, whether some monies have been retrieved from those alleged to have taken those monies," he insisted. The host also used the platform to appeal to the ruling NPP leadership to support party Communicators well to be able to propagate the work of the government. This was after the guest on the show, Stephen Atubiga, Leader of Liberation National Congress accused NPP Communicators of failing to sell the hardwork of President Akufo-Addo. A deputy spokesperson for Alan Kyerematen campaign team, Richard Nyamah, says some NPP Members of Parliament openly flouting party rules to support Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will lose their seats in the upcoming parliamentary primaries. For the MPs who are out there flouting the rules, trust me the delegates are watching, your own seats are under threat, and trust me at the end of this process, the majority of them will be replaced, Mr Nyamah said on the Big Issue on Citi TV on Saturday, May 6. Mr. Nyamah also described a private meeting of the Vice President and some MPs in Accra as media gimmicks to deceive and coerce NPP delegates that Dr. Bawumia is the favourite among NPP MPs Mr. Nyamah, however, added that the Alan Kyerematen campaign team is unperturbed by the seeming support of some MPs and party leadership for the Vice President. According to him, the Alan campaign team is very focused and directly selling their message to the polling station and constituency executives for their candidate to emerge victorious in the presidential primaries. The NPP has set November 4, 2023, for its presidential primaries to select a flagbearer for the general elections in 2024. However, if more than five candidates file to run in the primaries, the party will call a Special Congress on August 26. The nomination period for the presidential primaries will begin on May 26 and end on June 24, 2023. So far, the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Francis Addai Nimo have declared their intention to contest in the party's flagbearership race. The others include former MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyapong, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, and former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko. Dr Bawumia has not publicly declared his intention to contest for the flagbearership slot but has confirmed his presidential ambition to a group of NPP MPs during a private meeting held on Thursday, May 4. Citi Newsroom A political taboo has been broken in the prelude to the May presidential elections in Turkey. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief rival, has spoken out about being an Alevi a member of a progressive Islamic sect targeted by centuries of discrimination and violence. The move is regarded as a significant and potentially dangerous political gamble. On YouTube, Kilicdaroglu, addressing first-time voters, declared his Alevi religious identity and that society should treat all beliefs equally. Such admissions are rare in Turkish politics, as Alevism, a sect of Islam, has suffered centuries of prejudice and discrimination by the Sunni Muslim majority. "Alevis in society, ethnically and religiously, have been suffering since the 16th century in this country," Istar Gozaydin, an expert on religion and politics, told RFI. "It's a different interpretation of Islam than the Sunni understanding," Gozaydin adds. Victims of violence "The rituals are different. The interpretation is different. The philosophy is different. So the hard-core Sunni ones do perceive it as a heretical interpretation. In society, they have always been a target." Alevism is a mystical belief that combines religions, cultures, or ideas. It is rooted in Islam, Sufism, and some traditions of Shamanism. Alevis pray in cemevis rather than mosques, worshiping through dance. Unlike most interpretations of Islam, there is no separation of men and women in prayer, and women are not obliged to wear religious headscarves. However the Alevis have been repeatedly victims of sectarian violence. In 1993 in the Turkish city of Sivas, a religious mob chanting: 'Kill the non-believers' burned down a hotel hosting an Alevi cultural festival, killing 37. Selami Saritas, head of Istanbul's Kartal Cemevi, was attacked last year by a sectarian mob but he welcomes Kilicdaroglu's move. Relief "This video has brought a lot of relief to our society," Saritas explains. "At least now, it has come to the point people can talk more openly about their Alevi identity. "We want our children to live in this country in safety. We want our children to live in this country as equals, as equals in terms of work, as equals in terms of education, as equals in every sense," added Saritas. Alevi worshippers echo such sentiments. "There is a state that has been ignoring Alevis for years," said Elvan Ozdemir. "Kemal Kilicdaroglu has not expressed that he is an Alevi for years. But I think this is a very good revelation, a very good declaration. "It was very good for our country, for our people, and for Alevis. The government has been racist, sectarian, and disregarding us for years," she concluded. Critics Not everyone is so enthusiastic. Videos have appeared on social media attacking Kilcardoglu, accusing him of seeking to divide the nation and saying that there is only one interpretation of Islam. Such accusations are common, along with threats. As a result, armed security around Kilicdaroglu has been stepped up. Erdogan often makes thinly disguised attacks on Kilicdaroglu's Alevi identity in a move seen as seeking to consolidate his Sunni religious base. Until now, Kilicdaroglu's religious identity may have deterred potential supporters. However, the fact that he is heading up an electoral alliance of religious and nationalist parties suggests Turkish society is changing. "It [Alevi identity] was very important in the country," explained Osman Sert, director of the Panorama TR Research company. Courageous step "But nowadays, if you look at the "Millet Ittifaki" the opposition's alliance, you know, the Islamists and the nationalists and the secularists and Alevis and the Sunnis are all together. "And it means that it is not as important as it was maybe 10 years ago." Kilicdaroglu's video which has had more than 100 million hits is widely seen as having an impact. "Thinking about the stigmas that the Alevi society has faced up to this time, this is a very, very courageous and very important step," Gozaydin says. As the election draws near, it remains to be seen if Kilicdaroglu's gamble will pay off. Regardless of the outcome on 14 May, observers say he has already changed Turkey's political landscape. Kyrgyzstans President Sadyr Japarov has set off on an official visit to Russia, his press service said in a statement on Sunday, Trend reports citing TASS. "President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov set off on an official visit to Moscow today, on May 7. He is expected to hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin," the statement reads. According to the press service, the two countries leaders will discuss "pressing issues of bilateral and multilateral agenda," as well as the future development of mutually beneficial cooperation. Japarov will also hold meetings with other Russian officials. "In addition, the head of state will attend the May 9 Victory Day Parade in Moscow as a guest of honor," the statement added. I was very pleased to receive, on a recent occasion [that accidentally happened to be my birthday!] a document sent to me by email, that told me (in so many words) that someone had been so inspired, or impressed, with my use of such devices as folk tales, in my columns that he had subjected the columns to serious study, in an M.Phil thesis, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He conveyed to me, the happy news that he, had passed with a mark of 75%! To imagine that someone had gained an MPhil as a result of studying my writing, when I never went to University myself! If I don't admit that it made me feel very good, I shall be a liar! The MPhil scholar is called Nate Glover-Meki, and his thesis is entitled: JOURNALISM, LITERATURE & CURRENTS OF THOUGHT IN MODERN GHANA A CRITICAL STUDY OF CAMERON DUODUS COLUMNS. I am, (I say again) quite chuffed by this. If any publisher or institution (such as the Ghana School of Communications at the University of Ghana, Legon) is interested in publishing it so that it can be made available to a wider student audience, they can contact me. I shall be glad to put them in touch with the author. I use story-telling (mostly about Gold Coast days) in my columns, not always consciously, but often vaguely, in order that the young people of today will be inspired to help make Ghana regain its affections in the hearts of its people. Now, I have been labouring under the belief that, as the Twi proverb says, It's the good thing that sells itself (Ade pa n'eton neho.) In other words, one does not dissect something that is inherently self-elucidating; it does not need to be explained any further. However, I got a letter the other day that clearly demonstrates that the letter writer has not understood the purpose of why I do this. This is sad for a writer to admit, but I have been at this writing game for so long that I have come to realise that it isn't always the writer's fault if he's misunderstood. Some people are just ahem! thick! For instance, one letter writer complained that I bore him with the stories I tell about my school days. Now, I don't mind the fact that he doesn't like my stories, for there is no way that one can please everyone who reads what one writes. But I do need to explain the idea behind the story-telling, so that in case others entertain the same idea, they might be put right. You see, whenever I tell a story dealing with the past, I intend to use it to take my readers back, in their own minds, to their own school days. What my teachers did or did not do are meant to trigger stories of the Me too! type. I can't help it because, in effect, that practice comes out of my natural culture: in a Ghanaian village, you cannot sit under, say, a neem tree and tell stories without inspiring or even provoking others to tell their own stories. That is the whole purpose of people gathering under the tree in the first place, or if the story-telling occurs at home, gathering around the open hearth in the family yard at night. As soon as one storyteller finishes his/her narration, someone else comes in with a story that might be as interesting, or (so the new story-teller hopes) more interesting, than the one just told. It is a competition for bragging rights, no less. Ei, as for so-and-so, his stories are awesome! is not a reputation that everyone can build for himself/herself. Yes, in all reality, such story-telling sessions constitute an undeclared contest. Interruptions-by-song are particularly welcomed. These songs known as mmoguo, make story-telling more interesting than would otherwise be the case, and also help the story-teller to obtain whispered corrections from members of the audience, in case a faulty memory is making him tell parts of the story wrong. A Nigerian contemporary, Reuben Abati, has developed this idea of story-telling beautifully in an article in the Nigerian Guardian, One of the most basic rules of writing and journalism [Abati wrote] is that human beings like to read about other human beings their lives, successes, failures, pains and pleasures, doubts and anxieties, affairs, and occasions and as they read about others, people see their reflections in a hall of mirrors; they relive their own anxieties, and hopefully, they are entertained, or shocked beyond belief, or taught a lesson or two about life, society, being and nothingness. My friend, the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, also once used this mirror-to-society metaphor to explain why he often used satire to communicate his ideas. My school mates are fond of saying to me, But how come you still remember these things? I swear, if I hadn't read what you wrote, I would never have remembered that funny incident, ever! Others take great delight in contradicting my recollections. School days are simply incomparable in terms of stimulation and enjoyment: you enjoy leaving home and going out to meet loads of strangers, some of whom become 'enemies', but others among whom become new and, occasionally, life-long friends. (Incidentally, talking of school days, what happened to the story our media once carried, telling of the little girl who sadly died, after being caned by her teacher? It is so typical of the Ghanaian media that I can't remember reading of what happened after the teacher was arrested and taken to court. This lack of interest in following up their own stories really demeans our media, I think.) The report of the girl's death conducted me into the hall of mirrors inside my head, where some bitter encounters with the cane were waiting to be 'screened'. One of the sources of the culture of caning in the Gold Coast of my early years, I regret to say, was the Presbyterian Teacher's Training College at Akropong, Akwapim. Although it was a very good institution (the teachers there included the famous composer and musicologist, Ephraim Amu, who refused to wear European clothes to preach in church and was censured as a result a very daring as well as talented man as well as that wonderful teller of stories, Clement Anderson Akrofi. Akropong was nevertheless notorious for inculcating the idea of caning and harsh punishment into the teachers it trained. The teachers who created its traditions were Swiss/German Calvinists, most of whose hair-shirt aspirations bore no relationship whatsoever to the Ghanaian's freewheeling ethos. (By the way if you follow the link I have given above, you will find that the biography of Akrofi does not mention his most enjoyable book, a collection of delightful stories entitled Mmodenbo Bu Mmusu Abasa So.) Most of the pupils who were at the receiving end of the policy of caning now hold the view that caning can be stupid and sometimes, quite sadistic. I personally knew a girl who was clearly dyslexic but was continually caned by my grossly ignorant Class Three teacher (who, of course, was trained at Akropong!) Caning her was an exercise in futility. Indeed, if any teacher caned a pupil in England today for being unable to produce good work, because she suffered from dyslexia an illness that can be easily diagnosed and cured with skill not only would that teacher be considered woefully uneducated, but he would probably be sent to jail. Sir Jackie Stewart, three-times World Motor Racing Champion, is dyslexic. But see what he achieved. I realise, of course, that dyslexia may not have been discovered in those days, but what about the common sense of the teacher? He whipped her; but her work never improved; and yet he whipped her the more. Bloody stupid, if you ask me. And a shame on Akropong as an institution, for not teaching child psychology to the teachers it was training. One other device I like to use in my writing is the Akan proverb, which I try to explain to enable anyone reading to understand it. Such proverbs strike a special chord with readers who do understand the original language, because it gives them an extra insight into my meaning. By CAMERON DUODU The Tano Women Empowerment and Development Association (TWEDA) is embarking on a campaign that seeks the recognition of unpaid care work by women as well as the urgent need to properly include females in decision-making process at home and at the community level. The TWEDA and Plan International Ghana WISE project is being implemented in 15 communities in the Tano North Municipal Assembly namely Gyaakye, Dwenese, Yamfo, Tano Ano, Sukuumu, Krofrom, Susuanho, Rubi, Nsuapemkrom, Koforidua, Tanomu, Subriso, Mankranho, Santaase and Nkwantabisa. At a meeting in Sunyani to discuss the execution plan of the project, Board and Management members of TWEDA were unanimous that in the context of Africa and indeed in most Ghanaian societies, women are manageress of the home. They do a lot of work at home which include washing, cooking, cleaning, sweeping, serving of dishes, breast-feeding, and feeding of children, bathing, and dressing of children, seeding children to school, bring them from school, taking care of children and many more, which we dont pay them in monetary terms. Unfortunately, many of our men do not consider those as work and therefore refused to appreciate them, the meeting acknowledged. The meeting further expressed concern about the practice where some men go on pension and refuse to allocate a portion of their end-of-service package to their wives on the grounds that they alone toiled for their money even when their wives supported them in diverse ways. Decision-making It said women and girls are often left out in decision-making processes as especially at the grassroot level (home and community level) even though women also have rich and innovative ideas to contribute to development. The TWEDA and Plan International Ghana WISE project, which began last month, is expected to end in September. The meeting was chaired by Mrs. Theresa Adjei-Boafo, chairperson of TWEDA. In attendance were Lucy Annor, Coordinator and Mrs. Edith Mborati, Program Officer, among others. TWEDA is a registered women-led and absolute women not-for-profit and non-governmental organization established in 2010 to promote women and childrens rights, women economic empowerment, environmental justice, livelihoods and entrepreneurial skills development and training of women particularly those in rural communities, health, water and sanitation programs, climate change awareness creation and mitigation and adaptation strategies using indigenous knowledge and strategies. Members are drawn from five mining affected communities in Ahafo region and other parts of Sunyani in the Bono Region. Gun battles and air strikes on Sunday again flared in Sudan's capital, which has been rocked by four weeks of fighting despite the latest ceasefire efforts backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States. Multiple truce deals have been declared and quickly violated since fighting erupted between army and paramilitary forces on April 15 in the poverty-stricken country with a history of political instability. Smoke billows in Khartoum amid ongoing fighting between the forces of two rival generals, on May 6, 2023. By - (AFP) Fierce combat since then has killed at least 700 people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands and driven a mass of exodus of Sudanese and foreign nationals. In embattled Khartoum, fighter jets have bombed enemy positions as terrified residents stayed barricaded indoors amid dire shortages of water, food, medicines and other staples. Across the Red Sea, in the Saudi city of Jeddah, talks were underway aiming for a ceasefire that could aid the desperate efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the besieged population. Map of Sudan and neighbouring countries as civilians flee the country. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP) The generals leading the warring parties have blamed each other for the violence, but have said little about the talks being held in Jeddah since Saturday. Army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdalla said the talks were on how a truce "can be correctly implemented to serve the humanitarian side", while Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), only said on Twitter that he welcomed the technical discussions. Riyad and Washington have supported the "pre-negotiation talks" and urged the belligerents to "get actively involved". 'War of attrition' Hopes for these and other international efforts to silence the guns have been modest as fighting has raged, threatening a descent into full-scale civil war and a major humanitarian disaster. "The lowest common denominator of the international community is a cessation of hostilities," said Sudan researcher Aly Verjee at Sweden's University of Gothenburg. "But there is no apparent consensus on what to do beyond that initial objective." To be meaningful, Verjee said, any new truce declaration would require a "credible process to monitor and verify ceasefire non-compliance", and mutually agreed "consequences in the likely event of ceasefire breaches". Meanwhile both sides have pushed on for military advantage on the ground, in the capital and in fighting elsewhere, including the long-troubled Darfur region. A looted petrol station in south Khartoum, seen on May 6, 2023. By - (AFP) Andreas Krieg of King's College London said that "the battle for Khartoum is quickly developing into a war of attrition where both sides have similar capabilities and capacities". The army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has air power and probably more troops, at around 100,000 forces. But the RSF, which emerged out of the notorious Janjaweed militia accused of war crimes in Darfur region, employs guerilla tactics that, Krieg said, can make them "more agile". 'Spillover challenges' Chart showing estimates of the amounts of humanitarian aid needed by Sudan by sector, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). By Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS (AFP/File) Both the army and the RSF have sought to present themselves as protectors of democratic values, despite having jointly staged Sudan's latest coup in 2021. Burhan and his former deputy Daglo jointly ousted Sudan's longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 palace coup, following mass pro-democracy protests. A military-civilian administration was supposed to steer post-Bashir Sudan toward democracy, but the generals launched another coup in 2021 to assume full powers. They have since fallen out in a bitter power struggle, with the latest flashpoint a plan to integrate the RSF into the army -- a conflict that exploded into open warfare four weeks ago. An aircraft carrying aid supplies from Kuwait taxies at the Port Sudan airport, on May 5, 2023. By Giuseppe CACACE (AFP/File) US intelligence chief Avril Haines has warned of a "protracted" conflict that would "create a greater potential for spillover challenges in the region". At least 700 people have been killed in the fighting so far, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The Sudanese doctors' union said 479 of the dead were civilians. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced either internally or to neighbouring countries, while the UN has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine. On 7 May,1945, the German High Command, led by General Alfred Jodl, signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces and effectively ended the Second World War. The signing took place in a no-frills war room in a school building in Reims in northeastern France. Today, the room is still standing and is now part of a museum. "Nothing has changed in this room. The table, the chairs, the maps...everything is in the same state as it was on 7 May 1945," Marie Lefevre of the Musee de la Reddition , told RFI. The Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) had their headquarters in Versailles, but moved to the school building next to the train station in Reims in February 1945 to better coordinate the final assault against Germany. SHAEF remained there until the end of May and according to Lefevre the US army then handed the keys to the war room to the city of Reims. "At the end of July 1945, the city of Reims officially opened the room to the public," she said. Lefevre said that for decades, the war room was the only room that was visted. "It was only in 1985 that it was decided to create a whole museum (called Musee de la Reddition) around this room. You can of course find objects and uniforms documenting the Second World War in France and especially in Reims," she said. "But the most important thing to see here is this war room because it is absolutely unique." Not Camilla Parker Bowles, the late Princess Diana, is the true queen I know. Many people around the world claim that Camilla destroyed the union between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, while others disagree because Charles, who is now the King, dated Camilla before Diana. Regarding the British Royal family, Prince Charles ought to have had the common sense to understand that dating Camilla and Diana simultaneously may result in several unpleasant incidents and family conflicts. Then Prince Charles disregarded it and continued to deceive Diana while having a profound romantic attachment to his ex-girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles. Diana was highly upset because she knew Charles and Camilla were dating at the same time. Everyone is aware that Camilla is Charles's first love; practically his age, young, attractive, educated, and has all the things a young woman should know before getting married. Diana with William and Harry, a beautiful lady who looked for love in the wrong place? Photo credit: British media Rumor has it that they spent several years together, and Charles proposed to her, but the girl declined it because she had already sworn her allegiance to her future spouse. What were the possibilities of her joining the royal family after such a turbulent and publicized affair, besides? Their friends were aware of Camilla and Charles, however; no one expected that the situation will be so complicated to affect Diana in such a terrible manner. Did Princess Diana and Prince Charles' union suffer because Camilla Parker Bowles wanted to be queen? Many people are curious, so if I must respond, I will state that Camilla married Prince Charles because he had convinced her to marry him at the time. This was announced in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s up to the future king's nuptials to his lover. Every newspaper and news program in England reported on how Diana was under strain due to Camilla's interference in their marriage. According to eyewitnesses, Charles reportedly wept when he learned Camilla had decided not to marry him. He was on a long journey and only got letters from Camilla, so there was no way he could stop her from being married. Camilla's marriage turned out to be precarious, as her husband continued to cheat on her after the wedding even though they were legally wed. Prince Charles, in Camilla's eyes, is compassionate, and after experiencing some sorrow, she returns to his embrace. Diana had two boys, William and Harry, but despite this, many people felt that she was too pretentious, and occasionally even had mental health issues, since her life together with Charles, is not as lovely as it once seemed. Charles acts irresponsibly; while frequently having disputes with his wife, fact that he holds Camille in a special place in his heart. Diana desired a secure environment where she could raise her children, engage in charitable work, and simply enjoy her husband's love. However, she was unable to find such a place. Charles wasn't too pleased with the kids; as he spent less time with her, she grew resentful. Camilla joined Charles in one of the estates where he moved. The media actively covered this story, and their sympathies varied based on the kind of response they wanted from the public. Everyone universally condemned Camilla at first, but then their attention turned to Diana, and they started to question whether or not she had also been unfaithful. They discovered her lovers and even caught some romantic conversations on tape. The royal family was appalled as the scandals kept coming one after another. Charles' father, Prince Philip, pleaded with him to change his ways, but he was already dreaming of nothing more than wedlock with Camilla. It was revealed that Diana and Charles were divorcing, though everyone was aware of the real reason why and the two just lived separately. After Diana's awful death in a Paris car accident, the prince's damaged reputation was finally restored. According to Christopher Andersen's account in the book "The Day Diana Died," Diana spent her final day with her boyfriend at the time, 42-year-old Dodi Fayed, a film producer and the son of Mohamed Al Fayed, the billionaire owner of Harrod's. On August 30, 1997, the couple left Sardinia for Paris after spending over a week on a yacht in the Mediterranean. On that Saturday night, they dined together at the opulent Ritz Paris, a hotel owned by Fayeds father. Henri Paul, who worked as the Ritz's deputy head of security, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones drove the Mercedes when the couple left. Shortly after entering the Pont de L'Alma tunnel and less than two miles from their starting point, Paul reportedly lost control of the car while evading paparazzi. Till now, many people continue to experience anguish and bitterness over Princess Diana's horrific death. The new King of England finally had the opportunity to marry his lover because of Diana's passing. Previously known as the Queen Consort of Great Britain, Camilla Parker Bowles is now the queen. I will not hold Camilla or Diana accountable for the problematic marriage; instead, I hold Prince Charles accountable for his extramarital activities, which resulted in Diana's tragic passing. He shouldn't have married Diana if he is in love with Camilla. Respect and faithfulness come first in a marriage; without these two qualities, a marriage cannot last, therefore, I blame King Charles III, the current king of Britain. An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 60-year-old security man to 24 years imprisonment for having sex with a six year old girl. Osman Monnie charged with defilement, pleaded guilty. The court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, convicted Monnie on his own plea. Prosecution led by Superintendent of Police Agnes Boafo prayed the court to hand down the maximum sentence as the victim in the case could be the accused persons granddaughter. Supt. Boafo noted that despite the screaming and weeping of the victim, Monnie went ahead to defile the victim. She therefore prayed the court to give the accused person a severe and deterrent sentence The accused person who is married with three children could not tell the court why he chose to defile the minor. The case as narrated by the Prosecution is that the complainant is a cleaner residing at North Kaneshie, Industrial Area with the victim. It said the accused now convict, resided at Kasoa with his wife and children but worked as a security guard at Industrial Area,Kaneshie on Accra. Prosecution said Monnie was to close to where the complainant resided and he used to play with the victim for about a year now. On March 17, this year, Monnie had sexual intercourse with the victim and an anonymous person vidoed the sexual act between the victim and the convict. Prosecution said on March 20, 2023, at about 1:00pm, the complainant saw the video which Monnie was having sex with the victim. It said the complainant interviewed the victim and she narrated how Monnie had sex with her. Prosecution said the victim indicated to the complainant that, that was not the first time Monnie had defiled her. It said the complainant reported the matter to Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service at Kaneshie and a police medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim. The Prosecution said when the medical form was returned to the Police, it confirmed that the victim had been defiled. It said Monnie was quickly picked up by the Police. GNA An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 56-year-old mason to 24 years imprisonment for having sex with his 12-year-old daughter twice. Joseph Amon Neequaye is said to have had sex with his daughter after assisting her to do her homework. Accused in open court denied having sex with his daughter on five occasions. According to him, he had sex with his daughter twice, adding, on the first occasion, the victim came and slept by him and he ended defiling her. On the occasion, Neequaye said it was the victim who put her breast in his mouth and he ended up defilng her. Neequaye, charged with defilement and incest pleaded guilty and he convicted on his plea. Neequaye pleaded with the court to forgive him and have mercy on him. The court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann held that cases of defilement are on the ascendancy, and the accused ought to be given a deterrent sentence although he did not waste the courts time. Prosecution led by Superintendent of Police Agnes Boafo said the complainant was a trader residing at Dansoman, Accra together with the victim. Prosecution said the victims mother had passed on and she was therefore residing with her grandmother. It said accused, now convict was the victims biological father. The convict also reside at Mpoase in Dansoman, Accra. Prosecution said the victim had been going to her father to collect money for school. It said from January 2023 to April 2023, Neequaye took advantage of the victim by defiling her on five occasions in his room at Mpoase. Prosecution said about three weeks ago, the complainant had information to the effect that Neequaye has been having sex with the victim. It said based on that information, the complainant quizzed the victim and she confirmed the sexual encounters she had had with her father. Protection said the complainant and other witnesses confronted the convict and he admitted that offence and pleaded with them. On April 25, 2023, a report was made to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Dansoman and a medical form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim. Prosecution said on May 2, 2023, Neequaye was picked up and in his investigation caution statement, he admitted having sex with the victim twice. GNA 07.05.2023 LISTEN Ghana lost $300m worth of natural gas in the upstream petroleum sector through flaring, the 2022 Annual Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC) Report on Management and Use of Petroleum Revenue has revealed. The volume of gas flared in 2022, 25.3 billion cubic feet (bcf), increased by 19.3 per cent compared to a volume of 21.2 bcf recorded in 2021. In the report titled 'The state of the energy and extractive sectors of Ghana: Critical reforms required for sustainable economic recovery,' the Civil Society Organisation observed that the gas was flared at a time when domestic consumption of processed gas, known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), was growing exponentially, leading to increased imports. It also constituted about 10 per cent of the total 253.56 bcf of both Associated Gas (AG) and Non-Associated Gas (NAG) produced from the three oil fields of Jubilee, Sankofa Gye-Nyame (SGN) and Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN). Gas flaring is the process of burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction. It is regarded as a waste of a valuable natural resource that could either be used for productive purposes, such as generating power, or conserved. Compared to the 2021 volume of 256.26 bcf of raw gas produced, the total production for 2022 represented a production decrease of 7.7 per cent. The report, which was launched on April 20, 2023, indicated that the SGN Field, relatively gas-concentrated, produced the highest volume of combined AG and NAG of 129.39 BCF while the Jubilee and TEN Fields produced 68.48 bcf and 55.68 bcf, respectively. A breakdown of the report revealed that gas production from the SGN field recorded an increase of 6.4 per cent from 121.6 bcf in 2021 to 129.39 bcf in 2022. Meanwhile, total gas flared for the period was 3.56 bcf, while a volume of 52.87 bcf was utilised as injected gas with a total of 67.9 bcf of gas exported to Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) and 4.07 bcf used as fuel. In the Jubilee fields, gas production decreased by 2.9 per cent from 70.53 bcf in 2021 to 68.48 bcf in 2022. Also, a volume of 17.43 bcf representing 25 per cent of total gas produced was injected for pressure support while a total volume of 3.76 bcf, representing 5 per cent of the total gas produced was used to power gas turbine generators. A volume of 11.41 bcf representing 17 per cent of the total gas produced was flared on the Kwame Nkrumah (KNK) Floating Production Storage Offloading Vessel (FPSO) while 35.88 bcf representing 52 per cent of gas produced was exported to GNGC. It was also highlighted that gas production on the TEN Field declined by 13.2 per cent from 64.13 bcf in 2021 to 55.68 bcf in 2022. About 68 per cent of gas produced in the field, totalling 38.03 bcf was used as gas injection for pressure support while a volume of 10.33 bcf, representing 19 per cent of the total gas produced was flared. A volume of 3.78 bcf of gas, representing 7 per cent of the produced gas was also exported to GNGC and a volume of 3.53 bcf, making up 6 per cent of produced gas was used for fuel. Speaking at the launch, Nasir Alfa Mohammed, the Vice Chair of PIAC,said the flaring of gas kept occurring due to inadequate investment and lack of facility to store the commodity. The challenge was highlighted in a report release in May 2022 by the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) which revealed that the country lost 47 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas to flaring between 2019 and 2021. The energy policy think tank said the gas flared amounted to money that went down the drain because of limited investments in the gas subsector. Aside the economic loss of flaring, the activity is known to have a negative environmental impact and a contributor to global warming. GNA The UN's top humanitarian official arrived in Saudi Arabia Sunday for ceasefire talks between Sudan's warring generals, as gun battles and air strikes flared in the Sudanese capital at the start of a fourth week of fighting. Multiple truce deals have been declared and quickly violated since battles erupted between army and paramilitary forces on April 15 in the poverty-stricken country with a history of political instability. Fierce combat since then has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands and sparked multiple warnings of a potential "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. More than 100,000 people have already fled the country. In embattled Khartoum, fighter jets have bombed positions as terrified residents stay barricaded indoors trying to cope with dire shortages of water, food, medicines and other staples. Smoke billows in Khartoum amid ongoing fighting between the forces of two rival generals, on May 6, 2023. By - (AFP) Across the Red Sea in the Saudi city of Jeddah, talks were underway aiming for a ceasefire that could push efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the besieged population. The generals leading the warring parties have said little about the talks being held in Jeddah since Saturday. Army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdalla said the talks were on how a truce "can be correctly implemented to serve the humanitarian side", while Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), only said on Twitter that he welcomed the technical discussions. Map of Sudan and neighbouring countries as civilians flee the country. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP) The UN's top humanitarian official, Martin Griffiths, was in Jeddah Sunday "and the purpose of his visit is to engage in humanitarian issues related to Sudan," spokesperson Eri Kaneko said. Griffiths was last week in Port Sudan, where he said he had been informed by the UN's World Food Programme that six trucks bringing aid to the Darfur region had been "looted en route" Wednesday, "despite assurances of safety and security". He called for security guarantees "clearly given by militaries, to protect humanitarian systems to deliver". There was no indication that Griffiths would play a direct role in the Saudi discussions about a possible ceasefire. Riyadh and Washington have supported the "pre-negotiation talks" and urged the belligerents to "get actively involved". Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his support Sunday for the "indirect negotiations" in order to prevent "an escalation of the current conflict" into a prolonged war "that divides Sudan into warring regions." Heavyweights in the pan-Arab bloc are divided on Sudan. Egypt solidly supports the regular army, and the UAE is in favour of the RSF, according to experts. At the same meeting, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of "a slide into a worse and more dangerous security situation for Sudan, its people, neighbouring countries and the region". 'War of attrition' Hopes for these and other international efforts to silence the guns have been modest. "The lowest common denominator of the international community is a cessation of hostilities," said Sudan researcher Aly Verjee at Sweden's University of Gothenburg. "But there is no apparent consensus on what to do beyond that initial objective." To be meaningful, Verjee said, any new truce declaration would require a "credible process to monitor and verify ceasefire non-compliance", and mutually agreed "consequences in the likely event of ceasefire breaches". Both sides continue to push on for military advantage on the ground, in the capital and elsewhere including the long-troubled Darfur region. A looted petrol station in south Khartoum, seen on May 6, 2023. By - (AFP) Andreas Krieg of King's College London said that "the battle for Khartoum is quickly developing into a war of attrition where both sides have similar capabilities and capacities". The army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has air power and probably more troops, at around 100,000 forces. But the RSF, which emerged out of the notorious Janjaweed militia accused of war crimes in Darfur region, employs guerilla tactics that, Krieg said, can make them "more agile". 'Spillover challenges' Chart showing estimates of the amounts of humanitarian aid needed by Sudan by sector, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). By Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS (AFP/File) Both the army and the RSF have sought to present themselves as protectors of democratic values, despite having jointly staged Sudan's latest coup in 2021, derailing a transition to democracy. The military had ousted Sudan's longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 palace coup, following mass pro-democracy protests. Since their 2021 coup, Burhan and Daglo have fallen out in a bitter power struggle, lastly over a plan to integrate the RSF into the army. An aircraft carrying aid supplies from Kuwait taxies at the Port Sudan airport, on May 5, 2023. By Giuseppe CACACE (AFP/File) US intelligence chief Avril Haines has warned of a "protracted" conflict that would "create a greater potential for spillover challenges in the region". At least 700 people have been killed in the fighting so far, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The Sudanese doctors' union said 479 of the dead were civilians. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced either internally or to neighbouring countries, while the UN has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine. Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has given government up to Friday, May 12, within which to approve and pay our new salaries with all arrears from January to May 2023 failing which we shall resort to industrial action. According to JUSAG, no word was heard from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on members new salaries as of close of Friday, May 5. At this moment, we had to say, enough is enough, a notice to members on Friday said. We cant bear it any longer. Our industrial action plans have been activated. According to the notice, the National Labour Commission (NLC) has been duly notified on the intention to proceed on strike in accordance with Sections 159-161 of the Ghana Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). If government does not respond favourably by Friday, May 12, all staff of the Judicial Service will wear red arm bands from Monday, May 15 and that shall continue for one week. The notice issued by JUSAG General Secretary Abdulai Yakubu said a full-blow strike will be declared from Monday, May 22 if within the preceding week government does not address their grievances. Our indefinite strike shall remain in force, until we have the approval and payment of the new salaries with all the arrears from January to May 2023. 3news.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. International financial institutions and institutions have participated in financing a number of transport projects in Turkmenistan, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen media. This was stated by Chairman of the Board of the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan Rahimberdy Jepbarov at the international conference on "International transport and transit corridors: interconnection and development" (ITC 2023) held in Ashgabat on May 3 through 4, 2023. According to him, with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the amount of $125 million and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) - $371 million, Kazakhstan - Turkmenistan - Iran railway with a length of 724 kilometers was built. He noted that the IDB financed the purchase of three oil tankers - $42 million, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided a soft loan equivalent to $40 million for the modernization of the locomotive depot in Ashgabat, and the Export-Import Bank of China for the purchase of diesel locomotives and passenger railcars in an amount equivalent to $95 million. Currently, at the expense of the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan in the amount of $80 million and with the financial support of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development - $75 million - the construction of an international airport in Jebel is underway, Jepbarov stressed. Furthermore, he added that in December 2021, a loan agreement was signed with ING Bank for $20 million to finance the supply of Toyota cars to Turkmenistan for the development of public urban transport. Agnico Eagle Mines (TSE:AEM Get Rating) (NYSE:AEM) had its price target upped by National Bankshares from C$95.00 to C$98.00 in a report released on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. AEM has been the topic of several other reports. Raymond James upped their target price on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$65.00 to C$66.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$89.00 to C$91.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$90.00 to C$84.00 in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Barclays assumed coverage on Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Friday, February 17th. They set a buy rating and a C$62.00 price target on the stock. Finally, National Bank Financial increased their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of C$79.31. Get Agnico Eagle Mines alerts: Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Performance Agnico Eagle Mines stock opened at C$80.04 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of C$71.65 and a 200-day moving average of C$69.25. Agnico Eagle Mines has a 1 year low of C$48.88 and a 1 year high of C$82.90. The company has a market capitalization of C$36.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.48, a P/E/G ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.19, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 0.89. Agnico Eagle Mines Increases Dividend Agnico Eagle Mines ( TSE:AEM Get Rating ) (NYSE:AEM) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported C$0.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.53 by C$0.02. The company had revenue of C$1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.91 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Agnico Eagle Mines will post 2.1903676 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.541 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.70%. This is a positive change from Agnico Eagle Miness previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. Agnico Eagle Miness dividend payout ratio is presently 102.88%. Insider Transactions at Agnico Eagle Mines In related news, Senior Officer Ammar Al-Joundi purchased 8,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$62.17 per share, with a total value of C$509,822.70. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders. 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI cut its holdings in Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,030 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 373 shares during the period. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MIs holdings in Ingersoll Rand were worth $629,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 12.0% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,601 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $786,000 after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 47.6% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 9,880 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $497,000 after purchasing an additional 3,185 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in Ingersoll Rand in the 1st quarter valued at about $327,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 62.2% in the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 28,937 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,457,000 after purchasing an additional 11,096 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 57,771 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,909,000 after purchasing an additional 988 shares during the last quarter. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes IR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $64.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ingersoll Rand currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $59.30. Ingersoll Rand Stock Performance IR traded up $2.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $59.17. 3,022,148 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,189,572. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $56.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.76. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.28 and a 12 month high of $60.39. The stock has a market cap of $23.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.52 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 1.76. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.13. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.54 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.39 earnings per share for the current year. Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 23rd. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.94%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.50, for a total value of $1,437,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 189,345 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,887,337.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Ingersoll Rand (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eaton (NYSE:ETN Get Rating) had its price target lifted by Barclays from $145.00 to $159.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. ETN has been the topic of a number of other reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on Eaton from $173.00 to $197.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Eaton from $180.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Eaton from $149.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Eaton from $188.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Eaton from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Eaton currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $174.17. Get Eaton alerts: Eaton Stock Up 2.1 % NYSE:ETN opened at $171.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.68, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.12. Eaton has a 1-year low of $122.50 and a 1-year high of $178.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $166.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $162.47. Eaton Announces Dividend Eaton ( NYSE:ETN Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $5.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.23 billion. Eaton had a return on equity of 18.70% and a net margin of 12.00%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.62 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Eaton will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Monday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 5th. This represents a $3.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.01%. Eatons dividend payout ratio is presently 53.67%. Insider Activity at Eaton In related news, insider Joao V. Faria sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.00, for a total transaction of $338,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 67,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,351,054. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Eaton news, insider Joao V. Faria sold 5,204 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.55, for a total transaction of $908,358.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 76,314 shares in the company, valued at $13,320,608.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joao V. Faria sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.00, for a total transaction of $338,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 67,166 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,351,054. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 33,377 shares of company stock worth $5,864,193 in the last 90 days. 0.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Horan Securities Inc. grew its position in Eaton by 228.6% in the 4th quarter. Horan Securities Inc. now owns 161 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. RFP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.19% of the companys stock. Eaton Company Profile (Get Rating) Eaton Corp. Plc is a power management company, which provides energy-efficient solutions for electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power. It operates through the following segments: Electrical Americas and Electrical Global, Aerospace, Vehicle, and eMobility. The Electrical Americas and Electrical Global segments engage in sales contracts for electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies, residential products, single and three phase power quality, wiring devices, circuit protection, utility power distribution, power reliability equipment, and service. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Black Hills (NYSE:BKH Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of $3.65-$3.85 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $3.75. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Analyst Ratings Changes BKH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Sidoti lowered Black Hills from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $67.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Bank of America lowered Black Hills from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $79.00 to $60.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Black Hills in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Scotiabank lowered Black Hills from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and set a $67.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered Black Hills from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $81.00 to $68.00 in a report on Friday, February 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $67.29. Get Black Hills alerts: Black Hills Trading Up 0.4 % NYSE:BKH traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $66.14. The companys stock had a trading volume of 358,170 shares, compared to its average volume of 373,982. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $63.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $66.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.52. Black Hills has a twelve month low of $58.81 and a twelve month high of $79.78. The stock has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.96, a P/E/G ratio of 8.03 and a beta of 0.59. Black Hills Announces Dividend Black Hills ( NYSE:BKH Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The utilities provider reported $1.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.06. Black Hills had a return on equity of 8.45% and a net margin of 9.62%. The firm had revenue of $921.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $754.70 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.82 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Black Hills will post 3.73 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be paid a $0.625 dividend. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 17th. Black Hillss dividend payout ratio is currently 64.10%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Black Hills Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its holdings in Black Hills by 63.3% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 890 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Black Hills by 24.6% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,499 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Black Hills by 120.0% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,200 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $169,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC purchased a new stake in Black Hills during the 4th quarter worth approximately $216,000. Finally, Financial Advocates Investment Management purchased a new stake in Black Hills during the 4th quarter worth approximately $230,000. 88.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Black Hills Company Profile (Get Rating) Black Hills Corp. is a diversified energy company. It operates through the following segments: Electric Utilities, Gas Utilities, and Corporate and Other. The Electric Utilities segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The Gas Utilities segment provides natural gas in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Black Hills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Black Hills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Black Iron Inc. (TSE:BKI Get Rating) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$0.08 and traded as high as C$0.09. Black Iron shares last traded at C$0.09, with a volume of 129,000 shares trading hands. Black Iron Stock Performance The stock has a market cap of C$25.82 million, a P/E ratio of -4.25 and a beta of 1.70. The firms 50-day moving average is C$0.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$0.08. The company has a quick ratio of 2.76, a current ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Black Iron Company Profile (Get Rating) Black Iron Inc operates as an iron ore exploration and development company. It holds a 100% interest in the Shymanivske iron ore project covering an area of 2.56 square kilometers located in Krivyi Rih, Ukraine. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Black Iron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Black Iron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR Get Rating) from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have $135.00 target price on the stock, up from their previous target price of $78.00. Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Builders FirstSource from $85.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Builders FirstSource from $80.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. B. Riley upped their price objective on Builders FirstSource from $70.00 to $77.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Builders FirstSource from $68.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on Builders FirstSource from $85.00 to $97.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $111.42. Get Builders FirstSource alerts: Builders FirstSource Price Performance Shares of Builders FirstSource stock opened at $111.25 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $14.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.18 and a beta of 1.98. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $89.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $77.78. Builders FirstSource has a twelve month low of $48.91 and a twelve month high of $111.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.83. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Builders FirstSource Builders FirstSource ( NYSE:BLDR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $1.33. The company had revenue of $3.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.57 billion. Builders FirstSource had a return on equity of 55.42% and a net margin of 11.68%. The companys revenue was down 31.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.90 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Builders FirstSource will post 6.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Builders FirstSource by 0.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,422,176 shares of the companys stock worth $1,124,428,000 after buying an additional 86,484 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Builders FirstSource by 14.8% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 11,277,012 shares of the companys stock worth $727,819,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455,580 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,563,913 shares of the companys stock valued at $268,900,000 after purchasing an additional 64,900 shares during the period. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC lifted its stake in Builders FirstSource by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 2,176,584 shares of the companys stock valued at $128,244,000 after purchasing an additional 256,436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in Builders FirstSource by 34.0% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,845,728 shares of the companys stock worth $108,750,000 after purchasing an additional 468,391 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.71% of the companys stock. Builders FirstSource Company Profile (Get Rating) Builders FirstSource, Inc engages in the supply and manufacture of building materials, manufactured components and construction services to professional homebuilders, subcontractors, remodelers and consumers. Its products include factory-built roof and floor trusses, wall panels and stairs, vinyl windows, custom millwork and trim, and engineered wood. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Builders FirstSource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Builders FirstSource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California Public Employees Retirement System trimmed its position in shares of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC Get Rating) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,213,214 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 99,645 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.59% of Omnicom Group worth $98,962,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its holdings in shares of Omnicom Group by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 27,964 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,374,000 after acquiring an additional 1,284 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC lifted its holdings in Omnicom Group by 27.0% during the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 81,054 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $6,880,000 after purchasing an additional 17,251 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new position in Omnicom Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $503,000. National Pension Service lifted its holdings in Omnicom Group by 644.1% during the first quarter. National Pension Service now owns 407,387 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $34,579,000 after purchasing an additional 352,639 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new position in Omnicom Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $929,000. 90.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Omnicom Group alerts: Omnicom Group Stock Performance Shares of OMC stock opened at $89.75 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $17.91 billion, a PE ratio of 13.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $90.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $84.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Omnicom Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $61.31 and a 52-week high of $96.78. Omnicom Group Dividend Announcement Omnicom Group ( NYSE:OMC Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The business services provider reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.18. Omnicom Group had a net margin of 9.57% and a return on equity of 41.72%. The business had revenue of $3.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.38 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.39 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Omnicom Group Inc. will post 7.38 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.12%. Omnicom Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 42.11%. Insider Buying and Selling at Omnicom Group In other Omnicom Group news, CEO John Wren sold 100,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.84, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Linda Johnson Rice sold 1,700 shares of Omnicom Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.75, for a total transaction of $152,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 9,527 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $855,048.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John Wren sold 100,000 shares of Omnicom Group stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 328,448 shares of the companys stock, valued at $30,821,560.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Omnicom Group from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Omnicom Group from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $96.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Omnicom Group in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Omnicom Group from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Macquarie boosted 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $99.86. Omnicom Group Profile (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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Omnicom Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Omnicom Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cheniere Energy Partners (NYSE:CQP Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning. Cheniere Energy Partners Stock Performance CQP stock opened at $45.75 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.14 billion, a PE ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 0.85. Cheniere Energy Partners has a twelve month low of $40.20 and a twelve month high of $62.08. Get Cheniere Energy Partners alerts: Cheniere Energy Partners Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Stories Cheniere Energy Partners LP engages in the operations of liquefied natural gas. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Receive News & Ratings for Cheniere Energy Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cheniere Energy Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brinker International (NYSE:EAT Get Rating) had its target price boosted by Citigroup from $42.00 to $43.00 in a report released on Thursday, The Fly reports. EAT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Brinker International from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Brinker International from $30.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Barclays increased their price objective on Brinker International from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Brinker International in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Northcoast Research assumed coverage on Brinker International in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $37.94. Get Brinker International alerts: Brinker International Stock Performance NYSE:EAT opened at $38.05 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $37.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.51, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 2.36. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $21.47 and a 1 year high of $42.12. Insiders Place Their Bets Brinker International ( NYSE:EAT Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.07 billion. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 44.32% and a net margin of 2.17%. Brinker Internationals revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.92 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Brinker International will post 2.76 EPS for the current year. In other news, SVP Wade Allen sold 12,139 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.42, for a total value of $490,658.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,647 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,157,911.74. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,986 shares of company stock valued at $525,047. Insiders own 2.37% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 5,674 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $216,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the period. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 1st quarter valued at about $751,000. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $887,000. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp increased its holdings in Brinker International by 33.9% during the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 39,516 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,502,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Brinker International by 469.0% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 32,315 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,228,000 after purchasing an additional 26,636 shares during the last quarter. Brinker International Company Profile (Get Rating) Brinker International, Inc engages in owning, developing, and franchising Chilis Grill and Bar and Maggianos Little Italy restaurant brands. It operates through the following segments: Chilis, and Maggianos. The Chilis segment includes the results of company-owned Chilis restaurants in the U.S. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Brinker International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brinker International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Curtiss-Wright (NYSE:CW Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday. A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on CW. Truist Financial raised their price target on Curtiss-Wright from $183.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Curtiss-Wright from $196.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $186.80. Get Curtiss-Wright alerts: Curtiss-Wright Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of CW stock opened at $163.45 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 2.15. Curtiss-Wright has a 52-week low of $124.37 and a 52-week high of $182.55. The company has a market capitalization of $6.26 billion, a PE ratio of 20.33 and a beta of 1.24. The businesss fifty day moving average is $172.61 and its 200 day moving average is $170.39. Curtiss-Wright Dividend Announcement Curtiss-Wright ( NYSE:CW Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The aerospace company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.12. Curtiss-Wright had a return on equity of 16.54% and a net margin of 11.81%. The business had revenue of $631.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $585.49 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.31 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Curtiss-Wright will post 8.77 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. Curtiss-Wrights dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.45%. Insider Activity In related news, CEO Lynn M. Bamford sold 2,223 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.42, for a total value of $376,620.66. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 17,356 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,940,453.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Lynn M. Bamford sold 1,337 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.10, for a total value of $228,760.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 18,998 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,250,557.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lynn M. Bamford sold 2,223 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.42, for a total value of $376,620.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 17,356 shares in the company, valued at $2,940,453.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 8,586 shares of company stock valued at $1,459,205. 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Curtiss-Wright Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new stake in Curtiss-Wright during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Curtiss-Wright in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Curtiss-Wright by 26.8% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 303 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Curtiss-Wright in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Curtiss-Wright by 91.3% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 350 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. 84.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Curtiss-Wright (Get Rating) Curtiss-Wright Corp. is a global integrated business that provides engineered products, solutions, and services mainly to the aerospace and defense markets, as well as critical technologies in demanding commercial power, process, and industrial markets. It operates through the following three segments: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, and Naval & Power. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Curtiss-Wright Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Curtiss-Wright and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Iran expects trade deals and business contracts worth up to $2 billion will be inked during IRAN EXPO 2023, a major international trade event being held in Tehran, an Iranian official says, Trend reports citing IRNA. Alireza Peyman Pak, deputy minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, said on Sunday that an estimated 1,250 businessmen and trade officials from more than 65 countries in Europe, Latin America, Eurasia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, as well as Irans neighbors, are currently in Tehran to attend the event. In particular, large delegations from countries that Iran seeks more economic and trade cooperation with, including 100 individuals from China, 50 from Pakistan and Oman each, 40 from Saudi Arabia, and over 30 participants from the UAE, have so far been warmly received at IRAN EXPO 2023, the official said. Additionally, over 600 specialized business-to-business (B2B) meetings are also expected to be held during the exhibition, the deputy minster added. The private sector, especially the joint chambers of commerce, did a very good job and actively participated in the event. So many business meetings have been planned by the chambers, he pointed out. The 5th Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRNA EXPO 2023) kicked off in Tehran on Sunday to showcase trade and investment opportunities in the country for foreign businessmen and entrepreneurs. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued their buy rating on shares of Pearson (LON:PSON Get Rating) in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 1,140 ($14.24) price objective on the stock. A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an overweight rating and issued a GBX 1,230 ($15.37) price target on shares of Pearson in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Three equities research 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 currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 1,015 ($12.68). Get Pearson alerts: Pearson Stock Up 1.1 % PSON stock opened at GBX 824.60 ($10.30) on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of 5.91 billion, a PE ratio of 2,498.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.33, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 847.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 905.33. Pearson has a 12 month low of GBX 722.60 ($9.03) and a 12 month high of GBX 1,006.29 ($12.57). Pearson Increases Dividend Insider Activity at Pearson The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd were issued a GBX 14.90 ($0.19) dividend. This is an increase from Pearsons previous dividend of $6.60. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a yield of 1.62%. Pearsons dividend payout ratio is 6,363.64%. In other news, insider Sally Johnson sold 65,220 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 762 ($9.52), for a total value of 496,976.40 ($620,910.04). In other news, insider Sally Johnson sold 65,220 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 762 ($9.52), for a total value of 496,976.40 ($620,910.04). Also, insider Graeme Pitkethly purchased 257 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 832 ($10.39) per share, for a total transaction of 2,138.24 ($2,671.46). 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Pearson Company Profile (Get Rating) Pearson plc provides educational courseware, assessments, and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, other European countries, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Higher Education, and Workforce Skills. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pearson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pearson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ecolab (NYSE:ECL Get Rating) had its price target upped by Mizuho from $163.00 to $177.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Several other analysts also recently commented on ECL. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $168.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Ecolab from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $170.00 to $162.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $164.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $164.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $178.20. Get Ecolab alerts: Ecolab Stock Up 0.8 % Ecolab stock opened at $173.67 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.44 billion, a PE ratio of 42.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.00. The companys 50-day moving average is $163.13 and its 200-day moving average is $154.53. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $131.04 and a fifty-two week high of $179.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Ecolab Announces Dividend Ecolab ( NYSE:ECL Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $3.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.47 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 7.96% and a return on equity of 18.05%. Ecolabs revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.82 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 16th. Ecolabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.48%. Insider Transactions at Ecolab In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 34,450 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.48, for a total transaction of $5,976,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,201,899.64. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 34,450 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.48, for a total transaction of $5,976,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,201,899.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Larry L. Berger sold 4,404 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.95, for a total transaction of $717,631.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,442 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,027,423.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.04% 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. Modera Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 20.7% during the first quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,214 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 3.4% during the first quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,007,000 after acquiring an additional 399 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the first quarter valued at $205,000. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 47.2% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,791 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $296,000 after buying an additional 574 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zevin Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% in the first quarter. Zevin Asset Management LLC now owns 55,994 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $9,269,000 after buying an additional 1,493 shares in the last quarter. 86.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Ecolab Company Profile (Get Rating) Ecolab, Inc engages in the provision of products and services in the field of water, hygiene, and energy. It operates through the following segments: Global Industrial, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Energy & Life Science, and Other. The Global Industrial segment consists of the water, food and beverage, paper, and downstream operating segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ecolab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ecolab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. FOXO Technologies (NYSE:FOXO Get Rating) and Primerica (NYSE:PRI Get Rating) are both business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and earnings. Profitability This table compares FOXO Technologies and Primericas net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get FOXO Technologies alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets FOXO Technologies N/A -18,881.06% -90.78% Primerica 13.71% 24.87% 2.84% Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for FOXO Technologies and Primerica, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score FOXO Technologies 0 0 0 0 N/A Primerica 0 3 1 1 2.60 Institutional & Insider Ownership Primerica has a consensus target price of $202.75, indicating a potential upside of 11.33%. Given Primericas higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Primerica is more favorable than FOXO Technologies. 73.9% of FOXO Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.6% of Primerica shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.0% of FOXO Technologies shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Primerica shares are owned 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. Volatility & Risk FOXO Technologies has a beta of 2.22, meaning that its share price is 122% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Primerica has a beta of 1.18, meaning that its share price is 18% more volatile than the S&P 500. Earnings and Valuation This table compares FOXO Technologies and Primericas gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio FOXO Technologies $510,000.00 21.88 -$95.25 million N/A N/A Primerica $2.72 billion 2.44 $373.01 million $9.76 18.66 Primerica has higher revenue and earnings than FOXO Technologies. Summary Primerica beats FOXO Technologies on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. 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. About Primerica (Get Rating) Primerica, Inc. engages in the provision of financial products to middle-income households. It operates through the following segments: Term Life Insurance, Investment and Savings Products, Senior Health, and Corporate and Other Distributed Products. The Term Life Insurance segment includes underwriting profits in the in-force book of term life insurance policies. The Investment and Savings Products segment is involved in managed mutual funds and annuities, and segregated funds. The Senior Health segment consists of the distribution of Medicare-related insurance products underwritten by third-party health insurance carriers to eligible Medicare participants through e-TeleQuotes licensed health insurance agents. The Corporate and Other Distributed Products segment consists of revenues and expenses related to discontinued lines of insurance. The company was founded by Arthur L. Williams, Jr. and Angela Williams on February 10, 1977, and is headquartered in Duluth, GA. Receive News & Ratings for FOXO Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FOXO Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franco-Nevada (NYSE:FNV Get Rating) (TSE:FNV) had its price objective upped by Raymond James from $163.00 to $165.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the basic materials companys stock. Raymond James also issued estimates for Franco-Nevadas FY2023 earnings at $3.20 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $0.86 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $3.29 EPS. A number of other research firms have also recently commented on FNV. National Bank Financial raised their price target on Franco-Nevada from C$190.00 to C$200.00 in a report on Friday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Franco-Nevada from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. HC Wainwright reissued a buy rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Franco-Nevada in a report on Friday, March 17th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Franco-Nevada from $115.00 to $127.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, CIBC boosted their price target on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$230.00 to C$240.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $174.29. Get Franco-Nevada alerts: Franco-Nevada Stock Performance Shares of Franco-Nevada stock opened at $159.01 on Wednesday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $146.11 and its 200 day moving average is $140.37. Franco-Nevada has a one year low of $109.70 and a one year high of $160.21. The stock has a market cap of $30.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.30, a P/E/G ratio of 11.88 and a beta of 0.71. Franco-Nevada Announces Dividend Franco-Nevada ( NYSE:FNV Get Rating ) (TSE:FNV) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $276.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $302.62 million. Franco-Nevada had a net margin of 53.87% and a return on equity of 10.58%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.93 EPS. Analysts predict that Franco-Nevada will post 3.51 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio is currently 38.75%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franco-Nevada Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FNV. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Franco-Nevada by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 3,223 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 7.5% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,276 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. WMS Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Franco-Nevada by 57.7% in the 3rd quarter. WMS Partners LLC now owns 3,513 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $420,000 after acquiring an additional 1,286 shares during the last quarter. Seven Eight Capital LP boosted its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 80.7% during the 3rd quarter. Seven Eight Capital LP now owns 6,603 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $789,000 after purchasing an additional 2,949 shares during the period. Finally, O Brien Greene & Co. Inc grew its holdings in Franco-Nevada by 212.1% during the 3rd quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 181,989 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $21,744,000 after purchasing an additional 123,676 shares during the last quarter. 66.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Franco-Nevada Company Profile (Get Rating) Franco-Nevada Corp. engages in the management of gold-focused royalties and streams portfolio. It provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Franco-Nevada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franco-Nevada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $1.70-$2.00 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $1.98. The company issued revenue guidance of -. General Electric Stock Performance General Electric stock opened at $100.24 on Friday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $93.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $85.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.16 billion, a PE ratio of 13.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.99 and a beta of 1.27. General Electric has a 1-year low of $46.55 and a 1-year high of $102.95. Get General Electric alerts: General Electric (NYSE:GE Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $14.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.46 billion. General Electric had a net margin of 11.85% and a return on equity of 9.45%. General Electrics revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.24 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that General Electric will post 2.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. General Electric Dividend Announcement Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 6th. General Electrics payout ratio is 4.17%. GE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of General Electric from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $120.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of General Electric from $109.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of General Electric from $82.00 to $80.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of General Electric from $95.00 to $109.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of General Electric from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, General Electric has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $103.20. Insider Buying and Selling at General Electric In other General Electric news, VP Thomas S. Timko sold 7,254 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.82, for a total transaction of $731,348.28. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 20,953 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,112,481.46. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Electric Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GE. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of General Electric by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 305,384 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $27,925,000 after purchasing an additional 27,682 shares during the period. Prudential PLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Electric in the 1st quarter worth about $1,518,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of General Electric by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,748 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Electric in the 1st quarter worth about $388,000. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of General Electric in the 1st quarter worth about $230,000. 70.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. General Electric Company Profile (Get Rating) General Electric Co engages in the provision of commercial and military aircraft engines and systems, wind, and other renewable energy generation equipment and grid solutions, and gas, steam, nuclear, and other power generation equipment. It operates through the following segments: Aviation, Healthcare, Renewable Energy, and Power. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Glenview Trust Co boosted its holdings in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Rating) by 25.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,448 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,299 shares during the quarter. Glenview Trust Cos holdings in Southern were worth $818,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Southern by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 684,928 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $46,575,000 after purchasing an additional 65,826 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Southern by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 13,547 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $920,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter worth about $228,000. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter worth about $74,000. Finally, Pinnacle Associates Ltd. raised its stake in Southern by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 38,631 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,627,000 after purchasing an additional 530 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.78% of the companys stock. Get Southern alerts: Southern Trading Up 0.9 % SO opened at $74.94 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.17, a PEG ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 0.51. The Southern Company has a fifty-two week low of $58.85 and a fifty-two week high of $80.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 0.69 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The companys 50 day moving average price is $69.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.29. Southern Increases Dividend Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.08. Southern had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 10.78%. The company had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.97 EPS. Southerns quarterly revenue was down 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that The Southern Company will post 3.61 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This is an increase from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. Southerns payout ratio is presently 87.74%. Insider Activity at Southern In related news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total transaction of $359,450.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,516,356.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Southern news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total transaction of $359,450.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares in the company, valued at $10,516,356.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total transaction of $85,381.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,832,299.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 7,134 shares of company stock worth $502,179 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades SO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. VNET Group reissued a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, April 28th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $78.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $79.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Mizuho raised shares of Southern from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $72.00 to $77.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southern has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.14. About Southern (Get Rating) 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd raised its holdings in Avantor, Inc. (NYSE:AVTR Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 121,185 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 650 shares during the quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Avantor were worth $2,555,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Avantor in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Avantor by 794.5% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,120 shares of the companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,883 shares in the last quarter. Alta Advisers Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Avantor in the 3rd quarter worth $47,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Avantor by 52.4% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,691 shares of the companys stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 1,612 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Avantor by 201.9% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 5,250 shares of the companys stock valued at $178,000 after purchasing an additional 3,511 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.80% of the companys stock. Get Avantor alerts: Insider Activity In related news, EVP Gerard Brophy sold 3,914 shares of Avantor stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.00, for a total value of $97,850.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 108,715 shares in the company, valued at $2,717,875. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Christophe Couturier sold 1,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.18, for a total value of $31,727.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 98,650 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,089,407. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Gerard Brophy sold 3,914 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.00, for a total transaction of $97,850.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 108,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,717,875. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 8,490 shares of company stock valued at $204,188 in the last 90 days. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Avantor Stock Down 0.9 % Shares of NYSE AVTR opened at $20.05 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average is $21.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.63. The company has a market capitalization of $13.54 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.05. Avantor, Inc. has a 12-month low of $17.91 and a 12-month high of $33.48. Avantor (NYSE:AVTR Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 28th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. Avantor had a net margin of 8.41% and a return on equity of 18.81%. The companys revenue was down 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.38 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Avantor, Inc. will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts recently commented on AVTR shares. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Avantor from $27.00 to $24.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Avantor from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Avantor from $25.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. 888 restated a maintains rating on shares of Avantor in a report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Avantor from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $28.75. Avantor Company Profile (Get Rating) Avantor, Inc engages in providing mission critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education and government, and advanced technologies and applied materials industries. It sells materials, equipment, instrumentation, and offers specialty procurement. The firm operates through the following segments: the Americas, Europe, and AMEA. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AVTR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Avantor, Inc. (NYSE:AVTR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Avantor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Avantor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd purchased a new stake in Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 52,550 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $947,000. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Toast by 23.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 27,413,189 shares of the companys stock worth $458,348,000 after acquiring an additional 5,232,858 shares during the last quarter. Altimeter Capital Management LP grew its position in Toast by 3,508.4% during the 1st quarter. Altimeter Capital Management LP now owns 18,041,796 shares of the companys stock worth $3,933,007,000 after acquiring an additional 17,541,796 shares during the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP grew its position in Toast by 85.1% during the 3rd quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 14,705,314 shares of the companys stock worth $245,873,000 after acquiring an additional 6,762,023 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Toast by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 10,806,315 shares of the companys stock worth $180,681,000 after acquiring an additional 472,385 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors grew its position in Toast by 13.6% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,032,309 shares of the companys stock worth $196,272,000 after acquiring an additional 1,081,510 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the companys stock. Get Toast alerts: Toast Stock Up 4.7 % TOST opened at $18.43 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.71 billion, a PE ratio of -26.71 and a beta of 1.75. Toast, Inc. has a 52 week low of $11.91 and a 52 week high of $26.03. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $17.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.08. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Toast ( NYSE:TOST Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported ($0.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $769.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $753.13 million. Toast had a negative return on equity of 24.30% and a negative net margin of 10.03%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 50.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.46) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Toast, Inc. will post -0.6 earnings per share for the current year. Several brokerages have commented on TOST. BNP Paribas began coverage on Toast in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. They set a neutral rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Stephens started coverage on Toast in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Toast from $23.00 to $19.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 9th. DA Davidson reissued a buy rating on shares of Toast in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Toast in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $20.00 price objective on the stock. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $22.76. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CFO Elena Gomez sold 2,058 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.16, for a total value of $35,315.28. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 119,509 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,050,774.44. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Toast news, COO Aman Narang sold 105,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.28, for a total value of $2,654,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 1,735,700 shares in the company, valued at $43,878,496. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Elena Gomez sold 2,058 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.16, for a total transaction of $35,315.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 119,509 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,050,774.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 348,834 shares of company stock valued at $7,202,869 over the last ninety days. 20.16% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Toast (Get Rating) Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast Point of Sale (POS), a hardware product; Toast Order & Pay, which allows guests to order and pay from their mobile devices; Toast Flex that is used for on-counter order and pay, as well as used as a server station, guest kiosk, kitchen display system, or order fulfillment station; Toast Go, a handheld POS device that enhances the table turn times through tableside ordering and payment acceptance; and Toast Tap, a card reader. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TOST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Toast Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toast and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hudsons Bay Co (OTCMKTS:HBAYF Get Rating) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $8.19 and traded as low as $8.19. Hudsons Bay shares last traded at $8.19, with a volume of 2,900 shares traded. Hudsons Bay Trading Down 0.2 % The stock has a 50-day moving average of $8.19 and a 200 day moving average of $8.19. About Hudsons Bay (Get Rating) Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates department stores in Canada and the United States. Its stores offers fashion apparels, accessories, cosmetics, and home products. The company operates its stores under the Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, Find @ Lord & Taylor, Home Outfitters, Galeria Kaufhof, Galeria INNO, and Sportarena names. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Hudson's Bay Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hudson's Bay and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII Get Rating) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The aerospace company reported $3.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.23, RTT News reports. The business had revenue of $2.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.60 billion. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a net margin of 5.27% and a return on equity of 17.41%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.50 earnings per share. Huntington Ingalls Industries Price Performance NYSE HII opened at $197.51 on Friday. Huntington Ingalls Industries has a 52 week low of $188.51 and a 52 week high of $260.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.93 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $207.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $222.02. Get Huntington Ingalls Industries alerts: Huntington Ingalls Industries Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 26th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.51%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. Huntington Ingalls Industriess payout ratio is currently 34.98%. Insider Activity Institutional Investors Weigh In On Huntington Ingalls Industries In other news, VP Edgar A. Green III sold 1,545 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.21, for a total transaction of $338,679.45. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,264 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $934,711.44. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In related news, Director Anastasi D. Kelly sold 3,662 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.41, for a total value of $814,465.42. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 351 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $78,065.91. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, VP Edgar A. Green III sold 1,545 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.21, for a total transaction of $338,679.45. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,264 shares of the companys stock, valued at $934,711.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 6,924 shares of company stock valued at $1,522,231 in the last quarter. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 1,160 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 8,174 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,886,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund grew its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 1,432 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $317,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 1,984 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $458,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 2,064 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $458,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. 86.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms recently weighed in on HII. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price target on shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from $247.00 to $236.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 13th. TheStreet raised Huntington Ingalls Industries from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price objective on Huntington Ingalls Industries from $244.00 to $230.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Huntington Ingalls Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Huntington Ingalls Industries currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $245.86. Huntington Ingalls Industries Company Profile (Get Rating) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc engages in the shipbuilding business. It operates through the following business segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The Ingalls segment designs and constructs non-nuclear ships, including amphibious assault ships, expeditionary warfare ships, surface combatants, and national security cutters (NSC). Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. At least 38 passengers, including two Egyptians and 36 Sudanese, were wounded on Saturday as a bus overturned on a desert road in Egypt's Beni Suef governorate, south of the capital Cairo, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The bus, carrying Sudanese citizens fleeing the war-torn country, overturned on its way to Cairo, according to a statement by Beni Suef governorate. Beni Suef Governor Mohamad Hany Ghoneim visited the hospital and called for all necessary healthcare to treat the wounded, said the statement. Thousands of Sudanese citizens have crossed into neighboring Egypt to flee the ongoing deadly military clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that erupted in mid-April. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC lowered its stake in Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE Get Rating) by 4.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,398 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 225 shares during the period. AlphaStar Capital Management LLCs holdings in Intercontinental Exchange were worth $554,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ICE. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 1,190.5% in the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,072,850 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $367,982,000 after buying an additional 3,757,258 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in Intercontinental Exchange during the 3rd quarter valued at $152,011,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 59.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,275,418 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $564,869,000 after purchasing an additional 1,589,999 shares during the period. Veritas Asset Management LLP raised its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 55.0% during the 3rd quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 4,278,419 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $386,555,000 after purchasing an additional 1,517,876 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec raised its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 3,801.0% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,320,464 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $119,304,000 after purchasing an additional 1,286,615 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.28% of the companys stock. Get Intercontinental Exchange alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Intercontinental Exchange In other Intercontinental Exchange news, CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher sold 81,827 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.02, for a total transaction of $8,511,644.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,203,104 shares in the company, valued at $125,146,878.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher sold 81,827 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.02, for a total transaction of $8,511,644.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,203,104 shares of the companys stock, valued at $125,146,878.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Douglas Foley sold 1,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.80, for a total transaction of $167,680.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 21,481 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,251,208.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Intercontinental Exchange Trading Up 1.5 % Shares of NYSE:ICE opened at $108.31 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.62 billion, a PE ratio of 41.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.93. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has a 1 year low of $88.60 and a 1 year high of $113.07. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $103.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.01. Intercontinental Exchange had a net margin of 14.97% and a return on equity of 12.98%. The firm had revenue of $1.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. Intercontinental Exchanges revenue for the quarter was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. will post 5.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. Intercontinental Exchange Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Intercontinental Exchanges dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.12%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have issued reports on ICE. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $122.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Friday. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $110.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Intercontinental Exchange from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $131.00. About Intercontinental Exchange (Get Rating) Intercontinental Exchange, Inc engages in the provision of market infrastructure, data services and technology solutions. It operates through the following segments: Exchanges, Fixed Income and Data Services, and Mortgage Technology. The Exchanges segment includes trading and listing revenue from the global futures network, the New York Stock Exchange and other registered securities exchanges. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ICE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Intercontinental Exchange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intercontinental Exchange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC decreased its position in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF Get Rating) by 43.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,897 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 6,040 shares during the period. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLCs holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances were worth $828,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of IFF. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 31,592,713 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $2,869,566,000 after purchasing an additional 279,742 shares in the last quarter. Winder Investment Pte Ltd raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Winder Investment Pte Ltd now owns 25,356,381 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $2,303,120,000 after purchasing an additional 247,381 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,191,174 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $653,176,000 after purchasing an additional 316,982 shares in the last quarter. LTS One Management LP raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. LTS One Management LP now owns 4,962,500 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $450,744,000 after purchasing an additional 62,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,667,260 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $383,669,000 after purchasing an additional 458,938 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.86% of the companys stock. Get International Flavors & Fragrances alerts: International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 1.4 % International Flavors & Fragrances stock opened at $96.45 on Friday. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has a twelve month low of $81.53 and a twelve month high of $135.17. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $91.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $99.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -13.36, a PEG ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 1.08. International Flavors & Fragrances Dividend Announcement International Flavors & Fragrances ( NYSE:IFF Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.01. International Flavors & Fragrances had a positive return on equity of 7.46% and a negative net margin of 14.81%. The company had revenue of $2.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.89 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 22nd. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. International Flavors & Fragrancess payout ratio is -44.88%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on IFF shares. Bank of America raised International Flavors & Fragrances from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $121.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $119.00 to $105.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on International Flavors & Fragrances in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on International Flavors & Fragrances from $120.00 to $106.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $114.73. International Flavors & Fragrances Profile (Get Rating) International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc engages in the manufacture and supply of flavors and fragrances used in the food, beverage, personal care, and household products industries. It operates through the following segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions. The Nourish segment consists of legacy Taste segment combined with N&Bs Food & Beverage division and the food protection business of N&Bs Health & Biosciences division. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IFF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for International Flavors & Fragrances Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Flavors & Fragrances and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Madison Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX 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 266,779 shares of the software makers stock after selling 1,018 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLCs holdings in BOX were worth $8,305,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in BOX in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BOX in the 1st quarter valued at $206,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. lifted its position in shares of BOX by 54.5% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 22,540 shares of the software makers stock valued at $655,000 after acquiring an additional 7,953 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in BOX by 55.3% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 74,326 shares of the software makers stock worth $2,160,000 after acquiring an additional 26,459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in BOX by 18.6% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,091,273 shares of the software makers stock worth $31,713,000 after purchasing an additional 170,949 shares during the period. 85.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BOX alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at BOX In other news, CFO Dylan C. Smith sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.09, for a total value of $339,170.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1,402,904 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,601,765.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Jack R. Lazar sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.95, for a total transaction of $134,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,555 shares in the company, valued at $715,657.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Dylan C. Smith sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.09, for a total transaction of $339,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1,402,904 shares in the company, valued at $36,601,765.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 44,000 shares of company stock worth $1,257,560. Insiders own 5.20% of the companys stock. BOX Trading Up 2.1 % NYSE BOX opened at $26.57 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $29.13. Box, Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.31 and a 12 month high of $34.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 531.40, a PEG ratio of 12.48 and a beta of 1.01. BOX (NYSE:BOX Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 1st. The software maker reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.04. BOX had a net margin of 2.70% and a negative return on equity of 2.53%. The company had revenue of $256.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $256.29 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Box, Inc. will post 0.1 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BOX has been the topic of several research reports. JMP Securities reiterated a market outperform rating and set a $32.00 price objective on shares of BOX in a report on Thursday, March 16th. KeyCorp increased their price target on BOX from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and set a $36.00 price objective on shares of BOX in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. StockNews.com cut BOX from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of BOX from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BOX presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $34.20. BOX Company Profile (Get Rating) Box, Inc engages in the provision of an enterprise content platform that enables organizations to securely manage enterprise content while allowing easy, secure access and sharing of this content from anywhere, on any device. Its products include cloud content management, IT and admin controls, Box Governance, Box Zones, Box Relay, Box Shuttle, and Box KeySafe. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BOX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for BOX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BOX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP Get Rating) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $1.10 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $1.12. Magellan Midstream Partners also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $4.95-$4.95 EPS. Magellan Midstream Partners Price Performance Shares of NYSE:MMP opened at $54.46 on Friday. Magellan Midstream Partners has a twelve month low of $44.79 and a twelve month high of $60.55. The companys 50 day moving average is $54.13 and its 200 day moving average is $52.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.98. The company has a market cap of $11.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.91. Get Magellan Midstream Partners alerts: Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The pipeline company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.31 by ($0.25). The firm had revenue of $861.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $855.67 million. Magellan Midstream Partners had a return on equity of 57.36% and a net margin of 33.72%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Magellan Midstream Partners will post 4.95 EPS for the current year. Magellan Midstream Partners Cuts Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.0475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 5th. This represents a $4.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.69%. Magellan Midstream Partnerss payout ratio is 76.04%. A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on MMP shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from $59.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Raymond James cut shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $56.36. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Certified Advisory Corp lifted its holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 4,759 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $239,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 19,180 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $963,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 41,159 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $1,955,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 50,812 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $2,551,000 after acquiring an additional 402 shares during the period. Finally, Truist Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 63,879 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $3,207,000 after acquiring an additional 487 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.06% of the companys stock. About Magellan Midstream Partners (Get Rating) Magellan Midstream Partners LP engages in the transportation, storage, and distribution of petroleum products and crude oil. It operates through the following segments: Refined Products and Crude Oil. The Refined Products segment consists of an approximately 9,800-mile refined petroleum products pipeline system with 54 terminals and two marine storage terminals. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Magellan Midstream Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magellan Midstream Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP Get Rating) released its earnings results on Thursday. The pipeline company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11, Briefing.com reports. Magellan Midstream Partners had a net margin of 33.72% and a return on equity of 57.36%. The company had revenue of $869.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $731.28 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.08 EPS. Magellan Midstream Partnerss revenue for the quarter was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. Magellan Midstream Partners Stock Performance Shares of NYSE MMP opened at $54.46 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.98. The companys fifty day moving average price is $54.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.73. Magellan Midstream Partners has a 1 year low of $44.79 and a 1 year high of $60.55. Get Magellan Midstream Partners alerts: Magellan Midstream Partners Cuts Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, May 8th will be paid a $1.0475 dividend. This represents a $4.19 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 5th. Magellan Midstream Partnerss dividend payout ratio is currently 76.04%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMP. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,697,017 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $132,343,000 after acquiring an additional 246,037 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Magellan Midstream Partners by 4.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 51,663 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $2,535,000 after purchasing an additional 2,299 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners by 6.7% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 12,003 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $589,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 2.3% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 200,265 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $9,827,000 after buying an additional 4,580 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 4.4% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 17,177 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $843,000 after buying an additional 729 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.06% of the companys stock. MMP has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Raymond James downgraded Magellan Midstream Partners from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Magellan Midstream Partners from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Monday, January 9th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Magellan Midstream Partners from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Magellan Midstream Partners has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $56.36. Magellan Midstream Partners Company Profile (Get Rating) Magellan Midstream Partners LP engages in the transportation, storage, and distribution of petroleum products and crude oil. It operates through the following segments: Refined Products and Crude Oil. The Refined Products segment consists of an approximately 9,800-mile refined petroleum products pipeline system with 54 terminals and two marine storage terminals. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Magellan Midstream Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magellan Midstream Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mandalay Resources Corp. (TSE:MND Get Rating)s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$2.42 and traded as high as C$2.44. Mandalay Resources shares last traded at C$2.37, with a volume of 4,670 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Mandalay Resources from C$4.00 to C$3.00 in a research report on Monday, January 16th. Get Mandalay Resources alerts: Mandalay Resources Trading Down 2.5 % The firm has a market capitalization of C$219.13 million, a P/E ratio of 7.41 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 2.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.04. The firms 50-day simple moving average is C$2.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$2.43. About Mandalay Resources Mandalay Resources ( TSE:MND Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported C$0.08 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$56.18 million during the quarter. Mandalay Resources had a net margin of 12.26% and a return on equity of 13.03%. Analysts anticipate that Mandalay Resources Corp. will post 0.4726562 EPS for the current year. (Get Rating) Mandalay Resources Corporation, a natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of various mineral properties. It explores for gold, silver, and antimony deposits. The company holds a 100% interest in the Costerfield gold-antimony mine covering an area of 7,540.78 hectares (ha) located in Central Victoria, Australia; and the Bjorkdal gold mine that comprises 9 mining concessions and 19 exploration permits located in Vasterbotten County in northern Sweden. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mandalay Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mandalay Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prospera Financial Services Inc decreased its holdings in McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD Get Rating) by 13.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 29,664 shares of the fast-food giants stock after selling 4,476 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Incs holdings in McDonalds were worth $7,818,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in McDonalds by 0.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,570,353 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $15,591,183,000 after buying an additional 333,884 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in McDonalds by 1.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,704,308 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $8,007,672,000 after buying an additional 365,601 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in McDonalds by 16.3% in 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 buying an additional 1,105,231 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in McDonalds by 2.2% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,117,531 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $1,265,463,000 after buying an additional 108,282 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in McDonalds by 44.2% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,531,400 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $625,965,000 after buying an additional 776,419 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.86% of the companys stock. Get McDonald's alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at McDonalds In other McDonalds news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 3,402 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.35, for a total transaction of $1,008,182.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 3,402 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.35, for a total value of $1,008,182.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jo Sempels sold 6,425 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.10, for a total transaction of $1,896,017.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 730 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $215,423. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 17,393 shares of company stock worth $4,962,294 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock. McDonalds Trading Up 0.5 % McDonalds stock traded up $1.44 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $296.60. 1,815,841 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,521,172. McDonalds Co. has a 1-year low of $228.34 and a 1-year high of $298.80. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $279.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $272.22. The stock has a market cap of $216.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.63. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The fast-food giant reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.32. McDonalds had a net margin of 29.36% and a negative return on equity of 122.21%. The company had revenue of $5.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.28 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonalds Co. will post 10.97 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have issued reports on MCD shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of McDonalds from $315.00 to $320.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of McDonalds from $293.00 to $299.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of McDonalds from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reissued a reiterates rating on shares of McDonalds in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. Finally, Northcoast Research raised shares of McDonalds from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $321.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $306.83. 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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Phoenix Group Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:PNXGF Get Rating) has received an average rating of Hold from the ten analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $739.00. PNXGF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Phoenix Group from GBX 680 ($8.50) to GBX 720 ($9.00) in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on Phoenix Group from GBX 815 ($10.18) to GBX 820 ($10.24) in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Phoenix Group from GBX 665 ($8.31) to GBX 655 ($8.18) in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, Peel Hunt raised shares of Phoenix Group to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Get Phoenix Group alerts: Phoenix Group Stock Performance PNXGF opened at $7.65 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $7.32. Phoenix Group has a 12 month low of $6.00 and a 12 month high of $8.28. About Phoenix Group Phoenix Group Holdings Plc operates as a life and pensions consolidator. The firm specializes in the acquisition and management of closed life insurance and pension funds. It operates through the following segments: UK Heritage, UK Open, Europe, Management Services, and Unallocated Group. The UK Heritage contains United Kingdom businesses which no longer actively sell products to policyholders and which therefore run-off gradually over time. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd grew its position in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Get Rating) by 316.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 166,674 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 126,674 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd owned approximately 0.05% of WEC Energy Group worth $10,746,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kentucky Retirement Systems grew its holdings in shares of WEC Energy Group by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 24,800 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,325,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Advisors Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 4,799 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Capital Advisors Inc. OK boosted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 3,739 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $351,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Mission Wealth Management LP boosted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 4,896 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $459,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV boosted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV now owns 8,701 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $816,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.05% of the companys stock. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: WEC Energy Group Stock Up 0.7 % Shares of WEC stock opened at $96.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.75. The firms 50-day moving average is $94.06 and its 200-day moving average is $93.80. The stock has a market cap of $30.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43, a PEG ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.40. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $80.82 and a 52-week high of $108.39. WEC Energy Group Announces Dividend WEC Energy Group ( NYSE:WEC Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.90 billion. WEC Energy Group had a net margin of 14.10% and a return on equity of 11.60%. WEC Energy Groups quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.79 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.6 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.25%. WEC Energy Groups payout ratio is 72.90%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WEC shares. 888 reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com lowered shares of WEC Energy Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of WEC Energy Group from $109.00 to $106.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of WEC Energy Group from $106.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of WEC Energy Group from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, WEC Energy Group currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $98.80. WEC Energy Group Company Profile (Get Rating) WEC Energy Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the generation and distribution of electricity and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure and Corporate & Other. The Wisconsin segment refers to the electric and gas utility operations. Read More Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Retirement Income Solutions Inc raised its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM Get Rating) by 57.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,006 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 10,925 shares during the quarter. Retirement Income Solutions Incs holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $1,137,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Phillips Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. City State Bank grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 686.1% in the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 1,077 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 940 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Regimen Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the companys stock. Get iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA EEM opened at $39.39 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $38.88 and a 200-day moving average of $38.75. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a fifty-two week low of $33.49 and a fifty-two week high of $43.23. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index). Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EEM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are reviewing plans to launch a regional Schengen-style visa for tourists, a move that is expected to further boost economic growth, according to Bahrains Minister of Tourism, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya. Speaking during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) held in the UAEs Dubai, Fatima al-Sairafi said that the countries were studying how to achieve a unified single visa. GCC member states include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. We see this could happen very soon because we see people flying from abroad to Europe usually spending their time in several countries rather than in one country. We really saw the value this can bring not to each country but all of us, the minister told a panel at the ATM. CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority Fahd Hamidaddin explained that future travelers will more likely lean toward visiting multiple countries in a region, rather than a single country if the visa system is adopted. I believe travelers of tomorrow will look always at multiple stops, routes, and regions, Hamidaddin said. Retirement Income Solutions Inc lessened its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW Get Rating) by 3.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,760 shares of the companys stock after selling 930 shares during the quarter. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF makes up approximately 0.5% of Retirement Income Solutions Incs holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Retirement Income Solutions Incs holdings in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF were worth $1,624,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. First Manhattan Co. boosted its stake in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 37,027 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,828,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 56,253 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,254,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the period. Round Rock Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Round Rock Advisors LLC now owns 31,910 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,867,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the period. Veracity Capital LLC raised its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Veracity Capital LLC now owns 16,783 shares of the companys stock valued at $982,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. Finally, Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 9,688 shares of the companys stock valued at $560,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the period. Get iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF alerts: iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:IVW opened at $64.68 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $30.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15 and a beta of 1.05. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $62.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $61.36. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $55.30 and a fifty-two week high of $71.81. About iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF, formerly iShares S&P 500 Growth Index Fund (the Growth Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500/Citigroup Growth Index (the Growth Index). The Growth Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE:REXR Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Wednesday. Separately, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Rexford Industrial Realty in a research report on Monday, February 6th. They set an outperform rating and a $77.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued 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 $69.33. Get Rexford Industrial Realty alerts: Rexford Industrial Realty Stock Performance Rexford Industrial Realty stock opened at $56.69 on Wednesday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $57.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $57.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.39 billion, a PE ratio of 59.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 2.57 and a current ratio of 2.57. Rexford Industrial Realty has a one year low of $48.74 and a one year high of $73.42. Rexford Industrial Realty Dividend Announcement Insider Buying and Selling The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.68%. Rexford Industrial Realtys payout ratio is presently 160.00%. In other Rexford Industrial Realty news, CEO Howard Schwimmer sold 35,505 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.94, for a total transaction of $1,986,149.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 50,862 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,845,220.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Rexford Industrial Realty news, General Counsel David E. Lanzer sold 16,778 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.16, for a total value of $975,808.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Howard Schwimmer sold 35,505 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.94, for a total value of $1,986,149.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 50,862 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,845,220.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rexford Industrial Realty Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Rexford Industrial Realty by 44.4% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,525 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 776 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP acquired a new stake in Rexford Industrial Realty during the first quarter worth approximately $262,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in Rexford Industrial Realty during the first quarter worth approximately $844,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in Rexford Industrial Realty by 4.9% during the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 55,412 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $3,305,000 after buying an additional 2,595 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ellevest Inc. lifted its stake in Rexford Industrial Realty by 35.9% during the first quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 1,583 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. 98.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Rexford Industrial Realty (Get Rating) Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. It engages in owning and operating industrial properties in infill markets. The company was founded by Richard S. Ziman on January 18, 2013 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rexford Industrial Realty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rexford Industrial Realty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda increased its stake in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao (NYSE:CBD Get Rating) by 7.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,153,228 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 80,763 shares during the quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda owned approximately 0.43% of Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao worth $3,575,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new stake in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao by 4,301.6% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 10,960 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 10,711 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Trading LLC increased its position in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao by 1,131.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Trading LLC now owns 11,895 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 13,048 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. bought a new position in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao in the 1st quarter valued at $53,000. 5.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CBD shares. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Bank of America cut shares of Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao from a buy rating to an underperform rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $5.00 to $2.80 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao Price Performance About Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao Shares of Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao stock traded up $0.01 during trading on Friday, reaching $3.03. 2,272,992 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,416,263. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.61 and a quick ratio of 1.49. Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao has a 1-year low of $2.54 and a 1-year high of $4.43. The firms 50-day moving average price is $2.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.33. (Get Rating) Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao engages in the retail of food, clothing, home appliances, and other products through its chain of hypermarkets and supermarkets. It operates through the Food Retail, and Cash and Carry segments. The Food Retail segment sells food and non-food products to individual consumers. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CBD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao (NYSE:CBD Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SPX Technologies (NYSE:SPXC Get Rating) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.33, Briefing.com reports. SPX Technologies had a net margin of 2.03% and a return on equity of 15.48%. The business had revenue of $399.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $329.78 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.40 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 30.2% compared to the same quarter last year. SPX Technologies updated its FY23 guidance to $3.80-$3.95 EPS. SPX Technologies Stock Up 20.1 % SPXC stock opened at $74.10 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $67.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 2.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 110.60, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.24. SPX Technologies has a one year low of $44.13 and a one year high of $78.30. Get SPX Technologies alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently commented on SPXC shares. William Blair began coverage on shares of SPX Technologies in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. Oppenheimer raised their price target on SPX Technologies from $82.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Friday. TheStreet downgraded SPX Technologies from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on SPX Technologies in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Investors Weigh In On SPX Technologies In related news, insider J Randall Data sold 28,826 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.76, for a total value of $1,953,249.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 92,124 shares in the company, valued at $6,242,322.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . In other news, VP John Webster Nurkin sold 11,131 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.46, for a total transaction of $795,421.26. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 88,196 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,302,486.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider J Randall Data sold 28,826 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.76, for a total value of $1,953,249.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 92,124 shares in the company, valued at $6,242,322.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 52,457 shares of company stock valued at $3,626,421 in the last quarter. 4.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SPXC. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can increased its position in SPX Technologies by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 39,156 shares of the companys stock worth $1,982,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of SPX Technologies by 7.1% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 4,367 shares of the companys stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of SPX Technologies by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,869 shares of the companys stock valued at $438,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of SPX Technologies by 8.6% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,708 shares of the companys stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 374 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in SPX Technologies during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. 92.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. SPX Technologies Company Profile (Get Rating) SPX Technologies, Inc engages in the supply of infrastructure equipment. It operates through the HVAC and Detection and Measurement segments. The HVAC segment engineers, designs, manufactures, installs, and services cooling products and engineered air quality solutions to the HVAC and industrial markets, as well as heating and ventilation products for the residential and commercial markets. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SPX Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPX Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swiss National Bank reduced its stake in shares of The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Get Rating) by 6.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,952,400 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 325,997 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned 0.41% of Williams Companies worth $162,934,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of WMB. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in Williams Companies during the 1st quarter worth $54,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Williams Companies by 32.3% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 10,414 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 2,540 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its position in shares of Williams Companies by 1,001.1% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 101,026 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $3,375,000 after acquiring an additional 91,851 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in shares of Williams Companies by 42.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 98,677 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $3,297,000 after acquiring an additional 29,625 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $319,000. 85.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Williams Companies alerts: Williams Companies Price Performance WMB stock opened at $30.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $36.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.69. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $27.80 and a 52-week high of $37.97. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.60. Williams Companies Announces Dividend Williams Companies ( NYSE:WMB Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The pipeline company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.65 billion. Williams Companies had a return on equity of 17.24% and a net margin of 22.53%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 22.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. Research analysts expect that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.73 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.4475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 9th. This represents a $1.79 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.93%. Williams Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 84.04%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. US Capital Advisors raised Williams Companies from a hold rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. Raymond James lowered Williams Companies from a strong-buy rating to an outperform rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $40.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Williams Companies from $41.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. Barclays reduced their target price on Williams Companies from $36.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded Williams Companies from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their target price for the company from $37.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Monday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams Companies presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $35.42. Insider Transactions at Williams Companies In other Williams Companies news, Director William H. Spence bought 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $29.61 per share, for a total transaction of $148,050.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 48,521 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,436,706.81. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.44% of the companys stock. Williams Companies Profile (Get Rating) The Williams Cos., Inc operates as an energy infrastructure company, which explores, produces, transports, sells and processes natural gas and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Transmission and Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, and West. The Transmission and Gulf of Mexico segment consists of interstate natural gas pipelines, the Transco and Northwest Pipelines, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Williams Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Williams Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.20-1.25 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.22. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.97-3.03 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.99 billion. TELUS International (Cda) also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $1.20-$1.25 EPS. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on TELUS International (Cda) from $38.00 to $29.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 10th. Barclays decreased 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. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on TELUS International (Cda) from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 10th. Bank of America upgraded shares of TELUS International (Cda) from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $26.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, TheStreet lowered shares of TELUS International (Cda) from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a report on Thursday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $26.92. Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: TELUS International (Cda) Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:TIXT traded down $1.26 during trading on Friday, hitting $17.22. 245,203 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 87,078. TELUS International has a 1-year low of $17.22 and a 1-year high of $31.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.26. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $20.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.11. The company has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.72. Institutional Trading of TELUS International (Cda) TELUS International (Cda) ( NYSE:TIXT Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $630.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $626.26 million. TELUS International (Cda) had a return on equity of 17.82% and a net margin of 6.38%. Sell-side analysts expect that TELUS International will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of TIXT. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) in the first quarter valued at about $46,000. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC bought a new position in TELUS International (Cda) during the third quarter worth about $101,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 388.5% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,154 shares of the companys stock worth $135,000 after acquiring an additional 4,099 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its stake in TELUS International (Cda) by 37.5% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 8,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $174,000 after acquiring an additional 2,400 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 43.4% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,367 shares of the companys stock valued at $182,000 after purchasing an additional 2,228 shares during the last quarter. 18.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. TELUS International (Cda) Company Profile (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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for TELUS International (Cda) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS International (Cda) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tesco PLC (OTCMKTS:TSCDY Get Rating) declared a dividend on Saturday, May 6th, investing.com reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of 0.2625 per share on Friday, June 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.81%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This is an increase from Tescos previous dividend of $0.13. Tesco Price Performance Shares of TSCDY stock opened at $10.69 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $9.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Tesco has a 52-week low of $6.54 and a 52-week high of $10.70. Get Tesco alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In TSCDY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Tesco from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Tesco from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Tesco from GBX 270 ($3.37) to GBX 290 ($3.62) in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Tesco from GBX 310 ($3.87) to GBX 320 ($4.00) in a research report on Friday, April 14th. About Tesco 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Tesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in shares of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN Get Rating) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 97,570 shares of the information technology services providers stock after buying an additional 1,824 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corps holdings in Accenture were worth $26,036,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ACN. United Bank increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 6.3% during the first quarter. United Bank now owns 2,969 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,001,000 after buying an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Weitz Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 1.3% in the first quarter. Weitz Investment Management Inc. now owns 89,400 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $30,148,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168 shares in the last quarter. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,805,000. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.6% in the first quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,292 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $2,459,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 104.8% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 441,451 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $148,871,000 after purchasing an additional 225,943 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.97% of the companys stock. Get Accenture alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes ACN has been the subject of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $310.00 to $327.00 in a report on Friday, March 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $311.00 to $314.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $289.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Piper Jaffray Companies raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Accenture from $340.00 to $325.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $314.00. Insider Activity at Accenture Accenture Stock Down 0.3 % In other Accenture news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.06, for a total value of $1,750,375.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 174,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,753,965.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . In other Accenture news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.06, for a total value of $1,750,375.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 174,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,753,965.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Monday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.90, for a total transaction of $1,448,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,010 shares of company stock valued at $4,180,030. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Shares of NYSE ACN opened at $265.65 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average is $271.20 and its 200-day moving average is $276.49. The stock has a market cap of $167.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.25. Accenture plc has a twelve month low of $242.80 and a twelve month high of $322.88. Accenture (NYSE:ACN Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.59 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The firms revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.54 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Accenture plc will post 11.57 EPS for the current fiscal year. Accenture Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. Accentures dividend payout ratio is currently 41.25%. Accenture Profile (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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ACN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Accenture Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Accenture and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT Get Rating) Investment analysts at Wedbush raised their FY2023 earnings per share estimates for Brinker International in a report issued on Thursday, May 4th. Wedbush analyst N. Setyan now anticipates that the restaurant operator will post earnings of $2.85 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $2.71. Wedbush currently has a Neutral rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Brinker Internationals current full-year earnings is $2.76 per share. Wedbush also issued estimates for Brinker Internationals Q4 2023 earnings at $1.41 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $1.12 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $1.36 EPS. Get Brinker International alerts: A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on EAT. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $30.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $45.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $42.00 to $43.00 in a report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Finally, Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $37.94. Brinker International Price Performance Shares of EAT opened at $38.05 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.97. The company has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 2.36. Brinker International has a one year low of $21.47 and a one year high of $42.12. Brinker International (NYSE:EAT Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.07 billion. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 44.32% and a net margin of 2.17%. The businesss revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 81.3% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 990 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 444 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its position in Brinker International by 451.6% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,052 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 1,680 shares during the last quarter. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth $71,000. Insider Activity at Brinker International In other Brinker International news, SVP Wade Allen sold 12,139 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.42, for a total transaction of $490,658.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,647 shares in the company, valued at $1,157,911.74. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 12,986 shares of company stock worth $525,047 in the last three months. Company insiders own 2.37% of the companys stock. About Brinker International (Get Rating) Brinker International, Inc engages in owning, developing, and franchising Chilis Grill and Bar and Maggianos Little Italy restaurant brands. It operates through the following segments: Chilis, and Maggianos. The Chilis segment includes the results of company-owned Chilis restaurants in the U.S. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Brinker International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brinker International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM Get Rating) issued its earnings results on Friday. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.23, Briefing.com reports. Wheaton Precious Metals had a net margin of 64.08% and a return on equity of 6.88%. The company had revenue of $214.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $237.87 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.35 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 30.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Wheaton Precious Metals Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of WPM traded up $0.68 on Friday, hitting $52.09. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,438,895 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,989,860. The firms fifty day moving average price is $46.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.31. Wheaton Precious Metals has a fifty-two week low of $28.62 and a fifty-two week high of $52.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.75, a P/E/G ratio of 8.92 and a beta of 0.58. Get Wheaton Precious Metals alerts: Wheaton Precious Metals Announces Dividend 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 given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.15%. Wheaton Precious Metalss dividend payout ratio is presently 43.48%. Analyst Ratings Changes Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wheaton Precious Metals A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Wheaton Precious Metals in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. National Bank Financial cut their price target on Wheaton Precious Metals from C$70.00 to C$68.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Wheaton Precious Metals from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 10th. Barclays lifted their price target on Wheaton Precious Metals from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price objective on Wheaton Precious Metals from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $55.44. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WPM. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Wheaton Precious Metals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $243,010,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Wheaton Precious Metals by 245.5% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,530,486 shares of the companys stock worth $120,401,000 after acquiring an additional 1,798,086 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in Wheaton Precious Metals by 41.7% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,787,718 shares of the companys stock worth $132,641,000 after acquiring an additional 821,061 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its position in Wheaton Precious Metals by 665.2% during the 1st quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 888,189 shares of the companys stock worth $42,304,000 after acquiring an additional 772,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in Wheaton Precious Metals by 99.9% during the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,498,894 shares of the companys stock worth $54,006,000 after acquiring an additional 749,011 shares during the last quarter. 57.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wheaton Precious Metals Company Profile (Get Rating) Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. is a mining company engages in the sale of precious metals and cobalt production. It operates through the following business segments: Gold, Silver, Palladium, Cobalt, and Other. The company was founded by Peter Derek Barnes on December 17, 2004 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ludovit Odor will be appointed as Slovakias new prime minister, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova said at an emergency briefing on Sunday, Trend reports citing TASS. "Deputy Head of the National Bank of Slovakia Ludovit Odor will be designated as a new prime minister," she said. Earlier on Sunday, interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced his intention to resign. According to legislation, his entire cabinet will resign as well. Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WGO Get Rating) has been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $71.00. A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Roth Capital reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Winnebago Industries in a research note on Monday, March 20th. MKM Partners lifted their price target on Winnebago Industries from $53.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Winnebago Industries from $62.00 to $76.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th. Northcoast Research lowered Winnebago Industries from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 6th. Finally, KeyCorp assumed coverage on Winnebago Industries in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. They set a sector weight rating for the company. Get Winnebago Industries alerts: Insider Activity at Winnebago Industries In related news, SVP Christopher David West sold 7,210 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.61, for a total value of $408,158.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,383 shares in the company, valued at $1,436,931.63. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 4.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Winnebago Industries Stock Up 0.9 % Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royce & Associates LP raised its stake in Winnebago Industries by 108.8% during the first quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 24,061 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 12,537 shares in the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Winnebago Industries by 124.0% during the first quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,339 shares of the construction companys stock worth $597,000 after acquiring an additional 5,724 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Winnebago Industries by 5.5% during the first quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 420,728 shares of the construction companys stock worth $24,276,000 after acquiring an additional 22,065 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Winnebago Industries during the first quarter worth $758,000. Finally, Texas Permanent School Fund Corp raised its stake in Winnebago Industries by 33.6% during the first quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 27,390 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,580,000 after acquiring an additional 6,891 shares in the last quarter. 97.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Shares of WGO stock opened at $59.23 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $58.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $58.98. Winnebago Industries has a twelve month low of $43.05 and a twelve month high of $70.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 2.50. The company has a market capitalization of $1.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.28 and a beta of 1.63. Winnebago Industries (NYSE:WGO Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 22nd. The construction company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.56. The business had revenue of $866.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $783.72 million. Winnebago Industries had a net margin of 7.02% and a return on equity of 28.67%. Winnebago Industriess quarterly revenue was down 25.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.14 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Winnebago Industries will post 7.46 EPS for the current year. Winnebago Industries Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 12th were paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 11th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Winnebago Industriess payout ratio is 11.45%. Winnebago Industries Company Profile (Get Rating) Winnebago Industries, Inc engages in the manufacture of recreational vehicles and marine products. It operates through the following business segments: Towable, Motorhome, and Marine. The Towable segment includes non-motorized vehicles that are designed to be towed by automobiles, pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans and are used as temporary living quarters for recreational travel. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Winnebago Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Winnebago Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oil producers cartel OPEC's share in India's oil imports fell to an all-time low of 46 per cent in April as purchases of cheaper Russian oil peaked, industry data showed. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations, mainly in the Middle East and Africa, had a 72 per cent share of all crude oil India imported in April 2022. This share slid to 46 per cent in April 2023, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa. OPEC made up for as much as 90 per cent of all crude oil India imported at one point of time but this has been sliding since Russian oil became available at discount in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Russia continued to be the single largest supplier of crude oil, which is converted into petrol and diesel at refineries, for a seventh straight month by supplying more than one-third of all oil India imported. The imports from Russia are now more than combined purchases from Iraq and Saudi Arabia India's biggest suppliers in the last decade. From a market share of less than 1 per cent in India's import basket before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Russia's share of India's imports rose to 1.67 million barrels per day in April, taking a 36 per cent share. OPEC supplied 2.1 million barrels per day out of 4.6 million bpd oil India imported in April. This gave it a 46 per cent share, according to Vortexa. Indian refiners in the past rarely bought Russian oil due to high freight costs but now they are snapping up plentiful Russian cargo available at a discount to other grades as some Western nations rejected it because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The purchases from Russia in March were double of 0.81 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil bought from Iraq, which had been India's top oil supplier since 2017-18. Saudi Arabia has been pushed down to No.3 spot with 0.67 million bpd supplies. Month-on-month, purchases from Russia rose marginally from 1.64 million bpd of oil imported from the country in March. The UAE, which in March overtook the US to become the fourth largest supplier, sold 185,000 bpd, higher than 119,000 bpd oil sourced from the US. "India's imports of Russian crude in April have set a new record once again, but the month-on-month increase has slowed and could possibly be peaking this month," said Vortexa's head of Asia-Pacific analysis, Serena Huang. Increased competition for Urals from China will likely put a lid on upsides to India's imports of Russian crude. "OPEC's crude market share in India has fallen to 46 per cent last month, down from 72% a year ago, a multi-year low. OPEC may face an uphill battle in winning back the market share as refiners will ultimately be going for the crude that gives the highest margin, outside of fulfilling their term contracts," Huang said. Russia is selling record amounts of crude oil to India to plug the gap in its energy exports after the European Union banned imports in December. In December, the EU banned Russian seaborne oil and imposed a USD 60-per-barrel price cap, which prevents other countries from using EU shipping and insurance services, unless oil is sold below the cap. Industry officials said Indian refiners are using the UAE's dirham to pay for oil that is imported at a price lower than USD 60. According to Vortexa, India imported just 68,600 bpd of oil from Russia in March 2022 and this year the purchases have jumped to 1,678,000 bpd. Czech car maker Skoda Auto has said India will become an export hub for the company as it is set to commence exports of vehicle kits for assembly in Vietnam from next year. Auto, Business, Skoda, India Similarly, Volkswagen Group sales grew 85.48 per cent year-on-year at 1,01,270 units in the previous calendar year. The Group is present through Skoda Auto, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini brands under Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWPIL). "India is an absolutely important market as part of our regional strategy of Skoda Auto, and India will become an export hub for Skoda," Petr Solc, Brand Director at Skoda Auto India told PTI in an interaction. Volkswagen is already exporting vehicles from India to Mexico and South Africa while Skoda Auto is exporting to the Middle East and North Africa. From next year we will start exporting vehicle kits for assembly in Vietnam, Solc stated. Export is already an important part and will continue to be an important part of the strategy for Skoda and Volkswagen, he stated. Noting that Skoda Auto India for the first time delivered more than 50,000 cars in the domestic market last year, he said we would like to grow with the market or even faster and our ambition is to grow into double digits. He said that 2022 was specific for the company on account of the Slavia launch and added that So, there was this kind of a one-time effect of any new model introduction. Now, we have both models (all-new Slavia sedan and Kushaq SUV) in the market and can now enjoy having both models for the full year in the market, he said. Solc said that the 7-seater updated SUV Kodiaq will also play a role in terms of the company's growth strategy, particularly when there is much greater supply now. To a question on Audi, which at a point of time was the undisputed leader in the domestic premium luxury car market, Christian Cahn Von Seelen, Member of the Board for sales, marketing and digital at SAVWPIL said that its growth has been "impressive in terms of volume in 2022 compared to the year earlier and that was still hampered significantly by the chip supply situations even in Europe. "So the growth of Audi is impressive, and we are definitely planning to continue So as much (as) I think, I can say we will see loads of new product introductions here on the other side. On the company's EV foray in the Indian market, Solc said it depends on the development of the segment in the country. Late last month, the European car maker Skoda announced its EV roadmap, which includes six electric cars in a phased manner by 2026. "We as a manufacturer and Skoda, we will be ready. And if we see good traction, we are talking about the prognosis that the car market or the EV can go within 5-10 years, up to 20, maybe 30 per cent. We don't know necessarily, he said. So this could be part, we would like to be also within that range, but depends again, on the response. If we see more manufacturers going, there is an infrastructure built here and there's an acceptance from the customers to buy electric cars, and we will be ready, he said. He said that the company is discussing which models it should bring in the future also to India as an EV. "And if we see the potential in the market, we will bring them as well. So I cannot say necessarily what the percentage will be. But if the market is going towards more than 20 per cent of the electric vehicles of the total market, we would like to penetrate within the EV segment, Solc added. The market succumbed to selling pressure on May 5, with the benchmark indices reversing all their previous day's gains to close with a percent down. The sharp fall in HDFC twins dented sentiment. Also, as a result, the market closed flat for the week. The BSE Sensex on May 5 tanked 695 points to 61,054, while the Nifty50 fell 187 points to 18,069 and formed bearish candlestick pattern with a long upper shadow on the daily scale, indicating profit booking as well as selling pressure at higher levels. "This market action indicates rejection of bulls at the higher levels. However, the chart pattern also signal bull trap for the market participants, as Nifty failed to sustain above the strong overhead resistance of 18,200 levels on Friday, after sustaining above it on Thursday," Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities said. The positive chart pattern like higher tops and bottoms is still intact and the present weakness could be in line with the formation of the new higher bottom. Hence, further weakness from here could signal a higher bottom reversal around the next important support of 17,800 levels, he feels. Nifty on the weekly chart formed a small negative candle with a long upper shadow. This chart pattern hints at a possibility of more weakness in the coming sessions, Nagaraj said. The broader markets also traded in line with frontliners as the Nifty Midcap 100 index was down 0.7 percent and Smallcap 100 index fell 0.8 percent. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks in this article are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support and resistance levels on Nifty The pivot charts indicate that the Nifty may get support at 18,052, followed by 18,014 and 17,952. If the index advances, 18,175 is the initial key resistance level to watch out for followed by 18,214 and 18,275. Nifty Bank The Bank Nifty was the major loser among indices, falling 1,024 points to 42,661, and formed a bearish candlestick pattern on the daily scale. "The Bank Nifty has broken the support of the 43,000-42,800 zone. The index if sustained below 43,000 will witness further correction towards the 42,500-42,300 zone, where the next demand area is visible," Kunal Shah, Senior Technical & Derivatives Analyst at LKP Securities said. The upside resistance of 43,000 if taken out decisively will lead to further short covering toward 43,300 levels, he added. As per the pivot point calculator, the Bank Nifty may take support at 42,560, followed by 42,322 and 41,938. Key resistance levels are expected to be 43,328, along with 43,565 and 43,950. Call options data On the weekly options front, we have seen the maximum Call open interest (OI) at 18,200 strike, with 1.17 crore contracts, which is expected to be a crucial resistance level for the Nifty in the coming sessions. This was followed by 18,300 strike, comprising 76.29 lakh contracts, and 18,100 strike, with more than 74.67 lakh contracts. Call writing was seen at 18,200 strike, which added 73.72 lakh contracts, followed by 18,100 strike, which added 56 lakh contracts, and 18,800 strike which added 47.11 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was at 17,500 strike, which shed 18,700 contracts, followed by 17,800 strike, which shed 12,000 contracts, and 17,400 strike, which shed 2,550 contracts. Put option data The maximum Put open interest was at 18,200 strike with 62.01 lakh contracts, which is expected to act as an important level in the coming sessions. This was followed by the 18,100 strike, comprising 61.74 lakh contracts, and the 17,500 strike where we have 58.42 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at 17,900 strike, which added 29.28 lakh contracts, followed by 17,800 strike, which added 23.95 lakh contracts, and 18,100 strike, which added 22.63 lakh contracts. We have seen Put unwinding at 18,300 strike, which shed 4.93 lakh contracts, followed by 17,700 strike, which shed 2.45 lakh contracts, and 18,400 strike, which shed 1.12 lakh contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in the stock. The highest delivery was seen in Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, Cipla, and Maruti Suzuki, among others. 22 stocks see a long build-up An increase in open interest (OI) and price typically indicates a build-up of long positions. Based on the OI percentage, 22 stocks, including MRF, Astral, Indian Energy Exchange, Britannia Industries, and ICICI Bank saw long build-ups. 76 stocks see long unwinding A decline in OI and price generally indicates a long unwinding. Based on the OI percentage, 76 stocks, including Chambal Fertilizers, Manappuram Finance, Max Financial Services, Oracle Financial, and Aurobindo Pharma saw a long unwinding. 58 stocks see a short build-up An increase in OI along with a price decrease indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the OI percentage, 58 stocks, including Federal Bank, Dabur India, UPL, HDFC Bank, and Gujarat Gas saw a short build-up. 33 stocks see short-covering A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Based on the OI percentage, 33 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included SBI Card, SBI Life Insurance Company, GNFC, Biocon, and Escorts. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Results on May 8 UPL, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Aarti Industries, Apollo Pipes, Birlasoft, CG Power and Industrial Solutions, Craftsman Automation, Exide Industries, Happiest Minds Technologies, HFCL, Kalpataru Power Transmission, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Mahanagar Gas, Pidilite Industries, and VIP Industries will be in focus ahead of quarterly earnings on May 8. Stocks in the news Britannia Industries: The bakery and dairy products maker recorded 47.5 percent year-on-year growth in consolidated profit at Rs 557.6 crore for quarter ended March FY23, driven by healthy operating performance and topline. Consolidated revenue from operations at Rs 4,023.2 crore grew by 13.3 percent on significant distribution gains. Marico: The consumer goods company posted an 18.7 percent year-on-year growth in consolidated profit at Rs 305 crore for March FY23 quarter, as operating performance remained strong on lower input cost. Consolidated revenue increased by 3.7 percent YoY to Rs 2,240 crore. Lupin: The pharma major entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the entire share capital of the French pharmaceutical company Medisol, subject to approval from the French Ministry of Economy and Finance. DCB Bank: The private sector lender reported a 25 percent on-year growth in profit at Rs 142 crore for quarter ended March FY23, following decline in provisions. Net interest income grew 28 percent YoY to Rs 486 crore with over 18 percent growth each in deposits and advances. Alembic Pharmaceuticals: The pharma company logged nearly seven-fold rise in consolidated profit at Rs 152.6 crore for quarter ended March FY23, supported by strong operating performance and lower other expenses. Revenue dropped 0.65 percent to Rs 1,406.5 crore compared to year-ago period, impacted by the US business that fell 36 percent to Rs 354 crore. Union Bank of India: The public sector lender recorded a 93.3 percent year-on-year growth in standalone profit at Rs 2,782 crore for the quarter ended March FY23, backed by lower provisions, with improvement in asset quality. Higher other income and net interest income also boosted profitability. Net interest income grew 22 percent YoY to Rs 8,251 crore, with margin expansion of 23 bps at 2.98 percent for the quarter. Bank of India: The public sector lender clocked a standalone profit at Rs 1,350.4 crore for March FY23 quarter, growing 123 percent over a year-ago period despite higher provisions. Net interest income grew by 38.6 percent YoY to Rs 5,523.84 crore in Q4FY23, with global advances rising 13 percent and deposits climbing 6.6 percent. One 97 Communications: The Paytm operator narrowed its losses to Rs 168.4 crore in March FY23 quarter, against loss of Rs 761.4 crore in same period last year. Consolidated revenue for the quarter grew by 51.5 percent to Rs 2,334.5 crore compared to the corresponding period last fiscal. For the year FY23 too, the loss dropped to Rs 1,776 crore against a loss of Rs 2,393 crore in FY22, and revenue jumped 60.6 percent to Rs 7,990.3 crore in the same period. Fund Flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FII) bought shares worth Rs 777.68 crore, whereas domestic institutional investors (DII) sold shares worth Rs 2,198.77 crore on May 5, provisional data from the National Stock Exchange showed. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE The National Stock Exchange has retained GNFC and Manappuram Finance to its F&O ban list for May 8. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Post-COVID, the focus of real estate developers on land acquisition shows no signs of slowing down, so much so that in financial year 2022-23 (FY23), approximately 87 separate land deals were sealed, cumulatively accounting for over 1,862 acres, data from Anarock showed. The previous year (FY22) saw 44 land deals accounting for approximately 1,649 acres being closed across various cities. Of all deals closed in FY23, at least 76, accounting for approximately 1,059 acres, were in the top seven cities, and the remaining 11 deals, accounting for approximately 803 acres, took place in Tier 2 and 3 cities, including Ahmedabad, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Nagpur, Panchkula, Panipat, Raigad and Surat. Among the top seven cities, MMR saw the most with 25 land deals accounting for over 267 acres, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) with 23 land deals spread across 274 acres. In terms of total land area transacted in the top seven cities, Chennai topped with about 292 acres changing hands in nine separate deals. With land becoming scarcer amid the unfettered real estate development boom, leading players are pulling out all stops to secure the best land parcels in key locations," said Anuj Puri, Chairman, ANAROCK Group. "In the last financial year, the number of land deals has risen significantly from 44 in FY22 to 87 in FY23. However, in terms of area, the increase was just 13 percent, implying that several smaller plots were closed in FY23, he added. With residential sales in the top seven cities scaling an all-time high in the last financial year (approximately 3.8 lakh units), large and listed developers have been cashing in on the unrelenting housing boom. With land being the key input commodity for real estate development, these players have been making strategic land investments across prominent micro-markets, and quite a few smaller deals took place in the last financial year, he said. The top developers who bought land parcels for various developments in FY23 include Godrej Properties, Birla Estates, Gaurs Group, Sobha, Oberoi Realty, Ajmera Realty, Mahindra Lifespaces, M3M Group, and Gera Developers, among others. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) saw the highest number of land transactions with 19 acquisitions proposed for residential or plotted developments accounting for about 193 acres, followed by NCR with nine deals for about 192 acres, and Chennai with seven separate land deals for about 194 acres, the data said. In terms of commercial and retail-related land deals, there were 11 separate transactions for about 46.5 acres. Of these, nine deals accounting for approximately 38 acres were closed in NCR; Ahmedabad and Surat saw one land deal each, it said. At least 714 acres acquired in eight separate land deals have been earmarked for mixed-use and township developments in cities including NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Panchkula and Panipat, the data showed. Approximately 83 acres in three separate deals were closed for data centres in cities like MMR and Pune. At least two deals for over 13 acres were closed for warehousing and industrial developments in MMR and NCR. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and hospitality, and yet-to-be-disclosed sectors, saw six deals for approximately 54.5 acres closed in cities including MMR, Hyderabad, and Chennai, it said. Its been over a year since the collapse of a set of apartments at Chintels Paradiso and the degrading structure of the GreenView project by NBCC made news. This led the Haryana government to put in place structural safety guidelines that developers have to follow for construction of high-rise projects in the state. However, till date there is no structural safety policy in place in Gurugram. There is a draft in the works that would make it mandatory for builders to submit a structural safety audit report before obtaining the occupancy certificate (OC). Similarly, Noida Authority had approved structural safety guidelines for residential high-rise buildings under which before issuance of partial/full OC, the developer will have to submit the structural audit report from seven empanelled institutions, including IITs, NITs, or specialist institutions. Specialists who deal with issues related to high-rise buildings say that the need of the hour is to make engineers and officials accountable. Also, the traditional method of building plan approval for ground plus three floors, common in the Delhi-NCR region, has to change, as high-rises have become the norm. The region could even draw lessons from Mumbais specialised high-rise committee and consider setting up a similar body as per its requirements. The specialised high-rise committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was set up almost two decades ago and is responsible for vetting proposals/providing approvals to buildings of over 120 meters or 40 floors in height. The committee consists of soil experts, IIT structural engineers, chief fire officer, architects, and chief engineer, among others. This committee examines several aspects of a buildings proposal, such as fire safety, materials used and the most important aspect - structural stability. Clearance procedure in Delhi-NCR and what needs to be done In the Delhi-NCR market, most authorities ask the builder to submit the structural design at the time of submitting the plans. This needs to change. Approvals given at this point in time are not structural approvals. These are approvals for construction planning land, height, density, space arrangement, setback, number of units planned; all from the planning perspective. That should be the first approval. Later, before the start of construction, a detailed structural design should be submitted, said Abhay Gupta, structural engineer, and owner of Skeleton Consultants Private Limited. Once construction begins, the authorities should clearly lay down the manner in which the quality of construction is to be monitored on-site and the intervals during which the water test reports are to be submitted. Once construction is over, the authority should ask for the as-built drawings and design. This refers to the final structural design report that should be submitted to the authority after which a competent engineer should inspect and give a report, before finishing work begins, he explains. Quality control and licensed engineers the need of the hour There are experts who are of the view that structural safety is not a problem limited to Noida or Gurugram; it is an issue that is linked to the capability of the personnel concerned. Following the construction of the building, a certification from a structural engineer is required to be submitted to the authorities. There is no agency/authorised body to certify a structural engineer. There is no quality control over the type of people designing buildings. In the US, there is a certifying body for chartered engineers, said Mukul Goel, a project management specialist. In India, these engineers were earlier involved in designing ground plus three structures. The same set of people are now called upon to certify high-rise buildings. Also, there are no quality controls or processes in place to monitor the competency levels of contractors. Anyone can become a contractor. It is worth noting that in construction, a structural problem can arise due to the quality of materials supplied. At the authority level too, most of the drawings only check the area and the real estate aspect of it, and not the structural aspect. Drawings should be cleared by specialised personnel, he added. Builders take Builders agree that it is the structural engineers empanelled by the authority who now have to provide certification for the structure that is expected to come up. We are expected to utilise STP water that is treated for construction. The use of groundwater is not permissible. But there is no agency or body that tests the quality of treated water. There could be chemicals in the treated water that may be impacting the construction quality. The quality of water used for construction should also be checked at regular intervals, said Praveen Jain, Chairman, Naredco, a real estate industry body. Lessons Delhi-NCR can draw from Mumbais high-rise committee The BMC set up a high-rise committee to look into building design and structural safety issues almost two decades ago. The development control and promotion regulation norms mandated that the commissioner constitute a high-rise committee to advise on issues related to buildings taller than 120 meters. The committee consists of soil experts, IIT structural engineers, chief fire officer, architects, and BMC's chief engineer of development planning, among others. This committee examines several aspects of a building proposal, including fire safety, materials used, and structural stability. Experts suggest that Delhi-NCR could look at emulating this model as per its requirements. The objective of the committee was that since structural engineers were attempting taller buildings by the day there needs to be a review in terms of safety of these buildings. Subsequently, it was built into Mumbais Development Control and Promotion Regulation 2034, the city's master plan for 2034. It is a committee that primarily look after the safety of these buildings. Earlier, high-rises referred to the committee were 70 m in height, which subsequently was relaxed to 120 m, explains Shashank Mehendale, Member - Mumbais high-rise committee. The independent committee gives a no-objection certificate (NOC) after reviewing the geo-technical foundation, as well as the structural and fire system designs of the building proposal. Following this, the building proposals department sanctions the plans, and permission is accorded to start construction. The committee reviews these building plans, checks the designs and appropriateness of the various design codes applied, looks at the structural, geo-technical and foundation safety as well as the fire safety aspects, he said. So, will this help the Delhi-NCR region keep a check on the quality of tall buildings? Whether the committee will help or whether they would want some other mechanism depends on the authorities in NCR. But a committee of experts can help in resolving these structural safety issues. We started with 20 floors which were later revised to 40 floors. The consultants and builders practicing in this area are now used to the technical standards that are to be followed. Delhi-NCR will have to start with its own limit, and define its own height levels as the region falls in earthquake zone 4, he added. Yogini Deshpande, Technical Director of Renuka Consultants, points out that this is based on the concept of peer review. Every building of over 40 storeys must get approval from this committee comprising architects, structural engineers, and geo-technical experts. The peer review system ensures that these rules and regulations are followed. Delhi-NCR needs to evolve its own peer review system given that it comprises several states. The committee in Maharashtra is only for Mumbai city, she said, adding, this could be part of the clearance system inbuilt within the authority itself. Focus on maintenance-free building design Experts say that the focus of designers and engineers should be on maintenance-free design. A high-rise should be designed in such a way that it is able to endure the vagaries of weather and environmental conditions for 60 to 90 years without undergoing repairs. High-rise committees should mandate a building life analysis for tall buildings, said Sharvil Alex Faroz, Structural Engineer and Founder, Infrastructure Risk Management (IRM). This means that the structure should be able to perform its intended purpose without requiring major repairs for a fixed number of years. The committee should emphasise that the structure should be designed in such a manner that the building will need repairs only at the end of its service life, he explains. In Mumbai, a structural audit of buildings is required every 30 years. This helps ascertain the current strength of the concrete, and the status of reinforcements used for such buildings. It is important to know the actual life remaining of buildings. The high-rise committee should ensure that a remaining life analysis of existing buildings is conducted every 10 years, he said. After its popular Golden Visa programme, Malta is now offering a Startup Residence Scheme under which startup founders, co-founders, the core employees and their immediate family members will eligible for a three-year residence permit. After three years, the founders and co-founders can renew their permits for five years while their employees can renew it for another three years provided the business is still ongoing and the company meets the basic requirements. Malta Enterprise, the countrys economic development agency, offers a dedicated package for startups, including grants, loans, and other non-dilutive assistance that can significantly boost startups seeking early-stage financing. Benefits: The Residence permit will be issued for an initial period of three years following the approval of Malta Enterprise and Residency Malta. This will be renewed for a further five years once Malta Enterprise and Residency Malta confirms that the start-up is still ongoing and the founder or co-founder(s) still meets the eligibility criteria of the programme. Successful applicants can apply for their spouse, children, and other dependents to join them in Malta, ensuring a smooth transition for the entire family. Participants in the Startup Residence Scheme gain access to mentorship, networking opportunities, and potential funding from local and international investors. Competitive tax regime, efficient regulatory framework, and a skilled workforce. The processing time is usually about 90 days. Eligibility criteria Third-country nationals, excluding European Union, Europe Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss are eligible. Nationals from (or have close ties with) Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Venezuela are ineligible. To be eligible for the Startup Residence Programme, an applicant must fulfil the following requirements: Has a concrete intention to develop and/or expand their business in Malta Is the founder or the co-founder of an enterprise, which has been registered for not more than seven years anywhere globally (including Malta) The startup must not have taken over the activity of another enterprise; has not yet distributed profit, and has not been formed through a merger. A co-founder would be one of the first entrepreneurs to have set-up the start-up. Proof as to whether the co-founder would have served as a director and/or had legal representation of the company, together with other duties related to the company might be requested. A founder, co-founder or core employee applying under this programme must be 18 years and older. The maximum number of co-founders of a startup eligible for the Startup Residence Programme is six. The founder and/or co-founders benefitting from this programme need to have a physical and tangible presence in Malta not only from a business point of view but also in terms of living in Malta. Applicant must have recognised health insurance covering risks in Malta for himself/herself and dependents The applicant should be in possession of sufficient financial resources to support himself and any other dependents within existing regulations Has no criminal record or pending criminal charges and does not pose any potential threat to the national security, public policy, public health, or public interest. Must not have previously had applications for a residence status or citizenship rejected in Malta or abroad Investment: The incorporated Startup in Malta is required to place a tangible investment and/or paid-up share capital of not less than 25,000 (around Rs 23 lakh). In such case where more than four co-founders apply for the Startup Residence Permit, an additional 10,000 needs to be placed per additional co-founder. Eligible start-up business verticals: Manufacturing Industrial services analogous to manufacturing Eco start-ups involved in the blue, green and sustainable industries Software Development Health, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences Other innovative economic activities which are enabled through knowledge and technology providing services or products which are currently not readily available in the relevant market, or which shall be provided through a process which is novel. Applicable fee: The processing fee is non-refundable. 750: Per adult dependent 82.50: For the issuance of the Residence Card for each individual applicant. Maltas Other Residency Programmes: Malta Permanent Residence Programme: Equivalent to a Golden Visa programme, this allows non-European nationals and their families to become permanent residents of Malta by investing in the country. Malta Ordinary Residency Programme: This programme is available for EU/EEA applicants after staying in Malta for three months and requires a physical stay in Malta for, at least, six months or at least 183 days in any calendar year. Malta Global Residence Programme: Available to non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals and meant for applicants looking to buy high-value property in Malta, this programme lets applicants acquire a special tax status. Malta Single Permit Application: This Permit allows third-country nationals to legally reside and work in Malta for a defined period, which may be further renewed. Nomad Residence Permit: Introduced in 2021, this Permit is for digital nomads and other remote workers. The permit allows holders to stay in Malta for up to a year and gives them access to several benefits, including healthcare. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra will be leaving for Washington this month for the first strategic trade dialogue between India and the United States. The strategic trade dialogue will allow the two sides to address issues of export controls, explore ways of enhancing high-technology commerce, and facilitate technology transfer. The exact date of the meeting will be announced soon. Kwatra will hold talks with Alan F Estevez, Under Secretary, Bureau of Industry and Security in the US Department of Commerce. The dialogue in this crucial area comes amid scepticism from a section of American commentators on Indias reliability as a strategic partner to the US, especially in its fight with China for domination in the Indo-Pacific. The fact that the strategic trade dialogue is being held indicates that despite such scepticism in some quarters in the US, the Joe Biden Administration is still keen on developing strong ties with India as a close partner in Asia. The decision to launch the new framework of dialogue was taken at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in March in New Delhi. The strategic trade dialogue comes under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The dialogue is part of the two countries' desire to build resilient and trusted global supply chains which became essential for most countries after the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown severely disrupted the supply chains of food and other items throughout the world. In May 2022, US President Biden launched the IPEF, an initiative aimed at deeper cooperation among like-minded countries in areas such as clean energy, supply-chain resilience and digital trade. But some strong supporters of India in the US are now questioning if America made a mistake by choosing it as a close Washington ally since Delhi has been most reluctant to join any US-led military coalition against China. New Delhi will never involve itself in any US confrontation with Beijing that does not directly threaten its own security, Ashley J Tellis, a leading American commentator, said in an essay in a leading journal recently. According to him, India values cooperation with Washington for the tangible benefits it brings. But does not believe that it must, in turn, materially support the US in any crisis, even those which are a common threat for both countries, like China. Washingtons current expectations of India are misplaced, Tellis concludes. But the Biden Administration, both in words and deeds, has continued to treat India in the same manner as its NATO partners. It has shared cutting-edge technology, and US technology exports to India that require special licences have been removed drastically from 25 per cent to 0.5 per cent in the last 25 years. From Bill Clinton to George W Bush onwards successive US presidents have tried to build close bilateral ties to bolster Indias capabilities in order to strengthen democratic forces in Asia. The iCET encompasses a wide variety of fields, including semiconductors, space, artificial intelligence (AI), next-generation communications, high-performance computing and quantum technologies. Most Indian experts would also acknowledge that Indias partnership with the US that encompasses a wide-range of areas of mutual concern and benefit to the two countries, is perhaps the most substantive relationship for New Delhi at present. India has established strategic trade laws and effectively implemented regulations, which have enabled the US to share technology with it. Thea Rozman Kendler, Assistant Secretary for Export Administration in the US Department of Commerce, was in New Delhi last month ahead of the first strategic trade talks between the two countries. The focus of her discussions was on dual-use export control issues. Dual-use items are goods, software and technology that can be used for civilian and military applications. Kendler told reporters the US is working with countries, such as India, to ensure that Russia cannot illegally obtain items that the US and its allies have restricted under sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine last year. But Tellis pointed out that none of these initiatives guarantee any specific outcomes as the US government can make or break the initiative by not releasing the licenses that many joint ventures will require. Much of the frustration about India not being as enthusiastic in joining the US initiative against China comes in the wake of the Taiwan crisis between Washington and Beijing. Many Indian commentators over the past months have been trying to build opinion within the country on why India, which also faces security threat from Chinas aggression at its border, must join the American alliance against the Chinese on the Taiwan issue. However, the Indian government has not shown any signs of making common cause with the US and its other Asian allies on Taiwan. India had expressed its concern over the rising tension in the Taiwan Straits since last year and urged all parties to maintain peace and calm to ensure an open and free Indo-Pacific. But for Tellis comments, there is nothing so far to suggest that the US government is miffed at India not joining its efforts on Taiwan. However, since the comments from one of the most prominent India-hand in Washington comes just days before the crucial strategic trade talks, it will give the Indian foreign secretary an opportunity to ascertain the current mood in the US Administration about its growing partnership with India. Altogether 596 people from violence-hit Manipur have fled to Mizoram and sought shelters in the state, officials said on Sunday. At least 45 students from Mizoram, who were stranded in neighbouring Manipur following the ethnic clashes there since Wednesday, returned to their state safely during the day, they said. Till Sunday evening, at least 151 people belonging to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo community in Manipur have entered the Aizawl district, while 228 fled to the Kolasib near the Assam border and 217 others to Saitual bordering trouble-torn Manipur, Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia said. The majority of the displaced people are lodged at temporary camps in several villages, while others are accommodated by their local relatives, another official said. ''The Manipur people, who have fled their state due to ethnic clashes, sought shelters in Mizoram,'' he said. The administration has made proper arrangements to provide shelter and food to the people fleeing neighbouring Manipur which witnessed bloody ethnic rioting over the last few days, Aizawl deputy commissioner Lalhriatzuali Ralte told PTI. Disaster management committees have also been reactivated at villages and local councils, she said. Notably, Mizoram is currently providing shelter to around 30,000 people from Myanmar and Bangladesh, who took refuge in the state. Myanmar nationals have taken refuge in Mizoram following a military coup there in February 2021, while people belonging to Kuki-Chin from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts fled their villages last year due to a crackdown on an insurgent outfit there. ''Eleven Mizoram students from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Manipur's Imphal and another 34 from a nursing school in Churachandpur district arrived in Aizawl on Sunday,'' the official said. Fifty Mizoram residents have been evacuated from Manipur to Assam's Guwahati and 78 others to West Bengal's Kolkata by flights on Sunday as no charter flight to Aizawl was arranged for them, a state home department official told PTI. Life, however, started limping back to normalcy under the watchful eyes of army drones and helicopters deployed for aerial reconnaissance as curfew was relaxed on Sunday in parts of Manipur which witnessed bloody ethnic rioting over the last few days. Violent clashes broke out between tribals and people belonging to the majority Meitei community in Manipur on Wednesday, displacing thousands of people. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside mostly in the hill districts. Much before supermodels walked through Mumbais Gateway of India in Hawaii Chappals and pearls of all shapes and sizes at the Dior show recently, a teenaged girl whose style evolution I have been witnessing asked her mother for a string of pearls. It was 2019, and she went through the pandemic experimenting with a single-strand necklace of fake pearls that her mother bought from a local shopping arcade as necklace, bracelet as well as rockstar head gear. Why did she ask for pearls? Because of Harry Styles, of course, her mom said. The pop star first wore a single-stranded pearl necklace from the Miami-based jewellery designer house elite known for playful, modern designs using natural material with a wine-red Gucci suit. Whether hes in a tailored suit or a Vans sweatshirt, Styles has much love for the much-storied, lustrous white orbs. Pearls compliment Styles non-binary signature at a single moment he could be a creature of AI and vintage Hollywood, a man and a woman and several avatars of the age-old sexes in-between simultaneously. Pearls are always everywhere, but this year, they really seem to be everywhere. Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Ranveer Singh, Billie Eilish they have been channelling whats already a fashion lexicon new entrant: Pearlcore, which essentially refers to a micro fashion trend thats all about adding pearls to almost any fashion look. Think US-based designer Mizuki Goltz who can blend pearls with leather, gold lacquer and diamonds. In a world whose current state can also be described as Everythingness, pearls are relevant. Pearls are tradition as well as modernity, jewellery as well as climate change victim, spherical as well as shapeless, baroque as well as minimalist elegance. What we saw that the Dior show and the NMACC red carpet, and in Alia Bhatts Prabal Gurung gown made of thousands of pearls at Mondays MET GalaGurungs tribute to bigot fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld, no lesswas the quiet luxury character of pearls (as opposed to the whimsical and loud couple of years in all aesthetic barometers). India has a rich and elite history of owning and adorning with pearls. Princely states, and the Nizams of Hyderabad, in particular, had a penchant for it. Maharajas of all states adopted the luxury of having their maharanis wear pearls. Maharani Gayatri Devi did to Indians what perhaps Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor did to the world. In 1860, Maharaja Khanderao Gaekwad of Baroda got a seven-stranded Basra pearl necklace designed for emperor Babur. He was also the royal behind the Baroda Pearl Carpet, originally intended to adorn the prophets tomb in Medina, but which remained in his family until 2009, when an anonymous buyer bought it for $5.5 million at a Sothebys auction it went on to be a permanent exhibit at the National Museum of Qatar. It was displayed at the New Yorks Metropolitan Museum in 1985. Maharani Gayatri Devi made the chiffon-and-pearls elegance always desirable for women from affluent families. Parsi women are known to love pearls. In the corporate world, pearls are a favourite accessory of many CEOs from Generation Y or before Indira Nooyi and Kiran Mazumdar easily come to mind. A string of pearls with a corporate suit even seem to soften or femininize a woman with power, although I am not sure thats consciously the reason CEOs prefer to wear them. The pearl fascination continues to be ubiquitous among Indian families with purchasing power. Meghali Gupta, director, Shri Ram Hari Ram Jewellers, Dariba Kalan, says, People are investing in pearls like never before. South sea pearls, which are a little easier on the pocket than, say, the aristocratic Basra pearls, are having a moment. Indian brides still want a pearl set in their wedding wardrobe, and we are seeing Hyderabad flourish like never before as the pearl capital of India. She says among Indian designers, nobody can imagine, craft and elevate a piece of pearl jewellery like reclusive Mumbai-based artist-jeweller, a favourite among auction houses the world over, Viren Bhagat. Niche jewellery brands like Moksh have developed the micro pearl weaving technique to highlight pearls with other gemstones. Last year, The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) expressed concern that the value of imports of pearls in India is much higher than the value of global production of pearls. Indias pearl imports primarily came from the UAE, Hong Kong and Thailand, whose contribution in global pearl production is negligible. Its a robust market considering climate change is beginning to affect the texture, size and quality of pearls. A pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, deposited over time inside oysters in concentric layers. As a pearl is formed and its layers grow, a rich iridescence begins to glow. The oyster has taken what was at first an irritation and intrusion and uses it to enrich its value. Whether wild or cultured, gem-quality pearls are usually nacreous or iridescent. Several climate change impact reports and new reports on the environment point to less favourable conditions in oyster and pearl farming. Oysters are some of the most vulnerable sea creatures at this point of Earths history. Oysters are the first sea creatures to be affected by warming ocean waters because they cant move, and theyre cold-blooded. In warm water temperature, pearls grow more quickly, and the rapid growth reduces the quality of the pearl. Frequent tropical storms in the last two decades are also slowing down saltwater pearl farming across the world. Rising sea levels and increasing salinity are threats to pearl farming. So besides being timeless in aesthetic, functional or luxury waysA pearl is always appropriate, said Elizabeth Taylorthe pearl is an indicator of the health of the planet. On its lustrous surface, a pearl records every storm, every change water temperature and every human assault on sea waters. Owning one is like owning a part of the seas mysteries. Venezuela cancels all the restrictions for international flights introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice Minister of Air Transport Freddy Borges said on the air with the Venezolana de Television channel, Trend reports citing TASS. The decision was made after Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had announced the end for the COVID-19 state of emergency in effect since 2020, Borges noted. "We turned over the pandemic page," the official said. Passengers were earlier required to show a certificate of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative result of tests made 48 hours prior to the flight, Borges noted. "International air passenger traffic was seriously affected by the pandemic and Venezuela has managed to restore it by 40% only so far," the official added. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the voters of Manipur are feeling "grossly betrayed" just a year after putting the BJP in power and called for the imposition of President's rule in the state that has witnessed violent clashes. Violent clashes had broken out in Manipur last week between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54. In a tweet, Tharoor said, "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised." "The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. It's time for President's Rule; the state government is just not up to the job they were elected to do," the former Union minister said. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Shark Tank India's former judge and Third Unicorn founder Ashneer Grover has appealed to Mumbai authorities to keep the lights on the cables of Bandra-Worli Sea Link on at night. Calling the sea link a beauty, Grover equated the act of switching the lights off at night something akin to what a grandfather would do to save electricity. "Bhai, Mumbai sea link ke cables pe light on karwa do koi (Someone switch on the lights at the Mumbai sea link cables). Its such a beauty - kaunse dadaji har roz raat ko light off kar dete hai bijli ka bill bachane ke liye (Which grandfather switches off the lights every night to save electricity)," he tweeted with a photo taken from near the Sea Link. In it, lights can be seen on both sides of the eight-lane wide bridge but not on the cables. Bhai Mumbai sea link ke Cables pe light on karwa do koi. Its such a beauty - kaunse dadaji har roz raat ko light off kar dete hai bijli ka bill bachane ke liye. Bay Bridge is SF comes alive in the night because of lighting only !! pic.twitter.com/sbkV9L7YQF Ashneer Grover (@Ashneer_Grover) May 6, 2023 Ashneer Grover also drew similarities between the Worli Sea link and the Bay Bridge in US's San Francisco. "Bay Bridge in SF comes alive in the night because of lighting only!" he said. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is 5.6 km long and links Bandra in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in Central Mumbai. It is the longest sea bridge, as well as the fourth longest bridge in India. Meanwhile, a number of people agreed with Grover. "I couldn't agree more! The Mumbai sea link looks breathtaking, and it's a shame that it isn't lit up at night," commented Twitter user Jayjit Biswas. "I bet it would look even more stunning with lights. Hopefully, someone takes note of your request soon!" Another user MRaj (@mrajasth) said, "Agree. After collecting toll at Sealink Mumbaikars have the right to ask for beautification. The colourful lights should be adorned every evening on Sea Link." Others, however, pointed out that leaving the lights on all night is not a sustainable practice. "This may go against the need of sustainability needs of the environment. Safety should be the first need for lights to make roads safer," wrote Sridhar Thiagarajan (@tsri1969). Another user also highlighted how leaving the lights on at night causes light pollution. "I think it is a phenomenon called light pollution due to which birds and animals are highly affected," Aditya Karwa (@adityakarwa84) tweeted. "And (turning off the lights) may save electricity (due to) global warming issues." Light pollution has an adverse impact on wildlife, especially birds, research has shown. Many birds migrate at night, and these artificial lights disorient their path hundreds of miles away. In fact, in Maharashtra's Panvel, environmentalists have raised a stink over the municipal corporation's plans to beautify Vadale lake in the city due to the light pollution it will cause. Installing additional artificial illumination may be detrimental to native and migratory birds that flock at the lake, the environmentalists said in a report by Free Press Journal. Read more: Ashneer Grover questions diversity in Delhi University: 'That can't be healthy' Even we in India, who live thousands of miles away, should be concerned about how the West is treating its children. Indian society, especially the English-educated so-called elite, usually follows Western trends. In this case, it could be disastrous. In the last two years, the UK has been rocked by the Tavistock scandal. The National Health Service (NHS) ran its Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in England and Wales through the London-based mental health facility Tavistock Clinic. Over more than a decade, the clinic treated thousands of children, including even four-year-olds, for gender dysphoriaunease about a mismatch between biological sex and self-perceived gender identity. What was going on inside the clinic is horrifying. Many children were placed on medication after just one face-to-face assessment despite obvious mental health or family issues. More than a third of the young people referred to the service had moderate to severe autistic traits. Medication included gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa), puberty-blocking drugs that may have serious negative side-effects on bone density (which could lead to osteoporosis at an early age), kidneys, eyesight, sexual function and the ability to ever have an orgasm. Simply put, a government programme may have been neutering and sterilising children for life. In the aftermath of the revelations and a public outcry, the NHS has shut down GIDS. It will soon be replaced by a new initiative. But the NHS beliefs about how to deal with gender dysphoria are unlikely to change. Across the West, an ever-increasing number of parents, often ill-informed or overawed by incessant media hectoring, or simply desirous of being seen as progressive, are bringing their children to gender affirmation therapists and doctors to undergo irreversible treatments. In the US, many schoolteachers have been accused of sowing doubts about gender identity in the minds of even kindergarten children and apparently encouraging some to change their gender, while keeping parents in the dark. Last month in California, two middle school teachers filed a federal lawsuit against school administrators in Escondido district and the California State Board of Education over policies that they allege required them to deceive parents about their children's gender identity. The plaintiffs claim that the school district mandates teachers to accept a child's transgender or gender-diverse identity unquestioningly and actively hide this from families. When encountering a suspicious parent, teachers are instructed to reply that they are allowed only to discuss information regarding the students behaviour as it relates to school, class rules, assignments, etc. Children are also being introduced to sexually explicit content as early as in elementary school. Several Republican-run states are now removing such books from school libraries. Left liberals see this as censorship. Some days ago, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary, tweeted the link to an nbcnews.com report on the matter and commented: Over 50% of the attempted book bans last year involved books with LGBTQ+ characters & themes. Books are a vital way that children, adolescents and adults learn about themselves and our world. Bans such as these are nothing but harmful. The nbcnews.com article carries a photograph that shows a dozen or so of the banned books. These include books with explicit illustrations of sex acts, including pedophilia and incest, a book about 10-year-old boys having sex, one about a man raping and isolating a 12-year-old girl and another about a teen girl who seduces a man who kidnaps her. And these books have not even been banned; they will just no longer be allowed in schools. If parents want their children to read them, they can easily buy them and give them to the kids. The extent of the rot is visible more than anything else in the attempts to normalize pedophilia. The arguments are often couched in social justice rhetoric. Since the word pedophile has negative connotations, the new term being pushed is minor-attracted person. Also, the theory that pedophilia is not a mental disorder, as all medical research till now has concluded, but a sexual orientation like heterosexuality or homosexuality. Therefore, society should embrace them as normal people. Twenty-seven Democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives voted last week against making indecent exposure to minors a Class 6 felony. Class 6 felonies are the least serious crimes under US law, and those found guilty are quite often let off by courts with a rap on their knuckles. But even this was not acceptable to these legislators. Apparently, the bill was against equity. In other words, a perverted adult who traumatizes an innocent child should have the same rights and protections as any child is guaranteed. None of these people, from the Tavistock doctors to teachers to woke politicians seem to realizeor dont carethat their ideas and actions threaten to destroy childhood. Every child has the inalienable right to enjoy their years of innocenceto look at the world with wonder and trust and without fear, to be loved and protected. Of course, they will eventually have to face all the troubles and injustices of the world. But to encourage six-year-olds to discover their sexuality, to expose them to graphic sexual material, is to force them into a grown-up world much before their minds are ready for it. Why not let them figure it all out for themselves as they have done for thousands of years, and let them make their own informed choices based on their life experiences? Paradoxically, the same people who are trying to thrust children into premature adulthood also fiercely promote the delaying of puberty, a natural biological process that is physically and psychologically crucial in a human beings life journey. This imprisons an adolescent and young-adult mind in a body that remains that of a pre-pubescent child. All of it is both idiotically illogical and mind-bogglingly cruel. What drives this super-aggressive movement to sexualize all human thought and activity? Perhaps next week, Ill write about these dangerous ideologies. But why should Indian parents be worried? Let the Americans sort out their weird problems, who cares? No. Because the hazard is closer to home than most of us may realize. Last fortnight, a glossy periodical that describes itself as Indias premier couture, luxury and bridal magazine, posted two covers on its website, featuring a thickly bearded and very hirsute Indian-American non-binary trans activist called Alok Vaid-Menon dressed in traditional bridal costumesaree and lehnga choli. It is of course entirely the magazines editors prerogative to have whatever she wants to on the cover, but Vaid-Menon has some deeply problematic views about children. A few years ago, Vaid-Menon had posted a long social media comment, saying that the generally accepted view about child abuse relies ontwo things: the construction of morally abhorrent perpetrators/scapegoats and the production of pure, innocent victims But weneed to seriously overhaul the idea that there is a perfect victim anywhere. Little girls can be kinky, he/she/they chortled: Your kids arent as straight and narrow as you think they are. Like everybody else, Ive been a cute little girl. It is a matter of shame for every one of us that even today, all over the world, pleas of women who are sexually assaulted are often dismissed with she must have asked for it. This Vaid-Menon now wants to say the same for molested children. How sick can you get? This creature has already got some adulatory media coverage in India. Yes, we should be deeply worried. A horse, which was part of the coronation process of Britain's King Charles III, went rogue and rammed into the crowd watching the parade. A video of the incident has since become viral. The incident occurred after King Charles III was heading back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey. The clip shows the horse having lost control as it backed onto a crowd of onlookers who frantically stepped aside to make way for the agitated animal. A metal barrier also collapsed in the ensuing chaos. According to reports, a stretcher was arranged at the site but no one appeared to be hurt enough to need it. During today's coronation of the British King Charles the Third, an agitated horse, which was part of the royal procession, ran into the audience watching the event on the streets of London pic.twitter.com/29RXPOwK2e Spriter (@Spriter99880) May 6, 2023 King Charles III on Saturday became the 40th British monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, surrounded by heavy symbolism of his many passions, including a drive towards more sustainable living, a multi-faith outlook and a great love for India and the wider Commonwealth. While he ascended to the throne immediately after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II last September, the 74-year-old was formally crowned King of the United Kingdom when the Archbishop of Canterbury concluded the religious ceremony by inviting the 2,200-strong congregation and millions watching worldwide to swear allegiance to the new British Sovereign. As the heir to the throne, he made several visits to India and focussed many of his charitable efforts on India through the British Asian Trust founded by him in 2007 to tackle poverty and hardship in South Asia. The royal spoke of his 'great love for India' when he launched an emergency Covid appeal in 2021 and helped raise millions during India's severe pandemic wave. (With inputs from agencies) Read more: King Charles III: The monarch with a multi-faith outlook, great love for India A mere five-minutes walk from Akara at Churchill Chambers in Colaba is the 100-year-old Amar Chand Mansion, which now also houses Akara Contemporary, the newest art gallery in the city. Akara continues to be counted among one of the leading modern art galleries in the country since 2015, and with Akara Contemporary, they plan to focus their energies on the current and next generation of South Asian and international artists. Akara founder Puneet Shah is pretty gung-ho about their latest venture. We started our programming in 2015 with the realisation that no gallery was doing intergenerational exhibitions or showcasing both modern and contemporary art. Seven-eight years into that and with people having more exposure to the arts, we thought it would be nice to do a spin-off both for us and for the market, wherein our current gallery will continue to show the masters and the new gallery focuses only on contemporary. We also want to include Western artists along with the Indian, he says. The heritage structure in which it is housed, is archetypical of the British Raj and designed in an Indo-Saracenic style. With its white geometric balconies, intricate minaret detailing and brown sandstone, the grand structure can be spotted from afar. Inside, one cannot help but admire the high ceilings, decorative arches and floral motifs on the glass-stained windows. The 3,000 sq. ft layout is conducive to large-scale exhibitions. Speaking of exhibitions, the gallerys inaugural exhibition is titled "Let Me Tell You a Story" and curated by Lisbon-based curator Luiza Teixeira De Freitas. The two-part exhibition brings together significant artists from around the world who are showing in India for the first time. In fact, it is also the first time that Freitas is curating an exhibition in India. I am always cautious about working in places that I have never been to, mostly out of respect for my lack of knowledge towards the context. But Puneet (Shah) was very encouraging and made it clear to me that he was looking for someone used to working under an international context, says the curator who has done a lot of projects mostly in Latin America and the West Asia. I am always enthusiastic about knowing new cultures and being able to bring a little of what I am thinking about to dialogue with what is happening in each different city, she says. A group of 12 artists Indian and international are showing their works in the first part of the exhibition that alludes to the simplest of all opposites night and day. It brings together a body of work that reflects aspects of nightfall silence, darkness and the notion of things coming to an end. There are a myriad of connections that can be made between art and storytelling. In fact, storytelling in its basic concept is one of the most beautiful pillars of the human condition. Not only do we all carry our stories that together became our history, but it is by letting them out into the world to intertwine with others stories that life's meshes are made. The exhibition is in itself a story that is told by the many artworks that are combined in the space, says Freitas adding that her biggest concern when choosing the works was understanding which kind of practice the artist had and how could the story being told be seen and understood within the concept of the whole show, she says. While Bhagyashree Suthar applies meticulous detail to create forms that oscillate between the man-made and the biological, Rebecca Sharps fantastical worlds hold within them an innate sense of intimacy. Mexican artist Rodrigo Hernandezs own utopian universe finds its rhythm alongside the works of Mona Hatoum and Rivane Neuschwander, both portraying a different distortion of reality. Adding to Sarah Morriss beautiful night-time painting, are the works of Dhruva Mistry, Darren Almond, Edgardde Souza, and Mounira Al Solh, each creating a striking dialogue of their own. Tying together the ideas portrayed through the distinct practices of each artist, their works are used as a means of storytelling, and to contextualise international contemporary art to a larger audience. Freitas is also looking forward to seeing where Akara Contemporary goes from here. I think its a bold and right step for Akara to reinvent itself and step out of its comfort zone, trying a new segment and opening a bigger space. Akara has everything to be a wonderful platform for international contemporary art in India and for Indian contemporary art abroad; and the only way of doing this right is by opening the doors to other artists from different cultures to come in, opening up for dialogue and exchange. I am a strong believer that there is only to gain, she says. Let Me Tell You a Story Part 1 till June 10, 2023 at Akara Contemporary, Amar Chand Mansion, Colaba, Mumbai British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty hosted a Coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street here on Sunday for community heroes to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla as part of the country's long celebratory weekend. The invitees included US first lady Jill Biden and British Sikh entrepreneur Navjot Singh Sawhney, who won the UK PM's Points of Light Award earlier this year for his eco-friendly hand-cranked Washing Machine Project, which is benefitting over 1,000 families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries or refugee camps. The event was one of an estimated 50,000 Big Lunches or street parties being organised up and down the United Kingdom to celebrate the Coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. Ukrainians forced to flee the war-torn country amid its conflict with Russia were also present at the lunch. ''Come rain or shine, thousands of friends and neighbours are coming together this weekend to put up the bunting, pour the tea and cut the cake at street parties and community events across the UK," said Sunak. "I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own Coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment. In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future," he said. The British Indian leader made history at the Coronation ceremony on Saturday when he read a passage from a biblical book at the Abbey as the head of government of the host nation. Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and the UK's Indian First Lady, marched in with him as part of a Commonwealth Realms procession. Sunday marks the designated Big Lunch element of the Coronation weekend, a nationwide initiative to bring neighbours and communities together to celebrate the historic event. Downing Street has been adorned with bunting featuring the official Coronation emblem and the Union Flag. Crockery was donated by Emma Bridgewater the award-winning ceramics company based in Stoke-on-Trent including a limited-edition King Charles III teapot. Besides Sawhney, several other recipients of the Points of Light Award volunteers that have made an outstanding contribution to their community were invited to attend the event. ''Winning the Points of Light award and getting recognised by the Prime Minister is a phenomenal privilege. The Washing Machine Project's mission is to alleviate the burden of unpaid labour, mainly on women and children," said Sawhney of his work. Attendees enjoyed food sourced from across the UK, including Loch Duart salmon from Sutherland in North West Scotland and soda farl from Northern Ireland. Beef came from Gloucestershire in South West England and ice cream was sourced from Chilly Cow, a company based in Ruthin, Wales. Ukrainians fleeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and their UK-based sponsors also joined the event. They include Olga Breslavska who travelled to the UK as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and is currently studying an intensive English course. Caroline Quill a Homes for Ukraine sponsor has been instrumental in matching 250 families across East Sussex and Kent and will also join the lunch. Young people from organisations such as UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs were also invited to mark the occasion. Members of Britain's royal family will also attend some community events and street parties during the day before seeing the likes of pop stars Katy Perry and Take That perform at Windsor Castle at the Coronation Concert on Sunday evening. Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is among those scheduled to make an appearance at the concert. The Taliban agreed with China and Pakistan to extend the Belt and Road Initiative to Afghanistan, potentially drawing in billions of dollars to fund infrastructure projects in the sanctions-hit country. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met in Islamabad on Saturday and pledged to work together on Afghanistans reconstruction process including taking the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to the Taliban-ruled nation. The two sides agreed to continue their humanitarian and economic assistance for the Afghan people and enhance development cooperation in Afghanistan, including through extension of CPEC to Afghanistan, according to a joint statement issued by Pakistans foreign ministry following the meeting. Chinese and Pakistani officials have previously discussed extending the project to Afghanistan built under President Xi Jinpings flagship Belt and Road initiative that started almost a decade ago. The cash-strapped Taliban government has expressed readiness to participate in the project and the prospect of getting much needed infrastructure investment. The Talibans top diplomat, Amir Khan Muttaqi, travelled to Islamabad to meet his Chinese and Pakistani counterparts and reached an agreement, his deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad said by phone. The Taliban have also harboured hopes for China to boost investments in the countrys rich resources, estimated to be $1 trillion. The government inked its first contract in January with a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation to extract oil from the northern Amu Darya basin. The Chinese and Pakistani ministers also stressed on the need to unfreeze Afghanistans overseas financial assets. The Taliban has been blocked from accessing about $9 billion of Afghanistans central bank reserves held overseas on concerns the funds will be used for terror activities. Frozen Assets Washington later agreed to release half of it to bolster the economy but put it on hold after the Taliban imposed certain school and work restrictions on Afghan women last year. The militants-turned-administrators see investments as a way to fix a cash-strapped economy after international aid, accounting for 60% of public spending, was halted following the chaotic withdrawal of US troops in 2021. China, Russia, and Iran are among a handful of countries that maintain warm ties with the Taliban. They have provided aid in the tens of millions of dollars to the Taliban, but have stopped short of formally recognizing the government. The US remains the single largest donor to the humanitarian response by global agencies, having provided more than $2.1 billion since the Taliban retook power, according to a report. A UN agency said last week it requires $4.6 billion this year to help more than two-thirds of the countrys 40 million population whore living in extreme poverty. A 2022 Gallup poll showed that nine in ten Afghans find it difficult or very difficult to survive on their present income. Chinese businesses have been wary of investing in Afghanistan due to attacks by the Islamic State group, which is competing with the Taliban for influence. In December, the militant group took credit for an attack at a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese diplomats and businessmen. Theres also the presence of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a Xinjiang-based separatist group, thats kept Beijing rather cautious about expanding its influence. Muttaqis second visit to Pakistan comes days after the United Nations stressed the need to engage with the Taliban rulers as Afghanistan is facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Warren Buffett on Saturday criticized the handling of recent tumult in the banking sector and said a debt ceiling showdown could bring "turmoil" to the financial system, even as he offered a vote of confidence in the United States and his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N). Speaking at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting, Buffett criticized how politicians, regulators and the press have handled the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, saying their "very poor" messaging has unnecessarily frightened depositors. "Fear is contagious," he said, adding that "you can't run an economy" when people worry if their money is safe in banks. Buffett also warned of a growing "tribalism" in Washington where partisanship causes people to talk past each other. "We have to refine, in a certain way, our democracy as we go along. But if I still had a choice, I would want to be born in the United States. It is a better world than we've ever had." Buffett spoke hours after Berkshire posted a $35.5 billion quarterly profit and said it bought back $4.4 billion of its own stock, a sign it considered the shares undervalued. In contrast, it sold $13.3 billion of other companies' stocks, in a quarter where the S&P 500 Index (.SPX) rose 7%. The world's sixth-richest person, Buffett has since 1965 run Berkshire, whose dozens of businesses include Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad and consumer names such as Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom. Berkshire also owns $328 billion of stocks, close to half in Apple Inc (AAPL.O). The meeting featured Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 99, answering five hours of shareholder questions. Vice Chairmen Greg Abel, 60, and Ajit Jain, 71, joined in the morning. Buffett reiterated on Saturday that Abel would succeed him as CEO, while adding he had no plan if Abel could not. LIGHTED MATCH Buffett said regulators were right to guarantee depositors of Silicon Valley Bank, saying that not doing so "would have been catastrophic." He also said bank shareholders and executives should bear the risks of mismanagement, with Munger criticizing executives concerned more with getting rich than with customers. "A lighted match can be turned into a conflagration or can be blown out," Buffett said. "You have to have punishment for people who do the wrong thing." Buffett also said he could not imagine politicians or regulators being willing to "disrupt the world's financial system," including if Washington failed to break its impasse on raising the debt ceiling, or how much the government could borrow. Anticipating questions on banking, Buffett prompted laughter by putting in front of him a sign reading "AVAILABLE FOR SALE" and one reading "HELD-TO-MATURITY" before Munger. These referred to how lenders account for their securities, a central issue in the recent banking crisis. Buffett said Berkshire is cautious about banks and sold some bank stocks in the past six months. Saturday's meeting is the centerpiece of a weekend Buffett calls "Woodstock for Capitalists" that draws tens of thousands of people to Omaha, Nebraska, its hometown. Attendance surged from 2022. Unlike last year the downtown arena hosting the meeting was filled to capacity. BUFFETT: "APPLE IS A BETTER BUSINESS" In discussing Berkshire's performance, Buffett said perhaps a majority of its operating businesses may fare worse in 2023 than in 2022 as economic activity slows. But he said Berkshire can offset this with more income from investments, including $7 billion of Treasury bills bought in April. Buffett defended the size of Berkshire's $151 billion Apple investment, saying consumers are less likely to shed their $1,500 iPhones than, for example, their $35,000 second cars. "Apple is different than the other businesses we own," Buffett said. "It just happens to be a better business." Berkshire has recently held a 5.6% stake in Apple, and Buffett said it could buy more. "Portfolio management practices would suggested there is definitely concentration risk with having so much Apple in that portfolio," said Cathy Seifert, vice-president at CFRA Research. He also said that while Berkshire owns nearly one-fourth of Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N), it has no plans to take control of the company. Munger, a longtime China bull who spearheaded Berkshire's investment in electric car company BYD Co , called for lowered tensions and increased trade between that country and the United States. Buffett cited those tensions in saying he is more comfortable deploying capital in Japan than in Taiwan. WAITING ON LINE Prior to the meeting, dozens of uniform-clad pilots at Berkshire-owned NetJets demonstrated outside the arena, protesting low pay and long hours. Thousands of shareholders, meanwhile, lined up outside the arena before it opened at 7 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT). Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their ages. Vidhya Vivekananda, an investment associate from Vancouver, Canada, said she and her husband showed up 30 minutes earlier for their first meeting. "It has been on our bucket list for a long time," she said. "We don't know how long it will be with Warren and Charlie before they pass it on." Yongsheng Zhao, who lives in Shanghai and is a researcher for an asset management firm, said he showed up at midnight with a chair to see Buffett and Munger for the eighth time. "I am inspired by their passion and normalcy," he said. "I would hope they can go another five years, or more." Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Seoul on Sunday to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, facing a skeptical public there as the leaders seek deeper ties amid nuclear threats from North Korea and Chinas increasing assertiveness, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya. Kishidas bilateral visit, the first by a Japanese leader to Seoul in 12 years, returns the trip Yoon made to Tokyo in March, where they sought to close a chapter on the historical disputes that have dominated Japan-South Korea relations for years. Yoon is facing criticism at home that he has given more than hes received in his efforts to improve relations with Japan, including by proposing that South Korean businesses - not Japanese companies as ordered by a court - compensate victims of wartime labor during Japans 1910-1945 colonial occupation. South Korean officials are hopeful that Kishida will make some kind of gesture in return and offer some political support, although few observers expect any further formal apology for historical wrongs. Yoon himself has signaled he doesnt believe that is necessary. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALLEN, Texas (AP) A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and started shooting people at a Dallas-area outlet mall Saturday, killing eight and wounding seven others three critically before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting, the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S., sent hundreds fleeing in panic. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept. A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room. We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents. Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, it added. Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an unspeakable tragedy. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and one who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded. The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. ___ Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. Three people were killed and 12 others wounded in another avalanche in Mugu district in northwestern Nepal, a local official said on Sunday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. A total of 15 people from the neighboring Jumla district went to Mugu in search of yarsagumba, a caterpillar fungus, but they were hit by an avalanche on Saturday. "All the 15 people were buried in the avalanche, 12 people could flee the scene but three lost their lives," Purna Singh Bohora, chairperson of the Patarasi Rural Municipality where the yarsagumba pickers are from, told Xinhua. The injured were receiving treatment at a local health post, he said. A team of security personnel was sent for the rescue operation, but was hindered by snowfall, said Mohan Bahadur Thapa, chief district officer of Mugu, which is known as the most remote district in Nepal. "The incident site is about a two-day walk from the district headquarters. Our rescue team hasn't reached there yet," he told Xinhua. On May 2, five pickers of yarsagumba were killed in an avalanche in the Darchula district in far-western Nepal. BCs Tales of the Pacific | Whats right and wrong in the Pacific This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated. Savannah N. Ketcham, 31, of 800 N. Illinois Ave. is being sought on a warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court on an illegal transportation of alcohol charge and two counts of driving under the influence. She is a white female standing 5 foot 3 and weighing 190 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. Aaron C. Logue, 30, of 1144 S. Main St. is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on charges of possession of methamphetamine and violating an order of protection. He is a white male standing 5 foot 6 and weighing 189 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. Kaylona H. Avery, 33, of 460 E. Broadway St., Virginia, is being sought on a warrant accusing her of violating probation on a possession of methamphetamine charge. She is a white female standing 5 feet tall and weighing 95 pounds. She has blonde hair and green eyes. Brandon E. Ford, 29, of 1537 Alsey-Manchester Road, Roodhouse, is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a possession of methamphetamine charge. He is a white male standing 6 foot 1 and weighing 145 pounds. He has blond hair and brown eyes. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Marquis D. Carey-Nelson, 28, of 800 Illinois Ave. was arrested at 7:03 p.m. Saturday on a charge of resisting or obstructing a peace officer. Xavier K. Rogers, 26, of 800 Illinois Ave. was arrested at 7:03 p.m. Saturday on a battery charge after being accused of punching a neighbor. Jason E. Paegelow, 42, of Bluffs was cited on a disorderly conduct charge at 3:35 p.m. Saturday after being accused of causing a disturbance in the 200 block of West Morgan Street. Jimmie J. White, 41, of 316 Dunlap St. was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Friday on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he was found inside a porch in the 900 block of East College Avenue without permission. A burglary charge was added at 12:41 a.m. Saturday, according to police reports. Briana J. Bolton, 42, of Murrayville was cited on a charge of unlawful visitation interference at 6:26 p.m. Friday after being accused of refusing to allow a parental visit. Holly L. Goers, 49, of 233 E. Market St., Winchester, was arrested at 3:38 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia after the car she was driving was stopped at South Clay and East College avenues. She was also cited on charges of operating a vehicle with registration suspended for lack of insurance and possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle, according to police reports. Johnnie R. Moore, 59, of 615 W. Lafayette Ave. was arrested at 1:11 a.m. Friday on a possession of suspected methamphetamine charge after the car he was driving was stopped at Washington Street and Yates Avenue. He was also cited on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended, according to police reports. ACCIDENTS Jovonya L. Seay, 37, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of failing to yield after her vehicle and one being driven by Jason E. Greiner, 50, of Winchester collided at 9:17 a.m. Friday in the 100 block of West Morton Avenue. THEFTS, BURGLARIES About $15 in currency was stolen from a residence in the 300 block of West Beecher Avenue, according to a report filed at 9:21 p.m. Friday. Someone stole two packs of cigarettes from an unlocked truck in the 1000 block of East Morton Avenue between 3 p.m. Thursday and 9:30 a.m. Friday. VANDALISM A tire was damaged on a car parked in the 100 block of Walnut Court, according to a report filed at 10:09 a.m. Saturday. FIRES No injuries were reported in a fire at 3:43 a.m. Saturday at 4 Fayette Court. Firefighters were on scene for about an hour. An estimate of damage was unavailable. South Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Larissa A.M. Bragg, 19, of 360 Marion St. was arrested at 8:35 p.m. Saturday on a disorderly conduct charge after police said she was in a fight at Prairie Land Heritage Museum, 1005 W. Michigan Ave. Corina S. Fortune, 34, of 30 Maple Creek Estates, Woodson, was arrested at 8:35 p.m. Saturday on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer after police said she was in a fight at Prairie Land Heritage Museum, 1005 W. Michigan Ave. A 14-year-old boy was arrested at 8:18 p.m. Saturday on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer after police said he was in a fight at Prairie Land Heritage Museum, 1005 W. Michigan Ave. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. About 1.7 million people have attended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans campaign rally in Istanbul, Trend reports. "According to the official data that I have received, about 1.7 million people are participating in the rally. If the people of Istanbul say "yes" to the elections, the issue [of electing a president] can be considered resolved," President Erdogan said during the rally. Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in Turkiye on 14 May 2023, alongside parliamentary elections. Voters will elect a president for a term of five years. Early elections in the country were postponed due to the deadly earthquake. It is estimated that about 65 million voters will cast their votes in the elections (over 60 million in the country, and some 3.6 million abroad). The president of Turkiye is directly elected through the two-round system, under which a candidate must obtain a simple majority (more than 50 percent) of the popular vote in order to be elected. If no candidate secures an overall majority outright, then a runoff is held between the two most voted-for candidates from the first round, the winner of which is then declared elected. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been the president of Turkiye since 2014. S. Korean, Japanese leaders meet again to improve ties View Photo SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The leaders of South Korea and Japan met Sunday for their second summit in less than two months, as they push to mend long-running historical grievances and boost ties in the face of North Koreas nuclear program and other regional challenges. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. It was the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbors in 12 years. South Korean media attention on the summit is focused on whether Kishida will make a more direct apology over Japans 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Such comments by Kishida would likely help Yoon win greater support for his push to build stronger ties with Japan and ease domestic criticism that hes preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without receiving corresponding steps in return. It took 12 years to restore the shuttle diplomacy but our exchange of visits took less than two months, Yoon said at the start of the meeting. I think this confirms that South Korean-Japan relations, which have started fresh, are moving forward with a speed. Yoon said cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo is essential considering the current grave international political situation and the global polycrisis. He didnt elaborate, but has previously cited North Koreas advancing nuclear program, the intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain problems as reasons for greater cooperation with Japan. Kishida said he and Yoon plan to exchange views to further develop bilateral relations. Kishida said that a series of dialogues has dynamically started moving since his summit with Yoon in March, during which he said the two leaders wiped out somewhat shrunk mood to strengthen our dialogue and cooperation. South Korean and Japanese officials said their leaders would discuss North Koreas nuclear program, South Korean-Japanese economic security and overall relations, and other unspecified international issues. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honored in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. In their March summit, Yoon and Kishida agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. In recent weeks, the two countries have also withdrawn the economic retaliatory steps they had earlier taken against each other in previous years when their history row rekindled. The most recent sticking point in their ties was 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labor. The verdicts angered Japan, which has argued that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. In an escalation of tensions, the two countries later downgraded each others trade status, while Seoul also threatened to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Some activists and residents in South Korea staged campaigns to boycott Japanese products, as well. The strained South Korea-Japan ties complicated U.S. efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoons conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labor victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida. Yoons push drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. White House officials have expressed some frustration with the tepid response from Tokyo on the forced labor compensation deal and hope that Kishida will use an upcoming visit to South Korea in early May to do more, Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in an analysis published last week. Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, Chinas assertiveness and Russias war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. After his March summit with Yoon, Kishida said he upholds the positions of previous Japanese governments including one carried in the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul on improving ties, but didnt make a new apology. In the 1998 declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said that I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Asked whether he would discuss the forced labor victims with Yoon, Kishida said in his pre-departure comments: We will frankly exchange our views on this. Seoul and Tokyo have a slew of other sensitive historical and territorial disputes, mostly related to the Japanese colonization. In a reminder of the delicate nature of their ties, diplomats between the two countries last week spatted over a South Korean lawmakers visit to disputed islets located in the waters between the two countries. Earlier, Seoul protested Kishidas offering of religious offerings to a Tokyo shrine that it views as a symbol of Japans wartime aggression. ___ Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press The latest high-profile mass shooting in the United States happened Saturday in Allen, Texas, where eight people were killed and seven were wounded at a busy outdoor shopping center before police killed the gunman. The attack is the country's 22nd mass killing in which four or more people died, not including the assailant of 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Here are some other notable U.S. mass shootings over the past 12 months: HENRYETTA, OKLAHOMA An Oklahoma sex offender shot his wife, her three children and their two friends in the head on April 30 before he killed himself. The shooter had moved the victims' bodies, which were found in a heavily wooded area on a rural Oklahoma property. CLEVELAND, TEXAS A man shot and killed five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy, on April 28 after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because a baby was trying to sleep. The shooter was arrested after a multi-day manhunt. BOWDOIN, MAINE Four people were killed in a home and three others were wounded by gunfire April 18 on a busy highway in a neighboring community. A man who was released from prison a few days earlier is charged in the killings. DADEVILLE, ALABAMA Four young people were killed and 32 others were wounded by gunfire at a girl's Sweet 16 party in Dadeville on April 15. Police arrested two teenagers and a 20-year-old man on murder charges. LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY An employee shot and killed five people and wounded eight others inside the Old National Bank in Louisville while livestreaming the attack on April 10. Police later shot and killed the gunman. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Three students and three adults were killed inside The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27. The suspect, a former student, was killed by police. HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA A farmworker killed seven people in back-to-back shootings at two Northern California mushroom farms on Jan. 23, authorities said. He is facing charges. MONTEREY PARK, CALIFORNIA A 72-year-old man killed 11 people and wounded nine others in a shooting at a Lunar New Year dance in Monterey Park on Jan. 21. The suspect later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA The manager at a Walmart in Chesapeake killed six people and wounded six others during an employee meeting on Nov. 22. Police say the suspect shot himself. COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO An attacker shot and killed five people and wounded 17 others at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs on Nov. 19. The suspected assailant was subdued by patrons and is awaiting trial. RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA A 15-year-old boy shot and killed five people and wounded two others in Raleigh on Oct. 13, authorities said. The suspect eluded officers for hours before he was cornered in a home and arrested. HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS Seven people were killed and at least 30 wounded when a gunman on a rooftop opened fire on a July 4 parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. The suspected gunman is awaiting trial. The suspect's father was indicted for helping his son obtain a gun license despite his son's history of making violent threats. PHILADELPHIA Three people were shot and killed and 11 others were wounded on June 4 on a busy Philadelphia street during a melee that began with a fistfight and was followed by random gunfire. Two men were later arrested in two of the killings, and other people have been arrested in connection with the melee. TULSA, OKLAHOMA A gunman killed his surgeon and three other people at a medical office on June 1. The shooter killed himself as police arrived. UVALDE, TEXAS An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School on May 24 in the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade. More than 15 other people were wounded. Law enforcement killed the attacker. LAGUNA WOODS, CALIFORNIA One person was killed and five were wounded on May 15 after a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners in Southern California. Authorities have said the gunman was motivated by hatred for Taiwan. He has been charged with murder and other counts. BUFFALO, NEW YORK A white supremacist opened fire on May 14, 2022, at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood, killing 10 people and wounding several others. The shooter pleaded guilty to murder and other charges and was sentenced to life in prison. South Korea and the United States will hold working-level talks on cybersecurity this week in Seoul, the defense ministry here said Sunday, amid the allies' efforts to counter evolving North Korean threats from multiple domains, Trend reports citing Yonhap. The eighth session of the director-general-level Cyber Cooperation Working Group (CCWG) is set to take place Monday and Tuesday. It marks the first in-person session in four years following a hiatus caused largely by the COVID-19 pandemic. The two sides plan to discuss their cybersecurity policies, current trends of cyberthreats and joint efforts to strengthen cybersecurity training, according to the ministry. "The two sides expect the two defense authorities can work to further strengthen their cybersecurity cooperation mechanism through the upcoming session," the ministry said in a press release. The CCWG was launched in 2014 to serve as a venue for the allies' key discussions on cybersecurity. Its outcomes had been dealt with at the two countries' annual defense ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting. My Dear People. THE Workers Day commemorations this year was yet another occasion that showcased the incompetence of the Ngwena regime and its dispensation of poverty, darkness and confusion. At the commemorations held by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions the countrys International Labour Organisation laid bare the incompetence of Ngwenas regime with the revelation that more than 100 000 workers lost their jobs in the first quarter of this year alone. This is a far cry from Ngwenas declaration, which he made soon after being catapulted into power on the back of guns and tanks and probably still excited by the smell of gunpowder when he said he would create jobs, jobs, jobs. If anything, since he forced his way into power Scarfmore has created joblessness, joblessness, joblessness. This level of job carnage would have never happened under the telescopic foresight and wise leadership of Gushungo. Ngwena is finally realising that it takes more than guns and tanks to create jobs kkkkkk. Such has been the level of failure that neither Ngwena nor his lieutenants attended Workers Day commemorations held by trade unions as they had nothing to show for what they have done for workers since bulldozing their way into power. Instead, his regime this year created its own event to mark the day led by an affiliate Fitness Walk 4 ED which was officiated, by of all people, Generari. To have Generari talk about workers rights when he has stifled protests by health workers with the threat of arrest and making plans to criminalise their employment by other countries in his capacity as the Health minister, was nothing short of stinking hypocrisy. At a time when the majority of the countrys citizens are wallowing in poverty with the Zimbabwe dollar continuing to rapidly lose value and virtually every sector of the countrys economy in the doldrums, Ngwena decided that this was the ideal time to buy a brand new presidential jet. Indeed Ngwena is the embodiment of being tone deaf. At a time when the countrys health sector is in a state of collapse with lack of basic resources such as painkillers and bandages and at a time nearly half the country is facing starvation amid increasing levels of poverty, the last thing Ngwena should be seen buying is a jet. Unopenga!!! This is the impoverished leadership of Ngwena that I warned you about my fellow Zimbabweans as I travelled the length and breadth of the country before the coup. It was my duty to do so as a loving mother of the nation, who is far more caring for the countrys citizens than you know who. This lack of sensitivity and probity is the reason the coup in 2017, which led to the removal of the wisdom-imbued Gushungo, should go down as one of the darkest eras of this country since independence in 1980. The threats on dancehall artiste Winky D against singing his popular track Ibotso, which highlights the rot that has crippled the country and has worsened since Ngwena took over by state agents, shows that democracy is a stranger to this rabble that claims to be the second repubric. That Ngwenas regime spends time worrying about a song when it has so many national problems to address is indicative of the bankrupt leadership of Ngwenas regime. The persecution of Winky D as well as the arrest and conviction of Citizens Coalition for Change Job Sikhala, spokesperson Fadzai Mahere and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume is ample demonstration of a regime that is not only clueless, but one scared of democracy. I always knew that Ngwenas promise to strengthen democracy when he barreled into power was a load of codswallop. This regime would not recognise democracy even if it hit them in the backside. I have taken note of the apology of Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) head of security Cleopas Chidodo who made the scurrilous allegations that I had smuggled diamonds and ivory out of the country in an Al Jazeera documentary. To those who believed this nonsense and had wanted to use it to sully my reputation as the best ever first lady this country has ever had, I say munopenga!!! Anyone who knows me undoubtedly has laughed off these ridiculous claims. This is why I believe Chidodo when he says that his drinks were spiked because no one of sound mind could spew such hogwash. When I first heard this madness, I could not help but have a sneaky suspicion that Ngwena and his coup gangstas were behind it kkkkk. I could be wrong of course, but given their reputation, it cannot be put past this lot. Joji has been boasting about the improved power supply on Twitter. God help us!!! It is laughable that a government official in the 21st century still boasts of being able to provide a basic right such as electricity. Munopenga!!! This is what happens when incompetence becomes the norm and not the exception. I see a lot of excitement around the properties that Bona and my errant son-in-law are tussling over. Instead of saluting Gushungo for his hard work and making sure that his children dont suffer after sacrificing 37 years of his life serving you, some of your ungrateful lot are calling it greed. Munopengaaaa! Do you think if you discover the extent of Ngwenas property portfolio you will say all this nonsense? Gushungo chete chete Dr Amai Stop it! PhD (Fake) The Standard Breaking News via Email I FIRST came across Nikita Mangena at Mgagao in Tanzania around May and June 1976 during the Joint Military Command which was called Zimbabwe Peoples Army (Zipa). I still remember as it was on a Saturday, he had arrived at the camp with Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) to address us about the purpose of joining the forces, thats Zanla and ZIPRA, for training. It was my first time meeting and hearing him talk. His address was mainly about defining the colonial system and the reason that had made the two forces unite. I was impressed by his eloquence and the fact that he was able to inspire. He emphasised the idea that all recruits needed to train hard and fight easily at the front. The second encounter was when we were now at Morogoro. It was after the Joint Military Command that happened at Mgagao Camp under ZIPA, (which was short-lived). ZIPRA decided to continue its training at Morogoro without cadres from Zanla. At Morogoro we would wake up early in the morning for physical exercises, which involved long runs, and at one time it so happened that I had a running stomach. While we were running I got discomfort in my stomach, and I decided to relieve myself at a nearby bush which was along the road. I just simply came out from the run. Shortly when I came out from the bush I bumped into Nikita Mangena and Ambrose Mutinhiri who were also running from the back following us. I was just absent-minded, and it was Mutinhiri who shouted and said: Iwe urikuita nezwei (Hey, you, who are you and what are you doing there). While I was trying to explain myself, Nikita responded and said, Mfana gijima khathesi ubambe abanye njalo asifuni kukuthola ngoba kungabakubi (Young man run and join others, we do not want to catch up with you because if do, you will be in for it). I ran very fast as I knew that if those two managed to run and arrive before me at the parade square, I was going to be beaten and punished. What made it worse was that they had said so. You know how it is when you are told by your commander what to do. To tell you what, I got to the parade square shortly before they arrived. I think they realised that I had arrived and just looked at me and ignored me. On the third encounter, it was when Nikita had visited us at the front a month before his sudden death. He was in a happy mood asking us questions about operations and I realised that he was a hands-on commander who always wanted to understand how his troops were managing at the front. He was someone who would ask about your challenge and require one to be having a solution to it rather than simply stating a problem. During that visit, he showed us his finger that was shot at the Freedom Camp. What amazed us was the fact that he was making a joke about his finger but warned that it could happen to anyone as we were at war. He underscored the fact that they would be visiting cadres at the front from Mashonaland Central to Victoria Falls. The last and final encounter was during his death. I happened to be the person who witnessed his death as he died in my arms after we had rescued him. It so happened that I was in Zambia to collect supplies to take them back to my operational area in Lupane. On our return to collect supplies, we were deployed about 40km from the Zambezi River by Cde Matshiya. However, let me not get into too much detail about that operation lest I go off-topic. Within that operation, I found myself in a situation that resulted in the death of many comrades who were commanded by Assaf Ndinda (Herbert Mutema). An ambush was laid by the Rhodesians. He and others were caught up in that ambush as Assaf was on his way to hand over troops to Ananias Gwenzi (General Philip Valerio Sibanda). Gwenzi was meant to receive the troops and further deploy them in areas such as Gokwe. However, that did not happen. The next morning at around 4am, while trying to figure out what was to be done to clear the remains of the comrades, we noticed people along the road in the direction of Kabanga Mission. I was now on high alert for anything. Quickly, I instructed my troops who were deployed on my (extreme) right to let the men come, pass the middle of the deployment where I was. The idea was to round up the men for attack. Luckily, when they were about to pass my position I noticed Eddie Sigoge, Enoch Tshangane, and Commander Mangena. I stood up, approached them for a salute, greeting and for some briefing. Mangena took charge of the situation as the commander and ordered me and my troops to clear the road towards the ambush area. I had 20 men and Mangena gave me more troops who were almost 20 as well. We quickly moved to the area that needed to be cleared with 40 troops. By 12 noon we were done with clearing the area, but the surprising thing was that the Rhodesians were still within the vicinity. We were sure of that as we kept smelling the cigarette smoke. Upon completing the task, we called the command group to inspect. The next task was to clear the bodies for possible booby traps before burying the remains. That took us the whole afternoon into midnight. It was a taxing process, but it needed to be done. After the process, we started marching along the road north of the Kabanga Mission. We moved either side of the road while the command element was in the middle of the formation. As we had moved about 6km, Commander Mangena ordered Cde Donki to instruct the signal man to call the vehicles to pick them up. The commander was now complaining of the pains that he was now feeling from his leg and hand following his attack at Freedom Camp. We pleaded with Donki that it was not in the best interest to call the vehicles as the Rhodesians were in the vicinity and anything was possible. I remember Cde Jack Daki Mpofu also refused. Donki then advised the commander of the volatility of calling the vehicles. Mangena gave in and consented to our plea of not to use the vehicles. We feared being ambushed. We continued to march and after 30 minutes, Mangena requested some time to rest as his knee was now giving him a hard time. I think after 10 minutes we continued with the march and after a while the commander requested once more that the vehicles be brought in to pick them up. We all resisted and still we were citing the same reasons. Cde Donki stood his ground and resisted. We continued with the march for about 5km. While moving another halt was called once more. This time Mangena ignored Donki and instructed the signalman to call the vehicle. In his words, he said, Zwanini bizani izimota sengikhathele, kulezinto ezinengi okumele zenziwe(Listen, I order the vehicles to come here, I am now very tired. We are in a rush for other pressing things). There was nothing Cde Donki or anyone could do now that the commander had spoken assertively. The commander had given the instruction. No one could oppose that order. The vehicles came as instructed from the northern side along the road. Unfortunately, I think we were only left with 3km to reach the place where the command group had left their Land Rovers. We were told to embark on the vehicles. I still remember Daki Mpofu and some that I seem to forget refused to board the vehicles and said they will proceed on foot. I was also very tired, imagine having spent two days in an operation and burying our comrades. I quickly jumped into the vehicle and sat on the front seat next to the driver. The rest of the command group had gone in except for Enoch Tshangane and Commander Nikita Mangena. Tshangane ordered me out of the front seat. In his words he said, Kanti wena mfana wahlala endaweni kaCommander uyahlanya kanti. Phanga uphume. (Young man why are you seated at the seat that is meant for the commander? Please vacate the place). I obliged as ordered by the senior commander. I then went to the back, but I found no space. I couldnt walk as I was so tired. I had to then cling onto the vehicle step and held the top bar pole. In other words, I was standing on the step and balanced with the top pole. I gave the signal that I had boarded, and the vehicle moved. Within 80 metres distance, and the car had only changed two gears, the Land Rover detonated the landmine and exploded. It threw me a stones throw away from where it overturned. The first thing I looked for after I woke up was my AK-47. I could not find it. There was confusion all over. Those that refused to board the vehicle came running to rescue some comrades. Suddenly, we heard a very loud cry for help in the vehicle. Donki who was now on his feet called me and the other two to check who was yelling for help and trapped by the vehicle. We lifted the car and we found Commander Nikita Mangena. The iron bar pole of the vehicle had broken and lay on his back. No one said anything. We just took him to the roadside and laid him there. He looked like someone who was in pain. While we were now at the roadside he continued crying and saying, Kanti kwenzakalani, vele kanti ngifelani. (What is happening, why do I have to die). Donki and I tried to calm him by assuring him that he was not dying. I then left Donki and the other two attending to the commander while I joined other comrades who were still searching for casualties and rescuing comrades. During the search, we discovered two dead bodies. One was called Pressman and the other one I seem to have forgotten the name. Meanwhile, on the other side, Daki Mpofu was rescuing Sigoge, Bella and Tshangane. Tshangane seemed so confused and all over the place. Daki ordered that they take the gun from Tshangane as he was almost losing his mind. We had to disarm him for safety reasons. I got relieved when I found my AK-47. I ran back to where the commander was lying to guard as instructed by Donki. While with the commander he was more in need of lying with the other side which was his left. I had to lift him to help him to be comfortable while others were still busy rescuing and helping other comrades. Mangena had a deep cut on his back. Suddenly, machine gun fire came from the ridge on the right side of the road. Cadres fired back and there was a deep exchange of gunfire which injured Daki Mpofu on his left leg. I could not run to Daki as I was still holding the commander. Others rushed and took Daki on a stretcher bed. While I was still holding Mangena, he just gasped and breathed his last breath in my arms. Mangena had died. Most comrades realised it when I had to lay him down and salute. They realised that when I saluted that the commander had gone. It was a painful moment. At that time I thought of what ZIPRA would be without a hands-on commander. Donki ordered that I run and brief Cde Richard Gedi of what had happened. Gedi was left with other vehicles when the command group came through the day to bury Assaf and the crew. Quickly, Gedi came through and as the most senior he took over the command and orders were made. Casualties were taken to the Zambian Army bases while the dead were to be camouflaged in the nearby stream. Shortly before the remains of Mangena were taken up by the Zambian government, we feared the worst that the Rhodesians might ambush us once more and take hold of the remains. So, when we saw helicopters hovering around, we took it to the stream together with some others to camouflage it. We took his remains into the stream and held it firm so that he was not to be swept away with water current. Later, Zambians took charge and the remains of Mangena were flown to Lusaka for burial proceedings. This is how far I get in narrating my interaction with the late ZIPRA Commander. May His Soul continue to rest in peace. Lt-Col Moyo operated in Binga, Lupane and Nkayi districts under the pseudonym Cde Lloyd Zvananewako or Mabhikwa. This narration was extracted from a book written in tribute to Cde Mangena and was edited by historian Methembe Hillary Hadebe. Sunday News Breaking News via Email Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway dumps billions of dollars of US stocks FT Nobody Knows Anything, FedWatch Edition The Big Picture Climate Water #COVID19 U.S. Pilot, Air Traffic Controller Shortage Leading To Fewer Flights Forbes. Tis a mystery! China? Chinese tourists filmed crawling on cliff edge without safety gear prompts official probe as mainland social media questions tourism value of dangerous thrill-seeking South China Morning Post. Chinas capitalist ruling class normalizing precarity? After hottest April ever, Asia braces for new extreme weather normal as El Nino looms to supercharge heat South China Morning Post Fear of Covid-19 patients straining Southeast Asia hospitals returns as cases soar South China Morning Post Africa Dear Old Blighty New Not-So-Cold War 2024 No Ties to You: MSNBC Host Spins Possible Hunter Biden Charges In Rare Interview With President Jonathan Turley. Biden was going to hold a presser so he goes on MSDNC instead, lol. B-a-a-a-a-d Banks Digital Watch Our Famously Free Press Judgment Day Has Arrived for the Journalism Business The Honest Broker. Well worth a read. Lots and lots of stupid money in media. Supply Chain Gunz Assange A Kingly Proposal: Letter from Julian Assange to King Charles III Julian Assange, Declassified UK Zeitgeist Watch Realignment and Legitimacy The Jackpot Guillotine Watch Everybody Wants to Go to Maine Bloomberg. Maine needs A Wall. Class Warfare Swearing Like A Sailor May Not Be Such A Bad Thing Discover Make Hope Covid Underground The Double Flame: Octavio Paz on Love The Marginalian Antidote du jour (via): Bonus antidote: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Lambert here: As before, Lira holds dual Chilean-American citizenship. So Yves remarks: I suggest Lira followers call their Chilean Embassy or Consulate to demand that Lira either be allowed his freedom or transported safely out of Ukraine. Worth noting that Lira seems to be part of a more general enforcement of Their Democracy: Ukraine security forces are rounding up and arresting what they call "internet agitators" whose heinous crimes allegedly include posting political opinions online, using certain social media sites, and criticizing the Ukraine military. Freedom and democracy on full display pic.twitter.com/NaemEuKBRh Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 6, 2023 I love it that glorification can be a crime in Ukraine. We should do that! * * * By Andrew Korybko, a political analyst, journalist and regular contributor to several online journals, as well as a member of the expert council for the Institute of Strategic Studies and Predictions at the Peoples Friendship University of Russia. Originally published at Automatic Earth. Dual American-Chilean national Gonzalo Lira was recently arrested by Ukraines secret police on charges pertaining to wartime propaganda, for which he faces the possibility of 5-8 years in jail. The US Governments (USG) silence on this incident completely contrasts with its hysteria over Wall Street Journal (WSJ) employee Evan Gershkovichs arrest in Russia last month on charges of espionage after he was caught red-handed soliciting classified military-industrial information from a regional lawmaker. This is a betrayal of American principles since the freedom of speech is regarded as a sacred right of all its citizens no matter where they might be at any given time. Regardless of whatever one might think about Liras views and the particular piece of Ukrainian legislation that was cited as the basis for arresting him, the USG is supposed to support the rights of its nationals abroad. This is especially so whenever theyre arrested for expressing an opinion and/or practicing journalism like he was. Its silence in the face of this scandalous incident suggests a degree of complicity in, or at the very least tacit approval of, Liras arrest since nothing else cogently explains the conspicuous lack of any response. These suspicions are further reinforced by the fact that one of the USGs leading information warfare assets in Ukraine, transgender mercenary Michael John Cirillo, admitted to the Daily Beast that he colluded with the SBU on its case against Lira and even plans to testify against him. In his exact words, Ive already given my sworn statement to SBU about Gonzalo Lira several months ago and expect to be called as a witness in his prosecution. Cirillo also added on Twitter that When Im on Capitol Hill in 10 days, no doubt the arrest of Gonzalo Lira will be a prime topic of conversation. Instead of seeking his release, the USG is relying on one of its top propagandists in that country to pursue Liras conviction, prior to which their proxy brazenly plans to boast about this to Congress. It should also be noted that Cirillo told this to Julia Davis, whos banned by Russia on the basis of having worked against its national interests at the behest of hostile powers, which obviously refers to the USG in this context. Her article also mentions that she obtained exclusive footage of Liras arrest, which could only have been obtained by the SBU, whose employees shared it with her precisely because they know that shes one of their patrons most reliable agents and would thus use it to humiliate Lira in her piece. These facts lead to the conclusion that the USG is indeed complicit in Ukraines arrest of this dual American national. Its not even hiding its complicity in Liras persecution either after one of its leading information warfare assets in that country admitted to colluding with the secret police on this case, told the media that he plans to testify against him, and even plans to brag about this to Congress. The USG is perversely proud of this since it hopes to pressure critics of its proxy war into self-censoring. This objective also clearly includes its own citizens like Lira, who the USG hates with a passion since his brave reporting from Kharkov discredited many of their claims about this conflict. It could have simply requested that Kiev deport him in order to lessen the damage that hes inflicted on their information warfare operations, but it preferred to make an example out of him by pursuing his prosecution. Cirillos role in this incident and his plans to brag about it to Congress leave no doubt about the USG complicity. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Most of the material in this short post will be quoted from a wonderful article in the American Historical Review, Kathryn Olivariuss Immunity, Capital, and Power in Antebellum New Orleans (2019). I recommend you grab a cup of coffee and read it in full, now or later; the article is gripping and very readable, and offers me, at least, a whole new perspective on the workings of the Slave Power. From the Abstract: Antebellum New Orleans sat at the heart of Americas slave and cotton kingdoms. But it was also the nations necropolis, with yellow fever routinely killing about 8 percent of its population. With little epidemiological understanding of mosquito-borne virusesand meager public health infrastructurea persons only protection against the scourge was to get acclimated: fall sick with, and survive, yellow fever. About half of all people died in the acclimating process. Repeated epidemics generated a hierarchy of immunocapital whereby acclimated citizens (survivors) leveraged their immunity for social, economic, and political power and unacclimated strangers (poor recent immigrants) languished in social and professional purgatory. For whites, acclimation was the quintessential demonstration of calculated risk-taking: that people had paid their biological dues, were worthy of investment, and could now justifiably pursue economic advancement in slave racial capitalism. For black slaves, who were embodied capital, immunity enhanced the value and safety of that capital for their white owners, strengthening the set of racialized assumptions about the black body bolstering racial slavery. By fusing health with capitalism, this article presents a new modelbeyond the toxic fusion of white supremacy with the flows of global capitalismfor how power operated in nineteenth-century Atlantic society Immunocapital is seen by Olivarius as a Bourdiesian[1] form of capital (footnote 22). But the article does not delve into those forms, in particular social capital and symbolic capital. The two are often confused, and immunocapital, which fortuitously highlights the difference between them, turns out to be an interesting edge case. First, Ill expand on the New Orleans economy, yellow fever, and acclimation. After that, Ill define social capital and symbolic capital, and show that immunocapital is the latter, not the former. Finally, the rhyme between Yellow Fever and the current plague will not have escaped the reader, and I will briefly comment on it. Here is Olivarius on the New Orleans economy when chattel slavery was still a thing: Recently, historians have situated New Orleans at the heart of slave racial capitalism, a system based on the violent commodification of enslaved black people. Despite its fixation on human bodies and environmental manipulation, this new historiography has largely ignored infectious disease, though sickness and death permeate the primary source record. On this new historiography, see NC here and here). More: And though it has explored the numerous capitalist calculations made by white Deep Southernerswhen, whom, and what to buy and sell; when, whom, and what to borrow against, insure, or collateralizeit has not explored the myriad calculations Deep Southerners made as a direct result of epidemic disease: when to quit the city; when to sell products to minimize disease exposure; how to project confidence to clients, creditors, and vendors during epidemics; who was safe to employ, buy from, or partner with. By ignoring diseases pervasiveness and the randomness of the biological draw, these historians ultimately present an oddly linear vision of capitalist success: that with resolve, intelligence, ruthlessness, and a pinch of luck, all whites possessed the potential for success in slave racial capitalism, and that white people entered a fraught but fundamentally level playing field. Now comes Yellow Fever: Disease confounds this narrative. Over 550,000 whites immigrated to New Orleans between 1803 and 1860, hoping to make their fortunes, mostly through the ferocious exploitation of black people, hundreds of thousands of whom were sold at auction.13 The Louisiana Purchase triggered rapid demographic change: the citys population doubled to 18,000 in 1809 with the influx of Haitian refugees; swelled to 102,000 by 1840 through European, American, and forced black migration; and surpassed 168,000 on the eve of the Civil War. But with mass immigration came crowd diseasescholera, plague, influenza, consumption, and typhoid. Yellow Jack proved to be New Orleans most lethal tyrant, routinely eclipsing all other causes of death when it struck, doubling or even tripling the citys (already high) average death rate. Some whites would become acclimated to yellow fever and accumulate wealth and power. But a large percentageengulfed by a new microbial realityended up in a coffin. White Orleanians understood that social and economic ascent did not depend solely on hard work or black enslavement; first it depended on surviving yellow fever in a region plagued by death. Spoiler alert: Is anyone else reminded of lead your life by acclimation? And is it turns out, acclimation as a form of capital can be turned into economic capital: Immunity, whether real or imagined, had serious implications. It affected where people worked, what they earned, where they lived, and with whom they dealt. It affected white peoples ability to invest capital in slaves and create more capital through slaves. It decisively impacted a persons ability to find stability, social acceptance, and a political voice. Considering all the impediments faced by the unacclimated, even Dr. Edward Hall Barton, president of New Orleans 1841 Board of Health, suggested that the VALUE OF ACCLIMATION IS WORTH THE RISK! Most newcomers quickly heeded this wisdom, not avoiding but actively seeking illness as a pathway to profits and respectability. As Connecticut immigrant Ralph Roanoke boasted while convalescent, Victory had perched upon my banner; I was an acclimated citizen, and as such, received into full favor in the good city of New-Orleans, where they distrust every body, and call them non-residents, until they become endorsed by the yellow fever. But victory through acclimation was reserved for whites only. Though black immunity and white immunity were (and are) biologically identical, pro-slavery theorists argued that black peoples alleged natural resistance to this disease made their freedom, and independent capitalist participation, scientifically untenable. Rather, racial slavery was natural, even humanitarian, distancing whites from labor and spaces that would kill them. For whites, immunity was a prerequisite for citizenship and social advancement; for blacks, immunity increased their monetary value to their owners and strengthened the cycle of racialized assumptions about the black body that bolstered racial slavery. Black people could thus possess immunity, but not immunocapital, an expedient feint of logic that whites used to enrich themselves and reinforce their social and political dominance over blacks. Antebellum New Orleans was the supercharged center of nineteenth-century yellow fever immunocapital, a major port on the great microbial highway circumnavigating the Atlantic Ocean. But what form of capital is immunocapital? I proposed two candidates: social capital and symbolic capital. Let us look at each in turn. First, social capital. From Bourdieus glorious Manet[2], which I am nowhere near finishing, pp. 303 et seq.: Manets life may be described as a long accumulation of social capital. I am not going to give you a rigorous definition of this concept but, in a nutshell, this is what is known as connections, along with the set of economic, cultural, and symbolic resources that can be acquired from lasting relationships with the range of agents that hold this capital. Flexians, for example, are masters at monetizing social capital. Second, symbolic capital. From Bourdieus Forms of Capital, pp. 101 et seq. Symbolic capital is an authority acknowledged by all, or by the whole of a group. I intend to analyze the kind of social magic, designated by the notion of the performative, that enables certain social agents to use words, orders, or slogans to change the real social world. In order to account for this magical activity, I must analyze the conditions that combine to constitute this charismatic authority or symbolic power. Words, being social things, are real things; words are things and do things. A group begins to exist when it has an acronym or a logo.. Another example which is of capital importance is the title: titles of nobility, academic qualifications, and titles of ownership. The title is the performance par excellence These titles are evidently objectifications. They exist in the form of paper certificates; they can be framed and hung on the wall, because they are visible objects. PMC love them their certificates. Now, lets return to immunocapital. Immunocapital can be transformed into economic capital. Olivarius once more: Assured of his acclimation, [German immigrant and cotton merchant Vincent] Nolte could leverage his existing capitalwhiteness, maleness, business acumen[3]to acquire economic capitalcash, credit, slaveswith far more certainty. He could gamble ever-greater sums, restart after frequent financial panics, and command the labor of increasing numbers of other people, both black and white. Now confident that Nolte would not drop dead in October, bankers were happier to extend him credit. Now lets ask ourselves whether immunocapital is social capital or symbolic capital. Olivarius: Immunity to yellow fever, ill-understood in the nineteenth century, was euphemized with phrases like acclimation, seasoning, and creolization. Acclimation meant surviving yellow fever, but to have immunocapital, Orleanians had to convince others of their immunity. Immunity was (and is) an objective, biological reality. But before vaccination or diagnostic blood testing, it was invisible and impossible to verify. It was thus subjective and performative , a matter of faith as much as fact. In a city where people routinely classified others based on physical appearanceas a quadroon, griffe, Irishman, bozaleOrleanians were socialized to recognize immunity cues. If a man was creole or had lived in the tropics for multiple years, society generally gave him the benefit of the doubthe could pass as immune. If he was a newcomer, poor, foreign-born, or a drunk, he was assumed to be unacclimated until proven otherwise. As the Irish immigrant and former Georgia congressman Richard Henry Wilde aptly described it shortly before he died from yellow fever in 1847, no one is regarded an Inhabitant or any thing but a mere Squatter, who has not passed a summer. Clearly, immunocapital is not function of connections or networking. Hence it is not social capital. Immunicapital is a form of charismatic authority, hence symbolic capital, albeit embodied in, well, a body, as opposed to a certificate to be hung on the wall. Thats an interesting result. Bourdieu, above, seems at least at one point to have regarded symbolic capital as a function of social capital; and surely symbolic capital can be accumulated within a network of connections. However, immunocapital is accumulated through infection and survival, not through social capital at all[4], which clarifies that matter. Others including, apparently, Bourdieu regard symbolic and social capital as different levels of abstraction: Though, symbolic capital is not situated on the same plane as the other species, since it puts the stress on the symbolic dimensions of social life, which creates an asymmetric role. Bourdieu even discusses its existence as a genuine sort of capital and seems to hesitate between the use of this concept and more indirect formulations (like the symbolic effects of (all sorts of) capital: Bourdieu, 1997). In one of the definitions proposed by Bourdieu during the 1980s (Bourdieu, 1987), symbolic capital is, precisely, defined by any other sort of capital when it comes to its recognition or its perception according to particular schemes. As Bourdieu puts it: symbolic capital is nothing but economic or cultural capital as soon as they are known and recognized, when they are known However, immunocapitals charismatic authority as symbolic capital is standalone; hence, symbolic capital is not necessarily a function of any other form of capital, although it certainly can be. So we have a very interesting edge case. (It would be absurd, for example, to claim that the process of gaining symbolic capital in the form of a wall certificate was not intimately and essentially entwined with the social capital gained through attending the institution that granted the certificate.) And at this point, I must cease my Bourdeusian excursions and ask the Bourdieusians in the readership to correct any errors above. Now lets return, very briefly, to the present day. I do not have a theory of how our society, collectively, coped with the Covid pandemic (distressingly poorly, if the avoidance of mass infection is a bad thing). However, there are some suggestive similarities between New Orleans in the 1830s and the America of 2020-2023. To return to Olivarius: Immunocapital provides a framework for recognizing the additional pressuresdestructive and generativeexerted on society by epidemic disease and mass mortality. Indeed, betting on who was immune and who would survive past September added layers of speculation to a society essentially premised on gambling, both for pleasure and for business in commodity futures. Those at the top of New Orleans economic and political life, all (allegedly) survivors, obtained a de facto moral legitimacy, a tropical (if ecumenical) twist on Max Webers aristocracy of the elect: in their public willingness to roll the epidemiological dice and risk their lives, the immune elite had been endowed with both a practical and a moral right to thrive in slave racial capitalism, a harsh but essentially honest meritocracy. Anyone else reminded of personal risk assessment? Heres a famous example from Bob Wachter: Heres my bottom line (in case this is TL;DR): Ill begin eating inside and removing my mask in most indoor spaces when the local reported case rate falls below 5/100,000/day. You can find your local rate of cases/100K/day here @nytimes: https://t.co/8y01XeDmyb (2/25) Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) August 28, 2022 Here, Wachters world view is essential premised on gambling (as one would expect in our financialized society). Further, the calculating the odds is the sort of homework the PMC love to do and consider meritorious[5]. Build your own dashboard, forsooth! More interestingly, many of the talking points of Covid minimizers that is, the entire political class, the hegemonic PMC including many health care personnel, the press, and both political parties seem to be acting as if, under Covid, immunocapital can be accumulated when, tragically or karmically it cannot. For example, You are protected, which morphed into vaxed and done maps very neatly to acclimated. Remember when people debated which vaccine was cooler? Symbolic capital! And of course, being vaxed became, in some cases, a condition of employment. Social capital! Then there is the refuse to live in fear trope, an assertion of charismatic authority. Symbolic capital! Sadly, its not possibly to accumulate either social or symbolic capital by being infected with Covid, not even with repeated reinfections. Indeed our society being what it is we might speculate that this harsh reality is at the root of Covid minimization (its just the flu). More speculatively, one might imagine this harsh reality is at the root of the rage against masking. Maskers are, by avoiding Covid, steadily and incrementally accumulating vascular and neurological advantages over the unmasked and those who accept Covid infection as natural (children, as well as adults). This accumulation of potential social capital might be seen as illicit, even a form of cheating, signaled as it is by, well, the symbolic scarlet letter of the mask, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions having been stigmatized by the whole weight of the public health establishment. And why indeed should minimizers in a society as Darwinian as our own tolerate such accumulation, especially when their own attempts failed so very badly? NOTES [1] I make no apology for citing Bourdieu in the context of medical indeed, PMC sociology, for which the massive resistance to aerosol transmission forms an promising field of study; see the estimable Trisha Greenhalgh here and here. In addition, we have Bourdieu stans in the readership, and Ive been asked to return to him. In fact, I regret not having done so earlier. [2] Yes, I bought some Bourdieu books from the now-vanished Book Depository. Most are out of print, so grab em while you can. [3] I think there are some category or at least typological errors here, but I need to hustle along, so will not look into them. [4] One might argue that ones social capital enabled better treatment, hence survival, hence immunocapital. But not in New Orleans in the 1830s; there was no treatment for yellow fever. Hence the mortality rate. [5] At this point we recall that Wachter chivvied his own wife into attending a writers conference that turned out to be a superspreading event. She still has Long Covid. Others prefer to Keep It Simple: (Natural News) Home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, which filed for bankruptcy protection last week, has now filed a $31.7 million claim against the container shipping lines that it claims willfully abandoned their service commitments during the pandemic so they could profit from supply chain disruptions. Bed Bath & Beyond says that Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) ignored their contracted minimum quantity commitments for cargo and vessel space so they could sell the space to higher-paying customers in what they termed brazen price gouging and profiteering. As a result, Bed Bath & Beyond had to find space on the spot market, which is far more expensive. They say that just 70 percent of their required capacity in 2020 was provided by OOCL. Moreover, they allege that much of the freight actually moved was moved only after [BB&B} agreed to [OOCLs] demands for exorbitant premium pricing. From October 2021 to March 2022, they provided just 52.9 percent of the contracted space. In addition, Bed Bath & Beyond incurred numerous demurrage and detention charges because they could not pick up containers due to problems such as social distancing orders, shipping line policies and congestion. Between August 2021 and June 2022, they paid the company $1.5 million for demurrage and $4.9 million for detention, much of which was unjustly and unreasonably assessed. They are also seeking reparations for peak-season surcharges, which they say were supposed to be included in their contract rates. In the filing, Bed Bath & Beyond included emails from OOCL that made it clear the shipping line was auctioning space to the highest bidder, rather than meeting its service commitment. For example, one email read: We are not looking to gouge, but stating the reality of the current market environment for any extra space. Please advise if BBB[Y] would accept a $5,800 per 40ft GP/HQ PSS on top of their primary contract pricing. This would position BBB[Y] at just around the $7,000 mark. According to Bed Bath & Beyond, this behavior allowed OOCL to note a 642 percent increase in its 2021 operating profit over the previous year. Bed Bath & Beyond ultimately spent $31.7 million on extra freight charges alone, not to mention lost profits and other costs. Their filing with the Federal Maritime Commission came just days after they officially filed for bankruptcy protection. Several importers are suing container lines over pandemic price gouging There have been several similar cases recently involving importers suing container lines for their actions during the pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that led to skyrocketing transport costs, with carriers seeking sky-high spot rates from desperate businesses and imposing additional charges for boxes that were held at terminals. Some shippers saw their freight costs climb as much as tenfold, while carriers racked up record-setting profits to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. Last summer, Congress passed the first significant overhaul of regulations governing ocean shipping in more than two decades. This made it easier for importers and exporters to file claims with the FMC against ocean carriers. So far, it has helped importers file hundreds of complaints that have seen nearly $950,000 in fees refunded and waived to date. When Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy protection on April 23, they announced they would be closing all 475 of their stores. They cited the supply chain disruptions seen during the pandemic as one of the main factors driving them out of business. Another major factor was the 2020 lockdown closures; Bed Bath & Beyonds business model depended largely on sales at their brick-and-mortar stores. Sources include: FreightWaves.com TheLoadstar.com WSJ.com (Natural News) A professor at the University of California-Berkeley has apologized for incorrectly identifying as Native American when she is actually white. The disgraced professor released a public apology for having professed that she was part of the Mohawk and Mikmaq communities her entire life, per the Daily Mail. (Article by C.G. Jones republished from HumanEvents.com) Sociology professor Elizabeth Hoover published a lengthy statement on Monday, explaining that she was not a member of the Native American tribes that she had been told she was while growing up in upstate New York. Instead, she said, I am a white person. Though Hoover claimed that she never deliberately set out to deceive or exploit anyone, her claims put a heavy strain on the suspension of disbelief. At a time when many people are able to identify their way into victimhood, it is clear to see that Hoover identifying as a Native American would have a substantial upside, both financially and culturally. In fact, the Daily Mail reported that Hoover had used her fake identity as a Native American woman to win prestigious jobs, grants and fellowships, to publish books and papers, and even go on to become a prominent figure in what is known as the food sovereignty movement. Hoover had apparently long claimed that she was a member of the Mohawk and Mikmaq communities, even making reference to her fraudulent heritage in news accounts and doctoral dissertation for Brown University. Additionally, Hoover admitted in her statement that she did not investigate her heritage, but rather relied exclusively on family stories she was told growing up. She said: In uncritically living an identity based on family stories without seeking out a documented connection to these communities, I caused harm. I hurt Native people who have been my friends, colleagues, students, and family, both directly through fractured trust and through activating historical harms. But Hoover has already reaped the immense benefits of a fraudulent identity. It is not known if she would have received the accolades she did if she had identified as white person from the start. This fraudulent behavior is par for the course, as colleges and universities across the country are prioritizing minority students at a disproportionate rate, which is why it is working. The Hill published a report in October 2021 that stated 34 percent of white college applicants identified as some sort of minority on their applications, thus improving the chances of them being admitted. Forty-eight percent of those white students lying about their identity claimed to be Native American. And the lie appeared to work, as 77 percent of those students who lied about minority status were admitted. There is evidence to suggest that Hoover was hired at Berkeley for her fake identity, as she was apparently heralded in campus media as part of a growing community of Native American scholars that would help make the campus a more welcoming place for learning and researching Native American heritage, per the Daily Mail. Now, Hoover claims that she, her sisters, and her parents are shocked and confused about what this information means, per the report. She said that she and members of her family used to go to powwows in order to connect with their heritage. But it is strange that none of Hoovers family decided to corroborate what they were told about their family history. It seems that if heritage and identity played such a large role in Hoovers life, she would have looked into it a bit more than just believing family tales. About 300 students and faculty have now called for Hoovers resignation, with some claiming that she is a pretendian a white person who has faked an Indigenous identity for profit. However, it is currently unknown if the university will take action against Hoover. Hoover noted that she will continue to funnel the proceeds from my talks and book sales into Native farm, food sovereignty, and educational programs. I will make additional donations to practitioners in these fields. Read more at: HumanEvents.com (Natural News) Since the earliest days of the Biden administration, Republicans and conservatives in Congress have accused the White House of increasingly imposing woke left-wing cultural ideology on the U.S. military, which in turn has led to a sharp decline in enlistments. But instead of reversing course, the politically correct brass in place at the Pentagon appear to be doubling down. Struggling to meet their recruiting goals for fiscal year 2023, U.S. Naval leadership has found whom they believe to be the perfect person to increase the branchs ranks: Drag Queen Harpy Daniels, The Federalist noted this week in a head-shaking report. The Daily Caller added that the Navy hired Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, an active-duty drag queen who identifies as non-binary and performs under the stage name Harpy Daniels, to be a Navy Digital Ambassador to increase recruitment for the branch. The Digital Ambassador program was launched to reach a wider range of potential candidates for military recruitment through digital platforms, as per a Navy spokesperson. The program reportedly ran from October 2022 to March 2023. Kelley had announced on Instagram in November that the Navy had invited him to be their first Digital Ambassador, and highlighted his experience performing in drag for the Navy since 2018, while also presenting himself as an advocate and leader for individuals who were allegedly oppressed for years in the service. From joining to 2016 and being able to share my drag experience on my off time with my fellow sailors has been a blessing, Kelley wrote. This experience has brought me so much strength, courage and ambition to continue being an advocate and representation of queer sailors! Needless to say, the move has been blasted by current and former U.S. military members, as well as GOP members of Congress. These days, the American people see this and think this has become our military, said Matthew Lohmeier, who previously served as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado before making remarks on a podcast expressing criticism of Marxism, adding that it is disheartening that the U.S. military only seems to make headlines for items such as drag-themed recruitment videos. And so first and foremost, I think its important that I should say, and I fail to do this often enough thank you to the good men and women who nobly serve our country in uniform every day of their lives because they show up believing in the greatness of the American ideal and because theyre willing to lay their life on the line in defense of this country, he continued in an interview with Fox News. And so I have to wonder who it is that our senior military leaders, in fact, think theyre appealing to in the recruiting process by hiring a drag queen as their digital ambassador. Lohmeier said these incidents are not inspiring members of the military to continue their service, as many of them believe in the Western nuclear family. He added that they do not want their children to be exposed to such content. Weve known for the past couple of years during the Biden administration, this has been taking place more and more. Whats surprising is that senior military leaders continue to push an agenda like this despite the fact that its hurting our recruiting efforts and its hurting our retention, Lohmeier noted. WATCH: Other former military members were far more animated. Robert J. ONeill, a former Navy SEAL who is credited with killing Osama bin Laden, tweeted: Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. Im done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I cant believe I fought for this bulls***. Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. Im done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I cant believe I fought for this bullshit. Robert J. ONeill (@mchooyah) May 3, 2023 Sources include: DailyWire.com TheFederalist.com DailyCaller.com (Natural News) German luxury car manufacturer BMW issued a do not drive order on Tuesday, May 2, recalling over 90,000 sedans and SUVs due to defective airbags. The roughly 90,000 vehicles were built between 2000 and 2015 and were outfitted with defective airbags made by Takata and have a high likelihood of not activating in the event of a crash. (Related: Two American vehicle companies recall over 600 electric trucks due to safety issues.) These vehicles are seven to 22 years old, and the risk to vehicle occupants is dire, wrote the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in a statement after it published its own do not drive warning. These are some of the oldest Takata airbags under recall and have an extremely high probability of failure during a crash, continued the NHTSA. If the inflators rupture, the metal fragments ejected toward the drivers face could kill or leave them with devastating, life-altering injuries. These inflators are two decades old now and, with every day that passes, they become even more dangerous as they can rupture even in a minor crash, said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. BMW emphasized that replacement parts are available and the repairs will be done for free. The company said it can have affected cars picked up at the owners home or office and taken to their local BMW dealerships free of charge, repaired and immediately returned. Alternatively, remote technicians can be sent to wherever the vehicle is located and repairs can be completed on site. BMW claims repairs can be completed in under an hour. We cannot state strongly enough just how urgent it is for our customers to take this warning seriously. We know these airbags only become more dangerous over time, which is why we are taking yet another step to get these parts out of our vehicles, said BMW North America Vice President of Aftersales Claus Eberhart. Customers must park these vehicles immediately and take a few moments to check if their vehicle is safe for them and their family members to drive, he added. Repairing these vehicles is quick, easy to arrange and is completely free of charge. Takatas defective airbags have caused at least 33 deaths BMWs do not drive order affects three sedan and four SUV models the 1, 3 and 5 Series, all built anywhere between 2000 to 2013, and the X1, X3, X5 and X6 crossover SUVs, all manufactured from 2000 to 2015. BMW is asking affected owners to check if their vehicles are affected by the do not drive order, and if they are, to stop driving their vehicles immediately and to schedule a free service appointment with their local BMW dealership. The airbags from Takata had inflators that used volatile ammonium nitrate to inflate the airbags in the event of a crash. The NHTSA and BMW both noted that the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to heat and humidity, increasing the chances of the airbag not inflating properly or, worse, blowing apart the metal canister and hurling shrapnel that can harm or kill drivers and passengers. Since 2009, Takatas defective airbags have caused at least 33 deaths worldwide, with 24 of those deaths occurring in the United States. Most of the deaths and approximately 400 injuries have happened in the U.S., but several incidents have also been recorded in Australia and Malaysia. Learn more about cars and their possible defects at RoboCars.news. Watch this clip from Next News Network as host Gary Franchi discusses BMWs reaction to climate protesters vandalizing an iconic vehicle. This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: More and more Americans are bulletproofing their cars as crime and lawlessness worsen. EV owners complain about logistical nightmare caused by lack of charging stations. Ford halts production and shipping of F-150 Lightning EV due to unspecified battery issue. Biden infrastructure bill includes provision to install KILL SWITCHES in new cars beginning in 2026. Trial involving Teslas autopilot could decide if tech or driver is responsible for fatal crashes. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com CarAndDriver.com USAToday.com FoxBusiness.com Brighteon.com Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said that Egypt and South Sudan bear a special responsibility towards Sudan, stressing that the suffering of the brotherly Sudanese people must be alleviated. (Natural News) Several businesses that endorsed Black Lives Matter (BLM) are now closing their stores in San Francisco, another proof that the adage go woke, get broke is undeniably true. Chris Menahan of Information Liberation pointed this out in a May 4 piece. He noted that several companies, all of whom endorsed the BLM movement amid widespread rioting and looting during the Summer of Floyd [in 2020], have closed or are closing their stores in San Francisco. According to Menahan, these stores are departing the City by the Bay due to rampant crime and theft brought on by the liberal policies they supported in the name of fighting racism and white supremacy.' He named Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Target as three such companies that paid a heavy price for supporting BLM. Back in January 2021, Nordstrom expressed support for the movement by means of a press release. The January 2021 release reaffirmed Nordstroms commitment to advance diversity, inclusion [and] belonging during Black History Month. It also emphasized how the department store chain is supporting the important work of nonprofit organizations, which includes the BLM Global Network Foundation. In August 2020, the Guardian reported that Whole Foods managers were advised to talk about the companys donations to BLM. The advice came in the form of an internal script relayed to store managers, a copy of which was obtained by the newspaper. It urged managers to emphasize what Whole Foods and its parent company Amazon have done in support of social justice. Target CEO Brian Cornell, meanwhile, called BLM riots in Minneapolis as pent-up pain of years that was unleashed by the murder of George Floyd. The big-box store also promised to send first-aid supplies to areas affected by the riots. It also promised to rebuild a looted company store in the city. Wokism leads to rampant crime that spells doom to these companies The same companies pivot toward wokism came back to bite them years later, when they were forced to either close down or secure their San Francisco locations due to rampant crime. San Francisco served as an example of the leftist utopia BLM wanted. With the San Francisco Police Department being de-funded, crimes in the City by the Bay spiked as a result. Nordstrom announced on May 2 that it will close down its branch at the Westfield San Francisco Centre after 35 years of operations. The dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, Nordstroms Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom wrote in a letter to employees. The main Westfield branch of Nordstrom will close at the end of August, Breitbart reported. (Related: The Weimar Republic comes to Nordstrom.) The previous month, Whole Foods closed its flagship Trinity Place location after only 13 months in business. It permanently shuttered its doors at the end of the April 10 business day due to safety concerns. Affected employees would be transferred to a nearby location, a spokesperson for Whole Foods confirmed. While Target has not yet closed its San Francisco location, it took extra measures by locking products behind security glass. A spokesperson for the retailer confirmed the move, saying it was part of proactive measures to keep our teams and guests safe while deterring and preventing theft. They added: Like other retailers, organized retail crime is a concern across our business. I do feel bad for the employees and store managers who lost their jobs, thanks to their libtard CEOs putting virtue signaling before common sense, Menahan concluded. I hate the idea that the libtard morons who created this nightmare can simply flee to safety rather than be forced to live in the hellholes their policies created. Every politician and business leader who endorsed this lunacy should be forced to pay their victims reparations. BlackLies.news has more stories about BLM and the companies that support them. Watch this Fox Business report about the closure of Nordstrom and other stores in San Francisco. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: San Fran Target store locks products behind glass security cabinets. Flagship Whole Foods Market store in SF closes down due to SAFETY concerns. BLM received almost $83B from corporations, report says but wheres the money? Apple, Google, Amazon, Walmart back BLM cause with multi-million dollar donations. Sources include: BlacklistedNews.com InformationLiberation.com FoxBusiness.com 1 TheGuardian.com FoxBusiness.com 2 Breitbart.com Newsweek.com DailyMail.co.uk Brighteon.com (Natural News) Humanitys first contraceptive vaccine is already in clinical trials, according to an article published this week in The Atlantic. (Article by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org) Reporter Katherine J. Wu, Ph.D., described the vaccine, as envisioned by its developer Professor Gursaran Pran Talwar, stating that it would be: A new form of contraception that could block pregnancy without the usual trade-offs an intervention thats long-acting but reversible; cheap, discreet, and easy to administer; less invasive than an intrauterine device and more convenient than a daily pill. It would skip messy, sometimes dangerous side effects, such as weight gain, mood swings, and rare but risky blood clots and strokes. It would embody the sort of set it and forget it model thats become a gold standard for health. Rather than disrupting the menstrual cycle, as hormonal forms of birth control do, the vaccine uses the immune system to prevent pregnancy by blocking fertilization. Talwar first developed the vaccine and patented a version of it in the early 1990s. That version, meant to be effective for two years before a booster was needed, was reported to be nearly 100% effective. Talwar, former director of Indias National Institute of Immunology, told Wu he developed the vaccine because he knew women in India who were struggling to feed large families, but were unhappy with existing forms of contraception. He said he wanted to make something, free of all problems, so he created a vaccine that would neutralize the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone, known as the pregnancy hormone because it is necessary for fertilized eggs to implant. But Brian Hooker, Ph.D., P.E., chief scientific officer for Childrens Health Defense, said such a vaccine doesnt just have problems, It is an absolutely horrible idea. Hooker told The Defender: So much can go wrong by immunizing a woman with hCG identical to the hormone she produces, or men with sperm proteins to attack their own sperm at the production site. The big question that comes to mind is reversibility. It is very difficult to turn off an immune response complete with memory B-cells after it has been turned on. My fear is that many would be left permanently sterile from this type of vaccine. Also, the problems posed by this technology related to autoimmunity are myriad. Essentially, by coaxing the body to attack human proteins, you also put human tissues, including primarily vital reproductive organs, in the line of fire for many harsh inflammatory processes associated with an immune response. This is one bad idea! Mary Lou Singleton, midwife and family nurse practitioner, also raised safety concerns. She told The Defender: This would be the first vaccine designed to provoke an immune response against a normal, healthy bodily process. Like all living organisms that reproduce sexually, the human body is organized around our reproductive potential. We have no idea what the long-term consequences of programming the immune system to attack the part of our body that sustains early pregnancy may be, but we do know that the history of medicine is full of unintended consequences. The Atlantic article didnt focus on possible health risks. Instead, it touted Talwar et al.s 1994 vaccine clinical trial, where only 1 of 119 women in the study became pregnant. The limitations, Wu said, are in the fact that although they didnt get pregnant, about 20% of the women did not produce the threshold amount of antibodies for the trial to be successful. This would be considered sufficiently effective for a regular vaccine, Wu wrote, but for contraception, expectations are higher. Another limitation she noted is that a three-shot series could be cumbersome. But, she wrote, There is some reason to think these issues arent insurmountable, because immunocontraceptives have been used for decades by wildlife scientists to prevent pregnancies as a more humane alternative to culling. Immunocontraception has primarily been used on captive animals, but it also has been used for population control of some wild species such as white-tailed deer, wild horses, bison and elephants, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Dr. Julie Levy, a feline infectious disease expert at the University of Florida who has worked on immunocontraceptives in animals described the challenge of creating an effective contraceptive vaccine as trying to immunize an animal against itself. Wu also mentioned that the hCG vaccine has encountered some issues with tolerability, in that some women develop painless but prominent nodules, which she said indicates the adjuvants in the vaccine are riling up the immune system a tad too much. That means scientists will have to tinker with dosing or ingredients, before the vaccine is ready, she wrote. But, she argued this vaccine is important because it could fill clear gaps in the contraceptive market. Nearly half of the worlds pregnancies are unplanned, and access to existing contraception is inconsistent, inequitable, and still stymied by stigma and misinformation, she said. Drawing on an interview with Debanjana Choudhuri, director of Programs and Partnerships at Indias Foundation for Reproductive Health Services, Wu added: A temporary contraception, packaged into a super-safe vaccine, could offer convenience and privacy, with potential appeal for young urbanites, who have already been enthusiastic about injectable contraceptives and might not mind getting boosts. Most important, adding a vaccine to the repertoire gives people another choice. Pregnancy is not a disease The real challenge to launching a birth control vaccine, Wu wrote, is that some might stigmatize it because of the history of contraception imposed on women, particularly the poor, mentally ill and people of color, without their consent or to their detriment. Sanghamitra Singh, Ph.D., the Policy and Programmes lead at the Population Foundation of India, told Wu that pregnancy is not a disease. Wu conceded that vaccination against pregnancy might unintentionally imply that pregnancy is a problem to be eradicated and that could stigmatize the shot. Singleton said she also had concerns about potential abuse. She added: People in power all over the world continue to curtail the reproductive rights of women through forced and coerced long-term contraception and sterilization. As anti-natalism and concerns about overpopulation rise among the ruling classes, will this technology be added to state-mandated vaccination schedules for teenagers, immigrant women, poor women or other groups labeled high-risk for undesired pregnancy? Wu also conceded that the administration of the vaccine could raise the specter of the eradication of fertility in societys most vulnerable subsects, because, according to Lisa Campo-Engelstein, Ph.D., a reproductive bioethicist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, the ease of administering it might mean it would be more likely to be given without fully informed consent. This might be a problem, Wu pointed out, in todays climate where many people are already disinclined toward shots, especially amid false accusations that other immunizations compromise fertility. But recent Pfizer data obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests showed a link between the COVID-19 vaccine and miscarriage and birth defects. Pfizers animal studies for the vaccine showed major red flags regarding both pregnancy loss and fetal abnormalities. The documents also revealed that the drugmaker elected not to follow up the vast majority of pregnancies in the original human trials, despite high miscarriage rates in the minority they did follow. Singleton said the question of vaccine safety was already difficult to discuss, and combining that with a discussion of contraception could raise even more challenges. She said: As has become evident over the past few years, mainstream society allows no dialogue or critique on the subject of vaccine safety. Already it is difficult for womens health activists to broach the topic of the safety and long-term effects of hormonal contraception. Combining the medical sacred cows of birth control and contraception seems like a recipe for a medical intervention no one will be allowed to question. Wus article attributes the fact that Talwars vaccine has made little progress since the early 90s to bad timing. He only recently got approval to run trials on his new vaccine recipe. But, she reported the research is moving forward and may also be directed toward immunotherapy for certain cancers. Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org (Natural News) For the crime of delivering a speech to truckers at the Coutts border blockade that occurred in February of 2022, Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski was found guilty by a judge, who deemed that Pawlowski violated the Alberta Critical Infrastructure Defence Act in delivering his message. The first person to ever be convicted under this particular piece of provincial legislation, Pawlowski is officially a victim of religious persecution by the Canadian state, which is punishing him for delivering a sermon in public to truckers and their supporters at the Canadian-U.S. border crossing in Coutts. Originally drafted in the aftermath of the railway and pipeline protests that occurred in the early months of 2020, the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act is officially being used as an excuse in Canada to silence religious free speech under the guise of protecting critical infrastructure, in this case a border crossing, from being impeded by protests or other forms of resistance. Government officials accused Pawlowski of violating the act by criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) measures, which included lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates, and other forms of tyranny. The judge in this case agreed, delivering a guilty verdict to Pawlowski almost on command. (Related: As a little background, Pawlowski was thrown in solitary confinement for refusing to shut down his church in obedience to Trudeaus covid safety protocols.) Did Artur Pawlowski really incite an economic disturbance with his sermon? As the verdict was being delivered in Lethbridge, independent reporter Ezra Levant was present to capture it live outside the building. Levant explained further the reasons why the judge in this case ultimately convicted Pawlowski of wrongdoing, which include the following statement that Levant tweeted: Looking at the context of the speech and the content and the tone, I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Artur intended to incite the audience to blockade, the judge determined. The judge went on to call the solidarity movement for which Pawlowski was present to support with his message a paralyzing factor to Canadian society. This declaration was music to the ears of prosecutors who were hopeful for this kind of ruling against Pawlowskis free speech rights. The judge also quoted Pawlowskis own words in his ruling, which were apparently stated to the blockade crowd in an effort to keep them at the border cross in Coutts rather than move somewhere else, such as to Edmonton. Pawlowski apparently told the crowd not to break the line, which the judge determined to be incitement to keep blocking the border crossing, thus preventing international economic activity between Canada and the United States. You can watch the roughly 19-minute speech from Pawlowski, which was the subject of this court case, below: Despite the ruling, Pawlowski has achieved numerous other legal victories, including a case in which he was charged for feeding the homeless in violation of Trudeaus egregious covid restrictions. I guess you throw enough charges against a guy, one of them will eventually stick, Levant further tweeted about what Pawlowski has been through. As Lavrenti Beria, the head of Soviet secret police said, Show me the man and Ill find you the crime.' By all appearances, the Canadian state was doing just that in its quest to take down Pawlowski. Since he is a Christian who refuses to obey the illicit mandates of a rogue police state, Pawlowski is considered to be a danger to society. No doubt this was a politically appointed judge, one commenter wrote about the most recent case against Pawlowski. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter! More related news about covid tyranny can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: RebelNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Like a clogged toilet that just will not flush, the Obamas refuse to disappear from the limelight, with Michelle Obama announcing the launch of a new junk food company called PLEZi Nutrition that wants to push more American children to consume sugar- and chemical-laden beverages. In yet another cash grab partnership that is more suited for empty-headed Hollywood actors and actresses rather than a former First Lady, Michelle Obama has teamed up with Juggernaut Capital Partners, a private company that specializes in celebrity-driven junk food brands and pharmaceutical products, to promote PLEZi Nutrition beverages, which are anything but nutritious. As with many other childrens drinks currently on the market, PLEZi Nutritions offerings are loaded with chemicals and sugar, which means they are the last thing a child should be drinking. Since there are billions of dollars to be made, though, Michelle Obama was eager to join the scheme. The pitch to Mrs. Obama was obvious and simple: we will make you a billionaire, using a tried and true formula of addicting kids to sugar and celebrity marketing, one Twitter account wrote about the cringeworthy company launch, which was made possible by Juggernaut. Mrs. Obamas business strategy is sound: get kids hooked early on an addictive product. (Related: In 2012, Michelle Obama launched a supermarket shopping guide for Americans that failed to warn them about genetically modified organisms [GMOs], synthetic sweeteners like aspartame, and other chemical contaminants found in processed foods.) Billionaire Warren Buffet holds the same core investment thesis: get children addicted to garbage and rake in the profits Michelle Obamas money-grubbing strategy is much the same as that of billionaire investment guru and greed-bag Warren Buffet, who has long invested in and promoted junk food brands that push poisons on children because they are high-profit endeavors. In this case, Michelle Obama, who long touted herself as a healthy eater, is branding what amounts to sugar water PLEZi Nutrition drinks contain six grams of sugar for every eight ounces of liquid as a positive step for public health. The media is reporting that Michelle Obama launched this brand in an effort aimed at fighting childhood obesity. Because the drinks contain no sugar added, the claim is that PLEZi Nutrition drinks are somehow healthier than soda and other sugar- and chemical-laden drinks pushed on children. It is shameful that Mrs. Obamas website actually cites the USDA sugar guidance to say it is recommended for children 2 years and up to consume added sugar, the same aforementioned Twitter account tweeted. In black and white, Mrs. Obama is saying it is okay for 2-year-olds to have added sugar. Keep in mind that the very USDA that Michelle Obama is citing to claim that her PLEZi Nutrition drinks are healthy has a committee that is comprised almost entirely of industry insiders with serious conflicts of interest. If Michelle Obama was truly committed to health, then she would be calling out the USDA for its blatant corruption. Instead, she is sweeping the truth under the rug and pretending as though she is doing something honorable while quietly raking in the dough to benefit herself and only herself. According to research by Harvard University, some 180,000 people die every year due to sugar consumption. This means that sugar is far more dangerous than many of the things that the government says need to be illegal in the interest of public health including so-called drugs that, factually speaking, are safer than Michelle Obamas sugar drinks for children. When it comes to liquids, there is no difference between added or natural sugar the liquid form wipes out the benefits of whole food, experts warn. Sources include: TheReaderApp.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Top medical schools in North Carolina are pushing so-called gender transitions on young children, according to a new report. (Article by Jean Mondoro republished from LifeSiteNews.com) This week, Education First Alliance released a report showcasing how three prominent institutional health systems affiliates of Duke University, University of North Carolina (UNC) and Eastern Carolina University (ECU) provide hormonal intervention and surgical referrals for gender-confused minors. Education First Alliance is an organization dedicated to protecting children across the country from sexualized education and progressive agendas. According to the report from the pro-family group, Dukes health system opened its gender clinic in 2015 and sees kids as young as two years old. The report pulled from a testimony made in federal court by the LGBT activist in charge of the program, in which Dr. Deanna Adkins said that from a medical perspective, the appropriate determinant of sex is gender identity. It is counter to medical science to use chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, external genitalia, or secondary sex characteristics to override gender identity for the purposes of classifying someone as male or female. Adkins is a pediatric endocrinologist and diabetes and metabolism specialist, according to Duke Healths website. Sexual development, pubertal disorders, and gender disorders are a special interest of mine, reads her biography. Adkins is also described as LGBTQ+ Identified or Ally. The health system offers puberty blockers for children under 16, with no minimum age requirement specified. Beginning at age 16, children can be given cross-sex hormones and obtain referrals for surgery. Top surgery or mastectomies are available for kids once they turn 18. In a statement to LifeSiteNews, Duke Health officials said that the health system does not initiate gender transitions for toddlers, but indicated that it does administer hormone drugs to minors and sometimes refer them for transgender surgeries. In accordance with national and international guidelines, the statement noted, hormone therapies are explicitly not provided to children prior to puberty and gender-affirming surgeries are, except in exceedingly rare circumstances, only performed after age 18. Studies show that puberty blockers impact bone density in adolescents and that using cross-sex hormones as part of a gender transition can lead to heart attack and cancer. Puberty blocker use can also result in infertility. Several countries, including Finland, the U.K., Sweden, and Norway have moved to restrict gender transitions for youth in recent years, as have around 20 U.S. states. Similarly, UNC Health treats kids as young as three years old for gender confusion. An image of an intake form at the Gender Equity and Wellness Initiative (GEWI) program, shared by Education First Alliance, shows various options for reason for referral. These include psychoeducation and support for children ages 3-11, guidance on social transitioning and access to resources, support and resources for exploring gender identity and expression, and letters of support for surgery for those at least 18 years old. The organizations Student Health Action Coalition also dispenses free gender affirming care [sic] on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. According to the website, this initiative allows for medical students hands-on experience with participating in irreversible interventions for gender confusion, including prescriptions for hormone therapy, general primary care, letters of support for surgery, and referrals to other resources and providers. Website pages for UNC Health, Campus Health and the psychiatry department in the medical school which once described the so-called gender affirming programs have been removed and now show page not found errors. Last April, ECU Health established an LGBTQ+ Health Clinic under the guidance of Dr. Colby Dendy, who said in an interview at the time, The literature tells us that kids can start around age four having their gender identity, so we do not want to exclude anybody within the pediatrics realm. A big part of our goal is to provide affirming primary care to everybody in LGBTQ+ spectrum, Dendy continued, adding that we also do not know of any other pediatricians in our area offering this care to those 18 years old and younger. According to its website, ECU Health is dedicated to eliminating LGBTQ+ health disparities and enhancing efforts to improve LGBTQ+ health care necessary to ensure that individuals who are LGBTQ+ can lead long, healthy and happy lives. The so-called Pride Clinic is also reportedly overseen by departmental chairs and the dean of the Brody School of Medicine, as well as a community advisory board. Additionally, the health system includes a list of 30 medical professionals who publicly declare they are affirming of patients of all sexual orientations and gender identities. LifeSiteNews has also contacted UNC and ECU medical centers for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Such intervention, which has been adopted by numerous prominent health systems in the United States, has been widely criticized as child abuse. In August, a childrens hospital in Washington, D.C., denied recorded evidence that the institution committed sterilizing transgender hysterectomies on 16-year-olds. This came weeks after Boston Childrens Hospital made headlines for advertising the same procedure for gender-confused youth. Last month, the co-director of the notorious health system called for an increase in mutilating surgeries committed in the name of gender transitions. Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com (Natural News) A London University has been criticised for removing the word woman from its maternity policy and declaring that maternity, as well as the menopause, applies to all genders. (Article by Steve Watson republished from Summit.news) The University of the Arts London (UAL) implemented the wording in its policies a year ago, but the move has attracted attention since the institution began virtue signalling about it on social media and its own website. Happy #InternationalWomensDay! At UAL we are taking action to tackle typically gendered issues in society ? University of the Arts London (@UAL) March 8, 2023 University of the Arts London Vice Chancellor James Purnell wrote in a LinkedIn post in October 2022, At UAL, we are introducing equal parental leave. Every new parent will be entitled to six months at full pay, adding It is fair to every kind of parent, of whatever gender or sex, or sexual orientation, whether adopting or not. In a further press release, the University noted that its maternity and menopause policies apply irrespective of gender, sexual orientation or how people become parents. The policy itself states, we wish to affirm in our use of language in this letter that not all pregnant people are women and thereby acknowledge trans, non-binary, gender-queer and gender fluid pregnant people and parents. In updated menopause policies, the university notes that it may also be experienced by colleagues who do not identify as female. UAL recognizes that menopause may also be experienced by colleagues who do not identify as female, so this guidance and support content is intended to support anyone experiencing menopause, regardless of their gender identity, the university asserts. For every ounce of hormonal suffering, bleeding, pain, severe illness during pregnancies, emergency c-sections to save me and my babies lives, peri-menopausal symptoms that I have gone through as a womanyou mean to tell me that you are now just offering up the same SIJK (@irwosina) May 4, 2023 2to someone because they say they are a woman? Enough is enough. We women need to fight back for the rights that universities like this are giving away so frivolously. SIJK (@irwosina) May 4, 2023 Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis charged that UAL has abandoned basic biology. It is disturbing that a university does not understand the basics of biology I hope [it] will stop this pathetic woke nonsense, Gullis commented. Toby Young, the director of the think tank Free Speech Union, told the Daily Mail that the university has become so pickled in woke gobbledegook its becoming a bit of a joke. I hope it can correct course before it goes bankrupt. Young added that Nearly all these institutions are publicly funded, yet all the polling indicates the public are overwhelmingly opposed to this nonsense. Nearly all these institutions are publicly funded, yet all the polling indicates the public are overwhelmingly opposed to this nonsense. University accused of woke gobbledegook after cutting the word woman from maternity leave policy | Daily Mail https://t.co/83alBkwyol Toby Young (@toadmeister) May 4, 2023 As we have previously highlighted, Britains National Health Service has also been accused of erasing women, after it removed all references to women from an online advice section about the menopause, and altered its guidance pages on ovarian cancer, removing instances of the word women in a move they claimed was intended to be more inclusive toward trans, non-binary and intersex people. Additionally, a Freedom of Information Act request revealed last year that just 29 of the 124 NHS hospitals in England with maternity units still exclusively use the words woman or mother to refer to pregnancy, while all the others include terms such as birthing people or pregnant people. The NHS was previously accused of over-diagnosing sex change treatment for children over fears of being branded transphobic, and has since appeared to change track, warning that gender confusion in kids may be a transient phase, particularly for pre-pubertal children. Read more at: Summit.news (Natural News) The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the conclusion of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) global public health emergency. However, the three-year emergency has had lasting effects. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the declaration during a May 5 news conference held at the global health bodys headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. For more than a year, the pandemic has been on a downward trend with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection, mortality decreasing and the pressure on health systems easing, he told reporters. This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19. Its therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency. During the press conference, Tedros remarked that COVID-19 has been so much more than [a] health crisis and proceeded to enumerate the extent of the damage it inflicted on the world. It has caused severe economic upheaval erasing trillions from [gross domestic product], disrupting travel and trade, shuttering businesses, and plunging millions into poverty, he said. It has [also] caused severe social upheaval with borders closed, movement restricted, schools shut and millions of people experiencing loneliness, isolation, anxiety and depression. Official numbers from the WHO stated that almost seven million people have died from COVID-19 since the global health body first declared the public health emergency on Jan. 30, 2020. But according to Tedros, the actual number is at least 20 million. Despite this, the WHO director-general also emphasized during the news conference that it is high time for countries around the world to transition from doing an emergency response to managing COVID-19 like other infectious diseases. Public health emergency may end, but medical tyranny is here to stay The WHOs decision comes as the U.S. is set to end its national public health emergency on May 11. According to Reuters, the Biden administration will end COVID-19 emergency declarations almost three years after they were first announced. Former President Donald Trump first announced the public health emergency in 2020. Incumbent President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repeatedly extended the emergency measures. In a statement, the White Houses Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said the declarations would be extended one final time until May 11 and then terminated. This wind-down would align with the [Biden] administrations previous commitments to give at least 60 days notice prior to termination of the public health emergency, the OMB added. (Related: Biden signs GOP-led bill that ends COVID-19 national emergency.) Millions of Americans are receiving free COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments all paid for by the government. Private insurance companies and government health plans will cover the cost of these when the public health emergency expires on May 11. While the pandemic may be over, Tedros insinuated that the medical tyranny first implemented at the height of COVID-19 must remain. The WHO director-general warned against complacency. [COVID-19] has left and continues to leave deep scars on our world. Those scars must serve as a permanent reminder of the potential for new viruses to emerge, with devastating consequences. As a global community, the suffering we have endured, the painful lessons we have learned, the investments we have made and the capacities we have built must not go to waste, he said. [The] virus is here to stay. It is still killing, and its still changing. The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry about. Visit Pandemic.news for more stories about COVID-19. Watch this clip from Bannons War Room about the WHOs digital health tyranny. This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: President Biden to extend COVID-19 national emergency status. World Health Organization pushing for global vaccine passport scheme. World Health Organizations pandemic treaty spells DOOM for democracy. The HighWire: Extending COVID emergency prolongs medical tyrants grip on the population. World Health Organization positioning to become global health dictator while masses are distracted with lab leaks. Sources include: CNBC.com Reuters.com MB.com.ph Brighteon.com Omega block weather has started to dissipate in the Eastern United States after causing rainy, dreary weather conditions on West Coast and Northeast, as well as warm temperatures in the Central U.S., throughout the week. T he latest U.S. weather forecast indicated that the "omega block weather pattern" will move off the coast, allowing spring temperatures to return along the U.S. East Coast. Omega Block Weather Pattern The omega block weather pattern has ended already, which can then bring warmer temperatures to the eastern half of the U.S., according to a video report by Fox Weather, which predicted that the temperatures will rebound along the U.S. East Coast as the block disintegrates into the weekend. Fox Weather forecasters said spring weather and sunshine will return to the eastern U.S. until next week starting at least on Sunday, May 7, with temperatures ranging between 66 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Cities like Portland, Boston, and New York City will be among to experience the return of calm weather along the region. In recent days, U.S. meteorologists forecasted that the weather pattern will dominate the country this week, bringing cool weather from coast to coast while causing dry conditions in the middle, The Weather Channel said. Also Read: June 2021 is the 'Hottest June' in History of America With Recordbreaking Temperature What is an Omega Block? The meteorological term omega block is not new. In fact, this weather phenomenon has been used by meteorologists and forecasters to describe a "blocked weather" caused by almost stationary air pressure systems. For instance, weather fronts that move from west to east across the United Kingdom sometimes stay where they are, usually due to a blocked weather or block. This is according to the Meteorological Office (Met Office), which explains that a large area of high pressure remains nearly motionless over the same area, preventing weather fronts to move beyond it. Now, for its name "omega," the Met Office explains that it was named as such due to the pattern or shape they form that resembles the ancient Greek uppercase letter omega. Within this pattern, two low-pressure systems are pinning down the high-pressure at the center. Furthermore, the weather becomes blocked due to the influence of a weak jet stream or narrow bands of strong winds. North America Omega Block An omega block can occur in warm and arid regions of Earth, typically those along the tropical and equatorial latitudes. The extreme weather pattern could even transpire in places known for having relatively cold temperatures. In North America, an "omega block heat dome" hovered over Canada and the U.S. in June 2021, causing severe heat in the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific coast of Canada, a story covered by Nature World News. In 2016, an omega block became the source of heat in Canada, fueling even wildfires. In the case of North America, the block is affecting weather in the eastern Pacific Ocean and eastern North America, including most parts of the U.S. East Coast, The Washington Post reported. Related Article: Dangerous 'Omega Block' Heat Dome is Looming Over US and Canada, Causing Severe Heat Several cannibal fish called lancetfish (Alepisarurus ferox) known for dwelling in the deep ocean "twilight zone" are washing up along Oregon beaches in the past several weeks, according to reports. Local authorities consider the spike in strandings as unusual and mysterious at the same time. Even now, authorities have no clue as to the reason behind the phenomenon. Unlike other fish, little is known about the said cannibal species despite being a large predatory fish, as well as having a presence in all the world's oceans with the exception of the polar seas. The rarity of the lancetfish makes it even harder to explain the strange incidents. Several theories have emerged to explain the potential cause behind the strandings, which also included other marine animals like whales, dolphins, and seals as victims. Still, there is no official conclusion yet that would answer the mystery of the Oregon lancetfish strandings. Oregon Lancetfish Strandings In a Facebook post on May 2, the Oregon State Parks stated several lancetfish washed ashore along Oregon's beaches in the past few weeks, with areas ranging from Nehalem south to Bandon. However, the state parks clarified it is unclear why the marine animals were stranded in the first place. In the social media post, the photo of the lancetfish being shown was found alive and brought back to the ocean where it swam off. Nevertheless, previous incidents involving the same fish species were found dead along Oregon beaches. Also Read: Paddleboarders Discovered Bizarre-Looking Giant Sunfish Washed Ashore in California Twilight Zone Habitat A. Ferox typically lives in tropical and subtropical waters of Earth. Although having reported presence in shallow waters, the lancet fish's preferred habitat is the twilight zone with a depth of approximately 650 to 3,300 feet, according to Live Science. Daniel J. Kamikawa, a biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told Live Science that he could not find any record of previous mass strandings of lancetfish. In a normal scenario, Kamikawa explains one or two lancetfish around found along a wide stretch of the coast. However, his research points out that the Oregon strandings and elsewhere are not common. Lancetfish Stranding Theories The recurring appearance of the lancetfish, being one of the largest fish species to live in the deep ocean, along the West Coast has baffled scientists, The New York Times reported. It was reported that scientists are not sure why this is happening, with the latest Oregon beach stranding occurring on Monday, May 1. The recent stranding only adds to further speculations regarding the phenomenon. As mentioned earlier, below are three potential theories that would explain why the cannibal fish washed ashore, according to Live Science. First, the stranded lancetfish were either injured or sick which hindered them to swim properly. The second theory suggested a storm was responsible for pushing them into shallow waters and to the shore eventually. Third, a phenomenon called temperature shock, which pertains to exposure to water colder than one's average temperature, is causing the strandings. Related Article: Rare Cannibalistic Lancet Fish Washes Ashore The United States on Tuesday announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country's air defenses and provide it with additional artillery ammunition. An evening with Daniel Munayer at Norwich church An evening with Daniel Munayer at Norwich church Daniel Munayer will be visiting Norwich on May 21. He is the Executive Director of Musalaha, a faith-based organisation that teaches, trains and facilitates reconciliation, mainly between Israelis and Palestinians from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Washington's power brokers love playing chicken. But the rest of the world will watch in dread Tuesday when President Joe Biden and Republican leaders meet to negotiate the US debt ceiling -- praying that one side finally blinks. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: In yet another incident that proves women are not safe in the city, the inmates of a ladies' hostel at Nayapalli were attacked by a few miscreants on Friday night. The miscreants barged into the hostel and ransacked the premises. As per a complaint lodged by an inmate, Leela Swain (30), one of the miscreants attacked her in front of the hostel. Swain was about to leave for the market on her scooter when one of the three miscreants standing a few metres away threw a stone at her. I confronted the three youths and they started misbehaving with me. This led to a scuffle between us following which the trio called their other associates to the spot, she said. At least 10 miscreants then started pushing and harassing Swain, who works in a private organisation, after which she ran inside the hostel fearing for her life. The goons started pelting stones at the hostel when the other women inmates came outside. The complainant alleged the youths created a ruckus on the spot for over 40 minutes. A group of youths in the age group of 18 to 22 have been consuming intoxicants in the area for the last several months. They attack residents who oppose them, alleged Swain. In several instances, the youths have even snatched money from the residents, she said. The miscreants also vandalised Swains scooter before fleeing the spot. Meanwhile, the police have registered a case in this connection but so far no arrests have been made. The incident comes days after several goons demolished two shops illegally in Nayapalli. BHUBANESWAR: In yet another incident that proves women are not safe in the city, the inmates of a ladies' hostel at Nayapalli were attacked by a few miscreants on Friday night. The miscreants barged into the hostel and ransacked the premises. As per a complaint lodged by an inmate, Leela Swain (30), one of the miscreants attacked her in front of the hostel. Swain was about to leave for the market on her scooter when one of the three miscreants standing a few metres away threw a stone at her. I confronted the three youths and they started misbehaving with me. This led to a scuffle between us following which the trio called their other associates to the spot, she said. At least 10 miscreants then started pushing and harassing Swain, who works in a private organisation, after which she ran inside the hostel fearing for her life. The goons started pelting stones at the hostel when the other women inmates came outside.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The complainant alleged the youths created a ruckus on the spot for over 40 minutes. A group of youths in the age group of 18 to 22 have been consuming intoxicants in the area for the last several months. They attack residents who oppose them, alleged Swain. In several instances, the youths have even snatched money from the residents, she said. The miscreants also vandalised Swains scooter before fleeing the spot. Meanwhile, the police have registered a case in this connection but so far no arrests have been made. The incident comes days after several goons demolished two shops illegally in Nayapalli. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state conference of the Newspaper Agents Association has urged the state government to make a daily newspaper reading a part of the school curriculum. As per the association, daily newspaper reading is a key factor in developing general knowledge and social awareness and inculcating both in the new generation. Even students at the higher secondary level lack basic information as they are not into reading newspapers, it stated. The meeting held in Kozhikode also observed that the overuse of social media was affecting the intellectual level of the new generation. Association state president P K Sathar presided over the meeting. All India Newspaper Vendors Federation national president Sunil Patnakar (Maharashtra) inaugurated the conference. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state conference of the Newspaper Agents Association has urged the state government to make a daily newspaper reading a part of the school curriculum. As per the association, daily newspaper reading is a key factor in developing general knowledge and social awareness and inculcating both in the new generation. Even students at the higher secondary level lack basic information as they are not into reading newspapers, it stated.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The meeting held in Kozhikode also observed that the overuse of social media was affecting the intellectual level of the new generation. Association state president P K Sathar presided over the meeting. All India Newspaper Vendors Federation national president Sunil Patnakar (Maharashtra) inaugurated the conference. Deepali Singh By Express News Service "Every film has its destiny. This is what actor Irrfan would say to his director-friend Anup Singh. Their 2017 film, The Song of Scorpions, despite fabulous reception at international film festivals, struggled to find distributors in India. It was finally released here on April 28, a day before Irrfans third death anniversary. He died on April 29, 2020. Expectedly, the Geneva-based filmmaker says its strange to not have the actor around to share the moment with. Irrfan was keen that it be seen on the big screen in India while he was still around, Singh recalls and adds that while the actor had been patient initially, the diagnosis of his neuroendocrine cancer made them all feel a little desperate. The Song of Scorpions premiered at the 70th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland in 2017. For a year, it did the rounds of film festivals, gathering accolades for its direction, cinematography and nuanced performances by Irrfan and his Iranian co-star Golshifteh Farahani. Since then, the makers had been looking for an opportunity to release the film in India. Initially, it was the distributors that were hard to come by because it wasnt considered mainstream enough. Then, once Panorama Spotlight and 70 MM Talkies came on board, the pandemic struck and the India release got delayed once again. Singh collaborated with Irrfan for the first time for Qissa-The Tale of a Lonely Ghost. It was while working on the 2013 film that the filmmaker started seeing fragments of images and hearing a voice in his dreams. They eventually materialised as The Song of Scorpions, which is Singhs response to the infamous Delhi rape case in 2012. At the centre is the story of a young woman in Jaisalmer named Nooran (played by Farahani), who belongs to a community that believes in the healing power of song. How one chooses to deal with violence forms the crux of the film. Do we confront violence with violence or can we find another way of freeing ourselves? Maybe with a song? Singh asks. Irrfan essays the role of a camel trader, Aadam, who is in love with Nooran. While Farahanis name for the lead was recommended by the Maqbool star, Singh only had Irrfan in mind for Aadam. ALSO READ | Irrfan in 'The Song of Scorpions': Extraordinarily Ordinary I wrote the character for him, he says. Recalling the time the director went to him with the script, Singh adds, At the end of the narration, he said, You always bring me roles that I know I should not do and yet, I cannot not do them. For most admirers of Irrfan, it was his piercing gaze that did the trick. Singh, who came out with the memoir, Irrfan: Dialogues with the Wind, last year, agrees. His eyes look at you without exploiting or objectifying, he says, but quickly adds, What I admired about him, however, was the rhythm in his bodya lilt, a melody that varies from film to film. And, I wanted to push that just a little further. ALSO READ | Irrfan Khan leaves you with his hypnotic charm in 'The Song of Scorpions' And, in The Song of Scorpions, Singh believes, Irrfans performance is different from what he has ever done before. He really opened himself to what lay beyond the drama of the film. There is a larger expansive quality and melody of emotion that Irrfan brings, and it is a joy to see, he says. "Every film has its destiny. This is what actor Irrfan would say to his director-friend Anup Singh. Their 2017 film, The Song of Scorpions, despite fabulous reception at international film festivals, struggled to find distributors in India. It was finally released here on April 28, a day before Irrfans third death anniversary. He died on April 29, 2020. Expectedly, the Geneva-based filmmaker says its strange to not have the actor around to share the moment with. Irrfan was keen that it be seen on the big screen in India while he was still around, Singh recalls and adds that while the actor had been patient initially, the diagnosis of his neuroendocrine cancer made them all feel a little desperate. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Song of Scorpions premiered at the 70th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland in 2017. For a year, it did the rounds of film festivals, gathering accolades for its direction, cinematography and nuanced performances by Irrfan and his Iranian co-star Golshifteh Farahani. Since then, the makers had been looking for an opportunity to release the film in India. Initially, it was the distributors that were hard to come by because it wasnt considered mainstream enough. Then, once Panorama Spotlight and 70 MM Talkies came on board, the pandemic struck and the India release got delayed once again. Singh collaborated with Irrfan for the first time for Qissa-The Tale of a Lonely Ghost. It was while working on the 2013 film that the filmmaker started seeing fragments of images and hearing a voice in his dreams. They eventually materialised as The Song of Scorpions, which is Singhs response to the infamous Delhi rape case in 2012. At the centre is the story of a young woman in Jaisalmer named Nooran (played by Farahani), who belongs to a community that believes in the healing power of song. How one chooses to deal with violence forms the crux of the film. Do we confront violence with violence or can we find another way of freeing ourselves? Maybe with a song? Singh asks. Irrfan essays the role of a camel trader, Aadam, who is in love with Nooran. While Farahanis name for the lead was recommended by the Maqbool star, Singh only had Irrfan in mind for Aadam. ALSO READ | Irrfan in 'The Song of Scorpions': Extraordinarily Ordinary I wrote the character for him, he says. Recalling the time the director went to him with the script, Singh adds, At the end of the narration, he said, You always bring me roles that I know I should not do and yet, I cannot not do them. For most admirers of Irrfan, it was his piercing gaze that did the trick. Singh, who came out with the memoir, Irrfan: Dialogues with the Wind, last year, agrees. His eyes look at you without exploiting or objectifying, he says, but quickly adds, What I admired about him, however, was the rhythm in his bodya lilt, a melody that varies from film to film. And, I wanted to push that just a little further. ALSO READ | Irrfan Khan leaves you with his hypnotic charm in 'The Song of Scorpions' And, in The Song of Scorpions, Singh believes, Irrfans performance is different from what he has ever done before. He really opened himself to what lay beyond the drama of the film. There is a larger expansive quality and melody of emotion that Irrfan brings, and it is a joy to see, he says. Seema Sinha By Express News Service Tigmanshu Dhulias career has come full circle. His first film, Haasil (2003), dealt with the good, the bad and the ugly of student politics, with the directors alma mater, Allahabad University, as the backdrop. Exactly two decades later, he is back with another production, Garmi, with the same theme and setting, but as a web series. I wanted to revisit the space of student politics and show how society has changed. During my research in Allahabad, I could feel the change, the badlav. Now, everybody is running after money. During my time, there was theatre, plays, art and music, and Sher-o-Shayari, but now such activities are absent because they dont yield money. Aesthetically and culturally, we have become poor, says Dhulia. He adds, I have had first-hand experience with student activism, and it was interesting to revisit that world. Tigmanshu Dhulia Garmi, which was released on April 21 on SonyLiv, is a youth political drama. Its protagonist, played by newcomer Vyom Yadav, moves out of his hometown with aspirations of becoming a civil servant but stumbles into the world of college politics, powerplay and crime. It also stars Puneet Singh and Disha Thakur among others. For Dhulia, the location has always been a character in itself, and thats why he shoots in environments that lend a sense of authenticity to the story. For instance, he filmed the Irrfan-starrer biopic, Paan Singh Tomar, in the valleys of Chambal, as well as the barracks in Roorkee where the athlete-turned-dacoit lived. Several segments of Garmi, like Haasil all those years ago, were shot at Allahabad University. The location captures the essence of the story; it sets the tone. In fact, some students from other colleges in Allahabad ended up joining Garmi. The citys vibrant intellectual atmosphere was essential in bringing alive the plot, Dhulia says, adding, Small towns have conflicts of various kinds, and people relate to them. The National Award-winning director, who holds a Masters degree in theatre from Delhis National School of Drama, has also helmed the Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster franchise. He dabbles in acting as well and is best known for his role as Ramadhir Singh in Anurag Kashyaps Gangs of Wasseypur. At a time when Bollywood actors and directors are just beginning, or still contemplating, exploring the OTT space, Dhulia is already on his third series. Web is our future, says the director, who debuted in the digital medium with Criminal Justice (2019), co-directed by Vishal Furia, followed by the political thriller series, The Great Indian Murder, in 2022. All of us in Hindi cinema have tried to make movies with unique stories, but somehow it tends to get formulaic, and I dont think we will be able to break the formula. Just getting theatres to release a film is a challenge. That isnt true for OTT, and the reach of digital is far more, says Dhulia. The filmmaker is gearing up to present another biopic of director K Asif and his herculean adventure of directing the most iconic film, Mughal-e-Azam. I learnt about some incidents during the making of the film which intrigued me. K Asifs life is equally fascinating. He himself was a magnum opus. That man was a school dropout, tailoring was his craft, and he made just two films in his life, says Dhulia. And, while he is still fleshing out the story along with writers Kamlesh Pandey and Iqbal Rizvi, Dhulia is looking forward to first wrapping up the cop-dacoit thriller Ghamasaan, starring Arshad Warsi and Pratik Gandhi. The film is inspired by the life of a selfless young IPS officer (Gandhi) from Uttar Pradesh. Tigmanshu Dhulias career has come full circle. His first film, Haasil (2003), dealt with the good, the bad and the ugly of student politics, with the directors alma mater, Allahabad University, as the backdrop. Exactly two decades later, he is back with another production, Garmi, with the same theme and setting, but as a web series. I wanted to revisit the space of student politics and show how society has changed. During my research in Allahabad, I could feel the change, the badlav. Now, everybody is running after money. During my time, there was theatre, plays, art and music, and Sher-o-Shayari, but now such activities are absent because they dont yield money. Aesthetically and culturally, we have become poor, says Dhulia. He adds, I have had first-hand experience with student activism, and it was interesting to revisit that world. Tigmanshu DhuliaGarmi, which was released on April 21 on SonyLiv, is a youth political drama. Its protagonist, played by newcomer Vyom Yadav, moves out of his hometown with aspirations of becoming a civil servant but stumbles into the world of college politics, powerplay and crime. It also stars Puneet Singh and Disha Thakur among others. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); For Dhulia, the location has always been a character in itself, and thats why he shoots in environments that lend a sense of authenticity to the story. For instance, he filmed the Irrfan-starrer biopic, Paan Singh Tomar, in the valleys of Chambal, as well as the barracks in Roorkee where the athlete-turned-dacoit lived. Several segments of Garmi, like Haasil all those years ago, were shot at Allahabad University. The location captures the essence of the story; it sets the tone. In fact, some students from other colleges in Allahabad ended up joining Garmi. The citys vibrant intellectual atmosphere was essential in bringing alive the plot, Dhulia says, adding, Small towns have conflicts of various kinds, and people relate to them. The National Award-winning director, who holds a Masters degree in theatre from Delhis National School of Drama, has also helmed the Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster franchise. He dabbles in acting as well and is best known for his role as Ramadhir Singh in Anurag Kashyaps Gangs of Wasseypur. At a time when Bollywood actors and directors are just beginning, or still contemplating, exploring the OTT space, Dhulia is already on his third series. Web is our future, says the director, who debuted in the digital medium with Criminal Justice (2019), co-directed by Vishal Furia, followed by the political thriller series, The Great Indian Murder, in 2022. All of us in Hindi cinema have tried to make movies with unique stories, but somehow it tends to get formulaic, and I dont think we will be able to break the formula. Just getting theatres to release a film is a challenge. That isnt true for OTT, and the reach of digital is far more, says Dhulia. The filmmaker is gearing up to present another biopic of director K Asif and his herculean adventure of directing the most iconic film, Mughal-e-Azam. I learnt about some incidents during the making of the film which intrigued me. K Asifs life is equally fascinating. He himself was a magnum opus. That man was a school dropout, tailoring was his craft, and he made just two films in his life, says Dhulia. And, while he is still fleshing out the story along with writers Kamlesh Pandey and Iqbal Rizvi, Dhulia is looking forward to first wrapping up the cop-dacoit thriller Ghamasaan, starring Arshad Warsi and Pratik Gandhi. The film is inspired by the life of a selfless young IPS officer (Gandhi) from Uttar Pradesh. By PTI KOCHI: In the wake of disclosures by many in the Malayalam film industry about drug use by some actors, Kochi city Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman on Sunday said police presence would now be there at all film shooting locations in the port-city. The top officer said that shadow police would be present at all shooting locations and raids would be carried out if information is received about use or sale of drugs. "Action will be taken against those violating the law," he said and welcomed people speaking out against the use of drugs. Speaking to reporters here, Raman said the decision was taken in an urgent meeting held recently in the wake of film industry persons speaking of drug use among actors. He said that on receiving complaints, appropriate action -- including initially trying to dissuade the person concerned from using drugs -- would be taken. "We have data of those involved in such cases in the past. We know who is doing drugs, but we do not have information about the sellers." "Of the majority of those using drugs, if we arrest them, we will have to release them on bail. What is required is for such persons to wake up and realise that continued use of drugs would be harmful to them," he said. Raman further said that police were examining all aspects of the matter. There have been reports of many producers complaining about some young actors over their use of drugs. Actor Tini Tom recently raised concerns of drug use in the film industry alleging that a colleague he recently worked with was a drug addict and suffers from tooth decay due to substance abuse. There were also reports that Tom would record his statement with the police on drug abuse in the Malayalam film industry. KOCHI: In the wake of disclosures by many in the Malayalam film industry about drug use by some actors, Kochi city Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman on Sunday said police presence would now be there at all film shooting locations in the port-city. The top officer said that shadow police would be present at all shooting locations and raids would be carried out if information is received about use or sale of drugs. "Action will be taken against those violating the law," he said and welcomed people speaking out against the use of drugs.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Speaking to reporters here, Raman said the decision was taken in an urgent meeting held recently in the wake of film industry persons speaking of drug use among actors. He said that on receiving complaints, appropriate action -- including initially trying to dissuade the person concerned from using drugs -- would be taken. "We have data of those involved in such cases in the past. We know who is doing drugs, but we do not have information about the sellers." "Of the majority of those using drugs, if we arrest them, we will have to release them on bail. What is required is for such persons to wake up and realise that continued use of drugs would be harmful to them," he said. Raman further said that police were examining all aspects of the matter. There have been reports of many producers complaining about some young actors over their use of drugs. Actor Tini Tom recently raised concerns of drug use in the film industry alleging that a colleague he recently worked with was a drug addict and suffers from tooth decay due to substance abuse. There were also reports that Tom would record his statement with the police on drug abuse in the Malayalam film industry. B Satyanarayana Reddy By Express News Service KHAMMAM: When the State government launched the Dalit Bandhu initiative, a financial assistance programme for Dalit residents of the State, it was heralded as the revolutionary intervention which will propel the Scheduled Caste (SC) families into economic development in a big way, thereby ensuring social dignity. Around one-and-a-half-year has passed since it was rolled out on a pilot basis to correct historical injustices. While social justice or affirmative action measures are often discarded by the mainstream by terming it votebank politics, the Dalit Bandhu scheme has helped many families from downtrodden communities in Khammam district stand on their feet and shoulder-to-shoulder with their more privileged counterparts. A few years ago, it was almost unthinkable for Kambhala Ratnakar, a resident of Proddutur village in Chintakani mandal, to even dream of a bright future. Hope had become a dirty word as he had only seen hardships throughout his life. Infected by polio at a tender age, the 38-year-old Dalit man had lost use one of his legs as a child. However, he fought hard to pursue his dream, completed his MSc and began working as a lecturer at a private college. While his life was looking up, the Covid-19 pandemic handed him another blow and he lost his job. Just as Ratnakar had almost given up hope, the State government announced Dalit Bandhu. Chintakani mandal was chosen for the pilot implementation in the district and the 38-year-old was one of the 3,642 SC families that benefitted from the scheme. While the leaders and officials urged beneficiaries from the same geographical areas to go for different ventures and not put all their money into historically-profitable businesses, Ratnakar was one of the select few who chose to set up a footwear store with the money received under the scheme. Now, his store in Khammam has become a customers favourite. He also employs three other people. Due to its success, Ratnakar feels hopeful about the future. His destiny is now in his own hands. It looks like a miracle considering the kind of life I led after I lost my job. Dalit Bandhu has given me a new lease on life to me, he tells TNIE. Like Ratnakar, there are many whose lives have turned towards the better due to the Dalit Bandhu initiative. Another beneficiary, Tadikamalla Naresh, 35, who did his BTech in computer science, set up a digital wall (LED screens) unit and is now earning Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per programme. Speaking to TNIE, he says his life suddenly changed for the better after Dalit Bandhu came to his rescue. Now I am providing jobs to 10 to 15 youths, he adds. Another beneficiary L Govinda Rao of Narasimhapuram village bought a tractor along with agricultural equipment with the financial assistance provided by the government under the Dalit Bandhu scheme and now he is as busy as a bee. He recalls how he slipped into financial ruin when he was diagnosed with black fungus even as Covid-19 was receding. My family had to sell one acre of land and a small shed (their residence) for my treatment. I somehow got cured but remained broke since then, he states. However, Dalit Bandhu brought good tidings to him. After I bought a tractor, I am able to hire three to four youths to help me in my work, he adds. While many cases of corruption come up when a financial assistance programme is extended, a beneficiary mentions that they did not grease the palms of anyone for grounding the units as District Collector VP Gowtham monitored the selection of beneficiaries under the scheme. As many as 28 drone units have been grounded apart from paddy harvesters, earthmovers, different shops and tailoring units as chosen by the beneficiaries. VP Gowtham tells TNIE, Selection of beneficiaries was done in a transparent manner. We trained many beneficiaries in running the units they have set up. LEADERS ENCOURAGE BENEFICIARIES TO FIND NEW IDEAS While the leaders and officials urged beneficiaries from the same geographical areas to go for different ventures and not put all their money into historically-profitable businesses, Ratnakar was one of the select few who chose to set up a footwear store with the money received under the scheme. Now, his store in Khammam has become a customers favourite. KHAMMAM: When the State government launched the Dalit Bandhu initiative, a financial assistance programme for Dalit residents of the State, it was heralded as the revolutionary intervention which will propel the Scheduled Caste (SC) families into economic development in a big way, thereby ensuring social dignity. Around one-and-a-half-year has passed since it was rolled out on a pilot basis to correct historical injustices. While social justice or affirmative action measures are often discarded by the mainstream by terming it votebank politics, the Dalit Bandhu scheme has helped many families from downtrodden communities in Khammam district stand on their feet and shoulder-to-shoulder with their more privileged counterparts. A few years ago, it was almost unthinkable for Kambhala Ratnakar, a resident of Proddutur village in Chintakani mandal, to even dream of a bright future. Hope had become a dirty word as he had only seen hardships throughout his life. Infected by polio at a tender age, the 38-year-old Dalit man had lost use one of his legs as a child. However, he fought hard to pursue his dream, completed his MSc and began working as a lecturer at a private college. While his life was looking up, the Covid-19 pandemic handed him another blow and he lost his job. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Just as Ratnakar had almost given up hope, the State government announced Dalit Bandhu. Chintakani mandal was chosen for the pilot implementation in the district and the 38-year-old was one of the 3,642 SC families that benefitted from the scheme. While the leaders and officials urged beneficiaries from the same geographical areas to go for different ventures and not put all their money into historically-profitable businesses, Ratnakar was one of the select few who chose to set up a footwear store with the money received under the scheme. Now, his store in Khammam has become a customers favourite. He also employs three other people. Due to its success, Ratnakar feels hopeful about the future. His destiny is now in his own hands. It looks like a miracle considering the kind of life I led after I lost my job. Dalit Bandhu has given me a new lease on life to me, he tells TNIE. Like Ratnakar, there are many whose lives have turned towards the better due to the Dalit Bandhu initiative. Another beneficiary, Tadikamalla Naresh, 35, who did his BTech in computer science, set up a digital wall (LED screens) unit and is now earning Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per programme. Speaking to TNIE, he says his life suddenly changed for the better after Dalit Bandhu came to his rescue. Now I am providing jobs to 10 to 15 youths, he adds. Another beneficiary L Govinda Rao of Narasimhapuram village bought a tractor along with agricultural equipment with the financial assistance provided by the government under the Dalit Bandhu scheme and now he is as busy as a bee. He recalls how he slipped into financial ruin when he was diagnosed with black fungus even as Covid-19 was receding. My family had to sell one acre of land and a small shed (their residence) for my treatment. I somehow got cured but remained broke since then, he states. However, Dalit Bandhu brought good tidings to him. After I bought a tractor, I am able to hire three to four youths to help me in my work, he adds. While many cases of corruption come up when a financial assistance programme is extended, a beneficiary mentions that they did not grease the palms of anyone for grounding the units as District Collector VP Gowtham monitored the selection of beneficiaries under the scheme. As many as 28 drone units have been grounded apart from paddy harvesters, earthmovers, different shops and tailoring units as chosen by the beneficiaries. VP Gowtham tells TNIE, Selection of beneficiaries was done in a transparent manner. We trained many beneficiaries in running the units they have set up. LEADERS ENCOURAGE BENEFICIARIES TO FIND NEW IDEAS While the leaders and officials urged beneficiaries from the same geographical areas to go for different ventures and not put all their money into historically-profitable businesses, Ratnakar was one of the select few who chose to set up a footwear store with the money received under the scheme. Now, his store in Khammam has become a customers favourite. S Trimurthulu By Express News Service AMALAPURAM: Realising at a very young age that water bodies in India require attention, a 15-year-old NRI girl has set a goal to contribute her time and energy in reducing water pollution in Godavari river. With her familys support, Umasri Pujyam has been working towards her goal at her native village, Ponnamanda, in Razole of Ambedkar Konaseema district. With her relentless efforts to raise awareness on ill effects of water pollution among residents of Godavari districts, she has been inching closer to her dream of restoring the pristine glory of the river. The 15-year-old collected plastic waste from Godavari river for 100 days inspiring not just panchayat staff but also creating a sense of responsibility among the youth. She founded Youth Against Water Pollution organisation through which she has been spearheading a campaign and raising the water issues being faced by the people of Konaseema. Umasri has been living with her parents Vijay Kumar, Suguna Devi and her brother Uma Maheswara Sastry in Memphis, USA. She has taken up a multi-faceted campaign aimed at addressing the devastating impact of water pollution on the river Godavari and promoting access to clean drinking water for those affected by this existential threat. Umasris inspiring efforts included mobilising local forces to conducting numerous river clean-up initiatives, raising public awareness on the water crisis, and advocating for a more comprehensive strategy to combat this issue. Guided by her deep-seated commitment to social and environmental justice, she has dedicated herself to tackle this neglected issue, driven in part by her own firsthand observations of the dire conditions in Razole, her birthplace. She has been explaining that untreated sewage and plastic are the key cause behind the rivers pollution. The once clean and safe Godavari is now rampantly polluted. She has not merely focused on raising the alarm and educating communities about the perils of this crisis, but over the past couple of years, she has organised and conducted over a 100 cleanup drives on river Godavari to address the issue. Furthermore, she has striven to guide local residents on proper waste disposal and ways to reduce their impact on the environment and water sources. Using her passion for environmental engineering and technology, Umasri aspires to engineer innovative, effective sewage treatment solutions and also advance environmental policies, which prioritise access to clean water for all, thereby, improving the health and livelihood of the communities. According to her family, her ultimate goal is to help usher in a brighter future for villagers, one in which the health and prosperity of local communities and the environment in which they live are mutually sustained, strengthening generations to come. ASPIRES TO ENGINEER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS The once clean and safe Godavari is now rampantly polluted. Umasri has not merely focused on raising the alarm and educating communities about the perils of this crisis, but over the past couple of years, she has organised over a 100 cleanup drives on the river Godavari. Using her passion for environmental engineering, Umasri aspires to engineer innovative and effective sewage treatment solutions, which prioritise access to clean water AMALAPURAM: Realising at a very young age that water bodies in India require attention, a 15-year-old NRI girl has set a goal to contribute her time and energy in reducing water pollution in Godavari river. With her familys support, Umasri Pujyam has been working towards her goal at her native village, Ponnamanda, in Razole of Ambedkar Konaseema district. With her relentless efforts to raise awareness on ill effects of water pollution among residents of Godavari districts, she has been inching closer to her dream of restoring the pristine glory of the river. The 15-year-old collected plastic waste from Godavari river for 100 days inspiring not just panchayat staff but also creating a sense of responsibility among the youth. She founded Youth Against Water Pollution organisation through which she has been spearheading a campaign and raising the water issues being faced by the people of Konaseema.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Umasri has been living with her parents Vijay Kumar, Suguna Devi and her brother Uma Maheswara Sastry in Memphis, USA. She has taken up a multi-faceted campaign aimed at addressing the devastating impact of water pollution on the river Godavari and promoting access to clean drinking water for those affected by this existential threat. Umasris inspiring efforts included mobilising local forces to conducting numerous river clean-up initiatives, raising public awareness on the water crisis, and advocating for a more comprehensive strategy to combat this issue. Guided by her deep-seated commitment to social and environmental justice, she has dedicated herself to tackle this neglected issue, driven in part by her own firsthand observations of the dire conditions in Razole, her birthplace. She has been explaining that untreated sewage and plastic are the key cause behind the rivers pollution. The once clean and safe Godavari is now rampantly polluted. She has not merely focused on raising the alarm and educating communities about the perils of this crisis, but over the past couple of years, she has organised and conducted over a 100 cleanup drives on river Godavari to address the issue. Furthermore, she has striven to guide local residents on proper waste disposal and ways to reduce their impact on the environment and water sources. Using her passion for environmental engineering and technology, Umasri aspires to engineer innovative, effective sewage treatment solutions and also advance environmental policies, which prioritise access to clean water for all, thereby, improving the health and livelihood of the communities. According to her family, her ultimate goal is to help usher in a brighter future for villagers, one in which the health and prosperity of local communities and the environment in which they live are mutually sustained, strengthening generations to come. ASPIRES TO ENGINEER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS The once clean and safe Godavari is now rampantly polluted. Umasri has not merely focused on raising the alarm and educating communities about the perils of this crisis, but over the past couple of years, she has organised over a 100 cleanup drives on the river Godavari. Using her passion for environmental engineering, Umasri aspires to engineer innovative and effective sewage treatment solutions, which prioritise access to clean water Mayank Bhusan Pani By Express News Service SAMBALPUR: The Hirakud wildlife division is using stories to connect young minds with nature and wildlife. Under its nature education program, the wildlife division has launched storytelling sessions every weekend in Sambalpur zoo and Zero Point inside Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary. The storytellers are mostly wildlife enthusiasts, birders, environmentalists and scientists who share their own experiences and try to convey a message through their stories. DFO of Hirakud wildlife division Anshu Pragyan Das said the primary objective of the storytelling sessions is to sensitise the audience on environment and wildlife. Currently, we are inviting guests from different fields as storytellers and in days to come, we will involve our eco-guides who have been working in Debrigarh since long. These sessions will serve as open platforms for nature lovers to share their stories and contribute towards conservation, she said. And the stories are not about kings and queens but real life situations with nature as a central theme. Environmental activist from Rourkela Sasmita Mohapatra, who attended one of the sessions as a storyteller, said her stories revolved around water and its scarcity. There were several students from the audience who actively participated in the discussion and shared some of their stories too. The session ended with an assignment which I gave to them. The assignment was directed towards bringing behavioural changes in them towards water conservation, she said. Stories also revolve around wildlife habitats, house sparrows, hydrophytes, hiking, trekking, star gazing, bird watching and much more. Entry to these sessions are free to draw more people. Though the school and college students are the major focus groups for these sessions, they have managed to draw people from all walks of life and across age groups within a very short time. SAMBALPUR: The Hirakud wildlife division is using stories to connect young minds with nature and wildlife. Under its nature education program, the wildlife division has launched storytelling sessions every weekend in Sambalpur zoo and Zero Point inside Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary. The storytellers are mostly wildlife enthusiasts, birders, environmentalists and scientists who share their own experiences and try to convey a message through their stories. DFO of Hirakud wildlife division Anshu Pragyan Das said the primary objective of the storytelling sessions is to sensitise the audience on environment and wildlife. Currently, we are inviting guests from different fields as storytellers and in days to come, we will involve our eco-guides who have been working in Debrigarh since long. These sessions will serve as open platforms for nature lovers to share their stories and contribute towards conservation, she said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); And the stories are not about kings and queens but real life situations with nature as a central theme. Environmental activist from Rourkela Sasmita Mohapatra, who attended one of the sessions as a storyteller, said her stories revolved around water and its scarcity. There were several students from the audience who actively participated in the discussion and shared some of their stories too. The session ended with an assignment which I gave to them. The assignment was directed towards bringing behavioural changes in them towards water conservation, she said. Stories also revolve around wildlife habitats, house sparrows, hydrophytes, hiking, trekking, star gazing, bird watching and much more. Entry to these sessions are free to draw more people. Though the school and college students are the major focus groups for these sessions, they have managed to draw people from all walks of life and across age groups within a very short time. Shikha Tripathi By Malkangiri, Odisha Live and learn the sustainable lifestyle of the oldest tribal communities While James Cameron spent a bomb creating the fantasy land of the Navis, you can visit the world of forest natives in real life: meet the Bonda and Gadaba tribes that are among the oldest tribal communities in India, who are still 100 percent dependent on the forest. Both tribes reside in remote villages on the hills in western Odishas Malkangiri district, about a five-hour drive from the Vizag airport. While civilians are not allowed to enter Bonda villages on the upper hills, one can interact with the membersinstantly recognisable in their traditional handwoven loom cloth called renga, and striking facial tattoos; women also wear massive beads around their necksin the local market place. The Bondas are said to be the members of a group of Austro-Asiatic tribes, who were part of the first wave of migration out of Africa about 60,000 years ago. Gadabas dont have such restrictions, and visiting their homes can offer a unique opportunity to understand their lifestyle, much of which depends on foraging for producebamboo shoots and jackfruit. Apart from the cultural experience, the landscapehills, forests, streamsalso offers plenty of opportunities for hiking. Dont miss: The weekly Thursday tribal markets, called haat or haato, from where the tribals buy salt and spices, and sell their local liquor fermented from rice and millets, and even pineapples and papaya. Pro tip: While the tribals are generally friendly, it is advisable not to flash cameras in the first instance. Strike a conversation, and they may not just let you take pictures, but also offer you some of their beaded jewellery. Kavya Saxena is a rural entrepreneur who works with tribes and organisations to promote indigenous art;@crazyfeetkavya; 20.2k Gulmarg, Kashmir Sample traditional wazwan with a vegetarian twist For the quintessential foodie, no trip to Kashmir is complete without sampling wazwan. Traditionally a meat-heavy multi-course meal (rice served with at least five sides) that is prepared for festive occasions, it was tough for us to find its vegetarian equivalent. Thats when The Khyber, a luxury resort situated amid a dense coniferous forest in Gulmarg, came to our rescue. The chefs whipped up a fabulous Wazwan Trami, comprising Kashmiri rajma, dum aloo, haak and more, all of which we devoured out of beautiful artisan copper plates, in the true spirit of the community meal that has fostered love and brotherhood for generations. The gorgeous alpine setting escalated this experience, available only for in-house guests. Dont miss: Take the gondola ride at Gulmarg phase 2 station to Mount Apharwat, and from there trek for a day to Alpather Lake, also called the frozen lake (it remains so till mid-June). Pro tip: Invest in a pair of sturdy waterproof snow boots that you will need for multiple activities in the area; the rented ones are not always of the best quality. Aaditi Nagar and Nikitaa Verma are friends who share their passion for travel and lifestyle. :@aaditi_nicki; 190k Let the Dogs Out With a smattering of places that cater to animal lovers and their muses, the mountain states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand emerge as clear winners, not only for being ideal summer getaways that come as a relief to our furry friends. A Dogs Story in Mussoorie goes out of its way to make its four-legged guests feel special, complete with a welcome garland, their own menu, and even special treats for their birthdays. Tucked away from the city in the Garhwal mountains, it has three cottages across three acres of open space with a stream running through it. Vayu, a retreat in the village of Nathuakhan near Ramgarh in Uttarakhands Kumaon region, offers cosy rooms, a tastefully done lounge complete with a fireplace, and an outdoor deck where you can spend the afternoon lazing in the sun with your pet. In Satoli, Woodhouse Farm has a uniquely designed main house plus three cottages, all overlooking the surreal Kumaon Himalayas, and plenty of outdoor space for pets to run around. On the Gagar ridge in the region, the White Peaks is a boutique cottage owned by a pet-loving couple Abhijit and Aparupa Ganguly, who designed this elfin cottage with sweeping Himalayan views for pet parents. Across the border in Himachal Pradesh, Larisa resort near Manali has cottages complete with jacuzzis in the midst of an apple orchard that gives pets enough room to play all day. Meenabagh is a luxury homestay on a permaculture farm near Shimla in Ratnari village which has an army of its own farm animals, and also welcomes other four-legged friends to enjoy the ambience of the mountain farm. Bali, Indonesia Swing your way over the most beautiful river While the Indonesian province is known for its beaches, it is also blessed with rivers, paddy terraces, mountains and jungles. A unique way of enjoying its scenic landscapes is being on a rope swing, available at multiple locationsWanagiru hills, Tegalalang rice terrace and Aloha ubud among othersacross the city. The latest addition offering this must-have experience is the new bamboo-hut swing at the Bambu Indah restaurant, from which you can enjoy stunning views overlooking the Warung River, and the forests that flank it. The quiet, except for the gentle flow of the river, combined with the cool breeze, particularly on a hot summer day, only add to the romance of the place. Dont miss: Local liquor, such as rice wines (brem bali and arak) and palm wine (tuak). Be careful with arak though, as it has high alcohol content. Pro tip: Because Bali has two active volcanoesMounts Batur and Agungit is recommended you keep an eye on travel advisories to avoid any last-minute changes in flight schedules. Also, certain well-known bars and pubs here have a dress code, so pack accordingly. Abhilasha Krishna and Dhanush Rai are travel enthusiasts who now continue their adventures with their baby in tow @backpackwithbae; 58k Quba, Azerbaijan Beat the crowds in Caucasian mountains Quba is an offbeat gem situated in northeastern Azerbaijan that checks all the boxes for the perfect getaway, sans the crowds. Even though its relatively unexplored, go beyond the handful of attractions that a simple Google search throws upAfurdzhi Falls and the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex. If you are somebody who wants to soak in nature, pitch a tent along the banks of the Kudyal river. Across it lies the Red Town, named so because of the red-tiled roofs of the housesthe largest Mountain Jewish settlement in the erstwhile USSR. Adventure junkies can choose from a range of hiking trails. Beginners can opt for the nine-km-long Khinalig-Galakhudat trail. The three-hour scenic hike begins at the Khilanig village which is located in a gorge, and has waterfalls, springs and caves on the way. Staying at an Air BnB with a family of locals is the ideal way to experience the quaint town, one dish at a time. Begin with qutab, a type of stuffed breadground meat, cheese, and/or vegetablestraditional to the region. If youre lucky, your host might just let you try your hand at making qutab or dovgaa cold soup made with yoghurt, cucumber and herbslike we did. Dont miss: A two-hour drive from Quba, the Maiden Tower in the walled city of Baku is a Unesco Heritage Site. It is the oldest monument within the 12th century-walls of the inner city of Icherisheher. A narrow staircase takes you to the top of the 28m-high tower, where you are rewarded with breathtaking views of the old city and the Caspian Sea.Pro tip: Some restaurants frequently overcharge tourists by bringing in specials, which you can easily avoid by simply ordering a la carte Nishita and her husband Siddharth are dentists and travel content creators based in Delhi; That_NomadCouple; 177K Chamba, Himachal Pradesh Live in the first-ever homestay built on a traditional flour mill H20 House is located in Chaminoo village in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh, at the confluence of rivulets Saal and HulNadi amid the Pir Panjal ranges. The 150-year old ancestral homestay is built on a gharaat, a traditional flour mill, which once ground wheat for villagers using the river water to turn the mill. Now, the babble of the stream running beneath the structure soothes its inhabitants throughout the day. The homestay, run by Renu and Manuj Sharma, is a perfect example of a community-driven travel destination, employing and financially benefiting the indigenous tribal communities like Gaddis and Gujjars, who have been integral to the Chambyali cultural heritage for generations. A large part of the H2O houses charm comes from the localitys rustic experiences. For instance, cooking and eating a meal with a family of locals in their traditional kitchen is an opportunity to get a peek into their unique culinary culture. Ask for Chambyali madra, a vegetarian dish from the Chamba region made with soaked rajma, yoghurt, ghee, and a blend of aromatic spices, slow-cooked for several hours, especially during festivals and special occasions. Dont miss: Camp on a nearby mountain top or take a jeep safari to the worlds most dangerous road, Sach Pass Pro tip: The villagers excel in the pine needle work. Remember to bring back locally woven baskets, trays, earrings and mats as souvenirs. NotOnMap is a socially-driven initiative that acts as a bridge between travellers and village communities @notonmap; 52.5k Leon, Nicaragua Surf on the slopes of a volcano You may have heard of skateboarding or kiteboarding, but Nicaragua is one of the only places in the world where volcano boarding is a thing. Climbing up the barren, windy and rocky Cerro Negro, an active volcano in Leon, is an adventure in itself. The slow, uphill climb takes about an hour-and-a-half, but descending from its peak down its steepest slope on a board is something else, and all done in barely 15-odd minutes. Initially, it can be a scary feeling, especially when the wind is strong enough to almost blow you and your board right into the burning crater below. But eventually, that fear gets transformed into a thrill for adrenaline seekers as it did for me and became my fondest memory of the country. It may not be for everyone, but for anyone who loves adventure and a good story, this is probably one of the most unique things to experience. Dont miss: Be bold enough to peek every now and then to catch a glimpse of the burning crater Pro tip: Go on a volcano-boarding trip with Quetzal trekkers, who channel profits back into the local community. English is rarely spoken, so pick up some basic Spanish when you plan your trip. Shivya Nath is an impact entrepreneur and an advocate of tourism as a force for good. @shivya, 111k Curdi, Goa Explore Indias Atlantis, an underwater village that emerges once a year An entire village emerging from the water on certain magical days seems straight out of a fantasy film or novel, but one such place exists, barely 31 km away from the bustling Margao. Once a year, in the dry heat of May, the waters recede to reveal skeletal frames of homes, temples, school, post office, police station, general store and even tree stumps that once populated the land of Curdi in South Goas Sanguem district. The ghost town now sits in a time capsule of slow deterioration, making for a hauntingly beautiful summer exploration. Once a thriving village of over 300 families, the centuries-old ancestral land was sacrificed 35 years ago as part of the Salaulim dam project, and went underwater to ensure drinking and irrigation water supply to the rest of south Goa. Dont miss: The annual festival of Someshwar Mahotsav, usually held here in the last week of May. The Someshwar temple is the only structure that remained intact even after the village submerged. Today former Curdi natives hold a procession to the site to celebrate their homeland. Pro tip: The best way to get to the village is in a high-clearance vehicle as the last stretch is rocky. Go local; ask the friendly villagers at Colamb for directions as there are no road signs or map pins in the area. Revati and Charles Victor are a minimalist couple from Mumbai who retired early to Goa; @differentdoors; 27.8k Garhwal, Uttarakhand Go a rhododendron drive through Buranskhanda While rhododendron is the state flower of Uttarakhand, few know of the Buranskhanda village named after the scarlet flower. Literally meaning the land of Buranshthe local name of rhododendronthe village is located at an altitude of 8,600 ft, just a few kilometres shy of Dhanaulti. The climb up the winding road overlooks the Doon valley and dissolves into endless rows of deodar, which slowly gets populated with red dots, as clusters of rhododendron take over, with occasional bursts of red carpeting the roadside. Once there, you will be welcomed by stellar views of the Garhwal Himalayasthe Bandarpoonch massif and Kedarnathamid the omnipresent bloom of the buransh. While spring was considered the ideal season to visit Buranskhanda till a few years ago, with the changing climate, summer has become the ideal time to drive up the hills and catch the scarlet flower in full bloom. Dont miss: For even better views of the grand Himalayas, take a quick hike to the nearby Surkanda Devi temple, a lesser-known Shakti Peeth. Those who dont wish to hike, can opt for a cable car ride instead. Pro tip: Make sure that you get your car tanked up in Dehradun. It is difficult to get help on the long, isolated stretches on the drive up. A banker through the week, Garvita considers her digital creator life an escape from corporate life; @garvita.n; 23.7k Malkangiri, Odisha Live and learn the sustainable lifestyle of the oldest tribal communities While James Cameron spent a bomb creating the fantasy land of the Navis, you can visit the world of forest natives in real life: meet the Bonda and Gadaba tribes that are among the oldest tribal communities in India, who are still 100 percent dependent on the forest. Both tribes reside in remote villages on the hills in western Odishas Malkangiri district, about a five-hour drive from the Vizag airport. While civilians are not allowed to enter Bonda villages on the upper hills, one can interact with the membersinstantly recognisable in their traditional handwoven loom cloth called renga, and striking facial tattoos; women also wear massive beads around their necksin the local market place. The Bondas are said to be the members of a group of Austro-Asiatic tribes, who were part of the first wave of migration out of Africa about 60,000 years ago. Gadabas dont have such restrictions, and visiting their homes can offer a unique opportunity to understand their lifestyle, much of which depends on foraging for producebamboo shoots and jackfruit. Apart from the cultural experience, the landscapehills, forests, streamsalso offers plenty of opportunities for hiking. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Dont miss: The weekly Thursday tribal markets, called haat or haato, from where the tribals buy salt and spices, and sell their local liquor fermented from rice and millets, and even pineapples and papaya. Pro tip: While the tribals are generally friendly, it is advisable not to flash cameras in the first instance. Strike a conversation, and they may not just let you take pictures, but also offer you some of their beaded jewellery. Kavya Saxena is a rural entrepreneur who works with tribes and organisations to promote indigenous art;@crazyfeetkavya; 20.2k Gulmarg, Kashmir Sample traditional wazwan with a vegetarian twist For the quintessential foodie, no trip to Kashmir is complete without sampling wazwan. Traditionally a meat-heavy multi-course meal (rice served with at least five sides) that is prepared for festive occasions, it was tough for us to find its vegetarian equivalent. Thats when The Khyber, a luxury resort situated amid a dense coniferous forest in Gulmarg, came to our rescue. The chefs whipped up a fabulous Wazwan Trami, comprising Kashmiri rajma, dum aloo, haak and more, all of which we devoured out of beautiful artisan copper plates, in the true spirit of the community meal that has fostered love and brotherhood for generations. The gorgeous alpine setting escalated this experience, available only for in-house guests. Dont miss: Take the gondola ride at Gulmarg phase 2 station to Mount Apharwat, and from there trek for a day to Alpather Lake, also called the frozen lake (it remains so till mid-June). Pro tip: Invest in a pair of sturdy waterproof snow boots that you will need for multiple activities in the area; the rented ones are not always of the best quality. Aaditi Nagar and Nikitaa Verma are friends who share their passion for travel and lifestyle. :@aaditi_nicki; 190k Let the Dogs Out With a smattering of places that cater to animal lovers and their muses, the mountain states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand emerge as clear winners, not only for being ideal summer getaways that come as a relief to our furry friends. A Dogs Story in Mussoorie goes out of its way to make its four-legged guests feel special, complete with a welcome garland, their own menu, and even special treats for their birthdays. Tucked away from the city in the Garhwal mountains, it has three cottages across three acres of open space with a stream running through it. Vayu, a retreat in the village of Nathuakhan near Ramgarh in Uttarakhands Kumaon region, offers cosy rooms, a tastefully done lounge complete with a fireplace, and an outdoor deck where you can spend the afternoon lazing in the sun with your pet. In Satoli, Woodhouse Farm has a uniquely designed main house plus three cottages, all overlooking the surreal Kumaon Himalayas, and plenty of outdoor space for pets to run around. On the Gagar ridge in the region, the White Peaks is a boutique cottage owned by a pet-loving couple Abhijit and Aparupa Ganguly, who designed this elfin cottage with sweeping Himalayan views for pet parents. Across the border in Himachal Pradesh, Larisa resort near Manali has cottages complete with jacuzzis in the midst of an apple orchard that gives pets enough room to play all day. Meenabagh is a luxury homestay on a permaculture farm near Shimla in Ratnari village which has an army of its own farm animals, and also welcomes other four-legged friends to enjoy the ambience of the mountain farm. Bali, Indonesia Swing your way over the most beautiful river While the Indonesian province is known for its beaches, it is also blessed with rivers, paddy terraces, mountains and jungles. A unique way of enjoying its scenic landscapes is being on a rope swing, available at multiple locationsWanagiru hills, Tegalalang rice terrace and Aloha ubud among othersacross the city. The latest addition offering this must-have experience is the new bamboo-hut swing at the Bambu Indah restaurant, from which you can enjoy stunning views overlooking the Warung River, and the forests that flank it. The quiet, except for the gentle flow of the river, combined with the cool breeze, particularly on a hot summer day, only add to the romance of the place. Dont miss: Local liquor, such as rice wines (brem bali and arak) and palm wine (tuak). Be careful with arak though, as it has high alcohol content. Pro tip: Because Bali has two active volcanoesMounts Batur and Agungit is recommended you keep an eye on travel advisories to avoid any last-minute changes in flight schedules. Also, certain well-known bars and pubs here have a dress code, so pack accordingly. Abhilasha Krishna and Dhanush Rai are travel enthusiasts who now continue their adventures with their baby in tow @backpackwithbae; 58k Quba, Azerbaijan Beat the crowds in Caucasian mountains Quba is an offbeat gem situated in northeastern Azerbaijan that checks all the boxes for the perfect getaway, sans the crowds. Even though its relatively unexplored, go beyond the handful of attractions that a simple Google search throws upAfurdzhi Falls and the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex. If you are somebody who wants to soak in nature, pitch a tent along the banks of the Kudyal river. Across it lies the Red Town, named so because of the red-tiled roofs of the housesthe largest Mountain Jewish settlement in the erstwhile USSR. Adventure junkies can choose from a range of hiking trails. Beginners can opt for the nine-km-long Khinalig-Galakhudat trail. The three-hour scenic hike begins at the Khilanig village which is located in a gorge, and has waterfalls, springs and caves on the way. Staying at an Air BnB with a family of locals is the ideal way to experience the quaint town, one dish at a time. Begin with qutab, a type of stuffed breadground meat, cheese, and/or vegetablestraditional to the region. If youre lucky, your host might just let you try your hand at making qutab or dovgaa cold soup made with yoghurt, cucumber and herbslike we did. Dont miss: A two-hour drive from Quba, the Maiden Tower in the walled city of Baku is a Unesco Heritage Site. It is the oldest monument within the 12th century-walls of the inner city of Icherisheher. A narrow staircase takes you to the top of the 28m-high tower, where you are rewarded with breathtaking views of the old city and the Caspian Sea.Pro tip: Some restaurants frequently overcharge tourists by bringing in specials, which you can easily avoid by simply ordering a la carte Nishita and her husband Siddharth are dentists and travel content creators based in Delhi; That_NomadCouple; 177K Chamba, Himachal Pradesh Live in the first-ever homestay built on a traditional flour mill H20 House is located in Chaminoo village in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh, at the confluence of rivulets Saal and HulNadi amid the Pir Panjal ranges. The 150-year old ancestral homestay is built on a gharaat, a traditional flour mill, which once ground wheat for villagers using the river water to turn the mill. Now, the babble of the stream running beneath the structure soothes its inhabitants throughout the day. The homestay, run by Renu and Manuj Sharma, is a perfect example of a community-driven travel destination, employing and financially benefiting the indigenous tribal communities like Gaddis and Gujjars, who have been integral to the Chambyali cultural heritage for generations. A large part of the H2O houses charm comes from the localitys rustic experiences. For instance, cooking and eating a meal with a family of locals in their traditional kitchen is an opportunity to get a peek into their unique culinary culture. Ask for Chambyali madra, a vegetarian dish from the Chamba region made with soaked rajma, yoghurt, ghee, and a blend of aromatic spices, slow-cooked for several hours, especially during festivals and special occasions. Dont miss: Camp on a nearby mountain top or take a jeep safari to the worlds most dangerous road, Sach Pass Pro tip: The villagers excel in the pine needle work. Remember to bring back locally woven baskets, trays, earrings and mats as souvenirs. NotOnMap is a socially-driven initiative that acts as a bridge between travellers and village communities @notonmap; 52.5k Leon, Nicaragua Surf on the slopes of a volcano You may have heard of skateboarding or kiteboarding, but Nicaragua is one of the only places in the world where volcano boarding is a thing. Climbing up the barren, windy and rocky Cerro Negro, an active volcano in Leon, is an adventure in itself. The slow, uphill climb takes about an hour-and-a-half, but descending from its peak down its steepest slope on a board is something else, and all done in barely 15-odd minutes. Initially, it can be a scary feeling, especially when the wind is strong enough to almost blow you and your board right into the burning crater below. But eventually, that fear gets transformed into a thrill for adrenaline seekers as it did for me and became my fondest memory of the country. It may not be for everyone, but for anyone who loves adventure and a good story, this is probably one of the most unique things to experience. Dont miss: Be bold enough to peek every now and then to catch a glimpse of the burning crater Pro tip: Go on a volcano-boarding trip with Quetzal trekkers, who channel profits back into the local community. English is rarely spoken, so pick up some basic Spanish when you plan your trip. Shivya Nath is an impact entrepreneur and an advocate of tourism as a force for good. @shivya, 111k Curdi, Goa Explore Indias Atlantis, an underwater village that emerges once a year An entire village emerging from the water on certain magical days seems straight out of a fantasy film or novel, but one such place exists, barely 31 km away from the bustling Margao. Once a year, in the dry heat of May, the waters recede to reveal skeletal frames of homes, temples, school, post office, police station, general store and even tree stumps that once populated the land of Curdi in South Goas Sanguem district. The ghost town now sits in a time capsule of slow deterioration, making for a hauntingly beautiful summer exploration. Once a thriving village of over 300 families, the centuries-old ancestral land was sacrificed 35 years ago as part of the Salaulim dam project, and went underwater to ensure drinking and irrigation water supply to the rest of south Goa. Dont miss: The annual festival of Someshwar Mahotsav, usually held here in the last week of May. The Someshwar temple is the only structure that remained intact even after the village submerged. Today former Curdi natives hold a procession to the site to celebrate their homeland. Pro tip: The best way to get to the village is in a high-clearance vehicle as the last stretch is rocky. Go local; ask the friendly villagers at Colamb for directions as there are no road signs or map pins in the area. Revati and Charles Victor are a minimalist couple from Mumbai who retired early to Goa; @differentdoors; 27.8k Garhwal, Uttarakhand Go a rhododendron drive through Buranskhanda While rhododendron is the state flower of Uttarakhand, few know of the Buranskhanda village named after the scarlet flower. Literally meaning the land of Buranshthe local name of rhododendronthe village is located at an altitude of 8,600 ft, just a few kilometres shy of Dhanaulti. The climb up the winding road overlooks the Doon valley and dissolves into endless rows of deodar, which slowly gets populated with red dots, as clusters of rhododendron take over, with occasional bursts of red carpeting the roadside. Once there, you will be welcomed by stellar views of the Garhwal Himalayasthe Bandarpoonch massif and Kedarnathamid the omnipresent bloom of the buransh. While spring was considered the ideal season to visit Buranskhanda till a few years ago, with the changing climate, summer has become the ideal time to drive up the hills and catch the scarlet flower in full bloom. Dont miss: For even better views of the grand Himalayas, take a quick hike to the nearby Surkanda Devi temple, a lesser-known Shakti Peeth. Those who dont wish to hike, can opt for a cable car ride instead. Pro tip: Make sure that you get your car tanked up in Dehradun. It is difficult to get help on the long, isolated stretches on the drive up. A banker through the week, Garvita considers her digital creator life an escape from corporate life; @garvita.n; 23.7k The upcoming production of Mozart's Don Giovanni to be staged at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina will bring international and Egyptian artists to the Mediterranean city, while providing many educational components. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday rescued 20 Bangladeshi fishermen from the sea in a swiftly coordinated search and rescue operation. The fishermen were sighted by the ICG Dornier aircraft which was aloft on surveillance sortie to sanitise and render assistance to the affected mariners in the area close to the coast off Odisha and West Bengal post the landfall of cyclone Sitrang. During the surveillance sortie, ICG Dornier aircraft sighted approx 20 persons in water, about 90 NM from Sagar Island near Indo-Bangladesh International Maritime Border Line, as their boats had capsized during cyclone weather. The survivors were clinging onto floats and debris from the sunken fishing boat. ICG aircraft dropped liferaft in the vicinity and remained in the area till survivors embarked the life raft, the ICG said on Wednesday. In addition, the merchant vessel Nanta Bhum, which was in the vicinity and was on passage from Port Klang in Malaysia to Kolkata was diverted towards the stranded fishermen to pick up the persons from the raft. Also, ICG ships Vijaya, Varad and Fast Interceptor Craft C-426 were diverted to augment search and rescue efforts and sanitise the area. The Bangladeshi fishermen were subsequently taken over by ICG Ship Vijaya. Thereafter, ICG undertook two more air sorties to sanitise the entire area affected during the passage of the cyclone, to rule out any further incidents in the area. The fishermen were checked by a medical officer on board ICG ship for their fitness. These fishermen are planned to be handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the statement said. There is an agreement for the same between the two Coast Guards. The ICG had initiated pre-emptive and preventive actions in coordination with the state governments of Odisha and West Bengal to mitigate the risk posed by the impending cyclone. The advisory was also shared with Bangladesh Coast Guard. Throughout the passage of the cyclone, weather advisory was aired by ICG through Radar Station and Remote operating Stations, said the ICG. Spotted during surveillance sortie The fishermen were sighted by the ICG Dornier aircraft which was aloft on surveillance sortie to sanitise and render assistance to the affected mariners in the area close to the coast off Odisha and West Bengal post the landfall of cyclone Sitrang. NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday rescued 20 Bangladeshi fishermen from the sea in a swiftly coordinated search and rescue operation. The fishermen were sighted by the ICG Dornier aircraft which was aloft on surveillance sortie to sanitise and render assistance to the affected mariners in the area close to the coast off Odisha and West Bengal post the landfall of cyclone Sitrang. During the surveillance sortie, ICG Dornier aircraft sighted approx 20 persons in water, about 90 NM from Sagar Island near Indo-Bangladesh International Maritime Border Line, as their boats had capsized during cyclone weather. The survivors were clinging onto floats and debris from the sunken fishing boat. ICG aircraft dropped liferaft in the vicinity and remained in the area till survivors embarked the life raft, the ICG said on Wednesday. In addition, the merchant vessel Nanta Bhum, which was in the vicinity and was on passage from Port Klang in Malaysia to Kolkata was diverted towards the stranded fishermen to pick up the persons from the raft. Also, ICG ships Vijaya, Varad and Fast Interceptor Craft C-426 were diverted to augment search and rescue efforts and sanitise the area. The Bangladeshi fishermen were subsequently taken over by ICG Ship Vijaya. Thereafter, ICG undertook two more air sorties to sanitise the entire area affected during the passage of the cyclone, to rule out any further incidents in the area.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The fishermen were checked by a medical officer on board ICG ship for their fitness. These fishermen are planned to be handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the statement said. There is an agreement for the same between the two Coast Guards. The ICG had initiated pre-emptive and preventive actions in coordination with the state governments of Odisha and West Bengal to mitigate the risk posed by the impending cyclone. The advisory was also shared with Bangladesh Coast Guard. Throughout the passage of the cyclone, weather advisory was aired by ICG through Radar Station and Remote operating Stations, said the ICG. Spotted during surveillance sortie The fishermen were sighted by the ICG Dornier aircraft which was aloft on surveillance sortie to sanitise and render assistance to the affected mariners in the area close to the coast off Odisha and West Bengal post the landfall of cyclone Sitrang. Makarand R Paranjape By In The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World (2020), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says: My generation ... carried into our profession the heavy baggage of difficult experiences with the US, China and Pakistan. The heavy baggage has only gotten heavier. But has the time finally come for a substantial shift in our Pakistan policy? We might ask, vis-a-vis the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Goa, if the gloves are finally off when it comes to Pakistan. In response to his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris tired and predictable raking up of the Kashmir issue in multilateral meetings, EAM Jaishankar retorted, Pakistan has nothing to do with Kashmir, only issue is when will they vacate PoK. Apart from trying to equalise with India on Kashmir, Pakistan has long enjoyed the advantage of doublespeak when it comes to terrorism. Calling itself the victim of terrorism on the one hand and using so-called non-state actors and army-supported terror outfits to do its dirty work against India on the other. Most Indian governments prior to Modi 2.0 have been obliged, by our own geo-strategic and political necessities, to play along, not calling out Pakistans carapace of lies loudly enough. The contradiction, however, is obvious for everyone to see. If the Pakistani State has no control over the terror groups operating from its soil and cannot be held responsible for them or their actions, what is the point of talking to it or its representatives? Else, even as victims of terror, we end up participating and countenancing the convenient fictions of Pakistanin fact propping up its falsehoods and fake narratives on the international sceneinstead of avenging the deaths of our soldiers killed by Pakistani terror strikes. To put it starkly and simply, with every terrorist strike against us, the message that goes out is that the Indian State not only fails to protect its soldiers and civilians from enemy attacks but keeps talking peace with the Pakistani State which foments and funds these very terrorists. This contradiction might best be summed up in Jaishankars own words: That India could offer a hand of friendship, but nevertheless respond strongly to acts of terror, is hardly a contradiction, except for those determined to see one. Unfortunately, no special determination is now needed to see this contradiction. The weakness of our previous governments and their moral posturing to cover up strategic failures is all too evident. Has the time come, therefore, to change both our postures and policies towards Pakistan? Again, if we are to go by Jaishankars own admissions, the answer is yes: The value of the Uri and Balakot responses was that, finally, Indian policy could think for itself rather than let Pakistan condition its answers. And that, in many ways, was the role of Sri Krishna as well on the Pandava side. Explaining Indias position while talking to the press, Jaishankar said on Friday, May 5, As a Foreign Minister of an SCO member state, Mr Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered including at the SCO meeting itself. Quite right. For even as our EAM was making this statement, a gunfight between the Indian army and Pakistan-sponsored terrorists was going on in the forests of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. Five of our White Knight Bravehearts of 16 Corps were martyredor as some prefer to call itkilled in action. You dont have to be a strategic genius to know that these attacks are meant to scuttle the forthcoming G20 meeting in Srinagar. No wonder, Jaishankar did not mince his words: You know, victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. The victims of terrorism defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, they call it out, they delegitimise it and that is exactly what is happening. Hindu strategic traditions, codified and encapsulated by Kautilya some two millennia ago, recognised Sama, Dana, Bheda, Dandaappeasement, bribery, sowing division, and finally, aggressionas valid. Texts as varied as the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavad Purana justify, even extol, these methods. As far as Pakistan is concerned, we have excelled, to our own detriment, in the first approachsama, i.e., appeasement, mollification, conciliation. But have we tried the other three? For instance, I suggested long agobut once again after the 26/11 attacks against Indiathat since most Pakistani terrorists are essentially mercenaries, wouldnt it be easier to bribe them at source rather than pay heavy damages later? And to update this strategy, should we not use Taliban groups against Pakistan in a similar manner? To take the argument forward, we might ask if we have gone far enough in our punitive measuresdandaagainst Pakistan. If we take out twice the number of their assets for each one of ours that they kill, the message might strike home in Islamabad more effectively. When it comes to bheda, too, what Pakistan has been doing in Kashmir and Punjab we might do equally effectively in Sindh and Balochistan. Dismemberment, both threatened and actual, even in little bits, is bound to have its effects on the Pakistani deep state and establishment. No more sweet-talking Pakistan, as our EAM said: So, to come here and preach these hypocritical words, as though we are on the same boat, I mean, they are committing acts of terrorism. And you know, I dont want to jump the gun on what happened today [Rajouri attack mentioned above] but I think we are all feeling equally outraged. Lets be very, very clear on this terrorism matter. I will say Pakistans credibility is depleting even faster than its forex reserves. These strong words from Jaishankar, we might be assured, signal a welcome shift in our diplomatic offensive against our enemy from birth. The unsentimental audit of Indian foreign policy that Jaishankar spoke of in his book has finally resulted in balancing our strategic accounts with Pakistan. Coupled with action on the ground, even in the enemys territory, such a shift in our diplomatic posture is more likely to yield results. (Views are personal) Makarand R Paranjape Professor of English at JNU (Tweets @MakrandParanspe) In The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World (2020), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says: My generation ... carried into our profession the heavy baggage of difficult experiences with the US, China and Pakistan. The heavy baggage has only gotten heavier. But has the time finally come for a substantial shift in our Pakistan policy? We might ask, vis-a-vis the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Goa, if the gloves are finally off when it comes to Pakistan. In response to his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris tired and predictable raking up of the Kashmir issue in multilateral meetings, EAM Jaishankar retorted, Pakistan has nothing to do with Kashmir, only issue is when will they vacate PoK. Apart from trying to equalise with India on Kashmir, Pakistan has long enjoyed the advantage of doublespeak when it comes to terrorism. Calling itself the victim of terrorism on the one hand and using so-called non-state actors and army-supported terror outfits to do its dirty work against India on the other. Most Indian governments prior to Modi 2.0 have been obliged, by our own geo-strategic and political necessities, to play along, not calling out Pakistans carapace of lies loudly enough. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The contradiction, however, is obvious for everyone to see. If the Pakistani State has no control over the terror groups operating from its soil and cannot be held responsible for them or their actions, what is the point of talking to it or its representatives? Else, even as victims of terror, we end up participating and countenancing the convenient fictions of Pakistanin fact propping up its falsehoods and fake narratives on the international sceneinstead of avenging the deaths of our soldiers killed by Pakistani terror strikes. To put it starkly and simply, with every terrorist strike against us, the message that goes out is that the Indian State not only fails to protect its soldiers and civilians from enemy attacks but keeps talking peace with the Pakistani State which foments and funds these very terrorists. This contradiction might best be summed up in Jaishankars own words: That India could offer a hand of friendship, but nevertheless respond strongly to acts of terror, is hardly a contradiction, except for those determined to see one. Unfortunately, no special determination is now needed to see this contradiction. The weakness of our previous governments and their moral posturing to cover up strategic failures is all too evident. Has the time come, therefore, to change both our postures and policies towards Pakistan? Again, if we are to go by Jaishankars own admissions, the answer is yes: The value of the Uri and Balakot responses was that, finally, Indian policy could think for itself rather than let Pakistan condition its answers. And that, in many ways, was the role of Sri Krishna as well on the Pandava side. Explaining Indias position while talking to the press, Jaishankar said on Friday, May 5, As a Foreign Minister of an SCO member state, Mr Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered including at the SCO meeting itself. Quite right. For even as our EAM was making this statement, a gunfight between the Indian army and Pakistan-sponsored terrorists was going on in the forests of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. Five of our White Knight Bravehearts of 16 Corps were martyredor as some prefer to call itkilled in action. You dont have to be a strategic genius to know that these attacks are meant to scuttle the forthcoming G20 meeting in Srinagar. No wonder, Jaishankar did not mince his words: You know, victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. The victims of terrorism defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, they call it out, they delegitimise it and that is exactly what is happening. Hindu strategic traditions, codified and encapsulated by Kautilya some two millennia ago, recognised Sama, Dana, Bheda, Dandaappeasement, bribery, sowing division, and finally, aggressionas valid. Texts as varied as the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavad Purana justify, even extol, these methods. As far as Pakistan is concerned, we have excelled, to our own detriment, in the first approachsama, i.e., appeasement, mollification, conciliation. But have we tried the other three? For instance, I suggested long agobut once again after the 26/11 attacks against Indiathat since most Pakistani terrorists are essentially mercenaries, wouldnt it be easier to bribe them at source rather than pay heavy damages later? And to update this strategy, should we not use Taliban groups against Pakistan in a similar manner? To take the argument forward, we might ask if we have gone far enough in our punitive measuresdandaagainst Pakistan. If we take out twice the number of their assets for each one of ours that they kill, the message might strike home in Islamabad more effectively. When it comes to bheda, too, what Pakistan has been doing in Kashmir and Punjab we might do equally effectively in Sindh and Balochistan. Dismemberment, both threatened and actual, even in little bits, is bound to have its effects on the Pakistani deep state and establishment. No more sweet-talking Pakistan, as our EAM said: So, to come here and preach these hypocritical words, as though we are on the same boat, I mean, they are committing acts of terrorism. And you know, I dont want to jump the gun on what happened today [Rajouri attack mentioned above] but I think we are all feeling equally outraged. Lets be very, very clear on this terrorism matter. I will say Pakistans credibility is depleting even faster than its forex reserves. These strong words from Jaishankar, we might be assured, signal a welcome shift in our diplomatic offensive against our enemy from birth. The unsentimental audit of Indian foreign policy that Jaishankar spoke of in his book has finally resulted in balancing our strategic accounts with Pakistan. Coupled with action on the ground, even in the enemys territory, such a shift in our diplomatic posture is more likely to yield results. (Views are personal) Makarand R Paranjape Professor of English at JNU (Tweets @MakrandParanspe) Sudanese refugees in Egypt tell how they escaped from the violence in Sudan Sudanese people have been fleeing the capital Khartoum, the main battlefield of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), since it broke out on 15 April. The last thing Khartoum residents, estimated at 10 million, needed was war. They had already been suffering from severe shortages of fuel, medicine, and food, and their economic conditions had already deteriorated a long time ago. As the SAF seems to be gaining ground on the battlefield, the RSF has been invading homes, engaging in street fights with the SAF, or looting food and money. The drums of war have not grown softer despite the five ceasefire agreements to which the two parties did not commit except for a short time. As a result, thousands of Sudanese and their families have fled Khartoum in all directions in search of a safe haven. Agricultural regions and villages are generally much calmer than the capital. REFUGE IN THE COUNTRY: Ali Babakr, a retired engineering professor at Khartoum University for Science and Technology, said that I took my family out of our house in Omdurman to Al-Hasaheisa south of the capital. It is safe here, and the police and army are in full control. Due to the high demand, the prices of bus tickets have soared from 9,000 Sudanese pounds ($15) to 90,000 Sudanese pounds ($150). However, they are still cheaper than the tickets to the north and to Egypt, he added. Most of my relatives have returned to villages in the Gezira State or cities such as Al-Kamlin. The upside is that our villages are in close proximity to Khartoum, so the tickets are relatively cheap. We also get to remain in Sudan in a safe place without clashes. FROM SUDAN TO EGYPT: Residents of northern Sudan have nowhere to go except to Egypt. But this is normal. Egypt has always been a favoured destination for the Sudanese when it comes to studying, shopping, receiving medical treatment, and vacationing, said Abdallah Al-Sheikh, a professor of mediaeval history at Omdurman Ahlia University. Egypt is a travel destination that many middle-class Sudanese can afford. This is visible in [the Cairo districts of] Ataba, Abdine, Dokki, and Ain Shams. Now, there are also Sudanese groups in new cities such as 6 October, Obour, and Badr, he added. Many years ago, Sudans middle classes began to buy property in Egypt because they often come to the country. According to the UN International Organisation for Migration, there are four million Sudanese residing in Egypt, of whom 111,000 are refugees. A few of these depend on aid, but most of them work. Fifty-six per cent of Sudanese residing in Egypt live in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Daqahliya, and Damietta, with an average age of 35. They are 50 per cent male. UNAFFORDABLE TICKETS: We live in Al-Kalakla south of Khartoum and far from the centre of the capital and vital facilities such as the airport, the General Command of the Army, the State Radio, and camps, said Roaa Al-Nour, a Sudanese physiotherapist. We started hearing the intermittent sound of gunfire. I could not sleep, neither could my [two] children or my mother who lives with us. My husband said the gunfire would not last long, and it did go quiet for two days. But then when I returned from my clinic, a neighbour in a house nearby told me that the RSF had stormed a house and expelled its residents to use it as a base. Al-Nour and her husband Abdel-Rahman Negmeddin, an engineer with the Sudanese Electricity Authority, contacted their neighbours and his Nubian family in northern Sudan near the border with Egypt. My relative Seif Abdel-Dayem, a graduate of the Al-Qasr Al-Aini Medical School in Cairo and a consultant in internal medicine, told me he was considering leaving Khartoum. By the end of the day, I had eight families who wanted to leave the capital for their villages in northern Sudan, Negmeddin said. Together with Maamoun, the owner of a grocery store, Negmeddin began to search for a minibus. It was not an easy task, but with some effort they found Hashem, a bus driver, who was ready to make the trip. The family was shocked to find that the bus to Wadi Halfa on the border with Egypt would cost $30,000, or 19 million Sudanese pounds, Al-Nour said. Before the war broke out, a ticket cost $33, or 20,000 Sudanese pounds, in a bus of 30 seats in a country suffering from fuel shortages and price surges. Negmeddin said this is a golden opportunity for drivers. Fuel prices have also increased eight- or 10-fold, and the bus will make its way back with empty seats. The prices were unaffordable, but the family left Khartoum on the first day of the Eid Al-Fitr, Al-Nour said as Negmeddin cracked a soothing smile. LITTLE MONEY: I could not leave Khartoum because the banks are closed and the teller machines have been looted or have stopped working because the Internet has been cut off, said Mohamed Hatem Tag Al-Sir, a well-to-do trader, over the telephone from Khartoum. My large family, my children, my mother, my father, my mother-in-law, and my sister were spending the Eid with me, added Tag Al-Sir, the heir to his familys business. His father and grandfather were grain merchants. Tag Al-Sirs money is locked in the bank, and he is unable to access it. I need a bus to take my family to the Egyptian border. I was offered one for $35,000. But this is an amount I cannot currently afford. He added that he had found solace in the news that a relative of his had travelled with his grandmother, who had remained immobile for many years. GRANDMAS HEALTH: On the last day of Ramadan, the Mekki family three brothers with their wives, parents, and grandmother got on a bus from Khartoum heading to Aswan. The trip was arduous, said Mohamed Mekki. My niece had a fever, and her mother was anxious because we didnt have any medicine. The villages in the north of Sudan suffer from extreme poverty. Despite a breath of fresh air provided by the Merowe Dam to generate electricity, the economic and social conditions in this region remain poor. In addition, Sudan has suffered greatly from a lack of medicine, fuel, and wheat following the secession of oil-rich South Sudan. After standing in long customs queues in Wadi Halfa and Aswan, we began another journey to find a plane to take us to Cairo. We could not even find a seat for my sick grandmother. We resorted to booking sleeper train tickets, Mekki added. Arriving in Cairo, my grandmothers condition was getting worse. We should not have moved her, but there was no one to take care of her in Khartoum. It was a very difficult choice to make. She is now being hospitalised. We are praying for her health. ON THE BORDER: Along the border between Egypt and Sudan, hundreds of families stand with their children in the scorching sun in long customs queues. Without a chair or a shady area to rest in, many Sudanese stand for hours to cross to the other side. But the people on both sides of the border in Wadi Halfa and Aswan are very generous, distributing water and snacks to the people waiting to cross, said Al-Nour. A pharmacist who gave me medicine for my son Salah refused to take any money, she added gratefully. The people in Wadi Halfa received us in their homes. I entered one such home, the womens quarters, bathed, ate, and slept for two hours, she continued. A relative of mine who made it to Aswan recounted a similar story, Al-Nour told the present writer in her apartment in Cairos Faisal district. OBSCURE FUTURE: I have no money left. I spent all the cash I had getting here. All the banks were closed, said Abdallah Al-Khatem, who arrived in Cairo on the third day of the Eid Al-Fitr. Maha Youssef, his wife and a professor of translation at the Islamic University in Omdurman, said that I brought my gold jewelry and some clothes for the children with me. If calm is restored in Sudan, I will travel back immediately. My whole life is in Sudan, but more importantly can we find safety there, she asked, looking away as if wanting to end the conversation. RENTING IN CAIRO: In Cairos Nasr City, many Sudanese can be spotted looking for apartments to rent. I lived in this building two years ago when I brought my father to Cairo for medical treatment. At that time, I paid LE1,000 for rent, but today the landlord is asking for LE3,000, Modather Abdel-Rehim, a mathematics teacher at the Al-Sahafa District High School in Khartoum, said. I studied at the Zagazig Universitys Faculty of Education in 1987. Later on, I spent my honeymoon here. I have been visiting Egypt frequently since. I am thinking about buying an apartment here, he added. But my life is in Khartoum. I have a good career there, and my students are waiting for me. If it were not for my fear for my wife and children, I would not have left Khartoum. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Abdel-Rehim said, walking away to continue his negotiations with the landlord. * A version of this article appears in print in the 4 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in what the Israeli army called a "stabbing attack". Iman Odeh, 26, was "killed by a bullet to the chest fired by the occupation soldiers in Huwara, south of Nablus," a ministry statement said. The Israeli army said an assailant stabbed a soldier, who was "lightly injured" and taken to hospital for treatment. The attacker was "neutralized", it added. Huwara was the scene of a rampage by dozens of Israeli settlers in February in which more than 350 Palestinians were injured and dozens of homes and vehicles torched. Thursday's violence came just hours after an Israeli raid on Nablus in which security forces shot dead three Palestinians blamed for killing a British-Israeli woman and two of her daughters in the West Bank last month. With the latest deaths, 106 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year. Search Keywords: Short link: Americans seem undecided over the state of Israeli democracy, according to the results of a recent poll released on Friday. The survey was conducted by the University of Maryland between 27 March 27 and 5 April, in collaboration with Ipsos' probabilistic KnowledgePanel, regarding how Americans feel about Israel. The poll included 1,203 respondents with a 3.2 percent margin of error. Respondents were asked to indicate which of the following definitions of Israel best reflected their opinions: a vibrant democracy, a flawed democracy, a state with limited rights for minorities or a state with apartheid-like segregation. Over half of all respondents and over two-thirds of Republicans chose the "I don't know" response, which represented a significant percentage of all respondents. For a question concerning a nation that has been a key focus of American conversation for decades, and is often described as a democratic nation that aligns with American values, this degree of ambiguity was unexpected. Among those who selected another option, an equal number 31 percent described Israel as either a flawed democracy or a country with segregation-like apartheid, while only 22 percent described it as a vibrant democracy. Democrats and Republicans held opposing opinions; 14 percent of all Republicans said Israel had a vibrant democracy, while only three percent of all Democrats agreed with the statement. Meanwhile, 21 percent of all Democrats and seven percent of all Republicans said that Israel had apartheid-like segregation. Respondents were also questioned about their opinions on US policies towards Israel and Palestine in a tracking question. With just a tiny decline in respondents who wanted the US to support Israel, opinions were mostly unchanged from the previous poll in October. Questions regarding the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign were also included. 39 percent of survey participants said they were unaware of the movement, while 26 percent said they "don't know." Among those aware of the moement, the attitudes of individual for Democrats and Republicans were very different, with 41 percent of Democrats supporting BDS and 65 percent of Republicans opposing it. The survey found that Democrats in particular are beginning to use the word "apartheid" more frequently, which suggests that attitudes towards Israel are shifting. A recent Gallup poll indicates a significant shift in American perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with more Democrats expressing sympathy for Palestinians than Israelis. Search Keywords: Short link: Leaders Connect: Breaking Down Silos for a Responsible Digital Transformation GATINEAU, QC: Leaders Connect, an exclusive event created by leaders in the technology industry, is proud to announce a first successful edition that brought together thought leaders from the Department of National Defence, Carleton University, the National Research Council (CSDP), and the Acole de technologie superieure's Department of Construction Engineering to discuss the future of Canada's digital infrastructure for solving national digital transformation challenges in Canada. Leaders Connect: Breaking Down Silos for a Responsible Digital Transformation The Spring Edition 2023 event was presented by Portage CyberTech, Notarius, AECO Innovation Lab, One Ontario and buildingSMART Canada, and served as the official launch of a series of exclusive events with representatives from government, academia and industry to identify solutions and to ensure that the next steps in our country's digital transformation are taken responsibly, with the protection of Canadians at the forefront.A First Successful Edition Digital Transformation in the Construction IndustryDigital transformation of the Canadian-built environment through BIM has the potential to improve worksite productivity (20% to 28%), infrastructure efficiency, and create new economic opportunities, while addressing the growing housing crisis. The respected round-table panel shared their advancements, investments, and challenges regarding Building Information Modelling (BIM) standards and current research projects in progress to learn from each other and collaborate in a unified way as a first step to removing the silos.Following the round-table, which took place in March 2023, at Hotel Lac-Leamy Casino in Quebec, a national webinar was held on Advancing the Digitalization of Canadian Municipalities, with high attendance from government, municipalities and regulated industries. Portage CyberTech, an industry leader in regulatory technology innovation, announced an investment of $75,000 in partnership with buildingSMART Canada and AECO Innovation Lab to fund a Mitacs research project for BIM authentication.QuotesThe rapid development of government housing (e.g., Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) - $82 billion) cannot be achieved without coordinated and aligned actions within the industry and in accordance with international best practices. As a trusted provider, our priority is to bring together global digital transformation thought leaders to protect the public and its institutions, and prevent gaps from widening between stakeholders.- Patrick Drolet, Head of Innovation at Portage CyberTech and General Manager of Notarius.Our industry needs a unified voice to advocate for the adoption and implementation of open data standards and BIM across the country. buildingSMART Canada is well positioned to be that voice for all levels of industry and government. We need key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to address these challenges and advance the integration of digital signatures and GIS systems with BIM. It is the future of our industry.- Claudia Cozzitorto, Executive Director of buildingSMART Canada and founder of the Toronto BIM Community (tBIMc).Breaking down silos is at the core of AECO. One Ontario, for example, is a collaborative research-driven digital platform supported by a large coalition that includes Portage CyberTech, Notarius, buildingSMART Canada, TerraQuest and approximately 40 other associations and municipalities, as well as a national research program that includes five Canadian universities. We're excited to work with government, industry, and academia to enable the digital transformation of the Canadian AEC industry, including addressing the complex challenge of development approvals across the country.- Arash Shahi, CEO of AECO Innovation LabWe need to make our infrastructure more resilient and use our resources intelligently. Using BIM innovation can greatly assist us, but we must create secure and efficient ecosystems capable of ensuring professional reliability and archiving public-use documents such as digital twins.- Stephen Fai, Professor at Carleton University and Director of CIMS.Leaders Connect would like to thank the following panelists Claudia Cozzitorto, Executive Director of buildingSMART Canada, Paul Churcher, Department of National Defence, Patrick Drolet, Head of Innovation of Portage CyberTech and GM of Notarius, Stephen Fai, Professor at Carleton University and Director of the CIMS, Farzad Jalaei, Research Officer at the National Research Council Canada, Arik Poirier, Professor at the ATS Department of Construction Engineering, Arash Shahi, CEO of AECO Innovation Lab, Yasir Sultan, National Research Council Program Director for Construction Sector Digitalization and Productivity (CSDP).About Leaders ConnectLeaders Connect is an exclusive event that brings together thought leaders and decision-makers responsible for solving national digital transformation challenges in Canada. Leaders Connect provides a platform for participants to discuss and exchange ideas on key issues facing Canada's built environment, identifying challenges, and exploring solutions to meet the needs of citizens and businesses. The Spring Edition 2023 event was presented by Portage CyberTech, Notarius, AECO Innovation Lab, One Ontario and buildingSMART Canada.PRN06 May 2023 Shared Recently! Princess Cruises Announces New Winemaker Dinner with Caymus Vineyards SANTA CLARITA, Calif: Caymus Vineyards and Cabernet Sauvignon are synonymous with wine enthusiasts globally as one of the most sought-after wines to pour and share around the table for special celebrations. Princess Cruises Announces New Winemaker Dinner with Caymus Vineyards Now Princess Cruises is working with this renowned winery to offer the exclusive Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner, available on Princess ships sailing North America itineraries by the end of April, including all Alaska voyages, and across all ships worldwide by late May.Available in the popular Crown Grill specialty restaurant for $140 per person, the new Winemaker Dinner leverages the expansive expertise of Chuck Wagner, owner and winemaker of the renowned Napa Valley's Caymus Vineyards, to deliver a five-course menu (see below), crafted to complement the tasting notes of his wines.The dinner, available for 12 guests per seating, will be offered 2-3 times per cruise, based on voyage length, and interested guests can reserve their spot once on board.Our new Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner further elevates the Princess culinary experience and wonderfully showcases the elegance of cruising, said Sami Kohen, Princess vice president of food and beverage. Our passionate culinary team and Chuck have curated what promises to deliver a deliciously memorable and tantalizing experience that will have our guests talking long after the last course and glass of wine are served.Wagner, along with the Princess culinary team, personally selected the wines paired with the multi-course menu served. In addition to Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, he has perfectly matched up the dinner courses with varietals from the family's other offerings, including Caymus-Suisun 'The Walking Fool' Red Blend, Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Sea Sun Pinot Noir and Emmolo Sparkling.We have an appreciation for family, friends, delicious food and great wine, along with the many connections between them, said Chuck Wagner, Caymus Vineyards owner and winemaker. We love how Princess also recognizes that cruise travel fosters deeper relationships with its guests and the destinations they visit by sharing experiences around the table, and we're thrilled to pour our wines and share our passion through a specially curated dinner with this beloved cruise line.Caymus is a hands-on family affair which Wagner founded in 1972, alongside his late parents, when he was just 19 years old. After 50 harvests, he continues to make two renowned Cabernet Sauvignons - Caymus Napa Valley and Caymus Special Selection.Chuck now works alongside two of his children, Charlie and Jenny, and the family also makes diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Wagner is widely recognized for his winemaking and industry leadership, and all three Wagners continue to experiment with farming and winemaking, continuing the family legacy and commitment to excellence.In addition to the new dinner, Caymus Vineyards is also working with Princess on a refreshed wine menu, and Caymus Vineyards will be the curator for the cruise line's Crown Grill steakhouse, chops and seafood specialty restaurant, with wine pairing recommendations on the menu. Coming later this year, guests will have the opportunity to visit Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and Caymus-Suisun Winery in Suisun Valley, Calif., on exclusive shore excursions offered on various California-based cruises.Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner MenuOpeningsBeef carpaccio, celeriac, arugula, shaved parmesan, orange zest, balsamic glazeorMarinated Fresh Oyster Mushrooms and Wood Ear Mushrooms green pea granita, roasted hearts of romaine lettuce, smoked citrus dressingMer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Calif.First courseFresh summer black truffle risotto, Parmigiano Reggiano aged 36 monthsCaymus-Suisun 'The Walking Fool' Red Blend, Suisun Valley, Calif.Main courseTournedos Rossini - prime beef tenderloin, blossom artichokesCaymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Calif.orSeared King Salmon and Giant PrawnPeruvian potatoes, baby green zucchini and lemon beurre blancSea Sun Pinot Noir, Calif.CheesesCharcuterie and cheese selectionPaired with guest's wine of choice from the dinnerDessertChocolate Rasberry Dream - intense dark chocolate mousse, chocolate raspberry cream, raspberry compote, chocolate sacher, Dark Chocolate Cornflake CrispEmmolo Sparkling Wine, Calif.Princess first introduced its popular Winemaker's Dinner in a private space inspired by a wine cellar in the dining rooms onboard Royal Princess in 2013.Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.PRN06 May 2023 Shared Recently! Insolvency petition a ruse for loan write-offs? Major bank union to oppose Go Airlines write-offs Chennai, May 6: The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) will oppose banks writing off a part of their loans to Wadia group's Go Airlines Ltd if the latter has filed a voluntary insolvency petition for that purpose, said a top official. Insolvency petition a ruse for loan write-offs? Major bank union to oppose Go Airlines' write-offs "If the airline has filed a voluntary insolvency petition to get loan write-offs, then it is unethical and immoral. The AIBEA will oppose the move," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, told IANS."Other companies will also go for voluntary insolvency petition for loan write offs. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian government should not allow this," Venkatachalam added.He said the Go Airlines loan account is not a non-performing asset (NPA) for the banks as on 30.4.2023."With the company filing an insolvency petition, the banks will be forced to declare the account as NPA and provide for the same in their books of accounts. This will be reflected in the first quarter results," Venkatachalam said.On May 2, Go Air, while voluntarily landing in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) with an insolvency petition blaming the engine supplier Pratt iamp; Whitney for its woes. The question that immediately popped up was, whether it is a strategy to get loan write-offs.The airline's decision to apply for insolvency, blaming the engine supplier, has taken its lenders, creditors, staff, credit rating agency and others entirely by surprise.Two days later, credit rating agency, Brickwork Ratings said it has downgraded the ratings for Go Airlines' bank loan facilities aggregating Rs 2,918.33 crore at 'BWR D' based on best available information, as the issuer did not cooperate."As per initial reports, the lenders have opposed any moratorium on the debt repayment obligations," Brickwork Ratings said in its report.Be that as it may, according to a report in a leading financial daily, the Go Airlines' promoters may withdraw their insolvency petition if the lenders accept a cut in their loans.However, bankers seem to be willing to lend more and extend the repayment duration instead of taking a cut in their receivables.As per the news report, as Go Airlines' loan account is still a standard account, the promoters can submit a bid for the airline whereas promoters of companies whose loan account is declared as a NPA can't submit a bid and try to retain control.According to reports, the airline has a total liability -- dues to banks, other creditors, vendors etc. -- of about Rs 11,463 crore.The Indian government-owned Central Bank of India said its outstanding exposure to Go Air as on March 31, 2023 is Rs 1,305 crore and an additional amount of Rs 682 crore sanctioned under the Emergency line of credit guaranteed by the Government of India.Private lender Axis Bank in a regulatory filing said that it has no funded or non-funded exposure to the financially-troubled Go Airlines.IANS06 May 2023 Shared Recently! Kashmiri handicrafts industry is optimistic about the G20 summit Srinagar, May 6: Residents of Jammu and Kashmir are optimistic that the G20 events here will promote the union territory internationally and also give a new dimension to the tourism and handicraft sectors. Kashmiri handicrafts industry is optimistic about the G20 summit The people associated with it are also hoping that such a summit can play an important role in promoting the handicraft products of Kashmir at the international level.Talking about the G20 summit and the benefits of the meeting, the exporters of Kashmiri products said that holding such a summit is a proud moment for the entire country.Kashmiri carpet exporter Sheikh Ashiq said, "Holding such an international summit for the first time in Kashmir is a proud moment for the entire country, especially Kashmir. This will further promote Kashmir at the international level. Civilization, art and craft, tourism and other related sectors will also get a new dimension and recognition at the international level."Sheikh Ashiq said that the visit of delegates from 20 countries to Kashmir is a big deal for Kashmiris. He said that when we talk about the development of the tourism sector, other sectors related to the tourism sector will also be developed directly or indirectly. Handloom and craft are also an important part of the tourism sector. International tourism is expected to be boosted from the meeting held. Likewise, the handicraft industry here is also expected to be boosted.He said, "Not only the name of the country is brightened by such a summit. The art, and culture of the state, or region are cultivated there. Along with better publicity, avenues for future activities and trade are also opened. However, the key is to present things in a better and more efficient way."In response to a question, Sheikh Ashiq said that after 2019, the handicraft industry of Kashmir is on a ventilator. Many people have avoided this sector. However, in the last few years, there has been a considerable improvement in the business of carpets and other household products, which has resulted in good export figures.He further also said that to promote Kashmir's famous carpets more work needs to be done."More work needs to be done on it at the public and private levels in the coming time so that Kashmir's famous carpets, pashmina, paper mache, wood carving and other products are promoted more internationally and for this, the G20 summit can play a positive and effective role," he said.During the discussion, Sheikh Ashiq also said that the new and emerging entrepreneurs of Kashmir, especially those associated with the handicraft industry, will also get a lot of benefits from this meeting. Such activities at the national and international level are welcome in themselves and it also gives opportunities to highlight the positive aspects in front of the world.Sheikh Ashiq further said that there is no doubt that GI tagging has given carpets and otherhousehold products a distinct presence domestically and internationally, for which the concerned departments deserve credit. There is an urgent need to do more by the government to provide more market facilities.It should be noted that this is the first time that Kashmir is getting the honour of hosting such a G20 summit. In the last week of this month i.e. from May 22 to 24, the summit is going to be held at SKICC, located on the banks of Afaq Lake Dal in Srinagar.The G20 includes the European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States. The group meets on an annual basis and this time India chairs the G20.ANI06 May 2023 Shared Recently! Revolutionising Practicing Medicine in India - linkedcare launches its platform in India New Delhi, May 6 (ANI/NewsReach): linkedcare.com, the revolutionary new platform for medical doctors, developed by experts in India and Europe is now available for use in India. With its state-of-the-art technology and user-friendly interface, linkedcare.com is the perfect platform for doctors in India who want to manage their practice more efficiently and connect with patients. Revolutionising Practicing Medicine in India - linkedcare launches its platform in India Medical doctors in India can simplify their practice management tasks by signing up for linkedcare.com. This platform offers various tools such as appointment scheduling, electronic medical records, electronic prescriptions, and more, to streamline their workflow. In addition to this, linkedcare.com enables doctors to connect with their patients in real-time using secure messaging and video conferencing tools. With access to the most comprehensive database of approved allopathic medication in India, doctors can easily find the right medication for their patients and classify health conditions according to the latest ICD-11 standards. This ensures accurate diagnoses and optimal patient care. The platform also allows doctors to print or send prescriptions to patients, making it easier for them to obtain necessary medications. With intuitive scheduling tools, doctors can manage their agenda even if they are practicing in multiple locations, while patients can schedule appointments online, reducing administrative workload and saving time. Furthermore, linkedcare.com provides access to a wealth of clinical resources and patient education materials, all in one place.linkedcare.com is committed to making it easy for doctors in India to provide the highest quality of care to their patients, without sacrificing their own work-life balance. That's why the platform is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, with features that help doctors work more efficiently and effectively Said Hans Erhard Reiter the founder of linkedcare India.It's important to note that linkedcare.com does not commercially intermediate between doctors and patients, and does not take a percentage of the revenue that doctors receive from their patients. The platform is designed solely to help doctors connect with patients and manage their practice.Patients, in turn, have access to their doctors and their health information via their own web portal, mylinkedcare.in. Here, patients can access all relevant information like prescriptions, booked consultations, and more. Patients will also receive reminders when it's time to take their medication, ensuring they stay on track with their treatment plan.Whether you're a primary care physician, a specialist, or a healthcare provider in any other field, linkedcare.com is the ideal platform for everyone.linkedcare already had close to 40 per cent of practicing private doctors registered in Portugal and is hoping to revolutionizing the way medicine is practiced in India.ContactAbhinav Sharma -Shweta Sharaf+91 97110 00222, +91 98703 05022This story has been provided by NewsReach. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsReach)ANI06 May 2023 Shared Recently! Mission Belagavi: Amit Shah appeals people to ensure BJPs win in all 18 seats Belagavi, May 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on Mission Belagavi, eyeing the most number of seats in the second largest district in Karnataka after Bengaluru Urban, as the state heads to polls on May 10. Belagavi has 18 seats. Mission Belagavi: Amit Shah appeals people to ensure BJP's win in all 18 seats Addressing a large gathering in Saundatti town in Belagavi district, Shah said that in the 2018, people gave 11 seats to the BJP."Had you given all the 18 seats to the BJP, there wouldn't have been a JD (S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka," he said.The BJP increased its tally in the district to 13 through Ooperation Lotus after senior leaders Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumatalli got elected in the by-polls."You must put all the 18 seats into BJP's 'jholi' (kitty)," Shah appealed to the crowd."The Congress had imprisoned our great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar at Hindalga prison in Belagavi district. He was the only freedom fighter who was awarded life imprisonment punishment twice. The Congress repeatedly insults Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi, you will not see a greater sacrifice than that of Veer Savarkar even if you take birth 10 times," the Home Minister said.Shah also said that the photo of Veer Savarkar is installed in the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi."I am taking up campaigning in six seats in Belagavi district. I am staying back here. On May 13, a majority BJP government will come to power in Karnataka," he said.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Kurmi stir in Bengal: Community not to allow use of their walls for political campaign graffities Kolkata, May 6: Besides continuing their ongoing agitations against West Bengal government over their demands for scheduled tribe status, the Kurmi community in West Bengal has opened up a larger movement targeting all political parties. Kurmi stir in Bengal: Community not to allow use of their walls for political campaign graffities The agitating Kurmi community in the three tribal-dominated Jangalmahal areas scattered over the three districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia have started a unique 'All Wall for Kurmi' campaign. This campaign is to send a message to all political parties in the state that the walls of the residences of the people from the community cannot be used for political campaigns for the forthcoming panchayat polls in the state scheduled this year.According to Birendranath Mahato, their long-standing demand for scheduled tribe status is yet to be fulfilled. "No political party has taken our demands seriously and hence we have decided not to allow any political party to use any wall of any property owned by the people of the Kurmi community for their respective elections graffities and campaigns for the panchayat polls," Mahato said.He also said that they have already started a wall campaign "All wall for Kurmi," to send a message that these walls are not meant for utilisation for campaign purposes by any political party.Local leaders from both Trinamool Congress and BJP have admitted that this stance from the Kurmi community will create some hurdles in the community since in these remote tribal areas, wall- graffities are the principal medium of campaign.The main grievance of the agitators is that the West Bengal Cultural Research Institute, a state government body that works for indigenous tribes, is yet to recognise the Kurmis as representatives of primitive tribes. They also alleged that the reluctance of the institute or the state government to send a comprehensive report in the matter to the Union government is holding back the process of recognition of the Kurmi community under the Scheduled Tribe category.On April 11, there was a bipartite meeting between the leaders of the community and the state government at the state secretariat of Nabanna. However, the meeting failed to evoke any positive result. On that day only, the Kurmi leaders had threatened to go ahead with their agitation.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Russia accused of using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine war Kiev, May 6: Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking the besieged city of Bakhmut with phosphorus munitions, a media report said. Russia accused of using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine war In drone footage released by Ukraine's military, Bakhmut can be seen ablaze as what appears to be white phosphorus rains down on the city, BBC reported.White phosphorus weapons are not banned, but their use in civilian areas is considered a war crime. They create fast-spreading fires that are very difficult to put out. Russia has been accused of using them before as well.Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut for months, despite its questionable strategic value. Western officials have estimated that thousands of Moscow's troops have died in the assault.Taking to Twitter, Ukraine's defence ministry said the phosphorus attack targeted "unoccupied areas of Bakhmut with incendiary ammunition".Kiev's special forces command added that Moscow's forces continued "to destroy the city".It is unclear when exactly the alleged attack took place. But the footage shared by Ukraine - seemingly captured by a surveillance drone - showed high-rise buildings engulfed in flames, BBC reported.Other videos posted to social media showed fires raging on the ground and white clouds of phosphorus illuminating the night sky.Russia has been accused of using white phosphorus several times since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, including during the siege of Mariupol at the beginning of the war.Moscow has never publicly admitted to using white phosphorus, and last year Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov insisted that "Russia has never violated international conventions" after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said it had been used.White phosphorus is a wax-like substance which ignites on contact with oxygen, creating bright plumes of smoke, BBC reported.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Delhi HC judge throws light on issues pertaining to POCSO Act New Delhi, May 6: A Delhi High Court judge, while speaking as a Chief Guest in a seminar by Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Rehabilitation of POCSO victims: Strategies, Challenges and Way Forward, said that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act's issue of criminalisation of adolescent love has to be addressed. Delhi HC judge throws light on issues pertaining to POCSO Act Justice Jasmeet Singh also brought up a number of concerns with the enactment.He said "Are we over criminalising the adolescent love? This is an issue which, according to me, needs a look because there are cases where one is 17 and the other is 20. They have fallen in love. The law says consent of a minor is no consent. But I personally feel that this is an issue which needs to be looked into and needs to be addressed, needs to be flagged."Justice Singh pointed out that one of the most important issues which he feels needs to be seen, needs to be looked is adolescent love."Now what happens is, today we have criminalised sexual acts with children below 18 years. Adolescents are children who want to experiment, and who would be sexually active. Is a person who is between 16 to 18 years, where one of the child is 18 and the other child is 19 years old, can they be equated with the same brush or can they be equated in the same scenario where a victim is of 18 years and the offender is about 30 or 35 years? So adolescence is something which needs to be looked at," he said.Speaking of rehabilitation for child survivors of sexual abuse, Justice Singh stated that while much has already been done in this area, much more has to be done.He said "POCSO is an act which is not only punitive but also assures affirmative action. On one end, you have imprisonment, which can extend to life, but on the other hand, it also concentrates on granting compensation to the victim. But generally, what happens is that once the case comes to an end, that is the time when compensation is granted to the survivor. So, that kind of loses or derails because rehabilitation or compensation is required not at the end of the process, but sometime in between or at the beginning of the rehabilitation process."The Delhi High Court in one of its judgments has said that interim compensation needs to be paid at the time when the chargesheet is filed. That is a step forward but how it needs to be taken forward is by the executing agencies, the judge said while referring to one of his judgements of last year.The judge added that cases where the accused is a relative or someone who has authority over the young survivor is another factor that requires attention."This is an aspect which needs attention because the accused is more often than not in a position to groom the child. So that often results in an acquittal, the witnesses become hostile, the trial takes a huge period of time. So this is, again, one issue which when we talk about rehabilitation, all these issues need to be addressed," he said.Justice Singh added "What happens in a trial is that the counsel for the accused has a duty to perform. He has to be honest to his client who's the accused, so his effort is to prove that the survivor is either lying or is exaggerating the incident or the incident did not happen. So that results in a kind of re-traumatisation or reliving the whole incident by the survivor. This is again something which needs to be addressed because the criminal justice system requires the survivor to be cross-examined. The child has to be cross-examined. The counsel for the accused has to try and prove that. So these are issues which are plaguing the system but need to be addressed. I am sure as we move forward, things will be done in this direction."Affirmative action is crucial, according to Justice Singh, who also emphasised the necessity to reintegrate the child survivor into society.Justice Singh said "What I feel we have kind of in all these cases is tried and interacted with the survivor also in chambers. So what they actually are looking for is a voice. They want to be brought back into the society, it needs to be told that yes, a wrong has been done. It needs to be told that yes, you have been wronged. It has to be recognized. So this is again, something society, the surroundings, the family members need to be more sensitized, need to be more aware of the issue, that actually the child feels that the child has been wronged and that needs to be recognised."IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Telangana takes IT to tier-II towns, opens fourth facility Hyderabad, May 6: Expanding the information technology sector to tier-II towns in Telangana, the state government on Saturday opened an IT tower in Mahabubnagar. Telangana takes IT to tier-II towns, opens fourth facility Minister for Information Technology and Industries, K T. Rama Rao, inaugurated the IT tower, which is the fourth such facility in tier-II towns.The minister said that the proximity of the facility to Hyderabad and Shamshabad airport will attract companies to establish their operations in the area.Spread across four acres, the IT tower in Mahbubnagar consists of G+four floors where companies and the state government's innovation ecosystem are provided with space to set up their offices or centres.The building consists of 44 office spaces, 10 conference halls, an Innovation Centre, a Knowledge Hub and a Cafeteria.On the occasion, the IT Minister also inaugurated Telangana Academy of Skill and Knowledge's (TASK) centre, facilitation centres of T-Hub and WE-HUB located in the building.Besides this, Seat Allocation Letters were handed over to nine companies, to set up their operations at the facility. The companies are Mueller dotKonnect, Amara Raja Group, Zuven Technologies, Intuites LLC, Urpan Technologies, E-grove Systems, IT Vision 360 Inc, Four Oaks Inc and BCDC Cloud Centers Pvt Ltd.KTR on Friday inaugurated four IT companies in Hanamkonda. The four companies are LTI Mindtree, Genpact, HRH Next, Hexad Solutions Pvt Ltd. The Minister handed over appreciation letters to representatives of the companies for setting up their facilities in Hanamkonda.Genpact has already hired 400 associates from the local colleges.LTI Mindtree has hired 60 associates from the local colleges. HRH Next has hired 120 associates at Warangal. It plans to grow this to 500 plus in the coming months.Hexad Solutions Group already hired 50 people at Warangal Design Center offering engineering and design services to Wireline, Wireless and CATV communications.KTR noted that Hyderabad has made significant improvements in IT by becoming home to top global brands of the world such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Qualcomm, Uber, Micron, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and UBS. Mahindra, MRF, Olectra, Mythra and Race Energy have also set up new centres in Telangana. ZF, Frisker, Stellantis, Hyundai and Biliti too set up their campuses in Hyderabad.He said that by creating the policy framework, infrastructure and access to human capital, Hyderabad has become a chosen destination. "We are likely to cross 2.2 lakh crore exports in 2022-23 which is close to 20 per cent growth Year over Year from 1.83 lakh crore. The IT Sector with a total employment of 785,614 direct jobs in 2021-22, added over 1.5 lakh jobs in 2021-22 alone," he said.As part of the vision of Telangana, the plan is to spread the growth across Telangana, not limiting this to Hyderabad Northwest Corner - Hitec City and Gachibowli. Telangana Government has rolled out GRID (Growth in Dispersion) and rural development policies to spur the growth across Telangana.As part of that strategy, Telangana state has already inaugurated IT Centres at Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam, which are already operational and creating local employment with multiplier effect to the local economy.KTR said that IT towers in Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Siddipet will be inaugurated in a few months. The IT tower in Adilabad is also shaping up well.Besides creating employment to rural youth, these IT Towers reduce migration to larger cities, boost local businesses and aid in equitable development of the state.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Egypt welcomes the start of the initial talks between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Saturday. The statement, issued on Saturday, commended Saudi, regional and international efforts to encourage the Sudanese parties to engage in dialogue. Egypt stated that it hopes that the talks will result in a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire that protects the lives of the Sudanese people and facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected. Saudi Arabia and the United States said the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began talks on Saturday -- the first since the conflict occurred -- in Saudi Arabias coastal city of Jeddah. The talks are part of a diplomatic initiative by Saudi Arabia and the U.S. to stop the fighting that has turned Sudans capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, and pushed hundreds of thousands from their homes. Egypt has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and has held discussions with all the international and regional stakeholders to find the means to overcome the crisis there. Search Keywords: Short link: Chennai Super Kings win toss, opt to field first against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 Chennai, May 6: Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to field first against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday. Chennai Super Kings win toss, opt to field first against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 The second round of the IPL El Clasico is here and both teams would try to claim victory. With a win, Chennai Super Kings will look to move to the second position after their last game against Lucknow Super Giants ended in no result. While Mumbai Indians would also walk into the stadium with a similar mindset as with a victory they will move to the second spot with 12 points.CSK skipper MS Dhoni said at the toss, "We'll bowl first. A bit of rain is expected, that's one reason, looks like a good wicket and we want them to set a target for us. Every individual has worked well, everyone can show some attention on the field, we've improved every game, and there have been some slip-ups, but we need to finish well. We['re playing with the same squad."MI skipper Rohit Sharma said at the toss, "Going pretty well, had a couple of good games, just about continuing the momentum. We have some worries, but we've started to do well. It's been challenging to find the right players and the right combinations. We know our strengths and the players who can fit in. Two changes for is - Kumar Kartikeya is OUT, a debut for Raghav Goyal. Tilak Varma is ill, he's replaced by Tristan Stubbs,"CSK (Playing XI) Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana.MI (Playing XI) Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Jofra Archer, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Arshad Khan.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! J-K: Srinagar awaits G20 meet, locals support govts moves Srinagar, May 6: The government and people are equally participating in the preparations to host the G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar on May 23 and 24, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, a report said. J-K: Srinagar awaits G20 meet, locals support govt's moves Preparations are in full swing. Efforts are being made to bring Srinagar into the centre stage as a global city, and to welcome international delegates.According to the report, residents of Srinagar are supporting all the efforts of the government to revamp the city."Despite facing hardships due to ongoing development works they are not complaining. People are cooperating as they have understood that their city is gearing up to host an important international event that would transform Srinagar into a tourist centre of global importance," the report said.Pertinently, till August 5, 2019-- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 from J-K and bifurcated it into two Union Territories-- Srinagar City on the diktats of the Pakistan-sponsored separatists and terrorists used to observe a shutdown against the visits of foreign dignitaries or any important persons. The strikes were imposed on the people to send a message to the world that all is not well in Kashmir."However, after the scrapping of Article 370, a temporary provision in the Constitution, Srinagar has changed. It has welcomed everyone with open arms and hasn't remained shut for even a single day during the past three years," the report said.The regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides shutting down the shops of the separatists has acted tough against the terrorists who kept a common man under persistent threat from 1990-- when the Pakistan-sponsored insurgency broke out in J-K-- to 2019.As per the report, as of date no separatist, who can call for shutdown or orchestrate street protests, has been left in Kashmir."They are eagerly waiting for the G20 summit to happen in Srinagar as a common man wants his city to get integrated globally. Srinagar's new look and people discussing the forthcoming G20 summit are ample proof of how J and K's summer capital is waiting for the event to happen," it said."The Srinagar airport has been upgraded to accommodate the international flights. Night landing facilities have been put in place leading to the increased footfall of tourists. Many other steps have been taken to enable Srinagar to overcome the inadequacies and discrepancies," the report added.New infrastructure is being built to accommodate the huge rush of tourists, who have visited Jammu and Kashmir in droves during the past three decades.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Survey shows Congress still in the lead in Karnataka New Delhi, May 6: The final opinion poll for the Karnataka Assembly elections conducted by C-Voter for ABP News indicates that the Congress is still in the pole position though the BJP seems to have closed the earlier gap in the last leg of campaigning. Survey shows Congress still in the lead in Karnataka A detailed analysis of the poll data across demographics and other categories in the major regions of the state suggests that the Congress is likely to win between 110 and 122 seats in the May 10 elections. The Karnataka Assembly has 224 members and a tally of 113 is required to form a simple majority government.The party is projected to get 40.2 per cent of the vote share, up 2.2 per cent from what it managed in the previous Assembly elections in 2018. The BJP, which currently has a government in the state, is projected to win between 73 and 85 seats. In 2018, the saffron party had won 104 seats.Interestingly, BJP's vote share is projected to remain the same at 36 per cent. Compared to the earlier rounds of the C-Voter poll, this is an improvement both in terms of seats and vote share.The JD(S) is projected to win between 21 and 29 seats. In 2018, it had won 37 seats. The projected vote share for the JD(S) in 16.1 per cent, down almost 2 per cent compared to the 2018 elections.Barring the Greater Bengaluru region, which sends 32 MLAs to the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress is projected to win more seats than the BJP in all the other regions of the state.Interestingly, the BJP is projected to substantially increase its vote share in the Old Mysuru region, a stronghold of the JD(S), from 17 per cent in 2018 to more than 25 per cent this time.But this seems to be resulting in a triangular fight which is helping the Congress.Elections are scheduled in a single phase on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Congress looted money of even farmers: PM Modi Haveri, May 6: Lashing out at the grand old party in the predominantly agrarian constituency of Haveri in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Congress even looted the money of farmers when it was in power. 'Congress looted money of even farmers': PM Modi Speaking at a rally, PM Modi said that the BJP would form the government with an absolute majority. He told the people that every single vote would decide the future of Karnataka.He said that the people have confidence in the 'Double Engine' government of the BJP, adding the Congress did not do anything for rail, road or drinking water.Karnataka Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai, other senior party leaders and the party candidates in Haveri and Dharwad districts were present on the stage along with the Prime Minister.PM Modi said that the people of Haveri should not forget about the money that the Congress had looted during its regime at the Centre and in the state.He said that the Central government was buying urea at Rs 50 per kg from the international market and selling it at Rs 5 to the farmers.PM Modi said that this was the commitment of the BJP to the people of the country and the states.He said the Central government was transferring money to the farmers' accounts directly as subsidy money. He estimated that the farmers of Haveri district would have received an amount of around Rs 450 crore from the Central government.PM Modi said that the Congress has always contested elections with the slogan 'Garibi Hatao' but has never done anything to uplift people from poverty.He said that his government has introduced several programmes for poor people, and did not want anyone to sleep without food and hence was providing free ration.He said that there is a health insurance of Rs 5 lakh that would help poor people to get treatment for their ailments and, added that the government is providing homes under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana.The Prime Minister said this was social justice for all the poor and added that this was real secularism and said that for the poor there is no caste, creed or religion.PM Modi said that this is the meaning of 'Sab ka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Kalyan'.The Prime Minister said that the economy of the country reached the fifth position globally, and when the Congress government was in power, it was ranked 10th.He said that if the people vote for BJP in Karnataka, the state will become number 1 and if Karnataka becomes number 1, then the country will become the third largest economy in the world.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Karnataka polls: Amit Shah holds roadshow in Belagavi, launches attack on Congress Belagavi, May 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a roadshow in Belagavi's Chikkodi area on Saturday. Karnataka polls: Amit Shah holds roadshow in Belagavi, launches attack on Congress Amit Shah was seated in a specially designed vehicle and he greeted the people who had gathered there.During the roadshow, the BJP supporters and party workers were queued up throughout the road from where the cavalcade was passing.The Home Minister also launched an attack on the Congress party over the '4 per cent Muslim reservation' issue and urged the people to vote for a double-engine government in the state, if they want to"BJP had removed 4 per cent Muslim reservation, and increased reservation of Lingayats, SC and ST community. Congress party says that if they come to power they will bring back 6 per cent reservation for Muslims. This will decrease reservation of Lingayats and SC, if Karnataka doesn't want this they must vote for the BJP government," he said.Earlier in the day, during an election rally in Belagavi, Amit Shah said that PM Modi has fulfilled the dreams of Lord Ram devotees by constructing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya."BJP has worked for the farmers here. We have given several benefits to the farmers. Congress insulted Savarkar. But BJP developed the Marathas and respected them...PM Modi fulfilled the dreams of Lord Ram devotees by constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya".The final leg of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections have intensified in the State.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a roadshow in Bengaluru. He is scheduled to hold two mega road shows and four public meetings this weekend, as per the party sources.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a roadshow in Karnataka's Udupi district.Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a roadshow in Shanivarasanthe Madikeri in the Kodagu district.Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Israel continues preparedness for natural disasters Tel Aviv, May 6: On Thursday, employees of the Ministry for Regional Cooperation and the Ministry for the Development of the Negev, the Galilee and National Resilience were updated on earthquakes and the preparation for emergency situations in Israel and the world, from Raz Goldfarb - one of the leaders of the rescue mission that went to Turkey after a recent earthquake there. Israel continues preparedness for natural disasters The State of Israel is located on the Syrian-African fault and is therefore exposed to the risk of a high-magnitude earthquake (over 6.5 on the Richter scale). This, together with the dry climate in the summer months, the security threats and other risk factors, require a general and personal preparation of the State of Israel and its residents, as well.The Ministry for Regional Cooperation has worked in recent years to train rescue and emergency teams, with the understanding that an event of this type of earthquake may affect not only the State of Israel but the entire regional space. The forces of nature do not distinguish between Israelis, Jordanians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, secular people or religious, men or women. (ANI/TPS)ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! From Dabbawalas to Sonam Kapoor these Indians will attend King Charles IIIs enthronement London, May 6: King Charles III's coronation ceremony commences today. Several Indians will be part of the coronation ceremony to represent the nation at the royal event in London. From Dabbawalas to Sonam Kapoor these Indians will attend King Charles III's enthronement Vice President Jaideep Dhankar along with his wife Sudesh Dhankar will represent India at the royal spectacle among numerous celebrities and heads of government from across the world.Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor will also be performing spoken word at King's enthronement ceremony as earlier reported by US-based media house Variety.Two Dabbawalas from Mumbai's Dabbawalas, famous worldwide for their lunchbox delivery in the metropolitan city are also invited to the royal ceremony.The Dabbawalas bought 'Puneri Pagadi' and a shawl of the 'Warkari' community. Puner Pagadi is a unique style of turban and is considered a symbol of pride and honour in Pune. It was granted the Geographical Indication status in the year 2009.Numerous community workers connected to King Charles's charity work will also attend the royal extravaganza.Architect Sourabh Phadke, alumnus of Charles Foundation's Building Craft Programme and the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts, with Gulfsa, 33, a Delhi resident who won the Prince's Trust Globe Award will be attending the event.Jay Patel who resides in Canada is also invited as he completed Prince's Trust Canada's Youth Employment programme last year.Indian-origin British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will recite from the biblical book of Colossians at the coronation ceremony. Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty will lead the procession of delegates.To mark the representation of different faiths at the enthronement ceremony peers of Rishi Sunak, Lord Indrajit Singh and Lord Syed Kamall of Indo-Guyanese heritage will attend the ceremony. Lord Indrajit will stand in for the Sikh faith and Lord Syed Kamali for Muslim belief.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Manipur MLA says situation improving, displaced people can return home Guwahati, May 6: A Manipur MLA, who visited the refugee camps in Assam's Cachar district on Saturday where at least 1,500 people from ethnic violence-hit Manipur have taken shelter, asserted that peace is returning in the state and people who have been displaced can return to their homes in the next two days. Manipur MLA says situation improving, displaced people can return home Md Ashab Uddin, a Janata Dal MLA from Jiribam Assembly constituency in Manipur, said, "The situation is improving in the state. I have visited many areas. People who have taken refuge in Cachar district thought that the violence in Churachandpur district would spread to their areas also. But this did not happen."He said that Indian Army personnel along with other security forces have been dealing with the situation effectively and normalcy is returning to the state."We have noticed an improvement in the situation. People who have migrated to Cachar and sought refuge can go back to their respective homes in the next two days," the MLA said.Ashab Uddin also claimed that spreading of false information has not stopped yet, which is creating hurdles for normalcy to return in Manipur.He urged the people not to pay heed to rumours.Meanwhile, a peace committee has been formed in Assam that will visit the disturbed areas in Manipur on Monday. Kamalakanta Singha, a member of the committee, said that the panel has representatives from different linguistic communities, who will visit some of the violence-hit areas to understand people's problems.On the other hand, the influx of people from Manipur into Assam is continuing with the tally reaching 2,000 till late Saturday evening.A senior Cachar district official said, "We expect more people to come here seeking shelter in the next couple of days. The district administration is prepared. There is adequate arrangement of food and other essential commodities."IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! IPL 2023: Naveen-ul-Haq posts photo with Gambhir, takes a dig at Virat Kohli Mumbai, May 7: The verbal joust between Lucknow Super Giants' Naveen-ul-Haq and Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli, which started during Match 43 of Indian Premier League 2023 at Lucknow a few days back, refuses to die down with the Afghan player firing fresh salvo on Saturday. IPL 2023: Naveen-ul-Haq posts photo with Gambhir, takes a dig at Virat Kohli Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq had a heated exchange during the match and continued and matters became worse when the players continued their argument when the players were shaking hands after the match. Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir then waded into the controversy directing his ire at Kohli.On a day when reports came out that Kohli has written a letter to some BCCI officials explaining his position and claiming that he had not said anything to Gambhir and Naveen-ul-Haq, the Afghan pacer took to Instagram to post a picture with Gambhir, taking a dig on Kohli in the captain.He captioned the post, "Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to."The ugly clash between the two greatest Indian cricketers -- Kohli and Gambhir -- wasn't a pleasant sight, and as a result of that, both of them were fined 100 per cent of their match fees for the altercation, which was deemed a Level 2 offence and in breach of IPL Code of Conduct's Article 2.21. On the other hand, Afghanistan fast-bowler Naveen-ul-Haq was fined 50 per cent of his match fees.In a report published by the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran on Saturday, the former RCB captain has written a message to a few BCCI officials explaining the situation and expressing his disappointment after being handed a fine of 100 per cent match fee. Kohli reportedly said he did not say anything wrong to the LSG players and mentor during the fight.The 34-year-old Kohli was aggressive in his celebration during the LSG-RCB match and was charged up against a couple of LSG players like Naveen-ul-Haq and Kyle Mayers. The witnesses to the verbal altercations claim that Kohli was hostile towards Naveen and Amit Mishra, who was batting with the Afghan cricketer towards the end of LSG's chase, also complained to the umpires about Kohli's behaviour.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Manipur violence likely to reopen old ethnic scars in neighbouring NE states Imphal, May 7: The ugly face of ethnic conflict has once again returned to haunt Manipur, but this time its effect has also been felt in the other northeastern states and it may continue for a longer period. Manipur violence likely to reopen old ethnic scars in neighbouring NE states In the wake of the ongoing unrest in Manipur, over 1600 people have crossed the border into Assam's Cachar district and more than 30 people, mostly women and children took shelter in Mizoram's Saitual district.In a spillover of the ethnic violence in Manipur, members of the Kuki and Meitei communities clashed in the Meghalaya capital Shillong on Thursday night and the police have arrested 16 people in connection with the incident. Security was tightened further in the hill city.Both the states' authorities have arranged temporary shelters at a few government schools and food and other necessary commodities have been provided to them.Two Mizoram districts -- Aizawl and Saitual -- share around a 95 km border with Manipur, which has also 204 km and 225 km inter-state borders with Assam and Nagaland respectively.Many tribal and non-tribal communities specially the Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Mizo, Chakma are living in different northeastern states presenting a complex linguistic mosaic with over 200 dialects.The northeastern region is home to 45.58 million people (2011 Census). The indigenous tribals constitute around 28 per cent of the population and they mostly speak in their mother tongue or their indigenous language.The tribals and non-tribals belong to Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities with different lifestyles, cultures, traditions and languages.Any kind of negative incident involving one or two communities in a particular state often has a counter-effect in other states of the region causing ethnic trouble.Besides the insurgency, Naga-Kuki, Meitei versus other tribals, Chakma versus other tribals, and numerous other ethnic conflicts have claimed thousands of lives and damaged huge property during the past many decades in the northeastern region.From the beginning of this year, unrest resurfaced in Manipur for multiple reasons. On May 3, unprecedented violent clashes, attacks and arson broke out at various places during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category.Acting on a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Trade Union, the Manipur High Court acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran on April 19 had directed the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of Meitei (Meetei) community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry.The High Court order said "The issue of inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Constitution is pending for nearly ten years and above. No satisfactory explanation is forthcoming from the side of the respondent State for not submitting the recommendation for the last 10 years."Therefore, it would be appropriate to direct the respondent state to submit its recommendation to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs within a reasonable time."The High Court order snowballed into a major controversy with thousands of tribals turning up for the 'Tribal Solidarity March' in 10 hill districts on May 3 called by a student body.Earlier a civil writ petition filed by eight members of the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union led by union secretary Mutum Churamani Meetei had sought the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent (Manipur government) to submit a recommendation in reply to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry's letter dated May 29, 2013.According to the Meitei and other agitators, the influx of outsiders from both inside and outside the country, including people from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh, has significantly affected the identity, culture, economy, administration and the environment of Manipur.The Meitei community is demanding inclusion in the list of ST. Those demanding ST status claimed that there is a need to protect the valley inhabited by the Meitei community while tribals living in Manipur's hill area have already been protected as Scheduled Tribe category status.The BJP led government in Manipur has claimed that the process is on to include Meiteis in the ST list.The Central government, on December 11, 2019 at the height of the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), introduced the ILP (Inner Line Permit) system to strictly monitor the movement of outsiders in the state and to protect the interests of the indigenous people.The ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, is an official travel document that allows an Indian citizen to visit the states where ILP is enforced for a limited period of time and with a specific purpose.Manipur has witnessed a series of agitations for the past several months with many women, students and youth bodies and civil society organisations agitating against the state government's alleged "delaying tactics" in introducing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, and in the functioning of the Manipur State Population Commission (MSPC).Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had said that his government is ready to implement the NRC in the state but to do that, approval from the Central government is required.He said that the state government has already constituted the MSPC and it would identify the immigrants in the state based on the cut-off year of 1961."People of Myanmar seeking asylum in Manipur is a different issue. At any cost, we would protect the demography as well as the tradition and culture of the indigenous people of the state," Singh said.Meanwhile, the Manipur government earlier decided to identify those Myanmarese refugees who have sought asylum in the northeastern state, and keep them at the designated detention centres.So far, around 5,000 immigrants, including women and children, have fled from conflict-hit Myanmar after the military took power in the neighbouring country in February 2021.An official said that the Manipur government has recently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip after thousands of Myanmarese crossed over to the state due to the armed conflict near the Indian border areas between the Myanmar Army and the People's Defence Force.The hills account for 90 per cent of the state's area and 10 per cent population while the valley occupies 10 per cent land.In the valley, there are Hindu, non-tribal Meitei communities while the hills are inhabited largely by the Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities.In another development, the North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an apex body of eight major students organisations of seven northeastern states, condemned the Manipur government's action evicting the indigenous settlers belonging to the Zo community and the violent incidents that followed."The tribals were evicted on the pretext that they are settling on reserve forest whereas the fact is that these indigenous settlers have been residing in these areas for ages.""The government of Manipur has to take into account that these are the indigenous communities of northeast and have inhabited these lands from their forefathers and they are not illegal immigrants from Nepal or Bangladesh," NESO chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and General Secretary Mutsikhoyo Yhobo said in a joint statement.(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad can attend an Arab League summit later this month "if he wishes to," Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Sunday after Syria was readmitted to the League. In a press conference held after two emergency meetings of Arab foreign ministers on Sudan and Syria, Ahmed Abul-Gheit emphasised that the Syrian crisis is not over just because Syria has rejoined the Arab League and that it is up to each member state to reestablish diplomatic ties with Syria. A unanimous agreement by the Arab League's foreign ministers stated that "government delegations from the Syrian Arab Republicwill resume their participation in meetings." The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 after the war broke out there following massive protests. Several member states then recalled their ambassadors from Damascus, accusing Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad of cracking down on demonstrators in the country. Assad has been politically isolated since then. Yet, recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of an Arab League summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah on May 19. While the front lines have mostly quietened, large parts of the country's north remain outside government control, and no political solution has yet been reached to the 12-year-old conflict. Sudan Crisis Abul-Gheit urged the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to negotiate a ceasefire and hold negotiations to bring stability to the nation regarding the current situation there. He added that the Arab League had resolved to form a communication committee composed of some of its members to achieve a truce in Sudan and maintain state institutions. He emphasised the importance of preventing Sudan from becoming a conflict that could splinter the nation. The Secretary-General also denounced the Rapid Support Forces' takeover of the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development's Khartoum headquarters and conversion of it into a military barracks. Search Keywords: Short link: Google plans to make search more personal with AI chat, video clips Mountain View, California, May 7: Google is planning to make its search engine more visual, snackable, personal, and human, with a focus on serving young people globally, The Wall Street Journal reported. Google plans to make search more 'personal' with AI chat, video clips The tech giant is shifting the way it presents search results to incorporate conversations with artificial intelligence, along with more short video and social-media posts, a departure from the list of website results that have made it the dominant search engine for decades.The changes represent a response to big shifts in the way people access information on the internet, including the emergence of AI bots like ChatGPT, according to WSJ. They would nudge the service further away from its traditional format, known informally as the "10 blue links," the WSG reported, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter.Google plans to make its search engine more "visual, snackable, personal, and human," with a focus on serving young people globally, according to the documents. It plans to incorporate more human voices as part of the shift, supporting content creators in the same way it has historically done with websites, the documents say.At its annual I/O developer conference coming this week, the search giant is expected to debut new features that allow users to carry out conversations with an artificial-intelligence programme, a project code-named "Magi," said other people familiar with the matter.For years, Alphabet's Google has made minimal tweaks to the look and feel of search, which powers an advertising business that made more than USD 162 billion in revenue last year, according to WSJ. But that is changing with the fast rise of AI chatbots and short-video apps such as TikTok, both of which have captured the attention of young users.Broadly, Google plans to place greater emphasis on responding to queries that can't be easily answered by traditional web results, according to internal reference documents outlining the company's strategy for making changes to the search engine this year.Google search visitors might be more frequently prompted to ask follow-up questions or swipe through visuals such as TikTok videos in response to their queries, WSJ said.According to WSJ, the company has already moved to integrate some online forum posts and short videos in search results, but it plans to emphasise such material even more in the future, according to the internal documents and people familiar with the matter.Google executives have stressed to employees that the number of active websites has plateaued in recent years, said people familiar with the discussions. Internet users are increasingly turning to other apps to find information on everything from popular local restaurants to advice on how to be more productive."More than answers, we'll help you when there's no right answer," Google executives said in the documents.A Google spokeswoman said the search has "always been an incredibly dynamic, rapidly evolving sector," and the company has focused on a long-term approach to changing the service that includes integrating AI and visual features."As search evolves, delivering high-quality information and supporting a healthy, open web will remain core to our approach," the spokeswoman added.Google has the opportunity to lead a change in consumer behaviour around internet search, but people will turn to other services if the company doesn't move fast enough, said John Battelle, author of "The Search," a history of Google published in 2005."It's a really significant moment for the company, and I think they're very well aware of it," Battelle added.Google's search engine, the world's most heavily trafficked website, has for years handled more than 90 per cent of searches on computers and mobile devices, according to data provider Statcounter.In 2020, the Justice Department sued Google for its alleged dominance in the search market, the most significant US antitrust suit since the government challenged Microsoft's position in the personal computer software market in the 1990s.Since then, several new AI-powered apps have exploded in popularity, raising fresh challenges to Google's power as a portal to the internet. Most recently, the ChatGPT bot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI has raised alarms inside Google, pushing leadership to speed up work on similar products.Microsoft built the technology behind ChatGPT into its search engine Bing earlier this year, creating a version that could hold extended conversations with users, WSJ said, adding "Smaller search engines also have raced to incorporate conversational AI features, hoping to win users by moving faster than Google."Millions of people use Google for critical tasks, and websites such as online news outlets rely on the search engine for large chunks of their traffic. Those factors, along with the large amount of revenue tied to the product, have made it difficult to implement major changes in search.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Tripura CM arranges special flight to bring back students from Manipur Agartala (Tripura), May 6: Tripura government on Saturday arranged a special flight to bring back stranded students of the state from violence-affected Manipur. The development came after Chief Minister Prof Dr Manik Saha on Saturday spoke to the Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia and requested special aircraft arrangements. Tripura CM arranges special flight to bring back students from Manipur Following the request, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced the decision to operate an additional commercial flight from Imphal to Agartala. The flight will reach Agartala from Imphal on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.During a press conference at Civil Secretariat here in Agartala on Saturday afternoon, CM Dr Saha said, "the government had arranged three commercial flights for bringing back students of Tripura from Manipur. Among these three flights, two flights will reach MBB Airport, Agartala from Imphal at 12.15 AM and 1.40 AM while another flight will take off from Imphal tonight and leave for Guwahati. Those students will have free accommodation and food at Guwahati and will be brought back to Agartala by Sunday noon."The government also announced a helpline number (0381-241-6045/241-6241 and WhatsApp number 8787676210) in this regard. On the other hand, a special team has to be sent to Manipur today by the state government to bring and coordinate the students studying in Manipur.While the neighbouring state of Meghalaya is also arranging special flights to bring back their stranded students from Manipur. Special flights from Imphal to Shillong are being arranged by the authorities to bring students back at the earliest. Travel arrangements will be made on the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th of May, said an official statement.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Shonda Rhimes comments on potential sequel of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Mumbai, May 7: American TV screenwriter-author Shonda Rhimes talked about the possibility of the second season of the drama limited series 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'. Shonda Rhimes comments on potential sequel of 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story' According to Deadline, a US-based media house, Shonda has informed EW about the second season, saying, "There have been questions, but I'm not having conversations about it yet. I could live with Charlotte and George forever, but we told a very specific, closed-ended story that I think is a complete tale of this complicated, imperfect love. But I'm not ruling anything out because I never know.""Although the story is almost complete, chances of another season cannot be ruled out," screenwriter added.'Queen Charlotte A Bridgerton Story' is a prequel-spin-off of the fiction-romantic series 'Bridgerton'. This spinoff series revolves around the life of Queen Charlotte, who was the Queen of Great Britain and of Ireland as the wife of King George III. It features India Amarteifio as young Queen Charlotte, Corey Mylchreest as young King George III, Arsema Thomas as young Agatha, Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte's lady-in-waiting, Michelle Fairley as Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales, King George's mother and others.As per a report by Deadline, actress Arsena Thomas who plays lead in the series narrated about her obsession for her character. Thomas said, "I never thought I could love like this until I had my own child. I feel like I gave birth, and Shonda Rhimes is her daddy. I am the mommy. It would be amazing to inhabit that space again. But also where we've left her off now, she's a good space. If that's the last time I get to be her, she's empowered and she's ready to walk on her own two feet. But if I do get a call for doing it again, I will take it," she also expressed that she will be too happy if a sequel is created.The 'Queen Charlotte A Bridgerton Story' dropped on May 4.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Leopard census underway in Gujarats Dang using modern equipment Dang, May 7: A leopard census is underway in Gujarat's Dang after nearly eight years using modern equipment, an official said, adding that 80 teams have been deployed in the forest areas of the district to carry out the job. Leopard census underway in Gujarat's Dang using modern equipment The official said that the last census was conducted in 2016 in which the total number of leopards, who are also among the major 'big cats' in the world, was found to be 43 and is now expected to have increased after nearly eight years.Dinesh Rabari, District Forest Officer (DFO) told ANI on Saturday that cameras have been installed in the forest to keep track of the possible movements of the leopards."The last census was done in 2016. Cameras traps have been installed everywhere. The number of leopards in Dang is quite high. In 2016 there were a total of 43 leopards... now it is expected to increase. Since last week, 80 teams have been deployed," Rabari said."From 5 pm to 6 am, teams are being deployed and arranged wherever there is a possibility of leopard movements," he added.In April this year, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav said conserving big cats and their habitats can secure some of the most important natural ecosystems on Earth leading to natural climate change adaptation, water, and food security for millions of people, and provide livelihood and sustenance to forest communities.Earlier this year, in the mega international event held at Mysuru, Karnataka, to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) for the conservation of seven big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.Leopard is among the seven major big cats of the world.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Centre should take necessary steps to restore peace in Manipur, Kerala Catholic Bishops Councils demand on violence Kochi, May 6: In the wake of Manipur violence incident, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) on Saturday issued a statement, urging Central government to take necessary action to restore peace in the state. Centre should take necessary steps to restore peace in Manipur, Kerala Catholic Bishops Council's demand on violence "The central government should be ready to take necessary steps to restore peace in Manipur. The riots going on in Manipur for the past few days are causing a lot of concern," KCBC's president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis said in a statement on Saturday.He said that it is highly condemnable that two groups of people in the state are attacking each other and setting fire to institutions, houses and places of worship."The Regardless of the reasons that led to this conflict, immediate action should be taken by the central government to end the conflict and loss of life," the KCBC president said."The central government, which describes India as the mother of democracy, should take appropriate measures to bring peace to Manipur by taking appropriate measures to end the communal riots that have brought an end to democracy," he added.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Kate Middletons headpiece made by an artist, who receives fund from monarchs charity for 25 years Washington, May 7: Kate Middleton's stunning headpiece for King Charles' coronation has a close association with his long-running charity, The Prince's Trust, reported People. Kate Middleton's headpiece made by an artist, who receives fund from monarch's charity for 25 years The Princess of Wales joined members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey on Saturday for the historic crowning ceremony of her father-in-law. She wore a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece with silver bullion, crystal and silver threadwork three-dimensional leaf embroidery.The headpiece was designed by Jess Collett, who has been working as a couture milliner for the past 25 years after receiving a loan from the monarch's charity."It was 25 years ago that I secured my first loan from the @princestrust to start Jess Collett Milliner," Collett wrote on Instagram. "Thank you King Charles and @princestrust for your support ..........still going strong today and loving my trade"The official Instagram for King Charles' charity then responded, "Thanks for being such a special part of our history and sharing your #PrincesTrust story today.According to People, the Prince's Trust supports young people between the ages of 11 and 30 who are struggling with school or work, providing them with resources such as training programmes, financial support and more to help them succeed.As the Prince of Wales, King Charles started The Prince's Trust in 1976 with his severance pay from the British Navy providing the first grants for people with disadvantaged backgrounds.Although Charles is now monarch, The Prince's Trust continues to expand and be part of his legacy. In addition to the U.K. and Commonwealth Countries, The Prince's Trust is now running programs in the U.S. in New York and Chicago.The stunning headpiece complemented the Princess of Wales' outfit -- a dress by Alexander McQueen (who was behind her 2011 wedding gown) in ivory silk crepe with silver bullion and threadwork embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Cambodian PM to attend 42nd ASEAN summit in Indonesia next week Phnom Penh, May 7: Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will take part in the 42nd ASEAN summit and related meetings to be held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 10-11, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Cambodian PM to attend 42nd ASEAN summit in Indonesia next week His attendance will be made at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the rotating chair of ASEAN for 2023, the statement said, adding that the summit will be convened under the theme "ASEAN Matters Epicentrum of Growth"."The ASEAN leaders will deliberate ways and means to sustain the momentum of the ASEAN community-building, advance the ASEAN's sustainable development agenda to realise an inclusive, participatory and collaborative community, and accelerate the development of the ASEAN community's Post-2025 Vision to make the ASEAN a future-oriented community for a peaceful, stable, secure, prosperous and resilient region," the statement said.It added that the leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of common concern and interests, Xinhua news agency reported.ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Adah Sharma to those panning The Kerala Story: Google ISIS and Brides Mumbai, May 7: Actress Adah Sharma, whose latest release 'The Kerala Story' is getting a good response, has shared some words of wisdom to those who are still calling the film a propaganda. Adah Sharma to those panning 'The Kerala Story': 'Google ISIS and Brides' Adah took to Twitter and wrote "And for the the few still calling #TheKeralaStory a propaganda film, saying these incidents do not exist even after watching testimonials of several Indian victims, my humble request, Google two words ISIS and Brides...maybe an account of white girls narrated to you might make you feel that our Indian movie is real."Released on May 5, the film according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh has hit the double digits on second day of its release.He tweeted "#TheKeralaStory is SENSATIONAL, sets the #BO on on Day 2a Shows BIGGG GAINS across all circuitsa Hits double digits, a REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT for a film that's *not* riding on stardom, but word of mouth... Fri 8.03 cr, Sat 11.22 cr. Total a, 19.25 cr. #India biz. #BoxofficeIn 'The Kerala Story', actress Adah Sharma is playing the role of Fathima Ba, a Hindu Malayali nurse, who is among the 32,000 women who went missing from Kerala and were then recruited to the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) after being forced to convert to Islam.'The Kerala Story' has been written and directed by Sudipto Sen and stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani.It got into controversy after the trailer of the film stated that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, ISIS.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Several injured in blast near Golden Temple Chandigarh, May 7: Several people were injured in a blast at a restaurant in the Heritage Street near the Golden Temple in Punjab's holy city of Amritsar. The police, however, said it was not a terror attack, but an accident. Several injured in blast near Golden Temple Panic gripped as the blast took place at busy Heritage Street near Darbar Sahib on Saturday night. Many devotees and locals present at the spot presumed the blast a terror act.Appealing to maintain peace, police officials said the situation was under control and there was no need to be panic.A police official told the media the blast apparently occurred in a chimney of a restaurant.Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Mehtab Singh said the cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained.He said forensic teams were investigating. Only windowpanes of the nearby buildings were shattered and there was no damage to the buildings.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Pakistan airlines plane stayed in Indian airspace for 10 minutes, travelled 125 km Karachi, May 7: After failing to land at the Lahore Airport during heavy rain, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane remained in the Indian airspace for 10 minutes and returned to Pakistan after travelling 125 kilometre over India's Punjab, state media reported. Pakistan airlines plane stayed in Indian airspace for 10 minutes, travelled 125 km It was raining heavily when the flight PK-248 of Pakistan's national airline arrived in Lahore from Muscat at 8 p.m. on May 4. The pilot attempted to land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport at 805 p.m., but the Boeing 777 aircraft became unstable and could not land.On the instructions of the air traffic controller, the pilot initiated the go-around approach, during which he lost his way due to heavy rain and low altitude. The plane entered the Indian airspace from the Badhana police station area in Punjab at 811 p.m. Pakistan time, The News reported.The Boeing 777 aircraft was at an altitude of 13,500 feet moving at a speed of 292 kilometre per hour. At the point where the plane entered India, located 37 km from Amritsar, is the area of the Chhina Bidhi Chand village.The plane turned back from Naushehra Pannuan after travelling 40 km through the city of Taran Sahib and Rasulpur in India's Punjab. While flying in the Indian airspace, the captain took the plane to a height of 20,000 feet, The News reported.The plane flew in the Indian airspace for seven minutes and entered the Pakistani territory from near the village of Jhagian Noor Muhammad in India's Punjab. The flight then re-entered Indian territory via the villages of Dona Mabboki, Chaant, Dhupsari Kasur and Ghati Kalanjar in Kasur district of the Pakistan's Punjab.Three minutes later, at 822 p.m., the plane re-entered the Pakistani territory from the village of Lakha Singhwala Hithar in India's Punjab. At that time, the plane was at an altitude of 23,000 feet at a speed of 320 km, The News reported.After entering the Pakistani airspace, the aircraft flew to Multan, passing by Hujra Shah Muqeem and Dipalpur. The aircraft travelled a total of 120 km in the Indian territory in 10 minutes, The News reported.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! The UN's top aid official arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for ceasefire talks between Sudan's warring sides, as concern grows for the humanitarian situation at the start of a fourth week of gun battles and air strikes in the Sudanese capital. Multiple truce deals have been declared without effect since fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15 in the poverty-stricken country with a history of political instability. Fierce combat since then has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands and sparked multiple warnings of a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. More than 100,000 people have already fled the country. In the capital Khartoum, warplanes have bombed positions as terrified residents stay barricaded indoors trying to cope with dire shortages of water, food, medicines and other staples. Ahmed al-Amin, a resident of the Haj Yousif district in northeastern Khartoum, on Sunday told AFP he "saw fighter jets flying above our heads and heard the sounds of explosions and anti-aircraft" fire. Across the Red Sea in the Saudi city of Jeddah, talks were underway aiming for a ceasefire that could push efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the besieged population. Even before the war began about one-third of Sudan's people required humanitarian assistance, the UN said. The fighting has seen aid workers killed, health facilities attacked, and the UN projects that the number of "acutely food insecure people" in Sudan could increase by between two and 2.5 million if the war is prolonged. Analysts expect that it will be. Looted Martin Griffiths, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, was in Jeddah Sunday "and the purpose of his visit is to engage in humanitarian issues related to Sudan," spokesperson Eri Kaneko said. In Port Sudan last week, Griffiths said he had been informed by the UN's World Food Programme that six trucks bringing aid to the Darfur region had been "looted en route" Wednesday, "despite assurances of safety and security". He called for security guarantees "clearly given by militaries, to protect humanitarian systems to deliver". There was no indication that Griffiths would play a direct role in the Saudi discussions about a possible ceasefire. On Thursday US President Joe Biden signed an executive order that broadens authority to impose sanctions over Sudan's conflict. It did not name potential targets. Sudanese army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdalla said the Jeddah talks were on how a truce "can be correctly implemented to serve the humanitarian side", while Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the Rapid Support Forces, only said on Twitter that he welcomed the technical discussions. Riyadh and Washington have supported the "pre-negotiation talks" and urged the belligerents to "get actively involved". Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit expressed his support Sunday for the "indirect negotiations" in order to prevent "an escalation of the current conflict" into a prolonged war "that divides Sudan into warring regions." At the same meeting of the bloc in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of "a slide into a worse and more dangerous security situation for Sudan, its people, neighbouring countries and the region". Egypt, to which at least 40,000 refugees have fled, announced Shoukry will head Monday to the capitals of South Sudan and Chad, both of which also borders Sudan and have themselves received more than 57,000 people escaping the war, according to estimates from the UN refugee agency. War of attrition Hopes for these and other international efforts to silence the guns have been modest. "The lowest common denominator of the international community is a cessation of hostilities," said Sudan researcher Aly Verjee at Sweden's University of Gothenburg. "But there is no apparent consensus on what to do beyond that initial objective." Both sides continue to push for military advantage in the capital and elsewhere, including the long-troubled Darfur region. Andreas Krieg of King's College London said that "the battle for Khartoum is quickly developing into a war of attrition where both sides have similar capabilities and capacities". At least 700 people have been killed in the fighting, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The Sudanese doctors' union said 479 of the dead were civilians. Search Keywords: Short link: Yogi govt to help UP students stranded in Manipur Lucknow, May 7: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the home department to help students from the state who are currently stranded in violence-hit Manipur. Yogi govt to help UP students stranded in Manipur The chief minister's direction to the states's home department came after the students appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government to rescue them from Manipur that is caught in an ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities.According to government spokesman, Principal Secretary (home department) Sanjay Prasad had spoken to the chief secretary of Manipur and requested him to help students from Uttar Pradesh. He added that the state relief commissioner's office has also been directed to coordinate with the Manipur government.At least 52 people have been killed in Manipur since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, even as Chief Minister N Biren Singh held an all-party meeting on Saturday, and a video conference with security personnel calling for calm and an end to violence.At least 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and moved to operating bases/military garrisons, with the help of the Army and Assam Rifles.Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh said the curfew, imposed after the violence broke out, would be partially eased after assessing the law-and-order situation.A defence spokesperson reportedly said the Army has significantly enhanced aerial surveillance through unmanned aerial vehicles and redeployment of helicopters.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Aamir Ali shares full-house frame from upcoming series The Good Wife Mumbai, May 7: Web series brings actors of different calibres together and that makes the series most exciting for the audience. Aamir Ali shares full-house frame from upcoming series 'The Good Wife' Popular actor Aamir Ali shared a picture of the cast and crew from the upcoming series 'The Good Wife' on Saturday. The director of the series Suparn Verma hosted a treat for the cast. Kajol will headline the series and it marks the debut series of the 90s actor.The frame shows the prominent faces from the series like Kajol, Jisshu Sengupta, Sheeba Chaddha, Kubbra Sait and many more. They were all smiles for the camera."Yeah we coming soon. Thx for an amazing evening mr director @suparnverma", wrote Aamir in the caption.'The Good Wife' is an Indian adaptation of the American courtroom drama 'The Good Wife' starring Julianna Margulies in the lead role and began airing in 2009. The show has seven seasons and it concluded in 2016.Kajol will be seen playing the role of a housewife who goes back to working as a lawyer after her husband's scandal lands him in jail. The series will stream on Disney+Hotstar.Taking to Instagram, Kajol shared a teaser where she can be seen wearing a black robe and walking into the courtroom. Then she asks, "Shuru Kare?". The 30-second announcement video reveals a lot about Kajol's character.She wrote, "Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhoka - a fight of #TheGoodWife #HotstarSpecials #TheGoodWife, coming soon. #TheGoodWifeOnHotstar #DisneyPlusDay #FirstLook."Meanwhile, Aamir Ali was seen in series like 'Black Widows' and 'Naxalbari'.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Prince Harry to skip King Charles IIIs coronation concert London, May 7: King Charles III's coronation ceremony was attended by 2,200 guests in total but one of the biggest highlights from the event was Prince Harry's reunion with the royal family. Even though the Prince looked joyful at the ceremony, he won't be attending the coronation concert scheduled for May 7. Prince Harry to skip King Charles III's coronation concert According to People Magazine, the Duke of Sussex, Harry left the UK shortly after his father's enthronement. Price looks to reunite with his wife Meghan Markle by the evening of May 7. Harry's son Prince Archie's 4th birthday was also celebrated on Saturday in a closed event among Meghan's mother and a few friends in California while Harry decided to attend the enthronement on the same day.Prince Harry dressed up in a morning suit with several medals looked happy as he arrived for the ceremony. Duke was not invited to the balcony appearance by the royals.Earlier a statement by the royals informed about Harry joining in for the ceremony and Meghan staying back in California. The Palace said, "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."As earlier reported by People Magazine, Duke sat between Princess Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Princess Alexandra in the third row.As reported by ABC News earlier, preparations for the coronation were overshadowed in recent months by Prince Harry's damning allegations about the King, Prince William and other royals in his recent memoir, a Netflix documentary and a series of TV interviews. The allegations majorly affected King Charles III but still, it was King's first wish to invite Harry for the enthronement.The couple relocated to Meghan's home state California after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Challenges and risks in US-China semiconductor industry New Delhi, May 7: In October 2022, the United States decided to implement comprehensive restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. The move was driven by concerns about China's aggressive pursuit of technological dominance, which was seen as posing a serious threat to American competitiveness and national security. Challenges and risks in US-China semiconductor industry These concerns were rooted in China's ambitious plans to become a global leader in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and high-performance computing, Geopolitica reported.To implement these restrictions, the US invoked the Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR), which allows the US to extend export controls to foreign products manufactured with American technology. The use of FDPR was significant because it allowed the US to control the sale of semiconductor equipment to China that is produced by foreign companies but includes American technology.This compelled foreign industry leaders to comply with the US restrictions, effectively cutting off China's access to vital segments of the semiconductor supply chain. The US recognized that imposing unilateral restrictions could have negative long-term effects but proceeded with the plan, Geopolitica reported.To offset this approach's potential risks and costs, the US sought support from its allies to limit China's advances in the semiconductor industry. This effort led to the successful persuasion of Japan and the Netherlands to restrict China's access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. As a result, these countries are preparing their own controls in accordance with the deal.However, the US unilateral approach has caused friction with its allies, particularly the Netherlands. The US may have overplayed its position in the semiconductor supply chain, potentially leading foreign companies to establish independent supply chains and replicate US technology.This could undermine the US position in the global semiconductor market and result in the loss of market share and revenue. It may also damage the US relationship with its allies and weaken the ability to cooperate on future strategic initiatives. Despite these potential consequences, the US proceeded with its unilateral approach due to concerns about China's increasing dominance in the semiconductor industry.In order to strengthen the restrictions it imposed on China's chip industry in October of last year, the US is said to be working in coordination with both Japan and the Netherlands. This collaboration is aimed at preventing China from finding ways to circumvent the export controls that have been put in place.While it is still unclear how China will respond to these export controls, the US is taking a proactive approach to ensure that its restrictions effectively limit China's access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Despite the efforts made by the US, loopholes in its export controls have made it possible for Chinese companies to soften the blow of the restrictions on some chip-dependent industries.Some Chinese firms have purchased chips through subsidiaries, and others have been able to access processing power provided by advanced Western chips through cloud providers and rental arrangements. This has enabled them to continue to develop their own semiconductor industry, albeit at a slower pace than they would have liked.The US is aware of these loopholes and is taking steps to address them. However, it is important to note that export controls can be difficult to enforce, particularly when dealing with a country as large and complex as China. It is possible that China will continue to find ways to circumvent the restrictions, which could further escalate tensions between the two countries.In the short term, it is likely that China will continue to search for ways to circumvent the restrictions placed on its chip industry by the US. This is because China views the development of its own semiconductor industry as a critical strategic priority, and will not want to be overly reliant on foreign technology.Therefore, it will seek to build up its domestic chip design and manufacturing capabilities as quickly as possible.However, China may also begin to target US chip firms in areas where foreign alternatives exist. This could involve retaliatory measures that could harm the US semiconductor industry and potentially impact the global supply chain.The US will need to remain vigilant to these potential threats and work closely with its allies to mitigate any negative impacts. Furthermore, as the US continues to tighten restrictions and close loopholes, there is a risk that China may retaliate in areas where it has significant leverage, such as rare earth mining and processing.Rare earth elements are essential components in many high-tech products, including semiconductors, and China is currently the world's largest producer of these elements. As such, any disruption to the global supply of rare earth elements could have serious implications for the semiconductor industry and other high-tech sectors.Therefore, it is important that the US considers the potential long-term impacts of its actions and works closely with its allies to achieve its goals without causing unnecessary harm. The US must balance its strategic objectives with the need to maintain strong economic ties with China, while also ensuring that it remains competitive in vital high-tech sectors.This will require a nuanced and carefully considered approach to managing the complex relationship between the two countries.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Andhra students to be evacuated from Manipur by special aircraft Amaravati, May 7: Andhra Pradesh students stranded in violence-hit Manipur will be brought back in a special aircraft. Andhra students to be evacuated from Manipur by special aircraft The state government said on Sunday that it has stepped up its efforts to bring the Telugu students stranded due to the riots in Manipur to their native places safely.Officials concerned are coordinating with the Central Government to this extent. So far around 100 AP students have been identified as studying in Manipur, said Chief Minister's Office (CMO).Steps are being taken by the government to bring them back in a special flight. In this regard, the Civil Aviation Department officials said that they will inform the Andhra Pradesh Government about the timings of special flights to be operated for shifting the students, it said.About 70 students are reported to be stranded at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Imphal. Their families have demanded the state government to send a special aircraft to safely evacuate them from violence-hit Manipur.Anxious over the safety of the students, their parents have requested Andhra Pradesh government to make arrangements on the lines of the Telangana government, which is sending a special aircraft to evacuate its citizens.The government of Andhra Pradesh has opened a helpline and control room at AP Bhavan, New Delhi to render any assistance to Andhra Pradesh students in Manipur.Helpline numbers are 011-23384016 and 011-23387089.Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has released a list of 100 students stranded in Manipur. While 23 students are studying at Central Agricultural University, Imphal, the remaining are students of NIT, Imphal.Resident Commissioner, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Aditya Nath Das has requested Manipur Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to arrange escort and security for the safe passage of 150 students from Andhra Pradesh. He wrote that contact has been established with the families of 100 students.The Resident Commissioner also sent a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, to arrange flights for safe passage of 150 students.IANS07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Comedy is a genre that requires lot of hard work: Kunal Kemmu opens on importance of laughter in films Mumbai, May 7: Kunal Kemmu, who has showcased his versatility in various comedy genres, such as satire, and black comedy, and has received appreciation for his performances in films, recently opened up about his experience and how laughter transports people to a different world through performances on the occasion of world laughter day. Comedy is a genre that requires lot of hard work: Kunal Kemmu opens on importance of laughter in films Emphasizing the importance of laughter in films, Kunal said, "As actors, we have the power to transport people to a different world through our performances. Comedy is a genre that requires a lot of hard work and skill, and it's not easy to make people laugh consistently. In a world that can often be stressful and overwhelming, laughter can be a much-needed escape. When I see people in the audience laughing and enjoying themselves during a comedy film, it makes all the hard work worth it."Every year, World Laughter Day is observed to raise awareness about the various benefits of laughter. The day will be held this year on Sunday, May 7, 2023.On January 11, 1998, the first World Laughter Day celebration was held in Mumbai, India, with 12,000 members of international laughter organisations in attendance. The event was held on January 9, 2000, in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was attended by 10,000 people. Laughter has been present for 10 million years, and it appears that its primary role is the formation of strong social relationships. There is a book that claims to be the one in which King Philip of Macedonia asked an Athenian social club to submit their best jokes to him, but it has not survived to the present day.Kunal recently entertained audience with his performances in 'Kanjoos Makhichoos' and 'Pop Kaun'.On receiving an overwhelming response, Kunal expressed his gratitude via an Instagram post."Thank you for all the love and warmth that you guys have sent my way.. #popkaun and #kanjoosmakkhichoos have successfully delivered happiness as plannedIt fills my heart with immense joy to see your lovely message and videos. The smile on my face and the love in my heart is thanks to you.. Big hug to all of you," he wrote.Kunal is also all set to come up with his directorial debut 'Madgaon Express', which is headlined by Pratik Gandhi, Avinash Tiwari, Nora Fatehi and Divyendu.He will also be seen in Gulkanda Talkies, which is produced by Raj-DK.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! Yogi instructs officials to assist UP students stranded in violence-hit Manipur Lucknow, May 7: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday instructed the officials to provide all possible assistance to the students of the state stranded in Manipur where tensions soared following violent incidents. Yogi instructs officials to assist UP students stranded in violence-hit Manipur Following the Chief Minister's instructions, UP Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad spoke to the Chief Secretary of Manipur and requested for all possible help, according to an official statement."CM Yogi gave instructions for help to the Home Department. Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad spoke to the Chief Secretary of Manipur and requested for all possible help. Office of the Relief Commissioner of UP has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating with the Government of Manipur," the statement said.Meawhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that a special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur."A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students," the CM said in a statement.Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday.Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met with the representatives of the 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' in the wake of the violence in the State, informed CM in a tweet.Political parties including Congress, NPF, NPP, CPI (M), Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena attended the meeting chaired by Biren Singh himself.Taking to Twitter CM N Biren Singh wrote "In light of the prevailing situation in Manipur, held a meeting with the representatives of 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' to highlight the crucial role of civil society organisations in bringing peace in the state at this hour."The meeting follows violence that erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces.Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor.The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said.The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders."IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! With nice people, you are nice, with difficult people, you push back: Jaishankar highlights Indias geopolitics Mysuru, May 7: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday highlighted India's response to global geopolitics at an interactive session on 'Foreign Policy of Modi Government' held in Mysuru. With nice people, you are nice, with difficult people, you push back: Jaishankar highlights India's geopolitics "I think there are moments when it is, as I said, with nice people, you are nice. With difficult people, sometimes it's necessary to push back. But I would say this because this has been my experience in the last year," said Jaishankar while taking questions on former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan playing his speeches, lauding India for its independent foreign policy.At a Lahore rally last year, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan praised India for its independent foreign policy and played out a video clip of EAM Jaishankar."India and Pakistan got independence at the same time, if New Delhi can take a firm stand and make their foreign policy as per the needs of its people then who are they (Shehbaz Sharif's govt) who are toeing the line," said Imran at the rally.Imran played his videos at his campaign rallies as an example of national pride. Moreover, in Sri Lanka, Jaishankar's videos of standing up to European hypocrisy have gone viral."It's sometimes you're made to sit and almost hold it saying, how can India do this? How do you take this position? At that stage you ask yourself saying, what do you do? Do you then be conciliatory or do you put your point of view across? And if somebody is being very self-centred, they're only looking at their interest, their point of view, not by rights. Tell them that there are other points of view and there are other interests, etc," said Jaishankar.Responding to his becoming the face of South Asian pride and whether the time has come for South Asian nations to assert themselves in global geopolitics, Jaishankar said, "A lot of countries in different ways today are feeling they are feeling pushed. They are feeling that they're not being heard. And to the extent they see others who are pushing back, I think, as I said, they may take solace from it. Sometimes they take courage from it. Many of them kind of say, okay, I can't do it, but I'm glad you are doing it. So there's a bit of that."He also took a pot-shot at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who had urged Jaishankar earlier to "cool a little bit" after the latter's remark about the West's "bad habit" of commenting on other countries."I have known him for a long time and consider him as a friend but on this issue, I think we need not be so thin-skinned, I think it's very important that as a government we take something in stride. If we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I will strongly urge my friend Jai to cool a little bit," said Tharoor.Responding to Tharoor's advice "not to have such a thin skin and must cool it," Jaishankar said, "I ask you a question because I think the Shashi Tharoor issue came out of that. Actually, I was in Bangalore that day. I landed in Delhi. Like, everybody immediately switched on their phone the moment the plane touches down. And I saw that picture of that guy climbing up the flagpole and pulling down a national flag. Honestly, tell me if you saw it, didn't your blood boil (UK Khalistan incident)? Do you want me to have a thick skin on that? I think there are issues if somebody sort of, I would say, insults your country or dishonours what you hold dear or attacks your core positions. Absolutely. I have thin skin. I think we should have thin skins."Jaishankar said that on certain matters, he has a thick skin and on certain matters has a thin skin."When people say you can say, like, personal stuff. I tend to have I'm trying to develop a thick skin, okay? It's part of my political incarnation. So I don't respond to some tweets, as you notice. But on certain matters, I don't think it's a thin skin issue," said Jaishankar.Answering to "technocrat vs politician debate," Jaishankar said that he made a "conscious decision to go into politics, there are people who can't believe I am in politics..", and praised his peers - Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Swaran Singh and Sushma Swaraj."Look, there's one thing you have to be to be a diplomat. That answers your question. You have to be an optimist. And therefore the one thing you should not be is a pessimist. You have to be an optimist because you are often in situations when things look very tough, very grim, it looks like there's no solution," he said.Sharing his journey from being a diplomat to a politician, Jaishankar said that his political colleagues do not take him seriously."If you people keep describing me as a technocrat, my political colleagues don't take me seriously. So, look, I happened to be a person who had a career in diplomacy and then made a conscious decision to go into politics," he said.ANI07 May 2023 Shared Recently! British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed his gratitude to Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly for participating in the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday. In a meeting between the two officials, Cleverly also praised the longstanding cooperative relationship between Egypt and Britain. "The bilateral relations between Egypt and the United Kingdom are longstanding relations that have lasted for many years, and Egypt is an important partner for us," Cleverly stated, according to a statement by the Egyptian cabinet. Madbouly congratulated Cleverly on King Charles III's coronation and praised the exceptional organization of the ceremony, which reflects the history and heritage of the country, the statement said. The two sides also discussed the Sudanese issue and emphasized the importance of enhancing international efforts to reach a fast solution to stop the conflict and ensure the safety of Sudanese citizens. Madbouly also explained Egypt's efforts to accommodate the Sudanese refugees who have sought shelter in Egypt. That number stood at 52,500 as of Friday, according to figures released by the UNHCR. Cleverly expressed his gratitude to Egypt for assisting the evacuation of British citizens from Sudan, according to the statement. Madbouly also addressed Egypt's developmental efforts, including the building of a "civilized" public transportation system consisting of monorail lines, subways, light rail trains and others. Cleverly praised British-Egyptian cooperation in many projects, including the monorail, stating, "this cooperation serves the future relations between our two countries and benefits both peoples." Earlier in March, the UK Ambassador to Egypt Gareth Bayley stated that British investments in Egypt had reached $21 billion. Later in March, the UK Department of Trade and Business reported that the total value of goods and services traded between the UK and Egypt in 2022 was 4.5 billion, which represents a 43 percent increase from 2021 or an additional 1.4 billion. Search Keywords: Short link: Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. While she hasnt had time to think about the interior decor, Tonunica Caraway knows it will incorporate her favorite color. Gold. There will be gold everywhere. I just love the color gold, she said. Indias gold imports, which have a bearing on the current account deficit, dipped 24.15 per cent to USD 35 billion in 2022-23 due to global economic uncertainties, according to data from the commerce ministry. Imports of the yellow metal stood at USD 46.2 billion in 2021-22. The growth rate in the imports was in the negative zone during August 2022 to February this year. It jumped to USD 3.3 billion in March 2023 as against USD 1 billion in the year-ago month, the data showed. Silver imports, however, rose 6.12 per cent to USD 5.29 billion during the last fiscal. The significant fall in gold imports though has not helped in narrowing the countrys trade deficit the difference between imports and exports. The merchandise trade deficit in 2022-23 was estimated at USD 267 billion against USD 191 billion in the year-ago period. According to industry experts, high import duty on gold and global economic uncertainties have led to the dip in imports of the precious metal. India imported about 600 tonne of gold during April-January 2023, and it is down because of high import duty. The government should take a view on the duty part to help the domestic industry and push exports," an expert said. India is the largest importer of gold, which mainly caters to the demand of the jewellery industry. In volume terms, the country imports 800-900 tonne of gold annually. Gems and jewellery exports declined by 3 per cent to about USD 38 billion during 2022-23. top videos Last year, the Centre hiked gold import duty to 15 per cent from 10.75 per cent to check the current account deficit (CAD). Read all the Latest Business News, Tax News and Stock Market Updates here The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Government Examinations (TNDGE) has announced the date for the release of the Tamil Nadu Board Higher Secondary Examination results. The announcement of the HSC results is scheduled for May 8, according to the official statement issued on the TNDGE website. The Minister of School Education for Tamil Nadu, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, will hold a press conference at the Anna Centenary Library Conference in order to release the HSE results. The results will go live at 9:30 AM on the boards official websites, including dge.tn.gov.in and tnresults.nic.in. Tamil Nadu 12th Result 2023 Latest Updates As soon as the Tamil Nadu Class 12 results are released, students can access them using their credentials which include the hall ticket number, date of birth, and other pertinent information. In addition to the official website, the National Informatics Centres (NIC) also provides free access to the Tamil Nadu board class 12th results. The TN Board will also provide the results to the candidates who took the exam via their registered mobile phones. The Class 12 or HSC board exams, which were held between March 13 and April 3, attracted almost 8.8 lakh students. Tamil Nadu HSC Results 2023: How to Check Step 1: Go to the official website of DGE Tamil Nadu - dge.tn.gov.in or tnresults.nic.in. Step 2: On the home page, click on the TN HSC/+2 result 2023 link Step 3: Once redirected to a new page, submit the necessary credentials such as roll number and date of birth and submit. Step 4: The TN HSC result 2023 will be displayed on the screen Step 5: Download the TN class 12 result mark sheet and take a printout for further records Tamil Nadu 12th Result 2023 LIVE Updates top videos A clash with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG 2023) test prompted the board to postpone the announcement of the Class 12 results from its original date of May 5 to May 8. According to reports, the state teachers associations requested the education minister for a postponement of the HSC public exam result 2023 since it might affect students performance on the NEET UG exam. Read all the Latest Education News here Prime Minister Narendra Modis last campaign rally for Karnataka elections 2023 will be a one-stone, three-birds affair in Nanjangud on Sunday. A) The rally is meant to add the ultimate heft to BJP candidate V Somannas campaign against Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah in Varuna. B) It is aimed at reaching out to voters in 15 constituencies across Mysore and Chamarajanagar. And C) it ties in perfectly with the BJPs counter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges snake remark at the PM. In his first, and most important, visit to Nanjangud, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the historical Sri Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple, also known as the Nanjundeshwara Temple. The visit, political observers say, is possibly meant to hint at the association of Lord Shiva amid the controversy over Kharges snake remark. After the Congress chief called the PM a poisonous snake during campaigning, the BJP thundered that PM Modi is Neelkanth, another name for Lord Shiva, which means one who can withstand the pain of poison. The ancient temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located in the pilgrimage town of Nanjanagudu in Mysore district. It stands on the banks of river Kapila, a tributary of the Kaveri. The word nanju means poison in Kannada, from where the town got the name Nanjangudu, which means the abode of god Nanjundeshwara". Legend says 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan, on the advice of his minister Sri Poornayya, sent his royal elephant to the temple when it went blind. It is said that after 48 days of rituals, the elephants vision was restored and Tipu Sultan offered an emerald green Shivalinga to the temple as a token of gratitude. On the penultimate day of his campaign in Badami, the Prime Minister said the overwhelming response" he received in his Bengaluru roadshow made him believe that it is the people who are contesting the elections on behalf of the BJP. This morning, I went to have a darshan of janata janardhan in Bengaluru. People gave me never-seen-before love and affection," he said at a public meeting in Bagalkote district. Taking a swipe at Siddaramaiah who was elected from Badami constituency in the 2018 Karnataka elections, the Prime Minister said: I have heard that Siddaramaiah is saying that whatever development has happened in the last 3.5 years was due to his governments efforts. His confessional statement is self-explanatory that if there is anyone who does the work then it is the double-engine government and does so without discrimination." top videos Voting for Karnataka elections 2023 will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday issued an advisory to all political parties reiterating its instructions regarding the requirement of pre-certification of political ads in print media and timelines for pre-certification of ads. The poll body said that no political party or candidate will publish any advertisement in the print media on poll day and one day prior to poll day unless the contents of political advertisement are pre-certified by them from the Media Certification and monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state/district level. A copy of the advisory along with ECI instructions were also endorsed to Editors of the local dailies in context of provision contained in Part (A) para (2) (xii) of Press Councils Norms of Journalistic Conduct. It says that an editor shall be responsible for all matters, including advertisements published in the newspaper. If responsibility is disclaimed, this shall be explicitly stated beforehand. The applicants have to apply to MCMC no later than two days prior to the proposed date of publication of advertisement on poll day and one day prior to poll day. The ECI issued instructions on March 31 regarding the requirement of pre-certification of political ads in print media and timelines for pre-certification of ads thereof. The Commission advisory to political parties noted that as there are still 24 hours for the pre-certification timeline to come into being, they reiterate that the spirit underlying its instruction of March 31 needs to be adhered to by the political parties. instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature published in print media have been brought to the notice of the Commission in the past. Such advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiate the entire election process. The affected candidates and parties will not have any opportunity of providing clarification/rebuttal in such cases, the poll body said. The advisory noted that based on the record before the ECI, including the response from the political party, the option of extending the pre-certification deadline to a larger period was considered. However, given the shortness of time regarding the remaining campaign period, the ECI has refrained from taking such a step. The 48-hour period before the voting is called the silence period and no advertisement can be done during this period. During the Tripura polls, held in February, the ECI even issued notices to parties for breaching the silence period on social media. The political parties and their candidates were reportedly putting up tweets asking voters to vote in their favor or vote out incumbents. MAINTAIN CLEAN AND SERIOUS CAMPAIGN DISCOURSE The ECI also reiterated that the instructions of a clean and serious campaign discourse should be understood and maintained by all stakeholders at all times during the campaign period, regardless of the timeline of pre-certification for advertisement in print media. In terms of advertisements and averments made during the campaign, attention of political parties was again drawn to Clause 4.4.2(B) (v) of Model Code of Conduct, which says that other parties or their workers will not be criticised based on unverified allegations or distortions. The Commission noted that in continuation and independently of the above, the ECI, given the shortness of the remaining campaigning period, ex-facie notes the concern that national parties and star campaigners are duty bound to adhere to the expected standards of campaign discourse. top videos On Saturday, the ECI issued a notice to KPCC President D. K. Shivakumar for publishing an advertisement titled corruption rate card in newspapers in Karnataka with unsubstantiated information with respect to alleged rates cited for appointments and transfers, kinds of jobs and commissions by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The Arab League agreed on Sunday to form a ministerial contact and follow-up committee that includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the Arab Leagues secretary-general to seek a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis. The Arab League's Secretary-General Ahmed Abul-Gheit said that Arab states have agreed on a gradual approach to resolving the Syrian crisis, noting that the newly-formed committee will follow up on the steps taken in that direction and liaise with the Syrian government and the international community in this regard. Abul-Gheit's remarks followed an emergency meeting at the Arab League of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the developments in Syria. During the meeting, the Arab League welcomed back Syria's government after suspending Syrias membership in November 2011 over the governments failure to end the bloodshed caused by crackdowns on protests in the country. The decision to accept Syria back into the Arab League means that Arab states will contact Damascus for the first time in years to discuss the pressing Syrian issue, Abul-Gheit stressed. He hailed the Arab League's decision as realistic as it understands that the settlement of this issue cannot be achieved any time soon and that solving this crisis will take time. The secretary-general added that the decision does not reflect a restoration of normal relations between Syria and the Arab states, since establishing relations remains the sovereign decision of individual countries. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed at the meeting that all the parties concerned with the situation in Syria must fulfil their obligations so that the Syrian people can realize their aspirations for a united, independent and stable Syria. Shoukry highlighted that there was no military solution to the Syrian crisis. "Egypt has warned of the consequences of attempting to solve the crisis in Syria through military means. However, these warnings have not been heeded, he stated. The Egyptian foreign minister stressed that the Syrian crisis can only be resolved through political means without any external intervention in the affairs of a sovereign Syria. "Our Syrian brothers and sisters have suffered year after year, and their suffering has worsened due to the failure to reach a political settlement to the crisis, the multiple external interventions in it, and the international community's preoccupation with other issues, Shoukry said. He added that this has resulted in complete stagnation that lasted for years. The Arab Leagues meeting comes a week after the foreign ministers of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq met in the Jordanian capital, Amman, to discuss Syrias long-running conflict. Last month, Egypt and eight Arab countries took part in a consultative meeting in Saudi Arabias Jeddah to discuss ending the Syrian crisis and Syria's return to the Arab League. We look forward to taking practical steps to implement the outcomes of the Amman meeting and to receive international support for them, Shoukry said. Search Keywords: Short link: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a frontal attack on the Gandhi family in his last poll speech in Karnataka, terming them as a royal family that works against the interests of the country. ALSO READ | Karnataka Elections 2023 LIVE Here This comes after the Congress, in a tweet from its official handle on Saturday, said that Sonia Gandhi in a speech had sent a strong message that the Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnatakas reputation, sovereignty or integrity." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked as being a secessionist statement. The PMs attack on the Gandhi family comes as he wrapped up his Karnataka campaign. Yesterday, they (Gandhis) said they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka. It means they are openly advocating to part Karnataka from India, the PM said. The royal family of the Congress works against the interest of the country. They secretly meet the diplomats of countries which are against India, the PM said, apparently referring to the meetings Rahul Gandhi has had with Chinese diplomats in the past. Modi said the Congresss royal family" also encourages international forces to interfere in the countrys affairs. When the Congress comes, the spirits of terrorists and criminals get highDuring the Congress rule, terrorists and criminals are convinced that the Congresss hand is with them, the PM said, in his last campaign rally in Karnataka, pointing to the ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) brought by the BJP government. We have seen time and again that for the sake of appeasement, the Congress openly comes down in support of terrorists, the PM said. The BJP has been attacking the Congress in the Karnataka elections for protecting the PFI and withdrawing cases against the PFI in the past. top videos The PM has also accused the Congress of having a back-room deal with the SDPI, the political arm of the PFI, in the Karnataka elections. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Sankat Te Hanuman Chudave, Mann Karm Vachan Dhyan Jo Lave (Lord Hanuman will save you from crisis if you pray to him with all your devotion) goes a line from the Hanuman Chalisa that devotees chant for the Hindu God. This line seems to be ringing aloud in the Karnataka poll arena too with the BJP banking on Lord Hanuman, besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help them win the state. Life-size portraits of Lord Hanuman and some supporters dressed as the God featured in Modis massive road show in Bengaluru on Saturday, making it clear that the theme of the all-important last week of the election campaign has become all about the mighty Bajrang Bali. The Congress is complaining that the BJP has twisted the narrative to take it to Bajrang Bali rather than the Hindu-wing outfit Bajrang Dal on which the Congress inexplicably proposed a ban in its manifesto that was released last Tuesday. But the BJP says it has all the reason to invoke Lord Hanuman, with the PM chanting Jai Bajrang Bali slogan at every rally since then, especially as Lord Hanuman was born in Karnataka in the Anjanadri Hills. In Karnataka, Lord Hanuman is referred to as Lord Anjaneya and is widely revered. In fact, a senior BJP leader pointed out to News18 that the Congress chose to make the Bajrang Dal ban promise in a manifesto released on May 2, which was a Tuesday, the holy day of the week dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Lord Hanuman is said to have been born in the Anjanadri hills in Koppal district in Karnataka and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the past has referred to the place as Kishkinda as mentioned in the Ramayana. In the epic, Kishkinda was the kingdom of the vanars (monkey kingdom) where Lord Ram had first met Hanuman who helped him make the journey to Lanka where Mata Sita was held. The saffron mascot of the BJP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has explained the connection between Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka during his rallies in the poll-bound state, saying Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and Hanuman in Karnataka. In his Karnataka rallies on Saturday, Yogi Adityanath said Bajrang Dal was dedicated to national and social service and devoted to Lord Hanuman. Proposing a ban on Bajrang Dal amounts to disrespecting the Hindu faith and no nationalist will tolerate this, he has asserted. The BJP sees this is an opportunity to realign Hindu voters who may have voted for the Congress till a week back on caste lines. The Bommai government has, in fact, been working on developing the Anjandhari Hills as a major destination and had made a Rs 100 crore provision for this in the state budget last year. Congress state leaders such as DK Shivakumar have been quick to anticipate damage due to the Bajrang Dal issue and has promised to construct Hanuman temples across the state after coming to power. In the Ramayana, Lord Hanuman had shown his prowess by flying from Lanka to the Himalayas to fetch the sanjeevani booti (life-saving herb) that saved the life of Lord Lakshman who had been left camatose after a serious injury in the war. It seems the Bajrang Bali issue has similarly enthused fresh life and enthusiasm at the right time in the BJP campaign in the state after the Congress drive had peaked by the last week of April. top videos Another line from the Hanuman Chalisa goes: Sankat Kate Mite Sab Peeda, Jo Sumire Hanumat Balbeera (Lord Hanuman will take away all your troubles). BJP would certainly be hoping for the same. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Many were taken by surprise when during an election campaign, in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge gave out a chant related to Bajrang Bali, but with a twist. He said, Jai Bajrang Bali, break corruption ki nali. Ever since the ban on Bajrang Dal was incorporated in the Congress manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accusing the Congress of being anti-Hindu. Speaking exclusively to News18, Kharge said he had built 80 Hanuman temples in his constituency Kalburgi, because people wanted it. He also said that religion and politics must be kept separate, but the BJP does not believe in it. ALSO READ | Karnataka Polls: Old Pension Scheme, Ban On Bajrang Dal, Vow to Remove BJPs Unjust Laws In Congress Manifesto | Top Promises He also criticised the PM for doing road shows in Bengaluru, while Manipur was burning. Not wanting to engage on who may be the CM if the Congress wins, Kharge virtually ruled himself, saying he was no dark horse. Edited excerpts: Bajrang Bali has entered the poll fray. Do you think this issue has put the Congress on the back foot? They purposely do it during election time. In Goa, they banned the Sri Ram Sena and no one said anything, not even the PM. In this election, because they fear they are losing, they are raising this issue. A majority of people are Hindu here, and everyone worships different gods and deities. Why should politics be merged with religion? The two must be separate. But these people want to mix it and polarise the state. #KarnatakaElections2023 | 'Jai Bajrangbali, tod de bhrashtachaar ki nali' Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge speaks on the controversy over the Lord Hanuman remark @_pallavighosh shares more details of the #Exclusive conversation with #Congress leader | @GrihaAtul pic.twitter.com/S89nPwLZj2 News18 (@CNNnews18) May 7, 2023 But when your state chief DK Shivakumar says he will build Hanuman temples if the Congress comes to power, it seems you are on the backfoot I dont know what DK said as I was in Hubballi. But to give an example, in my constituency, I wanted to build roads, etc. But many people came up to me and said they wanted help to renovate or build temples. So I said okay, as I had to respect their faith. You will be surprised to know that in my constituency alone, I renovated and built 80 Hanuman temples. The best part is anyone who belongs to any caste can go there. What about the ban on Bajrang Dal? Your leaders have said it is not possible for state governments to do such a thing Again, I dont want to comment on what others in my party have said. We will see what can be done if we come to power. ALSO READ | From Pashu Bhagya to Pilgrimage, Mutts, Temples: Congresss Soft Hindutva Push for Karnataka The BJP says it is ironical that the Congress talks about 40% commission sarkara when many top leaders of the Congress are out on bail? Tell me one thing. Is a first information report (FIR) on defamation the same as the FIR on murder? We are not the only ones talking about corruption. There are written complaints, some of them were even sent to the PM, president and governor. People are asking this question. We are here to answer this. There are people who are in jail. Is the Congress unnerved by the PM as trump card and his road shows? It is the PMs desire to do road shows, to go from lane to lane. No PM has ever done this. He is doing this because he is afraid. He must not forget that his duty is to people. Manipur is burning, but both the PM and HM dont care. He wants power, not development or peaceful atmosphere, for his people. ALSO READ | Congress Veerappa Moily Says There Is No Proposal To Ban Bajrang Dal Who will be the CM in case your party wins? Will you be the dark horse? top videos I am no dark horse. In our party, the MLAs decide. Anyone can become the CM. There have been talks about me becoming the CM many times. But I have done what I had to. Now I want my party to win here. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Ahead of the by-poll to the Jharsuguda assembly segment on May 10, high-voltage campaigns were held on Sunday with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan rallying for BJP candidate Tankadhar Tripathi, while Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged voters to support BJD candidate Deepali Das, the daughter of late Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das. Campaigning at Kolabira Block, Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the Odisha government over the killing of Cabinet minister Naba Das by Assistant Sub-inspector of Police (ASI) Gopal Das in Jharsugada earlier this year. I have sympathy for Dipali Das who lost her father. Odisha government needs to answer why he killed Naba Das," he said. Odishas Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das died after being shot by the personnel in January. While no explanation was given in the FIR for the attack by Gopal Das, psychiatrists treating the police officer for nearly a decade said he was suffering from bipolar disorder, a mental disease which causes extreme, at times maniac mood swings. Continuing his attack, Pradhan also attacked the ruling BJD government over lawlessness" in the state in the context of the killing of 15-year-old boy Samarth Agarwal, also in Jharsuguda district. Lawlessness has developed," Pradhan said. The Union Minister was referring to the alleged kidnap and murder of Samarth Agrawal, a Class 10 student of Jharsuguda district, for a ransom of Rs 50 lakh in March. The half-burnt body of the victim was later recovered from Bargarh district. Claiming to know Naveen Babu closely," Pradhan said, even cabinet ministers and MLAs cannot meet him." There are reports that the Chief Secretary has also been unable to meet him since his appointment," he added. In the evening, the Union Minister held a roadshow in Jharsuguda city to appeal for votes for BJP candidate Tankadhar Tripathy. BJP State President Manmohan Samal and Sunadragrd MP Juel Oram were also present. CM Patnaik Slams BJP, Stresses on Decency in Elections Meanwhile, Chief Minister Patnaik campaigned in the Amilipalli area in Jharsuguda and urged voters to support BJD candidate Deepali Das. Speaking at the rally, he dismissed the opposition and reminded the audience of the importance of decency in elections. The Chief Minister also expressed shock at the oppositions behaviour towards Deepali, who recently lost her father, and compared it to the mistreatment of the BJD candidate in the Padmapur by-election. In the Padmapur by-election, the Opposition abused the BJD candidate. Today in Jharsuguda, the situation is the same towards Deepali. I am shocked by this behaviour towards a girl who has lost her father. I am saddened by the behaviour of the opposition," said Patnaik. The Chief Minister said that Deepali has a background in higher education and social service. If you give Deepali a chance to serve, she will do it," he said. top videos The Jharsuguda by-election is scheduled for 10 May and Monday is the final day of the election campaign. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Congress leader Sonia Gandhis choice to use the word sovereignty with respect to Karnataka did not go down well with the ruling BJP, which has once again found fresh ammo to attack the grand old party and its campaign ahead of the May 10 assembly elections. The former party president attracted sharp criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other BJP leaders as well as netizens, who heavily objected to a sentence from the speech at her first rally in the state on Saturday, where she said the Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnatakas reputation, sovereignty or integrity". CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas: The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnatakas reputation, sovereignty or integrity." tweeted the Congress from its official handle. A day after Sonias comments went viral, Prime Minister Modi tore into them and accused the Congress of openly advocating the separation of Karnataka from India. Referring to the comments, the prime minister said the disease of the tukde-tukde gang (anti-national elements) has reached the top level of the Congress". A report published by Siasat quoted PM Modi as saying: When it comes to working against Indias interests, Congress royal family will be at the forefront. I want to speak about a serious issue here, I want to say it as there is a lot of pain in my heart. This country can never forgive such a game. This family, to influence the politics in the country, is encouraging foreign forces to interfere." The PM was addressing a public meeting in Mysuru district, where he even accused the Congress of secretly meeting foreign diplomats who hate India, repeatedly indulging in activities that insult Indias sovereignty". Later, BJPs national IT cell head Amit Malviya retweeted a video of Modis reaction to the Congress leaders comments. Sonia Gandhi spoke about Karnatakas sovereignty A sovereign by definition is an independent nation. Does Congress think of Karnataka as independent from India? This is an insult to freedom fighters from Karnataka, who fought for Indias independence. It is an insult to millions of patriotic Kannadigas, who swear by India and cherish their Indianness. Congresss top leadership is afflicted with mentality. Shame on them. Karnataka will punish them. #NannaVoteModige" Sonia Gandhi spoke about Karnatakas sovereigntyA sovereign by definition is an independent nation. Does Congress think of Karnataka as independent from India? This is an insult to freedom fighters from Karnataka, who fought for Indias independence. It is an insult to pic.twitter.com/ydPtAyI9mr Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 7, 2023 Sonia also got a strong reaction from Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who asked the Congress to stop making a mockery" of itself. Retweeting Sonias pictures posted by the Congress handle, he said: Congress party, which was in cohort with banned PFI, extends an olive branch to parties such as SDPI for electoral gains, has fielded a candidate who central agencies raided for links to funding extremists is speaking of Sovereignty. Kindly stop making a mockery of yourselves!" Annamalai accused the Congress of fielding a candidate raided by the central agencies for alleged links to funding extremists" and said the party was in cahoots with organisations like the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Congress party, which was in cohort with banned PFI, extends an olive branch to parties such as SDPI for electoral gains, has fielded a candidate who central agencies raided for links to funding extremists is speaking of Sovereignty.Kindly stop making a mockery of yourselves! https://t.co/hnslogngVs K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) May 7, 2023 Netizens also chimed in with respect to Sonias comments with many saying the Congress was trying to divide the country with its anti-India" narrative. One Twitter user said using words such as sovereign and sovereignty loosely" was a dangerous trend", while another said the Congress always drove a divisive" rhetoric that seed hate and discord in society". Continuing from where her son @rahulgandhi left recently at Cambridge, Sonia Gandhi has used the word sovereignty in the context of Karanataka - which is one amongst 28 states and 8 UTs of the Union of India.This dangerous trend to use Sovereign & Sovereignty word so loosely is https://t.co/FLkfmDGa3M Alok Bhatt (@alok_bhatt) May 7, 2023 CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas:"The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity." pic.twitter.com/W6HjKYWjLa Congress (@INCIndia) May 6, 2023 Karnataka "Sovereignty"??When did state of Karnataka break into new Country. Was #BharatTodoYatra all about this "Breaking Bharat Mata into pieces? Respected @SushantBSinha Ji we need one "Pathshala" on this pls. And Spokesperson BJP @gauravbh @SudhanshuTrived https://t.co/xrvZAINM1F (@VairagiSpeaks) May 7, 2023 There is absolutely nothing that the Congress does which is not divisive or does not seed hate and discord in society. Is Karnataka now a sovereign for Congress? Is India sovereign or a state within its territory also a sovereign? Congress now seeking to divide India again? https://t.co/ym0THrgdfG Akhilesh Mishra (@amishra77) May 7, 2023 At the rally in Hubbali, Sonia launched a scathing attack on the BJP and said Karnataka as well as the rest of the country could not make progress without getting rid of the ruling partys loot, lies, ego and hatred". She also said the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by her son Rahul Gandhi a few months ago was against those spreading hatred. This was the reason that lakhs of people joined Rahul Gandhis 4,000-km march". Neither Karnataka nor India can make progress without getting rid of the atmosphere of BJPs loot, lies, ego and hatred," Gandhi said. It is everyones responsibility to strengthen our voice against this (BJP) governments dark rule." She was flanked on the stage by Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently quit the BJP over the denial of ticket and joined the party. The party has fielded Shettar, a six-time MLA, from Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency, from where he had won the previous assembly polls in 2018. Gandhi said people have seen how rattled the BJP was in this election due to which it has resorted to all kinds of repression". Dont you feel that dacoity has become the business of those in power? You had not given them power in 2018 but they robbed the government and captured it. Then, their 40 per cent commission government got busy in looting," she alleged. Accusing BJP leaders of being egoistic", she said they neither answer any questions nor any letter addressed to them. top videos (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest News here The total curfew that prohibited the movement of any person outside their homes will be relaxed for three hours in violence-hit Manipurs Churachandpur district on Sunday morning to allow the people to buy essential items such as medicines and food, as per reports. The curfew imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be relaxed from 7 am to 10 am, it said. It was also relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, Im pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below (sic)," Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted on Saturday night, sharing a copy of the notification. Read latest updates on the story The curfew was imposed on May 3 after violent clashes broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54. The clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. Lets take a deeper dive into what the issue in Manipur is: From the beginning of this year, unrest resurfaced in Manipur for multiple reasons. On May 3, unprecedented violent clashes, attacks and arson broke out at various places during a Tribal Solidarity March called by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category, according to an IANS report. Acting on a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Trade Union, the Manipur High Court acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran on April 19 had directed the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of Meitei (Meetei) community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry. The High Court order said: The issue of inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Constitution is pending for nearly ten years and above. No satisfactory explanation is forthcoming from the side of the respondent State for not submitting the recommendation for the last 10 years. Therefore, it would be appropriate to direct the respondent state to submit its recommendation to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs within a reasonable time." The High Court order snowballed into a major controversy with thousands of tribals turning up for the Tribal Solidarity March in 10 hill districts on May 3 called by a student body. Earlier a civil writ petition filed by eight members of the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union led by union secretary Mutum Churamani Meetei had sought the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent (Manipur government) to submit a recommendation in reply to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministrys letter dated May 29, 2013. According to the Meitei and other agitators, the influx of outsiders from both inside and outside the country, including people from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh, has significantly affected the identity, culture, economy, administration and the environment of Manipur. The Meitei community is demanding inclusion in the list of ST. Those demanding ST status claimed that there is a need to protect the valley inhabited by the Meitei community while tribals living in Manipurs hill area have already been protected as Scheduled Tribe category status. The BJP led government in Manipur has claimed that the process is on to include Meiteis in the ST list. The Central government, on December 11, 2019 at the height of the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), introduced the ILP (Inner Line Permit) system to strictly monitor the movement of outsiders in the state and to protect the interests of the indigenous people. The ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, is an official travel document that allows an Indian citizen to visit the states where ILP is enforced for a limited period of time and with a specific purpose. Manipur has witnessed a series of agitations for the past several months with many women, students and youth bodies and civil society organisations agitating against the state governments alleged delaying tactics" in introducing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, and in the functioning of the Manipur State Population Commission (MSPC). Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had said that his government is ready to implement the NRC in the state but to do that, approval from the Central government is required. He said that the state government has already constituted the MSPC and it would identify the immigrants in the state based on the cut-off year of 1961. People of Myanmar seeking asylum in Manipur is a different issue. At any cost, we would protect the demography as well as the tradition and culture of the indigenous people of the state," Singh said. Meanwhile, the Manipur government earlier decided to identify those Myanmarese refugees who have sought asylum in the northeastern state, and keep them at the designated detention centres. So far, around 5,000 immigrants, including women and children, have fled from conflict-hit Myanmar after the military took power in the neighbouring country in February 2021. An official said that the Manipur government has recently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip after thousands of Myanmarese crossed over to the state due to the armed conflict near the Indian border areas between the Myanmar Army and the Peoples Defence Force. The hills account for 90 per cent of the states area and 10 per cent population while the valley occupies 10 per cent land. In the valley, there are Hindu, non-tribal Meitei communities while the hills are inhabited largely by the Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities. In another development, the North East Students Organisation (NESO), an apex body of eight major students organisations of seven northeastern states, condemned the Manipur governments action evicting the indigenous settlers belonging to the Zo community and the violent incidents that followed. The tribals were evicted on the pretext that they are settling on reserve forest whereas the fact is that these indigenous settlers have been residing in these areas for ages." The government of Manipur has to take into account that these are the indigenous communities of northeast and have inhabited these lands from their forefathers and they are not illegal immigrants from Nepal or Bangladesh," NESO chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and General Secretary Mutsikhoyo Yhobo said in a joint statement. Can Violence Spill Over to Other Regions? Two Mizoram districts Aizawl and Saitual share around a 95 km border with Manipur, which has also 204 km and 225 km inter-state borders with Assam and Nagaland respectively. Many tribal and non-tribal communities specially the Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Mizo, Chakma are living in different northeastern states presenting a complex linguistic mosaic with over 200 dialects. The northeastern region is home to 45.58 million people (2011 Census). The indigenous tribals constitute around 28 per cent of the population and they mostly speak in their mother tongue or their indigenous language. The tribals and non-tribals belong to Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities with different lifestyles, cultures, traditions and languages. Any kind of negative incident involving one or two communities in a particular state often has a counter-effect in other states of the region causing ethnic trouble. Besides the insurgency, Naga-Kuki, Meitei versus other tribals, Chakma versus other tribals, and numerous other ethnic conflicts have claimed thousands of lives and damaged huge property during the past many decades in the northeastern region. top videos IANS, PTI contributed to this report Read all the Latest Explainers here The Manipur government had earlier issued a shoot at sight" orders as violence in the state had spread to capital Imphal. Meanwhile, life started limping back to normalcy under the watchful eyes of army drones and helicopters deployed for aerial reconnaissance as curfew was relaxed on Sunday in parts of Manipur which witnessed bloody ethnic rioting over the last few days. People were seen coming out in large numbers to buy food, medicines and other essential commodities during the curfew relaxation period from 7 am to 10 am in riot-affected Churachandpur town. Army and Assam Rifles columns conducted a flag march through the town as soon as the curfew relaxation ended at 10 am. In all some 120-125 Army columns have been deployed in the entire riot-hit state, PTI reported. Amid the developments, lets understand what a shoot-at-sight order is: When is a Shoot and Sight Order Issued? In India, shoot-at-sight orders are a contentious and uncommon type of law enforcement. Authorities issue them when they believe there is an imminent threat to public order or security and that the use of lethal force is required to prevent it, as per reports. The directives allow police or other security forces to shoot anyone who defies the orders without warning or even attempting to apprehend them. Orders toshoot at sight are typically granted for a short time and in specific places where there is a significant potential of violence. What is the Legal Basis of Such an Order? According to a report by Indian Express, under Sections 41-60 and 149-152 of the CrPC, 1973, a shoot-at-sight" or shooting order may be issued in accordance with the legislative authorities relating to the arrest or prevention of offences or the disbandment of unlawful assemblies. More precisely, Section 46 (2) of the CrPC authorises the use of force during an arrest. The law states that if a person forcefully resists the attempt to arrest him or attempts to evade the arrest, such police officer or other person may use all means necessary to effect the arrest." Section 46(3), however, limits this executive power by stating that the provision does not grant the ability to cause the death of a person who is not accused of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life," the report says. Furthermore, Section 3(a) of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act of 1958, as amended by the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Amendment Act of 1972, gives the armed forces the authority to use force in disturbed areas." A notification in the Official Gazette declaring an area disturbed" may be issued by the Governor of the State, the Administrator of that Union Territory, or the Central Government, as the case may be." Furthermore, sections of the Indian Penal Code of 1860 address this issue. According to Section 81 of the IPC, nothing is an offence merely by reason of its being done with the knowledge that it is likely to cause harm, if it is done without any criminal intention to cause harm, and in good faith for the purpose of preventing or avoiding other harm to person or property." Furthermore, Section 76 exempts such acts if performed by a person who is, or who believes himself to be, bound by law to do it due to a mistake of fact and not due to a mistake of law in good faith," as per the Indian Express report. The illustration to Section 76 IPC goes so far as to imply that if a soldier fires on a mob by order of his superior officer, in accordance with the commands of the law," he has committed no crime. More notably, Section 144 of the CrPC authorises the employment of broad powers in dealing with urgent cases of apprehended danger" or nuisance by issuing orders. Section 144(3) of the Act authorises curfew orders to be issued in the case of a specific individual," persons residing in a particular place or area," or the general public when frequenting or visiting a particular place or area." The executive frequently issues shoot-at-sight orders" using the authority granted to it by Section 144. top videos With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest Explainers here A blast at Amritsars Heritage Street near Golden Temple on Saturday night injured at least one person, officials said, adding the situation was under control. The blast was reported near a restaurant. Officers further said that forensic teams reached the spot to determine the cause of the blast. Investigation is on to establish the facts of the incident and there is no need to panic. Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, advise all to fact-check before sharing," Punjab Police said in a statement. A news related to blasts in #Amritsar is going viral on social media, the situation is under controlInvestigation is on to establish the facts of the incident and there is no need to panic Urge citizens to maintain peace & harmony, advise all to fact check before sharing Commissioner of Police Amritsar (@cpamritsar) May 7, 2023 top videos Quoting police sources, Indian Express reported that the explosion may have happened in the chimney of the restaurant. More details are awaited. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Beware of fraudsters while giving your thumb imprints for online or offline purchases. Your thumb impressions can be stolen by the cybercriminals on prowl to siphon off money through Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS) by cloning fingerprints. Uttar Pradesh Police, in coordination with the cyber cell department, has busted an inter-state cybercriminal gang from Bhadohi district and recovered 194 thumb clones from their possession. The case Being called as one of the most sensational cases of cybercrime, the investigating officers said they never thought that it was just a tip of the iceberg. One case was registered by Mishrilal Kumar, a resident of Hridaypatti village of Bhadohi district, while another was filed by Bindu Singh, a resident of Keertipur village of Bhadohi, said Rajesh Bharti, additional superintendent of police. Bharti said further investigation revealed that in both the cases, fake thumbprints were allegedly used to withdraw money. 194 Thumb Impressions Recovered The two men Rishi Raj Singh from Saraon in Prayagraj and Rohit Kumar from Mau were arrested on May 2 for being alleged members of an inter-state gang of cybercriminals. The police recovered a total of 194 thumb impressions from them, tagged with Aadhaar number and bank account number and name. Machines and equipment used for making fingerprint clone-poly stamper machine, printer machine, laptop, two biometric machines with OTG (on the go) adapter, five MOPS (multi option payment system), 5 ATM cards, three mobiles, a polymer and image darkener have also been recovered from their possession. Copy Thumb Impressions on Butter Paper Bharti said the duo have been found cloning thumb impressions from sale deeds available on various websites and siphoning money from bank accounts linked with Aadhaar numbers through point of sale (PoS) machines. It was also found that the fraudsters were found withdrawing money by forging biometric thumb impressions and abusing the Aadhaar-enabled payment system. They copy thumb impressions on butter paper from various websites to create duplicate silicon thumbs, said Bharti. Learnt Thumb Cloning on YouTube What came out to be a real shocker for the Bhadohi Police was the fact that the duo learnt thumb cloning from the videos available on YouTube. The police said there are thousands of channels that run step-by-step tutorials to clone fingerprints. They also urged the government to ban YouTube channels that are promoting such content. Over 6,000 Cases of Cybercrime Reported in UP The UP Police breakthrough, however, has raised a serious concern over the safety of personal data available on government websites. According to the records with the UP Police, more than 6,000 cases of cyber frauds have been registered so far in UP. Though there is no proper segregation but as per the rough estimate, officials said more than 150 cases were related to AEPS. Cases of AEPS are on the rise. It has been observed that people, especially in the rural pockets, fell soft targets to these cyber thug gangs, who make clones of the thumb impressions of the target to make withdrawals from their accounts, using Aadhaar-enabled payment system. There are more than 100 such cases that have been reported from Uttar Pradesh. We often carry out random checks of the Jan Suvidha Kendra; and create awareness programmes in the rural pockets in order to create awareness among the people, said Dr Triveni Singh, SP Cyber Crime. What are Experts Saying? When cases of financial frauds are on the rise, experts chime in on how to keep personal data safe. According to the Rakshit Tandon, a cybersecurity expert, people should switch off the option of biometrics from their account by logging on to the official UIDAI website, making it safe from the cyber frauds. Tandon further said people should remain vigilant, especially during late night as such frauds generally get active at night. People should make sure that they immediately inform the police if they came across any such unauthorised withdrawals in order to minimise the reaction time. MHA Writes States to Check Frauds The home ministry too had written to states and Union territories (UTs) recently flagging concerns about the misuse of the AePS by cybercriminals to commit financial fraud. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) the MHAs nodal agency to tackle matters related to cybercrime had stated that cybercriminals are cloning the biometric data of Aadhaar users uploaded on states registry websites that host sale deeds and agreements. This data is cloned with the intention of carrying out unauthorised withdrawals through AePS. The agency had asked the state and UT governments to direct their revenue and registration departments to mask the fingerprints on documents while uploading them on the registry websites. top videos In the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the safety of the personal data, which kicked off after the Bhadohi Police busted an inter-state gang of cyber criminals, the UP Police say more arrests in the case may further help them in investigation and could lead to the gangs of similar nature active in other states. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The Supreme Court will resume hearing on legalising same sex marriage on May 9. In 2018, the court had decriminalised consensual adult gay sex. While arguing for the case on the first day of hearing, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy said marriage is not only about dignity, but the bouquet of rights that a couple is provided. The SC had asked the Centre on April 27 to come back with a reply on the social benefits that can be given to the same sex couple even without legal recognition of their marital status. As the case proceeds, News18 asked Sandy, an LGBTQI+ activist who founded Mobbera Foundation in Hyderabad with his partner Anil, about his expectations from the hearing. It has been years that my partner has been estranged from his family due to his sexual orientation. Moreover, it was a struggle to pay for the bills as he cannot be covered under the insurance plan provided by my company. The plan covers a spouse from the opposite sex only, said Sandy. Health insurance will be one of the many civil rights, which will be granted if same sex marriage is legally recognised. Yes, no one can arrest us for cohabitation anymore, but we are denied the rights which are given to heterosexual couples. This will also provide us protection against the government and the police. Its shocking that though the conversion therapy has been banned, its being practised right here in Hyderabad, Sandy explained. He further said marriage provides right to property and adoption. Like the heterosexual couples, we too have partnerships where one person is earning and the other is a dependent. If the earning partner dies, the dependent is left in dire straits, he said. Kathak artiste, curator and LGBTQIA+ activist Vaibhav Kumar Modi said elaborated on the benefit of legalising same-sex marriages under the Special Marriage Act: We, as a society, need to get rid of the idea that we can dictate how others choose to live. The benefit of this change will be two-fold: we will focus more on self and people will end up living more authentic lives. Marriages are institutions and not mere instruments for procreation. Or at least shouldnt be thought of so in a country with the largest population in the world. Not giving the LGBTQIA+ community the right to marry is a gross invalidation of their entire existence. If the society feels that the members of the LGBTQIA community are lesser than other citizens, then why expect equal taxes and votes from them? Is this what Sabka Vikas (inclusive development) means? If marriage is an individuals choice protected by law, then why is everyone so scared of LGBTQIA+ marriages? I have faith in the judiciary, Modi said. A drag artiste and founder of Dragvanti, Patruni Sastry, points out why queer marriages have always been part of the Indian context. The government is trying to stop same-sex marriages by trying to define men and women. The story of Krishna marrying Aravan to become his widow is a testament that queer marriages were done not for procreation but for companionship Its high time we got rid of binaries like father and mother. The CJI had already asked all government institutions to be queer sensitised, Patruni said. Another perspective shared by a 35-year-old gay LGBT activist from Nellore, Sathya, who thinks legalisation of same-sex marriage will bring down crime against the community. Legalisation of marriage protects couples when it comes to healthcare, property and children. If done, discrimination and stigma around homosexual persons will become low. This will also bring down incidents of abuse against the LGBTQ community. Regional language and English media should frequently publish stories around the community. Same sex couples have approached the Supreme Court for recognising their marriages under the Special Marriage Act. top videos A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has been hearing the pleas in the matter. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The Arab foreign ministers have agreed to form a liaison committee to achieve a ceasefire in Sudan and ensure humanitarian corridors to secure the civilians needs. The committee also aims to protect state institutions in Sudan from the threat of collapse they face, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said in a press conference on Sunday after an emergency meeting of the Arab League. The decision to form the liaison committee on Sudan reflects the necessity for Arabs to move immediately and effectively, Shoukry said, affirming the need to return to dialogue in Sudan. It is necessary to return to political dialogue in Sudan as it faces existential threats, he said. The top Egyptian diplomat also stressed putting Sudan's interest and security before narrow considerations. Shoukry stressed that the ongoing clashes in Sudan affect its neighbours -- particularly Egypt -- and other nations in the region with whom Sudan has a complex relationship. He highlighted the Egyptian efforts to receive several Sudanese fleeing the clashes that erupted in mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Egypt evacuated around 4,000 nationals from Sudan, the top Egyptian diplomat added. The Arab foreign ministers held a meeting today, chaired by Egypt, at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo to discuss the Syrian crisis and the Palestinian cause. The league welcomed the return of Syria after suspending its membership for more than a decade and agreed to form a ministerial contact committee to seek a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis. The ministers also held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the challenges facing the Palestinian cause and the means of confronting the Israeli infringement on the rights of the Palestinian people. They also discussed means to revive the political process and resume negotiations to achieve fair and comprehensive peace and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Search Keywords: Short link: Jammu and Kashmir Police averted a major tragedy by apprehending a terror associate and recovering an IED from his possession in Pulwama. The terror associate has been identified as Ishfaq Ahmed Wani, a resident of Arigam Pulwama. The IED was approximately 5-6 kilograms. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway. Five army personnel were killed and a major-rank officer was injured during a combing operation Operation Trinetra in the Kandi area in Rajouri on Friday. In another incident on April 20, five soldiers were killed and another was injured when an army truck carrying fruits and vegetables for Iftar was bombed and strafed with bullets by terrorists. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited Rajouri and reviewed the security situation along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir. The ministers visit also assumes significance as terrorists have killed 35 people, including 26 soldiers, in eight attacks in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch since October 2021. The two districts were declared terrorism-free more than a decade ago. Visited the Army Base Camp in Rajouri, J&K today. Reviewed the operational capabilities and security situation along the border. Also, interacted with the brave soldiers of the Indian Army. India salutes their devotion towards protecting our motherland, he wrote on his Twitter account. According to military officials, terrorists now have adopted a strategy of engaging troops or attacking people, and then laying improvised explosive devices to harm security forces engaged in combing operations. top videos (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Vineet Joshi, a 1992 Manipur-cadre IAS officer who was heading the National Testing Agency, has been appointed as the new chief secretary of the northeastern state rocked by violence and arson. He replaces Dr Rajesh Kumar, who was given a six-month extension in December. According to the orders issued by the Governor of Manipur, On return from Central Deputation, the Governor of Manipur bis pleased to appoint Dr Vineet Joshi as chief secretary (Finance/IT/Cabinet/Planning), Government of Manipur. " He has also been given additional responsibilities of Resident Commisioner, Manipur Bhawan, and Chief Vigilance Commisioner, Manipur. The move came soon after Union Cabinet repatriated Joshi. The Appointment Committee of Cabinet has approved repatriation of Shri Vineet Joshi (MN92), additional secretary, department of higher education to his parent cadre on the request of the government of Manipur," the repatriation order accessed by CNN-News18 said. Sources close to Vineet Joshi said he left for Imphal earlier on Sunday. Joshi has earlier served as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister N Biren Singh. His appointment as chief secretary ensured that the extension given to the outgoing CS Dr Rajesh Kumar, was cut short. He also superseded three other IAS officers MH Khan (1988 cadre), Moses Challai (1990 cadre) and P Vaiphei (1991 cadre), all from the Manipur cadre. Earlier, retired DG of CRPF and NIA Kuldiep Singh was appointed Advisor (Security) to the Manipur government. In both cases, the Centre has taken care to specify that the decisions of bureaucratic appointments are happening at the request of the Manipur government. The Manipur government, meanwhile, appointed Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander earlier this week, to control the situation and bring normalcy in the state after deadly clashes broke out following a Tribal Solidarity March that was organised in ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Manipur Violence News LIVE Updates Article 355 Not Invoked in Manipur, Says Centre Central government has denied that Article 355 of the Constitution has been invoked in Manipur. Article 355 gives center to take over the internal security of a state in national interest. Law and Order is a state subject and Section 355 is only an emergency provision which allows center to intervene. Uneasy Calm in Manipur Meanwhile, an uneasy calm prevailed in the state on Sunday under the watchful eyes of army drones and helicopters deployed for aerial reconnaissance as curfew was relaxed in some parts to enable people to buy essentials. People were seen coming out in large numbers to buy food, medicines and other essential commodities during the curfew relaxation period from 7 am to 10 am in riot-affected Churachandpur town. ALSO READ | Situation Still Tense in Manipur, Shoot-At-Sight Not Exercised Yet: Security Advisor Sent by Centre Army and Assam Rifles columns conducted a flag march through the town as soon as the curfew relaxation ended at 10 am. In all some 120-125 Army columns have been deployed in the entire riot-hit state. Sources said some 10,000 soldiers, para-military and central police forces have been deployed in Manipur. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said peace committees will be formed in every assembly constituency to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level. A defence statement said that 23,000 civilians from all communities have been rescued so far and were moved to military garrisons. Kuldiep Singh, the security advisor sent to Manipur by Centre, said the situation in the state is tensed but under control, adding that there are 28-30 confirmed casualties in the clashes. In an exclusive interview with News18, Kuldiep Singh spoke about the ground situation in Manipur, and also elaborated on the government plan, casualties in Police firing in the state and more. READ HERE top videos Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Read more Vineet Joshi of the national testing agency has been appointed as the New Chief Secretary in Manipur The total curfew imposed in Manipurs Churachandpur district, which restricted the movement of people was relaxed for three hours on Sunday from 7 am to 10 am. The curfew was partially relaxed to facilitate people to buy essential items like food and medicine, according to a notification. People were seen in large numbers on the road to buy essential commodities. Army and Assam Rifles columns conducted a flag march throughout the town as soon as the relaxation ended at 10 am. The curfew was imposed on May 3 in the wake of violent clashes that broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community in Manipur, which has displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54 so far. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday slammed the BJP over violent clashes in Manipur and said the voters of the Northeastern state are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power. Tharoor further called for the imposition of the Presidents rule in the state. Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with News18, Kuldiep Singh, the Manipur Security Advisor sent by the Centre, said the situation in the violence-hit state is tense but under control. He further said there have been a few casualties in Churachandpur in police firing and added that so far shoot-at-sight orders have not been exercised. Manipur CM N Biren Singh chaired an all-party meeting on Saturday to take stock of the situation. Held an all-political party meeting to discuss the current situation in Manipur and to collectively work towards bringing peace and stability to the state. During the meeting, it was resolved to appeal for peace in the state, and encourage all citizens to avoid any actions that could lead to further violence or instability, Singh was quoted by PTI as saying. Amidst the tense situation, false rumours are rife which are fuelling the insecurity among populace. Assam Rifles at Jiribam received information on Saturday about the likely move of armed people in a truck towards the town. A suspected truck was stopped at the Jiribam-Tamenglong border to find 51 locals hiding in it, who were trying to escape the violence-hit state. All civilians were rescued safely to Cachar by Assam Rifles troops. The riots broke out on Wednesday night after demonstrations were organised by tribals, including Kukis and Nagas, against a proposal to grant the majority Meitei community the scheduled tribe (ST) status. The Meitei community accounts for 53% of the population in the state and lives mostly in the Imphal Valley. The tribals, who account for 40% of the population and include Nagas and Kukis, live mostly in the surrounding hill districts. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval will join the regional security meeting in Saudi Arabia, where infrastructure, among other issues, will be discussed, said sources. Sources have confirmed Dovals arrival in Saudi Arabia. The meet will be attended by Dovals counterparts from Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States (US). This meeting is important because it will mainly focus on infrastructure development in the region. Along with routes, a discussion on routes and deep cooperation on connectivity in maritime, rail and road will also be held, said sources. India is open to infrastructural push, provided it does not compromise on the national security or interests, said sources. Last week, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi pitched to take India-Iran ties to a new level", especially in the economic and commercial fields, during a meeting with Doval in Tehran. Raisi also conveyed to Doval in the meeting last Monday that groupings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the BRICS can be very effective" given the global geo-political changes, according to a statement issued by the Iranian Presidents office. The NSA was on a day-long visit to Iran. Besides calling on Raisi, Doval held separate talks with his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. In their meeting, Doval and Amirabdollahian exchanged views on the development of the Chabahar port, ways to deal with terrorism, issues relating to bilateral banking and the situation in Afghanistan, the Iranian foreign ministry said. In a statement, it said the Iranian foreign minister called for boosting trade ties and hoped that the holding of a meeting of the joint economic commission in Tehran will generate fresh momentum in the relations. It said Doval talked about unfolding developments globally and referred to a broad range of areas where Tehran and New Delhi can work together. top videos Doval then stressed on the necessity of putting in place a roadmap of cooperation between the two nations within the framework of a long-term partnership, it said. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe in Shivamogga, Karnataka, who were evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri amidst the ongoing civil war. At least 31 members of the Hakki Pikki Adivasi community from Karnataka are among the Indians evacuated from Sudan by the government. During an interaction with the Prime Minister, the evacuees expressed their gratitude towards the Prime Minister and praised the governments proactive measures that ensured their timely and safe evacuation, an official statement read. The tribe members also shared the challenging circumstances they faced in Sudan and how the government and Indian Embassy provided support to ensure their safety. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe, who were evacuated from Sudan under #OperationKaveri, in Shivamogga earlier today#Karnataka pic.twitter.com/SW8EOuLFTT ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023 The Hakki-Pikkis are a semi-nomadic community in Karnataka known for their traditional plant- and herb-based medical systems. They have been living in deep jungles and are bird-catching communities who can speak multiple languages including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and their own dialect called Vagribooli, which is said to be similar to Gujarati. According to some beliefs, their ancestors migrated to South India from Gujarat following past invasions. The tribal groups medicines are trusted by people living in Karnatakas cities as well. They specifically praised the Prime Minister for his efforts, stating that he ensured their safety without a scratch. They also expressed their happiness towards him and said that he represents the strength of not a double engine but triple engine, it said. The Prime Minister also highlighted the communitys historical contribution to India, citing their forefathers support for Maharana Pratap. He reassured them that the government is committed to resolving the difficulties faced by any Indian in the world. Sudan Evacuations The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan had last month said, We have got a message that a group of 31 people hailing from Karnataka are stranded in Sudan. We have informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about it. The officer said his department has asked the group to follow the instructions of the Indian Embassy in Sudan. According to a state government official who spoke to PTI, due to the unavailability and high cost of modern medical treatment in Sudan, the Hakki-Pikki tribe saw an opportunity to provide effective and affordable alternative medicine to the people. It is unclear how they managed to travel such a long distance from India to Sudan given their impoverished state. Once they return, this matter should be investigated, an officer had said. The evacuation of the tribe members led to a war of words between former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with Siddaramaiah accusing the government of inaction and Jaishankar accusing him of politicizing the issue for election purposes. Prime Minister Modi launched a veiled attack against the Congress and told the tribe members that while some politicians tried to politicise the issue, the government worked quietly to ensure everyones safety, as exposing their location could have put them in greater danger. He urged them to remember the strength of the country and to always be ready to help those in need and contribute to society and the nation. top videos The Prime Minister is in Karnataka on the final day of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections in the state. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said 22 students from the state currently stuck in riot-hit Manipur will be first shifted to Assam from where a special flight will be arranged to bring them back home. As many as 14 of them have been shifted to the Shiv Sena office in Manipur, the CMs office said in a statement. Violent clashes broke out recently between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community in the north-eastern state of Manipur, which has so far displaced more than 13,000 people and killed at least 54. The clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in 10 hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. In the statement, CM Shinde said his government was keeping a watch on the situation in Manipur. His deputy Devendra Fadnavis also promised help to the affected students. There are 22 students (in Manipur) from Maharashtra. I have spoken to two of them Vikash Sharma and Tushar Awhad and assured them of arranging a special flight to return home. I told them not to be afraid of anything, the state is making all the necessary arrangements to bring them back safely, he said. The students were studying in some of the technology institutes based in Manipur, the release said. I have also spoken to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Manoj Sounik and other state officials to make the necessary arrangements. We are currently watching the situation closely, the CM said. Shindes office later shared more updates saying he had dialled Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to discuss providing a safe passage to students from Maharashtra to return home. The students will be shifted to Assam first and from there a special flight will be arranged for them to return home, it said. Shinde has contacted Sarma in this connection, the statement said. The Maharashtra CM has also contacted Shiv Senas Manipur state head M Tombi Singh over phone and asked him to provide all the necessary help at local level, Shindes office said. In the evening, Shindes office said that 14 students have been moved to the Sena office in Manipur where they were given food and other necessary things. During a phone call, Shinde spoke with the students and inquired about their safety and wellbeing. The students also thanked Shinde for making arrangements on a short notice, it said in a statement. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), told reporters at Baramati in Pune that he had appealed to the CM and deputy CM to coordinate with the Centre and the Manipur government to facilitate the safe return of the students from Manipur. Fadnavis has also spoken to the students and assured them of making arrangements for their safe return, said a release from his office. The situation for last some days has been tense in Manipur and students pursuing their courses in NIT were under pressure. Some students had contacted Fadnavis via SMS. Fadnavis spoke to them over a phone call and assured them of all types of support and help, it said. Fadnavis, who is also the home minister, has spoken to the director general of police in Manipur and sought security for the students, the release said. The arrangements are being made, Fadnavis told the students, it added. top videos Life started limping back to normalcy under the watchful eyes of army drones and helicopters deployed for aerial reconnaissance as curfew was relaxed on Sunday in parts of Manipur which witnessed bloody ethnic rioting over the last few days. In all, 120-125 Army columns have been deployed in the entire riot-hit state. Sources said some 10,000 soldiers, para-military and central police forces have been deployed in Manipur. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here They have been staying in camps for four days, with more people joining them every day. Such camps have been set up in valleys as well as hills and those whose houses were burnt down are being brought here. In the past four days, around 23,000 people have been brought in, forcing many to even sleep in the open. The clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the 0 hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. News18 spoke to a refugee, who has been staying with his eight family members in a camp for the past four days. Keeping his safety in mind, News18 is refraining from naming him or his camp. That day a lot of miscreants came together and we fled. They have burnt down our house. I escaped with my family. We were rescued by security forces and brought here, he told News18. Forces are trying to provide basic facilities to those at the camp. There are just so many people here. The government is trying, but, at times, there is not enough to eat. Food is served on a first come, first served basis. While violence has not erupted in the past 24 hours, the question is how long can these people stay in camps? I dont know. My house has been burnt down. I am not sure where I can go now. I cant go back to the areas dominated by other communities at a time when more people are coming in. We are creating space in the open ground outside the camp. We use to coexist, hope those days return. At least 125 columns of Army are working relentlessly to rescue people and take them to safer places. The administration is taking steps to restore peace. Peace committees have been created. top videos When can the refugees life return to normalcy? Where and when can they go back? These questions remain. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Responding to the concerns of students pursuing their studies in Manipur and the recent violence, Tripura king and chief of Tipra Motha party Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman on Saturday arranged for 50 air tickets to bring back the Tiprasa (indigenous tribals) to their homeland. In times of crisis, one shouldnt think about politics. During my bad times, Tiprasa people stood by my side and supported me. It is my first and foremost duty to help the Tiprasa students stuck in Manipur, he said. I paid for the 50 air tickers and if there are any other problems, I will extend my support. If any person is having trouble staying outside his or her native land, he or should contact us, we will bring you back. It is not from the government, I am completely doing it personally, he said. In a meticulously planned and executed multi-agency rescue operation led by a Brigadier from Kohima based Assam Rifles IGAR HQ involving movement over two days, safe evacuation process that commenced on Saturday was completed today. A total of 676 Naga civilians were safely brought back to Tripura. I would appeal to my Meitei, Kuki and Naga brother sister to refrain from infighting and question the elected minister and MLA. Burning down churches, temples and houses wont solve the political issue. I had booked these tickets on Indigo as I dont have the power to book a special flight. 30 odd more students needs to come and if needed I shall book their tickets for them too, said Deb Barman. ARMY STEPS UP EFFORTS The efforts of 120-125 Army & Assam Rifles columns for the past 96 hours have helped rescue civilians across communities, curb violence and restore normalcy. With no major violence, curfew was relaxed from 7-10 am in Churachandpur followed by flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter. The past 24 hours also saw Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs & redeployment of Army Helicopters in Imphal Valley. A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and moved to own bases/ military Garrison STUDENTS FROM MEGHALAYA EVACUATED The Meghalaya government too has evacuated students from the state. A total of 66 students from Meghalaya studying in the Central Agricultural University, Imphal, landed at the Guwahati Airport on Friday evening in the first phase of the evacuation. Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) Dr LR Bishnoi said that the state police are in regular touch with the senior police officers of Manipur. Eight more students studying at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal were evacuated on Saturday, while another 36 students were evacuated on Sunday. There are no exact figures but close to 200 people, mostly students, from Meghalaya were stranded in Manipur. top videos Inputs from Kajal Kairi, News18 Tripura, and Purbasha Bhattachayaa, Shillong, News18 Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Hundreds of farmers and Khap Panchayat leaders from Delhis neighbouring states are marching towards Delhis Jantar Mantar to express their solidarity with wrestlers who have been protesting against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations for nearly 15 days. Meanwhile, security has been tightened at Jantar Mantar as well as Delhi borders. 200 Delhi Police personnel and a company of Paramilitary have been deployed at Tikri border, Nangloi Chowk, Piragarhi Chowk, and Mundka Chowk, Delhi Police sources said. According to Delhi Police, some Khap leaders have been allowed to reach Jantar Mantar with their private vehicles but tractors will not be allowed. Members of the Kirti Kisan Union joined wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar. The wrestlers have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since April 23. Will Hang Myself Even Allegation is Proved: WFI Chief WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said he will hang himself even if a single allegation against him is proved. Farmers Trying to Enter Delhi Stopped at Tikri Border A group of farmers trying to enter Delhi to join the wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar was stopped by police at Tikri Border. VIDEO | A group of farmers trying to enter Delhi to join wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar stopped by police at Tikri Border. pic.twitter.com/3L8WyKWgQu Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 7, 2023 Our protest (to support wrestlers) is for one day (today). If the government doesnt find a solution, we will think about what to do next," said a farmer leader after being allowed to enter Delhi. SKM Announces Support to Wrestlers, Demands Brij Bhushans Arrest The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which led the year-long farmers protest at Delhis borders in 2020-21 over now-repealed farm laws, has extended its support to wrestlers and demanded the WFI chiefs arrest. Several SKM leaders from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have planned a visit to Jantar Matar on Sunday. Hundreds of farmers are likely to join them, Times of India reported. In support of wrestlers, the SKM also announced to hold protests at state capitals, district and block headquarters across the country from May 11-18. Khap Mahapanchayat in Delhi Today Several Khap panchayat leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana are marching to Jantar Mantar on Sunday to extend support to the protesting wrestlers, Hindustan Times reported. More Personnel, 24/7 CCTVs, Barricades, Pickets: Delhi Police Tightens Vigil at Jantar Mantar, City Borders After the scuffle on Wednesday night between police and protesting grapplers, security and surveillance have been beefed up at Jantar Mantar and at Delhi borders. Police said as a precautionary measure barricades have been put up at several locations across the city to ensure no untoward incident precipitates. Officials said on Thursday they had inputs that a large number of people including farmers could be heading to Jantar Mantar, and therefore all the 15 police districts heads were instructed to be on alert, especially in the border areas. They were asked to take special care of roads that go towards Central Delhi, which houses Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in the city. A special vehicle of Delhi Police Ikshana which is a live CCTV surveillance vehicle has been deployed at the site to monitor law and order arrangements. This vehicle is equipped with eight state-of-the-art fixed cameras for a 360-degree view of the site. The angles of the already installed CCTV cameras are being adjusted so that there is clarity on the activities at the protest site in Jantar Mantar. Damaged CCTV cameras were also replaced with new ones so as to keep a 24X7 watch on the activities at the spot," a senior police officer said. According to police, as a precautionary measure, barricades have been put up at several locations across Delhi to ensure no untoward incident takes place. top videos Police have also intensified patrolling at the borders with deployment of extra force and pickets. They have been checking vehicles at city border points to stop a large gathering at Jantar Mantar. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Cannes 2023: You can never go wrong with a saree, and celebrities such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan proved it! Perfectly draped for the red carpet, the Bollywood divas exuded royalty and grace in their individual sarees created by celebrated fashion designers and couturiers including Sabyasachi, Rohit Bal, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Neeta Lulla. Each saree celebrated India in its own unique way. From enticing embroideries to rich textures, the silhouette celebrated Indias rich heritage with a contemporary twist. Ahead of the 76th Cannes Film Festival which will be held from May 16 to May 27, heres a look at the stars who made a statement in exquisite sarees on the red carpet. DEEPIKA PADUKONE Back in 2010, Deepika Padukone attended the Cannes film festival draped in a Rohit Bal ivory and gold saree. The silhouette showed off her curves and she accessorised the look with matching jewellery. In 2022, Deepika Padukone attended Cannes as a jury member looking exquisite in ensembles that celebrated her personality. The global star chose to adorn two sarees designed by the best in the fashion industry. Deepika graced the red stairs in a black and gold striped sari designed by celebrated Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. The Bengal Tiger couture sari with black and gold stripes celebrates heritage Indian crafts and techniques through a modern lens. For the closing ceremony, Deepika picked a regal ivory saree designed by celebrated Indian designers Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. The saree featured an exquisite statement collar featuring approximately 1200 pearls and 200 crystals. KANGANA RANAUT Unconventional yet rooted in tradition, Kanganas saree looks have been an extension of her personality. In 2018, Kangana made her Cannes red carpet debut in an exquisite black saree designed by Sabyasachi. The vintage meets the traditional look, and complemented Kanganas love for experimentation. In 2019, Kangana upped her style quotient with bolder looks. However, the gold Kanjeevaram saree from the label Madhurya caught everyones attention. The traditional saree was paired with a custom corset designed by fashion designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock. AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN The OG of Cannes red carpet styles, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been celebrating India since 2002. The global icon and superstar looked like a ray of sunshine when she made her first Cannes appearance draped in a Neeta Lulla golden saree. The handloom organza with gold butis was also used in the costume design for the movie Devdas, which premiered at Cannes in 2002. In 2010, Aishwarya walked hand in hand with husband and actor Abhishek Bachchan in a sheer embroidered saree enhanced with an embellished gold border designed by Sabyasachi. She paired the saree with a plain sleeveless blouse. SONAM KAPOOR AHUJA Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is one celebrity whose style quotient is timeless. She knows how to make a statement with her sartorial choices. In 2013 and 2014, Sonam draped Anamika Khannas sarees ethereal on the red carpet. While one saree was a couture saree which was heavily embroidered, the other saree was a contemporary twist to the Indian silhouette. In 2016, Sonam looked stunning in Rimzim Dadus futuristic black saree which featured a glossy blue textured pallu. Known for making unconventional choices when it comes to her red carpet looks, her Cannes looks have always been the perfect mood board for celeb styles. VIDYA BALAN top videos In 2013, Vidya Balan walked the Cannes red carpet in sarees designed by Sabyasachi. Even though she was criticised for playing it safe on the red carpet, Vidya nailed every saree look. Vidya kept it traditional and enhanced the looks with jewellery that exuded royalty. While each saree was draped differently, Vidya made sure that each drape celebrated her love for sarees at Cannes. Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Sunday he had received "a promise" of more ammunition from the Russian army, after he threatened to pull his frontline Wagner troops out of Bakhmut. "They promised to give us all the ammunition and armaments we need to continue the operations," said Prigozhin, following his scathing attack on military chiefs over the situation in Bakhmut, the epicentre of Ukraine's fight against Moscow's forces. Search Keywords: Short link: The latest charming attire pairing between Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte, her daughter, may be their cutest yet. The mother and daughter pair donned matching crystal flower crowns during King Charless coronation. According to British Vogue, the headpieces are by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen and include three-dimensional leaf embroidery on silver bullion and crystal. Given that royal headgear has historically included themes inspired by nature, including the Cartier Halo tiara Kate wore for her wedding and the Lotus Flower tiara she has worn on numerous occasions, the design appears to have roots in tradition. The event was less elaborate than past coronations, therefore its thought Kate chose to wear the crown instead of a more formal tiara. The finalisation of Kates attire, as well as the looks of other senior royals, was hurried, claims The Mirror. The publication was informed by a source that royal assistants were working round-the-clock to elicit the information. Along with the headpieces the royals would wear, there was some controversy over whether or not they would wear them into the Westminster Abbey before Camilla arrived. Despite not wearing a ceremonial tiara, Kate actually entered the abbey after her. top videos If Kate and Charlottes lovely moment of matching makes you want to have a crown of your own, you can get a silver leaf crown that looks similar on Amazon. Do you want to go one step further? You can design a bedroom appropriate for a king or queen, replete with a canopy bed. Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here If you love spooky stories and haunted places then you are up for a real treat, as Delhi Tourism Department is all set to begin haunted walks at Malcha Mahal from May 7. The bookings for the haunted walks at this Tughlaq-era monument, located in central Delhis Chanakyapuri, will start on May 6. People can make advance bookings at the Delhi tourism offices in an offline mode and online bookings open on May 8. The cost for one person on this tour is Rs 800. The cost for one person for the tour is 800. We are planning to open online bookings from Monday on our website delhitourism.gov.in or the Dekho Meri Dilli app, an official told Hindustan Times. Apart from this, you can also book your seats offline at Delhi governments all six tourist information centres. The list is available on the official website. The Delhi tourism department also plans to begin a few more haunted walks at several other iconic locations in the national capital. The list is quite exhaustive and includes Feroz Shah Kotla, Bhuli Bhartihari, and Tughlaqabad Fort. If you plan to book your spot on this walk, then dont worry as you will not be alone. A walk conductor will accompany a group of visitors for each walk. And in one group, there will only be 20 visitors. According to reports, these walks will mostly be conducted in the weekends. You really need to hurry up, as there will be only one tour that will be conducted in a day. The tour will begin after all the visitors have gathered at the entry point of Malcha Mahal, and it will continue for around one and a half hours. top videos Dating back to the 14th century, the Malcha Mahal is believed to be haunted. The place reportedly remains off-limits since September 2017 when the palaces last resident, Prince Ali Raza, was found dead. Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the opposition Congress and CPI(M) are only interested in projecting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a bad light. Addressing a public meeting at Raninagar in Murshidabad district late on Saturday evening, he said the two parties do not utter a single word" against the BJP and its discrimination" against the people of West Bengal. No Congress leader, including Adhir Choudhury, wrote a single letter flagging the non-payment of 100 days work wages to the people of West Bengal for months. From the soil of Murshidabad, I hereby ask Baharampur MP Choudhury if he had ever taken up the issue with the Centre. Has any CPI(M) leader, too, spoken about this?" Abhishek Banerjee said. He is on a mass-outreach drive in the state since April 25. The BJP government at the Centre held back Rs 7,000-crore financial dues to the state for the 100 days work project, depriving 11.33 lakh poor people of their rightful sum," he said. But, the CPI(M) and Congress will never criticise the Union government for this. They only want to show our CM and her party in a bad light. It is only the TMC that talks about peoples problems. We will organise a massive protest in Delhi to force the Centre to release the funds," Banerjee said. The Diamond Harbour MP claimed that the Narendra Modi-led government could not deprive" people of West Bengal of their dues from 2014-19 when the TMC had 34 MPs in the Lok Sabha. However, after 2019, the number of TMC MPs went down and the 19 BJP MPs elected from the state did nothing to flag the issues of the poor despite being their representatives, he alleged. top videos On the recent incident in Purba Medinipur district in which a car, allegedly part of the convoy of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, was involved in a hit-and-run case, Banerjee said, A BJP leaders car mowed down a youth. But, no statement came from the party." Reacting to his comments, WBPCC president Adhir Choudhury said, How many times in the Parliament have TMC leaders, including Abhishek, joined the opposition camp in our battle against the undemocratic central government? For the interest of West Bengal, the Congress has always raised its voice in the national capital." Meanwhile, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said finding itself cornered on multiple fronts in recent times, the TMC is trying to deflect the attention of people by highlighting an unfortunate road mishap" for which the saffron party is not responsible. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The Congress on Sunday hit out at Chief Minister N Biren Singh over the situation in Manipur, saying he cannot absolve himself and his patrons in New Delhi and Nagpur" of the responsibility for the horrific violence and killings in the state. The Congress attack came a day after Singh, who heads a BJP-led government in Manipur, chaired an all-party meeting over the prevailing situation in the violence-hit state. In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, The CM of Manipur finally condescended to meet with all political parties and some civil society groups. But he cannot absolve himself and his patrons in New Delhi and Nagpur of the responsibility for the horrific violence and killings in the state." The Congress has been warning of the consequences of what the RSS/BJP has been doing in the northeast, he said. But now is the time for a collective resolve to bring Manipur to peace and harmony," Ramesh added. Violent clashes broke out between tribals and people belonging to the majority Meitei community in Manipur on Wednesday, displacing thousands of people and killing at least 54. top videos The clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the 10 hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke about his interaction with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa and said, If I have a good guest, I am a good host". Speaking at the Foreign Policy of Modi Government event in Mysore, Jaishankar objected to Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari bringing up several issues at the SCO meeting. Pakistan conducts terrorism and asserts its right to do terrorism," he was quoted as saying by ANI news agency. He said that Pakistan, as a member of SAARC, doesnt follow basic rules of international relations", supports terrorism, and blocks connectivity. Jaishankar emphasised that it is not in Indias interest to remain hostile towards Pakistan. Not in our interest to be locked into perpetual hostility with Pakistan, nobody wants that," he said adding that New Delhi must draw and stand by its red lines." If a neighbour attacks my city, I dont think it should be business as usual," he added. The statement came a day after Jaishankar mounted an offensive against Bhutto Zardari, calling him a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terrorism industry." As a foreign minister of an SCO member state, Bhutto-Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terrorism industry, which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered including at the SCO meeting itself," Jaishankar had said. Jaishankar had criticised Bhutto Zardaris statement on terrorism not being weaponised for diplomatic point-scoring", which was seen as targeted towards India. Later, in a press conference, Jaishankar stated that the Pakistan foreign ministers comment on terrorism unconsciously revealed a mindset." Jaishankar Slams Rahul Gandhi Over China Policy The external affairs minister launched a scathing attack against Congress leader Rahul Gandhis does not understand the China threat" remark and quipped that he would have offered" to take classes but he discovered the latter was taking lessons from the Chinese ambassador. I would have offered to take classes on China from Rahul Gandhi. But I discovered that he was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador. So I asked myself that I may as well go to the original source and talk to them, Jaishankar said. Jaishankar was referring to Gandhis meeting with the Chinese ambassador during the Doklam crisis to hit out at Gandhis statement against him at an event held by Indian Journalists Association in London in March. When asked about military threats facing India," the former Congress president had said, You have to deal with military threats militarily. But you have to understand the nature of the threat, and you have to respond to the nature of the threat. I had one conversation with the foreign minister in my view, he doesnt understand the threat. Speaking at the event on Sunday, the external affairs minister emphasised the need for a collective responsibility to maintain Indias strong position abroad. Unfortunately, foreign policy has also become an arena. I am not innocent and I am not saying that there should not be politics. Today I am in politics. I know everything in politics is political. But I think on certain issues, we have collective responsibility to behave in a way in which we do not weaken our collective position abroad," he said. He cited an example of a bridge built by the Chinese on Pangong Tso, stating that the area had been occupied by them in 1962. He mentioned the issue of so-called model villages built on areas lost before or during the 1962 war. Jaishankar expressed his disappointment in reducing serious conversations on China to a mere slanging match." He did not attribute any political colour to the issue and called for a collective responsibility to have a serious China conversation with different viewpoints. What has happened has happened. Its our collective, I would say failure or responsibility. I do not necessarily attribute political colouring to it. I would like to see is actually a serious China conversation. Im prepared to accept that there are different viewpoints on that, but if you reduce it to kind of slanging match, what can I say after that?" he said. In March, Jaishankar criticised Gandhi for his comments about China during the India Today Conclave in New Delhi. The minister had said that it doesnt make sense when people who are friendly towards China suddenly try to act tough on China. Jaishankar further pointed out that Gandhi had spoken admiringly about Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), even comparing it to the Yellow River in China. He compares, very poetically, I must say, the BRI with the Yellow River in China gushing forward. The BRI goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It violates our national integrity and sovereignty. He doesnt have a word to say about it," he had said. top videos Meanwhile, Gandhi has been vocal about his criticism of the BJP-led Centres handling of the India-China border issue. He has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement that nobody has entered India territory," following the scuffle in Galwan Vally in 2020 and termed it as an invitation for China to repeat its actions. The Prime Ministers statement that nobody has entered our territory shows that he does not understand the threat because the message to China with that statement is that they can do it again," Gandhi had said. Read all the Latest Politics News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The Arab League on Sunday welcomed back Syrias government, ending a more than decade-long suspension and securing President Bashar al-Assads return to the Arab fold after years of isolation. In November 2011, the body suspended Damascus over its crackdown on peaceful protests which began earlier that year and which spiralled into a conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the countrys infrastructure and industry. While the front lines have mostly quietened, large parts of the countrys north remain outside government control, and no political solution has yet been reached to the 12-year-old conflict. Government delegations from the Syrian Arab Republic will resume their participation in Arab League meetings" starting Sunday, said a unanimous decision by the groups foreign ministers. Assad has been politically isolated since the war began, but recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19. The ministers in a statement emphasised their keenness to launch a leading Arab role in efforts to resolve" the Syria crisis. They agreed to form a ministerial committee to continue direct dialogue with the Syrian government in order to reach a comprehensive solution". Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the 22-member Arab League, said the decision brings the Arab side into communication with the Syrian government for the first time in years". Syrias return to the body is the beginning not the end of the issue", he added, noting it was up to individual countries to decide whether to resume ties with Damascus. - Diplomatic victory - Following the announcement, Syrias foreign ministry stressed the importance of Arab cooperation", in a statement carried by state news agency SANA. The next stage requires an effective and constructive Arab approach based on dialogue, mutual respect and common Arab interests", it added. Several Arab countries cut ties with Syria early in the conflict, betting on Assads demise, while some including Qatar and Saudi Arabia provided support to the Syrian opposition. The last Arab League summit Assad attended was in 2010, while the opposition attended the pan-Arab groups summit in Doha in 2013, to Damascuss fury. Aboul Gheit told a press conference Assad was welcome to attend this months summit once invited by host Saudi Arabia. Regional capitals have gradually been warming to Assad as he has stubbornly held onto power and clawed back lost territory with crucial support from Iran and Russia. The United Arab Emirates, which re-established ties in late 2018, has been leading the recent charge to reintegrate Damascus into the Arab fold. A February 6 earthquake that wreaked devastation in Turkey and Syria sparked Arab outreach to Assads government, while intensified regional diplomatic activity has been underway since a March decision by rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume ties in a China-brokered agreement. Syrias regional isolation is officially broken," analyst Fabrice Balanche said, calling Sundays decision a diplomatic victory" for Assad. The earthquake is the best opportunity to get closer without losing face," he told AFP, adding that Saudi Arabias concern for Syria is part of the context of reconciliation with Iran." - Opposition abandoned - In April, Riyadhs Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the first visit to Damascus by a Saudi official since the start of the war, days after a visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad who travelled to a string of Arab countries in recent weeks in a diplomatic push. On Monday, Mekdad attended talks in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt to discuss the long-running conflict. Assad is hoping normalisation with wealthy Gulf nations could bring economic relief and money for reconstruction, while analysts say sanctions will likely continue to deter investment. With foreign forces including from Turkey and the United States still present in Syria, the war is far from over and Assad remains internationally isolated. The Syrian National Coalition, the main opposition alliance, said Sundays decision meant abandoning" Syrians and leaving them without official Arab support". It is unacceptable to allow (Assad) to avoid punishment for the war crimes he has committed against Syrians," said the Turkey-based coalition. Rewarding the regime by returning it to the Arab League ignores the will of the Syrian people," it added. In northwest Syrias rebel-held Idlib region, displaced Syrians expressed frustration. We were pushed out of our homes," said Ghassan Yussef, 54. top videos I ask the Arab rulers: where are you taking us?" Read all the Latest News here Leaders in the United States and Europe sent congratulations to Britains King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation on Saturday, while China called for cooperation" and peace". US hails enduring friendship US President Joe Biden, whose country was represented at the lavish ceremony in London by First Lady Jill Biden, paid tribute to the enduring friendship between the US and the UK". He tweeted that the countries relationship was a source of strength for both our peoples" and that he was proud" his wife could be there for the historic occasion". In an interview aired Friday, he said he would meet Charles, 74, in July to talk in particular about environmental issues. China urges cooperation and peace Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the UK to work for a stable and mutually beneficial relationship" with his country after recent strains in their relations. China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation," he said. EU sees symbol of stability The head of the European Unions executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, called the coronation a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy". A symbol of stability and continuity," von der Leyen tweeted, alongside a picture of her at the pageant-filled ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The Coronation is a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy. A symbol of stability and continuity. My congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla. pic.twitter.com/rhLM9iAFrG Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 6, 2023 EU Council President Charles Michel said the members of the 27-nation bloc, which the UK voted to leave in 2016, appreciate the kings vast experience to promote understanding and respect" and his tireless efforts to promote the sustainability of our planet". Germany praises climate ally German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is in Kenya for a visit, also welcomed the newly crowned monarchs interest in tackling climate change. (It) is very important that he is someone who is committed to a close cooperation between Great Britain and the European Union, and who also has his own personal agenda to advance climate protection," Scholz said. That will also help us." PM Modi Congratulates King Charles III Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation. He tweeted, Warmest congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation. We are sure that the India-UK relationship will be strengthened further in the coming years." Friends of France French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the London ceremony, sent his congratulations" to Charles and Camilla, calling them friends of France". Proud to be with you on this historic day," he tweeted. Best wishes from Rome Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose country was represented at the coronation by President Sergio Mattarella, sent her best wishes to King Charles III, to Queen Camilla and the entire British people". In a message on social media, she noted the symbolism of the Italian craftsmanship involved in the rare mosaic floor of Westminster Abbey. She said the ancient Cosmati pavement" on which the Coronation Chair was placed was masterfully created" and there to amaze the world and to recall the historic and fruitful cooperation between Italy and the UK, which we are certain will further strengthen with King Charles III". Friend of Greece The foreign ministry in Greece, where Charless father Prince Philip was born in 1921 on the island of Corfu, tweeted in English to warmly congratulate HM King Charles III, a proven friend of Greece, in his Coronation day". top videos It wished him success in his duties" and said it was looking forward to continuing excellent cooperation and further deepening bilateral historic relations". Read all the Latest News here The IMF has rejected the cash-strapped Pakistan governments claim that it has met all the conditions to reach an agreement with the global financial body to release funds under an already agreed loan facility, according to a media report. The International Monetary Fund signed a deal in 2019 to provide USD 6 billion to Pakistan on fulfilment of certain conditions. The plan was derailed several times and the full reimbursement is still pending due to insistence by the donor that Pakistan should complete all formalities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have repeatedly claimed that Pakistan met all the prior conditions agreed for reaching a staff-level agreement and there was no reason for holding back the agreement. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that it got a statement from the fund on Friday, negating the claim made by the government with respect to meeting all prior actions necessary to complete the 9th review. The IMF continues to work with the Pakistani authorities to bring the 9th review to a conclusion once the necessary financing is in place and the agreement is finalised, the newspaper quoted Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, as saying. Porters statement negated what the Pakistani authorities have been claiming since February 9, when the face-to-face talks ended inconclusively, the newspaper said. Nathan did not explain the quantum of the necessary financing that Pakistan has to put in place to conclude the 9th review for the USD 1.2 billion loan tranche that has been delayed by seven months now. The finance minister had said that Pakistan needed USD 6 billion to bridge the financing gap by June this year. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had assured Pakistan of providing USD 3 billion but there are no firm assurances for the rest of the loans. Pakistans gross official foreign exchange reserves remain at USD 4.5 billion. The country needs to pay nearly USD 4 billion to the world on account of principal and interest on debt till June this year. Since the government does not have a credible financing plan for the July-December period of the next fiscal year, the sources said, Pakistan also needs to arrange funds to repay the loans during the first half of the next fiscal year. The external debt repayments, including interest, for the July-December period amount to USD 11 billion, said the Finance Ministry sources. Even if China and Saudi Arabia roll over their short-term debts, Pakistan will still need over USD 4 billion to repay the international creditors during the first half of the next fiscal year. These include payments to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, Saudi Fund for Development, Islamic Development Bank and Chinese commercial banks. Porter has also mentioned the next fiscal years budget in his statement, which the government wants to present around June 10. In addition, the IMF supports the authorities in the implementation of policies in the period ahead, including in the technical work to prepare the fiscal 2024 budget, which is to be passed by the National Assembly before end-June, said Porter. The Ministry of Finance, already struggling to meet other conditions, seemed irritated by the IMFs new demand. Senior finance ministry officials argued that the IMF should not link the approval of the 9th review with the next years budget. They said that the issue of the fiscal year 2023-24 budget should be taken up at the time of the discussions for the 11th review. The IMFs demand is worrisome, said a Cabinet member on condition of anonymity. Less than two months are left in the expiry of the stalled USD 6.5 billion IMF programme. There seems to be no possibility that Pakistan and the IMF will conveniently complete the remaining three outstanding reviews of the programme, the report said. The finance ministry sources said that the finance secretary recently urged Porter to review the demand for an agreement on the next years budget. However, the IMF, already agitated by the governments contradictory claims about the completion of the conditions, may not offer any major relief to Pakistan. top videos There are concerns that the coalition government may try to unveil a politically-oriented budget, which will make it more difficult to take the country out of the economic crisis in the near future, the paper said. Read all the Latest News here US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is planning a meeting of Saudi, UAE and Indian NSAs in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss a possible major infrastructure project in the Middle East. The meeting would be a first of its kind involving the NSAs in the volatile region where India has a huge stake. Sullivan announced on Thursday that he will travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi leaders including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sullivan also said that the representatives from India and the United Arab Emirates will also be present in Saudi to discuss new areas of cooperation between New Delhi and the Gulf as well as the United States and the rest of the region, Reuters reported. The countries are expected to develop a network of railways that would connect the Gulf countries and shipping lanes to connect the Arab nations to India, a report in Axios said. The US wants to push the project as its key initiative in the Middle East to counter Chinas growing influence in the region. A US official said that the joint project will be one of many topics discussed during the visit, the report said. The Middle East is not only a key part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, but Beijing has been playing a crucial role in mediating Saudi and Iran and Saudi and Houthi militants in Yemen. Sullivan will also discuss bilateral ties, regional issues and further normalisation steps between Washington and Riyadh with the crown prince. Oil production cuts by Saudi-led OPEC+ and differences between the United States and Saudi Arabia over the 2018 death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi have damaged ties between the two allies. The report further said that the idea of the major infrastructure project came up during the talks held in the last 18 months in a forum named I2U2 which involved the US, Israel, UAE and India. top videos The Biden administration recently expanded on the idea to include Saudi Arabias participation in the initiative. Israel has not been included as a part of this initiative currently, but it could be added to it in the future. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday his heart aches" for Koreans who suffered under colonialism, as Seoul and Tokyo seek a rapid reset of long-strained ties in the face of North Korean threats. Kishida was in Seoul on the first official bilateral visit by a Japanese leader to South Korea in over a decade. He met President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has made improving testy relations with Japan a top priority for his administration. The East Asian neighbours, both crucial security allies of the United States, have long been at odds over historic issues linked to Japans brutal 1910 to 1945 colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula, including sexual slavery and forced labour. My heart aches as many people went through a very difficult and sad experience in the harsh environment at that time," Kishida said, speaking after the summit with Yoon. Yoon said Kishidas visit showed shuttle diplomacy" regular mutual visits and high-level talks was back on track, after a lengthy pause during a bitter trade spat linked to the forced labour issue. Based on the friendship and trust I have with Prime Minister Kishida, I will promote deeper bilateral cooperation toward a new future," said Yoon, who was in Tokyo in March for a fence-mending visit. Bilateral ties were torpedoed in 2018, when South Koreas Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to compensate the wartime victims of forced labour, enraging Tokyo and triggering an escalating series of tit-for-tat economic measures. But Yoon, who took office last year, has sought to bury the historical hatchet, earlier announcing a plan to compensate victims without direct involvement from Tokyo a move that was unpopular domestically, but helped improve ties with Japan. As the South Korean government moves forward I am touched to see how so many people are opening their hearts to the future while not forgetting the hardships of the past," Kishida said Sunday. - Expression of sincerity - Experts had widely predicted Tokyo would not offer a new apology, and Kishida stopped short of this, instead reaffirming the heartfelt apology" made by previous administrations in Tokyo. There are parts of Kishidas statement that definitely fall short of our expectations," Choi Eunmi, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told YTN. But even though he said it was his personal feeling, I would like to note his expression of sincerity. And I think this is meaningful as we are just taking our first step in restoring shuttle diplomacy." During their March summit, Kishida and Yoon agreed to end tit-for-tat trade curbs, with Kishida inviting the South Korean leader to a G7 meeting in Hiroshima this month. For Yoon, it is long overdue that the two countries end the vicious cycle of mutual hostility and work together" to improve regional security, he told AFP in March before he flew to Tokyo. - Grave threat - Efforts to mend ties come as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who last year declared his country an irreversible" nuclear power, doubles down on weapons development and testing. Pyongyang has conducted a record-breaking string of launches in 2023, including test-firing the countrys first solid-fuel ballistic missile a technical breakthrough. The United States and South Korea have in turn been ramping up their defence cooperation, staging a series of major military exercises including two trilateral drills involving Japan this year. Prime Minister Kishida and I shared the recognition that North Koreas nuclear and missile development poses a grave threat to peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula and Japan, but also throughout the world," Yoon said Sunday. The two leaders agreed to hold a trilateral meeting with the United States on the sidelines of the upcoming G7 summit. Yoon recently returned from a state visit to Washington, where he and US President Joe Biden agreed to boost the United States nuclear defence of South Korea and improve cooperation with Japan. Further North Korean provocations and weapons developments are expected soon, so it is important for US allies to stay a step ahead of Pyongyang," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. top videos They can do so by better coordinating sanctions enforcement, intelligence sharing, missile defense exercises, and anti-submarine drills. Progress on such trilateral cooperation is likely to be highlighted by a Biden-Yoon-Kishida meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima later this month." Read all the Latest News here While the front lines have mostly quietened, large parts of the country's north remain outside government control, and no political solution has yet been reached to the 12-year-old conflict. "Government delegations from the Syrian Arab Republic will resume their participation in Arab League meetings" starting Sunday, said a unanimous decision by the group's foreign ministers. Assad has been politically isolated since the war began, but recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19. The ministers in a statement emphasised their "keenness to launch a leading Arab role in efforts to resolve" the Syria crisis. They agreed to form a ministerial committee to continue "direct dialogue with the Syrian government in order to reach a comprehensive solution". Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the 22-member Arab League, said the decision "brings the Arab side into communication with the Syrian government for the first time in years, in order to look into all aspects of the problem". Syria's return to the body is "the beginning... not the end of the issue", he added, noting it was up to individual countries to decide whether to resume ties with Damascus. 'Diplomatic victory' Following the announcement, Syria's foreign ministry stressed the importance of "Arab cooperation", in a statement carried by state news agency SANA. "The next stage requires an effective and constructive Arab approach... based on dialogue, mutual respect and common Arab interests", it added. Several Arab countries cut ties with Syria early in the conflict, betting on Assad's demise, while some including Qatar and Saudi Arabia provided support to the Syrian opposition. The last Arab League summit Assad attended was in 2010, while the opposition attended the pan-Arab group's summit in Doha in 2013, sparking a furious reaction from Damascus. Aboul Gheit told a press conference Assad was welcome to attend the summit later this month once invited by host Saudi Arabia. Regional capitals have gradually been warming to Assad as he has stubbornly held onto power and clawed back territory lost earlier in the conflict with crucial support from Iran and Russia. The United Arab Emirates, which re-established ties in late 2018, has been leading the recent charge to reintegrate Damascus into the Arab fold. A February 6 earthquake that wreaked devastation in Turkey and Syria sparked Arab outreach to Assad's government, while intensified regional diplomatic activity has been underway since a March decision by rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume ties in a China-brokered agreement. "Syria's regional isolation is officially broken," analyst Fabrice Balanche said, calling Sunday's decision a "diplomatic victory" for Assad. "The earthquake is the best opportunity to get closer without losing face," he told AFP, adding that "Saudi Arabia's concern for Syria is part of the context of reconciliation with Iran." In April, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the first visit to Damascus by a official from the kingdom since the start of the war, days after Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited Saudi Arabia, also on the first such trip. Mekdad has visited a string of Arab countries in recent weeks in a diplomatic push. On Monday, he attended talks in Amman with foreign ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt to discuss the long-running conflict. Nine Arab countries including Gulf states met in Saudi Arabia last month to discuss ending Syria's possible return to the Arab League. Assad is hoping normalisation with wealthy Gulf nations could bring economic relief and money for reconstruction, while analysts say sanctions will likely continue to deter investment. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Russias actions have caused a state of mad panic" as they carry out an evacuation of a town close to the disputed Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, BBC reported citing a Ukrainian official. As per the report, the evacuation is being done in anticipation of an expected offensive by Kyiv. Russia has instructed residents from 18 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Enerhodar near the nuclear power plant, to evacuate. This follows a warning from the head of the UNs nuclear power watchdog that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become potentially dangerous". Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), called for measures to ensure the safe operation of Europes largest nuclear plant as evacuations were underway in the nearby town of Enerhodar. Director General @rafaelmgrossi said evacuation of residents at Enerhodar, where most of staff from #Ukraines #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant live, has started. @iaeaorg is closely monitoring for any potential impact on nuclear safety and security.https://t.co/RvzRP8WL46 pic.twitter.com/BWuUbbcWxY IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) May 6, 2023 The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, Grossi said on the agencys website. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. While the operating staff of the plant remains at the site, the conditions for the personnel and their families are increasingly tense, according to Grossi. On Friday, the Russian-installed governor of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region said that he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the front line as shelling had intensified in the area in recent days. A widely expected Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against Russian forces is viewed as likely to take in the Zaporizhzhia region. The General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces said on Sunday that the residents are being evacuated toward Berdiansk and Prymorsk on the coast of the Sea of Azov, Reuters reported but could not independently verify the reports. Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant days after President Vladimir Putin launched the Special Military Operation in February 2022. Exchanges of fire have frequently occurred near the facility, with each side blaming the other. Grossi last visited the Zaporizhzhia station, Europes largest nuclear power installation, in March, as part of efforts to speak to both sides to secure an agreement on safeguards to ensure the plants safe operation. The IAEA chief has repeatedly warned of the dangers of military operations around the plant. The plant is located in the part of that region under Russian control, with many of the staff operating it living in Enerhodar on the south bank of the Dnipro River. top videos (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News here The UNs top humanitarian official arrived in Saudi Arabia Sunday for ceasefire talks between Sudans warring generals, as gun battles and air strikes flared in the Sudanese capital at the start of a fourth week of fighting. Multiple truce deals have been declared and quickly violated since battles erupted between army and paramilitary forces on April 15 in the poverty-stricken country with a history of political instability. Fierce combat since then has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands and sparked multiple warnings of a potential catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. More than 100,000 people have already fled the country. In embattled Khartoum, fighter jets have bombed positions as terrified residents stay barricaded indoors trying to cope with dire shortages of water, food, medicines and other staples. Across the Red Sea in the Saudi city of Jeddah, talks were underway aiming for a ceasefire that could push efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the besieged population. The generals leading the warring parties have said little about the talks being held in Jeddah since Saturday. Army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdalla said the talks were on how a truce can be correctly implemented to serve the humanitarian side", while Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), only said on Twitter that he welcomed the technical discussions. The UNs top humanitarian official, Martin Griffiths, was in Jeddah Sunday and the purpose of his visit is to engage in humanitarian issues related to Sudan," spokesperson Eri Kaneko said. Griffiths was last week in Port Sudan, where he said he had been informed by the UNs World Food Programme that six trucks bringing aid to the Darfur region had been looted en route" Wednesday, despite assurances of safety and security". He called for security guarantees clearly given by militaries, to protect humanitarian systems to deliver". There was no indication that Griffiths would play a direct role in the Saudi discussions about a possible ceasefire. Riyadh and Washington have supported the pre-negotiation talks" and urged the belligerents to get actively involved". Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his support Sunday for the indirect negotiations" in order to prevent an escalation of the current conflict" into a prolonged war that divides Sudan into warring regions." Heavyweights in the pan-Arab bloc are divided on Sudan. Egypt solidly supports the regular army, and the UAE is in favour of the RSF, according to experts. At the same meeting, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of a slide into a worse and more dangerous security situation for Sudan, its people, neighbouring countries and the region". - War of attrition - Hopes for these and other international efforts to silence the guns have been modest. The lowest common denominator of the international community is a cessation of hostilities," said Sudan researcher Aly Verjee at Swedens University of Gothenburg. But there is no apparent consensus on what to do beyond that initial objective." To be meaningful, Verjee said, any new truce declaration would require a credible process to monitor and verify ceasefire non-compliance", and mutually agreed consequences in the likely event of ceasefire breaches". Both sides continue to push on for military advantage on the ground, in the capital and elsewhere including the long-troubled Darfur region. Andreas Krieg of Kings College London said that the battle for Khartoum is quickly developing into a war of attrition where both sides have similar capabilities and capacities". The army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has air power and probably more troops, at around 100,000 forces. But the RSF, which emerged out of the notorious Janjaweed militia accused of war crimes in Darfur region, employs guerilla tactics that, Krieg said, can make them more agile". - Spillover challenges - Both the army and the RSF have sought to present themselves as protectors of democratic values, despite having jointly staged Sudans latest coup in 2021, derailing a transition to democracy. The military had ousted Sudans longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 palace coup, following mass pro-democracy protests. Since their 2021 coup, Burhan and Daglo have fallen out in a bitter power struggle, lastly over a plan to integrate the RSF into the army. US intelligence chief Avril Haines has warned of a protracted" conflict that would create a greater potential for spillover challenges in the region". At least 700 people have been killed in the fighting so far, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The Sudanese doctors union said 479 of the dead were civilians. top videos Hundreds of thousands have been displaced either internally or to neighbouring countries, while the UN has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine. Read all the Latest News here Wanted Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while he was out for a morning walk on Saturday near his residence in Lahore, the provincial capital of Pakistans Punjab province, police said. Panjwar, 63, was heading the Khalistan Commando Force-Panjwar group and was designated as a terrorist by India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in July 2020. The gunmen shot (Panjwar) Singh in his head and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, a senior officer of Pakistans Punjab police told PTI, adding his guard was also injured in the shooting and succumbed later in the day. Panjwar, along with his guard, was walking in the park at Sun Flower Housing Society in Jauhar Town in Lahore, where he was residing, when the two assailants opened fire at them and fled on a motorcycle, the officer said. Pakistans intelligence agencies including the ISI, Military Intelligence (MI) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) cordoned off the area and launched an investigation while the media was not allowed at the crime scene. The killing is the latest instance of terror kingpins being targeted outside India. In February this year, Bashir Ahmad Peer, a self-styled commander of the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pakistans Rawalpindi. Also in the same month, former commander of Pakistan-based terror outfit Al Badr, Syed Khalid Raza, was killed in a similar manner outside his residence in Karachi while Kashmir-born terrorist Aijaz Ahmad Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al-Kashmiri, who had joined the Islamic State( IS), was reportedly killed in Kunar province of Afghanistan. On the deadly attack on Panjwar on Saturday, an eyewitness told the CTD investigators that Singh along with his guard was in the park at around 6 am Saturday when a gunman came close to them and opened fire. After the firing, the assailant rushed to the gate of the society and fled along with his accomplice who was waiting for him outside, he said. A source in CTD told PTI that after recording statements from a number of people in the housing society, it has been revealed that the assailants had held a recce for a week. We have got an important clue about the killers and a couple of teams of the intelligence agencies have been formed to arrest the assailants and the network behind it, he said. Police in Pakistans Punjab province have been asked to let the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) lead the whole investigation, sources said. The crime scene was protected by the agencies and the police were asked not to register an FIR till approval from ISI, sources in the Lahore police said. I cannot make a comment on this matter, Lahore police spokesperson Farhan Ali Sheikh said when asked about the incident. Panjwar joined the KCF in 1986. He later headed this outfit and crossed over to Pakistan. In 1986, the KCF was headed by Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha Shapai who was then serving as a police constable in Punjab, India. In 1989, Sukha Shapai was killed in a police encounter at Tanda in Hoshiarpur and thereafter, Kanwarjit Singh of Sultanwind in Amritsar became the chief of KCF while Paramjit Singh Panjwar became its deputy chief. After the death of Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, Panjwar became the chief of the KCF. Before he escaped to Pakistan in 1995-96, Panjwar was involved in a number of killings in Punjab, according to official sources. Though he was inactive for the last couple of years, Panjwar had been operating from Lahore and was involved in arranging arms training for youths in Pakistan. He was engaged in supplying arms and ammunition and subsequent infiltration into India for targeting VIPs and economic installations. He was also involved in broadcasting highly seditious and separatist programmes on Radio Pakistan, intended to incite minorities against the Indian government. He was active in the smuggling of drugs and was a major conduit between smugglers and terrorists, Indias Ministry of Home Affairs had said in a notification that designated him a terrorist under UAPA. Panjwars complicity in promoting drug trade and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) operation in Punjab are well documented. Efforts are being made by his organisation KCF to reactive former militants, sleeper cells and also those on bail and it has been in favour of forming a nexus with other forces hostile to India, the ministry had said. KCF came into existence in February 1986 and the modus-operandi of this organisation was to commit bank robberies and kidnappings for ransom for use to purchase sophisticated weapons for terrorist activities. The banned outfit was involved in various terrorist attacks in India, which include the following a bomb attack in October 1988, killing 10 Rai Sikhs at Firozpur and the killing of Major Gen. B. N. Kumar, according to the ministry. Panjwar was also behind a number of IED explosions in Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab, said sources. His wife, who along with two sons was staying in Germany, died in September 2022. After 2010, Panjwar had ventured into the business of real estate and heroin smuggling. He had got Pakistans national ID card in the name of Gulzar Singh. The ISI had planned to re-activate Panjwar by using his old contacts in Punjab in a bid to revive militancy. Panjwar had a large number of contacts in border districts areas especially in Amritsar and Tarn Taran during the militancy period in Punjab. He also had links with drugs and arms smugglers based in Pakistan, they said. According to Pakistan media reports, Hizbul commander Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam and Raza were shot from point-blank range by the assailants, just like Punjwar. Raza had reportedly served as Al Badrs commander in Jammu and Kashmir for eight years. Peer, who hailed from Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district, had been living in Pakistan for more than 15 years, intelligence officials here said. Peer had participated in a number of online propaganda groups to unite ex-militants and other cadres for the expansion of activities of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and other terrorist organisations. Kashmir-born terrorist Ahanger was one of the chief recruiters of Islamic State J-K (ISJK) and was designated as an individual terrorist under the UAPA by India. He was a wanted terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir for more than two decades and was working towards providing traction to militancy in Kashmir, the MHA had said. top videos He was appointed as the head of the Islamic State (IS) recruitment cell for India and had been instrumental in initiating an online India-centric ISIS propaganda magazine. Read all the Latest India News and Karnataka Elections 2023 updates here The billionaire founder of Foxconn vowed Sunday at a rally that if elected president of Taiwan, he would be able to preserve peace" between the democratic self-ruled island and China. Taiwan will elect its next leader in January 2024 to succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, whose two terms in power have been marked by unprecedented tensions with Beijing, which views the island as part of its territory to be reclaimed. Terry Gou the founder of Foxconn which is a key supplier of Apples iPhones had announced in April he planned to seek the presidential nomination of Taiwans China-friendly opposition Kuomintang party. During his first-ever rally, in Taiwans southern city of Kaohsiung traditionally a stronghold of Tsais ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Gou urged his supporters to let me preserve peace". The last two years, what I have seen is a government who cannot see the sufferings of the people," the 72-year-old said in a speech to a sea of more than 10,000 supporters. What do the people worry about the most now? They are most concerned that war will break out anytime." Gou who donned a cap with Taiwans flag said he can do better than Tsai Ing-wen, or William Lai", the current Taiwanese vice president who has been nominated as the DPPs candidate. Let me, on behalf of everyone, strive for peace. Let me preserve the peace," he said. This would not be Gous first bid at political leadership he attempted a run in 2019 before the previous election but lost to populist outsider Han Kuo-yu for the KMTs nomination. Gous self-made tale is legendary in Taiwan and mimics the islands phenomenal economic success. But the huge factories built in China under Gou have rattled critics over his perceived cosiness with Beijings leadership. The KMT tends to advocate warmer ties with China while under Tsais leadership, relations with Beijing have plummeted. Democratic Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by China, which views the island as part of its territory to be reclaimed one day by force, if necessary. China has ramped up its sabre-rattling in recent years, sending warplanes near-daily into Taiwans air defence identification zone. top videos Last month it conducted its latest war games around the island in response to a meeting between Tsai and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Read all the Latest News here In February of this year, a 75-year-old homeless man died in Bend, Oregon. It had been a particularly brutal winter for Craig Coyner: At least one of his toes had to be amputated because of frostbite, and after that operation he suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak. However, the reason Coyner's death is the subject of a lengthy story in the New York Times isn't solely because of his end-of-life plight. It's because Coyner had once served as mayor in the same city where he died homeless. In fact, after his 1984 election, Coyner's policies helped turn Bend into one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, writes Mike Baker. After his stint as mayor, Coyner returned to his career as a lawyer, specifically as a well-respected public defender. So what happened? A combination of awful circumstances: mental illness, alcoholism, and sky-high housing prices that eventually made it impossible for Coyner to have a place to live. "The underlying problem was an emerging bipolar disorder," writes Baker, one that caused Coyner's behavior to become abusive and erratic in the courtroom and led to his firing around the year 2000. The mental illness was "compounded because he had turned to drinking as a way to cope." The downward spiral included run-ins with police, the death of his wife, estrangement from his siblings, and foreclosure on his house. One late bright spot was a chance reunion with his grown daughter, whom he hadn't since she was a girl. "If he had been a dog, she said, somebody would have rescued him long ago," writes Baker. Read the full story. (Or read other longform stories.) The war between two generals in Sudan is threatening to create what the UN calls a humanitarian catastrophe. But big-name manufacturers of everything from soda to chewing gum are bracing for a smaller effect: shortages of a vital ingredient called gum arabic. Rural regions in Sudan produce 70% of the world's supply, reports Reuters, while the Wall Street Journal estimates the figure is even higher, at 80%. The resin is harvested from acacia trees in rural Sudan and helps bind ingredients together. But its unique properties go well beyond that shorthand definition, and there are few substitutes to be had. It's also used in Orbit gum, M&Ms, and countless other products, including cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, per the Journal. "For companies like Pepsi and Coke, they can't exist without having gum arabic in their formulations," Dani Haddad of Agrigum, one of the world's biggest distributors, tells Reuters. Generally speaking, major companies probably have at least a six-month supply on hand, given the instability of Sudan even before the latest fighting. But already, international trade of the gum has essentially come to a halt. While the rural regions where it's produced haven't been affected greatly by the fighting, supply routes through the capital of Khartoum and other large cities can't be used. "Depending on how long the conflict continues, there may well be ramifications for finished goods on the shelfbranded goods made by household names," says Richard Finnegan Kerry Group, another global supplier to food and beverage companies. Chad and Nigeria also produce gum arabic, though far less than Sudan. A telling sign of how vital it is: When the US imposed sanctions on Sudan in the 1990s, it carved out a loophole for gum arabic, notes the Journal. (Read more Sudan stories.) The Yangtze giant softshell turtle was hit with a brutal blow, reports LiveScience, when the last known female of the largest known freshwater species, a huge creature over 5 feet long and weighing in at 205 pounds, was found dead on the banks of Hanoi's Dong Mo Lake on April 21. She'd been MIA for days, and it's still unclear what caused her death. She was only discovered in October 2020, and with her gone, it seems the speciesalready among the most endangered on the planetis on the fast track to extinction. The Yangtze giant softshell turtle was once common in China's Yangtze River and other bodies of water like Dong Mo Lake. Hunting and human consumption took a toll, according to the Asian Turtle Program . The two known males of the species can be found in a zoo and in the lake, respectively. Scientists hoped the female and the male in Dong Mo Lake would mate, as the female was mature enough to do so. Tim McCormack from the Asian Turtle Program for Indo-Myanmar Conservation said in a Time interview that the female "could have easily laid a hundred eggs a year." But even with a man-made beach appropriate for nest-building, the turtles never clicked. Unfortunately, the Yangtze giant isn't the only turtle species threatened with extinction. How It See lists several others: There are only about 400 adult Red-Crowned Roofed Turtles left, their numbers diminished due to hunting and pollution. The rare Malaysian Painted Terrapin also critically endangered, though protected at home. And in China, Yellow-Headed Box Turtles are under threat, categorized as critically endangered. (Read more turtles stories.) Alex Murdaugh may be serving a life sentence for killing his wife and son, but the legal system is far from done with him. As he sat in his South Carolina prison cell this week, Murdaughs lawyers dealt with large financial claims against him, per the AP. They told an insurer looking to force him to repay $3.4 million it awarded in a wrongful death settlement over Murdaugh's housekeeper that he lied about the circumstances of her death. Murdaugh's first version of events was designed to force the insurer to pay, the lawyers said. The imprisoned Murdaugh now says he doesn't remember the events of five years ago. Meanwhile, Jim Griffin, who helped lead the defense in the murder case, is asking Judge Daniel Hall to release an additional $160,000 from Murdaugh's retirement account to pay for his appeal of his life sentence because the six-week trial exhausted the $600,000 they were initially given. Murdaugh, 54, was convicted in March. Prosecutors said he stole millions of dollars and found himself teetering on financial disaster, which led him to shoot to death his 22-year-old son, Paul, and 52-year-old wife, Maggie, at their Colleton County home. Also pending against Murdaugh is a lawsuit filed by the family of Mallory Beach. They say she was killed when Paul Murdaugh drove a boat into a bridge piling while he was drunk in 2019. Her family sued the Murdaughs and the owner of the convenience store that sold the underage Paul the beer. Almost all of Murdaugh's assets are frozen as courts sift through claims from the clients whom he allegedly stole from and others who have sued. But he was allowed to pay his attorneys though $600,000 out of his 401K retirement account since that money was legitimately earned. Murdaugh is awaiting trial on over 100 other criminal charges, including insurance fraud for trying to arrange his own death and money laundering. He also is charged with tax evasion. From 2011 to 2021, Murdaugh made about $16 million as a lawyer, while stealing about $9 million from his law firm, settlement money for clients and other places, according to indictments. (Separately, police are re-investigating the death of a teen near the Murdaugh property in 2015.) We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced health-tech mogul now facing 11 years in prison, has not spoken with the media since 2016. But she gave Amy Chozick unprecedented access for a profile that appears in the New York Times. Chozick writes that she is surprised at how utterly "normal" the 39-year-old seems with her two young children and partner Billy Evans. But Chozick also is aware of Holmes' reputation of being a master manipulator, with one of Holmes' own friends warning Chozick anonymously not to believe anything she says. The author notes that Holmes speaks "in a soft, slightly low, but totally unremarkable voice, no hint of the throaty contralto she used while running her defunct blood-testing start-up Theranos." In fact, Evans even jokes about that and imitates the phony voice. "That would be crazy, if she answered the door and said, Hi. Im Elizabeth Holmes,' Evans says, doing his imitation. "Holmes let out the slightest of giggles from the back seat," writes Chozick. But the voice was part of the persona Holmes says she had to create to get people to take her seriously in business. I made so many mistakes and there was so much I didnt know and understand, and I feel like when you do it wrong, its like you really internalize it in a deep way, she tells Chozick. Holmes also discusses surviving a rape at Stanford (Chozick reviews the police report), and how that contributed to her leaving school to work with Theranos partner Sunny Balwani, whom she describes as uber-controlling. "He always told me I needed to kill Elizabeth, so I could become a good entrepreneur, she says. (Read the full story.) A frequent response to mass shootings has been to urge prayers. After the shooting at a Texas mall on Saturday, politicians who repeated that callincluding a couple of them who represent the people of Allenfaced a backlash. The area's congressman, Republican Rep. Keith Self called prayer powerful in defending his absence of support for a policy solution, saying God "is absolutely in control of our lives" on CNN, per the Guardian. He told the Washington Post, "We have long ago traded faith in God, which means civic action based on that faith, for faith in government." Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action argued Self's points on Sunday. "Faith without works is dead," Watts said. "Prayers without action are empty." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz also announced that he was praying for the victims and the community but, as in the aftermath of the Uvalde school massacre, made no mention of gun control. Cruz and his Texas GOP colleague, Sen. John Cornyn, have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from groups opposed to gun restrictions, Axios has reported. On Fox News Sunday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott discussed addressing mental health issues but not the availability of weapons, per Politico. Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, showed less patience. "There is a special place in hell for people who watch all this happen and choose to do nothing," he tweeted. In addition to the eight people killed, at least three of the wounded are in critical condition, per NBC News. Survivors described the trauma. "I've never witnessed anything like this," a worker at a mall restaurant said, adding, "I already suffer from anxiety and seizures." Steven Spainhouer said he reached the mall before first responders, after receiving a call from his son. He saw a girl crouched in the bushes. "I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face," Spainhouer said. A Texas Democrat in Congress tweeted: "Children's bodies stacked on a sidewalk. A child's face blown off. My God, what will it take for my ?@GOP? colleagues to join us and finally act?" And Rep. Veronica Escobar referred to the debate about prayers, saying the community of Allen is in hers. "I also pray that my country demands change," she said. (Read more mass shootings stories.) The Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a longtime regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister to Sunday's gathering. Thirteen out of the league's 22 member states sent their foreign ministers to the meeting in Cairo. But the decision represented a victory for Damascus, albeit a largely symbolic one, the AP reports. Given that Western sanctions against Assad's government remain in place, the return to the Arab League is not expected to lead to a quick release of reconstruction funds in the war-battered country. Syrias membership was suspended early on during the 2011 uprising against Assad's rule that was met by a violent crackdown and quickly turned into a civil war. The conflict has killed nearly a half-million people and displaced half of the country's prewar population of 23 million. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement that the decision, which will allow Assad to take part in the group's May 19 summit, is part of a gradual process of resolving the conflict. "This doesn't mean that the Syria crisis has been resolved, on the contrary," he said. "But it allows the Arab (states) for the first time in years to communicate with the Syrian government to discuss all the problems." Opponents of the move include the US, per Axios. Aboul Gheit said this does not mean all Arab countries have normalized relations with Damascus. "These are sovereign decisions for each state individually," he said. Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous argued Sunday that Syria had been the victim of "misinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies" for 12 years. Opponents of Assad saw the move toward normalization as a betrayal. Laila Kiki of the Syria Campaign, an international advocacy group, said the move "cruelly betrayed tens of thousands of victims of the regime's war crimes and granted Assad a green light to continue committing horrific crimes with impunity." The Arab League generally tries to reach agreements by consensus but sometimes opts for simple majorities. Sunday's session was held behind closed doors, and it was not immediately clear which countries had objected. (Read more Syria stories.) We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Israeli forces on Sunday demolished a Palestinian primary school in the occupied West Bank citing safety issues, drawing sharp criticism from the European Union which had funded the project. Palestinians hurled rocks at Israeli forces who fired tear gas at them, as bulldozers moved in on the site at Jabbet al-Dhib village near Bethlehem. The EU said it was "appalled" after Israeli forces arrived at dawn at the school site, which a Palestinian Authority official said served 45 students and consisted of five classrooms. A caravan and classrooms constructed of tin sheeting were cleared out of their contents before the demolition, an AFP correspondent said. COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the occupied territories, imposed in March a two-month deadline to vacate the premises following an order by a Jerusalem court. The body had alleged that the school had been "built illegally" and posed a "safety hazard". Ahmed Naser, a Palestinian education ministry official, told AFP the school had replaced another school demolished by Israel in 2019. Naser noted its remote location, which he said prevents the "displacement and forced eviction" of local Palestinians, charging that Israel "wants to confiscate these lands". The EU called on Israel to "halt all demolitions and evictions, which will only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment". "Demolitions are illegal under international law, and children's right to education must be respected," the office of the EU representative to the Palestinian Territories said in a statement. In January, a group of United Nations experts had called for action to stop Israel's "systematic and deliberate" demolition of Palestinian structures. "Direct attacks on the Palestinian people's homes, schools, livelihoods and water sources are nothing but Israel's attempts to curtail the Palestinians' right to self-determination and to threaten their very existence," the experts said in a statement. Mubarak Zawahrah, head of the Beit Tamar local council where the school was located, told AFP Israeli authorities had agreed a stay on the demolition pending a court appeal on Wednesday. "But the Israeli army ignored that and just demolished it," he said, adding that the students would now have to travel to another village for classes. COGAT and Israeli group Regavim said the demolition was the result of a petition filed by the right-wing organisation whose mission, according to its website, includes "the protection of Israel's national lands". Search Keywords: Short link: TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday congratulated King Charles III after witnessing the 1,000 years old tradition alongside world leaders in Westminster Abbey. HM King wished Charles III good health, happiness and continued success in leading the United Kingdom towards further progress, development and achievement- the foundation of which was laid by Queen Elizabeth II. HM King affirmed that Bahrains participation in the historic and solemn event embodies the bonds of the close ties and unite the two royal families and two friendly countries. Bahrains participation, HM King said, also solidifies the strategic bilateral relations and partnership that dates back more than 200 years. His Majesty said Bahrain is determined to continue working with King Charles III to support and develop these ties in a way that serves the interests of the two countries and friendly people. King Charles III thanked HM King for attending the ceremony and his wishes, stressing the depth of the close historical ties between the two kingdoms. Charles III wished HM King Hamad abundant health and wellness, and the People of Bahrain further progress and prosperity. HM King and HRH Prince Salman had also participated in a reception hosted on the eve of coronation at Buckingham Palace. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Report by Zahra Ayaz Bahrainis who wish to perform Hajj have until the 10th of this month to register for this years pilgrimage, the Head of Bahrains Hajj delegation said. According to Sheikh Adnan bin Abdullah Al-Qatan, pilgrims must register their names by Wednesday through one of the licenced campaigns to obtain Hajj permits. He further stressed that requests received after the deadline will get rejected. Sheikh Al-Qattan emphasized the importance of feeding the Saudi electronic system with all necessary information and following guidelines established by the Ministry of Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Saudi had earlier said having no limits on the number of pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj season, reversing earlier restrictions prompted by the COVID-19. Qatar, an outspoken opponent of President Bashar al-Assad, said on Sunday it would not normalise relations with the Syrian government despite its readmission to the Arab League. The Gulf emirate has long argued against renewing ties with Syria but fell in with the unanimous consensus at an Arab League foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo earlier Sunday. The Arab bloc ended a more than decade-long suspension of Syria. Qatar's position on "normalisation with the Syrian regime has not changed," said foreign ministry spokesman Majid bin Muhammad Al-Ansari. He told the state Qatar News Agency that the government would not be "an obstacle" to the Arab move but any individual normalisation would be linked to political progress that "fulfills the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people." Assad's government must "address the roots of the crisis that led to its boycott, and to take positive steps towards addressing the issues of the Syrian people," the spokesman added. Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 after Assad ordered a brutal crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising, which spiralled into a conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions, and drew in foreign powers. While Syria's front lines have mostly quietened, large parts of the country's north remain outside government control, and no political solution has yet been reached to the 12-year-old conflict. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the 22-member Arab League, said Syria's return to the body is "the beginning... not the end of the issue", he added, noting it was up to individual countries to decide whether to resume ties with Damascus. Qatar has given significant support to Syrian opposition groups which have taken over the Syrian embassy in Doha. Even as other Arab countries moved toward renewing ties with Assad's government, the Qatari spokesman condemned to the Qatari media what he called "crimes" by the Damascus government and added that "We need a real price to be paid to the Syrian people." Search Keywords: Short link: Agencies | Cairo The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) has participated in the Seventh International Festival for the Ideal Mother, which was held in Luxor, Egypt. The event was organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, Mohammed Bin Rashid Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, the Meshwar Development Foundation and Luxor University. During the festival, Afaf Mahmood Al-Musawi, the representative of Bahrain, was granted the Ideal Mother Award, in recognition of her efforts and giving. On the occasion, RHF Secretary-General, Dr. Mustafa Al-Sayed, expressed pride in the success of Afaf Al-Musawi in winning the award, which confirms the kingdom's support for mothers, and reflects the RHF's role in providing all forms of care for widows and orphans, as a result of the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the interest of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the efforts of HM the King's Representatives for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Afaf Al-Musawi extended heartfelt thanks and appreciation to HM the King for his fatherly care for the RHF-sponsored families, praising the support of the government, led by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the RHF, and the interest of HH Shaikh Nasser in providing all kinds of care for its affiliates. She asserted that their constant support to all widows and orphans has helped her to achieve success and win the prestigious award. She also expressed thanks to Dr. Al-Sayed for his constant support for the RHF-sponsored families and keenness to follow up on their affairs. She also paid tribute to all the RHF employees for their keenness to carry out their duties to the fullest, as reflected in the quality services they deliver. AFP | Colombo The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered the early release of nearly 1,000 prisoners to mark the island's main Buddhist holiday, the prisons chief said Saturday. The pardons on Vesak Day, which commemorates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, applied only to those convicted of minor offences, said Commissioner-General Thushara Upuldeniya. "We released these inmates from 28 prisons across the country," Upuldeniya told AFP of the Friday evening releases. "There were 982 men and six women who walked free." The cash-strapped South Asian nation is holding official Vesak celebrations for the first time in five years. Festivities were cancelled in 2019 after Islamic extremists carried out Easter Sunday suicide bombings that claimed 279 lives at churches and hotels in the capital Colombo. Official events marking the holiday were then put on hold by the Covid-19 pandemic and last year's economic crisis, the worst since independence from Britain in 1948. The island defaulted on its $46 billion foreign debt in April 2022 -- one of a chain of events that led to the ouster of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa -- but secured a $3.0 billion IMF bailout in March this year. Sri Lanka has declared a week of celebrations to mark Vesak, which fell on Friday, the first full moon of May, and banned the sale of alcohol over the weekend. The island's jails are overcrowded. There were nearly 27,000 inmates at the start of May in facilities designed to hold 11,000, according to official data. Contributed / Courtesy of the Danbury Fire Department DANBURY One person was injured Saturday in a two-car crash at the corner of Lake and Well avenues, officials said. The collision took place at 5:20 p.m. and caused one of the vehicles to roll onto its side, trapping the driver, according to a Facebook post by the Danbury Fire Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Serbia's education minister submitted his resignation Sunday following two mass shootings, one of them at a primary school, that left 17 people dead, and the country's government urged citizens to turn in all their unregistered weapons or run the risk of a prison sentence. Education Minister Branko Ruzic was the first Serbian official to resign over the shootings despite widespread calls for more senior officials to step down in the wake of the back-to-back bloodshed. Ruzic cited the catastrophic tragedy that has engulfed our country in explaining his decision. Weekend funerals were held for the nine victims of the shootings at the school in Belgrade, Serbia's capital, on Wednesday and the eight people killed in a rural area south of the capital on Thursday night. The violence, which also wounded 21 people, has stunned and anguished the Balkan nation, which tops the European list of registered arms per capita but had its last mass shooting a decade ago. Soon after the first attack, Ruzic was quick to blame the cancerous, pernicious influence of the internet, video games, so-called Western values. Such criticism is common in Serbia, which has refused to fully face its role in the wars of the 1990s that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbian war criminals are largely regarded as heroes, and pro-Russia and anti-Western sentiment have thrived in recent years as members of minority groups routinely face harassment and sometimes physical violence. Serbias last mass shooting was in 2013, when a war veteran killed 13 people. The assailant in Wednesday's violence, the countrys first mass school shooting, was a 13-year-old boy who opened fire on his fellow students, killing seven girls, a boy and a school guard. The next day, a 20-year-old man fired randomly in two villages in central Serbia, killing eight people. Both he and the boy in the primary school attack were apprehended. The boy is too young to be criminally charged and was placed in a mental clinic. The man, identified as Uros Blazic, faces charges of first-degree murder and unauthorized possession of guns and ammunition. The motives of the attacks remain unknown. Blazic, who was arrested wearing a pro-Nazi T-shirt, told prosecutors during questioning on Saturday that he shot people he didnt personally know because he wanted to sow fear among residents, Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported. While the country struggles to come to terms with its past and the recent shootings, authorities promised a gun crackdown and said they would boost security in schools and all over the country. On Sunday, the Interior Ministry said individuals could hand over illegally kept weapons between Monday and June 8th without facing any charges. Those who ignore the order will face prosecution and if convicted, potentially years behind bars, government officials have warned. We invite all citizens who possess illegal weapons to respond to this call, to go to the nearest police station and hand in weapons for which they do not have proper documents, police official Jelena Lakicevic said. The voluntary surrender applies to all firearms, explosive devices such as grenades, weapon parts and ammunition that people keep illegally at their homes, Lakicevic said. In his third address to the nation since the killings, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Sunday, We expect to get millions of bullets that way." The populist leader also criticized the political opposition for planning protests against his government for its handling of the crisis, saying that displays of division at such a time is done nowhere in the world. Its bad for the country. Opposition politicians have accused Vucic of undermining the rights of the two accused shooters to fair trials by predicting that the 20-year would "never again see the light of the day and releasing medical information about the 13-year-old along with the salaries of his parents. The opposition also alleged that the president was using his televised addresses to the nation to promote harsh emergency measures that are anti-democratic and illegal. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday that there are no good options for the United States to avoid an economic calamity if Congress fails to raise the nation's borrowing limit of $31.381 trillion in the coming weeks. She did not rule out President Joe Biden bypassing lawmakers and acting on his own to try to avert a first-ever federal default. Her comments added even more urgency to a high-stakes meeting Tuesday between Biden and congressional leaders from both parties. Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads over whether the debt limit should even be the subject of negotiation. GOP lawmakers, led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, are demanding spending cuts in return for raising the borrowing limit, while Biden has said the threat of default shouldn't be used as leverage in budget talks. Yellen, interviewed on ABC's This Week," painted a dire picture of what might happen if the borrowing limit is not increased before the Treasury Department runs out of what it calls extraordinary measures to operate under the current cap. That time, she said, is expected to come in early June, perhaps as soon as June 1. Whether its defaulting on interest payments that are due on the debt or payments due for Social Security recipients or to Medicare providers, we would simply not have enough cash to meet all of our obligations, she said. And its widely agreed that financial and economic chaos would ensue." An increase in the debt limit would not authorize new federal spending. It would only allow borrowing to pay for what Congress has already approved. Biden's White House meeting with McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will be the first substantive talks between Biden and McCarthy in months. House Republicans on April 26 passed a bill that would raise the debt limit but impose significant federal spending cuts. But those cuts are unlikely to win the support of all Republicans in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and Biden has said he will only negotiate about government spending once Congress takes the risk of default off the table. Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who left the Democratic Party in December, encouraged Biden and McCarthy to meet each other half way. Theres not going to be just a simple clean debt limit the votes dont exist for that, she told CBSs Face the Nation. So the sooner these two guys get in the room and listen to what the other one needs, the more likely they are to solve this challenge and protect the full faith and credit of the United States of America. Yellen was asked on ABC whether Biden could bypass Congress by citing the Constitutions 14th Amendment that the validity of U.S. debt shall not be questioned. Yellen did not answer definitively, but said it should not be considered a valid solution. We should not get to the point where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt. This would be a constitutional crisis, she said. What to do if Congress fails to meet its responsibility? There are simply no good options," she added. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., agreed about the risks of invoking the 14th Amendment, He told ABC that the Constitution is very clear that spending -- all those details around spending and money actually has to come through Congress. He criticized Biden for not being willing to negotiate on spending cuts, arguing the debt limit exists to force a broader conversation on government outlays. Its about not just debt thats incurred, the senator said. But its also raising the limit of what we can continue to be able to add on this. The 14th Amendment question was studied by Obama administration lawyers during the 2011 debt limit showdown, which informed Bidens refusal to negotiate now with Republicans on raising the debt limit. At the time, Justice Department lawyers said they did not believe the president had the unilateral power to issue new debt. Biden, in an interview with MSNBC on Friday, was asked about the 14th Amendment proposal, saying, Ive not gotten there yet. Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and the committee's top Democrat, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, told CNN's State of the Union that the debt limit debate posed a national security threat. The Russians and the Chinese would seek to exploit it, Himes said. "The United States has never really come close defaulting on its debt before. So its hard for us to imagine what that might look like." Turner argued that Biden would bear the brunt of the responsibility. I think if the president fails to negotiate with Congress and has continued out-of-control spending that threatens our economy, that it is a national security threat, he said. One of Connecticuts most expensive business tax credit programs which has awarded over $1.5 billion to the film, television and digital media industry since its inception in 2007 appears to have lost money in 2022, as it has for over a decade running. But the Department of Economic and Community Development recommends continuing the programs, which include a credit of up to 30% on production-related spending and another credit of up to 20% aimed at incentivizing construction of new production facilities. DECD is slated to present its annual report, an impact analysis of the states array of business incentive programs, to a joint legislative committee Friday. At last years presentation, then-commissioner David Lehman suggested lawmakers consider dialing back the tax incentives for film, television and digital media. This year, under Commissioner Alexandra Daum, DECD may be changing its tune. In the annual report, agency analysts used a new methodology to calculate the film tax credit programs impact in fiscal year 2022, starting with larger estimates of both the number of jobs created in the sector and the state revenue gained per job, relative to previous annual report estimates. Even with those adjustments, Connecticuts Film and Digital Media Production Tax Credit essentially broke even last year, according to the report. The Film Infrastructure Tax Credits fiscal impact amounted to a net loss of $11.5 million. In an emailed response to questions, DECD spokesman Jim Watson said the estimated number of jobs attributable to the film and digital media credit was conservative, adding that it was not limited to the productions that claimed credits in FY22. And the price tag on the infrastructure credit, he said, should not be viewed as a complete picture of the incentives impact. The film tax credit endures Getting a complete picture of the film tax credits impact has been a challenge for Connecticut lawmakers. In its 2019 annual report, DECD found that over the previous decade, the average economic impact of the Film and Digital Media Production Tax Credit amounted to a loss of $58.5 million in net revenue per year well over half a billion dollars in all. Rather than issuing a recommendation that year, the department commissioned a consultancy to study the industrys economic impact while the credit remained intact. That study, which came out last year, found that the industry had generated economic benefits for Connecticut that would not have occurred in the absence of the incentive program. Still, just a few months later, DECDs Lehman recommended phasing it out. Lehman noted that on a per-capita basis, the cost of Connecticuts film industry tax incentives was second only to one other state, Georgia, where a recent audit revealed waste and poor management within the program. In California, legislative analysts have found the economic impact of that states film tax credit program to be unclear. Then, last year, New Jersey expanded its tax credit from 30% to 35% in certain counties. Producers in Connecticut said they immediately experienced fallout as productions left the state to chase lower-cost locations. That led to robust lobbying efforts this year from the Connecticut Film and TV Alliance, a growing coalition of producers, actors and technicians. The group is seeking a credit program similar to what New Jersey is offering. Instead, lawmakers put forward a narrower proposal. House Bill 6929 would allow companies to apply more credit toward sales and use taxes they owe; it would also lend transparency to the program, requiring recipients to report details annually about the jobs they create. (A separate legislative proposal, which sought to phase out the film tax credit program, died in the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee before receiving a public hearing.) Industry advocates, including labor unions representing actors and production workers, havent let up in their push for the higher credit. Jonathan Black, a producer and vocal member of the Alliance, said the group planned a meeting with legislative leaders this week. Lawmakers will have a chance to dig deeper into DECDs recommendation, and the programs costs and benefits, during the departments presentation Friday. Still, with a brand-new methodology for calculating the credits impacts, the agency may not be able to provide definitive answers. Connecticut Voices for Children, a longtime opponent of the film industry incentives, has repeatedly pointed out that the states pre-2022 estimates showed losses of nearly $80 million a year in revenue from the various film, TV and digital media credits. That more than offset the average total gain from the other major business assistance tax credit programs, CT Voices policy director Patrick OBrien wrote in testimony to the legislature on H.B. 6929. In fiscal year 2022, Connecticut paid out more than $144 million in film tax credits a figure CT Voices has noted is higher than the $125 million the state spent on the child tax credit. Hearst Connecticut Media Drivers on I-84 in Hartford might have noticed a peculiarly spelled exit sign in September, however, this is not the first (or second) time the Nutmeg State has seen a highway sign that was a little off. The sign for Exit 45 to Flatbush Avenue was misspelled as "Flatbnsh Avenue." Turnover has been a consistent concern for many area municipalities, including local police chiefs made to answer to government officials for ballooning overtime costs caused by staff shortages. Retirements and resignations from the West Haven Police Department, for example, seldom are planned far ahead of time, according to Police Chief Joseph Perno. "We're surprised by every resignation," he said. During deliberations on the 2024 fiscal year budget, the West Haven City Council considered reducing a police separation fund budgeted for $250,000 next year $200,000 above the current year's spending projection of $50,000. Some council members said they felt that, based on the projection, the fund was overfunded while residents are also facing a tax increase Council police commission liaison Robert Bruneau, D-9, shared his worries that the city might regret reducing that fund. "You dont know who is going to retire," he said. The measure to reduce the fund ultimately failed when it was discovered that the projection was wrong because of some incorrect assumptions. Currently, West Haven's police force has 111 budgeted officer positions below the rank of sergeant, but only 95 who are available due to various considerations such as medical leave or academy training. Perno said the department is not budgeted to excess, and every position would have a part to play in the department's policing operation. "Every person has a spot. There's no extra in there," Perno said. In Hamden, the police department had its staffing reduced by three sworn officers in the 2023 fiscal budget and still began the year with more than a dozen vacancies. Yet officials with the East Haven Police Department said the department does not have retirement concerns. "The East Haven Police Department has not had any retirements in the last fiscal year and we do not anticipate any in the upcoming fiscal year. We are a relatively young department although a few retirements are anticipated in the next few years," said department spokesman Capt. Joseph Murgo. "We do our best to recruit through social media campaigns and career fairs," Murgo said. "We have also modified our hiring process to an open enrollment rolling process. We now allow potential applicants to apply all year-round and have moved away from the traditional process where the town opens and closes the application process." Murgo said the department has three vacancies. New Haven police officials reported they are expecting their first overall net gain in staffing this year, which Police Chief Karl Jacobson said had steadily decreased for years due to attrition. "We're at 347 right now, and by the end of fiscal year if all goes well we should be up to over 360 to 370," he said. "You logistically need almost 30 officers a year to replace the ones that are leaving. Over the last few years we didnt meet those standards, and weve gone lower and lower. This year were going to meet at least what we lose." New Haven police Sgt. Paul Finch, supervisor of recruitment for the department, said a lot of the department's recruitment strategy is down to making it attractive to applicants from a labor perspective. "Flexibility and quality of life is huge," he said. Jacobson said other municipalities with current police union contracts may be able to attract officers more easily, whereas New Haven's police union contract expired last summer. However, Jacobson said that at least two of eight officers who left for other departments during this fiscal year have begun the process of returning to the New Haven department. Finch said one tool New Haven's department has found useful in the recruitment process is offering more opportunities to applicants and prospective applicants, such as ride-alongs with sworn officers or free fitness training so that officers can pass the physical fitness component of academy training. Michael Lawlor, an associate professor and criminal justice reform expert at the University of New Haven and a member of the New Haven Board of Police Commissioners and the state's Police Officer Standards and Training Council, said police hiring and retention concerns are not unique to Connecticut. He said that even municipalities in Missouri, which signed a "law enforcement bill of rights" increasing legal protections for police officers facing charges of misconduct in 2021, have encountered difficulty in hiring police officers. Why are police departments having such a difficult time hiring? It's about replacing people who are retiring," he said. "What you find in most communities in Connecticut, and probably nationwide, is it's not a funding problem. There are funded vacant positions everywhere. Almost every police department in the country would be happy to hire as many officers as they could and theyve got the funding to do it." Despite that, Lawlor said he believes the hiring shortage is due to several factors, and the changing nature of how municipalities address pay and benefits is one of them. "It was a pretty comfortable income with benefits, including very good health insurance and retirement. Gradually over time those things have been reduced," he said. Now, many health insurance plans may have significant co-pays and many municipalities have shifted pensions away from having defined benefits into plans that are invested in the stock market. However, Lawlor said he believes it's possible a more significant reason why many municipalities are dealing with staffing shortages at this moment is due to the job of policing being at an "inflection point." "There's been a lot of transition in the way law enforcement is perceived. In the past there's no question there were lower standards to be a police officer and fewer expectations and a lot less oversight," he said. "In recent years the standards have increased, the training has multiplied, the expectations are much higher than they ever were before and the oversight is much more intense." Lawlor said the perception of the role of a police officer in society has changed, as have the needs of the job. "Many old-school police officers are not comfortable with this newly-defined role of police officers and dont want to stay around for that, whereas a lot of people who are motivated in different ways are coming on board, he said. He said he sees the job is starting to attract more applicants who view it as a rewarding opportunity where they use both people and critical thinking skills to address the needs and trauma of a community. In my view, your job is to prevent crime, not just to catch the bad guys," he said. "The main goal is to have less crime." Jacobson said that having qualified officers serving is a benefit to a city taking a community policing-based approach. "Community policing at its core is labor-intensive. The cops are what make community policing," he said. "You can have all the technology in the world, but if you're not walking beats and meeting people where they're at, it doesnt matter. The officers are what makes the difference. Another reason why hiring in police departments can be slow, Lawlor said, is because of the amount of training that is required. He said that, with many departments around the state, including the state itself, looking to make hires, academy seats often are limited and the process between being hired by a department and becoming a fully-fledged officer can take more than a year. During that process, he said, applicants are subjected to multiple stages including "intrusive" background checks, and a lot of winnowing occurs. There's a capacity to hire more than are being hired. The only limit is how many seats in the academy are available at a time and if you have candidates to fill them. It's not a budget problem, its a candidate-plus-seat in the academy problem, he said. Lawlor said his prediction for the future of the profession is that Connecticut departments will begin to hire more civilians to perform roles such as being crime scene investigators. You dont need a badge and a gun to write an accident report, he said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was in Seoul Sunday for a landmark summit with South Korea's president as the two countries seek to mend ties in the face of growing nuclear threats from Pyongyang. Kishida is making the first official bilateral visit by a Japanese leader to South Korea in over a decade. He first headed to Seoul's National Cemetery -- where war veterans, including from the fight against Japanese colonial rule, are buried -- to lay flowers and pay his respects. Kishida then went into summit talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has made resetting ties with Japan a top priority for his administration. Yoon was in Tokyo in March for a fence-mending visit. The East Asian neighbours, both crucial security allies of the United States, have long been at odds over historic issues linked to Japan's brutal 1910 to 1945 colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula, including sexual slavery and forced labour. Kishida said Sunday ahead of his departure that the two leaders were working to resume so-called "shuttle diplomacy" -- regular mutual visits and high-level talks -- paused for years during a bitter trade spat linked to the forced labour issue. During their March summit, Kishida and Yoon agreed to end tit-for-tat trade curbs, with Kishida inviting the South Korean leader to a G7 meeting in Hiroshima this month. Kishida said he was looking forward to "an honest exchange of views" with Yoon, "based on a relationship of trust". Yoon is expected to host a dinner party at the presidential residence -- likely serving Korean barbeque -- and he may even cook for Kishida, according to local reports. For Yoon, it is long overdue that the two countries "end the vicious cycle of mutual hostility and work together" to improve regional security, he told AFP in March before he flew to Tokyo. The fact that Kishida headed straight for Seoul's National Cemetery to pay his respects is noteworthy, Lim Eun-jung, an associate professor at Kongju National University, told YTN news. "It is a rare scene for a sitting Japanese prime minister to visit, so it makes me watch very closely." Forced labour dispute Yoon and Kishida are set to hold what Tokyo's leader said would be "candid discussions" about the tricky topic of forced labour, which torpedoed ties in 2018. That year, South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to compensate the wartime victims of forced labour, enraging Tokyo and triggering an escalating series of economic measures. But Yoon, who took office last year, has sought to bury the historical hatchet, earlier announcing a plan to compensate victims without direct involvement from Tokyo -- a move that was unpopular domestically. Dozens of South Koreans gathered Saturday and Sunday to protest Kishida's trip. The best possible outcome for Koreans would be for "Kishida to apologise in his own words," Benjamin A. Engel, research professor at the Institute of International Affairs at Seoul National University, told AFP. Efforts to mend ties come as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who last year declared his country an "irreversible" nuclear power, doubles down on weapons development and testing. Pyongyang has conducted a record-breaking string of launches in 2023, including test-firing the country's first solid-fuel ballistic missile -- a technical breakthrough. The United States and South Korea have in turn been ramping up their defence cooperation, staging a series of major military exercises including two trilateral drills involving Japan this year. Yoon also recently returned from a state visit to Washington, where he and US President Joe Biden agreed to boost the United States' nuclear defence of South Korea and improve cooperation with Japan. "By reinstating 'shuttle diplomacy,' President Yoon will achieve a significant diplomatic victory before his first year in office concludes," Tongfi Kim of the Brussels School of Governance wrote. "Barring diplomatic 'accidents' due to careless mistakes, Kishida's visit to South Korea will have a positive impact on the bilateral relationship and pave the way for deepening US-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation in the coming months." Search Keywords: Short link: BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) Police are preparing to arrest the hospitalized driver of an SUV that slammed into a crowd, killing eight people waiting for a bus Sunday outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. At least 10 others were injured, authorities said. With no bench at the unmarked city bus stop, some of the victims were sitting on the curb around 8:30 a.m. when the driver hit them, surveillance video from the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center showed. Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval, who confirmed the latest death Sunday evening, said police did not know whether the collision was intentional. Shelter director Victor Maldonado said the SUV ran up the curb, flipped and continued moving for about 200 feet (60 meters). Some people walking on the sidewalk about 30 feet (9 meters) from the main group were also hit, Maldonado said. Witnesses detained the driver as he tried to run away and held him until police arrived, he said. "This SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about 100 feet (30 meters) away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, said Maldonado, who reviewed the shelters surveillance video. Victims struck by the vehicle were waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the overnight shelter, said Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men, Maldonado said. Brownsville has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the last two weeks for unclear reasons, authorities said. On Thursday, 4,000 of about 6,000 migrants in Border Patrol custody in Texas Rio Grande Valley were Venezuelan. The driver was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained when the car rolled over, Sandoval said. There were no passengers in the car, and police didnt immediately know the drivers name or age, Sandoval said Sunday afternoon. Sandoval said there are three possible explanations for the collision: It could be intoxication; it could be an accident; or it could be intentional. In order for us to find out exactly what happened, we have to eliminate the other two. Hes being very uncooperative at the hospital, but he will be transported to our city jail as soon as he gets released," Sandoval said. "Then well fingerprint him and (take a) mug shot, and then we can find his true identity. Police retrieved a blood sample and sent it to a Texas Department of Public Safety lab to test for intoxicants. The surge in the number of migrants this week has prompted Brownsville commissioners to indefinitely extend a declaration of emergency during a special meeting Thursday. "We dont want them wandering around outside, Pedro Cardenas, a city commissioner, said Sunday after the crash. So, were trying to make sure theyre as comfortable as they can be so they dont have to go out and look for anywhere else. Brownsville has long been an epicenter for migration across the U.S.-Mexico border, and it has become a key location of interest for next week's end to pandemic-era border restrictions known as Title 42. The Ozanam shelter is the only overnight shelter in the city and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody. Maldonado said the center had not received any threats before the crash, but did afterward. I've had a couple of people come by the gate and tell the security guard that the reason this happened was because of us, Maldonado said. About 2,500 migrants have crossed through the river daily into Brownsville in the past few days, Cardenas said. He said the Border Patrol is aware of the citys capacity of 1,000 at their processing area near the crossing point and a downtown building where city employees and volunteers guide migrants on how to purchase bus or plane tickets to their final destinations. The city is considering expanding services to accommodate needs in the coming days, Cardenas said. While 80% of people released from federal custody leave the same day, the citys emergency management official said, a bottleneck has formed over the past few days. Most of the people coming across dont want to stay in Brownsville, but we dont have enough buses for them to buy their ticket to leave, Cardenas said. Some are waiting for family members. The Ozanam shelter can hold 250, but many who arrive leave the same day. In the last several weeks, an uptick in border crossings prompted the city to declare an emergency as local, state and federal resources coordinated enforcement and humanitarian response. In the last two months, weve been getting 250 to 380 a day, Maldonado said. While the shelter offers migrants transportation during the week, they also use the citys public transportation. Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, said in a statement shared Sunday afternoon: I hope that today serves as a wake up call, and that state officials will begin investing in a humanitarian response that might have helped the people who were impacted by this mornings tragedy." U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said Sunday that local officials are in communication with the federal government about the crash. We are all extremely sad and heartbroken to have such a tragedy in our neighborhood," he said. ___ Valerie Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas. Travis Loller contributed to this report from Nashville, Tenn. Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut HAMDEN A Quinnipiac University student was robbed at gunpoint early Saturday on a street a few miles north of the Mount Carmel campus, officials said. The armed robbery occurred shortly after midnight while the student was walking north on Whitney Avenue with a friend after leaving Aunt Chiladas Mexican Restaurant, according to Acting Hamden Police Chief Timothy Wydra. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SHELTON A cat died and a family was displaced after a fire at a Ripton Road home early Sunday morning, fire officials said. Firefighters responded to reports of a garage fire at a home on Ripton Road around 4:20 a.m. Sunday, the Shelton Fire Department said in a Facebook post. The department said first-arriving firefighters found the homes three-car garage up in flames, with the fire spreading to the home. Crews entered the home to find very minor fire extension into the home, but extensive heat damage, the post said. Three adults, one child and a dog were safely evacuated from the home, the department said. One cat died in the fire, however, according to the department. The fire took about a half-hour to extinguish, the department said. Firefighters later determined the home was not habitable. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced family. The cause of the fire is under investigation, the department said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DREXEL HILL, Pa. (AP) In the hours before he's due at Upper Darby High School, senior Khalid Doulat has time to say prayers, help his mother or prepare for track practice. It's a welcome shift from last year for him and thousands of students at the school, which pushed its start time back by more than two hours from a 7:30 a.m. start time to 9:45 a.m. One goal for the change: to ease strains on students that were more visible than ever coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ill be honest, Ive been much happier in the mornings, Doulat said. Ive been more positive, and Ive come to school smiling more rather than, you know, grudging out of bed and stuff like that at 7:30. The idea of later school start times, pushed by many over the years as a way to help adolescents get more sleep, is getting a new look as a way to address the mental health crisis affecting teens across the U.S. For some schools, the pandemic allowed experimentation to try new schedules. Upper Darby, for one, initially considered later start times in 2019. Ultimately, it found a way to do it this year by using distance learning as a component of the school day. As students first came back to in-person learning, many dealt with mental health struggles and behavioral issues, Upper Darby Superintendent Daniel McGarry said. Officials saw a breakdown in students respecting the authority of teachers in the classroom. We had a lot of those things that we were facing and were still working our way through it; were in a much better place, McGarry said. I think our kids feel better. Theyre not 100% better." But, he said, much of the social anxiety students felt after being in online school has dissipated. During the pandemic, soaring numbers of high school students expressed persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, with girls and LGBTQ+ youth reporting the highest levels of poor mental health and suicide attempts. It doesn't help that research suggests middle and high school students aren't getting enough sleep. These mental health challenges are already going to happen and then, with the absence of sleep, are much worse, said Orfeu Buxton, director of the Sleep, Health & Society Collaboratory at Penn State University. The same with decision making, suicidal ideation, those kinds of things. The reasons why high schools start as early as they do many begin their day before 7:30 a.m. are lost to the sands of history," Buxton said. But now, he said, everything is baked into that: traffic light patterns, bus schedules and adults work. Nationally, at least nine states are considering legislation related to school start times, up from four the previous year, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. California in 2019 became the first and only state to dictate school start times. Large school systems including Denver, Philadelphia and Anchorage, Alaska, have been looking into later start times. It can require innovation to forge a new schedule. At Upper Darby High, the school day technically still begins at 7:30 a.m., with students assigned coursework to be done remotely that ties into their lessons for the day. But they can use the early morning hours as they see fit they can meet with teachers during office hours, sleep in or finish other homework. Ultimately, the work assigned for the early morning needs to be done, but when is up to students. I think getting more sleep is definitely helping, Elise Olmstead, a junior. I would be more irritable throughout the day, especially later, because I have a lot of after-school things. I would just have a harder time getting through the day. The school day still ends by 3 p.m. Fatima Afrani, a freshman, said that when she gets home, shell usually relax, then help her mom or do homework. If Im tired I go to sleep, which was not something I was able to do last year. Last year I just had to get my homework done because there wasnt an option of being able to do it later, she said. And so I liked that if I was tired, I could listen to my body and just let myself sleep. Principal Matthew Alloway said educators have noticed fewer students sleeping in class. The new schedule also has allowed "kids to go to school for exactly what they need, he said. About 400 of the schools 4,250 students attend only through virtual learning an option it offered to compete with online schools. Critics have argued students have less instruction time in the new schedule. The original 80-minute periods have been shortened, but Alloway said that its not as if lectures always took up the full 80 minutes. It was sometimes a 60-minute concentrated instructional time. But then there was time to write. There was time to read. There was time to view a video, he said. Other challenges wrought by the pandemic teacher shortages, for one have also benefitted from the schedule change, administrators said. Teachers can take care of themselves and their families in the morning. Administrators have more time to replace staffers who call out sick. Doulat, the Upper Darby senior, said that even if students cant see the effects every day, theres been a big positive impact. Its such little changes in our daily lives that we dont notice it, he added. But they slowly start building up, and we actually see the difference within our own lives. ___ Brooke Schultz 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. ___ The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. It was Louis de Lorimiers first posting as an ambassador for Canada when he arrived in Lebanon in September 2005, after almost a quarter-century in the foreign service. His appointment came just a few months after then Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated in a truck bombing, and the relationship between Israel, the militant group Hezbollah and neighbouring Syria was tense. Political and military skirmishes between the various forces in the region were not uncommon, but de Lorimier didnt foresee he would be caught at the centre of Operation LION, Canadas largest international evacuation effort of its citizens to date. You did have violence to a certain extent on the border but nothing could suggest that it would go so far, recalls the retired career diplomat, now a fellow at the Montreal Institute of International Studies. Lebanon was a turning point. I think they really got the (evacuation) system much better organized after that. In July 2006, after Israels military attacked Hezbollah forces in Lebanon to retaliate for the killing and kidnapping of its soldiers, Ottawa came under heavy fire for what some criticized as chaotic and slow response to bring home its citizens stranded in the war zone. By the end of that August, 14,000 Canadians had been evacuated. Nearly 17 years later, after a civil war erupted in Sudan between the ruling government and a paramilitary group, the Canadian governments evacuation effort has once again raised the questions of its responsibilities to its citizens abroad and its readiness to save its people from harms way. Last Saturday, Canada ended its evacuation flights to bring Canadians home from Sudan amid escalating violence and deteriorating safety conditions. Over two weeks, of the 1,728 Canadians in Sudan who had registered with the government, more than 400 had been evacuated, with hundreds of others still looking for assistance. Canada continues to monitor the situation actively and will continue to provide assistance to Canadians and permanent residents wishing to depart Sudan, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement on Friday. Our officials will keep in contact with those who call on us for help. We will keep in touch using whatever is the most effective way to help them stay safe, be it phone, e-mail or text message. De Lorimier said taking care of Canadians abroad has always been a top priority for consular staff, who constantly monitor conditions on the ground and report them to Ottawa. One of our responsibilities is to have a plan in place to deal with social unrests and major events of that nature, or it could be earthquakes or natural disasters, and it goes as far as war, said de Lorimier, who headed the Lebanese mission until 2008 and then served as ambassador to Belgium and Mali before he retired in 2015. But what is obvious is that Canada doesnt have the assets in the region to deal as quickly as we have to deal with a huge crisis. There are many variables in an evacuation effort and officials have to constantly negotiate with the local security authorities to seek safe pathways for both Canadas personnel and citizens alike. I think most people do have unreasonable expectations. Sure, your government is there to protect you in every way possible. Obviously, its what we try to do. But the government also tells people, Well, youre responsible for your own safety first and foremost, said de Lorimier. If you go to a place where theres social unrest, or even war, well, there could be consequences. Theres only so much we can do. Thats why we have these warnings that in certain countries, youd better be careful. Its not that the government doesnt want to take care of people. But sometimes you have situations where you just cant. The operation in Lebanon was certainly unprecedented in terms of the scale. At the onset of the war, only 1,000 Canadians registered with the embassy, which quickly ballooned to 30,000 a week into the conflict. Although Lebanon was under complete blockade by the Israelis who bombed the main runway at the airport and blew up its fuel depots, Canadas strong diplomatic relationships with both countries assured safe pathways to bus its citizens to an evacuation spot and then repatriate them via Cyprus. In Sudan, however, de Lorimier said Canadian officials are dealing with two warring parties declaring ceasefires that never hold, and theres a complete breakdown in the rule of law. The only blessing is the main airport in the capital Khartoum seems to be working of late, letting Canada shift its emergency evacuation efforts toward assisted departures through commercial transportation to exit the country. Still, de Lorimier said there still could be a lot of uncertainty. For example, on the first day of the Lebanese evacuation, the Canadian government had initially secured six ships to each carry 250 people out of the Lebanons main port. However, at the last minute, the Turkish company that loaned the boats was not satisfied with the security assurances and decided to send just one ship. We had prepared more than 1,000 people to evacuate. Thats when the press reported in Canada that the operation was a mess. We got really bad press. Some people were complaining that we left them out in the sun and they didnt have water and they didnt have food. It was quite something, recalled de Lorimier, who didnt sleep for weeks then and was running on his adrenalin. We almost had a catastrophe because we had this 1,000 people that were waiting in a room. We werent expecting to give them room and board for a night. So you can imagine kids running around and older people, and we didnt even have enough restrooms. Canada recognizes dual citizenships and dual citizens are treated equally as their Canadian-born peers, but the Lebanese evacuation led to a public debate about whether these individuals birth country or adopted country is actually responsible for them. If theres a problem, is it not logical that he be supported by his birth country before being supported by the consular service of Canada, his country of adoption? asked de Lorimier. Yet in the end, anyone that had Canadian papers was evacuated. The evacuation effort would end up costing Canada $94 million, which also prompted prime minister Stephen Harpers Conservative government in 2009 to restrict the passage of Canadian citizenship by descent to the first generation of Canadians born overseas. In its post-mortem of the Lebanese operation, the Canadian Senate, made many recommendations, including urging Foreign Affairs officials to review and ensure adequate resources to missions in countries where the size of the Canadian population and regional risks are high. In hindsight, de Lorimier said he felt the Lebanese operation was provided with proper resources, with 200 Foreign Affairs staffers redeployed from outside Lebanon to assist with the evacuation, along with additional immigration and military personnel. People will always say theres not enough resources. Thats a tricky question. We evacuated 15,000 people and everybody made it no casualties, he noted. The first responsibility lies with you. You have to know what youre getting into and where youre going in terms of security, military and war and even tsunamis or earthquakes. Theres so many risks that you have to figure out and decide if you want to take the risk. SHARE: The latest high-profile mass shooting in the United States happened Saturday in Allen, Texas, where eight people were killed and seven were wounded at a busy outdoor shopping center before police killed the gunman. The attack is the country's 22nd mass killing, in which four or more people died, not including the assailant, of 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Here are some other notable US mass shootings over the past 12 months: Henryetta, Oklahoma An Oklahoma sex offender shot his wife, her three children and their two friends in the head on April 30 before he killed himself. The shooter had moved the victims' bodies, which were found in a heavily wooded area on a rural Oklahoma property. Cleveland, Texas A man shot and killed five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy, on April 28 after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because a baby was trying to sleep. The shooter was arrested after a multi-day manhunt. Bowdoin, Maine Four people were killed in a home and three others were wounded by gunfire April 18 on a busy highway in a neighboring community. A man who was released from prison a few days earlier is charged in the killings. Dadeville, Alabama Four young people were killed and 32 others were wounded by gunfire at a girl's Sweet 16 party in Dadeville on April 15. Police arrested two teenagers and a 20-year-old man on murder charges. Louisville, Kentucky An employee shot and killed five people and wounded eight others inside the Old National Bank in Louisville while livestreaming the attack on April 10. Police later shot and killed the gunman. Nashville, Tennessee Three students and three adults were killed inside The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27. The suspect, a former student, was killed by police. Half Moon Bay, California A farmworker killed seven people in back-to-back shootings at two Northern California mushroom farms on Jan. 23, authorities said. He is facing charges. Monterey Park, California A 72-year-old man killed 11 people and wounded nine others in a shooting at a Lunar New Year dance in Monterey Park on Jan. 21. The suspect later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Chesapeake, Virginia The manager at a Walmart in Chesapeake killed six people and wounded six others during an employee meeting on Nov. 22. Police say the suspect shot himself. Colorado Springs, Colorado An attacker shot and killed five people and wounded 17 others at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs on Nov. 19. The suspected assailant was subdued by patrons and is awaiting trial. Raleigh, North Carolina A 15-year-old boy shot and killed five people and wounded two others in Raleigh on Oct. 13, authorities said. The suspect eluded officers for hours before he was cornered in a home and arrested. Highland Park, Illinois Seven people were killed and at least 30 wounded when a gunman on a rooftop opened fire on a July 4 parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. The suspected gunman is awaiting trial. The suspect's father was indicted for helping his son obtain a gun license despite his son's history of making violent threats. Philadelphia Three people were shot and killed and 11 others were wounded on June 4 on a busy Philadelphia street during a melee that began with a fistfight and was followed by random gunfire. Two men were later arrested in two of the killings, and other people have been arrested in connection with the melee. Tulsa, Oklahoma A gunman killed his surgeon and three other people at a medical office on June 1. The shooter killed himself as police arrived. Uvalde, Texas An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School on May 24 in the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade. More than 15 other people were wounded. Law enforcement killed the attacker. Laguna Woods, California One person was killed and five were wounded on May 15 after a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners in Southern California. Authorities have said the gunman was motivated by hatred for Taiwan. He has been charged with murder and other counts. Buffalo, New York A white supremacist opened fire on May 14, 2022, at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood, killing 10 people and wounding several others. The shooter pleaded guilty to murder and other charges and was sentenced to life in prison. Search Keywords: Short link: MONTREAL - Quebecs Public Security Department says water levels across the province have started to decline, but warned the spring flood season is not yet over. The Outaouais region in western Quebec and the Laurentians region northwest of Montreal remain the most affected parts of the province, the department said Sunday. In Outaouais, 23 municipalities have been affected by flooding, while 18 have been affected in the Laurentians. East of the Laurentians, in the neighbouring Lanaudiere region, 15 municipalities have been affected by flooding, while in the Monteregie region, south and east of Montreal, 10 municipalities have been affected. Across the province, the situation is improving very well, given that weve had nice weather, dry weather, and this will continue for several days, Joshua Menard-Suarez, a civil security spokesman at the provinces Public Security Department, said Sunday. All watercourses are going down. Dry weather was forecasted to continue in the province until Wednesday. Some rivers that overflowed returned to their normal courses and have room to accommodate more precipitation without flooding again, Menard-Suarez said in an interview. Across the province, 88 municipalities have been affected by flooding and 625 people have been forced from their homes. In Gatineau, Que., the largest city in the Outaouais region, 137 residents are being housed by the Red Cross in hotel rooms after they were forced from their homes. The city said that while it expects floodwaters to begin receding soon, it asked residents to remain vigilant. Even though the situation is encouraging, it remains precarious, the city said in a news release Sunday. Water levels will remain high for another week or two, and could rise again if there is heavy rain. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Read more about: SHARE: Its a rule most people assume is already in place but there is nothing requiring kids to wear a life-jacket while in a boat. Its the case in all provinces, but proposed legislation in Ontario would change that requiring life jackets for children 12 and under while out on the water and making it the first province to enact such a law. Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari has introduced a private members bill, Joshuas Law (Lifejackets for Life), named in honour of a young boy from her riding who died in a boating accident. Its mandatory to have life jackets for everyone on a boat, but its not mandatory to wear them, she said, adding she was initially caught off guard because I didnt realize they werent mandatory for children. I think its just something that everyone assumed. She said about 80 per cent of people who died in boating accidents in Canada between 2008 and 2017 werent wearing a personal flotation device, and another five per cent were wearing one improperly. The bill has the support of all parties, and recently passed second reading unanimously. It is already the law in a number of U.S. states, as well as in Calgary after a bylaw there mandated life jackets for all ages when in a boat or other watercraft such as rafts or canoes. Violators face a mandatory court appearance and a fine of up to $500. Ghamaris bill would levy $200 fines against parents or guardians, but would exempt kids who are competing in activities such as supervised rowing races, or when in an enclosed cabin on board. Shes hoping it will pass before the summer cottage season gets under way but in the meantime is hoping the proposed bill itself will raise awareness. The idea was first proposed by now-retired Progressive Conservative MPP Norm Miller, who represented cottage country but his private members bill didnt pass before the 2022 provincial election. When I grew up, and with my children and grandchildren, theyre wearing a life-jacket while out on the water, Miller said in an interview. Having lived on the water pretty much all my life, and been around boats all my life, I think its something that you should be doing. Its common sense and it will save lives, he said in a telephone interview. Miller said he first got the idea from a friend, who is an Ontario Provincial Police helicopter pilot, when the two were on a canoe trip and discussed how part of his job was to search for bodies after boating accidents. Often it was kids, said Miller. It quite distressed him and he specifically asked me to do it. Five years ago, Joshua Steinburg, 11, was killed in a 2018 accident on the St. Lawrence River and since then, his mother Cara McNulty a constituent of Ghamaris has been urging the federal government to enact mandatory life jackets for youth. Joshua was with his dad and other family members, returning from running errands when waves hit their boat and it capsized. His body was found 49 days later. Its unfortunate that it takes a grieving parent to push for change, McNulty said in a public letter posted on Lifejackets for Life, an advocacy group she founded. Miller spoke with McNulty when he was creating his private members bill, and said it was supported by all sides, with good input from all parties but that was February (2022) and it was pretty close to a provincial election. I hope that it gets through the whole process this time. Ontario would be the first province to enact such a law. The Calgary bylaw requires everyone to don one while on a boat. Parachute Canada, an injury prevention charity, said it has been working at the national level for years, pushing for a life-jacket requirement across the country so it doesnt have to be every province doing it, said Chief Executive Officer Pamela Fuselli. She said the first step was to change federal legislation mandating one personal flotation device per person on a boat, and those of us working in injury prevention were saying thats kind of like a seatbelt in a car, youre not going to put it on until you are getting in a crash? It doesnt work like that. However, she said, there are different sizes of vessels and a lot more layers than you think about originally. But when were talking about kids its recreational boats and canoes and things like that that were worried about. So its focusing the language, on making sure were capturing what we want to capture and not going too far. Fuselli said that from an injury prevention standpoint, Ill tell you that it doesnt matter how old you are, or what trouble youre in, if you dont have a life-jacket or a PFD on when the boat gets into trouble, youre going to be in trouble. But I think the appetite for changing the regulations is with the kids and young, so thats where we are focusing. SHARE: Big Brother Naija ex-housemate, Erica Nlewedim, has revealed her ideal husband. The reality star disclosed that she would gladly marry a great cook. She disclosed this via her Twitter handle on Saturday. The 27-year-old wrote, If you are a good cook, Ill marry you. Her revelation elicited a lot of marriage proposals as several men thronged to the comment section to display their cooking skills. She was yet to react to any of the proposals at the time of filing this report. Recall that Erica recently cried out on social media after she lost all her expensive jewellery during a recent trip to South Africa. She said she could save only the one she was wearing at the airport. Suspended Manchester United forward, Mason Greenwoods possible next club has been revealed. According to The Sun, Juventus are reportedly among different European clubs interested in securing the services of Greenwood this summer. Greenwood, who was accused of domestic violence by his girlfriend, has been acquitted of all the charges and is keen to kick-start his professional career again. Juventus is eager to offer the England youngster a fresh start in Italy, with a long-term loan deal being mooted as the most likely scenario. The Serie A giants have already contacted Greenwoods representatives to express their interest in the 21-year-old. Greenwood has not featured for Man United since January 2022 and is training alone away from the clubs training facility, Carrington. His future at Man United remains uncertain after his alleged rape and assault charges were dropped back in February. Greenwood has two years left on his 75,000-a-week contract with Man United, but the Red Devils fear they will struggle to attract a serious fee if they decide to sell him this summer. The senator-elect from Imo North Senatorial District, Patrick Ndubueze, has joined the race for the position of Senate President ahead of the 10th Assembly inauguration. The Imo-born politician declared his intention in an open letter that he wrote to the ruling All Progressives Congress party and all the 109 Senators-elect to solicit their support to realise this vision. The development is coming less than two days after former Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, has said that he would not step down for the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godwin Akpabio, who is being considered for the APCs consensus arrangement. Ndubueze was first elected member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Okigwe Federal Constituency in Imo State in 1992 and has been touted as one of the loyalists of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State. In his notification letter issued to the APC National Working Committee and made available to newsmen on Sunday, the lawmaker thanked the national leadership of the party for giving a level playing field, especially to aspirants in the South, for equity and federal character. The senator-elect further disclosed that the Senate has grown into an icon of national democratic trajectory and had, over the years, shown a capacity to fulfil the huge expectations of Nigerians across all boards. The letter partly read, In respect of current realities in this time which requires sensitive leadership in the Senate in the moulds of focused leadership, one that is people-centric and supportive. Having been persuaded of my track record as a ranking legislator, a politician of more than 35 years standing and a personal character that had stood the test of time for integrity and commitment to the people, I, Engr. Patrick Ndubueze, being a ranking member of the National Assembly, do desire to offer myself to contest the office of the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly strongly believing in my capacity to stand in the roles of the leadership required at this time. I trust that you will bless my aspiration as declared with your active support through appropriate counselling, advice and networking, to ensure that this noble cause sees the light of the day. While I await your kind acceptance of my declaration of intention, sir, please, accept, the assurances of my esteemed regards. In a similar letter written to individual Senator-elect in the Red Chamber, Ndubueze noted that he has remained committed to the good cause of the Nigerian project in the last 32 years. This was even as the politician added that he has been consulting with critical stakeholders across the length and breadth of the country. He wrote, Distinguished Senator, over the last 32 years, I have remained committed to the good cause of the Nigerian project. And had always been persuaded that our sovereign advancement inclusive of the desired progressions of millions of Nigerians is better enabled through the instrumentality of appropriately engineered legislations which are superintended by a knowledgeable and motivated political head of the National Assembly who is equipped for thoroughness, moderation and vision-driven compassion. It is for these reasons, and their fulfilment, Distinguished Senator, that I have decided to declare my intention to contest the office of the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I do not treat this declaration lightly, Distinguished Senator. I, indeed, have been on a consultation frenzy with critical stakeholders across the length and breadth of our country to positive acclaim. This letter to your good self is in continuation of the consultation I had embarked upon, by which, I am of the hope that you will avail me a time to physically meet with you, even as I now canvass for your support and advice as we head to the day of the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly. While thanking you, profusely, for the opportunity of this engagement, Distinguished Senator, please accept my highest regards for your good self. Sources in his camp have, however, disclosed that Ndubueze may call an international press conference to officially declare for the seat of the Senate presidency. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senators-elect and the major opposition have rejected the choice of Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly. The opposition was reacting to the outcome of the eight-man caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC with the President-elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu on Friday morning at his residence in Abuja. The much-awaited zoning of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly was made public and has since elicited reactions. Akpabio was a two-time governor of Akwa Ibom on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress before he became the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Akpabio is set to be deputised by Senator Jibrin Barau from Kano. Similarly, Tajudeen Abass from Kaduna State has been tipped by the APC caucus as the Speaker of the lower legislative Chamber to be deputised by Benjamin Kalu from Abia State. Checks on Saturday found that Senator Barau and Abbas are from the North-West zone, a development that is seriously generating ripples in the APC. A newly elected Senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party from the South-South who pleaded anonymity spoke with newsmen and revealed that Akpabio is not in the good books of the party. He said: The choice of Akpabio is not acceptable to us. We are the major opposition in the 10th Senate and APC should listen to us. We dont want Akpabio. Only 3 out of 36 PDP Senators are backing Akpabio which I know, the Senators-elect are from Rivers State and governor Nyesom Wike urged them to support him. He is offering us money but we dont want his money because he is not principled. He will eventually sell out the Senate if allowed to be the Senate President, the source alleged. Remember what he did in 2018/2019. The PDP honoured him as a first-timer in the Senate by giving him an exalted position of Minority Leader. Without any just cause, save for his pocket and selfish interest, he abandoned the PDP midstream and joined APC. He was rewarded with a ministerial position. We cant trust such a person as a Senate President, he is unstable, the PDP Senator-elect from South-South claimed. DEAR ABBY: How do I get my husband of 20 years to stop lying and hiding things from me? I have tried explaining to him that when he lies or hides things, especially small petty stuff, it makes me wonder what else he has lied about. When I confront him after catching him in a lie, he flips the script to make it about me and makes me feel like I have done something wrong. He also tries to manipulate me by bringing up my past or boasting about how I will never find a better man. Im at a loss because he shows no compassion when I am visibly upset. He doesnt try to make things right, and he never admits to anything I call him out on. We end up in a huge fight/argument when I try to express my feelings. Please help. -- NOT MATTERING IN MICHIGAN DEAR NOT MATTERING: You are married to a classic narcissist who isnt going to change his pattern of gaslighting you. Make an appointment with a licensed mental health professional who can explain how unhealthy (for you) this marriage is and help you to rebuild your self-confidence. The truth is, there ARE better men out there, but you will never meet one until you are rid of the poor excuse for a man to whom you are currently married. *** DEAR ABBY: I want to thank you for a letter you published in 2007. It came from a woman saying her daughter had convergence insufficiency disorder, in which the eye drifts and causes double vision. I was 61 and had that problem, but I never knew what it was. I would get headaches from reading and did poorly in school. A teacher once suggested my mother have my eyes checked. The doctor gave me the standard eye chart test, which showed nothing. He recommended more tests, but Mom reasoned they would find nothing and be a waste of money. She insisted I was lazy, and believed corporal punishment would make me study harder. In 1980, after I had a family, I started night school. It was difficult, but I taught myself to focus on each word before moving to the next one. After you printed that letter, I went to an eye doctor who prescribed prism glasses, which made reading much easier. Many people have been diagnosed with this problem, but Im sure a lot more have not been diagnosed. Children can be given exercises to correct it, but the older a person gets, the less likely the exercises will help. Your column reaches a lot of people, and it would be nice if you could mention this again to help others the way you helped me. Thank you. -- BOB IN PENNSYLVANIA DEAR BOB: Among other things, my column is sometimes a community bulletin board. Im glad something you read here made your life better. Because good vision is increasingly important in our tech-focused world, it is to everyones benefit to have an eye examination once a year. Anyone with persistent vision problems should schedule an evaluation with an ophthalmologist or an optometrist so it can be corrected. *** MORE FROM DEAR ABBY: Dear Abby: I combat my inner pain by eating and Im ashamed of being so out of control Dear Abby: My longtime girlfriend and I broke up because we didnt agree on the definition of cheating Dear Abby: My 21-year-old sons lack of self-confidence keeps him from trying to date Dear Abby: When its not your news to share ... dont share *** Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. *** What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in What Every Teen Should Know. Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.) COPYRIGHT 2023 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION 1130 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500 One of New Jerseys burger bars is expanding. Jersey Citys Left Bank Burger Bar announced via Instagram its plans to open a second location this summer. The new concept, called Left Bank - Lafayette, is opening at 196 Pine St. in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood of Jersey City. The space formerly housed the breakfast eatery Sam A.M. Left Bank - Lafayette is expected to open in the summer, although an exact date has yet to be announced. The flagship burger joint has grown popular amongst locals since its 2013 debut at 194 Newark Ave. Left Bank is known for its variety of specialty burgers such as the Hangover Cure, the M.A.C. Daddy, the Bankrupt and the Meltdown, to name a few. Patrons can build their own burgers, as well. Its menu also includes turkey burgers, veggie burgers, chicken wings, fries, salads and more. The eaterys Wu-Tang Clan-inspired GhostFace Killer burger landed the 23rd spot on NJ.coms 2022 ranking of New Jerseys 31 greatest burgers. RELATED STORIES ABOUT RETAIL AND SHOPPING: Tilted Kilt shutters its last remaining N.J. spot Surf Taco closes another N.J. spot Chick-Fil-A announces opening date for new N.J. spot Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisBurch856. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tip One man was killed and three were injured in a quadruple shooting in Newark early Sunday morning, officials said. Newark Police were called to the 300 block of Orange Street just before 3 a.m. for a reported shooting, the Essex County Prosecutors Office said on Sunday. Julius K. Ferguson, 38, of Newark, was pronounced dead on the scene at 3:20 a.m., prosecutors office said. Three other men were taken to University Hospital with injuries of undisclosed severity. Additional information about the shooting was not made available Sunday afternoon. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information can call the Essex County Prosecutors Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch. Art Crawl Downtown, a Jersey City evening walking tour of some of the citys best art showcases, welcomes visitors on Thursday, May 11, when artist studios and exhibition spaces in the Powerhouse Arts District and the Hamilton Park area will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. Among the exhibitions on view will be a group show of Art Fair 14C artists in the gallery at Art150, and live still-life painting by Thomas Carlson of the Jersey City Art School. You can start the event at one of the two open studios participating: elevator, which is located on floors 3 to 5 at 135 Erie St., or Art150, at 157A 1st St., entrance at 1st & Provost. When you begin the tour at your starting destination, take a sticker that shows youre participating. Participating galleries include Novado Gallery, 110 Morgan St., which will be hosting the opening reception for Berths and Ghosts, a solo exhibition of paintings by Philadelphia-based artist Brooke Lanier. Some of the artists whose work you can see at Art150 are Frank Ippolito; J.Heloise; Kim Bricker; Josh Urso; Georgina Billington Studio; Mindy Gluck; Kirkland Bray; Alexandra Alvarez; DB Amorin; EGGMAN; Michi Muzyka; Lawrence Ciarallo; Megan Maloy; Guillermo Bublik; Lucy Rovetto; and Deb Sinha. Also at Art150 is the Pro Arts Annual Curators Choice Exhibition with Alexandra Alvarez, Candy Le Sueur, Edward Fausty, Eugenio Espinosa, Josue Morales Urbina, Peter Delman, and Winifred McNeill. Its curated by Katelyn Halpern of Smush Gallery. The opening reception for the exhibit will take place during the Art Crawl from 5 to 9 p.m. The Outliers Gallery at Art 150 has an opening reception for Francisco Silvas new solo show Food for Thought, a series of small, affordable paintings of food that everyone loves. Theres also the Chaos & Clarity | Light & Shadow in the main gallery at Art 150, a special exhibition of works by Art Fair 14C artists as a fundraiser to support Jersey City Art Week (October 11-15, 2023). Carlson of the Jersey City Art School will be live painting customized still lifes during the Art Crawl in support of Art Fair 14C for Hudson Gives. At elevator, floors 3-5,135 Erie St., youll see work by Shamona Stokes, Ben Fine, Stephen Wuensch, Michael Browne, Brian Wiseman, Rebecca Johanson, Lori Perbeck, Carly Silverman, Alex Bingham, Barbara Seddon, Wendy Setzer, Sarah Ordway, Melissa Cate, Barc the Dog, John Tokar, Mia Malmad, Sue Nilsson Photography, JC Print Room, and Robyn Prezioso. Art House Gallery at 345 Marin Blvd. will have Dont Say Other, an exhibition of new works by Diana Schmertz, and will have its opening reception on Saturday, May 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. The new works by Schmertz are a response to recent events in the U.S. such as the numerous state laws passed restricting access to books in schools, and Floridas Parental Rights in Education Bill and Dont Say Gay bill. Canopy Hotel at 159 Morgan St. will have works by Chinny Bonds Studies of Chaos. The Box Gallery at 150 Bay St. will have a closing reception for its group art show featuring emerging artists from New York and New Jersey showcasing paintings, collages, sculptures, and photography. Art Wall JC at Cool Vines, 350 Warren St., will host Apartment Therapy, which features watercolors by Kevin Darmanie. Line and Vine will also be hosting a Paint and Sip at Cool Vines from 6 to 8 p.m. Gallerie Hudson at 197 Newark Ave. will have Post-Pan: A Pandemic Retrospective, with works by Pat Marino. Several restaurants in the downtown area will also be participating during the event. Departed Soles will be at Art150 during Art Crawl hours. Canopy Hotel, 159 Morgan St., will offer a 20 percent discount at the bar and bistro for art crawlers with stickers. Downtown Yogurt, 126 Newark Ave., will have buy one FroYo and toppings creation and get one free of equal or lesser value. Two Boots Pizza, 133 Newark Ave., will have a 10 percent discount on food and drinks. Skinners Loft, 146 Newark Ave., will have 10 percent discount on food and drinks. Hamilton Pork, 247 10th St., will have $10 margaritas for art crawlers. You can sign up to participate in the Art Crawl at https://artfair14c.com/art-crawl. 14C held two Art Crawls in 2022 and had their first downtown crawl in 2023 on Feb. 9. Another is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 22. Joanna Arcieri, Art Fair 14Cs Director of Operations, said the group will continue to do more art crawls in Downtown Jersey City in 2024 and is optimistic that they can bring the crawl to another Jersey City neighborhood as well thanks to the Arts Trust Fund grant, which was announced on May 1. Mayor Steven Fulop and the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund Committee awarded $1 million in grants to support 88 artists, educational arts programs, and arts organizations throughout Jersey City. May 11 is also HudsonGives, an annual giving day for Hudson County nonprofits. Art Fair 14C will once again participate in this years event with more than a dozen charities. What does one wear to a coronation? For senior royals like Queen Camilla and Kate, the Princess of Wales, the theme was pale, subdued dresses to let their regal robes and glittering jewelry do the talking. Camilla, who was crowned alongside King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, wore an embroidered silk gown in ivory, silver and gold tones with a short train by Bruce Oldfield a British designer favored by the royal family with matching shoes. Kate wore an ivory silk crepe dress by British fashion house Alexander McQueen under her cobalt blue and red Royal Victorian Order mantle, or robe. She didnt wear a tiara, instead opting for a large silver and crystal headpiece designed by milliner Jess Collett in collaboration with McQueen. She also sported pearl and diamond earrings belonging to Williams late mother, Princess Diana. Her 8-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, wore a similar headpiece and ivory McQueen dress with cape, embroidered with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to represent the four countries of the United Kingdom. Many of the guests opted for eye-catching pastel outfits that provided cheerful pops of color in the wet grey weather. U.S. first lady Jill Biden wore a cornflower blue skirt suit by Ralph Lauren, with a matching hairpiece and gloves. She appeared with her granddaughter Finnegan Biden, who wore a yellow dress with matching cape by New York label Markarian. Pink was a particularly popular choice for many. Frances Brigitte Macron chose a pale pink short dress with matching coat, by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton. Spains Queen Letizia also opted for pink, sporting a skirt suit with peplum frills, matching heels, and a large stylish hat. Pop star Katy Perry, who is due to perform at a coronation concert Sunday, wore a Vivienne Westwood jacket with matching tailored skirt. She styled the tailored look with a headpiece featuring a crinoline base with a layer of tulle and merry widow veiling, adorned with a ribbon bow. British lawmaker Penny Mordaunt, who carried the sword of state during the coronation ceremony, stole the show with a striking teal blue cape dress and hat embroidered with gold ferns. Prince Harry, who attended the ceremony without his wife, Meghan, wore a custom three-piece black and grey tail suit by Dior. Search Keywords: Short link: For more than 60 years, the Barnegat Lightship flashed its familiar signal to ships as they made their way along the New Jersey coast, up to New York Harbor or down to Chesapeake Bay. From 1904 to 1967, the floating lighthouse weathered every storm and survived every near miss from the ocean liners, cargo ships and fishing boats that often passed too close for comfort. Initially stationed off Cape May, the Barnegat spent most of its seagoing life anchored seven miles off the tip of Long Beach Island, offering safe passage to ships at night with its signature rotating flash: Eight seconds on. Two seconds off. One blast of the steam whistle every 20 seconds. During the day, the bright red hull with the white letters that spelled Barnegat was all a mariner needed to see to know where he was. But in fog, all bets were off. Ships were supposed to stay at least two miles away, but in fog they would come in close, recalled John Hedgepeth, 84, a Tuckerton resident who was stationed aboard the Barnegat with the U.S. Coast Guard from 1965 to 1967. So close that I couldnt see the ship, but I could hear the propeller wash. And thats too close. Hedgepeth was a part of a small crew numbering about seven Coast Guard sailors who manned the Barnegat, standing lookout on the bridge for ships and keeping fire watch down below. Crews alternated every two weeks; storms came and storms went, but the Barnegat stayed. If you had sea sickness, you didnt want to be out there. It rocked all the time; thats what it was designed to do, Hedgepeth said. But I liked it. The food was good and it was pretty loose. We had a good gig. Like other lightships, the Barnegat was made obsolete by better technology, mainly the radio-directed LORAN system. The light that had shone through countless Noreasters, tropical storms and the occasional hurricane was shut off for good in 1967, when the Coast Guard decommissioned the Barnegat. Since then, its been 60 years of mostly darkness and rust for the landmark vessel, which has taken on water but is somehow still afloat at a rundown marina on the Camden waterfront. The Barnegat has been stuck in the mud at the Pyne Poynt Marina since the 1990s, when a community activist, Rodney Sadler, first rescued the vessel from a Philadelphia non-profit that couldnt afford the upkeep and towed the boat across the Delaware River Camden, where it was built. A close-up of the Barnegat Lightship at the Pyne Poynt Marina last month.Courtesy of John Schaeffer Sadliers dream was to raise enough money to fix the Barnegat and turn the marina into a park, but the arrival of the Battleship New Jersey in 2001 sunk that idea. Sadler died four years ago with the ship stuck ever deeper in the mud, but a break came in late April when the Camden County Board of Commissioners voted to buy the seven-acre marina for $633.000 from Sadlers wife, Anna, and turn it into a waterfront park. The 668-ton Barnegat comes with the property. And although Camden County officials are not sure the lightship can be saved, they are willing to find out. I cant definitely say whats going to happen, Camden County Commissioner Jeff Nash told NJ Advance Local following the sale last week. Somebody is going to have to take a hard look at the Barnegat and see if its worth preserving. Im hoping we can preserve it. The Barnegat was one of 116 lightship stations established by the U.S. government between 1820 and 1983. The Barnegat is one of only 15 that remain, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association International. The remaining lightships have all been preserved, and now serve as floating museums. One ship, the Frying Pan, was rescued from the muck in Virginia, towed to Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, and is now a restaurant. Also in Manhattan, Lightship Ambrose is one of the attractions at the South Street Seaport. Closest to the Barnegat in Lewes, Del. sits the Lightship Overalls, which was restored with about $1.2 million in federal, state, and local grants and an estimated 40,000 hours of volunteer labor. The Barnegat has been tied up at the Pyne Poynt Marina since the mid-1990s, and the few people who have gotten a close-up look recently say the lightship has taken on water and needs major repairs. But at 668 tons, theres still a lot of ship. From what I could tell, everything was intact. She looks to be in remarkably good shape for what shes been through, said John Schaeffer, the Cape May lighthouse keeper who last month went looking for the Barnegat with Mark Allen, a reporter from the local newspaper, the Cape May Star and Wave. He took pictures. Its a ship sitting in brackish water. With every passing day, she gets a little older. Its going to take somebody to create a restoration plan. The Barnegat has been tied up at the Pyne Poynt Marina since the 1990s.Courtesy of John Schaeffer When I looked at it, water was engine room was completely submerged and water was almost up to the main deck, said Robert Frymoyer, a retired Camden firefighter who served aboard the Barnegat for 13 months, beginning in 1965. The portholes had been knocked out, and the deck is in bad shape. Frymoyer was part of a small group that wanted to restore the Barnegat. Frymoyer, his wife, and another group member, Jaimie Simpson, met with the Overfalls Foundation last year seeking advice on how to get the project started. But the fundraising effort never got off the ground and the group disbanded, Frymoyer said. Simpson, a self-described lighthouse nerd who works as a nurse in Pennsylvania, said she hasnt given up hope. I believe with the right amount of money, anything would be possible, she said. This article is part of Unknown New Jersey, an ongoing series that highlights interesting and little-known stories about our past, present, and future all the unusual things that make our great state what it is. Got a story to pitch? Email it to local@njadvancemedia.com. Read More Unknown New Jersey stories like this: Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com. In some ways, Pope Francis is like previous modern popes. He promotes peace. He says, for example, that hes working on a secret mission to end the war in Ukraine and to return the abducted children back to their Ukrainian families. Popes have to grapple with change, and Francis recently pledged that half the 2023 Synod participants will be women who will be able to vote. And popes instantly become media stars. Francis differs, though, by showcasing dialogue with people on the peripheries. In Hulus The Pope: Answers, Francis holds an in-person, 90-minute conversation with 10 young people. On the topic of sex, Francis described the catechism as still in diapers. I think we Christians havent always had a mature catechism regarding sex, he says. The takeaway is that the GenXers say the pope has listened to them and not judged them. Francis is also a star on the big screen. 3 1 / 3 'In Viaggio' In Viaggio is the third film made on Pope Francis since he ascended the papacy in 2013. The first was The Francis Effect released in 2014. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word was the second in 2018, the fifth anniversary of his papacy. Billed as a documentary but not in the traditional style, it does not cover his entire life, or virtually anything chronological, but rather intersperses clips from eight hours of one-on-one interviews with Francis along with his trips around the world. The idea was to show how revolutionary Francis is by redirecting the churchs mission outward -- especially among the poor. And thats a perfect segue for In Viaggio, which is in theaters now. Unlike Pope John Paul II, who traveled more widely than any pope in history during his 27-year-reign, Francis has selected his trips over the last 10 years based on how he can advance what he calls a missionary church. Hes not heralding a triumphal side of the church, but one that goes outward to help people, especially the poor, heal. Hes reorienting a poor church for the poor, in the words of Pope John XXIII, the modern pope most like Francis. The film begins with Francis first trip outside the Vatican, in 2013, to Lampedusa off the coast of Sicily where 250 migrants attempting to enter Italy were ejected from a capsized boat. Many died then and more continued to die. Francis noted that migrants were seeking a means of supporting their families. He criticized the globalization of indifference as countries make it more difficult for immigrants to enter and start new lives. The same year, he traveled to World Youth Day in Brazil and told the Brazilians, You are not alone; the Pope is with you. He is beginning to preach what he called a culture of solidarity with brothers and sisters. Two years later, in Cuba, he told the people, tired from the Communist oppression: Dream. Do not pull back. Open up. Later that year in the U.S. when Francis addressed a joint session of Congress, he cited four individuals and what they stood for: Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther King Jr., liberty and pluralism; Dorothy Day, social justice and the right of protest, and finally, Thomas Merton, capacity for dialogue and an openness to God. These themes Francis emphasizes over and over in various countries. Hes also called out the arms trade. Why are we depending on weapons openly sold causing untold suffering simply for money drenched in blood with culpable silence, he asked Congress. Stop the arms trade! How prophetic just in light of Nashville, Lexington, Cleveland in Texas, Atlanta and right here in Newark, the most recent of perhaps a thousand incidents of mass murder since then. In 2018, Francis took on the clerical sexual abuse in Chile and asserted, No ones dignity must ever be touched. They have been deprived of freedom. But he wound up taking back his words when he learned that systematic abuse was covered up by bishops and one, in particular, Francis defended. At first, lay Catholics saw this as a slap. In African countries, Francis condemned violence in the name of God. In the Middle East, he placed an envelope at the wailing wall in Israel and declared, Shoah, never again. This was just remembered last month on Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Palestine, also in 2014, Francis condemned the occupation for 66 years and refugee camps. Francis seems drawn to humanitarian crises caused by the spread of violence and expressed a concern for peoples lives, their families and those who suffered. In Japan in 2019, he revisited the nuclear bomb sites and said, War creates misery. There were touching scenes of afflicted Japanese being treated for their burns. The film had rare access to the public life of Francis not only from the elevated security of a pulpit but from the more democratic grounds of unpaved streets, according to the films notes. In Viaggio translates in Italian to En Route and it follows many of Francis 53 trips so far -- especially the ones highlighting his most important issues: poverty, migration, environment, solidarity, and war. You could say that his pontificate is a reverse pilgrimage, so rather than followers streaming from remote places to the Vatican, the pope himself travels to the people, meets them where they live and learns firsthand about their lives and woes, creator and director Gianfranco Rosi said in online official film commentary. And the one objective the film captures so beautifully is Pope Francis giving people a sense of hope. The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken. By Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky Imagine hearing racial slurs from your boss over and over and going to work with a knot in your stomach because you must endure the most despicable behavior from someone who pays your bills. You gather evidence and finally build up the courage to complain to HR only to be told that you signed a clause buried deep in your onboarding paperwork years earlier that prevents you from suing your boss or the company or even from discussing what is happening to you with anyone else. Instead, you are shunted off into the secret chamber of arbitration, a process where an arbitrator, typically a white man who looks nothing like you, adjudicates your claims. The arbitrator will often have previously resolved cases for your company and understands that he may get repeat business if he decides in its favor. Because arbitration is conducted privately, your co-workers will never know that this is happening to you, even as it may also be happening to them. The deck is stacked against you from Day One and you dont even know it. One year ago, we stood in the East Room of the White House as President Biden signed our Ending Forced Arbitration for Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act into law, signaling the beginning of the end for organizations that seek to cover up workplace misconduct by any means possible. That day marked a watershed moment in the fight for a more respectful American workplace. For the first time, our federal government acknowledged that forced arbitration agreements deprive survivors of their day in court, while promoting institutional protection for predators. This week, Congress took another important step in leveling the playing field for workers when Senator Cory Booker introduced the Ending Forced Arbitration for Race Discrimination Act, which expands on our law by banning forced arbitration for survivors of workplace racial discrimination. Dont miss an issue of our Opinion newsletter! Get it delivered each Wednesday right into your inbox by adding your email below and hitting "subscribe." Studies show that Black workers are much more likely to be forced into arbitration than others. Nearly 65% of all workers who make $13 per hour or less must arbitrate their claims. It is no coincidence that workers of color are much more prone to earning poverty wages and much more likely to be forced into arbitrating their claims, rather than suing for misconduct in open court. Organizations know what they are doing when they shove their workers into the secret chamber of arbitration. When survivors find out that they must arbitrate their claims, most simply give up. According to the American Association of Justice, just .02% of employees subjected to arbitration even attempted to pursue their cases over a five-year period. Who can blame them? Fewer than one-ten-thousandth, or 0.0001, of 1% of covered workers received financial compensation in arbitration during the same period. Many employment attorneys will refuse to take on a client who is bound by an arbitration agreement even when that client has irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing because they know too well how unlikely it is for that survivor to receive justice. The passage of our legislation to ban forced arbitration for sexual misconduct has created a two-tiered system for American workers. A woman who is sexually harassed in the workplace may now sue her predator in open court and expose his dirty laundry, which incentivizes the company to address the bad behavior. A Black worker sitting in the next cubicle who is racially discriminated against by the same predator must still keep her mouth shut and arbitrate her claims. Is this really equal justice under the law? We founded Lift Our Voices to make the American workplace safer for everyone and to end the practice of silencing those who only want to work with dignity. We joined with elected officials on both sides of the aisle to pass the Ending Forced Arbitration for Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act and, later, the Speak Out Act, which bans pre-dispute non-disclosure agreements for sexual misconduct. But we also made it clear that these laws were just the first bite at the apple and that we would not stop until we achieved the same rights for workers who have faced discrimination based on race, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. Senator Cory Bookers bill is the next critical step on this road to justice. Elected officials in both parties should join Senator Bookers efforts to make the American workplace safer. So should businesses. Studies show that greater diversity in the workplace the better the companys profits. Yet far too many companies force their workers of color out by driving them into arbitration, perpetuating a toxic cycle and covering up unacceptable behavior. Make no mistake: the tide has turned in favor of giving workers back their voices. The fight to ban arbitration for discrimination will one day become law. Members of Congress and businesses should get on the right side of history now and support Senator Bookers courageous efforts. American workers have waited long enough. Gretchen Carlson is a journalist, author and advocate whose actions against workplace harassment at Fox News helped pave the way for the global #MeToo movement. Julie Roginsky is a political and public relations consultant who sued Fox News for sexual harassment and retaliation. Since leaving Fox News, Carlson and Roginsky co-founded the nonprofit Lift Our Voices. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. There is no legally binding code of ethics that applies to the Supreme Court and its members, which is a massive hole in the canons of good government that needs mending. Until then, we hold this truth to be self-evident: Justice Clarence Thomas has managed to demolish the Courts shrinking credibility with a torrent of ethical lapses and decades of deceit. If he wants to salvage any respect in the eyes of history, or to repair what damage he can, he should resign. That conclusion has become unavoidable as each new revelation emerges showing how Thomas has grabbed astonishing gobs of money and gifts from a Republican megadonor with interests in court decisions, without disclosing it publicly. The size and frequency of these payoffs begs an obvious question: How can a man believe that he is bestowed with the wisdom to define the body sovereignty of women and affirm James Madisons approval of assault rifles, but he doesnt have the intellectual heft to fill out a financial disclosure form? It is a rhetorical question. We understand Thomas is unlikely to step down because he has no shame, and he fears President Biden would choose his ideological opposite to fill his seat. Still, it needs to be said that a man of such dubious character does not belong on our highest court. Heres an abridged list of what we know about his pathological level of venality, mostly through the stellar reporting from ProPublica: Billionaire Harlan Crow has gifted Thomas with countless vacations and tributes that have been valued in the millions, and none of it -- private jets, luxury yachts, private resorts was ever reported. In 2014, Crow purchased the home of Thomass mother in Savannah, invested in a massive rebuild, and he still allows her to live there rent-free while paying the tax bill. In 2011, Crow helped launch a political consulting firm and gave Thomass wife -- the MAGA devotee who was head cheerleader of an attempted coup -- $120,000 salary to run it. And this past Thursday, ProPublica reported that Crow paid for the private school tuition of the justices grandnephew, which ran over $60,000 a year. We have a Supreme Court justice with a sugar-daddy. Clarence Thomas is a kept man who receives gifts from mogul Harlan Crow and doesnt report them. Luxury vacations, travel on private jets and tuition payments. All hidden from American citizens. Its just old-fashioned Payola. Ross K. Baker (@Rosbake1) May 4, 2023 There is ambiguity about whether Crows generosity were violations of law in most cases. But there is no such ambiguity the case of the home purchase: A federal law from the Watergate era requires all public officials even Supreme Court justices to disclose details of most real estate transactions over $1,000. Thomas did not do that. CREW, the government watchdog, noted that Thomas filed a disclosure form that year it even included a stained glass medallion he received from Yale, along with a life insurance policy. But he somehow overlooked the six figures he made from the home sale. Beyond that, its hard to refute that he has corruptly exploited his position of power to subsidize a ludicrously lavish lifestyle. For now, Thomas needs to disclose every gift he has ever received over $415, just as other federal judges do, because he stopped such disclosures after an embarrassing Los Angeles Times story from 2004 that detailed an astonishing catalog of gifts, such as the $19,000 bible he received from Crow that had belonged to Frederick Douglass. And Chief Justice John Roberts needs to announce that his court is no longer an ethics free zone, where justices make their own rules. He can ask for help from Congress, which can assist him in writing a code of conduct that one can follow without having to consult colleagues. Roberts obviously needs assistance. He refused to cooperate with the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, instead sending a letter stating that members of the high court have agreed to reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices. Americans arent seeing it. They see a court that protects a justice who follows the lowest possible standards he can get away with. Two-thirds of Americans say they no longer have confidence in the Court, according to a recent poll; it also found that seven in 10 Americans favor term limits. Dont miss an issue of our Opinion newsletter! Get it delivered each Wednesday right into your inbox by adding your email below and hitting "subscribe." In other words, our highest Court has a legitimacy crisis, and having members that behave like entitled princelings who flaunt their impunity is going to make it worse. Several members of the Court, including Roberts, have complained that the justices are being unfairly criticized, and their conservative Senate allies spouted their partisan whataboutisms to this windy chorus of victimhood during last weeks hearings. But with every revelation, with every ethical disgrace, the Court will get pummeled in the court of public opinion, further diminishing its credibility. That needs to end. Thomas owes it to the country to retire. A real estate billionaire footed the bill not just for Clarence Thomas private jets but also for his childs private school, and who knows what else. Megadonors bankrolling a Justices entire life is beyond unethical. Thomas must resign or be impeached.https://t.co/G8I3S3YxSb Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) May 4, 2023 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. This issue is not dying down: When the judges spouse is a wingnut | Editorial https://t.co/pnftx5ZLCJ Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) March 21, 2022 Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Todd Bensman would like to disabuse a lot of people about a misconception concerning the Biden administrations border policy. A lot of people say theyre just letting Democratic voters in, Bensman told me when I phoned him at his Texas home the other day. Thats not the case, he said. The Biden policies give precedence to those fleeing countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua where socialist policies ruined the economies. If they become American citizens theyre unlikely to support leftist politicians and policies, he said. Look no further than Florida, with its high concentration of Cuban-Americans, Benman said, citing the recent gubernatorial election there. Florida went for Ron DeSantis by a big margin. Perhaps in the fullness of time, a big wave of immigration from those countries would be good for Republicans and conservatives. But at the moment we may have chaos, said Bensman, who reports from the border regions for the Center for Immigration Studies. He also writes about border issues for the Federalist. A recent article of his had a headline that nicely states the problem: In Reynosa, Mexico, 15,000 Haitian Immigrants Wait For New Chaotic Biden Policy To Kick In. The policy in question is the end of Title 42 of the United States Code. Title 42 permits the federal government to expel immigrants who may have a communicable disease. During the COVID pandemic the Trump administration interpreted it broadly to expel those trying to claim asylum. Dont miss the best in editorials, opinion columns and commentary from NJ.com writers. Add your email here: The Biden administration kept Title 42 in place, expelling wannabe immigrants at the rate of 70,000 a month. But now that the COVID pandemic has waned, theres not much justification for health-based exclusions. Title 42 will come to an end on Thursday. What will the end mean? The most significant change is that everybody who reaches the border can make an asylum claim, Bensman said. At that point the U.S. has to house them somewhere until their asylum claim is heard, he said. They can also be released if they have family ties and can find a sponsor Thats where the potential chaos could erupt at border crossings in places like Reynosa, a city of almost a million that is across the river from McAllen, Texas. When Title 42 was in effect, those 15,000 Haitians wouldnt risk an illegal trip across the Rio Grande for fear the U.S. government would fly them back to Haiti, he said. But now they know theyll get an asylum hearing. Towns all along the border have similar crowds of wannabe migrants waiting to come to the U.S., he said. As of Thursday, Bensman said, The door is open and they want to get in. The Biden administration announced last week that it is sending 1,500 troops to the border to help with processing all the paperwork. But when you consider that the border is 1,954 miles long, 1,500 troops doesnt sound so impressive, said Rick Cavazos.. Cavazos is a retired Border Patrol agent who was the mayor of the border town of Los Indios when I met him on a trip to the border a few years ago. He keeps an eye on the border crossings, including the one just outside his town. Large groups of potential migrants are massing at the borders as they await the end of Title 42, he said. Theyre just getting antsy, he said. They feel like if they dont get across right now theyre gonna shut it down. Recently, 2,500 migrants crossed in an attempt to beat the crowd, he said. Right now theyre sending them back and telling them to get in line, he said. The Biden administration has come up with a novel tactic to manage that line, Cavazos noted. Theyve created an app called CBP-1on which those applying for entry can list all their data in advance of crossing the border. They are then supposed to wait until they get a message telling them its time to cross. Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has denounced the app as a concierge service for illegal immigrants. But if it works as intended, it will spare the administration the embarrassment of those visuals of large crowds crossing the Rio Grande. However the transition from Title 42 could fail spectacularly if the migrants decide not to wait for those messages on their phones. And Cavazos warned that even if the app succeeds, it might just encourage another wave of immigration. How many immigrants can we take? You can never pin down the politicians down and get them to say what is the number, Cavazos said. If things dont work out with that app, we may finally get an answer. BELOW- Rick Cavazos explains why the wall protects his town: More: Recent Paul Mulshine columns. Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook and on Twitter By Bolivar Flores Michelle, a 40-year-old mother of two who is a client at New Jersey Reentry Corporations training center, was talking about the time she met with a social worker as a young child. She was asked to draw a picture of herself. The counselor looked at the picture and said why did you draw yourself with no feet? The 6-year-old little girl responded, I got no feet because I cant see where Im going. As she grew into her adolescent years and adulthood, that unseen journey would take her on a path that led to abuse, suffering, pain and trauma. Speaking with Michelle was at once painful, bringing tears to my eyes, but also uplifting in the moments she had me laughing and nodding my head in agreement. Growing up in the Bronx was not an easy life for her. She had family issues and eventually two small children. Through it all, Michelle, a self-starter, who is brutally honest, carries her wounds with a smile. Amazingly, she can see her life as a prayer. Prayer is what gets me through the hard moments and the difficulties life has thrown at me, she said. It reminds me that God has stuck with me in the good times and through difficult days. Dont miss an issue of our Opinion newsletter! Get it delivered each Wednesday right into your inbox by adding your email below and hitting "subscribe." Looking at her life and the wisdom she has gathered youll find a woman of prayer on a spiritual journey. She believes if God gives her something, she is determined to take care of it because, in the midst of it all, she says: God is real. Reflecting on the hurt, the trauma, the drug addiction, the violence, and the anger, her advice to struggling people is, Stop using magic markers, theyre permanent, use watercolors, they wash off easier. Prayer for Michelle is much more than words, its a life lived in harmony with God, the God she believes only comes when you are ready to pay attention, make life-giving changes, to become the person you were created to be. Today, Michelle is taking courses at New Jersey Reentry, she has an apartment and has found her path on a journey that she believes is sustained in her relationship with God. I couldnt help but think of my conversation with Michelle. The climate in America these days is similar to the little girl who drew her picture with no feet because she couldnt see where she was headed. The wisdom of the Founding Fathers in 1775, declaring a Day of Fasting and Prayer for a fledgling nation seems to capture many of my fears today for a country that doesnt seem to know where its going. As a minister and leader in the Latino community, I face the daily challenges of so many people struggling to find their feet on a journey that at times feels hopeless in a promised land of freedom and hope. More than ever, we need leaders who are unafraid to speak the truth and confront the many injustices that are stumbling blocks on the journey. The words of the prophet Micah offer us a challenge to translate our prayer into action. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 8) If were truly honest, our prayer will help us examine what it means to be a nation rooted in values and laws influenced by the faith and traditions of multicultural people. If our prayer is really honest, we will begin to see the injustices that continue to degrade and oppress those who continue to walk with no feet because of the color of their skin, their sexuality or gender, immigration status, or the many things that discriminate and exclude human beings made in Gods image and likeness. Sometimes all that surrounds us can be overwhelming, but prayer, reflection and meditation can all be ways to slow down and center ourselves in conversation with God for our understanding. Last year on the National Day of Prayer, President Biden issued a proclamation stating, Prayer is a sacred right protected by free speech and religious liberty enshrined in our Constitution, and it continues to lift our spirit as we navigate the challenges of our time. I think hes right on target. Similar to Michelle who came to know the power of prayer through the challenges of life and its mysteries. There is no one way to pray, each one of us has our style or method, drawing on our faith traditions or lived experience. When you pray, keep in mind the people, places, divisions, and issues that need healing and hope as we seek to find our feet and begin to look for a new day of unity and peace. One of todays great biblical scholars, Walter Brueggemann reminds us, Love of God is translated into love of our vulnerable neighbors. And the doing of justice is the prophetic invitation to do what needs to be done to enable the poor and disadvantaged and the neglected to participate in the resources and wealth of the community. Words will never capture the experience I shared with Michelle. She is just one of over 17,000 women and men, veterans, and formerly incarcerated, who through New Jersey Reentry I have the privilege to witness coloring with watercolors and setting their feet on the ground to the possibilities of a new life. Let us pray in thanksgiving for all that unites us and for the courage to stand with those who are pushed to the margins. Rev. Bolivar Flores is chief of staff at the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, host of Voices of New Jersey-Radio Show and vice president of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. As the crisis over the debt ceiling approaches its climax, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has the chance of a lifetime to re-establish himself as a reasonable and moderate Republican, one who could win re-election in his swing district, and honor the legacy of his thoughtful father, the former governor. Call that the Liz Cheney option. Or not. He could choose Door Number Two, and lock arms with the fanatics who have taken the economy hostage and threatened to kill it unless everyone else yields to their strident demands. Call that the Marjorie Taylor Greene option. So far, Kean has been careful to keep one foot in each camp. The next few weeks will tell. He voted for the House Republican bill, which puts him on the side of the crazies for now. If anything like that bill becomes law, it would likely spell the end of Keans career in Congress. His suburban 7th District leans Republican, but its voters chose Joe Biden in 2020, along with Sen. Cory Booker. They wont like a bill that was built by and for hard-core MAGA types from deep red states who see food stamps as socialism. The bill Kean supported would cripple the Gateway tunnel project, deny veterans health care, and call off the fight against climate change. It would cut child-care subsidies and college scholarships, while protecting rich tax cheats. That vote makes him vulnerable in 2024, even if it doesnt become law. But he has a path back to the mainstream. Hes a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, the centrist group that is offering a way out. Its plan would suspend the debt ceiling now to protect the economy, while establishing a bipartisan commission to map a careful plan towards debt reduction by the end of 2024, one that would automatically get an up-or-down vote in Congress, with no amendments to spoil the balance. I am deeply concerned that were barreling towards the edge of a cliff, says Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the Democratic co-chair of the Problem Solvers. But I think we can figure this out. The magic sauce is finding something both sides can live with. Its not clear whether Kean supported the Problem Solvers plan, since the caucus votes are private, and Keans office declined comment, as always. But it at least provides him with an off-ramp from MAGA land, should he choose it. And if Bidens meeting with Congressional leaders on Tuesday yields an agreement, its likely to look something like that a suspension of the debt ceiling, twinned with a longer-term commitment to balance the books. Its a sensible way out of this mess if you ask me, says Tom Malinowski, the former Democratic Congressman who lost his seat to Kean last year. But if (GOP Speaker Kevin) McCarthy is not prepared to put a reasonable plan up for a floor vote, then are those members willing to take the actions necessary to bring the Problem Solvers proposal forward? All it would take is five Republican votes. Dont miss the best in editorials, opinion columns and commentary from NJ.com writers. Add your email here: This is where it gets dicey for Kean. Because Democrats are now on an active hunt for Republicans who are willing to jump ship if McCarthy sticks to his hard line. They would need only five votes to pass whats known as a discharge petition and put a plan like the Problem Solvers up for a vote on the House floor over McCarthys objection. Those five would undoubtedly come from swing districts like Keans 7th. So, would Kean support that? When he was a state senator in Trenton, he was an affable centrist in the mold of his father and Christie Whitman, a favorite of both voters and the press, including me. But when he turned towards Washington, he embraced Donald Trump and McCarthy, refused interviews, and never once held an open public meeting. For many of those who knew him, the transformation was unnerving, even bizarre. Which Kean will carry the day? Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th, has her fingers crossed. This is going to require some thoughtful Republicans to engage, she says. I can think of five districts where the argument (to revolt against GOP leadership) might be compelling. I would think supporting a debt ceiling increase and supporting investments would be a compelling argument in the 7th. McCarthy is in a weak position, elected by a hair, and only after he bent the knee to his partys crazy caucus. If he backs a compromise, hes likely to lose his job, and that kind of patriotic sacrifice is nowhere to be found in his career history. Which means the nations fate may well land in the lap of Republicans from swing districts, people like Tom Kean Jr. If they dont revolt against the partys MAGA leadership, the train could indeed go over the cliff. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or (973) 986-6951. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Just like last year, Luis Severino again has issues with how the Yankees are handling his rehab from a lat strain. The often-injured right-hander is unhappy that he was forced to pitch in a simulated game last Friday instead of going through with a scheduled rehab start. BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER Severino also is not thrilled that the Yankees have him scheduled to pitch Wednesday morning for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He wants his outing changed to Thursday night so that he doesnt have to spend a night in Scranton or drive there from New York early Wednesday morning. These issues came up Sunday morning when Severino spent a few minutes talking with Yankees beat writers in the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field. The interview started with Severino being asked how hes feeling. Good, he said. But it was unnecessary not the throw in a game. Want to bet on MLB? See the best NJ Sports Betting sites This is a big year for Severinos future because hell be a free agent after the 2023 season. Thats probably part of why hes so frustrated. He wants to pitch, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. He wants to get back here. He wants to be in the rotation. He feels good. So I just look at it as a competitor wanting to go. Severino wanted game action in his outing last Friday so that he could again start getting used to the MLBs new pitch-count rules. I was really good in spring training, but that was like seven months ago, he said. Severino was having a bad spring he allowed 12 runs in 13 inning over four starts before he was shut down in mid-March with a low grade lat sprain. Last year, Severino was shut down with the same injury in mid-July and complained on Aug. 1 when the Yankees transferred him from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. At that point, he was feeling close to returning. This time around, Severino has been healthy for several weeks, but the Yankees been very cautious with his rehab because hes spent most of the last five seasons on the injured list. I feel pretty good, but theres a lot of people making decisions, Severino said. Its not only the trainers and the staff. I have to listen to everybody. I know they want the best for me. Hopefully I can be back in the field soon. Last Friday morning, Severino threw a three-inning, 40-pitch simulated game facing Yankees minor leaguers at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa after the organization made a late decision to call off his scheduled rehab start for the Low A Tampa Tarpons. Severino said the Yankees tried to explain why they wanted him pitching once more in a controlled environment, but he didnt agree. At this point whatever, he said. I went over there and tried to (increase) my pitch count and feel comfortable so I can come back. Severino finally will pitch in a game this week. The plan right now is to have a rehab assignment, he said before added some sarcasm. How things are going, that can change! Severino wants the start pushed back a day to Thursday night because he doesnt want to be inconvenienced. Wednesday, the only (Yankees affiliate) who is home is Scranton and they play at 11:30 (in the morning), Severino said. Im not thrilled about pitching in an 11:30 game. I dont want to stay in Scranton (the night before) and I dont want to drive at 6 in the morning. So hopefully (pushing it back) one day is not going to be a big deal. Boone smiled hearing Severino complained about being scheduled to pitch in a morning rehab game. Im not in charge of the rehab assignments or timings of it, he said. Im sure were looking at all of it. Severino was an All-Star in 2017 and 2018, his first two full seasons as a big leaguer. But arm injuries, including a Tommy John surgery, have limited him to 120 innings and 27 outings the last five years, 19 of them coming last season. Boone defended how the organization has been rehabbing Severino. Certainly his history plays a little bit of a role in there, but its also an approach of building starting pitchers up conservatively, Boone said. (Its) understanding that those pitches, whether its between 40 and 60 or 70, are the times youve got to be mindful. When you make big jumps, history will tell you those are the times pitchers can be a little more vulnerable to injuries. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Prince Harry, center, looks around in Westminster Abbey, ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, in London, on May 6, 2023. In the fairy-tale ending to the ancient pageantry in which King Charles Ill was crowned monarch, he stepped into a gilded horse-drawn carriage with his queen and rode off to his palace. Following closely behind was Prince William, his eldest son and heir, along with his family, including 9-year-old Prince George who is second in line to the throne. The kings youngest son was nowhere to be seen. On his fathers biggest day, Prince Harry arrived at Westminster Abbey alone and he left alone. The disgruntled Duke of Sussex was assigned to sit two rows behind his brother. His isolation was likely the result of him quitting his royal duties and, thus, no longer ranking as a senior family member as well as alienating himself from his father and brother by airing grievances and telling palace secrets in his explosive best-selling memoir, Spare. If anyone was hoping the coronation would help break the ice between Harry and his brother, who were once so close, they are sure to have been disappointed. The siblings were not seen speaking or even acknowledging each other during the ceremony. After months of speculation about whether he would attend, it was announced about three weeks ago that Harry would come alone, leaving behind his wife, Meghan, and their two young children at their Southern California home. Harry and Meghan, who is biracial, left royal life and moved to the U.S. in 2020 after complaining about intense scrutiny and racist attitudes from the British press. In a six-part Netflix series, they lobbed other criticisms at the royal family, alleging racial bias. In January, Harry dropped his bombshell book dishing family dirt along with intimate details about losing his virginity behind a pub at 17, taking drugs and killing enemies in Afghanistan. The book was particularly unflattering toward his stepmother, Camilla, who was once blamed for wrecking his fathers marriage to his mother, the late Princess Diana. He accused Camilla of leaking private conversations to the media to rehabilitate her own image after marrying Charles. Buckingham Palace had announced before the coronation that Harry and the kings brother, Prince Andrew, would not have any role in the service. Andrew, the Duke of York, relinquished royal duties after revelations about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was later stripped of his honorary military titles and patronages and settled a lawsuit with a woman who said she was forced to have sex with him when she was a teenager. William played a prominent role, kneeling at his fathers feet, pledging his loyalty and then kissing him on the cheek. George served as page boy, helping to carry the train of his grandfathers robes. Harry entered the cavernous church in a black custom Dior three-piece suit with coattails. An honorary cross hung around his neck and military medals were pinned to the left side of his chest. He nodded, waved and spoke a few words to clergy and several guests already seated. He proceeded along behind his cousin, Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, who followed her father, Andrew. They all sat in the same row. During the two-hour spectacle, keen attention was focused on Harry by the media and royal watchers. He appeared to join the congregation in one of many refrains of God save the king during the pomp- and music-filled ceremony. Some British tabloids even consulted professional lip-readers to interpret what Harry was saying. The Daily Mirror revealed that it appeared he said, hello, morning and nice to see you when he entered the church. Harry has vowed to make media reform part of his mission in life. He has filed several lawsuits against the publishers of British tabloids for a phone-hacking scandal dating back more than a decade. His trial against the publisher of the Mirror begins Wednesday in the High Court. Harry is expected to testify in June. After the carriages departed from the church, Harry was seen waiting for a car. He was later seen at Heathrow Airport. His son, Archie, turned 4 on Saturday and it was said he was headed back for his birthday. A short while later, King Charles III and Queen Camilla stepped out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to the crowd gathered below. They were joined by William, his wife, Kate, three children and other senior royals. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Former Bolivian general Gary Prado, in his office in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in 2017. picture alliance (picture alliance via Getty Image) Former Bolivian general Gary Prado, who achieved worldwide fame after capturing guerrilla leader Che Guevara in 1967 during fighting in southern Bolivia, has died in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra at the age of 84. That same year, the Bolivian Congress named him a national hero for his defense of the country against what another military officer and the president of Bolivia at the time, General Rene Barrientos, termed a subversive foreign invasion. Prado gradually distanced himself from the military right wing and in the 1970s, when he held the rank of major, he opposed the dictatorship of General Hugo Banzer (1971-1978), leading to his dismissal and forcing him into exile in Paraguay. After the fall of Banzer, he resumed his position in the Bolivian Army and was appointed Minister of Planning in the government of General David Padilla. As of then, Prado was considered an institutionalist officer one of the group of military commanders who sought ways to return political power to civilians. He also commanded the Bolivian Military Academy and, after the coup detat led by General Luis Garcia Meza, who assassinated socialist leader Marcelo Quiroga, he was temporarily sidelined. However, due to the personal relationship between the two, Garcia Meza later appointed him commander of the important Eighth Division, based in Santa Cruz. This post would radically change Prados life. His position required him to serve as the main political authority in the region. In 1981, a group of extreme right-wing militants led by regionalist politician Carlos Valverde took over the Tita oil field, which was owned by the Occidental oil company. Prado managed to free the hostage the group had captured and convinced Valverde to surrender, without a shot being fired, on the promise that he and his men would be exiled to Paraguay. While the group was disarming, one of the automatic rifles placed on a table went off and a bullet pierced Prados spinal column. Prado retired from the military with the rank of general and dedicated himself to politics and writing. During democracy, he was a supporter of the party that had encouraged the institutionalist military during the dictatorships, Jaime Pazs Movement of the Revolutionary Left. When the latter was president of the country, between 1989 and 1993, Prado held executive positions and represented Bolivia as ambassador to the United Kingdom. He became an important figure in the Bolivian political class during the time of the pacted democracy, which governed the country until Evo Morales came to power. He was the author of several books on military history relating to the Guevarist guerrilla period. The most famous and reedited of them is all is entitled Como capture al Che (How I captured Che). However, Prados later life was far from the quiet retirement of an enlightened soldier. He participated in the opposition to the economic and social changes that Morales tried to implement from 2006 onwards. The former president once accused Prado of having assassinated Che. Prado, however, always denied that he had been aware of the order to execute the Cuban-Argentine fighter, which, according to most historians, came from the military high command and from President Barrientos himself. Guevaras executioner was non-commissioned officer Mario Teran, who died a year ago. In 2008 and 2009 radical sectors in Santa Cruz, allegedly seeking to take advantage of the political moment to gain independence for the region, hired mercenaries and formed a militia that carried out a series of attacks, although no casualties were caused. On April 16, 2009, a police commando unit raided the Hotel Las Americas, where the militia was staying, and eliminated three of its members including its leader, the Bolivian-Hungarian Eduardo Rozsa-Flores, arresting two other people. The Morales government accused the group of plotting to assassinate the president. A law against the financing of terrorism was passed and other measures were taken that forced several regional leaders into exile. A 10-year trial also ensued but only a few of those involved were sentenced. Prado was accused of having supported the Rozsa-Flores uprising with his military knowledge. Like most defendants, he denied that the terrorist cell existed. During the trial, he was placed under house arrest, due to his health and age. In 2020, during the interim government of Jeanine Anez, the trial ended and the charges against him were dismissed. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Shell Port Allen Catalysts & Technologies plant is the largest hydrotreating catalyst plant in the world. This facility manufactures a variety of premier catalyst products. The site has 80 employees and 45 contractors on staff. The results of the Constitutional Council elections to be held on May 7 in Chile will clear up several political incognitos hanging over the country but in all likelihood the primary one is not how the ruling party of President Gabriel Boric and the left will fare, but what will happen among the opposition: will the extreme right of the Republican Party (PLR), led by Jose Antonio Kast, succeed in surpassing the traditional right that sustained the two administrations of Sebastian Pinera (2010-2014 and 2018-2022)? This is the main internal battleground of an election marked by voter apathy but in which, due to the mandatory nature of the ballot, participation levels are expected to be high. Some analysts, such as Pepe Auth, have even predicted that the ultra-conservative formation could come out of the vote as the main political force in Chile, 50 years after the coup detat led by Augusto Pinochet, a figure some in the Republican Party have suggested was the countrys savior. The traditional right in Chile groups together three parties: the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), National Renewal (RN) and Political Evolution (Evopoli). These formations are currently led by a new political generation, who have taken the mantle from those who played a leading role in the transition to democracy and whose links to the dictatorship were still fresh. After the failure of the left on a referendum for the drafting of a new Constitution last September, 62% of voters rejected the proposal the traditional right fulfilled its previous commitment to facilitate a new path toward changing the political charter drawn up the Pinochet regime in 1980. The Chilean right wing is committed to the continuity of the constitutional process, said UDI leader Javier Macaya in September. The Republican Party, however, did not go so far, maintaining its original position of not wanting to alter the Constitution drafted during the dictatorship, which underwent a dozen reforms after the transition to democracy. The far-right formation, whose leader won the first round of the 2021 presidential elections against Boric in 2021, has managed to gather momentum due to a shift to the right among the traditional parties. Forecasts indicate that the main loser in a PLR sweep would be the UDI, the most ideological of the parties on the Chilean right. The UDI will take the most punishment because it is evident that many of its supporters, on this occasion, are voting for Republican candidates. Quite a few are also voting for the [populist] Party of the People, historic UDI leader, Pablo Longueira, said in a letter to his partys support base earlier in the week. For Longueira, Republicans will reap the benefits of insecurity [surrounding the assassinations of police officers and growing concerns over the immigration crisis]. In this election, it will be the party that garners the most votes. It could even surpass, as in the first round of the presidential elections, Chile Vamos [ChV, the traditional right-wing bloc]. If so, on this occasion it will have a very strong impact inside the UDI, RN and Evopoli. Jose Antonio Kast takes a selfie with PLR candidates for the Consitutional Council on May 2. joseantoniokast (Twitter) A suicidal gamble Longueira and other leading right-wing figures have openly voiced their concerns about the threat posed by the Republican Party. Former president Pinera this week met with other rightist leaders to analyze the different electoral forecasts. There was even talk of the possibility that Kasts PLR could surpass the entire traditional right-wing bloc in terms of percentage of votes and number of members elected to the Constitutional Council on its own. What seems highly probable, however, is that both the traditional and the extreme right will band together 30 representatives on the council three-fifths of the total of 50 seats precisely the necessary number to set the norms of the constitutional body. What is less clear is to what extent the two right-wing factions will find common ground, given the PLR has historically been in favor of maintaining the 1980 Constitution. For Borics government, a fruitful dialogue between the two would provide a complex scenario. It is likely that the ultra-right will obtain a relatively good result, close to 20% of the electorate, as the current political situation favors the iron fist agenda. Kast is a well-known figure who has campaigned for his ticket throughout the country and government support is not in a good moment, says Cristobal Rovira, a PhD in political science at the Humboldt University of Berlin and lead author of the research paper Support and rejection of the far-right in Chile. If that comes to pass, we should not be surprised if a part of the conventional right wing decides on a change of strategy. Instead of following the discourse of differentiation [in which Macaya has played an important role], they could seek a rapprochement and even symbiosis with the ultra-right, notes Rovira. In the view of the analyst, the reality in other countries provides evidence that this would represent a very risky, and probably suicidal, gamble: A rapprochement between the conventional right and the ultra-right favors the latter above all, as it legitimizes itself as a political actor and, therefore, gains more space for its ideas. If so, sooner rather than later, the ultra-right would become the scriptwriter of the movie and the conventional right would be subordinated to the position of a supporting actor, he says, drawing parallels with the Republican Party in the U.S., where the moderate faction has been sidelined by the more radical elements. Rovira points to a key fact, one feared by the left, the ruling party and Borics own government: the effects of a toughening of the positions of the conventional right, which, in his opinion, would hinder the functioning of the body in charge of drafting a new Constitution. It would end up being very complex to achieve transversal agreements to produce a text that represents the diversity of the country. Seen in this way, one of the unexpected consequences of a potential symbiosis between the ultra-right and the conventional right would be the delegitimization of the constitutional process, to such an extent that the final product could end up being rejected in the plebiscite of December of this year. This is a recurring nightmare for the Boric administration: that the current constitutional process may end up with a text largely the same as the 1980 Constitution, or worse, but legitimized by the voting public in a referendum that it will be partisan in favor of the right unlike the previous process, which was strongly inclined toward the left. This Sunday, Chile could begin to shape the type of right wing the South American country will have. Kasts party gained 15 deputies and two senators in 2021, and a favorable result for the PLR on May 7 would place them in a strong position ahead of the 2024 regional elections and the 2025 parliamentary and presidential campaign. This has set alarm bells ringing among the traditional right. If there is no result that favors cooperation and agreement, the panorama described by [Chilean intellectual] Nicanor Parra would occur: that the [extreme] left and the [extreme] right, united, will never be defeated, one of the new leaders of the UDI, Jaime Bellolio, recently told EL PAIS. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Anil Seth speaks of consciousness as a controlled hallucination. The world we perceive, which seems so real to us, so hard to imagine in any other way, arises from a kind of negotiation between the way it reaches us through our senses and what we expect from it. From this reconstructed experience, which is also influenced by those of the people around us and the society in which we live, our consciousness and our self emerge. In his book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, Seth, a cognitive neuroscientist from the University of Sussex in the U.K., guides us through his extensive experience as a student of consciousness in one of the most exciting scientific pursuits of the present, one that will continue to be so for decades to come. In an interview with EL PAIS, he assures that contrary to what some experts suggest this challenge, which today seems impossible, will likely soon be within reach, as other peaks apparently inaccessible to human knowledge were before. Question. In the 19th century, it was thought that life could not be explained in material terms, that a kind of spark of life was necessary, something mysterious and almost magical. Then came genes, DNA and other tools to try to understand it. Will it be possible to take that step with consciousness? Answer. We have to wait and see. The notion of the soul, for instance, maybe thats already outlived its usefulness. Concepts like free will are already succumbing and losing that sense of mystery. Free will is not this supernatural force that sweeps in and changes the course of events in the universe. Its a particular kind of experience that organisms have related to actions that come from within. Theres nothing mysterious about that anymore, although not everybody agrees. Little by little, this sense of mystery, that consciousness is really just this different thing that doesnt fit into a picture of the universe made of atoms and quarks and neurons and bones and flesh may fade. For me, its already fading, but its not gone entirely because we dont have the complete answer yet. Progress in science is often marked by changing the question we ask, not just finding answers to the questions we already had. People didnt find the spark of life; they stopped looking for it because it was no longer the right question to ask. Q. Science has been very good at answering questions about the material universe, but sometimes it seems that so much knowledge has not satisfied many existential needs. Can something different happen with the science of consciousness, can it help us in the search for meaning? A. I think it may be not the job of science to do that, but it is part of the responsibility of scientists to understand this. Previous big mysteries in science also have had an existential angle. The discovery of the vastness of the universe is existentially challenging. And when were not at the center of it, but its an enormous universe of many untold billions of stars, you can either be scared by that or you can be empowered by that. And the same with life. Understanding that life is a natural phenomenon that continues with other animals can give us a sense of meaning that were connected to nature, or we can think of it as a threat because were no longer so special. To me, thats what makes the difference. Human beings are special. I mean, we have culture, we have science, we have civilizations, but we are also part of nature. So understanding consciousness that way, its not something that is given by some supernatural soul that sets us apart from the rest of nature; it is, in fact, another part of nature. I think that can be existentially reassuring. But there is a difference compared to these other mysteries. The rest of the universe is a long way away. Quantum mechanics is very small. Consciousness is very personal; it combines these two things, mystery in science and philosophy, yet its the most central feature of our individual lives. It is relevant because it can help us not just navigate the big questions of our place in the universe, but the little questions of how do I deal with my emotions? What does it mean to be me? How do I find personal meaning in my immediate life? I think neuroscience of consciousness can really help here. Q. Has the knowledge gained during your years of research on consciousness helped you in your personal life? A. Once, when I was living in America, I got a driving ticket because I turned left on a road where there was no left turn. It was a turn that I used to make all the time to go surfing, and they put up a no left turn sign and I didnt see it. And so instead of paying the fine, I wrote a letter saying that, yes, I literally did not see the sign because of a phenomenon in consciousness research called change blindness, that if youre not expecting something, even if its right in your field of view, you may not see it. I took this all the way to the traffic court. Q. And did it work? A. No, it didnt. But more seriously, Ive had episodes of depression, and breaking out of those episodes, I think, was helped by an understanding that it was a process of perception, that the way things seemed at the time was not necessarily the way they are, and that the emotions I was feeling were not inevitable reactions to the circumstances I was in, but constructions that my brain was creating. And it could be different. One of the central ideas in the book is the nature of perception of the world and perception of the self, and one of the main themes is that perception is not just a direct registration of whats there, but its always an interpretation. Its always an active construction, even though it doesnt seem like that. It seems that we see things as they are, but we dont. We see them as we are. And recognizing that opens a little bit of space that can allow you to navigate through difficult situations. Q. In the book, you talk about our perception of reality as a controlled hallucination. Could knowing these phenomena help us to manage this hallucination to a certain extent? A. One of the origins of this idea was with the German scientist Hermann von Helmholtz. He came up with this idea of perception as unconscious inference. Inference is this process of the brain combining its predictions and beliefs about whats going on with sensory information to come up with a best guess. And the idea is that thats what we experience, thats the hallucination, but its controlled by sensory data. And for most of us, most of the time, this is all unconscious. You cant decide to see [something] a different color. But I think we can learn to change the way we perceive things. In fact, weve done some experiments showing that we can train people to even see color differently. And with enough time, we can change our emotional responses and our reactions to the things that we unconsciously perceive out there in the world. I think there is a capacity for us to shape the way we experience the world more actively. Anil Seth explains that free will is losing its sense of mystery. INMA FLORES Q. There are situations or substances, such as psychedelic drugs, that radically change that perception of reality, but I suppose culture is also extremely important. There are cultures in which our separation between the individual and the group in which they live is much more diffuse. A. Theres this idea of collective consciousness. The mob becomes conscious. I dont think thats correct. But whats certainly true for humans is that our experience of the world, and in particular the experience itself, is very much affected by our social environment. So being in a crowd can make the experience itself feel more distributed and less confined to the individual body. For me, this is fascinating because it really again underlines that this self is not a little mini me inside my head. Its also a kind of perception. And part of that perception has to do with the body, of course, but part of the perception that underlies the experience of self has to do with other minds and how my brain perceives your brain perceiving me. Thats probably one of the things that differ most across cultures. In some traditional societies in South America where ayahuasca is often taken, its only the shaman that takes it. The people who go to see the shaman dont actually take the psychedelic, which is a very non-Western perspective on the utility of these things. Q. Despite the fact that we value our consciousness and our self so much, a lot of substances have been created to escape them, and they are used continuously. Why do you think it happens? A. I think it could be because we didnt evolve in order to be happy. Evolution has shaped our minds and our brains in order to survive in environments which are very different from the environment in which we now live. Theres a lot of suffering. Thats kind of the dual use of biological technology, a consciousness maybe can give us pleasure and meaning, but it can also give us suffering. And it can be quite rational, I think, to try to avoid that. And maybe we try to avoid that in ways which are ultimately irrational because they dont work in the long term. But the desire to alter our conscious states is, I think, rational. The philosopher Thomas Metzinger talks about this a lot, abut other states of consciousness that we should morally desire to inhabit, or other states of consciousness that are ethically and morally wrong and we should avoid. And its worth thinking about it as we get to a stage of society where we might be more able to control our consciousness in a more fine-grained way, sort of jack in and have whatever conscious experience you want. Now, were not there yet, but these things are not out of the question. Brain implants are coming along, and virtual reality. We can modulate our consciousness, at least in the short term. So there are a lot of ethical and moral questions about the rights and wrongs of doing that, but that are not purely neuroscientific or scientific anymore. Theyre all cultural, sociological, also political. Q. In the book, you talk about you experience with general anesthesia, which is a state in which consciousness disappears, something that doesnt even happen when we sleep, and you quote the writer Julian Barnes when he says that after death, when the end of consciousness comes, there is nothing to be afraid of. Do you agree? Does the experience with anesthesia give you peace of mind in the face of death? A. I always worry that my answer might change when Im actually about to die. [With anesthesia] youre gone and then youre back and no time seems to have passed. It could be five minutes, it could be 50 years and its so strange because you were gone, yet the world carried on for other people and stuff happened. We have this curious asymmetry about non-existence. So very few of us worry about all the time in history before we were born when we didnt exist. But were very worried about not existing in the future. We have a kind of fear of missing out for that, for the future, but not for the past, which is a little bit irrational really, because in either case, we wont be around to experience this fear of missing out. We want our children to thrive and so on, but we wont be there. And when you are not there, there is no joy, but theres also no suffering. Theres no pain. There is nothing. And that nothing can be both existentially terrifying and also existentially reassuring. It makes us take this time that we have, while we are alive, and take it less for granted. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In this image taken from video released by Kaplan Hecker & Fink, former President Donald answers questions during his October 19, 2022, deposition for his trial against writer E. Jean Carroll. The jury hearing an advice columnists claims that she was raped by Donald Trump could begin deliberations as soon as Tuesday, and it will have wide latitude in deciding the truthfulness of the allegations against the former president. The writer E. Jean Carroll, 79, testified that Trump raped her in 1996 inside a dressing room at the luxury Bergdorf Goodman store in Manhattan after they had a chance encounter and shopped together for lingerie. Trump, 76, has said he never raped Carroll and was never with her at the department store. He has been absent from the trial, though jurors saw portions of his videotaped deposition. He has accused Carroll of making up allegations to fuel sales of her 2019 memoir. The jurys decision in the trial which involves a civil case and not a criminal one may come down to who they believe more. Heres more on how the jury will reach its verdict: When will deliberations begin? Closing arguments are tentatively scheduled for Monday with an expectation that lawyers for Carroll and Trump will finish their statements by the end of the day. The judge is expected to read instructions on the law to the jury on Tuesday, with deliberations to begin immediately afterward. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan gave Trump a last chance to request to testify, but the former presidents lawyers indicated he was likely to decline that offer. What will jurors decide? Kaplan instructed the nine jurors at the trials start that the central claim pertains to battery. He said that in a civil case, battery can result from even the slightest unlawful touching of another person. The law does not draw a line between different degrees of violence. It totally prohibits all unconsented touching from the least to the most violent that a reasonable person would find offensive. In other words, anything from a gentle but unwanted peck on the cheek to stabbing somebody with a knife could be battery for purposes of a civil case like this one, Kaplan said. The jurors will be asked to decide whether Carroll has proven that Trump committed battery. If they decide that Trump committed battery, they are expected to be asked to what degree. After that, Carrolls attorney has proposed that jurors be asked separately whether Carroll has proven that Trump engaged in forcible touching, sexual abuse and rape. The judge has yet to make a decision on that proposal. The trial also involves a claim by Carroll that Trump made defamatory comments while denying her allegations. For defamation, jurors will be asked if Carroll had proven that Trumps statement was defamatory and whether clear and convincing evidence had proven that Trump made the statement maliciously. What is at stake? If a jury agrees that Carroll has proven her claims of battery and defamation, they can award compensatory and punitive damages. The amount is up to the jury. There isnt any chance Trump will go to jail as a result of a case. Why is it a civil case rather than a criminal case? Carroll acknowledged during her testimony that she never went to police. Her decision not to report a crime for so long rules out the possibility of prosecutors bringing criminal charges against Trump. Until recently, it also would have prevented Carroll from bringing a lawsuit. But New York last year enacted a law temporarily letting sexual attack victims sue their alleged abusers, no matter how long ago the assault occurred. Because it is a civil case, Trump was not required to be in court. Unlike in a criminal trial, where a prosecutor might have to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, a civil jury decides based on preponderance of the evidence, meaning whether something is more likely to be true than not. To prove the defamation claim, Carroll is required to prove her allegations by clear and convincing evidence, which is a higher legal standard than preponderance of the evidence. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Trips on luxury yachts and private planes, nine days of island-hopping through Indonesia, getaways to a Texan ranch, vacations in a mountain mansion and a Bible worth $19,000 that belonged to abolitionist politician and writer Frederick Douglass. What better gift than that for a Black, pious, and ultra-conservative Supreme Court justice? Harlan Crow, a real estate magnate, Republican Party donor and family friend, paid for these gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Virginia Ginni Thomas. Justice Thomas, for his part, never declared having received these presents, something he is required to do. The gifts are so lavish that after being revealed in a ProPublica investigation they have put the spotlight on more than just the ethical violations committed by Justice Thomas; they have also reopened a debate about who influences and controls the members of the Supreme Court, nine untouchable men and women elected for life and whose decisions shape the society they serve. New details have emerged in recent days, worsening the scandal plaguing the nations highest court. The Dallas real estate billionaire Crow also paid tuition for Justice Thomas grandnephew for two years at two private boarding schools, for a total of $6,000 per month. Additionally, a conservative activist named Leonard Leo agreed to remove Ginnis name from compromising invoices dating back to 2010 and 2011 in payment for consulting work done by her. Virginia 'Ginni' Thomas, an ultra-conservative activist, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in October 2021. DREW ANGERER (AFP) Clarence Thomas, who is paid $285,000 a year, has defended himself by saying that this is what close friends do for one another and that he was not obliged to disclose the gifts, given that Crow had no business with the Supreme Court. Beyond the fact that it later became known that Thomas and Crows judicial paths did cross briefly in 2005 over a copyright dispute involving one of the tycoons companies, the events have aired the uncomfortable intimacy between a Supreme Court judge and a politically connected citizen, according to Alicia Bannon, an expert at New York Universitys Brennan Center for Justice. Thomas did not comply with the obligation of transparency, according to Barron. And one of the things that is supposed to guide judges is that theyre supposed to avoid creating even an appearance of impropriety, an appearance of anything that could make people lose confidence in the fairness of the court. And I dont think that this kind of conduct is consistent with that overall value, she added. This news has tarnished the reputation of an already damaged Court that is facing its lowest public approval in the modern era, said Paul Collins, a University of Massachusetts law professor and author of three books on the progressive politicization of the high court. Only four out of 10 Americans approve of the work done by the institution, according to a Gallup poll. The Senate Judiciary Committee convened a hearing last Tuesday to discuss judicial ethics rules that ended in another acrimonious debate between the two parties for lack of anything better to hold on to: Chief Justice John Roberts declined the invitation to appear before the panel, citing that it is exceedingly rare for justices to testify before Congress about anything other than annual appropriations. He pleaded separation of powers and the importance of preserving judicial independence. Last Tuesday's session of the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the scandal over gifts received by Clarence Thomas. CHIP SOMODEVILLA (Getty Images via AFP) Democrats have called for a stronger oversight of the institution. Meanwhile, Republicans, who see the accusations against Thomas as a smear campaign by the left-wing press, blame it all on what they call progressive dissatisfaction with recent decisions by a court with a conservative majority unseen since the 1930s. The rulings include issues like abortion rights, gun control or climate change. Beyond becoming another political battle on Capitol Hill, the Thomas scandal has suddenly also opened the floodgates to scrutiny of his colleagues. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor is being criticized for failing to recuse herself in two cases involving her publisher, Penguin Random House, from which she has received $3.2 million over the years. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch has also been criticized, in his case for having sold a property he had been trying to sell for years in Colorado just days after being elected to office. The buyer? The CEO of Greenberg Traurig, one of the largest law firms in the country and a frequent litigator before the Supreme Court. The scandals have also served as a reminder that there is almost nothing new under the sun in Washington. Justice Thomass indulgence is just the latest and most egregious example of a weakness demonstrated by virtually every member of the court for decades, those nominated by Republican and Democratic presidents alike: a willingness to accept freebies, gifts and junkets both costly and modest from people and groups who find it useful to be close to nine of the most powerful people in the United States, said The New York Times in an editorial. The Times also pointed out that a distinction must be made between whats illegal and whats morally reprehensible and damaging to the courts reputation. These things happen because Supreme Court justices refuse to abide by a standard of ethics, unlike essentially every other judge and politician in America, said Collins. There are very few rules of conduct for the Supreme Court. For instance, there is no code of ethics that they must follow. Instead, they claim they consult a wide range of sources to guide their behavior, but none of this binds their behavior, the professor added. In his defense, Thomas argued that he had sought guidance from colleagues and members of the judiciary and was told that gifts from close personal friends with no matters pending before the court were not reportable. Justice Roberts responsibility In the midst of the storm, eyes have turned to Roberts. Its clear to me that John Roberts has lost control of his Court, said Collins. If the Chief Justice were a true leader, he would be willing to talk to Congress in public about these problems and help form a solution. Instead, if hes doing anything at all, hes doing it behind closed doors, he added. Bannon, for her part, considers that Roberts is doing what he usually does: Hes essentially told the political branches of government, told Congress and the president, you just need to trust us. We can take care of it, we can handle our own house. And I think increasingly its clear that that trust hasnt been earned. The image of a house in order that Justice Roberts wants to project is not helped by the fact that the biggest enigma in the courts recent history remains unsolved: they still have not found the culprit behind the historic leak of the draft of the ruling that ended federal protection of abortion rights last June. Samuel Alito, who drafted the ruling, recently gave an interview to The Wall Street Journals opinion editor, James Taranto, in which he said he has a pretty good idea of who did it. Taranto has in recent weeks provided his dissenting viewpoint with a series of articles, including an interview with the Crow donor, denouncing an attack by the left on the Supreme Courts ethics to tarnish its reputation. Collins and Bannon agree that the latest scandals should serve to profoundly reform the court. We need to take the Supreme Court off its pedestal and stop treating the justices like celebrities. Instead, they should be thought of as civil servants that are subject to the same ethical standards as other members of government, added Collins, who proposes as a long-term solution instituting an 18-year term limit for judges, who can now only be removed by impeachment. Such a change would not be easy: it would require a majority of votes in the House of Representatives and, by virtue of the filibuster, 67 of the 100 senators to agree on something for once. At present, that is a pipe dream. Proponents of such a limitation believe it would ease the appointment and confirmation process in the Senate. So much is at stake when naming a justice who will serve for life, especially because each president names someone who shares the same ideological current. Since the late 1980s, these proceedings, which used to be normal, honest and open, have become real pitched battles, said Joshua Prager, author of The Family Roe, a book about Roe v. Wade, perhaps the most famous case in the history of the Supreme Court, which set the 1973 precedent on abortion that was overturned last year. The election of Thomas in 1991, during which Anita Hill, a former staffer, accused him of sexual harassment before a hostile committee, marked a before and after in the process of naming Supreme Court justices, escalating the process to an all-out political showdown. In 2005 came Roberts turn, who back then uttered a phrase that would go down in American history: Judges are not politicians who can promise to do certain things in exchange for votes. It is one of those boomerang phrases. The certainty that politics has long since crept into the Supreme Court is one of the few things most Americans can agree on. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Cleveland-Clifffs Founder, Chairman and CEO Lourenco Goncalves voiced his support of unions during a recent visit to the Calumet Region. "You won't hear this from a lot of CEOs but I believe in the union movement," he said when visiting United Steelworkers Local 1010 in Hammond's Hessville neighborhood during a Workers Memorial Day ceremony. "I'm a big supporter and defender of the union movement. Organized labor is at the core of the country." Goncalves said unions were a necessary safeguard against exploitation from higher-ups. "The people at the top are under pressure to deliver things and can treat people like numbers, not like human beings, not like the heads of families," he said. "The system was set up by the Henry Fords, Andrew Carnegies and J.P. Morgans of the world. They did great things. One thing they did not do well is treating people well." But steelworkers organized, secured better pay and working conditions and helped lift everyone up, Goncalves said. Unions have had a far-reaching impact beyond just heavy industry, he said. "The country became what it is because we built up the middle class," he said. "In the United States, we are a superpower because of the middle class. We are a democratic country because of unions. Brothers and sisters are more than just a word because of unions. Unionized businesses are one of the few places where people named Smith or Gutierrez get treated exactly the same. Whether they're African American, Asian American or a full white fella, they are treated the same. Men and women work side-by-side with no harassment." Goncalves said the company appreciated its union workers and would not look at cut costs by slashing jobs. "We are focused on controlling expenses but employees are safe. You guys are our best assets," he said. "We cannot operate every day without you. You are the most important thing we have in this company and I mean it." NWI Business Ins and Outs: Buona/Rainbow Cone, Fat Burrito, Pickles Kids and Dear Dani Boutique opening Coming soon Open Coming soon Open Open Open Open Open Open When you think about Tombstone, Arizona, is it about the shoot-out between the Earp brothers along with their friend Doc Holiday against outlaws Tom and Frank McLaury and Ike and Billy Clanton that took place at the O.K. Corral? Or do your thoughts center on the Bret of Lamb ala Mayonnaise and Calfs Head en Tortuethe latter is a sauce made with Madeira wine along with thyme, bay leaves, sage, a small amount of tomato juice and pinch of cayenne served at Tombstones Russ Hotel? Well, its probably the former but fancy food was also part of the frontier life in Tombstone according to Sherry Monahan, author of The Tombstone Cookbook: Recipes and Lore From the Town Too Tough To Die. What a surprise for those of us who thought it was all chuckwagon fare of beans and overcooked steak. The meals themselves reflected the trends of the 1880s and did not include today's popular southwestern fare, writes Monahan, past president of Western Writers of America and an avid food historian in her book, This was, after all, the Victorian era when classic French cuisine was trendy. It all came about because Tombstone in the 1880s was a boom town, made rich from the mines that at one point were extracting $500,000 of silver a month, an amount equal to approximately $11.5 million in todays money. As the money poured in so did the people, both good and bad, and the demand for luxuries skyrocketed and that included high end restaurants. Monahan, who has written extensively on historic restaurants and particularly on the foodways of the old westand well as on the Earp family, has given us a new way to look at what Wild West was like. The night before the shoot-out, the outlaws stayed at the newly-built Grand Hotel in Tombstone, considered to be one of the finest of hostelries in the Arizona Territories at the time. The next night both McLaury brothers and Billy Clanton would be in their final resting spot in nearby Boot Hill. Thats a whole lot different than the trappings of the Grand described by one newspaper reporter as having rare and costly paintings on its walls, walnut tables set with cut glass, fine China, silver pepper and salt shakers, upholstery made of the finest silks and crystal chandeliers. The hotels restaurant was famed for their French fare and so the four had their choice of Fried Flounder with Maitre-D'Hotel Sauce, Salmon with Egg Sauce, Beef with Herb Sauce, Ham with Champagne Sauce and Apple Fritters with Wine Sauce all of which were on the menu there. But it wasnt all French cuisine. According to Monahan, by 1884, Tombstone was considered the greatest mining camp in the territory (Arizona didnt become a state until 1912), attracting people from all over the world hoping to make it rich. Those who opened restaurants served food that often reflected their heritage says Monahan, noting that Tombstones restaurants and chop houses served German, Italian, Irish, Creole and New England cuisine as well as combinations of both. Mulligatawny, an Indian dish, was on the menu at the Eureka Restaurant. The Boss Restaurant served English Plum Pudding. And if you wanted German pancakes, no problem. They were served in town as well. The kitchen at the Grand had hot and cold running water as well as a 12-foot Mountain Range with a patent heater and was capable of turning out enough food to feed approximately 500 people in a span of a few hours. The hotels opening was such an event, that it was an invitation-only ball. Monahan tells me that the menus for some Tombstone restaurants were printed in French which is intriguing since its likely many of the miners who flocked to the town might have struggled in reading a menu written in English. When the Grand changed their menus to English it was big enough news that one newspaper applauded them as having taken a new and very sensible departure. It was common for restaurants to brag about their chefs and where they came from such as San Francisco and New Orleans, says Monahan, pointing out that celebrity chefs were popular back then as well. Its a new take on the Wild West told through food and recipes. And maybe it wasnt so wild after all. HAMMOND And so the adventure begins. That was the message atop the mortarboard of Analia Myers, a nursing major from East Chicago. For Aleeha Zafar, a college graduate from Pakistan, that adventure is just beginning. The computer science major was among the 889 candidates for graduation Saturday at Purdue University Northwest. Graduation "means a great deal for me, said Zafar, now working toward a doctorate at PNW. A had to adapt to a new lifestyle. I had to measure my studies with a new culture while still being myself, which was a very tough challenge. She said she came to this country for more educational options: Theres a world of opportunities, and I want to have a shot at it. Also earning a degree a masters in English was retired Lake Superior Judge Diane Kavadias Schneider, who also gave the commencement address. She earned a bachelors degree in English in 1971 from the former Purdue Calumet. The first-generation college graduate offered this advice: Count your blessings. Be grateful. Be proud of your heritage and never forget your roots. Respect yourself and others. Acknowledge the opinions of those who disagree with you. Schneider, who lives in Florida, recalled teaching middle school English for seven years before entering law school. The road to success is not always a straight line. I learned to embrace every challenge. For me, each day is a learning experience. I sometimes failed, but I was never deterred. Citing her concerns over gun violence, antisemitism, racism, misogyny and xenophobia, Schneider encouraged graduates to be active citizens and to use social media wisely. Recalling the words of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Schneider said successful people work to better their communities: Make time in your life for some community service." PNW graduates earned 755 undergraduate and 134 masters degrees. Many of them, like Schneider, are first members of their families to earn four-year degrees. Benjamin Slack, a communications major, became the first male member of his family to earn a college degree, and we are so proud, you have no idea, his father, Chris, said. He just worked really hard, juggling work and studies. The Chesterton High School graduate worked as a valet at Munster Community Hospital. He also had movie reviews published. Chris Slack added that Benjamin had been very close with his father, Myron, who died recently. We think hes here in spirit, he said. Esther Slack described her son, who was born premature, weighing 1 pound, 10 ounces, has been a fighter ever since. Here we are, 23 years later. PNW Chancellor Thomas Keon called commencement a day of recognition and celebration, of applauding achievements, of proud reflection and maybe shedding a tear or two. Some students already have jobs. Tatiana Flores of Valparaiso received a masters degree in business administration. She works for a bank and has already received a promotion for her college work. Today means everything to me, Flores said. Its the start of so many new beginnings. Madison Merriman of Lowell majored in nursing and will be working in labor and delivery at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. This has been a lot of hard work, but Im super excited, she said. I cant wait to start. For Tiffany Bennett of Crete, Ill., graduation means better opportunities for me and my family. The mother of two and registered nurse in Chicago received a masters in nursing. She offered her fellow graduates this advice: Definitely keep going. Embrace every challenge that comes your way, and look forward to the future. For Brandon Taylor of Crown Point, who studied computer graphic technology, perseverance is definitely key. Keep dedication in your life. Photos: PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 PNW graduation May 2023 Hoosier lawmakers have reconsidered the wisdom of conducting, in the months leading up to the 2024 elections, an expansive Republican-led investigation of how the Republican governor and mostly Republican local officials responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. A provision establishing the Health Powers Review Task Force, which was added April 17 by the House to Senate Enrolled Act 4, was deleted from the public health expansion legislation before it won final approval last month at the Indiana Statehouse. The coronavirus investigation was among a number of measures to initially earn the endorsement of either the House or Senate, or sometimes both, but ultimately fail to make it to the governor's desk to be signed into law for one reason or another. Here are seven additional legislative proposals whose momentum was stymied before they could reach the last step toward becoming law by passing both chambers of the General Assembly with identical language, as required by the Indiana Constitution. Pet stores: Senate Bill 134 would have required Indiana localities that did not ban the sale of dogs at retail pet stores prior to Jan. 1, 2023, to allow pet-store dog sales in accordance with the specific customer protection components of the proposal. The measure would have blocked Valparaiso from enacting a then-pending ban on pet-store dog sales, although it would not have affected the bans adopted by Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Hebron, Highland, Lake Station, Lowell, Munster, Schererville and Whiting. Advocates for the plan unambiguously said their intent was to preempt local pet-store ordinances. Opponents said local governments should be allowed to prevent pet-store dog sales that originate from bad actors from operating "puppy mills" featuring overbreeding, inbreeding and unsafe conditions. The legislation passed the Senate 29-18 but died in the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, where the substantially similar House Bill 1121 also failed to advance earlier in the session. Protests: Senate Bill 348 aimed to make a person's home off-limits when it comes to picketing or protesting no matter who the person is or what he or she has done. Under the plan, a person who continued to protest or picket outside a residence with the intent to harass a resident of the home, after being warned by police to disperse, could be ticketed for the new crime of residential harassment, a Class C infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $500. Supporters of the proposal said they want homes to be protected spaces where individuals won't have to encounter people who believe they have a basis to harass the individual through picketing or protesting, even if the protester is standing on a public sidewalk or street. The measure was approved 29-16 in the Senate but never got a hearing in the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee during the second half of the session. Prosthetics: House Bill 1433 sought to require Indiana Medicaid to cover the costs of all orthotic devices and permit eligible children to obtain separate orthotic or prosthetic devices for routine and recreational use. Indiana Medicaid only covers one pair of prosthesis or artificial limbs for a child every five years no matter how much a child grows during that period. Similarly, certain orthotic devices, such as ankle braces that treat foot, leg or back problems, are covered, but recipients are limited to one device every five years. "Low-income families often struggle to pay for costly prosthetics and orthotics for their children, and Medicaid simply isn't meeting the need in this area," said Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, the sponsor. "This legislation could really help improve the quality of life for these kids who are already facing health challenges. The plan won unanimous House approval and easily cleared the Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services. It stalled, however, in the Senate Appropriations Committee due in part to the unknown cost of extra devices. Township assessors: Had House Bill 1035 become law, voters in counties that still have township assessors including Lake, Porter and LaPorte would have been asked at the 2024 general election whether the office should be abolished and its duties transferred to the county assessor on Jan. 1, 2026, to save money and reduce duplicate services. The ballot question was approved 61-37 by the House. It died in the Senate Committee on Local Government, similar to numerous other recent proposals to partially reduce or totally eliminate township government in Indiana. Likewise, a plan in House Bill 1355 initially focused on merging townships in select counties, including LaPorte's state-leading 21 townships, was approved 80-15 in the House but ignored by the Senate. Taxpayer receipt: Senate Bill 243 could have obligated the Indiana Department of Revenue to prepare and distribute a one-page annual spending report to every Hoosier who pays income tax to the state. It passed the Senate unanimously after being converted to an electronic report to reduce printing and mailing costs. But the proposal failed to advance out of the House Ways and Means Committee, in part because much of the information is available on the Indiana Transparency Portal: in.gov/itp. 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 Altom Transport plans to build an education and training center near its corporate headquarters in Hammond. Altom presented the project during a Hammond Redevelopment Commission meeting Thursday. Bill Hutton, an architect working for Altom, said the 7,200-square-foot building will include showers, lockers, a relaxation area, a kitchen, a safety meeting room and some office space. Hutton said the facility will likely include 40 parking spaces. The planned building, 1636 Summer St., is "much needed." The project will cost $900,000 to $1 million and will probably create 15 to 20 nonconstruction jobs. According to the company's website, Altom transports hazardous materials, special wastes, and chemical and petroleum products across the lower 48 states and Canada. Altom's corporate headquarters are at 1646 Summer St. in Hammond. Hutton said the company also has plans to develop a "much larger building" in the area. However, project details have not gone to the city. Brian Poland, director of the Hammond Planning Department, said a residential area is to the west of the planned education and training facility. To create a buffer, 40 feet of landscaping will be added along the side of the property that borders White Oak Avenue. For 900,000-plus dollars, thats pretty impressive, RDC President Tony Hauprich said, and the project would be a "very positive addition to your (Altom's) property and existing business." The RDC unanimously determined that the project was in compliance with the Redevelopment Plan for the Hammond Central Redevelopment Area. Altom has terminals in Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit, as well as in parts of New York state, Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas. Altom was founded in 1978; its sister company, Al Warren Oil Co., was founded in 1948. Al Warren, which shares the Summer Street base, supplies fuel and lubricant to owners of car and truck fleets. More information about Altom can be found at altomtransport.com. Close U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan chats with Hammond Superintendent Scott Miller during a visit to Joseph Hess Elementary School Thursday. Mrvan was there to celebrate "School Lunch Hero Day" and recognize the work of food service employees in Northwest Indiana schools. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan walks into the cafeteria at Hess Elementary School Thursday. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan listens to an excited student at Joseph Hess Elementary School during a visit to the school Thursday. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan claps as an energetic student dances during his visit to Joseph Hess Elementary School. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan visits with Joseph Hess Elementary School students Thursday. A mass of students rush U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan seeking to give him a hug. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan stands in the Joseph Hess Elementary School kitchen Thursday alongside food service employee Elizabeth Garcia. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, right, and Elizabeth Garcia, a food service employee at Joseph Hess Elementary School serve food to students. Mrvan was there to be a "guest server" in celebration of "School Lunch Hero Day" and recognize the work of food service employees in Northwest Indiana schools. Students line up awaiting their lunches at Joseph Hess Elementary School Thursday as U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, who was visiting the school to celebrate "School Lunch Hero Day," prepares meals. U.S. Frank Mrvan prepares food at Joseph Hess Elementary School Thursday. Mrvan serves food at Hess Elementary U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan visited Hess Elementary School Thursday Mrvan where he was a "guest server" in celebration of "School Lunch Hero Day," which is meant to recognize the work of food service employees in Northwest Indiana schools. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan chats with Hammond Superintendent Scott Miller during a visit to Joseph Hess Elementary School Thursday. Mrvan was there to celebrate "School Lunch Hero Day" and recognize the work of food service employees in Northwest Indiana schools. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan walks into the cafeteria at Hess Elementary School Thursday. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan listens to an excited student at Joseph Hess Elementary School during a visit to the school Thursday. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan claps as an energetic student dances during his visit to Joseph Hess Elementary School. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan visits with Joseph Hess Elementary School students Thursday. A mass of students rush U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan seeking to give him a hug. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan stands in the Joseph Hess Elementary School kitchen Thursday alongside food service employee Elizabeth Garcia. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, right, and Elizabeth Garcia, a food service employee at Joseph Hess Elementary School serve food to students. Mrvan was there to be a "guest server" in celebration of "School Lunch Hero Day" and recognize the work of food service employees in Northwest Indiana schools. Students line up awaiting their lunches at Joseph Hess Elementary School Thursday as U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, who was visiting the school to celebrate "School Lunch Hero Day," prepares meals. U.S. Frank Mrvan prepares food at Joseph Hess Elementary School Thursday. CROWN POINT St. Mary Catholic School fifth-graders recently took a trip out of this world. After spending the last several weeks studying and learning about outer space, comets, asteroids, meteors and working as a team, they toured the Challenger Learning Center in Hammond. The students were split into groups. One set of students participated in a Space Simulation Mission. The other worked in a Living in Space Lab and watched a planetarium show about how a future mission to the moon is a stepping stone to Mars. The students in one group started their day at the space mission simulation. They worked in the spacecraft and Mission Control. The main objective was to find Comet Encki, and both groups found Comets Crisman and Wildcat. My favorite part of this field trip was the spaceship. We all had to work together to solve the problems," said Braelyn LaMere. The students also experienced the Living in Space lab. During this lab, the students predicted what would happen if a marshmallow and shaving cream were in a vacuum-sealed container. The students also made space suits for their potato astronauts. I enjoyed the lab that we did there. We tried to save our potato astronaut by making it a space suit with aluminum foil and paper," said Lashawn Walker. During the planetarium show, they learned that an advantage of using the moon as a steppingstone to Mars is its proximity to Earth. A crewed mission can reach the moon in three days, but a mission straight from the Earth to Mars would take at least seven months. Many students were interested to learn NASA has yet to send astronauts to the Moon since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972. NASA is scheduled to send a four-person crew to circle the Moon in November of 2024, and NASA is not planning on landing on the Moon until sometime in 2025. This will be humanitys first return to the lunar surface in over five decades and the first time humans will explore the South Pole region of the Moon. I loved watching the movie in the planetarium. It was so realistic. I think it is neat we are getting closer to being able to land on Mars, said Genevieve Abad. Changing the World Most babies look you in the face, but my son looked off to the side. As a toddler he fought something inside himself, and all my love could not help. He hated vacuum cleaners, the rip of duct tape, playground noises, flushing toilets. He struggled. I told him the world would not change for him; he must change for it. Perhaps I was wrong. Now grown, he helps children with learning disabilities. He is trying to change the world. When he leaves this fall for graduate school, his goodbye hug will leave me crying in the driveway. Jean Gordon Kocienda For many reasons, boxed wines make an enormous amount of sense. The bag-in-box method is a great way to package easygoing wines that are not intended for aging. Still, the category faces stubborn resistance among both consumers and producers. Why? Its sort of a chicken-and-the-egg situation: Consumers have equated boxes with bad wine because for so long, with scattered exceptions, only bad wine was sold in boxes in the United States. And producers wouldnt put better wines in boxes because they are aware of the fierce stigma. To everybodys benefit, these entrenched attitudes seem to have softened in the last few years, primarily because of the climate crisis. Motivated by the ecological advantages of bag-in-box packaging, a growing number of producers and merchants are opting to box good wine intended for immediate consumption rather than use glass bottles. Taylor Dafoe and Alex Schultes relationship has always included film photography. It was the catalyst for their relationship: after leaving his rangefinder film camera at Ms. Schultes house during a party in 2015, Mr. Dafoe went back a few days later to pick it up. They ended up going on a first date that weekend. It was also part of how they got engaged. In June 2022, Mr. Dafoe, now 32, who works as a news and features writer at the art marketing website Artnet, decorated the back yard of their home outside Troy, N.Y., with film photos he had taken during their relationship. He proposed by handing Ms. Schulte, now 32, who works in marketing at Donut, a workplace software company, the same film camera he had left at her house when they first met. The engagement ring came months later. So when it came time for them to choose a photographer for their September 2023 wedding at June Farms in West Sand Lake, N.Y., it was no surprise that they opted for Autumn Jordan, who is based in Athens, N.Y., and often shoots weddings on film. That was part of the appeal, for sure, Mr. Dafoe said. In recent years, more and more couples are seeking out photographers who can shoot film photos for their weddings. The look of the photos, often a bit softer and grainier than digital ones, and the slower, more analog process are appealing to many couples who are craving a nostalgic medium. This means that photographers and couples cant look at the photos until theyve been developed days or weeks after the wedding. The task forces final report, which is to be sent to lawmakers in Sacramento before a July 1 deadline, includes projected restitution estimates calculated by several economists working with the task force. One such estimate laid out in the report determined that to address the harms from redlining by banks, which disqualified people in Black neighborhoods from taking out mortgages and owning homes, eligible Black Californians should receive up to $148,099. That estimate is based on a figure of $3,366 for each year they lived in California from the early 1930s to the late 1970s, when federal redlining was most prevalent. To address the impact of overpolicing and mass incarceration, the report estimates, each eligible person would receive $115,260, or about $2,352 for each year of residency in California from 1971 to 2020, during the decades-long war on drugs. In theory, a lifelong state resident who is 71 years old, the average life expectancy, could be eligible for roughly $1.2 million in total compensation for housing discrimination, mass incarceration and additional harms outlined in the report. All of these estimates, the report notes, are preliminary and would require additional research from lawmakers to hash out specifics. The costs to the state were not outlined in the report, but totals from harms associated with housing and mass incarceration could exceed $500 billion, based on estimates from economists. KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2023 - 21:19 | World, All, Japan Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol confirmed Sunday that the two countries will join hands to address growing security threats in Asia, such as North Korea's At their summit in Seoul, Kishida and Yoon agreed to send experts to the site to conduct a scientific analysis as Japan seeks to release treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant amid fears about the impact of the move on the ocean environment. The meeting was held in Seoul as part of the restarting of reciprocal visits. Kishida's trip to South Korea was the first by a Japanese prime minister in over five years, after Seoul announced a solution to a wartime labor compensation dispute that had escalated tensions between the two nations. Japan-South Korea ties reached their lowest point in decades under the left-wing administration of Yoon's predecessor, Moon Jae In, over wartime issues that included a labor compensation row, preventing the two countries from pursuing critical diplomatic negotiations. But Yoon, who became president in May 2022, has been taking steps to improve relations with Japan, proposing the solution to the wartime labor issue in early March. He made a trip to Tokyo later the same month for talks with Kishida. Kishida, who is scheduled to host the Group of Seven summit in his constituency of Hiroshima later this month, has been eager to achieve reconciliation with South Korea, as the United States, their close ally, has become warier of the security situation in Asia. At a joint press conference with Kishida, Yoon said Japan-South Korea cooperation is "essential not only for the common interests of the two nations but also for the world peace and prosperity in the face of the current international situation and the global crisis." Kishida said dialogue between Japan and South Korea "has been moving dynamically" for the past two months, adding that the leaders confirmed that bilateral ties have been on an "improvement track." He also referred to the wartime labor issue. He said his heart "aches" as many people have not forgotten the painful memories of the past, though they look to the future. On Sunday, meanwhile, Kishida and Yoon agreed to bolster economic cooperation to strengthen semiconductor supply chains, while Yoon voiced his hope for a swift recovery in the areas hit hard by an earthquake that rocked the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa on Friday. As for the treated water, Japan will accept an inspection team from South Korea on May 23, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara told reporters, with critics saying the planned disposal would harm the marine environment, food safety and human health. During their talks in March, Kishida and Yoon agreed to restart reciprocal visits by Japanese and South Korean leaders, which had been suspended since 2011. Kishida subsequently decided to make his first trip to South Korea since taking office in October 2021. Regarding their disagreements over wartime issues, Tokyo and Seoul have effectively confirmed that a South Korean government-backed foundation will pay compensation to plaintiffs who won lawsuits over their alleged forced labor, instead of the Japanese companies that were sued. In South Korea, however, the government's proposal has faced criticism, as the solution does not call for a fresh apology or compensation from Tokyo to the plaintiffs, who were laborers during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. On Sunday, Kishida, known as a dovish moderate in his Liberal Democratic Party, said he conveyed to Yoon his commitment to upholding and maintaining previous government statements that expressed remorse over Japan's wartime aggression in Asia. In 2018, South Korea's top court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Steel Corp. to compensate the plaintiffs, while Japan has claimed all issues linked to its colonization of the peninsula were settled under a bilateral agreement signed in 1965. The last trip to South Korea by a Japanese premier was in February 2018, when then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics' opening ceremony. Kishida has invited Yoon to the G-7 summit as a guest. He said Sunday that the two leaders are slated to visit together the cenotaph for Korean victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bomb, located in the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, on the occasion of the gathering. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States for talks with President Joe Biden. He said at the joint press conference that South Korea, Japan and the United States are expected to hold their trilateral summit on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting. Gist of Japan-South Korea summit talks in Seoul The two leaders agree to: -- join hands to address growing security threats in Asia, such as North Korea's missile and nuclear threat. -- send experts before releasing treated radioactive water into sea from crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. -- bolster economic cooperation to strengthen semiconductor supply chains. Yoon: -- voices hope for swift recovery in areas hit hard by powerful earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture on Friday. Kishida: -- says his heart aches over Korea's colonial-era history. Towering remnants of tropical decor from the young Empire State Building, which were believed to have vanished decades ago, will return to public view on May 12 in a TEFAF art fair booth at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan. Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts gallery will offer these works, two oval murals of damsels engulfed in rainbows of blossoms and foliage, which the German-born artist Winold Reiss painted in 1938 for a Longchamps restaurant at the Empire State Buildings base. (Its now a Starbucks.) Oh, my lord, the art and architectural historian C. Ford Peatross said last month when he first saw the murals, nearly eight feet tall, at the Goldberg gallery in New York. Peatross, who has been researching Reiss since the 1980s, had previously seen only photos and sketches of the Longchamps works, mostly in black and white. Its a major find, the historian said. Renate Reiss, the widow of Winold Reisss son, Tjark, who organizes and preserves the familys voluminous archives, has deemed the unsigned paintings authentic, based on archival photos and sketches and decades of familiarity with the artists work. This is amazing, she said upon seeing them at the Goldberg gallery, adding that she had assumed everything had been destroyed when the Empire State space was redone by the 1960s. Somebody please help me! Dong-eun, a high school student, screams as a classmate sears a hair curler into her arm while two other tormentors hold her down. The gruesome scene in a school gymnasium is one of the early, pivotal moments of The Glory, the 16-episode drama centered on bullying, social status and revenge that has become the latest in a succession of South Korean mega hits for Netflix. Its breakout sensation, Squid Game, became the streamers most popular series of all time. The Glory, which was released in two parts in December and March, is now Netflixs fifth most popular non-English television offering ever. Executives said they were somewhat surprised to see how well the show did internationally, noting that it reached the top 10 non-English TV list in 91 countries. It was one of the Korean hits, along with Squid Game and Physical: 100, that Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive of Netflix, cited last month when he met with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea. There he announced a $2.5 billion investment in South Korean content over the next four years and noted that stories created in the country are now at the heart of the global cultural zeitgeist. Japans leader visits Seoul Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan is in South Korea today, where he is meeting President Yoon Suk Yeol in an effort to nurture a fledgling detente. Yesterday, in Seoul, the two leaders agreed to press ahead with joint efforts to improve bilateral ties even though Kishida did not apologize for Japans colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century. Kishida went no further than saying that Japan stood by past statements, when some of his predecessors expressed remorse and apologies. He said that his heart ached when he thought of the suffering of the Koreans, but his words fell short of the clear and direct apology that many South Koreans, including the head of the main opposition party, had demanded. Yoon said he would not dwell on seeking such an apology, despite criticism from some Koreans: Its not something we can unilaterally demand; its something that should come naturally from the other sides sincerity. Instead, Yoon urged his nation to focus on the immediate challenges from North Korea and China. Context: Kishidas two-day trip follows a visit in March by Yoon to Tokyo. It means that shuttle diplomacy is back on track after regular exchanges between the countries leaders ended in 2011 over historical differences. Although Mr. Adams said that he had consulted with the state and with local officials, at least two said they were caught off guard and vowed to fight the plan. It felt like they were trying to do a Friday night drop, said Teresa Kenny, the town supervisor of Orangetown, who said she learned about the plan only hours before Mayor Adams announced the move. I feel like the mayor called me to check a box so he couldnt be criticized for not talking to us. The Rockland County executive, Ed Day, said he was stunned by Mr. Adamss plan, and moved quickly to find a way to stop it. He issued the state of emergency order on Saturday, declaring that no municipality could transport or house migrants in Rockland without his permission. Whatever we need to do to stop this, we will do, Mr. Day, a Republican, said in a phone interview on Sunday, adding that the county is prepared to issue fines of up to $2,000, per violation, per day, to any hotel that accepts asylum seekers from the program. Theyre basically dumping them into a county where were not prepared for them, he said. Last year, a parent at a Virginia school board meeting stepped up to a microphone and read a passage from my book, Sold. The scene she chose to read, informed in part by my own experiences of sexual abuse, describes the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by an older man. There is no graphic language or obscenity in the passage; the story is told from the point of view of a child in the words of a child and conveys her confusion, terror and physical pain. The passage, this parent claimed, was pornography. Pornography, according to the Cornell University Law School, is defined as material that depicts nudity or sexual acts for the purpose of sexual stimulation, or in many other accepted definitions, intended to arouse. And many people have struggled to define pornography most famously Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who said, I know it when I see it. PEN America reported last month that Sold was one of the most banned books in the United States at the start of the 2022-23 school year. It made the list thanks, in part, to Moms for Liberty, a right-wing organization that has created a playbook thats been used across the country by people who in some cases are not even parents to lobby to have books removed from libraries and classrooms. These challenges are not grass-roots responses to books coming home in students backpacks; they are campaigns orchestrated by a national clearinghouse with shadowy funding and apparent links to groups such as the Heritage Foundation. Moms in Texas, Florida, Idaho, Pennsylvania and elsewhere have all read the same passage and have used similar language to challenge the book. Im going to pause now and confess that I was once naive. I was especially naive about human nature. As a much younger Christian, Id read stories of unholy violence and hatred unleashed in Jesus name in religious conflicts of even the recent past and think, Thank God thats over. I felt comfortable in my Christian conservatism. My conservatism reflected my best effort to discern the policies that would contribute to justice and human flourishing, while my Christianity hovered over everything, hopefully (though not always, I must confess) infusing my public engagement with humility and kindness. After all, isnt love your enemies a core Christian command? The fruit of the spirit (the markers of Gods presence in our lives) are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, not Republicanism, conservatism and capitalism. But the temptations including the will to power and the quest for vengeance that plagued the Christians of the past still plague the Christians of today. These temptations can plague people of any faith. If you infuse an issue or set of issues with religious intensity but drain a movement of religious virtue, then profound religious conflict including violent conflict is the inevitable result. Indeed, we saw religious violence on full display when a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and it is no coincidence that one of Carlsons most mendacious projects was his effort to recast the Jan. 6 insurrection and its aftermath as a patriot purge. Within conservative circles it has always been surprisingly difficult to tie a decline in Christian political virtue to the rise of Donald Trump. What seems obvious from a distance (wait a minute didnt Christians use to place a premium on the importance of character in politicians, especially during Bill Clintons scandals?) was less obvious up close. In countless personal conversations with Christians who are staunch Republicans, I heard some variation on the same plaintive question, What do you want us to do? Hand an election to Hillary Clinton? Or to Joe Biden? For Democratic readers, thats an easy choice. Theres no sacrifice in voting for Clinton or for Biden. But lets turn the question around: Under what circumstances would you actually vote for your polar political opposite? How corrupt would a Democratic politician have to be to keep you home, make you vote third party or perhaps even cast a vote for a Republican who wants to ban most abortions and nominate Federalist Society lawyers to judgeships? Honestly exploring that question can perhaps help you sympathize with Republican Trump voters. When character conflicts with policy, voting choices can be hard. Adrienne Hurst and Dan Farrell and Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher Lakishia Fell-Davis is aware that at this point, in 2023, most people are treating the coronavirus pandemic as a thing of the past. For her, though, Covid still poses a real threat: Fell-Davis has Type I diabetes, putting her at higher risk of hospitalization and long-term complications from illness. As such, her experience during the pandemic has shaped how she thinks about her daily life, especially at Ninety-Fifth Street Elementary School, where she has worked on and off for more than a decade as a substitute teacher and teaching assistant. She felt much more comfortable when schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District were online during the first year and a half of the pandemic and her kids, Makayla and Kevin, were attending virtually. Sure, they missed their friends, but they were shy and soft-spoken children who had never really strayed far from home. They didnt seem to mind the arrangement. And back then, Fell-Daviss mother, who was paralyzed on her left side after surviving stomach cancer and two strokes, could visit them with relative peace of mind despite her poor health. Fell-Davis cried when she learned that in the fall of 2021, the school district would require students and teachers to return to in-person learning. Her home a cozy two-bedroom apartment in a calm neighborhood had become her haven, the place where she had more control over her familys health than she had anywhere else. An Alabama inmate whose escape from jail last spring set off a nationwide manhunt pleaded guilty on Thursday to the escape in exchange for the state dropping a felony murder charge in the death of the former corrections officer who helped him. The inmate, Casey White, 39, appeared for a routine status hearing on Thursday morning at the Lauderdale County courthouse in northern Alabama. In a surprise move to both the prosecution and his own defense team, Mr. White pleaded guilty to a first-degree escape charge. Youre probably just as surprised by todays turn of events as we are, Robert Tuten, a lawyer for Mr. White, said after the hearing. Mr. White and the officer, Vicky White, who was no relation, were on the run for nearly two weeks after leaving the Lauderdale County Jail in Florence, Ala., for a courthouse appointment that was later revealed to be a ruse. Weeks after revelations that migrant children are being regularly exploited for cheap labor in the United States prompted bipartisan outrage and calls to action on Capitol Hill, Congress has moved no closer to addressing the issue, which has become mired in a long-running partisan war over immigration policy. Legislation to crack down on companies use of child labor has gone nowhere and currently has little Republican backing, while Democrats efforts to increase funding for federal agencies to provide more support services to migrant children who cross the border by themselves face long odds in the House, where the G.O.P. has pledged to slash agency budgets. At the time, Republican proposals to institute tougher vetting of adults in households sponsoring migrant children and expedite the removal of unaccompanied minors stand little chance of gaining ground in the Democratic-led Senate. Instead, as Congress prepares to wade into a bitter debate over immigration policy in the coming days, Republicans and Democrats have retreated to their opposite corners, abandoning whatever initial hope there may have been for tackling the issue of child labor in a bipartisan way. When the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, advocates on either side presumed that the country would divide along the bright color lines: red states completely banning abortion, blue states protecting it. That prediction failed to anticipate the Sister Senators. The Sisters, as they call themselves, are the women in the South Carolina State Senate the only women, three Republicans, one Independent and one Democrat, in a legislature that ranks 47th among states in the proportion of women. As a block, they are refusing to allow the legislature to pass a near-total ban on abortion, despite a Republican supermajority. Three times in eight months, Republican leaders in the chamber have tried to ban abortion beginning at conception. Three times, the women have resisted, even as fellow Republicans have threatened primary challenges and anti-abortion activists have paraded empty strollers and groups of children heckling the women as baby killers. Before the most recent debate started in April, the anti-abortion group Students for Life dropped off gift bags at the offices of the three Republican women containing plastic spines, infant size but intended to encourage the women to grow one, with notes signed, the pre-born. By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2023 - 09:07 | All, World, G7 Joe Biden is due to become the second sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, a city razed by an atomic bombing at the end of World War II, with the international community taking a keen interest in what message, if any, he will deliver on nuclear disarmament. Unlike Barack Obama, who left his mark on history by visiting the Japanese city in 2016, the primary reason for the current U.S. leader to travel there is to attend this year's three-day summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies from May 19. But as Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine gives a chilling warning that the world may be entering a more perilous era, advocates of arms control say it will be a tragic lost opportunity if Biden does not demonstrate a clear commitment to realizing a world without nuclear weapons. His trip comes after Russia's repeated threats to use tactical nuclear weapons in the war, now in its second year, and amid North Korea's incessant efforts to advance its nuclear and missile development programs. "It's crucial that (the G-7 leaders) acknowledge and recognize the decades-long impacts of the bombings on the people who were there in 1945 and their descendants, because that is a powerful reminder of why such attacks cannot be repeated today," said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. Kimball, who has been leading the Washington-based organization for over two decades, said Biden and other G-7 leaders do not necessarily need to state anything new, but they should at least collectively demonstrate a serious commitment to nuclear disarmament. A month before their summit, he and more than 20 other nuclear policy experts, including Ben Rhodes, a former U.S. deputy national security adviser who drafted Obama's historic Hiroshima speech, submitted a letter to Biden urging him to deliver his own address in the city separate from any joint leaders' statement. Kimball said it would not have to be an "apology" or a "judgment about whether the United States should have dropped two atomic bombs" on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Rather, he said, it is important to offer "a recognition of the fact" of the bombings so as to "help reinforce the taboo against nuclear weapons use and threats of use." He added Biden should present "specific, pragmatic and practical" options to head off a new arms race, in contrast to Obama, who delivered a "philosophical" address. The letter submitted to the 80-year-old president on April 19 calls on him to "elaborate on how the United States is willing and ready to work with other states" including those such as China and Russia that possess nuclear weapons. Biden formally announced his re-election bid late last month. Despite continuing concern about his age, Biden, already the oldest-ever U.S. president, is still favored in a possible rematch against his predecessor Donald Trump in 2024. The Pentagon said last fall in a policy paper, "By the 2030s the United States will, for the first time in its history, face two major nuclear powers as strategic competitors and potential adversaries," referring to China and Russia. Yet, since taking office in 2021, Biden has not outlined his overall vision or spoken head-on about how to minimize nuclear dangers. Many believe there is no more ideal place than Hiroshima to augment the powerful campaign promise Biden made on Aug. 6, 2020, when the former vice president under Obama marked the 75th anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing. "As president, I will restore American leadership on arms control and nonproliferation as a central pillar of U.S. global leadership," said the then-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Nearly three years later, it remains unclear if Biden can repeat or upgrade his pledge, given that his administration and most legislators on both sides of the aisle now perceive the U.S.-led security architecture as increasingly contested in Asia and elsewhere. Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to bolster Washington's so-called extended deterrence commitments in late April to deal with North Korea, which continues to test more advanced nuclear delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles. While Yoon reaffirmed South Korea's existing nonproliferation commitments, the agreement was a candid admission that the United States relies on nuclear weapons to make credible its commitments to defend South Korea and other allies. "East Asia is an increasingly dangerous place," said Jennifer Lind, a Dartmouth College associate professor who is an expert on the region's foreign and security affairs, citing China's rapid build-up of nuclear forces in addition to North Korea's weapons programs. As Japan and South Korea feel more threatened and seek to beef up deterrence with the United States, Lind said a possible visit by Biden to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima that "features calls for nuclear disarmament would thus be quite out of step with the current security environment." "But a visit to Hiroshima still can and will be tremendously meaningful" for both Japan and the United States, said Lind, who is also a faculty associate at the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University. Apart from serving as a reminder of "the catastrophe of war" and a chance to mourn those lost, the occasion "celebrates the astounding transformation of our relationship since that dark time," she said. In the second-deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year, a gunman killed eight people, including three children, and injured at least seven others at an outdoor mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen on Saturday. A police officer shot and killed the gunman. Here is what we know about what happened. How did the shooting unfold? Gunfire erupted around 3:30 p.m. local time, the police said, as throngs of shoppers filled the Allen Premium Outlets, which has more than 120 stores. A video posted on social media appeared to show a figure clad in black getting out of a silver car in a parking lot and opening fire. For years, the forces driving South Korea and Japan apart, deeply rooted in bitter history, had seemed too strong to overcome despite repeated efforts and the urging of their mutual ally, the United States. South Koreans say Japan never properly apologized or atoned for its brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. To the Japanese, South Korea has often been an untrustworthy neighbor that has broken several promises, including treaty agreements that were designed to salve historical wounds. But the advent of two new administrations in the neighboring countries President Yoon Suk Yeol in South Korea, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan has led to a rapid thawing of relations. In March, the two countries began taking steps to address a long-festering dispute over wartime forced labor. In April, South Korea restored Japans status as a preferred trading partner, prompting Tokyo to start the process of restoring the same status for South Korea. And Mr. Yoon drew notice in his home country after declaring that Japan must no longer be expected to kneel because of our history 100 years ago. The leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed on Sunday to press ahead with joint efforts to improve bilateral ties despite skeptics at home, declaring that historical differences should not prevent the two nations from working more closely to cope with the growing security challenges from North Korea and China. Before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan arrived in Seoul to meet President Yoon Suk Yeol and to nurture a fledgling detente, South Koreans had been waiting intently for what Mr. Kishida might say about Japans brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century. Mr. Kishida said Japan stood by the past statements in which some of his predecessors expressed remorse and apologies. But he went no further than that, merely saying that my heart ached when he thought of the suffering of the Koreans. His words fell short of the clear and direct apology that many South Koreans, including the head of the main opposition party, had demanded. VANCOUVER, British Columbia Every day when he arrives at his office in City Hall, Mayor Ken Sim stares at a prominent black-and-white photograph of Chinese railway workers toiling on the tracks in British Columbia in 1884. Mr. Sim, the son of Hong Kong immigrants, said the workers weathered faces are a daily reminder of the symbolic importance of his election as Vancouvers first Chinese Canadian mayor, and of just how far Chinese Canadians have come. Six months ago, his historic landslide victory was widely lauded, viewed as the triumph of a politically adroit change-maker whose centrist policies had swept him to power. But since February, the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto has cited classified intelligence reports in describing an effort by Beijing to manipulate Canadian elections, including those in Vancouver, raising questions about whether China played a role in his win. Across Canada, a political storm is raging over the intelligence reports, which have not been made public by Canadas national intelligence agency but are said to conclude that the government of China and its diplomats wanted to ensure victory for Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party in the two most recent federal elections, while encouraging wins for some candidates of Chinese descent. The head of Russias Wagner mercenary group said on Sunday that he had been promised as much ammunition and weaponry as needed to continue the fight for the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, two days after he threatened to withdraw his fighters because Moscows Ministry of Defense was failing to support them. We have been promised as much ammunition and armament as we need to keep going, the Wagner groups founder, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, said in an audio statement released Sunday on his channel on the Telegram messaging app. There was no immediate comment from Russias defense ministry. On Friday, Mr. Prigozhin launched what was widely considered an effort at brinkmanship, by threatening to withdraw all of his fighters from Bakhmut, accusing Russias military bureaucracy of starving him of the ammunition needed to fully capture the city. He had appeared in a gruesome video standing in front of row after row of what he said were freshly killed fighters, saying the ministry had caused useless and unjustified losses by failing to replenish the ammunition stocks. While Mr. Prigozhin had complained about ammunition shortages and threatened to pull out of the city before, he had not previously given a date. This time, he named Wednesday the day after Russias Victory Day holiday as the deadline for his forces to withdraw and lick their wounds. The May 9 holiday celebrates the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany and has taken on particular resonance in Russia amid its war in Ukraine. Arab nations agreed on Sunday to allow Syria to rejoin the Arab League, taking a crucial step toward ending the countrys international ostracism more than a decade after it was suspended from the group over its use of ruthless force against its own people. When Syrias neighbors and peers ejected it from the 22-member league in November 2011, months after its Arab Spring uprising began, the move was seen as a key condemnation of a government that had bombed, gassed and tortured protesters and others in a conflict that metastasized into a long civil war. Now, the region is normalizing relations, increasingly convinced that Arab countries are gaining little from isolating Syria, as the United States has urged them to. Refusing to deal with Syria means ignoring the reality that its government has all but won the war, proponents of engagement argue. That leaves Syria poised for a triumphant return this month in Saudi Arabia at the Arab Leagues next summit perhaps represented by President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leader accused of committing war crimes against his own people over the past decade. Syrias rehabilitation could unlock billions of dollars in reconstruction projects and other investments for its tottering economy, further propping up Mr. al-Assad. A LOCAL company has won a major prize at the Irish Construction Excellence awards. Contractors Carroll O'Keeffe won the award in the private sector residential developments worth up to 50m on Thursday night at a gala event in Dublin's Convention Centre. The project entered by Carroll O'Keeffe was Redwood, Clara Road, Tullamore, the housing scheme developed by Seamus Sheerin's Capital Homes. The judges initially assessed a detailed written application for the shortlist and then conducted an interview with the contractor. Diarmaid Carroll, construction director, Carroll O'Keeffe, Clonaslee, said Redwood was the first housing scheme in Offaly to use the modern insulated concrete formwork (ICF) system. Reacting to the announcement that the company had triumphed over the other finalists, Mr Carroll said: We were delighted. It reflects the quality of work we do and the collaborative approach we take to building and the use of modern methods in our construction. We really felt we actioned all the buzzwords and milestones in modern construction with the Redwood project. Insulated foundation systems were used and the homes are heated with heat pumps. Tullamore's Kenny Lyons were the architects and engineering was by ORS, Mullingar and Galileo Energy Service. Redwood is a 108-house project and nearly 70 of the houses have been completed. Carroll O'Keeffe are also currently continuing the construction of the major Silverbrook residential estate on the Arden Road in Tullamore. Some 110 houses have already been built there, 50 are under construction and work on a further 50 will start this year. And in July they are scheduled to begin work on another major residential project, the building of 61 houses and 16 apartments on the other side of the Arden Road on a greenfield site close to the Pet Hospital. Along with Diarmaid Carroll, Carroll O'Keeffe were represented at the awards ceremony (see picture below) by managing director John Carroll, commercial director Colm Kelly, contracts manager Brendan O'Reilly. Project manager David Spollen attended, as did Seamus Sheerin, managing director Capital Homes, Betty Sheerin, director and John Barron, construction director, Capital Homes. Trevor Coyle, Altherm, sponsored the category. Carroll O'Keeffe previously won an ICE award in 2018 for the extenstion to Scoil Mhuire National School in Tullamore. Another firm headed up by an Offaly man, Roger Smyth from Kilclonfert, was also a winner in the ICE finals last Thursday. Teknabuild won (see picture below) in the residential single swelling category for a retrofit and energy upgrade project on a house in Tullamore. The engineer was CConsult, Cormac Allen, Clonminch, Tullamore and the architect was David Mc Gourty, MMA Architects, Athlone. The Teknabuild entry got the better of finalists who completed single-house projects in Clontarf and Cork. Met Eireann has issued a thunderstorm warning for parts of Ireland for Monday with a risk of possible spot flooding in places. According to the latest Met Eireann weather forecast for Ireland, Monday will start out mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Sunny spells will develop as the day goes on and the showers will become more widespread and heavy during the afternoon. Met Eireann is warning that some thundery downpours will occur, especially in the east and south, bringing a risk of spot flooding. Highest temperatures will range 14 to 21 degrees, coolest in the Atlantic coastal fringes. Light to moderate southwest breezes. Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow Thunderstorm Warning for Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wicklow and Tipperary. Met Eireann is warning that thunderstorms are likely to develop with potential spot flooding and hazardous travelling conditions. The warning is valid from noon on Monday until 8pm on Monday. Showers will become isolated on Monday night, mainly affecting western areas. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 10 degrees in a light southwesterly breeze. According to Met Eirenn, there will be sunny spells and showers on Tuesday, with some heavy showers in the afternoon. It will become cloudier later in the day with rain along the west coast. Highest temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees in a light to moderate southwesterly wind. Yellow Thunderstorm Warning Valid: Monday 8/5 12 noon to 8pm Affected Regions: Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Tipperary & Wicklow Message: Thunderstorms are likely to develop. Potential Impacts: Spot flooding Hazardous travelling conditionshttps://t.co/y935BNlwYb pic.twitter.com/2ZrdeS1aNB Met Eireann (@MetEireann) May 7, 2023 According to the latest forecast, it will be mostly cloudy on Tuesday night with outbreaks of rain extending eastwards. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees with a light to moderate southwest to west wind. Rain clearing to showers on Wednesday. Highest temperatures of 14 or 15 degrees in a moderate to fresh westerly breeze. Sunshine showers once again on Thursday as winds become northwesterly. Highest temperatures 14 to 16 degrees in those moderate to fresh northwest winds. 'Ireland's Sarajevo' is the title of a lecture to be presented by Irish Times journalist and author, Ronan McGreevy in Tullamore on Monday night next. The lecture is presented in person and online through Zoom at Offaly Histry Centre, Bury Quay at 8p.m. For the Zoom link, please email info@offalyhistory.com. Irelands Sarajevo: How the assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP changed the course of Irish history is the full title of this talk. The assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP on June 22, 1922 was the critical event which led to the breakout of the Irish Civil War just six days later. How did the gunning down of the former head of the British army lead to the Provisional Government shelling of the Four Courts and the beginning of the Civil War? What might have happened if Wilson had not been killed? What role did Michael Collins have in this calamitous event? Based on his bestselling book 'Great Hatred: The Assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP', the speaker will attempt to address one of the enduring mysteries of Irish history. Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter and videographer with The Irish Times. He is the author of the book Wherever the Firing Line Extends: Ireland and the Western Front. He was made a Chevalier de lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for his work on remembrance and the First World War. He is the editor of Centenary: Ireland Remembers 1916, the official state book recalling the commemorations of 2016. His most recent book is Great Hatred: The Assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP and was an Irish bestseller. It was chosen by the Sunday Business Post as their history book of 2022 and was also chosen by The Daily Telegraph as one of its history books of 2022. By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2023 - 22:26 | All, Japan, World Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's first visit to South Korea since taking office in October 2021 underscored that bilateral ties have recovered from their lowest level in decades, but conservatives in Japan may hinder further progress. With the security environment deteriorating in East Asia amid North Korea's nuclear and missile threat, Yoon Suk Yeol, who became South Korean president in May 2022, has been trying to achieve reconciliation with Japan despite backlash at home. Kishida has also extended an olive branch to Seoul before the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima later this month, as the United States has been wary of the adverse impact on regional security of frayed relations between its Asian allies. In early March, Yoon proposed a solution to a wartime labor compensation dispute that had exacerbated Japan-South Korea tensions for the past years. Later in the month, he made the first trip by a South Korean president to Tokyo in four years for talks with Kishida. But policies seen as hostile toward Tokyo implemented by Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae In have led to negative perceptions of South Korea in Japan, making it more difficult to boost bilateral ties through cultural interactions and economic cooperation. On the domestic political front, Kishida might start to adopt a hardline position against South Korea in a bid to garner support from conservatives, with speculation rife that he will dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election soon after the G-7 summit. In Japan, many conservatives have traditionally sought to downplay the country's responsibility for its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, while bashing Seoul for often overreacting to historical and territorial issues. Since he became premier, Kishida, head of a dovish faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has taken several policies catering to conservatives, including a pledge to strengthen Japan's defense capabilities, aiming to solidify his power base. An LDP lawmaker said Kishida's approach toward South Korea "could change down the road" if public opinion becomes tougher against the neighbor, adding that further improvement in relations between Tokyo and Seoul "may not be possible" in that case. In 2018, the South Korean Supreme Court ordered two Japanese companies -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Steel Corp. -- to pay damages to plaintiffs over their alleged forced labor during World War II. The firms refused to comply with the rulings, as the Japanese government has consistently argued that all issues stemming from its colonization of the Korean Peninsula were "completely and finally" settled under a bilateral agreement signed in 1965. Following Yoon's proposal, a South Korean government-backed foundation will pay compensation instead of the Japanese companies that were sued. His solution does not require a fresh apology from Tokyo to the plaintiffs, sparking disapproval in the nation. The Kishida administration has also been reluctant to release a new official statement expressing remorse over Japan's wartime aggression in Asia as previous ones have already done so, in an apparent consideration of conservatives within his party. On the day before the Japan-South Korea summit in Tokyo on March 16, a conservative group comprising more than 80 LDP parliamentarians out of a total of around 380 requested Kishida not to make any hasty concessions to South Korea. Hideki Okuzono, a professor of international relations at the University of Shizuoka, said Yoon made a "politically risky decision" over the wartime labor compensation issue, given that anti-Japan sentiment is deeply ingrained in South Korea. As a gesture of reciprocity for Yoon's "courage," Kishida should have offered a "sincere apology" to South Korea in his own words to accelerate the momentum of improvement of bilateral ties, Okuzono said. Even if the wartime labor dispute is resolved, the two countries are likely to continue facing various bilateral issues, such as the over the Seoul-controlled, Tokyo-claimed Takeshima islets in the Sea of Japan, and South Korea's alleged radar lock-on of a Japanese defense force patrol plane in 2018. "Both Japan and South Korea are prone to radical public opinion toward each other, and how to control this is also an issue," said Ken Jimbo, a professor of international security at Keio University. A survey conducted by Kyodo News in March showed that the younger generation does not expect for improvement in Japan-South Korea relations, with about 75 percent of respondents in their 30s and below answering that bilateral ties will "not change." Another LDP lawmaker said Japanese young people appear to become more right-leaning recently as they have been disappointed by left-wing opposition parties that have failed to hammer out effective economic policies to benefit them. Should Kishida strive to capitalize on support from young voters, the possibility cannot be ruled out that he will begin to take a conservative posture against South Korea. Some foreign affairs experts, however, brushed aside such a view, as Kishida said his heart "aches" over Korea's colonial-era history at a joint press conference with Yoon after their summit in Seoul on Sunday. Kishida's remarks may be a "sign of Japan's attempt to support Yoon's hard work, which has received harsh criticism in South Korea," said Junya Nishino, another processor at Keio University. "If both countries make efforts to gain understanding from their respective public opinions, it is possible to further improve ties" between Japan and South Korea, he added. Related coverage: Japan, South Korea leaders to cooperate on security amid North Korea threat Karnataka SSLC Result 2023: KSEAB to release class 10 results tomorrow at 10 am Bengaluru oi-Deepika S The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) is expected to announce the SSLC or class 10 exam results on Monday. The Karnataka class 10 results is expected to be out on May 8 at 10 am. However, the result link will be activated from 11 am at karresults.nic.in. Once the results are declared, students who have appeared for the exam can check their results on the official website of KSEEB. The Karnataka class 10 exams were held between March 31 and April 15, 2023, in a single shift from 10,30 am to 1:30 pm. Now, the KSEEB confirmed the date and time of the SSLC Result 2023. Karnataka SSLC Class 10 Result 2023: How to check Visit the official website at karresults.nic.in On the homepage, click on the Karnataka SSLC Class 10 result link Now, fill in key details like registration number and date of birth Submit and Karnataka SSLC Class 10 result will be displayed on the screen Download and keep a printout for future reference In 2022, the Karnataka SSLC Class 10th exam was conducted from March 28, 2022 to April 11. The result was out on May 19. Nearly 8 lakh students had appeared in the exam, out of which 85.63 per cent cleared the exam. Students can also check their Karnataka SSLC 2023 via SMS, and Digilocker. Go to messaging app on your mobile phone. On the message section, type your roll number in this format: KAR10Roll number. Now, send the message to the number 56263. You will get an SMS with your Karnataka SSLC Result 2023. Karnataka SSLC Result 2023 will be sent on your phone number. Check the SMS or take a screenshot for future reference. If Tipu Sultan is freedom fighter...: Himanta Sarma rakes triggers fresh row in Karnataka Bengaluru oi-Deepika S Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma once again raised the Tipu Sultan issue on Sunday and asked if the erstwhile ruler of Mysore was a freedom fighter, what about the 80,000 Kodavas who died for their homeland. "If we were to even examine the argument that #TipuSultan is a freedom fighter solely because he fought against the British to defend his own kingdom, what about the 80,000 Kodavas who bravely sacrificed their lives for their homeland and to safeguard our culture and Dharma ? Enough of history written by the left. New India needs a history that recognises the sacrifices made by our heroes to protect their land and dharma," Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted. The BJP has been accusing the Congress of promoting Tipu's ideology. During the reign of Siddaramaiah there were violent clashes in Kodagu district in which two persons lost their lives over the Tipu Sultan issue. While many have described Tipu Sultan as a brave soldier who fought the Britishers, the Kodavas remember him as a back-stabbing tyrant. In most parts of the state, he is known as a brutal tyrant whose atrocities against Hindus, Christians and Kodavas will never be forgotten. The BJP has been attacking the Congress on this issue ever since 2015, when the Congress government decided to celebrate Tipu Jayanti. Sentiments against Tipu are high in Kodagu as they treat him as a religious bigot. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 16:30 [IST] Elephant Balarama, who carried the golden howdah 13 times, no more PM Modi to hold 10-km roadshow in Bengaluru today: Routes to avoid Bengaluru oi-Deepika S With just three days left for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to begin the second stretch of his roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday. Photo Credit: However, today, the roadshow will be on a shorter route, about 10 km between Kempegowda statue at Thippasandra to Trinity circle. According to the schedule, PM Modi will begin the roadshow at 10 am from Kempegowda statue at New Tippasandra Road and pass through the HAL 2nd stage, Old Madras Road and the road show will conclude at Trinity circle by 11.30 am. With this, PM Modi will wrap up his two-day long mega roadshow in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru police have issued an advisory ahead of the 10-km long roadshow which will pass through Kempegowda statue Trinity circleon May 7, Sunday. Please note and plan your commute accordingly. https://t.co/4TWivbouH1 BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) May 6, 2023 The BJP on Friday modified Modi's two-day roadshow in Bengaluru, keeping National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in mind. The roadshow, earlier scheduled to be held for eight hours on Saturday alone, was split into two parts - on Saturday and Sunday to avoid inconvenience to the public. Aavin Society's success story includes 60 lakh milk packets every day! Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk Thiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu has 618 milk producer societies. This tale throws emphasis on the farmers who contribute to the success of a government cooperative organization. During the previous AIADMK regime, milk costs skyrocketed. However, the DMK rule reduced the price of milk. According to electoral promises, the DMK government reduced milk prices by Rs. 3 per litre. 2.68 lakh litre per day Every day, Aavin sells approximately 60 lakh packets of milk. How do cooperative societies function under this regime? Saranathi Ammal, a senior research analyst at Thiruvannamalai Dairy Welfare Department, said, "These organizations provide us with almost 2.68 litre of milk per day. Around 39,000 milk farmers are organized into associations. Once the Thiruvannamalai district's demand is met, we obtain the remaining milk for Aavin." "In these communities, there is a peak season for high milk production. There will also be a shortage at some seasons. However, Aavin obtains the required milk in the same quantity throughout the year, with no seasonal variations." "The price of the milk acquired from the societies will be determined by the quality of the milk," Meenakshi, another senior researcher from the same district, stated. Dairy producers will receive between 33 and 39 cents per litre, depending on the quality." Quality-based pricing "Aavin purchases milk from us based on the quality of the milk," said Pavalamalli, a dairy farmer in the Vedapuram cooperative group. The funds will be directly put into my bank account in four days," Ammal added. "I have two dairy cows," Parasuraman from Yadhavapuram explained, "My cows give me 5 litre of milk every morning and evening. I deliver milk to the society by 6 am in the morning. Officials in society will check the fat content of my milk and obtain it. The price will be determined by the quality of the milk. Every four days, I will receive money immediately into my bank account." "Aside from procuring milk, the Aavin cooperative society also provides us with the injection for cattle pregnancy," dairy farmer Arul Malar explained. A cow-specific medical team "There are 145 registered members under this particular society," said Valliammal, secretary of Kolathur Cooperative Society in Thiruvannamalai, "We've been in the business for eight years. We exclusively bought milk based on 'test ratings' from the outset. There is no single pricing that applies to everyone. The price will be determined by the quality of the milk." "There is an unbreakable rule that no one may bring milk in plastic containers. As a result, we gave them milk containers from our society. The dairy producers will only bring milk in the containers provided. Then we'll check for quality by assessing the water content and looking for any other signs of adulteration. As a result, dairy farmers will deliver quality milk without fail," he added. Manikandan, another study expert, stated, "Thiruvannamalai district is only highly industrialised." So farming is the most common occupation in this area. The main crops grown are flowers, sugarcane, and paddy. Dairy farming is a sideline for many farmers in this area. People here rely on dairy farming during the off seasons in farming." Milk is cheaper in Tamil Nadu "There is no such thing as a profit goal for Aavin," stated State Minister of Dairy Welfare Nasar. CM Stalin wants Aavin to be run as a service organisation. Aavin's policy is to follow the wishes of the CM. When the price of milk was raised by Rs 6 per litre during the AIADMK's leadership, Stalin had promised that the price would be reduced by Rs 3 per litre. After becoming CM, Stalin kept his promise. However, the government was facing a demand of 85 lakh per day. Stalin, on the other hand, wanted Aavin to be a service-oriented company. Only in Tamil Nadu are dairy and other dairy products sold at a lesser cost. Even Union Minister Piyush Goyal have admitted it. In addition, the government assists dairy farmers with fodder through Aavin. This allows them to obtain milk from farmers with minimal hassle. The cost of fodder is 24. However, we sell it to the farmers at a rate of 21. Every month, we offer 50 bags of fodder to each farmer. Artificial insemination injection The government has formed a group known as the "Route Doctors". Every farmer's cattle shed is visited by the crew, and routine medical checks are performed. Artificial insemination is being used on cows. Every 10 communities have an officer who checks these standards. The injections are created in an Ooty research facility. Artificial insemination is performed using sperm obtained from both foreign and native Indian bulls. Dairy farmers can also get government loans. Aavin obtains 60 lakh litre of milk every day as a result of all of these activities. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 8:32 [IST] Factories are increasing, so are jobs; credit goes to TN's Dravidian model Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk The Dravidian model of governance in Tamil Nadu has improved the economy and is promoting equitable development in the State. The government has appointed world-renowned economists to improve the economy and reduced the revenue deficit. As a result, investment in the State is increasing, which has led to an increase in job opportunities as well. In the last two years, the government has signed multiple MoUs to employ 3,89,651 people with investments worth Rs 2,70,020 crore. The State government is planning to hold a 'World Investors Conference' in January 2024 to promote the industry and has given employment orders to nearly 1 lakh people through employment camps held in private and government colleges. The government has also adopted innovation in industrial policy, giving priority to women in non-leather shoe factories as an act of social justice. The State ranks first in the production of green electric vehicles, with the world's largest two-wheeler electric vehicle manufacturing plant set up in Tamil Nadu. The State has attracted investments, including Taiwan-based Pegatron, which has opened a factory in Tamil Nadu, creating jobs for 14,000 people. Dravidian model in industry Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's Dravidian model of government is celebrating two years with the slogan 'Double Happiness'. On the day he assumed office as Chief Minister, he declared that his government's goal was to raise the economy of Tamil Nadu to one trillion dollars. That 'one-trillion' word went viral across India. But he didn't just say it as a political slogan. To materialise it, he immediately went to the UAE. He formed a committee of five economists to improve the battered economy. French American economist Esther Duflo is on this panel. She works as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US. She specialises in poverty alleviation and development economics. She is a Nobel Prize winner in Economics. This is the first time that a State government in India has appointed such world-renowned geniuses. This is a miracle that Tamil Nadu has never seen before. Now, the Tamil Nadu government has handed over the work to Boston Consulting Group to prepare a road map to achieve this one-trillion dollar target by 2030. In short, in the last two years, Finance Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Thiagarajan has been subtly arguing in his interviews how much the Union government is deceiving Tamil Nadu. His speech has become a topic of debate across the country. Revenue deficit reduced During this period, the Finance Minister has successfully reduced the revenue deficit of Tamil Nadu from around Rs 62,000 crore to around Rs 30,000 crore in the revised estimates for the current year. A revenue deficit occurs when a government's total revenue falls short of its total expenditure. By reducing the revenue deficit, the Tamil Nadu government is improving its financial position and making progress towards its goal of raising the State's economy to $1 trillion. Earlier, on his first foreign visit as Chief Minister, Stalin signed five MoUs worth Rs 2,600 crore, which was perceived as a positive move by the industry. MoUs are agreements between two or more parties that outline the terms and conditions of a future business relationship. The signing of MoUs is usually seen as an indication of the intention to establish a business relationship, and it can signal confidence and trust between the parties involved. Therefore, Stalin's move is seen as a positive step towards attracting investments and promoting economic growth in Tamil Nadu. During these two years of DMK rule, 221 MoUs have been signed with different companies and agencies to employ 3,89,651 people. Through these agreements, Tamil Nadu is going to receive investments worth Rs 2,70,020 crore. World Investors' Conference in January 2024 One more good news story recently came out: Tamil Nadu is going to host the "World Investors' Conference'' in January 2024. Hosting such a conference can be a great way to attract foreign investment and promote economic growth in Tamil Nadu. With the government's commitment to spending Rs 100 crore on the event, it shows that they are serious about creating a business-friendly environment and promoting the State as an investment destination. It is worth noting that even in the agreements made on behalf of the industry, more emphasis is placed on the equitable development of the State. Around 85 factories are located in backward districts of the State. These sprawling projects are to be launched with an investment of around Rs 1,44,028 crore. As a result, the government plans to create employment for 2,14,478 people. Apart from these, Tamil Nadu is the first choice of many investors. 'Angel Investment' is proof of that. Angel investment is a growing trend in India as a whole. Tamil Nadu is the first State to take steps to promote and support Angel investment, making it a leader in this area compared to other States in India. As of 2022, Tamil Nadu has the top position in India in terms of such investments. TN ranks first in the production of e-vehicles At this point, the whole world is moving towards non-petrol vehicles. The Tamil Nadu government has properly absorbed the change. The State ranks first in the production of green electric vehicles. It's a proud moment for the State that 46 per cent of the electric two-wheelers sold in India last year were manufactured in Tamil Nadu. According to a statistic provided by the government, the world's largest two-wheeler electric vehicle manufacturing plant has been set up in Tamil Nadu. The government of Tamil Nadu has adopted innovation even in industrial policy. Here again, the Dravidian model is working in the right direction for the State. The government is giving priority to women in non-leather shoe factories, and that is a positive action towards social justice. 5,400 women in the factory located in Tindivanam and 31,600 women in the factory located in Perambalur have been planned. The foundation stone for these factories was laid by the Chief Minister. Also, 32,000 women are expected to get employment through two factories to be set up in Ranippet and Kallakurichi. 3 industrial parks & employment camps SIPCOT Industrial Parks in Virudhunagar, Vellore, Kallakurichi and Coimbatore are on the way. The estimated cost of these parks is Rs 410 crore, and that will generate employment for approximately 22,000 people. Apart from these, this government has given employment orders to nearly 1 lakh people through employment camps held in private and government colleges in recent months. Before this, the investment made by Taiwan-based company Pegatron, which has been involved in the production of iPhones, opened its factory in Chennai. The fact is that 14,000 people got jobs through this factory. The factory project has been started with an investment of around Rs 1,100 crore, and this initiative has to be an integral part of the Dravidian model regime. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 14:46 [IST] Migrant workers too can avail TN's Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk The incumbent DMK regime in Tamil Nadu completes two years in office tomorrow (May 7). Party workers are getting ready in full force for a grand celebration. DMK got back power in the State after a decade. In the past two years, the DMK government has stressed the importance of education and healthcare in its yearly budget rather than concentrating only on infrastructure developments. First seed was sown at Hosur Education and Healthcare departments in Tamil Nadu are getting more attention ever since CM Stalin mentioned that education and medicine are his two eyes. He launched this 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' scheme in 2021 at Hosur. Public Health specialist Dr. Amalorpavanathan describes the scheme as the best-ever introduced for the welfare in the State. He even praises the scheme as the best in the country. As per reports, this scheme recorded nearly 8.5 lakh beneficiaries. This scheme allows people to get treated at home for free rather than waiting at government hospitals. People especially in hilly regions and rural places are getting more benefits from this scheme. Separate articles have previously described how tribal people from Krishnagiri and Ooty are benefiting from this scheme. Dravidian model govt for 2 years Sharing his views on the performance of the DMK government over the past 2 years and its achievements, Dr. Amalorpavanathan further explains how migrant workers in Tamil Nadu will benefit from the schemes of the State government in the future. He said, "The best scheme of the DMK government is the 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam'. Many people in Tamil Nadu are still struggling to visit a hospital for proper treatment. Many couldn't visit the hospital due to their physical conditions. They couldn't afford to travel from one place to another. Elderly people can't travel." "So there are very many hurdles for a person to visit a hospital for basic treatment. There is a need for the government to give special attention to these kinds of people. And to fulfill that need, the Tamil Nadu government launched this 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' scheme. Lakhs and lakhs of people are benefiting from this scheme," he added. Beneficiaries People over 45 years of age are getting more benefits from this scheme. Also, many people with high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney failure benefited from this scheme as the doctors provided health treatments at home. Along with the doctors, medicines will also be provided at home. Thus, patients are getting medical treatments without much hassle. More than these facilities, patients who have suffered a stroke could get physiotherapy from professionals at home. Even dialysis could be done on the patient's premises. Financial Statements amended The Tamil Nadu government extended this scheme further in this financial year's budget. Along with elderly people and bedridden patients, CM Stalin wished to extend this scheme to labourers who are working all day. Daily wagers and monthly income Labourers are working from morning to evening every day. So most of them never had the luxury of taking care of their health. Many wouldn't even have the time to visit hospitals, even if they knew that they were sick. So, for such working-class people, CM Stalin expanded the scheme where doctors visit to treat the working-class people in their workplace. This extended scheme will benefit nearly 8.35 lakh workers working in 711 industries in this financial year. Migrant workers too to benefit Along with Tamil workers, even migrant workers in Tamil Nadu could also avail of medical care under this scheme. CM Stalin wanted to include every migrant worker working in Tamil Nadu under this 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' scheme. They are working for the benefit of the State. So including them under the scheme will aid them in their medical needs. It is indeed a revolutionary step taken by the Tamil Nadu government. This is the speciality of the Tamil Nadu government. Many rumours spread all over India about migrant workers being ill-treated in Tamil Nadu. That is not at all true. Tamil Nadu government is inclusive of all people with humanity. As Dr. Amalorpavanathan said, it is indeed good news that all migrant workers in the State will benefit from this Dravidian model government. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 8:17 [IST] Factories are increasing, so are jobs; credit goes to TN's Dravidian model 30 good news for the people of Tamil Nadu in last 2 years The incredible memorials that shows CM Stalin's generosity! Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's efforts to create enduring memories of great leaders are an inspiring initiative as the memorials will serve as a reminder of their contributions. The State government is commissioning memorials and statues to honour the late leaders, scholars and individuals who have made significant contributions to Tamil and Tamil Nadu. Over the past two years, the State has witnessed the construction of several such monuments and institutions throughout the State without any political bias or party affiliation. Memorials, statues & projects During the construction of the Parambikulam Azhiyar irrigation projects, a tragic accident occurred that claimed several lives. As a tribute to the victims, a memorial hall was built. Additionally, a statue of Lord was erected at a cost of Rs. 17.5 lakh in Chennai's Gandhi Mandapam to honour Dr. P. Subbarayan, who was the Chief Minister of erstwhile Chennai Province. An arena named after Subbarayan was built in Namakkal city too at a cost of Rs 250 crore. Similarly, a statue and arena were built in Bhavanisagar city of Erode district in honour of Uttama Tyagi Easwaran at a cost of Rs 2.6 crore. In memory of former minister Govindaswamy, a 'Thiruvuruvachilai' and an 'Arangam' were built in Villupuram district's Valuthareddy village at a cost of Rs 2.6 crore. A bronze statue of novelist K. Nedunchezhiyan was inaugurated in the Chepauk Government Guest House complex in Chennai. A new statue was erected at Veeran Sundaralingam Manimandapam in Kavarnagiri of Thoothukudi district at a cost of Rs 48.66 lakh. Mayuram Munsif Vedanayagam Pillai, who wrote the first novel in Tamil, was honoured with a stadium and statue in Mayiladuthurai, costing Rs 3 crore. At the Chennai Gandhi Mandapam, a project to the tune of Rs 42.43 lakh was undertaken. A bust of V.O. Chidambaranar was installed. The Ottapidaram residence of Chidambaranar was renovated at a cost of Rs 72.5 lakh. Renovation works were carried out at the Memorial House in Tirunelveli as well audio-visual works on the biography of Chidambaranar were produced. Moreover, improvements were made to V.U. Chidambaranar Park in Coimbatore at a cost of Rs 43.7 lakh. After the statue of Chidambaranar was erected, the government issued an order to allocate Rs 18 lakh to erect a statue of Veerapandiya Kattabomman at the Gandhi Mandapam Complex in Chennai. A statue of the Maruthu brothers, who were rulers of the Sivaganga region, was also erected at the Gandhi Mandapam Complex in Chennai at a cost of Rs 34 lakh. A statue of freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal was installed in Cuddalore while the Chennai University campus has a statue of our former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Similarly, Queen Mary College in Chennai has a statue of Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengal poet who wrote the national anthem. A statue of Lord Ramamirtham was erected at Muvalur in Mayiladuthurai while Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy's statue was erected on the Pudukkottai Government Medical College campus. Upgradations are being made to the Chennai Gandhi Mandapam Museum, Kamaraja Memorial Hall, Periyavar Bhaktavatsalam Memorial Hall and Mutharinjarrajaji Memorial Hall at a cost of Rs 3.38 crore. This is how the government led by M.K. Stalin is honouring the legacies of various individuals through several initiatives. This includes the unveiling of a statue at the Annal Ambedkar Mani Mandapam in Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai, the awarding of Rs 4 crore to the families of 21 social justice activists who were killed in police firing during the 1987 reservation protests, and the inauguration of a memorial with a statue and library for late writer K. Rajanarayanan. The government is also funding the renovation of Bharatiyar's House in Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, at a cost of Rs 18 lakh and laying the foundation stone for the Fernandes Mani Mandapam in Tuticorin. Overall, the government is dedicated to preserving the memories of individuals who have worked for the betterment of the country. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 19:48 [IST] TN politicians slamming Governor Ravi over his controversial statements Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk In an interview with an English newspaper, Governor Ravi criticised the Dravidian model of governance as an expired ideology that does not promote the concept of One India. Many DMK ministers and politicians are condemning the statement. Governor's salary is from the State Writer Arunan said, "I have read the entire interview given by the governor. It is not good for a Governor to make such a statement. If he wants to criticise the State government, he could very well resign from his Governor's post and become a State leader of the BJP. He may even form a new party to criticise the State government. A Governor's post is created by the Constitution of India. A Governor is not an elected member of the government." "A Governor gets his salary from the State government. And he is not entitled to criticise the State. He is insulting the people of Tamil Nadu as well as the Constitution of India. It is not like he acknowledged the term 'Dravidian model' when he just read it. He is subjected to reading whatever is written by the State government. But he is accusing the State of making him read something that promotes the ideology of the State government. This is highly ridiculous. It's just a fancy post," he added. The Governor should resign ''The Governor always addresses as 'My Government' because the content of his speech is prepared by the State governement. But the Governor stated that there is no such thing as a Dravidian government whereas the fact is that the government is formed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The word 'Dravidam' is part of the government,'' he pointed out, claiming that PM Modi describes the Union government he heads as a ''Hindu'' government. ''He's deliberately announcing that he was here to form a Hindu Rashtra, which is the policy of RSS,'' Arunan opined. "Is then the President of the country allowed to speak against the Union government? I belong to a different political party, so I can criticise the Union government. But a President cannot do the same. The President only reads what is written in the document made by the Union government. Governor Ravi should try to understand this. How come a Governor could say that the ideology of Dravidianism is expired? He should explain his statement,'' the writer further said. ''If it is an expired ideology, how come DMK won the Assembly elections in 2021? The people elected the DMK to rule the government of Tamil Nadu. This is not at all good for a person who is in such a position to negate it. He should resign from his position," Arunan demanded. Constitution amended to accommodate Dravidian ideology Assembly Speake Appavu stated some historical data on this issue. He explained, "The social justice policy was developed during the era of the Justice Party." The Dravidian model was derived from this concept. Even today, the national graduation rate of women is 26%. But in Tamil Nadu, the rate is 71%. Tamil Nadu has a high literacy rate in India. This is only possible due to the Dravidian model of governance. For the very first time, the Constitution of India was amended for Tamil Nadu. The reservation rate for education and employment for the Scheduled Caste people was 10%. Mrs. Shenbagam, a widow, requested the government for a seat at a medical college after her husband's demise. The case was led by lawyer Alladi Krishnaswamy. He was one of the members of the team led by Dr. Ambedkar to draft the Constitution of India. Even before Shenbagam applied to the college, her request was denied. But the High Court and the Supreme Court ordered the government to allot a medical seat for Shenbagam. So, the concept of reservation was first sown by the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu by Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar. CM Stalin is on the path devised by them. Stalin made reservation possible There is no reservation for OBCs in the undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses offered by the State governments to the Union government. Only CM Stalin fought against this and made reservations available for the OBCs. There are 4,022 seats available in India for OBC students to study medicine and 1,000 seats in dentistry. Through this, CM Stalin has made an impact nationwide. So, the people are aware of the concept of social justice. That is the reason why the Governor is making such statements. Dravidian model means 'social justice' VCK MP Ravikumar said, "Dravidam is an ideology mixture of social justice, equality, democracy and independence." The term put forth by Dravidianism 'Social Justice' is mentioned three times in the Constitution of India. The word "equality" is mentioned 18 times in the Constitution. But there is no such word as 'Sanatanam', a term oft-repeated by the Governor, in the Constitution of India. "The Governor continues to speak against Tamil and Tamil Nadu people. It's time that he should stop. He should act according to the Constitution of India. He is encouraging partition between the people," alleged Arunan. When will 'One India' be created? DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan stated, "I couldn't understand whether Governor Ravi is in India or in some other foreign nation. Even North Indian political parties are functioning based on the Dravidian model. The Dravidian model means that all human beings are equal. Governor Ravi is not aware of this Dravidian model concept. Why is he against this Dravidian model, which says that all human beings are equal? How come it is against One India? It is dangerous to separate people into four classes as per their ideology. One India was formed in 1947.'' ''They are trying to bring the 'One Education System' all over India. Then how come the BJP-ruling States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are so backward in education? How come Tamil Nadu is leading in education?" Elangovan sought to know. Do we have to be like Edappadi? State Congress leader K.S. Azhagiri states, "R.N. Ravi, as an ordinary individual, has the right to state that 'the ideology of the Dravidian model is expired.' But a Governor of a State does not have any right to comment like this. Tamil Nadu is standing tall among all other nations, only because it fought for social justice. No one can deny it. A Governor should never criticise a State government. This is totally wrong.'' ''Governor Ravi mentioned that he respects M.K. Stalin as an individual but not his policies as a Chief Minister. They are expecting Stalin to behave like Edappadi Palanisamy. They couldn't tolerate Stalin as he is not behaving like Edappadi. And this is making them angry," alleged Azhagiri. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 14:54 [IST] Avoid non-essential travel to Manipur: Canada tells its citizens India oi-Deepika S Canada on Sunday issued an advisory for its citizens asking them to avoid all non-essential travel to Manipur in the wake of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Photo Credit: "Violent demonstrations have been taking place in Manipur State since May 3, 2023, resulting in casualties. Protests have led to disruptions to traffic and public transportation. Curfews have been imposed in several districts and mobile and internet services may be limited," the advisory noted. "You should think about your need to travel to this country, territory or region based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with the region, and other factors. If you are already there, think about whether you really need to be there. If you do not need to be there, you should think about leaving," it added. The advisory also urged those already in Manipur to monitor local media for the most recent information, follow the instructions of local authorities, be prepared to modify plans in case of disturbances and to expect enhanced security measures and an increased police presence. "Demonstrations, mass gatherings, general strikes, bandh or hartal, take place frequently. Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time. They can also lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation. Local authorities may impose curfews and other restrictions on short notice. Follow the instructions of local authorities, including curfews. Monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations," it added. 'If I have a good guest, I am a good host': S Jaishankar on Pak's Bilawal Bhutto India oi-Prakash KL Days after calling Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto a "spokesperson of a terrorism industry", External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday indicated that he is a "good host" for "good guests." Speaking at an event in Mysuru, the EAM said that the Pakistan Foreign Minister has not spoken about any issue other than Kashmir, the BBC documentary and the G20, Hindustan Times reported. "But if you look at his public utterances outside the SCO meet, he has only spoken on India, -- G20, Kashmir, BBC documentary; but nothing about SCO. What do I do as a host? If I have a good guest, I am a good host," the website quoted S Jaishankar as saying while responding to a question. Bilawal Bhutto was in India recently to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting which was held in Goa. Explaining the government's intent on inviting the Pakistan minister to the SCO meet, he said, "We invited the Pakistani foreign minister because there was an SCO foreign ministers' meeting. When it comes to multilateral meetings, you invite people to discuss that subject. He (Bilawal Bhutto) was invited in his capacity as a representative of Pakistan to put across his views on matters pertaining to the issues pertaining to SCO. We could differ...he may have his viewpoint, I may have my own viewpoint and there's an SCO meeting room where we would discuss and differ. That's one thing," After a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) witnessed a face-off between the two countries on Friday, S Jaishankar accused his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of being a "promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terror industry". His response came after Bhutto Zardari in his address at the SCO meeting contended that terrorism shouldn't be "weaponised for diplomatic point-scoring". "As a foreign minister of an SCO member state, Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terrorism industry, which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered including at the SCO meeting itself," Jaishankar stated. On Pakistan's response to terrorism, the EAM said the country's credibility is depleting even faster than its forex reserves. "Victims of terrorism do not sit together with the perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism," Jaishankar said when asked about the possibility of India and Pakistan working towards combating the menace. Victims of terrorism defend themselves to counter acts of terrorism. They call it out, they delegitimise it. And that is what is happening. To come here and preach these hypocritical words as though we are on the same boat. I mean they are committing acts of terrorism." With inputs from PTI KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2023 - 09:47 | All, Japan A total of 80 percent of respondents to a Kyodo News poll said they are against possible tax hikes to finance Japan's substantial defense buildup plan, despite an overwhelming majority expressing concern about China potentially taking military action against Taiwan, the survey showed Saturday. The poll, carried out by mail from March to April, showed that while the Japanese public sees a need to boost the country's defense capabilities to some extent due to a deteriorating security environment, they are reluctant about increasing defense spending considerably or financing them through taxes. In the survey, only 19 percent showed support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's call to finance a portion of defense spending by taxes, with the government deciding in December to boost defense spending by more than 50 percent to 43 trillion yen ($319 billion) in five years from fiscal 2023. In a major shift in security policy for a country that maintains a pacifist postwar Constitution, the government has set itself the goal of bringing the annual defense budget and related expenses to 2 percent of gross domestic product by fiscal 2027. Nearly 60 percent said the five-year defense buildup plan was "not appropriate," while 88 percent said Kishida's explanation regarding drastically enhancing Japan's defense is "not sufficient." When asked about their main reason for disapproving of the tax hikes to cover the rise in defense spending, the largest group of 48 percent said it was "because the public cannot bear further tax burdens." On the possibility of China taking military action in a bid to unify Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing views as its territory, with the mainland, 53 percent of the respondents said they are "extremely concerned" and 36 percent said they are "concerned somewhat." Asked about potential desirable responses in the event of a Taiwan contingency, 56 percent, the largest group, preferred that Japan engage in diplomatic efforts and non-military measures, such as imposing economic sanctions. The second largest group, at 33 percent, was those who said Japan should provide logistical support to the United States, its key security ally, that could step in to defend the democratic island against a possible Chinese invasion. The survey, which focused on national security issues, targeted 3,000 men and women in Japan aged 18 and over. The questionnaire was sent on March 7 and 2,043 responses were received by April 17, of which 1,959 were considered valid. A total of 61 percent said they support Japan's decision to acquire so-called counterstrike capabilities that can hit targets inside an adversary's territory, which the government says will enhance deterrence. But 36 percent were against obtaining the technology. The majority approving Japan developing the new capabilities apparently represents a recognition of an increasingly severe security environment amid China's military rise, North Korea's missile and nuclear weapon development and Russia's war on Ukraine. Nearly 60 percent said possessing counterstrike capabilities would contribute to an arms race with neighboring countries, and 53 percent said obtaining the capabilities would make the country's exclusively defense-oriented policy a dead letter or, if they had to choose, said they would decide for it to be so. Regarding the country's strict regulations on exporting defense equipment, 20 percent backed a plan considered by the government to embargo exports of lethal weapons, while the largest group at 54 percent said the exports should be limited to non-lethal areas. Talks began inside Japan's ruling coalition parties in late April to review the rules, as calls grow for the Asian country to play a bigger role in the global security arena at a time when major Western countries are providing military aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the survey showed that 76 percent did not know at all or were not much aware of Japan's new national security strategy and related documents approved in December, which included the plan to obtain counterstrike capabilities and boost its defense spending. The result indicates Kishida may need to make more efforts to communicate with the public so as to win their support for the new defense policies, including the tax hikes. On the Group of Seven countries' summit, to be held in Hiroshima in western Japan later this month, respondents were split over whether the gathering would contribute to increased momentum for a world without nuclear weapons -- a vision Kishida has been pitching. 'Is Tamil Nadu burning like Manipur?' MK Stalin slams Governor Ravi India oi-Prakash KL Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday slammed Governor RN Ravi for his recent comments on the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu and asked whether the state's situation is like Manipur. "Governor Ravi is saying that the law and order situation is worse here and Tamil Nadu is not a peaceful place. I'm asking you, Mr RN Ravi, BJP ruling state Manipur is burning. Is Tamil Nadu burning like Manipur? Look at the riots that happened in Karnataka recently, the state is ruled by BJP isn't it? Did this happen in Tamil Nadu?," ANI quoted MK Stalin in a tweet. A few days ago, violent clashes broke out in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities. At least 52 people have been killed in the clashes. The Tamil Nadu CM then criticised the Governor's recent comments that the Dravidian model of governance is only a "political slogan" and an "expired ideology." "Dravidian ideology is not an expired ideology rather it gave expiration to Sanatana Dharma, Varnasiramam, Manuneedhi, and caste discrimination...I am saying this with great confidence that only Dravidam has the power to defeat the Aryan ideology," Stalin added. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Governor RN Ravi's comments Responding to the allegations of DMK workers misbehaving with women police officers, he said that the DMK government took immediate action against the accused and expelled from the party. "We did not try to save him as he is a member of DMK. The Governor says that some people in Tamil Nadu have links with Pakistan, arms and drug dealers. We did not get any such information after DMK came to power. They might have received such information before 2021 but it has nothing to do with DMK. Then why is the governor quoting old incidents and trying to demean DMK's rule?" he added. Days ago, Stalin, without naming the Governor, said those who, by virtue of their power and arrogance, differentiate between people on the basis of caste and religion cannot understand the Dravidian model. "The learned people of Tamil Nadu, who voted the DMK to power with the confidence of a new dawn, fully understand what the Draividian model is all about. There is no need to be concerned about those who hold positions that are not related to the people. It is suffice to do our duty and I am working with this goal," he said. With inputs from PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 22:57 [IST] Dream of every Kannadiga is my own: PM Modi's message for Karnataka | Video Do laws apply to PM Modi or not? Cong files complaint with EC over poll code violation US President Biden to meet PM Modi in Papua New Guinea later this month Watch: PM interacts with members of Hakki Pikki tribe evacuated from Sudan India oi-Prakash KL Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe who were evacuated from Sudan through Operation Kaveri, in Shivamogga. The evacuees profusely thanked the Prime Minister for the proactive steps taken by the government in ensuring their timely and safe evacuation, officials said, adding that they recounted the tough circumstances that they faced in Sudan and how the government and the Indian Embassy had ensured their safety. The evacuees expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying the government ensured that they escaped "without a scratch", an official said. The Prime Minister recalled to the tribal people how their forefathers had stood alongside 16th century ruler Maharana Pratap, and stressed that if any Indian anywhere in the whole world was in any kind of difficulty, the government would not rest until the problem was resolved. "Some politicians tried to politicise the issue, and our concern was that if they expose where Indians are hidden, they may face greater danger. So the government worked quietly to ensure everyone's safety," Modi was quoted as saying. The Prime Minister asked the Hakki Pikki people to remember the strength of the country which had stood up for them, and asked them to always be ready to help those in trouble and contribute to society and country. The evacuees told the Prime Minister about how people in foreign countries had faith in Indian medicines and become happy on hearing that they are from India, the officials said. In Shivamogga, I had a memorable interaction with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe who safely came home from Sudan. pic.twitter.com/T7mdl59YnW Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 7, 2023 Recently, a Twitter war had erupted between former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after the former posted a series of tweets urging the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP ministers to ensure the safe return of the tribe. "It is reported that 31 people from Karnataka belonging to Hakki Pikki tribe, are stranded in Sudan which is troubled by civil war. I urge @[email protected], @HMOIndia, @MEAIndia and @BSBommai to immediately intervene & ensure their safe return," tweeted Siddaramaiah. Siddaramiah claimed that Hakki Pikkis in Sudan were left stranded without food and accused the Centre that it was yet to initiate action to bring them back. "@BJP4India govt should immediately open diplomatic discussions & reach out to international agencies to ensure the well-being of Hakki Pikkis," tweeted Siddaramaiah. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar came down hard on Siddaramaiah and 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 said plans regarding them have to take into account a "very complicated" security scenario and that the Indian embassy in Sudan is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs over the situation in that country. "It is grossly irresponsible of you to politicize their situation. No electoral goal justifies endangering Indians abroad," he said. Manipur violence: Over 23,000 people rescued by security forces till now India oi-Deepika S Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a defence spokesperson said on Sunday. "A total of 23000 civilians have been rescued from the violence-hit state of Manipur so far. The situation in Manipur is tense but being kept under control by the Indian Army and paramilitary forces, who are working together to restore peace. Aerial surveillance was conducted in various areas on Saturday to keep a close eye on the situation," news agency ANI reported. Photo Credit: Curfew relaxed for 3 hours in Churachandpur The total curfew imposed in Manipur's Churachandpur district, which restricted the movement of people was relaxed for three hours on Sunday from 7 am to 10 am to allow the people to buy essential items such as medicines and food. "With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, I'm pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below," Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted on Saturday night, sharing a copy of the notification. With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district & after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, Im pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below; pic.twitter.com/c0puVJcX2G N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) May 6, 2023 The curfew was imposed on May 3 after violent clashes broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54. The notification issued by Churachandpur district magistrate Sharath Chandra Arroju said, "Subsequent relaxations shall be reviewed and notified based on assessment of the prevailing law and order situation." The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. Recommended Video Manipur Violence: Army rescues more than 23,000, many flee to Assam | Oneindia News Manipur violence: Death toll crosses 50 The death toll in the violence-hit Manipur increased to 54. Of the 54 dead, 16 bodies were kept in the morgue of the Churachandpur district hospital while 15 bodies were in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East district, news agency PTI reported quoting officials. Chief Minister Biren Singh holds all-party meet Manipur CM N Biren Singh chaired an all-party meeting on Saturday to take stock of the prevailing situation in the state. The situation is tense but being kept under control by the Indian Army and paramilitary forces, who are working together to restore peace in the violence-hit areas. "Held an all-political party meeting to discuss the current situation in Manipur and to collectively work towards bringing peace and stability to the state. During the meeting, it was resolved to appeal for peace in the state, and encourage all citizens to avoid any actions that could lead to further violence or instability," Singh was quoted by PTI as saying. Searches continue, no fresh contact with terrorists in J&Ks Rajouri India pti-PTI No fresh contact was established with holed up terrorists in the forested Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district, where a massive search operation to track ultras entered the third day on Sunday, officials said. Five Army personnel and a terrorist, who is said to be part of the group that carried out an attack on civilians in Dhangri village of Rajouri early this year, were killed, while a major-rank officer was injured in the operation so far. While the five soldiers lost their lives in an explosion triggered by the terrorists when the forces moved in to flush out ultras in the Kesari hill forest on Friday morning, the terrorist was gunned down the next morning after he along with his another associate was confronted shortly after midnight. The other terrorist was believed to have been injured in the exchange of fire which lasted for several hours but managed to slip away, the officials said, adding the operation code named Trinetra was continuing when last reports were received. There was no fresh contact with the terrorists after Saturdays encounter. The area witnessed heavy rains in the evening (Saturday) but the operation is on and the area remains under tight security cordon with all escape routes plugged, a senior security official said. He said Army, police and CRPF personnel are deployed in the operation area and are engaged in a massive combing operation to track down the terrorists. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Army Chief General Manoj Pande and Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Ace of Spades Division headquarters in Rajouri on Saturday. Northern Army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi also visited the encounter site before the arrival of the defence minister and was briefed about the developments in the 'Operation Trinetra'. Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu, which were declared terrorism-free more than a decade ago, have been rocked by a series of deadly attacks since October 2021, resulting in the killing of 35 people, including 26 soldiers. 'Vasundhara Raje helped save Congress govt in 2020': Ashok Gehlot India oi-PTI Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday claimed Vasundhara Raje and two other BJP leaders had helped save his government during the 2020 revolt by his party MLAs. He also took potshots at the rebel Congress MLAs saying they should return the money they had taken from the BJP so that they can carry out their duty without any pressure. Gehlot's then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against his leadership in July 2020. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party high command. Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president. Addressing a programme in Dholpur, Gehlot said his government could be saved because of the support of three BJP leaders - former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah. "(Union ministers) Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government. They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised why they are not demanding the money back from them (the MLAs)," he claimed. "I have even told the MLAs that whatever money they have taken, Rs 10 crore or Rs 20 crore, if you have spent anything, I will give that part or I will get it from AICC (All India Congress Committee)," he said. Gehlot alleged that if the MLAs did not return the money, they will always be under pressure from Amit Shah. "He is the Union home minister, he will intimidate...in Maharashtra he divided Shiv Sena," Gehlot alleged. He said that he was made the chief minister by the party for a third time and it was his duty to take all along and forget past happenings and ensure the return of the party to power in the assembly elections, slated for later this year. Gehlot said he, as the state party chief, did not support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as it was unfair, in the same manner, Raje and Meghwal did not support the toppling of the Congress government in 2020. He said that BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah also listened to them and did not support the party. Gehlot and Raje have often been accused by their detractors in their own parties of "going soft" on each other, especially when it came to allegations of corruption. The two leaders have denied any such understanding. A few days ago, Raje had rejected allegations of collusion with Gehlot as lie, saying milk and lemon juice never mix. Dholpur MLA Kushwah had cross-voted in favour of the Congress candidate in Rajya Sabha elections last year and was suspended from the party subsequently. The Congress leader was addressing the programme in the home turf of former chief minister Raje. Gehlot also praised Congress MLAs Rohit Bohra, Chetan Dudi and Danish Abrar for alerting him about the revolt against his government in 2020. He said that these three MLAs, BSP-turned-Congress MLAs and independent MLAs who had supported him and saved his government during the political crisis in 2020 deserved to be made ministers in his government but he could not do so due to political reasons and was sad about it. PM Modi gave a 'clear message' with his 'not an era of war': Shashi Tharoor 'His logic can be understood': Tharoor on Pawar's views on JPC over Adani row Voters feeling grossly betrayed: Shashi Tharoor calls for President's rule in Manipur India oi-Deepika S Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the deteriorating law and order situation in Manipur and called for President's rule in the state. Reacting to the recent violence in Manipur, Shashi Tharoor said that people who voted for the BJP are feeling grossly betrayed and that the President's rule should be imposed in the state. "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised," Tharoor tweeted. "The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. It's time for President's Rule; the state Govt is just not up to the job they were elected to do," he added. As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised. The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. Its time for Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 7, 2023 Violent protests broke out between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the hill-based Kukis on May 3 with armed mobs attacking villages, setting house after house on fire and ransacking shops. Recommended Video Manipur Violence: Army rescues more than 23,000, many flee to Assam | Oneindia News The Manipur government has relaxed the curfew that prohibited the movement of any person outside their homes for three hours in violence-hit Manipur's Churachandpur district on Sunday morning to allow people to buy essential items, according to a notification. The curfew imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be relaxed from 7 am to 10 am, it said. It was also relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. "With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, I'm pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below (sic)," chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted on Saturday night, sharing a copy of the notification. The boss of the New Zealand Warriors major sponsor has accused the bunker and referees of bias against his club, with the comments now under review by the NRL. Rumble 09 May 2023 A cars rear camera captured the moment a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall north of Dallas, Texas. At least nine people were.. Rumble 09 May 2023 The Coronation Ceremony for King Charles III and Queen Camilla is held at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 2023. After two weeks of intense negotiations, Brussels has announced a deal on Ukraine grain that it says protects Ukraine's economy and.. euronews (in English) 28 Apr 2023 After three weeks of fighting, envoys of Sudan's rival generals traveled to Saudi Arabia for "pre-negotiation talks" on Saturday. Meanwhile, aid shipments have started arriving. DW has the latest. Police have been criticised after reports that volunteers helping to keep women safe were arrested in the early hours of coronation day. Sky News 08 May 2023 Anti-monarchy protesters who were arrested during the King's coronation are considering legal action against the Metropolitan.. The coronation of King Charles III has sparked the age-old debate between the United Kingdom and India, surrounding the controversial past of the Kohinoor diamond. Support for the monarchy is at its lowest point in a generation as Canadians continue to digest the passing of the long-reigning Queen Elizabeth and weigh the institutions future with King Charles on the throne. But the sizable Canadian contingent at the Kings coronation tells a different story. The country's warring rivals continue to fight each other in the capital and Darfur. Meanwhile, both the army and the powerful RSF paramilitary have sent representatives to talks in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. The Metropolitan Police is facing growing questions from MPs over officers' treatment of protesters during the coronation in London on Saturday. Arab foreign ministers voted on the decision at a closed meeting in Cairo. Syria's membership was suspended in 2011 after protests against President Bashar Assad turned violent. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The leader of the group Republic said UK freedoms were "under attack," after over 50 people were arrested ahead of King Charles III's coronation. Police said the activists would disrupt the procession. GENEVA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) experts on Friday called on the United States to boost efforts to promote accountability for past and future violations of human rights. After a 12-day visit to the United States, members of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement, a delegation appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said they "felt an urgency, and a moral responsibility, to echo the harrowing pain of victims" and their resounding calls for accountability and support, according to a UN statement. Slavery has left a deep and long-lasting entrenched legacy on the country, which can be perceived through generational trauma, the independent experts noted, the statement said. Racial discrimination permeates all contacts with law enforcement, from the first contact -- often during early school years -- by means of racial profiling, arrest, detention, sentencing and disenfranchisement in some U.S. states, UN experts said. "In each of those aspects, available data points to a clear disproportional impact upon people of African descent," and it should be an "imperative priority" to address and unpack the issue of poverty, moving from a criminal justice response to a human rights-centered response to poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and mental illness, they added. The Mechanism has shared its preliminary findings with the White House and will draft a full report to be published in the coming months and presented to the Human Rights Council at its next full session. The Mechanism, established in 2021, was aimed at ending systemic racism and human rights violations by law enforcement against Africans and people of African descent. The motorist drove into a crowd of people who were waiting at a bus stop near a migrant shelter in Brownsville, police said on Sunday. It was not immediately clear if the crash was intentional. Here's the latest for Sunday May 7: Dallas suburb mourns after 8 die in outlet mall shooting; SUV driver hits crowd at Texas bus stop near border; 7 dead; Wildfires in Canada spread across Alberta; Puppy prom celebrates adopted dogs in their finest formal wear. Police were responding to a shooting at a busy suburban Dallas mall on Saturday that left multiple people injured, authorities said. There was no word on deaths or the number of people injured at the Allen Premium Outlets mall where the shooting took place, about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dallas. Wibbitz Top Stories 09 May 2023 Texas House Panel Advances Bill , to Raise Age for Buying Semi-Automatic Guns. The new measure was approved in an 8-5 vote by.. Upworthy 06 May 2023 A prominent Russian nationalist writer and politician was wounded in an explosion of his car on Saturday, the latest in a string of.. President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for 'urgent attention' to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Serbia's Education Minister Branko Ruzic resigned on Sunday over last week's shooting at an elementary school in which eight children and a security guard were killed, amid public "Start looking for a new school." - Teacher's advice to NVMI Student The North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) was running on borrowed time even before it enrolled its first student. Dubious of the chances for its success, the LAUSD Board was set to reject its initial charter until Jerry Brown stepped in with some high-pressure lobbying. When the first years of operations fulfilled the District's predictions of failure, the Board took the rare step of rejecting NVMI's renewal. The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) Board, then led by Mark Ridley-Thomas' appointee, overturned the LAUSD's decision over the objections of its own staff. Not surprisingly, NVMI has continued to fail under the watch of the County. LACOE's charter school staff has cited the school for ignoring a memorandum of understanding signed as a condition of renewal, a "lack of compliance with state and federal special education laws" and "Non-compliance and errors in financial reporting." The school seems to be in a perpetual state of financial distress and has in the past relied on student fundraising to keep its doors open. NVMI was at one point so desperate for cash that they illegally charged students to attend summer school. (Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA During the renewal process, NVMI was rated as "two (Developing)" in Governance. This development does not seem to have progressed very far since the charter school was saved by LACOE. In the past several months Dr. Mark Ryan, the school's "Superintendent" has careened widely between schemes to keep its doors open. Earlier this year Ryan was in Washington D.C. attempting to get federal approval for his Sepulveda Basin project. Under this plan, the campus would have moved to the area currently occupied by the National Guard in the area designated as a flood control basin. Instead of being overseen by LACOE, NVMI would have become a Department of Defense school operating outside the state's jurisdiction. While he maintained that all this required was an Executive Order from the President of the United States, his meetings revealed that at least two laws would have to be passed to gain approval. When the Sepulveda project fell through, Ryan announced a plan to move to the campus of Los Angeles Mission College and convert the school structure to one based on a "Middle College" program. While he hoped to have the approvals for this ready in time for the next school year, the approval process is not progressing as quickly as he had hoped. On April 1, the school's governing board was provided a PROP-39 offer by the LAUSD that would maintain its current placement on the Valley Oaks Center for Enriched Studies and Mount Gleason campuses. Since there is not enough room on these two campuses to provide the space that NVMI says that they need, additional space would also be offered on the Sepulveda Middle School campus. The deadline for accepting this offer is May 1. The governing board was supposed to meet on April 22, 2023, presumably to discuss this offer, but was forced to cancel the meeting when the school's management team neglected to post the agenda in advance as required by the Brown Act. The school then attempted to reschedule the meeting for April 29 but was not able to achieve a quorum. The Executive Committee met instead, making it clear that no action would be taken and only discussion would occur. At the beginning of the meeting, it was made clear that the "Middle College idea is off the table," although the management team is still in negotiations with the Los Angeles Community College District to relocate to the Los Angeles Mission College campus. However, any agreement that is reached will not be considered by the Community College Board until at least June 7. Presumably, NVMI would then have to submit a material revision to the County, a formal process that could take months to complete. It, therefore, seems unlikely that approvals could be obtained in time to begin the 2023 - 24 school year. With no place else to go, it would seem likely that NVMI would be forced to accept the LAUSD's final offer. However, the NVMI Executive Committee decided (without a vote) to instruct Dr. Ryan to reject the offer and ask, once again, for placement on one campus. This request does not comply with the timelines set by the Ed Code and should result in a rejection by the LAUSD, moving the VOCES community one step closer to ending the nightmare that has been the NVMI co-location. The Executive Committee's action moves NVMI one step closer to a shutdown. Adjectives like "precarious" were used liberally by those on the board and the parents and teachers who provided comments during the meeting. A belief that "everyone is out to get us" was a common theme, but in reality, the school's management should shoulder the blame as the LAUSD and the Community College Board have no responsibility to dig NVMI out of the hole that they dug for themselves. The warning signs of the school's eventual failure were present from the beginning. Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs. He was elected to the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and is the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own. This is the first of a two-part series on the slavery reparations debate from my forthcoming book Reparations! (Middle Passage Press) "I'm not giving up," Michigan Democratic congressman John Conyers boldly and confidently told a group of civil rights leaders, activists, and scholars, along with a mix of community residents on February 16, 2017. Conyers had called them to a confab at his Washington D.C. office to again challenge Congress and the nation to confront the issue of reparations for slavery. He called the confab twenty-eight years after he had first introduced his reparations study commission proposal in Congress. Conyers' defiant proclamation that he would never throw in the towel on the issue was as much a clarion call for action as yet another challenge to Congress to take his bill for a reparations commission out of the mothballs it had lain in for nearly three decades. Conyers was if anything a hard-nosed political realist. He knew that there was zero chance that then-President Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress would lend even a limp hand to his call. The intrepid congressman still delivered the same message that he had delivered every year since 1989 when he first introduced his bill, "Slavery is a blemish on this nation's history, and until it is formally addressed, our country's story will remain marked by this blight." It wasn't just Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress that strapped on tight blinders to the issue. They had plenty of support. Millions of Americans, in fact, like them said no to reparations. Polls consistently showed that an overwhelming majority of whites opposed reparations for Blacks for slavery and the near century of Jim Crow racial suffering afterward. The same polls showed that a majority of Blacks backed reparations. Opposing or supporting reparations, the fierce debate over reparations was torrid. During the presidential contest in 2020, some leading Democratic presidential contenders paid some lip service to it. But they gave no sign that they were willing to make it an integral campaign issue. Conyers knew well the issue wouldn't go away. There were good reasons why. 1.The U.S. government, not long dead Southern planters, bore the blame for slavery. It encoded it in the Constitution in article one. This designated a Black slave as three-fifths of a person for tax and political representation purposes. It protected and nourished it in article four by mandating that all escaped slaves found anywhere in the nation be returned to their masters. In the Dred Scott decision in 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed that slaves remained slaves no matter where they were taken in the United States. 2Major institutions profited from slavery. Banks, shipping companies, and investment houses made enormous profits from financing slave purchases, investments in Southern land and products, and the transport, and sale of slaves. Insurance companies made big profits from insuring slaves as property. 3.Slavery ended in 1865 but the legacy of slavery has never died. Countless reports and studies found that every decade since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Bill that formally ended legal segregation. Blacks remained the major economic and social victims of racial discrimination. They were far more likely to live in underserved segregated neighborhoods, be refused business and housing loans, be denied promotions in corporations, and attend cash-starved, failing public schools than whites. 4. There was a direct cost to slavery's legacy. Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Andrew Brimmer in an opinion column in November 1993 estimated that discrimination cost Blacks ten billion dollars yearly through the Black-white wage gap, denial of capital access, inadequate public services, and reduced social security and other government benefits. This was called the "black tax." The racial gap remained firm each decade since Brimmer made his challenging estimate. 5. The U.S. government had shelled out billions since the 1960s to pay for resettlement, job training, education, and health programs for refugees fleeing Communist repression. There was no national outcry when the U.S. government made special indemnity payments, provided land and social service benefits to Japanese Americans interned during World War II, Native Americans for the theft of lands and mineral rights, and Philippine veterans who fought with the American army during World War II. Politicians and most of the public enthusiastically backed these payments as the moral and legally right thing to do. In the early days of his White House tenure, former President Obama was frosty toward reparations. In the waning days of his tenure, he had second thoughts. He then said that society had a "moral obligation" to close the racial gap and that there should be a massive investment in programs to do just that. He didn't exactly call it reparations. But he came close. It was a gingerly and polite way of putting it. But Obama did recognize that America owed a debt to Black America for past and present sins. It still does. Conyers' vow not to give up would always remain the standard cry for America to finally confront the grotesque stain of slavery and its hideous legacy. Despite the compelling case that could be made for that, the dangling question was would it ever? Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming book is Reparations! (Middle Passage Press). He also is the host of the weekly Earl Ofari Hutchinson Show, Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network. By Jason Sibert Today's world politics makes for a hostile environment in terms of both international law and arms control. However, some are willing to advocate for a system of international relations where arms control serves as a key point in security. Russia's illegal and disastrous war in Ukraine is turning against the aggressor state, and writer Rose Gottemoeller addressed the issue in her story "NATO and the Future of Arms Control and Strategic Stability in Europe." She correctly pointed out that Russia shut down the main pillar of nuclear strategic stability, the New START Treaty. She also doesn't understand why Russia wants to lose knowledge of the strategic nuclear force posture of the United States, just as the U.S. launched into its major nuclear triad modernization. Geopolitics drives Russia's behavior, amounting to the Kremlin doing anything it can to move the United States away from its support for Ukraine. One must also remember that the US and Russia (it its Soviet form) engaged in a series of arms control agreements to prevent a disastrous nuclear war in the first Cold War. Russia's recent belligerent behavior included placing nuclear weapons to Belarus. Despite this, Gottemoeller advocated maintaining lines of communication with Russia to develop avenues to restore nuclear stability and to convey tough deterrence messages. The nuclear negotiating table certainly beats more war! There are still agreements in force that can serve as a starting point of dialog between the US and Russia - 1971 Accidents Measures Agreement, 1973 Prevention of Nuclear War Agreement, 1987 Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers Agreement, 1988 Ballistic Missile Launch Notification Agreement, and the 1989 Reciprocal Advance Notification of Major Strategic Exercises Agreement. Gottemoeller said of these agreements: "While none of these instruments compensates for the illegal Russian suspension of the New START Treaty, which is a matter of grave concern in Washington and among the other P 5 members, I'd be interested to know if the Russian Federation has a proposal for regularizing U.S.-Russian consultations under these agreements, or some number of them." Last fall, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to establish a NATO-style nuclear sharing relationship with Belarus. The deployment goes back on the commitments that Belarus and Russia made under the Trilateral Statement of 1994, - that all nuclear weapons in Belarus would be moved to Russia for redeployment or elimination and that Belarus would embrace the status of a non-nuclear weapon state under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. What can be done? Former Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga) and former Obama Administration Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz, of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, suggested a Russian-US dialog on fail-safe mechanisms. Gottemoeller pointed out that the US set a good example when it comes to safety of the new generation of US nonstrategic nuclear weapons in Europe, as the B61-12 gravity bombs have enhanced their protections against nuclear accidents or theft. For instance, the B61-12 contains an enhanced permissive action link system that precludes unlocking and arming of the weapon without a prescribed, discrete code available only after presidential authorization, arming is accomplished through a coded control device that uses a cryptographic algorithm, and the weapon may be "relocked" without a code for enhanced protection. When the day of victory for Ukraine comes, Russia will still exist, and the West will have to engage with it. Could we start with a dialog on fail-safe mechanisms as suggested by Nunn and Moniz? From there, let's hope we can build a world based on the idea of international law. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Students rescued from the ongoing violence in Manipur arrive at Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, May 7, 2023. The death toll in the ongoing violence in India's northeastern state of Manipur rose to 54 on Saturday, according to the New Delhi-based Press Trust of India (PTI). (Str/Xinhua) NEW DELHI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the ongoing violence in India's northeastern state of Manipur rose to 54 on Saturday, according to the New Delhi-based Press Trust of India (PTI). The authorities are tightlipped over the death toll in the ongoing violence and have not issued any official statement. On Thursday, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh admitted that "some precious lives were lost." However, Singh did not provide the death count in the violence. Large-scale violence broke out in the state on Wednesday during a tribal protest demonstration over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status. The call for protest was given by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM). Scheduled tribes in India are officially designated as disadvantaged socio-economic groups. They are given reservations in education and jobs with the aim to improve their lives. Thousands of people took part in the rally during which violence broke out between tribals and non-tribals. Reports said schools, houses, churches, vehicles and public properties were set ablaze in the state. The authorities have deployed over 100 columns of army and paramilitary forces to restore peace. The government forces are carrying out flag marches, area domination and rescue operations to shift vulnerable people to army camps and temporary government accommodations. According to the Indian army, until Friday evening they rescued 13,000 civilians and shifted them to temporary arrangements within military premises. Reports said some shops reopened in Imphal on Saturday morning and cars were seen plying on roads. Students rescued from the ongoing violence in Manipur arrive at Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, May 7, 2023. The death toll in the ongoing violence in India's northeastern state of Manipur rose to 54 on Saturday, according to the New Delhi-based Press Trust of India (PTI). (Str/Xinhua) "White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday discussed the brutal slaying of five people in Texas," the New York Post whines, "without noting the fugitive accused of the heinous crime is an illegal immigrant who had previously been deported four times." Francisco Oropesa, the subject of a continuing manhunt as I write this, allegedly murdered several of his neighbors after they complained about his noisy behavior (shooting in his back yard while intoxicated). What does Oropesa's immigration status have to do with anything? I'm tempted to say "nothing," but on further thought this strikes me as a teachable moment. The usual suspects, of course, want us to take this incident as confirmation that "illegal" immigration is an inherently terrible thing, and that the US government needs to dramatically increase its funding ($25 billion is the number in president Joe Biden's 2023 budget request) and manpower (more than 40,000 government employees between the US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement) dedicated to "immigration enforcement." The REAL lesson is that throwing tens of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of people at "immigration enforcement," turning a 100-mile strip around the edges of the United States into a "constitution-free" zone where native and immigrants alike are subjected to warrantless searches and other predatory government behavior, and abducting and deporting people multiple times: HAS. NOT. WORKED. Nor is it about to suddenly, magically START working. The borders of the United States have always been open (by constitutional mandate until the late 1800s, when the Supreme Court decided to start ignoring the Constitution and just let Congress do whatever it felt like). The borders of the United States are open now. People who want to get in, get in. Some of them are abducted and deported. And those who still want to be here get BACK in. The borders of the United States will always be open. With 95,500 miles of border and coastline, "securing the border" wouldn't be an option even if the government put every member of the US armed forces, plus every state and local cop, on nothing but the business of "securing the border." Our choices are: Open borders; or Open borders AND a $25-billion, 40,000-guard, 100-mile-wide police state dedicated to the preposterous claim that we can have something other than open borders. Pick one. Either way, Oropoesa's victims remain exactly as dead as they would be if he was from Peoria. Marianne Williamson and Robert F Kennedy, Junior are challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president in 2024. (Image by YouTube, Channel: Breaking Points) Details DMCA By Bob Gaydos Be careful what you wish for, they say. They were on to something. A while back, I wrote a column expressing my desire (hope, wish) that the 2024 presidential election not be a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. America needs to move on, I said. Trump is a totally incompetent, lying fascist who has seriously damaged American democracy, I said, and Biden is a competent, concerned, experienced public servant, who saved America from four more years of Trump. I still stand by all that. But I also noted that Biden would be 82 should he decide to run for president again in 2024, which he has now said he plans to do. That would make him 86 in the last year of his term. America's oldest president. Seeing no relief from the Republican Party save for younger, nouveau fascist versions of Trump (no spring chicken either, he will be 77 next month), I said Democrats needed some new, younger, more vibrant candidates for president. Thanks, Joe, but America needs it, I said. I meant maybe an experienced governor or senator or a re-energized version of Vice President Kamala Harris. I did not mean Marianne Williamson or Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. So far, that's what we've got. Yes, both are younger than Biden, but both do qualify for Social Security benefits. Williamson, although she is 70, possesses considerable energy and appeals to a segment of younger voters. They know her on TikTok. An author, she also is not shy about challenging more mainstream Democrats, like Biden, about what she sees as their lack of urgent commitment to progressive goals. She has a point. She also has zero chance of winning the Democratic nomination, never mind the presidency. Kennedy, 69, is a different matter. His strongest weapon is his family name and history. But RFK Jr. does not stir the masses the way RFK Sr. did and he's definitely no JFK. Time has also dimmed some of the vote-getting power of the Kennedy name. Son of the assassinated New York senator and U.S. attorney general and nephew of the assassinated president, this Kennedy is basing his campaign for the Democratic nomination primarily on the reputation he has gained as the most aggressive, best-known, anti-vaxxer in the country. That sounds like a terrific issue for a Republican. In fact, it probably will be. Fortunately for the country, but unfortunately for Kennedy, most Americans do not share his vigorous, scientifically discredited opposition to vaccines. Still, some recent polls put Kennedy drawing almost 20 percent among Democrats and Williamson up to 9 percent. While a bit surprising, since neither can be considered a mainstream candidate, that support is not a serious threat to Biden. And some Democratic voters may not know much about Kennedy beyond his lineage. Time will tell. Significantly, those same polls also show a solid majority of Democrats saying they would prefer that Biden not run again (too old), but that runs up against the overwhelming sentiment among Democrats (and many independents) that, if Trump is again the Republican presidential candidate (too scary), they would run barefoot over hot coals to vote for Biden again if he's the Democratic candidate. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). More than a fifth of the office space in downtown Portland was vacant in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest data from commercial real estate firm CoStar. Thats double the vacancy rate in 2019, and the number of empty offices is continuing to rise. Vacancies are up sharply across the broader metro area, too, but the overall vacancy rate is just around 12%, according to CoStar. Those figures reflect two broad trends cities are experiencing across the country the shift to remote work and a move outside urban centers. CoStar says office vacancies are at a record high nationally. There are signs remote work may be peaking, with employers from Intel to Portlands city government asking workers to spend more time in the office. I definitely think youre going to see a shift back toward the office, to a certain degree, where employees are coming back if not full time, then in a hybrid way, said Tim Harrison, director of capital markets research in Portland for the real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle. Offices may get emptier before they start filling up again, though. Harrison notes that the rate of office space available for sublease remains elevated. He said those numbers imply vacancies could rise another 4 percentage points as leases expire and those spaces hit the market. Portlands office landscape has changed dramatically in the past three years. Companies that shifted to remote work during the pandemic reduced their office footprint as it became clear people would continue doing their jobs from home long after offices reopened. And as Portland endured months of protests in 2020, then a rise in homicides and homelessness, major downtown businesses such as The Standard and Umpqua Bank moved employees to the suburbs. Asking rates for leases in office parks along Kruse Way in Lake Oswego are now more expensive than comparable space downtown, according to Harrison, the first time thats happened since 2015 (Kruse Ways vacancy rates, though, are just as high as in the central business district. The suburban office park, favored by financial and professional firms that were clobbered in the Great Recession, never fully recovered.) The exodus from the citys core has reduced foot traffic considerably from 2019 levels, which means fewer shoppers and fewer stores. The number of empty storefronts downtown has increased in parallel to the rise in office vacancies. Portlands core is far from empty. Most major retailers have stayed, and a number of prominent firms have recently signed new leases downtown including law firms Miller Nash and K&L Gates, and the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. Many, though, are taking far less space than they had before the pandemic. More employers are trying to lure workers back to the office, according to Harrison, seeking to use their real estate as a tool to get the most of their people. Workers have often resisted, citing lingering COVID-19 fears and the convenience and time savings that come from skipping the commute. Employers havent had much pull in that tug-of-war, because Oregons job vacancies were at record highs in 2021 and 2022. The state had more open jobs and unemployed people for most of those years, so workers who didnt care for their employers return-to-work policies often had the freedom to leave for more accommodating alternatives. Oregons jobless rate remains low by historical standards, at 4.4%, but its risen by a full percentage point in the past year, and the number of vacant jobs is down sharply. As the winds shift, were definitely seeing a lot of power going back to the employer, Harrison said. Nonprofits are among those returning to downtown Portland, he said, along with law firms, engineers, accountants and others who benefit from being near the concentration of government offices and professional services in the central business district. Theyre often taking advantage of falling rents to secure a higher class of office space than they had before the pandemic, according to Harrison. Youre starting to see a lot of professional services trade up, because nows a really, really good time to trade up, he said. The tenant really has that leverage. Unlike Seattle and some other cities, Portland didnt come into the pandemic with a large volume of speculative office space under construction. So Harrison said the local office market will eventually tighten up. Businesses are decrying a patchwork of new taxes, though, from homeless services to preschool funding, which have made the city among the most expensive taxing districts in the nation. And Harrison said many tenants are reluctant to commit to downtown Portland until other conditions improve. No. 1 is safety, which is a huge issue as we all know, Harrison said. Homicides and homelessness are up sharply over the past few years and, while Harrison said there has been progress, he said the pace is too slow. That needs to change, he said. We need to focus on making the downtown core a place where people want to come and hang out, outside of work as well. This is Oregon Insight, The Oregonians weekly look at the numbers behind the states economy. View past installments here. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | 503-294-7699 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe A Multnomah County animal control officer Saturday impounded a dog named Bubbie who was declared dangerous after the mauling of a Portland runner nearly three weeks ago and following a prior attack on a poodle. The pit bull mix was found Saturday morning with his owner Jessie Miller near Southeast Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Ivon Street about 10 a.m., according to Denis Theriault, a Multnomah County spokesperson and area residents. The animal control officer who found the dog called Portland police to execute a warrant allowing Animal Services to impound Bubbie, according to Theriault. Animal Services worked with the county sheriffs office to obtain a warrant for the dog, enabling Saturdays impound, he said. Local residents shared that they saw the white SUV Miller had been seen driving recently, a county animal control truck and about six police cars. Cheryl Wakerhauser, who was mauled by the dog while she was running along Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard on April 17 and suffered more than 35 puncture wounds to her legs, back and right arm, and Kara Bloom, whose poodle Rocky underwent surgery after it was attacked by Bubbie in February, expressed relief Saturday. Wakerhauser said shes glad the county didnt wait another month before taking the dog into its custody because she feared it would harm others. Bloom agreed, Im grateful that city and county officials were able to work together to ensure that no one else is hurt by this dog. Both Wakerhauser and Bloom have been calling city and county officials to complain that the dog was allowed to remain on the street. Wakerhauser said she hopes the county also files charges against its owner Jessie Miller. The district attorneys office will determine whether he will face any potential criminal charges, according to a county release. After Wakerhauser was assaulted by the dog, which was unleashed and left to run loose on an abandoned, graffiti-covered business lot, police turned the dog over to Multnomah County Animal Services, which took it to its Troutdale shelter to quarantine. Yet that night, the county turned the dog over to the owners mother, Marie Miller, on a so-called community quarantine, after she convinced the county that she could provide a secure place for the dog to quarantine at her home in Camas. The following day, however, Millers son, who lives on the street, retrieved the dog and took off, according to county officials. The incident prompted the shelter to immediately change its policy regarding home quarantines. Jessie Miller has until May 31 to appeal the countys designation of Bubbie as a dangerous dog and a notice to suspend his ownership, which was handed to him on May 1. The animal services can keep Bubbie impounded in its security kennel pending the appeal, the county said Saturday. Last Sunday night, a Southeast Portland couple were dismayed when they reported seeing the dog off-leash in their Sunnyside neighborhood, yet a police officer and a county shelter worker responded without taking the pit bull mix off the street. At that time, county spokesperson Julie Sullivan-Springhetti said that neither the county nor the officer could take the dog without the owner voluntarily surrendering the animal because the 10-day quarantine period had passed. A day later, a county animal services officer personally served Miller with a written infraction and notice that he has 30 days to appeal the dangerous dog designation but still didnt take the dog. The reason the county was able to seize the dog Saturday was because a warrant had been obtained, Theriault said. He also said the county can act if it sees the dog without a leash in public, and not necessarily if someone else reports seeing the dog off leash. The warrant is a key difference. A dog is considered personal property under state law. Animal Services is a civil agency and cant, on its own, forcibly remove a dog that its owner doesnt consent to turn over, he said by email. A signed warrant empowers law enforcement... to remove/seize an animal, like Bubbie, on behalf of Animal Services, without the owners consent. -- 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 Law enforcement agencies banded together to give out dozens of citations and made several arrests Friday night in the latest crackdown on street racing in Portland. Officers arrested five people accused of multiple charges related to street racing, driving under the influence of intoxicants and attempting to elude police and doled out 33 citations in a street takeover on Swan Island and North Marine Drive west of Interstate 5, police said in a statement Saturday. One of those arrested was armed with a gun, according to police, and is facing a weapons charge. Officers spiked one persons tires and towed six vehicles in the sting. Police identified three of the five people arrested as Vancouver residents Tyler Roberts and Jaylen Madison both 18-years-old and Austin Pool, 21. They also identified 22-year-old Salem resident Kenneth Sevy. Police were assisted by former members of the bureaus disbanded traffic division, detectives, Oregon State Police and members of the Multnomah County District Attorneys office. They responded with a drone and dog unit. Sunday night in a similar operation in North Portland, five others were arrested and dozens more received citations. A Ford Mustang being towed from the scene. It was one of six cars towed in the sting. These missions are in response to a fiery February crash tied to street racing that left one person dead, an August crash that killed a pedestrian and a shooting in March 2022 linked to a street takeover that injured four, including an 11-year-old. Gov. Tina Kotek in April agreed to provide Oregon State Police troopers to Portland to help curb street racing, but details of that developing partnership have yet to be announced. Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, introduced legislation earlier this year that would increase the punishments for drivers caught racing in Oregon. The bill, SB 615, returns to the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Future missions are being planned for the summer, the police bureau said. Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe BROWNSVILLE, Texas Seven people were killed and up to six were injured Sunday after they were struck by a vehicle while waiting at a city bus stop outside of a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, police said. Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval said the crash happened about 8:30 a.m. Shelter director Victor Maldonado of the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center said he reviewed the shelters surveillance video on Sunday morning after receiving a call about the crash. The city bus stop is across the street from the shelter and is not marked. There was no bench, and people waiting there were sitting along the curb, Maldonado said. He said most of the victims were Venezuelan men. What we see in the video is that this SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about a 100 feet away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, Maldonado said. He said the SUV flipped after running up on the curb and continued moving for about 200 feet (about 60 meters). Some people who were walking on the sidewalk about 30 feet away from the main group were also hit, Maldonado said. The Ozanam shelter is the only overnight shelter in the city of Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody. Brownsville has long been an epicenter for migration across the U.S.-Mexico border, and it has become a key location for next weeks ending of the pandemic-era border restrictions known as Title 42. Sandoval told KRGV-TV that authorities are investigating whether the crash was intentional or an accident. They are also testing the driver, who was held at the scene by witnesses, for intoxication. Maldonado said the center had not received any threats before the crash, but they did afterwards. Ive had a couple of people come by the gate and tell the security guard that the reason this happened was because of us, Maldonado said. The shelter can hold 250, but many who arrive leave the same day. In the last several weeks, an uptick in border crossings prompted the city to declare an emergency as local, state and federal resources coordinated the enforcement and humanitarian response. In the last two months, weve been getting 250 to 380 a day, Maldonado said. While the shelter offers migrants transportation during the week, they are also free to use the citys public transportation. Some of them were on the way to the bus station, because they were on their way to their destination, the director said. __ By Valerie Gonzalez. Travis Loller contributed. Betsy Johnson Johnson ran for governor as an unaffiliated candidate in 2022. Previously, she represented Columbia and Clatsop counties as a Democrat in the Oregon House and Senate from 2000 until 2021. She lives in Warren. Gov. Tina Kotek recently told elected officials in Portland and Multnomah County to get their stuff together regarding homelessness. Good for her. I only wish she had used the stronger S word I suspect she had on her mind. For too long, the progressive power structure in Portland and Oregon has denied or refused to speak the truth about our biggest problems. Until elected officials acknowledge problems openly and honestly, they will never do whats required to fix them. Even after a year-long campaign with homelessness, drugs, crime and housing front and center, so far, the actions from elected officials at all levels of government have been inadequate to the severity of the crisis. As voters grow numb or resigned, politicians are offering tired or timid solutions followed by self-congratulatory high-fives. I get that old habits die-hard. But when people and businesses are fleeing your state and biggest county big changes are required. Ill start by saying a few things out loud that most politicians in Oregon with the power, money and responsibility to fix things will not. First, there are too many damaged and suffering people on the streets in Portland and Oregon who need mandatory drug addiction and/or mental health treatment. There are also too many dangerous people on the streets that who need to be arrested, prosecuted and in jail. Things are not safe. We need massive state and local investments in multiple detox and mental health facilities to get people cared for, clean and medicated so they can begin to take control of their lives. We need to change state civil commitment laws to compel help for those who wont accept it voluntarily. We need to repeal or reform Ballot Measure 110, starting with an immediate two-year pause in drug legalization. We need to incentivize hiring and fast-track state training of lots of new law enforcement professionals. We need to replace local prosecutors who wont prosecute with those who will hold criminals accountable. Second, the purpose of the billions were spending for homelessness should be to expect and empower people to change their behavior to achieve self-sufficiency. Yes, we have an affordable housing crisis that is a part of the homeless crisis. But for many people living in tents, this is a crisis of drug addiction and mental health challenges. We need to replace housing first policies with policies that more specifically address drugs and mental health. We need to end inhumane, dangerous tent cities and create sanctioned and safe camping/shelter areas with access to basic necessities like water, bathrooms, and garbage. We need to stop harm reduction programs that enable self-destructive behavior. Third, the governor should scrap her nine-month, 25-person committee to study Oregons housing supply and affordability crisis. The governor has already identified the problem and goal increase new housing by 80%, building 36,000 new units a year for the next decade. The Legislature should: streamline the overly regulated housing market; make more land available for housing; reduce costly mandates and fees; limit legal appeals on land use; provide state money for public infrastructure; stop harassing law-abiding landlords; and if local governments dont meet aggressive new housing goals, override them. These ideas dont fit the trendy progressive playbook and some will annoy Republicans. But nows not the time for ideological debates. Lets fix the holes in the boat we can argue about bailing methods later. Everywhere I went in my campaign for governor, when I said, Oregon cannot succeed if Portland fails, heads would nod in agreement. Oregonians across the political spectrum instinctively understand the essential role of Portland in the economic, social and cultural health of our state. Now, we need elected officials need to act with a greater sense of urgency and action to get our beloved Oregon back on track. Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: When Sandy arrived at Portlands Queer Affinity Safe Rest Village in November, they had already endured years of mental health struggles, domestic violence and homelessness. Time limits had forced them out of two other shelters before they secured housing. They were exhausted, but then the gate swung open and a worker with a big smile said, Hi, are you Sandy? You live here now. It felt to Sandy like they were finally on their way to securing an apartment of their own, with the safety, stability and support they needed to get there. The Oregonian/OregonLive is withholding Sandys last name to protect their identity as a survivor of domestic violence. As Portland forges ahead with its plan to erect mass shelter sites across the city in an effort to quell the growing homelessness crisis, a different shelter model the city has deployed is already showing notable success. Slightly more than 50% of people or 61 individuals whove moved on from Portlands three safe rest villages that have been open for at least nine months the Queer Affinity, BIPOC and Multnomah villages lived in stable housing as of March, according to county data. The others who left moved to other temporary shelter, an in-patient treatment facility, relatives or friends homes or back to the street. A fourth village that opened in December, Menlo Park, hasnt been operating long enough to show significant housing outcomes yet because clients stay at the villages for about six months on average. Such tiny home villages may not show the same success at rapidly housing the highest need portion of Portlands homeless population, officials acknowledge. But theyre doing well with a broad segment of unhoused Portlanders. Portlands safe rest villages are small communities that offer around 30 to 50 tiny homes as transitional shelter for people who had been homeless. Each unit has a bed, a locking door and a heating and cooling system. Villagers share bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities and a kitchen. The sites are staffed with case workers and housing navigators, many of whom have experienced homelessness themselves. The villages were constructed by the city and are managed by local nonprofits contracted by Multnomah County. The nonprofits handle day-to-day operations and help village residents navigate their way into permanent housing. There are four other tiny home villages in Portland that aim to provide similar services, including the longest-running one, Kenton Womens Village that opened in November 2020. Collectively, they have sent 36% of their departing residents into apartments of their own, county figures show. Like the city-built villages, the smaller sites also have on-site support staff but typically fewer residents, closer to 10 to 25 people each, said Denis Theriault, county spokesperson. By contrast, a mass tent site in Los Angeles toured by many Portland officials and operated by a California-based nonprofit since hired by Portland had gotten only 2% of its residents into permanent housing as of February. Despite high demand, new city of Portland-designated villages have been slow to open since Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan first announced intentions to open six by the end of 2021. Only two have opened thus far while another two the Queer Affinity and BIPOC villages were revamped, relocated and brought under the umbrella of the Safe Rest Village Program. Another village has been constructed but has yet to open, while three more remain in the planning stage. The villages havent always been met with support. Some neighbors have hosted community meetings focused on how they will degrade the neighborhood, in some cases even gathering petition signatures to oppose their creation. Neighborhood pushback has contributed in small part to the delay in opening more safe rest villages, but officials attribute the delay mostly to construction, permitting and materials challenges and trouble finding nonprofits to manage the villages. Amid the slow crawl of opening the villages, the city has forged ahead on its planned mass shelter sites that will house up to 150 people, a model that has drawn concern from many houseless people, experts and advocates. In contrast, those advocates say the tiny home villages offer a special formula for success. Their intimate size and high staff to client ratio provide intensive support for each resident, a sense of dignity and safety and a calm environment. That combination promotes high rates of housing placement, according to village residents, staff and overseers. BUILT FOR SUCCESS Just after Thanksgiving, Sandy, 31, moved from Bradley Angle domestic violence shelter into the Queer Affinity Village, run by All Good Northwest, a Portland housing and shelter nonprofit. Prior to Bradley Angle, they stayed at a county-funded motel shelter earmarked for domestic violence victims following a violent incident with an ex-boyfriend they were with for two years. I couldnt just accept he was a bad guy and move on, they said. I would try to leave him, but I had no other support system. And it is hard to know how to access services when you are trying to fix your relationship, fix them and getting beat the rest of the time. Youre not in a mental state to do that. Sandys time living in the domestic violence shelters wasnt their first time experiencing homelessness. They lived out of their car while working at a hotel for four months before moving in with the ex-boyfriend in April 2021. Feminine Hijinx, by Dodie Bellamy, rests on Sandys bookshelf in their apartment. The beloved work of fiction is an anchoring object for Sandy, a reminder of who they are and what they aspire to. Beth Nakamura Neighbors called police multiple times to raise concerns about the violence going on in Sandys home. But when they called last August, it was the first time a female Portland police officer responded to the call something Sandy said was life-changing. When the female officer arrived that night, she recognized this wasnt just two dramatic gay men fighting, Sandy, a transgender woman, said. She determined this was a high (chance of) fatality case and that allowed me to get into the domestic violence shelter. During the eight-month span from when Sandy met that female officer to when they moved into their own apartment, they met multiple workers who guided them along the way. Nearly every one had a different lived experience Sandy identified with. They also were able to keep their dog Djuna, a chihuahua mix, with them through each shelter an important comfort that Sandy was thankful for. On the night of the domestic violence incident, a social worker sat with Sandy as they cried. The worker told them, One day you will get housed. You are in crisis right now and it is OK. I am going to stick around and if you stick around too, we will do the work together. Sandy believed her. When they transitioned from the emergency motel shelter to Bradley Angle, they met a worker there who was transgender and who helped Sandy see that it was never too late to start that journey for themselves even in their 30s, which Sandy initially thought was too old, they said. But it was at the Queer Affinity Village, where they arrived three months after leaving their relationship in August 2022, that Sandy finally felt settled and comfortable enough to begin exploring their own identity. They decorated their tiny home with fairy lights, hung scarves and piled up a collection of books. The village struck me as a really sensible mid-point housing option, they said. Prior to becoming homeless, Sandy was midway through a graduate poetry degree at Temple University in Pennsylvania when they dropped out to care for an ailing parent and to address their own mental health, including addiction issues. When the pandemic hit, they fell behind on rent payments after losing a job in the hospitality industry and moved to Oregon to stay with a friend. After those tumultuous years, the village finally offered the stability for Sandy to put their needs first. Sandy and their dog, Djuna, in their apartment. While Sandy was living without housing, taking care of Djuna was a both a challenge and a regular reminder to take care of themselves. Beth Nakamura The location of the village (a few blocks from Portland State University) made me feel comfortable dressing more feminine as a trans person, Sandy said. If I wasnt in one of the neighborhoods that has visible trans and nonbinary people walking around, I wouldnt have felt comfortable doing that myself. The location was also near supportive services and a bus line that could take them right to a Cascadia Health clinic, where they met with their nonbinary therapist each week. Support felt much more in reach than it ever had before, they said. While they had put their name on multiple housing waitlists in the months since they left their relationship, this was the first time when they believed housing was in their future. Their responsiveness (at the village) was great, and they said, If you dont hear from us in two weeks, call us back, and I did. I rattled the cages, Sandy said about keeping tabs on their housing application. I also felt like I could be honest with the workers and it wouldnt impact my chance for housing. I felt like I could say I am craving a Xanax and talk through it because (the workers) had lived experience with addiction, so it made it feel safe to talk about without fear of losing an opportunity. Sondra Brown, 39, is one of those All Good Northwest staff members who has transitioned out of homelessness herself, though she never worked directly with Sandy. Brown lived in the Old Town Safe Rest Village that has since shut down. Now, she is a housing navigation specialist at the Multnomah Safe Rest Village and is 3 1/2 years sober from opioids. She just signed her second-year lease on a two-bedroom apartment that she and her husband pay for on their own. But she first needed the stability of the village and its proximity to the Allied Methadone Clinic to get clean. Now, clients going through similar experiences seek advice from her. They are willing to listen to me when I say, Hey, I promise it does get better and yes, there is work to put in but there is also light at the end of the tunnel, Brown said. Sondra Brown now works as a housing navigation specialist at Multnomah Safe Rest Village, pictured, which was the first of six Safe Rest Villages set to open in 2022. With a caseload of 14 to 16 clients, she can provide the intensive support people need. Case managers at the villages, who provide more intensive care and whose clients Brown supports, have just six to eight cases, said Andy Goebel, director of All Good Northwest. Aside from a case manager and housing navigation specialist, each resident also has access to a peer support specialist and behavioral health specialist. There are program managers and team supervisors who work with all residents within each village as well. In total, there are about 17 full-time staff members, some of whom work overnight, for 30 to 40 residents. In comparison, Urban Alchemy, the California-based nonprofit hired to operate Portlands first mass encampment, has committed to hire one staff member per 15 residents at their sites. A lot of times participants that have been through the system or have been in other shelter settings havent found success, Goebel said. We have found our success has a lot to do with our commitment to staffing ratios. There is intentional trust building and never just one person that someone can turn to. Goebel said the villages are great alternatives to congregate shelter models, though that doesnt mean they are perfect for everyone. While Sandy was able to move quickly as they advocated for themselves, clients with other levels of capability might need to stay in a village longer or be matched to another type of shelter setting, Goebel said. We definitely do need to explore transitional housing options that dont exist yet especially when it comes to sheltering and housing folks with high levels of acuity when it comes to mental health, he said. Goebel said he is hopeful that the Behavioral Health Resource Center in downtown Portland can fill a portion of that gap as it pairs intensive mental health services with shelter and bridge housing. Brown has worked at the Multnomah Safe Rest Village since it opened in June. She remembers workers were initially worried about negative reactions from neighbors. Instead, a group of nearby residents created Friends of Multnomah Safe Rest Village to support the shelter. We love them, Brown said of the group. They are always more than willing to help and always calling to see what we need in terms of clothing, hygiene supplies and other donations. A collection of found objects rests on a bookshelf in Sandys apartment. Beth Nakamura Goebel said nearby schools at each of the three safe rest villages that his organization runs have also been positive collaborators. The International School of Portland, located near the Queer Affinity Village, invited him to speak to the students about the village and homelessness, answering their questions and giving perspective on the unhoused individuals they see throughout the city. Students at the school even held a winter clothing drive for villagers. The kids wrote beautiful cards to villagers saying, We love you. We are glad you are our neighbors, and Welcome to the neighborhood, Goebel said. That relationship was lovely. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT While the village was the Hail Mary that Sandy needed, it also gave them a perspective on ways the system could be better. They want to see the villages have more access to mental health crisis workers, especially those working for Portland Street Response, to ensure that when villagers have minor but serious mental health issues they get the assistance they need as opposed to having cops show up something that has happened which Sandy said made the whole village feel unsteady. Goebel said village staffers are trained in de-escalation and can call Portland Street Response or Cascadia Healths similar mental health crisis response team, Project Respond, if extra support is needed. However, if there is additional need for safety support, Project Respond may be accompanied by law enforcement at their request. Sandy also hopes villages will make residents more aware of the supportive services they can access off campus too, such as the therapist they found prior to moving into the village. Their experience also gave them perspective on what they believe other alternative shelters should looks like throughout the city. As the city has planned their mass tent and pod project with operator Urban Alchemy, they have followed along closely. Their biggest concern is the size of the sites and the stress that trauma survivors could experience at a large shelter. Sandy said they thrived at the village because it was a small community and because there were so many workers on site they could talk to. A bookshelf in Sandys apartment features a collection of books that reflect some of their interests. While experiencing unstable housing, Sandy wasnt able to keep their books. Being housed in an apartment has allowed them to rebuild their beloved book collection. May 4, 2023Beth Nakamura I cant imagine having this same success at a camp with 150 people, Sandy said. Even at the Queer Affinity Village, There were fights between residents, theft, brawls and things that just happen when you share space with that many people like someone banging on the door of the bathroom just as you sit down. But all of that is manageable in a small site. If the village had been larger, Sandy feels their sense of safety would have disappeared. In March, Sandy moved into a permanent supportive housing building managed by Cascadia Health. Their housing voucher comes with guaranteed rent coverage for as long as they need it. There are support staff and a mental health worker on site, but they still prefer to travel to see their therapist at the Cascadia clinic. As Sandy prepared to move out of the village and into their home, Queer Affinity workers stocked them up with everything they would need including a bed, desk, bookshelf, couch and kitchenware. Goebel said assuring residents that they will continue receiving support when they leave the village is also a piece of the success puzzle. I also spoke to the Cascadia worker who comes twice a week, Sandy said, and she asked me what I needed, and I jokingly said I just needed Peeps since it was around Easter. So, on top of all the brooms and mops she bought me, she placed a package of Peeps on top of it all. Sandy has been in their new home for just over a month and says they finally feel at peace. The apartment is tucked away among trees and outside of the bustle of downtown, which makes them feel safe. Each day, Sandy walks their dog around the neighborhood and to a nearby park. When they come back, Sandy tells Djuna each time, Were home. Now, Sandy is working on returning to freelance writing, which they did prior to becoming unhoused. I have a home that is mine forever, they said. For someone whose sense of home and stability has been shaky since childhood, I feel like I can finally settle down and it doesnt matter if I go through stormy times again, I will still be able to live here. Whatever happens in life, I will be able to work through it. It makes having a good life seem possible. Nicole Hayden reports on homelessness for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com or on Twitter @Nicole_A_Hayden. LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Delayed investigation document and video footage of a highly toxic firefighting foam spill at a military-owned facility in Hawaii were released by U.S. military officials on Friday, authenticating the contractor's failure. A maintenance contractor hired by the Navy improperly installed an air vacuum valve to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in April 2022. On Nov. 29, 2022, the contractor failed to disable the foam concentrate pumps from automatically starting prior to conducting fire suppression system testing, which caused the uncontrolled discharge, the military said in a statement. The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii, a giant military fuel storage facility, was operated by the U.S. Navy and designed to support U.S. military operations in the Pacific. "The release of the Department of Defense's investigation and video of the November aqueous film forming foam spill is long overdue," said Deputy Director of Environmental Health Kathleen Ho. The findings emphasize that the U.S. Department of Defense "must take ownership on a systemic level for operations at the Red Hill facility," she said, noting that the oversight over defueling, closure, and remediation of aquifer should be reinforced. On Nov. 29, 2022, an estimated 1,300 gallons of aqueous film forming foam, which is used in firefighting and slow to degrade in the environment, spilled in the facility, triggering an ongoing water contamination crisis jeopardizing the nearby communities, and a large-scale cleanup effort. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CHICAGO (AP) Newton N. Minow, who as Federal Communications Commission chief in the early 1960s famously proclaimed that network television was a "vast wasteland," died Saturday. He was 97. Minow, who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, died Saturday at home, surrounded by loved ones, said his daughter, Nell Minow. He wanted to be at home, she told The Associated Press. He had a good life. Though Minow remained in the FCC post just two years, he left a permanent stamp on the broadcasting industry through government steps to foster satellite communications, the passage of a law mandating UHF reception on TV sets and his outspoken advocacy for quality in television. "My faith is in the belief that this country needs and can support many voices of television and that the more voices we hear, the better, the richer, the freer we shall be," Minow once said. "After all, the airways belong to the people." Minow was appointed as FCC chief by President John F. Kennedy in early 1961. He had initially come to know the Kennedys in the 1950s as an aide to Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson, the Democrats' presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956. Minow laid down his famous challenge to TV executives on May 9, 1961, in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters, urging them to sit down and watch their station for a full day, "without a book, magazine, newspaper, profit-and-loss sheet or rating book to distract you." "I can assure you that you will observe a vast wasteland," he told them. "You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, Western bad men, Western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence and cartoons. And, endlessly, commercials many screaming, cajoling and offending." As he spoke, the three networks were just about all most viewers had to choose from. Pay television was barely in the planning stage, PBS and "Sesame Street" were several years away, and HBO and niche channels such as Animal Planet were far in the future. The speech caused a sensation. "Vast wasteland" became a catch phrase. Jimmy Durante opened an NBC special by saying, "Da next hour will be dedicated to upliftin' da quality of television. ... At least, Newt, we're tryin'." Minow became the first government official to get a George Foster Peabody award for excellence in broadcasting. The New York Times critic Jack Gould (himself a Peabody winner) wrote, "At long last there is a man in Washington who proposes to champion the interests of the public in TV matters and is not timid about ruffling the industry's most august feathers. Tonight some broadcasters were trying to find dark explanations for Mr. Minow's attitude. In this matter the viewer possibly can be a little helpful; Mr. Minow has been watching television." CBS President Frank Stanton strongly disagreed, calling Minow's comments a "sensationalized and oversimplified approach" that could lead to ill-advised reforms "on the ground that any change is a change for the better." For the criticism over his speech, Minow said he didnt support censorship, preferring exhortation and measures to broaden public choices. But he also said a broadcasting license was "an enormous gift" from the government that brought with it a responsibility to the public. His daughter, Nell Minow, told The Associated Press in 2011 that her father loved television and wished he would have been remembered for championing the public interest in television programming, rather than just a few words in his much broader speech. His No. 1 goal was to give people choice, she said. Among the new laws during his tenure were the All-Channel Receiver Act of 1962, that required that TV sets pick up UHF as well as VHF broadcasts, which opened up TV channels numbered above 13 for widespread viewing. Congress also passed a bill that provided funds for educational television, and measures to foster communications satellites. In a September 2006 interview on National Public Radio, Minow recalled telling Kennedy that such satellites were "more important than sending a man into space. ... Communications satellites will send ideas into space, and ideas live longer than people." On July 10, 1962, Minow was one of the officials making statements on the first live trans-Atlantic television program, a demonstration of AT&T's Telstar satellite. Children's programming was a particular interest of Minow, a father of three, who told broadcasters the few good children's shows were "drowned out in the massive doses of cartoons, violence and more violence. ... Search your consciences and see if you cannot offer more to your young beneficiaries whose future you guide so many hours each and every day." Minow resigned in May 1963 to become executive vice president and general counsel for Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. in Chicago. Nell Minow said her father also was instrumental in getting presidential debates televised, starting with Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, after watching Stevenson struggle to use the new medium during his 1956 presidential run. Minow was appalled by ... the whole charade of having to image-make on television, said Craig Allen, a mass communications professor at Arizona State University who wrote a 2001 book about Minow. In 1965, Minow returned to his law practice in Chicago, and later served as board member at PBS, CBS Inc. and the advertising company Foote Cone & Belding Communications Inc. He was director of the Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies of Northwestern University. He also gave Barack Obama a summer job at the law firm, where the future president met his wife, Michelle Robinson. Minow also was one of Obamas earliest supporters when the then-Illinois senator considered running for president, Nell Minow said. Television is one of our century's most important advances "and yet, as a nation, we pay no attention to it," Minow said in a 1991 Associated Press interview. He continued to push for reforms such as free airtime for political ads and more quality programming while also praising advances in diversity in U.S. television. "In 1961, I worried that my children would not benefit much from television. But in 1991 I worry that my grandchildren will actually be harmed by it," he said. ___ Former Associated Press writer Polly Anderson in New York contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Two oil tankers recently seized by Iran are anchored off the coast of one of its key port cities on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Sunday. The photos from Planet Labs PBC showed the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi being just south of Bandar Abbas near a naval base in the port city in Irans Hormozgan province Saturday. Their capture represents just the latest ship seizure conducted by Iran amid tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, though it appears the two ships may have been taken for different reasons. Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, staffed by 23 Indians and one Russian, on April 27 as it traveled in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran claimed the vessel had struck another ship, though tracking data for the Advantage Sweet showed no erratic behavior on its trip. Iran has made claims in the past over ship seizures to cover for the vessels being taken to use as pawns in negotiations with the West. The Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California, at the time of its capture. And its seizure comes as another tanker believed to be carrying Iranian crude disappeared from anchorage off Singapore a year after being identified as trying to evade U.S. sanctions. The Financial Times, as well as the maritime intelligence firm Ambrey, both have reported that ship named Suez Rajan was seized by order of American authorities. U.S. officials and those associated with the Suez Rajan have not responded to questions about the tanker's disappearance while on a westward path. Satellite images showed a second ship, the Niovi, a Panama-flagged tanker, which was seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday as it left a dry dock in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bound for Fujairah on the UAE's eastern coast. While not carrying any cargo, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence seen by the AP showed the Niovi in July 2020 received oil from a ship known then as the Oman Pride. The U.S. Treasury in August 2021 sanctioned the Oman Pride and others associated with the vessel over it being involved in an international oil smuggling network that supported the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. Separately, purported emails published online by Wikiran, a website that solicits leaked documents from the Islamic Republic, suggest that cargo carried by the Niovi was sold on to firms in China without permission. United Against a Nuclear Iran, which has tracked sanctioned crude shipments by Tehran, strongly suspects the seizure of the Niovi is related to a dispute over a shipment of Iranian oil, said Claire Jungman, the chief of staff of the organization. Iran has said it seized the Niovi over an unspecified court order in Tehran. The managers of the Niovi did not answer repeated telephone calls for comment. The Greek Coast Guard have said the Niovi was staffed by Greek, Filipino and Sri Lankan sailors. Meanwhile Sunday, an internet account describing itself as a group of hackers claimed responsibility for allegedly taking down websites associated with Iran's Foreign Ministry. The claims of the account GhyamSarnegouni, whose name in Farsi means Rise to Overthrow, went unaddressed for hours as websites of the Foreign Ministry's remained down over what was initially called scheduled maintenance and upgrades. Cached versions of the websites of Iranian diplomatic posts in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Munich, Germany, and Seoul, South Korea, appeared to have been defaced with a message in Farsi reading: Death to Khamenei, Hail Rajavi. Khamenei refers to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Rajavi likely refers to Massoud Rajavi, the long-missing leader of the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or his wife Maryam, who is now the public face of the group. There is a great revolution in Iran, the uprising will go until the demolition of the palace of oppression, the message read. Early Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry websites were back online. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as acknowledging its websites had been hacked while trying to downplay the incident. ___ Jon Gambrell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Meetings between representatives of the Libyan naval forces under the Government of National Unity (GNU) in the west and their counterparts in the east under the Libyan National Army (LNA) have been held in the eastern city of Benghazi, as part of efforts to unify the armed forces The Polish government spokesman has said that the incident in which a Polish Border Guard aircraft was approached over the Black Sea by a Russian fighter jet has probably been a planned Russian provocation. "The Polish crew had taken appropriate measures and managed to land safely," Piotr Mueller told a private Polsat News television programme on Sunday. "A dangerous incident occurred during a patrol flight of a Polish Border Guard Turbolet L-410 aircraft, during a Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency - PAP) operation under Romanian command," Border Guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska told PAP on Sunday morning. "The Polish aircraft was approached three times over the Black Sea by a Russian fighter jet, which performed aggressive and dangerous manoeuvers," Michalska said, adding that, during the incident, the Polish crew had reportedly lost control of the aircraft and altitude for a moment. Mueller said the incident had probably been a planned Russian provocation. "We can see that Russia's goal is to attract international attention to such provocations," Mueller stated. The Polish plane has been deployed in Romania from April 19 as part of the Frontex JO MMO Black Sea 2023 mission. It is the second operation this year in which Polish border guards are taking part. The first one took place earlier this year in Italy. (PAP) Photo: (Photo : John Moore/Getty Images) Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law on Thursday an anti-bullying bill named after Terry Badger III, a 13-year-old boy who took his own life earlier this year. The state anti-bullying law, now referred to as "TB3," establishes a framework for schools to combat bullying and safeguard victims of bullying. The legislation offers a comprehensive plan for schools to follow in order to put an end to bullying and ensure the safety of those who have been victimized. Terry Badger III, a student at Covington Middle School in Indiana, killed himself on March 6, 2023. Before taking his own life, he used his cellphone to create a video in which he identified the individuals who had bullied him at school and stated that they were the reason for his actions. His parents were deeply affected by this tragedy and have since taken up the cause of promoting measures to prevent bullying. Statewide Blueprint for Schools According to Fox 19, a recently passed anti-bullying law in Indiana mandates that schools in the state inform the parents of a student who has been bullied about the reported incident within three business days. Additionally, the parents of the accused bully must be notified within five business days of the alleged incident. The law also mandates that schools evaluate the gravity of the bullying and determine if the victim or perpetrator needs to be relocated to a different school within the district to ensure the victim's safety. The law is considered a significant milestone for Indiana and a model for other states to adopt. While some other states also have anti-bullying laws, the Badger family hopes that the blueprint for Indiana's law will eventually be extended to the entire country. Terry II and Robyn Badger, Terry's parents, opted to disclose the tragic circumstances surrounding their son's suicide on March 6, which they attributed to being bullied. Their decision to go public with Terry's story generated widespread indignation across the country, per IndyStar. Indiana Representative Vernon G. Smith, a Democrat from Gary, was among those who were outraged. He redoubled his efforts to promote House Bill 1483, an anti-bullying legislation he had authored, after Terry's death. Although the bipartisan bill was passed by the state House in February, it stalled in the state Senate until Terry Badger III's suicide brought renewed attention to the issue. Nearly 100,000 people signed a Change.org petition, prompting the Indiana General Assembly to take action. The bill passed the state Senate 46-3 on April 27 and was signed into law by the governor on May 4. Read Also: Flint Community Schools Implement Backpack Ban Over Safety Concerns Amid Rising Threats and Weapons in Schools Support for Anti-Bullying Measures The passing of the TB3 law has been met with widespread support from advocates of anti-bullying measures. Democratic state Rep. Vernon G. Smith, the author of the bill, expressed his appreciation for the legislation's approval. Smith conveyed his gratitude to the leadership for enabling the bill to progress through the process, according to NBC. Smith added that the legislation may not be a complete solution, but it could be a step forward in resolving the problem of bullying. He believes that the law will help move society closer to a resolution of the issue. Terry Badger III's parents also spoke out in their first interview since the bill was signed into law. They expressed their certainty that their son was saving other kids' lives and their pride in what he has helped to do for the state of Indiana. In a recent email to NBC News, Brady Scott, the superintendent of the Covington school district, asserted that the school had implemented appropriate measures to safeguard Terry. He referred to a statement that mentioned a third-party inquiry conducted by an Indiana law firm into the school's anti-bullying policy, handbook, and documents related to Terry. The investigation concluded that the school had reacted to any concerns raised and followed established procedures by collaborating directly with students. However, Terry's parents hold a different view and maintain that the school's response was inadequate. Robyn Badger stated that if she had known that this was going to happen, she would have immediately removed her son from school. Related Article: Safety in Private Spaces Act: Florida Passes Bathroom Bill Targeting Transgender People In September 2021, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Invents what could be a Revolutionary next-gen Lenticular Display for Macs, HMDs & iDevices." In November 2021 Patently Apple posted a second report about a possible future Lenticular display in context with an actual Apple TV display being able to present 3D-style content without 3D glasses. On paper alone, I found it a little difficult to wrap my head around the concept, so I added a video that could make anyone understand what Apple was trying to achieve. The video below relates to a lenticular display that Sony describes as a "Spatial Reality Display." Apple now has Spatial Audio and so calling their technology a Spatial Display wouldn't be a stretch. Whatever they call it, it's an exciting leap for displays. Today Patently Apple discovered a patent application from Apple in the World Intellectual Property Organization's database titled "Lenticular Image Generation." The patent, published on May 03, 2023, relates to methods and apparatus for generating images to be displayed on lenticular displays. Instead of a television being the focus of this patent this time, the term HMD is listed some 30 times. While not limited to an HMD, it is a large focus of this patent. In these methods, a fixed mesh is generated offline, and in real-time texture information is mapped to the fixed mesh. In an offline process, texture and 3D mesh information for an object is used to render UV map views for multiple viewpoints of the object, view maps are generated from display calibration data, and a lenticular to UV map is generated from the UV map views and view maps. In real-time, texture information is captured, and a composite process is performed that generates a lenticular image for multiple viewpoints by sampling pixels from the texture based on the lenticular to UV map. The lenticular image is then displayed on the lenticular display. Detected positions of persons in the environment may be used to limit the number of viewpoints that are generated during the real-time composite process. Apple's patent FIGS. 1A and IB below illustrate an example lenticular display #120. FIG. 1 A shows a 3D front view of an example lenticular display and FIG. IB shows an example top view of the example lenticular display. As shown in FIG. 1A, a lenticular display may include a display panel #122 could be an LCD, OLED, DLP or LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon). As shown in FIGS. 1 A and IB, the lenticular lens #126 may be a sheet or array of magnifying lenses (also referred to as lenticules) #128 configured so that, when the lenticular display is viewed from slightly different angles, different views of a lenticular image being displayed on display panel are visible from different viewpoints or viewing angles (e.g., VI, V2, and V3) in front of the display. Further, the viewing radius may, for example, be 30 degrees; however, wider or narrower viewing angles may be used, for example within a range of 15 to 65 degrees. As a non-limiting example, a lenticular display 120 may provide 22 viewing angles spread through a 30 degree viewing radius, with a different view every 1.6 degrees. Apple's patent FIG. 1C above shows a top view of an example device #100 that includes a lenticular display #120 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 A and IB, according to some embodiments. The device may include a lenticular display, one or more sensors #140, and a controller #160. Sensors may collect information about an object #190 to be images on the lenticular display. Sensors #140 may include, but are not limited to, one or more cameras that capture depth information for the object #190. The controller may include one or more processors that process data captured by the sensors to generate texture (e.g., coloring and shading) and mesh (e.g., a 3D representation) information for the object. From the texture and mesh information, the controller may generate lenticular images to be displayed on the lenticular display. The patent gets more interesting when they reveal in Apple's patent FIG. 2A that device #200 may an HMD to be worn on a user's head so that the lenticular display #210 is disposed in front of the their eyes. As another example, display system 210 may be a direct retinal projector system that scans left and right images, pixel by pixel, to the subject's eyes. To scan the images, projectors generate beams that are directed to reflective components that redirect the beams to the user's eyes. The term HMD is listed 30 times in this patent. Apple's patent FIG. 5 above graphically illustrates a method for offline generation of a lenticular to UV map. For more details, review Apple's patent application number EP4173281. Apple's patent application that was published this week was originally filed in June 2021. This is a forward looking patent and the technology discussed isn't likely to be a part of Apple's first-gen XR Headset debuting at WWDC23. After Apple delivered a better than expected quarter for iPhone on Thursday, we're now learning that Warren Buffett said earlier today that Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is a better business than any other in Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) portfolio. Reuters is reporting that Buffet stated that "Apple is different than the other businesses we own. It just happens to be a better business," said Buffett during Berkshire's annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Berkshire revealed a $1 billion stake in Apple in May 2016, and by March 2023 had boosted that stake to $151 billion, accounting for 46% of its $328 billion equity portfolio, Buffett has long praised Apple CEO Tim Cook, and viewed Apple less as a technology company and more as a consumer products company with a dominant product, the iPhone, that people want and need. The Berkshire Hathaway 2023 shareholder's guide could be reviewed here. For those that follow the stock market, the video of the annual meeting today presented below may be of some interest. In all areas except religion, Richard Dawkins claimed in a blogged panel discussion back in 2010, we believe what we believe as a result of evidence. By contrast, he went on to say, religion is a nonsensical enterprise that poisons everything. It is a delusion, he wrote in, well, The God Delusion ([New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2008], 28), a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. According to his fellow New Atheist Sam Harris (Letter to a Christian Nation [New York: Vantage Books, 2008], 230-231), Faith is generally nothing more than the permission religious people give one another to believe things strongly without evidence. In his bestselling book The End of Faith, Harris writes Tell a devout Christian that his wife is cheating on him, or that frozen yogurt can make a man invisible, and he is likely to require as much evidence as anyone else, and to be persuaded only to the extent that you give it. Tell him that the book he keeps by his bed was written by an invisible deity who will punish him with fire for eternity if he fails to accept every incredible claim about the universe, and he seems to require no evidence whatsoever. (Sam Harris, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason [New York: W. W. Norton, 2004], 15) But is this true? Do Harris and Dawkins themselves supply any evidence to justify their claims? Do Christians, and theists generally, really have no reason at all for what they believe? Are there no theistic philosophers or scientists, for instance, who seriously reflect on their faith and who advance evidence and arguments in support of it? (I wont keep you in suspense: There are. And more than a few of them. One neednt accept their arguments in order to acknowledge that they exist.) In his book The Selfish Gene, Dawkins cites the story of the apostle Thomas doubting Thomas, as hes often called to illustrate his assertion that Christianity requires blind faith. You will recall the story: Jesus appears to the disciples after his resurrection, but Thomas is not present on that occasion. Afterwards, he refuses to believe the disciples report until, he says, he has seen for himself, and even touched, the risen Lord. Not long thereafter, Thomas does in fact see, hear, and touch the resurrected Savior, and he believes: And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:28-29) Jesus rebukes Thomas for not believing without seeing. And isnt that the very definition of blind faith? But there were strong reasons why Thomas should already have believed. For one thing, he shouldnt have been surprised by Christs resurrection. After all, as the gospels record, Jesus had predicted it on numerous occasions in his presence and in the presence of other members of the Twelve. Second, he had heard eyewitness testimony from people whom he well knew to be good and reliable men (and, presumably, good and reliable women also), who bore testimony to what they had recently seen at first hand and heard and touched. They knew with perfect certainty that Jesus had risen from the dead, and we know that they had told him about it. They spoke with the authority of eyewitnesses. Most of what we know not only in the study of history but in science we trust on the authority of others. Yet Thomas persisted in his disbelieving resistance to the well news of the resurrection. Third, like the other apostles and disciples, Thomas himself had witnessed miracles wrought by Jesus that should certainly have given him confidence in the Saviors unique power, status, and authority. The resurrection was, in a sense, merely the latest in a fairly lengthy series of such miracles. Immediately after the story of doubting Thomas not separated from it by even so much as a single verse the gospel of John continues, saying, And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:30-31) Plainly, John presumes that faith can be legitimately based upon written accounts of eyewitness testimony. Richard Dawkins is free to dispute such faith, of course, and to reject those accounts, but his insistence that a faith that is based upon confidence in such ancient reports is flatly blind or ungrounded seems, well, groundless. Curiously, though, while some atheists deny that there is any evidence for belief in God and that there are no arguments to justify it, there are a few Latter-day Saints (probably not a large number) who profess to believe that no evidence or arguments should be adduced in support of faith. They say and I promise that Im not making this up; its been said directly to me, both orally and in writing that faith is not really faith if its supported by logic or evidence, and accordingly, that efforts to set forth evidence or to adduce reasoned arguments in support or defense of faith are actually anti-faith. This seems to me completely wrong-headed. For one thing, Jesus himself cited this-worldly evidence and used reasoned argument to support a theological claim that is, otherwise, beyond temporal verification: Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. (John 10:36-38) So did the apostle Peter, addressing unbelievers in Jerusalem according to Acts 2:22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. (King James Version) Fellow Israelites, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man whose credentials God proved to you through miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed through him among you. You yourselves know this. (Common English Bible) At Acts 2:20, the apostle Paul points to the natural world itself as a place where evidence about God can be discerned: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. (King James Version) Ever since the creation of the world, Gods invisible qualitiesGods eternal power and divine naturehave been clearly seen, because they are understood through the things God has made. So humans are without excuse. (Common English Bible) And, of course, at 1 Corinthians 15:1-9 Paul famously cites a list of human witnesses to the resurrection of Christ in a bid to convince his audience that the event literally occurred. And such arguments are scarcely limited to the Bible. Consider the Book of Mormon prophet Alma, confronting the anti-Christ Korihor: And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only. But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true? Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God. And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words. But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. (Alma 30:40-44) This blog entry was inspired by, and draws on, Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow, Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2010), 19-31. Posted from Park City, Utah From time to time, whether on the internet or in pamphlet form or even in a triumphant personal email sent directly to me, I run across dismissals of the story of Jesus as purely fictional on the grounds that all of the important facets of his life were merely (and obviously) borrowed from the legends of other dying-and-resurrecting gods, etc. I wrote a column back in mid-2012 in which I briefly responded to this fairly common atheist approach: Parallels of prophets not parallel. I think that Ill respond to it briefly once again: In one of his bestselling books, the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins declares that all the essential features of the Jesus Legend . . . are borrowed every last one of them from other religions already in existence in the Mediterranean and Near East region. (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion [New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2008], 119-120) But is this true? Almost certainly not. There is scarcely a modern expert in any relevant field I can think, at the moment, of none who would agree with Professor Dawkins, a passionate writer but a man who has shown virtually no interest in or acquaintance with the relevant historical scholarship. I will cite a couple of passages from two scholars who have researched the topic and written on it. They focus specifically on the fascinating Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris, which can indeed seem (at first glance) to be similar to the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The first of these scholars is the late American philosopher Ronald H. Nash, author of (among other things) the 1992 book The Gospel and the Greeks: The basic myth of the Isis cult concerned Osiris, her husband during the earlier Egyptian and nonmystery stage of the religion. According to the most common version of the myth, Osiris was murdered by his brother who then sank the coffin containing Osiriss body into the Nile River. Isis discovered the body and returned it to Egypt. But her brother-in-law once again gained access to the body, this time dismembering it into fourteen pieces which he scattered widely. Following a long search, Isis recovered each part of the body. It is at this point that the language used to describe what followed is crucial. Sometimes those telling the story are satisfied to say that Osiris came back to life, even though such language claims far more than the myth allows. Some writers go even further and refer to the alleged resurrection of Osiris. One liberal scholar illustrates how biased some writers are when they describe the pagan myth in Christian language: The dead body of Osiris floated in the Nile and returned to life, this being accomplished by a baptism in the waters of the Nile (Joseph Klausner, From Jesus to Paul [New York: Macmillan, 1943], 104.). This biased and sloppy use of language suggests three misleading analogies between Osiris and Christ: (1) a savior god dies and (2) experiences a resurrection accompanied by (3) water baptism. But the alleged similarities, as well as the language used to describe them, turn out to be fabrications of the modern scholar and are not part of the original myth. Comparisons between the resurrection of Jesus and the resuscitation of Osiris are greatly exaggerated. Not every version of the myth has Osiris returning to life; in some he simply becomes king of the underworld. Equally far-fetched are attempts to find an analogue of Christian baptism in the Osiris myth. The fate of Osiriss coffin in the Nile is as relevant to baptism as the sinking of Atlantis. (From Ronald H. Nash, Was The New Testament Influenced by Pagan Religions? https://www.equip.org/articles/was-the-new-testament-influenced-by-pagan-religions/.) The second authority whose words I will cite here is the eminent British New Testament scholar N. T. Wright, who is currently a senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall in the University of Oxford: At the heart of the cults was the ritual re-enactment of the death and rebirth of the god, coupled with sundry fertility rites. The productivity of the soil, and of the tribe or nation, was at stake; by getting in touch with the mysterious forces that underlay the natural world, by sympathetic and symbolic re-enactment of them, one might hope to guarantee both crops and offspring. The myth which accompanied these rituals was indeed the story of resurrection, of new life the other side of death. . . . Did any worshiper in these cults, from Egypt to Norway, at any time in antiquity, think that actual human beings, having died, actually came back to life? Of course not. These multifarious and sophisticated cults enacted the gods death as a metaphor, whose concrete referent was the cycle of seed-time and harvest, of human reproduction and fertility. Sometimes, as in Egypt, the myths and rituals included funerary practices: the aspiration of the death was to become united with Osiris. But the new life they might thereby experience was not a return to life in the present world. Nobody expected the actual mummies to get up, walk about and resume normal living; nobody in that world would have wanted such a thing, either. (N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003], 80-81 [emphasis in the original]) I would add something else, too, that I consider significant. There seems to me a world of difference between stories like those of Osiris and Tammuz, which are depicted as having occurred vaguely long, long ago, and the story of Jesus, which began, according to the gospel of Luke 2:1-2, when there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed (and this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria). The version of the Nicene Creed that was adopted at the First Council of Constantinople in AD 381, summarizing the accounts given in the New Testament gospels, incorporates a specific historical reference into the very creed itself: , , he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again No comparable specificity is available for the ancient mystery cults. Consider, too, the words of the evangelist Luke, cited here (for the sake of clarity) from Luke 1 in the Common English Bible: 1 Many people have already applied themselves to the task of compiling an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used what the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed down to us. 3 Now, after having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, I have also decided to write a carefully ordered account for you, most honorable Theophilus. 4 I want you to have confidence in the soundness of the instruction you have received. No such account is available with regard to Osiris. Posted from Park City, Utah A French perfume businessman is eyeing to further tap into the potentials of the Chinese market, as he attended the Canton Fair in China's Guangzhou. The fair, held twice yearly, is considered a major gauge of China's foreign trade. This year's fair resumed all on-site activities in Guangzhou, after being held largely online since 2020 due to COVID-19 prevention measures. Produced by Xinhua Global Service President Akufo-Addo yesterday commissioned yet another vehicle assembling plant in Ghana, Kia Vehicle Assembly Plant. It brings to nine the total number of vehicle assembling plants set up in Ghana under the Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration. The rest include VW, Toyota, Isuzu, Nissan, Peugeot, Hyundai, Shanghai and SE Auto which were established earlier. Speaking at a colourful ceremony at Amasaman in Accra yesterday, the President assured players in the domestic vehicle assembling industry in Ghana that his administration will pursue policies that will stimulate patronage of their vehicles by both government and the citizenry. He stressed the fact that government alone cannot purchase all the vehicles being assembled in Ghana, and thus emphasised the need to develop policies that will enable the ordinary citizen to buy locally assembled vehicles. That notwithstanding, he said, I have directed the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, the prioritisation of the procurement of domestically assembled vehicles by state institutions to fulfil governments commitment in patronising made in Ghana products. To stimulate demand for domestically assembled vehicles, President Akufo-Addo indicated that his administration will soon be rolling out an asset based vehicle financing scheme as it exists in other developed economies to afford Ghanaians the opportunity to purchase vehicles from the Ghana Automotive Development Programme. That, he said, was part of the reasons for implementing the zero rating of VAT on the sale of domestically assembled vehicles. This means that there is no VAT on the sale of domestically assembled vehicles, even to the end user, to make them affordable. We will continue to do our part to position Ghana as a strategic partner in helping the continent achieve the target of assembling 1.5 million vehicles per annum by the end of 2023, as projected by the Association of African Automobile Manufacturers and to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) whose Secretariat is located in our capital, Accra to exploit the bigger African market for domestically assembled vehicles, he said. Meanwhile, the President has also hinted that the Minister of Trade and Industry will soon be submitting to Cabinet for approval the Ghana Automotive Component Manufacturing Policy (ACMP), which will outline incentives to attract investors into the component manufacturing sector. The policy, according to President Akufo-Addo, will also support artisans in Suame, Kokompe, and other enclaves to upgrade their capacity to fit seriously in the automotive industry. Source: Daily Guide 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. Featured Video The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported initiative, Ghana Mobilising Finance in Agriculture (MFA), is committing up to US$261million in loans to expand financing to agribusinesses including women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural sector. The money, according to USAID and Feed the Future Ghana, is to enable agricultural enterprises scale up production in areas such as seed acquisition, fertiliser procurement and processing, among others. As a medium-term funding for up to the year 2024, the MFA envisages supporting some 81,493 agricultural SMEs in the cereal, grains and legumes as well as tree crops value chains to access the fund through selected transactional advisors. Chief of Party for Feed the Future Ghana, Dr. Victor Antwi who revealed this at the 2023 Women in Agribusiness Summit in Accra, said the amount will expectedly lead to US$500million in new sales by end of the funding year. He disclosed that the MFA has long been supporting the countrys agricultural financing system to mitigate negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on farmers and agribusinesses. For instance, as of September last year the MFA had facilitated over US$152million to approximately 12,600 agribusinesses across the country; including 62 percent of female-led enterprises for the various priority crops mentioned above. USAID Mission Director, Kimberly Rosen, said empowering women in agribusiness is the key to unlocking their fullest potentials: Thats why the US government supports Ghanaian agribusinesses through Feed the Future Ghana Mobilising Finance in Agriculture (MFA). Through the MFA, Madam Kimberly said the US government has unlocked over US$204million in financing for more than 33,000 agribusinesses, over half of which are women-led and women-owned in the maize, soy, groundnut, cowpea, cashew, mango and shea value chains. With key obstacles facing women including social biases such as limited access to business and investor networks, the MFAs partner financial institutions have a developed a range of financial products for women in that regard, Madam Kimberly said. Gender and Social Protection Minister, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu, commended USAIDs Feed the Future programme for seeing and prioritising the critical need to support women in agribusiness across the country. When women earn incomes, they are able to address the needs of their households and improve the entire familys livelihood, she said. She said one of governments key policies is to ensure that no one is left behind in the bid to promote equality, economic transformation and national development. It is the reason we find this support by the USAID for female agric entrepreneurs very critical and noteworthy, the minister said. Source: B&FT 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. Featured Video The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a global health emergency. The statement represents a major step towards ending the pandemic and comes three years after it first declared its highest level of alert over the virus. Officials said the virus death rate had dropped from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 on 24 April. The head of the WHO said at least seven million people died in the pandemic. But Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the true figure was likely closer to 20 million deaths nearly three times the official estimate and he warned that the virus remained a significant threat. Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. Ive accepted that advice. It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency, Dr Tedros said. But he warned the decision to remove the highest level of alert did not mean the danger was over and said the emergency status could be reinstated if the situation changed. The worst thing any country can do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about, he said. The World Health Organisation first declared the so-called public health emergency of international concern in January 2020. Vaccines were one of the major turning points in the pandemic allowing millions of people to be protected from serious illness and death. The US and UK, like many other countries, have already talked about living with the virus and wound down many of the tests and social mixing rules. But in many countries vaccines have not reached most of those in need. Source: BBC 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. Featured Video 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. Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has formally announced to members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament that he will run for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) towards the 2024 general election. At a meeting with NPP MPs in Parliament on Tuesday night, the Vice President reportedly told the lawmakers that he had come to seek their blessings for his bid to lead the ruling party. According to sources, Dr. Bawumia informed the lawmakers that he had prayed and done self-introspection about his decision and came to the conclusion the MPs are key partners if he was to be successful in his bid. The Vice President, who spoke passionately about the importance of effective collaboration and partnership between the partys presidential candidate and the NPP MPs, stated that he was ready to work with them all to help the NPP achieve its ultimate goal of forming the next government with a majority in Parliament. The meeting, which began around 7:00pm, was well attended by members of the caucus, with Dr. Bawumia receiving cheers when he informed the MPs that with unity and perseverance, the NPP could break the eight-year streak because it is possible. He reportedly informed the MPs that he would return to create the proper construct and explain why they should support him after he had picked the nomination. He was accompanied to the meeting by his spokesperson, Dr. Gideon Boako, former Communications Director of the party, Nana Akomea, and Fred Oware, the first Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power Authority. The formal announcement sets the stage for a potential showdown with Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and others, including Kennedy Agyapong, who have previously expressed their intentions to run for the NPP flagbearer position. Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has since expressed the caucus heartfelt thanks to Dr. Bawumia for formally alerting NPP MPs of his decision to run for the partys presidential candidacy. Mr. Annoh-Dompreh, who is the NPP MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, is one of over 100 Majority Caucus members who have openly declared their support for Vice President Bawumia. He believes the Vice President can help the ruling party in breaking the eight-year political cycle. On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Dr. Bawumia hinted at his presidential aspiration with the social media post: It is possible, taking inspiration from the scriptures, with the Ghanaian flag and the NPP flag clasped. He has been engaging and courting the support of key members of the party, including President Akufo-Addo and former President John Agyekum Kufuor, for his bid. His meeting with the Majority Caucus is considered as a warm-up for the official big announcement ahead of the partys nominations opening. He is among ten people who have stated their desire to run in the NPP presidential primaries, including former Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, former Food and Agriculture Minister. The others are former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko; former Railway Development Minister, Joe Ghartey; former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong; and former MP for Mampong, Francis Addai Nimoh. The NPP has scheduled November 4, 2023 as the date for its presidential primaries to choose a candidate for the main election in 2024. If more than five people file to participate in the primaries, the party will host a special congress on August 26 to limit the number of candidates to five for the main primary. The NPP is slated to begin accepting nominations for presidential primaries on May 26 and end on June 24, 2023. On the same day, the Majority Caucus met with Kwabena Agyapong, another NPP presidential aspirant. Source: dailyguidenetwork.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. Featured Video The Member of Parliament for Asante Mampong, Kweku Ampratwumw-Sarpong has hit out at opponents of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for playing tribal and religious cards against him in the heat to the NPP flagbearership contest. The past week has seen a sustained tribal and religious campaign against Dr. Bawumia from the camps of his contenders. The MP for Asante Mampong, who is also the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, slammed those playing on the keyboard of tribalism. "I am surprised by what my good friend Eugene has been saying. I know him very well from our days in London and I am really surprised," he condemned the divisive statements in an interview with Okay FM. "This Christian and Muslim dichotomy that Eugene is introducing is unfortunate. He should know that these things are not a concern for us here in Ghana." "Eugene should go back and look at other African countries which are predominantly Christians and Muslims are the leaders. You go to other countries, predominantly Muslims, and Christians are the leaders. Go to Senegal it is there. Senegal are predominantly Muslims but the leader is a Christian. Go to Tanzania, predominantly Christians, but the leader is a Muslim." "We don't want this confusion and division in Ghana. We are not fundamentalists in Ghana. We are not fundamentalists Christians or fundamentalists Muslims." Competence, Not Tribalism Or Religion The Deputy Minister also said Ghanaians are looking for a leader who is capable of meeting their aspirations and Dr. Bawumia's growing popularity, both within the NPP and outside, is because he has proven himself, not because of his tribal and religious affiliations. "It is not about whether Dr. Bawumia is a Muslim or a Northerner. The most important thing is to look at his competence and capabilities. Can he deliver? Has he demonstrated that he is capable of delivering and providing the kind of leadership Ghana needs?" "The man has demonstrated. He has proven it! Everything he does is a clear demonstration of his capabilities and his abilities to provide the kind of leadership in taking Ghana forward post Akufo-Addo. And it is going to happen in real time, not by virtue of the fact that he is a northerner or by virtue of religion." "Ghanaians are not looking for tribal leadership. They are looking for someone who is competent and who is capable of delivering for us, and the man has shown that he is competent, he is visionary and he is capable." Source: 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. Featured Video Actor and politician John Dumelo has taken to social media to publicly congratulate his wife, Gifty Mawunya Dumelo, on her recent achievement. In an Instagram post shared on his official account, Dumelo expressed his excitement and pride in his wife being called to the Ghana Bar, and congratulated her on her new title as "Mrs. Gifty Mawunya Dumelo Esq." She is the little sister of seasoned actress Selassie Ibrahim and prior to her marriage to John Dumelo, she was a Ghanaian lawyer based in the United Kingdom. Mrs. Dumelo is a graduate of Central University and also holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Dumelo's Instagram post has since gone viral, receiving thousands of likes and comments from fans and well-wishers across the globe. As a proud husband, Dumelo has already lined up cases for his wife to tackle, as he looks forward to her contribution to the legal profession. The couple have been married since May 2018, and have a son and daughter together. Source: graphic.com.gh 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. Featured Video "Kweku the Traveler" hit maker, Black Sherif has been adjudged Artiste of the Year of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) this year. The 24th edition of the VGMA was held at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) this Saturday, May 6. The big award of the night was contested chiefly between gospel musician Piesie Esther and the "Konongo Zongo" musician, Black Sherif. Black Sherif who made his debut into the Ghanaian music landscape not too long ago has worked hard and tirelessly to become a force to reckon with both locally and internationally with his music penetrating the international music market. The young musician has set record as the only artiste from Ghana to hit a total stream of 1 billion across all music platforms. Following the release of three (3) of his most received albums namely "The Villain I Never Was", "Second Sermon" and "First Sermon", the 21-year old music sensation got music lovers streaming his song on music platforms including iTunes, AudioMack, Boomplay, Spotify, Deezer and Youtube. Black Sherif today wins the most coveted award of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards topping the "Artiste of the Year" category which climaxed the event. Source: 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. Featured Video OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Tens of thousands of engineers remain frustrated with the lack of paid sick time and the demands railroads like BNSF are making in negotiations despite the deals that have been made this year for most of the other rail unions. The lack of sick time and other quality of life concerns about the demanding schedules train crews work took center stage in the negotiations last fall that reached the brink of a strike before Congress intervened and blocked a walkout. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union says the railroads are still asking for too much in return for sick time instead of just providing the basic benefit it believes workers are entitled to. They want to talk the money out of our pocket somewhere else and give it back to us in the form of sick time, said Rob Cunningham, one of the BLETs general chairmen who is leading the negotiations with BNSF. The BLETs frustrations generally extend to all the major freight railroads, but Cunningham said BNSF seemed to be acting especially hard headed in talks last week. The Fort Worth, Texas, based railroad is in the spotlight this weekend because it is owned by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway and thousands of adoring shareholders filled an arena in Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday to listen to him answer questions. Buffett didnt face any questions about the way BNSF is treating its workers, but Buffett takes an extremely hands-off approach to Berkshires companies and largely lets them run themselves. In the past, he has declined to get involved in labor negotiations at subsidiaries. You would think with something as easy as paid sick time, he could just say: Do it. We need to do this. This is the right thing to do, Cunningham said about Buffett, who is also a major philanthropist. But clearly he doesnt practice what he preaches, Cunningham said. BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent said the railroad has already reached deals to provide sick leave to more than 6,000 of its employees at eight of its unions, and it is our intention to ultimately have agreements in place covering our entire scheduled workforce. Across the industry, CSX has led the way by reaching agreements with most of its unions on sick time. Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific have also announced several sick time deals. Most of these deals provide workers with four days of paid sick time and give them the option to convert three leave days into sick time to give workers a total of seven sick days a year. CSX is determined to ensure that all employees feel valued, respected, appreciated and operate as one team, spokeswoman Sheriee Bowman said. Most of those other deals that have been announced focus on smaller unions that do maintenance and repair work along the rails and generally have more regular schedules. The conductors union the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers has reached deals with NS and CSX that include five paid sick days and the option to convert two personal leave days. The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division Union that represents track maintenance workers has been able to reach sick time deals with UP, CSX and Norfolk Southern, but they have had to fight to get that benefit without making concessions. The engineers union has yet to reach a single sick time agreement at any of the railroads. One of the key remaining concerns for the BLET is that even where the railroads seem willing to give engineers sick time, the railroads generally still want to hold workers accountable for missing work under their strict attendance policies. So even if workers do get sick time, they may not feel free to use it because they would still be penalized for missing work although CSX has said it wont punish workers for taking sick time. Were going to have locomotive engineers and conductors making a choice of whether to work sick and handle some of the most dangerous items that any transportation group handles, but theyre going to work sick or be subject to attendance policies, said Mark Wallace, BLETs second-highest official. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders who has been pressuring the railroads to give their workers sick time and tried unsuccessfully to require it when Congress was voting on the contract in December said he has been encouraged by the progress the industry has made so far. Already more that one third of all rail workers industrywide have gained paid sick time since the start of the year. On CSX and Norfolk Southern, the portion of workers who now have sick time is closer to two-thirds. But more needs to be done, and without concessions, the Vermont independent said. This is something that should have been done years ago and time is long overdue for those companies to provide those benefits right now, Sanders said. Sanders said all the publicity the railroads received last fall for refusing to provide sick time forced their hands. At the end of the day, what the rail industry understood is its just very hard to defend record breaking profits and massive stock buybacks and then saying they dont have enough money to do what is the right and decent thing for workers and that is guarantee them paid sick days, Sanders said. FILE - A worker rides a rail car at a BNSF rail crossing in Saginaw, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)AP SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said he hopes the agreements his union has reached with CSX and Norfolk Southern to secure five sick days will become a model for deals with the rest of the railroads. But he is also focused on trying to get conductors relief from the stringent attendance policies that have put them on call 24-7 in recent years. Thats where we really butted heads with the carriers, Ferguson said. The deal SMART-TD reached with Norfolk Southern last week tries to ensure conductors will know their days off in advance. Norfolk Southern spokesman Thomas Crosson said those new rules should help because conductors will generally work six days in a row followed by two days off, and each weeks schedule will be more predictable. Josh Funk of The Associated Press wrote this story. More: Smell of weed on N.J. and Philly roads spurs fears of unsafe driving 12-year-old who was told to stand up for his mom was shot after he did DREXEL HILL, Pa. In the hours before hes due at Upper Darby High School, senior Khalid Doulat has time to say prayers, help his mother or prepare for track practice. Its a welcome shift from last year for him and thousands of students at the school, which pushed its start time back by more than two hours from a 7:30 a.m. start time to 9:45 a.m. One goal for the change: to ease strains on students that were more visible than ever coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ill be honest, Ive been much happier in the mornings, Doulat said. Ive been more positive, and Ive come to school smiling more rather than, you know, grudging out of bed and stuff like that at 7:30. The idea of later school start times, pushed by many over the years as a way to help adolescents get more sleep, is getting a new look as a way to address the mental health crisis affecting teens across the U.S. For some schools, the pandemic allowed experimentation to try new schedules. Upper Darby, for one, initially considered later start times in 2019. Ultimately, it found a way to do it this year by using distance learning as a component of the school day. As students first came back to in-person learning, many dealt with mental health struggles and behavioral issues, Upper Darby Superintendent Daniel McGarry said. Officials saw a breakdown in students respecting the authority of teachers in the classroom. We had a lot of those things that we were facing and were still working our way through it; were in a much better place, McGarry said. I think our kids feel better. Theyre not 100% better. But, he said, much of the social anxiety students felt after being in online school has dissipated. During the pandemic, soaring numbers of high school students expressed persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, with girls and LGBTQ+ youth reporting the highest levels of poor mental health and suicide attempts. It doesnt help that research suggests middle and high school students arent getting enough sleep. These mental health challenges are already going to happen and then, with the absence of sleep, are much worse, said Orfeu Buxton, director of the Sleep, Health & Society Collaboratory at Penn State University. The same with decision making, suicidal ideation, those kinds of things. Upper Darby High School Principal Matthew Alloway gestures while speaking with a reporter during an interview, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Drexel Hill, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)AP The reasons why high schools start as early as they do many begin their day before 7:30 a.m. are lost to the sands of history, Buxton said. But now, he said, everything is baked into that: traffic light patterns, bus schedules and adults work. Nationally, at least nine states are considering legislation related to school start times, up from four the previous year, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. California in 2019 became the first and only state to dictate school start times. Large school systems including Denver, Philadelphia and Anchorage, Alaska, have been looking into later start times. It can require innovation to forge a new schedule. At Upper Darby High, the school day technically still begins at 7:30 a.m., with students assigned coursework to be done remotely that ties into their lessons for the day. But they can use the early morning hours as they see fit they can meet with teachers during office hours, sleep in or finish other homework. Ultimately, the work assigned for the early morning needs to be done, but when is up to students. I think getting more sleep is definitely helping, Elise Olmstead, a junior. I would be more irritable throughout the day, especially later, because I have a lot of after-school things. I would just have a harder time getting through the day. The school day still ends by 3 p.m. Fatima Afrani, a freshman, said that when she gets home, shell usually relax, then help her mom or do homework. If Im tired I go to sleep, which was not something I was able to do last year. Last year I just had to get my homework done because there wasnt an option of being able to do it later, she said. And so I liked that if I was tired, I could listen to my body and just let myself sleep. Principal Matthew Alloway said educators have noticed fewer students sleeping in class. The new schedule also has allowed kids to go to school for exactly what they need, he said. About 400 of the schools 4,250 students attend only through virtual learning an option it offered to compete with online schools. Critics have argued students have less instruction time in the new schedule. The original 80-minute periods have been shortened, but Alloway said that its not as if lectures always took up the full 80 minutes. It was sometimes a 60-minute concentrated instructional time. But then there was time to write. There was time to read. There was time to view a video, he said. Other challenges wrought by the pandemic teacher shortages, for one have also benefitted from the schedule change, administrators said. Teachers can take care of themselves and their families in the morning. Administrators have more time to replace staffers who call out sick. Doulat, the Upper Darby senior, said that even if students cant see the effects every day, theres been a big positive impact. Its such little changes in our daily lives that we dont notice it, he added. But they slowly start building up, and we actually see the difference within our own lives. Brooke Schultz of The Associated Press wrote this story: Brooke Schultz 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. The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. More: Burger King to close up to 400 locations this year CEO of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, an airport operator in the South American country, has said that he expects the arrival of more Chinese tourists. The new departures terminal at the Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, which is operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, has been put into use since April 17. The new 50,000-square-meter complex has the capacity to process 30 million passengers per year. China relaxed travel restrictions earlier this year and resumed group tours to up to 60 countries including Argentina. Argentinian tourism is an important sector of the economy, representing about 10 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) before the COVID-19 pandemic, while in 2022 it had a frank recovery and accounted for seven percent of the GDP. Produced by Xinhua Global Service PennLives Editorial Board will meet at 11 a.m. Monday, May 8, with Paul Butler, author of Chokehold: Policing Black Men, to discuss his upcoming visit to Harrisburg to speak at a forum sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. The Editorial Board meeting will be broadcast live to PennLives Facebook page. Butler will be in Harrisburg for the May 10 forum at St. Stephens Episcopal Cathedral, 221 N. Front St. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. PennLive is a media sponsor of the event. Butler is an acclaimed author and professor at Georgetown University and is considered one of the nations preeminent scholars on race and the criminal justice system. PennLives Editorial Board meeting also will include the Rev. Dr. Larry Pickens and Chad Dion Lassiter, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Rev. Pickens led the committee organizing the event, and is leading the organization to become more engaged in community affairs. Lassiter will speak on a panel following Butlers keynote remarks. Other panelists at the forum will include: David Splain, president, Pennsylvania Association of Police Chiefs; and Jennifer Gettle, Deputy District Attorney, Dauphin County. PennLives Editorial Board includes a diverse group of community leaders, including Vini Portzline, the Rev. Sandy Strauss, David Dix, Jeffrey Lord, Gloria Merrick, Sat Onal and Dr. Nirmal Joshi. Joyce M. Davis is PennLives Outreach & Opinion Editor. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @byjoycedavis. Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Students of Elizabethville High School celebrated their senior prom Saturday, May 6, 2023 at the Masonic Village. NEW SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT: This prom season, PennLive is offering a special perk exclusively for subscribers: Log in, click on the photo gallery to see if we photographed your favorite prom-goer, and choose Get Photo to download free print-quality images. Plus, get 50% off the purchase of prom-related keepsakes. Students of Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School students celebrated their senior prom Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the State Museum in Harrisburg. NEW SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT: This prom season, PennLive is offering a special perk exclusively for subscribers: Login, click on the photo gallery to see if we photographed your favorite prom-goer, and choose Get Photo to download free print-quality images. Plus, get 50% off the purchase of prom-related keepsakes. After just over 11 hours of play on the final day of the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour presented by Monte-Carlo Casino, Belarus Mikita Badziakouski defeated Ben Heath in heads-up play to take the title in the prestigious 25,000 High Roller and the 938,042 first-place prize after a deal was made. Badziakouski came into Day 3 in third position and kept his foot on the pedal the whole way to become victorious after a lengthy heads-up battle. With over $40 Million in live tournament earnings, Badziakouski is no stranger to these high-roller fields. Having just finished runner-up for 1,009,853 a week ago in the 100,000 No Limit Hold'em Super High Roller here in Monte-Carlo, Badziakouski finishes the series with a staggering 1,947,895 in total cashes. A total of 211 entries joined the field over the first two days of play to create a massive prize pool of 5,066,110, beating last year's numbers by 32 players. Some of the biggest and best names in poker joined the action which included high-stakes regulars Timothy Adams, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Artur Martirosian, Justin Bonomo, and unfortunate bubble boy Isaac Haxton, who got his stack in with top pair against a gut shot for Badziakouski who hit the river to send Haxton out in 32nd place. The final 31 players were all guaranteed a minimum cash of 43,550, but with much more to play for. Some notables who were fortunate enough to make a return on their investment included PokerStars Ambassador Sam Grafton (31st - 43,550), Orpen Kisacikoglu (28th - 43,550), Nick Petrangelo (27th - 50,150), Patrik Antonius (23rd - 57,600) and PokerStars Alejandro Lococo (17th - 76,200), who managed to spin up a stack of only two big blinds to ladder his way up to a 17th place finish. EPT Monte Carlo 25,000 High Roller Final Table Results Place Name Country Prize (EUR) 1 Mikita Badziakouski Belarus 938,042* 2 Ben Heath England 801,068* 3 Enrico Camosci Malta 477,750 4 Steve O'Dwyer United States 367,500 5 Felipe Ketzer Brazil 282,700 6 Daniel Dvoress Canada 220,800 7 Roman Samoylov Israel 184,000 8 Igor Yaroshevskyy Ukraine 153,350 *- denotes final two chop deal Day 3 Highlights A total of 21 hopefuls returned to the blue felts on the final day with dreams of a deep run to victory. Lithuanias Dominykas Mikolaitis came into the day in the chip lead position and maneuvered his stack to the final nine players. Unfortunately for him, he picked up six-five suited in a heads-up pot against Steve ODwyer who held king-deuce suited, and when both players rivered a flush, Mikolaitis was sent to the rail in ninth place. The eight-handed final table got off to a hot start with many big pots going back and forth. The first casualty came when Igor Yaroshevskyy moved in with king-jack but was up against the pocket queens for Enrico Camosci who held up to send Yaroshevskyy out in eighth place. Igor Yaroshevskyy A short while later, Roman Samoylov was on a short-stack and moved in with queen-ten. Daniel Dvoress made the call with king-jack and when the board flopped two pair for Samoylov but Broadway for Dvoress, it was the end of the road for the Israeli who fell in seventh place. Dvoress couldnt continue his run good when he got in a big pot against Badziakouski and committed his whole stack except for a single-5,000 chip. Dvoress got caught bluffing and would make the fold when Badziakouski shoved over the top. Two hands later, Dvoress would hit the rail in sixth place when he couldnt spin up his one chip. Daniel Dvoress Five-handed play went on for a while before Felipe Ketzer moved in with ace-ten but was called by the ace-queen for Badziakouski. When the board ran out ace-high it was the better kicker for Badziakouski that took the pot to send Ketzer to the exit in fifth place. Soon after, O'Dwyer would run into a cooler when he four-bet jammed his 1,800,000 in the middle and was snapped off by Badziakouski with pocket aces. The board didnt improve either player and ODwyer was forced to settle for a fourth-place finish. Camosci nursed a short stack for much of the final table and was able to stay alive up until three-handed play when he got his last chips in with pocket nines against the jacks for Badziakouski. The flop saw a jack and the rest of the runout was no help to Camosci who finished in third place. Heads-up play started with Badziakouski having an almost 4-1 chip lead on Heath, and what looked to be a short heads-up match was definitely not the case. Badziakouski started strong, chipping away at Heath and extended the lead to just under 9-1. The turning point for Heath, however, was when he found ace-four against the queen-nine for Badziakouski and scored the double up when all the chips hit the middle preflop. After another hour of back-and-forth battle, Heath found another double up when he called off his tournament life on an ace-high board with ace-queen and was up against the flush and straight draw for Badziakouski. The river bricked off and Heath took the lead for the first time in the match. Badziakouski didn't give up and managed to climb his way back to close to even before taking down a massive pot with queen-jack after making the nut-straight on the river. Badziakouski fired a big bet of 2,000,000 and got paid when Heath made the call with a worse holding. After close to three hours of heads-up play, both players discussed an ICM deal and would flip for the trophy. The dealer dealt out five-four to Heath and three-deuce to Badziakouski. The flop saw a three and when the turn and river didn't match Heath's hand the tournament was over and Badziakouski was the winner. Mikita Badziakouskii That wraps up the coverage from the 2023 EPT Monte-Carlo. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team throughout the month of May and beyond for live reports from your favorite events all over the world. This photo taken on April 21, 2023 shows a series of Confucian classics at the library of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Confucian Canon Project has made significant achievements as it recently completed a compilation of the influential and representative Confucian classics in China, said Peking University. Confucianism is the gene of Chinese traditional culture and has a far-reaching influence on the world. Historically, Confucianism has spread to ancient Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and other places, and its impact is profound. The Confucian Canon Project is the most substantial basic cultural construction project that has systematically organized Confucian classics in China and abroad since 1949. In 2014, the Editorial and Research Center of Confucian Canon of Peking University was established to implement the compilation of the Confucian Canon Project. The project functions in two steps. The early works of the "Essence" contain the most influential and representative Confucian literature in Chinese, ancient Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese history. A total of 510 Chinese Confucian works have been compiled into 282 volumes after nearly two decades of effort. More than 400 scholars from almost 100 universities and institutions at home or abroad have dedicated themselves to the systematic collation and research of Confucian literature. And another 160 Confucian works written in Chinese in the history of Japan, ancient Korea, and Vietnam will be compiled. People visit an exhibition of the Confucian Canon Project at the library of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) In the second phase, with modern technical means and academic vision, the project aims to compile the collection of Confucian classics into an independent documentary system, covering more than 3,000 domestic and overseas writings in the long run. "The purpose of compiling the project is to systematically sort out and summarize the context and essence of Confucianism to collect, preserve and utilize it, promote the rejuvenation of Chinese national culture, and help Chinese ideology and culture go global," said Sun Qinshan, chief editor of the project and professor at Peking University. Experts believe the extensive and in-depth application of digital technology in antique book compilations will bring great convenience to compiling the entire project edition. At present, the digital platform of the "Essence" of the project is in a trial operation, which is convenient for more researchers to consult and learn Confucian literature. Executive chief editor of the Confucian Canon Project and professor at Peking University Li Zhonghua said they hope the project can provide a database of Confucian literature resources with reliable texts, fine collation, and convenient retrieval for scholars and readers who study and love Confucianism from all over the world. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print President Biden told Republicans that thoughts and prayers arent enough and criticized them for responding to mass shootings with a shrug. The President said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA: Eight Americans including children were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation. Jill and I are praying for their families and for others critically injured, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously to save lives. Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to investigate this attack and I have directed federal agencies to provide all needed support. Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence. Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and took two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we have made some progress. States are banning assault weapons, expanding red flag laws and more but its not enough. We need more action, faster to save lives. Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough. Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe. Mass shootings used to shock the nation, but thanks to Republicans they are a fact of American daily life. People dont know whether they will be safe sending their kids to school, going to work, stopping by the bank, enjoying a night out, or even sitting at home. For the Republican Party to claim it cares about law and order and families is laughable hypocrisy, and Republicans are enabling the destruction of families every single day. Most Americans have grown tired of Republicans valuing guns more than people. The national mood has changed, and if Republicans dont change with it, they could find themselves out of office. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer complained that he is hearing that the DOJ is not going to seriously charge Hunter Biden, as he then unleashed an unhinged conspiracy-filled rant. Video: Chair Comer said on Foxs Sunday Morning Futures: Weve spent the past hundred days poring over bank documents. Ive used subpoena power to get these documents. Weve been meeting with former associates of the Bidens in their different influence-peddling schemes. Weve been meeting with whistleblowers. We know exactly what this family was doing. And by all accounts from the media reports that were getting, what theyre looking at charging Hunter Biden on is a slap on the wrist. Its a drop in the bucket. drop in the bucket. So Wednesday will be a very big day for the American people in getting the facts presented to them so that they can know the truth. And then the Department of Justice can finally do what they should have done years ago. Well, obviously the presidents son committed many crimes, many crimes. I mean, youre looking at potential money laundering. Jonathan Turley comes on Fox all the Im and talks about he was all the time and talks about he was essentially a foreign agent for countries like China. Hes an unregistered foreign agent. These are serious crimes. Youve got a possible racketeering thing. I mean, the list goes on and on. And again, Maria its not just the presidents son. And we dont believe these countries were paying the Biden family for nothing. If we believe they were getting a return on their investment, and the return on investment would have been policy decisions for then-vice president Joe Biden and current president Joe Biden. There are some big red flags in Comers story. Rep. Comer claims to have found evidence that the DOJ didnt have, even though the DOJ has been investigating Hunter Biden for five years, and Comer has been investigating for 100 days. The DOJ also has more investigative tools at its disposal than the House Oversight Committee, but sure, James Comer is a super sleuth who is smarter than the Department of Justice. Comer didnt cite any of the supposed evidence that he has when he was asked what sort of crimes he is claiming that the Bidens committed. Instead, the Kentucky Republican used frequent Fox News guest Jonathan Turley as his evidence. Because Comer doesnt have any evidence, he substitutes his own opinion for what he thinks happened instead of the facts. Comer claims that Biden has been running an influence-peddling operation, but where is his evidence? Like Jim Jordan, Comer is trying to find evidence to support his predetermined conclusions. However, his lack of substance and evidence makes the House Republican look unhinged, even when he is appearing in the right-wing safe space that is Fox News. If James Comer is right, the DOJ isnt going to seriously charge Hunter Biden, which is going set Republicans off because they need to minimize Trumps criminality by making Biden look just as bad before the 2024 election. Big hats, horses and food were part of the atmosphere at a local fundraiser for Equine Rescue of Aiken. On Saturday, the same day of the annual Kentucky Derby, the organization had its annual Kentucky Party to raise funds for the organization. Its the agencys biggest fundraiser in the spring, in addition to an oyster roast fundraiser held in the fall. The fundraiser also included a meal, silent auction, raffle prizes and a hat contest. The event was held at Newberry Hall this year, while in the past it has been held at the Wing Place. Equine Rescue of Aiken is one of the largest horse recuse farms in the southeastern U.S., according to its website. The Kentucky Derby, which is held yearly on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the most the most prestigious American horse races, according to Encyclopedia Britannica website. Pam Patron with Equine Rescue of Aiken said the event has been taking place for many years and has been held every year except for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patron said during the event, horses in the Kentucky Derby are auctioned, and whoever wins it will get some prizes. It's time for us to get together and watch the thoroughbreds race," she said. Connie Portwood was a first time attendee of the party. I am excited to be here because I am a derby girl and I love hats. I just wanted to come to see what its all about, said Portwood. Melanie Brokaw came to the event to partake in the festival for a good cause. She said the derby party is like a mini-Kentucky Derby of their own. Its a great fundraiser for Aiken County and everyone should be involved, she said. Melanie Inabiet brought some friends along to the derby party. Its always fun to come to the Kentucky Derby Party for the benefit of Equine Rescue, Inabiet said. Its always great to give back to the community. Inabiet said she also likes to dress up and have a good time with people in the community. Its a lot of racing, fun, hats and a few cocktails with your friends, she said. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. JOHNSTON Fifty-one years after he walked on the moon, Charles Duke returned to the town where he lived briefly as a child. The Apollo 16 astronaut served as the grand marshal of the Peach Blossom Festivals parade Saturday. Im a very sentimental guy. I like to recall old times, said Duke during a press conference at the Edgefield County Chamber of Commerces office. It feels good to be back, he added. I love Johnston. World War II was underway when Duke, who is a native of North Carolina, moved to Edgefield County. I was here in the third and fourth grade with my twin brother, he said. We were staying with my grandmother. My dad was in the South Pacific. My boyhood heroes were the generation that was fighting in the war. Those heroes inspired Duke to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and serve in the military, where he fell in love with airplanes, became a pilot and pursued a career in flight that eventually took him to outer space. Of the 12 men who have walked on the moon, only Duke, 87, and three others are still alive. Accompanying Duke on the Apollo 16 mission in April 1972 were John Young and Ken Mattingly. It was a great adventure, Duke said. He was the lunar modules pilot, and Young traveled with him to the moons surface for what would be the first scientific exploration of the satellites highlands. In the photographs that we studied of our landing area, you could only see objects bigger than 45 feet. Well, there are a lot of objects on the moon less than 45 feet, Duke said. As we started landing, we started seeing all of the craters and rocks and stuff, so we had to maneuver the spacecraft [to avoid hitting them]. It was a very dynamic landing in the last minute or two. Duke and Young remained on the moon for 71 hours and 14 minutes. I was bubbly with excitement the whole time we were there, Duke said. We collected over 200 pounds of moon rocks. We did a lot of good science and contributed a lot to the knowledge of the moon and the universe that we were studying. We had a camera that was specially designed to look at the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums around the Earth and off into space. Even though Duke and Young were busy, there were moments when they were able to pause and enjoy their surroundings. The moon is beautiful, Duke said. Buzz Aldrin (another astronaut) called it magnificent desolation. I can still remember the wonder and awe. Duke and Young also had some fun, but Duke got into a little trouble as a result. At the end of the mission, we had a few minutes, and even though we were running behind on the schedule, we decided to do the Moon Olympics, Duke said. The events were the high jump and the long jump. With all of my equipment on, I weighed 363 pounds on Earth, but on the moon, it was only 60 pounds, Duke said. We started springing up and down, and then I jumped. And when I did, I straightened up. My center of gravity went into my backpack and over I went backwards. For Duke, it was a scary situation. I call it the backpack, but it was my life support system. And if it broke, you were dead, so I had a moment of fear, no question about it, he said. Fortunately, Duke reacted by rolling to the right. I landed on my right hand and my right foot, and broke my fall, he said. My heart was pounding. Im on the moon and looking up, and there is the Earth right out in front of me. John Young comes over and says, That wasnt very smart, Charlie. Mission Control was very upset with that fall, so they canceled the rest of the Moon Olympics. Duke, who now lives in Greenville, is a big fan of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations Artemis program that is designed to return astronauts to the moon. The last crewed lunar mission was Apollo 17 in December 1972. Its a big project and very ambitious, but Im all for it, Duke said. I think we will make it a success. I dont know the exact schedule. Hopefully, Im still alive to experience that. Over the past five years, Greenville County dedicated $1 million each year to affordable housing. The agreements timeline has expired and affordable housing advocates within the county are pushing for far greater funding. Some County Council members say they recognize more urgency now to provide lower-cost housing options for residents who earn less than an average income. Now, as the countys administrative team prepares its budget for the next two years, officials are grappling with just how much the county can afford to dedicate from tax revenue to ensure more affordable housing units can be built in the years ahead. This comes as County Administrator Joe Kernell has said he will present a budget this year that includes a property tax increase for the first time in 28 years. For the past five years, the county has dedicated $1 million to affordable housing through an agreement with the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority. Those funds have all been committed and have added 639 new affordable housing units in the county, said John Castile, GCRA executive director. Overall, the funding has been leveraged into $153 million in projects, according to GCRA, including rental housing, home ownership, down payment assistance, senior housing and transitional housing. Even with those projects, the county and its core areas within the city of Greenville face a widening affordability gap brought on by the affluence and development driven by the citys popularity as a tourist destination and the countys attractiveness for jobs. A religious-based coalition called Greenville Organized for Accountable Leadership gathered in March with more than 1,500 residents in attendance to make its request. GOAL asked for $10 million per year each from the city and county for affordable housing, said the Rev. Stacey Mills, GOALs president. It is seeking one-third of that funding to pay for housing options for residents earning below 30 percent of the area median income, roughly $27,000 per year. The request is rooted in the 2020 Greenville Affordable Housing Strategic Plan that calls for adding 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2030, Mills said. Based on construction costs and leveraging funds with other sources, it would take $20 million per year to reach that goal, which is how the group arrived at its request to both the city and the county, he said. The request comes as the county grapples with its own budget priorities, including infrastructure challenges, expected population growth and public safety. For many years, Greenville County has supported affordable housing, but weve reached a point of heightened urgency and expressed need for more affordable housing, said Councilman Butch Kirven, the councils finance committee chairman. Kirven said the county must weigh its resources against its needs when evaluating how much it is asked to contribute to affordable housing. He said the county would do what it could if it was practical, reasonable and fiscally responsible. I can tell you its not going to be $10 million per year, he said. More spending in one area means less spending in another area. Meanwhile, the city of Greenville is contributing $2.5 million each year for affordable housing and recently voted to support a $30 million bond through the Greenville Housing Fund to speed up the pace of affordable projects in the city. The county is looking for ways to continue to support affordable housing in its new budget, said County Council Chairman Dan Tripp. Liz Seman, council vice chairwoman, said she believes affordable housing remains a priority for County Council and supports the redevelopment authoritys ability to leverage the countys funding and provide a return on its investment. I am also thankful for the community voices pressing the county and city on affordable housing as evidenced by the work of GOAL and the tremendous turnout at their Nehemiah Action event in March, she said. Three members of County Council Seman, Alan Mitchell and Ennis Fant attended that event and pledged to work toward funding more affordable housing. A majority of the city of Greenvilles council also pledged to work to contribute to the $10 million annual goal. Seman said it would take more than the county to fund that much each year. It will take efforts of county and city government as well as the nonprofit sector and private entities to work towards $10 million annually for affordable housing, Seman said. The county hasnt yet revealed its proposed budget. The first year of the two-year budget must be finalized before July 1. (Kernell) has made it emphatically clear that there will be money in the budget for affordable housing, Fant said. Were at a point now in our history that affordable housing always needs to be on the table and needs to be a part of the discussion. To Kirvens recollection, the county had never contributed directly toward affordable housing initiatives before 2018, when it first set aside $1 million each year for workforce housing. He said the county should take an approach of attacking affordability with multiple prongs. The county created an affordable housing policy to offer tax breaks for new developments to encourage creation of affordable units, and it has partnered with GCRA to leverage federal funding for affordable housing. This past year, GCRA spent the first $2 million of $10 million the county designated for affordable housing from its share of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The county also receives $1 million per year for affordable housing from its settlement with Prisma Health when the healthcare system privatized. Kirven said he hopes the bevy of housing solutions will soon return balance to the housing market so county taxpayers eventually wont need to directly contribute revenue to affordable housing. Annexation in North Augusta has slowed considerably in recent years, even as population growth and new investments in development have not. The city received a total of 50 requests for annexation in the past 15 years, historical reports show, but the year 2015 was a demarcation of sorts. Not just the mid-point between 2008 and 2022, but 2015 was also the year when both the number of annexation requests and the acreage requested for annexation dropped significantly. Between 2008 and 2014, the city of North Augusta approved 27 requests for annexation. These requests totaled 177.4 acres. Notably, no annexation requests were approved in 2015. Then, between 2016 and end of 2022, with the exception of the Country Club property the city obtained in a land swap, North Augusta approved just 11 annexation requests, totaling 149.55 acres. Thats about a 16% decline in acreage and 60% decline in number of requests approved for the past five years. Even if the Country Club property were included in that total, the land given up for it, Northview Park, was a larger tract and the balance of the swap was a net loss of 33 acres. North Augusta is moving away from annexation. North Augusta is looking inward. This shift in growth strategy was most recently formalized in the citys 2021 update to its Comprehensive Plan. That update emphasized making use of whats already on hand, whether by promoting the redevelopment of vacant buildings or encouraging new development on in fill parcels the smaller parcels that could support just one or two homes or an office but definitely not a subdivision. Mayor Briton Williams said the city wouldnt close itself to future annexation requests but that such annexation would have to strategically make sense for North Augusta. I dont see us looking to expand the footprint of North Augusta by just annexing, he said. Instead, it was largely going to be, how do we fill in, if possible, donut holes. What is the donut hole? "Donut holes" are those bits of unincorporated county land sprinkled throughout the city. And even if North Augusta isnt looking to expand its footprint, its these parcels that would get a higher value should their owners ask to be part of the city. The main advantage of living in a donut hole is that the property owner pays just the county tax, not the city tax. But officials both in North Augusta and with the Municipal Association of South Carolina say donut holes create two main issues, the first of these being public safety for those who live in them. You can have confusion over whos supposed to respond to a fire, whos supposed to respond to police calls, said MASC Executive Director Todd Glover. Even with mutual aid agreements, emergency 911 calls might have to be transferred to the correct agencys dispatch. A lot of times, those minutes and seconds matter when emergency services are dispatched. Any time theres any kind of confusion as to whos to be dispatched, youre losing precious seconds, Glover said. If its a dispute with your neighbor, it may not matter. If someones breaking into your home, it matters. In Aiken County, where 45 miles separate North Augusta to the west and Seivern to the east, theres a lot of ground for the sheriffs office to cover. Cities very existence cuts down on that until theres a donut hole like the one far out on West Martintown, said Glover. Glover had served as North Augusta city administrator prior to going to MASC and has a good grasp of the citys municipal boundaries: In some cases, you have the sheriffs office having to send an officer deep within the city limits, almost to the extreme edge, almost to Augusta, to respond to a few addresses that are not within the city limits. If North Augusta Public Safety does respond to the call, those people are receiving a higher level of service when they havent paid the taxes to receive that like everybody else, he added. That's the other issue: Living in one of these donut holes, its easy to dip into certain public resources without paying for them, Glover said. He likens it to jumping on a neighbors Wi-Fi. In South Carolina, a propertys annexation into a city happens because the annexation was requested by the landowner, by at least three-quarters of property owners in an area or by at least a quarter of an areas designated electors. These are known as the 100%, 75% and 25% methods. No matter which is pursued, it isnt a city asking for the annexation; the request is completely citizen-generated. But even if a city could initiate annexation, its unclear if many would want to do so. Proposals to allow specifically for enclave annexation a kind of city-led annexation meant for filling in donut holes have almost routinely been introduced at the state legislature since at least 2018. Most recently, it was Charleston Rep. Joe Bustos who introduced House bill 3236 that, like earlier proposals, would allow cities to annex tracts of land that had been completely surrounded by the city for at least five years. That proposal, like the others, never gained ground. With it being a question of private property, it really has to be a pretty high bar for public use in order to even entertain that discussion (of eminent domain), Jim Clifford, current North Augusta city administrator, said. Some of the donut holes in North Augusta are also just empty lots; in these areas, there isnt a public safety risk and theres no one taking what theyre not paying for. It just offers the owner the lower-tax advantage while they hold it for future use. 'Enough to keep us busy' North Augusta has about 13-15 donut holes, depending on whether adjacent holes, barely connected, could be lumped together as one. Filling them in might be priority within the narrow bracket of annexation, but annexation itself is not priority at this time, city officials say. Nor has it been for some time as those historical numbers show. Theres enough to keep us busy, said Mayor Williams. Numerous projects are already underway along the West Martintown corridor at Exit 1. The 1,368-acre Highland Springs development along I-520 and the more centrally located Bluegrass Place are also in various phases of development. Exit 5 remains an area of high growth potential. Theres no shortage of development that were trying to work through right now, city administrator Clifford said. Were going to definitely grow in population just based on the current in-fill development that we have. The city is also in the middle of drafting a new development code, the governing document for shaping future growth within the city. One of the biggest changes to the new code, now nearing final review in the planning commission, is the removal of zoning district overlays. What we were seeing was that it was restrictive, so a lot of development wasnt happening because of that code, Williams said of North Augustas current development code, which was written in 2007. Redevelopment projects like that at the gateway to downtown, the rehab of the former Carpet Shop/roller rink are part of the citys inward-looking growth strategy. The new development code, if approved as its now written, would give more lenience in fixing up older buildings by softening the rules around updating non-conforming structures. The Carpet Shop rehab also got swift approval from City Council this spring when Council agreed to certify the property as formerly abandoned. It was the first time that North Augusta saw an application that utilizes the states Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act. The city has also found creative ways for adding revenue from new development that remains outside its limits (and even beyond the point of eligibility for annexation). This was illustrated in Council's recent authorization of a water and wastewater agreement between North Augusta and Valley Public Service Authority that will serve the future Weeping Willows mixed-use development on Old Aiken Road. The reality is, the CSRA, the entire Central Savannah River Area you take Edgefield, Columbia County, Aiken growth, its coming, said Williams. Its not like I dont want growth; it doesnt really matter whether we want it or not, it is coming. And then, how do we handle it to where its quality of life for our citizens? He said. What is it providing? Charleston, SC (29403) Today Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 67F. SW winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. BAGHDAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi court on Sunday handed down a death sentence to a former police officer on charges of murdering well-known political and security expert Hisham al-Hashimi in mid-2020. In a brief statement, the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) said that a Baghdad criminal court "issued its death sentence against the criminal Ahmed Hamdawi Awaid for murdering security expert Hisham al-Hashimi" in accordance with the anti-terrorism law. On July 6, 2020, al-Hashimi was shot dead by gunmen who opened fire on his car near his house in the Zaiyouna neighborhood of eastern Baghdad. A man who identified himself as Ahmed Hamdawi Awaid al-Kanani, a 36-year-old police first lieutenant from Iraq's Interior Ministry, confessed to killing Hisham al-Hashimi with his police pistol while riding two motorcycles and driving a car with three other accomplices, a video footage aired by the Iraqi official Iraqiya channel in July 2021 showed. Al-Hashimi, who specialized in the affairs of the Sunni and Shiite armed groups, is known for his support for the anti-government protests that broke out in October 2019 and his strong criticism of armed groups and militias. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 66F. WSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-07 02:44:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 527 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the 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 as above 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-cs/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to 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 www.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: 2023-05-07 16:21:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 522 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 7, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS, CSGKF) investors who suffered over $500k in losses to submit your losses now.Expanded Class Period: Feb. 18, 2021 - Mar. 20, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 8, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/CS Contact An Attorney Now: CS@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Credit Suisse Group AG (CS, CSGKF) Securities Fraud Class Action:The litigation focuses on Credit Suisse's statements about its liquidity and overall financial condition.On Dec. 1, 2022, the company's Chairman (Axel P. Lehmann) assured investors during an interview with the Financial Times that customer outflows not only "completely flattened out" but also that outflows had "partially reversed." The next day, Lehmann stated in an interview with Bloomberg Television that, as of Nov. 11, 2022, customer outflows had "basically stopped." The complaint alleges that: (1) contrary to statements by Lehmann, the sharp increase in customer outflows Credit Suisse began experiencing in Oct. 2022 remained ongoing; and (2) consequently, the company downplayed the impact of its recent series of quarterly losses and risk and compliance failures on its liquidity and client retention ability.Investors began to learn the truth on Feb. 9, 2023, when Credit Suisse announced its 2022 financial results that revealed large customer outflows continued through year-end 2022.On Feb. 21, 2023, Reuters reported that Swiss regulators are investigating whether remarks by Lehmann about customer outflows having stabilized were potentially misleading.On Mar. 14, 2023 Credit Suisse revealed it failed to maintain an effective assessment process to identify material misstatement risks in its financial statements.On Mar. 15, 2023 Bloomberg reported that Saudi National Bank, Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, would not provide additional liquidity to the company.Most recently, on Mar. 20, 2023, Credit Suisse announced it agreed to merge with UBS and shareholders would receive 1 UBS share for 22.48 Credit Suisse shares.These events have driven the price of Credit Suisse American Depositary Receipts sharply lower."We're focused on investors' losses and proving Credit Suisse lied about the magnitude of customer outflows in an effort to slow an apparent run-on-the-bank," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Credit Suisse 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 Credit Suisse 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 CS@ 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: 2023-05-07 09:15:53 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1127 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global medical balloon catheter market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the medical balloon catheter industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global medical balloon catheter industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global medical balloon catheter market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Medical-Balloon-Catheter-Market/request-for-sample-report The global medical balloon catheter market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global medical balloon catheter market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global medical balloon catheter market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Medical Balloon Catheter Market ReportThe global medical balloon catheter market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global medical balloon catheter market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global medical balloon catheter market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportMedical Balloon Catheter Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into rigid, flexible.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, others.Regions Covered in the Global Medical Balloon Catheter Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The medical balloon catheter market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the medical balloon catheter market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the medical balloon catheter market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the medical balloon catheter market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the medical balloon catheter market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Medical Balloon Catheter Market Research Report:Biomerics, Boston Scientific, EarnAn Biomedical, Envaste, Freudenberg Medical, Gore Medical, Hobbs Medical, Lepu Medical Technology, Merit Medical Systems, Nordson, Olympus America, Poba Medical, Polyzen, Inc., Spectrum Plastics, TE Conaanectivity, TeleflexContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-07 09:11:18 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1114 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Disposable-Bioprocessing-Sensors-and-Probes-Market/request-for-sample-report The global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Highlights of Global Disposable Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market ReportThe global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportDisposable Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into ph sensor, pressure sensor, temperature sensor, spectroscopic probe, co2 probes.The market by application is segmented into academic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical.Regions Covered in the Global Disposable Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the disposable bioprocessing sensors and probes market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Disposable Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market Research Report:3M, Applikon Biotechnology, Broadley-James, Cesco Bioengineering, Cytiva, Emerson Electric, Eppendorf, GE Healthcare, Hamilton Company, Honeywell, Meissner Filtration Products, Merck Group, Mettler Toledo, PBS Biotech, Parker Hannifin, Polestar Technologies, Inc., Saint-Gobain, Sartorius, Thermo FisherContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-07 09:39:28 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1126 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global newborn hearing screener market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the newborn hearing screener industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global newborn hearing screener industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global newborn hearing screener market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Newborn-Hearing-Screener-Market/request-for-sample-report The global newborn hearing screener market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global newborn hearing screener market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global newborn hearing screener market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Newborn Hearing Screener Market ReportThe global newborn hearing screener market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global newborn hearing screener market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global newborn hearing screener market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportNewborn Hearing Screener Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into handheld, fixed.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, others.Regions Covered in the Global Newborn Hearing Screener Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The newborn hearing screener market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the newborn hearing screener market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the newborn hearing screener market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the newborn hearing screener market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the newborn hearing screener market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Newborn Hearing Screener Market Research Report:Echodia, Frye Electronics, Grason-Stadler, Hill-Rom, Homoth Medizinelektronik, Intelligent Hearing Systems, Interacoustics A/S, MAICO Diagnostics GmbH, Natus Medical, Otodynamics Ltd, Path Medical, Pilot Blankenfelde, Starkey Laboratories Inc, Vivosonic, Inc., Welch AllynContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com There was panic at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday after an aircraft belonging to Max Air crash-landed along the runway of the airport. The incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. and no fatality was recorded, PREMIUM TIMES gathered. Sources at the airport who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to speak on the matter said the incident has grounded many flights coming in and out of Abuja. Our aircraft that was supposed to leave for Abuja has been delayed because the runway at the Abuja airport is being fixed due to the incident, another source at the airport told PREMIUM TIMES, adding that other flights have been asked to do the same for the safety of the passengers. It was also gathered that all passengers aboard the affected Max Air flight, which took off from Yola, disembarked safely along the runway and were conveyed to the airport building. Max Air speaks In a statement released by the management of Max Air Sunday evening, the airline said the affected aircraft had 143 passengers and an infant onboard. the aircraft experienced two tire bursts on landing in Abuja, and the emergency response team quickly responded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the statement noted. We are pleased to report that all passengers and crew on board the aircraft are safe and sound. ALSO READ: NCC launches consumer assistance desk at Abuja airport According to the statement, the airline has taken all necessary steps to ensure that the passengers are comfortable and are being taken care of during this time and that they have been conveyed to the arrival terminal with their luggage and belongings. The aircraft tires are being replaced and the aircraft will taxi to the ramp for further investigations before being released for future flights, the statement said. Max Air added that it would continue to provide updates on the situation. The airline would like to extend its appreciation to the airport authorities, emergency services, and all relevant agencies who responded promptly and professionally to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew on board, the airline said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The 2023 transition process in Nigeria will be concluded with the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly and the election of the presiding officers of the two chambers. The inauguration has been scheduled for 5 June, a week after the swearing-in of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on 29 May. At least six senators are running for the seat of the president of the 10th Senate. The contestants are from four of the nations six geo-political zones: the North-west, South-east, South-south and North-central. The two other zones South-west and North-east having produced the president and vice president-elect respectively, are not favoured to produce the head of the Legislature and third to the president in the order of succession. The National Assembly has had eight Senate Presidents so far in the Fourth Republic. The first five of them were from the South-east region, the next two from the North-central region and the outgoing one from the North-east. The South-east delegation monopolised the seat in the first two assemblies of the dispensation between 1999 and 2007 under the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency. Those who held the seat include Evan Enwerem from Imo State, who served between June and November 1999; Chuba Okadigbo from Anambra State who served from 1999 to 2000, Pius Ayimn from Ebonyi State who served between 2000 and 2003, Adolphus Wabara from Abia State who served between 2003 and 2005 and Ken Nnamani from Enugu State who served from 2005 to 2007. The North-central produced the next two Senate Presidents, who shared the next two assemblies between 2007 and 2019. They are David Mark from Benue State who presided from 2007 to 2015, and Bukola Saraki from Kwara State who served from 2015 to 2019. The incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who was elected in 2019, is from Yobe State in the North-east region. Mr Lawan is the first senator from his region to be Senate President. He has been elected for the fifth term to the Senate but has not officially declared interest in retaining the top seat. However, his prospect of retaining the seat is considerably dimmed by the fact that he is from the same region as Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima and of the same Muslim faith as Mr Shettima and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu. Battle Barau Jibrin from Kano State and a former governor of Zamfara, Abdulazeez Yari, are the two contestants from the North-west. Their supporters have urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to allocate the seat to the zone as a reward for its strong support for the party in the presidential election. The APC got its largest votes per zone from the North-west, larger than it got from the home zones of the President-elect and Vice President-elect. From the South-east, there were three aspirants in the race. They are incumbent governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; a former governor of Abia State who is the incumbent Senate Whip, Orji Kalu, and Osita Izunanaso from Imo State. However, Mr Umahi announced his withdrawal from the race on Friday. A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who was Senate Minority Leader between 2015 and 2019 before he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC, is yet the only contestant from the South-south to have declared his bid, although Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and former national chairman of the APC, has also been mentioned from the zone, in spite of being a first-term senator. Mr Akpabios ambition got a boost last week as he got the endorsement of APC governors as well as that of Mr Umahi. Sanni Musa from Niger State in the North-central is also in the race but has indicated a preparedness to accept the deputy Senate President seat should the APC zone the top seat elsewhere. READ ALSO: Unlike in the preceding two assemblies (2015 to 2019 and 2019 to 2023), the APC has a slimmer majority in the incoming 10th Senate with 59 members. The PDP has 29 members, the Labour Party has six members, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party have two members each. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young Peoples Progressive Party (YPP) complete the 109-member Senate with one member each. The ruling APC has yet to decide on which zones to produce the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives but there had been indications the South-east and South-south were being favoured for the presidency of the Senate. The zones that miss out on the allocation of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President will share the positions of Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader and Senate Whip, who are the other principal officers of the Senate, alongside the Minority Leader and Minority Whip who are members of the minority caucus. Chances Should the APC zone the Senate presidency to the North-west, Mr Jibirin will be the favourite to take it. The Kano lawmaker has been in the Senate since 2015 representing Kano North District. He is the current Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. In the 8th Assembly, he served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND. His rival from the zone, Mr Yari is coming in as a first-timer in the Senate. Although he won an election to the Senate in 2019 while concluding his second term as governor, a crisis in the Zamfara State chapter of the party led to the Supreme Court stripping him and other APC candidates elected from the state of their seats after affirming that the party did not conduct valid primaries for the nomination of its candidates for the general elections. Under Senate rules, only ranking senators, who have served more than one term, can vie for the seats of presiding officers. APC Governors endorse Akpabio On Friday, the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, said governors of the ruling APC had decided to zone the Senate presidency to the South-south. The governors, under the umbrella of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), had earlier recommended the seat for either the South-east or South-south. They also proposed that the position of majority leader, deputy majority leader and chief whip should be used as compensation for those that may be asked to step down from the leadership race. In a video circulated on the internet by African Independent Television (AIT), Mr Ganduje also said the APC governors decided to support Mr Akpabio. The video showed Mr Ganduje and some of his governor colleagues, including Ben Ayade of Cross River State, in a meeting with some individuals. The Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will come from the South-south and no other person than the former governor of Akwa Ibom, the uncommon governor, the uncommon minister who will be the uncommon president of the Senate. We have resolved that, so we are giving you assurance. We are waiting for the deal day to be the Senate President of Nigeria, Mr Ganduje said. However, of the contestants who had declared their ambition, only Mr Umahi has, so far, announced that he would step down for Mr Akpabio. Also, there had been reports that the sitting Senate President, Mr Lawan, was opposed to the bid of Mr Akpabio over developments connected to his supervisory roles in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Mr Lawan was said to have proposed amending the Senate Standing Rules to allow newcomers such as Mr Oshiomhole to run for the seat, should the party insist on the South-south. The region is probably being favoured because it gave more votes to the APC in the presidential election than the South-east, despite the latter having two APC governors. The South-south has also not produced a Senate President since 1983 when the late Joseph Wayas held the position throughout the Second Republic. The South-east is the only southern zone to have produced the Senate President in the Fourth Republic but it is also the only zone in the region that has not produced the President of Nigeria. With the declaration of the APC governors despite the open objection of Mr Lawan, more drama is expected on this issue until 5 June when the 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian court upheld the jail sentences issued in 2021 against a former governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and his deputy for "disrupting" the country's economic system, Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported on Saturday. A branch of Tehran's Islamic Revolution Court rejected the appeals of Valiollah Seif and Ahmad Araqchi, the former CBI governor and his deputy, to the Supreme Court of Iran against the first rulings, according to the report. After reviewing the case, the court found the two former officials guilty of having "interfered" in the country's unofficial foreign currency market, which is equivalent to the crime of smuggling foreign currencies, it added. In October 2021, Valiollah Seif and Ahmad Araqchi were sentenced respectively to 10 and eight years in prison for interfering in the country's currency system in 2017 and 2018. In addition to Seif and Araqchi, the Islamic Revolution Court also upheld the jail sentences given in 2021 to three other individuals involved in the case, the report said. According to the final rulings, all the five defendants were sentenced to pay heavy fines, Mizan added. The Iranian Donya-e-Eqtesad daily estimated the total amount of the fines levied on Seif and Araqchi is about 30.18 million U.S. dollars. Seif served as the CBI governor for five years under the administration of former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani until he was fired in July 2018. Before he was arrested, Araqchi served as Seif's deputy for foreign currency affairs for two years from 2017 to 2018. Penultimate weekend, I was at The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State, where I bumped into some young people talking about the imminent collapse of a poultry farm located somewhere on the outskirts of the city. I listened in as one of the young men regaled the gathering with tales of how losses and non-payment of salaries have frustrated the poultry owner(s) and forced many casual workers out of the workforce. Apparently, like many other young people, the young man was one of the casual workers who relied on money he earned working at the poultry farm to fund their education. That encounter, for the umpteenth time, heightened my fear about the dire conditions Nigerian poultry farmers now find themselves. Prior to that period, I had watched several disturbing videos of farmers lamenting the losses incurred due to the CBN cash crunch and how they now struggle to stay in business in the face of mounting debts. The social media space is also awash with videos of poultry farmers destroying tens and hundreds of crates of (spoiled/rotten) eggs they couldnt sell at the height of the uncertainty thrown up by the naira scarcity. But the losses recorded against the backdrop of the CBN naira redesign policy only worsened an already bad situation; all of the signs of uncertainties have been palpable in the sector all along. Long before the recent cash crunch-induced glut forced many poultry farmers out of business, the sector has been plagued by numerous concerns in the past. Last year, at a meeting held by the Plateau State chapter of Poultry Association of Nigeria, Nanji Gambo, the state secretary, stated that there was a decline in the membership of the body because some producers were abandoning the business. The PAN official listed the high cost of feeds and huge losses as some of the underlying causes. Earlier in March, poultry farmers had lamented how the cash crunch affected sales of poultry products (eggs, broilers, etc) amidst high prices of poultry feeds, despite recording unprecedented losses and selling off their chickens at ridiculous prices just to remain in business. Its been a very sad period for these business owners! The agriculture sector has contributed an average of about 24% to National GDP since 2018, providing opportunities for Nigerians across its four major (sub-)sectorscrop production, fishing, livestock/poultry and forestry. The sector also employs more than 36% of Nigerias labour force and ranks easily as the largest employer of labour in the country. But the sector isnt without its challenges. According to the GDP report released by the nations statistics bureau in February, the agriculture sector grew by 2.05 per cent as its performance was significantly hampered by severe incidences of flood recorded last year. In fact, the NBS said that even though the performance of the services sector improved in 2022, the agriculture and industry sectors (under)performances negatively impacted the overall GDP numbers significantly. Meanwhile, as important as the entire agricultural sector is to the economy, the poultry sub-sector remains a major driver of growth in the sector. In 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) categorised the poultry sub-sector as the most commercialised of all Nigerias agricultural sub-sectors, with a net worth of N1.6 trillion. That represented about 25% of agricultural contributions to the GDP, according to the CBN. A separate Rabobanks 2017 report (A Time for Africa) noted that four West African countries including Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Benin, and Nigeria show the most potential for poultry sector development, in terms of increasing local demand and the incentives available, both fiscal and non-fiscal. Apart from being a major source of protein for many Nigerians, it also employs about 25 million persons across the value chain, according to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, which also claims that the sector supports the livelihood of more than 13 million households who earn part or all their income from this business. Given how problematic it could be to get verifiable data in Nigerias largely informal economy, one could infer that the numbers could be higher and the sectors impact more significant. Should those who toil to create jobs and nourish the populace in such an important sector then be left in the lurch? At the National Feed Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), PREMIUM TIMES, and other partners recently, the concerns around high cost of feeds were on the front burner. But the high cost of feedsdriven partly by grain shortageis just one of the many problems bedeviling the sector, among which are high cost of generating electricity, logistic issues, insecurity, transportation challenges, and, most recently, the naira scarcity and its devastating effects that have almost crippled the sector today. In the midst of the melee, many poultry owners have had to either sell their eggs at ridiculous prices or watch helplessly as they rot away, throwing them out of business. Last week, a poultry owner told me he sold eggs for as low as between N500 and N400 per crate, as against the market prices of between N1700 and N1900 per crate, just to minimise the losses. Some poultry owners who attempted to stop the hens from laying eggs by starving them of feeds recorded massive losses too. As part of measures to address the challenge, states like Lagos, Plateau and Ogun came to the aid of poultry farmers in their states, according to media reports. Ogun, for instance, bought 10,000 crates, while Lagos facilitated the mop-up of 300,000 eggs. While the move by the states remains commendable in the interim, whats not debatable is that it wouldnt have much impact when we look at the big picture. The mop-up done by Ogun, for instance, is said to be equivalent to off-taking just one-day production from a single poultry farm! In March, the National President of Poultry Association of Nigeria, Sunday Onallo-Akpa, lamented how poultry farmers are being thrown out of business in the face of huge debts. He claimed that farmers had lost over 15 million crates of eggs being unsold and were damaged, with the average loss estimated in excess of over N30 billion. As part of measures to support the association, he appealed to the Federal Government to mop up the eggs for distribution to the most vulnerable old populations as part of the Social Investment Support to Nigerians. But beyond such stop-gap, largely unsustainable approaches, to address deep-rooted institutional problems like these, the nation must look into more enduring solutions that would provide jobs, protect businesses, and ensure food security. Efforts must be channeled toward fixing energy-related issues, addressing security concerns, and providing storage facilities that could ease logistic issues. Provision of credit facilities to poultry owners could go a long way in empowering farmers and addressing many of these underlying issues, too. With its immense impact on the lives of many Nigerians, the poultry sub-sector is too important to be left in ruins. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a contempt suit against the Federal Government and Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for failing to recover over N40 billion double pay and life pensions from former governors who are serving as lawmakers and ministers. Justice Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, Lagos had in November 2019 ordered the Federal Government to recover life pensions collected by former governors serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly. Justice Oguntoyinbo also directed Mr Malami to challenge the legality of states life pension laws permitting former governors and other ex-public officials to collect such pensions. However, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to implement the judgment. Justice Oguntoyinbo who last month retired from the bench expressed regret during a valedictory court session held in her honour that the judgment has not been implemented. She stated: I remember with pride my landmark judgment in SERAP vs. The Attorney-General. Regrettably, that order is yet to be obeyed. I find it very disappointing that Court orders are often not obeyed. If theres anything I wish to change, it is the impunity towards judicial decisions and the disrespect for the bench. SERAP last Friday moved to enforce the judgment by filing Form 48 contempt suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos. SERAP said: A certified true copy of the judgment of 26 November, 2019 by Justice Oguntoyinbo has long been served on Mr Malami. Form 48 which is the notice of consequence of disobedience of court orders reads in part: Unless you obey the orders of the court contained on the reverse side of this process you shall be deemed to have disobeyed the orders of the court and shall be liable to committed to prison for contempt. In a statement dated 7 May 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, Its unacceptable to take the court, which is the guardian of justice in this country, for a ride. A democratic state based on the rule of law cannot exist or function, if the government routinely ignores and/or fails to abide by court orders. The statement, read in part: Despite the service of the certified true copy of the judgment on the Attorney General of the Federation, the Buhari administration has failed and/or refused to obey it. While many Nigerian workers and pensioners have not been paid by state governors for several months and struggle to make ends meet, former governors continue to collect double emoluments and enjoy opulent lifestyles. It would be recalled that SERAP had in July 2017 requested Mr Malami to institute appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of state laws allowing former governors to enjoy life pensions while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices and to fully recover public funds from those involved. SERAPs letter to Mr Malami read in part: According to our information, those who are reportedly receiving double emoluments and large severance benefits from their states include: Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Kabiru Gaya (Kano); Theodore Orji (Abia); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara); Joshua Dariye (Plateau), and Jonah Jang (Plateau). At least 22 states starting from Lagos State have reportedly passed life pensions laws for former governors and other ex-public officials. Other states include Akwa Ibom; Edo; Delta; Ekiti; Kano; Gombe; Yobe; Borno; Bauchi; Abia; Imo; Bayelsa; Oyo; Osun; Kwara; Ondo; Ebonyi; Rivers; Niger; Kogi; and Katsina. The 20-page judgment in suit no: FHC/L/CS/1497/2017 signed by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo reads in part: The Attorney General has argued that the States laws duly passed cannot be challenged. With respect, I do not agree with this line of argument by the Attorney General that he cannot challenge the States pension laws for former governors. The question that comes to mind is: who should approach the Court where a particular law is not in the best interest of Nigeria as a country or National interest? Who should approach the Court where a particular law is detrimental to the interest of the country? Who should institute actions in court for the purpose of recovering public funds collected? In my humble view, the Attorney General should be interested in the legality or validity of any law in Nigeria and how such laws affect or will affect Nigerians, being the Chief Law Officer of the Federation. I have considered SERAPs arguments that it is concerned about the attendant consequences that are manifesting on the public workers and pensioners of the states who have been refused salaries and pensions running into several months on the excuse of non-availability of state resources to pay them. SERAP has also argued that there is need to recover such public funds collected by former governors. Having considered all the facts presented by SERAP on the need for the suit and the Counter-Affidavit against same, I find no reason why the order of mandamus should not be granted. I am of the view that SERAPs suit has merit. I resolve this issue against the Attorney General, in favour of SERAP. I hold that the Motion of Notice for Mandamus dated 6th February 2018 and filed on 7th February 2018 has merit. It is therefore granted in the terms sought. The Attorney General is hereby directed to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states laws permitting former governors, who are now senators and ministers to enjoy governors emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices and to identify those involved and seek full recovery of public funds from the former governors. I take judicial notice of the essence of the creation of SERAP. I believe that SERAP has the locus standi to bring this suit. More so, this is a constitutional matter. In constitutional matters, the requirement of locus standi becomes unnecessary to a great extent as it may merely impede judicial function. This issue is therefore resolved against the Attorney General, in favour of SERAP. SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus to compel the Attorney General to file action to challenge States pension laws for former governors and recover public funds collected by them in the public interest, since the Attorney General has failed/neglected to institute such action. That is the essence of SERAPs suit. I believe the Attorney General can institute action in a Court of law to challenge States pension laws for former governors. I do not see any substance in the submissions of counsel to the Attorney General on this issue. I therefore resolve this issue against the Attorney General, in favour of SERAP. On the whole, I find no merit in the Attorney Generals preliminary objection. It is accordingly dismissed. Kolawole Oluwadare SERAP Deputy Director 7/5/2023 Lagos, Nigeria Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org Twitter: @SERAPNigeria Website: www.serap-nigeria.org For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Osilamah Braimah, the director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), has said that the board derived no joy in shutting down Garki International Market on Friday. Mr Braimah said this on Sunday in Abuja in a statement by Janet Peni, the AEPB deputy director of information. Mr Braimah explained that while the board was not happy shutting down the market, it will be failing in its responsibility, if the market is allowed to operate in its current deplorable condition. Stating the reason for the measure, Mr Braimah said, Environmental Health Officers of the Board carrying out routine monitoring activities in the market, a week ago, noticed the filthy market environment, garbage littered all over the place and bleeding sewer lines. Following our standard protocol, we served them an abatement notice, giving them the required time allowable under law, to clean up. They ignored the notice and refused to clean up, rather the pile of garbage in the market premise grew worse. The director said that AEPB simply went to court to obtain the court order to seal the market for their non-compliance attitude. He said that the closure was followed by the court order issued to that effect. It is indeed a sad spectacle to behold fruits and vegetables being sold in close proximity to damaged sewer lines and heaps of garbage. Subsequently on Friday, over 5,000 traders who thronged the modern market in order to trade, couldnt gain access into their shops as the market was sealed up. This means that every commercial activity grinds to a halt, because the situation as it is, is a recipe for an epidemic, he noted. Braimah revealed that an epidemic waiting to happen promptly and decisively tackled is economically beneficial than allowing trading to go on as usual in a filthy market environment. Placing financial interests of traders above the greater public health of the general populace is indeed an expensive mistake that we cannot afford to make. The director assured that once the managers of the market undertake to clean up, they will be allowed to resume trading in the market. As soon as they do the needful, we will go back to the court to obtain a court order to unseal the market for operations, he added. The statement revealed that the situation at Garki International Market remained the same even after a late evening meeting on Friday between AEPB, Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) and shop owners. Traders with perishable goods were allowed to evacuate their goods so as not to incur losses. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami, has been named winner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Merit Award. ICAN honoured the FIRS chief in the non-members category at the institutes 2023 annual awards, the spokesperson to Mr Nami, Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola, said in a statement emailed to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. Mr. Nami, who received the award at the Monarch Event Centre, Lagos, on Saturday, was described by the President of the Institute, Tijani Musa Isa, as an unassuming and humble achiever who has led the FIRS to excel in the international tax circle despite global economic challenges. Mr Isa praised the nations tax chief for achieving several milestones in revenue collection. This Award is in recognition for your positive impact in the society. You have made significant contribution to the institute and to Nigeria. The governing board deemed it fit to acknowledge the role you have played and your outstanding achievements, Mal. Isa said. The citation read at the event described Mr Nami as a go-getter and an ingenious leader. The reforms he is implementing at FIRS attest to his dexterity, visionary leadership and patriotism. Under his visionary leadership, the FIRS in 2022 achieved an unprecedented revenue collection of N10.1 trillion, which is the highest tax collection ever made in the history of the country, the citation further said. While receiving the award, the FIRS Chairman appreciated ICANs council members for honouring him, adding that he has been lucky to work with ICAN members through his 32 year career. Since I left the university, over 32 years ago, I have had the privilege and luck to be directly and indirectly associated with ICAN members: from the PKF, to Manam Professional Services, and now I am working directly with well over 3,000 members of this Institute as the Executive Chairman of the FIRS. I feel blessed by this honour and privilege. I am grateful to God, and to all of you who have found me worthy of this recognition. I pray God rewards all of you enormously, he said. Mr Nami dedicated the award to his alma maters (from primary to tertiary levels), his former colleagues at the Presidential Committee on Audit of Stolen Recovered Stolen Assets, members of the Tax Advisory Committee of the FIRS, all taxpayers, FIRS board members, management and staff of the FIRS, and his family members. In a similar recognition earlier in the week, (Thursday 4 May), the FIRS boss was named the winner of the BusinessDay Excellence in Public Service Award 2022, at the BusinessDay States Competitiveness And Good Governance Awards 2022. The countrys influential business newspaper explained that it named him the winner of the award for his visionary and leadership qualities [that] has brought tremendous change to the FIRS. It further noted that: Under your leadership, you transformed the tax administration and compliance landscape in Nigeria. You deployed the revolutionary TaxPro Max: FIRS homegrown digital platform for tax administration which allows taxpayers to register, file returns and pay their taxes easily from any location other than their respective tax offices. You have repositioned the operations and staff of the FIRS, and introduced technological tools to institute more transparency, accountability, and effectiveness, which in turn has translated into the increased capacity to deliver on the mandate with results. Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman, FIRS (Media & Communication) May 7, 2023 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Police Service Commission (PSC) says it has approved the payment of six months salaries for the police personnel recruited last year. The Head, Press and Public Relations of the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. He said a letter containing details of the officers has been sent to the Accountant General of the Federation to enrol them into the federal governments Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Mr Ani said the letter was signed by the Commissions Permanent Secretary, Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, seeking prompt payment of six months salaries owed to the police personnel. About 1,007 people were recruited into the force as constabularies during the 2021/2022 recruitment exercise. The constabularies passed out from police colleges six months ago but they are yet to be paid despite being deployed to their places of assignment. Many of them are facing hardship due to non-payment of their salaries despite pleas through protests made to the relevant authorities. Mr Ani noted that the commissions prompt response to approving the salaries was a result of the complaints and appeals from concerned Nigerians. ALSO READ: FRSC warns about fake recruitment via LinkedIn The Commissions prompt response also followed outcry and appeals from Nigerians that the 2021/2022 Police recruits who are yet to be enrolled into the Federal Governments Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, and who had not received salaries, six months after they passed out from the Police Colleges and duly posted to Police Commands and formations for active Police work, are not made victims of the face-off between the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force. The Commissions approval for the enrollment of 1007 recruited personnel into the Nigeria Police Force in the recruitment exercise of 2021/2022 into the IPPIS payment platform for the purposes of salaries and other emoluments has been conveyed to the Accountant General of the Federation. In the letter signed by Dr.(Mrs) Ifeoma A. Anyanwutaku, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Commission and dated, 5th May 2023, the Commission requested for prompt and favourable response in activating and emplacing the necessary processes and procedures at ensuring that these Police Officers are immediately captured on the required payment platform and paid accordingly, the statement said. The spokesperson also noted that the commissions Chairman, Solomon Arase, who is a former Inspector General of Police, expressed displeasure that the constabularies were being owed salary for six months. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print An aspirant for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, says he will stop the standing committees of the lower chamber from depending on federal agencies to fund their oversight activities. Mr Gagdi stated this while unveiling his campaign manifesto at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Saturday. Although he did not elaborate on how the funding is done by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the lawmaker, who chairs the committee on Navy, said it is an aberration of democratic practice and against the principle of the 1999 constitution. The constitution guarantees the financial autonomy of the National Assembly. It is placed on the first line charge in the federal budget. However, committees of the House routinely get financial and logistics support from MDAs they oversee in the course of their official duties. It is not a good use of resources for the House of Representatives to spend all of its time on establishment bills. It is an aberration of democratic practice for the oversight committees of the National Assembly to depend on the executive agencies under their purview to fund oversight activities, Mr Gagdi said. Mr Gagdi, who represents Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency of Plateau State, said he plans to trigger a conversation on how the parliament ought to perform. He acknowledged that the federal parliament has yet to meet the expectations of Nigeria after 24 years of uninterrupted democracy. He also promised to open up the activities of the House to ensure transparency and accountability. The manifesto, I am presenting to you today articulates the internal reforms of the House of Representatives I intend to pursue as Speaker, as well as the policy priorities I intend to champion through the legislative process. I am presenting this document today because I want to initiate a national conversation about what the proper function of parliament in our country ought to be. Twenty-four years since the return to democracy, the Nigerian people have rightly come to expect more from their parliamentary representatives. The ability of the House of Representatives to effectively meet those expectations depends on the quality, capacity and dedication of the members who serve in the parliament. It also depends on how the internal operations of the House are structured, designed and funded. We need to open the operations of the House of Representatives to the Nigerian people so that they understand why we exist and why it is worthwhile to expend scarce resources on our operations, he said. Mr Gagdi also promised to democratise the activities of the House by ensuring that the disenfranchised voices in our country are given an audience on the chamber floor and representation in the halls of the legislature. We need to make the House of Representatives a place of, an arena of patriotic and intelligent discourse and enlightened, informed decision-making. North-west, North-east have had fair share Speaking on zoning, Mr Gagdi said Mr Tinubu and the APC must be fair to the North-central by zoning the speakership position to the region. He said the North-west and North-east have occupied the position for a combined period of 16 years, hence the North-central should be favoured. I want that same spirit of justice, equity and fairness to play out in the election of the 10th Speaker of the House of Representatives. We have six geo-political zones, in the North, we have three, the North-west, the North-east and the North-central. These three have shown that North-west had Ghali NaAbba, Salisu Buhari, Aminu Masari and Tambuwal as Speaker. The North-east had our brother, Dogara as Speaker but from 1999 to date, the North-central has no single Speaker. I urge our president-elect, who is a talent hunter, who is a democrat to support the party to zone the speakership to the North and in the same spirit of justice, equity and fairness, that was shown in the presidential election of 2023 let it be zoned to the North-central that has never produced the speaker from 1999 till date he said. Mr Gagdi asked the president-elect to take a cue from the northern governors that fought for power shift to the south during the APC presidential primaries. Our president-elect, I am following his footsteps as someone that is elected based on his potential, based on his antecedence, based on what he means to Nigerians. I cannot remember as an APC member where Mr President-elect was endorsed as a consensus candidate for our party, no. It was only zoned to the southern part of Nigeria. I give my respect to the northern governors who came out at that time to say that the North has produced presidents for 8 years, he said. Mr Gagdi is one of 11 aspirants that are jostling for the position. The others are the incumbent Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase (Plateau), Sada Soli (Katsina), Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna), Muktar Betara (Borno) Tunji Olawuyi (Kwara), Abubakar Makki (Jigawa), Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara), Ben Kalu (Abia), Ado Doguwa (Kano) and Miriam Onuoha (Imo). However, indications are emerging that Mr Tinubu and the APC have settled for some of the aspirants. Tajudeen Abbas (APC, Kaduna) and Ben Kalu (APC, Abia) have been reportedly tipped for speaker and deputy speaker, respectively. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says another flight with a batch of evacuees is expected on Sunday, with conclusion ongoing on necessary clearance for take off. This was contained in a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, NiDCOM on Saturday. Mr Balogun said this was part of the highlights of the inter-ministerial briefing on the return of the fourth batch of evacuees from Sudan at the Hajj Terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The 131 batch of evacuees comprising 123 adults and eight infants aboard Tarco Aircraft: B737-300 from Port Sudan International Airport, arrived at 2.35p.m in Abuja. Three of the evacuees, who sustained injuries, were moved to the hospital. One had an injury in the hand while another one had abdominal pain. All of them have been stabilised. The evacuees were, however, assured that no Nigerian would be left behind. Those who received them included Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson NiDCOM, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Sani Gwarzo, and the Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mustapha Habeeb. Others included Mustapha Habib Ahmed, Director-General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Representative of Refugees Commissioner, Iman Ibrahim, and other stakeholders. READ ALSO: They provided logistics support like Nigeria Immigration Service, Dangote Foundation, MTN, and Hajia Asmau Yerima Mohammed who represented the Association of Parents and Guardian of Students in Sudan. According to the statement, President Muhammadu Buhari gave the committee the necessary support to bring back any willing Nigerians. The committee also reiterated that there was no ethnic segregation as speculated in some quarters and it remained focused on its mandate. Moreover, post-trauma counselling and psycho-social treatment were announced again. The post-trauma counselling and psycho-social treatment are planned by NiDCOM, with the Ministry of Health, and Refugees Commission in partnership with the Aliko Dangote Foundation. In line with the traditional support laid down, each of the returnees was given N100,000 and a bag courtesy of the Dangote Foundation while MTN supported with a SIM pack and call credit of N25,000 and 1.5 gigabytes of data. Both the NEMA and the Refugees Commission provided transportation and hotel accommodation for those of them whose families were not in Abuja, till they reunite with their respective families. The committee also assured them that there were plans to secure placement for them to continue with their education in their respective courses in Nigeria with the support of the Ministry of Education. Most of the students interviewed regretted the war situation in Sudan and thanked the Federal Government for coming promptly to their rescue. They also pleaded with the government to hasten the evacuation of their colleagues still trapped in Sudan. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print After the presidential election in February, millions of Nigerians went back to the polls on March 18 as Africas most populous nation held gubernatorial and state assembly elections. Some 400 candidates contested the governorship seats across 28 states of the federation. The presidential election in February produced Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress as Nigerias next leader. Some of the runners-up of the contest have already submitted petitions to the courts protesting the emergence of Mr Tinubu as the winner of the election. In March, new governors were elected in 28 of Nigerias 36 states. A total of 17 of them were newly elected while 11 incumbent governors ran for their second and final term of four years. Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State is the only governor that lost his reelection bid. Unlike the presidential election, the governorship elections didnt record many upsets. Of the 28 states, the ruling party won in 16 states; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) retained 10 states while New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Labour Party respectively won one state each. Meanwhile, before the elections, the ruling APC was in control of 18 out of these 28 states while PDP had 10. The governing parties lost elections in Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Abia, Plateau, and Zamfara. The PDP lost to the opposition parties in Abia, Benue, and Sokoto while APC lost in Plateau, Zamfara, and Kano. The Labour Party gained in Abia while Rabiu Kwankwasos NNPP took Kano, Northern Nigerias centre of commerce. Analysts believe that the strength of the third forces performance was mirrored even better in the presidential elections when parties other than APC and PDP won elections in 13 states. Turnout Voter turnout refers to the percentage of people who take part in an election relative to the total number of eligible voters. More broadly, it compares the total number of people of voting age in a country and those who cast their ballot during a particular election. PREMIUM TIMES reported that only 24.9 million voters, about 29 per cent of the registered voters, turned out for the 25 February 2023 elections. Over 93 million voters were registered to vote and 87 million voters were eligible having collected their voters card. Data from the election management body, INEC, shows that voter turnout was slightly higher during the governorship election with 31 per cent participation across the 28 states. However, the participation was still abysmal with 3 out of 10 people who registered and collected voting cards casting their ballots. The eligible voting population in the 28 states was 71.5 million but only 22.3 million people cast their votes. INEC data shows that Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Rivers states had the highest number of registered voters ahead of the 2023 election; however, none of these states were among the top 5 states with the highest voter turnout. In all the 28 states that participated in the governorship election, less than half of the eligible population turned out to vote. Only four states had a voter turnout above 40 per cent, all of them in Northern Nigeria. Jigawa State in the north-west had a turnout of 45 per cent, Adamawa State in the north-east had a 43 per cent turnout, followed by Sokoto State in the north-west with 41 per cent. Plateau State had 40 per cent, the highest in the north-central region. In what is a reflection of higher voter turnout in Northern Nigeria compared to the South, for the governorship elections, the next set of states that had the highest turnout were also all Northern states. The trio of Gombe, Katsina, and Kebbi states each recorded a 39 per cent turnout while the duo of Bauchi and Zamfara states put up a 38 per cent turnout. This was followed by Kaduna 37 per cent, Nasarawa 36 per cent, Taraba 36 per cent, Kano 35 per cent and Niger 33 per cent. Oyo State, where incumbent governor Seyi Makinde sought re-election had the highest turnout in Southern Nigeria. Oyo, in the south-west, had a turnout of 31 per cent. It was followed by Akwa Ibom 30 per cent, Kwara 30 per cent and Yobe 30 per cent. Election participation in Benue and Ogun states was 29 per cent each. On the other hand, Cross River had 27 per cent followed by Borno at 26 per cent; Delta at 22 per cent; and Ebonyi, at 22 per cent. Ebonyi, where a new governor was elected to replace outgoing governor David Umahi, thus had the highest turnout in the south-east. Lagos, Nigerias most cosmopolitan city and the state with the highest number of eligible voters, continued its trend of low voter turnout. It recorded an abysmal 19 per cent voter turnout amid reports of violence and voter suppression. The state was just a little above southeastern Abia and Enugu states where turnout was 18 per cent. Participation was worse in Rivers State with only 15 per cent of people turning out to vote in the oil-rich state amid reports of violence. States with the highest number of votes cast Three northwestern states of Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina recorded the highest number of votes in the governorship election. Kano, the state with the second-highest number of registered voters in Nigeria, recorded the highest number of votes cast with 1.97 million total votes on March 18. This was followed by Kaduna where 1.54 million people voted. Neighbouring Katsina state was behind with 1.3 million votes cast. The total votes cast in Lagos was 1.1 million; in Plateau, 1.08 million; in Bauchi, 1.03 million; and 1.02 million in Jigawa. Only the seven aforementioned states recorded more than one million votes in March 18 governorship elections. Except for Lagos, all the seven states are in the northern part of the country. Total votes in Niger was 873,020; Oyo, 866,427; Sokoto, 864,419; Adamawa. 853,819; Kebbi, 770,169; and Benue, 768,602. States with the least number of votes cast At the bottom of the list is Zamfara with 697,479 total votes cast; Delta with 671,737; Ogun 663,968 votes, Nasarawa 660,805; Akwa Ibom 657,959, Taraba 651,371, Borno 636,246, and Gombe 604,583. Other states with the least number of votes are Rivers with 483,934; Kwara with 463,740; Cross River with 451,933; Yobe with 435,794; Abia with 358,808; Enugu with 353,463; and Ebonyi with 342,554. States won by parties across regions Elections were held across the seven states of Nigerias northwest and the APC won in five states (Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Sokoto State). The ruling party was defeated in Kano by a strong third force, Abba Yusuf of the NNPP. Mr Yusuf, who is the godson of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the national leader of the NNPP, scored over one million votes to defeat APCs Nasiru Gawuna. He was the only governorship candidate across the country that scored over one million votes. In Zamfara, the APC suffered another defeat when incumbent Governor Bello Matawalle lost to Dauda Lawal, a former Executive Director of First Bank, who defected from the APC to the PDP in May 2022. While APC lost Kano and Zamfara, the ruling party was able to take over Sokoto, the only PDP-controlled state in the region before the election. In the north-central, the APC gained in Kwara, Benue, Nasarawa, and Niger states. The main opposition PDP won in Plateau State. APC defeated PDP to take over Benue while PDP unseated APC in the Plateau battle. Elections are scheduled to be held in Kogi State later this year. In the northeast, the six states were shared between the APC and the PDP. Five governors were re-elected in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe states while a new governor was elected for Taraba State. The ruling party won in Borno, Gombe, and Yobe states. The main opposition retained Adamawa, Bauchi, and Taraba states. While APC took Cross River in the South-south, the PDP maintained its dominance in Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states. Although elections were not held in Bayelsa and Edo states in March, the two states are both controlled by the PDP. APC retained the governorship in south-east Ebonyi State while Peter Mbahs victory ensured PDP retained Enugu. Alex Otti clinched Abia the only state won by Labour Party by defeating the PDP. Elsewhere in the south-west, APCs Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dapo Abiodun were re-elected for a second term in Lagos and Ogun state respectively. In Oyo, PDPs Seyi Makinde won by landslide to defeat Teslim Folarin of the APC. Off-cycle elections were conducted in Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti states before this years elections. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has dissociated itself from the endorsement of Godswill Akpabio for Senate Presidency by the Coalition of Northern groups. Musa Saidu, a member of the ACF, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Saidu, also the leader of the Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria, said endorsing Mr Akpabio for the Senate Presidency would spell doom for Northern Nigeria. We hereby dissociate ourselves from the endorsement of Sen. Godswill Akpabio for the Senate Presidency by a coalition of Northern groups. The Coalition is not speaking for the North, it is just speaking for itself. No true Northern group will want to endorse Akpabio for a sensitive position like that of Senate President because he is not friendly with the North. We are the people who know Akpabio because we are residents in the South, we know those who are friendly with the Northern people and Akpabio is actually not one of them, he said. Mr Saidu added that the coalition must have made the endorsement out of ignorance. I want to condemn the endorsement in its entity because it was done out of ignorance. It is also possible that the groups were given some inducement to endorse Akpabio. I want to say that the Northern people are not beggars that will be endorsing people who are not friendly with them because of inducement, he said. Mr Saidu said the ACF would continue to fight or speak against injustice in the country. Why should the All Progressives Congress (APC) be bent on zoning the 10th Senate Presidency to the South, when we have competent hands in the North? The North-West gave the APC the largest votes in the Feb. 25 presidential election, so why not consider somebody from the zone? I think its time for the party to reward the zone for the massive votes rather than start looking for somebody from the South as Senate President, he said. A coalition of Northern groups had endorsed Akpabio for the Senate Presidency saying he was best suited for the position. Apart from Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara gov, have also declared their interest to be senate president once the 10th Senate is proclaimed into existence. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The fourth batch of 410 stranded Nigerians, evacuated from conflict-ridden Sudan, has arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the evacuees arrived at the Pilgrims Terminal of the airport at exactly 10:45 a.m., on board a Max Airline from Egypt. NAN also reports that more Nigerians, onboard Azman and Tarco Airlines, are expected back into the country today. Sani Gwarzo, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, said 732 persons would arrive today from the Egypt borders. According to him, no Nigerian is left at the Egypt border, as all Nigerians at that point had been evacuated. I am very happy to announce that no single Nigerian is currently at the Egyptian border, we have completed the airlift from the Egyptian side. What remains is the Port Sudan side and that will be completed in the next few days, probably in the next 48 hours, he said. He said that arrangements had also been put in place to evacuate the Nigerians, who fled Sudan to the Ethiopian and Saudi-Arabian borders, back to the country. He added that a mop-up service had been put in place beyond the main phase of evacuation, to bring back any Nigerian who wished to return home. He, however, added that those who wished to come back should immediately proceed to Port Sudan for onward evacuation. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print South Africa: COVID-19 global health emergency over, but pandemic not over Health The Department of Health says it has noted an announcement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. However, it is important to clarify that this doesnt mean the pandemic is over, the department said on Saturday. The fact of the matter is, the pandemic remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality especially in high risk populations such as the elderly and people living with comorbidities. The department explained that the number of cases is far lower at the current moment than during the height of the pandemic, hence it is no longer viewed as a public health emergency. Meanwhile, the department, in line with WHO recommendations, continues to recommend vaccination especially for high routine health services and will continue to offer services aimed at preventing and treating COVID, including vaccination services. On Thursday, the Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, told the Presidential Health Summit delegates warned that COVID-19 is not over. He announced that the country still has about 25 million vaccine doses and urged those who have not had their booster shots to get the jab, as winter approaches. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Emergency Committee members highlighted the decreasing trend in COVID-19 deaths, the decline in COVID-19 related hospitalisations and intensive care unit admissions, and the high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2. The committees position has been evolving over the last several months. While acknowledging the remaining uncertainties posted by potential evolution of SARS-CoV-2, they advised that it is time to transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Ghebreyesus said the end of the COVID-19 global health emergency is a moment for reflection. The painful lessons we have learned, the investments we have made, and the capacity we have built must be transformed into meaningful and lasting change. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-05-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. ANKARA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) killed a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the third one in a week, in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday. Turkish intelligence "neutralized" Eyvaz Beyaz, wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) with a red notice, in the Duhok-Gara region of Iraq, Anadolu quoted anonymous security sources as saying. Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" to imply that "terrorists" are killed, wounded, or captured in security operations. Beyaz, codenamed Zerdest Karadeniz, participated in attacks against gendarmerie troops in Turkiye's Black Sea province of Sinop in 2010 and a bomb attack against a police vehicle in Sinop in 2011, as well as attacks against gendarmerie in Trabzon province in 2012, the agency reported. The PKK member was also involved in attacks against the Turkish military in northern Iraq, the report added. On Thursday, Anadolu reported that the Turkish intelligence forces killed Ahmet Gumus, a PKK training officer, in an operation in the Gara region of northern Iraq. On Friday, the agency reported the killing of Necirvan Seven, the PKK special forces' logistics officer, in a cross-border operation of the MIT in Gara. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades. Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has dispelled the rumours of him jostling to become the Chief of Staff to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu. Mr El-Rufai stated this in Gombe on Saturday while addressing journalists. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor was in Gombe State to inaugurate the construction of 550 housing units and the Gombe Geographic Information Systems (GOGIS) Service Centre. He described the reports on the different portfolios being assigned to him and published in national dailies as mere speculations. The governor said he was more interested in contributing to the development of Nigeria than jostling for positions. Mr El-Rufai noted that being in government was not the only way to contribute to Nigerias development, saying even if he was not in government, he would remain committed to the progress of the country. I have not had that discussion with the president-elect and I dont like to speculate. I read in the newspapers all kinds of portfolios assigned to me but you know, I am a committed Nigerian. I want to see my country make progress and whatever I can do to contribute to the development of the country, I will do it. But, I dont have to do it working in government. Everyone who is working either in the private sector or civil society is contributing. There is not just one way to contribute to the country and I will never stop working for Nigerias progress, he said. The governor said upon leaving office in the next 22 days, he would take a break but be available to provide advice, where needed, on how to move the country forward. I will be in the private sector, not any chief of staff. I will take a break and advise people like Governor Inuwa Yahaya if they need it, he said. On Tinubus presidency from 29 May, Mr El-Rufai said Nigerians would not regret voting for the president-elect, stressing that better days were ahead of Nigerians under Tinubu. Speculations on who is to be appointed in the coming new government have intensified, especially on social media platforms. Commentators have been predicting names of top politicians for juicy appointments in the coming government. Names of El-Rufai, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Babatunde Fashola, Nuhu Ribadu are among the top names being speculated to be appointed into the incoming presidents cabinet. Mr Tinubu will be sworn in on 29 May as the newly elected president of Nigeria Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in collaboration with local security outfits, have rescued 58 kidnap victims from some identified kidnappers den in communities contiguous to the territory. The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, Josephine Adeh, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. She said the victims were rescued at Udulu Forest, Gegu LGA of Kogi State, bordering Sardauna Forest, Nasarawa State, and other identified kidnappers dens in communities contiguous to the FCT. According to her, the bandits/kidnappers on sighting the security team coordinated by the police, engaged the security team in a shootout duel. The bandits were overpowered and escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries leaving behind their victims, she said. Mrs Udeh, a superintendent of police, said the rescue operation was part of efforts by the commands leadership to sustain joint operations with other security agencies, vigilantes and hunters from the various local communities. She said the idea was to combat violent crimes in the FCT, rescue victims and bring perpetrators to book. The PPRO pledged the commitment of the command at sustaining efforts to prevent threats to the safety and security of FCT residents. She said the command would also not relent in ensuring the rescue of any residents held hostage by criminals as well as bring the perpetrators to book. Mrs Adeh said the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the FCT, Haruna Garba, has called for cooperation from FCT residents. She said the CP enjoined the residents to be security conscious and provide credible information to the police. Mrs Adeh said one of the kidnap victims, Tama Jonathan, unfortunately, sustained injury during the rescue operation and died on the spot. She said the remains of the victim had subsequently been released to his family for burial. She said the other 58 rescued victims were being stabilised in the hospital and would be reunited with their families. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Hundreds of terrorists led by a notorious bandit, an-arami, have reportedly relocated from Zamfara to areas between Safana and Batsari Local Government Areas of Katsina State. Villagers said the terrorists were escaping from a military onslaught in Zamfara. They were said to have moved into Tsaskiya, Runka, Gora, Labo and other communities in the two local government areas. Villagers said the terrorists have teamed up with another notorious bandit, Usman Moi-Moi, who has been terrorising residents of the area. The villagers said the terrorists in large numbers and heavily armed, moved to the area with many herds of cattle. About a thousand of them who came on about 300 motorcycles spent Saturday night in Labo village, a reliable source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He added that the terrorists were spread in at least five villages on the fringes of Rugu forest between Safana and Batsari as well as part of Zamfara. The source, however, said what was not clear was whether the bandits were in transit or setting up a new base in the area. The villagers appealed to the military and Katsina State Government to respond promptly and deny the terrorists any space to operate. Dankarami and his gang were known for raiding villages and towns in Zamfara and attacking security personnel. A community leader told NAN on condition of anonymity that some of the villagers have started relocating to avoid being caught up in the impending disaster. He urged the military to deploy its land and air assets to decimate the terrorists before they wreak more havoc. If nothing is done immediately, these terrorists will pose a serious security threat to many surrounding local government areas, including the state capital. There are many of them and heavily armed. Government should respond with decisive firepower to save the people, he added. Similarly, a resident of Runka said: From last week, these bandits were seen clearing bushes to make shelters, which means, they want to be here permanently. We heard that Dan-Karami came to Usman Modi-Modi some days ago, and Modi-Modi gave him weapons. This means they will work together to continue to perpetrate their criminal activities in those areas. Dankarami also came with dangerous weapons; the locals are telling us that they have never seen bandits in large numbers and the type of weapons they have. They are widening their base in the area. He also urged government and security agencies to hasten measures to prevent the terrorists from taking over the area. When contacted, Ibrahim Ahmad-Katsina, special adviser on Security to Governor Aminu Masari said only the security forces could comment on the matter. However, the spokesperson of the Police Command in the state, Gambo Isah, said they were investigating the veracity of the information. There is such rumour of the ongoing onslaught in the military operations and the police in Zamfara forcing some terrorists to relocate to some parts of the state. Here in Katsina, the security forces, particularly the Army, Nigerian Air Force and the Police have taken note of that and are making investigation to ascertain its genuineness and take appropriate action, he said. Katsina, like Zamfara, in Nigerias north-west, has been a hotbed of terrorist activities which have claimed many lives and displaced several others. The terrorists also called bandits kill, maim and kidnap for ransom despite the efforts of the government to tame them over the years. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Senator-elect for Imo North Senatorial District, Patrick Ndubueze, has declared his intention to contest for president of the 10th Senate. Mr Ndubueze made his intention known in a letter addressed to the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Ndubueze, a former member of the House of Representatives, was elected into the parliament in 1992 where he represented Okigwe Federal Constituency of Imo State. The senator-elect is coming to the Senate for the first time after about 29 years since he left the National Assembly. With his declaration, Mr Ndubueze becomes the third aspirant for the position from the South-east after Osita Izunaso, also from Imo State and Orji Kalu, who is currently the Chief Whip of the Senate. The governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, a senator-elect, from the region has withdrawn from the race. Other contenders for the position are a former governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, Jibrin Barau (Kano), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Ali Ndume (Borno) and Sani Musa (Niger). PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State announced that the inner caucus of the APC resolved to zone the Senate President to the South-south in favour of Mr Akpabio. Focus and supportive leader In the letter, Mr Ndubueze said the Senate at this time needs a focused, people-centric, calm and supportive leadership and that he possesses those qualities. Now, in respect of current realities in this time which requires sensitive leadership in the Senate in the moulds of: A focused Leadership, A Leadership that is peoples centric and calm and supportive. Having been persuaded of my track record as a ranking legislator, a politician of more than 35 years standing and a personal character that had stood the test of time for integrity and commitment to the people, I, Engr. Patrick Ndubueze, being a ranking member of the National Assembly, do desire to offer myself to contest the office of the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly strongly believing in my capacity to stand in the roles of the leadership required at this time. He appealed for the endorsement of the party leadership for the position. Sir, I trust that you will bless my aspiration as declared with your active support through appropriate counselling, advices and networking, to ensure that this noble cause sees the light of the day, he said. While I await your kind acceptance of my declaration of intention, sir, please, accept the assurances of my esteemed regards, the letter reads. The senator-elect also wrote his colleagues to canvass their endorsement and support. In the letter, Mr Ndubueze said he had consulted widely with critical stakeholders before declaring his ambition. Distinguished Senator, over the last 32 years, I have remained committed to the good cause of the Nigerian project. And had always been persuaded that our sovereign advancement inclusive of the desired progressions of millions of Nigerians is better enabled through the instrumentality of appropriately engineered legislations which are superintended by a knowledgeable and motivated political head of the National Assembly who is equipped for thoroughness, moderation and a vision-driven compassion. It is for these reasons, and their fulfilment, Distinguished Senator, that I have decided to declare my intention to contest the office of the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I do not treat this declaration lightly, Distinguished Senator. I, indeed, have been on a consultation frenzy with critical stakeholders across the length and breadth of our country to positive acclaim, he said. He appealed to his colleagues to grant him the opportunity of speaking to them physically after the order. This letter to your good self is in continuation of the consultation I had embarked upon, by which, I am of the hope that you will avail me a time to physically meet with you, even as I now canvass for your support and advice as we head to the day of the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly. While thanking you profusely for the opportunity of this engagement, Distinguished Senator, please accept my highest regards for your good self, Mr Ndubeze said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, have come under attack over the proposed zoning arrangement for the leadership of the National Assembly. Two groups, on Sunday, rejected the reported adoption of a zoning arrangement by the president-elect and the party, saying it is a clear marginalisation of the North-central region. They called for the review of the zoning of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in particular. Mr Tinubu reportedly backed Godswill Akpabio (South-south) and Barau Jibrin (North-west) for the senate president and deputy respectively. He also allegedly settled for Tajudeen Abbas (North-west) and Ben Kalu (South-east) as speaker and deputy speaker respectively. The reported adoption of the four aspirants leaves out the North-central zone in the zoning arrangement. No fewer than three aspirants from the zone have shown interest in the House of Representatives speakership position. They are the incumbent Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase and Yusuf Gagdi, who are both from Plateau State and Olatunji Raheem, a lawmaker from Kwara State. Mr Tinubu and the party have yet to officially announce this arrangement, which is already generating reactions, particularly from the North-central. A group of former lawmakers from the region, on Sunday, rejected the proposed zoning of the speaker and deputy senate president to the North-west. They warned that such an arrangement will lead to the marginalisation of the North-central. They specifically kicked against the zoning of the position of the speaker to the North-west. Idris Yakuku, a former member of the fourth Assembly (1999-2003), who spoke on behalf of the group, argued that the proposed arrangement on zoning gives the North-west more than they deserve. Reports reaching us indicate that the position of Senate President in the 10th National Assembly has been zoned to the South-south geopolitical zone, while the position of Deputy Senate President would go to the North-west zone. We noted that when this position was made public, stakeholders across the country accepted it with equanimity and calmness due to its inclusion of other zones not yet captured in the top hierarchy of governance in the next administration. But to our utter shock and consternation, we learnt that the position of the speaker of the House of Representatives has again also been zoned to the North-west while the position of Deputy Speaker is still being considered. A region is given more than their fair share if this lopsided template of giving the Deputy Senate Presidency and Speakership to the North-west is implemented, he said. Mr Yakubu, who was flanked by about a dozen of former lawmakers, urged the president-elect to review the arrangement or the region may be forced to consider other alternatives. He also called for the intervention of the Chairman of the party, Abdulahi Adamu, who is from the North-central. North-central zone outperformed North-west in polls The ex-lawmaker also reminded Mr Tinubu of the contribution of the North-central geopolitical zone, noting that the zone outperformed the North-west zone. Worse still, out of seven states, the APC presidential candidate won only in three states of the North-west losing significant numbers in swing states like Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Katsina while in the North-central, he won overwhelmingly in its swing states of Niger, Benue and Kogi. Most worrisome is the fact that it is Kaduna State, where the APC performed woefully by losing the three Senate seats and 11 of the 16 House of Representatives seats that are being considered for the Speaker position, he said. Mr Yakubu claimed that the proposed arrangement may not be from the president-elect, but from some people around him that want to impose cronies. Pro-Wase group demands APC NECs intervention Meanwhile, a group supporting Mr Wase in the contest has called for the intervention of the National Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to review the proposed template for zoning of the presiding officers of the National Assembly. The group, under the aegis of North-central APC Stakeholders, made the call on Sunday during a separate press briefing in Abuja. They stated that there are indications that the NEC of the party, the highest decision-making body of the party, will meet in the coming days, and they expect the body to intervene. Dominic Alancha, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the ruling party risks a repeat of the 8th Assembly, where Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, successfully revolted against the choices of the party. They, however, stated that the 2015 option has not been considered because consultations are ongoing. The group argued that the North-west has not done enough to warrant taking two key positions at the expense of the North-central. The APC failed to secure the key states in the North-west like Kaduna, Kano and Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto in the presidential elections which usually bring the deciding votes winning only Zamfara and Jigawa of the seven states in the zone. The picture is even worse with the parliamentary elections where the APC lost majority seats in Kano with the NNPP clearing 18 out of the 24 House of Representatives seats in the state while in Kaduna, the APC lost all the three senatorial and 11 seats out of the 16 seats for House of Representatives to the PDP, he said. The group noted that the reported zoning arrangement appears to be a deliberate act of provocation to the North-central zone which has contributed so much to the success of the APC as a party and to the victory of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Harvest of aspirants So far, there are 11 aspirants in the race for the speakership of the House. Other contenders for the position include Sada Soli (Katsina), Muktar Betara (Borno), Abubakar Makki (Jigawa), Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara), Ado Doguwa (Kano) and Miriam Onuoha ( Imo). Mr Gagdi on Saturday officially joined the race, and called for the zoning of the position to North-central, while Muktar Betara, an aspirant from Borno State, will declare his intention on Monday. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print There are no sick people in heaven. Jesus went to a hospital, saw a man who had been sick for 38 years, and asked him if he would like to get well. The man might have answered sarcastically: No, I love being sick If I dont want to get well what would I be doing in a hospital? But is it really an offensive question? Let me present this as a parable. A university professor asks one of his students in the Department of Architecture: Do you want to be an Architect? Why would he ask him such a question? Why would he be studying Architecture if he does not want to be an architect? What are the possibilities and probabilities? The student is not studying. He is just going from party to party. The student is doing very badly in his studies. He is not concentrating in class. He has not been doing his homework. The professor is convinced that if the student does not make amends, he will not pass his exams and will not get a degree. Not for the Sick Jesus asked the sick man: Do you want to be made whole? Let me translate this into spiritual English. Do you want to be saved? Are you really interested in salvation? Let me put it even more bluntly: Do you really want to end up in heaven? Then you must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Can I tell you a secret? Do you promise not to be offended? Sick men do not go to heaven. The Lord sent me to pray for sick people who subsequently died. It took me some time to understand why. Later, I discovered that every sick person he asked me to pray for was appointed for salvation. All of them were going to heaven, but God did not want them there with sickness. He said to me: Whosoever you touch and pray for, I will heal. So, although some of the sick I prayed for died, they were healed of their sicknesses. Sickness and Salvation James asks: Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:14-15). The prayer of faith opens the door of salvation to the sick. The Lord promises to raise them up into eternal life. If they have committed sins, He promises to forgive and cleanse them. This is because there are no sick people in heaven. There are no sinners in there. To get there, you must be healed of sin and sickness. Jesus is the Lord who heals us. Paul says: Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20-21). He will change our sick bodies into glorious bodies that can never be sick again and that cannot die. Sin and Sickness Sin is synonymous with sickness in the Bible. The foundation of all sickness is sin. If there was no sin, there would be no sickness. But because we live in a fallen world, man is exposed to the effects of sin, which include pain, sickness, and diseases. But the sickness that man is preoccupied with is physical sickness, while the sickness that God is concerned with is sin sickness. Therefore, when a paralytic was brought to Jesus, He did not address his paralysis, which was merely a symptom of his sickness. Instead, He addressed the mans sin, which was his real sickness. In effect, Jesus healed the man by forgiving his sins. He said to him: Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you. What would have happened if Jesus had stopped there? What if He healed the man by forgiving his sins, but the man remained in paralysis? Would he have believed that he was healed? Would he have appreciated that kind of healing? What if you went to see a doctor because of some ailment and he told you your sins are forgiven and wrote you a bill for the consultation? Would you pay him or conclude that you are being conned? If you were given a choice between having your sins forgiven or being healed of a deadly disease, which would you choose? Frankly, many would choose physical healing any day over salvation. It is easy to rationalise that after we have been healed, we can then address the issue of salvation. Hear and understand. Man is only concerned about sickness when it affects the body. God is concerned about sickness when it affects the soul. Man is a bishop and shepherd of the body. God is the bishop and shepherd of the soul. Man is concerned when he is sick that he should be made well. God is concerned when we are sick that we should be made whole. Man would do anything to save the body from sickness. God would do anything to save the soul from sin. That is kingdom dynamics. Salvation from Sin What is the difference between what Jesus offered and what the Jews desired? Jesus offered salvation. But the Jews only wanted to be healed of sickness. Jesus was sent to make men whole, but the Jews wanted to be made well. Jesus went about healing the sick because except men see signs and wonders they would not believe He can heal the soul. But when Jesus deliberately told a man who came to him for healing that his sins were forgiven, the Jews were up in arms. They accused Jesus of blasphemy, arguing that only God can forgive sins. But hearkening back to Isaiah, Jesus said in effect: Come, let us reason together: Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins He said to the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. (Lk 5:23-24). Immediately, and to the astonishment of all, the man got up from his sick bed, carried his bed, and went home. Do You Believe? Which report do you believe? Do you believe Jesus can heal the sick? Or do you believe He can forgive sins? Today, many Christians believe Jesus can heal the sick but do not believe he can heal our sins. They believe Jesus can make them financially rich but do not believe He can take away their sins. They believe Jesus can give them breakthroughs but do not believe He can make them stop telling lies, stop lusting, or stop fornicating. For this reason, many Christians remain in sin. We come to church looking for money, life partners, jobs, and other things that are not of particular interest to the Messiah. Faribisala@yahoo.com; www.femiaribisala.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In my estimation, corruption will no longer strike Nicodemusly in Nigeria in the next four years, either in the judiciary or within the country in general. This is because the vultures that will surround power will fertilise the ground for it to luxuriate. The corruption to come will share the same template with the legion demons in that famous story of the Madman of Gadarene, told in the three synoptic gospels of the Bible. In Port Harcourt, Rivers State last week, as guest of Governor Nyesom Wike, President-elect Bola Tinubu promised to fight corruption. To delink judicial officers minds from corruption, Tinubus blueprint of fighting this goblin, he said, would be to further incentivise judicial officers. You dont expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor and dispense justice in squalor. This is part of the changes that are necessary. We must fight corruption but we must definitely look at the other side of the coin. If you dont want your judges to be corrupt, you got to pay attention to their welfare. You dont want them to operate in hazardous conditions, he said. Corruption has a long history in Nigeria, with some scholars submitting that it is buried deep down the skin of citizens. Indeed, one of the Africanist scholars whose commendable works tried to locate the connection between the African and corruption, late Stephen Ellis, found out that bribery and corruption were rooted in (African) social networks and moral conventions. By 1970, however, as the Nigerian civil war was reaching its denouement, it had become obvious to the countrys military rulers that if the menace of corruption with its twin manifestations as kickbacks and armed robbery was not confronted headlong, the country was headed for ruins. That generation of Nigerians deployed, among other means, popular music to combat the evils of corruption, stealing and robbery. Most of Nigerias famous musicians of the post-independence era keyed into this crusade and earned their stripes through social and political commentaries on the non-desirability of graft. One of the artists involved was Ilorin, Kwara State-born Salawu Woro Idofian. Salawu apparently hailed from Idofian in Ifelodun Local Government of the state. While the Cameroonian-Nigerian highlife musician, whose mother was Nigerian and father, Cameroonian, Nico Mbarga, struck the soft cord of many by eulogising motherhood in his blockbuster vinyl, Sweet Mother, the Yoruba sakara music deity, Kelani Yesufu, alias Kelly, intervened on the social menace that the near-epidemic venereal disease, gonorrhea, called atosi in his native homeland, was causing among young boys and girls of the era. As the pandemic soared, its sufferers rationalised the affliction of gonorrhea as a popular disease that only the famous could contract. In that song he entitled Atosi Atogbe, Kelani deconstructed this widely held notion and submitted, via this fluidly racing track, that gonorrhea could never be a disease of the famous; gbajumo. How could a disease that causes so much pain and turmoil within the male genitalia, with the patient who was, most times, reaping the harvest of his libidinal rascality and thus forced to swallow several discomforting concoctions, be an affliction of the famous, he asked. To combat armed robbery, in 1970, the military government enacted a decree which made the crime punishable by death through the firing squad. On 26 April, 1971, the first public execution of an armed robber took place. Armed robbery was so rampant that by 1976, about 400 of such executions had taken place. The rate of the executions was so frightening, especially with the realisation that the southern part of the country had recorded the highest number of executions, at 338, in 1984 alone. Since the menace of armed robbery went full throttle in the immediate petrodollar Nigeria of the early 1970s, it has grown further into becoming a social pandemic today. Rivaling it as another plague that metastasises like cancer, has been corruption. The spirit of acquisitiveness, the centrality and inclination that wealth enjoys today in Nigeria is mind-boggling. This spirit has taken over the heart of virtually all Nigerians. Mammon, today, enjoys a pride of place as the reigning god of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Salawu Woro Idofians genre of popular music was Apala. Almost sharing the same cadence and singing pattern with the mellifluous voice of Epe, Lagos State-born Ligali Mukaiba, who sang a similar variety of music, Idofian stood in his own right. He was widely credited with having made those public executions of armed robbers the thematic preoccupation of his music. As he dramatised these harvests of executions, you could almost feel the pain, agony and sense of finality that the robbers felt as they were marched to the stakes. One of such songs from Idofian was the title track his 1971 album, Kehin Sokun, literally meaning, execution by the sea, in Yoruba language. The song goes that 24 April, 1971 was the day of execution of some condemned robbers. It was a Saturday and the crowd that gathered at the Bar Beach in Victoria Island, Lagos was massive. To Idofian, the public execution could be explained within the context of propitiation. Nigeria had offered the bodies of the condemned robbers to the goddess of the sea called Olokun, in exchange for her concession to spare the lives of the righteous. Since creation, the Olokun had never had such bounty of human flesh for the celebration of her annual festivity in the belly of the sea. However, that Saturday, Olokun was lucky as three robbers bodies were offered to her by the military government, in lieu of her ceaseless swallowing of innocent citizens who strayed to the beach on the rim of the Atlantic in Lagos. Idofian, in that song, expressed thus: Nijo alaye ti daye, eti Olokun o gba ore ri/ai paniyan kale si eti okun pe ko riun mu sodun ri/nijo Satide, o sori re, a ti fomo jaguda meta rubo si okun ko ye gbe wa lomo mo/jaguda kekeke to ntowo bapo la o fi boya alaro. The condemned robbers had been found guilty by the Armed Robbery and Firearms Tribunal for having robbed an Alhaja in the Surulere area of Lagos. Williams Oyasima and Joseph Ilogbo were the robbers during that brutal encounter. Babatunde Folorunso, Idofians narration continued, had robbed a man of his car and 10. As a ricochet of bullets tore through the bodies of these robbers, their heads lost their hold on their necks and bowed in condemned surrender. The brutal epilogue of promising lives, Idofian warned, awaited parents who condoned stealing by stealth by their wards: Nigba tota atetu ndun mo barawo lara/won nsori ko omo yin o sagbafo/o nkaso wolu/ki le ti lo ma ri? Since the menace of armed robbery went full throttle in the immediate petrodollar Nigeria of the early 1970s, it has grown further into becoming a social pandemic today. Rivaling it as another plague that metastasises like cancer, has been corruption. The spirit of acquisitiveness, the centrality and inclination that wealth enjoys today in Nigeria is mind-boggling. This spirit has taken over the heart of virtually all Nigerians. Mammon, today, enjoys a pride of place as the reigning god of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The pervasion of Mammon didnt happen in a day. Its reign began with the fad of bribery, which was common in private and government offices in pre- and post-colonial Nigeria. Polish-British sociologist, Stanislav Andreski, who lived in Ibadan in the 1960s, witnessed the affliction and coined the word kleptocracy fto describe it. This variant of corruption so galled the coupists of 1966, led by Chukwuma Nzeogwu, who gave the venom of his tongue for its perpetrators, who he labeled as ten-percenters. This appellation was derived from the tradition of demanding ten per cent kickbacks from every government contract awarded by officials. Today, Nzeogwu would turn in his grave to find out that awarded contracts running into billions of naira are most times not executed at all and their total proceeds are simply pocketed. In cases where they are executed at all, the heavy shellacking of bribery and kickbacks ensure that they are so peremptorily and haphazardly carried out. The result is that these projects last only in the now. Last week in Port-Harcourt, Tinubu woke up the ghost of judicial corruption, an albatross that hovers over Nigeria like the Swords of Damocles. If Nigerian democracy suffers from spiritual legitimacy, the Nigerian judiciary is complicit in this. By the way, some scholars have reasoned that the lack of legitimacy, of perverted electoral justice, may be why Nigeria is this stunted and stymied in its development. In theory, we all know that the fundamental principle of the independence of the judiciary and the courts underpins the Nigerian legal system. This fundamental principle is predicated on the belief that the courts are independent as an organ of government. Embedded in this assumption is the philosophy of the centrality of the judiciary. This is what the concepts of justice and the rule of law in Nigeria are based upon. With the role of the judiciary as central to the global concept of justice, built-in and implicated in it is the need to maintain the pride of place of judicial ethics. What can keep corruption at bay in Nigeria is leadership by example. Which Nigeria may not have from 29 May. In spite of the general global perception that Nigerians cavort with maggots in the sewage, a stern leadership that is ready to make examples of malefactors will scare corrupt people off their perfidy. That leadership must advertise itself as ready to throw anyone, including itself, under the bus if it is caught in any form of relationship with corruption. There is no doubt that since its inception in 1999 till now, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has brought some measure of sanity into judicial practice in general and the operations of judicial officers in particular. However, there are still a lot of patent doubts about the impartiality of Nigerian judicial officers. There are flying allegations of the availability of judges to lend themselves to the whims of politicians. There have also been cogent and seemingly irrefutable allegations that the top echelon of judicial offices in Nigeria are not totally insulated from the activities and personal caprices of politicians. The influence of money in the determination of cases is also high. One very potent case to back this up is the recent controversy following the Supreme Courts judgment affirming the victory of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the senatorial contest for Yobe North. In a majority judgment, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machinas candidature to be heard. The court then pronounced Lawan victorious against Machina, simply because it held that, where there is an allegation of fraud, it should not be commenced by an originating summons. There were weighty arguments to back up Machinas allegations, however legal technicalities prevailed. While technicalities cannot be discountenanced in law, fastidiously sticking to them, at the expense of substantive arguments, can continue to impugn the reputation of the judiciary, especially when decided cases have spoken vehemently on the need to face substantive matters of law, while urging judicial officers not to be bound wholesale by technicalities. Although perceptions may not be real and could be misleading after all, conversely perception is everything, especially when judicial officers are dealing with Nigerians, who are not abreast of the rules of technicalities. To combat this pandemic of corruption in the judiciary, Tinubus submission to tackle the epidemic is through what he calls the provision of the right incentives. It would seem that Tinubu was just being rather simplistic, or at worst minimalist in his conception of judicial corruption. It is laughable that his proposal for dealing with the octopodal dragons of judicial corruption is merely to throw money and comfort at judicial officers. This definitely will not work. First is that, corrupt Nigerians today have not succeeded in drawing a line on when enough is actually enough. They amass sickening wealth that fails logic and common sense. So, if you incentivise judges, would this be enough to deter them from corruption? Tinubu is apparently seeking judicial officers who live in a sequestered world, and who are pampered so much that they are insulated from the vermin of corruption, away from the rest of reality. This can only exist in a dream world. Tinubus proposed intervention on curbing corruption provoked the cynicism of the Nigerian media on the second day his Rivers State epistle was delivered. Newspapers that led their next days editions with that thrust did so out of an amalgam of mockery and cynicism. Whether real or imagined, global perception is that a Tinubu presidency would battle everything but corruption. His pedigree is that of an insider-outsider in the sewage of corruption. Only during the week, Premium Times reported the linkage of the president-elect with twenty high net-worth properties in the United Kingdom, which allegedly belong to him and his close associates, and which were mostly acquired when Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State. As we march to 29 May, the day of inauguration of the new president, Nigeria will be transiting from the general perception (which was very likely to have been unreal) of an austere and incorruptible president, who is passing on the baton of power, to another general perception of a robustly corrupt president (which is likely real). While the former perception didnt keep corruption at bay in Nigeria, the latter perception may likely make the atmosphere free for corruption to luxuriate, flower and flourish. What can keep corruption at bay in Nigeria is leadership by example. Which Nigeria may not have from 29 May. In spite of the general global perception that Nigerians cavort with maggots in the sewage, a stern leadership that is ready to make examples of malefactors will scare corrupt people off their perfidy. That leadership must advertise itself as ready to throw anyone, including itself, under the bus if it is caught in any form of relationship with corruption. It does not appear to me that under the Tinubu presidency, Nigeria will have this. Only a few days ago, Bloomberg reported that Tinubus son, Oluwaseyi, is the main shareholder in Aranda Overseas Corporation, an offshore company which bought a controversial US$10.8 million UK property in 2017. In the two reported damaging stories, mum was the word from Bourdillon. If you now compare these two stories with how petty Nigerian thieves get jailed for minor offences like shoplifting and larceny, an empire will seem to be on the verge of being constructed for corruption to reign in at least the next four years. It is comparable to the Yoruba conception of injustice and unfairness. This is aptly depicted in a short fable that talks of a sick hired hand who is disdained for his temerity to fall sick, in comparison with a sick son of the taskmaster, who is persuaded to sip a broth of peppery soup Ojojo nse iwofa, won ni alakori gbese e de; bo ba somo olowo, won a ni ko roju fata senu. In my estimation, corruption will no longer strike Nicodemusly in Nigeria in the next four years, either in the judiciary or within the country in general. This is because the vultures that will surround power will fertilise the ground for it to luxuriate. The corruption to come will share the same template with the legion demons in that famous story of the Madman of Gadarene, told in the three synoptic gospels of the Bible. This story is about a demon-possessed madman inhabited by a thousand maddening spirits. When the mad spirits were commanded out of him, they pleaded to be sent into a herd of swine instead. If corruption played under the cover in the last few years under Buhari, going forward, the swine with a similar demonic spirit of corruption will be open about passing it around in the years to come. The newer herds will however not perish in the sea like the swines of Gadarene. Festus Adedayo is an Ibadan-based journalist. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In the face of arguably the continents most serious crisis since the Rwanda Genocide, the AUs response has been inexplicably somnolent. It has no plan. Chads former Foreign Minister, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who heads the Commission of the African Union in Addis Ababa, appears to be slow-walking the organisation to considerations determined by the imperatives of his home country (which shares borders with Sudan), rather the collective wellbeing of the region and the continent. On New Years Day in 1991, 81 year old Siad Barre, Somalias third (and last) president, fled the capital city, Mogadishu, under assault from the combined forces of a prolonged insurgency. 16 days later, in a supposedly unrelated development, President George Hubert Walker Bush of the United States of America launched Operation Desert Storm against the occupation of Kuwaits oil fields by Iraqs President Saddam Hussein. Four months later, in May 1991, Siad Barre went into exile in Nigeria, where he lived until his death in 1995. Back home, the vacuum created by General Barres departure in 1991 triggered a messy contest between various warlords and militias for the control of the country, which posed a grave threat to both Somalias neighbours in the Horn of Africa and to the strategic maritime theatre of the Gulf of Aden. Somalis are not only found in Somali. They are also in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Siad Barre was initially committed to a policy of uniting all Somali populations under one territory. In pursuit of this ideology, he invaded Ethiopias Ogaden region in 1977, triggering a war in which Ethiopia eventually prevailed with the support of the Soviet Union. Somalia, which had until then proclaimed itself Socialist, thereafter shifted its strategic orientation towards closer cooperation with the United States. The cost of the degeneration of Somalia into a messy gang-land war was heavy. By the beginning of 1992, one year after Siad Barres departure from power, as many 350,000 people in Somalia died from starvation, with another 80,000 people having fled to neighbouring countries. Somalias biggest neighbour on its western borders, Ethiopia, which hosted the headquarters of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was itself preoccupied with a political transition after the ruinous misrule of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariams Dergue regime, and its main priority was to prevent a Somali contagion of its territory. Still reluctant to abandon its foundational commitment to non-interference in the affairs of member states, the OAU could not mobilise consensus on how best to respond to the Somali meltdown. Within Somalia itself, there was no leader who could invite international action with legitimacy. In that season of the brief interregnum of the unipolar world, there was much talk of humanitarian intervention. Somalia was seen as a good case for this and the United States, fresh from what was seen as the diplomatic and military success of its campaign in Iraq, was under pressure to act. On 24 April, 1992, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 751, which deplored the magnitude of the human suffering caused by the conflict in Somalia, formally declared this a threat to international peace and security, and established the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). Underlying the mission of the AU supposedly is a commitment to a different and united way of addressing the continents security crises. In a contemporaneous retrospective on the failure of Operation Restore Hope in 1994, Ghanaian-born economist, George Ayittey, deplored contest over super-power control of Africas destiny. Cautioning that durable solutions to the continents myriad problems can only come from Africans themselves, he launched the now popular mantra about African solutions to African problems. The best efforts of the limited UNOSOM team were, however, no match for the menace of the Somali militias. So, on 3 December 1992, the Security Council adopted Resolution 794, which complained about the continuation of conditions that impede the delivery of humanitarian supplies to destinations within Somalia, and in particular reports of looting of relief supplies destined for starving people, attacks on aircraft and ships bringing in humanitarian relief supplies. It therefore authorised member states to use all measures as may be necessary to ensure effective humanitarian operations in Somalia. Six days later, on 9 December 1992, a contingent of US Navy SEALS landed on the coast of Mogadishu at the beginning of Operation Restore Hope, under considerable media attention. In March 1994, Operation Restore Hope ended in disarray. One outcome of the Operation, among many, was to force the OAU to urgently re-evaluate its doctrinal commitment to non-interference. At their meeting in Cairo in June 1993, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU agreed to establish within the organisation a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Resolution, and Management, effectively bringing to an end the fiction that instability in a given country was of no consequence to its neighbours. Sudans then ruler, General Omar Al-Bashir, and Eritreas Isaias Afewerki, were the two voices of dissent against this decision. From a tentative beginning, the OAU evolved rapidly in seven years to the point of its own replacement in 2000 by the African Union (AU). At its adoption in 1963, the founding Charter of the OAU complained of subversion by neighbours against one another and prohibited interference by one African country in the domestic affairs of its neighbours. It was not a very African approach to coexistence in a continent in which looking out for one another had for long been an axiom of good neighbourliness. In a dramatic departure from this position, the African Unions Constitutive Act, which was incidentally adopted at the turn of the millennium, commits the continents rulers to respect for the sanctity of human life and recognises a duty and a right of the Union to intervene in a Member State. in respect of grave circumstances, namely war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. To supervise this new commitment, the AU, as the successor to the OAU would become known, established a Peace and Security Council to promote peace, security and stability in Africa, in order to guarantee the protection and preservation of life and property, the well-being of the African people. It comprises 15 African countries elected by their peers and represented at the highest levels by their presidents, prime ministers, or kings. Underlying the mission of the AU supposedly is a commitment to a different and united way of addressing the continents security crises. In a contemporaneous retrospective on the failure of Operation Restore Hope in 1994, Ghanaian-born economist, George Ayittey, deplored contest over super-power control of Africas destiny. Cautioning that durable solutions to the continents myriad problems can only come from Africans themselves, he launched the now popular mantra about African solutions to African problems. With over 400,000 internally displaced, nearly 150,000 dispersed across Sudans borders into neighbouring countries in Chad, Central African Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimating an exodus of over 860,000 people from Khartoum and its neighbourhoods, the leaders of the African Union have not seen it fit to meet at any level, even for symbolic purposes, other than half-hearted meetings convened on Zoom at almost risible levels. With the persistence of a multiplicity of foreign stakeholders in many of the continents problems, however, the challenge always was with figuring out what kinds of problems could be described as African and at what point the solutions could be seen as African. In any event, this doctrine implied that African leaders had a responsibility to take initiative and provide leadership in the search for solutions to the continents problems. This has been missing in the three weeks since the mutual antipathies between Sudans implacable Generals descended into urban warfare in Khartoum. The result is that the AU has abdicated both initiative and ideas. With nearly 1.2 million refugees before the onset of these hostilities, Sudan housed the second largest population of refugees in Africa behind only Uganda, and the seventh largest in the world. Setting them to pasture is not going to be cost-free to Sudans neighbours, nor is that merely a humanitarian occurrence. It is also a profound security concern. Equally, the AU does not appear to have heard that some Western countries willfully shredded the passports of African nationals, while evacuating their missions in Khartoum. With over 400,000 internally displaced, nearly 150,000 dispersed across Sudans borders into neighbouring countries in Chad, Central African Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimating an exodus of over 860,000 people from Khartoum and its neighbourhoods, the leaders of the African Union have not seen it fit to meet at any level, even for symbolic purposes, other than half-hearted meetings convened on Zoom at almost risible levels. Separated by over three decades, the response of the AU to the unfolding crisis in Khartoum reprises in slow motion the self-inflicted incapacities of the OAU in Somalia. In the face of arguably the continents most serious crisis since the Rwandan genocide, the AUs response has been inexplicably somnolent. It has no plan. Chads former Foreign Minister, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who heads the Commission of the African Union in Addis Ababa, appears to be slow-walking the organisation to considerations determined by the imperatives of his home country (which shares borders with Sudan), rather the collective wellbeing of the region and the continent. Under him, the promise of the Constitutive Act is being squandered: over two-thirds of the AUs budget is funded by non-African countries and nearly half of the member states are unwilling or unable to pay their assessed budget contributions. Under Moussa Faki Mahamat, the AU increasingly acts neither African nor like a Union. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print I suspect that our reluctance to take the first meaningful step in liberating our future generations from the shackles that have held their forebears down can be traced to a lack of political will. There will be challenges, not least among which are the battle against the mono-lingual tendency of the central government, perception of English language as the global language; inadequacy or lack of trained teachers in the use of indigenous languages; under-development of orthography of some Nigerian languages; etc. Cast your mind back to your secondary school days. English was the only legitimate language of communication. There were students from the hinterland who couldnt measure up to the requirement and so had to run afoul of the law and face the inevitable sanctions. There was the case of one such student who had a problem with pronouncing any word with the fricative sound, sh. So, he would pronounce education as educasonn and attention as attensonn. Only God knows how many times he was made to pay fines for expressing himself in vernacular, as the local language was derisively tagged. On this fateful day, the long-suffering teacher decided that he would do whatever it took to cure our friend of his phonetic disability. He wrote tion on the blackboard and ordered the student to say shun. The student said, Tayon. The teacher wondered if the student had gone bunkers. Where did that come from? Where did you get tayon? He asked the distraught boy. Sir, t-i-o-n is tayon. Sorry sir. The teacher hit the ceiling. He called down all the terrors of Hades on the hapless native at the end of which the boys problem had become compounded with terror-induced stuttering. Ta-ta-ta-yon! Wherever he is today, Im sure he wouldnt be giving his grandchildren the full details of his linguistic apprenticeship. Suffice it to say that he graduated with his fricative affliction and went on to make something admirable of his life. Today, the raging discussion in many intellectual circles, especially online, is how to deploy more native resources into the development of our children with the ultimate aim of producing surefooted achievers who can hold their own against the best from other parts of the world. Would it be worth our while to try to implement Professor Babs Fafunwas recommendation of using our various local languages as the medium of instruction in schools, especially at the primary level? Fafunwa actually conducted an experiment to validate his thesis that the use of mother tongue in the education of young people is necessary for cognitive, cultural and nationalistic reasons. His famous Ife Six Year Primary Project (SYPP), carried out between 1970 and 1979, established that the Nigerian child will benefit immensely if schooled in the mother tongue. Fafunwas findings ran against the accepted wisdom of the times that the English was the only possible language that could handle the sophisticated process of imparting education. I once had the privilege of asking Professor Fafunwa about the feasibility of his campaign for the use of the mother tongue in education. Ever genial and ready to share ideas, he asked if he could shock me. I told him to try. He then said, Do you know that those village children youre talking about will learn English faster if English as a subject is taught to them in their mother tongue? That truly shocked me. When he was appointed as Minister of Education during the Babangida years, Professor Fafunwa tried to practice what he preached by encouraging the use of the mother tongue for teaching in primary schools to enable the children glide painlessly from the local language they were used to, and the colonial one they were being forced to assimilate. The issue was beyond patriotism, explained the celebrated don. It was how nature had ordered cognition. If children are taught in the same language their parents speak to them at home, they would learn in a relaxed atmosphere without the obstacle of transliteration. Several other scholarly studies have since been conducted to validate Fafunwas postulation. The renewed interest in the subject will further help in redefining our approach to education and the cognitive tools we deploy. Patrick O. Akinsanya and Damilare G. Tella, in their scholarly presentation, quoted Fafunwa as saying that since the English child still had problems in understanding his or her language, the Nigerian child suffered double jeopardy because he or she has to learn the second language first, before using it as a tool for learning, and this hampered his or her mental and social development. When you separate home language and school language, you trigger what has been described as an epistemological torture for the African child who is first exposed to his mother tongue at the early stage of his education, and whose in-built learning mechanism is internalising and structuring the grammar and technique of his mother tongue, but he is all of a sudden introduced to a foreign language as he begins schooling. This will maim him emotionally and have ripple effects on his mental and social development. I once had the privilege of asking Professor Fafunwa about the feasibility of his campaign for the use of the mother tongue in education. Ever genial and ready to share ideas, he asked if he could shock me. I told him to try. He then said, Do you know that those village children youre talking about will learn English faster if English as a subject is taught to them in their mother tongue? That truly shocked me. How do you learn English from a Hausa-speaking teacher, for example? But the good professor went on to explain the results of his experiments, which had been replicated by other scholars with similar results The first nine years of formal education (Primary 1-JSS3) are crucial for the educational development of a child. The problem in Africa is not just the structures established by the colonialists to serve their own purpose during colonialism but the sustenance of such archaic structures by the African political elite, who erroneously think that multilingualism is a weakness, rather than a strength. All that could be traced to inferiority complex or the black-skin-white-mask syndrome, which makes the African elite deify the chains that have been holding him down for centuries, while despising his own umbilical linguistic ties. According to T. Ngugi, colonialism taught African children to associate their mother tongues with stupidity, barbarism, humiliation and low status, and the language of the colonisers, English, with intelligence and success. This has made the educated African think that only the language of the colonisers is strong enough for imparting knowledge. In 1953, UNESCO endorsed he use of mother tongue, stating that, It is axiomatic that the best medium for teaching a child is his mother tongue. Psychologically, It is the system of meaningful signs that in his mind works automatically for expression and understanding. Sociologically, it is a means of identification among the members of the community to which he belongs. Educationally, he learns more quickly through it than through an unfamiliar linguistic medium. A further development of this faulty thesis is the contention that African languages are not sophisticated enough to convey scientific ideas. That is a fallacy that should be laughed at, as evidenced by Leopold Senghors translation of Einsteins Theory of Relativity into Wolof, a lingua franca of Senegal. Other African languages, which have a long history of orthography, can easily be used for teaching the most complex of concepts. Another expert, Professor Bamgbose, believes that one of the reasons for lack of belief among Nigerians is the failure to implement the three years use of the indigenous language policy, as most people have never witnessed or experienced the use of the mother tongue in instruction in a formal setting and have unconsciously downplayed it in the informal setting where they have witnessed it. Whereas, they entrust their vehicles, electronic appliances and gadgets to artisans who have acquired the skills through the use of mother tongue and purchase furniture, shoes, etc, made by these sets of people with their money. Yet, they argue vehemently against the use of mother tongue in class, he notes. In 1953, UNESCO endorsed he use of mother tongue, stating that, It is axiomatic that the best medium for teaching a child is his mother tongue. Psychologically, It is the system of meaningful signs that in his mind works automatically for expression and understanding. Sociologically, it is a means of identification among the members of the community to which he belongs. Educationally, he learns more quickly through it than through an unfamiliar linguistic medium. There is now a treasure trove of literature on the similarity between Ifa divination of the Yoruba of South-West Nigeria and the computer. Ifa predated Christianity, Islam and the computer age by thousands of years. Although the alienated modern African may treat it as an obsolete relic of our savage past, its relevance to modern technological advancement is now being propagated by outsiders. If foreign languages can be used to explain Ifas binary system and geomantic revelations, why cant Yoruba language be used to teach Chemistry? The Chinese, Indians, Japanese and others in Asia have shown us that there is no single route to development. They unashamedly use what they have to navigate their way to their developmental destination. Nearer home, Ethiopia and Eritrea are two African countries noted for their own alphabet, which predates many civilisations. If Russians can educate her children in Russian, why cant the Ethiopian use Amharic? I suspect that our reluctance to take the first meaningful step in liberating our future generations from the shackles that have held their forebears down can be traced to a lack of political will. There will be challenges, not least among which are the battle against the mono-lingual tendency of the central government, perception of English language as the global language; inadequacy or lack of trained teachers in the use of indigenous languages; under-development of orthography of some Nigerian languages; etc. But, first, you have to believe in the dream. You wont know that science can understand vernacular until you summon the political will. Wole Olaoye is a public relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who is also Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, attends the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and related activities upon invitation, in London, Britain, from May 5 to May 6, 2023. (Xinhua) LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of the United Kingdom (UK) and related activities upon invitation from May 5 to May 6. Han, who is also Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, conveyed to King Charles III President Xi's sincere congratulations and best wishes to the King and Queen Camilla, the British royal family and the British people, and thanked the British side for its thoughtful arrangements for his visit to the country. Charles III asked Han to convey his heartfelt thanks and cordial greetings to President Xi, thanked the president and his wife Professor Peng Liyuan for sending congratulatory messages to him and the Queen, and welcomed Han's attendance to the coronation ceremony as President Xi's special representative. Noting that the Britain-China relationship is very important, Charles III voiced hope that the two countries will carry out further cooperation in a wide range of fields such as green and low carbon, sustainable development and climate change, and expected China to continue to play a leading role in green development and other fields. During his visit, Han also had brief meetings with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Prince of Wales William, and held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden. Han said that in the era of globalization, the economies of different countries are deeply connected. "China is continuing to promote high-quality development and will further promote high-level opening up, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with the British side for mutual benefit and common development." Hailing that China-Britain cooperation has a good foundation and great potential, Han said that in recent years, bilateral trade and investment have continued to grow. The UK has become an important destination for Chinese companies to invest in Europe. "It is hoped that the British government will create a fair, just and non-discriminatory investment environment for Chinese companies," said the vice president. Britain is also an important destination for Chinese students and tourists, Han said, calling on the British side to provide a good and safe study and living environment for Chinese students as well as safety and convenience for Chinese tourists. Both China and Britain are supporters, promoters and beneficiaries of economic globalization, multilateralism and free trade, Han said, noting that China is willing to conduct exchanges with the British side on a wide range of issues on the premise of mutual respect and equal treatment, enhance mutual understanding, narrow differences, and jointly promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations for the benefit of the two countries and the world. The British side said that both Britain and China are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and play important roles in international affairs. The British side attaches great importance to developing relations with China, regards Han's visit as an important opportunity to promote bilateral relations, and looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges with China and further expanding economic cooperation, they said. They stressed that the British side is also ready to strengthen cooperation with China on a wider range of issues such as health, climate change and global stability, make joint efforts to build a stable and constructive relationship, and let Chinese companies, students and tourists feel welcome and safe. On May 4, Han attended a welcome dinner hosted by Chinese and British business communities in London. In his speech, Han said the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has drawn a grand blueprint for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. "China's development enjoys a strong leadership core, and its domestic and foreign policies are highly consistent and stable," Han said, noting that no matter how the world landscape changes, China will bring more opportunities through its own development and add more certainty and positive energy to the world. He commended the important and positive role the British business community plays in promoting exchanges and cooperation with China, expressing hope that it will continue to contribute wisdom and strength to advancing bilateral relations. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who is also Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, meets with British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden in London, Britain. Han attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and related activities upon invitation from May 5 to May 6. (Xinhua/Li Tao) The marriage institution is forever one of honour, and established by God. It cannot be faulted. The problem is always with us, the church. For as long as the gospel continues to be watered down; pastors continue to adulterate the gospel; pop stars and movie actors continue to stand on podiums, with avarice flowing out of their mouths, the final products from our churches, will be so-called believers who are half-baked, if they are ever baked at all. Consequently, marriages will continue to be the victim, splitting apart like packs of cards. Except the church wakes up to her primary responsibility of preaching the true gospel that is rooted in the values and virtues of the Christ, the future of lasting marriage in the Christian community is in grave danger. It is important to start this conversation with this statement, the marriage of the believer is the dashboard of the church. As a trained researcher and consultant, I have had the privilege of creating, improving, and monitoring dashboards. From my days at a world-renowned mining company in South Africa, where we monitored dashboards to track the quality of diamonds to my foray in the process engineering field, where we charted and graphed the performances of processes to create dashboards, dashboards have always trilled me. Think of the speedometer of your vehicle. That is a type of dashboard measuring the speed at which your vehicle is driving and presenting it to you in a simplified manner. A dashboard offers high-level information in one view that end users can use to answer a single question. A dashboard simply summarises the performance of a system or process, using graphs and charts or any other barometer. I had to go theoretical to deepen the knowledge of people who are not familiar with the term, dashboard. In actual fact, things are not really different in the spiritual realm. What you see in the physical is a dashboard for understanding what is happening in the spiritual. I was asked to comment on the reasons why my generation seems to be more consistent and resilient in our walk with Jesus, unlike many young men and women in the present generation who have been shifting grounds for various heretic movements. My response was succinct and precise: my generation was raised under pastors who, for the most, were called by God, and not by their stomachs. The Bible makes is much clearer that, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). In other words, what you see a man become on the outwards is a dashboard for what is going on in his heart. If you relate this to marriage, the christian marriage is like a dashboard, and what you see there is a reflection of what is happening in the church. In other words, our marriages are to a very large extent, the reflection of the quality of our churches. Recently, I was interviewed by a gentleman who was putting together a compilation of some of my views on socio-cultural and religious matters. I was asked to comment on the reasons why my generation seems to be more consistent and resilient in our walk with Jesus, unlike many young men and women in the present generation who have been shifting grounds for various heretic movements. My response was succinct and precise: my generation was raised under pastors who, for the most, were called by God, and not by their stomachs. I went further to tell my host that the churches we attended in the 80s and early 90s were largely focused on the message of salvation and discipleship. And nothing can be more accurate. The rate at which marriages have failed and are failing is becoming more than alarming; it is now a pandemic. And if the focus is on the christian marriage, then we cannot divorce the quality of the Christians who are going into these marriages from the present pandemic. Here is the relationship we need to establish: the church, the christian marriage, and Christians in marriages are all connected. The problem is not with the marriage institution but with the church and the Christians that the church is producing. It was Dr Tony Evans, in one of his epic books on kingdom marriages, who said something that has never left me, a kingdom husband and a kingdom wife must first have been a kingdom bachelor and a kingdom spinster. In other words, we cannot just manufacture a kingdom husband right inside a marriage, if that man had not been a kingdom bachelor before entering the marriage. The same applies to women. As I round off this treatise, I need to remind you of the kind of society we now have in the world; one filled with twisted logics and distorted views of genders; a society full of aggressive proponents of role redefinition in marriages; a society filled up of God haters and proponents of confused sexual orientations. And it is going to get worse, if biblical prophecies are anything to go by. Trying to change people within marriages has never proven to be effective. For the most part, it has always backfired into myriads of crises. We must raise our young men and women in the sound truth of Gods word, eliminating greed, selfishness, carnality and other works of the flesh from them prior to pushing them into marriage. But how can a greedy pastor produce a contented member? An unhealthy church system will spill out unhealthy couples that will eventually build unhealthy marriages. The marriage institution is forever one of honour, and established by God. It cannot be faulted. The problem is always with us, the church. For as long as the gospel continues to be watered down; pastors continue to adulterate the gospel; pop stars and movie actors continue to stand on podiums, with avarice flowing out of their mouths, the final products from our churches, will be so-called believers who are half-baked, if they are ever baked at all. Consequently, marriages will continue to be the victim, splitting apart like packs of cards. As I round off this treatise, I need to remind you of the kind of society we now have in the world; one filled with twisted logics and distorted views of genders; a society full of aggressive proponents of role redefinition in marriages; a society filled up of God haters and proponents of confused sexual orientations. And it is going to get worse, if biblical prophecies are anything to go by. This now makes it more than mandatory for the church to wake up and come back to her place of authority, wield her weapon of truth, clean up her places of worship, and start the mass re-education and re-orientation of young men and women with the message of discipleship. No genuine disciple of Christ will abuse her husband or cheat on his wife, with impunity. No genuine disciple of Christ will be selfish in marriage with impunity. No genuine disciple of Christ will perpetually harbour unforgiveness and bitterness against his or her spouse. If at all they fall, being human, the love of Christ in them will constrain them to repent and change their ways. It is eternally impossible for two people in genuine love with the Jesus of the Bible and who truly fear God to fail in marriage you can quote me on this anywhere. Ayo Akerele, a leadership and system development strategist, and minister of the word, writes from Canada and can be reached through ayoakerele2012@gmail.com. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As long as we refuse to change our mindset and bring forward our brightest and best minds to make their contributions to the leading and running of our nation, and as long as we allow religious and tribal bigotry; envy, insular and provincial thinking; and hatred for one another to determine the choices we make, our country will not move forward and become the great and mighty nation that God destined and purposed it to be. When it comes to leadership, surely it is the heart and character of a man that matters and not his religion, tribe or colour. For those still fixated on religion and tribe when it comes to politics, kindly consider the following. The United Kingdom, our erstwhile colonial master and a country in which 80% of the people are white-skinned and Christian, now has a brown-skinned, ethnic minority, Hindu Prime Minister; a brown-skinned, ethnic minority, Muslim First Minister of Scotland; a brown-skinned, ethnic minority, Muslim Mayor of London; a brown-skinned, ethnic minority Muslim Home Affairs Minister; and a black-skinned, ethnic minority Christian as its Foreign Minister. Again King Charles III, their new monarch, who was crowned yesterday, will no longer be addressed as the Defender of the (Christian) Faith, as his royal predecessors in office were addressed for the last 1,000 years, but rather the Defender of ALL Faiths. Despite these changes, the white-skinned Christian majority of the United Kingdom did not wail, lament, cry, throw tantrums, scream that they have been cheated or marginalised or claim that the world is coming to an end. It is time for us to revaluate our thinking and our values in Nigeria. It is time for us to seek for the best within our ranks to lead and serve and not to constantly indulge in the pettiness of only considering or supporting those who are members of our religious faith, who speak our language, who come from our tribe or who are our personal friends. As long as we refuse to change our mindset and bring forward our brightest and best minds to make their contributions to the leading and running of our nation, and as long as we allow religious and tribal bigotry; envy, insular and provincial thinking; and hatred for one another to determine the choices we make, our country will not move forward and become the great and mighty nation that God destined and purposed it to be. When cowards and sheep are asked to lead and the chicken-hearted are placed in positions of power and authority, whilst lions are pushed to the background and ignored simply because they do not share your faith, are not from your tribe or are objects of your envy and hate, your country will suffer for it. This is because sheep do not have the requisite fortitude, vision, tenacity of purpose, heart, strength, insight, knowledge, foresight and courage to lead, fight, persevere, overcome and win battles. They are not only losers but they are simply incapable of bringing home the bacon or delivering the goods. If Moses had been a sheep and not a lion, the children of Israel would have still been living in bondage in Egypt till today. If David had been a sheep and not a lion, the Philistines would have been in power in the Middle East today and there would have been no state of Israel. It is the heart of a man and his love for and fear of God that matters, and that is important, and not his religious faith. If he has the heart of a sheep he will lose, but if he fears and loves God and has the heart of a lion, he will win. God chose both Moses and David to lead because of their hearts and their love and commitment to His cause and to that of their people. These are the types of men we need for Nigeria and that is why millions of us lined up behind and fought for our President-elect and Vice President-elect. It is time for us to forget about religion and other petty considerations when it comes to politics: let men and women with the heart of a lion and the brightest and the best lead our nation, regardless of what their faith or tribe may be. That is the only way we can break the yoke of underdevelopment that has entrapped us. That is the only way that we can rest assured of entering our Promise Land. Femi Fani-Kayode is the Director of Special Media Projects, Special Media Operations and New Media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Dan Karami, a notorious banditry kingpin operating in Zamfara and Katsina States, has stopped communities from using the Dauran weekly market a week after two Fulanis were reportedly killed extra-judicially. Dauran, a commercial town, in Zurmi Local Government of Zamfara State has one of the biggest markets in northern Zamfara. It is open for business every Sunday. Three local traders who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES over the phone and on condition of anonymity said the market was near empty on Sunday. Though all three sources said soldiers and policemen have taken over strategic places to forestall the anticipated attack, they said several traders stayed away for safety reasons. I went to the market but I was told that Dan Karami has stopped residents of some communities loyal to him not to go to the market. So, I quickly returned because it only means the bandits leader might be planning to attack the market, one of the sources said. He said he had just returned to his house in Zurmi town. A youth leader in Zurmi, Muhammad Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that Mr Karami on Saturday evening informed some residents around his camp that they shouldnt go to the Dauran weekly market. I spoke with the village head of one of the areas Dan Karami spoke to and the monarch confirmed that the terrorist told them to instruct their people not to go to the market, Mr Abubakar said over the phone. Some of these communities are not hostile to him and he in return has not been attacking them. So, he considers them part of his people. He said some of the communities are under Rukudawa, Birnin Tsaba, Yan Buki, Mayasa, Kuturu, Kwashabawa, Gidan Jaja and Gurbin Bore. Its disheartening because Ive seen several of them (traders) returning home with their goods. But we thank God because weve alerted the soldiers and theyve gone there so, Im sure Dan Karami will not come out to attack the community, he said. Extra-judicial killing Mr Abubakar said the terrorists leader is still in a rage over the killing of two Fulani men by vigilante members in the Dauran market last week. Mr Karami, who is not Fulani himself, has taken it a duty to protect Fulani. His fighters are all Fulanis. Last Sunday, the vigilante group members saw two Fulani young men that they said were bandits and killed them instantly. You know the existing tension between the Hausas and Fulanis here. Ever since that happened last week, we knew one of the bandits leaders would retaliate, he said. The police spokesperson in the state, Mohammed Shehu, didnt respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the development. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Twenty-four days after hoodlums attacked a popular phone market, Tarmac, in Abeokuta, the police said three suspects have been taken into custody over the incident. The miscreants had on 12th April attacked the facility, shot dead a trader, destroyed properties and stole phones and laptops. However, some witnesses said they were members of a cult gang chasing a member of a rival gang. The shot trader was identified as Dayo Bankole. The police said the suspects, Ajayi Kayode, Habeeb Idowu and Temitayo Oresanya were arrested in the Abule Ake area of Kemta in the state capital. In a statement he issued on Sunday, the police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said they were arrested on a tip-off to the Kemta divisional headquarters. Mr Oyeyemi said two of the suspects have confessed their participation in the incident, while the third, Mr Oresanya, who confirmed to be a member of the same cult group with them, claimed that he didnt participate in the operation. The suspects, Ajayi Kayode, Habeeb Idowu, and Temitayo Oresanya were arrested, following information received by policemen attached to Kemta divisional headquarters that the suspects have been hibernating at Abule Ake area of Kemta for quite some time now to evade Police arrest. Upon the information, the DPO Kemta division, CSP Adeniyi Adekunle, mobilized his men and moved to the scene where the three suspects were apprehended. Two of the suspects have confessed their participation in the robbery incident, while the third one Temitayo Oresanya, though affirmed to be a member of the same cult group with them, claimed that he didnt participate in the robbery. He stated further that Ajayi Kayode and Habeeb Idowu came to his house at Abule Ake to hide from the police after the robbery incident. The Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Oladimeji, commended members of the public for giving useful information to the police. He ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Departments (CIID) for discreet investigation. He also ordered a manhunt for the remaining members of the gang. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print NORTH SUTTON, N.H., May 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released by Fluoride Action Network (FAN) based on emails it has obtained through Freedom of Information reveals the tactics dentists are now using to try to raise doubts about the growing scientific evidence that fluoride can reduce child IQ. Dentists are reviving a "blame the victim" tactic first used by the lead industry over 60 years ago. Historian Gerald Markowitz described a 1957 meeting of the Lead Industries Association (LIA) where its director: "defined lead poisoning as a problem of slums. And these are his words ineducable parents. In a private letter, he made clear who he meant by ineducable parents. He was talking Negro and Puerto Rican parents. And so he was in that meeting really blaming the victims blaming the parents of children for not preventing lead poisoning." Later, the president of the lead industry's research organization blamed the children themselves. He claimed "reverse causality" could explain why children with high lead had low IQ. He argued that blood lead was higher in low IQ children not because the lead had caused the reduction in IQ, but because low IQ children ate more lead paint chips. Scientists easily disproved this, but LIA kept repeating it. Emails reveal that California State Dental Director Jayanth Kumar (who admits "my job is to promote fluoridation") says that in studies in China, where fluoride exposures cause high rates of unsightly dental fluorosis, the smarter people move away to areas with lower fluoride, thereby reducing the average IQ of the population of those who remain. Not only is Kumar's "reverse causality" explanation pure speculation, it is easily disproven by studies in areas where fluoride reduced IQ but exposures were too low to cause high rates of unsightly dental fluorosis [Green 2019, Bashash 2017]. The "blame the victim" tactic, now with fluoride, has the same goal as when the lead industry used it: to delay action for years by manufacturing doubt. FAN Science Advisor, Paul Connett PhD, warns: "Squandering years in debate on fluoride risks the same harm to brains of millions of children that resulted from delayed recognition of low-level lead harm. The evidence on fluoride is more than sufficient to take protective action now." SOURCE Fluoride Action Network NORTH SUTTON, N.H., May 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The Fluoride Action Network (FAN) has issued a report on the reaction of dental lobby groups to the release of a long-delayed government report on fluoride's effects on children's developing brains. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) report found 52 of 55 human studies showed lower child IQ with higher fluoride. FAN uncovered, through Freedom of Information, emails showing fluoride-promoting government and private dental organizations have resorted to the tactics of industriesespecially the lead industryto defend against scientific evidence of harm. The dental interests launched their own studies led by fluoridation-promoting dentists with no background in toxicology, brain development, or IQ, which predictably found no effect (Broadbent 2015, Miranda 2021, Do 2022, Kumar 2023). Two German studies hid their conflicts of interest (Guth 2020, Guth 2021). The senior authors have undeclared ties to toothpaste manufacturers, pharmaceutical, sugary beverage, processed food, and chemical industries. Shoot The Messenger The dental interests have gone further and copied the most egregious tactic of the lead industry: attacking independent scientists with baseless accusations of scientific misconduct. Thirty years ago the lead industry used this against the leading researcher on the effects of childhood lead on IQ, Dr. Herbert Needleman (Needleman 1979, Needleman 1982, Needleman 2004). Needleman was always vindicated but the attacks took a toll on him personally and greatly hampered his ability to conduct research (Bill Moyers 2002 video, Denworth 2008, Markowitz 2013). Dental interests are now using this tactic against scientists who conducted the most rigorous fluoride-IQ studies. Not satisfied to attack just one scientist, the dental interests lodged formal complaints against all nine members of a research team from five different universities. All five universities completely exonerated the scientists, but their work was severely disrupted by the need to defend themselves against the false accusations, on top of the personal stress that accompanies charges that can wreck a scientific career. The fluoridation advocates that filed the complaints had been advised by their own legal counsel that the accusations were false, yet they filed them anyway. With the same unsavory tactics trying to undermine the science, and the same toxic effect of lowering children's IQ, it can be said: "Fluoride is the New Lead". SOURCE Fluoride Action Network NEW YORK, May 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities Trinseo PLC (NYSE: TSE) between May 3, 2021 and March 27, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important June 20, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the Firm. SO WHAT: If you purchased Trinseo 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 Trinseo class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13711 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] 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 June 20, 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 firm's 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) the Company's Bristol, Pennsylvania plant had a troubled safety record while under prior ownership and continued to be unsafe after the Company acquired it; (2) defendants did not sufficiently disclose specific risks related to conducting operations at that plant; (3) operating a chemical plant with an unsafe history and presently unsafe operations exposed the Company to a heightened risk of a chemical spill or other adverse event; and (4) 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 Trinseo class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13711 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] 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 investor's 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 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. ADEN, Yemen, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Clashes broke out on Saturday between government forces and Houthi militia in Yemen's southwestern governorate of Taiz, resulting in multiple casualties, a government military official said to Xinhua. The conflict, which lasted for several hours, was triggered by an attempted infiltration by Houthi fighters into positions held by Yemeni government forces on the eastern outskirts of Taiz province, stated the local military source, who requested anonymity. The government forces successfully repelled the Houthi assault, resulting in the death of four Houthi fighters and injuries to five others, the official confirmed, adding that two soldiers from the government side lost their lives during the fighting. The Houthi group has yet to respond to the conflict. The recent fighting in Taiz coincides with attempts of regional and global powers to make headway in diplomatic endeavors towards restarting negotiations between the warring factions in Yemen, with the aim of renewing a prior humanitarian truce that was facilitated by the United Nations. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebel fighters invaded a number of northern provinces and drove the Yemeni government out of the capital city of Sanaa. The years-long military conflict has resulted in a dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, with millions needing assistance and access to basic necessities. MELBOURNE, Australia, May 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today announces that it has entered into an agreement with Bayer AG (Bayer) to supply Illuccix (TLX591-CDx, kit for the preparation of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide injection)[1] for the Phase III ARASTEP study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05794906). This global study is investigating the efficacy of Bayer's androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) darolutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) versus ADT alone in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, in patients with high-risk biochemical recurrence who have no evidence of metastatic disease by conventional imaging and a positive PSMA-PET/CT[2] at baseline. The study will enrol up to 750 patients across various sites such as in Europe, Japan and the United States. The more sensitive PSMA imaging may identify prostate cancer lesions not detectable by conventional imaging such as computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bone scans. Telix Chief Medical Officer, Dr Colin Hayward stated, "We are pleased to supply Bayer and a number of clinical sites in this important study, reflective of Telix's unique commitment to delivering advanced prostate cancer imaging globally. The use of PSMA-PET/CT in this setting is illustrative of the potential for this imaging modality to move beyond diagnosis to a disease management tool." About Bayer AG Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com. BAYER, the Bayer Cross and NUBEQA are registered trademarks of Bayer. About darolutamide Darolutamide is an oral ARi with a distinct chemical structure that binds to the receptor with high affinity and exhibits strong antagonistic activity, thereby inhibiting the receptor function and the growth of prostate cancer cells. The product is approved under the brand name Nubeqa in more than 80 countries around the world for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). It is also approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in a number of markets including the U.S., Japan, China and the EU. The compound is also being investigated in further studies across various stages of prostate cancer. Darolutamide is developed jointly by Bayer and Orion Corporation, a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company. About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in the United States, Europe (Belgium and Switzerland), and Japan. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that aims to address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). Visit www.telixpharma.com for further information about Telix, including details of the latest share price, announcements made to the ASX, investor and analyst presentations, news releases, event details and other publications that may be of interest. You can also follow Telix on Twitter (@TelixPharma) and LinkedIn. About Illuccix Telix's lead product, Illuccix (gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11) injection), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),[3] and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA),[4] and by Health Canada.[5] Telix is also progressing a marketing authorisation application for this investigational candidate in the United Kingdom and the European Union.[6] Telix Investor Relations Ms. Kyahn Williamson Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited SVP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Legal Notices This announcement is not intended as promotion or advertising directed to any healthcare professional or other audience in any country worldwide (including Australia, United States and the United Kingdom). This announcement may include forward-looking statements that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "outlook", "forecast" and "guidance", or other similar words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other risks and considerations that exist and affect the Company's business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telix's business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Telix's preclinical and clinical studies, and Telix's research and development programs; Telix's ability to advance product candidates into, enrol and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; the commercialisation of Telix's product candidates, if or when they have been approved; estimates of Telix's expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telix's financial performance; developments relating to Telix's competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telix's product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telix's actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, Telix does not undertake to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. Readers should read this announcement together with our material risks, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the ASX and on our website. 2023 Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited. The Telix Pharmaceuticals and Illuccix name and logo are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates (all rights reserved). [1] For regulatory reasons, Telix refers to its 68 Ga-PSMA-11 kit as Illuccix in markets where it has received regulatory approval, and TLX591-CDx when referring to its use in both approved and unapproved markets. Registrations vary country to country. Always refer to local labelling. [2] Imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen with positron emission tomography/computed tomography. [3] Telix ASX disclosure 20 December 2021. [4] Telix ASX disclosure 2 November 2021. [5] Telix ASX disclosure 14 October 2022. [6] Telix ASX disclosure 3 April 2023. SOURCE Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Bengaluru, May 6 : The Congress on Saturday lodged a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bengaluru for his statement linking the party (Congress) with terrorism. The delegation headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar and senior Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao lodged the complaint at High Grounds police station in Bengaluru and demanded lodging of FIR and investigation. The Congress leaders claimed that PM Modi stated at a public rally while campaigning in Karnataka that the Congress party is supporting terrorism and demanded legal action against him. Dinesh Gundu Rao, speaking to reporters after lodging complaint, charged "No Prime Minister of the country has given such a speech. The intention of PM Modi's speech is to provoke communal feelings. He has used lowly language." He further stated that PM Modi claimed falsely that the Congress party is linked to terrorism. "This is a violation of the People's Representation Act." "The Election Commission should also initiate action against him for his speech. If PM Modi has documents and gumption, let him prove the links of Congress party with terrorism. Otherwise PM Modi will have to tender an apology," Dinesh Gundu Rao said. Sitapur, May 7 : In a case of honour killing, a man in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district slit the throat of his niece who had eloped and married a man of another caste. The man surrendered at a police station on Saturday with the murder weapon. The incident took place at Bajnagar village under the Pisawan Police Circle. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sitapur, N.P. Singh said the 20-year-old woman had an affair with Roop Chandra Maurya, who was from the village and married him. When Shyamu Singh, the woman's uncle, came to know about their relationship, he sent her to Ghaziabad where her father Putan Singh Tomar worked, the officer said. However, after few months, Maurya reached Ghaziabad and he and the woman eloped. They got married at a court in November last year, the ASP said. He said Maurya and the woman returned to the village few days ago. Shyamu Singh, on Saturday, reached the house where the couple was living and dragged the woman out. He slit her throat with a sickle, the officer said. Shyamu Singh surrendered himself at the Pisavan police station along with the murder weapon, N.P. Singh said. Shyamu Singh claimed that he killed her as she had eloped and married a man who was already married and from a different caste, the ASP said. Police have lodged a case and arrested Shyamu Singh. Pilibhit, May 7 : Two persons, accused of raping a minor, were caught by villagers, tied to a tree and thrashed in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district. They were later handed over to the police. According to reports, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two men aged between 22 and 25 years in a village falling under the limits of Seramau North police circle in Pilibhit. On hearing the victim's screams, the locals rushed towards the spot and caught the duo while they were attempting to flee. They were tied to a tree and thrashed. Later, they were handed over to the police. The victim's brother has filed a police complaint, following which an FIR was lodged in the matter. "The accused have been booked under IPC sections 376 D (gangrape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and appropriate sections of the POCSO Act. The girl has been sent for medical examination to the district women's hospital," said a police spokesman. New Delhi, May 7 : In an effort to encourage female participation in various sectors, the government has decided that the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path will see participation only by women in march pasts, tableaux and other performances. The Defence Ministry, in this regard, has written a letter to the armed forces and other government departments associated with the parade, stating that the marching contingents, military bands accompanying the marching contingents and tableaux will have only women participants. The letter comes as a surprise for several senior military officers and has also created confusion. Many believe that there aren't enough women available in forces for this. The current situation is that some marching contingents consist of men only. Significantly, the armed forces have taken several measures, including assigning command roles to women, grooming them for future leadership roles and allowing them to join artillery regiments, to promote gender equality. According to information, the decision to encourage women's participation in the parade was taken during a meeting held on February 7. The meeting, chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, was attended by senior representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Education. About a month after the meeting, the Defence Ministry formally issued a letter to participating forces, ministries and departments on March 1. In the letter, emphasis was laid on the role of women in the parade to be held next year. The letter noted that after detailed deliberations, it has been decided that the contingents (marching and bands), tableaux and other displays during the parade on the Kartavya Path will have only women participants. All the participating ministries, departments and organisations have also been asked to initiate preparations for the same and share the progress made with the Defence Ministry from time to time. Some senior officials believe that the government will do what is practical, and for the time being it is difficult to have only female participants in all marching and band contingents. Significantly, the marching contingents of the infantry in the Republic Day parade constitute the largest number of personnel. Officials argue that women have not yet been included in the infantry. Officers who lead marching contingents consist of personnel below officer rank (PBOR) and the Army has the PBOR cadre women personnel only in the Military Police Corps, they assert. However, it is not that women have no representation in force or that women are marginalised. They are being assigned roles equivalent to men in all three services - they fly fighter aircraft, serve on warships, are inducted into the PBOR cadre, are eligible for permanent commission, are assigned command roles, and also women officers are undergoing training at the National Defence Academy. Despite this, infantry, tanks and combat positions still do not have that participation of women. According to the Indian Army, Colonel Geeta Rana has recently become the first woman army officer to command an independent unit in the sensitive Ladakh region bordering China. Apart from this, for the first time, the army has deployed a woman officer Captain Shiva Chauhan in the world's highest and coldest battlefield Siachen this year itself. The army has also deployed its largest contingent of 27 women peacekeepers to the disputed region of Abyei in Sudan. San Francisco, May 7 : A 17-year-old girl was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting in Chico, the US' California state, police said. The girl was taken to a hospital and died there. Five others were wounded with non-life-threatening injuries, the police was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. They were shot at a party just off the campus of California State University Chico. Officers responded to the shooting at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday and arrested one suspect on the spot. The shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and posed no ongoing threat to the community, police said at a briefing. No information on the shooter was released yet. Yuksam : , May 7 (IANS) If we are what we eat, then what are we? This collection of essays, 'Turmeric Nation: A Passage Through India's Tastes' (Speaking Tiger) looks at food through tradition, religion, history, habits, genetics, geography and habits by author Shylashri Shankar, a Delhi-based senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research serves as an assertion that it is only through hybridity and not uniformity that the true essence of India comes forth. "And I actually feel very strongly about it. The fact that we are not uniform truly defines us, and this holds true for our food culture as well," Shankar tells IANS at the ongoing first edition of Sikkim Art and Literature Festival (May 6-8) organized by the state government in collaboration with Teamwork Arts. While the country may have been subjected to several conquests in the past, she feels none of them completely flattened the way of life here but surely adopted several cultural aspects of this land. Citing the examples of Mughals, who introduced spices in their food after coming in contact with local food here, and developed many new recipes she adds, "By the way, it is Muglai food that is known as Indian food abroad. It is incorrect to talk about the notion of food without taking into account the way it incorporates so many different meanings and makes it is own -- that is where the taste comes from." Looking at different identities created by food as mosaics and examining diverse mosaics, the author also looks at food through different religions. "While Muslims used Unnani and Hindus, Ayurvedic principles, in the past, before modern medicine took over, there was also a holistic way of what to eat. The cooking style was about balance. While having a mango drink, you needed to balance it with something else, or no fish in the rainy season etc. It is also about how it impacts many things about our personalities and the way we return to our childhood foods. You keep returning to comfort food but also experiment. And let us not forget, in the past, food was a major marker of one's identity -- caste, religion, and hierarchy. The Brahmins would not eat non-vegetarian, while Kshatriyas and others would." But what made a political analyst write about food? Shankar asserts it has always held a peculiar fascination for her, and for the past 25 years, she has been reading food memoirs and recipe books -- trying out new things at any given time. Calling herself a novice, she feels the questions she has would be similar to what a lot of other people too, the author adds, "And I just followed those queries into different streams for this book. I went to science, anthropology, and archaeology and looked at the ways the scholars had answered the questions. That is what makes 'Turmeric Nation' slightly different -- the approach of as a novice -- so it is highly experimental, thus some essays are better than the others." And now the author wants to focus on something she has always been fascinated by -- crime fiction. In fact, her manuscript is already with her agent in London. "However, it has been really hard to give up my training as an academician. While the latter requires you to be upfront, crime fiction demands you hold on till the end." (Sukant Deepak can be contacted at sukant.d@ians.in) Lucknow, May 7 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has launched a novel initiative in the form of the 'School Health Program'. Under the pilot project, the School Health Program has been started by Lucknow Smart City in three schools. A digital health report card for the overall physical and mental well-being of 1,765 municipal school students is also being prepared under the project. Along with this, the benefit of health insurance worth Rs 25,000 is being given to these children. The programme is likely to be implemented in the state's other nine smart cities also after the successful completion of the pilot project. This innovative effort has been started by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner and Lucknow Smart City Chairperson Dr Roshan Jacob and Municipal Commissioner, and Chief Executive Officer of Lucknow Smart City Indrajit Singh has executed this work to register health tech startup STUFIT under Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy. Dr Roshan Jacob said that this startup had done a lot of work in Lucknow during Covid. In Smart City, provisions have been made to give responsibility to those startups who bring good programs for the public, including health, education or technology. This program is a slightly better version than the earlier one for the health of children. In this, school mapping is done and the health department team visits schools for check-up of children under National Child Health. STUFIT director Dr S. Haider said that there is a 30 to 35-member mobile health team of doctors, paramedics, health volunteers as well as team coordinators, that check each child according to their expertise and make a digital health report card of the children. At present, no school in India has digital health report card or health insurance facility for children. Under this pilot project, he further said that three municipal schools, including Aminabad Inter College, Kashmiri Mohalla Girls Inter College and Kashmiri Mohalla Montessori School have been given the responsibility of health check-up of 1,765 children. The team is making digital health cards by doing desk to desk examinations of the child. A unique ID card will be made for each child, through which the child's parents, school and administrative officials can download this health card. Follow-up of the Digital Health Report is also done every six months. If a child is admitted to the hospital due to illness, then he can be treated through a health cover cashless card of Rs 25,000. As a result of enhanced physical and mental health, this unique initiative of Lucknow Smart City Limited would not only detect diseases occurring in children and improve their academic performance, but also their future prospects. The digital health report card is being prepared based on 130 parameters. All the parameters related to physiotherapy of children are checked, which includes endurance, stamina, posture and others. Apart from this, an eye test of children is done to check colour blindness, eye diseases as well as the vision and glasses are also provided if necessary. Besides, the dental and oral health of children as well as abilities to listen and speak are also tested, which does not happen in any health camp. Workshops are also conducted on topics like child psychology, first aid, health and hygiene. Lucknow, May 7 : Lucknow University officials have ordered a probe into the incident in which a girl hosteler suffered a ligament injury, about 10 months ago, during a kabaddi match. The probe was ordered after students took to social media to allege apathy towards the injured girl on Saturday. The kabaddi match was held last year when a team from the NAAC was visiting LU for the assessment. The injured girl is yet to recover fully, claimed students. LU spokesperson Durgesh Srivastava said, "We are inquiring into it and the best decision will be taken in her interest." Several girl students said, "When the NAAC team was visiting last year, girls of Tilak hostel were asked to participate in a kabaddi match. One of the hostellers, Ruchi, a B.A final student got injured in the match and when she sought help from the teacher in charge, she gave her a meagre sum for treatment after taking a receiving note from her about the same. Due to negligence and delay in the treatment, Ruchi is still unable to walk properly." Prof Poonam Tandon, dean student welfare, meanwhile said, "No such incident was ever reported to me." She said the LU administration never asked for the kabaddi matches before or during NAAC evaluation. Kolkata, May 7 : Can Kolkata, the hub of numerous legendary anti-establishment movements, have an exclusive "space for opposition voices" like Jantar Mantar in the national capital Delhi? The issue surfaced following observations by the Calcutta High Court raising doubts on the transparency and fairness of the West Bengal administration when it comes to giving permission to political or apolitical protest rallies and more especially when it comes to the issues going against the state government or the ruling party. The Calcutta High Court has asked why individuals or organisations have to approach the court every time to get permission to hold a protest. The first such reference came up at the high court on May 2, when Justice Rajasekhar Mantha, while hearing a matter relating to permission to the West Bengal State Coordination Committee, the state government employees' union affiliated to the CPI(M), to conduct its "March to Secretariat" agitation on May 4, questioned the reluctance of the state government to allow peaceful agitations. The march was in protest against the alleged reluctance of the state government to pay enhanced dearness allowance and its arrears. "Protesting peacefully is the democratic right of every Indian citizen. Why every time the protesting bodies will have to approach the court?" Justice Mantha questioned. Later, while accepting the changed route of the rally instead of the one proposed by the trade union, Justice Mantha questioned whether the state government will impose similar restrictions in case of rallies by the ruling party. Just two days after on May 4, Justice Mantha took a firmer stand when he refused to accept the state government's plea for a change in the route of a similar protest rally on May 6 by the Joint Forum of State Government Employees, an umbrella organisation spearheading the DA movement, on the grounds that the proposed route was adjacent to the residences of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress' national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Not a single Trinamool Congress leader was ready to come on record officially in the matter claiming that passing comments on a court order is against the party policy. A senior member of the West Bengal cabinet said on condition of anonymity said that the administration may have its own reasons on security and administrative grounds to deny permission. "This happens at times," he said. Calcutta High Court advocate and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya said that it is quite unfortunate that he has to frequently appear as counsel in cases seeking court permission to take out rallies or hold gatherings or meetings after being refused by the administration. "This happens not just for political events, but also events by apolitical bodies. Previously this was not the case in West Bengal. This trend started since 2011, when the Trinamool Congress came to power. They want to choke the entire space of the Opposition, political and apolitical," Bhattacharya said. He said that Jantar Mantar in New Delhi can be considered a classic example of an exclusive "space for opposition voices". "Jantar Mantar being located in the national capital, the focus of the international community is always there. So, at times, the rulers, whoever is in power, often hesitate to blatantly choke the opposition voices there. Jantar Mantar has proved an ideal space for opposition voices," he added. The BJP's state spokesman, while agreeing that generally the state government is reluctant to give permission for rallies or public meetings on any issue that goes against it, said that the administration is especially aggressive when the rally or the meeting is organised by the BJP or any of its affiliated bodies. "Look at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. These days it has become a permanent hub for protest against our party or the Union government. But no protesting body, political or apolitical can complain of denial of permission to protest there. Here in West Bengal while earlier the Trinamool Congress government was reluctant to permit any opposition rally or public meeting, of late they have started being soft towards the CPI(M). This is the chief minister's ploy to project the CPI(M) as an equal opposition like the BJP, so that the anti-incumbency votes in the state get divided," Bhattacharya said. Calcutta High Court counsel Kaushik Gupta said that by unnecessarily denying permission, the state government is forcing that the matter be dragged to the court. "Remember, any litigation involves costs and the state government has to bear the cost of such litigation from the taxpayers' money. I wonder why the state government is not accepting the suggestion given by Justice Mantha for online application for public rallies or meetings, where permission is given on a first-come-first-serve basis. Justice Mantha suggested that for the sake of transparency the status of the application can be viewed by the public also," Gupta said. A China-built hydroelectric plant has contributed to a stable clean energy supply in Honduras, alleviating electricity shortages in the Central American nation. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Imphal, May 7 : The ugly face of ethnic conflict has once again returned to haunt Manipur, but this time its effect has also been felt in the other northeastern states and it may continue for a longer period. In the wake of the ongoing unrest in Manipur, over 1600 people have crossed the border into Assam's Cachar district and more than 30 people, mostly women and children took shelter in Mizoram's Saitual district. In a spillover of the ethnic violence in Manipur, members of the Kuki and Meitei communities clashed in the Meghalaya capital Shillong on Thursday night and the police have arrested 16 people in connection with the incident. Security was tightened further in the hill city. Both the states' authorities have arranged temporary shelters at a few government schools and food and other necessary commodities have been provided to them. Two Mizoram districts -- Aizawl and Saitual -- share around a 95 km border with Manipur, which has also 204 km and 225 km inter-state borders with Assam and Nagaland respectively. Many tribal and non-tribal communities specially the Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Mizo, Chakma are living in different northeastern states presenting a complex linguistic mosaic with over 200 dialects. The northeastern region is home to 45.58 million people (2011 Census). The indigenous tribals constitute around 28 per cent of the population and they mostly speak in their mother tongue or their indigenous language. The tribals and non-tribals belong to Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities with different lifestyles, cultures, traditions and languages. Any kind of negative incident involving one or two communities in a particular state often has a counter-effect in other states of the region causing ethnic trouble. Besides the insurgency, Naga-Kuki, Meitei versus other tribals, Chakma versus other tribals, and numerous other ethnic conflicts have claimed thousands of lives and damaged huge property during the past many decades in the northeastern region. From the beginning of this year, unrest resurfaced in Manipur for multiple reasons. On May 3, unprecedented violent clashes, attacks and arson broke out at various places during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category. Acting on a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Trade Union, the Manipur High Court acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran on April 19 had directed the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of Meitei (Meetei) community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry. The High Court order said: "The issue of inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Constitution is pending for nearly ten years and above. No satisfactory explanation is forthcoming from the side of the respondent State for not submitting the recommendation for the last 10 years. "Therefore, it would be appropriate to direct the respondent state to submit its recommendation to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs within a reasonable time." The High Court order snowballed into a major controversy with thousands of tribals turning up for the 'Tribal Solidarity March' in 10 hill districts on May 3 called by a student body. Earlier a civil writ petition filed by eight members of the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union led by union secretary Mutum Churamani Meetei had sought the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent (Manipur government) to submit a recommendation in reply to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry's letter dated May 29, 2013. According to the Meitei and other agitators, the influx of outsiders from both inside and outside the country, including people from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh, has significantly affected the identity, culture, economy, administration and the environment of Manipur. The Meitei community is demanding inclusion in the list of ST. Those demanding ST status claimed that there is a need to protect the valley inhabited by the Meitei community while tribals living in Manipur's hill area have already been protected as Scheduled Tribe category status. The BJP led government in Manipur has claimed that the process is on to include Meiteis in the ST list. The Central government, on December 11, 2019 at the height of the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), introduced the ILP (Inner Line Permit) system to strictly monitor the movement of outsiders in the state and to protect the interests of the indigenous people. The ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, is an official travel document that allows an Indian citizen to visit the states where ILP is enforced for a limited period of time and with a specific purpose. Manipur has witnessed a series of agitations for the past several months with many women, students and youth bodies and civil society organisations agitating against the state government's alleged "delaying tactics" in introducing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, and in the functioning of the Manipur State Population Commission (MSPC). Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had said that his government is ready to implement the NRC in the state but to do that, approval from the Central government is required. He said that the state government has already constituted the MSPC and it would identify the immigrants in the state based on the cut-off year of 1961. "People of Myanmar seeking asylum in Manipur is a different issue. At any cost, we would protect the demography as well as the tradition and culture of the indigenous people of the state," Singh said. Meanwhile, the Manipur government earlier decided to identify those Myanmarese refugees who have sought asylum in the northeastern state, and keep them at the designated detention centres. So far, around 5,000 immigrants, including women and children, have fled from conflict-hit Myanmar after the military took power in the neighbouring country in February 2021. An official said that the Manipur government has recently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip after thousands of Myanmarese crossed over to the state due to the armed conflict near the Indian border areas between the Myanmar Army and the People's Defence Force. The hills account for 90 per cent of the state's area and 10 per cent population while the valley occupies 10 per cent land. In the valley, there are Hindu, non-tribal Meitei communities while the hills are inhabited largely by the Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities. In another development, the North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an apex body of eight major students organisations of seven northeastern states, condemned the Manipur government's action evicting the indigenous settlers belonging to the Zo community and the violent incidents that followed. "The tribals were evicted on the pretext that they are settling on reserve forest whereas the fact is that these indigenous settlers have been residing in these areas for ages." "The government of Manipur has to take into account that these are the indigenous communities of northeast and have inhabited these lands from their forefathers and they are not illegal immigrants from Nepal or Bangladesh," NESO chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and General Secretary Mutsikhoyo Yhobo said in a joint statement. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Panaji, May 7 : With the Narcotics Control Bureau busting the narcotics drug trade in Goa since the last seven days, the Opposition has raised questions about whether the local police were not aware of the drug manufacturing laboratories and the 'will' of the state government to act against it. The NCB last Sunday busted an international drug cartel operating from North Goa, leading to the arrest of three persons and the seizure of multiple drugs worth lakhs of rupees. Later on Tuesday it busted a LSD manufacturing laboratory at Anjuna in North Goa and arrested the manufacturer along with seizing multiple drugs valued at Rs 25 lakh. On Friday NCB sleuths arrested a Kenyan national in possession of 1 kg cocaine valued at Rs 6 crore at Dabolim airport in Goa. Though it is generally believed that drugs came to Goa with the hippies six decades ago, now the involvement of locals with foreign nationals has given a boost to this illegal trade. Goa is increasingly known as a narco-tourism hotspot and many arrive in the coastal state with the intention of 'trade' and 'consumption'. In 2020, the BJP government in Goa was reportedly considering legalising the cultivation of marijuana or cannabis for medicinal purposes. However, after facing opposition the plan was dropped. In the last four years, the Drug Disposal Committee of the Goa police has disposed off 101.993 kgs of narcotics, after the final disposal of the cases by the Court. As per official records, the destroyed drugs include Charas, Ganja, LSD, Cocaine, Ecstasy tablets, MDMA powder, Heroin, Brown Sugar and Opium. Among these ganja is easily available in the coastal state. According to official records of the Goa government, 168 cases in 2017, 222 cases in 2018, 219 cases in 2019, 148 cases in 2020, 121 cases in 2021 and 154 cases in 2022 have been registered under the NDPS Act. Congress media cell chairman Amarnath Panjikar has attacked the BJP government over the drug trade alleging that it does not have the will to crackdown on illicit activities. "The recent raids by the NCB prove that the narcotics trade is going on in a big way in Goa. This is because there is no control by the government on such activities. It is also strange that the local police were not aware of the LSD manufacturing laboratory, busted by the NCB. There may be many such labs in Goa which should be shut down," Panjikar said. Panjikar said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has failed as home minister and hence he should vacate this position and pave the way for others. "Give the responsibility of the Home Ministry to someone who will work in the interest of the people of Goa," he said. Sources informed that NCB is tracking and following up the drug cases, which helped them to bust the drug trade in Goa. According to Amit Ghawate, Zonal Director of NCB Mumbai, on the intervening night of April 3 and 4, one Kenyan national named Samuel was intercepted at Dabolim, Goa airport by the Customs officials on suspicion of concealing some non-metallic substance in his baggage, raised during the screening/scanning of his luggage. "He travelled to India from Johannesburg via Dubai. Information in this regard was immediately passed by the Customs officials to the NCB, Goa and subsequently, a team of NCB, Goa reached Dabolim airport and conducted a thorough search of said Samuel along with his baggage. During the search, cocaine in two packets, weighing total 1.009 kgs, was recovered concealed in the false bottom of his trolley bag," NCB officials said. New Delhi, May 7 : In a case of alleged 'love jihad' in the national capital, a Sikh widow has accused her Muslim friend of rape, recording her obscene video and forcing her to convert to Islam. The victim refused to convert after which the accused, identified as Azmat Ali Khan, threatened to throw acid on her face and kill her. The police have lodged an FIR under various sections of IPC, including rape. According to the FIR, accessed by IANS, in 2016 the victim met Azmat Ali Khan, a resident of Laxmi Nagar, on Facebook and they became friends. She said on Facebook, Khan was a mutual friend of her Kathak Dance teacher, and therefore she accepted his request. Later their friendship grew deeper and by 2017 they were in a relationship. The woman has alleged that Khan recorded her video while they were intimate. "Khan forced me to adopt Muslim religion which I denied. I told him that I am a Sikh girl and want to remain as Sikh even after marriage. But Khan told me that I will have to accept Islam, will have to wear burqa, offer Namaz five times a day, and will have to keep Roza. I refused to change my religion and told him that he can't force me to opt Islam in the name of love and decided to sever the ties," she said. After this, the victim started maintaining a distance from Khan. After 2018, she never met Khan. But the accused kept on sending her messages. In 2019, Khan threatened the victim. "He threatened me that he would make all the videos of mine viral on social media if I ignored him. He threatened to ruin my whole career. He kept on sending abusive messages to me," the victim has alleged. She alleged that on April 2, Khan attacked her at the Janakpuri Police Station. "He threatened to throw acid on my face. Also he said that if I tried to ignore him he would bury me alive," the victim alleged. The police after receiving her complaint lodged a case of rape and threatening someone with dire consequences at the Dabri Police Station. In one of the messages sent on Instagram, the accused went on to say that he would kill her entire community. A senior police official said that they were looking into the matter. So far no arrest has been made in the matter and the accused has applied for anticipatory bail. (Atul Krishan can be approached at atul.k@ians.in) Los Angeles, May 7 : Four months after Hollywood star Jeremy Renner's horrific snow plough accident, the actor continues to share his path to recovery. After making a significant recovery in time to celebrate the premiere of his Disney+ series 'Rennervations', Renner's health has continued to progress. Eager to share updates with fans, Renner most recently posted an Instagram video showcasing his improvements with mobility exercises, taking "the new parts for a tiny test drive", reports 'Variety'. The video includes Renner using exercise equipment as he did several exercises to build strength and mobility in his injured leg. Renner captioned the video with: "UPDATE: I've decided to push through the pain of progress (this damn shattered tibia) and take the new parts for a tiny test drive. The body is miraculous...." "Even though I feel like the Tin Man, needing oil for all my new joints (hips, knees, ankles, tibia, etc.). Encouraged after this warm up to press on (don't tell my PT)," said Renner. Throughout the four months, Renner has made a few media appearances to explain how the accident transpired. Once the actor made significant improvements he appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and sat down with Diane Sawyer for the ABC News special, 'Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview - A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph'. Soon after his televised appearances, the actor made his first public appearance at the premiere of his reality series, 'Rennervations', in which he told 'Variety' he had "set out a goal to be walking this carpet". In addition to his media appearances, he has shared his victories via social media, including Instagram stories as he posed with his family at Six Flags Magic Mountain Amusement Park, as well as videos of his recovery milestones. New Delhi, May 7 : Based on the National Policy on Education 2020, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed students to pursue two degrees at the same time. Many IIMs in the country are offering this dual degree programme in collaboration with reputed foreign universities. Management institutes like Indian Institute of Management-Sambalpur and IIM Sirmaur have partnered with three prestigious French universities to offer exclusive dual degree programmes for Indian students. International universities with which IIMs have partnered to offer dual degrees include -- Sorbonne Business School Paris, France Bordeaux University School of Management, Institute of International Universities Consortium (IIE) Paris. They have rolled out a new two-year hybrid MBA programme specifically for working professionals, strategic leaders, and entrepreneurs with a minimum experience of three years. IIM Sambalpur has not only started a dual degree programme but also started its campus in Delhi. The main benefit of this campus will be for working professionals. IIM Sambalpur director Mahadeo Jaiswal told IANS: "The objective of setting up a centre in Delhi is to tap a lot of working professionals, executives and entrepreneurs who want to pursue management studies on weekends from a premium IIM besides continuing their respective trade and profession," adding that they would also have the option of a dual degree from international universities. These efforts of IIMs are aimed at offering short and long term executive and other programmes in management to the working people as well as business people. It also aims to cater to the needs of working professionals, executives and entrepreneurs who wish to pursue management studies from premium institutions like IIMs and international universities on weekends only, while pursuing their respective business or profession. The participants will get MBA, two-year degree programme with an option of dual degree from Sorbonne Business School Paris, Institute of International Universities Consortium (IIE), Paris, France, and University of Bordeaux, France. Students will also get access to international immersion programmes and IIM Alumni status. IIM Sambalpur has also taken up a unique project to provide access to products of 30,000 world class weavers of Sambalpur through digital platforms. Agreements have been made with Flipkart and SIDBI in this regard. IIM Sirmaur has launched two MBA programmes in the current academic year. The two MBA programmes -- General Management & Digital Transformation and Analytics are designed for working professionals in partnership with France. On successful completion of the two-year course, the participants will get an MBA degree. All those who complete their first year but are unable to complete the second year, will be given a postgraduate diploma. IIM Sirmaur director Prafulla Agnihotri, said, "We believe that partnering with these renowned universities will provide our students with a truly world-class learning experience. We are confident that these programmes will make a positive impact on our students and their organisations. We are proud that we are going to give a new dimension to the future of executive education in India." The Executive MBA in Digital Transformation and Analytics aims to transform middle and senior executives for leadership roles in the corporate world. Sao Paulo, May 7 : Industrialised nations should compensate less industrialised countries for their efforts to preserve the environment, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "Rich nations need to understand that they have a debt to pay for emitting carbon dioxide, that's why they should pay this debt by advancing (financial) resources, so we can preserve our forests," Lula told Brazilian media on Saturday in London, where he was attending the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles III. Britain, he noted, has committed to contributing to the Amazon Fund, a Brazilian mechanism that receives resources from other countries to promote sustainable social and economic policies for the 25 million people living in the Amazon rainforest, Xinhua news agency reported. Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, is home to 60 per cent of the Amazon jungle. It was essential that "rich countries take the climate issue seriously," Lula noted. Brazil aims to achieve zero deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. It plans to host a meeting in August for member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation, which includes Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Hyderabad, May 7 : Two Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with security personnel in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem district on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border. The exchange of fire took place in the Puttapadu forest of Cherla mandal of the district. The deceased reportedly include IOS commander Rajesh of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The incident occurred when personnel of Telangana's anti-Maoist force Greyhounds were conducting combing operations in the forest. The Maoists came face to face with Greyhounds. When asked to surrender, the Maoists reportedly opened fire forcing the anti-Maoist force to retaliate. While two Maoists were killed, others managed to escape deep in the forest. There were no reports of any casualty among Greyhounds personnel. The exchange of fire occurred two days after Telangana Police chief Anjani Kumar warned the police force against complacency in tackling Maoists, especially in areas bordering neighbouring states having the Maoist presence. The Director General of Police (DGP) asked the police personnel not to lower their guard in the wake of killing of 10 security personnel and one civilian in a landmine blast in South Bastar of Chhattisgarh on April 26. He had told the police personnel that even a small incident relating to law and order in the state may have a severe impact on the development of Telangana state. Keeping this in view, the police officers should be more vigilant and tackle the situation firmly. The DGP said that in the background of approaching Assembly elections, the officials have to take adequate precautions in terms of security during the visits of political dignitaries and VVIPs movement in the state. Stating that there is a possibility of the movement of Maoist action teams increasing in the border areas of the state, he advised the officials to be more cautious. Lahore, May 7 : A person belonging to the Sikh community was killed by unknown assailants in a drive-by shooting in Lahore's Nawab Town neighbourhood, state media reported. The man, identified as Paramjit Singh Panjwar, 50, was shot by gunmen riding a motorcycle. When the attack happened, he was on a morning walk at around 6:30 a.m., accompanied by his bodyguard near his residence in the Sunflower Housing Society on Saturday, police said. Panjwar received a fatal gunshot to the head, a police official said. The bodyguard was also wounded in the attack and shifted to a local hospital, where his condition was said to be critical. The assailants fled the spot after the attack, Dawn reported. An official said police rushed to the site and cordoned off the area to collect evidence. The police also issued a high alert to intensify patrolling and snap-checking to arrest the suspects. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, Dawn reported. The police official said it would be premature to say anything about the motive behind Panjwar's killing and teams were working on all possible leads. He refused to comment on reports that one of the shooters was also injured in the crossfire, Dawn reported. Panjwar's body was shifted to the city morgue for autopsy and police experts were trying to get access to the CCTV footage of the crime scene to get more details about the suspects. Karachi, May 7 : After failing to land at the Lahore Airport during heavy rain, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane remained in the Indian airspace for 10 minutes and returned to Pakistan after travelling 125 kilometre over India's Punjab, state media reported. It was raining heavily when the flight PK-248 of Pakistan's national airline arrived in Lahore from Muscat at 8 p.m. on May 4. The pilot attempted to land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport at 8:05 p.m., but the Boeing 777 aircraft became unstable and could not land. On the instructions of the air traffic controller, the pilot initiated the go-around approach, during which he lost his way due to heavy rain and low altitude. The plane entered the Indian airspace from the Badhana police station area in Punjab at 8:11 p.m. Pakistan time, The News reported. The Boeing 777 aircraft was at an altitude of 13,500 feet moving at a speed of 292 kilometre per hour. At the point where the plane entered India, located 37 km from Amritsar, is the area of the Chhina Bidhi Chand village. The plane turned back from Naushehra Pannuan after travelling 40 km through the city of Taran Sahib and Rasulpur in India's Punjab. While flying in the Indian airspace, the captain took the plane to a height of 20,000 feet, The News reported. The plane flew in the Indian airspace for seven minutes and entered the Pakistani territory from near the village of Jhagian Noor Muhammad in India's Punjab. The flight then re-entered Indian territory via the villages of Dona Mabboki, Chaant, Dhupsari Kasur and Ghati Kalanjar in Kasur district of the Pakistan's Punjab. Three minutes later, at 8:22 p.m., the plane re-entered the Pakistani territory from the village of Lakha Singhwala Hithar in India's Punjab. At that time, the plane was at an altitude of 23,000 feet at a speed of 320 km, The News reported. After entering the Pakistani airspace, the aircraft flew to Multan, passing by Hujra Shah Muqeem and Dipalpur. The aircraft travelled a total of 120 km in the Indian territory in 10 minutes, The News reported. New Delhi, May 7 : Nestled on the pristine Konkan coast, Anjarle is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. With its serene beaches, ancient fort and lush forests, Anjarle has something for everyone. Whether you are a history buff, a nature lover, or simply looking for a relaxing getaway, Anjarle has it all. Located just about 230 kms from Mumbai and 240 kms from Pune. Here are five things you must do when you visit this beautiful coastal village: Olive Ridley Turtle Festival: Anjarle Beach is one of the few places in India where you can spot Olive Ridley turtles. These turtles come to the shore every year to lay eggs, and you can witness this incredible spectacle between January and March. Make sure to take a guided tour and follow the rules to avoid disturbing these gentle creatures. Spot Dolphins in the Arabian Sea: Take a boat ride from Anjarle Beach and head out to the Arabian Sea to spot playful dolphins. You can watch these majestic creatures leap out of the water and swim alongside your boat. The best time to go dolphin sighting is early morning or late afternoon. Enjoy Birdwatching Tours: Anjarle is home to a wide variety of bird species, making it a haven for birdwatchers. Take a guided birdwatching tour and spot colourful birds like kingfishers, egrets, and herons. The best time to go birdwatching is early morning or late afternoon. Explore the Fort: Anjarle Fort, also known as Suvarnadurg Fort, is a magnificent structure built in the 17th century. The fort offers a glimpse into the region's rich history and architecture. You can also take a boat ride from the fort to the nearby Harnai village and witness the bustling fish market. Indulge in Local Cuisine: Anjarle is famous for its seafood, especially the fresh catch of the day. You can try out local delicacies like prawns, pomfret, and crab at one of the many small eateries in the village. Don't forget to try the kokam sherbet, a refreshing drink made with kokam fruit, a local specialty. Trek to Parshuram Bhumi: Parshuram Bhumi is a beautiful trekking destination located near Anjarle. It is believed to be the place where Lord Parshuram, a Hindu deity, meditated and attained enlightenment. The trek takes you through dense forests, gurgling streams, and beautiful waterfalls, making it an unforgettable experience. Anjarle is a place that will leave you mesmerised with its natural beauty, serene surroundings, and rich history. With so much to see and do, make sure to plan a trip to this enchanting village on your next holiday. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) ANKARA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed, and 31 others were injured in the southern Hatay province of Turkiye on Saturday at a multiple-vehicle collision, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. "A fire broke out in a truck and a bus; 12 of our citizens lost their lives and 31 of our citizens were injured, three of them seriously, at a multiple-vehicle collision accident in the Topbogazli region of the Antakya district," the Turkish minister tweeted. According to the semi-official Anadolu Agency, the incident occurred when a truck driver lost control of the steering wheel, crossing into the opposite lane and colliding with nine cars and two minibuses. The collision resulted in a fire that engulfed the truck and one of the minibuses. A large number of gendarmerie, police and firefighters arrived at the scene, closing the road and putting out the fire. Seoul, May 7 : South Korea and the US will hold working-level talks on cybersecurity this week in Seoul, the Defence Ministry here said on Sunday, amid the allies' efforts to counter evolving North Korean threats from multiple domains. The eighth session of the director-general-level Cyber Cooperation Working Group (CCWG) is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday. It marks the first in-person session in four years following a hiatus caused largely by the Covid-19 pandemic, Yonhap news agency reported. The two sides plan to discuss their cybersecurity policies, current trends of cyberthreats and joint efforts to strengthen cybersecurity training, according to the Ministry. "The two sides expect the two defence authorities can work to further strengthen their cybersecurity cooperation mechanism through the upcoming session," the Ministry said in a press statement. The CCWG was launched in 2014 to serve as a venue for the allies' key discussions on cybersecurity. Its outcomes had been dealt with at the two countries' annual defence ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting. Amaravati, May 7 : Seventy students from Andhra Pradesh are stranded at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Imphal and their families have demanded the state government to send a special aircraft to safely evacuate them from violence-hit Manipur. Anxious over the safety of the students, their parents have requested the Andhra Pradesh government to make arrangements on the lines of the Telangana government, which is sending a special aircraft to evacuate its citizens. The government of Andhra Pradesh has opened a helpline and control room at AP Bhavan, New Delhi to render any assistance to Andhra Pradesh students in Manipur. Helpline numbers are 011-23384016 and 011-23387089. "We are in constant touch with Manipur Government and local administration to ensure all help. Following helpline numbers are provided by Government of Manipur to provide assistance to people affected by present law and order situation in the state," said an official release. 8399882392 - MN Michael Achom, IRS 9436034077 - Rehanuddin Choudhury, Joint Secretary (Home) 7005257760 - Peter Salam, Joint Secretary (Home) A8794475406 - Dr. Th. Charanjeet Singh, Joint Secretary (Home) A8730931414 - Dr. Mayengbam Veto Singh, Deputy Secretary (Home) 7085517602 - S. Rudranarayan Singh, DSP(Home) "Parents of the wards who are in Manipur may communicate helpline numbers to their children along with details of helpline established at AP Bhavan, New Delhi. We request students to get in touch through helpline at Imphal or at AP Bhavan, New Delhi and seek any assistance they require," added the statement. The government of Telangana has sent an aircraft to Manipur to evacuate its people stranded. The state government said that it is taking all measures to ensure the safety of Telangana students and people residing in Manipur. A special cell has been opened to monitor the situation in Manipur state and to protect the interests of Telangana people in Manipur. As per information available, about 250 students belonging to the Telangana state are studying in various educational institutions in Imphal and surrounding areas. The government of Telangana has decided to immediately airlift the Telangana students from Imphal to Hyderabad. For this purpose, a special flight has been arranged from Imphal to Hyderabad on Sunday. Telangana Chief Secretary has contacted Chief Secretary Manipur to facilitate the safe transit of Telangana students from Imphal to Hyderabad. The Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Telangana are closely in touch with the Manipur state government officials to ensure the safety of Telangana people/students in Manipur state. Lucknow, May 7 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the home department to help students from the state who are currently stranded in violence-hit Manipur. The chief minister's direction to the states's home department came after the students appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government to rescue them from Manipur that is caught in an ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities. According to government spokesman, Principal Secretary (home department) Sanjay Prasad had spoken to the chief secretary of Manipur and requested him to help students from Uttar Pradesh. He added that the state relief commissioner's office has also been directed to coordinate with the Manipur government. At least 52 people have been killed in Manipur since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, even as Chief Minister N Biren Singh held an all-party meeting on Saturday, and a video conference with security personnel calling for calm and an end to violence. At least 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and moved to operating bases/military garrisons, with the help of the Army and Assam Rifles. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh said the curfew, imposed after the violence broke out, would be partially eased after assessing the law-and-order situation. A defence spokesperson reportedly said the Army has significantly enhanced aerial surveillance through unmanned aerial vehicles and redeployment of helicopters. Hyderabad, May 7 : Telangana's minister for information technology and industries K.T. Rama Rao has been invited to the 'AsiaBerlin Summit 2023', to be held in Berlin, Germany, from June 12 to 15. This year's summit will be held on the theme 'Connecting the Startup Ecosystems' and will be inaugurated by the Governing Mayor of Berlin in the Berlin City Hall The invite from the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, requested minister KTR to speak at this year's Summit and thus strengthen the partnership between our countries and send a visible signal for intensifying this cooperation. The AsiaBerlin Summit is the annual summit addressing economic connections between Berlin and Asia, with the goal of connecting Berlin startups with valuable markets and ecosystems in Asia. This year, the summit will focus on three main topics -- mobility and logistics, energy transition, green tech, climate change and artificial intelligence. In addition, a dedicated investor program, a startup pitch competition and guided tours through the Berlin ecosystem will be organised. Earlier on May 4, the World Economic Forum's (WEF) invited KTR to the 14th WEF annual meeting of the new champions, to be held from June 27 to 29, 2023 in Tianjin, China, with the support of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). WEF's President BA,rge Brende stated in the invitation that driven by KTR's vision, Telangana has become a beacon of innovation and a pioneer in embracing emerging technologies. "Telangana is leading India's start-up and innovation system through future-oriented policies and enablers such as the T-Hub. Participants will be keen to hear your insights on promoting growth in Telangana led by entrepreneurship, innovation and digital transformation," reads the invitation. The meeting will convene over 1,500 global leaders from business, government, civil society, international organizations and academia at a pivotal time for the global economic recovery. It will focus on key transformations such as accelerating the energy transition, making progress on climate and sustainability, deploying innovation across economies and industries, and post-pandemic consumer behaviour. Mumbai, May 7 : As their film 'Yeh Dillagi' clocked 29 years in Hindi cinema, actress Kajol took a trip down memory lane and recalled how Akshay Kumar made a "simple dal", which she described as amazing. Kajol took to Twitter, where she shared a picture featuring her, Akshay and Saif Ali Khan. She wrote: "So much fun on this set.. and all the small memories. @akshaykumar boasting about his cooking skills and finally making us a simple but amazing Dal. Having to walk nearly 1.5 km uphill in the dark in the snow because the car got spoilt at the bottom of the hill and our hotel was at the top and NO CELLPHONES!" Kajol added: "Riding a horse in an itsy bitsy skirt and thinking my hat would at least cover my face!!!" The actress reminisced about how Saif made her laugh. "#Saif and me laughing our heads off when we were shooting hothon pe bas and #Sarojji wanting to shoot us instead of the film. Reemaji playing my mother for the first time and sitting and playing cards with her on set. @ManishMalhotra and me doing the trials and #Yashji giving his approval in the middle of trying to give us something to eat.. It's not the film you remember so much as what you were feeling at the time.. #29YearsOfYehDillagi" 'Yeh Dillagi', directed by Naresh Malhotra, is based on the 1954 American film Sabrina, its story revolves on two brothers who fall in love with their family driver's daughter, Sapna, a successful model. Kathmandu, May 7 : Famous Bollywood actor Aamir Khan arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday and left for meditation. He has reportedly gone to a meditation spot in the outskirts of Kathmandu, according to an official who received him at the airport. He will spend at least 11 days in Nepal Vipassana Centre in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. It is one of the popular meditation centres in Kathmandu located on the outskirts of the city. It offers 10-day long meditation courses, according to the website. Khan is one of the most popular actors in Bollywood, known for his versatile acting skills and his commitment to quality cinema. His popular movies are Lagaan, 3 Idiots, PK, Dil Chahta Hai, Rang De Basanti, among others. Mumbai, May 7 : Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi has shared an update about his next 'Main Atal Hoon'. He has commenced shooting for the film. Today, the makers officially announced the filming of 'Main Atal Hoon'. The movie will revolve around the life and political career of India's beloved leader, Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was not only a politician but also a poet, a gentleman and a statesman. Commencing the shoot in Mumbai, the team will have a long schedule of more than 45 days covering different parts of our country like Mumbai and Lucknow. "Getting a chance to play the role of our great leader, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an honour in itself. We went through rigorous reading sessions, to understand the dialect, his lifestyle and his vision for India. I feel elated today as we begin shooting for Main ATAL Hoon," shared Pankaj. Director Ravi Jadhav added, "I have seen Pankaj ji being super involved in the process of knowing and understanding Atal ji. I am sure no one else would have been a better fit than Pankaj Ji to essay such a proficient personality. Hoping to create the same magic with our film that Atal ji created with his life and his vision for our country." Producer Vinod Bhanushali shares, "Main Atal Hoon is a special film. Everyone associated with the film is leaving no stone unturned for it to be one of the best experiences for our audiences. We went through a lot of research for right from the story, locations to looks for each of our character before coming on floors for the shoot of our film." Producer Sandeep Singh shares, "This is just the beginning of an incredible experience. With infinite meetings with the teams, hardwork of the entire crew and locking our incredible cast, I am happy to commence the shoot of our film, 'Main Atal Hoon'." Helmed by National Award-Winning Director Ravi Jadhav, 'Main Atal Hoon' features Pankaj as Vajpayee, the three-time Prime Minister of our country. The film is written by Rishi Virmani and Ravi Jadhav with music by Salim - Sulaiman and lyrics by Manoj Muntashir. 'Main ATAL Hoon' is presented by Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, Sam Khan & Kamlesh Bhanushali and co-produced by Bhavesh Bhanushali, Ishaan Dutta, Zeeshan Ahmad and Shivv Sharma. The film is slated to hit the theatres in December. Seoul, May 7 : South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Sunday that he feels a responsibility to make South Korea-Japan relations even better than they were during their good times, as he held a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The two leaders met in Seoul for their second summit in less than two months, a highly symbolic meeting demonstrating the neighbouring nations are firmly on course to the full restoration of long-frayed relations, Yonhap news agency reported. "The current of a good change is difficult to make at first, but once it is made, it often becomes the trend. I believe that the current of South Korea-Japan relations today is such," Yoon added. "In less than two months since I had a summit with you in Tokyo, South Korea-Japan relations are clearly showing improvements in earnest. I feel a responsibility to create a good period in our bilateral relations that is even better than the good times of the past," he said. Kishida thanked Yoon for his warm welcome, saying he is pleased to be fully restoring "shuttle diplomacy" between them and hopes to exchange opinions on ways to move the bilateral relationship forward, Yonhap news agency reported. The South Korean President also extended his condolences over Friday's earthquake in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture, and Japanese Prime Minister expressed his thanks. Kishida arrived in Seoul earlier on Sunday for a two-day working visit and stopped at Seoul National Cemetery to pay his respects to Korea's fallen independence activists and war veterans before heading to the presidential office. Upon arrival, he was greeted by Yoon in an official arrival ceremony that included the playing of the two countries' national anthems and a joint honour guard review. Kishida's visit comes as bilateral relations have warmed significantly following Seoul's decision in March to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labour without contribution from Japanese firms. Yoon travelled to Tokyo 10 days after the decision was announced and held a summit with Kishida as the first South Korean president to pay a bilateral visit to Japan in 12 years. Kishida's visit is also the first bilateral visit by a Japanese leader in 12 years, marking the full-scale resumption of "shuttle diplomacy," or regular mutual visits, as agreed between Yoon and Kishida during their summit in Tokyo in March. Later in the day, Yoon and Kishida will hold a joint news conference, and then have dinner at the official presidential residence, where they will be joined by first lady Kim Keon Hee and Kishida's wife, Yuko, according to diplomatic sources. The summit was first held in a small group and then in an expanded format, covering issues such as security, high-tech industries, science and technology, and cooperation on youth and cultural affairs, according to the presidential office. North Korea was expected to feature high on the agenda as South Korea pushes to strengthen cooperation with Japan and trilaterally with the US to counter the growing threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Yoon recently returned from a state visit to Washington, where he and US President Joe Biden agreed on a set of measures to support the US "extended deterrence" commitment to defending South Korea with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons. A joint summit statement noted the two presidents also "emphasised the importance of US-South Korea-Japan trilateral cooperation, guided by shared values, driven by innovation, and committed to shared prosperity and security". Trade and economic issues were likely to be high on the agenda as well, given calls for South Korea and Japan to work more closely together to defend their interests in high-tech industries, such as semiconductors and batteries, as the US and the European Union move to protect their own industries. South Koreans will be watching closely for any discussion of Japan's plan to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant crippled by an earthquake and a tsunami in 2011. South Korea hopes Japan will agree to a joint investigation of the contaminated water in addition to the monitoring currently under way by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The two countries are also in the process of restoring each other as trusted trading partners after having removed each other from their respective "white lists" of nations eligible for preferential export treatment amid the forced labour row in 2019. The presidential office said the summit is unlikely to produce a joint statement, though the final decision will be made during the talks and the leaders will announce the outcome of the summit at a joint press conference. South Koreans will be paying keen attention to whether Kishida goes beyond reaffirming the positions of past Japanese governments to issue an apology or express remorse for Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. During the March summit, Kishida reaffirmed the Japanese government inherits on the whole the historical perceptions of past governments, including the 1998 joint declaration adopted by former President Kim Dae-jung and former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. The 1998 declaration called for overcoming the past and building new relations, with Obuchi expressing remorse for the "horrendous damage and pain" Japan's colonial rule inflicted on the Korean people. On Monday, Kishida is scheduled to hold meetings with members of a South Korea-Japan parliamentarians' association and chiefs of South Korea's six business lobbies, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who is now heading the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to industry sources. He will then depart to return to Tokyo. Chandigarh, May 7 : Several people were injured in a blast at a restaurant in the Heritage Street near the Golden Temple in Punjab's holy city of Amritsar. The police, however, said it was not a terror attack, but an accident. Panic gripped as the blast took place at busy Heritage Street near Darbar Sahib on Saturday night. Many devotees and locals present at the spot presumed the blast a terror act. Appealing to maintain peace, police officials said the situation was under control and there was no need to be panic. A police official told the media the blast apparently occurred in a chimney of a restaurant. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Mehtab Singh said the cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained. He said forensic teams were investigating. Only windowpanes of the nearby buildings were shattered and there was no damage to the buildings. New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait with wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait addresses the media during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders Rakesh Tikait and CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah arrived to show their support for wrestlers who were protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), at Jantar M Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait with wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait with wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait addresses the media during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait with wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders Rakesh Tikait and CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah arrived to show their support for wrestlers who were protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), at Jantar M Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, May 7 : In a powerful show of solidarity, representatives from various 'khaps' in Haryana gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Sunday to extend their support to women wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Balwant Phogat, President of Phogat Khap, while speaking to IANS, said that leaders from various khaps have gathered at the protest site to unequivocally support the wrestlers in their fight for justice. "We are currently conducting a meeting to discuss and determine our next steps in this crucial matter," he said. Earlier on Sunday, the Delhi Police granted permission to certain Khap leaders to travel from the Delhi borders to Jantar Mantar using their private vehicles. However, it did not allow khap leaders on tractors to enter the national capital. Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Arab Singh Ahlawat, Joginder Singh, and others, also joined the gathering at Jantar Mantar to show their support for the ongoing protest by wrestlers. TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday called for accelerating the implementation of cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed last year between Iran and Uzbekistan. Raisi made the remarks in a meeting with Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan (the lower house of the parliament) Nurdinjon Ismoilov in Tehran, referring to the 18 cooperation agreements signed between the two countries in September last year, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office. The Iranian president stressed that the speedy implementation of the agreements will promote bilateral relations to a new level, calling for joint efforts to further improve bilateral economic and trade ties. Raisi added exchanges between the two countries' parliaments could be another "effective and positive" step toward furthering bilateral relations. Ismoilov, for his part, praised the Raisi administration for its neighbor-oriented foreign policy, stressing the two countries' parliaments should play an effective role in the development of bilateral relations. Heading a parliamentary delegation, Ismoilov arrived in Tehran Friday night at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, with whom he held a meeting on Saturday. New Delhi, May 7 : For 28-year-old Sarika, a make-up artist, life came to a standstill after she was confined to a wheelchair with paralysis following gunshot wounds in her lower back. Joginder Sharma, 60, had a severe accident while walking, making his left hand and leg extremely weak. A fall from a horse ride left K.M. Aggarwal, 67, partially paralysed. He was not able to sit independently, and was also unable to stand and walk. Saloni Sabharwal, 26, had a spastic cerebral palsy, which meant she had difficulty in standing, walking, turning on her bed, and sitting from a lying position. Her posture was incorrect and she could only walk with two-person support. All these patients are now walking, doing their daily activities on their own, without support after being trained by a wearable robotic exoskeleton that is designed to assist people with weakened or impaired limb function, Dr Sachin Kandhari, Senior Neurosurgeon and Managing Director, IBS Hospital, told IANS. Known as Cyberdyne Medical Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), it is a brain-controlled robotic system deployed at IBS Hospital that trains the human brain to make movement, helping the patients to reverse paralysis and live a better quality of life. Kandhari said IBS Hospital is the first centre in India and the South-East Asia region to introduce the non-invasive approach. Developed by Japanese scientists, HAL is the world's first cyborg-type wearable robot and is based on a new technology called 'cybernics', in which the machine and human are connected and share information in real time, allowing the machine to support the voluntary movement of the wearer. HAL detects bioelectrical signals on the skin surface and provides support to the wearer's voluntary drive. "HAL works by detecting the weak electrical signals generated by the user's muscles and amplifying them with sensors, which then power the movement of the robotic exoskeleton," Kandhari said. This means that users can control the exoskeleton with their own muscle signals, allowing them to move their limbs with greater ease and precision. The system can also be customised to provide different levels of assistance, depending on the user's level of impairment, he said. The robotic technology can help people with stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders that affect their ability to move their limbs. "The HAL technology has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for people with impaired limb function, by enabling them to perform tasks that were previously difficult or impossible," Kandhari said. "I remember feeling really helpless to see myself completely bedridden and dependent on others even for my daily chores. I lost all hope after the doctors told me that the paralysis cannot be reversed," Sarika, a makeup artist, told IANS. "Today I am not only able to walk and do my daily chores, but have also resumed my work as a makeup artist ," she added. The wearable robot is to be worn during training and each patient's condition, the severity of impairment, and the frequency of use of the technology will determine the length and benefit of treatment. Kandhari said that the hospital is in talks with the government and NGOs for scaling up the technology at government centres to help the common population to avail it. "The government and private sectors need to come together and accept the need for such treatments and then adapt it. We have already been working with the neuro department of AIIMS-Delhi to use this treatment. The technology use can be scaled up because it does not require highly specialised manpower," he noted. (Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in) Amaravati, May 7 : Andhra Pradesh students stranded in violence-hit Manipur will be brought back in a special aircraft. The state government said on Sunday that it has stepped up its efforts to bring the Telugu students stranded due to the riots in Manipur to their native places safely. Officials concerned are coordinating with the Central Government to this extent. So far around 100 AP students have been identified as studying in Manipur, said Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Steps are being taken by the government to bring them back in a special flight. In this regard, the Civil Aviation Department officials said that they will inform the Andhra Pradesh Government about the timings of special flights to be operated for shifting the students, it said. About 70 students are reported to be stranded at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Imphal. Their families have demanded the state government to send a special aircraft to safely evacuate them from violence-hit Manipur. Anxious over the safety of the students, their parents have requested Andhra Pradesh government to make arrangements on the lines of the Telangana government, which is sending a special aircraft to evacuate its citizens. The government of Andhra Pradesh has opened a helpline and control room at AP Bhavan, New Delhi to render any assistance to Andhra Pradesh students in Manipur. Helpline numbers are 011-23384016 and 011-23387089. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has released a list of 100 students stranded in Manipur. While 23 students are studying at Central Agricultural University, Imphal, the remaining are students of NIT, Imphal. Resident Commissioner, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Aditya Nath Das has requested Manipur Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to arrange escort and security for the safe passage of 150 students from Andhra Pradesh. He wrote that contact has been established with the families of 100 students. The Resident Commissioner also sent a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, to arrange flights for safe passage of 150 students. Phnom Penh, May 7 : Cambodia's anti-drug police have cracked down on a cross-border drug trafficking case, arresting two local men with nearly 10 kg of illicit drugs, the National Police said on Sunday. The duo, aged 17 and 20-years-old, were apprehended on Thursday afternoon during a raid in northwest Banteay Meanchey province's Poipet city, which shares border with Thailand. "A total of 9.88 kg of ketamine, hidden in 10 plastic packs with a brand of freeze-dried durian, was confiscated from both suspects," the National Police reported, adding that the police are hunting for their masterminds and remaining accomplices. The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker. Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be jailed for life, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the country's Anti-Drug Police Department, Cambodia nabbed 5,572 drug-related suspects, including 105 foreigners, during the January-April period of 2023, seizing a total of 361 kg of narcotics. Most of the seized drugs are ketamine, crystal meth, methamphetamine pills, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and cathinone. Gurugram, May 7 : Fourteen villages in Haryana's Nuh district are emerging as new hotspots of cybercrime, and mostly the youths there are indulging in the crime by using stolen high-end mobile phones. This was disclosed by the police after questioning 125 cybercriminals, who were apprehended by as many as 102 teams comprising over 5,000 police personnel. The raids were conducted in 300 locations in the 14 villages on April 27. The police raided the 14 identified villages in the Pinangwa, Punhana, Ferozepur Jhirka, Nai, Aminabad, Tirwara, Jaimat and Bichhore areas. The police had earlier identified Khedla, Luhinga Khurd, Luhinga Kalan, Gokalpur, Godhola, Aminabad, Mahu, Gulalta, Jaimat, Jakhopur, Nai, Tirwara, Mamlika and Papda as cybercrime hotspots. The police said the accused cheated people on the name of selling vehicles on OLX, seeking KYC data, offering loans and even sextortion. Most interestingly, the hackers have studied only up to Class 12, while some are even illiterate and some of them have rewards on their heads. A senior police officer said earlier illiterate youths, who were involved in vehicle theft, phone snatching, cattle smuggling and other crimes, have shifted to cybercrime in the past two years after being "trained". During the raid, police nabbed the highest number of 31 cyber criminals 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. 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 suspects. Police investigation revealed that most of the youths arrested by the police during the raid were trained in the villages of Jurehera and Ghamdi in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district. The two villages, located on the Haryana-Rajasthan border, have emerged as the 'cybercrime training hubs', said the police. These two villages offer fake SIM cards and documents which help in opening bank accounts. Most accounts were opened in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The police disclosed that the accused mostly targeted job-seekers, senior citizens and students. They even offer lucrative offers on OLX. They said the accused usually committed crimes at the border areas of Rajasthan and Haryana as it is difficult to track the mobile locations of the criminals. "We are probing the matter from different angles and will also seek help from adjoining state police to crack down on cybercriminals. We are taking help from cyber experts to help solve cases," said Varun Singla, Superintendent (SP), Nuh. Chennai , May 7 : The Tamil Nadu government is planning to distribute coconut oil and groundnut oil through ration shops. As a pilot project, coconut oil and groundnut oil will be distributed from ration shops in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts of the state. The state government had earlier announced distribution of cooking gas through ration shops. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Minister, R. Sakkarapani, told IANS that the government was taking steps to buy 15,000 tonnes of wheat. He said, "The central government reduced the monthly allotment from 23,000 tonnes to 8,000 tonnes and hence we are in shortage of wheat. Our Officials will be meeting higher officials in Delhi on Tuesday and seek permission from them for procuring wheat through National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India Ltd (NCCF)." He said that there has been a huge demand from the people of Tamil Nadu even in rural areas for wheat and added that this might be due to the changed eating habits of the people. Mumbai, May 7 : Actress-politician Khushbu Sundar has clapped back at trolls accusing her of converting to marry her husband and filmmaker Sunder C. She added that her 23 years of marriage is "rock solid." Khushbu took to Twitter to give it back to trolls and said that they have not heard of "special marriage act". "Those who question my marriage, or say I have converted to marry my husband, I say get some sense n education pls. Sad, they have never heard of 'special marriage act' which exists in our country." "I have neither converted nor have been asked to do so. My marriage of 23 yrs is rock solid, based on trust, respect, equality and love. So those who have doubts, pls go for a hike. You need it." Khushbu, who started her career as a child artiste in showbiz, married film actor, director and producer Sundar C in 2000. She has been using the married name Khushbu Sundar since then. They have two daughters, Avantika and Anandita. She added her husband's name Sundar to her name after marriage. The Special Marriage Act, 1954 is an Act of the Parliament with provision for civil marriage for people of the country and all Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrelevant of the religion or faith followed by either party. Hyderabad, May 7 : The Secunderabad division of South Central Railway (SCR) has decided to construct a new Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal (GCT) at the Gadchandur station. This terminal will come up entirely on railway land at the station located in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. The tender has been awarded for the railway station at the cost of Rs 15.2 crore to Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited, SCR said on Sunday. The GCT policy has been introduced by the Indian Railways to boost investment from industry in development of additional terminals for handling rail cargos. These terminals will ease the handling of freight commodities for transportation by Railways with enhanced facilities providing safe and secure transportation. Under this policy, apart from new sidings, the under-construction and existing private sidings/terminals can also migrate to convert as GCT. The scope of the construction of GCT involves laying of additional line, concreting of surface, electronic in motion weigh bridge, provision of Hamali rest room, covered shed, approach road, water supply arrangements, installation of computerised working i.e., Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) and Track Management System (TMS), electrification of additional line, high mast lighting etc. The period of contract is 35 years and the maintenance of GCT will be done by Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited, Chandrapur, for the said period. No terminal charges will be levied on cargo for which GCT himself is the consignor and/or consignee. Maintenance and operations of assets like track, signal and telecom, over-head equipment and staff costs will be borne by the Railways. Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager, SCR, has congratulated Secunderabad Division officials for materialising the proposal for construction of GCT at Gadchandur station. He also said that the cement companies located around Gadchandur and Chandrapur area will be most beneficial with this move as the transportation by Railways will be safer, easier and the most comfortable option. Bengaluru, May 7 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that Sonia Gandhi has been trying to establish her son, Rahul Gandhi for the last two decades, but her efforts are yet to yield any results. Himanta said this during a press conference in Bengaluru, where he is campaigning for the BJP. He said, "Even his mother is concerned about Rahul Gandhi how to establish him. Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been fighting a lone battle for the last 20 years to establish her son so that he can earn a decent livelihood." Rahul Gandhi has been campaigning in Karnataka and promised to provide 10 lakh jobs to the unemployed youths in the state if Congress comes to power. He has also promised that the upcoming Congress government will spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the welfare of farmers. Attacking the Congress top leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Today Rahul Gandhi is giving guarantee to the people of Karnataka. But, who will take his guarantee? One day he appears with a long beard, the next he is clean shaved. Sometimes he talks about potato making machines and the other day he mentions other things." Sarma also criticised Rahul Gandhi for fighting the last Lok Sabha election from Kerala's Wayanad seat. "After just one defeat, Rahul Gandhi left Amethi and Uttar Pradesh and migrated to Kerala. In the last five years, he never visited Amethi. People there are still confused why they had voted for the Gandhi family for such a long time," Sarma said. The Assam Chief Minister also took a swipe at Congress party for their poll promise to ban the right wing outfit Bajrang Dal. He said, "Hindus are never terrorists. The reason they (Congress) wanted to equate Popular Front of India (PFI) and Bajrang Dal was to tell western media that Hindus are also terrorists." Seoul, May 7 : South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed on Sunday to allow a group of South Korean experts to visit Japan to inspect the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, both sides said. Yoon and Kishida announced the agreement during a joint press conference following a summit in Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported. "With regard to the contaminated water from Fukushima, we agreed on the dispatch of an on-site inspection team of South Korean experts," the South Korean President said during the press conference at the presidential office. "I hope a meaningful step will be achieved in consideration of our people's demands for a science-based and objective inspection," Yoon added. The two leaders met in Seoul for their second summit in less than two months, a highly symbolic meeting demonstrating the neighbouring nations are firmly on course to the full restoration of long-frayed relations. Kishida said the Japanese government's commitment to inheriting past administrations' positions on the two countries' shared history is "unwavering". He also added that his "heart aches" for the Korean people who suffered under Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. New Delhi, May 7 : Genetics, coupled with increased consumption of tobacco products, may explain the reason why men are more prone to bladder cancer, experts said here on Sunday. Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer worldwide and the fourth most prevalent cancer among men, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). About 550,000 new cases are detected every year worldwide. The disease develops when bladder tissue cells begin to separate uncontrollably, and the incidence of bladder cancer is higher in males compared to females. India has about 21,000 new cases of bladder cancer, and the incidence has been increasing over the last few years. A recent report from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) showed that Delhi has the highest cases of bladder cancer, followed by Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata. Delhi also has the highest incidence of bladder cancer in females followed by Mumbai and Mizoram. "Bladder cancer ranks among the top 10 types of cancer affecting thousands of people in India annually. While it can occur in both men and women, men are more commonly affected, likely due to genetics and lifestyle," Dr Bhaskar Singh, from HCG NCHRI Cancer Centre - Nagpur, told IANS. "Consumption of tobacco is a common reason for the increasing incidence of bladder cancer in India. The other reason is exposure to aromatic amines and carbon black dust in rubber, leather, and dye industries. The smokers have three-four times higher risk of bladder cancer as compared to non-smokers," added Dr (Brig) A.K. Dhar, Senior Consultant Medical and Hemato Oncology, American Oncology Institute, Gurugram. Dhar stated that the incidence of bladder cancer is four times higher in males as compared to females. Another reason behind increased risk among men include the role of sex hormones. "It is believed that androgen promotes, and oestrogen inhibits bladder carcinogenesis in the progression phase," Dhar told IANS. In addition, men who undergo radiation therapy for prostate cancer also have an increased risk of bladder cancer, the expert noted. However, changing some lifestyle habits can lower the risk of bladder cancer. Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do, as smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for bladder cancer. "Tobacco is responsible for 40-50 per cent of bladder cancer. Quitting all kinds of tobacco will help in reduction of bladder cancer," Dhar said. Staying hydrated and avoiding exposure to harmful chemicals, such as those in certain industrial or agricultural settings, can also help reduce risk. Regular screenings can also greatly increase the chances of successful treatment, as bladder cancer is often easier to treat in its early stages. "If you experience symptoms such as blood in your urine, pain during urination, or frequent urination, it's important to see a doctor immediately. Several conditions can cause these symptoms, but it's important to rule out bladder cancer as a potential cause," Singh said. This photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows smoke rising in Khartoum, capital of Sudan. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) So far, the deadly clashes have left at least 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry. PORT SUDAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah for talks since Saturday as fighting continues in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. "We welcome the presence of representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF in the city of Jeddah, to engage in dialogue that we hope will lead to the end of the conflict and the return of security and stability to the Republic of Sudan," Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Saturday on Twitter. The United States and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement welcoming the start of "pre-negotiation talks" between the two parties, urging both sides to "actively engage in the talks towards a ceasefire and end to the conflict." Volker Perthes, special representative of the UN secretary-general to Sudan, briefs a meeting of the UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York on March 20, 2023. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) On Saturday, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Commander of RSF, praised the regional and international efforts to reach a ceasefire through social media and confirmed RSF's participation in the talks in Jeddah. On Friday, the Sudanese army said it had sent negotiators to Jeddah to discuss the humanitarian truce as part of the Saudi-American initiative. According to local media, fighting continued in Khartoum's capital on Saturday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Saturday that Turkiye has decided to relocate its embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to Port Sudan after the Turkish ambassador's vehicle was targeted by gunfire. The RSF and the army exchanged accusations over the incident. The RSF claimed that the area where the attack occurred was under military control and reiterated its commitment to protecting diplomatic missions in the country. Conversely, the army attributed responsibility to the RSF for the assault. Sudan has witnessed a large-scale evacuation of foreign nationals and diplomats since the eruption of the deadly clashes between the army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas on April 15. So far, the deadly clashes have left at least 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry. Hyderabad, May 7 : There are at least 5 crore people in India who are carriers of Thalassaemia ailment, as per various studies, and at least 12,000 new-born babies get added to this each year. Under normal circumstances, though 50 per cent of thalassemia victims go on to live beyond 55 years of their age, quality of their life is not as desired, and there is a high possibility of them transferring the ailment to the next generations through their progeny. Since 1994, May 8 is commemorated as the International Thalassaemia Day to spread awareness about the ailment. This year, the theme for this is "Be Aware. Share. Care: Strengthening Education to Bridge the Thalassaemia Care Gap". Like every other time, doctors prescribe prevention is better than cure to overcome this problem. Dr Kishore B. Reddy, Amor Hospital said: "Thalassaemia is an inherited ailment! Even popular actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff are victims of thalassaemia. Internationally renowned sporting superstars, Pete Sampras and Zinedine Zidane are among prominent people suffering from thalassaemia. Each of these and many others like them are leading an active life despite the problem. The biggest factor in this is being aware of the problem and ensuring proper care is taken, and taking necessary steps to ensure the ailment does not get carried to the next generation." "Like this year's theme suggests, 'being aware' and 'availability of the right cure' ensures we overcome this problem. In a developing and relative nation like India it is important we spread maximum awareness about the problem to ensure our future generations are protected. This is because when both husband and wife have thalassaemia, then there is a 25 per cent probability of their children picking up a more severe variant of the ailment, and do not live beyond 30 years of age," added Dr Narender Kumar Thota, Consultant Medical & Hemato Oncologist and BMT Physician, KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad. Dr Gowri Sankar, HOD and Senior Consultant - Internal Medicine, SLG Hospital said: "People living with Thalassaemia need access to ongoing, disease-specific education to better understand their condition and assert their basic right of equal access to appropriate care. Thalassaemia-treating physicians must know how to detect early and accurately diagnose the condition, interact effectively with competent authorities and provide patients with the best possible care. Governments in India must play an active role to ensure we move in the right direction to build a healthy India." Healthcare practitioners say the International Thalassaemia Day is a brilliant opportunity to help people with the condition live healthier, longer, and more productive lives by empowering them through knowledge sharing, information exchange, targeted awareness activities, and quality thalassaemia education. By maximising the knowledge and skills of every person affected by thalassaemia and the people who care for them, we can achieve positive changes in health behaviours, health outcomes and quality of life, and reduce the disease burden for patients and the society. Bengaluru, May 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will retain power in Karnataka after the May 10 Assembly elections. Addressing a massive gathering at Ayanur in Shivamogga, PM Modi, who is in the last leg of campaigning for the Assembly polls, said "people are going to elect a majority government in the state this time". "Despite being Sunday, people have blessed me. I will be obliged to Karnataka for my entire life. I will not forget this love and affection. Our exam is on May 10. I will give a genuine guarantee. I have a goal to develop the state," PM Modi stated. Criticising the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party was offering lies as promises only to fool people. "When I was the Gujarat chief minister, B.S. Yediyurappa was also the chief minister of Karnataka. Yediyurappa had come with a delegation to Delhi regarding problems faced by arecanut farmers. Yediyurappa has struggled for the welfare of Shivamogga's farmers. I have taken many measures for the welfare of arecanut growers. There is no need for panic in this regard," he said. He charged that on the pretext of waiving off loans, Congress has looted money. "They did not build separate toilets in schools. After the BJP came to power, separate toilets have been built for girls," he added. The Assembly election in Karnataka is scheduled to be held on May 10 and the result will be announced on May 13. Taluan : , May 7 (IANS) A drug smuggler has been arrested in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province with 100 kg of illicit drugs discovered in his possession, an official with Border Security Force said on Sunday. The drugs included 50 kg of opium poppy, according to official Mohammad Akram, adding that the alleged smuggler was attempting to take the contraband out of the province but police identified and arrested him in Cha Ab district on Saturday. In similar operations, the security forces discovered 2,850 kg of hashish in the southern Uruzgan province last week, Xinhua news agency reported. The Afghan caretaker government banned the cultivation of illegal crops, including poppy, their processing to drugs and drug trafficking in April last year. Leh, May 7 : One lakh saplings, 90 per cent of them are of willow and poplar species, will be planted in the arid Ladakh region on May 17 with an aim to achieve its 85-90 per cent survival rate, volunteers of the plantation drive said on Sunday. A record-breaking 150,000 plus trees have already been planted in the Ladakh region and they are thriving under the care of the Kung Fu nuns, led by Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the 1,000-year-old Drukpa Order based in the Himalayas. To achieve the high survival rate of sapling in the land of extremes, where rainfall is rare and water, essential for irrigating the farmlands and household chores, mostly comes from melting snow, a solar-powered micro irrigation system has been installed with the local administration support. The community non-religious plantation drive named 'Trees for Life' is backed by international network of non-profit organisations, Live to Love, whose volunteers, comprising Buddhist monks and nuns, twice broke the Guinness World Record for most trees planted simultaneously. In 2012, Live to Love, founded by the Gyalwang Drukpa, a recipient of UN's Millennium Development Goals Award for his humanitarian and environmental work, entered its name in the Guinness World Records history by breaking a record of the Philippines for "Most Trees Planted Simultaneously" by planting 99,103 Ladakhi willow saplings by involving 9,814 volunteers near the world-famous Hemis monastery in less than an hour. Previously, 9,033 volunteers of Live to Love planted 50,033 saplings in October 2010. The Philippines had planted 66,000 saplings within an hour in January 2011. A spokesperson for Live to Love told IANS the plantation drive will be performed over an area of 60 acres in Liktsey, a small hamlet with some 30-odd mud-brick houses, where villagers are largely growing barley and apricots, by involving some 5,000 volunteers, comprising government officials, leaders of various faiths, locals besides Kung Fu nuns and international volunteers. They will plant saplings in specially dug pits. A majority of the saplings are of Ladakhi willow and poplars. "We are also planting fruit-bearing saplings mainly of apricot, apple, plum, walnut and pears. To reduce vulnerability of saplings to drought-like situations and improve their survival rate, a high-efficiency irrigation system has been set in place by the local administration. For this, water will be lifted from the nearby Indus river," he added. Ladakh is a cold arid desert on high altitudes where the annual precipitation is between 100 and 150 mm, inadequate to meet the average moisture requirements of the plants. According to Live to Love, the campaign will green Ladakh's barren lands, create natural watersheds, reduce erosion of soil, and mitigate devastating flashfloods and landslides. Animals will have habitats and Ladakhi communities will be able to enjoy lush forests. Volunteers of Live to Love from Nepal and Bhutan will participate in the May 17 initiative. Earlier, two mass plantation drives were carried out in Changa village, nearly 40 km away from Leh town, where there is a thick forest cover now. In 2012, His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa personally joined the record-breaking attempt to encourage participants. "It is totally a non-religious initiative to be carried out under the guidance of Gyalwa Dokhampa, who is coming from Bhutan," said the spokesperson. The young spiritual leader Gyalwa Dokhampa believes Buddhism is not a religion but a way to find happiness. Based in Bhutan and Nepal, he teaches worldwide and brings a young viewpoint to traditional teachings. As a spiritual teacher, he loves to interact with the youth on preserving the environment. "During our walking experience in Ladakh in the Himalayas, we saw how much rubbish trekkers left behind which went into the water streams. These water streams are the source of about 30 to 40 per cent of the world population. Our goal was to pick up all of the non-biodegradable garbage," Gyalwa Dokhampa had told IANS in one of his recent interviews. As a spiritual leader with a deep commitment to action, Gyalwa Dokhampa, who spent his initial years in Darjeeling and shared his knowledge with students in the US, Europe, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore, has published numerous books of interest. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com) Islamabad, May 7 : Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, in a meeting with acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday, stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two countries to "effectively tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism", media reports said. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Muttaqi - who is currently in Pakistan on a visit to participate in bilateral and trilateral meetings (with China) - called on the army chief at his office. Since its launch in 2017, the trilateral dialogue mechanism has become an important platform for the three countries to enhance understanding and deepen mutual trust and cooperation. The dialogue this time is taking place at a time when cross-border attacks from Afghanistan are on the rise. The statement said the two discussed issues of mutual interest, including aspects related to regional security, border management, and formalisation of bilateral security mechanisms for "improvement in the current security environment". "COAS stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two brotherly neighbours to effectively tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism. He reiterated the need for full support and commitment from the Afghan interim government in matters of mutual interest," the ISPR said, adding that the COAS also reaffirmed "Pakistan's commitment to a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan", Dawn reported. The statement added that the Afghan minister appreciated Pakistan's support for the people of Afghanistan and acknowledged the "important role that Pakistan continues to play in facilitating peace and development in Afghanistan". Muttaqi also expressed his desire to work closely with Pakistan to promote regional stability and prosperity, it added, Dawn reported. Both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining regular contact to strengthen bilateral ties and address issues of common concern. Jalandhar, May 7 : The Mahila Kisan Union, a member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, on Sunday said despite the promise by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to provide compensation for crop loss owing to unseasonal rains in April, farmers are still deprived of relief. In a statement here, Mahila Kisan Union president Rajwinder Kaur Raju said officials of the Revenue Department were refusing to accept the girdawari (crop assessment) reports sent by the Patwaris about the loss to Rabi crops. "The affected farmers have not received even a single penny for the crop damages, ranging from 25 to 75 per cent." The woman farmer leader said before winning assembly elections in 2022, Mann had given guarantees that the farmers would be given compensation at the rate of Rs 20,000 per acre even before the girdawari report. "But as the government was formed, Mann has gone back on these guarantees and other promises given to the farmers." She asked the ministers and leaders of the AAP government, including the Chief Minister, that instead of false propaganda campaign through newspapers, TV channels and social media, they should actually work on the ground and redress the grievances of the public. The leader said even in Mann's assembly constituency Dhuri, the sugarcane growers have been struggling to get their dues. He asked the leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha Punjab and all farmer organisations to give an ultimatum to the government to provide immediate compensation to the affected farmers. Dakshina Kannada : , May 7 (IANS) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday cautioned people that if they vote for the BJP in the Karnataka elections, its leaders will "loot them". Addressing a massive crowd in Moodbidri town, Priyanka Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders who come to the state do not speak about local issues and the people. "Instead, they talk about themselves. If you vote for them, they won't do your work. They will loot you. "If they (BJP) had done good work, PM Modi would not have come here and given a list of abuses. He would have given the list of achievements. He would have given the list of how many schools were opened, how many jobs were created and how much development is achieved? They have done nothing to talk about," she said. "That's why, they try to get your attention by raking up caste and religion and covering up their failures," she added. "You (people) decide on whether to elect a corrupt leader or best leader. If you want a good government, you have to focus on the election and cast your vote carefully," she appealed. "The Congress will develop secondary cities at par with Bengaluru and create jobs. There is going to be a rise in the production of electric vehicles in future. The manufacturing units will be established in Karnataka and we will prove to you how an honest government will deliver its promises." Attacking the BJP, Priyanka Gandhi accused it of destroying, instead of creating job opportunities. The Congress after studying the problems of the people has decided to return the money of the people looted by BJP, and the party would fill up 2.90 lakh vacancies lying vacant, she assured. "The BJP is trying to merge Nandini with Amul. If it happens, it will have a direct impact on 1 crore people of Karnataka. The BJP is not at all thinking about it. They are busy thinking of looting," she claimed. New Delhi, May 7 : The women officers of the Territorial Army (TA) with Engineer Regiments of the TA will be posted along the Line of Control (LoC), an official said on Sunday. Following approval by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, women officers will also be posted as staff officers at TA Group Headquarters, Directorate General of Territorial Army in Delhi, as per organisational requirements. The Defence Ministry said that this progressive policy measure is aimed at enhancing the scope of employment of women officers as well as meeting their professional aspirations. They will now serve and train under the same conditions as their male counterparts in a wider range of units and appointments. The Territorial Army had commenced commissioning women Officers since 2019, in Ecological Task Force Units, TA Oil sector units and TA Railway Engineer Regiment. Based on the experience gained during this period, it has been decided to extend the scope of further employment for women officers in TA, a Defence Ministry official said. The Territorial Army is based on a Citizen Soldiers' army concept and officers undergo annual training on basic military skills while remaining gainfully employed in civilian life. Significantly, the armed forces have taken several measures, including assigning command roles to women, grooming them for future leadership roles and allowing them to join artillery regiments, to promote gender equality. Phillaur : , May 7 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said strengthening the SAD-BSP alliance by electing its joint candidate Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi in the Lok Sabha bypoll from Jalandhar would be the most appropriate homage to late five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Addressing a public meeting at Goraya in favour of Sukhi, he said: "Badal Sahab was worried about the manner in which divisive politics were spoiling the atmosphere in the state in his last days. He felt an attempt was being made to defame Punjabis by terming them as separatists and imposing the National Security Act (NSA) on them." "We must defeat such forces," he said while condemning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for colluding with the Central government "to defame Punjabis". Delivering an emotional address with a fully loose beard in a style reminiscent of the former chief minister, the SAD President said: "I have vowed to take Punjab ahead in the same manner as Badal Sahab. The entire party is also committed to this task. We will follow the pro-farmer and pro-poor policies of Badal Sahab while standing firm on the principle of peace and communal harmony." Sukhbir Badal said "many people approached me during the last 10 days to relate how Badal Sahab had touched their lives. I feel that if I can even do 10 per cent of what the former Chief Minister did during these 70 years of public life, I will be a success". He went on the relate how the former Chief Minister was the architect of modern day Punjab and had brought in development be it creating the 'mandi' system which led to procurement of foodgrains, creating focal points, establishing thermal plants, four-lane expressways and airports. "Badal Sahab also made Punjab power surplus during this term and if we are facing power problems now it is because both this government as well as the previous Congress government failed Punjabis by failing to generate additional power." About SAD-BSP candidate Sukhi, the SAD President said: "Dr Sukhi is a known physician, besides being a prominent social activist. He has a proven track record of taking up peoples issues in the Vidhan Sabha. In direct contrast both the AAP and BJP candidates are turncoats while the Congress candidate's family has done nothing for this constituency despite representing it for nine years." Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami and SAD-BSP candidate Sukhi also spoke on the occasion and highlighted how the Choudhary family had failed to register one achievement to its credit in Jalandhar even as they condemned the AAP government for discriminating against the Scheduled Caste community. The event also witnessed former AAP 2017 candidate from this constituency Sarup Singh Kadhiana who got more than 35,000 votes, announcing his support to Sukhi. Patna May 7 : Former IPS officer Karunasagar, who retired as DGP of Tamil Nadu, joined Bihar's ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday. Karunasagar, the 1991 batch IPS officer, retired last month from the top post of Tamil Nadu police. Belonging to the upper caste Bhumihar community, he hails from Bihar's Jahanabad district. He joined the RJD at an event organised in the party headquarters here. Tejashwi Yadav said that the party needs intellectual persons and the joining of Tamil Nadu's former DGP is a positive thing. "After the joining of the former Tamil Nadu DGP, our party will become stronger. I am wishing that some more intellectuals like him would join our party. He has his own wish to work for the people of that state where he was born. With his joining, the hand of Lalu Ji became stronger," he said. CAIRO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Arab foreign ministers met on Sunday in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to discuss the ongoing deadly military clashes in Sudan, according to Egypt's Foreign Ministry. The extraordinary Arab League (AL) council meeting, called for by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, sought to intensify Arab efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that erupted in mid-April. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who presided over the meeting, expressed Egypt's solidarity with the Sudanese people amid the crisis and keenness to stop the bloodshed and restore stability in neighboring Sudan. Shoukry noted that Egypt had received more than 57,000 Sudanese people fleeing the conflict and assisted in the evacuation of over 4,000 foreigners from other countries since the clashes broke out. At the meeting, AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit called on Sudanese warring parties to give priority to their country's higher interest to restore stability, preserve institutions, and protect sovereignty. "Our communication with the (Sudanese) government did not stop, and we support political solutions and negotiations to resolve the crisis," he added. The gathering will issue a final communique later in the day following consultation and consensus on proposed resolutions. The meeting followed an earlier meeting on Syria in the day, where Arab foreign ministers agreed to restore Syria's membership in the league after 12 years of suspension. The foreign ministers agreed to form a ministerial committee comprising Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the AL secretary-general to continue "direct dialogue with the Syrian government to reach a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis." Chennai, May 7 : Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Sunday said the DMK government has failed to maintain law and order situation in the state in the last two years since it came to power, The AMMK leader who is a former MLA and the nephew of expelled AIADMK interim general secretary, V.K. Sasikala, lashed out at the government for the delay in investigating the Kodanad murder cum heist case, Sterlite police firing case and Pollachi sexual assault case. In a six-page letter, on the DMK government's second anniversary, he questioned the government over its failure to abolish NEET in Tamil Nadu, which was a poll promise. Dhinakaran said: "They said that they will strike down NEET with a single signature and they know how to achieve it. Two years have been completed after they came to power and nothing happened." He also expressed concern over the increase in honour killings in the state ever since the DMK government assumed office. The AMMK leader also lashed out against senior ministers for their disrespectful attitude towards women who were using free bus pass services. TTV Dhinakaran said that the DMK government has been betraying the fishermen community ever since the Katchatheevu island handing over incident. He added that fishermen from the state were facing physical assault and intimidation by the Sri Lankan Navy. The former MLA also lashed out against the Rs 80 crore project of Pen Monument in the name of late Kalignar Karunanidhi at the Marina beach overlooking stringent opposition from environmentalists and fishermen community. He wondered "how the Tamil Nadu government got such swift approval from the Central government for the project". Ahmedabad, May 7 : Hardik Pandya's defending champions Gujarat Titans scored a massive 56-run victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) led by his brother Krunal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Sunday. However, Hardik said he had not gained bragging rights over brother Krunal, who is leading LSG after regular captain K.L Rahul withdrew from the IPL with an injury. On Sunday, a scintillating batting display from Wriddhiman Saha (81 off 43) and Shubman Gill (94 not out off 51 balls) followed by Mohit Sharma's four-fer powered Gujarat Titans (GT) to a huge 56-run win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Mohit was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 4-29. The spin duo of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan too got a wicket apiece. Saha and Gill dominated the proceedings with the fearless hitting and the duo went on to build a 142-run partnership as Gujarat Titans posted 227/2 in 20 overs. Mohit then led the way with the ball with a fantastic spell of 4-29 as a collective bowling effort saw GT survive Kyle Mayers's (48 off 32), and Quinton de Kock's (71 off 42) blitzes to win the match by 56 runs. Hardik said the love between the Pandya brothers was too strong to be affected by win or loss in the clash between their teams. "I don't think there'll be bragging rights with Krunal. Our love is too strong, I hope he does well. I'd have been happier if things had gotten closer and he had some bragging rights too," Hardik said during the post-match presentation ceremony on Sunday. His brother Krunal too expressed similar sentiments. "You don't dream of captaining your side in IPL or facing Hardik but the family is happy. Mom was saying two points will come home in the end anyway. There's so much love between me and Hardik. There's leg pulling but it happens only a couple of minutes," he said. Latest updates on IPL 2023 New Delhi, May 7 : Of the 384 candidates contesting on 28 Assembly seats in Karnataka's Bengaluru from various parties, 157 are 'crorepatis', according to a new report. As per the Karnataka Election Watch, Bengaluru Election Watch, and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 384 out of 389 candidates, contesting in the 28 constituencies of Bengaluru region in the May 10 Assembly elections, 157 candidates, which is 41 per cent of the total candidates analysed, are crorepatis. The report stated that 87 candidates, which is 23 per cent of the total, have declared their assets as more than Rs 5 crore, while there are 37 candidates, which is 10 per cent, have declared assets between Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore. It also highlighted that there are 76 candidates who have declared their assets between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore and 70 candidates have declared assets between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. There are also 114 candidates, which is 29 per cent of the 384 candidates, who have assets less than Rs 10 lakh. Highlighting the role of money power in elections, the report noted that all major political parties gave tickets to wealthy candidates. It said among the major parties, 26 (96 per cent) out of 27 candidates analysed from the Congress, 27 (96 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from the ruling BJP, 21 (88 per cent) out of 24 candidates analysed from the JD-S and 25 (89 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from the AAP have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore. The report also stated that the average of assets per candidate contesting in the 28 constituencies of Bengaluru region is Rs 24.48 crore. "Among major parties, the average assets for 27 Congress candidates analysed is Rs 145.26 crore, 28 BJP candidates analysed is Rs 63 crore, and 24 JD-S candidates have average assets of Rs 54.97 crore," it said. Of the 3 candidates with highest declared assets, contesting in the 28 constituencies of Bengaluru region, the top position is held by Yousuf Shariff, who is contesting from Chickpet assembly seat as an independent candidates, and has assets worth Rs 1,633 crore. Shariff is followed by Congress candidate Priyakrishna, who is contesting from Govindarajanagar assembly seat and has assets worth Rs 1,156 crore. On the third spot in the list of wealthiest candidates in Begaluru region is Congress' Suresha B.L., who is contesting from Hebbal Assembly seat, and has declared assets worth Rs 648 crore. Polling for the 224 member Karnataka Assembly will take place on May 10 in single phase and counting of votes will take place on May 13. The ruling BJP and the main oppoisition Congress are engaged in bitter fight in the assembly polls. New York, May 7 : ChatGPT is one of the trending experimental uses artificial intelligence, using its powers to write report and collate information. In the IANS New York office, we have been experimenting with ChatGPT and one of the tasks we set for it as a test is to "write a report on the state of artificial intelligence in India and how India can gain from it and the strategies it should adopt for it". It came up with a comprehensive report within 30 seconds. It sounds comprehensive and comprehensible. (It has not completely fact-checked it). Readers can evaluate its powers, accuracy and presentation. Here it is (and note again, these are not IANS staff writing, but what was "written" by the artificial intelligence-based application ChatGPT.) "Introduction: "Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the global landscape, and India is no exception. The Indian government has recognized the potential of AI to drive economic growth and improve social welfare. As a result, India has developed a national strategy for AI to encourage innovation, investment, and development of AI technologies. In this report, we will examine the state of AI in India and discuss strategies that India can adopt to gain maximum benefits from AI." "State of AI in India: "India has emerged as a significant player in the global AI landscape. In 2020, India was ranked as the third-largest AI startup ecosystem in the world, behind only the United States and China. India's AI startups are primarily focused on developing AI solutions for healthcare, education, finance, and retail sectors. "India has also made significant investments in AI research and development. The Indian government has established several research institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, which have made significant contributions to AI research. Additionally, India has also set up AI research labs such as Microsoft Research India and IBM Research India. "India's government has also launched several initiatives to promote AI development. In 2018, the government launched the National AI Strategy, which aims to leverage AI to drive economic growth and improve social welfare. The strategy identifies five key areas of focus: healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities, and infrastructure." "Opportunities for India: "AI has the potential to transform several industries in India, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and finance. Here are a few ways India can gain from AI: "Healthcare: AI can improve healthcare outcomes by enabling accurate diagnosis, predicting diseases, and developing personalized treatment plans. AI-powered telemedicine platforms can also make healthcare accessible to remote and underserved populations. "Agriculture: AI can be used to optimize crop yields, predict weather patterns, and monitor soil health. AI can also help farmers make informed decisions about crop selection, irrigation, and fertilization. "Education: AI-powered learning platforms can personalize education to the individual needs of each student, providing customized learning experiences. AI can also help identify students who are at risk of falling behind and provide them with additional support. "Finance: AI can be used to automate financial processes, detect fraud, and identify investment opportunities. AI-powered chatbots can also provide personalized customer service and support." "Strategies for India: "To gain maximum benefits from AI, India needs to adopt a multi-pronged strategy that includes the following elements: "Investment in research and development: India needs to continue investing in AI research and development to stay ahead of the curve. The government should provide funding for AI research institutions and encourage collaboration between academia and industry. "Skill development: India needs to develop a skilled workforce that can develop, implement, and maintain AI technologies. The government should launch training programs to upskill the existing workforce and provide education and training to students. "Regulatory framework: India needs to establish a regulatory framework that promotes innovation while also ensuring data privacy and security. The government should establish clear guidelines for data protection, AI ethics, and accountability. "Industry collaboration: India needs to encourage collaboration between industry, academia, and government to drive AI innovation. The government should establish platforms that enable industry and academia to collaborate on research and development projects." "Conclusion: "AI has the potential to drive significant economic growth and improve social welfare in India. To gain maximum benefits from AI, India needs to adopt a multi-pronged strategy that includes investment in research and development, skill development, regulatory framework, and industry collaboration. With the right strategies in place, India can emerge as a global leader in AI and drive sustainable economic growth." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) New Delhi, May 7 : India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra is likely to visit Washington this month, where he is expected to attend the first strategic trade dialogue between the two nations. According to official sources, the dates of the visit will be announced at a later date. The strategic trade dialogue will allow the two sides to address issues of export controls, explore ways of enhancing high-technology commerce, and facilitate technology transfer. Kwatra is expected to hold talks with officials of the US Department of Commerce. Gurugram, May 7 : A 55-year-old woman was killed while three others sustained grievous injuries in a road accident on Sunday near Kherki Daula toll plaza on Dwarka Expressway, the police said. The deceased has been identified as Monika Arya, a resident of Delhi. The injured individuals were yet to be identified and admitted to the hospital for treatment. A police officer said that two cars were involved in a head-on collision on Dwarka Expressway at around 9 a.m. Monika Arya, along with her family members, was going to Delhi in a Swift Dzire car. When they reached the Dwarka Expressway, a Swift car coming from the wrong direction collided head-on with their car. Monika died on the spot. A police team later went to the spot and conducted an inquiry. The body of the woman was handed over to the family after an autopsy. A case of negligent driving against the Swift car driver has been registered by the police at Sector-37 police station in Gurugram. Guwahati, May 7 : A 65-year-old man has committed suicide in Assam's Jorhat district after his intimate video with a young woman was uploaded to a porn site, an official said on Sunday. Three persons, including the woman in the video, were arrested on charges of abetment of suicide. The arrested individuals have been identified as Darshana Bharali, Abhishek Kashyap and Kishalay Sarma. According to the police, the elderly man's body was found at his home on Friday. His family later lodged a complaint against the accused trio. During the investigation, the police came to know that all the three arrested individuals, including the woman, were involved in making adult videos and uploading them on porn sites to earn money. Mohanlal Meena, Superintendent of Police, Jorhat district, told IANS: "Darshana Bharali and Abhishek Kashyap were in a relationship. They used to make such videos and later uploaded them to international porn sites." In the recent case, Abhishek's friend Kishalay also got involved in this racket and uploaded Darshana's intimate video with the elderly man on a site that was accessible in India also. A section of people who knew the victim also saw the intimate video, the police officer added. During the investigation, the police recovered many intimate videos of Darshana with people of different age groups. It is being suspected that these contents were uploaded to porn sites to earn money. Meena said, "We are investigating the bank details of the accused." "As all three accused are at a young age, we are trying to look into all angles," he said. The Cargas Board of Directors has been named one of the Private Company Boards of the Year for 2023. The Private Company Boards of the Year awards are presented by MLR Media and recognize company boards that go above and beyond to serve four categories of stakeholders: owners, shareholders, employees, and community. Cargas Board of Directors is chaired by Keith Kuzio, who succeeded Cargas founder Chip Cargas in 2020. The Board of Directors includes 5 Cargas team members and 5 outside directors with long-term strategy and business development experience. The Board of Directors has maintained a steadfast commitment to the Cargas vision of being Built to Last, said Kuzio. We are grateful to MLR Media and Directors & Boards for this recognition which demonstrates the governance excellence that can be achieved by applying these timeless principles for the benefit of all our stakeholders. Cargas will be recognized at the Private Company Governance Summit in Washington D.C., joining 7 other companies granted Board of the Year distinction for 2023. Visit the Private Company Director website for a full list of winners. The Board of Directors at Cargas takes great pride in demonstrating the purpose, vision, and values of our company, said Nate Scott, President and CEO of Cargas and a member of the Board of Directors. Our ever-evolving board membership strategy has helped us stay on track with our goals of sustainable growth and shared success. About Cargas Cargas is an employee-owned software and consulting company with nearly 200 employees offering ERP and CRM software from Microsoft, Sage, Salesforce, and HubSpot, as well as its own software built for fuel delivery and HVAC companies. Cargas products streamline processes in accounting, supply chain management, and sales and marketing so customers can focus on whats most importantgrowing and running their businesses. Through its unique employee-owned culture, Cargas fosters a commitment to excellence, a dedication to teamwork, and a high level of customer care. Established in 1988, Cargas has continuously been recognized as a high-performing Best Place to Work. OMAHA, the United States, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said Saturday that the majority of his company's businesses would report "lower earnings this year than last year," suggesting the good times for the U.S. economy may be over. "It is a different climate than it was six months ago," Buffett said at the Berkshire Hathaway 2023 Annual Shareholders Meeting on Saturday, the first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic began, gathering tens of thousands of shareholders from over 40 countries. Buffett, 92, said his managers "were surprised" by the economic conditions, with Berkshire companies forced to deal with excess inventory. "In the general economy, the feedback we get is that perhaps the majority of our businesses will actually report lower earnings this year than last year," said Buffett, who said Berkshire owes its success to the incredible growth of the U.S. economy over the decades. Talking about the recent U.S. bank failures, Buffett said it would have been "catastrophic" to let any Silicon Valley Bank depositors lose their money when regulators seized the troubled California lender, calling for more conservative banking practices. Bank regulators must find a way to punish executives and board members who make risky decisions that doom a bank, calling for better communication with the American public to prevent further potential bank runs, said Buffett. Buffett expects issues in the banking sector could continue, but he said depositors shouldn't worry about their money. When asked if the U.S. dollar can continue its global dominance, Buffett said it's unlikely that the U.S. dollar will be dethroned as the reserve currency, even amid concerns about the U.S. debt ceiling. Still, he warned against the extent to which the United States has been printing money. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that the deadline to extend the debt ceiling or face the first U.S. default could be as early as June 1. Buffett spoke briefly on the debt limit, noting that he could not imagine the U.S. government allowing "the debt ceiling to cause the world to go into turmoil." He also expressed broad worry about the trajectory of U.S. politics, saying that "Partisanship, it seems to be, has moved toward tribalism, and tribalism just doesn't work as well." Berkshire operates in various industries, including insurance, energy, real estate, railroads, manufacturing, retail and services. The scale and scope of its operations mean investors view it as a microcosm of the U.S. economy. Berkshire's annual shareholders' meeting, dubbed by Buffett and fans as "Woodstock for Capitalists," was held for the first time in 1973 in the employee cafeteria at an insurance company they owned. The annual lunchroom gatherings stayed small for several years. As Berkshire got bigger, the meeting moved to larger arenas. KIGALI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The search for at least six artisanal miners who were reported missing after a quartzite mine collapsed in Kinazi sector, Huye district in Southern province, has been suspended, according to a Rwandan government official who made the announcement late on Saturday. Alain Mukuralinda, the deputy government spokesperson, told national broadcaster Rwanda Television that the search had been called off after 16 days of searching yielded no results. "After 16 days of searching for the six people who went missing in a collapsed mine in Huye District, the government of Rwanda has concluded that the search activities had to stop due to the fact that there was no hope of finding them," he said. Mukuralinda added that the government of Rwanda had done all it could to search for the missing miners, but the search yielded no results despite digging 70 meters deep. He also noted that excavating further below the current depth of 70 meters would pose a significant threat to the environment. According to him, the families of the victims have decided to hold funerals, and the government is supporting them by honoring their wishes and offering support to keep them close during this difficult time. Last week, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau arrested 10 people allegedly in connection with the illegal quartzite mine disaster. The suspects include a retired soldier and local leaders on suspicion of engaging in illegal mining activities, involuntary homicide, and abusing their legal powers for personal gain. Accidents are often reported at artisanal mining sites, where miners work discreetly to avoid inspection from authorities. According to a recent report by the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board 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 the end of 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. Photo: The Canadian Press A law enforcement officer walks as people are evacuated from a shopping center where a shooting occured Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) A gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others three critically in a shooting at a Dallas-area mall before being fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said Saturday. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting was the latest episode of gun violence to strike the country. It sent hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic. Dashcam video that circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the mall and immediately start shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Maxwell Gum, a 16-year-old shift leader at Wetzels Pretzels, was on his lunch break when a family with limited English ran into the back of his store, urgently telling him, Gun! Shoot! as the sound of gunfire could be heard in the background. He brought the family into the long delivery corridor that runs behind the malls stores, hoping it would be a safe place to hide. They found chaos. There were probably like 300 people pouring in from all the different doors, Gum said. People are freaking out, were hearing screaming." Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the victims were in critical condition Saturday evening, Boyd said, and four were in stable condition. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, the agency wrote in the Facebook post. Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to an analysis of The AP/USA Today data. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an unspeakable tragedy. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through the headphones he was wearing. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes were laying nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground, he said. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from the news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene. The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, a suburb about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. KIGALI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Weather related disasters that hit Rwanda earlier this week have displaced more than 9,000 people in different provinces of the country, an official has said. "About 5,598 families were displaced and are hosted at different sites. The government has distributed aid to many of those displaced, including feeding and other basic necessities," Marie Solange Kayisire, the Minister in charge of Emergency Management told a news conference Saturday in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. The minister said plans to resettle those affected as well as an assessment to determine the particular support each family needs are ongoing. "Those who were living in rented accommodation will be supported to rent in, while those whose own houses were destroyed will also be supported to get decent housing," she said. At least 131 people were killed and 94 others injured when flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains hit Western, Northern and Southern provinces of Rwanda on Tuesday and Wednesday, the minister said at a press conference on the latest updates. Some 34 people are still admitted in health facilities while one is still missing, she said, adding that more than 5,550 houses, 14 roads and more than 50 schools were destroye and the disasters also destroyed crops, water and power infrastructures. The government has appealed to residents living in high risk zones to relocate to safe areas. Meanwhile, the Minister of Infrastructure Ernest Nsabimana said the government needs about 110 billion Rwandan francs (about 98.3 million U.S. dollars) to rebuild infrastructure damaged by this week's disasters in the country. The amount includes 41 billion Rwandan francs for damaged national roads, 38 billion Rwandan francs for rebuilding bridges, and 5 billion Rwandan francs for power infrastructure, Nsabimana said during the press conference. FILE - Union leaders address thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and Service Employees International Union 99 members during a rally outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 21, 2023. United Teachers Los Angeles announced Friday, May 5, that its members voted by a 94 percent margin to ratify the three-year deal that was given tentative approval the month before. The deal calls for the nearly 35,000 union members to receive a 21% pay increase in increments of 3% or 4% retroactive to last July and through Jan. 1, 2025. Since kindergarten, we have all waited year-round for those special two or three months of freedom. But if years of watching Phineas and Ferb has taught me anything, its that the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it. To get some ideas, The Red & Black asked students how they plan to spend summer break. Twenty-two people, including women and children, were killed when a houseboat with more than 30 passengers on board capsized and sank near the Thoovaltheeram beach in the Tanur area of Kerala's Malappuram district on Sunday, the state government said. IMAGE: Rescue operation underway after a boat capsized near Tuvalthiram beach, at Tanur area of Malappuram district on May 7, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo Eight people were rescued after the boat capsized on Sunday evening and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, district officials said. The boat, which was carrying more than 30 people, capsized near an estuary close to the Thoovaltheeram beach in the Tanur area around 7:30 pm on Sunday. Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said many of those who died were women and children who had come for a ride amid the ongoing school vacations. The state government has announced a day of mourning on Monday and cancelled all official events as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the accident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each victim. "Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala. Condolences to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) would be provided to the next of kin of each deceased," Modi was quoted as saying in a tweet by the Prime Minister's Office. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condoled the loss of lives in the accident. In a tweet, he said, "Distraught by the news of a houseboat capsizing in Malappuram, Kerala. My heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones, and wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured." "I appeal to Congress workers to assist authorities in rescue operations," he said. Health Minister Veena George has called an emergency meeting following the accident to assess the situation, the state government said in a statement. George instructed that expert treatment be ensured for the injured and the post-mortem process sped up so that the bodies can be released quickly to the next of kin, the statement said. The post-mortems will be conducted at Tirur, Thirurangadi, Perinthalmanna hospitals and Mancheri Medical College by bringing sufficient staff, including doctors, from districts such as Thrissur and Kozhikode, it said. The minister has issued strict instructions to conduct the post-mortems from 6 am and, if possible, at the private hospitals also where some of the bodies have been kept, according to the statement. Speaking to reporters earlier, Abdurahiman had said, "More victims are believed to be trapped under the boat and have to be brought out. The boat had overturned. The reason for it is not yet known. The police will investigate it." He is coordinating the rescue operations along with Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued a statement condoling the deaths and directed the district collector to carry out a coordinated emergency rescue operation. Fire and police units, officials from the Revenue and Health departments and local residents from Tanur and Tirur were involved in the rescue operation, the statement said. The Chief Minister's Office said Vijayan will visit the site on Monday. According to the statement, Monday has been declared a day of official mourning and all government programmes stand postponed as a mark of respect to the victims. Earlier, PK Kunhalikutty, an MLA of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), said the toll is expected to go up as rescue operations continue. "It is a very tragic and unfortunate incident," the former minister said. Speaking to reporters from a government hospital near Tanur Malappuram, he said overcrowding is believed to have been the reason behind the vessel capsizing. Boats are not supposed to go out for rides after 6 pm but it is believed that the rule was violated in this case, he added. The incident occurred around 7 pm near an estuary close to the Thoovaltheeram beach in Tanur, the police said. Those rescued were admitted to nearby private and government hospitals. The exact cause of the accident is not known at present, they added. The recent disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha has put the spotlight on provisions of an Act which has been used to removed 42 members from Parliament since 1988, with the 14th Lok Sabha witnessing the ouster of 19 lawmakers in connection with the cash-for-query scam and cross-voting. IMAGE: A view of Paliament. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo The disqualification of these lawmakers have been on various grounds like changing political allegiances, for conduct unbecoming of a parliamentarian and after being convicted by a court for crimes that have a jail term of two years or more. The latest round of disqualification of Congress leader Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party leader Mohammad Faizal PP, and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Afzal Ansari came after their conviction by courts with jail terms of more than two year, invoked the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The Act deals with automatic disqualification of MPs and state legislators upon being convicted and sentenced for two years or more in a criminal case. The disqualification of Faizal, who represents Lakshadweep in the Lok Sabha, was revoked after he obtained a stay over his conviction and sentence, in an attempt to murder case, from the Kerala high court. Gandhi has moved the Gujarat high court to seek relief in the criminal defamation case involving the 'Modi surname' in which a Surat court had sentenced him to two years in jail. The first disqualification of a Lok Sabha member after the anti-defection law was enacted in 1985 was that of Lalduhoma, a Congress member, who filed his nomination papers for the Mizoram assembly elections as a candidate of the Mizo National Union, a party founded by him. The ninth Lok Sabha, when the then Janata Dal leader VP Singh formed a coalition government, saw nine Lok Sabha members fall foul of the anti-defection law, which led to their disqualification. However, it was the 14th Lok Sabha which saw ouster of maximum members from the House -- 10 for unbecoming conduct as member for accepting bribe for raising questions in Parliament and nine for cross-voting during the Vote of Confidence sought by the UPA-I government in July 2008 after the Left front withdrew support to it over the civil nuclear deal with the US. Six members of the BJP, two from BSP and one each from the Congress and RJD were expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2005 over the 'cash for query' scam. One Rajya Sabha member from BSP too was expelled from the House. "The expulsions were upheld by the Supreme Court. None of these cases were referred to the President for approving the expulsions since the legislature itself is competent to do so," Devendra Singh Aswal, former additional secretary, Lok Sabha, told PTI. The 10th Lok Sabha, when then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao led a coalition government, saw four members being disqualified from the House under the anti-defection law. The Rajya Sabha also has its share of disqualifications under the anti-defection law - Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (1989), Satyapal Malik (1989), Sharad Yadav (2017) and Ali Anwar (2017). Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren and Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan were disqualified from the Rajya Sabha in 2001 and 2006 respectively for holding an office of profit. While Soren was the Chairman of the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council, Bachchan was the chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. A disqualification petition against the then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, for holding an office of profit of Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, became infructuous as she quit as member of the Lok Sabha. To avoid possible political upheaval, the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, was amended in 2006 retrospectively w.e.f. April 4, 1959 and similar petitions became infructuous, Aswal, who is also a member of the Bar Council of India, said. A judgment of the apex Court, referred to as the Lily Thomas case, laid down the legal position making it clear that any conviction which carries a sentence of two years or more will automatically result in disqualification of an elected representative. "The Lok Sabha Secretariat only has to notify the vacancy by issuing a notification so that the Election Commission can start the process for a bypoll," Aswal said. As a result of the judgement, Rajya Sabha member of the Congress, Rasheed Masood was disqualified from the upper house due to his conviction in a corruption case. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal-United member Jagdish Sharma were disqualified from the Lok Sabha following their conviction in the fodder scam. In a blistering attack on the Congress during his last campaign rally ahead of May 10 assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the party of openly advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Srikanteshwara Temple, Nanjanagudu, in Mysuru, May 7, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The Prime Minister's charge comes a day after former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi addressed a campaign rally at Hubballi on Saturday. The Congress referring to her speech in a tweet said Gandhi, who is the Congress parliamentary party chairperson, "sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas". It also posted pictures of Gandhi speaking at the public meeting. "The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity", the tweet read. Modi, apparently referring to this, alleged that the disease of the 'tukde-tukde gang' (anti-national elements) has reached the Congress' top level. Winding up campaigning for the high-stakes election, the Prime Minister today held a roadshow in Bengaluru and addressed two public rallies at Shivamogga and Nanjanagudu in Mysuru district. "When it comes to working against India's interests, Congress' royal family will be at the forefront. I want to speak about a serious issue here. I want to say it as there is a lot of pain in my heart. This country can never forgive such a game. This family, to influence the politics in the country, is encouraging foreign forces to interfere," Modi said. Addressing the public meeting at Nanjanagudu in Mysuru district, he accused them of secretly meeting foreign diplomats who hate India, repeatedly indulging in activities that insult the nation's sovereignty and said they are not ashamed of it. Stating that in this Karnataka election, Congress' shahi parivar (royal family) has gone a step ahead by "breaking all the limits and crushing the feelings of the country", Modi said: "Not only Karnataka, I want to tell this to the entire country with lot of pain that in this election Congress' royal family yesterday came to Karnataka and said they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka." "Karnataka's sovereignty, you know what is the meaning of it? They have sat in Parliament for so many years, they have taken oath on India's Constitution, and they say this. When a country becomes independent, only then that country is called a sovereign nation. The meaning of what Congress is saying is that the Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India," he said. Asking people whether they approve it and whether they will punish Congress for making such a statement, the Prime Minister said it means Congress is openly advocating about "separating" Karnataka from India. "I had never thought that the disease of the 'tukde-tukde gang' would reach the Congress' top level," he said, accusing the party of insulting Kannada fighters who fought for India's independence and insulting the patriotism of crores of Kannadigas. Noting that this is the land where Rashtra Kavi Kuvempu had said Karnataka is an integral part of India with lines in the state anthem -- Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate Jaya he Karnataka Maate, Modi said: "For every Kannadiga, Karnataka is a mother and she has been described as the daughter of 'Bharat Maa'. I can feel the feelings of Kannadigas." Insulting the sentiments of Karnataka is like demeaning the "culture and pride" of the state, he added. Further accusing Congress of creating rift between states and spreading communal fire, the Prime Minister said whenever they did such things, people of India united to defeat them. Congress wants to "somehow come to power in Karnataka" to get "political oxygen", he said, adding that "people here can never forgive them for this sin... Congress will get the response for this on May 10 with full strength." He urged the people to vote for BJP to make Karnataka number one among states. Stating that he was visiting the famous Srikanteshwara temple here, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva connected to the mythological context of 'Vishapaan' (Shiva drinking venom), after the rally, Modi said, "The way Congress abused me in Karnataka and poured venom on me, Lord Srikanteshwara gave me the strength to bear it." Thanking people for the blessings and affection towards him during campaigning in Karnataka, calling it his biggest asset, he said this is my last programme in this election campaign and after this he will leave for Delhi. "I'm ending my campaign here. Now, you take the baton," he said urging the people to come out and exercise their franchise on May 10. After the meeting, Modi visited the Srikanteshwara temple in the district. Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister took part in an eight kilometre roadshow in Bengaluru, campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The roadshow from Kempegowda statue at New Thippasandra Road to Trinity Circle was covered in about one-and-half hours. Beginning with Modi paying floral tributes to the statue of Kempegowda (founder of Bengaluru), the open top vehicle passed through parts of east and central Bengaluru touching about half-a-dozen Assembly segments. Later addressing a public rally in Shivamogga, Modi took a dig at Congress by stating that the "scared" party brought in Sonia Gandhi for campaigning in the election after its "lies did not work". Without mentioning the name of the former Congress chief, Modi told the audience at the election rally here: "Now, the Congress is so afraid and scared that when their lies did not work, then those who are not taking part in campaigning are being brought here. The Congress has started dumping the responsibility of defeat on each other". Gandhi, who largely stayed away from campaigning and public rallies since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls reportedly due to health reasons, addressed her first election meeting in Karnataka, which votes on May 10, at Hubballi on Saturday. The Delhi police stepped up security arrangements at Jantar Mantar, where wrestlers are staging a sit-in, and in border areas of the city as hundreds of farmers are expected to visit the protest site on Sunday to extend support to the grapplers. IMAGE: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat (centre), Bajran Punia (right) and Sakshi Malik (left) during a press conference over their ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, May 6, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Vehicles entering Delhi were being checked and pickets were increased at Delhi-Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu borders. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Saturday announced a nationwide agitation in support of the wrestlers who have been protesting at Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. It said several senior leaders of SKM from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh will visit Jantar Mantar on Sunday with hundreds of farmers. It also demanded the immediate arrest of Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by some of the women wrestlers. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Jantar Mantar. Security forces have been deployed and activities at the protest site are being monitored round the clock through CCTVs to ensure that no untoward incident takes place, a senior police officer said. "We have taken adequate security measures to ensure that the protest at Jantar Mantar remains peaceful. CCTV surveillance is being done and we have deployed an adequate number of security personnel there. Those visiting the protest site are being checked thoroughly as part of precautionary measures," he said. Multiple layers of barricades have also been put in place at the protest site as well as at the border areas of Delhi. "We have intensified our patrolling in the border areas of Delhi, be it Ghazipur, Singhu or Tikri. We have also enhanced the number of pickets and are carrying out intensive checking of vehicles," another senior officer said. On Thursday, a group of farmers coming to Delhi to visit Jantar Mantar was stopped by the police at the Singhu border, with officials saying 24 of them had been detained. The wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23. On April 28, the Delhi police registered two FIRs against Singh on the basis of complaints filed by seven women wrestlers, including a minor. Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Sunday convened a security review meeting at Imphal over the violence in the State. IMAGE: People of the communal clashes hit areas of Manipur at a relief camp set up by the Assam government, in Cachar district, Assam, May 7, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Security adviser to Manipur government Kuldip Singh, IPS (Retd) and additional director general of police Ashutosh Sinha, the overall operational commander of the present turmoil arising in the state were present in the meeting. According to Raj Bhavan, Governor Uikey expressed during the meeting that she had already made to all the sections of the society to solve the problem through peaceful dialogue amicably. Governor appreciated the relentless efforts made by the security forces to save lives and properties at this critical juncture. Further, she also suggested shifting people, who are in different relief camps, to send to their respective places safely which was acceded to by both the Security Adviser and the Operational Commander. The Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met with the representatives of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity in the wake of the violence in the state, informed CM in a tweet. Political parties including Congress, Naga People's Front, National People's Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena attended the meeting chaired by Biren Singh himself. The meeting follows violence that erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few northeastern state districts amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes category. Manipur government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's director general of police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the CRPF chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The state government has also appointed additional director-general of police (intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the Manipur DGP said. In a statement earlier on Friday, the Army said that the situation in Manipur had been controlled through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. Violence had erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes category. The Manipur government on Sunday appointed Dr Vineet Joshi as the new chief secretary of the state which has been rocked by violence for the past few days, an official order said. IMAGE: Houses set ablaze after a clash broke out during the 'Tribal Solidarity March called by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Torbung area of Churachandpur in Manipur on May 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Joshi, a 1992 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Manipur cadre, replaced Dr Rajesh Kumar. Joshi who was on central deputation was serving as additional secretary, department of higher education, ministry of education. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the repatriation of Joshi to his parent cadre on the request of the government of Manipur, a personnel ministry order dated May 6 said. The governor of Manipur is pleased to appoint Dr Vineet Joshi as chief secretary with immediate effect, according to an order of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (personnel division) of the state government. Violent Clashes broke out in the northeastern state after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, leading to the deaths of at least 54 people. So far, 23,000 people have been rescued from the violence-hit areas and were moved to military garrisons. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts. The high voltage campaign for the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka will come to an end on Monday as all three major political parties in the state -- Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Janata Dal-Secular -- are busy making their last pitch to woo the voters. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at supporters during a roadshow ahead of Karnataka assembly elections, in Bengaluru, May 7, 2023. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo The top guns of all the major political parties were on a campaign blitz across the state in the past few days, even as the ruling BJP has been striving to break the 38-year-old pattern of alternating governments and retain its southern citadel. The Congress on its part is working hard to wrest power from the BJP to give itself much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Janatal Dal-Secular led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was seen putting all its might into campaigning, wanting to emerge as "king" and not "kingmaker", hoping to get the required numbers to form a government on its own. "Government with full majority" seemed to be the favourite slogan of the leaders of all the political parties during the campaigning for the elections to the 224-member Assembly, as they stressed on getting a clear mandate to form a strong and stable government in the state. IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting ahead of Karnataka assembly elections, at Kamalapur in Kalaburagi district, May 7, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo While the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign largely centralised with the focus being on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 'double-engine' government, national issues and programmes or achievements of the union government coupled with a few from the state, the Congress's by and large focused on local issues and was also run by its local leaders initially. However, its central leaders like AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined in subsequently. The JD-S too ran a highly localised campaign, anchored solely by its leader H D Kumaraswamy, with party patriarch Deve Gowda too joining in, despite advanced age and related ailments. Modi's campaign juggernaut in the past one week since April 29 moved steadily ahead with as many as 18 mega public meetings and six road shows so far. The PM canvassed votes for BJP candidates across the state with the poll slogan Ee Baariya Nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara (this time's decision: Majority BJP government). Ahead of the March 29 announcement of polls, Modi had visited the state seven times since January, to unveil several government schemes and projects, and addressed numerous meetings of beneficiaries of the government's various schemes. According to BJP leaders, Modi's campaigning across the state has boosted the party's morale and confidence among the electorate, which they hope will convert into votes and help the party script history in the polls. IMAGE: Artists perform in preparation for Prime Minister and senior party leader Narendra Modi's roadshow ahead of Karnataka assembly elections, in Bengaluru, May 7, 2023.. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo Union Home Minister Amit Shah too has extensively travelled the state, campaigning and strategising for the polls. "PM and Shah have put Congress on the backfoot in the run-up to the polls," a senior BJP leader said. A number of BJP leaders including party national president J P Nadda, Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states like Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adiyanath, Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma, Madya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa's Pramod Sawant as well as Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Smriti Irani, Nitin Gadkari, among others too have travelled to various parts of the state for campaigning. After having faced difficulties in forming the government on its own strength in 2008 and 2018, as it fell short of a majority despite emerging as the single largest party, the BJP is this time hoping for a clear mandate with full majority, and has set a target of winning at least 150 seats. The BJP is making all-out efforts to make inroads into the Old Mysuru region, where traditionally it has been weak. The region has 89 seats, including 28 in Bengaluru, and according to leaders, the party fell short of a majority, getting 110 seats in 2008 and 104 seats in 2018, because of its inability to improve its tally from this belt. For Congress, wresting power from the BJP will be a morale booster, and a key for reviving its electoral fortunes and strengthening its credentials as the main opposition player against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. By winning Karnataka, it also wants to give a momentum of sorts to workers to take on the battle-ready election machinery of the BJP later this year in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Focused on this, the party has been involved in high-stakes campaigning this time. Though the campaign initially centered around state leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, Kharge gave it momentum and thereby prepared the pitch for the party's top leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi to join in. The brother-sister duo extensively travelled the state, challenging the BJP's campaign machinery led by Modi, countering and challenging him on various issues, most importantly on the issue of corruption, while promising to provide a better alternative to Karnataka. During the final days of campaigning, their mother and former AICC president Sonia Gandhi addressed a party rally in Hubballi on Saturday. This poll is also a prestige battle for the grand old party with a Kannadiga Kharge, who hails from Kalaburagi district, at its helm as the national President. The party has set a target of winning 150 seats. Will the 2023 Karnataka assembly polls be a battle of political survival for JD-S or will the regional party once again emerge as kingmaker, like it did in 2018, in the event of a hung verdict? That is the debate in political circles this time too. Plagued by desertions, internal rifts, and with the image of being a "family party", Gowda's son Kumaraswamy has in a way single-handedly managed the JD(S) campaign across the state, with the aging father taking the back seat. Though 89-year-old Gowda initially stayed away from campaigning due to age-related ailments, he has been travelling and campaigning for JD(S) candidates in the past couple of weeks, especially in the party bastion of Old Mysuru region, making an emotional pitch and countering the Congress and BJP's attacks against his party. Both national parties, BJP and Congress have alleged that JD-S is the 'B team' of the other, and also that JD-S was hoping to win just 35-40 seats in order to play a crucial role in government formation in event of a hung assembly. Despite facing these criticisms, Kumaraswamy has kept to the topics of regional pride and Kannadiga identity in his campaigning, along with issues related to welfare of farmers and poor. Protesters hold a rally against Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to South Korea in Seoul, South Korea, May 7, 2023. Several South Korean organizations rallied here Sunday to protest Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to South Korea. The protesters called for Tokyo's apology over its militarist past, opposed South Korea-Japan military cooperation, and demanded withdrawal of Japan's plan to discharge radioactive wastewater. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua) SEOUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Several South Korean organizations rallied here Sunday to protest Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to South Korea. The protesters called for Tokyo's apology over its militarist past, opposed South Korea-Japan military cooperation, and demanded withdrawal of Japan's plan to discharge radioactive wastewater. A group of activists from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) gathered near the South Korean presidential office in central Seoul, where Kishida held talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. "Japan should apologize for its illegal colonial rule and withdraw the Fukushima contaminated water discharge plan," the protesters chanted. "The (South) Korean and Japanese governments continue to say, 'Let's move into the future with the historical issues covered up and unresolved. A righteous solution to the historical issues will be needed to move toward the future of genuine peace," Moon Ga-on, a college student, told Xinhua while attending the rally. South Korea unveiled a proposal in March to compensate South Korean victims of Japan's forced wartime labor through a government-backed foundation financed by private-sector donations, which triggered strong backlash at home. Forced labor victims and sex slavery victims, who were forced by the Imperial Japan into sex servitude for military brothels during World War II, have demanded that the Japanese government sincerely apologize for its wartime atrocities. Kishida told a joint press conference with Yoon that his cabinet will continue to inherit the positions of previous cabinets as a whole in terms of historical perception, saying his heart ached over people who suffered hard and sad things. His remarks could be difficult to soothe the victims as most of the previous Japanese cabinets failed to acknowledge its responsibility and make a sincere apology for the wartime brutalities. Kishida's remarks that his heart ached were an expression of his personal and direct feelings for the people, indicating that it was not an official apology of the Japanese government. With regard to Japan's plan to discharge tritium-laced wastewater from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific this year, Oh Mi-jung, one of SPARK activists, told Xinhua that it will pollute the marine environment and threaten the lives and safety of people all over the world. "Japan is a country that was devastated by atomic bombs in 1945 ... The plan to dump the radioactive contaminated water into the Pacific approved by the Japanese government, which is fully aware of nuclear and radioactive damages, will endanger the lives and safety of people around the world," the activist noted. Ahead of Kishida's trip to Seoul, about 5,000 protesters held a candlelight rally in Seoul on Saturday night, opposing the Japanese prime minister's visit without an apology for historical issues. They also called on Japan to abandon the tritium-laced water discharge plan, urging the South Korean government to stop its diplomacy obedient to Japan and the United States. Protesters hold a rally against Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to South Korea in Seoul, South Korea, May 7, 2023. Several South Korean organizations rallied here Sunday to protest Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to South Korea. The protesters called for Tokyo's apology over its militarist past, opposed South Korea-Japan military cooperation, and demanded withdrawal of Japan's plan to discharge radioactive wastewater. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua) In the wake of disclosures by many in the Malayalam film industry about drug use by some actors, Kochi city police commissioner K Sethu Raman on Sunday said police presence would now be there at all film shooting locations in the port-city. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Ahmad Masood/Reuters The top officer said that shadow police would be present at all shooting locations and raids would be carried out if information is received about use or sale of drugs. "Action will be taken against those violating the law," he said and welcomed people speaking out against the use of drugs. Speaking to reporters in Kochi, Raman said the decision was taken in an urgent meeting held recently in the wake of film industry persons speaking of drug use among actors. He said that on receiving complaints, appropriate action -- including initially trying to dissuade the person concerned from using drugs -- would be taken. "We have data of those involved in such cases in the past. We know who is doing drugs, but we do not have information about the sellers." "Of the majority of those using drugs, if we arrest them, we will have to release them on bail. What is required is for such persons to wake up and realise that continued use of drugs would be harmful for them," he said. Raman further said that police were examining all aspects of the matter. There have been reports of many producers complaining about some young actors over their use of drugs. Actor Tini Tom recently raised concerns of drug use in the film industry alleging that a colleague he recently worked with was a drug addict and suffers from tooth decay due to substance abuse. There were also reports that Tom would record his statement with the police on drug abuse in the Malayalam film industry. At least nine people, including the attacker, were killed in a shooting at an outlet mall near Dallas and seven injured persons were undergoing treatment, The New York Times reported citing officials on Saturday night. IMAGE: Emergency vehicles line the entrance to the Allen Premium Outlets where a shooting took place on May 6, 2023 in Allen, Texas. Photograph: Stewart F House/Getty Images Brian E Harvey, the chief of police in Allen, Texas, said at a news conference on Saturday night that the gunman, who hasn't yet been identified, acted alone. A police officer, who was on another assignment at the mall at the time of the shooting, heard gunfire, rushed towards it, and killed the shooter. Around 3.30 pm (local time), a shooting was witnessed at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor shopping centre with more than 120 retailers located about 25 miles north of Dallas, according to New York Times. Social media users posted a video showing the shooter lying on the ground, dressed in all-black, holding a long rifle, and what appeared to be several rounds of ammo and a tactical vest. Hundreds of consumers were seen leaving the area on video taken from the scene while many of them had their hands raised. The aerial footage showed at least three bodies covered in sheets outside the mall, reported New York Times. Allen, Texas, Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said nine people were rushed to hospitals. "Of those that we transported, two have since died. Three are in critical surgery, and four are stable," Boyd added. A medical facility in the Dallas area was reported to have treated patients as young as 5 years old. The mass shooting in Allen is the most recent in a long line of gun attacks across the country that have terrorised stores, hospitals, schools, and other places that are normally thought to be secure. It happens only days after a shooter allegedly opened fire with a handgun inside a hospital in Atlanta, killing a person and wounding four others before he was arrested hours later, according to The New York Times. The attack was termed an 'unspeakable tragedy' by the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, saying in a statement that 'our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas'. Saturday's incident is the second-deadliest shooting of the year after the massacre in Monterey Park California, in which a shooter killed 11 people in a ballroom on January 21. The Gun Violence Archive, a database of shootings in the US, reports that 199 'mass shootings', which it defines as shootings involving at least four victims, had occurred in 2023. An especially tragic wave of widespread shootings was witnessed earlier this week. Last Saturday, a shooter in Cleveland, Texas, shot and killed five people after being requested to stop by his neighbours. He was apprehended following a several-day manhunt, New York Times reported. The black tarp covering the retaining wall on Route 142 at the construction site for the new Hinsdale, N.H. to Brattleboro bridge is a precaution to help protect northern long-eared bats. The tarp is to prevent them from roosting at that site while construction work is going on. You are the owner of this article. BURLINGTON After the acquisition of two bakeries in Vermont and one in Connecticut, the buyer quickly realized theyd been duped and misled Photographer / Multimedia Editor Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer. People watch the Chinese tea art performance during an event entitled "Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural Salon" held in Athens, Greece, May 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A tea cultural event was held in Athens on Saturday, enabling Greek guests to learn about the different varieties of tea and tea-making techniques and the concept of Yaji. The event included a traditional tea ceremony, an exhibition on the history of tea and its role in people's lives in China, and other activities like music, dances and calligraphy. The event, entitled "Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural Salon," was organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Greece and the Hellenic Foundation for Culture (HFC). Yaji in Chinese means "gathering all that is elegant," said Wang Ying, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Athens. Ancient Chinese, in particular elites, enjoyed tea with music, calligraphy, and other cultural activities, she explained. "Tea not only contains the traditional philosophy of China, that is, harmony between human beings and nature, but also serves as an important bridge between China and the world," Wang said. The event was held on the occasion of the upcoming International Tea Day on May 21. In November 2022, the traditional Chinese tea processing techniques and associated social practice in China was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. "The mutual learning between the two civilizations of China and Greece, two (representatives of) ancient civilizations, is an effective way to develop together," said Ren Ren, director of the China Cultural Center in Athens. Michalis Maniatis, a Greek artist who has traveled between Greece and China for the past two decades, told Xinhua that his home is full of tea he enjoys with his Chinese friends who have become part of his family. He loves tea for its taste, symbolism, elegance, and connection. "Tea is a bridge between people. And I hope everybody in the West can find a way to understand that and realize that through this friendly ceremony, we can know each other and be friends forever," he said. People watch the Chinese tea exhibition during an event entitled "Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural Salon" held in Athens, Greece, May 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) NORWALK Shangri-La CT Inc. says it would like to be the first recreational cannabis dispensary to operate in the city, with a hope of opening in about three months. Its cannabis dispensary special permit was approved by Norwalks Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday the second recreational cannabis dispensary approved by the commission. Shangri-Las attorney Elizabeth Suchy said they were ready to move forward immediately upon approval. We would like to be the first one to open. ... We were the first one to submit, the second one to be heard at a hearing but we would like to be the first ones to open, Suchy said. The Shangri-La dispensary will occupy a portion of the existing three-story building at 430 Main Ave. During the meeting, Shangri-La CT Inc. CEO Nevil Patel outline the dispensary's security measures. Cannabis facilities, in general, when it comes to retail are probably some of the most secure facilities located within that city, Patel said. There will be about 40 to 60 camera in the business and all the doors will have locks, he said. Customers will enter a waiting room with a security check-in counter to be processed before they are shown any products in the back room, Patel said. The vault where the cannabis is kept will be made with 8 inches of reinforced concrete and will have at least six security cameras, he said. Customers will have the option of ordering online or receiving help by staff in person. At the public hearing, some residents who live in condos at 442 Main Ave. expressed concerns about traffic, parking, property values and noise in what they said is a "quiet community." Patel and Suchy addressed their concerns and said since the location is zoned for retail, their concerns about traffic, parking and noise are not unique to a cannabis retail store. Surprisingly enough, the property value goes up on average by about $22,888 in the cities where cannabis is legal and the dispensary are located versus cities where cannabis is illegal and dispensaries are not located," Patel said. Commission Chair Louis Schulman said that he is happy that Connecticut decriminalized cannabis but expressed some reservations. I am not a user of marijuana," Schulman said. "I do not, frankly, support the use of marijuana, but I was part of this commission when we approved regulations for these shops. Having voted in favor of that I feel that, this evening, I feel obligated to do the same for this application. The Planning and Zoning Commission passed Shangri-La's special permit with a vote of 6-1, with two members abstaining. In April, the commission approved Fine Fettle's proposal to open and operate a dispensary in South Norwalk at 191 Main St. Fine Fettle opened a dispensary in Stamford in January, which was among the first in Connecticut. Shangri-La CT Inc. has active dispensaries in Ohio and Missouri and is expanding to three more states, including Connecticut. In Connecticut, Patel said they plan to have six dispensaries and one grow center. Vidyut Jammwal is currently busy promoting his upcoming film IB71. Talking about the theme of the project, the actor explained the historic event his forthcoming film is based on. Vidyut also remarked that while a large part of the population is aware of the CIA and FBI, not many people know of IB (Intelligence Bureau). In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, when asked there have been several films about the India-Pakistan war, what is so special about IB71. Vidyut replied that this was the world's biggest mission, but people do not know that the IB is counted in the world's top secret service. People have information about the CIA and FBI but they do not know about IB. There is a lot of confusion among people about which intelligence department is this. This was the only purpose of bringing this story in front of the people. The Commando star added, India defeated Pakistan in just 13 days but people do not know that China was also with Pakistan in this war. So it was very important to bring this issue to the forefront. He added he was very happy to bring it in front of people. Opening up on his character in the film, Vidyut revealed he is in the role of a spy who goes to Pakistan on a mission. More about IB71 IB71 is directed by filmmaker Sankalp Reddy, best known for national award-winning 2017 war movie Ghazi. Apart from starring in the film, Vidyut Jammwal is also donning the producer cap for the first time for this project. IB71 star cast includes Anupam Kher, Vishal Jethwa and Niharica Raizada in major roles. The espionage-thriller will hit the screens on May 12. Vidyuts other work projects include Aditya Datts Crakk - Jeethegaa Toh Jiyegaa!. The movie depicts a man's journey from the Mumbai slums to the realm of illegal extreme sports. Made under the banner of Lotus Film company, the film is slated to release sometime later this year. Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Sunday criticised the Central government over revoking of Article 370 and said that there are many things that the Centre should not have done here like removing Article 370. He added that the removal was not in the interest of the people here. However, he ensured to mention that abolishing of Article 370 has definitely ended terrorism and stone pelting in the valley. Head of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Azad, while addressing a press meet in J&K said, "There are many things that the Centre should not have done here like the removal of Article 370. It was not in the interest of the people here, but one thing is certain that incidents of terrorism and stone pelting have stopped." Elimination of terrorism has boosted tourism in the valley: Ghulam Nabi Azad S Jaishankar's remark over Article 370 to Pakistan Earlier, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar rapped his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for raking up the issue of abrogation of Article 370 in J&K and asking to review the action. Responding to Zardari's comment, the EAM had said at the press meet after the conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, "Wake up and smell the coffee, 370 is history. The sooner people realise it, the better it is." #WATCH | On a question on abrogation of Article 370, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "...wake up and smell the coffee. 370 is history. The sooner people realise it, the better it is." pic.twitter.com/Enbv4nu7dt ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2023 Jaishankar even lashed out at Pakistan for putting an objection to the G20 meetings in J&K, saying, "They have nothing to do with the G20, nothing to do with even Srinagar and Kashmir. They should talk about when they will vacate the illegally occupied territories of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah on Article 370 National Conference president Farooq Abdullah too has targeted the Centre over the abrogation of Article 370, by saying, "The government used to shout that probably this (Article) 370 was responsible for terrorism in J&K. But for the last three years, there has been no 370, and terrorism is still there, rather it is increasing." Abdullah even added that Article 370 was scrapped on August 19, 2019 and the state was downgraded and bifurcated into two Union Territories . About Article 370 Article 370 of the Indian constitution gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India as a state from November 1952 to October 2019, and conferred on it the power to have a separate constitution, a state flag, and autonomy of internal administration. However, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre removed Article 370 from J&K on August 5, 2019. Ghulam Nabi Azad's words of praise for Centre However, he praised the central government for successfully controlling the act of terrorism and stone pelting in the Union Territory (UT). Responding to the terror attacks undertaken in J&K's Poonch and Rajouri districts, which claimed lives of several defence personnel, the DPAP chief said that the incidents that happened in Poonch and Rajouri are a matter of great concern. The former-CM J&K said, "The incidents that happened in Rajouri, Poonch are a matter of concern. Terrorism is not in anyone's interest. If peace will prevail in the UT, it will only be beneficial for the people here. For the last 2-3 years tourists have increased in the valley and the central government deserves the praise for bringing terrorism under control, which has boosted tourism here." Adding to it, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that in wake of some recent terror activities, the defence forces, the J&K Police, central agencies and most importantly the people of J&K need to be alert and join hands in eliminating terrorism. #WATCH | There are many things that the centre should not have done here like removing Article 370, it was not in the interest of the people here but one thing is for sure, it has ended terrorism and stone pelting. The incidents that happened in Rajouri, Poonch are a matter of pic.twitter.com/WDmkDHMTMz ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023 Earlier on Saturday, in the presence of Democratic Progressive Azad Party President Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Panthers Party working president PR Ganju, along with businessman Surendra Kumar, Jogendra Pal Kohli, and others joined DPAP. While welcoming the new members, Azad said that DPAP is the only party in the state which has prepared a roadmap to fulfill the aspirations of the people. BRATISLAVA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- After Slovak interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced his resignation Sunday, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova said that the central bank vice-governor Ludovit Odor is set to head a caretaker government. Earlier on Sunday, Heger said he has asked the president to relieve him of his duties. The new caretaker government will be appointed after May 15, according to the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR). The president said the list of the new caretaker ministers has been decided, and she'll first reveal their names to the leaders of political parties. Heger's decision came after both interim Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlcan and Foreign Affairs Minister Rastislav Kacer quit their jobs earlier this week. The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) is expanding its capacity to train more civil servants from different countries with a rise in demand for its programmes such as those in public policy and governance, the institute said on Sunday. Set up in 2014 by the government as an apex-level institution under the the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the NCGG is mandated to work in areas of public policy, governance, reforms and capacity building of civil servants of the country as well as those of other developing nations. "In partnership with the Ministry of External affairs (MEA), the NCGG has taken up the responsibility to build the capacities of civil servants of developing countries," the NCGG said in a statement. "So far, it (NCGG) has imparted training to civil servants of 15 countries viz. Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Seychelles, Gambia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Laos, Vietnam, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Cambodia," it said and added that these trainings were found to be highly useful by the officers from different countries. The NCGG has also been involved in capacity building of civil servants from various states in the country, the statement said. "These programmes are much sought after and as desired by the MEA, the NCGG is expanding its capacity to accommodate a higher number of civil servants from more countries as demand is on the rise," it said. For the year 202324, the NCGG has effected a three-fold increase in the programmes, it added. The NCGG completed its flagship capacity building programme (CBP) for the 58th batch of civil servants of Bangladesh and it was attended by 45 officers, the statement said. The programme focused on imparting knowledge to the officers to design and execute effective public policies and programmes to improve the quality of life of citizens. Director General, NCGG, Bharat Lal, urged the officers to be responsive to the need of people and stressed on the critical importance of redressing public grievances in a time-bound manner. He also appreciated the developmental partnership between India and Bangladesh, and said this programme is an effort to empower participants towards new developmental initiatives among other things. Lal highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of "minimum government, maximum governance" and urged the public servants to reduce the gap between citizens and the government. He also pointed out that modern technology is a great enabler in bringing transparency and accountability. "One should learn and adopt these modern tools of information and communication technology (ICT) to better serve the people," Lal said. He cited the examples of Aadhaar, Jal Jeevan Mission, and how subsidies are being transferred to millions of farmers in just one click as technology is facilitating the delivery of services to citizens. "Technology has brought tremendous efficiency in public service delivery and we must use it more," the NCGG chief said. Lal also stressed on the importance of building and maintaining modern infrastructure for larger public good and focused on the importance of having a continuous system of feedback. He urged them to work closely with people and various other stakeholders such as community-based organisations, self-help groups and civil society organisations to ensure that policies and programmes are developed in a participatory manner and are also environment, climate and disaster resilient. So far, with the support of the MEA and in close cooperation with the Indian Mission in Dhaka, the NCGG has trained about 2,055 civil servants of Bangladesh, the statement said. In this programme the NCGG shared various initiatives taken in the country such as changing paradigm of governance, rejuvenation of rivers with special reference to Ganga, leveraging digital technology: changing rural landscape of India the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), public-private partnership in infrastructure development, land administration, ethics in administration, and digital governance for healthcare. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on a visit to Kenya, has offered support to African countries seeking a permanent seat on the U.N Security Council. Scholz told his host, President William Ruto, that he believes in African-led solutions to African issues such as the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Germany therefore supports the efforts for permanent African seats on the U.N Security Council and we also support a formal seat for the African Union within the G-20, he said on Friday after bilateral talks with Ruto. Currently, three African states, Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique, are non-permanent members of the council. Calls in the past for African states to get at least one permanent seat in the council have been supported by various leaders including the U.N secretary general. Scholz expressed concern over the conflict in Sudan that has led to hundreds of deaths, and lauded Rutos mediation efforts. He said the two warring generals must end the fighting for the sake of civilians. The army and the RSF must end their military struggle for power, which is detrimental to the people of the country, he said. He reiterated that the African continent must lead in finding solutions for such conflicts. I am deeply convinced that initiatives for peace and stability in Africa that are led by African states themselves are particularly important, he said. Scholz was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before arriving in Kenya, and had had met African Union officials there. He offered his support for a permanent AU seat in the Group of 20 leading industrialized and emerging economies. Philanthropy group ONEs Germany director, Stephan Exo-Kreischer, said after Scholzs statement in Ethiopia that Africa needs better representation internationally. A seat at the G-20 table is an important step towards a louder African voice on the world stage, he said in a statement. An Australian man has been arrested in Indonesia over an alleged violent rampage and would likely face prison time and public flogging, said authorities, reported CNN. The incident took place in a conservative area of Indonesia. Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, a 23-year-old guy, has been taken into custody after allegedly attacking and injuring a local fisherman while being drunk. Jones belongs to Noosa in southern Queensland, Australia. According to CNN reports, he later got escorted to a press conference where he kept his head down while police officials outlined the allegations against him, on Friday. Drunk Aussie arrested in Indonesia Jone was staying at a local resort while on a surfing trip to the island of Simeulue on April 27. On the same day, he went berserk and hit a resort guard before chasing and striking residents of a nearby village, said officials. According to people present at the scene, (he) went out of his room completely naked, yelling and causing a ruckus, said Simeulue Police Chief AKBP Jatmiko. Further, he added the culprit had gone on to attack a local fisherman who fell off his motorcycle and sustained a serious foot injury that required 50 stitches. Jones would be now subjected to "Article 351 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the law which carries a maximum imprisonment of five years," added Jatmiko. According to Indonesian police, drunk Jones would be prosecuted for drinking alcohol, which is prohibited in Aceh and punishable by law. The place where Jones was staying is the Indonesian Island of Sumatra, the deeply conservative Aceh has a special autonomous status. It is the only Indonesian province officially practising Sharia law, enforced by religious police officers, known as the Wilayatul Hisbah, and outlaws homosexuality, adultery, alcohol and gambling, reported CNN. Jones, who is an Australian man, would have a choice over whether to be prosecuted under Sharia law or provincial law, as per the Indonesian police department. According to a CNN report, if Jones has been found guilty under Sharia law he faces the possibility of 40 lashes and up to 2.5 years jail. If found guilty under provincial law, he faces the possibility of up to five years in jail. Meanwhile, his family released an official statement on April 30, in which they said, he has felt embarrassed and ashamed of his behaviour and wanted to apologise to the people of Indonesia for disrespecting their culture and laws. However, there has been no response from the Australian embassy in Jakarta on this sensitive matter, reported CNN. Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger on Sunday announced that he was quitting as the country's leader and that he had asked President Zuzana Caputova on Saturday to remove him from the mandate to lead the government. Caputova called Heger to the Presidential Palace on Sunday at 3 pm and the two agreed to relieve Heger of his duties, Slovak media is reporting. Heger reportedly explained his decision of stepping down to Caputova, who hadn't previously agreed to accept his proposals on reforms to bring Slovakia out of the government crisis. Heger on Sunday announced that he would submit a letter of resignation to Slovak President, according to the Slovak news portal pravda.sk. "I will submit my resignation to the president [as prime minister]," Heger said. The president did not accept any of my proposals," stated the prime minister referring to reforms he suggested. 'Considering the political reality': Heger Heger noted that after "considering the political reality" and "what is best for the citizens", he decided that "Slovakia, traumatised by conflicts, does not deserve the political crisis to continue even for another day". "Therefore, I decided to ask to be relieved of my post and thus leave room for the president to try to lead Slovakia to the elections in a stable and calm manner with the official government," added Heger. Heger declared that he would do everything to ensure that the handover of the resorts was as smooth as possible. "After my personal meeting with the President this afternoon, we will coordinate all subsequent steps related to the handover of government and communicate to the public as soon as possible so that there is no confusion," he added In December 2022, the Slovak parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers against Heger. Following the motion, Heger was instructed to act as acting premier until the formation of a new government. Early parliamentary elections are scheduled in Slovakia in September. According to public opinion polls, the opposition Social Democrats have the greatest chance of winning. "After the departure of the second minister on Friday, within a few days, I decided not to wait and already yesterday I offered the president other alternatives, which I see as less risky and more stable compared to the appointment of an official government," Heger was quoted as saying by the Slovak outlet, referring to the dismissal of ministers Samuel Vlcan and Rastislav Kacer. As he plans to quit, the Slovak president will have to choose nominees for vacant ministerial posts. Heger noted that people responsible for heading the departments as ministers would be most at risk of being replaced. "Especially the departments that distribute economic and social aid, that implement the laws of the billion-dollar recovery plan or provide aid to struggling neighbours," said Heger. The latter also denied that he would "cover up" the million-dollar subsidy case. Satellite images analysed Sunday by The Associated Press show two oil tankers recently seized by Iran off the coast of one of its key port cities on the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The photos from Planet Labs PBC showed the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi anchored just south of Bandar Abbas near a naval base in the port city in Iran's Hormozgan province Saturday. Their capture represents just the latest ship seizure conducted by Iran amid tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, though it appears the two ships may have been taken for different reasons. Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, staffed by 23 Indians and one Russian, on April 27 as it traveled in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran claimed the vessel had struck another ship, though tracking data for the Advantage Sweet showed no erratic behavior on its trip. Iran has made claims in the past over ship seizures to cover for the vessels being taken to use as pawns in negotiations with the West. The Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California, at the time of its capture. And its seizure comes as another tanker believed to be carrying Iranian crude disappeared from anchorage off Singapore a year after being identified as trying to evade US sanctions. The Financial Times, as well as the maritime intelligence firm Ambrey, both have reported that a ship named Suez Rajan was seized on the order of American authorities. US officials and those associated with the Suez Rajan have not responded to questions about the tanker's disappearance while on a path heading West. The Niovi, a Panama-flagged tanker, was seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday as it left a dry dock in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bound for Fujairah on the UAE's eastern coast. While not carrying any cargo, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence seen by the AP showed the Niovi in July 2020 received oil from a ship known then as the Oman Pride. The U.S. Treasury in August 2021 sanctioned the Oman Pride and others associated with the vessel over it being involved in an international oil smuggling network that supported the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. Separately, purported emails published online by Wikiran, a website that solicits leaked documents from the Islamic Republic, suggest that cargo carried by the Niovi was sold to firms in China without permission. United Against a Nuclear Iran, which has tracked sanctioned crude shipments by Tehran, strongly suspects the seizure of the Niovi is related to a dispute over a shipment of Iranian oil, said Claire Jungman, the chief of staff of the organisation. Iran has said it seized the Niovi over an unspecified court order in Tehran. The managers of the Niovi did not respond to repeated telephone calls for comment. The Greek Coast Guard has said the Niovi was staffed by Greek, Filipino and Sri Lanka sailors. Rallygoers for a political party in Pakistan beat to death a participant for allegedly making a blasphemous speech, police said Sunday. Local police officer Iqbal Khan said Maulana Nigar Alam, 40, was killed Saturday night by demonstrators in Sawaldher village of Mardan district northeast of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The rallygoers, gathered to express support for the country's judiciary, accused Alam of blasphemy when he made a concluding prayer at the end of the event. Some words of his prayer were deemed blasphemous by a number of protestors, leading to torture and death at the hands of the angry mob, said Khan. Witnesses said the police deputy on duty at the rally attempted to save the man by locking him up in a nearby shop, but the mob broke through the door and attacked him. Videos circulating on social media showed people pushing the accused man to the ground, kicking him and beating him with batons. The man died at the scene. Police took the body into custody and said an investigation was underway. Accusing people of blasphemy in Pakistan is common. Last month, the Pakistani police arrested and later released a Chinese national named Tian, who was working in Pakistan on a dam project and was accused by the locals of blasphemy. In February, an angry mob entered a police station in Pakistans eastern city of Lahore, snatched a person accused of blasphemy from his cell, and killed him. In 2021, a Sri Lankan national, Priyantha Diyawadanage, who was working as a factory manager in Pakistan, was killed by an angry mob over allegations of blasphemy. In 2017, Pakistani student Mashal Khan was killed by a mob on the premises of his university over allegations of posting blasphemous content online. Indonesian officials said Sunday they freed 20 of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar as part of a cyber scam, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia. Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that its embassy in Yangon with help from local networks had managed to release the victims from Myawaddy township and brought them to the Thai border on Saturday. The Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok will work closely with Thai authorities to repatriate the victims to Indonesia, the statement said. Myawaddy is in eastern Kayin state along the Thai border and is the site of an armed conflict between Myanmars military and ethnic Karen rebels. Fake recruiters had offered the Indonesians high-paying jobs in Thailand but instead trafficked them to Myawaddy, about 567 kilometers (352 miles) south of Naypyidaw, the capital, to perform cyber scams for crypto websites or apps, said Judha Nugraha, an official in Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry. The situation drew a national outcry in Indonesia after a video made by one of the victims went viral on social media last month. It showed dozens of grim-faced Indonesian workers in a dormitory room, asking their government to help them out of the war zone where they see violence almost every day. Please help us back to Indonesia, because our life here is very miserable and threatened, one person said, describing how they had been transferred from one company to another companies over the past eight months before being stranded in Myawaddy. The victim said they were tortured when they failed to reach certain work targets, receiving beatings, electrocutions, and other physical punishments. Authorities said the victims were likely trafficked to Myanmar by illegal means since no records were found of their arrival in Myanmars immigration system. The case had prompted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to order the Foreign Affairs Ministry to make an all out effort to help rescue the victims, telling a news conference on Thursday: They have been deceived and taken to an unwanted place by the traffickers." It was unclear how their release was secured, but National Police spokesperson Sandi Nugroho said negotiations were held with the company that employed them. Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a news conference on Friday that the government is also working to help Indonesian victims of online scams in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines. She said the Indonesian Embassy in Manila said Friday that Philippine authorities have rescued more than 1,000 trafficking victims from 10 countries, including 143 Indonesians, who will be repatriated to their countries of origin. As the chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia is trying to raise this issue at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, Marsudi said. ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Indonesia will host the blocs leaders meeting on May 10-11 in Labuan Bajo on Flores Island. After attending the coronation of King Charles III in London, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent four years in Britain's Belmarsh Prison. "It is an embarrassment that a journalist who denounced trickery by one state against another is arrested, condemned to die in jail and we do nothing to free him. It's a crazy thing," Lula told reporters. "We talk about freedom of expression; the guy is in prison because he denounced wrongdoing. And the press doesn't do anything in defense of this journalist. I can't understand it." Lula offered the remarks in response to a question about Assange, who is a native Australian. He said he had forgotten to discuss the matter with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but that he would write to him upon returning to Brazil. Assange has been fighting extradition to the United States, and Lula's comments come at a moment that he has shown little reluctance to voice his differences of opinion with Washington regarding geopolitical matters, particularly in his opposition to providing arms to Ukraine for its war against Russia, and accusing the US and Europe of encouraging the fighting. His stance and repeated statements have drawn sharp rebukes from the White House and Europe. For its part, Australia has been stepping up diplomatic pressure on the US government to call off its prosecution of Assange. On Friday, Australia's Prime Minister Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview that "enough is enough. There is nothing to be served by his ongoing incarceration." Last November, Albanese told Parliament that his "position is clear and has been made clear to the US administration: That it is time that this matter be brought to a close." Assange has battled in British courts for years to avoid being sent to the US, where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse that stem from WikiLeaks' publication of a huge trove of classified documents in 2010. American prosecutors allege he helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. To his supporters, Assange is a secrecy-busting journalist who exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I think there must be a movement of world press in his defense. Not in regard to his person, but to defend the right to denounce," Lula told reporters. "The guy didn't denounce anything vulgar. He denounced that a state was spying on others, and that became a crime against the journalist. The press, which defends freedom of the press, does nothing to free this citizen. It's sad, but it's true." Last year, Assange's father John Shipton sought to convince Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to address the issue of his son's prosecution with the US' top diplomat, and to get Australia's Albanese to raise the issue with US President Joe Biden at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. In his comments to reporters on Saturday, Lula also noted that Charles III asked him to take care of the Amazon rainforest, and that he responded he needs resources in order to do so. Prime Minister Sunak on Friday pledged to contribute USD 101 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund that aims to stop deforestation, adding to contributions from Norway and Germany, as well as a recent promise from the Biden to seek congressional approval for USD 500 million. But Lula told reporters that the amount pledged by Britain "is not sufficient". Amid the presence of prolific leaders from around the world, the Bhutanese royals stole the show as they flaunted their traditional outfits at the coronation of King Charles III. Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun were among the list of international royals who attended the coronation of British monarchs King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The list of other international royals also included the kings and queens from Spain, Lesotho, Japan, Norway, Romania, etc. At the historic event, the non-British royals were asked to wear traditional outfits to represent their culture. While some chose to follow the formal suit protocol, the Bhutanese royals stole the show with their traditional outfits. On the Coronation day, the Bhutan king and queen looked stylish in their traditional attires. While the Queen wore a traditional purple Kira, the King donned a traditional Gho, Bhutan Live reported. The purple or Lilac coloured Kira is a traditional customary wrap dress that is typical in Bhutanese culture. Queen Jetsun Pema, complimented her illustrious outfit with a purple clutch. The couple was seen beaming as they entered Westminster Abbey for the sacred coronation ceremony of the new British monarch. Royal couple donned traditional outfits at the pre-coronation ceremony Prior to the historic coronation, the royal couple also wore traditional outfits at the pre-coronation gala as well. The royals were glowing in the traditional attire as they entered Buckingham Palace, where the pre-coronation ceremony was organised. At the reception, they spoke to the Prince and Princess of Wales along with other members of the Royal family. The couples picture with Princess of Wales Kate Middleton circulated online, leaving netizens completely awestruck. The King of Bhutan looks smitten with Princess Catherine.#Coronation pic.twitter.com/SKlytZ7BG6 Prince & Princess of Wales (@TribesBritannia) May 5, 2023 The Bhutanese monarchy has a long association with the UK royal family. Both King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema attended the funeral of former British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. At that time, the Royals interacted with both Charles and Camilla, the then Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. However, the couple never got a chance to meet the United Kingdoms longest-reigning monarch. Back in 2016, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate toured Bhutan to meet the royal couple who were known as, the Himalayas Will and Kate. One thing common between the two couples is the fact that they both got married in 2011. Both Kate and Jetsun were commoners who married into royalty. The Supreme Court on Friday blocked Oklahoma from executing death row inmate Richard Glossip after the state's attorney general agreed Glossip's life should be spared. Glossip had been scheduled to be put to death on May 18 despite statements by new Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond that Glossip did not receive a fair trial. An Oklahoma appeals court subsequently upheld Glossip's conviction and the state's pardon and parole board deadlocked in a vote to grant him clemency. The high court put the execution on hold while it reviews the case. Justice Neil Gorsuch took no part in the case, presumably because he dealt with it earlier as an appeals court judge. NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A vast transformation in the world order, years in the making, is taking the clearest shape right now in the Middle East, a region where the United States has devoted many resources in the 21st century, reported Newsweek on Wednesday. In March, China helped arrange a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, taking the kind of broker role in the region long held by the United States, while Washington currently has no diplomatic ties with Tehran and relations with Riyadh have grown strained, it said. "We bluster, we threaten, we menace, we sanction, we send the Marines, we bomb," Chas Freeman, a veteran U.S. diplomat, was quoted as saying. "But we don't ever use the arts of persuasion." Washington's "moment of diplomatic glory" is long over, and "what has happened is that the American ability to coerce is declining," said Freeman. "We seem to be approaching the world as though we still have an unchallenged authority that we imagined we did at the end of the Cold War." "The world is changing; the kaleidoscope is in motion. We're trying to put all the pieces in place," said Freeman, who once served as former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. "The basic aim of our foreign policy is retention of primacy, which is impossible. Nothing is forever. No great power is always supreme forever." This image grab from a video shows the aftermath of the Myanmar juntas shelling and airstrikes on Pa Zi Gyi village, Kanbalu township, Sagaing region on April 11, 2023. Nearly 200 civilians were killed in the attack. In the past six months, in addition to their increased targeting of civilians as part of its four-cuts strategydenying the opposition access to food, finances, intelligence and recruitsthe Myanmar military has made a concerted effort to target the shadow National Unity Governments nascent civil administration and the provision of health and education. The April 11 air strike on a gathering for the opening of a NUG government office in Sagaings Pa Zi Gyi village, which coincided with the distribution of food for the Lunar New Years celebration, led to the death of at least 186 people. A single plane dropped two 500-pound (227-kilogram) bombs, followed by attacks by helicopter gunships. Almost all the casualties were civilians or civil administrators, and included 40 children; the youngest was six months old. While most of the shadow governments limited fundraising is going towards its military efforts, its providing basic social services in some liberated zones. Of the 330 townships in the country, 23 have a NUG prosecutors office and 118 judges have been appointed to date. The shadow government claims to have established 154 Pakafwe township governments and to be providing some degree of education in 95 townships, and limited health services in 198. The room of a hospital in Hsaung Phway village, Pekon township, Myanmar, is seen after an airstrike by junta forces on April 25, 2023. Credit: Mobye PDF, KNDF The National Unity Government has long had popular legitimacy, evidenced in the daily flash mobs, acts of civil disobedience, or nationwide stay at home strikes, as seen during the anniversary of the coup or the Lunar New Year. The NUG has bolstered its legitimacy through the battlefield courage and tenacity of their Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs). But increasingly, the NUG will have to base their legitimacy on performance and the provision of social services. This is all the more important as the militarys governments effective control is diminishing. And for that reason the military has stepped up their attacks on the NUGs and the various Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs) civil administration. Since the bombing of the NUG office in Pa Zi Gyi, the military has destroyed two NUG offices in Magway. It had only targeted one other NUG office in the past six months. Of the four, two were destroyed by air attacks. Targeting health care and public services The NUGs provision of health care seems to be a case in point. In the six-month period from November 2022 to April 2023, I have documented 35 separate attacks on health care facilities, either directly controlled by the NUG or EROs, or in areas under their influence. Health care providers were amongst the first and staunchest supporters of the civil disobedience movement. These attacks have led to the death of four, with 13 people wounded. In 17 attacks, the health care facilities were completely destroyed, while eight suffered major damage; the remainder had minimal damage. Fifteen of those attacks were from either air-dropped bombs, or rocket fire and machine gun attacks from helicopter gunships. Four health care facilities were damaged by artillery fire. The rest of the attacks on health care facilities were caused by ground forces or pro-regime militias. A school bag lies next to dried blood stains on the floor of a school in Let Yet Kone village in Tabayin township in the Sagaing region of Myanmar on Sept. 17, 2022, the day after a junta airstrike hit the school. Credit: Associated Press Fourteen of the 35 attacks, or 40 percent, were in Sagaing, which has seen a disproportionate amount of violence, and four were in neighboring Magway. Four occurred in Kayin, while the remainder were spread in Shan, Kachin, Tanintharyi, Kachin, and Kayah. In the latest attack, a helicopter dropped a 500-pound (227 kilogram) bomb on a health clinic in Shan State, though the bomb failed to detonate. Only three people were wounded. The military has also routinely targeted both the NUGs education system and rural schools that are technically part of the state system but which are actively supporting and staffed by members of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Since November 2022, it has either bombed, struck by artillery or destroyed by ground forces some 20 schools. Six were destroyed in Kayin and Sagaing states, each, with two in Kachin and Kayah, and one each in Mandalay, Magway, Tanintharyi, and Chin. Unapologetic military The military has refused to concede that the targeting of health, educational and other social services represents a war crime. It often justifies the attacks by alleging that the PDFs were using the facilities for military purposes or that the militia members were receiving health care treatment. The military has been unapologetic in targeting those facilities. The executive director of the the pro-military ThayNinGa Institute for Strategic Studies in Yangon, Thein Tun Oo, justified the attack on Pa Zi Gyi and others like it, calling it ordinary ... from an anti-terrorism standpoint" and said, "No government of a country can accept a declaration of autonomy within its sovereign territory. The attacks on the NUGs civil administration also comes when the military has increased their own budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year by 51 percent, from $1.8 billion to $2.7 billion, to deal with the escalating war. Although the economy is no longer in freefall, the two percent growth in 2022 and three percent growth predicted in 2023 has not made up for the 18 percent decline in 2021. Revenue collection remains down. Increased military spending is coming at the expense of public health and education, where enrollment and matriculation numbers are plummeting. A young waste collector paddles a polystyrene boat looking for plastic and glass to sell in Pazundaung Creek in Yangon, Myanmar, Jan. 14, 2023. Dozens of Myanmar citizens are taking to the murky creek waters after being unable to find work amid the post-coup economic crisis. Credit: AFP The NUGs provision of health, education, and civil administration pose a threat as the regime acknowledges its own loss of control. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the State Administrative Council, as the junta is formally known, conceded in an event marking the second anniversary of the coup that only 198 of the 330 townships are 100 percent stable, while the remainder required security attention. Leaked minutes of December 2022 Ministry of Interior meeting warned of losing control and predicted escalating attacks. The military has admitted losing control in 132 of the 330 townships, or 42 percent. As a sign of their tenuous control, the military declared martial law in 47 townships, 14 percent of the total. Its their only form of government administration that appears to be functioning. The military government has gutted their own civil administration to wage war on its own population and an opposition government that is committed to serving the people. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or RFA. Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. To subscribe, click here. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and heres what Im following right now. Beijing, Moscow, And Leaked Documents Along with my colleagues at Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, we obtained never before reported documents and recordings from closed-door meetings in 2017 and 2019 between Chinese and Russian officials where they share methods and tactics for monitoring dissent and controlling the Internet. Finding Perspective: China and Russias growing ties are no secret, but the documents provide a unique window into the practical level of cooperation under way between China and Russia when it comes to monitoring and restricting their respective Internets. Among some of the key findings, Russian officials are seen asking for advice and practical know-how from their Chinese counterparts on a range of topics, including disrupting circumvention tools like VPNs and Tor, cracking encrypted Internet traffic, and seeking tips from China's experience in regulating messaging platforms. LISTEN: Beijing and Moscows deepening ties are no secret, but what do recently leaked Pentagon documents tell us about where their burgeoning military partnership is headed? Dennis Wilder, former Asia adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush, joins host Reid Standish. In another instance, in July 2017, Aleksandr Zharov, who served as the head of Roskomnadzor until 2020, asks a Chinese delegation to help arrange a visit for Russian specialists to China, where they could study the operations of the Golden Shield Project -- the all-encompassing Internet censorship and surveillance system that helps make up what is colloquially known as Chinas Great Firewall. In turn, Chinese officials sought Russian expertise on regulating media and dealing with popular dissent, including monitoring protests led by opposition figure Aleksei Navalny. In another 2019 exchange, officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) also made requests to Roskomnadzor to block a variety of China-related links to news articles and interviews that they had deemed to be of a dangerous nature and harmful to the public interest. Why It Matters: Beijing and Moscow have been deepening their ties for the past decade and controlling the flow of information online has been a focal point of that cooperation since Chinese leader Xi Jinpings first trip to Russia as leader in 2013. The documents shed new light on a pivotal time inside Russia and point to how Russia has sought to emulate China in exerting control over its people in the social media age. For years, the Russian government has been putting in place new measures to smother freedom of speech online, but many have stumbled in practice. But in 2019, those efforts reached a zenith when a controversial sovereign Internet law went into force that allowed Moscow to tighten control over the countrys Internet by routing web traffic through state-controlled infrastructure and creating a national system of domain names. While many of Russia's measures are still a far cry from those inside China, they have continued to be more technologically advanced and restrictive, a process that has accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Expert Corner: Who Speaks For Europe? Readers asked: French President Emmanuel Macron got into hot water over his comments about Taiwan. Weve also recently seen various other -- sometimes contradictory -- comments coming from European Union and European officials. Why does this seem to happen when it comes to China? To find out more, I asked Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RLs Europe editor: It happens because there really isnt a coherent policy toward China. It is sometimes a rival, notably when it comes to geopolitics, and sometimes a partner in areas such as climate change mitigation. And then, of course, there is economic dependence on Beijing that leads to some EU member states not wanting to be too harsh on China. EU foreign policy is made up via the lowest common denominator as all the 27 EU capitals need to green-light any move. For China, this means that you have a mishmash of interests, ideas, and fears that makes outsiders unsure about what Europes China policy really is. I also think that the EU has failed to formulate a coherent Taiwan policy and this adds to the mixed messages coming out from Europe. Macron said that Europe should not get caught up in a conflict over the island, but have he and fellow European leaders drawn up any plans on what Brussels will do if China were to attack? Its still unclear what Europes red lines would be and how it would react. Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers. Three More Stories From Eurasia 1. The Pentagon Leaks China approved the provision of lethal aid to Russia for its war in Ukraine but wanted any shipments to remain a secret, according to leaked U.S. government documents. What You Need To Know: The recently leaked trove of classified Pentagon documents that contain assessments and reports from Americas intelligence agencies shows that Beijing had approved the incremental provision of weapons to Moscow, which it would disguise as civilian items. That comes from a February 23 top-secret intelligence summary that The Washington Post reported was gathered by U.S. agents eavesdropping on discussions by Russias secret service. The Russians said Chinas central military commission wanted the shipments to remain secret. Among other revelations, a separate file in the trove of leaked documents said Beijing would consider a significant Ukrainian strike with American or NATO weapons on Russian territory as an escalation of the conflict that would merit sending arms to Russia. The timing is notable. A public U.S.-led campaign over a potential Chinese arms transfer accelerated in late February, and shortly after that document circulated within the U.S. government NBC News reported that the U.S. information about the plan to obtain lethal aid from China was gleaned from Russian officials. Whats less clear is if the transfers are taking place or if the public pressure on China has worked. Reports based on trade data show private sales of small-scale weapons from China to Russia, and senior Ukrainian officials have said their forces are finding a growing number of components from China in Russian weapons on the battlefield. Whether Chinese covert efforts are under way or not, defense cooperation between China and Russia is set to grow. A large portion of the Chinese delegation for Xis Moscow summit in March were defense officials, and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was in Russia on April 16 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. 2. Lula's 'Peace Club' Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrapped up a state visit to China, where he sought to position himself as a peace broker in the ongoing war in Ukraine while attempting to elevate Brazil's global status and boost economic ties with Beijing. The Details: As I reported here, a key piece of Lula's outreach is courting political backing for his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, form a peace club to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Analysts, however, remain skeptical about the chances of Lula's peace proposal, which is unlikely to gain support from Kyiv and its backers given China's close ties with Russia and past comments from the Brazilian leader that Ukraine should cede Crimea -- which was forcibly annexed by Moscow in 2014 -- as a means to reach a deal. Beyond the diplomacy push from Lula, the visit allowed him to shore up Brazils economic and political ties with China, as he left Beijing with a slew of new agreements. But as Carlos Solar, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told me, Lula is still hedging his bets, having already made a trip to Washington to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and made moves to position Brazil to be a regional power in Latin America. [Lula] needs this frenzy of deals in China and talks with Xi in part to show his public that he's still an influential guy around the world, Solar said. But when you look more closely, you can see that he is putting his eggs in different baskets. 3. Frustrated By The Taliban, Interested In Afghanistan Frustrated by the Talibans reluctance to take action against an array of militants, including a strengthening Islamic State group, Afghanistan's neighbors have resolved to come up with a joint strategy to counter security threats emanating from the country. What It Means: Top diplomats from Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan attended an April 13 conference that focused on ensuring regional security in light of the situation in Afghanistan. Russia and China are among the few countries that have kept their diplomatic missions in Kabul since the Taliban retook power, but lingering frustrations with the group as a partner have been boiling up. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was ready to work more closely with Afghanistans neighbors and the international community, and Beijing also expressed hope that the Taliban would continue working actively to meet Afghans' interests and the international communitys expectations for an open and inclusive political structure. China has a growing interest in the countrys resources -- having secured rights for mining and oil and gas exploration -- but security concerns have kept those projects mostly on paper for the time being. Still, the cash-strapped Taliban is hoping that it can draw in more Chinese interest, recently floating progress on a potential $10 billion investment from the China Petroleum Economics and Information Research Center (CPEIC) in Afghanistans lithium deposits. Few details beyond a Taliban press release were offered, but even if something is inked, realizing the project -- and others with China -- is still a distant prospect due to the countrys tough security situation. Across The Supercontinent A New Case In Pakistan: A Chinese man has been arrested in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province after an angry mob accused him of blasphemy and tried to enter a camp near the construction site of the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, which involves both Chinese and Pakistani workers. Police filed a blasphemy charge against the Chinese man, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reported. Internal Review: Hikvisions human rights investigator admits the company's Chinese police contracts in Xinjiang explicitly target Uyghurs as a group. The Chinese surveillance giant has repeatedly denied reports that the company is complicit in human rights abuses targeting Uyghurs, but documents obtained by technology trade publication IPVM show otherwise. Brussels To Beijing: The EU lodged a protest with China after police detained veteran rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his activist wife, Xu Yan, ahead of an April 13 meeting with its diplomats in China, Radio Free Asia reports. Macron In China: Looking to catch up on Macrons trip to China earlier this month? Listen to the last episode of Talking China In Eurasia, where guest Rikard Jozwiak explained why the French president thinks he can split China and Russia and where he fits among Europes large groups of actors looking to engage and pressure Beijing. One Thing To Watch Chinas economic growth is exceeding expectations. GDP grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first quarter. Strong growth in exports and infrastructure investment, as well as a rebound in retail consumption and property prices, are said to be driving the recovery. That momentum looks set to continue, but economists have warned that consumption and the property sector might struggle to maintain strong growth, while exports could be threatened by weaker demand in developed economies. Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have. Until next time, Reid Standish If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he and visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 9 discussed Ukraine's progress toward integration into the European Union, European ammunition deliveries for the Ukrainian military, and fresh Russia sanctions. 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. Von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv after Russia overnight launched another missile attack on the Ukrainian capital -- the fifth since the start of the month and the second in as many days. Zelensky said after the talks that he told von der Leyen, he told her that the Ukrainian military needs faster deliveries of artillery shells from the EU. Later on May 9, EU lawmakers on May 9 voted to speed up consideration of a law to boost ammunition production in Europe to the tune of 500 million euros ($550 million), due to efforts to supply Ukraine. The decision should see the new legislation -- termed the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) -- in place by the end of the year, MEPs and European Commission officials said. The spending proposal, initiated by the commission, comes as the bloc seeks to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next 12 months, adding to a stream of military deliveries. After the meeting with von der Leyen, Zelenskiy also said he criticized the restrictions that some EU nations have imposed on grain exports from Ukraine, saying the measures play to Russia's advantage. The two also talked about a new package of Russia sanctions that the EU is preparing and about Kyiv's progress in EU accession negotiations. Von der Leyen's visit -- her fifth since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine -- takes place on a day full of symbolism as the European Union on May 9 celebrates Europe Day, a nod to the Schuman Declaration presented by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on the same day in 1950. The declaration is seen as cornerstone of what was to become the present-day 27-member EU. Zelenskiy submitted a bill to parliament officially marking May 9 as Europe Day in Ukraine, while Victory Day, May 8, is to be celebrated as a "day of remembrance and victory over Nazism." The move was seen as a snub to Russia, which invaded Ukraine to prevent it from integrating with Europe. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would mark May 9 as Europe Day together with all of free Europe, adding that Ukraine has always been, is, and will be a part of [this Europe]." Von der Leyen said on Twitter that she welcomed Zelenskiy's decision to make May 9 Europe Day in Ukraine. Von der Leyen's arrival came hours after Russia launched 25 cruise missiles at Ukraine, 15 of them targeting Kyiv, in a second attack following a wave of drone strikes on May 8. "In total, during two waves of attacks on Ukraine on the night of May 9, the Russian occupiers launched 25 cruise missiles; 23 of them were destroyed by the air defense of Ukraine," the General Staff of Ukraine's military said in a statement early on May 9. The United States on May 9 announced a $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine that includes munitions to boost air defenses and provide Kyiv with additional artillery ammunition, the Defense Department said in a statement. The package provides funding to purchase weapons from the defense industry as opposed to a drawdown from U.S. stocks, but this means the assistance will take longer to reach the battlefield. Earlier on May 9, the head of the capital's military administration, Serhiy Popko, reported that Kyiv's air defenses had detected and destroyed about 15 missiles above the city. No casualties or damages were immediately reported, Popko said. The attack on Kyiv was the second in hours, after Russia on May 8 launched 35 suicide drones and 16 missiles. The missile strikes targeted the regions of Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolayiv, and Odesa, and inflicted human casualties. "Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded civilians, and high-rise buildings, private homes, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged," the General Staff said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that five people were injured overnight on May 8 as a result of a drone strike that damaged buildings and infrastructure. On the battlefield, Ukrainian defenders repelled 42 attacks over the 24-hour period that ended early on May 9 on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka direction in Donetsk, the military said. The fiercest fighting was taking place in Bakhmut and Maryinka, it added. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-connected head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, claimed his forces were inching forward in the fiercely contested town of Bakhmut. But later on May 9, he accused the Russian Defense Ministry of failing to supply his mercenary fighters with enough ammunition and accused Russian troops of fleeing the fighting around Bakhmut. Prigozhins comments were the latest in his long-running public feud with top Russian military officials. He blamed a lack of ammunition for his groups inability to capture Bakhmut and just days ago threatened to pull out of the city if a resupply of ammo did not arrive soon. On May 8, he said that his forces had begun to receive more ammunition. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa At the beginning of April, an elaborate exchange was played out in Chechnyas capital, Grozny, when federal Investigative Committee head Aleksandr Bastrykin visited the region in Russias North Caucasus. Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov bestowed upon the senior national official the Order of Akhmad Kadyrov, the regions highest honor, for services to the Chechen Republic. And Bastyrkin awarded Kadyrov the Investigative Committees medal For Valor and Courage. The medal for Bastrykin was one of many that Kadyrov has doled out in recent months to federal officials and other prominent figures in the political system constructed under President Vladimir Putin. Analysts say the honors are part of an effort by Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya since his appointment by Putin in 2007 and has been widely criticized for authoritarianism and accused of massive human rights abuses, to boost his prestige and influence outside the region -- mainly in Moscow. Handing out medals is a royal prerogative, said Emil Aslan, a professor of politics at Charles University in Prague. The higher the position of the person receiving the award, the higher the status of the person bestowing it -- in this case, Ramzan Kadyrov. Diamonds, Sapphires, And Rubies The Order of Akhmad Kadyrov -- named for Ramzan Kadyrovs father, the former president of Chechnya who was assassinated at a Victory Day parade in 2004 -- is a golden medal encrusted with 36 diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. Each medal costs 315,000 rubles ($4,125). At the end of 2022, the regional government ordered 43 of them for a total cost of 13. 5 million rubles ($177,000). Over the years, Kadyrov has awarded the medal to federal figures including Russian National Guard head and Putin associate Viktor Zolotov and State Duma Deputy Leonid Slutsky, head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russias faction in the lower house of the national legislature. In 2018, he gave the award to Aleksandr Zaldostanov, the head of the nationalist Night Wolves motorcycle gang that has served as a Russian soft-power tool in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Last year, Kadyrov gave the honor to the Moscow-installed heads of the occupation authorities in two partially Russian-held regions of Ukraine, Leonid Pasechnik in Luhansk and Denis Pushilin in Donetsk. Handing out orders and medals enables Kadyrov to once again assert that he is a powerful personality who can reward and punish according to his royal whim, Aslan said. Czech Caucasus expert Tomas Baranec told RFE/RL that the practice of a regional leader handing out awards to national figures was unusual. Kadyrov doesnt -- and never has -- considered himself just the head of some tiny subject of the [Russian] Federation, Baranec said. And he really hasnt been, since Chechnya is not an ordinary region under the current [Russian] power structure. Plus, Kadyrov has a strong desire to establish good connections at the federal level. Giving a medal to Bastrykin is one way of cementing such ties. North Caucasus human rights advocate Stanislav Dmitriyevsky describes the practice as a form of domination on Kadyrovs part. After all, it is usually the older and more authoritative figure who does the awarding, Dmitriyevsky said. At least, when it comes to intragovernmental relations. 'A Weakness For Such Games' In addition to the awards for influential people on the federal level, Kadyrov also follows the more traditional authoritarian practice of bestowing honors on his relatives and political allies, as well as local celebrities such as athletes, artists, and bloggers. All dictators have a weakness for such games, Dmitriyevsky said. In March, he awarded a regional human rights defense award to himself, his mother, and, posthumously, to his father. The same month, he awarded medals For Excellence In Combating Terrorism to his 15-year-old son, Adam, and his 17-year-old son, Akhmat. In June 2022, he awarded the Order of Akhmad Kadyrov to his 23-year-old daughter, Aishat, who is Chechnyas culture minister. The honor was ostensibly for her enormous contribution to the sphere of culture. Other laureates include State Duma Deputy Adam Delimkhanov -- a close ally who last year publicly vowed to kill all the members of a Kadyrov critics family -- and two of his brothers. For Kadyrov, handing out honors and gifts is a signal of his status, political scientist Aslan said: It enables him to assert his status as the arbiter, the highest in the hierarchy. Over his years in power, Kadyrov has been accused by activists, opponents, and alleged victims of overseeing human rights abuses including abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, assassinations of political opponents, and the persecution of sexual minorities. The Prosecutor-Generals Office and Bastrykins Investigative Committee have declined to investigate any of the allegations despite entreaties from rights groups. Written by RFE/RLs Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RLs Caucasus.Realities. Iran's clerical leadership has often lauded the impact of sports in rallying the nation, but commendations can quickly turn to condemnation for athletes who dare to step out of line. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, scores of athletes who have shown anything but complete loyalty to the clerical establishment have been barred from competitions, arrested, or even executed. Amid mass anti-government protests that have broken out in recent years, sports figures who raised their voices have again been targeted by the authorities. Revolutionary Change While meeting a group of Iranian athletes in 1979, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini expressed his faith in their ability to use international competition to spread the ideals of the revolution across the globe. "I am not an athlete, but I love athletes. I love the doers of good, although I am not one of them," he said. "I beseech God, the most blessed and exalted, to grant greater success to you young people, who are the assets of this country and the source of hope for the nation and Islam, in doing sports in all human dimensions." But not all of Iran's athletes fit the mold. Among the prominent stars missing from the photo op was soccer star Habib Khabiri, a key factor in Iran's march to its first-ever appearance at the World Cup in 1978. While Khabiri would go on to captain the national squad in 1980, he would eventually pay the ultimate price for his alleged disloyalty to the revolution. While Khabiri initially joined the street protests that ushered in the revolution, he later allegedly joined the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), which itself had participated in the Islamic Revolution that toppled the shah but was soon branded a threat by the new clerical establishment. A team photo taken prior to a game in 1982 in which Khabiri is the only player not holding up a portrait of Khomeini has long been taken as black and white proof of his differences with the authorities. Fellow teammate Ebrahim Kian Tahmasebi, also seen in the photo, explained the backstory. "Habib turned Khomeini's picture upside down in the dressing room," Tahmasebi told RFE/RL's Radio Farda from Sweden. And when other players turned on him, Khabiri didn't budge. "Habib was calm, as always, and said: The revolution will not be overturned by overturning the photo.'" In 1983, as the authorities cracked down on suspected sympathizers and members of the MKO -- which by then openly called for Khomeini's overthrow and had aligned with Baghdad in the Iran-Iraq War -- Khabiri was arrested. After being subjected to torture in prison, according to fellow prisoners and teammates, Khabiri was executed at the age of 29 alongside 40 other alleged dissidents in July 1984. Deadly Trend Recent cases involving prominent sports figures caught up in the crackdown on ongoing antiestablishment protests bear some resemblance to Khabiri's. Two athletes have been executed despite international outcry, while others have been killed during protests, arrested, or pressured to get in line with the authorities' demands. Many have been subjected to sham trials with little or no chance to defend themselves, according to rights groups. And athletes' immediate families have often faced pressure as well. Navid Afkari Navid Afkari, once one of Iran's highest-ranked Greco-Roman wrestlers, was executed at the age of 27 in September 2020 after being convicted of murdering a security guard during antiestablishment protests in the southern city of Shiraz in 2018. There were worldwide calls for Afkari to be pardoned, and his execution was condemned by rights groups who criticized the trial as a "travesty of justice" that denied him legal representation and refused to take into account his testimony that he had been forced to confess under torture. The former wrestling champion's last recorded words were: "If I am executed, I want you to know that an innocent person, even though he tried and fought with all his strength to be heard, was executed." An attorney who advocated for Afkari argued that there was no proof of guilt, and decried that the wrestler's family was not allowed to meet him prior to his execution, a violation of Iranian law. His brothers, Vahid and Habib, were sentenced to 54 and 27 years, respectively, in prison in the same case. Many Iranians condemned his execution on social media, and as other Iranian athletes have been targeted by the authorities, the "United4Navid" hashtag is quickly revived as a reminder of his legacy. In September 2021, Shahin Naseri, a prisoner who claimed he witnessed Afkari being tortured before his execution, was himself executed. Mohammad Mehdi Karami The mass protests that broke out in September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini soon after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the head-scarf law have also resulted in the arrests and deaths of sports figures who supported her cause. In January, three-time youth karate champion and national team member Mohammad Mehdi Karami was executed after being found guilty of involvement in the death of a member of the Basij paramilitary forces during a demonstration in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran. Karami's execution took place just 65 days after his arrest and following a trial in which he was given just 15 minutes to defend himself in court. The 22-year-old was denied the right to choose his own legal representation, and had begun a dry hunger strike in protest. Activists alleged that Karami was beaten unconscious by prison guards and threatened with rape while incarcerated, and rights groups said that the court relied on forced confessions. Of the 16 people detained in relation to the killing of the Basij officer, Karami and one other were executed, while the others, including minors, received lengthy prison sentences. Keeping Score One of the biggest stars to ever suit up for Iran's national soccer team, Ali Daei, ran into trouble after he voiced support for the protests. In December, the 53-year-old former player and coach was denied the right to leave the country to attend Iran's World Cup appearance in Qatar, and has also had his business shuttered by the authorities owing to his support for the protests. Voria Ghafouri, who was left off the World Cup squad, was arrested in November for "insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government" just days after expressing sympathy for Amini's family and calling for an end to the state crackdown on protesters. And members of the national team reportedly got a talking to from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps after they appeared to support the protests by abstaining from singing Iran's national anthem ahead of their game with England. In January, wrestler Mohammad Namjoo-Motlagh told Radio Farda he was seeking asylum in Germany after facing "constant threats and psychological pressure" from the Iranian Wrestling Federation and other state bodies over his support for the ongoing protests. "It was clear where this was going," said Namjoo-Motlagh, who is believed to have posted social-media posts that were critical of the authorities and supportive of the protests. "I would either lose my life or they would blind me, or in the best-case scenario, I would be sent to prison." The same month came news that a death sentence handed down to Amir Nasr-Azadani, a soccer player who played for a number of clubs in Iran's top domestic league and had campaigned for women's rights, had been overturned. But Nasr-Azadani, who the previous month was found guilty of complicity in the killings of three Basij officers during protests, still faces 16 years in prison. The trend of punishing sports figures who protest has extended to the chessboard and reached great heights. In October, sport-climbing champion Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without her hair covered, a violation of Iran's strict rules during international competition. The act was widely seen as one of support for the protests. When Rekabi returned to Iran, she offered an apology that some fellow athletes said was forced. In April, it was reported that she was not allowed to leave the country to continue her training in Spain. Sara Khadem, a top female Iranian chess player, competed without a head scarf at an international tournament in Kazakhstan in December. Khadem refused to return to Iran for fear of retribution and moved to Spain with her husband. She recently said while competing in a tournament there that she has no regrets for her actions. Soccer player Reza Shekari, meanwhile, has been banned from playing in Irans domestic league and summoned to face a disciplinary committee after he refused to celebrate after scoring a goal. Gone But Not Forgotten To this day, Tehran has given no explanation for the reasons for Khabib's arrest, the charges against him, or details regarding his trial. His reported denunciation of the MKO appears not to have been taken into consideration, and his family members were not allowed to attend his funeral. But his legacy is undeniable, both on and off the pitch. Journalist Faridun Shibani, who traveled with the national team when Khabib played, said that there were some things about the man and player that he could not write at the time. "I fell in love with the morals of this young man," Shibani told Radio Farda. "Habib is one of the leaders in recognizing and opposing the Islamic republic. He opened the eyes of others to the new system." Buried in secret in an unmarked grave, the authorities eventually relented to the public, allowing a simple gravestone bearing the soccer legend's name to mark his plot at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery. Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Russian President Vladimir Putin has presided over a parade to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe even as he pushes ahead with the continent's largest land war since since the conflict ended in 1945. Speaking at the start of the parade on May 9, Putin said the world was at a key turning point and told thousands of soldiers and spectators at the event marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that his country is battling for its future. 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. He accused what he called "Western globalist elites" of "sowing hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism," and destroying "family, traditional values," refrains he has used often since he launched his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In contrast, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on May 9 hours after a volley of Russian missiles were launched at the Ukrainian capital, saying she was happy to be in a country "where the values we hold dear are defended every day." As the events commemorating European unity in Kyiv and the end of World War II in Moscow took place, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine were "not possible at this moment." It is clear that the two sides "are completely absorbed in this war" and "are convinced that they can win," Guterres said in an interview published on May 9 by the Spanish daily newspaper El Pais. Guterres said he hoped it would be possible "in the future" to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. Putin presided over scaled-down commemorations, while parades in several other cities were canceled and traditional processions in which people carry portraits of relatives who fought against the Nazis were scrapped. Gone too was the pomp of fighter jet flyovers, massive columns of tanks, and most other military hardware, though leaders of former Soviet states including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Armenia attended the military parade, a sign of how much sway the Kremlin still has in Central Asia and other regions near Russia. The countries were part of the Soviet Union at the time of World War II but declared their independence as the Russian-dominated U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991. "Putin is attempting to use the Moscow Victory Day parade to show Russias continued influence in Central Asia," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said. The parade took place against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has isolated Moscow amid global condemnation and sanctions, as well as the issuance of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Putin. Under Putin, Russia has gone to great lengths to commemorate World War II -- which killed more than 20 million Soviet citizens -- including reviving the pompous military parade held on Red Square during Soviet times. During his more than 20 years in power, Putin has increasingly tried to unite Russian citizens around what they call the Great Patriotic War, transforming the memory of the four-year struggle against Nazi Germany into an integral part of national identity. Separately, Putin has called the dissolution of the Soviet Union last century's "greatest geopolitical catastrophe," and his increasing tendency toward authoritarian rule, including the invasion of Ukraine, have evoked comparisons with the former Russian and Soviet empires. His increasingly repressive rule and foreign aggression have alienated many foreign leaders, resulting in a dwindling number of foreign dignitaries willing to attend his nostalgic parade. With reporting by AFP and dpa Russians kept up pressure on eastern Ukraine on May 7 with claims of more ammunition for mercenaries in Bakhmut and Ukrainians sought shelter from possible air attacks, as UN nuclear officials expressed intense concern over risks to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, at Zaporizhzhya in southern Ukraine. 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. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said he was "extremely concerned" as Ukrainian forces stepped up shelling to dislodge Russian forces near the Zaporizhzhya plant, which was captured early in the 14-month-old invasion. "The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous," Grossi said in a statement. "I'm extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant." Air-raid alerts sounded overnight on May 6-7 in many regions of Ukraine amid unpredictable Russian bombardments and ongoing fighting for Bakhmut ahead of a patriotic anniversary in Russia. Late on May 7 and early May 8, Ukrainian media reported explosions in the southern port city of Odesa and that air-raid sirens were again blaring in Kyiv and other cities. Earlier, in its morning update on May 7, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces cautioned that "the likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains quite high." It said Russian troops were focusing their "main efforts" in the districts of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka, in the eastern Donetsk region, with "heavy fighting for the cities of Bakhmut and Maryinka." Ukrainian General Oleksandr Syrskiy, the commander of Ukrainian ground forces, said the situation in the east was "tense but under control." Syrskiy said Russian forces have intensified their shelling and have attempted to reorganize troops in the region in recent days. "This indicates that the enemy will not change its plans and is doing everything to gain control of Bakhmut and continue its offensive," he said. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar has said that Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries look to be doing their utmost to capture Bakhmut in a "symbolic" push by May 9, when Moscow celebrates World War II Victory Day. On May 7, the head of the Wagner group supplying mercenaries to fight alongside regular Russian forces in Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin, also claimed that he had been promised adequate supplies of weapons and ammunition for the ongoing Bakhmut offensive. Months into Russian forces' furious offensive to capture Bakhmut with an apparently heavy toll in casualties, Prigozhin this week issued graphic, expletive-filled video appeals threatening to pull his fighters out of the area. He blamed failures on the military leadership and its perceived unwillingness to provide sufficient ammunition. Prigozhin also suggested he would pass control of the occupied areas to troops under pro-Kremlin Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov immediately after the May 9 anniversary. In his latest comments on May 7, Prigozhin did not specifically say he was reversing his plans to pull his forces from the city but said he had been given permission to act in Bakhmut as we see fit. Ukrainian authorities announced air alerts after 10 p.m. local time on May 6 for most regions of eastern, southern, and central Ukraine and urged citizens to hide in shelters. The Moscow-installed leader of Russian-annexed Crimea's biggest city, Sevastopol, claimed at least 10 drone attacks had targeted the peninsula overnight in the latest accusation by Russians of a rash of airborne attacks, including on Russian territory that included the Kremlin in Moscow. Concerns meanwhile mounted around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant as Russian and international officials cite a Ukrainian push to recapture territory. Moscow has already ordered families with children and elderly members to evacuate Russian-occupied areas near Zaporizhzhya. Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the town of Melitopol, in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, said he was not sure "how voluntary this relocation is." Fedorov also said it sparked "a mad panic and no less mad queues" at a checkpoint into Russian-annexed Crimea, with buses leaving every half-hour or so and gasoline in short supply, according to AFP. He said he feared Russia might be "preparing for provocations" in the area. The Ukrainian General Staff said of the Zaporizhzhya events and the Russian-ordered evacuation that "the first to be evacuated are those who accepted [R]ussian citizenship in the first months of the occupation." With reporting by Reuters and AFP LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A teenager girl was killed and five others were injured in a shooting early Saturday morning at a house party in the U.S. state of California, authorities said. The shooting occurred at around 3:26 a.m. (1026 GMT) in Chico, a city in northern California, said the Chico Police Department at a news briefing streamed on its Facebook page Saturday morning. Chico Police patrol officers were dispatched to a residence on the 1000 block of Columbus Avenue in the city and found six individuals between the ages of 17 and 21 had been shot. The deceased victim was a 17-year-old girl. The other victims are in stable condition and have non-life threatening injuries, according to the department. The scene of the shooting is reportedly just a few blocks from the campus of California State University, Chico. The university's spokesman said none of the victims were students of the university. Officials said the incident appeared to be isolated with no ongoing threat to the community. Police are still investigating the incident. HOUSTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed, including the shooter, and seven others wounded in a shooting at an outlet mall on Saturday afternoon in south-central U.S. state Texas, authorities said. The shooter, who authorities believe was acting alone, was dead at the scene, according to the Collin County Sheriff's Office. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said Saturday night that among the at least nine people sent to hospitals, "two have since died, three are in critical surgery, and four are stable." Local media said the wounded include a five-year-old child. The shooting occurred at the Allen Premium Outlets in a suburb about 48 km north of Dallas. Local residents told Xinhua that it is one of the largest outlet malls in the area and is usually very busy during weekends. Joseph Gallagher, a store manager at the mall, told Xinhua that he saw rounds of bullets "bounce off the pillar in front of our store" and witnessed the gunman being shot dead with blood hitting the walls. The government of Botswana and De Beers are currently negotiating mining licences at the same time they are negotiating a new marketing and sales agreement. The marketing agreement has already been postponed three times, amid speculation that Gaborone is looking to change the structure of its partnership to generate more revenue. Through the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company, the government currently receives 25% of Debswana goods for independent sales. President Mokgweetsi Masisi was quoted earlier this year as saying that his government wants a larger share of local output and that it is prepared to leave the talks if its demands are not met. Independent diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky told Rough&Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that Masisis threats were mere posturing as the relationship between Botswana and De Beers is too big to fail. NB: Zimnisky publishes a professional monthly subscription-based industry report called State of the Diamond Market that includes all of his data, forecasts and analysis. He also publishes a rough diamond price index. Below are excerpts from the interview. What is your opinion on reports quoting President Mokgweetsi Masisi as saying that the Botswana government wants a larger share of local diamond output or that it may end discussions with De Beers if its demands are not met? I do think there is some posturing going on regarding some of the sound bites. That said, Botswana has historically been a hardline negotiator and there is a lot at stake for both sides. Remember that these negotiations are two-pronged and include the 10-year marketing agreement and also the 25-year mine license agreement. But, all in all, despite how long and drawn out the negotiations have been so far, I would be quite surprised if a deal is not struck this year. I think the relationship is too big to fail for both sides. How far can De Beers concede to the Botswana governments demands? From De Beers standpoint, I think they genuinely believe that the current agreements are balanced and fair and that there is not a lot of room for further concessions. Further, De Beers soon needs to make multi-billion-dollar capital commitments to extend the life of both the Jwaneng and Orapa mines, so they understandably want a long-term agreement to be sorted out beforehand. So again, a lot is at stake. What effects do threats to dump De Beers have on the country's investment climate? Again, I see this as mostly posturing. I think behind the scenes the negotiations are probably constructive and mostly cordial. The relationship between the two parties is probably one of the best in all of mining (between a corporation and a government). I do think they value each other and appreciate the larger relationship. Although these are long, complex agreements, so by nature there is always going to be a lot to sort out. I think when this is said and done Botswana will remain one of the best justifications in Africa to do business. To put this in context, look at what happened in Tanzania with Barrick Gold a few years back and what is happening today in Chile with lithium. In contrast, the government of Botswana has a history of standing strong for its people, but at the same time seems to understand the value of foreign and private investment. There is always a healthy balance, and Botswana seems to get that. How would the country's economy be affected if South Africa, Namibia, and Canada demanded an end to diamond aggregation in Botswana? Botswana has the most leverage because the assets are so good. For example., Jwaneng alone produces 17% of the global supply by value and 10% by volume. That's hard to match. Botswana presently obtains 25% of Debswana's output for independent sale through the parastatal Okavango Diamond Company. What do you think Botswana will get out of the ongoing negotiations? I think Botswana has been very clear about wanting more transparency in rough pricing and wanting to expand beneficiation. However, diamonds as a commodity are unique, though, in that there are 10,000 different categories of rough, so the way that De Beers currently sells, via contract, exists for a reason. I would guess that there is more room in the negotiations for further beneficiation than for more independent sales volume. But there is probably going to have to be some give on both sides. If Botswana receives a larger stake than the present 25%, how would this affect De Beers' future negotiations with Namibia? The production volume out of Namibia is quite small compared to that of Botswana. That said the offshore production business in Namibia is very good and the diamonds are quite special. But, I don't see the negotiations between De Beers and Botswana having a big impact on the relationship between De Beers and Namibia, which appears quite strong. The government of Botswana revealed late last month that it is planning to purchase a 24% share in a three-year-old entity called HB Botswana. How will this benefit the country? I think Botswana sees this as a way to check the additional price transparency box while also providing value beyond the upstream segment of the business, which is beneficiation. At the end of the day, this relationship (and financial stake) is rather small compared to that between De Beers and Botswana. However, Botswana probably sees this as a way to diversify its relationships a little bit. Further, HB said they will be hiring upwards of 500 people as part of the venture. If they follow through on that, it would provide a nice boost in more-specialised domestic employment. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished The same electric powertrain on Kona EV is likely to feature on the Hyundai Electric Creta 327V architecture, 39.2 kWh battery, 134 bhp and 395 Nm Converting ICE vehicles to EV has worked wonders in India. It is cost-effective and negates design, development and manufacturing of new vehicles. Tata follows the same strategy for its entire EV lineup. Mahindra employs a similar strategy with its XUV400, and soon to be launched XUV800. It seems like Hyundai is getting ready to offer us a new EV based on a similar strategy. Spy shots of a Creta EV on test have emerged on the internet. Considering that Creta is the best-selling Hyundai car on offer in India, it makes logical sense for them to launch an EV version of Creta. When launched, Hyundai is likely to price it from around Rs 20 lakh (ex-sh). Hyundai Electric Creta Test Mule Latest test mule of the Hyundai Creta EV was spotted in Karnal, Haryana. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Manpreet for the exclusive spy shots. In these images, we can see a Hyundai Creta EV test mule hooked up to an EV charging station. For starters, there is no camouflage. Also, Hyundai is likely to offer different front and rear bumpers to establish design differences from its ICE counterpart. Creta EV test mule donned outgoing ICE-car bumpers as of now, but the production-spec version will be highly inspired by the recently spied Creta facelift test mule. As this is a make-shift test model, there is no proper charging port. Hence, the engineers connected the charging cable by opening the bonnet. The production model will come equipped with a charging port, likely to be in the front. Powertrains shared with outgoing Kona EV? Looking at the front charging port configuration, we cant help but wonder whether Hyundai electric Creta shares its powertrain with Kona EV on offer in India. Hyundais E-GMP platform underpinning the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6 gets a charging port around the rear-right fender. If Kona EVs powertrain is likely, were looking at a 327V architecture, 39.2 kWh battery coupled with a 134 bhp and 395 Nm electric motor. Hyundai claims 452 km of range on a single charge with Kona EV. Hyundai Creta Electric could have very similar power output and range specs. On the inside, it will be feature loaded with tech and safety. Were talking about a panoramic sunroof, powered drivers seat, ventilated front seats, a large infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital drivers display, 6 airbags, ADAS features among others. When launched, it will rival the likes of MG ZS EV, Mahindra XUV400 and Nexon EV Max. Two wheeler sales saw a YoY and MoM growth in domestic markets with Bajaj Auto posting triple digit Sales figures for 6 leading OEMs in the Indian two-wheeler segment for the month of April 2023 show growth across domestic markets. Exports on the other hand dipped YoY but saw a reasonable improvement on MoM basis. Total sales in the two wheeler segment as reported by 6 leading automakers stood at 15,15,492 units in April 2023. This was a YoY growth of 3.41 percent when compared to 14,65,544 units sold in April 2022. MoM sales also saw a 4.11 percent improvement from 14,55,700 units sold in March 2023. Sales in domestic markets in April 2023 stood at 12,75,397 units, up 17.10 percent over 10,89,187 units sold in April 2022. This was a volume growth of 1,86,210 units. MoM sales also saw a 4.01 percent growth over 12,26,262 units sold in March 2023 relating to a volume growth of 49,135 units. Two Wheeler Domestic Sales April 2023 Hero MotoCorp headed the list with Honda close behind followed by TVS, Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield and Suzuki. Hero MotoCorp posted a YoY and MoM decline in sales in the past month. Sales stood at 3,86,184 units, down 3.09 percent over 3,98,490 units sold in April 2022. This was a volume de-growth of 12,306 units with Hero commanding a 30.28 percent share. MoM sales also fell by 23.18 percent from 5,02,730 units sold in March 2023 leading to a volume de-growth of 1,16,546 units. At No. 2 was Honda with two wheeler sales of 3,38,289 units in the past month, up 6.14 percent over 3,18,732 units sold in April 2022. Sales of Honda improved more significantly on a MoM basis from 1,97,512 units sold in March 2023. Share percentage improved from 16.11 percent held in March 2023 to 26.52 percent last month. TVS Motor also saw a YoY growth in sales in April 2023 by 29.02 percent with 2,32,956 units sold in the said month. This was an improvement over 1,80,553 units sold in April 2022. Currently commanding an 18.27 percent share, the company has reported a MoM decline in sales in domestic markets by 3.25 percent from 2,40,780 units sold in March 2023. Last month, the company also announced launch of a new variant of its 125cc premium commuter motorcycle Raider 125. Bajaj Auto Limited has seen improvement in domestic sales last month. Sales which had stood at 83,233 units in April 2022 improved by 118.46 percent to 1,81,828 units in April 2023. It was also a MoM growth of 19.40 percent over 1,52,287 units sold in March 2023. Bajaj Auto currently holds a 14.26 percent share on this list. Royal Enfield and Suzuki sales stood at 68,881 units and 67,259 units respectively in April 2023 with both posting YoY growth. MoM sales of RE also improved by 15.02 percent while Suzuki sales dipped 7.95 percent on MoM basis. Two Wheeler Exports April 2023 Exports dipped 36.21 percent YoY but improved by 4.64 percent MoM to 2,40,095 units in April 2023. This was against 3,76,357 units shipped in April 2022 and 2,29,438 units exported in March 2023. Every OEM on this list posted YoY de-growth except for Suzuki while Bajaj and Honda were the only two to post MoM growth. Bajaj Auto led in terms of exports in April 2023 with 1,06,157 units exported relating to a 43.68 percent YoY decline but 12.08 percent MoM growth. TVS Motor posted YoY and MoM decline in exports to 61,830 units. Honda too saw exports fall to 36,458 units in April 2023 while Honda exports improved by 152.03 percent MoM. Suzuki exports were at 21,472 units, up 21.59 percent over 17,660 units shipped in April 2022 while MoM exports fell by 12.41 percent. Hero (9,923 units) and Enfield (4,255 units) each posted YoY and MoM decline in exports. Two Wheeler Total (sales + exports) April 2023 Thanks to increased domestic sales, there was a YoY and MoM growth in total two wheeler sales in April 2023. It was 15,15,492 units in April 2023 up 3.41 percent when compared to 14,65,544 units sold in April 2022 and an increase of4.11 percent from 14,55,700 units sold March 2023. Hero MotoCorp sales fell to 3,96,107 units relating to a 5.38 percent YoY and 23.73 percent MoM decline. Hondas total sales improved to 3,74,747 units in the past month while TVS Motor also posted YoY growth to 2,94,786 units in April 2023. Bajaj Auto had total sales of 2,87,985 units last month, a YoY and MoM growth of 5.99 percent and 16.59 percent respectively while there was also Suzuki with 88,731 units and Royal Enfield with 73,136 units sold in April 2023. Exterior view of the historic building at the corner of Carlsbad Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive thats home to the new Charles Kenneth speakeasy, as well as a Sun Diego surf shop. Rob Ruiz, owner of the Land & Water Company restaurant and new Charles Kenneth speakeasy bar in Carlsbad, posed near a portrait of Gerhard Schutte, the land speculator who build the mansion that houses both businesses in 1887. Portraits of the late Charles Kenneth Ruiz, namesake for the new Charles Kenneth speakeasy, hang on a wall in the new Carlsbad bar. Ruiz, who died in 2014, was the grandfather of Rob Ruiz, who owns the speakeasy as well as the restaurant upstairs, The Land & Water Company. High-end liquor lines shelves behind the bar in The Charles Kenneth speakeasy bar in the basement of the historic old building that houses the Land & Water Company restaurant and bar in Carlsbad. Cory Volkening, bar manager at the new Charles Kenneth speakeasy in Carlsbad, prepares a glass of absinthe. To sweeten the liquors bitter anise flavor, he caramelizes a sugar cube with a torch, then dissolves the sugar in the drink with dripping ice water from the custom-made absinthe fountain. Bar manager Cory Volkening installs an old-style light bulb in the walkway leading to The Charles Kenneth speakeasy bar. Bar manager Cory Volkening passes through the walkway leading to The Charles Kenneth speakeasy bar. Its in the basement of the historic building that houses the Land & Water Company restaurant and bar on Carlsbad Blvd. at Carlsbad Village Drive. It was built in 1887. Rob Ruiz, owner of the Land & Water Company restaurant in Carlsbad, pauses along the rustic corridor guests must walk to enter the Charles Kenneth, a historically accurate speakeasy that opened July 7 in a space once occupied by a speakeasy bar during Prohibition. The Charles Kenneth speakeasy has opened in a hidden basement below the Land & Water Company restaurant, which is inside the historic 130-year-old Twin Inns building in Carlsbad. The same space was used as a real speakeasy during Prohibition. For more than a dozen years in the 1920s and 30s, Carlsbads most famous building had a secret. In the concrete-walled cellar of the ornate Twin Inns hotel and restaurant, proprietor Eddie Kentner ran a hidden speakeasy for thirsty guests during the Prohibition era. Now, nearly 100 years later, another speakeasy has opened in the same spot. The Charles Kenneth, a 44-seat cocktail club accessible only via password, opens Friday night, July 7. The underground bar is named for Charles Kenneth Ruiz, the late grandfather of speakeasy proprietor Rob Ruiz. Advertisement The 39-year-old Carlsbad chef holds a 20-year lease on the historic building, which has been home to his all-organic, sustainably sourced restaurant, The Land & Water Company, since 2014. Ruiz discovered the vacant space four years ago while remodeling the interior of the 130-year-old building. As a boy growing up in Oceanside, hed heard tall tales about the speakeasy but his doubts were put to rest when he found old liquor bottles, coins, mason jars and other items during the cleanup. A rustic version of the Charles Kenneth opened in November 2015, but closed just two months later because of paperwork related to its liquor license. Now, a new and much-improved Charles Kenneth is back to stay. _________________________________ The Charles Kenneth What: Speakeasy cocktail bar with 44 seats Where: Secret downstairs location at The Land & Water Company restaurant, 2978 Carlsbad Blvd., Suite 110, Carlsbad Hours: 6:30 p.m. to midnight Sundays-Thursdays. 6:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays Admission: Via password only Online: thecharleskenneth.com _________________________________ Speakeasies have been a hot trend in the U.S. for the past 10 years as diners and drinkers seek out new hospitality experiences. Most are what Ruiz calls the Las Vegas glitz version with elegant fixtures, luxurious seating and faux antique decor. The Charles Kenneth, by contrast, aims for authenticity. While the bar has air-conditioning and a modern bar set-up, the modest chairs, tables, 1920s-era lamps and furniture are exactly what guests wouldve encountered in the old days. A Victorian saloon mirror behind the bar dates to 1878, Ruiz said. The walls are decorated with three portraits of Ruizs grandfather, a decorated Navy captain and fighter pilot who served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Theres also a portrait of Gerhard Schutte, the Carlsbad land speculator who built the ornate Queen Anne mansion in 1887. After the Schuttes sold out in the early 1900s, the building became a hotel and restaurant known as the Twin Inns. Two giant chicken sculptures once flanked the buildings entrance promoting its famous fried chicken. The buildings original plans dont show the basement space, Ruiz said, but when Prohibition went into effect on Jan. 17, 1920, Kentner imagined a new use for the three-room area. The two back rooms housed a bar and gambling tables. The front room, known as the slaughter room where the chickens were killed and plucked, had a small window, where a lookout was stationed on weekend nights to watch for the police. If he spotted anything, he could flip a switch that rang a bell behind the bar. That gave the staff time to hide the liquor bottles in a crawl space and flip over the table tops. If police did arrive, theyd find visitors sipping tea and only tins of tea leaves behind the bar, Ruiz said. During its heyday, before the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the Twin Inns speakeasy is said to have hosted many famous celebrities, including Babe Ruth and Amelia Earhart. Cory Volkening, 30, is bar manager at The Charles Kenneth. The Encinitas native said much care has gone into creating a retro experience for visitors. Each guest will get a history tour when they arrive and the space has a posted list of 1920s-style rules. Guests must dress sharply and refrain from flash photography. Gentlemen must remove their hats and must not approach ladies without an introduction by the bartender. Theres no beer or wine at The Charles Kenneth. As during Prohibition, cocktails are the specialty. Mixed drinks were all the rage at speakeasies because the syrups, bitters, tinctures and liqueurs masked the acrid taste of the moonshine and bathtub gin, Volkening said. Ruiz said hes heard a loud roar from speakeasy fans who were eager for the return of the Charles Kenneth. In the two months it was open last year, there was usually a 100-person waiting list on weekend nights. Hed hoped to have it open sooner but getting it historically right was important. His restaurant is named after the first business established on the spot in the 1880s, the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Company. Ruiz is famed for his passion about preserving history, protecting family-run farms and saving the worlds declining fisheries. Last year, he was one of 12 people honored with the 2016 World Oceans Award. The prize, given by the London-based Blue Marine Foundation, honored his three-year campaign to save Mexicos endangered vaquita porpoise and to promote the use of shrimp caught without the use of entangling gill nets. Editors Note: Due to permitting issues, the Charles Kenneth speakeasy was closed until further notice on July 8. For details on a reopening date, consult the clubs website at thecharleskenneth.com. RELATED pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com SAN FRANCISCO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A 17-year-old girl was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting in Chico, the U.S. state of California, on Saturday morning, police said. The girl was taken to a hospital and died there. Five others were wounded with non-life-threatening injuries, said the police. They were shot at a party just off the campus of California State University Chico. Officers responded to the shooting at around 3:30 a.m. (1030 GMT) and arrested one suspect on the spot. The shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and posed no ongoing threat to the community, police said at a briefing. No information on the shooter was released yet. More than 1.2 million amphetamine pills were seized at a rest house located in the Al-Muzahmiya governorate in Riyadh, preventing their distribution. According to the Public Security spokesperson, a raid was conducted at the rest house in Al-Muzahmiya, Riyadh. As a result, seven individuals were apprehended, and they were found to be in possession of approximately 1,266,000 amphetamine tablets. These tablets were skillfully hidden inside glass panels. The Public Security spokesperson stated that among the seven individuals arrested, there were expatriates hailing from Egypt, Syria, and Bangladesh, along with two Yemeni nationals and two Saudi citizens. The spokesperson verified that the defendants were arrested and initial legal actions were initiated against them. Subsequently, they were handed over to the Public Prosecution for further proceedings. The security forces' actions were a result of their vigilant monitoring of drug smuggling and distribution networks that pose a threat to the security of Saudi Arabia and its younger population. Olena Zelenska, other guests, gather at UK monarch's coronation 7 May, 01:55 PM French President Emmanuel Macron was accompanied by First Lady Brigitte Macron at the coronation (Photo:BEN STANSALL/Pool via REUTERS) High-ranking guests, including Olena Zelenska, Brigitte Macron, Queen Rania, and others, showcased stylish outfits at the coronation of Charles III on May 6 in London. The historic event saw the presence of high-profile guests from around the world. President of France Emmanuel Macron was accompanied by the First Lady Brigitte Macron at the coronation. The First Lady of France opted for a pastel pink ensemble, consisting of a midi dress and coat in the same tone from the creative director of the women's line of the French fashion house Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquiere. Video of day Photo: BEN STANSALL/Pool via REUTERS Read also: King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla light up Eurovision 2023 stage in Liverpool Queen Rania of Jordan appeared at Westminster Abbey in a pencil dress from Tamara Ralph Couture made of pastel lemon-yellow silk crepe with a structured bow collar and open shoulders. The look was completed with an elegant hat, Bottega Veneta Knot Intrecciato clutch, and Jimmy Choo pumps. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner Queen Letizia of Spain showcased a vibrant Carolina Herrera outfit, featuring a fuchsia-colored cropped jacket with embroidery and peplum, and a pencil skirt. The look was complemented with an original BALEL Isabel Terroso hat. Photo: REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool Princess Charlene of Monaco wore a custom-made milk-colored suit for the coronation, with the skirt adorned with floral pearl buttons and a jacket completed with a cape. Photo: Peter Tarry/Pool via REUTERS Olena Zelenska arrived at the ceremony accompanied by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal. The First Lady of Ukraine chose a pearl-mint ensemble consisting of a straight-cut dress with a belt and a long coat with lapels from the Ukrainian brand The Coat (designed by Katya Silchenko). Read also: Zelenskyy meets with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez Read also: First Lady Zelenska meets with King Charles III Crown Princess of Denmark Mary wore an elegant purple ensemble, featuring a dress-coat with matching gloves and headwear by Soeren Le Schmidt. Photo: Andrew Matthews/Pool via REUTERS Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrived at the coronation of King Charles III in a white lace-patterned dress from JANTAMINIAU. The look was completed with pointed-toe pumps, a hat, clutch, and gloves in the same tone. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Last month, a security guard at a San Francisco Walgreens shot and killed Banko Brown, a 24-year-old unhoused Black man suspected of shoplifting, according to authorities. As troubling as this is to admit, it almost feels like this tragedy was inevitable in San Francisco. For the past two years, there has been a frenzied, unproductive public shouting match around drug dealing and homelessness in the city. And the idea has taken root that retail theft gravely threatens public safety when, in reality, its barely threatening Walgreens bottom line. The result is a community on edge, where some residents give excuses for when an alleged shoplifter is shot or when homeless people are allegedly doused with bear spray. Sure, retail theft rings exist in San Francisco, but so does hunger caused by income inequality. Crimes of opportunity exist in every big city, reflected by the sale of stolen merchandise on the street. San Francisco needs a response to crime that is both progressive and effective, and transparency and accountability must be a priority. This all seems to be woefully lacking in the Brown case. Lets start with the lack of transparency. Considering how much discretionary power the San Francisco district attorney wields, transparency is key to building and maintaining community trust, especially in a city with a long history of over-criminalizing people of color. On Monday, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she wouldnt file charges against the Walgreens security guard allegedly involved in last weeks fatal shooting because evidence showed the guard believed he was in mortal danger and acted in self-defense. That evidence apparently includes a video, which Jenkins has the power to make public but has not, despite calls from community members, and a growing number of local and state officials. The public has a right to see the reasoning behind Jenkins choice. Her offices desire to soft-pedal crucial details is fueling both the beliefs of law-and-order zealots and the suspicions of the citys most vulnerable residents that they are being ignored. This approach serves only to further divide the city. Jenkins explanations have not sat well with the dozens of mostly Black and brown community members at Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting who chanted Justice for Banko Brown. One of the public speakers identified herself as Browns former girlfriend and said he spent years feeling abandoned by the city he called home. He did not deserve this, the speaker said through tears. He asked and begged just for some help, just for (city leaders) to hear him. Compare this gut-wrenching sentiment to the comments on Jenkins Twitter post explaining why she wasnt pressing charges in Browns death. A troubling amount of people were saying the shooting was justified, that death is a reasonable punishment for shoplifting. So, lets talk about accountability. San Francisco can combat retail theft using its current resources, if they are applied effectively. The city has been unsuccessfully trying to stop organized retail theft rings for years, while also investing more in policing. Yet there are merchants who say calling the police at all is pointless because either nobody comes or it takes too long to get a response. The city has also invested heavily in solving its homelessness problem the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing has a budget of more than $600 million. Yet, the citys homeless and unhoused population is staggering. As many as 20,000 people may experience homelessness in San Francisco over the course of a year, according to recent city data, and San Franciscos February 2022 point-in-time count estimated 7,754 people were experiencing homelessness, and according to The Chronicle, more than half of those people were unsheltered. The people offering replies supporting Jenkins Twitter post are the same ones who ignore these statistics. They also wrongly blame shoplifting on criminal justice reforms by progressives, while overlooking police shortcomings and the fact that even former District Attorney Chesa Boudin took his own focused approach to trying to curb organized retail theft. Theres also a difference between people stealing as part of an organized crime ring and someone taking food or deodorant from Walgreens. The latter is more closely tied to the citys chronic social issues that are better addressed by more effective rehabilitation centers, affordable housing programs and education rather than expanded law enforcement. In February 2022, the citys top brass pushed for a $27 million boost to the police budget, which is currently around $700 million. Yet more money doesnt guarantee the police will respond quicker to 911 calls or suddenly become better at solving crimes. What would help right away is for residents to see for themselves what happened at the Walgreens. Until we see the video, we wont know who is at fault, or even what conversations to have about the tragedy. In a city where there is a growing belief that people struggling with addiction, mental illness or homelessness, or who steal out of necessity, are villains rather than victims, letting the public see the video is the first step toward the accountability and transparency we need to move forward. A man convicted of a 2017 rape faces eight years in state prison, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Friday. Nitish Sharma, 32, of San Francisco was arrested on Sept. 29, 2017, after raping a woman hed gone to a nightclub with along with several other friends, police said. The woman became sick and unable to walk or talk, so Sharma took her home, according to the District Attorneys office. Sharma undressed and had sex with the woman, who was too intoxicated to resist, authorities said. Sharma left the womans house after raping her and rejoined his friends at the club, investigators said. The jurys verdict delivers justice to the survivor and holds Mr. Sharma accountable for his despicable crime, Jenkins said in a statement. This case should make it crystal clear that there will be consequences for those who seek to take advantage of people at their most vulnerable moments. In addition to prison, Sharma may be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. His sentencing is set for June 15. Michaela Vatcheva/Special to The Chronicle 1 UC College of Law SF and its neighbors last weekend were treated to: A: Take Your Attorney to School Day The announced closure of Nordstrom in San Francisco may seem like a significant blow to the citys downtown retail landscape. However, this development, which reflects a broader trend away from the old model of large dedicated shopping areas, can actually be seen as an opportunity to create a more diverse, beautiful and culturally rich downtown San Francisco. San Franciscos distinct neighborhoods each offer a vibrant mix of dining, shopping, entertainment and the arts all in one place. Unfortunately, this cultural richness is absent from downtown and the Market Street corridor. To re-establish San Francisco as a magnet for the arts, we must embrace entrepreneurs, artists, musicians and restaurateurs. We should consider offering discounted or subsidized studio spaces, small factories and pop-up venues. Moreover, the city should expedite converting a significant portion of its commercial office spaces to mixed-use developments, integrating housing and other amenities. This will create a more dynamic and diverse downtown environment. Imagine a downtown San Francisco teeming with life featuring great restaurants, music venues, bars, artist studios and unique boutiques. Picture a blend of housing and office spaces in a bustling urban tapestry. Such a vision is not only possible but also essential for the citys long-term vitality. Bart Myers, Piedmont No confidence in D.A. Regarding Why second-guessing district attorney will make crime worse in S.F. (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, May 5): The letter writer says, Politics should not determine what is just and what is right. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stole her job by second-guessing her predecessor, quitting her job with the city and taking money from the backers of the recall campaign. Politics got Jenkins her job, and whether that is just or right is up for debate. We had better second-guess Jenkins; its one of the few tools we have to deal with her ethics. The writer says, the outcry shows a lack of confidence in Jenkins and that is exactly right; she got the job by hook and by crook, and she does not have our confidence. Peter Hagen, Walnut Creek Getting gun happy Regarding Prosecutors decline to charge security guard in fatal S.F. Walgreens shooting, citing self-defense (Crime, SFChronicle.com, May 1): I dont understand why we are not asking a more fundamental question about the Walgreens shooting: Why in the world does a security guard have a gun? In most civilized countries, most police officers dont even carry guns. And here we have our supposedly law-and-order district attorney telling us that its now OK for any random worker with a gun to shoot shoplifters. After all, how will we get a handle on our retail theft problem in San Francisco if we dont start allowing every citizen to shoot someone who steals some candy? Our city has a proud tradition of executing the vigilante death penalty, keep it going strong! We have completely lost our way as a city and as a society. I am deeply saddened. Erik Honda, San Francisco Description The Great Neck Library is sponsoring a special lecture event titled Through the Eyes of Survivor Irving Roth, presented by Donna Rosenblum, at the Main Library, 159 Bayview Avenue, Great Neck, on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Donna Rosenblum, a retired public-school educator, adjunct professor at Long Island University, Molloy University, and educator at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County will discuss Irving Roth's life and his testimony as a Holocaust survivor. Mr. Roth was born in Humenne, Czechoslovakia, fled to Hungary where he was deported to Auschwitz and then Buchenwald. Ms. Rosenblum will share his personal stories and his mission of Never Forget. Copies of Mr. Irving Roths self-published book, Bondi's Brother: A Story of Love, Loss, Betrayal and Liberation, will be available for purchase. Registration is recommended. For more information, please contact the Great Neck Library at (516) 466-8055 or email adultprogramming@greatnecklibrary.org. After a contentious and often chaotic day of debate, the California Reparations Task Force adopted a mammoth report during the weekend that proposes cash payments to some Black residents along with sweeping policy changes and a formal apology to address historic racial inequities in the state. Which Black Californians deserve reparations, and how should they be compensated? The task force is the first statewide body of its kind to tackle these questions and offer concrete recommendations for legislators to consider. The report gives a rough estimate of the financial harm of systemic racism: up to $1.2 million per person over a lifetime. This isnt necessarily the size of the potential compensation payment, only an assessment of damage. As for who can claim such compensation, the task force would limit eligibility to those who can directly trace their lineage to chattel slavery, or descendants of a free Black person living in the U.S. before 1900. In addition, the task force recommends that the Legislature issue an official apology that includes a list of the gravest barbarities carried out on behalf of the State. The report also includes a long list of policy ideas both specific and broad, including changes involving the justice system, housing rules and employment practices. The task forces conclusions are likely to influence similar efforts in other states. We gotta start somewhere, Amos Brown, its vice chair and a longtime pastor at San Franciscos Third Baptist Church, said during Saturdays meeting at Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, which was live-streamed. How do you deal with a big elephant? Take one bite at a time. And we gotta take this bite here, or else we as Black folks will never get any kind of healing at all. The body will meet one more time, on June 30, when the final text of its report is due to the Legislature. But Saturday was the task forces last real chance to make edits and address a few simmering disagreements. Members of the task force spent no time discussing their financial damage estimate released earlier in the week, one of the more novel and contested aspects of their work. Instead, they mostly debated the language of the eligibility sections of the report, down to the wording and placement of footnotes. The meetings final hours were marked by a flurry of last-minute motions, cross talk, confusion about parliamentary procedure and an awareness of the ticking clock, as two years of work approached a hard stop. We have two hours before we get shut down here, OK? said task force member Lisa Holder. Ultimately, though, the members approved the report. Now the burden is on this state Assembly and Senate to show that it has some compassion and sense of justice, Brown said. To do the right thing. Amaya Edwards/Special to The Chronicle Earlier in the day, during a dramatic public comment period, dozens of speakers addressed the task force by phone and in person. Several Black residents stressed the need for reparations by telling stories of their ancestors. Les Robinson, a Sacramento pastor, said his great-great-grandfather was a former slave who acquired land in that city, only to see it seized by the government. I didnt get to benefit from that land, Robinson said. I grew up in poverty. Others criticized the task force for defining eligibility too narrowly and making a damage estimate they said is too low. One man called the $1.2 million estimate a drop in the bucket. Another said he was sick of hearing critics of reparations describe the payments as handouts, because weve given our labor, our ingenuity and our talents to this country. Our ancestors were lynched, Friday Jones, a reparations advocate, told the task force. A small group in the audience stood and chanted throughout the comment period, spurring chair Kamilah Moore at one point to call for security. Please, please, please, Brown told the protesters. As Aretha Franklin said, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Amaya Edwards/Special to The Chronicle The nine-member task force created by lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has spent two years researching the history of systemic racism in the Golden State and how it has damaged Black residents. San Francisco has created a separate reparations advisory committee, which will issue its own proposal in June. A draft proposal calls for one-time, lump sum reparations payments of $5 million for each eligible recipient. Though California was never officially a slave state, the practice took root here in the mid-19th century, supported by legislators and practiced by white Southerners who trafficked slaves to California mines and plantations, forcing them to work under brutal conditions, historians say. Black residents continued to face discriminatory policies in housing, education, voting, the justice system and the job market for decades to come. At the end of the meeting, Moore addressed her final comments to audience members who may be eligible for reparations. Watching the task force might have been tough, she said. But stay encouraged. Know that justice will prevail. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Dustin Gardiner contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bay Area rap, reggaeton and cumbia music rang through the Mission District on Saturday as people of all ages gathered for a Cinco de Mayo car show and block party where they admired dozens of pristine lowriders and celebrated both Latino and Bay Area culture. Local artists, shops and chefs had booths lined on both sides of Harrison Street behind John OConnell High School, selling food or handmade goods and reuniting with old friends. Were out here trying to build community, Cutberto Ramirez said. This is the place to be. Ramirez, who organized the event with the San Francisco Lowriders Council, runs the clothing brand Hella Paisa, which celebrates Latino and Mexican culture with a California spin. He said he was excited to get all of his friends and vendors out to the event to showcase their products to the Mission community. Felix Uribe/Special to The Chronicle Its about celebrating our people, he said with infectious passion. One of the vendors, first-year college student Samantha Castellon, was excited that the event provided an opportunity to sell her handmade jewelry and candles, meet new people and learn more about being a small-business owner. I found my passion in art, said Castellon, 18. She explained that, when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a 9-year-old, making art helped her cope. Now, she said, she hopes her products can help people do the same. I want to help people heal spiritually, she said, adding that she hopes to be an ob-gyn someday. I put a lot of work into each piece I make, and I really hope people enjoy them. Felix Uribe/Special to The Chronicle In the high school parking lot off Harrison Street, dozens of lowriders were parked, hoods open, for passersby and car enthusiasts to enjoy, discuss and photograph before they cruised in the Mission later in the afternoon. Proceeds from the car show benefit the high school. A crowd favorite was Abel Ruedas 1962 Impala, painted with intricate designs in 49ers red and gold. Every detail was thought out the metal throughout the car, including the door handles, the armrests inside and the engine, was engraved. Rueda, who is from San Jose and has shown many cars before, said getting the car to this point took 12 years. Im proud of it, he said. The event also featured several performances, including baile folklorico, mariachi and traditional Aztec dance. Ariane Cortes, who teaches mariachi in the San Francisco Unified School District, said celebrating through music is important to teach children, including her daughter Camila, who was performing with Mariachi La Mision. Felix Uribe/Special to The Chronicle Its so important to teach youth the joy of making music together, she said. Camila, who has been playing the violin for 11 years, said her parents got her into music and that playing with the mariachi band is an important experience for them to share. Its very cultural, she said. Its good to express that. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) A day after a gilded coronation ceremony watched by millions, King Charles III and Queen Camilla let others take the center stage Sunday as they took in a star-studded concert featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and others at Windsor Castle. The newly crowned monarch and his wife appeared to enjoy the show as Richie performed All Night Long, at one point getting up on their feet and swaying to the music. Other members of the royal family, including 8-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince George, 9, waved Union flags along with a crowd of some 20,000 gathered on the castle's east terrace. Charlotte and her mother, Kate, the Princess of Wales, sang along as Perry, dressed in a gold foil ball gown, performed her pop hit Roar. Top Gun star Tom Cruise appeared in a recorded video message, saying: Pilot to pilot. Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time." The mixed program also saw performances by the Royal Ballet, Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls, opera singer Andrea Bocelli and British band Take That. Even Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog made an appearance, joking with host Hugh Bonneville. The entertainment was interspersed with more serious moments. A message from Charles on the importance of environmental conservation was played, and the show was accompanied by a light and drone display with a nature theme. Prince William, heir to the throne, took to the stage to pay tribute to his father's dedication to service. Pa, we are all so proud of you," he said. Concert goers sang God Save the King as landmarks around the U.K. were lit up in colorful lights. Earlier Sunday, thousands of picnics and street parties were held across the U.K. in Charles' honor. The community get-togethers, part of a British tradition known as the Big Lunch, provided a down-to-earth counterpart to the gilded spectacle of the kings crowning Saturday. The events were intended to bring neighbors together to celebrate the crowning even as support for the monarchy wanes. Critics complained about the coronation's cost at a time of exorbitant living expenses amid double-digit inflation. But plenty others took the opportunity to enjoy a party with friends and family. In Regents Park in London, Valent Cheung and his girlfriend showed up to cheer the new king with the neighbors who embraced them when they moved from Hong Kong. They dolled up their loyal and royal fluffy white dog, Tino, with a tiny purple crown for the occasion. This is a new era for U.K, Cheung said. We didnt have these things in Hong Kong. Now, we are embracing the culture. We want to enjoy it, we want to celebrate it. Charles and Camilla didn't drop in on any of the picnics, leaving that duty to other members of the royal family. William and his wife, Kate, surprised people picnicking outside the castle before the concert. Dressed far more casually than the day before, they shook hands and Kate embraced a crying girl in a hug. The king's siblings, Prince Edward and Princess Anne and their spouses took on lunch duty for the royal family at events across England. The king's nieces, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew, joined a lunch in Windsor. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted U.S. first lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden at the Big Lunch party held in front of his office. Other guests included Ukrainian refugees and community activists. Like the picnic in the park, Downing Street and Sunak's spread even his teapot were festooned in the nation's colors of blue, white and red. Sausage rolls and salmon were served along with coronation chicken a dish cooked up for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation 70 years ago and coronation quiche, which was picked to suit Charles' taste and has been the buzz of social media, often for the wrong reasons. The lower-key events followed regalia-laden pageantry that saw the king and queen crowned together in Westminster Abbey. They were presented with centuries-old swords, scepters and a jewel-encrusted golden orb symbolizing the monarch's power in a medieval tradition celebrated with liturgy, song and hearty cheers of God save the king. The couple then paraded through the streets in a gilded horse-drawn carriage led by the largest ceremonial military procession since the coronation of Charles' mother. Some 4,000 troops marched in formation through the streets, their scarlet sleeves and white gloves swinging in unison to the sound of drums and bugles from marching bands, including one group of musicians on horseback. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the route in the rain to see it in person. Nearly 19 million more watched on television in the U.K., according to ratings released by Barb, a research organization. That's about 40% fewer viewers than had watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September. Charles and Camilla said Sunday in a statement that they were deeply touched by the celebration and "profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion and to the very many who turned out to show their support. Not everyone was there to celebrate, though, and criticism continued Sunday over arrests of more than 50 protesters, including members of a republican group shouting Not my king" and environmentalists aiming to end the use of fossil fuels. The Metropolitan Police said officers detained 64 people Saturday, with four suspects charged with offenses including a religiously aggravated public order offense and drug possession. Graham Smith, leader of Republic, a group advocating for abolishing the monarchy, said he was arrested as he planned a peaceful protest and spent 16 hours in police custody. These arrests are a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country," Smith said. Each and every police officer involved on the ground should hang their heads in shame." The Metropolitan Police acknowledged concerns over the arrests, but defended the forces actions. The coronation is a once-in-a-generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment, Commander Karen Findlay said. At Regent's Park, celebrants talked about the novelty of what they had witnessed. But the coronation was nothing new for Rosemary McIntosh, 95, just a lot more vivid than the one she saw televised while living in Zimbabwe in 1953. We didnt have TV all day and it was black and white, so it wasnt as wonderful as has been this one," she said. ___ Helena Alves contributed to this report. T-Mobiles flagship store in Union Square has permanently shuttered, leaving yet another vacancy in downtown San Francisco. A sign on the front doors of the two-level, 17,000-square-foot space at 1 Stockton St. now redirects customers to the cellphone carriers nearby stores on Mission and Market streets, as the San Francisco Business Times first reported. "We recently reshaped our retail strategy," a spokesperson for T-Mobile told SFGATE in a short statement over email. "Employees have been offered roles within the company." The spokesperson did not specify the date of the closure, but an employee at the T-Mobile on Mission Street confirmed it had occurred about a month ago. The building previously served as the spacious flagship store for Apple, which later moved to its current location on Post Street. Records show 1 Stockton was sold to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation in 2013 for $50 million. The news follows last weeks closure announcements of Saks Off 5th on Market Street, which will shutter later this fall after eight years in business, as well as the Nordstrom at Westfield San Francisco Centre and the Nordstrom Rack on Market Street, which will both close by the end of August and have been in operation for about 35 years and nine years, respectively. In a statement to SFGATE, Nordstrom said it is leaving because the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Westfield told SFGATE that a growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area. Other stores that have recently vacated the same block include the Disney Store, Armani Exchange and CB2. However, a few openings are on the horizon, including the downtown Ikea mall, and a city program launched by San Francisco Mayor London Breed last month aims to reduce some of the mounting vacancies. Last week, Breed also proposed legislation that would amend the citys planning and building codes in hopes of streamlining the approval process and requirements for converting existing office buildings into housing, in addition to removing restrictions to allow for a wider variety of businesses and activities like "indoor and outdoor entertainment" and "flexible retail workspaces" to operate within downtown San Francisco. The challenges facing Downtown require us to imagine what is possible and create the foundation for a stronger, more resilient future, Breed said in a statement released by her office Thursday. Working with President Peskin and the Board, we can create more opportunities to fill our empty buildings, whether thats to create housing or making it easier to fill office and retail space. These changes shouldnt be something that requires granting exceptions through lengthy paperwork and exhaustive public hearings. We need to make the process easier for getting our buildings active and full. SILVER CITY, Mich. (AP) Authorities searched for a missing 8-year-old boy in the rugged terrain of a northern Michigan state park Sunday. Nante Niemi was camping with family in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the western Upper Peninsula when he disappeared Saturday afternoon, his mother, Jessica Buerger, told WDIO-TV. The park said dozens of agencies from Michigan and Wisconsin were involved in the search. The terrain is very rough, and they are doing a great job and need the time and focus to do so," Buerger said. The boy is a student in the Hurley School District in Hurley, Wisconsin, which advised anxious members of the community to stay away from the area so authorities can best do their job. The local police are also aware that we stand by ready with 2 buses of volunteers waiting to go help search, the school district said on Facebook. HARTFORD A reckless driver sideswiped a police cruiser carrying a K-9 on I-91 early Saturday, state police say. The K-9, named Rosso, was not injured in the crash, according to Connecticut State Police. State police said one of their cruisers was parked in the left lane of I-91 south in the area of Exit 27 in Hartford shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday with its emergency lights activated when it was hit. According to police, a 26-year-old New Haven man traveling in the highway's left lane drove through an "extensive flare pattern" before entering the median and sideswiping the police cruiser, which was occupied by a trooper and his police dog. After the collision, the New Haven man's 2015 Kia Sportage crossed all four lanes of travel and stopped in the highway's right shoulder. The trooper, New Haven man and a passenger in the KIA were sent to the hospital with minor injuries, police said. Both vehicles were disabled from the impact. The New Haven man was cited for reckless endangerment and failure to maintain his lane of travel. GLENWOOD, Wis. (AP) A suspected drunken driver shot and killed a Wisconsin sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop before running into some nearby woods and killing himself, authorities said Sunday. During a conversation about field sobriety tests, Jeremiah Johnson was evasive, drew a handgun and shot St. Croix County Deputy Kaitie Leising in Glenwood, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Minneapolis, the state Department of Justice said. Multiple highway off-ramps were closed in San Jose by Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol during a weekend of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, drawing condemnation from two state lawmakers Saturday. Senator Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, and Assemblymember Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, said in a joint statement that the cutoffs were racist and unconstitutional. The closures went into effect Friday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., and continued Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Caltrans and the CHP said the closures were necessary for traffic control and public safety during organized Cinco De Mayo marches through downtown San Jose. An advisory task force voted Saturday to recommend a series of steps that California lawmakers could take to make amends for historical discrimination against Blacks. The California Reparations Task Force, meeting in Oakland, called for a state apology for racism and slavery and to consider varying amounts of payments to eligible residents. The panel didn't set an overall amount for how much money Blacks have lost since 1850, when California was established, through certain government practices such as housing discrimination and over-policing of Black communities. The task force will formally turn over its recommendations to the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom by July 1. Lawmakers and the governor will decide what to do with them. Five San Mateo County law enforcement agencies collected 264 firearms during anonymous gun buybacks Saturday. Cash payments, with no questions asked, ranged from $50 for nonfunctioning guns, to $100 for handguns, shotguns or rifles, to $200 for assault weapons and untraceable "ghost" guns. Among the guns collected were nine assault weapons and four "ghost" guns, the agencies said. The buyback in South San Francisco was conducted by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, South San Francisco Police Department, San Bruno Police Department, Daly City Police Department, Colma Police Department, and the Citizens for San Mateo County Gun Buyback. The victim of a fatal stabbing May 1 in Pleasanton was identified by the Alameda County Coroners Bureau as Edevion White, police said Saturday. White, 32, was stabbed about 10:30 a.m. during an attempted robbery in a residence in an apartment complex in the 5700 block of Owens Drive, police said. A witness reported seeing two men wearing ski masks running from the apartment. Investigators said they believe the victim knew the assailants. Bay Area folks who have been dying to go to Hawaii but don't have the money or the time might want to check out the Lei of Aloha Festival in Vallejo on Sunday. Located on the Mare Island waterfront, the event is free, with live Hawaiian music and hula dancers. It will run from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 850 Nimitz Avenue and also will have food and craft vendors, beer and wine. There's even an opportunity to learn how to hula. There will be hula workshops are at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The event is presented by Merna's Hawaiian Kitchen, a family-operated food truck. A Marin County residents' group that advocates for racial equity and diversity is urging the community to weigh in on a proposed citizen's oversight board to monitor the Sheriff's Office ahead of the supervisors' consideration of a detailed civilian oversight proposal next month. The idea for a citizens oversight board stems from a June 2022 civil grand jury report entitled "Sheriff Oversight: The Time is Now," which cited a distrustful relationship between law enforcement and residents in unincorporated Marin City. The report and its recommendations were compiled in the wake of Assembly Bill 1185, passed in the fall of 2020, which allows counties to create citizens' oversight boards. The jury pointed out that the job has previously fallen to the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Sheriffs are elected but do not report to any county official. Following the grand jury report, the county board commited to establishing an independent community oversight structure for the sheriff's office. The San Mateo County Transit District is encouraging county residents to apply for a position on the district's Board of Directors. The board, which sets policy for SamTrans bus and paratransit services, has extended the deadline to apply until 5 p.m. June 5. An applicant for the four-year term must be a San Mateo County resident who does not live in the county's coastal region and has not held public office for at least one year prior. The nine-member board consists of two members of the county Board of Supervisors, a transportation expert appointed by the supervisors, three city councilmembers appointed by the City Selection Committee -- a panel of council members in the northern, central and southern portions of the county -- and three public members, one who must be a coastside resident, appointed by the other six members. The application and more information about the board can be found at www.samtrans.com/boardofdirectors. Emeryville police are looking for a man suspected in the sexual battery of a 17-year-old boy near restrooms on Bay Street on Friday. The contact, which occurred about 10:15 a.m., involved a man with a gray beard and glasses, wearing a black hat, black zip-up sweater with a red logo on the front and back, and dark pants, police said Saturday. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Emeryville police investigators at (510) 596-3700. The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday for the greater San Francisco Bay Area calls for mostly sunny skies with highs in the upper 50s and 60s. Sunday night calls for increasing clouds with lows in the 40s. Copyright 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2023 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. By Hilda Scheib Bay City News "Black Venus," on view at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco through August, is a visual critique of centuries-old stereotypes of Black women, with the intent to reframe, re-sort and reclaim Black womanhood through the work of contemporary artists. The dark historical root of the Black Venus in this exhibition is the so-called Hottentot Venus, with the stage name of Sara Baartman, a South African woman enslaved by Dutch colonizers and toured around Europe as part of a "freak show" of anatomical anomalies, because her body type was unfamiliar to Western Europeans. Baartman is depicted in a poster whose reference to Venus is totally antithetical to Botticelli's famous light-skinned, blond-haired Venus emerging from an enormous seashell. Curator Aindrea Emelife strongly reclaims the issue with works by 18 artists who celebrate Black beauty and affirm its variety. In several works, artists Taiye Idahor and Coreen Simpson use collage, drawing and photography to capture the evolving identities of Black women, Idahor with images morphing into each other, Simpson with African masks covering her subjects' faces. Ayana V. Jackson photographs herself wrapped in a fabric associated with odalisques, women who serve as slaves or harem members, painted in enticing recumbent positions, often with fabric judiciously enveloping them. In another photograph, Jackson portrays herself reclining, seemingly bejeweled. Only on a closer look do the shell-like shapes adorning her upper body become identifiable as spoons and the embellishments on her lower body reveal themselves as strappy sandals or flip-flops. Carrie Mae Weems also uses herself as the subject of "Not Manet's Type," various photographs of her naked body in different poses, accompanied by texts describing the painters who would reject her as their muse or subject, ending with a realization on her part: "I took a cue from Frida," referring, of course, to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Also on display are self-portraits by Renee Cox, who in one photograph wears only plastic breast- and buttock-enhancing apparatus. In another, "Miss Thang," she portrays a "black and bougie" woman in a resort pool, wearing a yellow swimsuit, sunglasses and a towel around her head, smoking, with a bottle of liquor at her side. A photograph by Kara Walker is a study for her first public installation in 2014, which consisted of an enormous sphinx in the shape of a woman, made from enormous quantities of sugar, her head drawn from the Giza sphinx in Egypt, her body that of a Black woman in lingerie. "Black Venus" continues through Aug. 20 at the Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St., San Francisco. Admission is $6 to $12. Call (415) 358-7200 or visit moadsf.org. Copyright 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2023 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Photo: Alberta Fire Service A wildfire burns a section of forest in the Grande Prairie district of Alberta in a May 6, 2023, handout photo UPDATE: 12:30 p.m. Cooler temperatures and a bit of rain are expected to deliver some relief for firefighters as they continue to battle wildfires that threaten communities in northern Alberta, but provincial officials warn the reprieve isn't expected to last long and lightning is sparking additional blazes. Electric transmission company AltaLink posted on Twitter late Saturday that "the incredible work of firefighters" slowed fire growth that was posing a threat to utility lines supplying power to areas west of Edson, including Hinton, Robb and Jasper, and that cooler weather was expected to help, too. Edson itself has already been evacuated and many of its residents are now in Hinton and Jasper, with the Town of Jasper had warned Saturday that there was a possibility the community might lose power. The province said in a wildfire update today that the forecast is favourable for the next few days, with trace amounts of rain and overcast conditions in some of the affected areas. But the update cautioned not all areas will receive rain, and the long-term forecast is predicting a return to hot and dry conditions within a few days. A provincewide state of emergency was declared Saturday as more than 110 wildfires burned across Alberta, forcing close to more than 24,000 people from their homes. "While there are some areas that could have experienced some precipitation other areas may not. The wildfires in the area are extremely hot and will burn deep into the ground. These fires can reignite again if conditions are right," a provincial update on Sunday said about the Deep Creek Complex fires, which have threatened communities in Parkland and Yellowhead counties west of Edmonton. "Forecasted weather may help with fire suppression efforts on the fire line, but crews will need to be prepared for a change of higher temperatures into early next week and the increase in fire behaviour that it will bring." Officials from the Alberta Emergency Management Agency and Alberta Wildfire are scheduled to provide an update on the wildfire situation later Sunday afternoon. Earlier Sunday, Premier Danielle Smith met with Opposition Leader Rachel Notley, which Smith said was intended to keep the NDP leader informed about the wildfire situation and the state of emergency. Alberta is in the middle of an election campaign with a vote on May 29, and some candidates in areas affected by the fires have announced they are suspending campaign activities. "At times like these, Albertans expect all their elected leaders to work together to help our people," Smith tweeted after the meeting. ORIGINAL: 11 a.m. Alberta declared a state of emergency Saturday due to the growing threat of wildfires that have forced more than 24,000 people from their homes. Premier Danielle Smith said the safety of Albertans is a priority, and the emergency status gives the government greater power to access emergency funds and mobilize additional support. "This is not a step that we took lightly," Smith told a news conference following a meeting of her emergency management cabinet committee. "But it's one that will allow the quickest and most effective response." More than a dozen communities and rural areas have been evacuated in recent days. Officials said there were 110 wildfires burning in the province, with about three dozen considered out of control, as of late Saturday afternoon. Some buildings have been destroyed, including 20 homes, a police station and a store in Fox Lake in northern Alberta. The Municipality of Jasper in Jasper National Park also warned that wildfires burning in Yellowhead County could cause a power failure in the town. Smith said provincial money will be available to help those affected and that Ottawa is ready to help. She said Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis had spoken with federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair and Ottawa is on standby to provide assistance if the province requests it. "I'm hoping to be able to schedule a call with the prime minister in the next day or so and I'm building a list of things that we'll be able to ask for. I'll take them seriously when they say that they're prepared to give help," Smith said, while also praising the City of Edmonton for providing an evacuation centre on short notice. Smith said the province could ask the prime minister for firefighting expertise from national parks, as well as military help. Ottawa would also have to help with the emergency response for First Nations, she said. Temperatures remained high, humidity stayed low and forecasts continued to call for gusting winds. But there was a ray of hope. "We are looking forward to a brief reprieve, possibly in the next few days, as cooler weather comes up through the province, that may give firefighters a chance to catch their breath," said Christie Tucker, an information unit manager with Alberta Wildfire. Tucker added that Alberta had welcomed additional firefighters Saturday from Ontario and Quebec. NDP Leader Rachel Notley said she had extended an offer to the United Conservative Party government to take part in meetings about the wildfire response. Alberta is currently in the middle of an election campaign, with the vote scheduled for May 29. "I'm willing to provide any insights from past experiences that might be helpful in this situation," Notley said. Notley was premier during the May 2016 wildfires that forced tens of thousands of people from Fort McMurray, Alta., and levelled many parts of the city. "It's very rare that you have a former premier running in a campaign. It's even more rare that that former premier has experience with this kind of public emergency," said Notley. "There is an opportunity for us to depoliticize this and to work together on doing everything we can to focus on public safety, ensure the resources are corralled appropriately to the people who need it and make sure it's not an election issue. And one way to do that is to bring people together." Smith said the government is ensuring the leader of the Opposition receives information as the fire situation continues to unfold. She said she'll be meeting with Notley in the coming days and looks "forward to getting her advice on how she would like to be able to feed into our process." The premier also said she had spoken with Elections Alberta for advice and, if it's required by the end of the month, accommodations for voting could be made for affected areas. "As of now, people should be anticipating that election day will go ahead as planned on May 29," Smith said. Notley said it's too soon to say whether the election should be delayed. NDP candidates in six constituencies affected by evacuation orders suspended their campaigns Saturday. Smith said two UCP candidates had also stepped away from campaigning. In this article, we discuss 11 best Canadian dividend stocks for income investors. You can skip our detailed analysis of dividend stocks and their performance over the years, and go directly to read 5 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks For Income Investors. Inflation is hammering the globe and Canada is no exception. Inflation in Canada picked up speed last year, reaching its 40-year high and averaging 6.8%. The Canadian stock market became victim to growing inflation and rising rates as its benchmark index fell by 8.5%, as of December 30, 2022. However, this decline was insignificant in contrast to an 18.1% loss in the S&P 500 last year. The S&P/TSX Composite Index is up 5.6% year-to-date. Though the Canadian stock market remained on a strong footing last year compared with its American counterpart, the recent collapse in the banking sector created havoc all over again. According to a report by Financial Post, some of the Canadian top banks stocks lost nearly $20 billion in market capitalization following the Silicon Valley Bank collapse in March. According to analysts, banks with acquisitions in the US could topple in the coming months. In addition to this, analysts are also expecting the Canadian economy to dip this year. In our article 10 High-Growth Canadian Dividend Stocks to Invest In, we mentioned data that suggests that a recession in the US will affect Canadian economic growth for three consecutive quarters, with a 0.9% expected overall contraction. Considering the current market outlook, investors are favoring dividend equities to stay afloat during this period. Dividend investment also involves investing steadily in dividend-focused exchange-traded funds as they hold a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying stocks across different sectors and industries. Moreover, dividend ETFs also offer investors a steady stream of income, which is their main focus in todays market environment. Danielle LeClair, director of Manager Research for Morningstar Canada, spoke with the financial services company and highlighted the significance of these funds for income investors. Here are some comments from the analyst: Story continues Dividend and income funds have been popular options for Canadian investors because they offer an alternative to traditional fixed income products, which have faced challenges in the lower interest rate environment we have seen the last few years. Dividend stocks in Canada are also generating positive returns this year. S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks the performance of Canadian companies that have raised their dividends for at least five years, is up 3.79% year-to-date, as of May 7. In comparison, S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats delivered a 2.35% return to shareholders since the start of the year. While US dividend stocks like The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) are popular among investors, Canadian dividend stocks are also reliable options for income investors. In this list, we will take a look at the best Canadian dividend stocks. 11 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks For Income Investors Photo by Rachael Annabelle on Unsplash Our Methodology: For this article, we scoured the list of S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index, which includes Canadian companies with at least five years of dividend growth track records. From that list, we selected stocks that are traded on American stock exchanges and sorted them by the number of hedge fund holders in our database that also had positions in those companies at the end of Q4 2022. This means that these Canadian companies are the most famous among hedge fund investors. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of funds that have stakes in them as of Q4. Best Canadian Dividend Stocks For Income Investors 11. Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 10 Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) is a Canadian multinational insurance company that also provides a wide range of financial services to its consumers. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of C$0.365 per share, having raised it by 11% in February this year. This was the company's tenth consecutive year of dividend growth, which makes it one of the best dividend Canadian stocks on our list. The stock has a dividend yield of 5.43%, as of May 7. Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) is popular among income investors because of its consistent dividend growth like some US dividend stocks like The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV). In FY22, Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) reported a net income of $7.3 billion, up $0.2 billion from the same period last year. The company's remittances for the year amounted to roughly $7 billion, compared with $4.4 billion in 2021. In February, Barclays appreciated the quarterly earnings of Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) and raised its price target on the stock to C$31 with an Overweight rating on the shares. As of the close of Q4 2022, 10 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC), compared with 14 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a collective value of over $118.4 million. Harding Loevner mentioned Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) in its Q2 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say: Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC), the Canadian life insurer operating primarily in North America and Asia, is a new holding. Manulife offers a full suite of life insurance products as well as retirement and wealth management services. While the wealth management and retirement products appeal to the aging populations of the Western world, long-term life insurance products address the needs of the growing number of middle-class families in places like China and southeast Asia. COVID-19-induced lockdowns in China brought the shares down to a significant discount to our estimate of long-term value. The holding now serves as a nice diversifier to our Asia-centered insurers AIA and Ping An. 10. Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11 Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS) is an international diversified electric utility holding company with operations in Canada, the US, and Central America. In the first quarter of 2023, the company reported net earnings of $437 million, up from $350 million during the same period last year. Its capital expenditures for the quarter came in at nearly $1 billion. Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS), one of the best dividend Canadian stocks on our list, currently pays a quarterly dividend of C$0.565 per share. The company has rewarded shareholders with increasing dividends for the past 49 years in a row. The stock's dividend yield on May 7 came in at 3.71%. Following the company's recent quarterly earnings, Street analysts are giving positive ratings to Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS). In May, both Raymond James and CIBC raised their price targets on the stock to C$65 and C$61, respectively. At the end of Q4 2022, 11 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database owned stakes in Fortis Inc. (NYSE:FTS), the same as in the previous quarter. However, the consolidated value of these stakes is over $655 million, compared with $634.2 million in Q3 2022. 9. Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE:PBA) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15 Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE:PBA) is a Canadian pipeline transport company that also specializes in natural gas businesses. On May 4, the company declared a 2.3% hike in its quarterly dividend to C$0.6675 per share. This marked the company's seventh consecutive year of dividend growth. The stock has a dividend yield of 6%, as recorded on May 7. It is among the best dividend Canadian stocks on our list. In April, Credit Suisse maintained a Neutral rating on Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE:PBA) with a C$53 price target, appreciating the company's overall performance this year. In the first quarter of 2023, Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE:PBA) reported an adjusted operating cash flow of $634 million, and its revenue came in at nearly $2.3 billion. As per Insider Monkey's Q4 2022 database, 15 hedge funds owned stakes in Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE:PBA), compared with 17 in the previous quarter. These stakes are collectively valued at nearly $78.4 million. Among these hedge funds, Two Sigma Advisors owned the largest stake in the company, worth nearly $20 million. 8. The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17 The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD) is a multinational banking and financial services company, based in Toronto, Canada. In May, Credit Suisse maintained a Neutral rating on the bank with a C$88 price target, as the company announced the termination of its merger with First Horizon. On March 2, The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD) declared a quarterly dividend of C$0.96 per share, which was in line with its previous dividend. The company is one of the best dividend Canadian stocks on our list as it maintains a nine-year streak of consistent dividend growth. The stock's dividend yield on May 7 came in at 4.58%. As of the close of Q4 2022, 17 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database owned stakes in The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD), with a collective value of over $185.6 million. With over 1.4 million shares, D E Shaw was the company's leading stakeholder in Q4. 7. TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17 A Vancouver-based telecommunications company, TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) is next on our list of the best dividend Canadian stocks. On May 4, the company announced a 3.6% hike in its quarterly dividend to C$0.3636 per share. It has been raising its dividends consistently since 2004. The stock has a dividend yield of 5.11%, as of May 7. In May, TD Securities raised its price target on TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) to C$33 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares, appreciating the company's recent quarterly earnings. At the end of Q4 2022, TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU) was a part of 17 hedge fund portfolios, as per Insider Monkey's database. The stakes owned by these elite funds have a collective value of over $255 million. 6. Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17 Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) is a Toronto-based multinational financial services company. The company offers a quarterly dividend of C$1.32 per share, having raised it by 3% in November 2022. That marked the company's tenth consecutive year of dividend growth, which makes it one of the best dividend Canadian stocks on our list. The stock has a dividend yield of 3.98%, as of May 7. Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) can be added to dividend portfolios alongside some US dividend stocks like The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV). The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) grew to 17 in Q4 2022, from 14 in the previous quarter. The collective value of these stakes is over $147.2 million. Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks For Income Investors. Suggested articles: Disclosure. None. 11 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks For Income Investors is originally published on Insider Monkey. PHOENIX (AP) Arizona House Democratic Leader Andres Cano announced Saturday he intends to resign when the current legislative session ends so he can begin pursuit of a graduate degree this summer at the Harvard Kennedy School. The third-term lawmaker who represents much of the Tucson area said in a statement that his acceptance to the schools Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. As a first-generation college graduate, never did I think an opportunity like this would come my way, Cano said. Put simply: I want to do more for the people of Arizona and our nation and I want to be prepared for my next chapter in public service. The program begins in July. The Pima County Board of Supervisors will choose a replacement to complete his two-year term. Cano, 31, was first elected in 2018 and again in 2020 and 2022. The House Democratic Caucus picked him to be minority leader last year. The Legislature is expected to wrap up its work in the coming weeks. Votes on the state budget are scheduled to begin Tuesday. Cano said Saturday that he is committed to seeing the state budget process move forward until the very end. He also plans to step down in June from his role as director of the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. From 2012 to 2019, Cano served as policy advisor to the late Richard Elias, former chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Current Board Chair Adelita Grijalva and Supervisor Sharon Bronson issued a statement congratulating Cano on his acceptance to the Harvard program after a meteoric rise to Democratic leader that began when he secured a county internship at 14. Andres has understood since he was a child that the power of government can be best used to provide opportunity and ensure fairness, Grijalva said. Hes a force of nature and Harvard better get ready; a whirlwind of positive energy is about to blow into Cambridge. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LANSING, Mich. (AP) Karen Kobylik knew her daughter should not have a gun. She had repeatedly called the police since her daughter turned 21, pleading with them to take her firearms because of the risk she posed to herself and others. "They said we cant take any guns away from her because we cannot step on her Second Amendment right, Kobylik told The Associated Press. I was like, Im a mother telling you that this kids got a mental issue that is not currently being addressed. Kobyliks daughter, Ruby Taverner, shot and killed her brother and boyfriend before taking her own life in the early morning of May 8 last year. Kobylik believes all three lives could have been saved had red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, existed in Michigan that would have allowed police to remove her daughters guns and prevented her from purchasing more. Now Michigan is poised to become the 20th state and the first in nearly three years to pass a red flag law. It would allow family members, police, mental health professionals, roommates and former dating partners to petition a judge to remove firearms from those they believe pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. Kobylik said her daughter had been treated for mental health problems including depression since the age of 7 but had stopped taking her medication at 18. Just days before the killings, Taverner purchased the Glock 43X used in the shooting after she had been released from a psychiatric hospital for threatening to take her own life, Kobylik said. Taverner and her brother, Bishop, were both 22. Her boyfriend, Ray Muscat, was 24. The red flag measure faces pushback on the local level in a state where gun-owning culture runs deep. Over half of the states counties have passed resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, opposing laws they believe infringe on gun rights. Some sheriffs have said they will have trouble enforcing something they believe is unconstitutional. At the end of the day, the utmost responsibility for a sheriff is to uphold the Constitution, Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott said. The U.S. is on a record pace for mass shootings so far this year. Touted as the most powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens, an Associated Press analysis in September found red flag laws are barely used in the 19 states and the District of Columbia where they exist. Firearms were removed from people 15,049 times since 2020, fewer than 10 per 100,000 adult residents, according to the analysis. It will be the first time since New Mexico in 2020 that a state has passed a red flag law, but similar legislation is being considered elsewhere as lawmakers seek solutions. The Minnesota House advanced a wide-ranging public safety bill last month that includes a red flag law. It remains uncertain whether the provision will make it through a conference committee. After a Nashville school shooting in March killed six people, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is calling lawmakers back into session after fellow Republicans declined to take up his temporary mental health order of protection proposal at the end of the legislative session they concluded in April. The Biden administration has sought to foster wider use of state red flag laws and recently approved more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer those laws and similar programs. Red flag legislation introduced following a shooting at Michigan State University, which left three students dead and five others wounded, passed the Democratic-controlled Michigan Legislature last month and is expected to be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the coming weeks. It would not take effect until next year at the earliest. A judge would have 24 hours to decide on a temporary extreme risk protection order after a request is filed. If granted, the judge would then have 14 days to set a hearing during which the flagged person would have to prove they do not pose a significant risk. A standard order would last one year. Lying to a court when petitioning for a protection order would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine. Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy has already said he will not enforce the protection orders because he said they lack due process and are ripe for abuse. With 72 of Michigan's 83 counties voting Republican in the last presidential election, many sheriffs will have to choose between following the law or appeasing constituents. Local officials do have discretion as to which laws they will enforce with the resources of their office," Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement to the AP. She added that arguments against the orders are based not on the law but the personal whims of what they want to support." In the Upper Peninsula's Marquette County, Sheriff Greg Zyburt said that while he doesnt agree with everything in the legislation, he doesnt pick and choose what laws to enforce. Its not my place," Zyburt said. Thats why we have different branches of government. In Colorado, 37 counties that consider themselves sanctuaries issued just 45 surrender orders in the two years through 2021, one-fifth fewer per resident than non-sanctuary counties. New Mexico and Nevada reported only about 20 orders combined. The laws have continued to receive widespread support from the public even with the lack of usage. An AP-NORC poll in late July found 78% of U.S. adults strongly or somewhat favor red flag laws. Kobylik is a gun owner who considers herself a conservative. She spoke in favor of the red flag law at a Michigan Senate committee hearing in March. Im not here to excuse Rubys actions," she said. "Far from it. What I am here to tell you is that this never had to happen. ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, and Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Joey Cappelletti at http://twitter.com/Cappelletti7 JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesian officials said Sunday they freed 20 of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar as part of a cyber scam, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia. Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that its embassy in Yangon with help from local networks had managed to release the victims from Myawaddy township and brought them to the Thai border on Saturday. The Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok will work closely with Thai authorities to repatriate the victims to Indonesia, the statement said. Myawaddy is in eastern Kayin state along the Thai border and is the site of an armed conflict between Myanmars military and ethnic Karen rebels. Fake recruiters had offered the Indonesians high-paying jobs in Thailand but instead trafficked them to Myawaddy, about 567 kilometers (352 miles) south of Naypyidaw, the capital, to perform cyber scams for crypto websites or apps, said Judha Nugraha, an official in Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry. The situation drew a national outcry in Indonesia after a video made by one of the victims went viral on social media last month. It showed dozens of grim-faced Indonesian workers in a dormitory room, asking their government to help them out of the war zone where they see violence almost every day. Please help us back to Indonesia, because our life here is very miserable and threatened, one person said, describing how they had been transferred from one company to other companies over the past eight months before being stranded in Myawaddy. The victim said they were tortured when they failed to reach certain work targets, receiving beatings, electrocutions and other physical punishments. Authorities said the victims were likely trafficked to Myanmar by illegal means since no records were found of their arrival in Myanmars immigration system. The case had prompted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to order the Foreign Affairs Ministry to make an all out effort to help rescue the victims, telling a news conference on Thursday: They have been deceived and taken to an unwanted place by the traffickers." It was unclear how their release was secured, but National Police spokesperson Sandi Nugroho said negotiations were held with the company that employed them. Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a news conference on Friday that the government is also working to help Indonesian victims of online scams in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines. She said the Indonesian Embassy in Manila said Friday that Philippine authorities have rescued more than 1,000 trafficking victims from 10 countries, including 143 Indonesians, who will be repatriated to their countries of origin. As the chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia is trying to raise this issue at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, Marsudi said. ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippine, Singapore and Thailand. Indonesia will host the blocs leaders meeting on May 10-11 in Labuan Bajo on Flores island. BAGHDAD (AP) An Iraqi police officer was convicted and sentenced to death Sunday in the killing of a prominent security analyst and frequent critic of powerful militias. The ruling came nearly three years after the analyst was gunned down outside his Baghdad home following militia threats. The family of the victim, Hisham al-Hashimi, said it supported the verdict, but expressed concern it could be overturned on appeal. A relative of al-Hashimi, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, alleged that those who ordered the killing remain at large. The defendant, Ahmed Hamdawi al-Kinani, was convicted on a terrorism charge and sentenced to death by a criminal court, according to Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council. The case was referred to an appeals court. A video of his purported confession was released after his arrest two years ago. Al-Hashimi, 47, was gunned down in July 2020 in front of his home in Baghdad by two attackers on a motorcycle after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. His killing was captured on a surveillance camera. The images stoked a climate of fear among activists who have accused the government of failing to rein in the powerful armed groups. Al-Hashimi had become well-known as an expert on the Islamic State group and advised the U.S.-led coalition during its years-long battle against the extremists. Following the territorial defeat of IS in December 2017, he became an outspoken critic of the growing influence of Iran-backed militias that helped to defeat IS. Al-Hashimi reportedly received multiple threats from such groups in the period before his death. Al-Kinani identified himself as a police officer with the rank of first lieutenant in the video aired on state media in 2021. Shortly after his arrest, two security officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that he was connected to a militia but did not specify which one. His purported confession did not acknowledge any links to armed groups. Successive governments have been criticized for allowing militias to operate with impunity. Critics say many government and security officials have ties to such militias. The killings of activists and other critical voices became more frequent in Iraq during a crackdown on a mass protest movement that erupted in 2019, with many blaming Iran-backed militias. Mosimann reported from Irbil, Iraq. PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Rallygoers for a political party in Pakistan beat to death a participant for allegedly making a blasphemous speech, police said Sunday. Local police officer Iqbal Khan said Maulana Nigar Alam, 40, was killed Saturday night by demonstrators in Sawaldher village of Mardan district northeast of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The rallygoers, gathered to express support for the country's judiciary, accused Alam of blasphemy when he made a concluding prayer at the end of the event. Some words of his prayer were deemed blasphemous by a number of protestors, leading to torture and death at the hands of the angry mob, said Khan. Witnesses said the police deputy on duty at the rally attempted to save the man by locking him up in a nearby shop, but the mob broke through the door and attacked him. Videos circulating on social media showed people pushing the accused man to the ground, kicking him and beating him with batons. The man died at the scene. Police took the body into custody and said an investigation was underway. Accusing people of blasphemy in Pakistan is common. Last month, the Pakistani police arrested and later released a Chinese national named Tian, who was working in Pakistan on a dam project and was accused by the locals of blasphemy. In February, an angry mob entered a police station in Pakistans eastern city of Lahore, snatched a person accused of blasphemy from his cell and killed him. In 2021, a Sri Lankan national, Priyantha Diyawadanage, who was working as a factory manager in Pakistan, was killed by an angry mob over allegations of blasphemy. In 2017, Pakistani student Mashal Khan was killed by a mob on the premises of his university over allegations of posting blasphemous content online. Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 193 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 143 AM CDT SUN MAY 07 2023 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 193 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ELLIS HENDERSON HILL JOHNSON KAUFMAN NAVARRO VAN ZANDT ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of central Hempstead, Sevier, Howard, Little River, northwestern Miller, eastern McCurtain, Marion, Franklin, Bowie, Upshur, Titus, northern Smith, Cass, northwestern Harrison, Wood, Morris, Camp, Gregg and southeastern Red River Counties through 245 AM CDT... At 143 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Mccauley to 7 miles northeast of De Kalb to near Hawkins. Movement was east at 45 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Longview, Texarkana, Marshall, De Queen, White Oak, Gladewater, Atlanta, Wake Village, Gilmer, Ashdown, Nashville, New Boston, Mineola, Pittsburg, Winnsboro, Mineral Springs, Dierks, Horatio, Foreman and Boxelder. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. These storms 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 3296 9531 3325 9531 3353 9488 3451 9466 3451 9446 3419 9447 3419 9425 3436 9425 3435 9394 3419 9392 3418 9382 3401 9382 3396 9360 3374 9366 3249 9442 3244 9486 3247 9556 3296 9567 TIME...MOT...LOC 0643Z 256DEG 39KT 3445 9428 3358 9451 3256 9520 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Eastern Navarro County in north central Texas... * Until 230 AM CDT. * At 144 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Corsicana, moving east at 35 mph. HAZARD...Up to Half dollar size hail. Wind gusts to 45 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is possible. * Locations impacted include... Corsicana, Kerens, Trinidad, Angus, Navarro, Lake Halbert, Richland-Chambers Reservoir, Rice, Retreat, Oak Valley, Mildred, Eureka, Goodlow, Powell, Mustang, Chatfield, Roane and Corbet. This includes Interstate 45 between mile markers 220 and 238. Prepare immediately for large hail. Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning can kill. Heavy rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flooding, especially known low-lying areas. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Uvalde County in south central Texas... * Until 600 AM CDT. * At 531 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Uvalde, 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... Uvalde, Knippa and Uvalde Estates. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Zavala County in south central Texas... * Until 830 AM CDT. * At 725 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near La Pryor, 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... La Pryor, Batesville, Las Colonias, Loma Vista and Washer. 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 this storm. 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 AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 753 AM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM CDT FOR EASTERN ZAVALA COUNTY... At 753 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Batesville, moving east at 30 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... Batesville and Loma Vista. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. This storm is producing large hail. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy structure and stay 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. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather SmartAsset: How to avoid depreciation tax on rental property It can pay to be a responsible rental property owner. For instance, if youre always investing in your rental property and making improvements, not only will your tenants appreciate it and remain tenants longer, you can get a depreciation deduction on your taxes. Unfortunately, upon selling the property, depreciation sometimes becomes a migraine for landlords in the form of a depreciation recapture tax. You have options, however, to avoid depreciation recapture tax. Heres how. If you need help with taxes, a financial advisor can help you create a tax strategy. What Is a Depreciation Recapture Tax? The depreciation recapture tax is the difference between a rental propertys sale value and its depreciated value. This is extra income that will be taxed on your next tax return, after selling the property. In other words, the Internal Revenue Service is recapturing what they see as lost taxable income. This is a tax that the IRS collects, assuming that one has sold the property for a profit. And also assuming that it has received a depreciation deduction over the years. How to Avoid Depreciation Tax on Rental Property If its important to you to avoid the depreciation recapture tax, there are several strategies you may want to adopt. Take advantage of IRS Section 121 exclusion. This allows you to exclude up to $250,000 of the profits from the sale of your primary residence if youre single and up to $500,000 if youre married and filing jointly. If you live in your property for two out of the five years before you sell the property (and those years need not be consecutive), the property would be considered your primary residence. And all of those years of depreciation deductions would be forgotten. Conduct a 1031 exchange. This is a strategy that allows you to defer paying capital gains tax on the sale of an investment property provided you use the revenue earned to purchase another similar property. There are a lot of onerous rules to follow to profit from this strategy, but it may be worth investigating and discussing with a financial advisor. Pass on the property to your heirs. When your children or grandchildren someday sell the property, they will not inherit a deferred depreciation recapture tax or a capital gains tax. They may create their own tax issues, of course, if they rent out the property themselves. Sell the property at a loss. That may not be appealing, but it is a way to avoid the depreciation tax on a rental property. Story continues If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Why Land Isnt Considered a Depreciable Asset SmartAsset: How to avoid depreciation tax on rental property The IRSs policy is that a depreciation recapture tax affects doesnt affect your land but only the property, like a house or building. Those often will go down in value unless it is maintained and improved. In other words, the IRS treats rental property like any other business asset. That can include items like a delivery van or a desktop computer. For a residential building, the IRS allows a property owner to depreciate it over 27.5 years. To calculate how much you can deduct each year, you divide your propertys cost basis by the useful life of the asset to get the annual amount of depreciation. (Incidentally, that 27.5 is the federal governments number; if youre working out the depreciation recapture tax for your states taxes, you may be working with another number.) Example of Depreciation Recapture Tax Lets say that you purchased a house for $300,000, and then you had tenants living there for a decade. After that, you decide to sell the property. Divided by 27.5, a rental property owner could take a depreciation deduction of $10,909 a year. (Thats $300,000 divided by 27.5.) And then 10 years later, if they sell their property for $500,000, they may have taken $109,090 in depreciation deductions. In this case, the IRS would tax the remaining $390,910 ($500,000 minus $109,909) at a short-term or long-term capital gains rate. And that rate is anywhere from 0% to 37%. (The percentage the rental owner receives depends on factors such as the property owners income and tax bracket and how long theyve owned the property.) The total depreciation deductions ($109,090) will be taxed at a recapture rate that can go as high as 25%. Sometimes the deprecation recapture tax can cause a tax bill to be much higher than a property owner expected. And thats when some people look for an escape hatch that can reduce their tax bill. Fortunately, there are some options. The Bottom Line SmartAsset: How to avoid depreciation tax on rental property For some property owners, the deprecation recapture tax will likely not cause a lot of headaches. But it may be for others, especially those in high tax brackets with valuable assets and a lot of depreciation deductions. However, before you make any rash decisions about selling your property or leaving it to your beneficiaries, it would be a good idea to discuss your next move with either a financial advisor a licensed tax professional, or both. Tips for Calculating Your Taxes Whether you need help with retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning or investment portfolio organization, a vetted financial advisor can help. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. If you dont know whether youre better off with the standard deduction versus itemized, you might want to read up on it and do some math. You might find that youd save a significant amount of money one way or another. So its best to educate yourself before the tax return deadline. Photo credit: iStock.com/Feverpitched, iStock.com/RapidEye, iStock.com/William_Potter The post How to Avoid Depreciation Tax on Rental Property appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 800 AM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern DeWitt County through 845 AM CDT... At 800 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Mission Valley, or 10 miles south of Cuero, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Cuero, Thomaston, Arneckville, Meyersville and Terryville. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. 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 2887 9730 2888 9731 2887 9732 2890 9734 2889 9735 2890 9738 2892 9738 2892 9742 2894 9745 2927 9712 2911 9698 TIME...MOT...LOC 1300Z 228DEG 18KT 2894 9728 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 829 AM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern DeWitt and Karnes Counties through 915 AM CDT... At 829 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Pawnee, or 8 miles southwest of Kenedy, moving northeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Kenedy, Karnes City, Runge, Falls City, Nordheim, Gillett, Cestohowa, Coy City, Cotton Patch, Zunkerville, Paweleville, Choate, Hobson, El Oso, Ecleto, Helena, Deweesville and Pana Maria. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 2868 9779 2867 9782 2872 9792 2869 9799 2878 9810 2888 9819 2919 9776 2888 9749 2867 9778 TIME...MOT...LOC 1329Z 211DEG 31KT 2872 9794 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 901 AM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Gonzales and Wilson Counties through 945 AM CDT... At 901 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Poth, moving northeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Floresville, Poth, Stockdale, Kosciusko, Nixon, Pandora and Sutherland Springs. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 2888 9819 2897 9827 2919 9824 2938 9791 2938 9779 2934 9772 2928 9765 TIME...MOT...LOC 1401Z 237DEG 33KT 2912 9810 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 912 AM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of DeWitt County through 1000 AM CDT... At 912 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Yorktown, moving northeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Cuero, Yoakum, Yorktown, Thomaston, Hochheim, Westhoff, Edgar, Gruenau, Terryville, New Davy, Meyersville, Arneckville and Concrete. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 2887 9731 2890 9734 2889 9735 2892 9741 2888 9748 2907 9768 2938 9724 2911 9698 TIME...MOT...LOC 1412Z 238DEG 31KT 2906 9758 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... West central Karnes County in south central Texas... East central Atascosa County in south central Texas... South central Wilson County in south central Texas... * Until 1030 AM CDT. * At 936 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles southwest of Falls City, or 10 miles southwest of Poth, moving northeast at 10 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... Poth, Falls City, Hobson and Deweesville. 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 this storm. 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. 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 DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 843 PM CDT Sat May 6 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR MONTAGUE COUNTY... At 843 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Bowie, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Bowie, Nocona, St. Jo, Lake Nocona, Sunset, Lake Amon G Carter, Nocona Hills, Montague, Fruitland, Capps Corner, Forestburg, Ringgold, Spanish Fort, Stoneburg, Belcherville, Mallard, Bonita and Illinois Bend. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Erath County in north central Texas... * Until 930 PM CDT. * At 845 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Huckabay, or near Stephenville, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Stephenville, Huckabay, Morgan Mill, Bluff Dale, Harbin, Patillo, Thurber, Selden, Hannibal, Lingleville, Bunyan and Highland. This includes Interstate 20 between mile markers 364 and 367. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL JONES AND CENTRAL SHACKELFORD COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. Therefore, the warning has been allowed to expire. However small hail, gusty winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for west central Texas. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service San Angelo. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Jefferson and northeastern Clay Counties through 915 PM CDT... At 846 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Terral, moving north at 40 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 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. Waurika, Ryan, Terral, Addington, Sugden, and Oscar. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 3380 9801 3425 9798 3421 9766 3393 9775 3393 9776 3392 9776 3392 9778 3389 9779 3390 9779 3388 9780 3388 9782 3386 9783 3385 9787 3389 9798 3380 9798 TIME...MOT...LOC 0146Z 188DEG 33KT 3387 9789 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Southwestern Brown County in west central Texas... Northwestern San Saba County in west central Texas... * At 846 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Brookesmith, moving east at 15 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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern Brown and northwestern San Saba Counties, including the following locations... Indian Creek. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or 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. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 1213 AM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN DALLAS COUNTY 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 400 AM CDT for central and north central Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1230 AM CDT FOR KAUFMAN...NORTHWESTERN HENDERSON...EASTERN ELLIS AND CENTRAL NAVARRO COUNTIES... At 1212 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Kemp, or 9 miles northwest of Gun Barrel City, moving east at 35 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Corsicana, Ennis, Terrell, Seagoville, Kaufman, Gun Barrel City, Mabank, Crandall, Tool, Combine, Kerens, Talty, Seven Points, Kemp, Trinidad, Blooming Grove, Bardwell, Angus, Grays Prairie and Alma. The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... McCurtain County in southeastern Oklahoma... Northern Franklin County in northeastern Texas... Northwestern Titus County in northeastern Texas... Red River County in northeastern Texas... * Until 115 AM CDT. * At 1216 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Manchester, or 19 miles northwest of Clarksville, moving northeast at 50 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... Clarksville, Hagansport, Idabel, Broken Bow, Bogata, Bagwell, Manchester, Wright City, Valliant, Detroit, Deport, Talco, Millerton, Garvin, Rufe, Smithville, Hochatown, Watson, Battiest and Pickens. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Prepare immediately for large hail and damaging winds. People outside should move immediately to shelter inside a strong building. Stay away from windows. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Freestone County in central Texas... Navarro County in north central Texas... * Until 130 AM CDT. * At 1226 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Angus, or 7 miles southwest of Corsicana, moving east at 35 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Corsicana, Kerens, Wortham, Trinidad, Dawson, Angus, Barry, Navarro, Fairfield Lake, Lake Halbert, Richland-Chambers Reservoir, Fairfield Lake State Park, Trinidad Lake, Navarro Mills Lake, Rice, Retreat, Oak Valley, Mildred, Eureka and Richland. This includes Interstate 45 between mile markers 203 and 238. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Lubbock TX 503 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN KENT COUNTY 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 900 PM CDT for northwestern Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL KING AND NORTHERN STONEWALL COUNTIES... At 502 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles north of Swenson, or 13 miles northwest of Aspermont, moving northeast 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... Swenson. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Prepare immediately for large hail and deadly cloud to ground lightning. Seek shelter inside a well-built structure. Stay away from windows. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN JONES AND SOUTHEASTERN FISHER COUNTIES... At 503 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Sylvester, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. This severe storm will be near... Neinda and Noodle around 520 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Us-180 And Ranch Road 126 and Stith. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Reagan and northeastern Upton Counties through 545 PM CDT... At 504 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13 miles north of Rankin, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northwestern Reagan and northeastern Upton Counties. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. western Texas. LAT...LON 3130 10189 3132 10201 3162 10194 3155 10164 TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 214DEG 16KT 3142 10193 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Haskell County in west central Texas... Northwestern Jones County in west central Texas... Northern Fisher County in west central Texas... * Until 600 PM CDT. * At 505 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Rotan, 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Hamlin around 550 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Hitson and Tuxedo. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Lubbock TX 547 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN KENT AND STONEWALL COUNTIES... At 547 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles south of Peacock, or 9 miles southwest of Aspermont, moving northeast 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... Aspermont, Peacock, Old Glory, Swenson and Us-380 Near The Haskell- Stonewall County Line. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Western Jones County in west central Texas... Northwestern Taylor County in west central Texas... Southeastern Fisher County in west central Texas... * Until 630 PM CDT. * At 547 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Trent, moving north at 30 mph. HAZARD...Two inch 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Noodle around 555 PM CDT. Neinda around 615 PM CDT. Anson around 620 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Us-180 And Ranch Road 126 and Truby. This includes Interstate 20 between Mile Markers 262 and 268. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN TAYLOR COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for west central Texas. FOR NORTH CENTRAL CROCKETT COUNTY... At 551 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Iraan, moving east at 10 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 60 mph wind gusts. 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 remain over mainly rural areas of north central Crockett County. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) Q1 2023 Earnings Call Transcript May 5, 2023 The AES Corporation misses on earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $0.22 EPS, expectations were $0.23. Operator: Good morning. Thank you for attending todays The AES Corporation First Quarter 2023 Financial Review. My name is Alicia, and Ill be your moderator for todays call. I would now like to pass the conference over to your host, Susan Harcourt, Vice President of Investor Relations with AES Corporation. You may now proceed. Susan Harcourt: Thank you, operator. Good morning, and welcome to our first quarter 2023 financial review call. Our press release, presentation and related financial information are available on our website at aes.com. Today, we will be making forward-looking statements. There are many factors that may cause future results to differ materially from these statements, which are discussed in our most recent 10-K and 10-Q filed with the SEC. Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures can be found on our website along with the presentation. Joining me this morning are Andres Gluski, our President and Chief Executive Officer; Steve Coughlin, our Chief Financial Officer; and other senior members of our management team. With that, I will turn the call over to Andres. Andres Gluski: Good morning, everyone. And thank you for joining our first quarter 2023 financial review call. We are very pleased with our progress so far this year. And today, I will discuss our first quarter results and provide key business updates. Steve Coughlin, our CFO, will give some more detail on our financial performance and outlook. Beginning on Slide 3. As you may have seen in our press release, we introduced new strategic business units, which better reflect the greatly simplified company that AES is today and the pillars of our future growth. We will be giving a broader strategic review at our Investor Day on Monday, including an update on our portfolio transformation and an overview of our strong growth expectations for our renewables and utility businesses. Story continues Our first quarter 2023 adjusted earnings per share was $0.22 compared with $0.21 in 2022, which is in line with our expectations. With these results and the underlying performance we are seeing across our business, we are reaffirming our 2023 adjusted earnings per share guidance of $1.65 to $1.75, and our 7% to 9% annualized growth rate target through 2025. Now turning to Slide 4. We continue to see strong demand for renewables both in the U.S. and internationally, including from U.S. corporate customers with operations in international markets. So far this year, we have signed PPAs for 309 megawatts of new renewables, including 154 megawatts of wind with a U.S. technology customer in Brazil. Were in advanced negotiations for several large additional projects and remain on track to meet our PPA signing target of 14 to 17 gigawatts over the next 3 years. In the U.S., key elements of the inflation Reduction Act or IRA are being clarified. This past month, the Department of Treasury and the IRS release detailed guidance on how clean energy projects located in energy communities can qualify for an additional 10% bonus tax credit. We estimate that approximately 1/3 of our 51 gigawatt pipeline of projects in the U.S. would qualify, which directly translates into a combination of higher potential returns and increased competitiveness for the projects we are developing. We are currently awaiting treasury department guidance on certain provisions of the IRA, including requirements for the clean hydrogen production tax credit. As a reminder, at our green hydrogen project in Texas, the largest advanced green hydrogen project in the U.S., which we are developing jointly with Air Products. We plan to co-locate 1.4 gigawatts of new renewables with the electrolyzers. This means that the projects would have the lowest possible carbon emissions of any known project in the U.S. Additionally, the project is located adjacent to the site of a decommissioned coal plant, which will provide significant existing infrastructure. All of these attributes and the fact that the energy will include hourly matching indicate that the project should qualify for the highest possible tax credit in any scenario. Turning to Slide 5. Our backlog of projects with signed long-term contracts is now around 12 gigawatts. Of which roughly half are already under construction. We continue to maintain a robust supply chain, and we continue to hit our construction milestones without delay. Oil and gas, Industry, Energy Photo by Ronan Furuta on Unsplash We expect to bring online more than 3 gigawatts of new wind, solar and battery storage this year. As we bring projects currently in the backlog online in coming years, we will nearly double our installed renewables capacity, making us one of the fastest-growing renewable companies in the world. Turning to Slide 6. We are also happy to report a positive development at AES Ohio which puts us on track for unprecedented growth in the business. In April, AES Ohio signed a comprehensive settlement agreement for its Electric Security Plan, or ESP 4 which received broad support from residential, commercial, industrial and low-income customers. The settlement included the commission staff as a signatory, and we expect to receive final approval by the end of the third quarter. With ESP 4 in place, along with our existing investment programs, we expect to more than double our rate base by the end of 2027 which would make AES Ohio, one of the fastest-growing utility businesses in the country, while still having the lowest tariffs in the state. Turning to Slide 7. We also reached a major milestone towards exiting coal by the end of 2025. We agreed to terminate the PPA at the Warrior Run plant in Maryland, for which we will receive total payments of $357 million. We will retain control of the site and are exploring new uses that capitalize on its valuable location and existing infrastructure. We see this transaction is very beneficial for all parties involved. Moving to Slide 8. We signed agreements to extend the operations of 1.4 gigawatts of gas generation at our legacy Southland units in California for 3 more years. These plans were previously scheduled to retire at the end of this year. The extensions will lock in additional upside and will help meet the state of Californias grid liability needs while supporting its efforts to transition over time to low carbon source of electricity. The monetization of the contract that Warrior Run and the extension of the legacy Southland units are both good examples of how we are creating value from our existing infrastructure assets during the energy transition. Finally, as I mentioned earlier, we will be holding an Investor Day on Monday, where we will be sharing our strategic long-term view of the company, discussing our new business segments and providing long-term growth rates through 2027 for adjusted earnings per share, adjusted EBITDA and parent free cash flow. With that, I would like to turn the call over to our CFO, Steve Coughlin. Steve Coughlin: Thank you, Andres, and good morning, everyone. Today, I will discuss our first quarter results, 2023 guidance and 2023 parent capital allocation. Turning to Slide 10. As Andres mentioned, in the first quarter, we launched our new Strategic Business Units or SBUs. This new organizational structure reflects AES very focused and simplified portfolio. It also aligns our management teams by business line to maximize our operational synergies and to continue delivering excellent customer experiences across all our markets. Our new SBU reporting segments highlight our rapidly growing renewables and utility businesses and facilitate simplified modeling of AES, which will benefit current and new potential shareholders and analysts. Our new SBUs include renewables, which includes our solar, wind, energy storage and hydro businesses, utilities, which includes AES Indiana, AES Ohio and AES Salvador, Energy infrastructure composed of our thermal generation and LNG infrastructure businesses and new energy technologies, which includes our investments in energy technology businesses such as Fluence and Uplight as well as our green hydrogen business line and future new business innovations which support our mission. In addition to the SBUs, we also have a corporate reporting segment, which includes our corporate G&A our parent level debt and associated interest expense in our captive insurance program called AGC. Turning to Slide 11. Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $0.22 versus $0.21 last year. Our business was favorable year-over-year, which I will discuss in more detail shortly. Our results were also impacted by higher parent interest expense and a lower adjusted tax rate. Now to Slide 12. We are fully on track to achieve our full year 2023 adjusted EPS guidance range of $1.65 to $1.75. We expect a significant contribution from new renewables of at least $0.27 this year. This is partially offset by lower contributions from LNG sales, as we have previously mentioned, higher parent interest expense from incremental debt and higher rates on our revolving credit facility and a marginally higher tax rate this year. As is typically the case, our earnings are heavily weighted toward the second half of the year. This year, we expect approximately 3/4 of our earnings to occur in the second half. Growth in the year to go will be primarily driven by contributions from new businesses including over 3 gigawatts of projects in our backlog coming online, which remains solidly on track for completion. We are also reaffirming our expected 7% to 9% average annual growth target through 2025. Turning to Slide 13. As you may have seen in our press release, while we continue to report adjusted EPS, today, we are also introducing adjusted EBITDA as a new reporting metric. As the renewables portion of our business grows at an extremely high rate, we believe adjusted EBITDA is a very informative metric in understanding our business results. First, it aligns well with the performance of our underlying business and operating cash generation. And second, adjusted EBITDA is reported before the impact of U.S. renewables tax attributes so that investors and analysts can separate renewable operating earnings from the very valuable tax incentives for U.S. renewables. Beginning this quarter, I will discuss our new SBU financial results using adjusted EBITDA, with the exception of our utilities SBU, which will be measured using adjusted pretax contribution, or PTC, to facilitate comparisons with other utilities. We will provide full year guidance by SBU during our Investor Day on Monday. Adjusted EBITDA was $628 million this quarter versus $621 million in the prior year. This was driven by higher first quarter LNG sales and growth in renewables, but was partially offset by the impact of warmer than normal weather at our U.S. utilities. Ill cover the performance of our new SBUs in the next 4 slides. Beginning with our renewables SBU on Slide 14. Higher EBITDA was driven primarily by a higher level of generation at our facilities in Panama higher wind generation and contributions from new businesses. This was partially offset by higher spend as we continue to ramp up our renewables development and lower power prices impacting our Bulgaria wind facility. Lower PTC at our Utilities SBU was mostly driven by warmer-than-normal winter weather and higher interest expense, but partially offset by higher revenues as a result of our continued investment in the rate base. Higher EBITDA and our energy infrastructure SBU primarily reflects higher LNG sales, partially offset by lower margins from coal PPAs, the retirement of our coal plant in Hawaii last year and lower availability at Southland Energy. Finally, higher EBITDA at our New Energy Technologies SBU reflects a significant improvement in operations and gross margins at Fluence. Now to our 2023 parent capital allocation plan on Slide 18. Sources reflect approximately $2.1 billion to $2.6 billion of total discretionary cash, including $950 million to $1 billion of parent free cash flow, $400 million to $600 million of proceeds from asset sales and $700 million to $1 billion of planned parent debt issuance. On the right-hand side, you can see our planned use of capital. We will return nearly $500 million to shareholders this year. This consists of our common share dividend, including the previously announced 5% increase as well as the coupon on the equity units. We plan to invest approximately $1.7 billion toward new growth, of which the majority will go to renewables and utilities. In summary, weve made great progress on our financial commitments for the year. At our Investor Day on Monday, we will provide detail on the strategy and future of AES overall and for each of our new SBUs. We will also provide long-term growth rates through 2027 for adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA and parent free cash flow. I look forward to talking with many of you then. With that, Ill turn the call back over to Andres. Andres Gluski: Thank you, Steve. In summary, we are pleased with our progress to date and remain on track to hit our 2023 adjusted earnings per share guidance of $1.65 to $1.75 and our 7% to 9% annualized growth rate target through 2025. We continue to see strong demand for renewables and especially from our corporate customers. Our supply chain is robust and our construction projects are progressing as planned. Were also encouraged by the settlement agreement at AS Ohio, which paves the way for final approval of our new electric security plan later this year and creates the framework for significant investments in the utility. Finally, we see our successful negotiations to terminate the Warrior Run contract and extend the operations of the 1.4 gigawatts of our legacy South line units as indicative of the success we are having in maximizing shareholder value from our existing assets as we transform the portfolio. We look forward to providing a broader strategic update at our Investor Day on Monday, including more details around our growth plans and guidance through 2027. With that, I would like to open up the call for questions. See also 20 Biggest Holding Companies in USA and 20 Most Desirable Companies To Work For In USA . To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 449 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of eastern Scurry County through 530 PM CDT... At 449 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Snyder, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Snyder and Hermleigh. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for western Texas. LAT...LON 3262 10085 3268 10094 3297 10066 3270 10066 TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 227DEG 16KT 3267 10085 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Jones County in west central Texas... Southeastern Fisher County in west central Texas... * Until 545 PM CDT. * At 449 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Longworth, 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Noodle around 525 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Us-180 And Ranch Road 126, Busby and Stith. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a Eastern Kent County in northwestern Texas... South central King County in northwestern Texas... Northern Stonewall County in northwestern Texas... * Until 515 PM CDT. * At 451 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 5 miles north of Peacock, or 10 miles east of Jayton, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Peacock and Swenson. Prepare immediately for large hail and deadly cloud to ground lightning. Seek shelter inside a well-built structure. Stay away from windows. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. West central Callahan County in west central Texas... Eastern Taylor County in west central Texas... North central Runnels County in west central Texas... * At 449 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Winters, moving northeast at 25 mph. Bradshaw around 505 PM CDT. Lawn around 520 PM CDT. Tuscola around 530 PM CDT. Buffalo Gap around 535 PM CDT. Wylie, Potosi and Dudley around 545 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Lake Abilene, Drasco, Camp Tonkawa, Pumphrey and Ovalo. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Eastern Pecos County in southwestern Texas... * Until 645 PM CDT. * At 614 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 17 miles north of Sheffield, moving northeast at 15 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... Iraan and Iraan Municipal Airport. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. 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 NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Norman OK 657 PM CDT Sat May 6 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Jackson, southwestern Tillman and central Wilbarger Counties through 730 PM CDT... At 657 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4 miles west of Oklaunion, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Vernon, Davidson, Oklaunion, and Fargo. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 3446 9921 3424 9880 3418 9891 3421 9895 3415 9895 3401 9919 3412 9936 TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 219DEG 28KT 3413 9922 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN CLAY AND SOUTHEASTERN ARCHER COUNTIES... At 659 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles southeast of Archer City, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and ping pong ball size hail. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Archer City, Scotland, Windthorst, Lake Arrowhead, Shannon, and Joy. Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. Prepare immediately for large hail and damaging winds. People outside should move to a shelter, inside a strong building and away from windows. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Jones and western Shackelford Counties through 745 PM CDT... At 700 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over The Intersection Of Us- 180 And Farm Road 600, or near Nugent, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail. Stamford, Albany, Lueders, Nugent, Avoca, Funston, Mccarty Lake, Big Country Baptist Assembly and The Intersection Of Us- 180 And Farm Road 600. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for west central Texas. LAT...LON 3264 9983 3296 9991 3296 9938 3261 9923 TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 259DEG 31KT 3274 9975 MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southern Clay County in northern Texas... Southeastern Archer County in northern Texas... * Until 830 PM CDT. * At 739 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 5 miles southwest of Windthorst, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Archer City, Scotland, Windthorst, Bellevue, Lake Arrowhead, Bluegrove, Joy, Vashti, and Shannon. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Damaging wind and continuous cloud to ground lightning are occurring with this storm. 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 San Angelo has issued a Southeastern Jones County in west central Texas... Central Shackelford County in west central Texas... * Until 845 PM CDT. * At 740 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Lake Fort Phantom Hill, or near Nugent, moving east 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Nugent around 745 PM CDT. Albany around 830 PM CDT. Ibex around 845 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Lake Fort Phantom Hill and Mccarty Lake. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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 Northern Jack County in north central Texas... * At 741 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 13 miles south of Windthorst, or 16 miles northwest of Jacksboro, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...65 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. Jacksboro, Bryson, Newport, Fort Richardson State Park, Cundiff, Jermyn, Lost Creek Reservoir, Antelope and Postoak. For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCH 189 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 908 PM CDT SAT MAY 6 2023 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 189 FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN OKLAHOMA THIS CANCELS 3 COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA CADDO COMANCHE COTTON IN TEXAS THIS CANCELS 2 COUNTIES IN NORTHERN TEXAS ARCHER CLAY THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANADARKO, ARCHER CITY, HENRIETTA, HINTON, HOLLIDAY, LAKESIDE CITY, LAWTON, SCOTLAND, TEMPLE, AND WALTERS. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Southern Brown County in west central Texas... * Until 1100 PM CDT. * At 909 PM CDT, a nearly stationary severe storms was over Brookesmith. Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Up to 1 inch of rain has fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Camp Bowie, Brookesmith, Winchell, Zephyr and Indian Creek. This includes the following Low Water Crossings... CR 201 crossing Clear Creek, County Road 201 crossing Clear Creek and crossings along County Road 228. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE BOSQUE BROWN CALLAHAN COKE COLEMAN COMANCHE COOKE EASTLAND ERATH FISHER HAMILTON HASKELL HOOD JACK JONES MILLS MONTAGUE NOLAN PALO PINTO PARKER RUNNELS SHACKELFORD SOMERVELL STEPHENS TAYLOR THROCKMORTON WISE YOUNG The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Parker County in north central Texas... Northwestern Hood County in north central Texas... * Until 945 PM CDT. * At 910 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Lipan, or 13 miles west of Granbury, moving northeast at 40 mph. THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR LIPAN AND HORSESHOE BEND. HAZARD...80 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be heavily damaged. Expect considerable damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles. Extensive tree damage and power outages are likely. * Locations impacted include... Granbury, Brock, Western Lake, Lipan, Oak Trail Shores, Horseshoe Bend, Annetta North, Stockton Bend, Waples, Lake Granbury, Dennis and Tin Top. For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Western Knox County in northern Texas... * Until 530 PM CDT. * At 442 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 4 miles west of Benjamin, moving northeast at 10 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... Benjamin, Gilliland, and Truscott. 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 515 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN STONEWALL COUNTY... At 446 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles southwest of Aspermont, moving north 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... Aspermont, Peacock, Old Glory and Swenson. Prepare immediately for large hail and deadly cloud to ground lightning. Seek shelter inside a well-built structure. Stay away from windows. 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 SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Callahan County in west central Texas... Northern Coleman County in west central Texas... * Until 715 PM CDT. * At 624 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Coleman, moving northeast at 35 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. * This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern Callahan and northern Coleman Counties, including the following locations... Echo, Lake Coleman and Hords Creek Reservoir. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Knox County through 700 PM CDT... At 626 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Knox City, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Munday, Knox City, Benjamin, Goree, Vera, and Rhineland. 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 3340 9999 3350 9999 3372 9948 3340 9947 TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 237DEG 26KT 3343 9980 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Callahan County in west central Texas... Southeastern Shackelford County in west central Texas... * Until 930 PM CDT. * At 901 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Putnam, moving northeast 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Moran around 920 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include I-20 Near The Callahan-Eastland County Line. This includes Interstate 20 between Mile Markers 311 and 323. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. 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 Southern Parker County in north central Texas... Southeastern Palo Pinto County in north central Texas... Hood County in north central Texas... * Until 1000 PM CDT. * At 902 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Lipan, or 16 miles west of Granbury, moving northeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Weatherford, Granbury, Pecan Plantation, Willow Park, Aledo, Brock, Hudson Oaks, Western Lake, Annetta, Lipan, Lake Weatherford, Oak Trail Shores, Squaw Creek Reservoir, DeCordova, Horseshoe Bend, Cresson, Tolar, Annetta South, Annetta North and Stockton Bend. This includes Interstate 20 between mile markers 378 and 417. For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN BROWN AND NORTHWESTERN SAN SABA COUNTIES... At 903 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Brookesmith, moving east at 10 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. Locations impacted include... Winchell, Brookesmith and Indian Creek. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or 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. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, May 6, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southern Brown County in west central Texas... * Until 1030 PM CDT. * At 928 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Indian Creek, or near Camp Bowie, moving east at 15 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Camp Bowie around 940 PM CDT. Zephyr around 1030 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Indian Creek. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. 10 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR SOUTHERN ARCHER COUNTY... At 929 PM CDT, the public reported flash flooding ongoing in Windthorst. Up to 2 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Public reported. IMPACT...Flash 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... Archer City, Scotland, Windthorst and southwestern Lake Arrowhead. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service San Angelo TX 405 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL COLEMAN AND CENTRAL RUNNELS COUNTIES... At 405 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Ballinger, moving northeast 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. This severe storm will be near... Ballinger around 415 PM CDT. Hatchel around 425 PM CDT. Benoit around 430 PM CDT. Crews around 450 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Lake Winters Lake and Ballinger Lake. 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 500 PM CDT FOR EAST CENTRAL TOM GREEN...SOUTHERN RUNNELS AND NORTHWESTERN CONCHO COUNTIES... At 405 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Mereta, moving northeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 60 mph wind gusts. Miles around 445 PM CDT. Lowake around 500 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Ranch Road 380 And Ranch Road 381. The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Scurry County in western Texas... * Until 430 PM CDT. * At 406 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles west of Hobbs, or 11 miles east of Snyder, moving northeast at 15 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. * This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern Scurry County. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad (KLSE:AJI) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 12% in the last quarter. But over the last half decade, the stock has not performed well. After all, the share price is down 31% in that time, significantly under-performing the market. Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. Check out our latest analysis for Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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). In the last half decade Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad saw its share price fall as its EPS declined below zero. At present it's hard to make valid comparisons between EPS and the share price. But we would generally expect a lower price, given the situation. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). Dive deeper into Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad'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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad, it has a TSR of -23% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective It's good to see that Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 10% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That certainly beats the loss of about 4% per year over the last half decade. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad that you should be aware of. 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 Malaysian 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service San Angelo TX 408 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL NOLAN COUNTY 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 900 PM CDT for west central Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN FISHER COUNTY... At 407 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Longworth, moving northeast 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. This severe storm will be near... Roby around 415 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Busby and Capitola. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE... The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a Red Flag Warning for strong winds and low relative humidity, which is in effect until 9 PM CDT this evening. * Affected Area...In Oklahoma...Cimarron...Texas and Beaver. In Texas...Dallam...Sherman...Hansford...Ochiltree...Hartley... Moore...Hutchinson...Oldham...Potter and Deaf Smith. * 20 Foot Winds...Southwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * Relative Humidity...As low as 5 percent. * Red Flag Threat Index...4 TO 8. * Timing...UNTIL 9 PM. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures will create favorable weather for rapid fire growth and spread. Avoid activities that promote open flames and sparks. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Fisher County in west central Texas... * Until 445 PM CDT. * At 410 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Roby, moving northeast 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Rotan around 420 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Hitson. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Foard, Knox and west central Baylor Counties through 445 PM CDT... At 411 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9 miles west of Benjamin, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 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. Locations impacted include... Benjamin, Truscott, Gilliland, and Vera. 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 3352 9999 3369 9999 3391 9980 3387 9953 3366 9942 3341 9988 TIME...MOT...LOC 2111Z 227DEG 17KT 3355 9995 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service San Angelo TX 418 PM CDT Sun May 7 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR EAST CENTRAL TOM GREEN...SOUTHERN RUNNELS AND NORTHWESTERN CONCHO COUNTIES... At 418 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near The Intersection Of Ranch Road 380 And Ranch Road 381, or near Lowake, moving northeast at 15 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. This severe storm will be near... Miles around 430 PM CDT. Lowake around 435 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Ranch Road 380 And Ranch Road 381. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Foard County in northern Texas... North central Knox County in northern Texas... * Until 500 PM CDT. * At 418 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Truscott, moving north 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... Crowell, Margaret, Thalia, Truscott, Gilliland, and Copper Breaks State Park. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL COLEMAN AND CENTRAL RUNNELS COUNTIES... At 420 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Ballinger, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Hatchel around 430 PM CDT. Benoit around 435 PM CDT. Crews around 500 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Lake Winters Lake and Ballinger Lake. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 7, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Tom Green County in west central Texas... Southwestern Runnels County in west central Texas... Northwestern Concho County in west central Texas... * Until 645 PM CDT. * At 542 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Mereta, moving northeast 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. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Eola around 545 PM CDT. Veribest around 550 PM CDT. Mereta around 555 PM CDT. Miles and Lowake around 615 PM CDT. Rowena around 635 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Ranch Road 380 And Ranch Road 381. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a Eastern Pecos County in southwestern Texas... * Until 615 PM CDT. * At 546 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 16 miles northwest of Sheffield, moving northeast at 15 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. * Locations impacted include... Iraan and Iraan Municipal Airport. This includes Interstate 10 between mile markers 313 and 314. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather European shares were flat at midday after worse-than-expected eurozone retail sales dented earlier positive sentiment driven by results from tech giant Apple. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 had not moved the needle after rising 0.32% in early deals. All major bourses were remained higher however, and US futures indicating a positive start to the final session of the week. Apple surprised markets with an unexpected rise in iPhone sales amid a global slump in smartphone purchases as consumers start to retrench spending on big-ticket tech items. Eyes will also be on US labour market data, with non-farm payrolls expected to have increased by 180,000 last month, the smallest increase in nearly 2-1/2 years, although wage growth is expected to have remained strong. In economic news, retail sales in the eurozone fell by 3.8% in March and an annual basis, worse than the 3.1% forecast as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit consumer spending power, according to official data released on Friday. Sales fell 1.2% on a month-on-month basis. "Retail continues to struggle with the loss of consumer purchasing power and a shift in preference away from goods and towards services, now that the Covid-19 pandemic has ended," said analysts at ING. Meanwhile, German factory orders also plunged in March, missing expectations and reversing previous gains. According to the Federal Statistics Office, new orders in manufacturing fell 10.7% month-on-month, and by 11% on March 2022. That compares to a month-on-month increase of 4.5% in February. Analysts had been expecting a far more modest fall, of around 2.2%. It was the strongest decline since April 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Investors were also digesting the latest data out of China, showing growth in the services sector was a little weaker than expected in April. The Caixin services purchasing managers index dipped to 56.4 from 57.8 in March, coming in below consensus expectations for a reading of 57.0. Still, it remained above the 50.0 mark that separates contraction from expansion for the fourth month in a row. It also marked the second-highest figure recorded since November 2020. Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, said the reading indicates that services activity is still "undergoing a fast recovery". On the equities front it was a much quieter day after a deluge of earnings reports and trading statements across the Continent. Shares in British Airways owner IAG were higher as the company beat forecasts and lifted guidance after reporting a first-quarter operating profit in what is traditionally quiet period for airlines. Norwegian renewable energy producer Scatec shares were 12% higher after strong results. Adidas shares jumped after a better-than-expected first quarter, but the German sportswear manufacturer warned 2023 was still set to be "disappointing". The brand, which has been hit hard after its partnership with controversial rapper Kanye West abruptly ended, said currency-neutral revenues were largely flat year-on-year at 5.27bn in the three months to March end. Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com DEAR ABBY: How do I get my husband of 20 years to stop lying and hiding things from me? I have tried explaining to him that when he lies or hides things, especially small petty stuff, it makes me wonder what else he has lied about. When I confront him after catching him in a lie, he flips the script to make it about me and makes me feel like I have done something wrong. He also tries to manipulate me by bringing up my past or boasting about how I will never find a better man. Im at a loss because he shows no compassion when I am visibly upset. He doesnt try to make things right, and he never admits to anything I call him out on. We end up in a huge fight/argument when I try to express my feelings. Please help. -- NOT MATTERING IN MICHIGAN DEAR NOT MATTERING: You are married to a classic narcissist who isnt going to change his pattern of gaslighting you. Make an appointment with a licensed mental health professional who can explain how unhealthy (for you) this marriage is and help you to rebuild your self-confidence. The truth is, there ARE better men out there, but you will never meet one until you are rid of the poor excuse for a man to whom you are currently married. ** ** ** Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. ** ** ** Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: Abbys Favorite Recipes and More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby. Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.) CHICO, Calif. A 17-year-old girl was killed and five other people were wounded in a shooting early Saturday at a party near a college campus in Northern California, police said. Officers responding around 3:30 a.m. to reports of gunfire found six people shot at an apartment building in Chico, police Chief Billy Aldridge said. All the victims were taken to hospitals, and the teenager died at a hospital, he said. Two men, ages 21 and 19, and a 17-year-old girl remained hospitalized in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, the chief said. Two other men, ages 18 and 20, were treated at the hospital and released, Aldridge said. The shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, and there was no ongoing threat to the community, police said. They released no information on the shooter. Police had been called to the same address about 30 minutes before the shooting and arrested a man on suspicion of brandishing a firearm, Aldridge said. That suspect matched the description of a man who was asked to leave a separate party about a mile away around 12:30 a.m., Aldridge said. A fight broke out at the earlier party, and two people were hospitalized after being struck in the head, one with a bottle and one with a firearm, the chief said. Several streets were closed Saturday as investigators combed the area for evidence. At least three parked cars had bullet holes and shattered windows, according to the Chico Enterprise-Record. Both parties were in neighborhoods near California State University in Chico, a city with about 101,000 residents 90 miles (145 km) north of Sacramento. Lt. Brian Miller called the area a hot spot for police service calls. New Yorkers should be able to ride mass transit in safety. New Yorkers with mental health problems should get the help they need. New Yorkers should not take the law into their own hands. Nor should they feel like they have to. If we lived in that world in 2023, Jordan Neely may not have lost his life on a subway train last week. Neely died after being held in a chokehold on an F train by a Marine identified as Daniel Penny. The whole world has seen the shocking video of the incident by now. But contrary to what Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Comptroller Brad Lander and other lefty Democrats immediately chirped up to say, Neely did not die because he was homeless, mentally ill or Black. He died because a bad situation got out of hand on a New York City subway train. Neely didnt deserve to die because he was unruly on the train, threatening passengers and throwing trash at them, according to witnesses. That said, he shouldnt have been menacing passengers in the first place. And New Yorkers these days know that the city is more lawless than it was a decade ago. They know that the city doesnt crack down on quality-of-life crimes like it used to. Those facts are always in the back of our minds. So if youre on a subway train, effectively trapped, and somebody begins to act in an unpredictable, menacing or potentially dangerous way, and begins throwing garbage around, what are your options? You might move to another train car. You might get off the train at the next stop, even if it isnt your stop, and wait for another train. Which is what Penny could have done. We dont know every detail about the incident, but it doesnt sound like anybody on the train was in grave danger from Neely, no matter how unsettling Neelys behavior appears to have been. Or maybe you resent the fact that the city is so damn lawless that you cant even ride on the subway in peace anymore. You may bristle at inconveniencing yourself by switching cars or getting off the train. You may feel that if the cops cant or wont do their jobs, somebody has to. After all, you never know when an unruly person will turn violent. All that doesnt make Penny, 24, a vigilante, although too many on the left can too easily demonize members of the military as easily as they badmouth cops. Just as its too easy for those on the right to put Penny on a pedestal for taking action on that F train. We cant say that this Marine is a hero. We dont know that he didnt overreact. We dont have all the facts. What we do know is that Neely had mental health concerns and was homeless. Hed been devastated by the death of his mother. In a city that spends billions on social services, why didnt he get the help that he clearly needed? We also know that Neely had numerous arrests on his record and had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly assaulting a 67-year-old woman in the East Village, according to the New York Post. Its fair to ask why he was still on the street. A life was lost on a subway train. It should never happen. It will be up to the criminal justice system to determine if Penny will face charges in Neelys death. But figuring out how it all came to pass, and making sure it never happens again, will be a lot more complicated than that. MORE FROM TOM WROBLESKI Plenty of blame to go around for shocking stabbing at Great Kills train station | Opinion New Yorks gas stove and furnace ban nothing by a green bait-and-switch | Opinion A New York tobacco ban makes no sense with state encouraging the smoking of weed | Opinion STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Tens of thousands of bicyclists will line the streets of New York City on Sunday, May 7 for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, the nations largest charitable bike ride. Cyclists participating in the event can expect picture perfect weather, according to the forecast, which calls for sunny skies with a high of 72 degrees. Heres everything you need to know about the 2023 TD Five Boro Bike Tour. WHEN WILL IT TAKE PLACE? The event will take place on Sunday, May 7, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. WHAT IS THE ROUTE? The 40-mile tour spans the citys five boroughs, beginning in Lower Manhattan and traveling north into the Bronx, before heading to Queens, Brooklyn and ultimately, crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and concluding in St. George near the Staten Island Ferry. Click here to view a map of the route. HOW MANY RIDERS WILL PARTICIPATE? The event will feature 32,000 riders from all over the world. STREET CLOSURES To accommodate the final leg of the tour, the Department of Transportation has announced that the following Staten Island streets will be closed on Sunday, at the discretion of the NYPD. Bay Street, between New York Avenue and Hylan Boulevard Hylan Boulevard, between Bay Street and Edgewater Street Edgewater Street/Front Street, between Hylan Boulevard and Hannah Street Hannah Street, between Front Street and Bay Street Bay Street, between Hannah Street and Richmond Terrace Richmond Terrace, between Bay Street and Nicholas Street Wall Street, between Richmond Terrace and Dead End Additionally, the Staten Island-bound lower level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will be closed on Sunday from 12:01 a.m. to 7 p.m. The upper level of the bridge will remain open in both directions throughout the entirety of the event, though it will only be accessible in the Staten Island-bound direction from the Belt Parkway and 92 Street entrance ramps. Other closings at and around the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge include: The Gowanus/Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) westbound approach (I-278 West) to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One Brooklyn bound lane on the lower level from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Bay Street exit from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The 92 Street entrance ramp to the Staten Island-bound lower level from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Belt Parkway entrance ramp to the Staten Island-bound lower level from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Lily Pond Ave exit from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. STATEN ISLAND FERRY INFORMATION On the day of the event, the Staten Island Ferry will provide 20-minute service from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., 15-minute service from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and regularly-scheduled 30-minute service at all other times. All cyclists are required to board the boat on the lower level at both the Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan and the St. George Terminal, located at 1 Bay St. on Staten Island. Riders must dismount and walk their bicycles while in the waiting area and when boarding and departing the boat. Riding on and off the boat is prohibited. All bicycles must be stored in the designated storage area on the lower level of each vessel. Riders may be subject to security screenings at the terminal. The Staten Island Ferry is free of charge for all passengers and bicycles. The Department of Transportation, the agency that operates the Staten Island Ferry, is not responsible for any stolen or damage bicycles. WHERE DO THE PROCEEDS GO? All proceeds from the TD Five Boro Bike Tour go toward Bike New Yorks free bike education programs, which provide services to over 25,000 adults and children each year. ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION NEWS Delayed Staten Island bike lanes near Bayonne, Goethals bridges expected to be completed this year MTAs OMNY card vending machines coming to NYC this fall MTA: E-mirrors to be tested on NYC buses, as traditional side mirrors account for 25% of collisions Staten Island bus route S76 detoured until Memorial Day, due to delayed $77M infrastructure project What is the penalty for passing a stopped school bus in New York? MTA now allowing e-bikes on buses, subways, commuter rails NYC parking meters: How much does it cost to park across the city? STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Police responded to a report of an attempted robbery at a residential property in Port Richmond Sunday morning. Authorities received a call for an attempted robbery at gunpoint after a man brandished a firearm on the 100 block of Charles Avenue at 1:54 a.m., an NYPD spokesman said. Charles Avenue is near Port Richmond High School, between Port Richmond and Nicholas avenues. Police described the person as an African-American male, wearing a black ski mask, in black shirt and pants, according to the spokesman. The spokesman could not confirm if anything was taken. This is a developing story. Further information will be posted as it becomes available. RELATED COVERAGE: Recent Staten Island crime news >> Where do these 3 key crime trends on Staten Island stand? (analysis) >> Post about 500 pounds of mystery pasta dumped in N.J. town going viral >> Staten Island teen, killed in N.J. crash after welding class, lived life to fullest, friends say >> Police: Staten Island teen, 19, dies after fiery crash on highway in Woodbridge >> Report of vehicle stuck in flooding prompts emergency response on Staten Island STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Inside of the Zen Den of PS/I.S. 48 on Friday, Davy Jones, a therapy dog, was being pet by more than a dozen Ukrainian refugee students, who landed in the United States almost a year ago. Most of the students are still learning English and getting used to being away from home, and with the Ukrainian Club at their school that formed during this school year, the students have the opportunity to mingle with one another and unwind. There was a fire drill, and one of the students heard the fire drill and got a little bit nervous about the noise and the shock of everything. They didnt know what the fire drill was, said Ragina Volodarsky, speech language pathologist at the school, who also translates for the students in the club So the principal decided that we need to offer these students some sort of support, and give them a place within the school where they can go decompress and hang out with other Ukrainian students who are in the same situation -- a safe space for them. The Ukrainian Club meets every Friday afternoon inside of the Zen Den -- an open classroom facilitated by the schools social worker DArcy Hearn. I think a lot of them were a lot more timid and a little bit reserved in the beginning when the club started, and now I see them walking around talking to different people in their classes. Theyve come out of their shells, Volodarsky said. The school works with Luv on a Leash through the Pride Center to bring therapy dogs to New Language Learner (ENL) students, the Ukraine club (for Ukrainian refugee students), and the middle school Gender Student Alliance club. Davy Jones, Arlene Egans friendly dog, brought pure joy to the Ukrainian Club for the second time on Friday. Ragina Volodarsky, speech language pathologist, and student Kseniia Bogriashova, 13, enjoy Davy Jones' warm presence.Priya Shahi I like the Ukrainian Club a lot. When I came to here, it was difficult making friendships with some of the American students and I got made fun of, Kseniia Bogriashova, 13, said. When the club started, I was able to interact with the students who speak my language and its a comfortable setting for me and its a nice environment. Bogriashova moved to Staten Island from Ukraine last summer. She is excited about playing with Davy Jones because she is a dog lover and her one wish wish is to have her own dog. However, because her brother has asthma, she cant have one, the student said. Its been very difficult for me leaving home. I miss my home and my father, who is still in Ukraine, Bogriashova said. He comes to visit. He left two and a half months ago and every time he comes, he leaves for longer and longer periods of time. He works there, so its difficult. I really miss him. ADDRESSING STUDENTS NEEDS After seeing an influx of students from Ukraine at P.S./I.S. 48 and knowing what the circumstances were, ENL coordinator Christine Vitale realized this had to be addressed at a different level than what they would normally do when providing services for students in the ENL program. As an adolescent, just the language barrier is enough, but then coming from all these situations, we were really concerned about how we were going to address this, Vitaly said. We needed to help the kids because theyre here trying to learn in school, theyre trying to learn a language, and some of them left running with just the things that they had in their hands. Vitaly and Hearn worked together in creating a safe haven for the kids to decompress. The Ukrainian Club now runs in conjunction with the English language Learner (ELL) students program. In the beginning, they were so shy. They didnt really understand. They said we dont really have to do anything, and I said, No, you can just be in here. Its just a place to just be, Vitaly said. At first we were playing Jenga with them because we couldnt speak with them, and we were doing activities where [they] could understand us without using words. And now, they are speaking English to some degree and making friends with other kids, and I can see how close their friendships are that they formed here. American Express Company's (NYSE:AXP) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to $0.60 on 10th of August. Even though the dividend went up, the yield is still quite low at only 1.6%. See our latest analysis for American Express American Express' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions If it is predictable over a long period, even low dividend yields can be attractive. Before making this announcement, American Express was easily earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow. The next year is set to see EPS grow by 45.8%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 17% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward. American Express Has A Solid Track Record The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.80 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of $2.40. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 12% over that duration. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time. The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. We are encouraged to see that American Express has grown earnings per share at 23% per year over the past five years. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock. We Really Like American Express' Dividend Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that American Express is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock. Story continues Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for American Express that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Belmont Library Free Feeling overwhelmed by climate change? Want to take action but dont know where to start? Co Read moreHow To Take Action on Climate: What You (Yes, You!) Can Do The outlook for lithium, the mineral powering the worlds electric vehicle transition, is brightening, say industry players who have witnessed a meteoric rise and equally sharp slump in the materials value over the past year. The price of lithium has been on a wild ride since investors began piling into the sector late in 2020 as electric vehicle sales took off in China, Europe and the US, and vehicle manufacturers scrambled to secure supplies of the mineral used to power long-life batteries. A lithium hydroxide plant outside Perth. The frenzy peaked in November last year when prices for lithium carbonate a precursor compound used to make lithium-ion batteries hit an all-time high of $130,191 a tonne after the left-leaning Chilean government moved to nationalise its lithium industry, which led to fears supplies from the worlds second-largest producer might be restricted. Governments around the world are rushing to secure minerals such as lithium, copper, nickel and rare earths that are urgently needed as raw materials to build renewable energy networks and make electric cars to combat climate change. Synth metal may not be the first genre that comes to mind when contemplating the poptastic Eurovision competition. But for Perth rockers Voyager Australias entry for the music festival this year it couldnt be a more harmonious coupling. Voyager will represent Australia at Eurovision. Metal and rock music is all about theatre and drama really, lead singer Danny Estrin said. And whats Eurovision? Exactly the same. I think were a perfect fit. Welcome to Quick Q Monday Medias weekly Q&A series dedicated to finding out more about the personalities that matter most in the Australian media landscape. Every week The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age ask key figures across corporate media, business, sport, federal politics, radio, television and culture to answer questions about their lives, careers, hobbies and news habits. This weeks conversation is with Jase Hawkins one half of KIIS 101.1s breakfast show, Jase & Lauren. Jase Hawkins is one half of KIIS 101.1s breakfast show, Jase & Lauren. Credit: How did you get your big break? Koalas: iconic. Beloved. Abundant? Its complicated. Victoria has released its new koala strategy, 19 years after the first one was created, into a world where the environment is under pressure from global warming, unprecedented bushfires and native habitat destruction. With approximately 65 per cent of Australias total koala population in southern Australia, maintaining healthy Victorian populations is important for the survival of the species. So, are Victorias koalas faring any better than those in NSW, the ACT and Queensland, where they were listed as endangered last year? Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Come for Italian share plates and stay for cocktails and tunes in the basement bar, when Studio Amaro opens in Chapel Street later this year. The creators of buzzy mod-Asian venues Tokyo Tina, Hanoi Hannah and more plan to open a sixth restaurant this spring and this time theyll spotlight Italian cuisine. Located in Windsor, Commune Groups favourite neighbourhood, Studio Amaro will be an Italian all-rounder split over two levels, with a fun-loving attitude courtesy of a below-ground cocktail bar, regular DJs, and a greatest-hits approach to Italian dining. Melbourne and Italian food have gone hand in hand for a long time, says co-owner Simon Blacher. There are loads of Asian restaurants in Windsor, but its under-serviced by casual Italian places. Studio Amaro head chef Daniel Migliaccio, Commune creative director Simon Blacher and venue manager Nick Tootle. Julia Sansone Putting aside the conventional antipasti-primi-secondi format, Amaro will be about whole-table ordering. Therell be an extensive antipasti line-up, four or five pasta dishes, large wood-grilled mains such as whole chicken or fish plus a focaccia recipe the team is working triple-time on, Blacher says. Signalwoman G. F. Lawton and Cpl. E. J. Laird were reported yesterday to have been seriously injured. Although admitted to hospital, they were not classified as being in either dangerously or seriously ill classes. The wreckage of the bus. Credit: The Age Archives The injured are receiving every attention that medical science can bring to their aid in an Australian general hospital not far from where the accident occurred. The body of William Lord, bus driver, of Williamstown, is being taken to Williamstown for burial. Military Funerals ALBURY, Monday The funeral will be held here tomorrow morning of the 24 service personnel who were killed on Saturday evening. The cortege, with four military trucks, bearing the caskets, will proceed from a military camp through Wodonga and Albury to Albury cemetery. Relatives in four States were bereaved by the tragedy. Albury Chamber of Commerce has asked all business houses in the town to close between 10.15 and 11.15 a.m. Wodonga business houses , will also close between 10 and 11. The mayor, Alderman Padman, has specially requested that flags be flown at half-mast. Major-General Plant has arrived in Albury to attend the funeral. Governors Visit Sir Winston Dugan has advised Wodonga shire council that in consequence of the tragedy he has postponed his visit to Wodonga from today until Friday. Preliminary flight paths for the new multibillion-dollar Western Sydney Airport will be released next month, prompting a push for the federal government to roll out sound-proofing insulation for homes set to be disrupted by aircraft noise. More than six years after a single merge point for planes over any urban area was ruled out, residents and businesses near the new 24-hour international airport will get an insight into forecast aircraft noise impacts in June when an online tool showing the preliminary flight paths is released. Rolling paddocks have been levelled to build the airports runway. Credit: Brook Mitchell It will allow residents to plug in the location of homes to check the forecast intensity and frequency of plane noise when the airport opens in late 2026. Blue Mountains Labor mayor Mark Greenhill said his council, which campaigned for years against construction of the airport, would now turn its attention to the disruption from aircraft noise. Fairytale honeymoon Princess Margaret and husband, Mr Antony Armstrong-Jones are heading for the West Indies on a fairytale honeymoon. They sailed from London on the Britannia at twilight yesterday after a wedding day of spectacle and pageantry. Crowds on the banks of the Thames last saw the couple arm in arm, alone and smiling happily on the ships bridge. Earlier as they left Buckingham Palace, the Queen and others showered them with rose petals. Punting is murder Film producer Alfred Hitchcock spent a day of suspense at Warwick Farm races yesterday. He wandered around the Members Stand consulting a race book and taking advice from the people around him. A keen racing fan, Mr Hitchcock bet 5 each way on every horse which took his fancy. He backed the winner in the sixth race and also had a placing in the first race at 7-2, but all other horses were unplaced. Theres suspense for you, he said. Cliff fall The developer chosen to overhaul the site of Brisbanes former childrens court has revealed plans for a 32-storey unit tower set to emerge as the state governments third pilot build-to-rent project. Featuring 475 apartments up to 250 with government-subsidised rent the tower is the latest planned redevelopment on the citys western fringe between Roma Street Station and Suncorp Stadium. An artists impression of the 32-storey tower, for which plans were lodged late last week. Credit: Development.i / Brisbane City Council Treasurer Cameron Dick announced in February that Cedar Pacific had been chosen to carry out the project on the state-owned land, given to the developer as part of the deal. At the time, Dick said construction was expected to begin this year, with residents to move in during 2027. Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:AMRX) Q1 2023 Earnings Call Transcript May 5, 2023 Operator: Hello, everyone and welcome to the Amneal Pharmaceuticals First Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call. My name is Emily, and I'll be your moderator for today's call. I will now turn the call over to Amneal's Head of Investor Relations, Tony DiMeo. Please go ahead. Tony DiMeo: Good morning, and thank you for joining Amneal's first quarter 2023 earnings call. Today, we issued a press release reporting our full Q1 results. We announced certain unaudited preliminary results for the first quarter on April 17, 2023. The press release and presentation are available at amneal.com. Certain statements made on this call regarding matters that are not historical facts, including but not limited to management's outlook or predictions are forward-looking statements that are based solely on information that is now available to us. Please see the section entitled Cautionary Statements on Forward-Looking Statements in the earnings presentation and our SEC filings for a discussion of factors that may impact our future performance. We also discuss non-GAAP measures. Information on our use of these measures and reconciliations to US GAAP are in the earnings presentation. On the call today are Chirag and Chintu Patel, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs; Tasos Konidaris, CFO; our commercial leaders Andy Boyer for Generics; Joe Renda for Specialty; Harsher Singh for Biosciences; and Jason Daly, Chief Legal Officer. I will now turn the call over to Chirag. Chirag Patel: Thank you, Tony. Good morning, everyone. We delivered a very strong first quarter results with $558 million of revenue growing 12% and adjusted EBITDA of $116 million growing 16%. We saw robust top-line growth in Q1 across all three business segments: Generics, Specialty and AvKARE reduced our net leverage to 4.9 times and affirmed our full year 2023 guidance. Taking a step back for those who are newer to the Amneal story, we are a global pharmaceutical company with an expanding portfolio of approximately 270 products. Our strategy focuses on launching new products in high-growth and high-impact areas of medicines such as complex generics, injectables, biosimilars and specialty. Since 2019, we have significantly diversified our business fueled by the productivity of our R&D pipeline and strategic investments to build our global platform. Story continues As a result of Amneal's diversification, we have seen continuous strong financial performance since 2019 as we have delivered substantial revenue and EBITDA growth. In 2022, approximately, $500 million of our top-line performance came from products launched since 2019. We see our momentum accelerating in 2023 and beyond underscored by our strong Q1 results and 2023 outlook. In short, we are very well-positioned for sustainable long-term growth accelerating profitability and continued deleveraging. I'll now briefly walk through, how are we executing on our key strategic priorities across our businesses. First in the Generics segment, our diverse portfolio of approximately 230 retail generic products is continually expanding moving up the value chain of complexity and generating durable top-line growth since 2019. Our strategy to diversify with more complex products has been deliberate over the years. To give you context, we expect about 55% of 2023 Generics revenue will be from complex products up from 35% in 2019. We feel great about the breadth and depth of our R&D pipeline, which we expect will continue to deliver 20 to 30 new product launches every year and continue to differentiate our business as we move forward -- move towards complex products. We have been on a remarkable journey these last four years and the team has been hard at work focusing on the highest-value products in complex generics with many nearing the finish line. Altogether, we expect continued strong execution and growth of our business. In Injectables, similar to where we are today in US. generics our goal is to be a top five U.S. Injectable business and also a global player. Today, we have about 30 institutional products, with over 30 new launches expected by 2025. We are executing very well on our Injectables growth strategy by expanding our portfolio, building key capabilities and adding capacity. Our commercial strategy centers on our ability to be a differentiated supplier of a growing portfolio of Injectables for hospitals, with a resilient supply chain in a market impacted by shortages. To that end, today we are pleased to share a major milestone with the successful U.S. FDA inspection this week of our fourth and largest injectable site. As we ramp up commercial production later this year, in line with our plan, we expect the next revenue inflection point in 2024. We remain on track for over $300 million injectables revenue, by 2025. Next, in Biosimilars, we're very pleased with the initial market penetration of our first two biosimilars: ALYMSYS and RELEUKO. Since their launch in Q4, our commercial team is executing very well by adding new customers' outlets, for both products and driving substantial pull-through as usage rates of our biosimilars have doubled month-over-month since launch. In particular, we are seeing strong market adoption of our ALYMSYS product which is our bevacizumab biosimilar, referencing Avastin. This month, we plan to launch our third-biosimilar, FYLNETRA. And we'll have three U.S. oncology biosimilars, in the market. Based on our strong commercial execution and trajectory, we are well on our way of achieving this year target of $40 million to $60 million, more next year and over $200 million in peak sales. Beyond these three initial biosimilars, we are working to expand our portfolio with additional molecules, where we can be early to the market and vertically integrated from development to commercialization overtime. Our goal is to be a top five biosimilar player in the United States overtime. Internationally, we are leveraging our diverse portfolio of U.S. FDA-approved products to expand into new geographies. In India, we are expanding Amneal's brand presence and leveraging our local teams and infrastructure as we focus on the hospital market. Around the rest of the world, we are working with distribution partners. We expect meaningful incremental revenue and profits overtime. Next, in the Specialty segment, we continue to grow our branded products in RYTARY in Parkinson's and Unithroid in hypothyroidism, delivering strong growth again in Q1. In parallel, we are advancing our pipeline of new CNS and endocrinology products. On IPX203, we are one step closer to delivering a new impactful therapy for Parkinson's patients, as we head towards the June 30th PDUFA-date. As we expand our portfolio, we expect over $500 million in Specialty revenue, by 2027. In the third segment, AvKARE, we see continued momentum across the multiple channels: distribution, federal government and unit dose. We expect this business will continue to deliver durable double-digit growth going forward, driven by the ongoing expansion of the distribution channels. Overall, we are proud of the strong momentum across Amneal. Each quarter, our portfolio is incrementally larger and more diverse as we launch new increasingly complex products. Pharmacy, Medicine, Health Photo by Stephen Foster on Unsplash We are leveraging our key capabilities and global footprint to operate at scale, across our business. As we execute, we look to build upon our sustainable growth profile and drive higher adjusted EBITDA levels. I want to touch briefly on our capital allocation strategy which Tasos will discuss further. To be clear, reducing debt and strengthening our balance sheet has been always our key priority. As a result, our net leverage has reduced from 7.4 times in 2019 to 4.9 times this quarter. And our goal is to be below four times net leverage by the end of 2025. I'll now hand it over to Chintu. Chintu Patel: Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Chirag. Let me begin by thanking the Amneal family, who work hard every day to make healthy possible for so many. We are very excited about our strong start to the year and the great progress we are seeing across our organization. I will touch on how our strong foundation in operational excellence and highly productive R&D engine continues to propel our company strategy forward. Starting in operations. We are focused on operational excellence and efficiency, super quality and expanding our global capabilities, particularly in injectables. Let me provide more color on each. First, we remain focused on operational excellence and driving efficiencies. The team has done an excellent job as we move manufacturing for over 30 products to low-cost locations. And we are on track to achieve our in-year operational efficiency goals. We are taking various other measures to lower cost and expand our margins. In addition, our prudent capital spend, focuses on driving operational efficiency, automation and supporting long-term growth. Second, from a quality perspective, Amneal has maintained a super track record and commitment to the highest standards of quality over the years. Since 2005 the US FDA has conducted over 90 successful inspection with no OAIs or warning letters. We are very excited to share the successful US FDA inspection this week of our largest injectable site. We look to commercialize products from this site starting in third quarter. This is an important cornerstone of our injectables growth strategy by increasing our capacity and capabilities across all areas. We now have 19 production lines across various dosage forms, including vials, prefilled syringes, cartridges, LVP bags and immersion. Over the last two years, we have invested over $150 million in capital and tremendous energy to bring two new injectable sites online. As a result, we are now at scale in injectables with four manufacturing locations, doubling the capacity we had a few years ago and a deep R&D pipeline that provides a clear runway for long-term injectables growth. With our expanded infrastructure, we are well positioned to be a top five US injectable business and a global player. Let me move to generics R&D, where we are continually adding new products to our pipeline. In the first four months of 2023, we have launched 10 new generics and we are on track to deliver over 30 new products this year. Overall, we have 99 ANDA spending with the US FDA with 63% representing non-oral solid products. This includes 32 injectables, 10 ophthalmics, 10 topical, six oral liquids and four inhalation products. Behind that, we have 81 pipeline products with 89% representing non-oral solid products in complex categories, which tend to drive higher profitability and have longer product life cycle. Over one-third of our pending ANDAs and two-thirds of our pipeline are expected to be first-to-market, first-to-file or 505(b)(2). In injectables, we see our cadence of innovation continuing as we remain on track to file 10 to 15 more ANDAs in 2023, including many complex injectables. We look to file our first 505(b)(2) ready-to-use bags this year as well. In inhalation, we recently completed clinical trials for generic ProAir and look to submit our ANDA shortly. In addition, we shared last quarter our new partnership to in-license the Soft Mist technology platform for the development of Respimat inhalation programs. Also, we are pleased with the progress of our MDI programs and expect to submit additional ANDAs in the coming years. Next, let me highlight a few notable upcoming new product launches. First, as discussed last quarter, we are very excited about our ANDA for naloxone nasal spray, our generic version of Narcan which is currently under priority review with the US FDA. We believe this product now over-the-counter, will improve access to a critical life-saving opioid overdose treatment for millions of people across America. In addition, we are on track for the July launch of an authorized generic version of Xyrem, which is a key therapy for narcolepsy. A list of our notable launches, is included on the key growth catalyst slide in the presentation. We have added a number of new programs to the list this quarter. Turning to specialty R&D. We are expanding our portfolio through our pipeline. We have our PDUFA date for IPX203 coming up on June 30. We see IPX203, as an important innovation that advances the standard of care, with a broad market appeal for Parkinson's patients. Accordingly, we continue to see IPX203 as a $300 million to $500 million peak sales opportunity. In addition, we are making good progress on international licensing opportunities for IPX203, which is pending approval so that this new therapy can reach the global patient population. Next in biosimilars, we are very excited about the value Amneal can bring to this space. Our first oncology biosimilars are seeing strong uptake in the market, and we see tremendous opportunity to expand our portfolio through partnership for future molecules. We see biosimilars as a key long-term growth driver. Looking globally, we see 2023 as a foundational year for our international expansion strategy. Our R&D team, is well positioned to leverage our rich portfolio and file key products in markets around the world including Europe, China and other emerging markets. We have begun registering selected products this year, as we pursue over 50 product opportunities in different emerging market countries. We have a dedicated team at Amneal, focused on driving international expansion. In summary, we continue to drive operational excellence and execute well across our innovation strategy, which is fueling our ability to drive sustainable growth. I will now hand it over to Tasos. Tasos Konidaris: Thank you, Chintu. I'll first discuss first quarter results, then capital allocation, followed by a brief review of our full year 2023 guidance affirmation. We're very pleased with our first quarter results, with total net revenue of $558 million growing 12%; adjusted EBITDA of $116 million growing 16%; and adjusted diluted EPS of $0.12 in line with prior year. First quarter Generics net revenue was $344 million, an increase of $26 million or 8% versus the prior year. Strong performance was driven by new product launch in 2022 and 2023, which added $31 million of revenue and stable performance in the rest of our broad portfolio. In addition to the strong performance, we're very pleased by the continued evolution in the refreshing of our Generics portfolio. As an example, products launched and added since 2019, now account for 42% of our Generic revenue, which bodes well for continued growth and profitability. Q1 Specialty net revenue of $92 million, increased $7 million or 8% versus the prior year driven by Unithroid, up 39%; and Rytary, up 14% which reflects strong commercial execution as well as substantial patient needs. Our AvKARE business continues to perform exceedingly well, with Q1 net revenue of $122 million, up $27 million or 29% compared to the prior year due to continued expansion of our distribution channel. We're very proud of the work our AvKARE team is doing in increasing market share, and providing our customers with new products and innovative solutions. Q1 2023 adjusted gross margin of 39.4% compares to 43.5% in the prior year was in line with our expectations reflecting discontinuation of a handful of legacy products timing of fixed overhead absorption and our mix of business. Our first quarter adjusted gross margin represents the low point of the year as future quarters will benefit from new product launches operating efficiencies and manufacturing plant utilization increases. First quarter adjusted EBITDA of $116 million increased $16 million or 16% versus the prior year. The strong performance reflects our revenue growth higher investment in sales and marketing to support our biosimilar and specialty brands offset by tight expense management across the remaining operations. First quarter adjusted diluted EPS of $0.12 was in line with prior year, as higher interest expense offset our adjusted EBITDA growth. From a cash flow perspective, we generated operating cash flow of $140 million which includes our interest expense and $85 million payment related to the Opana ER settlement that we announced last year. The strong performance was driven by robust cash collections related to our high accounts receivable balance at year-end 2022 as well as the continued strength of our top line growth. Let me now turn to our capital allocation. Over the last few years, we have successfully increased profitability acquired key capabilities and well-run businesses reduced legacy legal exposures and lowered leverage. As a result, we have grown annual adjusted EBITDA to over $500 million compared to $339 million in 2019. We invested about $500 million in M&A such as AvKARE; new state-of-the-art injectable facilities; rebuilt our specialty R&D pipeline; and settled substantial legacy legal matters. In addition we reduced net leverage from 7.4x in 2019 to 4.9x in the most recent quarter. With many of these investments now behind us, our intent is to prioritize debt reduction. We believe our strong cash generation bottom line growth as many of these investments come to market and active debt paydown will further reduce net leverage to below 4x by the end of 2025. For full year 2023, we're reaffirming our guidance expectations. As a reminder, we expect total net revenue of $2.250 billion to $2.350 billion in 2023 which reflects continued mid single-digit growth driven by growth across all our three business segments. Also we continue to expect 2023 adjusted EBITDA between $500 million and $530 million which includes incremental investments particularly in sales and marketing to support new launches and scale up in higher-growth areas of the business. We expect adjusted EPS between $0.40 and $0.50 which reflects higher interest expense including the potential refinancing of our term loan B. On the cash side, we continue to expect 2023 operating cash flow between $200 million to $230 million which includes interest expense and exclude the already announced legal settlement costs of about $90 million mostly related to Opana ER and capital spend between $50 million and $60 million. With that let me hand it back to Chirag. Chirag Patel : Thank you, Tasos. In summary, we are pleased with our excellent start of the year. We expect our strong momentum will accelerate over 2023. Amneal remains well positioned for sustainable long-term growth with a diversified and expanding portfolio and key near-term catalysts happening all now including biosimilars, complex GX, injectables and IPX203. As we continue to execute our strategy well, further diversify our business and deliver profitable growth, we expect to drive higher levels of adjusted EBITDA and remarkably delever the company. Let me now open the call to questions. See also 10 Best Brewery and Distillery Stocks To Buy Now and 12 Best Performing Dividend ETFs in 2023 . To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. When Bain was facing a doubling in costs to keep his hostel bed ahead of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, he shared a Facebook post in desperation in a renting group: This is criminal. This crisis is awful, Im going to fall apart if something doesnt come along soon. The post was widely shared and he landed a spot in a Glen Waverley five-person share house for $450 a month. It was a stroke of luck, he said, having met others who were in the same position at the backpackers. Matthew Bain says finding his share-house was a stroke of luck. Credit: Penny Stephens I could have easily been stuck looking for God knows how long, he said. It baffled me. I ended up feeling a little bit forgotten as someone who moved abroad to work here. I would never slate hostels for what they are. Its just a shame that the reality of the situation is that people need to end up staying there long term. Sofie Basile, who owns hairdresser Unico Hair in Fitzroy, has had two employees this year with no choice but to live in youth hostels. You are new here, you are far from your country, and you cannot find a place to live. Its terrible. Arda Ildiz, 25, IT student from Turkey She said the situation meant some overseas arrivals who tend to fill important staffing gaps in hospitality and other sectors of the service industry were leaving Melbourne sooner than they planned. One young Italian hairdresser cut short her time in Melbourne after spending two months paying $365 per week to sleep in an eight-person dorm room in Brunswick. Its going to affect a lot of businesses because you wont be able to keep people long term even if they want to stay, Basile said. Arda Ildiz, a 25-year-old IT student from Turkey, said living in youth hostels had been the worst experience of my life. He has since secured an Alphington share-house for a fraction of the cost. Loading I know too many people who went back to Turkey and other countries because of this problem. It affects you [mentally] you are new here, you are far from your country, and you cannot find a place to live. Its terrible, Ildiz said. Melbourne City Backpackers manager Jess Porter said while there was always a cohort who chose to stay in hostels long-term, there had absolutely been a rise in people staying three to six months because of the rental shortage. Porter said the hostel was charging two-thirds more than what it was a year ago. Even with that increase, were seeing people look at their options here, he said. If youve got a backpacker going to an open house with no localised rental references or permanent visa, theyre usually not going to get the property ... which sucks. Its hard for everyone at the moment. Evan Mahony, who owns three Melbourne backpackers, said his dorms were full despite the higher fees, partly driven by people staying long term because share houses were increasingly rare and expensive. Even many of my staff cant get anywhere to live, he said. Compounding the issue is that there are about 2500 fewer backpacker beds in Melbourne since the pandemic, according to Alex Hill, president of Adventure Tourism Victoria, the peak body for youth hostels. Today, the city has about 3000 in total. We have a lot of people coming into the country and we dont have a lot of rentals at all, so its very tight, Hill said. He said the rental pains were changing the behaviour of international visitors. They might have spent six months in Melbourne but when theyve stayed in a hostel for two months, theyll try a different part of Australia. Some people are leaving the country. Tenants Victoria community engagement director Farah Farouque said young people being forced to lean on youth hostels was a symptom of the intense pressure of Melbournes tight rental vacancy rates. She added that there were fewer share houses since COVID-19. Loading Its another reflection of parlous state of the rental market. Another concern, Farouque said, was that people resorting to extended stays in youth hostels didnt have the protection of the states rental laws. She said more needed to be done to help renters, including introducing rent caps and regulating Airbnbs to make way for more housing. When I was a child we lived in Camberwell, a stones throw from Canterbury Road in a street whose name seemed as pretentious as the neighbours in nearby Mont Albert Road. I never met them but sensed their grandeur from the size of their houses. Huge double-storey mansions with wide sweeping gardens, flat manicured lawns and hedges bordered with hydrangeas, windflowers along with iceberg roses. I was seven when my mother stuck her head around the lounge room door and asked one of us four kids sitting in front of the television to run down the street for milk. No one wanted to budge midway through a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. Must I ask again? my mother said. I hated to see her unhappy, so I stretched my legs and arms for the sprint down the side of the house, around the corner and across Canterbury Road. It was six oclock in winter and car lights cast bright flashes across my eyes. I hesitated at the zebra crossing near on the corner of our street. It looked as though the cars had stopped for me, but a few steps into the centre, my world went black. When I woke up, I was lying in sawdust on the floor of the butchers shop next door to Mr Brockhoffs grocery. The whine of an ambulance in the distance, and my mother leaning over me. I saw a wash of relief in her eyes, but my body felt as if it was not part of me. When I tell people Im a teacher at the local public high school in St Albans, their faces crumple in sympathy. You teach all those criminals, they say. Then they usually share some story about the school that theyve heard on the grapevine. My personal favourite was the ludicrous tale of two teachers who had a biffo at the local reserve after school. You see, St Albans was once called the murder capital of Victoria due to a high rate of homicides for its small population. Its things like this that stick. St Albans was once called the homicide capital of Victoria. Were a suburb of newly arrived migrants, with only 39.4 per cent of those living here born in Australia, and the fact that most residents are brunettes and their skin different shades of brown, its easy to lob stereotypes and prejudice. When I tell people that my favourite part of being a teacher at my local school is my students, they look perplexed. And when I add that this high school is my former high school because I was born and raised in St Albans, well, then they become bewildered. Question: Youre walking down an almost deserted street, on one side you can see rabbits frolicking in a huge empty block, on the other the citys oldest continually operating industrial estate. Ahead of you is Melbournes jagged skyline, framed beneath the curves of the countrys fifth-longest bridge. Everyone in the city knows that bridge, it even featured in a classic Australian movie, despite the fact the movie was set in the 1960s and the bridge didnt open till 1978. Where in Melbourne are you? If you answered Spotswood, sandwiched between the much better-known Newport and Yarraville, youd be right. Youd also be in the minority, because I have lived in Spotswood most of my life and while the suburb has changed enormously in that time, one thing never does nobody seems to know where the hell it is. Spotswood is just seven kilometres from the city, but no one knows where it is. Credit: Tania Cammarano This seems incredible because this small inner-western suburb just seven kilometres from the city punches way above its weight. Spotty is home to a major museum, two major foodie hangouts and a major tragedy. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it the reinvention of the workplace as we knew it, giving life to hybrid working models that have outlived the government restrictions that necessitated them. And when asked about the next big shift for workplaces battling for talent in Western Australias tight labour pool, Edith Cowan Universitys Centre for Work + Wellbeing director Tim Bentley believes there to be one drawcard more will be drawing on. Its the four-day working week, and theres not much point fighting it, he said. Theres growing evidence the four-day workweek may be the next major workplace shift. Credit: iStockphoto Much like flexible working arrangements, which is now the most searched term on employment website SEEK, Bentley said the four-day work week would soon become a critical part of the value proposition for employees after better work-life balance. Premier Daniel Andrews was asked about issues at the Victorian Building Authority last week and directed questions to Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. She said Victorians expected their homes to be built to approved building standards and built to last and that the regulator is functioning appropriately and effectively. I have been considering the Victorian Building Authoritys performance of its important regulatory functions and have sought advice from my department regarding the governance and management of the Victorian Building Authority. I will have more to say once I have received and considered that advice. Loading The Victorian Building Authority said in a statement that virtual audits complement the work plumbing auditors did on the ground and that site visits were still necessary. The statement said virtual audits were launched at the height of the pandemic to balance community safety with building checks. Where suitable, the Victorian Building Authority continues to undertake virtual plumbing audits, and maintains a presence on the ground at construction sites across Victoria, the statement said. The building authority has been under the spotlight for its failures in the past 12 months: WorkSafe last year took the extraordinary step of issuing an order to provide a safe workplace for its 43 building and plumbing inspectors. That followed one of the authoritys most experienced and respected building inspectors Rob Karkut under intense pressure from Victorian Building Authority managers to meet inspection targets taking his own life last May. A WorkSafe report after his death found the Victorian Building Authority was an unsafe workplace due to managers pressing building and plumbing inspectors to tick off construction sites to meet ambitious targets set by the Andrews government. From 2020, the authority began putting pressure on inspectors to meet an Andrews government order that 10 per cent of all building permits issued each year be inspected. Conversations taped between Karkut and human resource officers at the authority three months before he took his own life reveal him telling them he had been pushed to the brink while trying to do his job as best he could. Im at breaking point, Karkut said in a conversation that he informed his managers he was taping. The authority received multiple warnings of the stress Karkut felt he was under by the process of being performance-managed to meet inspection targets, despite 16 years as one of its building inspectors. Youre spending a lot of time going through my reports and checking them for minor detail. I think its over the top and really unrealistic and unfair, he said in one conversation. Andrea Holden, partner of the late Rob Karkut. Credit: Scott McNaughton WorkSafe found the watchdog was placing building inspectors at risk by demanding they finish at least three inspections a day, or, in the case of plumbing inspectors, five a day. It found that what was being asked of inspectors was not reasonable or achievable because the daily target included all administrative work, which is extensive if inspectors find significant faults, and because of the time needed to travel between jobs. Karkuts widow Andrea Holden said building inspectors would suffer consequences if they didnt meet their targets. He was so particular. He couldnt shortcut jobs. They [inspectors] were all being pressured not to do their jobs, she said. When Karkut died, the authority was pushing him to visit more sites despite him saying he could not properly monitor building standards and hit these target numbers. In recorded audio, Karkut told managers at the authority: Im trying to cover my backside because I think youre becoming unrealistic with your expectations. The Community and Public Sector Union represented Karkut at meetings with the authority. Team leader Andrew Capp said Karkuts death was entirely unnecessary, that the culture of the Victorian Building Authority was toxic, and that responsibility for that was not down to one person, but the lack of leadership at the organisation. Over a period of years there has been a distinctly anti-union attitude in different areas of the Victorian Building Authority which, quite frankly, Ive found surprising under a Labor government. Asked last week about the situation at the authority, Andrews agreed there were issues. Loading The premier referred to Karkuts death when he was asked about the authority last week. There was a tragedy at the Victorian Building Authority not long ago and that exposed some very significant cultural issues there. There is a program of work thats underway to try and address those, Andrews said. Victorian Building Authority chief executive Sue Eddy was first appointed in 2017 and reappointed for another five years in 2022 by the authoritys board. On Friday, staff at the authority were told she was taking personal leave because of a personal family matter. Asked what support Karkut was offered after telling a human resources officer and another manager he was at breaking point, the authority said all its staff had access to counselling through its employee assistance program. We continue to support our people and embed values and behaviours that ensure the Victorian Building Authority is a safe workplace, it said Five of the authoritys current building and plumbing inspectors, all of whom risk losing their jobs if their names are revealed, said the daily inspection targets were extremely problematic. One said it forced them to the brink of a dangerous dereliction of duty. One building inspector said the corners they were encouraged to cut were confronting: they were instructed not to inspect concrete slabs, or to conduct virtual inspections. The more defects you found, the longer an inspection would take because of the administration process needed, the inspector said. The questions over the states building inspection regime come amid wider concerns about consumer protection and the watchdogs regulation of builders who break the rules. One example is the owner of the now liquidated Shangri-La Constructions, Obaid Naqebullah who until March 31 this year retained a Victorian building licence. A number of his buildings around Melbourne have had to be repaired. In response to issues at an apartment building in Clayton, the VBA proposed Naqebullah pay a $54,000 fine and his building licence be suspended for six months. That was dropped to $20,000 and a three-month suspension after the builder applied for an internal review. The state planning tribunal reduced the suspension to a reprimand but upped the fine to $25,000. Naqebullah declined to be interviewed when approached by The Age. He no longer holds a building licence after surrendering it voluntarily in March. Tamara Railton-Stewart bought an apartment in a Shangri-La building in Caulfield South which was completed in 2015. She said Shangri-Las workmanship was so poor millions of dollars were spent fixing construction problems. Naqebullah declined to comment. Railton-Stewart spent three years communicating with the Victorian Building Authority about Shangri-La and her apartment blocks many problems which ranged from flammable cladding and mould to flooding and structural flaws. That cladding has now been fixed thanks to spending by the owners with assistance from Cladding Safety Victoria, while millions of dollars in other repairs have been done to the rest of the building. Six weeks since her husband was elected NSW premier, Anna Minns says her family is slowly adjusting to their new lives. We are still finding our feet. Its a whole new world and we are adjusting to it all, she said. The campaign went for so long, that its going to take a while to get used to the new normal. Anna Minns, pictured at her Kogarah home, will be speaking about motherhood supporting a local St George charity this week. Credit: Louise Kennerley Minns said the enthusiasm, hopefulness and excitement of her local community in St George was helping to buoy the family through the change. It is that community she intends to champion on Tuesday evening at a gala dinner launching a white paper demonstrating the effectiveness of a local charitable organisations in-the-home support program for vulnerable new mothers. The NSW Nationals MP at the centre of a fierce internal brawl over a plum parliamentary job has broken his silence to accuse Paul Toole of being dishonest about his opposition to the lucrative promotion, saying he first discussed the job with the party leader weeks before it became public and was told it was a great idea. With parliament set to resume on Tuesday, the former arts minister Ben Franklin has dropped a bombshell on the junior Coalition partner, revealing he first told Toole that he was considering nominating for president of the upper house with the support of the new Labor government weeks before it became public. Nationals MP Ben Franklin has broken his silence to relay his earlier conversation with Paul Toole. Credit: Louise Kennerley And, Franklin says, the Nationals leader did not try to stop him nominating for the job, instead telling him this is really good for us. Im frustrated because Paul hasnt been honest about what took place here, Franklin said. The fees at the centre of the fraud allegations are for separate meetings with stakeholders that do not have the same legal basis. Dan Turnbull says the claims are unfounded and stem from family conflicts. Credit: At the most recent annual meeting, there were attempts from some Bunurong Land Council members to try to stop the briefing from PKF, including from relatives of Ogden. The issues that PKF detailed have been referred to Victoria Police. A police spokeswoman confirmed a report relating to an alleged fraud had been received and that detectives from the financial crime squad were looking into it. The report is being assessed to determine if any offences have occurred. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further. Both men deny any wrongdoing. All the evidence is Ive done nothing outside of my contract, Ogden said. Its purely political by the new board its personal conflicts relating to family issues. Turnbull also said he had done nothing wrong. Every payment we received was documented and was added to our contract when we received them, so its all completely legitimate. Thats the truth, Turnbull said. Theres nothing to it. The reality is the board changes so commonly the directors that are there asking these questions at the moment were not the directors at the time. It is the second financial scandal to hit the Bunurong Land Council in a decade. In 2015, the Federal Court banned and fined several former executives, including Sonia Murray, from running an Aboriginal corporation for up to seven years. Turnbull played a prominent role in cleaning up that earlier mismanagement but has been implicated in the latest scandal. I spent basically 10 years building this organisation back up and upholding the governance, thats what Ive done and handed it over to mob, and theyre now using the resources to hunt and attack me, Turnbull said. Turnbull was the CEO of the land council from 2014 to 2022 and oversaw the organisation receiving registered Aboriginal party status from the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council in 2017. Turnbull criticised the PKF report and said board meeting minutes were problematic and often included mistakes. Both Turnbull and Ogden said they were not interviewed by PKF about the meeting fees. Financial records leaked from the land council show Turnbull received $71,700 that the PKF report alleges he was not entitled to while Ogden received $82,000 from early 2017 to the following year. At the time, Turnbull and Ogden were both on salaries of about $137,000 a year, and it is alleged that part of their job was to attend meetings with authorities, developers and landholders to discuss cultural heritage issues. Ogden and Turnbull would routinely invoice the land council for an additional $550 for each meeting. They would sometimes attend four to five meetings a day and some weeks received $5000, on top of their salaries, in fees, pay records show. Turnbull billed for 142 meetings in the one-year period or 1404 hours, while Ogden billed them for 148 meetings or a total of 1652 hours. Ogden and Turnbull both disputed they were not entitled to the fees. Loading The documents also show that a forensic IT expert examined employment agreements for Ogden and Turnbull. The agreements stated they were created in February 2017 but the IT expert found they appeared to be created in September 2017. Both Turnbull and Ogden said the agreements were legitimate and signed in February 2017. Numerous Bunurong traditional owners and members of the land council said their repeated complaints about the handling of cultural heritage matters had not been adequately dealt with by several authorities, including the federal governments Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. A spokesperson for the registrar did not comment directly on the issue of meeting fees at Bunurong Land Council. The registrars position remains unchanged we do not comment on investigations or complaints. Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burneys office was provided with documents related to the alleged fraud earlier this year. A spokesperson said the allegations were referred to the registrar. Registrar of Indigenous Corporations Tricia Stroud. Her organisation declined to comment on whether it was investigating. Credit: Bunurong Land Councils incoming chief executive, Jason King, said he was aware of the allegations against the former staff which occurred before his appointment. It is inappropriate for me to provide direct commentary on any ongoing police matter, he said. These inquiries should not overshadow the great work our staff and our members at the land council have done over the years. London: It was quite possibly the Duke of Sussexs last royal hurrah, a few brief strides down the Westminster Abbey aisle before the dash to Heathrow and a flight back to his home in effective exile in California. Prince Harry was in such a rush to get home, he was still wearing his medals and morning suit when he reached the airport for the 3.45pm British Airways flight to Los Angeles. As he was flying out of London, the King and Queen were still to have their official photographs taken to mark the coronation. Prince Harry will not appear in any of them. Prince Harry speaks to Anne, the Princess Royal in Westminster Abbey, ahead of the coronation. Credit: AP In all, Harry spent just 28 hours in the UK for the briefest of appearances on the royal stage. Its not obvious that he will do that again any time soon. His fathers funeral whenever that is and King Charles is a fit and healthy 74 might just be the next time he rubs shoulders in public with his immediate family. No other royal event of such a magnitude that could tempt him (or force him) to attend is on the horizon. Apple is a better business than Geico, See's Candies, and the rest of Berkshire Hathaway's companies, Warren Buffett says Apple CEO Tim Cook. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images Apple outshines all of Berkshire Hathaway's businesses, Warren Buffett says. The Berkshire CEO emphasized the immense value Apple's customers place on their devices. Buffett touted the fact that Berkshire's Apple stake grows as the tech titan buys back stock. Apple outclasses every single one of Berkshire Hathaway's subsidiaries, Warren Buffett says. "It just happens to be a better business than any we own," the billionaire investor and Berkshire CEO said during his company's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. Speaking at the meeting, Buffett underlined the intense loyalty that Apple fans feel towards the company's devices, at one point suggesting that its customers would prefer to give up a second car worth $35,000 than part with their $1,500 iPhones. The investor also pointed out that Berkshire can't own more than 100% of its subsidiaries, whereas its ownership of Apple continues to rise as the tech giant repurchases its shares. "The good thing about Apple is that we can go up," he said. Buffett's conglomerate owns about 5.8% of Apple, a stake worth more than $150 billion as of Friday's close. The technology titan is easily the most valuable holding in Buffett's stock portfolio, and the position now represents a big chunk of Berkshire's $700 billion market capitalization. Berkshire plowed around $36 billion into Apple between 2016 and 2018. It has roughly quadrupled its investment on paper over the past five years. Buffett has previously described Apple as "probably the best business" he knows, and underscored how indispensable its devices are to users. He's also hailed Tim Cook as "one of the classiest CEOs," and said the Apple leader has run the company extraordinarily well. "It's an incredibly valuable utility," Buffett said about the iPhone in a recent interview with CNBC. "We'll never own a business that makes so many people happier and is so useful for them." Berkshire owns dozens of businesses including Geico, See's Candies, Dairy Queen, Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, NetJets, and the BNSF Railway. Read the original article on Business Insider He said successfully intercepting the Kinzhal was a slap in the face for Russia. Ukraine took its first delivery of the Patriot missiles in late April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they have been deployed, but they are known to have been provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. Germany and the US have acknowledged each sending at least one battery and the Netherlands has said it has provided two launchers, although it is not clear how many are currently in operation. Ukrainian troops have received the extensive training needed to be able to effectively locate a target with the systems, lock on with radar, and fire. Each battery requires up to 90 personnel to operate and maintain. Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he first asked for Patriot systems when visiting the US in August 2021, months before Russias full-scale invasion but seven years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraines Crimea peninsula. He has described possessing the system as a dream but said he was told in the US at the time that it was impossible. Loading The Patriot was first deployed by the US in the 1980s. The system costs approximately $US4 million ($5.9 million) per missile, and the launchers cost about $US10 million each, according to analysts. At such a cost, it was widely thought that Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles. In a Telegram post on Saturday, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraines Armed Forces, said he had thanked US General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the ongoing American aid to Ukraine. Zaluzhnyi said he also briefed Milley about the situation at the front and preparations for Ukraines counteroffensive against Russia. Ukraine has not said when it might launch the counteroffensive, but it is widely anticipated this spring. Loading In an interview this week with Foreign Affairs magazine, Milley said he would not speculate on if or when it might come, but that with NATO assistance to help train and equip nine brigades worth of combined arms, armor and mechanised infantry, the Ukrainians right now have the capability to attack. He also said that their capability to defend was significantly enhanced from what they were just a year ago. I dont want to suggest that they may or may not conduct an offensive operation in the coming weeks, he said. Thatll be up to them. Theyve got a significant amount of planning and co-ordination and all of that to do, if they were to do an offensive operation. But theyre prepared to do offence or defence. In other developments, officials in both Russia and Ukraine said they had carried out another of their regular exchanges of prisoners of war. The Russian Defence Ministry said it brought three military pilots back to Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said 45 fighters who defended the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol had been returned to Ukraine. Also on Saturday, Ukraines Special Operations Forces accused Russia of using phosphorus munitions in its attempt to wrest control of the eastern city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces. Russian troops have been trying to take the city for more than nine months, but Ukrainian forces are still clinging to positions on the western outskirts. On Saturday, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper quoted military officials as saying that the enemy used phosphorus and incendiary ammunition in Bakhmut in an attempt to wipe the city off the face of the earth. A photo accompanying the newspaper report showed an urban area lit up with fire in multiple places. The allegations could not be independently verified. Russian forces have not commented on the claim but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians. Loading White phosphorous can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, was on Saturday wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver and investigators said a detained suspect admitted acting on behalf of Ukraine. Russian officials immediately blamed the attack on Ukraine and the West. Hundreds of State troopers were called in, to stand by with tear gas, sub-machine guns and shotguns. Alabamas segregationist Governor, George Wallace, threatened Negroes with prosecution for murder if anyone died in a demonstration. This was the real fear: that sooner or later a police baton or a high-powered jet from a fire hose would kill or injure a Negro - perhaps a child - or that an enraged Negro would kill a policeman. More disturbing still, it was clear that the wish for violence was close to the surface, even among those whose job it was to keep the peace. Firemen train high-powered hoses on protestors on May 3, 1963. Credit: AP Wirephoto Alter a prominent Negro leader was hurt this week when a jet of water bowled him along a pavement and slammed him against a wall, he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. The citys police and fire chief, Eugene (Bull) Connor, said: I wish theyd carried him away in a hearse. But the wish for violence was not confined to the embattled white community. Moderate Negroes had to restrain fellow-demonstrators from carrying weapons, and several police were injured by rocks hurled from rooftops and street corners. Factors at work in Birmingham There were a number of forces at work in Birmingham: The Negro children demonstrators organised by the Reverend Martin Luther King. They paraded peacefully, and were marched off into buses and then to gaol as though going on a school excursion. The unorganised older Negroes who demonstrated angrily and spontaneously at the sight of children being sent to gaol. These were the people most likely to set off a chain reaction of violence, and Martin Luther King, aware of this, told them to keep away. The police, guilty about imprisoning children, angry at the rocks and abuse hurled at them, and very close to flashpoint. Late in the week, to reinforce them and create an even more dangerous climate of violence, came the State troopers. In the event they were not needed immediately. The Federal Government, which, through its on-the-spot mediator, Burke Marshall, of the Attorney-Generals Department, finally brought both sides together to create an uneasy truce. Meanwhile the Reverend Martin Luther King is jubilant about the results of his campaign - despite its dangers. He said: This is the first time in the history of our struggle that we have been able, literally, to fill the gaols. In a very real sense this is the fulfilment of a dream. The dream :To lay the whole issue before the conscience of the community and the nation. They paraded peacefully, and were marched off into buses and then to gaol as though going on a school excursion. Credit: UPI Testing place shrewdly chosen He chose shrewdly the place to do this: Not a minor, back ward centre, but a major city, heavily industrialised, in which at least some sections of the whole community has some sympathy for Negro demands - if only out of enlightened economic self-interest. Alabama is a cotton State. But it is also the heavy-industry State of the south, and Birmingham is its Pittsburgh. At the citys back Red Mountain provides the local blast furnaces with apparently inexhaustible supplies of iron ore. Nearby are huge coal deposits. Birminghams population about - 350,000 - is nearly 200,000 more than that of the State capital, Montgomery, and except on civil rights issues, its administration has been forward-looking and adventurous. Present development plans, to cost more than A40 million, include airport extensions and an urban highway scheme. The city is completing an important research centre and a major art museum. Birmingham, more than any other city in the State, and more than many other cities in the south, is a city of business and businessmen. The Eagle Nebula, also known as the Star Queen Nebula or Messier 16 (M16 for short), is a cluster of stars and an area of active star formation about 5,700 light-years from Earth (it had previously been considered to reside 7,000 light-years away, but a recent study using data from the Gaia telescope published in the Astrophysical Journal in Jan. 2019 (opens in new tab) suggests its quite a bit closer.) The Eagle Nebula is located in the constellation Serpens and covers an area of 70 by 55 light-years. It is home to the iconic Pillars of Creation, made famous by an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. Though the nebula is not visible to the naked eye, you can see it using a small telescope or even a good pair of binoculars. It's most clearly visible in July, according to NASA (opens in new tab). You would need a much larger telescope, along with good weather conditions, to see the Pillars of Creation. Related: Orion Nebula: Facts about Earths nearest stellar nursery The nebula is named for its shape, which is said to look like an eagle with outstretched wings. The name "Star Queen" comes from American astronomer Robert Burnham, Jr., who thought the central pillar of the galaxy looked like the silhouette of a Star Queen, according to the online Messier Objects catalog (opens in new tab). History and evolution of the Eagle Nebula Eagle Nebula: Quick facts Object type: Diffuse emission nebula Constellation: Serpens Apparent Magnitude: +6 Age: 5.5 million years Coordinates: 18h 18m 48s (right ascension), -13 49 0(declination) Season: June to Sept. (best in July) Distance from Earth: 5,700 light-years The Eagle Nebula was discovered sometime in 1745 or 1764 by Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux, according to the online Messier Objects catalog. It was independently re-discovered the next year by French astronomer Charles Messier, who cataloged it as Messier 16 as part of his list of non-comet astronomical objects. Over a century later, American astronomer Edward Barnard became the first to create an image of the nebula in 1895. At 5.5 million years old, the Eagle Nebula is fairly young (for comparison, our own sun is about 4.6 billion years old). According to NASA Hubble Site (opens in new tab), our sun may have originally formed in a nebula like this one. Like all nebulas, it would have started out a cloud of cold hydrogen gas leftover from previous stars. The gas eventually began condensing into masses, which gradually heated up, eventually becoming so hot and dense that they began to fuse hydrogen into helium in their centers and became stars. Parts of the Eagle Nebula are emission nebulas, meaning that the clouds of gas and dust are so hot they produce their own light. Other parts are dark nebulas, which are made of cold gas and are only visible because of the silhouettes they create against the nebula's glowing backdrop. The "Pillars of Creation" in the Eagle Nebula, imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope's mid-infrared camera instrument (MIRI). (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI)) (opens in new tab) The Eagle Nebula was discovered sometime in 1745 or 1764 by Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux, according to the online Messier Objects catalog. It was independently re-discovered the next year by French astronomer Charles Messier, who cataloged it as Messier 16 as part of his list of non-comet astronomical objects. Over a century later, American astronomer Edward Barnard became the first to create an image of the nebula in 1895. At 5.5 million years old, the Eagle Nebula is fairly young (for comparison, our own sun is about 4.6 billion years old). According to NASA Hubble Site , our sun may have originally formed in a nebula like this one. Like all nebulas, it would have started out a cloud of cold hydrogen gas leftover from previous stars. The gas eventually began condensing into masses, which gradually heated up, eventually becoming so hot and dense that they began to fuse hydrogen into helium in their centers and became stars. Parts of the Eagle Nebula are emission nebulas, meaning that the clouds of gas and dust are so hot they produce their own light. Other parts are dark nebulas, which are made of cold gas and are only visible because of the silhouettes they create against the nebula's glowing backdrop. The Pillars of Creation The iconic Pillars of Creation. The Hubble Space Telescope's view on the left, the new James Webb Space Telescope photo on the right. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI).) (opens in new tab) Originally taken in 1995 (opens in new tab) by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Pillars of Creation is one of the most iconic astronomical images of all time. Despite their notoriety, the pillars represent only a small part of the Eagle Nebula, measuring 4 to 5 light-years across, according to NASA. The distinctive structure of the pillars is created by a nearby cluster of massive stars called NGC 6611. Along with visible light, these stars shed huge amounts of charged particles, which clears dust and gas away. The dense areas of gas called evaporating gaseous globules shielded the area behind them from this solar wind , leading to the formation of the pillar structures. The Hubble team revisited the Eagle Nebula and released an image in 2015 showing the feature in high-definition and near-infrared light. (opens in new tab) Both images show a wider view than the original and reveal more detail about the structure of the pillars. There are also slight differences between the two images as parts of the pillars are being eroded away by the radiation of charged particles, called solar winds, from nearby stars. The 2015 near-infrared image pierces through much of the pillars' cold gas and dust, revealing the areas of star birth within the pillars. In 2022, James Webb Space Telescope took a similar near-infrared image of the pillars, revealing these areas of star birth in even greater detail. In 2007, French astronomer Nicolas Flagey proposed in a study that based on data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, a supernova explosion could have destroyed the pillars 6,000 years ago. But because the pillars are thousands of light-years away, they'd still be visible for many hundreds or even a thousand years in this case. But data since then hasn't confirmed the presence of a supernova, suggesting that while radiation from nearby stars is gradually eroding the pillars, they may exist for millions of years more. Eagle Nebula FAQs answered by an expert We asked Anna McLeod, an assistant professor of physics, a few commonly-asked questions about the Eagle Nebula. Anna McLeod Astronomer Anna McLeod is an assistant professor of physics at the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy at Durham University in the U.K. What is special about the Eagle Nebula? As star-forming regions (or stellar nurseries) come, the Eagle Nebula is not incredibly special. It has formed several massive stars which are responsible for "lighting up" the surrounding gas and creating the bubble-shaped cavity, which is typical for these types of regions. The three iconic pillars, or fingers (the so-called Pillars of Creation), are perhaps the most notable feature of this nebula. These types of structures are found in many other star-forming regions (see for example NGC 3603, or the Carina Nebula), but the ones in the Eagle Nebula are quite spectacular, leading to the fact that they have gained a lot of attention from the public, and that they have been the target for any new telescopes and instruments over the years. Where in the Milky Way is the Eagle Nebula? The Eagle Nebula is about 5,700 light-years from Earth , further towards the center of the Milky Way than we are (a nice figure is here). It lies about 0.8 degrees above the galactic plane, have a go at looking for it here at ~17 degrees in the horizontal direction and ~0.8 degrees in the vertical direction (if you hover over the image (opens in new tab) you can see the coordinates in the upper left corner, the image starts centered on the center of the Milky Way, just drag the image from left to right until you find the right ones and then zoom in!). What created the "pillars" in the nebula's famous "Pillars of Creation"? The pillars are created by the nearby massive stars that have formed in the region, and that form the star cluster NGC 6611. These massive stars output copious amounts of energy as they radiate and produce strong stellar winds, the combination of which acts like a snowplow that clears/pushes the surrounding gas and dust outwards. Dense pockets of gas along the way act as pebbles in a river, shielding the less dense gas behind them and creating a tail-like flow around them which naturally results in these structures. We refer to this as feedback from massive stars, which encompasses a variety of different physical mechanisms via which the stars interact with the surrounding material, and which is what my research focuses on. Why do some scientists think these pillars were already destroyed? Just as the feedback from the nearby massive stars is responsible for shaping the pillar-like structures, it is also destroying them via a process called photo-evaporation, which causes gas to stream away from the pillar surfaces and therefore making them lose mass. Over time, photo-evaporation will eventually fully erode the pillars. In my paper, we calculate their remaining lifetime to be about 3 million years. A few years ago a paper by my colleague Nicolas Flagey suggested that there might have been a recent supernova explosion in the Eagle Nebula. Given the distance of the nebula and the suggested supernova age suggested in that paper (so considering that it takes the light coming from the nebula about 5,700 years to reach Earth, meaning that what we see is 5,700 years in the past), this would imply that the pillars might have already been destroyed. However, there is not enough observational evidence to confirm a recent supernova event in the region, which means that, for now, we can assume that the pillars are still there and being photo-evaporated! Observing the Eagle Nebula Peering inside of the Pillars of Creation reveals hot young stars sculpt the pillars of gas and dust that form baby stars. (Image credit: far-infrared: ESA/Herschel/PACS/SPIRE/Hill, Motte, HOBYS Key Programme Consortium; X-ray: ESA/XMM-Newton/EPIC/XMM-Newton-SOC/Boulanger) (opens in new tab) To locate the Eagle Nebula in the night sky , find the constellation Serpens, which has two distinct parts: Serpens Cauda (the serpents tail), and Serpens Caput (the serpents head). The serpent extends from either side of the trapezoid-like constellation Ophiuchus , the serpent-bearer. The Eagle Nebula sits in Serpens Cauda, which in mid-north latitudes, is to the bottom left of Ophiuchus, relatively close to the horizon at nightfall in June. It appears higher in the sky into the summer and early fall, becoming obscured by the horizon later in the night. There are several other nebulas close by, such as the Omega Nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. The Eagle Nebula is recognizable by the eagle-like silhouette of the dark part of the nebula that it is named for. Even in dark skies, youll need a low-powered telescope or pair of binoculars to observe the Eagle Nebula. However, the nebula should be visible using these tools even in moderately light-polluted areas, according to skywatching website Astro Backyard (opens in new tab). If you have a computerized telescope mount, you can simply enter M16 for Messier 16, or NGC 6611, the bright star cluster embedded in the nebula, and the mount will direct your telescope to the correct location. If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the Eagle Nebula, check our guide for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now. If you need imaging gear, consider our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. A nebula in X-ray vision In a 2012 study (opens in new tab), researchers combined imaging data from Hubble with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to study which stars in the Eagle Nebula emitted X-rays. Many stars, including our sun, emit this extremely high-energy radiation from their corona, or their outer atmosphere when it reaches temperatures over a million degrees Celsius. Though the study identified over 1,700 sources of X-ray radiation, 1,183 of which came from within the Eagle Nebula, only one of these sources was likely to have come from within the star-forming Pillars of Creation. This could mean that the Pillars' protostars, or stars in the process of being born, may not yet have a coronas hot enough to produce X-ray radiation. Most of the X-ray sources over two-thirds came from the young star cluster NG 6611, the same cluster responsible for shaping and illuminating the Pillars of Creation. Though the 964 stars with the strongest X-rays were surrounded by minimal dust and gas, a smaller fraction, 219 stars, were surrounded by disks of dust and gas that seemed to dull their X-rays. Though some of these disks will eventually be swept away by the solar wind, some may eventually become planets, forming solar systems like our own. Additional resources Explore the Eagle Nebula in different wavelengths with this interactive image from View Space. (opens in new tab) Read about the life cycle of stars in more detail with these resources from NASA Hubblesite (opens in new tab). Take a deeper look at the night sky with NASA's interactive Messier sky map (opens in new tab) and learn more about the iconic Messier Catalog of astronomical objects that can be observed from Earth's Northern Hemisphere. Bibliography NASA. Messier 16 (The Eagle Nebula). Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/messier-16-the-eagle-nebula (opens in new tab) NASA Hubblesite. Hubble Goes High Def to Revisit The Iconic 'Pillars of Creation'. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2015/news-2015-01.html#section-id-2 (opens in new tab) NASA. 'X'-ploring the Eagle Nebula and 'Pillars of Creation'. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/images/x-ploring-the-eagle-nebula-and-pillars-of-creation.html (opens in new tab) NASA. NASA's Webb Takes Star-Filled Portrait of Pillars of Creation. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-takes-star-filled-portrait-of-pillars-of-creation (opens in new tab) ESA. Observations: Seeing in X-ray wavelengths. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Observations_Seeing_in_X-ray_wavelengths (opens in new tab) The Astrophysical Journal. Chandra/ACIS-I Study of The X-Ray Properties of The NGC 6611 And M16 Stellar Populations. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/753/2/117 (opens in new tab) ESA. Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://sci.esa.int/web/hubble/-/37006-stellar-spire-in-the-eagle-nebula (opens in new tab) Messier 16: Eagle Nebula. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://www.messier-objects.com/messier-16-eagle-nebula/ (opens in new tab) Pillars of Creation Toppled by Stellar Blast. Accessed April 20, 2023. From: https://www.space.com/3154-pillars-creation-toppled-stellar-blast.html (opens in new tab) The Awesome Beauty of the Eagle Nebula. Access April 20, 2023. From: If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So on that note, Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Archer-Daniels-Midland: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.12 = US$4.4b (US$59b - US$23b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023). Therefore, Archer-Daniels-Midland has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a pretty normal return, and it's somewhat close to the Food industry average of 10%. See our latest analysis for Archer-Daniels-Midland roce In the above chart we have measured Archer-Daniels-Midland's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. The Trend Of ROCE Archer-Daniels-Midland is displaying some positive trends. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 12%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 30% more capital is being employed now too. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers. Our Take On Archer-Daniels-Midland's ROCE In summary, it's great to see that Archer-Daniels-Midland can compound returns by consistently reinvesting capital at increasing rates of return, because these are some of the key ingredients of those highly sought after multi-baggers. And with a respectable 98% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist. Story continues On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for Archer-Daniels-Midland that we think you should be aware of. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Massachusetts State Police/Contributed LONGMEADOW, Mass. One person died and three others were injured in a multi-car crash on Interstate 91 near the border of Connecticut and Massachusetts early Sunday morning, police said. Massachusetts State Police Trooper James D. DeAngelis said the crash happened on I-91 northbound around 3 a.m. Sunday just over the Connecticut border in Longmeadow, Mass. Bill Gates - WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe Bill Gates is eyeing a bid to build Britains first mini-nuclear reactor in a direct challenge to Rolls-Royce which is scrambling to secure a government contract. Seattle-based TerraPower, which was founded by the Microsoft billionaire, said it was considering throwing its hat into the ring for lucrative contracts to build Britains next-generation small modular reactors or mini-nukes. In a blog post, Mr Gates said the nuclear energy companys work has drawn interest from around the globe, citing agreements with Japan, South Korea and the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal steel conglomerate. TerraPower claims its travelling wave reactor design can operate for centuries with unenriched uranium fuel. Founded in 2006, the company secured $830m (657m) in its most recent funding round last summer. Unlike many traditional SMR designs, the company's plant, called Natrium, uses a molten salt heat storage system that will allow it to rapidly boost its power output at peak times. TerraPower told the Sunday Times: We are currently reviewing the opportunity [to deploy Natrium] in the UK. The UK has a lot to offer in the deployment of new nuclear technologies. Rolls-Royce is facing a battle to get its own SMRs approved by the Government after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that a competitive tender would be run on the projects, despite 210m of taxpayer money already having been invested in the company's proposal. SMRs - Rolls-Royce Kwasi Kwarteng, the then-business secretary, said at the time that the investment would help position Rolls-Royce as a global leader in innovative nuclear technologies we can potentially export elsewhere. Last summer, the British engineering company appointed a new chief executive, Tufan Erginbilgic, who described the business as a burning platform that had to evolve or die. In comments to staff he said: Every investment we make, we destroy value. In March, Mr Erginbilgic announced an overhaul of Rolls-Royce's top team which included the departure of Tom Samson, who has headed up the SMR division since its inception in 2020. Story continues Rolls-Royce did not respond to a request for comment. Dozens of other nuclear energy startups are competing to bring their designs into service, with Rolls-Royce competing against the likes of GE-Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Westinghouse Electric. In March, US company Last Energy, signed a deal to sell 24 small modular reactors (SMRs) to British customers. While Last Energy still needs regulatory approval for its designs, the company expects the first of its SMRs to be operational by 2026 with no government funding required. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. T hree people were stabbed to death in a series of horrific attacks across east London on the eve of the coronation, on Friday. The unrelated incidents took place over a period of eight hours in Walthamstow, Dagenham and Hackney. A 16-year-old boy was ambushed as he left a school in east London and stabbed to death in what his head teacher said was a senseless attack. The pupil at Kelmscott School, Walthamstow, was met outside by his attackers who were waiting for him, a resident said. He tried to escape but was stabbed a short distance away. Police went to the scene but, despite the efforts of emergency workers, he died in the street at 4.39pm on Friday. Sam Jones, the head teacher, said in a statement that the senseless knife attack marked the darkest of days for the school community. Detectives also started a murder investigation after a teenager was stabbed to death after two groups were reported fighting with machetes near Dagenham Heath Tube station. Police and the London Ambulance Service were called shortly before midnight on Friday and found an 18-year-old man with stab injuries. The victim, named locally as Jordan, died at the scene despite the efforts of the emergency services. A second man was taken to hospital with a stab injury, and a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in police custody. Detective Chief Inspector James Shirley said: My thoughts are with the young mans family and friends. I want to offer my full reassurances to them, and the wider community, that despite the significant events taking place in London today, the focus of my team is bringing the person or people responsible to justice. Our investigation is progressing at pace and I would thank everyone who has already spoken to officers. I would ask anyone who has not yet come forward to do so as a matter of urgency. I would also ask local residents to check dash cams and doorbell footage for anything out of the ordinary and share that with us as soon as possible. Three people were arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was fatally stabbed at a residential property on Mare Street, Hackney. Police were called at 11.07pm on Friday and found a man in his late 20s, who was declared dead at the scene. Two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s and one woman in her 50s, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. They were taken to east London police stations where they remain for questioning, the Met said on Saturday. A teenager who was stabbed to death outside a Tube station in east London has been pictured for the first time. Police attended the scene following reports of a machete fight between two groups of people near Dagenham Heath Tube station just before midnight on Friday. An 18-year-old man, named locally as Jordan, was found with stab injuries. Despite the best efforts of medical professionals he was pronounced dead at the scene. His uncle Michel Pongo said his mother has been left inconsolable following her sons death. Mr Pongo, who is a councillor for Barking and Dagenham, wrote on Twitter: It was with great sadness that this afternoon I learned that my nephew, Jordan, 18, had been stabbed to death in Dagenham last night. His mother is inconsolable. If you are gang member, this message is for you. Drop your knife and quit the gangster life before it is too late. A second man was taken to hospital with a stab injury, and a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in police custody. Detective Chief Inspector James Shirley said: My thoughts are with the young mans family and friends. I want to offer my full reassurances to them, and the wider community, that despite the significant events taking place in London today, the focus of my team is bringing the person or people responsible to justice. Our investigation is progressing at pace and I would thank everyone who has already spoken to officers. I would ask anyone who has not yet come forward to do so as a matter of urgency. I would also ask local residents to check dash cams and doorbell footage for anything out of the ordinary and share that with us as soon as possible. P olice have launched an urgent investigation after a man was reportly shot in the back while he sat in a vehicle in southwest London. Officers were called to Clarendon Grove in Mitcham around 11.20pm on Saturday, to reports of a gunshot. They later discovered that a male victim - whose age has not been confirmed - had been taken to hospital with gunshot injuries to his back. A Scotland Yard spokesperson said on Sunday: Initial enquiries suggest that the incident happened on Clarendon Road, when the victim was approached by a man, who discharged a firearm into the vehicle he was sitting in. The victims injuries are not described as life-threatening or life-changing. Detectives are carrying out an urgent investigation, and are appealing for witnesses and anyone with footage to contact them. Detective Inspector Mat Freeman of the Mets Specialist Crime North said: We know that when this incident happened there were members of public and vehicles driving nearby. Officers are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident or who saw or heard anything suspicious at around that time. Also, if you were driving in the area, did you record something on dashcam? Any piece of information, no matter how irrelevant it may seem, could be crucial in piecing together what took place. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC giving the reference CAD 7369/06MAY. Information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, online or by calling 0800 555 111. T he King and Queen have called the nations support the greatest possible coronation gift as they release official portraits marking the end of the historic weekend. Charles has issued a written message saying he and Camilla give their most sincere and heartfelt thanks to countless people who helped make coronation celebrations across the UK a success. The newly-crowned King said he and Camilla have rededicated their lives to serving the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and Commonwealth. The King has been captured in his full regalia in traditional official portraits marking his crowning by Hugo Burnand. Camilla was pictured alongside the King and also in a solo portrait. Official coronation portraits 1 / 5 Official coronation portraits King Charles III coronation PA King Charles III coronation PA King Charles III coronation PA King Charles III coronation PA Meanwhile Prince Louis turned into a labourer as he joined Prince George, Princess Charlotte and the Prince and Princess of Wales by shovelling dirt and operating a digger as they helped out at a Scout Hut in Slough as part of the national volunteering drive to mark the coronation. T he chief executive of an anti-monarchy group who was among 52 people arrested on the day of the Kings coronation has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody. Graham Smith was released by the Met Police around 11pm on Saturday, while the majority of his Republic colleagues continued to be held. Posting to Twitter, Mr Smith said there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. The Metropolitan Police has been heavily criticised over the detentions, with some campaign groups likening the incredibly alarming arrests to something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Metropolitan Police Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yards actions, saying: Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. Also arrested on Saturday were members of Just Stop Oil and Labour for a Republic. The Met said it received information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. But campaigners said the protests were peaceful, describing the arrests as a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation. The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martins Lane following protests from Republic. Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment. The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Footage from the Mall showed the Just Stop Oil protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence. Animal Rising said a number of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session miles away from the coronation. Nathan McGovern, spokesman for the campaign group, described the arrests as nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent. Human Rights Watch labelled the arrests incredibly alarming, adding: This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London. Amnesty Internationals chief executive Sacha Deshmukh also raised concerns after police were reportedly given instructions to apprehend people with megaphones. Separately, Westminster Council cabinet member for communities and public protection Aicha Less said she was deeply concerned over reports of arrests of members of its Night Star volunteer team, who assist vulnerable people on the streets late at night. We are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened, and in the meantime, we are in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need, she said. T he Culture Secretary has said she is looking very closely at the BBC licence fee, as she dismissed calls to remove political interference from the appointment of its chair. Lucy Frazer said a review into the corporations funding arrangements is looking at a variety of sources for its funding. The Cabinet minister also said Rishi Sunak will appoint the best candidate to replace Richard Sharp as BBC chair, regardless of their political ties. It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would replace the Governments power to appoint the chair with an independent process, following Mr Sharps resignation after he was found to have broken the rules by failing to disclose he played a part in getting Boris Johnson an 800,000 loan guarantee. We will be looking for the best candidate, Ms Frazer told Skys Sophy Ridge On Sunday. I strongly believe that we should not disqualify people from public office who put themselves forward, who are capable of doing the job, because they happen to have in the past supported a political party. The BBC funding model has long been under consideration by the Government, which has argued the licence fee is losing support among the public amid a changing media landscape. We are reviewing the licence fee. Ive started that review, Ms Frazer told the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg On Sunday programme. We will be looking very closely at its funding arrangement. I do think it might need to look at a variety of sources for its funding. Id like to ensure the BBC is properly funded. The licence fee isnt the only way. Tory former culture secretary Nadine Dorries announced last year that the licence fee would be frozen at 159 for the next two years until April 2024, saying she wanted to find a new funding model before the current deal expires in 2027 as it is completely outdated. T he head of an anti-monarchy group arrested ahead of a planned protest on Coronation Day has branded the detention of him and dozens of others a direct attack on our democracy. Republic chief executive Graham Smith, who was released on Saturday night after nearly 16 hours in police custody, said officers should hang their heads in shame. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Mr Smith said a total of eight members of Republics team were arrested as they prepared for a peaceful and lawful protest. He told the PA news agency officers had been intimidating, heavy-handed, not willing to listen, not willing to co-operate or to engage. He added: They clearly made up their mind they were going to arrest us the moment we got there. They were arrested for being equipped for locking on, a new offence under the controversial Public Order Act. In a statement, Mr Smith said: These arrests are a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country. Each and every police officer involved on the ground should hang their heads in shame. He said the right to protest peacefully in the UK no longer exists and that the detentions destroyed whatever trust might have existed between campaign groups and the police. Asked what further action he and other members of Republic face, Mr Smith told PA: We dont know. Weve all been bailed, thats all we know. So, we will hear about whatever happens later. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer argued that police got the balance right between allowing protest and enjoyment of the Kings coronation. She defended the Met after the force was heavily criticised by MPs and human rights groups over the arrests, denying that officers had gone too far. The Cabinet minister told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: What they have to do is balance the right to protest, which is important in a democracy. At the same time theres the right of all those other people to enjoy what was a fabulous day. I think, overall, they managed to get that balance right. She said it was right of the police to take into account the context of the event, as it took place on the world stage with hundreds of foreign dignitaries attending and had national security implications. Parts of the Public Order Act which recently came into force mean protesters who have an object with the intention of using it to lock on are liable to a fine, with those who block roads facing 12 months in prison. Asked whether she trusts the police to use the new laws, Ms Frazer said: Yes, I do trust them to use those new powers. I have huge confidence in the police. The new laws are intended to redress the balance after a recent change in demonstrators tactics, she said. Weve seen in this country a rise in protests and the way people are protesting that is interfering with the rights of people to go around their daily life. Metropolitan Police Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yards actions, saying: Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. The Met said they received information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. The Liberal Democrats deputy leader said she has concerns that the police may not have got the balance right in handling protests. Some of that information is unfolding. But, on the face of it, I do have concerns, Daisy Cooper told Ridge. What worries is me is that the Conservative Government have now increased these sort of wide-ranging powers what they havent done is enshrined the sort of legal responsibility and the duty on the police to actually facilitate peaceful protest. A former police chief constable warned against a totalitarian police state. Sue Sim, a former chief constable of Northumbria Police, said she expected this sort of thing was going to happen when the Public Order Act was rushed through Parliament, but that she was very, very disappointed that that did happen. She told The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4: Where you are talking about peaceful protest the whole thing for me is, what type of society do we want? We do not want a totalitarian police state. A vid bakers and cake business owners across the country have put their skills to the test creating bespoke cakes to celebrate the Kings coronation. On Saturday, Charles was crowned King and while the UK witnessed its first coronation in more than 70 years, skilled bakers were hard at work to create intricately designed bakes. From crown-shaped cakes to bakes imprinted with the Kings insignia, the sweet treats have garnered interest on social media for their complex designs. Lee McAuliffe, from Shave in Blackburn who has been baking for 10 years, said his coronation cake took 15 hours to make. In total, including baking, around 15 hours. This was an order for a client to celebrate (the coronation), the 46-year-old told the PA news agency. The two-tiered cake is compromised of a chocolate fudge crown with chocolate fudge buttercream and a gluten-free lemon sponge with lemon curd buttercream for the lower tier. Mr McAuliffe used his trademark look whilst incorporating Union flag bunting to accompany the crown-shaped cake. I knew I wanted a crown to be the main part of the design and obviously, Union flag bunting had to make an appearance, he said. My lower tier has become a bit of my trademark look so with the gold this worked well in combining all the elements I thought of. Catherine Davies, who turns 52 on Sunday, owns her own cake business but is also a teaching assistant in Tunbridge Wells, and created a triple-layered vanilla cake with lemon and elderflower buttercream ahead of the coronation. The cake was part of a raffle with the winner feeling delighted after receiving the sweet treat. The drip cake is one of my most popular cakes. The lady who won it wanted a nod to the coronation on it, Ms Davies, from Crowborough in East Sussex, told PA. She was delighted to win the cake and was very happy when she saw it, commenting on how beautiful it was. Ms Davies said the bespoke creation, which dons the official insignia, took around two hours to make. I thought the insignia on the top was elegant and looked good in gold, matching the drip down the sides, she said. The flavour was chosen by the customer after I gave her lots of options. Its a lovely summery flavour. The business owner, who has been baking professionally for five years, celebrated the coronation with her son, who is home from university dining on scones with cream and jam. T he Duke of Sussex has returned to California after catching a British Airways flight within hours of his fathers coronation. Harry arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7.30pm local time (3.30am UK) to reunite with his son on his birthday. Prince Archie turned four on Saturday and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their US home. British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss the details of his trip. Getty Images The dukes appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare. He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and the dukes stepmother the Queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales. Harry chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church on Saturday in the drizzling UK rain. AP He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone. It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever. His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that he had no formal role at the event. Also absent from the balcony was the Duke of York, who has stepped away from public life after a controversial Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Officials for Eurora said AI can help international shippers that have to contend with droves of customs requirements for each shipment. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: AIs rising impact on cross-border trade focus of new report; Mexican authorities recorded 142 tractor-trailer thefts in April; Texas logistics firm opens Phoenix location; and South Texas college launching CDL program. AIs rising impact on cross-border trade focus of new report According to a new report from Eurora, AI and machine learning (ML) can help shippers comply with the diverse cross-border trade regulations enforced by different countries. The report, The case for AI in cross-border trade, examines challenges faced by logistics providers and the e-commerce sector due to an increasingly complicated regulatory environment and how AI and ML can help streamline international shipments. Chris Lentjes, Euroras CEO of U.S. operations, said AI and ML are hot topics. Some people think about AI as a robot, some people think about it as ChatGPT, and some are thinking about autonomous vehicles, Lentjes told FreightWaves. In essence, they are technically all correct; were all using various forms of AI to support day-to-day things that were doing. Eurora uses AI to automatically manage cross-border documents for requirements such as value-added tax, duty amounts, declarations and more. The company has more than 250 clients sending millions of parcels every day. Eurora, which is based in Estonia, has its U.S. headquarters in the Miami area. The company has over 220 employees across 18 countries. Lentjes said AI can help international shippers that have to contend with droves of customs requirements for each shipment, including the U.S. STOP ACT, Singapores new GST rules, Dubais customs duty charges, the U.K. Customs Declaration Service, Canadas CARM importing regime, the European Unions Import Control System 2 and Mexicos Carta Porte Supplement. Shippers and logistics operators also have to supply accurate harmonized system codes that indicate whats inside a particular shipment. Story continues This is where AI can really help in that task, Lentjes said. If you think about AIs functionality, its really about continuous improvement and how the industry can speed up where decisions are made in the supply chain. Failure to comply with customs requirements, or mistakes with cross-border documentation can result in generating higher tax and duties than goods are liable for. In a worst case scenario, a customs error could result in fines, seizures or delays of a particular shipment. Cross-border compliance is an increasingly changing environment, Lentjes said. Trying to keep up with this change and data and whats required is key. I think that the data and the technology around it is super important, and AI is playing a function in how you transition that from a manual process into a more automated process to support the business. Lentjes said AI can also help shippers through dynamic routing, which involves determining the best route for something based on an existing set of conditions. Dynamic routing is not new, but what is new is having machine learning and then moving into AI looking with inputs such as weather inputs, or is there a strike somewhere, and bringing in live data that can actually influence the route in a dynamic, live fashion, Lentjes said. Mexican authorities recorded 142 tractor-trailer thefts in April Highways across Mexico continue to be risky for truckers as cargo thefts rose 7.5% year over year (y/y) in April, according to Mexicos National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV). ANERPV reported that 142 cargo trucks in its network were robbed or stolen during April, with a total of 519 tractor-trailer thefts from January through April. Mexican authorities reported that 142 cargo trucks were robbed or stolen across the country during April. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) During the first four months of 2023, the state of Mexico ranked No. 1 in cargo thefts with 150 cases, followed by the states of Puebla (97), Guanajuato (41), Jalisco (39) and Verucruz (32). ANERPV said the day of the week on which thefts occurred the most during April was Wednesday with 20% of the total, followed by Thursday at 18%. Over 31% of the cargo theft robberies were committed during the day, between 7 a.m. and noon. More than 28% of the cargo theft incidents occurred between noon and 7 p.m. The Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (AMIS), which also tracks cargo thefts, said that Kenworth tractor-trailers were the most stolen trucks across Mexico during the past 12 months, totaling 1,906 units. Freightliner tractor-trailers ranked second for most stolen trucks over the past 12 months, accounting for 702 cases. Texas logistics firm opens Phoenix location Arrive Logistics has opened a 15,000-square-foot office in Phoenix. The office will start with 30 employees but has plans to expand to up to 60 workers by the end of the year, according to a news release. Arrive also recently opened an office in Columbus, Ohio. Last year, the company opened locations in Tampa, Florida, and San Antonio, as well as Guadalajara, Mexico, bringing its total to seven offices. Arrive has more than 1,700 employees and a network of 70,000 carriers. Its customers include U.S. Foods, Kelloggs Co., Dairy Farmers of America and Samsung Electronics Co. South Texas college launching CDL program Victoria College is launching its own truck driving course to help meet demand for truck drivers in South Texas. Since 2006, Victoria Colleges truck driving course has been offered through a partnership with Houston Community College. The new course will help meet the needs of the Victoria community, according to a news release. The CDL program is being funded by a pair of grants from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board totaling more than $630,000. With the grant funding from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Victoria College is now at a place where we are able to purchase our own trucks and hire our own instructors, which will allow us more flexibility in scheduling training when it is needed most, Jennifer Kent, president of Victoria College, said in a statement. Victoria College is a community college in Victoria, about 127 miles southeast of Houston and 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The funding will be used to purchase four tractors for use in truck driving classes in Victoria and Gonzales, Texas. Grant funds will also be used to train instructors. The new truck driving course will give the college the capacity to train up to eight students in Victoria and up to four students in Gonzales every six weeks. Watch: the National Truckload Index remains stable at $2.22 rpm. Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney. More articles by Noi Mahoney Truck inspections causing long wait times at Texas border bridges Cummins posts record Q1 revenue, raises full-year outlook Arizona, Texas attracting EV and chip megafactories The post Borderlands: AIs rising impact on cross-border trade focus of new report appeared first on FreightWaves. U S First Lady Jill Biden has joined Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street for a lunch to mark the Kings coronation. The weather stayed dry as Mrs Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden arrived at the event shortly before 2pm. The Prime Minister and First Lady laughed and joked as they met, giving each other a kiss on both cheeks. Mrs Biden, who wore a long white embroidered dress for the outside event, arrived wearing sunglasses and was met by Mr Sunaks wife, Akshata Murty. Also present at the event were Mr Sunaks two daughters, Anoushka and Krishna, and the family dog, Nova who sported a union flag bandana. Two long tables covered in white linen, with vases of tulips and mugs saying King Charles III, were set up in front of the famous black Number 10 door. Guests tucked into dishes including coronation quiches, coronation chicken, sausage rolls and smoked salmon. The food has been sourced from across the UK, including beef from Gloucestershire, which is being served in Yorkshire puddings, Scottish Loch Duart salmon, Northern Irish soda bread and ice cream from Wales. The crockery has been donated by Emma Bridgewater, a pottery with strong royal connections. The street was bedecked in union flag bunting with music played by the RAF Northolt brass quintet. Mr Sunak arrived shortly before Mrs Biden, walking out of the famous Number 10 door with his family. He said: Hello, how are you? to the gathered guests before starting to mingle. Recipients of the Points of Light Award, given to ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their community, were among the invitees along with Ukrainians who have come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme after Russia invaded their country, as well as their UK sponsors. Other guests include young people from UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs. Laura Ashurst, a breast cancer campaigner from Stokesley in North Yorkshire, was sitting opposite Mrs Biden at the Big Lunch. She said: Its been absolutely amazing. Weve met some amazing people from all over the country. Theres so many people doing so much admirable and amazing work in their communities and for charity. Mrs Ashurst said she and the First Lady discussed the work Mrs Biden has been doing with people with breast cancer, and exchanged some stories. She told the PA news agency: Its an absolute privilege to be here. Zoe Clark-Coates, who runs a charity with her husband, Andy, supporting people who have gone through baby loss and is also co-chairing a pregnancy loss review for the Government, said it was such an honour to be amongst so many people doing such great work. Mr Sunak spent about an hour at the event and was given a round of applause as he went back into No 10. He and Ms Murty hosted the event as part of the Big Lunch celebrations taking place across the country over the coronation weekend. H undreds of people across Scotland have celebrated the Kings coronation by coming together for sunshine, ice-creams and bouncy castles at Big Lunches. A total of almost 2,000 people participated in events in Ballater, near Balmoral, and in the village of Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond on Sunday. The Coronation Big Lunch, an idea by the Eden Project and made possible by the National Lottery, was set up as a way of reducing loneliness and supporting charities and good causes. In Ballater, which sits in the heart of Royal Deeside and on the doorstep of Balmoral, around 1,500 people turned out for a Coronation Big Lunch picnic. David Corbyn, who helped organise the event, said: Because of Ballaters long association with the royal family its a bit more personal here. We feel an affinity with the royal family, we have a strong respect for them and they have for us, so this is a celebration of everything theyve achieved and what they are now about to as King and Queen. Its a great opportunity for us to come together and show our appreciation. Elsewhere in Scotland, more than 300 people turned out for a Coronation Big Lunch in Gartocharn with bouncy castles and ice-cream. James MacRae, 82, and the driving force behind the event, said: These events are important because they pull a community together. I feel on an occasion like a coronation, particularly a once in 70-year coronation, that we must have an event. Grainne McCloskey, Scotland Regional Manager at Eden Project Communities, who are behind The Big Lunch, said she hoped it would become an annual celebration. She said: Community spirit is at the heart of this historic occasion and today was another opportunity for people to strengthen that community spirit while enjoying the celebrations. We hope organisers will go on to make The Big Lunch an annual celebration of friendship, togetherness and neighbourhood. A t least eight people have been killed and seven injured after a shooting at an outdoor shopping mall in Texas. The gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and began firing indiscriminately at people outside of the Allen Premier Outlets mall in the city of Allen on Saturday. Police said they shot the gunman dead and believe he acted alone. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said nine victims were taken to local hospitals, but two of them died. Aerial view of police responding to the shooting / via REUTERS Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable. The injured victims are aged from five to 61. A local police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3.36 pm, the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralised the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, it added. Collin County Judge Chris Hill, the top elected official in the county where Allen sits, praised police and other first responders at a press conference, but expressed deep anger with those that would do evil in our community, in our backyard. People raise their hands as they leave the mall / AP Aerial TV images showed hundreds of people walking out of the mall, located about 25 miles east of Dallas, after the violence unfolded, with many holding their hands up as police stood guard. One unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was walking down the sidewalk just ... shooting his gun outside, and that he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part. Blood could be seen on sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy and said the state was prepared to offer any assistance local authorities may need. T he chief of Russias mercenary Wagner Group said his men will continue to attack Ukrainian-held Bakhmut after they were promised more guns and ammunition. Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Friday that his fighters, who have spearheaded a months-long assault on the city, would pull out after being starved of ammunition and suffering useless and unjustified losses as a result. But in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, he said: We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off (from supplies) will be deployed. A local resident runs past the damaged houses in Bakhmut / AP A spokesman for Russias defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment after Prigozhins latest statement. Russian officials have repeatedly sought to allay concerns their forces on the front line have not received adequate supplies. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that the Russian army as a whole had received the sufficient amount of ammunition to effectively inflict damage on enemy forces. A spokesman for Ukraines eastern command said Russian forces have more than enough ammunition and Prigozhins comments were an attempt to distract from the heavy losses Wagner has taken. He said: Four hundred eighty-nine artillery strikes over the past 24 hours in the area around Bakhmut, is that an ammunition hunger? Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin / TELEGRAM/ @concordgroup_official The threat by the Wagner Group to pull out of Bakhmut highlights the pressure Russian forces are under as Ukraine makes its final preparations for a counteroffensive backed by thousands of Western-donated armoured vehicles and freshly trained troops. The battle for Bakhmut has been among the most intense of the conflict, costing thousands of lives on both sides in months of grinding warfare. Ukrainian troops have been pushed back in recent weeks but have clung on in the city to inflict as many Russian losses as possible ahead of Kyivs planned big push against the invading forces along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line. Outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot listens to several goodbye speeches and praise by aldermen on her last day conducting a City Council on April 19, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Looking back at Mayor Lori Lightfoots only term in office, its hard to see past my disappointment. Im not alone, as evidenced by her defeat in the first round of voting. Four years ago she came from relative obscurity to win all 50 of the citys wards in her first political campaign ever. Advertisement This time, she couldnt place high enough in the crowded field to make the runoff. What went wrong? To borrow an overused motto from the world of reality TV, she wasnt here to make friends. Advertisement She didnt promise to make enemies, either, but she developed quite a number of new critics, including some former allies. In 2020, for example, she made waves in a virtual meeting with members of the City Council Black Caucus by telling them that aldermen who dont support her budget wont have their wards prioritized, six aldermen who were in the meeting told Tribune reporters. Dont come to me for s--- for the next three years if you dont support the budget, two aldermen recalled her saying. Although hints of retribution were nothing new for City Hall, the reporters noted, some aldermen were surprised that the mayor made such a threat so directly. Indeed, one wonders, what happened to the days in City Hall when a mere nod-and-a-wink was supposed to be enough? She defended a website she launched the previous year to shame aldermen who voted against her budget, which passed 39-11 anyway, defying criticism that the move was petty and bullying. The fact of the matter is, since when is letting voters and residents know how aldermen voted bullying? Lightfoot told reporters. Thats just silly. But she had more than enough problems outside City Hall without alienating potential allies inside. [ Opinion series: Examining Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots legacy ] Before she could get much of a handle on her promises to end corruption, take away aldermanic privilege and invest in all neighborhoods, not just the affluent ones, a pandemic happened. Advertisement So did civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer, as well as a spike in violent gun crime and carjackings that, despite some improvements, continues to plague the city today a problem not limited to Chicago. Lightfoots leadership in fighting the pandemic earned praise in its early days, but later ran into tussles with the police union over vaccine mandates and the Chicago Teachers Union over safety measures. Still, the magnitude of her loss was striking, although less of a surprise for those of us who have felt rocked by the persistent crime surges, even in neighborhoods that were not known to have much reportable crime in the past. In the citys vast business community, several high-profile corporations moved their headquarters out of town, citing taxes and violence under Lightfoots watch. Adding another sting to the citys woes is the impending departure of the Bears (Da Bears?) from historic Soldier Field to a planned stadium in Arlington Heights. Yet, despite the woes, Lightfoot did have some notable successes to brighten her legacy. She expresses the most pride in her INVEST South/West initiative to fund new infrastructure projects for heavily Black and Hispanic communities on the South and West sides the most ambitious project since the riots following the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in 1968. Advertisement Lightfoot also succeeded where two previous mayors failed in winning the citys first casino, which Ballys plans to build on the Near North Side, currently occupied by the Tribune. Those commendable successes are worth lauding, even if her clashes sometimes with her own allies and often played out in front of TV cameras tend to stick longer in voters memories. Unsurprisingly, Lightfoots negative coverage raises questions among many as to whether the citys first Black, female and lesbian mayor is getting a fair assessment. But having been around long enough to cover the racially incendiary campaign to elect Harold Washington, the citys first Black mayor in 1983, Im sure Lightfoot did not expect a cakewalk. After all, the heated, profanity-laced rhetoric of Lightfoots predecessor Rahm Emanuel was widely covered, too, without the subject of ethnicity coming up. When we speak of a legacy, we talk about the long-lasting impact of people and events that took place in the past. Despite her reputation for thin-skinned, petty and vindictive feuding, Lightfoot showed how to get some good things done and how, with a bit more patience and prudence, she might have accomplished a lot more. Advertisement cpage@chicagotribune.com Twitter @cptime Key Insights YKGI's estimated fair value is S$0.17 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With S$0.15 share price, YKGI appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Peers of YKGI are currently trading on average at a 113% premium In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of YKGI Limited (Catalist:YK9) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! 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. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for YKGI The Calculation We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last 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. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (SGD, Millions) S$7.54m S$6.44m S$5.82m S$5.46m S$5.25m S$5.15m S$5.10m S$5.10m S$5.14m S$5.19m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -21.74% Est @ -14.63% Est @ -9.65% Est @ -6.17% Est @ -3.73% Est @ -2.02% Est @ -0.83% Est @ 0.01% Est @ 0.59% Est @ 1.00% Present Value (SGD, Millions) Discounted @ 8.7% S$6.9 S$5.4 S$4.5 S$3.9 S$3.5 S$3.1 S$2.8 S$2.6 S$2.4 S$2.3 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = S$38m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond 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 2.0%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.7%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = S$5.2m (1 + 2.0%) (8.7% 2.0%) = S$79m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= S$79m ( 1 + 8.7%)10= S$34m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is S$72m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of S$0.1, the company appears about fair value at a 14% 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 YKGI 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 8.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.132. 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 YKGI Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Hospitality market. Opportunity Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine YK9's earnings prospects. Threat No apparent threats visible for YK9. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For YKGI, there are three important items you should look at: Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for YKGI that you should be aware of before investing here. 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! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here KITCHENER You could say Norman (Eric) Peasley is a storyteller. Lying face down in the middle of a Kitchener road on a cold February afternoon, it seemed all but certain Peasleys last great story was going to end in mystery. The 82-year-old hadnt told anyone where he was going that day. And, if he had, he would never have told them about the intersection of Ottawa Street South and Fischer-Hallman Road North. But there he was: face down in the middle of the road, unconscious, neck fractured, nose broken, mouth cut, face bruised, and tooth chipped. He was one bystander away from it all ending. On Feb. 9, someone saved Peasleys life. And now, he wants to thank them. Im still shaking my head, because I just cant believe that I wasnt run over, he said. Theres no question in my mind, thats what should have happened that day. The details initially murky have come back to him in the months after the incident. Peasley lives by himself in a third-floor apartment in Kitchener. The COVID-19 pandemic was long, and much of his day-to-day interactions come in the form of personal support workers. Its not all its cracked up to be, this getting old thing, he said. When you spend a life living like every day can be a new adventure, I dont think you ever quite adjust to the limitations of age. He uses a cane now but is still mobile and independent. On Feb. 9, he decided he was going to do some errands. He set off for downtown, and by the time he was ready for a meal, he reckons he had walked about five kilometres a fine days walk for a young Peasley, but an unfortunate overestimation of what hes capable of now. He found his way to a bus stop and headed in the direction of the Halibut House on Highland Road West. It was cold, it was raining, Peasley was exhausted, and he mistakenly got off the bus early somewhere on Fischer-Hallman Road North. With the wind blowing and the rain pouring down, he started walking. The last thing he remembers is an embankment, two sets of lights that were in sync, and thinking he could make it across the road. Then it goes black. The next thing he knew he was waking up in Grand River Hospital with a face he hardly recognized from the cuts and bruises. Peasleys medical records, released through Grand River, indicate the fall could have been onset by a stroke. Its not conclusive. Already living with a number of medical conditions, a five-kilometre walk in the cold rain could have just as easily led to him collapsing from fatigue, with the trauma to his face knocking him unconscious. His ambulance call report indicates that a bystander called emergency services. It says Peasley was walking on the sidewalk before he fell onto the road and struck his face. Due to the busy intersection, Peasley thinks the bystander likely had to stop traffic, divert it around his unconscious body, and wait for the ambulance to arrive. Ive had a lot of close calls in my life and more than a handful of moments where I probably shouldnt have made it, said Peasley. But how someone didnt hit me is beyond me. I would say it was a 10-to-1 shot that someone would have hit me and that would have been it. His bystander had other plans. Someone saved me. I have no idea who it was, and I would very much like to track them down and thank them, he said. Peasley is a man whose currency is stories. His hospital report, which includes notes from medical specialists, specifically refers to him as a pleasant man in three different sections, from three different specialists. An afternoon with him is a whirlwind into a life of chance interactions with musicians, mafia bosses and members of academic and business high society. He claims to have driven and flown more than 12 million kilometres during his time as a businessperson, salesperson and Kitchener limousine driver. Thats on top of roughly 8,000 nights he says he spent in hotels, the equivalent of roughly 20 years of his life. Give him an afternoon, and hell tell you a story or two about driving around Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie, and even more about a slew of University of Waterloo professors who became dear friends over his years behind the wheel. Thats after decades of sales work, with his great claim to fame coming from introducing WD-40 lubricants to the Canadian market in 1971, when he said he helped open the companys first international office in Toronto. Ive had a life that amazes me, and its all just luck, he said. You stumble into things, and it doesnt surprise me anymore. With age, stumbling sometimes turns into falling, and Peasley knows he might not have too many falls left in him. Its been a few years since many of his lifes great adventures. A growing number of medical conditions, and a life of caution during the COVID-19 pandemic, has limited his travel into the world. Much of his focus now is on his four children, and his stories often lead to new tales about his kids and their own children. You cant get into too much trouble these days sitting still, he said. Peasley didnt sit still on Feb. 9. On the one day he decided it was time to stretch his legs and hit the city, adventure came calling again, and he stumbled and fell into another great story. Now, hes looking to solve the mystery, and get to the closing page where he shakes his saviours hand. He has one question: Are you the bystander? SHARE: Brain Canada Jennifer and Kaese Faber Jennifer Fabers son, Kaese, was 11 years old when he was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cassie + Friends (C + F) and Brain Canada are pleased to announce their new partnership to fund research that will address mental health in youth with rheumatic diseases such as juvenile arthritis and lupus - conditions that affect every 3 in 1000 kids or 24,000 children across Canada. Together, they want to provide support to children and families living with these painful, chronic, and potentially devastating conditions, and ensure they receive timely care and treatment for their mental health needs. Pediatric rheumatic diseases can have long-term physical and psychosocial effects on a young person. These conditions can result in chronic pain, fatigue, and physical limitations that can impact the day-to-day and overall quality of life of children and teenagers as well as young adults. Youth with these conditions, and especially females, are at increased risk of developing mental illnesses characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour associated with significant distress and impaired functioning, such as anxiety and depression. Jennifer Wilson, Executive Director of Cassie + Friends, says: Children growing up with rheumatic disease can be severely affected by their diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments. Hearing from youth and their families over the last 16 years just how devastating this can be, with little awareness and few resources to count on, we are thrilled to be leading the way with Brain Canada towards our ultimate vision of a pain-free future for kids that includes relief from mental pain. A Parent in the C+F community, Jennifer Faber from Windsor, ON, says: I am so happy to hear about this research funding to help transform mental health for kids like my son, who lives with Juvenile Arthritis. My son was an active 11-year-old when he was diagnosed. His arthritis first disabled him with pain and then crippling anxiety for over a year. He could have really used more emotional support and still could. Story continues Despite the prevalence of co-occurring mental illnesses in pediatric rheumatic diseases, estimated at up to 40 per cent, there is a lack of understanding regarding the factors that contribute to their development, mental health screening for early identification and assessment, as well as limited treatment options to provide timely and appropriate care and support. With a total funding envelope of $480,000, C+F and Brain Canada are pleased to support two team grants of $240,000 each over two years with an aim to support research that will improve our understanding of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illnesses in children and youth. "We are proud to partner with Cassie + Friends to support this important research initiative," says Dr. Viviane Poupon, President, and CEO of Brain Canada. "This partnership aligns with our commitment to fund innovative research that has the potential to make a real impact on the lives of Canadians living with neurological and mental health conditions." The call for applications will be announced later this Spring. For more information about the program and how to apply, please subscribe to receive funding opportunities from Brain Canada: LINK About Brain Canada Brain Canada plays a unique and invaluable role as a national convenor of those who support and advance brain research. A greater understanding of how the brain works contributes to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of disorders of the brain, ultimately improving the health outcomes of people in Canada and around the world. Visit Braincanada.ca @BrainCanada About Cassie + Friends Cassie + Friends mission is to transform the lives of children and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases through research, education, connection and support. Our vision is a pain-free future for kids. Working hand-in-hand with patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and researchers across every province and territory in Canada, weve created a vibrant, engaged and connected community that helps kids, teens, young adults and their families face the ups and downs of life with a chronic condition so that no child has to live in pain alone. As the only charity in Canada focussed 100% on kids, weve now raised nearly $3.5 million through the help of families, organizations and dedicated friends. Together, we will ensure the 24,000 kids and teens affected by childhood rheumatic disease in Canada - a leading cause of chronic disability in kids - receive the attention, resources and research they deserve. To learn more and join our mission, please visit cassieandfriends.ca. Media Contact: Jennifer Wilson Executive Director Cassie + Friends 604.617.1382 jennifer@cassieandfriends.ca Brielle Goulart Digital Communications & Stewardship Officer Brain Canada 450-915-2253 Brielle.goulart@braincanada.ca A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5cef4065-7ffa-4171-bfee-3993c764110a VANCOUVER - Employers vastly underestimate the impact of workers leaving an organization on staff left behind with a different workplace dynamic, leading to even more turnover, a new report says. University of British Columbias Sauder school of business associate professor Sima Sajjadiani co-authored the study that found employee exits, through termination, layoffs or by voluntary quitting, change the operational and social fabric of workplaces, prompting more departures. The research 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, she said. Sajjadiani, alongside two researchers from the University of Minnesota, analyzed data of about a million employees at 1,620 stores of a U.S.-based retail chain over a 22-month period. They found that layoff announcements had a strong and immediate impact, increasing voluntary turnover among those who remained at the company. Such events can enhance feelings of job insecurity among those who remain, leading to more employees quitting, the study says. However, the researchers found voluntary departures resulted in fewer turnovers, and that it typically takes longer for the ripple effect of subsequent departures to happen. To high performers, voluntary exits are a positive signal that there are better opportunities elsewhere, so while employees might not leave immediately, they do begin to look for other opportunities, Sajjadiani said. Usually, the subsequent voluntary turnovers after voluntary turnover takes like three months or so, but for layoffs, its really within the first month that a layoff is announced that a lot of employees leave the organization, she said in an interview. The study also revealed that when workers are fired, their departures have a relatively small, fleeting effect, and can even reduce voluntary turnover afterwards. Usually these are people who are disruptive or abusive, or arent doing their fair share, Sajjadiani said. When they go, high performers tend to stay longer, and the risk of voluntary turnover actually goes down. But the study notes that if high performers are dismissed without clear justification and communication as to why, employers not only open themselves to legal headaches, it also sends the wrong message to other high performers (and) they also start heading for the door. Sajjadiani said the study is the first of its kind and should signal to employers that they need to consider possible increased turnover rates when telling other workers about an employee exit. Not all turnover events are the same. It really depends on how disruptive, critical and novel the experience of these events are for the workers in the organization and, depending on these three factors, we are going to see various effects of these events over time. While the studys data predates the COVID-19 pandemic, Sajjadiani said she believes the research remains relevant. It is very timely for organizations to pay attention to these results because the final message of our paper is that whenever you makeexit decisions, especially when its involuntary, when theres a layoff or you dismiss employees, those decisions dont end there. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May07, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: ROME (AP) The Italian tourism ministry thought it had a sure-fire way to bring travelers into the country: turning a 15th century art icon into a 21st century virtual influencer. The digital rendition of Venus, goddess of love, based on Sandro Botticellis Renaissance masterpiece Birth of Venus, can be seen noshing on pizza and snapping selfies for her Instagram page. Unlike the original, this Venus is fully clothed. The influencer claims to be 30, or maybe just a wee bit (older) than that. But the new ad campaign is facing significant backlash with critics calling it a new Barbie that trashes Italys cultural heritage. The tourist campaign trivializes our heritage in the most vulgar way, transforming Botticellis Venus into yet another stereotyped female beauty, Livia Garomersini, an art historian and activist with Mi Riconosci, an art and heritage campaign organization, said in a response to the project last month. The yearlong campaign, produced by national tourism agency ENIT and advertising group Armando Testa, is estimated to have cost 9 million euros (about $9.9 million), according to ENIT CEO Ivana Jelinic. Jelinic said that the campaign was designed for overseas markets to attract younger tourists. The online Venus launched in Italy on April 20 and made her international debut in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market earlier this week. We liked the idea that it would be a work of art that is timeless, Jelinic told The Associated Press, adding that Botticellis Venus seemed to us like a immortal icon who could represent Italy well. Already the new Venus has been memed mercilessly online, appearing among trash bins, alongside Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, and in other less-than godly places. The criticism extends beyond the use of a masterpiece to the manner in which the campaign was orchestrated, including its use of stock images and other gaffes like a promotional video featuring a winery in Slovenia, used as a stand-in for Italy. An even greater sin for many is the campaigns slogan, Open to Meraviglia (Open to Wonder), because it mixes English into an Italian tourist campaign even as the countrys government seeks to protect the Italian language as a pillar of its culture. There are other language faux pas. On the campaigns website, an automatic translator turned Brindisi, a southern Italian port town, into its literal English definition: Toast, according to Matteo Flora, a professor at the University of Pavia. That part of the website has now been obscured. Lets not talk about the creativity point of view, said Flora, You may like (the campaign) or not, but on a technical point of view, it has been... a sort of avalanche of problems. That includes a failure to secure domains, allowing anyone to snatch the material and mock the project with it. Flora said the campaign also wasted money. The campaigns creative team chose to use the intelligence of human creativity, rather than artificial intelligence, to build the virtual Venus but Flora showed how he could quickly come up with a similar campaign using AI at a cost of 20 euros. His social media posts have been shared by thousands of people. The use of a likeness of Botticellis masterpiece has been lambasted by art historians as well, who say it vastly diminishes the beauty and mystery of the 15th century original. Perhaps Botticelli would not be happy about this, said Massimo Moretti, a professor of art history at the University of Rome, Sapienza. Any use of an iconic image like the Birth of Venus risks striking a cultural nerve, marketing experts say. The more you try to alter something thats historic, probably the greater the outcry, said Larry Chiagouris, professor of marketing at Pace Universitys Lubin School of Business. People are going to say, Youre changing the culture. Youre changing who we are, because its part of our history, Chiagouris added. I didnt like the fact that they used the Botticelli Venus like that, since it is a piece of art, Riccardo Rodrigo, a high school student in Rome, said. They made it something social friendly to amuse Gen Z, I think it was unnecessary since it can be used just like it is and not modified like they did. The Uffizi Galleries, which houses Botticellis Birth of Venus in Florence, declined to comment on the campaign. For the creators of the campaign, however, any press is good press. It has become so viral, said Jelinic of ENIT, adding that web users have made her come alive even when placing the new Venus in unglamorous places. I find (it) interesting in terms of social communication, Jelinic said. Our campaign is more appealing than (critics) want to admit. Tourism officials plan to expand the campaign through the use of billboards as well as video screens in airports and railways. ____ Grantham-Philips reported from Washington, D.C. SHARE: ST. JOHNS, N.L. - Crab fishers in Newfoundland and Labrador are keeping their boats at the wharf after rejecting the latest price offer from the association that represents processors. The Association of Seafood Producers offer of a minimum price of $2.20 per pound was tendered to the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union on Saturday, but union members voted it down. In a news release, the union says the majority of harvesters strongly oppose the proposal, therefore boats would remain tied up. Greg Pretty, the unions president, says that the crab is staying in the water until harvesters get a higher share of the price. The union says outstanding issues include a demand that processors provide clarity on the maximum catch that would be accepted, and that companies agree to not bring in crab from fleets based outside the province. The snow crab fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador opened in most fishing areas on April 10, but harvesters have kept their boats tied up to protest this years price at the wharf. Last season, prices opened at $7.60 a pound. Prices are set by a government-appointed panel that hears arguments from the FFAW and the Association of Seafood Producers, which represents fish-processing companies. Industry experts say the global snow crab market has plummeted after record-high prices during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that many sellers are still trying to sell off product from last years catch. The fishers union has said that with wharf prices at $2.20 a pound, processors are asking harvesters to bear the brunt of the market fallout. Snow crab is Newfoundland and Labradors most valuable seafood export, accounting for more than half $883 million of the $1.6 billion generated by the provinces fisheries in 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023. SHARE: SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Japans prime minister expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japans colonial rule, as he and his South Korean counterpart Sunday renewed their resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen cooperation in the face of shared challenges such as North Koreas nuclear program. Comments by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol their second meeting in less than two months were closely watched in South Korea, where many still harbor strong resentment against Japans 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Kishidas statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonization but still sympathized with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for an effort to improve ties. And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days, Kishida told a joint news conference with Yoon, referring to the Japanese colonial period. He said he believes it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to cooperate with Yoon to forge stronger relations. Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbors in 12 years. The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labor. Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each others trade status and Seouls previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Their strained ties complicated U.S. efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoons conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labor victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps. Yoons push, however, drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Yoon has defended his move, saying greater cooperation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Koreas advancing nuclear program, the intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward because our history issues arent settled completely, Yoon said Sunday. He said that 10 out of the 15 former forced laborers or their families involved in the 2018 rulings had accepted compensation under Seouls third-party reimbursement plan. Kishida said: Im struck by the fact that many people, despite their painful memories from the past, opened their hearts for the future as measures by the South Korean government related to (the fund) move forward. Kishida also reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations on the colonization issue, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul, but didnt make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said: I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honored in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. Kishidas comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticized for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic toward historical victims, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. But Kishida did visit South Koreas national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving Seoul-Tokyo relations. Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are underway to implement their earlier agreement on a faster exchange of information on North Korean missile tests. Yoon said he and Kishida reaffirmed that North Koreas nuclear and missile programs pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, Chinas assertiveness and Russias war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. Kishida said he and Yoon would pay respects before a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima. In another apparent conciliatory measure, Kishida said Japan will allow South Korean experts to visit and inspect a planned release of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. More AP coverage of the Asia-Pacific region is at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific SHARE: LANSING, Mich. (AP) Karen Kobylik knew her daughter should not have a gun. She had repeatedly called the police since her daughter turned 21, pleading with them to take her firearms because of the risk she posed to herself and others. They said we cant take any guns away from her because we cannot step on her Second Amendment right, Kobylik told The Associated Press. I was like, Im a mother telling you that this kids got a mental issue that is not currently being addressed. Kobyliks daughter, Ruby Taverner, shot and killed her brother and boyfriend before taking her own life in the early morning of May 8 last year. Kobylik believes all three lives could have been saved had red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, existed in Michigan that would have allowed police to remove her daughters guns and prevented her from purchasing more. Now Michigan is poised to become the 20th state and the first in nearly three years to pass a red flag law. It would allow family members, police, mental health professionals, roommates and former dating partners to petition a judge to remove firearms from those they believe pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. Kobylik said her daughter had been treated for mental health problems including depression since the age of 7 but had stopped taking her medication at 18. Just days before the killings, Taverner purchased the Glock 43X used in the shooting after she had been released from a psychiatric hospital for threatening to take her own life, Kobylik said. Taverner and her brother, Bishop, were both 22. Her boyfriend, Ray Muscat, was 24. The red flag measure faces pushback on the local level in a state where gun-owning culture runs deep. Over half of the states counties have passed resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, opposing laws they believe infringe on gun rights. Some sheriffs have said they will have trouble enforcing something they believe is unconstitutional. At the end of the day, the utmost responsibility for a sheriff is to uphold the Constitution, Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott said. The U.S. is on a record pace for mass shootings so far this year. Touted as the most powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens, an Associated Press analysis in September found red flag laws are barely used in the 19 states and the District of Columbia where they exist. Firearms were removed from people 15,049 times since 2020, fewer than 10 per 100,000 adult residents, according to the analysis. It will be the first time since New Mexico in 2020 that a state has passed a red flag law, but similar legislation is being considered elsewhere as lawmakers seek solutions. The Minnesota House advanced a wide-ranging public safety bill last month that includes a red flag law. It remains uncertain whether the provision will make it through a conference committee. After a Nashville school shooting in March killed six people, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is calling lawmakers back into session after fellow Republicans declined to take up his temporary mental health order of protection proposal at the end of the legislative session they concluded in April. The Biden administration has sought to foster wider use of state red flag laws and recently approved more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer those laws and similar programs. Red flag legislation introduced following a shooting at Michigan State University, which left three students dead and five others wounded, passed the Democratic-controlled Michigan Legislature last month and is expected to be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the coming weeks. It would not take effect until next year at the earliest. A judge would have 24 hours to decide on a temporary extreme risk protection order after a request is filed. If granted, the judge would then have 14 days to set a hearing during which the flagged person would have to prove they do not pose a significant risk. A standard order would last one year. Lying to a court when petitioning for a protection order would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine. Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy has already said he will not enforce the protection orders because he said they lack due process and are ripe for abuse. With 72 of Michigans 83 counties voting Republican in the last presidential election, many sheriffs will have to choose between following the law or appeasing constituents. Local officials do have discretion as to which laws they will enforce with the resources of their office, Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement to the AP. She added that arguments against the orders are based not on the law but the personal whims of what they want to support. In the Upper Peninsulas Marquette County, Sheriff Greg Zyburt said that while he doesnt agree with everything in the legislation, he doesnt pick and choose what laws to enforce. Its not my place, Zyburt said. Thats why we have different branches of government. In Colorado, 37 counties that consider themselves sanctuaries issued just 45 surrender orders in the two years through 2021, one-fifth fewer per resident than non-sanctuary counties. New Mexico and Nevada reported only about 20 orders combined. The laws have continued to receive widespread support from the public even with the lack of usage. An AP-NORC poll in late July found 78% of U.S. adults strongly or somewhat favor red flag laws. Kobylik is a gun owner who considers herself a conservative. She spoke in favor of the red flag law at a Michigan Senate committee hearing in March. Im not here to excuse Rubys actions, she said. Far from it. What I am here to tell you is that this never had to happen. ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, and Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Joey Cappelletti at http://twitter.com/Cappelletti7 SHARE: On a damp and chilly English morning, after most of a natural lifespan spent preparing and waiting, King Charles III was at last formally vested Saturday in the role he was born for. The challenges Charles faces, after the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years, are daunting. The institution must contend with a gathering existential crisis, its subjects expressing disdain for the sins of empire or, perhaps more lethally, indifference to it all. The Commonwealth is restless, the realms demanding apologies, reparations, or a new model of monarchy. With brother Prince Andrew disgraced and son Prince Harry estranged, the House of Windsor itself is unsettled and congenitally given to self-inflicted wounds. To address it all, the new King, at 74, with Queen Camilla has a window of limited duration. It might have been Prince William who, on his 21st birthday, put his finger on the task facing his father. Its important that people feel the monarchy can keep up with them and is relevant to their lives, William said. A challenge that endures and grows. In 1953, on the coronation of Charless mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September, Canadas then-governor general Vincent Massey enthused that our truly venerated monarchy of Britain has renewed itself, in the person of our young sovereign. Today, there exists a much less venerated monarchy. Today, there is little real sense of renewal. As recent polling suggests, increasing numbers of Canadians are disenchanted with the monarchy. Only three in 10 looked favourably on Charles. Half wanted to shed the monarchy entirely. Thats not likely to happen soon. The necessary constitutional manoeuvrings are complex. And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he doesnt intend to go there. And why should he? Canadians are well served by Canadas constitutional monarchy. Still, experts suggest the Kings relationship with Canada will be important. In her biography of Charles, Catherine Mayer noted that in devising a new model of monarchy for the Realms, the (then) prince hopes to defeat their new model armies of republicanism. Canada, with small but committed forces on either side and larger phalanxes of dont-knows and couldnt-cares, makes a good testing ground. Arriving on the throne in his eighth decade, Charles is hamstrung by limitations not of his making. He can never surpass his mother in the signature traits of maturity and resolve. And it is his son, William, who many would have preferred to see take the throne as an agent of renewal. Yet there are those who suggest Charles is underestimated and wouldnt be the first leader to benefit from low expectations. For a half century, he has been forward looking, an early advocate for the environment, conservation, organic farming, equality of opportunity, for youth, for interfaith and intercultural understanding. What once was dismissed, now looks prescient. Charles has compensated for a want of gifts with hard work. Former British prime minister Tony Blair called him enormously and sincerely committed to the causes that animate him. David Cameron, another past PM, said the King is expert in many policy fields. He has a detailed knowledge, reads deeply and consults with authorities from all over the world. Like all mortals, Charles has been tempered by pain and loss a scarring childhood, divorce from and the death of Princess Diana, estrangement from his son. Through it all, he has carried on. In the last 20 years, married to his great love, Camilla, he has seemed increasingly comfortable in his role and in his own skin. He has had more time to plan for his reign than any predecessor. And if the monarchy seems out of touch with the times, his ideas and willingness to reckon with the past and modernize do not. With pageantry and ancient traditions of the coronation on Saturday, his moment, his crucible a moment he once described as the most ghastly, inexorable sense of his future arrived. May the King shoulder this role the burden of history and the weight of expectations with wisdom and grace. SHARE: LONDON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says any decision to expel Chinese diplomats over alleged attempts to threaten a Conservative MP is being made very, very carefully. Trudeau says his government needs to consider potential Chinese backlash and what that would mean for the safety of Canadians and the prosperity of the country. This is a serious and significant question, Trudeau said Sunday, speaking with reporters in London. This is a decision not to be taken lightly and the foreign minister is leaning into this very, very carefully. Conservative MP Michael Chong discovered only last week after a report in the Globe and Mail that CSIS had information in 2021 that the Chinese government was looking at ways to intimidate him and his extended family in Hong Kong. Chong had sponsored a motion in the House of Commons labelling Beijings treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China a genocide. Trudeau has said CSIS did not tell anyone outside the spy agency about the threats, but Chong has said he was told the national security adviser knew about the information. Trudeau says CSIS now has a directive that any such information be elevated to the highest levels, even if it seems minor. Does that mean every potential threat will land on my desk? Not necessarily, but it will mean that ministers and top public servants need to be assessed on it and anything that is deemed to be credible, we will take the necessary action on, Trudeau said. There wasnt a directive on this before. The revelation about Chong is the latest in a string of foreign interference attempts allegedly made by the Chinese government in Canada in recent years, including efforts to influence the results of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. All political parties have agreed any attempted interference did not affect the final outcome of those elections, but Trudeau has appointed a special rapporteur to dig into what has happened and how Canada has and should respond. Former governor general David Johnston, who was appointed to that role, is to decide in about three weeks whether a public inquiry is necessary and report back on all his findings by the fall. The Conservatives and NDP want to go right to a public inquiry. China denies all of it, including the allegations that one of its Toronto-based diplomats tried to start an intimidation campaign against Chong and his family. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has said shes assessing what Chinas retaliation would be if Canada expels a diplomat. Were assessing the consequences that well be facing in case of diplomatic expulsion, because there will be consequences, Joly warned Thursday. When asked Sunday by reporters what that retaliation could look like, Trudeau said Beijing has detained Canadians for reasons widely seen as arbitrary, and has limited Canadian imports such as canola and pork during unrelated diplomatic disputes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023. SHARE: LONDON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said King Charles is deeply aligned with the fundamental priorities of Canadians on reconciliation and the environment. Trudeau made the comments while speaking with reporters in London, a day after he attended the Kings coronation at Westminster Abbey. Trudeau said he has known Charles for decades as an environmentalist and someone committed to preserving nature. He said the King has also shown that he understands the problems created by Britains colonial history in Canada. The work that he has done in reaching out to Indigenous leaders of the past number of years, including again this week, I think shows that he is deeply aligned with some of the really fundamental priorities of Canadians, Trudeau said. Charless coronation on Saturday drew royal fans from all over the world to London, including thousands who camped overnight along a two kilometre route travelled by the procession. Fans waved flags, donned capes, fascinators and crowns, and broke into cheers any time they caught a glimpse of a member of the royal family passing by in a motorcade. Canadian flags were on prominent display in the days leading up to the event, as monarchists from across the country joined the festive atmosphere outside Buckingham Palace. Many of the Canadians in the crowd praised Charles life of public service, his many visits to Canada and his decades-long commitment to fighting climate change But polls suggest a vast majority of Canadians feel indifferent to Charles and little to no attachment to the royal family -- a sentiment that has grown since the death of Queen Elizabeth last September. A significant percentage also believe its time for Canada to reconsider ties to the monarchy. Trudeau noted that Canadians had an extraordinary affection for Charless mother, Queen Elizabeth. He said that leaves a challenge for anyone who steps into the role as Canadas head of state. Obviously, we will have many, many years in which Canadians will get to know his approach and his deep commitment to service, which includes leadership on environment and reconciliation issues, Trudeau said. I am looking forward to, alongside Canadians, getting to continue to work with him on big things that affect not just Canada but the planet. John Craig, a professor of British and English history at Vancouvers Simon Fraser University, said most Canadians likely dont think about the monarchy much at all. Apart from the odd visit from one member of the working royal family or another, it seems totally remote from peoples lives, he said in a phone interview from Lincolnshire, in the east of England. However, he also said he doesnt sense a real groundswell of interest for changing Canadas constitutional arrangement, from either citizens or politicians. Craig said theres no doubt that Charles is a serious man, who worked over the years on important initiatives such as reconciliation, climate change and supporting disadvantaged youth. Despite being in his 70s, the monarch will likely redouble his efforts now that hes been crowned, Craig said. Whether that will endear him to Canadians remains to be seen, Craig said, as he echoed one of Trudeaus comments about the late queen. When youre taking over the reins for somebody whos been monarch for 70 plus years, its a very tough act to follow. The coronation of Canadas new head of state was marked with a ceremony in Ottawa on Saturday, as well as events and viewing parties across the country. The United Kingdom has a whole weekend of events, including a concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday and a number of picnics, volunteering initiatives and smaller community events. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023. SHARE: Justin Trudeaus government must expel a Chinese diplomat who the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service blamed for targeting a Conservative politician who urged parliamentarians to recognize the genocide of Uyghurs in China. This week, Canadians learned that two years ago the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) warned senior bureaucrats, including the prime ministers acting national security adviser, that a Chinese diplomat working out of the Toronto consulate was targeting a Conservative MPs family. The MP in question is Michael Chong, the Conservatives foreign affairs critic, and the member for WellingtonHalton Hills since 2004. Government officials, including CSIS officials who met with Chong in 2021, never told him his family was being targeted. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists officials never told him that a Chinese diplomat was attempting to threaten Chong or that other MPs were targets. Its unclear what exactly happened and, Friday, Trudeau declined to place the blame on anyone in particular. But now, the Liberal government is seized with the issue. Chong wants the consular official, Zhao Wei one of 178 Chinese diplomats working in Canada expelled. Hes right to demand it. The wrong message If we do not take that course of action, Chong told Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Thursday, we are basically putting up a giant billboard for all authoritarian states around the world that says we are open for foreign interference threat activities on Canadian soil targeting Canadian citizens and you can conduct these activities with zero consequences. This is especially concerning for Canadian politicians. If foreign agents are tacitly allowed to intimidate and threaten MPs relatives, the government, as Chong notes, is opening the door to more of these threats. Elected officials are expected to speak for Canadas interest but if they feel speaking out and condemning the country of their birth or their heritage will place a target on family members without any repercussions, these politicians may feel less inclined to speak out. Canada is changing. Soon, we will be a country of 40 million inhabitants. According to data from the last Census, nearly a quarter of Canadians were or had been a landed immigrant or permanent resident, and just over 17 per cent had at least one foreign-born parent. We are a country of immigrants. These Canadians are getting involved in their communities, they are running for office. In the House of Commons, they serve as MPs, as parliamentary secretaries, as cabinet ministers, and even as a party leader. If the government doesnt protect their right to act independently, it is letting us all down. It is not inconceivable that foreign states may feel the most effective way to change Canadian policy is to threaten members of Parliament. Joly has pledged to take action. All options are on the table, she said, but added the government needed to act thoughtfully. There will be consequences We are assessing the consequences that we will be facing in case of diplomatic expulsion, because there will be consequences, she explained. I think its important for Canadians to know what weve learned from the Two Michaels experience is that, of course, China and the PRC will take actions. She listed economic, consular and diplomatic consequences. Joly is not wrong to want to know the consequences of her actions, but in order to safeguard Canadas democracy, to allow MPs to do their work without fear, she must take a tough stance. The Trudeau government has expelled diplomats before for less critical reasons. Back in 2018, for example, four Russian diplomats were shown the door and the credentials of three others were rejected as retaliation for the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury, in the United Kingdom. At the time, the then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland, said the move was designed to show solidarity with the U.K. Pointing to the Vienna Conventions, governing consular and diplomatic relations, she said all steps were taken in accordance with the rules that allow diplomats to be expelled at any moment without reason. Russia fired back The four diplomats, she said, in a statement, have been identified as intelligence officers or individuals who have used their diplomatic status to undermine Canadas security or interfere in our democracy. The Russian embassy replied that the accusations were outrageous and pledged the unfriendly move would be met with reciprocity. In 2017, Freeland expelled a Venezuelan diplomat and barred that countrys ambassador from returning to Canada after Venezuela booted a senior Canadian diplomat who chastised that countrys human rights record. Chong is asking for one diplomat to be expelled. In March, Joly told MPs: If we have any form of clear evidence of any wrongdoing we will send diplomats packing very, very, very quickly. Its time she acts on that pledge. SHARE: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be cautious about making the same mistake with Pierre Poilievre as Stephen Harper did with him when the Conservative prime minister mischaracterized his Liberal opponent only to see him surpass expectations. Back in 2015, Harpers director of communications, Kory Teneycke, told reporters that expectations of Trudeau were so low going into the first election debate that if he comes on stage with his pants on, he will probably exceed expectations. The Conservatives spent years telling each other and Canadians that Trudeau wasnt up to the job of prime minister. Their first attack ad, in 2013, used footage of Trudeau pretending to strip at a charity fundraiser to mock him as a pretty-boy lightweight who was in way over his head. That framing, pounded through a series of other ads, suggested Trudeau couldnt protect the country from terrorism, or handle the nations finances, or lacked the experience to lead the country because hed been a camp counsellor, a rafting instructor and a drama teacher. For two years, Conservatives lowered expectations so much that when the 2015 election came around and Canadians had a long look at Trudeau, his team, and his Liberal platform, enough voters felt the Tories attacks didnt ring true and they handed the untested leader a majority government. The Liberals would be wise to remember that. At the Liberal partys national convention this past week, the prime ministers team portrayed Poilievre as a far-right-Donald-Trump-MAGA (Make America Great Again) extremist. In a speech to convention delegates Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly pointed to the current Conservative leader and declared the rising tide of the far right has already reached our shores. Poilievre, she said, stood shoulder to shoulder and gave a platform to conspiracy theorists to get elected, and after he won, Canadians got more of the same. Behind closed doors, the following morning, Joly went further. She told Liberal delegates this would be the ballot question at the next election. Youve heard me in the speech yesterday saying that the far right has now reached our shores. And thats the real choice that Canadians will have to be facing in the next election, is do we accept that or not? The campaign, Joly said, has already begun. Were a minority government, she noted, and the party will soon face five by-elections (two in Manitoba, and one each in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec). Every election is a new election. Its a new narrative. Its a new choice. What we know is that Poilievre has imported, in Canada, the MAGA extremist, you know, rhetoric, she said. When you watch [controversial Florida Republican Governor] Ron DeSantis in speeches or [former U.S. President] Trump you see the same type of vocabulary that is used by Poilievre. She predicted the 2024 presidential election in the United States likely another faceoff between Trump and President Joe Biden will influence Canadians, and stressed how important it is for Liberals to make extremely clear the choice between Trudeau and Poilievre is stark. Liberal MP Tim Louis, who was on the same panel with Joly, suggested this might make the difference between a Liberal minority or a majority mandate. On stage Friday, Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state, New York senator, and Democratic presidential nominee who lost to Trump, echoed these themes, warning delegates that a lot of democracies are being undermined by forces largely on the political right who deny minority rights and dismiss a free press. You just have to be highly alert to this, do not dismiss it. She spoke of her former Republican colleagues in the U.S. Senate and said she no longer recognizes them. I dont recognize people who I worked with who are now willing to engage in election denial. Who are claiming that there are outlandish conspiracies, that the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 didnt really happen, even though we saw it with our own eyes. It is shocking to me what has happened to the Republican Party in the United States. Trudeau himself, in a speech to the party faithful, sought to paint the Conservative party as conspiracy laden and out of touch with mainstream Conservatives. The Liberal leader suggested Poilievre and his brokenness Conservative party would be unable to help Canadians get better access to a family doctor, or help young people buy their first home. Pierre Poilievres populism, his slogans and buzzwords are not serious solutions to the serious challenges were facing, he said. Yes, Poilievre rails against wokeism. He frequently spreads disinformation and mischaracterizes Liberal policy. (His latest attack suggesting the Grits would legalize crack, cocaine and heroin is particularly egregious.) He placates conspiracy theorists. He seeks to defund the CBC, and he muzzles his backbench. The Liberals arent wrong to say the Conservative leader is for freedom for some but not for all. But Poilievre has not shown himself to be an apologist for authoritarian regimes, or to embrace anti-immigration policies, or attack LGBTQ rights. The more the Liberals seek to paint Poilievre as Trump or DeSantis, the further they risk alienating voters who once they take a good look at the Conservative leader discover hes not quite what was portrayed. Read more about: SHARE: (Bloomberg) -- Nineteen months after China banned crypto, more signs have emerged that its citizens continue to buy and sell digital assets. Most Read from Bloomberg These glimpses of their trading activity support suspicions that some of Chinas 1.4 billion people flout the prohibition Beijing imposed in September 2021 as they hunt for alternatives to investments like property and stocks. A shadowy role for Chinese demand adds to the difficulty of parsing the outlook for digital-asset markets, which have partially revived this year from a 2022 crash pockmarked with bankruptcies like that of the FTX crypto exchange. There is even speculation the ban on the mainland could be loosened though there are no indications of that happening after Hong Kong pivoted to a pro-crypto stance to woo investment, a step that won quiet backing from Beijing. The evidence of ongoing Chinese appetite for tokens comes from varied sources, including FTXs creditor profile, citizens who said they used crypto platforms and depictions by industry insiders of workarounds to Beijings ban. Hard to Eliminate Essentially, bans dont work, said Caroline Malcolm, global head of public policy at Chainalysis, which specializes in tracking digital-asset transactions. The decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies and the fact that they can be transferred peer-to-peer and traded on global exchanges make it difficult for any government to completely eliminate them. US bankruptcy filings for FTX, which collapsed in November last year, show Chinese users accounted for 8% of the exchanges customers. FTX advisers have tallied more than 9 million customer accounts overall, while claims from creditors amount to at least $11.6 billion. Story continues Jack Ding, a partner with crypto regulations specialist Duan & Duan Law Firm, said he represents six Chinese creditors with a combined $10 million of FTX claims. They are part of a committee for foreign FTX customers, he said. Theoretically, crypto trading is outlawed for Chinese at home and abroad but its hard to enforce, Ding said. Often its about compliance systems at exchanges and whether theyll filter out Chinese passport holders, he added. Beijing cracked down on digital assets over concerns about money laundering, currency outflows and the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. The likes of the Binance, OKX and FTX exchanges had tapped risk-loving investors in China, once the worlds biggest market for Bitcoin trading, to boost growth. Compliance Challenge Crypto platforms now try to block Chinese Internet Protocol addresses but virtual private networks can defeat such attempts by masking locations. Interviews with Chinese investors point to the compliance challenge. Four said they had traded on the Binance digital-asset platform, and a fifth said hed also used OKX, after Beijings prohibition. Binance is the largest crypto exchange while OKX ranks at No. 2, CoinGecko data on 24-hour volumes show. The five spoke in part out of frustration over current or earlier suspensions of their accounts. Four said they lived in mainland China and had passed know-your-customer procedures using Chinese identification. OKX declined to comment on the issue. A spokesperson for Binance said the company doesnt operate in mainland China or have any technology, including servers or data, based there. Great Firewall Following the September 2021 ban, the Binance platform, including the website and mobile application, has been blocked behind the Great Firewall, the Binance spokesperson said, referring to the system China uses to sever its internet from the rest of the world. A sixth Chinese investor, David Jin, said he lives in Silicon Valley and has had $8 million of crypto frozen on Binance since July at the behest of police in central Chongqing city in China. The police were probing tokens allegedly linked to illegal online casinos, Jin added, while denying involvement. A Chongqing police officer surnamed Mu, whos in charge of the case, didnt respond to numerous requests for comment. The Binance spokesperson said that the company has a policy of cooperating with lawful information requests and legal inquiries from authorities pertaining to investigations, prosecutions, forfeiture actions and suspicious activities. Binance reserves the right to reject law enforcement requests that fail legal scrutiny, dont serve a legal purpose or where the investigative approach is flawed, the spokesperson added. Turning Dominican In March, Bloomberg News reported that another major crypto exchange, Huobi Global, was giving Chinese users the option of applying for a digital identity with the tiny island nation of Dominica. Once on-boarded, their app profile shows them as Dominican citizens, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not be identified discussing sensitive matters. Huobi has said that it doesnt operate in China and that Chinese Internet Protocol addresses are strictly prohibited from accessing the platform, and that new customers are from anywhere but China. Huobi has exited the Chinese market and barred Chinese users from signing up or logging in, the company has said. The Peoples Bank of China, which announced the digital-asset ban in September 2021 when it said all crypto-related transactions are illegal, didnt immediately respond to request for a comment on the signs that Chinese citizens continue to trade virtual assets. Since the prohibition, Chinese regulators havent announced sanctions on any offshore exchange for signing up mainland users. Malcolm from Chainalysis said the ban has either been ineffective or loosely enforced. The average monthly value of crypto flowing to China did roughly halve in 2022 from a year earlier but still remained sizable at $17 billion, the firm estimates. If somehow the crypto sector was legalized in China in the future, it would likely lead to a surge in demand for cryptocurrencies, Malcolm said. --With assistance from Sidhartha Shukla and Yujing Liu. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. 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EXPANDING KVC Missouri assumed responsibility of operations, programs and services of Great Circle, expanding foster care, childrens mental health and family-strengthening services at more than 20 state locations. GETTING BETTER NUSO has joined Zooms Provider Exchange Program as a Cloud Peering Partner for Zoom Phone. HELPING OUT Clement Ford awarded a 2023 Ford Mustang to Trent Stuerman, a junior at Liberty High School in Wentzville, one of 20 finalists in the first annual Clement Ford Drive For Excellence. MILESTONE Kay-Bee electric, founded in Florissant in 1948, celebrated it 75th anniversary. MOVING Vogel Law Office, LLC, moved to 7676 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 1810 at Centene Centre in downtown Clayton. Freddie Lees Gourmet Sauces moved its sauce production and bottling operations to a multi-unit building at 1912 Carr St., north of downtown St. Louis. OPENING Hi-Pointe Drive-In, this summer, opens its second Illinois location, its seventh in the St. Louis area: 6147 Trace Pkwy Drive, Edwardsville. Niche Food Group plans to open Expat BBQ this fall at: City Foundry STL, east of Food Hall. Kaldis Coffee Roasting Company opened a drive-through cafe at: 1856 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles. PROJECTS BJC Healthcare and Encompass Health, broke ground on a joint venture, a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital, opening in summer 2024 at 998 Woods Mill Road, Town and Country. BRIDGETON An area construction union that went on strike last week says it has reached a tentative deal on a new contract so work can resume at stalled construction sites. Local 513 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents 4,200 heavy equipment operators and technicians in eastern Missouri, said in an announcement Saturday evening it had tentative deal with the Associated General Contractors of Missouri. The union released few details but said the agreement protects wages and working conditions. This contract is a just agreement for our membership that includes fair compensation, benefits, and dignity on the job site, Brian Graff, president and business manager of Local 513, said in a statement. The unions prior agreement expired Monday and heavy equipment operators represented by the union walked off job sites for much of the week, affecting projects including a major investment in the Procter and Gamble plant in north St. Louis. Other strikers picketed the ongoing expansion of the Americas Center convention complex downtown. On its website, the union said membership will vote on the proposed contract Friday and in the meantime told members to contact their employers to receive work assignments if their jobs had been affected by the strike. A representative from the Associated General Contractors confirmed details were worked out Saturday afternoon and that the tentative deal included a commitment for union members to return to work immediately. Mukund Viswanadha was in high school, just finding his way as a young adult, when he received news that changed everything. I lost a classmate of mine to suicide, said Viswanadha, who is now studying biological sciences at the University of Missouri. His mom, who was a doctor, gave a presentation about how mental health in the Asian American community in St. Louis was lacking, and how theres a lack of resources devoted to addressing these concerns. Viswanadha said telemental health or the use of technology to provide mental health services remotely could really help increase resources and accessibility to needed care in his community. This approach has been on the rise in India, where Viswanadhas family comes from, as well as in the U.S., where he was born. Why? Proponents say it makes talking with therapists more convenient, eliminating things like traveling and waiting rooms, and reduces the stigma that still sometimes surrounds getting care for mental health. Such benefits are boosting services such as BetterHelp which is based in the U.S. but can serve patients anywhere. The concept of telemedicine was first introduced in the 1950s as a way to provide medical care to remote and underserved areas. It became more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, as practitioners were advised to move their services online. In recent years, more and more people have turned to telehealth for mental health care. A 2021 national public opinion poll of U.S. adults by the American Psychiatric Association found that 38% of Americans have used telehealth to meet with a medical or mental health professional, up from 31% in the fall of 2020. Nearly six in 10 survey respondents said they would use telehealth for mental health care. In India, the national government recently launched a telemental health program that will provide free consultations and involve the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience and 23 telemental health centers of excellence. Some Asian immigrants to the U.S. say telemental health could be a boon for them because it provides an easier way to find therapists who understand them. It could be a way students and experts in the Pan-Asian community can achieve their goals of addressing mental health stigma and bolstering culturally-informed care. But while telemental health can remove barriers to help, some people worry that remote therapy visits limit interpersonal connections. And access to online health services may be hindered in low-income communities, where some people lack reliable internet or expensive new technology. Still, the trend shows no sign of slowing. Rise of telemental health in India When it comes to mental health care, India for years has faced a huge treatment gap, said Dr. Debanjan Banerjee, a consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Hospital in Kolkata. Banerjee, who is associated with the Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital, is hopeful about recent legislation that provides more funding for mental health. But he sees a lot of room for improvement. In spite of these monumental steps, there still remains an 88% treatment gap in India, Banerjee said. Only one in six people diagnosed with mental disorders seek professional help. Lack of accessibility, along with the stigma attached to mental health, is largely responsible for this gap. In February, Indias finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, announced that the government would be launching its national telemental health program. It wasnt until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020 that telemental health truly began to take off in India. With social distancing measures in place and many mental health clinics and offices closed, telehealth became the primary way for people to get necessary mental health services. At the same time, the need for such services went up. The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages, Sitharaman said in her speech at Parliament. To improve the access to quality mental health counseling and care services, a national mental telehealth program will be launched. But as telemental health services become more widely accessible, experts said some questionable sites and services popped up online. Dr. Jhelum Podder, a practicing psychoanalyst and assistant professor of psychology at Loreto College in Kolkata, said shes skeptical about anonymous chat rooms and support groups that claim to provide free therapy. It sounds incredibly unethical, irresponsible and dangerous to me. There has to be some accountability, but when this is anonymous, there is no accountability, Podder said. You never know how the information you put across will be used. Culturally-informed telehealth As telemental health expands in the U.S., experts and many potential patients want to ensure it is inclusive and that therapists know how to provide the best treatment to people from various cultures. Viswanadha, a junior who serves as vice president of the Pan-Asian Mental Health Advocacy Coalition, said he wants to expand mental health services for his community on campus and telehealth could be one avenue. Hed love to eventually see telemental health available to students. Immigrant students said they face some particular challenges that can affect mental health. Viswanadhas family moved from India before he was born, and he often helps his immigrant parents navigate life in the U.S. He described how this role can be very stressful, in addition to developing his own identity as a second generation immigrant. Sometimes theres been a bit of a clash between those cultures, and I have to learn how both identities affect me, Viswanadha said. A fellow leader in the coalition, its president Ma May Si, said the organizations racial diversity lends itself to cultivating a nuanced understanding of one anothers mental health struggles. Im originally from Myanmar, Si said. My experience as a Southeast Asian versus that of Mukund, who is a South Asian, and other members who are East Asians, are totally different. Sis family moved to the United States as refugees in 2009. As a third grader, she had to take on the responsibility of assimilating to a new language and culture. My parents didnt really speak English, Si said. So growing up, I had to be the one translating for them. So my experiences growing up having to learn the culture here, versus my brothers who were born here, its not the same. Despite the mental health challenges that may come with cultural differences, Si has noticed a positive shift in how her community thinks about mental wellness after COVID-19. She believes that telehealth has opened up opportunities for Asian-Americans to access culturally informed resources such as therapists with similar backgrounds. Some services allow people to search for therapists who would be a good match, and people can choose professionals with whom they feel comfortable. Having an Asian-American therapist that you can go to rather than someone else who might not be able to relate to your experience, I think thats super important, Si said. Meanwhile Becky Beck, a licensed clinical social worker who works with the Columbia nonprofit DeafLEAD, has some reservations about using technology for mental health. Beck, whose employer offers services to people with hearing loss, has long strived to make mental health support more accessible. To her, this doesnt just mean having it available in-person and online; it also means ensuring her clients and anyone else can use the technology. Its always super important to include people with different abilities in the room when youre discussing technology and whats available, Beck said. Also, remote appointments are not a good option for everyone. She said some people who use therapy services benefit from getting out of their home and into a more neutral space. Telehealth doesnt allow this. But despite what some see as drawbacks, experts say telemental health continues to become more popular every year and has the potential to significantly widen access to therapy. Viswanadha said that would be good for people across the globe. Already, he said, it did make some people more likely to actually address their mental health concerns, or go to a provider, or just go to a professional and seek help. Each year, students from the University of Missouri work with students from India on joint story projects that link their two countries. The project is overseen by Laura Ungar, an adjunct instructor at the University of Missouri and reporter on the global health and science team at The Associated Press, and roving journalist Sujoy Dhar, founder of the Indian news agency India Blooms News Service (IBNS). Related stories: Last summer, Jerry Ahrens visited the emergency room with a stomach ache, which turned out to be a mass on his right kidney. He needed surgery. When it came time for the operation, Dr. Naveen Pokala at University of Missouri Health Care got some help from an assistant he often depends on: a robot. Six incisions later, the mass was out, Ahrens kidney saved. Ive got six small holes, or incisions in various places on the belly where they went in to do that, Ahrens said. No major cuts, openings or stitches or anything like that. Pokala frequently uses robotic surgery to help his urology patients. Its part of a growing trend not just in the United States but in Pokalas native India. Medical experts say robotic surgery is surging in many parts of the world because it offers many benefits, such as reduced recovery time, less blood loss than a traditional surgery and fewer complications. Dr. Daniel Hafez, a neurosurgeon at Washington University in St. Louis, said they have had two robots there for about five years. The benefit of the robot right now is to improve the surgical accuracy and guide the placement of our instrumentation what we call navigation,he said. So like GPS tells you where to go when you're driving, the robot tells us where we are placing our screws and other instruments. The most popular robotic system for some surgeries in both countries is the da Vinci, made by the company Intuitive which reported 1.1 million procedures in the U.S. in 2021, up from 876,000 in 2020. Robotic surgery was on the rise for many years before that, too. A 2020 study looking at nearly 170,000 patients in 73 hospitals found the use of robotic surgery rose from 1.8% of all general surgery procedures in 2012 to 15.1% in 2018. Over the past 12 years in India, meanwhile, there have been 128,000 successful robotic surgeries, according to Apollo Hospitals. Doctors from various specialties use robotics for surgeries involving the spine, heart, joints and other parts of the body. Traditional surgery is still an option, but many patients favor robot-assisted operations, said Robert J. Webster III, a professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University. The same is true in India, where Dr. Balasubramaniam Ramana is a senior surgeon in the bustling eastern city of Kolkata. Ramana specializes in general surgery and bariatric surgery and began studying robot-assisted surgery in 2018 when he became interested in treating hernias. Robotic surgery is making a huge difference in the management of complex patients in multiple specialties, he said. A bevy of benefits Pokala, director of robotics at MU Health, said that robot-assisted surgeries can actually make his work in urology easier. The robotic device allows him to make smaller holes in a patients belly for surgery, leading to less blood loss and a faster recovery. The robot actually makes it easier to work well in a confined space, he said. With minimal invasive surgery youre set to sort of putting small holes, which are like a centimeter at the most and some of them are eight millimeters or even smaller. Through those you do the whole operation, so the pain is a lot less Because you fill the belly up with air, it also tends to bleed a lot less patients have a lot less pain and they tend to recover a lot faster. After Pokala performed the robot-assisted surgery on Ahrens, he said he got better and better each day. After about two to three weeks I would go into town, get out of the house, Ahrens said. Patients in India expressed similar sentiments. The Vattikuti Foundation, a Michigan-based nonprofit founded by the Indian-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Raj Vattikuti, provides education to patients, training to surgeons and funding for surgical technology. The foundation releases videos about the experiences of patients and surgeons with robot-assisted surgical technology. In one, a patient explains how quickly she recovered after a kidney transplant. I started feeling well and moving better. My hospital staff allowed me to leave my bed the very next day, Suman Thapar from Kotkapura, Punjab, said in the video. When asked if she was worried about the robot-assisted surgery, she said she felt confident in the doctors abilities. I was not afraid at all, and even after the transplant, I didnt feel that I had undergone any surgery. Mahendra Bhandari, CEO of Vattikuti Foundation and director of robotic research and education at Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Hospital, allayed the fears around robotic surgery. The robot is totally under the control of the surgeon and does not do anything on its own, said Bhandari, who along with Indian-American physicians Raj Vattikuti and Mani Menon have featured in Many Voices, One Nation exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History for their contribution to the world of Robotic Surgery through the Vattikuti Foundation. Bhandari said the decision to use robotic surgery versus traditional surgery should be based on the patients individual needs, medical history, and the experience of the surgical team. Pokala said newer surgeons and medical students are in some cases learning more about robotic medicine than traditional forms of surgery. The newer surgeons probably dont know how to do an open prostatectomy at all because we dont do those anymore, Pokala said of the prostate procedure. It bleeds a lot less, you know, and when you did them before people would bleed almost two liters to three liters. Jason Davis, senior staff surgeon at Henry Ford hospital in metropolitan Detroit, is a total joint replacement surgeon with a specialty in robot-assisted hip replacement. He said one benefit from the surgeons standpoint is that it reduces the physical and mental fatigue doctors can feel during surgeries. That allows doctors to focus on their work, and stay less fatigued throughout their workdays. In a 2020 study in The Journal of Surgical Case Reports, researchers found that surgeons practicing laparoscopic surgery had significantly higher physical fatigue than doctors who performed the same surgery using robot-assisted devices. But the study also said the fatigue laparoscopic surgeons experienced doesnt reduce the dexterity and overall performance of the surgeon. The question of cost For patients, the cost difference between traditional, or open, surgery and robot-assisted surgery depends on the type of procedure the doctor performs and the persons insurance coverage. In most health care systems, the price is similar regardless of the way in which the surgeon chooses to perform the procedure. The main cost factor for this is the capital acquisition of the robot itself, Hafez said. In spine surgery, the hospital already owns the majority of the equipment, and the patient is paying for the implants used during the surgery. Similarly, for robotic surgery, the hospital must purchase the robot and its associated instruments. It is an expensive investment the hospital is making to improve patient safety and surgical outcomes. But the benefits are worth the cost, Hafez said. Once you purchase it, then you start getting the benefit of improved accuracy, reduction in OR times, reduction in X-ray exposure to the patient, and reduction in blood loss, Hafez said. So you start saving costs per use over time, but there's definitely a capital acquisition cost up front that is much higher. In India, meanwhile, Ramana said there is no uniformity with costs or what insurance covers for robotic surgery. For example, somebody has a kidney tumor and that needs to be done robotically, it is possible that the insurance company may accept that compared to some other surgery, Ramana said. At teaching hospitals, surgical residents are trained on the robotic systems and how to perform procedures on them. Patients who go to training hospitals could get such surgeries for free. There are also programs at government hospitals where qualified patients can get robotic surgery at lower costs. According to the Vattikuti Foundation, robotic surgery costs can be reduced in India because of large volumes of patients. Although the initial investment in robotic surgical equipment can be expensive, robotic surgery may ultimately result in lower overall healthcare costs due to shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and potentially fewer complications, Bhandari said. However, the cost-effectiveness of robotic surgery depends on several factors, including the type of procedure, the patient's medical history, and the availability of skilled robotic surgeons. Potential risks But as with any surgery, there are potential risks. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, complications from surgery in general include hemorrhaging, shock, and reactions to medicine and anesthesia. The success of a surgery, and the rate of complications, also depend on the skill of the doctors. Davis said its important for patients to do research about potential doctors before choosing one. Primarily look at a surgeon and their team and experience rather than shop around for a specific robotic surgeon versus non-robotic surgeonBecause the robot is really just a tool, Davis said. If you put in wrong settings or make wrong inputs into it, you can also do some harm. Ramana explained that some of the potential risks of robot-assisted surgeries are similar to laparoscopic surgery. For example, there are risks from anesthesia. The other things are robot-specific, Ramana said. So robot specific complications would include something like the robotic arm may actually injure the patients head or the eye, if it is not taken care of while positioning the robot against the patient. But Ramana said harmful complications with the robotic system are rare. A robotic future As robot-assisted surgeries expand in different places around the world, some people worry the trend could affect the employment outlook for surgeons. But Ramana said unless we have a pure robotic evolution, humans will still have jobs. This is not like AI taking over the function of normal professionals, he said. Robotic surgery is in that sense a misnomer. Ramana said that you still need someone who is a trained professional to handle the robot since it does not have the ability to work independently. There is a very important feature of robotic surgery for people to understand that the robot is not going to do the surgery for you, Ramana said. Its the surgeon who does the surgery. So the robot is basically an interface between the patient and the surgeon. Patients also have the option in many cases to choose between traditional forms of surgery and robot-assisted surgery. Walter Dixon was given the choice between radiation treatment and removing his prostate after finding out that he had a mass growing. He decided to allow doctors to use robot-assisted technology to take out the cancer. I was out, woke back up and it was done! Dixon said. It was very comfortable, as far as something that major, I was very, very impressed with it.. Experts said robot-assisted surgery is only going to continue to grow. In a recent earnings conference call for Intuitive Surgical Inc., CEO Gary Guthart said the company saw an 18% increase in procedures using da Vinci systems in the quarter and full year of 2022. Overall, da Vinci systems were used in a total of 11 million procedures since the commercialization of the machinery within the past year. He said the U.S. and India were among the countries that stood out. Webster said he believes that robot-assisted surgery will begin to be integrated into resident and fellowship curricula. Typically, exposure starts during residency and really accelerates during a clinical fellowship. During residency, a doctor does rotations, hopping around the hospital to get broad perspectives, Webster says, If they find that they like robotic surgery, then they often choose a specialization that uses robotics and sign on to a fellowship program that makes them a true expert in robotic surgery. As they join the medical profession, experts say, they will help shape its future. It's going to continue to rise across all surgical specialties. I think all humans are prone to error, no matter how great they are or how technically skilled they are as a surgeon, Hafez said. So as tech gets better, and as AI gets better, there is going to be a continued increase in the use and the role of robotics. Each year, students in a University of Missouri business journalism class taught by Professor Randall Smith work with students from India on joint story projects that link their two countries. The project is overseen by Smith along with Laura Ungar, a reporter on the global health team at The Associated Press, and roving journalist Sujoy Dhar, founder of the Indian news agency India Blooms News Service. Related stories: Two orange tabby cats pawed at each other playfully near the feet of their owner, Eli Bolding. The cats, named Tax Fraud and Ponzi Scheme, are brothers who were inseparable at the shelter they were adopted from, and they remain that way today. They get noticeably anxious when apart from each other for too long. Bolding, of Columbia, Missouri, says the cats fill a void in his life as pets do for millions of others around the world. I get to college, Im kind of here on my own everythings fun but theres something missing, said Bolding. Now that I have a cat it feels right. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pet ownership rose sharply across the world. In the pandemics early months, lockdowns forced people to stay home. When restrictions loosened, some continued to work from home. Many brought new pets into those homes for companionship, and others grew closer to the pets they already had. Businesses worldwide reacted, rushing to meet their needs with everything from pet food to veterinary care to elaborate dog parks. The already-flourishing pet care industry in the U.S. grew even bigger, while a burgeoning pet care industry in India also saw significant growth. According to a 2022 Forbes Advisor survey, 78% of pet owners got pets during the pandemic. In Missouri, operators of dog shelters in the St. Louis area and Columbia said they saw huge upticks in adoptions. Initially, we saw a lot of dogs being adopted (during the pandemic), said Jennifer Alley of Dirks Fund Golden Retriever & Large Breed Rescue near St. Louis. We, maybe in a two week period, only had seven dogs within our care, which was unheard of. Some want to test the waters by fostering pets before adopting them. We have more families that are fostering than weve ever had before, she said. Alley and others said some people unfortunately returned their pets to the shelter after lockdowns ended. But many of those who kept them spared no expense to provide for their needs. Business growth of popular online pet food and products retailer Chewy.com reflects these changes in consumer spending habits. According to Chewys annual report, its 2022 sales totalled over $10 billion a 13.6% improvement year-over-year. And a March 2023 letter to shareholders said existing customers are spending more, with net sales per average customer growing 15% year over year. According to Chandradeep Singh, an analyst at Market Decipher, a market research and consultancy firm, last year, the pet care market in India, was estimated to be around $9 million. At a compound annual growth rate of roughly 19%, its expected to grow to $25 million by 2032. That increase is on account of rising nuclear families, double-income households, changes in lifestyle, urbanization, and increasing pet ownership, Singh said. A number of people during the lockdown filled their emptiness by adopting a pet. A local business boom Business owners and entrepreneurs in Missouri are also responding to consumer needs. Jessica and Kyle Schlosser, owners of Lizzi & Roccos Natural Pet Market in Columbia, opened their business in 2009. Since then, its grown to two locations offering pet food and supplies, plus dog training and grooming services. Over the course of the pandemic, Jessica Schlosser noticed a huge increase in pet ownership. Retail sales and eventually demand for grooming and training services increased significantly. We are stronger than we were before by a long shot, she said. Schlosser said spending so much time at home during COVID especially during lockdowns helped people understand their pets on a deeper level and develop stronger relationships with them. And the depth of that human-pet bond persisted even as people resumed more traditional schedules, she said. This shift in relationship has translated into changes in consumer purchasing, such as buying more enrichment toys like puzzles and more engaging and interactive toys. People are realizing that animals can get bored too, said Schlosser. They can also get anxious. Sales of products like LickiMats, which help reduce anxiety in dogs, have taken off, said Schlosser. So have sales for stress-relief and CBD products. COVID gave rise to another challenge for pet owners: behavior issues in dogs lacking proper training and socialization during the pandemic. Schlosser has a name for these dogs: COVID puppies. Our dog training went from, in essence, nothing in March of 2020 to now our trainer is jam packed. Lizzi & Roccos plans to hire a second trainer to accommodate the demand. Demand for grooming services at Lizzi and Roccos has also shot up. Since 2020, they went from two groomers to five. After they build out a new space, theyll have six groomers. Another Columbia entrepreneur, Rebecca Welly, was inspired to start a different pet-related business during the pandemic: Dog Wild, an indoor/outdoor dog park where dogs can run around freely, and pet owners arent limited by the size of their home or yard or fluctuations in the weather. The idea came to Welly during COVID lockdowns while stuck working from home with her family and dogs. After some searching online, Welly realized others had already started similar business concepts. She found companies like Bar K an indoor/outdoor fully-staffed dog park, modern bar/restaurant, and event space based in Kansas City, Missouri. So in March 2023, Welly entered a startup competition. She tied for third place. There was a lot of positive feedback from people like, Oh my goodness, when are you opening? The enthusiastic response from the public created momentum for Welly, who continues developing the idea. While she doesnt have an opening date for Dog Wild, Welly is actively moving the concept forward. Shes had meetings on insurance, legal and accounting aspects of the company to start formal business operations. Shes also developing a website with a marketing professional and planning fundraising events. Its become very busy, Welley said. Ive been trying to do something every day. Pet care grows in India Nearly 8,000 miles away in India, entrepreneurs are also scrambling to meet the rising needs of pet owners. Dua Mushtaq, who owns Pet Erena clinic in the Srinagars Karan Nagar area in Kashmir, said some people are increasingly willing to spend lots of hard-earned rupees on 4-legged members of their families. She said people want to give their pets the best lives they can. Pet parents are very serious about their pets nowadays, said Mushtaq. They keep waiting for new playtime toys, food, and grooming accessories for their pets. The same is true in Rainawari locality of Old Srinagar, where Tahir Ahmad lives with his white fluffy cat, Snowbear, who has become accustomed to a high standard of living. Snowbear now only eats the expensive cat food Royal Canin a high-end habit that once compelled Tahir to travel all the way to South Kashmirs Anantnag district (almost 40 miles away) to buy it. Dr. Iqra Shafi Khan, a veterinarian at Pet Erena, said people not only are concerned about the health of their pets, but they also are very much serious about their grooming. This has created more opportunities for businesses including startups. On Dec. 13, 2022, a Gujarat-based pet training and grooming brand, Zoivane Pets, announced that it raised over $600,000 in seed money from an investor. Nishma Singhal, co-founder of the company, said the main aim of the fundraiser is to become a permanent partner in peoples pet parenting. The faith that pet parents have demonstrated in Zoivane Pets primarily increased our confidence in raising funds and expanding our portfolio, Singhal said. Im extremely proud of what weve accomplished at Zoivane and appreciate listening from pet families who have noticed and experienced benefits in their furry family members from our natural products. As more people have gotten pets, at least one employer the Indian e-commerce firm Simpl has responded with a policy that allows workers to take time off to care for their animals. We curated this new leave policy keeping employee centricity at the core. We are cognizant of the varied needs of a diverse workforce to take time-off from work. Hence, we have tried to make our leave policy as inclusive and flexible as possible, said Sneha Arora, the chief human resources officer at Simpl. It allows people to take time off when needed for emergencies, family occasions, personal milestones, or to just relax and rejuvenate. In recent years, pet ownership in India has become much like pet ownership in the U.S. But it has its roots in an ancient culture of pet keeping. On a recent day, sexagenarian Mohammad Sultan walked out of his houseboat on the banks of the river Jhelum in Kashmir, and gently placed his hand on the head of his pet sheep. Looking at the silent waters of the river, he remembered his fathers flock of sheep, hens and birds. My father Mohammadd Siddique owned a variety of pets, Sultan recollected. He used to do this because he was fond of it, and not for showoff or popularity. For Sultan, keeping animals doesnt involve buying new pet products. It is about holding the memories of his father. Like the motive of keeping pets, his pet care routine is also different. Sultan himself bathes his sheep once every fifteen days, trims their fur in summer and gives them fodder, rice and fruits to eat. Every evening he takes them on a walk. This routine keeps both of us healthy. Each year, students in a University of Missouri business journalism class taught by Professor Randall Smith work with students from India on joint story projects that link their two countries. The project is overseen by Smith along with Laura Ungar, a reporter on the global health team at The Associated Press, and roving journalist Sujoy Dhar, founder of the Indian news agency India Blooms News Service. Related stories: The shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Destrehan Street just south of Hyde Park. Police said one man was not conscious or breathing, and they requested homicide investigate. Another man was shot and taken to the hospital. His condition was not available, and police did not release any additional information. The latest analyst coverage could presage a bad day for Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD), with the analysts making across-the-board cuts to their statutory estimates that might leave shareholders a little shell-shocked. Both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) forecasts went under the knife, suggesting the analysts have soured majorly on the business. Following the latest downgrade, the current consensus, from the four analysts covering Walker & Dunlop, is for revenues of US$1.1b in 2023, which would reflect a measurable 7.6% reduction in Walker & Dunlop's sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are presumed to rise 2.2% to US$5.00. Prior to this update, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$1.3b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$5.95 in 2023. Indeed, we can see that the analysts are a lot more bearish about Walker & Dunlop's prospects, administering a measurable cut to revenue estimates and slashing their EPS estimates to boot. View our latest analysis for Walker & Dunlop Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with a forecast 10% annualised revenue decline to the end of 2023. That is a notable change from historical growth of 15% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 9.1% per year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Walker & Dunlop is expected to lag the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most important thing to take away is that analysts cut their earnings per share estimates, expecting a clear decline in business conditions. Unfortunately analysts also downgraded their revenue estimates, and industry data suggests that Walker & Dunlop's revenues are expected to grow slower than the wider market. After a cut like that, investors could be forgiven for thinking analysts are a lot more bearish on Walker & Dunlop, and a few readers might choose to steer clear of the stock. Story continues Unfortunately, the earnings downgrade - if accurate - may also place pressure on Walker & Dunlop's mountain of debt, which could lead to some belt tightening for shareholders. See why we're concerned about Walker & Dunlop's balance sheet by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here. You can also see our analysis of Walker & Dunlop's Board and CEO remuneration and experience, and whether company insiders have been buying stock. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here ST. LOUIS On the night in 2016 that sealed her path to becoming St. Louis first Black circuit attorney, Kimberly M. Gardner had a message for her supporters: Im a peoples champ. Gardner won a decisive victory that night without the endorsement of incumbent Jennifer Joyce, who had decided not to seek reelection, or the citys powerful police union. Instead, Gardner was swept into office by voters on the strength of her promise to deliver criminal justice reform, including holding police accountable. Coming two years after the Ferguson protests, her victory, she told supporters, was a chance to finally heal our city. But more than six years after taking office and wounded by years of scandal, Gardner is instead stepping down, hoping to stave off an effort by the Legislature to strip her of most of her power. Since she announced Thursday she will resign, the Post-Dispatch interviewed 12 former and current staff members along with Gardner supporters and defense attorneys about where it went wrong for the once-promising reformer. Those interviews reveal how Gardners vision to reshape criminal justice faltered in the face of powerful enemies and self-inflicted wounds caused by her failures as a manager: her inability to hire and keep qualified staff, avoid ethics violations or land the explosive prosecutions she took on. Her critics, including Republicans and moderate Democrats, cite her downfall as a failure of her reform agenda. Gardner instead places blame on St. Louis judges, police and others who resisted her policy goals. Ever since Ive been in this office Ive been criminalized, she said in a tearful live-streamed meeting with supporters the day after announcing her decision to step down. She continued: Its just sad how every side is against me. Prosecutors who spent time inside her office argue most staff who left were supportive of efforts to reduce the jail population, ease punishments on low-level crimes and increase diversion. I dont think any of her issues have had to do with her policies. Yes, the police department opposed her, but tension with the police is just the nature of the work, said Aaron Levinson, a former assistant circuit attorney who prosecuted violent crimes in the first 18 months of Gardners tenure. Levinson said he decided to speak out now after watching Gardner expose his former colleagues to legal jeopardy and unfair conditions over the last six months. All of her issues stem from the fact she was just a bad manager. The way up Gardners path to leadership was never traditional: She grew up living above her familys north St. Louis funeral home. She became a registered nurse before she got her law degree at St. Louis University Law School and took a job in the circuit attorneys office assigned to the property crimes unit from 2005 through 2010. In 2012, she was elected to the Missouri House, where she represented a north St. Louis district. Four years later, Gardner was one of four candidates to run for circuit attorney after Joyce, a 16-year veteran, announced she would not seek reelection. Gardner had a key ally in then-U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, and also about $67,000 in funding from a political action committee, supported by megadonor George Soros, that helped support a wave of progressive prosecutors elected across the country that year. Gardner won with 47% of the vote. Jennifer Lorentz, an assistant prosecutor in the office at the time, said she was all-in on Gardners vision in the early days. Her swearing-in was just really moving, Lorentz said. Id say most of us in that office were excited about the change. There might be people who supported other candidates, but most of us were young and ready for what she campaigned on. Her agenda was really our agenda. Gardner came into an office with about 60 attorneys. Just one year after Gardner took over, Lorentz became the 32nd staff member to leave. Im devastated what she did to that office, Lorentz, now a criminal justice professor, said. We were on her team and it felt right away she didnt want us. When someone would leave, it was an attitude like youre all replaceable. I dont think she knew how hard that would actually be. That rapid draining of experience and people to cover the duties of the office was a blow from which the office never fully recovered, staff interviewed by the Post-Dispatch said. Staff clear out Current and former attorneys who worked for Gardner described her as deeply suspicious at times of her staff, poor at communicating hierarchies and duties and reluctant to delegate. Chris Faerber, who prosecuted gun-related felonies during Gardners first year, said early concerns were Gardners lack of experience prosecuting the most serious cases like homicides. I was hesitant about her experience, but we were optimistic she would be able to bring on a competent staff and advisers, he said. Staffers said Gardner soon fired Joyces executive staff which was not a surprise then began firing and reassigning leadership among units without making it clear who would replace them. I liken it to an Old West movie where a posse rides into town and burns it all down, Faerber, now a defense attorney, said. Everything was torn down and it didnt seem like there was anything being built to replace it. A lot of people didnt know who their boss was or what other people in the office were doing. Levinson, who prosecuted violent crimes, stayed until June 2018 when he resigned to relocate with his wife. By then, the majority of the staff in place when Gardner took office had left. Levinson said there was widespread fear about getting fired, but attorneys were also raising ethical concerns, reporting that Gardner would push to continue prosecuting cases despite weak evidence. A lot of people had the sense to get out of there when they could, Levinson said. When you start getting ethical complaints there was no way to insulate yourself. Your name gets dragged through the mud. A Post-Dispatch analysis of staff lists showed that leaders were never able to hire enough people to replace the experienced prosecutors theyd lost, and by 2020 a waning team of people was assigned to the violent crimes unit. Natalia Ogurkiewicz joined the office in 2020. She said trial backlogs from the COVID-19 pandemic and a new docketing system created a logistical problem that could not be solved with so few people and without concerted leadership. Cases languished. The city experienced a record year for homicides. A long-running complaint over years of prosecutors interviewed by the Post-Dispatch was Gardners policy that she had to personally approve recommendations for plea deals and sentences, causing consistent delays and backlogs because of the volume of cases she would need to be consulted on. Ogurkiewicz said, at one point, she approached Gardner about dismissing a robbery case after she learned the defendant had an airtight alibi for the time of the crime. Gardner promised to look into it, but eventually said no. Ogurkiewicz took her file to the offices chief trial assistant at the time, Marvin Teer, and told him shed quit before she prosecuted a person she believed was innocent. The file was eventually dismissed. But Ogurkiewicz said she couldnt square Gardners reticence to dismiss bad cases or her pattern of rejecting plea offers with her progressive platform. For example, she said, Gardner would reject plea offers giving some first-time offenders chances at rehabilitation in favor of a harsher penalty. She refused to give any of us any deference, Ogurkiewicz said. You ran on a progressive platform, but youre literally making it impossible for us to do that. Samuel Hotchkiss was hired for the office in 2021. He worked in the warrant office on the courts first floor, meeting with police and charging cases. He said he enjoyed the work and liked his colleagues, but the ongoing shortages were startling. He said it reminded him a lot of his work as a rural public defender. It made it very difficult to keep everything afloat and to process cases, to do the basic functions, he said. It was a mirror image. Ultimately, Hotchkiss said, he left the office in March for a job in private practice where he could make more money. In her livestream with supporters on Friday, Gardner said the staff drain was one of her biggest barriers to success. I inherited a really messed up office, she said. I kept it going with a shoestring budget a bubblegum budget actually. Gardner argued people were set against working for her. You have to want to work for the person and unfortunately theres people who just didnt want to work for this office because I was circuit attorney, because I was a certain way. You have a certain philosophy looking at public safety and some people were more mass incarceration. Gardner added that when people left, the low pay of the job meant she didnt have a large pool of people knocking at our door. The salary for an entry-level attorney in the office rose from $40,000 to $60,000 during her time in office to stay competitive, she said. Gardner also said people in positions of power began to spread warnings to law school grads. Judges were telling people you dont want to work for her, she said. She added that one potential hire told her: I just cant take the attacks. Faerber disputed Gardners characterization of the staff drain. If she actually believes that, shes delusional, he said, adding that low pay was always a sacrifice the longest-tenured people in the office were willing to make. That is my opinion 100%. If she doesnt believe it, shes using it as an excuse. Patrick Hamacher, who lost to Gardner in the 2016 primary, but continued to work for her as an assistant prosecutor in her first year, also disagreed with Gardner on why people quit. Hamacher points out that for years attorneys hired by Gardner herself left and others went to work for other prosecutors offices across the region, including St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Black prosecutor who also supports a reform agenda. If it was just ideology, that wouldnt make sense, he said. Powerful enemies The Rev. Darryl Gray, a Gardner supporter who rallied against efforts to remove her, said any understanding of Gardners tenure isnt complete without recognizing the animosity and political pressure she faced from her opposition with the St. Louis police union topping the list. The police union is one of the most powerful groups in St. Louis, Gray said. And they wanted her out. Gardner ran with promises of police accountability, but animosity intensified when in August 2018 it was leaked that Gardners office had created a list of city officers that her office would no longer accept as the primary investigators on cases. Police Chief John Hayden called the list unnecessary overreach. Gardner argued a police officers word, and the complete veracity of that word, is fundamentally necessary to doing the job. The police union regularly blasted Gardners charging decisions, pointing to bungled cases and by 2019 was publicly calling for her to step down over social media posts criticizing officers. Ed Clark, union president at the time, said she was sending messages to our officers and the community that she will always side with the criminal, whether he is an armed drug dealer terrorizing a neighborhood or a desperate criminal willing to kill a police officer to avoid returning to prison. Gray argues the exclusion list and criticism of police was Gardner doing exactly what she ran on holding police responsible. St. Louis wasnt ready for that, Gray said. They are used to the conservative, Midwest tough-on-crime prosecutor. They werent ready for what Gardner was trying to do to actually change the system. Gardner also attracted political enemies from outside the city with a series of high-profile prosecutions. She stunned the state in February 2018 by announcing the indictment of sitting Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking and transmitting a non-consensual photo of a partly nude woman as part of an extramarital affair. It was soon revealed her investigators were never able to find any record of the photo central to the case. The case fell apart during jury selection when Greitens defense team accused an outside investigator Gardner hired, William Don Tisaby, of failing to disclose witness statements favorable to Greitens and making false statements under oath. Gardner dropped the charge after a judge ordered she would be required to testify about Tisabys actions. Greitens resigned as governor after Gardner agreed to drop a separate criminal case. Investigations into Gardners handling of the case lasted years ending with a reprimand and fine from the Missouri Supreme Court for Gardner and Tisaby pleading guilty to a misdemeanor evidence tampering charge. In July 2020, Gardner was launched into national politics, facing a barrage of criticism from Republican politicians, the National Rifle Association, and President Donald Trump, over her decision to charge a Central West End couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, for brandishing guns at racial justice protesters. A judge dismissed Gardners office from the case after she mentioned the prosecution in fundraising emails. The couple pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges but were pardoned by Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson who had railed against Gardners decision to charge the couple. Eventually, Gardner was forced to resign as the Republican-led Legislature threatened to appoint a special prosecutor to bypass her office and handle violent felonies. At the same time, she faced a suit to remove her from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican. No other office is the subject of such scrutiny, and any staff that experienced this, no matter their leader, would feel demoralized and broken, her office said in a statement when Baileys suit was filed. That is of course the attorney generals goal to break down the office until people quit, even if it means cases cannot be prosecuted. Whats next After six years of dysfunction, only about 20 attorneys remain in the circuit attorneys office. Some cried when Gardner announced her resignation Thursday, but not everyone who remains is a supporter. Two attorneys said afterward they were planning to quit if Gardner didnt resign. Gardner said she plans to leave on June 1. Her replacement, who will be named by Parson, will serve through 2024. Its going to be years to bring back whats been lost, said Jeff Ernst, a former assistant prosecutor who left Gardners office after about five months. We all care about that office. Hopefully, some people will come back. Its going to be a Herculean task to rebuild. Lorentz, one of Gardners former prosecutors, said she was hopeful the office could rebuild. We all cared so much about that office and the victims, she said. I think the right person could get some of them back. People have been watching the chaos and want to help. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Updated Saturday with charges against the suspect in the shootings. ST. LOUIS Police on Friday arrested a man they believe shot three people, killing one woman, in two separate incidents in the parking garage of the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis. Prosecutors on Saturday charged Deshawn King Wilson, 35, with first-degree murder in LaTatia Stewarts death. He was also charged with assault and armed criminal action for a second shooting in the Marriott garage Thursday that injured two men. Capt. Pierre Benoist, commander of District 4, which includes downtown, said police do not believe the attacks were targeted but suspect they are connected. We were able to bring this gentleman into custody through the cameras, the technology, he said. The businesses downtown were unbelievable in assisting us. Stewart, 56, worked at the hotel and was walking to her car in the garage just after 6 p.m. Wednesday when she was shot and killed. A day later, officers who were on foot patrol heard shots ring out in the same garage. Two men told the officers they were on the third level of the garage around 6:20 p.m. when a man approached and began firing shots at them. One of the men, 32, was shot in the forearm. The other, 33, was shot in his torso and leg. Both are expected to survive. Benoist said officers spotted the suspect on Friday after someone reported a man flashing a gun in the area. Officers chased and arrested the man. The captain said he threw a gun up on a buildings roof while running away from police; investigators have not determined if it was the gun used in both shootings. Police say Wilson told them he is homeless and used the parking garage for shelter. Wilson has an extensive criminal history, and in 2017 was sentenced to six years in prison for tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest. Last year, he was charged in St. Louis with assault, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm. Wilson was allowed to remain free on a personal recognizance bond since then, and his trial has been continued multiple times. It was most recently scheduled for next month. Stewarts mother, Minnie Gilbert, attended the press conference at police headquarters with her family and disagreed that the attack was not targeted. She said she believes her daughter was killed because Stewart was steadfast in pushing police and the community to solve her sons murder. Her son, Gregory Stewart, was shot outside 2408 Bond Avenue in East St. Louis on the evening of March 28, 2020, and he died the following day. The killing remains unsolved. Then, Wednesday, the morning of Stewarts death, someone took a street sign and planted it on Gregory Stewarts memorial, Gilbert said. The family believes the street sign was meant to point them to Gregorys killers house, which was nearby. Now, tell me thats random, Gilbert said. She said Stewart called police and reported the sign, and had been in contact with CrimeStoppers about her sons death with information in the days leading up to her own killing. Stewarts son, Paul Stewart Jr., found his mother after she had been shot in the garage and tried to revive her. Im going to see my mama again. Justice will be served, he said through tears. She was the rock in our family. Gilbert said she is planning a march, much like Stewart did for her son, to make sure her familys voices are heard. She asked that anyone who has any information about either her daughters or grandsons deaths to turn it over to police. My daughter lost her son, and I lost my daughter, Gilbert said. Thats my oldest child, she was born two days before I was 16 years old. Shes supposed to bury me Im not supposed to bury her. Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Everyone knows the routine by now: A prominent personality of one political persuasion says or does something truly unacceptable. The opposing party expresses outrage while the members of that persons party come quickly to his or her defense. Then the opposing party members are doubly outraged at the hypocrisy of defending the indefensible. It happened when President Bill Clinton lied about sexual relations with a White House intern. It happened when then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton routed sensitive government emails through her private server. And it happened countless times when Donald Trump lied, cheated and tried to overthrow democracy. The excuse-makers keep coming forward to defend the indefensible. This is precisely what is feeding the tribalism that is splitting America apart. Its time for both sides to stop making excuses when their side is clearly in the wrong. If they set a standard for the other side to live by, they must apply it equally and without exception to their own side. Consider the reaction by supporters of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to her resignation announcement last week. She faced relentless pressure to leave because of a sustained, demonstrable and undeniable pattern of gross mismanagement. Yet her defenders insist she was the victim of a racist and sexist attackeven when the Black female mayor of St. Louis and a Black judge joined the ranks of Gardners critics. Adolphus Pruitt of the St. Louis NAACP said, We just witnessed a modern-day lynching. Rep. Cori Bush of St. Louis said that Gardner too often faced unfair and unprecedented attacks rooted in misogyny and racism. Excuses, in other words, bereft of calls for Gardner to be held accountable. In his New York rape-trial deposition, ex-President Donald Trump confirmed that he was the person speaking in the 2005 Access Hollywood recording in which he asserted a right to sexually assault women. In the deposition, he went even further by saying he still believes thats the case for famous people today. Republicans, at first outraged when the tape surfaced in 2016, found a way to excuse it and support him when he became their candidate. And theyll no doubt find a way to excuse it now, exactly as they have with his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Meanwhile, the list of ethics violations by Justice Clarence Thomas seems to grow daily. But Sens. Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are invoking references to Thomas confirmation hearings and his complaint of a high-tech lynching by his critics. More excuses, in other words, despite clear evidence that Thomas has violated any reasonable interpretation of the judicial code of ethics. Americans have no grounds to complain about growing divisiveness and tribalism if they dont demand that their leaders set a consistent standard and hold all to it regardless of partisan loyalty. ST. LOUIS The day before Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner negotiated her removal from office, Andrew Warren was in a federal appeals court in Alabama fighting to get his job back. "From the beginning, we've believed that the law is on our side," he said as he entered court, "and we hope that the court sees it this way." Warren is, or was, the prosecuting attorney in Tampa, Florida, before he was removed from office last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican whose presidential ambitions are turning his state into an authoritarian theme park. Gardner and Warren are diffeerent sides of the same coin. They are Democrats, progressive prosecutors, who received at least some indirect campaign support from liberal billionaire George Soros, a Jewish immigrant from Hungary who some Republicans have unfairly demonized for living out the American dream. From the first day of their elections, like progressive prosecutors in dozens of other cities, they were attacked by police unions and other critics as being soft on crime, often with no evidence to back the claims. "What has happened in St. Louis and in other parts of the country should be deeply troubling to anyone who cares about democracy and upholding the will of the people," says Miriam Krinsky, executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, a nonprofit that supports progressive prosecutors. Krinsky's not wrong. But all politics are local, and not all progressive prosecutors are the same. Warren is in court fighting for his job, and already got one federal judge to examine the evidence and say DeSantis acted capriciously and without cause. On Thursday, Gardner succumbed to the pressure specifically because she doesn't want to see the failure of her office displayed in court for all to see, in the quo warranto action brought against her by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Gardner's prosecutorial career collapsed in failure, with an office depleted of attorneys and unable to function. Judges were seeking to hold her in contempt when prosecutors didn't show for murder cases. Defendants were held in jail for years in cases that didn't come to trial because she couldn't get the job done; only to have cases dropped and refiled, so as to start the clock on justice ticking again. It was a slow-motion failure that was several years in the making, even before her second election. Here's what I wrote ahead of that election, when former incendiary police union spokesman Jeff Roorda was whipping up angry outrage directed at Gardner: "Two things can be true at the same time. Gardner can be under relentless, and in some cases, unfair, attack from the status quo particularly the police union because she represents a new way of thinking about the role of the prosecutor. The same thing is happening in other jurisdictions in which progressive-minded prosecutors have been elected, such as Philadelphia; Tampa, Florida; Chicago; San Francisco; Brooklyn, New York; and Baltimore. But she's also had missteps of her own making including the hiring of an investigator who has been accused of lying to the court during the dropped prosecution of former Gov. Eric Greitens." Gardner outlasted Roorda, but she is going out the same way Greitens did, resigning under pressure, not wanting the full facts of her failure displayed in public, while taking no responsibility for her own mistakes. Her letter of resignation blames everybody but herself. That's not an uncommon trait among politicians, but it's an unfortunate one. Accountability doesn't have to be so difficult. For instance, I was slow to see Gardner's failures, believing more in the idea of her than seeing how badly she was actually performing her job. My muted criticisms should have been louder and more explicit. See, that wasn't so hard. But the blame game is over and now the heavy lifting begins. The prosecutor's office is decimated with a full slate of murder trials scheduled over the summer. Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, now must choose a replacement, at least until next year's election, to right the ship. Hopefully he does so with the significant input of Mayor Tishaura Jones, a Democrat, and other city leaders, political and civic. To guide his decision, Parson should heed the words of former Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who once lamented to me that elections for prosecutors and attorneys general are fought over the wrong battleground. The most important skill in one of those offices is to be able to run a law firm, a big law firm, with dozens of attorneys doing the daily blocking and tackling of keeping the criminal justice system working, and fair. In the short term, St. Louis needs a manager who can hire people with the skills to prosecute cases, and the ability to show up to work. That's job one. Perhaps that theme can carry over into the next election in 2024, when the city's voters will pick up the pieces from Kim Gardner's tragic fall. Tony Messenger 314-340-8518 @tonymess on Twitter tmessenger@post-dispatch.com The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict. It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 250 miles east of Moscow. Prilepin was hospitalized with broken bones, bruised lungs and other injuries; the regional governor said he was put into a "medical sleep" but did not elaborate. ST. LOUIS On the night in 2016 that sealed her path to becoming St. Louis' first Black circuit attorney, Kimberly M. Gardner had a message for her supporters: "I'm a people's champ." Gardner won a decisive victory that night without the endorsement of incumbent Jennifer Joyce, who had decided not to seek reelection, or the city's powerful police union. Instead, Gardner was swept into office by voters on the strength of her promise to deliver criminal justice reform, including holding police accountable. Coming two years after the Ferguson protests, her victory, she told supporters, was a chance to finally "heal our city." But more than six years after taking office and wounded by years of scandal, Gardner is instead stepping down, hoping to stave off an effort by the Legislature to strip her of most of her power. Since she announced Thursday she will resign, the Post-Dispatch interviewed 12 former and current staff members along with Gardner supporters and defense attorneys about where it went wrong for the once-promising reformer. Those interviews reveal how Gardner's vision to reshape criminal justice faltered in the face of powerful enemies and self-inflicted wounds caused by her failures as a manager: her inability to hire and keep qualified staff, avoid ethics violations or land the explosive prosecutions she took on. Her critics, including Republicans and moderate Democrats, cite her downfall as a failure of her reform agenda. Gardner instead places blame on St. Louis judges, police and others who resisted her policy goals. "Ever since I've been in this office I've been criminalized," she said in a tearful live-streamed meeting with supporters the day after announcing her decision to step down. She continued: "It's just sad how every side is against me." Prosecutors who spent time inside her office argue most staff who left were supportive of efforts to reduce the jail population, ease punishments on low-level crimes and increase diversion. "I don't think any of her issues have had to do with her policies. Yes, the police department opposed her, but tension with the police is just the nature of the work," said Aaron Levinson, a former assistant circuit attorney who prosecuted violent crimes in the first 18 months of Gardner's tenure. Levinson said he decided to speak out now after watching Gardner expose his former colleagues to legal jeopardy and unfair conditions over the last six months. "All of her issues stem from the fact she was just a bad manager." The way up Gardner's path to leadership was never traditional: She grew up living above her family's north St. Louis funeral home. She became a registered nurse before she got her law degree at St. Louis University Law School and took a job in the circuit attorney's office assigned to the property crimes unit from 2005 through 2010. In 2012, she was elected to the Missouri House, where she represented a north St. Louis district. Four years later, Gardner was one of four candidates to run for circuit attorney after Joyce, a 16-year veteran, announced she would not seek reelection. Gardner had a key ally in then-U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, and also about $67,000 in funding from a political action committee, supported by megadonor George Soros, that helped support a wave of progressive prosecutors elected across the country that year. Gardner won with 47% of the vote. Jennifer Lorentz, an assistant prosecutor in the office at the time, said she was allin on Gardner's vision in the early days. "Her swearing-in was just really moving," Lorentz said. "I'd say most of us in that office were excited about the change. There might be people who supported other candidates, but most of us were young and ready for what she campaigned on. Her agenda was really our agenda." Gardner came into an office with about 60 attorneys. Just one year after Gardner took over, Lorentz became the 32nd staff member to leave. "I'm devastated what she did to that office," Lorentz, now a criminal justice professor, said. "We were on her team and it felt right away she didn't want us. When someone would leave, it was an attitude like you're all replaceable. I don't think she knew how hard that would actually be." That rapid draining of experience and people to cover the duties of the office was a blow from which the office never fully recovered, staff interviewed by the PostDispatch said. Staff clear out Current and former attorneys who worked for Gardner described her as deeply suspicious at times of her staff, poor at communicating hierarchies and duties and reluctant to delegate. Chris Faerber, who prosecuted gun-related felonies during Gardner's first year, said early concerns were Gardner's lack of experience prosecuting the most serious cases like homicides. "I was hesitant about her experience, but we were optimistic she would be able to bring on a competent staff and advisers," he said. Staffers said Gardner soon fired Joyce's executive staff which was not a surprise then began firing and reassigning leadership among units without making it clear who would replace them. "I liken it to an Old West movie where a posse rides into town and burns it all down," Faerber, now a defense attorney, said. "Everything was torn down and it didn't seem like there was anything being built to replace it. A lot of people didn't know who their boss was or what other people in the office were doing." Levinson, who prosecuted violent crimes, stayed until June 2018 when he resigned to relocate with his wife. By then, the majority of the staff in place when Gardner took office had left. Levinson said there was widespread fear about getting fired, but attorneys were also raising ethical concerns, reporting that Gardner would push to continue prosecuting cases despite weak evidence. "A lot of people had the sense to get out of there when they could," Levinson said. "When you start getting ethical complaints there was no way to insulate yourself. Your name gets dragged through the mud." A Post-Dispatch analysis of staff lists showed that leaders were never able to hire enough people to replace the experienced prosecutors they'd lost, and by 2020 a waning team of people was assigned to the violent crimes unit. Natalia Ogurkiewicz joined the office in 2020. She said trial backlogs from the COVID-19 pandemic and a new docketing system created a logistical problem that could not be solved with so few people and without concerted leadership. Cases languished. The city experienced a record year for homicides. A long-running complaint over years of prosecutors interviewed by the Post-Dispatch was Gardner's policy that she had to personally approve recommendations for plea deals and sentences, causing consistent delays and backlogs because of the volume of cases she would need to be consulted on. Ogurkiewicz said, at one point, she approached Gardner about dismissing a robbery case after she learned the defendant had an airtight alibi for the time of the crime. Gardner promised to look into it, but eventually said no. Ogurkiewicz took her file to the office's chief trial assistant at the time, Marvin Teer, and told him she'd quit before she prosecuted a person she believed was innocent. The file was eventually dismissed. But Ogurkiewicz said she couldn't square Gardner's reticence to dismiss bad cases or her pattern of rejecting plea offers with her progressive platform. For example, she said, Gardner would reject plea offers giving some first-time offenders chances at rehabilitation in favor of a harsher penalty. "She refused to give any of us any deference," Ogurkiewicz said. "You ran on a progressive platform, but you're literally making it impossible for us to do that." Samuel Hotchkiss was hired for the office in 2021. He worked in the warrant office on the court's first floor, meeting with police and charging cases. He said he enjoyed the work and liked his colleagues, but the ongoing shortages were startling. He said it reminded him a lot of his work as a rural public defender. "It made it very difficult to keep everything afloat and to process cases, to do the basic functions," he said. "It was a mirror image." Ultimately, Hotchkiss said, he left the office in March for a job in private practice where he could make more money. In her livestream with supporters on Friday, Gardner said the staff drain was one of her biggest barriers to success. "I inherited a really messed up office," she said. "I kept it going with a shoestring budget a bubblegum budget actually." Gardner argued people were set against working for her. "You have to want to work for the person and unfortunately there's people who just didn't want to work for this office because I was circuit attorney, because I was a certain way. You have a certain philosophy looking at public safety and some people were more mass incarceration." Gardner added that when people left, the low pay of the job meant she didn't have "a large pool of people knocking at our door." The salary for an entry-level attorney in the office rose from $40,000 to $60,000 during her time in office to stay competitive, she said. Gardner also said people in positions of power began to spread warnings to law school grads. "Judges were telling people you don't want to work for her," she said. She added that one potential hire told her: "I just can't take the attacks." Faerber disputed Gardner's characterization of the staff drain. "If she actually believes that, she's delusional," he said, adding that low pay was always a sacrifice the longest-tenured people in the office were willing to make. "That is my opinion 100%. If she doesn't believe it, she's using it as an excuse." Patrick Hamacher, who lost to Gardner in the 2016 primary, but continued to work for her as an assistant prosecutor in her first year, also disagreed with Gardner on why people quit. Hamacher points out that for years attorneys hired by Gardner herself left and others went to work for other prosecutors' offices across the region, including St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Black prosecutor who also supports a reform agenda. "If it was just ideology, that wouldn't make sense," he said. Powerful enemies The Rev. Darryl Gray, a Gardner supporter who rallied against efforts to remove her, said any understanding of Gardner's tenure isn't complete without recognizing the animosity and political pressure she faced from her opposition with the St. Louis police union topping the list. "The police union is one of the most powerful groups in St. Louis," Gray said. "And they wanted her out." Gardner ran with promises of police accountability, but animosity intensified when in August 2018 it was leaked that Gardner's office had created a list of city officers that her office would no longer accept as the primary investigators on cases. Police Chief John Hayden called the list "unnecessary overreach." Gardner argued "a police officer's word, and the complete veracity of that word, is fundamentally necessary to doing the job." The police union regularly blasted Gardner's charging decisions, pointing to bungled cases and by 2019 was publicly calling for her to step down over social media posts criticizing officers. Ed Clark, union president at the time, said she was "sending messages to our officers and the community that she will always side with the criminal, whether he is an armed drug dealer terrorizing a neighborhood or a desperate criminal willing to kill a police officer to avoid returning to prison." Gray argues the exclusion list and criticism of police was Gardner doing exactly what she ran on holding police responsible. "St. Louis wasn't ready for that," Gray said. "They are used to the conservative, Midwest tough-on-crime prosecutor. They weren't ready for what Gardner was trying to do to actually change the system." Gardner also attracted political enemies from outside the city with a series of high-profile prosecutions. She stunned the state in February 2018 by announcing the indictment of sitting Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking and transmitting a non-consensual photo of a partly nude woman as part of an extramarital affair. It was soon revealed her investigators were never able to find any record of the photo central to the case. The case fell apart during jury selection when Greitens' defense team accused an outside investigator Gardner hired, William Don Tisaby, of failing to disclose witness statements favorable to Greitens and making false statements under oath. Gardner dropped the charge after a judge ordered she would be required to testify about Tisaby's actions. Greitens resigned as governor after Gardner agreed to drop a separate criminal case. Investigations into Gardner's handling of the case lasted years ending with a reprimand and fine from the Missouri Supreme Court for Gardner and Tisaby pleading guilty to a misdemeanor evidence tampering charge. In July 2020, Gardner was launched into national politics, facing a barrage of criticism from Republican politicians, the National Rifle Association, and President Donald Trump, over her decision to charge a Central West End couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, for brandishing guns at racial justice protesters. A judge dismissed Gardner's office from the case after she mentioned the prosecution in fundraising emails. The couple pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges but were pardoned by Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson who had railed against Gardner's decision to charge the couple. Eventually, Gardner was forced to resign as the Republican-led Legislature threatened to appoint a special prosecutor to bypass her office and handle violent felonies. At the same time, she faced a suit to remove her from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican. "No other office is the subject of such scrutiny, and any staff that experienced this, no matter their leader, would feel demoralized and broken," her office said in a statement when Bailey's suit was filed. "That is of course the attorney general's goal to break down the office until people quit, even if it means cases cannot be prosecuted." What's next After six years of dysfunction, only about 20 attorneys remain in the circuit attorney's office. Some cried when Gardner announced her resignation Thursday, but not everyone who remains is a supporter. Two attorneys said afterward they were planning to quit if Gardner didn't resign. Gardner said she plans to leave on June 1. Her replacement, who will be named by Parson, will serve through 2024. "It's going to be years to bring back what's been lost," said Jeff Ernst, a former assistant prosecutor who left Gardner's office after about five months. "We all care about that office. Hopefully, some people will come back. It's going to be a Herculean task to rebuild." Lorentz, one of Gardner's former prosecutors, said she was hopeful the office could rebuild. "We all cared so much about that office and the victims," she said. "I think the right person could get some of them back. People have been watching the chaos and want to help." Taylor Tiamoyo Harris of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Erin Heffernan 314-340-8145 @erinheff on Twitter eheffernan@post-dispatch.com Zurich, Switzerland, May 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JDB, the Swiss big data tech-startup, has announced the launch of its Token V2 on the Ethereum (ETH) chain at 5pm UTC on May 8th. The company's innovative chain analytics platform is set to revolutionize the world of DeFi trading with cutting-edge technology and analysis. The JDB DApp is a leading on-chain analysis tool that offers users a plethora of features to help them analyze data and optimize their DeFi trading strategies. Its most crucial tool is the display of the most profitable wallets in the entire DeFi space, which users can track and learn from to improve their own trading strategies. The JDB Token serves as the access license for the DApp and its associated data. According to the founder of JDB, the company will also release DApp V3 on the ETH chain shortly after the launch, which will include data from ETH/ARB and many new tools. The roadmap for JDB includes exciting features such automated copy trading, hot tokens section based on data, and chat between wallets, as well as dark mode and integration with ChatGPT. Additionally, there are plans to expand to more chains and launch a Launchpad. "JDB is the only tool that a DeFi trader needs to achieve maximum transparency, security, and profitability," said the founder of JDB. "Our mission is to make DeFi trading more accessible and profitable for everyone. We are excited about the launch of our Token and associated DApp on the ETH Chain, and we look forward to equipping our users with the best tools to optimize their DeFi trading portfolio." With the upcoming launch of Token V2 and the addition of ETH/ARB data and many new tools, JDB is poised to become the go-to resource for DeFi traders everywhere. The company's impressive growth in recent months makes the launch of the Token an important step in its development, and the JDB DApp is set to remain one of the leading on-chain analysis platforms in the DeFi industry. JDB website: https://jdb.finance JDB Dapp: https://dapp.jdb.finance JDB Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdb_data JDB Telegram: https://t.me/JDBportal Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jdb_official Uniswap: https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap?inputCurrency=ETH&outputCurrency=0xbad96ea5d43156a99a94cd1fd36a330aa7e2273e Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor) before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency. Source: JDB Washington, DC, May 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Peace Summit 2023 World Leaders Meet to Discuss Building a Global Culture of Peace Countries that are interconnected dont go to war World leaders attending the Peace Summit 2023 in South Korea this week passionately decried the human suffering and conflicts they see in or around their nations, but they also insisted that with greater determination, cooperation, and shared values, they can bring new levels of peace. Its time for continental movements of peace to counter the aggressive movements of war, said Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba, former Zambia vice president and founder of the National Christian Coalition, one of the nearly 700 dignitaries from 70 nations who attended the May 3 Peace Summit 2023 Opening Plenary, hosted by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). The world is at a turning point, with people going in the direction of freedom, peace, and democracy on one hand, and invasion, war, and autocracy on the other, said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He and many speakers spoke about hotspots such as Russias invasion of the Ukraine, North Koreas firing of missiles, and Chinas aggressive behavior around Taiwan and the South China Sea. How do we get to the objectiveto deliver peace on terms that God would love and appreciate in a way that is decent and good, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the Sixth Think Tank 2022 panel discussion. Co-hosted by The Washington Times and Segye Ilbo, the panel featured author and China expert Dr. Michael Pillsbury and focused on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific. Peace in Korea may look elusive, but we cannot give up on the dream to end the 70-plus year division, said Dr. Yun Young-ho, Co-Chair of the Peace Summit 2023 Organizing Committee. The Summit included reports about international peacebuilding in political, academic, media, business and religious spheres. UPF Co-Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon said, The term peace feels so close, yet is so far. Uniting with God, we can find a better future. Let us join hands, let us join our hearts, and let us join together to solve problems afflicting humanity. And let us not just rely on our own ideas, but let us unite with God, our Creator and Heavenly Parent. During the Summit, past laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize, the prestigious award honoring contributors to peace and human development including Dr. Sakena Yacoobi from Afghanistan and H.E. Anote Tong from Kiribati, gathered for a special dinner in their honor. Another Summit highlight was the creation of an Elders Roundtable in which statesmen and women from around the world will have a forum to offer their shared wisdom and experience for the realization of peace in the world. Interfaith cooperation and protecting religious freedom were major themes of the three-day Summit. It began with an interfaith water ceremony and invocation to heaven with clergy from El Savador, Ethiopia, India, Korea, South Africa, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe. It has become clear that interreligious peace is a critical and necessary aspect of any effort to achieve the goal of lasting world peace, said Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, UPF Chairman and Co-Chair of the Peace Summit 2023 Organizing Committee. Religious liberty is at the core of all liberties. If you cant worship God in your own way, then what freedom do you have? said former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Senegal President Macky Sall, and former U.S. President Donald J. Trump offered congratulatory remarks by video. H.E. Brigi Rafini, former Niger Prime Minister and Secretary General of the 29-country Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), praised the coming Africa Summit 2023. Some countries are a breeding ground for extremist groups, but Africas large population of young people could become a force for peace if they are well-educated, raised with good character and universal values, and provided opportunities to work in land management and other green entrepreneurship jobs, he said. We have more in common than our differences, said Rev. Dr. Cynthia Jackson, Senior Pastor at Allen AME Church in New Jersey, USA. Countries that are interconnected, with economic openness and interfaith openness, dont go to war, noted former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme. Former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, in a video message, advocated for countries to use technology to reduce the digital divide gap and use it as a development tool to reduce poverty and bring humanity together. The event included sessions to discuss the contemporary challenges to global order from regional perspectives: North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, and Africa. UPFs primary associations also held breakout sessions with featured international experts and heads of state, first ladies, parliamentarians, religious leaders, media, academicians, and business leaders. The Summit also included a celebration cake-cutting in honor of Dr. Moons 80th birthday. Other activities will feature a dedication ceremony at the new Cheon Won Gung temple envisioned by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon as a homeland for the world and hometown of the heart of all people. Background on Peace Summit 2023 is at http://www.thinktank2022.org and upf.org. Media Contacts:AFRICA: Mamadou Gaye [email protected] ASIA PACIFIC: Robert Kittel [email protected] CANADA: Pierre Beauregard [email protected] EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST: Peter Zoehrer [email protected] CENTRAL AMERICA/THE CARIBBEAN: Mario Salinas [email protected] SOUTH AMERICA: Simao Ferabolli [email protected] UNITED STATES: William Selig [email protected] Attachment William Selig Universal Peace Federation 240-274-1744 [email protected] Source: Universal Peace Federation USA Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. With its MedSpa, franchising model, and beauty school, Lash and Company is the ideal trifecta for all things beauty. Lash + Company, a leading beauty and skincare brand that has been around since 2010, is making waves in the US market with its unique blend of eyelash services, beauty treatments, and top-notch beauty education. With a focus on quality and innovation, Lash + Company has established itself as a pioneer in the beauty industry. The medspa offers a wide range of services, including eyelash extensions, facial rejuvenation, permanent makeup, cosmetic injectables, and many more, all designed to help clients look and feel their best. Heres a quick glimpse at all the services offered by Lash + Company: - Eyelash Services: includes classic, volume, and hybrid lash extensions and the lash lift and tint service. - Brow Services: includes brow tinting and lamination. - Skin Rejuvenation: includes dermaplane, VI peels, facials, plasma pen, micro-needling, and more. - Permanent Makeup: includes brow, lash line, and lip enhancements. - Cosmetic Injectables: Botox, Dysport, Dermal Fillers, Kybella - Other services: airbrush tanning, laser hair removal, and waxing In addition to its exceptional services, Lash + Company has its own beauty school, Lash + Company Education. The school offers comprehensive courses that help students pass the state license exam and start their own successful careers in the beauty industry. The beauty school provides several funding options in a bid to make esthetic education more affordable and accessible to a greater number of aspiring estheticians. Lash + Company Education has an up-to-date curriculum with the latest technologies and equipment to provide students with complete hands-on training. They have a 90% success rate and provide ongoing support to students for their state license exams. Their facilities are located in Thornton, Fort Collins, and Centennial. Lash + Company is a beauty brand with spas and beauty schools across the United States. With a time-tested business model, the Lash + Company franchise offers three levels: starter, express, and full-line. The company has signed over 50 franchisees across the US and is rapidly expanding. It has become the fastest-growing beauty brand in Colorado. The key idea behind having 3 different models was to make franchising more affordable and accessible to a wider range of people who share the same passion for the beauty industry. "We're thrilled to be expanding our franchise model across the US and to be bringing our unique blend of beauty services and education to even more clients," says a Lash + Company spokesperson. "Our focus has always been on providing exceptional customer service, top-notch education, and innovative beauty solutions, and we're excited to continue doing so for many years to come." Whether youre someone looking for the right solution for your beauty dilemma, the right guidance for your dream career, or the right investment opportunity, Lash + Company has something for everyone. Lash and Company is the brainchild of the power couple - Bailey and Nick. Bailey is the owner and co-founder of Lash + Company. As a passionate esthetician and experienced educator, she consistently works towards giving back to the industry through world-class services and advanced education programs. Nick is the CEO and the visionary entrepreneur who stays laser-focused on growing the brand for Lash + Company and its franchises. And this duo has made Lash + Company the one-stop solution for students, businesspersons, and clients alike. With its commitment to quality, innovation, and education, Lash + Company is quickly becoming the go-to destination for all things beauty in the US. To learn more about the brand and its services, visit the Lash + Company website, email [email protected], or call 303-263-3053 or 970-420-2118. Watch "Lash and Company Franchise - The most simplistic approach" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjrY0lOuAIk Contact Info: Name: Bailey Beghtol Email: Send Email Organization: Lash + Company Phone: 303-263-3053 Website: https://lashandcompany.com Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjrY0lOuAIk Release ID: 89096951 If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours. (Bloomberg) -- Londons commodities merchants are following some of their Swiss peers to Dubai, as the emirate moves from being an outpost focused on crude to a major energy trading hub. Most Read from Bloomberg Dubai has long tried to attract more commodities companies, investing in banking infrastructure and developing exchange-traded futures. Those efforts have helped drive a transformation after the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine, with many traders of Russian raw materials rushing to set up businesses in the city as European Union and Swiss sanctions made it harder for them to deal with Moscow. While London has a much bigger commodities presence, more energy traders are now moving or expanding from the UK capital to Dubai. Theyre being enticed by the growing pool of merchant counterparts and low taxes at a time when traders themselves are raking in unprecedented bonuses. Dubai also offers other lifestyle perks, something thats becoming increasing important to attract top talent. In the past year, Hartree Partners LP and Freepoint Commodities LLC are among those to move energy traders and senior executives to Dubai, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. It shows how historic trading centers like London are starting to lose out to the emirates growing appeal. Its also part of a broader boom in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, which is benefiting from an influx of foreign wealth. The arrival of crypto millionaires, bankers relocating from Asia and wealthy Russians shielding assets have boosted property prices. We have seen well-known hedge funds recently open offices in Dubai as well as independent commodities merchants, said Jonathan Funnell, a partner at executive search firm Sidley Marion. The tax incentives are clear, but for some there is a feeling that Dubai is well positioned to become a major commodities-trading hub. Story continues Dubai Becomes New Switzerland for Traders of Russian Commodities Dubai has courted commodity businesses for decades, and set up a free-trade zone in 2002. It has since introduced oil and gold contracts, while regional banks increased their offerings to finance trade flows. And companies that trade with Russian producers can do so there without the restrictive sanctions imposed in places like the EU, Switzerland or US. For traders of European power and gas the time zone means no early morning starts and the chance to retain more earnings just as the sector is booming. Dubai also benefits from its proximity to some of the worlds biggest oil and gas producers, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Still, as a commodities trading center it remains much smaller than places like London, Singapore, Geneva and Stamford. Dubai Moves Hartree is an example of the move to Dubai. Its expanding its office there to 20 people from 12, including people from London, according to people familiar with the matter. Some of the companys European power team have already made the move including power desk head Brendan Mycock and gas traders are expected to follow. Freepoint is another major trader expanding in the region. Senior Managing Director Michael Walter was previously based in London, but has begun working out of Dubai. And Andre Dvoretski, formerly of Swedish utility Vattenfall AB, started working for Freepoint as a senior energy trader in Dubai in April, according to his LinkedIn profile. Hartree and Freepoint declined to comment. The way European power and gas is traded also means you dont need as many people physically located on the continent. Gas and power trading in particularly can be performed with a huge degree of geographical flexibility, given the highly digitized nature of the business, said Anders Porsborg-Smith, managing director at Boston Consulting Group. There have been similar moves in oil. Yaoyao Liu, one of Vitol Groups star derivatives traders, was previously based in London but now trades out of the companys Dubai office, people familiar with the matter said. Vitols Bahrain office remains its regional hub. The company declined to comment. Theres a lot of interest from our businesses in sending people to Dubai, said Ian Lowitt, Chief Executive Officer of London-based broker Marex Group. For us it will become a really important center, clients are moving there and there are big commodity players from the region. --With assistance from Anna Shiryaevskaya, Verity Ratcliffe and Elena Mazneva. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Law enforcement officers investigate the scene after a deadly incident where a car ran into pedestrians near Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and homeless, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S. May 7, 2023. REUTERS/John Faulk (Reuters) -At least seven pedestrians were killed and several others injured on Sunday when an SUV mowed down people near a homeless shelter that attends to migrants in Brownsville, Texas, police said. The male driver was in custody, Lieutenant Martin Sandoval of the Brownsville Police Department said, adding he was charged with reckless driving and could face additional charges. Sandoval said the victims in the morning crash were waiting at a bus stop near Ozanam Center, a shelter for the homeless used by migrants. He said some migrants were among the dead. "We are doing an investigation in forms of intoxication to see if he was intoxicated at the time of the accident," said Sandoval on Fox News. It was not clear if the driver had crashed into the group intentionally or lost control of the vehicle, Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. of Cameron County was quoted as telling the New York Times. There no immediate details on how many people were injured or their condition. The city of Brownsville, on the border with Mexico, is one of the places expecting an influx of migrants when COVID-era restrictions under Title 42 expire on Thursday. A video circulating online purporting to show the crash shows a speeding SUV plowing into a row of people sitting on the curb. A second video of the aftermath appears to show victims lying on the ground, some bloodied and writhing, while others lay motionless. Reuters was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the videos. (Reporting by John Kruzel in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Sandra Maler) A Sudanese refugee boy who fled the violence in his country looks out of his makeshift shelter, near the border between Sudan and Chad in Koufroun, Chad May 6, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Fighting could be heard in south Khartoum on Sunday as envoys from Sudan's warring parties met in Saudi Arabia for talks that international mediators hope will bring an end to a three-week-old conflict that has killed hundreds and triggered an exodus. The U.S.-Saudi initiative is the first serious attempt to end fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has turned parts of the Sudanese capital into war zones, derailed an internationally backed plan to usher in civilian rule following years of unrest, and created a humanitarian crisis. "Pre-negotiation" talks began on Saturday and "will continue in the coming days in the expectation of reaching an effective short-term ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian assistance," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Saudi Arabia will allocate $100 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan, Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya television said earlier on Sunday. Battles since mid-April have killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands of others, disrupted aid supplies and sent 100,000 refugees fleeing abroad. Manahil Salah, a 28-year-old laboratory doctor on an evacuation flight from Port Sudan to the United Arab Emirates, said her family hid for three days in their home close to army headquarters in the capital before eventually travelling to the Red Sea Coast. "Yes, I am happy to survive," she said. "But I feel deep sadness because I left my mother and father behind in Sudan, and sad because all this pain is happening in my homeland." Thousands of people are pushing to leave from Port Sudan on boats to Saudi Arabia, paying for expensive commercial flights through the country's only functioning airport, or using evacuation flights. "We were lucky to travel to Abu Dhabi, but what's happening in Khartoum, where I spent my whole life, is painful," said 75-year-old Abdulkader, who also caught an evacuation flight to the UAE. "Leaving your life and your memories is something indescribable." INTENDED AIM While mediators are seeking a path to peace, both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia urged the warring parties to use the latest talks to move toward "scheduling subsequent expanded negotiations to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities," the Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said. Confirming his group's attendance, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, said he hoped the talks would achieve their intended aim of securing safe passage for civilians. Hemedti has vowed to either capture or kill army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and there was also evidence on the ground that both sides remain unwilling to make compromises to end the bloodshed. The conflict started on April 15 following the collapse of an internationally backed plan for a transition to democracy. Burhan, a career army officer, heads a ruling council installed after the 2019 ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir and a 2021 military coup, while Hemedti, a former militia leader who made his name in the Darfur conflict, is his deputy. Prior to the fighting, Hemedti had been taking steps including moving closer to a civilian coalition that indicated he had political plans. Burhan has blamed the war on his "ambitions." The extensive use of explosive ordnance throughout the fighting has increased the danger to civilians, especially children who can mistake the munitions for toys and play with them, said the United Nations Mine Action Service. Western powers have backed the transition to a civilian government in a country that sits at a strategic crossroads between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and the volatile Sahel region. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was travelling to Saudi Arabia at the weekend for talks with Saudi leaders. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Additional reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Alaa Swilam; Writing by Michael Georgy and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Mike Harrison, David Holmes, Diane Craft and Lincoln Feast.) By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan on Sunday ended laws enacted at the start of COVID-19 that gave the authorities powers to enforce a state of emergency that rights groups said were used as an excuse to suppress civic and political liberties. A royal decree approved a cabinet decision to annul the state of emergency passed nearly three years ago at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 that granted the prime minister powers to curtail basic rights and freeze existing laws. It would mean a return to implementing scores of ordinary laws that were suspended as the government enacted many defence orders that touched every aspect of public life, according to government officials. "We have a legislative system that will go back to functioning as normal as life has gone back to normal," Minister of Government Communications Faisal Shboul told state media. The move comes two days after the World Health Organization on Friday declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency, marking a major step toward the end of the pandemic that disrupted the global economy and ravaged communities. Critics say Jordanian authorities used the draconian powers despite calls by King Abdullah to apply them without infringing on citizens political and civil rights, to quash political dissent and silence voices. Advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Jordan had in the last few years intensified persecution and harassment of political opponents and ordinary citizens using a string of laws to silence critical voices. "Jordans state of emergency long-outlasted measures to fight the pandemic and was arbitrarily used since 2020 to curb the right to peaceful assembly amid a decline in civic space," said Adam Coogle, deputy director of Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch. "Shelving the emergency law would be a good first step in increasing respect for basic rights," Coogle added. Dozens of activists were imprisoned and harassed and officials deny widespread abuses but said they would not tolerate civil unrest in Jordan at a time of economic hardship. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Angus MacSwan) WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish border guard aircraft on patrol for the European Union's border agency Frontex over the Black Sea near Romania narrowly avoided a collision with a Russian fighter jet on Friday, Romania and Poland said. A Russian SU-35 jet carried out "aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres" approaching the Polish aircraft without keeping a secure distance, leading to turbulence, loss of altitude and a temporary loss of control of the plane by the Polish crew, Anna Michalska, a border guard spokesperson, wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "The Russian jet flew just in front of the nose of the Polish plane, crossing its trajectory at a dangerous distance, estimated by the crew at about five metres," Michalska said. After three approaches the Russian jet flew away, Michalska added. The incident took place in international airspace. The Romanian Defence Ministry said in a press release that the Russian jet's behaviour was completely unacceptable. "This incident is a further proof of the provocative approach of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea," the ministry said. Two combat aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force and two from the Spanish Air Force designated for Air Police missions were alerted by the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain. While the four aircraft were ready to intervene at any moment, their intervention proved unnecessary, the ministry said. "It looks like a planned provocation by Russia, the crew acted responsibly and luckily nothing happened. We can see that Russia is trying to draw international attention by such provocations," Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller told private television Polsat News on Sunday. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Hugh Lawson) (Tribune News Service) On May 20, 1943, a B-24 bomber of the 1014th Pilot Transition Training Squadron took off from an Army airfield in Texas and headed to Chicago. It was a miserable day for flying, let alone teaching student pilots. Rain and fog unceasingly accompanied the plane, which had to be flown by instrument. The bombers crew was fated to be among the estimated total of more than 13,000 aviators killed in World War II training accidents before they could be deployed overseas. Approaching Chicago, the pilot got conflicting reports and was having trouble communicating with the airport tower. It cleared him to land on Runway 4C at Chicago Municipal Airport, as Midway was then known. But downstate Springfield air traffic controllers had alerted the pilot that Chicagos airport was reportedly closed. Civilian flights were being diverted to other airports. Capt. James Gilcrease responded that he would try to make it anyway. Descending through the glide slope, he still couldnt make out the runway. So he pulled up, intending to circle around and try again. Again airport control cleared him to land but didnt hear back from him. He hadnt gotten high enough to clear an enormous natural gas tank about 2 miles south of the airport. The bomber came in very low, and I think, struck and tore down some wires on poles before hitting the tank, said James Brown, a guard at a construction site a mile to the west. It disappeared in a flash of fire. The bombers port wing tip struck the storage tank, reported Lawrence Kinsella, an employee of Peoples Gas Light and Coke Co., the tanks owner. The forward section of the aircraft fell inside the structure, and its contents exploded. Pieces of the tanks steel plating, some the size of a two-story house front, were blown 100 yards by the blast. Parts of the aircraft and its four motors were strewn across a wide swath. Kinsella and eight other gas company employees on the ground escaped unharmed. The planes 12 occupants were incinerated. Searchers had little success in finding identifiable bodies, the Tribune reported, and small hope was held that any would be yielded by the remaining sub-structure of the 500 foot circular steel tower. In addition to Gilcrease, the Consolidated Liberator bomber was carrying another flight instructor, a navigator, two student pilots, four aerial engineers and several passengers. In wartime, its common for GIs to hitchhike on whatever transport is available. The tragic crash of the B-24 Liberator bomber provoked questions of why the worlds largest gas storage tank had been built in a part of the city crowded with residential neighborhoods and heavy industry. This accident is another argument in support of a lake front airport, said 44th Ward Ald. John J. Grealis. It would not have occurred had the pilots been approaching an island airport in Lake Michigan. Instead, the towering column of thick black smoke that rose above 73rd Street and Central Park Avenue reminded contemporaries that learning to fly is inherently dangerous. Eighty years later, World War II is chiefly remembered for battles fought in Europe, Asia and North Africa. But even then, the cruel irony of modern warfare was that powerful weapons intended for use against foreign enemies can turn on their makers. Gen. Hap Arnold, the Army Air Forces commander, spoke candidly about the problem. The only way to avoid such appalling statistics was to ground its training aircraft. But exactly the reverse was imperative. Every potential pilot had to be aloft while being trained for combat. When the U.S. belatedly entered World War II, Japan occupied much of China. Nazi armies had defeated France, and England was on the ropes. Hitlers tanks would shortly roll into Russia. It would take years before an American army could be raised and trained for an invasion of the heartland of the Nazi and Japanese empires. The best way to deliver a counterpunch against the Axis was from the air. That meant confronting assembly line snafus and psychological hang-ups. Aspiring pilots could be trained only by experienced pilots who were itching to be flying combat missions. The thought of sitting out the war as a damned flight instructor in Texas or somewhere tore me up, Chuck Yeager, later to be a famed test pilot, recalled in his memoirs. After completing his share of World War II combat missions, Yeager was brought back as an instructor to a stateside airfield. There, he was resented by jealous instructors who had spent the war in Texas and hated every moment of it, Yeager said. An Air Force historian described instructors demoralized by the sheer boredom generated by a standardized teaching system, which allowed little room for individualized initiative. In fact, both students and instructors realized that flying cannot be learned from textbook assignments or by memorizing appropriate readings of cockpit dials. It required honing a tactile sense of an aircraft in motion. One pilot recalled a notably effective teacher: Demonstrating, he told me how to feel it in the seat of my pants when we slipped or skidded, and to note how the wind came through the side of the cockpit when a turn was uncoordinated. Hanging on grimly, with an increasing queasiness, I tried to feel what he said I should. Brig. Gen. Cleo Bishop noted the high washout rate of his class of student pilots. I think not so much that the people they washed out couldnt learn to fly, but they couldnt learn to fly fast enough, he recalled. You were expected to solo within eight or 10 hours. Given the constant demand for pilots, the Air Force couldnt afford to invest more time in a student flyer. Those who made it past that cutoff had progressed from single engine trainers to multiengine bombers and fighters. Each had quirks and faults that were reflected in the grim humor of their nicknames. The B-24, like the one that crashed in Chicago, was known as the Flying Coffin because of design flaws that made it difficult to fly. Learning to fly in the era of thousands of training disasters made pilots philosophical about dying before seeing combat. First its something that happens to others, someplace else. Then you see death on a runway or in a field, in a cloud of dust and column of smoke, recalled one pilot, Samuel Hynes. At that moment the life of flying changes. Yet that didnt deter stateside pilots. They werent chasing medals. Beyond reach was even a posthumously awarded Purple Heart that might ease their parents grief by reminding them that their son had died defending America. When Mabel Rawlinsons Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bomber crashed at Camp Davis, North Carolina, fellow members of the Womens Airforce (or Auxiliary) Service Pilots, or WASPs, took up a collection to ship her body to her parents in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The government didnt pay funeral expenses for members of the WASPs. Yet she, and thousands of other pilots, men and women, had done much the same as Capt. James Gilcrease when coming in for landing in Chicago. They took a look down at their country and decided it was surely worth a shot. rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com . 2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com . SEOUL, South Korea Japan's prime minister expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japan's colonial rule, as he and his South Korean counterpart on Sunday renewed resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen cooperation in the face of shared challenges such as North Korea's nuclear program. Comments by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol their second meeting in less than two months were closely watched in South Korea, where many still harbor strong resentment against Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Kishida's statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonization but still sympathized with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for an effort to improve ties. "And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days," Kishida told a joint news conference with Yoon, referring to the Japanese colonial period. He said he believes "it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to cooperate with" Yoon to forge stronger relations. Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbors in 12 years. The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries' bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labor. Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each other's trade status and Seoul's previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Their strained ties complicated U.S. efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoon's conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labor victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps. Yoon's push, however, drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Yoon has defended his move, saying greater cooperation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Korea's advancing nuclear program, the intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. "We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward because our history issues aren't settled completely," Yoon said Sunday. He said that 10 out of the 15 former forced laborers or their families involved in the 2018 rulings had accepted compensation under Seoul's third-party reimbursement plan. Kishida said: "I'm struck by the fact that many people, despite their painful memories from the past, opened their hearts for the future as measures by the South Korean government related to (the fund) move forward." Kishida also reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations on the colonization issue, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul, but didn't make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said: "I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart" over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyo's wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honored in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. "Kishida's comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticized for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic toward historical victims," Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. "But Kishida did visit South Korea's national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving Seoul-Tokyo relations." Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are underway to implement their earlier agreement on a faster exchange of information on North Korean missile tests. Yoon said he and Kishida reaffirmed that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Korea's nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon "for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan." Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, China's assertiveness and Russia's war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. Kishida said he and Yoon would pay respects before a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima. In another apparent conciliatory measure, Kishida said Japan will allow South Korean experts to visit and inspect a planned release of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. (Tribune News Service) The second meeting in two months between leaders of Japan and South Korea after years without a formal summit marks another win for the Biden administration, which has sought to unite the allies to cooperate against North Korea and undercut Chinas growing power. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The two are seeking to bolster business and military cooperation with the U.S. even while remaining mindful of the importance of keeping ties steady with their biggest trading partner, China. Its a delicate balance as Washington and Beijing squabble over everything from the supply of chips and cutting-edge technology, to an alleged Chinese spy balloon being shot down over American skies and Chinas partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the forefront too is an increasingly belligerent North Korea, which fired an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the U.S. just hours before Kishida and Yoon held a summit in Tokyo in March. The Biden administration has been seeking help from its global partners such as Seoul and Tokyo to impose sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips equipment to China in a policy aimed at preventing the countrys progression in a range of cutting-edge technologies that could threaten Americas status as a preeminent power. U.S. efforts may have been behind the restoration of Seoul-Tokyo ties, said Kak Soo Shin, a former career diplomat who once served as South Koreas ambassador to Japan. Drivers could have also included concerns both countries share over the volatile security environment, mainly the challenge of addressing the North Korean nuclear threat and a coercive China, he said. It has been quite abnormal for Korea and Japan to leave their relationship in such a miserable situation for such a long time, Shin said. It was a lose-lose situation that the two countries have been trapped in a vicious cycle of fraying relationship, even though they could be natural strategic partners amid the flux of their strategic settings. Kishida and Yoon are likely to discuss issues surrounding security and high-tech industries, as well as seek to restore shuttle diplomacy that was derailed more than a decade ago to political friction, the South Korea presidents office said. A formal summit between the two leaders was held in March in Tokyo for the first time in 12 years, followed by a security dialog in April and a meeting of their finance ministers last week. Yoon has been a supporter of Washingtons Asia strategy, including Bidens initiative to restructure global supply chains to reduce dependence on China. Japan in March said it will expand restrictions on exports of 23 types of leading-edge chipmaking technology, even as its trade officials repeatedly said it was not targeted at China. The last visit by a Japanese premier to South Korea came in 2018 when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the opening of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and held talks separately with then-President Moon Jae-in. The last formal summit in Seoul by a Japanese leader was in October 2011. Yoon has proposed a resolution for the long-standing dispute over compensation for Japans use of Korean forced labor during its 1910-45 occupation of the peninsula. His proposal, which involves South Korean companies contributing to a compensation fund for conscripted Korean workers, has not been well-received by the majority of the local public. The payments were meant to avoid forcing Japanese companies to provide compensation, in line with Tokyos contention that all such claims were settled under a 1965 agreement. Bidens administration welcomed the move, calling it a groundbreaking deal. In the wake of the move, South Korea reinstated Japan to its list of preferred trading partners in April. Later that month, Japans trade ministry started seeking public opinions on restoring South Korea to Tokyos list of preferred trading partners, in a procedural step that would eventually streamline the export processes to South Korea. A key task for Kishida is to understand the domestic criticism Yoon has faced on his proposal to end the dispute over compensation, said Naoko Aoki, an associate political scientist at the Rand Corp. in Washington. I dont think Prime Minister Kishida can make everyone happy, but whether he can allay some of the concerns being voiced in South Korea would be an important part of the visit, she said. On the security front, the combined military and technological capabilities between South Korea and Japan, backed by the U.S., could contribute to a more robust defense and intelligence network in the region. This could also help in a show of support for Taiwan, which China sees as a part of its territory that must be returned, even if by force. In a visit by Yoon to Washington in April, South Korea made its strongest statement yet on the Taiwan Strait by expressing strong opposition to any unilateral actions in the region in comments that echoed statements from the Kishida government. Its important to recognize that the primary reason for trilateral cooperation involving the United States is to support Taiwan, said Cheon Seong-whun, former security strategy secretary in South Koreas presidential office. As such, engaging in collective strategic dialogue with China is crucial. The emphasis should be on arms control instead of an arms race, he said. Curtailing Chinas expanding nuclear arsenal is set to be a subject of discussion later this month with Kishida hosts a Group of Seven leaders summit in Hiroshima. Yoon has been invited and expected to join the Japanese premier and Biden for three-way talks on the sidelines of the summit. I dont think either of the two countries want to see the region reshaped and dominated by Chinas increasing military capability and economic coercion, Aoki of Rand said. ___ 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. KYIV, Ukraine - The Ukrainian military has spent nearly 15 months exceeding the world's expectations. Now, senior leaders are trying to lower those hopes, fearing that the outcome of an imminent counteroffensive aimed at turning the tide of the war may not live up to the hype. "The expectation from our counteroffensive campaign is overestimated in the world," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview this past week. "Most people are . . . waiting for something huge," he added, which he fears may lead to "emotional disappointment." The planned counterattack - made possible by donated Western weapons and training - could mark the most consequential phase of the war, as Ukraine seeks to snatch back significant territory and prove it is worthy of continued support. Offensive military operations typically require overwhelming advantage, and with Russian forces dug into heavily fortified defenses all across the 900-mile-long front, it is hard to gauge how far Ukraine will get. The buildup ahead of the assault - the details of which remain secret - has left Ukrainian officials grappling with a difficult question: What outcome will be enough to impress the West, especially Washington? Some fear that if the Ukrainians fall short, Kyiv may lose international military assistance or face new pressure to engage with Moscow at a negotiating table - not on the battlefield. Such talks would almost certainly involve Russian demands for a negotiated surrender of sovereign territory, which Ukraine has called unacceptable. "I believe that the more victories we have on the battlefield, frankly, the more people will believe in us, which means we will get more help," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with The Washington Post on Monday, in his heavily fortified headquarters building. Kyiv is eager to make a rapid breakthrough in what has essentially slowed to a grinding artillery war in the country's east and south, with neither side making significant territorial gains. Experts say it will be difficult, if not impossible, to push the Russians back to their positions before the invasion started on Feb. 24, 2022, when Moscow held parts of Luhansk and Donetsk and the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula. The pressure comes in part from Ukraine's past battlefield wins - first repelling Russia's attempt to capture Kyiv and later dislodging the invaders from strongholds in surprise attacks in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. "[W]e inspired everywhere because the perception was that we will fall during 72 hours," Reznikov said. But the track record means Ukraine's partners now have a "joint expectation that it would be successful again," he said. Western partners have told him, he said, that they now need a "next example of a success because we need to show it to our people. . . . But I cannot tell you what the scale of this success would be. Ten kilometers, 30 kilometers, 100 kilometers, 200 kilometers?" A major success could rally more support for the Western arms and ammunition Ukraine needs to continue the fight and offer a much-needed morale boost for the civilian population, which relished Ukrainian forces' resilience against Russia's efforts to take Kyiv last spring and later, their surprise autumn offensive in the Kharkiv region, which retook hundreds of miles of territory in a matter of days. But in Kharkiv the Ukrainians had an advantage when they stormed Russian troops - who had lowered their defenses - by surprise. Many who remained simply fled without a fight. And in Kherson to the south, Ukraine had a major geographic edge, with Russia struggling to supply troops west of the Dnieper River. Now, Russia may have the geographic advantage and stronger numbers. Some 500,000 Russian troops are currently focused in Ukraine, with at least 300,000 troops inside Ukrainian territory, Reznikov said. One key objective for Ukraine, and perhaps an early sign of success, would be to break the so-called land bridge between mainland Russia and occupied Crimea, severing crucial supply lines to Russian troops in the Zaporizhzhia region, and isolating Russian bases on the peninsula. Another top imperative is to regain control over hugely valuable critical infrastructure facilities, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest atomic energy station, which is located in the occupied city of Enerhodar, and the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant in the southern Kherson region. Recognizing the formidable obstacles, Ukrainian officials have continued to press for additional materiel from supporters in the West. Ukraine will be ready to launch the assault "as soon as the weapons that were agreed with our partners are filled," Zelenskyy said. The timeline could also depend on weather, because of unseasonably damp ground along the country's front lines. Reznikov said that Ukraine's "first assault formation" is more than 90 percent prepared to begin but that some designated troops are still finishing training programs abroad. The huge front line creates numerous potential avenues of attack. Ukraine could focus its efforts south and attempt to seize the city of Melitopol, which Russia has established as the occupied regional capital of Zaporizhzhia, and then push forward in an effort to sever the land bridge. Ukraine could also attack Crimea itself, likely with naval operations and possibly even beach landings. Satellite imagery shows extensive trenches that Russian forces have dug in preparation for a potential assault. Other scenarios could see the Ukrainians attacking east through the fiercely embattled city of Bakhmut, or from the town of Kupiansk, in a push to regain control of areas in the Luhansk region. Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, has threatened to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, which would leave the city vulnerable. Another option would be for the Ukrainians to attack Russian positions through the southern city of Vuhledar toward occupied Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. Zelenskyy said he would consider reoccupying any Ukrainian territory to be "a success." "I can't tell you which towns or cities, which borders are a significant success for us and which are average . . . only because I don't want to prepare Russia for how, in which directions, and where and when we will be," he said. Ideally, Reznikov said, the offensive will not only liberate villages and cities but also "cut logistic chains of [Russian] troops" and "reduce their offensive capacity." Western leaders insist Ukraine is well-equipped for the fight ahead. But U.S. intelligence assessments disclosed in a massive leak of classified documents on the Discord forum revealed U.S. misgivings over Ukraine's ability to make major progress this spring, in part due to assessed "deficiencies in training and munitions supplies." "We are currently losing in the sky," Zelenskyy said in the interview with The Post in Kyiv. The Ukrainian president has been pleading for American-made F-16s. President Biden has pointedly denied the request, saying Zelenskyy does not need the planes. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will not wait for more fighter jets to start the offensive but that "it would be much easier for us" if they had them. And although Ukraine recently received the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system, "we also need to remember that the name alone does not protect people," Zelenskyy said. More air defense is "priority number one," Reznikov said. Gen. Richard Barrons, commander of the U.K. Joint Forces Command from 2013 to 2016, said there are concerns that Ukraine's still-depleted air defense could face a barrage from Russian missiles once the counteroffensive begins. The United States, he said, might have to strip its own systems in order to counter the weakness. "There is a question mark over Ukraine's ability to control its own airspace," Barrons said, adding that it had been a clear Russian tactic throughout winter to try to exhaust Ukrainian air defenses, which had mostly consisted of Russian or Soviet-made equipment. Ukraine is also pleading for more long-range strike capabilities as the counteroffensive nears its start. Kyiv's partners have long expressed fears that such equipment could be used to strike inside Russia - potentially triggering a major escalation from Moscow. But the lack of such weaponry is putting Ukraine at a serious disadvantage, Zelenskyy said. "I don't quite understand, I'll tell you frankly, why we can't get long-range artillery," he said, claiming he has offered assurances that Ukraine will not use such equipment to strike inside Russia, as some allies fear. This lack of equipment, Zelenskyy said, is why Ukrainian forces, after retaking the southern city of Kherson in November, have been unable to push Russian forces out of the territory they control just across the Dnieper River. It's from those riverside positions that Russian forces regularly lob ammunition into the now Ukrainian-controlled city. Dozens of civilians have been killed in such shelling in the months since Kherson's liberation. "They can take troops from there and move them to the east or to the south. And still, they are reinforcing," Zelenskyy said. "Why? Because they know that we cannot reach them . . . and we suffer every day because they have the ability to shoot at our people." Russian forces in Kherson knew that Ukraine lacked long-distance strike capabilities, so "they withdrew all their command posts, fuel depots, ammunition depots, more than 120 kilometers away," Reznikov said. "That's why we need something interesting with a range capability of 150 kilometers," he said. "It's become more difficult for them logistically. But we need to push them deeper and deeper." Karklis reported from Washington and Granados from Malaga, Spain. The Washington Post's Catherine Belton in London contributed to this report. KYIV, Ukraine Anxiety about the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power plant grew Sunday after the Moscow-installed governor of the Ukrainian region where it is located ordered civilian evacuations, including from the city where most plant workers live. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi has spent months trying to persuade Russian and Ukrainian officials to establish a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to prevent the war from causing a radiation leak. The evacuations ordered by the Russia-backed governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia province, Yegeny Balitsky, raised fears that fighting in the area would intensify. Balitsky on Friday ordered civilians to leave 18 Russian-occupied communities, including Enerhodar, home to most of the plant staff. More than 1,500 people had been evacuated from two unspecified cities in the region as of Sunday, Balitsky said. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the evacuation of Enerhodar was underway. Moscow's troops seized the plant soon after invading Ukraine last year, but Ukrainian employees have continued to run it during the occupation, at times under extreme duress. Ukraine has regularly fired at the Russian side of the lines, while Russia has repeatedly shelled Ukrainian-held communities across the Dnieper River. The fighting has intensified as Ukraine prepares to launch a long-promised counteroffensive to reclaim ground taken by Russia. Ukrainian authorities on Sunday said that a 72-year-old woman was killed and three others were wounded when Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at the city of Nikopol, about 6 miles across the river from the plant. Grossi said the evacuation of civilians suggested a further escalation. "The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous," Grossi warned Saturday. "We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. This major nuclear facility must be protected," he said. Although none of the plant's six reactors are operating because of the war, the station needs a reliable power supply for cooling systems essential to preventing a potentially catastrophic radiation disaster. Analysts have for months pointed to the southern Zaporizhzhia region as one of the possible targets of Ukraine's expected spring counteroffensive, speculating that Kyiv's forces might try to choke off Russia's "land corridor" to the Crimean Peninsula and split Russian forces in two by pressing on to the Azov Sea coast. Balitsky said Ukraine's forces had intensified attacks on the area in the past several days. Some of the fiercest ongoing fighting is in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces are still clinging to a position on the western outskirts despite Russia trying to take the city for more than nine months. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that Moscow's forces had captured two more districts in the city's west and northwest, but provided no further details. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on Saturday accused Russia of using phosphorus in the city and on Sunday released a new video showing the telltale white fire from such munitions. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians, though it can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. It wasn't possible to independently verify where the video was shot or when, but chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British army colonel, said it was clearly white phosphorus. "This is being fired directly at Ukraine positions and this would be a war crime," he said. "I expect because the Russians have failed to take Bakmut conventionally, they are now using unconventional tactics to burn the Ukrainian soldiers to death or to get them to flee." Russian forces haven't commented on the claim, but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus munitions. In the south, an aide to the exiled Ukrainian mayor of the Russia-occupied coastal city of Mariupol said in a Telegram post Sunday that there was evidence that Moscow's forces had intensified their transfer of tracked vehicles through the city and into Zaporizhzhia province. Petro Andryushchenko claimed that more and more vehicles were being spotted crossing Mariupol "every day." He posted a short video showing heavy trucks transporting armored vehicles along an expressway, without specifying where or when it was taken. In Enerhodar, the first residents evacuated were those who took Russian citizenship following the capture of the city by Moscow early in the war, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said. They were being taken to the Russia-occupied Azov Sea coast, about 120 miles to the southeast, which is where Mariupol is located, the General Staff reported on Facebook. Grossi said Zaporizhzhia plant's core operating staff hadn't been evacuated as of Saturday but that most live in Enerhodar and the situation has contributed to "increasingly tense, stressful and challenging conditions for personnel and their families." He added that IAEA experts at the nuclear site "are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis." Elsewhere, Russian shelling on Saturday and overnight killed six civilians and wounded four others in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, according to a Telegram update published Sunday by the local administration. Five civilians were wounded in the eastern Donetsk province, the epicenter of the fighting in recent months, local Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces overnight attacked the largest port in Russia-occupied Crimea with drones, a Kremlin-installed local official said on Telegram early Sunday. According to the post by Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol, 10 Ukrainian drones targeted the city, three of which were shot down by air defense systems. Razvozhayev said there was no damage. Joanna Kozlowska contributed to this story from London. POTIOMKYNE, Ukraine A grassy lane rutted with tire tracks leads to Volodymyr Zaiets' farm in southern Ukraine. He is careful, driving only within those shallow grooves veering away might cost him his life in the field dotted with explosive mines. Weeds grow tall where rows of sunflowers once bloomed. Zaiets' land hasn't been touched since the fall of 2021, when it was last seeded with wheat. Now, it's a minefield left by retreating Russian forces. Zaiets eschewed official warnings and demined this patch of land himself, determined not to lose the year's harvest. He expects that 15% of his 4,000 acres of farmland was salvaged. Workers like Victor Kostiuk still spot mines, but he's ready to start the tractor. "We have to do it," he says, "Why be afraid?" Across Ukraine, the war has forced grain growers into a vicious dilemma. Farmers in areas now free from Russian occupation must decide if it's worth risking their lives to strip land of explosives before the critical spring planting season. They have soaring production and transportation costs caused by Russia's blockade of many Black Sea ports, and several neighboring European countries imposed import restrictions on Ukrainian grain to prevent a glut. The dual crisis is causing many farmers to cut back on sowing crops. Bottlenecks in shipping grain by land and sea are creating losses, with expectations of a 20% to 30% reduction in grain output, poorer quality crops and potentially thousands of bankruptcies next year, according to industry insiders, Ukrainian government officials and international organizations. The "drastic reduction" of grain crops potentially threatens global food security, said Pierre Vauthier, head of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Ukraine. "That is the main thing everybody eats. So that's why it is a big concern." More than a year since Russia's invasion, the Ukrainian agriculture industry is starting to see the full impact of what's been dubbed " the breadbasket of the world," whose affordable supplies of wheat, barley and sunflower oil are crucial to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia where people are going hungry. The FAO says 90% of agricultural businesses lost revenue and 12% reported lands contaminated with mines. Land planted with grain dropped last year to 28.6 million acres from around 40 million acres in 2021. That's expected to fall to 25.2 million acres this year. In the southern Kherson province, between the threat of missiles from the sky and mines on the ground, farmers make the same, often tragic, calculation: Take the risk and plant or lose their livelihoods. The region is among the highest wheat-producing areas in Ukraine and the most heavily mined. Demining services are overstretched, with infrastructure and civilian homes prioritized over farms. But growers can't wait: April and May are key planting months for corn, the autumn months for wheat. Many are switching to planting oil seeds that are less costly. "We have nearly 40 big farmers in our area, and nearly everyone is unable to access their lands except two," said Hanna Shostak-Kuchmiak, head of the Vysokopillya administration that includes several villages in northern Kherson. Zaiets is one, and Valerii Shkuropat from the nearby village of Ivanivka is the other. "Our heroes," said Shostak-Kuchmiak, "who were driving their cars around picking up mines and bringing them to our deminers." Neither farmer felt they had the choice. Both knew that without a harvest this year, they will be insolvent by next. Everyone understands the risks, said Shkuropat, whose more than 6,000 acres of land once grew peas, barley, millet and sunflowers. He estimates that half can be planted. Last month, one of his workers was killed and another was wounded while picking up metal missile remnants. "If we sow, if we grow crops, people will have jobs, salaries and they will have a means to feed their families," Shkuropat said. "But if we don't do anything, we will have nothing." Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports stripped the country of the advantage it once enjoyed over other grain-exporting countries. Transit costs, now four to six times higher than prewar levels, have rendered grain production prohibitively expensive. High costs of fuel, fertilizer and quality seeds only add to farmers' woes. Most must sell their grain at a loss. Farmers are responding by seeding less, said Andrii Vadaturskyi, CEO of Nibulon, a top Ukrainian grain shipping company. "No one is paying attention to the fact that already 40% less wheat has been seeded (this year), and we expect 50% less corn will be seeded in Ukraine," he said, drawing on data from 3,000 farmers. Nibulon once paid an average of $12 to ship a ton of grain from the southern port city of Odesa. Now it pays $80-$100 per ton, Vadaturskyi said, HarvEast CEO Dmytro Skornyakov said that his agricultural company pays almost $110 in logistics costs to export every ton of corn. "It covers our expenses, but doesn't give us any profit," he said. Negotiations are underway on renewing the U.N.-brokered agreement that allows Ukrainian grain to safely leave three Black Sea ports. Shippers say the deal isn't working efficiently. Russian inspections are causing long wait times for vessels, piling on fees and making the sea route expensive and unreliable, Ukrainian grain shippers say. Russia denies slowing inspections. "We had some vessels which were waiting close to 80 days in the queue simply to be loaded," said Vadaturskyi of Nibulon. "Someone has to lose that money, either the buyer, owner of the vessel or trader." Transit routes through Europe are open even as Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary temporarily banned Ukrainian wheat, corn and some other products over concerns about their own farmers' profits. But those routes are slow and costly. Shipping by sea accounted for 75% of Ukrainian grain exports at the start of the year. Meanwhile, some farmers won't risk planting their fields. Oleh Uskhalo's land in Potiomkyne is awash with ammunition, the vast wheat farms reduced to a graveyard of scorched equipment. Inside a bombed-out grain shed lies piles of wheat grain Ushkalo's entire prewar harvest rotting under the sun. "We can go on for another year," he said. After that, he doesn't know. He hopes for government compensation. "I cannot send (my workers) to a field where I know mines and bombs are," Uskhalo said. "To send a person to blow themselves up? I can't do that." He faces resistance from his employees, eager to earn wages. "The tractor drivers, they say, 'We can go, we can sign a document stating that we take full responsibility,'" Uskhalo said. It's too risky, he told them. In the distance, he can see a tractor equipped with disk tillers, a type of plow. "I wonder if it's Volodymyr Mykolaiovych," he said, referring to Zaiets. "All it takes is for one of those disks to hit a mine and that's it." That's what happened to Mykola Ozarianskyi. In April, the farmer took a chance: He hopped on his tractor in his village of Borozenske, in Kherson, to head to a friend's sunflower field to cut stalks. He swerved to turn down a side farm road. He remembers the explosion, then waking up in a hospital bed with a collapsed lung and broken ribs. Every day, he thinks of his 16 hectares (around 40 acres) of land, still unseeded. "I will do it," he said, straining to speak while a tube drains blood from his chest. "For a farmer, not planting means death." Elon Musk. Patrick Pleul/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger weighed in on Elon Musk at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. The Tesla chief tackles complex problems, resulting in major wins and losses, they said. "We don't want that much failure," Munger said, explaining why they take fewer risks than Musk. Elon Musk dreams bigger and tackles much more daunting problems than Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, meaning he sometimes achieves great things but often falls short, the investing duo have said. "He would not have achieved what he has in life if he hadn't tried for unreasonably extreme objectives," Munger, the vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, said during the company's annual meeting on Saturday. "He likes taking on the impossible job and doing it," Munger continued. "We're different. Warren and I are looking for the easy job." "We don't want that much failure," the 99-year-old investor added. Buffett, Berkshire's 92-year-old CEO, agreed that Musk focuses on much tougher challenges than he or Munger want to take on. "It's a dedication to solving the impossible, and every now and then he'll do it," Buffett said. "But it would be torturous to me or Charlie." The Berkshire chief said Musk's all-consuming lifestyle doesn't appeal to him, but the Tesla chief "wouldn't enjoy being in my shoes either." Musk welcomed the comments from the two legendary stock pickers. "Appreciate the kind words from Warren & Charlie," he tweeted. Buffett and Munger have both credited Musk for successfully scaling Tesla into a major automaker in the brutally competitive car industry. Musk, who dreams of colonizing Mars, has also pioneered reusable-rocket technology at SpaceX and experienced high-profile failures and spectacular explosions in the process. Musk has distanced himself from Buffett in recent years, describing himself as a builder of businesses and products as opposed to an investor. He's acknowledged Buffett's expertise, but described the Berkshire chief's job of studying companies and allocating capital as "super boring." Story continues Even so, the tech billionaire recently said Buffett would be an ideal US Treasury Secretary, as the Berkshire chief could do the job in less than one hour a week. Musk has also chided Buffett and Munger for passing on the opportunity to invest in Tesla at a $200 million valuation in 2008. The automaker now commands a market capitalization north of $500 billion. Read more: Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger warned a banking crisis is possible, AI may be dangerous, and government overspending will end badly. Here are their 18 best quotes from Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. Read the original article on Business Insider CAIRO The Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister to Sunday's gathering. Thirteen out of the league's 22 member states sent their foreign ministers to the meeting in Cairo. The decision represented a victory for Damascus, albeit a largely symbolic one. Given that Western sanctions against Assad's government remain in place, the return to the Arab League is not expected to lead to a quick release of reconstruction funds in the war-battered country. Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended early on during the country's 2011 uprising against Assad's rule that was met by a violent crackdown and quickly turned into a civil war. The conflict has killed nearly a half million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the country's pre-war population of 23 million. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement that the decision to return Syria to the organization, which will allow Assad to take part in the group's upcoming May 19 summit, is part of a gradual process of resolving the conflict. "This doesn't mean that the Syria crisis has been resolved, on the contrary," he said. "But it allows the Arab (states) for the first time in years to communicate with the Syrian government to discuss all the problems." Aboul Gheit also said restoring Syria's membership in the organization does not mean all Arab countries have normalized with Damascus. "These are sovereign decisions for each state individually," he said. Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous claimed Sunday that Syria had been the victim of "misinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies" for 12 years. He said Sunday's consultations reflected the "prestigious position" Syria holds regionally and internationally. Opponents of Assad saw the move toward normalization as a betrayal. "Arab states have put their own cynical realpolitik and diplomatic agendas above basic humanity," said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign, an international advocacy group. The move, she said, has "cruelly betrayed tens of thousands of victims of the regime's war crimes and granted Assad a green light to continue committing horrific crimes with impunity." Sunday's decision came days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a road map to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to de-escalate. The next Arab League summit is to take place May 19 in Saudi Arabia. The Arab League generally tries to reach agreements by consensus but sometimes opts for simple majorities. Sunday's session was held behind closed doors, and it was not immediately clear which countries had registered objections. A spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published by state media that normalization with Syria should be tied to a political solution to the conflict but that it "always seeks to support what will achieve an Arab consensus and will not be an obstacle to that." Sunday's decision also includes a commitment by Arab governments to try to reach a political solution to the conflict, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq were asked by the league to follow up on developments. The league welcomed what it said was the Syrian government's willingness to cooperate with Arab countries to resolve "humanitarian, security, and political" crises that affected Syria and the region due to the conflict, including refugees, "the threat of terrorism and drug smuggling." Many observers had anticipated Syria's imminent return to the organization. Arab rapprochement with Damascus accelerated after a deadly Feb. 6 earthquake that shattered parts of the war-torn country. One of the countries pushing normalization is Saudi Arabia, which once backed opposition groups trying to overthrow Assad. Egyptian Foreign Minister Samer Shoukry said before Sunday's meeting that only an Arab-led "political solution without foreign dictates" can end the ongoing conflict. "The different stages of the Syrian crisis proved that it has no military solution, and that there is no victor nor defeated in this conflict," he said. In recent years, as Assad regained control of most of the country with the help of key allies Russia and Iran, neighbors of Syria that hosted large refugee populations took steps towards reopening diplomatic links with Damascus. Meanwhile, two Gulf monarchies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, reestablished ties. The Feb. 6 earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria was a catalyst for further normalization across the Arab world. China helped to broker a recent rapprochement between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Jordan last week hosted regional talks that included envoys from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and Syria. They agreed on a framework, dubbed the "Jordanian initiative," that would slowly bring Damascus back into the Arab fold. Amman's top diplomat said the meeting was the "beginning of an Arab-led political path" for a solution to the crisis. The conflict in Sudan is also on the agenda, as Arab states try to stabilize a shaky cease-fire in the ongoing fighting that has killed hundreds of people over the past few weeks. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Sam Magdy and Noha El Hennawy in Cairo contributed to this report. CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Tribune News Service) A company headquartered in Cheyenne that specializes in intelligence, training, logistics and cybersecurity for the Department of Defense was recently awarded a military contract to assemble bunkers for the war between Russia and Ukraine. The Bizzell Corporation, founded by military veterans in 2012, has been contracted to supply the Ukrainian military with 100 Field Accommodation Dugouts. These portable bunkers, constructed like cargo containers, are designed to be buried underground near the Ukrainian border to provide a small living shelter for soldiers on the front lines. Its a significant contract for Bizzell to receive, especially considering its a service that wouldnt normally fall within the companys realm of responsibility. Senior leadership has done this work from being former military and having a staff of a lot of former military, but the company, as a whole, has not (done something like this), said Jessica Underwood, chief development officer. We do logistics, she continued. Thats one of the things that we do function in, especially in Eastern Europe. We have a really solid partnership doing both ground and air logistics. Underwood said the company is poised to utilize relationships in Eastern Europe to fulfill the contract. The dugouts are constructed and retrofitted in Ukraine and come fully stocked with a wood-burning stove, ventilation system, solar energy, bunk beds and storage space. Bizzell is responsible for facilitating the acquisition of materials and development of these boxes on the front end of the operation. The orders are completed in installments of 20 units at a time. The first order is scheduled to be delivered by May 31. Underwood said that theres currently no concern that Bizzell will have difficulty producing units on schedule, which demands subsequent shipments of 20 units every month through September. If the government is satisfied with the first 100 units, theres an option to procure another 100-unit batch. Depending on how the rest of the process goes, Bizzell could end up striking more federal contracts down the line. I think it opens us up for additional opportunities that not a lot of people can say theyve done, Underwood said. This kind of work, this isnt something thats regularly outsourced. I think theres a uniqueness here that positions us well for future work of similar scope. Its good work. Its one of those things you can feel good about at the end of the day. wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com (c)2023 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.) Visit at www.wyomingnews.com Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, held a meeting with the Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the general headquarters in Rawalpindi during which matters of mutual interest including regional security and defence cooperation came under discussion. COAS Gen Munir, in the meeting, reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the China-Pakistan Strategic relationship. He also pledged full support for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which is a vital component of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Gen Munir also appreciated China's unwavering support for Pakistan on regional and international issues. Meanwhile, the Chinese minister underscored the importance of the longstanding strategic relationship between the brotherly nations and expressed his satisfaction over the progress made on the CPEC while reiterating China's commitment to its timely completion. He also lauded Pakistan's efforts in maintaining regional peace and stability, especially the support of Pakistan Armed Forces for provision of security to Chinese Nationals and projects in Pakistan. Both the army chief and FM Gang discussed the evolving security situation in the region. COAS acknowledged China's role in promoting peace and stability in the region, and both sides agreed to enhance their existing cooperation in defence and security domains to effectively counter common security challenges, the statement read. The meeting, as stated by the ISPR, concluded on a positive note with both sides reiterating their resolve to further strengthen the time-tested, all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China. COAS stresses need for 'enhanced Pak-Afghan cooperation to tackle terrorism in meeting with Muttaqi Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, in meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan to "effectively" tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism. According to a statement released by the the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Afghan FM, who is currently in Pakistan for a four-day visit, called on the army chief at his office in Rawalpindi. The two discussed issues of mutual interest including aspects related to regional security, border management, and formalisation of bilateral security mechanisms for improvement in the current security environment. Besides discussing the bilateral issues, COAS Gen Munir also reiterated the need for full support and commitment from the interim Afghan government in matters of mutual interest, the military's media wing stated. Moreover, the visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan's traditional support for the people of Afghanistan and acknowledged the important role that the country continues to play in facilitating peace and development in Afghanistan. He also expressed his desire to work closely with Pakistan to promote regional stability and prosperity. During the meeting, both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining regular contact to strengthen bilateral ties and address issues of common concern. Later, the army chief reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called out former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar for being an "agent" of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claiming that he served Imran Khan-led party as an activist during his tenure at the Supreme Court. The premier claimed that the audio leak of ex-CJP's son Najam Saqib implicates him in a conspiracy to bring PTI chief Khan to power. The son of the former chief justice was heard speaking to a PTI candidate, Abuzar Chadhar, regarding issuance of party tickets for the upcoming Punjab elections. PM Shehbaz's comments came while talking to journalists in London where he is currently on a visit due to his attendance for the coronation of King Charles III. The prime minister also met his brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif during his visit. The premier said that Nisar had played a key role in the disqualification of the PML-N supremo on completely baseless and false allegations and ran a vindictive campaign against their party in order to bring Khan into power through a rigged election he presided over. PM Shehbaz said ex-top judge of the apex court used suo motu notices for his personal and political interests and not for public interest. The prime minister added that the audio leak of the former CJPs son is a proof that a conspiracy was hatched to bring the PTI chief to power in which Nisar himself was also involved. He further stated that the House committee had called the ex-chief justice and his son to answer questions about their involvement in the sale of tickets for Rs120 million. PM Shehbaz said that elections in the country will take place on the same day and parliament will assert its supremacy at all costs. "Elections will take place on one day. In Punjab, in the past, there was a wrong impression that it is the big brother of the provinces. All provinces are equal. Conducting elections in Punjab on one day is not in Pakistans interest," he said. The premier added that the parliaments constitutional rights will be protected and it has one voice on this matter. "There is no doubt that parliament, within its limits, will assert its authority. The whole parliament stands united. Parliament will get itself asserted within its legal remit," he asserted. Moreover, PM Shehbaz also slammed the PTI for creating controversy around Pakistans participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) moot in India, adding that for the Khan-led party "everything" is a "plaything". It is deeply troubling how the PTI tried to generate controversy around Pakistans participation in the SCO meeting in India, the premier tweeted a day after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari returned from India. However, the prime minister said that it was not surprising as his predecessor had no qualms about imperiling the countrys vital foreign policy interests in the past. "This is what they did when they were in power. For the PTI, everything including the conduct of interstate relations is a plaything, tweeted the premier. FM Bilawal visited the Indian city, Goa, to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) meeting. The visit was hailed by former diplomats, foreign policy analysts, scholars and experts as it marked the first time in more than a decade that a Pakistan foreign minister had visited the neighbouring country. However, PTI was not very welcoming to the idea of a Pakistani foreign minister visiting India and was critical of Bilawals actions during his trip. Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Sunday said that the judges of the Supreme Court could not blink their eyes if the Constitution mandated polls within 90 days of an assemblys dissolution, adding that it was their duty to say that. Speaking at a conference on minority rights in Lahore on Sunday, the chief justice said: When it comes to constitutional enforcement we must not blink our eyes. If it says 90 days for holding elections, it is our duty to say that and not our choice, instead of finding a reason why we should avoid saying that. The chief justice said the matter was being called a controversy. Im sorry, Im not worthy of controversy, Im a very humble person. Please dont say that you support us. Im just one of the members of the Supreme Court. You must support the Supreme Court if you stand up for the law and the Constitution and not [for] any individual, he added. The chief justice said the Supreme Court and its judges had no existence individually but as a unit [and] as a constitutional organ and that is how we function. If a review is filed then it will be heard because no judgement is binding unless it becomes final. But if a judgement is not challenged then it becomes final so lets see what happens now, the chief justice said. CJP Bandial said he was optimistic that the nations leaders, institutions and people were all committed to the Constitution. Referring to the negotiations between the government and the PTI, he said the apex court was informed that they had not concluded yet. We have nothing to do with that but at least they are conscious that they have a duty to comply [with] the Constitution and we are there to support that effort otherwise our judgement is there, it has a force of its own, it may not be implemented today but it will last to the test of time and shall be implemented tomorrow, the chief justice pointed out. CJP Bandials speech also addressed minority rights. He said the Constitution assured freedom to profess religion and to manage religious institutions subject to public order and morality. Our Constitution in Article 21 safeguards against the taxation of any particular religion. So for no particular reason can other religions be taxed, he said. Article 22 safeguards educational institutions in respect of religion. No religious instruction or ceremony in any educational institution other than ones own religion. The chief justice added that no citizen could be denied admission on the grounds of caste, race, religion, place, or birth to educational institutions which received aid from public revenues. 'serious injuries' | Man accused of throwing acid in face of champion snooker player at Limerick house party Kenneth Dundon Snr, dressed in a full Peaky Blinders-style suit, didnt wait to hear Judge John Dodds full remarks, leaving Wood Green Crown Court in London as soon as he heard the sentence. The makeshift bed where one of the victims was found Ger Dundon being held by police in the van that contained one of the brothers Kenneth Dundon was in court as his son was sentence The father of the infamous Dundon brothers watched as his youngest son Gerard received a 15-year jail sentence on Friday for an attempt to extort a drug dealer and his brother. Kenneth Dundon Snr, dressed in a full Peaky Blinders-style suit, didnt wait to hear Judge John Dodds full remarks, leaving Wood Green Crown Court in London as soon as he heard the sentence. As the magistrate finished his summation, Gerard shouted: Tell Dad Im alright. Im alright Da. Kenneth Dundon Snr at his sons sentencing in London From inside the sealed dock Dundon later shouted as he was being taken down that you wouldnt get that for rape or for killing someone. One of two young men in the court who had accompanied Kenneth Snr told Ger: Ill get up to visit you, Dad. The father of the notorious Dundon brothers is no stranger to British prison, having served a six-year manslaughter sentence in 2006 for stabbing a man he believed was having an affair with his now late wife, Anne McCarthy, at a London flat. Ger Dundon being held by police in the van that contained one of the brothers Gers sentencing brings an end to the case which began with an attempt to extort cash from convicted drugs dealer Shah Ali and his younger brother Mohammed in July 2020. Judge Dodds lifted the reporting restrictions he had previously imposed on naming the two brothers who he described no angels and Shah as being clearly involved in serious criminality. Shah had been involved in selling Xanax tablets to Northern Ireland and had links to Warren Crossan, who was shot dead in Belfast in June 2020, just weeks before the Ali brothers were targeted. Crossan, the son of murdered dissident republican Tommy Crossan, was on bail for a 18,000 seizure of cocaine and was also suspected of helping the gang who killed Robbie Lawlor in April 2020. Ger Dundons mughsot The court heard how the Ali brothers had been threatened with weapons, held against their will in squalor, stripped naked and sprayed with Dettol during a seven -day ordeal. They had been subjected to verbal and racist abuse and forced to take sedatives while being held in a caravan at a Travellers halting site at Smithy Fen in Cambridgeshire. The judge told Dundon, who changed his name by deed poll to Darren McClean and was tried under that name, that he was approaching sentencing with the view he is a committed career criminal. He said Dundon had been carrying out the wishes of other criminals looking to extort cash or drugs from the older of the two brothers. That does not begin to excuse your conduct, but does explain your conduct which would otherwise remain explicable. The full truth of the events has not emerged even yet. Ger Dundon held the two brothers for a week Gang boss Cornelius Price had also been due to go on trial over the plot but was too ill at the time and died earlier this year after being in a coma for over a year. Dundon was the only one convicted over the plot with Quincy Bramble and Mark Kavanagh, who is linked to the Drogheda-based Maguire-Price gang, were acquitted by the jury. Danny Bridges (41) and Lisa Marie Finnerty (39), were previously cleared of conspiracy to falsely imprison and conspiracy to blackmail. It was a complex criminal plot which Judge Dodds said was one group of criminals trying to rip off another in the time-honoured fashion. He also said it was a merciless and well-planned blackmail plot organised by others who have so far escaped justice. It began with Shah Ali being put in contact with Ger Dundon, who was to help him over a 7,500 debt owed to Warren Crossan which had been taken over by someone else. He travelled with his brother Mohammed to a flat in London where they met Ger Dundon, but during the meeting a number of men armed with machetes stormed the property. The brothers were held at different locations before ending up at Smithy Fen, where constant demands were made for 330,000 to be paid over. Police were able to track down Dundon, who had made threatening phone calls to the Ali family, after Shah had been released to raise the cash. Dundon was dramatically arrested at gunpoint at the wheel of a yellow van in which the younger Ali brother was being held in the back, bringing the ordeal to an end. Judge Dodds described as ridiculous Dundons claim that he was protecting the Ali brothers and providing shelter for them from other dangerous criminals. The makeshift bed where one of the victims was found He said he was prepared to use violence to reach his goal and prepared to act as a gangland enforcer. Your actions in 2020 reveal you to be a dangerous man, the judge said in his final remarks. He said that in recorded calls from his encrypted phone, Dundon was heard to make threats that he would splatter their brains over the road and he was content to play the part of ringmaster and enforcer. Dundons use of aliases was according to the judge, another example of your approach to life. His 113 previous convictions were referred to in court, which were a mix of low-level and serious crimes Dundon was also sentenced this week for number of crimes he committed while on bail for the extortion charges. These included the possession of a 9mm gun and 12 bullets found in a bag near his home in Hackney, the snatching of an electric bike from a woman and spitting at a police officer after he was arrested over a fight. Dundon was described having behaved in an utterly disgraceful manner and acting in such a manner you have to be handcuffed to the hospital bed. Now named Darren McClean, he will have to serve at least half of the 15-years total sentence. His brothers Wayne, John and Dessie are all serving life sentences for murder in Ireland in killings that were part of their organised crime-gangs reign of terror in Limerick. Paul Samuel Grays barrister claims he was praying with the woman, not assaulting her This is the pastor accused of assaulting a woman but whose barrister claims he was actually praying with her. Paul Samuel Gray (55) and fellow cleric Carolyn Murray (54) are charged with two counts of common assault and a single charge of theft of items worth 575 from the same alleged victim on February 17 and 18 last year. Defence counsel Conor OKane described the allegations against Gray, from Ballyregan Park, and Murray, from Longstone Avenue, both in Dundonald, as quite bizarre. Mr OKane told Newtownards Magistrates Court last week he had written a 15-point letter to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) questioning the decision to pursue the pair. He said the alleged assault was actually the defendants laying their hands on the head of the alleged injured party while praying for her. Regarding the theft claim, Mr OKane said the complainant had asked Gray and Murray to remove items from her home which were not consistent with her Christian life journey because they related to other religions. Shes now saying they stole those items, the barrister explained, adding that having spoken at length to the prosecution, he had since written to the PPS to argue theres no realistic prospect of a conviction and its not in the public interest to prosecute these defendants. District Judge Mark Hamill said he would review the case on June 29, with a contest scheduled for July 7. Edward Stokes (47), who is serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of fellow traveller John Mongan, screamed in agony A thug who threw a pot of boiling water over a sleeping killer in an argument about jailhouse bullying, has been handed a 56-month prison sentence. Brian OHagan (30) will serve half the sentence in jail and half on licence but that will only start when the Derry criminal has finished his other jail sentence for the shocking robbery of a disabled man who was thrown from his wheelchair and kicked about the head, leaving him with a fractured eye socket. Earlier this year, OHagan, from the Beragh Hill Road in Derry, entered a guilty plea to attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent on Edward Stokes just over two years ago on May 5, 2021. Stokes (47), serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of fellow traveller John Mongan, who was hacked to death in February 2008, was lying asleep in his cell in Magilligan Prison at 9.30am when OHagan filled a pot with freshly-boiled water from the kettle and threw it over him. The defendant shouted as he returned to his cell, I scalded him, he threatened my family, said Judge Roseanne McCormick KC during her sentencing remarks. Edward Stokes was scalded in the attack With Stokes screaming in agony, the judge said the landing orderly and a fellow prisoner responded with commendable presence of mind to pour cold water over his face, arm, chest and neck and also to put him in a cold shower. Stokes refused to go to hospital but Judge McCormick said it was clear the prison nurse had to dress his burns and he was given pain killers. The judge said while there were no long-term consequences, even a day of extreme pain would be a very long day indeed. Meanwhile, OHagan admitted to the prison governor that he had thrown boiling water over Stokes, claiming he was being bullied over a supposed tobacco debt he owed the convicted killer. Stokes, also from Derry, is 15 years into his 22-year minimum life tariff for the gruesome murder of John Mongan in February 2008. Brian O'Hagan has been sentenced for the attack He and his brother Christopher, who has since died in prison, broke into the west Belfast home of John and heavily pregnant Julia Mongan and hacked their victim to death with an axe and a sword, grinning as they struck him 30-40 times. On his way out, Edward Stokes struck his cousin Mrs Mongan over the head with the sword he had just used to butcher her husband. OHagan carried out his attack on October 24, 2018, with the victim, who suffers from spina bifida and epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, being knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face and body by OHagan, who demanded the victims money and bank card, claiming he was from the IRA. Magilligan prison outside Londonderry The vulnerable victim, who suffered a fractured eye socket and bruising in the horrific attack, managed to contact the cops and they were able to arrest OHagan as he fled the scene, seizing his shoes which were stained with the victims blood. On Wednesday, Judge McCormick said OHagan has a sad history replete with adverse childhood experiences but added there was hope for the future as OHagan has acknowledged his addictions and had used his time in custody to complete courses. Two vehicles were stolen from the hospital car park in Ballinasloe on Friday, May 5, and were later recovered by gardai after the alarm was raised. Dr Ali Raza Ansari, paediatric doctor at Portiuncula Hospital and Train Us For Ireland Vice President Doctors at a Portiuncula Hospital in Co Galway are living in fear after two cars were stolen from the premises over the weekend. Two vehicles were stolen from the hospital car park in Ballinasloe on Friday, May 5, and were later recovered by gardai after the alarm was raised. A garda spokesperson confirmed that detectives are investigating the incidents although no arrests have been made to date. Highly condemnable! The International doctor who recently went through the terrible CIRCULAR SAW attack, was targeted once again and had his CAR STOLEN from the hospital parking lot while he was at work and busy with his patients. He and his family are under huge stress because pic.twitter.com/4UYDOYljH0 Dr Liqa Ur Rehman (@LiqaDr) May 7, 2023 It is understood that one of stolen cars, a Toyota Aqua, belonged to Dr Muhammed Raheel Bethel, who was recently involved in an incident in which a man allegedly used a circular saw to cut through the front door of his rented home. The car thefts were slammed as highly condemnable by Dr Liqa Ur Rehman, co-founder of medical support group Train Us For Ireland, online. He tweeted: The international doctor who recently went through the terrible CIRCULAR SAW attack, was targeted once again and had his CAR STOLEN from the hospital parking lot while he was at work and busy with his patients. He and his family are under huge stress because of such targeted incidents. TD tells Leo Varadkar of dying OAP's agonising wait on trolley in Portiuncula Hospital Since the CIRCULAR SAW incident, there have been a series of such awful incidents which have specifically targeted foreign healthcare workers in this small town. All healthcare workers working (at Portiuncula Hospital) and their families living (in Ballinasloe) are raising serious safety concerns. Who is going to provide safety assurance to healthcare workers while they are looking after their patients inside the hospital? It will ultimately negatively impact patient care and worsen staffing crisis. Dr Liqa also claimed that hospital management are failing to take appropriate security and safety measures to protect staff. Speaking to sundayworld.com, Dr Ali Raza Ansari, a paediatric doctor at the hospital and vice president of Train Us For Ireland, said that the medical community in Ballinasloe are afraid following a spate of recent incidents targeting hospital workers in the town. Two cars (were) stolen from hospital parking the day before yesterday. Dr Ali Raza Ansari, paediatric doctor at Portiuncula Hospital and Train Us For Ireland Vice President Shockingly, one of those is Dr. Raheel's car. There is something really crazy going in this town. Doctors are afraid, he told us. It comes after a doctors car was broken into at Portiuncula Hospital after finishing her shift last month. She arrived at her car at around 10pm to find that the front right window had been smashed, although nothing had been stolen from the vehicle. Days earlier, pensioner Thomas Walsh was arrested by gardai after footage emerged on social media showing a circular saw being used to cut through the front door of a property rented by surgeon Dr Muhammed Raheel Bethel, his wife and two young daughters. And later in the week, A&E Registrar Dr Othman Farahat was the victim of a burglary after his home in St Michaels Place, Ballinasloe was broken into as his wife and two young children were inside. Dr Farahat had been celebrating Eid with some friends at home when a man with a knife entered and stole some of his belongings. The incident was reported to local gardai, who arrested a man in his 30s a short time later. He was later charged and appeared before a sitting of Castlerea District Court on Friday, 21 April. Dr Ansari said that the medical community in Ballinasloe are becoming increasingly worried for their safety and are very concerned about the incidents of late. Whats going on in this town? Im not sure if all of these things are related or why people are specifically targeting doctors, but the situation is getting worse and worse. Doctors families are afraid; their kids are afraid. Theyre afraid of whats going on. People are afraid of staying in the town because they think its an unsafe environment. Maybe people have heard that doctors are rich and they have a lot of money so theyre easy to target. I think thats the reason people are attacking doctors. There is a sense of fear and insecurity in this town. Someone has to take action and take this seriously. Were thankful that the gardai are doing something and listening to us. The people of Ireland have always stood with the doctors too, he added. The Saolta Hospital Group, which represents Portiuncula Hospital, has been contacted for comment by sundayworld.com. ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESSWIRE / May 7, 2023 / In partnership with the third annual Connected Vehicles USA Conference organizers Automotive IQ, EMQ Technologies hosted automotive OEM and supplier delegates in the conference's first VIP roundtable on performance challenges for connected vehicle services. Attendees at the roundtable represented long-established companies like Ford, Toyota, Navistar, and Harman, as well as newer entrants to the market like VIA Motors and Lordstown Motors. EMQ President and CEO Dylan Kennedy moderated the hour-long session. EMQ Technologies Inc., Sunday, May 7, 2023, Press release picture The nineteen delegates engaged in an open discussion covering fundamental vehicle connectivity challenges and potential solutions. Discussion included topics such as in-vehicle data processing; the evolution of vehicle communication and data standards like VSS, DSRC, and C-V2X; regulation and control of data collection and distribution; services monetization opportunities; and the applicability of open-source software. Standards development received particular attention from the group. Robert Gee, Manager of Portfolio Development, Product Management Connected Vehicle Solutions at Continental, commented, "I believe there could be value in encouraging the industry to adopt more standardized communications mechanisms for connected services, even if the message sets are proprietary. Like the CAN Bus, the common layers could allow for predictable processing loads, transaction timings, security, and error handling. As part of the build-up to that level of discussion, bringing the various stakeholders into the room to discuss their differing usage requirements as EMQ did at Connected Vehicles 2023 is certainly helpful." EMQ Technologies is the leading provider of open-source IoT data infrastructure software and produces the world's most popular open-source MQTT broker, EMQX. EMQ's platform supports vehicle services, including telematics, geolocation, and app-based mobile vehicle controls, for world-class automakers such as General Motors, Volkswagen, Lucid Technologies, and Great Wall Motors. EMQ is also exploring the application of proposed additions to the MQTT standard, like MQTT over QUIC, with automotive R&D labs worldwide. Story continues EMQ Technologies Inc., Sunday, May 7, 2023, Press release picture Dylan Kennedy, President of EMQ US, observed, "The discussion today confirmed that automakers are looking for services infrastructure that can support a diverse set of data consumers and a significant increase in data volumes. Interoperability, likely at multiple levels, is a must if they are going to satisfy these demands while ensuring privacy and quality of service for these different groups. As a standard for the Internet of Things, MQTT has earned the level of adoption it has precisely because of its ability to support scalable, interoperable communications at levels of throughput similar to what we discussed here." Principal Engineer of Product Services at Toyota Motors North America Brian Vitale added, "I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to vehicle data and usage. " About EMQ EMQ is the world's leading software provider of open-source IoT data infrastructure. Its core portfolio includes EMQX, the world's most scalable and reliable open-source MQTT messaging platform; HStreamDB, the world's first native streaming database; and Neuron, the lightweight industrial IoT connectivity server. EMQX supports 100M concurrent IoT device connections per cluster while maintaining extremely high throughput and sub-millisecond latency. It is trusted by over 300 customers in mission-critical IoT scenarios, including well-known brands like HPE, VMware, Verifone, SAIC Volkswagen, and Ericsson. EMQ's global R&D center is located in Stockholm, Sweden. It has 10+ offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Media Contact melanie@emqx.io 305 Vineyard Town Center, Morgan Hill, CA, USA 95037 SOURCE: EMQ Technologies Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/753274/EMQ-Hosts-Expert-Roundtable-Session-at-2023-Connected-Vehicles-USA-Conference Hutch has told pals he has never spoken to the GSOC officer and believes he is attempting to insert himself into the drama surrounding the trial Late Det Supt Colm Fox had been investigating the attack at the Regency Hotel Colin Keegan A GSOC officer who collected an elderly woman from a party in Gerard Hutchs home had approached the Monks legal team during the Regency trial offering to help them, a source has claimed. The investigator resigned from the Garda watchdog last month after telling colleagues he had attended an event with Hutch after his acquittal for murder. It is believed Hutch has told pals he has never spoken to the GSOC officer and believes he is attempting to insert himself into the drama surrounding the trial. Following the Regency Hotel verdict, a small party was held in north Dublin home. The party-goers included an elderly woman with lifelong ties to the Hutch family who lives in the area. Late Det Supt Colm Fox had been investigating the attack at the Regency Hotel Colin Keegan The woman has been renting a room to the GSOC officer, who was recruited from abroad by the Garda watchdog. According to Hutchs pals, the investigator merely collected the woman from the veteran criminals home at the end of the evening but did not attend the party. He was there for a couple of minutes at most, Im not even sure if he went in the front door. The Sunday World can reveal Hutch has told friends he has had no dealings with the GSOC officer who was arrested and laughed off suggestions he was on payroll. Bizarrely, the GSOC investigator previously made a personal approach to The Monks legal team during the high-profile trial. The officer, who is in his 60s, is said to have offered to give them information about the death of late Detective Superintendent Colm Fox. Sources say that the investigator approached a member of the legal team as he ate lunch in an eaterie close to the courts and told him that he had information that could help his client. The investigator introduced himself as a GSOC officer and asked to speak to the team presenting Hutchs case. However, the officer was told by the member of the legal team that it would be inappropriate for him to take any information like that on his own and without witnesses. Gardai outside the Regency Hotel However, it is believed the GSOC officer later gave a statement to Hutchs legal team in regards to what he claimed he knew about the death of Garda Colm Fox. Detective Superintendent Fox led the investigation into the Regency Hotel murder before he was found dead in Ballymun arda tation in 2018. Ultimately, the information shared by the GSOC officer was deemed of no use to The Monk or his plea of not guilty in regards to the murder of David Byrne. The fact that the GSOC officer made the first approach to The Monk and tried to place himself within the Regency case is a bizarre twist for investigators. Despite the fact that he remains a target for the Kinahan Cartel, The Monk has shown no signs of leaving Ireland. According to sources, he believes he is safer in Dublin now than previously given the fact the Kinahan network in the city has been effectively dismantled. The former GSOC investigator was arrested last month on suspicion of leaking confidential information. He quit the Garda watchdog after telling staff in GSOC that he had attended he Monks release party. The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is currently carrying out inquiries into the investigators ties to Hutch. The former police officer was interviewed under caution and admitted to attending the event.His arrest is understood to have come as a shock to him. He was detained under Section 81 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005 relating to confidentiality of information. he investigator, who worked for four decades as a police officer in another jurisdiction, resigned from GSOC after being told that he was facing suspension. The Garda watchdog issued a statement on the hugely controversial affair earlier this week, saying that it had submitted a report to the Minister for Justice outlining the action it had taken. RNLI volunteers from Donegal will be climbing Mount Errigal in their full lifeboat gear Brian Fowley and Chris Fox from the Bundoran RNLI team will be among those taking on the Errigal climb. A team of rescue heroes are aiming high to raise money for their lifesaving work. Volunteers from three Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat stations in Donegal are to climb the countys highest mountain Mount Errigal on May 13. As if the challenge of reaching the 2,500-foot peak is not tough enough, the RNLI team will be climbing in their full lifeboat gear. The event is part of a Mayday fundraising push being organised by the RNLI, which has 46 lifeboat stations around the coast of Ireland. The charity was set up in 1824 and was originally called the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck. its name was changed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1854 and in 1860 the organisation was granted a Royal Charter. RNLI volunteers throughout Ireland play a crucial role every day in saving lives at sea and promoting water safety. However, their work is costly and fundraising events such as the Mount Errigal climb are vital for the charitys survival. The idea for the new challenge came about after three members of the Bundoran RNLI crew walked the Bundoran 10 mile event last year in their full kit, raising over 6,000. This year they wanted to do something different, while involving their fellow lifeboat crew mates from Lough Swilly and Arranmore. Bundoran RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew member Chris Fox was one of those who took part in last years event. Chris said: While the blisters didnt settle for a few days it was still a great experience and a really great fundraising event for Bundoran lifeboat station. We wanted to change it up this year and put the challenge out to our two other stations in Donegal to see if they would help us complete the Mayday Mile on Errigal. Stephen Quigley of Lough Swilly RNLI knows it will be tough climb but is looking forward to it. We jumped at the chance for this challenge with our fellow crew members from around the county. There is nowhere more iconic in Donegal than Errigal walking up it in full kit will be quite the challenge but it will be a great to come together as one crew with this fundraiser for the three stations here in Donegal. Arranmore RNLIs Aisling Cox is hopeful that the climb will help to raise the funds needed to keep all three stations running. Mayday is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to take part in events like the Mayday Mile and raise the funds that allow us to be there when were needed most. But we need to be ready. Training, kit, stations and fuel, these are just some of the things we need to save lives, and that people fundraising can help provide. Donations to the Errigal challenge can be made at - https://www.justgiving.com/page/one-crew-climb-errigal His inner-city pals, who have nicknamed him Hollywood, are urging his to wear green tonight by an Irish designer such as Paul Costello or John Rocha. Barry all dressed up at the Golden Globes ?? `??_/O?? Hometown hero Barry Keoghan is planning to up the ante in the fashion stakes once again tonight when he dons another eye-catching suit at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) in Dublin. Barry is due to bring along his gorgeous girlfriend Alyson Sandro to the gala awards, having made a splash with colourful outfits at several big occasion in recent weeks. The 30-year-olds favourite tailoring lately has been by Louis Vuitton he wore a white number from the French designer at the SAG awards, a pastel blue piece at the Golden Globes, while at the Oscars he plumped for a lilac purple blazer and matching trousers. Barry all dressed up at the Golden Globes ?? `??_/O?? He chose British designers for two other recent ceremonies a blue tartan number by Burberry at the Met Gala in New York last weekend, and a red suit by Alexander McQueen at the Baftas. The suits would each cost at least 2,000. His inner-city pals, who have nicknamed him Hollywood, are urging his to wear green tonight by an Irish designer such as Paul Costello or John Rocha. Barry and his partner Alyson, a dentist whose father is from Co. Cavan, mainly live at a new pad they bought in her native Dundee in Scotland, are in Dublin with their baby son Brando. Hes due to be minded by relatives while the couple hit the red carpet. Barry is being tipped to repeat the success he had at the Baftas when he won Best Supporting Actor for his charming and captivating role of Dominic Kearney in The Banshees of Inisherin. Barry at the SAGs ??&???/??? `??_/O? Fellow cast member Brendan Gleeson is also due to attend tonights ceremony in Dublin Royal Convention Centre. But Colin Farrell is not believed to be going, while it is unclear whether Kerry Condon, who won Best Supporting Actress at the Baftas for her role of Siobhan Suilleabhain, is going. All four actors were lauded for their roles in the Banshees flick and its set to sweep the boards in the film section of tonights awards. Crime series Kin swept the boards in last years TV category, winning Best Drama, Best Actor Sam Keeley/(Eric), Best Actress Clare Dunne (Amanda), Best Supporting actor Ciaran Hinds (Eamon Cunningham) and Best Supporting Actress Maria Doyle Kennedy (Birdy), but bizarrely did not pick up a single nomination this year. Barry the Met Gala ?? `??_/O???????? Other actors confirmed attending tonight are John C Reilly, Liam Cunningham, Charlie Murphy, AJ Buckley, Victoria Smurfit and Niamh Algar and Clare Dunne. The 20th Anniversary IFTA ceremony will be hosted by Deirdre OKane and are the first awards in person since before the Covid pandemic, with the gongs for the past three years being given out virtually. The awards will be screened on RTE One tomorrow at 9.35pm A moist northerly air stream is bringing heavy rain to northern and western parts of the South Island through to Tuesday, says MetService. Heavy rain is also forecast to affect northern and western parts of the North Island from Tuesday. MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Watch on Sunday morning. People are advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts. Area: Northland Valid: 15 hours from 3:00am Tue 9 May to 6:00pm Tue 9 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms possible. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria and this watch is likely to be upgraded to a warning closer to the time. Area: Auckland including Great Barrier Island, and Coromandel Peninsula Valid: 14 hours from 10:00am Tue 9 May to 12:00am Wed 10 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Area: North Taranaki Valid: 15 hours from 9:00am Tue 9 May to 12:00am Wed 10 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Area: Marlborough about and north of the Awatere Valley, also Nelson and Tasman south and east of Motueka Valid: 15 hours from 6:00am Tue 9 May to 9:00pm Tue 9 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Area: Buller Valid: 12 hours from 9:00am Sun 7 May to 9:00pm Sun 7 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Note, another period of significant rain is expected from late Monday or Tuesday, and this Watch maybe extended or upgraded to a warning closer to the time. Area: Canterbury headwaters south of Arthurs Pass Valid: 5 hours from 9:00am Sun 7 May to 2:00pm Sun 7 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria within 20 km of the main divide. Area: Otago headwaters Valid: 21 hours from 6:00pm Mon 8 May to 3:00pm Tue 9 May Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria within 20km. A Severe Weather Warning has been issued by MetService for the following regions: Area: Tasman from Motueka westwards Valid: 12 hours from 9:00am Sun 7 May to 9:00pm Sun 7 May Forecast: Expect a further 60 to 90 mm about the ranges and 30 to 50 mm near the coast. This is in addition to what has already fallen. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h. Note, another significant period of rain expected from late Monday or Tuesday and this warning may be extended. Area: Westland Valid: 54 hours from 9:00am Sun 7 May to 3:00pm Tue 9 May Forecast: Expect 350 to 450 mm of rain about the ranges, and 150 to 200 mm nearer the coast mainly south of Otira. Peak rates of 20 to 30 mm/h, especially about the ranges. Note, heavy rain spreading south this morning and afternoon. Area: Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound Valid: 27 hours from 12:00pm Mon 8 May to 3:00pm Tue 9 May Forecast: Expect 120 to 180 mm of rain, with higher accumulations expected in the north. Peak rates of 20 to 30 mm/h from Monday evening until Tuesday morning. Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous. The Civil Aviation Authority - CAA - has released its report into the cause of a fatal parachute accident at Tauranga Aerodrome on March 20, 2021. Attempting a manoeuvre for landing with insufficient height is the most likely cause of the accident which resulted in the death of experienced skydiver Theo Williams, 21, of Hamilton. "At about 10.30am on March 20, 2021, a recreational solo skydiver exited the aircraft at 15,188ft above Tauranga aerodrome," says CAA aviation safety deputy chief executive David Harrison. "Witnesses on the ground observed the skydiver opened his chute, then complete a series of turns. A final left turn was initiated at low altitude, with insufficient height available for the canopy to return to level flight." Emergency services attended the scene of the accident. Photo: Cameron Avery/SunLive. This resulted in the skydiver striking the ground and sustaining fatal injuries. "The skydiver was experienced, having recently completed the NZ Diploma in Commercial Skydiving, a New Zealand Qualifications Authority accredited tertiary course of study." The course is designed to give graduates a minimum of 150 skydives and a New Zealand Parachute Industry Association (NZPIA) certificate with a B endorsement within a 32-week period. The skydivers logbook had recorded 194 jumps and he had also recently completed at 12-week internship with a commercial skydiver operator based at Tauranga Aerodrome. Although the skydiver was jumping with a canopy smaller than the recommended guidelines, he had completed 100 jumps with it without incident. He had demonstrated competence and was familiar with its handling and performance characteristics. Theo Williams, seated in the middle of the table, surrounded by other members of the New Zealand Skydiving School. Photo: Supplied. "Our safety investigation determined that the most likely cause of the accident was judgement error by the skydiver when close to the ground. "The skydiver attempted to manoeuvre for landing with insufficient height to return to level flight before striking the ground." There are some system learnings the industry can take from this accident. "This includes instructors and coaches reviewing their current training materials, review procedures for assessing and authorising skydivers for specific canopies and manoeuvres and promote safety through sharing knowledge and experiences without judgement or blame. "While not considered a contributory factor in this accident, premature downsizing to a smaller canopy is a recognised safety risk. "This accident serves as a reminder to the skydiving community of the potential safety benefits of larger canopies and lower wing loading." The full safety investigation report is available here Key Insights The projected fair value for General Mills is US$108 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity General Mills' US$89.81 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Our fair value estimate is 29% higher than General Mills' analyst price target of US$84.05 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for General Mills Is General Mills Fairly Valued? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$2.49b US$2.49b US$2.81b US$3.12b US$3.26b US$3.37b US$3.48b US$3.57b US$3.66b US$3.75b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x6 Analyst x5 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 3.48% Est @ 3.07% Est @ 2.78% Est @ 2.58% Est @ 2.44% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.9% US$2.3k US$2.2k US$2.3k US$2.4k US$2.3k US$2.3k US$2.2k US$2.1k US$2.0k US$1.9k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$22b 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 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.9%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = US$3.8b (1 + 2.1%) (6.9% 2.1%) = US$81b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$81b ( 1 + 6.9%)10= US$42b 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 US$64b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$89.8, the company appears about fair value at a 17% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important 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 General Mills 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 6.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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 General Mills Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For General Mills, there are three additional aspects you should assess: Risks: For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for General Mills that you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does GIS'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 Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Collins Foods fair value estimate is AU$8.41 Current share price of AU$8.84 suggests Collins Foods is potentially trading close to its fair value Our fair value estimate is 10% lower than Collins Foods' analyst price target of AU$9.36 How far off is Collins Foods Limited (ASX:CKF) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for Collins Foods The Calculation We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$52.6m AU$76.5m AU$89.7m AU$79.8m AU$87.5m AU$89.7m AU$91.8m AU$93.9m AU$95.9m AU$97.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 2.52% Est @ 2.35% Est @ 2.23% Est @ 2.15% Est @ 2.09% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 10.0% AU$47.9 AU$63.3 AU$67.4 AU$54.5 AU$54.4 AU$50.7 AU$47.1 AU$43.8 AU$40.7 AU$37.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$508m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 10.0%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$98m (1 + 2.0%) (10.0% 2.0%) = AU$1.2b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$1.2b ( 1 + 10.0%)10= AU$480m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$987m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$8.8, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important 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 Collins Foods 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 10.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.352. 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 Collins Foods Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Hospitality market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Collins Foods, we've put together three essential items you should explore: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Collins Foods . Future Earnings: How does CKF'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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Update Sunday night: 19-year-old Syracuse murder victim identified; vigil held Original article Syracuse, N.Y. A 19-year-old man was shot multiple times Saturday night in Syracuse and died at a hospital, police said. In the same shooting, a 16-year-old girl was wounded. Around 11:15 p.m., officers responded to Upstate University Hospital after the man was dropped off at the hospital, Syracuse police spokesman Lt. Matthew Malinowski said in a news release Sunday. He had been shot multiple times in the midsection and died at the hospital, he said. The shooting took place in the 1500 block of South Avenue, Malinowski said. The girl, who was also at the hospital, sustained a graze wound to the arm, he said. Syracuse police ask anyone with information about the shootings to call them at (315) 442-5222. Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com Syracuse, N.Y. Upstate Medical University handed out 520 medical, masters, doctoral and honorary degrees Sunday at its commencement. Students gathered at SRC Arena and Events Center for the graduation. Among those graduating Sunday was Zacharia Mohamed, a Somali refugee who attended Nottingham High School in Syracuse, graduated from Le Moyne College in 2016 and dreamed of becoming a doctor. On Sunday, his dream became a reality when he received his MD/MPH (medical degree, and master of public health degree) from Upstate Medical University. In addition to Mohamed, 508 other students received the following degrees on Sunday: The College of Graduate Studies awarded 31 doctoral degrees, including 13 in biochemistry and three masters degrees. The College of Health Professions awarded 167 degrees 58 bachelor of science, six bachelor of professional studies, 66 master of science and 37 doctorates of physical therapy. Programs in the college include behavior analysis studies, clinical perfusion, medical imaging, medical technology, medical biotechnology, respiratory care, physical therapy, physician assistant and radiation therapy. The College of Nursing awarded 122 degrees and certificates 10 doctorate in nursing, 89 master of science, 18 bachelor of science degrees and five post-master certificates). The College of Medicine awarded 189 degrees, including 164 doctor of medicine, 11 master of public health degrees and three certificates in public health. Five students received both an MD and a PhD. Those students are Kyle Alpha, of Jordan; Alan Blayney, of Ottawa, Ontario; Liam Coyne, of Buffalo; Ronald Miller, of Liverpool; and Laura Szczesniak, of Whitesboro. Six other students received MD/MPH degrees. Upstate Medical University also presented an honorary degree to Dr. Patrick O. Brown, a physician-scientist who helped define the mechanism by which HIV and other retroviruses incorporate their genes into the genomes of the cells they infect; he helped invent the DNA microarray. He also founded Impossible Foods as he focused on replacing animal agriculture with plant-based foods. Brown gave the commencement address at Sundays graduation. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. The JDK is the Java Development Kit, the full-featured SDK for Java. It has everything the JRE has, but also the compiler (javac) and tools (like javadoc and jdb). It is capable of creating and compiling programs. The new Oracle Technology Network License Agreement for Oracle Java SE is substantially different from prior Oracle JDK licenses. The new license permits certain uses, such as personal use and development use, at no cost but other uses authorized under prior Oracle JDK licenses may no longer be available. Sometimes, even if you are not planning to do any Java development on a computer, you still need the JDK installed. For example, if you are deploying a web application with JSP, you are technically just running Java programs inside the application server. Why would you need the JDK then? Because the application server will convert JSP into Java servlets and needs to use the JDK to compile the servlets. What is Java? Java is a programming language and software platform. Examples of applications that use Java are numerous and widespread but include web browsers, office applications and even mainstream games like Minecraft are based on Java. What is Java JRE? The Java Runtime Environment or JRE contains everything required to run Java applications on your system. The JRE software package includes the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the Java Class Library, the Java command, and other infrastructure. JRE cannot be used to create new programs. What is Java JDK? The Java Development Kit (JDK) is the full-featured software development kit for Java developers. It has everything the JRE has, but adds the compiler (javac) and tools (like javadoc and jdb). The JDK allows you to create and compile Java programs. Do I need Java JRE or Java JDK? Unless you are a software developer, you only need to install Java JRE in your system to run Java programs. On the other hand, if you are planning to do some Java programming, you need to install the JDK instead. Sometimes, even if you are not planning to do any Java programming, you still need the JDK installed. For example, if you are deploying a web application with JSP, you are technically just running Java programs inside the application server. Why would you need the JDK then? Because the application server will convert JSP into Java servlets and needs to use the JDK to compile the servlets. Is Java free to use? Yes, Java is free to use under the jdk.java.net license. This means anyone can download it for personal or development use at no cost. Oracle does charge for long term support, but this is optional. What popular apps use Java? As the fifth most popular programming language in the world, there is a long list of popular apps that rely on Java. From games like Minecraft and RuneScape, services like Netflix, Spotify and Uber, and applications like Opera Mini have all been created using Java. What's New The full version string for this update release is 17.0.7+8 (where "+" means "build"). The version number is 17.0.7. IANA TZ Data 2022g JDK 17.0.7 contains IANA time zone data 2022g which contains the following changes: The northern edge of Chihuahua changes to US timekeeping. Much of Greenland stops changing clocks after March 2023. Fix some pre-1996 timestamps in northern Canada. C89 is now deprecated; please use C99 or later. Portability fixes for AIX, libintl, MS-Windows, musl, z/OS. In C code, use more C23 features if available. C23 timegm now supported by default. Fixes for unlikely integer overflows. New Features security-libs/java.security a New JFR Event: jdk.InitialSecurityProperty (JDK-8292177) A new Java Flight Recorder (JFR) event has been added to record details of initial security properties when loaded via the java.security.Security class. security-libs/javax.net.ssl a DTLS Resumption Uses HelloVerifyRequest Messages (JDK-8287411 (not public)) With this fix the SunJSSE DTLS implementation will by default exchange cookies for all handshakes (new and resumed) unless the System property jdk.tls.enableDtlsResumeCookie is false. The property only affects the cookie exchange for resumption. security-libs/java.security a Support for RSASSA-PSS in OCSP Response (JDK-8274471) An OCSP response signed with the RSASSA-PSS algorithm is now supported. Bug Fixes This release also contains fixes for security vulnerabilities described in the Oracle Critical Patch Update. a Issues fixed in 17.0.7: Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Nichols fair value estimate is UK12.28 Nichols' UK10.70 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Our fair value estimate is 2.6% higher than Nichols' analyst price target of UK11.97 In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Nichols plc (LON:NICL) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for Nichols The Method We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. 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. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK18.0m UK21.4m UK23.3m UK24.6m UK25.7m UK26.6m UK27.4m UK28.0m UK28.6m UK29.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 5.85% Est @ 4.47% Est @ 3.50% Est @ 2.82% Est @ 2.35% Est @ 2.02% Est @ 1.78% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8% UK16.9 UK18.7 UK19.1 UK18.9 UK18.5 UK17.9 UK17.3 UK16.5 UK15.8 UK15.1 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK175m We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = UK29m (1 + 1.2%) (6.8% 1.2%) = UK528m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK528m ( 1 + 6.8%)10= UK273m 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 UK448m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK10.7, the company appears about fair value at a 13% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important 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 Nichols 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 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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 Nichols Strength Currently debt free. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Beverage market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the British market. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Nichols, we've put together three important elements you should further examine: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Nichols that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does NICL'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 Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Why it matters: Apple store employees made headlines last year after successfully unionizing at the company's Towson, Maryland location. The Apple Coalition of Retail Employees (AppleCORE) was established to ensure that Apple management teams acknowledge employee rights by including them in negotiations on issues such as pay, scheduling, and professional development. According to a recently reported proposal, employees are now looking for tips for their time spent providing customer service. AppleCORE will be negotiating their proposed requests with the company's labor representatives later this week. The new proposal, as previously reported by Bloomberg, includes several requests to address employee compensation and leave issues. One of those requests, however, has started raising eyebrows ever since it was announced. In an effort to address employee concerns about profit sharing and bonus structures, the group has requested the addition of an optional tipping system on in-store credit card purchases. The system would allow (and some would argue even encourage) Apple store customers to include tips in increments of 3%, 5%, or any other custom amount they see fit based on the service received. Upon being questioned about the decision, AppleCORE's representatives said they "...thought adopting a model already used by other workers who provide services to their community might be the simplest to implement." The tips would be distributed to bargaining unit employees on a bi-weekly basis based on the number of hours worked. A little more context on our tipping proposal... Apple employees everywhere can tell you that they are already being offered tips by customers regularly, however, if an employee accepted even $1, it would be grounds for immediate termination. Our customers want to thank us... acoreunion (@acoreunion) May 4, 2023 The proposed idea to include tipping for in-store purchases has been met with mixed reactions. Some supporters agree that Apple employees should be able to accept tips for exemplary customer service. Others, however, are questioning AppleCORE's decision and overall approach to addressing its organization's wage concerns. Critics of AppleCORE's proposed tipping plan have commented that the group would be better served by negotiating better hourly rates, commission plans, or other more equitable solutions. Some have also questioned the decision to request tips in a manner similar to the service industry, an industry where hourly rates can be as low as $2.13/hour rather than the $22/hr (or more based on locality) currently paid to Apple employees. These same detractors also pointed out that the tipping system could simply serve as a deterrent to customers by pushing them into online purchases in order to avoid any additional costs. The proposed tip distribution method has also been called into question. Based on the pooling approach outlined in AppleCORE's proposed package, the distribution plan would reward all employees from the tip pool based on the number of scheduled hours worked rather than the level of service provided during those hours. In short, two employees working an equal number of hours would be tipped the same amount regardless of the quality of service provided. According to AppleCORE's official Twitter feed, the union's recently proposed changes for bargaining unit employees also includes requests ranging from establishing standard 401k benefits to expanding the types and amounts of available paid and unpaid leave. Some of these proposed requests include: Paid leave for jury duty Reimbursement and pay increases for CPR/AED/First Aid training courses and certifications Increased pay for employees providing training to others Two weeks of severance pay per year employed, up to a maximum of 34 weeks Unpaid leaves of absence ranging from 30 days to a maximum of two years 45 days of bereavement leave usable for family, friends, and pets AppleCORE's representatives have acknowledged that discussions are just beginning, and they expect the proposed values to change during the negotiation process. For now, Apple retail employees and other tech industry workers around the country are watching the situation with a close eye, as the outcome could drive additional unionization and future employment negotiations. Facepalm: The term "Chinese hacker" has become a common saying in pop culture, but it seems the Asian nation has a similar term for the US: the "Empire of Hacking." The name appears in a new Chinese report that accuses the CIA of using cyberattacks against China and other countries. As per The Reg, an investigation called "The Matrix" conducted by the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center of China and local cybersecurity firm 360 Total Security has been published in a report titled Empire of Hacking: The US Central Intelligence Agency Part I. The report claims that investigators examining a number of cyberattacks within China captured and extracted a large number of Trojans, functional plug-ins, and attack platform samples alleged to be closely associated with the CIA, revealing an "empire of hackers" under US control, writes the South China Morning Post. "These cyberweapons have undergone strict, standardised, and professional software engineering management, which is uniquely followed by the CIA in developing cyberattack weapons," the report states. But many of the findings come from old information gleaned from a 2017 series of leaks on the CIA by Wikileaks, codenamed Vault7. It included details of the agency's global covert hacking program, the malware it used, and dozens of zero-day weaponized exploits against a wide range of US and European company products, including Apple and Android phones, Windows, and smart TVs, which were exploited so their microphones could be used as listening devices. "They have now covered almost all internet and IoT assets globally, allowing control over foreign networks and theft of important, sensitive data at any time," the report said. "Targets of these attacks include critical information infrastructure, aerospace, research institutions, oil and petrochemical industries, large internet companies, and government agencies in various countries. These attacks can be traced back to 2011 and have continued until now." The report also mentions the CIA's history of trying to undermine socialist regimes, as well as the United States' development of the TOR protocol, which China has spoken out against on many occasions due to its use by those who disagree with the country's ruling Communist party. "The US must take seriously and respond to the concerns from the international community, and stop using cyber weapons to carry out espionage and cyber attacks around the world," said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. China and the US have a long history when it comes to hacking. In 2015, then-President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that they had come to an agreement that "neither country's government will conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property." But attacks on US companies by Chinese government-backed hackers were reported just a few weeks later. One of the biggest hacks the US blamed on China in recent times was the one on Microsoft Exchange in 2021. In February last year, Federal Bureau of Investigation director Christopher Wray said that China is responsible for more cyberattacks on the US than every other country combined. It's not just CIA hacks China likes to complain about. The government has repeatedly called the CHIPS Act discriminatory and claimed it shows the US' Cold War mentality. The number of chip-related export restrictions is also a sore point, especially now the US has convinced Japan and The Netherlands to tighten their rules, too. Apples latest iOS 16.3.1 update is causing the Google Photos app to crash for iPhone users who have installed the update. The iOS 16.3.1 software update released by Apple on Monday provides important bug fixes and security updates for iPhones, including addressing issues with iCloud and Siri requests for Find My, as well as patching one of the vulnerabilities known to be exploited in the wild. It also contains Crash Detection optimizations for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. However, a recent report by 9to5Mac states that downloading and upgrading to the most recent version of iOS, which is iOS 16.3.1, is breaking the Google Photos app causing it to crash immediately when launched by the users. While some users reported that Google Photos crashes immediately following updating their device to Apples latest iOS 16.3.1, others say that they were able to complete the login procedure but as soon as they authorize access to the photo library, the app crashes instantly without any error message. I can confirm it does in fact break the app ? Justin (@justinkoehn) February 13, 2023 Damn wish I had seen this post earlier. Updated to 16.3.1 and YES experiencing immediate app crashing. Shane (@shanechesley) February 14, 2023 After update ios 16.3.1 and update google photos in my iphone 14 pro. Google photos not open and work properly. @Apple @AppleSupport @GoogleIndia @googlephotos pic.twitter.com/a1F4Tn6j8p Davinder Singh (@davinder127) February 14, 2023 Google Photos not working here. ? Albert (@AlbertroRodrigu) February 14, 2023 After reading a few of the online social media complaints regarding the iOS 16.3.1 update, I was curious to find it out myself. I went on to update my iPhone to the latest iOS 16.3.1 but to my surprise found that my Google Photos app was just working fine. It is not just me; there are also a few people who too did not encounter any problems with the Google Photos app after updating to Apples latest operating system. Currently, it is unclear what is causing the Google Photos app to crash. Thankfully, Google is aware of the issue and is already working on it to get it resolved. Hi (name of the user). Thanks for reaching out. Were aware of this issue and are working quickly to get this resolved, reads the reply from the search giant to those who are tagging @googlephotos about the issue on Twitter. Michael Marconi, a Google spokesperson too told The Verge that the company is aware of the issue and is in the process of rolling out a fix in version 6.23.1 of the Google Photos app. Although there is a section of the crowd that is not affected by the issue, it is still advisable to not update your iPhone to the latest iOS 16.3.1 until Google releases a fix for the Photos app. Lumia 650 was the last Windows 10 Mobile phone from Microsoft, which was released in 2016. In October 2017, the Redmond giant announced it was discontinuing support for Windows 10 Mobile citing its low market share and the resultant lack of third-party software for the platform. Microsoft further crushed all hopes of seeing an alternative to Android and iOS when it ended support for Windows 10 Mobile on January 14, 2020, thereby ending support for its smartphone OS. However, this hasnt stopped Windows Phone / Mobile enthusiasts from envisioning a modern version of Windows Mobile heavily inspired by Windows 11. Shared by Lukastaves on the Windows Central Discord server, this amazing Windows 11 Mobile concept video by YouTuber AR 4789 (@AbdiRPC4789) provides insight into how the Windows 11 Mobile phone would have looked like if it had been made. As one can see in the above video, the concept imagines a familiar Windows 11 look and has typical Windows features like a taskbar, a Start menu, a user interface (UI) optimized for smartphones, a tabbed File Explorer, Widgets, personalization features, a Dark Mode, Notification Center, Gesture controls and more. It also has the capability to open and switch between different desktops. After the dissolution of the Windows Phone platform, Microsoft released Surface Duo, a dual-touchscreen Android smartphone in September 2020. This is the first device in the line that does not run Windows. A successor, the Surface Duo 2, was unveiled in September 2021. While the Windows 11 Mobile concept video definitely looks fascinating, with Android and iOS dominating the mobile operating system market, as well as Microsoft, backing out of developing a dedicated mobile version of its desktop OS, it is highly unlikely we may see a modern version of Windows 11 Mobile from Microsoft. A U.S. Army B-24 bomber on a routine training flight from Texas crashed into a large gas tank on the outskirts of Midway Airport in Chicago, killing all 12 onboard on May 20, 1943. (ACME photo) On May 20, 1943, a B-24 bomber of the 1014th Pilot Transition Training Squadron took off from an Army airfield in Texas and headed to Chicago. It was a miserable day for flying, let alone teaching student pilots. Rain and fog unceasingly accompanied the plane, which had to be flown by instrument. The bombers crew was fated to be among the estimated total of more than 13,000 aviators killed in World War II training accidents before they could be deployed overseas. Advertisement Approaching Chicago, the pilot got conflicting reports and was having trouble communicating with the airport tower. It cleared him to land on Runway 4C at Chicago Municipal Airport, as Midway was then known. [ The early years of Midway Airport and how it took off ] But downstate Springfield air traffic controllers had alerted the pilot that Chicagos airport was reportedly closed. Civilian flights were being diverted to other airports. Advertisement Capt. James Gilcrease responded that he would try to make it anyway. Descending through the glide slope, he still couldnt make out the runway. So he pulled up, intending to circle around and try again. An aerial view of the Chicago Municipal Airport, now called Midway, shows how the airport was bisected by railroad tracks until 1940. (Chicago American) Again airport control cleared him to land but didnt hear back from him. He hadnt gotten high enough to clear an enormous natural gas tank about 2 miles south of the airport. The bomber came in very low, and I think, struck and tore down some wires on poles before hitting the tank, said James Brown, a guard at a construction site a mile to the west. It disappeared in a flash of fire. The bombers port wing tip struck the storage tank, reported Lawrence Kinsella, an employee of Peoples Gas Light and Coke Co., the tanks owner. The forward section of the aircraft fell inside the structure, and its contents exploded. A gas tank at 73rd Street and Central Park Avenue exploded when a B-24 bomber crashed into it on May 20, 1943, killing all 12 onboard. The U.S. Army plane from Texas had been trying to land at nearby Midway Airport in bad weather. (Chicago Tribune historical photo) Pieces of the tanks steel plating, some the size of a two-story house front, were blown 100 yards by the blast. Parts of the aircraft and its four motors were strewn across a wide swath. Kinsella and eight other gas company employees on the ground escaped unharmed. The planes 12 occupants were incinerated. Searchers had little success in finding identifiable bodies, the Tribune reported, and small hope was held that any would be yielded by the remaining sub-structure of the 500 foot circular steel tower. Advertisement In addition to Gilcrease, the Consolidated Liberator bomber was carrying another flight instructor, a navigator, two student pilots, four aerial engineers and several passengers. In wartime, its common for GIs to hitchhike on whatever transport is available. The tragic crash of the B-24 Liberator bomber provoked questions of why the worlds largest gas storage tank had been built in a part of the city crowded with residential neighborhoods and heavy industry. This accident is another argument in support of a lake front airport, said 44th Ward Ald. John J. Grealis. It would not have occurred had the pilots been approaching an island airport in Lake Michigan. [ The history of Meigs Field, Chicago's former lakefront airport, and Northerly Island ] Instead, the towering column of thick black smoke that rose above 73rd Street and Central Park Avenue reminded contemporaries that learning to fly is inherently dangerous. Eighty years later, World War II is chiefly remembered for battles fought in Europe, Asia and North Africa. But even then, the cruel irony of modern warfare was that powerful weapons intended for use against foreign enemies can turn on their makers. Gen. Hap Arnold, the Army Air Forces commander, spoke candidly about the problem. The only way to avoid such appalling statistics was to ground its training aircraft. Advertisement But exactly the reverse was imperative. Every potential pilot had to be aloft while being trained for combat. Illinois Reserve Militia soldiers were posted to guard Midway Airport during World War II in Chicago in 1942. (Chicago Tribune historical photo) When the U.S. belatedly entered World War II, Japan occupied much of China. Nazi armies had defeated France, and England was on the ropes. Hitlers tanks would shortly roll into Russia. It would take years before an American army could be raised and trained for an invasion of the heartland of the Nazi and Japanese empires. The best way to deliver a counterpunch against the Axis was from the air. That meant confronting assembly line snafus and psychological hang-ups. Aspiring pilots could be trained only by experienced pilots who were itching to be flying combat missions. The thought of sitting out the war as a damned flight instructor in Texas or somewhere tore me up, Chuck Yeager, later to be a famed test pilot, recalled in his memoirs. [ Photos of World War II life in Chicago ] After completing his share of World War II combat missions, Yeager was brought back as an instructor to a stateside airfield. There, he was resented by jealous instructors who had spent the war in Texas and hated every moment of it, Yeager said. An Air Force historian described instructors demoralized by the sheer boredom generated by a standardized teaching system, which allowed little room for individualized initiative. Advertisement Flight engineer Cpl. George J. Brown, from left, Women's Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) Jeanne d'Ambly and radio operator Cpl. Helen Mehegan, check their pre-flight paperwork at Harlingen Army Air Field, Harlingen, Texas, circa 1944. (U.S. Army Air Force) In fact, both students and instructors realized that flying cannot be learned from textbook assignments or by memorizing appropriate readings of cockpit dials. It required honing a tactile sense of an aircraft in motion. One pilot recalled a notably effective teacher: Demonstrating, he told me how to feel it in the seat of my pants when we slipped or skidded, and to note how the wind came through the side of the cockpit when a turn was uncoordinated. Hanging on grimly, with an increasing queasiness, I tried to feel what he said I should. Brig. Gen. Cleo Bishop noted the high washout rate of his class of student pilots. I think not so much that the people they washed out couldnt learn to fly, but they couldnt learn to fly fast enough, he recalled. You were expected to solo within eight or 10 hours. Given the constant demand for pilots, the Air Force couldnt afford to invest more time in a student flyer. Those who made it past that cutoff had progressed from single engine trainers to multiengine bombers and fighters. Each had quirks and faults that were reflected in the grim humor of their nicknames. The B-24, like the one that crashed in Chicago, was known as the Flying Coffin because of design flaws that made it difficult to fly. A line of B-24 Liberator bombers sits at the big Consolidated Aircraft Corp. plant at Willow Run, Michigan, circa 1943. (Chicago Tribune archive) Learning to fly in the era of thousands of training disasters made pilots philosophical about dying before seeing combat. First its something that happens to others, someplace else. Advertisement Vintage Chicago Tribune Weekly The Vintage Tribune newsletter is a deep dive into the Chicago Tribune's archives featuring photos and stories about the people, places and events that shape the city's past, present and future. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Then you see death on a runway or in a field, in a cloud of dust and column of smoke, recalled one pilot, Samuel Hynes. At that moment the life of flying changes. Yet that didnt deter stateside pilots. They werent chasing medals. Beyond reach was even a posthumously awarded Purple Heart that might ease their parents grief by reminding them that their son had died defending America. [ As World War II raged, women answered the call from new military units ] When Mabel Rawlinsons Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bomber crashed at Camp Davis, North Carolina, fellow members of the Womens Airforce (or Auxiliary) Service Pilots, or WASPs, took up a collection to ship her body to her parents in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The government didnt pay funeral expenses for members of the WASPs. Yet she, and thousands of other pilots, men and women, had done much the same as Capt. James Gilcrease when coming in for landing in Chicago. They took a look down at their country and decided it was surely worth a shot. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com. Key Insights RediShred Capital's estimated fair value is CA$4.89 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity RediShred Capital's CA$3.98 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Our fair value estimate is 31% lower than RediShred Capital's analyst price target of CA$7.08 Does the May share price for RediShred Capital Corp. (CVE:KUT) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for RediShred Capital Crunching The Numbers We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (CA$, Millions) CA$4.00m CA$5.70m CA$5.94m CA$6.14m CA$6.32m CA$6.49m CA$6.64m CA$6.78m CA$6.93m CA$7.06m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.14% Est @ 3.44% Est @ 2.95% Est @ 2.60% Est @ 2.36% Est @ 2.19% Est @ 2.08% Est @ 1.99% Present Value (CA$, Millions) Discounted @ 8.3% CA$3.7 CA$4.9 CA$4.7 CA$4.5 CA$4.2 CA$4.0 CA$3.8 CA$3.6 CA$3.4 CA$3.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CA$40m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond 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 1.8%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.3%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = CA$7.1m (1 + 1.8%) (8.3% 1.8%) = CA$110m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CA$110m ( 1 + 8.3%)10= CA$50m 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 CA$90m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of CA$4.0, the company appears about fair value at a 19% 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 Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the 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 RediShred Capital 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 8.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.097. 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 RediShred Capital Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Weakness No major weaknesses identified for KUT. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Canadian market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 2 years. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For RediShred Capital, we've put together three fundamental elements you should explore: Risks: As an example, we've found 3 warning signs for RediShred Capital (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does KUT'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 Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Canadian 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here It's easy to match the overall market return by buying an index fund. When you buy individual stocks, you can make higher profits, but you also face the risk of under-performance. For example, the Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) share price is down 49% in the last year. That falls noticeably short of the market decline of around 0.3%. Longer term shareholders haven't suffered as badly, since the stock is down a comparatively less painful 11% in three years. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 25% in the last three months. Since Coherent has shed US$321m from its value in the past 7 days, let's see if the longer term decline has been driven by the business' economics. Check out our latest analysis for Coherent In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. 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. Coherent fell to a loss making position during the year. While this may prove temporary, we'd consider it a negative, so it doesn't surprise us that the stock price is down. Of course, if the company can turn the situation around, investors will likely profit. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Coherent's earnings, revenue and cash flow. A Different Perspective Investors in Coherent had a tough year, with a total loss of 49%, against a market gain of about 0.3%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 5% 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 Coherent better, we need to consider many other factors. Even so, be aware that Coherent is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable... Story continues 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 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here "Ten different manners of painting": an archaeologist on the search for pre-Mongol frescoes of St. George's Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod Pas-de-Calais: five people indicted after the discovery of the body of an infant in a can Six historic squares to go for an aperitif with (good) views in Madrid The week of god tweeter: the semen of puffer fish, the poor tresmileuristas and the end of the trash TV Raquel Merono: "I have been very noviera and very faithful and that now I would change it" The Indian of Madrid who is giving to talk for his star dish: suckling lamb from Segovia covered with 24 carat gold INFO EUROPE 1 - A drone intercepted just before flying over the Lantern where Emmanuel Macron was So are the honest and cheap alternatives to mixed olive and sunflower oil 70 years of the machine that revolutionized cardiac surgery: from the heart being an unexplored territory, to entering the organ and doing transplants "Tea and the World" Yaji helps Sino-foreign exchanges, and the aroma of tea spreads across the ocean A Tunisian farmer discovers a gas well by accident. Tweeters are asking: Is the government seizing his land? They were expelled because of the veil. Restaurant bans girls from partying, sparks controversy among Egyptians "You are a champion and you will definitely cope": Kostomarov was supported after the first post on social networks since hospitalization They ask for 18 months in prison for Darwin Machis (Valladolid) for beating the boyfriend of his ex-wife with the help of "three Colombian hitmen" Madrid's historic calendar: 304 days, all possible matches and "no questions or help" Watch- He asked for a selfie and paid it. This is what happened between Ronaldo and a member of the technical staff of the Gulf team Ligue 1: Antoine Kombouare replaced by Pierre Aristouy for the end of the season with FC Nantes Kolisi summoned for Springboks training camp a few months before the Rugby World Cup despite his serious injury OL: "We will keep and support Laurent Blanc," says John Textor, new boss of the club Reideborn's departure from CSKA, the restructuring of SKA and the strengthening of Dynamo: how the offseason began in the KHL "It suits me more than well": Remco Evenepoel loses the pink jersey but finds the rainbow one on the Giro In the first quarter, the revenue of the A-share new energy vehicle sector increased by 40% year-on-year Impact of the wage agreement: will companies raise wages, does it affect all workers? Wallapop apologizes for its Mother's Day campaign: "We did not take into account all the realities" France: trade deficit at "its least deteriorated level for more than a year and a half" Gao Jian, Deputy Director General of the International Department of the National Development and Reform Commission: Cultivate more Chinese brands that go to the world and enjoy a world-renowned reputation The ICO guarantees for the purchase of housing may reach 25% and the operation for the Defense land will cost 620 million Zheng Wei, Secretary-General of the SCO Harmony Committee: We are willing to work closely with all parties to make Chinese brands go global Last year, the per capita wage of China's urban units maintained growth, and the highest wages in service industries such as information and software Sri Lanka in the midst of a serious economic crisis: creditor countries meet for the first time to solve debt problems Waking up overnight and owing more than 600 million to the subway? Guangzhou Metro responded Average salary in 2022 is out! IT is the highest, real estate is down Pan Haifeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Consumer Association: Consumers are the voters of whether the brand power has achieved its goals With the transition to rubles and yuan: since the beginning of 2023, trade between Russia and China has grown by more than 41% Qin Gang: In the name of "de-risk", the reality of de-Sinicization is to go to opportunities, to cooperation, to stability and to development Two military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be tried in the DPR for the shooting of civilians in Mariupol The nomination of reserves was suppressed: the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced a strike on the points of temporary deployment of Ukrainian troops What are the limits of military cooperation between Tehran and Damascus and to whom is it directed? Republican: If we want to win, we can't choose Trump Rogov explained the lack of heavy equipment at the parade in Moscow by its necessity in the NWO zone Refusal to appear before the judge. Second deposit card in prison for Ghannouchi Met Gala 2023: Angele and Marion Cotillard were present (and one of them was totally unrecognizable) Two people killed after being shot by three hooded men on the run in Salou US politicians suggest blowing up TSMC Netizens on the island: Do not doubt the determination of the United States to destroy Taiwan Dozens dead, churches burned and the army in the streets: northeast India burns due to a conflict between ethnic groups Dies during a flight in the Pyrenees the specialist in paragliding and base jumping Alex Villar Express route through Malagadir, the megacity in southern Spain that has it all Malagadir, the European California where we all want to live: "It doesn't make you feel like a tacky nouveau riche" Russia returned to the top ten largest world economies for the first time since 2014 In addition to launching large models, what else should AI development do Jack Grealish, the villain who vindicates George Best and seeks revenge at the Bernabeu Champions League: on which channel and at what time to follow Real Madrid-Manchester City and AC-Milan Inter? Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. Bitcoin HMRC is considering introducing rules that would enable it to seize cryptocurrency from businesses that fail to pay their taxes. The Government is mulling proposals that would give the tax agency powers to access online wallets as part of plans to modernise how tax is collected in the digital age. HMRC is already able to seize funds from bank accounts when individuals fail to pay tax under direct recovery of debts powers, but is considering extending this to online payment accounts such as PayPal. A consultation document from HMRC raises the prospect that this could include businesses cryptocurrency wallets if virtual currencies become a common way of making payments online. The prospect of seizing cryptocurrencies from wallets would be seen as the latest crackdown on the sector, which has been accused of allowing money laundering and criminal activity. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have been touted as ways to give owners control of their finances outside of government control. While cryptocurrency wallets that are operated by individuals can only be accessed by the owner, those at centralised online exchanges such as Coinbase, Binance and Kraken could be subject to the rules. Law enforcement agencies are currently able to seize cryptocurrencies from these exchanges when they detect criminal activity. If further regulation is brought in around digital currencies, it may be that cryptocurrency wallets may become a more popular method of paying for goods and services, a HMRC consultation document says. It added that it was unclear how easy this would be due to the fluctuating value of cryptocurrency. The Government said it expected to proceed and give HMRC powers to seize funds from digital wallets, although it is unclear if this will extend to cryptocurrencies. A HMRC spokesman said: The proposals will help ensure HMRCs debt collection keeps pace with business practices. E-commerce means new business practices with fewer physical and owned assets held in the UK, which makes it harder for HMRC to collect unpaid taxes using existing powers. Story continues The responses to this consultation will support the Government in undertaking additional analysis and engagement on the proposals. All of HMRCs powers are balanced by safeguards, which should reassure taxpayers that powers are exercised proportionately and consistently. Police have seized hundreds of millions of pounds in cryptocurrency linked to criminal operations, often auctioning it off. HMRC said recently that cryptocurrencies would be added to self assessment tax returns. It will mean an extra 10m a year in capital gains taxes on profits that are not currently reported, forecasters estimate. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Heineken fair value estimate is 143 Current share price of 104 suggests Heineken is potentially 27% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 31% higher than Heineken's analyst price target of 109 Does the May share price for Heineken N.V. (AMS:HEIA) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! 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. See our latest analysis for Heineken The Model We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of 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 discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) 2.58b 3.33b 3.57b 3.73b 3.85b 3.94b 4.02b 4.07b 4.12b 4.16b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x8 Analyst x9 Analyst x8 Est @ 4.55% Est @ 3.31% Est @ 2.44% Est @ 1.83% Est @ 1.40% Est @ 1.11% Est @ 0.90% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 5.2% 2.5k 3.0k 3.1k 3.0k 3.0k 2.9k 2.8k 2.7k 2.6k 2.5k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 28b Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.4%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 5.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = 4.2b (1 + 0.4%) (5.2% 0.4%) = 88b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 88b ( 1 + 5.2%)10= 53b 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 81b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 104, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 27% 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 Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual 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 Heineken 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 5.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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 Heineken Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Beverage market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Dutch market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Dutch market. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Heineken, we've put together three fundamental factors you should explore: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Heineken that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does HEIA'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 Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Dutch 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, left, joins Senate HELP Chair Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont during a March 29, 2023 hearing of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee at the U.S. Capitol. Cassidy chastised Sanders on May 2, 2023 for trying to change a bipartisan compromise on drug prices after the deal was set. ALLEN, Texas (AP) A gunman shot multiple people at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, on Saturday, killing an unknown number and sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic in the latest gun violence to strike the country, officials said. Resettling Free Blacks in Nigeria: Martin Delaney's Plan for Black Independence Martin Delaney's Africa for Africans independence plan was to resettle Free Blacks from America to Nigeria. Martin Delaneys Africa for Africans plan for resettlement of Free Blacks from America to Nigeria was an important example of self-determination and the quest for freedom and independence. Delaney believed that Free and Freed Blacks could learn a great deal from Nigerian culture and history, and that they could draw upon these resources to establish a vibrant and successful community. Martin Delaney's Africa for Africans plan to resettle Free Blacks from America to Nigeria. Martin Delaney's plan for resettlement of Free Blacks from America to Nigeria was important. Delaney believed that Free and Freed Black peoples could leverage Nigeria's location to establish a thriving trade network that would connect them with other countries in Africa and beyond. He began to develop the idea in the 1860s and worked on it for several years, promoting it throughout the United States and attempting to raise funds to support the project. The Free Blacks from America to Nigeria self-determination and resettlement plan was a freedom project Martin Delaney labored on throughout his life. Martin Delaney's interest in resettling Free and Freed Black peoples in Africa dates back to the 1850s. At that time, he became involved in the American Colonization Society, a group that sought to resettle free blacks in Liberia and Sierra Leone. But, Delaney did not support the American Colonization Society's efforts to resettle free blacks in Liberia and Sierra Leone therefore he chose to carve a new path to Nigeria for three major reasons; current resettlement plans did not empower Black people but was an extension of the slave trade, Sierra Leone and Liberia in his eyes were not an authentic African culture but a colony ruled by European powers and finally the climate and well established traditions and the culture and history of Nigeria was more suitable to free blacks in the United States. He believed that the colonization society's approach was patronizing and did not empower African Americans to create their own independent communities. He saw the society's efforts as an extension of the slave trade, as it sought to remove free blacks from the United States and resettle them in Africa without giving them a voice over their own lives. Delaney saw Liberia and Sierra Leone as countries that had been founded by American and European settlers, rather than by Africans themselves. He felt that these countries did not represent an authentic African culture and that they had been tainted by the legacy of colonialism and slavery. Also he believed that the tropical climate and terrain of West Africa would be better suited to African Americans than the more inhospitable climate of Liberia and Sierra Leone. He saw Nigeria, in particular, as a promising destination for resettlement, as it had a large and diverse population, a strong agricultural base, and a rich cultural history that he believed could provide a foundation for a new Free Black community. Therefore Delaney began developing his own plan for resettling Free and Freed Black peoples in Nigeria. He believed that by creating a new community in Nigeria, Free Blacks could establish a new and independent lived for themselves, free from the overt violence, oppression and racism faced in the United States. He envisioned that the new Nigerian resettlement community would include farmers, artisans, and skilled workers, who would be able to build a new life for themselves and their families in Nigeria. In the 1860s, Delaney began to develop his plan for resettling Free and Freed Black people in Nigeria. Delaney and his numerous anti-slavery and abolitionist volunteers traveled extensively throughout the United States to promote the Nigerian resettlement plan and encourage African Americans to sign up. They organized rallies, speeches, and meetings, and worked to build support for the idea of emigrating to Nigeria. Three major challenges Delaney faced in his plan for resettling Free and Freed Black people in Nigeria; transportation, cost and organizational difficulties. One of the biggest challenges that Delaney faced was how to transport a significant number of Free and Freed Blacks from the United States to Nigeria. At the time, there were limited transportation options available, and it was difficult to find a reliable and affordable way to transport large numbers of people across the ocean. Another concern for Delaney were about the health and safety of the passengers, as well as the logistics of feeding and caring for them during the journey. Another major obstacle that Delaney faced was the cost of the resettlement plan. Building a new community in Nigeria would require significant resources, including funds to purchase land, build homes and infrastructure, and establish agricultural operations. Delaney attempted to raise money for the project by soliciting donations from wealthy Free and Freed Blacks and white philanthropists, but he struggled to raise enough funds to make the plan a reality. Delaney also faced challenges in organizing the resettlement effort. He had to coordinate the efforts of a large number of people, including those who would be emigrating to Nigeria, those who would be left behind in the United States, and those who would be involved in establishing the new community in Nigeria. There were also logistical challenges involved in procuring supplies, hiring workers, and ensuring that the community would be sustainable over the long Who was Martin Delaney. Martin Delaney was born into slavery, his true birth name is not clear, but it is believed that he was born around 1812 in Charles Town, Virginia to his mother and father who were both slaves. Delaney's owner was tobacco plantation owner named Patrick Delaney, who was a slaveholder in Virginia. Delaney earned his freedom through self-purchase and after earning his freedom, Martin Delaney became active in the abolitionist movement and worked to help other enslaved individuals escape from the slavers bondage. He also served as a recruiter for the Union Army during the American Civil War, helping to recruit African American soldiers to fight for their freedom and the end of slavery. In 1861, the American Civil War broke out, which disrupted Delaney's plans to resettle African Americans in Nigeria. Many of the settlers who had already relocated to Nigeria chose to return to the United States to fight in the war for the Union. Delaney believed that Free and Freed Blacks could learn a great deal from Nigerian culture and history, and that they could draw upon these resources to establish a vibrant and successful community. Martin Delaney's plan to resettle Free and Freed Blacks in Nigeria was an important endeavor, even if it did not succeed. It represented a vision for a better future and inspired others to continue the fight for African and Black American liberation and equality. It also provided valuable lessons for future generations about the challenges and opportunities of building a successful and sustainable community. Martin Robison Delany was born on May 6, 1812, and he died on January 24, 1885. He was an important figure in the abolitionist movement in the United States, and he also played a significant role in the history of Pan-Africanism. Delany worked as a journalist, physician's assistant, and military officer, and he was also a prolific writer, publishing several books on race relations and black nationalism. He is often credited with popularizing the Pan-African slogan Africa for Africans, which advocated for the unification and liberation of African peoples. Delany authored several books and essays throughout his lifetime. The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States published in 1852, is a treatise on the status of African Americans in the United States and argues for their emigration to Africa as a means of escaping racial oppression. The Huts of America publishefd in 1861, this novel depicts an unsuccessful slave revolt and explores themes of black nationalism and self-determination. The Negro in Politics published in 1869 discusses the role of African Americans in politics during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. The book explores the challenges faced by African Americans as they sought to participate in the political process and gain equal rights and representation. Qantas is boycotting distribution of national masthead The Australian Financial Review, hiding newspapers from its lounges amid an escalating dispute over the coverage of the airline by one of its most prolific columnists. Customers have also claimed articles are no longer discoverable on the airlines in-house Wi-Fi, a situation which appears to have coincided with persistent critical coverage of the airline by Rear Window columnist Joe Aston. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (right) has previously removed newspapers from lounges because of scrutiny. Credit: Rhett Wyman Aston has taken aim at outgoing chief executive Alan Joyces leadership, the airlines fleet and customer service repeatedly in the nine months since the outgoing chief executive claimed he was not a public figure. The coverage, which appears on the back page of the Financial Review, has accused Qantas of fare gouging and has written about the rising cost of capital expenditure. The Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are owned by Nine. For almost 1000 days Australian journalist Cheng Lei has woken up inside a Chinese cell, cut off from her two young children in Melbourne and her friends in Beijing. Each day she wakes up still unaware of the crime she is alleged to have committed, in a country that she had devoted her professional life to, that now only gives her two hours a day of fresh air. The 48-year-olds conditions are better now than the sheer isolation of her first six months, but still, as the Australian government welcomes Chinese officials and business delegations search for new opportunities, Cheng remains behind bars on vague national security charges. Her kids, 11 and 14, wonder when they will get their mum back. Australian journalist Cheng Lei. Credit: Getty The 1000 days [milestone] is going to be really tough for her, said Chengs partner Nick Coyle. She misses her children enormously. That mark will be reached on Tuesday. It will inevitably be the same as each of the 999 before; a daily, exhausting grind to manage any expectations that today might be the day she is released, while not losing all hope when those expectations are dashed. London: Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt has emerged as the quiet star of the coronation ceremony one that nobody saw coming. Carrying out her role as lord president of the Privy Council, Mordaunts stylish appearance soon sparked comparisons to Pippa Middletons show-stealing performance at the Prince and Princess of Waless wedding in 2011. For the ceremony, Mordaunt was required to carry the 17th-century Sword of State into the Abbey in the Kings Procession, and continue to hold it aloft for much of the service specifically at right angles to her body. The sword, decorated with royal symbols including the lion and union and fleur de lis, is also used during the state opening of Parliament. Lord President of the Council, Penny Mordaunt, walks ahead of King Charles III at his coronation. Credit: AP Given its 121 centimetre length and 3.5 kilogram weight, this was no mean feat, as evidenced by her shaking arms, when she handed the historic weapon to King Charles. Used Vehicle Valuation Sites Compared Report Provided By KBB.com Valuation Comparisons CARFAX or Kelley Blue Book (KBB), both sites provide information on the value of vehicles, but what is the difference between them? We are going to break down everything you need to know to help you get the right information to buy, trade, or sell your vehicle. However, if you are in a rush and just need to get the value of your car or research a new or used car, you can do both quickly on KBB.com. About CARFAX CARFAX is well known as a provider of used car history reports. With these reports, consumers can see: Accident history damage severity, damage location or point of impact, records of damage repair, airbag deployment, and structural damage. Service history oil changes, tire rotations, open recalls, brake rotor replacement, transmission replacement, and safety inspections. Type of use personal, rental, leased, commercial, taxi, or used as a police vehicle. Ownership history number of owners, states the vehicle resided in, length of ownership, last reported mileage, flood or lemon title, and odometer rollback. Advertisement CARFAX started offering used car listings and valuations since 2014. Not surprisingly, CARFAX doesnt offer new car pricing and only offers its historically based value for used cars. They have expanded into providing classified listings which users can search based on a cars accident and incident history, service records, previous owners, existing recalls and the nature of the vehicles former use (whether personal, business or fleet). Just as Kelley Blue Book pioneered the concept of Blue Book Value, CARFAX was among the leaders in vehicle history reports. As you might expect, CARFAX goes deeper into the actual vehicles history to establish its value than perhaps anyone else. CARFAX provides valuation for used vehicles in the United States and Canada. Data Sources CARFAX has a diverse set of data sources. They claim to use over 100,000 sources, encompassing 20 billion records. Most of these resources go into creating the vehicles history, which, in turn, helps CARFAX create its CARFAX History-Based Value. CARFAX Values Like Kelley Blue Book, CARFAX Values use factors such as miles, condition, location, make and model, trim, and options to estimate a cars value. Carfax Values provide a vehicle-specific value based on the vehicles history and vehicle identification number (VIN). These vehicle-specific variables play a greater factor in the valuation than they do on any other site. Rather than focus as much on market conditions, regionality and seasonality, CARFAX looks to the vehicle itself for the keys to its valuation. CARFAX is a subsidiary of IHS Markit, a London-based information provider. CARFAX is not affiliated with Kelley Blue Book or Cox Automotive. About Kelley Blue Book Values Kelley Blue Book is known as the gold standard for vehicle values and pricing, which is why you will often hear, Whats the Blue Book Value?. We are proud to be the most trusted source determining what a car is worth and what a buyer should expect to pay for their next car. Believe it or not, Kelley Blue Book has been providing used car values for almost a century. Les Kelley started publishing a list of the used cars he wanted to buy and how much he was willing to pay for them in 1926. Kelley Blue Book Data Intelligence KBB.com has a proprietary valuation process that uses predictive analytics, industry data analysis, and field analysis to review auto trends. We take this data and then use 250+ data sources with 3.0 trillion data points to provide the most objective, current, market-reflective, and data-driven information. We also evaluate: Regionalized values and pricing for over 100 different areas of the U.S. The current automotive market. Seasonal changes in prices. Vehicle details: condition, age, mileage, trim features, etc. Since Kelley Blue Book generates 40 million unique pricing reports every month, it is clear our data inspires consumer confidence and peace of mind. Lets look at the available Kelley Blue Book reports. Used Car Values and Prices: Trade-In Value : The amount you can expect to receive when trading a car in at a dealership. : The amount you can expect to receive when trading a car in at a dealership. Private Party Value : The amount you can expect to receive when selling your car to another consumer. This value is typically higher than the trade-in value because, unlike dealerships, you dont have costs like rent or salespeople to worry about. : The amount you can expect to receive when selling your car to another consumer. This value is typically higher than the trade-in value because, unlike dealerships, you dont have costs like rent or salespeople to worry about. Used Car Fair Purchase Price (retail value) : This is the amount that a consumer would reasonably expect to pay to buy this used car at a dealership. : This is the amount that a consumer would reasonably expect to pay to buy this used car at a dealership. Certified Pre-Owned Price (CPO): For some newer used cars, the dealership may offer a factory-backed certification process. The price is usually about 10% higher than a conventional used car, but many people like the confidence of buying a certified car. New Car Prices: New Car Fair Purchase Price (once called the New Car Blue Book Value): This is the amount that a consumer would reasonably expect to pay to buy this new car at a dealership. Where to see these prices: These values are displayed, both on KBB.com and on dealers websites nationwide. Look for the Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor. It has white, green, and red zones. If you see the price in the Green Zone of the Price Advisor, you can be confident that it is a fair price for both buyer and seller alike. KBB.com also offers value reports for motorcycles. Other Services on Kelley Blue Book We want our clients to have all the resources they could need, so you can also do the following on KBB.com: KBB.com is part of Cox Automotive, which gives us more data and resources to drive results for consumers, dealers, and clients. FAQ Does CARFAX have the complete history of every vehicle? CARFAX says no. They only have information provided to them from various sources. They recommend you always get a vehicle inspection and test drive the car before you drive and not depend on the vehicle history report alone. Where does CARFAX find its vehicle history data? CARFAX says it uses more than 112,000 different sources, including every U.S. and Canadian provincial motor vehicle agency. They also note the following: Motor vehicle agencies Title and registration records Auto and salvage auctions Rental and fleet vehicle companies Extended warranty companies State inspections Insurance companies Fire and police departments Automobile manufacturers Service and repair facilities Car dealers Import/export companies Do CARFAX vehicle history reports show car lien info? Yes. It shows ownership transfers, lien information, and vehicle registrations. The report will help you identify title problems and see the number of owners. What kind of vehicle reports does KBB.com offer? By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you buy good businesses at attractive prices, your portfolio returns could exceed the average market return. Just take a look at United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS), which is up 85%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 37% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 1.1% , including dividends . So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 3 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns. Check out our latest analysis for United Parcel Service To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. United Parcel Service was able to grow its EPS at 36% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. The average annual share price increase of 23% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We know that United Parcel Service has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? This free interactive report on United Parcel Service's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for United Parcel Service the TSR over the last 3 years was 102%, 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 It's nice to see that United Parcel Service shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 1.1% over the last year. That's including the dividend. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 12% 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. 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. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for United Parcel Service you should know about. But note: United Parcel Service may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast). 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce celebrated the men and women in uniform who tirelessly serve our nation. The Cheyenne Chamber awarded four outstanding military units for their exceptional service to our community and our nation at the annual Military May Luncheon. We were honored to welcome Maj. Gen. Porter, Adjutant General for the Wyoming Military Department, as our guest speaker for this annual event. WY We Care: Over 14,200 defenders past and present live in Cheyenne. The military has been part of Cheyennes heritage since our founding, and it remains so today. We are committed to continuing this unique heritage as we pursue the implementation of the Sentinel Missile upgrades and work for procurement of upgraded Cheyenne-based Air National Guard planes. It is our great honor to pause in the month of May and put special emphasis on our ongoing appreciation for the men and women in uniform who serve in our community, said Dale Steenbergen, President and CEO of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce. Winners Never Quit Please join us in recognizing these amazing service men and women who won the Cheyenne Trophy: Outstanding Unit Award from your Cheyenne Chambers Military Affairs Committee. U.S. Air Force 90th Missile Wing Trophy 890th Missile Security Forces Squadron Wyoming Air National Guard Trophy 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron Wyoming Army National Guard Trophy 84th Civil Support Team Wyoming Naval Reserve Trophy Cheyenne NRC Mobilization Dept FREE Military Appreciation BBQ ALL military, reserve, guard, and their families are invited to the FREE Military Appreciation BBQon May 20 at 1022 Airport Parkway starting at 10:30 a.m. Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 69F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low 46F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Judy Blume speaks during Q&A and reception with Judy Blume celebrating Prime Videos Judy Blume Forever at Annabelles Book Club LA on April 17, 2023, in Studio City, California. (Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images/TNS) Kemi Badenoch - Anadolu Agency Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, is seeking an emergency meeting with Revolut over fears the $33bn (26bn) technology company may abandon the UK amid frustration with high taxes and red tape. Sources at the Department for Business and Trade confirmed that it wanted to meet with Nikolay Storonsky, chief executive of Revolut, just days after he attacked Britains extreme bureaucracy. Officials in France and Spain are understood to have courted Revolut, which is headquartered in London, in recent weeks as bosses grow increasingly frustrated over delays in securing a UK banking licence. A spokesman for Revolut said: Were a British company and London is our home. The spokesman did not respond when asked whether Revolut would accept the Business and Trade Departments request for a meeting. Mr Storonsky launched a barrage of criticism against Britain on Friday, saying it was hard to do business and would never choose London as a place to list the company. Mr Storonsky said: In the UK there are higher taxes to pay and an extremely bureaucratic regulator. Nikolay Storonsky - Tom Stockill/Camera Press Revoluts chief executive launched a further torrent of criticism on Sunday when he criticised the Financial Conduct Authoritys (FCA) delays in granting it a banking licence, which the company views as crucial to offer loans and other services to its 5.8 million UK customers. Ultimately it is not really us, it is generally the banking crisis we see at the moment that makes regulators extra cautious, he told the Financial Times. Rival challenger banks Monzo and Starling hold full UK banking licences, unlike Revolut. The company has been pursuing an application with the FCA and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) for about two years. Revolut became the UKs most valuable fintech in 2021 after a funding round earned it a $33bn price tag. Last year it overtook Checkout.com as Europes most valuable start-up after the payments company had its valuation slashed. However, some of Revoluts investors have since written down their stakes, with Schroders reportedly reducing the value of its 10.1m stake by almost half in April. The write-down suggests Revoluts overall value may have shrunk to around $17.7bn, a loss of $15bn in two years. Story continues Revoluts finances have been under the spotlight in recent months after it was late filing its annual accounts with Companies House following concerns raised by its auditor. BDO, the UKs fifth largest accounting firm, said in March: We were unable to satisfy ourselves concerning the completeness and occurrence of certain revenues for the year ended 31 December 2021. Auditors said they were unable to verify 477m of Revoluts 636m in sales for the year. BDO said Revolut's internal IT systems were not able to provide sufficient appropriate assurance over revenue streams from areas of the business including its foreign exchange and wealth department, which includes revenues from cryptocurrency trading. No warning was issued by BDO over Revoluts ability to continue as a going concern. Auditors were able to verify 100pc of customer cash balances held on customers behalf with third parties. Mr Storonsky on Friday accused the regulator of putting pressure on BDO and said the IT problem had since been fixed. The regulators pressed BDO and as a result it was much more rigorous and risk averse and so delayed the accounts, because the regulator was on their back, he said. Revolut is the latest company to criticise Britains trading environment in recent months. Softbank, the Japanese investment fund which owns the computer chip designer Arm, in March rejected Rishi Sunaks personal pleas to list the business in London, opting instead for the US. Similarly, Peter Jackson, founder of Betfair and Paddy Power parent group Flutter, opted for a secondary listing in New York in February after saying the US offered him a greater liquidity pool than the UK. The Financial Conduct Authority plans to overhaul British market listing rules in the hope of attracting more overseas companies and investors to London. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. 7 Dead After Car Runs Into Pedestrians in Southern Texas, Alleged Driver Arrested: Police A damaged vehicle sits at the site of a deadly collision near a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, on May 7, 2023. (Brian Svendsen/NewsNation/KVEO-TV via AP) Seven people were killed and up to six were injured on Sunday morning after they were struck by a vehicle while waiting at a city bus stop outside of a shelter for illegal immigrants in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, police said. Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval told The Associated Press the crash happened about 8:30 a.m. local time. He told local outlets that seven people died at the scene and 10 others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals. One of the victims alleged that they were sitting on the curb near a bus stop when a Range Rover hit the group. Luis Herrera said that he and others were waiting to go to the airport when they were hit. He didnt provide details about whether he was with a group of illegal immigrants. We were going to the airport and it happened unexpectedly because a woman in a car passed by and advised us to separate and moments later the killer was coming in the car gesturing and insulting us, Herrera told local media. Speaking to the Valley Central, Sandoval said the driver was arrested on charges of reckless driving but more charges will likely be filed. It appears to be an intentional act, Sandoval said. However, he told CNN that some witnesses said the driver appeared to have los[t] control of the vehicle. Emergency personnel work at the site of a fatal vehicular collision at a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, on May 7, 2023. (Brian Svendsen/NewsNation/KVEO-TV via AP) Authorities told CNN that the suspect is a Hispanic male. The drivers name has not been released yet, Sandoval said, adding that the U.S. Border Patrol was called in to investigate and told AP that illegal immigrants were likely among those who died. The director of the nearby Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center told AP that most of the victims were of Venezuelan origin. Nearly all of them were males, he said. He said that video footage captured an SUV that ran the light that was about a hundred feet away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, director Victor Maldonado told AP. Brownsville, Texas, is located in the very southern tip of Texas across from Matamoros, Mexico. The town has been beset with illegal immigrants in recent years, namely after Trump-era restrictions were lifted by the Biden administration. It comes as the Trump administrations Title 42 health order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is slated to expire. Some immigration officials have said that another wave of illegal migrants will enter the United States when restrictions are lifted on May 11. The incident comes just hours after a suspect shot and killed nine people and injured more in a mall in Allen, Texas, located near Dallas. Few details about that incident, including the suspect or motive, have been released. The Associated Press contributed to this report. BC College of Physicians and Surgeons Must Withdraw All Proceedings Against Ethically Courageous Doctors Commentary A handful of headstrong and ethically courageous B.C. doctors have stood up and voiced their concerns about the potential harms associated with provincial COVID-19 policies. These doctors, Charles Hoffe, Stephen Malthouse, Daniel Nagase, and Kevin Sclater, have all run afoul of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. In the interest of brevity and clarity, the reflections that follow will be confined to a single casethat of Dr. Hoffe, who was one of the first, if not the first, B.C. physician to be censured by the college. According to The Epoch Times, a citation for Hoffe issued by the college in February 2022 alleges that his online comments around April 2021 contravened standards imposed under the Health Professions Act, including but not limited to the Canadian Medical Associations Code of Ethics and Professionalism. The citation accuses Hoffe of uttering a number of public health heresies which, we are told, are many and grievous. First, he suggested that the mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccines may cause microscopic blood clots. Such microscopic blood clots, he allegedly stated, might contribute to severe neurological issues as well as a wide range of other serious harms. On this matter, the college is unfazed by the unprecedented numbers and varieties of harms reported in the worlds most prominent and widely recognized reporting systems, such as the AmericanVaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the UKs Yellow Card, European Medicines Agencys EudraVigilance, and the World Health Organizations VigiAccess systems. A second heresy for which Dr. Hoffe is reproached is his suggestion that vaccinated persons can cause harm to unvaccinated persons. The college appears steady in its resolve to censure Hoffe on this matter, unshaken by the growing body of evidence that mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission of COVID-19 or its variants, or apparently reduce the occurrence of severe COVID-19. But the third and perhaps greatest of Dr. Hoffes heresies is his suggestion that ivermectin is an advisable treatment for COVID-19. Health Canada historically and presently supports the use of approved medicines such as ivermectin for off-label indications at the discretion of prescribing physicians if there are compelling reasons why the doctors believe they may be helpful to their patients. The colleges attack on this statement is particularly ludicrous given its confirmation by no less an authority than Dr. Tess Lawrie, the director of Evidence-based Medicine Consultancy in Bath, UK. With respect to the advisability of ivermectin in treating COVID-19, Dr. Lawrie has conducted a meta-analysis of 15 trials, following the gold-standard Cochrane protocol. While citing both the well-known safety profile and very low cost of ivermectin, Dr. Lawries meta-analysis concludes that with the aid of this essential medicine large reductions in COVID-19 deaths are possible, and that using ivermectin early in the clinical course may reduce numbers progressing to severe disease. As though Hoffes fantastically reckless claim that ivermectin is an advisable treatment for COVID-19 were not offensive enoughnot to mention that his assertion is now supported by not just one, but multiple meta-analysesas if this werent already dreadful enough, the allegedly off-his-rocker doctor stands accused of suggesting that people wishing to make use of this treatment disregard its prohibition by Public Health! If Public Health refuses to make this potentially life-saving and inexpensive treatment availablea treatment with an unparalleled safety profile, a treatment already administered billions of times all around the world, a treatment with incredibly few adverse events recorded after over 40 years of useDr. Hoffe had the unmitigated gall to suggest that the public might be justified in obtaining it from animal feed stores where it is also available. Public Interest But all kidding aside, to an increasing number of gravely concerned British Columbians, the disciplinary actions undertaken by the college of physicians and surgeons against Dr. Hoffe and his fellow physicians for identifying issues of concern regarding the COVID mandates and recommendations pronounced by Public Health authorities appear arbitrary, vindictive, and against the public interest. To these citizens, the college appears to be aggressively persecuting highly qualified and conscientious medical professionals for acting according to the dictates of their conscience, knowledge, and sworn oath to do no harm. These doctors have felt compelled to comply with their duties to patients and the community by voicing science-based concerns about potential harms associated with the mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccine, and by drawing attention to the benefits of early treatment. For casting doubt upon the reliability of the Public Health authoritys COVID-19 policies, they have drawn the ire of the college, yet for many British Columbians, these courageous physicians embody the spirit of both ethical medicine and social responsibility. If the actions taken against these doctors by the college are contrary to the spirit of ethical medicine and the dictates of a socially responsible conscience, they are also contrary to the spirit of the law in Canada. According to the Canadian concept of law, a citizen cannot be both accused of a crime and also stripped of the ability to answer the accusation. When the college suspends a doctors licence it thereby prevents that doctor from earning income. Without income, such doctors will be unable to effectively pay the legal fees required to mount an adequate defence in answering the accusations made against them. The punitive actions undertaken by the college are made even more outrageous by their complete lack of reasonable grounds. Again and again, the people of B.C. have heard from Interior Health, Public Health, and the Minister of Health that their shared goal is to ensure the safety of British Columbians. To this end, they have prohibited physicians and other health-care providers from publicly expressing opinions that contradict official Public Health recommendations and orders. To contradict these recommendations, they say, is to put peoples lives at risk by encouraging vaccine hesitancy. Mandates And yet, time and again, to compel uninformed or poorly informed compliance, our public health authorities have provided misleading, erroneous, or inadequate information to justify orders and recommendations. Assertions concerning the safety and efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccines have been disproven. Assertions concerning the safety and efficacy of mask-wearing and social distancing have been disproven. Similarly, assertions by Public Health authorities concerning the safety and efficacy of lockdown measures have been disproven. While falsely touting the benefits of these mandates, Public Health authorities have been silent or misleading about the risks. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. has censured doctors for attempting to prevent harm by providing patients and others with some of the information needed to make informed decisions about COVID-19 treatment. At this stage, we should all know that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission. Indeed, Pfizer executive Janine Small admitted before a European Union parliamentary hearing that Pfizer did not test the vaccine for preventing transmission of COVID-19 prior to it being made available to the public. U.S. CDC director Rochelle Walensky has publicly admitted the vaccines cant prevent transmission. And viral immunologist Dr. Byram Bridle has written, the current COVID-19 vaccines fail to induce what we call sterilizing immunity. This means that vaccinated individuals can still get infected with SARS-CoV-2, potentially become ill, and potentially transmit the virus to others. At this stage, we should all know that not only do the mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccines not prevent hospitalization or death, but that vaccine adverse event reporting systems around the world are showing higher rates of mortality for these mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccines than for any other vaccines in history. Looking at the U.S. VAERS, the UK Yellow Card, and the World Health Organization VigiAccess systems, in less than three years more vaccine injuries have been reported in connection with the COVID-19 vaccines than from the combined sum of all other vaccines administered over the past three decades. People at Risk Once upon a time, members of the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons might have believed there were adequate scientific grounds for promoting the mRNA COVID-19 genetic vaccines as safe and effective. Now, however, it has been made abundantly clear, and that for a good long time already, that no such grounds exist. With over 35,000 COVID-19 vaccine deaths and over 2,400,000 adverse events reported in the US VAERS alone, the college should be pulling out their bullhorns and shouting from the rooftops: These genetic vaccines are NOT safe, and they are NOT effective! Instead, the college has prohibited physicians from expressing concerns about the safety and efficacy of these genetic vaccines on the grounds that to express such concerns puts people at risk by encouraging vaccine hesitancy. It appears patently obvious, however, that when we set about administering any new treatment, it is precisely by prohibiting physicians from sharing their opinionsas qualified, experienced, and ethically conscientious medical professionalsthat we put people at risk. Physicians Rights The colleges disciplinary actions clearly prohibit or impair not just those targeted, but all physicians from carrying out their professional and ethical duties to ensure provision of individualized health care, which includes providing information, specialized knowledge, and careful advice about the risks and benefits of recommended medical products and about alternative treatments. The disciplinary actions by the college also violate our physicians protected rights, including their rights to work and earn income as physicians, to due process, to remedies for rights violations, to freedom of expression, and the right to participate in governance and decision-making. All of these rights, which the B.C. college is violating through their autocratic disciplinary actions, are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Now, discussions of charter rights and freedoms tend to be inconclusive, because it is difficult, on the basis of the charter alone, to reach a useful end or stable determination. There is a simple reason for this. From a legal perspective, the charter is a weak constitutional document. It is weak in the sense that it does not, on its own, provide clear and definitive guidance on the general matters with which it is concerned. This does not mean, however, that no such guidance is possible. On the contrary, the relatively weak guidance provided by the charter can be reinforced through reference to another body of law. It is important, and also very helpful, to recognize that the charter can and should be interpreted in accordance with the many international human rights treaties signed by Canada. When it comes to compliance with treaty obligations, one might say the entire world is watchingor to quote from section 8 of the Policy on Tabling of Treaties in Parliament: Under international law, a treaty creates international legal obligations for Canada. By referring to international human rights treaty law, it is possible to throw much-needed light on some of the more obscure, ambivalent, and vague sections of the charter. Our physicians rightsthe rights that are being violated by the B.C College of Physicians and Surgeonsare protected under the charter, and they are further protected under international human rights law treaties to which Canada is a party. The guidance these treaties provide is definitive and clear, and the protection they provide is unquestionablefor these treaties are binding upon Canada. These include, but are not limited to, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Patients Rights In addition to stripping physicians of charter rights and freedoms, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.s disciplinary proceedings also deprive patients of their essential rights to informed consent to medical treatment, freedom from coercion or force to accept a medical treatment not voluntarily chosen, and freedom from non-consensual medical or scientific experimentation. As ought to be widely known, these last two rights are absolute. They cannot be restricted under any circumstances, including those pertaining to public health emergencies. These laws are, in fact, part of the peremptory right to freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. In addition, the illegitimate disciplinary actions undertaken by the college have had a chilling effect on non-targeted B.C. physicians whose silent acquiescence to harmful COVID mandates has likely harmed hundreds of thousands of patients in this province alone. This is not an abstract issue that only concerns lawmakers and stuffy bureaucrats; it is a deeply personal crisis that affects Canadians living in major metropolitan centres across the country as surely as it reaches into the heart of rural townships throughout the Southern, Interior, and Northern reaches of B.C. It is no great stretch to imagine that many of those who have lost loved ones subsequent to vaccination, and a great many more who have been injured, are now calling out for justice. Far from wishing to see B.C. doctors punished for speaking out, a great many of these might wish to see Canadas regulatory colleges rebuked and disciplinedif not dismantledfor prohibiting their doctors from providing them with the responsible medical counsel required to make properly informed risk benefit analyses. By effectively muzzling physicians, the B.C. college has deprived British Columbians of their legal right to informed consent. This, in turn, has led to an inevitable desire for justice among the vaccine injured and bereaved. Broader Context The broader legal context and consequences of the B.C. colleges autocratic policies and punitive actions against doctors Hoffe, Malthouse, Nagase, and Sclater are of enormous importance. With the colleges persecutory proceedings against these physicians, we are witness to non-consensual and arbitrary imposition of orders, arbitrary punishment, and arbitrary withdrawal of privileges. This is not only contrary to the spirit of the law in Canadait is an outright attack on Canadians most fundamental participatory and democratic societal values. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. has dealt a terrible blow to doctors freedom to practise ethical medicine in the province of British Columbia. If the colleges arbitrary punishment of Hoffe, Malthouse, Nagase, and Sclater is allowed to stand, it will set a precedent that threatens the constitutionally protected societal values of all Canadians, while destroying the right to provide and receive personalized health care in B.C. If these doctors ethical actions on behalf of their patients are not vindicated, it will hamper the ability of all B.C. doctors to provide honest and informed consultations that are in the best interests of their patients, because these doctors, in turn, will fear that their own ability to practise medicine may be threatened if they do so. Ethical Medicine In closing this discussion of ethical medicine and the ill-advisement of autocratic authority in matters of public safety, it may be helpful to remind ourselves of a fundamental principle of human rights recognized the world over: Health professionals are under a legal obligation to document and report torture and ill-treatment in all contexts. Declaring a pandemic does not mean that authorities and health professionals no longer need to respect the rule of law and the rights and freedoms of individuals. On the contrary, even if a domestic law were to be changed, it cannot be used as an excuse to suspend rights guaranteed under treaties signed by Canada. Highly qualified and ethically conscientious medical practitioners, doctors willing to risk their own livelihoods in order to advocate for the well-being of their patients, are a precious commodity. When doctors have science-based concerns about potential harms to their patients, they must be not only allowed, but encouraged, to speak out. To punitively restrict and silence doctors, to prevent them from acting according to their conscience, to prevent them from fulfilling their fiduciary duty towards their patients is recklessly poor policy. Left unchecked, the arbitrary power of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. threatens the health and well-being of all British Columbians as well as the core values of Canadian democracy. In light of the above, and in compliance with its statutory and ethical duty to the people of this province, I urge the college to immediately withdraw all proceedings against doctors Hoffe, Malthouse, Nagase, and Sclater. I further urge the college to take whatever measures are necessary to enable these doctors return to practising medicine. The value of these doctors principled stand against the colleges autocratic imposition of ill-advised public-health policy cannot be overstated. Exemplary embodiments of the spirit of ethical medicine and social responsibility, these physicians are to be applauded for the tremendous efforts they have made on behalf of all British Columbians. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Belgium Detains 7 on Suspicion of Planning Terror Attack BRUSSELSAuthorities have detained seven people, most of them Chechen origin, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in Belgium, the federal prosecutors office said Thursday. The office said in a statement that the suspects had not yet selected a precise target but police decided to pick them for questioning anyway. All of them are suspected of preparing a terrorist attack in Belgium, the statement said. The examining magistrate will decide at a later stage whether to bring them before him and possibly issue an arrest warrant. Three of the suspects are Belgian nationals, according to federal prosecutors. The offices statement said all seven allegedly belonged to a group of strong supporters of the ISIS terrorist group. Possible charges are attempted terrorist assassination, participation at the activities of a terrorist group and preparation of a terrorist attack, according to the statement. Belgium was hit by several terror attacks in the past decade, including suicide bombings in 2016 that killed 32 people and injured hundreds more in the Brussels subway and airport. California Sheriffs Department Pays $1.1 Million in Ransom to Hackers After Cyberattack A southern California county sheriffs department paid a ransom of $1.1 million to cyber hackers to remove ransomware that affected some of the departments systems, the county has confirmed. A cyberattack in April disrupted the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Departments network, interrupting a limited number of systems, including the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System used by deputies to look up whether a person is wanted for crimes. After negotiating with the hackers, the county and its insurance carrier agreed to pay the ransom to restore the systems full functionality and secure any data involved in the breach, the countys spokesman David Wert told The Epoch Times in a statement on May 5. The decision whether to render payment was the subject of careful consideration, Wert said. On balance, and consistent with how other agencies have handled these types of situations, this was determined to be the responsible course. The county, located about two hours east of Los Angeles, had prepared for such an attack by getting insurance coverage, according to Wert. The county was responsible for $511,852 while the rest was covered by insurance. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that prevents an organization or person from accessing computer files, systems, or networks, and demands the victim pay a ransom to restore access, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI does not support paying a ransom, according to the bureaus website. Paying a ransom doesnt guarantee you or your organization will get any data back, the FBI advised. It also encourages perpetrators to target more victims and offers an incentive for others to get involved in this type of illegal activity. The sheriffs department is continuing to investigate the incident and is conducting a forensic examination to fully understand what happened, according to the countys spokesman. The incident was referred to partnering law enforcement agencies in April, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. At no time did the incident compromise public safety or the Sheriffs Departments ability to carry out its duties, Wert said. Ransom Payments Encourage More Attacks: Expert National cyber security expert Joseph Steinberg, author of the best-selling book Cybersecurity for Dummies, told The Epoch Times paying a ransom to cyber hackers encourages more attacks. Sometimes, paying the ransom seems like the easy way out, but it guarantees it will continue, Steinberg said. You can be sure as hell theyre going to be doing it again. Ransom payments can also be a federal crime if the hackers are affiliated with a group or country the U.S. has sanctioned, according to the expert. Countries and organizations that are under sanctions know this is one way to get money that governments are looking the other way on, he said. Lets hope it wasnt something like that. Beyond the moral hazard of giving money to criminals, the hackers can use the cash to create more and better ransomware, he said. Gabrielle Meyer attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on May 7, 2023. (Julia Ye/The Epoch Times) SYDNEY, AustraliaGabrielle Meyer traveled over four hours from Coffs Harbour to Sydney to experience Shen Yun Performing Arts for her birthday. Mrs. Meyer, a retired guest house owner, said after finally getting to see New York-based Shen Yun perform at the Sydney Lyric Theatre for its Sunday matinee, It was absolutely wonderful. The talent, the costumes, the choreography; brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Its been a great pleasure. I couldnt recommend it highly enough. Shen Yun is on a mission to revive Chinas 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture that has been almost lost in modern times under communism. Chinas great texts, rooted in the ancient Buddhist and Taoist philosophies, all told the story of great cultures being left as gifts to humankind from the heavens. However, during Chinas communist revolution, the materialist ideology rooted in atheism had no room for such stories, leading to the burning and destruction of much of Chinas rich cultural heritage. Shen Yun now aims to bring back to life on stage China before communism. The experience was a birthday present for Mrs. Meyer from her husband after she saw Shen Yun advertised on TV and on posters. I particularly wanted to see this. It just looked so wonderful, she said. And it really was absolutely amazing, she confirmed after having experienced Shen Yun firsthand. Mrs. Meyer remarked on how much work and dance practice must go into Shen Yunthe worlds premier classical Chinese dance performance. The hours and hours, she said, adding, But the costumes, too, were just so beautiful. The colours and the way the women they just floated along the stage; it was amazing. I cant wait to see it again. Bravo. Very Enlightening Doctor Jamie Starkey, who was also in the Shen Yun audience on Sunday afternoon with his wife, said he was very inspired to understand the Chinese culture and the pathway to non-communist existence. I can see that now, he said thanks to the performance. I didnt quite understand how communism was such a reforming and negative force for China, he said. We only hear about the other human rights; not the actual fact of what they did to their own people. This is very enlightening. Really Moved My Heart Psychologist Cilia Curiel attends Shen Yun Performing Arts with her daughter at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on May 7, 2023. (Mary Yuan/The Epoch Times) Psychologist Cilia Curiel said the message showcased in Shen Yun, China before communism, really touched a chord with her. It was impressive for me seeing the story about being so oppressed by communism and the regime you have there. We can relate with the people that are being oppressed by the government, Ms. Curiel said. I think we have been seeing that for years; in many, many countries, not only China a lot of countries that are moving towards those regimes and are making so much damage to the people. So its the young people who are suffering and paying with their life, and fighting to bring a better future for the country. So that was something that really moved my heart. Ms. Curiel said she was particularly impressed with Shen Yuns storytelling, where a young girl was targeted for killing for monetary gain from selling her vital organs, pointing to the Falun Gong spiritual groups reports on the Chinese Communist Partys ghastly state-sanctioned trade of human organs. That story with the young girl that was dying because they needed her body, her part, her heart, and the familys fightingthat was fantastic, Ms. Curiel said. Falun Gong, a qigong mind and body self-improvement practice that quickly became popular in China in the 90s, has suffered persecution and attempts by the communist regime to eradicate its adherentswho try to live by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerancesince 1999. That faith and hope that through God and the spirit of doing the right thing, everything is going to be better and we will have a better future; that was amazing, she said of Shen Yuns storytelling. Thats something that regardless of where you are from or your background, you can relate. Theyre amazing, she said of Shen Yuns artists and performers. You can see all the discipline, all the techniquetheyre doing a great job. And spreading their ideastruly fantastic. Keep working on that. Reporting by Julia Ye, Steve Xu, Mary Yuan, and Melanie Sun. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Car Bomb Wounds Pro-War Russian Writer and Kills His Driver Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin poses for a picture in his flat in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Dec. 6, 2008. (Mikhail Beznosov/Reuters) A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, was wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver on Saturday and investigators said a detained suspect admitted acting on behalf of Ukraine. The attack took place three days after the Kremlin said Ukraine attempted to hit the Kremlin with dronesUkraine denied it had anything to do with the attack. Russias Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the Western states backing it, particularly the United States, for the latest attack on the writer, an ardent proponent of Moscows military campaign in Ukraine. Ukraines security services, in its standard response, refused to confirm or deny involvement. A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of staging the incident. Russias state Investigative Committee said Prilepins Audi Q7 was blown up in a village in Nizny Novgorod region, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow, which it was treating as an act of terrorism. It said Prilepin had been taken to hospital. The committee released a photograph showing the white vehicle lying overturned on a track next to a wood, with a deep crater beside it and pieces of metal strewn nearby. A damaged white Audi Q7 car lying overturned on a track next to a wood, after Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin was allegedly wounded in a bomb attack in a village in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, on May 6, 2023. (Anastasia Makarycheva/Reuters) The committee later issued a statement saying investigators were questioning a suspect identified as Alexander Permyakov. The suspect was detained and, in the course of questioning, he provided testimony that he acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, said the statement, read by a woman in uniform. The governor of Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, said on Telegram that doctors had successfully operated on Prilepin and that he was now under sedation to help his recovery. Russias Foreign Ministry, in a statement on its website said: Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with Ukrainian authorities, but also their Western patrons, the United States in the first instance. It said Washingtons failure to denounce this and other attacks was self-revealing for the U.S. administration. State news agency TASS quoted security sources as saying the suspect was a native of Ukraine with a past conviction for robbery with violence. Ukraines SBU Security Service issued its standard response of declining to confirm or deny involvement in the bombing. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed Russian authorities had staged the attack. Everyone understands that this is all a staged performance, Podolyak told Ukrainian television. This is staged and the bombings at the Kremlin are aimed at domestic audiences. The novelist was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscows full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the deaths of journalist Darya Dugina and war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in the two previous attacks, and Kyiv has denied involvement. Ukrainian news site UNIAN ran an online poll asking readers who in the pantheon of Russian scum propagandists should be targeted next after Dugina, Tatarsky and Prilepin. Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. No comment was immediately available from Britains Foreign Office. Moscow Says Ukraine Acting on Wests Behalf It was the second time this week that Moscow has accused Ukraine of carrying out terrorist attacks on behalf of the West. Kyiv and Washington reject the accusation as baseless. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine denied that too, and the White House said accusations that Washington had a hand in it were lies. Prilepin often speaks out in support of the Ukraine war on social media, with more than 300,000 followers on Telegram and his own website and YouTube channel. He fought for Russian proxy forces in eastern Ukraines Donbas region before last years invasion and led a military unit there, boasting in a 2019 YouTube interview that his unit killed people in big numbers. Pallavi Sinha enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on May 6, 2023. (NTD) SYDNEY, AustraliaIts a fantastic show, I would certainly recommend anyone to go, said Pallavi Sinha, who saw Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time on Saturday evening, May 6. Event venue Sydney Lyric Theatre reported a full house for the performance. Ms. Sinha, a multi-award winning lawyer, said she was impressed by the overall synergy of all the production elements. We can see theres been so much effort and care taken with all the detail, with the dance steps, with the elegant outfits, the majestic backdrops. So many features of this production are worthwhile and make it enjoyable to watch, she said. Its the combination of all the things the beautiful costumes, the fantastic dancing, the backdrops, the special effects, everything. Shen Yun, based in New York, each year premieres a brand-new performance, complete with new works of orchestral music, costumes, choreography, digital backdrop designs, and stories from Chinas rich 5,000-year history to feature. The words Shen Yun means the beauty of divine beings dancing. Since 2006, Shen Yun artists have traveled the globe to showcase the depth and grandeur of a culture that once thrived in China but was once on the brink of utter destruction due to communism. Ms. Sinha said she believes what Shen Yun is doing is really important. For people to know the truth and to know about history, to see it in such a beautiful way, is very important. Its significant, she said. The digital backdrop makes it so much more enjoyable [and] entertaining, she said, referring to Shen Yuns patented feature that extends the stage into the boundless realm of animation in a way that is interactive with the live performers, giving the audience an immersive experience. Especially when the characters immerse into the backdrop, thats beautiful to watch, Ms. Sinha said. I definitely would love to see something like this again. Id certainly encourage others to go. Very Positive and Upbeat Attitude Benjamin Pike had tickets to see Shen Yun four years ago but his plans were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Weve been trying to come since COVID, he said. [Shen Yun] was in town again. Its my mothers birthday tomorrow so we thought wed all come out and have a show and dinner together, Mr. Pike shared. Benjamin Pike enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on May 6, 2023. (Beatrice Lee/The Epoch Times) He said Shen Yun has a very positive and upbeat attitude. It kind of gives me hope and it gives me a warm feeling. It makes you feel good. Its fun. Im enjoying it a lot more than I thought. Its fun. Its very fun. Shen Yuns hallmark is classical Chinese dance, an ancient art form that has evolved over thousands of years. Next to ballet, it is one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world. The dance form can vividly depict a wide range of emotions and portray any of humanitys cherished virtuesrighteousness, loyalty, benevolence, and tolerance. These universal values are imbued in Shen Yuns performance. Such positive values should be emphasized in the world much more often, Mr. Pike said. Because I think the world is going a little bit too self-centred and a little bit away from real connection, and everyones a bit online and selfish, not looking to other people for guidance, sticking to their own laneways and their own paths and getting stuck a little bit. I feel like the way forward is through other people and community. Mr. Pike said society can benefit from Shen Yun a hundred percent. I think anything that shows peace and love between human beings is going to benefit everybody, if you feel it here, you know what I mean? Because you all just need to get along and understand each other a bit better, and less judgement and looking after yourself and more thinking about the other people around you. Im absolutely going to tell a bunch of people at work, If you get a chance, please come and see it. Its definitely worth it. Definitely. Reporting by NTD, Beatrice Lee, and Mimi Nguyen Ly. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. China Ranks 2nd Worst in Latest World Press Freedom Index Police attempt to stop journalists from recording footage outside the Shanghai Pudong New District People's Court, where Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan is set for trial in Shanghai on Dec. 28, 2020. (Leo Ramirez/AFP via Getty Images) China joined other communist statesVietnam and North Koreaat the very bottom of the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index released on May 3, which was World Press Freedom Day. China ranked in 179th place on this years index of 180 countries and regions, one spot above North Korea and one place lower than Vietnam. It fell four places from its ranking last year. Communist China-controlled Hong Kong ranked 140th. The press freedom situation in the former British colony is classified as difficult, while in mainland China, its classified as very serious. The annual World Press Freedom Index ranks nations and regions in five categories: the political context, the jurisdictions legal framework, the economic context, the sociocultural context, and safety. RSF selects journalists, scholars, and human rights defenders to answer their press freedom questionnaire. It uses a quantitative tally of abuses against the media and journalists and a qualitative analysis of the observations from press freedom specialists to calculate a score for each country and region. The report described the Peoples Republic of China as the worlds biggest jailer of journalists and press freedom advocates, and one of the biggest exporters of propaganda content. The RSF report pointed out that Asias one-party regimes and dictatorshipsnamely China and its regional neighbors North Korea, Vietnam, and Burma, which also is known as Myanmar, which came in at 173rd placeare the ones that constrict journalism the most, with leaders tightening their totalitarian stranglehold on the public discourse. In these countries, similar to the former Soviet Union, traditional media are closely controlled by the single party, the Paris-based group stated. Independent journalists and bloggers who dare to report sensitive information are often placed under surveillance, harassed, detained, and, in some cases, tortured, the RSF stated. A pro-democracy activist (C) from HK Alliance holds a placard of missing citizen journalist Fang Bin, as she protests outside the Chinese liaison office in Hong Kong on Feb. 19, 2020. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images) In early 2020, The Epoch Times reported that Fang Bin, a citizen journalist in Wuhan, China, was jailed by the Chinese communist regime for reporting the truth about the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. Three years later, on April 30, he was released but has been sent back and forth between Beijing and Wuhan by the police. His family didnt dare to allow him to return home because of threats they had received from authorities. As a result, Fang has been forced into homelessness and continues to be followed and monitored by plainclothes agents. Another citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan, was also sentenced for reporting on the pandemic in Wuhan and is still behind bars. Zhang Zhan stands near scaffoldings outside a shop during a visit to Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on April 11, 2020. (Courtesy of Melanie Wang via AP) This once again shows that under the system of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it is impossible to bring about the freedom of speech and democratic thought by rapid economic development, U.S.-based current affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan said about Chinas rock-bottom ranking on NTD News Chinese-language Panorama program on May 5. This also illustrates that the red centralized system of the CCP has never loosened its grip on the minds of the people. Chinas ally, Russia, also dropped in the press freedom ratings. It ranks 164th, nine places below its position last year. Taiwan (Republic of China), described by RSF as one of the worlds functional democracies, was ranked 35. No Freedom of Speech Under CCP The freedom of press in China continues to decline to the bottom, Tang said. It clearly shows that the CCPs suppression of speech in recent years has reached a new height. Even Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the regimes mouthpiece media Global Times and the CCPs top propagandist, criticized the regime for its censorship and control over the news process in response to the RSF ranking. The medias own news attributes must be protected and respected and cannot be made subordinate. [However], some regions and departments are now adopting a strong interventionist approach to news organizations, which is very debatable, he posted on Chinese social media. A policeman blocks the camera to stop journalists from recording footage outside the Shanghai Pudong New District Peoples Court, where Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhanwho reported on Wuhans COVID-19 outbreak and was placed under detention since May 2020is set for trial in Shanghai on Dec. 28, 2020. (LEO RAMIREZ/AFP via Getty Images) Tang said, It is impossible to expect the CCP to change itself. The CCP relies on guns and pens to steal power, NTDs Chen Weiyu said in her Chinese-language program Wei Yu Sees the World. The so-called pen is to control news and propaganda. The reason why they value news and propaganda so much and must firmly control them in their hands is for disinformation. The CCP built the Great Firewall for the same purpose, which is to prevent Chinese people from accessing real news and information. Tang said, As long as the CCP system does not disintegrate, ordinary people or journalists will not have a day when they can truly speak freely. 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Find out more about the core values that drive us by visiting https://zebraplumbing.com.au/about/. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S71maBwzpzE Readers can contact Zebra Plumbing at 1300 033 468 to schedule an appointment or write in their queries to contact@zebraplumbing.com.au. ### For more information about Zebra Plumbing, contact the company here: Zebra Plumbing Byron Slabbert +61424199013 contact@zebraplumbing.com.au 201/1 Morang Road Hawthorn 3122 Ideally though would want my exact address published, just Morang Road Hawthorn 3122 CONTACT: Byron Slabbert Chris Strachwitz, Founded Arhoolie Label, Dies Age 91 NEW YORKChris Strachwitz, a producer, musicologist, and one-man preservation society whose Arhoolie Records released thousands of songs by regional performers and comprised an extraordinary American archive that became known and loved worldwide, has died. He was 91. Strachwitz, recipient in 2016 of a Grammy Trustee Award, passed away Friday from complications with congestive heart failure at an assisted living facility in the San Francisco Bay Areas Marin County, the Arhoolie Foundation said Saturday. Admired by Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, and many others, Strachwitz was an unlikely champion of the American vernaculara native German born into privilege who fell deeply for his adopted countrys music and was among the most intrepid field recorders to emerge after Alan Lomax. He founded Arhoolie in 1960 and over the following decades traveled to Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana among other states on a mission that rarely relented: taping little-known artists in their home environments, be it a dance hall, a front porch, a beer joint, a backyard. My stuff isnt produced. I just catch it as it is, he explained in the 2014 documentary This Aint No Mouse Music. The name Arhoolie, suggested by fellow musicologist Mack McCormick, is allegedly a regional expression for field holler. Ry Cooder would call him El Fanatico, the kind of true believer for whom just the rumor of a musician worth hearing would inspire him to get on a bus and ride hundreds of mileslike the time he sought out bluesman Lightnin Hopkins in Houston. Strachwitz amassed a vast catalog of blues, Tejano, folk, jazz, gospel, and Zydeco, with Grammy winners Flaco Jimenez and Clifton Chenier among those who later attracted wider followings. An Arhoolie 50-year anniversary box set featured Maria Muldaur, Taj Mahal, Savoy Family Band, and Cooder, who would cite the Arhoolie release Mississippis Big Joe Williams and His Nine-String Guitar as an early inspiration. It just jumped out of the speaker on this little school record player, Cooder told NPR in 2013, adding that he decided once and for all to become a musician. Im gonna do this, too. Im gonna get good on guitar, and Im gonna play it like that. Strachwitz despised most commercial musicmouse music, he called itbut he did have just enough success to keep Arhoolie going. In the mid-1960s, he recorded an album in his living room for no charge by Berkeley-based folk performer Joe McDonald, who in turn granted publishing rights to Arhoolie. Arhoolie releases were cherished by blues fans in England, including Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Around the same time Strachwitz met with McDonald, he taped more than a dozen songs by bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell, including McDowells version of an old spiritual, You Gotta Move. The Stones sang a few lines from it during the 1970 documentary Gimme Shelter and recorded a cover that appeared on their acclaimed 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Strachwitz prevailed over the resistance of the bands lawyers and ensured that royalties were given to McDowell, who was dying of cancer. I was able to give Fred McDowell the biggest check hed ever seen in his life, Strachwitz later said. In 1993, Arhoolie was boosted again when country star Alan Jackson had a hit with Mercury Blues, a song co-written and first performed by K.C. Douglas for the label. Besides his Grammy, Strachwitz received a lifetime achievement award from the Blues Symposium and was inducted as a non-performing member of the Blues Hall of Fame. In 1995, Strachwitz established the Arhoolie Foundation to document, preserve, present, and disseminate authentic traditional and regional vernacular music, with advisers including Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, and Linda Ronstadt. In 2016, Strachwitz sold his majority interest in the record label to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, part of the national museum in Washington. The ripple effect of Chris Strachwitz in the world of is immeasurable in preserving this music, Raitt, a longtime friend, told the podcast The Kitchen Sisters Present in 2019. The son of wealthy farm owners, he was born Count Christian Alexander Maria Strachwitz in the German region of Silesia, now part of Poland. His family, displaced at the end of World War II, moved to the United States in 1947, eventually settling in Santa Barbara, California. Strachwitz had already been exposed to swing overseas through Armed Forces Radio and became a jazz fan after seeing the movie New Orleans, a 1947 musical featuring Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. He also felt a strong kinship with country and other forms of hillbilly music. I felt it all had this kind of earthiness to it that I didnt hear in any other kind of music. They sang about how lonesome you are, and how you miss your girlfriend and all this other thing, Strachwitz told NPR. Those songs really spoke to me. By his early 20s, he was taping local radio and live performances and he perfected his craft while attending the University of California at Berkeley. He served two years in the Army, completed his studies at Berkeley through the GI Bill and, starting in the late 1950s, taught high school for a few years in Los Gatos, California. Often short on money, Strachwitz sold pressings from his collection of old 78s to support his early recording efforts. Arhoolies first release was Mance Lipscombs Texas Sharecropper and Songster, for which Strachwitz and friends personally assembled 250 copies. Flights Returning Colombian Migrants From US Border to Restart From Next Week Migrants seeking asylum in the United States from Colombia and Cuba are processed by the U.S. border patrol after crossing the border from Mexico at Yuma, Ariz., on Feb. 18, 2022. (Go Nakamura/Reuters) BOGOTAFlights returning Colombians found by immigration officers at the U.S. border with Mexico to their home country will resume beginning next week, Colombias migration agency said on Friday. The agency said this week it had temporarily suspended the program, citing cruel and degrading treatment and last-minute flight cancellations. The number of Colombians trying to migrate north to the United States has soared in recent years, with more than 125,000 apprehended at the United States southern border in 2022, according U.S Customs and Borders Protection (CBP), up from around 6,200 in 2021. The agreements that we have reached with the North American authorities are the following: the flights for returning people will restart from next week and there are two working groups, with a human rights perspective, which will create two protocols to guarantee the integrity of returning travelers, migration agency director Fernando Garcia said in a video statement. County Thousands of Miles From Southern Border Declares State of Emergency Over Illegal Immigration Illegal immigrants speak with NYC Homeless Outreach members as they camp out in front of the Watson Hotel after being evicted in New York City on Jan. 30, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Officials in a county thats just north of New York City have declared a state of emergency after city officials decided to approve a plan to send illegal immigrants there. Rockland County Executive Ed Day said on May 6 that some 340 illegal immigrant males are expected to be sent to a hotel in Orangeburg, New York, for a four-month period. The county is located about 2,000 miles from the TexasMexico border. This county already has a housing crisis due to the lack thereof and lack of affordable housing options, Day said in a statement. Sending busloads of people to this county that does not have the infrastructure to care for them will only compound that issue tenfold while straining support systems that are already at a breaking point. He noted that New York City declared itself a sanctuary city in December 2016 by committing itself to supporting undocumented individuals while this County has not for the simple fact that we are one-tenth the population of New York City and incapable of receiving and sustaining the volume of undocumented migrants Mayor Eric Adams intends to send over, according to his statement. Day, a Republican, added that the crisis is so extreme that Rockland has been unprecedently deputized by the State of New York to take over Building and Fire Code enforcement in the Village of Spring Valley. New York City Mayor Eric Adams as seen in a news conference in Manhattan on Dec. 12, 2022. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The state of emergency will prohibit other municipalities from bringing and housing people in Rockland County, adding that it will prohibit hotels from housing immigrants without a license. It will remain in effect for 30 days from May 6, and could be extended from there. Officials in New York City told the New York Post that Day is exaggerating the numbers of illegal immigrants who might be sent to Orangeburg. They said that at most, 300 illegal aliens total would have the choice to be housed in Rockland or nearby Orange County. Mayor Eric Adams is criticizing Congress for their failure to establish a strategy for each migrant before they enter into the country, ensuring this crisis is dealt with in a coordinated manner, and then does the exact oppositeshipping new arrivals to other municipalities that do not have the infrastructure to support them, Day told the news outlet Rockland Report. Its the same as tossing people into the middle of the ocean with nowhere to swim. Since last year, tens of thousands of illegal immigrants sourced from the U.S.Mexico border have been bused to New York City under a program spearheaded by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also sent busloads of aliens to a handful of Democrat-run cities such as New York before his term as governor ended earlier this year. Advocates for illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers also condemned Adamss plan to bus asylum-seekers to other parts of the state. Busing people upstate for shelter is only a temporary fix, Murad Awawdeh, the head of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement on May 5. They will be out of sight, but its short-sighted to think that the mayor can resolve New York Citys housing problems in this manner. A bus carrying illegal immigrants from Texas arrives at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York on Aug. 10, 2022. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) Several days before that, Adams stated that more buses filled with illegal immigrants from Texas would be sent to New York City. The mayor suggested that Abbott is engaging in racist behavior by sending the buses to cities run by black mayors. Adams said Abbott is resuming the busing of asylum-seekers to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Washington and claimed that the Texas governor is using this crisis to hurt black-run cities. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also released a letter and criticized Abbott for dangerous and inhumane bus dispatches. The national immigration problem will not be solved by passing on the responsibility to other cities, she wrote in a letter, without explaining how. Abbott told Lightfoot that if she really wants to work together on a solution, she must call on the Biden Administration to do its job by securing our border. He said Lightfoot should also call on Biden to classify Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and intercept the fentanyl entering the United States through the border. NTD News contributed to this report. Family Dog Fatally Attacks 9-Month-Old, Injures Grandmother The University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, in September 2016. (Google Maps/Screenshot via NTD) WATERLOO, IowaA dog has fatally attacked a 9-month-old baby and seriously injured the childs grandmother at an Iowa home, authorities say. Waterloo police Capt. Jason Feaker said that the 49-year-old grandmother was watching the baby at the childs home Thursday morning when the family pet, a neutered boxer/hound mix, attacked. He said the grandmother was hurt trying to intervene. Patrol officers and other emergency responders went to the home, where the baby was declared dead. The grandmother was rushed to a local hospital and then flown to the larger University of Iowa Hospital, police said. Neither of their names have been released. Feaker said the dog has been euthanized, and its remains sent to Iowa State University for further testing. FBI Asks Texas Mall Shooting Witnesses for Evidence as Suspect IDd by Unnamed Officials Unnamed law enforcement officials identify suspect as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia People are evacuated from Allen Premium Outlet in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. (WFAA via AP) The FBI is asking witnesses of the Allen, Texas, outlet mall shooting to submit video evidence to the bureau after a gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others. Witnesses who have digital evidence from the May 6 incident should submit information to a website that was created after the mass shooting. FBI Dallas, The Texas Rangers, and the Allen Texas Police Department are seeking information on the May 6th shooting that occurred at the Allen Premium Outlet Mall located in Allen, Texas. Please submit images and/or video below, the website reads, directing users to send in their clips and photos. The FBI told media outlets that its agents were present at two locations in Dallas, and is assisting state and local authorities by devoting all available resources to include investigative, intelligence, digital forensics, and victim services personnel among others. Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Two other people died at hospitals. The wounded remained hospitalized on May 7three in critical condition and four in fair conditionthe Allen Police Department stated. An Allen police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook. The Allen Police Department stated on May 7 that the Texas Department of Public Safety would investigate the matter and would take over the probe. The Department of Public Safety didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Suspect Reportedly Identified The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. Several law enforcement officials told multiple outlets, such as The Associated Press, CNN, NBC, Fox News, and others, that Garcia was named as the suspect. People gather across the street from a shopping center after a shooting in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Garcia was shot and killed by a responding officer. Police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was fatally shot, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, officials said. Reporters with CNN and other outlets spoke with neighbors who saw FBI and police officers at a home that matched that of Garcias parents on the night of May 6. Its not clear why more details about the shooting suspect have not yet been provided. More law enforcement officials who were familiar with the matter told CBS News that Garcia had no serious prior criminal history and that he was working as a security guard. Officials told the Dallas Morning News that Garcia was staying in an extended-stay hotel in Dallas. He tried to acknowledge us but seemed a little off, a neighbor, who only used the name Julie, told NBC News. He wasnt somebody you could carry a conversation with. The front entrance of a home connected to suspected mall gunman, Mauricio Garcia, in Dallas on May 7, 2023 (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo) Still, Julie said she was stunned to learn that Garcia was involved in the massacre. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out, she said. Another neighbor, Gilda Bailey, told the network that she saw three police squad cars parked outside his house. Officials wouldnt allow the relatives inside the home, and she later saw FBI officials removing items from the home. I dont understand what triggered him, Bailey said. Just the thought of living a few houses down from someone who can do this can be a little scary and give you more caution, Moises Carreon, another neighbor, said, according to the NBC article. I dont know why people want to shoot innocent people for any reason. President Joe Biden on May 7 called on Congress to pass gun control bills in the wake of the mass shooting. The Democratic president renewed calls for Congress to ban what he called assault weapons, as well as to pass measures on universal background checks and end immunity for gun manufacturers. There is little chance the narrowly divided House and Senate would pass such legislation, while at least one member of his own party, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), said he doesnt favor gun control. Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, Biden said in a statement on May 7. He also offered condolences to the victims and their families. Jill and I are praying for their families and those critically injured. Were grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Feds Announce King Charles III Will Appear on New Canadian Coins, $20 Banknote The Royal coin is unveiled by Minister of Public Services and Procurement Helena Jaczek (R) and President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint Marie Lemay during coronation celebrations in honour of King Charles III, in Ottawa on May 6, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby) The image of Queen Elizabeth II on Canadas coins and $20 bill will soon be replaced by an image of King Charles III. On May 6, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in England for the Kings coronation, a news release issued by his office said the government will unveil a new Royal Crown, Royal Flag, Canadian stamp, and collector coins at a celebration in Ottawa later that day. The news release said the new Canadian Royal Crown will incorporate unique Canadian elements, including stylized maple leaves and a wavy blue line representing the countrys lands and waterways. The new King approved all the designs. The government said Canadians will be able to see the design of the new effigy for circulation coins in the coming months. The new flag, a rectangular representation of the shield of the coat of arms of Canada, features maple leaves and royal emblems of the United Kingdom and France. The flag emphasizes that the Royal Arms of Canada are also the arms of the monarch of Canada and will serve for all future sovereigns. The flag was created by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, said the news release. The Royal Crown is unveiled by Samy Khalid (L), chief herald of Canada at the Canadian Heraldic Authority, and Donald Booth, Canadian secretary to the King, during coronation celebrations in honour of King Charles III in Ottawa on May 6, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby) Canada Post also unveiled the first stamp honouring the new King. The Crown corporations tradition of issuing stamps depicting the Canadian sovereign dates back some 170 years. The new stamp features a portrait of a younger King Charles, taken when he was the Prince of Wales. The Royal Canadian Mint has also released special collector coins bearing King Charles IIIs Royal Cypher. In addition, the federal government has instructed the Mint to design a portrait of King Charles to be placed on Canadian coins that will be in circulation, a tradition in place since the Mint began production in 1908. The Mint told CBC it will invite artists to submit designs, and once a final design is chosen, Buckingham Palace must approve it. The Kings likeness on Canadian coins will face left, while the Queens image faced right. The Mint said it expects to be able to share the selected design with Canadians in the fall. The only Canadian bill bearing the image of the countrys monarch is the $20 banknote. The image of the late Queen Elizabeth IIs portrait on the note will be replaced by an image of King Charles III. The reigning monarch has appeared on Canadian banknotes since the Bank of Canada began production in 1935. The process for updating the bill will take a few years, said the Prime Minister Offices news release. Existing coins and $20 notes bearing the late Queen Elizabeth IIs portrait will remain legal tender. The federal government says it intends to award 30,000 coronation medals to Canadians who have made a significant contribution to Canada, a province, territory, region, or community, or an achievement abroad that brings benefit or honour to Canadians or Canada. Canada, as part of the Commonwealth, is a constitutional monarchy. While the prime minister is Canadas head of government, King Charles III is Canadas head of state, and the Governor General represents the King in Canada and as such is Canadas de facto head of state. King Charles III acceded to the throne on Sept. 8, 2022, following the passing of his 96-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years over the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. Iran Hangs SwedishIranian Convicted Over Attack That Killed 25 People The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 3, 2023. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters) DUBAIIran on Saturday executed a SwedishIranian dissident convicted of leading an Arab separatist group accused of attacks including one on a military parade in 2018 that killed 25 people, the Iranian judiciary said. The Swedish foreign ministry said it had summoned Irans deputy ambassador to protest the execution of Habib Farajollah Chaab, which it confirmed took place earlier in the day. Chaab had been sentenced to death for being corrupt on earth, a capital offense under Irans strict Islamic laws. Iran brought him to trial in 2022 on charges of leading the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, which seeks a separate state in the oil-rich Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran, and plotting and carrying out numerous bombings and terrorist operations. In a statement announcing the execution, the judiciary accused the security agencies of Sweden, Israel, and regional countries of backing Chaab and his group, which it said had killed or injured 450 Iranians over several years. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom reacted with dismay to Chaabs execution, saying Sweden had pleaded with Iran not to carry it out. The death penalty is an inhuman and irreversible punishment and Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its application under all circumstances, he said. Iran said in 2020 that its security forces detained Chaab in neighboring Turkey and took him to Tehran, without giving details of his capture. Sweden had voiced concern over Chaabs case, and ties with Iran had also been soured over a Swedish courts life-time prison sentence for a former Iranian official for involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 in the Islamic Republic. Iran has had tense relations with its ethnic minorities, which include Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, and Baluch, and has accused them of aligning with neighboring countries. Arabs and other minorities have long complained of facing discrimination in Iran, an accusation Tehran denies. Japanese Leader Expresses Sympathy for Korean Colonial Victims South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a joint press conference after their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, May 7, 2023. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP) SEOUL, South KoreaJapans prime minister expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japans colonial rule, as he and his South Korean counterpart on Sunday renewed resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen cooperation in the face of shared challenges such as North Koreas nuclear program. Comments by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeoltheir second meeting in less than two monthswere closely watched in South Korea, where many still harbor strong resentment against Japans 19101945 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Kishidas statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonization but still sympathized with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for an effort to improve ties. And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days, Kishida told a joint news conference with Yoon, referring to the Japanese colonial period. He said he believes it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to cooperate with Yoon to forge stronger relations. Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbors in 12 years. The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labor. Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each others trade status and Seouls previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Their strained ties complicated U.S. efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoons conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labor victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps. Yoons push, however, drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Yoon has defended his move, saying greater cooperation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Koreas advancing nuclear program, the intensifying U.S.China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward because our history issues arent settled completely, Yoon said Sunday. He said that 10 out of the 15 former forced laborers or their families involved in the 2018 rulings had accepted compensation under Seouls third-party reimbursement plan. Kishida said: Im struck by the fact that many people, despite their painful memories from the past, opened their hearts for the future as measures by the South Korean government related to [the fund] move forward. Kishida also reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations on the colonization issue, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul, but didnt make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said: I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honored in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. Kishidas comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticized for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic toward historical victims, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. But Kishida did visit South Koreas national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving SeoulTokyo relations. Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are underway to implement their earlier agreement on a faster exchange of information on North Korean missile tests. Yoon said he and Kishida reaffirmed that North Koreas nuclear and missile programs pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Koreas nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, the Chinese regimes aggression and Russias war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. Kishida said he and Yoon would pay respects before a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima. In another apparent conciliatory measure, Kishida said Japan will allow South Korean experts to visit and inspect a planned release of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. By Hyung-jin Kim and Mari Yamaguchi Joe Biden Responds to Age Concerns for His Reelection Bid President Joe Biden speaks before a dinner for Combatant Commanders in the Cross Hall of the White House on May 3, 2023. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo) President Joe Biden has shrugged off concerns about his age for reelection and said hes still effective. I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people. And Im more experienced than anybody thats ever run for the office. And I think Ive proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective, he said. The 80-year-old was responding to a question from MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle during an interview on Friday. Ruhle questioned Biden on why heat 82-years-old in 2024would be the right person for the most important job in the world. Biden formally announced his reelection campaign on April 25 and the next day, dodged a question from the media about his age. I cant even guess how old I am, he said during a press conference with South Koreas president. I cant even say the number, it doesnt register with me. The only thing I can say is theyre going to see a race and theyre going to judge whether I have or dont have it. Though Biden keeps playing down his age, the public is apparently concerned about it. Various polls show the majority of the public think Biden is too old to run for reelection. According to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll in March, almost seven in ten registered voters, 68 percent, say Biden is too old for another term. Haley Suggests Biden Wont Finish 2nd Term Nikki Haley, a GOP presidential contender, suggested that Biden would not be able to finish his second term even if he won the reelection. People who vote for Biden actually vote for his vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, she said. 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, told Fox News during an interview days after Bidens reelection announcement. Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a town hall event in Bedford, N.H., on April 26, 2023. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Bidens gaffes frequently make headlines. On Friday, he told reporters he would have a major press conference in the afternoon. However, the White House later had to clarify that the president misspoke and was referring to a pre-scheduled interview that was scheduled to air at 10 p.m. ET that evening. Former President Donald Trump, who will likely become the Republican presidential candidate in 2024 and have a rematch with Biden, would be 78 years old as of the next general election. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Madison Cawthorn Pleads Guilty to Entering Airport With Loaded Gun Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn pleaded guilty on May 5 to bringing a loaded gun into an airport last year, accepting responsibility for making such a mistake. Prosecutors wanted Cawthorn to relinquish his Staccato 9 mm handgun, but District Court Judge Cecilia Oseguera allowed the former congressman, who lost his renomination bid to fellow Republican Chuck Edwards in 2022, to keep the weapon. Oseguera ordered a $250 fine against Cawthorn, who had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for having immediate access to a dangerous weapon on city property. The 9 mm gun, which was seized from Cawthorn at a checkpoint last year, will be returned. Mr. Cawthorn accepted responsibility for this mistake, his lawyer Missy Owens said. Law enforcement noted his cooperative attitude at every step. He chose to resolve this case in a manner that would ensure his uninterrupted right to possess a firearm. He remains staunchly committed to responsible gun ownership. The incident took place in April 2022 when workers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found the 9 mm handgun in Cawthorns bag during a security screening at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. The gun confiscation was part of the normal protocol, and Cawthorn was cooperative with the officers. Police released him and kept his gun in custody. Caught With a Gun This isnt the first time that Cawthorn has run into trouble with the TSA for possessing a gun. On Feb. 13, 2021, agents from the Asheville Regional Airport found a loaded 9 mm Glock inside his bag during the screening process. Cawthorn did not face any state charges at the time, even though there are local and state laws banning bringing firearms inside an airport. Airport safety officials tend not to charge an individual when they detect no criminal activity and when the person voluntarily removes the firearm. An individual who carries a loaded firearm through TSA security checkpoints can be punished with a fine ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 as well as federal prosecution. A person caught for repeat offenses can face fines of up to $13,910, together with a criminal referral for prosecution. In April 2022, after his gun was confiscated by TSA officials at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Cawthorn admitted that he had made a mistake. Even if you fly all the time, and are used to just grabbing your bags and going, always take the extra 30-60 seconds it takes to check your bags and make sure everything is how it should be. I made a mistake yesterday, no excuse for it, just a flat-out mistake, Cawthorn said in an April 28, 2022, Instagram video. Previous Controversies Cawthorn has been embroiled in multiple other controversies before. He has been cited for speeding violations multiple times. In March 2022, he was charged with driving with a revoked license. That same month, Cawthorn said that a few unnamed lawmakers on Capitol Hill had offered him drugs and invited him for sexual gatherings. The comment attracted criticism from Republican colleagues, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who said that Cawthorn had no evidence for such claims. In late April, photos published online showed Cawthorn wearing womens lingerie. He insisted that the incident had occurred as part of a game on a cruise ship where his mother was also present. I guess the left thinks goofy vacation photos during a game on a cruise (taken waaay before I ran for Congress) is going to somehow hurt me? Theyre running out of things to throw at me, Cawthorn wrote in an April 23, 2022, post on Twitter. Cawthorn was also investigated by the House Ethics Committee for his alleged insider trading in cryptocurrency as well as allegedly having an improper relationship with one of his staff members. How Much Cash Can You Withdraw From Your Bank? Just about every bank puts a limit on how much cash you can withdraw each day. In part, this is a security feature to prevent thieves from cleaning out unauthorized accounts. In other part, this helps banks and ATMs to stabilize liquidity. If accessing cash, especially on an unscheduled basis, is important to you, heres what you need to know about daily withdrawal limits from a personal account at a commercial bank. If youre not sure what type of financial institution should keep your money then you may want to consider working with a financial advisor. What Are Withdrawal Limits? A daily withdrawal limit is the maximum amount of money you can withdraw from your bank account in a single day. These limits largely exist for two reasons. The first is to manage cash flow and liquidity. Banks keep a limited amount of cash on hand at any given time, as do ATMs. By setting withdrawal limits, the bank can control how much they have to distribute at any given time. Just as importantly, if not more so, withdrawal limits are a security feature. By limiting daily withdrawals, banks help protect their customers against unauthorized access. Even if someone gets your debit card and PIN number, theres a limit to the damage they can do. There are three main categories of withdrawal limits: ATM Withdrawals This is by far the most common use of the term withdrawal limit. Your banks ATM withdrawal limit is the maximum amount of physical cash you can take out of an ATM in one 24-hour period. For example, many banks have a $500 limit, which means you cant take out more than $500 in cash during a single 24-hour period. Typically banks apply the ATM limit cumulatively, across all ATM transactions in a single 24-hour period. This means that it is not a limit on how much you can withdraw at once, but rather a limit on how much you can withdraw from ATMs altogether over the course of a day. While your bank sets a limit on ATM withdrawals, individual ATM operators can do so as well. This limits how much money you can take out of that operators machines over the course of a single day. For example, say your bank has a $1,000 withdrawal limit and you use an ATM with a $600 limit. This means that you can withdraw up to $600 from that ATM operators machines in a single day, but you can withdraw an additional $400 from other ATMs before hitting your banks limit. Story continues If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Cashier/Teller Withdrawals This is the maximum amount of physical cash that you can take out of your bank account in a 24-hour period by going into a branch and making a withdrawal in person. For example, your bank may limit cashier transactions to no more than $20,000 in physical cash each day. This differs from an ATM withdrawal because youre working directly with a teller, which obviates some of the security concerns. The branch will also have significantly more cash on hand than an ATM, which reduces liquidity concerns. While banks will often have some sort of cash withdrawal limit, they will typically be much higher than ATM withdrawal limits. In some cases this will be a general limit on cash transactions, meaning that the same limit would also apply to transactions like redeeming a check for cash. Banks may also set their limits around immediate transactions, meaning that you can withdraw large amounts of cash but need to make your request in advance. Debit Withdrawal Limit This is the maximum amount that you can spend with your debit card in a 24-hour period. For example, your bank may have a maximum of $5,000 in debit card spending each day. Banks treat debit card transactions as the electronic equivalent of a cash transfer. Since this is an electronic payment, a debit card doesnt present any special liquidity issues. However, it does present the same security concerns as an ATM withdrawal. As a result, its not uncommon for banks to impose debit withdrawal limits. When they exist, however, these limits are virtually always higher than ATM withdrawal limits. Legal and Savings Withdrawal Limits How Much Cash Can You Withdraw From Your Bank? For a standard depository account, there are no laws or legal limits to how much cash you can withdraw. Withdrawal limits are set by the banks themselves and differ across institutions. That said, cash withdrawals are subject to the same reporting limits as all transactions. If you withdraw $10,000 or more, federal law requires the bank to report it to the IRS in an effort to prevent money laundering and tax evasion. Few, if any, banks set withdrawal limits on a savings account. The main restriction on a savings account is the transaction limit, which is a legal limit of no more than six transactions through a savings account each month. You also have less access to a savings account, since these typically dont come with products like checkbooks or debit cards. However, within those limitations, you can generally move any amount of money that you please. Checking Withdrawal Limits Every bank has its own rules when it comes to daily withdrawal limits, and these terms can vary widely. Most, if not all, banks set the lowest limits on ATM withdrawals. They have higher limits for debit transactions and still higher limits for cashier transactions. Banks may also set different transaction limits based on your account. For example, a newer account, no-fee checking or student checking accounts may have low withdrawal limits. By contrast, a longstanding customer or one with a high-interest checking account may have a much higher withdrawal limit than usual. While a comprehensive list of withdrawal fees is beyond the scope of this article, here is a representative sample of ATM and debit withdrawal limits at eight banks at the time of writing. Note that these are representative numbers only. Your specific limits at any given bank will depend on your account type and usage. Bank Daily ATM Limit Daily Debit Limit Bank of America $1,000 or 60 individual bills $5,000 Capital One $5,000 for most accounts $5,000 for most accounts Chase $500-$3,000 $3,000 Citi $1,500-$2,000 $5,000-$10,000 PNC $500-$2,000 $2,000-$5,000 TD Bank Starts at $1,000 No specified limit U.S. Bank Starts at $500 Starts at $10,000 Wells Fargo Starts at $300 $600-$10,000 When you open a bank account, its important to learn what withdrawal limits come with it. In particular, make sure you ask about any debit limits. Your bank may not have debit limits, or at least not for all accounts, but they can be very important. For example, say your bank sets a $3,000 limit on debit spending in a 24-hour period. While you may not ordinarily need to think about that limit, on a day in which you pay for airfare or make some other large purchase you could be at risk of having your card declined. The Bottom Line How Much Cash Can You Withdraw From Your Bank? An ATM withdrawal limit is the maximum amount of cash that your bank will let you take out of ATMs in a single day. Your debit spending limit, if any, is the most you can spend with your debit card in a single day. Every bank has different rules around this, so make sure you understand your own accounts limits. Tips on Banking For any given bank account, your account limits will partially depend on the specific type of account you have. So the first step is making sure you have the right account for you. A financial advisor can provide valuable insight and guidance as you make choices about types of banks to use. If you dont have a financial advisor yet, finding one doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Photo credit: iStock.com/dobok, iStock.com/AsiaVision, iStock.com/mladenbalinovac The post How Much Cash Can You Withdraw From Your Bank? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. At Least 9 Dead, Including Suspect, After Shooting at Texas Mall Witnesses reported seeing children among the victims A still image from video shows shoppers leave with hands up as police respond to a shooting in the Dallas area's Allen Premium Outlets, in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. (WFAA TV via Reuters) A gunman fatally shot at least eight people and injured seven others in a shooting at a busy mall. The shooting took place at the Allen Premium Outlets mall, which is about 25 miles north-east of Dallas, Texas. Dashcam video circulated online showed a gunman step out of a vehicle outside the mall and immediately starting to shoot at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Hundreds of shoppers fled in horror. He pretty much was walking down the sidewalk just shooting his gun outside. He was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part, an unidentified witness told ABC affiliate WFAA TV of the suspect. Blood could be seen on sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies. The suspect was later fatally shot by a police officer, Brian Harvey, who happened to be in the area, Allens police chief said at a press conference. A still image from video shows police responding to a shooting in the Dallas areas Allen Premium Outlets, in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. (WFAA TV via Reuters) Seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene, according to Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd. Nine victims in total were taken to area hospitals, but two of them have since died. Of the seven surviving victims, three were in critical condition as of late Saturday, and the other four were in stable condition, Boyd said. Witnesses reported seeing children among the victims. Authorities did not immediately release any further details about the victims. Medical City Healthcare, which runs 16 hospitals in the area, said in a statement that its trauma centers were treating eight of the wounded victims, who ranged in age from 5 to 61. A police officer was near the mall on an unrelated call, when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., according to the police department. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, the department said on Twitter. People gather across the street from a shopping center after a shooting in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero) The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that the administration had offered support to local officials. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy. He added that the state government is prepared to offer any assistance the local authorities may need. More than 30 police cars were at the malls entrance, and multiple ambulances, including from several neighboring cities, were on the scene. There were also armored trucks and other law enforcement vehiclesincluding from the Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosivesoutside the mall. We are horrified by the senseless tragedy at Allen Premium Outlets and are outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country, the mall said on its website. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this heinous act. We are thankful for the Allen Police Officers heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders. The City of Allen is holding a vigil to honor the victims of the shooting, on Sunday, 5 p.m., at Cottonwood Creek Church. According to the Gun Violence Archivewhich defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are injured or killed, not including the shooterat least 198 mass shootings have occurred so far in 2023. The figure marks the most at this point in the year since at least 2016. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. One Killed, One Wounded in Shooting at San Diego Recreation Center SAN DIEGOPolice May 6 were investigating what they called a gang-related shooting in the parking lot of a recreation center in the Otay Mesa West community of San Diego in which a 20-year-old man was killed and a 19- year-old man was wounded. Officers from the San Diego Police Department responded at about 7:05 p.m. Friday to the Montgomery Waller Recreation Center at 3020 Coronado Ave. They reported multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds. A 20-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Paramedics rushed a 19-year-old man, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, to a hospital where he was expected to survive his injuries, police said. A third man was taken to a hospital for evaluation, but it was later determined that he was not struck by gunfire. At this point in the investigation, it appears the victims arrived at the recreation center in a vehicle. Almost immediately upon arriving, they encountered a group of multiple Hispanic males in the parking lot, said Lt. Jud Campbell of the San Diego Police Department. At least one of these males issued a gang challenge to the victims. The suspect group began throwing glass bottles at the victims, Campbell said. Then, at least one of the males began firing at the victims, striking two of them. The males then left the area. Witnesses reported that a white sedan fled the scene westbound on Coronado Avenue, Campbell said. A suspect in the shooting was described as a possibly 19- to 20-year-old man with a thin build, Campbell added. The SDPD urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call the departments Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Oregon Senators Walk Out Over Contentious Abortion, Gender-Transition, and Gun-Related Bills A walkout by most Republicans and two independent members of the Oregon Senate starting May 3 delayed action by the majority Democrats on bills related to restricting access to guns, and increasing access to abortion, and gender-transition services. Because Oregons legislative rules require a two- thirds quorum to conduct business, the session ground to a halt. The walkout enters its second week on May 8 with no end in sight. GOP leaders are saying that the work stoppage is not tied to any one particular bill but rather what they say is an unconstitutional process of passing bills that fail to meet legal requirements for using language that the public can understand. Oregon statute requires bill summaries to be written at an 8th-grade reading level, which correlates with a Flesch-Kincaid readability score of 60. The bills in question score as low as 30, corresponding to the reading level of college graduates. Laws are to be plainly written and easy to understand, explained Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp. When the majority of bill summaries demand a post-graduate degree to understand what the bills do, we disenfranchise Oregonians across the state and violate the law in the process. Democrats claim the argument has no merit, although it is codified in statute. They allege Republicans are using the tactic to try to kill controversial bills that reached the chamber last week. The people of Oregon are not fooled, said Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber in a press conference. It is no coincidence that the Republicans are employing these tactics just at the time that we were about to address House Bill 2002. Whats in the Healthcare Bill? HB 2002 would dramatically expand access and public funding for abortion and gender-transition procedures in Oregon. It would also allow both to take place without parental consent or notification. Two Republicans who walked out last week are adamant about their objections and argue that the bills wording obscures how radical it truly is. The bill is a massive overhaul of Oregon healthcare to focus on a relatively small group of people and would completely upend our healthcare approach to minors, Sen. Dennis Linthicum told The Epoch Times. A minor of any age could get an abortion or a minor age 15 or older could begin gender transition without parent permission or notification. Democratic House Speaker Dan Rayfield said HB 2002 was the result of a year-long collaboration between dozens of legislators and stakeholders following the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, according to a statement released last week. But Linthicum called that a strawman argument. This legislation has nothing to do with that decision, he said Oregon already protects abortion rights up to the moment of birth. The bill would require all health plans in Oregon to cover abortion procedures and gender-affirming care. Services will be offered through the state governments Healthier Oregon program, which provides health coverage to low-income individuals who live in Oregon regardless of immigration status, or residency. There would be no requirement for patients to establish residency to qualify for services, Linthicum explained. The bill would, by design, attract out-of-state people seeking free care in Oregon. The costs to taxpayers and insurance ratepayers could be enormous. The bill also repeals criminal provisions relating to concealing a birth. You could legally conceal the birth of a newborn child, Republican Sen. Kim Thatcher, who was also absent last week, told The Epoch Times. Thatcher shares Linthicums concern about costs. Taxpayers are already funding abortions in Oregon, she said. The bill would force insurance ratepayers to fund gender reassignment surgeries, and related services. Included in the requirements are coverage for electrolysis, tracheal shaves, adding or removing of an Adams appleprocedures which are frequently labeled cosmetic, Thatcher explained. Democrats dismiss these concerns. I dont know what they want besides killing legislative priorities, said Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber. Democrats are willing to continue conversations but are not willing to kill legislative priorities. Lieber remains fully confident the Senate is going to move forward with the presented ultra-liberal Democratic policy agenda. But Republicans are entrenched. The bill is poorly written and incredibly harmful to families and society as a whole. To get back to regular order, it needs to be taken off the table, Linthicum said. High Stakes for GOP Both parties have used walkouts to stymie legislation in the past. Most recently, the Republicans used the tactic to stop then-Gov. Kate Browns climate change agenda, which proposed significantly increasing government regulation across many sectors in an effort to lower carbon emissions in public. But the stakes have been raised. Last year, Oregon voters approved a statewide ballot measure that levies stiff penalties for a minority party walkout. Any lawmaker who receives 10 or more unexcused absences faces a $25,000 fine and a prohibition against running for re-election. Republicans are adamant about staying away from the Capitol but it remains to be seen how long they can hold out. Six GOP lawmakers were listed as excused last week. Five were marked unexcused. Republicans could use excused absences to run the clock, swapping out lawmakers who are nearing their 10 unexcused absence mark for lawmakers with fewer. Should one or more rack up 10 unexcused absences, the party would have legal standing to challenge the constitutionality of the new voter-approved law, Leader Knopp claims. In a May 3 press conference, he said that senators are taking their protest day-by-day. But with the current session running until June 30, it could be a long, hard struggle. Over 200 Dead, Many More Missing After Congo Floods People walk next to houses destroyed by the floods in the village of Nyamukubi, South Kivu province in Congo on May 6, 2023. (Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo) KALEHE, CongoThe death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen beyond 200, with many more people still missing, according to local authorities in the province of South Kivu. Thomas Bakenge, administrator of Kalehe, the worst-hit territory, told reporters on the scene Saturday that 203 bodies had been recovered so far, but that efforts to find others were continuing. In the village of Nyamukubi, where hundreds of homes were washed away, rescue workers and survivors dug through the ruins Saturday looking for more bodies in the mud. Villagers wept as they gathered around some of the bodies recovered so far, which lay on the grass covered in muddy cloths near a rescue workers post. People walk next to a house destroyed by the floods in the village of Nyamukubi, South Kivu province in Congo on May 6, 2023. (Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo) Grieving survivor Anuarite Zikujuwa said she had lost her entire family, including her in-laws, as well as many of her neighbors. The whole village has been turned into a wasteland. Theres only stones left and we cant even tell where our land once was, she said. Michake Ntamana, a rescue worker helping look for and bury the dead, said villagers were trying to identify and collect the bodies of loved ones found so far. He said some bodies washed down from villages higher in the hills were being buried shrouded just in leaves off the trees. Its truly sad because we have nothing else here, he said. Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe, close to the shores of Lake Kivu on Thursday. Authorities have reported scores of people injured. One surivor told AP the flash floods came so fast that they took everyone by surprise. South Kivu Gov. Theo Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself. He posted on his Twitter account that the provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter, and food supplies. Several main roads to the affected area have been been made impassable by the rains, hampering the relief efforts. President Felix Tshisekedi has declared a national day of mourning on Monday to honor the victims, and the central government is sending a crisis management team to South Kivu to support the provincial government. Heavy rains in recent days have brought misery to thousands in East Africa, with parts of Uganda and Kenya also seeing heavy rainfall. Flooding and landslides in Rwanda, which borders Congo, left 129 people dead earlier this week. Local government official Bakenge told AP, This is the fourth time that such damage has been caused by the same rivers. Not 10 years pass without them causing enormous damage. By Justin Kabumba Pennsylvania Man Gets 14 Years in Prison for Assault on Police Officers, Longest Jan. 6 Sentence to Date Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images) A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 14 years in jail after being found guilty of felony assault and other charges, including pepper-spraying police officers outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The sentence is the longest prison term to date for anyone involved in the incident. According to the evidence presented at a trial in federal court last December, Peter J. Schwartz, 49, was at the forefront of a group facing police at the lower west terrace of the Capitol. Schwartz was convicted based on the evidence obtained, which is said to show him boasting about starting a riot by throwing the first chair. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Schwartz to 14 years and two months in prison after prosecutors recommended a sentence of 24.5 years. Schwartzs 14-year sentence is followed by three years of supervised release. According to prosecutors, he subsequently grabbed a police duffle bag, which contained pepper-spray canisters. He then reportedly proceeded to hand them out to others in the group. The governments case further states that Schwartz started chasing after police officers, wielding a wooden club, and dousing pepper spray on retreating officers. His arrest followed in early February in his hometown of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Schwartz was convicted alongside two co-defendants, Jeffrey Scott Brown and Markus Maly. The three individuals were the first three convicted at trial of assaulting police officers with pepper spray on Jan. 6. Brown, of Santa Ana, California, received a 4.5-year prison sentence in April while Maly, of Fincastle, Virginia, is awaiting sentencing. Schwartzs wife, Shelly Stallings, was sentenced last month to two years in prison. Schwartz, who is a welder by trade, was found guilty of four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Six additional charges included obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building. Schwartzs prison term exceeds that of the previous longest sentence yet handed down in a case related to the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. Former New York City cop Thomas Webster received a 10-year sentence for reportedly assaulting a Washington police officer with a metal flagpole on the same day. Schwartzs sentence could soon be surpassed by yet another conviction relating to the Jan. 6 incident. Following a request by the U.S. Justice Department on May 5, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes could be facing 25 years in prison for his conviction on seditious conspiracy and other charges. The previous day, four members of the activist group Proud Boys were convicted by a federal court for seditious conspiracy, defined under a Civil War-era law as a plot to oppose the government with force. To date, nearly 1,000 people have been charged for alleged involvement on Jan. 6, of which more than 600 individuals have been convicted. Schwartzs sentencing was appealed by his lawyers, who asked the court for leniency after stating that Schwartz and his wife traveled to Washington to attend former President Donald Trumps speech, without any prior intent to incite violence. Prosecutors said that Schwartz was on probation at the time of the incident and reportedly has 38 convictions since 1991. According to statements made in court documents by defense attorneys, Schwartzs actions on Jan. 6 were the result of a misunderstanding regarding the 2020 election. Schwartz has reportedly made a previous claim that his prosecution is politically motivated. Prior to his sentencing, Schwartz had told the judge that he is sincerely regretful for the damage that Jan. 6 caused. This, however, was dismissed by the judge. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article. From NTD News NEWARK, N.J.Birthdays are meant to be celebrated in special ways, which is why physician Arthur Patterson, who has been in practice for four decades, chose to gift himself tickets to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for his 65th birthday. We had a fabulous time, and I will be back, said Mr. Patterson, who watched the performance for the first time with a friend at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on May 6. The choreography was amazing, the stories were amazing. 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. The way they came to lifeI really want to learn how they went from the screen [and] onto the stage, Mr. Patterson said, referring to Shen Yuns patented animated backdrop, which allows performers to move between the stage and the background. I was really mesmerized. Shen Yuns program includes story-based dances, some of which are set in modern-day China and depict the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of followers of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Mr. Patterson said that he will definitely be learning more about Falun Dafa and that he planned to study its teachings. Mr. Patterson appreciated that Shen Yun drew awareness to the ongoing persecution. Thats a serious problem, [and] we have some challenges ahead, he said. A production like this gives me hope that we can overcome it. I know it motivates me to do more on my own [too]. According to Shen Yuns website, the ancient Chinese people believed that their culture was divinely inspired and was a gift from the Heavens. Shen Yuns opening program reflects this belief in the portrayal of divine beings following the Creator down the Earth to establish civilization. Mr. Patterson said that when he saw the opening scene, the best feeling that I got was serenitythats the overwhelming feeling that came out of it. He also said that the music performed by Shen Yuns live orchestra was stunning and that he felt uplifted and hopeful after watching Shen Yun. It just brings out the amazing spirit, the human spirit, and the potential and the beauty, said Mr. Patterson. Were in a very troubled world now, and it (Shen Yun) displays hope. It just leaves you with a [feeling that] things can get better. Reporting by Weiyong Zhu 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. Robert Kennedy Jr. Blames CIA for Assassination of JFK Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, speaks to people gathered under the Victory Column in the city center to hear speeches during a protest against coronavirus-related restrictions and government policy, in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 29, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Democratic White House contender Robert Kennedy Jr. recently blamed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for the assassination of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. Kennedy Jr., the son of assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, made the allegation on Sunday with John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AMs Cats Roundtable. Theories around JFKs assassination have endured throughout the decades, with many others speculating that the CIA, former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the mafia, the Soviet KGB, Jackie Onassis Kennedy, or the Fidel Castro regimeor some combination thereofwere involved in his death. There is overwhelming evidence that the CIA was involved in his murder. I think its beyond a reasonable doubt at this point, Kennedy said about the November 1963 incident in Dallas, Texas. The evidence is overwhelming that the CIA was involved in the murder, and in the cover-up, he also said. Kennedy made reference to the book, JFK and the Unspeakable, penned by James Douglas, for some of his assertions. The book theorized that Kennedy was assassinated because he sought peacemaking during the Cold War and was then killed by his own security apparatus. The federal government concluded during its Warren Commission Report that shooter Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone suspect in the assassination. They said there was no credible evidence to suggest that he was part of a wider assassination conspiracy. Oswald was shot and killed by alleged Chicago mob associate Jack Ruby two days after Oswald was accused of the assassination. Ruby would be later convicted of the murder and sentenced to death, but he died in prison several years later. The CIA has long denied any involvement in the former presidents death. An article published on the intelligence agencys website (pdf) says that it was a lie that connected the CIA to the Kennedy assassination, alleging it was part of a Soviet KGB disinformation campaign and then cast aspersions against director Oliver Stones 1991 film JFK, which strongly suggested that the CIA and other federal officials may have been involved in the assassination. Unfounded assertions of CIA complicity were bolstered inadvertently by a series of investigations of the Intelligence Community in the 1970s. The 1975 Rockefeller Commission report was followed by the 1976 report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the 1979 report of the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), that article stated. All examined the CIAs activities both before and after Kennedys assassination, and, in the case of HSCA, specifically looked into Shaws supposed role as a high-ranking operative, it added, referring to businessman and military officer Clay Shaw, who was arrested and charged on March 1, 1967, with conspiring to kill President Kennedy. Two years later he was acquitted by a jury. Television footage of President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy are shown in the presidential limousine in the moments before Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. (Reuters/File Photo) The article stated: The bottom line in each instance gave no credence to any of [local District Attorney Jim] Garrisons allegations about Shaw and the CIA. Inexorably, however, the mere fact that such questions were asked helped fashion Garrison into something of a prophet in the public mind. Garrisons allegations were prominently featured in the JFK film. The Epoch Times has contacted the CIA for comment. Other Claims Kennedy Jr.s claims on Sunday arent the first time hes floated the notion that the CIA killed his uncle. Hes also claimed in the past that his father wasnt killed by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian man who supported communism. I also hope that the governor will consider the overwhelming evidence that Sirhan is not my fathers killer, Kennedy Jr. wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle in 2021. He wrote: For many years, I accepted the orthodoxy that Sirhan was responsible. After all, dozens of eyewitnesses in the Ambassador Hotel pantry saw him fire his gun from just a few feet in front of my father. But in 2016, my fathers close friend, Paul Schrade, persuaded me to read Los Angeles County coroner Thomas Noguchis autopsy report and to listen to audio recordings and review other evidence indicating that Sirhan could not have been the murderer. Kennedy went on to say that Sirhan fired two shots at Kennedy, an upstart senator from New York who was running as a Democrat in 1968, and one of the bullets, he said, struck Schrade in the head. The other bullet hit a door jamb. He then fired more shots, hitting several other bystanders, Kennedy Jr. alleged. However, none of those bullets struck his father, Kennedy Jr. said, floating the theory that the four shots that hit his father were from within a few inches, with two leaving gun powder residue in the wounds, suggesting that the assassin was standing close behind my father, shielding his weapon with his body while all attention focused on Sirhan. He also alleged that Los Angeles police investigators bullied and badgered eyewitnesses to change their statements regarding the number of shots and to silence those who say they saw Cesar draw and shoot his gun and those who reported conspirators dashing from the scene. Thane Eugene Cesar, he said, was the individual who killed his father. Before the Sirhan shooting, Cesara recently hired security guardgrabbed Kennedy by the elbow and steered him toward Sirhan, he said. Bedeviled by questions about his involvement in my fathers murder, Cesar fled to the Philippines. I was in negotiations with him in 2018, before reports of his death in September 2019. After first agreeing to meet with me, he gradually escalated his price to $25,000 for the privilege of interviewing him, Kennedy said. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and writer, declared his candidacy for president several weeks ago. A recent Fox News poll showed that 19 percent of voters favored him. The Founders and the Constitution, Part 8: Alexander Hamilton A statue of the first United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton stands in front of the Treasury building in Washington on Sept. 19, 2008. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Commentary Its easy, if not entirely fair, to explain Alexander Hamiltons relentless search for fame and power as the outcome of a life begun under very unfavorable conditions. He was born on Jan. 11, 1757, an illegitimate child on the Caribbean island of Nevis, then a possession of the British Empire. His father deserted young Alexanders mother when he was 8, and his mother died when he was 11. Somehow he was apprenticed to a commercial firm, where he showed an astonishing talent for the business. A good-hearted Presbyterian minister discovered him and sent him to a New Jersey grammar school. A year later he was accepted by the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). When that institution wouldnt allow him to advance at his own accelerated pace, he enrolled in Kings College (now Columbia University), in New York City. While there, he became wrapped up in revolutionary activities. He published two prominent political tracts, taught himself the rudiments of military science, organized an artillery company, and received a captains commission in the Continental Army. In 1780 he married Elizabeth Schuyler, a love match that admitted him to the heights of New York society. He became Gen. George Washingtons aide-de-camp. In July 1781 he sought and obtained a field command. He fought with distinction in the Battle of Yorktown. When hostilities ended, he returned to New York and passed the bar examination (1782). He published the notes he had made in his studies for the bar. For many years thereafter they served as a textbook for aspiring New York attorneys. It took the young man a very short time to reach the peak of his profession. If you have read this far, it should be obvious by now that Hamilton was a geniusaside from Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the greatest genius among all the prodigious intellects of the Founders. In 1786, he was elected to the state legislature, and within a few months his fellow lawmakers had appointed him to be a commissioner (delegate) at the Annapolis Convention. In September of that year, the conclave in Annapolis recommended that the states meet in Philadelphia the following May. This meeting became known as the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention The New York legislature elected Hamilton as one of three commissioners to the Constitutional Convention. He still was only 30 years old. Most of the 12 attending states granted their commissioners full power to recommend a new political system, but New York and Massachusetts limited their delegates to proposing amendments to the Articles of Confederation. Hamilton found this frustrating because he wanted to do much more. On June 18, 1787, he delivered a day-long speech outlining his proposals. These proposals stretched the concept of republican government to the breaking point. Hamilton advocated: a chief executive elected indirectly for life with an absolute veto over legislation; a bicameral legislature with an elected lower house balanced by a senate indirectly elected for life; appointment of state governors by the national authorities, with each governor to enjoy an absolute veto over state laws; and almost no restraints on the power of the central government. Hamilton thus located himself on the Founding-era political spectrum (outlined in this series first essay) as the most extreme of the high nationalists. The other delegates praised Hamiltons oratorical performance, but didnt take his suggestions seriously. Furthermore, when the New York delegates decided how to cast the Empire States votes on the convention floor, the other twowho were more scrupulous about the limits on their instructionsusually overruled Hamilton. Frustrated, he left Philadelphia after the conventions June 29 session. He did not return until Aug. 13. By then, his New York colleagues had abandoned the convention because it was headed in a direction they had no authority to go. This left their state entirely unrepresented. Hamilton had no authority to represent New York alone, so after Aug. 13 he participated in the deliberations merely as a private citizen, and his contributions were fairly modest. He did successfully suggest that Congress (as well as a convention of states) have power to propose constitutional amendments. And he served on the Committee of Style, which oversaw Gouverneur Morriss work in drafting the Constitutions final version. The Ratification Debates Hamiltons greater contributions came at the ratification stage. He recruited John Jay and James Madison to compose a series of newspaper op-eds designed to convince New Yorkers to elect pro-Constitution delegates to the state-ratifying convention. Hamilton wrote 51 of the 85 essays and assisted Madison with a few others. They were re-published in a collection known as The Federalist. The Federalist has justly become a classic in political theory, but its immediate influence was limited. The essays were written in a style too difficult to be popular; the public preferred the work of more readable authors, such as Hamiltons Philadelphia friend, Tench Coxe. Moreover, The Federalist failed to persuade New Yorkers to elect a pro-Constitution majority to the state-ratifying convention. The elections produced a more-than-two-to-one majority of opponents. As the late Clinton Rossiter, the Cornell University political scientist, once observed, The chief usefulness of The Federalist in the events of 1788 was as a kind of debaters handbook in Virginia and New York. At the New York ratifying convention, held in Poughkeepsie from June 17 to July 26, 1788, Hamilton was among the leaders of the pro-Constitution forces. He delivered several dazzling speeches early in the proceedings. On June 28, he emphasized the limited powers of the federal government and the exclusive prerogatives of the states. Unfortunately for him, John Lansing, Jr., one of Hamiltons New York colleagues at the Constitutional Convention, was in the room at the time of Hamiltons June 28 speech. Lansing rejoined that Hamiltons present concern for state power was inconsistent with his centralizing comments in Philadelphia. This provoked controversy, which kept Hamilton quiet for the next two weeks and subdued his oratory after that. Apparently, though, he did assist in swinging the hostile majority into a 3027 vote in favor of the Constitution. Hamiltons Efforts to Re-Write the Constitution As Lansing suggested, Hamiltons public reassurances of how the Constitution limited federal power were not fully sincere. About the time the document became public, Hamilton wrote the following in a memorandum to himself: If the government is adopted, it is probable general Washington will be the President of the United States. A good administration will conciliate the confidence and affection of the people and perhaps enable the government to acquire more consistency than the proposed constitution seems to promise for so great a CountryIt may then triumph altogether over the state governments and reduce them to an entire subordination, dividing the large states into smaller districts. Hamiltons celebrated achievements as our first Secretary of the Treasury served his wider goal of converting a limited federal government into an entity far more powerful than the Constitution permits. For example: When trying to convince the public to ratify the document, Hamilton strongly implied (in Federalist No. 17) that agriculture and manufacturing would be exclusively state rather than federal concerns. But after ratification was complete, he sang quite a different tune. In his 1791 Report on Manufactures, he advocated federal financial subsidies to favored agricultural and manufacturing interests. To support his case, he cited the Constitutions Taxation Clause. But the Taxation Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) grants power only to lay and collect Taxes to pay the Debts and provide for the Common Defence and general Welfare of the United States. Translated into modern English, this means that Congress has power to levy and collect taxes, but only to (a) store up reserves for future debt-payment, or (b) store up reserves for future spending, but (c) any such spending must be for the public interest rather than for special interests (pdf). The general Welfare language limits the purposes for which taxes may be levied. The clause doesnt authorize any spending other than spending needed to enforce the tax laws. Yet Hamilton claimed this language leaves to the discretion of the National Legislature to pronounce upon the objects which concern the general welfare, and for which, under that description, an appropriation of money is requisite and proper. Of course, this assertion is nonsense. If it were true, it would void many other provisions in the Constitution, among them the two-year limit on military appropriations (Article I, Section 8, Clause 12). Hamiltons claim also directly contradicts the representations the Constitutions advocatesincluding Hamiltonmade to persuade the public to vote for ratification (pdf). Few of Hamiltons contemporaries accepted his novel constitutional argument. But as I described in my Epoch Times series, How the Supreme Court Re-Wrote the Constitution, eventually the Supreme Court did. In 1936 and 1937, the justices were looking for a way to uphold Franklin Roosevelts New Deal spending programs. Without much real analysis they seized on Hamiltons thesis. That thesis remains the flawed constitutional foundation for most federal social spending today. Conclusion After serving in the Washington administration, Hamilton created the Federalist Party. In 1800 he made the statesmanlike move of ensuring that his political opponent Thomas Jefferson was elected president over the unscrupulous Aaron Burr. Subsequently, Burr shot and killed Hamilton in a duel (July 12, 1804). Hamiltons contributions to the Constitutions drafting, adoption, and meaning commonly are over-estimated. But they were substantial enough to earn him inclusion in this series. America also owes him an immense debt of gratitude for his role in the Revolution and for helping President Washington place the new federal government on a secure foundation. Hamilton is buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in the financial district of New York City. During the (mercifully) short time I worked at a Wall Street law firm, I often devoted part of my lunch hour to keeping him company. Read prior installments here: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. In 1912, preacher George Bennard hosted several sermons in his state of Michigan after spending years traveling the Midwest with his wife preaching Gods word and becoming one of the regions beloved pastors. He spoke eloquently of his Christian faith, and his sermons left people feeling spiritually rejuvenated. Because of his passion and ability to intimately connect with his fellow believers, he often preached to a packed house. Bennard came from humble beginnings and his road to Christianity had its fair share of ups and downs. When his father passed while George was still a teen, he took on the noble role of caring for his family. He spent time as a coal miner, just as his father did. But after becoming involved with the efforts of the Salvation Army, his faith strengthened and he ultimately became a Methodist preacher. His work took him from his home state of Ohio to the quiet town of Albion, Michigan. Now a full-time pastor, the move allowed him to focus wholeheartedly on his work. He quickly developed a focus around Gods love for humanity and Jesus ultimate sacrifice but it would take time to fully embrace the gravity of its message. A Towering Vision Study for The Cross and the World, circa 18461847 by Thomas Cole. Oil on panel. Brooklyn Musuem. (Public Domain) During a series of sermons held in Michigan, he returned home one night and had a groundbreaking vision. In his mind, a towering cross appeared high in the sky, and he suddenly felt himself surrounded by the love of Jesus in an all-encompassing way he hadnt felt before. Focusing on the vision, a soft melody came to his mind with the phrase, Ill cherish the old, rugged cross, repeating over and over again. George immediately began working through the melody and lyrics he heard. Later in life, when asked about how he wrote the song, he was quoted saying, I really didnt write it, I was merely the instrument God used. As he let the work of God flow through him, more lyrics flowed onto his paper, and before his series of sermons was finished, he completed the words to The Old, Rugged Cross. He sent the lyrics off to Chicago, where his friend and musician Charles H. Gabriel smoothed out the melody and rhythm. When he sent the completed work back to Bennard, he sent along with it a foretelling message, You will hear from this song. When Bennard announced hed be performing an original hymn at his next service, every seat filled the room with fellow Christians eagerly awaiting the debut of his highly anticipated hymn. A Legendary Hymn A sermon at St Lawrences church, Isle of Wight, between 18331849, by Richard Henry Clements Ubsdell. (Public Domain) Early performances of The Old, Rugged Cross, featuring nothing but Bennards tender voice accompanied by simple acoustic guitar, moved congregations to tears. Just as his beautiful sermons had moved their spirit to joy and praise, so had his soul-stirring hymn. Resounding applause showed Bennard he had been an instrument for something special. What he thought would be a one-off performance turned into an anchor for his sermons. As the song took shape in a live setting, he added in a choir, violin, and organ accompaniment to round out the tunes uplifting feel. The song quickly spread throughout the region, with fellow preachers featuring the inspirational hymn in their own church services. Over the course of his life, George wrote approximately 300 compositions , but none moved people as much as The Old, Rugged Cross. He passed away in 1958, but his legacy lives on through the hymn. Over decades its been re-recorded hundreds of times. Most notably, country star Alan Jackson covered it, transforming the gentle spiritual into a country gospel anthem. An adored treasure among people of faith in America, George Bennards The Old, Rugged Cross remains a symbol of hope with a comforting message centered around Gods everlasting love. The Cross Beside The Baltic, circa 1815, by Caspar David Friedrich. Oil on canvas. Charlottenburg Palace , Berlin. (Public Domain) With an estimated 8 billion people in the world, there are only about 100 or so known cases of Uncombable Hair Syndrome (UHS), and a toddler from eastern England, who has an epic mop of hair, has been diagnosed with this rare condition. Suffolk-born, Layla Davis, 2, has blonde locks that defy all attempts to comb them straight. Laylas mother Charlotte, 28, said her conditionwhich is characterized by dry, frizzy hair that cannot be combed flathas earned the little girl the monikers of Boris Johnson and Albert Einstein. Layla Davis has Uncombable Hair Syndrome (SWNS) UHS develops in childhood, often between infancy and age 3, but can appear as late as 12 and children who develop it tend to have light-colored hair. According to This Morning, Charlotte said that when Layla was born she had a thick head of black hair that fell out when she was 4 months old. She was fluffy from when she was about one and then after that, it started growing more and more outwards, Charlotte said. I think I was in denial and kept saying it was going to go flat. The mom of two admits that she got Layla tested late because theres only one hundred people with it in the world, and the chances of getting it are so slim. Layla Davis with her mom. (SWNS) However, Charlotte said she is proud of Laylas diagnosis because her condition is so rare. Laylas older brother has noticed that his hair isnt the same as his sisters and thus he sometimes strokes his hair and then hers. The toddler also has an Instagram account where her parents document her journey. According to a reel on Laylas profile, UHS usually exists by itself, however, at times its also seen manifesting along with skin conditions, nail complaints, and eye problems. Little Layla seems to get nail problems. Charlotte said Layla gets a lot of attention when shes out, with strangers approaching her to ruffle her wild locks. I dont know if its because other people ruffle and touch her hair but shes started doing it herself, Charlotte said. I dont think she realizes how awesome it is. At the time of writing, Charlotte told The Epoch Times that Laylas hair has grown quite long but still not enough to be put into a ponytail. Laylas parents have been advised not to wash her hair much since its prone to breaking. Laylas hair is washed once every week unless its dirty and needs to be washed again. We use simple shampoo and will soon try a special conditioner, Charlotte said. However, Layla doesnt enjoy having her hair washed. Charlotte wants her daughter to grow up knowing how awesome her hair is, even though she looks different from others. There is no cure for UHS. However, when one hits puberty, the condition, which is also called spun glass hair, becomes manageable or one finds that its completely gone by the time the teenage years begin. Charlotte said she once read on a Facebook group that when a mother went to wake up her daughter one morning, her daughters hair had changed and she no longer had the appearance of UHS. She admits that shed be sad if Layla grows out of the condition since she believes the toddler rocks the look. According to Charlotte, everyone who knows Layla describes her as a happy little girl who loves playing with dolls and paw patrol. She is always smiling and shes very cheeky, Charlotte told The Epoch Times. Epoch Times Staff contributed to this report. 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 excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad. Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business. View our latest analysis for PulteGroup PulteGroup's Earnings Per Share Are Growing If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. To the delight of shareholders, PulteGroup has achieved impressive annual EPS growth of 46%, compound, over the last three years. That sort of growth rarely ever lasts long, but it is well worth paying attention to when it happens. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. It's noted that, last year, PulteGroup's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. The good news is that PulteGroup is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.4 percentage points to 21%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. Story continues In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of PulteGroup's forecast profits? Are PulteGroup Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Owing to the size of PulteGroup, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Given insiders own a significant chunk of shares, currently valued at US$98m, they have plenty of motivation to push the business to succeed. This should keep them focused on creating long term value for shareholders. Should You Add PulteGroup To Your Watchlist? PulteGroup's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders should certainly brighten the view of the company. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. So based on this quick analysis, we do think it's worth considering PulteGroup for a spot on your watchlist. We should say that we've discovered 2 warning signs for PulteGroup (1 is potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Although PulteGroup certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Transgenderism Confusing People About the Nature of Reality and Victimizing Children, Say Authors The transgender industry mints billions from the confusion planted in young childrens' minds Gender ideologies work by confusing people about reality while pushing confused kids into becoming customers of the transitioning industry, according to authors Dr. Jeff Myers and Brandon Showalter. Transgenderism is an ideology that came out of the postmodern movement in the 1980s that is attempting to gain power by confusing people about the nature of reality. Theres a medical industry that comes along and says that if children are confused, theyll use our products, and then, they stand to make tens of billions of dollars. The ideology and the industry fuels a problem and actually makes children double victims, Myers said in a May 2 interview with Jan Jekielek on American Thought Leaders. Myers and Showalter are authors of the book, Exposing the Gender Lie: How to Protect Children and Teens From the Transgender Industrys False Ideology, published in March by Summit Ministries. Showalter criticizes social media and influencers for trying to convince young peoplemany of whom are on the autism spectrum and suffer from mental health issuesto believe that they were born in the wrong body. It is physiologically impossible to become the opposite sex. Weve seen this happen with previous social contagions, like anorexia, cutting, and other modes of self-harm that spread by social contagion. The same thing is happening with this situation, he said in the interview. What happens with autistic people, however severe or moderate or mild their autism, [] is they become enmeshed in a culture where their issues can be explained away by way of gender identity ideology. Myers points out that they have looked into supposed studies that claim that children who dont get transgender procedures will commit suicide. He calls such studies dead wrong and the media interpretation of these studies a lie. When you look back at them, you realize, at very best, those studies show that people who go through these medical procedures see no improvement, he said. In my experience, young people who experience gender dysphoria, and I work with several thousand young people every year, always have comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and unresolved childhood trauma. Its all of these things all mixed together. According to Showalter, the reason why institutions are pushing gender agenda onto kids has to do with institutional capture. Professional societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, and other therapy organizations are completely buying in with brutal speed the idea that the approach to treat gender disorder is to only affirm whatever the child or the young person says that they are. You are to immediately and unquestionably say that is correct and never, ever challenge it, Showalter stated. In March last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs released a document titled, Gender-Affirming Care and Young People. It endorsed that minors be subjected to hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery. On the same day, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network also released a document promoting surgical procedures on minors. Standards of Care, Legal Issues Myers notes that the standards of care regarding transgender medicine have been developed by the World Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). They specifically state that there is a highly choreographed way to handle transgender medicine. This is the only way, and it is recommended by the WPATH. It is that you start with social transition and refer to someone by their new chosen name and change pronouns, then alert their teachers and their parents that they must use these new pronouns. Then, to the level of comfort of the patient, you move toward puberty blockers, you move toward cross-sex hormones, and you move toward surgery. This is not a radical step. Its the natural choreographed path outlined by the standards of care that doctors are given. Showalter pointed out that the vast majority of doctors do not support such treatments. However, they keep their heads down if they are working for large, corporatized institutions saying that this is the dogma that rules the day. According to Myers, one of the reasons why doctors do not speak up about the issue is due to a legal groundwork being developed right now. If you dont follow the standards of care, which are ordinarily taken by doctors as recommendations then you might open yourself up to a lawsuit by someone who didnt want to go through puberty as a male or a female, he said. Now, your refusal to treat them is medical neglect. A lot of doctors, just for malpractice reasons, are following the standards of care, or recommending the standards of care, even though they dont personally buy into them. Epistemological Manipulation, Suppressing Studies Myers highlighted the manipulation of epistemology in pushing the transgender agenda: The gender ideology approach says there arent two spectrums. Theres one spectrum with extreme masculinity on one end and extreme femininity on the other. Our students are regularly told: Youre a girl who doesnt really enjoy girly things. Maybe youre actually a boy. Maybe youre born in the wrong body. People slide back and forth along that spectrum, and its very confusing. What ideology do they take? What box are they in today? he asked. Thats at the core of whats really going on. Its actually an attack on language, then, because at what point do you stop calling someone a he, and start calling them a she? Who decides that if everything is on one spectrum? According to Showalter, studies that do not align with the promotion of transgender ideologies are suppressed. He said: There was a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine where the whole cast of characters, the whos who of gender doctors, analyzed psychosocial outcomes of 315 non-binary or trans-identified young people, ages 12 to 20. Two of those young people involved in the study took their own lives by suicide, but the gender doctors breezily dismissed that as adverse events. Thats how they do it. They paper over the disastrous outcomes, and they spin the narrative that this is actually a positive development. In February, the advocacy group Gender Dysphoria Alliance (GDA) wrote an open letter to over 30 medical institutions, criticizing them for allowing ideology rather than science to drive health care for individuals suffering from gender-related stress. Its institutionalized medical negligence, the GDA said in its Feb. 18 statement. We are asking for quality, honesty, and safety. GDA called for thorough psychological assessments to be done on individuals before they are subjected to hormonal treatments and surgeries. The group expressed worries about children being vulnerable to unnecessary harm. Business Interests The transgender agenda is also being promoted out of business interests. The health industry spends $750 million annually on lobbying at the federal level. The puberty-blocking drugs that are given to children to stop puberty, which have irreversible effects, damaging their ability to develop as their bodies naturally would, with bone density loss, brain swelling, vision loss, and all kinds of things might cost a parent between $5,000 and $30,000 a year. If the parents dont pay, then of course, Medicare or Medicaid or the insurance company might have to pay, Myers said. A child who gets a $30,000 puberty-blocking implant is not just going to be a medical patient for one year, he continued. Theyre essentially going to be a medical patient at $30,000 a year or more for the rest of their lives, as long as they dont want the onset of puberty. Then, there are cross-sex hormones and surgery. A lot of people are looking at the bottom line dollars. Myers notes that the decline in communication between adults and children can also be a factor as to why many kids today feel confused about their gender. There once was an idea that adolescence can be very confusing and there was an adult who you could trust, who would guide you into becoming a strong young man who stands for truth and fights against evil injustice, or who would guide you into becoming a strong young woman who stands for truth and breathes life into others, he said. That missing thing between the generations, added to the idea that everything is psychological, has made this a social contagion. It is to the point now where in some cases, almost half of the young people in a given school will say they identify as transgender. Tucker Carlsons Lawyer Responds, Says Nobody Going to Silence Tucker A high-powered attorney who is representing Tucker Carlson said that his client will not be silenced amid speculative, anonymous reports about Carlsons future. In a statement to Axios, Bryan Freedman, a Hollywood-based lawyer, said that the idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous. The Epoch Times has contacted his office for comment. While Freedmans comment was brief, it appears to be the first response Carlson has given in light of reports claiming that Fox News hasnt actually fired Carlson and is still keeping him under contract. Carlson has not publicly addressed the matter, and a Fox News spokesperson last week didnt comment on those reports. When reached for comment Sunday, a Fox News representative directed The Epoch Times to its initial news release announcing Carlsons departure. Carlson has only spoken out once after leaving Fox News, posting a 2-minute video in which he said that media companies actively collude to shut down topics that do not benefit corporations or elite members of society. He also lambasted the state of the American media landscape and claimed that few outlets are focusing on topics that actually matter to people and instead choose reports and debates that have limited impact. Because few details have been released about his exit, a number of theories have emerged. At the same time, left-wing nonprofit Media Matters for America has released what it dubbed FOXLEAKS, showing Carlson making behind-the-scenes remarks to staffersprompting Fox News to issue a cease and desist letter to the group late last week. The letter, sent to Media Matters, said that the footage of Carlson is Foxs confidential intellectual property and that Fox did not consent to its distribution or publication. The footage, the letter said, was unlawfully obtained and that Media Matters is now on notice. Its not clear how Media Matters obtained the footage. A spokesperson for Fox News told The Epoch Times last week they would suggest asking Media Matters about how it obtained the footage; Media Matters has not responded to a request for comment. Meanwhile, that Axios report, while citing Carlson confidants and a close Carlson friend, claimed hes trying to start or work for another right-wing media company. It alleged, in part, that Carlson wants to start a media empire of his own. That same report further alleged that Carlson spoke with Twitter CEO Elon Musk about working together in the future. However, no details were given, and Axios did not name its source. In a sign of things to come, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly criticized the network for its ratings after Carlsons exit and wrote: My audience is calling them #Foxweiser. She was referring to the backlash against Bud Light after it partnered with a transgender influencer, causing sales of Bud to plummet in recent weeks. Shes also floated the possibility her previous employer leaked the footage to Media Matters. A Fox spokesperson, in a statement to The Epoch Times, has denied that allegation. Ask yourself about my theory that this is Fox News doing it to him, that its Irina Briganti, who sat there calling through his commercial downtime to look for anything, said Kelly, referring to Fox News senior executive vice president of corporate communications. Briganti, too, has denied those allegations in a statement to Newsmax last week. People pass by a promotion of Fox News host Tucker Carlson on the News Corporation building in New York on March 13, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) The video that Carlson released two days after his departure also drew about 1 million likes and had more than 80 million impressions on Twitter. The show that was named to temporarily replace Carlson, Fox News Tonight, posted far lower ratings during the same 8 p.m. timeslot, according to Nielsen. A poll shows that Carlson could have a large audience if he launched his own show. A Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey of 1,500 eligible U.S. voters found that 36 percent of Americans would likely or significantly likely watch a Carlson-hosted program. New Reactions The lawyers statement comes as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a possible 2024 presidential contender, responded to Fox News decision to part ways with the host DeSantis, who is widely expected to run against former President Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination, told Newsmax over the weekend that Carlsons departure was terrible, coming about two weeks after the network confirmed the move. No details about why Carlson left have been provided, and Carlson hasnt issued a public comment about the matter. Tucker Carlson is a fantastic individual. His show was fantastic and I think it was terrible that he was fired, said DeSantis on Friday. I think there is more to it, I dont think it was really about Tucker, I think it is about some of this other stuff that is going on with Fox. He was someone who was willing to speak out and challenge the prevailing orthodoxies. He is talented, he is funny and it was a great show, he added. The sudden departure of Carlson drew reactions from other 2024 candidates, including Trump. The former president, who was recently interviewed by Carlson, said in late April that he was shocked to hear that the former Fox host is gone. I was shocked. Im surprised. Hes a very good person a very good man and very talented and he had very high ratings, Trump told Newsmax, a cable network that is vying for Fox News viewers, at the time. Hes been terrific especially over the last year or so hes been terrific to me. UK Minister Defends Metropolitan Police as Force Criticised Over Coronation Arrests A minister on Sunday defended the Metropolitan police after the force arrested 52 people before and during King Charles IIIs coronation on Saturday. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said she believes the Met has got the balance right between the right to protest and policing an international event and that she has huge confidence in the police. Graham Smith, CEO of the anti-monarchy group Republic, who was detained for around 16 hours on Saturday, called the arrests a direct attack on British democracy. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said she has some concerns that the police may not have gotten the balance right, while some Labour MPs took to Twitter to criticise the Met over the arrests. As tens of thousands of people, including foreign heads of state, gathered at Londons Westminster Abbey to celebrate the coronation on Saturday, a total of 52 people were arrested, including eight Republic activists, some 20 climate activists from Just Stop Oil, and three people who were in possession of some rape alarms. Crowds gather outside of Buckingham Palace at the conclusion of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London on May 6, 2023. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) The Met has said the arrests were made for offences including affray, public order offences, breach of the peace, and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. The Met said it had received intelligence saying protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation procession including by attempting to deface public monuments with paint, breach barriers, and disrupt the official movements. It also said officers seized the rape alarms after there had been particular concern from military colleagues that the alarms would scare their horses involved in the procession. Smith told PA news agency on Sunday that all Republic activists have been released on bail and they are waiting to hear if the police will take further action. He also said the activists were arrested for being equipped for locking on, a new offence under the Public Order Act. But according to the BBC, Matt Turnbull, one of the Republic activists who was arrested, has said the straps they were planning to use to hold the placards were misconstrued as locking on devices. Under the new Public Order Act, protesters who have an object with the intention of using it to lock on are liable to a fine, with those who block roads facing 12 months in prison. The controversial law was enacted following climate protests in which activists attached themselves to roads, railings, other objects, or each other with glue or so-calling locking on devices to frustrate the polices effort to remove them quickly. Graham Smith, leader of campaign group Republic, attends an anti-monarchy protest prior to the Commonwealth Service, outside Westminster Abbey in London, on March 13, 2023. (May James/Reuters) In a statement, Smith said Republics planned protest was peaceful and lawful. These arrests are a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country, he said. Smith accused the officers of showing no judgement, no common sense, and no basic decency, and said their action was a heavy handed action which had the appearance of a pre-determined arrest that would have occurred regardless of the evidence or our actions. Frazer defended the Met on Sunday morning, Speaking on Skys Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, the culture secretary said the police had to take into account that the coronation was an international event that would have raised questions about national security. What they have to do is balance the right to protest, which is important in a democracy. At the same time theres the right of all those other people to enjoy what was a fabulous day, she said. I think, overall, they managed to get that balance right. She also said she trusts the police to use their new powers under the Public Order Act. I think its absolutely right that they have the powers that they need in order to ensure that people can go to go on their day-to-day lives at the same time as respecting peoples rights to protest, she said. Asked on the same programme if the police had got the balance right, Liberal Democrat deputy leader said she has concerns that they may not have done. We still need to see some more information coming out about whats actually happened, Cooper said. Some of that information is unfolding. But, on the face of it, I do have concerns. She criticised the government over the new law, saying, What worries me is that the Conservative government have now increased these sort of wide-ranging powers. what they havent done is enshrined the sort of legal responsibility and the duty on the police to actually facilitate peaceful protest. A number of Labour MPs criticised the Met on Twitter, including Standards Committee chair Sir Chris Bryant and shadow minister for domestic violence Jess Phillips. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme it was inappropriate for him to comment without all the facts. I think its the accountability thats important and where concerns have been raised, whether thats by Republic, the campaign for an elected head of state, or people more generally just concerned about [what] theyve read in the papers or seen on the [television], its important that the police provide that accountability, he said. PA Media contributed to this report. Ukraine Downs Russian Hypersonic Missile With US Patriot Patriot missile launchers acquired from the United States last year are deployed in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 6, 2023. (Michal Dyjuk/AP Photo) KYIV, UkraineUkraines air force claimed Saturday to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscows most modern missiles. Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems. Yes, we shot down the unique Kinzhal, Oleshchuk wrote. It happened during the night-time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region. Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile. The Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons. The Russian military says the air-launched ballistic missile has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept. A combination of hypersonic speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kinzhal to destroy heavily fortified targets, like underground bunkers or mountain tunnels. The Ukrainian military has previously admitted lacking assets to intercept the Kinzhals. They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world, Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukraines Channel 24 television. Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super-hypersonic missile. Ihnat said. He said successfully intercepting the Kinzhal was a slap in the face for Russia. Ukraine took its first delivery of the Patriot missiles in late April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they have been deployed, but they are known to have been provided by the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. Germany and the United States have acknowledged each sending at least one battery and the Netherlands has said it has provided two launchers, although it is not clear how many are currently in operation. Ukrainian troops have received the extensive training needed to be able to effectively locate a target with the systems, lock on with radar, and fire. Each battery requires up to 90 personnel to operate and maintain. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he first asked for Patriot systems when visiting the United States in August 2021, months before Russias full-scale invasion but seven years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraines Crimea peninsula. He has described possessing the system as a dream but said he was told in the United States at the time that it was impossible. The Patriot was first deployed by the United States in the 1980s. The system costs approximately $4 million per missile, and the launchers cost about $10 million each, according to analysts. At such a cost, it was widely thought that Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles. Members of U.S. 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command stands next to a Patriot surface-to-air missile battery during the NATO multinational ground based air defence units exercise Tobruq Legacy 2017 at the Siauliai airbase some 230 kilometers (144 miles) east of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 20, 2017. (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP Photo) In a Telegram post on Saturday, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraines Armed Forces, said he had thanked U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the ongoing American aid to Ukraine. Zaluzhnyi said he also briefed Milley about the situation at the front and preparations for Ukraines counteroffensive against Russia. Ukraine has not said when it might launch the counteroffensive, but it is widely anticipated this spring. In an interview this week with Foreign Affairs magazine, Milley said he would not speculate on if or when it might come, but that with NATO assistance to help train and equip nine brigades worth of combined arms, armor and mechanized infantry, the Ukrainians right now have the capability to attack. He also said that their capability to defend was significantly enhanced from what they were just a year ago. I dont want to suggest that they may or may not conduct an offensive operation in the coming weeks, he said. Thatll be up to them. Theyve got a significant amount of planning and coordination and all of that to do, if they were to do an offensive operation. But theyre prepared to do offense or defense. In other developments, officials in both Russia and Ukraine said they had carried out another of their regular exchanges of prisoners of war. The Russian Defense Ministry said it brought three military pilots back to Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said 45 fighters who defended the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol had been returned to Ukraine. Also on Saturday, Ukraines Special Operations Forces accused Russia of using phosphorus munitions in its attempt to wrest control of the eastern city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces. Russian troops have been trying to take the city for more than nine months, but Ukrainian forces are still clinging to positions on the western outskirts. On Saturday, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper quoted military officials as saying that the enemy used phosphorus and incendiary ammunition in Bakhmut in an attempt to wipe the city off the face of the earth. A photo accompanying the newspaper report showed an urban area lit up with fire in multiple places. The allegations could not be independently verified. Russian forces have not commented on the claim but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weaponsmunitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuriesin areas where there could be concentrations of civilians. White phosphorous can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. By David Rising What We Know About the Chinese Diplomat Involved in Threat Against MP Chongs Family The Chinese Consulate in Toronto is seen on April 25, 2023. (Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times) Following a recent media article reporting that Zhao Wei, a Chinese consul in Toronto, was involved in threatening Conservative MP Michael Chongs family members in Hong Kong, there have been calls to expel Zhao from Canada. Here is what we know about him. Zhao is a designated consular officer with the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, according to Global Affairs Canada. The consulates website and news release archives list him as team leader of the Consular and Overseas Chinese Affairs Division. He has held that position as early as November 2018. Apart from engaging Canadian officials, Zhao has also been actively participating in events held by certain associations in Canada. Some of the individuals involved in the events have been mired in controversy amid allegations of Beijing interference in Canada, and the associations are known for taking stances on key political issues in ways favourable to the communist regime. Engagements in Canada According to a December 2019 report by CCMedia.news, Zhao attended an event commemorating victims of the Nanjing Massacrea six-week period of atrocities against Chinese citizens by Japanese troops during World War II that receives much publicity push by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) each year. The event was hosted by the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations (CTCCO), an umbrella group with over 100 member associations that has aligned with Beijing on various issues. Those issues include condemning pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong and supporting the controversial Confucius Institute in Canada. Also attending the event was MP Han Dong, who recently resigned from the Liberal Party caucus after a Global News report accused him of having advised the Chinese consul general in Toronto to delay releasing Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. The two had then been detained in China for over two years, in a case widely seen as retaliation for Canadas arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzho on a U.S. extradition request. Dong denies the allegation and has taken legal action against Global News. He has not returned Epoch Times requests for comment. Han Dong, now a federal MP, celebrating with supporters as a provincial Liberal candidate in the Toronto area on May 22, 2014. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) The CTCCO did not respond to multiple inquiries from The Epoch Times. According to a report by Chinese-language media Easyca.ca, Zhao attended a 2019 Chinese New Year celebration also attended by another Canadian politician, Vincent Ke, who Global News alleges served as a financial intermediary in the CCPs interference schemes targeting Canadas federal election that year. Ke, a member of Ontarios Progressive Conservative caucus at the time, resigned after Global News reported the allegation citing intelligence officials and documents. He now sits as an independent MPP for Ontarios Don Vally North riding and has served Global News with a libel notice over its reporting. Hebei Association of Canada, the Chinese hometown organization that hosted the event, received congratulatory letters from different Chinese regime governmental bodies, including the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. According to a study by the think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the organization is part of the CCPs United Front Work Department (UFWD). The UFWD is a network of party and state agencies responsible for influencing groups outside the party, including those overseas, such as foreign political parties, diaspora communities and multinational corporations, said the ASPI report titled The Party Speaks for You. The Hebei Association event was also congratulated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, International Trade Minister Mary Ng, and former Liberal MP Geng Tan, among others. The association is a member organization of Council of Newcomer Organizations (CONCO). In August 2019, the CONCO published an advertisement that vehemently criticized the ongoing pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong, alleging that protesters were colluding with foreign powers. The Epoch Times reached out to the Hebei Association of Canada for comment but didnt hear back by publication time. Denial Zhao was named by a national security source as being involved in threats to Chongs relatives in Hong Kong, reported a May 1 Globe and Mail article that cited a July 20, 2021, top-secret intelligence assessment from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). A sign for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service building in Ottawa, in a file photo. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) The assessment said Chinas Ministry of State Security has taken specific actions to target Canadian MPs involved in passing a motion in February 2021 declaring Beijings treatment of Uyghurs in Chinas Xinjiang region a genocide. The motion was sponsored by Chong. The source said Chong was the targeted MP and Zhao was the Chinese official working on this matter. On May 2, CSIS head David Vigneault confirmed the same to Chong. The Epoch Times reached out to Zhaos office at the consulate for comment but didnt hear back. On May 4, the consulate issued a statement in Chinese denying the accusations and saying that certain Canadian media and politicians are spreading related false information, deliberately damaging the reputation and image of our consulate. Suspected Intelligence Actor A Globe article from February had cited an unnamed national security source who described Zhao as a suspected intelligence actor. Citing a number of national security sources, the article said Trudeau and senior aides had been warned on at least two occasions about former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister Michael Chan, currently deputy mayor of Markham, Ont., due to his alleged ties with the Chinese Consulate in Toronto. One source said Chan and Zhao had meetings in 2019 that were described in a CSIS 2020 briefing as being clandestine in nature. Chan has denied those allegations. He has not returned requests for comment. Calls for Countermeasures In a statement issued on Twitter on May 3, Chong urged the federal government to declare Zhao persona non grata and to expel him from Canada. The Epoch Times reached out to Global Affairs Canada for comment on whether it would expel Zhao, but didnt hear back. Amid mounting calls to take countermeasures against Beijing, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on May 4 that her department is summoning the Chinese ambassador to Canada over the issue, and that the federal government is assessing the possible consequences that Beijing might take if Canada expels Zhao. Conservative MP Michael Chong rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 2, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Trudeau said on May 5 that his government is still evaluating the consequences of expelling the diplomat. This is a big step, not a small step to expel diplomats. Its one that has to be taken with due consideration on all the potential impacts and all the very clear messages that it will send, he said. Trudeau told reporters on May 3 that he only learned from media recently about the Chinese diplomat having been involved in targeting Chongs family, saying that CSIS made the determination that it wasnt something that needed to be raised to a higher level because it wasnt a significant enough concern. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters the same on May 3, a day after he was repeatedly asked in the House about the date he learned of the threats. On May 4, following a call from Trudeaus national security adviser (NSA) Jody Thomas, Chong told reporters that she said CSIS had provided its July 2021 assessment about alleged Beijing threats against his family to government departments including to the then-NSA in the Privy Council Office (PCO). The PCO is an arm of the Prime Ministers Office. That is in contrast with what the prime minister said yesterday when he indicated that the information had not been moved out of CSIS to the higher-ups, Chong said. I think the government needs to clarify and correct the record. Peter Wilson contributed to this report Why? Mother and Child Fatally Stabbed Outside Edmonton School, Police Shoot Suspect Feathers are placed on a pole for a woman and her 11-year-old child, who were stabbed and killed outside Crawford Plains School, in Edmonton on May 6, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson) Dozens of people gathered Saturday around a memorial of flowers and stuffed animals in a park as indigenous drummers sang in honour of a slain mother and her 11-year-old. Family members identified the victims of the Friday afternoon attack outside an elementary school as Carolann Robillard, 35, and Sarah Miller, who had started using the first name Jayden. Im really grateful for everyone for being here, said a sobbing Donna Robillard, as others held hands and said prayers. Carolann, my daughter, she was a beautiful girl and Sarah was always happy and full of joy. She loved her family very much, and her sisters and her mom. Why my daughter? Why my granddaughter? Police have said the woman and child were stabbed about suppertime Friday outside Crawford Plains School in southeast Edmonton. They said officers responded and shot a man matching a description of the suspect after an altercation. The woman died at the scene and the child later died in hospital. The suspect was in hospital in critical condition, police said, and Albertas police watchdog was investigating the shooting. Police said they did not know if the suspect knew the victims. Max Dow, 13, took a teddy bear to the park. Standing with his parents, he said he had witnessed part of the attack. It was really graphic, there was blood everywhere, he said. It was like right out of a horror movie. He said the woman was with two children in a white car, when a man went up to them. The man grabbed one of the children by the head and banged the child against a car door, he said. Then he started stabbing, said Max. I told the other (child) to run, I came home and told my family and they called police. Donna Robillard said her eight-year-old granddaughter, who escaped the attack, is going to have a hard time. Shes going to need a lot of counselling since she has seen it all. Carolann Robillard, a single Cree mother of three, was a kind free-spirit, said her former brother-in-law Dave Miller. He described Jayden as kind and loving. Dan Lauton went to the vigil with his family and brought a bouquet of flowers. He said his daughter and Jayden both attended Crawford Plains, and he was shocked to hear of the killings. The crazy thing for me was that it was in broad daylight a mom and her kid at the park, like it might as well have been at a grocery store, he said. Edmonton Public Schools said in a statement that staff and students will need support. The divisions Critical Incident Support Services team will be available at Crawford Plains School on Monday morning when classes resume, it said. United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith spoke about the killings on Twitter. This is utterly tragic and my heart goes out to the entire family of the victims, she wrote. NDP Leader Rachel Notley also said in an online post that she was heartbroken: I share the shock and sadness of our community. Yellen Warns Constitutional Crisis Could Come Next Month 'No good options' if Congress doesn't pass debt ceiling bill, she says Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen participates in a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Evolution Roundtable during the annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the IMF headquarters in Washington on April 12, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she will not rule out the possibility of declaring the debt ceiling unconstitutional if Congress cannot resolve its standoff over the debt ceiling, but said there are no good options on the table. There is no way to protect our financial system in our economy other than Congress doing its job and raising the debt ceiling and enabling us to pay our bills. And we should not get to the point where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt, Yellen told ABCs This Week on Sunday. She was responding to a question about whether the Treasury could use the 14th Amendment to declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional. It reads, in part, that the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But the U.S. Constitution also gives Congress the power of the purse. If Yellen invoked the amendment, it would trigger a constitutional crisis, she told ABC News. When pressed further by ABCs George Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton White House press secretary, Yellen said that there was nothing the Biden administration could do to avoid an economic catastrophe if the 14th Amendment was invoked. Im still not exactly clear on whether its on the table or off the table, Stephanopoulos asked her. Is it a break glass in case of emergency option? Yellen responded by saying: Look, I dont want to consider emergency options. Whats important is that members of Congress recognize what their responsibility is, and avert what will surely beregardless of how its handled, what option is used to handle itan economic and financial catastrophe. Stephanopoulos then suggested to Yellen that it sounds like youre saying you dont want to but you may have to. She replied: What to do if Congress fails to meet its responsibility, there is simply no good options. And the ones that youve listed are among the not good options. The idea of invoking the 14th Amendment was floated during an interview last week with President Joe Biden, and he suggested the option is on the table. Biden is slated to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week on the debt ceiling as Yellen has warned the United States would default on its obligations on June 1. Ive not gotten there yet, Biden told MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle. What Could Happen The federal government reached its $31.4 trillion debt limit in January. Since then, the Treasury Department has used extraordinary measures to keep funds going in the meantime, according to Yellen. The White House and some Democrats have insisted that a debt limit proposal should have no strings attached. However, McCarthy said that any deal needs to include federal spending cuts. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) waits to speak during a news conference after a budget briefing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 8, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) In recent months, Biden has said he will not negotiate over the debt ceiling increase, but he would discuss budget cuts after a new limit is passed. Congress has often paired debt-ceiling increases with other budget and spending measures. Washington regularly sets a limit on federal borrowing. Currently, the ceiling is equal to roughly 120 percent of the countrys annual economic output. By July or August, Washington could have to stop borrowing altogether. Under that scenario, shockwaves could ripple through global financial markets as investors question the value of U.S. bonds, which are seen as among the safest investments and serve as building blocks for the worlds financial system. The House-passed bill would pare spending to 2022 levels and then cap growth at 1 percent a year, repeal some tax incentives for renewable energy, and stiffen work requirements for some anti-poverty programs. Since 1960, the debt ceiling has been raised 78 times, three times during the prior administration, always with bipartisan support, Yellen said Sunday. And it simply is unacceptable for Congress to threaten economic calamity for American households and the global financial system as the cost of raising the debt ceiling and getting the agreements on budget priorities. Yellen on Sunday reiterated that the United States will likely default by June 1, or about three weeks from when she gave the interview. This would be really the first time in the history of America that we would fail to make payments that are due, Yellen said, echoing previous statements shes made about the matter. And whether its defaulting on interest payments that are due on the debt or payments due for Social Security recipients or to Medicare providers, we would simply not have enough cash to meet all of our obligations. And its widely agreed that financial and economic chaos would ensue. The Biden administration, she said, wants the debt ceiling bill to be separated from any budget compromise or spending cuts. I know [Biden] wants to set up a process in which spending priorities and levels are discussed and negotiated, Yellen told This Week. But these negotiations should not take place with a gun, really, to the head of the American people. A group of 43 Senate Republicans on Saturday said they oppose voting on a bill that only raises the U.S. debt ceiling without tackling spending, showing they could block such a plan by Democrats. The legislation would require 60 votes to proceed in the 100-seat Senate. With only a 5149 Democratic majority in the Senate, Schumer would need the support of at least nine Republicans to clear a 60-vote threshold to advance such legislation. Reuters contributed to this report. IMF negates Pak Govts claim of meeting loan condition By Sajjad Hussain : ISLAMABAD, THE IMF has rejected the cash-strapped Pakistan Governments claim that it has met all the conditions to reach an agreement with the global financial body to release funds under an already agreed loan facility, according to a media report. The International Monetary Fund signed a deal in 2019 to provide USD 6 billion to Pakistan on fulfilment of certain conditions. The plan was derailed several times and the full reimbursement is still pending due to insistence by the donor that Pakistan should complete all formalities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have repeatedly claimed that Pak met all the prior conditions agreed for reaching a staff-level agreement and there was no reason for holding back the agreement. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that it got a statement from the fund on Friday, negating the claim made by the government with respect to meeting all prior actions necessary to complete the 9th review. The IMF continues to work with the Pakistani authorities to bring the 9th review to a conclusion once the necessary financing is in place and the agreement is finalised, the newspaper quoted Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, as saying. Porters statement negated what the Pakistani authorities have been claiming since February 9, when the face-to-face talks ended inconclusively. Nathan did not explain the quantum of the necessary financing that Pakistan has to put in place to conclude the 9th review for the USD 1.2 billion loan tranche that has been delayed by seven months now. Pakistans gross official foreign exchange reserves remain at USD 4.5 billion. The country needs to pay nearly USD 4 billion to the world on account of principal and interest on debt till June this year. Jkhand Govt suspends arrested IAS officer RANCHI : JHARKHAND IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, arrested in connection with alleged illegal land deals, was suspended by the Jharkhand Government on Saturday. The Enforcement Directorate had produced him before a special Prevention of PMLA court on Saturday, which had remanded him to six days of ED custody. Chhavi Ranjan, Director, Social Welfare, Jharkhand is suspended with immediate effect after his arrest by Enforcement Directorate, regional office under section 19 of the PMLA Act, 2002, a notification issued by the state government said on Saturday evening. The 2011-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre was arrested late on Thursday and taken into ED custody, after he was interrogated for around 10 hours. The special court had on Friday sent Ranjan to Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hotwar. The ED had earlier arrested seven people, including a Jharkhand government officer, after the raids. The central agency is investigating more than a dozen land deals, including one pertaining to defence land, wherein a group of mafias, middlemen and bureaucrats allegedly connived in forging deeds and documents from as early as 1932. Land parcels of the poor and the downtrodden were usurped as part of this fraud, sources had said. Opening of Ambhoras cable-stayed bridge hangs in balance The longest cable-stayed bridge that is awaiting final approval. By Dheeraj Fartode : Nagpurs Ambhora village has been eagerly awaiting the opening of the longest cable-stayed bridge in the country, spanning 700 metres. However, the bridge has been awaiting final approval for use for the past five months, due to a delay in approval to Public Works Department (PWD) officials visit to Austria. The construction of the bridge was completed in December 2022, with cables imported from Austria. The bridges balancing exercise, which is the final step before the bridge is ready for use, and which has to be done remotely from Austria, cannot be conducted without the presence of PWD officials there. Sensors have been installed on the bridge for the exercise, but it cannot be opened for traffic until the exercise is completed under the supervision of PWD officials there in Austria. However, the PWD officials received an approval for their trip to Austria now, while the inauguration has been fixed for May 31. With the final balancing exercise set to be conducted soon, the opening of the longest cable-stayed bridge in the country is expected to bring about a new dawn of development for the region. Villagers in Bhandara district had recently held protests against the delay in inaugurating the bridge. Project Manager Sunil Shinde told 'The Hitavada' that the bridge was completed in December 2002 and would be opened for traffic after the final bridge balancing. The bridge was constructed by T&T Infra Ltd, a Pune-based company, after the State PWD awarded a contract worth Rs 143 crore. The bridge has footpaths on both sides and two lanes of 7.5 metre wide each on which four four-wheelers can travel at a time. Five pylons have been constructed in the Wainganga river to support the bridge, with the central pylon being 40 metre tall. A viewing gallery has been constructed at the top of the central pylon for tourists. The gallery has a carpet area of 325 square metre and is covered by super-thick glass. The bridge is set to open doors of development for Kuhi and Umred tehsils, and provide a significant boost to tourism at Ambhoras Shree Chaitanyeshwar Mahadev Mandir. Located at a distance of 75 kilometres from Nagpur, Ambhora is a famous religious and tourist destination in Vidarbha. The village is situated at the confluence of five rivers - Wainganga, Kanhan, Aam, Kolari, and Murza. Tourism at Ambhora declined after the construction of the Gosikhurd dam, which led to a rise in water levels and the submergence of the river banks. However, with the construction of the new bridge, tourists will be able to see the scenic backwaters across the river bed, which is more than 50 feet deep. The bridge will also open connectivity to Bhandara district for the locals, and vehicular traffic will increase in the area, boosting tourism, according to locals. Most of the residents of the eastern parts of Kuhi tehsil and Nagpur district work as farm labourers, with no other job opportunities. (Bloomberg) -- Off the coast of Malaysia, in one of the worlds busiest shipping channels, an explosion on board the aging oil tanker Pablo ripped off its deck like a sardine can and began a fire that sent dark plumes of smoke into the sky. Most Read from Bloomberg It was a tragic accident that could have been a much larger catastrophe. The Gabon-registered ship, capable of carrying some 700,000 barrels of crude oil, was coming through the South China Sea after offloading a cargo in China and so was nearly empty. Out of its international crew of 28, officials report that 25 were rescued by passing vessels. The blast happened just beyond Singapores congested waters. But for nearby maritime authorities, the headache has just begun. There is little evidence of the owner, a Marshall Islands-registered company whose fleet contains no other ships, and no trace of insurance. Both are vital for a clean-up to begin. An Aframax-class crude oil tanker observed in Iranian waters last year, the Pablo underlines the risks that come with the expansion of a dark fleet of aging vessels moving sanctioned oil around the globe. Since the wave of sanctions that followed Russias invasion of Ukraine including the price caps imposed by the Group of Seven, intended to limit oil cash going back to the Kremlin observers in the oil trading community have reported the purchase of hundreds of old tankers by undisclosed buyers. With limited details on who is responsible for this vessel, there has been no one to hold to account as it burned just 40 nautical miles off Malaysias Pulau Tinggi island. Oil, potentially from the wreck, has been reported washing up on Indonesias coast. Story continues The Pablo casualty is tragic, and a stark reminder of what we have been saying all along: the shadow fleet poses a serious threat both to peoples lives and to the marine environment, said Rolf Thore Roppestad, chief executive officer of Gard AS, the largest of the protection and indemnity clubs that insure much of the worlds fleet against risks such as oil spills. What worries me is that there are ships like these passing through high-traffic straits every day, he added. So the likelihood of more accidents like this happening is actually quite high. The cause of the fire is still unclear, though its possible vapors from the remains of the oil cargo played a part. Regardless, when ships like the Pablo explode, the process of cleaning up the mess gets more difficult. Often, insurance companies, salvage businesses and various intermediaries begin dealing with the situation within a few hours of it happening. But almost a week after this explosion, there is little sign of the insurer to get the process moving. The Pablo is not listed in an industry database of insured vessels, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency did not answer questions on insurance. In instances where shipowners are unknown, local authorities will often press the crew for more information as they are one of the few people who know where a vessels orders are coming from. It is unclear whether that has been possible. If the owner cant be contacted, local authorities can seize the ship and try to cover what costs they can, according to Oon Thian Seng, founding partner of Singapore law firm Oon & Bazul LLP and at its associated Malaysian office, TS Oon & Partners LLP. However, its highly unlikely that selling whats left of the charred Pablo would cover the costs of removal. The dangers the Pablo, and others like it, are clear from its history. The tanker was flying the flag of Gabon, which is a very small destination for vessel registration and falls outside of something called the Paris MoU, set up to promote safe shipping. It was built in 1997, meaning its far beyond the age at which most tankers are sold as scrap. Further, had the Pablo been laden with its most recent cargo, that would have been a major spill of oil sanctioned by the US. The tanker spent two months at a shipyard near Shanghai, but before that its last two voyages were to deliver crude to Chinese ports in Shandong province, ship tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show. Data analytics firm Vortexa identifies both cargoes as Iranian heavy crude, which is sanctioned. For authorities in Singapore, one of the worlds busiest shipping hubs, the question is how to keep legitimate oil cargoes moving while avoiding accidents like this one. The Maritime and Port Authority said it had requested the assistance of 20 vessels in the region to report any sighting of the Pablos three missing crew, and reported no disruption to traffic. Officials did not comment further. Malaysian authorities said they suspended search operations on Friday evening as efforts havent turned up any sign of the crewmen. The explosion has made the ship unsafe to board, leaving it stuck off the countrys coastline for the time being. The longer it stays there, the longer it remains a visible reminder of the risks that come with an expanding shadow fleet. Sadly, its the crew, their families, and the coastal communities that are paying the price, Roppestad said. --With assistance from Ann Koh, Ravil Shirodkar, Eko Listiyorini, Norman Harsono, Alaric Nightingale and Julian Lee. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Punjab Governor takes up issue of journalists arrest with CM CHANDIGARH : PUNJAB Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday took up the issue of the arrest of a Delhi-based journalist with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and said such incidents do not give a good message about the State, official sources said. The television journalist along with two others was arrested in Ludhiana by the Punjab Police after their vehicle allegedly hit a woman, resulting in an injury to her hand. They were also accused of using derogatory language against the complainant, police said. The Governor called up Mann and conveyed his sentiments over the arrest of the woman journalist. Sources said Purohit told Mann that journalists from outside the State come here for work and if such incidents happen, it does not give a good message about the state. He also urged the chief minister to get the journalist released. The complainant had claimed that the incident took place when she was on her way to attend the inauguration of a mohalla clinic in Ludhiana on Friday. A case was registered at police station division number 3 in Ludhiana in this regard. roasted!! THE brutal roasting of Pakistan by External Affairs Minister Mr. S Jaishankar at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Goa was result of a self-inflicted mortification by the neighbouring countrys Foreign Minister Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The outspoken Pakistani minister resorted to ill-advised insolence at a multilateral platform which had gathered for a different purpose and in the process took another egg in the face. Mr. Jaishankar was at his beastly best in calling out his counterpart as a promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of terrorism industry thus giving it back to Pakistan in no uncertain terms. There was no pretense, no diplomatic niceties when the EAM launched a scathing attack on Pakistan and Mr. Bhutto Zardari after being questioned by the Pakistani media over a chance of peace talks between the two estranged neighbours. The frontal aggression by India in the presence of Pakistans all-weather friend China changes the geopolitical game in the region even as Islamabad broods over its decision to send a motormouth leader to challenge a seasoned champion! Mr. Bhutto Zardari had no business in raking up Indias internal issues at a press conference attended only by media from his own country. If he was trying to ape former Pakistan chief late General Pervez Musharrafs attempts made during the aborted Agra Summit, then Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was way off the mark. His inexperience, steeped in arrogance, made him a sitting duck to be hunted and roasted alive which Mr. Jaishankar did with aplomb. Mr. Bhutto-Zardaris Goa fiasco must now send a message to the military generals in Rawalpindi that New Delhi has changed gears and will not accept meddling in Indias internal affairs. The penchant for raising Kashmir in every talk connecting India did Mr. Bhutto Zardari in. Neither he is qualified to speak on the subject nor he has the wherewithal to challenge India. Yet, much to his own embarrassment, the Pakistani minister harped on the K word and was given a chilly reminder of the reality of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by his Indian counterpart. Smell the coffee, Article 370 is history, Mr. Jaishankars terse reminder to Pakistan will ring loudly in Islamabad and Rawalpindi for quite some time. The problem this time for Pakistani leadership, on the Kashmir issue, is that the reality has already sunk deep into their peoples psyche. Their concerns have moved well away from Kashmir to their own survival. The country is in a major economic mess, something that was also promptly reminded to Mr. Bhutto by Mr. Jaishankar. As it stares at bankruptcy, there is a double whammy of Pakistans own-grown terrorist groups turning against the country. Deep into the slush, Pakistans anti-India rhetoric is finding no takers at home as people are revolting against the flawed policies. In such circumstances, Mr. Bhutto Zardaris hubris over the Kashmir issue was never going to cut ice back at home. Another finer point of Mr. Jaishankars onslaught was a subtle reminder to China about the illegality of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India yet again told both the partners that their force multiplier project cannot violate territorial integrity of other States. New Delhi has long objected to the CPEC as it passes through Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK. This time Mr. Jaishankar chose the right moment to hit two birds with one stone. Terrorists who killed soldiers will be hunted down: Rajnath JAMMU : DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday interacted with deployed soldiers on ground in J&Ks Rajouri district sending out a clear message that terrorists involved in killing of soldiers will be hunted down. Rajnath Singh arrived at the Armys division headquarters in Rajouri along with Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Army Chief Manoj Pande. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command, Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi and field commanders briefed the Defence Minister on the ongoing operation against the terrorists in the Kandi forest and other areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts. The Defence Minister gave a clear message during his visit that the terrorists who killed soldiers will be hunted down whatever the cost, sources said. Anybody trying to disturb peace and tranquility in J&K will not be spared, Singh is reported to have said during his visit. After flying back to Jammu from Rajouri, the Defence Minister left for New Delhi in the afternoon. Five soldiers, including elite para commandos, were killed by terrorists in Kandi forest area on Friday. NORWALK Fire crews battled a blaze at a house on Silvermine Avenue on Sunday, officials say. In a release, the Norwalk Fire Department said they responded to the house fire at 1:49 p.m. on Sunday after a call reporting flames coming from the house. It said the building was a 2.5-story duplex style, multiple family house. "Upon arrival, Truck 1 and Engine 1 encountered fire coming from the rear of the house on the first and second floors," it said. "The fire was extinguished in 15 minutes by a 1st alarm assignment consisting of 3 Engines, 2 Trucks, and 1 Rescue; totaling 25 personnel." The fire department said the majority of the fire was contained to the exterior of the house and void spaces, adding four pets were safely removed by firefighters. "There were no reported injuries to firefighters," it said. "There were no reported injuries to civilians. The Norwalk Fire Marshal Division is investigating the cause of the fire." MediaNews Group/Orange County Re/MediaNews Group via Getty Images EDWARDSVILLE Six people were charged with drug-related felony charges Thursday by the Madison County States Attorneys office. Don E. Turner, 44, of Granite City, was charged May 4 with unlawful possession with intent to deliver of methamphetamine, a Class X felony. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SPRINGFIELD Schools across the state may soon start observing Constitution Day in Illinois through newly passed legislation on its way to Gov. J.B. Pritzker. House Bill 1273, carried by state Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, and state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, passed the Senate on May 4 and represents Harriss first bill to make it through the legislative process. Currently, Constitution Day is recognized federally but not by our state and so this legislation ensures that our schools are honoring this commemorative holiday and providing our students with an educational opportunity to learn more about their fundamental rights and our government, said Harriss. The bill was brought to Harriss and Elik by Madison County Regional Superintendent Rob Werden. This bill will bring Illinois into compliance with federal law and ensure that our schools are recognizing the importance of our United States Constitution, said Werden. Our students will now have an additional reminder of how important our constitution is to guaranteeing our rights and freedoms. House Bill 1273 would not give students the day off but would rather require schools to recognize Sept. 17 as a commemorative holiday. Not all Illinois schools celebrate or recognize Constitution Day, said Elik. This legislation if signed by the governor will ensure schools are celebrating and honoring the Constitution by recognizing the holiday under Illinois law. State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, signed on as a chief co-sponsor of the bill. If signed into law, the bill will go into effect July 1, 2023. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alexander Hutauruk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 8, 2023 Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has set up a special task force to further investigate the indications of money laundering involving Rp 349 trillion (US$23.2 billion) that were allegedly committed by officials within the Finance Ministry. The road ahead for the task force would conceivably be steep and winding considering the challenges in building up anti-money laundering cases in Indonesia. Just to give an example, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) being Indonesias forefront runner for corruption eradication is still facing challenges in building up a money laundering case against a former tax official due to the difficulty in discovering the predicate crime. We may understand the problem given the KPK is authorized primarily to prosecute corruption cases. But another point of view would argue that the KPK should put emphasis on the assets instead of the predicate crime. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin I Dewa Made Agung KN and Wida Reza Hardiyanti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 6 2023 In Sukadami village, West Java, just 50 kilometers from Jakarta, Karimah, a vegetable seller, struggles to provide enough food for her children. Despite her best efforts, her youngest daughter Najwa Syaqila is affected by stunting. Sukadami has the highest level of stunting in the greater metropolitan area. There are children like Najwa all over Indonesia. At the beginning of 2020, an estimated 7 million children under five years old were stunted. In Tangkil village, Bogor, also in West Java, rice fields stretch as far as the eye can see. At first glance, it would seem that food security is a non-issue here. But a closer look reveals a different story. Despite the abundance of rice and being ranked 12th in the National Food Security Index2, child stunting rates in West Java remain high at 20.2 percent. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alexander Hutauruk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 8 2023 Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has set up a special task force to further investigate the indications of money laundering involving Rp 349 trillion (US$23.2 billion) that were allegedly committed by officials within the Finance Ministry. The road ahead for the task force would conceivably be steep and winding considering the challenges in building up anti-money laundering cases in Indonesia. Just to give an example, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) being Indonesias forefront runner for corruption eradication is still facing challenges in building up a money laundering case against a former tax official due to the difficulty in discovering the predicate crime. We may understand the problem given the KPK is authorized primarily to prosecute corruption cases. But another point of view would argue that the KPK should put emphasis on the assets instead of the predicate crime. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login To learn more about the impact of a 2017 law that required many Illinois schools to test their water for lead, the Tribune requested the results officials had sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The agency turned over more than 2,100 separate spreadsheets containing information about thousands of water samples collected at public, private and charter schools throughout the state, including the amount of lead detected in parts per billion, the location of the fixture, the type of fixture and whether the sample was a first draw or was collected after a 30-second flush of the fixture. [ Toxic traces: Read the investigation on lead in water at Illinois schools ] The samples sent to the state were collected between July 2015 and September 2020, according to the data. Schools that conducted testing before the laws passage could apply for a waiver and submit those earlier results. Although the law required lead testing only at schools that serve children up to fifth grade and located in buildings built before January 2000, the spreadsheets from the state included information from some districts and schools that chose to test at additional facilities. Results from the Chicago Public Schools, the largest district in Illinois, were formatted differently than other results submitted to IDPH because of Chicagos robust water testing program, which involves collecting five samples from each fixture and, often, multiple dates for the sampling process at each school. Because of these differences, data from the spreadsheets was organized into two databases: one for the results CPS submitted to the state and the other for results from the rest of Illinois. A separate records request was made to the Chicago Public Schools in September for all available results beginning in 2016 from its ongoing testing program. The district provided results from several rounds of testing over a six-year period, from May 2016 to August 2022. Using the results from CPS and the rest of the state, the Tribune created an interactive tool that allows parents or community members to explore the results at their school or district. The tables in the lookup tool include fields that summarize the results for each school, including the highest water lead level identified, whether any water lead levels exceeded 5 parts per billion, and how many samples were identified within particular lead ranges. In reviewing the data on Chicago schools, inconsistencies emerged between the results initially provided by CPS and the Chicago results provided by the state health department, including slightly different results from the same fixtures drawn on the same dates. After reporters spoke with Chicago Public Schools officials, the district sent updated information to the Department of Public Health and the Tribune. After identifying the discrepancies in the Chicago data, the Tribune decided to run a check on the accuracy of the statewide data. The Tribune randomly selected 10% of the public school districts that had identified elevated lead levels and asked district officials whether the Illinois Department of Public Healths results matched their own records. A small number of districts could not answer the question because they could not find records related to their testing, and results from two schools had been incorrectly labeled as belonging to different schools, but no major issues arose that called the state datas integrity into question. In order to analyze the results of the lead testing, reporters had to clean up both the CPS and statewide data sets. The results were listed not by name but by school or facility ID, so the Tribune used data tables from CPS and the Illinois State Board of Education to identify the schools where the water samples were taken. For some results, the identified schools did not match the descriptions of the schools that were included in the results data; these cases were investigated and either amended or eliminated. Duplicate rows of information were removed when possible. To examine whether the state was in possession of all testing results required by the law, the Tribune had to figure out which school buildings were built before 2000. There was no single reliable source of this information, but the Tribune drew on publicly available information from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Chicago Public Schools, including building a data set of CPS building ages from individual facility assessment reports and updating a facility age database maintained by the Illinois State Board of Education using annual statistical reports. In the end, the Tribune identified almost 200 school districts that appeared eligible for testing but whose data was not in the information shared by the Illinois Department of Public Health. When reporters called a handful of the missing districts, school officials who responded each stated that they had tested the water for lead and were not sure why the state didnt have their results. An IDPH spokesperson said the agency has now notified hundreds of individual schools that testing should be completed and the results submitted. For the public schools that did submit testing, the Tribune wanted to know how many fixtures where lead levels exceeded 5 parts per billion would be found at the average students school. For each school, the number of students attending classes during the year the water samples were drawn was multiplied by the number of fixtures where an elevated level was found. The average was calculated by adding these numbers together statewide, then dividing that sum by the universe of students who attended the schools that were tested. Similar calculations were carried out for Black, white and Latino students. In those calculations, the Tribune used only the first-drawn samples on the first date that sampling occurred at each school, so counts of elevated fixtures would not be inflated by any voluntary retesting results submitted to the state or if subsequent samples were not labeled in a manner indicating they were drawn from the same fixture. In addition, although the sampling methods used in Chicago differed from those used elsewhere in the state, the first-draw samples reflected a similar protocol statewide. The Tribune also was able to use the data set obtained from the Chicago Public Schools, which included unique fixture identification numbers and multiple rounds of testing, to track how testing results at individual fixtures changed over time. To assess the impact of the law beyond the identification of fixtures at schools with elevated water lead levels, reporters spoke with roughly 40 school districts about the mitigation efforts that followed their testing and received information from an additional seven districts via public records requests. For the hundreds of districts remaining, the Tribune sent school district officials a survey asking schools to elaborate on what steps they took following the testing. In all, more than 200 districts shared details about what plumbing and maintenance renovations they undertook and what water lead levels they chose as a threshold for action. A summary of what steps districts reported taking following the testing is provided in the lookup tool alongside the schools results so readers can learn how elevated water lead levels were addressed. For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis AG (VTX:TIBN) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 49% over a half decade. Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. See our latest analysis for Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect 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). Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis became profitable within the last five years. Most would consider that to be a good thing, so it's counter-intuitive to see the share price declining. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. Arguably, the revenue drop of 21% a year for half a decade suggests that the company can't grow in the long term. That could explain the weak share price. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We know that Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis has improved its bottom line lately, but what does the future have in store? If you are thinking of buying or selling Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts. What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? We've already covered Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis' share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Dividends have been really beneficial for Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 46%, over the last 5 years, isn't as bad as the share price return. Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 1.3% in the last year, Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis shareholders lost 0.9%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. However, the loss over the last year isn't as bad as the 8% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. 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. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Bergbahnen Engelberg-Trubsee-Titlis you should know about. If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Photo: Its looking like springtime at the Baruch Houses. In the news this week: Around 16% of patrol cops in the NYPD are new to the force, but in some precincts the numbers are a lot higher. For instance, one-third of the police officers in Manhattans 7th Precinct, which covers the Lower East Side and where the number of reported crimes rose by 52% between 2019 and 2022, were hired in 2021. Half of the 90 police officers there have spent less than 3.8 years in the force. [The City] After a deadly parking garage collapse in Lower Manhattan last month, the city has ordered the partial or total closure of several other parking facilities, including garages on Madison Street and East 9th Street. [New York Post] A City Council District 1 candidate forum is coming up May 24. You can register here. Nonprofits have been trying to raise awareness about the low salaries paid to frontline workers. University Settlement, which runs many neighborhood programs, provides one example. [CBS New York] A look at how financing came together to pay for the conversion of a hotel at 91 East Broadway into a safe haven operated by Care for the Homeless. [Commercial Observer] An ugly family feud threatens the future of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, one of Chinatowns oldest restaurants. [Grub Street] Part of Corlears Hook Park will be inaccessible due to construction on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. Heres the advisory. Heres a look at some of the Community Board 3 meetings coming up this week: the Landmarks Committee will take up a plan to build a new residential tower behind St. Augustines Church; the transportation committee will consider a loading zone at 55 Suffolk St. to accommodate move-ins at the Gotham Organizations new luxury tower; and the Parks Department will hear updates from city agencies regarding construction along the East River due to resiliency projects. [CB3] The Lower East Side nightlife spot, Double Chicken Please, has been named best bar in North America. Last years winner, Attaboy, is still on the list but drops to number 13. [Crains] Recalling the violent legacy and short life of the Lower East Side gangster Jack Zelig. [Tablet] Here are a few suggestions for local happenings that are on our radar: Check out the full array of ongoing events happening in the neighborhood for Lower East Side History Month at The Peoples LES website. Over 70 Lower East Side cultural and community groups, small businesses, and residents are hosting a variety of public events, exhibits, tours, and festivals. The Native New York Childrens Festival returns to the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian highlighting the exhibition Native New York on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14, 11a 5p. Hands-on activities include corn husk dollmaking with cornstalk fibers. Participants can learn how to do traditional Tuscarora beadwork, listen to Haudenosaunee stories, and learn about lacrosse. John Wray will read from his newest book, Gone to the Wolves, with an audience Q&A, and book signing, on Sunday, May 14, from 5-6 pm at P&T Knitwear. A wild somersault of a book with pitch perfect humor and pitch black darkness. John Wray dives deep into the wild, risky world of heavy metal in the 1980s and 90s in a love letter to metal that captures both its brutal kinetics and its nearness to the sublime. Soul Projects Truth and Beauty , directed & choreographed by Candace Brown, premiers at Dixon Place on May 11 19. The company is a collective of unique, captivating, and exceptional artists who use movement to tell stories, inspire audiences, and uplift souls. , directed & choreographed by Candace Brown, premiers at Dixon Place on May 11 19. The company is a collective of unique, captivating, and exceptional artists who use movement to tell stories, inspire audiences, and uplift souls. Open Studios returns to The Clemente on Saturday, May 20 from 4-8 pm and Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 2-6pm. The weekend feature five floors of visual and performing arts, with over 46 artist studios and 11 organizations participating. Find more local events on our calendar and submit your own HERE. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Almaden Minerals (NYSE:AAU Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the stock. Almaden Minerals Price Performance Shares of Almaden Minerals stock opened at $0.13 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 18.39 and a current ratio of 18.39. The firm has a market cap of $17.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.86 and a beta of 0.93. Almaden Minerals has a 1-year low of $0.12 and a 1-year high of $0.35. Get Almaden Minerals alerts: About Almaden Minerals (Get Rating) Further Reading Almaden Minerals Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It focuses on the operation of Ixtaca gold-silver deposit. The company was founded by James Duane Poliquin on February 1, 2002 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Almaden Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Almaden Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Alpha Pro Tech (NYSE:APT Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Saturday. The firm issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Alpha Pro Tech Stock Down 1.0 % Shares of NYSE APT opened at $3.96 on Friday. Alpha Pro Tech has a 1-year low of $3.81 and a 1-year high of $4.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $49.00 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.23 and a beta of -0.77. Get Alpha Pro Tech alerts: Alpha Pro Tech Company Profile (Get Rating) Further Reading Alpha Pro Tech Ltd. engages in the business of protecting people, products and environment. It develops, manufactures and markets disposable and limited use protective apparel products for the industries, clean room, medical and dental markets. The company operates through the Disposable Protective Apparel and Building Supply segments. Receive News & Ratings for Alpha Pro Tech Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alpha Pro Tech and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated their buy rating on shares of AstraZeneca (LON:AZN Get Rating) in a report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a 130 ($162.42) price objective on the biopharmaceutical companys stock. A number of other brokerages have also commented on AZN. Barclays reiterated an overweight rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Credit Suisse Group set a 118 ($147.43) price objective on AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 10th. Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on AstraZeneca from 127 ($158.67) to 119 ($148.68) in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a 124 ($154.92) price objective on AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, March 16th. 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, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of 119.32 ($149.07). Get AstraZeneca alerts: AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of AZN opened at 119.22 ($148.95) on Wednesday. AstraZeneca has a 1 year low of GBX 9,399 ($117.43) and a 1 year high of 123.92 ($154.82). The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 84.02. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of 113.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of 111.34. The stock has a market cap of 184.79 billion, a PE ratio of 7,404.97, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.17. AstraZeneca Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of GBX 162.80 ($2.03) per share. This is a boost from AstraZenecas previous dividend of $76.40. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 23rd. This represents a yield of 1.51%. AstraZenecas payout ratio is presently 14,844.72%. In related news, insider Michel Demare acquired 2,000 shares of AstraZeneca stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of 117.01 ($146.19) per share, with a total value of 234,020 ($292,378.81). 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. AstraZeneca Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for AstraZeneca Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AstraZeneca and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boise Cascade (NYSE:BCC Get Rating) issued its earnings results on Friday. The construction company reported $2.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.62, Briefing.com reports. Boise Cascade had a return on equity of 33.68% and a net margin of 8.57%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.61 EPS. The companys revenue was down 33.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Boise Cascade Stock Performance BCC stock opened at $70.14 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 1.52. Boise Cascade has a 1 year low of $55.14 and a 1 year high of $85.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 3.78 and a quick ratio of 2.50. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $64.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.85. Get Boise Cascade alerts: Boise Cascade Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. Boise Cascades dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.66%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Boise Cascade Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Boise Cascade in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd lifted its position in Boise Cascade by 340.0% during the second quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,782 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Boise Cascade by 9.7% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,930 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Boise Cascade by 61.9% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,385 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 912 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prelude Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Boise Cascade during the third quarter valued at $201,000. 92.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Boise Cascade in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Boise Cascade has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.25. About Boise Cascade (Get Rating) Boise Cascade Co engages in the manufacture and distribution of engineered wood products (EWP) and plywood. It operates through the Wood Products and Building Materials Distribution (BMD) segments. The Wood Products segment manufactures and sells engineered wood products, plywood, particleboard, studs and ponderosa pine lumber. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Boise Cascade Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boise Cascade and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Buffalo Coal Corp. (CVE:BUF Get Rating) shares crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$0.01 and traded as low as C$0.01. Buffalo Coal shares last traded at C$0.01, with a volume of 26,000 shares traded. Buffalo Coal Trading Up 100.0 % The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$0.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.02. The firm has a market capitalization of C$7.37 million, a PE ratio of -3.33 and a beta of 0.58. About Buffalo Coal (Get Rating) Buffalo Coal Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a coal mining company in South Africa. It primarily focuses on the Aviemore anthracite mine covering an area of approximately 5,513 hectares and Magdalena mine covering an area of approximately 1,844 hectares located in the Kwa-Zulu, Natal Province of South Africa. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Buffalo Coal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Buffalo Coal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CAE Inc. (TSE:CAE Get Rating) (NYSE:CAE) has been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the nine brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$36.78. A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. CIBC boosted their target price on CAE from C$33.00 to C$37.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on CAE from C$35.00 to C$37.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Scotiabank upped their target price on CAE from C$37.00 to C$38.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on CAE from C$30.00 to C$35.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, National Bankshares upped their target price on CAE from C$34.00 to C$37.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Get CAE alerts: CAE Stock Up 0.7 % Shares of TSE CAE opened at C$29.55 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of C$9.39 billion, a PE ratio of 52.77, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 2.02. CAE has a 52-week low of C$20.90 and a 52-week high of C$35.18. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$30.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$28.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.28, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.97. CAE Company Profile CAE ( TSE:CAE Get Rating ) (NYSE:CAE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported C$0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.25 by C$0.03. CAE had a return on equity of 4.42% and a net margin of 4.60%. The business had revenue of C$1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.04 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that CAE will post 1.1705905 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) CAE Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides simulation training and critical operations support solutions worldwide. It operates through three segments: Civil Aviation, Defense and Security, and Healthcare. The Civil Aviation segment provides training solutions for flight, cabin, maintenance, and ground personnel in commercial, business, and helicopter aviation; flight simulation training devices; and ab initio pilot training and crew sourcing services, as well as end to end digitally enabled crew management, training operations solutions, and optimization software. Read More Receive News & Ratings for CAE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CAE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cannon Global Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 54,200 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $726,000. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust accounts for about 1.1% of Cannon Global Investment Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 1.2% in the third quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 58,938 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $855,000 after acquiring an additional 724 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 0.5% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 280,528 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,070,000 after acquiring an additional 1,303 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 3.5% in the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 38,154 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $632,000 after acquiring an additional 1,305 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 1.6% in the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 83,448 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,209,000 after acquiring an additional 1,308 shares during the period. Finally, Truist Financial Corp increased its stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 6.5% in the third quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 21,875 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $317,000 after acquiring an additional 1,332 shares during the period. Get Pebblebrook Hotel Trust alerts: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Price Performance Shares of PEB stock traded up $0.49 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $14.62. 2,087,069 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,229,149. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has a fifty-two week low of $12.37 and a fifty-two week high of $24.30. The stocks fifty day moving average is $14.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.71. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Announces Dividend Pebblebrook Hotel Trust ( NYSE:PEB Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.34) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.52). Pebblebrook Hotel Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.34% and a negative net margin of 0.73%. The company had revenue of $319.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.55 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.06 earnings per share. Pebblebrook Hotel Trusts revenue for the quarter was up 29.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Pebblebrook Hotel Trust will post 1.62 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.27%. Pebblebrook Hotel Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently -10.26%. Analyst Ratings Changes PEB has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $15.25 to $15.50 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. 92 Resources restated a maintains rating on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.70. Insider Activity at Pebblebrook Hotel Trust In other Pebblebrook Hotel Trust news, CEO Jon E. Bortz acquired 14,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $13.62 per share, for a total transaction of $190,680.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,108,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,092,349.24. 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 acquired 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $12.95 per share, for a total transaction of $142,450.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,122,102 shares in the company, valued at $14,531,220.90. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Jon E. Bortz bought 14,000 shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $13.62 per share, for a total transaction of $190,680.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 1,108,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,092,349.24. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired 39,865 shares of company stock worth $555,064 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock. 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hess Co. (NYSE:HES Get Rating) Investment analysts at Capital One Financial cut their Q2 2023 earnings estimates for shares of Hess in a research report issued on Wednesday, May 3rd. Capital One Financial analyst P. Johnston now anticipates that the oil and gas producer will post earnings of $1.09 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.39. The consensus estimate for Hess current full-year earnings is $6.03 per share. Capital One Financial also issued estimates for Hess Q3 2023 earnings at $1.39 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $1.48 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $5.09 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $8.23 EPS. Get Hess alerts: Hess (NYSE:HES Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $2.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.37 billion. Hess had a net margin of 18.47% and a return on equity of 25.85%. The companys revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. Hess Price Performance Several other research firms also recently weighed in on HES. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Hess from a buy rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $161.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Hess from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Hess from $179.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Hess from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $181.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Hess from $156.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hess has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $168.94. HES opened at $136.30 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $136.13 and a 200-day moving average of $140.26. The company has a market capitalization of $41.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.53 and a beta of 1.57. Hess has a 1-year low of $90.34 and a 1-year high of $160.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 1.65. Hess Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 13th were given a $0.438 dividend. This is a boost from Hesss previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 10th. This represents a $1.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.29%. Hesss dividend payout ratio is 25.07%. Insider Transactions at Hess In other news, COO Gregory P. Hill sold 6,123 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.41, for a total value of $841,361.43. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 123,846 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,017,678.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, COO Gregory P. Hill sold 6,123 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.41, for a total value of $841,361.43. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 123,846 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,017,678.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Richard D. Lynch sold 33,191 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.84, for a total transaction of $4,608,238.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 23,622 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,279,678.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 53,721 shares of company stock valued at $7,391,691. Company insiders own 9.93% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Hess Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Hess by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. now owns 10,814 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,431,000 after acquiring an additional 1,868 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Hess by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 17,049 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $2,256,000 after acquiring an additional 3,122 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hess by 8.3% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 10,828 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,433,000 after acquiring an additional 832 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Hess by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 153,093 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $20,260,000 after acquiring an additional 13,875 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hess by 31.6% in the 1st quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,975 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $261,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares in the last quarter. 86.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Hess (Get Rating) Hess Corp is an exploration and production company, which engages in exploration, development, production, transportation, purchase & sale of crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas with production operations. It operates through the following segments: Exploration and Production and Midstream. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hess Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hess and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Usually, when one insider buys stock, it might not be a monumental event. But when multiple insiders are buying like they did in the case of Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Limited (LON:SREI), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. See our latest analysis for Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Chairman Alastair Hughes for UK50k worth of shares, at about UK0.57 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of UK0.46. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. In the last twelve months Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insiders At Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Have Bought Stock Recently We saw some Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust insider buying shares in the last three months. Independent Non-Executive Director Stephen Bligh bought UK29k worth of shares in that time. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. But the amount invested in the last three months isn't enough for us too put much weight on it, as a single factor. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From what we can see in our data, insiders own only about UK225k worth of Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust shares. It's always possible we are missing something but from our data, it looks like insider ownership is minimal. So What Do The Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Insider Transactions Indicate? Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. That said, the purchases were not large. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust insiders bought more shares in the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust you should be aware of, and 2 of them shouldn't be ignored. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Shares of Dollarama Inc. (TSE:DOL Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the twelve research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$89.55. DOL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. CIBC boosted their target price on shares of Dollarama from C$84.00 to C$89.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. National Bankshares boosted their price objective on shares of Dollarama from C$90.00 to C$92.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Desjardins reiterated a buy rating on shares of Dollarama in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Get Dollarama alerts: Dollarama Price Performance Dollarama stock opened at C$82.96 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of C$23.60 billion, a PE ratio of 30.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.72. Dollarama has a 52-week low of C$64.79 and a 52-week high of C$85.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14,849.75. The companys 50 day moving average is C$80.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$80.48. Dollarama Increases Dividend Dollarama ( TSE:DOL Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 29th. The company reported C$0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.83 by C$0.08. Dollarama had a net margin of 15.87% and a return on equity of 2,563.29%. The firm had revenue of C$1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$1.36 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Dollarama will post 3.7099912 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 5th were paid a $0.071 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 13th. This is a boost from Dollaramas previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.34%. Dollaramas payout ratio is 10.14%. Insider Buying and Selling at Dollarama In other Dollarama news, Senior Officer Johanne Choiniere sold 8,482 shares of Dollarama stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$80.63, for a total value of C$683,862.10. Corporate insiders own 3.97% of the companys stock. About Dollarama (Get Rating) Dollarama Inc operates a chain of dollar stores in Canada. Its stores offer general merchandise, consumables, and seasonal products. The company also sells its products through online store. As of July 31, 2022, it operated 1,444 stores. The company was formerly known as Dollarama Capital Corporation and changed its name to Dollarama Inc in September 2009. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Dollarama Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dollarama and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EIG Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 26th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a dividend of 0.28 per share by the financial services provider on Wednesday, May 24th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. This is a positive change from Employerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Employers has raised its dividend by an average of 5.4% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 2 years. Employers has a dividend payout ratio of 32.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Employers to earn $3.43 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.12 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 32.7%. Get Employers alerts: Employers Stock Performance Shares of EIG stock opened at $38.81 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $42.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.63. Employers has a one year low of $32.58 and a one year high of $46.73. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.27 and a beta of 0.24. Analyst Ratings Changes Employers ( NYSE:EIG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.03. Employers had a net margin of 9.67% and a return on equity of 9.26%. The company had revenue of $206.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $206.81 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.33 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 35.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Employers will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year. A number of equities research analysts have commented on EIG shares. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Employers from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised shares of Employers from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott assumed coverage on shares of Employers in a research report on Friday, February 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd grew its position in shares of Employers by 510.1% in the 1st quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 970 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 811 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main purchased a new position in Employers during the 2nd quarter worth $80,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in Employers during the 4th quarter worth $86,000. UBS Group AG grew its position in Employers by 1,964.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,519 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 2,397 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors grew its position in Employers by 49.1% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,712 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $111,000 after purchasing an additional 893 shares during the last quarter. 78.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Employers (Get Rating) Employers Holdings, Inc engages in the provision of workers compensation products and services. It operates through following segments: Employers, Cerity, and Corporate and Others. The Employers segment includes traditional business offered under the EMPLOYERS brand name through agents. The Cerity segment operates under the Cerity brand name, which includes direct-to-customer business. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Employers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Employers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hostmore plc (LON:MORE Get Rating) insider David Lis purchased 100,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 18 ($0.22) per share, with a total value of 18,000 ($22,488.76). Hostmore Price Performance Shares of LON MORE opened at GBX 18.93 ($0.24) on Friday. Hostmore plc has a 1 year low of GBX 10.80 ($0.13) and a 1 year high of GBX 60.05 ($0.75). The stock has a market capitalization of 23.87 million and a P/E ratio of -378.50. The companys 50-day moving average is GBX 13.75 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 14.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 168.71, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.41. Get Hostmore alerts: About Hostmore (Get Rating) Featured Articles Hostmore plc operates in the hospitality business. The company operates American-themed casual dining restaurants under the Fridays brand; and cocktail-led bar and restaurants under the 63rd+1st brand. The company was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Hostmore Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hostmore and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Industrias Bachoco (NYSE:IBA Get Rating) in a research report released on Wednesday morning. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the stock. Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Industrias Bachoco from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $56.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Get Industrias Bachoco alerts: Industrias Bachoco Stock Performance IBA opened at $53.00 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 3.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a market cap of $2.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.62 and a beta of 0.72. Industrias Bachoco has a 52-week low of $38.04 and a 52-week high of $66.25. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $57.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $53.38. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Industrias Bachoco Industrias Bachoco ( NYSE:IBA Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.27). The business had revenue of $1.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.21 billion. Industrias Bachoco had a net margin of 6.11% and a return on equity of 11.59%. Equities analysts anticipate that Industrias Bachoco will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Industrias Bachoco by 64.4% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 25,401 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,169,000 after purchasing an additional 9,951 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Industrias Bachoco during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $205,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Industrias Bachoco during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $201,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Industrias Bachoco by 881.5% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,201 shares of the companys stock valued at $193,000 after acquiring an additional 3,773 shares during the period. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Industrias Bachoco by 62.5% in the 2nd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 9,455 shares of the companys stock valued at $410,000 after acquiring an additional 3,636 shares during the period. 3.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Industrias Bachoco Company Profile (Get Rating) Industrias Bachoco SAB de CV is a holding company, which engages breeding, processing, marketing poultry, such as chicken, eggs, balanced feed, swine, and other products. It operates through Poultry and Other segments. The Poultry segment includes chicken and egg operations. The Other segment consists of operations of swine, balanced feed for animal consumption and other by-products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Industrias Bachoco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Industrias Bachoco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.64-2.74 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.55. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.51-6.63 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.41 billion. Ingersoll Rand also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.64-$2.74 EPS. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth IR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Barclays upped their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $64.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $66.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ingersoll Rand currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $59.30. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Ingersoll Rand Stock Up 3.6 % NYSE:IR traded up $2.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $59.17. 3,022,148 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,189,572. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $56.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $54.71. Ingersoll Rand has a one year low of $39.28 and a one year high of $60.39. The company has a market cap of $23.96 billion, a PE ratio of 36.52 and a beta of 1.42. Ingersoll Rand Dividend Announcement Ingersoll Rand ( NYSE:IR Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.13. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.54 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.64 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Ingersoll Rand will post 2.39 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.14%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 23rd. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.94%. Insider Transactions at Ingersoll Rand In other news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 25,000 shares of Ingersoll Rand stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 102,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,360. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.75% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ingersoll Rand Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 16,258 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $849,000 after acquiring an additional 1,154 shares during the last quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ingersoll Rand in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Point72 Middle East FZE purchased a new position in Ingersoll Rand during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,958,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 213,005 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $11,130,000 after buying an additional 3,991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CI Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Ingersoll Rand during the 4th quarter valued at about $723,000. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Intrepid Potash (NYSE:IPI Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Saturday. A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on IPI. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Intrepid Potash from $35.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Friday. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Intrepid Potash from $38.00 to $29.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 11th. Get Intrepid Potash alerts: Intrepid Potash Trading Down 2.1 % NYSE:IPI opened at $20.92 on Friday. Intrepid Potash has a 12 month low of $20.82 and a 12 month high of $74.66. The company has a market cap of $275.73 million, a PE ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 2.01. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $27.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.67. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Intrepid Potash ( NYSE:IPI Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The basic materials company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.12). Intrepid Potash had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 14.15%. The company had revenue of $86.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $66.99 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Intrepid Potash will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year. A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of IPI. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Intrepid Potash in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Intrepid Potash during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Point72 Middle East FZE purchased a new stake in shares of Intrepid Potash during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Intrepid Potash during the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors raised its position in shares of Intrepid Potash by 480.3% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 882 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 730 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.35% of the companys stock. Intrepid Potash Company Profile (Get Rating) Intrepid Potash, Inc is a diversified mineral company, which engages in the delivery of potassium, magnesium, sulfur, salt, and water products essential for customer success in agriculture, animal feed, and the oil and gas industry. It operates through the following segments: Potash, Trio, and Oilfield Solutions. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Intrepid Potash Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intrepid Potash and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jag Capital Management LLC lowered its position in American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 60.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,848 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 39,745 shares during the period. Jag Capital Management LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $3,819,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in American Express by 79.6% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,713,458 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $366,073,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202,912 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in American Express by 1.5% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 44,553,661 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $6,010,732,000 after purchasing an additional 665,857 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in American Express by 42.5% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,110,826 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $284,769,000 after purchasing an additional 629,960 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in American Express by 10.2% during the third quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 6,525,852 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $880,402,000 after purchasing an additional 602,762 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in American Express during the third quarter valued at about $69,235,000. Institutional investors own 83.30% of the companys stock. Get American Express alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on American Express from $194.00 to $185.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on American Express from $179.00 to $167.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on American Express from $186.00 to $181.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on American Express from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $175.67. Insider Buying and Selling at American Express American Express Price Performance In other American Express news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 5,456 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.52, for a total transaction of $952,181.12. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,229,493.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In other news, insider Monique Herena sold 15,217 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.18, for a total transaction of $2,635,280.06. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 13,712 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,374,644.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 5,456 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.52, for a total value of $952,181.12. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,229,493.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 49,361 shares of company stock worth $8,773,678 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.12% of the companys stock. NYSE:AXP opened at $152.65 on Friday. American Express has a 12 month low of $130.65 and a 12 month high of $182.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The businesss 50-day moving average is $163.13 and its 200 day moving average is $158.77. The company has a market capitalization of $113.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.18. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The payment services company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.66 by ($0.26). American Express had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 29.44%. The company had revenue of $14.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.73 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that American Express will post 11.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. American Express Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.57%. American Expresss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.24%. American Express declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, March 8th that allows the company to buyback 120,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the payment services company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued. American Express Company Profile (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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Murphy Oil Co. (NYSE:MUR Get Rating) have received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $47.70. MUR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on Murphy Oil in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. They issued a neutral rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com started coverage on Murphy Oil in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Murphy Oil from $34.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Murphy Oil from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price objective on Murphy Oil from $51.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Get Murphy Oil alerts: Murphy Oil Price Performance MUR opened at $34.70 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 2.37. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $37.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.65. Murphy Oil has a 52-week low of $25.97 and a 52-week high of $51.28. Murphy Oil Dividend Announcement Murphy Oil ( NYSE:MUR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The oil and gas producer reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $841.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $777.23 million. Murphy Oil had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 19.42%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 52.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Murphy Oil will post 5.45 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a $0.275 dividend. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. Murphy Oils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.63%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, VP Louis W. Utsch sold 10,902 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.50, for a total transaction of $474,237.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,504 shares in the company, valued at approximately $413,424. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, VP Paul D. Vaughan sold 9,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.30, for a total value of $392,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,716 shares of the companys stock, valued at $194,770.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Louis W. Utsch sold 10,902 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.50, for a total value of $474,237.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 9,504 shares of the companys stock, valued at $413,424. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy Oil Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Murphy Oil by 73.5% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 21,212 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $857,000 after purchasing an additional 8,987 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 45.2% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 15,252 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $616,000 after acquiring an additional 4,749 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 22.5% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 10,669 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 1,961 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 446,302 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $18,026,000 after acquiring an additional 9,758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 53,213 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $2,149,000 after acquiring an additional 5,075 shares during the last quarter. 77.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Murphy Oil (Get Rating) Murphy Oil Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the Exploration and Production and Corporate and Other segment. The Exploration and Production segment includes the United States, Canada, and all other countries. The Corporate and Other segment focuses on interest income, other gains and losses, interest expense, and unallocated overhead. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Murphy Oil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Murphy Oil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.55-$2.75 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.66. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Northwest Natural also updated its FY23 guidance to $2.55-2.75 EPS. Northwest Natural Price Performance NWN traded down $1.28 on Friday, hitting $47.05. 137,618 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 114,045. Northwest Natural has a fifty-two week low of $42.37 and a fifty-two week high of $55.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $47.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.89. The stock has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.45, a P/E/G ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 0.59. Get Northwest Natural alerts: Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.08. Northwest Natural had a net margin of 8.85% and a return on equity of 8.69%. The company had revenue of $462.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $365.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.80 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 32.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Northwest Natural will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current year. Northwest Natural Announces Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.485 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.12%. Northwest Naturals dividend payout ratio is presently 67.83%. Several research firms have recently commented on NWN. StockNews.com lowered Northwest Natural from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Northwest Natural in a report on Friday, March 10th. Maxim Group lowered Northwest Natural from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Northwest Natural from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Friday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Northwest Natural currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $48.25. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northwest Natural A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 8.2% during the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,581 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $289,000 after purchasing an additional 422 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Northwest Natural by 80.0% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 234,887 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $12,149,000 after buying an additional 104,423 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Northwest Natural by 20.5% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 6,526 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $338,000 after buying an additional 1,108 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Northwest Natural by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 464,297 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $24,014,000 after buying an additional 7,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 11,286 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $584,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. 74.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Northwest Natural (Get Rating) Northwest Natural Holding Co engages in the local distribution of gas and water through its subsidiaries. It supplies natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Oregon and southwest Washington. The company founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Portland, OR. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Northwest Natural Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northwest Natural and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $20.60-20.90 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $19.68. Parker-Hannifin also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $20.60-$20.90 EPS. Parker-Hannifin Price Performance NYSE:PH opened at $333.30 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.49. Parker-Hannifin has a 52-week low of $230.44 and a 52-week high of $364.57. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $328.90 and a 200 day moving average of $315.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.25. Get Parker-Hannifin alerts: Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $5.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.01 by $0.92. Parker-Hannifin had a return on equity of 29.14% and a net margin of 8.28%. The company had revenue of $5.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.83 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 23.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Parker-Hannifin will post 20.46 EPS for the current fiscal year. Parker-Hannifin Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $1.48 per share. This is an increase from Parker-Hannifins previous quarterly dividend of $1.33. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. Parker-Hannifins dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.06%. A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on PH shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Parker-Hannifin from $311.00 to $374.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Parker-Hannifin from $376.00 to $383.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Parker-Hannifin from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Parker-Hannifin from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Parker-Hannifin from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $372.08. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Chairman Thomas L. Williams sold 38,098 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.63, for a total value of $13,434,497.74. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 229,027 shares of the companys stock, valued at $80,761,791.01. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Parker-Hannifin news, VP Mark T. Czaja sold 430 shares of Parker-Hannifin stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $351.70, for a total transaction of $151,231.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 507 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $178,311.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Thomas L. Williams sold 38,098 shares of Parker-Hannifin stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.63, for a total value of $13,434,497.74. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 229,027 shares in the company, valued at $80,761,791.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.37% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Parker-Hannifin Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PH. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Parker-Hannifin in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its position in shares of Parker-Hannifin by 186.3% in the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 146 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Parker-Hannifin in the 4th quarter worth approximately $87,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Parker-Hannifin by 142.8% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 335 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Manhattan Co. raised its holdings in Parker-Hannifin by 1,173.3% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 382 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. 81.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Parker-Hannifin (Get Rating) Parker-Hannifin Corp. engages in the manufacture of motion and control technologies and systems. It operates through Diversified Industrial and Aerospace Systems segments. The Diversified Industrial segment sells products to both original equipment manufacturers and distributors who serve the replacement markets in manufacturing, packaging, processing, transportation, mobile construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, agricultural and military machinery, and equipment industries. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Parker-Hannifin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Parker-Hannifin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. (Bloomberg) -- Investors are bailing on preferred shares at a historic clip because of the growing concern about the health of US regional banks. Most Read from Bloomberg A $12.2 billion iShares exchange-traded fund tracking the wider preferred market sank 5.1% last week, marking one of the biggest selloffs since the global financial crisis. Preferreds, a kind of hybrid security, are popular with banks because they help meet capital requirements without diluting shareholders. But now, the market is being upended in a selloff fueled by regional bank failures. Issuance by banks is running at its slowest pace since 2018, and money managers say trading in the secondary market is a challenge. Without issuance and with money on sidelines, its just what do you do?, said Allen Hassan, head of preferred stock trading at Ziegler Capital Markets, who has been trading the securities for more than 20 years. It doesnt feel like theres a lot of confidence out there. Traders describe an illiquid market thats become difficult to navigate, with big gaps appearing in prices from day to day. Part of the issue is that few are willing to buy riskier preferreds given the recent string of regional bank failures, they say. First Republic Banks preferreds were effectively wiped out after the failed lender was bought by JPMorgan Chase & Co. First Horizon Corps preferreds tumbled 26% in the week after scrapping its merger with Toronto-Dominion Bank. The shares are now indicated at $17.4, or just under 70% of face value. To long-time watchers, like Collin Martin, a director and fixed income strategist at Charles Schwab & Co., the price declines are some of the sharpest since the global financial crisis. Story continues Big investors have also been getting out. Cohen & Steers Inc. cut exposure to regional bank preferreds, while Spectrum Asset Management, founded by outspoken market veteran Mark Lieb, sold First Republic Bank preferreds in the weeks before it collapsed. Preferreds rank above common equity, but below all types of debt and pay high dividends. The securities are typically perpetual, but banks often redeem them early if they can replace them at cheaper rates. But with effective yields now at the highest in 12 years, according to an ICE BofA index, analysts say banks are more likely to skip their call options. Refinancing is too expensive in the current market, though most big US banks dont need to raise new capital at the moment, said Martin at Charles Schwab. For smaller lenders, it could spell trouble. They rely on preferred shares to fulfill regulatory requirements and with investors demanding sky-high dividends, theyve effectively been shut out of the market. Preferred shares are the US equivalent of European banks additional tier 1 bonds, which drew attention recently after a historic $17 billion wipeout of Credit Suisse Group AG notes. Unlike preferreds, AT1s have more complex mechanisms to force losses on bondholders at times of stress, including conversion into common equity or loss of principal. Exchange-traded preferreds with first calls this year and next are indicated more than $3 below their face value of $25 on average, a sign that more banks may skip their calls, based on data compiled by Bloomberg. Even so, some investors are spying opportunity in the wreckage. The iShares preferred ETF rebounded 1.5% on Friday, the first gain in five days. You have to buy them when theres blood in the water, said Zieglers Hassan. This product will be the cheapest paper to buy out there. There will be a lot of money to make. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Leidos (NYSE:LDOS Get Rating) had its target price cut by Royal Bank of Canada from $100.00 to $90.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on LDOS. StockNews.com lowered Leidos from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Leidos from $111.00 to $105.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Barclays reduced their price target on Leidos from $116.00 to $103.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup reduced their price target on Leidos from $130.00 to $124.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Leidos from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price target for the company from $120.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Five 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, Leidos currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $102.00. Get Leidos alerts: Leidos Stock Up 1.7 % LDOS stock opened at $80.83 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.09 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.76. Leidos has a 1-year low of $78.58 and a 1-year high of $110.91. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $91.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.78. Leidos Announces Dividend Leidos ( NYSE:LDOS Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The aerospace company reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.65 billion. Leidos had a return on equity of 21.00% and a net margin of 4.60%. The firms revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.58 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Leidos will post 6.57 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.78%. Leidoss payout ratio is 29.63%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. First Republic Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,567 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $2,061,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Utah Retirement Systems raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 24,460 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $2,139,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 1,377 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $120,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC now owns 6,651 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $718,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,591 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $273,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.74% of the companys stock. Leidos Company Profile (Get Rating) Leidos Holdings, Inc engages in the provision of services and solutions in the defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. It operates through the following three segments: Defense Solutions, Civil, and Health. The Defense Solutions segment provides services, solutions, and products focusing on digital modernization, mission systems and integration, Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technologies and services, maritime solutions, transformative software, analytics, intelligence analysis, mission support and logistics services, weapons systems and space systems and solutions. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Leidos Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Leidos and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Samsara Inc. (NYSE:IOT Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Hold by the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.82. Several research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Samsara from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Samsara in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut Samsara from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and raised their price target for the company from $18.00 to $19.00 in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Piper Sandler began coverage on Samsara in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. They set a neutral rating and a $21.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Samsara from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Get Samsara alerts: Samsara Stock Performance Samsara stock opened at $18.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -37.56 and a beta of 1.00. Samsara has a 52-week low of $8.42 and a 52-week high of $22.59. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $19.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.72. Insider Transactions at Samsara Samsara ( NYSE:IOT Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.13) by $0.11. The company had revenue of $186.58 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.77 million. Samsara had a negative return on equity of 21.20% and a negative net margin of 37.92%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Samsara will post -0.42 EPS for the current year. In other news, insider John Bicket sold 90,295 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total transaction of $1,557,588.75. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,807 shares of the companys stock, valued at $479,670.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Sanjit Biswas sold 89,800 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $1,549,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 91,438 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,577,305.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider John Bicket sold 90,295 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $1,557,588.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $479,670.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 5,214,928 shares of company stock valued at $98,557,476. Insiders own 81.12% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Samsara Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Barclays PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Samsara during the first quarter worth about $108,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Samsara by 96.7% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 347,016 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,843,000 after buying an additional 170,638 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Institute of Technology purchased a new position in Samsara during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $4,692,000. Jump Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Samsara by 267.6% in the 1st quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 59,195 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,167,000 after purchasing an additional 43,093 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Samsara in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $370,994,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 43.05% of the companys stock. About Samsara (Get Rating) Samsara Inc provides solutions that connect physical operations data to its Connected Operations Cloud in the United States and internationally. The company's Connected Operations Cloud includes Data Platform, which ingests, aggregates, and enriches data from its IoT devices and has embedded capabilities for AI, workflows and analytics, alerts, API connections, and data security and privacy; and applications for video-based safety, vehicle telematics, apps and driver workflows, equipment monitoring, and site visibility. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Samsara Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Samsara and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Get Rating) (NYSE:CNI) had its price target increased by Scotiabank from C$169.00 to C$172.00 in a report published on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. CNR has been the subject of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$169.00 to C$171.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. UBS Group upped their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$184.00 to C$192.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. ATB Capital lifted their price target on Canadian National Railway from C$175.00 to C$180.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$156.00 to C$154.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$175.00 to C$190.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of C$169.34. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Canadian National Railway Trading Up 1.5 % Shares of Canadian National Railway stock opened at C$163.07 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 81.35. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of C$160.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$162.02. The stock has a market cap of C$108.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.69. Canadian National Railway has a 12-month low of C$137.26 and a 12-month high of C$175.39. Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend Canadian National Railway Company Profile The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.94%. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio is currently 39.75%. (Get Rating) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail and related transportation business. The company's portfolio of goods includes petroleum and chemicals, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals and minerals, forest products, intermodal, and automotive products serving exporters, importers, retailers, farmers, and manufacturers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Taylor Wimpey plc (LON:TW Get Rating) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 110.92 ($1.39) and traded as high as GBX 127.10 ($1.59). Taylor Wimpey shares last traded at GBX 124.95 ($1.56), with a volume of 8,872,425 shares changing hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets TW has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Taylor Wimpey from GBX 125 ($1.56) to GBX 131 ($1.64) and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Berenberg Bank restated a hold rating and issued a GBX 111 ($1.39) price target on shares of Taylor Wimpey in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Taylor Wimpey in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Liberum Capital restated a hold rating and issued a GBX 125 ($1.56) price target on shares of Taylor Wimpey in a report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Taylor Wimpey to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 127.67 ($1.60). Get Taylor Wimpey alerts: Taylor Wimpey Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57, a current ratio of 4.71 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 119.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 110.92. The company has a market cap of 4.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 663.42, a P/E/G ratio of -0.99 and a beta of 1.79. Taylor Wimpey Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Taylor Wimpey The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 30th will be given a GBX 4.78 ($0.06) dividend. This is an increase from Taylor Wimpeys previous dividend of $4.62. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a yield of 4.04%. Taylor Wimpeys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4,736.84%. In other news, insider Chris Carney sold 73,817 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 118 ($1.47), for a total transaction of 87,104.06 ($108,825.66). 0.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Taylor Wimpey (Get Rating) Taylor Wimpey plc operates a residential developer in the United Kingdom and Spain. It builds and delivers various homes and communities, including apartments to six-bedroom houses. Taylor Wimpey plc was founded in 1880 and is based in High Wycombe, the United Kingdom. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Taylor Wimpey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taylor Wimpey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans reduced its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating) by 32.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 518,815 shares of the companys stock after selling 253,871 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $70,216,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MGO One Seven LLC boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 7,886 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,067,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 27,796 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,762,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,603 shares of the companys stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 985 shares of the companys stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 3,681 shares of the companys stock valued at $423,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. 6.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance NYSE NVO opened at $163.24 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $155.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $137.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $369.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.96, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.48. Novo Nordisk A/S has a fifty-two week low of $95.02 and a fifty-two week high of $172.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.89. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Novo Nordisk A/S ( NYSE:NVO Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.74 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 78.38% and a net margin of 32.53%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year. NVO has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group raised Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novo Nordisk A/S currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $657.14. Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile (Get Rating) 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). Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trinity Industries, Inc. (NYSE:TRN Get Rating) Analysts at KeyCorp cut their Q2 2023 EPS estimates for Trinity Industries in a research report issued on Tuesday, May 2nd. KeyCorp analyst S. Barger now anticipates that the transportation company will post earnings of $0.26 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.43. The consensus estimate for Trinity Industries current full-year earnings is $1.52 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Trinity Industries FY2023 earnings at $1.23 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $0.31 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $0.30 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $0.45 EPS. Get Trinity Industries alerts: Trinity Industries (NYSE:TRN Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The transportation company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by ($0.25). The business had revenue of $641.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $654.63 million. Trinity Industries had a return on equity of 6.61% and a net margin of 3.04%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 35.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.03 EPS. Trinity Industries Stock Performance A number of other brokerages have also commented on TRN. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Trinity Industries from $26.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Stephens dropped their price target on shares of Trinity Industries from $28.00 to $26.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Trinity Industries from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Trinity Industries in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, TheStreet lowered shares of Trinity Industries from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Tuesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Trinity Industries currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $27.00. Shares of TRN stock opened at $21.53 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $24.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.99. The company has a quick ratio of -1.15, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.56. The firm has a market cap of $1.75 billion, a PE ratio of 27.60 and a beta of 1.38. Trinity Industries has a 12 month low of $20.07 and a 12 month high of $31.68. Trinity Industries Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th were issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.83%. Trinity Industriess dividend payout ratio is currently 133.33%. Insider Buying and Selling at Trinity Industries In related news, Director Todd Maclin acquired 4,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $21.19 per share, for a total transaction of $95,355.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 27,548 shares in the company, valued at $583,742.12. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Trinity Industries news, Director Todd Maclin purchased 4,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $21.19 per share, for a total transaction of $95,355.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 27,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $583,742.12. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Jean Savage purchased 4,485 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $22.29 per share, for a total transaction of $99,970.65. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 189,876 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,232,336.04. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased a total of 13,285 shares of company stock worth $295,043 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Trinity Industries Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Trinity Industries by 0.9% in the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 60,576 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $1,293,000 after acquiring an additional 558 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in Trinity Industries during the third quarter worth about $119,000. Cipher Capital LP acquired a new stake in Trinity Industries during the third quarter worth about $1,144,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Trinity Industries by 13.7% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 10,615 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $227,000 after buying an additional 1,277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its stake in Trinity Industries by 1.6% during the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 27,000 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $576,000 after buying an additional 426 shares in the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Trinity Industries (Get Rating) Trinity Industries, Inc engages in the provision of rail transportation products and services in North America. It operates through the following segments: Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group, Rail Products Group and All Other. The Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group segment provides railcar industry services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Trinity Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trinity Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WPP (LON:WPP Get Rating) had its target price lifted by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from GBX 1,170 ($14.62) to GBX 1,230 ($15.37) in a research note published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on WPP. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of WPP from GBX 1,200 ($14.99) to GBX 1,250 ($15.62) and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of WPP to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from GBX 920 ($11.49) to GBX 1,158 ($14.47) in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of WPP in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of WPP from GBX 1,240 ($15.49) to GBX 1,260 ($15.74) in a research note on Friday, April 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 1,175.33 ($14.68). Get WPP alerts: WPP Stock Up 2.9 % Shares of WPP opened at GBX 889 ($11.11) on Wednesday. WPP has a 12 month low of GBX 713 ($8.91) and a 12 month high of GBX 1,082 ($13.52). The firms 50 day moving average is GBX 954.77 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 905.26. The stock has a market capitalization of 9.51 billion, a PE ratio of 1,481.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 172.61. WPP Increases Dividend Insiders Place Their Bets The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 8th will be given a GBX 24.40 ($0.30) dividend. This represents a yield of 2.4%. This is an increase from WPPs previous dividend of $15.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. WPPs dividend payout ratio is presently 6,500.00%. In other WPP news, insider Mark Read sold 154,765 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 933 ($11.66), for a total value of 1,443,957.45 ($1,804,044.79). 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About WPP (Get Rating) WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for WPP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WPP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Family Reformation and Community Development Initiative, a nongovernmental organization based in Ebonyi State, has brought succour to over 1000 widows in the State. The widows who were hosted to the annual banquet of the Organization smiled home with several gifts ranging from clothes, food items and cash. The banquet was held Saturday at the premises of the Nigeria Reformed Church, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital. Speaking at the event, Reverend Joseph Nwibo, the Executive Director of the Organization, encouraged all widows, Orphans and the vulnerable in society never to despair, but anchor their faith in God's providence. Nwibo, also the Minister-in-charge of the Nigeria Reformed Church, Abakaliki, said he was inspired to undertake humanitarian services as a result of his unpalatable childhood experiences and deprivations, adding that he dropped schooling at primary 5 before God's intervention lifted him to his present day status. Nwibo explained: "I caught the vision by God's intervention, relating to my own childhood experiences. "I was born into a poverty-stricken family, and my father couldn't even finish training me in primary school. "I dropped out in primary 5. "From then I have experienced the hand of God such that today I am a PhD student, and it all happened by the grace of God. "In 2003, God showed me that he has given me the grace to help people who are like me, especially the abandoned children, the widows, the orphans and other vulnerable group. "We registered the Organization with the Ministry of Women Affairs in 2003, and later with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2009. "Today, we have over 1000 widows we are helping, especially in 5 communities and 4 Local government areas of the State: Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Izzi and Ikwo "What we do is that we organize these widows into groups; we teach them skills, empower them with start-up money and interest-free loans with which they can trade on local goods "With that we have empowered many of them to take care of their children. "Apart from that, we take care of the orphans by sponsoring the grown up ones in vocational training centres of their choice. "Over few years, we have trained over 300 youths while we are having 10 currently undergoing trainings. "We have also, about 150 children we are sponsoring in secondary schools. "We equally have scholarship schemes for widow's children and other indigents in the university. "But most importantly, we try to restore the hope of the widows by pulling them to Christ who is the father of hope." Okechukwu Nwogha, the organization's Programe Director, added that apart from caring for the widows and orphans, the nongovernmental organisation also works in areas of climate change, environment, sustainable health and governance. He further explained that in addition to the widows, over 50 ministers and evangelists of the Nigeria Reformed Church, with their spouses benefitted from the distributed gifts and other largesse of the day. Some of the beneficiary widows, including Maria Nwovu, Charity Kums and Mary Awuna, who spoke to our correspondent applauded the Organization for the gesture. They noted that the NGO has been extending such benevolence to them and their children every year from its inception. They prayed God to bless Rev. Nwibo, his wife and all workers in the organisation. Awuna added: "I have benefitted much from this organization. "For my son that is in the university, this is the third year I have been receiving school fees for him and for even those in secondary school. "Even me as a widow, this is not the first time I have received gifts from this people: food, wrapper and money, among other things. "They do even give us money for treatment when we are sick, and many other helps I can't enumerate." In a brief exhortation, Rev. Chukwuma Offor, a minister in the Nigeria Reformed Church admonished Christians and all privileged members of society to always show concern towards the wellbeing of widows, orphans and other vulnerable group. Reading from the Bible, James 1: 27, he emphasized that a Pure and undefiled religion is demonstrable in caring for the widows and orphans. The widows were taught basic healthcare tips as well as types, symptoms and prevention of hepatitis as a deadly health challenge. The event also featured praise and worship songs, dances and prayers for widows all over the world. (Bloomberg) -- Rothschild & Co. named Daiwa Securities Group Inc.s former co-head of investment banking as vice-chair for Japan to strengthen its business in the country. Most Read from Bloomberg The French investment bank hired Yuichi Akai to expand its Japan business and grow its team in the country, according to a statement from the bank on Monday. Akais hiring is part of a plan to accelerate Rothschilds ambitions in Asia. The Paris-based company is adding staff in Japan as other banks are slashing headcount globally amid slowing business activity. Morgan Stanley plans to cut an additional 3,000 employees, just months after it trimmed about 2% of its workforce, Bloomberg reported last week. Japan is a strategic market for Rothschild in Asia, Jerome Finck, head of Japan for Rothschild & Co., said in an interview. We see strong potential in the Japan market, and we are acting accordingly. When it comes to business flow, we have a healthy pipeline. Rothschild is investing in Japan for the long term, Finck said, adding that the banks decision isnt driven by cyclical trends. The company has moved to a larger office in Tokyo and added five people in the past two years, bringing its headcount in the country to about 20. The bank plans to continue hiring selectively for both junior and senior investment-banking roles, Finck added. The Rothschild firm is seeing more Japan companies seek acquisition and investment opportunities in the US and Europe, and vice versa. Finck said the countrys merger activities are busier than other regions. The average deal sizes are expected to be less than $1 billion similar to trends the bank saw in the past, Finck added. Story continues The bank is also looking to expand its domestic merger and acquisition advisory for Japan, a step up from its core focus of cross-border deals. Akai starts on Monday, following a near four-decade career at Daiwa. He held roles as senior managing director and the co-lead of its global investment banking division at the Japanese brokerage firm. Japan-related M&A drove deal-making in Asia before the pandemic. The countrys cash-rich corporations spent heavily to buy overseas companies, while private equity firms searched for undervalued operations in Japan. Rothschild & Co. advised Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. on a series of deals worth more than $20 billion as the Japanese brewer bought beer brands in Europe and Australia in recent years. The bank was also the adviser to Mitsubishi Corp. as it exited its Australian thermal coal operations in combined deals worth about $530 million in 2018. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Often people ask me why I write on certain topics and issues all the time, like bashing the government, and seeing very little good in people in government and government actions and my takes on education, health and power, conflict, politics of ethnicity and more. My answer is that I do because I believe that such subjects are important for Nigeria and Nigerians as they are for other nations, but when it appears to me Nigerians and our leaders particularly do not react to these topics the way they should, I repeat them in new essays to remind old readers and recruit new ones to participate in the continuing dialogue. Like we say in local parlance the May 29 don nearly reach, except events of seismic proportion happens, and I know it wont happen at the court, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be President. He comes on board with so much expectation and with so many problems, such is the fundamental nature of the problems that they have become part of us. However on many occasions we have been provided with the opportunity to get it right but many times we let go of such moments. The just concluded Presidential polls, presents such moment again, while I have refused to discuss the elections, not as an act of cowardice, but truly, who am I, to discuss, an election many think was fairly accurate despite all the controversies, and many others see as having further divided the nation, or one that has realigned the nation. There was this young, poor and wretched hunter. His family was nothing to write home about. He was very poor and miserable. One day, the king of his village died and when they consulted the oracle, this young man was picked to be the next king despite the fact that his lineage has nothing to do with the kingship. On the day of coronation, he wept so bitterly as he could not imagine the crown being put on his poor head. After the coronation, he asked that an extra room should be built in the palace compound and the things to be kept in that room are just his catapult, hunting boots, hunting dresses and all his hunting instruments. Anytime, he is tempted to be proud, arrogant, think too highly of himself or talk rudely to his subjects, he will go into that room and once he sees all his hunting instruments and dresses; they remind him of his humble beginning and make him humble the more. He said that the room was the most beautiful room in the whole palace. Though what was in that room was not beautiful, they helped him remain humble before GOD and men. In addition, it also gave him a beautiful and peaceful reign, and perspectives. Already there is a call for time and patience, how much of it, we have only time will tell, our experience is that the government has to start all over again and the same old music is remixed and a few months after we notice the same old thread in action. And fearfully, the same issues that the last administration sought to solve or made comic off, are the same ones we will face again. Bola Tinubu has to, not just by his will but by his powers, thread a new path--or else we may still tow the known path. It is the only road we know for now...road contracts that will be abandoned, commissioning of hospitals without facilities. Schools that would be neglected, strikes within various sectors of the economy amongst many short and longfalls will characterize the administration with a couple of its own fair share of 'elephant and hippo' projects. As Tinubu is sworn in, and he prepares his cabinet, I am not one of those that will really bother about whether he has a kitchen cabinet or even has a kitchen in the first place. The fact is that one; the kitchen belongs to his wife, whether as wife of the president or first lady...so I would concern myself to his ministers and yes men, and of course women. The incoming president must stand his ground, we already are starting on a combination of contradictions, whether it is the peoples mandate, with all the ranting and noise, or INEC mandate only posterity will judge. The fact is that Mr. Bola, will be in the first line of offensive, he will be between making sure it's not business as usual and settling politicians with aggrieved pockets on one hand. Mr. Bola will have to resist the temptation to be Minister for Petroleum, or give Mr. Shetima his veepee the power to be this or that, he should be wary of the politics of senior special assistant or some commission or body doing something and nothing about one industry or sector.. Whoever he picks, or someone suggests and demands, or the party hierarchy nominates, for whatever position, the administration is already faced with a conglomerate of jobless politicians, jobbers and ex-this and that, who require settlement of one form or the other. Can Bola damn them? There will be a need to create a balance with intellect, hard work and patriotism in the zoning thing that has led us nowhere. How Mr. Bola is able to come out with any fascinating cabinet that will thrill Nigerians is a big question. For example, the questions to be answered will be what will the Ministry of water resources do differently, as many Nigerians would want to see water run from a tap courtesy of their effort. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is going to be faced with giving or sharing the bounty for very mundane reasons. Ministers who failed as governors, legislators who contributed nothing and persons who lost elections and others whose father and mother was former this, and former that will be everywhere. Mr. Bola must stop sharing the cake; he needs to shock Nigerians by his appointments. This is my admonishment, Mr. Boladoes not have an enviable job but with passion he can make it a worthwhile one and start to leave a legacy. Get off all the talk, because it is cheap and could come back to hunt and haunt him. Nigerians want Ministers, advisers, and aides, legislators that will perform miracles. For a nation that has a very low expectation ratio, for sure we are not asking for the impossible from Mr. Bola considering the rot he has to contend with, but he must importantly often go into that room, seek inspiration from that room, he must tell the truthhe must be transparent, and accountability to man and God, and Nigerians, how it will endonly time tell! The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, has queried the Federal Government over the World Banks $800 million loan to the country, as a palliative to cushion the effect of the proposed fuel subsidy removal by June. The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa-Rafsanjani, in a statement on Friday, lamented the nonchalant attitude displayed by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, towards the countrys crippling debt crisis. He said that borrowing to fund post-fuel subsidy removal palliatives is strange, noting that if the fuel subsidy removal process has been suspended as announced by the Minister of Finance after the NEC meeting at the end of April, then the government should return the borrowed money because what are we taking the loan for? Mr Rafsanjani said that fears of the country getting another $800 million loan from the World Bank sends waves of worries in the minds of Nigerians as Nigerias revenue collection in 2022 stood at N10 trillion, with a debt of about N77 trillion. "In 2022, Nigeria paid about N7 trillion in fuel subsidy and in 2023 from January to June when the country intends to stop paying the subsidy is N3.6 trillion so if we are paying such whopping amount of money when subsidy is removed, we should have enough savings instead of taking additional loans, we can use the subsidy funds for post fuel subsidy removal. As a matter of fact, we dont need to borrow. What we need to do is to cut waste. Just recently, we all saw the aviation minister announce that he bought 10 fire fighting trucks for over 12 billon naira. Is this what we are borrowing to spend on? "Also, we read that the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy announced the approval of 24.2 billion to provide internet facilities at airports and some institutions amongst other places. These are the things we are spending on a few weeks before the end of this administration and this is unacceptable. The anti-corruption organisation boss also condemned the reckless spending during the end of this present administration few weeks to go, saying its totally unnecessary and its a clear sign of diversion of public funds for personal interest and not for the overall good of the country. He called on the financial watch-dogs of the country to spotlight all public spendings that have not followed adequate procurement processes. The CISLAC Executive Director said: whats the need for acquiring fighter trucks towards the end of an administration a position you have held for over 8 years but you find no need to acquire the trucks until the end, this is a clear sign of contracts scams that doesnt follow due process and public interest it is simply a financial recklessness. And Nigeria as a nation that is so swamped up in debts we cant afford that right now because wheres the public interest in that elephant project. Also the Minister of Communications has gone ahead to get an approval of FEC for N24.2bn for internet access at airports and universities but these are services that naturally should be done by service providers". He maintained that Nigeria is already in another debt trap. Records from both national and international financial and debt institutions regarding Nigerias debt reveal a state in crisis. As shown in the report, Nigerias borrowing from the World Bank has reached $14.34bn as of March 31, 2023. The IBRD lends to governments of middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, while the IDA provides concessionary loans called credits and grants to governments of the poorest countries. The data obtained from the Washington-based bank showed that Nigeria had a debt of $488.66m from IBRD and $13.85bn from IDA as of March 31, 2023. It was observed that the first World Bank loan was acquired in the fiscal year of 1947, according to data from the World Bank. This shows that a total of $33.66bn has been borrowed from the World Bank since 1947. It was also observed that about $7.29bn had been repaid on the loans, with $7.86bn yet to be disbursed by the bank. The data also showed that about $3.28bn approved loans were further cancelled. The DMO recently defended the debt from the World Bank. The DMO, in a statement, noted that the borrowing from the World Banks IDA was a positive development for Nigeria. The statement read in part, Positive development in the sense that IDA Loans are concessional, that is, they attract low charges and are for very long tenors in some cases, exceeding 30 years. These are the types of Loans required to fund development in countries such as Nigeria. By accessing IDA funding, the Government is actively reducing debt service costs, since non-concessional funding is usually more expensive and for shorter tenors. Indeed, it will be inefficient for Nigeria to borrow from commercial sources when concessional funding sources such as IDA is available. The DMO said that it is a plus that Nigeria qualifies for such loans. Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has continued to disconnect power companies over outrageous debts. More electricity consumers across the country continued to suffer power outage, while some others are jittery. The Managing Director of the IBEDC, Engr. Kingsley Achife, noted that the development was as a result of the plan by the Market Operator, a unit in Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to disconnect the power companys feeders from the national grid on account of poor remittances. He added: As a revenue collection arm of the electricity value chain, IBEDC sells and distributes electricity. However, the company is unable to meet its financial obligations due to poor payment and huge outstanding bills by customers. He also explained that IBEDC, as a responsible corporate organisation, prioritises providing reliable and excellent service to its esteemed customers, but needs timely payment for the energy consumed. The Chairman, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Kebbi State, Dr. Abdullahi Bello Umar, bemoaned the prolonged blackout in Birnin Kebbi, calling on government as well as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to wade into the matter and sanction whoever is responsible for the anti-masses decision and ensure restoration of power supply. Nigeria is not an animal farm and as such, its citizens should not be subjected to untold hardships. Their economic, security and social lives must be guaranteed. Such is the primary function of government and its functionaries and any other individual or corporate body providing basic necessity whether public or private. We demand immediate restoration of power supply and an apology from the management of Kaduna Electric for this brazen abuse of rights of the citizens as such attitude contradicts the ethos of a civilized society, he said. There is no denying the fact that parents are among the most important people in the lives of young ones as they right from birth keep learning and relying on their mothers and fathers as well as other caregivers acting in the parenting role, to protect and care for them and to chart a trajectory that promotes their overall well-being. Against the foregoing backdrop, it has been observed that while parents generally are filled with anticipation about their childrens unfolding personalities, many also lack knowledge about how best to provide for them. Without a doubt, becoming a parent is usually a welcomed milestone, but in some cases, parents lives are fraught with problems and uncertainty regarding their ability to ensure their childs physical, emotional, or economic well-being. Despite the fact that parents collectively take care of their children as they grow across the stages of kindergarten, adolescence, youthfulness, and adulthood, and even as God commands them to Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12) and Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you mayenjoy long life on the earth, (Ephesians 6:2-3), not a few of them become more bonded to their mothers to the detriment of their fathers, and as such honour them so much that the question about why children honour their mothers more than their fathers keeps resonating. As a reader of this piece, you may have been lost in thought over the rationale behind the choice of this topic. Well, it is pragmatic that there are auspicious times to become apolitical, particularly to avoid stepping on toes, and also to talk about Mothers Day, which is an annual holiday celebrated to honour and appreciate mothers, mother figures, and maternal bonds, and majorlycelebrated on May 14 across the world. However, Mother's Day is celebrated on different dates but in most countries, it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Therefore, the day will be celebrated on May 14 in 2023. In a similar vein, Fathers Day, which is observed on the third Sunday of June in most parts of the world, including Nigeria is also fast approaching, and it can be guesstimated in this context that not many fathers would be wished HappyFathers Day unlike mother who are by each year showered with love on Mothers Day. Did I hear you say I am jealous or envious? Yes I am, but not in the causticsense of being envious or jealous. Dispassionately assimilating facts that are inherent in this opinion piece, the benefit of hindsight reveals that each year people across the globe celebrate the love and the sacrifices that a father does for a child. However, contrary to the global practices that are associated with Fathers Day, we in Nigeria sometime forget to acknowledge fatherhoodthereby ignoring the bond between father and child. But for Mothers Day, the opposite is the case. For the sake of clarity, it is expedient to say that Fathers Day is a day to celebrate fatherhood and a day for children and their mothers to recognize the person that is first and foremost their source of inspiration, adviser, and supporter in life. Without being prejudicial, permit me to offer a few reasons in this context why Fathers Day is not givenattention in this part of the world as much when compared to Mothers Day. At this juncture, it is expedient to confess that as Mothers Day is only a week away from now that it was apropos for this writer to do a random survey of a cross-section of people of diverse social backgrounds, and genders, on why they so much love their mothers that they sometimesseemingly forget that there is a man called a Father. In as much as there may be some exceptions to the findings gathered for the purpose of this piece, the factsand statistics vastly prove that mothers are honoured above fathers in our culture. The following are only a few of the reasons why mothers are more loved and bonded with than fathers. First and foremost, when it comes to the relationship of a mother with a child compared to that of its father, the mother has an advantage in intimacy with the child, due to the fact that it is in her womb that the child is conceived and grows until the time of birthing. It is at this early stage of life that a maternal bond is formed and will continue to grow between the mother and the baby she is carrying in her womb. The second reason is that mothers are always there for their children regardless of the situation or circumstance. This is one of the reasons cited by most of the people I parleyed with. In various ways of saying it, almost all of the people that I interviewed said that of their two parents, it was their mother who was the one who seemed to always be there regardless of what they were involved in or going through. Thirdly, in a similar vein, not a few of the respondents were unanimous in their views that mothers are more compassionate and caring. Despite the fact that having and showing compassion and care transcends gender, race, and culture, it is widely agreed that one of the reasons children give more honor to their mothers than their fathers is because mothers gave them more compassion and tender loving care when they were growing up. In most cases, mothers are still their primary sources of encouragement, compassion, and care even when children are grown, married, and out on their own. Another factor that can be attributed to why children love their mothers the most is that they are more sacrificiallydisposed to any endeavor their children chose to be engaged in. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that there is no inference that can be drawn in this context to explanatorily buttress the foregoing view other than to say that in 2019 that the then-acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, once lamented that mothers of cyber fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, unashamedly organized themselves into an association. Again, unlike fathers,mothers never stop loving their children. Personally, I have heard of fathers getting upset and disappointed in their sons or daughters to the extent of not speaking to them. Worse, I have heard of fathers whose love for any of their children turned into hatred and hostility because their child had shamed the family by committing some detestable, wicked, and illegal act. Contrarily, I haveyet to meet a mother who stopped loving her son or daughter because of his or her depravity or rebellion. I have seen mothers hurt and broken-hearted by thestubbornness and defiance of their children, but the flame of love in them hardly goes out. It is advisable at this juncture to say that anyone canfather a child, but being a dad takes a lifetime. The reason for the foregoing view cannot be farfetched as fathers play various nurtural roles in the lives of their children that cannot be filled by others, particularly by foster fathers. Naturally, a fatherly role can have a large impact on a child and help shape him or her into the person he or she aspires to become. At this juncture, it is expedient to advise children that fathers, like mothers, are pillars in the development of a childs emotional well-being, that they should be looking up to their fathers to lay down the rules and enforce them, and that they also look to their fathers to provide a feeling of security, both physical and emotional. Not only that, children should always make their fathers proud as they contribute in no small way to their inner growth and strength. The reason for the foregoing advice cannot be farfetched as studies have shown that when fathers are affectionate and supportive, it greatly affects a childs cognitive and social development. It also instills an overall sense of well-being and self-confidence. Thus, not only should children honour their fathers the same way they honour their mothers, but they should also have it at the back of their minds always that fathers set the bar for relationships with others, even as daughters depend on their fathers for security and emotional support. Without any iota of exaggeration, a father naturally shows his daughter what a good relationship with a man is like. If a father is loving and gentle, his daughter will look for those qualities in men when she is old enough to begindating. Again, if a father is strong and valiant, she will relate closely to men of the same c haracter. Unlike girls, who model their relationships with others based on their fathers character, boys model themselves after their fathers character. In a similar vein, boys will seek approval from their fathers from a very young age. As human beings, we grow up byimitating the behaviour of those around us; that is how we learn to function in the world. If a father is caring and treats people with respect, the young boy will grow up much the same. When a father is absent, young boys look to other male figures to set the rules for how to behave and survive in the world. Therefore, as we look forward to the celebration of Fathers Day on Sunday, June 18, 2023,children should not forget to tell their fathers or daddies, thus: Dad I love you, and thanks for being there! Despite the reported endorsement of Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Akwa-Ibom governor, for Senate President by President-elect Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator-elect AbdulAziz Yari, ex-Zamfara governor, is reported to be forging ahead with his aspiration of becoming the next Senate President, a move that stakeholders and observers say could lead to another political upset and a repeat of the events of June 9, 2015 which produced former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Hon Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 9th National Assembly, against the choice of the then Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan from Yobe State, and Lagos lawmaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Reps Speaker respectively. In 2015, after toppling the then President Goodluck Jonathans ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power at the central level with Muhammadu Buharis emergence and inauguration as President, and equally emerging the biggest political party at the National Assembly (NASS) with the highest number of lawmakers-elect, the APC became relaxed when it came to deciding who would lead the federal legislature. Although President Buhari and top APC leaders did not hide their preference for Lawan and Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Reps Speaker respectively. But Buhari was not particularly concerned with what happens during the NASS contest, as the president had probably thought his preferred candidates would just stroll into the roles of the nations number three and four coveted offices. After all, as the majority party in NASS, the APC ordinarily should rule the legislative chamber. They had the number simple as ABC! Buhari and the APC were definitely not prepared for the stunning bloodless coup which Saraki and Dogara had plotted. Saraki would not back down; he defied his party (when the APC formally endorsed Lawan as its preferred candidate for the Senate Presidency and directed all its members-elect in the Senate to support his candidature) by courting opposition PDP members of the Senate who now joined his chariot. Against the wishes of his party, Saraki was in the morning of 9th June, 2015 elected as President of the Senate after garnering the block support of the PDP and some APC senators who broke rank with their party. In a similar development, PDP members of the House of Reps threw their block votes behind Dogara, electing him as Speaker over the APC-endorsed Gbajabiamila. Sarakis takeover of the leadership of the 8th Senate against the wishes of his party was not lacking in treachery. It was also replete with the element of surprise, which in military terms would qualify for a blitzkrieg. The completely stunned APC in a statement issued after the Kwara-born politicians emergence as the countrys number three citizen dubbed it the highest level of treachery, disloyalty and insincerity within any party. Reports said that President Buhari had called for a meeting with all APC members in the Senate on that fateful morning to smooth out the contours ahead of inauguration, but Saraki and his gang who boycotted the meeting, had other plans, unknowingly to the President and the party. Precisely, Saraki and his loyalists were at the national assembly complex. And minutes before 10am, when the inauguration was expected to start, they were seated in the red chamber. But Lawan and his gang were absent. They had gone for the meeting at the International Conference Centre (ICC). The inauguration commenced even after news had rippled that it would not take place. Saraki was nominated, there was no challenger. He afterwards assumed the position of Senate President unopposed. It was in the closing of the event that some of Lawans supporters thronged in, in bewilderment and confusion. But the did had been done. Meanwhile, President Buhari had in his immediate reaction to the emergence of the two National Assembly leaders noted that while he would have wished that those chosen by the party were the ones elected, he did not have any preferred candidates for the Senate and the House of Reps leadership. The President who noted that a constitutional process has somewhat occurred with the emergence of Saraki and Dogara added that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers chose as their leaders. This was a departure from the old order where the executive influenced the emergence of the leaders of the legislature. Fast-forward to 2023 with a President-elect (Bola Tinubu) from the South and a Vice President-elect (Kashim Shettima) from the North both of same faith Tinubu and top party leaders have reportedly endorsed the Senator representing Akwa-Ibom North-West, Godswill Akpabio for Senate President. But, what should have been a done deal or consensus with the withdrawal of the hitherto frontrunners in the race including Senators Ali Ndume (Borno), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Barau Jibrin (Kano) backing Akpabio, is becoming a tough nut to crack with AbdulAziz Yari refusing to step down. Yari, a ranking Senator and former Zamfara Governor, has insisted to run the whole race. He said Akpabios reported endorsement by the President-elect would not stop him from the contest. What is going to happen that day, it is going to happen based on the instructions of the Constitution and not for anyone. The election of the President of National Assembly is the Senates business and not based on anyone's instruction, the Zamfara-West Senator reportedly told journalists. In endorsing Akpabio, Tinubu reportedly backed the Southern Senator out of concern for the religious and regional balancing of the personalities in the next government. Tinubu, his deputy, Shettima are Muslims. Besides, it was expected that the President-elect, who has been a governor, senator, and king-maker, will be very much interested in who becomes the Senate President to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2015. The case of Saraki in the 8th Senate will still be fresh in his (Tinubus) mind. In 2015, the failure of President Buhari to take a stand timely on who to choose led to the emergence of Saraki and the frosty relationship between the Executive and Legislature. Tinubu, who is believed to be a good strategist, is probably trying not make such mistakes. However, with Yari who is believed to have gotten the endorsement of influential Senators-elect from the North, according to reports, vowing to take the battle to the Senate floor, the development could prove dicey for the authority of the incoming president. The APC currently controls the impending 10th Senate with 59 seats, PDP, 36; Labour Party, 8; New Nigeria Peoples Party, 2; All Progressives Grand Alliance, 1; Social Democratic Party, 2; and Young Peoples Party, 1. Does Yari have the political will and force to stage a Saraki 2.0, or he is just another Ndume or Goje in the making? Lisa Plouffe is a mother of four. I have two healthy and rambunctious boys, ages 12 and 9, and I also have two babies that I lost during pregnancy, she says in an email. At the time of those losses, she said there was grief and sadness that she navigated on her own, which was not healthy for me. I wish that Id had someone to talk to, who could have normalized my grief for me, she says in her email. Sunday was International Bereaved Mothers Day, an observance since 2010. Plouffe says its meant to acknowledge and honour those who have lost a child of any age. Then next Sunday is Mothers Day an occasion that can be incredibly challenging for those who are grieving a lost child, Plouffe says. For Plouffe, it was important to find support from others who understood her grief. A year after her second loss, she stumbled across an online mention of the Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network, an Ontario-wide series of support groups including one in Peterborough. Plouffe took the volunteer training; that was nine years ago, and she continues to facilitate both online and in-person meetings. Peterboroughs PAIL Network is one of just five groups across Ontario that is now resuming monthly in-person meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Other communities offering in-person support again are Thunder Bay, Belleville, Durham North, and Georgina. The local group meets at Hospice Peterborough at 7:30 p.m. on every third Monday of the month. There is no cost to families to receive support through PAIL Network, Plouffe says, and anyone who has had a loss of a pregnancy or a baby (up to one year of life) can receive support even if the loss was years ago. If you know someone whos had a loss, she adds, its OK to acknowledge the grief they must be feeling on Mothers Day. She says sometimes people are afraid to say the wrong thing, or to remind someone of their loss. But saying nothing can make us feel like our losses do not matter, she says. Saying, I am thinking of you, especially today, can be simple but have a big impact. Plouffe says that bereaved parents who dont have any living children may wonder, Am I still a mother? Her answer is yes: We are all parents and all of our losses are valid and worthy of validation. For more on PAIL Network across Ontario, including their conference in Toronto in September, see https://pailnetwork.sunnybrook.ca/ SHARE: MONTREAL - When Myriam Landry started raising goats for their meat in 2018, she started small because she had to. She opened Chevrerie aux Volets Verts, in St-Esprit, Que., with two goats; she couldnt afford a large herd and chose animals small enough that she could handle on her own while pregnant with her third child. I should have started bigger but then I would have needed more money, which I didnt have, Landry, 33, said in a recent interview from her farm 50 kilometres north of Montreal. Its really hard for young people to start I dont even have land, I dont have tractors, even my goats (I paid for) on loans. The rising cost of land is making it harder than ever for young farmers to enter the business. And those barriers come at a time when a growing number of older farmers are planning to leave the industry. Organizations promoting farm succession worry that if young people are unable to enter the industry, only the largest companies will endure, reducing the diversity of crops and livestock and widening the gap between Canadians and their sources of food. The main challenge right now is really the cost of agricultural land, said Benoit Cure, co-ordinator of ARTERRE, a program that pairs aspiring farmers with landowners and farmers planning to retire. Cure said multiple factors are contributing to rising prices, including real estate speculation especially near Montreal suburbs and strong competition for the best soil in a province where only around two per cent of the land is suitable for farming. Last year, the price of agricultural land rose by 10 per cent, which isnt unusual, he said in a recent interview. Over the last 10 years, weve had annual increases of about six to 10 per cent. The average dairy farm in Quebec is now valued at almost $5 million, he said, almost double what it was in 2011. With 20 per cent down payments usually expected for farm purchases, you have to almost be a millionaire before starting your agricultural business, Cure said. If young people cant afford to get into farming, then most rural communities risk being left with two or three large farms, he lamented. Landry, like more than half of the aspiring farmers who have worked with ARTERRE, is renting her space. Her small operation is located on a former dairy farm thats now used for hay and cereal crops. Her farm has now grown to 40 female goats and a handful of males for breeding. Theres enough space in her barn for 60 females, she said, but she has enough demand to support 100. And while starting small has allowed her to open a farm, it has also come with its own challenges. Goat meat, she said, is uncommon in Quebec, and financial institutions are hesitant to lend to money for an operation they arent familiar with. Lenders, she said, dont want to finance it, because they dont know it, and that makes it really hard. Farming has always been a capital-intensive industry with high costs for land, equipment and inputs but prices across Canada have risen above the revenue that can be generated from that land, said Jean-Philippe Gervais, the chief economist of Farm Credit Canada, a Crown corporation that lends to farmers. The relationship between the price of the land and the revenue that can be expected from the land that ratio is the highest weve ever seen, Gervais said in a recent interview. So were really at prices that are the highest weve ever seen, not just in absolute value in dollars per hectare, but also relative to what can be generated in income. Its now rare for farmers to turn a profit from land they buy just by farming it, he said, adding that most farmers only make their money back when they sell. Large, established farms can fund the purchase of more land from the revenue generated on land thats already been paid for, he added. But even large farms are challenged by high costs. A survey of more than 3,600 farmers released last month by Quebecs farmers association found that 11 per cent are thinking about closing over the coming year. The Union des producteurs agricoles found that costs on Quebec farms rose by an average of 17.3 per cent in 2022 while revenues rose by an average of 14.7 per cent. A report released in early April by RBC found that 40 per cent of Canadian farm operators planned to retire over the next decade and that 66 per cent didnt have a succession plan. Julie Bissonnette, the president of an organization that represents young Quebec farmers and promotes farm succession, says there are many young people interested in agriculture. Sometimes you hear theres no one to take over, but its not true, there are a lot, but we need to make sure theyre able to set up, Bissonnette, with the Federation de la releve agricole du Quebec, said in a recent interview. Its so much money. Urban sprawl and the influx of people moving to rural areas to work remotely is putting increased pressure on Quebecs arable land, Bissonnette said. Landry, meanwhile, said shed like to see more small-time farmers because they tend to build close relationships with local residents. We need to reconnect the public to what they do three times a day, which is eat, she said. Know where your food is coming from. If you cant grow it yourself, find someone who does it the way you would do it. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: See inside one of the world's largest aircraft 'boneyards' where planes go after airlines are done using them An aircraft in reclamation at the Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Pinal Air Park in Arizona is one of the largest aircraft storage facilities in the world. The multi-million business boomed during the pandemic as airlines worldwide grounded hundreds of jets. The airpark is also a hub for maintenance, as well as re-configuring jets when they get a new operator. Airlines were forced to make drastic changes in 2020, including furloughing pilots, cutting routes, and indefinitely storing hundreds of planes in the desert. Sergio Perez/Reuters One of these facilities is Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona a small town located about 90 miles southeast of Phoenix. The dry clime is favorable for preventing corrosion. Christian Petersen/Getty As airlines started to shrink in 2020, hundreds of planes from all over the world flew to the 2,080-acre airpark. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Ramon Purcell/Boneyard Safari With the influx, Pinal had to take special precautions to ensure the aircraft were ready to fly once travel eventually rebounded. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Because of this, Ascent Aviation Services the largest aircraft service provider on the airfield had to beef up its staff to maintain the constant arrivals. A maintenance hangar at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider Company CCO Scott Butler told Insider that starting in March 2020, planes were coming in at about one per hour requiring over 150 extra mechanics. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider Additional parking lots were built to handle the hundreds of planes, which continued to be filled into 2021 with jets coming from places like the US, South Korea, UK, Australia, and Canada. An aircraft in reclamation Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider I went inside one of the US' largest aircraft storage facilities and saw how it isn't emptying out despite the rise in air travel Leasing companies were also filling the airfield after buying up inexpensive planes sold during COVID and storing them at Pinal. Lessors did not have much business in maintenance prior to the pandemic as they typically left that task to the operator. But, Butler explained the companies started being more hands-on with AAS because the jets had to get upkeep during storage. Taylor Rains/Insider Inside a remote Arizona aircraft boneyard storing nearly 300 planes grounded by the pandemic However, with travel now roaring back and demand on track to surpass 2019 levels, AAS has gotten back to its roots maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Before the pandemic, MRO services made up over 70% of the company's revenue. Thomas Pallini/Insider Basic offerings include simple maintenance checks and on-demand repairs, like fixing the landing gear or inspecting the flight controls. Story continues AAS has its own landing gear shop to repair and overhaul parts to reuse on other planes. Taylor Rains/Insider However, heavy maintenance is the most costly for airlines. This involves a full assessment of the aircraft and can take up to 60 days for widebody jets, Butler explained. For example, less invasive maintenance checks ("A") will inspect the engines and their fan blades. Heavy maintenance checks ("C" and "D") will actually remove those components for inspections. Taylor Rains/Insider "A narrowbody will cost around $2 million," he told Insider. "With widebodies, you're easily looking at $3 million." A view of the wires and systems inside an aircraft a Pinal Airpark. Thomas Pallini/Insider And, these projects take a lot of manpower. Butler said the company targets 400-500 hours per day for widebodies and 300 per day for narrowbodies. There could be anywhere from 25 to 40 people working on an aircraft at once. Thomas Pallini/Insider Because these checks are so expensive, many carriers opt to sell the aircraft when it gets to that stage in its lifecycle, which is typically every six to 10 years. A narrowbody jetliner at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Source: National Aviation Academy Or, the operator will allow an aircraft lease to expire. This means if the lessor finds a new home for the plane, it will need to be fitted for its next contract. For example, Alaska recently announced it would break the lease of its last A321neos and expects to hand them off by the end of Q2 2023. If and when this happens, the new owner will need the re-paint and likely retrofit the cabin. Thomas Pallini/Insider For these conversions, AAS offers additional services, like re-painting liveries, switching out flight systems, and installing new cabins. An aircraft going through AAS' re-painting process at Pinal Airport in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider Sometimes, aircraft will transition from a passenger jet to a cargo plane a service the company saw increased popularity during the pandemic, especially with older jets. Amazon has tapped Hawaiian Airlines to fly A330-300P2F (pictured) converted jets for its lucrative air cargo business. EFW See the giant Airbus A330 freighter aircraft that will power a new lucrative cargo operation for Amazon For flight tests and deliveries, the operator will arrange pilots, who will land and depart on the designated runway stretching Pinal's airfield. The runway at Pinal Air Park. Ramon Purcell/Boneyard Safari Overall, Butler said AAS can do nearly anything an airline would need from an MRO standpoint. An employee working inside a conversion aircraft at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider The main service it can't provide is engine overhauls, which are outsourced to other shops. The engine detached from an aircraft at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider "A lot of our current projects are just waiting on engines," Butler told Insider. "There's a backlog because no one did engine maintenance during COVID because of the expenses." A covered engine inside a hangar at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider He explained this is adding to the already strained supply chain that has caused a slowdown in returning aircraft to service. An aircraft being overhauled at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider While AAS does a lot of work keeping airplanes flying, it also offers aircraft reclamation and end-of-life services. An aircraft in reclamation. Taylor Rains/Insider This involves disassembling and disposing of unwanted parts, which make up about 10% of the airplane. Ascent Aviation Services breaking down aircraft. Ascent Aviation Services According to Butler, the other 90% is recyclable. These include things like engines and galley carts... An aircraft in reclamation. Taylor Rains/Insider ...and avionics and landing gear. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider However, he said custom interiors do not have much value except to the original operator. The interior of an aircraft in reclamation. Thomas Pallini/Insider A plane can spend months being salvaged, with hundreds of collected parts being resold or repaired for future use. An aircraft in reclamation. Ascent Aviation Services The re-certified pieces can be sent back to airlines who keep them in their inventory as spare parts meaning retired jets can still provide for current ones. Two aircraft in reclamation with their landing gear already salvaged. Taylor Rains/Insider Inside a remote Arizona aircraft boneyard storing nearly 300 planes grounded by the pandemic Meanwhile, some carriers will take parts of the metal to create memorabilia, like cutting the logo or airline name from the fuselage and using it as wall art. An AAS spokesperson told Insider this was the logo of a company that an individual wanted as a keepsake. Taylor Rains/Insider In addition to the strong MRO and reclamation divisions, storage and parking is still a strong revenue source for AAS. Aircraft in storage. Taylor Rains/Insider "80% of all the stored aircraft worldwide are stored in the Southwest," Butler told Insider in 2021. One of the 747SPs at Pinal Airpark in Arizona. Taylor Rains/Insider During an April 2023 tour of the airpark, Insider found the main lot full of planes, including two rare Boeing 747SPs. One of the Boeing 747SPs at Pinal Airpark. Taylor Rains/Insider Mechanics spend up to two weeks getting a plane ready for storage. Important components like the engines, pitot tubes, systems, and landing gear are sealed and protected. An aircraft with its external systems covered. Taylor Rains/Insider This is especially important to prevent critters and other wildlife from taking up residence in the airplane's openings and small crevices. Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Thomas Pallini/Insider Butler told Insider the stored aircraft also get regular maintenance checks to keep them airworthy. A Boeing 777 undergoing maintenance. Taylor Rains/Insider Parked planes, on the other hand, do not get this service and can be left to collect dust giving Pinal its "boneyard" nickname. An old Boeing 747 that has been sitting at the airpark for years. Taylor Rains/Insider Read the original article on Business Insider BAGHDAD (AP) An Iraqi police officer was convicted and sentenced to death Sunday in the killing of a prominent security analyst and frequent critic of powerful militias. The ruling came nearly three years after the analyst was gunned down outside his Baghdad home following militia threats. The family of the victim, Hisham al-Hashimi, said it supported the verdict, but expressed concern it could be overturned on appeal. A relative of al-Hashimi, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, alleged that those who ordered the killing remain at large. The defendant, Ahmed Hamdawi al-Kinani, was convicted on a terrorism charge and sentenced to death by a criminal court, according to Iraqs Supreme Judicial Council. The case was referred to an appeals court. A video of his purported confession was released after his arrest two years ago. Al-Hashimi, 47, was gunned down in July 2020 in front of his home in Baghdad by two attackers on a motorcycle after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. His killing was captured on a surveillance camera. The images stoked a climate of fear among activists who have accused the government of failing to rein in the powerful armed groups. Al-Hashimi had become well-known as an expert on the Islamic State group and advised the U.S.-led coalition during its years-long battle against the extremists. Following the territorial defeat of IS in December 2017, he became an outspoken critic of the growing influence of Iran-backed militias that helped to defeat IS. Al-Hashimi reportedly received multiple threats from such groups in the period before his death. Al-Kinani identified himself as a police officer with the rank of first lieutenant in the video aired on state media in 2021. Shortly after his arrest, two security officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that he was connected to a militia but did not specify which one. His purported confession did not acknowledge any links to armed groups. Successive governments have been criticized for allowing militias to operate with impunity. Critics say many government and security officials have ties to such militias. The killings of activists and other critical voices became more frequent in Iraq during a crackdown on a mass protest movement that erupted in 2019, with many blaming Iran-backed militias. Mosimann reported from Irbil, Iraq. SHARE: Phuket Immigration sends warning to lawbreakers PHUKET: At least three people have been arrested by Immigration Police at Phuket International Airport since May 1 according to the reports of the Phuket office of the Immigration Bureau. crimepolice By The Phuket News Sunday 7 May 2023, 02:27PM Three suspects were arrested at Phuket International Airport from May 1 through May 5. Photo: Phuket Immigration Phuket Immigration has posted three separate reports this week announcing the arrests of different wanted people at Phuket International Airport from May 1 to May 5. The arrests were made by Immigration Police officers together with officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), both part of the Royal Thai Police. An unnamed man was arrested in the passport control area of the International Terminal at around 7am on May 1. The man had been wanted on a warrant (No. 20/2563) issued on Jan 24 this year by Phuket District Court, but Phuket Immigration did not reveal the exact charges against him. At around 11am on May 5, an unnamed woman was arrested during passport control before departure at the International Terminal. The woman had been wanted on a warrant (No. 160/2566) issued on Apr 4 this year by Phuket Provincial Court on charges of category 1 drug possession (methamphetamine). Around 4.30pm on the same day, another unnamed woman was arrested during passport check on arrival at the International Terminal. She had been wanted on a warrant (No. 244/2566) issued on Mar 13 this year by Minburi Criminal Court in Bangkok on charges of fraud with property. All the arrested suspects were handed over to relevant authorities for further legal processing. Phuket Immigration Chief Col Thanet Sukchai had earlier told The Phuket News that his office had become more active in both law enforcement and media coverage of arrests. Col Thanet was referring to foreign overstayers at that time, but the number of reports in Thai language and about Thai lawbreakers has significantly increased in recent months as well. The Phuket Immigration Checkpoint page on Facebook had around five to six airport arrest reports for both March and April. The number of arrests for May stay at three, whule the number of reports has already reached four. In a separate move, Phuket Immigrations regular reports on foreign arrivals now include warnings to Thai landlords about the requirement to register their foreigner dwellers, as well as statistics on the arrests of Thai nationals ignoring the requirement. All the reports are published in Thai language only. Worlds your oyster at 333 At The Beach 333 At The Beach is part of the Intercontinental Phuket Resort in fact the name derives from the resorts address: 333, 333/3 Moo 3, Kamala Beach. However, its a separate building with its own car parking and has the casual feel of a stand-alone beach bar/restaurant, with its mostly under cover, toes in the sand, seating. Theres even a row or two of sun loungers amongst the trees for an even more relaxed drink or snack while the sun goes down. Dining By Amy Bensema Sunday 7 May 2023, 11:00AM If you find yourself on Phukets west coast looking for somewhere to watch a spectacular sunset, enjoy a sundowner or two, and/or have a bite to eat, then make a beeline for 333 at the Beach its hard to beat. We were there for all three and we settled into a prime spot in the restaurant area, right at the beachs edge, with a superb view of Kamala Bay and the approaching sunset through the palm trees. Most evenings 333 guests can enjoy the sounds of the resident DJ. The exceptions are Tuesday, when theres a fire show on the beach, and Friday when a saxophonist replaces the DJ. We were there on Tuesday and, after the sun had gone down, the fire show started. My take on fire shows was always, When youve seen one youve seen them all. How wrong can you be! The show at 333 was truly amazing, the showman extremely skillful with a wide repertoire. We watched entranced from start to finish, by which time we were getting hungry. We ordered each dish to share and started with Red Grouper Ceviche (coconut base ceviche served with soft tacos). A beautiful combination of ceviches definitive sour tones with a slight spicy touch and exquisitely tender fish; we cleared the plate in short order and were ready for our next treat. We had decided to try one of 333s signature plant-based dishes, Tempeh (fermented soybean cake, smoked charred roots, heart lettuce with lime and coriander vinaigrette). For a dyed-in-the-wool meat eater this was a revelation. The dense-textured (just like meat!), slightly nutty, soybean cake absorbs the flavours of the ingredients its cooked with, so the chef who prepares it orchestrates the overall experience. 333s chef produced a masterpiece. Moving on, we shared a Kurobuta Pork Chop (with chimichurri sauce and sweet potatoes) and Thai Wagyu Short Ribs (slow-cooked short ribs with fresh herbs and jalapeno). The pork chop was as succulent and tender as youd expect of the Wagyu of pork, while the subtle tones of the chimichurri sauce perfectly complemented the luxurious flavour of the pork without overpowering it. Loaded with flavour and so tender it almost dissolves in the mouth, the wagyu short ribs were the jewel in the crown on our dinner at 333. The fresh crunchy salad proved a perfect contrast to the strong meatiness of the beef, and the lively jalapeno peppers (that were a touch on the spicy side), made for a memorable combination of flavours and textures. Almost too full to contemplate a desert, we nevertheless did our duty with a Mixed Nut Maple Syrup Tart and a Wild Strawberry Cheesecake. The mixed nut tart, served with a variety of berries, was packed with healthy nuttiness and, while proving a challenge after a full meal, was nevertheless devoured voraciously. The cheesecake, beautifully presented, was a delightful blend of understated flavours and succumbed easily to our attention. 333 at the Beach is the perfect place to chill out beachside. The service is faultless, the ambience laid back, the menu inspired and the food simply scrumptious. 333 At The Beach. Food served 11.30am - 9:30pm. Beverages 10am-12 midnight. Reservations: +66 76 629 999. Visit: Website: Phuket.intercontinental.com/dining/333-at-the-beach Facebook: 333atthebeach Instagram: 333atthebeach WATERLOO Tamer Ozsu knows that the Waterloo-Huawei joint innovation lab he runs at the University of Waterloo is in the crosshairs of an administration clampdown on potential security risks. Hes aware federal research granting councils announced they would reject funding for projects with institutions that have ties to foreign governments that pose a risk to national security. Nor is he blind to the governments decision, a year ago, to deny the Chinese telecom giant access to Canadas 5G wireless networks over concerns about security. But when it comes to the university research lab set up in 2018 with $6.5 million in funding from Huawei, he thinks the concerns are misguided. We know the sensitivities around advanced telecom technologies and 5G, says the computer science prof, whose lab projects involve mostly data management and programming languages. But the lab I direct has no projects in that space, so this argument that theyre here to steal our I.P. (intellectual property) doesnt carry much water. None of the projects funded by his lab were initiated by Huawei or address Huaweis problems, he says. A steering committee made up of Waterloo faculty and Huawei researchers, with a Waterloo chair, made the decisions purely on the basis of scientific merit. These were research projects that faculty members wanted to do and the funding from the joint lab facilitated the research, says Ozsu. Theres not a single project where Huawei came to us and said We want you to find someone to do this work for us. Its a moot point, anyway, because the agreement with Huawei specifies that results from all projects are to be freely published, in the public domain, available to everyone. Somebody needs to explain to me, what is it theyre stealing, if it is stealing? says Ozsu. One expects in a democracy that some argument is made of why we need to sever these relationships, that there are academic rules by which this should be debated within the university. And then we know where we could go from there. His beef isnt just with the university, who didnt consult him on its decision to sever ties with Huawei. Its with the intelligence agencies overseeing Canadian security amid a national conversation about Beijings influence efforts in Canada. I dont know of any other country thats as heavy handed as weve been or as secretive as we are, he says about the perceived lack of transparency. The Americans have a list of universities and companies in China theyve put on their export and restriction lists, and you cant collaborate with them for whatever reason. We can argue whether that makes sense or not, but we (Canada) dont have such a list. We have a list of topics that are considered a dual use and therefore need to be protected. The problem, he says, is that the list is way too broad. I challenge anyone to find anything in the STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) area which doesnt fit on that list, he says. If you really take it seriously, we shouldnt be doing any STEM projects in collaboration with colleagues. Beyond this, how can his lab meet regulatory guidelines if he doesnt know what the rules are? I dont think, in a democracy, this is how we should be operating, he says. No question gets answered, if you ask for specifics. Funding agencies simply declare Its a national security concern! and they cant talk about it. One project they found to be a security risk was Novel Smartphone Application For Eye Disease Diagnosis And Therapy For Young Children. Its hard to comprehend what national security risk there might be in a topic that studies computer assistance in diagnosing eye diseases in children. At present, his lab which he predicts will be shut down has 26 ongoing projects overseen by more than 35 faculty members and 128 students and post-doctoral fellows. Last week, a university spokesperson said all lab projects will wrap up by the end of this year, which prompts a number of questions from Ozsu. What happens if the timelines on projects already funded by Huawei extend beyond that? More important, on a research scale, what kind of precedent does this set? The danger is that were making it taboo to be engaging in research projects with colleagues in China, some of whom are former students, says Ozsu. Were being put in a position to tell them I cant work with you and I cant publish with you anymore. Thats fundamentally wrong. Given the relatively small Canadian research ecosystem which punches way above our weight, because were good collaborators he says international links are crucial. I dont care about Huawei, in a sense. I care about the funding that this lab provided to us, my colleagues, and especially the younger colleagues as they were setting up their research programs. I care about the negative impact on academic autonomy and integrity of doing all of this with winks and whispers, behind the scenes, with no academic consultation or discussion. Today its China, tomorrow they could pick Poland as an adversary, and any collaboration youve had with Polish scholars and researchers would be problematic. If Canadian academia was bigger, it might not matter, he adds, but we dont have critical mass in certain areas. Through this collaboration with colleagues in China and elsewhere, we can actually tackle these bigger problems and generate knowledge in the public domain. We benefit as much as our collaborators. SHARE: From May 3, 1993 to the present Listen to the voice of sanity | There is something eerie with the date. May 3, 1993 and it was on this date that the Meitei-Pangal clash started and went on till May 5. Fast forward 30 years and May 3, 2023 will now go down as the date which saw the start of the clash between the Meiteis and the Kukis and it is still continuing. Move a little forward from 1993 to June of 1997 and Manipur and the world witnessed the Kuki-Paite clash that killed hundreds, displaced thousands and reduced thousands of homes to cinders. Imphal was then the refuge for many of those displaced in the Kuki-Paite clash. The clash stretched on for over a year and it was only in September 1998 that a peace pact was inked between the two communities and which has lasted till date. In between was perhaps the mother of all ethnic clashes-the Naga-Kuki clash that started in 1992 and stretched on for many more years. The ghost of the Naga-Kuki clash continues to haunt the psyche of everyone in Manipur and talk of any ethnic or communal tension in Manipur and one is immediately reminded of this clash. Now even as the world and Manipur have stepped into the new millennium, mutual suspicion and the assertion of ones agenda at the cost of the other continue to haunt the understanding of Manipur and perhaps this can best be understood against the backdrop of the Lim and Kuki Homeland demand. Even as situation seems to have slightly improved since May 3, with the Army staging flag march and leikai clubs chipping in and galvanising all to contribute whatever they can to assist those who have been displaced and are currently housed in different camps, Manipur may not be the same now. The impact of the present clash can have an everlasting impact on the understanding of Manipur and this would work to the advantage of all those who have been pulling apart the idea of Manipur as a distinct geo-political reality. This fact should not blow over the heads of anyone who swear and solidly stand by the name of Manipur. And letting loose the leikai heroes and tongue wagging leikai heroines to interpret the present stand off as one between the Meiteis and all those who come under the tribal tag is one sure shot way of playing into the hands of all those who have been tearing apart the idea of Manipur. Another is obviously to view the present clash as one between Hindus and Christians. Nothing can be more damaging and self destructive than this. It is against this madness that some sane voices have emerged which give all a hope in the innate goodness of mankind. Manipur should note with a sense of gratitude that it was the six Naga MLAs who were the first to get off the block and appeal to all to maintain calm and help the Government in restoring peace and normalcy. The appeal from the 6 Naga MLAs, Awangbow Newmai, Khashim Vashum, L Dikho, Ram Muivah, Janghemlung Panmei, K Leishiyo and J Kumo Sha was just what was expected from elected leaders of the people and fittingly this was followed by the special appeal from Lok Sabha MP Dr Lorho S Pfoze. It is this voice of peace and reasoning that all should listen to and accordingly act. Manipur cannot go on like this and what is desperately needed at this hour is good sense to prevail. No winner in violence, the significance and merit of this line from the Manipur Baptist Convention should not be lost on anyone for the blood that has been shed and the lives lost will not translate into a victory for anyone. There will be no winner here. Let this be clear to everyone. And it should also be clear to everyone that Manipur will not be the same once normalcy, or what one would like to call it, returns and the shame and pain of what has happened since May 3 will continue to haunt the collective psyche of every conscientious natives of this place. The Sangai Express joins in sharing the grief and pain of the bereaved family members. One driver is dead, and another remains in hospital after a collision in Bolton early Saturday morning. Ontario Provincial Police said officers responded to a two-vehicle collision downtown on Queen Street. The incident happened just after 2 a.m. Both drivers were rushed to the hospital. Police said a 21-year-old from Bolton succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. At this time, the circumstances regarding the crash remain unclear. No charges or arrests have been laid so far. Queen Street was closed between Willow and Sterne streets as the investigation unfolded. The roads have since reopened. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has dash cam footage is asked to contact police at 1-888-310-1122. With files from Karen Martin-Robbins, Caledon Enterprise. SHARE: Toronto police is looking for a suspect wanted in two separate investigations where a man stabbed two women Saturday afternoon, police said in a news release. Between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., officers said they responded to two separate calls for an assault with a weapon. In the first instance, a 75-year-old woman was walking southbound on Spadina Avenue near Cecil Street when the suspect approached her from behind and stabbed her on the left side of the neck with a sharp object, police from the 52 Division said. Then, police from 14 Division reported that another woman was walking north on Spadina near Dundas Street West when the suspect stabbed her in the right arm with a sharp object. Both women are being treated at hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. In both instances, the suspect fled on foot southbound on Spadina. Police describe the suspect as wearing a blue hooded sweater, light coloured pants and green New Balance shoes with a green N on the sides. Officers are asking anyone information to contact police at 416-808-1400 or 416-808-5200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com. MH Mahdis Habibinia is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mhabibinia@thestar.ca SHARE: It was an earnest ceremony in the presence of thousands of uniformed officers and the public, a memorial to honour the sacrifice and remember the lives of police officers slain in the line of duty in Ontario. At the 24th annual tribute at the Ontario Police Memorial in Queens Park, five constables names were etched in the stone of the Wall of Honour, alongside 277 others in what has become an archive dating back to the late 19th century. Our promise to you today and every day is that we will remember our heroes in life, Jason Tomlinson, president of the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation said. Lined up in a solemn salute, led by a choir of bagpipes, officers from across the province and beyond paid their respects in an act of remembrance. A flock of white gloves raised to foreheads was visible as a 21-gun salute was fired at the sky. Flower wreaths in tribute were marched to the Wall of Honour, placed at the memorial site by dignitaries, including Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell. One name alone is too many. Five is a tragedy collectively, Premier Doug Ford said. These losses are a stark reminder that our women and men in uniform put everything on the line the moment they walk out their doors. The messages shared from the podium, echoed a similar intention to commemorate the lives of fallen officers not only as men and women in uniform, but as community and family members. Four constable killed in 2022 were added to the wall Sunday. Toronto police officer Andrew Hong, 48, excelled at the memorial service by Lt.-Gov Dowdeswell as a gentle giant with a love for policing only outmatched by his love for family. Hong was killed outside a Mississauga Tim Hortons, while on break from conducting motorcycle training. The gunman, later reported by an SIU investigation, had been waiting for a police officer before fatally shooting the father of two. Weve lost so many, too many officers in the line of duty, said Dowdeswell. A 33-year veteran officer from South Simcoe Police was also added to the Wall of Honour. Const. Morgan Russell, 54, was killed alongside Const. Devon Northrup, 33. Both officers were slain while answering a disturbance call in Innisfil. OPP Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala, was the youngest to be honoured. The 28-year-old man was fatally shot after being ambushed by a couple while responding to a call for a vehicle in a ditch south of Hamilton in December. They represent more than names, the empty chair in the hockey arenathe empty chair in the minivan headed out on that family vacation, the empty chair around the Christmas table, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said. The memorial had one historical addition. Const. Vicki Lynn Wilson, whose memory lingers 30 years after her death, fell in the line of duty in 1992 while working for the Durham Regional Police. She had a smile that lit up a room, Tomilson said. For the families, their loss is fresh, and so is their pain. Today we stand together with you, we express sorrow, words that we know are not sufficient, Michael Kerzner, Ontario Solicitor General said. Over the last year, nine police officers have fallen in the line of duty across Canada. They live in the memorial we put on in their memory, and they live on in the actions that we must begin to take to ensure these tragedies no longer reoccur, Poilievre said. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the federal government will continue working to secure law enforcement authorities with the resources and legislation to prevent the strings of attacks against officers. SHARE: Toronto police are looking for a suspect who fled following a shooting Sunday early morning inside a North York bar. The incident happened near Richelieu Road and Stadacona Driver, in the Clanton Park area north of Highway 401, shortly after 1 a.m. Police said officers were called to reports of an altercation involving a firearm discharge. Upon arrival, police found one person injured with non-life-threatening wounds. The victim has since been transported to a hospital. No further information has been provided on their condition. Police said the suspect had fled the scene before emergency crews arrived. A firearm was recovered from the scene. SHARE: The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. Unfortunately the Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad (KLSE:HSPLANT) share price slid 43% over twelve months. That contrasts poorly with the market decline of 2.4%. On the bright side, the stock is actually up 32% in the last three years. Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns. See our latest analysis for Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Unhappily, Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad had to report a 6.1% decline in EPS over the last year. The share price decline of 43% is actually more than the EPS drop. Unsurprisingly, given the lack of EPS growth, the market seems to be more cautious about the stock. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 7.00. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). It is of course excellent to see how Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad the TSR over the last 1 year was -40%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 2.4% in the twelve months, Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad shareholders did even worse, losing 40% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 1.4% over the last half decade. 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Even so, be aware that Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us... Of course Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Berhad may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Toronto police are investigating after a three-vehicle collision in the citys east end. Two children were passengers in one of the vehicles. The incident happened at around 1:52 p.m., west of Victoria Park Avenue near St. Clair Avenue East. Police said Toronto paramedics are on the scene assessing the level of injuries, which at this point remain unknown. The circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation. Lanes westbound on St. Clair Avenue were closed at Glenburn Avenue. This is a developing story. SHARE: Toronto police have arrested two men in a murder investigation following a deadly shooting in a bar in the citys northwest end last month. The incident happened on April 21, near Islington Avenue and Steeles Avenue West. At around 10 p.m., police answered a call for gunshots; upon arrival, officers found a 47-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, later identified as Robert Khananisho, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Toronto police said two separate arrests related to this investigation were made on May 4 and 6. Two men, both under the age of 25, are facing one count each for first-degree murder. Police are asking anyone with further information to come forward. RELATED STORIES GTA Man killed in North York bar shooting is identified by police SHARE: Kids today are clever. They have ideas to reinvent the jet turbine, create unsinkable electric boats and design eco-friendly phone cases all part of the Its My Future Toronto (IMFT) program Dori Tunstall, OCAD Universitys dean of design, first created IMFT in 2021 to encourage Black, Indigenous and other racialized kids eight to 12 to contribute to solutions for cultural, economic and environmental issues that impact the city. The experience of racism erodes your ability to connect to the systems impacting you. It begins to limit your imagination, Tunstall said. So we are actively connecting them with powerful institutions to have a sense of entitlement to those institutions. This years theme, biodiversity, arose out of last Decembers UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal. The program, this year in partership with the TDSB, began in January, when students from George Webster Elementary School in East York and St. Margarets Public School in Scarborough attended a biodiversity exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum and a workshop on collaborative design at OCAD University. The students were then tasked with creating prototype solutions in response to challenges of biodiversity, using advertising, journalism and government policy to present their findings. On Feb. 15 and March 8, Toronto Star and Globe and Mail journalists held virtual Zoom workshops, where students learned how to write a news story, how an article gets edited and the importance of photos. Students showcased their work at the ROM on April 22 and some will be presenting their prototypes to the city councils Toronto Youth Cabinet on May 10. Heres how 12 of the students would address some of todays most pressing environmental and social issues. Urban deforestation Bhavesh The story is about lumberjacks and builders who cut down trees to make space for the development of buildings. The problem is the trees are being cut down too fast and the carbon dioxide. This is causing less oxygen for us to breathe. My idea is to have a one-metre high sign placed every kilometre, mostly in forests because thats where the trees are. We can plant trees to solve deforestation, recycle the wood we buy so we dont have to cut more trees, and eat sustainable food. Abraham If they cut down a lot of trees in cities, animals would not have a home. The problem is urban deforestation and its happening in the city. The problem is happening because the people need to build more homes, so they need to cut a lot of trees. My prototypes design is a building that will have platforms on the sides, and they will have small trees on them. It will help solve the urban deforestation problem by giving more oxygen and clean air in the urban environment. The special thing about my platforms is that they will have grass and soil planted on them. Jay The problem is that when trees are cut down, it destroys the homes of animals. Secondly, when trees are cut down, there is no oxygen for humans or animals. Thirdly, when trees are cut down, the roots get eliminated, which can cause soil erosion and increase the chance of floods. My prototype is to use visible signs everywhere that would discourage people from cutting down trees. Educate our friends, family and community by sharing the deforestation facts and the cause and effects of deforestation. Pollution and litter Sahil The problem is that many ships create horrible pollution. They use heavy fuel oil and when mixed with exhaust gas or scrubbers that use seawater to remove sulphur dioxide, it ends up in the water, adding to the pollution. My prototype is ... an electric boat. It has many layers on the bottom so if it gets scratched it doesnt sink. Mathews Pollution is bad for animals like bees and frogs. If there are no bees we would have no honey, and if we have no frogs, there would be a lot of flies and insects. Smoke pollution can be bad for humans, too, because it can cause cancer and heart failure. My idea is to tell factories to stop using so much smoke. It can pollute the world and make skies look bad and dangerous. Id tell people not to use cars so much because it wastes gas. Id also tell people who litter to pick it up and throw it in the garbage, and tell them to not do it again. Agilesh Smoking cigarettes is causing so much air pollution in our city. If you smoke in public, other people near you could get breathing issues, but we cant stop someone from smoking because they are addicted. In 1999, the City of Toronto passed a bylaw that banned people from smoking in any public place. But people are still smoking in public places, like when you walk down the street. My prototype is a clear box where smokers can smoke. When the people smoke they have to put the butts in the smoking garbage available in the box, or else they have to pay $500 as a fine. If they dont, they will be sentenced to jail for three days or a week. Prisha According to the City of Toronto, litter is a big problem. It makes the city look bad and has harmful effects on the environment and animals. Small items such as cigarette butts and gum, and large items such as paper towels and napkins, masks, and single-use plastic cups, are commonly littered items in Toronto. My prototype shows a girl carrying a bag and a stick to pick up garbage and clean up her city. She shows that if we clean our city it will be fresh and healthy. Clean electricity Ariyan The problem is our current use of tech. We continue to use cars and machines, which damage the environment and use fossil fuels and cause pollution. My design is quite simple, really. I named it the Jend Turbine, a fusion of the two words jet and turbine. The Jend Turbine helps the problem because the jet engine part of the machine has blades that are even faster than the original wind turbines. This is better fitted for environmental reasons, and will produce more electricity if the wind is consistent enough. Eco-friendly phone case Abdullah A 2018 study by researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton found that 85 percent of the emissions impact from a smartphone comes from production rather than use. ...Smartphones contain metals and minerals that are mined at high environmental and human cost. My goal is to make an eco-friendly phone case that, when you accidentally drop it, you wont have to go back and forth to the repair shop. An eco-friendly phone can help to eliminate some of the carbon emissions that happen when phones are created. Cutting carbon emissions Trijal Carbon emissions are bad for the environment. They are making animals go extinct, polluting the air, and making the world warmer. We can help prevent that by doing multiple small things like turning off the water while brushing our teeth, turning off the lights when not in use and turning off everything when going somewhere. Eradicating invasive species Rahimullah Dog strangling vine (black or pale swallowwort) is extremely dangerous. Its in the name: strangling vine! For example, deers dont like that it grows over the leaves they eat. It is growing in Taylor Creek Park, which is near my house. One solution is to get people to cut the vines down. Another thing they could do is create groups to go to parks and cut them down. We can also create billboard ads for people my age to know to cut them down. Descrimination Anastasia Some people arent getting as much respect as they should. Black or white people, or people who like their own gender, should be allowed. And we should not hate people who are Black or white. We should love people the way they are. We gotta respect the way they are and not be racist to others. Thats how to hurt peoples feelings. SHARE: CAIRO (AP) The Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister to Sundays gathering. Thirteen out of the leagues 22 member states sent their foreign ministers to the meeting in Cairo. The decision represented a victory for Damascus, albeit a largely symbolic one. Given that Western sanctions against Assads government remain in place, the return to the Arab League is not expected to lead to a quick release of reconstruction funds in the war-battered country. Syrias membership in the Arab League was suspended early on during the countrys 2011 uprising against Assads rule that was met by a violent crackdown and quickly turned into a civil war. The conflict has killed nearly a half million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement that the decision to return Syria to the organization, which will allow Assad to take part in the groups upcoming May 19 summit, is part of a gradual process of resolving the conflict. This doesnt mean that the Syria crisis has been resolved, on the contrary, he said. But it allows the Arab (states) for the first time in years to communicate with the Syrian government to discuss all the problems. Aboul Gheit also said restoring Syrias membership in the organization does not mean all Arab countries have normalized with Damascus. These are sovereign decisions for each state individually, he said. Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous claimed Sunday that Syria had been the victim of misinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies for 12 years. He said Sundays consultations reflected the prestigious position Syria holds regionally and internationally. Opponents of Assad saw the move toward normalization as a betrayal. Arab states have put their own cynical realpolitik and diplomatic agendas above basic humanity, said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign, an international advocacy group. The move, she said, has cruelly betrayed tens of thousands of victims of the regimes war crimes and granted Assad a green light to continue committing horrific crimes with impunity. Sundays decision came days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a road map to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to de-escalate. The next Arab League summit is to take place May 19 in Saudi Arabia. The Arab League generally tries to reach agreements by consensus but sometimes opts for simple majorities. Sundays session was held behind closed doors, and it was not immediately clear which countries had registered objections. A spokesperson for Qatars Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published by state media that normalization with Syria should be tied to a political solution to the conflict but that it always seeks to support what will achieve an Arab consensus and will not be an obstacle to that. Sundays decision also includes a commitment by Arab governments to try to reach a political solution to the conflict, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq were asked by the league to follow up on developments. The league welcomed what it said was the Syrian governments willingness to cooperate with Arab countries to resolve humanitarian, security, and political crises that affected Syria and the region due to the conflict, including refugees, the threat of terrorism and drug smuggling. Many observers had anticipated Syrias imminent return to the organization. Arab rapprochement with Damascus accelerated after a deadly Feb. 6 earthquake that shattered parts of the war-torn country. One of the countries pushing normalization is Saudi Arabia, which once backed opposition groups trying to overthrow Assad. Egyptian Foreign Minister Samer Shoukry said before Sundays meeting that only an Arab-led political solution without foreign dictates can end the ongoing conflict. The different stages of the Syrian crisis proved that it has no military solution, and that there is no victor nor defeated in this conflict, he said. In recent years, as Assad regained control of most of the country with the help of key allies Russia and Iran, neighbors of Syria that hosted large refugee populations took steps towards reopening diplomatic links with Damascus. Meanwhile, two Gulf monarchies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, reestablished ties. The Feb. 6 earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria was a catalyst for further normalization across the Arab world. China helped to broker a recent rapprochement between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Jordan last week hosted regional talks that included envoys from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and Syria. They agreed on a framework, dubbed the Jordanian initiative, that would slowly bring Damascus back into the Arab fold. Ammans top diplomat said the meeting was the beginning of an Arab-led political path for a solution to the crisis. The conflict in Sudan is also on the agenda, as Arab states try to stabilize a shaky cease-fire in the ongoing fighting that has killed hundreds of people over the past few weeks. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Sam Magdy and Noha El Hennawy in Cairo, contributed to this report. Read more about: SHARE: CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) Tears flowed amid heartfelt embraces as Mexican families were allowed brief reunions at the border Saturday with relatives who migrated to the United States. As a mariachi band played the popular song Las Mananitas, about 150 families passed over the Rio Grande to meet with loved ones they had not seen for years. Margarita Pina could not hide her emotion as she waited to greet her son, whom she hadnt seen since he left home two years ago in the middle of the pandemic to seek a better future in the U.S. Its very hard because we dont know what theyre suffering over there, Pina said. Knowing their meeting would be limited to only five minutes, Pina said she would take advantage of the limited time to tell him that we still love you very much. It was the 10th edition of the Hugs, not walls event, which was organized by humanitarian groups near the Casa de Adobe Museum in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, which sprawls across the border from El Paso, Texas. Unlike at earlier reunions, a strong guard of U.S. officers was present at the event, which came just days before Washington will lift Title 42 asylum rules imposed for the pandemic that allowed the U.S. to expel more than 2.8 million migrants since March 2020. The end to the provision Thursday is expected to encourage a surge of migrants toward the border, and U.S. authorities have beefed up security, including stringing barbed wire fencing. The government has said 1,500 troops will be sent to El Paso, in addition to 2,500 National Guardsmen already at the border. We have never had a border as militarized as today, said Fernando Garcia, head of the Network in Defense of the Rights of Migrants. There is a war against migrants, refugees, against us border crossers, he added. Read more about: SHARE: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Two oil tankers recently seized by Iran are anchored off the coast of one of its key port cities on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Sunday. The photos from Planet Labs PBC showed the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi being just south of Bandar Abbas near a naval base in the port city in Irans Hormozgan province Saturday. Their capture represents just the latest ship seizure conducted by Iran amid tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, though it appears the two ships may have been taken for different reasons. Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, staffed by 23 Indians and one Russian, on April 27 as it traveled in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran claimed the vessel had struck another ship, though tracking data for the Advantage Sweet showed no erratic behavior on its trip. Iran has made claims in the past over ship seizures to cover for the vessels being taken to use as pawns in negotiations with the West. The Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California, at the time of its capture. And its seizure comes as another tanker believed to be carrying Iranian crude disappeared from anchorage off Singapore a year after being identified as trying to evade U.S. sanctions. The Financial Times, as well as the maritime intelligence firm Ambrey, both have reported that ship named Suez Rajan was seized by order of American authorities. U.S. officials and those associated with the Suez Rajan have not responded to questions about the tankers disappearance while on a westward path. Satellite images showed a second ship, the Niovi, a Panama-flagged tanker, which was seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday as it left a dry dock in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bound for Fujairah on the UAEs eastern coast. While not carrying any cargo, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence seen by the AP showed the Niovi in July 2020 received oil from a ship known then as the Oman Pride. The U.S. Treasury in August 2021 sanctioned the Oman Pride and others associated with the vessel over it being involved in an international oil smuggling network that supported the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. Separately, purported emails published online by Wikiran, a website that solicits leaked documents from the Islamic Republic, suggest that cargo carried by the Niovi was sold on to firms in China without permission. United Against a Nuclear Iran, which has tracked sanctioned crude shipments by Tehran, strongly suspects the seizure of the Niovi is related to a dispute over a shipment of Iranian oil, said Claire Jungman, the chief of staff of the organization. Iran has said it seized the Niovi over an unspecified court order in Tehran. The managers of the Niovi did not answer repeated telephone calls for comment. The Greek Coast Guard have said the Niovi was staffed by Greek, Filipino and Sri Lankan sailors. Meanwhile Sunday, an internet account describing itself as a group of hackers claimed responsibility for allegedly taking down websites associated with Irans Foreign Ministry. The claims of the account GhyamSarnegouni, whose name in Farsi means Rise to Overthrow, were not immediately acknowledged by Iranian media. However, the Foreign Ministrys website remained down for hours over what it called scheduled maintenance and upgrades. Cached versions of the websites of Iranian diplomatic posts in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Munich, Germany, and Seoul, South Korea, appeared to have been defaced with a message in Farsi reading: Death to Khamenei, Hail Rajavi. Khamenei refers to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Rajavi likely refers to Massoud Rajavi, the long-missing leader of the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or his wife Maryam, who is now the public face of the group. There is a great revolution in Iran, the uprising will go until the demolition of the palace of oppression, the message read. Irans foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani rejected reports the ministrys websites were hacked, the ministrys telegram channel reported Sunday. Kanaani said only the pages for news and press releases on the ministrys website were targeted by cyberattacks, but authorities had fixed the problem and it is now available. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. SHARE: ALLEN, Texas (AP) A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and started shooting people at a Dallas-area outlet mall Saturday, killing eight and wounding seven others three critically before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting, the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S., sent hundreds fleeing in panic. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept. A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room. We started running. Kids were getting trampled, Gum said. My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents. Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, it added. Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an unspeakable tragedy. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and one who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded. The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. ___ Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. SHARE: THREE RIVERS, Mich. (AP) A man who was arrested last month in the 1988 stabbing and strangulation of a Michigan woman has died in a South Carolina jail, where he was awaiting extradition to face a murder charge, authorities said. Police in Three Rivers, Michigan, said they were told Saturday about the death of Robert Waters, 53, at the detention center in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Waters was arrested April 30 after investigators used genealogical data to narrow the list of suspects to his family, authorities said. He was charged in the killing of 19-year-old Cathy Sue Swartz in Three Rivers, which is in southwestern Michigan about 136 miles (218 kilometers) southwest of Detroit. Prosecutor David Martin said Waters had waived extradition to Michigan. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating Waters death, the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office said Sunday. No other details were released. Swartz was stabbed and strangled in her apartment. Her death had long been a cold case, despite blood, fingerprints and footprints at the scene that investigators believed belonged to her killer. SHARE: Despite sinking into further disrepute since his departure from the White House, remarkably or perhaps unremarkably, Donald Trump has firmly established his position as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. At first glance, it is easy to attribute Trumps success simply to the increased radicalization and division apparent in the land of liberty. But I see it differently. For me, the cowardly retreat of Republican moderates has not received sufficient blame for the marginalization of American conservatism. Their opposition to Trump, despite increased opportunity for it to be effective, has been both pitiful and pathetic. After the underwhelming Republican performance in the 2022 midterms, for which Trump was resoundingly culpable, one would have hoped to see the emergence of a nominee with the potential to restore respectability to the GOPs leadership. After all, the chance was staring them in the face. Yet, no viable moderate competitor has emerged. While some will argue that the party is so lost that, at this point, the situation is hopeless, how do we know that to be true if no one has tried? As a result, the Trump virus has continued to fester and spread. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered the most likely contender to take on Trump, is just Trump without the amusement. Hes just as determined to push dogmatic agendas, be it on guns, LGBT rights, or abortion. He is just less funny. Quite a bit. Trumps presidency was characterized by the binary choice he created: you were either with him or against him. This polarizing force instilled fear in those who dared to defy him. However, in the current nomination context, theres no excuse for moderate Republicans to cower. Gone should be their fear of alienating Trumps voting base because that base has left them. After all, it is a base that despises them as much as they despise that base. Instead, they should be jumping at the chance to confront him. But this cowardice is baked in, starting at the top. Party leaders, like Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, have often been reluctant to criticize Trump, fearing jeopardy to their political careers. Ronna McDaniels election as chair of The Republican National Committee is another signal. She is widely seen as having been picked because she is best positioned to prevent Trump from forming a splinter movement, should he lose the nomination. Their support sends a message to rank-and-file Republicans that dissent from Trumpism is not welcome. So, if the GOP is truly lost to the MAGA movement, why havent we seen more defections to the Democrats or an appetite for an alternative movement? The Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed by moderate Republicans, is the closest thing but its efforts alone arent enough. Asa Hutchinson, former two-term Arkansas governor, is running as a non-Trump candidate, vowing to champion common sense, consistent conservatism. While commendable, Hutchinson is polling with less than 1 per cent support, unable to build any momentum largely thanks to the absence of figures like Mitt Romney, which highlights the apathy and fear that has become pervasive among moderate Republicans. One must wonder what happened to the conviction and performance of these moderates in the face of Trumps antics. Where is Jeb Bush, who was last reported to be attempting to buy and sell Israeli spyware through his private equity firm? And even if they are quiet now, at least Bush and Romney previously tried to take Trump on. Where are the many others who never even bothered? They carry far more of the blame. Spineless refusals to confront Trump are directly responsible for his continued popularity. History will not judge well those moderates who abandoned a difficult fight because they thought it was a hopeless fight. Those who flew the white flag and surrendered their party to the MAGA pirates will be seen for what they are: cowards. Jaime Watt is the executive chairman of Navigator Ltd. and a Conservative strategist. He is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @jaimewatt Read more about: SHARE: Vesnaandjic / Getty Images If youre eligible to receive Social Security benefits, you may receive your payments outside of the U.S. However, the Social Security Administration has noted that there are countries to which they are not permitted to send payments, as well as other pertinent restrictions. Social Security: 20% Cuts to Your Payments May Come Sooner Than Expected Next: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement Outside of the United States is classified as not residing in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands or American Samoa for at least 30 days in a row. If you arent a U.S. citizen, you will be required to prove that you were in the U.S. for that 30-day period. Payments will stop after you have been outside the U.S. for six full calendar months if you are not a U.S. citizen. Payments will not resume until you return to the U.S. for at least one full calendar month. The U.S. Department of the Treasury prohibits making payments to anyone residing in Cuba or North Korea. Under the Social Security Act, you are not eligible to receive Social Security benefits for the months that you lived in Cuba or North Korea if you are not a U.S. citizen, even if you meet all other requirements. Additional Treasury Department sanctions could affect payments to those in other countries. More: What Is the Average Social Security Benefit at Every Age? Payments are not typically sent to those residing in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. However, exceptions may be made. To qualify for an exception, you must meet and agree to restricted payment conditions. If you dont qualify for an exception, then payments will be withheld until you leave the above-mentioned country and proceed to a country where payments are accepted for the allotted period of time. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security: Can I Still Collect Benefits If I Retire Abroad? OTTAWAA friend, a man of honour, a man who embodies all that is best about the House of Commons. Thats how not just party colleagues but even partisan rivals described Conservative MP Michael Chong this week as shock rippled through Parliament with revelations he and his family were targets for Chinese state interference in 2021. But when Chong himself first heard the news, via a Globe and Mail report last Monday, shock wasnt what hit him. In an interview with the Toronto Star, the 51-year-old father of three said his first response was profound disappointment. Disappointment the government knew but didnt tell him a Toronto-based Chinese diplomat was trying to gather information on his family to use for intimidation purposes in response to Chongs support for Uyghur minority rights. Disappointment that when that 2021 intelligence assessment was compiled, portions of which he finally saw this week, no action was taken against the diplomat. The disappointment stems in part from a theme running through Chongs nearly 19 years as the MP for Wellington-Halton Hills: a profound belief in and commitment to the need to protect and safeguard the institutions of democracy. Hes the architect of a piece of legislation that gives MPs the right to remove their leader used for the first time in 2022 to dethrone his former boss, Erin OToole. Hes among the few in modern-day Canadian political life who have resigned a position of power on a point of principle. In 2006, he quit his job as intergovernmental affairs minister over a motion recognizing the Quebecois as a nation inside a united Canada: he said it implied the recognition of ethnicity and I cannot support that. I do not believe in an ethnic nationalism. I believe in a civic nationalism. In 2017, he ran for leadership of the Conservative party because of what he perceived as a civic duty to give back to a country that had given his family everything: Canadian soldiers fought for both his parents families freedoms during the Second World War. So where his disappointment over the revelations this week shifts to concern it is on this point: to him, Canadas democratic institutions are under attack and his view the government is indifferent. He points to reports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told allies Canada simply wont meet the two per cent spending target on defence. He points to a recent story about a case against a scientist accused of taking illegal payments from China falling apart because it took too long to get to trial. And he also points to the fact the dossier with intelligence about him was in fact circulated around government agencies, though as Trudeau and his ministers say it was never presented to them. Chong said that piece of information came to him via Trudeaus national security adviser Jody Thomas, who called him after she had made him a promise to find out what happened to the information gathered on him in 2021. But even as that revelation raises questions about why no senior government officials saw fit to brief the political level, Chong said it is not them he is angry at. To him, the blame lies squarely at the feet of the prime minister. It reflects the prime minister as a prime minister who does not see national security as serious and needing attention, he said. He points to all of this because of another point he wants to make: Im just one case of the foreign interference activities taking place in Canada, he said. What I think about is all the people whose stories never get told. Chongs story begins with a choice his father Paul made in 1952: to leave Hong Kong and head for the University of Manitoba. Paul Chong eventually made his way east, and through medical school, becoming an internist., Paul married Cornelia de Haan, whod left the Netherlands in the 1960s, and had four children, with Michael the oldest. They kept in touch with extended family still in Hong Kong; when Chong rose in the House of Commons to reflect on the death of Queen Elizabeth II he called her the most important person hed ever met he talked about exchanging letters with his cousins there. Both had stamps of the Queen and it struck him as a point of connection. These stamps made me realize as a young boy that what bound us together between Canada and Hong Kong was not just family ties, but also institutions based on freedoms, liberties and the rule of law, he said in the Sept. 15, 2022 speech. But as China cracked down on Hong Kong and its institutions begin to deteriorate and as Chong decided to ramp up his own criticism of the regime in Beijing he made a choice: to cut his family in Hong Kong off. He was worried that by virtue of being related to a Canadian, and especially a Canadian politician, his family could be targets of Chinese retaliation and he wanted to protect them. He still does he didnt want to divulge any details to the Star about his family in Hong Kong. But he hopes his story serves as a wake-up call. I keep thinking about all the people who suffer in silence, he said. My hope is the high-profile stature of the PRC targeting MPs results in a more serious approach to countering foreign interference, to protect all Canadians. Read more about: SHARE: That the incidence of child marriage around the world has reduced is welcome news, but its impact is immediately reduced by the announcement, made by the United Nations Childrens Fund, that we are still very far away from eradicating this abhorrent social practice. Unicef in a report released this week has estimated that far from ridding the world of child marriages by 2030, one of the UNs sustainable development goals, it will take us 300 years to do so if the rate of progress does not improve. In the past decade, the incidence of child marriages worldwide has dropped from 23 to 19 per cent, but the fact that 12 million under-aged girls are compelled to enter marriage every year even now must be a cause for great concern. Overall, Unicef estimates that 640 million girls and women living today were married off before they turned 18. Post the Covid-19 pandemic, when poor families were driven to destitution, young girls were married off by many families to reduce their burdens. Indeed, poverty has been identified as a major factor responsible for such marriages, while the other is the impact of climate change. The lead author of the report, Claudia Cappa, a Senior Adviser to Unicef, has said: Health crises, conflict and natural disasters increase the risk to girls as they interrupt their education and add financial stress to households. Some families in these difficult situations falsely view [marriage] as a way to protect their girls financially, socially and physically. Other factors that contribute to such marriages are gender inequalities, stereotyping, weak laws and fear of pregnancies, she says. But the situation is not hopeless. South Asia, which is home to a little less than half of those married before they turned 18, has shown significant progress, with India leading the way. Successful initiatives such as the Naubat Baja project in Rajasthan have reported significant outcomes, but overall states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have a lot of catching up to do. India recorded a decline in rates of child marriage from 47.4 per cent in 2005 to 23.3 per cent in 2021. But this is still above the global average, suggesting that much still needs to be done. The situation though is not so rosy elsewhere, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where some of the highest rates continue to be recorded with one of three girls being married off before they turn 18. This region, according to Unicef, faces a peculiar challenge in that, as Ms Cappa points out, in addition to conflict, climate shocks and Covid, its seeing its population grow faster than anywhere else in the world, outpacing its progress to end child marriage. The fate of one half of humanity is at risk, and the world owes it to its girls to ensure they are able to lead normal lives. But the attention of the worlds leaders seems to be elsewhere, on conflict, strife and power games Sudan, a country in the North east of Africa is a complex combination of several factors. It is rich in resources and yet a low income country, as classified by the UN. Tribal chauvinism, ethnic conflict, multiple insurgencies, a military foothold and sporadic attempts, though unsuccessful, towards transitioning to a democracy, are Sudans other defining features. On 15 April this year, Sudan made headlines. Heavy fighting broke out in the capital city Khartoum between the two rival factions of the military, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Going back in time, much before it achieved independence in 1956, Sudan was a vassal of empires comprising the Ottoman and the British. After achieving independence, Sudans troubles did not cease, it was subjected to a different set of masters. Spanning a time frame of six to seven decades, the military has played a pre-dominant role. The conflict can be traced to the staunch opposition to the one man strong rule of President Omar al-Bashir who assumed power in 1989 and remained in the saddle for three long decades. His tenure was marred by human rights abuses, corruption and undermining institutions like the judiciary, resulting in the forceful and ever growing demand for holding democratic elections. Ultimately, a countrywide uprising against him led to his ouster by the two military generals in 2019 and led to the formation of the Transitional Military Council in August of the same year. This was a sort of hybrid government, a power-sharing body of military officers and civilians under the Prime Ministership of Abdalla Hamdok which would eventually make way for holding elections at the end of 2023. The interim arrangement could not deliver and the army dispensed with the civilian-led transitional government in October 2021 and assumed complete control. The country had a new de facto leader in General Burhan and Dagalo, his partner in the military coup, became his deputy or second-in-command. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly called Hemeti, and the RSF, are a legacy of the Bashir era. This parallel force, the RSF, was created to surmount any kind of opposition to Bashirs regime, in regions like Darfur by filling it with Islamists and regime loyalists and getting rid of professionals. However, over time, the mandate of RSF grew substantially in size and capability and in 2017, Hemeti used his men to take control of the gold mines in the Darfur region. Soon after the 2021 coup, a power struggle between two generals arose that derailed the plan to transition to a democracy. Ironically, both the Generals claimed that they were trying to bring back Sudan to some kind of civilian rule with an elected government. Tensions between the two armies of Sudan have been escalating over a number of issues ranging from security sector reforms to control of resources and RSF integration into the Sudanese Armed Forces. A major grievance of General Dagalo is amalgamating the RSF into the Sudanese army. The time frame to carry out this integration has been a thorny issue. General Burhan wants it to be completed in two years, whereas General Dagalo is looking at a period of ten years to carry out this integration. Dissolving the RSF would mean losing control over his army, the militias and all the wealth and power that he has gained with their support. Besides, General Burhan has alliances with radical Islamic groups and is being led by them. This is also a major area of disagreement. Ironically, both generals have worked together for several years and even coordinated the counter insurgency campaign in Darfur and Yemen. The battle between the two generals for grabbing political power and acquiring control of resources has cost the nation heavy. In addition to oil exports, Sudan is rich in minerals and ninety tons of gold on the global market comes from Sudan. This struggle for political and economic supremacy has resulted in a multi- pronged crisis. To start with, the humanitarian crisis has assumed large proportions. The ongoing military clashes have seriously impacted basic services like food, water, medicine and transport. Hospitals are shut, the medical system is on the verge of collapse. Markets, banks and pharmacies are being looted and peoples lives are at stake. At this juncture, to say that Sudan is sliding towards a civil war is debatable. Likewise, how ethnicity plays out in the current conflict is also difficult to say, although there have been instances in El Geneina, West Darfur, where deadly ethnic clashes took place and 96 people lost their lives. The year 2003 and the civil war in western Sudan, Darfur, are etched in memory. The Arab militia, Janjaweed had targeted the tribes of African descent. The operation led by General Dagalo and the ensuing genocide that followed, led to worldwide condemnation. Since 15 April, mounting international pressure has led to a ceasefire a few times but it has not been observed diligently. In the midst of hardship and sporadic violence in the cease fire period, people have crossed borders to reach Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Chad. An estimate is that close to 600 people have lost their lives and 334,000 people have been displaced. There arent enough resources to grapple with the ongoing refugees crisis. Adding to the woes mentioned above, Sudans neighbourhood is deeply divided and the US has appealed to the neighboring countries not to intervene militarily in Sudan. According to Khalid Medani, Associate Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies and Chairman of African Studies Programme at McGill University, Egypt has a strong influence in Sudan and finds a reliable ally in Gen Burhan and his army, especially as far as the economy and strategic resources are concerned. UAE has interests in gold trade and is inclined towards General Dagalo and the RSF. Both sides came together while dealing with the war in Yemen, when Dagalo sent his men to fight alongside the Saudiled coalition. This also helped the General to forge close ties with the gulf powers. Besides, General Dagalo has another strong ally in Russia. The Wagner paramilitary group of Russia has been involved in illegal gold mining, all with the support of the General. Bakry Elljack Elmedni, a Professor of Public Policy at Long Island University, Brooklyn, has pointed out that whatever happens in Sudan is not solely a Sudanese issue. It will have a ripple effect and will destabilize the region. South Sudan, Chad, Libya, Ethiopia have complicated and connected issues with Sudan. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan will lead to depletion of resources, food insecurity and ill health in the region. The troika of heads of states of Kenya, Djoubti and South Sudan have made consistent efforts towards trying to convince the two leaders to halt the fighting and return to civilian rule. Consistent pressure is being put by the UN on both the armies to cease hostilities and begin a dialogue. The African Union is trying to bring about mediation between the two warring armies. Neighborhood apart, the international community cannot sit on the fence and be a silent spectator. A strong message has to be delivered. To what extent imposing sanctions and diplomatic isolation would work, is difficult to say, but it can be considered. Creating an international coalition and resorting to coordinated diplomatic effort is an important step in the right direction, especially when a humanitarian catastrophe is already looming large and accountability for the destruction and deaths is nowhere in sight. International evacuation efforts by US, UK, Saudi Arabia and others are very much in progress. By launching Operation Kaveri, India is making consistent efforts to bring back all its citizens from this conflict zone. If good sense prevails over the two Generals and they make way for a civilian- led elected government in Sudan, it has to be free from the clutches of the military, otherwise it would end up as a puppet government. Realizing the long cherished goals of the Sudanese people, Freedom, Peace and Justice cannot be written off, like a distant dream. (The writer is Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi) The Centre for Australian Studies, located at the department of English and culture studies, The University of Burdwan, organised a twoday international conference on 3-4 May, in collaboration with Australian National University, one of the top 20 universities in the world. The conference was titled Australia-India Encounters: Past, Present, Future. On 3 May, the conference was inaugurated by deputy consul-general of the Australian Consulate of Kolkata Kevin Goh. The inaugural session was attended by the director of the Australian Studies Institute of Australian National University, Prof Paul Pickering. Both Mr Goh and Prof Pickering spoke at length on the history of Indo-Australian ties, pondered on the recent strengthening of bilateral relations between both the nations and the rich possibilities that such a renewal offers. Both the dignitaries expressed their interest in collaborating with the Centre for Australian Studies, the University of Burdwan on future projects. The conference was also attended by Prof Nimai Chandra Saha, vice-chancellor of the University of Burdwan. A Delhi court on Saturday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the bail plea moved by Trinamul Congress strongman Anubrata Mondals daughter Sukanya Mondal in connection with the alleged multicrore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal. Special judge of the Rouse Avenue Court, Raghubeer Singh, issued the notice to the probe agency and posted the matter for hearing on May 12, also the day Sukanya Mondals judicial custody ends. On April 27, a day after her arrest, the court had sent Mondal to three-day ED custody. The ED had arrested Sukanya, a primary school teacher in West Bengals Birbhum district, after quizzing her for her alleged involvement in the case. Her father Anubrata Mondal is also in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the same case. Special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana had sought Sukanya Mondals custody, saying that 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, the ED had said. On April 26, the Delhi High Court had posted for June 1 Anubrata Mondals plea challenging a trial court order denying him bail in the same case. Earlier, Rana had said that Anubrata Mondals bail application lacked merit. The ED had arrested Anubrata Mondal based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Kolkata against Satish Kumar, the then Commandant of Border Security Force (BSF). Anubrata raised money from zilla parishads: In what is said to be a damning admission by one of Trinamul Congress Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondals close lieutenant and a rice trader Rajib Bhattacharya, who the ED had interrogated, claimed that the Birbhum Trinamul district president used to raise money from zilla parishads too, an ED charge sheet claimed. A source in the central agency claimed that Rajib Bhattacharya, who was a Trinamul Congress zonal president, was entrusted with the job by Mondal to oversee the business of rice mills. Saigal Hossain, the arrested personal bodyguard of Mondal too alleged, claimed an ED Charge sheet, that his phone used to be the gobetween cattle rustlers and Mondal and it was his phone that would take calls at the behest of Mondal from alleged cattle smugglers. Meanwhile, a source claimed that the central agency had found statements of Sukanya Mandol, daughter of Mondal, that were at variance with what his father claimed. An ED source said while Sukanya passed the buck of her business deals to her father, claiming it was her father, who is in the know of everything. According to the charge sheet, Mondal claimed that he had done all things as advised by his chartered accountant friend Manish Kothari, who is now behind bars Rattled by different court cases in connection with healthcare issues, Swasthya Bhaban, state health department headquarters at Salt Lake, has decided to train its officers and clerks on how to deal with legal matters. Dr Siddhartha Niyogi, director of health services (DHS), has issued an order on 4 May directing officials holding ranks of additional DHS, joint DHS, deputy DHS and assistant DHS to attend an orientation programme, scheduled on 10 May at Auditorium Hall at Swasthya Bhaban. All of the officers placed at different branches/sections under the directorate of health services (HQ) are hereby requested to attend a one day training programme relating to handling of court cases on 10 May at Swasthya Bhaban, the order stated. The additional DHS has also issued the same order the same day asking all mainly newly-appointed clerical employees to attend the training programme. The order of Dr Niyogi has raised eyebrows of a section of health officials prompting them to ask, Why did the health department headed by the chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee decide to organize such an orientation programme on how to handle court cases? One of the officials, pleading anonymity, said, With rising number of cases against the health department, pending in different courts, Swasthya Bhaban is worried about it. Our legal cell experts will be there in the programme to train clerical staff mainly dealing assistants on how to prepare files related to legal matters. The dealing assistants will undergo the training first and then the senior officials, Dr Niyogi told The Statesman on Saturday. People, including our department employees, are moving the court on issues ranging from tenders, constructions of hospital buildings, recruitment, pension, transfer, postings and voluntary retirement schemes of employees. We want all officials and clerical staff to undergo the training so that they can properly handle files. Sometimes, we face troubles in the court when our concerned officials as well as lawyers could not properly answer queries raised during hearings on different legal matters. This happens mainly through mishandling of files, the DHS added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked people to watch the big disclosure which will be made by the Aam Aadmi Party on the alleged liquor scam in the afternoon today. Responding to a tweet by Delhi Minister Atishi claiming that the party will make a big disclosure in connection with the Excise policy scam case, Kejriwal said know the real truth about the so-called liquor scam. What is the so-called liquor scam? What is its real truth? Must watch, CM Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will make a big disclosure on the ongoing Delhi Excise policy scam case on Sunday noon, Delhi Minister Atishi said in a tweet. Today at 12.30, I will make a big disclosure on liquor scam, Atishi tweeted in Hindi. According to sources, Delhi Ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj and AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar will address a press conference in this regard at 12.30 pm at 206 Rouse Avenue on Sunday. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is in jail over alleged irregularities in the excise case. Sisodia was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy in Delhi. The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26 this year. Later on March 9, the ED arrested him, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail. Later in April, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also summoned by ED for questioning in the case. The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authoritys approval. The beneficiaries diverted illegal gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their account books to evade detection, the probe agencies said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 4 filed a Supplementary charge sheet against former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise policy case. The supplementary charge has more than 2100 pages. The operating part has 271 pages. The charge has been filed within the stipulated period of 60 days. The CBI has already filed the charge sheet in the matter. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday asked MLAs if they received cash in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 20 crore and if not returned it to Amit Shah, Union Home Minister yet, they should do it now immediately. BJPs Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Union Jal Shakti Minister from Rajasthan) jointly conspired to topple my government in 2020. They gave money to Rajasthans MLAs too, Gehlot told a public gathering at Mehngai Rahat Camp in Dholpurs Rajakhera city. I am worried if they (MLAs) have not returned it back to them. I am equally thinking why they (BJP guys) are not demanding it back from them, Gehlot wondered. I have told those MLAs to an extent to return the money, and if they have spent some of the total, tell me, I will arrange by requesting the AICC President to provide that money so that they can give it back. Do not keep Amit Shahs money in their pockets because they would be under pressure all their political life, he said. Amit Shah would scare and threaten them from time to time. He (Amit) used to do it in Gujarat and divided the Shiv Sena by horse trading and took 25 MLAs to an isolated place and toppled the elected government in Maharashtra. They (BJP) play a dangerous game, Gehlot said. He also highlighted the success of Mehngai Rahat Camp in entire Rajasthan covering 50 lakh families and issuing two crore guarantee cards to beneficiaries since April 24. He also claimed that he fulfilled the financial needs and provided extra funds to all MLAs to complete their works in their constituencies in 4.5 years of his third term rule. Caption: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot addressing a public gathering at Mehngai Rahat Camp at Rajakhera in Dholpur district on Sunday. Expressing serious concern over extensive damage caused to the crops due to unseasonal rains in the Himachal Pradesh, leading to financial losses to the farmers and horticulturist, the left party has demanded suitable compensation. HP Communist Party of India (Marxist), Shimla District Secretary Sanjay Chauhan said here on Sunday that inclement weather has increased the crisis in the state, as almost all the crops including apple, pear, mango, stone fruits, off-season vegetables, wheat have been destroyed. The party has demanded that the state government should immediately assess the losses and provide proper compensation to the farmers and horticulturists. Those farmers and horticulturists who are insured under the crop insurance scheme should be compensated immediately, said Chauhan. The government should immediately stop the recovery of loans taken by the farmers and horticulturists and provide relief to them by immediately paying the outstanding amount of about Rs 90 crore for the apples taken under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), he demanded. In almost all the districts of the state, the unseasonal rains, drop in temperature and continuous heavy hailstorm have caused huge damage to the crops. More than 60 percent of the apple crop alone has been destroyed, due to which the apple growers of the state have suffered a loss of crores of rupees, he said, adding that in many areas 90 percent of the apple crop has been destroyed due to which the apple growers are facing difficulty in meeting their daily expenses. He blamed the state government for not paying heed to the demands of the farmers and horticulturists who have been demanding for proper assessment of the losses. The economy of apples in the state is about Rs 6000 crore rupees, which is an important contribution to the states economy, he said. The government is ending the assistance it used to provide in the field of agriculture and horticulture, due to which the farmers and horticulturalists are forced to buy costly items from the open market. Now the natural calamities have led to an economic crisis, he said, adding that now it is absolutely not possible for the farmer to get out of this agrarian crisis without the help of the government. In view of the seriousness of the agricultural crisis, the government should immediately discharge its responsibility and set up a disaster relief fund for the agriculture and horticulture sector and appropriate compensation should be given to the farmers and horticulturists by immediately assessing the losses caused by natural calamities. Key Insights The projected fair value for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings is US$48.48 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Spirit AeroSystems Holdings' US$24.54 share price signals that it might be 49% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 27% higher than Spirit AeroSystems Holdings' analyst price target of US$38.29 Does the May share price for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPR) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Crunching The Numbers We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) -US$153.8m US$142.0m US$375.3m US$455.8m US$494.0m US$522.7m US$547.3m US$568.8m US$588.0m US$605.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x9 Analyst x7 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Est @ 5.82% Est @ 4.70% Est @ 3.93% Est @ 3.38% Est @ 3.00% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 10% -US$140 US$117 US$281 US$310 US$305 US$293 US$278 US$262 US$246 US$230 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$2.2b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 10%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = US$606m (1 + 2.1%) (10% 2.1%) = US$7.7b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$7.7b ( 1 + 10%)10= US$2.9b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$5.1b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$24.5, the company appears quite good value at a 49% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. 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 Spirit AeroSystems 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 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.355. 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 Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Weakness No major weaknesses identified for SPR. Opportunity Forecast to reduce losses next year. Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows. Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Total liabilities exceed total assets, which raises the risk of financial distress. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/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 Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, we've compiled three essential elements you should consider: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Spirit AeroSystems Holdings , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does SPR'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. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here India is ready to lead technology driven diabetes care, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here on Sunday. Addressing the three-day World Congress of Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics 2023 (DTechCon 2023) here, Dr Singh, who is also a renowned Diabetologist and Professor, said that India is being looked up to by the rest of the world in the field of healthcare after the successful handling of the pandemic. Technologically and in human resources, we are much ahead of most other countries, he said. He said India is fast becoming more and more tech savvy, particularly after Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister because he is personally promoting science and technology innovations. The PM has a natural temper for science and having worked closely with him for the past nine years, he can very well say that Modi gives his team a free hand in developing ideas and getting them implemented, the minister added. This is evident from the fact that there were just around 350 StartUps before 2014, but after Prime Minister Modi gave a clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day address and rolled out a special StartUp scheme in 2016, there has been a quantum jump in StartUps to more than 90,000 with more than 100 Unicorns, he said. India is also rated no. 3 in the StartUp ecosystem of the world, he added. Jitendra Singh said, similarly Prime Minister Modi opened up the space sector for private participation leading to more than 100 StartUps in the Space sector within just about three years. Biotech StartUps went up from around 50 in 2014 to nearly 6,000 today, he said. Recently the Union Cabinet approved the launch of the National Quantum Mission which will also boost medical diagnosis and treatment in the country. The minister said that India is one of the very few countries in the world to have launched a National Quantum Mission. He said that in the field of Telemedicine, India has some of the best StartUps in the world. These StartUp groups have developed AI doctors. Citing an example of its application, the Minister said that his team selected about 60 remote villages in his constituency and engaged a telemedicine van called Doctor on Wheels. The team ran it for three months in all 60 villages and the best of consultations were provided in a very short time, he said. The minister said that India is not only becoming a technology leader but also a huge medical tourism hub. He said as India is in the frontline of diabetes research in the world, the prevention of diabetes is not only its duty towards healthcare but also its duty towards nation building. A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA of Manipur challenging the Manipur High Court order in relation to Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community as a tribe of Manipur. The petition filed by the Chairman of the Hill Areas Committe (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Dinganglung Gangmei, said that the Meitei community is not a tribe and has never been recognised as such. The petition further stated that the order directing the state government to recommend a tribe for the Scheduled Tribes List falls solely within the jurisdiction of the State, and not the High Court. On March 27, the High Court directed the State to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. The appeal filed against the High Court order stated that the order is entirely illegal and ought to be quashed. The High Court ought to have realised that it was a political problem in which the High Court had no role to play and the political disputes had to be resolved politically. By getting into the political area and making a categorical order that the State government is directed to submit a recommendation for the inclusion of the Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe list to the Central government, the High Court ambiguously and in all probability inadvertently gave rise to strong misgivings and worries and tensions among the tribals, the appeal stated. Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar s killing is the third suspicious killing on Pakistani soil. Before this Khalistan Liberation Force leader Harmeet Singh aka Happy PhD was killed in 2020 in Lahore. Last year, Harwinder Singh Rinda died in a Lahore hospital allegedly of a drug overdose though many say that he is alive and that the news of his death was to mislead the Indian government. Similarly, in May 2013, Sarbjeet Singh who was in a Lahore jail was also killed in the prison premises by fellow inmates. Mohammad Khalid, a keen watcher of Punjab affairs calls it, Use and throw of unwanted men. They are only given undeclared asylum. The state uses them and then discards them as and when they find them to be of no use. Sixty-three-year-old Panjwar headed the Khalistan Commando Force-Panjwar faction. Sources say, Panjwar was instrumental in promoting fake Indian currency in India through drug smugglers. Post-2010 Panjwar ventured into drug smuggling and started living under the alias of Gulzar Singh with the complicity of the state, sources say. Of late, the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was planning to revive militancy with the help of Panjwar. After Panjwars death, three other Khalistani leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwales nephew Lakhbir Singh Rode, Wadhawa Singh, and Gajinder Singh are still in Pakistan. Gajinder is accused of hijacking an Indian Airliner to Lahore in 1981 while Rode is chief of the banned ISYF International Sikh Youth Federation and along with Panjwar was complicit in the drug smuggling into Indian Punjab. Speaking to The Statesman, Panjwars elder brother Taran Tarn based Baldev Singh said, It was our daughter-in-law who was watching the news and first came to know about Paramjits killing. Reacting to KCFs alleged role in Gen AS Vaidyas assassination of which Panjwar was a part, his elder brother Baldev Singh said, This is all media creation. I was in the Indian Army and was in the personal security of Gen AS Vaidya for three months in Tezpur. How can one suspect Paramjit of being part of the conspiracy to kill Gen Vaidya. He added that Paramjit Singh Panjwar was a bank employee. But because we were related to Labh Singh (accused of firing bullets at former Punjab DGP Julio Francis Ribeiro and the largest bank loot in Ludhiana) he also came under the polices scanner and the police started troubling him, says Baldev. That is when Panjwar made a vanishing act. Subsequently, our house was brought down and we became shelterless and literally were out on the streets, he added. The family did try to convince him to surrender but Paramjit said that now he was at a point of no return, his brother Baldev said. Now all that we want is his body so that we could carry out the last rites respectfully as per the Sikh tradition. Former Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Chander Shekhar says, Probably these men (Harmeet Singh Harvinder Singh Rinda & Paramjit Panjwar) were of no more utility to Pakistan and they were consigned to the bullets. And this had to happen sooner or laterif you live by the gun you die by the gun and thats what happened yesterday. As millions embrace AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, cybersecurity risks associated with generative AI models have become a pressing concern for individuals and businesses alike. While these generative AL models are designed to facilitate communication and provide helpful responses, experts have raised concerns that these pose great risks of hacking and data breaches that could compromise personal information. A report by Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 showed recently that ChatGPT-related scams are surging and despite OpenAI (the creator of ChatGPT) giving users a free version of ChatGPT, scammers lead victims to fraudulent websites, claiming they need to pay for these services. They might collect and steal the input you provide. In other words, providing anything sensitive or confidential could put you in danger. The chatbots responses could also be manipulated to give you incorrect answers or misleading information, said researchers from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42. The report observed an increase of 910 per cent in monthly registrations for domains related to ChatGPT between November 2022-April 2023. AI has long been a part of the cybersecurity industry. However, generative AI and ChatGPT are having a profound impact on the future. Neelesh Kripalani, CTO of IT services and consulting company Clover Infotech, said: ChatGPT can impact the cybersecurity landscape through the development of more sophisticated social engineering or phishing attacks. Such attacks are used to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information or taking actions that can compromise their security. With the ability to generate convincing and natural-sounding language, AI language models like ChatGPT could potentially be used to create more convincing and effective social engineering and phishing attacks, he warned. OpenAI admitted in March that some users payment information may have been exposed when it took ChatGPT offline owing to a bug. The Microsoft-backed company took ChatGPT offline due to a bug in an open-source library which allowed some users to see titles from another active users chat history. OpenAI discovered that the bug may have caused the unintentional visibility of payment-related information of 1.2 per cent of the ChatGPT Plus subscribers who were active during a specific nine-hour window. OpenAI then launched a bug bounty programme for ChatGPT and other products, offering up to $20,000 to security researchers to help the company distinguish between good-faith hacking and malicious attacks, as it suffered a security breach. In addition to cybersecurity risks, its also key to understand that ChatGPT may trigger identity misuse of people. In an unusual incident, ChatGPT falsely named an innocent and highly-respected law professor in the US on the list of legal scholars who had sexually harassed students in the past as part of a research study. Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, was left shocked when he realised ChatGPT named him as part of a research project on legal scholars who sexually harassed someone. The programme promptly reported that I had been accused of sexual harassment in a 2018 Washington Post article after groping law students on a trip to Alaska, Turley said. As a matter of fact, he has never taken students to Alaska, and The Post never published such an article. Turley said he has never been accused of sexual harassment or assault by anyone. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan warned that modern AI technologies like ChatGPT can be used to turbocharge fraud. AI presents a whole set of opportunities, but also presents a whole set of risks, Khan told the House representatives last month. I think weve already seen ways in which it could be used to turbocharge fraud and scams. Weve been putting market participants on notice that instances in which AI tools are effectively being designed to deceive people can place them on the hook for FTC action, she stated. A number of well-known AI researchers, including Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, Co-founder of Apple, signed an open letter urging AI labs around the world to halt the development of large-scale AI systems, citing concerns about the profound risks to society and humanity that this software is alleged to pose. Moreover, Meta (formerly Facebook) discovered malware creators who are taking advantage of the publics interest in ChatGPT and using this interest to entice users into downloading harmful applications and browser extensions. The company said they have found around 10 malware families posing as ChatGPT and similar tools to compromise accounts across the internet. Meta also detected and blocked over 1,000 of these unique malicious URLs from being shared on their apps. The generative AI era came fast. However, the government scrutiny into Big Tech on AI came much faster to promote responsible innovation and risk mitigation as AI chatbots begin to worry lawmakers and regulators worldwide. The governments feel that companies have a fundamental responsibility to make sure their AI products are safe and secure before they are deployed or made public. In the US, Vice President Harris and senior Administration officials met with CEOs of four American companies at the forefront of AI innovation this week to share concerns about the risks associated with AI. President Biden dropped by the meeting to underscore that companies have a fundamental responsibility to make sure their products are safe and secure before they are deployed or made public. Harris told top Big Tech CEOs, including Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPT fame), that the private sector has an ethical, moral, and legal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their products. She stressed that in order to realise the benefits that might come from advances in AI, it is imperative to mitigate both the current and potential risks AI poses to individuals, society, and national security. Every company must comply with existing laws to protect the American people. I look forward to the follow through and follow up in the weeks to come, Harris said. She told the CEOs that advances in technology have always presented opportunities and risks, and generative AI is no different. AI is one of todays most powerful technologies, with the potential to improve peoples lives and tackle some of societys biggest challenges. At the same time, AI has the potential to dramatically increase threats to safety and security, infringe civil rights and privacy, and erode public trust and faith in democracy, she stressed. Meanwhile, the UKs competition watchdog this week launched an initial review of AI foundational models like OpenAIs ChatGPT, Microsofts Bing and Googles Bard, saying the move will help create an early understanding of the market for AI models and what opportunities and risks these could bring. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the initial piece of work will help create competition and consumer protection principles to best guide the development of AI-driven markets going forward. AI has burst into the public consciousness over the past few months but has been on our radar for some time. Its a technology developing at speed and has the potential to transform the way businesses compete as well as drive substantial economic growth, said Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA. Our goal is to help this new, rapidly scaling technology develop in ways that ensure open, competitive markets and effective consumer protection, she added. In a white paper, the UK government in March asked regulators, including the CMA, to think about how the innovative development and deployment of AI can be supported in line with the 5 overarching principles of: safety, security and robustness; appropriate transparency and explainability; fairness; accountability and governance; and contestability and redress. In line with the governments AI white paper and the CMAs role to support open, competitive markets, the review seeks to understand how foundation models are developing and produce an assessment of the conditions and principles that will best guide the development of foundation models and their use in the future. The development of AI touches upon a number of important issues, including safety, security, copyright, privacy, and human rights, as well as the ways markets work. The Indian government also wants Big Tech to create a responsible and ethical AI. AI is a kinetic enabler of the digital economy and innovation ecosystem. Government is harnessing the potential of AI to provide personalized and interactive citizen-centric services through digital public platforms, according to the Ministry of Electronics and IT. Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has broadly outlined the IndiaAI programme and how it will help the country build world-class platforms, solutions and tools to not only solve local issues but also help the world. We aim to build commercially deployable AI platforms and solutions, developed by a vibrant startup ecosystem in the country which is our primary goal, according to the minister. India aims to become a global powerhouse of AI which does not just stop at integrating foreign chatbots but building next-generation AI-based innovations to empower billions of citizens. As many as nine people were injured after a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas, Allen Police Department said in a statement released on Twitter. The nine victims have been taken to hospitals by Allen Fire Department. It further said that there is no longer an active threat. According to Allen Police Department, the officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. Allen Police Department tweeted, Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department. A multi-agency response helped secure the mall. There is no longer an active threat. A reunification point has been created on Chelsea Boulevard. Allen Police Department said that the police officer on an unrelated call heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets. It tweeted, At 3:36 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023, an Allen Police Department officer on an unrelated call heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Earlier, Allen Police Department in a statement said that law enforcement was at the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. It further said that an investigation is being carried out and asked people to avoid the area. US Representative Keith Self stated that Allen Police Department has full control of the site. He further stated a shooter is down and there are multiple casualties, as per the Fox4 reported. In a tweet, Keith Self stated, We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene. He further said, This is an ongoing situation, but Allen PD has full control of the scene. A shooter is down and there are multiple casualties. They are continuing to work to ensure the scene is safe. The public is being asked to stay away from that area while this investigation continues. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he is in contact with Mayor Fulk, DPS Director McCraw, and other state and local leaders, as per the Fox4 report. In a statement released after the shooting, Abbott said, Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, as per the Fox4 report. Greg Abbott further stated, I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 43F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 43F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Anxiety about the safety of Europes largest nuclear power plant is growing after the Moscow-installed governor of the Ukrainian region where it is located ordered civilian evacuations Police in Brownsville, Texas, say seven people are dead and at least 10 are injured after a driver struck a group of people waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant shelter Bill Gouveia is a Sun Chronicle columnist. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook. Either Taylor Swift and Matty Healy are dating or theyre having a marvelous time trolling their fans. On May 3, less than a month after news broke that Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn had ended their six-year relationship, The Sun reported that the 33-year-old pop star had moved on with the 34-year-old frontman of The 1975. Though many fans initially brushed off the claim that the singers are madly in love, it became a lot harder to ignore when Healy flew all the way from the Philippines to watch Swift perform in Nashville on May 5. Following the initial shock, Swifts fans went back into detective mode and even began speculating that Swift and Healy are exchanging romantic messages while on stage. So, how did we get here? From their rumored romance in 2014 to Healys Nashville takeover, heres everything we know about Taylor Swift and Matty Healys rumored relationship. November 2014: Healy and Swift meet after she attends one of his bands shows in LA. We exchanged numbers, he tells the Australian radio show Shazam Top 20. I mean, bloody hell, what am I going to do? Go out with Taylor Swift? Shes a sensation; I wouldnt say no! From there, both parties are seen wearing each others merch. December 2014: Relationship rumors begin to surface but never seem to go anywhere. The Universal Music Brits Party At The Soho House Pop-Up David M. Benett/Getty Images March 2016: Healy says it would have been emasculating to date Swift. She wasnt a big impact on my life, he said in an interview with Q magazine. Its just interesting to me how interested the world is about Taylor Swift. The reason I mention that is because if I had [properly] gone out with Taylor Swift, I wouldve been, Fucking hell, I am not being Taylor Swifts boyfriend. You know, Fuck. That. Thats also a man thing, a demasculinating, emasculating thing. Woof. However, he later backtracked during an interview with Elle. I have said on countless occasions that I found her to be one of the most gracious, hard-working, creatively gifted, and beautiful women that I have had the pleasure to meet, he said. I personally have a lot of respect and admiration for her. Why would I not? Story continues January 12, 2023: Swift performs Anti-Hero live for the first time during a surprise appearance at The 1975s show in London. She also sings a cover of their song The City. April 8, 2023: Multiple publications report that Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have broken up after six years together. Cheating rumors unrelated to Healy ensue, which you can read about here. Celebrity Rumors Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn: A Complete Breakup Timeline She'll never walk Cornelia Street again. May 3, 2023: The Sun reports that Swift and Healy are dating. According to a source, Swift and Alwyn actually broke things off in February 2023, and Swift and Healy have since fallen in love over FaceTime. She and Matty are madly in love. Its super-early days, but it feels right. They first dated, very briefly, almost 10 years ago but timings just didnt work out, the source said. Both Matty and Taylor have been touring over the past few weeks, so its been a lot of FaceTiming and texting but she cannot wait to see him again. May 4, 2023: Healy plays Shes American during a performance in the Philippines. She sure is! he allegedly told the crowd before singing the first verse. One fan tweeted, Adding Shes American' back to the setlist right after the Taylor rumors is the funniest thing Matt Healy has ever done. During one of his shows in the Philippines, fans also noticed Healy mouth something like, This ones about you, you know who you are. I love you. This will be important in a minute. May 5, 2023: Matt Healy is seen dancing his heart out to Shake It Off during the first night of Swifts Eras Tour run in Nashville. Swift is also filmed mouthing what appears to be Healys exact message during her performance of Cardigan. What is going on?! As one fan wrote on TikTok, This is either a hilarious commitment to the bit, super romantic, or my worst nightmare! May 6, 2023: Healy not only attends Swifts second Nashville show, but he also performs with Swifts opener Phoebe Bridgers and her Boygenius bandmates. Following the show, Swift and Healy were photographed in the back of a car on their way to her Nashville condo, per The Daily Mail. May 8, 2023: Entertainment Tonight reports that sources close to the rumored couple confirm that they like each other. But do they like like each other?? In the same report, a separate source claims that Healy and Swift were reconnected by Swifts longtime collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff. Taylor and Matty have been hanging out recently and Jack Antonoff reconnected them, the source told the outlet. Days after the news of her breakup with Joe Alwyn went public, Swift was seen grabbing dinner with Antonoff and Antonoff's fiancee, Margaret Qualley. Could this dinner have been the genesis of Mattlor? (Tatty? What are we calling these two?) Well probably never know. This post will be updated. Originally Appeared on Glamour WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Kansas health officials have identified elevated levels of liver cancer among people living in several historically Black neighborhoods in Wichita where groundwater was polluted by a rail yard chemical spill. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment released a study Friday that found a liver and biliary tract cancer diagnosis rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people in the contamination zone, which was more than double the statewide rate of 6.4 per 100,000, The Wichita Eagle reports. Among non-Hispanic Black residents, the diagnosis rate was even higher, at 23.9 per 100,000. Experts believe that the spill of trichloroethene (TCE), a common solvent that is used to clean off paint and remove grease, could have happened as early as the 1970s, although it wasn't identified until 1994. It created a plume of polluted groundwater that runs for 2.9 miles (4.67 kilometers) from the Union Pacific Railroad rail yard site. TCE can cause cancer in humans especially kidney cancer and possibly liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But State Epidemiologist and Environmental Health Officer Dr. Farah Ahmed cautioned that there is no way to know definitively if TCE is responsible for the outsized number of liver cancer diagnoses. The study can only really report on whether an increase was observed, not the cause of the increase, Ahmed said. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment report, all but one of the nearly 2,800 properties in the contaminated area were connected to city water before the spill is believed to have occurred, meaning its unlikely people would have drank directly from contaminated groundwater wells. But there are other risk factors for TCE exposure, which occurs when a person breathes, ingests or touches the chemical. According to the EPA, water is contaminated if it contains more than 5 parts per billion of TCE. Two thirds of the 66 water quality tests conducted in May 2021 40 to 50 years after the chemical spill found samples with higher-than-acceptable levels, including samples of as much as 823 TCE parts per billion. Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty was critical of health officials during a briefing Friday. After hosting a forum about the contamination site in 2003, the state did not hold another public meeting about it until November 2022, when community members learned about the presence of TCE for the first time and asked for a health study to be conducted. This is really a systematic failure of communication, Baty said. Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson said the city and county are working to secure free cancer screenings for residents and former residents of the affected area. Officials want Union Pacific to contribute to the cancer screening fund, but the railroad could not be reached for comment by the paper. The railroad is already on the hook to pay $13.9 million for the cleanup, which started nearly a decade ago. EDWARDVILLE An approximately 1,000 acre expansion of the Riverbend Enterprise Zone, one of four in place in Madison County, was approved Tuesday by the County Boards Grants Committee. If approved by the full board and the state, it would include land on the eastern and southern ends of the zone. It also deletes approximately 50 acres from the zone, located near the intersection of Illinois 270 and 143. The committee approved several items relating to the expansion, including an ordinance amending previous ordinances concerning the zone and changes to the intergovernmental agreement covering it. The expanded zone was requested by the villages of Roxana, Hartford and Wood River. A fact sheet provided to committee members noted that development patterns have changed since the inception of the enterprise zone. If approved, it would be the second expansion of the Riverbend Enterprise Zone since 2019. In addition to county and municipality approval, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity must also OK the proposed change. Madison County has four enterprise zones: Riverbend, Gateway, Southwestern and Discovery. Enterprise zones offer incentives to developers, primarily in the form of property and sales tax incentives, investment tax credit, machinery and equipment sales tax exemptions, and a utility tax exemption. In general, Illinois counties use enterprise zones to encourage economic development and municipalities use tax increment financing districts. In some cases, those overlap. Since 2018 all four of Madison Countys Enterprise Zones have been expanded. In May 2022 the County Boad expanded the Discovery Enterprise Zone to allow a number of development projects in Glen Carbon, Maryville, Troy, Collinsville and Highland; County Board approved an expansion of the Southwestern Enterprise Zone in May 2021. The expansion included commercial property along Nameoki Road and land for a proposed new rail yard in Venice. It also included residential development, something that has never been done with a Madison County enterprise zone before. In 2019 the board approved the expansion of the Riverbend Enterprise Zone to include approximately 160 acres along Illinois Route 111, including St. Louis Regional Airport property. In July 2018 the Gateway Enterprise Zone was expanded to includes several properties in Pontoon Beach. The committee also heard about plans for a new development near Edwardsville. A specialty food manufacturing company is considering moving its headquarters, production and some distribution facilities in the area. Officials did not name the company, but said a final decision is expected soon. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 John Badman|The Telegraph Show More Show Less 2 of 3 John Badman|The Telegraph Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ALTON At least two people were hurt, one critically, during an early Sunday morning crash on East Broadway in Alton involving a Scion XA and a Chevrolet Tracker. At about 1:20 a.m. Sunday, Alton Police and firefighters were called to an accident on East Broadway at the Broadway Connector. An ARCH Air Medical Services, Inc., helicopter ambulance was called to meet firefighters at Alton Memorial Hospital. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) A man was killed and two women were wounded in a shooting early Sunday at a Miami Beach nightclub, police said. Authorities began receiving reports of shots being fired just before 4 a.m. at the address for the Gala nightclub in the city's South Beach area, Miami Beach police said in a news release. EDWARDSVILLE A St. Louis man has been indicted for armed violence relating to weapons and drug charges. Cardell A. Jones, 21, of St. Louis, was indicted May 4 by a Madison County grand jury for armed violence and unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, both Class X felonies, and aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony. He was originally charged April 18, and the case was originally presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on April 17 Jones allegedly had more than 15 grams of fentanyl with intent to deliver, and a Springfield Armory 9 mm handgun while having neither a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card or concealed carry permit. The armed violence charge stems from possession of the weapon during the drug-related felony. In an unrelated case, a Highland man faces multiple felony charges after being indicted over an April 6 incident. Wendell L. McCallister, 57, of Highland, was indicted May 4 for aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony; two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony; and two counts of retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. Charges were originally filed April 10 and the case presented by the Highland Police Department. According to court documents, on April 6 McCallister allegedly spit in the face of a Highland police officer; was found to be in possession of a metal throwing star and a K-Bar style knife; took a BB gun and pellets valued at less than $300 from Rural King in Highland; and took bicycle accessories valued at less than $300 from the Highland Walmart, 12495 Illinois 143, Highland. He has a conviction for retail theft (second subsequent offense) out of Madison County in 2021, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Electric Car Charge Thousands of free electric car chargers have been pulled from Britain's roads over the past year as soaring energy costs makes them unaffordable to offer. The number of chargers offering free electricity has fallen from 5,715 a year ago to 3,568, a drop of almost 40pc. They now make up less than one in 10 public chargers on Britains roads, compared to one in five a year ago. The drop in free top-up charging spots is the latest blow to the Governments ambitions to attract motorists to electric cars by making it cheap and convenient to charge them away from home. The figures, from Zap Map, which monitors installations across the UK and is used by the Government to publish official data on charging points, come as concerns about the price of owning an electric vehicle threaten to slow their adoption. It said the 3,568 free chargers in late April compared to 3,961 four months earlier. A year ago, the company said 5,715 free chargers were available. Free charging points were installed by supermarkets and car park operators as a way to attract owners of battery-powered vehicles, but wholesale electricity prices spiked last year amid concerns about energy security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While prices have come down, they remain more than double what they were two years ago. Tesco stopped offering free electric car charging to shoppers in November. The supermarket was the UKs biggest provider of free points, having introduced them to hundreds of car parks since 2019. The Irish electricity network ESB began requiring payment for more than 300 previously free charging points in Northern Ireland at the end of April. Melanie Shufflebotham, Zap Maps co-founder and chief operating officer, said: Free charging has been more common as an incentive for locations like supermarkets and car parks to draw in customers. But as electric vehicles become mainstream its quite reasonable that it is in decline - you would never expect to fill up your petrol car for free while you do your shopping. Story continues Rising electricity costs have led to a clear decrease recently, but with more than 3,500 across the country smart EV drivers still have plenty of opportunity to top up at no cost. We will continue to see lots more chargers and many may still be free as some destinations look to encourage green travel, but the percentage is likely to be low. Meanwhile charging either at home or on the public networks will continue to be more affordable on a pence per mile basis than petrol or diesel. The decline of free chargers comes as electric vehicle owners pay more to charge their cars, meaning that it takes longer to recoup the costs of switching from petrol powered vehicles. According to the RAC, the cost of charging an electric car using a rapid charger has climbed from 22.81 in May 2022 to 35.43 in April this year. Official figures show that there were 40,150 public vehicle chargers in the UK at the start of April, 9,860 more than a year ago. The Government has said it plans to have 300,000 in the UK by 2030, in time for a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, but critics have said that at current rates it will miss its target by 20 years. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Now that the biggest fashion event in the worldThe Met Galais over, it is time to take stock of its theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The gala, a fundraising dinner party that pays for all the excellent work the Metropolitan Museums Costume Institute does, takes place on the first Monday of every May and has top American and European celebrities togged up in costumes. This years theme has raised eyebrows ever since it was announced, as Lagerfeld has unarguably been the most controversial figure in fashion for decades. Yet the celebrities attending paid effusive homage, with Jared Leto and Doja Cat dressed as Lagerfelds pampered cat, Choupette. Lagerfelds legacy has been coloured by comments that may have been considered witty once, but are unforgivable today. He has been called fatphobic, racist, Islamophobic and a misogynist. When a fashion label announced they were using curvy women on the catwalk, Lagerfeld quipped: Youve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly. He called Adele too fat and Heidi Klum too heavy. In a 2009 interview, he stated that Coco Chanel wasnt ugly enough to be a feminist. In 2017, he criticised Angela Merkel for allowing the immigration of refugees from Muslim-majority countries, saying the migrants were an affront to Holocaust victims. He loathed models who wanted better working conditions, saying they should get a government job instead. Karl lagerfeld | Reuters Lagerfeld was less human and more a German machine. He died at 85, with his boots on (and his famous starched white collars, sunglasses, and fingerless gloves). He became the worlds longest-serving fashion designer, having been with Chanel (among the oldest fashion labels in the world) for 35 years and with Fendi for almost 55 years. At different points in his life, he helmed Balmain, Jean Patou, Chloe, Chanel, Fendi and his eponymous line. It was considered impossible that he could create several lines for Chanel, Fendi and KL each year as he did. His body of work was so vast and diverse, he became a factory himself. Lagerfelds schtick was being devoted to his trade, having his ear to the ground and continually meeting the demands of an insatiable fashion consumer. Lagerfeld was no genius. His rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent from their first meeting at the 1954 Woolmark Prize ceremony is well documented. Saint Laurent had won in the evening gown category, and poor Lagerfeld won in the coat category. From then on, Lagerfelds ambition was boundless. He mocked smarts and originality, and stated, The most important thing is to last. Saint Laurent and he even shared a lover. He was no Coco Chanel, among the most game-changing fashion designers and a rare female legend. Her casual elegance reset the womans wardrobe at the time. Chanel introduced timeless pieces that are now iconic, such as the Chanel suit, the quilted purse, the No 5 perfume, and costume jewellery. Lagerfeld understood he could never beat her at her game, so he began to play with her tools instead. He reinvented Chanels suit as a dress, playsuit or mini skirt. He sexualised Cocos styles by shortening the skirt, padding the shoulder, raising the heel and exaggerating the pearls. When Lagerfeld came on, Chanel was a dying fashion brand. Lagerfeld made it chic again, and he made it one of the biggest luxury brands in the world. At Fendi, he introduced rabbit and squirrel fur. His last collection for the Italian house was shown at the Milan Fashion Week mere days after he passed (February 2019). Lagerfelds legacy is not that of a founder of a great fashion house, but a moderniser of old brands. It is raining freebies in Karnataka. The Congress is promising 10 kilos of rice or wheat every month to the poor, 200 units of power, Rs2,000 to every female family head, Rs1,500 to every jobless diploma holder, and Rs3,000 to every jobless graduate. The BJP, initially sceptical of freebies which Narendra Modi has been scoffing at as revdis, has followed suit. In return for another chance at government with or without Basavaraj Bommai, the party is offering every poor household half a litre of Nandini (mind you, no Amul) milk every day, 5 kilos of rice and millets every month, and three cylinders of gas a year to boil the milk and cook the grain. True to Modi style, the BJP has given a rhyming touch to their package. All their free offers and subsidies have been packed into seven Asanna (food), akshara (education), aarogya (health), abhivruddhi (prosperity), aadaya (profit), and abhaya (shelter). Illustration: Bhaskaran The Congress package looks clumsy. They have stuffed most goodies into two G-packages (not to be confused with 2G). They call their free power scheme grha jyoti (bright home) and schemes for women as grha lakshmi (prosperous home). The rest are spilling over from the grha bundles. Therein lies the difference. The BJP knows how to package and label things neat and smart, even old milk in new bottles with new labelsNirmal Bharat as Swachh Bharat, Look East as Act East, self-reliance as atmanirbhar, and so on. The Congress, on the other hand, find themselves carrying a lot of their own and others old baggage, with several unwanted stuff spilling out. Lets leave packaging and labelling to the party managers. The point is that, the Kannadigas have never had it so good. Whoever comes to power, they will have free bus rides, free rations, and more. The well-heeled scoff at freebies as revdis, a kind of native candy made of sesame seeds or peanut coated in melted gur, and popular in north India. Native wisdom tells you that revdis keep your body warm, and so are better eaten in winter. Old socialist George Fernandes used to keep them in bowls in his Delhi home, and offer them to guests in winters along with warm tea served in mud tumblers called kullads. Indeed, revdi and kullad have a native and socialist touch about them. Socialism is no longer a virtue, and revdi has come to acquire a bad meaning in aspirational India as crumbs or freebies. The Supreme Court is looking into a petition seeking a ban on them, but even the Election Commission doesnt know where to draw the line between a welfare measure and a freebie. The truth is: What is revdi to A may be manna to B. MGRs mid-day meals were denounced as freebies in the 1980s, but they boosted school enrolment and child health standards, and have since been copied by most states. Free bicycles, which the Samajwadis gave to teenagers in UP two polls ago, looked freebies to many, but they enabled thousands of girls to go to school. Free laptops enabled poor kids to cross the digital divide during the lockdown. Arvind Kejriwals free bus rides for women have enabled housemaids, charwomen, sweepers, hawkers, ayahs and shop hands to move around Delhi, improving labour availability. It also depends on which world you inhabit. No one called it revdi when Luxembourg made bus, tram and train travel free two years ago, or Malta did last October. Soon Germany may. One may say, Luxembourg, Malta and Germany are rich; they can give their people free rides; we, though the worlds fifth richest, have millions in penury. True. Isnt it all the more reason to offer free rides and meals? prasannan@theweek.in Students pass a drinking fountain and bottle filling station at Washburne School in Winnetka. The district said it shut down or curbed the use of any fixtures where elevated lead levels were detected, then budgeted millions for remediation. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) When officials from the Winnetka School District 36 on Chicagos North Shore discovered traces of lead in school drinking water after complying with a state testing law in 2017, they quickly jumped into action. For any water sample showing lead levels above 5 parts per billion, they notified parents and took corrective action by shutting down or curbing use of the water fixture. Then the district went further, conducting three more rounds of testing and budgeting millions to remediate any lead levels above 5 parts per billion. Roughly 80 miles to the west, the process at Rockford School District 205 began much the same: After testing, the district alerted parents to any fixture with water lead levels above 5 parts per billion, as required under the law. School officials then explained to parents that while the law does not require any action, they were exploring additional steps to keep students and staff safe. Ultimately, they decided to install lead filters, shut down or limit the use of any fixture that registered above 15 parts per billion of lead, three times the level chosen by their peers in Winnetka. Despite the districts divergent approaches, both went above and beyond the requirements of the 2017 testing law, which mandated only that schools test their water, send the results to the Illinois Department of Public Health, and directly notify parents of any result higher than 5 parts per billion. The language in the law did not specify what actions schools should take to reduce lead levels and provided no funding for remediation. The law did say that IDPH was to provide guidance on mitigation strategies. But the agency has offered shifting instructions on what was supposed to happen following the lead tests, sometimes telling districts that they had to work to reduce any lead they found and sometimes that mitigation was simply recommended. The result was a patchwork of responses from Illinois schools, the Tribune found. Some districts spent millions to greatly reduce or eliminate the lead in their school drinking water, while others reported taking little action, even though the toxic metal can hamper brain development even in very small amounts. Traces of the metal were identified in thousands of sinks, drinking fountains and other fixtures at roughly 1,800 public schools throughout the state as a result of the 2017 law requiring testing, the Tribune found after obtaining testing data from the state. [ Did your Illinois public school find lead in its water? Look up results here ] To learn what steps public school districts took after identifying lead in school drinking water, the Tribune called, filed public records requests and sent surveys to the more than 400 districts that reported finding lead levels above 5 parts per billion at their childrens schools. More than 200 districts responded to the surveys and interview requests. The law did not address how or when to embark on mitigation efforts, and at least some school administrators who tried to figure it out on their own said they sometimes struggled to sort through a mess of available recommendations. Some federal guidance suggests remediating at levels as high as 15 or 20 parts per billion. Illinois legislators set the parental notification threshold at above 5 parts per billion, which is also the maximum allowed in bottled water. The American Academy of Pediatrics says school drinking water should test at or below 1 part per billion, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains no amount of lead is safe. A few months after the Illinois testing law took effect, the IDPH website posted a link to guidance stating that mitigation strategies must be followed for all plumbing fixtures identified with any level of lead. The agency now says its policy is to recommend mitigation for any detectable lead, not require it. The conflicting advice helps explain how officials in Winnetka and Rockford could take such different approaches. In Winnetka, school administrators in 2017 identified water lead levels above 5 parts per billion at four schools, including a fixture with 57.9 parts per billion of lead. Through four rounds of testing, Winnetka school officials notified parents of more than 50 water samples that registered above 5 ppb. The district decided to adopt a long-term goal of addressing any fixture above 5 ppb. Its definitely a priority for parents; they want to make sure kids drinking water is safe, said Brad Goldstein, the districts chief financial officer. Ben Gold drinks from a fountain at Washburne School in Winnetka in January. A district official said reducing lead is definitely a priority for parents; they want to make sure kids' drinking water is safe. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) At the Rockford district, both the size of the district and the lead problems were much larger. Testing identified more than 500 samples at 30 schools with water lead levels above 5 parts per billion, according to state data and additional documents obtained from the district. One of the highest recorded results in the district was a drinking fountain at West View Elementary, where a sample identified a water lead level of 1,430 parts per billion. We felt that 15 parts per billion was a perfectly acceptable place to start mitigating, you know, required or not, said Wilson Bailey, the districts director of facilities, noting they did not pull (the number) out of a hat and had relied on existing regulations. Some districts that prioritized additional lead testing and mitigated any water source with detectable lead ended up spending millions of dollars on testing and repairs. Other districts said they struggled to balance the costs of lead mitigation with the basic maintenance demands of their aging school buildings. Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and researcher at Boston College who has spent more than 40 years studying lead exposure in children, said that over time health officials have come to understand that levels of lead exposure previously thought to be safe are not. We know that even the lowest amount of lead is going to harm children, Landrigan said. The cost of plumbing repairs or other solutions always comes up when school boards discover that lead is contaminating childrens drinking water, Landrigan said. But he warned that inaction also has a cost. If you dont solve the problem, children are going to be exposed this year and next year and next year and in 2030 and in 2040 and so on, Landrigan said. Those children are going to be damaged, and those damaged children are not going to be as economically productive as undamaged children their future is going to be blighted. Its just total chaos When Illinois legislators passed the water testing law, they joined a wave of government officials alarmed by the potential dangers lurking in the pipes of the nations aging school buildings. But there was little consensus on what levels of lead were worth spending time and resources to mitigate in order to protect the countrys children. In Illinois, the 2017 law directed schools to notify parents of results above 5 parts per billion but did not set a level where mitigation was required. This left school administrators to navigate a dizzying labyrinth of guidance that shifted as time went by. When the law was passed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was still promoting a 2006 testing guide that strongly recommended schools keep fixtures at or below 20 parts per billion of lead. That EPA report also described the lower 15 parts per billion action level that public water systems are held to under the federal Lead and Copper Rule. If a certain percentage of users taps test above that threshold, the water provider may need to make changes to its treatment process. The Illinois Department of Public Health included this information in the resources it provided schools on lead in water. When the federal EPA updated its testing tool kit for schools in October 2018, any reference to the number at which schools should take action to remediate water sources was notably absent. The EPAs health-based goal for drinking water is zero lead contamination, though the action level for water utilities remains at 15 parts per billion. In 2021, the EPA added a new trigger level for lead in drinking water of 10 parts per billion, with various consequences for water suppliers depending on the size of their water system. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended since 2016 that schools and day cares ensure that water lead levels dont exceed 1 part per billion at drinking fountains, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all sources of lead exposure be eliminated or controlled because the metal is not safe for consumption at any level. Because of the competing guidance, at least some districts struggled with determining what steps to take following testing. In Winnebago CUSD 323, west of Rockford, district Superintendent John Schwuchow described lead testing and mitigation as a learning process, according to notes from a 2017 board meeting where he also explained how the available guidelines differed. The district worked to get water lead levels below 5 parts per billion, records from a later meeting show. Further complicating the picture was the shifting advice from the Illinois Department of Public Health on what was supposed to happen following the lead tests. In letters to some districts and in materials posted on its website, the health department told school officials that mitigation was required if they found any amount of lead in a water source. The department told other district officials that remediation was merely a recommendation, according to documents obtained through public records requests and those shared by districts. In 2017, for example, the department sent letters approving testing submissions for west suburban Addison School District 4 and Central City School District 133 in southern Illinois. Department officials informed the districts that although the law doesnt require mitigation, the department is requiring the mitigation strategies be followed for all plumbing fixtures identified with any level of lead. Action was supposed to continue until testing showed no lead detected in each schools water sources, according to the letters, which both contain the same language. Months later, in January 2018, the health department wrote to St. Charles School District 303 in the west suburbs that the department recommends that schools develop mitigation plans for fixtures with detectable water lead levels. In a frequently asked questions sheet produced by the Illinois Department of Public Health and sent to at least one district in July of the same year, the department again stated that officials were required to mitigate any fixture with detectable lead. The department acknowledged in a statement to the Tribune that conflicting guidance and communication had been shared with schools and statements that mitigation was required were not accurate. The report on mitigation strategies has been removed from the agencys website, and the departments current guidance recommends that schools take mitigation steps when any detectable level of lead is identified and then conduct more tests to confirm those measures were effective. At least 19 states, including Illinois, have rules and laws that require schools to test their water for lead. But the thresholds for what amount of lead requires action and whether mitigation is required at all vary widely. In 15 states and the District of Columbia, mandatory school water testing provisions specify what lead levels should prompt schools to take mitigation measures. Those levels range from 15 parts per billion in states including California, Indiana, New Jersey and Oregon to a 4 parts per billion action level in Vermont. Among states with mandatory testing laws, the most common threshold requiring mitigation was 5 parts per billion of lead. In recent years some states have amended laws and regulations to lower the mitigation thresholds. New York and New Hampshire each lowered their action threshold from 15 parts per billion to 5 parts per billion, while Maryland went from 20 parts per billion to 5. Marc Edwards, an environmental engineer and professor at Virginia Tech who has worked with cities and schools in places including Washington, D.C., and Flint, Michigan, to reduce lead levels in water, likened the lack of a national standard for lead in water to the wild west. Its just total chaos to have this voluntary system with shifting goals, Edwards said. Theres so much angst and money spent on this nationally; every school system has to reinvent the wheel. The mitigation maze Despite the urging from the Illinois Department of Public Health to work toward reducing any detectable lead in school drinking water, many districts reported addressing only fixtures with much higher lead levels. In downstate Waterloo, near St. Louis, testing in December 2017 found 5 parts per billion or more of lead at 17 fixtures, most of them sinks, at three elementary school buildings in Waterloo CUSD 5. Superintendent Brian Charron told the Tribune last year that the district chose to address any fixture with 20 parts per billion of lead or above. The district replaced some fixtures and retested, he said; in all, five fixtures were replaced. Charron said that after hearing from the Tribune the district decided to retest the five replaced fixtures. All showed lead levels below 5 parts per billion, according to results the district provided. Among the districts that told the Tribune they chose to address fixtures where water tested above 15 parts per billion were Waukegan Community School District 60, Streator Elementary School District 44, Lake Villa School District 41 and Kaneland Community Unit School District 302. Many other districts reported taking remediation steps until all water lead levels were much lower. A survey response from Blue Ridge CUSD 18, near Champaign, stated that the district mitigated until all results were below 2 parts per billion. At District 126 in south suburban Alsip and Oak Lawn, the superintendent said in a survey response that the district fully renovated each of the buildings to meet modern plumbing codes, including replacing all galvanized pipes with copper ones and installing filters on all drinking fountains. In response to the Tribunes survey, 61 school districts said they addressed fixtures that had any detectable amount of lead. A larger number, 132 school districts, reported mitigating any lead levels above 5 parts per billion, the parent notification level set by elected officials. Some districts said that after personnel changes they could not verify what mitigation measures were taken. Kevin Barto, director of buildings and grounds for Downers Grove Grade School District 58 in the west suburbs, said the state guidance to mitigate lead at any detectable level put a lot of pressure on schools and meeting the most stringent recommendations was a tough task. The district continues to test periodically for water lead issues and addresses any fixture that shows a water level above 2 parts per billion of lead, Barto said. Though a buildings internal plumbing can add lead to water, he noted that water systems are held to a different lead standard up to 15 parts per billion. Schools could be bringing in water at 12 or 14 parts per billion and then were expected to get under 5 parts per billion, or with subsequent testing to get to non-detectable or less than 2, Barto said. Substantial costs Despite the varied guidance, dozens of districts told the Tribune they immediately took steps to shut down problematic fixtures or reduce lead levels in the water. Common strategies included replacing fountains and faucets with newer low-lead versions, installing filters that sift out lead, posting signs stating that the water at certain taps is not for drinking, replacing older pipes in the walls with newer low-lead versions, shutting down tainted fixtures and developing plans to flush out water that had been sitting in pipes for long periods of time. Legislators did not allocate any funding for testing or mitigation, and several districts told the Tribune that the costs to mitigate water fixtures and piping were substantial. The bills sponsor, former Illinois state Sen. Heather Steans, said in an interview last year that the original goal was for funding to be included in a future infrastructure bill, but that did not happen. In a response to the Tribunes survey, a top official at Bloomington Public Schools District 87 in central Illinois said that the district used federal funds appropriated to aid districts during the COVID-19 pandemic to do some mitigation, including installing lead-filtering water bottle fillers. The district targeted fixtures with any detectable lead. At west suburban Geneva School District 304, director of facilities operations Scott Ney said in an interview that testing, mitigation and retesting created a substantial cost. The initial tests identified 38 fixtures in the district with lead levels above 5 parts per billion. We went around and did all the testing that was required, Ney said. Any elevated levels we shut down with do not use signs and tried to figure out what was wrong at those locations or fixtures. We installed fixtures; we replaced lines; we replaced drinking fountains altogether. Filters were also added, he said. A drinking fountain at Twain Elementary in Kankakee now has a lead filter after the district carried out water testing as required by a 2017 law. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune) The Chicago Public Schools, which began to test its water before the state law took effect, said it has spent roughly $3.86 million to date just on its massive, ongoing testing program. Officials said the districts policy is to address fixtures that register at or above 5 parts per billion of lead but did not provide information about remediation costs. Winnetka District 36 officials said they took immediate steps to prevent students from drinking tainted water by shutting off fixtures and labeling sinks as hand wash only until more permanent measures could be taken. In 2019 they asked voters to approve $90 million for major repairs across the district, including $5.8 million to address old pipes that were likely leaching lead into their schools water supply. Voters rejected the referendum, but Goldstein, the districts chief financial officer, said the district went forward with the lead mitigation anyway. In order to remedy it permanently, we felt like it was necessary to move forward with that piece, Goldstein said. In Kankakee, south of Chicago, elevated lead levels were found at fixtures throughout each of District 111s school buildings. Financing the mitigation was difficult because the district can struggle to keep up with basic building maintenance, said Superintendent Genevra Walters. Of course we dont want our children to be impacted by lead poisoning, Walters said. At the same time, many of our buildings, particularly in high minority and high poverty areas we dont necessarily have the funding to match the things that need to happen in terms of renovating. Despite submitting results showing some of the highest lead contamination levels in Illinois schools, Walters said the district received little followup from the state. An unrelated construction grant to renovate the districts high school loosened up some maintenance funding to add lead filters and replace old supply lines, sinks and drinking fountains where results exceeded the parent notification threshold of 5 parts per billion, she said. The district conducted additional testing in 2018 with the goal of lowering lead levels at drinking fixtures even further, to below 2 parts per billion, according to Bill Draper, the districts maintenance director. The rural Serena school district, southwest of Aurora, is subject to annual lead testing because it uses water from private wells. During testing completed in 2017, one district school identified 16 fixtures with water lead levels above 5 parts per billion. Superintendent Lisa Gifford said the district paid to install a phosphate feed at the school in the 2021-2022 school year, which further treats the water and helps protect old pipes from corrosion. Mike McCoy, maintenance director for Serena CUSD 2, shows a phosphate feed that was installed at Harding Elementary in Earlville to mitigate lead contamination in the school's water, which comes from private wells. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Gifford said the permanent fix, replacing all the old piping, would be a huge undertaking and has not been seriously considered by the school board. Gifford is critical of the guidance the state has provided around water testing. The health department tells you that youre harming students, Gifford said, but theres no support in any other way. Gifford said she would appreciate communication about what the levels mean, and what is harmful versus what is not, rather than just this blanket statement. The Illinois Department of Public Health said in a statement that more could have been done to provide consistent outreach and communication in educating schools as they made decisions about mitigation steps. The agency said it plans to survey schools to learn more about what steps were taken in response to the testing results. The department did provide schools with information about general mitigation methods that could be implemented, including installing devices that automatically flush water at regular intervals, permanently capping fixtures, and replacing fixtures, solder or pipes that contain lead. The mitigation strategies IDPH shared on its website for schools also included the option to create a way for parents, faculty members and students to participate in regularly flushing taps by hand, such as by creating a student water patrol. Some experts who study lead leaching note that manual flushing is not a preferred long-term solution to address these issues because it is prone to human error. In Missouri, schools are instructed that flushing alone does not qualify as remediation for a drinking water source. Former Tribune reporters Cecilia Reyes and Kinsey Crowley contributed. Warren Buffett. REUTERS/Rick Wilking Warren Buffett says Americans' worries about bank deposits and the debt ceiling are dangerous. It would have been "catastrophic" if the government didn't make SVB's depositors whole, he said. Failure to do so would have sparked bank runs and caused global disruptions, Buffett said. Warren Buffett cautioned that people's fears about the safety of their bank deposits and the possibility of a debt default are hugely dangerous. If the US government failed to guarantee Silicon Valley Bank's depositors after the bank's sudden failure in March, there would have been devastating fallout, the famed investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO said during his company's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. "It would have been catastrophic, and that's why they were covered," Buffett said. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) only insures up to $250,000 of a depositor's money at any single bank. However, when SVB and Signature Bank collapsed after facing a tidal wave of withdrawals, the federal agency said it would guarantee all of the banks' deposits. "That is not how the US is going to behave, any more than they're going to let the debt ceiling cause the world to go into turmoil," Buffett said about the idea of the government letting depositors lose money from a bank failure. The second part of Buffett's comment signals he's not worried about the impasse in Congress in regards to raising the government's debt ceiling, which threatens to leave the US government short of the money it needs to pay its bills by June. The billionaire investor said he couldn't imagine a government official going on television to say people's bank deposits wouldn't be guaranteed in full. The outcome would be "starting a run on every bank in the country and disrupting the world system," he said. "A lighted match can be turned into a conflagration or it can be blown out," he said. Story continues The Berkshire chief added that his company stands ready to help if the banking system grinds to a halt. "It shouldn't, I don't think it will, but I think it could," he said. Buffett underlined his faith in the security of bank deposits in a recent interview with CNBC. He offered to bet $1 million that no American depositor would lose a single dollar in a bank failure over the next year. During the Berkshire meeting on Saturday, he disclosed that nobody has taken him up on his offer. He also underscored that fear is contagious, and slammed the messaging by politicians, federal agencies, and the press to reassure people about bank deposits and the debt ceiling as "very poor." The failure of SVB and Signature Bank has been followed by an emergency merger between Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse, and JPMorgan's takeover of the troubled First Republic Bank. The prospect of further bank runs has stoked fears that lenders may pull back, causing a credit crunch and tanking the US economy. Read more: Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger warned a banking crisis is possible, AI may be dangerous, and government overspending will end badly. Here are their 18 best quotes from Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. Read the original article on Business Insider In Himachal Pradeshs Kangra last month, it was a royal affair. The Maharaja of Kangra Aishwarya Katoch was crowned on April 30 at the Kangra Fort in the presence of 4,300 people and at least 40 royal families of India. The occasion went down in history and became a day that will be remembered for years to come more so because Kangra observed a coronation after 400 years. Aishwarya Katoch explains the gap and says, We lost the Fort to the Mughals in 1620 and all following Rajas had their coronation at where they were based or where they were at the time of their predecessors death. His coronation was done in three parts. On the evening of his father's cremation, the Senior Rajputs of the clan anointed him the next Maharaja. As it was a period of mourning, it was a quiet and private ceremony. On that day, he took over his fathers duties. In Himachal, we believe that the soul of the departed stays with us for a year and hence, he is still the ruler. After long deliberations and taking guidance from the Agni Puran, it was decided that the Namhi of 2023 will be the most auspicious day for my Raj Tilak, he says. The ceremony of Raj Tilak was performed in two parts on April 29, five KulPurohits performed the poojas of 108 baths and then did the Rajyabhishek which gives the King Vishnu roop. After that a havan is performed at the KulDevi temple followed by Kul Devi pooja for blessing the new king. Post this, in the function for the public, family and friends, the royal family comes out in their finery. Though the coronation event might not be as grand as the coronation of King Charles III that took place on May 6 in the presence of more than 2000 people and a global live telecast, Indian royal families follow their own traditional and unique coronation ceremonies. The scale of the coronation ceremonies in the Indian royal families might have dimmed down ever since India became a democracy yet remains a significant event in the royal households to announce accession and to keep their legacy alive. Aishwarya Katoch of Kangra Princess Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil, from the royal family of Bhavnagar in Gujarat, says that the scale of coronation ceremonies has especially toned down after independence, though the traditions and rituals remain the same. Initially during Raj Tilak all the Bhaiyats and surrounding Royalties and the in-laws would attend. After Independence, it was upto who was invited. The last coronation in their family was of her fathers - Maharaja Vijayraj Singh Gohil of Bhavnagar in 1994. Before him, when India was a British colony, her great grandfather Maharaja Krishnakumar Singh, who was the first to hand over his kingdom to democratic India and became the first governor of Madras, was crowned. He was a minor when he took the throne. In the royal family of Bhavnagar, the to-be king wears an eagle sarpech (turban ornament) on his headgear. This family heirloom is worn only during the wedding and the Raj Tilak. An angrakha is also worn only during these two occasions. The Raj Tilak is done by a Kumbhar family (potters) from a region called Hathab and this passed down through generations. The descendant of the particular Kumbhar familys elder son by blood performs the ceremony with his thumb. This has continued for centuries now. Gohil informs that the coronation is only for the male heir (eldest son) to the throne while women are not crowned. For Mayurbhanj, located in Odisha, the last coronation was performed in 2001 for Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo, 47th ruler of the Bhanja dynasty. The district recently rose to global fame when it was listed in the Time magazines Worlds Greatest Places 2023. Princess Akshita M. Bhanjdeo, the daughter of Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo, says that Brahmins and the rajpurohits tie the turban for the Maharaja during the ceremony and he carries a sword that only the King can carry and goes to the temple to seek blessings. As he is being crowned, he is not allowed to perform the last rites of his predecessor, his father. Rather a younger brother or a cousin performs the rituals with a Brahmin for 13 days during which he sleeps on the floor. On the 13th day, the Kings wifes family attends and presents the royal family with coloured clothes and everyone then changes from dull clothes (worn during mourning of the previous King) into bright clothes for the ceremony. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar Similarly, when Maharaja Anant Pratap Deo of Odishas Kalahandis Raj Tilak or coronation was performed on September 3, 2019, he was made to sit on the Kalahandi Gaddi. He says, It was a very solemn affair therefore only family members and some extended family and the zamindars (Rajas) of Kalahandi were invited. The general public were also present. He says that earlier the Maharaja's Raj Tilak was done by the Kondhs (a tribal community) as it is a tribal area. But now the Raj Tilak is done by the Brahmins and the uncle of the Maharaja. The first order the Maharaja gives is to cremate his father and therefore it's a sad affair, he tells. The royal family of Jaipur and that of Mysore, however, had grand ceremonies to announce their new Kings. In 2014, 12-year-old Maharaja Padmanabh Singh was crowned the Maharaja of Jaipur as the City Palace came to life with several attendees and traditional ceremonies being performed. The city of Mysore too was adorned and lit up in celebration as Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar was crowned the 27th King of the Mysore royal family in 2015, after 41 years since the last Kings coronation. At the decked up Amba Vilas Palace, he sat on a silver throne. His ascension also ended the long gloom after the death of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar in 2013. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing the opposition party of openly advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India. Addressing his last election rally in the state, Modi also accused the Congress of "insulting" the freedom fighters from the state. Modi's remarks came a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed a poll rally at Hubbali on Saturday. Referring to Gandhi's speech, the Congress had put out a tweet saying, "The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity". The prime minister, apparently referring to this, said when it comes to working against the interests of India, the royal family of the Congress party is at the forefront. "In this election, Congress has said that they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka. It means that Congress is openly advocating for Karnataka's separation from India. The disease of the 'Tukde Tukde' gang will reach this high in Congress, I had never thought," he said. Noting that this is the land where 'Rashtra Kavi' Kuvempu had said Karnataka is an integral part of India with lines in the state anthem -- 'Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate Jaya he Karnataka Maate', Modi said: "For every Kannadiga, Karnataka is a mother and she has been described as the daughter of 'Bharat Ma'. I can feel the feelings of Kannadigas." Winding up his campaigning for the high-stakes election, the prime minister on Sunday held a roadshow in Bengaluru and addressed two public rallies at Shivamogga and Nanjanagudu in Mysuru district. Addressing the rally at Nanjanagudu, he accused the Congress leaders of secretly meeting foreign diplomats who hate India, repeatedly indulging in activities that insult the nation's sovereignty and said they are not ashamed of it. "Congress has a history of dividing brothers, making states fight among themselves, and leaving no stone unturned in inciting communal violence. Whenever Congress party comes to power, the confidence of terrorists and criminals get emboldened. They are assured of being protected by the Congress party. We have seen how Congress has repeatedly come in support of terrorists," he further said. He also trained guns at the grand old party over its promise of action against the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad. "All they can see is Vote Bank politics. What they did with Bajrang Bali, that is also a result of appeasement. We all know what they did with Ram Temple. When we promote the pilgrimages of Kashi Vishwanath, Kedarnath and Ujjain Mahakal Mahalok, Congress feels displeasured," he said. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. The campaigning for high stakes Karnataka election has entered the last and crucial phase. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's back-to-back road shows drew crowds, senior cabinet ministers, chief ministers and party leaders fanned across the state for maximum engagement with the electorate. Congress too brought in heavy guns for impact. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi addressed her first political rally in four years. Her last rally was in Rae Bareli, during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Karnataka election is one of the rare occasions when all Gandhi family members came together to address rallies. Karnataka has been a lucky state for the Gandhi family as Sonia defeated Sushma Swaraj in 1999 to make a statement against her foreign origins debate, while former PM Indira Gandhi made a political comeback after winning Lok Sabha bypoll from Chikmagalur in 1978. Karnataka is headed for an interesting contest whose results will be keenly watched across the country. Congress started the campaign as favouritesas anti-incumbency against the ruling Basavaraj Bommai government threatened to singe the BJPtill the opposition party came out with a manifesto. As it sought to ban the Hindutva body, Bajrang Dal, the BJP, particularly PM Modi termed it an attack on Bajrangbali, Lord Hanuman. The saffron partys campaign got a zing as it brought religious and cultural themes into the campaign, putting the Congress on the back foot. The Congress hopes the issue would die down before the votes are polled on May 10. Karnataka is important for BJP as its the only state in its kitty in the South. If it loses, the party may suffer a setback and may have to contend with the tag of being a North India party. Any loss is likely to have an impact on elections in Telangana later this year, and the partys effort to present a credible option in states like Tamil Nadu. A victory may send its graph soaring and will signify that Modi alone has the power to swing votes and change the atmosphere even in adverse conditions. The party can carry the victory vibe in other poll-bound states this year, and also in the Lok Sabha election. Karnataka is important for BJP as the party won 25 out of the 28 parliament seats in the state in 2019. A victory is essential for the party to maintain that high score and the southern state has been a big contributor to BJP tally nationally. BJP had won 18 seats in 2004, 19 in 2009, and 17 in 2014. The Karnataka result may also impact how BJP engages with the Opposition and use investigating agencies against them. For Congress, it is a battle to gain confidence. If it goes on to win elections, it is likely to have a salutary effect on other elections this year. A party-run government can hope to improve its tally in Lok Sabha next year, where it could manage to win only one seat in 2019. Congress' victory will also be a boost to the united opposition efforts, which is badly in need of a happy story. A loss in Karnataka, despite the best available political conditions, could dent Congress's chances to increase its tally in Lok Sabha next year and its claim to lead the Opposition. Karnataka is also Congress President Mallikarjun Kharges home state; the result will be personal to him. Riot-hit towns in Manipur witnessed some semblance of normalcy on Sunday morning after people came out of their homes to restock food and other essential commodities following the relaxation of curfew for three hours in Churachandpur district. A flag march was taken out by the Army and Assam Rifles columns through Churachandpur as soon as the curfew relaxation ended at 10 am. Despite life limping back to normalcy, Army and Assam Rifles deployed in the strife-torn state continues to keep strict vigil by enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance. According to the Indian Army, UAVs and army helicopters were deployed over Imphal Valley to ensure security. As many as 120-125 Army columns have been deployed in the entire riot-hit state bringing the total force to over 10,000 soldiers, para-military and central police forces. According to a statement issued by the Army, both the Indian Army and Assam Rifles rescued around 23,000 civilians from the violence-hit state of Manipur and safely shifted them to operating bases. "The past 24 hours also witnessed army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs and redeployment of army helicopters within Imphal Valley. A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and moved to own military garrisons," a statement by the Army said. It added that the situation was normal across Manipur. "Ray of hope due to efforts of 120- 125 Army and Assam Rifles columns who are working tirelessly for past 96 hours to rescue civilians across all communities, curb violence and restore normalcy has emerged with no major violence being reported and curfew, therefore being relaxed from 7-10 am today in Churachandpur followed by flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter," the Army statement said. The curfew imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be relaxed from 7 am to 10 am. The curfew was relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. The state government introduced the curfew on May 3 after violent clashes broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community. So far, over 50 people died in the violence that erupted over the move to protect forests in the face of resistance from illegal immigrants and the High Courts direction to include Meitei in scheduled tribes. The curfew imposed in riot-hit Manipur's Churachandpur district has been relaxed for three hours on Sunday. The decision was taken to allow people to buy essential items such as medicines and food. According to a notification issued by the state, the curfew imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be relaxed from 7 am to 10 am. The curfew was relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. The state government introduced the curfew on May 3 after violent clashes broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community. So far, over 50 people died in the violence that erupted over the move to protect forests in the face of resistance from illegal immigrants and the High Courts direction to include Meitei in scheduled tribes. A tweet by Chief Minister N Biren Singh read: "With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, I'm pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below (sic)." He also shared a copy of the notification issued by Churachandpur district magistrate Sharath Chandra Arroju. "Subsequent relaxations shall be reviewed and notified based on assessment of the prevailing law and order situation," it read. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the 10 hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meanwhile, state governor Sushri Anusuiya Uikey has appealed to the people in the state to maintain brotherhood and dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity. An official release from the governors office added: "I would like to inform you that the Army, RAF, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, Police and administrative officers of the state, and peoples representatives are continuously working in the state. Security forces are patrolling all the areas and take care of your safety. The security forces are ready and always at your service to deal with any disturbance". Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh holds an all-party meeting | Twitter / @NBirenSingh Meanwhile, an all-party meeting was held by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday. At the meeting, it was decided to form peace committees in every assembly constituency to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level. "Held an all-political party meeting to discuss the current situation in Manipur and to collectively work towards bringing peace and stability in the state," he said. "During the meeting, it was resolved to appeal for peace in the state, and encourage all citizens to avoid any actions that could lead to further violence or instability," Singh added. The meeting was attended by representatives of various political parties, including the Congress, CPI, JD(U), NPF, Shiv Sena, TMC, BSP, AAP, MPP, AIFB, MNDF, ABHKP, and former CM O Ibobi Singh. "It was further resolved to form a peace committee in every assembly constituency to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level," he tweeted. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will wind up his Karnataka campaign on Sunday by holding a roadshow on a 10-km stretch between the Kempegowda statue at Thippasandra to Trinity Circle in Bengaluru. Though the earlier plan was to hold a mega eight-hour road show on Saturday, it was later decided to split into two- a 26-km show on Saturday and 10-km one on Sunday - due to the NEET exams. On Saturday, the Prime Minister roadshow began around 10 am from Someshwar Bhavan RBI Ground in Bengaluru South to Malleshwaram's Sankey Tank. Sunday's will begin around 10 am and will extend till 11:30 am. The BJP had ensured that the Saturday's event was memorable with thousands turning up to see the Prime Minister. Standing on the specially designed vehicle, Modi greeted the crowd gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings, many of whom were seen chanting 'Modi, Modi', 'Jai Bajarangbali', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogans and shouting loud cheers in what appeared to be a "festive atmosphere" in several places.. The event was held in tight security and massive arrangements were made along the stretch, including erecting barricades. Besides the road show, the Prime Minister's Sunday schedule also includes two public meetings - one at Shivamogga Rural at around 3:15 pm and another in Nanjangud at 5:45 pm. He will conclude the day with pooja and darshan at Nanjanagudu Shri Srikanteshwara Swami Temple at 7 pm, said party sources. Meanwhile, the Congress has written to the Election Commission seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "Congress shielded terrorism for vote bank" remark. The party said he crossed the "lakshman rekha" and blamed him for making "malicious and false" allegations to vitiate the atmosphere poll-bound Karnataka. The Prime Minister Modi on Friday had alleged that for the sake of vote bank politics, it has nurtured, given shelter and surrendered before terror. The Congress wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners also against top BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for "polarising the atmosphere in Karnataka". "While we have objections to the entire tone and tenor of the prime minister's speech, in this representation we wish to highlight the completely unprecedented and malicious allegations, far worse than any ever made by a sitting prime minister in the history of India," Congress general secretaries Randeep Surjewala and K C Venugopal said in a memorandum sent to the Election Commission (EC) . "He has not only crossed the 'lakshman rekha' but brazenly tarnished every norm and decorum set by his predecessors. This cannot go unchecked, unanswered and unpunished," the memorandum said. Women officers of the Territorial Army will now be posted along the Line of Control (LoC), with the Defence Ministry and the Department of Military Affairs approving amendments to existing cadre management provisions. The policy measure is aimed at enhancing the scope of employment of women officers and also to meet their professional aspirations, said a defence ministry statement. Women Officers of the Territorial Army will now be posted with Engineer Regiments of the Territorial Army serving along the Line of Control and as staff officers at TA Group Headquarters/ Directorate General of Territorial Army at New Delhi, as per organizational requirement, it said. The women officers will now serve and train under the same conditions as their male counterparts in a wider range of units and appointments including serving in challenging field conditions and in important staff appointments, the statement said. The Territorial Army had begun commissioning of women officers in 2019. However, these officers were thus far able to serve only the Ecological Task Force Units, TA Oil sector units and TA Railway Engineer Regiment. Based on the experience gained during this period, a considered proposal was prepared to extend the employment scope further for women officers in TA which has now been approved by the Honble Raksha Mantri in April this year, the ministry said. The Territorial Army is based on a Citizen Soldiers army concept. The officers undergo annual training on basic military skills while remaining employed in civilian life. Russia's top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine's special services. The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict. It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry in turn blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well. Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since the coup d'etat of February 2014 have painstakingly nurtured the anti-Russian neo-Nazi project in Ukraine, the ministry said, referring to the 2014 uprising in Kyiv that forced the Russia-friendly president to flee. In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as "Putin's brain. The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast. Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies. Russian news outlet RBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that Prilepin was traveling back to Moscow on Saturday from Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novogorod region for a meal. Prilepin became a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, after Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. He was involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of Russian-backed separatists. Last year, he was sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2020, he founded a political party, For the Truth, which Russian media reported was backed by the Kremlin. A year later, Prilepin's party merged with the nationalist A Just Russia party that has seats in the parliament. A co-chair of the newly formed party, Prilepin won a seat in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in the 2021 election, but gave it up. Party leader Sergei Mironov called the incident on Saturday a terrorist act and blamed Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Mironov's sentiment in a post on the messaging app Telegram, adding that responsibility also lay with the U.S. and NATO. Washington and NATO have nursed yet another international terrorist cell the Kyiv regime, Zakharova wrote. Direct responsibility of the U.S. and Britain. We're praying for Zakhar. The deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev put the blame on Nazi extremists" in a telegram he sent to Prilepin. Ukrainian officials haven't commented directly on the allegations. However, Ukraine's presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, in a tweet on Saturday, appeared to point the finger at the Kremlin, saying that "to prolong the agony of Putin's clan and maintain the illusionary total control,' the Russian repression machine picks up the pace and catches up with everyone, including supporters of the Ukraine war. After attending the coronation of King Charles III in London, Brazil's President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent four years in Britain's Belmarsh Prison. "It is an embarrassment that a journalist who denounced trickery by one state against another is arrested, condemned to die in jail and we do nothing to free him. It's a crazy thing," Lula told reporters. "We talk about freedom of expression; the guy is in prison because he denounced wrongdoing. And the press doesn't do anything in defense of this journalist. I can't understand it." Lula offered the remarks in response to a question about Assange, who is a native Australian. He said he had forgotten to discuss the matter with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but that he would write to him upon returning to Brazil. Assange has been fighting extradition to the United States, and Lula's comments come at a moment that he has shown little reluctance to voice his differences of opinion with Washington regarding geopolitical matters, particularly in his opposition to providing arms to Ukraine for its war against Russia, and accusing the US and Europe of encouraging the fighting. His stance and repeated statements have drawn sharp rebukes from the White House and Europe. For its part, Australia has been stepping up diplomatic pressure on the US government to call off its prosecution of Assange. On Friday, Australia's Prime Minister Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview that "enough is enough. There is nothing to be served by his ongoing incarceration." Last November, Albanese told Parliament that his "position is clear and has been made clear to the US administration: That it is time that this matter be brought to a close." Assange has battled in British courts for years to avoid being sent to the US, where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse that stem from WikiLeaks' publication of a huge trove of classified documents in 2010. American prosecutors allege he helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. To his supporters, Assange is a secrecy-busting journalist who exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I think there must be a movement of world press in his defense. Not in regard to his person, but to defend the right to denounce," Lula told reporters. "The guy didn't denounce anything vulgar. He denounced that a state was spying on others, and that became a crime against the journalist. The press, which defends freedom of the press, does nothing to free this citizen. It's sad, but it's true." Last year, Assange's father John Shipton sought to convince Mexico's President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador to address the issue of his son's prosecution with the US' top diplomat, and to get Australia's Albanese to raise the issue with US President Joe Biden at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. In his comments to reporters on Saturday, Lula also noted that Charles III asked him to take care of the Amazon rainforest, and that he responded he needs resources in order to do so. Prime Minister Sunak on Friday pledged to contribute USD 101 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund that aims to stop deforestation, adding to contributions from Norway and Germany, as well as a recent promise from the Biden to seek congressional approval for USD 500 million. But Lula told reporters that the amount pledged by Britain "is not sufficient". -PTI Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to combat terrorism and enhance cooperation in different economic fields, the foreign office here said on Sunday. The foreign ministers of the three countries participated in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue held in Islamabad on Saturday, it said in a statement. "The three sides agreed to advance political engagement, counterterrorism cooperation and enhance trade, investments and connectivity under the trilateral framework, it said. No further details about the three-way interaction were provided for which Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was specially allowed by the UN to travel to Pakistan. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang flew from Goa, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, to Islamabad to participate in the trilateral. Separately, Muttaqi met Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday and held a candid and in-depth exchange" on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, as well as trade and connectivity. The two foreign ministers reaffirmed their desire to pursue continuous and practical engagement. On peace and security, they emphasised the need for enhanced coordination to counter terrorism and deepen bilateral cooperation. Regarding bilateral and transit trade, the two sides stressed the importance of removing impediments to trade in order to advance the goal of enhanced regional economic integration and connectivity, the statement said. Muttaqi also met Pakistan army chief General Syed Asim Munir and the two discussed issues of mutual interest including aspects related to regional security, border management, and formalisation of bilateral security mechanisms for improvement in the current security environment, according to a statement issued by the army's media wing. COAS stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two brotherly neighbours to effectively tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism. "He reiterated the need for full support and commitment from the Afghan Interim Government in matters of mutual interest, it said. Muttaqi appreciated Pakistan's traditional support for the people of Afghanistan and acknowledged the important role that Islamabad continues to play in facilitating peace and development in Afghanistan, it said. China may be reluctant to get involved in efforts to end the fighting in Sudan despite previous interventions in the region, observers said. More than 500 people have been killed and thousands wounded in Sudan since April 15, when fighting broke out between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a former ally. Some observers believe China may try to repeat its role in efforts to end the civil war in Ethiopia, where thousands of people were killed and millions displaced by fighting between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. 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. Beijing organised a Horn of Africa Peace Conference in the Ethiopian capital convened by its special envoy to the region, and supported the African Union's efforts to mediate. However, it did not play a direct role in negotiations that ended with the signing of a peace treaty in November. David Shinn, a former US ambassador to Ethiopia, and a professor at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, said: "I am not aware of any active engagement that Xue Bing [Beijing's special envoy for Horn of Africa affairs] or China had in bringing an end to the conflict in Tigray. If there was active engagement, the Ethiopian or Chinese government could easily say what it was." But he also said Beijing would be reluctant to get as deeply involved in the current Sudan crisis as it was during the conflict in Darfur in western Sudan or the civil war in South Sudan, adding: "I have seen no evidence that China desires to get directly involved in efforts to resolve the Sudan crisis." Observers said China's relationship with Sudan is complex and goes way beyond the transition of power after the ousting of long-term leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Story continues Lukas Fiala, project coordinator of China Foresight at LSE Ideas, a London School of Economics think tank, said Sudan had emerged as a key partner for China long before the partition of Sudan and South Sudan in 2011. Its relations with the two since then have become a litmus test for its overseas security strategy. Fiala said the Darfur war drew attention to China's growing role in Africa in the late 2000s, when its close ties to the al-Bashir government came under increased scrutiny in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "Sudan has thus long played an important role in shaping China's global rise," he said. As a long-standing partner, China was certainly watching the current situation carefully, Fiala added. Chinese companies, such as China National Petroleum Corporation, China Three Gorges Corporation and China International Water & Electric Corporation, have vast investments in petroleum, energy and construction in the country. However, Fiala said Sudan's status as an oil exporter had dwindled relative to alternatives such as Saudi Arabia, noting: "Most oilfields are now located in South Sudan with pipelines passing through Sudanese territory, but overall output is only a fraction of China's global imports." Fiala also said close ties with deposed ruler al-Bashir might make it difficult for Beijing to position itself as a neutral arbiter in any peace process. "China will likely wait until a clear power configuration emerges in Khartoum and will attempt to work with a new government to preserve stability where possible." Xue Bing, China's special envoy to the Horn of Africa, convened a peace conference for the region last year. Photo: AP alt=Xue Bing, China's special envoy to the Horn of Africa, convened a peace conference for the region last year. Photo: AP> Paul Nantulya, a China specialist at the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies at Washington's National Defence University, said even the United States had praised the constructive role Beijing played in international peace efforts in Darfur. Two senior Chinese diplomats, then African Affairs special representative Zhong Jianhua and permanent UN envoy Wang Guangya, persuaded Bashir to accept the deployment of United Nations and African Union peacekeepers back in 2006. They later facilitated a complicated process that led to face-to-face talks between warring factions in South Sudan in 2013, Nantulya said. Those processes had the full backing of the Chinese government and the two envoys were able to coordinate their efforts closely with Western diplomats. However, according to Nantulya: "Right now the high levels of mistrust between China and the US, and more broadly the West, would not allow for that level of coordination." When it became clear that Bashir's rule was over, China quickly established contacts with the two generals at the centre of the current fighting - al-Burhan and Dagalo - and also reached out to the civilian leaders in a transitional democratic government al-Burhan overthrew in a 2021 coup. "China has kept an open line to all in an effort not to be caught flat-footed in case events were to take a sudden shift as was the case in Zimbabwe," Nantulya said, referring to the ousting of the late strongman leader Robert Mugabe in 2017. But he said the crisis in Sudan exposed the limits of China's "Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa" - a project that Xue and the country's foreign policy chief Wang Yi said could help mediate and resolve cross-border and internal conflicts when it was launched early last year. "That clearly has not happened, whether in Ethiopia or Sudan," Nantulya said. Luke Patey, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said China has so far appeared to be staying on the diplomatic sidelines in Sudan. "It joined the choir of countries calling for an end to hostilities, but there is no public indication that it is using its well-placed influence as Sudan's largest trading partner to reconcile the warring sides as of yet," Patey said. Chinese companies maintain a large presence in Sudan and South Sudan's oil sector, he noted. "If fighting targets Sudan's oil infrastructure, which is still necessary to transfer South Sudan's oil to international markets, then China may be forced to get more involved as its economic interests will come under threat. "But these are not as significant as they once were and it may also spell the bitter end for China's oil engagement if the conflict escalates." 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. The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog raised concerns about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, the largest such facility in Europe. IAEA warned that the situation at the plant was potentially dangerous. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi raised concerns on Saturday about the plant's safety after the governor of the Russia-occupied region Enerhodar ordered the evacuation of the town where most plant staff live amid ongoing attacks in the area. The plant is near the front lines of fighting, and Ukrainian authorities on Sunday said that a 72-year-old woman was killed and three others were wounded when Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at Nikopol, a Ukrainian-held town neighbouring the plant. Grossi said IAEA is closely monitoring the situation for any potential impact on nuclear safety and security. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant, Grossi said in a statement. Grossi's comments were prompted by an announcement Friday by Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of the partially-occupied Zaporizhzhia province, that he had ordered the evacuation of civilians from 18 settlements in the area, including Enerhodar, which is located next to the power plant. Grossi said IAEA experts at the nuclear site are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis. IAEA said, ZNPP Site Director Yuri Chernichuk has publicly stated that operating staff are not being evacuated and that they are doing everything necessary to ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant, whose six reactors are all in shutdown mode. The Ukrainian General Staff said Sunday that the evacuation of Enerhodar had already begun. According to an update posted on Facebook, the General Staff said the first residents evacuated were those who took Russian citizenship following the capture of the town by Moscow early in the war. They were being taken to the Russia-occupied Azov Sea coast, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) to the southeast. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequence for the population and the environment, Grossi said. This major nuclear facility must be protected. I will continue to press for a commitment by all sides to achieve this vital objective, he added. Houston, May 7 (PTI) A gunman opened fire at a crowded mall in the US state of Texas, killing at least eight people before being shot dead by a police officer, officials have said, in the latest in a relentless series of gun violence across the country. The gunfire erupted around 3:30 pm on Saturday at the Allen Premium Outlets as throngs of shoppers filled the outdoor mall, which is about 25 miles north of Dallas and has more than 120 stores. Police said they shot the gunman dead and believe he acted alone. Police are yet to identify the victims and the gunman. A Dallas-area medical group says it was treating victims as young as 5 years old. At least seven people are being treated in hospital, three of whom are critically ill. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people - including the gunman - were pronounced dead at the scene and two died later in hospital. According to the officials, an Allen police officer, who was at the mall on an unrelated call, heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralised the threat, Allen Police Department posted on Twitter. He then called for emergency personnel. The department said, There is no longer an active threat. Video footage showed hundreds of shoppers exiting the area at the time of the shooting. Shoppers and employees scrambled into storage areas and hid when they heard gunshots, CNN reported. Witnesses said some people sheltered in place for up to two hours as law enforcement cleared the sprawling complex. One witness said that he saw a man holding his neck, and blood (was) just dripping down. Kaleo Palakiko, 36, was shopping with his parents for an upcoming vacation when they saw people running outside. It was just kind of chaotic for a second. Then when someone said, shooter, we all ran to the back of the store, Palakiko told the New York Times. As Americans, were used to this, because everyone knew exactly what to do. Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy. He said the state was ready to offer any assistance to local authorities. We all want the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you and we are here for you, Ken Fulk, the mayor of Allen, said at a news conference. Early reports from police and witnesses said a gunman pulled up in a grey Honda Accord at the Premium Outlets in Allen. The man began firing on people walking on sidewalks outside the outlet centre, a popular shopping spot with many upscale stores such as Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein and Ann Taylor. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that the administration had offered support to local officials. So far there have been at least 198 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, according to the gun violence archive. Saturdays tragedy occurred just a couple of weeks before the first anniversary of the Uvalle, Texas School massacre when 19 children and two adults were killed by a gunman at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. It comes just days after a gunman became enraged during a visit to an Atlanta medical facility, allegedly shooting dead at least one person with a handgun and injuring four others before he was caught hours later. Saturday's incident is the second-deadliest shooting of the year in the country, after the Monterey Park, California, massacre in which a gunman killed 11 people in a ballroom on January 21. Last weekend, a gunman killed five people in Cleveland, Texas, near Houston, after he was asked by neighbours to stop shooting in his yard. He was captured after a multi-day manhunt. On Wednesday, a gunman opened fire at a medical office building in Atlanta, killing one and injuring four others. That, too, led to a manhunt before the suspect was caught. London, May 7 (PTI) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty will host a Coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street in London on Sunday for community heroes to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla as part of the countrys long celebratory weekend. Among the invitees is British Sikh entrepreneur Navjot Singh Sawhney, who won the UK PMs Points of Light Award earlier this year for his eco-friendly hand-cranked Washing Machine Project, which is benefitting over 1,000 families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries or refugee camps. The event is one of an estimated 50,000 Big Lunches or street parties being organised up and down the United Kingdom to celebrate the Coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. Also joining the Downing Street party will be Ukrainians forced to flee the war-torn country amid its conflict with Russia. Come rain or shine, thousands of friends and neighbours are coming together this weekend to put up the bunting, pour the tea and cut the cake at street parties and community events across the UK, said Sunak. I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own Coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment. In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future, he said. The British Indian leader made history at the Coronation ceremony on Saturday when he read a passage from a biblical book at the Abbey as the head of government of the host nation. Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and the UKs Indian First Lady, marched in with him as part of a Commonwealth Realms procession. Sunday marks the designated Big Lunch element of the Coronation weekend, a nationwide initiative to bring neighbours and communities together to celebrate the historic event. Downing Street has been adorned with bunting featuring the official Coronation emblem and the Union Flag. Crockery will be donated by Emma Bridgewater the award-winning ceramics company based in Stoke-on-Trent including a limited-edition King Charles III teapot. Besides Sawhney, several other recipients of the Points of Light Award volunteers that have made an outstanding contribution to their community have been invited to attend the event. Winning the Points of Light award and getting recognised by the Prime Minister is a phenomenal privilege. The Washing Machine Projects mission is to alleviate the burden of unpaid labour, mainly on women and children, said Sawhney of his work. Attendees will enjoy food sourced from across the UK, including Loch Duart salmon from Sutherland in North West Scotland and soda farl from Northern Ireland. Beef will come from Gloucestershire in South West England and ice cream has been sourced from Chilly Cow, a company based in Ruthin, Wales. Ukrainians fleeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and their UK-based sponsors will also join the event. They include Olga Breslavska who travelled to the UK as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and is currently studying an intensive English course. Caroline Quill a Homes for Ukraine sponsor has been instrumental in matching 250 families across East Sussex and Kent and will also join the lunch. Young people from organisations such as UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs have also been invited to mark the occasion. Members of Britains royal family will also attend some community events and street parties during the day before seeing the likes of pop stars Katy Perry and Take That perform at Windsor Castle at the Coronation Concert on Sunday evening. Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is among those scheduled to make an appearance at the concert. Cairo, May 7 (AP) Arab government representatives in Cairo on Sunday voted to return Syria to the Arab League after a 12-year suspension. The vote in the Egyptian capital came days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a roadmap to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to de-escalate, and soon before Saudi Arabia hosts the upcoming Arab League Summit on May 19. The decision for Syria to return also includes a commitment to ongoing dialogue with Arab governments to gradually reach a political solution to the conflict, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. The Arab League in the decision also set up a communications committee consisting of Saudi Arabia and Syria's neighbours Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq to follow up on developments. There is still no Arab consensus on normalisation with Damascus. Several governments did not attend the meeting. Among the most notable absentees was Qatar, which continues to back opposition groups against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, and continues to resist normalization with Damascus. Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended 12 years ago early on in the uprising turned-conflict, which has killed nearly a half million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the country's pre-war population of 23 million. Egyptian Foreign Minister Samer Shoukry in a public statement before the meeting said only an Arab-led "political solution without foreign dictates" can end the ongoing conflict that restores Syria's unity and stability and allow refugees and the internally displaced to return. "The different stages of the Syrian crisis proved that it has no military solution, and that there is no victor nor defeated in this conflict," he added. few weeks. (AP) FZH Kolkata, May 7 (PTI) Eminent scholars on Sunday voiced dismay over changes being wrought in the presentation of modern Indian history and said this went against the "inclusiveness" that was prt of India's tradition. The academics were speaking at a discussion 'Unpartitioned India : The Muslims for a United India, Unvisited Histories'' organised by Hashim Abdul Halim Foundation, an organisation named after the late West bengal Assembly Speaker and Leftist ideologue known for his grasp of the Indian constitution and law. Eminent political scientist from the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, Prof Maidul Islam lamented that "instead of moving forward we are going backwards" pointing to the omission of references to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Congress President who along with Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi negotiated India's freedom from the British, from the new NCERT syllabus. "We are now seeing Azad deleted from syllabus, a person of stature not seen in 100 years ... He has been deleted from the new syllabus. You can delete but some people will remain forever etched in the psyche of the nation," he said. Tracing the tumultuous days preceding the Independence and afterwards, he said as envisaged in the 1947 contract which was later ratified on November 26, 1949, the guiding principles of Indian Constitution which came into being from January 26, 1950 guarantees the rights of those who did not leave and chose to stay on in the country, "who had said they don't want to leave for anywhere else." Former Professor of Political Science, Delhi University, Prof Shamsul Islam claimed it looked like "only some 'khas lok' (privileged people) are entitled to live here, which is not the India we all know." Islam recalled how there was no communal divide between soldiers who participated in the country's first war of independence in 1857, when Hindu and Muslim sepoys revolted together against British rule in support of the then emperor who was incidentally a Muslim. "There was no HIndu, Muslim fight in those days. Words like communalism and secularism were unheard of. All these terminology camed into being in the late 19th-20th century," the veteran academic said. "There was no concept like religious nationalism in South Asia in those days," he said. Eminent historian Prof Bhaskar Chakraborty of Calcutta University pointed out that every year during Durga puja, "borders cease to exist in Taki, Basirhat stretches along Bangladesh border as people from both sides join together in boats to participate in the revellery.These are families who live on both sides of river Ichamati which separates the two countries." He said in "many sense the border" does not exist for these people conjoined by ethnicity and geographical nearness. Gangtok, May 7 (PTI) A total of 128 students of Sikkim were rescued from violence-hit Manipur, and were being brought back to the state on Sunday, officials said. The stranded students were first brought to Kolkata on flights arranged by the state government from Imphal. From Kolkata, they boarded buses for Siliguri in northern West Bengal. From Siliguri, they will be brought to state capital Gangtok by SNT buses. A doctor from Sikkim, who was posted in a far-off area in Manipur, was also safely brought back, officials said. Chief Secretary VB Pathak led the 'Operation Gurans' to bring back the students. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang was constantly monitoring the situation, and took stock of the safety and security of the students, officials said. Sikkim worked with the Manipur government for the safe passage of the students from their respective hostels to the airport, they said. Sikkim extended gratitude to Manipur for ensuring the safe return of the students. New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) The recent disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha has put the spotlight on provisions of an Act which has been used to removed 42 members from Parliament since 1988, with the 14th Lok Sabha witnessing the ouster of 19 lawmakers in connection with the cash-for-query scam and cross-voting. The disqualification of these lawmakers have been on various grounds like changing political allegiances, for conduct unbecoming of a parliamentarian and after being convicted by a court for crimes that have a jail term of two years or more. The latest round of disqualification of Congress leader Gandhi, NCP leader Mohammad Faizal P P, and BSP leader Afzal Ansari came after their conviction by courts with jail terms of more than two year, invoked the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The Act deals with automatic disqualification of MPs and state legislators upon being convicted and sentenced for two years or more in a criminal case. The disqualification of Faizal, who represents Lakshadweep in the Lok Sabha, was revoked after he obtained a stay over his conviction and sentence, in an attempt to murder case, from the Kerala High Court. Gandhi has moved the Gujarat High Court to seek relief in the criminal defamation case involving the 'Modi surname' in which a Surat court had sentenced him to two years in jail. The first disqualification of a Lok Sabha member after the anti-defection law was enacted in 1985 was that of Lalduhoma, a Congress member, who filed his nomination papers for the Mizoram Assembly elections as a candidate of the Mizo National Union, a party founded by him. The ninth Lok Sabha, when the then Janata Dal leader V P Singh formed a coalition government, saw nine Lok Sabha members fall foul of the anti-defection law, which led to their disqualification. However, it was the 14th Lok Sabha which saw ouster of maximum members from the House 10 for unbecoming conduct as member for accepting bribe for raising questions in Parliament and nine for cross-voting during the Vote of Confidence sought by the UPA-I government in July 2008 after the Left front withdrew support to it over the civil nuclear deal with the US. Six members of the BJP, two from BSP and one each from the Congress and RJD were expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2005 over the 'cash for query' scam. One Rajya Sabha member from BSP too was expelled from the House. The expulsions were upheld by the Supreme Court. None of these cases were referred to the President for approving the expulsions since the legislature itself is competent to do so, Devendra Singh Aswal, former Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha, told PTI. The 10th Lok Sabha, when then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao led a coalition government, saw four members being disqualified from the House under the anti-defection law. The Rajya Sabha also has its share of disqualifications under the anti-defection law - Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (1989), Satyapal Malik (1989), Sharad Yadav (2017) and Ali Anwar (2017). Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren and Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan were disqualified from the Rajya Sabha in 2001 and 2006 respectively for holding an office of profit. While Soren was the Chairman of the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council, Bachchan was the Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. A disqualification petition against the then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, for holding an office of profit of Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, became infructuous as she quit as member of the Lok Sabha. To avoid possible political upheaval, the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, was amended in 2006 retrospectively w.e.f. April 4, 1959 and similar petitions became infructuous, Aswal, who is also a member of the Bar Council of India, said. A judgment of the apex Court, referred to as the Lily Thomas case, laid down the legal position making it clear that any conviction which carries a sentence of two years or more will automatically result in disqualification of an elected representative. The Lok Sabha Secretariat only has to notify the vacancy by issuing a notification so that the Election Commission can start the process for a bypoll, Aswal said. As a result of the judgement, Rajya Sabha member of the Congress, Rasheed Masood was disqualified from the upper house due to his conviction in a corruption case. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and JD(U) member Jagdish Sharma were disqualified from the Lok Sabha following their conviction in the fodder scam. Bhaderwah (J&K), May 7 (PTI) Tightening the noose around local terrorists operating from Pakistan, the state investigation agency (SIA) has executed proclamation proceedings against a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Mohammad Hussain Khateeb, a resident of Bhaderwah town who is presently based in Pakistan, has been given 30 days to appear before the court to face trial in a terror funding case, failing which his property will be attached, an official said. Khateeb is wanted by the SIA in a terror funding case of last year, also involving former minister Jateinder Singh alias Babu Singh who is presently lodged at Central jail in Kot Bhalwal Jammu. Singh, chairman of Nature-Mankind Friendly Global Party, was arrested on April 9, last year, 10 days after he went underground following the arrest of his worker Mohammad Shareef Shah, a resident of south Kashmirs Kokernag, along with Rs 6.90 lakh hawala money in Jammu. On September 24, the SIA filed a charge sheet against three persons, including Singh and Khateeb, in the court of third additional session judge Jammu. Three supplementary charge sheets were subsequently filed against nine more accused persons. Of the total accused, nine are facing trial while three, including Khateeb, are absconding. The SIA said the former minister was allegedly in contact with Khateeb over encrypted social media applications and had clandestinely visited Dubai for arranging funds. Shah was designated as Secretary of this party, who received these funds in Kashmir through an unknown person and travelled to Jammu to handover these funds to Babu Singh and this fund was arranged by Khateeb, who is a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist operating from Pakistan, the official said. Executing the proclamation proceedings under section 82 of the CrPC against Khateeb, the SIA affixed posters of the absconding accused at his residence at Masjid Mohalla in Bhaderwah and other conspicuous places. Khateeb has been granted a period of 30 days by the court in its proclamation order to appear before it to face trial. If the accused fails to appear before the court within the period of 30 days, proceedings under Section 83 CrPC shall be launched against him and his property will be attached, an official said. He said the proceedings were conducted in presence of respectable persons of the vicinity where Khateebs family is putting up. New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) The BJP on Sunday demanded immediate resignation of Punjab minister Lal Chand Kataruchak and an impartial probe into allegations of sexual misconduct against him. This came after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), following a letter sent to it by the victim, issued a notice to the Punjab government on Friday, asking it to submit a report on the allegations against Kataruchak. The victim has also accused the minister of threatening him and his family. Speaking at a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "This is a terrifying story of sexual exploitation, sexual predatory behaviour, sexual grooming, debauchery and most of all, moral turpitude and moral degradation to the lowest levels." Kataruchak has exploited a "Dalit boy", Poonawalla charged, citing the allegations levelled by the victim against the minister. "We demand immediate resignation of the minister and an impartial probe in which the state government has no role," he added. Poonawalla said Kataruchak is a "heavyweight" minister in the Punjab government and has "a very close relation" with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal. "So long as Kataruchak is a minister in the Punjab government, there cannot be an impartial probe into allegations against him," he said, claiming that the victim's life is in danger. Kataruchak had allegedly approached the victim "by sending him a friend request on Facebook in 2013-14 and when he accepted it, Kataruchak allegedly started making advances", the NSCN had said on Friday, quoting from the victim's letter. "Since he was an influential person, he had promised me a government job due to which I remained mum. I was too young at that time to understand anything. But, his sexual excesses continued till 2021. However, he met me for the last time on Diwali in 2021 and he neither provided me with a job nor he met me after that," the victim claimed. "I am now on the run and submitting the complaint in Delhi as the minister is threatening to harm me or my family," he alleged. Recently, a video on the matter was handed over to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit by Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Purohit has forwarded the forensic report of Kataruchak's "objectionable" video to Chief Minister Mann, sources said on Saturday, adding that according to the report, the video was not morphed. Taking cognisance of the victim's complaint, the NCSC has issued a notice to the Punjab government and asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to investigate the matter and submit an action taken report "immediately" through post or email. The commission also asked them to provide security to the victim. Jalaun (UP), May 7 (PTI) A bus carrying a marriage party fell into a roadside ditch in the district, leaving five people dead and 17 others injured early Sunday, police said. The bus was hit by another vehicle near Gopalpura village following which it fell into a ditch, Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja said. The accident took place around 3 am when the marriage party was returning to Mandela village in the district. The dead have been identified as Kuldeep (36), Raghunandan (46), Sirobhan (65), Karan Singh (34) and Vikas (32). The injured passengers have been sent to the Orai Medical College, the SP said. One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Townsquare Media, Inc. (NYSE:TSQ). Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits. View our latest analysis for Townsquare Media How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? ROE can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Townsquare Media is: 21% = US$14m US$69m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.21. Does Townsquare Media Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As you can see in the graphic below, Townsquare Media has a higher ROE than the average (13%) in the Media industry. roe That is a good sign. With that said, a high ROE doesn't always indicate high profitability. Especially when a firm uses high levels of debt to finance its debt which may boost its ROE but the high leverage puts the company at risk. You can see the 4 risks we have identified for Townsquare Media by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here. How Does Debt Impact ROE? Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Story continues Townsquare Media's Debt And Its 21% ROE It seems that Townsquare Media uses a huge volume of debt to fund the business, since it has an extremely high debt to equity ratio of 7.59. Its ROE is respectable, but it's not so impressive once you consider all of the debt. Summary Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company. But note: Townsquare Media may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Phillaur, May 7 (PTI) Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary on Sunday claimed that the AAP is staring at a "huge defeat" in the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll and accused the ruling party in Punjab of "intimidating" voters. He claimed that as the "fear" of losing the Jalandhar bypoll right after last year's Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election defeat grips Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, they are "resorting to intimidation of voters and misuse of government machinery". The current dispensation is "indulging in intimidation tactics through police, and block development and panchayat officers", Vikramjit Chaudhary said while campaigning for his mother and Congress candidate for the Jalandhar bypoll, Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary. The election was necessitated following the death of his father and Congress MP Santokh Chaudhary. Vikramjit Chaudhary addressed election meetings in Rasulpur, Bhar Singh Pura, Dhak Majara, Mandi, Jhuggian Maha Singh, Muthadda Kalan, Atta and Goraya of his assembly constituency, Phillaur. He said an "anti-AAP wave" is running through every street, ward and village of the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency and after losing the Sangrur bypoll last year, the AAP is set to face a "huge defeat" in the May 10 bypoll as well. "The government has tried to intimidate everyone -- councillors, sarpanches, panches, voters, etc but this kind of politics failed in Punjab earlier and will fail in this by election also," Vikramjit Chaudhary said. "Before the assembly elections last year, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal used to ask for one opportunity at governance in Punjab, but now, even after a series of failures in more than a year's tenure, he is shamelessly asking for another year in the bypoll," he said and added that people are fed up with the Bhagwant Mann government. People are ready to vote for Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary on May 10, Vikramjit Chaudhary said. New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) A Delhi court has granted bail to two accused persons in a money laundering case related to alleged excise scam, saying the evidence was not sufficient for the case against them to be considered prima facie "genuine". Special Judge M K Nagpal granted the relief to Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra on a personal bond of Rs two lakh each and one surety of like amount. The same judge had dismissed AAP leader Manish Sisodias bail plea in the case on April 28 and in a related corruption case, being probed by the CBI, on March 31. In connection with the bail plea by Joshi, the court said it was of the prima facie view that the evidence was not sufficient to make it believe that the case against him was genuine or that he was going to be held guilty of the offence of money laundering. On Gautam Malhotra, the court said that the case of the prosecution as based on oral and documentary evidence "cannot be prima facie considered to be a genuine case". The judge further said in the order passed on May 6 that the mere apprehension that the accused may resort to commission of an offence again will not be sufficient to oppose bail. He observed that Joshi was not in the liquor business and admittedly, he was also not a participant in any of the meetings which allegedly took place among the other co-accused or conspirators of the criminal conspiracy in connection with the formulation of the now-scrapped excise policy or its implementation. Joshi is also not alleged to be a member of the 'South lobby' or the 'liquor lobby' of any region and hence, admittedly, he is not among the persons who are alleged to have paid the kickbacks to co-accused Sisodia or his other associates, and he is also not a recipient of the kickbacks or bribes, he noted. On the ED's claim that Joshi was involved in the transfer of advance kickback amount of around Rs 20-30 crore that was allegedly used in the AAP election campaign for the 2022 Goa assembly polls, the court said there was nothing on record at this stage to link these payments. It noted Joshi was arrested on February 8 and even prior to that, he was stated to have joined the investigation of this case, as well as that of the connected case being probed by the CBI. Regarding Malhotra, it noted the ED had claimed that he had paid Rs 2.5 crore as bribe or kickbacks for the 'South liquor lobby' and this fact was specifically stated by co-accused Amit Arora. However, it pointed out that approver Dinesh Arora expressed total ignorance about this transaction. "The statements on this aspect made by the approver cannot be sidelined or ignored at this stage as he is a star witness," the judge said. The court further dismissed the ED's contention that Malhotra formed a cartel by participation in the liquor business of Delhi at all the three levels of manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and thus, he became a member of the super cartel and the criminal conspiracy with the other co-accused. "Though the above cartel might have been formed in violation of provisions of the excise policy... it appears to be a pure business cartel formed to push the sale of liquor brands of the manufacturing unit(s) of the applicant," it said. The court noted it was the admitted case of prosecution that Malhotra had not played any role in the formulation of the excise policy and was even not a part of the 'South lobby' paying advance kickbacks of Rs 100 crore. "Again, he is also not alleged to have paid any such advance kickbacks to co-accused Vijay Nair, other politicians of AAP or other public servants before or in connection with the formulation of the said policy," the judge said. The only allegation of payment of any money or bribe against him is in the form of payment of Rs 2.5 crore to co-accused Amit Arora in May 2022, when this policy had already been in operation for a considerable time, he noted. Even the evidence in the form of a statement by co-accused Amit Arora about the payment of Rs 2.5 crore bribe by him is not convincing enough, the court said. Regarding the ED's claim that the accused received proceeds of crime of Rs 48.9 lakh through excess credit notes, it said no specific or connecting evidence showing any such cash payments against the amounts of credit notes has been produced. The judge said Malhotra also deserved to be granted default bail since the ED filed an "incomplete" supplementary complaint against him and "it has apparently been filed to scuttle or defeat the right of applicant to seek default bail". He added that neither Joshi nor Malhotra can be considered a flight risk. The court directed both the accused persons not to leave the country without its permission or threaten or influence witnesses. However, it is made clear that the observations made in this order are only for the purpose of deciding the bail applications of the applicants and nothing contained in this order shall tantamount to the expression of any opinion on merits of the case, the judge said. Sisodia, who was arrested on March 9, is currently in judicial custody in the case. The court on April 28 dismissed his bail application in the case, saying the evidence prima facie "speaks volumes of his involvement in commission of the offence". Ramanagara (Karnataka), May 6 (PTI) The livelihoods of artisans who work in Channapatnas toy industry have been impacted as the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway which opened two months ago does not connect to the toy factory that mostly depends on tourists for their business. With polling for the Assembly elections set to take place in just three days, artisans who work at the toy factory are demanding basic facilities from the upcoming government, such as supply of raw materials, easy transportation of products and a way for artisans to sell their products along the highway. The 118-km-long Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March, in a bid to reduce the travel time between the two cities from around three hours to about 75 minutes. Sohail Parvez, who works as a manager at the Channapatna toy factory claimed that the lives of the artisans have been hit badly and that many of them are have crippling debt. "We expect basic facilities like supply of raw materials, easy transportation of products and a platform for artisans to sell their products along the highway. There are 5,000 registered artisans here and they are completely dependent on this job. With the impact on business, they are struggling for survival. The loss has impacted their livelihood. Many of them are in debt and unable to repay their loans, Parvez told PTI. Artisans in Channapatna use the wood of a special tree that grows in old Mysore called 'Ivory Wood Tree' for making dolls and toys. These handicrafts are also exported worldwide. Tourists in the area are the primary customers of the toy factory, other than the usual markets. "The highway might have connected Bengaluru and Mysuru well but not the towns that come in between that have been prominent for something or the other. We were mostly dependent on the tourists who pass by this route. Now that the highway has been built, the toy factory got derailed from the route and 70 to 80 per cent of our business got impacted due to this, Parvez said. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had said that the expressway was an important project and it would "contribute to Karnatakas growth". Opposition parties Congress and JD(S) had alleged that the incomplete project was launched to woo voters ahead of the Assembly elections. Channapatna is also considered to be a stronghold of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S). The artisans who work at the toy factory claim that despite having a large stock of toys, there has been no sale after the expressway was built. "Even if the expressway has been built with a purpose of development, something should have been done for the Channapatna toy factory. A separate space could have been dedicated to us that would link to the highway too, so somewhere artisans could sell toys directly. Many tourists used to stop by at our factories or emporiums and buy toys in bulks here (before the expressway was built)," Parvez said. A few other artisans working at the Channapatna toy factory said that despite the Centres ban on import of toys from China, it did not make any difference due to the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway bypassing their town. Santosh, an artisan working at the Channapatna toy factory for the past three years, claims that 70 per cent of their sales dropped after the expressway became operational. The sales here completely dropped. We are not getting any benefit from the government. Earlier, they promised to improve everything but nothing has been done. After import of toys from China got banned, we expected that our business will get better but with the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway its the same thing, Santosh told PTI. Another artisan Syed Mujeed who has been working at the factory for the past 30 years said their business had been suffering and that there is insufficient supply of wood as well. "There is insufficient supply of wood. Foreign buyers are also not visiting. We used to complain about China imports earlier but even after that stopped, the condition remains the same because of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway." he said. Bahraich (UP), May 7 (PTI) Two men were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a bus in the Dargah Sharif area of this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Sunday. Jawahir (38), a resident of Nanak Pura village in the Risia area, and his uncle Nanke (48) were on their way to Chardaha village to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law, the police said. On the way, a private bus mowed them down near the Pakdi village. The pair died on the spot, they said. The police have sent the bodies for post-mortem and registered a case against the unidentified bus driver. Nagpur, May 7 (PTI) A 15-year-old differently-abled boy died after a steel chain got entangled around his neck while he was playing in his house in Maharashtra's Nagpur city, police said on Sunday. The incident took place in Adivasi Prakash Nagar under Kalamna police station area on Saturday, an official. The boy Neerajkumar Radheshyam Bantela was alone in the house when an iron chain suspended from the ceiling of the house got entangled around his neck and he accidentally got strangled, he said. The victim's sister discovered his body after returning home from school, the official said, adding that a case of accidental death has been registered. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, submitted her resignation Friday, saying the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic was a good time to make a transition. Walenskys last day will be June 30, CDC officials said, and an interim director wasnt immediately named. She sent a resignation letter to President Joe Biden and announced the decision at a CDC staff meeting. Walensky, 54, has been the agencys director for a little over two years. In her letter to Biden, she expressed mixed feelings about the decision and didnt say exactly why she was stepping down, but said the nation is at a moment of transition as emergency declarations come to an end. I have never been prouder of anything I have done in my professional career, she wrote. The World Health Organization said Friday that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, and the U.S. public health emergency declaration will expire next week. Deaths in the U.S. are at their lowest point since the earliest days of the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020. The CDC, with a $12 billion budget and more than 12,000 employees. is an Atlanta-based federal agency charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Walensky, previously an infectious-diseases specialist at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, had no experience running a government health agency when she was sworn in on the first day of the Biden administration. She came with a reputation as a prominent voice on the pandemic, sometimes criticizing certain aspects of how the government was responding. She was brought in to raise morale at the CDC, to rebuild public trust in the agency and to improve its sometimes-bumbling response to the pandemic. She started a center for forecasting and outbreak analytics, took steps to modernize data and improve the public health work force. Last year, she began a reorganization designed to make the agency more nimble and to improve its communications with the public. But there have been stumbles during her tenure too. In the spring of 2021, Walensky said fully vaccinated people could stop wearing masks in many settings, only to reverse course as the then-new delta variant spread. And in December 2021, the agencys decision to shorten isolation and quarantine caught many by surprise and caused confusion. In a statement, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients praised her performance. Her creativity, skill and expertise, and pure grit were essential to our effective response and an historic recovery that made life better for Americans across the country, Zients said. (AP) Is ancestry history? The U.S. Census Bureau is contemplating getting rid of a question about a persons ancestry on its most comprehensive survey, saying it may duplicate a newly-revised race question that allows respondents to write from where they or their antecedents came. The Census Bureau is conducting research to determine if they get fewer responses, if data quality is compromised and what similarities or differences there are between the race and ancestry questions on the American Community Survey. The ancestry question has been asked since the 1980s. Preliminary findings show that respondents are more likely to answer the race question than the ancestry query and that the data pulled from the race question covers 88% of the 126 ancestry groups the statistical agency lists, Census Bureau officials told an advisory committee on Friday. Some civil rights groups, though, are worried the changes are premature and want the bureau to wait until detailed race data from the 2020 census is released for comparison. They also say proposed changes to the federal governments race and ethnicity categories by the White Houses Office of Management and Budget could impact the way people respond. The OMBs proposed changes, currently under review, would combine the race and ethnic origin questions into a single query because some advocates say the current method of asking about race and separately about ethnic origin often confuses Hispanic respondents. It also would create a new category for people of Middle Eastern and North African descent, also known by the acronym MENA, who are now classified as white but say they have been routinely undercounted. It is possible, for example, that respondents view their ancestry and the ancestry of their household members, including children differently than they view their race or ethnicity subgroup or national origin, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said last month in a letter asking the Census Bureau to pause its research on the matter. The Census Bureaus decision on whether to eliminate the ancestry question likely wont come for another year or two, well after any changes to the federal governments race and ethnicity categories are decided next year. The American Community Survey is the bureaus largest survey and asks about more than 40 topics ranging from income, internet access, rent, disabilities and language spoken at home. Along with the census, it helps determine how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed each year, where schools are built and the location of new housing developments, among other things. Starting in 2020, the Census Bureau has allowed respondents to write detailed information about their background for the race question. For instance, the race question now allows a respondent to check a box for Black and then write in Haitian, Nigerian or other backgrounds in a blank box. The ancestry question asks What is this persons ancestry of ethnic origin? and allows respondents to fill in a blank box with answers like Brazilian or Lebanese. During the 2021 American Community Survey, estimates from the race question were larger or no different than estimates from the ancestry query in 87% of the 111 ancestry groups available from the race data, Census Bureau officials on Friday told members of the National Advisory Committee. However, it was lower for respondents with ancestry in several Caribbean nations as well as those with Azerbaijani, British, Celtic, French Canadian, Guyanese, Pennsylvania German, Romani and Scotch-Irish backgrounds. Census Bureau officials said Friday they want to study the reasons for that. Moving forward, the Census Bureau needs to consider how the questions are worded and what race and ancestry terms mean in peoples everyday lives, said Iheoma Iruka, a committee member and research professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They are social and political, meaning they can change over time, Iruka said. (AP) Despite receiving over $3 million from Penguin Random House for her memoir, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not recuse herself from cases involving the book publishing company. Public disclosures reveal that she was paid nearly $1.2 million for a book advance from Knopf Doubleday Group, a subsidiary of the publishing conglomerate, with an additional $1.9 million in advance payments received in 2012. In 2013, Aaron Greenspan sued Random House, alleging that the company had rejected his book proposal about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook while awarding a deal to another author on the same subject that later became the movie The Social Network. Although Aaron Greenspan vs. Random House reached the Supreme Court, it was eventually denied a hearing. Starting in 2017 and continuing through at least 2021, Sotomayor received yearly payments from Penguin Random House amounting to around $500,000. In total, she received roughly $3.6 million from Random House and its subsidiaries. Despite this, she participated in later cases involving the publishing company. One such case was in October 2019 when childrens author Jennie Nicassio filed a lawsuit against Random House, accusing them of selling a book that was almost identical to hers. Nicassio petitioned the court to hear her case, but was eventually denied. Public disclosures reveal that Sotomayors largest ever check for royalties from Random House was $82,807, which was due to arrive in May of that year. The Supreme Court does not disclose individual justices voting decisions on cases but does report when they recuse themselves. In this instance, Sotomayor did not recuse herself from cases involving Random House. These disclosures have surfaced amidst recent controversy surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas, who accepted vacations from GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow. ProPublica recently published a report revealing that Crow also paid for Thomas great-nephew to attend a private school. And while the mainstream media goes nuts over Clarence Thomass friendships, Sonia Sotomayors are apparently A-OK. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Iran executed an Iranian-Swedish dual national Saturday accused of masterminding a 2018 attack on a military parade that killed at least 25 people, one of several enemies of Tehran seized abroad in recent years amid tensions with the West. Farajollah Chaab, also known as Habib Asyoud, had been a leader of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, an Arab separatist movement that has conducted oil pipeline bombings and other attacks in Irans oil-rich Khuzestan province. That group had claimed the 2018 attack in its immediate aftermath. Chaabs execution comes as a Swedish court last year sentenced an Iranian to life in prison over his part in the 1988 mass executions in Iran at the end of its war with Iraq. Tehran, which has used prisoners as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West, reacted angrily to that sentence. Meanwhile, tensions also remain high between Iran and the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program as well and at least one more prisoner with Western ties faces a possible execution. The Iranian judiciarys Mizan news agency confirmed Chaabs execution by hanging in a lengthy statement. It identified him as the leader of the militant group and alleged without providing evidence that he had ties to Swedish, Israelis and U.S. intelligence services. It accused his group of killing or wounding 450 people over the years, including multiple attacks on government offices and other sites. It also included state television interviews with Chaab, a feature of many Iranian trials that activists long have described as coerced confessions. It also clearly identified Iranian intelligence officers as being behind Chaabs abduction, saying that its unknown soldiers captured him in Turkey in November 2019. Iran has used similar ruses to capture its enemies abroad, including the exiled journalist Ruhollah Zam who was executed in 2020. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned Chaabs execution. The death penalty is an inhumane and irrevocable punishment, and Sweden, together with the rest of the (European Union), condemns its use under all circumstances, he said in a statement. Swedens Nordic neighbors Finland and Norway also strongly condemned the execution, underlying their stance against the death penalty. I am appalled, said Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights separately condemned the execution, referring to Chaabs closed-door trial as grossly unfair. This is an example of the Islamic Republics state terrorism, said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the groups director. We expect that the EU and Swedish government show adequate reaction to the murder of their citizen. Killing a hostage must not be tolerated. Tensions already had escalated between Iran and Sweden over the life imprisonment of Hamid Noury, an Iranian convicted in Sweden of committing grave war crimes and murder during the final phase of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The end of the war saw mass executions of an estimated 5,000 Iranian prisoners, including those from an exiled opposition group and others. The 2018 attack in Iran targeted a military parade in Ahvaz in Khuzestan, the chaos captured live on state television. Militants disguised as soldiers opened fire, killing at least 25 people and wounding over 60 others in the deadliest attack to strike Iran in years. A spokesman for the separatist group claimed the assault shortly after in a televised interview. The Islamic State group also claimed the attack, though it offered factually incorrect details about the assault. In recent months, Iran has carried out other executions after the months of unrest over the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the countrys morality police. In January, Iran executed a former high-ranking defense ministry official and dual Iranian-British national accused of spying. Also facing a possible execution is an Iranian-German national who lived in California, a man Iran describes as planning a 2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200 others, as well as other assaults through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran and its Tondar militant wing. His family long has said he was captured by Iranian intelligence in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Iran is one of the worlds top executioners. (AP) Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Peace Summit 2023 Peace Summit 2023 UPF Peace Summit 2023 Washington, DC, May 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Peace Summit 2023 World Leaders Meet to Discuss Building a Global Culture of Peace Countries that are interconnected dont go to war World leaders attending the Peace Summit 2023 in South Korea this week passionately decried the human suffering and conflicts they see in or around their nations, but they also insisted that with greater determination, cooperation, and shared values, they can bring new levels of peace. Its time for continental movements of peace to counter the aggressive movements of war, said Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba, former Zambia vice president and founder of the National Christian Coalition, one of the nearly 700 dignitaries from 70 nations who attended the May 3 Peace Summit 2023 Opening Plenary, hosted by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). The world is at a turning point, with people going in the direction of freedom, peace, and democracy on one hand, and invasion, war, and autocracy on the other, said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He and many speakers spoke about hotspots such as Russias invasion of the Ukraine, North Koreas firing of missiles, and Chinas aggressive behavior around Taiwan and the South China Sea. How do we get to the objectiveto deliver peace on terms that God would love and appreciate in a way that is decent and good, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the Sixth Think Tank 2022 panel discussion. Co-hosted by The Washington Times and Segye Ilbo, the panel featured author and China expert Dr. Michael Pillsbury and focused on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific. Peace in Korea may look elusive, but we cannot give up on the dream to end the 70-plus year division, said Dr. Yun Young-ho, Co-Chair of the Peace Summit 2023 Organizing Committee. The Summit included reports about international peacebuilding in political, academic, media, business and religious spheres. UPF Co-Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon said, The term peace feels so close, yet is so far. Uniting with God, we can find a better future. Let us join hands, let us join our hearts, and let us join together to solve problems afflicting humanity. And let us not just rely on our own ideas, but let us unite with God, our Creator and Heavenly Parent. Story continues During the Summit, past laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize, the prestigious award honoring contributors to peace and human development including Dr. Sakena Yacoobi from Afghanistan and H.E. Anote Tong from Kiribati, gathered for a special dinner in their honor. Another Summit highlight was the creation of an Elders Roundtable in which statesmen and women from around the world will have a forum to offer their shared wisdom and experience for the realization of peace in the world. Interfaith cooperation and protecting religious freedom were major themes of the three-day Summit. It began with an interfaith water ceremony and invocation to heaven with clergy from El Savador, Ethiopia, India, Korea, South Africa, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe. It has become clear that interreligious peace is a critical and necessary aspect of any effort to achieve the goal of lasting world peace, said Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, UPF Chairman and Co-Chair of the Peace Summit 2023 Organizing Committee. Religious liberty is at the core of all liberties. If you cant worship God in your own way, then what freedom do you have? said former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Senegal President Macky Sall, and former U.S. President Donald J. Trump offered congratulatory remarks by video. H.E. Brigi Rafini, former Niger Prime Minister and Secretary General of the 29-country Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), praised the coming Africa Summit 2023. Some countries are a breeding ground for extremist groups, but Africas large population of young people could become a force for peace if they are well-educated, raised with good character and universal values, and provided opportunities to work in land management and other green entrepreneurship jobs, he said. We have more in common than our differences, said Rev. Dr. Cynthia Jackson, Senior Pastor at Allen AME Church in New Jersey, USA. Countries that are interconnected, with economic openness and interfaith openness, dont go to war, noted former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme. Former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, in a video message, advocated for countries to use technology to reduce the digital divide gap and use it as a development tool to reduce poverty and bring humanity together. The event included sessions to discuss the contemporary challenges to global order from regional perspectives: North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, and Africa. UPFs primary associations also held breakout sessions with featured international experts and heads of state, first ladies, parliamentarians, religious leaders, media, academicians, and business leaders. The Summit also included a celebration cake-cutting in honor of Dr. Moons 80th birthday. Other activities will feature a dedication ceremony at the new Cheon Won Gung temple envisioned by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon as a homeland for the world and hometown of the heart of all people. Background on Peace Summit 2023 is at http://www.thinktank2022.org and upf.org. Media Contacts: AFRICA: Mamadou Gaye gayemadou@mweb.co.za ASIA PACIFIC: Robert Kittel rskittel@gmail.com CANADA: Pierre Beauregard pierrebeauregard.upf@gmail.com EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST: Peter Zoehrer media@eume.upf.org CENTRAL AMERICA/THE CARIBBEAN: Mario Salinas msalinashn@gmail.com SOUTH AMERICA: Simao Ferabolli upflatinamerica@gmail.com UNITED STATES: William Selig wselig@upf.org Attachment CONTACT: William Selig Universal Peace Federation 240-274-1744 wselig@upf.org A jury is to resume deliberations Monday with only 11 members in the trial of a former Philadelphia police officer seen on video lowering the face covering of at least one protester before dousing a group with pepper spray as they knelt on a city interstate during a summer 2020 demonstration. Officials say one juror in the trial of ex-SWAT officer Richard Paul Nicoletti was dismissed Friday afternoon and two alternates were unavailable for medical reasons. Prosecutors and defense attorneys then agreed to move on with an 11 member panel. Jurors earlier told the judge they were at an impasse but were urged to keep working. Nicoletti faces charges including simple assault and reckless endangerment for his actions on June 1, 2020 after demonstrators made their way onto Interstate 676 during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. Video circulated widely on social media that showed Nicoletti in riot gear approach three protesters kneeling on the highway and pull down at least one protesters mask or goggles before pepper-spraying them. He was fired several weeks later. After the city and state police use of tear gas gained national attention, Mayor Jim Kenney and police commissioner Danielle Outlaw apologized, calling the use of force that day unjustifiable. In March, the city agreed to pay $9.25 million to hundreds of plaintiffs who sued over police use of force during several days of protests. Assistant District Attorney Brian Collins told jurors during his opening statement that Nicolettis actions were unnecessary, harmful, and beyond the scope of his duties as a police officer, adding that his badge was a responsibility, not a license, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Nicolettis defense attorneys have argued that he broke no law and acting on the orders of his superiors on the police force. Attorney Fortunato Perri Jr., said Nicoletti had been ordered to clear the highway and was authorized to use pepper spray to do so and he did that, nothing more. A state police officer testified Wednesday that SWAT officers, including Nicoletti, protected him from an angry crowd, WTXF-TV reported. Several people who were sprayed or witnessed the events testified. One person who was sprayed in the eyes choked up as she recalled what happened. Another protester said that after she was pepper sprayed she lost all sense of herself, crying and screaming for help. A municipal court judge in 2021 dismissed all charges against Nicoletti, saying prosecutors had failed to show that his actions were criminal. A Common Pleas court judge later reversed that decision and reinstated the charges. (AP) A strong, shallow earthquake hit central Japan on Friday afternoon, killing at least one person and injuring more than 20 others and disrupting plans for holidaymakers. The magnitude 6.2 quake struck Ishikawa prefecture on the west coast of Japans main island of Honshu, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the quake at 6.5 and said it was centered at a depth of about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles). More than 50 aftershocks strong enough to be felt have been recorded since, including one at 5.8 magnitude on Friday night. Most injuries and damages were reported in Suzu city at the northern tip of Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. One person died after falling from a ladder, and 22 others were injured in the prefecture, two of them seriously. The rest were mild injuries. Some 100 residents took refuge at evacuation centers Friday night, according to the prefectural crisis management department. One injury was reported in the neighboring prefecture of Toyama, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Several homes were also damaged. On Saturday morning, some residents placed blue plastic tarps over damaged parts of their houses ahead of rain forecasted to begin in the evening. A video broadcast by NHK public television showed a section of a hill that had crumbled and fallen on a house. It also broadcast a video taken by a staff member visiting a relative in Ishikawa prefecture that showed a room shaking for nearly half a minute, with picture frames rattling on the walls. Japan is celebrating several national holidays this week. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who returned from a multinational trip to Africa and Singapore on Friday night, expressed condolences to quake victims and urged residents to use ample caution amid possible strong aftershocks and secondary mudslides. East Japan Railway Co. said bullet trains connecting Tokyo and Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture were temporarily halted for safety checks but resumed normal operations, with some delays. There were no abnormalities at nuclear power plants in the area, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority. Japan is one of the worlds most earthquake-prone nations. A massive 2011 quake in the countrys northeast caused a devastating tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown. (AP) Whats the best way to protest the tragic death of a man infamous for harassing and inconveniencing subway riders? Harassing and inconveniencing more subway riders, of course. Protesters gathered Saturday in the 63rd Street-Lexington Avenue subway station to protest the death of Jordan Neely, who died after being placed in a chokehold by a passenger last week. Neelys death has sparked race-tinged calls for riots, despite there being no evidence that his race had anything to do with his demise. No justice, no peace! The protesters shouted, standing on the train tracks. Abolish the police! they added for good measure, though police actions had literally no role on Neelys death. What do we do? a protester yelled into a microphone. Stand up, fight back! Police eventually got the protesters off the tracks, allowing a waiting Q train to roll into the station, but the protesters blocked the passengers on board from disembarking. In one mind-boggling video, a black man is seen being blocked from getting off the train, as the man begs police and the protesters to let him go on with his day. Several of the protesters eventually became aggressive with police officers, leading to them being tackled and arrested. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Recent turmoil in the banking industry may have you worried about your money. Shares of PacWest, a small regional bank based in Los Angeles, plunged almost 40% Thursday after the company confirmed it may put itself up for sale. Anxiety over potential bank runs has sent shares of smaller banks tumbling. A bank run is when large numbers of people withdraw their money from a bank all at once. Since March, three regional banks have failed Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank. If the recent bank collapses have you worried about the safety of your money, heres 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, youll 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 dont, 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 arent impacted. People who have their money in insured accounts have nothing to worry about, said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com. Simply make sure that deposits fall within the guaranteed limits, whether its FDIC or the credit union equivalent. Customers of banks that have been sold will have access to their money from the new owner, according to the FDIC. For example, JPMorgan Chase acquired First Republic Bank when it failed earlier this week and customers are able to access all of their money from JPMorgan. 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 theyre trying to raise money through a share offering or if theyre 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 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 dont 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 its 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 doesnt 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. (AP) The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. The action reverses a declaration that was first made on January 30, 2020, when the disease had not even been named COVID-19 and when there were no major outbreaks beyond China. A look at what WHOs decision means: WHY END THE GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY? WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic has been on a downward trend for more than a year, with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection. That, he said, has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19, meaning that the worst part of the pandemic is over. Tedros said that for the past year, WHO and its emergency committee experts have been analyzing COVID-19 data to decide when the time would be right to lower its level of alarm. On Thursday, the experts recommended to Tedros that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency and the WHO chief said he accepted that advice. WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS? For the average person, nothing. The classification of a health threat as a global emergency is meant to warn political authorities that there is an extraordinary event that could constitute a health threat to other countries and requires a coordinated response to contain it. WHOs emergency declarations are typically used as an international SOS for countries who need help. They can also spur countries to introduce special measures to combat disease or release extra funds. Many countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the U.S., have long dropped many of their pandemic-era restrictions. The U.S. is ending its national health emergency next Thursday. IS COVID-19 STILL A PANDEMIC? Yes. Although WHO chief Tedros said the coronavirus emergency was over, he warned that the virus is here to stay and that thousands of people continue to die every week. The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths, Tedros said. What this news means is that its time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 alongside other infectious diseases. In April, there were nearly 3 million cases and more than 17,000 deaths reported, including spikes in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, the United Nations agency noted. SO WHEN WILL THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC END? Its unclear. WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said the coronavirus is still a public health threat and that its continued evolution could yet cause future problems. It took decadesfor the pandemic virus of 1918 to disappear, he said, referring to the Spanish flu that is thought to have killed at least 40 million people. Pandemics only truly end when the next pandemic begins, he said. Ryan said that while COVID-19 will continue to spread among people for a very long time, it is doing so at a much lower level of threat that does not require the extraordinary measures taken to try to curb the virus spread. WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY? WHO has previously declared global emergencies for outbreaks of swine flu, Zika, Ebola, polio and mpox, formerly called monkeypox. Polio was declared nearly nine years ago. Its emergency status has persisted even as officials work to wipe out the disease from a shrinking number of countries. Last July, WHO chief Tedros declared the explosive spread of mpox to dozens of countries to be a global emergency, overruling the emergency committee he had convened to assess the situation. The disease peaked in Europe and North America shortly after, but technically remains a global emergency. DO WE STILL NEED TO TAKE COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS? Yes. Health officials say the virus isnt going anywhere and advise people to get vaccinated, including getting booster doses if they qualify. Although many of the measures seen at the height of the pandemic including masks and social distancing arent required except in certain settings, like hospitals or nursing homes, officials say people with other health conditions or compromised immune systems may still want to continue with some of those precautions. Unlike in the early years of COVID-19, high immunization levels, both from vaccination and previous infection, have helped dramatically reduce disease spread. Simon Clarke, an associate professor of microbiology at Britains University of Reading, warned against people dropping all COVID-19 protections. The message to the public should still be to take care and think of others. If youre ill with a respiratory infection, like a bad cough, dont put others at risk, especially not those who are vulnerable, he said. If you pass on a COVID infection, no one will thank you. If youre fit and young, COVID can still be nasty and if youre old and frail, it can kill you. (AP) President Joe Biden is expected to nominate a history-making Air Force fighter pilot with years of experience in shaping U.S. defenses to meet Chinas rise to serve as the nations next top military officer, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the decision. If confirmed by the Senate, Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. would replace the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, whose term ends in October. Brown has long been considered a front-runner for the position and Biden is likely to announce his nomination shortly, according to the officials, who spoke Friday on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters. While Brown would not be the first Black chairman the late Army Gen. Colin Powell was the first it would be the first time that both the Pentagons top military and civilian positions were held by African Americans. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first Black Pentagon chief, has been in the job since the beginning of the administration. Brown, 61, is a career F-16 fighter pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours and command experience at all levels. For the last year hes been widely viewed as the front-runner to replace Milley, as the Pentagon shifts from preparing for the major land wars of the past to deterring a potential future conflict with Beijing. That effort could depend heavily upon the militarys ability to rapidly meet Chinas rise in cyberwar, space, nuclear weapons and hypersonics, all areas Brown has sharply focused on for the last several years as the Air Forces top military leader, in order to modernize U.S. airpower for a 21st century fight. Brown has broken barriers throughout his career. He served as the militarys first Black Pacific Air Forces commander, where he led the nations air strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific as Beijing rapidly militarized islands in the South China Sea and tested its bomber reach with flights near Guam. Three years ago he became the first Black Air Force chief of staff, the services top military officer, which also made him the first African American to lead any of the military branches. The Joint Chiefs chairman is the highest-ranking officer in the country and serves as the senior military adviser to the president, the defense secretary and the National Security Council. The chairman commands no troops and is not formally in the chain of command. But the chairman plays a critical role in all major military issues, from policy decisions to advice on major combat operations, and leads meetings with all the joints chiefs who head the various armed services. Arnold Punaro, a retired major general and former staff director for the Senate Armed Services Committee who has worked with many nominees through the confirmation process, said Brown has the credibility and experience to push the services onto a modern warfare footing. We have not yet made the needed adjustments to deal with the threat posed by China, Punaro said in a statement, calling Brown the perfect nominee for this point in history. As Air Force chief, Brown has pushed to modernize U.S. nuclear capabilities, including the soon-to-fly next-generation stealth bomber, and led the effort to shed aging warplanes so theres funding to move forward with a new fleet of unmanned systems. Hes also supported the development of the U.S. Space Force, which received many of its first Guardians and capabilities from the Air Force. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., said she hasnt been formally told of the announcement, but said Brown is a good choice. I do think its really important that the next person in charge have that (Indo-Pacific) experience, Sherrill said. I just think thats so critical. Brown is private and deliberate and seen as a polar opposite to Milley, whose four-year tour has been tumultuous at times. Milleys big personality and blunt talk may have helped propel him to the top job under former President Donald Trump, but that same outspokenness eventually infuriated Trump. Milleys past two years under Biden have been much calmer, and he has assumed a lower profile as well as he has been consumed with U.S. efforts to provide military aid to Ukraine. Brown is expected to maintain that lower profile. (AP) Israels Shin Bet on Sunday released Jordanian parliament member Imad Adwan to Jordanian authorities following heavy diplomatic pressure from Jordan and a promise that he will face justice at home. Adwan was caught last month trying to use his diplomatic immunity to smuggle 194 guns, 12 assault rifles, and over six million dollars worth of gold to terror groups in the Palestinian Authority. In the wake of the parliamentarians questioning, Jordanian security forces arrested several people connected with the smuggling, the Shin Bet said in a statement released on Sunday. Al-Adwan was handed over to the Jordanian officials for legal proceedings to be continued in Jordan. The Shin Bet added that since February 2022, Adwan had carried out 12 smuggling operations smuggling various goods into Israel, including gold and electronic cigarettes. In January 2023, he began smuggling in firearms, succeeding several times before being caught in April. Adwan, who received large sums of money for the operations, was motivated by the desire for wealth rather than nationalistic reasons. Jordanian security forces worked in cooperation with the Israeli investigation into Adwan and arrested several Jordanian officials who were involved in the operations. An Israeli security official quoted by Ynet said that the suspect is not released but his interrogation in Israel has been exhausted and he is being transferred to the custody of the Jordanian security officials, who are continuing the investigation and will bring him to justice. He will stand trial. The Jordanians have more clues about the case, hence the cooperation, including additional interrogations they will conduct, something that the security forces in Israel cannot carry out. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed the decision, stating that the decision to release the terrorist who tried to bring hundreds of weapons here that will be used for terrorist attacks and acts of crime in the heart of the State of Israel is a strategic and moral mistake. This issue should also have been brought to the cabinet and the right-wing government is expected to end its obsequious policies toward Gaza, the Jordanians, the Lebanese, and any terrorist who seeks to harm the residents of Israel. This diplomat should sit in prison for many years rather than be released. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The Israeli government on Sunday approved the first phase of a national plan for energy storage in the urban area: the construction of an electricity storage facility in Bnei Brak. The facility in Bnei Brak is an initial pilot alongside the promotion of larger electricity storage facilities in the north of the country in the future that will not only provide kosher electricity for Shabbos and Yom Tov but will advance the establishment of electricity generation and energy storage facilities in cities and connect them to the public distribution network in dense urban areas. The Bnei Brak storage facility will store electricity produced during the week for use on Shabbos and Yom Tov. On Erev Shabbos and Yom Tov, the city will be automatically disconnected from the national power grid and connected to the storage facility until after Shabbos. The plan is part of a broader national energy storage policy being promoted by Energy Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud). Katz said: I thank the Prime Minister and my fellow ministers for approving a key part of the national energy storage plan. There is no reason why wherever there is electricity consumption there will not also be an efficient and advanced electricity network based on storage. The vision I am promoting these days will enable the future reception and storage of electricity produced from renewable energies throughout the country and its delivery to the centers of demand during consumption hours as part of the effort to meet the renewable energy goals we committed to. Contrary to the false claims that are being spread, the electricity tariff will not increase, competition in the market will be maintained and the general public in Israel will finally be able to consume electricity that is not generated on Shabbat without this posing a safety hazard and serious environmental damage to them. The Energy Ministry explained that in recent years, the need for energy storage in the electricity sector has increased significantly, the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to renewable energies, which are usually not available around the clock and are unstable, and the desire to switch to electricity-based transportation, together with the demand for kosher electricity have reinforced the need to expand the use of energy storage and advancement. The storage of electrical energy will be one of the means that will enable the expansion of electricity production from renewable energies in Israel. Alongside this, there are populations in Israel that wish to consume kosher electricity i.e. electricity that is not generated on Shabbos. Currently, some of these populations rig generators for themselves that pose a great safety hazard to users, as well as being costly and emitting pollution. In light of the technological development of storage facilities and the reduction of their cost, an opportunity now exists to provide a suitable alternative solution that will not only satisfy the special needs of this population but is a safer and more environmentally friendly solution. The governments decision will allow the Israel Electric Company (IEC) to establish a pilot facility for the storage of kosher electricity, which will enable the market and regulators to test its technological applicability. In order to ensure the maintenance of competition in the market, the IEC will sell the pilot facility to the private market within three years. In the future, the pilot facility will be a small proportion of the expected storage capacity in Israel as storage facilities with a capacity of hundreds of megawatts are expected to be built in the coming years, which will be carried out by the private sector. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The boycott against Angel Bakery that began on Thursday continued on Sunday but as of yet there has been no official response from the company. However, Yoel Spiegel, the grandson of the founder of Angel Bakery, responded to the boycott by inciting against the Chareidi sector in a post that was later removed by Facebook after numerous complaints of incitement Theres no limit to the chutzpah of part of the Chareidi sector in the State of Israel, he wrote. They eat for freetheyre evaders [of the draft], dark in their opinions and above all are hypocrites. Omar Bar-Lev is the chairman of the board of directors of Angel Bakery (the same bakery that my grandfather and his brother founded over a century ago and my uncle served as the CEO for many years), but long before his position as chairman of the board of directors he is a citizen of the State of Israel, and as a citizen, he has the right to protest where and when he chooses as long as it is carried out legally. I dont remember any law forbidding demonstrations opposite the home of this or that Rav and the response of the public that eats neveilos and free food stems from fear and hysteria because the rope is tightening around their necks. The days of free food are over. The day of judgment is approaching and no boycott will stop us from correcting the injustice of years. Well end the evasions and parasitism. Spiegel then appealed to the public who oppose the chutzpah of the boycotting Chareidi public by buying Angel bread today. He then signed his posts with extremely inflammatory words that cannot be repeated on YWN. Following the posts removal, Spiegel posted a screenshot of it and wrote: The one who removed my post will face consequences and then continued to write words of incitement against Chareidim. Facebook subsequently removed his account entirely. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Seven days ago, I chuckled (and cried) my way through the film adaptation of Rachel Joyce's wonderful book The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry. It's a life-affirming story of an older gentleman's epic journey by foot to visit a former work colleague (Queenie) before she dies in the hospice she has been admitted to. For Harold, the walk from Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed is both painful and cathartic. Painful because the loafers he is wearing leave his feet battered and blistered. Cathartic because the journey allows him to come to terms with the longstanding guilt he has felt over the suicide of his gifted son a death that caused a rift in his marriage to Maureen. To the main point I want to make. Before the film (which I urge you to go and see), I was 'treated' to the latest advert from Lloyds. The bank's adverts are always worth watching after all, who can't be mesmerised by a mix of graceful horses and Alicia Keys singing Girl On Fire. But not necessarily for the main message Lloyds is desperate to get across to viewers that it's a lovely, cuddly, all-inclusive bank rather than a business that made 2.3billion of profits in the first quarter of this year, essentially by taking many savers for a proverbial ride. Journey: Jim Broadbent stars in the life-affirming movie The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry The current advert promotes the bank's Smart Start, a combined savings and bank account for kids aged 11 to 15. No problems with that getting kids to save from an early age is to be encouraged. Yet the advert hasn't gone down particularly well in the Tate household. Paul and Helen Tate live in Fulwell, Sunderland within sight of the North Sea and have been customers of Lloyds for more than 35 years. Now in their 70s, they like to do their banking the traditional way by visiting their local Lloyds branch. They are part of the 40 per cent of over-65s identified by charity Age UK who have bank accounts, but do not manage their money online. Sadly, banking is going to become far more problematic for the Tates in late July when Lloyds shuts its Fulwell branch. The closure will leave the community bankless it was once home to both Barclays and NatWest branches. The couple will then have to traipse into Sunderland to do their banking not as epic a journey as Harold Fry's, but an inconvenience nonetheless. Paul, who works part-time at Asda, says a petition has been launched to keep the Lloyds branch open, but he doesn't hold out much hope. 'It's a great shame the branch is closing,' he told me last week. 'The impact on local shops will be awful while it will present issues for many elderly residents who will have to travel into town to use a bank branch.' Age UK believes face-to-face banking services should be protected so that communities such as Fulwell are not left bankless. It's a view that Paul shares. 'I don't have an issue with Lloyds targeting youngsters in its adverts,' he says. 'But it would be nice if, for a change, the bank accommodated the particular banking needs of the elderly the 70 and 80-year-olds. We are the forgotten ones.' Why credit unions are key part of financial jigsaw Credit unions are low-key organisations, providing a mix of financial products including savings accounts and loans to groups of individuals whose bond is their profession (for example, policing or firefighting) or where they live. Seven days ago, I stumbled across credit union M4Money, which had a stall at a 10km running event I was participating in at Frimley Green in Surrey. M4Money draws members from a number of London boroughs, the counties of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and hospitals such as Frimley Park. Like other credit unions, it is set up on a not-for-profit basis, with savers providing the funds for M4Money to lend to those who need to borrow. Savers, whose funds are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, earn an annual dividend (the equivalent of interest). Borrowers get access to loans that maybe a bank would not grant them. Credit unions are part of the country's financial jigsaw. Take a look at the website of the Association of British Credit Unions: www.abcul.coop. Are bonuses last straw for members of NFU Mutual? 'Tough conditions': Chairman of NFU Mutual, Jim McLaren Financial services group NFU Mutual is loved by most of its customers which is something you can't say of many of its rivals. Last year, it paid 97 per cent of all general insurance (home and car) claims, delivered excellent customer service and rewarded loyal customers with a 'mutual bonus' (a premium discount) when they renewed their policies. Yet 2022 was a rough and tumble year for the Warwickshire-based business, as it concedes in the mailing it has just sent out to some 900,000 customers (members) ahead of its annual general meeting next month. Losses for the year, it reports, were in excess of 1billion, although it stresses that the business remains robust and is underpinned by mountains of capital. 'During 2022, we have seen some of the toughest market conditions in over 20 years,' concedes chairman Jim McLaren. 'But through prioritising our relationship with our members, calmly adapting to change, and hard work, NFU Mutual delivered for our customers and will continue to do so for many years to come.' Reassuring words, but some customers are now beginning to question their love affair with the mutual as a result of the handsome financial packages given last year to the business's executives (past, as well as present). The mailing confirms that despite the business's losses, the four executive directors who served on the mutual's board during 2022 earned combined annual bonuses in excess of 1million with chief executive Nick Turner receiving the biggest slice (nearly 477,000). Their total remuneration was not far short of 3.3million. Even former boss Lindsay Sinclair, who left the business in March 2021, continued to share in the boardroom spoils, getting a 310,674 payment. One customer who I spoke to last week said the remuneration paid to the directors (current and former) was 'outrageous'. She added: 'I'm sure many of the farmers who are core NFU Mutual customers will be shocked by these sums especially given the difficulties they are facing just to survive in business.' Fair point, I say. Expect some fireworks when the group holds its AGM at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on June 21. Leaving a gift in your will to charity ticks many boxes It can help reduce a potential inheritance tax bill (gifts to charity are IHT-free) as well as provide vital funds for a charity close to your heart. A substantial charitable gift made in a will can also result in a lower rate of IHT being charged 36 per cent instead of 40 per cent on assets above the nil-rate band of 325,000. So (chefs') hats off to Ken Hom multi-talented author, BBC TV presenter and chef for telling Donna Ferguson (our brilliant Me and My Money columnist) that he will be leaving Prostate Cancer UK a six-figure sum in his will. This is a charity that funds vital research into a cancer that kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK. The gift stems from 74-year-old Hom being successfully treated for prostate cancer ten years ago. He has since gone on to become an ambassador for the charity. Good on you, Ken. Supporting wonderful charities such as Prostate Cancer UK through gifting, donating, and fundraising is as cathartic as Harold Fry's epic journey was to see Queenie. (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said there are simply no good options for solving the debt limit stalemate in Washington other than Congress lifting the cap and cautioned that resorting to the 14th Amendment would provoke a constitutional crisis. Most Read from Bloomberg We should not get to the point where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt without Congress lifting the debt ceiling, Yellen said Sunday on ABCs This Week. This would be a constitutional crisis, she said. Constitutional scholars and economists have been split on the idea that the administration continue issuing debt by citing a provision of the US Constitution that says the validity of public debts shall not be questioned. Yellen deflected several questions on whether Biden might use that option, returning time and again to her insistence that Congress lift the ceiling. All I want to say is that its Congresss job to do this, she said. If they fail to do it, we will have an economic and financial catastrophe that will be of our own making, and there is no action that President Biden and US Treasury can take to prevent that catastrophe. President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders Tuesday to discuss the debt ceiling. Biden and congressional Republicans are locked in a staredown over raising the $31.4 trillion borrowing limit, with GOP leaders demanding promises of future spending cuts before they approve a higher ceiling. Biden has insisted on a clean increase, with budget talks kept separate. I dont want to consider emergency options, Yellen said Sunday. What to do if Congress fails to meet its responsibility there is simply no good options. Story continues Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, suggested that a deal for a short-term debt limit increase is an option, echoing comments by White House Budget Director Shalanda Young on Thursday. Everything is on the table at this point, McHenry said on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday. The key thing that has to be in this equation is addressing our fiscal house, short term and long term. There are no red lines other than the fact we must address our fiscal house, he said. The federal government reached the statutory cap on borrowing in January and the Treasury has since been using special accounting measures to make cash available. Those measures could run out as soon as June 1, Yellen told Congress last week. Republicans have sought to increase leverage over Biden by narrowly passing a plan that calls for an increase in the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion enough to prevent a default until next March 31 in exchange for $4.8 trillion in budget cuts. Almost all Senate Republicans said in a letter released Saturday that theyd oppose allowing a vote on legislation with a clean debt-ceiling increase. Biden said on Friday he wasnt yet prepared to invoke the 14th Amendment to avert a breach of the debt ceiling, but didnt rule out the possible executive action. Ive not gotten there yet, Biden said when asked about the possibility in an interview with MSNBC. Invoking the amendment would seem certain to prompt a high-stakes legal fight that risks roiling markets. Yellen was dismissive of the idea during a 2021 debt-ceiling standoff, saying it would be disastrous if the administration needed to consider it. On Sunday, she repeatedly sought to turn the onus to Congress. It simply is unacceptable for Congress to threaten economic calamity for American households and the global financial system as the cost of raising the debt ceiling and getting agreement on budget priorities, Yellen said. --With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy. (Updates with House Financial Services Committee chairmans comments in 10th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Young fan: TikTok star Vickaboo promotes the brand As usual, the weather is misbehaving. As usual, we are making the best of it. The British love a party and this weekend has given us the perfect excuse. For most women (and some men) parties mean make-up, whether that is a dab of lipstick or the full works foundation, blusher, eyeshadow and the rest. Warpaint specialises in all things cosmetic, at a price that even cost-conscious consumers can afford and the business is firing on all cylinders. Founded in the 1990s by two young entrepreneurs, Sam Bazini and Eoin Macleod, the company has its roots in the discount market, originally selling surplus stock from brands such as L'Oreal, Revlon and Max Factor to cut-price retailers including B&M, TK Maxx and Savers. In 2002, they began selling their own range, W7, designed to be fun, affordable but also good quality. Today, Warpaint is listed on the stock market and last year generated a 24 per cent increase in sales to 64million, while profits soared 45 per cent to 10million and the dividend rose 18 per cent to 7.1p. Bazini and Macleod still run the business and W7 still accounts for most of Warpaint's sales. But several in-house brands are now on offer, including Technic, Very Vegan and Man'Stuff all appealing to young people who want to look good without paying over the odds to do so. Midas recommended the shares in 2017, when the group sold most of its wares to discount stores and independent retailers. Since then, however, there has been a determined effort to move into large, mainstream chains, including Tesco, which started selling W7 cosmetics in 2020 and now offers its range in 1,400 stores across the UK. Boots has joined the roster too, Asda came on board last month and other well-known names should come on stream this year. Bazini and Macleod have made great strides overseas too. European sales grew 56 per cent last year and now account for more than 40 per cent of group turnover. US sales surged 80 per cent last year to 5.3million, with further expansion expected this year and beyond. Internet sales are booming as well, both via Amazon and the group's own websites. Looking ahead, prospects are bright. Brokers expect double-digit growth for the foreseeable future, predicting sales of 74million and profits of 12million this year, and further strong gains in 2024 and 2025. The dividend is a focus of attention too. Bazini and Macleod own 25 per cent of the business each so they are not only motivated to succeed, they also recognise the importance of rewarding shareholders. A 7.7p payout is expected this year, rising to 8.7p next year and over 10p in 2025. Midas verdict: Most women want to look good but, when times are tough, they would prefer to pay a little less for it. Warpaint goods cost far less than top-notch brands, the products are well-made and customers tend to stick with the business. There is even a 'Coronation Flash Sale' this weekend. The shares have risen 10 per cent to 2.46 since 2017 but the best is yet to come and the dividend is attractive too. Existing shareholders should stick with the business. New investors could also benefit from snapping up a few shares. Traded on: AIM Ticker: W7L Contact: warpaintlondonplc.com or 01753 639130 Investment trust Fidelity European is a cautiously managed fund with an emphasis on delivering a mix of capital return and dividend growth for shareholders. Run by longstanding investment manager Sam Morse, with assistance from Marcel Stotzel, the stock market-listed trust has 12 years of dividend growth under its belt. And with more than a year's income tucked away in its reserves, it is likely that 12 will have become a healthy 13 by this time next year. With the 1.4billion trust having the best overall performance record in its peer group over one, three, five and ten years, it should make for a cheery annual general meeting this Wednesday at Fidelity's London offices. Over the past decade, the trust has generated an overall return of 205 per cent. By contrast, the average European investment trust has delivered 149 per cent, while the FTSE World Europe ex-UK Index has gained 133 per cent. Morse, who has had his firm hand on the trust's tiller for more than 12 years, says caution underpins everything that he and Stotzel do. 'We are interested in companies which are focused on growing their dividends,' he says. 'These businesses tend to reward shareholders with better overall returns than those which maintain or cut their dividends.' He adds: 'But in building the fund's portfolio, we try to ensure these dividend-friendly companies are spread across sectors, providing a degree of balance to the assets we manage. We are also keen to ensure the portfolio is robust enough when inevitable downturns arise.' The result is a trust comprising companies (currently 44) with durable balance sheets, many of which have been core holdings since Morse came on the scene in early 2011 the likes of Swiss food giant Nestle, Danish pharmaceuticals company Novo Nordisk and Dutch computer chip manufacturer ASML. 'It's a low turnover portfolio,' says Morse. 'If we like a stock and the business delivers a growing dividend, we tend to stick with it. We might add to our holding or take a bit of profit from time to time, but we like to hold for the long term.' Among its holdings are stakes in European banks DNB (based in Norway) and KBC (Belgium). Although Morse says the regional banking crisis in the United States is a concern especially for the health of the US economy he is confident that contagion can be avoided. 'I had a call with DNB the other day,' he adds. 'There are no deposits rushing out of the door. The European regulators seem to be on top of issues, unlike their counterparts in the United States, which allowed the regional banks to operate under a more lax regime.' Both DNB and KBC, says Morse, are providers of attractive dividends and have the potential to deliver future dividend growth. 'They are essentially straightforward retail banks,' he adds. 'They are nothing like Credit Suisse was.' As an investment trust, Fidelity European can borrow money to increase its exposure to equities. On occasion, it can also use complex financial instruments to make money when equity prices are falling. This flexibility is the main reason why the trust's performance is superior to that of its 4billion sister investment fund Fidelity European over all key time periods. Even though the portfolios are near identical, the latter fund is set up as an investment fund, so is unable to borrow like the investment trust. Annual charges on the trust total 0.92 per cent, the stock market ID code is BK1PKQ9, and the market ticker is FEV. Dividends are paid semi-annually, and in the financial year ending December 31, 2022, totalled 7.7pence a share. The shares trade at just below 3.60. Stylish: Erdem's floral dresses have been worn by the Princess of Wales and celebrities including Kylie Minogue (pictured) Designer fashion label Erdem has joined Burberry and Mulberry in throwing its weight behind a Mail campaign to get rid of a controversial tourist tax for shoppers. Philippa Nixon, chief executive of the London fashion house, said the tax cut would encourage tourists to shop in the UK rather than elsewhere in Europe. Erdem's floral dresses have been worn by the Princess of Wales and celebrities including Kylie Minogue. Nixon told The Mail on Sunday: 'London is the capital of creative expression and we should be encouraging the world to visit.' Brexit led to the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak scrapping a 20 per cent VAT refund for overseas shoppers in 2021. Nixon said the move 'truly had catastrophic implications to big and small brands alike'. Marks & Spencer and Harrods are among 150 businesses signing a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, organised by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. The Mail's Scrap The Tourist Tax campaign has also been backed by a cross-party group of MPs. Online trading group Plus500 will not change plans to hand its top bosses 7million for 2022 despite a huge shareholder rebellion against its pay scheme last week, the Mail on Sunday understands. Almost 75 per cent of investors voted against hiking chief executive David Zruia's pay by 90 per cent to 3.6million and finance boss Elad Even-Chen's by 76 per cent to 3.7million. The vote was not binding but it was one of the largest revolts so far this year, with other companies targeted by their shareholders over current or future pay arrangements including Ocado, Pearson and Unilever. Revolt: Some investors are thought to be frustrated with how much detail the company gives about how it calculates bosses' bonuses A separate ballot on Plus500's pay policy which lays out rules for the next three years was also voted down by more than 20 per cent. Some investors are thought to be frustrated with how much detail the company gives about how it calculates bosses' bonuses. The Mail on Sunday understands that the company will not rescind any of the payment for last year but may make changes to the new policy following the showdown. Plus500, which is worth around 1.4billion, was founded in Israel back in 2008. A company spokesman said Plus500's share price rose 30 per cent in 2022 and that it gave investors more than 210million through dividends and share buybacks. The spokesman added: 'The board maintains a positive and open dialogue with all shareholders and will continue to do so around executive remuneration.' Ovo Energy has been slammed for leaving thousands of customers unable to log into their online billing accounts for the rest of the year. The UK's fourth-largest supplier with around 5 million customers said it is moving groups of customers to a new website. This means their online accounts 'won't be available until the end of 2023', Ovo said. Fury: Ovo said it is moving groups of customers to a new website and this means their online accounts 'won't be available until the end of 2023' The move has sparked fury among users worried they will not be able to monitor their usage or keep up to date with payments. They have been told they will continue to receive monthly statements via email and post. Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said this 'flies in the face of what customers need and what Ofgem is saying energy firms should do'. Regulator Ofgem is monitoring the situation. An Ovo spokesman said: 'We're migrating a small number of customers to a new website.' Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO Get Rating) is scheduled to be announcing its earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, May 9th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.39 per share for the quarter. Investors that are interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link. Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The financial services provider reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.43 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $728.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $704.24 million. Apollo Global Management had a negative net margin of 29.29% and a positive return on equity of 116.88%. On average, analysts expect Apollo Global Management to post $6 EPS for the current fiscal year and $7 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Apollo Global Management alerts: Apollo Global Management Trading Up 4.3 % APO opened at $60.53 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.68. Apollo Global Management has a 12 month low of $45.62 and a 12 month high of $74.63. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $63.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. Apollo Global Management Announces Dividend Insider Activity The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 21st were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.64%. Apollo Global Managements dividend payout ratio is currently -28.67%. In other news, CFO Martin Kelly sold 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.44, for a total value of $2,113,200.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 414,241 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,179,136.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Joshua Harris sold 193,537 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total value of $12,705,704.05. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 36,160,664 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,373,947,591.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Martin Kelly sold 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.44, for a total transaction of $2,113,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 414,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,179,136.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 877,956 shares of company stock valued at $56,900,577. 15.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Apollo Global Management by 87.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,374,072 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,316,818,000 after purchasing an additional 17,476,830 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Apollo Global Management by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,422,767 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $438,159,000 after purchasing an additional 487,408 shares in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Apollo Global Management by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 7,859,123 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $487,187,000 after purchasing an additional 78,795 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Apollo Global Management by 88.1% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,980,565 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $445,291,000 after purchasing an additional 3,270,041 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apollo Global Management during the 1st quarter worth approximately $353,603,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.98% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms recently commented on APO. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Apollo Global Management from $80.00 to $74.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Apollo Global Management from $78.00 to $72.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. TheStreet raised shares of Apollo Global Management from a d+ rating to a c rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Apollo Global Management from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Apollo Global Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $73.06. About Apollo Global Management (Get Rating) Apollo Global Management, Inc provides asset management services. It offers its clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. The company was founded by Marc Rowan in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Apollo Global Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apollo Global Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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 competitors? We will compare Local Bounti to similar businesses based on the strength of its earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership and profitability. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Local Bounti and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat. Get Local Bounti alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Local Bounti 0 1 4 0 2.80 Local Bounti Competitors 104 172 492 23 2.55 Local Bounti presently has a consensus target price of $2.85, indicating a potential upside of 516.48%. As a group, Agricultural production crops companies have a potential upside of 57.92%. Given Local Bountis stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Local Bounti is more favorable than its competitors. Valuation & Earnings Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Local Bounti $19.47 million -$111.07 million -0.36 Local Bounti Competitors $1.63 billion $21.77 million -21.80 This table compares Local Bounti and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Local Bountis competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Local Bounti. Local Bounti is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Risk and Volatility Local Bounti has a beta of 1.7, meaning that its share price is 70% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Local Bountis competitors have a beta of -23.34, meaning that their average share price is 2,434% less volatile than the S&P 500. Institutional and Insider Ownership 65.3% of Local Bounti shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.4% of shares of all Agricultural production crops companies are owned by institutional investors. 36.3% of Local Bounti shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 17.2% of shares of all Agricultural production crops companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Profitability This table compares Local Bounti and its competitors 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 -341.93% -25.91% -16.20% Summary Local Bounti beats its competitors on 7 of the 13 factors compared. Local Bounti Company Profile (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. Receive News & Ratings for Local Bounti Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Local Bounti and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD Get Rating) will announce its earnings results after the market closes on Monday, May 8th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of ($0.20) per share for the quarter. Investors interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link. Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.43) by $0.30. The business had revenue of $700.59 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $693.05 million. Brookdale Senior Living had a negative return on equity of 43.45% and a negative net margin of 8.44%. On average, analysts expect Brookdale Senior Living to post $-1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $-1 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Brookdale Senior Living alerts: Brookdale Senior Living Trading Up 1.8 % Shares of Brookdale Senior Living stock opened at $3.94 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.86. The firm has a market cap of $741.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.10 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.29. Brookdale Senior Living has a fifty-two week low of $2.27 and a fifty-two week high of $6.28. Insider Activity Institutional Inflows and Outflows In related news, Director Jordan R. Asher sold 17,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.33, for a total transaction of $57,276.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 102,965 shares of the companys stock, valued at $342,873.45. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 25.7% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 30,796,560 shares of the companys stock valued at $217,115,000 after buying an additional 6,299,168 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,384,334 shares of the companys stock worth $74,232,000 after purchasing an additional 315,197 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 10,273,433 shares of the companys stock worth $72,428,000 after purchasing an additional 47,747 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,474,272 shares of the companys stock worth $20,313,000 after purchasing an additional 67,157 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,337,559 shares of the companys stock worth $18,521,000 after purchasing an additional 96,067 shares during the last quarter. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently weighed in on BKD shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered Brookdale Senior Living from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the company from $5.00 to $4.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Brookdale Senior Living from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Brookdale Senior Living in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. About Brookdale Senior Living (Get Rating) Brookdale Senior Living, Inc engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Brookdale Senior Living Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookdale Senior Living and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Coca-Cola HBC (OTCMKTS:CCHGY Get Rating) had its price target hoisted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 2,200 ($27.49) to GBX 2,600 ($32.48) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,200 ($27.49) to GBX 2,125 ($26.55) in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,500 ($31.23) to GBX 2,700 ($33.73) in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,250 ($28.11) to GBX 2,350 ($29.36) in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,580 ($32.23) to GBX 2,545 ($31.80) in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,600 ($32.48) to GBX 2,500 ($31.23) in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Get Coca-Cola HBC alerts: Coca-Cola HBC Stock Up 0.9 % Coca-Cola HBC stock opened at $31.84 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Coca-Cola HBC has a 1-year low of $18.89 and a 1-year high of $31.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $27.85 and a 200-day moving average of $25.13. About Coca-Cola HBC Coca-Cola HBC AG engages in the production, sale and distribution of non-alcoholic and ready-to-drink beverages. It operates through the following segments: Established Markets, Developing Markets, and Emerging Markets. The Established Markets segment consists of Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Switzerland. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola HBC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola HBC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN Get Rating) Director Colin V. Reed bought 25,138 shares of First Horizon stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $9.96 per share, for a total transaction of $250,374.48. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 187,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,788.92. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. First Horizon Stock Performance First Horizon stock opened at $10.94 on Friday. First Horizon Co. has a 12-month low of $8.99 and a 12-month high of $24.92. The company has a market capitalization of $5.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The firms fifty day moving average price is $17.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.21. Get First Horizon alerts: First Horizon (NYSE:FHN Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.46 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $863.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $871.36 million. First Horizon had a return on equity of 13.53% and a net margin of 24.76%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that First Horizon Co. will post 1.94 EPS for the current fiscal year. First Horizon Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. First Horizons payout ratio is currently 37.04%. FHN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of First Horizon in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com raised shares of First Horizon from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of First Horizon from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $25.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Horizon Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in shares of First Horizon by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 8,085 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $198,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of First Horizon by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 56,049 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,284,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of First Horizon by 9.7% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,320 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $130,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in shares of First Horizon by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 15,738 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $370,000 after purchasing an additional 491 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balentine LLC increased its position in shares of First Horizon by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Balentine LLC now owns 16,012 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.41% of the companys stock. First Horizon Company Profile (Get Rating) First Horizon Corp. (Tennessee) operates as a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of checking accounts, savings products, mortgage banking, lending, and financing to individuals and businesses. It operates the business through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for First Horizon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Horizon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Community Foundation awarded more than $18,000 in grants to four local nonprofits from its Anne Felder Fund and Anne Sturdy Animal Protection Fund. The Anne Felder Fund was established by Paula Felder to honor her daughter Anne. The purpose of this fund is to support the needs and to enrich the lives of the intellectually disabled and disadvantaged population in the Fredericksburg region. This years grantees include Special Olympics Virginia, disAbility Resource Center and Rappahannock Area YMCA. The disAbility Resource Center was awarded $5,350 for the Rappahannock Youth Leadership Forum. High school upperclassmen with disabilities apply for an initial six-month program culminating in attending the one-week forum as a delegate. This experience includes team building, disability history, advocacy, intendent living and special guests. The Rappahannock Area YMCA received $1,848 for internships for differently abled persons. Three-month internships provide training through the YMCA and local business partners to obtain skills and experiences to then apply for employment in the community. Experiences include the application process, interviewing, lessons in customer service and safety precautions. Special Olympics Virginia was awarded $5,000 for the Unified Champion Schools program. UCS is a year-round effort focused on creating inclusive school environments for students with and without intellectual disabilities. This grant allows continued work of creating unified generations of students that are accepting and respectful of their peers with intellectual disabilities. The Anne Sturdy Animal Protection Fund focuses on providing care, support and protection for animals in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. This year, the fund awarded $6,000 to Central Virginia Horse Rescue toward rescue funding for horses seized in Spotsylvania. CVHR cares for equines seized by law enforcement and rehabilitates them for adoption. For more information about this grant and other grant opportunities from the foundation, visit cfrrr.org/apply/grant-programs. Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM Get Rating) VP John Weldon Stephens sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.53, for a total transaction of $331,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,468 shares in the company, valued at $92,006.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. John Weldon Stephens also recently made the following trade(s): Get Core & Main alerts: On Thursday, April 13th, John Weldon Stephens sold 25,000 shares of Core & Main stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.03, for a total transaction of $625,750.00. Core & Main Stock Performance CNM opened at $26.84 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.60 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a fifty day moving average of $23.55 and a 200 day moving average of $22.04. Core & Main, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $18.75 and a fifty-two week high of $27.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 3.05. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Core & Main Core & Main ( NYSE:CNM Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 4th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.31. The company had revenue of $1.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.38 billion. Core & Main had a net margin of 5.50% and a return on equity of 20.64%. Core & Mains quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Core & Main, Inc. will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CNM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Core & Main by 83.9% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 114,575 shares of the companys stock worth $2,772,000 after buying an additional 52,285 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of Core & Main by 68.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 134,101 shares of the companys stock worth $3,245,000 after buying an additional 54,460 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in shares of Core & Main in the 1st quarter worth $1,208,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Core & Main in the 1st quarter worth $364,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Core & Main in the 1st quarter worth $58,000. 95.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CNM. Loop Capital began coverage on shares of Core & Main in a research note on Monday, February 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $28.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Core & Main from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Core & Main from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Core & Main from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Core & Main from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $29.33. About Core & Main (Get Rating) Core & Main, Inc distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products and related services to municipalities, private water companies, and professional contractors in the municipal, non-residential, and residential end markets in the United States. Its products include pipes, valves, hydrants, fittings, and other products and services; storm drainage products, such as corrugated piping systems, retention basins, inline drains, manholes, grates, geosynthetics, and other related products; fire protection products, including fire protection pipes, sprinkler heads and other devices, fire suppression systems, and related accessories, as well as fabrication services; and meter products, such as smart meter products, installation, software and other services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Core & Main Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Core & Main and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lithium Chile Inc. (OTCMKTS:LTMCF Get Rating) was up 1.3% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $0.53 and last traded at $0.53. Approximately 38,895 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 38% from the average daily volume of 62,805 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.52. Lithium Chile Trading Up 1.3 % The company has a fifty day moving average of $0.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $0.52. Lithium Chile Company Profile (Get Rating) Lithium Chile, Inc engages in the acquisition and development of lithium properties in Chile. Its projects include: Salar de Coipasa, Salar de Turi, Salar de Atacama, Salar de Helados, Salar de Talar and Salar de Ollage. The company was founded on October 18, 2010 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lithium Chile Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lithium Chile and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by Royal Bank of Canada from $36.00 to $32.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $44.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Thursday. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $38.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Thursday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $36.50. Get Spirit AeroSystems alerts: Spirit AeroSystems Price Performance Shares of SPR opened at $24.54 on Thursday. The companys fifty day moving average is $31.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.46. Spirit AeroSystems has a 1 year low of $21.14 and a 1 year high of $38.55. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Spirit AeroSystems ( NYSE:SPR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The aerospace company reported ($1.69) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($1.38). The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. Spirit AeroSystems had a negative net margin of 14.64% and a negative return on equity of 365.67%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.03 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Spirit AeroSystems will post -0.73 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Estabrook Capital Management lifted its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 319.6% in the 4th quarter. Estabrook Capital Management now owns 965 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares in the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp lifted its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 1,076.9% in the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 1,224 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,120 shares in the last quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI purchased a new position in Spirit AeroSystems in the 4th quarter valued at about $48,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,637 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 57.7% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,169 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 794 shares during the last quarter. 85.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Spirit AeroSystems (Get Rating) Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc engages in the design and manufacture of aero structures for commercial and defense aircraft. It operates through the following segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment designs and manufactures forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections which related to floor beams, nacelles, struts and pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats and wing structures. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Spirit AeroSystems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Spirit AeroSystems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA Get Rating) will be issuing its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Monday, May 8th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.16 per share for the quarter. Parties interested in listening to the companys conference call can do so using this link. Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $314.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $288.85 million. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 13.00% and a net margin of 6.18%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 EPS. On average, analysts expect Mueller Water Products to post $1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $1 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Mueller Water Products alerts: Mueller Water Products Stock Performance NYSE MWA opened at $14.94 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $13.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.45. The company has a market cap of $2.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 3.15. Mueller Water Products has a fifty-two week low of $9.90 and a fifty-two week high of $14.96. Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a $0.061 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. Mueller Water Productss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.06%. Several equities analysts have commented on MWA shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Mueller Water Products from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th. TheStreet raised Mueller Water Products from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Mueller Water Products from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th. StockNews.com started coverage on Mueller Water Products in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen raised Mueller Water Products from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the company from $11.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $13.57. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mueller Water Products Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Truist Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 36,090 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $388,000 after buying an additional 885 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 65.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 28,439 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 11,270 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank lifted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 25,930 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $279,000 after purchasing an additional 846 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 1st quarter worth $278,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 580.8% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,909 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 12,719 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.75% of the companys stock. About Mueller Water Products (Get Rating) Mueller Water Products, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of products used in the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water. It operates through the Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions segments. The Water Flow Solutions segment includes iron gate valves, specialty valves, and service brass products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Mueller Water Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mueller Water Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR Get Rating) from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has $96.00 price objective on the stock. BLDR has been the topic of a number of other reports. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of Builders FirstSource from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. BMO Capital Markets cut Builders FirstSource from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and raised their price target for the company from $80.00 to $92.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Builders FirstSource from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Barclays raised their target price on Builders FirstSource from $85.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on Builders FirstSource from $85.00 to $97.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Builders FirstSource has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.42. Get Builders FirstSource alerts: Builders FirstSource Trading Up 4.2 % BLDR opened at $111.25 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $89.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.12. Builders FirstSource has a 12 month low of $48.91 and a 12 month high of $111.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.18 and a beta of 1.98. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Builders FirstSource ( NYSE:BLDR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $1.33. Builders FirstSource had a return on equity of 55.42% and a net margin of 11.68%. The business had revenue of $3.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.90 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 31.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Builders FirstSource will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource by 0.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,422,176 shares of the companys stock worth $1,124,428,000 after buying an additional 86,484 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Builders FirstSource by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 11,277,012 shares of the companys stock valued at $727,819,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455,580 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource by 1.4% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,563,913 shares of the companys stock valued at $268,900,000 after purchasing an additional 64,900 shares during the period. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC raised its stake in shares of Builders FirstSource by 13.4% during the third quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 2,176,584 shares of the companys stock worth $128,244,000 after purchasing an additional 256,436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource by 34.0% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,845,728 shares of the companys stock worth $108,750,000 after purchasing an additional 468,391 shares during the period. 94.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Builders FirstSource Company Profile (Get Rating) Builders FirstSource, Inc engages in the supply and manufacture of building materials, manufactured components and construction services to professional homebuilders, subcontractors, remodelers and consumers. Its products include factory-built roof and floor trusses, wall panels and stairs, vinyl windows, custom millwork and trim, and engineered wood. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Builders FirstSource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Builders FirstSource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 500.com restated their reiterates rating on shares of Archrock (NYSE:AROC Get Rating) in a report issued on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. Several other analysts also recently issued reports on AROC. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Archrock from $12.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. StockNews.com cut Archrock from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Finally, Raymond James increased their target price on Archrock from $10.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Get Archrock alerts: Archrock Stock Down 0.3 % Shares of AROC opened at $9.92 on Thursday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $10.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.26. Archrock has a 1 year low of $6.28 and a 1 year high of $11.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.99. Archrock Announces Dividend Archrock ( NYSE:AROC Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The energy company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.01. Archrock had a return on equity of 6.83% and a net margin of 6.73%. The firm had revenue of $218.87 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $213.27 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.09 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Archrock will post 0.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 8th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.05%. Archrocks dividend payout ratio is presently 157.90%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, major shareholder Ocean Reserves Lp Old sold 557,737 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.83, for a total transaction of $6,040,291.71. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 16,172,626 shares of the companys stock, valued at $175,149,539.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Archrock news, CAO Donna A. Henderson sold 13,961 shares of Archrock stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.11, for a total transaction of $155,106.71. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 50,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $555,933.29. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Ocean Reserves Lp Old sold 557,737 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.83, for a total transaction of $6,040,291.71. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,172,626 shares of the companys stock, valued at $175,149,539.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Archrock Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Archrock by 7.8% during the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 70,219 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $685,000 after buying an additional 5,078 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP lifted its holdings in Archrock by 8.0% during the first quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,028,713 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $10,051,000 after purchasing an additional 76,500 shares in the last quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Archrock by 25.7% in the first quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC now owns 46,612 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $455,000 after purchasing an additional 9,538 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Archrock during the first quarter worth about $188,000. Finally, Texas Permanent School Fund Corp raised its position in shares of Archrock by 33.4% during the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 120,016 shares of the energy companys stock worth $1,173,000 after purchasing an additional 30,046 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.05% of the companys stock. Archrock Company Profile (Get Rating) Archrock, Inc engages in the provision of operations, maintenance, service and equipment for oil and natural gas production, processing, and transportation applications. It operates through the Contract Operations and Aftermarket Services. The Contract Operations segment includes the owned fleet of natural gas compression equipment that the company uses to provide operations services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Archrock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archrock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Acadia Realty Trust (NYSE:AKR Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning. Separately, TheStreet upgraded shares of Acadia Realty Trust from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $18.17. Get Acadia Realty Trust alerts: Acadia Realty Trust Price Performance Shares of NYSE AKR opened at $13.47 on Thursday. Acadia Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $12.28 and a 1-year high of $20.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $13.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.28. Acadia Realty Trust Announces Dividend Institutional Trading of Acadia Realty Trust The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.35%. Acadia Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -167.44%. Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AKR. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Acadia Realty Trust by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 43,911 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $613,000 after buying an additional 997 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in Acadia Realty Trust by 13.8% in the first quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 28,901 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Acadia Realty Trust by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 54,960 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $767,000 after purchasing an additional 2,985 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Acadia Realty Trust by 18.7% during the 1st quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 642,146 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $8,958,000 after buying an additional 101,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Texas Permanent School Fund Corp grew its stake in shares of Acadia Realty Trust by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 85,158 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,188,000 after buying an additional 21,320 shares in the last quarter. Acadia Realty Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Acadia Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust, which engages in delivering operating platforms and investment strategy. It operates through the following business segments: Core Portfolio, Funds, and Structured Financing. The Core Portfolio segment consists of retail properties. The Funds segment handles retail real estate. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Acadia Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Acadia Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of Macys, Inc. (NYSE:M Get Rating) by 9.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 55,363 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,082 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in Macys were worth $1,114,000 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. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Macys by 5.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 30,550,118 shares of the companys stock worth $744,202,000 after purchasing an additional 1,642,941 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in Macys by 3.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,129,020 shares of the companys stock worth $160,327,000 after purchasing an additional 339,217 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Macys by 27.1% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 10,106,073 shares of the companys stock worth $246,184,000 after purchasing an additional 2,155,936 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Macys by 25.9% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 9,904,227 shares of the companys stock worth $155,205,000 after buying an additional 2,040,551 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Macys by 137.4% in the third quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 5,085,398 shares of the companys stock worth $79,688,000 after buying an additional 2,943,484 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.19% of the companys stock. Get Macy's alerts: Macys Trading Up 4.2 % M stock opened at $15.37 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.19 billion, a PE ratio of 3.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.81. Macys, Inc. has a one year low of $14.48 and a one year high of $25.12. The companys 50 day moving average price is $18.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 1.20. Macys Increases Dividend Macys ( NYSE:M Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $8.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.27 billion. Macys had a net margin of 4.82% and a return on equity of 35.06%. The businesss revenue was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.45 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Macys, Inc. will post 3.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.1654 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This is an increase from Macyss previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.30%. Macyss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.75%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on M shares. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Macys from an accumulate rating to a hold rating and set a $18.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Macys from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Macys from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a market perform rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Macys in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Macys from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $23.83. About Macys (Get Rating) Macys, Inc engages in the retail of apparel, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods. The firms brands include Macys, Bloomingdales, and Bluemercury. It offers mens, womens, and childrens apparel, womens accessories, intimate apparel, shoes, cosmetics, fragrances, as well as home and miscellaneous products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Macy's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Macy's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TD Asset Management Inc raised its position in Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP Get Rating) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 488,736 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,434 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Incs holdings in Snap were worth $4,374,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Snap by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 90,476,082 shares of the companys stock worth $888,475,000 after acquiring an additional 16,046,220 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its stake in shares of Snap by 55.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 21,895,177 shares of the companys stock worth $215,011,000 after acquiring an additional 7,831,100 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Snap by 95.8% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 17,811,242 shares of the companys stock worth $641,028,000 after acquiring an additional 8,712,380 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its stake in shares of Snap by 51.5% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 16,139,726 shares of the companys stock valued at $158,492,000 after purchasing an additional 5,485,640 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Snap by 4.5% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,185,879 shares of the companys stock valued at $60,745,000 after purchasing an additional 267,199 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 43.30% of the companys stock. Get Snap alerts: Snap Stock Up 4.0 % Shares of SNAP stock opened at $8.23 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.32, a current ratio of 4.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. Snap Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $7.33 and a fifty-two week high of $27.20. The firms 50 day moving average price is $10.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.10. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Insider Transactions at Snap Several brokerages recently commented on SNAP. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Snap from $8.00 to $7.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Snap from $10.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Snap from $10.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. UBS Group cut shares of Snap from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of Snap from $12.00 to $9.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirty have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Snap currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $11.69. In other news, General Counsel Michael J. Osullivan sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.13, for a total transaction of $144,690.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 478,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,323,812.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, General Counsel Michael J. Osullivan sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.13, for a total transaction of $144,690.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 478,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,323,812.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Rebecca Morrow sold 5,617 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.69, for a total transaction of $60,045.73. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 252,497 shares in the company, valued at $2,699,192.93. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 371,323 shares of company stock valued at $4,036,265. Corporate insiders own 22.68% of the companys stock. Snap Company Profile (Get Rating) Snap, Inc operates as a camera company. Its flagship product, Snapchat, is a camera application that helps people communicate visually with friends and family through short videos and images called Snaps. The firms primary source of revenue is advertising. Snap was founded by Frank Reginald Brown IV, Evan Thomas Spiegel, and Robert C. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SNAP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Snap Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Snap and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TD Asset Management Inc reduced its stake in Eldorado Gold Co. (NYSE:EGO Get Rating) (TSE:ELD) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 468,251 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 13,724 shares during the quarter. TD Asset Management Inc owned approximately 0.25% of Eldorado Gold worth $3,902,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EGO. Helikon Investments Ltd grew its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 26.2% in the 3rd quarter. Helikon Investments Ltd now owns 22,155,728 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $133,599,000 after buying an additional 4,600,568 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 113.6% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,167,313 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $26,629,000 after buying an additional 2,216,406 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 1,043.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,779,308 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $19,945,000 after buying an additional 1,623,765 shares in the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 16.5% in the 3rd quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 9,813,620 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $59,176,000 after buying an additional 1,391,686 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Eldorado Gold by 292.6% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,347,425 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $15,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004,239 shares during the last quarter. 57.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have recently commented on EGO shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com raised Eldorado Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st. TD Securities upped their price target on Eldorado Gold from $11.50 to $12.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st. National Bank Financial upped their price target on Eldorado Gold from C$16.50 to C$17.50 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Eldorado Gold in a research note on Friday, March 10th. They set an underperform rating and a $8.90 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Eldorado Gold has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $13.08. Eldorado Gold Price Performance EGO stock opened at $11.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.92 and a quick ratio of 1.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -299.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.24. The businesss 50-day moving average is $10.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.86. Eldorado Gold Co. has a 1 year low of $5.06 and a 1 year high of $12.11. Eldorado Gold (NYSE:EGO Get Rating) (TSE:ELD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $246.20 million for the quarter. Eldorado Gold had a positive return on equity of 1.62% and a negative net margin of 1.10%. Analysts anticipate that Eldorado Gold Co. will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Eldorado Gold Profile (Get Rating) Eldorado Gold Corp. engages in the mining, development, and exploration of gold. It operates through the following segment: Turkey, Canada, and Greece. The company was founded by Richard J. Barclay, Marco Antonio Romero, and Gary D. Nordin on April 2, 1992 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EGO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eldorado Gold Co. (NYSE:EGO Get Rating) (TSE:ELD). Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Federal poverty measurements continue to undercount the number of Virginia families living in economic instability, the latest ALICE report shows. Ten percent of Virginia families were living in poverty in 2021, according to the federal poverty level set each year by the Department of Health and Human Services but more than twice as many families were unable to maintain basic household survival budgets in the communities where they live. That population is known as ALICE an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Since 2017, the Rappahannock United Way has been studying the ALICE population as a way to understand the true scope of poverty in the region. The United for ALICE coalition, which includes United Ways, foundations and nonprofits in 28 states, released the results of the most recent data, from 2021, this week. While the percentage of ALICE households in Virginia has remained level since 2017, the number of ALICE households has increased by 36,000, according to the report. In Planning District 16 which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George 36% of households, or about 49,000 families, were either living in poverty or below the ALICE threshold for financial survival, which is defined as the minimum annual income level necessary for household survival. In Virginia, the ALICE threshold for a family of four with one infant and one preschooler is $70,788, according to the report. For a single adult, it is $30,516 and for a single senior adult, it is $33,768. Regionally, Fredericksburg had the highest share of ALICE families in 2021: 49%. King George County had the lowest at 28%. Forty-seven percent of Caroline County families, 37% of Spotsylvania County families and 32% of Stafford County families were ALICE in 2021. The report also shows that certain family types are more likely to be ALICE. In Planning District 16, 71% of all households headed by single women in 2021 were ALICE. Forty-two percent of Black households, 44% of Hispanic households and 45% of American Indian households in the Fredericksburg region lived below the ALICE threshold in 2021, compared to 33% of white families. It is the third report released by the United for ALICE coalition, said Sarah Walsh, chief impact officer for the Rappahannock United Way. We can now track how things are changing, she said. Data from 2007 through 2018 has been compiled and starts to reveal trends, showing that ALICE households are especially vulnerable to national economic disruptions. The number of ALICE households increased dramatically during the Great Recession, Walsh said, peaking in 2012 and then tapering off through 2019. Then came the pandemic, she said. Federal impact assistance, such as stimulus payments, the expanded child tax credit and rent and mortgage relief, helped many families get through 2021, Walsh said. But those relief measures were discontinued and there are indicators that things could be worse for ALICE in 202223, she said. One clear warning sign is the lack of emergency funds that households have, Walsh said. The research shows that 56% of Virginias ALICE households do not have money saved up for a crisis. Food insecurity remains much higher in ALICE families than in those above the ALICE threshold. In November 2022, 19% of ALICE families with children reported on the U.S. Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey that often or sometimes their children were not eating enough because they couldnt afford enough food, compared to 3% of those above the threshold. Twelve percent of ALICE households reported that they are behind on rent payments and 53% reported that it was either somewhat or very difficult pay bills. The United Way asks the public to use the new ALICE data to advocate for programs, practices and policies to improve access to affordable housing, high quality childcare and education, healthy food, health care, transportation and workforce training. Find out more at unitedforalice.org/alice-in-action. 51job reiterated their maintains rating on shares of Janus Henderson Group (NYSE:JHG Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on Janus Henderson Group from $25.30 to $26.90 in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Janus Henderson Group from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Janus Henderson Group from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on Janus Henderson Group in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on Janus Henderson Group from $20.00 to $20.50 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $22.80. Get Janus Henderson Group alerts: Janus Henderson Group Stock Performance Shares of JHG stock opened at $26.55 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.65, a current ratio of 3.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The business has a 50 day moving average of $26.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.59. Janus Henderson Group has a 52 week low of $19.09 and a 52 week high of $31.30. The company has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.46, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.44. Janus Henderson Group Announces Dividend Janus Henderson Group ( NYSE:JHG Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.08. Janus Henderson Group had a return on equity of 9.07% and a net margin of 16.86%. The company had revenue of $495.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $488.38 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. Janus Henderson Groups quarterly revenue was down 20.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Janus Henderson Group will post 2.26 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.88%. Janus Henderson Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.24%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Janus Henderson Group A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Trian Fund Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Janus Henderson Group by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. Trian Fund Management L.P. now owns 31,867,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,116,010,000 after acquiring an additional 3,595,152 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Janus Henderson Group by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 19,272,599 shares of the companys stock valued at $674,924,000 after acquiring an additional 947,319 shares during the last quarter. Silchester International Investors LLP lifted its position in shares of Janus Henderson Group by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Silchester International Investors LLP now owns 14,117,807 shares of the companys stock valued at $376,098,000 after acquiring an additional 111,194 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Janus Henderson Group by 33.9% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,455,506 shares of the companys stock valued at $151,769,000 after acquiring an additional 1,636,065 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Janus Henderson Group by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,147,807 shares of the companys stock valued at $121,079,000 after acquiring an additional 211,541 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.01% of the companys stock. Janus Henderson Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Janus Henderson Group Plc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of asset management services. It offers investment solutions including equities, quantitative equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternative asset class strategies. The company was founded on Jan 23, 1998, is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Janus Henderson Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Janus Henderson Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gildan Activewear (NYSE:GIL Get Rating) (TSE:GIL) had its price target boosted by UBS Group from $41.00 to $42.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on GIL. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $39.00 price target on shares of Gildan Activewear in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Gildan Activewear in a report on Monday, May 1st. They set a buy rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. National Bank Financial raised their price target on shares of Gildan Activewear from C$45.00 to C$46.00 in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. TheStreet raised shares of Gildan Activewear from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Gildan Activewear in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Two equities 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, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $40.86. Get Gildan Activewear alerts: Gildan Activewear Price Performance Gildan Activewear stock opened at $29.50 on Thursday. Gildan Activewear has a 52-week low of $25.67 and a 52-week high of $34.33. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $31.95 and a 200-day moving average of $30.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.93, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Gildan Activewear Increases Dividend Gildan Activewear ( NYSE:GIL Get Rating ) (TSE:GIL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The textile maker reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.51 by ($0.06). Gildan Activewear had a return on equity of 27.29% and a net margin of 15.55%. The business had revenue of $702.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $701.95 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.76 EPS. Gildan Activewears revenue was down 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Gildan Activewear will post 2.85 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.186 per share. This represents a $0.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.52%. This is an increase from Gildan Activewears previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 23rd. Gildan Activewears dividend payout ratio is 27.41%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Coliseum Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Gildan Activewear in the 3rd quarter worth about $88,513,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Gildan Activewear in the 4th quarter worth about $55,337,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its position in shares of Gildan Activewear by 383.2% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,958,661 shares of the textile makers stock worth $53,567,000 after buying an additional 1,553,272 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Gildan Activewear by 85.0% in the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,191,716 shares of the textile makers stock worth $82,339,000 after buying an additional 1,007,107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Gildan Activewear by 39.3% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,654,341 shares of the textile makers stock worth $88,177,000 after buying an additional 749,418 shares during the last quarter. 75.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Gildan Activewear (Get Rating) Gildan Activewear, Inc is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of printwear and branded apparel. Its products include activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear. The firm operates under the brand name Gildan, Alstyle, American Apparel, Comfort Colors, GOLD TOE, Anvil, Secret, Silks, and Peds. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Gildan Activewear Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gildan Activewear and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boston Partners reduced its stake in shares of Nomad Foods Limited (NYSE:NOMD Get Rating) by 74.3% 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 666,068 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,926,723 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned about 0.39% of Nomad Foods worth $11,483,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new position in shares of Nomad Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $66,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank acquired a new position in shares of Nomad Foods in the 4th quarter valued at about $132,000. Ergoteles LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nomad Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $150,000. Bridgefront Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nomad Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $158,000. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Nomad Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $175,000. 78.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Nomad Foods alerts: Nomad Foods Trading Up 4.1 % Nomad Foods stock opened at $19.48 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $18.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99 and a beta of 0.74. Nomad Foods Limited has a 12-month low of $12.50 and a 12-month high of $21.45. Analyst Ratings Changes Nomad Foods ( NYSE:NOMD Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $766.03 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $788.13 million. Nomad Foods had a net margin of 8.49% and a return on equity of 11.77%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Nomad Foods Limited will post 1.62 EPS for the current fiscal year. NOMD has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Nomad Foods from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Nomad Foods from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Nomad Foods from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Nomad Foods from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $21.00 target price for the company in a research report on Sunday, February 26th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Nomad Foods in a research report on Monday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $22.00. Nomad Foods Company Profile (Get Rating) Nomad Foods Ltd. operates as a holding company, which manufactures and sells frozen foods for human consumption. The firm offers its products under the brands LUTOSA, la Cocinera, Birds Eye, Iglo, and Findus. The company was founded by Noam Gottesman and Sir Martin E. Franklin on April 1, 2014 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nomad Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nomad Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boston Partners reduced its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 10.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 268,941 shares of the companys stock after selling 30,876 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners holdings in Altria Group were worth $12,299,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Altria Group by 0.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,134,691 shares of the companys stock worth $6,425,858,000 after acquiring an additional 1,275,790 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in Altria Group by 0.7% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 71,579,128 shares of the companys stock worth $2,957,671,000 after acquiring an additional 513,208 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Altria Group by 6.4% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 36,302,349 shares of the companys stock worth $1,896,798,000 after acquiring an additional 2,178,596 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Altria Group by 5.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 24,517,169 shares of the companys stock worth $990,002,000 after acquiring an additional 1,192,266 shares during the period. Finally, London Co. of Virginia raised its position in Altria Group by 2.5% during the third quarter. London Co. of Virginia now owns 6,084,403 shares of the companys stock worth $245,688,000 after acquiring an additional 150,351 shares during the period. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Trading Up 1.2 % Shares of MO opened at $46.69 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.35 and a 12-month high of $57.03. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $45.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group Announces Dividend Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.01). Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.12 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 24th were given a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.05%. Altria Groups payout ratio is currently 120.90%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $52.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $45.50. About Altria Group (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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lincoln National Corp increased its holdings in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (NYSEARCA:GSG Get Rating) by 9.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,275 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 3,378 shares during the period. Lincoln National Corps holdings in iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust were worth $813,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in GSG. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 18,027 shares of the companys stock worth $408,000 after buying an additional 2,177 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in shares of iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust in the 1st quarter worth about $1,554,000. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust by 99.4% in the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 65,261 shares of the companys stock worth $1,478,000 after buying an additional 32,536 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers purchased a new stake in shares of iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust in the 1st quarter worth about $423,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new stake in shares of iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust in the 1st quarter worth about $206,000. 53.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust alerts: iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust Trading Up 2.4 % iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust stock opened at $19.26 on Friday. iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust has a 52 week low of $18.65 and a 52 week high of $26.49. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $20.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.71. About iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (The Trust) is an investment trust that issues units of beneficial interest (shares) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The Trusts objective is to track the results of a fully collateralized investment in futures contracts on an index composed of a diversified group of commodities futures and to track the investment returns of the index before payment of the Trusts expenses and liabilities. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GSG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (NYSEARCA:GSG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shell Asset Management Co. lowered its holdings in SM Energy (NYSE:SM Get Rating) by 17.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,727 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 2,402 shares during the period. Shell Asset Management Co.s holdings in SM Energy were worth $408,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 677.3% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 583 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 173.1% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 893 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 566 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 99.3% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 867 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 1,690 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.45% of the companys stock. Get SM Energy alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Cowen cut SM Energy from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $35.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Susquehanna decreased their price target on SM Energy from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Barclays decreased their price target on SM Energy from $46.00 to $32.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of SM Energy in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price target on SM Energy from $38.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $41.00. Insider Buying and Selling SM Energy Price Performance In other news, CEO Herbert S. Vogel purchased 1,000 shares of SM Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $29.48 per share, with a total value of $29,480.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 404,063 shares in the company, valued at $11,911,777.24. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Insiders have bought a total of 3,000 shares of company stock valued at $86,460 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock. SM opened at $26.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.34. SM Energy has a 52-week low of $24.66 and a 52-week high of $54.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a PE ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 4.40. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $28.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.12. SM Energy (NYSE:SM Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The energy company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.14. SM Energy had a return on equity of 28.22% and a net margin of 41.07%. The firm had revenue of $573.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $559.37 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.98 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 33.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that SM Energy will post 5.74 EPS for the current year. SM Energy Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Investors of record on Friday, April 21st were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 20th. This represents a yield of 1.1%. SM Energys payout ratio is 5.89%. SM Energy Company Profile (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. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SM Energy (NYSE:SM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for SM Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SM Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rheinmetall AG (OTCMKTS:RNMBY Get Rating) announced a dividend on Friday, May 5th, investing.com reports. Investors of record on Thursday, May 11th will be given a dividend of 0.6404 per share on Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 10th. This is a boost from Rheinmetalls previous dividend of $0.48. Rheinmetall Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS RNMBY opened at $58.70 on Friday. Rheinmetall has a 52-week low of $28.10 and a 52-week high of $61.36. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $56.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $47.19. Get Rheinmetall alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades RNMBY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group downgraded shares of Rheinmetall from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Rheinmetall from 220.00 ($241.76) to 250.00 ($274.73) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven 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 $240.60. Rheinmetall Company Profile Rheinmetall AG operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the production of automotive components and defense equipment. It operates through the following segments: Defence and Automotive. The Defence segment offers vehicle, infantry equipment, protection and weapon systems, air defense systems, function sequence networking as well as simulation hardware and software. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rheinmetall Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rheinmetall and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (LON:WPM Get Rating) announced a dividend on Friday, May 5th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share on Friday, June 2nd. This represents a dividend yield of 0.29%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. The official announcement can be seen at this link. Wheaton Precious Metals Price Performance WPM stock opened at GBX 4,075 ($50.91) on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 17.67, a current ratio of 23.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The companys fifty day simple moving average is GBX 3,802.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 3,477.61. Wheaton Precious Metals has a 12-month low of GBX 2,540 ($31.73) and a 12-month high of GBX 4,205.67 ($52.54). The firm has a market cap of 18.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,482.91 and a beta of 0.45. Get Wheaton Precious Metals alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 4,700 ($58.72) price objective on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals in a report on Friday, April 28th. About Wheaton Precious Metals Wheaton Precious Metals Corp., a streaming company, primarily sells precious metals in Canada and internationally. The company sells gold, silver, palladium, and cobalt deposits. It has a portfolio of interests in the 23 operating mines and 13 development projects. The company was formerly known as Silver Wheaton Corp. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Australia Bank Limited (ASX:NAB Get Rating) declared a interim dividend on Friday, May 5th, MarketIndexAU reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 4th will be paid a dividend of 0.83 per share on Tuesday, July 4th. This represents a yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 9th. This is a boost from National Australia Banks previous interim dividend of $0.60. National Australia Bank Price Performance Get National Australia Bank alerts: Insider Activity at National Australia Bank In related news, insider Ross McEwan 159,309 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. National Australia Bank Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Articles National Australia Bank Limited provides financial services to individuals and businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It operates through Business and Private Banking; Personal Banking; Corporate and Institutional Banking; New Zealand Banking; and Corporate Functions and Other segments. Receive News & Ratings for National Australia Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Australia Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 13,836 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $630,000. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BK. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the third quarter worth approximately $55,646,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,626,336 shares of the banks stock worth $2,604,967,000 after purchasing an additional 1,183,130 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 13.8% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,278,963 shares of the banks stock worth $357,425,000 after purchasing an additional 1,127,786 shares in the last quarter. LMR Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the third quarter worth approximately $37,030,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 99.3% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,728,480 shares of the banks stock worth $66,583,000 after purchasing an additional 861,031 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the companys stock. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BK has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $42.00 to $41.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a report on Thursday, January 12th. They issued a buy rating and a $56.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $51.61. Bank of New York Mellon Price Performance Shares of NYSE BK opened at $41.17 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.07. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a one year low of $36.22 and a one year high of $52.26. The companys fifty day moving average is $45.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.69. Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $4.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 11.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The businesss revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. Analysts forecast that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bank of New York Mellon Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.59%. Bank of New York Mellons payout ratio is currently 46.84%. About Bank of New York Mellon (Get Rating) The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and Other segment. The Securities Services segment includes Asset Servicing business, which provides global custody, fund accounting, integrated middle-office solutions, transfer agency and data and analytics solutions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Incumbent Virginia State Sen. Bryce Reeves, RSpotsylvania, easily won Saturdays firehouse primary to run as GOP nominee for a fourth term to the 28th District in Novembers election. Reeves received more than three-quarters of the vote in the Republican Party canvass against challenger Republican Mike Allers, a public schools educator from Ruckersville. In a social media statement Saturday night, Reeves said he was deeply grateful and honored to win the primary. Thanks to your unwavering support and dedication, we have secured a mandate for conservative values and policies in our beautiful district, the incumbent said. Together, we will continue to fight for limited government, lower taxes, safer communities, and a stronger economy. Lets roll up our sleeves and get to work. Lets win this in November! Virginia Senate Majority, here we come, Reeves posted. Reeves received 2,564 votes (77 percent) to Allers 787 votes (23 percent) in Saturdays party-led election, according to the final tally from David Willis, chairman of the 28th Senate District Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. A total of 3,351 district voters cast ballots. The Districts GOP Committees held voting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at polling locations in Bealeton, Culpeper and Unionville. Redrawn last year, the 28th District spans Culpeper, Greene, Orange, Madison, Rappahannock and parts of Fauquier and Spotsylvania. Unfortunately, we came up short, posted Allers, a retired fourth grade teacher at GordonBarbour Elementary School in Gordonsville. He added, We laid it all on the field. We took on the establishment and the swamp of Richmond, and we fought hard. Allers said, Just because we missed the mark, doesnt mean I will stop fighting for our kids, parental rights, and keeping China out of Virginia. The Virginia Public Access Project names Tawana Campbell and Elizabeth Melson as potential 28th District candidates in the November election, both running as independents. Virginia State senators serve four-year terms. Melson, of Flint Hill, confirmed Sunday she was running. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. trimmed its holdings in Genpact Limited (NYSE:G Get Rating) by 9.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,106 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 509 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc.s holdings in Genpact were worth $237,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in G. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Genpact by 57.2% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 18,403 shares of the business services providers stock worth $801,000 after acquiring an additional 6,699 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in shares of Genpact by 16.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 23,398 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,031,000 after buying an additional 3,364 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Genpact by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,683,950 shares of the business services providers stock worth $73,273,000 after buying an additional 5,331 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Genpact by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 104,775 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,560,000 after buying an additional 6,151 shares during the period. Finally, Aviva PLC bought a new stake in shares of Genpact during the 1st quarter worth $2,219,000. 95.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Genpact alerts: Genpact Price Performance Shares of Genpact stock opened at $39.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.61 and a quick ratio of 1.61. Genpact Limited has a fifty-two week low of $38.99 and a fifty-two week high of $48.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $45.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.87. The company has a market cap of $7.32 billion, a PE ratio of 21.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.20. Genpact Dividend Announcement Genpact ( NYSE:G Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The business services provider reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.08 billion. Genpact had a net margin of 8.08% and a return on equity of 25.63%. Analysts expect that Genpact Limited will post 2.54 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be paid a $0.1375 dividend. This represents a $0.55 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Genpacts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.26%. Insider Activity In other news, SVP Balkrishan Kalra sold 20,000 shares of Genpact stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.33, for a total value of $946,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 155,328 shares in the company, valued at $7,351,674.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Piyush Mehta sold 32,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.85, for a total value of $1,425,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 209,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,166,404. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Balkrishan Kalra sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.33, for a total transaction of $946,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 155,328 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,351,674.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 308,000 shares of company stock worth $13,790,320. Insiders own 2.62% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In G has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Genpact from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Genpact in a report on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Genpact from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Genpact from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $53.40. Genpact Profile (Get Rating) Genpact Ltd. engages in the business process management, outsourcing, shared services and information outsourcing. The company operates through the following segments: Banking, Capital Markets and Insurance (BCMI), Consumer Goods, Retail, Life Sciences, and Healthcare (CGRLH) and High Tech, Manufacturing, and Services (HMS). Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding G? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Genpact Limited (NYSE:G Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Genpact Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genpact and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC trimmed its position in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI Get Rating) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 295,518 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,962 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLCs holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $11,814,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BTI. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in British American Tobacco by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,449,045 shares of the companys stock worth $400,788,000 after acquiring an additional 1,060,090 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in British American Tobacco by 51.4% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,092,643 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,226,000 after buying an additional 710,867 shares in the last quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC purchased a new stake in British American Tobacco during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $22,123,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in British American Tobacco by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,624,861 shares of the companys stock valued at $237,145,000 after buying an additional 582,790 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in British American Tobacco by 382.6% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 529,622 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,802,000 after buying an additional 419,880 shares in the last quarter. 6.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get British American Tobacco alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have issued reports on BTI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of British American Tobacco from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. StockNews.com downgraded British American Tobacco from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, April 29th. British American Tobacco Price Performance British American Tobacco Increases Dividend Shares of BTI opened at $35.60 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $36.30 and a 200 day moving average of $38.23. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 52-week low of $34.44 and a 52-week high of $45.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.7006 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.87%. This is an increase from British American Tobaccos previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 21st. About British American Tobacco (Get Rating) British American Tobacco plc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and distribution of tobacco products. Its brands include Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME), Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa (AMSSA), and Europe and North Africa (ENA). See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BTI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE:AUY Get Rating) (TSE:YRI) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 25,186 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $140,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Virtu Financial LLC grew its holdings in Yamana Gold by 147.4% during the third quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 169,349 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $767,000 after purchasing an additional 100,893 shares during the period. Toroso Investments LLC grew its holdings in Yamana Gold by 20.8% during the third quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 160,848 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $729,000 after purchasing an additional 27,702 shares during the period. Raffles Associates LP bought a new position in Yamana Gold during the third quarter valued at $2,356,000. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its holdings in Yamana Gold by 813.8% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 595,222 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,696,000 after purchasing an additional 530,084 shares during the period. Finally, Settian Capital LP grew its holdings in Yamana Gold by 40.6% during the third quarter. Settian Capital LP now owns 1,039,000 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,707,000 after purchasing an additional 300,000 shares during the period. 58.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Yamana Gold alerts: Yamana Gold Trading Down 0.7 % NYSE:AUY opened at $5.85 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Yamana Gold Inc. has a 1 year low of $3.88 and a 1 year high of $6.40. The company has a market cap of $5.63 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.20. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $5.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.51. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Yamana Gold Profile Several equities analysts have weighed in on AUY shares. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Yamana Gold in a report on Friday. They set a hold rating for the company. National Bank Financial increased their target price on Yamana Gold from C$7.10 to C$8.05 in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Finally, Raymond James increased their target price on Yamana Gold from $5.00 to $5.50 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. (Get Rating) Yamana Gold, Inc engages in the production of gold, silver and copper. It operates through the following segments: El Penon, Canadian Malartic, Jacobina, Minera Florida, Cerro Moro, Other Mines, and Corporate and Other. The company was founded by Peter Marrone on March 17, 1994 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AUY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE:AUY Get Rating) (TSE:YRI). Receive News & Ratings for Yamana Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yamana Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Integris Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 5,752 shares of the oil and gas companys stock, valued at approximately $634,000. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of XOM. Clear Perspectives Financial Planning LLC boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 259.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Perspectives Financial Planning LLC now owns 377 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Align Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new position in Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Ulland Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 67.2% in the 4th quarter. Ulland Investment Advisors LLC now owns 428 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. 57.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Exxon Mobil Stock Up 2.5 % XOM opened at $108.68 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $110.81. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 52 week low of $80.69 and a 52 week high of $119.92. The company has a market capitalization of $439.39 billion, a PE ratio of 7.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 28th. The oil and gas company reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.65 by $0.18. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 15.06% and a return on equity of 31.48%. The business had revenue of $86.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.07 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 10.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.35%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 15th. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio is 24.64%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $128.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $140.00 to $147.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $116.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $136.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $118.00 to $122.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $125.25. Insider Activity In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.11, for a total transaction of $290,275.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 29,272 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,398,771.92. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the companys stock. Exxon Mobil Company Profile (Get Rating) Exxon Mobil Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and distribution of oil, gas, and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Upstream, Downstream and Chemical. The Upstream segment produces crude oil and natural gas. The Downstream segment manufactures and trades petroleum products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Exxon Mobil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Exxon Mobil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Duality Advisers LP purchased a new stake in GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 6,559 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $491,000. Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GDDY. Starboard Value LP grew its stake in GoDaddy by 21.5% during the first quarter. Starboard Value LP now owns 8,250,420 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $690,560,000 after acquiring an additional 1,459,021 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in GoDaddy by 108.7% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,396,699 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $116,903,000 after acquiring an additional 727,582 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its stake in GoDaddy by 2,598.6% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 634,390 shares of the technology companys stock worth $44,966,000 after buying an additional 610,882 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in GoDaddy by 2,694.3% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 425,454 shares of the technology companys stock worth $31,832,000 after buying an additional 410,228 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System grew its stake in GoDaddy by 101.3% in the 3rd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 641,164 shares of the technology companys stock worth $45,446,000 after buying an additional 322,668 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.32% of the companys stock. Get GoDaddy alerts: Insider Activity at GoDaddy In related news, CAO Nick Daddario sold 548 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.96, for a total transaction of $41,078.08. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 21,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,585,628.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other GoDaddy news, CEO Amanpal Singh Bhutani sold 3,741 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.86, for a total transaction of $295,015.26. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 222,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,578,446.02. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Nick Daddario sold 548 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.96, for a total value of $41,078.08. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 21,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,585,628.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 24,952 shares of company stock worth $1,896,352 in the last three months. 0.37% of the stock is owned by insiders. GoDaddy Stock Down 3.7 % NYSE:GDDY opened at $69.65 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $75.23 and a 200 day moving average of $76.14. GoDaddy Inc. has a 52 week low of $64.65 and a 52 week high of $85.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.98. GoDaddy (NYSE:GDDY Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The technology company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.22). GoDaddy had a net margin of 8.03% and a negative return on equity of 95.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that GoDaddy Inc. will post 2.53 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In GDDY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Raymond James boosted their price target on shares of GoDaddy from $88.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of GoDaddy in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Barclays cut their price target on shares of GoDaddy from $100.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Friday. Evercore ISI raised shares of GoDaddy from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $86.00 to $103.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of GoDaddy in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. They issued an outperform rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $93.10. About GoDaddy (Get Rating) GoDaddy, Inc engages in the provision of domain name registration and web hosting services. It provides website building, hosting, and security tools. It operates through the Applications and Commerce (A and C) and Core Platform (Core) segments. The A and C segment consists of sales of products containing proprietary software, commerce products and third-party email and productivity solutions. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GDDY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for GoDaddy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GoDaddy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dakota Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 3,668 shares of the business services providers stock, valued at approximately $486,000. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WCN. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Waste Connections by 34.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 11,291,300 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,565,922,000 after buying an additional 2,907,249 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in Waste Connections by 165.2% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,387,504 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $316,337,000 after buying an additional 1,487,402 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Waste Connections by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 9,966,911 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,346,827,000 after buying an additional 981,635 shares during the period. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. increased its stake in Waste Connections by 78.8% in the 4th quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 1,080,397 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $138,118,000 after buying an additional 476,115 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Waste Connections by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 27,154,877 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $3,669,438,000 after buying an additional 426,512 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the companys stock. Get Waste Connections alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have commented on WCN. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. They issued an outperform rating and a $160.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Waste Connections from $158.00 to $153.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They issued a buy rating and a $160.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Waste Connections from $154.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Waste Connections from $158.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $156.22. Waste Connections Trading Up 1.1 % Shares of WCN stock opened at $140.82 on Friday. Waste Connections, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.50 and a 52-week high of $148.20. The stock has a market cap of $36.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $137.42 and a 200-day moving average of $135.84. Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The business services provider reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Waste Connections had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 14.22%. The company had revenue of $1.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.82 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 15.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 4.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Waste Connections Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.255 per share. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 9th. Waste Connectionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.82%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, SVP Robert Michael Cloninger sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.55, for a total transaction of $200,325.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 15,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,035,836.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Waste Connections news, Director William J. Razzouk sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.61, for a total transaction of $135,610.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 3,431 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $465,277.91. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Robert Michael Cloninger sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.55, for a total transaction of $200,325.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,035,836.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,700 shares of company stock worth $1,177,955 in the last quarter. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Waste Connections Company Profile (Get Rating) Waste Connections, Inc engages in the provision of non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, and disposal services. The firm offers its services to residential, commercial, landfill and transfer stations, and industries such as office, apartments multi-family, construction and demolition, property management, retail, restaurant, and manufacturing. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WCN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Waste Connections Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Connections and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. decreased its stake in shares of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG Get Rating) by 12.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 47,742 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 6,665 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.s holdings in American International Group were worth $3,019,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AIG. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of American International Group by 246.5% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,967,526 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $235,857,000 after buying an additional 3,534,049 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of American International Group by 498.7% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 1,753,805 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $83,271,000 after buying an additional 1,460,878 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of American International Group by 269.9% during the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 1,369,578 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $86,612,000 after buying an additional 999,354 shares during the period. Prana Capital Management LP grew its position in shares of American International Group by 202.3% during the 3rd quarter. Prana Capital Management LP now owns 1,437,921 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $68,272,000 after buying an additional 962,295 shares during the period. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in shares of American International Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,088,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the companys stock. Get American International Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AIG. Citigroup cut their target price on American International Group from $71.00 to $70.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on American International Group from $76.00 to $73.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on American International Group from $75.00 to $67.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com began coverage on American International Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on American International Group from $66.00 to $55.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $65.79. American International Group Trading Up 7.8 % NYSE AIG opened at $53.79 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.02, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.11. American International Group, Inc. has a one year low of $45.66 and a one year high of $64.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The businesss fifty day moving average is $52.23 and its 200-day moving average is $57.94. American International Group (NYSE:AIG Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $10.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.35 billion. American International Group had a return on equity of 8.70% and a net margin of 11.71%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that American International Group, Inc. will post 6.13 EPS for the current year. American International Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.68%. This is a positive change from American International Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. American International Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.71%. American International Group Profile (Get Rating) 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for American International Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American International Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AMG National Trust Bank lowered its holdings in shares of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET Get Rating) by 6.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,204 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 218 shares during the quarter. AMG National Trust Banks holdings in MetLife were worth $232,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in shares of MetLife by 564.8% during the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,097,455 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $151,703,000 after purchasing an additional 1,781,934 shares during the last quarter. Duality Advisers LP increased its holdings in MetLife by 181.2% in the 4th quarter. Duality Advisers LP now owns 46,254 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,347,000 after acquiring an additional 29,803 shares in the last quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MetLife by 56.8% in the 4th quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC now owns 6,872 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $497,000 after acquiring an additional 2,490 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in MetLife by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 4,992 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in MetLife by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 13,954 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,010,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.15% of the companys stock. Get MetLife alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Bill Pappas sold 2,857 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.96, for a total value of $202,732.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 48,915 shares in the company, valued at $3,471,008.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes MetLife Stock Up 1.0 % Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of MetLife from $83.00 to $79.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of MetLife from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of MetLife in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of MetLife from $79.00 to $65.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of MetLife from $84.00 to $72.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $77.00. NYSE MET opened at $54.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a current ratio of 0.13. The company has a market capitalization of $41.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.05. MetLife, Inc. has a one year low of $52.83 and a one year high of $77.36. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $60.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.35. MetLife (NYSE:MET Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The financial services provider reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.85 by ($0.33). The company had revenue of $16.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.84 billion. MetLife had a return on equity of 16.86% and a net margin of 2.80%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.08 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that MetLife, Inc. will post 8.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. MetLife announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, May 3rd that allows the company to buyback $3.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 7.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. MetLife Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be given a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 8th. This is an increase from MetLifes previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.81%. MetLifes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.09%. MetLife Profile (Get Rating) 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MET? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for MetLife Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MetLife and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AMG National Trust Bank purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF (NYSEARCA:EPU Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 9,547 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $274,000. AMG National Trust Bank owned approximately 0.24% of iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of EPU. HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF during the first quarter worth about $990,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF during the first quarter worth about $792,000. UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF by 230.0% during the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,300 shares of the companys stock worth $123,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF by 13.0% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,929 shares of the companys stock worth $184,000 after acquiring an additional 567 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF during the second quarter worth about $1,445,000. Get iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF Price Performance NYSEARCA:EPU opened at $31.40 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $30.21 and a 200-day moving average of $29.58. The company has a market cap of $127.17 million, a PE ratio of 9.10 and a beta of 0.90. iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF has a one year low of $23.29 and a one year high of $32.18. iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF Profile The iShares MSCI Peru ETF (EPU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI All Peru Capped index, a market-cap-weighted index of Peruvian firms. EPU was launched on Jun 19, 2009 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV Get Rating) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 94,900 shares of the airlines stock after purchasing an additional 4,365 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.s holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $3,195,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LUV. Provident Trust Co. acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $86,099,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 63,028,745 shares of the airlines stock worth $2,886,717,000 after purchasing an additional 1,213,767 shares during the last quarter. LMR Partners LLP acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $23,869,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 69.9% during the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,248,280 shares of the airlines stock worth $38,497,000 after purchasing an additional 513,580 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $16,965,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.71% of the companys stock. Get Southwest Airlines alerts: Southwest Airlines Stock Performance Shares of NYSE LUV opened at $29.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $31.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.67. Southwest Airlines Co. has a one year low of $28.81 and a one year high of $46.80. The firm has a market cap of $17.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.14. Insider Activity Southwest Airlines ( NYSE:LUV Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The airline reported ($0.27) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.21) by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $5.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.73 billion. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.65% and a return on equity of 6.99%. The businesss revenue was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.32) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 2.64 EPS for the current year. In related news, EVP Ryan C. Green sold 4,936 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.94, for a total transaction of $147,783.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $789,248.34. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades LUV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Redburn Partners lowered Southwest Airlines from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Melius lowered Southwest Airlines from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $39.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Susquehanna lowered Southwest Airlines from a positive rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Barclays lowered Southwest Airlines from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $42.00 to $38.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $39.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 9th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $45.15. About Southwest Airlines (Get Rating) Southwest Airlines Co engages in the operation and management of a passenger airline. The firm also offers ancillary services such as early bird check-in, upgraded boarding, and transportation of pets and unaccompanied minors. It operates in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LUV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Does it take previous political experience to effectively run the mayor's office? According to Colorado Springs mayoral candidate Yemi Mobolade, not necessarily. Mobolade, a political newcomer, has run his campaign largely on his business experience, promising to use his background as an entrepreneur, business leader and nonprofit founder to tackle some of the most pressing issues the city faces from home affordability and housing availability to crime, public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, water availability and sustaining a thriving local economy. Although his entrepreneurial career has not been without its challenges, business associates and employees of Mobolade said this past week the candidate's "unique" ability to bring people of varied backgrounds together to problem-solve, and his willingness to listen to their concerns over the years, make him the right man to lead the city. "He has the ability to bring together a team of leaders from different backgrounds and areas of expertise. That's a unique gift of his that I think would be well suited to being the mayor," said Stu Davis, the executive director of COSILoveYou, who co-founded the faith-based nonprofit with Mobolade that brings people together to do service projects. "Being the mayor isn't about being the expert in everything. It's about bringing people together and making a decision, and that's what Yemi does really well." Mobolade faces opponent Wayne Williams in the May 16 mayoral runoff election. Williams served most recently as a member of the Colorado Springs City Council and is a former Colorado secretary of state, El Paso County commissioner and El Paso County clerk and recorder. He has advanced his political resume and experience throughout his campaign. Ballots for the May 16 all-mail runoff election were mailed to active registered city voters last week. Voters can return their ballots at any of the 26 secure drop-off locations throughout the city through 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks will not count. 'A fresh point of view' Heather Moake, general manager for The Wild Goose Meeting House and Good Neighbors Meeting House, eateries co-founded by Mobolade, said she believes Mobolade can bring a new perspective to the mayor's office. "I think he has a fresh point of view that is really valuable. Since he isn't a politician or hasn't really been in that world a lot, I feel like he has the ability to look at things from the everyday person's perspective," said Moake, who has worked for the companies nearly nine years. "The changes he could make as mayor, or even the things he takes from (outgoing Mayor John Suthers) and keeps going, he'll have the perspective of how that'll affect everyday people in the Springs. " Throughout his campaign, Mobolade has highlighted his lack of political experience as a way to break the status quo in city leadership. A West African immigrant, he first came to Colorado Springs in 2010 and founded a church with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Later, he served as a ministry leader at First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs from 2015-2017, where he mainly focused on forging partnerships with local mission organizations, said Dave Steane, First Presbyterian's executive pastor. While he was with First Presbyterian, Mobolade worked with Davis to co-found COSILoveYou and the CityServe Day movement that united more than 100 churches in service to the community. Mobolade left the church to become the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC's vice president of business retention, a role he held from 2017-2019. There, he promoted the growth of the city's employers, implemented the chamber's business retention and expansion program, worked with industry-specific employer groups and partnered with economic development staff on projects that would attract new businesses, Mobolade said in an email. Tammy Fields, a real estate broker, was previously Mobolade's supervisor for about 16 months during his time at the chamber. Fields worked for the chamber in various roles, including as senior vice president of economic development, according to her LinkedIn page. . She declined to comment for this story. While at the chamber, Mobolade said, he "saw an opportunity to mitigate the challenges that many small businesses face in trying to start and run their companies," the same challenges he faced when co-founding The Wild Goose Meeting House and Good Neighbors Meeting House. To that end, he left the chamber to become Colorado Springs' small business development administrator from 2019-2022, where he supported small businesses and startup companies and promoted local economic development, according to his campaign website. Colorado Springs Economic Development Manager Bob Cope, who was Mobolade's supervisor when he worked for the city, also declined through city spokeswoman Vanessa Zink to comment for this story. The city's policy and procedures manual limits information regarding employee references to dates of employment, classification history and salary information, Zink ` City records obtained by The Gazette through the Colorado Open Records Act show Cope gave Mobolade a total weighted performance evaluation score of 2.3 out of 3 in 2019 and 2020. A 2 rating means "successful" and a 2.5 rating means "exceeds expectations," according to city performance evaluations. A score of 3 means "exceptional performance." Cope's commentary is redacted from the evaluations according to Colorado statute, city officials said. Mobolade was not formally evaluated in 2021 and 2022 because he left the job in early March 2022, officials said. Business challenges Mobolade's experience as an entrepreneur and business owner has not come without challenges. In the fall of 2020, about 19 staff members from The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors Meeting House signed onto a list of grievances they distributed to Mobolade and his then business partner Russ Ware, disputing in part the dispersal of tips among the whole staff, including servers, bartenders and the kitchen staff. At the time, former Wild Goose bartender Michael Smith told The Gazette that before the tips were distributed many employees, including servers and kitchen staff, earned $9 an hour, which was 2 cents above Colorado's minimum wage in 2020 for tipped employees. Colorado's minimum wage in 2020 was $12 an hour for nontipped workers. Sonia Riggs, CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said previously that if a restaurant is sharing tips with kitchen staff it legally must pay the entire staff participating in the tip pool a base wage $12 an hour in 2020 and must notify customers tips will be shared. Managers and supervisors can't participate in the tip pool, she previously told The Gazette. Smith told The Gazette at the time he wanted ownership to make equitable changes. After taxes his annual pay of $19,500 in 2020, including tips, was "not enough," he previously said. In February 2021, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Division of Labor Standards and Statistics ruled against The Wild Goose Meeting House after Smith brought forth a wage complaint, finding the business failed to pay Smith earned wages as required, the Colorado Springs Independent reported. Prior to the ruling, Mobolade and Ware in January 2021 had shifted to a "hospitality included" pay structure, a model that "eliminates tipping and builds an employee's full compensation into the pricing of the menu," Mobolade said this week. In the summer of 2022, the companies shifted the pay structure again "to pay employees the full minimum wage in addition to tips. Employees now have the benefit of higher wages than are found in many similar service industry businesses, and the work environment is healthy and positive," he said. Colorado's 2023 state minimum wage is $13.65 per hour for nontipped employees, or $10.63 an hour for tipped workers. The Gazette's attempts to reach members of that group of about 19 employees who might be willing to speak on the record for this story via email were unsuccessful. Current longtime employees like Moake and Schaeffer Ware, now a part owner of both The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors Meeting House and the son of Russ Ware, said while the transitions between pay structures weren't without their hiccups including some employees who left because of the changes Mobolade's focus on open communication with his staff made the shifts smoother. "Yemi's push at the time was, 'How is this going to affect the (companies') culture?'," Schaeffer Ware said. Moake said Mobolade prioritized hearing his staff's perspective on the changes. "There was a lot of communication and a lot of trying to hear everybody's perspective on it, which I think we really needed." Another controversy reared its head in June 2022, when a Latin-American fusion restaurant in downtown called Epiphany closed its doors amid allegations that Russ Ware, a part owner, "misused" funds related to it and several other local restaurants, including The Wild Goose Meeting House and Good Neighbors Meeting House, a spokeswoman for the businesses said in a statement to The Gazette at the time. Mobolade told The Gazette in an email this week his general manager discovered financial discrepancies and through his own investigation Mobolade discovered Russ Ware, who at the time served as president of The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors, moved funds from those businesses and from another restaurant called The Well to fund Epiphany's operations. Mobolade said he had no role with nor ownership in Epiphany, and subsequently removed Russ Ware from his management positions at The Wild Goose and Good Neighbors. The Wild Goose Meeting House and Good Neighbors Meeting House filed police reports in the matter, The Gazette previously reported. The Colorado Springs Police Department this week declined to share those records because it is "still an open and active investigation," department spokesman Robert Tornabene said. Reached by phone this week, Russ Ware, who no longer lives in Colorado, declined to comment on the matter, but said briefly he "speaks highly of Yemi, his work and his business." Schaeffer Ware said the situation involving his father was difficult. "It was hard," he said. "Through that whole process last year, I was working very closely with Yemi on a lot of that stuff. I would say, if anything, that situation brought Yemi and I a little bit closer and helped us kind of reinforce the already good bond our professional and personal relationship had." Mobolade said this week the business challenges he faced in recent years have allowed him to learn and grow as a leader. "Leadership is about growing, adapting and responding productively to the challenges you face. Every business leader and business owner faces challenges; it's how they respond that separates true leaders from the rest," he said. "... My leadership has been tested in many different ways and I am proud that I have overcome and succeeded through these challenges. Readers can take comfort in a leader who has been tried, tested, learned from his mistakes and challenges, and emerged even more successful." State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its stake in Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Get Rating) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 224,731 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 2,730 shares during the quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System owned 0.10% of Raymond James worth $24,013,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its stake in Raymond James by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 87,484 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $9,342,000 after buying an additional 4,735 shares during the period. Duality Advisers LP increased its stake in Raymond James by 113.1% in the 4th quarter. Duality Advisers LP now owns 22,276 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,380,000 after buying an additional 11,824 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in Raymond James in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $220,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its stake in Raymond James by 72.5% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 1,116 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $119,000 after buying an additional 469 shares during the period. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Raymond James in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $333,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.77% of the companys stock. Get Raymond James alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Raymond James In other Raymond James news, insider Jodi Perry sold 6,343 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.30, for a total value of $712,318.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,150 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $802,945. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.46% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Raymond James Price Performance Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price target on shares of Raymond James from $119.00 to $116.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Raymond James in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Raymond James from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Raymond James from $121.00 to $114.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Raymond James from $130.00 to $100.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $119.43. NYSE RJF opened at $86.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $94.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $106.47. The company has a market cap of $18.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.36 and a beta of 1.02. Raymond James has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $126.00. Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.14). Raymond James had a net margin of 14.01% and a return on equity of 18.62%. The company had revenue of $2.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.89 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.55 earnings per share. Raymond Jamess revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Raymond James will post 9.05 EPS for the current year. Raymond James Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 3rd were issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 31st. Raymond Jamess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.13%. Raymond James Profile (Get Rating) Raymond James Financial, Inc, a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Raymond James Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Raymond James and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG Get Rating) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 140,296 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 4,263 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement Systems holdings in Citizens Financial Group were worth $5,523,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 0.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 57,764,211 shares of the banks stock worth $1,984,777,000 after purchasing an additional 498,557 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 1.7% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 47,431,255 shares of the banks stock worth $1,629,737,000 after buying an additional 787,199 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 5.0% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,089,425 shares of the banks stock worth $896,433,000 after buying an additional 1,246,261 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 76.0% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 19,002,482 shares of the banks stock worth $861,383,000 after buying an additional 8,203,831 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 0.5% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,191,346 shares of the banks stock worth $507,304,000 after buying an additional 50,382 shares in the last quarter. 88.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Citizens Financial Group alerts: Citizens Financial Group Stock Performance Shares of CFG stock opened at $26.44 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $31.69 and a 200 day moving average of $37.69. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.37 and a 52 week high of $44.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.37, a PEG ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Citizens Financial Group Announces Dividend Citizens Financial Group ( NYSE:CFG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The bank reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.11 by ($0.11). Citizens Financial Group had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 21.12%. The business had revenue of $2.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.07 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 29.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Citizens Financial Group, Inc. will post 4.61 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 2nd. Citizens Financial Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 40.48%. Citizens Financial Group declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Friday, February 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.15 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the bank to buy up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have issued reports on CFG shares. Bank of America lowered Citizens Financial Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the stock from $37.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $49.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $45.50 to $37.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Barclays cut their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Citizens Financial Group from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $43.78. Insider Buying and Selling at Citizens Financial Group In other Citizens Financial Group news, Director Kevin Cummings sold 90,689 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total transaction of $3,899,627.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 455,789 shares of the companys stock, valued at $19,598,927. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Shivan S. Subramaniam acquired 3,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $28.79 per share, with a total value of $95,007.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 66,263 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,907,711.77. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Kevin Cummings sold 90,689 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total value of $3,899,627.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 455,789 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,598,927. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock. Citizens Financial Group Profile (Get Rating) Citizens Financial Group, Inc engages in the provision of commercial banking services. It operates through the Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking segments. The Consumer Banking segment includes deposit products, mortgage and home equity lending, student loans, auto financing, credit cards, business loans, and wealth management and investment services. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Citizens Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citizens Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lincoln National Corp raised its holdings in shares of The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Get Rating) by 45.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,465 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 7,040 shares during the period. Lincoln National Corps holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $1,023,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can purchased a new stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon during the third quarter worth about $55,646,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 1.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,626,336 shares of the banks stock worth $2,604,967,000 after purchasing an additional 1,183,130 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 13.8% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,278,963 shares of the banks stock worth $357,425,000 after purchasing an additional 1,127,786 shares during the period. LMR Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon during the third quarter worth about $37,030,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 99.3% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,728,480 shares of the banks stock worth $66,583,000 after purchasing an additional 861,031 shares during the period. 82.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Bank of New York Mellon Stock Up 2.7 % Shares of BK stock opened at $41.17 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $32.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.07. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 52 week low of $36.22 and a 52 week high of $52.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $45.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $45.91. Bank of New York Mellon Dividend Announcement Bank of New York Mellon ( NYSE:BK Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.40 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 11.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The businesss revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.86 EPS. Analysts predict that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 11th. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.84%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have commented on BK shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $53.00 to $46.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $51.61. Bank of New York Mellon Company Profile (Get Rating) The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and Other segment. The Securities Services segment includes Asset Servicing business, which provides global custody, fund accounting, integrated middle-office solutions, transfer agency and data and analytics solutions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG Get Rating) by 3.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 136,045 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 4,287 shares during the quarter. Arizona State Retirement Systems holdings in Conagra Brands were worth $5,265,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Utah Retirement Systems lifted its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 83,870 shares of the companys stock worth $2,737,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Conagra Brands in the 4th quarter worth $261,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,234,029 shares of the companys stock worth $40,266,000 after buying an additional 51,950 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 8,436 shares of the companys stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 546 shares during the period. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 16.1% in the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc. now owns 182,749 shares of the companys stock worth $6,078,000 after buying an additional 25,308 shares during the period. 81.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Conagra Brands alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Conagra Brands In other Conagra Brands news, EVP Charisse Brock sold 7,036 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.04, for a total value of $260,613.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 94,802 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,511,466.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, COO Thomas M. Mcgough sold 45,000 shares of Conagra Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.66, for a total transaction of $1,739,700.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 104,859 shares in the company, valued at $4,053,848.94. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Charisse Brock sold 7,036 shares of Conagra Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.04, for a total value of $260,613.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 94,802 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,511,466.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.98% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Conagra Brands Stock Up 0.5 % Several equities research analysts have weighed in on CAG shares. Bank of America upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $42.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $35.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. StockNews.com started coverage on Conagra Brands in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Conagra Brands in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set a hold rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $41.00. Shares of CAG stock opened at $37.82 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.04 billion, a PE ratio of 22.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.56. Conagra Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $41.30. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $36.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.97. Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 5th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 15.34% and a net margin of 6.59%. Conagra Brandss revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.58 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Conagra Brands, Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year. Conagra Brands Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. Conagra Brandss payout ratio is currently 79.04%. Conagra Brands Company Profile (Get Rating) Conagra Brands, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks, Refrigerated and Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Conagra Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Conagra Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Texas Permanent School Fund raised its holdings in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR Get Rating) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 40,851 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the quarter. Texas Permanent School Funds holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $4,096,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Czech National Bank acquired a new position in Digital Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,311,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its position in Digital Realty Trust by 17.1% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 758,245 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $75,179,000 after acquiring an additional 110,729 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Digital Realty Trust by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 579,190 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $57,444,000 after acquiring an additional 51,161 shares during the period. Green Alpha Advisors LLC increased its position in Digital Realty Trust by 23.6% in the 4th quarter. Green Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 12,019 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,205,000 after acquiring an additional 2,297 shares during the period. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. increased its position in Digital Realty Trust by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 980,215 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $97,552,000 after acquiring an additional 51,345 shares during the period. 95.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: Digital Realty Trust Stock Up 0.6 % Digital Realty Trust stock opened at $96.42 on Friday. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a 1-year low of $85.76 and a 1-year high of $141.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 86.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.53. The firms fifty day moving average price is $97.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $103.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend Digital Realty Trust ( NYSE:DLR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($1.46). Digital Realty Trust had a net margin of 7.61% and a return on equity of 2.34%. The business had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.67 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 6.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $1.22 per share. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Digital Realty Trusts payout ratio is currently 439.64%. Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust In related news, EVP Dyer Corey sold 4,401 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.19, for a total transaction of $458,540.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,026 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,128,408.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on DLR shares. BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Digital Realty Trust from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $121.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $116.92. Digital Realty Trust Profile (Get Rating) Digital Realty Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust, which engages in the provision of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. It serves the following industries: artificial intelligence (AI), networks, cloud, digital media, mobile, financial services, healthcare, and gaming. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DLR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In this file photo, Wayne Williams, right, speaks at a press conference for Republican secretary of state nominee Pam Anderson, center, on Sept. 7, 2022, in Denver, as former Secretary of State Donetta Davidson, left, stands by. Williams, a candidate for Colorado Springs mayor and former GOP secretary of state, endorsed Anderson at the event. Fighting could be heard in south Khartoum on Sunday as envoys from Sudans warring parties were in Saudi Arabia for talks that international mediators hope will bring an end to a three-week old conflict that has killed hundreds and triggered an exodus. The U.S.-Saudi initiative is the first serious attempt to end fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has turned parts of the Sudanese capital Khartoum into war zones and derailed an internationally backed plan to usher in civilian rule following years of unrest and uprisings. Battles since mid-April have killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands of others, disrupted aid supplies and sent 100,000 refugees fleeing abroad. Manahil Salah, a 28-year-old laboratory doctor on an evacuation flight from Port Sudan to the United Arab Emirates, said her family hid for three days in their home close to army headquarters in the capital before eventually travelling to the Red Sea Coast. Yes I am happy to survive, she said. But I feel deep sadness because I left my mother and father behind in Sudan, and sad because all this pain is happening in my homeland. Thousands of people are pushing to leave from Port Sudan on boats to Saudi Arabia, paying for expensive commercial flights through the countrys only functioning airport, or using evacuation flights. We were lucky to travel to Abu Dhabi, but whats happening in Khartoum, where I spent my whole life, is painful, said 75-year-old Abdulkader, who also caught an evacuation flight to the UAE. Leaving your life and your memories is something indescribable. While mediators are seeking a path to peace, both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war. Confirming his groups attendance, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, said he hoped the talks would achieve their intended aim of securing safe passage for civilians. Hemedti has vowed to either capture or kill army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and there was also evidence on the ground that both sides remain unwilling to make compromises to end the bloodshed. The conflict started on April 15 following the collapse of an internationally backed plan for a transition to democracy. Burhan, a career army officer, heads a ruling council installed after the 2019 ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir and a 2021 military coup, while Hemedti, a former militia leader who made his name in the Darfur conflict, is his deputy. Prior to the fighting, Hemedti had been taking steps like moving closer to a civilian coalition that indicated he had political plans. Burhan has blamed the war on his ambitions. Western powers have backed the transition to a civilian government in a country that sits at a strategic crossroads between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Africas volatile Sahel region. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was travelling to Saudi Arabia at the weekend for talks with Saudi leaders. SOURCE: REUTERS A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, was wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver on Saturday and investigators said a detained suspect admitted acting on behalf of Ukraine. The attack took place three days after the Kremlin said Ukraine attempted to hit the Kremlin with drones Ukraine denied it had anything to do with the attack. Russias Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the Western states backing it, particularly the United States, for the latest attack on the writer, an ardent proponent of Moscows military campaign in Ukraine. Ukraines security services, in its standard response, refused to confirm or deny involvement. A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of staging the incident. Russias state Investigative Committee said Prilepins Audi Q7 was blown up in a village in Nizny Novgorod region, about 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow, which it was treating as an act of terrorism. It said Prilepin had been taken to hospital. The committee released a photograph showing the white vehicle lying overturned on a track next to a wood, with a deep crater beside it and pieces of metal strewn nearby. The committee later issued a statement saying investigators were questioning a suspect identified as Alexander Permyakov. The suspect was detained and, in the course of questioning, he provided testimony that he acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, said the statement, read by a woman in uniform. The governor of Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, said on Telegram that doctors had successfully operated on Prilepin and that he was now under sedation to help his recovery. Russias Foreign Ministry, in a statement on its website said: Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with Ukrainian authorities, but also their Western patrons, the United States in the first instance. It said Washingtons failure to denounce this and other attacks was self-revealing for the U.S. administration. State news agency TASS quoted security sources as saying the suspect was a native of Ukraine with a past conviction for robbery with violence. Ukraines SBU Security Service issued its standard response of declining to confirm or deny involvement in the bombing. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he believed Russian authorities had staged the attack. Everyone understands that this is all a staged performance, Podolyak told Ukrainian television. This is staged and the bombings at the Kremlin are aimed at domestic audiences. The novelist was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscows full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the deaths of journalist Darya Dugina and war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in the two previous attacks, and Kyiv has denied involvement. Ukrainian news site UNIAN ran an online poll asking readers who in the pantheon of Russian scum propagandists should be targeted next after Dugina, Tatarsky and Prilepin. Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. No comment was immediately available from Britains Foreign Office. MOSCOW SAYS UKRAINE ACTING ON WESTS BEHALF It was the second time this week that Moscow has accused Ukraine of carrying out terrorist attacks on behalf of the West, a narrative it appears to be pushing with increasing urgency but which Kyiv and Washington reject as baseless. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine denied that too, and the White House said accusations that Washington had a hand in it were lies. Prilepin often speaks out in support of the Ukraine war on social media, with more than 300,000 followers on Telegram and his own website and YouTube channel. He fought for Russian proxy forces in eastern Ukraines Donbas region before last years invasion and led a military unit there, boasting in a 2019 YouTube interview that his unit killed people in big numbers. These people are dead, they are buried and there are many of them, he said. Not a single unit among the Donetsk battalions had such results. It was outrageous chaos what we did there Not a single field commander had such results as I had. SOURCE: REUTERS As he stepped into a Royal Air Force C-17 transport plane on August 19, 2021, while chaos swallowed Kabul, Lt. Gen. Sammi Sadat had a thought: What if he stayed behind and took his men into Kabul to kill as many Taliban fighters as they could? The decision would likely have meant death for him and his troops. Ultimately, he boarded the plane. Sadat was among thousands of people airlifted out of Afghanistan that tumultuous and bloody month, when America ended its 20-year military presence in the country after the Taliban took control of Kabul following a swift and furious march across the country. The Afghan National Army disintegrated much quicker than intelligence services assumed and the NATO-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan collapsed soon after. Sadat remembers being horrified and humiliated. But, mostly, he remembers dragging the empty shell of his body into the aircraft. "I left my soul behind," he tells the Denver Gazette. Sadat was the commander of Afghan Special Operations and frequently fought alongside coalition special forces. As he left Afghanistan for medical treatment in the United Kingdom, the Taliban moved into Kabul, undoing 20 years of NATO-led coalition work in the nation. Of the 122,000 evacuated from Afghanistan in what's known as the Kabul Airlift, about 2,000 now call Denver home. Denver began welcoming Afghan refugees in December 2021, and, out of war, a vibrant community emerged half a world away. The best and happiest community of Afghans we have met so far were in Denver and Utah, Sammi says, a few days after joining a panel organized by Metropolitan State University of Denver. We are grateful, and Afghans will never forget the great welcome and the support that US citizens provided to them in those dark times, he adds. Veterans: Efforts to get allies out of Afghan lacking Sgt. 1st Class Tom Kazka, a Special Forces engineer sergeant, known to the Army as an 18c, had to leave 17 of his soldiers behind when the NATO-backed government fell. Kazka was responsible for leading a team to clear improvised explosive devices. To date, he has managed to get three of his men out through a nonprofit, called the 1208 Foundation, that offers aid and immigration assistance to surviving members of the National Mine Reduction Group and other Afghans who served with American special forces operators. Other Green Berets were successful in getting some of their guys out. I was not, Kazka tells The Denver Gazette. (The rescues) have all been internally funded. These guys are eligible for the special immigrant visa. However, everything else we had to do for them was all on us. The rapid fall of the NATO-backed government and the chaotic evacuation that ensued left thousands of Afghan allies stranded in the country. Last year, a group that advocates for fast-tracking the work to get Afghan allies out to safety estimated that at least 78,000 were left behind. In its April 2023 report, the Association of Wartime Allies paints a direr picture, in which Afghan allies trapped in the country face years-long bureaucratic delays of processing of Special Immigrant Visa applications. "There is a pervasive sense of betrayal and abandonment felt by many Afghans who feel that they have been left to fend for themselves in a very dangerous situation," the group says, citing testimonials. As he watched 20 years of work in Afghanistan disintegrate over the course of a few weeks, Kazka couldnt quite comprehend exactly what he saw. In one aspect, it was simply just surreal, he said. That sense of numbness just morphed into a lot of enduring anger over the last 20 months. Kazka was critical of American leadership, saying theyve largely abandoned Afghanistan to its fate, leaving it to nonprofits, such as the 1208 Foundation to try and pick up the slack. But those organizations can't do this forever, Kazka said. Brig. Gen. Khosh Sadat he and Sammi are not related warned that many of the things that preceded the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and others are now again happening in Afghanistan. And he fears though he hopes it won't happen another attack may take place, recalling the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole and other terrorist activities in the 1990s. Sign Up for free: Military Brief Your weekly local update on local military news and events, sent straight to your inbox. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The U.S. got out because in the Doha Deal, the Taliban promised to them on paper that they will not allow anybody to attack the United States. Im amazed how much trust is put there, he said. The Taliban are not 10 feet tall, where they can just find out in which valley, in which village, any foreign terrorist group is planning attacks. The Doha Agreement, signed by President Donald Trump and the Taliban in 2020, served as the first step in a peace agreement between the parties. It also required Afghan fighters loyal to the government to stop fighting the Taliban, something Khosh Sadat and others were none too keen to do. Negotiations with the Taliban began in 2019, and Khosh Sadat said they were not offered a seat at the table. "That's when the betrayal started," he said. "There's a lot of examples of the betrayal, but the most important one was putting pressure on us to not fight the Taliban." Sammi Sadat agreed, saying the agreement removed the strategic deterrence in their region. Countries such as China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan knew not to interfere with the Afghan government, so long as a coalition forces remained in the region, he said. Once the U.S. began to leave, "they started empowering our enemies," he said. A 'Golden era' lost, a generation deprived of a future The immediate focus by veterans and refugees is how to get allies still trapped in the once-again-Taliban-occupied nation. The economy is in free-fall. Womens rights have gone back to the eighth century at best. Institutions are crumbled and theres a massive brain drain going on, Kazka said. But we are trying to highlight to the world at large that there is a little ember that needs some care and attention but can still come back into existence. Afghanistan's youth grew up in a world that was free of the Taliban, they noted. Sammi Sadat said the countrys eyes had been opened, and it was connected to the rest of the world. During the occupation, boys and girls went to school in Afghanistan, the country traded with other countries, and its citizens traveled to the outside world. This was the best thing that could have happened to us in the last 50 years, Sammi Sadat said. Our era, compared to the Taliban, looks like a golden era. Although with the war and everything, there was freedom, there were jobs, there were people who had the work opportunities ... You could live a decent life in Afghanistan. Sammi Sadat acknowledged that, before the fall, there was fighting in the suburbs, countryside and remote villages, but the cities were largely becoming metropolitan. The society of Afghanistan completely transformed for the better during those 20 years, he said. The Taliban rolled all of that back as its forces steamrolled into Kabul and the Afghan government fled. Khosh and Sammi lamented that this younger generation of Afghans was never given the chance to take the reins of their country's leadership. The U.S. government spent a significant amount of money training junior officers, they noted. But where the investment in young leaders and junior officers paid off, the investment in government leadership did not, they said. Whether corruption, nepotism or incompetence, Khosh said certain political leaders hindered Afghanistans progress. Some of the partners were not genuine partners toward the people of Afghanistan or towards the United States, he said. That really resulted in breaking the morale on the frontline. Both generals also lamented the tendency of the central government to appoint people, themselves included, to different roles at will. Often neither general was able to fully settle into his new role before being transferred to another. In contrast, they said, U.S. personnel can spend a significant amount of time in a role, giving them ample opportunities to get to know their unit before receiving a new assignment. But the blame does not entirely fall on the Afghan government the United States played a significant role, as well, they said. Part of the problem was a disconnect between the White House and the Pentagon, where a new administration could come in and undo the work of the previous president, giving new missions to military leaders regardless of how much progress had been made with prior ones, they said. Another, they added, was a general lack of attempted cooperation between service members and the indigenous population. This is something that sets special forces apart, Kazka said, as they place a high premium on working with and through the locals. Theres a fundamental misunderstanding about the culture and how deeply entrenched some of these norms were especially within rural villages, he said. We put an 18-20-year-old kid in peoples backyards and didnt understand the impact of that offense, which came back to bite us in the long term. Despite being exiles, the two generals look to the future of their country with a sense of hope. Both want to return. The first big step in Sammi Sadat's mind is restoring Afghanistan's democratic constitution, which was adopted in 2004. He sees a bright future for his country as a trade hub, noting Afghanistan has significant mineral deposits and oil and gas reserves that can make the country a worldwide player. "We want to utilize that and make Afghanistan prosperous and return the lost respect to our country, so our citizens can feel this is their home," he said. "Nobody is running away, everybody can live at peace, make money, go to schools and live in our country." ALBANY New Yorkers will soon be able to access birth control at their local pharmacies without a doctors prescription, but it will take at least a year for the Legislature and regulatory agencies to smooth out the details. The Birth Control Access Act, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last week, authorizes pharmacists to prescribe and distribute three forms of female contraception the pill, the patch and the ring by creating a statewide standing order for the medication. Its touted as part of the states response to the federal government overturning Roe v. Wade last year, a move that restricted access to abortion and reproductive health care in other parts of the country. The current number of contraceptive providers per person in New York ranks near the bottom in the country, alongside Texas and Louisiana; allowing pharmacists to provide prescriptions for patients has the potential to more than double the number of contraceptive providers in New York. At least 20 other states have already enacted similar legislation. As anti-choice extremists and judges continue to roll back abortion rights across the country, we are fighting back here in New York, Hochul said. Under my watch, I will continue to ensure that New York remains a safe harbor for those in need of care. Set to go into effect in 18 months, the state Department of Health is now tasked with developing guidelines to train pharmacists on screening patients and dispensing birth control. There is no age restriction in the bill on who can obtain birth control nor a parental consent requirement, but consumers will likely have to fill out a short questionnaire enabling pharmacists to guide customers towards their best options. Pharmacists welcomed the bill, which they say will expand access to birth control, particularly in rural parts of the state. But they were hoping that the legislation would include a provision enabling pharmacists to bill insurance companies for time spent consulting patients on birth control. The compensation really would help offset the extended time that it would take to provide that service and plus, cover the additional liability brought to the pharmacist by doing things like that, said Heather Ferrarese, a pharmacist from central New York and president of Pharmacists Society of the State of New York. We just would like to make sure that pharmacists are properly compensated for their time and expertise. The bill currently enables pharmacists to prescribe contraception methods known as the pill, the patch or the ring, but advocates hope that the bill will be expanded to include hormonal injection, or the shot, which is usually administered four times per year. The patch releases hormones through the skin wherever it is placed, and must be changed weekly to remain effective. The ring, a flexible piece of plastic, inserts in the vagina and also works like the pill and patch do through hormone release; it must be changed monthly. The makers of the pill, patch and ring report that the contraceptives are more than 90 percent effective if used properly. The bill makes the pharmacy a one-stop shop for birth control by allowing pharmacists to provide a prescription and dispense medication at the same time, said Jenna Bimbi, executive director of the NY Birth Control Access Project. By expanding the number of birth control providers in the state, we are taking another decisive step towards making New York a true safe haven for reproductive health. It builds on the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act, which New York passed in 2019, requiring insurers to cover all forms of FDA-approved contraception without a copay. The CCCA also made Plan B, or the morning-after pill, available over the counter without a prescription at pharmacies. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that can be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. On the federal level, there is a movement to free the pill and allow over-the-counter access to at least one kind of oral contraceptive. New York ranks near the bottom of the country when it comes to contraceptive providers per person, advocates say. A 2022 report found that 1.2 million people across the state live in what have been described as contraceptive deserts, meaning areas without an ample amount of health centers distributing a variety of birth control options to individuals that qualify for public assistance. Some of the contraceptive deserts, according to the report, are in western New York and throughout upstate, including many rural areas. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Two oil tankers recently seized by Iran are anchored off the coast of one of its key port cities on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Sunday. The photos from Planet Labs PBC showed the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi being just south of Bandar Abbas near a naval base in the port city in Irans Hormozgan province Saturday. Their capture represents just the latest ship seizure conducted by Iran amid tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, though it appears the two ships may have been taken for different reasons. Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, staffed by 23 Indians and one Russian, on April 27 as it traveled in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran claimed the vessel had struck another ship, though tracking data for the Advantage Sweet showed no erratic behavior on its trip. Iran has made claims in the past over ship seizures to cover for the vessels being taken to use as pawns in negotiations with the West. The Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California, at the time of its capture. And its seizure comes as another tanker believed to be carrying Iranian crude disappeared from anchorage off Singapore a year after being identified as trying to evade U.S. sanctions. The Financial Times, as well as the maritime intelligence firm Ambrey, both have reported that ship named Suez Rajan was seized by order of American authorities. U.S. officials and those associated with the Suez Rajan have not responded to questions about the tanker's disappearance while on a westward path. Satellite images showed a second ship, the Niovi, a Panama-flagged tanker, which was seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday as it left a dry dock in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bound for Fujairah on the UAE's eastern coast. While not carrying any cargo, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence seen by the AP showed the Niovi in July 2020 received oil from a ship known then as the Oman Pride. The U.S. Treasury in August 2021 sanctioned the Oman Pride and others associated with the vessel over it being involved in an international oil smuggling network that supported the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. Separately, purported emails published online by Wikiran, a website that solicits leaked documents from the Islamic Republic, suggest that cargo carried by the Niovi was sold on to firms in China without permission. United Against a Nuclear Iran, which has tracked sanctioned crude shipments by Tehran, strongly suspects the seizure of the Niovi is related to a dispute over a shipment of Iranian oil, said Claire Jungman, the chief of staff of the organization. Iran has said it seized the Niovi over an unspecified court order in Tehran. The managers of the Niovi did not answer repeated telephone calls for comment. The Greek Coast Guard have said the Niovi was staffed by Greek, Filipino and Sri Lankan sailors. Meanwhile Sunday, an internet account describing itself as a group of hackers claimed responsibility for allegedly taking down websites associated with Iran's Foreign Ministry. The claims of the account GhyamSarnegouni, whose name in Farsi means Rise to Overthrow, went unaddressed for hours as websites of the Foreign Ministry's remained down over what was initially called scheduled maintenance and upgrades. Cached versions of the websites of Iranian diplomatic posts in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Munich, Germany, and Seoul, South Korea, appeared to have been defaced with a message in Farsi reading: Death to Khamenei, Hail Rajavi. Khamenei refers to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Rajavi likely refers to Massoud Rajavi, the long-missing leader of the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or his wife Maryam, who is now the public face of the group. There is a great revolution in Iran, the uprising will go until the demolition of the palace of oppression, the message read. Early Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry websites were back online. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as acknowledging its websites had been hacked while trying to downplay the incident. ___ Jon Gambrell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. ALBANY The number of firearms being seized by police from individuals found to be likely at risk of harm to themselves or others has soared so much in the past year that evidence rooms in some State Police barracks have had to be reconfigured or expanded to store the weapons. The increase follows an executive order issued last year by Gov. Kathy Hochul that mandated troopers file court applications for extreme risk protection orders whenever they encounter a person who is believed to be a danger and in possession of a firearm. The Red Flag Law was enacted in 2019, but last year Hochul also signed into law several measures that expanded who may file an ERPO petition to include health care practitioners who have examined an individual within the last six months. The law change also requires police and district attorneys to file extreme risk protection orders when they have credible information that someone is likely to engage in conduct that could result in serious harm. In 2020, judges issued protection orders against 255 people across New York. This year, in just over four months, the number of individuals subjected to emergency or temporary risk protection orders topped 2,120. And between 2020 and last November, State Police had seized 2,521 firearms under emergency protection orders a figure that does not include seizures made by more than 150 other New York police agencies. In some troops storage for seized guns was running short, but we have managed it by reconfiguring storage spaces to accommodate for the increased seizures, said Beau Duffy, a State Police spokesman. The broader measures enacted under the law have faced civil rights challenges and some judges in New York have issued rulings finding the process unconstitutional. But those rulings have occurred in court cases in which neither State Police nor the state attorney generals office are named parties in the litigation only participants and so the decisions have not resulted in the law being struck down. Some of the rulings have cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that struck down New Yorks onerous concealed carry laws; the nations highest court reiterated in that case that the constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not 'a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees.' The challenges of New Yorks Red Flag Law have been brought by attorneys for those who were alleged to be likely to cause serious harm and faced the seizure of their firearms. Some of those attorneys have argued that the process conflicts with state Mental Health Law, which cites the same dangerousness standard but requires a physician to determine whether a person presents a likelihood to result in serious harm. Under the Red Flag Law, those analyses are in most of the cases being made by police officers and prosecutors. Why should the law not treat similarly situated people the same, with the same constitutional guarantees and protections, if both are deemed to present as having a 'likelihood to result in serious harm,' state Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. Moran wrote in a decision in December involving a Monroe County couple. In that case, which involved a man filing an application for a temporary extreme risk protection order against his estranged girlfriend, Moran noted that he was not unmindful of the dangers firearms may pose when possessed in the hands of a person suffering a mental illness, harboring a criminal intent, or both. He sided with argument made by the womans attorney that the process of the Red Flag Law conflicted with the standards set by state Mental Health Law. He ruled that seizing someones lawfully possessed weapons, without adequate constitutional safeguards, cannot be condoned by this court. While some may advocate that 'the ends justify the means' in support of (the law), where those means violate a fundamental right under our Bill of Rights to achieve their ends, then the law, on its face, cannot stand. He said it cannot be stated clearly enough that the Second Amendment is not a second class right, nor should it ever be treated as such. But Morans decision, while cited in other cases, will not change the application of the Red Flag Law. For the law to be struck down, it may require a challenge in U.S. District Court in which a person with proper standing to bring the action files a petition against the State Police or state attorney generals office, which last year began representing troopers and investigators in the civil proceedings. Theyre not binding on the state but theyre certainly persuasive authority, said Daniel Strollo, a Rochester attorney who represented the woman whose guns had been subject to seizure in the Monroe County case. I think one of the reasons youre seeing the State Police get so involved in these is many local or county-level law enforcement organizations are headed by people who agree that this is unconstitutional and refuse to enforce an unconstitutional law. But there have been decisions by other judges upholding the constitutionality of the Red Flag Law. In a ruling last month in Cortland County, state Supreme Court Justice Mark G. Masler issued a ruling in which he said that Morans decision three months earlier was not well founded. Masler asserted that the procedures to hospitalize someone or force them to take medicine involuntarily involve different standards than using a fact-based inquiry to determine whether a persons conduct should prompt the seizure of their firearms for safety reasons. (T)he extreme risk protection statute does not require findings that respondent is mentally ill, or that the likelihood of serious harm result from mental illness rather, it requires only a determination that the respondent is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to the respondent or others, Masler wrote. In other words, a person who has threatened or attempted suicide, engaged in other conduct that demonstrates a danger to self, or engaged in homicidal or other violent behavior placing others in reasonable fear of serious harm satisfies the definition without the need for expert (medical) opinion. The cases almost always involve firearms and whether a person who poses a potential public safety threat should have those weapons seized by police through a court order either temporarily or for up to a year. The governors order last year was issued days after a mass shooting in Buffalo in which 10 Black people were killed by an 18-year-old white man in what police said was a racially motivated attack. The Times Union reported in the wake of that order that many of the Red Flag Law cases were being dismissed by judges because troopers and State Police investigators filing the applications were often appearing at hearings without attorneys. In the proceedings, which are similar to proceedings in which someone fights a traffic ticket, the troopers had been instructed by State Police to not make legal arguments. After the Times Unions story, the state attorney generals office reversed course and sent an attorney to a hearing to represent a State Police investigator who had filed an application for an extreme risk protection order. That office subsequently announced it was working with the governors office on addressing this in the long term and had begun assigning attorneys to assist State Police to ensure red flag laws are executed and firearms kept away from dangerous individuals. Since December, the attorney generals office represented State Police in 413 extreme risk protection order cases, with judges declining to issue orders in less than a dozen of those cases. Hochuls office had acknowledged last year that since New Yorks law took effect in 2019, the lack of uniform legal representation for petitioners has contributed to the dismissal of some ERPO applications, and recognizing that, we have been working with the attorney generals office, district attorneys, and the Office of Court Administration to improve these proceedings and ensure adequate support for State Police. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Dozens of Capital Region student athletes honored the memory of 23 children killed during contentious divorce and custody proceedings at a track event Sunday, as one parent urged state lawmakers to pass legislation aiming to reform the Family Court system in New York. The death of Jacqueline Franchettis 2-year-old daughter, Kyra, in 2016 at the hands of her estranged ex-partner, sparked Franchettis yearslong battle to change judicial procedure during divorce or separation cases with allegations of abuse or child neglect. Kyras Law would mandate that judges have domestic and child abuse training, require courts to determine whether there has been any abuse before addressing custody rights or child visitation schedules, and make the health and safety of children the top priority in determining custody outcomes. Franchetti, flanked by Assemblyman John McDonald (D-Cohoes) and Assemblyman Phil Steck (D-Colonie), called the legislation a common-sense directive that would prevent not just deaths, but the physical, emotional and sexual abuse that many children who are caught up in Family Court cases endure. Both McDonald and Steck said they are in full support of the bill, while sponsor Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, has previously said his office has been having conversations with the Office of Court Administration, which oversees Family Court, on the finer points of the legislation. But the bill has not made it to the floor of either chamber with just one month to go to the end of this years legislative session. It should pass, but it may not. Were in jeopardy today, Franchetti said. Part of the legislation would require courts to conduct a review of any one parents findings or allegations of child abuse, domestic violence, or heightened danger before issuing custody or visitation rights. The Times Union has previously reported on gaps within the Family Court system in New York, which can fail to prevent killings like Kyras. Advocates have estimated that 23 children have been killed by a parent involved in divorce or separation proceedings since 2016. One factor in these incidents is the delay in contentious custody cases, which can drag on for months without resolution, with each hearing spaced out over months in some cases. Joan Gerhardt, the director of public policy at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said that the legislation would mandate that judges almost immediately evaluate a childs treatment by both parents at the beginning of custody cases. Not months down the road, not after the case has been punted month after month after month, Gerhardt said. But at that first appearance in Family Court, (judges) should think through the safety and well-being of children, month after month after month. Steck said the issue has not yet come up in conference with fellow Democrats in the Assembly, with 17 days of session left before lawmakers leave Albany. He added that some of the disputes over the bill come down to funding for judges to receive increased training, as well as the issue of an under-resourced court system. But Steck also emphasized the Legislatures role is in setting legal requirements while the courts must then carry them out. The legislation would, in part, ensure that judges receive more thorough education on domestic violence and child abuse, and allows advocacy groups and the state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to develop that training. Some of the roughly 70 student athletes gathered at the Colonie Central High School track on Sunday clutched red Elmo dolls as they ran a mile, a nod to Kyras favorite character before she died. Franchettis daughter had been shot by her father in the middle of a contentious custody battle that was unfolding in Nassau County Family Court, where visitation disputes are typically handled in divorce and separation cases. Roy Rumsey, Kyras father, had a history of violence and stalking that led to Franchetti leaving the relationship. But the judge overseeing her case did not take his behavioral history into account, according to Franchetti, and Rumsey shot Kyra during an overnight visit before killing himself. Todays a hard day for me. I miss my daughter so much, Franchetti said. And we cannot wait one more day for this to pass. We cannot wait one more year for this to pass. We need our courts to do what theyre supposed to do. Allow us a Sunday revelation . . . THE MAIN POINT HERE IS THAT ASSURANCES FROM MAYOR Q & CITY HALL DON'T REALLY MAN MUCH ANYMORE!!! Accordingly . . . Check this respectful but stern consideration of a recent offer to delay the landfill conversation for a year . . . Here's the word . . . After the session, Sen. Rick Brattin (R-31) held a live press conference at the capitol to thank the other senators who supported him in this matter. While what took place today in Kansas City and Jefferson City may delay the landfill process for a year, we recognize that is not enough, said Mayor Kris Turnbow. We will continue this fight until there is no threat to our community and our surrounding neighbors that a landfill will ever be allowed at this location. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . We roundup this local story and attempt to look at the bright side . . . Thankfully, nobody was killed. And . . . Critics might claim that Overland Park is getting rougher amid a demographic shift. The reality is that hotel/motel life has ALWAYS been dangerous. The only real change that deserves attention . . . American housing is becoming more transient in general and workers are increasingly moving from one suburb to the next since they're all so remarkably similar. Check-it . . . "When police arrived on the scene, they found one person suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. "Two additional victims connected to the altercation were found a short time later at a different location. Those two victims were also transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries not expected to be life-threatening. "The incident reportedly started as a verbal disturbance in the parking lot between two pairs of individuals, then weapons were drawn and a gunfight ensued, police said in a press release Saturday morning." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Gunfire outside Overland Park hotel injures 3, including 1 critically KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police in Overland Park say an overnight verbal disturbance escalated into a gunfight that injured three people. Around 2 a.m. Saturday, officers were called to a hotel in the 7500 block of Shawnee Mission Parkway on the verbal altercation. Multiple shot at hotel parking lot in Overland Park OVERLAND, PARK, Kan. - The Overland Park Police Department is investigating a shooting that left multiple injured early Saturday morning. Police responded to a disturbance in a parking lot of a hotel in the 7500 block of Shawnee Mission Parkway around 2 a.m. Developing . . . Saturday marked the 149th annual Kentucky Derby, and you know what that means: big hats, fancy dresses, and of course, ice-cold mint juleps. Known as the most exciting two minutes in sports, the annual horse race holds a special place in American history as the longest-running sporting event in the U.S. Every year on the first week of May, more than 150,000 people gather at the Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Ky. attracting more attendees than the Super Bowl and World Series. Celebrations commenced all around Colorado Springs surrounding live music, horse-betting, fundraising, and of course, more than enough mint juleps to go around. Over at the Gold Hill Mesa Community Center, families and friends gathered on the lawn for the first of their summer concert series featuring local artist Doctor Fine. Music echoed throughout the neighborhood, accompanied by food trucks and vendors for a free, family-oriented event. Neighboring the lawn was the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guilds V.I.P. Kentucky Derby fundraiser. The turnout this year has been amazing, and we have a beautiful day for it, said Jessica Kyle, event organizer and chair member of the guild. We just thought it would be super-fun. People love to dress up and wear big hats, and then we can raise funds for the Philharmonic. We do all the horse stuff, drink mint juleps and have a great time, Kyle said. According to Kyle, the event is expected to raise over $10,000. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Colorado Springs mayoral candidate Wayne Williams was in attendance, tasked with judging the derby day hat contest. Taking home the first-place prize was derby enthusiast Margarita Montwill, who was sporting a vintage black floppy hat, stacked with a decadent floral arrangement. It was a gift from my friend in the 80s, and Ive been wearing it ever since, Montwill said, I absolutely love watching the Derby every year. Meanwhile, at the Ivywild School complex on Colorado Springs' south side, festivities erupted from the Axe & Oak Distillerys sixth annual Derby Day party. We started this event pretty early as we opened the whiskey house, owner Eric Baldini said. Its just been a fun, cultural event, and a way to bring the community together, dress up, have a good time and watch some horses. Belinda Speth, the distillerys brand ambassador and event coordinator, said as a whiskey and bourbon house, the Kentucky Derby celebration was a natural tradition to fall into. "Having a Kentucky Derby party has really been the whiskey thing to do. We do bourbon and whiskey, so with the mint julep, we kind of fell into it, Speth said, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts present at Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have received information that the announced evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar where most plant staff live has started. A relevant statement by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was released on Saturday evening. While operating staff remain at the site, Director General Grossi expressed deep concern about the increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions for personnel and their families at Europes largest nuclear power plant (NPP), located by the frontline in a southern Ukrainian region that has seen a recent increase in military presence and activity. The IAEA experts at the site are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis, including late on Friday. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment, he said. As noted, the IAEA experts received information about the situation regarding the evacuation in the town announced on Friday. ZNPP Director Yuri Chernichuk has publicly stated that operating staff are not being evacuated and that they are doing everything necessary to ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant, whose six reactors are all in shutdown mode. He also said that plant equipment is maintained in accordance with all necessary nuclear safety and security regulations. Since the beginning of the plants capture, the number of ZNPP staff has gradually declined but site management has stated that it has remained sufficient for the safe operation of the plant. Moldova plans to introduce temporary restrictions on imports of grains and oilseeds from Ukraine. The Minister of Agriculture of Moldova Vladimir Bola said this during a meeting with the head of the EU delegation Janis Marejks, Ukrinform reports citing NewsMaker. In particular, Bola announced "the ministry's intention to temporarily apply measures introduced by some EU countries regarding the import of grains and oilseeds from Ukraine." He added that Moldova's authorities plan to compensate farmers for the excise tax on diesel fuel and subsidize the cost of plant protection products and fertilizers. As reported, on May 2, the European Commission announced the introduction of "exceptional and temporary" safeguard measures against imports from Ukraine, which limit the supply of agricultural goods produced in Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The restrictions will apply to four agricultural products: wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds originating in Ukraine and will remain in force until June 5, 2023. Allies should support Ukraine until its victory and restoration of territorial integrity within the borders of 1991, including Crimea. "We need Ukraine to fully restore its territorial integrity and borders of 1991, including Crimea. As soon as Crimea is liberated, it will be a serious blow to Russian imperialism which we need to get rid of because it endangers the security of Europe," Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky told the Voice of America in an interview, Ukrinform reports. The minister expressed his conviction that the Czech Republic and NATO should supply weapons to Ukraine until it wins. Commenting on the measures taken by the Czech Republic to limit Russian influence, in particular the imposition of sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the minister noted that this is due to responsibility for the future of the country and the entire continent. "This is a question of a safe Czech Republic, a safe Europe because if you look at the map, we are in the center of Europe. Therefore, our security depends on the security of the whole of Europe. And in such a situation, we have to be clear about what threatens us, and it is obviously Russia, and it will be Russia even when Ukraine wins the war the Russian threat will remain," Lipavsky noted. As reported, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel stated at a press conference in Kyiv on April 28 that Ukraine and the Czech Republic prepared six key projects for the joint production of ammunition, weapons, tank repair, as well as the potential production of training aircraft. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna will take part in the meeting of ministers for European affairs of the Weimar Triangle nations (Poland, France, and Germany), which will be held at Kornik Castle in Poland on May 12. This was reported by the Polish Governments press service, Ukrinform reports. On May 12, Stefanishyna will meet with the Polish Minister for EU Affairs Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek, his French counterpart Laurence Boone, and Minister of European Affairs and Climate Anna Luhrmann of Germany. Memo. The Weimar Triangle is an informal international association of Poland, France, and Germany, which was founded in 1991. The group periodically holds meetings at the level of presidents, heads of government, foreign ministers, defense ministers, etc. Within the Weimar Triangle format, among others, issues related to the development of consolidated positions of the three nations on Ukraine-related issues are also discussed. The latest meeting of the Weimar Triangle took place at the level of heads of state on February 8, 2022. The previous meeting of ministers on European issues was held on March 16, 2012. Ukrainian activists hope that the Russians will not be allowed to use such symbols as the St George ribbon. Thats according to a statement released by the Association of Ukrainians in Germany, Vitsche Berlin, Ukrinform reports. It notes that on May 6, the capital court suspended the ban issued by the police on May 5 on the use of Russian and Soviet flags and the St. George's ribbon during the May 8-9 anniversary events. Earlier, the court suspended the ban on the use of Ukrainian flags and symbols. "We believe that the demonstration of the St. George ribbon is a criminal offense according to the current legislation as since 2014, it has been used to justify and glorify Russia's attack on Ukraine. In addition, it distorts the memory of World War 2 and serves the Russian propaganda narrative branding Ukrainians as Nazis. Therefore, it is not surprising that an urgent request for Russian flags and St. George's ribbon came from Russian propagandist Elena Kolbasnikova and right-wing extremist lawyer and politician Markus Beisicht," the statement reads. Unlike the "Ukraine case", the Berlin police have already filed a complaint with the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg. Vitsche hopes that the court will consider the use of the symbols of the Russian aggressor as soon as possible and will not allow their use. It should be recalled that last year, the authorities in Berlin banned the use of both Ukrainian and Russian flags and symbols, as well as song performances. This year, in order to "maintain order," law enforcement decided to apply this requirement again in the three largest sites where the fallen Soviet soldiers are commemorated. Vitsche filed an urgent appeal and got the police ban overturned. California's reparations task force voted on Saturday in favor of a reparations program, the first of its kind in the United States. The committee of nine members voted to give final approval a plan with detailed explanations for how restitution should be made to victims of systemic racism, housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and health care inequities. The plan now goes to state legislature for approval. If passed, it could mean hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to black residents of the Golden State. STIMULUS CHECK UPDATE: DIRECT PAYMENT WORTH $800 TO BE PAID OUT TO RECIPIENTS IN NINE DAYS Calculations provided ahead of the vote showed that black residents who have lived in California their whole life and are 71 or older could receive up to $1.2 million in payments. The proposed payments released on Wednesday revealed various alleged harms the committee seeks to atone for on behalf of the state of California, with all of the alleged harms varying depending on the time spent in California. Those who have suffered from health-related harms would receive $13,619 for each year spent in California, with descendants eligible for the payments. Payments for those who were victims of alleged over-policing from 1971 through 2020, meanwhile would be entitled to $2,352 for each year living in California during that time, with a maximum amount of $115,260. The task force's report is due to be released by July 1. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Ahead of Saturday's voting, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) applauded the recommendation of paying reparations to black residents in the state, calling the move a "human right" that has been "long overdue" for decades. "Reparations are not a luxury for our people, but a human right long overdue for millions of Americans," Lee said during a meeting with California's Reparations Task Force on Saturday. "The atrocities committed against black Americans are undeniable, and reparations are a tangible route to acknowledging and making amends to the glaring economic and social impacts of slavery and systemic racism. We must repair this damage." Original Location: California reparations task force votes to approve restitution plan Washington Examiner Videos LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Eurovision 2023 kicked off on Sunday when 37 contenders walked the "Turquoise Carpet" in Liverpool, the English city hosting the competition on behalf of Ukraine. Under the banner "United by Music", the 67th edition of the song contest will comprise three live shows that will unite the cultures of Ukraine and Liverpool, the birthplace of the Beatles, organisers have said. The "Turquoise Carpet" is Eurovision's version of the red carpet. Ukraine was last year's winner but was unable to stage the event this year, as the winner usually does, because of Russia's invasion. The country's Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 contest in Italy with its entry "Stefania", a fusion of rap and traditional folk music that garnered public support from across the continent to claim an emotional victory. As last year's winner, the country has an automatic entry into next Saturday's grand final, along with the UK and the other "Big Five" members of the European Broadcasting Union: France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The other 31 contenders will compete in semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday for 20 places in the grand final. Monika Linkyte, who will be representing Lithuania in the contest, said she felt honoured to be participating even though she felt a "lot of pressure on her shoulders". She will perform the song "Stay" in Thursday's semi-final. (Reporting by Steve Hignett; Writing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Susan Fenton) (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2023) The US Treasury remains unsure about a possible date of default in the country, including previously announced June 1, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday. "Early June is when we project that we will run out of cash, and there is a chance it could be as early as June 1. Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty," Yellen told ABC news. The US Treasury will keep the Congress updated on new developments, she added. Earlier in May, the US Department of the Treasury said the US government will likely begin defaulting on its debt by June 1 if the congressional limit on the country's debt servicing is not raised by then. In late April, House Republicans passed legislation to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for cuts in Federal spending and other measures to reduce the deficit. However, Senate Democrats and US President Joe Biden rejected the proposal, saying it had no chance of becoming law. Inversely, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that a "no-strings-attached" debt limit increase would not pass the lower chamber. Biden is scheduled to meet with McCarthy and other congressional leaders next week to negotiate the raising of the US debt limit. Los Angeles, May 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2023 ) :Mage roared from off the pace to win the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, launching US racing's Triple Crown campaign as two more horse deaths on Saturday cast a pall on proceedings at Churchill Downs. Trainer Gustavo Delgado and jockey Javier Castellano -- both from Venezuela -- each claimed a first Kentucky Derby win, Mage surging around the final turn and out-dueling Two Phil's down the stretch. Two Phil's, trained by Larry Rivelli and ridden by Jareth Loveberry, finished second and Angel of Empire, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, was third. Mage, a 16-1 shot who had impressed in running second to Forte in the Florida Derby five weeks ago, was among the beneficiaries when the race was thrown wide open Saturday morning as favorite Forte became the fifth horse scratched from the 1 1/4-mile event. Now he's poised to challenge for the Triple Crown, with the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on May 20 to be followed by the Belmont Stakes in New York in June. "Give me a couple of days at least," Delgado laughed when asked if Mage would be pointed toward the coveted treble. Mage became the fourth horse to win the Derby off only three prior career starts. But Castellano, denied in 15 prior Derby attempts, said he never doubted the lightly raced colt could win. "He did it really well today," Castellano said. "He got a lot of dirt in his face, came from behind horses. "He's a little horse but with a big heart." The scintillating run capped a disturbing week at the iconic racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, where seven horses have died in the space of 10 days. That included two horses on Saturday's race programme -- Chloe's Dream and Freezing Point -- that were euthanized after being taken from the course by horse ambulance after breaking down in races. Last week, Derby-bound Wild on Ice and Take Charge Briana were euthanized after suffering leg injuries. Chasing Artie and Parents Pride, both trained by Saffie Joseph, collapsed and died with the cause of death still unknown. The board of Stewards announced Thursday that all Joseph-trained horses had been scratched from all races until further notice. That included Derby runner Lord Miles. Those four deaths prompted a statement of concern from Churchill Downs officials on Wednesday, and the Daily Racing Form then reported that another horse, Code of Kings, flipped over while being unsaddled in the paddock and broke his neck. - Bruised foot - The deaths and scratches cast a shadow over a normally festive week that culminated with a 150,000-strong crowd for the Derby. The Todd Pletcher-trained Forte was scratched Saturday morning with a bruised foot. Practical Move, Continuar and Skinner had already been pulled out. Forte had shown a slight wobble during training on Thursday. Pletcher had insisted through Friday that the horse would be able to run, but after state veterinarians examined him Saturday he was scratched -- a move that clearly gutted owner Mike Repole. "You can only be a three-year-old colt on the first Saturday in May one time in your life," Repole said. "I feel bad for the horse." But horse safety put racing in the spotlight nationwide in 2019, when horse deaths spiked at Santa Anita and the California track was closed for more than three weeks. Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, issued a statement Saturday saying the measures taken so far by Churchill Downs to protect horses were inadequate. "The pre-Derby death toll is still mounting," Guillermo said after Chloe's Dream was euthanized. "Although PETA appreciates that the Kentucky state veterinarian exercised caution by scratching the Derby favorite, we called for the closure of the track so stronger protocols could be put in place. Churchill Downs should have listened." (@ChaudhryMAli88) Khartoum, May 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2023 ) :When a maternity hospital in the Sudanese capital came under bombardment, Esraa Hesbalrasoul snatched her premature twins from an incubator and rushed out in a panic. In the chaos, only one of the infants survived. Hesbalrasoul now tends to her baby in a small hospital in the capital's twin city of Omdurman that for weeks has struggled to weather the near-ceaseless fighting. Numerous medical facilities have been shelled in the fighting that broke out on April 15 between rival generals and the forces they command. The battles have left only 16 percent of hospitals in Khartoum fully functional, according to the United Nations, putting countless lives at risk. But the small Al-Nada hospital in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman remains a lifesaver, keeping its doors open to offer vital health care despite the mounting odds. When strikes shook the ground on April 20 around the facility initially caring for the twins, "we were told we had to evacuate everyone right away", Hesbalrasoul told AFP. "There were no ambulances available so we had to transport our babies as best we could," she said. "But one of them died because of the lack of oxygen." Her tragedy is hardly an isolated one. The UN estimates that there are "219,000 pregnant women in Khartoum, including 24,000 women expected to give birth in the coming weeks". Al-Nada is one of the rare facilities they can turn to. Its director, Mohammed Fattah al-Rahman, in particular credits a generous donation from the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA-USA), which has allowed it to keep running. With this money, "we have been able to deliver 500 births, naturally and through caesarian sections, and to admit 80 children", he told AFP, surrounded by premature babies in incubators. But the war is never far from the dimly lit facility. Sounds of gunfire and blasts can often be heard echoing in the distance. There is no air conditioning, only overhead fans that attempt to relieve the heat which often reaches up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) even before the blazing peak of summer. As the war rages, killing hundreds and injuring thousands so far, much of Sudan's meagre medical resources have been diverted to tending the war-wounded with urgent care. "There have been no obstetrics or paediatric services since the beginning of the conflict," Rahman says. That meant that Sudanese couple Fatima and her husband Jaber could find no facilities to treat their young son for meningitis, until they arrived at Al-Nada, which offers paediatric care as well as maternity facilities. - Fear of 'collapse' - Even before the war broke out, mothers and children faced grave dangers in Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries. Almost three out of every thousand women die in childbirth in Sudan, eight times higher than the figure in neighbouring Egypt, according to the UN children's fund, UNICEF. It says 56 out of every 1,000 Sudanese children die before reaching the age of five. Last year, the UN estimated that one in three Sudanese needed to walk more than an hour to get medical care. Today, the small team that keeps the Al-Nada hospital going fears conditions will soon force them to stop their essential work. "Our stocks of medicines are starting to dwindle," said Alaa Ahmed, a pharmacist at the hospital. "If it goes on like this, everything will collapse."The prospect of getting more supplies from the government warehouse on the other side of the Nile River is not only unlikely -- it is closed and unaccessible -- but possibly deadly while combat rages. As a result, Ahmed laments, "A lot of people ask me for medicine but unfortunately I can't give it to them". RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2023 ) :Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir on Sunday met with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and discussed matters of mutual interest including regional security and defence cooperation. During the meeting, the COAS reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to China-Pakistan Strategic relationship, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said. The COAS also pledged full support for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which was a vital component of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He also appreciated China's unwavering support for Pakistan on regional and international issues. Foreign Minister Qin Gang underscored the importance of the longstanding strategic relationship between the brotherly nations and expressed his satisfaction over the progress made on the CPEC while reiterating China's commitment to its timely completion. He also appreciated Pakistan's efforts in maintaining regional peace and stability, especially the support of the Pakistan Armed Forces for the provision of security to Chinese Nationals and projects in Pakistan. The two dignitaries also discussed the evolving security situation in the region. COAS acknowledged China's role in promoting peace and stability in the region, and both sides agreed to enhance their existing cooperation in defence and security domains to effectively counter common security challenges. The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides reiterating their resolve to further strengthen the time-tested, all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2023) The filming of the fifth and final season of the "Stranger Things" television series has been postponed due to a strike of screenwriters after negotiations over their contracts between the Writers Guild of America (WGAW) and the Hollywood studios failed, the project's directors and executive producers, Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, said on Sunday. "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike," the Duffers tweeted on the Stranger Things writers' room account. They expressed hope that "a fair deal is reached soon" and that they would soon "get back to work," adding that "until then -- over and out." On Tuesday, WGAW said that thousands of Hollywood screenwriters had begun the strike, bringing the production of many television shows and movies to a halt. Writers are demanding higher pay and, among other things, compensation for the changes in the pay structure since the advent of tv streaming, which leaves writers out of lucrative syndication deals. The guild, which represents about 11,500 writers of TV and film, had been engaged in negotiations over the past six weeks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which includes Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony. The last time Hollywood writers held a strike was in 2007, which lasted for 100 days and cost an estimated $2.1 billion in lost revenue. (@FahadShabbir) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2023) A teenager was killed and five other people were injured in a shooting at a house party in Chico, California, close to the campus of California State University, Chico, local police inform. The drive-by shooting occurred early on Saturday morning in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Chico, Police Lt. Terry Tupper told ABC News. Tupper said that the gunman opened fire from a vehicle into a group of people; a 17-year old girl was killed and five other people were injured. Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge said as cited by ABC news on Saturday that the suspect was seen at two separate parties that night. The five people injured in the shooting all sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Aldridge said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2023) Russia welcomes the resumption of Syria's participation in the work of the League of Arab States (LAS), this will improve the state of affairs in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. On Sunday, LAS foreign ministers announced that Syria was returning to the organization. "Moscow welcomes this long-awaited step, which has become a logical result of the process of returning Syria to the 'Arab family' that has gained momentum. For our part, in contact with the Arab capitals, we consistently called on them to restore full-fledged relations with Damascus," Zakharova said in a statement on Sunday. She added that the resumption of Syria's participation in the work of the Arab League, of which it is one of the founding states, will help improve the atmosphere in the middle East region. Zakharova expressed hope that LAS will support Syria in its post-conflict reconstruction, which is complicated by the illegitimate unilateral sanctions against Damascus. The Russian embassy in Cairo, Egypt said in a statement that it welcomed the decision of the Arab League to restore Syria's full membership in the organization. The embassy expressed confidence that the return of Damascus will make a significant contribution to overcoming the challenges facing the region and will further enhance the role of the Arab League in international affairs. The 22-nation Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 after a war broke out in the country. Several member states then recalled their ambassadors from Syria in protest against Syrian President Bashar Assad's policies, accusing his government of cracking down on demonstrators in the country. Years later, some of the nations have begun taking steps to reengage with Damascus and reopen embassies. After his swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva walked up the ramp to the presidential palace arm in arm with Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire, instantly recognizable by his yellow headdress and wooden lip plate. But a major railway that would accelerate deforestation in Metuktire's ancestral land risks souring relations between the leftist leader and the chief of the Kayapo people. And it's just one of several mega-projects that activists and experts say would devastate the natural world and seriously dent Lula's newfound image as a defender of the environment if they proceed. Others include an oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River; a highway that would slice through some of the Amazon rainforests most protected areas; and renewal of a giant hydroelectric dams license. Lula is talking about the environment, showing preoccupation with illegal mining, demarcating Indigenous territories. Hes already learned a lot, but needs to learn more. Were still very worried, said Alessandra Korap, an Indigenous leader of the Munduruku people who recently won the Goldman Environmental Prize for work that included battling illegal mining. Under Lulas predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation soared to 15-year high, and environmental restrictions were weakened. The far-right leader filled key positions in environmental agencies with agribusiness allies and military officers. Indigenous peoples rights were trampled. After narrowly defeating Bolsonaro in last year's election, Lula has strived to put environmental protection and respect for Indigenous peoples rights at the heart of his third term. He resumed successful pursuit of international donations for the Amazon Fund that combats deforestation, launched a military campaign to eject illegal miners from Yanomami territory, committed to ending all illegal deforestation by 2030 and restarted the demarcation of Indigenous areas. But Lula faces difficult tests in the large infrastructure projects. While opponents regard them as catastrophic, some in Lula's Workers' Party view them as essential for providing jobs. The oil-drilling project Ibama, Brazils environmental agency, will decide in the coming months whether to license drilling in one sector near the mouth of the Amazon. Approval would surely lead to drilling in the whole region, said Suely Araujo, a former Ibama head now a public policy specialist with the Climate Observatory. Its a matter of coherence. Lulas speeches on environmental protection and the climate crisis are bang on point. But if oil exploration is intensified, it will mean expanding fossil fuels. There would be an inconsistency, Araujo said. During Lulas first terms, huge offshore discoveries became a means of financing health, education and social welfare programs. With existing production set to peak in the coming years, there's sharp interest in securing more off Brazil's northern coast. It's a unique and biodiverse location, home to little-studied swathes of mangroves and a coral reef. Araujo said the project risks leaks that would be carried elsewhere by strong tides. State-run oil giant Petrobras has earmarked almost half its five-year, $6 billion exploration budget for the area. CEO Jean Paul Prates said the first well would be temporary, and that the company has never recorded a leak in offshore drilling. Eighty civil society and environmental organizations, WWF Brasil and Greenpeace, have called for the license to be declined pending an in-depth study. The hydroelectric dam The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, a concrete colossus on the Xingu River, was planned under Lula and built by his successor, Dilma Rousseff. Indigenous populations and environmental campaigners fiercely opposed it, and studies show its impacts have been disastrous. Civil society organizations estimate tens of thousands of people were displaced, and experts attribute a local surge of violence to lost jobs. Belo Monte is back on Lulas agenda, with Ibama weighing whether to renew its license. The agency reported last summer that Norte Energia, the dam's owner, hadn't respected many of the conditions for its original license. Local media said Norte Energia proposed to distribute 20,000 reais (about $4,000) in compensation to nearly 2,000 fishermen. Local populations are demanding the license be renewed only if Norte Energia agrees to use the water in a way that allows life in and around the river to be sustained. The highway The BR-319 highway connects Porto Velho to Manaus. It was abandoned in the 1980s after falling into disuse, but the government has shown signs of wanting to repave it to facilitate the export of commodities. Environmentalists and scientists warn that could lead to uncontrolled deforestation in the region by increasing land speculation and giving easy access to land grabbers. After Bolsonaro announced that a section of the road would be repaved, deforestation in nearby areas quickly surged, according to Brazils national space agency. Lula told Radio Difusora last June that he favored reconstruction, calling it important for the economies of Amazonas and Rondonia states. Ibama has slowed the permitting process to analyze it carefully. The railway Similar concerns surround a 933-kilometer (around 580 miles) railway known as Ferrograo that would move grains from the heartland toward the Tapajos River for eventual shipping abroad. The project would mean fewer trucks moving soy and corn, and thus reduced carbon emissions. But it might also mean rising deforestation. A 2021 study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais projected deforestation of more than 230,000 hectares in Indigenous lands in Mato Grosso state by 2035 if it is completed. The railway is on hold pending a court's ruling on the constitutionality of a law that permitted felling forest in the Jamanxim National Park to make way for its crossing. Shanghai resident Daniel Bian drank in the sweeping views over the Thai capital as he lay on a deckchair beside a swimming pool on the 19th floor of a luxury condominium. "I feel alive. I feel free," said an excited Bian, dapper in tinted sunglasses, flat-topped navy-blue hat and a wraparound tunic cinched at the waist, his hair hanging loosely to his shoulders. "This is my dream." Cooped up in China for three years under some of the world's toughest curbs against COVID-19, Bian is among a flood of mainland Chinese hunting for property buys in the southeast Asian nation since Beijing opened its borders this year. Many Chinese are eager to invest in a residence overseas, keen for a safety net in case of a similar disease outbreak, and to hedge against economic risks at home. Thailand was the most popular outbound destination for Chinese travelers during the May Labor Day holiday, data from website Trip.com showed, followed by Japan and South Korea. And the Southeast Asian nation's good international schools and quality medical facilities are drawing increasing numbers keen to acquire a second home. Thailand expects at least 5 million Chinese visitors this year, some set to buy property, although the figure is still a far cry from the era before COVID, when they made up nearly a third of the 40 million arrivals. "There is definitely demand from China for properties in Thailand," said Mesak Chunharakchot, the president of the Thai Real Estate Association. Topping buyers' lists are locations in major cities such as the capital, Bangkok, along with Chiang Mai in the mountainous north, the east coast beach resort of Pattaya and the northeastern region of Isan, he added. "Chinese are buying houses, sending their children to international schools and having their parents come stay in Thailand to take care of the grandkids." Nearly 270,000 Chinese tourists visited Thailand in March, government data shows, a three-year high, though well below the figure of 985,227 in March 2019, before the pandemic took hold. The share of Chinese students at Singapore International School Bangkok rose to 12% to 13% early this year, or 400 from a student body of 3,100 on four campuses, outstripping the figure of 6% during pre-pandemic 2019. "In China, when things are closed - it's overnight, nobody can go out," the school's chief executive, Kelvin Koh, told Reuters. "This affected the behavior of Chinese families." Despite Thai rules that limit foreign ownership to just 49% of the units in any condominium development, prospective buyers are pouring in, bringing business to real estate agents who target Chinese buyers. One such agent is Owen Zhu, who escorted Bian, 50, and his 70-year-old mother, fashionable in a close-fitting white dress topped off with a matching hat and veil, through viewings of three high-end apartments in Bangkok during a day-long property tour. "It has changed a lot after the pandemic. Most of the Chinese choose to buy luxury apartments to live in," said Zhu. Many clients who earlier bought for investment purposes have now zeroed in on property typically costing more than 2 million yuan ($290,000), he added. "The budget can only buy a simple home in China's first-tier cities, and its location might not be good," Zhu said. "But with that money they can buy a luxury apartment in the heart of Bangkok. Therefore, some would sell one of the houses in China and buy a property here for retirement." Bian, who organizes cultural exchanges between China and other countries, also sees fewer constraints in Thailand. By Choonsik Yoo, Hyonhee Shin and Sakura Murakami SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told South Koreans on Sunday his "heart hurts" when he thinks of suffering and pain during Japanese colonial rule, in a nod to historical disputes that have soured relations between the two U.S. allies. Kishida was in Seoul for the first visit to the South Korean capital by a Japanese leader in 12 years, returning the trip South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made to Tokyo in March where they sought to close a chapter on the historical disputes that have dominated Japan-South Korea relations for decades. Speaking to reporters after his summit with Yoon, Kishida stopped short of offering a new official apology for wrongs committed under the 1910-1945 occupation, but said his government inherits the stance of earlier administrations, some of which have issued apologies. "For me personally, my heart hurts when I think of the many people who endured terrible suffering and grief under the difficult circumstances of the time," he said. Yoon said unresolved historical issues should not mean that no forward steps can be taken to deepen ties. A senior official at Yoon's office said Kishida's remarks had not been pre-arranged and Yoon thanked him for "showing his sincere position even though there was no such request," and said it would be "greatly helpful for future cooperation." The pledge by the leaders to boost cooperation has been welcomed by the United States as a way to better confront threats from North Korea and competition from China. "Cooperation and coordination between South Korea and Japan are essential not only for the common interests of the two countries, but also for world peace and prosperity," Yoon said in opening remarks at their meeting. Yet South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party criticised Yoon for being submissive, "oblivious to history", and engaging in "humiliation diplomacy." "Why should the prerequisite for restoring the bilateral diplomacy be giving up on our history," party spokesperson Kang Sun-woo told a briefing, according to Yonhap news agency. HISTORICAL DISPUTES Historical differences between South Korea and Japan threaten to cast a shadow over the blossoming ties between its two leaders. Under Yoon and Kishida's predecessors, relations between South Korea and Japan plunged to their lowest in decades. Koreans accuse Japan of forcing women to work in wartime brothels for the Japanese military and using forced labour, among other abuses. After South Korean courts ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation in the forced labour cases in 2018, Japan restricted exports of high-tech material to South Korea and Seoul threatened to pull out of a military intelligence-sharing deal with Tokyo. Yoon is facing criticism at home that he has given more than he has received in his efforts to improve relations with Japan, including by proposing that South Korean businesses - not the Japanese companies as ordered by a court - compensate victims of wartime labour. Polls show many South Koreans don't believe Japan has done enough to atone and apologise. Yoon has signalled he doesn't believe Japan needs to "kneel" any more over what happened in the past, but some South Korean officials were hoping Kishida would make a gesture. "I was moved by the many people who opened their hearts for the future without forgetting the painful memories of the past," Kishida said of Yoon's proposal. On Sunday, gatherings of about 50 people demonstrated in opposition and support of Kishida's visit, but his presence did not spark widespread protests. Despite the lack of a new apology, Kishida's reaffirmation of reconciliation and the summit symbolism has value for the countries' relations, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. "Publics will be reassured that Korean and Japanese flags fly side by side, national anthems play together, and leaders host each other at friendly dinners with their spouses," he said. SECURITY, ECONOMIC COOPERATION The focus of the summit between the two U.S. allies revolved around security cooperation in the face of North Korea's nuclear threats, with a particular eye on American interests in the region, said Shin-wha Lee, a professor of international relations at Seoul-based Korea University. "Their military and economic capabilities are crucial for promoting multilateral regional security cooperation, and a poor relationship between the two countries could obstruct U.S. objectives," she said. Kishida said they discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues such as North Korea. He said he had agreed to allow South Korean experts to inspect the planned release of water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, which has been controversial with Japan's neighbours concerned about possible environmental effects. He has also invited Yoon to the Group of Seven summit set for later this month in Japan and for trilateral talks with the U.S. on the sidelines. While Yoon and Kishida did not mention points of friction with China, they did speak about shared values for human rights, rule of law, and a free and open Indo-Pacific, Easley noted. "This suggests that Seoul and Tokyo are increasingly on the same page about strengthening supply chain security, resisting economic coercion, and deterring unilateral uses of force in Asia," he said. (Reporting by Choonsik Yoo, Seoyun Kang, Josh Smith and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul, with Sakura Murakami in Tokyo and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Mike Harrison and David Holmes) The death toll after ethnic clashes in India's remote northeast rose to 54 on Saturday, with fresh violence overnight despite authorities rushing in troops to restore order. Thousands of soldiers were sent to Manipur state after a protest march by a tribal group turned violent Wednesday. Authorities imposed an internet blackout and issued shoot-on-sight orders in "extreme cases" in an effort to contain the unrest. The situation remained tense after a fresh bout of violence Friday night, hours after the state's top police officer warned that rioters had stolen arms and ammunition from police stations. Hospital morgues in the state capital Imphal and Churachandpur district further south had reported a combined total of 54 dead, according to local media. "16 bodies were kept in the morgue of the Churachandpur district hospital while 15 bodies were in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East district," Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing an unnamed local official. "The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphel in Imphal West district reported 23 dead." Manipur director general of police P. Doungel told reporters Friday that security forces were bringing the situation under control. Army patrols had "gone a long way to quell the thing off," he said. But he added that some police stations had been overrun by "miscreants" who stole arms and ammunition and issued a public appeal for their return. Security forces and the Manipur government have yet to issue an official death toll for this week's violence. India's law minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters Saturday that "many lives have been lost" after days of clashes alongside damage to property. The internet blackout has impeded the flow of information from Manipur and details of the latest clashes remain sparse. An Indian army unit based in neighboring Nagaland state said 13,000 people had sought shelter from the violence. 'Fled for our lives' "My sons convinced me to escape to safety," Pishakmacha Thokchom, 53, told AFP from one of the relief centers set up in Imphal East district. "But they stayed behind and I'm now deeply worried for them," she added. Vijaya Thingaijam, 47, sheltering at the same center, told AFP he had fled in a panic after a group began firing guns. "We abandoned all our belongings and fled for our lives," he said. On Thursday, security forces fired tear gas in Imphal to disperse protesters, some of whom had set alight vehicles and houses in parts of the city. Burnt-out vehicles were seen on streets otherwise empty due to the imposition of a round-the-clock curfew. Defense officials said Friday that additional troops had been brought into the state by road and air. Tribal groups were protesting against demands by the state's majority Meitei community to be recognized under the government's "Scheduled Tribe" category. Indian law gives tribes falling under that designation reserved quotas for government jobs and college admissions as a form of affirmative action to address structural inequality and discrimination. Manipur is part of India's remote northeast, a region linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land corridor that has seen decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups. The northeast is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerrilla armies whose demands range from greater autonomy to secession from India. At least 50,000 people have lost their lives in the conflicts since the first insurgency broke out in Manipur in the early 1950s. Over the years these conflicts have waned, with many groups striking deals with New Delhi for more powers. A week of record hot weather in western Canada has forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes, as wildfires rage in parts of Alberta and rapid snow melt triggers flooding across interior British Columbia. Some 25,000 Canadians have been forced to flee their homes as 103 wildfires flared across Alberta province, burning in what Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Saturday was an "unprecedented situation." Thousands more have been told to be ready to leave on a moment's notice. The Canadian province -- one of the world's largest oil-producing regions -- "has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires," Smith told a news conference. "These conditions have resulted in the unprecedented situation our province is facing today, she said. By Friday, more than 13,000 people were under evacuation orders in Alberta, as 78 fires burned. Among the worst-hit areas was the territory of the Little Red River Cree Nation, which comprises three communities in the north of the province, where the 1,458-hectare Fox Lake fire consumed 20 homes and the police station. The entire 7,000-strong population of Drayton Valley, 140 kilometers west of the provincial capital Edmonton, was also ordered to evacuate late Thursday night. Pembina Pipeline Corp., which operates oil-gathering pipelines in the region, said it has activated emergency response and incident management processes and is "evaluating any current or anticipated operational impacts." There were no reported impacts on oil and gas producers. There have been 348 wildfires in Alberta this year and more than 25,000 hectares burned, said Christie Tucker, an information unit manager for Alberta Wildfire. "This is significantly more wildfire activity for this time of year than we have seen any time in the recent past," Tucker told a press conference, adding fires were expected to intensify Friday. "It's going to get hotter, it's going to get windier and we are expecting some extreme wildfire behavior. Firefighters are at the ready today for what could be an extremely challenging day," she said. In British Columbia, rivers burst their banks, washing through homes and forcing highway closures in numerous communities across the province's interior, including Cache Creek and Grand Forks. Until last week western Canada had been enduring a cold spring but the rapid onset of unseasonably high temperatures, in places 10-15 degrees Celsius above the average for early May, is causing both fires and flooding. With heavy rain in the forecast, the British Columbia government urged communities to be prepared for more flooding over the weekend. "Warm temperatures in the Interior have accelerated snowmelt and caused increased pressure on rivers and creeks," the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement. "The situation is expected to worsen as rainfall and thundershowers are forecast for Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, which increases the likelihood of flooding." Some material for this report came from Agence France-Presse. U.S. officials are warning that China and Russia would capitalize on the 'chaos' that would ensue if the United States defaulted on its debt. The warnings come amid a monthslong standoff between President Joe Biden and Republicans in securing congressional approval to raise the nations debt limit. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has the story. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency has issued a warning about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine and the surrounding community. Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement Saturday that the general situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has become increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Grossi said the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most of the plant staff live, is being evacuated. The operating staff, however, remains on-site at the plant. However, the IAEA experts, based at the plant, have not been able to visit Enerhodar recently. Grossi said the experts are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis. The plant is located in southern Ukraine which, according to the statement, has seen a recent increase in military presence and activity. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant, Grossi said. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. This major nuclear facility must be protected. Indian soldiers killed two suspected militants in ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Kashmir on Saturday, officials said, a day after rebels fighting against Indian rule killed five soldiers in the disputed Himalayan region. Joint army, paramilitary and police teams "spotted and pinned down" the militants before killing one of them in a forested area in the southern Rajouri sector, an Indian army statement said. It said soldiers recovered an automatic rifle and some ammunition and grenades and noted another militant was "likely to be injured." There was no independent confirmation of the incident. Separately on Saturday, government forces killed another militant in a gun battle in western Kunzer area, police said. On Friday, rebels triggered an explosive device during an encounter with the Indian army, killing five soldiers, the military said. That fighting erupted after soldiers tracked a group of militants involved in an ambush of an army vehicle on April 20 that killed five Indian soldiers in the same region, according to the army. The violence comes as Indian authorities are on high alert in Kashmir and have stepped up security in the already highly militarized region ahead of a meeting of officials from the Group of 20 leading industrialized and developing nations on promoting tourism in the region later this month. It will be the first significant international event hosted in Kashmir after India stripped Kashmir of its semiautonomy and took direct control of the territory amid a monthslong security and communications lockdown in 2019. Kashmir has been on edge as authorities also put in place a slew of new laws that critics and many Kashmiris fear could change the region's demographics. Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir's independence from India or its merger with neighboring Pakistan. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebel goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. New Delhi insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Indonesian officials said Sunday they freed 20 of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar as part of a cyber scam, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia. Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that its embassy in Yangon with help from local networks had managed to release the victims from Myawaddy township and brought them to the Thai border Saturday. The Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok will work closely with Thai authorities to repatriate the victims to Indonesia, the statement said. Myawaddy is in eastern Kayin state along the Thai border and is the site of an armed conflict between Myanmars military and ethnic Karen rebels. Fake recruiters had offered the Indonesians high-paying jobs in Thailand but instead trafficked them to Myawaddy, about 567 kilometers (352 miles) south of Naypyidaw, the capital, to perform cyber scams for crypto websites or apps, said Judha Nugraha, an official in Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry. The situation drew a national outcry in Indonesia after a video made by one of the victims went viral on social media last month. It showed dozens of grim-faced Indonesian workers in a dormitory room, asking their government to help them out of the war zone where they see violence almost every day. Please help us back to Indonesia, because our life here is very miserable and threatened, one person said, describing how they had been transferred from one company to other companies over the past eight months before being stranded in Myawaddy. The victim said they were tortured when they failed to reach certain work targets, receiving beatings, electrocutions and other physical punishments. Authorities said the victims were likely trafficked to Myanmar by illegal means since no records were found of their arrival in Myanmars immigration system. The case had prompted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to order the Foreign Affairs Ministry to make an all out effort to help rescue the victims, telling a news conference Thursday: They have been deceived and taken to an unwanted place by the traffickers." It was unclear how their release was secured, but National Police spokesperson Sandi Nugroho said negotiations were held with the company that employed them. Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a news conference Friday that the government is also working to help Indonesian victims of online scams in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines. She said the Indonesian Embassy in Manila said Friday that Philippine authorities have rescued more than 1,000 trafficking victims from 10 countries, including 143 Indonesians, who will be repatriated to their countries of origin. As the chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia is trying to raise this issue at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, Marsudi said. ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Indonesia will host the blocs leaders meeting scheduled for May 10-11 in Labuan Bajo on Flores island. New developments: Fears about the safety of Europes largest nuclear power plant is growing after the Moscow-installed governor of the Ukrainian region where it is located ordered civilian evacuations. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prighozin said his forces will remain in the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. He indicated his soldiers will continue the assault on the city after the Russian military promised more arms and ammunition. Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin sent a defiant message to those who attempted to assassinate him. Prilepin is recovering from extensive injuries after a car bomb exploded killing his driver. At least five people were injured in Kyiv early Monday when Russia launched a massive strike on the Ukraine capital. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the messaging app Telegram that three people were wounded in blasts in Kyiv's Solomyanskyi district and two in the Sviatoshyn district, both west of the capital's center. Klitschko also said drone wreckage had fallen on a two-story building in the Sviatoshyn region. The city administration said debris fell on a parked car, causing the car to catch fire. Russian missiles also set ablaze a food warehouse in the Black Sea city of Odesa and blasts were reported in several other Ukrainian regions, Reuters reported. The large-scale attacks come as Moscow prepares for its Victory Day parade on Tuesday. Moscow reportedly wants a complete capture of Bakhmut to coincide with the countrys upcoming Victory Day, the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia's mercenary Wagner Group reversed its intention to withdraw from the besieged eastern Ukrainian city. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces will remain there after Moscow promised to provide more arms to conscripts. Also Sunday, fears about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in east Ukraine grew after Russian officials ordered the evacuation of civilians from 18 settlements around the nuclear power plant. The plant is near the front line of battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Russia fired more than 30 shells at Nikopol, a Ukrainian-held town neighboring the plant, killing a 72-year-old woman and injuring three others Sunday, according to Ukrainian authorities. Ukraine has also mounted attacks in the vicinity of the plant, according to The Associated Press. Labor shortage Russia is facing one its worst labor shortages since 1998. In an intelligence update Sunday, the British Defense Ministry wrote that the Russian Central Bank surveyed 14,000 employees and found that its labor force was at its lowest level since 1998. The British Defense Ministry said the attrition of manpower due to the war in Ukraine as well as the mass exodus of Russians trying to avoid the draft are partially to blame for the labor shortage. The survey also showed that the Russian population has decreased by 2 million in the last three years due to the COVID pandemic and an aging population. Russian car bombing The prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, who barely escaped death from a car bomb attack Saturday, sent a defiant message to his attackers. "To the demons I say: You will scare nobody. There is a God. We will win," he wrote Sunday on the messaging app Telegram from the hospital in the Nizhny Novgorod region where he is recovering. Russia's state Investigative Committee said his Audi Q7 was blown up Saturday in a village, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow. The attacker fled the scene. Prilepin said both his legs were broken by the explosion that killed his driver. Russia's Foreign Ministry blamed Ukraine and the Western states backing it, particularly the United States, for the attack on the pro-Russia writer. Ukraines security services neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he believed Russian authorities had staged the attack. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Israeli authorities released a Jordanian lawmaker to his home country on Sunday, Israel's domestic security agency said, after he allegedly tried smuggling dozens of rifles and handguns through an Israeli-controlled border crossing. Legislator Imad Al-Adwan's arrest threatened to further strain ties between Israel and neighboring Jordan, which have had tense relations recently despite a nearly three-decade-old peace treaty. Israel viewed the incident as serious, but Al-Adwans release signaled it was hoping to put the potentially combustible affair behind it. Al-Adwan was arrested on Apr. 22 with bags full of more than 200 guns, the Shin Bet agency said in a statement. It said its investigation revealed that Al-Adwan carried out 12 separate smuggling attempts since early 2022, using his diplomatic passport to bring in anything from electronic cigarettes to gold to birds. The Shin Bet said that since the start of the year, he made numerous successful attempts to smuggle in arms. The smuggling was done in exchange for unspecified amounts of money, the Shin Bet said. The agency said he was released for further investigation and pursuit of justice by Jordanian authorities. Jordan's Foreign Ministry, as well as a brother of Al-Adwan, could not immediately be reached for comment. Jordanian state media reported that authorities were taking steps to bring Al-Adwan to trial based on evidence made available to them. Those steps included lifting his parliamentary immunity and referring his case to judicial officials. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence over the past year. Israel says the area has been flooded with illegal weapons, including guns smuggled from neighboring Jordan. Since Israels hard-line government took office late last year, relations with Jordan have deteriorated over Israeli settlement construction, violence in the West Bank and policies over holy sites in Jerusalems Old City. The ties were at a nadir in 2017, when a security guard at the Israeli embassy in Jordan shot and killed two Jordanians, alleging one attacked him with a screwdriver. The Israeli guard and Israels then-ambassador were given a heros welcome by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, infuriating Jordan. Jordan controlled the West Bank and east Jerusalem before Israel captured the areas in the 1967 Mideast war, but the kingdom retains custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Muslim holy sites in the Old City. Japans prime minister expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japans colonial rule, as he and his South Korean counterpart on Sunday renewed resolve to overcome historical grievances and strengthen cooperation in the face of shared challenges such as North Koreas nuclear program. Comments by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol their second meeting in less than two months were closely watched in South Korea, where many still harbor strong resentment against Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Yoon has faced domestic criticism that he had preemptively made concessions to Tokyo without getting corresponding steps in return. Kishidas statement, which avoided a new, direct apology over the colonization but still sympathized with the Korean victims, suggests he felt pressure to say something to maintain momentum for an effort to improve ties. And personally, I have strong pain in my heart as I think of the extreme difficulty and sorrow that many people had to suffer under the severe environment in those days, Kishida told a joint news conference with Yoon, referring to the Japanese colonial period. He said he believes it is my responsibility as prime minister of Japan to cooperate with Yoon to forge stronger relations. Kishida arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday for a two-day visit, which reciprocates a mid-March trip to Tokyo by Yoon and marks the first exchange of visits between the leaders of the Asian neighbors in 12 years. The back-to-back summits were largely meant to resolve the countries bitter disputes caused by the 2018 court rulings in South Korea that ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate some of their aging former Korean employees for colonial-era forced labor. Japan has refused to abide by the verdicts, arguing that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965. The wrangling led to the countries downgrading each others trade status and Seouls previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Their strained ties complicated U.S. efforts to build a stronger regional alliance to better cope with rising Chinese influence and North Korean nuclear threats. In March, however, Yoons conservative government took a major step toward mending the ties by announcing it would use local funds to compensate the forced labor victims without demanding contributions from Japanese companies. Later in March, Yoon traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kishida, and the two agreed to resume leadership-level visits and other talks. Their governments have since taken steps to withdraw their economic retaliatory steps. Yoons push, however, drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and his liberal rivals at home, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. Yoon has defended his move, saying greater cooperation with Japan is required to jointly tackle North Koreas advancing nuclear program, the intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry and global supply chain challenges. We should stay away from a thinking that we must not make a step forward because our history issues arent settled completely, Yoon said Sunday. He said that 10 out of the 15 former forced laborers or their families involved in the 2018 rulings had accepted compensation under Seouls third-party reimbursement plan. Kishida said: Im struck by the fact that many people, despite their painful memories from the past, opened their hearts for the future as measures by the South Korean government related to (the fund) move forward. Kishida also reaffirmed his government upholds the positions of previous Japanese administrations on the colonization issue, including the landmark 1998 joint declaration by Tokyo and Seoul, but didnt make a new apology. In that declaration, then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said: I feel acute remorse and offer an apology from my heart over the colonial rule. Japanese governments have expressed remorse or apologies over the colonial period numerous times. But some Japanese officials and politicians have occasionally made comments that have been accused of whitewashing Tokyos wartime aggressions, prompting Seoul to urge Tokyo to make new, more sincere apologies. Ahead of his summit with Yoon, Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, visited the national cemetery in Seoul, where they burned incense and paid a silent tribute before a memorial. Buried or honored in the cemetery are mostly Korean War dead, but include Korean independence fighters during the period of Japanese rule. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit the place in 12 years. Kishidas comments about Koreans who suffered under Japanese colonialism may be criticized for not being more specific about historical perpetrators and more apologetic toward historical victims, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. But Kishida did visit South Koreas national cemetery and said that his heartfelt views, respect for the past, and recognition of current global challenges produce a sense of responsibility for improving Seoul-Tokyo relations. Yoon said talks among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are underway to implement their earlier agreement on a faster exchange of information on North Korean missile tests. Yoon said he and Kishida reaffirmed that North Koreas nuclear and missile programs pose a grave threat to the two countries and the rest of the world. In late April, Yoon made a state visit to the United States and agreed with President Joe Biden to reinforce deterrence capabilities against North Korea's nuclear threats. During a joint news conference, Biden thanked Yoon for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan. Yoon, Biden and Kishida are expected to hold a trilateral meeting later this month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima to discuss North Korea, China's assertiveness and Russia's war on Ukraine. Yoon was invited as one of eight outreach nations. Kishida said he and Yoon would pay respects before a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima. In another apparent conciliatory measure, Kishida said Japan will allow South Korean experts to visit and inspect a planned release of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Seoul Sunday to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, facing a skeptical public there as the leaders seek deeper ties amid nuclear threats from North Korea and China's increasing assertiveness. Kishida's bilateral visit, the first by a Japanese leader to Seoul in 12 years, returns the trip Yoon made to Tokyo in March, where they sought to close a chapter on the historical disputes that have dominated Japan-South Korea relations for years. Yoon is facing criticism at home that he has given more than he's received in his efforts to improve relations with Japan, including by proposing South Korean businesses not Japanese companies as ordered by a court compensate victims of wartime labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial occupation. South Korean officials are hopeful that Kishida will make some kind of gesture in return and offer political support, although few observers expect any further formal apology for historical wrongs. Yoon himself has signaled he doesn't believe that is necessary. Likely aim of meeting: Cooperation The focus of the summit instead will likely revolve around security cooperation in the face of North Korea's nuclear threats, said Shin-wha Lee, a professor of international relations at Seoul-based Korea University. "Within the framework of the 'Washington Declaration,' which outlines plans to strengthen extended deterrence, Korea will explore ways to enhance the collaborative efforts with Japan," she said. "We have a lot of opportunities to cooperate when it comes to addressing the threat of North Korea" and securing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a Japanese foreign ministry official said. Tensions have simmered between Washington and Beijing as China becomes more assertive in its territorial claims over Taiwan and in the South China Sea, while the U.S. shores up alliances across the Asia-Pacific. But the historical differences between South Korea and Japan also threaten to cast a shadow over the blossoming ties between its two leaders. Pains of the past The majority of South Koreans believe Japan hasn't apologized sufficiently for atrocities during Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea, Lee said. "They think that Prime Minister Kishida should show sincerity during his visit to South Korea, such as mentioning historical issues and expressing apologies," she said. On the other hand, Japan is taking it slow, said Daniel Russel, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific. "Kishida is being careful not to go faster than his domestic politics permit," he said, pointing to the unilateral repeal by the previous Korean government of a settlement on 'comfort women' as a source of Japan's wariness. In 2015, South Korea and Japan reached a settlement under which Tokyo issued an official apology to 'comfort women' who say they were enslaved in wartime brothels and provided 1 billion yen ($9.23 million) to a fund to help the victims. But then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to dissolve the fund in 2018, effectively scrapping the agreement as he said it did not do enough to consider victims' concerns. Still, South Korea is an "important neighbor that we must cooperate with on various global issues," Japan's foreign ministry has said. Kishida has invited Yoon to the Group of Seven summit set for later this month in Japan and will hold trilateral talks with the U.S. on the sidelines. Kishida will also urge for trilateral talks with China as early as this year, Kyodo reported Friday, citing multiple unnamed diplomatic sources. New developments: Ukrainian officials issued air raid alerts on Saturday evening for areas covering roughly two-thirds of the country, from Kyiv and regions to the west through the east as well as south to Kherson region and Russian-annexed Crimea. Ukraine's air force intercepted and downed a hypersonic Russian missile with an American Patriot defense system. Six Ukrainian demining workers were killed and two were injured as Russian shelling intensifies in Kherson Oblast. A fired Russian general known as the "Butcher of Mariupol" has a new job. He's joining forces with the Wagner mercenary group. Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed on Saturday that Ukraine and the West are responsible for a car bombing that injured a prominent nationalist Russian writer and killed his driver. Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin, known for his pro-war views, suffered serious leg injuries after his car exploded Saturday in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency and law enforcement officials. Prilepin was still conscious after his Audi Q7 car exploded near the city of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers east of Moscow, and he was taken to the nearest hospital, according to Russian news agency RBC. Prilepin was in stable condition under a medically induced coma after his operation, Russian state news agency TASS reported, and a suspect in the assassination attempt was arrested Saturday. "Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with Ukrainian authorities, but also their Western patrons, the United States in the first instance," the Russian ministry statement stated, without providing evidence. The statement added that Washington's failure to denounce this and other attacks was "self-revealing" for the U.S. administration. Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. No comment was immediately available from Britain's Foreign Office, the wire agency reported. Ukraine's security would neither confirm nor deny involvement in the car bombing that injured the Russian writer or other attacks. "Officially, we cannot confirm or deny the SBU's involvement in this or other explosions which occur with the occupiers or their henchmen," Ukraine news agency Ukrinform quoted Ukraine security officials saying. Prilepin was sanctioned in 2022 by Ukraine, the European Union, the U.K. and Canada for supporting the Russian invasion. He joined Russia's National Guard to fight against Ukraine in January, according to several Russian media reports. Hypersonic missile downed Ukraine's air force said Saturday it had intercepted and downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems. This is the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles, The Associated Press reported. Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a post on the messaging app Telegram that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense system. Flying at 10 times the speed of sound, the Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons, and it is difficult to intercept. Using hypersonic speed and a powerful warhead, the Kinzhal is capable of demolishing robustly fortified targets such as underground bunkers and deep mountain tunnels. In an interview on Ukraine TV, Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said intercepting the Kinzhal was "a slap in the face for Russia." The first delivery of Patriot missiles arrived in Ukraine in late April. Ukraine has not specified how many of the systems it has received from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, or where they have been deployed. Meanwhile, Russia wants a victory in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on May 9, but the chief of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary force that is fighting there, has threatened to retreat from the city by May 10 if he does not receive critically needed ammunition and other supplies from Moscow. Wagner Group In a video posted on his Telegram channel Friday, Yevgeny Prigozhin unleashed a tirade directed at Russia's military officials, accusing them of negligence and incompetence. Pointing toward a field covered with dead soldiers, he screamed at the camera, "These are someone's fathers and someone's sons" he said. "We have a 70% shortage of ammunition!" "If you give [us] the normal amount of ammunition, there will be five times fewer [dead soldiers]," he said. Fired Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, known as the "Butcher of Mariupol," has joined the Wagner Group as a deputy commander, according to Russian social media channels. In two videos posted by war correspondent Alexander Simonov on Telegram, Mizintsev dressed in Wagner-branded combat gear was shown visiting a training camp and touring Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The footage coincided with the release of Prigozhin's videotaped tirade, in which the Wagner chief accused Moscow of depriving his forces of ammunition because of jealousy over their success, Reuters reported. In other developments, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said Friday Moscow is sending reinforcements to Bakhmut. She said the Kremlin is pulling Wagner mercenary fighters from other parts of the front line to redeploy them there. Prigozhin said Friday his mercenary army had planned to capture Bakhmut by May 9, or Victory Day, the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, for which Moscow is organizing a large parade. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the parade preparations in a meeting Friday with his Security Council, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. Putin will preside over the annual military parade at Red Square despite the Kremlin's assertions that Ukraine tried to kill him in a drone attack Wednesday. Kyiv has denied any involvement in the incident. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Two more horses died in the hours before 15-1 shot Mage won the Kentucky Derby by a length on Saturday, making it seven in all and casting a shadow over the 149th edition of the world's most famous race. Mage had only one victory in three previous races before holding off Two Phil's in the stretch while covering 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57 under Javier Castellano. The Hall of Fame jockey snapped an 0-for-15 skid in the Derby. He and trainer Gustavo Delgado are from Venezuela. Forte, the early favorite, was scratched in the morning with a bruised foot, one of five horses that dropped out in the days leading to the race. Two Phil's was second and 4-1 favorite Angel of Empire was third in front of a crowd of 150,335 on a warm and partly cloudy day at Churchill Downs. Mage paid $32.42, $14.58 and $9.08. Two Phil's returned $10.44 and $6.52 at 9-1 odds. Angel of Empire paid $4.70 to show. Earlier Saturday, two more horses died, making it seven in all, before the Kentucky Derby was run Saturday, and early favorite Forte was scratched with an injury in another series of blows to a sport already reeling from doping suspensions and breakdowns. "This is part of racing and it's the cruel part," Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said in an interview with FanDuel TV. Chloe's Dream, a 3-year-old gelding, and Freezing Point, a 3-year-old colt, were injured in their races on the Derby undercard, becoming the sixth and seventh horses to have died at Churchill Downs in recent days. Forte was the fifth scratch from the Derby in the run-up to the $3 million race for 3-year-olds. A pall over race The string of horse deaths cast a pall for some Derby-goers on a mostly cloudy and warm day. "It's concerning, and I hope they're quickly trying the best they can to correct whatever's going on," said Michael Freeze, who along with his friend dressed up as jockeys. "They need to do whatever is best for the horses, and the sport in general." Chloe's Dream got hurt in the second race Saturday. The horse was taken off in an equine ambulance with a right front knee injury and was euthanized, trainer Jeff Hiles confirmed to The Associated Press. "He just took a bad step out there," Hiles said. "They could do the same thing running in the field as they could on the track. So it's very unfortunate. That's what we deal with." Freezing Point suffered a left ankle injury in the Pat Day Mile and was euthanized, trainer Joe Lejzerowicz told the AP. He said Fort Bragg, who finished third, came over and slammed into Freezing Point during the race. "He just got bumped in the backstretch," Lejzerowicz said. "He never took a bad step or bobble. He had a big heart." New antidoping and medication rules enforced by a central governing body of the sport are scheduled to take effect May 22. "There's something going on," said Pat Murtha, who was attending his first Derby. "They need to find out and set some rules and regulations to protect these animals." Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, is nearing the end of a two-year ban issued by Churchill Downs Inc. One of his horses, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby and failed a post-race drug test. The horse was disqualified, and Baffert was punished. In 2019, more than 30 horse deaths occurred at California's Santa Anita racetrack, rattling the industry and leading to safety reforms. Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow had his license revoked in 2011 for 10 years by New York officials. Regulators found syringes loaded with unauthorized medication in a desk in his barn. Dutrow reopened his stable last month. Forte diagnosed with bruised foot Forte had been the early 3-1 favorite; his absence reduced the field to 18 horses. Repole said veterinarians from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission diagnosed Forte with a bruised foot. He said the colt had developed the bruise a few days ago. The colt stumbled during a workout Thursday, although trainer Todd Pletcher had downplayed it publicly. Behind the scenes was a different story. "We did X-rays, we brought in vets, the state vets came in and they watched him every single day," Repole said in the interview. "He's fine. He probably needs a couple more days (to recover)." The horse deaths included Derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was indefinitely suspended by the track, although investigators have yet to determine a cause for the deaths of his horses. "It doesn't make me happy to see a horse get euthanized," said racegoer Joe Conforto, wearing jockey goggles and a stuffed horse on his head. "But I think a lot of it is bad luck. Most race horses are taken better care of than human beings." Four horses were scratched Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar and Skinner in recent days. Practical Move and Skinner had fevers, while Continuar wasn't in peak condition, according to his Japanese trainer. Lord Miles was Joseph's Derby horse. Forte was last year's 2-year-old champion and has a five-race winning streak. "You can only be a 3-year-old colt on the first Saturday in May one time in your life," Repole said. "I feel bad for the horse." A grassy lane rutted with tire tracks leads to Volodymyr Zaiets farm in southern Ukraine. He is careful, driving only within those shallow grooves veering away might cost him his life in the field dotted with explosive mines. Weeds grow tall where rows of sunflowers once bloomed. Zaiets land hasn't been touched since the fall of 2021, when it was last seeded with wheat. Now, it's a minefield left by retreating Russian forces. Zaiets eschewed official warnings and demined this patch of land himself, determined not to lose the years harvest. He expects that 15% of his 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) of farmland was salvaged. Workers like Victor Kostiuk still spot mines, but he's ready to start the tractor. We have to do it, he says, Why be afraid? Across Ukraine, the war has forced grain growers into a vicious dilemma. Farmers in areas now free from Russian occupation are risking their lives to strip their land of explosives before the critical spring planting season. Even then, they must cope with soaring production and transportation costs caused by Russias blockade of many Black Sea ports and recent restrictions that neighboring countries imposed on Ukrainian grain. The dual crisis is causing many farmers to cut back on sowing crops. Bottlenecks in shipping grain by land and sea are creating losses, with expectations of a 20% to 30% reduction in grain output, poorer quality crops and potentially thousands of bankruptcies next year, according to industry insiders, Ukrainian government officials and international organizations. The drastic reduction of grain crops potentially threatens global food security, said Pierre Vauthier, head of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Ukraine. That is the main thing everybody eats. So thats why it is a big concern. More than a year since Russia's invasion, the Ukrainian agriculture industry is starting to see the full impact of what's been dubbed the breadbasket of the world, whose affordable supplies of wheat, barley and sunflower oil are crucial to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia where people are going hungry. The FAO says 90% of agricultural businesses lost revenue and 12% reported lands contaminated with mines. Land planted with grain dropped last year to 11.6 million hectares (28.6 million acres) from 16 million hectares (around 40 million acres) in 2021. That's expected to fall to 10.2 million hectares (25.2 million acres) this year. In the southern Kherson province, between the threat of missiles from the sky and mines on the ground, farmers make the same, often tragic, calculation: Take the risk and plant or lose their livelihoods. The region is among the highest wheat-producing areas in Ukraine and the most heavily mined. Demining services are overstretched, with infrastructure and civilian homes prioritized over farms. But growers cant wait: April and May are key planting months for corn, the autumn months for wheat. Many are switching to planting oil seeds that are less costly. We have nearly 40 big farmers in our area, and nearly everyone is unable to access their lands except two, said Hanna Shostak-Kuchmiak, head of the Vysokopillya administration that includes several villages in northern Kherson. Zaiets is one, and Valerii Shkuropat from the nearby village of Ivanivka is the other. Our heroes, said Shostak-Kuchmiak, who were driving their cars around picking up mines and bringing them to our deminers. Neither farmer felt they had a choice. Both knew that without a harvest this year, they will be insolvent by the next. Everyone understands the risks, said Shkuropat, whos vast 2,500 hectares (more than 6,000 acres) of land once grew peas, barley, millet and sunflowers. He estimates that half can be planted. Last month, one of his workers was killed and another was wounded while picking up metal missile remnants. Russias blockade of Ukraines Black Sea ports stripped the country of the advantage it once enjoyed over other grain-exporting countries. Transit costs, now four to six times higher than prewar levels, have rendered grain production prohibitively expensive. High costs of fuel, fertilizer and quality seeds only add to farmers' woes. Most must sell their grain at a loss. Farmers are responding by seeding less, said Andrii Vadaturskyi, CEO of Nibulon, a top Ukrainian grain shipping company. Negotiations are underway on renewing the U.N.-brokered agreement that allows Ukrainian grain to safely leave three Black Sea ports. Shippers say the deal isn't working efficiently. Russian inspections are causing long wait times for vessels, piling on fees and making the sea route expensive and unreliable, Ukrainian grain shippers say. Russia denies slowing inspections. Transit routes through Europe are open even as Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary temporarily banned Ukrainian wheat, corn and some other products over concerns about their own farmers' profits. But those routes are slow and costly. Shipping by sea accounted for 75% of Ukrainian grain exports at the start of the year. Meanwhile, some farmers won't risk planting their fields. Oleh Uskhalos land in Potomkyne is awash with ammunition, the vast wheat farms reduced to a graveyard of scorched equipment. Inside a bombed-out grain shed lies piles of wheat grain Ushkalos entire prewar harvest rotting under the sun. We can go on for another year, he said. After that, he doesnt know. He hopes for government compensation. In the distance, he can see a tractor equipped with disk tillers, a type of plow. I wonder if its Volodymyr Mykolaiovych, he said, referring to Zaiets. All it takes is for one of those disks to hit a mine and thats it. Thats what happened to Mykola Ozarianskyi. In April, the farmer took a chance: He hopped on his tractor in his village of Borozenske, in Kherson, to head to a friends sunflower field to cut stalks. He swerved to turn down a side farm road. He remembers the explosion, then waking up in a hospital bed with a collapsed lung and broken ribs. Every day, he thinks of his 16 hectares (around 40 acres) of land, still unseeded. I will do it, he said, straining to speak while a tube drains blood from his chest. For a farmer, not planting means death. Recent attacks on mosques in Minneapolis, in the Midwest U.S. state of Minnesota, have increased concerns by Somali American imams, mosque administrators and community activists about the safety of their congregations. Fires were set at the Masjid Omar Islamic Center on April 23 and Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque on April 24, Minneapolis police said. The locations are close to each other. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota, was inside the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque when someone set fire to the third floor. I was inside the mosque, meeting with the imam about the safety of his congregation, when I heard someone shouting with, There is a fire. There is a fire, Hussein told VOA recently. Thank Allah no one was hurt. He added that more than 40 children who were in the mosques day care were safely evacuated. Hussein has been involved in the American-Muslim communitys fight against hate attacks, but he said this was the first time he witnessed one. I could not believe my eyes, I was shocked and bewildered that I was witnessing one of the things I have been documenting for many years, Hussein said. We have been receiving threatening calls and messages, but this was the first time I practically witnessed it. On April 29, authorities arrested Jackie Rahm Little on a state charge of second-degree arson regarding the April 24 fire at the Masjid Al-Rahma mosque. On Thursday, Little was indicted on federal charges of arson and damage to religious property while investigators look into a series of crimes targeting Muslims and Somali Americans, The Associated Press reported. Authorities are also investigating LIttle as a suspect in a fire that damaged the Masjid Omar Islamic Center on April 23, as well as in the January vandalism of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's Minneapolis office, among other crimes, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said at a news conference last week. Imam Yusuf Abdulle, executive director of the Islamic Association of North America (IANA), which administers more than 40 mosques across America, said he fears a continuation of such arson attacks could endanger the lives of Muslim congregations in America. Apart from the August 5, 2017, bombing of the Dar al-Farooq (DAF) Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, the Muslims and their faith centers have been witnessing verbal attacks and anti-Muslim political rhetoric, minor acts of vandalism and spray-painted anti-Muslim graffiti. But these latest arson attacks seem to be new messages that the danger is growing, Abdulle told VOA. The latest attacks also come weeks after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey officially signed an ordinance that allows mosques citywide to broadcast the call to prayer five times a day, following a request from the community and imams. In an interview with VOA, former IANA director Sh. Hassan Dhooye said, he thinks those who were behind the mosque attacks were displeased by the legislation. You know, for the first time a city in America has allowed its Muslim community to broadcast call prayers. For us, it was historic, and for those against us, it was an anger. I think the latest attacks could be a response to that, Dhooye said. Yusuf Mohamed Omar, the director of the Muslim Coalition of ISAIAH, which represents over 20 mosques in America, shares the fear with the imams. It grew fear in the hearts of the community because they feel their faith centers are under target, Omar told VOA. I think the number of those spreading hate and fear are few, but they carry out more wicked actions in different places and different times to send a signal that they are more and unstoppable. Immediately after the mosque attacks, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the acts and voiced support for the Muslim community on Twitter. Here in Minnesota, everyone must be able to practice their faith without fear, he wrote. To members of our Muslim community my heart is with you today. We will not tolerate acts of violence toward our friends and neighbors. Mohamud Muse Hassan, a Somali local activist, said the community is encouraged by the cooperation and the level of response of the police and city authorities. Speaking of Mayor Frey, Minneapolis police Chief Brian OHara and Governor Walz, Hassan told VOA, All of them responded immediate and shared their console and concern with the Muslim community. They had meetings with the faith leaders. Such responses encourage us. This story originated from this weeks VOA Somalias Torch Program. Some information for this article came from The Associated Press. Volunteerism has long been a hallmark of American democracy, culture and civic life going back to the founding of the United States. The first volunteer firehouse began in 1736. And in the 1800s, volunteerism in social reforms, including women's rights, child labor and the abolition of slavery, led to institutions and social services to improve the lives of others. Today volunteerism in the U.S. is considered more important than ever. "Civic volunteerism is a very resilient concept in the United States," said Robert Ashcraft, executive director at the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State University. Community connection The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted volunteerism peaked between 2003 and 2005, when 28.8 percent of Americans said they had volunteered the previous year. "Volunteerism is a direct indicator of people feeling connected to their communities," said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the innovations in American government program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "They volunteer because they see it as an important way to help their fellow Americans." Traditionally, volunteering involves providing regular hours to a service agency, such as a food pantry, homeless organization or children's advocacy group. But today the role of volunteering has widened to include everything from helping out at a community festival to participating in a race for a good cause. The outcome is that formal participation in traditional volunteering has been steadily dropping as more people opt for sporadic opportunities that fit better into their lives. Experts on volunteerism say that continues to grow. According to a recent survey by the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps (the federal agency for national service and volunteerism), formal volunteer participation was 23.2%, a drop of 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2021. That's the biggest decline since the survey began in 2002. "It's not a surprise," because the coronavirus pandemic was at its worst in the United States, said Ashcraft of the Lodestar Center. "I think the numbers reflect that." Ram A. Cnaan, the director of the program for religion and social policy research at the University of Pennsylvania's school of social policy & practice, said many people cannot do traditional volunteering. "Job demands are greater, and people are working multiple jobs," he said, and they want volunteerism that fits in their busy schedule. "Volunteerism and the economy are very connected," said Rachel Currie-Triska, chief executive officer for Volunteer Now in Dallas, Texas, that recruits volunteers for nonprofit organizations in north Texas. "If you look at trends when volunteerism has dipped, you'll see a downturn in more turbulent years," she said. Help hard to come by The CASA/GAL Association for Children, a national nonprofit serving abused and neglected children has been having trouble getting enough volunteers. "We lost about 15% of our volunteers as people have looked to readjust their lives post-COVID," said Sarah Mackey, the chief network development officer. "However, we found that by using online training, we've been able to increase the number of volunteers." The CASA chapter in Lexington, Kentucky was frustrated with the lack of response when they reached out to the community. "People would express interest, but then not return emails or phone calls, or complete the training. We had not had that experience before," said Melynda Jamison, the executive director. So, a community engagement coordinator was hired to recruit volunteers. "We reached out to people by going to festivals, events and farmers markets and I do a lot of speaking engagements," Jamison said. "We've now been able to slightly increase the number of volunteers and our retention rate is over 90%." While many organizations report a decline in formal volunteerism, others say they haven't noticed much change. "We are not experiencing a shortage of volunteers," said Ginette Bott, president and CEO of the Utah Food Bank in Salt Lake. "We have a lot of corporate and school groups that volunteer for a few hours every month." According to the latest U.S. Census/AmeriCorps survey, Utah saw an 8.8 percentage-point drop, but still has the highest rate of volunteerism in the country. Bott said having many diverse, faith-based organizations in the state has had a huge impact. "There's a definite connection between faith-based volunteerism in places like our food bank." In Detroit, Michigan, Jamie Winkler, an executive director with the Salvation Army, said volunteers are coming in to help make and distribute food. "Even though there's been a problem getting people to volunteer in the last year or so, we're seeing larger groups like corporations and school volunteers, that are coming sporadically, to help feed the homeless and families that are struggling," said Winkler. Amber Murfeld, 32, said she volunteers occasionally at the food pantry at United Community, a nonprofit in Alexandria, Virginia. "I used to volunteer regularly since it is close to my home," she said, "but I got out of the habit during the pandemic and afterwards started filling my life with other activities." Ashcraft said while formal volunteering may decline, sporadic volunteering will continue to grow. "Nonprofits will need to adapt to this," he said, "especially if they want to bring in young people who want to contribute but not through traditional means." He added, "with their optimism and energy, young people will also want to bring their ideas to volunteerism, whether it involves climate change, education, the arts and culture." Envoys for the two warring factions in the Sudan conflict are began talks Sartuday to negotiate a firm cease-fire agreement, according to officials. The arrival of the envoys in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah was confirmed by U.S. and Saudi sources. The talks are the result of an international effort to bring the two sides face-to-face, hopefully to negotiate an end to the fighting. Sudanese officials told The Associated Press the talks in Jeddah would be facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States. The Sudanese officials also told the AP that opening humanitarian corridors in Khartoum and Omdurman, and providing protection to civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, will be among the topics discussed. It is the first time representatives from Sudans military, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have met for talks since the fighting erupted April 15. The fighting has killed hundreds, forced hundreds of thousands to flee and has brought Sudan to the brink of collapse. The talks on Saturday come after previous fragile cease-fire agreements failed to end the fighting. The United Nations migration agency said this week that at least 334,000 people have been internally displaced by the fighting, in addition to the 100,000 who have fled the country. The U.N. refugee agency has warned the fighting could cause more than 800,000 people to flee Sudan. Many are going to the seven countries bordering Sudan, including Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Egypt and Ethiopia. Most aid operations have been suspended or severely scaled back due to the lack of security. Several aid workers have been killed in the fighting. The Norwegian Refugee Council said Wednesday that one of their Sudanese volunteers was killed Sunday in the volatile city of Geneina in West Darfur. Looting also has hampered aid operations. The World Food Program said earlier this week that nearly 17,000 tons of food had been stolen from its warehouses across Sudan. This would translate to about 13 or 14 million U.S. dollars, Eddie Row, the WFP country director, said in an interview Thursday with Reuters. " Almost every day we are receiving reports of additional looting." WFP has said it is working to determine what supplies remain. Before the fighting, WFP had more than 80,000 tons of stocks in the country. The agency still plans to provide food assistance for 384,000 people in the coming days. The U.N. refugee agencys Darfur coordinator said looting has long been a problem in Darfur, and many of their facilities have been robbed since April 15. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Thursday it has launched an emergency appeal to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to deliver assistance to 200,000 people. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA Two Nigerian women abducted as schoolgirls by a jihadi militant group nine years ago have been rescued, the West African nation's military has said. One has a year-old baby while the second gave birth to her second child days after her freedom. Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus were among 276 schoolgirls abducted in April 2014 from the Government Girls Secondary School in the village of Chibok by Boko Haram militants. They were rescued in April by Nigerian soldiers and reunited with their families in the northeastern Borno state, according to Major General Ibrahim Ali, who leads the Nigerian military operation against the extremist violence experienced in the northeast region for more than a decade. Boko Haram fighters stormed the school in Borno nine years ago as the girls were preparing for exams. The mass kidnap sparked global outrage and led to the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign. More than 20 of the girls have regained their freedom in the past year, but nearly 100 are still missing. Maltha and Marcus, both 26, were forcibly married to extremists while in captivity, Ali told journalists Thursday in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. His comments echoed concerns of parents and activists about the maltreatment of the girls by Boko Haram, whose name in the local Hausa language means "Western education is forbidden." Both girls were married three times as one husband after another was killed during clashes with the Nigerian military. "Hauwa was about eight months and two weeks pregnant during her rescue [and] delivered a bouncing baby boy on April 28 while undergoing thorough medical examination along with her baby, Fatima," said the military commander. The girls' return brought excitement to many in the Chibok community, but also sadness. "It has made the memories fresh for the parents that their children are still missing," said Hassan Chibok, a local leader. Several girls have returned home in recent months, mostly after escaping the Sambisa Forest, a known hideout for the extremists. Most of those who returned had babies after either being forced into marriage or after losing hope that they would ever regain their freedom, their parents and the freed girls have said. Since the abduction in 2014, Boko Haram has grown in reach and influence. Most of its members now operate as a more brutal faction backed by the Islamic State group. More than 35,000 people have died and over 2 million have been displaced by the extremist violence in Nigeria, according to the U.N. Development Program. Ukraine hailed the return Saturday of 45 Azov battalion fighters captured during the battle for Mariupol last year while Russia said three of its pilots had been released by Kyiv. The exact details of the apparent prisoner swap remained unclear. A video and still photographs, released Saturday (May 6) by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on the telegram app showed what is said to be Ukrainian POWs after the swap. nian prisoners included 42 men and three women from the Azov battalion, said Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office. The Azov unit, which did much of the fighting in the failed defense of the port city of Mariupol, has been lionized as heroes by many Ukrainians but is widely vilified in Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that three pilots had been returned and were being provided with medical and psychological assistance. Moscow and Kyiv have undertaken regular prisoner exchanges since Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year. Russia says it launched its "special military operation" to counter a threat from Kyiv's relations with the West, while Ukraine and its Western partners say it was an unprovoked land grab. * $3.5 billion plan was beset with delays, defaults * Plan falls short, doesn't address land restitution -farmers * Farmers and government continue discussions HARARE (Reuters) - Ben Gilpin is one of hundreds of commercial farmers who has been offered government compensation for being evicted from their land and farms two decades ago, and found the plan has come up short. Expelled from his 1,000-hectare farm during a land reform campaign led by former president Robert Mugabe, Gilpin, who lives in the capital Harare, is one of many mostly white farmers seeking redress from the government after years of court action and delays. Still, some farmers say they will reject the government's $3.5 billion compensation package for being inadequate financially and for paying scant regard to land restitution or restoring property rights. Compensating farmers is central to a government strategy under discussion with key creditor, the African Development Bank (AfDB), to clear historic arrears of some $17 billion. Farmers say the plan was agreed by the Commercial Farmers Union in July 2020 and subsequently revised without adequate consultation. Zimbabwe intends to now pay farmers over a decade, instead of the 20 years announced three years ago, finance minister Mthuli Ncube said in February, with money raised via treasury bills. Harare has already defaulted twice on the payments, in June 2021 and June 2022. "The offer of bonds represents a very significant reduction in value with a prolonged redemption period," Gilpin, 67, told Reuters. "This is unacceptable and bears no relation to the original offer." In the initial proposal, half of the $3.5 billion was to be paid within 12 months from the day of signature, and the balance within five years. "We want to reject this government compensation deed because it is not a proper compensation deal," said Ben Freeth, whose father-in-law challenged Mugabe's eviction policies at the now-disbanded SADC Tribunal and won in a 2008 judgement. The government was continuing discussions with farmers over appropriate payment methods and time frames, Ncube said. "I am certain that we will converge pretty soon in terms of the appropriate instruments," he told journalists on Friday. AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina, who is championing Zimbabwe's debt clearance efforts, said paying farmers over a decade was a long time, given the age of most claimants. "I think a front-loading farmer compensation approach is worth consideration," he told Reuters. "The process will require careful negotiations and the implementation of strategic reforms." Reporting by Nyasha Chingono in Harare and Wendell Roelf in Cape Town; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Bernadette Baum Rev. Al Sharpton called on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to prosecute those involved in Monday's chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway train, as the primary suspect maintains he acted in self-defense. Neely, 30, was a street artist known for Michael Jackson impersonations whose mental health and drug abuse struggles led him to bouts of homelessness. A freelance journalist aboard the northbound F train when the tragic incident occurred said that Neely acted erratically as soon as he boarded the car. He shouted that he was hungry, thirsty, and had little to live for and threw trash at other passengers as they became visibly uncomfortable and moved away. JORDAN NEELY: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT SHOCKING SUBWAY DEATH IN NEW YORK Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old Marine, then came up from behind and placed Neely in a chokehold as two unidentified males aided in restraining the homeless man. The three continued to restrain Neely for several minutes until his lifeless body stopped fighting back. Penny was initially taken into New York City Police Department custody but was ultimately released as officials investigate the matter. It was reported Friday that Bragg is expected to present a case to a grand jury in the coming days for consideration of possible charges. The city's medical examiner said Wednesday it had determined that Neely's cause of death was homicide by "compression of neck" or a "chokehold." The situation has divided New Yorkers, with hundreds protesting in recent days to demand charges against Penny and others. For his part, Penny's lawyers said in a statement late Friday that their client was not acting in pursuit of harming Neely, but instead to protect himself and others from an erratic man having a mental health episode. "When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived," the statement read. "Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death." That explanation wasn't sufficient to Sharpton, a civil rights icon, who said at his weekly Saturday rally of the viral footage, "I'm looking at the video. You got one man choking and the other holding him down. They all need to be in front of a grand jury." "This man needs to be prosecuted cause what you will do if you do not prosecute him, in my judgment, is you will set a standard of vigilantism that we cannot tolerate," he continued. "The precedent alone is a threat to all of us. We cannot allow this lawlessness to go unchecked." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Sharpton went on to say that while there are many disturbing things that occur on the New York City subway every day, those actions do not merit strangling another individual. "This man did not have his bio on his back," he said of Neely's lengthy rap sheet. "This man had a mental issue and the way you handle that is not to put him in a chokehold and squeeze the life out of him. A mental issue on a train is not to be sentenced with death." Original Location: Man who held Jordan Neely in chokehold defends conduct as Al Sharpton calls for charges Washington Examiner Videos Deciding where to go college is the first major life decision many Americans make. And while there are many factors to weigh when selecting a school - including cost and distance from home - many of the 16.6 million American college students today chose to enroll in the best school they could get into. It is generally believed that graduates of elite colleges and universities are better positioned for higher-paying careers later in life. And there is plenty of evidence to back this claim. According to one study conducted between 1996 and 2014, about 38% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 45% of billionaires attended elite post-secondary schools. (This is where the 25 richest American billionaires went to college.) Because elite colleges and universities offer high quality and rigorous academic programs, they receive far more applications each year than they can accept. As a result, many of the best schools in the country are also the most selective. It is worth noting that those who graduate from top-tier institutions are high achievers to begin with, and therefore, any career success cannot be attributed to their college education alone. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, of the four colleges or universities in North Dakota with available data, University of Mary, located in Bismarck, ranks as the hardest school to get into. A total of 78.8% of applicants for the fall 2021 semester were admitted, and the median SAT score among enrolled students in the 2020-2021 academic year was 1110 out of a possible 1600. The average cost of attending University of Mary as a full-time student is $30,194 for one academic year. Average annual cost of attendance is only for full-time, first-time, undergraduates who receive Title IV aid. All schools within each state with at least 1,000 applicants in fall 2021 were ranked based on an index score of median SAT scores, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and admissions rates, from the National Center for Education Statistics. Average annual cost of attendance is also from the College Scorecard. Deciding where to go college is the first major life decision many Americans make. And while there are many factors to weigh when selecting a school - including cost and distance from home - many of the 16.6 million American college students today chose to enroll in the best school they could get into. It is generally believed that graduates of elite colleges and universities are better positioned for higher-paying careers later in life. And there is plenty of evidence to back this claim. According to one study conducted between 1996 and 2014, about 38% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 45% of billionaires attended elite post-secondary schools. (This is where the 25 richest American billionaires went to college.) Because elite colleges and universities offer high quality and rigorous academic programs, they receive far more applications each year than they can accept. As a result, many of the best schools in the country are also the most selective. It is worth noting that those who graduate from top-tier institutions are high achievers to begin with, and therefore, any career success cannot be attributed to their college education alone. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, of the seven colleges or universities in South Dakota with available data, Augustana University, located in Sioux Falls, ranks as the hardest school to get into. A total of 71.8% of applicants for the fall 2021 semester were admitted, and the median SAT score among enrolled students in the 2020-2021 academic year was 1223 out of a possible 1600. The average cost of attending Augustana University as a full-time student is $47,710 for one academic year. Average annual cost of attendance is only for full-time, first-time, undergraduates who receive Title IV aid. All schools within each state with at least 1,000 applicants in fall 2021 were ranked based on an index score of median SAT scores, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and admissions rates, from the National Center for Education Statistics. Average annual cost of attendance is also from the College Scorecard. All it took was a coronation. After years of being overshadowed by the well-dressed women in his life, people were finally interested in what King Charles III was wearing. In a crimson coronation tunic from Londons oldest tailors Ede & Ravenscroft, it was Charles time to occupy the style spotlight previously directed at Queen Elizabeth, first wife Princess Diana and most recently his daughters-in-law, Princess Catherine and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. King Charles III in a custom tunic and overshirt arrives at his coronation; Queen Camilla in an ivory silk gown with gold and silver embroidery from British designer Bruce Oldfield. Credit: Getty, AP The tunic was worn with a cream silk overshirt from Turnbull & Asser, better-known for their striped business shirts and inspired by the coronation outfits of his predecessors George V and George VI. Ceremonial Royal Naval trousers completed the regal look. Its difficult moving on from the coronation of King Charles III without wondering what might have been. If Queen Elizabeth had not endured an annus horribilis in 1992 and Charles and Diana had remained married, what would Queen Diana have looked like on the throne? Queen Camilla has gently acquired the gravitas enabling her to carry off British designer Bruce Oldfields wide-shouldered ivory silk coronation gown but despite evolving from a scruffy, country lady of the manor, straight from a Jilly Cooper novel, her fashion impact pales beside Dianas lasting legacy. Princess Diana was very confident in her personal style, even though I dont think she was a self-confident person, says Australian fashion designer Jayson Brunsdon. She certainly knew how to send a message with fashion. Look at the famous black revenge dress. Diana would have known how to send a message at the coronation. Brunsdon met Diana in Sydney following her divorce from Prince Charles, when she opened the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in 1996. During their styling session Diana refused to wear Chanel shoes because of the interlocking Cs, which could represent Charles and Camilla. By Mark Trevelyan (Reuters) -A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, was wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver on Saturday and investigators said a detained suspect admitted acting on behalf of Ukraine. The attack took place three days after the Kremlin said Ukraine attempted to hit the Kremlin with drones - Ukraine denied it had anything to do with the attack. Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the Western states backing it, particularly the United States, for the latest attack on the writer, an ardent proponent of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine. Ukraine's security services, in its standard response, refused to confirm or deny involvement. A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of staging the incident. Russia's state Investigative Committee said Prilepin's Audi Q7 was blown up in a village in Nizny Novgorod region, about 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow, which it was treating as an act of terrorism. It said Prilepin had been taken to hospital. The committee released a photograph showing the white vehicle lying overturned on a track next to a wood, with a deep crater beside it and pieces of metal strewn nearby. The committee later issued a statement saying investigators were questioning a suspect identified as Alexander Permyakov. "The suspect was detained and, in the course of questioning, he provided testimony that he acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services," said the statement, read by a woman in uniform. The governor of Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, said on Telegram that doctors had successfully operated on Prilepin and that he was now under sedation to help his recovery. Russia's Foreign Ministry, in a statement on its website said: "Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with Ukrainian authorities, but also their Western patrons, the United States in the first instance...". It said Washington's failure to denounce this and other attacks was "self-revealing" for the U.S. administration. State news agency TASS quoted security sources as saying the suspect was a "native of Ukraine" with a past conviction for robbery with violence. Ukraine's SBU Security Service issued its standard response of declining to confirm or deny involvement in the bombing. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he believed Russian authorities had staged the attack. "Everyone understands that this is all a staged performance," Podolyak told Ukrainian television. "This is staged and the bombings at the Kremlin are aimed at domestic audiences." The novelist was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the deaths of journalist Darya Dugina and war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in the two previous attacks, and Kyiv has denied involvement. Ukrainian news site UNIAN ran an online poll asking readers who "in the pantheon of Russian scum propagandists" should be targeted next after Dugina, Tatarsky and Prilepin. Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. No comment was immediately available from Britain's Foreign Office. MOSCOW SAYS UKRAINE ACTING ON WEST'S BEHALF It was the second time this week that Moscow has accused Ukraine of carrying out terrorist attacks on behalf of the West, a narrative it appears to be pushing with increasing urgency but which Kyiv and Washington reject as baseless. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine denied that too, and the White House said accusations that Washington had a hand in it were "lies". Prilepin often speaks out in support of the Ukraine war on social media, with more than 300,000 followers on Telegram and his own website and YouTube channel. He fought for Russian proxy forces in eastern Ukraines Donbas region before last year's invasion and led a military unit there, boasting in a 2019 YouTube interview that his unit "killed people in big numbers". "These people are dead, they are buried and ... there are many of them," he said. "Not a single unit among the Donetsk battalions had such results. It was outrageous chaos what we did there ... Not a single field commander had such results as I had." (Additional reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Ron Popeski and Daniel Wallis) At Sydneys main Anglican cathedral on Sunday morning, the signs of celebration for the Kings coronation were everywhere. Men mingled outside in bowler hats and Union Jack clothing, children decorated crowns with stickers in the kids activity packs, and ushers served scones with jam and cream after the service. The Dean, Sandy Grant, showing the congregation of St Andrews Cathedral a coronation tea towel he bought in London. Credit: Steven Siewert The special choral service at St Andrews Cathedral to mark the historic occasion also included a sermon referencing next weeks federal budget and telling Christians they should be glad taxpayers. The service included special prayers for the King and royal family, and readings selected by the Church of England for coronation services around the world. The choir sang many of the same anthems used at the coronation service in Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Bad news. The Japan Rail Pass, the eternally popular all-inclusive ticket for Japans major transport network, for so long an absolute no-brainer for visitors to the country, is about to become a whole lot more expensive. Were talking almost 70 per cent more expensive. Japan Rail announced recently that, from an unspecified point in the future, probably around October this year, basic seven-day JR Passes will rise from 29,640 yen (about $330) to 50,000 yen ($560). The JR Pass allows tourists unlimited travel on many of the countries trains, including bullet trains. Credit: iStock Thats a brutal increase that will make the purchase much more difficult to justify for many visitors. As it stands, the JR Pass is great value. If youre planning to travel from, say, Tokyo to Kyoto and back again on the shinkansen (bullet train), it will cost about 26,000 yen. Given the JR Pass allows access to the JR network in its entirety, including regional trains, intra-city trains, airport trains and even some buses and ferries, you only need to do the smallest amount of extra travel even just to and from Narita airport before the JR Pass has paid for itself. 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 New York: The morning after testifying in harrowing detail about allegedly being raped by Donald Trump in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store, E. Jean Carroll logged on to Twitter to find an onslaught of attacks. Slut. Liar. Ugly. Old. Author E. Jean Carroll arrives at federal court in New York on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Credit:Bloomberg As she recounted the messages to a jury during her trial, the US author looked emotional, then paused for a minute. Despite it all, she told the court: I couldnt be more proud to be here. Three decades since the alleged attack that she says changed her life, Carrolls civil trial is a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement that was set in motion by the sexual predation of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Trump, after all, is a former president and the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 US election. He has also been accused of sexual harassment or assault by more than two dozen women since the 1970s all allegations he has denied but this is the first time a jury has been asked to determine a claim in court. Advertisement If the jury finds against him, one of the most powerful men in America would be liable for battery (in connection with the rape) and defamation, for attacking Carrolls reputation and accusing her of concocting a hoax after she went public with her claim in 2019. Donald Trump campaigning in New Hampshire during the trial. Credit:AP And while Trump would inevitably appeal against such a verdict, it would nonetheless mark the first time he has been held accountable in court for his alleged treatment of women, adding to his string of other legal woes as the race for the White House intensifies. Loading For Trump, who says he never knew Carroll and that she is not my type, the trial is an example of another witch hunt. For Carroll, 79, who was raised in an era where women were taught to grin and bear it, it was the chance to speak her truth. As she told the jury in her opening statement: I am here to try to get my life back. Advertisement The coolest woman around The seeds of this trial were sown in 2017, when Carroll had planned to embark on a book project in which she would collect the stories of trailblazing women across the US. But as the revelations about Weinsteins sexual misconduct emerged, it prompted her to confront her own story, too. The flood of sexual abuse allegations against Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement. Credit:AP A former beauty queen and Miss Cheerleader USA, Carroll spent years as a socialite in the elite media circles of Manhattan. She was known for her Ask E. Jean advice column in Elle magazine; she wrote for Saturday Night Live; and her work featured in publications such as Playboy and Rolling Stone. She was the coolest woman journalist around daring, had a ton of guts, and was as funny as the guys, Sex and the City creator Candace Bushnell told USA Today in 2019. There really wasnt and isnt anyone else like her. But Carroll says her life was forever altered during a chance encounter with Trump in the mid-1990s at Bergdorf Goodman, an upmarket department store not far from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. Advertisement He came through the door and he said, Hey, you are that advice lady, she testified, to which she had replied: Hey, youre that real estate tycoon. The Bergdorf Goodman store In New York City, where E. Jean Carroll allages Donald Trump raped her. Credit:iStock Trump allegedly then asked Carroll to help him pick out a gift for another woman. She had happily obliged and they made their way to the lingerie section, where he found a bodysuit that he asked her to try on, Carroll claims. She joked that he should try on the bodysuit, thinking it would be funny, but when they got into the dressing room, he immediately shut the door and forced himself on her, she says. Carroll says that at one point, she tried to push Trump back, but he shoved her against the wall, banging her head. He had then used his whole weight to hold her there and pulled down her tights. His fingers went into my vagina, which was extremely painful, Carroll has said. After that, he had inserted his penis. She says she has not had an intimate relationship since. Theres something wrong with her Advertisement Trump, meanwhile, has not presented a defence case. His only expected witness, a psychiatrist, did not testify last week due to health reasons, and the former president has not attended at all, which legal experts say is a risk. Says Columbia Law School professor John Coffee: My view is that if a jury sees the defendant not even showing enough respect for the process or for the jury to turn up, its going to create some resentment. They could really hit him with very high damages. The strategy of Trump and his legal team has instead been to discredit Carroll as a whack job who fabricated the story for politics, money and fame. Shes a liar and a sick person in my opinion, Trump said in a video deposition taken last October and played to the jury last week. Theres something wrong with her. Marla Maples and Donald Trump at the Indy 500 race in 1996. Credit:BRIAN CLEARY He also says in the deposition that Carroll was not his type, but he undercut his own defence when he mistook a photograph of his accuser for his second wife, Marla Maples. Its Marla, he said, before being told the blonde woman in the photo he was examining was Carroll. Is that Carroll? Because its very blurry. Advertisement At least seven people are dead after a deadly car incident in Brownsville, Texas Sunday morning, according to police. A driver, 30-year Michael Alexander Nash, allegedly rammed his vehicle into multiple people near Ozanam Center, a shelter for the homeless and migrants around 8:30 a.m. local time, authorities said. MAYORKAS SAYS TITLE 42 BORDER SITUATION IS 'VERY SERIOUS' AND 'VERY DIFFICULT' As many as six people are receiving treatment for injuries stemming from the incident, which took place around Minnesota Road and North Bernal Road, per police. Injuries range from serious to minor. The suspect is currently in police custody and is being screened for possible drug or alcohol use. He is being kept in the hospital and is under 24-hour supervision, according to local reports. A motive for the incident is not immediately clear. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Brownsville is a city fixated in close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. The accident comes amid high anticipation of a migrant surge next ween week after the pandemic-era Title 42 policy expires on May 11. The Washington Examiner contacted the Brownsville Police Department for additional information. Original Location: Seven killed near migrant shelter after being struck by car in Texas Washington Examiner Videos Greek food, music and dancing were showcased Friday and Saturday as Greek Community of Niagara at St. Katharine Greek Orthodox Church kicked off the Niagara Folk Arts Festival. Lazaros Janetos said about 500 people gathered at the Niagara Street hall in St. Catharines for the opening day of the 55th annual event, the first of the regions cultural organizations to host an open house as part of the monthlong festival. It was quite nice to see people coming out, he said. Although food sales were slower than hoped for, Janetos said it was still a great opportunity to share the Greek culture. We had a lot of dancing going on with kids groups, and thats really the cultural part we had with their costumes, said Janetos, who chairs the centres folk arts festival committee. The festival began Thursday with the Ambassador Ball at the Club Roma Pavilion on Vansickle Road in west St. Catharines, featuring representatives from each of the groups that are participating in the festival, as well as cultural performances, an Irish music group, Ethio-Canadian Community Dancers and an acrobatics team from Welland. Upcoming open houses, all in St. Catharines, include at: Club Heidelberg Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on May 21 noon to 4 p.m. at 569 Lake St.; Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 85 Church St.; and Ukrainian Canadian Congress Saturday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at St. John Ukrainian Church, 91 Lakeshore Rd. Several open houses are taking place the following weekend including, on May 20: Canadian Slovak League, Ethio-Canadian Community Association, Chinese Cultural Association and SOFIFRAN; and, on May 21, Filipino Canadian Association of Niagara and Armenian Community Centre. Open houses at Club Roma, Slovenian Lipa Park, Niagara Hindu Samaj, Club LaSalle and Croatian National Centre will be held in the final weeks of May. A full list of events is available at niagarafolkartsfestival.ca. Note: This story has been updated to correct the dates of upcoming open houses. SHARE: Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton is only about an hour away from Welland but was much too far from home during an incredibly stressful time for the Middel family. Erin Middel gave birth to twin boys Skyler and Hudson on Aug. 22, 2021, less than 28 weeks into her pregnancy. This was after she had been admitted to McMaster Hospital five weeks earlier, when her water broke. Three weeks after Erin gave birth, Skyler died. While Hudson remained in the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital, Ronald McDonald House, only a short walk away, became their home away from home for 61 days after Erin was discharged. We were able to walk back and forth every day. We were so blessed to have that, said Erin in a recent interview. While her husband Amos still had to head back to Niagara occasionally for work, Erin said it would have been too difficult to make the trip every day from Niagara to see Hudson. You can imagine how no parents want to be that far away from their sick children, she said. Hudson is now a year and a half old and healthy, checking in regularly with doctors on his progress. Hes hitting all his milestones and doing quite well, his mom said. After two months of staying at Ronald McDonald House, Hudson was relocated to St. Catharines hospital and evenutally sent home in early December 2021. What Ronald McDonald House provided for their family is something they will always remember, including a comfortable atmosphere for mom and dad, as well as their other son Levi, now three. Thats why the Middels are hoping people across the country will support McHappy Day at their local McDonalds restaurant on Wednesday. The cost to stay at Ronald McDonald House is $12 a day, which Erin Middel said wouldnt be possible without third-party donations to Ronald McDonald House Charities, such as people making a purchase at a McDonalds on the annual day of fundraising. She said although every dollar counts may be overused when related to fundraising campaigns, its accurate in this case. RELATED STORIES Niagara Region St. Catharines deputy fire chief forever grateful to Ronald McDonald House I know we hear that term often, but there is actually truth behind that, she said, adding that supporting the cause isnt just a purchase, but a step toward helping families in need. Its a moment in time when youre connecting with a family going through a tough time, and connecting to children needing family close to their side, she said, adding how the facility near McMaster is a way for parents going through similar and challenging situations to bond with one another and create relationships that last long after everyone goes back to their normal lives. In Ontario, 14,400 families from more than 1,000 communities are supported by RMHC programs in an average year, said a news release about McHappy Day. But sadly, the need for RMHCs services remains greater than they can currently meet making initiatives like McHappy Day instrumental to RMHCs ability to help families during a challenging time. In the south-central Ontario region, RMHC supports more than 2,600 families from more than 150 communities in an average year. Kris Dube is a reporter for the Welland Tribune. Reach him via email: kris.dube@niagaradailies.com Read more about: SHARE: Siblings Aniah Marouf and Connor Marouf show off the handmade characters they picked up at DSBN FanCon held at Greater Fort Erie Secondary School. Whether it is comics, collectibles, anime, gaming tournaments or tips from industry professionals, DSBN FanCon has something for every geek and nerd. Greater Fort Erie Secondary School hosted the free event on Saturday and welcomed students as well as hundreds of pop-culture fans from the community. The convention was an opportunity to gain experience first-hand from industry professionals about gaming, costuming, comics and movies. The goal of this event is to teach students about their hobbies, whether it is something like prop making (or) costuming and help students become better at the things they are interested in, said Matt Vandervoet, the schools library technician, who is one of the events organizers. Ultimately, the convention is geared towards learning and we can help students turn their passion into a possible profession in the future. Cosplayers like Bryanne Martin, cartoonist Lar DeSousa and props and costume creator Chris Warrilow were on hand to answer questions and participate in panels. Martin expressed her excitement to be a judge of this years Masquerade Ball; a costume competition featuring handmade costumes from comic books, movies, Japanese animation, video games or any popular fandom. The Fort Erie-born cosplayer has been designing costumes since 2015 and has participated in three panels: two at Toronto ComicCon and one with FanExpo Canada. She has competed in many competitions and took home an award from FanExpo Vancouver. Its a lot of fun, said Martin, adding that making your own costumes takes time to learn. You try something and slowly build up your skills each time you make something. Local maker Chae Marouf was on hand selling crocheted toys, which included gaming, Pokemon and other popular characters. Marouf said convention organizers encouraged her to become a vendor and she was happy to do it. I love seeing all the kids. It has been really good so far, she said. Author Jen Frankel came all the way from Hamilton to be part of DSBN FanCon. I love the idea of a convention being in a high school. I love connecting with the kids and talking about writing. SHARE: Shipmate Jeff Seburn tolled the bell during the 78th annual memorial service commemorating the Battle of the Atlantic. A bit of rain and wind wouldnt have stopped sailors serving in the Royal Canadian Navy from fulfilling their duties. It also didnt stop people from coming together to the Navy Hall in Niagara-on-the-Lake to honour and remember these sailors for their sacrifices. Members of the Royal Canadian Naval Association of Niagara (RCNA) held a service to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic on Sunday (May 7). This battle allowed Britain to stay standing and led to an Allied victory in the Second World War, so its very important we continue to commemorate this battle, said Mike Britton, RCNA special events chair, who was master of ceremonies. The memorial service started at 1 p.m. and included a parade and colour guard, the Niagara Regional Police Band piper as well as music provided by the Niagara Falls Concert Band. The Battle of the Atlantic was the Second World Wars longest, largest and most complex battle. It was a significant battle in the war because it was the struggle between the Allied and German forces for control of the Atlantic Ocean. The military campaign started in 1939 and lasted until the end of the war. The Allies needed to keep the vital flow of men and supplies going between North America and Europe, where they could be used in the fighting. Meanwhile, the opposition wanted to cut these supply lines. Canada lost 2,000 sailors serving in the Royal Canadian Navy, 1,600 merchant mariners and 752 airmen from the Royal Canadian Air Force. Many of these brave Canadians and commercial ships came from the Niagara Region. As the names of the lost ships were spoken out loud, flowers were cast out into the nearby water during the carnations ceremony and shipmate Jeff Seburn rang the bell. In addition to members of the public, there were local dignitaries, including Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa and St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens. SHARE: Doreen Hounsham still has the bible she was given at her school in Aberdeen, Scotland, when she 11 years old to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953. She recalled watching Elizabeth as she was crowned that day, while enjoying Victoria sponge cake. My mother and father didnt have a TV, so we had to go to our neighbours house. They had a black and white little screen, she recalled. While fondly remembering that day 70 years ago, Hounsham said she was up at 5 a.m. Saturday to watch the crowning of King Charles III. It was an event she said she could not miss. The Welland resident brought that bible its stamped with the Queens royal cipher with her as she joined a celebration at Simcoe Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake, organized by business owner Simon Bentall. Im really proud to be a Canadian and take part in this, said Hounsham, a retired nurse who moved to Canada when she was about 30 years old. Considering NOTLs history as the original capital of Upper Canada, Bentall said there needed to be an event to commemorate it. Rather than wait for someone else to organize an event, Bentall took on the job himself. The owner of the Scottish Loft a shop on Queen Street that specializes in merchandise imported from England and Scotland said he, too, was up at 5 a.m. to watch the coronation, adding hes enthusiastic about the new monarch. People dont realize how much hes done everywhere, and even in Canada as well, said Bentall, originally from Sheffield. Like him or hate him, give him a chance. I think hes going to be good for this country. The Simcoe Park celebration was one of several events held throughout Niagara to commemorate the coronation that also included tea parties fit for a king, organized by Niagara Falls History Museum. The Ferry Street museum offered two coronation teas featuring a menu of savouries and sweets, including sandwiches, scones and desserts. Visitors, decked out in their finest royal attire with elaborate hats and fascinators watched coverage of the coronation, which was broadcast on a large screen. I love royalty, said Sharon Curtis, wearing a flowing yellow dress and hat to match. Curtis watched the live television coverage starting at 7 a.m. before heading to the museum with friend Linda Pearl to take in the pomp and pageantry. My sweetheart and I believe in the monarchy and I believe we should support them no matter who they are, said retired lieutenant colonel Bernard Nehring, who attended the morning tea with his wife Marlayne, Lori Verdon and Janet Lacasse. Every military man or woman pledges allegiance to the monarchy and that has to be repeated every time there is a new sovereign, and that applies to us older ones like us as well, he said. Nehring said the event was also a good occasion to have a bit of get together and party. The museum hosted an afternoon tea in June 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It was a great hit with the community so we wanted to bring it back with King Charles coronation, said Sylvia Beben, cultural development co-ordinator with the City of Niagara Falls. As the Queens Jubilee tea sold out so quickly, the museum offered two coronation teas Saturday. Forty people attended the morning tea and 50 attended the afternoon sitting. Also on Saturday, Niagara Parks marked the historic occasion by offering free admission to the Floral Showhouse and the butterfly conservatory. King Charles III acceded to the throne Sept. 8, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Kings coronation marks the first coronation of a Canadian Head of State in seven decades. Niagara Parks is proud to join the Ontario government and other cultural attractions by taking part in this provincial initiative to help Ontarians commemorate this historic event, Niagara Parks chair April Jeffs said in a release. SHARE: The provinces police watchdog agency has cleared a Niagara officer of any wrongdoing in connection with a 2022 arrest that left a man with a fractured nose. The Ontario Special Investigations Unit said Friday there were no reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed a criminal offence during the arrest of an intoxicated 43-year-old man at residence in West Lincoln. The evidence indicates the complainant resisted his arrest inside the house by pushing, and pulling away from, the officers, delivering punches of his own at the (subject officer), SIU director Joseph Martino said in a release. In the circumstances, the officer was entitled to resort to a measure of force to defend himself and subdue the complainant. The punches he delivered were a commensurate and proportionate response to the punches aimed in his direction by the complainant. Police were called to a West Lincoln property Dec. 4, 2022, in response to a complaint about loud music. According to the SIU, the man was intoxicated and argued with the two responding police officers. While inside the residence, there was a physical altercation between the man and one of the officers. The man was taken to a local hospital where he refused medical treatment. He attended Haldimand War Memorial Hospital in Dunnville the following day for treatment of a fractured nose. The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm. SHARE: Im honored to abuse this space to opine on the political downfall of the once liberty-loving state of Colorado. But the state has lost something more than personal and economic freedom, though its harder to put a precise measurement to it. We have lost being, well, being nice. I miss Coloradans being pleasant, helpful and joking around with each other, particularly with strangers. Coloradans used to be light, pleasant, enjoyable. In a different age one might use the word gay. Coloradans have become rude, judgmental and tribal. Maybe its bound to happen as more groups control command of how other groups should live, work, commute even talk. Growing up here, Colorado seemed damn near without classes, without a sense of one group of people being superior to another group. There was a time youd see two men walking down the street, each wearing jeans and plaid flannel shirts. One of them could be making a living throwing chains on an oil rig, the other could be the wealthy owner of a petroleum company who owned that rig, and you wouldnt have the slightest clue who was who. Folks werent always out to find personal offense as they seem to be now. Today to be a Coloradan is to be righteous, angry and always a victim. I was just reminded of it again: Ive been lobbied by friends and family to try this wild new thing called Trader Joes, which they claim has been around for decades. Personally, if you can find something at Costco, is it really worth buying? Why buy a bottle of ketchup when you can buy a barrel of it that can rot in your cupboard? Thats just good plain man-thinking. So, to prove I can try something new I took my son to Trader Joes in the most accepting, tolerant, friendly town in the state, Boulder. You might recall my 18-year-old son has Down syndrome. It is very obvious by his appearance he is severely developmentally delayed. Whenever my son, Chance, and I are together its playtime. We joke and clown around, trying to include those around us because, well, its fun. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. When we got to the Trader Joes check-out there were two open stations, one with a male attendant, one female, both in their mid-twenties. Playfully I said to Chance, Which lane should we choose, the one with the guy or the lady? And then smiling at both, letting them know I was playing with my son, I said tongue-in-cheek, I think you should choose the one with the pretty girl. At this the male clerk turned this playful moment into a teachable moment for this clearly un-educated, hateful older man. He schooled us by saying clearly for all around, in the opposite of a playful way, F*** the binary. F*** the binary! Apparently, I sinned by delineating him from his coworker based on obvious biological sex. As we were leaving, he volunteered his next opinion to us, Ignorance is bliss. I assume that was directed at me, and not my mentally delayed son. Yes, this was only one little vignette, but it is perfect example of the new Colorado. Its the intolerant bullying of the new enlightened, tolerant class. And they are here to let us know whos in charge. They are empowered, even at work, to basically say, F*** you, youre ignorant, to a customer twice his age, and enjoy the superiority of knowing theyre making the world a better place in the process. Colorado now has a fractured social stratum. There are those who are regulated vs. those who demand ever more regulation of others; those who are victims vs. those who are accused oppressors, those who write the new Orwellian speech codes vs. those who are chilled by them; those who enforce the new speech codes yelling, F*** the binary and those who just want to buy groceries with their kids. Some will read this and think, Really, Caldara? We took Native Americans land here in Colorado, treated immigrants inhumanely, (and on and on) but privileged little you misses the days when young people didnt use their voices for needed social justice. Maybe. Maybe I have become the new Archie Bunker. But then most of the people I know who also grew up in Colorado, including my liberal friends, are also turning into Archie Bunker and remembering a more friendly time here. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics. If you felt a gust of wind around noon British time on Saturday, that may have been Prince Harry, breathing a massive sigh of relief that attending his fathers coronation was finally over. We speculate, of course, but it doesnt feel like a stretch to imagine that this was an occasion Harry was eager to have behind him. A brief refresher on the facts that support this, just from the past few days. Speculation was rife if Harry would even attend the coronation, as he delayed confirming his attendance until just three weeks ago. (Ladbrokes put the odds at 4/5 that Harry and Meghan would attend and 6/4 that they wouldnt.) Harry flew in only yesterday, the day before the event, (commercial, reportedly on an American Airlines flight), and spent the night at Frogmore Cottage. Hes jetting back to Montecito today to celebrate his son Archies fourth birthday the ostensible reason that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stayed behind in California. It's not surprising that Harry likely felt a bit squirrelly. The coronation marks the first time he has seen his family since publishing Spare, his bombshell memoir that painted a less than flattering portrait of the royal family, both as an institution and as individuals. Certainly, Harry was noticeably uncomfortable as he arrived at Westminster Abbey for the coronation service. Walking into the church, he was seen joking with his cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands, although it felt more awkward laughter than easy, breezy mirth. (According to a lip reader enlisted by Hello!, he told Jack Brooksbank, Eugenies husband, I will be straight to the airport.) As Harry walked up the aisle at Westminister Abbey, he cut a solitary figure between the two couples. Meghans absence was palpable. He sat in the third row alongside his cousins. It wasnt quite social Siberia he had a better seat than many of the attending foreign royals but he certainly wasnt seated in the front row alongside his brother, Prince William, occupying prime position alongside Kate, the Princess of Wales, and their children. Technically, Harrys spot at the coronation was less a snub, more an egalitarian adhering to protocol: working royals got the best seats, and then everyone else (including the retired Prince Andrew) were seated behind them in a rough order of seniority. Its still a far cry from where Harry, in an alternate universe where he didnt break from his family quite so acrimoniously, may have been sitting. He may have even joined his brother in paying formal homage to their father during the coronation ceremony. Theres something else that speaks to Harrys effective demotion: He was wearing a sombre morning suit rather than a military uniform. If youve been following this saga, youll know this has been a past bone of contention. When he quit his job as a royal, Harry also lost the various honorary military titles which entitled him to wear a uniform at official events like this. (His brother William, for example, was wearing a Welsh Guards uniform because he is their Colonel.) For Harry, who served on active military duty, this has been a particularly painful and, in his view unjust consequence of his choice to leave royal life behind. As the service continued, Harry looked very much like a person going through the motions. (To be fair, so did everyone else. Emoting in public is not very Windsor.) He sang the hymns, he said the pledge of allegiance to Charles, he moved his lips during God Save The King but he never cracked a smile. Alas, any reaction he might have had was also largely blocked, thanks to a rather majestic feather on Princess Annes hat. We certainly didnt see any interaction between him and any of his immediate family, although it did seem like he was looking Williams way every now and again, even once the action had processed past to the other side of the abbey. Harry reportedly returned to California today, almost right after the coronation ceremony of his father back home to Meghan and the kids. When will he be back in England? Not soon, we think. Read more about: SHARE: Justin Trudeau was forced to miss half of his own Liberal partys convention this weekend to attend the coronation ceremony in London. Conservatives found this scandalous, even rolling out an attack ad to slam Trudeau as out of touch and out of the country. Liberals did not. Trudeau may not have been physically present among the thousands of partisans milling around the Ottawa convention centre, but he was everywhere photos of the prime minister rolling across big screens in the halls, his name evoked over and over again in the multitude of panel discussions on stage. This much is clear Trudeau still owns the party he brought back from near extinction a decade ago. For a governing party that is enduring daily bashing in Parliament and on the pundit circuit, led by a man who is more unpopular now than hes ever been since taking power in 2015, the mood at this weekends Liberal party convention was remarkably upbeat. We needed this, one MP said to me as we made our way through a buoyant crowd exiting Friday nights double-bill show of former prime minister Jean Chretien and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. It was the first time the Liberals have held an in-person convention since 2018, which is a lifetime ago for this government before a global pandemic, before two elections that kept them to minority rule, before the wear and tear of everything from the SNC-Lavalin controversy to a war in Ukraine. All of that has left its mark on Liberals, without question. They talked openly in the corridors of the often-tense political discussions they have with friends and family back home. They talked about it in organizational sessions; what theyre up against as they dare to contemplate winning a fourth term in government. In one discussion, featuring Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, one delegate put the question: What are you going to do to overcome the perception that youre stale, youve been there a long time, youre not the new idea guys? Joly replied: Yes indeed, weve been in power for eight years. So the world has a perception that we have been in power for a long time. However, she said, that makes it all the more important to frame the next election as a choice between Liberals and the alternative Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. I think its important that the choice be stark. On this point, the Conservatives would likely agree. Their new ad against Trudeaus travelling ways is ample evidence that they regard the prime minister as not only their main rival, but their major asset. Justin Trudeau: hes taken five lavish foreign trips this year alone, the ad narrator says against a backdrop of photos of planes taking off, passports being stamped and champagne glasses clinking. Now hes taking off again, when his government cant deliver basic services, the streets are unsafe and the costs of housing and groceries keeps spiralling out of control. I did see the ad run on TV during the past few days while the Liberal convention was underway, but its not clear how it fits into any overall ad strategy by the Conservatives whether this is the first of many to be sent into wider circulation, for instance. What is clear is that Conservatives were no doubt cheering on Thursday night, when Trudeau told his party faithful that it would be his honour to lead them into the next election battle. But Liberals were cheering too. As many others have been observing, this is not a party that seems in any mood to send Trudeau packing, if only because there is no one, clear alternative leader certainly not anyone they could present as the stark choice against Poilievre. Many of the names on the list of would-be successors to Trudeau got to strut their stuff on stage at the convention a sign, if nothing else, that the prime minister and his team dont see any of them as rearguard threats. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland did the interview with Clinton; Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne did a highly entertaining one-on-one with Chretien. Joly was the warm-up speech for Trudeau on Thursday night; Defence Minister Anita Anand had multiple turns at the microphone throughout the weekend. Each one of them, unfailingly, went out of their way to talk up Trudeau and how they worked together as a team with him at the helm. At the risk of dating myself, I have to note here that I have been to many, many Liberal conventions over the past four decades. I have seen more than my share of Liberal gatherings where the hallways were buzzing with factional dissent and sparring leadership struggles. In fact, for most of the years between 1980 and 2015, this was the rule, not the exception. This was not that type of Liberal convention. Ten years ago, Trudeau vowed in his Liberal leadership victory speech that the days of hyphenated Liberals was over. By this, he meant the partys tendency to divide among leadership loyalists: Chretien Liberals versus Paul Martin Liberals, for instance, during the 1990s and early 2000s. On Friday night, as the nearly 90-year-old Chretien gave a trademark, fiery, often hilarious speech, there werent any hyphenated Liberals in the room. One cabinet minister said he was sitting with people who would once have been Martin Liberals and they were applauding with everyone else. Another minister told me Saturday how one of the younger delegates to the convention earnestly informed him that Chretien was very popular with young Liberals. Now, its entirely possible that a Liberal convention isnt a representative slice of the Liberal voting public. Anyone willing to cough up the convention fees (ranging from roughly $200 to $600) and the cost of travel to Ottawa for a weekend is probably someone whos been sticking by Trudeau and his team through the roller coaster of the past few years. Nor was the convention configured in any way to allow for much dissent. As the New Democrats national director Anne McGrath observed, her party would kill her if she held a convention where delegates jobs were mainly to listen to panels. She marvelled that for many plenary sessions, there were no microphones set up for comments from the floor. But this is a Liberal convention. They have always been known for conducting the real business in the corridors, where gossip, rumours and even grudges are shared. Trudeau made a point of roaming those hallways on Thursday and again on Friday before his plane left late in the day for a red-eye flight to the coronation. In another time, facing another type of opposition leader, perhaps, Trudeaus departure from the convention might have been seen as a momentary chance to glimpse what the Liberal party looks like without him, even for a day or two. But the Liberal party that gathered in Ottawa this past weekend is still Trudeaus party; the one created out of the depths of its existential despair a decade ago. Maybe the memory of those days is still raw for many Liberals; maybe its the lack of an obvious alternative. Whatever the reason, the Conservatives dearly hoping that Trudeau is sticking around to fight Poilievre in the next election are looking like theyll get their wish. Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: SHARE: The man accused of killing eight people and wounding several others in a mass shooting at a suburban Dallas shopping mall researched when it was busiest and posted photos on social media in mid-April of a store near where he ultimately started his attack. Other online activity betrayed a fascination with mass shootings and white supremacy, including large Nazi tattoos on his arm and torso. Authorities have identified Mauricio Garcia as the gunman. His posts on a Russian social networking site suggest the 33-year-old had been planning the attack for weeks before he stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire Saturday. The Associated Press has verified his account on the site. A gunman fatally shot a 12-year-old boy and wounded another man before turning the gun on himself inside a South Florida convenience store. Broward Sheriffs deputies said 29-year-old Darren Rosenthal apparently shot his victims at random at a suburban Fort Lauderdale 7-Eleven late Thursday. They say he had no connection to either. Witnesses said the wounded man was sitting in his car when Rosenthal shot him in the neck. Rosenthal then went inside the store and shot the boy, who was buying ice cream. He then shot himself. The victims' names were not released. The wounded man's condition was also not released. The Israeli military says it has killed three Palestinians wanted in connection with an attack that killed a British-Israeli woman and two of her daughters. The military says a fierce gunbattle erupted when the army entered the heart of the flashpoint occupied West Bank city of Nablus early Thursday. The military says the men were behind an attack last month on a car near a Jewish West Bank settlement that killed the mother and two of her daughters. The Hamas militant group claimed the men as its members as well as responsibility for the shooting attack. The bloodshed is the latest in a relentless wave of violence between the sides. Oprah Winfrey has given the commencement address at her alma mater, Tennessee State University. She told the class of 2023 on Saturday how she was a student there when she was recruited by a local television. At the time, she was working at her father's store, presenting the weekend news at a Black radio station, and attending classes. She said she turned down the offer before a professor changed her mind. Her career took off, but she fell one credit short of graduating. Years later, Winfrey was allowed to write a paper and finally get her degree. She counselled the graduates to listen to the still, small voice inside them to figure out what really matters. Teller County property owners can expect an increase in valuations anywhere from 30-100%, depending on the area and type of property. In a presentation last month to business leaders and real estate agents, Carol Kittelson and Mike Akana, county assessor and deputy, respectively, offered a heads-up before notices of valuation hit mailboxes this week. The increase is due to the escalation of real-estate values in parts of Colorado based on the market that existed on June 30, 2022, Kittelson said. Yet some in the audience balked at the increase which could possibly result in higher taxes. With a profusion of second homes throughout the county, Lee Taylor questioned why full-time residents, who shop locally and contribute to the sales-tax base, cant get a break on their taxes. Why not offer permanent residents a homestead exemption? said Taylor, financial advisor with Edward Jones and a Divide resident. Taylor was referring to the exemption offered to Colorados senior citizens who have lived in homes at least 10 years. We are crucifying everybody who lives here full time, he added. How did we get here? Akana said. When voters approved Amendment B last year by 58% to 42%, the measure reduced assessment rates on properties while providing value exemptions. But only for one year, 2023. For Colorado commercial properties, the assessment rate drops from 29 to 27.9%, with the first $30,000 of actual value exempt. For residential properties, the assessment rate drops from 6.95% to 6.765%, with the first $15,000 of actual value exempt. However, the good news/bad news part for Teller County taxpayers is that the reductions slam up against escalating real estate values. Blame the pandemic that began in March 2020. COVID 19 created the hottest real estate market along the Front Range of Colorado, Akana said. And Teller County rode the coattails as people began working remotely, many choosing to live in the mountains. Teller County has been discovered, Akana said. For instance, a modest A-frame home in Sherwood Forest Estates in Divide sold for $215,000 in December 2019. A little more than three years later, the same home sold for $322,000. In Spring Valley in Divide, a home that sold for $312,000 in September 2019 sold again three years later for $460,000, an increase of 47.44%. In Woodland Park, a home on Red Mountain (west of downtown) sold for $352,000 and three years later, a buyer paid $538,000, an increase of 52.84%. In rural Indian Creek subdivision, the sale of 3.75 acres of vacant land sold for $18,000 in October 2020. Thirteen months later, the same acreage sold for $60,000, for a 233.33% increase over 19 months. In Woodland Park, in the Tamarac subdivision, the sale price of .76 of an acre lot increased 29.9% in 14 months, from March 15, 2021, to May 11, 2022. Sale prices for commercial properties, as well, are increasing although there are fewer sales, Kittelson said. For many in the audience, the increases hit more than their own pocketbooks. For landlords (Lee) Taylor and Jon Gemelke, the increase in their taxes may have to trickle down to people who lease their buildings, small business owners. How do I justify an increase in rents? Taylor said. To any questions about changing tax formulas, Akana advised residents to talk to the Colorado legislature. These values are horrifying to me, Kittelson said. But if we are not doing our job correctly, the state gets to step in. We try to ensure that everything we do is according to the letter of the law. A few days after the presentation, Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams, anticipating protests, issued a plea, during the commissioners meeting, Please, please, have some grace for the assessor, he said. ALLEN, Texas (AP) A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and started shooting people at a Dallas-area outlet mall Saturday, killing eight and wounding seven others three critically before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground. The shooting, the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S., sent hundreds fleeing in panic. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept. A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room. We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents. Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable. An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel, it added. Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an unspeakable tragedy. Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside, Payton said. People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby. Once outside, Payton saw bodies. I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. It broke me when I walked out to see that, he said. Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up. Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and one who appeared to be a mall security guard. Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store. I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him, Mouli said. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started. We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping, Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press. Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said. Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting. As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor. Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded. The Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Allen, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. Amica Mutual Insurance Co. grew its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating) by 25.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 136,668 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 27,472 shares during the period. Philip Morris International makes up 1.7% of Amica Mutual Insurance Co.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Amica Mutual Insurance Co.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $13,832,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 132,480,611 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,997,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451,582 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 100,951,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,379,979,000 after purchasing an additional 962,801 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 57,777,797 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,868,937,000 after purchasing an additional 389,746 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 22.7% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 35,468,228 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,944,500,000 after purchasing an additional 6,558,762 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 16,050,540 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,332,355,000 after purchasing an additional 260,832 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.85% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.3 % Shares of PM opened at $95.56 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.09, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.68. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $97.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.32. Philip Morris International Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.85 and a twelve month high of $109.81. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. Philip Morris Internationals quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.56 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 23rd were issued a $1.27 dividend. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.32%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.88%. Analyst Ratings Changes PM has been the topic of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $86.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. Societe Generale initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They set a sell rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $106.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Philip Morris International presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $110.60. Insider Buying and Selling at Philip Morris International In other Philip Morris International news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 8,756 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.31, for a total value of $887,070.36. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 47,731 shares in the company, valued at $4,835,627.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Philip Morris International news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 8,756 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.31, for a total value of $887,070.36. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 47,731 shares in the company, valued at $4,835,627.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 87,321 shares in the company, valued at $8,588,020.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 117,064 shares of company stock worth $11,738,763 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD Get Rating) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The bank reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.07, Yahoo Finance reports. Banco Bradesco had a return on equity of 13.43% and a net margin of 11.49%. The business had revenue of $9.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.12 earnings per share. Banco Bradesco Trading Up 6.7 % Shares of BBD traded up $0.19 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $3.01. The stock had a trading volume of 46,114,218 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,640,630. The companys 50-day moving average is $2.64 and its 200 day moving average is $2.83. Banco Bradesco has a 12-month low of $2.34 and a 12-month high of $4.32. The company has a market capitalization of $32.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.71. Get Banco Bradesco alerts: Banco Bradesco Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be issued a $0.0036 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. Banco Bradescos payout ratio is currently 8.33%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Bradesco Several research firms recently commented on BBD. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Banco Bradesco from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $3.70 to $2.70 in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Barclays reduced their target price on Banco Bradesco from $3.50 to $3.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $11.93. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BBD. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Banco Bradesco by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 47,036 shares of the banks stock valued at $325,000 after acquiring an additional 6,254 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Banco Bradesco by 38.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 164,575 shares of the banks stock valued at $767,000 after acquiring an additional 45,641 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Banco Bradesco by 36.4% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 16,506 shares of the banks stock valued at $77,000 after acquiring an additional 4,407 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new stake in Banco Bradesco during the 1st quarter valued at about $470,000. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Banco Bradesco during the 1st quarter valued at about $57,000. 2.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Banco Bradesco (Get Rating) Banco Bradesco SA engages in the provision of financial and insurance services. It operates through Banking, and Insurance segments. The Banking segment includes banking activities. The Insurance segment covers auto, health, life, accident and property insurance, and pension plans aw well as capitalization bonds. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Banco Bradesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Bradesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. An effort to require mediation between landlords and tenants before landlords can file for eviction, if the tenant receives certain financial assistance, passed its last major legislative hurdle on Saturday. Under House Bill 1120, mediation would involve a landlord and tenant meeting together with a neutral third party to discuss a voluntary settlement in lieu of an eviction. If an eviction is ordered, the bill would give tenants 30 days to leave the property, instead of the current 10 days. The Senate passed the bill on Saturday, following the House's passage last month. The House next must approve changes made by the Senate. Then, the bill will go Gov. Jared Polis for final approval. "These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society," said bill sponsor Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster. "We're protecting the public investment into their housing, we're protecting the most vulnerable of families and we're protecting the disability community." Around 38,560 evictions occur in Colorado each year, according to state estimates. Under the bill, approximately 2,912 of the people facing eviction annually would be eligible for these new protections. The eviction protections would apply to tenants who receive Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance or cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The bill would not apply to tenants of landlords who have fewer than five single-family homes or fewer than five total units. Senators passed the bill in a 20-14 vote on Saturday. The House voted 44-20. Across both chambers, all Republicans voted against the bill and all but three Democrats voted in support of it: Rep. Shannon Bird of Westminster, Sen. Julie Gonzales of Denver and Sen. Joann Ginal of Fort Collins. Critics of the bill argued that it would make the eviction process too long and dis-incentivize landlords and developers from investing in Colorados rental industry, ultimately resulting in less rental housing available for tenants. "There won't be any housing stock at some point if there isn't a reasonable, reasonably timed, reasonably priced method of keeping that which is yours," said Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument. "I'm very concerned and believe that it will have an even more damaging effect on a larger group of people." The bill adds to a slew of other legislation this session aiming to protect and lower costs for renters by cracking down on the actions of landlords. Some of those bills seek to prohibit evictions without just cause, cap fees for owning pets and limit income requirements and security deposits. The latter two bills have already passed the legislature and are awaiting approval from the governor to become law. "It adds to a significant burden, collectively," said Ginal, one of the three Democrats opposed to HB 1120. "I don't think it's going to help in affordability, I don't think it's going to help renters, it's definitely not going to help landlords." Proponents of the bill said mediation in eviction conflicts can often lead to the landlord agreeing to let the tenant stay, with solutions including setting up a payment plan, exchanging services, or forgiving late fees. In these cases, landlords could end up saving time and money that would have been spent on court proceedings, they said. If landlords still want the tenant to leave, mediation can result in the landlord and tenant agreeing on a voluntary move-out date without filing for eviction and hurting the tenants rental record. Felony status for indecent exposure in front of children passes Colorado legislature Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Under the bill, the mediation would need to be scheduled within two weeks of the eviction notice, when possible. Tenants would have to be informed of their right to mediation by the landlord in the eviction notice and tenants would not be responsible for the costs of mediation. "We're trying to create an opportunity for resolution to take place," said bill sponsor Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora. "It's not intended to be a burden on landlords. It's intended for us as a state to be good samaritans for people who are struggling." Bill sponsor Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, added that there is "a wide disparity in access to legal representation between landlords and people experiencing eviction." A review of Denver eviction cases from 2014 to 2016 found that, while landlords had legal representation in every case reviewed, tenants were only represented by an attorney in 1% to 3% of the cases. Nationally, landlords have legal representation in around 82% of eviction cases, compared to 3% for tenants, according to the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel. Under the bill, the 20-day extension for qualifying tenants to leave the property could also be voided, but only in cases of substantial lease violations. Bill sponsor Rep. David Ortiz, D-Centennial, said extending the time before tenants are forced out of their rental home is essential, arguing that the current 10-day time limit does not give them enough time to find new housing. This is especially true for tenants with disabilities, he said. People with disabilities are twice as likely as their able-bodied counterparts to be impoverished, Ortiz said. Its essential that we protect our most vulnerable communities that might not have the financial or legal resources to fight against the eviction process, especially in the middle of our housing crisis. Only 5% of newly constructed multifamily housing units are required to be accessible to people with disabilities, based on federal standards. A 2011 study found that less than 5% of housing in the U.S. is accessible for people with moderate mobility difficulties and less than 1% is accessible for wheelchair users. The bills protections would apply to recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance. This bill comes as evictions in some Colorado cities have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In March this year, 1,195 tenants faced eviction in Denver courts, compared to 708 in the same month in 2019, Denverite reported. During a public hearing on the bill, Samantha Hudson said she and her two daughters were living on just $400 a month from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to keep up with her rent and facing threats of eviction, Hudson moved out of her home and onto the streets. Hudson said her family was forced to live in a car and a tent, as her mental health plummeted and she eventually turned to drug use to cope. Hudson lost custody of her daughters soon after. If I would have had a chance for mediation and a lawyer, I would have had a good chance of keeping my place, my belongings and my girls, Hudson said while testifying in support of the bill. If this bill gets passed, it will help out so many people in need. The bill will be sent back to the House in the next two days to approve an amendment from the Senate. The amendment requires the frequency, outcomes and costs of mediations to be reported to the state legislature annually. If the chambers concur, the bill will be sent to Polis and would go into effect immediately with his signature. Intoxicating hemp bill amended to keep CBD product available for kids with disabilities Bank of Queensland Limited (OTCMKTS:BKQNY Get Rating) declared a dividend on Thursday, May 4th, investing.com reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be given a dividend of 0.2369 per share on Friday, June 16th. This represents a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. Bank of Queensland Price Performance Bank of Queensland stock opened at $8.35 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $8.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.38. Bank of Queensland has a 12 month low of $8.29 and a 12 month high of $10.84. Get Bank of Queensland alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Bank of Queensland from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Bank of Queensland Company Profile Bank of Queensland Ltd. engages in the provision of financial services to the community. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking, BOQ Business, and Other. The Retail Banking segment offers retail banking solutions to customers managed through its owner managed and corporate branch network, ME Bank and Virgin Money distribution channels, and third-party intermediaries. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Queensland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Queensland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank restated their buy rating on shares of Howden Joinery Group (LON:HWDN Get Rating) in a research note published on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a GBX 870 ($10.87) target price on the stock. HWDN has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a GBX 800 ($10.00) target price on shares of Howden Joinery Group in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Howden Joinery Group in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 762.50 ($9.53). Get Howden Joinery Group alerts: Howden Joinery Group Stock Performance Shares of HWDN stock opened at GBX 703.20 ($8.79) on Thursday. The company has a market cap of 3.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,081.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.94 and a beta of 0.89. Howden Joinery Group has a 52 week low of GBX 472.20 ($5.90) and a 52 week high of GBX 744.80 ($9.31). The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 76.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 686.99 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 641.73. Howden Joinery Group Increases Dividend Insiders Place Their Bets The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 6th will be given a GBX 15.90 ($0.20) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This is an increase from Howden Joinery Groups previous dividend of $4.70. Howden Joinery Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3,230.77%. In other news, insider Andrew Livingston bought 23,536 shares of Howden Joinery Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 674 ($8.42) per share, with a total value of 158,632.64 ($198,191.70). In other news, insider Andrew Cripps bought 4,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 672 ($8.40) per share, with a total value of 30,240 ($37,781.11). Also, insider Andrew Livingston bought 23,536 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 24th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 674 ($8.42) per share, for a total transaction of 158,632.64 ($198,191.70). Insiders acquired a total of 28,100 shares of company stock valued at $18,931,754 over the last quarter. 0.54% of the stock is owned by insiders. Howden Joinery Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Howden Joinery Group Plc, a trade kitchen supplier, provides various products across kitchens, joinery, and hardware in the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. It offers kitchen cabinets, surfaces, fittings, storages, fitted kitchens, kitchen doors, sinks, and taps, as well as appliances; joinery products, such as sliding wardrobe doors, door fittings, stairs and parts, floors, skirting boards, mouldings, doors, and architrave products; and appliances, such as cooking, refrigerator, dishwasher, and laundry products, as well as coffee machines. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Howden Joinery Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Howden Joinery Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $4.60-5.15 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $4.88. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.1-17.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $17.20 billion. BorgWarner also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $4.60-$5.15 EPS. BorgWarner Price Performance BorgWarner stock traded up $1.81 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $44.61. 3,744,584 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,037,698. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $44.43. BorgWarner has a 12 month low of $31.14 and a 12 month high of $51.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The firm has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a PE ratio of 10.91, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.41. Get BorgWarner alerts: BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The auto parts company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.13 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $4.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.16 billion. BorgWarner had a return on equity of 14.85% and a net margin of 5.97%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.05 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that BorgWarner will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. BorgWarner Dividend Announcement Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.52%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. BorgWarners payout ratio is 16.63%. BWA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of BorgWarner from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of BorgWarner from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on BorgWarner from $56.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Barclays started coverage on BorgWarner in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. They set an overweight rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America cut BorgWarner from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $78.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, BorgWarner presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $52.64. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CAO Tonit M. Calaway sold 6,889 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.87, for a total value of $350,443.43. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 28,105 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,429,701.35. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Craig Aaron sold 9,638 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.29, for a total value of $465,419.02. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 13,435 shares of the companys stock, valued at $648,776.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Tonit M. Calaway sold 6,889 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.87, for a total value of $350,443.43. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 28,105 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,429,701.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 100,707 shares of company stock valued at $5,027,503. Company insiders own 0.45% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BorgWarner A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BWA. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in BorgWarner by 170.1% in the 4th quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,966 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 1,238 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in BorgWarner by 5,731.6% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 2,178 shares during the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in BorgWarner by 2,115.3% in the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 2,459 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $96,000 after acquiring an additional 2,348 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in BorgWarner by 84.4% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,648 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 1,212 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new stake in BorgWarner in the 4th quarter worth $160,000. 91.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. BorgWarner Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BorgWarner Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BorgWarner and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX Get Rating) had its price target hoisted by DA Davidson from $60.00 to $65.00 in a research report report published on Thursday, The Fly reports. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Louisiana-Pacifics Q2 2023 earnings at $0.54 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $3.54 EPS. Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 27th. TD Securities upgraded Louisiana-Pacific from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the stock from $63.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com raised Louisiana-Pacific from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $61.60. Get Louisiana-Pacific alerts: Louisiana-Pacific Trading Up 2.4 % NYSE:LPX opened at $61.88 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a PE ratio of 7.77 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Louisiana-Pacific has a 52-week low of $48.20 and a 52-week high of $76.89. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.29. Louisiana-Pacific Dividend Announcement Louisiana-Pacific ( NYSE:LPX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The building manufacturing company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.27. Louisiana-Pacific had a return on equity of 37.43% and a net margin of 19.05%. The business had revenue of $584.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $618.23 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.08 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 56.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Louisiana-Pacific will post 2.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. Louisiana-Pacifics payout ratio is currently 12.06%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Berkshire Hathaway Inc increased its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 21.5% in the 4th quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 7,044,909 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $417,059,000 after purchasing an additional 1,249,003 shares in the last quarter. Anomaly Capital Management LP increased its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 427.3% in the 4th quarter. Anomaly Capital Management LP now owns 911,101 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $53,937,000 after purchasing an additional 738,319 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 24.7% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,311,921 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $205,737,000 after purchasing an additional 655,132 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Louisiana-Pacific during the 4th quarter worth about $37,576,000. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 71.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,227,429 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $62,832,000 after acquiring an additional 510,809 shares during the period. 99.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Louisiana-Pacific (Get Rating) Louisiana-Pacific Corp. engages in the provision of building solutions. It operates through the following segments: Siding, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), South America, and Other. The Siding segment offers engineered wood siding under the brands of LP, SmartSide, Trim and Siding LP, SmartSide, ExpertFinish, Trim and Siding, LP BuilderSeries, Lap Siding, and Outdoor Building Solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Louisiana-Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Louisiana-Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Davide Campari-Milano (OTCMKTS:DVDCF Get Rating) have been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the eleven analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $12.00. A number of equities research analysts recently commented on DVDCF shares. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on Davide Campari-Milano to 12.50 ($13.74) in a research report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas lowered Davide Campari-Milano from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Davide Campari-Milano to 10.70 ($11.76) in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Davide Campari-Milano to 13.00 ($14.29) in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Get Davide Campari-Milano alerts: Davide Campari-Milano Stock Performance Shares of DVDCF opened at $13.40 on Friday. Davide Campari-Milano has a 12-month low of $8.55 and a 12-month high of $13.56. The businesss fifty day moving average is $12.10 and its 200 day moving average is $11.01. Davide Campari-Milano Company Profile Davide Campari-Milano NV is a holding company, which engages in the production and distribution of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The firm operates through its geographic segments: the Americas; Southern Europe; Middle East and Africa; Northern, Central and Eastern Europe; Asia-Pacific. Its product offerings include aperitifs, vodka, whisky, tequila, rum, gin, liqueurs, and sparkling and still wines under internation brands which include Campari, Aperol, Sky Vodka, Wild Turkey, Appleton Estate, Grand Marnier, and Wray and Nephew. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Davide Campari-Milano Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Davide Campari-Milano and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Founders Financial Securities LLC increased its stake in Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV Get Rating) by 12.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,709 shares of the auto parts companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,160 shares during the quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLCs holdings in Autoliv were worth $820,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. AMG National Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Autoliv by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 17,541 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $1,169,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust grew its position in Autoliv by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 5,417 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $415,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in Autoliv by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 526 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC grew its position in Autoliv by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 9,542 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $636,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in Autoliv by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 3,092 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $236,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 46.63% of the companys stock. Get Autoliv alerts: Insider Activity at Autoliv In related news, insider Magnus Jarlegren sold 402 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.66, for a total value of $36,847.32. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $383,505.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Fredrik Westin sold 1,505 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.45, for a total transaction of $146,662.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,142 shares in the company, valued at $403,637.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Magnus Jarlegren sold 402 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.66, for a total value of $36,847.32. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,184 shares in the company, valued at $383,505.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 2,865 shares of company stock worth $269,670. Company insiders own 0.20% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Autoliv Trading Up 3.9 % Several analysts recently issued reports on ALV shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Autoliv from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Autoliv in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. They issued a buy rating and a $130.00 price target for the company. Nordea Equity Research downgraded shares of Autoliv from a buy rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Autoliv from $101.00 to $99.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Autoliv from $114.00 to $113.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $98.25. NYSE ALV opened at $85.58 on Friday. Autoliv, Inc. has a one year low of $65.74 and a one year high of $96.49. The businesss fifty day moving average is $89.74 and its 200-day moving average is $85.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.90, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Autoliv (NYSE:ALV Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The auto parts company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.09. Autoliv had a return on equity of 16.30% and a net margin of 4.51%. The business had revenue of $2.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.45 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 17.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Autoliv, Inc. will post 6.42 EPS for the current year. Autoliv Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 8th were paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.08%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 7th. Autolivs dividend payout ratio is currently 55.23%. Autoliv Company Profile (Get Rating) Autoliv, Inc engages in the development, manufacture, and supply of automotive safety systems. The firms products include passive safety systems, including modules and components for passenger and driver airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, seatbelts and steering wheels. It also supplies anti-whiplash systems and pedestrian protection systems. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ALV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Autoliv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Autoliv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franco-Nevada (TSE:FNV Get Rating) (NYSE:FNV) had its price target cut by BMO Capital Markets from C$236.00 to C$235.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$222.00 to C$226.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. National Bank Financial lifted their target price on Franco-Nevada from C$200.00 to C$210.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. CIBC upped their price target on Franco-Nevada from C$240.00 to C$245.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on Franco-Nevada from C$202.00 to C$214.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, National Bankshares upped their target price on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$190.00 to C$200.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Get Franco-Nevada alerts: Franco-Nevada Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of FNV opened at C$212.88 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$198.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$189.74. The company has a quick ratio of 23.26, a current ratio of 27.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. The company has a market capitalization of C$40.85 billion, a PE ratio of 42.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.61. Franco-Nevada has a 52-week low of C$151.08 and a 52-week high of C$217.70. Franco-Nevada Cuts Dividend Franco-Nevada ( TSE:FNV Get Rating ) (NYSE:FNV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 15th. The company reported C$1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.14 by C$0.03. Franco-Nevada had a net margin of 53.33% and a return on equity of 11.26%. The firm had revenue of C$435.01 million during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Franco-Nevada will post 4.6052867 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.461 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio is presently 36.95%. About Franco-Nevada (Get Rating) Franco-Nevada Corporation operates as a gold-focused royalty and streaming company in Latin America, the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Mining and Energy. The company manages its portfolio with a focus on precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum group metals; and energy comprising oil, gas, and natural gas liquids. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Franco-Nevada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franco-Nevada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Glenview Trust Co grew its holdings in Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D Get Rating) by 13.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,574 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 2,625 shares during the period. Glenview Trust Cos holdings in Dominion Energy were worth $1,323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its position in Dominion Energy by 1.2% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 10,630 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $903,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Golden State Equity Partners raised its position in Dominion Energy by 1.7% during the first quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 7,635 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $649,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its position in Dominion Energy by 49.8% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 394 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Dominion Energy by 0.3% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 40,479 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,440,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. Finally, Ergoteles LLC raised its position in Dominion Energy by 3.2% during the first quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 4,719 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. 70.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Dominion Energy alerts: Dominion Energy Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of D stock opened at $56.49 on Friday. Dominion Energy, Inc. has a 1-year low of $52.03 and a 1-year high of $86.28. The firm has a market cap of $47.18 billion, a PE ratio of 51.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a 50-day moving average of $56.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Dominion Energy Announces Dividend Dominion Energy ( NYSE:D Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.01. Dominion Energy had a net margin of 5.79% and a return on equity of 13.35%. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.18 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Dominion Energy, Inc. will post 3.89 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd were paid a $0.6675 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.73%. Dominion Energys payout ratio is presently 244.95%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades D has been the subject of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Dominion Energy from $66.00 to $61.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Dominion Energy from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Dominion Energy from $76.00 to $66.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Dominion Energy from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of Dominion Energy from $69.00 to $63.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $64.18. Dominion Energy Profile (Get Rating) Dominion Energy, Inc engages in the production and distribution of energy. It operates through following business segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Contracted Assets, and Corporate and Other. The Corporate and Other segment focuses on corporate, service company, non-controlling interest in Dominion privatization, and non-regulated retail energy marketing operations. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Dominion Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dominion Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Globe Life (NYSE:GL Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $10.28-$10.52 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $10.34. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Globe Life also updated its FY23 guidance to $10.28 to $10.52 EPS. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have issued reports on GL. Truist Financial upped their target price on Globe Life from $112.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Raymond James cut their target price on Globe Life from $141.00 to $138.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Globe Life in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Globe Life from $112.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their target price on Globe Life from $135.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $127.50. Get Globe Life alerts: Globe Life Stock Performance Shares of GL stock traded up $2.44 on Friday, hitting $108.29. 618,316 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 590,113. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.05 and a quick ratio of 0.05. The company has a market capitalization of $10.45 billion, a PE ratio of 13.35 and a beta of 0.79. Globe Life has a 1-year low of $87.87 and a 1-year high of $123.85. The companys fifty day moving average is $110.26 and its 200 day moving average is $115.29. Globe Life Increases Dividend Globe Life ( NYSE:GL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $2.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $1.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.36 billion. Globe Life had a return on equity of 18.20% and a net margin of 15.28%. The firms revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.70 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Globe Life will post 10.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Monday, April 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.225 per share. This is an increase from Globe Lifes previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 31st. Globe Lifes dividend payout ratio is presently 11.10%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Michael Shane Henrie sold 2,225 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.29, for a total transaction of $245,395.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,203. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, insider Steven John Dichiaro sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.64, for a total value of $608,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,372 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,018,370.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Michael Shane Henrie sold 2,225 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.29, for a total value of $245,395.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 700 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $77,203. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 96,125 shares of company stock worth $11,603,160 in the last three months. 4.33% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Globe Life by 7.2% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 93,908 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,448,000 after buying an additional 6,299 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Globe Life by 3.8% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 14,549 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,464,000 after buying an additional 538 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in Globe Life by 26.8% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 13,456 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,354,000 after buying an additional 2,848 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its stake in Globe Life by 3.0% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 4,740 shares of the companys stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Globe Life by 23.9% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 25,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,557,000 after buying an additional 4,897 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.04% of the companys stock. About Globe Life (Get Rating) Globe Life, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of individual life and supplemental health insurance products and services. It operates through the following segments: Life Insurance, Supplemental Health Insurance, Annuities, and Investments. The Life Insurance segment includes traditional and interest-sensitive whole life insurance as well as term life insurances. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Globe Life Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Globe Life and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK Get Rating) in a report released on Wednesday, PriceTargets.com reports. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Graphic Packagings Q2 2023 earnings at $0.78 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $0.80 EPS and FY2023 earnings at $2.95 EPS. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging from $29.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $31.00 in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Graphic Packaging from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Graphic Packaging from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Graphic Packaging from $28.00 to $30.00 in a report on Wednesday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $28.27. Get Graphic Packaging alerts: Graphic Packaging Price Performance GPK opened at $25.70 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 0.97. Graphic Packaging has a fifty-two week low of $19.08 and a fifty-two week high of $26.11. The companys 50-day moving average price is $24.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $23.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend Graphic Packaging ( NYSE:GPK Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.15. Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The company had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.48 earnings per share. Graphic Packagings revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Graphic Packaging will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Graphic Packagings dividend payout ratio is presently 20.00%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Joseph P. Yost sold 60,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.99, for a total transaction of $1,439,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 209,250 shares in the company, valued at $5,019,907.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Graphic Packaging Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 177.3% in the 1st quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,109 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares during the period. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Accurate Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 1st quarter worth approximately $43,000. 94.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Graphic Packaging Company Profile (Get Rating) Graphic Packaging Holding Co engages in the provision of paper-based packaging solutions for a variety of products to food, beverage and other consumer products companies. It operates through the following business segments: Paperboard Mills, Americas Paperboard Packaging, Europe Paperboard Packaging, and Corporate and Other. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Graphic Packaging Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Graphic Packaging and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Indecent exposure is the only child sex crime in Colorado classified as a misdemeanor, instead of a felony. But that will soon change if Gov. Jared Polis signs a new bill into law. House Bill 1135 would make it a felony crime if a person over the age of 18 exposes or touches their genitals for sexual gratification while they know they are in the view of a person under the age of 15. Under current law, an offender must commit indecent exposure three times before they are charged with a class 6 felony. The bill passed its last vote in the state legislature on Saturday. "We are here to protect children," said bill sponsor Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. "If an adult does the same behavior to a child online, that's already a felony. Yet, when an adult has a child in person, somehow that's only a misdemeanor. That's not right. It's inconsistent and it's unjust." The Senate unanimously approved HB 1135 without discussion on Saturday, but the bill did not clear the House so easily. Late week, House lawmakers passed the bill in a relatively close 37-27 vote, following hours of debate and filibustering. The bill sponsored by three Democrats and one Republican received bipartisan support, but was only opposed by Democrats. In the House, 27 Democrats voted against the bill and only 18 voted in favor of it. Critics argued that the bill would disproportionately harm people with mental or behavioral health disorders. Advocates with Mental Health Colorado said people who experience mania and psychosis, particularly homeless people, often take their clothes off in public spaces. Rep. Mary Young, a psychologist, spoke of working with a 17-year-old with autism who frequently undressed in public, including on playgrounds. "Unfortunately, many times when you have an untreated serious mental illness, you express over-sexualized behavior, because that is a symptom," said Young, D-Greeley, while voting against the bill. "Too often we are inadvertently criminalizing those with serious mental illness and neurodevelopmental issues." Opponents tried three times to limit the scope of the bill to only make indecent exposure in front of children a felony if it occurs in an isolated place with no other adults around. They argued this would address offenders, such as groomers and family members, while sparing people who are homeless or who have a mental health crisis in public. Those proposed amendments were rejected by lawmakers on the House floor and in committee. Proponents of the bill said the felony classification requires the offender to knowingly expose themselves in front of a child for sexual gratification, arguing that this would disqualify the bulk of incidents involving people with mental health issues. They also emphasized the frequency of these acts by knowing, intentional, repeat offenders. In the past four years, 90 cases of indecent exposure in front of children have been filed statewide, according to the Colorado District Attorneys' Council. The average age of the child victims is 11 year old. These numbers are also low estimates, as child victims are significantly less likely to report the crimes. During a public hearing on HB 1135, Tyler Bandemer said his two daughters, ages 14 and 16, were sitting in a parking lot eating a snack after school when a strange man drove up to them. The man raised his pelvis to his window and exposed his genitals to the girls, masturbating in front of them. The man was immediately apprehended by police, who were in the area for an unrelated incident. But after issuing him a summons, the man was released within 15 minutes, before Bandemer could even make it to the scene. "This guy just exposed himself to two minors and he's driving down the street now," Bandemer said while testifying in support of the bill. "People should not just be able to go on their merry way. ... It's just a matter of time before they do it again." Before the offender was even sentenced, he was caught masturbating in front of minors again, this time targeting two teen girls working in a drive-thru, said District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin, who represents the Larimer County district where the incidents occurred in 2020. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. During the hearing, many district attorneys and parents of victims detailed incidents of extended family members exposing themselves to young relatives: A man caught masturbating in front of children at a playground in Denver, and then in Adams County two months later; and, a person committing multiple offenses in one day, searching the stairwells and windows of apartment complexes for child victims. Bill sponsor Bird said one of her constituents came to her with their own experience. Bird said a mother and her 7-year-old daughter were shopping in a Westminster Walmart when a man followed the child through the aisles, masturbating behind her. Police later discovered that the man had victimized another young girl in the store earlier that same day. Bird said the 7-year-old girl suffers from night terrors over the incident, having to go to counseling, sleep with her parents and avoid even driving by the Walmart because of the emotional trauma she's suffered. "Should we have to wait for three children to be victimized before we recognize the severity of this behavior? No," Bird said during the hearing. "Our state has a responsibility to stop people from harming others and, importantly, to hold people appropriately accountable for their actions when they hurt someone else." By upgrading the crime to a class 6 ,felony instead of a class 1 misdemeanor, the penalty raises from up to 364 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000, to up to 18 months in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. District attorneys said the felony classification would also mean the offender would get more intensive supervision during probation, there would be more resources dedicated to investigations, and there would be more resources for the treatment of victims. However, opponents of the bill said the felony status would, in many ways, make it more difficult for offenders to be rehabilitated. Felony sex offenders are barred from housing assistance programs, can't seal their records, have their photos on the state's sex offender registration website and can't request to be removed from the registry for an additional five years compared to misdemeanor offenders, according to the Colorado Office of the State Public Defender. "The penalty for the misdemeanor crime is at least 10 years of registering on the sex offender registry," said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, who voted against the bill. "That means you can't live in most places, you cannot live in any kind of public housing and you cannot work. These are dire consequences that are already part of the statute." Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver, argued that the misdemeanor penalties are already harsh enough. She said increased criminal penalties will not prevent these kinds of crimes or make children any safer. Epps single-handedly filibustered the bill for around 3 1/5 hours during the House floor debate, speaking about her opposition at length to delay the vote and encourage lawmakers to pass the failed amendments. Epps has described herself as a prison abolitionist, a movement seeking to ultimately eliminate imprisonment and policing, and instead offer alternatives to punishing people for crimes "This isn't going to be the year that increasing a criminal penalty keeps us safer," Epps said. "We're defending a wildly naive belief in a system that has done a terrible job of keeping victims safe, of preventing harm. ... (HB) 1135 is not a reflection of the direction that Colorado needs to go." Proponents countered that making the crime a felony is intended to send a moral message that this behavior will not be tolerated a message intended for victims, as well as perpetrators. Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Littleton, said when she was 10 years old, she was at a church playing with her sister when a truck pulled into the parking lot and the driver called Bradley over. She said the driver held her hand on the windowsill and gratified himself in front of her. Through tears, Bradley said she is "sick of talking about what penalties do" for rehabilitating offenders, instead emphasizing the impact the crimes have on victims. "I was so ashamed of what I saw and what I experienced that I never even told my parents," Bradley said. "I've lived with shame for 37 years to the point where I just, as a 47-year-old, told my mom. ... I should've been protected and I am here to protect the rest of the community from people like that." The bill will be sent to Polis in the coming days. If signed, it will take effect immediately. Shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV Get Rating) have earned an average recommendation of Hold from the nine analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $9.17. A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on TV shares. UBS Group cut Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $8.80 to $6.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com upgraded Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Citigroup started coverage on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. They issued a buy rating and a $8.50 price objective for the company. Finally, TheStreet cut Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Get Grupo Televisa S.A.B. alerts: Institutional Trading of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 681.6% during the first quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,565 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 4,853 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 5,105.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,827 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 10,619 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 771.6% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 9,779 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 8,657 shares during the period. Finally, Ethic Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. 56.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Trading Up 2.3 % TV opened at $4.84 on Friday. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. has a 12 month low of $4.38 and a 12 month high of $10.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $5.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.23. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market cap of $2.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.20, a PEG ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 1.42. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The company reported ($1.27) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by ($1.22). The firm had revenue of $972.28 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $961.43 million. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. had a negative net margin of 13.77% and a negative return on equity of 7.77%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. will post 0.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (Get Rating) 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Televisa S.A.B. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Televisa S.A.B. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,910 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,407,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 22.7% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 35,468,228 shares of the companys stock worth $2,944,500,000 after buying an additional 6,558,762 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 652.1% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,894,453 shares of the companys stock worth $572,309,000 after acquiring an additional 5,977,719 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 1.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 132,480,611 shares of the companys stock worth $10,997,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451,582 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 122.0% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,632,467 shares of the companys stock worth $247,294,000 after purchasing an additional 1,446,567 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in Philip Morris International by 646.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,174,660 shares of the companys stock valued at $97,509,000 after purchasing an additional 1,017,353 shares during the period. 75.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Insider Activity at Philip Morris International In other Philip Morris International news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.30, for a total value of $2,036,892.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 22,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,248,525.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Philip Morris International news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,588,020.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.30, for a total transaction of $2,036,892.40. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,248,525.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.3 % PM opened at $95.56 on Friday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.85 and a 12 month high of $109.81. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $97.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $98.32. The company has a market cap of $148.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.68. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 10.80% and a negative return on equity of 128.55%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.56 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd were issued a $1.27 dividend. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.32%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.88%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms recently issued reports on PM. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the company from $95.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. 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 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $110.60. Philip Morris International 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd grew its position in The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Get Rating) (TSE:TD) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 16,655 shares of the banks stock after acquiring an additional 550 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank were worth $1,077,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 75.1% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 408 shares of the banks stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the 4th quarter worth $39,000. McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the 4th quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Laurus Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the 4th quarter worth $56,615,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.22% of the companys stock. Get Toronto-Dominion Bank alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on TD shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Desjardins increased their price objective on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$105.00 to C$106.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, CIBC upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Toronto-Dominion Bank presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $100.57. Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Up 3.2 % Shares of TD stock opened at $62.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The firms 50-day moving average is $60.55 and its 200-day moving average is $64.23. The stock has a market cap of $113.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.83, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.88. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 52-week low of $55.43 and a 52-week high of $77.15. Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Get Rating) (TSE:TD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The bank reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.97 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 16.02%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.45 EPS for the current year. Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 6th were issued a $0.721 dividend. This is a boost from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is currently 44.87%. Toronto-Dominion Bank Profile (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. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Get Rating) (TSE:TD). Receive News & Ratings for Toronto-Dominion Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toronto-Dominion Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd boosted its holdings in Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN Get Rating) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock after buying an additional 705 shares during the quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Garmin were worth $2,159,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GRMN. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Garmin by 213.1% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,501,507 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $200,896,000 after purchasing an additional 1,702,480 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Garmin by 195.2% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 987,042 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $117,073,000 after buying an additional 652,700 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Garmin by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 6,922,720 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $555,964,000 after acquiring an additional 492,576 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Garmin by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,276,118 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $2,049,121,000 after acquiring an additional 365,713 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners increased its holdings in Garmin by 20.4% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,123,048 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $170,526,000 after purchasing an additional 360,334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.29% of the companys stock. Get Garmin alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Garmin from $91.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Garmin in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Garmin from $101.00 to $106.00 in a research note on Thursday. VNET Group reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Garmin in a report on Thursday. Finally, Tigress Financial reissued a strong-buy rating and issued a $165.00 price target on shares of Garmin in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $118.80. Garmin Price Performance Shares of NYSE:GRMN opened at $103.78 on Friday. Garmin Ltd. has a 1 year low of $76.37 and a 1 year high of $108.32. The businesss 50-day moving average is $98.30 and its 200-day moving average is $96.68. The company has a market capitalization of $19.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.94. Garmin (NYSE:GRMN Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. Garmin had a return on equity of 15.98% and a net margin of 19.94%. The companys revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.11 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Garmin Ltd. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Matthew Munn sold 4,536 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.36, for a total transaction of $446,160.96. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $887,502.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Garmin news, Director Matthew Munn sold 4,536 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.36, for a total transaction of $446,160.96. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,023 shares in the company, valued at $887,502.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Sean Biddlecombe sold 867 shares of Garmin stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.71, for a total transaction of $85,581.57. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at $605,092.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 16,610 shares of company stock valued at $1,635,921 over the last ninety days. 20.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Garmin (Get Rating) Garmin Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of navigation, communications and information devices, most of which are enabled by Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. It operates through the following segments: Marine, Outdoor, Fitness, Auto OEM, Consumer Auto, and Aviation. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Garmin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Garmin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd reduced its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Get Rating) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 213,093 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 1,218 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise were worth $3,400,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 10.8% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 74,736 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,249,000 after buying an additional 7,285 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 12.6% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 16,151 shares of the technology companys stock worth $270,000 after acquiring an additional 1,809 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 46.4% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 16,080 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 5,095 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 332,584 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $5,557,000 after purchasing an additional 29,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aviva PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 45.8% in the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 634,757 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $10,607,000 after purchasing an additional 199,382 shares in the last quarter. 81.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Hewlett Packard Enterprise alerts: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Price Performance Shares of HPE opened at $14.11 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $18.28 billion, a PE ratio of 21.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.45. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a 1-year low of $11.90 and a 1-year high of $17.25. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Announces Dividend Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( NYSE:HPE Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 2nd. The technology company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.11. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 4.22%. The firm had revenue of $7.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.39 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.32 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio is currently 73.85%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have commented on HPE shares. StockNews.com downgraded Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Citigroup boosted their target price on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $13.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research note on Monday, March 20th. They issued a neutral rating and a $15.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays downgraded Hewlett Packard Enterprise from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $18.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four 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 $16.85. Insider Buying and Selling at Hewlett Packard Enterprise In other news, EVP Alan Richard May sold 703,226 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.11, for a total transaction of $10,625,744.86. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 249,511 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,770,111.21. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, EVP Alan Richard May sold 703,226 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.11, for a total value of $10,625,744.86. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 249,511 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,770,111.21. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jean M. Hobby sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.28, for a total transaction of $152,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 46,161 shares in the company, valued at $705,340.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 747,314 shares of company stock valued at $11,291,569 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Profile (Get Rating) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co is a global edge-to-cloud company, which engages in the provision of information technology, technology and enterprise products, solutions, and services. It operates through the following segments: Compute, High Performance Computing & Artificial Intelligence (HPC & AI), Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $2.64-2.74 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $2.55. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.51-6.63 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.41 billion. Ingersoll Rand also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.64-$2.74 EPS. Ingersoll Rand Stock Performance Shares of NYSE IR traded up $2.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $59.17. 3,022,148 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,189,572. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 1.76. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $56.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.71. The firm has a market cap of $23.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.52 and a beta of 1.42. Ingersoll Rand has a twelve month low of $39.28 and a twelve month high of $60.39. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.13. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ingersoll Rand will post 2.39 EPS for the current year. Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 23rd. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.14%. Ingersoll Rands payout ratio is 4.94%. Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com cut Ingersoll Rand from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $66.00 in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $59.30. Insider Activity In other news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 102,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,360. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ingersoll Rand Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ingersoll Rand in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 70.7% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,905 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 789 shares during the last quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ingersoll Rand in the 4th quarter worth approximately $183,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in Ingersoll Rand in the 4th quarter worth approximately $208,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 2,931.7% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,396 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 4,251 shares during the last quarter. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jag Capital Management LLC lowered its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Get Rating) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,258 shares of the restaurant operators stock after selling 472 shares during the period. Chipotle Mexican Grill makes up approximately 1.4% of Jag Capital Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Jag Capital Management LLCs holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $10,070,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of CMG. FourThought Financial LLC increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 350.0% during the 3rd quarter. FourThought Financial LLC now owns 18 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 1st quarter valued at about $44,000. CI Investments Inc. increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1,033.3% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 34 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 133.3% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 35 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.26% of the companys stock. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes CMG has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer lifted 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 report on Wednesday, April 26th. Stephens lifted their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,970.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,000.00 to $2,200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Argus lifted their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $1,900.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, Raymond James lifted 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 report on Wednesday, April 26th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $2,021.37. Insider Buying and Selling at Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, Director Robin S. Hickenlooper sold 74 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,056.73, for a total transaction of $152,198.02. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 853 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,754,390.69. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . In related news, insider Laurie Schalow sold 3,658 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,066.73, for a total value of $7,560,098.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,637 shares in the company, valued at $3,383,237.01. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director Robin S. Hickenlooper sold 74 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,056.73, for a total value of $152,198.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 853 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,754,390.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 19,983 shares of company stock valued at $36,654,485 over the last ninety days. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $2,028.21 on Friday. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a one year low of $1,196.28 and a one year high of $2,077.29. The stocks fifty day moving average is $1,710.03 and its 200 day moving average is $1,585.48. The stock has a market cap of $55.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.34. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Rating) last announced 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 return on equity of 45.01% and a net margin of 11.49%. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.70 EPS. Analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 43.48 EPS for the current year. 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Madison Asset Management LLC cut its stake in Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) by 75.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 565,827 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,726,216 shares during the quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC owned 0.14% of Brookfield Asset Management worth $16,222,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fortis Advisors LLC raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 2.8% during the third quarter. Fortis Advisors LLC now owns 8,250 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $337,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 0.5% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 55,610 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,274,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 1.0% during the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 26,295 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 3.2% during the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 8,307 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 5.1% during the third quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 5,412 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Get Brookfield Asset Management alerts: Insider Activity at Brookfield Asset Management In related news, Director Multi-Strategy Mast Brookfield sold 24,744 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.96, for a total value of $295,938.24. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,104,923 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $252,414,879.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 11.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Brookfield Asset Management Price Performance NYSE BAM opened at $32.35 on Friday. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a 1 year low of $26.76 and a 1 year high of $36.50. The businesss 50-day moving average is $32.33 and its 200 day moving average is $34.82. Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $958.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.81 billion. As a group, research analysts predict that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year. Brookfield Asset Management Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 28th were given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This is a boost from Brookfield Asset Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.96%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $40.00 price objective on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Brookfield Asset Management from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Brookfield Asset Management to an underperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $43.57. Brookfield Asset Management Profile (Get Rating) Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the ownership, operation, and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and energy transition power generating assets. The company's infrastructure business engages in the ownership, operation, and development of utilities, transport, midstream, data and sustainable resource assets. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM Get Rating) released its earnings results on Thursday. The construction company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by $1.17, Briefing.com reports. Martin Marietta Materials had a return on equity of 12.31% and a net margin of 15.39%. The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.39 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Martin Marietta Materials updated its FY 2023 guidance to EPS. Martin Marietta Materials Trading Up 2.2 % MLM traded up $8.38 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $397.66. 511,011 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 300,896. The firms fifty day moving average is $350.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $350.10. Martin Marietta Materials has a 1-year low of $284.99 and a 1-year high of $401.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a PE ratio of 25.67, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.87. Get Martin Marietta Materials alerts: Martin Marietta Materials Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 6th were paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. Martin Marietta Materialss payout ratio is 17.04%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Martin Marietta Materials Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MLM. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in Martin Marietta Materials by 12.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 950 shares of the construction companys stock worth $366,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $351,000. Vident Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Martin Marietta Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $291,000. Horizon Investments LLC increased its holdings in Martin Marietta Materials by 27.0% during the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 640 shares of the construction companys stock worth $246,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Martin Marietta Materials by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 634 shares of the construction companys stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.07% of the companys stock. A number of research analysts have issued reports on MLM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Martin Marietta Materials from $400.00 to $450.00 in a report on Friday. StockNews.com started coverage on Martin Marietta Materials in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Martin Marietta Materials from $390.00 to $386.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Loop Capital boosted their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $450.00 to $475.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on Martin Marietta Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $411.50. About Martin Marietta Materials (Get Rating) Martin Marietta Materials, Inc engages in the provision of aggregates including crushed stone, sand, and gravel through its network of quarries and distribution yards. It operates through the following geographical segments: East Group and West Group. The East Group segments provide aggregated products only. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Martin Marietta Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Martin Marietta Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday. A number of other brokerages have also commented on TAP. Bank of America boosted their price target on Molson Coors Beverage from $52.00 to $54.00 in a report on Wednesday. Roth Capital restated a buy rating on shares of Molson Coors Beverage in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Cowen raised shares of Molson Coors Beverage from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and raised their price target for the stock from $55.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. TheStreet raised shares of Molson Coors Beverage from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $54.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $56.71. Get Molson Coors Beverage alerts: Molson Coors Beverage Price Performance Shares of TAP opened at $64.89 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $54.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.87. Molson Coors Beverage has a 52-week low of $46.69 and a 52-week high of $66.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.04 billion, a PE ratio of -54.53, a P/E/G ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 0.83. Molson Coors Beverage Increases Dividend Molson Coors Beverage ( NYSE:TAP Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.28. Molson Coors Beverage had a negative net margin of 1.97% and a positive return on equity of 7.16%. The company had revenue of $2.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.29 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Molson Coors Beverage will post 4.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This is an increase from Molson Coors Beverages previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.53%. Molson Coors Beverages dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -137.81%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molson Coors Beverage A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 25.9% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 23,269 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,242,000 after purchasing an additional 4,792 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 17.1% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 18,462 shares of the companys stock worth $985,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 45.7% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,834 shares of the companys stock worth $205,000 after buying an additional 1,203 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 16,654 shares of the companys stock valued at $889,000 after acquiring an additional 720 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its position in Molson Coors Beverage by 26.3% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 14,411 shares of the companys stock worth $769,000 after acquiring an additional 3,001 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.24% of the companys stock. About Molson Coors Beverage (Get Rating) Molson Coors Beverage Co is a holding company, which engages in the production and sale of beer. It operates through the following segments: Americas, and EMEA and APAC. The Americas segment operates in the U.S., Canada and various countries in the Caribbean, Latin, and South America. The EMEA and APAC segment operates in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, the UK, various other European countries, and certain countries within the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Molson Coors Beverage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molson Coors Beverage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A 144,000-square-foot, futuristic research complex planned by Oregon State University is headed to the Corvallis Historic Resources Commission for permit approval. The complex is sited within the 166-acre OSU National Historic District, requiring the commission to review and approve or deny the colleges application based on various development code criteria that seek to preserve the historic character of the neighborhood. The complex is proposed for the northwest corner of campus along Southwest Memorial Place and Monroe Avenue. OSU was gifted $50 million from a pair of alumni enabling the college to launch a research and education complex focused on supercomputers, artificial intelligence, materials science and robotics. Jen-Hsun Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, and wife Lori both OSU graduates made the donation, according to an October announcement from OSU. The Huangs met as undergraduates in the College of Engineering. At the time of the donation, the Haungs said they hoped the $50 million gift would help inspire future generations of students also to fall in love with technology and its capacity to change the world, adding that artificial intelligence is the most transformative technology of our time. Combined with other large donations, the Huang money took the complex to being halfway funded. In October, OSU spokesman Steve Clark said the college would seek $75 million from the Oregon Legislature for state-paid bond monies, leaving $25 million to be sought in private funds. Fundraising for the $25 million by the OSU Foundation is progressing very well, according to an update from Clark, who cited strong interest and engagement from donors. OSU leaders continue working with state officials to assure legislative support for the $75 million in bonding as well, Clarks said via email. We are very hopeful that the universitys planned $138 million in philanthropic contributions and university investment for capital construction will prompt legislative support for the bonding, Clark said. Clarks added that OSU is confident the Collaborative Innovation Complex will be seen as a strong contributor to Oregons investments in the semiconductor industry and leverage significant federal support to that sector as part of the CHIPS Act. The complex, whose research will focus on climate science, oceanography, sustainability and water resources, will underpin OSUs support of the semiconductor and broader technology industry in Oregon and beyond, a news release said. The three-story center is anticipated to open in 2025. It will be called the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex, OSU President Jayathi Murthy previously said. The centerpiece of the complex is expected to be a supercomputer that NVIDIA says will be one of the fastest university-based systems in the world. Powered by next-generation NVIDIA CPUs, GPUs and networking, its meant to be powerful enough to train the largest AI models and perform complex digital twin simulations. The complex will also reportedly have a state-of-the-art cleanroom and other specialized research facilities. Weniger Hall will be demolished to make way for the new complex. Not considered historic, the building has been identified as OSUs highest seismic risk due to its construction, composed of two structures that were built in two separate construction phases, with no seismic joint between the two structures, according to the colleges permit application. An existing parking lot east of Weniger Hall will be reconstructed in a new, east-west configuration. Demolition of Weniger Hall will erase $70 million of deferred maintenance backlog, and funding for the complex is tied to its removal, according to OSU. Weniger Hall is seismically vulnerable and cannot feasibly be renovated to meet modern research needs due to its age, condition, and methods of construction, a city staff report states. The Historic Resource Commission is slated to hold an online-only public hearing on the permit at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9. Those wishing to provide testimony or observe should register online by noon the day of the meeting. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Written testimony must be submitted by noon the day of the hearing and can be provided either in person or by mail to Corvallis Planning Division, 501 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis, OR 97333. Written testimony may also be provided electronically using the meeting registration form online. Barring an appeal to the Corvallis City Council, the Historic Resource Commission's decision on the matter will be final. Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust plc (LON:MTE Get Rating)s share price passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 138.63 ($1.73) and traded as high as GBX 143.80 ($1.80). Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust shares last traded at GBX 140.80 ($1.76), with a volume of 207,364 shares traded. Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.59, a current ratio of 0.12 and a quick ratio of 0.12. The firm has a market capitalization of 266.72 million, a P/E ratio of -182.86 and a beta of 1.12. The firms 50 day simple moving average is GBX 138.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 135.59. Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust plc is an open ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Montanaro Investment Managers Ltd. It invests in public equity markets of Europe. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in growth stocks of small-cap companies listed on London Stock Exchange. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Glenview Trust Co grew its stake in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC Get Rating) by 37.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,059 shares of the aerospace companys stock after buying an additional 287 shares during the period. Glenview Trust Cos holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $578,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 507,240 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $276,755,000 after purchasing an additional 38,119 shares during the period. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management now owns 10,649 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $5,810,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares during the period. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,379 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $2,388,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Richwood Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Richwood Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,885 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,574,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 200,883 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $109,598,000 after purchasing an additional 28,734 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.32% of the companys stock. Get Northrop Grumman alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman In other news, VP David T. Perry sold 3,999 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.65, for a total value of $1,878,130.35. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,717 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,093,939.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, VP Sheila C. Cheston sold 2,547 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $467.81, for a total value of $1,191,512.07. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 24,249 shares in the company, valued at $11,343,924.69. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP David T. Perry sold 3,999 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $469.65, for a total value of $1,878,130.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,093,939.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,534 shares of company stock valued at $4,934,622. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Northrop Grumman Price Performance A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from a neutral rating to a sell rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $440.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Friday, January 13th. 22nd Century Group reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Friday, April 28th. Cowen downgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $478.00 price target for the company. in a report on Friday, January 27th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $544.00 to $488.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating 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 seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $512.00. Shares of Northrop Grumman stock opened at $446.81 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Co. has a 52 week low of $430.93 and a 52 week high of $556.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $67.85 billion, a PE ratio of 14.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 0.50. The companys 50-day moving average price is $461.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $488.93. Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The aerospace company reported $5.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $5.16 by $0.34. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 26.61%. The company had revenue of $9.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.10 EPS. Northrop Grummans revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Co. will post 22.6 EPS for the current fiscal year. Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. Northrop Grummans dividend payout ratio is presently 22.39%. About Northrop Grumman (Get Rating) Northrop Grumman Corp. engages in the provision of advanced aircraft systems. It operates through the following segments: Aeronautics Systems, Defense Systems, Mission Systems, and Space Systems. The Aeronautics Systems segment is involved in the design, development, production, integration, sustainment, and modernization of advanced aircraft systems for the U.S. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NOC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Northrop Grumman Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northrop Grumman and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Numis Co. Plc (LON:NUM Get Rating) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 229.83 ($2.87) and traded as high as GBX 341.08 ($4.26). Numis shares last traded at GBX 340.50 ($4.25), with a volume of 320,329 shares changing hands. Numis Trading Down 0.1 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.41, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.45. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 229.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 208.27. The stock has a market capitalization of 374.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,702.50 and a beta of 0.82. Get Numis alerts: Numis Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be issued a GBX 6 ($0.07) dividend. This represents a yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. Numiss dividend payout ratio is 7,000.00%. Numis Company Profile 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Numis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Numis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pinnacle West Capital (NYSE:PNW Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $3.95.4.15 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06. Pinnacle West Capital also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $3.95-$4.15 EPS. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Pinnacle West Capital from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and raised their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $76.00 to $74.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Pinnacle West Capital in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $69.00 to $76.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Pinnacle West Capital presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $74.00. Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts: Pinnacle West Capital Price Performance NYSE PNW traded up $0.43 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $80.12. 495,621 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 656,231. Pinnacle West Capital has a 52-week low of $59.03 and a 52-week high of $81.63. The company has a market capitalization of $9.07 billion, a PE ratio of 19.59, a PEG ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firms 50-day moving average is $78.10 and its 200-day moving average is $75.49. Pinnacle West Capital Announces Dividend Pinnacle West Capital ( NYSE:PNW Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.06). Pinnacle West Capital had a net margin of 10.33% and a return on equity of 7.50%. The firm had revenue of $944.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $808.33 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.15 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Pinnacle West Capital will post 4.04 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be given a $0.865 dividend. This represents a $3.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 28th. Pinnacle West Capitals dividend payout ratio is presently 84.60%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pinnacle West Capital A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of PNW. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 21,980 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,718,000 after purchasing an additional 1,630 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 30,693 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,397,000 after purchasing an additional 5,768 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can boosted its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 31,722 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,599,000 after purchasing an additional 1,681 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 494,515 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $38,620,000 after purchasing an additional 31,526 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Pinnacle West Capital by 7.8% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 135,551 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $10,571,000 after purchasing an additional 9,777 shares during the period. 85.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Pinnacle West Capital (Get Rating) Pinnacle West Capital Corp. is a holding company, which engages in providing energy and energy-related products. It offers regulated retail and wholesale electricity businesses and related activities, such as electricity generation, transmission and distribution through its subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Co The company was founded on February 20, 1985, and is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Pinnacle West Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinnacle West Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Quaker Chemical (NYSE:KWR Get Rating) issued its earnings results on Friday. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.54, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $500.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.29 million. Quaker Chemical had a negative net margin of 0.32% and a positive return on equity of 8.78%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.42 earnings per share. Quaker Chemical Trading Up 12.7 % Shares of NYSE:KWR opened at $208.64 on Friday. Quaker Chemical has a 12-month low of $129.06 and a 12-month high of $216.45. The business has a 50 day moving average of $190.62 and a 200-day moving average of $184.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.80. Get Quaker Chemical alerts: Quaker Chemical Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th were issued a $0.435 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. Quaker Chemicals dividend payout ratio is currently -483.33%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Insider Transactions at Quaker Chemical KWR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Quaker Chemical from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 27th. StockNews.com began coverage on Quaker Chemical in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Quaker Chemical from $206.00 to $203.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 27th. In related news, Director Michael F. Barry sold 200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $40,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 90,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,025,200. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Quaker Chemical A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KWR. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of Quaker Chemical by 30.2% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Quaker Chemical by 10.9% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,213 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Quaker Chemical during the 1st quarter valued at $237,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Quaker Chemical during the 4th quarter worth $300,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Quaker Chemical in the second quarter worth $314,000. Institutional investors own 80.91% of the companys stock. About Quaker Chemical (Get Rating) Quaker Houghton engages in the business of developing, producing, and marketing formulated chemical specialty products. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Global Specialty Businesses. Its products include can making lubricants, cleaners, coatings, cold rolling oils, corrosion preventives, die casting lubricants, dust suppressants, greases, ground control agents, hot rolling oils, hydraulic fluids, industrial lubricants, longwall fluids, metal forming fluids, metal removal fluids, pickle oils, surface treatments, temper fluids, and tin plating. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Quaker Chemical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quaker Chemical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE:RGA Get Rating) has received a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $155.50. A number of research firms have recently commented on RGA. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $170.00 to $164.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Reinsurance Group of America from a sell rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $133.00 to $158.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $147.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. They issued an overweight rating and a $163.00 price objective for the company. Get Reinsurance Group of America alerts: Reinsurance Group of America Trading Up 7.8 % Shares of RGA opened at $145.76 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. Reinsurance Group of America has a 1-year low of $109.06 and a 1-year high of $153.35. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $136.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $140.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.84 and a beta of 0.91. Reinsurance Group of America Announces Dividend Reinsurance Group of America ( NYSE:RGA Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The insurance provider reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.37 by $1.79. The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.23 billion. Reinsurance Group of America had a return on equity of 27.91% and a net margin of 5.66%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.47 EPS. Analysts expect that Reinsurance Group of America will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 16th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 15th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. Reinsurance Group of Americas dividend payout ratio is currently 34.78%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Reinsurance Group of America Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 27.3% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 132,902 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $14,548,000 after acquiring an additional 28,536 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in Reinsurance Group of America by 13.0% during the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,817 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $309,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its position in Reinsurance Group of America by 11.6% during the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 39,323 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $4,428,000 after purchasing an additional 4,073 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Reinsurance Group of America by 20.9% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 10,421 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,141,000 after purchasing an additional 1,799 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Reinsurance Group of America by 47.8% during the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 368 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. 96.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Reinsurance Group of America (Get Rating) Reinsurance Group of America, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Corporate and Other. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Reinsurance Group of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Reinsurance Group of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ivanhoe Mines (OTCMKTS:IVPAF Get Rating) had its price target lifted by Royal Bank of Canada from C$15.00 to C$17.00 in a research note released on Thursday, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on IVPAF. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$14.50 to C$16.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$17.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$18.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Get Ivanhoe Mines alerts: Ivanhoe Mines Stock Performance Shares of IVPAF opened at $9.22 on Thursday. The companys fifty day moving average is $8.73 and its 200 day moving average is $8.48. Ivanhoe Mines has a fifty-two week low of $4.90 and a fifty-two week high of $9.74. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. is a mining development company engaged in the exploration and development of mineral properties. Its projects include the Platreef Project, Kamao-Kakula Project, Western Foreland Exploration Project, and Kipushi Project. The company was founded by Robert Martin Friedland on April 29, 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ivanhoe Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ivanhoe Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its stake in Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA Get Rating) by 14.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 376,514 shares of the auto parts companys stock after selling 65,192 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.64% of Lear worth $46,702,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lear by 4.0% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,192 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $1,454,000 after buying an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lear in the first quarter worth $657,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Lear by 81.0% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 19,834 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $2,890,000 after acquiring an additional 8,878 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its holdings in Lear by 47.8% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 1,948 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $277,000 after purchasing an additional 630 shares during the period. Finally, Aviva PLC grew its stake in Lear by 62.8% during the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 39,256 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $5,598,000 after purchasing an additional 15,137 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.56% of the companys stock. Get Lear alerts: Lear Price Performance LEA stock opened at $123.60 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.53. Lear Co. has a 52-week low of $114.67 and a 52-week high of $158.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $134.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.50. Lear Dividend Announcement Lear ( NYSE:LEA Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The auto parts company reported $2.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $5.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.60 billion. Lear had a net margin of 1.96% and a return on equity of 12.32%. Lears revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.80 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Lear Co. will post 11.04 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.49%. Lears dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.63%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, CEO Raymond E. Scott sold 11,261 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.39, for a total transaction of $1,547,148.79. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 28,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,846,920. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Raymond E. Scott sold 11,260 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.50, for a total value of $1,559,510.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 16,740 shares in the company, valued at $2,318,490. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Raymond E. Scott sold 11,261 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.39, for a total value of $1,547,148.79. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 28,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,846,920. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 32,178 shares of company stock worth $4,481,445 over the last quarter. 0.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LEA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price objective on Lear from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Cowen increased their target price on shares of Lear from $165.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. 888 reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Lear in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Lear from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Lear in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $155.23. Lear Company Profile (Get Rating) Lear Corp. engages in the design, manufacture and supply of automotive seats, electrical distribution systems and electronic modules, as well as related sub-systems, components, and software. It operates through the following segments: Seating and E-Systems. The Seating segment consists of the design, engineering, just-in-time assembly and delivery of complete seat systems, as well as the manufacture of all major seat components, including seat covers and surface materials such as leather and fabric, seat structures and mechanisms, seat foam and headrests. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Lear Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lear and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Simmons Bank raised its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Get Rating) by 1.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 246,461 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after acquiring an additional 4,544 shares during the quarter. Pfizer makes up about 1.1% of Simmons Banks portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Simmons Banks holdings in Pfizer were worth $12,629,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT bought a new stake in Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $579,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC boosted its position in shares of Pfizer by 34.6% in the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 159,704 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $8,183,000 after purchasing an additional 41,030 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds LLC. boosted its position in shares of Pfizer by 89.1% in the 4th quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 26,377 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $4,765,000 after purchasing an additional 12,429 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Income Solutions Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth $459,000. Finally, Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Pfizer by 30.6% in the 4th quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 372,464 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $19,085,000 after purchasing an additional 87,161 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.62% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Stock Performance Shares of NYSE PFE traded up $0.26 during trading on Friday, reaching $38.49. 19,225,050 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 20,291,688. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $40.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.96. The stock has a market cap of $217.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.58, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.63. Pfizer Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.02 and a 12-month high of $54.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Pfizer Announces Dividend Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.23. Pfizer had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 31.25%. The business had revenue of $18.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.49 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.62 EPS. The companys revenue was down 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.26%. Pfizers dividend payout ratio is presently 32.28%. Insider Activity at Pfizer In other Pfizer news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc purchased 1,811,594 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $2.76 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,999.44. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at $16,428,245.88. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently weighed in on PFE. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Pfizer from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Atlantic Securities lowered their price objective on Pfizer from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Pfizer in a research report on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com began coverage on Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Pfizer from $50.00 to $44.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pfizer presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $48.20. About Pfizer (Get Rating) Pfizer Inc is a research-based global biopharmaceutical company. It engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The firm works across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its stake in shares of SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:MDY Get Rating) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,529 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLCs holdings in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust were worth $3,777,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MDY. Coco Enterprises LLC purchased a new stake in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust during the 3rd quarter worth about $3,965,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its holdings in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 142,184 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $62,958,000 after buying an additional 48,328 shares during the last quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 4,546.9% during the 4th quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 47,631 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $21,091,000 after buying an additional 46,606 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 116.0% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 83,583 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $37,010,000 after buying an additional 44,895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 511,015 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $227,351,000 after buying an additional 36,750 shares during the last quarter. Get SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust alerts: SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Stock Performance SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust stock opened at $449.50 on Friday. SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust has a fifty-two week low of $398.11 and a fifty-two week high of $499.48. The company has a market capitalization of $18.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 1.12. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $453.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $456.98. SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Profile SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF is an exchange traded fund. SPDR MidCap 400 Trust focuses to correspond to the price and yield performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The S&P MidCap 400 covers over 7% of the United States equities market, and is part of a series of S&P the United States indices. The index also includes companies, which should have four consecutive quarters of positive as-reported earnings, excluding discontinued operations and extraordinary items. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWT Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 158,550 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $6,367,000. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda owned 0.17% of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Phillips Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $51,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, WestEnd Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $63,000. Get iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Stock Performance Shares of EWT traded up $0.66 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $44.40. The company had a trading volume of 3,521,351 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,966,297. iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF has a 52-week low of $39.75 and a 52-week high of $57.50. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $44.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $44.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.02 and a beta of 0.86. About iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Ishares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Taiwan IndexSM (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Extra Space Storage from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Raymond James upgraded shares of Extra Space Storage from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $185.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on shares of Extra Space Storage from $190.00 to $172.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Extra Space Storage from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $170.56. Get Extra Space Storage alerts: Extra Space Storage Trading Up 2.6 % Shares of Extra Space Storage stock opened at $154.74 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $20.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.33 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.27. The company has a fifty day moving average of $157.31 and a 200 day moving average of $156.81. Extra Space Storage has a fifty-two week low of $139.97 and a fifty-two week high of $216.52. Extra Space Storage Increases Dividend Extra Space Storage ( NYSE:EXR Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The real estate investment trust reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.08 by ($0.56). The business had revenue of $506.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $433.39 million. Extra Space Storage had a net margin of 43.79% and a return on equity of 21.62%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.91 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Extra Space Storage will post 8.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This is a boost from Extra Space Storages previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. Extra Space Storages dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.89%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Joseph D. Margolis sold 5,000 shares of Extra Space Storage stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.07, for a total value of $800,350.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 15,144 shares in the company, valued at $2,424,100.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Joseph D. Margolis sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.07, for a total transaction of $800,350.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 15,144 shares in the company, valued at $2,424,100.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gwyn Goodson Mcneal sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.00, for a total transaction of $246,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 32,290 shares in the company, valued at $5,295,560. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 13,440 shares of company stock valued at $2,172,313 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.52% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Extra Space Storage Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in Extra Space Storage by 80.0% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 144 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. American National Bank increased its stake in Extra Space Storage by 271.7% during the 4th quarter. American National Bank now owns 171 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corp acquired a new position in Extra Space Storage during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 262.0% during the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 181 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Extra Space Storage during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 95.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Extra Space Storage (Get Rating) Extra Space Storage, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It operates through the following segments: Self-Storage Operations and Tenant Reinsurance. The Self-Storage Operations segment includes rental operations of wholly-owned stores. The Tenant Reinsurance segment includes reinsurance of risks relating to the loss of goods stored by tenants in stores. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Extra Space Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Extra Space Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $290.00 to $225.00 in a research report report published on Thursday, The Fly reports. A number of other brokerages have also commented on EL. Cowen started coverage on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. They set a buy rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $271.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. TheStreet lowered shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, March 10th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $300.00 to $305.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $245.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Estee Lauder Companies currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $264.21. Get Estee Lauder Companies alerts: Estee Lauder Companies Trading Up 1.3 % Shares of Estee Lauder Companies stock opened at $203.54 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $242.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $241.25. Estee Lauder Companies has a 12-month low of $186.47 and a 12-month high of $284.45. Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement Estee Lauder Companies ( NYSE:EL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by ($0.04). Estee Lauder Companies had a return on equity of 23.99% and a net margin of 6.88%. The company had revenue of $3.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.90 EPS. The firms revenue was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Estee Lauder Companies will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.30%. Estee Lauder Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 87.71%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Estee Lauder Companies news, EVP Carl P. Haney sold 9,741 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.90, for a total transaction of $2,473,239.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,773 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,211,864.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 12.75% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 10.7% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 13,305 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,279,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 8.5% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 40,258 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,922,000 after purchasing an additional 3,163 shares during the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 40.7% in the first quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,833 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,191,000 after buying an additional 1,398 shares in the last quarter. Capital Analysts LLC grew its stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 12.9% in the first quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 1,533 shares of the companys stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MQS Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the first quarter valued at $346,000. 55.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Estee Lauder Companies (Get Rating) The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc engages in the manufacture of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. It sells products under the following brand names: Estee Lauder, Clinique, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Jo Malone London, Aveda and Too Faced. Its channels consist of department stores, multi-brand retailers, upscale perfumeries and pharmacies, and prestige salons and spas. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Estee Lauder Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Estee Lauder Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS Get Rating) have been given an average rating of Buy by the nine ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $220.43. Several brokerages have commented on ZTS. Bank Of America (Bofa) raised their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Barclays boosted their price target on Zoetis from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Zoetis in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Get Zoetis alerts: Zoetis Stock Up 4.3 % Shares of NYSE:ZTS opened at $186.23 on Friday. Zoetis has a 1 year low of $124.15 and a 1 year high of $187.82. The company has a market cap of $86.30 billion, a PE ratio of 41.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.63. The stocks 50-day moving average is $169.74 and its 200 day moving average is $159.55. Zoetis Announces Dividend Zoetis ( NYSE:ZTS Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.02 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 50.11% and a net margin of 25.59%. Zoetiss revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Zoetis will post 5.39 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 21st will be issued a $0.375 dividend. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 20th. Zoetiss payout ratio is currently 33.33%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 4,338 shares of Zoetis stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.94, for a total value of $763,227.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,357 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,637,250.58. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zoetis Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Psagot Value Holdings Ltd. Israel bought a new position in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Zoetis by 430.8% in the 1st quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 138 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. EWG Elevate Inc. purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 90.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Zoetis (Get Rating) Zoetis, Inc engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of medicines, vaccines, diagnostic products and services, biodevices, genetic tests, and precision animal health technology. The firm operates through the United States and International geographical segments. The United States segment is involved in U.S. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Zoetis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zoetis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A smoke column rises from wildfire near Lodgepole, Alberta, Canada on May 4. More than 13,000 people who live in the Canadian province of Alberta have been evacuated as wildfires rage across the region Indianapolis police are investigating the shooting death of a man who was found inside a vehicle in the Fountain Square neighborhood. Police were called to Woodlawn and Virginia avenues just before midnight Saturday. The victim later died at a hospital. Preliminary investigation showed the man was shot about a mile away, at East Raymond and Shelby streets, just east of Garfield Park on the south side, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Indianapolis killings: Tracking every homicide in 2023 Anyone with information about the shooting should contact IMPD Homicide Det. Douglas Morning at 317-327-3475 or at Douglas.Morning@indy.gov. Tipsters can also leave anonymous tips by calling Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 or by submitting a tip online at www.CrimeTips.org. This is one of multiple shootings that happened overnight across the city less than 24 hours after four were fatally shot in two separate shootings. A person was in critical condition earlier Saturday evening, just after 6:30 p.m., following what police described as a self-inflicted and accidental shooting on the northwest side. IMPD: 4 dead after two separate shootings early Saturday Two victims showed up with gunshot wounds at IU Health Methodist Hospital about 9 p.m. Police said the two were shot in the 3700 block of Ruskin Place, just off 38th Street near the Mapleton Fall Creek neighborhood. The victims are in stable condition. One victim is in critical condition after a shooting about 11 p.m. at Rockville Road and North Lynhurst Drive on the west side. Another is in stable condition after a shooting around 1 a.m. Sunday in Broad Ripple, near Guilford Avenue, on the north side. Just before 4 p.m. Sunday, a person walked into Community Hospital North with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said the shooting was accidental, and the person is conscious. Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or at kphillips@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @bykristinep. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis shootings left one dead, several injured Clear Lake Bank & Trust announced two new hires in a press release last week. Ryan Van Ostrand accepted the Credit Analyst position in the Business Banking department and is located in CLB&Ts Clear Lake office. According to the release, Van Ostrand is new to North Iowa and has recently relocated to Mason City from Lincoln, Nebraska. In Lincoln, he worked as a Data and Valuation Analyst at an accounting firm. Jillian McIntire joined CLB&T as a Universal Banker/Retail Branch Manager in the Clear Lake office. She works with the retail and consumer lending teams as a personal banker and consumer lender. McIntire brings 16 years of banking experience to CLB&T. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office marked vehicle. A Saturday morning crash involving two vehicles in Chandler sent eight people to the hospital, including several minors. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez tweeted at 5:48 a.m. about a truck with six people crashing into a sedan with two people at Arizona Avenue and Hunt Highway. All drivers and passengers in both vehicles were taken to the hospital, according to Enriquez. Some had injuries that were serious to life-threatening, while others have been released, Enriquez said in an email. It is unknown what caused the crash and if speed, alcohol or distraction factored in it, Enriquez said in his email, adding detectives were still assessing the incident around 10 a.m. The Arizona Department of Transportation at 12 p.m. said State Route 87 northbound had reopened following the crash, which was listed as being near East Mews Road. The intersection would remain closed for hours, Enriquez previously said in his tweet. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2-vehicle crash in Chandler sends 8 to the hospital Calendar Monday, May 1 - Sunday, May 7 Price Towers Annual Youth Art Show 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Price Tower Art Center, 510 Dewey Ave. Celebrating youth art education and young artists with more than 300 pieces of artwork from students in public, private, and homeschools from grades Pre-K to 12th grade. An opening reception will be 1 to 2:30 p.m. April 1. Bartlesville Astronomy Club meets at 7 p.m. in library meeting room A. Presentation will be on professional astronomy in Chile. Visitors welcome. Monday, May 1 - Friday, June 30 Oklahoma Beginnings: The Legacy of Ranching in Northeast Oklahoma 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Bartlesville Area History Museum, 401 S Johnstone Ave. Join us in exploring the rich ranching history of Washington County. The exhibit will feature artifacts from local ranches, display examples of local cattle brands, history of ranching coloring station, and a turn of the century Nelson Carr One-Room School. For more information, call Shayla Cummins at 918-338-4294. Friday, May 5 - Sunday, May 7 Stray Kat Kustoms 500 Car Show 2023 in Downtown Dewey, Don Tyler east of Hwy 75. We love "real" Kustoms and Hot Rods. We created a relaxing, laid back atmosphere where you can meet new friends and talk about Kustoms and Hot Rods. We have trophies for the Koolest Kat Kustom. There will be music, artist, antique stores and more. Saturday, May 6 Reflection, presented by the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra 7:30 to 9 p.m. Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd. Decades of great music as reflected in the BSO of today. Our exciting orchestra led by longtime Maestro Lauren Green. Free admission for students through high school with purchase of adult ticket. Tickets are $17-$46. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 918-337-2787. Saturday, May 6 - Monday, May 8 Renew Spring Revival at Eastern Heights Baptist Church, 1331 Swan Drive. Services are 6:30 p.m. Saturday, 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Monday. Featuring Jeremy and Caleb Freeman, Ryan Young, Kolby King, Walker Moore and Shawn Caldwell. For more information, visit the church's website. Story continues Tuesday, May 9 Letters From Home: The 50 State Tour 7 to 9 p.m. at the Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd. The duo, Erinn Dearth and Dan Beckmann, have performed over 900 shows across the United States and the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. The show is filled with singing, tap dancing, knee-slapping jokes, and audience interaction. Tickets are $26. To purchase, call 907-337-2787. Thursday, May 11 POWER HOUR! What About it? from noon-12:45 p.m. at Elder Care, 1223 Swan Drive. The second in a series highlighting the many programs at Elder Care helps unpack this unique program - Case Management. Learn from Director Deanna Dodson (CMS/CQIM) what case management is all about and how you could benefit from this valuable resource. Free attendance. RSVP is needed by May 6 Call Elder Care @ 918-336-8500. Thursday, May 11 - Sunday, May 14 The Odd Couple, presented by Theater Bartlesville 7 to 9 p.m. May 11-13 and 2 to 4 p.m. May 14 at the Theater Bartlesville, 312 S Dewey Ave. Two suddenly single pals, a sloppy sportswriter and a fastidious news writer, strain their friendship by turning roommates and unconsciously repeating the same mistakes they made in the marriages they just left. For tickets, go to http://www.theaterbartlesville.com/ or call 918-336-1900. Saturday, May 13 The Good, The Bad, & The BBQ fundraiser to benefit programs and services at Elder Care the Hughes Ranch, 63 County Rd 2696, just minutes from downtown Bartlesville on Highway 123. The outdoor fundraiser will be held under a large party tent and includes a BBQ dinner, music and dancing, and live and silent auctions. A cash bar will be available. Tickets go on sale March 1 and may be purchased online at AboutElderCare.org/BBQ or by calling Elder Care at (918) 336-8500. Fishing Derby, hosted by Kiwanis Club of Bartlesville 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jo Allyn Lowe Park, 2600 SE Price Road. Children between the ages of 3-12 are welcome to participate. All children must be accompanied by an adult, and they must provide their own tackle and bait. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. at the shelter on the west side of the lake. Prizes for all participants, but there are trophies for the longest fish caught in each age group. There are ribbons for the longest Bass, Sunfish and other fish species. Sunday, May 14 "A Celebration of the Music of Chicago - Beginnings" 7:30 p.m. at the Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd. For more information, go to bccamusic.org. Tuesday, May 16 Living With Alzheimers: for Younger-onset Alzheimer's from 3-4 p.m. at Elder Care, 1223 Swan Drive. Jacob Guinan of the Alzheimers Association covers the topic of those under 65 who are diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimers disease or other dementias. No cost to attend. Open to adults of any age. RSVP by 5/9 to Elder Care. 918-336-8500. Saturday, June 3 Antiques and Collectables' 32nd annual Dewey Antique Show from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washington County Fair building in Dewey. Tickets are $5 each. All ticket proceeds from the show go back into Washington County nonprofit organizations like the Clothes closet for elementary schools, FFA, 4H, Journey Home, ARF, SPCA, Kiddie Park, Dewey Hotel, Tom Mix Museum and a $1,500 scholarship to a graduating senior in Washington County. Saturday, August 26 17th Annual Sports Spectacular 6 p.m. at Hilton Garden Inn. Dinner catered by Dink's BBQ. DJ Services by DJ Brandon. Live auction, silent auction, "Candy Bar" and Cash bar. Individual tickets will go on sale July 1. For more information, visit www.supportsamaritan.org. This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Calendar for May 6 The Duke of Sussex has returned to California after catching a British Airways flight just hours after his fathers coronation ended. Harry arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7.30pm local time (3.30am UK), just in time to reunite with his son on his birthday. Prince Archie turned four on Saturday, the same day as King Charless coronation, and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their home in Montecito, California. Read our live coverage of the coronation weekend here. British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight. The dukes appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he criticised his family in his controversial tell-all memoir Spare. He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and the dukes stepmother the Queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales. Prince Harry arrived at the coronation alone, after flying inbound on an American Airlines commercial flight. He was seen smiling at several points throughout the service, and was seated near a heavily pregnant Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall and Anne, the Princess Royal. He was also sat in the same row as Prince Andrew. Prince Harry wore a Dior suit to the coronation (Getty Images) Harry arrived alone at the event and did not appear to have any interaction with his brother, William. He seemed in good spirits, though, chatting with Beatrices husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and was also photographed smiling widely at Princess Anne as he took his seat in the third row in the Abbey. It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration. Fashion house Dior later confirmed that Prince Harry wore a formal Dior look specifically designed for the royal. Story continues During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever. After the service, the Duke of Sussex quickly got into a car with a blank expression on his face after leaving Westminster Abbey. Harrys vehicle, which had blacked-out windows, followed the coronation procession back towards Buckingham Palace. His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that day that he had no formal role at the event. Prince Harry has lived in the United States with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Archie and Lilibet, since he stepped down from his position as a senior royal in 2020. With additional reporting from PA. I dont know why I find it so easy to sort of disappear into people, wonders Ghosts of Beirut star Garret Dillahunt. For our recent webchat he continues, I think its almost a need I have to not be myself. I dont put myself through any kind of painful stereotypical acting exercises to get in a headspace. As a failed writer, I perhaps place writing to such high esteem. I just want to serve the story. If you come in with ego-lessness, its really easy to subvert your own and just give over to the story and let it flow though you. Watch our exclusive video interview above. Ghosts of Beirut is a four-part limited series premiering on Showtime later this month. It explores the real life manhunt for terrorist Imad Mughniyeh during the 80s. Dillahunt, who also starred in No Country For Old Men, explains, this, in a way, is No Country for Old Men for terrorism. This was a new kind of terrorist we hadnt seen. We couldnt manage it and we are still dealing with the ramifications of that today with Americas policies. More from GoldDerby SEEover 100 video interviews with 2023 Emmy contenders Dillahunt portrays CIA director, William Francis Buckley, who is trying to figure out who was behind a fatal explosion in Lebanon. The actor reveals, From what I could gather, he was kind of a blunt instrument. He had a lot of confidence he would go in and straighten this out, but he had weaknesses. He had trouble varying his routine. He was overconfident. And he didnt know his enemy as much as he should have. By all accounts he was a good guy, just maybe not the right guy for this job. Late last year, Dillahunt also produced and starred in the Amazon Freevee comedy Sprung. In that show, he played Jake, who after being released from prison is offered a place to stay if he joins a new criminal operation. Dillahunt says, It was great to have a character discovering things for the first time. Hed been locked away for the last 26 years and there had been a lot of technological changes. Like cell phones. Half of the fun was Jack discovering very common things to us, and realizing how unusual things are that we have become accustomed to. Story continues PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12 Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why? SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Julio Cesar Martinez turned what appeared to be a so-so performance into an emphatic victory on the Canelo Alvarez-John Ryder card Saturday in Zapopan, Mexico. The WBC 112-pound titleholder was outboxed and outworked by Ronal Batista of Panama in the first half of the fight, during which the Mexican looked like anything but the dangerous slugger he is known to be. However, he put Batista down in Round 7, took firm control and finally stopped the challenger a minute into the 11th round to retain his belt. Batistas downfall mightve begun at the end of Round 4, when he was docked a point for punching Martinez after the bell to end the round. However, the challenger continued to box well and match Martinez (20-2, 15 KOs) punch for punch for the next few rounds in what was a competitive fight. Then came Round 7. Martinez landed a wide left to the side of Batistas head, which sent him to the canvas. The referee initially ruled that Batista (15-3, 9 KOs) had slipped. However, in a bizarre moment, ringside officials overruled him between rounds after seeing a replay. Martinez shifted into another gear at that point, clearly outworking Batista the next several rounds to set up the knockout. The end came when Martinez landed a series of hard, accurate shots with Batistas back against the ropes, which prompted the referee to stop the fight. Martinez has now won two consecutive fights since he moved up in weight and was outpointed by Roman Gonzalez in March of last year. Story originally appeared on Boxing Junkie The newly crowned King took a moment to acknowledge his grandson's birthday on Saturday, which coincided with the coronation Neil Mockford/Getty ; Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage King Charles and Prince Archie King Charles raised a glass to toast his grandson Archie on his 4th birthday, according to news reports. At a private family gathering for lunch on Saturday following the King's historic coronation at Westminster Abbey and the family's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, King Charles toasted "those that weren't there" and wished Prince Archie a happy birthday "wherever he was," according to the Daily Mail. "It was apparently a very sweet moment," a source told the outlet of the toast which came shortly after Archie's father, Prince Harry, departed the United Kingdom to head back to California to join wife Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and their daughter Princess Lilibet. The Duke of Sussex, 38, was not invited to join the King, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family in the iconic box following the coronation. Related: Prince Harry Leaves London Hours After Father King Charles' Coronation Prince Harry traveled to the airport just hours after the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, where his father and Queen Camilla were crowned before 2,200 guests by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Related:Why Prince Harry Is Going to the Coronation Without Meghan Markle: 'It's Become So Personal' While the major occasion was a royal reunion for Prince Harry and other members of the royal family, who were all last together for Queen Elizabeth's state funeral in September, it was previously reported that the Duke of Sussex didn't plan to stay long. The church service commenced at 11 a.m., and the Duke of Sussex headed back to California shortly after. Prince Harry came to the crowning ceremony without the Duchess of Sussex, 41, who stayed back with their young children. The couple relocated to Meghan's home state after stepping back from their royal roles in January 2020. Buckingham Palace announced in April that Harry would attend the crowning ceremony and Meghan would not. Story continues Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Handout/Chris Jackson/Getty for Buckingham Palace King Charles and Queen Camilla following the crowning ceremony As for Archie's celebration, a source told PEOPLE in April that the party was planned to be "low-key" and at the family's home. "They'll have friends around them and Meghan's mom, Doria [Ragland]. Meghan will definitely have support that weekend," the source said. Little sister Lilibet was also set to be part of the festivities. "They are so sweet together. Archie loves Lili. He's such a sweet boy. When she's not around, he asks, 'Where's Lili?' " the source added at the time. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. WPA Pool/Shutterstock Headed home! Prince Harry is on his way back to California right after father King Charles IIIs coronation ceremony. Us Weekly confirms that the Duke of Sussex, 38, headed to Heathrow airport after the event. He has every intention of making it home in time to celebrate son Archies 4th birthday. Harry arrived in the U.K. on Friday, May 5, one day prior to Charles, 74, being crowned monarch. Us Weekly confirmed the princes commercial flight landed in the capital city of England at the time. Prince Harry Zak Hussein/Splash News Ahead of the coronation, royal expert Nick Bullen exclusively told Us that Harry was planning to minimize the amount of time that hes in London. The Archewell cofounder, Bullen explained, was nervous to see his family, from whom he has been estranged for years. The editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV noted that the duke already said that he wants to be back for Archies birthday that afternoon, that evening. While Harry was in the U.K. for his fathers historic celebration, his wife, Meghan Markle, stayed at home in California with their children: 4-year-old son Archie and 23-month-old daughter Lilibet. Archies 4th birthday fell on the same day as the coronation, which is why the Suits alum, 41, was not in attendance. As much as Meghan appreciates the invite to the coronation, she wouldnt miss her sons birthday for the world. Despite being the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan is a mom first, a source exclusively told Us last month. She feels very grateful to be included in such a special occasion by the royal family and is glad that Harry can go and show support on behalf of their family. But being the same day as Archies birthday, unfortunately, shes just going to have to miss out on this one. Instead, the Archetypes podcast host was planning to throw a low-key birthday party for Archie while Harry was in the U.K. As Bullen told Us last month, Harry who stepped down from his position as a senior royal in 2020 would not be part of the procession or balcony appearance, as he is no longer a working royal. It will be very much of a fly-in visit, he explained. Story continues Prince Harry Cover Images Royal expert Gareth Russell exclusively told Us on Tuesday, May 2, that it is not surprising that Prince Harry hasnt been given a role [in the coronation]. The historian noted that The Firm made the call in order to not to complicate matters further by having him involved simply because the royals are hoping that they can draw a line under the recent controversy with the Duke of Sussex. Harry and Meghan have frequently spoken out about the alleged mistreatment they received from the family since stepping down from their duties as working royals in 2020. The BetterUp CIO, for his part, made numerous allegations against his brother, Prince William, and their father in his January memoir, Spare, including the claim that he and William, 40, got into a physical fight over Meghan, and that his father's team planted bad press about him and William. Despite the drama, Charles, 74, was thrilled that his youngest son would be attending the coronation, a source exclusively told Us in April. As Russell explained to Us earlier this month, Prince Harry, as would the king and Prince William, would regret if he wasnt there. So I think generally speaking, the consensus is its right that hes there. Its probably best that hes there as King Charles son rather than as a working prince of the United Kingdom. Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more! Reporting by Travis Cronin If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission. Australian whisky is starting to get the recognition it deserves, thanks to some really excellent single malts from distilleries like Melbournes Starward. The latest release might sound strange on paper, but this single malt finished in ginger beer casks is surprisingly tasty. More from Robb Report Starward Ginger Beer Cask #7 is, as you can likely discern, the seventh iteration of this whisky. But its the first to get U.S. distributionalbeit, via a ballot system at the moment. The whisky is part of the Starward Innovative Projects Program, an experimental whisky initiative spearheaded by head of distilling Sam Slaney. According to the brand Aussies have been fans of this ginger cask-finished whisky for years now, and the expectation is that Americans will like it just as much. The whisky is a blend of the distillerys Nova and Solera expressionsNova is the core single malt aged in lightly charred red wine barrels from the Yarra and Barossa Valley; Solera is aged using the solera method (a little bit of older whisky is blended with younger whisky) in Apera barrels, an Australian fortified wine. The final step is to mature the blend in ginger beer casks for a full year. Since our first Ginger Beer Cask bottling in 2014, our recipe has evolved as we continue to experiment to make a new expression, Starward founder David Vitale told Robb Report. The ginger beer recipe is a closely guarded secret, but we can confirm that this year it is loaded with ginger and citrus peel. It was aged in American oak wine barrels, and after dumping the ginger beer is used in Starwards canned cocktails which are available only in Australia. Story continues A year is a lot of time to soak up flavor, really more of a secondary maturation than a finish although these days the terms are interchangeable. The resulting whisky has a nice orange-gold color, a bit different from the redder hue of other Starward releases. The nose has a subtle hint of fresh ginger, a precursor of whats to come. On the palate, theres a burst of spice and ginger candy, along with orange, hot mulled cider, caramel, vanilla, and some rum raisin ice cream. On the finish, theres a pleasant warmth of dissolving Red Hots on the back of your throat. Overall, this is a really interesting and unique whisky that should definitely be used in a cocktail as well served as a neat pour. Starward isnt the only Aussie whisky getting press these days. There are now about 100 distilleries operating in the country, but the selection thats available here is still small. Weve covered Morris Single Malt before, and you can find some high-priced bottles from Tasmanian distillery Sullivans Cove on liquor store shelves. Starward, which is backed by Diageos accelerator program Distill Ventures, is the easiest whisky to find, but given the quality this is no fluke. As mentioned above, because the Ginger Beer Cask #7 is such a limited release, Starward is using a lottery system to allocate bottles currently. The distillery is setting aside 10 bottles just for Robb Report readers if you use this link to sign up for a ballot. You can sign up to enter until May 16 with winners select on May 17. And if you miss out on that, you can purchase the core lineup from websites like ReserveBar. Score: 88 100: Worth trading your first born for 95 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet 90 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram 85 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market 80 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable Below 80 Its alright: Honestly, we probably wont waste your time and ours with this Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Friday for his latest review. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. RTY Inc. staff members this year include (left to right), Joe Stephon, rides operations manager; Jordyn Starkey, youth center manager and RTY operations director; Jim Hobart, rides maintenance manager; and Greg Rees, RTY board chairman. NEW PHILADELPHIA Three people are joining the management team of RTY Inc., which operates rides, concessions and the amphitheater at Tuscora Park. Ferris wheel project: Tuscora Park Ferris wheel undergoes rehabilitation work Lindsey Nicholson is becoming concession stand manager. A 12-year veteran of the stand, she began working there as a college student and in recent years served as adult supervisor. She will be responsible for recruitment, training and scheduling of the staff, mostly area teenagers. With 12 years of work experience at the Tuscora Park Concession Stand, Lindsey Nicholson is preparing to open the stand for the summer season as its new manager. A teacher at Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School, she also serves on the staff of the New Philadelphia High School marching band. Joe Stephon has been named rides operation manager, and Jim Hobart is now rides maintenance manager. Assisting Stephon in ride operations will be Ed Norman and Alicia Norman. Hobart's son, Ty, is assisting in maintenance responsibilities. Stephon is employed by the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center as a teacher at the STAR Alternative School in New Philadelphia. Hobart is about to retire from his full-time job in the Dover cemetery department. He has worked as a maintenance assistant on the vintage Tuscora Park rides for many years. Jordyn Starkey, manager of the Park Place Youth Center, will become RTY operations director. She will support the other RTY managers, especially in the area of employee timekeeping, ride management documentation and financial reporting. The youth center will continue to be her primary focus. Greg Rees, of New Philadelphia, was elected chairman of the board of directors earlier this year. A retired engineer, he has spearheaded the complete rebuilding of the century old Ferris wheel and had a hand in helping other Tuscora Park rides comply with more stringent state of Ohio regulations for their operation and maintenance. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Three people join RTY management team at Tuscora Park The announced withdrawal of Wagner Group fighters from the town of Bakhmut is another setback for Russia at a crucial moment in its war in Ukraine, exposing an enormous rift between the figures leading the effort just as Kyiv prepares to launch a counteroffensive. Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said Friday on Telegram that his mercenary company would leave the city in the Eastern Donetsk region May 10 after he accused Russias Defense Ministry of depriving his fighters of ammunition and generally failing in the war effort. In a separate video released Thursday night, Prigozhin filmed dead Wagner fighters and cursed at Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who is overseeing the Ukraine war for Moscow. You think that you are the masters of life and you think that you have a right to master their lives, too, Prigozhin said, pointing to the dead soldiers behind him. If you give us the normal ammunition, there will be five times less bodies here. The accusations underscore a growing internal divide between Moscow and a key ally in the Ukraine war. Prigozhin has also warned that should he pull out, the frontline in Bakhmut would collapse. Matthew Hoh, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy who served with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Russian forces can backfill any holes left by Wagner Group forces. But he said Prigozhin is basically yelling mutiny ahead of Victory Day, a major holiday honoring Moscows triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to speak in Moscow during celebrations next week. This is not anything that Putin or his people want to have to deal with, Hoh said. The perception is that things are out of control. The chaos Prigozhins video unleashed among the Russian military also tells a troubling narrative of the war ahead of Ukraines counteroffensive, said Anna Arutunyan, a fellow at the Wilson Center. Story continues It was a very emotional rant, a very emotional message he hasnt screamed at them so directly in the past, she said. Prigozhin is fed up. Hes fed up, and I think hes reflecting a sense of others who are fed up with this. Bodies are piling up. Theres not enough ammunition to go around as Russia prepares for a counteroffensive from Ukraine, she added. Theres a deep sense of how this [counteroffensive] is going to pan out. Arutunyan, who has written a new book about Russias hybrid war in Ukraine, said Prigozhin is likely engaging in emotional blackmail to win concessions from Moscow. She added that the mercenary leader may reverse course if he gets what he wants. What weve seen in the past is that he will make these public attacks and then he will back down and say, Yes, theyre giving us more ammunition, she said. So, its a matter of how the Kremlin chooses to finesse this and the signals that it wants to send. The Kremlin has so far not publicly commented on Prigozhins accusations and planned retreat. But Russian state-run media outlet TASS ran a brief articleFriday quoting a Defense Ministry spokesperson, who said the assault on Bakhmut was pressing ahead. Wagner Group, known for its meddling in conflicts in Africa and Syria, has played a crucial role in the Ukraine war since deploying fighters to the country in March of last year. Mercenary fighters helped take the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk in the Eastern Luhansk region last spring. And Russian forces, led by Wagner Group, began a major assault on Bakhmut in October. The town in the Donetsk region is a strategic point for Russian forces to push further west and seize the Eastern Donbas, the core of Moscows offensive launched over the winter. Wagner Group achieved a minor victory in January when it took the nearby town of Soledar, allowing forces to descend upon Bakhmut from another direction. But they have since only made incremental gains at a huge cost to ammunition and soldiers, including thousands of troops recruited from prisons. The White House estimates that Russia has lost nearly 20,000 soldiers since December, with nearly half of those killed from Wagner Group. But Wagner Group has also heavily damaged elite Ukrainian units while Russian forces have committed limited armed forces personnel, said Hoh, the Center for International Policy expert. Wagner has been very helpful to the Russian army because by using the prisoners, the Wagner mercenary forces fight rather than your regular army forces, he said. Prigozhin has been complaining for months about a perceived lack of ammunition. Earlier this year, he sent a representative to Russias military headquarters in Ukraine to ask for more supplies and was apparently denied. Russia has faced an ammunition shortage for more months, but still has significantly more resources and firepower than Ukraine, which is facing its own supply issues. Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, also said Wagner Group has had a significant artillery advantage in Bakhmut and received preferential support from Russian military leaders. This is likely a reflection of the MoD rationing ammunition before Ukraines counteroffensive, he tweeted, remarking on Prigozhins Thursday video. The MoD has to defend the whole front but Prigozhin only cares about taking Bakhmut. Russian military bloggers also said the problem of ammunition shortages and heavy losses are not limited to Wagner Group. Blogger Igor Girkin wrote on Telegram that our entire Active Army is acutely short of ammunition, asking who would be left if everyone facing the problem left the front. Prigozhin on Friday said he is withdrawing his fighters to the rear to lick our wounds but would still eventually deliver victory for the Russian people. Ukrainian officials have yet to publicly comment on the rant from Prigozhin, who is prone to outbursts on social media and has long courted media attention. Lera Burlakova, a fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis, said Prigozhins announced withdrawal could be a ploy designed to trick Ukrainians. Its very common for Prigozhin to make some kind of hysterical statement, she said. I really dont believe any military figure in Russia is powerful enough to just make his own decisions without some very serious consequences. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. North Iowans have been quick to put themselves in the shoes of those who lost everything, leading to an outpouring of generosity. Donations for the victims of April 24th's apartment fire at the Kirk Apartments in Mason City have filled warehouses and will soon be on their way to furnishing new hopes and homes. Fire victims are invited to come and shop the donations for items they need to begin anew. Both Salvation Army, 747 Village Green Drive, and United Way of North Central Iowa, 2911 Fourth St SE, have items available free of charge to those who have been directly affected by the fire. Stop by during regular business hours or call ahead for other arrangements. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, Tracy Hedegard-Stump was on scene coordinating food and shelter for shell-shocked residents of the building. In a matter of hours, they lost their homes and all of their possessions, standing by helplessly as the blaze destroyed a historic downtown building. While some tenants were able to find accommodations right away, not all of the building's occupants had a place to stay. "There are seven tenants who needed immediate shelter," Hedegard-Stump says. "We were able to shelter them either at Salvation Army or in a hotel. We've since manage to find all seven housing." Finding housing in the area is a challenge under normal circumstances and affordable housing even more so. Many of the residents at the Kirk were paying a lower-than-average rental rate and are finding it difficult to secure an apartment or home they can afford. United Way NCI established a crisis fund almost immediately in response to the fire. "Our Women United group was actually having it's regular meeting at Fat Hill Brewing on that night," says Jen Arends, CEO of UWNCI. "We sat down as the fire was going on and the women knew right away they would make the crisis fund a priority. We raised $4,000 in seed money that night." At Salvation Army, rent and rental deposits are paid out from a donated fund. The program helps people who may need a first month's rental deposit or just a hand through the month with an overdue payment. It was this fund that was used to shelter and feed Kirk residents as they processed their extraordinary loss. Hedegard-Stump is hopeful that North Iowans are still feeling the urge to help. "There are 44 units off the market now, and they were pretty affordable. We now need to help folks with first and last month's rent and deposits for new locations." And for that, monetary donations are needed. "The community filled Salvation Army's space up (with donated goods) right away. We are definitely not set up to take donations, but we do have a warehouse, so we offered to take what we could," explains Arends. "Now we're full, too. We can comfortably provide Kirk residents with most of what they need, but the crisis fund is going to be important for incidentals. There are utility deposits and other things that aren't covered by the Salvation Army program, so that's where the crisis fund steps in." For those who have not yet donated but would like to make an impact, both directors say they've received all the physical donations they can handle. At this point, a financial contribution is appreciated. Additionally, both warehouses are chock-full of items that need to be transported to Kirk resident's new homes. Those with trucks, vans and trailers are being asked to donate a few hours of their time to help folks move large and heavy materials. North Iowans stepped up with gifts of clothing, shoes, personal items, even furniture, bedding and electronics. Both Hedegard-Stump and Arends were overwhelmed by the items provided, but each also know of the constant needs in our area. "This event stressed a system that was already stressed," says Arends. "Northern Lights Alliance is almost always at capacity. Friends of the Family has identified 55 individuals in need of permanent shelter. The need in our area is ongoing." Recurring or one-time financial donations can be made to Salvation Army at www.centralusa.salvationarmy.org/masoncity/. For questions, to offer moving help or to pick up items, please call 641-424-4031. Recurring or one-time financial donations can be made to United Way of North Central Iowa can be made at www.unitedwaynci.org/. For questions, to donate moving help or pick up items, please call 641-423-1774. Twelve tornadoes were reported across four states overnight, heavily damaging roofs and some outbuildings in Missouri. Tornadoes touched down in Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota on Saturday. Trenton, Missouri, was hit the hardest, with a tornado damaging the roof of a 130-year-old church. MORE: Severe weather expected in the Heartland as high temperatures near records Softball-sized hail up to 4 inches was reported in Missouri, going through the roof of a steel structure near Coffey, Missouri. Damaging winds surpassing 80 mph impacted parts of the Midwest, damaging trees and other structures. Strong to severe storms moved through Illinois and Indiana early Sunday morning, making their way to Ohio. More than 11 million Americans from Texas to Wisconsin Sunday may experience very large hail and damaging winds, along with isolated tornadoes putting Iowa, parts of Nebraska and Missouri the most at risk. PHOTO: Twelve tornadoes were reported across four states overnight. (ABC News) Storms are expected to start popping up around 6 p.m. ET and continue into the night, making for another dangerous nocturnal severe weather event. Missouri and Illinois are facing threats of severe storms on Monday. On Monday, the severe threat is stationed in Missouri and Illinois where large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are possible. PHOTO: Todays main threat for severe weather exists over areas already hit this weekend. (ABC News) On Tuesday, Kansas and Oklahoma also face the potential for severe weather risk. The record-breaking heat so far this month is helping bring severe weather to the Heartland, especially storms occurring at night. Kansas City hit a record 91 degrees on Saturday, breaking its daily record of 89 degrees set in 1970 and 2004. The city could break another record as it reaches close to 90 degrees on Sunday. MORE: Up to a foot of snow forecast in parts of Southern California days after record heat wave On Friday, a daily record high temp was recorded in Dallas, Texas, at 96 degrees, breaking the 1984 record. Over the last 30 years, the average first 96-degree day is May 28, so this temperature is arriving three weeks earlier than normal. Story continues These warm temperatures reached the Northeast this weekend, with temperatures in New York City hitting 78 degrees on Sunday and forecast to reach 75 degrees on Monday. ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report. 12 tornadoes hit the Heartland overnight, fueled by record-breaking temperatures originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Dolphin sightings are normally exciting and awe-inspiring, but Massachusetts officials have rescued an increasingly large number of the creatures in the last week. This is causing concern among some experts, while others are simply more focused on the rescue efforts themselves. As ABC News reports, the International Fund for Animal Welfare dispatched their Cape Cod rescue team to the shallows near Wellfleet Harbor, where nine Atlantic, white-sided dolphins were found. One of the marine mammals swam away on its own, but the team carried out rescues for the remaining 8. The talented rescue team was able to herd, rescue, and medically assess all 8 dolphins from the Wellfleet Harbor area. Of the group, 2 animals were adults, while the rest were 'sub-adults.' "One of the dolphins was affixed with a temporary satellite tag. The tag is transmitting a few miles off-shore in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts," ABC explains. All in all--it was a successful rescue mission! However, the IFAW team had more work to do. One of the dolphins returned to shallow waters the very next day and had to be escorted to a deeper area via kayak. But that's not all. Two simultaneous sightings in Wellfleet and Barnstable Harbor, respectively, meant that the team had to split up and herd the dolphins toward one another. Once meeting in the middle, the "dolphins rode together in our custom-built mobile dolphin rescue vehicle to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown." As the rescue explains in their Facebook post, all three dolphins who were individually rescued were fitted for a temporary satellite tracking tag. They all seem to be staying offshore now, but maybe the trackers will help marine biologists find out why they came to shallow waters in the first place. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. READ THE COMMENTS We've all been there. You're about to cut into a loaf of bread, and there it is. A fuzzy blue spot of mold on the surface of that baguette you just bought yesterday. While most of us were taught to simply cut around the mold and eat the rest in order to not waste food, it's time to stop that bad habit. Why You Shouldn't Pick Mold Off Bread And Eat The Rest "We don't recommend cutting mold off of bread, because it's a soft food," Marianne Gravely, a senior technical information specialist for the United States Department of Agriculture, told NPR. "With soft food, it's very easy for the roots [of the mold], or the tentacles, or whatever creepy word you want to use, to penetrate [deeper into the food]." Basically, the mold spore's roots go much farther into bread than our eyes can see. Gross, right? There might be some wiggle room when it comes to sliced bread that comes in a bag, according to Gravely. If you can tell that one end of a long loaf is clean on the inside and exterior, it's safe to keep. But if you're not sure, just toss it out. "I have seen mold spread from one slice to the next," Gravely told NPR. "I'm sure some people would really want to press the situation, but bread is cheap. Go buy some more." What About Other Moldy Foods? Bread isn't the only food that you can't just cut off the moldy bits and eat the rest. Jam, soft fruits, and lunch meat also should be thrown away once mold is spotted on any part of it. There is some good news, though. Harder foods like salami, carrots, and hard cheeses can be salvaged by cutting off the visible mold since its roots can't move as quickly through their tough surfaces. Just to be safe, Gravely recommends cutting off an additional inch of food around the mold. What Should You Do If You Eat Mold By Accident? Youre not going to die from eating mold, said Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, while speaking with Women's Health. It likely won't make you extremely sick, especially if your immune system isn't compromised. Story continues If you do feel sick after eating moldy food, it's probably because the mold has a bad taste, and not because it's highly toxic. However, there is an especially harmful type of mold out there called mycotoxins. Georgia Jones , PhD, a food science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told Women's Health that "minute amounts [of mycotoxins] are unlikely to make someone sick, but these can accumulate in the liver and kidneys and cause health problems in the long term." Basically, the experts say that, in most cases, you'd have to eat large quantities of mold to get very sick. In the unlikely event you do get really sick beyond mild nausea and you experience persistent vomiting, you should see a doctor. You Might Also Like This is like Homers Odyssey, declares Brandon Sklenar about the journey of his character Spencer Dutton on the Paramount + drama 1923. The period western is the latest prequel series to this hit drama Yellowstone, but Spencer exists in a world far removed from his fellow Duttons fighting to protect the ranch in the wilds of Montana. The first season of 1923 sees Spencer travel from the wilds of Africa to the waters off the Italian coastline as battles wild animals and runs from his past. In an exclusive video interview with Gold Derby (watch above), Sklenar discusses the challenges and blessings of filming on location, as well as his view of how the character defies the stereotype of the leading man. More from GoldDerby SEE1923 Emmy win for Best Drama Series would be the first for a western since 1958 Sklenar was initially drawn to Spencers tragic back story as a veteran of the World War I who was in essence hiding from his demons in the plains of Africa. The thing that I sort of related to was the way hes dealt with his trauma, and just trauma in general, he says. Its just a really interesting character study in how someone copes with trauma and the mechanisms they use to deal with it and move through it. His trauma definitely made him stronger in many ways. Yet despite the characters strength, Sklenar also points to Spencer as a character that can be both hyper-masculine while having a vulnerability and sensitivity not often seen in the western genre. He credits series creator and writer Taylor Sheridan with making the character more than simply a one-not macho man. Its almost a reflection of how [Taylor] is as a person, argues Sklenar. Hes a very strong cowboy, but that man has so much sensitivity and so much vulnerability and and understanding of humanity. He really puts that into each of these men. Story continues Like all shows in the Yellowstone universe, filming 1923 on location proved to be both a blessing and curse for Sklenar. The actor describes shooting in a different location every week, often in incredibly inhospitable locations. Taylors pretty notorious for putting his actors through it, and I love that personally, he says. Sklenar describes the difficulty of working in water filming a climactic sequence involving a capsized boat. It was a little brutal, and the water was freezing, he recalls. However, he says that the discomfort helped him find the character more easily. I love that because as an actor you dont have to do much acting. Its very real for you, and theres not much method or technique involved in actually putting yourself through the shit and feeling it all. PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12 Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why? SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A Georgia driver died during a police pursuit on Interstate 77 in Mooresville early Friday after he left his car, hurdled over a highway barrier and was hit by an oncoming driver, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper said. Kameen Odai Thomas, the 22-year-old driver from Conyers, Georgia, died at the scene, Master Trooper Christopher Casey said in a news release Saturday morning. The other driver wasnt hurt, Casey said. Mooresville Police were pursuing Thomas about 2 a.m. on southbound I-77, the trooper said. Officers deployed stop sticks that stopped Thomas car in the southbound toll lane, near I-77 Brawley School Road exit 35 at Lake Norman, Casey said. It wasnt immediately known Saturday why police were pursuing Thomas. Thomas then jumped across the concrete barrier of the toll roads and was hit by a driver in the northbound toll lane, Casey said. A passenger in Thomas car left when Thomas did and hasnt been found, Casey said. Both toll lanes were closed for about three hours as troopers investigated the incident. Saturday afternoon, Mooresville officers responded to another fatality, this one involving a single-car wreck at N.C. 150 and Rolling Hill Road, at I-77 Exit 36. About 4:20 p.m., a driver died after turning onto Rolling Hill Road and performing what police described as a careless and reckless traffic maneuver at a high rate of speed. The driver wasnt wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, according to a Mooresville Police Department news release. The driver, 64-year-old Alan Ray Lorek of Mooresville, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Welcome to The Interchange! If you received this in your inbox, thank you for signing up and your vote of confidence. If youre reading this as a post on our site, sign up here so you can receive it directly in the future. Every week, well take a look at the hottest fintech news of the previous week. This will include everything from funding rounds to trends to an analysis of a particular space to hot takes on a particular company or phenomenon. Theres a lot of fintech news out there and its our job to stay on top of it and make sense of it so you can stay in the know. -- Mary Ann and Christine Busy, busy, busy It was a busy week in startup and venture lands, and the fintech space was no exception. In the venture world, I reported on Peter Ackersons departure from Fin Capital earlier this year and the fact that he has since started a new venture firm called Audere Capital. The circumstances around his departure remain fuzzy, but one source speculated that tension arose between Ackerson and Fin founding partner Logan Allin over some of the goings-on at alternative financing startup Pipe last year. More details here. We also wrote about Tellus, a startup that raised $16 million in an Andreessen Horowitzled seed round of funding last year that is now being scrutinized by the U.S. government. When I interviewed the companys co-founder, Rocky Lee, last year, I admit I was a little bit skeptical of any company that would bet on people agreeing to high-interest mortgage rates to upgrade their homes (think 9%!) and using customer savings deposits to fund such loans. When I asked Lee if this was risky, he admitted it was but insisted that Tellus utilized very strict underwriting criteria and had not yet seen any defaults because the majority of its borrowers go on to soon refinance their loans at more favorable terms. Well, last week U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, wrote a letter to FDIC chairman Martin Gruenberg expressing concerns about Telluss claims. In that letter, Brown pressed the FDIC to review Telluss business practices to ensure that customers are protected from financial fraud and abuse. In a twist, I discovered that Lee was married to a16z general partner Connie Chan (not sure if he still is). Neither he nor the venture firm commented on the senators concerns but Tellus CEO/CTO Jeromee Johnson did provide me with a statement via email. Read more here. Story continues Infrastructure continues to be resilient, even in a downturn. This week alone, I wrote about two payments infrastructure companies making moves, and my colleague Ingrid Lunden wrote about Stripes latest customer win. For starters, I covered Finix officially becoming a payments processor a natural evolution really for a company that has slowly been expanding its offerings. In case you forgot, Finix is a startup that Sequoia backtracked on investing in after Stripe (an existing portfolio company) expressed concerns about being too competitive. (Finix got to keep its $21 million, though!) Now that it directly connects to all major U.S. card networks American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa and no longer relies on a third-party processor, Finix says its able to offer businesses instant onboarding, improved economics and opportunities for lowering interchange fees. I talked with CEO and co-founder Richie Serna all about it, and why he thinks what Finix has built is different from what legacy players and Stripe have on the market. I also wrote about Liquido, a Mountain View, Californiabased startup aiming to be the Stripe of Latin America, and more. Index Ventures Mark Fiorentino led two funding rounds totaling $26 million into the company in 2021. Interestingly, prior to joining Index, Fiorentino helped build and lead business strategy and finance at Stripe from 2015 to 2019. And Ingrid wrote about Stripe landing Uber as a customer, which was a bit unexpected considering that rival Lyft has been a longtime marquee customer of the company. And, last but not least, corporate card and spend management startup Brex announced last week a global expansion of its Empower product into new markets so that companies that are its customers now can spend globally and operate locally in countries such as Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, and the Philippines, as well as in 36 European countries. In an interview with TechCrunch, Brex co-founder and co-CEO Henrique Dubugras said that the company believes the move will really open up TAM for Brex since so many existing and prospective U.S. clients have some sort of global operations. One of the big problems that companies have when they operate globally is that they actually need to open up an account in all these different countries where they might have employees. It becomes really complicated to set up all your financial systems on a country by country basis, he added. Now, if you use Brex, you can actually operate as if you were a local company with a local card. In other words, companies using Brex that have employees who work in other countries are giving those workers the ability to use a corporate card freely in their home countries, while also giving the company the ability to pay the statements in local currency from the local bank. Its something that weve been trying to do for a while, Dubugras added, noting that insurtech Lemonade is a customer. Mary Ann Image Credits: Brex Other weekly news Christine, Mary Ann and Natasha Mascarenhas teamed up to write about the collapse of First Republic Bank, speaking with tech founders and investors who had money in the bank about what happens next. We also spoke with an FRB competitor about what all of these startup bank collapses mean for business. More here. Reports Carly Page: Hackers have published a trove of sensitive data stolen from payment software company AvidXchange after the company fell victim to ransomware for the second time this year. AvidXchange provides cloud-based software that helps organizations automate invoice processing and payment management processes. A ransomware group called RansomHouse claimed responsibility for the recent cyberattack on AvidXchange. More here. Christine wrote about the launch of former Bolt CEO Ryan Breslows new company, Love, which is a wellness marketplace that features an initial 200 curated products, like supplements, health testing kits and essential oils, among such categories as reducing stress and gut health. All of the products on the site pass a set of compliance processes and reviews developed in partnership with clinical trials company Radicle Science, which Breslow said is unique to the company. More here. British neobank Revolut launched in Brazil, its first country in Latin America, offering customers a global bank account and crypto investments, Silicon Republic reported. The company already had a presence in the country after hiring Glauber Mota as the CEO of its Brazil business in March 2022. Alex Wilhelm and Anna Heim reported in April that Revolut saw its valuation decline by some 46% in the eyes of one of its backers. More here. Tage Kene-Okafor reported on Fingo, a YC-backed Kenyan fintech, which launched a neobank the first of its kind in the East African country, according to the company in collaboration with Pan-African financial institution Ecobank Kenya. Its taken a while for Fingo to get here since CEO Kiiru Muhoya and his co-founders James da Costa, Ian Njuguna and Gitari Tirima founded the Kenyan outfit in January 2021 to provide financial services that appeal to a fast-growing African youthful population that happens to be the youngest globally but the most financially marginalized. After a $200,000 pre-seed round, Fingo got into YC S21 and raised $4 million in seed funding toward the end of that year. More here. Manish Singh reported that Paytm, Indias leading mobile payments firm, reported a 13.2% surge in revenue to $285.7 million in the quarter ending March and pared its loss by 57% to $20.5 million in a sharp turnaround for the company that is increasingly trying to become profitable following a tremulous year and a half after its public debut. More here. More headlines Apple and fintechs like Robinhood chase yield-hungry depositors as Fed rate hikes continue. Similarly, Arta Finance, a company providing access to alternative assets, debuted the Harvest Treasuries AI-Managed Portfolio, which offers a 5.16% APY (annual percentage yield), and Wealthfronts cash account now offers 4.55% for all clients and 5.05% APY for clients who refer a friend. Fintech projected to become a $1.5 trillion industry by 2030, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors Opendoor tech earnings beat by $0.77, revenue topped estimates Everee joins Visa's Fintech Fast Track Program with launch of Everee Visa pay card Funding and M&A Seen on TechCrunch African payment service provider Nomba raises $30M, backed by Base10 Partners and Shopify Bend is taking on Brex and Ramp with a green twist and a $2.5M seed round And elsewhere Digital wallet for insurance Marble bags $4.2M. Speaking about the raise to TechCrunch, CEO Stuart Winchester said via email, American households are under a lot of financial strain right now, and insurance expenses are no small part of that. We will continue to put out features that make it easier to not only save money and maximize value, but also to reduce the mental load of managing multiple insurance policies. We expect to see the insurance industry in general adopt more of the consumer friendly features that weve helped pioneer. Insurtech startup Novidea raises $50 million Series C Exclusive: Former Venmo COO raises $20M for Vera Equity Tarabut Gateway raises $32 million to expand Saudi open banking Music financing startup Duetti raises $32 million to buy old songs Billing platform Inbox Health raises $22.5M and more digital health fundings Google's VC firm just led a $12 million Series A investment in Range, a startup that's training AI to give financial advice OpenEnvoy raises $15 million to grow AP automation solution Miami-based startup Kiddie Kredit raises $1.4M with support from Dwyane Wade and Baron Davis Black-owned tech firm Greenwood acquires digital banking rival. TechCrunch covered Greenwoods last raise in March of 2021 here. Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 in San Francisco this September as we explore the impact of fintech on our world today. New this year, we will have a whole day dedicated to all things fintech featuring some of todays leading fintech figures. Save up to $800 when you buy your pass now through May 15, and save 15% on top of that with promo code INTERCHANGE. Learn more. We are done for this week and it's a good thing because we are also TIRED! See you next week same time, same place. Until then, take good care! xoxo, Mary Ann and Christine Image Credits: Bryce Durbin Georgias Marjorie Taylor Greene joined the list of Republicans refusing to point the finger at the staggering number of firearms, including high-powered rifles, existing in American society on Saturday as she cast blame for yet another horrific yet wholly unsurprising massacre that unfolded over the weekend. At least eight people are dead as well as the suspected gunman in Allen, Texas, after a mass shooting broke out at an outlet mall. Witnesses described a scene of sheer carnage and terror on the streets of one of the USs largest states as America reckoned with another all-too-common day of violence and blood. The conspiracy-embracing Republican congresswoman from Georgia commented that evil forces were at work causing the shootings. There was no mention of guns, the issue of safety in Americas most conservative areas (an issue Ms Greene and her fellows enjoy raising about their liberal counterparts), or even any suggestion of a path forward out of the brutal, heartbreaking reality of American life under an epidemic of gun violence. Thank God for the brave officer that courageously ran into the line of fire to save others. We pray for the victims and their families and an end to the mental illness, drugs, and evil forces that cause people to commit such horrors, she wrote, linking to a tweet describing the scene that was so graphic it was removed under Twitters new free speech administration. This is exactly what this monster deserves. Thank God for the brave officer that courageously ran into the line of fire to save others. We pray for the victims and their families and an end to the mental illness, drugs, and evil forces that cause people to commit such horrors. https://t.co/1dcXP1VxlY Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) May 7, 2023 More follows... In the aftermath of Mage's victory in Saturday's Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the focus shifts to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, with the Preakness to be run May 20 at Pimlico in Baltimore. And contenders are already lining up to grab a piece of the national spotlight in the 1 3/16th mile test, a year after Jose Ortiz guided Early Voting to victory over upset Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike. Who will be wearing a blanket of Black-eyed Susans in the winner's circle this year? Here's a look at some of the early contenders for the 2023 Preakness: Mage (8), with Javier Castellano aboard, across the finish line to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. Mage Trainer: Gustavo Delgado; Jockey: Javier Castellano. Rallied from off the pace to pass Two Phil's in the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby at 15-1. The win comes after a second in the Florida Derby. Perform Trainer: Shug McGaughey; Jockey: Feargal Lynch. Impressive winner of the Tesio Stakes, a top Preakness prep, scoring a head victory despite a disastrous trip, including a stumble out of the gate. First Mission Trainer: Brad Cox; Jockey: Luis Saez. Early Voting jockey Jose Ortiz aboard in the winner's circle after the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports Lightly-raced colt by Street Sense, a Kentucky Derby winner who lost to Curlin by a nose in the Preakness, won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 15, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure. National Treasure Trainer: Bob Baffert; Jockey: John Velazquez. Has been just a cut below the top level West Coast 3-year-olds, running a close fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, and placing third, beaten less than a length, in the Sham Stakes, after finishing third in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Blazing Sevens Trainer: Chad Brown; Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Brown pulled Blazing Sevens out of the Derby and will go the route he took a year ago with Preakness winner Early Voting with the colt, placing third behind Tapit Trice and Verifying in the Blue Grass Stakes last time out. Red Route One Trainer: Steve Asmussen; Jockey: Joel Rosario. Top effort of the year was a second in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn behind Confidence Game, and comes off a four-length score in the Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn on April 22. Story continues Il Miracolo Trainer: Antonio Sano; Jockey: Marcos Meneses. Struggled in five Derby preps, placing sixth in the Florida Derby last time out. The son of Gun Runner has been training at Gulfstream. Henry Q Trainer: Todd Fincher; Jockey: Edwin Maldonado. Set the pace in the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby on March 26, before weakening late under pressure from Wild On Ice, eventually finishing third. Chase the Chaos Trainer: Ed Moger Jr.; Jockey: Armando Ayuso Winner of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate back on Feb. 11, but was unable to recover from a bad start in the California Derby last time out, finishing eighth. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Preakness 2023: Early contenders after Mage wins Kentucky Derby London was bustling yesterday thanks to the Coronation of King Charles III. The entire world was watching the United Kingdom as the new sovereign was officially crowned. All manner of dignitaries, celebrities, and royalty were there, including Prince Harry. But the Duke of Sussexs stay in London didnt last long, and he reportedly made a swift getaway just a few hours after his dad was crowned. According to People, Harry traveled to the airport just hours after the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey. But before you start speculating what all the rush was about, theres a very good reason Harry wanted to get back to California so quickly, and it has nothing to do with his tense relationship with his family in the U.K. Saturday, May 6, also marked Prince Archies fourth birthday. As such, it only makes sense that proud papa Harry would want to get home to wife Meghan Markle and their two kiddos, including daughter Princess Lilibet, so soon. More from SheKnows Prince Harry's seating arrangement at the coronation speaks volumes about who his family allies are. https://t.co/VrRry9IhC2 SheKnows (@SheKnows) May 6, 2023 Honestly, we kind of figured Harrys time in London wouldnt be long given that the coronation date coincided with his sons birthday. Back in Montecito, Meghan was preparing a fairly low-key get-together for family and close friends to celebrate little Archies big day. Many parents understand the impulse to be there for those early milestones their children have, and were sure Harry felt it was a top priority to get back home for his son as soon as possible. While in London, though, Harry appeared to be in good spirits at the coronation. He sat with cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice and their respective husbands, and flashed a cheeky smile to members of his family. Even though there was little to no sign of a reconciliation between Harry and his brother, Prince William, were just glad the Duke of Sussex was able to attend the monumental occasion for his father and get home swiftly to his little boy. Story continues Click here to read the full article. Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harrys milestones since leaving the royal family. Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Brittney Shafer knows childbirth can be one of the most rewarding things in life, and potentially the most stressful. As far as her job as a labor/delivery nurse goes, Providing care for your patients in that crucial time has to be most important, Shafer says. Shafer works at Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics in Clarion, and is one of 12 nurses honored during National Nurses Week by the Globe Gazette. Shafer, who attended North Iowa Area Community College, earned her nursing certificate in 2008 and completed an RN to BSN program through Grand Canyon University in November 2020. Shafer has been with Iowa Specialty since 2011. Brittney is always pushing to do what she believes is best for the patient and always listening to what the patient wants. She is never in a bad mood and wears a smile on her face daily. Brittney is the kind of nurse I dream to be one day, wrote Michellynn Reiter, who nominated Shafer for the honor. The people that I work with, mutual respect makes work easy says Shafer. Jennifer Mewes, OB department leader at the hospital, praised Shafer, saying Brittney has been a staple in our OB department for a long time. [Were] glad shes getting the recognition she deserves. Shafer started her nursing career in Charles City, but has spent the last 12 years in Clarion, sharing an acreage outside of Kanawha with her husband, Luke, and three kids. The familys free time is spent at West Hancock sporting events and caring for their two miniature western heritage cows, two Nigerian dwarf goats, chickens, and miniature donkey. Some of the best times are when your coworkers are your patients. We have a young group of nurses, most of them are moms themselves. One would go on maternity leave while the other was coming off. Shafer and the team at Iowa Specialty Hospitals' various locations delivered more than 600 babies last year, and are on track to beat that record this year, compared to what Shafer says was around 100 per year when I first started out. The yearly increase in babies has led to the need for Clarions Maternity Center to grow by an additional three new rooms, with construction underway and scheduled for completion this fall/winter. This will bring the OB department up to a total of eight beds along with new state-of-the art equipment that will improve the quality of care. Its one of the best times of their [patients] lives, but theres a lot of stress, so providing care for the patient in that crucial time has to be most important, says Shafer. Pretty much since she came out of the womb, Princess Charlotte has always been a master of royal etiquette. Of course, we've always admired her impressive wave, and she's even taken to guiding her younger brother on proper waving practices. So, we shouldn't be surprised that the 8-year-old pulled out an equally impressive curtsey during the coronation festivities. While there were plenty of precious moments involving all the young kids at the king's coronation, perhaps the best was when Princess Charlotte pulled off this expert curtsey at the coronation concert, as seen in the video here and in the picture below. Chris Jackson/Getty Images The moment occurred right as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived to the concert. In the clip, the newly-crowned couple are seen walking through the stands, passing a few of their relatives, including the Wales clan. And as they walked past, mom Kate Middleton, 41, respectfully curtseyed to the king, and Princess Charlotte followed suit, totally impressing us in the process. To the right, we can also see that Prince George, 9, gives a small bow to his grandfather. This video brought us memories of another iconic moment involving Princess Charlotte. Back in 2019, the young royal attempted a curtsey to the late Queen Elizabeth while attending the Christmas Day church service. Pool/Samir Hussein/Getty Images Princess Charlotte has been curtseying ever since she was 2 years old, when her family took a tour of Poland and Germany and she gave a little curtsey to the Polish dignitaries. Keep the curtseys coming, Charlotte. For more about the royals, listen to the Royally Obsessed podcast with co-hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito. Subscribe now or follow us on Instagram @royallyobsessedpodcast. 17 Times Princess Charlotte Was a Total Scene Stealer NICK WALL/NETFLIX Its not entirely surprising that Arsema Thomas, who stars as Lady Danbury in the new Netflix series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, studied at Carnegie Mellon University. After all, the Pittsburgh institution is known for turning out stage and screen performers at the highest level. But what might raise an eyebrow is that Thomas didnt study drama while she was a student; instead, she majored in biophysics. It was funny because I would see all of these actors at the drama school, and everyone would always be like, Let's go watch a play, and I'd be there seething with such jealousy, Thomas says with a laugh. I didn't know what it was, but I was just like, I want to be there so bad. And then I never even watched a play there, which is such a shame. But surely things changed when she attended grad school at Yale, home of one of the worlds most respected drama schools? I went to Yale for my masters program, but I didnt have the heart, Thomas, who was born in the U.S. and grew up mostly in Kenya, explains. It was the manifestation of the shame of not having the bravery to go for what I wanted when it was so clear to me. So, I graduated with my master's degree in public health, and then I knocked on the door of the dean of the drama school and I was like, How can I make this what I live for rather than this thing that I am too embarrassed to talk about? Philip Friedman It must have been good advice. Thomas left Connecticut behind, relocating to Paris, then South Africa, and finally London to attend drama school and chase her dream. Now, just a few years later, Thomas is starring in one of the years most anticipated projects, playing the younger version of a character (played on Bridgerton by Adjoa Andoh) whos among the most beloved on the massively popular Shonda Rhimes-produced series. I was at drama school, getting into the peak part of my second year, when this audition made its way into my inbox, Thomas explains. I didn't know what was going to happen. As an actor, there are so many auditions that you get, some for things that you never end up seeing happen. So, this was one of those things that I threw into the ether hoping that maybe I hear something backand then I did. WATCH QUEEN CHARLOTTE: A BRIDGERTON STORY NOW Thomas did another round of tryouts and was tasked with presenting scenes from the first season of Bridgerton. I'd never seen the show, she admits, so I was able to put my own spin on it and hope for the best, that whatever I was serving they would like. It wasnt until the end of 2021 that the scope of what Queen Charlottewhich tells the origin story of some of Bridgertons most compelling characters, and comes complete with its own rocky romances, sharp-elbowed social climbing, and contemporary Easter eggs hidden in a Regency-era worldcame into focus. Philip Friedman I met with the amazing group of producers on the show and the director, Tom Verica, and realized that it was a good meeting, she says. And between that moment and binging the entire first seasonand season two when it came outit all started to become very real. I was aware of how impactful this show was for so many people and how different it was. It meant that there was a lot of responsibility when putting on the shoes of this character. That responsibility came in part because Thomas was such a fan of Andohs portrayal of the same character but was also due to the formative experiences the character has during the first season of Queen Charlotte. There is something different about Lady Danbury, Thomas says. I think she speaks for all of the girls that didn't really fit in anywhere and the women they could become. To be part of the sequence of events that makes this great woman is not only an honor but is also therapeutic in a way because it allows me to have a sense of optimism for myself. Optimism for Thomas doesnt seem to be in short supply. Arsema kills me, because this was one of her first jobs, says Rhimes, who wrote a forthcoming Queen Charlotte novel with Bridgerton author Julia Quinn. When I told [the cast] that they email me at any and ask me any questions, almost nobody took me up on it in a serious waybut Arsema did. She was asking really powerful, specific questions that led to how intellectual she is and how much she processes at a time. She would come back to me with all this historical information that she had read and wanted to discuss it and figure out how it layered into what we were doing. She was amazing. Philip Friedman India Amarteifio, who plays the shows title character, adds, Arsema is very clever and well versed in the world. Shes headstrong and knows exactly what she wants; I don't think she's too dissimilar from Lady Danbury in the sense that she's a woman who knows what she wants and is going to get it. I would not want to see people stand in her way. That certainly doesnt seem like its going to be an issue. For now, Thomas feels confident that Queen Charlotte is going to land with a similarly sensational impact as Bridgerton did; she says, Theres a Swedish word for the moment you realize that everyone has as deep and complex a life as you do, and thats what I hope people take away from Queen Charlotte. The central characters of this story are people who are usually on the fringes of other stories, and at this moment they all come to the forefront with complexity and wit thats never been givenand thats going to create change. And as for whats next, well, that remains to be seen. I would love to do something in the sci-fi and fantasy world, something very much not based in our reality, Thomas says. And I would love to also do something quite serious. It'd be amazing to engage with dramatic and heavy content, and maybe to use that as a comparison to make my own life seem quite light. You Might Also Like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, left; Corey Hawkins Several days ago, nominees for the 2023 Tony Awards were revealed and a plethora of our faves were blessed enough to receive recognition for their works. As you may recall, last fall, we told you about a handful of Black-leading and/or Black-centric plays and musicals headed the to Broadway like Topdog/Underdog, Death of a Salesman, Ohio State Murders, The Piano Lesson and more. Now, after rave reviews and beyond stellar performances, all those shows and others have secured nominations. The winners will be revealed at the The 76th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, airing live from New York Citys Washington Heights on Sunday, June 11, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. Read more And since we like to celebrate all kinds of Blackity black excellence in the arts over on this side of the internet, lets go ahead and get started with... Corey Hawkins Corey Hawkins in Topdog/Underdog. In the Heights star Corey Hawkins received a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Topdog/Underdog. In a statement celebrating the news, Hawkins told Deadline: A huge honor to be nominated again in this category, this year alongside my brother Yahya! I had the privilege of embodying a character in Lincoln that will live with me and with countless others forever. One of the most challenging and rewarding roles Ive ever taken on. Suzan-Lori Parks wrote a masterful symphony, Topdog/Underdog. All we had to do was play the music under the skilled leadership of our conductor, Kenny Leon. It is an homage to black men, to the unseen, to the underdogs. Grateful for the journey and to the audiences we got to share each night with on the boards. Big ups to the Topdog team! he said. Story continues Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Topdog/Underdog. Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also received a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Topdog/Underdog, which means hell be going against his fellow costar. I was introduced to you at 20 years old. You taught me that there was a place in the theater if I were daring enough to take up space. You were confirmation that I belonged. Today, 16 years later, as I wake up to news of a Tony Award Nomination for the role Ive dreamt about for so long, you continue to be the gift that keeps on giving. Im grateful to Suzan-Lori Parks, to my Director Kenny Leon, the entire creative team including our producers, and especially my brother on the boards, Corey Hawkins. Congratulations to my fellow nominees. Its a pleasure to be amongst great company. Suzan-Lori Parks Topdog/Underdog Topdog/Underdog on Broadway | Show Clips The Pulitzer Prize-winning play also received the nomination for Best Revival of a Play, alongside The Piano Lesson, starring Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Danielle Brooks. I am thrilled and deeply honored to have my work embraced and recognized! And Im also so happy for Corey and Yahya! Our Topdog revival was a joyous team effort, with Kenny Leon leading the way! Im doing my happy dance! Samuel L. Jackson Photo: Juliana Cervantes Samuel L. Jackson is up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, for August Wilsons The Piano Lesson, directed by his wife LaTanya Richardson. Its a thrill to be nominated this honor is particularly special having been under the direction of LaTanya and getting to continue August Wilsons legacy on Broadway after first performing The Piano Lesson on stage at the Yale Repertory Theater 35 years ago. Thank you to the members of the American Theater Wing & Broadway League. Congratulations to all of the nominees. August Wilsons The Piano Lesson THE PIANO LESSON is now playing Broadways Barrymore Theatre | First Preview August Wilsons The Piano Lesson also received a nomination for Best Revival of a Play, which means itll go up against Topdog. Celebrating the news, director LaTanya Richardson Jackson said in a statement to Deadline, This glorious recognition of August Wilsons beautiful work, The Piano Lesson, amplifies his legacy and supports it as a living representation of our culture. It honors August and I am overjoyed. Wendell Pierce Photo: Joan Marcus (Getty Images) Though Wendell Pierce already received a Tony for production for the 2012 play Clybourne Park, his acting chops have now earned him a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. In a tweet celebrating the news, Pierce said: After years of creating a body of work in the theater, I received a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Play for DEATH OF A SALESMAN. I am profoundly grateful &moved to tears that my colleagues would bestow on me this honor. I share this with my cast. We create as one. Stephen McKinley Henderson Stephen Henderson arrives at the 76th annual Tony Awards meet the nominees press day in New York City on May 4, 2023. Legendary actor Stephen McKinley Henderson received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his role in Between Riverside and Crazy. I am grateful to be part of a wonderful journey with Stephen Adley Guirgis and Austin Pendelton, Henderson told Deadline. It takes an ensemble for an actor to get a nomination. Ive been surrounded by a family of actors and a village of stage managers and crews. from beginning to end. To be nominated in this exceptional Broadway season is a tremendous joy. With this nomination, it makes the first time four Black actorsHenderson, Pierce, Abdul-Mateen II, and Hawkinshave ever been nominated for Actor in a Leading Role. Audra McDonald Photo: Emilio Madrid For her role in Ohio State Murders, Audra McDonald received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play. I am honored to have been nominated for Ohio State Murders, she told Deadline. Having the opportunity to work with Kenny Leon, and to be a part of Adrienne Kennedys long-overdue Broadway debut of her extraordinary, relevant, and powerful work, was one of the most important artistic experiences of my life. Amber Ruffin Amber Ruffin arrives at the 76th annual Tony Awards meet the nominees press day in New York City on May 4, 2023. For Some Like It Hot, Amber Ruffin and co-writer Matthew Lopez received a nomination for Best Book of a Musical. We are thrilled to be nominated alongside so many from our Some Like It Hot family. Our show has always been to us about the power of the community to uplift individuals, Ruffin told Deadline. That it has been received by audiences and by the Tony nominators with that same spirit makes this all feel full circle. We hope these nominations help bring the show and its message of self-acceptance and self-fulfillment to an even wider audience than before. J. Harrison Ghee J. Harrison Ghee attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. For their role in Some Like It Hot, J. Harrison Ghee received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. Im thrilled! It has been a fantastic journey to portray Jerry/Daphne, and Ive been overwhelmedin a good wayto see how audiences have received these characters, Ghee told Deadline. Im thankful to every member of this production for creating such an affirming space where I get to show the complexity of this human and go on a beautiful ride every time the curtains go up. Im grateful to the committee for recognizing this work. Its a moment I will cherish forever. Nikki Crawford Nikki Crawford arrives at the 76th annual Tony Awards meet the nominees press day in New York City on May 4, 2023. For her role in Fat Ham, Nikki Crawford received a nomination Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Fat Ham Photo: Joan Marcus Fat Ham received several nominations for Best Play, Best Direction of a Play (Saheem Ali), and Best Costume Design of a Play. Jordan E. Cooper Photo: Joan Marcus For his role in Aint No More, creator Jordan E. Cooper received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play. What a morning! I got to watch the nominations in Texas with my parents in the same living room that I used to do plays in as a kid. Aint No Mo may not have had a long life on Broadway but it sure did have an impactful one, Cooper told Deadline. The work matters. Im so incredibly grateful to the American Theater Wing, Lee Daniels, my incredible director, cast and crew along with everyone who championed this bold play all over the country. Crystal Lucas-Perry Crystal Lucas-Perry arrives at the 76th annual Tony Awards meet the nominees press day in New York City on May 4, 2023. For her role in Aint No Mo, Crystal Lucas-Perry received nomination Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Aint No Mo Photo: Joan Morgan Jordan E. Coopers play Aint No More received the nomination for Best Play, Best Direction of a Play (Stevie Walker-Webb), and Best Costume Design of a Play (Emilio Sosa.) Kara Young Kara Young arrives for the 76th Annual Tony Awards meet the nominees press event in New York City on May 4, 2023. For her role in Cost of Living, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Alex Newell Alex Newell arrives at the 76th annual Tony Awards meet the nominees press day in New York City on May 4, 2023. For her role in Shucked, Alex Newell received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Coastal Italian vacation dreams come true in Positano. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure The Amalfi Coast a photogenic 30-mile stretch of vacation paradise on the southern edge of Italys Sorrentine Peninsula calls to mind postcard-ready seaside villages, sun-drenched beaches, and restaurant terraces overlooking the sparkling sea. While there are many standouts in this famous region, few match the charisma and magnetism of Positano. This seaside idyll is well known for its narrow cobbled streets, stylish boutiques, buzzy beach clubs, and cosmopolitan ambiance. Hotels teetering above cliffs provide the perfect refuge for travelers after full days spent sightseeing, shopping, and gorging on fresh seafood. Given its prime location, Positano also makes a wonderful home base for exploring the charming towns of Ravello and Praiano. Not surprisingly, this slice of coastal Italian paradise and well-established tourism darling draws hordes of travelers every summer. Before jetting off to Positano, scroll on for everything you need to know to plan the perfect trip filled with fun in the sun, food, culture, and spellbinding views. Andrea Comi/Getty Images Getting to Positano Most travelers will fly into Rome or Naples and then catch a train, bus, or shuttle or hire a private car and navigate the curve-hugging roads on their own to reach Positano. If you arrive during the day, you could also take a ferry from Naples, Salerno, Sorrento, or Amalfi. Best Times to Visit Positano Summer is peak season in Positano and all along the Amalfi Coast, for that matter with droves of holiday goers packing the town to soak up the sunshine and laze on the beaches. While the crowds typically depart in early September, the weather remains pleasant and most restaurants, shops, and hotels stay open through late October. After that, virtually everything closes for the winter and reopens in April. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Best Things to Do in Positano So much of the charm of Positano is tied to its scenic environs and laid-back yet buzzy energy. Spiaggia Grande combines both. Its the place to rent a sunbed, catch some rays, grab a drink, and snap photos of the colorful town above. Looking for a more low-key alternative to the crowds at the main beach? Consider Fornillo. For cocktails and coastal splendor, many travelers favor Arienzo Beach Club Positano, which is accessible via a short boat ride from the main pier. Story continues Piazza dei Mulini buzzes with excitement and a mix of designer and artisan shops. One of the most unique and iconic things to purchase? Handmade leather sandals. Positano has many cant-miss cultural attractions as well. Captivating Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta is a storied church featuring a restored Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary, beautiful bas-reliefs, and a glimmering dome-shaped roof. MAR - Museo Archeologico Romano gives visitors a close-up look at an ancient Roman villa with crypts and beautifully preserved frescos. The famous Path of the Gods hiking trail runs from Nocelle, a hilltop village just above Positano, to Bomerano. Its a great way to escape the crowds, stretch your legs, and soak in mesmerizing views. Of course, its not just the allure of Positano itself but also its proximity to the many other wonders of the Amalfi Coast and nearby Capri that make it so irresistible. So definitely consider booking a boat excursion or even doing a road trip to see more of this breathtaking region. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Best Positano Restaurants A stalwart establishment that dates back to 1965, Michelin-rated La Taverna del Leone continues to lure diners with its handmade pasta and warm, friendly hospitality. Casa Mele serves artful plates of mouthwatering food and also invites culinary enthusiasts to take cooking classes. Il Tridente sits atop the centrally located Hotel Poseidon. The combination of house-smoked meats and fresh seafood, cocktails, and sweeping panoramas from the rooftop terrace keeps the tables full and patrons coming back for more. Adamo ed Eva at Hotel Eden Roc Positano exudes a romantic atmosphere that makes it ideal for honeymooners and couples celebrating a special occasion (yes, vacation certainly falls into that category). The sea bass, lobster pasta, and lemon risotto all prepared with fresh, local ingredients are some of the menu highlights. Zass at Il San Pietro di Positano earned its Michelin star thanks to delectably creative twists on gastronomic traditions. Stellar service, seaside vistas, and an impressive wine list enhance the appeal. tommasolizzul/Getty Images Best Places to Stay in Positano Travelers wont have any trouble finding a stylish place to stay in Positano actually securing a room during peak summer, however, might be another story. Le Sirenuse is a perennial favorite set inside a striking 18th-century villa thats welcomed A-listers and literary giants during its illustrious history. The splurge-worthy hotel continues to wow travelers with well-appointed guest rooms, impeccable service, and a sense of laid-back luxury that encapsulates the most relaxing parts of an Amalfi Coast holiday. Villa Magia offers both proximity to the center of town and unobstructed azure seascapes that give it a privileged feel. The splendid indoor and outdoor spaces which include 12 rooms, three pools, a spa, a restaurant, and a cocktail bar evoke intimate vacation vibes. With Michelin-rated cuisine to savor, panoramic terraces that invite lingering long after the Aperol spritzes are finished, and rooms accented with character-rich details like custom-upholstered furnishings and hand-painted ceramic tiles, Il San Pietro di Positano, a Relais & Chateaux property, is thoughtfully designed to encourage guests to stop and appreciate each and every moment. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. A migrant child, who works overnight shifts at a manufacturer, looks at his phone while at a small fast-food restaurant in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, April 14, 2023. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times) WASHINGTON Weeks after revelations that migrant children are being regularly exploited for cheap labor in the United States prompted bipartisan outrage and calls to action on Capitol Hill, Congress has moved no closer to addressing the issue, which has become mired in a long-running partisan war over immigration policy. Legislation to crack down on companies use of child labor has gone nowhere and currently has little Republican backing, while Democrats efforts to increase funding for federal agencies to provide more support services to migrant children who cross the border by themselves face long odds in the House, where the GOP has pledged to slash agency budgets. At the time, Republican proposals to institute tougher vetting of adults in households sponsoring migrant children and expedite the removal of unaccompanied minors stand little chance of gaining ground in the Democratic-led Senate. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Instead, as Congress prepares to wade into a bitter debate over immigration policy in the coming days, Republicans and Democrats have retreated to their opposite corners, abandoning whatever initial hope there may have been for tackling the issue of child labor in a bipartisan way. Republicans have pointed to exploitative conditions at companies employing migrant children, documented in an investigation by The New York Times, to justify a hard-line immigration package. The Times reported in February that as the number of children crossing the southern border alone has soared to record levels, many have taken on dangerous jobs that violate long-standing labor laws, including in factories, slaughterhouses and at construction sites. The GOPs legislation, headed for a House vote this week, would restore a series of stringent policies championed under the Trump administration, including measures to hold migrant children in detention centers and expedite their deportation. Democrats, desperate to avoid any appearance of aiding Republicans in their fight against President Joe Bidens immigration policies, have quieted their criticism of the governments handling of the situation, instead directing their anger at the companies that employ migrant children. Story continues The result is that the political space is vanishing for any consensus in Congress on a policy solution to help protect these children from exploitation. I know its complicated, but this really needs to be about protecting kids, and not about the bigger politics of the border, Janet Murguia, president of the Latino civil rights advocacy organization UnidosUS, said in an interview, accusing Republicans of playing politics and Democrats of being skittish in confronting the problem. Its a no-brainer. It should be easy to find bipartisan support on this. The Biden administration has taken steps to change some of its policies and practices since the Times revealed the explosion in child migrant labor. The Health and Human Services Department, which is responsible for placing unaccompanied migrant children in the care of trustworthy adults, has designated a team to support children after they leave government shelters, and is providing more children with case management and legal services. The departments inspector general is also conducting an evaluation of the vetting system used to place migrant children in homes. The Labor Department has begun several initiatives to enhance its enforcement of child labor laws, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last month that his department was adding a new mission to address crimes of exploitation, including a focus on migrant child labor victims. Still, there is little sign of meaningful momentum to enact legislation that could stop the exploitation of child migrants as workers. In the opening throes of lawmakers outrage, Republicans and Democrats alike spoke out angrily about the issue, taking the Biden administration to task. Leading members of both parties sent rounds of letters to Cabinet secretaries demanding to know how unaccompanied minors ended up filling dangerous jobs on grueling factory shifts. Rank-and-file lawmakers drafted bipartisan legislation to raise fines against companies violating child labor laws. But by the time Congress held its first oversight hearings on the issue last month, the subject had been subsumed into a looming fight in the House over a border security bill, and a ramped-up Republican campaign to impeach Mayorkas over the state of the southern border. Even in a series of hearings organized expressly to address the trend of migrant child labor, Republicans have used the topic to condemn the Biden administrations overall immigration policies. This is a crisis made worse by President Bidens open-border agenda, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. and the chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said last month during an oversight hearing with the inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department. At a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., berated Mayorkas on the issue, suggesting it should cost him his job. You have at every stage facilitated this modern-day indentured servitude of children, Hawley yelled. Why should you not be impeached for this? At the same time, Democrats have tempered their criticism of the Biden administration for the crisis, even as some of them have continued to declare the governments handling of the matter unacceptable. They have reserved their toughest words for Republicans, whose proposed policies they argue would worsen a humanitarian crisis. It is hard to take seriously the party that boasts of its concerns for exploited children while simultaneously stripping vital protections from unaccompanied children, Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said during the recent hearing. He defended the administrations handling of the matter, including its vetting of sponsors. Despite the fact that there have been some pretty heartbreaking stories of sponsors being traffickers or using the children to work, its my understanding that this past fiscal year over 85% of sponsors are close family members, Nadler said during a recent Judiciary subcommittee hearing on migrant child labor. These relatives are often uncles or cousins who the arriving children hardly know, and some of them push the minors to work hazardous jobs, the Times found in its reporting. In the Senate, Richard Durbin, D-Ill. and the chair of the Judiciary Committee, said last week that he was working to bring in senior officials to testify about migrant child exploitation. Durbin was one of the first Democrats to send letters to the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, demanding to know what steps were being taken to protect children from the conditions laid out in the Times reporting. But some Democrats say that their party has been too timid in confronting the Biden administration on the crisis. What we see is Republicans not wanting to hold Republican administrations to account, and Democrats not wanting to hold Democratic administrations to account, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said in an interview. Several Democrats have sent letters to the companies named in the Times investigation, asking them what steps they have taken to ensure they do not employ minors going forward. A group of a dozen major institutional investors, including state officials from New York, Connecticut and Maine, sent their own letters, and New Mexicos treasurer placed several of the companies on a list barring future investments. Ford said it would require staffing agencies to provide better age verification, and Ben & Jerrys, which is facing a class-action lawsuit over the presence of young workers in its supply chain, pledged to suspend dairy farms that use child labor. Other Democrats have held their public fire, as the companies pressure lawmakers to give them more time. In March, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus drafted letters to send to the CEOs of companies implicated in the use of child labor, in which they said each corporation must take necessary measures to remove child labor throughout its supply chain and requested briefings, according to a draft shared with the Times. The group informed the White House that the letters were coming. But the effort stalled as companies including PepsiCo and General Motors lobbied members of the caucus to hold off, according to two people familiar with the initiative. The letters were never sent. At the same time, the two parties have pursued divergent legislative paths. In late March, Reps. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., joined forces on a bill to increase civil penalties for individual child labor law infractions almost tenfold from their current caps of about $15,000 per routine violation. It mirrored a measure introduced several weeks earlier by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. But since then, House Democrats have rallied around a more aggressive proposal from Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., that would set the maximum civil payouts even higher, and establish new criminal liabilities for companies that repeatedly flout child labor laws. No House Republicans other than Mace have signed on to the measures. Republicans have only just begun to propose similar legislative changes. On Wednesday, Hawley introduced a measure that would impose fines of up to $100 million against violators of labor laws and $500 million against willful violators, but only for the largest corporations those that do at least $500 million in business annually. Many other Republicans argue that going after companies is simply not a priority. Im fine thinking about that, but at the end of the day, stop the magnet, said Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a chief architect of his partys strict border security bill, arguing that policies allowing migrant children to enter the United States were the main reason children were being put to work. When it comes to companies exploiting children, he added, Im pretty sure thats already against the law. c.2023 The New York Times Company Sourdough painting is causing a stir as social media's newest trending hobby. Allison Loveall Sourdough painting is becoming an increasingly popular trend on social media. The activity involves using food coloring or edible paint to draw designs on unbaked bread loaves. One creator told Insider how she shot to viral fame by taking part in the trend. Throughout the various lockdowns of 2020, baking became one of America's most unexpected hobbies, which saw yeast and flour flying off of supermarket shelves for months on end. Sourdough recipes were among the most popular baking trends on social media at the time, with creators going viral for sharing their tips for producing sourdough starters (the live fermented culture used to make the bread) and baking their loaves to perfection. On TikTok, the hashtag #BreadTok was overflowing with sourdough-making videos, and the tag is still home to a large community of baking enthusiasts today, with over 2.8 billion views on the tag. In recent months, the sourdough trend has leveled up, as some creators have added a new ingredient to the mix: edible paint or food coloring, which they are using to create designs on the sourdough crust. Allison Loveall, a stay-at-home mom and Instagram creator based in Phoenix, Arizona, stumbled upon the concept of sourdough painting in late 2021, when she saw some other creators trying out designs on her Instagram feed, although their posts were not hugely viral at the time. Loveall, 26, decided that it could be entertaining to try sourdough painting and document it on her Instagram page, where she often posted images of her Christian-themed art. "It was a way I could combine my artistic skills with my hobby of baking. So I thought, why not give it a shot?" she said. It didn't take long for Loveall's flower-themed sourdough art to take off on Instagram, where one of her videos has now been viewed more than 20 million times. She told Insider that she's seen the hobby blow up and inspire countless users on the app in the span of just a few months. Story continues Sourdough painting combines two already-viral concepts into a recipe for online fame Sourdough painting is quick, but not easy. After proving her dough in the fridge, Loveall tries to paint her designs, using edible gel paints, within 15 minutes so the loaf stays cold before going in the oven all while trying to capture the perfect angle of the process for her videos on social media. Loveall painting on sourdough bread. Allison Loveall. Loveall told Insider that the appeal of the already-popular sourdough-making genre, combined with the aesthetically-pleasing element of applying paint, has viewers hooked on these videos. Many commenters say that watching Loveall's content makes them feel at peace, and other oddly satisfying artistic genres such as adult coloring or color matching have also grown in popularity in recent years because of their calming impact. The sourdough painting community appears to be growing rapidly, as more people have been trying the method for themselves on TikTok and Instagram over the past few months. Some creators who have been pioneering this trend for a few years, such as food blogger Mia Campbell, whose sourdough painting account @thewellth inspired Loveall's content, have seen an overall rise in views in this time as well. After stumbling across sourdough painting, Loveall made the hobby into her online niche When Loveall first joined the sourdough painting community, she imitated the methods of other creators she admired, using food coloring to draw designs on the loaf before baking it. "It's so therapeutic," she wrote in the caption of her first post, from November 2022, where she drew green flowers on her sourdough. When Loveall's fifth sourdough painting post, posted in February 2023, went mega-viral on Instagram (even drawing the attention of model Gigi Hadid, who liked the video) she concluded that the huge attention she received was largely due to the fact that she adjusted her methodology, using edible gel paints instead of food coloring, which produced more vibrant results after she baked the bread. "Everybody is just amazed by how much it popped and showed up on the bread," she said, describing the visual effect of the paint. Loveall has 141,000 Instagram followers. Allison Loveall. Since then, Loveall's videos have continued to accrue millions of views each, and she has become one of the most celebrated sourdough painting content creators, with 141,000 Instagram followers and 211,000 TikTok followers who continue to watch her baking content, although she used to primarily post faith-inspired art content, such as Bible journaling videos. "I'm very humbled by the power of social media," Loveall told Insider, looking back on how she skyrocketed into virality. "The fact that a video I created in my home can be viewed over 18 million times is quite terrifying, but it's also extremely amazing because it's so cool to know you can create something you love, and if other people love it, then it can go viral and inspire millions," she said. For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here. Read the original article on Insider Thank you, Gov. DeSantis, for taking aim at a real safety issue in Florida. Im talking about the Disney World monorail system, of course. Since 1971, this most heavily used monorail system in the world has delivered about 50 million people a year safely to destinations in the park. So, its way overdue for a screw-up. Which is why we need to applaud DeSantis for having the foresight to step in. Because as we know, there are three serious health and welfare issues that are gripping the state, issues that require quick government action. They are: Getting more untrained Floridians out in public places with loaded guns. Banning abortions to women before they realize they are pregnant. Seizing control of the Walt Disney World monorail. Check. Check. And check. Florida the Utah of the Southeast? That's what Gov. DeSantis says More: Under DeSantis, radical public health doctors find safe haven in Florida Woke or joke? Trying to feel the pain of straight, white men Gov. Ron DeSantis gets state lawmakers to push a bill to get the state of Florida to take over safety inspections for Walt Disney World monorail, which has been operating for 52 years under its own safety inspectors. Vendetta or sound public policy behind monorail move? Some people have erroneously imagined that the state government is taking control of the Disney monorail system due solely to a puerile vendetta one emotionally stunted adult has with the theme park company over a single, unrelated difference of opinion. They somehow imagine that DeSantis, looking for new ways to punish Disney because of its criticism of his signature Dont Say Gay law, is flailing out in clumsy, transparent ways to hurt the company. But for that to be true, DeSantis would have had to achieve the dysfunctional trifecta of being bigoted, childish and foolish at the same time. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis , left, is taking on Walt Disney Co. in a battle over control of the company's land management district. And he would have to be willing to submit the taxpayers of Florida to enormous lawyer bills to defend legally problematic efforts to muzzle free speech in what he likes to call the free state of Florida. Government oversight for unseen problem That would be extraordinary. Especially for a governor. Why would a person with a seat at the adults table act with such a junior-high level of maturity to hurt the states biggest tourism draw? Story continues Cant be. I refuse to believe that 4.6 million Floridians could have voted for such a damaged person last year. There must be an alternative explanation. It must be that the Disney monorail requires some new government oversight because its er, um sneaky dangerous. Yeah, thats the ticket. The monorail is a popular way that guests at Walt Disney World arrive at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and three resort hotels. Its the kind of dangerous that looks absolutely safe to the naked eye but could be as pernicious as those unseen squads of drag queens performing in Floridas public kindergartens. It could be that we should be thanking the heavens that we have a leader that sees both the real problems and the invisible ones. State lawmakers followed DeSantis's orders here by writing a bill that puts the Florida Department of Transportation in charge of Disneys monorail. Prior to this, Disney and other theme parks in the state that have more than a thousand employees and their own full-time inspectors were responsible for doing their own safety inspections. It's the "Don't Say Disney" bill The tentative new legislation gives the state the power to oversee any privately owned fixed-guideway transportation systems operating in this state which are located within an independent special district created by local act which have boundaries within two contiguous counties. Thats a 29-word description for Walt Disney World. (I guess you could say the bill is written in a Dont Say Disney way.) It gives the state of Florida access to the parks primary transportation system, the one that delivers patrons to and from the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and three Walt Disney World resorts. It calls for state inspectors to conduct structural safety inspections on the raised sections of the line. Under the legislation, state inspectors will have the right to shut down the Disney monorail service while conducting safety inspections, to ensure the safety and welfare of inspectors and the traveling public during such inspections. Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino It doesnt spell out how long the transportation service would be disrupted. Or whether this would lead to subsequent drydock hull inspections of the Seven Seas Lagoon ferries, the boats that provide an alternative method of guests entering the Magic Kingdom. But one things for certain: The state of Florida has our safety concerns as a top priority here. Lawmakers may be encouraging more gun homicides and leading more Florida women to back-alley abortions but nobody will ever say Florida is turning its back on the perils of the Disney monorail. Thank you, Gov. DeSantis. Frank Cerabino is a columnist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at fcerabino@gannett.com. Did Frank get your goat? Then read some of his previous columns that we're sure will rile you up even more. Go here. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gov. DeSantis escalates beef with Disney with monorail safety ploy Migrants on the Mexican side watch as other migrants already in the U.S. wait to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on March 29. About 200,000 people try to cross the border from Mexico into the United States each month, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America. Kelly Brown, the health care coordinator at Country Meadow Place, has only been there for a few months, but has already made a big impact. Tyler Hedegard, community relations manager at the Mason City assisted living, memory care and respite care community, called her a resident-first nurse who truly cares about people and handles everything in the most professional way possible. (She) makes sure all staff feel like a team. Brown, an RN, has been a nurse for more than 35 years. She said working with residents who have dementia or Alzheimers is rewarding because she can be there for them and keep them safe and make sure that they get hugs. They love to hug, most of them. She also loves being there for their families. Its so hard for the families when their loved ones are given this diagnosis and they cant take care of them, Brown said. The family members are grateful for the care their loved ones receive, according to Brown. Brown received her CNA and LPN from North Iowa Area Community College and did her clinicals at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. She then moved to Colorado, finished her education there, and remained there as a nurse. She returned to North Iowa 16 years ago. During her career, Brown has worked in cardiovascular care and been an ER nurse. She also spent some time as a hospice nurse, which she loved. Its such a wonderful Medicare benefit for the transition into end of life, she said. I just kind of stayed in the geriatric care for this part of my career. Brown went from a hospice setting to assisted living at a time when it was starting to really catch on as an option for families and their loved ones instead of a nursing home (because) they can have an apartment and stuff like that, she said. Brown said her advice to nurses who are just beginning their careers is to find what you love and specialize in it. Dont stay somewhere just because its a good-paying job. Theres so many different areas of nursing that if you find what you love and what you excel at, its just very satisfying and for your patients, your residents, yourself, your family, just find what you love to do and be the best at it. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Go First, a Wadia Group airline, formerly known as Go Air, is going through some serious turmoil as the budget low cost brand has suspended all its flights till May 12, while stopping the bookings further in the month. The issue erupted when Go First announced to file an application of voluntary insolvency proceedings with NCLT. The airline blamed engine maker from the US Pratt & Whitney (P&W) for not supplying required engines for its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. This resulted in grounding of half of the airline's fleet, impacting the cash flow. Recently, sources working closely with Pratt & Whitney, in an interview with PTI, blamed Go First for financial irregularities and said the airline has a "lengthy history of missing its financial obligations." Go First, now, in a detailed press release, explained how the crisis unfolded, blaming the engine maker for the troubles for the airline? Here's a deeper understanding of the issue that led to the Go First bankruptcy. Why Go First Selected Pratt & Whitney? Airbus, the plane maker in fleet with Go First, certified two engines to power the new A320neo: Pratts PurePower PW1127G-JM engine, and a CFM engine. Pratt & Whitney touted itself as the next generation engine, with the expectation that each Engine would have a lifespan of approximately 15,300 hours on wing before its first full interval shop visit. The expected lifespan of the Engines was an important consideration for Go First to go ahead with Pratt & Whitney engines. Moreover, Pratt offered better commercial terms compared to its competitor which included financing via their affiliate (UTF) for the Pre Delivery Payments. Pratt promised through a signed Side letter in 2012 that if an Engine failed within its initial 6,000 hours (or 4,200 take-off and landing cycles) of normal operation, Pratt would repair and recondition that Engine at no charge to Go First. Understanding Problem With P&W's GTF Engines Pratt & Whitney's GTF Engines have suffered from a multitude of defects and a high rate of failure effectively from day one. There were software and combustor problems and as early as September 2016, less than four months from entry into service of the first GTF Engine installed on a First Batch Aircraft, Go First had to remove a GTF Engine due to Combustor Chamber distress. Pratt & Whitney engine problems has been an industry wide issue and multiple airlines are suffering from it. As per Go First, these GTF engine were developed on an unproven, new technology platform prematurely tested and forced into the market to capture airline attention with performance stats that were never achieved. The engine problems included issues with the Engines software, start-up times, starter, main gear box, and fan blades, but the key issues were with the combustor (i.e., there was erosion in the combustion chambers, known as combustor distress). While initially Aircrafts on Ground were sporadic, Aircraft on Ground (AOGs) began spiking as a result of a fault with the Low Pressure Turbine (LPT) blades. In Nov2019 Go First had an AOG rate of approximately 3.8% for its existing fleet of First Batch Aircraft. But that AOG rate then increased sharply, reaching 23% in January 2020 and remaining at elevated levels through March 2020. Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) investigated these technical issues, to review the premature engine removals of PW1100G-JM engines installed on Airbus A320 Neo Aircraft. The DGCA, in statement, said, "Post induction of A320 Neo aircraft fitted with PW1100G engines into service, following significant technical issues have been experienced on these engines worldwide: a) Combustion Chamber distress-Block B & Block C b) Bearing Pre Mod & Post Mod failures c) N2 transient vibration d) Low Pressure Turbine (LPT) failure e) HPC (High Pressure Compressor) rear knife edge seal failures f) Gear Box failures The combustor (which is in the hot section (i.e., at the front) of an aircraft engine) degraded much faster than it should have, causing premature failures and engine shutdowns, said Go First. Despite multiple modificatrions, the issues still persist with its combustor and as on December 2022, 24 GTF Engines with Block D modification had been removed in India alone due to HPT stage 1 erosion. Between 2016 and February 2023 Go First carried out 510 GTF Engine removals: 289 Engine Changes as a result of at least 28 different defects, and 221 Engine Swaps. 15% of total Pratt & Whitney GTF powered aircrafts are grounded because of faulty engines globally (178 aircrafts are grounded out of 1,219 aircrafts as of March 2023). The most affected region is India with 65 grounded aircrafts out of 178 aircrafts. Out of total 60 global customers, only 4 customers have grounded aircrafts in excess of 25% and 2 of them are Indian customers. Grouding Of Go First Aircrafts As per Go First, they made significant efforts over the years to cooperate with Pratt in an attempt to reach a solution to the serious, chronic issues. The grounding of close to 50% of its fleet due to the serial failure of Pratt & Whitneys engines, while it continued to incur 100% of its operational costs, has set Go First back by Rs 10,800 crores in lost revenues and additional expenses. Go First has paid Rs 5,657 crores to lessors in the last two years of which approximately Rs 1600 crores was paid towards lease rent for non-operational grounded aircraft. Go First commenced an arbitration against Pratt & Whitney under the 2016 Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) seeking compensation in excess of Rs 8000 crores and other final relief as well as to seek interim, emergency relief. As per the airline, in an award dated 30 March 2023, the Emergency Arbitrator found that Go Firsts current financial position was due in large part, if not wholly, to the number of grounded aircraft caused by the unavailability of Pratt & Whitneys engines. The airline further says that had Pratt & Whitney complied with the emergency arbitrators award, all of Go Firsts aircraft would have been operational by September 2023. The Indian aviation industry is going through a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, the monthly air passenger traffic surpassed pre Covid-19 levels and airlines like Akasa successfully started its operations, Go First and Jet Airways have put a black mark on the success story of the aviation sector. While Jet Airways failed to take a flight under the new ownership of Jalan-Kalrock, Go First has now filed an application for voluntary insolvency proceedings with NCLT. This has led to troubles not only for the passengers, but for the aviation industry in general. However, there's one such unsuspected aviation player in India, that has suffered from the possible exit of the Go First as well. If the low cost carrier goes bankrupt, putting a full stop to its operations in India, Mumbai, once known as the aviation hub of India, will remain home to only one airline. The Mumbai Airport is the base city for Akasa Air as well as Go First airline. However, with the possible demise of Go First (formerly Go Air Airline), Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, as well as the Financial Capital of India, is no longer considered a big aviation city in the country. The maximum city will be a headquarters to only one airline - Akasa Air - in the city. Mumbai's Aviation Might As per a report on Times Of India, around 30 years ago, Mumbai was a hub of air carriers, and a default choice for many aviation startups as a base city. Mumbai is also considered the birthplace of civil aviation in India, with India's first flight in the 1930s taking off from the city's airport. In 1932, JRD Tata flew the inaugural flight on Tata Air Services from Karachi to Bombay. Also, Mumbai was a hub for international flights, before Delhi International Airport became the biggest international airport in the country. Airlines like Jet Airways, Air India, EastWest, Damania Airways, all had their corporate offices and operational bases in Mumbai. However, in 1990s and 2000s, many airlines shifted their base to Delhi-NCR, having headquarters either in Delhi or Gurgaon. In fact, Jet Airways was supposed to shift its location from Mumbai to Delhi under Jet 2.0 resurrection program. Rise of Delhi-NCR Most airlines that are operating in India have moved their headquarters to other cities, mostly to Delhi-NCR. As per TOI, back in the 1990s, only ModiLuft and Air Sahara were based out of Delhi. Now, Delhi and Gurugram, houses most of the Indian airlines, with a couple of them based out of Bengaluru as well. Three of the major air carriers in India, IndiGo, Vistara and SpiceJet, are based out of Gurugram, while Delhi is the home to the headquarters of Air India, and Alliance Air. AirAsia India and Star Air operate bases out of Bengaluru. The newly announced regional airline Fly91 will have Goa as its base city. Mumbai's Aviation Future With most of the airline's moving out of the city, finding their home in Delhi-NCR, hopes are on Go First, to sort out the issue with Pratt & Whitney and restart its operations soon. If it happens, Mumbai will be home two major airlines, Akasa Air and Go First, which was anyways the case before May 2, 2023. Also, Mumbai's upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport is expected to give a push to the aviation industry in Maharashtra. The application of insolvency proceedings by Go First to NCLT has caused a domino effect in the India's airline industry. Not only is the Go First's flight cancellation has caused problems to the travellers who have booked tickets with the airline, it has also caused trouble for the airline's staff who are now looking for jobs and applying with other airlines. On the top of all this, the airfares are soaring on the routes, where Go First operated its flights. A quick search on third party travel websites reveals that the flight ticket prices have increased by up to 50 percent on certain routes. Go First was operating 200 flights a day, on some of the busiest routes, and was among the top 5 airline's in India, just behind IndiGo and Tata group-backed airlines Air India, and Vistara. With the airline cancelling all its flights till May 12, and stopping bookings altogether till the month's end, the airfare on such routes has risen exponentially. There's no update from the DGCA to put a cap on the rising ticket prices. The Delhi-Leh airfare, as seen on travel website MakeMyTrip is going upto Rs 38000 for a round trip journey, if you are planning to travel later this month. The route was served by Go First, which was among a handful of airlines to operate a flight on this sector. Historically, the sector has an airfare of Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 if booked at least 7 days in advance. As per the DGCA's data, the airline was operating at 90 percent occupancy till it cancelled all the flights, serving more than 35 destinations via a fleet of 25 aircrafts, as the rest of its planes was grounded due to supply issue from P&W. These passengers are now looking at alternative options, however, almost all airlines are operating with a 90 percent load factor. This means airlines have limited or no seats to offer to this additional load of Go First customers. More than that, the Indian airline industry has already breached its peak domestic passenger post Covid-19. With such high demand and limited seats, the airlines are charging higher than usual on certain sectors, more prominently those, where Go First served extensively. As per the industry experts, with lessors asking their planes back and P&W not supplying engines anytime soon, the Go First crisis is here to stay for a long time. Some even believe that this is the demise of the brand, as we know it, with Go First becoming one of the major airlines after Jet Airways to take a fall in the last couple of years. India has seen women power dominate almost every walk of life, and politics is no different. Despite India being a patriarchal society, and leadership positions being dominated by males across the nation, women have often led by example - dominating what is known to be a 'men's game'. Right from Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to present day President Droupadi Murmu - the nation has seen many women leaders leaving men far behind in the race to govern and administrate the top government positions. Even in today's India, many political parties, state governments, and ministries are being run by female politicians - with much efficiency. While one may argue that the society and politics are still dominated by males, there are many examples present that continue to break the myth of politics 'being a men's arena'. 1. Sonia Gandhi Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi still holds the stature of being the tallest leader of India's grand old party. Mrs Gandhi is credited for reviving the party after its decimation in late 90s. She took her party to a surprise victory in 2004 Lok Sabha elections, and continued to control the ruling United Progressive Alliance till the year 2014. 2. Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is undoubtedly one of the strongest female politicians India has ever seen. Mamata Banerjee remains a top Opposition politician and force to reckon with Narendra Modi's BJP at centre. She is credited for ending a 34-year Left government rule in the state of West Bengal in the year 2011. The Chief Of All India Trinamool Congress, she has been elected thrice for the office of Chief Minister of West Bengal. 3. Mayawati Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, who has seen a fall of her party's cadre and vote bank in recent years, still remains one of the top female figures in Indian politics. She is the President of Bahujan Samaj Party - a party that still enjoys popularity among the Dalit sections of the society. 4. Priyanka Gandhi Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi comes as the de facto number 3 in the grand old party after her mother Sonia Gandhi and brother Rahul Gandhi. Currently holding a position of party's General Secretary, Priyanka Gandhi has never fought a election directly, however, she still remains one of the most talked figures of the Indian politics. 5. Smriti Irani Firebrand BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from his bastion Amethi, remains one of the top female politicians of India. Irani is an actress-turned-politician who shot to fame from a TV Serial known as 'Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. She joined the BJP in 2002, since then, the has been no looking back for her. 6. Nirmala Sitharam Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as Indias Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs in 2019. She has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party since 2006 and served the party in many important roles. Sitharaman has earlier served as the Defence Minister of India, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs (Ministry of Finance), and Minister for Commerce and Industry. 7. Aatishi Singh Delhi Education Minister Aatishi Singh is now known as one of the top leaders of her party and most trusted aides of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Aatishi Singh's entry into politics was through the India Against Corruption movement - which culminated in the birth of the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012. She earlier served as the Education Advisor to Government of Delhi, and later took a formal entry into politics. 8. Supriya Sule NCP leader Supriya Sule has recently emerged as the best parliamentarian. Sule is a member of Parliament from Baramati. She is the daughter of veteran politician and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. While Sule is considered as number 3 in her party - after his father Sharad Pawar and cousin Ajit Pawar - she enjoys considerable popularity among the party cadre. 9. Mehbooba Mufti Mehbooba Mufti is former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and the first woman to hold the role in her state. She is the president of Jammu and Kashmir's Peoples Democratic Party. Mehbooba Mufti was chosen as heir by her father Mufti Mohammad Sayed over her brother Mufti Tasaduq Sayeed to lead the party. 10. Agatha Sangma Agatha Sangma is a Member of Parliament and belongs to the National People's Party. In the year 2019, she was elected as Member of Parliament in 17th Lok Sabha representing Tura, Meghalaya. A former union minister, she is the sister of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangama and daughter of former Lok Sabha PA Sangama. 11. Vasundhara Raje Vasundhara Raje Scindia is former Chief Minister of Rajasthan. A member Scindia dynasty, Vasundhara entered politics in 1984. In 2003, BJP named her the Chief Minister of Rajasthan and she served till 2008. Vasundhara Raje again led BJP to victory in the 2013 Assembly Elections in the state and as Chief Minister for a second term till 2018. 12. Swati Maliwal Swati Maliwal is an Indian social activist and a politician. She is well-known for taking up issues pertaining to womens empowerment. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). 13. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Harsimrat Kaur Badal is a Shiromani Akali Dal member and a former union minister. She is a prominent member of Punjab politically powerful Badal family. Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief and former Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that scrapping of Article 370 stopped stone pelting and terror attacks. However, Azad added that the recent terror attacks are a cause for concern. Azad said that the Central government has succeeded in controlling terrorism and stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Center also did some things which were not in the interest of the people of the state, such as Article 370. Azad said that while removing of Article 370 was not in the favour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, it has certainly ended stone pelting in the state. He further said that the incidents that happened in Poonch and Rajouri are a matter of concern. The former Chief Minister of the state said that terrorism is not in anyone's interest and only the common people have to bear the losses. Earlier on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party working president P K Ganju joined the Democratic Progressive Azad Party along with his supporters. They were welcomed into the party fold by Ghulam Nabi Azad. Ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, this is being seen as a big boost for Azad's party. Earlier on April 19, JKNPP general secretary Anita Thakur had joined the DPAP along with her supporters. DPAP Jammu president Jugal Kishore Sharma said prominent political activists joining the Azad-led party indicates that it is growing fast in Jammu and Kashmir. While Kashmir is all set to host the G20 summit meeting, the Union Territory has witnessed an increase in terror incidents. On April 20, terrorists targeted an Army truck in Pooch which was carrying Iftar food. At least five soldiers were killed and one was injured in the attack. On May 5, terrorists triggered an IED blast during an encounter in which five army personnel were killed in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. An officer was also injured in the blast. Following the encounter, the security forces have killed at least two terrorists while one terrorist was injured. The security forces are still combing the forest and suspected areas trying to establish a contact with holed-up terrorists in the Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir. Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, a day before the final day of campaigning for May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, held a massive roadshow in the city, waving at a large number of enthusiastic crowd lined up on both sides of the route, despite overcast sky. The 8-km roadshow from Kempegowda statue at New Thippasandra Road to Trinity Circle was covered in about one-and-half hours. The roadshow that began with Modi paying floral tributes to the statue of Kempegowda (founder of Bengaluru) passed through parts of east and central Bengaluru, touching about half a dozen Assembly segments, they said. The PM was accompanied in the specially-designed vehicle by Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, and Bengaluru Central MP, P C Mohan. Standing on a specially designed vehicle, Modi greeted by waving at the crowd gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings, many of whom were seen chanting 'Modi, Modi', and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogans and shouting loud cheers, amid sounds of drum beat, in what appeared to be a "festive atmosphere" in several places.. People showered flower petals, as his cavalcade traversed through the stretch slowly. The Prime Minister too responded by hurling back at the crowd, flower petals accumulated on the bonnet of the vehicle. At the Trinity Circle, where the roadshow culminated, Modi repeatedly bowed with folded hands, to the large crowd gathered there, amid loud cheers. Massive arrangements had been made along the stretch, including erecting barricades, to ensure that the roadshow went on smoothly. Tight security was put in place. According to state BJP sources, tens of thousands of people had gathered along the roadside. The entire distance was decked up with saffron hues as BJP flags were seen on either side of the road, and thousands of party workers and supporters too were wearing saffron shawls and caps. Cultural teams were also stationed at different places along the stretch to welcome Modi. A group of ex-servicemen were seen gathered at a spot to greet Modi. Keeping in view the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), being held this afternoon, the BJP on Friday modified Modi's two-day roadshow in Bengaluru, by scheduling a shorter one for today and the extensive event on Saturday. On Saturday, Modi held a 26 km roadshow in the state capital, passing through parts of south and central Bengaluru, touching about a dozen Assembly segments. The roadshow, earlier scheduled to be held for eight hours on Saturday alone, was split into two parts to avoid inconvenience to the public. BELAGAVI: Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peeth seer Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami asserted that he will push for a hike in reservation for the Lingayat community, irrespective of the political party that comes to power after the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections. He said the then Siddaramaiah led government (2013 to 2018) had recommended to the Centre to accord minority status to Lingayat community like it was done for Jainism and Buddhism. However, the central government had neither accepted nor rejected the proposal. "In the coming days, I expect Lingayats to be given a separate minority status." Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami had led the 32-month protest seeking the classification of the Panchamashalis, the largest sub-sect of the powerful Lingayat community, from 3B to 2A in the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Since it was not possible to provide under 2A, the Bommai government created a new '2D' category and provided 2 per cent more reservation, increasing the total reservation for Lingayats to 7 per cent. The state has four categories of OBC: 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B based on the economic, social and educational status. These communities get preferential reservations in jobs and educational institutions based on the categories. While 2A are the most backward, 2B are moderate, and a little above them is 3A and 3B. The Lingayats make up nearly 17 per cent of the population in Karnataka. In an interview to PTI, Mruthyunjaya Swami said, "In the present situation, we have got some justice. We are satisfied with the government's decision. This is the first victory of our protest." There was a stay from the High Court on 2A. The stay was vacated on a condition that no more communities will be included in it. Therefore, the government had to create a new category '2D' to provide for two per cent extra reservation for Lingayats, he explained. This was done following Prime Minister Narendar Modi's intervention as the BJP realised that if the demand was not met then the party would suffer a huge setback in the assembly election, he claimed. Asked if he would demand an increase in reservation for Lingayats if the new government comes to power, Swami replied, "Definitely." "We have got seven per cent reservation under 2D. Whichever political party comes to power, I will put pressure to increase the seven per cent quota within the ambit of 50 per cent," he added. Noting that former CM Siddaramiah's "corrupt Lingayat chief minister" remark has hurt the community badly, Mruthyunjaya Swami said though the Congress leader has issued a clarification he did not insult Lingayats but still his statement has left many in the community scarred. Siddaramaiah had said he was only referring to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is a Lingayat. The swami further said many Lingayat leaders like Nijalingappa and Veerendra Patil have worked honestly in the past. Many in the community felt Siddaramaiah's statement "wiped out" the good work of these tall leaders. In Karnataka, those belonging to Lingayats, backward and Vokkaliga communities have become chief ministers. "If anyone criticises a community, people of that community get hurt. So, Lingayats are hurt. In our democracy, you have freedom to criticise anyone personally. It is not good to target a community," he added. To a query if the Lingayat reservation issue has been used for a political purpose, Mruthyunjaya Swami, said, "It is unfortunate." Elections should be fought on a development agenda. In the last 70 years, most of the elections have been fought on the basis of religion and caste across the country, he recalled. He also suggested to all political parties that more than courtesy and compassion, they should ensure the security of the Lingayat community. "Let them give a guarantee that a person from this community will be made CM, on coming to power, financial support to poor Lingayat students among others. They should make such a promise," he said and advised all political parties in the state not to make comments that hurt any community. Asked if he plans to direct the Lingayat community to vote for BJP, Mruthyunjaya Swami said he doesn't want to give any statement in favour of any political party. "All political parties extended support to our protest. Be it any caste or political party, I only wish good for them. I don't want to openly support or criticise any particular political party," he added. The voting to elect MLAs to the Karnataka assembly will take place on May 10 and the counting will be on May 13. Jammu Kashmir Police on Sunday said that it arrested a terrorist associate and recovered IED weighing 5 kg on his disclosure from Pulwama district. In a tweet, The Kashmir Police Zone informed, "Pulwama Police averted a major tragedy by apprehending a militant associate Ishfaq Ahmed Wani R/O Arigam Pulwama and recovering an IED (approx. 5-6Kgs) on his disclosure. Case registered and investigation started". Meanwhile, Kupwara Police said that it has arrested an ex-militant turned terrorist associate along with a grenade in North Kashmir's Kupwara district. In a handout, SSP Kupwara said, In a joint action, Kupwara Police along with Army has arrested an ex-militant turned OGW from KralPora area of the district along with a grenade." He further stated that acting on specific intelligence generated by Kupwara police, a joint Naka was established at Main Market Karlpora by Kupwara Police and Army Camp Panzgam. During the Naka checking, the Over Ground Worker moving in suspicious circumstances trying to evade the presence of naka personnel was apprehended, from whose possession one grenade was recovered. The OGW was later identified as Rafiq Ahmad Khan son of Habib Ullah Khan, a resident of Waterkhani Drugmulla Kupwara. Rafiq is a surrendered Pakistan-trained terrorist who is now working as an OGW for the outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. During preliminary investigations, he revealed that the grenade was received by him from the Chogul area of Handwara and was to be delivered to someone in the Kralpora area on the instructions of his Pakistan-based HM handler and was to be thrown at security forces. A case under relevant provisions of the UA(P) Act has been registered in Police Station Kralpora and investigations taken up, reads the statement. Security has been beefed up in the north Kashmir area following three back-to-back encounters in which five terrorists were killed by the security forces. While additional security personnel have been deployed on the ground, drones are being used for aerial surveillance, Police said. Sniffer dogs are assisting security personnel in checking the vehicles at various checkpoints established to prevent the movement of terrorists or explosives from one place to another. New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday called for 'President's Rule' in Manipur as violence 'persisted' in the northeastern state. Taking to his official Twitter account, Tharoor said that the state government is just 'not up to' the job they were elected to do. "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised. The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. Its time for Presidents Rule; the state Govt is just not up to the job they were elected to do," Shashi Tharoor tweeted. As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised. The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. Its time for Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 7, 2023 Violent clashes broke out between tribals and people belonging to the majority Meitei community in Manipur on Wednesday, displacing thousands of people and killing at least 54. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. It is notable that the Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of the population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, who include Nagas and Kukis, account for another 40 per cent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts which surround the Valley. Earlier on Saturday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said peace committees will be formed in every assembly constituency to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level. Singh made the announcement after chairing an all-party meeting over the prevailing situation in the violence-hit state. "Held an all-political party meeting to discuss the current situation in Manipur and to collectively work towards bringing peace and stability in the state," he said. During the meeting, it was resolved to appeal for peace in the state, and encourage all citizens to avoid any actions that could lead to further violence or instability, Singh said. The meeting was attended by representatives of various political parties, including the Congress, CPI, JD(U), NPF, Shiv Sena, TMC, BSP, AAP, MPP, AIFB, MNDF, ABHKP, and former CM O Ibobi Singh. "It was further resolved to form a peace committee in every assembly constituency to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level," he tweeted. The meeting was attended by representatives from various political parties including Indian National Congress, CPI, JD(U), NPF, Shiv Sena, AITC, BSP, AAP, MPP, AIFB, MNDF, ABHKP and key stakeholders including former CM Shri O Ibobi Singh. It was further resolved to form a peace N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) May 6, 2023 Singh also held a video conference with the senior officials of the state government, police, and para-military forces to review the on-ground operations. "The entire team is working round the clock to ensure that peace prevails in the state," he said. Held a video conference with the senior officials of the state govt, police and para military forces to review the on ground operations to restore peace and stability in Manipur. The entire team is working round the clock to ensure that peace prevail in the state. pic.twitter.com/670O189BiJ N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) May 6, 2023 Earlier, he also met representatives of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a civil society organisation, and the All Manipur Christian Organization (AMCO). Lisa Welper, who has been a nurse at the Mason City Clinic for 25 years, loves working with surgery patients. The majority of the time you are able to help them and they feel better, she said. Thats why Welper became a nurse in the first place. I just like helping people, she said. Welper, who grew up on a farm near Austin, Minnesota, began working as a nurses aid at a care center when she was in high school. She received her RN and her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Winona State University. She worked at a hospital in Des Moines for three years before moving to North Iowa and becoming a nurse at what is now MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center for a couple of years. Then she moved to Waterloo and worked as a surgical nurse at Covenant Medical Center for two years before returning to MercyOne North Iowa, where she worked in open-heart surgery and the ICU for five years. Welper spent her first 21 years at the Mason City Clinic working with open-heart surgery patients. She now works in general surgery there. Regardless of the situation, Lisa's commitment has always been to the patient -- that they would be cared for, protected, and given the highest priority possible, despite what was sometimes an overwhelming workload, said Savanah McClemons, who works in Human Resources and Recruitment at the Mason City Clinic. Welper also communicates superbly with physicians, other health care professionals, and ancillary members of the care teams, McClemons said. Her attention to detail and its impact on the quality of care provided is on a level by itself, as is her work ethic. Welper said shes seen a lot of changes during her 37-year career. Patients are often sent home right after surgery rather than spending a few days in the hospital. This means she spends a lot of time teaching patients what to expect and to make sure they have the resources to call if they have concerns. Her advice to rookie nurses is, Try not to specialize at first. Go to an area where you can have good experience and then you can decide what area fits you. I think starting out on a general medical floor is good experience because it helps you down the line when you specialize in an area. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that Sonia Gandhi has been trying to establish her son, Rahul Gandhi for the last two decades, but her efforts are yet to yield any results. Himanta said this during a press conference in Bengaluru, where he is campaigning for the BJP. He said, "Even his mother is concerned about Rahul Gandhi how to establish him. Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been fighting a lone battle for the last 20 years to establish her son so that he can earn a decent livelihood." Rahul Gandhi has been campaigning in Karnataka and promised to provide 10 lakh jobs to the unemployed youths in the state if Congress comes to power. He has also promised that the upcoming Congress government will spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the welfare of farmers. Attacking the Congress top leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Today Rahul Gandhi is giving guarantee to the people of Karnataka. But, who will take his guarantee? One day he appears with a long beard, the next he is clean shaved. Sometimes he talks about potato making machines and the other day he mentions other things." Sarma also criticised Rahul Gandhi for fighting the last Lok Sabha election from Kerala`s Wayanad seat. "After just one defeat, Rahul Gandhi left Amethi and Uttar Pradesh and migrated to Kerala. In the last five years, he never visited Amethi. People there are still confused why they had voted for the Gandhi family for such a long time," Sarma said. The Assam Chief Minister also took a swipe at Congress party for their poll promise to ban the right wing outfit Bajrang Dal. He said, "Hindus are never terrorists. The reason they (Congress) wanted to equate Popular Front of India (PFI) and Bajrang Dal was to tell western media that Hindus are also terrorists." Lucknow: With Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promising a crackdown against the mafia, the Uttar Pradesh Police last month released a list containing the names of heads of 66 criminal gangs, and top officials say multiple teams are on the ground looking for the absconding accused and also keeping an eye on those on bail. Three of the listed mafia are now dead -- Anil Dujana and Aditya Rana alias Ravi killed in police encounters, and Atiq Ahmed killed in Prayagraj by assailants posing as journalists. Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf, whose name did not figure in the list, was also gunned down with him. Among the rest 63 named in the list, five are absconding, 20 are out on bail, and 38 are lodged in different jails. Senior police officials said the government is monitoring them. "Our teams are on the lookout for the criminals and if they fire at the police instead of surrendering, they will definitely face retaliation," a police officer said. Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told PTI, "The police are keeping an eye on everyone. Nobody will be allowed to play with law and order in the state." He said multiple teams have been formed to arrest the mafia who are absconding. "The police are keeping a close watch on the activities of the mafia, who are on bail. The police carry out their verification from time to time." The mafia list was released weeks after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vowed decisive action against such elements in the state. "Mafiaaon ko mitti me mila denge (will reduce the mafia to dust," he had thundered in the state assembly during a heated debate with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over the issue of Atiq Ahmed, who was then lodged in a jail in Gujarat. On May 4, gangster Anil Dujana, whose name generated fear in the districts of the National Capital Region for two decades, was killed in Merrut in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. "Anil Dujana, a wanted criminal, was surrounded by our team in a village in Meerut on Thursday afternoon. Dujana fired at our team to escape and was killed in retaliatory firing," Additional Director General of UP STF Amitabh Yash had said. Anil, who carried his village name as his last name, had over 60 cases lodged against him, including of murder and extortion. He was killed just two weeks after mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead from point-blank range by threes people as the two brothers alighted a police van and walked towards a hospital, handcuffed and being escorted by policemen, in Prayagraj around 10 pm. On April 12, the Special Task Force gunned down Aditya Rana alias Ravi, who had fled from police custody. Under Additional Director General of Police (ADG) STF Amitabh Yash said police, as part of a special campaign, are looking for criminals declared absconding. During their campaign for the urban local body polls, Chief Minister Adityanath and state ministers are attacking Opposition parties alleging they sheltered such criminals. "BJP ki ek hi yukti, pradesh ko dilai mafia se mukti (The BJP has only one solution which: rid the sate of mafia). The mafia are begging for mercy to lead regular lives and earn livelihoods by honest means due to the government' zero tolerance against crime," Adityanath had told a poll rally in in Rae Bareli. Earlier criminals in Uttar Pradesh would walk around their heads held high, but now they carry placards around their necks begging for their lives, he said. He also took a dig at the previous regimes, saying people associated with a particular party would brandish country-made pistols, but they are not seen these days, and youths now are working on smartphones and tablets. One of the listed mafias is Baddan Singh Baddo, who has been absconding for the past four years. He had managed to flee when the police party escorting him back to Farrukhabad jail after a court appearance in Ghaziabad halted at an eatery in Meerut. All the police personnel allegedly got drunk and he took advantage of the situation. The police are yet to arrest Baddo who has cases of murder, loot and ransom registered against him. Last week, absconding mafia Manoj Aase was arrested in Gautam Budh Nagar after an encounter. He was also injured in the exchange of fire. Haji Iqbal alias Bala, a former BSP MLC and mining mafia of Saharanpur, is also absconding and the police have declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on him arrest. His brother and sons are in jail. Others in the list who are out of the police net yet are: Jugnu Walia alias Harvinder Singh (of Lucknow), who is associated with the Mukhtar Ansari's gang, Meerut-based Vinay Tyagi and Javed alias Pappu of Prayagraj. Ajay Pratap Singh alias Ajay Sipahi of Ambedkarnagar, Sushil Mooch of Muzaffarnagar, Anoop Singh and Pradeep Singh of Pratapgarh, Sudhir Singh, Rakesh Yadav and Vinod Upadhyay of Gorakhpur, Saud Akhtar of Kanpur, Bachu Yadav of Lucknow, Rajesh Yadav, Kamrul Hasan and Jabir Hussain of Prayagraj are out on bail. Former MLCs Brijesh Singh (of Varanasi) and Sanjeev Dwivedi alias Ramu Dwivedi (of Deoria) are also on bail. Those who are lodged in jail are former MLA Mukhtar Ansari, former MP Rizwan Zaheer, Tribhuvan Singh, Amit Kasana, Sundar Bhati and Subhash Thakur. Officials said the mafia used to operate their network from inside jails, but their confidence has been shaken after the state government crackdown on the nexus between mafia and jail officials. Action has been initiated against jail officials, staff and criminals in several cases including the illegal meeting between Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas and his wife in Chitrakoot jail, where Abbas was lodged, and Ashraf's meeting with people in Bareilly jail. New Delhi: Regulator Irdai is proposing to tighten norms for insurance advertisements by assigning higher responsibility on senior management of insurers in designing and approving media campaigns for product promotion. In this context, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has proposed an amendment in the 2021 regulations on insurance advertisements and disclosure. Under the proposed amendment, each insurer will be required to constitute an advertisement committee comprising at least three members mandatorily from marketing, actuarial and compliance functions of the insurer. "The objective of the amendment is to assign higher responsibility on the senior management while designing and approving the advertisements for the consumption of the customers," said the exposure draft on which Irdai has invited comments from the stakeholders by May 25. The committee will be required to report to the product management committee, the draft said. It further said the product management committee would be the final authority either to approve or reject the advertisements, after examining the recommendations of the advertisement committee. "Product management committee and advertisement committee shall be accountable and fully responsible for releasing the approved advertisements," the draft said. The product management committee, it added, should ensure to maintain the records of all the advertisements, as per the record retention policy of the insurer, or at least for three years from the date of withdrawal of the advertisement and should be made available to the Irdai as and when called for. The draft also ask insurers to set up proper robust systems to upload advertisements on their website within three days of release. Irdai said insurance advertisements are considered to be the integral part of product filing procedure. The procedure for accepting the advertisements is currently based on the approved 'File and Use' applications and compliance to Irdai advertisement regulations and circulars. In a one-off aviation incident, an Air India Sky Marshal was detained by the Bandaranaike International Airport's (BIA) security officers for carrying a loaded firearm. As per a Sri Lankan news website, ColomboPage, the sky marshal left the international flight without surrendering his firearm to the chief pilot of the plane. As per international safety norms, an air marshal is governed by the law to not exit the flight on an international land with their firearm. However, the marshal in the said Air India flight forgot to deposit the firearm to the captain of the flight. The report further states that the marshal was arrested when he was returning to board a Chennai-bound flight from the Colombo International Airport. The marshal was spotted carrying a loaded firearm by a security officer when he arrived at the transit passenger terminal. This resulted in a delay of four hours for the departure of the Chennai-bound Air India flight. The sky marshal of the Air India aircraft is an officer of the Special Task Force of India and was taken into custody by the Katunayake airport security officers. The security marshal was supposed to return back on the Air India Flight AI272, which was supposed to depart for Chennai, on 6 May, 2023 at 01.35 PM. However, the flight departed from the Katunayake Airport at 05.35 PM in the evening. While, as per the rules, any person caught at the airport with a firearm should be presented to the court, high security chiefs and high commissions of the two countries made efforts to resolve this issue immediately. The marshal took the same flight on his way back to India. The report adds that several such incidents of carrying firearm have been reported at the Katunayake airport in the past months, however, most of them are related to the American and Russian nationals and all of them were brought to the court. However, this is for the first time an Indian has been arrested by the authorities. In a statement that's set to shake up state politics, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said that his predecessor Vasundhara Raje had helped save his government in the year 2020 against a rebellion by his then Deputy Sachin Pilot. Gehlot, who later in the same speech alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah paid money to some of his party MLAs, ostensibly gave an impression that Raje went against the motives of her party's central leadership in 'order to do what was right'. Gehlot, narrating an incident from 1990s, said he didn't support the toppling of the then BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, "as it was unfair", and in the same manner, Vasundhara Raje and two other leaders did not support the toppling of the Congress government in 2020. Addressing a programme in Dholpur, Gehlot also named two other senior leaders ---- former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah ---- who he claimed helped in saving his government. Ashok Gehlot said three leaders from the BJP - Union Ministers Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had conspired together to topple his government. 'Understanding Between Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot' Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot has often claimed that Vasundhara Raje is in collusion with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. However, a few days ago, Raje rejected the charge, saying "milk and lemon juice does not mix together". Earlier this month, Pilot had criticised Gehlot over corruption issues, and also accused the government led by the veteran Congress leader of not taking any action against Raje over corruption cases. Responding to Pilot`s claims, Raje, while speaking at a programme during her visit to Suratgarh on Thursday, asked "does milk and lemon juice ever mix"? "Many people have been deliberately telling that `we (she and Gehlot) have met, and there is a collusion between us`. How is this possible with someone with whom principles and ideology do not match?" she wondered. 'Return Money Taken From Amit Shah' Gehlot, in the same speech, asked his party MLAs "to return the money to Union Home Minister Amit Shah." "At that time Rs 10 to 20 crore were distributed to our MLAs. That money should be returned to Amit Shah. "Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat all together conspired to topple our government. Money was distributed to the MLAs in Rajasthan. These people are not taking money back. I am worried, why are they not taking the money back?" he said. "I even told our MLAs who took Rs 10-20 crore that if they have spent some of the amount, I will give that part. I will get it from AICC (party high command). You give the money back to Amit Shah," he added. "If you have taken Rs 10 crore, then give back Rs 10 crore, if you have taken Rs 15 crore, then give back Rs 15 crore to him. Don`t keep his money. If you keep his money, he will always keep pressure on you. He is also the Home Minister, he will threaten, intimidate like he does in Gujarat. Shiv Sena was divided into two pieces by intimidation in Maharashtra. Amit Shah plays a very dangerous game," Gehlot claimed. NANJANGUD: In a blistering attack on the Congress during his last campaign rally ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the party of openly advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India. He alleged that the "disease" of the "tukde-tukde gang" had reached the Congress's top level. "When it comes to working against India's interests, Congress's 'royal family' will be at the forefront. I want to speak about a serious issue here, I want to say it as there is a lot of pain in my heart. This country can never forgive such a game. This family, to influence the politics in the country, is encouraging foreign forces to interfere," Modi claimed. Addressing a public meeting here in Mysuru district, he accused the Congress of secretly meeting foreign diplomats who hate India and repeatedly indulging in activities that insult India's sovereignty, and said they were not ashamed of it. Stating that in this Karnataka election, Congress's 'shahi parivar' had gone a step ahead, "breaking all the limits and crushing the feelings of the country", Modi said, "Not only Karnataka, I want to tell this to the entire country with a lot of pain that in this election Congress's 'shahi parivar' yesterday came to Karnataka and said that they want to protect the 'sovereignty' of Karnataka. "Karnataka's sovereignty, you know what is the meaning of it? They have sat in Parliament for so many years, they have taken oath on India's Constitution, and they say this... When a country becomes independent, that country is called a sovereign country. The meaning of what Congress is saying is that the Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India," he claimed. Asking the people whether they approved of it or would they punish Congress for such a statement, the Prime Minister claimed that it meant the Congress was openly advocating for separating Karnataka from India. "I had never thought that the disease of the 'tukde-tukde gang' would reach the Congress's top level," he said, accusing the party of insulting Kannada fighters who fought for India's independence and insulting the patriotism of crores of Kannadigas. Noting that this was the land where 'Rashtra Kavi' Kuvempu had said Karnataka was an integral part of India, with lines in the state anthem "Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate Jaya he Karnataka Maate", Modi said, "For every Kannadiga, Karnataka is a mother and she has been described as the daughter of 'Bharat Ma'. I can feel the feelings of Kannadigas." Insulting the feelings of Karnataka was like insulting the "culture and pride" of the state, he added. Further accusing the Congress of creating a rift between the states and spreading "communal fire", the Prime Minister claimed that whenever the party did such things, the people of India united to defeat them. Congress wanted to "somehow come to power in Karnataka" to get "political oxygen", he said, adding that "people here can never forgive them for this sin...Congress will get the response for this on May 10 with full strength." He urged the people to vote for BJP to make Karnataka number one among states. After the rally, Modi said he was visiting the famous Srikanteshwara temple here dedicated to Lord Shiva and connected to the mythological context of 'Vishapaan' (Shiva drinking venom), Modi said, "The way Congress abused me in Karnataka and poured venom on me, Lord Srikanteshwara gave me the strength to bear it." Thanking the people for the blessings and affection they showed him during campaigning in Karnataka, calling it his biggest asset, he said it was his last programme in this election campaign and after it he would leave for Delhi. "I'm ending my campaign here. Now you take the baton," he said, as he urged people to vote on May 10 and exercise their franchise. MANGALURU: Corruption, looting, price rise and unemployment are the real "terrorism" in Karnataka today and the ruling BJP had failed to address the actual issues of people while the party was in power, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Sunday. Addressing a huge public meeting at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district here, she said BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are always talking about extremism and national security when elections are round the corner. "They are not talking about your (people's) real issues. I want to tell the BJP leaders that price rise, unemployment and the 40 per cent corruption of the BJP government are the real extremism," she said. She said the BJP is making promises at the time of elections, but the people should cast their votes on the basis of what they have delivered in the last three years in Karnataka. "While talking about dharma, national security and terrorism, the BJP leaders do not see that thousands of farmers had committed suicide in Karnataka under their rule. More than 1,000 unemployed youth have taken their own lives," she charged. The BJP government had looted Rs 6 lakh crore during their rule, she alleged. Medium and small industries in the state have suffered big losses after demonetisation and wrong implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and thousands of youth were rendered jobless. The Union government had destroyed the idea of bank nationalisation by merging four public sector banks -Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank, Corporation Bank and Canara Bank- which where the pride of Mangaluru, she said. Vadra said all the airports and sea ports in the country including the New Mangalore Port are being sold to crorepatis who are the friends of the BJP regime at the Centre, thereby denying employment to thousands of local people. The BJP is now trying to destroy dairy cooperative Karnataka Milk Federation's Nandini milk brand which has been serving the people of Karnataka by merging it with Amul that is based out of Gujarat, she charged. "It is the terrorism of corruption ruling the country," the Congress leader said. Vadra alleged that as BJP is busy indulging in looting the nation's wealth, they have no time to address the issues of women's development, farmers problems, price rise and the unemployment among the youth. "They don't work for the people when they are in power and visit them during the elections by preaching on dharma, terrorism and security," she said. Vadra said all the people-friendly schemes of the previous Congress government in the state including low-cost food outlets Indira canteens will be restored. Every promise in the guarantee card given to the people will be fulfilled, she said. For the Karnataka Assembly election, Congress has announced five 'guarantees' - 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), 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 (Yuva Nidhi), along with promise of free travel for women in public transport buses - upon coming to power in the state. Vadra said Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had implemented their promises made to farmers and pensioners in their respective poll manifestos. The Congress will also introduce Rs 10 lakh insurance scheme for fishermen and Rs 1 lakh interest-free loan for fisherwomen as part of 'Stand with Mogaveera' scheme, she said, adding that the diesel subsidy for fisherfolk will be increased. Mogaveera is a major fishing community living predominantly in coastal Karnataka. The opposition Congress is going all out to wrest power from the ruling BJP in the state with polling set to take place on May 10. The results will be declared on May 13. IMPHAL: Army drones and helicopters kept a close watch on Manipur on Sunday as curfew was relaxed in some parts of the Northeastern state, which was rocked by ethnic violence over the last few days, officials said. So far, 23,000 people have been rescued from the violence-hit areas and were moved to military garrisons, they said. Personnel of the Army and Assam Rifles held flag marches as life started crawling back to somewhat normal, but the tension was palpable. Sources said around 10,000 security personnel have been deployed in the state, which has been on the boil since Wednesday. Governor Anusuiya Uikey chaired a meeting with Security Advisor Kuldip Singh and Operational Commander Ashutosh Sinha. At the meeting, the two officers shared their suggestions with the governor to resolve the crisis, said a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan. Uikey advised the officers that arrangements be made for the safe return of the people who are in relief camps at present, it said. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which led to the killing of at least 54 people. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts. In Hyderabad, Union Minister for the Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy told PTI the Centre was ready for talks with the warring groups in Manipur and resolve their issues. "Please come forward to solve the issues in a peaceful manner. The government is ready. You have seen the farmers' issue. When it was peaceful, we tried to convince them. As the issue was not resolved, we agreed to their demand, and those bills (three farm laws) were withdrawn. So, the government is not adamant," he said. He stressed that people's welfare was the government's main agenda, urging the different protesting groups to come forward for talks. Reddy said the government will take care of those who suffered losses due to violence, and order a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. "If they have any problem, it is the responsibility of the state and central governments to resolve it. We should all maintain restraint. We should resolve the issues through discussions, and not through violence. Nothing can be achieved through violence," he added. As the situation was improving, the state Home Department directed the district magistrates and deputy commissioners to relax the curfew in parts of their districts from 1 pm to 3 pm every day, according to a notification. The restrictions were relaxed in Churachandpur, which was the epicentre of the violence, from 7 am to 10 am on Sunday to allow people buy essential items such as food and medicines. On Monday, the curfew will be relaxed in Imphal West district from 5 am to 8 pm. "Imphal City is area where major markets, shops, godown, business entities, etc. Are located which provides various essential items which will not only cater to the needs of the District population but also to the needs of the entire State (sic)," said the notification, reasoning the relaxation. Over the last 24 hours, the Army significantly enhanced surveillance efforts through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters within the Imphal Valley, a defence statement said in the morning. Meanwhile, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) took various measures to help passengers at the Imphal airport, while the airlines have waived rescheduling and cancellation charges for flights operating here. A total of 10,531 passengers have travelled via the Imphal airport, which handled 108 flights in the last few days. Different states also continued rescuing their people from the state. Andhra Pradesh rescued more than 100 students, while Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said 22 students from the state were stuck there and arrangements were being made to bring them back home. Tripura rescued 208 of its students from Manipur and Nagaland evacuated 676 of its people from the violence-hit state. Sikkim also rescued 128 students. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati on Sunday announced that party`s Telangana unit President and former IPS officer R.S. Praveen Kumar will be the chief ministerial candidate of the party. Addressing a public meeting here, she declared that if the BSP is voted to power in Telangana, Praveen Kumar will be the Chief Minister. She said after taking voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service (IPS), he had been working with missionary zeal to strengthen the party in Telangana. She hoped that he would take very good care of people like the BSP did in Uttar Pradesh when it was in power. Mayawati appealed to people to bring her party to power in Telangana in the elections scheduled in next few months and also give the most number of Lok Sabha seats from the state to the BSP in the elections to be held next year. She said if SCs, STs, OBCs, Muslims and other minorities and other weaker sections want a life of dignity and want to liberate themselves from oppression, they should bring the BSP to power. Taking a dig at Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his call for amending the Constitution, the BSP leader urged people to throw Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) out of power. She said the government which is talking of changing the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar, should be thrown out of power. Mayawati did not agree that BSP is weakening in Uttar Pradesh. "You may be wondering why the BSP is weakening in Uttar Pradesh but it is not weakening. As long as elections were held with ballot paper, our party grew in popularity but when EVMs were introduced, we lost our votes due to manipulation in EVMs," she claimed. The BSP leader also alleged that in states where the BJP is growing strong, conspiracies are being hatched to split the votes of Dalits and weaker sections by floating smaller parties. Mayawati also took potshots at Chief Minister KCR for trying to copy BSP to promise land for Dalits. "He promised 3 acres of free land but did not implement it," she said. She also alleged that for the sake of votes, KCR named the State Secretariat after Babasaheb Ambedkar government building and installed his tallest statue. She recalled that when Telangana people were fighting for their own state, the BSP was the first party to raise its voice in Parliament in their support and it also supported the Bill brought in Parliament for creation of the state. Mayawati said that the weaker sections, Dalits, tribals, backward, youth and unemployed in Telangana were hit by irregularities in recruitment. She alleged that the state government is trying to suppress the voice raised against these irregularities. The BSP leader also questioned the silence of Chief Minister over the release of a convict in the murder of slain Dalit IAS officer G. Krishnaiah. She was referring to the release ofAformer MP Anand Mohan Singh by the Bihar government. The gangster-turned-politician, who had instigated the bureaucrat`s lynching in 1994 and was sentenced life imprisonment, was recently released from jail after Bihar government tweaked the rules. Mayawati said BSP raised its voice against the release of the convict and demanded justice for the family of the slain officer. Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested two Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and recovered four hand grenades, 90 bullets of AK-47 and other ammunition from a hideout and the houses of arrested terrorist associates at Mendhar subdivision in Poonch. A statement issued reads the arrested OGWs have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed and Nisar Ahmed in a case registered after April 20 terror attack on an Army truck in Bhata Dhurian in which five army personnel lost their lives and another got injured. The official said that an operation was launched by police after interrogation of the accused person on the disclosure of Nisar Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed. The duo has been booked under various sections of the IPC, Indian Arms Act and the UAPA Act. The official said that during the search in the house of Mushtaq Ahmed, two Chinese grenades, one AK-47 magazine, 30 bullets of AK rifle, one hammer and chisel used for construction of the hideout and a Pakistan-made cigarette packet have been recovered. From the house of arrested OGW Nisar Ahmed, police said, two Chinese grenades, 60 AK bullets, two AK magazines and Rs 19,000 cash have been recovered. Similarly, from the hideout used by terrorists, the recovered material include two blankets, one damaged magazine, 24 AK bullets, one tape recorder, one plastic sheet, two steel plates, some medicines, dry fruit wrappers, chips and biscuits. Police informed that further investigation into the matter is going on. Apart from this, security forces had already launched operation Trinetra in the area where Para Commando and helicopters have been pushed into the service to flush out the hiding terrorists who carried the Poonch attack and later ambushed the commando killing a total of 10 soldiers. In an ongoing operation, security forces had managed to kill 1 terrorist and recovered huge arms and ammunition from him. Jammu Kashmir is on high alert after the Poonch ambush attack and given the G20 meeting in Kashmir starting on the 22nd of May. LoC (line of control) and international borders are being patrolled day and night to ensure that no terrorists can infiltrate or terrorists across the border cant push any kind of arms and ammunition into Indian territory. Re: As soon as the suspect ran out of the bank, he started shooting at the [ #permalink Bunuel wrote: As soon as the suspect ran out of the bank, he started shooting at the policemen standing on the corner. As he ran away, he kept firing back at the policemen. The policemen took cover and returned fire. One policemen hit the suspect just as he was about to get into a waiting car. As the police approached, the car sped away without the suspect, allowing the police to apprehend and arrest the suspect. Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage? A. The suspect robbed the bank. B. The suspect was not as good a marksman as were some of the police. C. The suspects accomplices, all armed with guns, were in the waiting car. D. If the suspect had not been hit, he would have fled the scene in the car. E. The police were trying to kill the suspect. It cannot be inferred everywhere the person is mentioned as a suspect, not as a robber. Yes as both the police and the suspect were constantly firing at each other and police were successful in hitting the suspect. Nothing has been said about the person or persons sitting in the car. It can not be inferred as there can be another reason for the same, nothing has been said about the reason. Nowhere it has been mentioned. -Irony of todays world, Lie is a Truth to represent the Reality. Signature Read More A. The suspect robbed the bank.B. The suspect was not as good a marksman as were some of the police.C. The suspects accomplices, all armed with guns, were in the waiting car.D. If the suspect had not been hit, he would have fled the scene in the car.E. The police were trying to kill the suspect._________________ New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Saroj Pandey on Saturday said the issues shown in the film 'The Kerala Story' have been taking place in not just Kerala but in the entire country. Speaking to reporters, she also urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to declare the film tax-free in the state. "I would like to tell the CM that he should declare this film tax-free in Chhattisgarh. The issues shown in the film have been taking place in Chhattisgarh continuously, be it religious conversion or love jihad. Chhattisgarh is sitting on a pile of gunpowder that can explode at any moment. This is not only the story of Kerala but also of (West) Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and the entire country", Saroj Pandey said. The Rajya Sabha MP also alleged that the 'poisonous seed' of love jihad and ISIS activities, which are flourishing inside the country with the 'silent support of Congress and leftist culture', has to be stopped from becoming a tree. "This story will spread awareness among our daughters, to prevent them from conspiracies like love jihad and from falling to tools of terror," she added. The BJP leader further said that the Congress is in a 'tizzy' over 'The Kerala Story' as it is based on true incidents of love jihad of thousands of Hindu daughters. "The film brings to the fore the horrific reality of women being forcibly converted and pushed into terrorism," she stated. 'The Kerala Story', which stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani in the lead roles, revolves around a group of women in Kerala who are forced to convert and join the terrorist group ISIS. Helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the movie hit the theatres on May 5 after the Kerala High Court refused to issue a stay order on the release of the film. The trailer of the film came under fire as it claimed that 32,000 girls from Kerala went missing and later joined ISIS. Faced with backlash, the makers then withdrew the figure and called the movie the story of three women from Kerala, in its trailer description. The hotly debated film on conversion is at the center of national discourse with Prime Minister Narendra Modi crediting it for bringing out terror conspiracies and using it to attack the Congress during a rally in Karnataka on Friday. New Delhi: Amitabh Bachchan often takes to his blog to express himself and shares updates about his professional commitments. Yesterday, the actor took to his blog and mentioned that he wont be able to greet his fans on Sunday, something which he follows religiously and is ritual for all his fans to see their favourite actor. "The human speaks and thinks with speed now .. the expression and the brevity of the express .. the understanding by the other in no uncertain terms and conditions, that this is what it is .. take or leave .. and when they have left the environ of discuss you sit and wonder where we are all going ," Big B wrote on the blog. Further, he mentioned that he has certain work commitments due to which he will be unable to meet his fans. "Going certainly not for the GATE at JALSA tomorrow, for .. there is work on location which can only be given permission for on a Sunday .. There shall be effort of course to return in time for the 5:45pm at Jalsa .. but there could be a delay or a non-appearance.. so a warning in advance to keep away ..." "I must confess that the film Section 84 IPC is taking a lot out of me as far as the nature of the film and role is, which is why when the day work is done it does not leave you even as you set off for home .. much of it remains in the head and body and as is often the matter with the profession, it remains a pleasant disturbance .." Amitabh Bachchan wrote. Recently, Amitabh Bachchan also sustained injuries while shooting on the sets of Prabhas-Deepika Padukone starrer Project K in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, on the work front, Big B will be seen in Ribhu Dasguptas Section 84, Prabhas Project K and will be hosting the 15th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). He was last seen in Uunchai alongside Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Anupam Kher, Parineeti Chopra and Neena Gupta. New Delhi: More than 10 bogus ChatGPT apps that were created to defraud users have been blocked by Facebook, the parent company of social media behemoth Meta, according to Mashable website. The business has found that con artists are using the public's interest with ChatGPT, an AI-based language model, to persuade people into downloading malicious software and browser add-ons. By taking advantage of people's faith in ChatGPT, the cybercriminals behind these fraudulent apps are launching attacks and compromising accounts all over the internet. Once a user downloads the malicious software, the attackers can keep developing new strategies to get around security measures. To counter this issue, Meta has identified and prevented the sharing of over 1,000 different malicious URLs on their apps. The business has also informed the file-sharing platforms where the malware was hosted about them so that they can take the necessary action as well, reported Mashable. The prevalence of online fraud is making the internet more dangerous, and even social media behemoths like Meta are now alerting users to the risks of fake ChatGPT apps. Users must use caution and only download ChatGPT applications from reputable websites. New Delhi: A gunman shot and killed nine people and wounded seven others at a busy mall north of Dallas on Saturday, police said. The gunman, whom authorities said they believe acted alone, was killed by a police officer after he began firing outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas, the city's police chief Brian Harvey said at a press conference. Allen fire department chief Jon Boyd told the same press conference that his department took at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to area hospitals, two of whom died. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department. A multi-agency response helped secure the mall. There is no longer an active threat. A reunification point has been created on Chelsea Boulevard. Allen Police Department (@Allen_Police) May 6, 2023 Medical City Healthcare, which runs 16 hospitals in the area, said in a statement that its trauma centers were treating eight of the wounded victims, who ranged in age from 5 to 61. The hospital did not say what condition they were in. TV aerial images showed hundreds of people calmly walking out of the mall, located about 40 km northeast of Dallas, after the violence unfolded, many with their hands up as scores of police stood guard. One unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was "walking down the sidewalk just ... shooting his gun outside," and that "he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part." Blood could be seen on sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," said in a statement that the state was prepared to offer any assistance local authorities may need. Allen, Texas, is a community of about 1,00,000 people. Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 so far in 2023, the most at this point in the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter. BIG Thank You It is not end for me yet You can see my Gmatclub joining date I was having 4.5 years of WE by then which I considered good for b-school admits Just to give you a bit personal background, I am working as a Technology consultant in an American MNC, now nearing 6 years of WE Just to give you the background, in most African Nations you aren't allowed to go to public places without proper security arrangements Durga Puja, Diwali etc First month without any gaps GMATNinja Youtube Channel Gmatclub Forum Manhattan SC Book I started with a V12 YT Videos Manhattan and has a ton of great videos ENTIRE GMATCLUB COMMUNITY One day, you'll leave this world behind, So live a life you will remember Signature Read More Cefloresm wrote: I would say D and not A. The principle does not specify if the R&D has to be done on multiple lines or on a specific product. On the other hand, Apple's business model reduces overhead costs, which also have an impact on gross margins. Does someone also think this way? Regards, I believe this is because A addresses the line of reasoning. A talks about R&D itself which successfully resolves the paradox. D maybe true but doesn't talk about R&D so it doesn't have an impact on the paradox. RALEIGH - Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order No. 280 directing action to continue the states commitment to building an age-friendly state. The Executive Order brings a whole-of-government approach to support North Carolinas aging population. Our rapidly growing and diverse older adult population strengthens our state and communities, Governor Cooper said. Were going to continue our work to make North Carolina the best place in the country to grow older. Executive Order No. 280 directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) along with expert working groups to develop a Multisector Plan for Aging. The Order also directs NCDHHS and the North Carolina Department of Commerce to convene a Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership group to develop and implement recommendations to bolster the caregiving workforce. It also directs NCDHHS to develop recommendations to improve adult protective services. The Order also directs the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to improve access to outdoor spaces, the North Carolina Department of Transportation to improve transportation options and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology to improve access to broadband and digital literacy. I am so grateful for Governor Cooper's leadership in signing this executive order to make North Carolina a place where all people can thrive throughout life's seasons, said Mary Penny Kelley, Executive Director of Hometown Strong. By joining the Livable Communities network, North Carolina joins a consortium of other states working to advance policies to help a growing demographic. It's an honor to be a part of the incredible dedicated team that worked to make this possible. In just a few short years, there will be more people living in North Carolina over age 65 than under 17, said Joyce Massey Smith, Director of the Division on Aging and Adult Services for NCDHHS. To address this unprecedented shift in the age of our population we are committed to capitalizing on the benefits of an older population as we provide them with the services and support they need in order to thrive. Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians live in communities that have joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities and are working on age-friendly improvements said Mike Olender, Director of AARP North Carolina. The states enrollment into the Network coupled with the executive order will be the glue that holds us all together to collaborate, will accelerate progress and will inspire even more improvements to our cities, towns, and rural areas that benefit North Carolinians of all ages. Approximately 1.7 million North Carolinians are aged 65 or older. By 2030, one in five North Carolinians will be older than 65. The Executive Order builds on the Governors previous actions supporting older adults. In 2022, Hometown Strong in the Governors Office and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services partnered with AARP to conduct the Age My Way NC survey which assessed North Carolinians needs and preferences with regards to aging. Students place third in mock-trial event Seven Rockingham County School students brought home an overall third place in a recent state competition. The Teen Court Summit, hosted in Atlantic Beach, was the first time Rockingham County Teen Court volunteers competed in such a competition. The mock-trial competition, conducted by the North Carolina Teen Court Association, pits county teams against one another in simulated courtrooms. Judges and juries are placed to ensure strict rules are followed and to score participants. Each team is given the same case narrative and evidence and is charged with formulating their opening statements, closing arguments and line of questioning. I cant put into words how extremely proud I am of this team, said Teen Court Coordinator Tammy Burbey when asked about the preparation and teamwork throughout the experience. Each of them contributed their hearts and talents to make this a successful mock-trial competition. The Teen Court program is sponsored by Rockingham County Youth Services. The program allows student volunteers an opportunity to try and defend cases while also serving as an alternative to juvenile justice involvement for first-time offenders. Student volunteers hear defendants admit guilt before a jury of their peers and accept the jurys recommendations. Assistant District Attorney Mike Davis, Sgt. Tammy Ferguson, Deputy Richard Payne and Angela Austin from the Clerks office helped train the team. Youth Services recently added a new opportunity for Rockingham County teens with Teen Traffic Court, in partnership with the Rockingham County District Attorneys Office. Google STEM tour stops at 2 county schools Googles mobile STEM tour of North Carolina continued last week in the Triad where it parked its Betabox-designed lab at West Rockingham Middle School and McMichael High School. The lab hosted dozens of students at the two schools for a series of hands-on and interactive activities and experiments, including coding, artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D printing. Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger had this to say about the Betabox events in his district: Id like to thank Google for bringing its STEM education program to Western Rockingham Middle and McMichael High. This type of hands-on learning is a great way to inspire our students to pursue areas they may not have previously considered. As North Carolina grows and attracts businesses in emerging fields, its important that our youth continue to learn about subjects like science, technology, engineering and math. They also visit Reidsville Middle School in Reidsville on April 26. For information, visit https://betaboxlearning.com/google/. The clock is ticking on legislation that would add controversial restrictions to the state's abortion laws. Late last week, lawmakers passed a bill that would prohibit almost all abortions after 12 weeks a ban that's currently 20 weeks as North Carolina became the latest Republican-led state to curtail the reproductive rights of women. As other Southern states have enacted their own restrictive laws, North Carolina had become the last bastion for many women seeking an abortion. But no longer if Senate Bill 20 becomes law. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has committed to waiting the allotted 10 days to let North Carolina digest the revamped SB 20 before vetoing legislation that cleared the Republican-controlled General Assembly in less than 48 hours last week between Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. "This bill has nothing to do with making women safer and everything to do with banning their reproductive freedom," Cooper said following the passage of SB 20 in both chambers by narrow votes. Predictably, Republican supermajorities in the state House and Senate will act swiftly to override the veto, allowing the abortion restrictions to become law, some as soon as July 1. SB 20 "will protect more lives than at any point in the last 50 years," said state Sen. Joyce Krawiec, a Forsyth County Republican who is a primary sponsor of the bill. We are beginning the process of creating a culture that values life, and thats something we can all be incredibly proud of. **** Among the ripple effects of Rep. Tricia Cotham switching from Democrat to Republican on April 5 giving House Republicans a veto-proof 72-48 advantage was making abortion the defining legislation for the 2023 session. Cotham had voted against abortion restriction bills in previous legislative sessions. In doing so, SB 20 supplanted the remarkable, feel-good bipartisanship that finally got North Carolina across the finish line for Medicaid expansion after 10 years. As Krawiec has climbed the ranks of Republican leadership in recent years, she has become a pivotal sponsor of conservative-focused healthcare legislation. In many instances, she serves as the often-impassioned voice of controversial bills with health and socioeconomic impacts. Krawiec consistently refers to SB 20 as "common sense legislation." SB20 also contains language for a long-sought goal of Krawiec: requiring that doctors and nurses protect and care for children born alive during a failed late-term abortion. Cooper successfully vetoed a standalone bill on that issue in 2021, saying "laws already protect newborn babies, and this bill is an unnecessary interference between doctors and their patients." SB 20 contains criminal penalties that make it a Class D felony and a $250,000 fine for any physician that does not care for babies born alive following a botched procedure. Krawiec said pro-choice legislators and advocates are mistaken when they call SB 20 an "abortion ban." "Most people agree that there should be limits," she said, "on when abortions can be performed." **** Senior Republican leaders point to a March poll from conservative-leaning Carolina Partnership for Reform, which found 57% of 500 registered voters support the 12-week abortion cutoff in SB 20. However, a Pew Research Center poll found North Carolinians equally divided 49% said yes in most cases, 45% said no on whether abortions should be legal in the state. Krawiec said she is "getting lots of responses from both sides. Its not unusual for a high-profile bill to generate lots of activity. This is an important piece of legislation." Greensboro Democrat Pricey Harrison is not shy about sharing her opinion on bills she opposes, often in a courteous, folksy manner. Her tone was decidedly more pointed for SB 20. "I opposed Senate Bill 20 because women have the absolute right to make their own reproductive and healthcare decisions," Harrison said. "This bill not only restricts womens access to healthcare, it also creates unnecessary restrictions on when, where and how abortion services can be provided." Harrison said the swiftness and behind-closed-doors nature of pushing through Senate Bill 20 "shows that the supporters of this terrible legislation know that they face opposition from the majority of North Carolinians. It was cowardly and shameful." Democrat Paul Lowe of Forsyth County said it's possible, though not probable, that one or two Republicans with moderate views on abortion rights could have a "twinge of conscious" and vote to uphold Cooper's veto because SB 20 may be too restrictive for them. "I know supporters of the bill don't consider it a ban, but there are some major restrictions that a lot of people don't want," Lowe said. "This is a medical issue between a woman and her doctor that has been turned into a political issue. "If there truly was majority support for SB 20 among North Carolinians, we wouldn't have been debating it for multiple hours in both chambers. We would have been in and out like we were for Medicaid expansion." Roughly 20 states where access to abortion is protected has been due to Democratic majorities. Those same protections can be found in some other states as well, but only because the legislature is evenly split between both parties. For the first time in awhile, Republicans are enjoying control of both the House and Senate. In the unlikely event of a GOP defection, SB 20 will become law. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that "make no mistake, this bill goes beyond a 12-week abortion ban." Johnson said SB20 "does nothing to make patients more safe, but will instead compound the harms already done in North Carolina by denying people access to essential care and forcing some to carry pregnancies against their will or flee the state if they have the means." Two people from my political past are battling over college students voting. Cleta Mitchell wants to make it harder for them to vote. Daniel Gilligan wants to make it easier. Daniel was a student in a politics class I taught at N.C. State 20 years ago as an adjunct lecturer. (I think adjunct is Latin for unpaid.) I met Cleta 40 years ago. She was a Democratic state legislator from Oklahoma serving on the Democratic Partys Commission on President Nominations, which Gov. Jim Hunt chaired. Today, Cleta has transmogrified into one of Trumps leading election deniers. She was on his perfect phone call when he pushed Georgias Secretary of State to find enough votes to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. All we have to do, Cleta, is find 11,000-plus votes, Trump said on the call, which is now under criminal investigation. She has since moved to North Carolina and runs a national network of election deniers. Daniel and his colleague Meghan Quick, both N.C. State grads, run a next-generation, voter-empowerment task force, Current NC. Their College Impact Project seeks to get more of North Carolinas 390,000 college students on 68 campuses to vote. They say, Getting young people to vote offers the best hope for protecting our democracy. Weve seen that around the country and in states like Wisconsin, and we have a plan for how to do it again in North Carolina. They ran a pilot program in 2022 on campuses that were historic targets of voter suppression efforts, including historically Black colleges and universities. They want to expand it in 2024. That got Cleta riled up. Maybe scared. An audio leaked of a secret briefing she gave big GOP donors in April. She told them, I promise you Stacey Abrams has been in North Carolina, and we need to make sure that money is not flowing into Mecklenburg, Durham and Wake counties. So, we need to be looking at what are these college campus locations and polling. What is this young people effort that they do? The Washington Post reported she told the donors that Conservatives must band together to limit voting on college campuses, same-day voter registration and automatic mailing of ballots to registered voters. She warns darkly: Our constitutional republics survival is at stake if young people vote. In response, Meghan wrote in an email, The fact that theyre already worried about the impact of this initial program is telling just imagine what we could do if we expanded to every college in NC! If the people trying to tear down our democracy think young, educated people voting is their biggest threat, then thats exactly where we should be focusing our efforts. Im puzzled by Cletas transformation. Im proud of Daniel and Meghan. The numbers show their program works. Their website is just getting started, but you can donate to them here: https://www.currentnc.com/. Give Cleta something to really worry about. 69 years ago in the heart of the Muong Thanh valley, the flag Determined to fight, Determined to win" of the Vietnam People's Army flew on the roof of the General De castries bunker, marking the victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign. The Dien Bien Phu victory on the afternoon of May 7, 1954 played a decisive role in ending the resistance war against French colonialists, showing the bravery of the Vietnamese people and army, and becoming one of the glorious milestones in the history of Vietnam's struggle for national independence. This historic milestone led to the Geneva Accords in 1954 which aimed at restoring peace, ending the French troop presence in Indochina and officially putting an end to the French colonial rule on the peninsula. This milestone opened a new chapter for the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian revolutions, and made a significant contribution to national liberation movements, marking the beginning of the collapse of old colonialism worldwide. The victory was the result of many factors. Apart from the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, the willpower and strength of the Vietnamese people and army, their passionate patriotism is also an extremely important factor. The thousands of years of national building and defending have shown that patriotism is the foundation of the spirit of independence, self-reliance, strong will, resilience, brainpower and mettle of Vietnam. That factor contributed to a brave decision to change the combat strategy from "fast strive, fast victory" to "steady attack, steady advance" to cope with the strong defence of the enemy. The "golden history" of Dien Bien Phu echoed throughout the continents, not only crushing the invading ambitions of the French colonialists and American intervention, but also lingering with time, across generations. Therefore, scholar and journalist Bernard B. Fall, a professor at Howard University in Washington, DC, once wrote: "Whether we like it or not, that war will affect us for many decades to come." In May 2023, Vietnam marked the 69th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. Following national reunification in 1975, the country has overcome countless challenges, crises and difficult times. The centre of Dien Bien, the mountainous area with its rugged hills and surrounded by forests full of bombs, has transformed into a bustling urban area. The dream of "Dien Bien taking flight" is gradually becoming a reality. 69 years after the historic Dien Bien Phu victory, Vietnam is nurturing and determinedly pursuing its aspirations and goals of ensuring the people's well-being, building a strong and prosperous nation. However, this is a very heavy, and complex task with countless challenges. The Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress has clearly defined the vision and development direction of the country: "In the coming years, the world and domestic situations will present both favourable and difficult conditions that pose new requirements for the cause of national construction and defence. Such requires the whole Party, people, and army to unite as one; continue to strongly innovate thinking, have high political determination, accurately forecast and promptly respond to all situations. To achieve this goal, many factors are required. As Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said: "The path ahead is still full of difficulties, challenges, and interwoven opportunities and favourable conditions. Whether we can awaken our potential and turn it into a great resource to build and protect the country or not depend on the will, determination of the entire Party and every Vietnamese citizen." So at this moment, the lesson of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory is still relevant. That lesson reminds that along with the wise leadership of the Party and State, the great unity of the entire Party, army and people, the strong patriotism is also an extremely important factor in realising the aspirations of the era "Wealthy people, strong nation, equitable society with democracy and civilisation." That aspiration is as sacred and powerful as the national will for independence, peace and reunification in the 20th century. Plymouth Congregational Church will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the groundbreaking for its church building on May 28. Festivities begin with a special worship service at 10 a.m. The evening program begins at 4 p.m. Events include a spaghetti dinner, a history presentation, a live auction and the opening of the new Founders Room. The congregation invites the Helena community to join the celebration. Please call the church office at 406-442-9883, if you will be attending. The cost of the dinner is $5. Congregationalism in Helena goes back to 1883, when First Congregational Church was organized with nine charter members. A second congregational church was founded west of Last Chance Gulch in 1892. By 1931, what was once two congregations had gone down to only 12 members in total, who voted to dissolve. On Jan. 8, 1961, a group of Helena residents, realizing that Helena was the only state capital that did not have a congregational church, held a service in the Van Orsdel Chapel at the vacated Intermountain College. By the end of the month, they adopted the name Plymouth Congregational Church, as a member of the United Church of Christ. There were 76 founding members present at the first joining service, on Palm Sunday, March 26. The congregation broke ground in May 1963 for their own church building, which was completed in February 1964. Plymouth Congregational Church has participated in many social justice efforts, including working with Gods Love, Family Promise, and Helena Food Share. The congregation participates with other faith-based and nonprofit organizations in Helena to assist the unsheltered and to address environmental concerns. Fish experts said at a meeting last week that juvenile fish likely died at the highest rates, compared with adult fish and fish eggs, after a malfunction at Hebgen Dam triggered an abrupt drop in flows along the upper Madison River in the fall of 2021. Based on the initial results from electrofishing surveys and a literature review, biologists inferred that because the dewatering of the upper Madison River on Nov. 30, 2021 was a one-time event, it likely didnt do catastrophic damage to the fishery. However, they believe juvenile fish probably suffered the greatest impacts, since they are smaller, less mobile and tend to congregate in the side channels that dried out fastest, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Fisheries Technician Jenna Dukovcic. Biologists presented their initial conclusions about how the Hebgen Dam malfunction likely impacted fish survival in the upper Madison River during a public meeting hosted by NorthWestern Energy near Ennis on Wednesday evening. When the dam gate failed, it was kind of everybodys Oh crap moment. It was kind of the perfect storm, said FWP Conservation Technician Travis Lohrenz. We had brown trout eggs in the gravel. We had stranding of juvenile fish because the dewatering was so precipitous. It will take years of monitoring to determine the extent of the events impacts on the fishery, but so far, surveys in 2022 showed that about 92% of brown trout redds were located within side channel habitats, according to Lorhenz. That could have been a problem, but the surveys of the side channels also showed that young-of-year brown trout were still present, which suggests that the dam malfunction didnt result in a complete, catastrophic loss of the cohort the group of fish that share the same age, he said. As you move further down the age continuum to these juvenile fish, the big result was that these fish were still here, occupying these habitats that were dewatered, Lorhenz said. They were pushed down, then they moved back in. Dukovcic pointed out that the dam malfunction occurred in late November, at the end of the spawning season for brown trout and mountain whitefish. At that time of the year, fish eggs have just been laid in the gravel, and theyre on track to incubate throughout the winter. Based on a review of the literature, biologists learned that salmonid eggs tend to be fairly tolerant to dewatering, especially when they are early in their development, Dukovcic said. At that early stage, the eggs can still diffuse oxygen through the air and moisture in the gravel. Because the redds were in the early stages of their development, because the gravel stayed moist and because temperatures didnt drop below freezing overnight, they suspect the impact of the dam malfunction on fish eggs was relatively low. The experts also concluded that the impacts of the event on adult fish are also relatively low, since adult fish typically occupy deeper habitats and are more mobile, meaning they can better respond to a sudden drop in flows. Lohrenz emphasized that while the first year of electrofishing surveys gave biologists a sense of the relative abundance of fish between Ennis and Hebgen lakes, they still dont know what the numbers were prior to the dam failure, and we cant hang our hat on one year of data. Thats why theyre planning to conduct long-term monitoring through 2025, where theyll track the cohorts that were affected by the dam malfunction as they age. Theyll compare the numbers they have now with numbers they mark down in subsequent years. Two years ago in late November, a bronze coupler that was attached to a gate stem on Hebgen Dam broke overnight, causing the dams gate to fall. That limited flows in the upper Madison River. The effects were more abrupt further upstream. Brown trout redds the gravel where female fish lay their eggs were exposed to the elements. Locals rushed to save fish that were stranded within side channels. NorthWestern Energy controls flows from Hebgen Dam, and the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) later found that the utility violated two requirements from its operating license when the gate stem broke. The utility has since agreed to fund monitoring of fish populations in the river, and it is compiling a report to identify mitigation projects that will improve fish embryo survival, gravel recruitment and spawning habitat. This Montana winter has been a lot like the 2023 Montana Legislature: theyve both long worn out their welcome. As usual by the end of the legislative session, nobody is happy. With just 90 short days for Montanas citizen Legislature to take care of business before breaking for two years, there are countless important, impassioned debates that get left without a resolution. Tempers have flared, bills have been killed and there are a lot of sour grapes. But the governments sour grapes arent a bug in our system, its a feature of what makes Montana so great. To borrow a witticism often attributed to the great Will Rogers, us taxpayers should be thankful were not getting all the government were paying for. Montana is one of just four states left in the country where citizen lawmakers can only make laws that impact our lives, liberty and property once every two years. As far as Im concerned, thats a good thing. While there have been good arguments for the benefits of moving to an annual legislative session, our current part-time system does generally seem to keep the worst of todays toxic national politics at bay. Too many people nowadays have made politics their entire identity, impacting everything from the brands of beer they buy to the friends they choose to keep. Folks are living glued to their phones arguing with strangers online about the latest trending political outrage of the day. As a result of this obsession, one in five people nationally say politics has hurt friendships and family relationships. One in four college applicants avoid entire states for political reasons. Similar to what the Legislature experiences late in the session, the result of this 24/7 politics is that very few Americans are feeling happy with the direction of the country. You dont see as much a fixation with politics yet in Montana, and we owe some of that to our part-time citizen Legislature. While things might get heated late in the legislative session, with lawmaking paused for two years theres simply less fuel to stoke enough outrage to sustain the caliber of political junkies seen in other states. Through the very design of our government, Montanans have made an unconscious choice that the governments politics wont be our entire collective identity. The reach of politics in Montana also has some built-in geographic limits. When I left Helena and ventured out into the mountains last weekend to spend some time glassing for a spring bear, politics was nowhere to be found. Indeed, theres a lot of places left in Montana where cellphone service is scarce and the media frenzies, mean tweets and committee drama of the politics in Helena or DC hardly get noticed. These areas far from the business of the capitol are where the live and let live spirit of the frontier is still alive and well. Montanas wide-open spaces, generous elbow room and abundant public lands have a lot to offer for an individual in need of some real peace and quiet. Our traditions of hunting, hiking, fishing and recreating in our states great outdoors cater to a different type of junkie and do wonders for the soul. When Montanas Legislature ends and our lawmakers must return home for two years, they too will get the benefit of this natural therapy. If you are a regular reader of my columns, you know that Im a passionate advocate for government reform and believe in the benefits of active civic engagement. But I do believe there is virtue in moderation, in politics especially. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. ABINGDON, Va. This Mothers Day may be a bittersweet one for an Abingdon businesswoman. Cassie Rowe is honoring her late mother by opening a bakery and ice cream shop something the mother and daughter had dreamed of doing before her mother died unexpectedly just months ago. Im a firm believer everything happens for a reason, said Rowe, who, along with her business neighbor Kitzi Manuel, jumped at the opportunity to launch the sweet shop Shaked! after retail space recently opened up on West Main Street in Abingdon. During a soft opening at the 284 W. Main St. business earlier this week, customers feasted their eyes on sweets like decadent brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and milk shakes piled high with toppings. Our new store has definitely helped to keep my mind off of my loss. Its given me a creative outlet, said Rowe. The catchy name for the business originated with tourists in mind. We thought what if we had a T-shirt that says We got Shaked! in Abingdon, Virginia? So, we got shaked, said Rowe with a laugh. Ive always come up with different ideas. I know my mom would be saying right now, Go get em, kid. Both women are entrepreneurs who have managed to grow other businesses throughout the years. Rowe opened Abingdon Gifting Company in 2018, and Manuel has owned and operated Love & Light Specialty Boutique, a Christian-based store, for the past three years. Rowe said she never questioned her mothers support as a business woman. Shed tell everyone about my business. Thats one thing I never questioned that she was proud of me. She was very confident in my ability to self start and self correct when things didnt always work out. But, I never would have gotten this far without her, said the daughter as her eyes filled with tears. The brick-and-mortar store will offer a family experience for customers something Rowe believes will set her apart from other places. We want families to come in and enjoy milkshakes or ice cream with each other. Maybe grandpa gets a cup of coffee and a cookie while he lets the grandkids indulge in ice cream. Those grandkids are going to remember spending time with grandpa and going to the Shake shop. The shop features 20 different topping for 10 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream, a variety of baked items and couture milkshakes piled high with toppings. So, just try to image a milkshake topped with cheesecake. For us, the word couture means extravagant and exclusive, explained Rowe. The baked items served at the shop are the brainchild of Rowe. Manuel likes to get creative with the milkshakes. All of our homemade cookies are large. We call them mega cookies, laughed Rowe. Theyre close to three times the size of a regular cookie. A few of their milkshakes are inspired by popular travel themes in Abingdon. Campfire by the Creeper is a smores flavored milkshake. Theyre going to be piled high with all of the goods. Its going to be really fun, she said. Of course, well serve classics like banana splits. Popular items this week included the Black Forest Brownie, topped with cream cheese frosting and cherry pie filling. My mother was a big fan of anything chocolate and chewy, Rowe said. So, we have developed a cookie called Toffee Pretzel Crunch just for her. Then theres the Fluffer Nutter Cookie Bar, layered with chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter, and marshmallows. Rowe created the dessert because her husband loves peanut butter and she likes marshmallows. Manuels mother, Pamela Helton of Mendota, Virginia, will come on board to help make cinnamon and sweet rolls and other breads. Its nice to be able to work with my mother, said Manuel, who learned to bake from her mother and great grandmother. Sweet memories A baker since childhood, Rowe is incorporating the memory of her mother, Lisa McMullin, into the daily operation of the shop by pulling recipes from one of her mothers favorite cookbooks. Some of what I am serving are her own recipes, others I tweak a little bit and make them my own, she said. Rowe plans to name a special dessert at the shop after her mother. Raised as a child of a single mother, Rowe spent many hours in the kitchen, learning to bake from her mother. At the holidays, wed make cookies and package and ship them to family members all over the world in Japan and Italy and throughout the country, said Rowe. She had a recipe book of cookies and pastries and wed go down the list and make each one of them. With grandparents directly from Italy, Rowe said many of the recipes handed down from her family are Italian based, using Italian techniques. Every time I would try a new recipe as an adult, Id run to mom to get here to try it. I knew I could take it to her good or not for some instant gratification. She would tell me I knocked it out of the park, whether I did or not, she said with a teary smile. Rowe plans to preserve some of the recipes that were handwritten by her mother by displaying them on the walls at the stop. No doubt, the Mothers Day season will never be quite the same for Rowe, she said. To help her cope, she will surround herself with people she loves. And, she will remember the good times she and her mother shared. Im just glad I had her for 31years to help me become the person I am today. Ive learned so many things from her that I will never forget, said the daughter. I once saw a quote that says I am because she was. I feel that way about my mother. Shaked! is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visit Shaked! on Facebook or call (276) 274-8509 for more information. Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at citydesk@bristolnews.com.v A substantial collection of former longtime 9th District U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher's political records are now housed in Virginia Tech's University Libraries' special collections and archives. The records include four decades of political history and progress in Southwest Virginia and the collection features 76 boxes including 6,111 folders and 72 awards spanning Bouchers political career, according to a university news release. Boucher, a Democrat from Abingdon, was a member of the state Senate for seven years before being elected to Congress in 1982, a position he held until 2011. With 28 years of service, he is the longest-serving representative in the history of the 9th District. Boucher gifted his collection to the University Libraries at Virginia Tech to make it available to all who wish to learn from it, according to the release. Special Collections and University Archives Project Archivist Bess Pittman arranged and described items in the collection to create a detailed finding aid and other access tools for researchers. The collection reflects Rick Bouchers professional work, including correspondence, numerous handwritten presentations he delivered in committees and on the House floor, hundreds of photos, awards, memos from his office, newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, campaign materials basically everything that came in during his work as a congressman and state legislator, said Pittman, in the release. Boucher, in the release, said: I had a long association with Virginia Tech, working actively with four Virginia Tech presidents. It was the largest institution of higher learning in my district and its largest employer, and I wanted my papers to go there given how respected the institution is. The universitys acclaimed technical expertise appealed to me because a lot of this collection now has the capability of being made digitally accessible by anyone who has internet access." At this point, a small digital exhibit provides online researchers a sampling of just over 200 items from the collection, and archivists are now working to add more digital content from the collection to the site, according to the release. Pittman was responsible for organizing all of the materials into one cohesive collection, a process that took nearly a year. It offers some really amazing insights into the work that goes into governing a region. The primary focus is the 9th District, but you can see the ripples into the broader work that Boucher was involved in, she said in the release. Specifically, Pittman, in the release, noted how instrumental Boucher was in the commercialization of the internet. He was the lead author of the 1992 legislation that, when signed by President George H.W. Bush, for the first time allowed commercial content on the internet, enabling money to be made online and ushering in the world of electronic commerce and revolutionizing the global economy. After Bouchers legislation was signed into law, electronic commerce was born in the United States and then spread to the rest of the world. Among the papers are materials reflecting Bouchers involvement in the major legislation shaping telecommunications policy over a quarter of a century, including the Communications Act of 1996 of which he was a sponsor. The collection also reflects Bouchers work as the lead author of the legislation creating Virginias first national forest wilderness areas and his papers and handwritten presentations from President Bill Clinton's impeachment, during which he was selected by House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt to take the lead in the Judiciary Committee and on the House floor as a primary sponsor of the Democratic censure motion as an alternative to impeachment. In the collection are extensive files from the time that as a state senator he carried to passage comprehensive legislation reforming the state's criminal sexual assault laws and the states drug laws, according to the release. Boucher, in the release, said he hopes that this collection can influence others to be involved in public service and advance ideas that promote positive change. Researchers interested in Bouchers collection should explore the detailed finding aid to help target material of interest, according to the release. Because of the large volume of material, the collection is housed at an offsite facility which requires advanced notice for retrieval. A new report shows there were fewer households in poverty or financially challenged from 2019-2021 in eight of 12 Southwest Virginia localities. But part of that trend reflects diminished population rather than economic gains. At first glance Southwest Virginia appeared to fare well in the report with double-digit declines of households trying to make ends meet in Lee County and the city of Norton, while much of the region declined 3% to 5%. But in many cases those declines coincided with smaller populations and shifts within the categories, according to a new report, ALICE in the Crosscurrents; COVID and financial hardships in Virginia, issued by UnitedforALICE.org and United Way agencies. The state of Virginia ranked 14th nationally with less than a third of its population 28% classified as employed but unable to fully afford necessities. Those people are described as ALICE, an acronym standing for asset limited, income constrained and employed. Those households earn wages above the federal poverty level but less than whats needed to survive in the modern economy. The Virginia statewide average showed a family of four with an infant and preschooler needs to bring in more than $100,000 for food, rent, child care, insurance, transportation, medical and other typical expenses, according to the study. Rates were much lower in Southwest Virginia, where average income and cost of living were less. In Bristol, Virginia, that same family of four needed to make about $60,000, according to the report, while it was about $56,000 in Buchanan County. The rest of this region fell into that general range. ALICE families have been overlooked and undercounted by traditional poverty measures. ALICE includes the nations childcare workers, home health aides and cashiers people working low-wage jobs, with little or no savings and one emergency away from poverty, according to a written statement accompanying the report. While the average household income in Virginia is more than $80,000 per year, across the 12 localities of far Southwest Virginia, it is barely half that at about $42,400. Only Washington and Wythe counties reported an average household income above $50,000 and they are the only counties where more than half the households 56% and 57% respectively earn above the ALICE threshold. By contrast, four Southwest Virginia localities reported an average household income less than $40,000, including Buchanan, Dickenson and Lee counties and the city of Norton. Coinciding with that, 67% of Buchanan households, 63% of Dickenson households, 61% in Lee County and 56% of Norton households earn below the $56,000 threshold, the report shows. Statewide, 28% of working households fall below the threshold but in Southwest Virginia, more than half of the households in 10 localities earn below that financial level. The Virginia average of households in poverty has remained steady at around 10% for several years, compared to the entirety of Southwest Virginia, where the 2021 average ranged from 13% in Washington County to 29% in the city of Norton and 25% in Buchanan and Lee counties, according to the report. Another indicator is the labor participation rate among adults age 18 and over. The statewide average for Virginia is 65% but the only localities in this region that even approach that are Bristol at 58%, Wythe County at 57% and Washington County at 55%, the report shows. Buchanan and Dickenson counties are each below 40% adult labor participation while five other counties are less than 50%. Buchanan County also had the distinction of seeing the greatest rise in families making under the ALICE threshold, a 9% increase from nearly 2,900 in 2019 to 3,172 in 2021. That in a county that reported a 13% decline in the total number of households, dropping from 8,569 to 7,440. At the same time, the number of households in Buchanan classified as living at or below the federal poverty guideline dropped nearly 23%, from 2,369 to 1,826. Nine of 12 Southwest localities reported declines in the numbers of households living in poverty from 2019 to 2021. City of Bristol The total number of households in the city of Bristol was virtually unchanged from 2019 to 2021, unlike many other areas with significant population decline. For the purpose of the study, the city population was right at 17,000. The number of households making under the ALICE threshold rose by 99 from 2,437 to 2,536 a 4% increase. At the same time, the number of households in poverty declined by 167, from 1,470 to 1,303, or an 11% drop. However Lisa Cofer, executive director of the United Way of Bristol, said that those numbers may reflect some temporary relief from an array of federal funding programs in place during the global pandemic. A lot of the additional funding opportunities and resources that the federal government provided during COVID are gone now rent relief, the tax credits and additional SNAP benefits. That helped our ALICE families that were right on the border one emergency away from being homeless that helped them survive, and those are gone now. The numbers reflect those additional resources and our community stepped up and provided some additional resources. That data in a couple of years, Im afraid were really going to see some difficult numbers, Cofer said. In the final count, 52% of city households ranked below the ALICE threshold at the end of 2021, while 48% ranked above that figure. The citys median household income was just under $44,000 annually, which ranked fourth-highest in Southwest Virginia but equal to just 54% of the state average household income of nearly $81,000 annually. Locality H.holds ALICE Poverty Above Bristol 7,347 35% 18% 48% Buchanan 7.440 43% 25% 33% Dickenson 5,573 39% 24% 37% Lee 8,244 36% 25% 39% Norton 1,540 27% 29% 44% Russell 10,355 36% 19% 45% Scott 8,612 35% 19% 46% Smyth 12,607 36% 19% 45% Tazewell 15,759 34% 19% 47% Washington 21,845 31% 13% 56% Wise 14,025 33% 21% 46% Wythe 12,125 27% 16% 57% Virginia 3.30M 28% 20% 62% Source: ALICE in the Crosscurrents: Virginia (ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) BETHLEHEM Lions District 31-I Governor-elect Kathy Poirier and her husband, Past Lions International Council Chair Joe Poirier, paid a special visit to the most recent meeting of the Bethlehem Lions Club. The Poiriers visited to induct four new members and bring thanks to the Bethlehem Lions for their outstanding efforts in recent years for major support of Lions International and District 31-I annual goals. Joe Poirier briefed the Lions of Bethlehem on International Lions grants and disaster aid worldwide, especially the Lions Clubs in the European areas affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There, Lions have provided food, medicine and shelter. Kathy Poirier called up the new members of the Bethlehem Lions Club and officially inducted them into Lions International. The Lions of Bethlehem will be out at the Walmart on U.S. 70 in Hickory on Saturday, May 13, starting at 9 a.m. selling the official Lions brooms to raise funds for their many humanitarian efforts, especially for their support for the visually impaired through the Brighter Visions Program. Everyone is invited to stop by, get a good Lions broom or two and find out more about Lionism. For more information about the Bethlehem Lions you may contact Danny Seaver at 828-322-5155 or dwseaver@aol.com. Take the test If more than half the items apply, you qualify for senior citizen status. 1. You and your teeth do not sleep together. 2. You wake up looking like your drivers license picture. 3. It takes two tries to get off the couch. 4. Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio. 5. It takes twice as long to look half as good. 6. Every time you suck in your gut, your ankles swell. 7. Adult diapers are kind of convenient. 8. Things you buy now will not wear out. 9. Your joints are more accurate than the National Weather Service. 10. Conversations with people your own age often turn into dueling ailments. 11. Your back goes out more than you do. 12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room. 13. You cant remember the last time you lay on the floor to watch television. 14. Your ears are hairier than your head. 15. Getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot. When Webster moved into his 18th-century cottage, he knew that he was stepping into a piece of history. However, Debbie and Ken were shocked to find that history seemed to want to talk to them, too. "Webster was teaching at a local school and brought home a computer borrowed from the school," explains Poyntz. "The messages start out by asking about who Ken and Debbie are the writer appears to be able to see them and accuses them of stealing his house," Poyntz adds. Advertisement Webster detailed the events in his book, "The Vertical Plane." He transcribed the first message ever received through the computer, a poem that was as beautiful as it was ominous: True are the nightmares of a person that fears. Safe are the bodies of the silent world. Turn pretty flower, turn towards the sun for you shall grow and sow. But the flower reaches too high and withers in the burning light. Get out your bricks Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat went to London to seek fame and fortune. Faith must not be lost for this shall be your redeemer. A few days later, a second message came through, equally mysterious, but this time is written in some archaic version of British English. I write on behalf of many What strange words you speak You are a worthy (good) man who has a fanciful woman, and you live in my house (who dwell in my home) with lights which (the) devil makes It was a great crime to have stolen (bribed) my house. L.W. An astute student of 16th- and 17th-century writing, Poyntz details the unique nature of L.W.'s (later revealed as "Lukas") messages. "Lukas's messages are written in archaic English, with old-fashioned spellings and vocabulary and dialect from the time and region," he says. Over 18 months in 1985 and 1986, messages continued to appear on the computer and Webster commited himself to figuring out who or what was behind them. He asked the person, ghost or presence a series of questions about where, and when, he was from. He asked what college he went to and who was the reigning king of the time. Poyntz describes an exchange that answered some questions, and yet left many more in the wake of Lukas' cryptic reply. "Lukas is suspicious about Ken and Debbie's motives. He deliberately lays traps for them to see if they are really from the future in his time, there was no Jesus College in Oxford it was founded in 1571 so he thinks that anyone from the future would know he has given, what from his perspective, is obviously false information ... his real name emerges later, as Thomas Harden or Hawarden. Someone of this name did exist and was vicar of a church in Gloucestershire in the 1550s." The messages continued and it became clear that Thomas could see and hear some of the goings-on in Meadow Cottage, as he would comment on photos left around the computer by Webster, like a picture of a Jaguar car that Thomas mentioned later in a message: I have found your picture of the cart, but it is a crude thing for without the horse it won't go far. Habib Farajollah Chaab was accused of founding the Harakat an-Nidal rebel group and collaborating with other terrorist groups. According to the indictment, the man was also involved in the 2018 attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, in which at least 25 people lost their lives and 250 were injured. According to the accusations, in addition, the man sown the seeds of corruption on Earth, for which according to Islamic law, the laws of Sharia, the most severe punishment, the death sentence, is imposed on the guilty party. Chaab was detained in Iran in October 2020, and his trial began last year. The death sentence was first pronounced in December, and in March the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of the dual citizen, and the decision could not be appealed. Sweden repeatedly spoke out in Chaabs case, calling the sentence inhumane, and tried to provide consular assistance to Chaab, but since the Islamic Republic does not recognize dual citizenship, Swedish officials were not allowed to visit him. Relations between Stockholm and Tehran have soured after Sweden sentenced former Iranian official Hamed Nuri to life in prison for his role in serious war crimes and mass murders committed in the final days of the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war. According to Tehran, the verdict was based on fabricated accusations without any basis, reports MTI. ECI says Rs 375 cr seizures in run-up to K'taka polls, 4.5 times more than 2018 New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that total seizures of Rs 375 crore was made during the run-up to the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth Rs 288 crore after the imposition of Model Code of Conduct in the southern state. Strained Indo-Pak ties to stay (Opinion) By Asad Mirza India taking down Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet is indicative of changing diplomatic might of India. India will not stick to fake goody words any longer. It signals Pakistan about the need to do more to shed the tag of being a global headache on terrorism. SC refuses to entertain plea by Muslim body against 'The Kerala Story' New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind seeking a direction to the Centre and others not to allow the screening or release of the movie entitled 'The Kerala Story' at theatres, OTT platforms and other such avenues, and also that the trailer should be removed from the Internet. Delhi HC dismisses PIL seeking inclusion of legal studies in schools New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) Dismissing a petition seeking legal studies as an optional subject in every school, the Delhi High Court on Monday said that inclusion of any subject in the curriculum falls within the domain of the executive and courts are not a forum to decide such issues. Delhi HC seeks Centre's reply on PIL for QR codes on medicines, cosmetics New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on a petition seeking the inclusion of QR codes on all medications, food items and cosmetics so that their information can be transformed from text to speech for those who are visually impaired. Soil is the foundation of our planet's ecosystems: Report New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) Soil pollution threatens the environment and human health as seriously as air and water pollution. Until recently, however, it received very little attention. Unlike air pollution, soil pollution is usually less visible and cannot be directly assessed, making it a hidden menace that can have serious consequences. Indians second largest group crossing English Channel: Home Office data London, May 6 (IANS) The number of Indians illegally crossing over into the UK across the English Channel has increased sharply in the first three months of the year, making them the second biggest cohort after Afghans, according to the latest Home Office statistics. Pakistan's brain drain turns alarming as educated queue up to leave By Mahua Venkatesh New Delhi, April 24: As Pakistan battles multiple crises -- economic, political and security -- all in one go, citizens are getting desperate to leave the country. In 2022, more than 800,000 citizens left the country. Data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment last month showed that more than 127,000 citizens have already left the country just in the first two months - January and February this year. The actual number is higher as the bureau does not track those who relocate for purposes other than employment. The urge to leave the country is significantly higher among the educated. Women switch back to cloth use as Project Udita fades out Pooja Yadav Bhopal, May 8 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Chanda (name changed) of Chimka Tola in Mandla skips school for four days in a month citing one reason or the other. A student of class 11, she is restless when she menstruates. The cloth piece that she uses these days adds to the irritability. When the state governments Project Udita was up and running, things were much easier for adolescents like her. Pakistan's dependence on China could increase if IMF deal fails Islamabad, May 9 (IANS) Pakistan's Power Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan has said that the failure to sign a staff-level agreement between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan could lead to the country's increased reliance on China, which the US and other Western powers "must take into account", media reports said. Himachal wants silviculture felling of khair to benefit farmers Shimla, May 9 (IANS) Just a day before listing of two cases pertaining to felling of 'khair' (Acacia Catechu) trees in Himachal Pradesh in the Supreme Court, the state government on Tuesday sought to waive the condition of their felling out of the purview of the 10-year felling programme to give relief to the farmers. Arunachal's Chakma, Hajong tribals wants full rights as Indian citizens Itanagar, May 9 (IANS) A tribal body on Tuesday announced that no dialogue can be held with the Arunachal Pradesh and Central governments unless Chief Minister Pema Khandu clarifies that resolution of the Chakma-Hajong issue would be found within the state by fully complying with the 1996 Supreme Court judgment and granting of full rights to them as citizens of India. 'Kantara 2' script finalised, fans await announcement Bengaluru, May 9 (IANS) The script of 'Kantara 2' has been finalised and an official announcement will be made shortly, confirmed sources close to Rishab Shetty, the director and lead actor of the pan-India superhit movie 'Kantara'. MoS IT to empower semiconductor startups, next-gen chip designers New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) India's semiconductor market is projected to reach $64 billion by 2026 and Minister of State for Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar will meet and encourage startups, next-generation innovators, chip designers and business leaders to invest in the semiconductor sector at an event as part of a series at IIT Delhi on May 12. 'Dangerous proposition': Jamiat on stand that SC rule on same-sex marriages New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that arguments made by petitioners' counsel that the top court should make a declaration about legal validation for same-sex marriage as Parliament is not likely to do anything about it will be a "dangerous proposition". Whether youre planning to visit France for leisure or business, having a reliable way to access the internet is a must. Although this is the most popular European travel destination by far, free WiFi in France is surprisingly hard to find. For the most part, youre going to place your bets on finding one in coffee shops, restaurants, and similar, but this is hardly the most convenient solution to your connectivity woes. Today, we will give you an overview of how you can access the internet while in France as well as give you a couple of alternatives to free WiFi to have a plan B in your back pocket. So whats the plan B? Most travellers want to play it safe, so its common to see them using multiple ways of accessing the internet. One of them is through data allowance on their France sim card, whether it be a local French card or an eSIM, which is its fully digital younger brother. Both of these are much better than relying on data roaming that can shoot your costs through the roof if youre not careful due to non-transparency and hidden charges. Getting an eSIM in advance, on the other hand, will get you covered for the entire duration of your travels, and you simply need to pick the right plan to save money. There is also the option of getting pocket WiFi in France, which is a good option for travellers considering it doesnt need to be plugged into work. However, the price can be high, and the stability of the connection certainly leaves something to be desired. Do you consider yourself a foodie? If so, you will be spending lots of time at the local coffee shops and restaurants in France, your natural habitat. Both are somewhat reliable places to find free WiFi, but youll have a somewhat better shot at finding it when stopping by the former compared to the latter. Luckily, they tend to be in close vicinity to popular tourist attractions! When you hear your stomach growling, youre going to have less of a say in the matter. In cases like these, chain restaurants are the recommended option because people expect to find free WiFi there, putting pressure on the business owners to cater to that need. Starbucks, McDonalds, and Subway are going to be your bread and butter in this regard. Even something as small as a drink will get you their WiFi login details printed on the receipt. Other local restaurants are much more of a hit-and-miss. The good news is that those that do offer it will usually stick a free WiFi sign right at the front door, so youll have an easier time deciding whether you want to go there. Buying something as small as a drink can get you access to free complimentary WiFi in France. Source: Pexels How about hotels and AirBNBs? Lets put it this way: it would be a severe competitive disadvantage for hotels, and AirBNB hosts do not offer free complimentary WiFi, simple as that. Therefore, this can be a reliable way to get access to WiFi in France. For obvious reasons, you cant take that with you, so youll need to find another alternative unless youre planning to spend your entire holiday in your room. Its a good practice to charge your devices and update your apps while you sleep so as to conserve data. To provide the necessary navigation essentials for your journey, did you know that Google Maps, along with its several alternatives, provide fully functional offline capacity provided that you download the maps for your local area in advance? Take advantage of your rooms WiFi to do that. Getting lost without access to the internet is the last thing you want to happen to you. A warning about free WiFi security Too many unwary travellers blindly enter their sensitive personal data whilst connected to one of these free WiFi networks, which effectively puts them at risk of being intercepted or stolen. By far and large, free WiFi is known as a cyber security risk. The reason is that getting access to it is not that hard, and anyone who is in the vicinity can do it, potentially stealing your passwords, reading your chats, and putting their nose in your business in other ways. If at all possible, you should do your online shopping, banking, and chatting about personal matters on a data connection such as the one an eSIM or a local SIM can provide. Alternatively, using a VPN is also a good option since it effectively establishes an encrypted funnel between you and the server youre connecting to. Although, if reading news or browsing the map is all you will be using the free WiFi for, theres nothing to worry about, provided that you stay logged out of your accounts and refrain from exchanging any kind of sensitive personal information. Free WiFi, convenient as it may be, is also a cybersecurity risk. Source: Pexels Conclusion Free WiFi in France is an option, albeit not a reliable one. Coffee shops, restaurant chains, hotel rooms, airports, and train stations will be your best bet. However, being location-dependent in regard to being able to access the internet is far from ideal, so for your peace of mind, its better to avail yourself of one of the alternatives weve discussed today. URBANA Eastern Illinois Foodbank, the primary food source to feeding programs in eastern Illinois, is marking 40 years of alleviating hunger this May. Eastern Illinois Foodbank was formed as part of a major regional effort to develop an emergency food network in Central Illinois. In 1980, a group of 20 local citizens met in Springfield to form a food distribution network that eventually became three independent food banks: Central Illinois Foodbank in Springfield, Peoria Area Foodbank and Eastern Illinois Foodbank. In May 1983, Eastern Illinois Foodbank was incorporated, and the following month the food bank opened its doors in downtown Champaign. Today, Eastern Illinois Foodbank serves 18 counties, including the Central Illinois counties of McLean, Woodford, Livingston, Ford, DeWitt, Piatt, Moultrie, Coles and Cumberland. When former EIF board chair Vern Fein was asked to join the meeting in 1980, he originally declined, but had a change of heart when he came across a magazine in his office. "I read that the Detroit Foodbank had recovered 9,000 pounds of frozen butter beans that were spilled on a railroad track due to a collision, and quickly distributed them to those in need. I changed my mind at once and plunged into helping start the foodbank," Fein said. Today, EIF is the largest hunger relief organization in eastern Illinois, serving more than 1 million neighbors each year through a network of 170 partner agencies. EIF recently completed a capital campaign allowing it to expand into a warehouse adjoined to the original facility, enabling the food bank to increase efficiency, accommodate more nutritious and fresh products, and extend the number of people serves. The EIF will be marking this milestone with a celebration in September during Hunger Action Month. The event will recognize individuals and organizations in the community who have had an impact on EIF's mission of alleviating hunger. "What the foodbank has accomplished is a reflection of our community. Without their support, we wouldn't have been able to fulfill our mission for the past 40 years," said President and CEO Kelly Daly. "Though so much has changed over the years, the one constant has been the dedication of our volunteers, donors, board, staff and community partners. That is what ensures we are able to meet the growing needs of eastern Illinois and will continue to be a vital resource for years to come." EIF is a member of Feeding America, Feeding Illinois, the United Way of Coles County and the United Way of Champaign County. For more information, visit eifoodbank.org. Photos: Multiple crashes lock traffic on Interstate 55 IMG_1505.jpg Traffic IMG_1514.jpg IMG_1516.jpg 050223-illinois-crashes IMG_1519.jpg IMG_1520.jpg Dust IMG_1523.jpg IMG_1525.jpg IMG_1532.jpg Windstorm Crashes Windstorm Crashes Windstorm Crashes Windstorm Crashes Windstorm Crashes Windstorm Crashes Illinois Windstorm Crashes Illinois Windstorm Crashes Illinois CHICAGO An off-duty Chicago police officer was shot and killed early Saturday as she headed home on the city's Southside after her shift. The officer was shot about 1:42 a.m. in the city's Avalon Park neighborhood, police said. She was found wounded by another officer who responded to an alert from the city's gunshot detection system, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The second officer rushed her to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The slain officer had been with Chicago police about three years. No arrests have been made. Relatives identified the slain officer to the Chicago Sun-Times as Areanah Preston, 24. "She was trying to make a change on this Earth," her father, Allen Preston, told the newspaper. Preston, who lives in Los Angeles, described his daughter as a "beautiful soul" who "always saw the best in people." "This was my baby. Everything I did was for her," he said. "I don't know what to do, right now. I'll be dealing with this for the rest of my life." Late Saturday morning, more than a dozen family members gathered outside Areanah Preston's home. "She was a definite role model with a career path that just didn't stop," said her aunt, Sonia Rawsk. Areanah Preston earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Illinois State University. Professor Charles Bell told the Sun-Times that she was "very passionate about making a difference and showing young people that policing is a profession that can make a difference in the community." "She was very aware of a lot of the problems that in her opinion had manifested in the Chicago community," Bell added. "She was a reformer. She saw a problem and she was dedicated to making a difference." Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 CHICAGO A young Chicago police officer who had recently earned her masters degree and whose family called happy and intelligent was shot dead early Saturday shortly after leaving the station following her shift on the citys South Side, Chicago police said. Police responded to shot spotter calls about 1:45 a.m. in the 8100 block of South Blackstone Avenue in the Avalon Park neighborhood and found 24-year-old Areanah Preston with gunshot wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiners office and police. One of the first officers to get there rendered aid, but Preston was transported to UChicago Medicine where she died, police said. No one was in custody in the fatal shooting, police said. Preston, who had only been with the police department for three years, had just completed her shift and was assigned to the Calumet District station on the citys Far South Side. She was intelligent, a happy person ... she was all of that and more, Prestons grandfather, whom she knew as Pa Pa and who was getting ready to travel to Chicago, told the Tribune. I cant speak about her without breaking up. Tense exchanges between an officer and 911 dispatchers erupted shortly after shooting.495: emergency, emergency! the officer says. 81st and Blackstone we got a person shot its an off duty po! Get an ambulance here now! After a 10-1, an emergency call to all officers in the area to immediately help out, was given over the radio, the officer was apparently with the fallen officer. Squad, its not looking good get an ambulance here now! the officer said. Preston, who lived in Avalon Park, had earned a masters degree in child and family law from Loyola University Chicago, according to her LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. She graduated in 2019 with a bachelors degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Illinois State University, according to the profiles. In a social media post, one of Prestons friends remembered her as a humble, dedicated, helpful, sophisticated soul. Another remembered her as the life of everything and as sweet as pie. During her undergraduate studies, Prestons academic interests ranged from restorative justice and trauma in incarcerated populations to diversity in law enforcement and police brutality. A former professor of Prestons at ISU, criminal justice scientist Charles Bell, said he met the young woman as a student. She attended a panel that included formerly incarcerated individuals and was in a class Bell teaches on Race, Ethnicity and Criminal Justice. She understands the intimate details about what is happening in the community, some of the challenges that are impacting policing and mass incarceration, he told the Tribune. She was very vocal about that and sharing it with the class and deeply passionate about making a difference. The panel Bell led appeared to be particularly eye-opening for Preston, who was interviewed about it for an article in the ISU student newspaper The Vidette. I was able to learn firsthand the problems that many of our incarcerated population goes through outside of the standard textbook curriculum, Preston was quoted as saying in the paper. If youre interested in making a difference like Areanah was, youre interested in learning where (crime) starts, Bell said. And she was really interested in making a difference in the community, going back to Chicago, boots on the ground, helping people. In 2019, Preston took a class that offered opportunities to engage in dialogue with German students about the criminal justice system in Germany and the United States, according to an ISU news article. The class delved into the availability and accessibility of resources for unresolved trauma in incarcerated women in both countries. After a two-week class trip to Holocaust sites in Germany and Poland that same year, where Preston and her peers studied genocide through a criminology lens, she decided to enter the police academy something shed already been thinking about with the goal of building trust between underrepresented communities and law enforcement. I know a big thing for our trip was finding voices for those who didnt have a voice, Preston was quoted as saying back in 2021. When I got back, I wanted to be an officer. I felt like I could be a person to fight for justice. Bell said it was deeply heartbreaking to hear the news about Prestons death Saturday. She was a very bright student with the whole world ahead of her, he said. And its heartbreaking to see someone whos so passionate and so dedicated, so young, whos interested in reform, interested in creating a better world, lose her life at 24. In a news conference Saturday morning, interim Chicago police Superintendent Eric Carter asked the public to keep the officer and her family in your prayers, as well as the men and women of the Chicago Police Department, who sacrifice everything including their lives. Outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot was also on hand during the news conference. Its unfortunate that were standing here again today to talk about another tragedy that has befallen one of our bravest citizens, Lightfoot said. I had an opportunity to speak with the family of this officer, who as you might imagine is completely shattered. ... No mother wants to wake up to the tragic news that their child is dead. And dead to something as awful and tragic as gunfire. She said she told the interim superintendent to spare no expense in order to find the person or people responsible and bring them to justice. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson released a statement late Saturday morning, calling the slaying a profound tragedy. Im outraged and devastated by this horrific violence against a public servant, and I will do everything I can to support her family and the Chicago Police Department through this traumatic time, Johnson said in the statement. I pray that her killer is apprehended quickly so that justice may be served. Johnson said the fact a police officer was killed in the middle of the night emphasized the public safety crisis in the city. My top priority is building a better, stronger, safer Chicago where all our residents can live and work free from the threat of violence, Johnson said. Our hearts are broken once again, said Tom Ahern, deputy director of police news affairs tweeted. The Chicago Police Department and the city of Chicago tragically lost one of our own. Our officer was fatally shot while returning home from her tour of duty earlier this morning. The police department suffered a similar tragedy earlier this year when officer Andres Vasquez Lasso was shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic-related call in Gage Park. In that case, Steven Montano, 18, of the 2500 block of South Lawndale, was charged with first-degree murder, weapons charges and interfering with a domestic violence report. Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Achievers The North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners approved 110 individuals, including Ronald King Bangco and Robert Winston Eskridge, both of Kernersville, for North Carolina CPA licensure on April 20. * * * * The following individuals were recently named to Business North Carolina Magazines 2023 Power List as among the states most influential business leaders: Jay Raffaldini, owner, Raffaldini Vineyards, Winston-Salem and Jeremy Reaves, CEO, Cook Out, Thomasville The magazine selected candidates across various industries based on interviews with business community members and reader suggestions. Business North Carolina compiles the annual list of business leaders with an emphasis on those who have made a particularly noteworthy impact in the past year. Awards Truliant Federal Credit Union was recently honored with three Diamond Awards from Credit Union National Associations Marketing and Business Development Council. The awards are the most prestigious annual credit union marketing honors recognizing creative excellence. This year, Truliant received three: For our The feeling when billboard in the outdoor marketing category and two awards for video: Truliants internal I am/We are Truliant video and the What Its like to Work at Truliant recruiting video. The Diamond Awards honor credit unions in 35 categories, ranging from direct mail to website marketing to video and radio commercials to social media. Judges evaluated entries based on strategy, design, production, creative concept, copy, communication and results. This years Diamond Awards competition received 1,246 entries 91 credit unions won Categorys Best Awards and 244 won Diamond Awards. In total, 159 credit unions received awards. * * * * Better Business Bureau has announced that three Triad-area businesses won 2023 Torch Awards for Ethics: Category 2-25 employees: High Point Mitsubishi, High Point first-time Torch Award winner and recently accredited in December 2022 Category 26- 75 employees: Gwyn Services, Winston-Salem first-time Torch Award winner and accredited for 46 years Category 76 + employees: Replacements Ltd., McLeansville four-time Torch Award winner and accredited for 41 years The Torch Awards for Ethics is the most prestigious honor BBB can present to a business. Being a recipient indicates the business not only believes in the high standards of honesty, integrity and transparency promoted by BBB, but also consistently acts on them and continuously integrates them into its daily practices. The finalists this year, both from Winston-Salem, are Mathis Home Improvements (2-25 employees) and The Meridian Realty Group (26-75 employees). The three winning businesses can now compete in the International Torch Awards for Ethics. * * * * Abdou Lachgar, professor of chemistry at Wake Forest University, has been selected as a 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Scholar for Namibia. Lachgar will conduct research and teach in the materials science department at the University of Namibia. I plan to establish collaborations in the development of materials and technologies for two critical applications: Sustainable production of hydrogen using solar energy, and conversion of biowaste to biofuel, he said. The proposed research projects will contribute to reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Namibia is one of a handful of countries that has included sustainability and environmental protection and justice as part of their constitution. For the past 23 years, Lachgars teaching and research has been anchored in the development of materials and technologies for sustainability, and he will share that expertise. Lachgar was granted his first Fulbright U.S. Fellowship in 2019 at the University of the State of Sao Paulo in Brazil. On the Move Jack ONeal has joined Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey, a business law firm, as an associate. Prior to joining Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey, ONeal was an associate with Johnson, Ayers & Matthews in Roanoke, Va. A Salisbury man was shot and injured at the KFC on Liberty Street on Saturday night, Winston-Salem police said. Police responded a Shot Spotter Alert at the restaurant at 1125 Liberty St. about 10:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found no evidence of a shooting. Dewan Kenneth Brent, 38, of Salisbury drove himself to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the thigh. His injury is not believed to be life-threatening. Police are continuing their investigation. It was only months ago that N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County not only supported abortion rights in North Carolina, but co-sponsored a bill that would have expanded them. Cotham also made national headlines with a compelling speech on the House floor in 2015 about her own abortion and how politicians had no business insinuating themselves into such a personal decision. Even in her most recent campaign she included abortion rights as one of the causes for which her support was unwavering and unapologetic. Until it wasnt. Since that time theres been a whole lot of wavering going on, if not much apologizing. Cotham, who switched her party affiliation last month from Democrat to Republican, quietly voted for a bill that reduces access to abortion in North Carolina from 20 to 12 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and life-limiting physical or genetic disorders. Before the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade last year, North Carolinas cutoff for abortions had been 26 weeks. Republicans rammed through the 46-page bill in only 48 hours, allowing no amendments and only limited discussion of whats in it. And theres a lot in it: It bans the most commonly used form of abortion in North Carolina, medication abortions, after 10 weeks. It requires three in-person appointments (two before, and one follow-up) for drug-induced abortions, which would be especially challenging for working women with limited means. And it adds onerous requirements for clinics, which the North Carolina Medical Society says are administratively burdensome, are not evidence-based and will impede patient access to medical care. Now, its possible that Cotham has had a genuine change of heart about a womans right to choose. But if she has, shes not saying. She quietly voted for the bill, which quickly passed last week along party lines in both the House and Senate. So its hard not to be cynical, when, for a politician, down suddenly becomes up and left becomes right. The ironically named Care for Women, Children and Families Act does precisely what Cotham adamantly opposed only a few short months ago. This isnt to say that we shouldnt make allowances for honest changes of heart. They do happen, even among politicians. Take U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who was Republican royalty and voted almost always with Donald Trump before calling out the former president and other Republicans on the Jan. 6 debacle. Cheney had little to gain and everything to lose by stepping to forward to hold to account those who were responsible for the Capitol riot. And she did it anyway, obliterating any chances for reelection and becoming a pariah in her own party. But she didnt change parties and she certainly didnt change her political views, which still veer hard to the right. And, unlike many Republicans who expressed their outage on Jan. 6, then conveniently backtracked in the days that followed, just maybe she has a conscience. The same probably cant be said of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who seems capable of selling his mother for the right price. One reason Americans hold politicians in such low esteem as that for too many of them principles are situational. This is why Republicans in North Carolina will wax eloquent about protecting the lives of children even as they continue to strip away gun laws while more children die from gun violence. Or will fight to the death in court against adequate funding for public schools as they sit on budget surpluses. Or will preachify about the sanctity of life while doing little about the maternal mortality rate in the state, which disproportionately affects Black women. Gov. Cooper has made it clear he will veto the bill, but it probably wont matter. Thanks to Cothams defection, Republicans now hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly and will override it. As for what used to be called flip-flopping on issues for political or personal gain, time was when at least it was considered a mark of shame. Today, not so much. Some even wear their shamelessness like a badge of honor. Which is to say: If Darth Vader had been a politician in 2023 he would have gone to the dark side of the force a lot quicker and saved us the torture of some very bad prequels. Several state legislatures where Republicans are in the majority have reached the conclusion that self-righteous certainty is not enough, they have also come to the conclusion that sovereignty rests with their desires. Not to be outdone by the Tennessee state legislature that recently expelled two African American members, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, from its body, the Montana legislature silenced and barred Representative Zooey Zephyr from conducting the peoples business. Zephyr was prohibited from participating in floor debates on April 18 after she said those who supported a ban on gender-affirming care for youths would have blood on their hands. Days later, she raised her microphone in defiance as demonstrators in the House gallery angrily demanded she be allowed to speak, leading to seven arrests and Zephyrs banishment from the House floor. In their magnanimity, the legislature did allow Zephyr to vote remotely. Somehow this latter consideration hardly seems sufficient when disenfranchising a duly elective representative and her constituency. It has become increasingly fashionable to invoke the nuclear option when majorities in the legislature are met with a contrarian perspective that makes them uncomfortable. Are we a system of government whereby representatives, elected by citizens to represent them or one led forcefully by suppressing opposition and criticism? It would seem the Montana legislature has decided on the latter. In doing so, the Montana legislature has violated a major tenet: Agreement is overrated. Montana is grappling with a complicated issue to which, frankly, I do not possess a cogent response. It requires much more research than the Republican-led majority wishes to engage in. History does not bode well for the side that hides behind the rationale of protecting the children. Invariably, it is nothing more than a cowardly canard to justify othering a group. The cowardly adjective is borne out by the Montana legislatures treatment of Zephyr. Moreover, at no time has legislation designed to other someone reflected the best in the American project. When has it proven to be a net plus for Americas democratic-republican form of government to unceremoniously silence a duly elected official because that person possesses a different opinion? This is potentially one of the unfortunate outcomes when electing individuals whose desire for public office exceeds their understanding and/or their appreciation for governing. Where does a ban on gender-affirming care for youths rank in terms of priority with Montanans? I invite you to research it, which means more than a sophomoric Google search. I can assure you it doesnt make the top five. This is a fear-based issue that fans the flames of difference as somehow deficient. Unlike totalitarian regimes, the measure of a healthy democracy is its ability to coexist with difference. The reactionary moves to silence Zephyr extend to the district she represents. The democratic burden goes beyond taking action against words one may subjectively find offensive, but also it is a disapproving critique of the voters who sent Zephyr to represent them. There is a certain arrogance associated with banning someone because the majority is offended by something that is deeply personal to the individual who uttered the words. Though the specifics suggest this is a new issue, in a macro context, it is older than the republic itself. The potential weakness in a democratic system is the tyranny of the majority when the majority places its own interests above all without consideration of the pernicious consequences of the minority. It was James Madisons concern in Federalist 10. Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America, defined tyranny of the majority as decision-making which bases its claim to rule upon numbers, not upon rightness or excellence. When in the majority, one can be so saturated with arrogance that he or she does not feel bound by self-reflective impulses. Did Zephyrs suggestion that opposing gender-affirming health care for minors could potentially leave one with blood on their hands warrant disenfranchising the voice of those that sent her to the state capitol? If your answer to the aforementioned is in the affirmative, you are part of an increasing part of the American populace only interested in a democracy that aligns with their previously held beliefs. If your response was negative, regardless of how you may feel about the issue, you represent the best in the American tradition that understands difference is not deficient and that agreement, while in the majority, can still be overrated. Kim Miller has been through a lot since she was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer nearly 18 years ago. Treatments have included surgery and radiation, all of which have come with side effects. About three years ago, she started oral chemotherapy. But nothing slowed her down like the blood clots that were detected in all lobes of both lungs soon afterward. She had become really short of breath. Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, helped, but she still had trouble breathing while walking and doing other normal activities. A cardiologist at the Nebraska Medical Center did a series of tests that found Miller, 47, had residual clots and scarring, resulting in a condition called chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, or CTEPH, for short. In it, clots and scarring obstruct the flow of blood through the lungs and result in elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which can lead to right-sided heart failure. Miller took medication, which helped, but she still got short of breath during exercise. And that was a problem for the Council Bluffs resident, who is manager of Nebraska Medicines blood and marrow transplantation and CAR-T program. Her family likes to be active. She and her husband are planning to hike Scotlands 96-mile West Highland Way over seven days in September to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. We go hiking a lot, and I felt like a burden to them, because I had to stop and rest, Miller said. I would look at this hill and feel like it was insurmountable. And Im stubborn enough that I would do it, and Im glad that I did it, but it really just wasnt enjoyable to me any longer. So the cardiologist sent her to Dr. Karen Deffenbacher, an interventional cardiologist who joined Nebraska Medicine last summer. Deffenbacher had trained in a procedure called pulmonary balloon angioplasty. Its similar to the balloon procedure used to open clogged heart arteries and involves the same wires and balloons. Deffenbacher said the procedure is one of the new pieces of Nebraska Medicines Pulmonary Embolism Response Team, or PERT, program, which launched in February. The multidisciplinary teams, which include a variety of specialists, are being formed in a growing number of hospitals nationwide to rapidly diagnose and treat patients with lung clots, or pulmonary embolisms, similar to the stroke teams in many hospitals. The teams are part of efforts in recent decades to address pulmonary embolisms, which are caused by clots that form elsewhere in the body and then break off and travel to the pulmonary arteries the ones that carry oxygen-spent blood coming in from the veins to the lungs to pick up oxygen. Small clots may break down without causing any problems. But some can be larger, and deadly. Pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of death from cardiovascular disease, after heart attack and stroke, Deffenbacher said. For the larger ones, there are a number of potential interventions. Doctors can give clot-busting drugs, either intravenously so they go throughout the system or by using catheters to drip it inside clots. Others include clot-sucking devices and surgery. Methodist Health System, which has had a PERT program since about 2015, is involved in an international trial comparing clot-busting drugs alone with a combination of drugs and ultrasound therapy, said Dr. Anjan Talukdar, a vascular surgeon with Methodist Physicians Clinic. The Methodist team also can perform pulmonary balloon angioplasty in patients with CTEPH. Lincolns Bryan Health also has a formal PERT program. CHI Health doesnt have a formal team but has a process in place to assess patients and determine the best intervention 24/7, said Dr. Patrick Harty, an interventional radiologist with the health system. Deffenbacher said the residual clots that cause CTEPH, on the other hand, can be treated by opening the chest to clear the arteries. Thats done if most of the residual clot lies in the main pulmonary arteries. The balloon technique, by comparison, can reach the small peripheral vessels that surgery cant, said Deffenbacher, who grew up in Omaha and completed a dual M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. It also can be used to clear leftover, outlying clots in patients where drug therapy or surgery has successfully resolved a large, central clot. Miller underwent the procedure twice, first in February and again early this month. Previously, she might have been referred to a hospital in another state. Depending on the amount of clot remaining, patients may require two to six separate procedures. The balloon technique doesnt apply to large numbers of patients. CTEPH affects between 5% and 12% of people with symptomatic pulmonary embolisms, Deffenbacher said, but the number likely is higher and may change as diagnostics improve. During her last year of training at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, doctors performed about 50 such procedures. The procedure differs from the balloon angioplasty long used to open heart arteries in that doctors navigate veins instead of arteries, starting with one in the groin, to reach the pulmonary arteries. Those arteries are thin-walled like veins, rather than muscular like other arteries. Pulmonary arteries dont require stents to keep them open. Opening pulmonary arteries involves simply pushing the clot out of the way, Deffenbacher said. But the process comes with a bit of a learning curve. The team only works on one lung at a time and usually clears two to three segments of vessel at a time. Patients who travel for it often have to stay several weeks to complete the series. Miller was glad she could stay close to home. Her daughter, who was less than a year old when Miller was diagnosed with cancer, is busy with activities and soon will graduate from high school. She plans to attend college in Colorado next year, and the family already is planning lots of visits and hikes. Miller said she noticed improvement after her first procedure cleared some clots in a lower lung. After the second, she realized how much the condition had been impacting her energy level and daily activities. She felt euphoric out walking her dog. I cant even tell you how good I feel, Miller said. It feels so good to feel so good. And, shes looking forward to training for and going on her Scottish trek. Its still going to be a challenge because of the distance, she said, but Im going to be starting in a much better place. Top Journal Star photos for April 2023 As a longtime family physician, Dr. Michael Havekost has plenty of experience in managing behavioral health issues like anxiety and depression in his adult patients. But children are different. They wont necessarily talk about how theyre feeling. They show it through symptoms, like not wanting to come out of their room or go to school. Theyre not just little adults, he said. So Havekost, of Beatrice, Nebraska, is spending the weekend in Omaha, joining 44 other primary care providers for three days of intensive training intended to help them identify, treat and manage the mental health conditions in the children and teens in their care. The session marks the launch of Childrens Hospital & Medical Centers Outreach for Provider Education, or COPE, program. Organizers hope to train up to 200 primary care providers over the next three years. The program also will feature a dedicated consultation line that providers can call to seek advice in managing behavioral health care for kids, no matter whether theyve been through the training. Dr. Jennifer McWilliams, Childrens division chief of pediatric psychiatry and the programs medical director, said the shortage of behavioral health providers in Nebraska, like that across the country, has placed primary care providers on the front lines of caring for children and teens with mental health challenges, often without much support or backup. While many primary care providers have had some training in behavioral health care, she said, such schooling typically has been limited or occurred years ago. A third of Nebraska counties have no behavioral health provider of any kind. Meanwhile, both the state and the nation have seen a sharp increase in the number of children and teens reporting mental health challenges. A lot of them feel very unprepared for this onslaught of kids with mental health concerns, McWilliams said. Havekost said Beatrice is among communities that do not have pediatric psychiatrists. With training, he said, primary care providers can handle most behavioral health cases. Having the consultation service will allow him to ask questions, get ideas and check his conclusions, just as he would with kidney and heart specialists. We want to treat them correctly and help them out, he said, noting that hes also a familiar face for his patients and their families who can recognize when something like grades arent quite right. Other providers apparently agree. McWilliams said she worried initially that this weekends session might not fill, given that it launched with relatively short notice. But all 45 slots filled within 48 hours. Attendees represent a mix of providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, as well as pediatricians and family physicians. About half are from the Omaha-Lincoln area and the rest practice in rural areas. Were really excited about that, McWilliams said. COPE is planning another session in the fall and two to three more next year. For the inaugural training, Childrens is partnering with the REACH Institute, a long-standing provider of behavioral health training for primary care providers. Providers will learn how to assess and manage conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and ADHD in children and teens. Havekost said participants will continue to meet by Zoom every two weeks for about five or six months so they can ask more questions and discuss cases. Both the training and the call line are funded by $1.8 million from Nebraskas federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. Additional money for staffing is provided by a grant from the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska. Childrens received separate ARPA funding to develop pediatric mental health urgent care in the state. The Nebraska Legislature last year designated a total of $40 million of its ARPA funds for behavioral health projects. McWilliams said Childrens has had an informal consultation line for Childrens Physicians clinicians and some others for some time. Participants in the weekend training will be offered access afterward as a sort of soft opening. At the end of the month, the COPE team will host the medical directors of Project TEACH, a training and consultation program for providers in New York. Programs like COPE have been implemented in 38 states. By that time, she said, COPEs organizers hope to have hired a project manager for the program. Once the project manager is in place, they hope to formalize the phone line and a website. Among the tools the trainers and primary care providers are exploring this weekend are screening tools used to quickly assess for anxiety and depression. The training will walk providers through the therapies and medications that are effective in such cases. If those dont help, providers can call the consultation line to consider next steps. This has been my career passion, recognizing there is no physical way myself and my colleagues in child psychiatry ... can see all the kids who need to be seen, McWilliams said. Im just so excited that were moving this forward and making this happen. Top Journal Star photos for May 2023 If the millions funneled into Lincolns mayoral race did nothing else, they drew voters in record numbers for a city general election, which proved pivotal for Leirion Gaylor Baird when they re-elected her by a nearly 10 percentage point margin. Turnout for Tuesdays general election was 46.2%, in part, several observers said, because of unprecedented campaign spending by both Gaylor Baird, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Suzanne Geist. Gaylor Baird raised $1.7 million, and cash and in-kind contributions to Geists campaign totaled $1.9 million, according to the latest filings with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. For comparison, Gaylor Baird raised about $580,000 when she ran four years ago. For her second campaign, she spent just over $1 million, according to the latest records, though that will likely rise in later statements because more than $400,000 in payments to the Nebraska Democratic Party for campaign mailing costs are not yet accounted for on the expenditure side of the records. Geist spent $1.5 million, but that doesnt include more than $870,000 spent by a conservative political action committee funded largely by two families that opposed Gaylor Baird and supported Geist. Final vote count in city elections The Lancaster County Election Commissioner on Friday released unofficial final election results from Tuesday's general election. It included 839 provisional ballots and those that couldn't be read by the machines. Those ballots raised voter turnout to 46.2%. It changed no outcomes, and in the mayor race gave 310 more votes to Suzanne Geist and 512 votes to Leirion Gaylor Baird. The final vote tally was 44,496 (55%) for Gaylor Baird and 36,727 (45%) for Geist. The election will be certified Monday. I think sometimes people over-emphasize the impact money can have in a campaign, said University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor Kevin Smith. It doesnt buy you a vote. But it can buy attention and name recognition, and those two things boost turnout. Typically, off-cycle local elections tend to fly under the radar, even for people who are politically aware and involved, Smith said. This election cycle you had to be really trying (not) to know there was a mayoral race going on not turn on a TV, a radio, not open a Twitter feed, look up at a billboard or go to the mailbox, he said. Money can also allow candidates to control or attempt to control the narrative, to frame their story and also that of their opponent through various media channels, Smith said. That certainly happened in this election. Geist and her supporters attacked Gaylor Baird, painting her as an insider, implying she was responsible for rising property values and attacking her on public safety, portraying Lincolns crime as spiking during her tenure. Gaylor Baird leaned into Geists record as a state senator, particularly on controversial issues, similar to the culture war issues that have dominated national politics, and said she was too extreme for Lincoln. Negative campaigning works, Smith said, because people are more responsive to negative appeals than positive ones. If you are trying to appeal to a mass audience in a relatively short time span, it makes sense to play on the negative, he said, though its no guarantee the messaging will work. Leirion Gaylor Baird top donors Mike and Karen Hays: $255,000 Lincoln Firefighters Association: $75,000 John Woollam: $60,000 Virginia Johnson: $53,100 Phil Perry: $45,712 Gaylor Baird had the funding to build her own narrative and controversial bills in the Legislature likely worked against Geist, said political observers from both parties interviewed by the Journal Star who asked not to be named because of their positions. Although Geist resigned from the Legislature after the primary, the debate over bills that sought to further restrict abortion, allow concealed carry without a permit or training and ban gender-affirming care for young people likely had an impact on the race, those observers said. In Lincoln where Gov. Jim, Pillen, former Gov. Pete Ricketts and Congressmen Mike Flood all lost to Democrats, those issues are important, and Gaylor Baird capitalized on them. Its also possible, Smith and others said, that large amounts of money from a few deep-pocketed donors could have backfired. If the perception among persuadable voters is that someone is trying to influence the mayoral outcome with their checkbook, it may be persuasive in the exact opposite way than the way the person writing the checks intended, Smith said, emphasizing that he doesnt have data available to know if thats in fact what happened in the general election. Donations from two families made up about 65% of the donations to Geist's campaign coffers, according to accountability and disclosure records. The Peeds and their company Sandhills Global donated nearly $1.09 million directly to Geists campaign and U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts donated $150,000. And those two sources contributed $835,000 to Together Nebraska, the conservative political action committee that paid for many of the ads attacking Gaylor Baird on public safety and property taxes. Geists other top donors included Cara Whitney, the wife of comedian Larry the Cable Guy, who donated $100,000; Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who donated more than $28,000 and several donors who gave $10,000, including the Lincoln Police Union, which endorsed Geist. Gaylor Bairds largest supporters included Mike Hays, CEO of National Research Corp., and his wife, who together donated $255,000; and the Lincoln Firefighters Association, which endorsed Gaylor Baird, donated $75,000. Suzanne Geist top donors Peed family/Sandhills Global: $1.1 million Pete Ricketts: $150,000 Cara Whitney: $100,000 Mike Hilgers: $28,445 Lincoln Police Union: $10,000 (among several donors who gave $10,000) Other top donors included John Woollam, owner of a high-tech company in the Haymarket, who donated $60,000; Virginia Johnson, a business owner and retired attorney, who gave more than $53,000; and Phil Perry, owner of a property management company in Lincoln, who donated more than $45,000. Susanne Shore, a registered Democrat who is married to Pete Ricketts, donated $40,000. Ricketts and Shore have supported opposing candidates before, but Shore's contribution to Gaylor Baird is one of the largest she's made in recent elections. Bold Alliance, a political advocacy group that focuses on water, land and environmental issues, donated $10,000; and donations from a number of labor unions in Omaha and Washington, D.C., totaled $34,000. Everytown for Gun Safety, a national nonprofit that advocates for gun control, donated $1,000 to Gaylor Baird, as did a political action committee called Women Who Run Nebraska, which supports progressive women running for office in Nebraska. The money raised and spent by both mayoral candidates may influence future races, by raising the financial bar, Smith said. Regardless of which side of the aisle youre on, if youre going to mount a serious campaign for mayor of Lincoln, now this precedent is set, he said. Sometimes once the precedent is set it just feeds on itself. Photos: Scenes from Lincoln's May 2 General Election Robin Koda navigated the levees of her family's rice farm with the grace of someone who has been moving among water, soil and grass her whole life. She wore jean overalls and a wide-brimmed woven hat that offered minimal protection from the oppressive heat that rippled under a cloudless sky. It was July 14, and the almanac would later peg the high at 100 degrees. Somehow, it felt much hotter than that. Still, it was something close to bearable near the water, whose constant trickle into the farm's system of canals was a reminder of the thirsty crop for which Koda Farms is celebrated. "It's pretty meditative, right?" asked Koda, the farm's co-owner. Koda Farms played a key role in the spread of sushi in Los Angeles in the 1960s, said Atsuko Kanai, daughter of Noritoshi Kanai, who helped popularize the cuisine in the Southland. Without Kokuho Rose, the farm's special strain of medium-grain rice, his sushi gambit might have failed. "There were a few things that made sushi possible No. 1 and most pivotal was the rice," said Atsuko, whose father visited Koda Farms in 1963 and struck a distribution deal to wholesale the Kokuho Rose rice to L.A. restaurants. "Koda Farms [made] a more palatable rice that could be served in sushi." For Noritoshi Kanai, a Mutual Trading Co. executive, the prospect of his food-importing business bringing high-quality rice from Japan had been daunting it would be too expensive. What's more, much of the rice found in America in the early 1960s was of the long-grain sort, which wasn't suitable for sushi. The food typically requires rice that is stickier than other varieties, helping nigiri retain its shape after being formed. Kanai, who persuaded the owner of Little Tokyo haunt Kawafuku to open a sushi bar around 1965, needed a local source. Launched in 1962, Kokuho Rose was developed by Koda Farms in conjunction with rice breeder Arthur Hughes Williams. The heirloom variety, Koda said, crossed a California medium-grain rice with a Middle Eastern long-grain to create a new, higher-quality medium-grain offering. Koda said Kokuho Rose was envisioned by her grandfather, Keisaburo Koda, who founded the San Joaquin Valley farm in 1928, as a table rice. The variety, she said, "was not developed specifically to be a sushi rice that's just the application that [Mutual Trading] saw was useful to them." The rice was a revelation: Until the invention of this medium-grain strain, what had been available to make sushi in California was "tasteless, couldn't retain moisture, and would get brittle as it cooled down," said Anthony Al-Jamie, editor in chief of the Japanese culture magazine Tokyo Journal. The son of a samurai turned rice miller, Keisaburo Koda was born in Japan in 1882. He immigrated to California in his mid-20s and pursued several ventures, including wildcatting for oil in the hills of Coalinga, a Fresno County town. He began farming rice in the late 1910s on leased land in Northern California. He wanted to buy property, but "no one would sell to Asians" there, Robin Koda said. "He just literally kept moving south until he found someone who would sell land to him," she said, adding that her grandfather started the farm by purchasing about 8,000 acres in South Dos Palos. As a rice farmer, Keisaburo Koda became known for his innovations, including sowing seeds via airplane. In more recent years, Koda Farms' rice has won acclaim from chefs and food publications. In 2020, Sunset magazine dubbed it the "Holy Grail of California Rice." It is served at L.A. eateries, including M Cafe and Porridge + Puffs. After touring the rice fields, Robin Koda climbed into her Ford van, a spartan vehicle that shuddered angrily over the farm's rutted roads. She drove a short distance before parking in front of a property that had been Koda Farms' original headquarters and now serves as a reminder of a dark period during World War II. Once the U.S. declared war against Japan in 1941, the government imprisoned Japanese Americans, including the Koda family. Notified that they would be sent to a detention camp in Colorado, they planned to temporarily close their farm, according to Robin Koda. But the government mandated that it remain in operation to support the wartime economy, so Keisaburo Koda had to hand over the management to non-Asians, she said. When their incarceration ended, the Kodas returned to find that their prime property and equipment had been sold. "There was about 1,000 acres of scrappy land left," Koda said. "Only junk remained; all the best stuff it was totally picked over." But the family began building a new farm close by. Looking at the original headquarters, which the Kodas never reacquired, Koda marveled at the strength of her family: "To rebuild like a mile down the road to have this here as a daily reminder of what was wrongfully, illegally taken away from you it's sort of crazy." It isn't just Atsuko Kanai who has touted the significance of Koda Farms' contribution to L.A.'s sushi supply chain. Al-Jamie said that the creation of Kokuho Rose was "essential" to the spread of sushi across the region. Without the heirloom rice, Al-Jamie said, "I don't think [sushi] would have taken off" when it did. But, in a twist, Kokuho Rose is no longer a sushi bar staple, with chefs now preferring short-grain rice. In the 1980s, Koda said, more Japanese short-grain rice became available in the U.S. market, which may explain the sea change. That rice, she said, is "more sticky" than Kokuho Rose, and "it seems to be a preference" among sushi chefs. But that shift didn't roil the company's business. Far from it. "We never would have pigeonholed ourselves into just sushi rice you would cut your market down," Koda said, explaining that her company's two biggest products are its Sho-Chiku-Bai sweet rice and Blue Star Mochiko sweet rice flour. Koda takes pride in carrying on the legacy of her family's business the one started by the man once dubbed the "Rice King." On that sweltering day in July, talk of ancestors filled Koda's kitchen as she prepared rice for a visitor. She lives in a modest home on the farm that's within view of the vast, metal-sided structures that house the machinery that processes Koda Farms' rice crops. During the harvest, which typically begins in September, the workforce here swells to nearly 100 people. She brought over a small bowl of cooked Kokuho Rose one topped with a spoonful of briny salmon roe that contrasted nicely with the rice's floral bouquet. Then she shared something that could have only been a dream in 1928, when her late grandfather founded Koda Farms, but had become a reality by 1963, when Kanai paid his fateful visit here. "People just knew," she said, "that if you wanted rice, the best rice was Koda Farms rice." In Massachusetts, where available rental apartments are scarcer than anywhere else, theres a political battle raging over whether suburban towns should help boost the housing supply by allowing denser development. Similar debates have erupted all over the Northeast and West Coast, as officials in states with housing shortages scramble to keep their residents and to combat homelessness by promoting the construction of new homes. However, high construction costs make it likely that much of the state-mandated new housing will be unaffordable for many middle-class renters. Rental vacancy rates, the percentage of apartments available to rent, are reaching troubling lows in much of the country. Nineteen states had rental vacancy rates below 5% in 2022, up from nine states in 2017, according to federal housing data. Thats the threshold considered by many experts to be a sign of a severe housing shortage, which can drive up rents and make it difficult for people with moderate incomes to find a place to live. The entire West Coast is in that category, as well as much of the Eastern seaboard and fast-growing Idaho (with a 4% vacancy rate) and Utah (4.5%). Of the 12 states with the highest homelessness rates, more than 200 per 100,000 people, eight have rental vacancy rates under 5%: California, Vermont, Oregon, New York, Washington, Maine, Delaware and Massachusetts, according to a Stateline analysis. Californias rental vacancy rate was 3.9% in 2022. The state is trying to implement a 5-year-old law that requires local governments to either permit enough new homes to reach statewide housing goals or fast-track the construction of new apartments. The governors of Oregon and New York, where the rental vacancy rates are 4.1% and 4.3%, respectively, also are pushing local leaders to allow more housing construction. Many other states with low rental vacancy rates already have plans to mandate or at least encourage more apartments, especially around transit hubs. Utahs Republican-led legislature, for example, passed a bill last year creating incentives for cities to plan moderate-income housing. In Connecticut, where the vacancy rate is 3.3%, third lowest in the country, most towns missed a deadline last year to file plans for more affordable housing. Of the states 169 towns, 135 had filed plans by March 30, according to the latest state report. The other states that had rental vacancy rates below 5% last year were Montana (3.2%); Vermont and Delaware (3.5%); New Jersey (3.7%); Maine (4.0%); Colorado (4.1%); New Hampshire (4.3%); Kentucky (4.5%); Rhode Island and Wisconsin (4.6%); Washington state (4.7%) and Virginia (4.9%). Nationwide, the 2022 rental vacancy rate was 5.8%, a level that before this decade hadnt been reached since the mid-1980s. Massachusetts has the lowest rate in the country, at 2.8%. That level essentially means that no apartments are available, since a small percentage of apartments are always vacant for renovation or awaiting renters who have already signed a lease. A new Massachusetts mandate requires communities to allow more apartments near suburban transit hubs such as train stations. Some towns, such as the Boston suburb of Lexington, have embraced it. But others, such as Middleborough, are resisting it. Middleborough officials say they want more affordable housing but that the rent would be too high in some of the proposed buildings. Today, a new two-bedroom apartment in suburban Massachusetts is likely to rent for almost $3,000. Supporters of the housing requirements argue that increasing the overall housing supply is likely to moderate prices in the future. This is a blue-collar town, said Mark Germain, chair of the Middleborough Select Board. Germain said the town is building affordable housing near the train station as fast as it can. However, it doesnt want hundreds of new market-rate rentals, he said, because those would tax the towns sewer plant and be out of reach for working-class people. New construction adds supply primarily at the upper end of the market, a Harvard housing study concluded last year. Nationally, the report noted, the typical rent for a newly built apartment surpassed $1,700 in 2021. Middleborough has exceeded the state mandate that 10% of its housing stock be affordable, and is planning for hundreds more affordable units, Town Manager James McGrail said in a statement. The Select Board voted against filing a plan for more apartments near the train station, though Germain said he hopes the state will consider the towns accomplishments on affordable housing. Two-bedroom apartments built under the state mandate would rent for $2,640 to $2,840 a month, Germain said, more than local working-class families can pay. Median rent for an existing two-bedroom apartment in the Boston area is more than $3,300, according to Zillow statistics, but still only about $1,670 in Middleborough. Mike Kennealy, the former Massachusetts housing secretary who helped implement the new state mandate last year, said the state must plan for new housing, especially rental apartments, even if high construction costs mean that many new units will be relatively expensive. Its not just an affordable housing crisis in our state its a housing crisis, period. We need more of all types of housing, Kennealy told Stateline. The rental vacancy rate should be at least 6% to 7% to ensure that tenants have negotiating power to fight off unreasonable rent hikes and avoid eviction, said Matthew Lewis, a spokesperson for California YIMBY, a group that advocates more privately built construction to alleviate housing shortages. Lewis said new construction, even if its expensive now because of high material and labor costs, will curb high housing prices in the long run. More construction will solve housing problems for every level except low income, which needs subsidies. But if you dont build the housing for other groups, you dont attract the income to pay for the subsidies, Lewis said. The 2023 housing market in 5 charts The 2023 housing market in 5 charts Home prices remain high Homes are more unaffordable Low inventory keeps prices elevated Builders unable to keep up Rents rise as fewer people can buy The Nevada man who was shot by Lincoln narcotics investigators Monday amid a confrontation in west Lincoln died Saturday, according to the sheriff's office. 35-year-old Chace Abney died on Saturday from the injuries he sustained in the shooting, according a press release from the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. Abney was shot at around 2:45 p.m. Monday by investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol and Lincoln Police Department in a parking lot near Northwest 27th and West O streets, according to authorities. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries Monday afternoon. At least one Lincoln Police officer and one state trooper shot Abney after the 35-year-old fired one round from a 9 mm handgun toward police, Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner previously said. No officers were injured in the shooting. At a news conference at the Sheriff's Office's headquarters Tuesday, the sheriff suggested Abney's shooting seemed justified and declined to name the officers involved while painting a clearer picture of what authorities say led up to the incident. The investigators both of whom work on the Lincoln-Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force had been conducting surveillance at the Super 8 motel at 2635 W. O St., Wagner said. The investigators were not looking into Abney, but Wagner said the 35-year-old followed the officers in his Chevrolet Malibu across O Street to a parking lot at 123 N.W. 28th St. Wagner said the investigators confronted Abney and shouted repeated commands though it's unclear how many commands to exit the sedan. Instead, Wagner alleged, Abney pointed a handgun at police and fired one round. Wagner said he wasn't sure if Abney was inside or outside the car when the shooting transpired. The investigators returned fire, striking the 35-year-old more than once, the sheriff said. Wagner declined to say how many times Abney was shot. "From preliminary information it appears that (the officers) were justified in their actions," Wagner said at the news conference Tuesday. Wagner said it remains unclear why Abney followed police from the hotel, where he had been a guest but was not staying in the room police were surveilling. Investigators haven't found the projectile Abney is accused of firing toward police, but Wagner said they did recover a shell casing from his 9 mm, which was reported stolen Monday in Norfolk, the sheriff said. The involved officers immediately rendered first aid to Abney before Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews responded and took him by ambulance to Bryan West Campus. Abney had most recently been living in New York and had outstanding warrants in New York, Arizona and California, Wagner said. He had ties to Lincoln and had been here for about a week prior to Monday for a family function, the sheriff said. Both investigators have been placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with each agencys policy. As required by Nebraska state law, a grand jury will be convened to investigate the events that led up to Abney's death and determine if police acted criminally in the shooting. Abney was transported to the Douglas County Medical Center in Omaha following his death, where an autopsy will be performed, according to the sheriffs office. The autopsy is scheduled for May 8 at 8:30 a.m. Journal Star reporter Andrew Wegley contributed to this report. Top Journal Star photos for May 2023 Nebraska Wildlife Rehab is planning to release more than 400 bats at Joslyn Castle on Monday night, its first in-person event since the pandemic began. "This will be the 14th year the public is invited to attend our spring bat release, and the first year the release will be at Joslyn Castle," executive director Laura Stastny said. "We're super excited we can partner with Joslyn Castle for the public event." The first 10 years of releases were done at Joslyn Art Museum, but that is closed due to renovations. Nebraska Wildlife Rehab will have information tables and family-friendly bat activities starting at 6 p.m. Wildlife rehabilitators will also have bats on-hand so that people can get an up-close look at them prior to the release. A short presentation on the bats will take place at 7:45 p.m. with the release taking place at about 7:55 and lasting about 30 minutes. "These are all bats that came to us over the winter months when they couldn't be released," Stastny said. They can't be released during the winter due to cold temperatures and the lack of insects. The public is invited to bring their own picnic suppers to enjoy on the lawn prior to the release. Food will also be available for sale. Lawn chairs and blankets are permitted, but Nebraska Wildlife Rehab asks that no tents or stakes be used, and that people do not bring pets to the event. Portable restrooms will be available until the conclusion of the bat release. The event is free and open to the public. "NWR believes that this event is the only one of its kind in the U.S., when the public is invited to watch a large number of bats released back into the wild," Stastny said. "We are proud to share this unique opportunity with our community and to serve as ambassadors for these unique and beneficial animals." Limited parking will be available in the lot at Joslyn. 25 endangered animals that live only in America America's endangered species Salt marsh harvest mouse Utah prairie dog Red wolf Kauai cave wolf spider Laysan duck Yosemite toad Gunnison sage-grouse Devils Hole pupfish Fanshell Giant kangaroo rat Delta green ground beetle Jollyville Plateau salamander California condor American burying beetle Squirrel Chimney Cave shrimp Crested honeycreeper (Akohekohe) Red Hills salamander Louisiana pine snake Woundfin Alabama red-bellied turtle Bruneau Hot springsnail Mountain yellow-legged frog Flattened musk turtle Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard Northern Idaho ground squirrel There was much to applaud in the state Assembly Republicans recent rollout of a plan to overhaul Wisconsins system of sharing revenue with local governments. Wisconsins share revenue for cities, villages and counties has been frozen at $753 million annually since 2004 and that, coupled with the states limits on raising property taxes, has forced cuts and pinched the budget abilities of municipalities for almost two decades. Under the Assembly Republicans plan, 20% of Wisconsins sales tax collection would go to local governments that would amount to $1.5 billion. It was unclear how that new money would be divided up, but Assembly leaders said that every community in the state would see at least a 10% increase in state funding. And the good news for Milwaukee is that the GOP plan would give it a path to avoid its looming pension debt crisis by allowing it to adopt a 2% city sales tax, and it would allow Milwaukee County to boost its 0.5% sales tax to 0.875%. The city and county could use its sales tax money to pay off pension debt and then transition new workers into the state pension system. Voters in both Milwaukee County and the city would have to approve those sales tax increases through referendums and that may be a sticking point. State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said during the rollout, Its really refreshing to know we have the same goal in mind. And while we might not always take the same path, I think were hopefully arriving at the same place. Were hopeful as well. We have long argued for changes in the state shared revenue distribution formula to give cities, counties and villages some breathing room and have noted how the states tax levying restrictions have resulted in a parade of referendums across Wisconsin for municipalities and school districts that want to get around state levy limits. The Assembly GOP proposal was a rollout and there is no actual bill laying out the plan, although one is expected shortly. The devil is always in the details and were sure local officials mayors, city councils, village boards and presidents and county boards and executives will be anxiously waiting to see what kind of flesh is put on the plan when the legislation is introduced. Yes, the Senate has to weigh in as well and Gov. Tony Evers, who also proposed using 20% of the states sales tax revenue to boost shared revenue aids. Still, there seems to be a growing consensus toward this approach and were anxious to see just what the allocation formula will be. GOP lawmakers said communities that were kind of left behind with (the previous) formula, theyre going to see a bigger bump, and the goal is to try to equalize those levels out. Speaker Vos says the current formula has an outdated notion that only cities deliver services. The new formula for distribution will guarantee there are winners in every part of the state, Vos said. We hope thats the case, but theres still a lot of heavy lifting and a lot of negotiating to do before Wisconsin gets a new budget. 1. Yes. Keep Fort Hood Street in recognition of the citys historic connections to the post. 2. Yes. Businesses should keep their current name if its familiar to their customers. 3. No. It would be confusing, especially to newcomers, to have two post names being used. 4. No. It is disrespectful to the memory of Gen. Cavazos to keep using the name Hood. 5. Unsure. It might make sense in some instances, but it could be confusing as well . Vote View Results As that thunderous pipe organ erupted in a postlude back home in Cleveland last Sunday, my daughter Sara curled her head on my shoulder. Her fingers found mine and gripped tight. Charles-Marie Vidors Toccata crescendoed. I felt Saras body quiver, and I realized she was weeping. Tears began streaming down my face, too, like streaks of rain. We were listening to my brother Bob Day play his final postlude. After 37 years as the organist at 1,500-member Church of the Saviour, a United Methodist congregation in Cleveland Heights, he was retiring. My ears drank it all in, savoring that glorious sound as memories danced over me like the organ notes. Bobs music at that organ is as much a part of me as my skin and bones. In his 37 years, Bob played for four senior ministers, four choir directors and countless assistant ministers. He played weddings, wedding rehearsals, funerals, Good Friday services and Thursday choir rehearsals. He played for Saras wedding and my parents funerals. The clergy star in church services, but the music glues all its parts together. Bob played preludes and postludes, processionals and recessionals, choir anthems and quiet interludes for prayer. Through it all, he accomplished small miracles. One Sunday, when a soloist wandered off key during an anthem, Bob deftly changed keys to stay in tune, then returned to the correct key when the choir joined in. He did it without missing a beat. Nobody saw Bob play because the organ is hidden behind a massive pillar up front, but he was a master at that organs 40 ranks, four manuals and more than 3,000 pipes. Unless he was sick, he was there. Vicious snow storms never kept him away. For me, this is a spring of farewells. My oldest grandchild will graduate from high school in June. My twin sister is selling the home where shes lived for 30 years. Bob is retiring. Time races by like his fingers on those organ keys, but we barely notice. Then abruptly, its over. Bob was as much a part of that church as the 95-year-old Austin organ. He had been baptized there. He went to Sunday School, sang in the choir, became enmeshed in the youth group and went on mission trips. A gifted musician, Bob became a high school vocal music teacher. He also earned a masters degree in organ performance, ready and waiting in the wings. When the Church of the Saviour organist retired in 1986, Bob succeeded him and never looked back. He decided to retire now simply because he felt it was time. As I sat through the service Sunday, I soaked in this European gothic cathedral where I, too, was born and raised. Its wooden pews. Its cobblestone floor. Its massive stone pillars, intricately carved pulpit and lectern and altar rail. Its so high it tickles the clouds, and its stained glass windows bring in the light of God. More than that, that church is my foundation. It is where I sang in the choir, learned the Bible, visited Jewish synagogues, mingled with teens of other races, went on life-changing mission trips, made lifelong friends and got married. I moved away, but Bob was always there. When I came home for holidays, he was my link to the sanctuary that shaped me and nurtured me and gave me a foundation for life that is as strong as oak. I thought of those poignant moments as Bob played Toccata, his signature piece, for the last time Sunday. As he played, a few people wandered up to the organ to watch him play, but an inner voice told me to remain seated, so I stayed in the pew with Sara, who had driven from Aldie, Virginia, to be here for Uncle Bobs last Sunday. As the music thundered, Sara laid her head on my shoulder. She remembered how Bob had played at her wedding at the church in 1999, how she had turned pages for him when he played at my cousins wedding in 1989. So many memories. I yearned to tug on the hands of time and make them stand still, but I couldn't. I stared up humbly at the stained glass window that soars as high as heaven over the altar. I heard the organ music tear through the church, and I began weeping, but I said a prayer of thanks. Bob and his music have been an intangible blessing. No more prisons The April 8 Kearney Hub reported that the Nebraska Legislature's Appropriations Committee has approved $350 million to build a new prison. That is a lot of money. And, large construction projects often come in over budget. There are, certainly, other, more worthy uses for these finite taxpayer dollars. Building more prisons during times of rising incarceration is like building more cemeteries during times of rising illness we have given up. Obviously, we are not doing "something" right to get ourselves to this point. Has the Appropriations Committee researched the reasons for rising incarceration? Has it researched the reasons for our 30.1% recidivism rate (worldpopulationreview.com)? Instead of incarceration, does the Committee know how many current and future non-violent criminals could be effectively and efficiently managed and rehabilitated through home (or group home) arrest, coupled with work/study release? We have the technology to keep track of these folks 24 hours a day. Building more prisons is so 20th century; instead, Nebraska should become a laboratory for 21st-century correctional management strategies. On to a different issue, I applaud the Kearney Hub for bringing diverse voices to its Opinion page, but it is equally important for readers to know what constituency the voice represents. On April 5, readers were provided a commentary titled, Call truce in cold war at fed HHS, authored by a staff member of an organization called Patients Rising. A quick review of their webpage would inform readers this organization is funded by the pharmaceutical industry. We all appreciate the important role medications play in our health and well-being, but this information should have been included in the authors biography at the end of the commentary. Brad Stephan, Kearney Brandt's disregard Im unapologetically one of those working on the recall of David Brandt. I have attended several of the KPS Board meetings. I keep notes a lot of them. Im known to re-watch the meetings on video to make sure I heard something correctly. Its not about Brandt's voting record. It is about his disregard and disrespect to his colleagues on the board, the order/protocol of the meetings, the many constituents that have attended meeting after meeting and given up other plans to be there due to the importance of the meetings to be heard as well as his not being on track with what is going on in the meetings. I did not always agree with former KPS Board member Alex Straatmann just as I don't always agree with Brandt. However, I have great respect for a man that not only stands by his commitment to serve his country but also respects his unpaid office on the school board to attend every meeting he can by video meeting and participate in those meetings. Brandt has had many times of attending his children's activities. He could have respected his office, his colleagues and the protocol of the meeting by being excused instead of just walking out of the meeting, coming back over two hours later and voting with not being up to speed on what was going on with the issue at hand. After he voted he then asked if they would have the opportunity to then vote on the other option. If he would have stayed at the meeting, he would have known the answer to that question. Just because one has an unpaid elected office does not mean that one can disrespect that office, colleagues, constituents and the protocols of the office. Kathy Adams, Kearney Sustainable beef Ranchers are committed to raising beef sustainably. With Earth Day near, sustainability is top-of-mind with consumers, and beef farmers and ranchers are no different. I am proud of the high-quality beef I produce for consumers at Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch, but I cant do that without caring for the land. For 135 years, our ranch has focused on synergy between land and livestock, as that is the key to our operation's success. At the forefront of that is understanding how management practices and tools that we can implement allow us to improve the quality of the environment. Whether planting trees, managing water quality, providing wildlife habitat, or monitoring range conditions, these all help make us sustainable for future generations. Ranchers are the original conservationists, and we will continue to recognize the importance of conserving our natural resources and native lands. This type of ingenuity and resourcefulness is practiced by farmers and ranchers all over the country. As ranchers, we are committed to continuous improvement. We are always looking for new ways to preserve natural resources so we can pass the land down to future generations and continue producing the beef consumers know and love. Jaclyn Wilson, Lakeside Why recall Brandt? After speaking with a neighbor, I feel a need to make the reasons behind the recall of David Brandt clear. The original premise given for recall was too long to meet the 60-word maximum. This is not personal; it is strictly business. This is political, but not in the way that you think. Brandt is not being recalled because of parenting choices, but because of his political maneuvers to subvert the will of the people. Both left and right spoke in favor of Version A, which protects fairness and girls sports. The building was full of constituents with over 45 speakers, and the school board members all expressed they had received overwhelming public feedback in favor of Version A. Brandt spit in the face of his constituents who had made sacrifices to address the board that night. He didnt listen to them because he didnt need to. He admitted hed already made up his mind to vote for allowing biological boys to be able to play on girls teams. He also later admitted in email responses to parents that he needed to do some research on the topic. Its become very clear that this school board member needs to be removed because he stopped doing what he swore an oath to do represent the will of the people. Brandt had a scheduling conflict. That happens. But during that time, he missed public comments and even his fellow board members pre-vote discussions. He returned just in time to cast a vote, remarking that there was no hurry and that they should consider tabling the item. But then when appropriate, he didnt table it. He should have abstained given that he had not listened to public comments and was without enough information to make an informed decision. Brooke Ritter, Kearney Leaving Nebraska? The impact of LB 626 will be far greater than just limiting abortion access. The fall of Roe v. Wade has demonstrated the harm that abortion bans have on health care access. As a young woman, 23, living in Nebraska, I cannot see myself living here if LB 626 is implemented. My abortion allowed me to continue my education to become the nurse I am today. I cannot live in Nebraska if I am not allowed to make medical decisions with my doctor without a Nebraska legislator feeling the right to determine what happens with my uterus. As an American, I support everyones right to believe in God and follow a religion, but I do not support religion being evidence to determine what happens with my body. God is not evidence for debate and should not be utilized to implement laws in Nebraska. Our senators are failing us and Nebraska due to their inability to separate their religion and beliefs from their job. It is embarrassing to watch our legislators blatantly disregard evidence, their duty and the Constitution. Our senators have decided to ignore the separation of church and state and try to indoctrinate and enforce their religion on our bodies and undermine medical providers. I will not have children in a state that values my ability to breed over my skills and education. I will strongly consider moving out of Nebraska, and I will not be the only young person to consider not calling Nebraska home. Hayley Hilker, Fremont Step back, rethink The Nebraska Power Review Board denied CNPPIDs petition to merge with Dawson Public Power District because of an issue with the charter amendment regarding the purchase of bonds. Central and Dawson said they plan to amend the charter and refile the merger petition. But, I say now is the time to step back and reconsider this historical decision. Central has successfully managed its resources for more than 80 years and will have no benefit from the merger. Since the October vote to merge, the boards of the Tri-Basin NRD and the Central District Water Users have voted to oppose the merger. And, we have formed a group of more than 100 area farmers, business owners and landowners called Citizens Opposed to the Merger, which has raised funds, hired lawyers and spent countless hours to keep local control of water by getting this merger stopped. I am disappointed that Central did not take the time to listen to the people it serves before immediately saying it would refile an amended petition. This is an opportunity for Central to reengage with the Central District Water Users, to reengage with Tri Basin NRD and its constituents and either address their concerns about the merger or discontinue the merger discussions and instead accomplish the merger benefits through contracts that are flexible and dont require a permanent change in board representation. Ed Schrock, Elm Creek Merger will fail The Nebraska Power Review Board denied the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation Districts Charter Amendment to merge with the Dawson Public Power District because it failed to meet a technical requirement of Nebraska law. The failure is fixable by the districts. Though if fixed and refiled, it doesnt mean the Power Review Board would approve the application on its merits. In effect, the decision puts us back to the drawing board and, as someone opposed to the merger, I hope Central uses this reset as an opportunity to explore ways to be progressive and impactful that do not require a change in political control of Central. For example, Central can sell electricity to Dawson by a contract. It does not need to merge with Dawson to sell electricity to Dawson. If Central truly wants to get into the retail electrical business, Central should study the pros and cons of merging with municipal electrical systems located within the chartered territory. On the irrigation side, Centrals surface water irrigation system was designed and built before rural electrification, groundwater wells, pivot and drip irrigation systems, etc.. Central, working with its partner the Tri Basin NRD, should try to reimagine Centrals surface water delivery irrigation system based on the technology of today and the future. The question is, if you were to build Centrals surface water delivery system today, how would you design and operate it so that the Tri Counties can continue to be a world leader in sustainable irrigated agriculture. All of these items are exciting opportunities that Central can pursue without merging with Dawson. Robert McCormick, Holdrege Mental health month May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Did you know 1 in 5 Nebraskans will experience a mental health condition in any given year? That in Nebraska, suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10- to 24-year-olds? Nationally, the average delay between symptom onset and treatment for a mental illness is 11 years? But, did you also know that treatment works and people who experience mental illness and addictions can and do live happy, healthy, productive lives! During Mental Health Awareness Month, we can normalize the conversation regarding mental illness and addictions. When we ask someone, How are you doing? and they are brave enough to tell you they are struggling with anxiety, depression, or a serious and persistent mental illness we dont have to feel uncomfortable. Our response can be the same one we give if someone tells you they are dealing with high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer. We can express concern, ask them what they need and offer support. Education is key to understanding. If you have questions about mental illness there are resources and people who can help. Check with your personal doctor, go online to trusted sources such as the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to name a few. If you or someone you care about is dealing with a crisis, call, or text 988. Highly trained professionals are available 24/7 to provide help for individuals experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. Lets take what we learn this month and make every month one where we are aware of our mental health. There is no health without mental health. Annette Dubas, Fullerton THE AUTHOR is executive director of the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations. I will start my story with my own personal experiences as a Mexican-American. Born in Laredo, Texas and raised in Crystal City, Texas, was not easy to overcome discrimination and prejudice. Sometimes ignoring would help, but not solve the issue. Crystal City was 85% Hispanic and 15% Caucasian, but the Caucasians rule. They were in control of the city, county and school government. It was hard to take, when you would hear, Speak English or go back to where you came from! I dont know, if they were just ignorant of the fact; that the first Mexican-Americans to become U.S. citizens did not migrate across the U.S.-Mexico border. Rather, they were part of the large, northwestern region of Mexico that was ceded to the United States following the Mexican-American War in 1848. Despite being citizens, our population was often subjected to legal as well as social discrimination. I have always liked the Spanish language, to the point that I took all of the Spanish courses in high school. One of my student friends asked me, How come you are taking Spanish classes, you are Mexican. I respond, well English-speaking students are taking English classes just like we are. He responded, oh yeah, I never thought of that! Another quote, that would come to mind is, Speak English, you are in America! Research states that Spanish has been a part of these lands since the 15th century, when Spain colonized North America, with settlements in areas which are now Florida, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. In fact, Spanish language rights were included in Californias first constitution, and the current constitution is available in both English and Spanish. This can be explained by the fact that every single law, decree, regulation and provision from the legislature, executive and judicial branches in California needs to be published both in English and Spanish. When Spanish is neglected by Hispanics and not emphasized through practical learning in the family, we might want to justify it and manifest the idea that living in the United States of America, the language to use should be English. Some of us were paddled in school for speaking Spanish. I received a few of those, but kept silent, so no one would know what had happened. Being that we are Hispanics, we come from a culture where the language is Spanish and speak Spanish. Even though we live in an English-speaking country, the language that belongs to us and our family is our native language of Spanish. All beneficial worthwhile learning should be important and emphasized. So, this is not by saying you know the History of America and that should be enough! This is unacceptable and does not make sense. Spanish speaking people in the Southwest used to stress and accept the idea of el que sabe dos idiomas cuenta por dos. (He who knows two languages counts as two). As educators, we are in the business of education. Lets recognize the complexity of learners identity and celebrate their difference by integrating students heritage in the curriculum. Lets help grow the minds of the young by avoiding stereotypes and misconceptions in order for them to take a stand against the thriving racism and inequality in todays society. We dont want to be like the 11-year-old child, who yelled arrogantly at his grandfather and mother while they were conversing Spanish in public, I dont speak Spanish, I dont know Spanish and I dont care for Spanish. NEW YORK A homeowner fired shots at a couple's car when they mistakenly turned onto his property while making an Instacart delivery. A Florida man was charged with killing and dismembering an Uber Eats delivery driver who brought food to his home. A woman was kidnapped and sexually assaulted while making a DoorDash delivery to a hotel. Ride-hailing and food delivery companies say such violent episodes are rare among the millions of trips completed each week, and point to numerous safety measures they have taken over the years. But the three attacks, which occurred within days of each other in Florida last month, sent new ripples of fear among some app-based drivers, who say company safety policies are still better geared toward customers than workers. Winifred Kinanda, who sometimes drives for Instacart in the San Francisco Bay Area, said she never felt unsafe making deliveries for the grocery app until she heard about the Florida couple. That day, she got an Instacart order and constantly checked to make sure she had the right address, saying she felt particularly vulnerable as a person of color. It got me scared, said Kinanda, an immigrant from Kenya who also drives for Uber and Lyft to supplement her income as an elder caregiver. At the end of the day, being Black is really hard. People see us and think we are doing something wrong. A Pew Research Center poll in 2021 found that 16% of people in the U.S. had earned money from an online gig platform. That poll found that 35% of them have felt unsafe while doing those jobs, including 19% who said they had experienced unwanted sexual advances. Ride-hailing and delivery driving are among the deadliest occupations in the country, according to occupational fatalities and injury data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which includes delivery workers for companies like Instacart and DoorDash in its driver/sales category and Uber and Lyft drivers in its taxi category. While most deaths and injuries are from traffic accidents, the data also shows drivers are more at risk of assaults than other occupations. The activist group Gig Workers Alliance said on-the-job deaths and injuries among gig workers are almost certainly undercounted because the companies are not obligated to report such incidents to government agencies for workers who are not direct employees. The group also said that other sources, such as police reports, may not note that a gig driver was working when they were killed. In a new report, Gig Workers Rising said its own research found that 80 app-based workers have been victims of homicides while on the job between 2017 and 2022. The majority were ride-hailing drivers, but at least 20 delivery workers were also killed, according to the report, which relied on press accounts, court records and police reports. More difficult to quantify are threats that gig drivers encounter frequently but rarely make headlines, including traffic accidents, robberies, carjackings and harassment. While Uber and Lyft have released safety reports that includes some of that data, the major food delivery apps do not, and Uber does not do so for Uber Eats trips. Roberto Moreno, 48, stopped working as both a ride-hailing and food deliver driver in San Diego County at the beginning of this year because of safety concerns. Moreno said he joined a WhatsApp group with other Latino gig drivers to support each other while they were on the job, from helping each other with flat tires to activating geolocation during shifts for safety. We have to look out for ourselves because the companies dont do it, said Moreno, who worked for Grubhub and Postmates, which was bought out by Uber Eats in 2020, as well as Lyft and Uber. Drivers also complain they cant be sure who is getting into their cars because its too easy for riders to use fake names, nicknames or order rides for other people. The companies have drivers take a selfie, do background checks on us (and) collect all of our personal information said Moreno, who belongs to a driver-led union called Rideshare Drivers United. But we dont know anything about the passengers or the people who were delivering to. In response to those concerns, Uber said it started an audit last fall of rider accounts and began freezing those with obviously fake names. The company also has an extra layer of verification for users who use anonymous forms of payment such as prepaid cards. We have heard loud and clear from drivers that they want more information about who they are picking up, Uber said in a statement. Critics also say gig workers are more vulnerable because as contract workers, they often don't have the right to benefits such as worker compensation or health insurance. DoorDash and Instacart both provide free automatic insurance for on-the job injuries or deaths, while Uber and Lyft offer drivers insurance policies for accidents. DoorDash, Grubhub, Instacart, Uber and Lyft have added safety features to their apps over the years, including emergency buttons that allow people to silently connect with emergency services or private security, and GPS-sharing features that allow friends or family to track rides. DoorDash last fall introduced new technology to automatically check in on a worker if a delivery is taking longer than expected, while Grubhub is rolling out a new feature this year that will send ID and location data to emergency responders if workers call 911 via the app. Cities with the most delivery drivers per capita Cities With the Most Delivery Drivers per Capita Ecommerce and delivery services skyrocketed during COVID The states with the most delivery drivers per capita Small and midsize metros with the most delivery drivers per capita 15. Kansas City, MO-KS 14. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 13. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 12. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 11. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 10. Oklahoma City, OK 9. Nashville-DavidsonMurfreesboroFranklin, TN 8. Raleigh, NC 7. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 6. Salt Lake City, UT 5. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 4. Columbus, OH 3. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 1. Memphis, TN-MS-AR Once a week, every week, Wayne Sorenson gets a phone call that he knows not to answer. Sorenson checks the number and lets it go to voicemail. He may not know who it is, but he knows it is likely an agent offering to sell his timeshare. The 70-year-old Columbia Heights, Minnesota, man and his ex-wife have owned a timeshare in Branson, Missouri, for 30 years now. His family enjoyed it at first, but Sorenson said they no longer use it and want to sell. For three years they have tried to sell the property. Each year they have met roadblocks. Terms of their timeshare contract make it difficult to give up ownership. Maintenance fees cost more than $1,000 each year despite them not having used the property in around a decade. And Sorenson doesn't trust agencies who call him each week, explaining that many ask for thousands of dollars without a promised buyer. So when a business called We Finance Company called saying they had a buyer who would pay twice what Sorenson first paid for the timeshare, he felt hopeful. Sorenson had exhausted many options, and an attorney who reviewed the company's contract paperwork told him the business looked legitimate. But after weeks of negotiations and $8,950 spent without a deal, his hopes soured. "I'm yelling at this guy, swearing at him, calling him every name under the sun. And I said, 'Chief, you messed with the wrong boy,' " Sorenson said. "If you're legitimate, I am going to be the biggest thorn. And I said, 'If you're a fraudster, you better get the hell out of the United States because not only me, but everybody that I can get is coming for you.' " A new study by the Better Business Bureau shows consumers have filed more than 20,000 complaints about timeshares and vacation clubs from across the nation. Lax enforcement and consumer protection laws have led to scams, which lost customers more than $3.5 million according to the study. Officials believe that's an undercount. "It happens to anyone and everyone of all ages, all socioeconomic backgrounds, all races, all genders what we're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg," said Bao Vang, vice president of communications at BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. "There are people who feel really ashamed about losing money, or almost have lost money and feeling duped or being duped, that they don't choose to share their experience." Sorenson called the San Francisco Police Department and asked them to check if the business address is real. A responding SFPD officer found a locked and unmarked building with nobody there to answer. Sorenson filed reports to his bank, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, and the BBB explaining that he may have been scammed. The BBB researched the company, finding that it was not listed on the California Secretary of State's registry a sign that the business could be illegitimate. They told Sorenson they would continue investigating the matter and advised him to stop wiring money. We Finance Company did not return requests for comment at the time of this article. "I was impressed (and) hopeful that there could be a resolution to this at some point before I die," Sorenson said. "Because I've got a feeling this is going to go on and on and on and on and they're just going to hope that my memory fades." Despite those efforts, Sorenson may never recoup the money he spent trying to sell that Branson, Missouri, timeshare. To prevent future scams, Vang says people should share their experience and raise awareness for others. "Education is one of the very best ways that we can stay informed about our marketplace and prevent additional and future fraud and scams," Vang said. "We want (consumers) to work with us at BBB so that we can help you understand the situation and all the promises there are, and the promises that are just too good to be true." Her advice to those considering a timeshare: Research the company and its contracts. Check reviews to verify if others had bad experiences. And if you believe you've been scammed, report it. If you ask Sorenson about timeshares, his advice would be to stay away. "You shouldn't be buying a timeshare," Sorenson said. "They sound good and fancy, and they are, but when you own that timeshare you own it for life. Not only your life, but your siblings (and) your kids' lives." How inflation has affected vacation rentalsand how it could impact your next trip How inflation has affected vacation rentalsand how it could impact your next trip Short-term rentals are pricier Key factors behind more expensive rentals Other travel costs are rising too November data signals that inflation is cooling What could all this mean for vacations in 2023? Editors Note: In Chinese culture, people typically list their family name first, followed by their given name. On second-references to Chinese people quoted in this story, Wisconsin Watch is using their family name. Day after day over nearly five years in Chishan Prison, Lee Ming-che walked the 5 minutes from his cell to one of several manufacturing spaces on prison grounds. The prison in Chinas central Hunan Province houses political prisoners like Lee, a renowned human rights activist who met with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her consequential 2022 visit to Taiwan. Lee, a Taiwanese college administrator, was convicted in China of subverting state power in 2017 and released last year. In an interview in Mandarin with Wisconsin Watch from his home in Taiwan, Lee said officials forced him and hundreds of other Chishan prisoners to work roughly 13 hours a day, seven days a week with just a few days off around the Chinese New Year. His pay? The equivalent of about 48 cents a day. I was like a robot, doing work in the daytime and then returning to the cell (at night), Lee recalled. His tasks included cutting polyester fabric and sewing it together to make work gloves, producing at least 200 pairs a day. He said he knew the gloves were destined for the United States. He later learned about the company whose brand was on the gloves, stamped with a thunderbolt and the word Milwaukee. Shown photos of Milwaukee Tool gloves for sale at two Madison, Wis. Home Depot stores, Lee verified four types of gloves he was forced to make Free-Flex, Demolition, Performance and Winter Performance. I can recognize the models and the logo of work gloves, Lee told Wisconsin Watch. As long as Ive made them before, I can recognize them. A Wisconsin Watch investigation found additional evidence that Chishan prisoners were paid pennies to make work gloves bearing the iconic brand of Milwaukee Tool, a company with a nearly 100-year history in Wisconsin. A supplier for Milwaukee Tool subcontracted work to the prison, two former prisoners said in separate interviews. A self-identified salesperson of the supplier, Shanghai Select Safety Products, said it manufactured the majority of Milwaukee Tools work gloves. And regulatory filings show Shanghai Select was contracted to manufacture Performance Gloves for a subsidiary of Milwaukee Tools parent company. Milwaukee Tool: No evidence to support forced labor accusation Wisconsin Watch began its investigation after Chinese exile Shi Minglei, who now lives in Minnesotas Twin Cities, launched a change.org petition in November to pressure Milwaukee Tool to stop sourcing gloves made at the prison. She alleges her husband, imprisoned human rights activist Cheng Yuan, also has been forced to use a sewing machine to produce goods at the prison. Shi cannot verify he is making Milwaukee Tool products, but she heard from two former prisoners of Milwaukee Tools production at the prison. A Milwaukee Tool spokesperson said the Brookfield-based company has found no evidence to support the claims being made about its link to forced labor. Milwaukee Tool regularly conducts a complete and thorough review of our global operations and supply chain, Kharli Tyler, vice president of brand marketing, said in an email that did not answer specific questions from Wisconsin Watch. Thirteen shipments of work gloves from Shanghai arrived at United States ports since the summer of 2019 when Lee said he noticed Chishan prisoners making Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves, according to an analysis of customs shipping data provided to Wisconsin Watch by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Listed as a consignee for the gloves: Milwaukee Electric Tool Co. Those records end in 2020, but whether the shipments ended is unclear. Companies can ask federal Customs and Border Protection to shield their names and addresses from published shipping data, said S&P Global spokesperson Katherine Smith. If Milwaukee Tool was sourcing from a foreign prison, theyre in violation of Section 307, said Charity Ryerson, a human rights lawyer and executive director of Chicago-based Corporate Accountability Lab, referring to the federal law banning imports of goods made with forced labor. Milwaukee Tools parent company, Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries Company Limited, has a policy prohibiting the use of modern slavery and human trafficking. The Milwaukee Tool Legal Council in December told the Business and Human Rights Centre that a thorough investigation of these claims was conducted, and we have found no evidence to support the claims being made. The company does not tolerate the use of forced labor. In February, in a response shared with Wisconsin Watch, DLA Piper, a law firm with offices around the world that represents Milwaukee Tool and Techtronic Industries, said forced labor allegations were investigated, and denied. Prisoners discuss forced labor Shi, who is pushing the change.org petition, has had little contact with Cheng since his imprisonment in 2019. She said her husband wrote three letters to his family in 2022 in which he opaquely referenced forced labor. In a letter to his sister last May, Cheng implicitly described excessive hours of forced labor by citing two lines from a poem by Tao Yuanming, one of Chinas great poets. Translations go like this: I rise early to clear away the weeds, Till, hoe on shoulder, I plod home with the moon. Shi said she aims to ease the slavery-like conditions endured by Cheng, who was arrested while running a Chinese organization that advocated for victims of discrimination. Wisconsin Watch interviewed an additional former prisoner who claims Milwaukee Tool is profiting from forced labor at Chishan Prison. He asked to use the pseudonym Xu Lun to protect his safety. While incarcerated at Chishan Prison, Xu remembers making all types of work gloves Lee identified and another Milwaukee Tool-branded model: Winter Demolition. Everyone knows these things will be exported to America, Xu said. We stitched labels onto every single pair (of gloves). Labels do show the address. The label attached to one pair purchased by Wisconsin Watch reads: ENGINEERED BY MILWAUKEE TOOL. PROFESSIONALLY MADE IN CHINA, and it includes the companys website URL and Brookfield address. Xu said many prisoners developed eczema in hot and humid conditions at the prison workplace. Lee said he now has allergies which his doctor blames on the clouds of fabric dust he inhaled while working in prison. Contracting down the supply chain Lee and Xu independently identified the name of the supplier that outsourced work to Chishan Prison as Shanghai Select Safety Products, which advertises its own line of gloves. Lee said he heard the name from the prison police and also saw it on purchase orders. Xu recalled hearing the suppliers name from a prisoner who worked in a warehouse stocking gloves. In August 2015, Shanghai Select Safety Products signed a $1 million contract with Techtronic Trading Limited, a subsidiary of Techtronic Industries, according to a 2018 initial public offering filed with the Chinese National Equities Exchange and Quotations. The contract was later renewed, and the Chinese manufacturer was contracted to make Performance Gloves for Techtronic Trading in 2017, the IPO shows. Also in June 2015, Milwaukee Tool introduced a new product, Demolition work gloves. The next year, the company launched three more models: Free-Flex, Performance and a fingerless version of Performance made of the same polyester fabric. For the next two, three, and four years, youll continue to see me up here talking about the new latest greatest gloves from Milwaukee, a Milwaukee Tool product manager announced at a 2016 event. Milwaukee Tool has continued to expand its product line to add gloves with dipped coating and goatskin leather work gloves. Salesperson: Were making the majority of Milwaukee-branded work gloves In February, this reporter sought to purchase Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves on Taobao, Chinas version of Amazon.com. Two third-party vendors told the reporter they sell work gloves that suppliers rejected as defective. Shanghai Select Safety Products was one of such suppliers. Posing as a middleman for an American buyer, this reporter separately contacted a self-identified Shanghai Select Safety Products salesperson. Were making the majority of Milwaukee-branded work gloves, the salesperson said in a text message. The salesperson shared a catalog that identified Shanghai Select as a gloves supplier for Milwaukee Tool. Shi believes Shanghai Select Safety Products outsources to cut labor costs and subcontracts portions of work gloves orders to the Chishan Prison corporation. Chinas government prison enterprise system requires provincial governments to pay for prison operations. The government-run prison enterprise contracts with private businesses for prisoners to produce goods, generating revenue to run the prison. Chishan Prison contains around 2,900 prisoners. The same prison corporation runs 11 manufacturing spaces within the compound. Examining satellite imagery, Lee and Xu each pointed out the buildings on prison grounds where they made gloves. These long, rectangular workshops cover more than 80,000 square meters. Their metal roofs are brightly colored, often blue, but sometimes red or black, according to the satellite image. Forced labor a growing concern Concerns over the use of forced labor in China are rising in the United States. A 2021 law prohibits importation of all goods from Chinas far-western Xinjiang region due to the rampant use of forced labor. Chishan Prison sits outside of that region. Since the 1990s, CBP has issued 60 active enforcement actions related to goods made by prisoner laborers, with two-thirds against Chinese goods. China in recent years has faced scrutiny related to the use of forced labor of Uyghurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority group whom Chinese officials have forced into re-education camps a move the United Nations has said could be considered a crime against humanity. Ryerson of the Corporate Accountability Lab said the new regulations and scrutiny should prompt American companies to reassess and better monitor their supply chains. If you are so far removed from the supply chain that you are unknowingly sourcing from a Chinese prison, you are actually not keeping up with the rest of the industry, she said. Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization, said such exploitative conditions stem from corporate executives who chase profits at the cost of the working class. Milwaukee Tool reported $8.1 billion in sales in 2022, mostly in North America. Maybe (Milwaukee Tool is) ignorant of it. Maybe they are surprised themselves, Rickman said. But that doesnt lessen their responsibility for ensuring wherever their production facilities are that workers are treated with dignity, respect, and humanity and are paid living wages. Forced laborers at Chishan Prison get reimbursed monthly depending on the complexity of the task, ranging from 20 to 300 yuan, or $3 to $43, according to Lee and Xu. In Wisconsin, some prisoners work in state-owned correctional industries and facilities. They get paid 97 cents per hour on average, according to an ACLU analysis. That equates to a monthly wage of $155 under 40-hour work weeks. Over the past decade, American customers have found notes in the products hidden by inmates who make Christmas cards, paper bags, ornaments or garments in Chinese prison labor facilities. Released prisoners claimed they were forced to produce goods for renowned brands. Dragged into glove production In the summer of 2019, Lee said he noticed many inmates pivoting away from other work to sew work gloves for Milwaukee Tool. He said the following year, he became part of the production line of hundreds of prisoners. Lee said the 90-plus hour weeks they produced Milwaukee Tool gloves violate Chinas laws and regulations, including Chinese Ministry of Justice guidance to limit prison labor to 40 hours per week. The guidance also states prison labor products should be sold only within China. But Chinese law prohibits work refusal by incarcerated people who have the ability to work. Prisoners can be sent to solitary confinement for refusing work, not working hard enough or intentionally destroying tools of production. Everything we know about the prison system in China indicates that prisoners do not have any meaningful choice in terms of engaging in labor, said Nicholas Bequelin, former Asian-Pacific Regional Director at Amnesty International and a visiting fellow at Yale Law School. There just is no evidence that prisoners can refuse to work. And so, to that extent, that would be considered slavery. Mixed results of self-regulatory tools Techtronic Industries Company Limited, Milwaukee Tools parent, says it uses compliance tools and third-party auditors to ensure its 2,825 direct suppliers, including 1,165 in Asia, comply with its policy against modern slavery and forced labor. The supplier relationship will be terminated if major compliance issues are not corrected to meet set standards, the company said in a 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance report. But self-regulatory tools used by many multinational companies are flawed and often unable to detect forced labor, research shows. For a 2021 book, Professor Sarosh Kuruvilla, a labor policies expert at Cornell University, examined more than 40,000 factory audits from 2011 to 2017 spanning 14 industries and 12 countries, including China. He found 45% were based on unreliable or falsified information. Audits in China were unreliable more than half the time. Li Qiang, the founder of the New York-based nongovernmental organization China Labor Watch, said suppliers falsify information in multiple ways, such as faking data related to workers, products and salaries. A 2018 study co-published by the University of Sheffield found audit systems tend to focus on the workforce of first-tier suppliers and neglect subcontracted portions, where the risks of forced labor are highest. The study argued big brands squeeze suppliers by imposing short-term contracts, penalties and fees for late or low-quality orders while demanding razor-thin margins from the bottom of the supply chain. Pressure to balance their own books and fear of jeopardizing contracts pushes suppliers to deceive auditors. Li said subcontracting is common in China especially for suppliers who cheaply fulfill orders from American buyers. Under these circumstances, the suppliers outsource part of the order without necessarily recording it, he said. When a supplier is placed to produce 10,000 pairs of gloves but subcontracts half, it is too hidden for auditors to find it out during the on-site audits, Li added. Suffering survivor guilt Back in Taiwan, Lee continues to speak out about his years in Chishan Prison. He calls forced labor a menace to human rights and global free trade. I certainly feel that I have the obligation to prove the thing happened there, Lee said. Shi said she suffers from survivor guilt as she lives relatively comfortably in the United States while pushing to improve conditions for her husband in China. After Chinese officials arrested Cheng in July 2019 on subversion charges, Shi and her 3-year-old daughter were placed under house arrest for 180 days on suspicion of financing his activities. Shi said five Chinese security police officers interrogated her after she posted the familys struggles on Twitter threatening to take her daughter away if she continued posting. That prompted Shi to flee to the Twin Cities, where she plans to keep pressing Milwaukee Tool to stop benefitting from forced labor. In fact, Shi and her attorneys are gearing up for a lawsuit against the company for the use of forced labor. We hope Milwaukee Tool will acknowledge it, apologize for it, and stop it, Shi said. We wont surrender. The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Photos: Train derailment in Wisconsin Derailed Train Wisconsin Derailed Train Wisconsin Derailed Train Wisconsin Derailed Train Wisconsin Paul and Deb Brazil plan to grow their Bluff Top Vineyard winery business, several months after opening their wine shop and production facility. Its at 27168 Bauer Road, about two miles north of the Interstate 90 Nodine exit, off Apple Blossom Drive/County Road 3 in Winona County. We did a soft opening last fall and are slowly ramping up our hours this spring and summer, Deb said. We are planning some live music in June and other activities this summer. The winery opened in October. For its hours, visit the Events page on the website www.blufftopvineyard.com. The Brazils planted their first grapevines the Itasca and Petite Pearl varieties in 2018. They added a third variety, Crimson Pearl, in 2019 and now have a total of 2,380 grapevines growing on about 4 acres of land near their shop. Their first harvest was last fall. While the Brazils dont plan to expand their grapevine acreage as they have full-time job elsewhere, they said grape production on the existing vines will increase. Both of the Brazils make wine, but Paul explained, Shes the winemaker, and Im the grape grower. At the moment, the winery has four of its wines for sale Sangria Sunrise, Elderberry Crush, Summer Breeze and Maple Lemon. A fifth, Blood Orange Sunset, is expected to be available in June. The wine shop also sells wine glasses with the winerys logo, and has inside and outdoor seating. Its wine is served at the Swing Bridge Pub restaurant in La Crescent and at JTs Corner Bar & Grill in Houston. The Brazils plan to approach nearby Minnesota liquor stores, as well as other bars and restaurants, about carrying their wines. They had been making wine at home for themselves for about five years before deciding to go into the wine business. The Brazils developed a passion for making wine after years of going on wine tours and becoming members of The Fermented Friends, an area home wine making group. For more information, call 507-458-3284 or visit www.blufftopvineyard.com or Facebook. Its new owner plans to demolish the former The Company Store call center at 455 Park Plaza Drive in La Crosse by the end of this year, and start construction of a new multi-story, mixed-use building at the site in 2025. Allan McCormick of La Crescent told me last week that the new building would be mainly residential probably mostly apartments, although there could be some condominiums. And the first floor would have commercial space possibly for a restaurant. McCormick said he is talking to a prospective restaurant operator. I spoke to McCormick after the La Crosse City Plan Commission on Monday recommended approving his application for a conditional-use permit to tear down the current building. The La Crosse Common Council is expected to vote on the application Thursday. McCormick told me he anticipates starting construction of the new building in 2025 and completing it by 2027. Asbestos abatement is underway in the former call center, which has been vacant for years. The unique features of this property with the Mississippi waterfront, proximity to parks and downtown La Crosse, make it arguably the most desirable undeveloped site in La Crosse, McCormick said in a note that accompanied his application to the city. The La Crosse Common Council is expected to decide at its meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday whether to approve an exception to the citys minimum height standards thats being sought by Scooters Coffee franchisee Northern Grounds LLC for a proposed Scooters drive-thru at 224 La Crosse St., near the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel downtown. At their meetings last week, the City Plan Commission and the councils Judiciary & Administration Committee both recommended that an exception not be granted. The city normally would require a minimum of two stories for construction of a new building at the proposed site. Northern Grounds application for an exception says that isnt feasible for its proposed drive-thru. GET Fit Studio Fitness & Massage for Everybody at 315 Ryan St. in Holmen will celebrate 10 years in business with an event from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the studio. It is an open house, a yoga class that starts at 6:30 p.m., free chair massages and assisted stretching, food trucks, face painting and local artisans selling their handmade items, said Sarah Lau-Melby, who owns the business with her husband, Jake Melby. The business has been in Holmen for five years, after five years in Trempealeau. It offers massage therapy, small group fitness classes, water fitness classes held in Onalaska and Holmen, personal training, guest speakers and monthly events such as make-and-take crafts. For more information, call 608-738-7347 or visit www.getfitstudiobysarah.com or Facebook. Places of the past: 30 La Crosse area restaurants you'll never eat at again (part two) Edwardo's Embers Restaurant Cheddar 'n Ale Mai-Tai Supper Club Winchell's Donut House Taco Bell 1976: New Villa Mr. D's Donuts 1975: Bodega Lunch Club McDonald's Taco John's Taco Village Ponderosa Steak House Shakey's Pizza Fireside Restaurant 1972: Hoffman House Restaurant 1972: Louie Bantle's Restaurant Royale Pie Shop Chicago Beef & Etc. 1971: Kewpee Lunch Bridgeman's Ice Cream 1965: Dog House Restaurant Swiss Chateau Henry's Drive-In 1954: Triangle Cafe 1952: Harmony Cafe South Avenue Cafeteria The Penguin Drive-In TGI Fridays Fat Porcupine Burger Fusion Darrell Anders, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Vernon Memorial Healthcare, made the decision to become a nurse for a number of reasons. In 2008 I was going through life changes and received gifts from the community and universe, he said. I decided to become a nurse because I wanted to be able to work with people and I liked the hands-on (aspect) of being at the bedside with patients and working with them and wanting to be able to give back in some way. In 2010 Anders started taking general classes at the then University of Wisconsin-Richland Center. During his time at UW-Richland, he took some aptitude tests which identified that the health care field may be fitting for him. A lot of health care-related (things) popped up and that got me interested. Each step on the way I became more convinced what I wanted to do. Anders then began taking pre-requisites at Western Technical College in La Crosse. The schedule opened up for him to attend the nursing program at Southwest Tech in Fennimore, where he completed his nursing degree. Anders has been a nurse at Vernon Memorial Healthcare for eight years. Prior to becoming a nurse, he worked as a certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician for 2 1/2 years while attending school. For Anders, the most rewarding aspect of nursing is having a patient or their family member express gratitude. I also love the challenges, and there are a lot of challenging situations, he said. I like the diversity of being an RN in the emergency department and Im a bit of an adrenaline junky. Anders was nominated for a Heart of Health Care award by co-worker Tyrell Clements. When you think of someone who puts their ALL into their job that is Darrell! Clements wrote in his nomination letter. As an Emergency Department RN he selflessly gives so much to his work, in such a stressful environment at times; he manages to deliver amazing care, compassion, empathy, optimism and a calming approach to very tough situations that is unmatched. He takes great pride and ownership of his role, department, and organization. As a colleague, patient at a time, and a family member of a patient I can truly say I am more than proud we have Darrell at VMH! Anders said he was grateful and humbled when he found out he was nominated. When Anders has contact with new nurses, he said his usual advice is to take care of yourself. Its common in this profession to lose yourself in service to others. At the end of the day you have to have something to give. Registered Nurse Felicia Liebert, a staff nurse at Vernon Memorial Healthcare, decided to pursue nursing as a career following a high school guidance counselors suggestion. Liebert said she was a senior in high school when she took an aptitude test, which showed nursing would be a good career fit. I went to an external guidance counselor and they suggested the same thing, Liebert said. They said you like science and you like people and you probably do not want to be at a desk. There was a school of nursing nearby and they took me. That nearby school of nursing was Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing in Dayton, Ohio. Liebert enrolled in the diploma program, which is equivalent to an associate nursing program. She said the diploma program no longer exists. The diploma program meant that Liebert and her fellow nursing students dove right into their studies at the same time as their clinicals the first year of school. It was great and it was very exciting, Liebert said. It was hard, but I loved it. I thought it was the way to go. Liebert uses her nursing skills in multiple capacities at the hospital. She works in the emergency room, in obstetrics, in medical surgery and as a house supervisor. She said most of her time is spent assisting in the emergency room. Im flexible, she said. Im cross-trained and can go all over. Many of us are cross-trained. Liebert has been at Vernon Memorial Healthcare for 30 years and became a registered nurse in 1985. She said the most rewarding part of nursing has always been making someone feel better. If they are suffering and if I can make them smile or lighten their load that is the most rewarding part of this profession to relieve their suffering. Liebert was nominated for a Heart of Health Care award by co-worker Michelle Burbach. Felicia is one of those veteran nurses who is exceptionally skilled in everything she does, Burbach wrote in her nomination letter. She works in the emergency department, OB, med surg, and as a house supervisor. Felicia is kind and compassionate and shares her knowledge with other staff and provides excellent patient care. She is passionate about health care and our patients. Felicia wants things to be top notch for everyone. She often picks up extra shifts, covers openings when needed, and covers again when there is no one else who can. Felicia radiates positive energy, calmness, expertise, organization, passion, work ethic, comradery, and a motherly nurturing atmosphere to work in. Burbach said Liebert is a staple in the organization and her colleagues are lucky to have her. Liebert said its very sweet to be nominated and be among the top 10 nurses. Its nice to hear some praise, she said. It wasnt anything I was expecting. It feels good. Liebert said nursing has been getting harder these last few years. Theres been an exodus of people leaving health care. Its been off-loaded on the nurses who remain. Nursing for sure has taken up the slack. Last year we had a lot of sick people and not enough staff and staff took breaks. It was a year of endurance, challenge and survival. Even though there have been challenges, Liebert said nursing is still a noble profession. Who doesnt want to comfort someone whos hurting? The longtime nurse said anyone who is considering nursing as a career should pursue it. I would say to people they have to be a people person and to be a person with a humanitarian heart and want to make the world a better place. With technology so sharp-edged, people need soft, TLC. Nursing comes naturally to Jesse Stecker, a profession he considers his calling. Growing up, Stecker was a source of emotional support for friends and family, and for those who want to help people, Stecker believes, nursing is the perfect avenue. You have to truly care, Stecker said. You need a big heart and a good attitude. Stecker, a graduate of Western Technical College, has worked in the health care field for 16 years, many of them as a certified nursing assistant. Fifteen months ago he joined the nurse team in Mayo Clinic Health Systems medical surgical unit, where tasks include keeping patients mobile post operation, dispensing medication, relaying care instructions and, in the case of unplanned emergency surgeries, providing emotional support. Its very traumatic when people, say, fall and break their hip. You definitely want to keep people comfortable mentally and physically, said Stecker. Sometimes having a kind heart and an ear for them to explain their situation is medicine in itself. Dr. Kendall Snyder, who nominated him for a Heart of Health Care Award, said Stecker has a deep level of compassion for patients, An outstanding, thorough and committed nurse who tailors care to fit the unique needs of each person. Said Snyder, He is the kind of provider I would want caring for my family member in the hospital. Stecker is exceptionally skilled in communication, Snyder said, and sets the bar for others. The compliment is dear to Stecker, who believes there is an art to communication. Having a patient anywhere from 18 years old to a 100 years old, you are trying to figure out how to communicate based on their needs, because were all just a little different, Stecker said. Every patient room is like its own world, and I alternate how I react and act to (accommodate) them. Nursing is a high stress, high pressure profession, and patients, overwhelmed or in pain, arent always kind or appreciative in the moment. Stecker is able to give grace, and often sees a different side to patients when they are ready to be released. Some patients are really frustrated through their care, and the day they leave theyre thanking you and they are emotional about leaving the facility, said Stecker. That hits home because its a response to how well youve done. And that makes me happy. It makes me happy about where I work, too, because it takes a whole team to make someone feel (that way). Stecker, like many in the health care field, can become a bit overwhelmed on days the hospital is short staffed, but his concern is less about his work load than the well being of the patients. You cant spend the quality time with people. Its kind of in and out of the room and its tough to hold back that youre very busy, Stecker said. A lot of patients start to feel bad for calling about something small, and that should never be the thing that people worry about. Patients have enough to worry about. When it comes to nursing, Stecker believes the mindset of wanting to be there is everything. The profession is far more than a paycheck to him, and having his dedication recognized has been an honor. The nomination I just feel very happy, Stecker said. And it makes me feel like Im doing the right thing. Because sometimes I think we all ask that question, Am I doing enough? And this kind of (affirms) me. LONDON Now that she has been crowned alongside her husband, King Charles III's wife is officially known as Queen Camilla. While it sounds more official than "queen consort," the changing of titles does not signify any practical difference in the role of the 75-year-old royal. Queen consorts do not formally share the sovereign's powers, and dropping the "consort" part of the title does not change that. Nonetheless, the change marks a milestone in Camilla's decadeslong road to rehabilitating her image from someone once reviled as the other woman in Charles' first marriage to Princess Diana, to a senior royal member largely accepted by the British public. The question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king has long been a subject of contention, due to sensitivity about her status as Charles' second wife. Camilla and her first husband, Andrew Parker-Bowles, divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting his relationship with Camilla. Charles and Diana divorced the following year. In 1997, there was a global outpouring of grief when Diana died in a car crash. Camilla and Charles waited until 2005 to marry in a low-key private civil ceremony. For many years, it wasn't clear if Camilla would eventually be styled as queen. 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. Last month, Buckingham Palace's official coronation invitations referred to Camilla as "Queen Camilla" for the first time. At the time, British media reported that palace officials believed it was an appropriate time to introduce the title, because several months had lapsed since Elizabeth's death in September. The most recent queen consort in British history was George VI's wife, Queen Elizabeth, who was known as "The Queen" and later the Queen Mother. Photos: King Charles III's coronation from the ceremony to the outfits Gov. Tony Evers has said he will veto a shared revenue proposal from Republicans because it has too many strings attached. The plan would return more state revenue to cities and counties, so long as local communities agree to some GOP restrictions. These include maintaining funding for police, maintaining arrest and citation levels, and barring health departments from closing businesses for pandemics for more than two weeks. In order for our government to function, voters need to trust that lawmakers have their best interests at heart. Unfortunately, may people feel the trust just isnt there. One major reason why is that we continue to allow members of Congress to trade stocks while in office with little oversight and accountability. Last month, a group of senators led by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks Act. The bill prohibits members, spouses and dependent minors from owning or trading securities, commodities or futures. This doesnt mean members have to abandon their fiscal well-being. They can still exchange their stocks in individual companies for mutual funds, or place their assets into a qualified blind trust. A stock trading ban has overwhelming bipartisan support among the public. Passing it is a no-brainer and would be a first step in rebuilding trust. Recent polling shows that 70% of voters across the political spectrum support banning members of Congress from holding individual stocks. And now those same Americans, including conservatives, moderates and progressives, are rallying behind the ETHICS Act. Its time for our elected officials to follow suit and end this conflict of interest. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, and Rep. Derrick Van Orden should support the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks Act. Lewis Kuhlman La Crosse Police in Los Angeles have arrested UFC veteran Tony Ferguson for suspicion of drunken driving after he allegedly crashed his truck into parked cars. Police arrested Ferguson at around 2 a.m. Sunday. They saidFergusons truck hit at least two parked vehicles and flipped over near Sunset Boulevard. A police spokesperson said no one was reported injured. The legislative and political era of the COVID emergencies declared in 2020 are officially ending. What does that change medically and financially? This a short summary for those who might be affected. In January of 2020, the secretary of the HHS declared a public health emergency due to COVID. In March, then-President Trump declared a national emergency, different from the public health one. These measures allowed rules and limits for medical care for any COVID related difficulty to be suspended and cost either lessened or cancelled. When testing and vaccines came into being, it permitted them to be administered without cost to any person. Our government bought them from the companies and distributed them. It was a blessing to help us through the jungle of infection, disease and death. There have been many politically strident calls to end both emergencies for many months. On April 10, President Biden signed a law to end both the national emergency almost immediately and the public health one on May 11. One version of the changes lists issues like stricter training rules for nursing home staff. In the pandemic, more nurses aides were permitted to be hired with less training to accommodate the crush of residents. After seeing patients in nursing homes, you quickly realize nurses aides are usually amazing people who help those folks live there in a humane manner. They do a mountain of learning on the job. Also, treatment for people recovering from addiction is threatened by the cancellation. During the emergency, the Drug Enforcement Administration said providers could prescribe certain controlled substances like buprenorphine virtually via telemedicine or over the phone without conducting an in-person medical evaluation. It more than halves the risk of overdose. The DEA will institute tighter controls with in-person visits now, for drugs like oxycodone and Ritalin. Other changes cited in a U.S. Department of Labor blog from March 29 are that medical insurance plans will no longer be required to cover COVID testing, including over the counter tests, at no cost to you. You can still try to find at home tests for no cost before May 12. Vaccinations will still be free if given from the stockpile the U.S. bought earlier until it runs out. Then, the negotiation is between you and your insurance. (Good luck.) Telemedicine/telehealth expansion that occurred in the pandemic will likely be sustained for some things, which is a benefit for homebound and disabled folks. Insurance coverage for that is up for grabs (by the insurance?). During the emergency many health plans expanded coverage. Also, many health plans were required to give you more time to make key decisions about your coverage. Enrollment periods were much more liberal. These may change per plan. Also, people on Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may be subject to disenrollment. The websites suggestion is to check with HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2595. The other agency to contact is the EBSA or Employee Benefits Security Administration, 1-866-444-3272. Another change occurred on May 1. The White House announced that that the Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for Federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers on May 11. People are so done with COVID, masks, restrictions, etc., that the end of the emergencies wont mean much to a majority of people. But it still means a lot medically because somewhere between 500 and 600 patients are dying daily from COVID even now. I have personally observed several folks still sporting masks in close quarters buying groceries, etc. There are new variants of Omicron emerging in parts of the U.S. and world today. We may feel we are done with the virus. But the virus in any of its variations is not really done with us yet. Stay tuned. A recent article in the Winona Daily News on April 8, Community Colleges face reckoning, about the nations community colleges outlined some of the challenges facing the nations largest sector of higher education, calling them out as defensive underdogs and laying bare their less-than-perfect underbellies. Showcasing students who were not able to navigate the often-complex processes that are systemically entrenched throughout traditional American higher education, the article focused on high dropout rates and low completion rates, and it advanced the stigma that community colleges are a punchline rather than an on-ramp to the middle class for millions of students each year. The article glosses over the impact of intentional campus programs designed to shift negative narratives about community colleges and focus on the students themselves. Community colleges are built upon a model of higher education that was intended to serve wealthy, Caucasian men with rank and societal stature. That dichotomy alone is a paradox that requires community colleges to navigate within a structure of privilege to serve millions of students regardless of background, ethnicity, ability, or preparedness. And not simply to offer them a pathway to prosperity, but to ensure it is a pathway that maintains academic rigor and open access. Sleeves rolled upNo one is more aware of the data trends than community college leaders. Falling enrollment numbers are concerning, not because of the impact on the colleges, but because we recognize the disproportionate impact of enrollment declines impacts minority students to a much greater degree. As our population shifts to a minority-majority, the lack of higher education will disproportionately impact the national job market and create a larger socioeconomic gap. A reckoning for community colleges came more than a decade ago when the institutions themselves recognized the need for improved outcomes and implemented transformational programs to increase completion for both degrees and certificates. Community college advocates worked tirelessly to disrupt their own systems and find new ways to offer pathways to completion, redefine developmental education and hone in on closing attainment gaps. They did not shy away from the task at hand, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. That work continues today and is constantly refined as we learn more about what is needed and what is working. It is an iterative project with no end as community colleges continue to transform themselves to better meet the needs of their students. Myriad student storiesAnd transform they do. We have heard countless stories from people that have benefited from the nations community colleges. From Tom Hanks now famous 2015 New York Post op-ed I Owe it All to Community College to the single, working mother who started a new career because she was able to access an affordable education at her local community college while working and parenting, community colleges transform lives. We are not perfect, and we have much more work to do, but I have yet to meet a community college leader who is not ready and willing to work to increase student success. Together, our nations community colleges officially serve 38% of the nations undergraduates but that does not account for the more than 4 million students who are not even looking to obtain a degree, but to advance their career by earning credentials or certificates that provide them an opportunity to learn skills valued by employers. In fact, major employers are looking to community colleges to fill their workforce pipelines citing the need to diversify the nations workforce. At the local, regional and national levels, community colleges are economic engines that provide the skills needed to fill local jobs. Better dataNot everything is quantifiable. For decades community colleges have fought to bring understanding to policymakers about the measures used when reporting data about and for community colleges. Workforce development programs are not calculated in federal datasets and none of the measures take community college student demographic into account. When measured using all entering students over six years and diversifying outcomes, the community college success rate is 59% compared to the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System 25% for the same reporting period. It shows a much more accurate portrayal of community college students who are often older, working and may be the first in their families to attend college. Perfect? No, but a better indication of the real work happening on campuses today. Every community college has thousands of stories of success. Students that have gone on to be award-winning actors, doctors, chefs, diplomats, elected officials and more so much more. Their success is our success and community colleges will continue to work diligently to ensure that anyone that comes through our doors has the same opportunity to succeed. Dear W.C., My heart is breaking as I write this letter asking for your help. I am 72 years old and for the past four months my daughter and two grandchildren have been living with me. They moved in when my daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer and going through chemotherapy. She was too debilitated to go to work and needed help with the children. They are old enough to care for themselves but still need guidance and supervision at 13 and 15 years old. My daughter found her cancer at a late stage as she was always so busy with work and the kids she kept putting off her doctors appointments. This week we found out her cancer has spread, and they want to do another round of treatments and possibly another surgery even though the doctor told us it is more or less a losing battle. My daughter has chosen to not go through anymore treatment as it was so difficult last time, she barely survived, and she does not want her last days to be feeling sick all the time. It is hard for me to ask for help, but we are really struggling right now. I have been buying all the food and driving my daughter to her medical appointments. The children need new beds as their old ones were broken and too small for them. I am behind in my utilities due to the added expenses. The check engine light is on on my car and one of my tires keeps losing air. It feels like this is more than I can bear right now. Even if you are unable to help us, I would love to be able to talk to you. Dear Readers, Sometimes life does seem to give us more than we can bear, but sometimes it also brings the right people into your path when needed most. I hoped my phone call to this grandmother would bring some comfort and ease during such a tragic time. I could tell the grandmother was desperate for someone to talk to about their situation. She immediately began to cry when she described all her daughter had endured so far and what they had yet to face. Losing a child, no matter their age, is one of the most feared things for most parents, and here this grandmother was about to go through it. She asked if I would pray with her and that seemed to calm her and bring some peace. We talked about her faith and how she could use that to help bring comfort during those difficult days. We then talked about her grandchildren and how they were getting through. The grandmother had taken great care in shielding them from the hardest parts of their mothers illness. She said, I dont want that to be their last memory of her. I want them to remember when she was the best Mom in the world. I asked about the needs of the children, and we put together a list of what they needed. This list included food, shoes, clothing, new beds, bedding and toiletries. The mother had not been working for six months at this point so there had not been enough money to purchase any of these items in addition to her medications and other expenses. The grandmother lived on Social Security and had already used what little she had saved to help her daughter. We reviewed their budget and overdue bills. In order to prevent utility disconnection, we would pay their overdue bill and pay an advance on future usage. We also would have the grandmothers car checked thoroughly to ensure safe transportation to future medical appointments. Even though the daughter had chosen to forego invasive treatments she still needed to be checked regularly. New tires would be added as not only was there a leak in one tire, but all the tires were also in terrible condition. When we finished our budget review the grandmother began to cry again. I could feel her heartbreak over the phone. I asked how her daughter was at this moment, and she said, She is having a better day. She has less pain. We talked about living in that moment and cherishing the good days. She promised she would work on that and embracing every moment she could to love her daughter and now finish the job of parenting her two grandchildren that her daughter had so wonderfully started. That along with her faith and a helping hand from all of us is what has given this grandmother the strength to carry on. A few weeks later the grandmother called me to provide an update. Her daughter is continuing to have some good days and the grandmother shared those cherished memories with me. She told me how thankful they are for the car repairs and new tires that will provide them safe transportation. The children loved their new beds and the grandmother even laughed as she said they no longer fought going to bed at night. They also greatly appreciated the new clothes, shoes and other personal items they were able to pick out on their own with the gift cards we provided. She cried tears of gratitude over the good food we provided that has helped her daughter be able to pick what she is able to eat. We ended our call with a prayer of gratitude for all of You and the relief from poverty we have all provided during this difficult time. Thank you for your donations that allow us to provide life-changing poverty relief that brings happy tears of relief, relief from the worry, hunger, and stress of poverty. Thank you and God Bless you. Health & Happiness, Love & GOD Bless Everyone, Sal Please Help: There are many coming to us in desperation. Our good fellow creations need our compassion. Together we make a big difference. Make checks payable to: The Time Is Now to Help, P.O. Box 1, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. The Time Is Now to Help is a federally recognized 5013 charitable organization. You will receive a tax deductible, itemized thank you receipt showing how 100% of your donation was used for providing poverty relief. Please visit our website for more information, to read more of our past and current columns and/or to make a donation: www.timeisnowtohelp.org. A Very Special Thank You: Family Foundation, Jeffrey Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Schuberth, Kunes Country Auto Group, Martin Group, John Stensland and family, Paul Ziegler, Ziegler Charitable Foundation, Paper Dolls, Jon and Patricia Meagher Clare, Richard and Julie Thomas, Knights of Columbus Lake Geneva, Rita OBrien, Michael and Kathe Beach, Robert and Patricia Davis, Church of Jesus Christ LDS, Ritas My Salon, Bob and Millie McCormick, James Dyer, Cheryl Robran, Doris Wiechmann, Barbara Quick, Charles and Kathleen Heinz, Karin Collamore, James Memmel, Greg Johns, Gregory Swanson, Jeanne Allen, Jennifer Aiken, Kelly Tomaske, Michael and Martha Nyrkkanen, all of our anonymous donors and ALL of you who support The Time Is Now to Help donation boxes. Anyone who would like a Time Is Now donation box in your business, please call (262) 249-7000. Prayer Chain: The power of prayer and positive thoughts comes from the true healer, our Lord answering our prayers. Please pray for healing for the following people: Brian, Mike, Sylvia, Megan, Kayla, Maria C., Deda Lee, Betty, Scott, Annie, Marilyn, Brandon, Helen, Dennis, Mary, Joseph, Jordan, Jean, Tom L., Dr. Peter, Alyce, Matthew, Pam E., Jenene B., John S., Patricia H., Darlene, Ron K., Marian K., Judy, Wendy, Eric, Anthony, Mary, Charlie, Tom P., Christina, Billy, Mike, Cheryl, Bryan E., and Ellie. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SUNDAY MAY 7 , 2023 Of Course This Is a Cover-Up! What Are You Going To Do About It? May 6, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Two drones attacked the Kremlin in Moscow on May 3. Within 24 hours, the Russian government had asserted that they considered this an attempted assassination of President Vladimir Putin at the very seat of the Russian State, and they specifically charged that Ukraine was behind the attack, with the backing, logistical and intelligence support, and explicit instructions of the United States, United Kingdom and NATO. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated on May 5: We are working on preventing a fall of our relations with the U.S. into the abyss of an open armed conflict. We are already on the verge of this abyss. He added that Russia is literally ready to use any means at its disposal to deter such threats to its security. The Western response? The government of the United States, the government of the United Kingdom, the European Union leaders, and pretty much the entirety of the mass media in the United States and Europe have all acted like the entire affair is a silly Russian concoction, or at most a minor incident which is being blown out of proportionno investigation; no serious review of policy. All that was forthcoming was a leering grin, along with White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirbys vapid assertion: I can assure you the United States had no role in it whatsoever. So, what just happened here? An obvious and dangerous provocation is carried out that puts the entire human race at risk, and it is followed by the aggressive message to the world, including you, dear reader: Of course this is a cover-up! What are you going to do about it? If you do nothing, you are like a lamb being led, without protest, to slaughter. The same thing happened back in September 2022, when the Nord Stream pipelines were blown up. Again Washington assured the world they had nothing to do with the matter, a lie so transparent that a 12-year-old wearing a blindfold could see through it. There was no investigation; no review of policyjust a coverupeven after Seymour Hershs revelations on what had actually happened. Again, the message to the world, including you, dear reader, was: Of course this is a cover-up! What are you going to do about it? And: Sure, were fascist beast-men. What of it? Well go to unimagined lengths to keep control of our collapsing unipolar world. But who is going to stand up and stop us? Lyndon LaRouche often commented that what broke the American spirit in the 1960s, leading to the paradigm shift into deindustrialization and cultural decay, was not so much the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, as horrific as that was, but the subsequent cover-up of that crime by the Warren Commission. In a 1989 interview that the International Connection conducted with Lyndon LaRouche when he was incarcerated in the Alexandria Detention Center in Alexandria, Virginia, LaRouche explained the strategic purpose of the JFK assassination: What they were doing was destabilizing, particularly with the cover-up, the Warren Commission cover-upthe combination of the assassination with the cover-up, actually did destabilize the United States; destabilized the institutions of government of the United States, destroyed the Presidency as an efficient instrument of government, the constitutional instrument. In a Nov. 22, 2010 article, LaRouche made the same point: The Warren Commission, led by Allen Dulles and John J. McCloy, covered up the British trail, and further terrified two generations of Americans with the flagrant lies. Again, the message was: Of course this is a cover-up! What are you going to do about it? As a matter of fact, this is a valid question. What are you going to do about it? Doing nothing pretty much guarantees a nuclear confrontation between the U.S. and Russia (and/or with China). As the invitation to the May 6 Manhattan Project meeting of The LaRouche Organization stated: Your individual action, joined with others, could be the most crucial factor in changing the response, including even the military response, of several governments to this new circumstance of war-escalation, even in the next days.... The insane drive to carve up Russia, and the vain drive to prop up a hopelessly bankrupt financial non-system, can be derailed by the uncompromising and earned optimism of an aroused, fighting and independent American people, with whom the nations of the world would be relieved, happy and proud to collaborate. VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents. James Knox Polk moved into the White House as the 11th president of the United States in 1845. Few had predicted that Polk would become president. Even he was surprised. Polk had come to his partys presidential nominating convention nearly a year earlier with low expectations. But the top politicians, including former president Martin Van Buren, failed to win a majority of votes. Convention delegates tried again and again to agree on a candidate. Eventually, Polk was nominated. A small number of delegates supported him. Then the delegates voted again. This time, Polk received all 266 votes. He became the first dark horse candidate in U.S. history to be nominated by a major party. In other words, he was someone no one thought would win. But he did. Early life Polk was born in the southeastern state of North Carolina. When he was a child, his family moved west, to Tennessee. At the time, Tennessee had few white settlers. Some considered it the wilderness. Polks family did well there. His father became wealthy, buying land and enslaved people. His mother Jane, who followed strict, Christian religious teachings, gave her 10 children a good education. James was the oldest. He went to college, then studied law. When he was 25, he married an intelligent and wealthy young woman named Sarah Childress. The two never had children. But they worked together to launch Polks political career. In time, Polk was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, then the national House of Representatives. There, he developed a close relationship with President Andrew Jackson. Since Jackson was called Old Hickory, Polk became known as Young Hickory. When Polk left Congress and returned to Tennessee to become governor, he supported Jacksons banking reforms. But soon the U.S. economy collapsed. Tennessee voters failed to re-elect Polk as governor not once, but twice. So Polk returned to his plantations and waited for a chance to re-enter national politics. In 1844, Polk traveled to the city of Baltimore to attend the Democratic Partys national convention. He thought he could perhaps win the nomination for vice president. Instead, he became the Democrats candidate for president. Several months later, he narrowly defeated the opposing partys candidate in the national election. Why Polk won Historian Robert Merry wrote a book about Polks presidency. Merry says one reason Polk won the election was the issue of Texas. Polk wanted to make Texas a state. He thought the United States could take possession of the area peacefully. The other leading candidates did not. Merry says the other candidates were right the United States eventually went to war with Mexico. But Polk spoke for the American people. In the 1840s, many Americans liked the idea of expanding the country. They believed in manifest destiny -- the idea that God wanted America to expand west, all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and take control of the continent. As a result, many voters supported Polk and his promise to add Texas to the United States. Polk took another unusual position in the 1844 election. He said if he won the presidency, he would serve only one term -- that is, four years. (Several previous presidents had served two terms.) Polk told voters presidents might abuse their power if they held office too long. One term, he said, would be enough for him. But Robert Merry says there was more to Polks one-term promise. It was a political bet. Polk thought if he said he would serve as president for only one term, other party leaders might help him win. Then, those politicians could try again to win the presidency in four years, instead of waiting eight. He was probably right. If Polk had not made the campaign promise, Merry says, Young Hickory would not have won. Presidency During the first days of his administration, James K. Polk famously listed the four things he planned to do as president. He wanted to reduce taxes on imports. He wished to establish an independent treasury. He hoped to settle the dispute with Britain over the Oregon border. And he wanted to get California for the United States. Less than four years later, Polk had realized each item on his list. He is remembered for greatly expanding the size of the United States. He successfully negotiated with Britain for U.S. control over territory in the west up to the 49th parallel. The agreement gave the U.S. the current states of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Below those states lay California. An American government minister once described California as the richest, the most beautiful, and the healthiest country in the world. The official said the port of San Francisco was big enough to hold all the navies of the world. He said someday San Francisco would control the trade of all the Pacific Ocean. There was only one problem, from the point of view of the U.S. government. California was part of Mexico. At first, U.S. officials attempted to buy California from Mexico. But Mexican officials refused even to talk about selling California to the United States. Shortly after the U.S. Congress approved statehood for Texas in early 1845, Mexico broke relations with the U.S. all together. The following year, Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and clashed with American soldiers. In answer, President Polk asked Congress to declare war. He did not think the conflict would last long. He believed the U.S. declaration would quickly force Mexico to sell him the territory he wanted. Polk was wrong. Historian Robert Merry says the war with Mexico lasted longer, was more expensive, and cost more lives than he expected. But in the 1848 treaty that ended the war, Polk got the land he had wanted. Mexico recognized the independence of Texas, and it sold the areas that are now all or part of the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and, yes, California. Legacy President Polk kept his promise to serve only one term. After four years, he retired from the presidency, traveled for a few weeks, and then returned to Tennessee to settle in a new home. Only three months after he left the White House, Polk died. He left behind a much larger country, but a divided one. The issue was again slavery. Southerners argued that they had the right to take enslaved people into California and other former Mexican lands. Northerners opposed any further spread of slavery. The question was this: did Congress have the power to control or even ban slavery in the new territories? Im Kelly Jean Kelly. Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. See how well you understand this story by talking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. Quiz - America's Presidents: James Polk Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story convention - n. a large meeting of people who come to a place for usually several days to talk about their shared work strict - adj. carefully obeying the rules or principles of a religion or a particular way of life plantation - n. a large area of land especially in a hot part of the world where crops (such as cotton) are grown manifest destiny - n. a future event that is sure to happen; a destiny that can be clearly seen and that cannot be changed bet - n. a choice made by thinking about what will probably happen parallel - n. any one of the imaginary circles on the surface of the Earth that are parallel to the equator and that are shown as lines on maps expensive - adj. costing a lot of money ill - adj. not well or healthy We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. A new study has found that about 25 percent of jobs are going to change in the next five years. The finding comes from a survey of employers published Monday by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The organization is best known for its yearly meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About 69 million jobs will be created and 83 million removed by 2027, it said. That will result in a total decrease of 2 percent of current employment, the Future of Jobs report said. The survey is based on data from about 800 companies employing more than 11 million workers. It used data from 673 million jobs. Technology and digitalization can lead to both the creation of jobs and the destruction of jobs, a summary of the report said. Companies are looking to increase their use of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and big data, the study found. More than 75 percent of companies say they will be using those technologies in the next five years. About 86 percent of companies surveyed said they want to use more digital platforms and mobile apps. Machines already do a large amount of work. The companies surveyed estimated that 34 percent of tasks are done by machines, with 66 percent of tasks competed by humans. AI is expected to be used by 75 percent of surveyed companies in the coming years. As a result, the fastest growing jobs are related to technology. The fastest declining jobs will be those that can be automated, like secretaries and bank tellers. The demand for AI machine learning specialists and cybersecurity experts is expected to grow greatly, the report said. Im Ashley Thompson. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters, and additional reporting. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story survey n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something platform n. a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs decline v. to become lower in amount or less in number secretary n. a person whose job is to handle records, letters, etc., for another person in an office teller n. a person who works in a bank and whose job is to receive money from customers and pay out money to customers _________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. Here is how our comment system works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is one of the best-known artworks in the world, famous for its beauty as well as the mystery surrounding the identity of the model and the location painted behind her. A source of debate for centuries, the town of Buriano, in the Tuscany region of Italy, is so convinced the bridge behind Mona Lisa is the Ponte Buriano that they've made it a key feature of their local tourism campaign, even laying claim to the bridge on the town's welcome sign. But now, historian Silvano Vinceti says that the bridge behind Mona Lisa is actually the Romito Bridge in the nearby Tuscan town of Laterina. "The distinctive form of the Arno [River] along that stretch of territory corresponds to what Leonardo portrayed in the landscape to the left of the woman depicted in the famous painting," Vinceti said at a media conference at the Foreign Press Association in Rome on Wednesday. Vinceti also made a virtual reconstruction of the bridge to show the similarities, and drew on documents from the state archives in Florence. The "Mona Lisa" was painted in the early 16th century. Between 1501 and 1503 Da Vinci lived with Cardinal Cesare Borgia near Laterina, Vinceti found. The bridge was in use and had four arches as depicted in the artwork. On the other hand, the Buriano bridge has six arches, Vinceti said, and Ponte Bobbio, a bridge in Piacenza that some say features in the painting, has more than six arches. The Romito bridge linked Arezzo, Fiesole and Florence but is now in ruins. Vinceti said he studied drone images of the river banks, the ruins and photographs over the years to determine that the "Etruscan-Roman Romito bridge is unmistakably" the one in the background. Laterina mayor Simona Neri was also in attendance at the press conference and is excited about the prospect of claiming the bridge to bring tourists to her town of 3,500 people. "We really hope that this wonderful news will intrigue and fascinate local and foreign tourists, with the knowledge that it will be a great opportunity to relaunch the tourism of our territory on which we can work a lot starting from naturalistic, cultural and monumental valuation," she said. "We need to try to protect what's left of the bridge, which will require funding," Neri said, noting that there are funds available for most areas tied to Da Vinci and other masters. "There'll be some rivalry; we'll need to put a poster up, too," she added. Da Vinci's 16th century masterpiece is now housed at the Louvre in the Paris, where it is seen by millions of visitors each year. But experts say it owes its global fame to the fact that it was stolen from the gallery by Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia in 1911, rather than any artistic singularity. "If a different one of Leonardo's works had been stolen, then that would have been the most famous work in the world not the 'Mona Lisa,'" Noah Charney, professor of art history and author of "The Thefts of the Mona Lisa," said in 2013, which marked the 100-year anniversary of when the painting was recovered. "There was nothing that really distinguished it per se, other than it was a very good work by a very famous artist that's until it was stolen," he added. "The theft is what really skyrocketed its appeal and made it a household name." 50 famous paintings and the stories behind them 50 famous paintings and the stories behind them Christinas World Arnolfini Portrait American Gothic Cyclops Death of Marat Frescoes, Villa of the Mysteries Girl With A Pearl Earring Dejeuner sur Lherbe Ophelia The Gross Clinic Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee Jack the Rippers Bedroom Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear Guernica The Scream Two Tahitian Women Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer Lascaux Cave Paintings Primavera Portrait of Madame X Untitled Flaming June At the Moulin Rouge The Ambassadors Girl With Balloon Judith Slaying Holofernes Myra Nocturne in Black and Gold, the Falling Rocket Salvator Mundi The Two Fridas The Ghent Altarpiece Juan de Pareja Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuniga Demoiselles dAvignon The Persistence of Memory Sick Bacchus Dancer Making Points Portrait of the Boy Eutyches A Sunday on La Grande Jatte The Son of Man The Nude Maja Tennis at Newport Bride of the Wind Liberty Leading the People The Sleepers Washington Crossing the Delaware I and the Village The Blue Boy 32 Campbell Soup Cans Mona Lisa 50 famous paintings and the stories behind them Christinas World Arnolfini Portrait American Gothic Cyclops Death of Marat Frescoes, Villa of the Mysteries Girl with a Pearl Earring Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe Ophelia The Gross Clinic Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee Jack the Rippers Bedroom Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear Guernica The Scream Two Tahitian Women Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer Lascaux Cave Paintings Primavera Portrait of Madame X Untitled Flaming June At the Moulin Rouge The Ambassadors Girl With Balloon Judith Slaying Holofernes Myra Nocturne in Black and Gold, the Falling Rocket Salvator Mundi The Two Fridas The Ghent Altarpiece Juan de Pareja Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuniga Demoiselles dAvignon The Persistence of Memory Young Sick Bacchus Dancer Making Points Portrait of the Boy Eutyches A Sunday on La Grande Jatte The Son of Man The Nude Maja Tennis at Newport Bride of the Wind Liberty Leading the People The Sleepers Washington Crossing the Delaware I and the Village The Blue Boy Campbell's Soup Cans Mona Lisa Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Editors Note: In Chinese culture, people typically list their family name first, followed by their given name. On second-references to Chinese people quoted in this story, Wisconsin Watch is using their family name. Day after day over nearly five years in Chishan Prison, Lee Ming-che walked the 5 minutes from his cell to one of several manufacturing spaces on prison grounds. The prison in Chinas central Hunan Province houses political prisoners like Lee, a renowned human rights activist who met with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her consequential 2022 visit to Taiwan. Lee, a Taiwanese college administrator, was convicted in China of subverting state power in 2017 and released last year. In an interview in Mandarin with Wisconsin Watch from his home in Taiwan, Lee said officials forced him and hundreds of other Chishan prisoners to work roughly 13 hours a day, seven days a week with just a few days off around the Chinese New Year. His pay? The equivalent of about 48 cents a day. I was like a robot, doing work in the daytime and then returning to the cell (at night), Lee recalled. His tasks included cutting polyester fabric and sewing it together to make work gloves, producing at least 200 pairs a day. He said he knew the gloves were destined for the United States. He later learned about the company whose brand was on the gloves, stamped with a thunderbolt and the word Milwaukee. Shown photos of Milwaukee Tool gloves for sale at two Madison, Wis. Home Depot stores, Lee verified four types of gloves he was forced to make Free-Flex, Demolition, Performance and Winter Performance. I can recognize the models and the logo of work gloves, Lee told Wisconsin Watch. As long as Ive made them before, I can recognize them. A Wisconsin Watch investigation found additional evidence that Chishan prisoners were paid pennies to make work gloves bearing the iconic brand of Milwaukee Tool, a company with a nearly 100-year history in Wisconsin. A supplier for Milwaukee Tool subcontracted work to the prison, two former prisoners said in separate interviews. A self-identified salesperson of the supplier, Shanghai Select Safety Products, said it manufactured the majority of Milwaukee Tools work gloves. And regulatory filings show Shanghai Select was contracted to manufacture Performance Gloves for a subsidiary of Milwaukee Tools parent company. Milwaukee Tool: No evidence to support forced labor accusation Wisconsin Watch began its investigation after Chinese exile Shi Minglei, who now lives in Minnesotas Twin Cities, launched a change.org petition in November to pressure Milwaukee Tool to stop sourcing gloves made at the prison. She alleges her husband, imprisoned human rights activist Cheng Yuan, also has been forced to use a sewing machine to produce goods at the prison. Shi cannot verify he is making Milwaukee Tool products, but she heard from two former prisoners of Milwaukee Tools production at the prison. A Milwaukee Tool spokesperson said the Brookfield-based company has found no evidence to support the claims being made about its link to forced labor. Milwaukee Tool regularly conducts a complete and thorough review of our global operations and supply chain, Kharli Tyler, vice president of brand marketing, said in an email that did not answer specific questions from Wisconsin Watch. Thirteen shipments of work gloves from Shanghai arrived at United States ports since the summer of 2019 when Lee said he noticed Chishan prisoners making Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves, according to an analysis of customs shipping data provided to Wisconsin Watch by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Listed as a consignee for the gloves: Milwaukee Electric Tool Co. Those records end in 2020, but whether the shipments ended is unclear. Companies can ask federal Customs and Border Protection to shield their names and addresses from published shipping data, said S&P Global spokesperson Katherine Smith. If Milwaukee Tool was sourcing from a foreign prison, theyre in violation of Section 307, said Charity Ryerson, a human rights lawyer and executive director of Chicago-based Corporate Accountability Lab, referring to the federal law banning imports of goods made with forced labor. Milwaukee Tools parent company, Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries Company Limited, has a policy prohibiting the use of modern slavery and human trafficking. The Milwaukee Tool Legal Council in December told the Business and Human Rights Centre that a thorough investigation of these claims was conducted, and we have found no evidence to support the claims being made. The company does not tolerate the use of forced labor. In February, in a response shared with Wisconsin Watch, DLA Piper, a law firm with offices around the world that represents Milwaukee Tool and Techtronic Industries, said forced labor allegations were investigated, and denied. Prisoners discuss forced labor Shi, who is pushing the change.org petition, has had little contact with Cheng since his imprisonment in 2019. She said her husband wrote three letters to his family in 2022 in which he opaquely referenced forced labor. In a letter to his sister last May, Cheng implicitly described excessive hours of forced labor by citing two lines from a poem by Tao Yuanming, one of Chinas great poets. Translations go like this: I rise early to clear away the weeds, Till, hoe on shoulder, I plod home with the moon. Shi said she aims to ease the slavery-like conditions endured by Cheng, who was arrested while running a Chinese organization that advocated for victims of discrimination. Wisconsin Watch interviewed an additional former prisoner who claims Milwaukee Tool is profiting from forced labor at Chishan Prison. He asked to use the pseudonym Xu Lun to protect his safety. While incarcerated at Chishan Prison, Xu remembers making all types of work gloves Lee identified and another Milwaukee Tool-branded model: Winter Demolition. Everyone knows these things will be exported to America, Xu said. We stitched labels onto every single pair (of gloves). Labels do show the address. The label attached to one pair purchased by Wisconsin Watch reads: ENGINEERED BY MILWAUKEE TOOL. PROFESSIONALLY MADE IN CHINA, and it includes the companys website URL and Brookfield address. Xu said many prisoners developed eczema in hot and humid conditions at the prison workplace. Lee said he now has allergies which his doctor blames on the clouds of fabric dust he inhaled while working in prison. Contracting down the supply chain Lee and Xu independently identified the name of the supplier that outsourced work to Chishan Prison as Shanghai Select Safety Products, which advertises its own line of gloves. Lee said he heard the name from the prison police and also saw it on purchase orders. Xu recalled hearing the suppliers name from a prisoner who worked in a warehouse stocking gloves. In August 2015, Shanghai Select Safety Products signed a $1 million contract with Techtronic Trading Limited, a subsidiary of Techtronic Industries, according to a 2018 initial public offering filed with the Chinese National Equities Exchange and Quotations. The contract was later renewed, and the Chinese manufacturer was contracted to make Performance Gloves for Techtronic Trading in 2017, the IPO shows. Also in June 2015, Milwaukee Tool introduced a new product, Demolition work gloves. The next year, the company launched three more models: Free-Flex, Performance and a fingerless version of Performance made of the same polyester fabric. For the next two, three, and four years, youll continue to see me up here talking about the new latest greatest gloves from Milwaukee, a Milwaukee Tool product manager announced at a 2016 event. Milwaukee Tool has continued to expand its product line to add gloves with dipped coating and goatskin leather work gloves. Salesperson: Were making the majority of Milwaukee-branded work gloves In February, this reporter sought to purchase Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves on Taobao, Chinas version of Amazon.com. Two third-party vendors told the reporter they sell work gloves that suppliers rejected as defective. Shanghai Select Safety Products was one of such suppliers. Posing as a middleman for an American buyer, this reporter separately contacted a self-identified Shanghai Select Safety Products salesperson. Were making the majority of Milwaukee-branded work gloves, the salesperson said in a text message. The salesperson shared a catalog that identified Shanghai Select as a gloves supplier for Milwaukee Tool. Shi believes Shanghai Select Safety Products outsources to cut labor costs and subcontracts portions of work gloves orders to the Chishan Prison corporation. Chinas government prison enterprise system requires provincial governments to pay for prison operations. The government-run prison enterprise contracts with private businesses for prisoners to produce goods, generating revenue to run the prison. Chishan Prison contains around 2,900 prisoners. The same prison corporation runs 11 manufacturing spaces within the compound. Examining satellite imagery, Lee and Xu each pointed out the buildings on prison grounds where they made gloves. These long, rectangular workshops cover more than 80,000 square meters. Their metal roofs are brightly colored, often blue, but sometimes red or black, according to the satellite image. Forced labor a growing concern Concerns over the use of forced labor in China are rising in the United States. A 2021 law prohibits importation of all goods from Chinas far-western Xinjiang region due to the rampant use of forced labor. Chishan Prison sits outside of that region. Since the 1990s, CBP has issued 60 active enforcement actions related to goods made by prisoner laborers, with two-thirds against Chinese goods. China in recent years has faced scrutiny related to the use of forced labor of Uyghurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority group whom Chinese officials have forced into re-education camps a move the United Nations has said could be considered a crime against humanity. Ryerson of the Corporate Accountability Lab said the new regulations and scrutiny should prompt American companies to reassess and better monitor their supply chains. If you are so far removed from the supply chain that you are unknowingly sourcing from a Chinese prison, you are actually not keeping up with the rest of the industry, she said. Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization, said such exploitative conditions stem from corporate executives who chase profits at the cost of the working class. Milwaukee Tool reported $8.1 billion in sales in 2022, mostly in North America. Maybe (Milwaukee Tool is) ignorant of it. Maybe they are surprised themselves, Rickman said. But that doesnt lessen their responsibility for ensuring wherever their production facilities are that workers are treated with dignity, respect, and humanity and are paid living wages. Forced laborers at Chishan Prison get reimbursed monthly depending on the complexity of the task, ranging from 20 to 300 yuan, or $3 to $43, according to Lee and Xu. In Wisconsin, some prisoners work in state-owned correctional industries and facilities. They get paid 97 cents per hour on average, according to an ACLU analysis. That equates to a monthly wage of $155 under 40-hour work weeks. Over the past decade, American customers have found notes in the products hidden by inmates who make Christmas cards, paper bags, ornaments or garments in Chinese prison labor facilities. Released prisoners claimed they were forced to produce goods for renowned brands. Dragged into glove production In the summer of 2019, Lee said he noticed many inmates pivoting away from other work to sew work gloves for Milwaukee Tool. He said the following year, he became part of the production line of hundreds of prisoners. Lee said the 90-plus hour weeks they produced Milwaukee Tool gloves violate Chinas laws and regulations, including Chinese Ministry of Justice guidance to limit prison labor to 40 hours per week. The guidance also states prison labor products should be sold only within China. But Chinese law prohibits work refusal by incarcerated people who have the ability to work. Prisoners can be sent to solitary confinement for refusing work, not working hard enough or intentionally destroying tools of production. Everything we know about the prison system in China indicates that prisoners do not have any meaningful choice in terms of engaging in labor, said Nicholas Bequelin, former Asian-Pacific Regional Director at Amnesty International and a visiting fellow at Yale Law School. There just is no evidence that prisoners can refuse to work. And so, to that extent, that would be considered slavery. Mixed results of self-regulatory tools Techtronic Industries Company Limited, Milwaukee Tools parent, says it uses compliance tools and third-party auditors to ensure its 2,825 direct suppliers, including 1,165 in Asia, comply with its policy against modern slavery and forced labor. The supplier relationship will be terminated if major compliance issues are not corrected to meet set standards, the company said in a 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance report. But self-regulatory tools used by many multinational companies are flawed and often unable to detect forced labor, research shows. For a 2021 book, Professor Sarosh Kuruvilla, a labor policies expert at Cornell University, examined more than 40,000 factory audits from 2011 to 2017 spanning 14 industries and 12 countries, including China. He found 45% were based on unreliable or falsified information. Audits in China were unreliable more than half the time. Li Qiang, the founder of the New York-based nongovernmental organization China Labor Watch, said suppliers falsify information in multiple ways, such as faking data related to workers, products and salaries. A 2018 study co-published by the University of Sheffield found audit systems tend to focus on the workforce of first-tier suppliers and neglect subcontracted portions, where the risks of forced labor are highest. The study argued big brands squeeze suppliers by imposing short-term contracts, penalties and fees for late or low-quality orders while demanding razor-thin margins from the bottom of the supply chain. Pressure to balance their own books and fear of jeopardizing contracts pushes suppliers to deceive auditors. Li said subcontracting is common in China especially for suppliers who cheaply fulfill orders from American buyers. Under these circumstances, the suppliers outsource part of the order without necessarily recording it, he said. When a supplier is placed to produce 10,000 pairs of gloves but subcontracts half, it is too hidden for auditors to find it out during the on-site audits, Li added. Suffering survivor guilt Back in Taiwan, Lee continues to speak out about his years in Chishan Prison. He calls forced labor a menace to human rights and global free trade. I certainly feel that I have the obligation to prove the thing happened there, Lee said. Shi said she suffers from survivor guilt as she lives relatively comfortably in the United States while pushing to improve conditions for her husband in China. After Chinese officials arrested Cheng in July 2019 on subversion charges, Shi and her 3-year-old daughter were placed under house arrest for 180 days on suspicion of financing his activities. Shi said five Chinese security police officers interrogated her after she posted the familys struggles on Twitter threatening to take her daughter away if she continued posting. That prompted Shi to flee to the Twin Cities, where she plans to keep pressing Milwaukee Tool to stop benefitting from forced labor. In fact, Shi and her attorneys are gearing up for a lawsuit against the company for the use of forced labor. We hope Milwaukee Tool will acknowledge it, apologize for it, and stop it, Shi said. We wont surrender. The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. MEATPACKING THE CLEANUP DUTY OMAHA, Neb. The slaughterhouse cleaning company in southwestern Wisconsin that was found to be employing more than 100 children to help sanitize dangerous razor-sharp equipment like bone saws has continued to lose contracts with the major meat producers since the investigation became public last fall. For its part, Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI as it is known, said it has taken a number of steps to tighten up its hiring practices but it says the rising number of child labor cases nationwide is likely related to the increase in the number of minors crossing the U.S. border alone in recent years. The scandal that followed the February announcement that Kieler-based PSSI would pay a $1.5 million fi ne and reform its hiring practices as part of an agreement with investigators also prompted the Biden administration to urge the entire meat processing industry to take steps to ensure no kids are working in these plants either for the meat companies or at contractors like PSSI. Federal investigators confirmed that children as young as 13 were working for PSSI at 13 plants in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas. It wasn't immediately clear if any additional children have been found working for the company because PSSI declined to answer that and government officials haven't offered an update on the investigation since February. The Labor Department said there has been a 69% increase since 2018 in the number of children being employed illegally nationwide, and it has more than 600 child labor investigations underway. Officials have said they are particularly concerned about the potential exploitation of migrants who may not even have a parent in the United States. PSSI maintains that it prohibits hiring kids and the only way children could have been hired is "through deliberate identity theft or fraud at a local plant. Regardless of the reason they occurred, it is our responsibility to address the problem." "As has been widely reported, the recent record rise in unaccompanied minors from abroad and rising prevalence of identity theft has clearly revealed new vulnerabilities in the area of underage labor across hundreds of different businesses including ours," PSSI spokesman Ray Hernandez said. Companies like PSSI are put in a difficult situation of having to turn away applicants who appear to have a valid ID when they want to hire workers, and they also have to be careful not to discriminate by imposing extra scrutiny on immigrants, said David Bier, an immigration policy expert at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute that advocates for more open immigration laws. The fact that more than half a million children have crossed the border without their parents since 2019 creates a large group of minors who may try to get jobs. "Seventeen-year-old, 16-year-old or 15-year old even gets an ID and a company needs workers, it's difficult to police," Bier said. And the meatpacking industry is always desperate to find more workers. "If you're willing to do the work and you have an ID, then you're going to be able to get a job." Cargill, Tyson Foods and JBS have all terminated contracts with PSSI at at least some of their plants particularly any plants where Labor Department investigators confirmed children were working although Cargill went furthest and cut ties with the Kieler, Wisconsin-based company entirely. Another meat processing giant, Smithfield Foods, said only that it is taking a close look at its contracts with PSSI, which currently cleans about onethird of the company's 45 plants, to ensure that all labor laws are being followed. Those four companies, along with National Beef, control over 80% of the beef market and more than 60% of the pork market nationwide. National Beef didn't respond to questions about its actions. Cargill spokeswoman April Nelson said the company notified PSSI in March that it would end all 14 of its contracts because "we will not tolerate the use of underage labor within our facilities or supplier network." Doubling down Doubling down Tyson and JBS officials also reiterated their commitment to eliminating child labor in their plants, and they said each of their companies had ended PSSI contracts at several plants. But they declined to provide specific numbers about how many contracts they cut and how many plants PSSI is still cleaning for them. "Tyson Foods is committed to compliance with all labor laws and holding those we do business with to the highest standards of accountability," said Dan Turton, a senior vice president at Tyson, in a letter to members of Congress about their child labor concerns. He promised Tyson would step up its audits of contractors and continue cooperating with federal officials to ensure its own hiring meets all standards. The major meat processors say they are looking to bring more of the cleaning work at their plants in house, but they will likely continue to rely on contractors in many places. Tyson, for instance, said that its own workers clean about 40% of its plants. PSSI wouldn't say how many workers it has laid off after losing contracts, but the way it describes itself on its website hints at the job losses. PSSI now says it has about 16,500 employees nationwide working at more than 400 plants, down from the more than 17,000 it cited last fall before the investigation. Still, it remains one of the largest cleaners of food processing plants. A motorist shot and killed a St. Croix County sheriff's deputy before fleeing into the woods and shooting himself on Saturday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said. The shooting makes 2023 the deadliest year for law enforcement in Wisconsin since 2000. Deputy Kaitie Leising, 29, had responded to a report of a drunken driver who had crashed into a ditch in the town of Glenwood, about 50 miles northwest of Eau Claire, about 6:15 p.m. Saturday, according to the DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation. The driver, Jeremiah D. Johnson, 34, refused Leising's demands to take a field sobriety test for nearly 10 minutes before taking out a handgun and shooting the deputy, the DOJ said. A vehicle of people who had stopped at the scene to help Johnson before Leising arrived gave her aid. She later died at a hospital. After an hourlong search for Johnson in the woods, an officer saw Johnson shoot himself, the DOJ said. He died at the scene. Leising had worked in St. Croix since last year and prior to that served in South Dakota with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office for two years, St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said. "We, as a law enforcement family, will do everything possible to continue to provide support and comfort to her family," Knudson said. "We will miss her infectious smile and personality," Knudson said. The killing comes exactly one month after the fatal shooting of two police officers in neighboring Barron County. On April 8, Officer Emily Breidenbach, 32, of the Chetek Police Department, and Officer Hunter Scheel, 23, of the Cameron Police Department, pulled over a vehicle driven by Glenn Douglas Perry, 50, of New Auburn, after they received a report of concerning behavior, according to the DCI. The killings in Barron and St. Croix counties bring the number of law enforcement officers slain on duty this year to four. In February, a man shot and killed Milwaukee police Officer Peter Jerving after a robbery. "It's devastating to say the least," said Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. "The fact we're barely five months into the year is beyond alarming," Palmer said. "A tragedy like this deeply impacts every officer that puts on a badge and the loved ones that watch them depart each day." The recent staffing shortages faced by law enforcement in recent years mean an officer may be more likely to respond to a scene alone, Palmer noted. "That's especially true in a rural setting where the closest backup could be 20 to 30 minutes away," Palmer said. This is a developing story and will be updated. GREEN BAY There are new apartment buildings, condominiums and boardwalks that 20 years ago seemed implausible here along the Fox River. Another plan, called the Shipyard, a long-dormant former rail and shipping hub, would construct a riverfront promenade, floating docks, a fishing pier, kayak launch, dog park, urban beach and a commercial plaza to support local start-up businesses that specialize in food, beverage, retail and recreation. To the south in De Pere, a bike and recreation trail winds along the north-flowing river, while in Kimberly, a paper mill, established in 1889 and that in 2008 employed 600 people, has been removed to make way for houses, apartments, restaurants and parkland. This is not the Fox River of old, both along its banks and in the sediment below. Once an EPA Superfund site that stretched from Neenah to Green Bay, a 17-year, $1.3 billion cleanup of PCBs has ushered in a new chapter for the river. Only the path to restoration was anything but clear. It involved court fights, settlements with paper companies, and major disagreements between then-Gov. Tommy Thompson and the federal government over how to go about the project. That fight, along with the cleanup, has been documented in a new book by P. David Allen II, a retired wildlife biologist, and Susan Campbell, a former reporter with the Green Bay Press-Gazette who began covering the story in the 1990s. Paper Valley (Wayne State University Press), released in late April, tells the story of how the community grew support for the project, and how the state ultimately joined the federal government in the cleanup and forced seven paper companies to pay for the effort without the use of taxpayer dollars. The project, which would become the largest PCB cleanup project in U.S. history and the largest river cleanup in the world, dredged and removed 6.5 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river bed. As the book notes, that would be enough to fill Lambeau Fields stadium six times over. Its a dispute thats been forgotten, but the reason its important to talk about it now is that this always happens anytime you try to do a cleanup. Theres always forces that say, Lets not do it, Allen said. Its true the fight among the governmental agencies delayed everything by 10 years, unfortunately ... but at the end of the day everyone came together. It took a long time, but I think everything the governments and the public wanted done got done, and it got funded by the paper companies. History of paper Wisconsin has a long history with the production of paper products, whether it be writing paper, pages for magazines, cardboard boxes, diapers, toilet paper or paper towels. The northern third of the states flush forestland provided the raw material to make pulp, while the Fox and Wisconsin rivers proved to be the prime sources for most of the states mills. Papermaking requires massive amounts of water, but in most cases, before there were stricter environmental regulations, heavily polluted water was returned to the rivers. And with paper mills lining the Fox River, the sediment became saturated over the years with PCBs, which were banned in 1979. However, the contaminants remained, which pushed officials to try to repair the river, considered one of the largest fresh water estuaries in the world, which flows into the arm of Lake Michigan known as Green Bay. According to the state Department of Natural Resources, there are more than 20 paper and pulp mills on the river, which also hosts other industries and shipping, and is further pressured by runoff from agricultural and urban land inhabited by more than 500,000 people. The river is also a prime fishing destination that has gradually improved over the years and draws thousands of people who fish for trophy walleye and muskie. It was fish advisories, according to Campbell, that helped convince the public that a major cleanup effort was needed, while the paper companies argued that an EPA Superfund designation would hurt the economy and tourism and give the community a black eye. The public, over time, really came to support the cleanup, such that when the EPA proposed it for a Superfund listing they had more comments coming on this particular issue than they had for any proposed Superfund listing in their history, Campbell said. I think its an amazing story about this massive cleanup that occurred, the controversy that drove it is unique, and I think it needs to be told. I think people need to understand these things just dont happen by accident. It takes the right people at the right time wielding the right tools to get a result like this. They were there Campbell and Allen talked about the book recently while seated in a restaurant in the Freimann Hotel Building, first constructed along the Fox River in 1896. The buildings guests in its early days included those who worked on the railroad, its track between the former hotel and river now a bike and walking path. Both Campbell and Allen came to Green Bay in the early 1990s, and their paths would cross as the controversy grew. Allen thought he was going to be doing more traditional work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, like studying eagles, terns and cormorants. Instead he found himself part of a team working with the U.S. Justice Department building a case against the paper companies. We had the whole gamut. We had chemists, we had restoration ecologists, we had economists, we had lawyers and ended up with a team of about 100 people, Allen said. By 2001, we basically built the case that we thought the state was going to build when I first got here. Campbell documented the effort for the newspaper until 2000. A few years later she wrote a book, Beyond Earth Day: Fulfilling the Promise, with former Wisconsin Gov. and U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, considered the founder of Earth Day. Paper Valley comes in at 283 pages and pulls no punches on former Gov. Thompson. The books introduction says the project was held hostage by a popular politician willing to ignore facts, laws, experts, the press and even the institutions he had sworn to lead and who was the perfect ally for the powerful Fox River paper companies seeking to avoid paying for the costly cleanup of their mess. Sampling and studies on the Lower Fox River started in the early 1970s and indicated PCB-contaminated sediment was deposited along the entire length of the river. The Thompson administration, according to a 2001 story in the Wisconsin State Journal, had been seeking $170 million from the paper companies, but the federal government argued the settlement was too low, something that was later proven correct by more than $1 billion. The massive, multiyear dredging operation used three different machines that fed sediment to a facility where contaminated water was squeezed out of the sediment, treated and returned to the river. The sediment, which would ultimately be dried, was then shipped to landfills, one in Calumet County the other in Manitowoc County. Some contaminated areas of the river where dredging was less feasible were capped with layers of sand, gravel and rock. The project also preserved or restored more than 10,000 acres of wetlands and habitat, enhanced 11 fisheries and improved several parks. For a long time, public resources were being used for profit and nobody thought anything of it, Campbell said. And in the process, the public resource was damaged. This is a story about people reclaiming their resources. Close The Outagamie County Courthouse was built in 1940 and 1941. This mural in the lobby includes depictions of paper making, lower left. The Paper Discovery Center is located in the former Atlas Paper Co. mill on the banks of the Fox River in Appleton. It's main floor had been home to massive paper making machines but hosts interactive exhibits and displays about the paper industry. Wisconsin leads the state in paper production but the vast majority of the products are for packaging, tissue products and specialized paper. A historical display on the region's paper making industry is located just south of the Appleton Coated mill in Combined Locks. Nearly 10 years after NewPage shuttered its mill that was established by Kimberly-Clark in 1889 in Kimberly, work is being done to redevelop the 90 acre property along the Fox River. Papermill Estates will include houses, apartments, restaurants and parkland. In 2008, the plant employed 600 people. An exhibit at the Paper Discovery Center shows what was used prior to toilet paper. From top to bottom the items are a corn cob, lace, coconut shells, wool cloth and the frayed end of an anchor rope. Early products cranked out by the two machines at Atlas Paper Co. in Appleton included wallpaper. Later, the mill made fine writing paper and wax paper for frozen vegetable boxes. When Kimberly-Clark converted the mill to a research and development facility in 1956, it created KAYCEL, material used for hospital gowns and bibs for dental patients. Michael Breza, lead educator and historian at the Paper Discovery Center, located in the former mill, holds up a pair of medical pants likely made at the plant but now stored in the center's archives. Michael Breza, lead educator and historian at the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton, pages through a ledger from the defunct Gilbert Paper Co. which specialized in making paper for currency for countries around the world. The ledger is part of the Paper Discovery Center's library and archives, located in the lower level of the former Atlas Paper Co. mill that later became part of the Kimberly-Clark Corp. The Paper Discovery Center is located in the former Atlas Paper Co. mill along the Fox River. The smoke stack of the former Fox River Paper Co. is now owned by Neenah Paper, a company founded in 1873 in Neenah but now based in Alpharetta, Georgia. Kimberly-Clark's nonwoven facility in Neenah supplies components for the company's Cold Spring plant in Fox Crossing that makes Depend adult diapers. Both facilities could close under plans by Kimberly-Clark which would eliminate about 600 jobs from the Fox River Valley. One of the reminders of the Fox River Valley's success in paper making can be seen in some of its historic homes. These homes are located on East Wisconsin Avenue across from Riverside Park and were built by three of the four co-founders of Kimberly-Clark. From left, they are the former homes of Charles B. Clark, Frank C. Shattuck, and Havilah Babcock. The former home of the fourth co-founder, John Kimberly, is located about a block away. Paper mills, like this Neenah Paper facility in downtown Neenah, have been a staple of the Fox River Valley for over 150 years. Neenah Paper was founded in 1873 but is now based in Georgia. Kimberly-Clark's Cold Spring Plant in the village of Fox Crossing, formerly the town of Menasha, was built in the early 1990s but its 500 employees could be out their jobs after the Dallas-based company announced cutbacks. Secura Insurance, now located in downtown Appleton, is building a $90 million, 300,000-square-foot headquarters just north of the Fox Crossing village hall. The village, formerly the town of Menasha, is home to several companies tied to the paper industry but is diversifying its business mix. Tom Nelson, Outagamie County Executive, believes the state has been lax in reacting to job losses in the Fox River Valley. The former Democratic assemblyman grew up in the region where his father was a minister. Appleton Coated in Combined Locks filed for receivership in 2017, closed, was sold and has restarted some manufacturing but only about 150 of the company's 620 employees have been called back. The company is among those in the Fox River Valley feeling the impact of contraction in the state's paper making industry. In the late 1990s, about 51,000 people were employed in paper and pulp mills in Wisconsin but that number fell to about 30,600 in 2017. Photos: Fox River Valley paper industry contracts and adjusts Job losses and plant closings in the Fox River Valley continues a statewide trend for the paper manufacturing industry. The Outagamie County Courthouse was built in 1940 and 1941. This mural in the lobby includes depictions of paper making, lower left. The Paper Discovery Center is located in the former Atlas Paper Co. mill on the banks of the Fox River in Appleton. It's main floor had been home to massive paper making machines but hosts interactive exhibits and displays about the paper industry. Wisconsin leads the state in paper production but the vast majority of the products are for packaging, tissue products and specialized paper. A historical display on the region's paper making industry is located just south of the Appleton Coated mill in Combined Locks. Nearly 10 years after NewPage shuttered its mill that was established by Kimberly-Clark in 1889 in Kimberly, work is being done to redevelop the 90 acre property along the Fox River. Papermill Estates will include houses, apartments, restaurants and parkland. In 2008, the plant employed 600 people. An exhibit at the Paper Discovery Center shows what was used prior to toilet paper. From top to bottom the items are a corn cob, lace, coconut shells, wool cloth and the frayed end of an anchor rope. Early products cranked out by the two machines at Atlas Paper Co. in Appleton included wallpaper. Later, the mill made fine writing paper and wax paper for frozen vegetable boxes. When Kimberly-Clark converted the mill to a research and development facility in 1956, it created KAYCEL, material used for hospital gowns and bibs for dental patients. Michael Breza, lead educator and historian at the Paper Discovery Center, located in the former mill, holds up a pair of medical pants likely made at the plant but now stored in the center's archives. Michael Breza, lead educator and historian at the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton, pages through a ledger from the defunct Gilbert Paper Co. which specialized in making paper for currency for countries around the world. The ledger is part of the Paper Discovery Center's library and archives, located in the lower level of the former Atlas Paper Co. mill that later became part of the Kimberly-Clark Corp. The Paper Discovery Center is located in the former Atlas Paper Co. mill along the Fox River. The smoke stack of the former Fox River Paper Co. is now owned by Neenah Paper, a company founded in 1873 in Neenah but now based in Alpharetta, Georgia. Kimberly-Clark's nonwoven facility in Neenah supplies components for the company's Cold Spring plant in Fox Crossing that makes Depend adult diapers. Both facilities could close under plans by Kimberly-Clark which would eliminate about 600 jobs from the Fox River Valley. One of the reminders of the Fox River Valley's success in paper making can be seen in some of its historic homes. These homes are located on East Wisconsin Avenue across from Riverside Park and were built by three of the four co-founders of Kimberly-Clark. From left, they are the former homes of Charles B. Clark, Frank C. Shattuck, and Havilah Babcock. The former home of the fourth co-founder, John Kimberly, is located about a block away. Paper mills, like this Neenah Paper facility in downtown Neenah, have been a staple of the Fox River Valley for over 150 years. Neenah Paper was founded in 1873 but is now based in Georgia. Kimberly-Clark's Cold Spring Plant in the village of Fox Crossing, formerly the town of Menasha, was built in the early 1990s but its 500 employees could be out their jobs after the Dallas-based company announced cutbacks. Secura Insurance, now located in downtown Appleton, is building a $90 million, 300,000-square-foot headquarters just north of the Fox Crossing village hall. The village, formerly the town of Menasha, is home to several companies tied to the paper industry but is diversifying its business mix. Tom Nelson, Outagamie County Executive, believes the state has been lax in reacting to job losses in the Fox River Valley. The former Democratic assemblyman grew up in the region where his father was a minister. Appleton Coated in Combined Locks filed for receivership in 2017, closed, was sold and has restarted some manufacturing but only about 150 of the company's 620 employees have been called back. The company is among those in the Fox River Valley feeling the impact of contraction in the state's paper making industry. In the late 1990s, about 51,000 people were employed in paper and pulp mills in Wisconsin but that number fell to about 30,600 in 2017. KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine's air force claimed Saturday to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country was able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles. Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile was intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier this past week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems. "Yes, we shot down the 'unique' Kinzhal," Oleshchuk wrote. "It happened during the night-time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region." Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by an MiG-31K aircraft from Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile. The Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons. The Russian military says the air-launched ballistic missile has a range of up to about 1,250 miles and flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept. A combination of hypersonic speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kinzhal to destroy heavily fortified targets, such as underground bunkers or mountain tunnels. The Ukrainian military previously admitted it lacked assets to intercept the Kinzhals. "They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world," Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukraine's Channel 24 television. "Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super-hypersonic missile." He said successfully intercepting the Kinzhal was "a slap in the face for Russia." Ukraine took its first delivery of the Patriot missiles in late April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they are deployed, but they are known to have been provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. Germany and the U.S. acknowledged each sending at least one battery and the Netherlands said it provided two launchers, though it is not clear how many are in operation. Ukrainian troops received extensive training needed to be able to effectively locate a target with the systems, lock on with radar and fire. Each battery requires up to 90 personnel to operate and maintain. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he first asked for Patriot systems when visiting the U.S. in August 2021, months before Russia's full-scale invasion but seven years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. He described possessing the system as "a dream" but said he was told at the time it was impossible. The Patriot was first deployed by the U.S. in the 1980s. The system costs approximately $4 million per missile, and the launchers cost about $10 million each, according to analysts. At such a cost, it was widely thought Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles. In a Telegram post Saturday, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said he thanked U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the ongoing American aid to Ukraine. Zaluzhnyi said he also briefed Milley "about the situation at the front and preparations" for Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia. Ukraine has not said when it might launch the counteroffensive, but it is widely anticipated this spring. In an interview this past week with Foreign Affairs magazine, Milley said he would not speculate on if or when it might come, but with NATO assistance to help train and equip nine brigades' worth of combined arms, armor and mechanized infantry, "the Ukrainians right now have the capability to attack." He also said their capability to defend was "significantly enhanced from what they were just a year ago." "I don't want to suggest that they may or may not conduct an offensive operation in the coming weeks," he said. "That'll be up to them. They've got a significant amount of planning and coordination and all of that to do, if they were to do an offensive operation. But they're prepared to do offense or defense." In other developments, officials in both Russia and Ukraine said they carried out another of their regular exchanges of prisoners of war. The Russian Defense Ministry said it brought three military pilots back to Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said 45 fighters who defended the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol were returned to Ukraine. Also on Saturday, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces accused Russia of using phosphorus munitions in its attempt to wrest control of the eastern city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces. Russian troops have been trying to take the city for more than nine months, but Ukrainian forces are still clinging to positions on the western outskirts. On Saturday, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper quoted military officials as saying that "the enemy used phosphorus and incendiary ammunition in Bakhmut in an attempt to wipe the city off the face of the earth." A photo accompanying the newspaper report showed an urban area lit up with fire in multiple places. The allegations could not be independently verified. International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus or other incendiary weapons munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries in areas where there could be concentrations of civilians. White phosphorous can also be used for illumination or to create smoke screens. In Ukraines forests, fighters race to prepare for next push Sen. Mary Felzkowski came clean in January, telling a Rhinelander television station that she was one of the anonymous lawmakers who objected to $4 million in state funding for a large conservation project in northern Wisconsin. Sen. Howard Marklein similarly acknowledged he was an objector last month at a meeting of the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee, which he leads. Though we disagree with their opposition to preserving tens of thousands of acres of pristine forest land, were glad these Republicans from Irma and Spring Green, respectively, finally took ownership of their actions. Their GOP colleagues on the committee also voted to reject the $4 million investment at a public meeting April 18, putting them on record. But transparency shouldnt be optional for our leaders at the statehouse. Nor should it require intense public pressure. Identifying who is making big decisions affecting millions of tax dollars should always be required without exceptions along with a public discussion. Marklein and state Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who chair the Finance Committee, should change the committees rules so all objectors to stewardship funding are clearly identified. It doesnt matter if a Republican or a Democrat is the source. That way, the public knows who to credit or criticize, and who to contact if citizens hope to change an elected officials mind. Thats how democracy is supposed to work. Instead, back in November, Marklein and Born send a letter to the state Department of Natural Resources informing its secretary an objection has been raised to this request, so the request is not approved at this time. Who objected among the committees 16 members? That wasnt clear. The four Democrats said they didnt object. The request for $4 million would have been pooled with $11 million in federal money (from offshore drilling fees) to help preserve 56,000 acres of the Pelican River Forest in mostly Oneida County, about 200 miles north of Madison. Republicans kill funding for Wisconsin's largest proposed conservation project "Enough is enough," said Sen. Mary Felzkowski, one of the Republicans who objected to the project. A national group called the Conservation Fund bought the land in 2021 and wants to sell conservation easements to the state to preserve it for wildlife, sustainable logging, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and hiking. It would be Wisconsins largest land conservation project in history. Felzkowski, who represents the area, and Marklein sided with local opposition. Some town officials objected to losing the potential for future development, which they feared would hurt their economy. But the Conversation Fund has offered to remove more than 1,200 acres from the easements to match the town of Monicos plan for growth. Preserving land also can save local governments money by reducing municipal services. We think setting aside this forest for the public and future generations is well worth the public investment. This is precisely what the Stewardship Fund was created for, with bipartisan support. We hope this land project is temporarily stalled and not dead. Yet beyond this specific proposal, the broader risk to the public is government secrecy. The public has a right to know who makes the decision on future land proposals. Anonymous GOP lawmaker who canceled park funding is a coward STATE JOURNAL VIEW: A GOP senator or representative killed funding for a land conservation project and doesnt have the backbone to own that decision. The public still doesnt know, for example, which member of the Finance Committee anonymously objected to a $2 million stewardship grant last year to protect the 131-acre Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs near Port Washington on the shores of Lake Michigan. The project eventually went forward with a direct award from Gov. Tony Evers. But the Finance Committees secrecy prevented accountability and could have masked a conflict of interest. Marklein, Born and their committee should change their rules so a member who objects has to stand by that decision rather than cowardly hiding from view. INSIDE WISCONSIN DATA CENTERS There are many reasons why it makes sense for Microsoft to build a $1 billion data center in Racine County, not the least of them being geology, weather and shovel-ready land in the town of Mount Pleasant. Similar growth opportunities could pop up elsewhere in Wisconsin with a little help from the state. The U.S. Geological Survey places almost all of Wisconsin in its lowest "risk zone" for damage from earthquakes. Generally moderate temperatures can help regulate power demands inside such centers; cold winters can even help. Adequate water, also needed to cool computing equipment, is available in Racine County as in most of Wisconsin. The 315 acres of land Microsoft plans to buy are already primed for development due to infrastructure, such as roads and access to power, put in place for a larger Foxconn footprint that has yet to materialize. Data centers are already vital for processing information that flows across the internet, and more will be built with additional "cloud computing" use of a network of protected, powerful and co-located remote servers instead of local servers and the rise of artificial intelligence demands. Wisconsin could logically host more data centers, but it needs to keep up with the neighborhood "Jones" to do so. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio all offer a mix of sales s and use tax incentives for data center equipment and l software, some extending t for decades and none offering fewer than 15 years e of benefits. In fact, Wisrconsin is one of relatively E few states that don't offer o such incentives, even having the physical attributes that could get potential data center clients in the door. In Illinois, for example, the enactment of incentives in 2019 has led to at least proposals to build data centers totaling about $4 billion in investment. Iowa and Ohio are seeing similar growth. The big players in those states and elsewhere include Apple, Meta, Google and Amazon. Racine County residents can be forgiven if they're skeptical about Microsoft following through on its plans to build there, but this is not a Taiwan-based company with no history of involvement in Wisconsin. Microsoft is one of the leading partners in Titletown Tech in Green Bay, it recently announced an extension of its long-term relationship with Verona's Epic Systems Corp., it has operated a research center in Madison for years, and it has deep ties into the state's leading computer sciences schools. And have I mentioned that Microsoft president Brad Smith hails from Appleton and chief executive officer Satya Nadella holds a degree from UW-Milwaukee? While none of that guarantees all will go as planned, it does mean Microsoft will likely be careful to under-promise and over-deliver. Plus, if dirt isn't turned on the site by 2026, local government can repurchase the land at the same $50 million price. Among the possible deliverables: lots of construction jobs once the project gets rolling and a smaller number of well paid operating jobs once it's completed. Because data centers tend to run themselves to a certain degree, operations jobs are more likely to number in the few hundreds than the thousands. Indirectly, it will accelerate other development on the I-94 corridor in southeastern Wisconsin, where companies such as Amazon, Haribo and Uline already have a strong presence. Even without a major Foxconn investment so far, the region is humming. National trends and Microsoft's plans have spurred some action in the Wisconsin Legislature, where bipartisan legislation is circulating to give the state incentives similar to what is available in other states. Wisconsin already has some natural advantages; building on that competitive edge makes sense. Tom Still is the president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. Email: tstill@ wisconsintechnologycouncil. com. TFSD names Teacher of the Year Brian Gentry, English language arts teacher at Robert Stuart Middle School, was named Teacher of the Year by the Twin Falls Education Foundation and the Twin Falls School District. The Teacher of the Year award is given as a culmination of the education foundations Teacher of the Month program. This program runs from October through February and recognizes and celebrates teachers who are making an impact in the Twin Falls School District. We are truly lucky to have teachers like Brian Gentry working in the Twin Falls School District, Superintendent Brady Dickinson said in a press release. He is such a passionate teacher who cares deeply about his students. He is so deserving of this award as he continues to make a difference in the lives of his students. Charlie Wright, president of the Twin Falls Education Foundation, said that the Teacher of the Month program is rewarding, because teachers are nominated by staff and students. The nominations include explanations of how the teacher has gone above and beyond in sharing knowledge and impacting the lives of students. Its heartwarming to read all the nominations and see the amazing things teachers are doing in our District, Wright said in a press release. Out of this group, Brian Gentry emerged as being truly exceptional. Gentry was nominated for this award numerous times by colleagues and students. His name will be submitted for consideration to the State Department of Educations Teacher of the Year program. Burley High attends Business Professionals of America Burley High School Business Professionals of America students had a successful week while competing in the National BPA competition in Anaheim, California. Eight students from Burley who qualified at the State level in nine events competed with students from the United States, Puerto Rico and China at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on April 26 through 30. BHS student Cree Milliron took the top award for graphic design, Promotion, ranking first in the nation in that contest. The website design team of Natalie Kornbau, Keileigh Tolman, Charmaine Lowe ranked sixth in the Nation. Keileigh Tolman placed 12th, and Logan Hepworth placed 37th for fundamentals of web design. And Glen Shaw placed 23rd in the nation for Linux operating systems. In addition to the events, Cree Milliron received the Presidents Volunteer Service Award and a $500 Executive Council Scholarship. Scholarship available for girls interested in aviation The Idaho 99s Women Pilots, the local chapter of the Ninety-Nines international womens pilots association, is offering to pay the $70 tuition for girls to attend the three-day Aviation Career Exploration (ACE) Academy in June, hosted by the Idaho Division of Aeronautics. The ACE Academy summer program is for both boys and girls, grades 9 through 12 and will take place June 21 through 23, in Boise. The program features a combination of hands-on labs, classes, field trips and speakers focusing on aviation careers. Students will visit the Boise air traffic control tower, a flight school, jet and helicopter maintenance facilities, the national guard base, and the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa. On the last day, students fly in a small airplane. For an ACE application and further details please visit Idaho Division of Aeronautics website at itd.idaho.gov/aero. To apply for the Idaho 99s scholarships for girls, please contact Cheryl McCord at cheryle.mccord@gmail.com or (208) 440-4509. The due date for applications is May 19. Jerome Homework Dinner Jerome School District will hold a Homework Dinner, where students and families can get a free meal and help with homework or school questions. Certified elementary and secondary school staff will be on hand to answer questions about homework or school. Jeromes Homework Dinner takes place from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday at Horizon Elementary. Several South Korean companies expressed interest in reviving the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, according to the Department of Trade and Industry. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said there could be a possible cooperation between the Philippines BNPP and South Koreas nuclear power plant operators. There are proposals to revive it, but I dont think the government has made any pronouncement of any plan to revive it. There are talks about it, he said. Pascual said there were some push factors between the BNPP and some nuclear power plants in South Korea. From what Ive heard, BNPP can still be revived, and there are also plans to replicate this, he said. South Korea derives about a third of its electricity from 25 small modular reactors or nuclear power reactors, making it one of the worlds most prominent nuclear energy countries. It exports some of the power and is building the UAEs first nuclear power plant under a $20-billion contract. ADVERTISEMENT The Philippine government is also eyeing cooperation agreements with Oregon-based NuScale Power Corp. and Canadian fission energy provider Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. NuScale is one of the US companies the Philippines engaged with during the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the US this month. Pascual said the Philippines is eyeing a two-pronged approach in its partnership with NuScale that involves the installation of SMRs in certain areas and an opportunity for NuScale to set-up manufacturing operations in the Philippines. Ultra Safe, on the other hand, is an expert in micro modular reactors, or nuclear plants smaller than SMRs. The Presidential Communications Office said USNC was looking at the Philippines as the first site of its nuclear energy facility in Southeast Asia. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Police in Texas said they were responding to reports of an active shooter at an outlet mall in the Dallas area on Saturday, with local media reporting multiple shooting victims including children. One suspect was reportedly shot dead, but police were searching for a second shooter in the incident at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling shopping complex in the city of Allen, CNN reported. There was no official confirmation of any victims or death toll. Reports of the shooting first began shortly after 3.30 pm (2030 GMT), local media reported. Law enforcement is on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. An active investigation is underway. Please avoid the area until further update, the Allen Police Department tweeted. ADVERTISEMENT At least one suspect was confirmed dead, and there were multiple victims including children, local ABC news affiliate WFAA cited the Collins County sheriff as saying. CNN cited a local law enforcement source as saying that police were searching for a second shooter, and that the first shooter had been wearing tactical gear. A father who arrived at the mall after his daughter, who was inside, phoned to tell him about the shooting, also told CNN that police had informed him there was a second shooter. We saw the police outside the door, and they told us we had to go, and that they are still looking for the person, Jaynal Pervez said, according to CNN. Theres no more safe places. I dont know what to do. With more firearms than inhabitants, the United States has the highest rate of gun deaths of any developed country 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before. There have been more than 195 mass shootings defined as four or more people wounded or killed so far this year in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Authorities in northwest Mexico rescued 113 kidnapped migrants of different nationalities from a building along the border with the United States, the state prosecutors office said. Thousands of migrants fleeing violence and poverty risk abduction and exploitation at the hands of criminal gangs while crossing Mexico on the way to the US border. The latest discovery in the municipality of San Luis Rio Colorado, which borders the US state of Arizona, arose from follow-up investigations by authorities who found on Friday 10 Colombian citizens presumed to have been kidnapped. This time people from El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, United States, India, Peru, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil and Afghanistan were brought to safety, the prosecutors office of Sonora state said on its official Facebook page. Five individuals believed to be responsible for the crimes against the migrants were arrested as part of the operation, two of whom are Honduran nationals. ADVERTISEMENT Police forces that carried out the rescue were greeted with applause, blessings and prayers by the group of foreigners held captive in the house, the prosecutors office said. Last month, 63 migrants from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Dominican Republic and Mexico were kidnapped in the same region while trying to reach the US border. All of them were rescued alive. Mexican authorities have urged asylum seekers not to travel to the border in the hope that the United States will allow them to enter next week, when it lifts Covid-19 rules used to block most migrants for the past three years. The measure, activated in 2020 under former president Donald Trumps administration as part of the Covid-19 emergency, allows the immediate expulsion of people without papers even if they request asylum. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Friday migrants were being lured to the frontier by rumors that they will be able to cross over without being sent back, criticizing people smugglers for spreading false information. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Retired military and police generals said the welfare of all stakeholders who will be affected by the proposed reform in the pension of retired military and uniformed personnel or MUP must be considered as high-level consultations have been set today. Im sure all factors and the welfare of all concerned sectors will be duly considered, said Ret. Gen. Alexander Yano, a former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in an interview with ABS-CBN. There will be a discussion on this. I dont want to preempt the dialog. I am confident that our superiors will ensure that existing rights will be protected. said Ret. Gen Wilben Mayor, former spokesperson of the Philippine National Police and currently presidential assistant at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity. AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar declined to give a comment, saying they will issue a statement after the meeting. We will be ready for the consultation, Aguilar said. ADVERTISEMENT Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said there is a need for a separate retirement and pension fund for MUP, saying the current pension system was a big drain to the national budget. Diokno said the government will likely spend P848.39 billion annually for the next 20 years to finance the current pension system. He said the accumulating pension liabilities will likely increase public debt by as much as 25 percent by 2030. The Bureau of the Treasury estimates that the level of total unfunded pension liabilities is P9.6 trillion. This is around half of GDP in 2022. We can no longer afford to keep this around, said Diokno. They (soldiers) dont have any contributions, and they enjoy large payouts. I think this really has to be discussed openly, he said. Diokno said a retired general would receive a monthly pension of P131,000, tax-free. We are determined to come up with a reasonable proposal in consultation with the concerned agencies and stakeholders. (Defense) Secretary (Carlito) Galvez, (Interior) Secretary (Benhur) Abalos, representatives from the Office of the President, the Department of Budget and Management, and I will meet to finetune the proposal and address the current issues of all involved, he said in a briefing late Friday afternoon. Open dialog will be key to coming up with a reasonable solution to this monumental problem and providing a level of predictability for current and future MUP pensioners, Diokno added. MUP covers personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Public Safety College, the Bureau of Corrections, and the Philippine National Police. Earlier, Diokno said the pension reform includes a new policy that will cover all active personnel and new entrants, meaning mandatory contributions begin with those currently or about to enter service. The reform seeks the removal of automatic indexation of pension to the salary of active personnel of similar ranks. This means pensions will no longer increase according to the salary increases of active personnel. Also, military uniformed personnel will receive their pensions at the age of 57. The current policy allows them to receive their pensions at 56, the mandatory retirement age. The percentage of the mandatory contribution will be staggered over a uniformed personnels years of service from 5 percent in their first three years, to eventually 9 perce Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Due to reports that American firms will hire at least 75,000 Filipino seafarers in the next 3 to 4 years, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva lauded the efforts of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on finding employment opportunities for Filipinos in the Presidents trips abroad. The President is indeed the best salesman of the country, Villanueva said, adding that we thank him for reaping investments and jobs for our people from his foreign trips. President Marcos was also able to yield $ 1.5 billion in investment pledges and 6,700 jobs in the Philippines on his latest trip to the United States. This is a welcome development, especially in addressing the unemployment in the country, which is at 4.8% equivalent to 2.47 million, as of February 2023, Villanueva said. Villanueva also said that Mr. Marcos attendance at the coronation of King Charles III continues to put the Philippines in the conversation for investments and trade partnerships with other nations. ADVERTISEMENT The government will continue to strengthen the economy and provide employment to the Filipinos. At the same time, it would still embark on missions to look out into the world for opportunities that could bring stability and prosperity into the peoples lives, he said. Pushing for his Senate Bill No. 2035 that will establish the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) plan, the majority leader said the country needs to institutionalize more targeted policies to address the employment struggles of the people. The measure aims to serve as the countrys long-term employment generation and recovery roadmap. The bill targets to provide the employment policy that is comprehensive, coherent, and future oriented, to be able to address the dynamic changes in the labor market. It will address challenges such as job-skills mismatch and potential skills gap in emerging industries; access to active labor market policies; handling specific needs of sectors, and the like. As creating sustainable jobs for all Filipinos is our mission, we are more than ready to defend this bill on the Senate floor this week, Villanueva said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Thais queued under the blistering sun outside temples, shopping centers and schools to cast their early ballots Sunday ahead of a much-anticipated election next week. More than two million Thais nationwide are registered to vote early ahead of the kingdoms May 14 election, which is shaping up to be a clash between army-backed establishment parties and resurgent opposition movements. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha, who took power in a 2014 coup before cementing control in a controversial 2019 election, has been languishing in opinion polls with voters favoring old-school opposition party Pheu Thai and the more radical Move Forward Party. FOR HER CHILDS FUTURE. A voter casts her ballot during advance voting at a polling station in a school in Narathiwat, southern Thailand, on May 7, 2023, a week ahead of the May 14 general election. AFP But with an electoral system heavily stacked in favor of the army-backed parties, challengers must achieve a landslide victory to have any hope of forming the next government. I hope this election will change the country in a better way, said shopping mall worker Srisuda Wongsa-ad, 28, after casting her ballot. ADVERTISEMENT She was among hundreds queuing quietly at a polling station in the citys fashionable Ekkamai district to vote at the Wat That Thong temple, overlooked by golden standing buddhas. I am voting for a candidate and party that I like, that can answer my needs, she said, adding that she was voting early as it was more convenient for her. Elsewhere in the city, the Royal Paragon Hall shopping center was packed with voters, albeit cooler ones, enjoying the complexs air conditioning. Despite the early hour, temperatures across the capital which like much of Thailand endured a vicious April heatwave were soaring and expected to hit 39 degrees Celsius later Sunday. Shortly before midday outside one of Bangkoks largest polling stations at Ramkhamhaeng University, machines sprayed a fine mist of water over the orderly queues as the days heat kept rising. But crowds were still out in force, with traffic and congestion around busy polling stations. I am quite excited, said first-time voter Pasawee Sriarunothai, 20, who will not be in Bangkok on May 14. I decide to cast my vote based on the partys policies, and I hope this election will bring the country a better future, Pasawee said. I want the new generation to be running the country. I want to try something new, said Nantthapon Phomput, 28, before voting at Wat That Thong temple polling station. Thanaporn Petchsangharn said she wanted a candidate who would develop Thailand. Im here to exercise my rights, the 29-year-old said after voting at the same venue. Polls will close at 5:00 p.m. (1000 GMT), with alcohol sales across Thailand banned until 6:00 p.m. Authorities had anticipated large numbers of early voters. Police told local media Saturday there would be around 3,000 security officers on duty across the capital, and warned residents to expect heavier traffic congestion around poll sites. An additional 100,000 Thais living overseas will also vote early, with some having already done so. More than 52 million citizens are eligible to vote in this election. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. It will be interesting how negotiations on the US-Philippine civil nuclear cooperation agreement will move forward United States President Joe Biden has given a clear and reassuring message to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the US stays ironclad in its commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including the South China Sea, and they will continue supporting the Philippines military modernization. Biden recognized that Our countries not only share strong partnership. We share deep friendship, one that has been enriched by millions of Filipino-Americans and the communities all across the United States. A fact that underlines the deep socio-economic dimensions between Americans and Filipinos. President Marcos Jr. said, And so it is only natural that for the Philippines to look to its sole treaty partner in the world, to strengthen and to redefine the relationship that we have and the roles that we play in the face of these tensions that we see now around the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific region. These strong statements made during the recently concluded bilateral meeting between the two heads of state enunciates the Philippine-US alliance as the dynamics of geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific has become increasingly complex and multipolar. ADVERTISEMENT Media headlines have related the Presidents working visit to the US to strengthening defense cooperation amidst the increasing Chinese harassments in our maritime territories. Actually, the May 1 bilateral meeting already builds on earlier talks during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022. There were also meetings with US Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III during their official visits to Manila. The recently concluded live-fire Balikatan war games, the largest military exercise ever between US and Philippines troops, showcased a glimpse of the kind of fire power and interoperability that have been established should circumstances force the activation of military interventions. The addition of four more sites Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is strategically significant and aligns to the Mutual Defense Treaty. Further deepening and expanding the defense cooperation is the adoption of Bilateral Defense Guidelines to ensure interoperability of forces on land, sea, air, and even cyberspace. In last weeks forum on Modernizing Philippine Defense Capabilities and Elevating Security Partnerships hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute, its president Prof. Victor Andres Dindo Manhit said, With various elements attempting to tear down the rules-based international order, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, the Marcos Jr administration must continue to engage with like-minded partners such as the United States, Japan, and Australia, among others, to secure Philippine waters and contribute to the security of the region. The current administration must implement a responsive and strategic national security policy that enhances the capacities of our military and protects the livelihood of our fisherfolk. Mr. Brett Blackshaw, Political Counselor of the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines said, On the US-PH alliance, our focus on maritime cooperation is on ensuring the Philippines has a credible deterrent to uphold and defend its sovereign rights. The past shows us appeasement does not work. It is important to show confidence and to develop the capabilities to stand up for lawful rights. And that is why having allies and friends matters so much. Maintaining peace and security, or looking at it from the dark side, ambitions to expand a states sphere of influence, is always motivated by economic interests. Whether it is seeing an opportunity to become the dominant power, or in our case struggling to build a competitive position we can sustain strengthening the economy is the thing. This is an element of the Biden-Marcos Jr. bilateral meeting that should get more attention as this presents a potential with long-term economic benefits that will benefit Filipinos. To this, Biden announced he is sending the Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines, first of its kind aimed to boost the investments of American firms in the country with interest in the innovation economy, clean energy, and food security. The US and Philippines will also be co-hosting the 2024 Info-Pacific Business Forum here in Manila. It will be interesting how negotiations on the US-Philippine civil nuclear cooperation agreement will move forward. Cooperation in the development of renewable energy such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy is also on the agenda. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, knowledge sharing, and other initiatives are also on the table. The President met with companies in the maritime, pharmaceutical, nuclear and solar energy, BPO, semi-conductor, and healthcare. Approximately $1.3 billion in investment pledges will hopefully generate about 7,000 jobs. Our geographic location puts us in the middle of these continuing geopolitical disruptions but is a situation we can effectively address by remaining steadfast and aligning with like-minded states in sustaining the rules-based international order by collectively deterring a destructive confrontation that nobody really wants. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Hollywood writers demonstrate in Los Angeles, United States, May 2, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has generated much discussion within the movie industry, with Chinese filmmakers now sharing their hopes and concerns about this revolutionary development. Over 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike earlier this week, concerned about the impact of AI technologies on their livelihoods. They are particularly worried about "generative" text and image tools like ChatGPT and Dall-E, which have the potential to significantly disrupt the industry. The union leading the protest is calling for regulations to be put in place to govern how studios use these tools. On the other side of the Pacific, AI-generated content (AICG) was also a hot topic among Chinese filmmakers at the recently concluded 13th Beijing International Film Festival. "I feel like we're facing something significant that our experiences cannot fully evaluate the implications of," said Huang Jianxin, the veteran producer behind such blockbusters as "The Battle at Lake Changjin," in an interview with China.org.cn. However, he believes that this is just a phase in the development of the arts and also an advancement of human beings that "we cannot resist." During his masterclass at the film festival on April 27, renowned director Zhang Yimou expressed optimism about the development of AI but also emphasized the need for caution. While he believes that human beings will remain at the forefront in the long term, he acknowledged that AI could easily replace veteran storyboard artists or special effects and concept art designers during the production phase. Zhang also suggested that film crews could be streamlined, with only a few people working alongside AI, leading to a significant impact on the industry. Some filmmakers have already started embracing AI, just as Smart Cinema CEO Jack Gao said, "AI won't replace people, but individuals who are knowledgeable about AI will replace those who are not." For director Lu Chuan, the happiest part of his day is interacting with ChatGPT before going to bed, asking the chatbot to help him create movie posters. "The output generated in 15 seconds is better than what a professional poster company can do in a month," he exclaimed. Yin Xiangjin, the general manager of Wanda Media, told China.org.cn that AI technologies can also help reduce investment risks in movie production by designing and showcasing scenes for investors in advance. Early simulations and AI technology can demonstrate the movie and determine the investment scale, which can improve technology and reduce costs and errors during actual shooting. Film executives and investors take part in a panel discussion at the China Investment and Financing Summit held during the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), April 26, 2023. [Photo courtesy of BJIFF Organizing Committee] Qian Zhongyuan, chief film and television producer at As One Production, revealed during the China Investment and Financing Summit on April 26 that his film project utilized AI in concept design. While the art team has used AI to quickly generate concept art and provide various useful visual options, Qian emphasized that human creativity is still necessary, with AI serving as a reference. Jiang Defu, the CEO of Bona Film Group, stated that modern film production technologies, including AI, are crucial for achieving creative transformation and expressive creativity in films. He also mentioned that they are already considering using AI on some of their future projects. In order to further explore the topic, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) organized a workshop on April 27 with industry leaders to discuss how technology will shape the industry's future. William Feng, head of Greater China and vice president of Asia Pacific for the MPA, noted that technological revolutions and industrialization have led to many milestone events and transformations throughout the 100-year history of world cinema. Li Jie, senior vice president of Alibaba Pictures, identified three key AI technologies in the film and television industry: virtual production, text generation and generative art. According to Li, virtual production offers revolutionary solutions for challenging scenes, while AI text generation can assist in screenwriting. He also predicts that generative art technology will redefine poster design in as little as 24 months. Alibaba Pictures has already utilized AIGC technology in several film projects, as Alibaba Group released Tongyi Qianwen, its own chatbot trained on vast data, in April. Zhu Liang, vice president of iQiyi and head of Intelligent Production, believes that AI tools will make content production more efficient and cost-effective, freeing up time and energy for human creativity. "In the future, the self-supervised learning and rapid iteration abilities of AI may surpass our imagination. However, this process shouldn't make us fearful or uneasy. Instead, as we gradually understand its capabilities and limitations, we can better control and utilize AI, helping it serve humans more effectively," Zhu said at the MPA workshop. Film executives take part in a panel discussion at the Motion Picture Association Film Workshop held during the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), April 27, 2023. [Photo courtesy of MPA] Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, pointed out, "AI can perform some basic tasks for us, reducing repetitive and homogeneous labor, and on this basis, we can further achieve better creativity and imagination." In response to concerns about the technology, Wanda Media executive Yin Xiangjin said: "When something new emerges, it often has two sides. However, dismissing it solely because of its potential problems would be shortsighted. Instead, we should strive to find ways to address any challenges and improve it." "For example, when the internet and new media platforms such as Douyin emerged, they became an irresistible trend. Rather than rejecting them outright, we should accept them and explore ways to make them work for us," Yin explained. "I, for one, will embrace it." Ironclad is how its leaders describe the commitment of the United States to come to the defense of the Philippines if we are attacked by a third party under the terms of Mutual Defense Treaty we signed back in 1951. The situation then may have been different in the post-Second War era with the US engaged in a Cold War with its arch-rival, the Soviet Union. With the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, China has now emerged as a rival superpower fast catching up with the US in building a robust economy and a powerful military. With tensions in the South China Sea not likely to go away with Beijing claiming practically the whole of the vital sea lane on the basis of a mythical nine-dash line, our military alliance with the US serves as a deterrent to aggression that would threaten peace and stability in the region. But ironclad does not mean the agreement is rigid and inflexible. ADVERTISEMENT In fact, last week (May 3), the two treaty partners issued whats called the Bilateral Defense Guidelines to update and modernize alliance cooperation to pursue their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The guidelines reaffirm an armed attack in the Pacific, including anywhere in the South China Sea, on either of their public vessels, aircraft, or armed forces, including their Coast Guards, would invoke mutual defense commitments under Articles IV and V of the MDT. The treaty partners also recognized the fact that threats may arise in several domains, including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace, and take the form of asymmetric, hybrid, and irregular warfare and gray-zone tactics. After all, it has been 72 years since the MDT was signed, and modern warfare has assumed various modalities since 1951. The newly crafted guidelines chart a way forward to build interoperability in both conventional and non-conventional domains. The guidelines also seek to strengthen the United States and the Philippines combined deterrence in an evolving security environment. Not only do the guidelines reaffirm the continuing relevance of the treaty in addressing both current and emerging threats, they also foster a common understanding of roles, missions, and capabilities within the framework of the alliance to face regional and global security challenges. The Philippines will benefit from the updated guidelines on mutual defense cooperation as it would allow us to accelerate modernization of our armed forces and attain a credible defense posture amid heightened security challenges in this part of the world. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. NEW YORKJapan and UNDP have joined forces for another set of funding to support climate action, drive green transformation and ensure climate-resilient sustainable development. The second phase of the Japan Supplementary Budget funds seeks to respond to the growing demand of developing countries supported by UNDP to take climate action and deliver on national climate pledges (also known as NDC), while also addressing complex current crises that pose a critical threat to global human security. Priorities of the new support package include increasing resilience and adapting to climate impacts on food security, reducing risk from climate-induced events such as floods and mudslides, and driving innovation to urgently advance renewable energy, sustainable transportation, energy efficiency and energy access for the most vulnerable communities. The 1.5C limit of the global temperature rise as set by the Paris Agreement is still within reach. But as the UN Secretary-General said, it will take a quantum leap in climate action. UNDPs renewed partnership with Japan will serve to make this urgent action possible and tackle multi-faceted crises in many countries, said Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDPs Bureau for Policy and Program Support. Japans $23.6-million contribution will assist 16 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Africa, and Arab State regions through UNDPs Climate Promise initiative. The countries included in the new phase of support are Armenia, Bhutan, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Namibia, Nepal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. ADVERTISEMENT The first round of funding from Japan enabled countries to advance new clean technologies and practices across different sectors such as in Egypt, Maldives and Bosnia and Herzegovina, develop policies that set ambitious climate action on the ground such as in Indonesia. In Kenya and Georgia, the initiative improved forest management to increase reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Tajikistan was able to install early-warning systems that strengthen resilience of the local communities. UNDPs Climate Promise is the largest global offer of support to countries on their national pledges to the Paris Agreement. Together with its partners, the initiative currently supports over 120 countries, representing 80 percent of all developing countries worldwide, to define their NDCs, by engaging stakeholders across Government and society. To date, 106 of these countries have submitted NDCs to the UNFCCC and are now working toward their implementation. At COP26 in 2021, UNDP launched the new chapter of the Climate PromiseFrom Pledge to Impactscaling up its support to turn NDC targets into concrete action. Japan became the largest supporter of this chapter of the global leading initiative and joined the long-standing funding partners Germany, Sweden, EU, Spain, Italy, as well as new funding partners including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Icelan, and Portugal, to accelerate these efforts in collaboration with the NDC Partnership. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. TODAYS WORD is contretemps. Example: The office manager found herself in quite a messy contretemps when the employees discovered how she had had their cubicles rearranged and didnt like it one bit. FRIDAYS WORD was repartee. It means a conversation in which clever statements and replies are made quickly, or, a single quick and witty reply. Example: The dentist and the dental hygienist enjoyed working together because they regularly engaged in repartee which also entertained their patients. Arts supporters On Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., Piedmont Arts will honor this years winners of the 21st Annual Clyde Hooker Awards. The recipients will be Natalie Hodge and Draper Flowers & Gifts, for their unwavering and ongoing support of the arts in Martinsville and Henry County. Also to be recognized Wednesday evening will be Arts in Education Award recipients Brian Lane (English, Martinsville High School) and Sarah Shelton Martin (music, Henry County Public Schools), and the recipients of the Nicodemus Hufford and Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Art Scholarships. Monday is the latest you can RSVP attendancecall the museum at 276-732-3221 or send an email to frontdesk@piedmontarts.org. There is no admission chargen, but donations for the scholarships are appreciated. Todays chuckle A man visited the pastors home to see the pastors wife, who was known for her soft heart and deep pockets. In a broken voice, he gave her a long sob story: Id like to draw your attention to the terrible plight of a poor family in Collinsville. The father is in jail, the mother who is a good devoted churchgoing woman is too sick to work, and the six children are starving and their shoes are worn thin. They are about to be turned out onto the streets unless someone pays their $850-a-month rent. How terrible! the good-hearted preachers wife exclaimed. Ill see what I can do! And what, please, is your relation to this poor family? The visitor wiped his teary eyes with his handkerchief, shook his head in a kindly manner and replied, Im the landlord. FRIDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: Forget Cinco de Mayo, which Americans over inflate with all their beer commercials and specials on margaritas. The real holiday Mexicans celebrate to honor their nations independence is Sept. 16. Thats the anniversary of the date in 1810 when Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo called for Independence from Spain. His proclamation is called the Grito de Dolores when hours after midnight he gave a gripping speech in the town of Dolores and rang the church bells. That kicked off a war of independence which would last for 11 years, resulting in finally freeing Mexico from more than three centuries of Spanish rule. TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: Which country had more losses of life in their wars for independence the United States or Mexico? Members of Martinsville City Council attended a facilitated strategic planning retreat in the Walker Lecture Hall at the Virginia Museum of Natural History on Saturday. The meeting started at 8 a.m. under the direction of Kimball Payne of the Berkley Group. Youve told me that housing, education and schools, blighted areas, uptown, budget and economic concerns and relations with the County are all concerns, Payne said. But your vision statement should be an elevator speech: something you can say and be done with it by the time you get off the elevator. Paynes credentials run deep. He is a member of the International City-County Management Association as a credentialed manager and senior advisor, a retired commander in the naval reserve, adjunct professor at Virginia Tech and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and Master of Planning and Master of Arts in Public Administration degrees from the University of Virginia. Payne served as assistant county administrator of Spotsylvania County from 1984 to 1987 and served as that countys administrator from 1987 to 2001. He then spent the next 15 years as Lynchburgs city manager before retiring in 2016. Martinsville is the place to be, a great place to live, work and play, said Vice Mayor Aaron Rawls. Thats an excellent vision statement, Payne said. Martinsville doesnt feel like a city of 14,000, because it serves 60,000 when you include the surrounding county, said Payne. Your vision statement is very wordy; its just too long. When people from this area are out of town, they say they are from Martinsville, not Henry County, said Council Member Kathy Lawson. I think we should hire a marketing firm and get the professionals to come up with something, Rawls said. Payne moved on to the Citys current comprehensive plan. The data in your plan is 20 years old; its way out of date, Payne said. Here it says you have easy access to the temptations of the urban cities, thats an interesting use of words. City Manager Leon Towarnicki was not present for the retreat. He will be retiring at the end of July. Said Payne: Youve mentioned you have a lot of staff vacancies. Thats something we can talk about. A mission statement is shorter than a vision statement and might include the conveniences the City offers to people and the delivery of services that the citizens cant provide, such as public safety, waste disposal, clean water and education services, Payne said. The group appeared to like the idea of the population of Martinsville growing, but Payne cautioned that if you grow too much, you lose some of your appeal. A population between 16,000 and 17,000 appeared to make for a consensus among the council members. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Martinsville was about 16,000 in 1990 and gradually decreased to a low between 12,000 and 13,000 in 2019, but has seen an increase to 13,517 in 2021. Henry Countys population, at 50,248 in 2021, is almost identical to what it was in 1970. In 1987, Henry Countys population peaked at 59,808. One of the things I hear often from people is Nobody pays attention to us, said Lawson. There are people that think the City pays more attention to others. The group swirled around the importance of the City making connections with people to create opportunities and the seeking out of collaboration with others and partnerships. Whatever were doing we do it the right way; what are your values, suggested Payne. Youre open to new ideas, be approachable, create visibility and instill creativity. The group agreed that Martinsville has achieved success in reaching a diverse citizenry and must place importance on providing open and honest communication. The meeting was still in its first hour as the contents of vision and mission statements continued. The facilitated meeting that began at 8 a.m. was scheduled to last until 5:30 p.m. From cosmetology to health care, Kymika Mykka Giggetts made a career switch so that she could help people heal. It was her grandmother who inspired her on that path, she said. Giggetts is 42 years old, a mother of five children and has been married to Shawn Giggetts for almost 20 years. Her children are DaiJuantez, DaiZuane, William Jr., DaiZhawn and DaiShaundria DeeDee Giggetts. She was born in Fort Riley, Kansas, on a U.S. Army base but moved to Chesapeake to live with her grandparents, the late Willie Twine and Luther Twine Jr., when she was 8 years old. She moved to Danville when she was 16 and met her husband in high school there. They moved to Henry County 5 years ago for a better school system for their children. Its very peaceful Its quite and nice, Giggetts said about living in Henry County. When she was young she always wanted to become a hair dresser when she grew up and that is just what she did. She got her cosmetology license and her cosmetology instructor license which she still keeps up to date to this day. I got to the point where I just wanted to do something different, Giggetts said. I dont know really what happened but I just felt like I wanted to do more to help people. She started by attending Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training at Piedmont Community College, graduating in 2005. She worked as a CNA for five years at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center before going back to school at ECPI University to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), graduating in 2010. She was an LPN for 12 years, still working at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center for another year before she began working at Piedmont Pediatrics. She went back to ECPI University in August of 2014 to become a registered nurse (RN), graduating in 2016. She then began working at Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute and while there passed the NCLEX exam in April 2019 and earned a bachelors degree in nursing in 2022. She is pursuing a masters degree in nursing at Chamberlin University. Now Giggetts is a unit manager at Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Danville where she has been working for almost six years. This means she is head of the charge nurse and psychiatric aides of a specific unit who work together to take care of mentally ill patients in a variety of situations such as patients who stopped taking medications, are schizophrenic, bipolar, have personality disorders, some in medically induced psychosis and more. Mental health itself in general, people didnt like to talk about it at first, Giggetts said. Now, everybody, their voice is being heard. She helps those people get on helpful medications, take educational classes on different topics and then ideally they person is able to go back to normal life. On top of her day job she also is a part-time home supervisor at Stanleytown Health & Rehabilitation. I enjoy nursing more than doing hair, Giggetts said. I just take my job very seriously because I know one day I might be in that same predicament and I want somebody to treat me just the same way that I treat them. Her favorite part of the job is seeing people who came in needed help getting to go home healed. Its just -- its so beautiful, she said. They come in at their lowest point and for them to be able to balance out what was unbalanced Its just the world. Working with people at their vulnerable points often requires rising above the situation. The most challenging thing is just to take all the obscene, unfiltered language and just let it roll off your back. Because theyre in a state of mind where they dont know whats going on; they dont know what theyre doing, she said. It can be challenging at times, Giggetts added. What makes me stay in the field is knowing that Im helping someone and Im changing someones life. Ive touched somebody that really needed something. Her grandmother died around a year after Giggetts became an RN but is still one of Giggetts biggest inspirations in her career journey. She said that her grandmother showed her compassion and caring by adopting multiple children on top of her biological one and that she gets her own sense of compassion from her. Just watching her help others really inspired me, Giggetts said. An agency to help the community with housing and redevelopment is expanding into Martinsville and Henry County from Danville. The Center for Housing Education is a branch of the Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (DRHA), which is a U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling agency. The Martinsville office is located in the Chief Tassel building offices at 51 E. Church St. The Center for Housing Education in Danville was opened in July of 2016 under the direction of Director of Project Development and Education Kimberly Walker, and the center in Martinsville is its first expansion. The Center for Housing Education provides a vital role in assisting community members with all levels of counseling services to prepare them for home ownership, DRHA CEO and Executive Director Larissa Deedrich said during an open house Thursday. Some of the services provided are: financial management, credit counseling, debt management counseling, rental counseling, pre-purchase counseling, homebuyers gold club, post purchase counseling, hands on post purchase workshops, fair housing training and disaster relief counseling. Walker said one of the home ownership course offered there ends with a certificate that is required by banks when trying to get some types of loans to buy a house. To qualify for any of the services all people have to do is go through an individual counseling session with Walker. We look at all types of incomes. Theres no limit. I just talk with the people and let them know what they can do and how to fix their circumstances to reach their goals, Walker said. It is the vision of DRHA to become a partner in revitalizing housing not just in Danville but in the surrounding communities and jurisdictions and we are excited about becoming a part or housing success stories in Martinsville, Deedrich said. The expansion into Martinsville, Walker said, is to increase home ownership in all areas. Another program offered will be a loan and home rehabilitation program for local and state governments. The program, started by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCH) and the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), provides a means for those entities to buy, renovate and then sell undesirable homes. These ARS (Acquire, Renovate, Sell) funds, Walker said, provide $40,500 to provide dilapidated houses to get some tender love and care before being sold to increase the housing stock in the area. Virginia Housing has supported and partnered with Danville for about 15 years now and we are so excited that they are expanding into Martinsville, VHDA Grants Program Manager Monica Mack said. As businesses and commerce scale up the Center for Housing and Education and DRHA are ready to create initiatives that will promote homeownership and development and create relationships that are necessary for the reinvestment into the Martinsville community, Deedrich said. Martinsville, if you live here you know, we have a pretty dire housing situation. Were about 10 years behind most other cities with respect to growth opportunities and especially housing, Martinsville Vice Mayor Aaron Rawls said. Housing is pretty much my number one priority for this area, Rawls added. It is not only the best thing to do for our citizens it is a thing that we do to make our area grow. For more information visit centerforhousinged.com or call 276-302-1656 or visit drhava.com or call 434-792-5544. James Banister grew up in Missoula, but there wasnt anyone with a medical background in his family. I like to take care of people, he said. It was just something I decided I was going to do. The crux of his interest in nursing came from Banisters desire to pursue human interaction in his field. He started off in a medical technician program, then worked as an orderly at St. Patrick Hospital. Eventually, he went to Montana State University for nursing school and graduated in 1994. Banister got his professional start in the Intensive Care Unit in Idaho Falls, but he soon returned to Missoula when he found an opening back in his hometown. Aside from his year in Idaho, Banister has worked at St. Patrick Hospital continually since the early 1990s. Its a wonderful facility, he said. Now, Banister still commits to a few shifts at St. Pats while also working full-time at Bitterroot Health in Hamilton. Banister eventually transitioned from ICU work to the operating room, a change he welcomed. Banister said he grew weary of the trauma associated with the ICU, but the OR brings him a more positive outlook. For the most part, he said, patients in the OR go on and lead a happy healthy life. Our job is to see them through and I love it, he stressed. With his long local career, Banister has perpetually maintained his philosophy of quality care. What would I do if it was my mother? he asks himself with every patient. Every day that I go to work, I enjoy what I do, I think, that patient Im going to take care of, they have value because theyre a human being. How would they like to be treated? Missoula Job Service: Job Search and Resume Workshop Join the Missoula Job Service at Missoula Public Library for a Job Search and Resume Workshop on May 8 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four. This workshop includes how to use Applicant Tracking Systems to your advantage, search for and analyze job postings, utilize accepted resume formats, and write a resume that stands out. This is where to start if you are looking to take your job search to the next level, and secure an interview with the job you want. Missoula Public Library Memory Cafe: Five Valleys Audubon Society Missoula Public Librarys Memory Cafe is a safe, welcoming and supportive space for individuals experiencing memory loss and their caregivers and family members. On May 9 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Cooper Room A/B on Level Four of the library, learn about Montana's feathered friends as Larry Weeks with the Five Valleys Audubon Society shares his amazing bird collection. Read with therapy dogs Certified Therapy dogs are just waiting for your child to read them a book at Missoula Public Library. Your child can read a favorite book from home or pick one of the many picture books we have to offer. This program is held on May 7 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library and is great for hesitant readers or kids who just love dogs. Lolo Community Library: Stop Animation with MCAT Missoulas Community Media Resource, MCAT, will bring a stop animation activity to Lolo Community Library. This free activity is suitable for kids 8 to 13 and is held on May 9 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Lolo Community Library on 11395 Highway 93 S. Kids will use Legos and dry erase boards to make short animated videos. For details contact Erin at 406-273-0451, ext. 211. Community Cooking @ the Library: A Mothers Day Brunch Dream Join Kelly Moore of Missoula County/MSU Extension and learn how to make decadent chocolate waffles with cheesecake mousse in time for Mothers Day. This cooking class is held on May 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Missoula Public Librarys Demonstration Kitchen on Level Three. Missoula Public Library MakerSpace: Laser Cutter Basics - Making Jewelry Learn how to cut shapes and patterns from plywood and then make them into jewelry in this free MakerSpace workshop. This program is open to all ages and is held on May 10 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the MakerSpace on Level One. Registration is required at: https://bit.ly/3Lz2Dpt. Tech Connect: Android Basics Work with a Missoula Public Library staff member in this Android Basics class, May 11 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library. This class is for those who have a new Android mobile device, or are considering getting one, and want to learn more about the basic functions. Missoula Job Service: Resume Office Hours Work directly with Workforce Consultants from the Missoula Job Service to get constructive feedback to help you sharpen your resume, edit your cover letter, and focus your job search. This class is held on May 11 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library. Call 406-721-2665 or email crystalk@missoulapubliclibrary.org to register. Participants will need to bring their resume or cover letter on a flash drive or access it online for this workshop. World Wide Cinema World Wide Cinema is Missoula Public Librarys free monthly film series of first-run independent and foreign films. On May 12 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library, enjoy the family drama "The King of Laughter." This film is about the actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpettas legal battle against Gabriele DAnnunzio over his parody of the latters The Daughter of Iorio (1904). Running time is 133 minutes. Doors are open from 6:15 to 6:45 and late entry is not allowed. Attendees must enter from the librarys parking garage, all other doors are locked. 'City of Ghosts,' by Victoria Schwab 2018, Scholastic Inc. JMID SCHWAB CASSIDY #1 This is a satisfyingly creepy middle-grade novel that might even be okay for some peril-tolerant fifth and sixth graders. Young teen Cassidy drowned in a frozen river, but was brought back to the living world by Jacob a dead boy, a ghost, who now accompanies Cassidy as she goes back and forth through the Veil between the two worlds. Cassidys ghost-hunting parents take her to highly-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, while they make a movie and there she meets Lara, a girl with similar abilities and the Raven, a sinister ghost with very unpleasant plans. The drizzly, gray weather and maze-like tunnels are solid characters in this story and make the atmosphere tangible and immersive. Intriguing backstories are hinted at for Jacob and Lara, clearly to be fleshed out in sequels. There is well-built suspense and some dire peril, but also a feeling that the worst is yet to come in this series. So adults might want to read ahead (or reviews) if your fifth grader does indeed get hooked by this initial ghostly tale. Overall, a quick, enjoyably chilly read. The sequel, "Tunnel of Bones," moves Cassidys family to Paris to continue recording her parents ghost-hunting show, and sustains the same creepy atmosphere and peril. Think catacombs. Reviewed by Dana McMurray Watchdogs tracking the Superfund cleanup in Butte have sunk their teeth into a new bone of contention. At first blush, the controversy about so-called grey dirt or grey material seems destined to cause a stir. The Atlantic Richfield Co. and EPA are considering using slightly contaminated dirt for fill in certain scenarios instead of cleaner dirt at various sites in the Silver Bow Creek Corridor requiring Superfund remediation in and around Butte. The phrase grey dirt refers to onsite soil at project sites that has lower metals content than soils considered contaminated wastes requiring removal and deposit in a repository. For skeptics, slightly contaminated might be akin to slightly pregnant. Evan Barrett refers to grey dirt as dirty dirt. EPA prefers the more neutral phrase onsite material to emphasize, in part, that the fill is not trucked in from another site. The debate about the potential use of grey dirt is causing conflict among the agencies and people most attuned to the ongoing Superfund cleanup of historic mining and smelting pollution in Butte-Silver Bow County. During a contentious meeting in Butte last Monday night with EPA officials, Mick Ringsak described the idea of using grey dirt fill as "the most asinine thing Ive ever heard in my life. Earlier, Ed Simonich wondered why the grey dirt alternative is even being considered, suggesting it will be an inferior solution than if cleaner fill is used. Last month, Ian Magruder, a hydrogeologist who serves as technical advisor to the Citizens Technical Environmental Committee in Butte, advised CTEC members that the use of grey dirt, or onsite material, as fill is sanctioned by the consent decree signed in 2020. He said the consent decree describes an approach allowing partial wastes removal and wastes-in-place. Simonich wasnt swayed. This becomes a moral issue on what is the right thing to do for the Butte community rather than a technical issue of how to interpret various tables and footnotes in the CD to obtain the least expensive solution, he said. Deserves the best Butte deserves the best cleanup possible, Simonich said. While the EPA may believe using grey material will satisfy environmental and human health concerns, it is the cheaper solution and not the best remedy for waste replacement in the center of our community. The EPA says the use of certain onsite material as general fill is contemplated in the consent decree and would be protective of the remedy for the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (or BPSOU). A judicial consent decree is the only settlement type EPA can use for remedial action at a Superfund site. It can formalize an agreement reached between EPA and a potentially responsible party, such as Atlantic Richfield, for cleanup at a Superfund site. Atlantic Richfield said Friday that it will remove waste that exceeds the EPA cleanup criteria from the Silver Bow Creek project areas to protect and improve surface water quality in Silver Bow and Blacktail creeks. Onsite soil that does not exceed the cleanup criteria will be used to reconstruct portions of the project areas where it will not enter or impact water quality in the creek, Atlantic Richfield said. We are committed to working with the EPA, Butte-Silver Bow, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Montana Natural Resource Damage Program to deliver a remedy that is protective of human health and the environment, the company said. Joe Griffin is active in CTEC, once worked for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and has a significant store of institutional knowledge about Superfund in Butte. Griffin said Wednesday that controversy about the use of grey dirt lacks the leavening effect of context. He said wastes have been left in place or are being left in place at sites ranging from Butte to Bonner. Its true at Milltown, Griffin said. Its true for the Clark Fork. Its true at Silver Bow Creek. Its true at Parrot Tailings. He said discussion about the use of onsite material should be part of deliberations about design. And he added that Atlantic Richfield likely wants to design remedies that are both effective and durable. Nikia Greene, EPAs remedial project manager for Butte, said there has not been resolution among the parties about issues tied to the use of grey dirt. The questions include whether a negotiated consent decree among the major players from June 2020 would need to be reopened to address that use. Is it about money? Simonich weighed in. It appears the only reason for undertaking this effort is to save money on the removal of tailings and installation of the storm basins, he said. The states Natural Resource Damage Program referenced cost as a potential motivation in a March 10 letter to EPA. The letter, from Jim Ford of NRDP, expressed general concerns with EPA allowing high contaminant concentration materials, which would be considered waste on other ongoing cleanup projectsto be used in the remedial projects. Ford observed that using grey dirt appears to be intended to reduce the cost to British Petroleum-Atlantic Richfields implementation of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit remedy. The Atlantic Richfield Co. is footing the bill for remediation because it acquired the original polluter, the Anaconda Co., in 1977 and inherited its staggering environmental liabilities under federal Superfund law. Ford referenced Atlantic Richfields financial stake in the work. Although NRDP has no issue in finding solutions to reduce the cost of remedy implementation, we do object to reducing the protectiveness of the remedy to meet this objective, he wrote. On March 30, Magruder, the CTEC consultant, appeared remotely to talk to a gathering in Butte of CTEC members and others about using tainted fill not hot enough to be considered wastes requiring removal. Such fill would be sourced at the site and not imported, he said. Toward the meetings end, Magruder said he was surprised the grey dirt option was so controversial. He noted that existing consent decree criteria allow reuse of grey dirt under storm basins. He said that sanctioned use resulted from previous consent decree negotiations. They are currently discussing altering where the grey dirt can be used to allow more flexibility but better protection of groundwater, Magruder said. Its not just about money, although it would be a savings, he said. Greater flexibility would prevent thousands of trucks of clean fill being brought in and the traffic and challenges posed by that and finding a source for that much dirt. One estimate suggests contractors working for Atlantic Richfield will remove more than 850,000 cubic yards of waste equivalent, according to the estimate, to 24 Hotel Finlen towers from the Silver Bow Creek Corridor project areas. EPA was asked whether money was a key consideration. Money, lack of appropriate fill and truck travel are not at issue here, the agency said. Fords letter of March 10 to EPA observed that the grey dirt proposed as fill in Butte-Silver Bow County is troubling when compared to standards at other regional Superfund sites. A troubling approach As proposed, he said, materials with contaminant concentrations that could be 22.5 times higher than the fill being used in the ongoing Clark Fork River Operable Unit might be allowed under EPAs proposal. The primary contaminants associated with past mining and smelting operations in Butte and Anaconda are arsenic, cadmium, copper, zinc, mercury and lead. When contamination reaches a certain threshold, materials are removed and trucked to a wastes repository. In general, NRDP does not agree that allowing higher concentrations of contaminants in the corridor as a new high concentration fill category improves or even maintains protectiveness of the remedy, Ford wrote. On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, referenced the leaving wastes-in-place debate when a Senate Appropriations Committee questioned EPA Administrator Michael Regan about the agencys 2024 budget. Tester said a letter he sent last year asking Regan about wastes-in-place Superfund remedies in Montana was never answered. He wondered how concerned citizens could get answers to related questions when he could not. We have beefed up our community engagement, Regan said. Tester observed that community buy-in for remedial work is necessary and Regan agreed, noting that EPA must be willing to explain the science supporting the appropriate use of wastes-in-place and perform related monitoring and sampling. People need to feel confident, Regan said. We have to do all of these things to ensure that when you store wastes-in-place for hundreds of years that it is safe for every community. Sick and tired The senator then cited the contentious community meeting in Butte Monday night and the disappointment expressed there about the pace and process of cleanup. Folks in Butte are frustrated with the process, Tester said. That is being kind when I say just frustrated. Ill be blunt. Mr. Administrator, you need to fix it. Butte wired this country in copper and it created one of the largest, if not the largest Superfund site in this country, Tester said. He described Butte as an incredibly resilient community where people are really sick and tired of being jacked around. Unremediated sites within the BPSOU where onsite material might be used include Northside Tailings and Diggings East and perhaps others. Greene said the use of onsite material has been ruled out for Grove Gulch. He said Monday night that design work for the so-called Silver Bow Creek Corridor sites will likely require six years. EPA said the design process will be fully transparent and include input from our stakeholders and the public. For decades now, a key focus of regional watchdogs of the Superfund process in the region has been designing a cleanup that is both thorough and lasting. Magruder acknowledged concerns that the moderate metal concentrations in grey area material could leach and contaminate water if it is exposed to precipitation or groundwater. Simonich said he believes the general understanding in the community about Superfund excavation is that contaminated material is dug up, trucked to a repository and replaced with clean fill. Magruder said the reality is that the Superfund cleanup outlined in the consent decree is a partial removal, with large areas of wastes left in place. A lot of wastes get removed, but not all of it, he said during the CTEC meeting. A draft Strategic Plan recently released by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and NRDP to guide the ongoing cleanup of the Clark Fork River describes an approach that will leave more contamination in place than previously completed cleanup phases. The revised approach for the Clark Fork is driven in large part by the prospect of running out of money from a settlement reached with Atlantic Richfield. Leaving more wastes in place along the Clark Fork River raises the specter of contamination being redistributed in the event of a major flood or other significant hydrologic event, observers say. Barrett raised similar concerns during the committees meeting of March 30. He said three generations hence could be left grappling again with the same problem and described climate change as an unpredictable variable. EPA said it is in the midst of conversations regarding this design topic with Atlantic Richfield, DEQ, NRDP, CTEC and Butte-Silver Bow County, as well as the broader public. Magruder commented. These are important issues that need to be resolved before project design is finished and construction can begin, he said. Montana lawmakers have eliminated a sunset provision on the state's compensation program for people who were wrongfully convicted, but critical changes sought by advocates failed to pass muster with the governor's office. House Bill 423, carried by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, built on a program established by the 2021 Legislature following years of bipartisan construction. Lawmakers and advocates involved in that process came to Helena this year with several changes in hand aimed at stakeholders' original intent, which was to avoid costly, protracted litigation when someone seeks legal recourse after their convictions are exonerated. One of the major changes anticipated for this session was removing counties where the conviction occurred from the equation when doling out responsibility for paying the claims. The only case to test the new program so far is in Missoula County, where Cody Marble seeks compensation for his 15 years in and out of prison on a rape conviction the county attorney's office later said "lacks integrity." Missoula County officials, facing potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation claims from Marble, have since reversed course, now arguing in court filings that Marble's conviction was sound. Lawmakers in 2021 had passed legislation without counties, but Gov. Greg Gianforte sent the bill back, requiring they include counties or he'd veto the bill. Lawmakers did so again this session, and Gianforte likewise sent the bill back to lawmakers with the same ultimatum. "Historically, counties have been liable for approximately 77% of the damages paid to persons wrongfully convicted, and the state has been liable for approximately 23%," Gianforte's amendatory veto letter reads. " To ensure financial and legal responsibility rests with the part best able to keep it from happening again, and to protect Montana taxpayers," he requested lawmakers reinstate a provision that splits the county-state payout ratio to 75% and 25%, respectively. "That's because that the allegations have been that there was exculpatory evidence withheld by someone in local law enforcement," Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, told the House floor on Tuesday as the chamber considered Gianforte's changes. "Those are the sorts of things that have led to reversals and settlements in these cases, but it's not been the state that's been responsible. "To say that the state is going to fully fund this and the counties and municipalities would have no responsibility completely disrupts that order, the fact that we're going to try to minimize the kind of conduct that leads to these sorts of claims," he added. Gianforte's changes also included a provision that would eliminate claims in which people seek compensation for convictions for marijuana crimes following legalization of recreational cannabis in 2020. The House approved the changes on a 68-28 vote. The program still provides $60,000 per year in prison and $25,000 per year under probation or parole to people who were later exonerated. Under law, a person who has been exonerated has two options. They can file a claim under the program or attempt to seek damages in court, the latter being theoretically a riskier attempt for a higher dollar figure in financial recourse. Marble, in the Missoula County case, abandoned his civil case against officials to seek a claim under the new state program and is now in a different form of litigation to secure the claim. Richard Raugust, however, maintained course in his litigation and in December agreed to a $5 million settlement with Sanders County, where his homicide conviction was overturned after 18 years in prison. Tourists enjoy a local barbecue meal in Zibo, east China's Shandong Province, April 29, 2023. (Photo by Zhu Wei/Xinhua) Some say it is just a publicity campaign, a fanfare backed by gluttons, influencers and investors. So what? The iconic barbecue in this old industrial city with 4.7 million residents has drawn flocks of foodies, sparking an economic boom as well as much-awaited post-pandemic excitement. Some 450 km southeast of China's capital Beijing, Zibo is easily accessible by car or by train. A ride on a high-speed train from Beijing takes three hours at most, and costs 230 yuan (33 U.S. dollars). "It's been a rewarding experience: the food is delicious and affordable," said He Xin, a university student from the neighboring city of Weifang. For less than 100 yuan, even a gluttonous man can eat to his heart's content at any barbecue restaurant in Zibo, satiated with a rich variety of grilled meat and fresh vegetables in a wrap. "Unlike the majority of Chinese restaurants, the food here is served half raw, and the diners are encouraged to grill it on a stove set on each table," said He. Behind the tasty food and phenomenal popularity of Zibo are the Chinese people's post-pandemic euphoria, as well as the strong vitality and resilience in a loving society. The feast, which became popular among university students across China early this year, has propelled Zibo to internet stardom and offered nationwide food lovers another popular destination for the first spring break after the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures. During the five-day May Day holiday, the city received thousands of tourist visits, and tourism orders, including hotels and major tourist destinations, saw a formidable year-on-year surge of 2,000 percent, according to figures released by the local culture and tourism bureau. A CITY OF LOVE Recognizing that downtown hotels were fully booked and anticipating that the influx of tourists would exceed the city's accommodation capacity, the local culture and tourism bureau issued an open letter on April 26th. The letter encouraged holiday planners who were eagerly seeking hotel rooms to consider postponing their trips. Li Yucheng, a new graduate who secured a job at a new material company in Zibo last year, however, cleaned up an extra bedroom in his apartment and offered it as free lodging to tourists who had not been able to book a hotel room. Li told Xinhua that he had been motivated by other local residents who had offered a helping hand to tourists. "I was out for a walk and saw long queues outside every barbecue restaurant, waiting for tables. Someone was there offering them free drinks," he said. "Some private car owners offered free lifts to tourists at night when there were not enough taxis around." "Practically everyone is working to polish the city's image by doing their own work well and helping the tourists as much as they can," said Zhang Peng, a volunteer. A new resident in Zibo, Li Yucheng said it is "a city of love". "That's what touched me when I first came here, and I would pass on this love to others." A native of the northeastern Jilin Province, more than 1,300 km from Zibo, Li said it was a pleasant surprise to find dishes of his hometown at the company's cafeteria. That eased his homesickness and he fell in love with this city. Zibo has welcomed at least 100,000 new graduates who choose to work and live here in the last three years and plans to recruit another 200,000 in the five years from 2022 to 2027. These efforts are widely expected to reverse the city's brain drain that began at the turn of the century, when the ancient pottery and glass production base and cradle of China's modern industries faced bottlenecks in growth due to pollution and a scarcity of resources. These days, the city has welcomed avid barbecue diners with the same hospitality: two hours of free parking at the major train station, opening-up of car parks and bathrooms at 207 local government facilities to May Day tourists for free. Its efforts have paid off, as tourists heaped praises on Zibo on the web after their visit. "Hospitality and helping hands are the most beautiful landscape a tourist can expect." "The ambiance is more important than the food itself." STRONG VITALITY Barbecue restaurants have fueled Zibo's economic growth and boosted its vitality. Incomplete statistics show the city has more than 3,000 barbecue restaurants. At least 370 new restaurants opened last month. The sizzling feast, the huge crowds of diners, as well as subsequent consumption rises and increasing job opportunities are all signs of strong vitality and growth momentum. The Chinese people made 274 million domestic trips during the five-day break that began on April 29, soaring 70.83 percent from the same holiday period last year, and 19.09 percent more than 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said. Tourism revenue reached about 148.06 billion yuan, surging 128.9 percent from last year, according to the ministry. The booming travel rush, along with China's promising economic performance, has improved expectations of multiple institutions. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that a robust rebound means China is set to account for around one-third of global growth in 2023 -- giving a welcome lift to the world economy. Meanwhile, World Bank Group President David Malpass announced earlier in April that the lender has raised its global growth forecast for 2023 to 2 percent from 1.7 percent in January due to China's recovery. Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, estimated that the economy is expected to achieve fast growth in the second quarter, with a GDP growth of more than 7 percent year on year. This session, the Republican-dominated Legislature loosened requirements for monitoring water quality when some subdivisions are built. Under Senate Bill 240, signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on May 2, subdivisions with 14 lots or less that are 2 miles from high quality water and meet other criteria are exempt from review under the Montana Environmental Policy Act, said Derf Johnson, deputy director of the Montana Environmental Information Center. Johnson said MEPA isnt a prohibition, its an evaluation, and without assessments the cumulative effects of such development can go undetected. Since the Clean Water Act doesnt address septic systems, Johnson said the state is seeing a gradual increase in nutrient pollution in the groundwater. Thats showing up as algae blooms in rivers as summer drought shrinks streamflows. In April, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality proposed to list 40 to 50 miles of the Gallatin River from the border of Yellowstone National Park to the confluence of Spanish Creek as impaired due to excessive algal growth, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported. In other water legislation, SB 285 also targeted subdivisions and sewage facilities, changing the requirement for a review if the land is more than a half mile from any surface water. Originally, the bill sought a reduction to 500 feet. Subdivisions that close will now have to meet new criteria still to be developed by the Department of Environmental Quality. House Bill 364, which is still awaiting the governors signature, would allow independent private engineers to conduct reviews and approve plans for subdivision sanitation systems in an attempt to speed up the process for developers, Johnson said. The legislation would circumvent the Department of Environmental Quality when the agency seeks extensions for subdivision reviews. Under the bill, the DEQ will be in charge of developing a curriculum to examine and certify independent reviewers. It would also require refunds of subdivision fees when DEQ seeks a deadline extension. One group fighting developments effects on water quality is Bozeman-based Upper Missouri Waterkeeper. On Thursday the group protested a Gallatin County Planning Board decision to allow a 34-lot subdivision south of Bozeman that will rely on exempt wells and septic systems. The preliminary plat application failed to examine the potential cumulative impacts of septic wastewater on downgradient private wells and water resources, and likewise avoided considering potential impacts of new septics on the adjacent headwaters tributary of Rocky Creek, the group wrote in a press release. By far the worst bill of the session dealing with water, according to Johnson, was HB 576. It would revise the definition of material damage for industrial water users like coal mines. The bill has yet to be signed. The legislature has been weakening standards for so long in Montana, eventually they are going to run up against the federal backstop, where federal law reigns supreme, Johnson said. Some of these bills directly conflict with federal law. The Montana Legislature also passed Senate Joint Resolution 10 opposing removal of any Snake River, Montana or Northwest hydropower dams. Breaching dams has been proposed by tribes and environmental groups to restore diminishing steelhead and salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. Of all the hateful bills that have wound their way through the Montana Legislature this session, SB 99, the bill denying gender affirming care to transgender, nonbinary and two spirit youth, is the most hateful of all. And, for me, its personal. Rep. Zooey Zephyr told legislators theyd have blood on their hands if they passed this bill. That blood she was referring to could have been my kids, so this bill struck me in that primal, protective place that all mothers know when our children are in danger. I have two children, both assigned female at birth. But for most of my older childs life shes lived in a netherworld somewhere between boy and girl. As soon as she was old enough to have an opinion she traded pigtails for caps, skirts for nylon shorts and sparkly shoes for light-up Spiderman shoes. As a child she was the prince, the King, the dad, the older brother in any imaginary game. Boy, she told her classmates every time and without hesitation when they asked if she was a boy or a girl. She signed her name Cooper for most of that year and beamed when she received a valentine that said, You are a nice boy. This was a decade ago and the conversation around pronouns was just emerging in our collective consciousness but we asked if she wanted to change her pronouns or her name. No, mama, Im Eliza, she said. Im half, half. Half girl, half boy. We told our families and community: Eliza is who she is. We love who she is. And so does she. Support her unequivocally, we said. For us, there is no other acceptable position on the matter. We found other kids like her, we lost sleep, we worried, we found a supportive school. We were so relieved that we didnt have to travel to Seattle or LA to find gender affirming care because we found it right here in Missoula. When Eliza was about 10 years old, she knowingly and articulately described her gender identity at a doctors appointment. She was strong, she was proud and she was met with love, respect and compassion from her doctor who walked her through the possibility of hormone blockers. The choice is yours, the doctor said. And most kids know what they want. You just have to let us know. And a few years later when puberty came along, Eliza did know what she wanted, in part, because she had options and access. Last week, Montana kids lost both of those things. Eliza will turn 17 this summer. She is fierce with a tender heart and a quick smile. She goes to school in New York so I texted her Friday to tell her about the bill and Missoulas march for queer joy. Do you mind if I wear a button with your picture on it, I said. Yes, of course, she said. Go fight those a*holes, Mom. And thank you. I marched for my queer kid last week and it occurred to me that one of the greatest legacies of Generation X, and something we could only have imagined on all those latchkey afternoons, is that we gave birth to the inclusive, joyful revolution that is Gen Z. I couldnt be more proud. I will never stop fighting for my kid and I will never stop fighting for all the other transgender, nonbinary and Two Spirit kids in Montana. I see you. I hear you. I honor you for being your beautiful, perfect selves. You deserve more from this states lawmakers. You deserve more from all of us. Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com. TUESDAY, MAY 9 Guest speaker Justice Sam J. Ervin IV (Jimmy) will speak at the Burke County Democratic Headquarters at 6 p.m. It is at 310 S. Sterling St. Due to the recent N.C. Supreme Court decision on gerrymandering and voter ID this is a very timely topic. Dinner will be catered. A $10 contribution would be appreciated but not expected. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 Crime prevention council meeting The Burke County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council will meet at 8:10 a.m. It will be held in the Club Room at the Collett Street Recreation Center in Morganton. To attend or for additional information, contact A.J. Coutu at jcpbcc@gmail.com or 828-403-1427 THURSDAY, MAY 11 The NC Pre-K Committee of Burke County Smart Start Inc., will meet Thursday, May 11, at 8:30 a.m. in person at the Partnership office at 304 W. Union St. NC Pre-K meetings are open to the public and are held in handicapped accessible facilities. COVID, flu and other health restrictions will be observed for in-person attendance. For anyone with a hearing impairment who may require the assistance of an interpreter or have other special needs, call the Partnership at 439-2326 or use the N.C. Relay System at 1-800-735-8262. SATURDAY, MAY 13 Wreath-making workshop The Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Museum, 24 Water St., Old Fort, will host a spring wreath-making workshop at 11 a.m. The workshop, led by Toni Jo McCoart, will cost $15 per wreath, and registration and pre-payment are required by May 10. For more information, call the museum at 828-668-9259 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email brittany.bennett@ncdcr.gov. Glen Alpine UMC breakfast The second Saturday Breakfast will be held May 13 from 7-10 a.m. at Glen Alpine United Methodist Church, 410 Linville St., Glen Alpine. The second Saturday breakfast is a popular fundraising mission by the GA United Methodist Mens group. Cost is by donation. Run as One 5K The third annual Run as One 5K will be held at Catawba Meadows Greenway. The event starts at 9 a.m. and is being held to support Mental Health Awareness Month. Entry fee for runners or walkers is $25 which includes a commemorative T-shirt, and medals for first, second, and third place in age divisions. After the race, there will be refreshments, a celebration, music and giveaways. For more information or to register, go to https://bit.ly/3ANchzO. MONDAY, MAY 15 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. Support group meeting The Foothills Vision Loss Support Group will meet at 10 a.m. at the Burke Senior Center in Morganton. Anyone who is blind or has low vision is welcome to attend. For more information, send an email to foothillsvisionloss@gmail.com or call Ed McDaniel at 828-778-4177. THURSDAY, MAY 18 Sons of the American Revolution meeting The Col. Alexander Erwin Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will meet at 6 p.m. at the Morganton Community House, 120 N. King St., Morganton. William Caldwell will present a program titled Rogues, Banditti & Crackers: The Southern Backcountry by the time of the American Revolution. The chapter also will recognize its youth middle school brochure and elementary school poster contest winners. The meeting is open to the public, but those who wish to attend must RSVP by contacting Robert Patton at 828-443-3720 or robert.patton1@icloud.com. Dinner is $13 per person. Fundraiser Carolina Caring will host the fundraiser Flights & Bites at the Morganton Community House, 120 S. King St., from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cost is $75 per person and will include wine by Silver Fork Winery paired with food by chef Nathan Cromwell. Tickets should be purchased by May 8 but calling 828-466-0466. Board meeting New Dimensions will hold its monthly board meeting on at 4 p.m. in person on campus as well as via Zoom. Contact ckinard@ndschool.org for link information. SATURDAY, MAY 20 Wilson Creek Cleanup The Wilson Creek Faithful will be organizing a cleanup on Wilson Creek on Saturday, May 20, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Trash bags and beverages will be provided. For more information, call David Benner at 828-433-7932 or Leonard Baker at 252-289-0211. Cow patty bingo The bands of Draughn and East Burke high schools will host a cow patty bingo event at 10 a.m. at Draughn High School. The prize is up to $5,000 with donations of $20 per section or $100 per square. The event also will include concessions, face painting, music, raffle prizes and the Chick-fil-A Cow. Call 828-334-1756 for more information. Support group The Survivors of Loss to Suicide Hickory NC Support Group will meet from 9-10 a.m. at St Stephens Library 3225 Springs Road NE, Hickory. The group offers support for the families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide. Each session will focus on a different topic on the complicated grief that comes from losing someone to suicide. The group is open to teens and adults. For more information, contact Leisa Bentley at leisabentley@charter.net or call 828-234-5822 MONDAY, MAY 22 Business marketing class The Morganton Downtown Development Association, in collaboration with the Small Business Center at Western Piedmont Community College, will offer a business marketing training session on Finding Your Customers and Creating a Marketing Plan from 4-6 p.m. at the Morganton Community House at 120 N. King St. in Morganton. A second session will take place from 8-10 a.m. Tuesday, May 23, at the Community House called Dynamite Marketing for Small Businesses. The sessions are free to attend, but those interested must register in advance. To register for the first session, visit https://bit.ly/3ZTIPml. To register for the second session, visit https://bit.ly/3Fw3Hbb. Remembering Our Parents event Carolina Caring will hold a Remembering our Parents event on from 6-7:30 p.m. at the organizations Newton campus located at 3975 Robinson Road in Newton to honor the memory of our parents. Participants are asked to bring a picture that can be used in an activity. Registration is required. To register, visit CarolinaCaring.org/support, contact wspurling@carolinacaring.org or call 828-466-0466, ext. 3201. TUESDAY, MAY 30JUNE 1 Bus driver class Burke County Public Schools will host a bus driver class from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30, Wednesday, May 31, and June 1 at Central Office at 700 E. Parker Road. Call the transportation department at 828-437-4770 for more information. MONDAY, JUNE 19 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. MONDAY, JULY 17 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. MONDAY, AUG. 21 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. MONDAY, SEPT. 18 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. TUESDAY, OCT. 10 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. TUESDAY, NOV. 21 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. MONDAY, DEC. 18 ABC Board meeting The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese. In 1973, Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby with a record time of 1:59.2. Secretariat goes on to win the Triple Crown. See more sports moment Three Napa college students have been induced into Phi Kappa Phi, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor societies. They are: Delia Gutierrez-Villagomez at San Jose State University Page Marco at University of the Pacific Presley Schultz at Saint Mary's College of California They are among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction. Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Its mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others." Italy, Germany, and Austria sign letter of support for development of hydrogen gas pipeline Daily Mail: Greece, Italy, France, Hungary, Sweden may leave EU in the foreseeable future Armenian Minister of Economy presented Armenia's investment environment in Abu Dhabi Large-scale fires in the Urals destroyed almost 5.7 thousand buildings Participants of rally in Yerevan's Freedom Square demand freedom of self-determination for Artsakh Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria FMs meeting to be held tomorrow in Moscow Car crashes into bank branch in Yerevan Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard: Iran army has worlds top missile, radar systems UK charge d'affaires in Armenia lays wreath at Eternal Flame at Victory Park in Yerevan US ambassador to Armenia lays wreath at Eternal Flame in Yerevans Victory Park Catholicos of All Armenians visits Victory Park in Yerevan Tens of thousands of Karabakh residents came out to capital Stepanakert main square (PHOTOS) Armenia opposition party leader does not believe that any document will be signed with Azerbaijan at this phase Sudan clash civilian death toll reaches 604 European Commission chief: Russia sanctions 11th package focuses on cracking down on restrictions circumvention City hall: Yerevan authorities have no intention of dismantling Operation Nemesis monument Pakistan arrests former PM Khan Hurriyet: Turkey presidential election will end with incumbent Erdogan's victory in 1st round Karabakh ex-minister of state: Azerbaijan will not be able to remove Russian peacekeepers from here Karabakh ex-state minister: There can be no question of reintegration in this way, this is reoccupation Armenias Pashinyan in Moscow, attends Victory Day anniversary military parade (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Robert Kocharyan: Impossible to defeat united, organized Armenian people shamshyan.com: There are injured after drunken prosecutor causes major accident near Armenia government building NO to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh rally kicks off in Stepanakert Putin: War unleashed against Russia again but we will ensure our security Armenia official: Operation Nemesis monument removal demand should be viewed from Turkey internal politics too Armenia ex-President Armen Sarkissian: Freedom and victory are not gifts but are obtained through will and effort Armenia deputy FM: Brussels meeting will be followed by Moscow meeting in trilateral format Karabakh President visits Stepanakert Memorial Armenia Security Council secretary: We have no progress on most important issues in peace treaty talks with Azerbaijan Russia ambassador to Armenia: Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh are resolving issues facing us Armenia official: Normalization of relations with Turkey should be without preconditions Sergey Kopyrkin: Russia takes its allied obligations towards Armenia very seriously Armenia official: Not decided yet whether peace treaty with Azerbaijan will be signed under West or Russia auspices Armenia Security Council head: There will be Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Brussels Armenia army General Staff chief: Situation at Azerbaijan border relatively stable Armenia PM: Our greatest obligation to martyrs who gave their lives for Motherland is strengthening of our statehood Armenia senior officials visiting Victory Park Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan: Under these circumstances it is only struggle that must be glorified Karabakh President: Artsakh has been, is, shall be Armenian European Council: Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders will meet in Brussels on May 14 US State Dept.: Armenia, Azerbaijan have agreed in principle to certain terms Russian peacekeepers record 1 ceasefire violation in Karabakh Baku demands from Armenia to immediately release convicted Azerbaijani soldiers Statement of Artsakh Foreign Ministry on the Impending Environmental Disaster Provoked by Azerbaijan Armenia PM arrives in Moscow on working visit (PHOTOS) Deputy Foreign Ministers meet with French Ambassador RA Deputy Foreign Ministers and Russian ambassador discussed relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan RA Deputy Foreign Ministers and U.S. Ambassador touched upon the Mirzoyan-Bayramov negotiations Dollar, euro gain value in Armenia Ex-PM: There is Azerbaijani-Turkish demand that Armenia be deprived of army Sarsang Reservoir of Karabakh virtually empty (PHOTOS) One of 2 Azerbaijanis who crossed into Armenia is sentenced to 11 years, 6 months, 15 days in prison FlyOne Armenia: Dubai air traffic controllers did not allow aircraft to enter Dubai airspace airBaltic to resume Riga-Yerevan-Riga flights after 12-year break Iran MFA spox: Azerbaijani diplomats expelled in response to expulsion of Iranian diplomats Cavusoglu: We are discussing steps to be taken against Armenia with president of Turkey Opposition MP: Karabakh is just gateway for Azerbaijan toward Armenia 5G technology network to be launched in Armenia Number of tourists visiting Armenia up more than 80% in 2023 first quarter Bayramov: Progress of preparation of peace treaty with Armenia not met expectations yet Turkey FM announces possible Erdogan-Assad meeting this year Armenia PM Pashinyan to head for Moscow on working visit Tatoyan Foundation: Checkpoint is mean by which Azerbaijan isolates Karabakh from outside world (PHOTOS) Ex-governor of Armenias Syunik: Russian peacekeepers went out on 5km section, Azerbaijanis came and drove into US Embassy in Armenia on winning green card lottery: Scam alert Armen Khachatryan: Azerbaijan has recognized Armenia territorial integrity Armenia ruling force MP: Premier goes to Moscow regularly, yes, maybe he did, I don't know Armenia government has no information about possible Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting Yerevan-Dubai flight lands in Iran Financial Times: Armenia, Azerbaijan to resume peace talks in Brussels India tourist boat capsize incident death toll rises to 21 South Korea woman holds press conference with her 2-year-old Car falls into ravine in Armenias Kotayk Province, child among injured Passenger sent 1,000km from destination due to airport error 2 women tear Karabakh flag in downtown Yerevan (VIDEO) Truck carrying Azerbaijanis overturns in Karabakh, there are dead Serbia education minister resigns over school shooting Kishida sympathizes with South Korean victims of Japanese occupation Russian peacekeepers deliver over 30 tons of humanitarian cargo to Artsakh LAS members to vote on Syrias return British anti-monarchists released from custody 'Dangerous manoeuvres' of Russian jet around Polish plane Accused in a Tbilisi Hotel arson case sent into forced treatment Iran plans development of Aravandkenar oilfield "Armenia" opposition party members visit Tavush Province Kyrgyz President pays official visit to Russia Suspected fire kills gold miners in Peru Japan PM makes historic visit to South Korea Sevastopol Governor: Attack of over ten drones repelled Iranologist: Turkish regime is well aware of the importance of Nemesis monuments symbolism Talks held in Baku by Russian peacekeepers yielded no results Newly adopted Codes discussed in RA Parliament Thailand votes a week before parliamentary election Tehran commemorates Armenian Genocide victims Congo floods: death toll hits 176 13-year-old boy hit by car All units stopped at Zaporizhzhia NPP Man hit by car dies in hospital US F-16 fighter jet crashes in South Korea This photo taken on April 18, 2023 shows Beijing Changfeng Hospital where a fire broke out in Fengtai District of Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua] China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) will supervise the investigation into the Beijing Changfeng Hospital fire, according to an official statement released by the country's top procuratorate on Saturday. The fire broke out on April 18 at the hospital in Beijing's Fengtai District, killing 29 people, 26 of whom were patients. The police launched an investigation into the fire on the same day. A preliminary investigation showed the fire was caused by sparks from a construction project that ignited volatiles produced by combustible paint. A total of 15 people have been placed in criminal detention. The SPP has urged the procuratorial agencies in Beijing to perform their duties fully and work in coordination with public security organs and other government departments to determine the liabilities of all parties involved, ensure the evidence is solid, punish any crimes identified in accordance with the law, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the victims. It has also called for improved efforts to eliminate workplace safety risks, noting that the hospital fire had revealed the laxity of investigations into potential workplace safety hazards. 10:26 Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will arrive in Hyderabad on Monday to address a public meeting to highlight the issue of unemployment in Telangana, her first ever rally in the state after assuming charge as the All India Congress Committee general secretary. She will also release the 'Hyderabad Youth Declaration' at the 'Yuva Sangharshana Sabha' scheduled to be held at Saroor Nagar stadium in Hyderabad on Monday evening, the party has said. The Youth Declaration is expected to be on the lines of Farmers' Declaration released by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Warangal. The meeting, being attended by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, would instil 'confidence' in lakhs of unemployed youth and students in the state, senior vice president of Telangana Congress and former MP Mallu Ravi told PTI. The unemployed youth and students are 'frustrated' in the wake of alleged leak of question papers of recruitment tests conducted by the state public service commission (TSPSC), he said. The 'youth declaration' would contain party's promises to the youth and students about employment generation on a large scale, unemployment dole among others, he said. The Congress, led by its state unit president and MP A Revanth Reddy, has already staged demonstrations against the TSPSC paper leak issue at different places in Telangana in April. "We are sure she (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) will inspire youth, women, farmers, for that matter all sections of society," Ravi said. The Congress is hopeful that the party would get a fillip after Priyanka Vadra's public meeting as it seeks to revive its fortunes in the state. Aiming to resurrect its prospects in the state, the Congress has been reaching out to people in various forms. While Revanth Reddy has held a 'padayatra' earlier after the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has been conducting a 'padayatra' since the last 50 days. The Congress has suffered setbacks in Telangana despite the United Progressive Alliance government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh realising the statehood demand in 2014. In addition to losing the Legislative Assembly elections in 2014 and 2018, Congress has also fared badly in assembly bypolls and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election held during the last few years. This apart, the party has yielded ground to the Bharatiya Janata Party which won two assembly bypolls and the GHMC election impressively. Buoyed by its performance, the BJP is aiming to emerge as the alternative to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti. -- PTI A file photo shows the U.S. Capitol building and a stop sign in Washington D.C. [Photo/Xinhua] Amid recurring criticism of Washington's provocative "nuclear commitment" to the Republic of Korea, the Biden administration has been pushing select Asia-Pacific countries to subscribe to its maritime security propaganda against China. Fictitious allegations of so-called Chinese "harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels" in the South China Sea are the latest attempts to legitimize Washington's intrusive operations in stable waters. "We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct," alleged U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller over the weekend. Scoring optics in the lead-up to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s U.S. visit lays bare the dismal state of U.S. foreign policy and the perils of scapegoating China on the maritime front. First, groundless allegations of rights infringement are part of the same containment mindset that eroded the credibility of U.S. "defense" incentives in Manila and ruthlessly exposed emerging nations' distrust in U.S. peacebuilding. In fact, according to America's own classified intelligence assessments, the country's self-identified China rivalry has put Biden's "global agenda at risk." It reflects in Washington's use of the "rules-based" maritime order as a pretext for dangerous propaganda about a so-called Chinese armed attack in the future. Hollow references to controversial U.S. defense arrangements in the South China Sea are designed to support U.S. doublespeak on freedom of navigation, feeding projections about deliberate miscalculations in the process. In truth, the real threat to noninterference in the South China Sea is America's blatant distortion of Beijing's maritime patrols and legitimate maneuvers to advance its own show of force. The Biden administration is also unqualified to speak to the determinants of genuine maritime security in a region where it identifies as an outlier. After all, it is Washington not Beijing that has used the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a cover to launch similar sets of anti-China invective in the past, aggravating tensions but never acceding to the very convention it claims to protect. Present attempts to leverage the South China Sea issue for the benefit of Biden's China animus are looking at a dead end. It fits a larger pattern of foreign policy doublespeak that has alarmed countries in the broader Pacific, from provocative nuclear weapons posturing on the Korean Peninsula to an unwarranted U.S. agenda that targets China's ironclad sovereignty and maritime rights. Key emerging powers both within and beyond the Asia-Pacific appear to have called Biden's regional stability bluff. According to newly leaked U.S. intelligence findings, key nations from Asia-Pacific to Latin America are highly skeptical of letting the U.S. dictate their allegiances and partnerships in a multipolar world. These countries' successes in sitting out divisive U.S. offerings against China send a powerful message against U.S. hegemony as far as Central Asia. In effect, it makes for a telling reminder that freedom of navigation and self-identified maritime conflict scenarios won't serve as vehicles to draw friction between China and its Pacific allies. "The U.S., as a country outside of the region, must not interfere with the South China Sea matter or use the South China Sea matter to sow discord among regional countries," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement quoted by Reuters. Before flashing the mantle of maritime peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, the Biden administration must address major fault lines in its recent messaging. For instance, a senior administration official has already made clear that it is Manila's "geographic position" that is of principal interest to the United States with an eye on China. "Practical" and "moral" support are mere platitudes. Ultimately, charting ways to impede countries' strategic autonomy while blaming Beijing for infringing upon maritime rights is an exercise in futility. If anything, it strikes at the heart of America's cold war hysteria against China and the larger threat it poses to a regionally conducive maritime status quo. 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. Google is planning to make its search engine more "visual, snackable, personal, and human," with a focus on serving young people globally, The Wall Street Journal reported. The tech giant is shifting the way it presents search results to incorporate conversations with artificial intelligence, along with more short video and social-media posts, a departure from the list of website results that have made it the dominant search engine for decades. The changes represent a response to big shifts in the way people access information on the internet, including the emergence of AI bots like ChatGPT, according to WSJ. They would nudge the service further away from its traditional format, known informally as the "10 blue links," the WSG reported, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter. Google plans to make its search engine more "visual, snackable, personal, and human," with a focus on serving young people globally, according to the documents. It plans to incorporate more human voices as part of the shift, supporting content creators in the same way it has historically done with websites, the documents say. At its annual I/O developer conference coming this week, the search giant is expected to debut new features that allow users to carry out conversations with an artificial-intelligence programme, a project code-named "Magi," said other people familiar with the matter. For years, Alphabet's Google has made minimal tweaks to the look and feel of search, which powers an advertising business that made more than USD 162 billion in revenue last year, according to WSJ. But that is changing with the fast rise of AI chatbots and short-video apps such as TikTok, both of which have captured the attention of young users. Broadly, Google plans to place greater emphasis on responding to queries that can't be easily answered by traditional web results, according to internal reference documents outlining the company's strategy for making changes to the search engine this year. Google search visitors might be more frequently prompted to ask follow-up questions or swipe through visuals such as TikTok videos in response to their queries, WSJ said. According to WSJ, the company has already moved to integrate some online forum posts and short videos in search results, but it plans to emphasise such material even more in the future, according to the internal documents and people familiar with the matter. Google executives have stressed to employees that the number of active websites has plateaued in recent years, said people familiar with the discussions. Internet users are increasingly turning to other apps to find information on everything from popular local restaurants to advice on how to be more productive. "More than answers, we'll help you when there's no right answer," Google executives said in the documents. A Google spokeswoman said the search has "always been an incredibly dynamic, rapidly evolving sector," and the company has focused on a long-term approach to changing the service that includes integrating AI and visual features. "As search evolves, delivering high-quality information and supporting a healthy, open web will remain core to our approach," the spokeswoman added. Google has the opportunity to lead a change in consumer behaviour around internet search, but people will turn to other services if the company doesn't move fast enough, said John Battelle, author of "The Search," a history of Google published in 2005. "It's a really significant moment for the company, and I think they're very well aware of it," Battelle added. Google's search engine, the world's most heavily trafficked website, has for years handled more than 90 per cent of searches on computers and mobile devices, according to data provider Statcounter. In 2020, the Justice Department sued Google for its alleged dominance in the search market, the most significant US antitrust suit since the government challenged Microsoft's position in the personal computer software market in the 1990s. Since then, several new AI-powered apps have exploded in popularity, raising fresh challenges to Google's power as a portal to the internet. Most recently, the ChatGPT bot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI has raised alarms inside Google, pushing leadership to speed up work on similar products. Microsoft built the technology behind ChatGPT into its search engine Bing earlier this year, creating a version that could hold extended conversations with users, WSJ said, adding "Smaller search engines also have raced to incorporate conversational AI features, hoping to win users by moving faster than Google." Millions of people use Google for critical tasks, and websites such as online news outlets rely on the search engine for large chunks of their traffic. Those factors, along with the large amount of revenue tied to the product, have made it difficult to implement major changes in search. (ANI) Automobile firm Tata Motors has announced that it has achieved the 10,000-unit sales milestone for its Tiago EV since its deliveries commenced. The Mumbai-headquartered company said it also made it the fastest electric vehicle to achieve this milestone in less than four months. The Tiago EV is the 'fastest booked EV in India', receiving 10,000 bookings in just 24 hours and 20,000 bookings by December 2022. The company said the EV has successfully made its way to 491 cities, covering a total of 11.2 million km and saving 1.6 million grams of carbon dioxide from emitting into the atmosphere. The Tiago has not only become a segment disrupter that offers "premiumness, safety and technology features and an eco-friendly footprint" but it is also a fun electric trendsetter that provides its users with a superior driving experience, according to a statement from Tata Motors. Tata Motors in another statement said it would hold its board meeting on May 12. It will be the first time since FY16 that the company can declare a dividend. Vivek Srivatsa, Head, Marketing, Sales and Service Strategy, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., said, "The Tiago EV since its launch has been creating milestones. From becoming the 'Fastest Booked EV in India' to becoming the fastest EV in India to achieve the 10,000 delivery mark, this electric hatch has left no stone unturned." He said that the Tiago EV was launched to democratise the EV experience. "It was a result of our ambition to fast forward the ongoing evolution towards the future of mobility by introducing a car that would encourage the rapid adoption of EVs. And, we are so happy to see our vision realised as 10,000 families said yes to Go.ev with the Tiago EV," Vivek Srivatsa said. (ANI) The two were rumoured to have dated in 2014, though Healy has previously denied that was the case. Swift and Healy have been friends for years and share a collaborator, Grammy-winning producer Jack Antonoff, reported People. The dating rumours come weeks after Swift's breakup with actor Joe Alwyn after six years of dating. Reportedly, Swift and Alwyn broke up due to their difference in personalities. Meanwhile, Healy previously dated artist FKA Twigs for close to three years, splitting in early 2022, as well as model Gabriella Brooks from 2015-2019. His band wrapped the Australian and Asian leg of their tour in support of their latest album, 'Being Funny in a Foreign Language', on Thursday in Manila. In January, Swift made a surprise appearance at The 1975's first of two concerts at London's O2 Arena. Swift shocked the crowd by walking onstage during a break in the set to perform the lead single from her Midnights album, as well as a cover of The 1975's "The City.", reported People. (ANI) The shoot of the final season of Netflix original 'Stranger Things' has halted due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The series co-creators and co-showrunners Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer brothers, shared a statement to announce it. The Duffers issued a statement from the Stranger Writers Twitter account, which has offered "Stranger Things" fans a glimpse into the series' writers' room over the years, reported Variety. Writing on the fifth and final season commenced in August 2022, shortly after the fourth season premiered. https://twitter.com/strangerwriters/status/1654955071631765506 The post read, "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike." "We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong" As the most streamed series of 2022, "Stranger Things" now joins a growing group of Netflix series, such as "Big Mouth" and "Cobra Kai," facing delays and production pauses amid the ongoing writers' strike. After the original "Stranger Things" concludes, fans can expect an animated series set in the "Stranger Things" world, which is set to be produced by the Duffer brothers, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. The animated series is the latest 'Stranger Things' offshoot to stem from the Duffers' Upside Down Pictures banner, which is based with a rich overall deal at Netflix. In addition to the upcoming fifth and final season of the original series, the siblings recently announced a London stage show, 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow', and have another untitled live-action spinoff of the flagship series in the works. (ANI) Kate Middleton's stunning headpiece for King Charles' coronation has a close association with his long-running charity, The Prince's Trust, reported People. The Princess of Wales joined members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey on Saturday for the historic crowning ceremony of her father-in-law. She wore a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece with silver bullion, crystal and silver threadwork three-dimensional leaf embroidery. The headpiece was designed by Jess Collett, who has been working as a couture milliner for the past 25 years after receiving a loan from the monarch's charity. "It was 25 years ago that I secured my first loan from the @princestrust to start Jess Collett Milliner," Collett wrote on Instagram. "Thank you King Charles and @princestrust for your support ..........still going strong today and loving my trade" The official Instagram for King Charles' charity then responded, "Thanks for being such a special part of our history and sharing your #PrincesTrust story today. According to People, the Prince's Trust supports young people between the ages of 11 and 30 who are struggling with school or work, providing them with resources such as training programmes, financial support and more to help them succeed. As the Prince of Wales, King Charles started The Prince's Trust in 1976 with his severance pay from the British Navy providing the first grants for people with disadvantaged backgrounds. Although Charles is now monarch, The Prince's Trust continues to expand and be part of his legacy. In addition to the U.K. and Commonwealth Countries, The Prince's Trust is now running programs in the U.S. in New York and Chicago. The stunning headpiece complemented the Princess of Wales' outfit -- a dress by Alexander McQueen (who was behind her 2011 wedding gown) in ivory silk crepe with silver bullion and threadwork embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs. (ANI) Kunal Kemmu, who has showcased his versatility in various comedy genres, such as satire, and black comedy, and has received appreciation for his performances in films, recently opened up about his experience and how laughter transports people to a different world through performances on the occasion of world laughter day. Emphasizing the importance of laughter in films, Kunal said, "As actors, we have the power to transport people to a different world through our performances. Comedy is a genre that requires a lot of hard work and skill, and it's not easy to make people laugh consistently. In a world that can often be stressful and overwhelming, laughter can be a much-needed escape. When I see people in the audience laughing and enjoying themselves during a comedy film, it makes all the hard work worth it." Every year, World Laughter Day is observed to raise awareness about the various benefits of laughter. The day will be held this year on Sunday, May 7, 2023. On January 11, 1998, the first World Laughter Day celebration was held in Mumbai, India, with 12,000 members of international laughter organisations in attendance. The event was held on January 9, 2000, in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was attended by 10,000 people. Laughter has been present for 10 million years, and it appears that its primary role is the formation of strong social relationships. There is a book that claims to be the one in which King Philip of Macedonia asked an Athenian social club to submit their best jokes to him, but it has not survived to the present day. Kunal recently entertained audience with his performances in 'Kanjoos Makhichoos' and 'Pop Kaun'. On receiving an overwhelming response, Kunal expressed his gratitude via an Instagram post. "Thank you for all the love and warmth that you guys have sent my way.. #popkaun and #kanjoosmakkhichoos have successfully delivered happiness as plannedIt fills my heart with immense joy to see your lovely message and videos. The smile on my face and the love in my heart is thanks to you.. Big hug to all of you," he wrote. Kunal is also all set to come up with his directorial debut 'Madgaon Express', which is headlined by Pratik Gandhi, Avinash Tiwari, Nora Fatehi and Divyendu. He will also be seen in Gulkanda Talkies, which is produced by Raj-DK. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has given instructions to bring back Ishita Saxena, a student hailing from Uttarakhand, studying at the Central Agricultural University, Imphal, an official statement said on Saturday. He has given these instructions after he received a request letter via email from Ishita Saxena. The State Government will bear the expenditure in this regard, the statement added. Amid the ongoing violence in Manipur, state governor Sushri Anusuiya Uikey on Saturday appealed to the people in the state to maintain brotherhood and dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity, said an official release from the governor's office. In the statement, the Governor said, "Violent incidents and arson that took place in the state during the last few days disturbed mutual brotherhood and peace. Some brothers and sisters of the state also died suddenly in these unfortunate incidents. I appeal to all of you, being Governor of this state, that according to Manipur state's excellent co-existence, brotherhood and mutual cooperation, all of you should maintain brotherhood, dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity and cooperate with the people around you." Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met with the representatives of the 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' in the wake of the violence in the State, informed CM in a tweet. Political parties including Congress, NPF, NPP, CPI (M), Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena attended the meeting chaired by Biren Singh himself. Taking to Twitter CM N Biren Singh wrote "In light of the prevailing situation in Manipur, held a meeting with the representatives of 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' to highlight the crucial role of civil society organisations in bringing peace in the state at this hour." The meeting follows violence that erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said. The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. "The situation has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated. (ANI) The film, which stars Anoubam Kiranmala and Kangjam Tomba and deals with the Maibi culture of Manipur, has been recognised as World Classic and will be screened in the Cannes Classic section, said officials of the Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS). Produced in 1990, the 91-minute film was previously an official entry to the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes in 1991. The MSFDS initiated the ambitious restoration project of 'Ishanou' in association with the Film Heritage Foundation, Mumbai, and director Aribam Syam Sharma. 'Ishanou' is only the second celluloid Manipuri feature film that the SN Chand Cine Archive and the Museum of MSFDS has digitised, and the first film to have been restored. The Chairman of Film Forum Manipur (FFM), Laimayum Surjakanta Sharma, said that Syam Sharma is the ground-breaking doyen of Manipuri cinema who has been working relentlessly in portraying the cultural and emotional nuances of the state and its people with a humanitarian vision through cinematic storytelling with utmost simplicity and distinctive artistic signature. Various film-related organisations in Manipur had urged the Information and Broadcasting Ministry last year to confer Dadasaheb Phalke Award upon Syam Sharma. In the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa in November last year, Manipuri films were screened under the special Manipuri cinema section titled 'Golden Jubilee of Manipuri Cinema'. --IANS sc/arm ( 273 Words) 2023-05-06-22:38:01 (IANS) Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that the people of Karnataka are living and leading their life by working hard, and they do not need anyone's blessings. She said this while responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that if the BJP is not re-elected to power, the state would not get the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress leader addressed a huge public meeting here. Sonia Gandhi said that the BJP was worried and perturbed over the Bharat Jodo Yatra of her son and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi as it was against those who were spreading hate. She said that Karnataka, and even India cannot progress without ending the atmosphere of BJP's loot, lies, ego and hatred, adding that the BJP has turned into an arrogant political party. The senior Congress leader said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to intimidate Congress workers in Karnataka. She said that arm-twisting tactics would not work against Congress. She was referring to the Enforcement and Income Tax raids being carried out in the state against Congress leaders. The Congress leader also recalled that she won from Bellary constituency 24 years ago, and how the people of Karnataka had treated her. She also said that Karnataka had elected former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1978 from Chikmangaluru. Sonia Gandhi said that the people of Karnataka are those who live with pride, and they would not accept corruption by the governments at the Centre and state. She also said that it was the responsibility of people to strengthen their voice against the BJP government's "dark rule". Saying that the BJP was rattled ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections, Sonia Gandhi said the party was using "all tactics and all kinds of repression against political opponents". "Don't you think that dacoity has become the business of those in power? You had not given them power in 2018 but they robbed the government and captured it... and then, their 40 per cent commission," she said. The Congress leader also made indirect reference to the letter written by the contractors association to the Prime Minister on the 40 per cent commission being charged for public works in the state. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who switched to the Congress from the BJP, was also present at the dais along with Sonia Gandhi. --IANS aal/pgh ( 410 Words) 2023-05-06-23:02:02 (IANS) To restore peace and to quell the current ethnic violence that has devastated Manipur for the past four days, an all-party meeting convened by the state government was held here on Saturday. Officials from the Chief Minister's Office said that the meeting discussed the current situation in the state and adopted some measures to find ways to bring peace and stability in Manipur. The meeting was attended by the leaders from almost all the political parties, including the Congress, CPI, JD(U), Naga People's Front, Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Manipur People's Party, and Forward Bloc, among others. Veteran Congress leader and three-time former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh also attended the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. After a lengthy discussion, the meeting resolved to appeal for peace in the state, and to encourage all citizens to exercise restraint and avoid any action that could lead to further violence or instability. It was also resolved to form a peace committee in every Assembly constituency of the state to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level. The peace committee will work towards identifying and addressing the underlying causes of violence and conflict, and promote peaceful dialogue and cooperation among the communities. Later, the Chief Minister expressed his appreciation for the constructive and productive discussions that took place at the meeting, and thanked all the participants for their commitment in promoting peace and harmony in the state. The Manipur government is committed to work with all the stakeholders from every community to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the state, and to ensure that Manipur remains a peaceful and prosperous state for all its citizens, Singh said. --IANS sc/arm ( 300 Words) 2023-05-06-23:08:01 (IANS) Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi, sent a congratulatory message on Saturday to Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla on coronation. In their message, Xi and Peng said that the world is undergoing profound and complex transformations, and the international community is faced with many unprecedented challenges. China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, they said. The Chinese side is ready to work with Britain to enhance friendship of the two peoples, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and the wider world with a stable and mutually beneficial China-Britain relationship. The accused was taken to a petrol pump at Shornur and the railway station from where he boarded the train and later committed the crime after the train left the Kozhikode station. The incident took place on April 2 when the train bound for Kannur left Kozhikode. Shahrukh Saifi, the 27-year-old Delhi resident, set a few passengers ablaze by dousing them with petrol in the moving train. He later travelled on the same train to Kannur and after a few hours boarded a train from there and got down at Ratnagiri in Maharastra. Three passengers who witnessed the incident jumped out of the moving train in fear and died, while nine others suffered burn injuries. --IANS sg/arm ( 164 Words) 2023-05-06-23:16:02 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly threatening Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wuth dire consequences. Gehlot said: "The Election Commission should ban Prime Minister Modi from campaigning. If someone talks on religious lines, his propaganda should be banned as per the provisions of law." Gehlot was speaking to mediapersons at his residence on Saturday evening. Gehlot said: "Bhairon Singh Shekhawat once contested elections from Ganganagar and Bali. He lost in Ganganagar but won from Bali. He started talking about Ram Mandir during campaigning. A petition was filed against him with the Election Commission for invoking religion during campaigning. "Shekhawat was saved in that case due to lack of witness. The Prime Minister is speaking openly on the basis of religion. The Election Commission is not even seeking answers from him. That is why the PM should be banned from campaigning. "Kharge is being threatened with dire consequences. Despite the threats, neither the Prime Minister, nor the Home Minister has said anything. The Election Commission is silent even after threat videos surfacing on social media. The agenda of the BJP and the RSS is fixed. They don't care, but people do. Today, democracy is being murdered." On the controversy over Congress' promise to ban Bajrang Dal in the election manifesto for Karnataka, Gehlot said: "Many organisations name themselves after Ram, after Shivji, but what is the role of the organisations? Praveen Togadia was distributing 'trishul', so we stopped him but he did not budge, so we were forced to arrest him. It all depends on the intention of the organisation. The issue of Bajrang Dal did not become an issue in Karnataka, that is why the BJP leaders are fuming." --IANS arc/arm ( 303 Words) 2023-05-06-23:28:02 (IANS) With May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections around the corner, Congress leader and prominent Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar met seers of the community in Hubbali in a bid to seek their support for the party. He was accompanied by party leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The meeting between the Lingayat seers and Congress leaders Shamanur Shivashankarappa and Jagadish Shettar was held on May 5, with less than a week to go for voting in the Assembly elections. Shettar, a former chief minister, who recently joined Congress after being denied a ticket from the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Laxman Savadi, who formerly served as the deputy CM during the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government, belong to the Lingayat community which is believed to have a crucial impact on electoral outcomes in the state. On May 1, Karnataka Congress leader MB Patil said that the double-engine government will be thrown out and expressed hope that the Lingayat community will be voting for the grand old party when the elections are held. "The Lingayat community is coming back to Congress. Double-engine govt will be thrown out," he said. Patil said that BJP veteran Yediyurappa is in desperation. "They are making him speak against Laxman Savadi and Jagdish Shettar and saying they betrayed and backstabbed BJP". Earlier on April 27, hitting out at both the BJP deserters, Yediyurappa said, "I call on the people not to cast a single vote for Laxman Savadi and Jagdish Shettar, as they betrayed the BJP despite being entrusted with key portfolios in the government." The Lingayat votes have traditionally been a key determinant of electoral outcomes in the state. The community has traditionally sided with the BJP and several Lingayat-dominated regions of the state are considered to be saffron strongholds. Lingayats are largely concentrated in north Karnataka, in the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, and Gadag. They also have a considerable presence in Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur. They also inhabit vast swathes of South Karnataka, especially Bangalore, Mysore and Mandya, in big numbers. The 224-seat Assembly polls are slated to take place in a single phase on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13. (ANI) Assam Rifles has successfully rescued 188 employees of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) stranded in violence-hit Manipur and shifted them to safer places in Mizoram, an official statement said As per the Assam Rifles' press release on Saturday, the NHIDCL has requested the paramilitary force to assist in evacuating stranded employees to a safer place. "On May 6, Assam Rifles (AR) Battalion under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), proactively reacted to the request of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited representatives whose movement was stopped by locals of Sinzawl village owing to the situation in Manipur," the statement said. "Though the locals did not pose a physical threat to the employees, the blockade was imposed by some local leaders. The blockade caused extreme psychological tension to the employees and their families," it said. The statement said that AR's Aizawl Batallion reacted swiftly by launching rescue columns from their nearest operating bases. "The officers of AR coordinated with the VCP of nearby villages of the incidence of location and leaders of CYMA, MZP(Mizo Zarlai Pawl), and with locals of Sinzawl village in resolving the situation thereby preventing the problem from going out of control. The 188 NHIDCL workers were evacuated safely to nearby operating bases and given food and shelter. Though the villagers of Mimbung blocked the road, the issue was resolved amicably," read the statement further. "Assam Rifles appreciate the mature and timely action of VCPs, local leaders of villages of both sides and CYMA and MZP office bearers which resulted in peacefully resolving the issue of shifting stranded employees from the sensitive area of Manipur to safer places in Mizoram," read the statement. "Such showcasing of compassionate behaviour on humanitarian grounds will go a long way and as a role model during tense situation prevalent in Manipur," the Assam Rifles statement added. Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said. The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. "The situation has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated. (ANI) "Search operation to track down terrorists underway in the Kandi area of Rajouri," officials said. More details are awaited. A total of five soldiers lost their lives in the anti-terror operation in the Kandi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri on May 5. The five soldiers were killed during the anti-terror 'Operation Trinetra' of the Indian Army with Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF. On Saturday, one terrorist was neutralised and one was injured in a fresh exchange of fire in Kandi, Rajouri district. "One terrorist was neutralised and one likely injured" in a fresh exchange of fire in Kandi in the early hours of Saturday," Army officials said. Moreover, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 6 reached Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district to review the security situation amid the ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Kandi forest area. On his visit to the Army Base Camp in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence Minister reviewed the operational capabilities and security situation along the border. Appreciating the valour of Army troops, Singh said, "Keep your spirits up, you will definitely get success." During his visit, he was briefed on the security situation by senior Army officers for around 40 minutes. He also interacted with troops and appreciated their efforts in securing borders. "India salutes their devotion towards protecting our motherland", the Defence Minister said. He was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Northern Army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and other senior Army officers. (ANI) Denouncing 18th-century Muslim ruler Tipu Sultan, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biwa Sarma on Sunday said it was time that a "New India" rewrote its history, recognising the sacrifices made by "our" heroes to protect their land and Dharma Taking to his personal Twitter handle, the Assam CM posted, "If we were to even examine the argument that #TipuSultan is a freedom fighter solely because he fought against the British to defend his own kingdom, what about the 80,000 Kodavas who bravely sacrificed their lives for their homeland and to safeguard our culture and Dharma ?" Biswa added in his tweet, "Enough of history written by the Left. New India needs a history that recognizes the sacrifices made by our heroes to protect their land and dharma." Addressing a press conference in Mangaluru later on Sunday, Sarma lashed out at the Congress over its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, calling it a "self-goal". "The manifesto bears a true reflection of what the Congress represents. It is against the majority community. From the document, it is clear that the Congress is hateful of the Hindus and their only motivation is to stand against the majority community," Sarma said. "The Congress has nothing but hate for the culture and Dharma (religious practices) of the majority community," the Assam CM alleged further. On Saturday, the Assam CM lashed out at the Congress while headlining an election campaign in poll-bound Karnataka. He dubbed senior Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar as "family members" of Tipu Sultan. "Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are family members of Tipu Sultan," Sarma said at an election rally at Virajpet Assembly constituency in Kodagu district on Saturday. "My state, Assam, was attacked by the Mughals 17 times but they couldn't defeat us. We remain undefeated. Today I bow to this holy land as the people of Kodagu defeated Tipu Sultan's plans to lord over them on a number of occasions," he added. The BJP leader said if former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah intends to celebrate the Tipu Sultan Jayanti, he should do so in Pakistan. "As many as 80,000 people sacrificed their lives in battles against Tipu Sultan. And today, Siddaramaiah is saying that they will celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti. If you want to celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti, go and do so in Pakistan or Bangladesh. You don't have any right to do it in India," he added on Saturday. The debate around Tipu Sultan between the ruling BJP and the Congress has taken centre-stage yet again ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls. The counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly would take place on May 13. (ANI) Taking to Twitter on Saturday, the chief minister wrote "Efforts of Tripura Police is highly commendable. Their proactive participation in making Tripura Drug Free is giving boost to the vision of Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji. Kudos to your efforts once again...!" Earlier on Saturday, in a successful operation led by the Superintendent of Police North Tripura, three persons were arrested and 60,000 Yaba tablets were seized from their possession at Churaibari Gate on the Assam-Tripura interstate border. The seized drug is valued at approx Rs 6 crores in the grey market. "The consignment was meant to be smuggled from Assam to Agartala, capital of Tripura," the police said. Yaba is psychotropic a drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and it is produced largely in Myanmar. The three accused were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, police said. (ANI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday reached out to the Manipur government over the safety of students stuck in the violence-hit northeastern state and urged to provide them security till the situation eases. The Deputy Chief Minister also spoke to the students of the state stuck in Manipur and assured them of all kinds of assistance. Fadnavis' move came amid the ongoing tensions in the northeastern state due to violence erupting in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts during protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. According to an official statement by the Deputy Chief Minister's Office, various students from Maharashtra went to study at NIT Manipur and were stuck due to the tense situation in the state. "The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister called the students stuck in Manipur, spoke to them and assured them of all possible help. He also appealed to the students not to worry," the statement said. The Chief Secretary of Maharashtra contacted the Director General of Police, in Manipur and requested assistance with immediate effect. "Devendra Fadnavis also contacted the Manipur government and requested them to keep these students safe until the situation becomes normal," the statement said. "Immediate arrangements are being made by the Maharashtra government to bring these students safely to Maharashtra," it added. The Maharashtra administration is constantly monitoring the situation, the DCMO said. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met with the representatives of the 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' in the wake of the violence in the State. Political parties including Congress, NPF, NPP, CPI (M), Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena attended the meeting chaired by Biren Singh. Taking to Twitter, CM N Biren Singh wrote, "In light of the prevailing situation in Manipur, held a meeting with the representatives of 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' to highlight the crucial role of civil society organisations in bringing peace in the state at this hour." Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur. Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur. The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. "The situation has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated. (ANI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that a special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur. "A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students," the CM said in a statement. Shinde on Sunday also spoke with the students stuck in Manipur over the phone and assured them of all the possible help, as per the official statement from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's office. "Many students from Maharashtra are studying in Manipur's NITs, IITs and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde contacted Tushar Awadh and Vikas Sharma on the phone and assured them of all possible help. In this regard, the Chief Minister has also directed the Chief Secretary of the state to contact the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Manipur and request them to take care of the safety of the students," the statement said. The Chief Minister further said that these stranded students will be brought to Maharashtra soon by air and the Maharashtra government is monitoring the situation in Manipur. The Northeastern state has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Earlier, on May 3, amid the prevailing disquiet and upturn in incidents of violence in the state, the district administration imposed a curfew in Churachandpur district, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing conflict. However, the Manipur government on Sunday partially relaxed the curfew from 7 am to 10 am to allow people to buy essential items. The decision was taken after the law and order situation improved in the Churachandpur district following talks between the state government and various stakeholders, a notification stated. A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now in Manipur and shifted to safe shelters, some in army camps as the army brought Churachandpur, Moreh, Kakching and Kangpokpi districts under its "firm control", an official said on Sunday. "Total 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now and were moved to own operating bases and military garrisons, with the help of Army and Assam Rifles," the official said. The past 24 hours also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs and redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley. (ANI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday hit out at the Congress party alleging that it is "dividing" people in the name of caste and religion. "Congress is dividing people in the name of caste and religion but we are asking people to vote for us in the lines of development and people will vote for us," Sawant said here in Belagavi holding a roadshow in poll-bound Karnataka which is scheduled to go to Assembly polls on May 10. He further said that the people of Karnataka will elect the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power as the 'double engine' government is working for the development of the state. "The infrastructure development that has taken place in Karnataka is due to the double-engine government. People of Karnataka are going to vote for the lotus symbol," he added. As the religious controversy around Lord Hanuman is taking centre stage in this election after Congress' manifesto promised to ban Bajrang Dal, Sawant said that his party will get 10 per cent more votes due to this. "People want Bajrang Bali, definitely people are ready to vote for BJP, we are getting 10 per cent more votes due to this," Goa CM said. The Congress party on Tuesday in its manifesto for the upcoming May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections said it will take "decisive action" as per law including banning organisations like Bajrang Dal, the Popular Front of India and others. The Congress manifesto said the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion. Accusing the Congress of hurling abuses at him Modi earlier on Wednesday, said the people of Karnataka do not support this "black culture" and that they should punish those making abuses by saying 'Jai Bajrangbali' when they cast their vote. (ANI) Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attend a joint press conference after the fourth round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 6, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Saturday that China and Pakistan, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, are committed to building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. At a joint press conference after the fourth round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Qin said that China appreciates Pakistan's political support on issues relating to China's core interests and major concerns. China will, as always, continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, finding a development path suited to its own national conditions, and playing its due role in global and regional affairs, Qin said. The two foreign ministers agreed that their countries, in the post-pandemic era, will resume communication at all levels as well as consultation through mechanisms, fully implement the important consensuses reached by leaders of the two countries, and speed up China-Pakistan all-round cooperation. During the meeting, the two sides pledged to accelerate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and sound planning and operation in industrial cooperation, and extend the frontier of fields including agriculture, technology and new energy, so as to help Pakistan achieve higher-quality and sustainable development. Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC, the Chinese foreign minister underlined its high-quality development. Qin said that under the joint efforts of both countries, CPEC has become a model of Belt and Road cooperation, bringing about significant improvement in Pakistan's infrastructure, and tangible economic and social benefits from early harvest projects. He pointed out that the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pakistan aims to help Pakistan develop its economy and improve people's livelihood. "Some forces have fabricated the lie that China is creating a debt trap in Pakistan. I suggest our media friends ask those people what they have done for Pakistan's development and what real money they have invested in the country. I believe the people of Pakistan don't need high-sounding rhetoric, but real help," Qin said. He stressed that stability is a prerequisite for development and security is the foundation of prosperity. China hopes that all political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, maintain stability, respond more effectively to internal and external challenges, focus on economic development and improving people's livelihood, and push the country onto the fast track of development and revitalization. The two sides agreed to track down and severely punish the culprits in Chinese-targeted terrorist attacks, further deepen security and anti-terrorism cooperation, and enhance collaboration in regional anti-terrorism affairs. They also agreed that they will work for Pakistan taking the lead in the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and other major initiatives, strengthen coordination and collaboration at the multilateral level, and oppose Cold War mentality, zero-sum game and bloc confrontation. In addition, the two countries called for resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, safeguarding international fairness and justice, promoting the cause of world peace and development, and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind. A day after the Election Commission issued notice to Congress to furnish proof for graft charges against Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday questioned whether the poll body would seek similar proof from the Prime Minister who accused the grand old party of having "backdoor political negotiations" with those "linked to terrorism". Taking to Twitter, Kabil Sibal wrote, "EC: Seeks proof from Congress for graft claims against BJP. What about: Seeking proof from PM when he accused Congress of "backdoor political negotiations " with those linked to terrorism? Is it that EC dare not seek proof from PM?" On May 5, addressing a rally in Ballari ahead of the upcoming May 10 elections in Karnataka, the Prime Minister accused the Congress party of shielding terrorism for the vote bank. "Congress is opposing the film 'The Kerala Story' made on terrorism and standing with terror tendencies. Congress has shielded terrorism for the vote bank", PM Modi said earlier on Friday. "The Congress has kneeled down before the terror outfits when in power. We have suffered because of the violence for very long and Congress never protected this country from terrorism. I am surprised to see that Congress has succumbed to terrorism for the sake of its vote bank. Can such a party ever save Karnataka?" PM Modi said. The Election Commission on Saturday issued notice to Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar in connection with BJP's complaint over a newspaper advertisement alleging "unsubstantiated but specific information". It comes after Congress published an advertisement titled 'Corruption rate card' in newspapers in the state of Karnataka alleging corruption by the ruling BJP. ECI stated in the notice, "While the general references and allusions to the alleged lack of achievement, misdeeds, not ensuring corruption-free governance of political opponents do float in the political campaigns, specific accusations and charges need to be segregated as the same must be backed by verifiable facts. Making specific charges, without any factual basis, is an action proscribed by the penal statutes". "The allegations and imputations made in the said advertisement are not general. The advertisement, in its very content & format, makes very specific charges, accusing all levels of government machinery (political & bureaucratic) of being, compromised and saleable. This brings into disrepute the entire administration, which has the potential of fomenting a feeling of distrust and undermining the legitimacy of the governance system at large, which otherwise, inter-alia, is vital for the smooth conduct of the poll itself," the notice added. The ECI has given Congress time till 7 pm on May 7 to provide empirical evidence for the alleged rates cited in the advertisement for appointments and transfers, kinds of jobs and commissions thereof. "Failing the above, you are directed to show reasons for why action shouldn't be initiated against you for violating the Model Code of Conduct and relevant legal provisions under the R P Act and IPC, by 19.00 hrs of 7th May 2023," the notice stated. It also added that in case the party fails to give any response, it will be considered that the party has "nothing" to say in the matter, and 'appropriate action' can be taken against it. Meanwhile, the final leg of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections has intensified in the State. Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. (ANI) The Indian Army and locals came together to celebrate Buddha Purnima at Tak Tsang Gompa near the beautiful Sungetsar Lake in Tawang District of Arunachal Pradesh. Tak Tsang Gompa is one of the three locations where Guru Padmasambhava, the revered deity of the area meditated with his spiritual consort Monmo Tashi Khewdey who was in the manifestation of a Tigress, hence the name Tak-Tsang or 'Tiger's Nest'. This beautiful Gompa, perched in the wilderness of mountains at a height of 12,500 feet and close to the famous Sungetsar Lake is revered by locals and visited by thousands of tourists who visit Tawang every year, informed an official release. It is believed that Padmasambhava or Lopon Pema Jungne the Lotus Born Guru, a teacher from the famous ancient Nalanda University of Central India meditated here prior to moving on to Tibet for spreading Buddhism. Historically, in the 8th Century AD Guru Padmasambhava was invited by the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen to teach Buddhism and it was under Guru Padmasambhava's supervision that the first Buddhist Monastery of Samye was established. "Guru Padmasambhava, through his spiritual powers, subdued the evil spirits of Tibet and made them take a pledge to protect Buddhism and its followers. Guru Padmasambhava started the new form of spiritual Buddhism which eventually is known as Nyingma and its followers as Nyingmapas," it read. Buddhism has many similarities with Hinduism as it emanated from the heartland of India. Akin to the Hindu's belief that Lord Hanuman was born but is immortal, Buddhists believe that Guru Padmasambhava is still alive in Ihonup Sinpok Yul in his Copper Palace. The design of Tak Tsang Gonpa is called 'Zangdok Palri' which means the 'Copper Coloured Palace', thus the significance of Tak Tsang Gompa. The Indian Army assisted in the celebrations as well as participated along with the local population. The enthusiastic celebrations commenced with the offering of prayers in the Gompa and were followed by a medical camp organised by the Indian Army wherein the locals were provided with medical check-ups and medicines. A community meal was also organised for all the villagers. The local unit of the Indian Army gifted chairs for the students at the Gompa. The celebrations of Buddha Purnima were marked by religious and festive fervour, care and compassion for elders and respect for the environment true to the ethos of Indian Buddhism. It also reaffirmed the civil-military bonhomie in the area. (ANI) "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the repatriation of Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education to his parent cadre on the request of the Government of Manipur," Deepti Umashankar, Secretary Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and Establishment Officer said in the letter. Vineet Joshi, a 1992 Manipur cadre IAS officer, replaced Dr Rajesh Kumar as the new Chief Secretary. Earlier in February 2022, IAS Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, was appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). "Consequent upon relieving of Shri Manoj Ahuja, IAS(OR:1990) from the post of Chairman, CBSE w.e.f 14.02.2022 (A/N) vide office order dated 14.02.2022, the charge of Chairman, CBSE is assigned to Shri Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education in addition to his existing assignments. This issues with the approval of the competent authority," the official order read. The Northeast state has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Earlier, on May 3, amid the prevailing disquiet and upturn in incidents of violence in the state, the district administration imposed a curfew in Churachandpur district, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing conflict. (ANI) Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly, VD Satheesan, hit out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday, saying that he was silent on the alleged AI camera scam. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Satheesan claimed that the irregularities started happening from the time the cost estimation of the AI cameras was made. Also questioning the chief minister's silence on the issue, Satheesan said, "We have posed seven questions to the chief minister. But there is still no answer. We furnished evidence that there was a scam of Rs 100 crores. This is a serious matter. The irregularities started happening ever since the cost estimation of AI cameras was made," he said. The LoP added, "A contract that was supposed to cost less than 40 crores was eventually awarded for Rs 151 crores. There is no explanation from the government for this. They are beating around the bush. Can anyone question the authenticity of any document we have brought to the public domain? Can anyone say they are wrong?" Earlier, on Thursday, reacting to allegations of graft against CM Vijayan over the pricing and contract for installing AI-enabled cameras across the state, former Kerala LoP Ramesh Chennithala said, "This AI-camera scam is directly linked to the chief minister. The father-in-law of the chief minister's son was very much a part of this deal through a company named Prasadio. All the records are in the public domain now." Chennithala alleged that the chief minister has chosen to remain silent on the allegations as he knows that they are true. "Even after all records have been brought in the public domain, the chief minister remains a mute spectator. He is not opening his mouth. This would suggest that he knows that there was corruption involved. Why else is he not refuting the charges? When an allegation is raised against a person, he should come forward and clear his position. He should speak up in his defence. The CM is neither denying the charges nor providing any explanation whatsoever," Chennithala added. The former LoP said it was the duty of the Opposition to bring such alleged corrupt deals into the public domain. (ANI) Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday expressed "serious concern" over the prevailing violence in Manipur. Hitting out at the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, he said that the Central government should be focusing to bring the situation under control in the northeastern state instead of campaigning for elections. The final leg of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections has intensified in Karnataka. Top leaders of BJP and Congress are campaigning for the assembly elections in the southern state. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Aaditya Thackeray said, "The situation in Manipur is very worrisome. The violence should stop. The Central government should focus to contain violence in the state". Thackeray said that the situation in Manipur should not have spiralled out of control in the first place. "But the whole administration, be it Central or state government, is busy in election campaigning". He also appealed to the state government that the Marathi students stuck in Manipur should be taken out safely and brought back to Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. As per the statement, no major incidents of violence have been reported since the rescue operation began resulting in the relaxation in the curfew hours which are now from 7 am to 10 am today in Churachandpur. "Ray of hope due to efforts of 120- 125 Army and Assam Rifles columns who are working tirelessly for past 96 hours to rescue civilians across all communities, curb violence and restore normalcy has emerged with no major violence being reported and curfew, therefore being relaxed from 7-10 am today in Churachandpur followed by flag march by Security Forces immediately thereafter," the Army statement said. "Total 23000 civilians have been rescued till now and were moved to own operating bases/ military Garrisons," it added. Earlier on May 3, owing to tension over the move to protect forests in the face of resistance from illegal immigrants and also the High Court's direction to include Meitei in scheduled tribes, the district administration imposed a complete curfew in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur. As per the statement, the past 24 hours also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs and redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley. Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Violence had erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. (ANI) A Quick Response Team (QRT) armed with anti-riot equipment has been placed in Delhi's Tihar Jail after the recent murder of gangster Tillu Tajpuriya inside the jail premises, the officials said on Sunday. According to prison officials, QRT has been placed in Tihar and will be armed with anti-riot equipment. They added that the team will not be carrying any lethal weapon as the prison manual prohibits the deployment of weapons as per current rules. "The armed men are placed only on the entry-exit points, and specific and strategic points. They will be equipped with helmet, baton, bulletproof jacket, chilli powder, etc," a prison official said. Director General (Prison), Tihar Jail, Sanjay Baniwal met Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday and presented a detailed report on the murder of gangster Tillu Tajpuriya inside the jail premises, said sources in the L-G House. Also, in the wake of the killing, nine staff members of Tihar Jail, including the Assistant Superintendent, were suspended after a CCTV visual of the gangster being stabbed by rival gang members inside Tihar went viral on Friday. The second CCTV visual of the macabre murder showed that fellow inmates continued stabbing the prime accused of the Rohini Court shootout in front of uniformed personnel, who did not intervene. The footage from the CCTV camera mounted on the wall of Central Gallery inside Tihar Jail, is from around 6:15 am on May 2. The police personnel could be seen standing near Tillu Tajpuriya, lying on the floor, and watching three men stabbing the gangster with weapons, fashioned out of lockup grills. Earlier on Thursday, the first set of CCTV footage emerged. The footage was from around 6:10 am on May 2. In the visuals, no police officer was seen. Some prisoners could be seen there, but no one was able to stop the attackers. Gangster Tillu Tajpuriya, an accused in Delhi's Rohini court shootout case was killed by rival gang members in Tihar jail on May 2. According to the prison officials, Tillu Tajpuriya was immediately taken to Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where he was declared dead. Members of the rival gang namely Deepak alias Teeter, Yogesh alias Tunda, Rajesh and Riyaz Khan had around 6:15 am cut open the iron grill installed on the first floor of the ward using an improvised saw. According to a prison official, the accused were lodged on the first floor of the same ward and they used an iron rod to attack Tajpuriya. Tajpuriya, a resident of Delhi who headed the infamous Tillu gang, was arrested in 2016 for multiple crimes and had been in jail ever since. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday came out hard against the Congress party accusing it of inflating "balloons of lies", and said that irrespective of what the party does, they won't be getting any benefit, and Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government with full majority. Addressing a rally here in Shivamogga, PM Modi said, "Congress is so scared ahead of the polls that they are forced to bring people for campaigning so that they can put off the whole blame on each other. Congress has created an ecosystem to peddle its lies. These blatant lies have no truth at the ground level. But, the people know about the truth of the party. So, irrespective of how large a balloon they create, there won't be any benefit". The Prime Minister also said that the party had started the roadshow earlier than scheduled because of the NEET exam on Sunday. "We conducted the roadshow early as there was a NEET exam today. No political party dares to conduct or address any rally or public meeting so early. I received a lot of love today from the public of Bengaluru," PM Modi said. He further said that the politics and development of the Congress party are only "on paper", and they can "never develop" the state of Karnataka. "The women of Karnataka were completely neglected by the Congress government in the past. They have done no development work for the farmers. BJP has worked for the farmers of the state. Now all the lies of Congress are fully exposed and BJP will form the government with full majority," he said. PM Modi added, "The education of girls and women's empowerment were pushed back during the Congress rule. The girls used to drop out of school because Congress did not make separate toilets for girls. But BJP campaigned to remove the injustice done to girls and today more and more girls are going to school". The Prime Minister also mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine crisis led to record increase in fertilizer prices, but still, the burden was not allowed to fall on the nation's farmers. "Through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, we provided facilities to the farmers. In the name of loan waiver, Congress used to fill middlemen and its coffers. We made a direct transfer of Rs 80,000 crore from the Kisan Samman Nidhi to the farmers' accounts. We have provided 2,000 new types of seeds to farmers in 9 years. Despite crises, we have never allowed any shortage of fertilizers in the country," he said. Referring to the first-time voters, PM Modi said, "Can a party, whose aim is only corruption and appeasement, develop the state of Karnataka? Can a party who takes 85 per cent commission, make the future of the youth? Congress has never worked for the youth". Meanwhile, the campaigning has intensified in the state of Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday instructed the officials to provide all possible assistance to the students of the state stranded in Manipur where tensions soared following violent incidents. Following the Chief Minister's instructions, UP Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad spoke to the Chief Secretary of Manipur and requested for all possible help, according to an official statement. "CM Yogi gave instructions for help to the Home Department. Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad spoke to the Chief Secretary of Manipur and requested for all possible help. Office of the Relief Commissioner of UP has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating with the Government of Manipur," the statement said. Meawhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that a special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur. "A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students," the CM said in a statement. Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met with the representatives of the 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' in the wake of the violence in the State, informed CM in a tweet. Political parties including Congress, NPF, NPP, CPI (M), Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena attended the meeting chaired by Biren Singh himself. Taking to Twitter CM N Biren Singh wrote "In light of the prevailing situation in Manipur, held a meeting with the representatives of 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' to highlight the crucial role of civil society organisations in bringing peace in the state at this hour." The meeting follows violence that erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Manipur Government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including RAF, BSF and CRPF have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the State DGP said. The Army in a statement earlier on Friday said that situation in Manipur had been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. "IAF undertook continuous sorties from two airfields in Assam employing C17 Globemaster and AN 32 aircraft," Indian Army had stated. (ANI) The double engine government has made the best use of the locks made in Aligarh, by putting it on riots, making Uttar Pradesh completely free of riots completely, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday. Seeking votes for the BJP candidates in the second round of municipal elections to be held on May 11, CM Yogi said, "UP was known for its Tala, Taleem and Tehzeeb (locks, education and manners), but these dynasts with casteist thinking shut down lock manufacturing units. They had nothing to do with Taleem and Tehzeeb. They gave guns to the youth while we are giving two crore tablets to them." According to CM Yogi, Maharaja Mahendra Pratap Singh, who was at the forefront of the country's independence, had given land to the Aligarh Muslim University, but not even a plaque exists in his name at the university. He added that the double-engine government started building a state university in his name on people's demand after the land became available. Hitting out at the opposition parties' governments in the past, he said that they divided society on the basis of appeasement and created a gulf among people. As a result, fear gripped people ahead of festivals. Curfew used to stay for long periods. Traders' business came to a grinding halt." "But, today, you are witnessing the change that Aligarh, UP and India are witnessing. India has come a long way in the last nine years of the honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. What could not be achieved in 60-65 years, has been achieved in nine years. The government has worked to put a complete end to terrorism, Naxalism and separatism in the country. Wherever people of India go they are treated with respect. The country's global prestige has gone up significantly while massive infrastructural development is underway in highways, railways, metro, rapid rail, airports and waterway in addition to setting up of IIMs, IITs etc.", he added. He further pointed out that the opposition parties' governments could not deliver even 10 per cent of the welfare schemes being given by the double-engine government. "Houses and toilets have been built for crores of people. Fifty crore people are getting health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat. Youths are being connected with Skill Development, Startup India, Standup India and Skill India. Jan Dhan accounts have been opened for crores of people. Besides, the government has been providing free ration to 80 crore people for the last three years and at the same has given 220 crore free doses of Covid vaccines", he remarked. CM Yogi added that in UP, 54 lakh houses and 2.61 crore toilets have been built for the poor in the last six years while 1.75 crore free LPG connections have been provided to people. He also said that the government was going to provide free cylinders on Holi and Diwali also. CM Yogi said that 10 crore people were benefitting from Ayushman Bharat schemes in UP whereas 1 crore were destitute women, widows, differently-abled and elderly were getting an annual pension of Rs 12,000. The government has also been providing free ration to 15 crore people for the last three years. Expressways, airports, engineering colleges, medical colleges and polytechnic institutes were also being built in Uttar Pradesh. Referring to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said that what could not be done in 500 years has been done by the double-engine government. "Today Kashi Vishwanath Dham is being constructed in Kashi whereas Mathura and Vrindavan are being decorated. Along with this, the beautification of Naimisharanya, Vindhyavasini Dham, Lalapur of Valmiki, Chitrakoot and Rajapur of Tulsidas was also underway. CM Yogi said that an MoU has been signed with the Airport Authority for the building of an airport at Aligarh. "We are going to connect it with air service and for the airport extension, 700 crores have already been released. Work is also underway on Transport Nagar, which people have been demanding for long. At the same time, the lock industry has been identified as a One District One Product to provide it global platform. A node of the Defense Corridor is also being built in Aligarh, he informed. In addition, construction of the four-lane highway from Ghaziabad to Kanpur via Aligarh is going on at a fast pace, CM said, adding that the setting up of a power plant has started in Harduaganj, which will make Aligarh the centre of energy production. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with members of the Hakki Pikki tribe, who were evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri, in Shivamogga earlier today.The evacuees profusely thanked the Prime Minister for the proactive steps taken by the government for ensuring their timely and safe evacuation. They recounted the tough circumstances faced by them in Sudan and how the government and Indian Embassy ensured their safety.They said, "The government ensured they did not get even a scratch, and it was all due to the efforts of the Prime Minister." Expressing happiness towards the Prime Minister, they said that in their heart, they feel he represents the strength of not the double engine but a triple engine. Prime Minister recalled how the forefathers of the community members stood alongside Maharana Pratap. He said, "In the whole world if any Indian is in any kind of difficulty, the government does not rest till the problem is resolved." He said that some politicians tried to politicise the issue, and our concern was that if they expose where Indians are hidden, they may face greater danger. So the government worked quietly to ensure everyone's safety. PM Modi asked them to remember the strength of the country which has stood up for them. He asked them to always be ready to help those in trouble and contribute to the society and country. They also talked about how people in foreign countries repose faith in Indian medicine and become happy on hearing that they are from India. As many as 3,862 persons were rescued from strife-torn Sudan under Operation Kaveri, which has now come to a close. The transit facility, which was created at a school in Jeddah, has also been closed, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia informed. The Government of India, under the leadership of PM Modi, had launched Operation Kaveri to rescue the Indian nationals from conflict-ridden Sudan. (ANI) Flash Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Saturday that Turkiye has decided to relocate its embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to Port Sudan, in response to an earlier incident where the Turkish ambassador's vehicle was targeted by gunfire. "For the safety of our embassy and our colleagues, we decided to move our embassy to Port Sudan," Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the semi-official Anadolu Agency. Turkish Ambassador Ismail Cobanoglu had discussed the issue with both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and informed them about the relocation plans, the Turkish minister added. The decision was made after the official vehicle of the Turkish ambassador was under gunfire hit on Saturday, while no one was wounded in the accident, and the vehicle sustained damage. After the incident, the RSF and the Sudanese army exchanged accusations. The RSF claimed that the area where the attack occurred was under military control and reiterated its commitment to protecting diplomatic missions in the country. Conversely, the army attributed responsibility to the RSF for the assault. Days after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar took back his resignation as the party chief, his nephew and Maharashtra Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ajit Pawar said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance will always stay united. MVA is the coalition between Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) that came into existence after the 2019 Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Speaking to the reporters here in Pune, Ajit Pawar said, "NCP chief Sharad Pawar is our top leader. His resignation issue is over now. He himself addressed a press conference and said what he wanted to. There is no point in discussing that again and again. "Our stand is the same as Pawar Saheb's stand. MVA will remain united always," he added. Speaking on the Manipur violence, Ajit Pawar urged the centre to bring the violence under control. "Being the Leader of the Opposition, I have written to the Chief Minister and Deputy CM to make sure that we are able to bring back the students stranded in Manipur. As soon as possible, the central government should intervene and try to bring the violence under control," he said. He also slammed Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray and said that people have "rejected" him. "Raj Thackeray can't do anything other than mimicry, this is his birthright. The people have already rejected him. In one election he won 14 MLAs, and in a second term, he came down to 1. Many leaders have left him already, so instead of making his party strong if he likes to draw my caricature or do my mimicry then let him do, my best wishes to him. Earlier on Saturday, Sharad Pawar revoked his decision to resign as the NCP chief, after NCP's committee passed a resolution rejecting Sharad Pawar's resignation and requested him to continue to lead the party that he founded. Sharad Pawar had on Tuesday announced his resignation from the party president's post. While addressing a press conference, Pawar informed about the decision and said, "Because of your love and respect I am taking back my decision to step down as party chief." "I can't disrespect your sentiments. Due to your love, I am respecting the demand that was made to me to withdraw my resignation and the resolution that was passed by senior NCP leaders. I withdraw my decision to step down as the national president of the Nationalist Congress Party," said Pawar. He added, "After my 63 years of public life, I felt I was relieved from my post, but after this, there was a strong reaction from the workers of NCP, the public living with me along with numerous workers and office bearers, expressed sadness over this decision and urged me to reconsider". (ANI) Uttar Pradesh, Ant Terrorist Squad (ATS) conducted raids in Lucknow, Meerut, Moradabad, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Saharanpur, Ghaziabad and other cities across the state on Sunday, said police. During the raids, two of the accused identified as Parvez Ahmed and Rais Ahmed carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 each were arrested from Varanasi, said a press note from police. 70 people have been detained following their alleged connection with the Popular Front of India (PFI), and its affiliated organizations and are being interrogated by the ATS, said police. ATS was continuously keeping an eye on the activities of these people, and now interrogating them on the basis of their involvement and activeness in the PFI. ATS is also trying to fetch details of their bank accounts and financial transactions. ATS has detained a youth from Lucknow's Vikas Nagar and raided Achramau village in the city's Bakshi Ka Talab area. On the other hand, UP's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who is campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday urged "nationalistic people" to unite and make the supporters of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) bite the dust in the forthcoming elections in Karnataka. Attacking the Congress and JD (S) governments of the past, CM Yogi said, "On one hand, they had let loose an anti-India organisation like the PFI to carry forward its anti-national activities, and on the other were seeking a ban on an organisation like Bajrang Dal, which was dedicated to national and social service and devoted to Lord Hanuman. It amounts to disrespecting the Hindu faith and no nationalist will tolerate this". (ANI) The Andhra Pradesh Government on Sunday stepped up its efforts to bring the Telugu students stranded due to the riots in Manipur to their native places safely. According to the government, officials concerned are coordinating with the Central Government to carry out the rescue program. The state government said that 100 students from Andhra Pradesh have been identified as studying in Manipur. Steps are being taken by the government to bring them back on a special flight. In this regard, the Civil Aviation Department officials said that they will inform the Andhra Pradesh Government about the timings of special flights to be operated for shifting the students. The government of different states have taken immediate steps to bring back their students to their native places. Earlier, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. As per the statement, no major incidents of violence have been reported since the rescue operation began resulting in the relaxation in the curfew hours which are now from 7 am to 10 am today in Churachandpur. Violence had erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of Manipur amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that in six years, the BJP govt has crippled mafia raj in Uttar Pradesh and festivals have replaced nuisance and disorder in the state today. "The atmosphere of fear and panic is over now. People celebrate festivals peacefully and with joy. Now there is no curfew, instead, Kanwar Yatras are taken out peacefully", he added. Addressing a public meeting at Shahjahanpur to seek votes for BJP's mayoral candidate Archana Verma as well as others in the upcoming second round of polling for municipal bodies to be held on May 11, CM Yogi said Shahjahanpur is no longer identified by piles of garbage, but with Smart City and Hanumat Dham. Describing Shahjahanpur as a land of great revolutionaries like Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh who raised the army of freedom fighters, Yogi said that a museum is being built in Shajahanpur to preserve their memories. CM Yogi appealed to people to vote in order to add the third engine to the double-engine government so that funds allocated for developmental projects are utilised in the best possible manner. Stressing that there is a dearth of funds for development works, he added that a good board should be formed from Municipal Corporation to Municipality and Nagar Panchayat level. CM Yogi said that the country is changing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the global prestige of the country going up remarkably. He added that PM Modi is a global leader. "Today the whole world is looking towards India with hope. Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead with this vision of the Prime Minister. Free corona vaccine was given in India under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. Corona is under our control today. Despite having a much greater per capita income than India, even Europe and America could not give free doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Uttar Pradesh is number one in Swachh Bharat Mission today. In India, 50 crore people were provided health insurance under Ayushman Bharat while 80 crore people were provided free ration. Crores of people were given free gas connections", he informed. CM Yogi said that Shahjahanpur was declared a Municipal Corporation and then included in the State Smart City Scheme. He added that the city will be connected to Ganga Expressway while a ropeway facility is being arranged in Hanumat Dham. CM Yogi said that for the first time municipal elections are being held in Shahjahanpur. Efforts are being made to provide the benefits of the basic facilities of urban development to the people. With the formation of the municipal corporation, the GDP of the district will increase giving a boost to the economy, the CM pointed out. CM Yogi said that State Public Works Department Minister Jitin Prasad is laying a network of six-lane and four-lane roads around Shahjahanpur whereas a bypass has been made to overcome the problem of traffic jams. "Shahjahanpur has become a safe city with Integrated Command Control Center. A total of 21,000 people were given free accommodation facilities in Shahjahanpur while 11,000 benefitted from Pradhan Mantri Svanidhi Yojana. A pension facility was given to 1.2 lakh elderly people. Golden cards were made available to 8,913 people under the Ayushman Yojana. Besides, 25 electric buses are running in Shahjahanpur. Clean water is being supplied to every household with Rs 350 crore under the Amrit Yojana. Multi-level parking has been built at a cost of Rs 51 crores", CM Yogi informed further. (ANI) Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that 'The Kerala Story' is not just a film and it exposes people who want to lure girls into the path of terrorism. "'The Kerala Story' is not just a film. There are some people who want to lure girls into the path of terrorism, and their face has been exposed in this film," said Thakur. Referring to the political parties opposing the film, he alleged that they support PFI, terrorism and ISIS. "Some political parties are opposing it. If they are protesting then they support PFI, terrorism and ISIS," said Anurag Thakur. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda will attend a special screening of the movie on Sunday in Karnataka's Bengaluru where he is campaigning for the party for the upcoming Assembly polls. The BJP chief will attend the screening at 8.45 pm in the Garuda Mall. Taking to Twitter, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Tejasvi Surya said, "'The Kerala Story' is an important movie documenting & reflecting social issues of our times, in Kerala & other parts of the country. It has a salient message for our young women. We are inviting young girl students of Bengaluru to join National President of BJP Sri @JPNadda Ji for a special screening of the movie, today evening at 8:45 PM, Inox, Garuda Mall, MG Road." Earlier, while addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 'The Kerala Story' movie is based on a terror conspiracy. The Prime Minister said that the film 'The Kerala Story' shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorists' design. He added that the film is based on a terror conspiracy. "'The Kerala Story' film is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes terrorists' design", the PM said. Helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film has triggered a massive political row with various leaders reacting to the upcoming movie. 'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles. The trailer of Sen's film 'The Kerala Story' came under fire as it claimed that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, ISIS. Faced with backlash the makers then withdrew the figure and called the movie the story of three women from Kerala, in its trailer description. (ANI) As security forces shifted people to safe camps from violence-hit areas in Manipur, two babies were born at a temporary camp, Indian Army said on Sunday. "Two healthy babies were born at temporary camps established by Indian Army and Assam Rifles," tweeted Spear Corps Indian Army. Rescued people were moved to many temporary camps at Keithalmanbi established by Army and Assam Rifles. "While the world saw violence, we saw a ray of hope. Indian Army and Assam Rifles efforts to restore normalcy continues. Indian Army wishes God speed and good luck to the two babies who were born in our garrison after their proud mothers were safely rescued," tweeted Spear Corps Indian Army. A pregnant woman, who was rescued from a forest area in Manipur by the security forces, said, "I was tensed in the jungle. I am very happy now. What would we have done in the jungle if you had not rescued us." People appreciated the efforts of the security forces in the evacuation. "They brought us here in Assam Rifle and Army camp. We are very grateful to them," said a man. "We got protection from you (Army and Assam Rifles). You are our only hope," said a woman rescued from a violence-hit area. "Yesterday we were rescued by Assam Rifles when we were in danger," said another woman. Indian Army and Assam Rifles which were called in to curb violence in Manipur have successfully rescued nearly 23,000 civilians so far and moved them to the operating bases, a statement from the Indian Army said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met with the representatives of the 'Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)' in the wake of the violence in the State, informed CM in a tweet. Political parties including Congress, NPF, NPP, CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena attended the meeting chaired by Biren Singh himself. The meeting follows violence that erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few northeastern state districts amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Manipur government had requisitioned Army and Assam Rifles on May 3 and 4. State's Director General of Police (DGP) P Doungel has said that the situation in the State has improved after the intervention of security forces. Forces including Rapid Action Force (RAF), Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed in Manipur, he said and the CRPF chief Kuldiep Singh, has been appointed as the security advisor. The State government has also appointed Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence), Ashutosh Sinha as the overall operational commander to control the situation in Manipur, the Manipur DGP said. In a statement earlier on Friday, the Army said that the situation in Manipur had been controlled through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. Violence had erupted in the immediate aftermath of inter-community clashes in a few districts of the northeastern State amid protests against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. (ANI) A day after the arrest of Anwar Dhebar, brother of Congress leader and Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Sunday that it has found evidence of "unprecedented corruption" and money laundering worth Rs 2,000 crores, which was being run with the support of high-level politicians and bureaucrats in the state. "The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested Anwar Dhebar yesterday under the provisions of PMLA 2002 in the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. ED had earlier conducted searches at multiple locations in March and has recorded the statements of various persons involved in the process and collected evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of Rs 2,000 crores between 2019-2022" said ED in a statement. After the arrest, Dhebar was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur and remanded in the ED's custody for four days. After giving ED a miss while the agency was conducting a search at his residence, Anwar Dhebar was at last caught by the sleuths when he was trying to run away through the back door of a hotel room of his close associate. According to ED, he was continuously using benami SIM Cards and internet dongles, changing locations and after sustained surveillance was zeroed in the hotel room of his close associate. Prior to this, ED had conducted searches at multiple locations in March and recorded the statements of various persons involved in the process of the illegal supply of liquor. The agency collected pieces of evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore between 2019 and 2022. The investigation revealed that an organised crime syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar was operating in Chhattisgarh. According to ED, Anwar Dhebar, though a private citizen, was backed by and was working for illegal gratification of high-level political executives and senior bureaucrats. According to the agency, he weaved an elaborate conspiracy and stitched a wide network of persons or entities to execute the scam so that money was illegally collected from every bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh. Revenue from liquor is one of the highest contributors to the state's kitty. Excise departments are mandated to regulate the supply of liquor, ensure quality liquor to users to prevent hooch tragedies and to earn revenue. However, ED said an investigation revealed that criminal syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar had turned upside down all these objectives. In Chhattisgarh, the government controls all the aspects of liquor trade from procurement to retail sale to consumer. No private liquor shops are allowed. All 800 liquor shops are run by the state. Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation (CSMCL) centrally procures all the liquor sold in Chhattisgarh. CSMCL issues tenders for manpower suppliers who run the shops, cash collection tenders and selects bottle makers and hologram makers. With the support of the political executives, Anwar Dhebar managed to get a pliant commissioner and MD of CSMCL and hired close associates like Vikas Agarwal who was known as Subbu and Arvind Singh to make the system completely subservient to him, according to the agency. He controlled the entire chain of the liquor trade starting from private distillers, licence holders, senior officers of the excise department, district-level excise officers, manpower suppliers, etc, and leveraged it to extort the maximum amount of bribes and commission. Various other stakeholders also illegally benefited in the process. ED investigation has revealed that in the years -- 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, this kind of illegal sale was almost 30-40 per cent of the total sale of liquor in the State. This generated Rs 1,200-1,500-crore illegal profits. The case is still being investigated, the agency said. (ANI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday held an interaction with Marathi students stranded in Manipur, Shiv Sena party said. During the interaction, the students told Chief Minister Shinde that the remaining eight students would be brought to the Shiv Sena Bhawan in Manipur. "Fourteen Marathi students have been brought safely to Shiv Sena Bhawan in Manipur and have been given food and other eatables. Also, Shiv Sena's Manipur state chief Tombi Singh said that good facilities have been provided. On this occasion, the students thanked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for helping them so promptly and said that we are all safe," the party said. Earlier today Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that a special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur. "A special aircraft has been arranged to rescue 22 stranded students back to Maharashtra and soon this aircraft will enter Maharashtra with these students," the CM said in a statement. "Many students from Maharashtra are studying in Manipur's NITs, IITs and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde contacted Tushar Awadh and Vikas Sharma on the phone and assured them of all possible help. In this regard, the Chief Minister has also directed the Chief Secretary of the state to contact the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Manipur and request them to take care of the safety of the students," the statement added. A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now in Manipur and shifted to safe shelters, some in army camps as the army brought Churachandpur, Moreh, Kakching and Kangpokpi districts under its "firm control", an official said on Sunday. The Northeast state has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST). (ANI) Chhattisgarh Police will be establishing cyber police stations in five ranges of the state to prevent and investigate cybercrimes, including online financial frauds, cyberbullying and others. Amid increasing cases of online forgeries, cyberbullying and other cybercrimes, one dedicated cyber police station each will be established in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Jagdalpur and Surguja police ranges. As per the information, the administrative approval in this connection has been received and preparations for the establishment of these police stations at the earliest are ongoing. "For cyber police stations in ranges, 120 posts have been approved to deal with the cases of cybercrimes. The first cyber police stations in the state will be established in Police Headquarters in Raipur wherein high-profile cases will be probed", said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kavi Gupta, elaborating that the police stations in ranges will investigate the cases from districts. Shedding more details about this initiative, ASP Gupta informed that apart from the investigation, the police station in PHQ here will be utilized as a training centre for offering training to the police personnel and officials to investigate the matter. A large number of cybercrimes are reported across the state every month and maximum cases fall in the category of withdrawing money from the bank accounts of victims. Due to the non-availability of adequate numbers of skilled personnel, such cases either remain pending or police stations refuse to work on them. In the investigation of cybercrimes, time is the most important factor, said the officer, adding that if the case of online fraud is reported timely then the extent of loss could be reduced and money siphoned from the victim's bank account could be put on hold. If a person falls victim to cybercrime, he/she should lodge the complaint by dialling police helpline number 1930, which is operational 24 hours, said ASP Gupta. Similarly, in the case of cyberbullying (wherein obscene image or video of the victims are being circulated in cyberspace) also timely reporting of cases play a vital role, said the ASP and further explained that if reported timely, police can ensure it is blocked and prevent the content from getting viral. Victims of cybercrimes can avail the help from the police helpline number 1930 and from the website of the Government of India cybercrime.gov.in, he added. Once all the cyber police stations become operational, the investigation will receive a major boost, the officer said. (ANI) "Acting on a specific tip-off, troops of 193 Bn BSF on 06 May 2023 apprehended 13 Bangladeshi nationals who entered India illegally through the International Border of East Khasi Hills," read an official statement. The Border Security Force nabbed three Indian nationals from the spot who were facilitating illegal cross-border movement of Bangladeshis. BSF got hold of them when Bangladeshi nationals came out of the jungle area close to IB and were boarding a Tata Sumo vehicle which was already parked there, informed officials. Apprehended Bangladeshi nationals revealed that they entered India with the intention to further proceed to Kashmir to earn livelihood there through labour or other menial works. "Apprehended persons were handed over to PS Dangar, East Khasi Hills for further action," it read. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Flash A file photo shows the U.S. Capitol building and a stop sign in Washington D.C. [Photo/Xinhua] Many Turkish intellectuals believe that the U.S. growing military spending hampers efforts to tackle humanitarian and environmental problems. According to statistics from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Stockholm-based think tank, U.S. military spending accounted for 39 percent of total global military spending in 2022, and the country's defense budget hits $858 billion in 2023. "The U.S. spends this huge budget on armament and the arms industry rather than on education, health, infrastructure, public works, transportation, social security, and nutrition for children," Baris Doster, a scholar with the Istanbul-based Marmara University, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "This is about the imperialist character of the United States. It means the country can survive -- economically, politically, industrially, and diplomatically -- only with wars." The scholar also blamed the United States for urging other countries, including NATO members, to arm themselves. "The example of Ukraine, which we all know very well, is in plain sight," he said, adding that the United States deployed arms and heavy armored vehicles to the country. "The U.S. is besieging Russia from its close circle, almost by pushing Ukraine to the front and asking for a continuous prolongation of the war." Doster also emphasized the U.S. arms industry's growing influence and role in the country's economy. Eser Keskin, a journalist covering international relations, said the United States should allocate its military budget to humanitarian and environmental issues. "Many countries, especially in Africa, are currently experiencing vital problems. At this point, the budget allocated to military expenditures should be spent on making investments in these countries," Keskin told Xinhua. "The military budget can also be devoted to discovering renewable energy sources and finding other resources to replace oil and plastic," she added. Echoing Keskin, Mehmet Emre Ozturk, another journalist, urged the United States to bring climate and environmental issues to the fore and invest in the field. "Climate and environmental problems have come to the level where they can create crises and chaos on an enormous scale," Ozturk told Xinhua. Ozturk also believes that there are still countries with underdeveloped infrastructures needing help in meeting their daily needs. "These military expenditures can be fully used for the development of humanity by providing infrastructure projects to achieve a better life, reach prosperous societies and a global peace environment," Ozturk said. Congress' Assam unit on Sunday lodged a police complaint in Guwahati against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by alleging that the ruling party is plotting the assassination of Congress president Mallikarun Kharge and his family. The complaint was filed at Bhangagarh police station in Guwahati. In the police complaint, Ramanna Baruah, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary said, "BJP is resorting to hatching a murder plot to kill AICC president Malliakarjun Kharge his wife and the entire family." "Failing to fulfil the hopes and aspirations to mitigate the hardships being faced by the people and seeing the fast-spreading popularity of Indian National Congress in Karnataka, the BJP and leaders of the state are threatening the AICC president and his family to face dire consequences. On May 2, BJP MLA and General Secretary Madan Dilabar wished death for Mallikarjun Kharge and said, Congress president is 80 years old, and God can take him away anytime. BJP is openly plotting the assassination of Mallikarjun Kharge ji and his family," said in the APCC police complaint copy. The APCC also said in the complaint copy that - "It is surprised to see that Prime Minister of India, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Karnataka Police and Election Commission are playing mute on the sinister and nefarious murder conspiracy." Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said an inquiry will be launched into allegations of the Congress that the BJP was planning to "kill" their party president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family. "We have taken the matter seriously. We will inquire into the whole thing and the law will take its course," Bommai told ANI on Saturday. Earlier, at a press conference in Bengaluru, the Congress played an audio clip claiming that the BJP candidate from Chittapur, Manikanth Rathod, used derogatory language against Kharge and could even be heard in the clip talking about eliminating him and his family. "BJP leaders are now hatching a plot to murder Mallikarjun Kharge and his family members. This is now clear from the audio recording of BJP's candidate from Chittapur who also happens to be the blue-eyed boy of PM Modi and Chief Minister Bommai," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference on Saturday. "I know the Prime Minister will remain silent and so will the Karnataka police and the Election Commission. But people of Karnataka will not remain mute and will give them a befitting reply" he said. Manikanth Rathod Rathod was arrested on November 13, last year, for allegedly threatening Priyank Kharge, who is the Congress's candidate from Chittapur, with murder and was later released on bail. The BJP, however, has denied the Congress's allegations of a plot to kill Kharge and family. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Sunday urged the people of Karnataka to 'bless' the party by re-electing the double engine government in the state. He said that the continuous support of the people shows their appreciation for the development-oriented policies of the ruling BJP. Taking to Twitter, Nadda said, "It was nice to be among people. The continuous support of the people of Karnataka to the BJP shows their appreciation for the development-oriented policies of our government. I appeal to the people to bless us by re-electing the double-engine government with a full majority". https://twitter.com/JPNadda/status/1655217911013990404?s=20 Earlier in the day, JP Nadda held a roadshow in Harapanahalli in Karnataka's Vijaynagar district on Sunday. Nadda was seated in a specially designed vehicle. A huge crowd of BJP supporters and party workers surrounded it and escorted the procession. He waved and greeted the crowd lined up on both sides of the road to welcome him. Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held roadshows in Doddaballapura and Belagavi South Assembly constituency during the last leg of campaigning. The Home Minister also exuded confidence in the party getting a full majority in the upcoming polls."We will win the elections by full majority or at least half a mark plus 15 seats. In these four years, Yediyurappa and Bommai government has done a lot of work," the Union Home Minister told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday. He also held public meetings at Nanjangud in Mysuru and Shivamogga. The BJP is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority. Notably, Karnataka is the only State in the South where BJP is in power. Campaigning for the assembly elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the State. The 224-seat Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats. (ANI) He was holding a roadshow in Karnataka's Belagavi during the last leg of campaigning. Speaking to ANI, Sawant said, "There has been tremendous infrastructural development in Karnataka under this double-engine government. The people have to bring the double-engine government back and make the lotus bloom". "Congress is dividing people in the name of caste and religion but we are asking people to vote for us in the lines of development and people will vote for us," he added. The BJP is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority. Notably, Karnataka is the only State in the South where BJP is in power. Campaigning for the assembly elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the State. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday. He also held public meetings at Nanjangud in Mysuru and Shivamogga. The 224-seat Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, reacted to Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar's remarks and said that the blood in his body originates from his parents, state and the country, and that he is proud of that. This came after Shivakumar said that the "blood and DNA" of the Assam CM are that of "Congress and Gandhi". Taking to Twitter, Assam CM said, "The blood coursing through my veins originates from my parents, my state, and my country, and I am exceedingly proud of this fact. I request Dear DK Shivakumar Ji to similarly take pride in his own blood, which flows from his parents, sacred land of Karnataka, and Bharat Mata". https://twitter.com/himantabiswa/status/1655200535304376323?s=20 He was reacting to DK Shivakumar's remark where he had stated, "Himanta Biswa Sarma should know that his DNA is Congress DNA. His blood is Congress' blood, Gandhi's blood. Now he has changed his blood". Earlier in the day, the Assam CM had scathingly attacked Rahul Gandhi over the Congress party's guarantees in the elections. "Rahul Gandhi is giving a guarantee to the people of Karnataka, but who will take the guarantee of Rahul Gandhi...Sonia Gandhi has been fighting alone for the last 20 years to make Rahul Gandhi stand, and now this person (Rahul Gandhi) comes and gives a guarantee to the people of Karnataka," he said. Reacting to it, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel lashed out at Himanta accusing him of leaving the Congress party after a probe was launched against him. Speaking to ANI, Bhupesh Baghel said, "No one is greedy as much as Himanta Biswa Sarma. He left the Congress party just for getting power. He left the party, that gave him the identity. He is such a spineless person, that once a probe was launched on him, he ran into the BJP's lap". "Today, the man who changed his party is questioning Congress. Does he even have the morality to accuse Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi?" Baghel further said. (ANI) Reacting to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's comments, chief minister MK Stalin said that Dravidian ideology is not an expired ideology but it brought an end to Sanatana Dharma and caste discrimination, adding that only Dravidam has the power to defeat the Aryan ideology. During an interview, Governor RN Ravi called the Dravidian ideology outdated and accused it of being used for propaganda. In response, CM Stalin praised the contributions of Thanthai Periyar, Annadurai, and Karunanidhi to the Dravidian movement and said, "Dravidian ideology is not an expired ideology, Dravidian people attain self-respect and break free from the centuries-long oppression of the Sanathana Dharma, Varna Dharma, and brought an end to Aryan ideology." "How many invasions? if it is the stranger's invasion or Aryan invasion, Dravidian is the weapon to defeat them and that's why the Governor is getting scared," the CM said. Responding to Governor Ravi's claims of lawlessness in the state and Tamil Nadu not being a peaceful state, Stalin said, "I am asking you, BJP ruled state Manipur is burning...Is Tamil Nadu burning like Manipur? He is talking about the violence after the ban on PFI, not a single life was lost in that incident, 16 were arrested immediately, six were booked under NSA." Following a cylinder blast in Coimbatore, we immediately filed a case on the same day and on the third day the case was transferred to NIA. It's a record, he said. On the allegations of DMK cadres misbehaving with women police officers, we immediately arrested and dismissed them from the party. We didn't try to save him because he is a DMK member, said Stalin. "We have completed two years (in government) and are stepping into the third year. Eight crore people living in Tamil Nadu have in one way or the other benefited under the Dravidian model of governance," claimed Stalin. Those who divide people on the lines of caste, religion, cannot understand what Dravidian model of governance is, said Stalin. M K Stalin also reacted to the Governor comments that Tamil Nadu has connection with Pakistan arms and drug dealers saying, "After DMK came into power we never got any info like that. 2021 they have received information like that, that's nothing to do with DMK. Then why is the governor quoting old incidents and trying to demean DMKs rule?" Moreover, M K Stalin while speaking on Governor sitting on Bills said, "He is attempting to rule the State from Raj Bhavan. Only the CM and Cabinet ministers have the right to rule the State as per the constitution just like the PM and his ministers nationally. Only the parliament and Legislative Assemblies have power to introduce laws. We think through every bill thoroughly before tabling them in the Assembly. After a bill is passed and sent to Governor for approval, he can demand clarifications. But if he is stalling the bill in Raj Bhavan, a democratically elected State govt has all the right to question him. That's why we passed a resolution requesting a time limit for Governors to decide on bills. CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal have supported this resolution. This is not only Stalin vs R N Ravi problem. This is not only a Tamil Nadu problem. This is India's problem". M K Stalin also warned the Union Government that, "If you think of intimidating us through Governor or anything else, you won't succeed". (ANI) Former Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Karuna Sagar on Sunday joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the presence of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in Patna. On the occasion, Former DGP Karuna Sagar said that he found the ideology and vision of RJD better than that of all other parties. While speaking to ANI, Karuna Sagar said, "I am a student of history. I know how society can be run and RJD has a roadmap for that so this is why I joined them". He further mentioned that BJP targets the opposition by using central agencies and registering false cases against them. "The central government is using institutions to target opposition leaders. We can see that 95 per cent of cases they registered are against opposition leaders," he said. After the induction into RJD, Karun Sagar also took to Twitter and said, "Today I have started a new innings of life. I am sure that under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar will touch new heights. I also hope to play a small part in this grand story. Long live India! Hail Bihar!" In this regard, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that they are trying to induct intellectuals into the party. "Today former DGP of Tamil Nadu joined our party. He is a native of Bihar. It will help in strengthening our party ideologically. We are trying to induct such intellectuals into the party," Tejashwi Yadav said. (ANI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday expressed his anguish over the loss of lives in the Malappuram boat capsize incident in Kerala, saying that he was "distraught" by the news. The death toll in the Malappuram boat capsize incident rose to 18 on Sunday night, the Malappuram Superintendent of Police (SP) said. "Distraught by the news of a houseboat capsizing in Malappuram, Kerala. My heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones, and wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured. I appeal to Congress workers to assist the authorities in rescue operations," said Rahul Gandhi in a tweet. Meanwhile, the Congress Party also expressed grief on the loss of lives in the incident. "We are deeply saddened by the news of the tourist boat capsizing in Malappuram, Kerala. We express our heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones in this tragic incident. We also extend our sincere wishes for the swift recovery of those who were injured," stated the Twitter handle of the party. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in the Malappuram boat capsize incident and ordered the effective coordination of rescue operations. "Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the Tanur boat accident in Malappuram. Have directed the District administration to effectively coordinate rescue operations, which are being overseen by Cabinet Ministers. Heartfelt condolences to the grieving families & friends," said CM Pinarayi Vijayan in a tweet. The incident happened in the Malappuram district in Kerala, where a tourist boat capsized near the Tanur coast. Several vehicles reached the spot and started the rescue operation. The operation is being carried out. More details are awaited. (ANI) Authorities have responded to the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas to carry out an investigation into the shooting, Fox4 reported. According to a North Texas Congressman, a shooter is "down" and there were "multiple casualties" from the shooting. But there is at least one confirmed shooter who is being reported as deceased on the ground, a law enforcement source told CNN. There is a search for a possible second gunman, according to the source, based on descriptions from witnesses, although the involvement of a second shooter is not confirmed. Collin County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the shooting. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said there are "some" victims at the mall. However, the spokesperson said that their status is not known at this moment. US Representative Keith Self stated that Allen Police Department has full control of the site. He further stated a shooter is "down" and there are "multiple casualties," as per the Fox4 report. In a tweet, Keith Self stated, "We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene." He further said, "This is an ongoing situation, but Allen PD has full control of the scene. A shooter is down and there are multiple casualties. They are continuing to work to ensure the scene is safe. The public is being asked to stay away from that area while this investigation continues." Gunshots were fired at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas of United States on Saturday, The New York Times reported citing authorities. The Allen Police Department said that law enforcement agencies were at Allen Premium outlets and an "active investigation is underway." Taking to its official Twitter handle, Allen Police Department stated, "Law enforcement is on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. An active investigation is underway. Please avoid the area until further update." Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he is in contact with Mayor Fulk, DPS Director McCraw, and other state and local leaders. In a statement released after the shooting, Abbott said, "Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy," as per the Fox4 report. Greg Abbott further stated, "I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources." (ANI) The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed Ukraine and the West for carrying out the 'terror attack' that killed Alexander Shubin, a military veteran who fought in Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), and injured Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin and said that the attack is yet another 'demonstration of the systematic approach to eliminating ideological opponents'. Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement said that the car explosion was caused by an explosive device planted along its route in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia. It further said that Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating the matter. "On May 6, Alexander Shubin, a veteran of military operations in the LPR, was killed and Russian writer, publicist and public figure Yevgeny Prilepin (Zakhar Prilepin) gravely injured as a result of a car explosion caused by an explosive device planted along its route in the Nizhny Novgorod Region," Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It further said, "Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating all the details of the incident. However, it is already clear from the materials received due to the prompt efforts of the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee that it was another terrorist attack organised and carried out by the Kiev regime backed by its Western curators." The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement said that the "terrorist attack" against Zakhar Prilepin is yet another demonstration of the systematic approach to eliminating ideological opponents. "The terrorist attack against Yevgeny Prilepin is yet another demonstration of the systematic approach to eliminating ideological opponents, which has been actively nurtured in Ukraine since 2014 through the efforts of Washington, becoming the Kiev regime's basic reflex," Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Russian Foreign Ministry said that one of the first steps to begin the elimination of dissenters was the launch of a "criminal website" named Mirotvorets which publishes the personal data of people who are considered to be critical of the Ukrainian authorities. It said that Russia has been consistently pointing out that such public databases are "illegal" and raising demand to shut them down. It further said, "This information is actively used by hired killers carrying out assassinations when they receive the corresponding order. After the murder, the mark "eliminated" appears on the photographs of the victims in the hit list." "Since the very launch of this website, Russia has been consistently pointing out that such public databases are illegal and demanded that Ukraine shut them down, and that the Western curators of the Kiev authorities give an appropriate assessment of the actions, or rather the inaction of their proteges," Russian Foreign Ministry said in the statement. Russian Foreign Ministry in the statement said, "a real hunt has been declared for unbiased journalists, writers, and public figures." It mentioned the car explosion against Russian journalist Darya Dugina and added that an improvised explosive device was used to kill Maxim Fomin. "The responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies on the Ukrainian authorities together with their Western patrons, mainly the United States, through whose efforts the anti-Russia project blended with neo-Nazism has been painstakingly nurtured in Ukraine since the coup in February 2014," Russian Foreign Ministry said in the statement. Zakhar Prilepin's press secretary said he was doing fine. She said, "What exactly happened is not clear at the moment," The Washington Post reported citing Russian media outlet RTVI. The Investigative Committee of Russia said it had detained a man who allegedly "planted an explosive device on Prilepin's path." The Investigative Committee in a post on Telegram said that he fled from the spot, however, he was detained by law enforcement officials while he was leaving the woods in another locality, The Washington Post reported. According to the statement, the man was acting on orders from the Ukrainian special forces. However, a Crimean partisan group has claimed responsibility for the blast, as per the news report. In a statement on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova offered condolences to Alexander Shubin and wished a speedy recovery to Zakhar Prilepin. (ANI) As many as nine people were injured after a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas, Allen Police Department said in a statement released on Twitter. The nine victims have been taken to hospitals by Allen Fire Department. It further said that there is no longer an active threat. According to Allen Police Department, the officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. Allen Police Department tweeted, "Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department. A multi-agency response helped secure the mall. There is no longer an active threat. A reunification point has been created on Chelsea Boulevard." Allen Police Department said that the police officer on an unrelated call heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets. It tweeted, "At 3:36 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023, an Allen Police Department officer on an unrelated call heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets. The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel." Earlier, Allen Police Department in a statement said that law enforcement was at the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. It further said that an investigation is being carried out and asked people to avoid the area. US Representative Keith Self stated that Allen Police Department has full control of the site. He further stated a shooter is "down" and there are "multiple casualties," as per the Fox4 reported. In a tweet, Keith Self stated, "We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene." He further said, "This is an ongoing situation, but Allen PD has full control of the scene. A shooter is down and there are multiple casualties. They are continuing to work to ensure the scene is safe. The public is being asked to stay away from that area while this investigation continues." Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he is in contact with Mayor Fulk, DPS Director McCraw, and other state and local leaders, as per the Fox4 report. In a statement released after the shooting, Abbott said, "Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy," as per the Fox4 report. Greg Abbott further stated, "I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources." (ANI) Flash Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023 in Allen, Texas. [Photo/VCG] Nine people were killed, including the shooter, and seven others wounded in a shooting at an outlet mall on Saturday afternoon in south-central U.S. state Texas, authorities said. The shooter, who authorities believe was acting alone, was dead at the scene, according to the Collin County Sheriff's Office. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said Saturday night that among the at least nine people sent to hospitals, "two have since died, three are in critical surgery, and four are stable." Local media said the wounded include a five-year-old child. The shooting occurred at the Allen Premium Outlets in a suburb about 48 km north of Dallas. Local residents told Xinhua that it is one of the largest outlet malls in the area and is usually very busy during weekends. Joseph Gallagher, a store manager at the mall, told Xinhua that he saw rounds of bullets "bounce off the pillar in front of our store" and witnessed the gunman being shot dead with blood hitting the walls. The mall's Operations Administrator Joshua W. Barnwell told local media FOX 4 Dallas that he heard at least 30 gunshots and saw around 60 rounds of ammunition on the ground. "The White House is closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with law enforcement and local officials to offer support," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. "Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy," Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted. Earlier on Saturday, one teenage girl was killed and five were injured following a shooting at a party in Chico, California, and another shooting in Columbus, Ohio, left at least one dead and three others injured. As of Saturday, at least 199 mass shootings have happened across the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said they expect "Taliban leaders" to fulfil their promises of forming an inclusive government, "not only in terms of ethnic groups but also by ensuring the presence of the entire spectrum of Afghanistan's political forces", Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported. These promises, Lavrov said have "yet to be done." "We are monitoring the implementation of their assurances that they will respect human rights, ensure security in the territory of Afghanistan, and eradicate the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking. All of our SCO colleagues have taken a united position on this," the Russian Foreign Minister said. Lavrov while speaking to reporters after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, claimed that there is convincing evidence to the "effect that the United States supports the terrorist groups entrenched in the territory of Afghanistan". These terrorist groups, according to Lavrov, "are opposed to the Taliban, including the Islamic State, the Islamic Movement of East Turkestan, and Al-Qaeda". "The Americans have not abandoned their attempts to reintroduce US military infrastructure in the region surrounding Afghanistan, in Central Asia. Everyone is well aware of the serious threat inherent in these attempts. We will resolutely oppose them," he said. Regarding this, Sayed Jawad Sijadi, a political analyst, said: "Everyone knows that the main condition for getting out of the crisis is to consider the realities in Afghanistan, form an inclusive government and recognize the fundamental rights of the people of Afghanistan." The Taliban has not commented on Lavrov's claim regarding the US's support to terrorists in Afghanistan. However, Taliban deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi, in response to Moscow's call to form an inclusive government, said that the interim government is "inclusive". "The formation of the government is inclusive ... No one has been dismissed, and also, on the political level there are figures from all ethnic groups and provinces," he said, as quoted by Tolo News. Earlier, the foreign ministers of India, Russia and Pakistan on Friday called for a representative government in Afghanistan and the protection of women's rights. (ANI) Qin Gang, during a meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister in Islamabad under the caretaker Taliban regime, said China will always stand firmly with the Afghan people and support Afghanistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions, Khaama Press reported quoting Xinhua. The Chinese foreign minister also said the Chinese side will keep up its respect for Afghanistan's territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty. In addition to fulfilling its commitment to combat terrorism, Afghanistan should also guarantee the security of Chinese troops and institutions there. Muttaqi, on the other hand, reaffirmed that Afghanistan will never permit any force to exploit its territory for anti-China Activities, Khaama Press reported. For the sake of both nations, Muttaqi wants to expand infrastructure, trade, and people-to-people engagement with China as part of the and Road Initiative. China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang also proposed joint coordinBelt ation efforts with Pakistan to reconstruct Afghanistan, according to Khaama Press. He also said, "China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Pakistan on the Afghan issue and to contribute to the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan jointly." Qin Gang was on a two-day visit to Pakistan to take part in trilateral talks on Afghanistan during May 5-6. Afghanistan is vital to China in terms of geopolitics because it acts as a link between South and Central Asia within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and most crucially because the country has untapped mineral resources worth billions of dollars that draw Chinese investment, Khaama Press reported. (ANI) A new online platform, Naykap Gokab, has been launched in Bhutan aiming to promote local innovative ideas and solutions, The Bhutan Live reported. The platform connects innovators, policymakers, and investors to create opportunities for collaboration and investment. Developed by a group of young software engineers in collaboration with the UNDP, DHI, and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, the web application aims to foster the innovation ecosystem in Bhutan. The website was developed by a group of four youths. Tandin Tshewang, Jigme Lodey, Kuenzang Choden and Thinley Dhendup who are all in their twenties are the brains behind Naykab Gokab, as per The Bhutan Live. So far, the platform has already garnered a lot of interest from people, with more than 80 registrations. The web application was commended by the guest speakers for its unique approach to connecting local innovators with investors, giving them an opportunity to showcase their work and seek funding for their projects. Tandin Tshewang, the founder of Naykap Gokab, said, "Earlier, even if people had innovative ideas, they didn't know where to share their ideas. With a web application like this, people can just sign up and share their ideas. That way, anybody can see their ideas and they will have access to people who are willing to guide them. This will also help them find potential investors." According to The Bhutan Live, the website is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it accessible to both innovators and investors. However, the developers said that they are not stopping there. They plan to come up with a mobile app for the website in the future to improve accessibility. Tandin Tshewang said, "Our focus as of now is to make the website as stable as possible so that people don't face any issues while using it. But as we move forward, we have plans to come up with a mobile application for the website, which will make the platform more accessible." The Industry Commerce and Employment minister said that the platform is expected to create an environment of collaboration and investment that will benefit both innovators and investors. This in turn is expected to drive innovation and economic growth in Bhutan, as per The Bhutan Live. (ANI) According to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Afghan Foreign Minister under the Taliban, who is currently in Pakistan for a four-day visit, called on the army chief at his office in Rawalpindi. The two discussed issues of mutual interest including aspects related to regional security, border management, and formalisation of bilateral security mechanisms for improvement in the current security environment, according to Geo News. COAS General Munir, besides discussing bilateral issues, also reiterated the need for full support and commitment from the interim Afghan government in matters of mutual interest, the military's media wing stated. Moreover, the visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan's traditional support for the people of Afghanistan and acknowledged the important role that the country continues to play in facilitating peace and development in Afghanistan. He also expressed his desire to work closely with Pakistan to promote regional stability and prosperity, according to Geo News. Both sides during the meeting, agreed on the importance of maintaining regular contact to strengthen bilateral ties and address issues of common concern. Later, the army chief reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan. (ANI) Joined by monarchs from around the world, the King and Queen of Bhutan visited Buckingham Palace in traditional outfits as they flaunted their colourful outfits. Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema attended the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, which took place at Westminster Abbey in the UK on Saturday (May 6), Bhutan Live reported. The Bhutan royals arrived at Westminster Abbey looking stylish in their traditional purple attire. The Queen wore a traditional Kira, and the King donned a traditional Gho. According to Bhutan Live, they were joined by monarchs from around the world, including kings and queens of Spain, Denmark, Tonga, Thailand, Jordan, and more. The Bhutanese royals, who were dressed in traditional attire, were beaming as they entered Buckingham Palace on Saturday for the pre-coronation reception. They talked with Prince William and other royals from around the world at the Palace reception, Bhutan Live reported. The King and Queen of Bhutan attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022. The royal pair did interact with Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, and then Prince Charles, despite never meeting the late Queen. The coronation day has marked a historical moment for the royal family as it kicks in a lot of changes in the titles and duties of royals. According to Page Six, a US-based media company, the newly crowned Queen Camilla wore an ivory gown by Bruce Oldfield featuring silver and gold embroidery depicting the national flowers of the United Kingdom. She accessorized her outfit with the iconic Coronation Necklace, which boasts a jaw-dropping 22.48-carat pendant known as the Lahore Diamond. The Queen was crowned with the same headpiece Queen Mary used in 1911, although she added jewels from Queen Elizabeth's collection to honour her late mother-in-law. She also paid tribute to her husband's mother by wearing the same robe Elizabeth wore to her own coronation 70 years ago, as per Page Six. (ANI) The Fountain of Four Rivers, as is known, is a famous monument located in the famed Piazza Navona square in Rome, the Fiumi Fountain was designed by Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1651. Italy's Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano condemned the activists' protest saying those responsible must "pay out of their own pockets." "Our future is as black as this water," the group called Ultima Generazione, or Last Generation, said on their website, according to CNN. Images showed protestors standing in the fountain's water up to their waists while donning orange vests. As dozens of bystanders took pictures, they unfurled orange banners with a message in Italian that read, "Our future is as black as this water." The same group of environmentalists is thought to have organised protests at other Italian historical landmarks, such as the Barcaccia fountain in the heart of Rome, where they poured dark liquid into it on April 1, CNN reported. Similar demonstrations took place in places like the Vatican museums and Florence's Uffizi galleries when protesters glued themselves to works of Italian art. (ANI) According to CNN, Yevgenia Berkovich was arrested on Friday alongside the play's author, Svetlana Petriychuk, after investigators alleged that their award-winning play "Finist, the Brave Falcon" was in violation of the law. According to prosecutors, the work "romanticizes, justifies and glorifies terrorists" as well as promoting the "ideology of radical feminism", Russian state media TASS reported. The play was staged in 2021 by Berkovich's own company, with the support of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, according to the independent news website Meduza. The play won two "Golden Mask" national theatre awards last year. Berkovich also received a nomination for best director. Theatre critics described the production as "exposing the mechanics of terrorism." The 38-year-old Berkovich was remanded in custody for two months until July 4, despite her lawyers asking if she could be granted house arrest to take care of her two adopted, disabled daughters. The charges against her carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. As per CNN, the arrests shocked Russia's shrinking theatre community and prompted the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta to publish an open letter in support of Berkovich and Petriychuk, calling on Russian authorities to "persecute murderers instead of poets." Authorities in St Petersburg, in a separate development, temporarily closed the Maly Drama Theatre with one of its actors Danila Kozlovsky facing investigation for anti-war posts. Russia's cultural scene has faced increased repression since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Prominent figures have been purged from their jobs and some have faced criminal cases, CNN said. (ANI) A Frontier flight accidentally flew a New Jersey-based woman, who did not have a passport, to Jamaica instead of Jacksonville, reported New York Post. The incident happened due to an unintended gate change by the woman. Beverly Ellis-Hebard, a resident of Gloucester County, said she regularly flies to Philadelphia to her second home in Jacksonville. She reached a gate for her November 6 flight that read "PHL to JAX." She said, "I fly once every six weeks. I picked Frontier flights because we flew so often." Ellis-Hebard asked a gate agent if she could go to the restroom. However, upon returning she found the flight was almost fully boarded and she was rushed onto the plane, according to New York Post. "[The gate agent] said, "Come on, come on. Give me your boarding pass.' I would say I took about ten steps, and she said, 'Are you Beverly Ellis-Hebard?"' the New Jersey resident explained. "I said, 'You just had my boarding pass. You just checked me in. Yes!' She said, 'All right, go! Go,'" reported the New York Post. The flight crew told Ellis-Hebard that the Jacksonville flight had a gate change and that their plane was en route to Jamaica, once she was on the plane. Ellis-Hebard said, "I laughed. I said 'I would love to be going there but I have a beach where I live,'" adding "[The flight attendant] said, 'Look at me. This plane is going to Jamaica.' And I knew by the look on her face she wasn't joking."Ellis-Hebard was unable to exit the aircraft after landing because she did not have a passport", the New York Post reported. She stayed on the jetway, which, in her opinion, is US territory. The flight crew waited with her until several hours later, when her aircraft to Philadelphia took off. The aeroplane incident, according to Ellis-Hebard, was not the only catastrophe she encountered while travelling, as per New York Post. She scratched her arm as she placed her own travel bag in the luggage sizer. She said, "I put it in and when I went to take it out my arm right here got all scraped up. I was bleeding." A Frontier Airlines spokesperson said, "We sincerely regret that the customer was able to board the wrong flight and have extended our apologies," adding, "We have provided her with a refund and compensation as well as addressed the matter with airport personnel", the New York Post reported. (ANI) Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has termed the Taliban court's verdict on retribution, stoning, and implementation of Sharia limits on alleged criminals as "shocking, terrible and group punishment", Afghanistan based Khaama Press reported. According to the commission, the Taliban's treatment could be registered as a violation and a mass crime against human rights at the International Criminal Court (ICC). AIHRC said the Taliban's actions are against national and international laws and have violated all human values and all fair trial norms. Taliban Deputy Chief Justice announced that the group's courts have implemented 175 retribution orders, 37 stonings, four under the walling killing. A total of 79 accused criminals paid a ransom, and Sharia limits have been executed on 103 others, according to Khaama Press. Taliban's Deputy Chief Justice, Abdul Malik Haqqani, said some of these orders have been implemented, and others will be executed in the coming future. AIHRC on Saturday said that courts should go through the three stages of investigation, trial, and the defendants should have access to a defence lawyer, information and other basic requirements for a fair trial, according to Khaama Press. The Taliban's actions were described as "secret trials" and "field trials" by the AIHRC. It condemned them in the strongest terms. The AIHRC's statement states, "The death penalty, which is the most severe punishment, should not be applied and imposed on the accused by using pressure and imposition of the ideological demands of the Taliban and in the absence of accepted principles of proceedings and a fair judicial mechanism." According to AIHRC, the Taliban should not ignore the principles of fair trial and violate the rights of the accused by using cruel approaches, Khaama Press reported. (ANI) At least nine people were killed, including the gunman, in a shooting incident on Saturday at a mall outside of Dallas, according to local police, reported The Hill. A gunman opened fire at a crowded mall outside Dallas on Saturday, killing at least eight people and injuring at least seven before a police officer killed him. The Allen Fire Department transported nine people to area hospitals, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said. Seven people died on scene at the Allen Premium Outlets and two others were pronounced dead at the hospital, Boyd said Saturday evening. Three other victims were in critical condition, reported The Hill. At a news conference Saturday night, Brian E Harvey, the chief of police in Allen, Texas, did not identify a gunman but said the person acted alone. Chief Harvey said a police officer, who was on an unrelated assignment at the mall at the time of the shooting, heard gunfire, rushed toward it and killed the gunman, reported The New York Times (NYT). The gunfire erupted around 3:30 p.m. at the Allen Premium Outlets as shoppers thronged the outdoor mall, which is about 25 miles north of Dallas and has more than 120 stores. Videos circulating on social media show people dashing for shelter or running through a parking lot as loud popping noises can be heard in the background. A video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman, lying on the ground, clad in black and equipped with what appeared to be a tactical vest, multiple rounds of ammunition and a long gun, reported NYT. "We all want the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you and we are here for you," Ken Fulk, the mayor of Allen, said at a news conference. Saturday's attack is the second-deadliest shooting of the year, after the Monterey Park, Calif., massacre in which a gunman killed 11 people in a ballroom on January 21. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a database of shootings in the United States, there have been 199 "mass shootings," which it defines as the shooting of at least four people, in 2023. There was a particularly deadly spate of large-scale shootings this past week. Last weekend, a gunman killed five people in Cleveland, Texas, near Houston, after he was asked by neighbours to stop shooting in his yard. He was captured after a multiday manhunt. On Monday, a registered sex offender fatally shot six people, including his wife and three of her children, near Tulsa, Okla., before turning the gun on himself. On Wednesday, a gunman opened fire at a medical office building in Atlanta, killing one and injuring four others. That, too, led to a manhunt before the suspect was caught. (ANI) Flash China, Afghanistan and Pakistan have pledged to further strengthen trilateral cooperation on security and counter-terrorism. When attending the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in the Pakistani capital on Saturday with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan interim government Amir Khan Muttaqi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that as traditional friendly neighbors, China is ready to make joint efforts with Afghanistan and Pakistan to implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. China is willing to share development opportunities and meet security challenges with the two countries to set an example of cooperation on neighbors, mini-multilateralism and hotspot issues through bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, he said. The Chinese side promised to strengthen trilateral cooperation with Afghanistan and Pakistan on security and counter-terrorism, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, and firmly oppose any form of terrorism and "double standards" on fighting terrorism, Qin said. He called for enhanced trilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism through such mechanisms as the coordination and cooperation mechanism among neighbors of Afghanistan within the regional multilateral framework. The Chinese foreign minister expected Afghanistan and Pakistan to take further measures to ensure the security and safety of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects. China is willing to strengthen strategic communication and policy coordination with Afghanistan and Pakistan through the trilateral cooperation mechanism, so as to boost good-neighborliness and strategic mutual trust, Qin added. Muttaqi and Bilawal said the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan cooperation is of great significance to regional peace and prosperity. They said Afghanistan and Pakistan are willing to actively promote trilateral cooperation, formulate a roadmap for cooperation in such fields as politics, security and economy, safeguard the common interests of the three countries, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and bring benefits to the people of the three neighbors and other countries in the region. The three foreign ministers agreed to uphold good-neighborliness and friendship, deepen political mutual trust, respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and properly address differences and disputes through equal consultation. They made it clear to oppose interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and all acts that undermine regional peace and stability. The three sides pledged to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation. China and Pakistan expressed their support for the Afghan interim government to strengthen capacity building to better cope with the threat of terrorism. Afghanistan stressed that it will not allow any forces to use its territory for activities against China and Pakistan. They also vowed to restart the dialogue mechanism within the framework of the foreign ministers' dialogue, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, agriculture, poverty reduction and people-to-people exchanges. The three countries agreed to advance cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, support the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, promote connectivity among the three neighbors and the region, and improve the cross-border trade system, with a view to enhancing trilateral economic integration and achieving sustainable development. Sharjah [UAE], May 7 (ANI/WAM): The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) received Tornike Rizhvadze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, and his delegation to discuss enhancing economic relations between the two countries. The bilateral meeting aimed to foster cooperation in trade, industry, agriculture, and tourism and identify potential investment opportunities for investors and businessmen in both nations. The delegation, which also featured Paata Kalandadze, Georgian Ambassador to the UAE, and many Georgian officials, was welcomed by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, and several members of SCCI's Board of Directors. Humaid Mohamed bin Salem, Secretary-General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of the SCCI, Abdulaziz Mohammed Shattaf, Assistant Director-General of the Communication and Business Sector at the Sharjah Chamber, and Fatema Khalifa Al Muqarrab, Director of the International Relations Department, were also present. During the meeting, the Chamber urged the Georgian business community to take advantage of the investment opportunities available in Sharjah. It emphasised its commitment to supporting and facilitating their work and stressed the importance of arranging reciprocal visits and meetings between the two parties. Welcoming the President of Adjara and his delegation to the Sharjah Chamber, Al Owais said that the UAE's bilateral relations with Georgia had reached new heights with the recent high-level visit by Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and the UAE-Georgia Business Forum. "This meeting is of great importance as it will help to strengthen and upgrade our economic cooperation and services, especially since non-oil foreign trade between our two countries has doubled and reached more than AED1.7 billion in 2022, with a growth of 110 percent compared to 2021. We look forward to exploring more investment and trade opportunities between the UAE and Georgia." Al Owais added. Rizhvadze said, "I am truly delighted to visit the Emirate of Sharjah and the Chamber, which stands as a beacon of communication, global openness, and innovation in serving the business community and investors. The Adjara region, with its investment-stimulating environment, especially in the tourism sector, attracted over four million tourists last year, ten times its population. This achievement is a testament to its exceptional services, investment incentives, and facilities, making it an ideal destination for foreign investments and exemplifying ease of procedures for imports and property ownership." (ANI/WAM) Sweden on Sunday summoned Iran's acting ambassador to protest against the execution of Habib Chaab, a dual Swedish-Iranian national who had been convicted of leading an Arab separatist group accused of attacks in 2018, reported CNN. "The death penalty is an inhuman and irreversible punishment and Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its use under any circumstances," the Swedish Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday. Iran on Saturday executed a Swedish-Iranian dual national accused of spearheading a separatist group blamed by Tehran for a string of attacks in the country. The judiciary's Mizan News said Habib Chaab, the leader of the Harakat al-Nidal group, was executed on Saturday, calling him the "mastermind" of an attack that killed 29 people in Ahvaz in 2018, reported Anadolu Agency. Iran considers Harakat al-Nidal to be a terrorist group. The EU also condemned the execution of a Swedish-Iranian dual national, reported Anadolu Agency. "The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the execution in Iran of Swedish-Iranian national Habib Chaab and recalls yet again its strong opposition against the application of capital punishment in any circumstance," it said in a statement. It offered condolences to Chaab's family and expressed its full solidarity with Sweden, according to the statement that said the death penalty violates the inalienable right to life and it is the "ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment." Executions have risen in Iran following a nationwide uprising sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September, according to reports released by rights groups. According to a joint report issued by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the France-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) groups revealed at least 500 executions were carried out last year - a 75 per cent increase from the previous year. The increase was Tehran's way of trying to frighten protesters and prevent dissent, groups said. (ANI) Some female students called for the reopening of girls' schools and Universities as the continuous closure left the young women facing a bleak future, ToloNews reported. The students also noted that the country wouldn't benefit from the ban on women's education continuing, and they urged the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools and universities for females. "Instead of studying for the exam in universities; we are at home, and we are depressed about not taking the exams," said Gul Jan, a student. "With the start of the midterm exams at universities and the absence of girls in the university, there is a big void in the society, women are excluded from society," said Fawzia, a student. "Girls continue to be denied the opportunity to receive an education and worry about their uncertain future. We ask the Islamic Emirate to open schools and universities to girls as soon as feasible," said Gita, another student. In the meantime, the former US special envoy for Afghanistan's reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, asked the current Afghan government to reopen universities and schools to girls immediately, according to ToloNews. Khalilzad on his Twitter urged the Islamic Emirate leaders to listen to the statement of Mawlawi Abdul Hamid, a religious scholar from Iran, about the education of women. "Another wise statement directed at the Taliban leaders by Mawlawi Abdul Hamid bluntly demanding to know where in Sharia it says that high school and college education for females is forbidden. He finds no evidence for this in Sharia. Mullah Hibatullah should listen to this wise counsel. High Schools and colleges must be opened immediately for Afghan girls and women," Khalilzad tweeted. Taliban has rolled back a wide range of human rights of women and girls, including a ban on attending high school and university, restrictions on movement and work, and in December, a decree banning female nationals from working in most NGOs. Since 15 August 2021, the de facto authorities have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls' freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses. These restrictions culminate with the confinement of Afghan women and girls to the four walls of their homes, ToloNews reported. (ANI) At least seven people were killed and several others were injured after a driver crashed his vehicle into a group of people outside a shelter housing migrants and homeless people in Brownsville, Texas on Sunday, CNN reported citing authorities. According to authorities in Brownsville, Texas, they received a call at 8:30 am CT about a land rover that hit multiple people who were waiting at a bus stop across the street from the Ozanam Center, CNN reported. Ozanam Center is a non-profit homeless shelter that has been helping house migrants, as per the news report. Brownsville police spokesperson Martin Sandoval said that seven people were killed and between four to six others were injured due to the crash, as per the CNN report. Sandoval further said that police believe those killed included migrants. While addressing a news conference, Martin Sandoval said that witnesses at the scene detained the driver until officers arrived at the spot. He said the driver of the vehicle received medical treatment and has been arrested on a reckless driving charge, as per the CNN report. According to Martin Sandoval, it is "more than likely" that there will be other charges added. Police have not revealed the identity of the driver. Sandoval said the driver was a Hispanic man, as per the news report. Brownsville police are carrying out the investigation with the help of the Border Patrol. Sandoval said that the authorities were still carrying out an investigation into whether the crash was intentional or accidental. According to him, witnesses have said they saw the car "lose control," as per the CNN report. He said that the immigrants live in the shelter while they wait for permanent housing. (ANI) US President Joe Biden has issued a proclamation honouring the victims of the shooting in Allen, Texas and ordered all US flags at public buildings to be flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the shooting. He has ordered that the flag of the US shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds at all military posts and naval stations and on all naval vessels of the federal government in the US until sunset, May 11 to honour the victims of the shooting in Allen. Biden's decision came after eight people were killed and at least seven others were injured from the shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, CNN reported. Authorities in Allen responded to the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets. The police said that the gunman was killed by an Allen Police Department officer who was at the mall on an unrelated call. According to investigators, the shooter was working alone. "As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, May 11, 2023," US President Joe Biden said in the proclamation released by the White House. He said the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all US embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities, naval vessels, and stations. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden again urged Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons and enacting universal background checks after the Texas shootout, according to a statement released by the White House. "Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe," Biden said in a statement. He said that eight Americans, including children, were killed in Allen in the latest act of gun violence in the US. He further said, "Jill and I are praying for their families and for others critically injured, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously to save lives." Biden said that an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon killed people in a shopping mall. Sharing details regarding the shooting in Texas, Biden said, "Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar." He further stated, "And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence." In the statement, Biden said, "Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and took two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we have made some progress." He stated that states were banning assault weapons and expanding red flag laws. However, they need more action to save lives. (ANI) Barber County is the only Kansas county at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions high COVID-19 community level this week ahead of the May 11 expiration of the nation public health emergency. Last week, zero counties were at high and just one was at medium. Other than Barber County, all other Kansas counties are at CDCs low level as of Thursday evening. The CDC updates the metric each Thursday for U.S. counties and bases the assessment on the number of new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people (seven-day totals) and the percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-positive patients (a seven-day average). In counties at high, the federal health agency recommends individuals wear a mask in public, indoor settings. That recommendation extends to those at greater risk of severe illness in counties at medium. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 486 new cases and 13 new deaths between April 26 and May 3. This is 83 cases fewer than last week, when the state reported 569 new cases. Two Kansas counties, Sheridan and Hamilton, are at the states high COVID-19 incident rate and five are at substantial. Counties at the high rate are experiencing 100 or more cases per 100,000 people, and counties at a substantial rate are experiencing 50 to 99 cases, also per a population of 100,000. Sedgwick County, along with 45 others, are at the state departments moderate rate, experiencing 10 to 49 cases per 100,000 individuals. The end of the national public health and other emergency declarations related to the coronavirus pandemic will mean a shift in reporting for all states as requirements are peeled back. The CDC is set to discontinue some publicly available data, like the community levels metric. COVID-19 cases in Sedgwick County The COVID-19 positive test rate in Sedgwick County continues to decline, dropping to 3.3% this week. The rate accounts for the 14-day average of recorded positives over the total number administered and does not include at-home tests and those not reported to the Sedgwick County Health Department. The county health department reported 16 new COVID-19 cases the last seven days, with the highest reported in a single day being six reported May 1 and the lowest being zero reported May 3. This is down from last week, when the county reported 36 new cases. See Sedgwick Countys COVID-19 dashboard below, which updates every Friday with the latest data. A 14-year-old stole a school bus, tried to run someone over and then fled officers in Tennessee, police and news outlets said. The teen stole the school bus from Kipp College Prep on the afternoon of Saturday, May 6, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department told WSMV. He drove to a convenience store in the city, where police said he rammed a diesel fuel pump and tried to run over a person. He then drove onto Interstate 40 and hit a car, police said, according to WTVF. Officers began chasing the teen and deployed a spike strip to try to stop him as he fled, WSMV reported. The 14-year-old stopped and tried to turn around in the westbound lanes of the interstate, police said in a tweet. While he was stopped, officers broke through the glass door of the bus and took the teen into custody, the police department said. They used a taser on him when he tried to continue driving the bus, WTVF reported. The 14-year-old was arrested and booked on multiple charges, police said. Hit-and-run driver killed after dragging officer during police chase, Georgia cops say Man used lifelike baby doll in stroller as he stole from Walmart, Tennessee cops say 14-year-old runaway dies in fiery crash while speeding from police, Indiana cops say Watch as teen driving 120 mph in a BMW narrowly misses hitting officer, cops say Linda Cardellini, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judy Greer, and Paul Bettany have all played multiple roles in the MCU. Marvel Studios There are a few actors who have played more than one character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Linda Cardellini portrays Laura Barton and also voices Lylla in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Stars like Judy Greer, Tara Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch have also taken on multiple roles. Linda Cardellini played Laura Barton in the MCU for years before voicing an important character in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." On the left: Linda Cardellini in "Avengers: Endgame." On the right: Lylla, voiced by Cardellini, in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP; Marvel Studiu Cardellini has played Laura Burton, Clint Barton/Hawkeye's wife, in the MCU since 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron." She most recently played the character in 2021's "Hawkeye" series. Cardellini also voices Rocket Raccoon's friend, an otter named Lylla, in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." It makes sense that Cardellini makes a cameo in director James Gunn's "GotG Vol. 3." The actor previously starred in 2002's "Scooby-Doo" film as Velma, Gunn's first major Hollywood screenplay. Benedict Cumberbatch plays both the hero and villain in 2016's "Doctor Strange." Benedict Cumberbatch played two characters in "Doctor Strange." Marvel Studios, composite by Kirsten Acuna Cumberbatch starred as both Dr. Stephen Strange in several MCU movies and inspired the look for Dormammu. "Benedict did the facial capture for it," director Scott Derrickson told IGN in 2016. "No one understood Dormammu better than Benedict did," said Derrickson, adding he wrote Dormammu's role as an "ultra-inflated version" of Strange. Cumberbatch's voice is mixed with that of another unidentified actor to bring the character to life. Michelle Yeoh had a brief cameo in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" before appearing in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord in "GotG Vol. 2" (left) and Ying Nan in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (right). Marvel Studios, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider Yeoh briefly appeared as a Ravager, Aleta Ogord, in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." She later starred in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" as Ying Nan, Shang-Chi's aunt. Paul Bettany played Tony Stark's virtual assistant for years before becoming an MCU superhero. Story continues On the left: J.A.R.V.I.S. in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." On the right: Paul Bettany as Vision in "Captain America: Civil War." Marvel Studios; Marvel Studios Paul Bettany voiced Tony Stark's AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., in the "Iron Man" and "Avengers" movies until 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron." After destroying J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron brought the AI to life using an Infinity Stone. The synthezoid went by the name Vision. In 2015, Bettany told Insider that "Age of Ultron" director Joss Whedon asked him if he wanted to play Vision in the next "Avengers" film right after having a meeting with a producer who told him he was "never going to work again" in Hollywood. Even after getting killed off in "Avengers: Infinity War," Bettany returned to play the character in the Disney+ series "WandaVision." David Dastmalchian has appeared in all three "Ant-Man" movies. He plays a different character in the franchise's third film. David Dastmalchian as Kurt (left) and Veb (right) in the "Ant-Man" franchise. Marvel Studios, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider Dastmalchian played Kurt, one of Scott Lang's best friends, in the "Ant-Man" franchise. In "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," he voiced the alien Veb. Tara Strong voiced a fan favorite in "Loki" and takes over another role in "GotG Vol. 3." On the left: Miss Minutes in season one of "Loki." On the right: Mainframe in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Disney+; Voice actor Tara Strong voices the antagonistic artificial intelligence on Disney+'s "Loki" series. In "GotG Vol. 3," Strong replaces Miley Cyrus as the voice of Mainframe, a Ravager who works alongside Sylvester Stallone's Stakar Ogord. Strong previously worked with Gunn on a video game called "Lollipop Chainsaw." She also previously voiced a young Adam Warlock for Disney XD's "Guardians of the Galaxy" animated series which aired for three seasons from 2015 through 2019. Nathan Fillion appeared in two "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies. On the left: Monstrous Inmate, voiced by Nathan Fillion, in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1." On the right: Fillion as Master Karja in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Marvel Studios; Marvel Studios One of Gunn's close friends, Fillion has appeared in the first and third "Guardians" movies. In 2014's "GotG," Fillion played the Monstrous Inmate, the blue creature who goes head-to-head with Groot. The actor shows his face as Master Karja, a member of Orgocorp security, in "Vol. 3." In 2017, Gunn shared on Facebook that Fillion almost appeared in "Vol. 2" on some posters as actor and superhero Simon Williams/Wonder Man who would've starred in a Tony Stark biopic that was cut out of the film. Judy Greer has an unrecognizable cameo in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Judy Greer in "Ant-Man." Marvel Studios Judy Greer has played Scott Lang's (Paul Rudd) ex-wife, Maggie, in the "Ant-Man" franchise. A friend of Gunn's, Greer voices War Pig, one of the High Evolutionary's genetically modified creatures, in "GotG: Vol. 3." In 2000, Greer worked alongside both James and Sean Gunn for the superhero comedy "The Specials." Sean Gunn plays Kraglin in the MCU, but he is also the on-set stand-in for Rocket Raccoon and the voice of young Rocket in "Vol. 3." Sean Gunn as Kraglin (left) and the on-set Rocket Raccoon (center), dressed in a green unitard with his brother and "Guardians of the Galaxy" director, James Gunn. Marvel Studios, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider Gunn's brother not only plays Kraglin, a Ravager, in the "Guardians" franchise, but he also delivers the on-set performance for Rocket Raccoon, who Bradley Cooper voices. In "GotG: Vol. 3," Sean voices a young Rocket Raccoon in "GotG Vol. 3." Laura Haddock fawned over Captain America before she played Peter Quill's mother. Laura Haddock in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (left) and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (right). Marvel Studios, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider Haddock played a woman wanting Cap's autograph in "Captain America: The First Avenger" before playing Peter Quill's mom, Meredith, in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. Years before he was Spider-Man's teacher, Martin Starr appeared in "The Incredible Hulk." On the left: Martin Starr in "The Incredible Hulk." On the right: Starr in "Spider-Man: Far From Home." Universal Pictures; Starr is recognizable for his recent role in Tom Holland's "Spider-Man" franchise as Mr. Harrington. He first appeared in the MCU in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk" as a nameless computer nerd. Despite appearing in two different franchises, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige said in a Reddit AMA that he considers them to be the same character. Before Kenneth Choi was Spider-Man's principal, he appeared in the first "Captain America" movie. On the left: Kenneth Choi in "Captain America: The First Avenger." On the right: Choi in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Marvel Studios Starr isn't the only "Spider-Man" actor to appear in another early MCU film. Years before he played Principal Morita in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Choi appeared as Jim Morita, a soldier during World War II, in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" who was recruited to work alongside Bucky Barnes and Cap. He also reprised the character in an episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." That same last name isn't a coincidence. A popular fan theory hypothesizes that Choi plays a direct descendant of his "Captain America" character in "Homecoming." According to Digital Spy, a photo of Jim Morita can be spotted in Principal Morita's office. A good look at the photo is spotted in a deleted scene from the movie. Seth Green had a minor cameo in "Iron Man 2" before voicing a minor character in the "Guardians" franchise. On the left: Seth Green in "Iron Man 2." On the right: Howard the Duck, voiced by Green, in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Marvel Studios; Green played a fan at the Stark Expo in "Iron Man 2" before voicing Howard the Duck in each of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films. You can spot him in "GotG: Vol. 3" playing cards on Knowhere. Gemma Chan appeared in "Captain Marvel" before leading her own MCU film. Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva in "Captain Marvel" (left) and Sersi in "Eternals" (right). Marvel Studios, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider Chan played Minn-Erva in 2019's "Captain Marvel" and starred as Sersi in 2021's "Eternals." Patton Oswalt played five characters on Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." TV series before appearing in "Eternals." Patton Oswalt as Eric Koenig (left) on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and Pip the Troll (right) in "Eternals." Marvel Studios Oswalt played five different characters on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." who were all related Eric, Billy, Sam, Thurston, and Ernest Koenig. The first four were siblings. The latter was a store owner in 1931. More recently, Oswalt played Pip the Troll in an end-credits scene for Marvel's 2021 movie "Eternals." Read the original article on Insider A fragile-from-age build sheet for Fred C. Atwoods homemade motorcycle, listing various parts used to create it, has survived through the decades. Included is a then-new 1945 Harley-Davidson engine the heart of the vehicle suggesting the Modesto mechanic built it that year, or shortly after. Im guessing the handcrafted frame came next, perhaps made in the auto body shop Atwood established in 1946 with his brother, Chalmer, at 717 Eighth St. in downtown Modesto. Or maybe they started on the motorcycle frame in the mechanics garage they operated earlier with the Keene brothers at 608 10th St. The Atwood brothers also made the motorcycles oil tank and wheel hubs. They welded together two Cushman scooter fenders for the front fender, and two more for the back. The handlebar came from a bicycle; the switch, from a tractor; and the amp meter, from a Model A Ford. To shift gears, the driver would grasp with his left hand a chrome door knob off of house door affixed to a shift lever, says the build sheet. It doesnt mention whatever Freds wife, Mildred, might have said about that. They lived on Johnson Street, a bit north and east of downtown, according to the build sheet and the archives of The Modesto Bee. Its society pages contained mentions of the Atwoods over the years, from their 1930 engagement to his death in 1967. An antique motorcycle with parts cobbled together seven decades ago by Modestos Fred C. Atwood, including a 1945 Harley-Davidson engine, is displayed on a 9-foot ledge inside an Airbnb rental in Shingle Springs, Calif. But his beloved motorcycle today lives on, so to speak perched on a ledge nine feet above the floor inside a room at a three-bed, one-bath Airbnb guesthouse rental in Shingle Springs. Its a 370-pound piece of jaunty interior decor, a conversation starter evoking days when people at the tail end of World War II would scrounge up whatever they could find for whatever they might need. Modestos Fred Atwood in the 1940s built this motorcycle, now displayed in an Airbnb rental 100 miles away in Shingle Springs, Calif. People staying at the rental are always interested in talking about that motorcycle. It just has a life of its own, John Juntunen, the owner, told me in a phone conversation. How did a motorcycle cobbled together in the 1940s by a mechanic in Modesto end up in an Airbnb near Coyote Pass, off Highway 50 between Sacramento and Placerville? Story continues A build sheet listing parts of a motorcycle made by Fred C. Atwood, who owned an auto body shop with his brother in downtown Modesto, Calif. in the 1940s. Fred Atwood had made and sold another motorcycle to a Sacramento man, according to lore passed down from owner to owner. When that buyer wanted a second one, Atwood offered the motorcycle he had made for himself, perhaps because cancer was pushing him to give up riding two-wheelers, Juntunen was told. In that same year, according to a notice in The Bee, the Atwood brothers sold their garage equipment to Alfred Mathews himself, whose name 72 years later remains on Modestos oldest new-car dealership on north McHenry Avenue. Atwoods obituary said he was only 59 when he died in 1967. He had come west from Kansas with his family at age 11, and was the son of Stanislaus County Engineer James Atwood. The family attended First Christian Church, and Fred enjoyed flying homemade radio-controlled model airplanes. Must have been a handy guy. Juntunens paperwork suggests that the motorcycle was handed down within the buyers family until Juntunens son, Jared an Osprey pilot with the Marines, and a motorcycle enthusiast bought it in 2013. An interior decorator who owns an antique shop in nearby Diamond Springs helped John Juntunen and his wife, Felicia, decide where in the guesthouse to display the many pieces of Americana they had collected scythe and farm shovels on a wall, an antique, cherry apple-red toddlers pedal car seven feet up another ledge, interior wood panels repurposed from the ceiling of a 1920s-era railroad carriage house in Placerville. Left-side view of an antique motorcycle built in Modesto by Fred C. Atwood in 1951, before it was cleaned and mounted on a ledge 9 feet off the floor inside an Airbnb rental in Shingle Springs, Calif. in 2019. Why not mount this antique motorcycle where it will really catch everyones eye, the decorator suggested, nine feet up? In 2019, the Juntunens put a winch in the attic to hoist the 370-pound vehicle to the ledge, and an engineer friend helped fasten the motorbike securely to a wall. When people staying in the unit want to know how they got it up there its always the first thing they ask, John said he explains how a rope ran through a hole in the ceiling later patched by a light fixture. Among the curious were my Modesto-raised brother-in-law, Jeff Hamilton, and his wife, Karen. They were delighted to learn the motorcycles history when they stayed in The Bunkhouse, as its called on Airbnb, a few days ago. People look at it and go, `Wow, this is special, Juntunen said. I show them the light above, and tell them a little about Atwood and how it was built in Modesto a guy who built bikes for other people, and this was his personal bike. At vChief, where most full-time employees are parents, an extra day off helps them to juggle parent teacher conferences and their kid's doctors appointments. Getty 4-day work week trials have found a shortened work week can improve employees' work-life balance. For working parents, the benefits can be obvious: an extra day off to help with childcare. vChief says its 4-day work week helps employees juggle jobs as parents, self-care, and side hustles. Madeleine Niebauer, the founder and CEO of startup vChief, is also a mom. When it came time to hire her first full-time employees in 2021, Niebauer asked herself: What if her business could set a different example around work-life balance? She decided that vChief, a startup that helps fill part-time executive positions, would become a workplace entirely designed around a 4-day work week capped at 32 hours. Each employee gets to select the day off they prefer in the week as long as it's properly communicated with team members. "I thought the 4-day work week was a great way to draw in and keep great talent, and that you could still get work done and run a growing business," Niebauer told Insider. Niebauer said that the 4-day work week has helped the company with employee retention, and they've also attracted over-qualified candidates for the company's roles. While some companies that have switched to 4-day work weeks have cut pay to 80%, Niebauer said vChief uses a different tactic: their employee salaries fall toward the middle of what their competitors offer. "We're gonna land more towards the middle rather than towards the high end, because we believe that we're providing value through flexibility," Niebauer said. The company's staff is small, with 20 full-time employees and 150 part-time contractors. There are still busy periods when the staff may end up working over that 32-hour benchmark, Niebauer said, but she doesn't want that to ever become the norm. While it's possible that some employees may skimp on even the reduced 32-hour work week, Niebauer said that this has been incredibly rare for vChief, especially since they're focused on hiring the right people. Story continues An extra day for parenting, pets, self-care, or side hustles The shortened work week remains effective, Niebauer said, in part because her team is years into their careers. While startup culture may call to mind freshly minted college grads or twenty-somethings, the average vChief's employee is in their mid-thirties, and most of vChief's full-time employees are parents, she told Insider. "We have a really grown-up team," Niebauer said. "They come to work. They get the work done. They're responsive. You just don't have to babysit anyone." For vChief's team, that extra day off gives people time to juggle side hustles and other responsibilities, said chief of staff Nisha Dass, who helped draft the company's 4-day policies. She said one vChief employee does Spanish translation work and bartends. Dass, for example, has been able to adopt and train a dog, and she's taken on consulting work with companies outside of vChief on other topics she's passionate about, including voting rights and gender equity. For parents, the additional day has helped them to juggle their jobs as parents. "It enables them to take care of a sick kid, manage emergencies, or be available for parent teacher conferences or doctor's visits in the middle of the day," Dass said. "Without feeling like they're going to be penalized for it, without feeling like they're going to look like they're distracted at work." For Niebauer, during her day off she says she gets to spend more time with her husband or her kids after they return from school. But some days she takes that time for herself she goes paddleboarding or out for a lunch date. "I really believe that people shouldn't live their lives for work," Niebauer said. "I think people should live their lives for the people and the passion in their lives. I think, for the majority of us, that consists of things outside of work." Read the original article on Business Insider A 45-year-old man is dead after trying to save his familys dog during a house fire in Baldwin County. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Baldwin County Fire Chief Vincent Young said the fire started Wednesday around 10:30 p.m. at a home on Sparta Highway. When they arrived, the fire had taken completely over the home. As crews were working to extinguish the fire, a family member told fire officials William Mitchum was still in the home. Chief Young says Mitchum had run back into the home to rescue the familys pet dog. Thats just the type of guy he was, Chief Young told Channel 2 Action News. The fire chief said last year that Mitchums daughter fell into a well last Easter, so he went down into the well to rescue her. TRENDING STORIES: Officials found Mitchum dead near the front door of the home. Chief Young could not confirm if the dog died in the fire but says they have not found the dog. No one else was injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: UPDATE: An 8-year-old boy who went missing during a family camping trip in Michigan has been found safe, officials say. Nante Niemi disappeared while walking back to his familys campsite at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park on Saturday, May 6, spurring a large-scale search effort involving authorities from Michigan and Wisconsin. He was found two days later, on May 8, according to state park officials and Niemis school district. An 8-year-old boy who went missing at a state park in Michigan has been found safe. Michigan State Police also confirmed the boy has been found, WLUC reported. The original story continues below: Authorities are scouring the wilderness in Michigans Upper Peninsula after an 8-year-old boy went missing during a family camping trip, news outlets report. The boy, Nante Niemi, joined his familys annual trip to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park for the first time, his mother, Jessica Buerger, told WDIO. Nante Niemi. He went missing around 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, Michigan State Police told WLUC. At the time, half of the boys family was fishing, the rest were gathering firewood, and he asked if he could head back to camp but it seems he never made it. Family searched for Niemi until 6 p.m., at which point they reached out to authorities for help, the outlet reported. While authorities search for Niemi, they are asking that volunteers stay away from the area unless help is requested, as it will make it harder to find him, Buerger said in a social media post. Park officials are echoing that sentiment. At this time there are dozens of agencies from across the UP and Wisconsin and to limit the chaos volunteers from the public should not come out at this time, the park said in a Facebook post. Still, many are expressing their willingness to help. Hurley School District, where Niemi is a student, says it is ready with 2 buses of volunteers waiting to go help search. Many professional agencies from Wisconsin and Michigan have been [deployed] throughout the area, and we are being told to please stay away from the area so they can best do their job, the district said. However, if we need to send volunteers, we stand ready and thank all community members for reaching out to offer assistance. Story continues Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, located roughly 225 miles northwest of Green Bay, is Michigans largest state park, encompassing 60,000 acres of old-growth forest, roaring waterfalls, Lake Superior shoreline, rivers, trails and ridges, according to Michigan.org. Teen missing after school is found dead when mom tracks her phone, Texas cops say Missing sisters found safe after 3 years, Pennsylvania cops say. Mom now charged 60-year-old NC doctor who vanished along Appalachian Trail is found safe, officials say Missing man vanished over a year ago. Now his body has been found in barrel, CA cops say This is in regard to the April 30 editorial To move Akron forward, there cant be another Jayland Walker tragedy. There are many agenda-driven comments in this piece that show a clear lack of understanding of the facts. We know Walker was depressed about losing his fiancee in a crash. We know he talked to a police officer he knew as a friend about how you get police to shoot at you or suicide by police. BCI report: What we're learning from the state's investigation into Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker We also know Walkers friend took him shooting and showed him how to load and fire a pistol after the fiancees death. Walker then purchased a 9mm pistol and ammunition. Walker precipitated a police chase the day before the shooting. Before the incident, we know Walker drove around multiple area cities, including returning to the city where he was chased the day prior. After an attempted traffic stop of Walker by Akron police was called off, Walker drove back to the same area where it originated and fled police again. This still image is presented during the press conference at the Firestone Community Center on Sunday, July 3, 2022, in Akron regarding the police shooting of Jayland Walker. The Akron Police Department circled a flash of light from a discharged gun on the car that Jayland Walker is driving. Its a fact Walker fired out of his car while police were pursuing him. He didnt just fire a shot. Glock pistols eject back and to the right. The recovered casing was ejected out the window. Pursuing officers broadcast that the subject in the car had fired a shot. By the legal standards, Tennessee v. Garner and Scott v. Harris, Walker was a violent fleeing felon at this point. Deadly force could have been used to bring him to justice, if the officers thought it was necessary. After he exited his vehicle, Walker turned around twice, with his hands going to his waistband before he was shot. Officers can fire when they reasonably believe that they are being threatened with death or serious bodily injury. In Ohio, State of Ohio v. White provides case law on the use of deadly force. In deadly-force cases involving both armed and unarmed suspects, courts have accepted the action reaction principle on facts justifying the officers anticipatory use of his weapon to protect himself. In other words, a nascent threat can be sufficient; it need not materialize to the point of harm, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in 2013. Story continues Thus, the use of deadly force is presumptively reasonable when the officer could reasonably have interpreted the suspects movement as reaching for a weapon, a court of appeals ruling in the same case stated. With respect to the principle that a serious and imminent threat to an officers safety will permit him to respond with gunfire, the critical point is precisely that the suspect was threatening threatening the lives of the officers, the appeals ruling said. Judges further wrote that the law does not require police officers to wait until a suspect shoots to confirm that a serious threat of harm exists. Officers need not be absolutely sure of the suspects intent to cause them harm the Constitution does not require that certitude precede the act of self-protection. Rather, it is the perceived threat of attack by a suspect, apart from the actual attack, to which the officer may respond preemptively. If his perceptions were objectively reasonable, he incurs no liability even if no weapon was seen, or the suspect was later found to be unarmed, or if what the officer mistook for a weapon was something innocuous. In a life-threatening encounter, officers can fire as fast as one round every quarter of a second. That means four rounds in one second, and 16 rounds in four seconds. A Glock 19 holds 16 rounds, a Glock 17 holds 18 rounds. Each pistol can be shot empty in less than five seconds. In these events, officers experience perceptual narrowing including auditory exclusion, wherein they may not hear other officers shouts or shots, and tunnel vision, which focuses their central vision on the threat and may limit peripheral vision of other officers. More than 48,000 persons commit suicide in the United States each year. More than 50% commit suicide with a firearm. Suicide by cop or police-assisted suicide accounts for a large and growing percentage (36% in one study) of deadly police shootings each year. Suicide by cop: What is it and how should police respond? Jayland Walkers actions, movements and motions led to his death by creating circumstances that any reasonably prudent and well-trained officer, in those exact same circumstances, would have found life-threatening. It seems the same people so adamant about the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation taking over Akrons officer-involved shooting investigations are the same ones who are the most upset with the facts BCI documented in its investigation. Facts used to matter in journalism. Not anymore Kevin R. Davis is a retired Akron Police Department detective and author of Use of Force Investigations: A Manual for Law Enforcement. He is a court-recognized use-of-force expert who was inducted into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2019. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Opinion: ABJ editorial ignores facts in Jayland Walker case Woman holding medication capsule. Gettyimages Mifepristone is now at the center of the fight over abortion. Why was it created and approved? Here's everything you need to know: What's the pill's origin? In 1970, French endocrinologist and biochemist Etienne-Emile Baulieu had an idea for an "unpregnancy pill" that could induce abortions. Such a pill, he thought, would enable women to avoid surgery and end pregnancies in private. Baulieu knew the hormone progesterone was essential to pregnancy and began searching for "an anti-hormone" that would block progesterone. His idea came to fruition in 1980, when a French drug company created mifepristone, then called RU-486. In 1988, the pill was approved in France. More than a dozen countries followed, and in 2000, the FDA approved mifepristone for use for up to seven weeks into a pregnancy in the U.S. Baulieu said he hoped "the 'abortion pill' might even help eliminate abortion as an issue." But after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, enabling states to outlaw abortion, mifepristone became a new battleground for the same reason Baulieu sought to create it: It enables women to end pregnancies in their own homes. A federal judge with a long history of anti-abortion activism recently ordered the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its approval; that ruling has been stayed and is likely to be ultimately decided on appeal to the Supreme Court. How does it work? Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone that prepares the uterus to receive and carry an embryo. The drug latches onto receptor molecules in place of progesterone, causing a miscarriage. In the U.S., mifepristone is usually followed by a second pill, misoprostol, 24 to 48 hours later, which causes contractions that empty the uterus. Misoprostol which isn't currently at risk of being taken off the market can be used alone to induce an abortion. However, it's only 87 to 93 percent effective on its own, compared with 95 to 99 percent when combined with mifepristone. Story continues How was the drug approved? During the 1980s and '90s, the U.S. banned the importation or manufacture of RU-486. But in 1994, the French pharmaceutical company Roussel Uclaf donated all rights for mifepristone in the U.S. to the Population Council, which licensed it to Danco Laboratories. The company undertook years of clinical trials and applied to the FDA for approval, which was fiercely opposed by anti-abortion groups. "We're really very simplistic, visually oriented people," said Dr. John Willke of the National Right to Life Committee at that time. "If what [mifepristone] destroys in there doesn't look human, then it will make our job more difficult." In 2000, based on a review of three rounds of safety data over four years, the FDA approved mifepristone's use in abortions. How widely used is it? In recent years, the FDA has expanded access to the drug and approved it for use at home and via telemedicine. In 2016, the FDA broadened its use through up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. This year, it dropped a rule against retail pharmacies dispensing it with a prescription. Medication abortions are now more common than surgical procedures: In 2020, 53 percent of the country's 930,160 abortions used pills, up from 39 percent in 2017. Mifepristone is now available in at least 94 countries. Is it safe? It's safer than most drugs and pregnancy itself. Since the original FDA review process, over 100 studies have since confirmed that mifepristone is safe and effective, and millions of women have used it. No drug is totally without risk, but data on mifepristone show only five deaths for every 1 million uses a lower rate than Tylenol, Viagra, or penicillin. In fact, penicillin's risk of death is four times greater, while Viagra's is almost 10 times greater. Federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk nonetheless ruled last month that the FDA's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone should be rescinded, and echoed claims by anti-abortion groups that it's unsafe and causes many women to feel regret and suffer mental health issues. "Instead of relying on the mountain of evidence demonstrating safety, the court turned to anecdotes from anti-abortion advocates and blog posts," said Ushma Upadhyay, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco. "That's not how scientific research works." Why is its safety at issue? Abortion groups know it's the only way to challenge mifepristone's continued availability, which makes it very difficult for states to truly stop abortions. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, 14 states banned abortion without exceptions and dozens of clinics closed. Since the pill can be mailed or transported across state borders, it became critical to pro-choice groups' efforts to keep abortion accessible in the post-Roe era. Mifepristone, Jia Tolentino said in The New Yorker, is one of the principal reasons "we are not going back to the era of coat hangers." Abortion's underground railroad After the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, mifepristone was banned in states that criminalized abortion. Activists quickly developed underground networks to deliver pills to women. The Mexican nonprofit Las Libres has been getting up to 100 requests a day from activists in the U.S. Older American expats who easily cross the border without suspicion carry the pills to Texas, where providing the tools for an abortion is a felony. Another organization called Just the Pill plans to dispatch mobile-abortion clinics to the borders of Colorado, New Mexico, and Illinois, so they can provide pills and surgical abortions to women in states where abortion is illegal. Perhaps the most well-known organization delivering mifepristone by mail is Aid Access, run by Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts. Aid Access conducts online consultations and then sends a prescription to a pharmacy in India, which ships the pills directly to the patient. Gomperts says maintaining access to abortion is a matter of "social justice," adding, "Unjust laws should not be respected." After the Dobbs ruling, requests to Aid Access for mifepristone tripled to 254 a day, and have surged again since the federal judge's ruling in Texas, even though it has been stayed. Medication abortions are "definitely safer than giving birth," Gomperts said, "so the arguments that are being used are so outrageous, anti-scientific, it scares me." This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here. You may also like Colombia's 'cocaine hippos': A problem too big to ignore Oakland Athletics announcer suspended after using racial slur on air Kentucky man gets 14 years for Capitol insurrection, longest sentence yet Activists on Saturday demanded that the state of California pay millions of dollars to each Black resident in reparations as a way to make amends for slavery and subsequent discrimination, dismissing the mammoth proposals from California's reparations task force as too little. The demands were made at a highly explosive official meeting of the task force, which was created by state legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020. The committee was hearing comments from the public as it considers final recommendations to submit to the California Legislature, which will then decide whether to implement the measures and send them to Newsom's desk to be signed into law. An activist identified as Reverend Tony Pierce was one of the most outspoken people at the gathering, making reference to the famous "40 acres and a mule" promise to former slaves when he took the podium. "You know that the numbers should be equivocal to what an acre was back then. We were given 40, OK? We were given 40 acres. You know what that number is. You keep trying to talk about now, yet you research back to slavery and you say nothing about slavery, nothing," said Pierce. "So, the equivocal number from the 1860s for 40 acres to today is $200 million for each and every African-American." CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PANEL TO RECOMMEND 'DOWN PAYMENTS' TO BLACK RESIDENTS, ABOLISHING CASH BAIL Pierce, who shouted most of his remarks, then directed his ire to the task force for in his view not pushing an ambitious enough reparations plan. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "You're not supposed to be afraid," he said. "You're just supposed to tell the truth. You're not supposed to be the gatekeepers. You're supposed to say what the people want and hear from the people." Pierce concluded with a warning to California's top elected official: "Tell Governor Newsom we're coming. He knows me." Story continues Economists predicted in a preliminary estimate in March that California's reparations plan could cost the state more than $800 billion. The task force, which consulted five economists and policy experts to arrive at the number, said at the time that the total didn't include compensation for property that the group says was taken unjustly or for the devaluation of Black-owned businesses. California's total annual state budget sits at roughly $300 billion. CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PANEL SAYS TOTAL COST 'LEAST IMPORTANT' ASPECT DESPITE POTENTIAL $800B PRICE TAG Earlier this week, however, the task force published its latest proposals, which don't contain an overall price tag but instead outline ways California could calculate how much money Black residents have lost since 1850, when the state was established, through today due to discrimination. The report suggests dollar amounts that have been lost for specific types of racial discrimination, indicating that those amounts should be paid back to Black residents. These estimates include, for example, losing $2,352 per person per year of California residence for the over-policing of Black communities, $3,366 per person per year of residence for "discriminatory lending and zoning," $13,619 per person per year of residence for "injustices and discrimination in health" and $77,000 per person for Black-owned business losses and devaluations. The task force also urges in its latest documents that eligible Black Californians receive cash "down payments" as soon as possible while waiting for the full amount of money loss due to racism and slavery to be calculated. In total, a Black person who has lived in California for their whole life, until at least age 71, could potentially receive more than $1.2 million in lifetime restitution. Kamilah Moore, chair of the California Reparations Task Force, left, and Amos Brown, vice chair, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2022. '$5 MILLION IS TOO LITTLE:' ACTIVISTS TELL CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS COMMITTEE TO AIM HIGHER However, such ideas are skimping on what's necessary to pay Black Californians, according to activists who spoke at the gathering. "$1.2 million is nowhere near enough. It should be starting at least $5 million like San Francisco," said one woman. "We want direct cash payments just like how the stimulus [checks] were sent out. It's our inheritance, and we can handle it." The city of San Francisco is weighing its own reparations proposals at the local level, including a proposal to dole out $5 million each to qualifying Black residents. Others at the meeting similarly dismissed the current task force plan is insufficient. One speaker called for the task force to issue $5 million in reparations as San Francisco is considering. "This million dollars we're hearing on the news is just inadequate and a further injustice if that's what this task force is going to recommend for Black Americans for 400-plus years and continuing of slavery and injustice that we have been forced to endure," she said. "To even throw a million dollars at us is just an injustice." NEWSOM'S CALIFORNIA PUSHES BILLIONS IN REPARATIONS PAYMENTS AS STATE FACES BUDGET DEFICIT DISASTER Whatever the final figures, it's unclear how California would afford to pay millions of dollars to each eligible Black resident. Newsom announced in January that the state faces a projected budget deficit of $22.5 billion for the coming fiscal year. Weeks later, the California Legislative Analyst's Office, a government agency that analyzes the budget for the state legislature, estimated in a subsequent report that Newsom's forecast undershot the mark by about $7 billion. Task force leaders have said they expect the legislature to come up with actual reparations amounts. According to California Justice Department officials, the law creating the task force did not instruct the committee to identify funding sources. Beyond arguing reparations proposals are fiscally unmanageable, critics argue it doesn't make sense to implement them when California never allowed slavery. Proponents counter that racial discrimination in the state has devastated the Black community, costing it untold amounts of money. Beyond raw dollars and cents, the task force also proposes several policy changes to combat racial discrimination and for California to issue a formal apology enacted by the legislature and signed by the governor for slavery and anti-Black racism. California Gov. Gavin Newsom heads to a press conference in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Jan. 24, 2023. NEWSOM FALLS SILENT AFTER CALLS FOR HIM TO TAKE EXECUTIVE ACTION ON REPARATIONS The reparations program would be overseen by a new state agency that would determine eligibility for and distribute funds, according to the task force report. Most people who spoke at Saturday's meeting spoke in support of reparations. Despite such agreement, however, sparks flew throughout the chaotic, emotionally charged gathering as arguments broke out. Indeed, many attendees spoke out of turn and interrupted each other, leading Kamilah Moore, the task force chair, to call for security to remove people multiple times. In several instances, activists in the room got into shouting matches, forcing the meeting to be put on pause to settle down the room. The reparations task force is set to vote on its latest recommendations on Saturday evening. A final report with the panel's official recommendations is due by July 1 to the state legislature. Prince Louis may only be five years old, but hes already perfected the art of an iconic balcony moment. The young prince, who hit the headlines last year when he kept the crowd entertained at his great-grandmothers Platinum Jubilee celebrations, once again stole the show with an adorable double handed wave when he appeared on the Palace balcony after his grandfathers crowning moment. Charles and Camilla were joined by family members - including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Princess Royal as they stepped out into the rain at 2.25pm. As they lined up in front of crowds on the Mall, and the sound of cheers swelled, Louis offered back a sweet two-handed wave. Prince Louis, five, gives an adorable two-handed wave to the crowds lining the Mall (PA) The expressive youngster was also seen chatting excitedly during the balcony moment (Getty Images) He also gestured expressively into the crowd, before pointing and appearing to say: Look over there! The adorable moment came after the young prince had captured hearts by fidgeteing, yawning and singing his way through his grandfathers coronation. On his way to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, he had waved to royal fans from inside the carriage and pressed his face against the window. He was then seen yawning widely as he waited outside the Abbey. Once inside, and seated next to his family, he stared and pointed towards the ceiling, as his sister, Princess Charlotte, leant in to see what he was gesturing at. His mother Kate affectionately smiled down at her youngest son as he struggled to stay still, and again yawned. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey (Reuters) In another sweet moment, Louis held hands with Charlotte as they walked into the Abbey. The siblings were later seen looking at one another and appearing to have a chat as they sat side-by-side. Louis was initially seated in the front row with Charlotte and his parents. Inside the Abbey, Prince Louis was seen staring towards the ceiling (PA) Shortly afterwards, television footage showed he was no longer sitting in the row. He briefly disappeared, with plans always in place for him to leave the service at some point. However, he returned for the national anthem at the end of the service and the procession out of the abbey. Footage showed him singing God Save the King. Story continues Prince Louis yawns as he stands with his sister, Princess Charlotte (PA) He and Charlotte then held hands again as they left the Abbey, before meeting up with his brother George. Charlotte, meanwhile, who turned eight this week, was wearing a headpiece which matched her mothers. The young prince waves at the coronation crowd as he travels to Westminster Abbey (BBC) Prince George, a future king, was a page of honour for his grandfather. He carried a corner of the Kings trailing robes as the royal party made its way into Westminster Abbey. Louis and Charlotte hold hands ahead of the coronation ceremony (Reuters) The Duke of Sussex was seated in the third row, two rows behind William, but the Duchess of Sussex has remained at home in the US. Louis was smartly decked out in a Hainsworth garter blue doeskin tunic with specially designed lacework embellishment to the collar, cuffs and fronts, made by bespoke Savile Row tailors Dege and Skinner. Princess Charlotte of Wales travelling in the state car ahead of the coronation (Getty) The youngsters leg garment was black, complete with garter blue stripe. Princess Charlotte was dressed in a mini-me version of her mothers outfit. Kate stepped out in regal robes, wearing a deep blue Royal Victorian Order mantle edged in scarlet over an Alexander McQueen embroidered ivory silk crepe dress. Prince George plays a role in the coronation as a page of honour for his grandfather (PA) Charlotte also wore an Alexander McQueen dress with a cape in ivory silk crepe, and a similar silver bullion, crystal and silver thread headpiece by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen. Louis has become known for entertaining royal fans with his reactions during royal celebrations. William and Kate inside Westminster Abbey (Reuters) He was seen letting out a howl and clapping his hands over his ears on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee flypast as his Gan Gan, the late Queen, told him what was happening. The now-fourth-in-line to the throne was also spotted being bounced on the knee of his grandfather, Charles, during the jubilee pageant and giving his mother Kate a kiss on the cheek and a cuddle. The noise of the planes flying in formation over Buckingham Palace after last years Trooping the Colour seemed too much for young Prince Louis (PA) He stood on his chair, waved his hands in the air, wriggled around and stuck his finger in his ear during the show last year. In a personal tweet thanking those who turned out in 2022, William and Kate wrote: We all had an incredible time, especiallyLouis Fresno Countys new $750 million courthouse, still in the early planning stages, wont be built far from the current one. Despite whispers to the contrary that certain developers are trying to lure the facility to north Fresno or Clovis the Judicial Council of California squelched any such talk when I inquired about the site selection process. Only sites in downtown Fresno within a -mile of the existing courthouse are being considered for this project, came the reply from a Judicial Council representative. I took that as excellent news. If only because losing the Fresno County Courthouse, and all the ancillary traffic it produces, would be a crippling blow to downtown. Especially now that enthusiasm over the economic benefits of high-speed rail surely must be tempered. Opinion The Judicial Councils broad description for the new home of Fresno County Superior Court envisions a 413,000-square-foot building with 36 courtrooms occupying about 2.1 acres of land that still need to be acquired. The project has an authorized budget of $749,369,000 and an estimated opening of January 2031. The site selection and acquisition process for new judicial branch facilities in California is outlined in a 13-page report authored by the Judicial Councils administrative office. During the acquisition phase, a local advisory group made up of county judges, court officers and others affected by the court facility does most of the heavy lifting. Its role at this stage is to identify potential sites and evaluate them against a specific set of criteria. The site selection checklist includes 52 evaluations in 16 different categories. These range from required acreage and location preferences (i.e. near pre-trial holding facilities, district attorneys, public defenders, social services and public transit) to sustainability, neighborhood character, visibility, environmental concerns and budget. More than 20 potential downtown Fresno sites have been identified, according to the Judicial Council spokesperson. Story continues Fresnos Project Advisory Group consists of Fresno County Superior Court Presiding Judge David Kalemkarian, Judge Houry Sanderson, Judge Gabriel Brickey, Judge Leanne LeMon, Judge Jeff Hamilton, court CEO Dawn Annino, court facilities director Fenix Batista, Fresno County assistant administrative officer Greg Reinke and Fresno city manager Georgeanne White. The groups regular, approximately monthly meetings are not open to the public. An April 1965 photo shows Fresno Countys 1875-vintage courthouse, left, and its mid-century modern replacement under construction in downtown Fresnos Courthouse Park. Site that best serves the community Once all the site evaluations are completed, Judicial Council staff prepares a report and presents a summary of the options at a future public meeting (in San Francisco) of the councils Court Facilities Advisory Committee. The committee typically selects a primary site and a backup for further evaluation. Judge Brad Hill, presiding justice of the states 5th District Court of Appeal and chair of the Court Facilities Advisory Committee, said his body accepts the local advisory groups recommendations if everything looks good. We look for a site that best serves the community as a whole and makes all the court operations run efficiently, Hill said. Once the desired site is chosen, the Judicial Council still needs the State Public Works Boards approval. That decision officially triggers the site acquisition phase, a process that includes further site analysis, real estate due diligence and purchase negotiations. The sales final terms and conditions must then return to the public works board for its purchase approval. As soon as that happens July 2024 is the estimated timeline the project shifts to a 12-month performance criteria phase after which about five additional years will be required for design and construction. It is difficult to imagine the new courthouse being located anywhere besides Courthouse Park. As Ive previously written, there appears to be enough space along Van Ness Avenue directly in front of the existing courthouse to erect a new building then demolish the nine-story cheesegrater to reclaim some open space. Since Club One moved and the Radisson Hotel closed, the number of unoccupied buildings and vacant lots along Van Ness has grown. If certain adjacent parcels were combined, maybe one of those would be suitable. Perhaps a location north of Fresno Street on the opposite side of the county jail. Or even Old Armenian Town. At this point, the possibilities are numerous. Thankfully, they dont extend beyond downtown. Watching TV in the jockeys room before he was to ride in the Kentucky Derby for the 16th time, Javier Castellano saw his dismal Derby history presented for the world to see. NBC put up 0-of-15, Javier Castellano, he said. That moment gave me so much inspiration. It wasnt just that Castellano had never won the Kentucky Derby. One of the great jockeys of the current generation had never even come close. Before Saturday, the native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, had finished sixth or worse in 13 of the 15 Derbys he had ridden. In eight of those races, Castellano had finished 10th or worse. Only once, a third-place finish in 2019 on Audible, had he even been on the board in a Derby. Sometimes, you feel embarrassed a little bit, Castellano said, when you try so many times, and you dont get the result. But one thing in my career, I try to be consistent. And I never give up. Javier Castellano, aboard Mage, celebrates after his first Kentucky Derby victory. Sometimes, you feel embarrassed a little bit, he said, when you try so many times, and you dont get the result. But one thing in my career, I try to be consistent. And I never give up. For Castellano, the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby proved to be his personal sweet 16. Boosted by a patient, ground-saving ride from his Hall of Fame jockey, the lightly raced Mage surged past Two Phils mid-stretch and won the Kentucky Derby in a time of 2:01.57 before an announced Churchill Downs crowd of 150,355. Mage did not race as a 2-year-old. Trainer Gustavo Delgados horse entered the Kentucky Derby having only run three races. So it was not especially shocking that when the gate opened to start the Run for the Roses, Mage appeared to miss the break. Castellano did not panic. He veered Mage hard left and toward the rail to save ground. The veteran jockey then let his inexperienced mount settle and run his race. I took my time. I didnt rush. I just let him go, Castellano said. I saved all the ground I could. Entering the backstretch, Mage was ahead of only three horses. For the second straight Kentucky Derby, however, withering early fractions (this years half-mile was run in a brisk :45.73) set the race up for a late drive. Mages late push was not as dramatic as the one unleashed last year in the Derby by 80-1 long shot Rich Strike, but it ended in the same place. Story continues Down the backstretch, Castellano began to guide Mage through traffic. At the top of the stretch, Castellano had Mage positioned six-wide but with a clear path to the front-running Two Phils. The jockey appeared to only use his whip once as Mage surged to the lead mid-stretch and won the race many felt Castellano was never going to get. I feel like I am on top of the world, Castellano said. Ramiro Restrepo, a member of Mages complex ownership structure, said Castellanos ride reminded him of the one Jerry Bailey turned in while booting Sea Hero to Derby victory in 1993. Never did I ever think anything other than we were in good hands, Restrepo said of Castellanos ride. Mages triumph came at the end of an unsettling and tragic run-up to the Kentucky Derby. Five Derby entrants, including morning-line favorite Forte, had to be scratched prior to the race for various reasons. Seven horses have now died either at Churchill Downs or as a result of injuries suffered at the track since April 27, including two who competed on the Derby Day undercard. The first of the horses that died, Wild On Ice, was training for the 149th Kentucky Derby when an injury ultimately led to the horse being euthanized. Theres no way to make horse racing completely safe. To think otherwise is unrealistic. There is an obligation to do all that can be reasonably done to protect the competitors, equine and human, from harm. After such a troubling stretch, the soul searching at Churchill Downs over whether the latter standard is being met needs to be intense. Castellano, who also won the American Turf on Saturday over the Churchill Downs turf course on Webslinger, defended the racing surfaces at the Louisville track. It seemed to me, both courses were in really good shape, he said. In a legendary riding career, Castellano had before Saturday done almost everything but win the one race a North American-based jockey most craves. He has won 12 Breeders Cup races, including the 2004 Classic on Ghostzapper. Two years later, he won the Preakness Stakes on Bernardini. Four straight years, 2013 through 2016, Castellano won the Eclipse Award as the outstanding jockey. In 2017, he was elected to the Hall of Fame. On Saturday, a Venezuelan jockey legend riding a horse trained by another Venezuelan racing luminary, at last claimed the victory he has wanted over all others. When NBCs pre-Derby coverage showed that Javier Castellano 0-of-15 graphic, Castellano said he had a premonition his drought was soon to end: I thought, This is the year. This is the year I am going to break (the losing streak), and I win the race, he said. Mages magic in 2023 Kentucky Derby brightens a dark week for horse racing Kentucky Derby 2023 complete order of finish and payoffs at Churchill Downs Congrats to all the wizards. Social media abuzz after Mage wins Kentucky Derby 2023 Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela Who is Mage? What to know about the champion of this years Kentucky Derby What happened to Tapit Trice, Derma Sotogake and all the other Kentucky Derby also-rans? Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine shot down the first enemy Kinzhal Ukraine still needs F-16 fighters that can shoot down aerial targets, he explained, noting that "We do have weapons against ballistics, which is what we have been asking our partners for a long time. Read also: Ukraine needs at least 20 Patriot air defense batteries, says military expert These are both Patriot and SAMP\T, capable of shooting down ballistic targets, he said. "And once Patriot systems are on combat duty, there is nothing left to do but test them. The Patriot has never worked with targets like this Kh-47 Kinzhal. Read also: First Patriot air defense system division is operational, says Air Force Ihnat stated that in Russia, the Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles are presented as a "super weapon". They still cannot believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to shoot down one of them. Read also: Russia firing at Ukraine missiles made last fall or winter, Air Force says "It's good that we have these kinds of weapons, but it's too early to rejoice because they are not enough," Ihnat added. We need many more of them, we need more of these systems to protect our big cities, infrastructure, and nuclear power facilities. We always emphasize to our Western partners that we need weapons against ballistic [missiles], first of all for this purpose, and its also better for long-range in terms of aerial targets. The spokesperson also noted that the Russians learned about the destruction of the missile prematurely, but admitted that its difficult to keep secrets in the modern world. Overnight on May 3-4, the Air Force, using Patriot air defense systems, shot down a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile for the first time, dispelling the myth that it could not be destroyed. Read also: Ukrainian Air Force denies reports Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missile downed over Kyiv On May 6, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk confirmed that air defense had shot down the missile. 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 An explosion rang out in the city of Odesa during an air-raid warning late on Sunday evening, air defence was activated in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. Source: Suspilne, alerts.in.ua, Kyiv Oblast Military Administration; Kyiv City Military Administration Details: Suspilne reported an explosion in Odesa, after which a fire broke out. A large-scale air-raid warning was announced in Ukraine on Sunday evening, mainly in the southern and central oblasts. At 23:35, an air-raid warning was announced in the city of Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. As at 23:53, the air-raid warning had been cancelled in several southern oblasts but announced in several northern oblasts. At 00:04, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration announced that air defence systems have been activated in the region. "There is a threat of UAV [attacks - ed.]. Air defence forces are working against [enemy - ed.] targets," the announcement said. At 00:10, the Kyiv City Military Administration also reported that air defence was operating in the capital. "Air defence in operation on the outskirts of Kyiv! Stay in shelters until the end of the air-raid alert!" the administration noted. Update at 00:30. There was a Russian missile attack in Odesa Oblast, said Serhii Bratchuk, the chairman of the Public Council at the Odesa Oblast Military Administration. "All other details to follow," he wrote on Telegram. Update at 01:22: Suspilne reported that explosions were heard in Kyiv. The Kyiv City Military Administration said air defence was activated in Ukraines capital. Update at 01:30: More explosions rocked Kyiv. Update at 02:00: Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said drone fragments fell in Kyivs Sviatoshynskyi district. "All relevant services are heading to the scene. Information about damage [to buildings and infrastructure] and casualties is being confirmed," he wrote on Telegram. Update at 02:02: Loud explosions rocked Kyiv once again. Update at 03:35: An all-clear was given in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. There is still a threat of airstrikes and missile strikes in other parts of Ukraine. Story continues Update at 03:50: An all-clear was given across all of Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Pilot Omar Morsi checks controls in the cockpit of a United Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey Airlines and unions disagree on many aspects relating to today's tight labor market, but concur on at least one thing: the need to diversify the pilot workforce pool. At a recent congressional hearing, Regional Airline Association (RAA) President Faye Malarkey Black rued the "very limited diversity" within airline cockpits, echoing remarks from the Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) Jason Ambrosi who noted a dearth of pilots who are women and people of color, saying "that must change." The alignment stood out because Ambrosi and Black disagreed about key elements in today's employment market, including whether a pilot shortage exists. The population of US airline pilots and engineers is currently 95.7 percent white and 9.2 percent female, according to US data. Tapping into underrepresented populations has emerged as a solution to the industry's workforce stresses from the surge in travel demand following the Covid-19 downturn, issues that have also affected other corners of aviation. Over the last 18 months, there has been a scramble for seasoned pilots after thousands of pilots accepted early retirement while airlines cut costs during the pandemic. Whereas major US airlines drew 50 percent of their pilots from the military in the year 2000, that share has dropped to just 15 percent due to the military's shift to unmanned aircraft. Today, three-quarters of major airline recruits come from regional airlines, according to consultancy Oliver Wyman. Oliver Wyman currently forecasts a North American pilot shortfall of 17,000 in 2032 after an earlier projection pointed to an even bigger gap. The moderation follows stepped-up industry efforts, such as United's Aviate Academy, which wants at least half its trainees to be women or people of color. But the smaller forecasted shortage also reflects deep US air travel service cutbacks to rural markets and small cities, said Geoff Murray, a partner at Oliver Wyman. Story continues European airlines do not face similar challenges today because of more generous pandemic employee maintenance programs. But Murray said the continent's pilot labor market is expected to encounter stresses in about three years, in part due to a full restoration of international travel service. - Lifting pilot retirement age? - At an April 19, congressional hearing, the RAA's Black said the country was suffering from an "air service collapse" following the exit of major carriers from 73 markets that have led to fewer flights in places like Erie, Pennsylvania and Pueblo, Colorado. Saying the shortfall would worsen because of "a coming tsunami of pilot retirements," Black asked Congress to raise the mandatory retirement age to 67 from 65. She also urged a reconsideration of the current US standard that requires pilots to have 1,500 hours of service before they can fly for a commercial carrier, arguing that modern training techniques prepare pilots for the cockpit with far fewer costly hours. But ALPAs Ambrosi objected to both of these recommendations, pointing to a European Union study that rejected raising the retirement age beyond 65 and calling a rethink of the 1,500-hour rule a safety risk after Congress lifted the standard in 2010 from 250 hours following a fatal plane crash. "Since 2010, fatalities are down 99.8 percent," Ambrosi told the committee. "Responding to temporary post-Covid industry problems with permanent changes to pilot training and qualification requirements is ill-considered and dangerous." Ambrosi also criticized the analysis by Oliver Wyman that the current labor market dynamics constitute a "shortage," saying the number of new FAA pilot certifications is more than sufficient to cover airline hiring needs, adding that the impact of Covid pilot retirements had been overstated. "Airline decisions to leave communities are market-driven business choices and should not be conflated with pilot supply," Ambrosi said. But both Black and Ambrosi agreed that more must be done to address the runaway costs of pilot training that price out underrepresented populations. The cost to become a pilot can exceed $100,000 following extensive classroom study and years of training, certifications and trial flights. A 2022 "Youth in Aviation" report by a federal task force urged more in-person awareness campaigns and after-school aviation activities for middle- and high-schools, as well as the establishment of a federal pilot scholarship and more generous federal education grants. Congress is expected to consider these measures later this year during debate on the FAA reauthorization bill. jmb/jh BAGHDAD (AP) An Iraqi police officer was convicted and sentenced to death Sunday in the killing of a prominent security analyst and frequent critic of powerful militias. The ruling came nearly three years after the analyst was gunned down outside his Baghdad home following militia threats. The family of the victim, Hisham al-Hashimi, said it supported the verdict, but expressed concern it could be overturned on appeal. A relative of al-Hashimi, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, alleged that those who ordered the killing remain at large. The defendant, Ahmed Hamdawi al-Kinani, was convicted on a terrorism charge and sentenced to death by a criminal court, according to Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council. The case was referred to an appeals court. A video of his purported confession was released after his arrest two years ago. Al-Hashimi, 47, was gunned down in July 2020 in front of his home in Baghdad by two attackers on a motorcycle after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. His killing was captured on a surveillance camera. The images stoked a climate of fear among activists who have accused the government of failing to rein in the powerful armed groups. Al-Hashimi had become well-known as an expert on the Islamic State group and advised the U.S.-led coalition during its years-long battle against the extremists. Following the territorial defeat of IS in December 2017, he became an outspoken critic of the growing influence of Iran-backed militias that helped to defeat IS. Al-Hashimi reportedly received multiple threats from such groups in the period before his death. Al-Kinani identified himself as a police officer with the rank of first lieutenant in the video aired on state media in 2021. Shortly after his arrest, two security officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that he was connected to a militia but did not specify which one. His purported confession did not acknowledge any links to armed groups. Story continues Successive governments have been criticized for allowing militias to operate with impunity. Critics say many government and security officials have ties to such militias. The killings of activists and other critical voices became more frequent in Iraq during a crackdown on a mass protest movement that erupted in 2019, with many blaming Iran-backed militias. Mosimann reported from Irbil, Iraq. President Joe Biden on Sunday urged Congress to send him a bill that bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Biden said in a statement that the gunman who killed eight people at the Allen Premium Outlets used an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle. A police officer responding to an unrelated call killed the gunman, according to Allen police. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Nine victims were taken by ambulances to trauma centers. Two of those victims died after arriving at hospitals, making a total of eight victims dead as of Saturday night. Three of the surviving victims were in critical condition and in surgery, while four were stable Saturday night. The victims included children. Medical City Healthcare system said it was treating eight patients between the ages of 5 and 61. Below is Bidens statement: Eight Americans including children were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation. Jill and I are praying for their families and for others critically injured, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously to save lives. Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to investigate this attack and I have directed federal agencies to provide all needed support. Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence. Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and took two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we have made some progress. States are banning assault weapons, expanding red flag laws and more but its not enough. We need more action, faster to save lives. Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough. Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe. Shannon Watts, who founded Moms Demand Action after a massacre at a Connecticut elementary school, during an interview in Washington on May 5, 2023 Having traveled across the United States for a decade to campaign against the ceaseless round of shootings that have claimed thousands of lives, Shannon Watts believes she has heard a very clear message. "Americans want the gun violence to stop," she said during a recent stop in Washington. One of the country's most prominent faces in the fight against gun violence, Watts met with AFP journalists in her hotel room in an interview sandwiched between a live Instagram talk and lunch with Hillary Clinton and other influential women. While the battle to reduce firearm deaths has exacted a price -- amid furious responses from some far-right gun lovers she often travels under an alias -- this 52-year-old mother of five remains undeterred. And after devoting countless hours to her cause, she insists that "we are winning." It doesn't always feel that way. On Saturday, a man armed with an assault rifle killed eight people in a shopping center near Dallas, Texas. "We are not numb," Watts tweeted afterwards. "We are traumatized." By now, she told AFP, even Republicans, traditionally fierce defenders of the right to own arms, "are scared their kids aren't safe." It was that sort of fear that prompted Watts to found Moms Demand Action. The galvanizing spark was the Sandy Hook massacre of December 14, 2012 -- when a disturbed young man opened fire in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 26 people, including 20 children aged six and seven. That night, Watts said, she went to bed "devastated," in tears but also "full of rage" and overwhelmed by "this feeling of needing to do something." The next morning she went to work. Scouring the internet, she found a few anti-gun violence groups, but all were headed by men. That wasn't for her: "I wanted to be part of a badass army of women," she said. So she set out to create one. From humble beginnings as a small Facebook group, Moms Demand Action has grown into a powerful organization with chapters in all 50 US states and claiming some 10 million supporters. Story continues The association -- part of the umbrella group Everytown for Gun Safety -- enjoys key financial support from billionaire and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. - Red T-shirts - The red T-shirts worn by MDA members have become a familiar sight at demonstrations or outside state capitols, where many legislators have firsthand experience with the group's influence at the ballot box. A master of social media, Watts claims the group has scored 500 legislative victories on the local or national level, nearly always in opposition to the country's powerful pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association. There have also been setbacks, which can fuel a sense of fatalism: Mass shootings have become so common, so unexceptional, that they no longer prompt big demonstrations across the country. But according to Watts it takes more than individual protests to "change legislation and culture." What's needed, she said, is "what I call the unglamorous heavy lifting of grassroots activism." So she keeps pressing for ambitious federal actions -- even if those seem doomed by Republicans' current control of the House of Representatives. A key goal is a nationwide requirement for potential gun buyers to undergo background checks -- to weed out those with criminal records or serious psychiatric problems. Watts also wants to see a ban on military-style assault weapons of the type so frequently used in mass shootings. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, shares that goal but has been unable to push a ban through Congress. - 'Not anti-gun' - But there is one step Moms Demand Action will not take: seeking an outright ban on private gun ownership. "There are a variety of different reasons you may want or need a gun," she told AFP. Her father owned one, as do many members of her organization, Watts said. And countries like Israel and Switzerland have "high rates of gun ownership, but low rates of gun violence," she noted. "Those two things can co-exist." This year, after 10 years heading Moms Demand Action, Watts will pass the reins of leadership to Angela Ferrell-Zabala. Watts, for her part, would not say what her next act might be -- though she wouldn't rule out a future in politics. Given the national prominence she has earned through her MDA work, that would seem a logical move. But her high profile has also made her a target, in a country where love of guns is deeply visceral for many. From her earliest days of activism she has been marked with threats. Heavily armed men have been expelled from events where she appeared. She travels with "someone who specializes in security," whose responsibilities include always knowing the location of "the nearest hospital to take me to if there's a shooting." But Watts insisted she will not be silenced. "If we lose our children," she said, "we have nothing left to lose." seb-led/rle/bbk/bfm/mlm American Airlines has launched its first additional route departing from Sacramento since the COVID-19 pandemic, a nonstop flight to Austin, Texas. Fridays inaugural trip represented one of the longest operated by Americans regional carriers, according to a news release from the airline. American is the only carrier to offer service between the two cities with a first-class cabin. The flight is operated through American Airlines subsidiary Envoy on a 76-seat Embraer 175 between Sacramento International and Austin-Bergstrom Airport. The first customers traveling between the state capitals received branded cowboy hats before boarding their flight to the Lone Star State, a spokesperson with American Airlines said. Protesters and Graham Smith from Republic, pictured above. Protesters and Graham Smith from Republic, pictured above. Furious republicans have told the police to hang their heads in shame after protesters were arrested at King Charles coronation. Graham Smith, CEO of anti-monarchy group Republic, said the right to protest peacefully in the UK no longer exists. He blasted the Met Police for showing no judgement, no common sense and no basic decency after scores of demonstrators were arrested on Saturday. Smith described it as a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country. He was arrested among 52 people during the kings coronation on Saturday before being released after nearly 16 hours in police custody. Im now out of the police station. Still waiting for my colleagues. Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. Graham Smith (@GrahamSmith_) May 6, 2023 The Metropolitan Police Service has faced criticism after more than 50 people were arrested for alleged affray, public nuisance and breach-of-the-peace offenses. The arrests were described by human rights organizations as a dangerous precedent for a democratic nation. In a statement following his release, Smith said: Yesterday, as we prepared for a peaceful and lawful protest, a number of Republics team were arrested and detained for the rest of the day. These arrests are a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country. A policeman is seen carrying a banner taken away from protesters during an Anti-monarchist protest during King Charles III's Coronation. A policeman is seen carrying a banner taken away from protesters during an Anti-monarchist protest during King Charles III's Coronation. Each and every police officer involved on the ground should hang their heads in shame. They showed no judgement, no common sense and no basic decency. Story continues This was a heavy handed action which had the appearance of a pre-determined arrest that would have occurred regardless of the evidence or our actions. The right to protest peacefully in the UK no longer exists. Instead we have a freedom to protest that is contingent on political decisions made by ministers and senior police officers. Smith said the arrests had destroyed whatever trust might have existed between peaceful protesters and the Met Police. He questioned what was the point in the protesters being open and candid with the police, working with their liaison officers and meeting senior commanders if this is what happens. A protester holds a placard which states 'This country is ours' during the demonstration. A protester holds a placard which states 'This country is ours' during the demonstration. The campaigner insisted they would not be deterred from further protest, adding: We will continue to protest with one simple message: Charles is not our king, it is time to abolish the monarchy. However, culture secretary Lucy Frazer insisted the police got the balance right and denied that officers had gone too far. She told Sky News Sophy Ridge: I think, overall, they managed to get that balance right. Home secretary Suella Braverman also praised the police for their actions, tweeting: Im incredibly grateful to the police for all their hard work at todays coronation celebration to ensure it was safe and passed without incident. Met Police commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yards actions, saying: Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner. Protestors from the group Republic gather in their hundreds in Trafalgar square to say 'Not My King' in central London. Protestors from the group Republic gather in their hundreds in Trafalgar square to say 'Not My King' in central London. She said: We absolutely understand public concern following the arrests we made [on Saturday morning]. Protest is lawful and it can be disruptive. We have policed numerous protests without intervention in the build-up to the coronation, and during it. Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. We also have a duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption. This depends on the context. The coronation is a once in a generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment. A protest involving large numbers has gone ahead today with police knowledge and no intervention. The Met said it received information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. They confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Under the controversial new Public Order Act, protesters who have an object with the intention of using it to lock on are liable to a fine, with those who block roads facing 12 months in prison. ALLEN, Texas Authorities are looking into whether the gunman who killed eight people at a suburban Dallas outdoor mall showed an interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views, and if those provided a motive for the weekend attack, The Associated Press and CNN reported Sunday. While cautioning that the investigation has just begun, law enforcement sources told the outlets that Mauricio Garcia, identified as the gunman, had links to that ideology. Those included social media accounts and posts as well as a patch on his chest that read RWDS, an acronym for the phrase Right Wing Death Squad, which is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups. Garcia, 33, was killed by police responding to Saturday's assault, which left seven people with injuries that required hospitalization. In addition to reviewing Garcia's electronic media presence, federal agents have interviewed family members and associates of Garcia to ask about his ideological beliefs and are reviewing his financial records said an official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities were picking through shattered glass and shell casings Sunday at the mall in Allen, a city of 105,000 residents about 25 miles north of Dallas. Amid the chaos as hundreds of shoppers at Allen Premium Outlets scrambled for cover Saturday, a police officer on an unrelated call heard the gunshots and raced to the scene, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said. "He heard gunshots, located the gunshots, located the shooter, neutralized the shooter, neutralized the threat," Harvey said at a briefing late Saturday. Three law enforcement officials who requested anonymity to discuss details of an ongoing investigation identified the shooter as Garcia, AP reported. One of the officials said Garcia had been staying at a nearby motel. The official said investigators have been searching the motel and a home in the Dallas area connected to the suspect. Story continues Authorities have not released information on a possible motive or details about the victims, including their names. President Joe Biden tweeted Sunday that the assailant wore tactical gear and was armed with an AR-15-style rifle. He thanked first responders who acted "quickly and courageously" but said such attacks had become shockingly familiar. "Once again, Congress must send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines," Biden wrote. "Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe." Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dismissed gun control legislation as a "quick solution" that won't solve the problem, telling "Fox News Sunday" that addressing mental health issues is the long-term solution. Six victims and the gunman died at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said. Nine people were transported to regional hospitals, where two died a short time later, police said. Three people remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday and four were in fair condition. Roberto Marquez is pictured constructing a wooden cross memorial at the scene of a mass shooting a day earlier at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas. Developments: Harvey said he believed the shooter acted alone and asked that anyone who witnessed the attacks or had video from the scene contact police. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas described the shooting as "another horrific tragedy in our country." Mayorkas, speaking on "Face the Nation," said he spoke with the governor and mayor and that state and local authorities were leading the investigation. Biden ordered flags flown at half-staff until May 11. Police used patrol cars to hustle wounded to hospitals Steven Spainhouer said he raced to the scene after his son called from the mall to say shots were being fired. Spainhouer told CBS News he arrived before any first responders, and while a handful of people around him were recording videos, he tried to save lives. Some were so badly hurt they had to be loaded into police cars because ambulances would not have arrived fast enough. "I was on the phone with 911 and I was telling them we have a mass casualty incident," he said. "The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face." 'It takes your sense of safety away' Katie Shi, who lives with her husband and two children in Allen about a mile away from the scene, said the outdoor outlet mall is a frequent go-to place for her family. They had just purchased a pair of shoes for her 7-year-old son at the Nike outlet, she said Sunday. On Saturday afternoon, Shi, 39, had been out running errands when she passed the mall on the way home and noticed the heavy police presence. By the time she got home to her relieved husband, the shooting was all over the news and there were helicopters in the skies overhead. While Shi and her family are safe, its still scary, she said, not to know whether any of her childrens classmates may have been affected. "Having it happen in your hometown, where you go to church, where your kids go to school, where you do your shopping it takes your sense of safety away," she said. Shi says she knows the gun issue can be polarizing, but she finds it bewildering that after so many mass shootings in the U.S., "life just keeps going and we dont pause to say, 'Lets do something.' No one needs to have semi-automatic weapons." Unprecedented mass shootings so far this year The attack continues a troubling trend of mass shootings across the nation and in Texas. It comes a week after a gunman opened fire on neighbors in Cleveland, Texas, killing five people including a 9-year-old boy. Last May, a gunman in Uvalde, Texas, shot his grandmother before driving to an elementary and opening fire, killing 19 students and two teachers before being killed by police. James Alan Fox, a professor of Criminology, Law, and Public Policy at Northeastern University who has studied mass killings for 40 years, says 2023 has been the worst year in terms of mass killings "since at least 2006 and probably ever." "I've not seen anything like this," Fox said. "We have more guns in the hands of Americans. Gun sales have skyrocketed since COVID. There's a lot of divisiveness in this country, and people suffering emotionally and economically since the pandemic." Prayers and a 'special place in hell' The shooting brought the customary statements of sympathy and support from federal, state, and local officials. Mayor Ken Fulk issued a statement promising full support to families of the victims. He said Allen is a "proud and safe city," making the attack more shocking. "We are a strong and caring community," Fulk said. "We want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, said he and wife Heidi were "praying for the victims." Abbott, who like Cruz has consistently supported easing gun restrictions, pledged to ensure "all needed assistance and resources" would be swiftly deployed. Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, Abbott said in a statement. Rep. Keith Self, a Republican who represents the congressional district where Allen is located, tweeted a statement Saturday offering prayers to the victims, their families and law enforcement. Told later in a CNN interview that many believe prayers aren't working, Self responded: "Well, those are people that don't believe in an almighty God who has, who is absolutely in control of our lives. I'm a Christian. I believe that he is.'' Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat who represents Uvalde, took aim on social media at lawmakers who resist gun reform. "There is a special place in hell for people who watch all this happen and choose to do nothing. #bloodontheirhands," he tweeted. What happened at the Allen Premium Outlets mall outside Dallas? Police and witnesses said a gunman parked a gray Honda Accord outside the mall at around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The man began shooting people walking on sidewalks outside the mall, a popular shopping spot with many upscale outlets such as Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein and Ann Taylor. Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and starting to shoot. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove away. Pretzel stand employee Maxwell Gum, 16, described a stampede of shoppers as he and others sheltered in a storage room. "We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents." Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard gunshots through his headphones. People in the store ushered a group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Outside, Payton saw bodies. "I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids," he said. "It broke me when I walked out to see that." Witnesses told WFAA-TV the shooter was dressed in all black. They said the shooting took place near Fatburger restaurant and in front of the H&M outlet. H&M issued a statement saying all its employees were safe and that counseling will be provided to any who request it. Max Weiss, 18, told CNN he was working in the mall when he heard gunshots for as long as three minutes. He said he and other employees and customers locked the front door to the store and huddled in the stock room. He described the scene as anxious, tense and terrifying" and said the group waited nearly two hours for officers to come into the store and escort them out of the parking lot area with their arms in the air. US averaging a mass killing every week Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to an analysis of The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University mass killing database. So far there have been 22 mass killings in the U.S. in 2023. The Gun Violence Archive says the Texas mass shooting is the 200th in the nation this year and the 12th in May. Mass shootings, defined as four or more people shot, differ from mass killings, defined as four or more people killed. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas mall shooting probe focus in on the gunman's ideology: Updates The Atlanta Police Department is investigating a crash in west Atlanta after two people were killed and four were hospitalized. According to police, on Saturday around 2:00 p.m., officers arrived at a crash on James Parkway at Browntown Road. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] APD told Channel 2 Action News a Toyota Sequoia was traveling north on James Jackson Parkway, attempting to pass a Honda Accord when it struck the side of the Honda. This caused the Sequoia to lose control and enter into the southbound lanes. The Sequoia then hit a Toyota Rav4. The driver and passenger in the Sequoia were both ejected. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was transported to a nearby hospital. Three additional occupants from the Sequoia were also transported to a nearby hospital. The driver of the Rav4 was also pronounced dead at the scene. TRENDING STORIES: The driver of the Accord was not injured. The investigation is ongoing. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Arab foreign minister agreed to re-admit Syria into the Arab League at a meeting in Cairo, after a suspension of more than a decade The Arab League on Sunday welcomed back Syria's government, ending a more than decade-long suspension and securing President Bashar al-Assad's return to the Arab fold after years of isolation. In November 2011, the body suspended Damascus over its crackdown on peaceful protests, which had begun earlier that year and which spiralled into a war that has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure and industry. While the front lines have mostly quietened, large parts of the country's north remain outside government control, and no political solution has yet been reached to the 12-year-old conflict. "Government delegations from the Syrian Arab Republic will resume their participation in Arab League meetings" starting Sunday, said a unanimous decision by the group's foreign ministers. The ministers in a statement emphasised their "keenness to launch a leading Arab role in efforts to resolve" the Syria crisis. They agreed to form a ministerial committee to continue "direct dialogue with the Syrian government in order to reach a comprehensive solution". Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the 22-member Arab League, said the decision "brings the Arab side into communication with the Syrian government for the first time in years". Syria's return to the body is "the beginning... not the end of the issue", he added, noting it was up to individual countries to decide whether to resume ties with Damascus. - 'Diplomatic victory' - Following the announcement, Syria's foreign ministry stressed the importance of "Arab cooperation", in a statement carried by state news agency SANA. "The next stage requires an effective and constructive Arab approach... based on dialogue, mutual respect and common Arab interests", it added. Several Arab countries cut ties with Syria early in the conflict, betting on Assad's demise, while some including Qatar and Saudi Arabia provided support to the Syrian opposition. Story continues Qatar on Sunday said it would not normalise relations with Assad's government, but foreign ministry spokesman Majid bin Muhammad al-Ansari told state media Doha would not be "an obstacle" to the Arab move. The last Arab League summit Assad attended was in 2010, while the opposition attended the pan-Arab group's summit in Doha in 2013, to Damascus's fury. Aboul Gheit told a press conference Assad was welcome to attend the Arab League's next summit on May 19 once invited by host Saudi Arabia. Regional capitals have gradually been warming to Assad as he has stubbornly held onto power and clawed back lost territory with crucial support from Iran and Russia. The United Arab Emirates, which re-established ties in late 2018, has been leading the recent charge to reintegrate Damascus into the Arab fold. In a phone call Sunday with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Assad expressed "Syria's appreciation for the role the UAE has played in reunifying and improving Arab relations", the Syrian presidency said. A February 6 earthquake that wreaked devastation in Turkey and Syria sparked Arab outreach to Assad's government, while intensified regional diplomatic activity has been underway since a March decision by rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume ties. "Syria's regional isolation is officially broken," analyst Fabrice Balanche said, calling Sunday's decision a "diplomatic victory" for Assad. - Opposition 'abandoned' - April saw a first Saudi official, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, visit Damascus since the start of the war, days after a trip to Jeddah by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. Mekdad has travelled to a string of Arab countries in recent weeks, including a May 1 meeting in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt to discuss the long-running conflict. Assad is hoping normalisation with wealthy Gulf nations could bring economic relief and money for reconstruction. With the war far from over and Assad still internationally isolated, analysts say sanctions will likely continue to deter investment. The Syrian National Coalition, the main opposition alliance, said Sunday's decision meant "abandoning" and ignoring "the will of the Syrian people", leaving them "without official Arab support". "It is unacceptable to allow (Assad) to avoid punishment for the war crimes he has committed against Syrians," said the Turkey-based coalition. The Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday that Damascus had to "address the roots of the crisis that led to its boycott, and to take positive steps towards addressing the issues of the Syrian people". In northwest Syria's rebel-held Idlib region, displaced Syrians expressed frustration. "We were pushed out of our homes," said Ghassan Yussef, 54. "I ask the Arab rulers: where are you taking us?" str-bha/sbh/lg/jj Owned by husband and wife team Jon and Stacy Bichelmeyer, Archway Homes buys houses as is in any condition: houses needing little to no repair, houses needing everything repaired from leaking roofs to bad foundations, cluttered houses, or those simply in need of cosmetic updating. Archway provides a no-obligation offer within 24 hours, can pay cash and close within three days or on a future date of the sellers choice, and there are no fees or commissions to pay. One of the advantages of working with us is selling as is, said Jon. That means you dont have to do any extensive and expensive renovations to make your home appeal to todays buyers or have it ready to show at a moments notice, wait for the right buyer, wait for it to close, and then pay a real estate agents commission or sellers closing costs. A third-generation real estate investor with roots in the Kansas City community for over 40 years, Jons extensive experience really makes a difference. The ability to sell a house quickly, in lieu of the traditional, lengthy home selling method, to an established and reputable company has been the perfect solution for numerous homeowners all over the Kansas City area, including Michael and Cynthia F. They wanted to sell a rental house in Leavenworth, but since they lived over an hour away and the house needed some freshening to make it market-ready, it didnt make sense to sell the traditional route. After seeing Archways ads in the newspaper, Michaels mother suggested getting more information. We contacted a few companies, but the others didnt seem as reputable as Archway, said Cynthia. They offered us a fair price, and everything went as smoothly as could be. They did what they said they would do and lived up to every promise. They were very good at following up and contacted us shortly before closing to check in with us. Jon even came to the closing. Hes just a nice, down to earth person. We were so happy we sold to them and have already recommended Archway to friends. Archway has purchased homes in all sorts of situations. Sometimes the properties need extensive repairs. Archway Homes will buy the home and make the needed repairs, relieving the sellers of the hassle and expense. Sellers can even leave the unwanted contents, saving time and expense. We are committed to working with sellers, even in difficult situations, to find a solution for all, Stacy said. They strive to make the difficult process of selling a home as stress-free as possible, especially in these challenging times. We even wrote the book on it. Literally! Home to Home Local Edition Kansas City Metro outlines the steps homeowners can take to sell their home and our experiences helping people do just that, Jon said. Weve seen some great times; we lived through the real estate crash in 2008-2010 and have come through the other side. We plan to keep working with sellers no matter what the market is doing, said Jon. I know people are being cautious and careful, so we are using smart technology and every health precaution to make sure our sellers feel comfortable. Archway Homes features a no-obligation offer process. The first step is to call the office at 913-599-5000 to schedule an appointment. Jon will then walk through the home and can provide an offer price within 24 hours. Archway Homes can pay cash and close in as fast as three days. However, some sellers need the opposite approach, needing a delayed closing several months away. They may need time to find their next home, or they are building a home and need time for it to be completed. Coordinating closing schedules in a traditional sale can be challenging. Archway Homes sets a closing date that will meet the sellers needs. Anyone who wants to sell a home quickly for cash should call Jon Bichelmeyer at 913-599-5000 or email him at jon@archwayhomesinc.com. Or they can visit Archway Homes website at archwaypropertieskc.com to fill out an online form or to get a free copy of our book Home to Home Local Edition Kansas City Metro, Kansas and Missouri, call our office. Archway Homes Location: 15301 W. 87th St. Parkway, Suite B35 in the UMB Bank building Contact: Jon Bichelmeyer at 913-599-5000 or jon@archwayhomesinc.com Website: archwaypropertieskc.com Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Bill Gates. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates now has PTSD after relentless attacks during the 2020 election. Election deniers upset about the 2020 presidential results harassed Gates, per The Washington Post. Gates, a longtime Republican, became withdrawn and angry as a result of the campaign against him and his family. A Republican official in Arizona revealed that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after election deniers targeted him and his family as a result of the 2020 presidential race. In an interview with The Washington Post, Bill Gates, the current chair of the influential Maricopa County Board of Supervisors which has jurisdiction over one of the most politically-competitive counties in the United States spoke of the challenges that he faced as a result of backing the integrity of the countywide vote in 2020. A longtime Republican, Gates said he backed former President Donald Trump in the 2016 election and was an elected official in what was a longtime redoubt of the GOP. But things began to change in 2020 as opponents of the county's COVID-19 protocols railed against mask mandates put into place to curb the spread of the virus. And after now-President Joe Biden won both Maricopa County and Arizona in November 2020, Trump-aligned Republicans sought to stop the certification of Biden's victory. Those efforts to overturn the result stretched into the next year when the GOP commissioned an audit of the presidential results in the county. During that time, Trump and many Republicans in his orbit continued to question the integrity of the vote in Arizona without any verifiable proof of fraud. Gates himself faced death threats, while fliers with an image of his face were sent around to his neighbors, according to The Post. Soon, his family began to feel unsafe in their own residence, and briefly left their home to escape the harassment, per the report. After Gates' usually cheery personality morphed into one that was much more withdrawn, along with his difficulties with sleeping, a loss of appetite, and an increasing propensity to lose his cool during meetings and television interviews, his wife told him he needed to go to therapy. Story continues According to the report, a therapist informed Gates that he had "classic" signs of PTSD, a condition often associated with troops coming home from war. Gates was dealing with his own battles in Arizona. And as he received the therapy that was helping him tackle his most personal issues, he leaned on his family as they all worked through the difficult experience that had kept them on edge. "This has been a family journey," he told the newspaper. "We're all working through this together. But we had to understand that we couldn't do this on our own. We had to reach out for help." Read the original article on Business Insider Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, testifies during a Senate Committee on Education on March 29, 2023, in Phoenix. The Arizona Republic ran an article about critical race theory that completely misses the point. (What is critical race theory? Is it being taught in Arizona schools? May 3). If you want to know the role of critical race theory in Arizona K-12 schools, you dont go to theoretical university books. You go to what is actually taught in K-12 schools. This is what Tucson teachers told their students critical race theory is: Unlike traditional civil rights, which embraces incrementalism and step-by-step progress, critical race theory questions the very foundation of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law. Tom Horne, Arizona superintendent of public instruction Fox News forgets why we watch There are lots of rumblings coming out of Fox News in the aftermath of the Tucker Carlson firing. Its as though Fox is going through a sort of ethnic cleansing. But unfortunately the part being rubbed out is the conservative part of the network that is driving all the ratings. Thats corporate suicide. If this is meant to make Fox News more like CNN then all it will accomplish is dropping Fox viewership to CNN levels four people and a janitor. Charles Lopresto, Phoenix Don't forget the events at Kent State This month we mark the 53rd anniversary of what can be called the largest political awakening of millions of young people in America. On May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, peaceful anti-war protesters, many of whom placed flowers in the gun barrels of the National Guard, came literally face to face with death. The picture we will never forget on the front page of every newspaper around the world was indeed our wake-up call. And we answered that call. Many of us still in high school rolled out to the streets and demanded an end to the draft and the Vietnam War. More letters: Cities are slow-walking more pickleball courts Story continues Two years earlier in Chicago, the world witnessed the chaos and violence created by law enforcement. Kent State was but another explosive phase of unprovoked violence. Neil Youngs song Ohio (Four dead in O-hio) became yet another anthem for the streets. Yes, in 2023 we giggled May the Fourth Be With You, but simmering underneath is May 4, 1970, and we keep in mind this and that Chicago summer of 1968, when millions of young people beceme the dramatic force of change that ended the draft and the war and a criminal enterprise in the White House. We need young voters now more than ever. Time again to be The Force to be heard in school boards, city halls, court houses, legislatures across the country and in the halls of Congress. And, of course, the only place where we are all supposed to be fully equal: The ballot box. Ruthee Goldkorn, Peoria Businesses put the customer last I quit my 35-year career in customer service when my high-tech job turned into work that ignored the customers and their concerns. After corporations outsourced and transfered service operations to low-cost labor markets, they began to expedite their transition to non-customer service. Companies continue to grow non-customer service while customers suffer. The movement has trended toward making customers do many of the service-related jobs employees once did. You see this at supermarkets and with customer-based support using online apps to resolve technology problems. As I write this letter, I have been on hold to resolve a company billing problem with a health-insurance company listening to repeated messages that someone will be with me shortly. When customer service mattered, our goals were to answer calls within one minute. If the response center was busy, we transferred the call automatically until a human answered the call. To top off the growth in non-customer service that exists today, we are asked to take a survey after the service call is completed. How ridiculous. Customer service has been relegated to the one of the least important factors in business. Martin Cohen, Surprise Whats on your mind? Send us a letter to the editor online or via email at opinions@arizonarepublic.com. And consider joining our moderated Voices: Engaging Arizona group on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Critical race theory isn't what the textbooks say it is Wichita police used a newer, somewhat controversial technique to make an arrest last week in a 2007 cold case. Ted Foy, 52, of Augusta was arrested Monday on suspicion of two counts of rape, two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy in connection with a Nov. 13, 2007, case in southeast Wichita. It was the departments first arrest using investigative genetic genealogy, which takes a DNA sample from an unsolved case and tries to match it to data people have submitted to genealogy websites. The higher the percentage match, the closer the relationship between that person and the potential suspect. From there, police can build family trees, narrow it down to a suspect and investigate if that person could have committed the crime. . Police started using investigative genetic genealogy a few years ago. Investigators opened this case in 2020 and spent well over 100 hours on it, according to Capt. Christian Cory. The police department has five other cold cases, all murders and sexual assaults, it is using genealogy to investigate, he said. Cory expects some of the other cold cases will be solved. Im very happy that theres another tool that we can use to bring justice to the victims in these cold cases, he said. The police departments public information unit initially denied The Eagles request to speak with a police officer about the case but made Cory available to speak with other media. The police department later allowed The Eagle to speak with Cory. He wouldnt talk about the specifics of the case, only about generalities in using investigative genetic genealogy. Details could emerge if a judge releases the probable cause affidavit in the case. Cory wouldnt say why the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Cold Case Team was involved, only that they had a special interest in the case. The incident happened in the 1900 block of South Tara Falls, less than five miles from McConnell Air Force Base. Story continues Police departments increased use of investigative genetic genealogy after it was used to catch the Golden State Killer, who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s and had been suspected of at least a dozen killings and dozens more rapes. Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was arrested in 2018. He admitted to being the infamous killer and will spend life behind bars. However, his arrest raised concerns about catching a suspect by using a distant family members DNA. Genealogy companies either volunteer or can be ordered by a court to allow police use of their databases. Cory said, in general, that connection to a distant relative is only the start of the investigation, which would often require getting DNA from closer family members, and hopefully the suspect, and creating a case that shows the person could have committed the crime. Using the databases to start an investigation is blatantly unconstitutional, according to Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a privacy and civil rights organization. The Fourth Amendment requires particularity when you are getting a warrant with these sorts of dragnets, you are using probable cause against one person to invade the privacy of millions, Cahn said. This sort of general warrant is completely antithetical to what the framers of our constitution intended in the Fourth Amendment. Submitting your DNA to genealogy companies has become popular in recent years. He said tens of millions of Americans have uploaded their DNA, giving police the ability to profile nearly everyone in the country. GEDmatch, one of the companies investigators used to catch the Golden State Killer, says it has records to access 350 million people. Even for those of us who would never give our DNA sample to a private company, our relatives have often done it for us, he said. If you want to get your DNA tested and keep it private, theres one easy way to keep yourself safe. Dont do it. Police, Cahn said, often tout how investigative genetic genealogy is used on the most egregious cases, but there is nothing to stop them, and little way of knowing, if they use it in low-level cases. The concern about how police will use investigative genetic genealogy is highlighted in a Los Angeles Times investigation into its used in the Golden State Killer investigation. The news organization found investigators did covert searches of companies DNA and appeared to violate the privacy policy of at least one DNA company. Cahn also had concerns that DNA in cold cases may deteriorate over time, possibly leading to false positives. Paul Holes, one of the investigators who helped catch the Golden State Killer, came to Wichita in 2020 to talk with officers about this technique. He said one of the problems would be concerns the public would have about privacy. Its proven itself to be a revolutionary tool, he said, adding over 70 cold cases had been solved that likely wouldnt have been otherwise. At no point ... as a law enforcement officer did I have access to anybodys genetic information. All I got was information about how closely or distantly related these people were in the database. It gave me starting data points to start doing traditional genealogy to ultimately find Joseph DeAngelo. He added: Thats in part what were here today to do, is to educate Kansas authorities and eventually educate the public and legislators about what investigate genealogy is and what it is not. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Foys case would be the first case of its kind prosecuted in the county. He compared the technology with that of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national database that alerts officers if the DNA of an offender matches one from an unsolved crime. He said the alert is only the start of the investigation. This CODIS process has been accepted and upheld through appellate review several times in Kansas, Bennett said in an email. I would expect the same legal analysis would frame the appellate courts assessment of this latest advance. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Win McNamee/Getty Images To recover his political popularity, Donald Trump has "played the victim," Asa Hutchinson said. Hutchinson told NBC News that Trump's followers "believe he's been picked on" amid the investigations he faces. Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, is also a GOP candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump has "played the victim" to win favor in the polls. Hutchinson, also a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that despite Trump's resurgence in the polls after his flop in the 2022 midterms, it is still early in the campaign season. "He was responsible for a lot of the failure and growth that we expected and wins in a number of different states. And so his numbers were down," Hutchinson said on Sunday. "Since then, his numbers have gone up because he's played the victim. People believe he's been picked on because of some prosecutions." In April, Trump pled not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the investigation into his businesses by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Since then, Trump has launched a social media campaign against Bragg. Hutchinson said Trump has been successful at rallying his base around his victimhood, giving the former president the leading spot among GOP candidates in the polls by double-digit percentage points for now. "I joke, in some ways, that his campaign manager is Alvin Bragg of New York City," Hutchinson said of Trump on Sunday. "That indictment caused those numbers to go up because they don't believe they're fair. This will settle out over time." Trump faces several other investigations, including two by the federal government for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riots, as well as his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Story continues On Sunday, Hutchinson said Trump has a "moral responsibility" for the January 6 attack, though the Justice Department will have to decide if he has a criminal responsibility. Hutchinson said he's focused on the 2024 elections and "persuading Americans that we need to go a different direction." Read the original article on Business Insider Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that Donald Trump saw a boost in the 2024 presidential polls after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury because the former president played the victim. During an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, host Chuck Todd asked Hutchinson why Republican voters think Trump is the best candidate right now. Hutchinson pointed to the time immediately after the 2022 midterm elections, when Trumps support dropped in the polls after a predicted red wave failed to materialize. Trump and his hand-picked candidates were largely blamed for the losses. Hutchinson called these polls the true numbers. WATCH: Fmr. Gov. @AsaHutchinson (R-Ark.) says Trumps popularity rose because he played the victim and people believe he was picked on after being indicted by a Manhattan DA. I joke in some ways that [Trumps] campaign manager is Alvin Bragg of New York City. pic.twitter.com/zHLb3vPYIi Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 7, 2023 Since then his numbers have gone up because hes played the victim, Hutchinson said. People believe hes been picked on because of some prosecutions. I joke in some ways that his campaign manager is [Manhattan district attorney] Alvin Bragg in New York City. That indictment caused those numbers to go up because they dont believe theyre fair, Hutchinson said. This will settle out over time and so lets judge it understanding that were early in the campaign weve got a lot of room to grow. In April, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records after an investigation by the Manhattan district attorneys office into a hush-money payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Story continues YouGov polling conducted in the hours after Trumps arrest found 58 percent of Republicans believe the charges will strengthen his 2024 campaign, while just 17 percent said it would weaken it. Forty percent of Democrats said the charges would weaken Trumps presidential bid, while just 18 percent said they would strengthen it. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll of Republican voters shortly after Trumps indictment found Trump leading Florida governor Ron DeSantis 57 percent to 31 percent. Trump notched an increase of ten percentage points in under two weeks. Hutchinson, meanwhile, faced questions last week about why, exactly, he is running for president, with Fox News host Lawrence Jones pointing out that Hutchinson is averaging just 1 percent in the polls. Jones said he has not found one person that says they want Asa Hutchinson to be the president of the United States. Well . . . there are people out there that would like to see me run for president. But there is certainly a gap between myself and Donald Trump who is right now leading the ticket on the Republican side, Hutchinson replied. But thats why you have campaigns. Thats why you have choices. Thats why I am able to talk about the economy, my experience in law enforcement. Theres no one that has more experience in law enforcement than me in terms of dealing with our border security issues and dealing with crime. More from National Review A man being held in the Beaufort County Detention Center, who was awaiting extradition to be charged with open murder for allegedly killing a 19-year-old Michigan woman in 1988, died Saturday, the Beaufort County Coroners Office confirmed. Robert Odell Waters, 53, of Beaufort, was arrested April 30 on a fugitive from justice charge, jail records show. On Saturday, he was found unresponsive in his cell during a routine check in what officials determined was a suicide, according to a news release sent that afternoon. Later Saturday, the Three Rivers Police Department in St. Joseph County, Michigan, which was investigating the cold case, announced Waters death via its Facebook page. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was requested to conduct the in-custody death investigation, the post read. This is an ongoing investigation, and the Three Rivers Police Department is waiting for the results from the Coroners Office before making a statement to the media later this week. Chief R. Scott Boling of the department was not immediately available for comment. Beaufort County Chief Deputy Coroner Debbie Youmans confirmed Waters death Sunday. Youmans said she could not provide any further information. SLED investigating Cathy Swartz, 19, was found murdered on Dec. 2, 1988, in her apartment. An autopsy determined she died from stab wounds and was beaten and strangled before her death, according to previous reporting from WSBT 22, a Michigan news station. Swartz was found by her boyfriend. Her 9-month-old daughter was in an upstairs bedroom and was not injured. Over three decades later, in a May 1 news release, Three Rivers Police Department announced it had used forensic genetic genealogy on DNA found at the scene. From the DNA, police were able to narrow down suspects to a family they interviewed and fingerprinted, officials said in the release. Investigators identified Waters as a suspect and then traveled to South Carolina to interview him. Story continues Waters turned himself in to police April 30, Chief Deputy Stephenie Price, a spokesperson for the Beaufort Police Department, previously told an Island Packet reporter. Waters was awaiting extradition to Michigan, where he would have been charged with open murder, which permits a jury not only to decide whether the person is guilty or not but also to say which degree of murder the case involves. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was contacted to open an investigation into Waters death, as is common procedure with inmate deaths, according to the Saturday release. The investigation is active and ongoing, said Renee Wunderlich, SLEDs director of public information, on Sunday afternoon. No other details are available at this time. An administrator with the detention center could not be immediately reached for comment. The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette do not typically write about suicides or suicide attempts unless there is a compelling reason to do so, such as occurring in a public setting or involving a newsworthy subject. Beginners guide to Isas First launched in 1999, Isas more formally known as Individual Savings Accounts have become a hugely popular way for savers and investors alike to shield their money from tax. Thats because savings interest and investment returns earned from money held in an Isa is tax-free, shielding you from potential income tax, capital gains tax and dividend tax charges. But there are several rules youll need to abide by to keep this tax-free status. For instance, all adults in Britain get an Isa allowance of 20,000 this is how much you can deposit into Isa accounts during each tax year. You can either save everything into one Isa, or split it across several, but you can only pay into one of each type of Isa each year. Here, Telegraph Money takes a look at the different types of Isas to help you decide which options could work best for you. Should you save with a cash Isa? Cash Isas are offered by banks, building societies and National Savings and Investments (NS&I). They function in pretty much the same way as normal savings accounts - the main differences being the restrictions on how much you can pay in, and how you switch to a new account. As you can only pay into one cash Isa each tax year, if you see a better deal elsewhere after youve already started saving, you have to make an Isa transfer moving all the cash youve deposited during the current tax year to the new account. You have to submit an Isa transfer request with the new provider to make this happen. As with savings accounts, you can get easy-access, notice, regular saver and fixed-rate Isas; fixed-rate accounts tend to pay the highest rates, but can involve locking your money away for a number of years. Its worth noting that the top cash Isa rates can usually be beaten by their savings account equivalents. There are a few possible reasons for this. According to Moneyfacts, providers have a greater administrative burden of offering Isas (such as reporting to HMRC each year) and may offer lower rates as a result. It could also be that the complexity of Isas puts off some providers, reducing the competition and incentive to make rates more competitive. Story continues While cash Isas will shield your savings interest from tax, this feature is only beneficial if youre at risk of exceeding your personal savings allowance. This means basic-rate taxpayers can earn up to 1,000 in savings interest in each tax year; reducing to 500 for higher-rate earners. If you pay additional-rate tax, you dont qualify for this allowance. Youll have to consider the trade-off between how much tax you could save with an Isa, vs the extra interest you could earn with a savings account. Now read: The best 25 funds for your Isa picked by our experts Investing with a stocks and shares Isa A stocks and shares Isa can hold a range of investment products, and any investment growth or interest earned within the account is tax-free. Investments that can be held in a stocks and shares Isa include unit trusts, investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, individual stocks and shares, corporate and government bonds, and Open Ended Investment Companies (OEIC). Lots of banks offer stocks and shares Isas, along with a host of investment platforms. Depending on how youre investing, you could expect to pay fees charged by the investment platform or financial adviser, as well as charges levied by individual fund managers if youre buying funds. These fees will vary depending on the providers you use and the value of your investment. You can only pay into one stocks and shares Isa in each tax year. As with cash Isas, its possible to transfer funds from current or previous tax years to a new account, and you have to fill out a transfer request form to do so. Investment returns can produce higher returns than cash but this isnt guaranteed and will depend on the performance of the investments held in the account. If youre thinking about investing, its good to go in with a long-term view in mind ideally, youll be looking to invest for at least five years. This gives investments time to grow, and will hopefully even out any short-term volatility. Now read: Have you got the cheapest Isa? The providers charging the most and least in 2023 Lifetime Isas: save for first home or retirement Lifetime Isas (Lisas) were introduced in 2017 to help people either save up to buy their first home, or for retirement savings. They can be opened by those aged 18 to 39, and you can deposit up to 4,000 a year anything you pay in will be deducted from your 20,000 Isa allowance. You can choose between cash or stocks and shares Lifetime Isas. The biggest bonus Lisas offer is that the Government tops up your savings with an extra 25pc, which means you could get up to 1,000 extra each year. However, you can only keep saving into the account until you turn 50. If youre saving for retirement, youll then have to wait until you turn 60 before you can access your savings but they can then be spent however you choose. Only first-time buyers can use Lisa savings to buy a home, with a maximum purchase price of 450,000. You cannot own, or have owned, a home in Britain or anywhere else in the world. You must also be planning to live in the house you are buying and use a traditional repayment mortgage. This purchase limit can be a problem in expensive parts of the country, and can leave savers vulnerable to the biggest Lisa catch - the withdrawal penalty. If savers withdraw Lisa savings for any reason other than buying their first home or to use after they turn 60, they will face a 25pc exit penalty. This removes the government bonus and 6.25pc of savers own money, leaving them worse off than they were to start with. House hunters who find they can no longer find a property worth less than 450,000 will also face this charge. Savers who have a Lifetime Isa that is no longer fit for their first home could use it to fund their retirement instead, but this comes with potential downsides. Paying into a Lisa is less lucrative than paying into a pension, which can include employer-matched contributions and tax relief at your highest rate of income tax. Innovative Finance Isas for peer-to-peer investing This relatively niche type of Isa allows you to invest in loans given to consumers and small businesses. Also known as the peer-to-peer Isa, you lend your money to borrowers in return for a set amount of interest based on the length of time you are prepared to lock your money away for. You can choose to invest your full 20,000 allowance into an Innovative Finance Isa each year. However, fewer providers offer these Isas than other types, and each one differs in the rates they offer, who they lend to and how they structure the investments. Make sure to read up on what youre investing in before you go ahead and part with your cash. Experts have warned that some Innovative Finance Isas pay little more than cash accounts, despite the higher risks involved. Most providers have a back-up fund that will pay out if borrowers default on their loan repayments. However, if a large number of borrowers were to default at the same time then providers may struggle to pay out, and could even go bust. If the worst should happen, money held within an Innovative Finance Isa is not protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), so you could stand to lose your savings. Junior Isas for under-18s Parents can open a Junior Isa (Jisa) for their children, and save up to 9,000 in each tax year. If you have more than one child, you can open a Jisa for each of them and pay in 9,000 per child. This does not form part of your 20,000 allowance for other types of Isas. There are both cash and stocks and shares Jisa options to choose from, but children can only hold one of each at a time. Any money you put in is locked away until the child turns 18, at which point their account becomes an adult Isa they can manage themselves. If you have a large amount to save for your kids, children aged 16-17 can hold a Jisa and an adult cash Isa at the same time, meaning theres a brief opportunity to deposit up to 29,000 tax-free. Cash Jisa rates tend to be more generous than adult cash Isas, but can usually be beaten by their savings account equivalents and the tax-free status is less of a draw. Childrens income can be taxed, but its very rare; given theyre not usually receiving any other earnings, they could combine the personal allowance, savings starting rate and personal savings allowance to earn up to 18,570 savings interest tax-free. A stocks and shares Jisa could be more beneficial; Jisa savers could have up to 18 years of investment growth before they can access their money and if theyre lucky it could grow significantly over this time. Now read: How to make 1 million for your children Three Isa rules you need to know Any allowance you dont use, youll lose All Isa allowances renew on 6 April at the start of a new tax year, and its not possible to carry over anything you havent used in the previous year. You can lose tax-free status if you transfer funds yourself Anyone who tries to bypass the official Isa transfer procedure could become unstuck, because as soon as your money leaves its protective Isa wrapper it becomes taxable. This would be the case if, for example, you transferred the balance of your cash Isa to your current account before later sending it to a different cash Isa. You could get a tax bill if you exceed your allowance If you accidentally pay in more than 20,000 in the same tax year, HMRC will usually detect the error, as Isa providers are required to submit figures to the tax authority each year. If its a one-off mistake, you could be let off with a warning letter. Otherwise, your Isa provider may be instructed to remove the excess money that was deposited, and you could be taxed on any interest or growth it earned. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. The Belarusian battalion destroys the Russian invaders "To reach the enemy's dugout, destroy the personnel, occupy and gain a foothold on a strategically important line, the unit recounted their orders. Read also: Ukrainian soldier reports on situation in Bakhmut, and about enemy attacks The task is completed. The road of life is believed to be the only semi-passable road still left in the area, and is considered critical for resupply and troop movements. It remains under threat from Russian assaults and artillery. The U.S. estimates that 20,000 Russian troops have been killed in the last five months of fighting for Bakhmut. Read also: The total losses of Russia in this area is estimated to be around 100,000 people. 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 Russian flags "Berlin's Administrative Court allowed, among other things, the hanging of Russian flags on the Soviet memorial on May 9," the message reads. Read also: Ukrainians attacked 2.5 times more often than any other nationality in Berlin Berlin police added that in the morning, on May 7, they appealed this decision. Earlier, activists in Germany overturned a similar ban on the display of Ukrainian flags. 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 President Joe Biden said Sunday that Republicans offerings of thoughts and prayers are not enough to curb the rising rate of mass shootings in the U.S., insisting that stricter gun control is needed to curb the incessant violence. Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough, he said in a statement. The president has routinely requested that Congress pass a bill that would ban semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines, and require universal background checks and safe gun storage, among other things. Republicans control the House and have been unwilling to support gun restrictions, which they say violate the Second Amendment. I will sign it immediately, Biden said of such a bill. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe. President Joe Biden has routinely called for legislative action that would impose stricter gun control in the U.S. President Joe Biden has routinely called for legislative action that would impose stricter gun control in the U.S. On Saturday, a gunman fatally shot eight people and wounded seven others three of them critically with an AR-15-style weapon at an outlet mall outside of Dallas, Texas. Last month, Biden denounced Republican politicians for their inaction after separate shootings at an Alabama birthday party and a Kentucky park and bank left 10 people dead. This is outrageous and unacceptable. Americans agree and want lawmakers to act on commonsense gun safety reforms, he said. Instead, this past week, Americans saw national Republican elected leaders stand alongside the NRA in a race to the bottom on dangerous laws that further erode gun safety. Our communities need and deserve better. The nation is averaging about one mass killing per week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The database tracks shootings but also other types of mass killing. The database says there have been 551 mass killings that have taken the lives of 2,870 people since 2006. Mass shootings have been occurring in the U.S. more frequently this year than in the years prior, according to the records. Story continues Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said on Saturday that his heart is with the victims of his states latest tragedy. Related... President Joe Biden attempted to ease concerns about his age in an interview Friday by framing his 80 years of life experience as a positive rather than a negative. "Because I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom," Biden told MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle on Friday when he was asked "why an 82-year-old Biden" would be the "right person for the most important job in the world" in 2024. "I know more than the vast majority of people. Im more experienced than anybody who has ever run for the office and I think I've proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective." Bidens comments were heavily criticized by conservatives on social media, specifically his suggestion he knows more than the "vast majority of people." BIDEN SAYS VP KAMALA HARRIS NEEDS MORE 'CREDIT', DEFLECTS QUESTION ON WHETHER HE'LL SERVE A FULL TERM President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the recent mass shootings from the White House "Joe Biden is delusional," Steve Guest, Special Advisor for Communications for Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, tweeted. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Others responded more positively to Bidens comment including Democratic political activist and podcaster Victor Shi who called the presidents response "spot on." PRESIDENT BIDEN SLAMS 'MAGA REPUBLICANS' AS THE 'REAL PROBLEM' AT DNC RECEPTION President Joe Biden Biden touched on a wide variety of issues in his sitdown with Ruhle including his sagging poll numbers which he suggested was due to "negative" press coverage. "All they've heard is negative news for three years. Everything is negative," Biden told Ruhle when asked about his low poll numbers. "I'm not being critical of the press, but you turn on the television the only way you're gonna get a hit is if there's something negative, you know. You don't anyway, that's number one." BIDEN CLAIMS HE'S HOLDING 'MAJOR PRESS CONFERENCE,' BUT NOTHING ON SCHEDULE "But number two, I think we're in a situation where you have much of what we were able to do is going to come into play now," Biden continued. "For example, I met today I set up what they call a second Cabinet within my Cabinet. I have an enforcement group," Biden continued. "They're the ones going out making sure that we're getting the roads built, the highways build and getting the lead pipes out of every neighborhood so people aren't dying or getting very sick. They're the ones who are making sure that people begin to know what's happened and what's happening. It's gonna take time to get this done." Story continues Biden was also asked about a potential looming indictment against his son Hunter from his own Justice Department for tax-and gun-related violations and the president dismissed the suggestion that the situation would negatively impact his presidency. President Joe Biden takes questions from children during an event marking Take Your Child To Work Day April 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. "My son has done nothing wrong," Biden said. "I trust him. I have faith in him, and it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him." Joe Biden is seeing some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency as he prepares for his re-election fight against a Republican nominee in 2024. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Sunday shows the president with the approval of little more than a third of Americans, while he simultaneously trails his 2020 opponent (and likely 2024 rematch contender) Donald Trump by seven percentage points. Its a very poor showing for Mr Biden, who is seeking a second term on the back of his legislative wins in the first two years of his presidency, as well as a strong showing by his party in the 2022 midterm election contests last fall that stopped Republicans from taking the upper chamber of Congress. He announced his candidacy at the end of April following months of insistences from White House staffers that he planned to do so, and amid polling that had shown during that same time period that a majority of Democrats would prefer another candidate. Mr Bidens approval rating sat at 36 per cent in the new poll. In a hypothetical general election matchup for 2024, the president trailed Mr Trump by a margin of 44 points to 38 points, with a large number of Americans undecided. At the same time, he trailed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in another hypothetical matchup, 42 per cent to 37 per cent. His approval rating has dropped six points in two months in the Post/ABC survey, and more worryingly than ever is the number of Americans with concerns about his mental fitness, expected to be a top attacking point for the GOP in 2024 just 32 per cent of survey respondents were confident that Mr Biden had the mental acuity to perform his job. The poll noted that 51 per cent of Americans held that same confidence in 2020, when he was a candidate for office. The latest poll was conducted between 28 April to 3 May, among 1,006 adults living in the US. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points. On Friday, the president was asked in an interview by MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle why he believes he is the best choice to run in 2024, despite concerns about his age. "Because I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom," he responded. "I know more than the vast majority of people, the president went on to boast. Im more experienced than anybody who has ever run for the office and I think I've proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective." Nikolai Klimovich, a political prisoner and blogger, who was sentenced to a year in prison for reacting with a smiley face on a caricature of Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, has died in Vitebsk Penal Colony. Source: Belarusian human rights centre Vesna (Spring) Details: According to human rights activists, 61-year-old Klimovich died in Vitebsk Penal Colony No. 3. On 28 February, in the Court of Pinsky District and the city of Pinsk, he was sentenced to a year in prison for reacting to a caricature of Lukashenko in Odnoklassniki [a social media service used mainly in Russia and post-Soviet states], despite the fact that Klimovich had a Group II Heart disability, and had suffered a stroke and a complex heart surgery. The court accused Klimovich of insulting Lukashenko under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Belarus in a satirical image that he allegedly posted on social media. In Odnoklassniki, the blogger reacted with "funny" to the picture, so the cartoon was placed on the feed of his page. According to Klimovich, he did not intend to distribute these cartoons, but simply laughed at them. The man was detained in the courtroom, as he was at large before the verdict was passed. Before the verdict, the blogger said that he could die behind bars. On 21 April, the Brest Oblast Court upheld the verdict. Soon, Nikolai was transferred to Vitebsk Colony No. 3 he was taken all over Belarus. He stayed in the colony for about two weeks. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Lucia Melendez has been located safe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Previous Story: Boston police are seeking help in finding a missing 22-year-old woman. Lucia Melendez, 22 of Boston was last seen on Friday, May 05 around 4:30 PM in the area of 28 Clearway Street. Melendez is described as being a white Hispanic woman with black hair and brown eyes. She is about 56, police said. She was last seen wearing a light gray trench coat, aviator sunglasses, and carrying a tan leather tote bag. Police say she suffers from mental health issues. Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is advised to contact 911 or D-4 Detectives at 617-343-5619. 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 BROCKTON When Tim King started his shift at the Cod on Tuesday, he had no idea he'd be teaching the guy who played Peter Brady on "The Brady Bunch" how to pull a pie out of the oven. The actor, Christopher Knight, was in Brockton Tuesday, visiting both the Cape Cod Cafe and the Italian Kitchen. Hundreds of people attended the Bridgewater Little League opening day ceremonies at Legion Field. The ceremony began with a parade that started at the Williams Intermediate School. Oliver Ames High School students performed community service on the 10th annual Day of KindNess, held in memory of Devin Ness. Ness was an Oliver Ames High School senior and captain of the wrestling team when he died suddenly from an aneurysm in 2013. Bridgewater-Raynham head coach Mike Carrozza celebrated with players after he won his 400th career game versus Brockton on Wednesday In case you missed it, here are five stories of the top stories from the past week throughout the Brockton area. Peter from 'The Brady Bunch' visits Brockton's Cape Cod Cafe. Here's why and what he said. When Tim King started his shift at the Cod on Tuesday, he had no idea he'd be teaching the guy who played Peter Brady on "The Brady Bunch" how to pull a pie out of the oven. "I taught a Brady how to cook a pizza," King said later as he shared a table with the actor, producer and entrepreneur Christopher Knight. Knight stopped by both Cape Cod Cafe and the Italian Kitchen Tuesday. He's is in the area to host a fundraiser for Journey Forward, a Canton-based charity that works with people who've suffered spinal cord injuries. Peter from 'The Brady Bunch' in Brockton Peter from 'The Brady Bunch' visits Brockton's Cape Cod Cafe. Here's why and what he said. Photos of 'Peter Brady' in Brockton: Christopher Knight, The Brady Bunch's Peter Brady, visits Brockton restaurants Christopher Knight was a child actor as "Peter Brady" in the TV classic hit show The Brady Bunch visited Cape Cod Cafe Pizza in Brockton on May, 2, 2023. Christopher Knight was a child actor as "Peter Brady" in the TV classic hit show The Brady Bunch visited The Italian Kitchen in Brockton on May, 2, 2023. Sisters separated at birth reunite, go on 'The Price is Right' BROCKTON Two sisters, separated at birth. Both with a dream to one day go on "The Price is Right." Kim and Jane were born to the same parents, Barbara and Herb, in the mid-1960s in Massachusetts, and were given up for adoption shortly following their births. The two had no idea the other person existed until the late 1990s. For the longest time, biological sisters Jane and Kim had both dreamt of being on 'The Price is Right.' Story continues Sisters go on 'The Price is Right': Sisters separated at birth reunite, go on 'The Price is Right' From left, Kim Howley, and sister Jane Fidler reunited in 1997 after being separated at birth. West Bridgewater man controls remarkable prosthetic hand with his thoughts When he awoke from a coma at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Shaun Melendy, of West Bridgewater, said a doctor was standing at the end of his cot with his parents and his sister. A few days before, he had lost his hand when a teenagers car collided with his motorcycle. The doctor told Melendy, 43, that he would be a good candidate for an experimental amputation surgery only performed five times before. The AMI procedure, it's called, would implant sensors that eventually allow him to control a robotic hand as if it were his own. Man controls prosthetic hand with mind: West Bridgewater man controls remarkable prosthetic hand with his thoughts Shaun Melendy of West Bridgewater, whose left hand was amputed when a distracted teen driver collided with his motorcycle on May 5, 2022, is the first person in the world to have surgery attaching a bionic hand after suffering an injury -- a hand that allows him to grip a glass just as he would with his natural hand. Brockton's That's So Cool Shave Ice trailer bringing exotic shaved ice to you While on vacation in the lush mystical island of Hawaii, a local couple found a treat that sent their taste buds into a frenzy. They knew they had to bring it back to Brockton as a business. There is nothing that can compare Hawaiian shaved ice, not ice cream, not a snow cone, absolutely nothing, said Margarida Burrell, 33, co-owner of Thats So Cool Shave Ice. The shaved ice business, which Margarida co-owns with her husband Brockton police officer Alexander Burrell, 33, launched in March. That's So Cool Shave Ice: Brockton's That's So Cool Shave Ice trailer bringing exotic shaved ice to you Photos of That's So Cool Shave Ice: That's So Cool Shave Ice opens in Brockton Alex Burrell and his wife Margarida Burrell are the owners of That's So Cool Shave Ice in Brockton. Randolph man dies in crash on I-495; two Brockton men hurt A Randolph man was killed and two Brockton men were injured in a fiery crash on Interstate 495 in Norton. State Police said Jeffrey Tagger, 52, of Randolph, was killed in a two-car collision shortly after 2:30 a.m. Saturday on I-495 north near the exit for Route 123, WCVB reported. Randolph man dies in crash: Randolph man dies in crash on I-495; two Brockton men hurt Lights on the roof of a police vehicle. Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton-area top 5 stories: Brady Bunch's Peter visits city A woman has defended her new fiance over his decision to propose using a torn-out piece of notebook paper after the simple proposal method sparked a debate on social media. This week, Erica Murphy, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, tweeted a photo of her new engagement ring and the note left by her future husband Monta Homes, in which hed asked her to marry him, on Twitter. In the post, Murphy revealed that shed encountered the note after walking into her bathroom. So its been an amazing year with my guy. This morning before I left for work he left this in the bathroom for me to find. I said YES! Murphy captioned the photo, along with the hashtag #FutureMrsHomes. In the photo, a black box holding an engagement ring was placed on top of a piece of white lined paper, which read: Will you marry me? in pencil. The tweet, which has since been viewed more than 114,000 times, prompted mixed reactions in the comments, with many questioning the unique proposal method, while others were critical of Homes choice to use a piece of notebook paper. Umm a note? Torn out like that? one person asked, while another said: I would have packed my things and left. Others suggested that Homes should have asked Murphy to marry him face-to-face. A text message basically as a marriage proposal? Not for me. (@PRudolph57) May 2, 2023 Is he shy? Lol. Hope this proposal was exactly what youve dreamt of, someone else wrote. The tweet prompted a response from Murphy, who revealed that her fiance is not shy, but struggled with how to propose to her. So its been an amazing year with my guy. This morning before I left for work he left this in the bathroom for me to find. I said YES! #FutureMrsHomes pic.twitter.com/Yf5EijKrFz Erica Murphy (@EricaMurphyTV) May 1, 2023 Not shy but I do think he struggled with how to do this, she wrote. Big step for a guy. LOTSA pressure. Im overjoyed he wrote the note. Story continues Not shy but I do think he struggled with how to do this. Big step for a guy. LOTSA pressure. I'm overjoyed he wrote the note. Erica Murphy (@EricaMurphyTV) May 2, 2023 Not everyone was critical of the proposal, however, as some said that the simplicity of the note made the couples engagement even more romantic. That needs to be framed and hung on a wall. Simplicity can be romantic! one person tweeted, while another said: Sweet. Sincere. Genuine. Simple. Old Fashion. I love it. I would cherish that paper and have it framed! Congratulations! I wish you and The Mr the very best! Someone else wrote: As long as youre happy, thats all that matters. That needs to be framed and hung on a wall. Simplicity can be romantic! Tobin McDuff (@KfdxTobin) May 2, 2023 After the note went viral, Murphy spoke to Today about the proposal, where she addressed some of the negativity and clarified that her future husbands proposal was not an afterthought. I do want to set the record straight, Murphy told the outlet. This man flew in from Detroit to do this. This wasnt an afterthought. Didn't realize the way my guy proposed would bring out such strong emotions for folks. Looks like we made the @TheShadeRoom pic.twitter.com/MQs2PEp4br Erica Murphy (@EricaMurphyTV) May 3, 2023 Murphy then revealed that, despite the criticism from outsiders, she thought the proposal was perfect - something that Homes also knew before he popped the question. According to Murphy, who works as a journalist, shed had a rough day at work the day her now-fiance had flown in for a visit to celebrate their one-year anniversary. I had a really rough day the day before, she recalled, adding that a day of covering a Confederate memorial event had left her really exhausted. When she got home that night, Murphy said she and her long-distance partner began bickering as a result of her bad day, with her feelings of irritation with her partner continuing the next morning when he woke her up a half hour before she was supposed to wake up for work. However, Murphy said she and Homes ended up making up once hed returned to bed, at which point she said theyd just laid there for a while, talking and laughing a little bit before she had to get up and go to work. Once Murphy got out of bed at 5am, she went into the bathroom, at which point she saw Homes proposal note. This is the type of person I am, he told Today, adding: I want to catch her when she least expected. According to Homes, he considered going the more Instagrammable route with the proposal, but ultimately decided that he liked the handwritten note idea better. As for how Murphy felt about the simple method, she told the outlet that she found it very sweet and heartfelt. She said the note also means she can reflect on the proposal now that Homes has returned to Detroit. In response to one tweet, which read: Ive never seen something like this. Unusual but hey! To each their own, Murphy added: It was very sweet! Unique and memorable to be sure. The Independent has contacted Murphy for comment. The lived experience of both precarious labour and insecure housing is unsteady and immediate. Unable to plan the future, you become trapped in the present (iStock) A fortnight ago, my partner and I asked to renew our tenancy. In reply, the property manager prompted us to confirm how much more rent we could comfortably afford because, of course, tenants must be responsible for fluctuations in the housing market, and costs must be passed on to them. We said that there was no increase we could comfortably afford, and now were waiting to see if we can stay, or if well be priced out. Anyone whose home life touches the sharp edges of the housing crisis is probably intimately familiar with this kind of waiting, because the experience of dealing with both precarious labour and insecure housing is so unsteady. Unable to plan for the future, you become trapped in the present. You feel a bit like a duck moving its legs underwater, staying still but only through constant effort. This week, while unsteadily suspended waiting for a response, I have consumed two things. The first: aspirational interior content on Instagram, which my algorithm has been serving me in generous dollops in what can only be a sick joke. This usually has the power to make me nauseous with bitterness and envy, but luckily the second thing I pored over was journalist Kieran Yatess new book All the Houses Ive Ever Lived In, which has instead inspired, angered and galvanised me in equal measure. Part memoir, part manifesto, Yatess book draws on her personal experience growing up in a broken housing system. By the age of 25, Yates had lived in 20 different houses across the country, and the book is structured as a tour through some of them. Each chapter marks a new address, starting from Southalls Beresford Road, to Ealings Green Man Lane Estate, and on to Meifod Cottage in the deep countryside of mid-Wales, before looping back to southeast Londons Amersham Grove, Pepys Road and Peckham Rye. Yet despite being intimate, rich in material details and clearly saturated with love for family, friends and community, Yatess book is certainly not a work of pure nostalgia. It is an impassioned and intelligent account of the class disparity, racial prejudice and state negligence that riddles the UK housing system, which Yates experienced first-hand. The personal is always political. The Beresford Road chapter takes a tissue box of gold plastic and black faux velvet, which [Yatess] nanaji had brought with him from Bahowal, and uses it as a talisman to discuss global diasporas, racist violence against immigrant communities, the Southall riots, and grassroots activist organisations fighting for anti-racist housing legislation. Green Man Lane Estate is about pebbledash and paper-thin walls, and also about legacies of neglect that led directly to the Grenfell Tower fire. Later, the Pepys Road chapter develops into an urgent treatise on damp and toxic mould. It is important to realise these things are all connected, Yates writes. Throughout, All the Houses Ive Ever Lived In shows the housing system not as a market, but a fragile ecosystem encompassing social rented housing, student and temporary accommodation, new build high rises, estates, converted shop fronts and starter homes. Similarly, the housing crisis is not siloed into a single issue of house prices and difficulties getting on the ladder, as it often is in the mainstream media, but is shown for what it truly is: a complex knot being pulled tight by greed and negligence. Negligence, after all, cant be reduced to dodgy buildings, Yates writes. It is in the insidious cycle of the media, in political rhetoric, in the slow speed of responses from governments, councils, developers and landlords. It is everywhere, in other words, and must be fought on all fronts, because whats at stake is peoples lives. I thought it was important to think about housing outside of an asset, as that is often how its sold to us, Yates tells me over the phone the day the book is published. I thought it was important to think about the idea of home, so we can think beyond the commodity shells that estate agents would often like us to think about property. Noting that we live in a country where the overriding political rhetoric is about who gets to be at home in Britain, Yates also suggests that if we can consider the idea of home and what it means, it makes it easier to think about community, and ultimately it makes it easier to think about how we look after each other as well. The government has asked middle class homeowners [and] working class people in social rented housing or temporary accommodation to think of themselves as separate interest groups and were not Kieran Yates Since moving to southeast London in December 2018, I have lived in five rental properties. Over that time Ive also made rent in a variety of different ways, while attempting to carve out a life as a writer and journalist. So I identified with a lot of Yatess book, in a way that at times felt deeply solacing and at times felt like a sharp jab in the chest. For starters, her post-uni shared house on Telegraph Hills Pepys Road (named after English diarist Samuel Pepys, who, Yates writes in a deliciously pointed footnote, quadrupled his fortune while the plague played havoc among less affluent and more cramped areas of London in 1665 a year his biographer described as one of the happiest of Pepys life) is only a stones throw from my first room in London: a basement flat with a galley kitchen where one of the counters collapsed and hung from the wall for two months because the landlady, who lived five doors down, wouldnt reply to our messages about fixing it. Similarly, Yatess passages about black mould creeping over the walls of her bedroom, or mice waking her up in the night, felt like they could be pulled from my old diaries. In saying that, Im really not trying to make this all about me, or frame Yatess book through the rubric of relatability I think that is a bad measure for literature and art, and, in any case, Yates book is much broader and cleverer than that. But, one of the clever things Yates does is make it clear that all the houses shes ever lived in are entwined with all the houses every reader has ever lived in. She makes it clear that mould or mice in urban graduate shared housing are symptoms of the same social sickness that forces the most vulnerable in society to live in shipping containers. We know that the emotional and psychological effects of housing insecurity are bad, and we know that constant psychic breaks and interruptions are not good for our mental health, Yates tells me. We know that the idea of having a landlord breathing down our neck increasing the cost of rent, for example, creates adrenaline and rising cortisol levels. These can have lots of long-term effects, like heart disease, anxiety, and depression, and these all contribute to the mental toll of housing insecurity. When Yates thinks about housing in this country, she says she thinks of it as a public health emergency. And that is not only to do with disrepair, damp, mould, structural issues, air quality, pollution, she explains, its also to do with the emotional and psychological toll it takes on a generation of people who are increasingly left to the wayside. Kieran Yatess All the Houses Ive Ever Lived In, which is in shops now (Simon & Schuster) You know, the government tells us that a decent home comes under this idea of homes fit for human habitation, Yates continues, but that is used in such an arbitrary, abstract way that it can create challenges and difficulties to be able to advocate for that. So, a lot more clarity is needed from government policy, but ultimately, as Yates notes, we need this to be a priority, and at the moment it simply isnt. The utter lack of political will to really tackle the housing crisis can be a depressing and demoralising fact another impasse. Yet, one of the things that Yates is so good at is urging against hopelessness. Instead, she encourages us all to focus on community solutions. Everything from bailiffs resistance, to resisting the hostile environment, to advocating for striking workers who want to see an end to the long history of pay freezing for public sector workers, she says. We simply must see the abolition of no fault evictions. We need to see the end of rogue landlords. To make these changes we must build coalitions, and in order to do that, we must reject the idea of separate interest groups. The government has asked middle class homeowners [and] working class people in social rented housing or temporary accommodation to think of themselves as separate interest groups and were not, Yates emphasises. We know this is an intersectional crisis, we know that this is about public health for everybody. We know this is about making sure everyone has secure jobs so that [they] can lead into secure housing. When I think about a decent home, Yates says, I think that [it] should create stability and safety and provide a physical framework that allows people to feel safe and secure. [But also] an ideological and political framework, too, so youre not feeling the hard edge of eviction. Ultimately, for all of the complexities of the housing crisis, it strikes me that it all boils down to a simple demand. I hope we can all come together to see housing as something everything else orbits around, Yates says, and really make it clear that this should be a right for everybody. All the Houses Ive Ever Lived In: Finding Home in a System That Fails Us is in shops now Chinese takeaways are beloved in the UK (Getty/iStock) The humble Chinese takeaway is having a moment. It started with British users posting TikTok videos of their regular orders: egg fried rice, salt and pepper chips, chicken balls, curry sauce, the lot. The trend was meant to be a positive one, with Brits merely trying to give their favourite dishes the recognition they deserve, but the algorithm did its thing a bit too well within days, the videos were found by Americans. Chaos has since ensued, both on and off the video-sharing app. From some Asian Americans suggesting that the phrase getting a Chinese is borderline racist (its categorically not), to others comparing the food on display to eating out of a dumpster, the reaction to the glorious mess of beige that is British Chinese takeaway food has been, to say the least, harsh. Full disclosure: I am not a great lover of the British Chinese takeaway. But this has nothing to do with the food itself or the people who make it, its simply not what Im used to. I am also not one to preach about authenticity because I am not from China and have never been there. Just as Malaysian Chinese communities have created their own brand of Chinese food, so have the British Chinese diaspora. Chinese immigrants first started arriving on British shores in the early 19th century, making the UKs Chinese community the oldest in western Europe. Like nearly all immigrants, food became a lifeline a way to connect with their homeland as well as a means to earn money and make a living. But what do you do when youre far from home, have none of the ingredients you would usually cook with, and need to appeal to a palate unlike your own? Well you make do. Thats how British Chinese cuisine was born. For a group that has faced ongoing racism for generations, adaptability has been key to success. Even in more recent times, as Covid brought with it a wave of discrimination, the British Chinese diaspora has continued to stand tall. Restaurateurs figured out what appealed to British tastes, changing recipes and adding new twists to keep customers coming back. Yes, that has meant deep-frying the s*** out of a lot of things. But what of it? British Chinese takeaway is not what we would consider authentic Chinese food but it was never meant to be, and thats OK. Story continues It wasnt so long ago that self-declared foodies would sneer at Asian restaurants that acquiesced to the demands of their British customers, or roundly accuse white chefs producing Asian food of cultural appropriation. For a while, the newfound appreciation for authenticity did a good job of introducing people to flavours and dishes they wouldnt otherwise have tried or even seen on a menu. It also resulted in deeper respect for different cultures and cuisines. But the limitations and rules set by the internet namely, that everyone needs to stay in their lane grew more and more restrictive, pigeonholing chefs and cooks. The conversation around authenticity in food has been shifting lately, though, and I think for the better. Chefs of every race and creed have spoken out about cooking what is true to their experiences. They have taken the lessons theyve learnt about cultural appropriation over the last few years and applied them, with some fantastic results. Thanks to international trade and access to more ingredients than ever before, food in the UK is in its most exciting era since the spice trade and we should continue embracing what comes out of our kitchens. The thing that irks me the most, though, about the criticism of British Chinese takeaway food by Americans is the liberties they take in declaring something as gross. They demand the respect of others while showing none whatsoever for everyone else. Also, this criticism is coming from a country where orange chicken is considered a classic Chinese dish. In actual fact, orange chicken is a purely American invention, created by fast food chain Panda Express in Hawaii as a way to bridge cultures. In other words, its an adaptation of Chinese food in a different country, just like British Chinese takeaway. In Takeaway, a memoir by food writer Angela Hui, she details growing up in the restaurant that her parents ran and she worked in alongside her siblings. She writes: My parents didnt really want us to get too involved with the family business. They knew it was backbreaking and unsociable work. My parents didnt run a takeaway out of passion and love; they did it in order to fund higher education for me and my brothers, so we could study hard and get good jobs. My parents came to cook so that we didnt have to. Sit down and eat your orange chicken in peace British Chinese communities dont cook the takeaway food they do just to be sneered at on social media. They did it to survive and thrive in a country that did not want or love them back, as evidenced in the secret deportations of hundreds of Chinese men who fought for Britain in WWII from 1945. But against all the odds, the British Chinese takeaway has become part of the tapestry of this country, fiercely defended by the Britons who cant live without it. So, to the shocked and disgusted Americans of TikTok, I say: sit down and eat your orange chicken in peace. Leave British Chinese takeaway alone, and if you have nothing nice to say, well, dont say anything at all. A 58-year-old Brookwood man died in a Saturday afternoon crash in Tuscaloosa County, according to Alabama troopers. William R. Smith Jr. was a passenger in a 2021 Kia Seltos that left Maxwell Loop Road and hit a tree. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 5 p.m. about 5 miles south of the Tuscaloosa city limits. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to troopers. Troopers said the Kia's driver left before the arrival of members of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys Highway Patrol Division. Anyone with information about the driver or the wreck is asked to call troopers at 205-553-5531. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Driver sought after Brookwood man killed in Tuscaloosa County crash Eight people have been killed in the US state of Texas after a car struck a group at a bus stop close to a shelter for the homeless and migrants. The incident happened in the city of Brownsville near the Mexican border at about 08:30 local time (14:30 GMT). At least five other people have been injured, some of them critically. The driver has been arrested and charged. Brownsville police say it is not clear whether the incident was intentional. Police are still investigating whether the attack was deliberate or accidental, and whether the driver - who has not yet been publicly identified - was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. In a Facebook post, Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said that the driver has "thus far been uncooperative" with investigators. A police department spokesman told the New York Times that police are also looking into reports that the driver shouted anti-migrant remarks. He spoke to police officers in both English and Spanish, gave various names and refused to submit to a breathalyser test, the spokesman added. Video reportedly taken at the scene appears to show the driver being restrained by police officers and taken to a waiting vehicle. In the video - which cannot be independently verified by the BBC - the driver is shirtless and wearing boots coloured like the flag of Texas. Local authorities will hold a news conference at 1130 Est (1530 GMT) on Monday. The director of the nearby Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, Victor Maldonado, told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme that surveillance footage showed an SUV running a red light and approaching the bus stop at speed. The vehicle then hit the curb and flew about 200ft (60m) - hitting those in its path. Mr Maldonado said that roughly half an hour before the incident, a group of around 20 people who had been staying at the centre left and walked over to wait at the bus stop. He earlier told the Associated Press that most of the victims were Venezuelan men. Story continues Some had been intending to catch a local bus downtown to link up with other buses heading to different parts of the US, for which they already had tickets. "All the staff and myself, we're trying to hold it together," Mr Maldonado said tearfully. "A lot of the folks that we have here are mums with kids, and single males. Right in front of their eyes, they were witnessing a tragedy." He added that he had not witnessed any hostility towards migrants in the city but is quoted telling KRGV-TV, a local media outlet, that people had come to the gate since the incident and told the security guard the reason it had happened "was because of us". According to US border protection officials, the city of Brownsville has recently seen a sharp increase in illegal migrant arrivals. Mr Maldonado also told local media, quoted by AP, that in the past two months the Ozanam Center, an overnight shelter that can hold up to 250 people, has been handling up to 380 people a day. Officials in Brownsville issued a disaster declaration last month, following other Texas border cities that have done the same. That's ahead of an anticipated influx of migrants due to the upcoming expiry of a Covid-era policy that allowed the US to automatically expel undocumented migrants. (Reuters) -The European Union has proposed sanctions on Chinese companies accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons to support Russia's war machine, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Seven Chinese businesses have been listed in a new package of sanctions that will be discussed by EU member states this week, the report said, citing a copy of the sanctions list seen by the FT. According to the FT, the sanctions list includes two mainland Chinese companies, 3HC Semiconductors and King-Pai Technology, along with five from Hong Kong including Sinno Electronics, Sigma Technology, Asia Pacific Links, Tordan Industry and Alpha Trading Investments. On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China urges the EU to avoid taking the "wrong path", otherwise it will take firm action to safeguard its rights and interests. "China opposes actions that use China-Russia cooperation as a pretext to impose illegal sanctions or long-arm jurisdiction against China," Wang said at a regular news conference. The European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some companies like King-Pai Technology have already been placed under sanctions by the United States, which said it was a China-based supplier for multiple entities in Russia's military-industrial complex. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago, which Russian President Vladimir Putin termed a "special military operation", the EU has adopted 10 sanctions packages against Russian individuals and companies, inflicting economic hardship and making financing the war more difficult. (Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler, Diane Craft and Simon Cameron-Moore) California's First Republic is among regional banks caught up in a crisis that has spooked the US financial system Investment tycoon Warren Buffett said Saturday that messaging from the US government over the regional banking crisis had been "poor," suggesting that is why confidence has not returned among consumers. Four regional banks have been caught up in crisis since the beginning of March in the United States, three of them subsequently taken over by other institutions with the help of authorities. For two of them -- Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank -- the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took the controversial decision to support their uninsured deposits, citing fears of contagion. By law, the FDIC insures up to $250,000 of customers' deposits in eligible banks, but for SVB and Signature the body insured all deposits, including those above the legal limit. Yet, despite that extraordinary step, consumers are still worried, Buffett said at a shareholder meeting of his Berkshire Hathaway holding company. "That just shouldn't happen. The messaging has been very poor," said the billionaire, who continues to run his group at the age of 92. "It's been poor by the politicians who sometimes have an interest in having it poor, it's been poor by the agencies. And I'd say it's been poor by the press." What happened with SVB demonstrated a government takeover completed with an expanded deposit guarantee, "and the public is still confused," he said. While the emergency takeover of regional bank First Republic by the giant JPMorgan Chase on Monday seemed likely to ease anxiety about the banks, it has been a turbulent week. Several mid-sized banks were targeted on Wall Street, in particular PacWest, which fell 68 percent before recovering 82 percent in Friday's session alone. On Saturday, Berkshire Hathaway reported a monster $35.5 billion profit for the first quarter alone, largely due to strong financial markets. In the first three months of 2023, the group sold $13.2 billion worth of equities from its investment portfolio, while only buying $2.8 billion, drastically reducing its exposure to stocks. Buffett transformed Berkshire Hathaway from a small textile company bought in the mid-1960s into a gigantic conglomerate now valued at more than $700 billion. tu/fjb/st/tjj ASHEVILLE - A Buncombe County Sheriff's Office deputy was shot outside the Magistrate's Office in the early morning of May 7, and an Asheville Police Department officer sustained minor injuries in the altercation, according to a news release by the sheriff's office. The deputy, who has not been named by the sheriff's office, has been released from the hospital and is "resting at home," the news statement says. The incident occurred at about 1:40 a.m. The N.C. SBI is investigating a shooting of a Buncombe County Sheriff's Office deputy in the early morning of May 7 outside the Magistrate's Office in downtown Asheville. "A Deputy with the Buncombe County Sheriffs Office was securing warrants and assisting a woman at the Magistrates office with securing a protective order from an incident that had recently occurred," according to the release. The magistrates office is located in the lobby of the Buncombe County Detention Facility, 20 Davidson Drive, just behind City Hall in downtown Asheville. More: Buncombe Sheriff deputies to help Asheville police with downtown patrols More: Someone shot into an officer's occupied Asheville home; police are searching for a suspect The N.C. SBI is investigating a shooting of a Buncombe County Sheriff's Office deputy in the early morning of May 7 outside the Magistrate's Office in downtown Asheville. "The suspect involved in this incident walked into the lobby of the building. As the Deputy and an Officer from the Asheville Police Department approached the suspect to arrest him, the suspect resisted arrest and an altercation ensued. "The suspect produced a firearm and shot the Deputy in the shoulder. The Deputy returned gunfire and struck the suspect, who subsequently fled the scene and was later taken into custody outside Mission Hospital. The Officer from APD was also assaulted during the altercation," the release says. Great Smoky Mountains: After 10 days Great Smoky Mountains rangers scale back search for missing Florida man The Sheriffs Office deputy was transported to the hospital where he was released a short time later. The suspect remains under observation at Mission Hospital. According to the sheriff's office, the N.C. SBI continues to process the crime scene and the Magistrates Office remains closed as of the morning of May 7. Story continues This story will be updated. Karen Chavez is Executive Editor for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Tips? Call 828-712-6316, email, KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or follow on Twitter @KarenChavezACT. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe Sheriff's deputy shot outside of Asheville jail In the aftermath of an unusually wet winter, Californians are bracing not only for flooded fields and raging rapids, but also for a potential treasure hunt that experts are dubbing Gold Rush 2.0. Its one of those 100-years events, Mark Dayton, a Sacramento Valley metal detector expert, told The Hill. With one atmospheric river after another this past winter, snowpack on the Golden States mountain peaks piled up to unprecedented heights. But as that snow gushes down the hillsides, the fast and furious flow is shuttling other materials along with it. When it melts, it comes rushing down at crazy speeds through narrow gorges and canyons, and its a torrent of raging water, Dayton said. This is even crazier than whitewater. The flow cascades like a waterfall from about 5,000 feet to 3,500 feet, at which point it begins meandering into some of the foothills and into creeks and streams, Dayton explained. What happens is the material is being ripped literally right off the walls of the creeks as they reshape themselves, he added. By material, Dayton means gold. And he said he anticipates a lot of it this year. Its like a generational flood, agreed Albert Fausel, the third-generation owner of the local Placerville Hardware Store, which opened in 1852. Its been a flood that Ive never seen in my life, Fausel continued. Its all going to come down at once and just integrate a lot of new material into our river systems. El Dorado and the Brass Medic Prospectors should expect to find several different pockets of gold in relatively shallow waters, as the snowmelt washes all that material into the waterway, according to Dayton. The heavier pieces, he explained, will stay up at higher altitudes. But most of the small stuff that we typically find year-to-year as gold prospectors is going to make its way not only down to where we typically look for it, in the 2,000-3,500-foot range, but all the way down literally to the Sacramento Valley, he said. Story continues Dayton, a former firefighter-paramedic turned self-proclaimed Brass Medic, has been treasure hunting for more than three decades in Northern Californias El Dorado County. From the Spanish meaning The Golden, the region is home to the original mid-19th century gold discovery. That find came in 1848, when carpenter James Marshall spotted flecks of gold in a diversion channel adjacent to the sawmill he was building in Coloma, northeast of Sacramento. News of his find soon spread, and the states non-American Indian population grew from about 14,000 in 1848 to some 250,000 by 1852, according to Californias Department Parks and Recreation. Thats also the same year that the Placerville Hardware Store opened its doors, and its owner now believes that this season will bring a little new mini gold rush. I have a lot of people coming from all over. Theyre looking for places to go, theyre planning their family vacations out here, said Fausel, whose business is about 9 miles from the historic discovery site. I try kind of guiding them to local campsites, to good places to find gold, to the right tools to find gold like gold pans or metal detectors, he added. In the old days, miners would begin by panning in a river, where they would find small pieces of gold, and then go up the river as the pieces became bigger and bigger, according to Dayton. When the pieces just dead stopped, theyd know they were above the source of gold, he explained. With the so-called Forty-Niners flocking into the region, the local Native American population particularly suffered as the newcomers devastated lands, water, space and other resources, the National Parks Service noted. The Golden State lives up to its name While gold mining occurred across California, the biggest concentration of mines was in the vicinity of the original discovery, according to a historic map from the California Department of Conservation. From a geological perspective, this part of Northern California has a lot of quartz, which Dayton described as the one matrix in which gold is formed in the Earth. We have so much quartz here, and quartz outcroppings that are literally just sticking right out of the dirt all over the Gold Country, he said. Over time, he explained, the quartz that was down inside the Earth has made its way up to the surface, furnishing this region with gold. Dayton is a jack of all trades when it comes to gold prospecting, although he said that metal detecting is his professional specialty. He stressed, however, that he likes to do it all, including methods such as panning, sniping and sluicing. Sniping requires lying down in a creek bed and prying the gold piece by piece from the bedrock. Sluicing, meanwhile, involves flushing a gravel-gold mix with water in a tilted box designed to trap the gold, which is heavier than the gravel. California has a lot of region-specific regulations, however, with many areas only allowing panning. We call it hands-and-pans that means you cannot use a shovel to dig. You can only use your hands and a pan, Dayton said, noting that this rule applies to most state park lands. At state parks, one person can gather only up to 15 pounds of mineral material each day, and such material cannot be sold or used commercially for profit, according to the Parks Department. Public lands administered by the federal government fall under the Mining Law of 1872, which allows U.S. citizens to explore, discover and purchase certain mineral deposits, per the Bureau of Land Management. There are more than 5,000 mining claims for gold, silver, gemstones and other minerals on California public lands today. Mining claims can still be staked for locatable minerals, such as gold, on public domain lands. Before staking a claim, however, prospectors must check both federal records and markings on the ground for prior claims, according to the Bureau. Most states require that markings be conspicuous and substantial monuments, such as stone mounds or wood or metal posts. The Gold Country Treasure Seekers a club in which Dayton is a member stressed in a recent Facebook post that prospectors must abide by a detecting mining code of ethics. That code of ethics advises gold seekers to respect the country code, as well as avoid trespassing, refrain from contaminating water supplies, fill holes, stay away from archeological monuments and report all finds to landowners. Party like its 1849 At the Placerville Hardware Store, Fausel said that he is trying to teach his customers some of the rules, so that we can all keep doing what wed like to do in Californias strict regulatory environment. As treasure hunting season gets underway, Dayton said that he expects to see tourists flocking to the region to get out and do something fun, particularly since the price of gold is so high. He predicted that panning and sluicing will work best for early explorers in June once the water levels drop enough to not have to worry about drowning. But later when the water really starts to recede and it starts to dry out around August September, metal detectors will rule the world, Dayton said. They will be the ones getting in and finding all the easy stuff big and easy stuff, he added. For his part, Fausel said that he is excited to welcome families to the region and to teach new enthusiasts how to pan for gold. When they find that first piece of gold it really lights them up, he added. Its exciting for them. Its exciting for me because Ive taught somebody kind of a new hobby. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Californias Reparations Task Force on Saturday approved a detailed plan that, if enacted, could see the state dole out hundreds of billions of dollars in reparations payments to black residents. Among the recommendations included in the task forces report, which comes after a year of work by the panel, is a payment to address harms from redlining by banks that could total as much as $148,099 per resident. The group recommended the state pay black residents $3,366 in reparations for each year they lived in California from the early 1930s to the late 1970s, when the issue was most pervasive. In addressing the impact of overpolicing and mass incarceration, the report suggests each eligible person would receive, on average, roughly $115,260 $2,352 for each year of residency in California from 1971 to 2020. Eligible residents include any descendant of enslaved African Americans or of a free Black person living in the United States prior to the end of the 19th century. There are roughly 2.5 million African American residents in the state, accounting for nearly 6.5 percent of its population. The payments could see a 71-year-old lifelong state resident receive $1.2 million in reparations for those and other harms listed in the report, according to the New York Times. The initial down payment is the beginning of a process of addressing historical injustices, not the end of it, the report says. While the report does not say how much the panels recommendations would cost the state, economists estimate the housing and mass incarceration-related payments alone could cost more than $500 billion. This despite the state facing a tough fiscal reality: governor Gavin Newsom announced in January that the state is facing a $22.5 billion deficit in the 2023-24 fiscal year. The task force will send its final report to state lawmakers before July 1, after which legislators will decide whether to enshrine the recommendations, which the report says are preliminary and would require more research from lawmakers to narrow down, into law. Story continues The panel also suggested state lawmakers should issue a formal apology to black residents. U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D., Calif.), spoke before the panel on Saturday and said California is leading on this issue. Its a model for other states in search of reparative damage, realistic avenues for addressing the need for reparations, said Lee, who is running for U.S. Senate. State Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer sits on the panel and said after speaking with Newsom in recent weeks, he believes legislation will be approved out of the report. He said he expects to introduce legislation early next year. The reality is Black Californians have suffered, and continue to suffer, from institutional laws and policies within our states political, social, and economic landscape that have negated Blacks from achieving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for generations, he said. This really is a trial against Americas original sin, slavery, and the repercussions it caused and the lingering effects in modern society. The state panels vote comes as San Franciscos African American Reparations Advisory Committee is set to issue its own final report sometime next month. The panels draft plan included recommendations to pay out a one-time $5 million payment per qualifying person. San Franciscos Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to accept the draft plan, though the acceptance of the draft does not mean the board will ultimately approve all of the proposals included therein. The board can vote to approve, reject or change any or all of the proposals. If even just 50 percent of the citys nearly 45,000 black residents met the requirements for the proposed payments, the city would be staring down a $112.5 billion bill. For comparison, San Franciscos entire budget for fiscal year 20222023 is just $14 billion. The budget for the entire state is $308 billion. If every black resident qualified for the $5 million payment, the city would be on the hook for $223 billion a cost of $263,000 for every non-black person in San Francisco, according to Steven F. Hayward, a resident scholar at the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. And thats without considering some of the other proposals included in the report, such as that the city supplement lower-earning recipients incomes to meet the area median income (AMI) of about $97,000, for at least 250 years. Another recommendation was to create a comprehensive debt forgiveness program for black residents to cancel student loans, housing loans, and credit-card debt in an effort to give Black households an opportunity to build wealth. More from National Review Wildfires that are burning out-of-control in western Canada are producing so much smoke that it can be seen from space. Approximately 108 fires have erupted across Alberta leading to the evacuation of 29,000 people. A state of emergency has been declared across the province. A satellite from the Copernicus Sentinel programme of the European Space Agency captured the huge smoke plume from the blazes on 6 May. The cloud stretches 930 miles and has reached the Arctic Circle. Local authorities have called the fires unprecedented after more than 122,000 hectares were destroyed. This is a rapidly evolving situation, said Albertas premier Danielle Smith. Weve declared a provincial state of emergency to protect the safety, health and welfare of Albertans. She noted that the province has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires. Strong winds are fanning the flames and have led to the evacuation of communities in Athabasca, Big Lakes, Brazeau, Grande Prairie and Yellowhead counties. Others are being warned to prepare to evacuate on short notice. One video posted on social media showed a huge fire engulfing farms as water-bombing helicopters and air tankers doused the blaze. In the town of Fox Lake nearly two dozen homes, the police station and water treatment plant were gutted by fire, authorities said. BBC Casualty fans looking forward to the next episode are going to have to wait, as the medical drama won't be airing next week. You've probably already worked out why, but in case you weren't aware: BBC One is airing the live final of The Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Hosted in Liverpool, this year's contest will see Mae Muller try and nab a win for the United Kingdom with her well-received entry 'I Wrote a Song', but she is facing strong competition from returning Swedish winner Loreen, and popular songs from Ukraine, Spain and Finland, among others. BBC Related: Ted Lasso's Jason Sudeikis responds to co-star hosting Eurovision Last year's UK entry Sam Ryder will be a guest performer at the show, while other special performances will pay tribute to Liverpool's musical contributions to the world, and Ukranian culture (since the country is unable to host this year despite their victory, due to the Russian invasion). The BBC are celebrating Eurovision with some special EastEnders episodes, as the residents of Albert Square get ready to party, with Bucks Fizz's own Cheryl Baker making an appearance (and also, presumably, her mind up). We've got some pictures from Baker's cameo, and yes, there are wigs and skirts involved. Meanwhile, tonight's instalment of Casualty saw Donna get strict with the new team of nurses, who had to deal with an unprecedented situation, as it was discovered that a patient in the emergency department had grenades in his possession. BBC Related: Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker reveals why she was turned down by EastEnders The hospital had to be evacuated, with treatment tents put up outside so the patients could still get the help they required. It was quite the explosive episode (literally) and you can catch up on it now via BBC iPlayer. Casualty airs on Saturdays (when Eurovision isn't on) on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. Read more Casualty spoilers on our dedicated homepage You Might Also Like A Cedar Park police officer has been charged with sexual assault, officials said. The Texas Rangers arrested officer Keco Motton on Friday, according to a police news release. It said they arrested him after a person came forward and made an allegation to police Thursday. Police immediately contacted the Williamson County district attorney's office and the Texas Rangers' office to do an independent investigation, the release said. A Cedar Park police officer has been charged with sexual assault, officials said. The Police Department did not provide details about the assault. More: 'By the grace of God, we're all here.' Cedar Park officers recount being shot, surviving a 16-hour standoff Motton had been with the department for 10 years. The news release said he is no longer employed there. We take allegations of sexual assault seriously and support all victims of crime, Police Chief Mike Harmon said. It is alarming when those allegations involve a law enforcement officer. We expect our officers to set an example and uphold our guiding values of community, empathy, accountability and honor. The alleged actions of this individual, as described in the arrest affidavit, are contrary to our values." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Cedar Park police officer Keco Motton charged with sexual assault Reenactors wearing outfits from the mid 18th century fire their flintlocks during a demonstration at the Illinois State Military Museum Saturday, May 6, 2023, as part of the commemoration of the Illinois National Guard's 300 anniversary. It was a birthday celebration 300 years in the making, one that not even a little bit of rain could stop. The Illinois National Guard celebrated their 300th anniversary Saturday with a series of events in Springfield, from a "walking timeline" at the Illinois State Military Museum to downtown events commemorating key strategic war victories spearheaded by the Guard to the invitation-only 300th Birthday Gala at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The official 300th birthday of the Guard will be commemorated May 9 in Kaskaskia, where the very first militia was set up under French auspices in 1723 under the direction of Diron dArtaguiette, inspector of troops for the French Commandant. More: Buscher sworn in as mayor, saying she stands 'shoulder to shoulder' with new city council The existence of the Guard dates back more than 90 years before Illinois even became a state, with militia officers being called into service during the American Revolution and the War of 1812 prior to being admitted into the Union in 1818. Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, public affairs director for the Guard, said that the events in Springfield on Saturday were a good way to educate people on the roots of the their mission while continuing to build for the future. "We're the only military organization with both a state mission and a federal mission," Leighton said. "A lot of people don't understand that and where it came from. How did this unique organization come up with that state mission?" For the 300th birthday, the Guard made sure that not only people knew more about the roots, but also about all the major incidents that they have been involved in through the years. The outdoor "walking timeline" bridged the gap between the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror with a look at how the Guard lived, worked and fought during that time. The Vietnam War took precedence at Oak Ridge Cemetery, where Col. Shawn Nokes, incoming commander of the 129th Regiment, spoke on connecting veterans from that era to those who served in conflicts ranging from Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya. Story continues Downtown saw representatives from Australia and Belgium arrive to highlight the shared partnerships between the U.S. and each nation and two major events in the Guards history the Battle of Hamel on July 4, 1918 where American and Australian soldiers fought side by side for the first time and the daring rescue of Belgium's King Leopold from Nazi troops in 1945. "They stole back a German staff car and slipped through German lines pretending to be a Nazi official and surprised the Germans at the place they were holding the king in Austria," Leighton said. "After the war, anytime he came to the United States, he came and visited his Illinois National Guard rescuers. It took a lot of daring and a lot of bravery to go through enemy lines and rescue the King of Belgium." In addition to that, booths were set up outside in Union Square Park across from ALPLM that promoted the Guard's many benefits along with showing off some of the equipment. Leighton said that it was vital for the Guard to promote what they do as they celebrate everything that came before. "COVID-19 really hurt us in recruiting, because at that time, we couldn't get into the schools, there was no social interaction, people were staying in their homes, so you couldn't get the word out on what the Guard has to offer," Leighton said. "The Guard has quite a lot to offer to young men and women 100% state tuition, great training that you can use in your civilian life Illinois has some of the most generous benefits of any state in the Union when it comes to the National Guard." More: 'The total package is Ms. Fox': Fairview Elementary teacher named educator of the year Schroeder said that events like the ones held on Saturday and throughout the month with school-age children from across the state help to provide a sense of what life was like on the frontlines for the Guard over the course of 300 years, with each reenactor bringing knowledge and a wide range of materials to them to show what it was like. "Each reenactor stands in front of their table and talks about what they wore, how they made their dinner, what they used to fight and how they fought," Schroeder said. "They're always open for questions, so it's kind of cool (that) you get a one-on-one for that time period with the public." Dressed as a Civil War soldier Illinois State Museum volunteer Paul Golladay, left, talks to folks about some of the things a union soldier would carry as they look over replicas of those kind of items at the museum Saturday, May, 6, 2023. The museum had living history exhibits out front as part of the commemoration of the Illinois National Guard's 300 anniversary. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois National Guard goes big for 300th birthday celebration Deputies in Marion County have been searching for Angelina Jordan, 15, who was last seen in Belleview on Thursday. 5 a.m. Monday update Jordan has been located and is safe, the Marion County Sheriffs Office said. Original story: Deputies in Marion County are asking for the publics help in finding a missing and endangered teenage girl. Angelina Jordan, 15, was last seen Thursday boarding the school bus at Hands of Mercy Everywhere, Inc., located at 6017 Robinson Road, in Belleview. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< According to a news release, it has not been confirmed whether she attended school that day. Deputies said Jordan has a history of mental illness and is currently not in possession of her medication. Read: Florida lawmakers pass bill allowing radioactive material to be built into Florida roads Angelina possibly has family in the Orange County area and has recently mentioned going there. Jordan contacted a teenage friend online and mentioned that she was with a friend and would be returning home Friday, but she has not returned or responded since. Read: Lawsuit challenging Medicaid transgender treatment trial set to begin According to deputies, Jordan possibly has family in the Orange County area and has recently mentioned going there. Read: Deland approves permitting process to allow dogs in outside areas of city restaurants 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. Charlotte Water celebrated National Drinking Water Week by hosting a family fun day at the Quest Center in Huntersville. Water is LIFE. Without it, we would not be able to do so many things we take for granted, such as drink, bathe, brush and flush. It is important that we continue to be good stewards of our water infrastructure so that current and future generations can use this vital resource, Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles said. ALSO READ: Water Issue Advisory issued for Lincoln County after potential leak into Forney Creek Charlotte Water said its event was an opportunity for the community to meet with Charlotte Water professionals to learn about the importance of clean, safe water in daily life and its role in public health, the environment, and thriving communities. National Drinking Water Week will be held from May 7 until May 13. To learn more about Charlotte Water and Water Week, click here. VIDEO: Water Issue Advisory issued for Lincoln County after potential leak into Forney Creek Gary Prado Salmon in 2007 - he wrote a book about the capture of Che Guevara The Bolivian general who captured the Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and became a national hero has died aged 84. In 1967 Gary Prado Salmon led a military operation in Bolivia, backed by US secret service agents, that defeated a communist insurrection organised by Che Guevara. At the time Bolivia had a right-wing military government. An army officer executed Argentina-born Guevara a day after his arrest. The Cold War between the US and Soviet Union was at its height and Washington was extremely concerned about communist influence in Latin America, including Che Guevara's activities. He had left Cuba after the triumph of the 1959 revolution there, to lead guerrilla movements in other countries. He was a key ally of Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro and became a hero for communists worldwide. Gen Prado's son described his father as "an extraordinary person", who left "a legacy of love, integrity and courage". Che Guevara pictured in Cuba in 1965 - he was industry minister at the time The Bolivian officer who shot and killed Che Guevara was Mario Teran, who died last year. After ambushing Guevara's guerrilla group Gen Prado was made a national hero for having defended the Bolivian military regime. He had led US-trained Bolivian Rangers in a remote jungle region where Che Guevara's group, originally numbering about 120, had declined to just 22. Since 1981 Gen Prado had been a wheelchair user, after a bullet fired accidentally hit him in the spine. He wrote a book about his 1967 triumph, called How I Captured Che. According to his son, "for him capturing Che was not the most important thing he did in his life - rather, it was to contribute to making the armed forces a democratic institution that would respect the constitution and laws". Che Guevara was executed in the Bolivian village of La Higuera, 830km (516 miles) south of La Paz, and his body was buried in a secret location. In 1997 his remains were discovered, exhumed and returned to Cuba, where he was reburied. Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie admitted he was "very concerned" about a possible rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump in 2024, while also noting he is considering a presidential run of his own as a result. "Im very concerned that what were heading toward is a Trump-Biden rematch," the former governor and 2016 primary rival to Trump said during radio interview appearance on WABC 770 AMs "Cats Roundtable" with John Catsimatidis. "A Trump-Biden rematch is bad for the Republican Party." Christie went on to criticize the former president's electoral track record, saying he "has done nothing but lose since he won the election in 2016." "We lost the House in 2018. The Senate and the White House in 2020. We underperformed in 2022 and lost more governorships and another Senate seat. Donald Trump cannot win," Christie said. CHRISTIE COMPLAINS ABOUT LACK OF GOP TRUMP CRITICISM: 'IT'S LIKE HE'S VOLDEMORT' Christie acknowledged he was considering a 2024 presidential run of his own, given his perception that none of the current GOP hopefuls are willing to take on Trump. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie admitted he was "very concerned" about a possible Trump-Biden rematch in 2024, while also noting he is considering a presidential run of his own. "Hes on a vanity exercise to try to make himself feel better. Thats not going to make the country any better," Christie said. "Thats why Im considering it because Im concerned that the people that are in the race so far are unwilling to take him on directly." CHRISTIE ARGUES 'IT'S NOT GOING NICELY' FOR TRUMP IN 2024 "The only way to beat the front-runner is to take the front-runner on directly," he said. Christie has been critical of the former president and the Republican Party's approach to Trump as the 2024 race continues to heat up, recently denouncing the party for not actively pushing back more against the former president. Christie has been critical of the former president and the Republican Party's approach to Trump as the 2024 race continues to heat up. "Youre not going to beat someone by closing your eyes, clicking your heels together three times, and saying, Theres no place like home,'" Christie said in April during a small event in New Hampshire. Story continues CHRIS CHRISTIE ARGUES ITS NOT GOING TO END NICELY' FOR DONALD TRUMP IN 24, AS HE TOUTS HIS OWN DEBATE CHOPS Christie also touched upon his own presidential run during this trip, arguing he has the debating potential to potentially take down Trump, should they face off on a debate stage. Christie is expected to make a decision later this month, telling Fox News during a recent New Hampshire event he is "not there yet." Christie is expected to make a decision later this month, telling Fox News also while in New Hampshire that he is "not there yet." "Im not there yet. I dont know enough yet. And I havent spoken to enough folks yet to be able to make a final decision," Christie said. Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. Along walking trails, hidden in the thorny shadows, among cottonwoods and graffiti, many in Wichitas homeless community have taken up shelter in Wichitas more than 5,000 acres of parkland. The city of Wichita has increasingly taken steps to disrupt their lives, posting eviction notices on their tents and ordering private contractors to remove their belongings if they arent gone within 72 hours. The city calls the practice outsourced homeless camp cleanups. New research shows it can have devastating health impacts on homeless people. During a 12-month stretch starting in April 2022, the citys parks department paid private contractors $140,000 to clear 139 campsites. City maintenance workers cleared an additional 100 camps. The push did not stop people from camping in city parks. In fact, camps often pop back up in the same spot that was just cleared or a few feet away. But it did cost the city $835 to $5,585 per site, depending on the size. In interviews, city officials acknowledged for the first time this month that the cleanups are counterproductive, overly expensive and out of step with the citys goal of connecting people experiencing homelessness with social services. They also told The Eagle that the city plans to reverse course on the crackdown on public camping, sending social workers into the field instead of private contractors. Under the existing practice, Wichita Park and Recreation using a Wichita Police Department contract for outsourced homeless camp cleanups sends in private contractors to remove campsites while police Homeless Outreach Team officers provide security to landscape workers with no formal training in social services. In the first three months of the year, the Park and Recreation Department used its entire $50,000 annual budget for outsourced cleanups the second year in a row the department has spent more than planned on homeless camp cleanups. Last year, Park and Recreation spent $76,640 on 72 outsourced homeless camp cleanups, far beyond its $50,000 budget. Story continues This year, Park and Recreation spent more than half of its annual budget in January, when temperatures dipped into single digits. By March, the park department had spent $63,375.05. Any expenditures above the budgeted $50,000 amount must be approved by Parks and Recreation Director Troy Houtman. Its unclear how much more has been spent since March. An office manager for Professional Landscaping Services, which signed its contract in October, said the city requested 12 homeless camp cleanups this week alone. It hasnt been prioritized over any other expenditure, but this issue tends to get more awareness from residents, a city spokesperson said in a written response to questions for Houtman. We set aside dollars each year for cleanups and recently have seen more demand based on increased complaints from residents and businesses and high levels of trash. After The Eagle asked about cost overruns on the citys outsourced homeless camp cleanups, City Manager Robert Layton said the city is planning to change course. I dont think the right way of dealing with this going forward is to continue to contract out, Layton said. Ive had a group of department folks who have been working on that for a little while now, and Im waiting to get a recommendation back on how to proceed. Layton said the plan will likely include moving park cleanup back in-house, meaning city workers will do the job. Ive tasked a committee of staff members to look at a different approach to cleanups, not so much from a procedural standpoint, but basically the city assuming all responsibility, Layton said. Im not an expert, so I cant tell you all the reasons why the number of encampments has increased over the last year and a half or so. But its noticeable, its a fact and were going to have to deal with that issue in a way that still is respectful of those that are in encampments. Eviction mercenaries For decades, the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County government have had long-range strategic plans to curb homelessness in the states largest city. And a joint task force is working on a new plan right now. All of those plans have called for helping homeless people secure housing, shelter space and social services. None of them have called for camping bans, tent evictions or other policies that destabilize the lives of already vulnerable people, many with mental illness or addictions. Chase Billingham, an urban sociologist and Wichita State associate professor who has written extensively on the citys policies toward homeless people in public spaces, said Wichita-area elected officials often give lip service to helping homeless people but rarely follow through. More often, they enact policies aimed at making homeless peoples lives more difficult, he said. What is most alarming about this revelation is the disconnect between the rhetoric of local leaders regarding the issue of homelessness and the reality of the strategies they use to address it, Billingham said. He noted that city leaders on all sides of the political spectrum praise the work of the police departments Homeless Outreach Team. But that work includes evicting homeless people from public spaces and throwing away their possessions, something he said they would rather not take credit for funding. At no point has there been a public discussion about spending taxpayer money to hire a squad of eviction mercenaries to kick unhoused people off of public land, he said. Its not clear when exactly the city plans to stop outsourcing homeless cleanups. Tabitha Gifford, office manager for Professional Landscaping Services, said the company has not been informed of a decision to move the cleanups in-house. Just this week, we have 12 sites to be done, she said. It varies week by week. Gifford described the work as less like a mercenary than a public service. Weve been getting a lot of compliments from general citizens, who will sometimes see us doing it and stop by and thank us for doing it, she said. Gifford said the company gets a list of locations to clear from the Wichita Police Department. Its been running really smoothly for us, to be honest, Gifford said. She said the cost of cleanups covers labor, fuel and dump fees. Andy Barnard, owner of Boulevard Construction Group, the other vendor used by the city for homeless camp cleanups, expressed confusion about the terms of his agreement, which he said started three or four years ago. He said his contract ended last year and he only contracts for the city on special assignments. Im a secondary on it, Barnard said. They dont usually exercise that. Its all complaint driven, Barnard said. A biker, walker or something came across something and then they notify you based on complaints that the police went and addressed or whatever. So you usually come on an area, sometimes its spread more than a thousand feet, any amount of trash that you can imagine. Barnard said, based on his experience, homeless camps in Wichita public property are an increasing problem. They intimidate people that are walking or riding their bikes, he said. They intimidate just the general person trying to use the parks for the general reason that they were meant to be used, and when they come upon these people or these camps or whatever, I can see how they can be intimidated or a little bit scared for their safety. New approach Wichitas city manager said the money spent on expensive homeless cleanups would be better spent trying to address the underlying causes of homelessness. If we can get caseworkers who can establish the right relationships, assess the situation and get the right kind of resources to bear on those individuals, well take care of the cleanup costs because those will go down over time, Layton said. Why do we continue to put more and more money into cleanup and not address all youre doing is addressing the symptom, not the underlying cause. Sally Stang, Wichitas housing and community services director, said the city is in the process of using federal grant funding to send out teams of case workers, social worker interns and peer-support specialists who have experienced homelessness. Every community Ive engaged with has the same kind of issue, Stang said. All of this wasted resources doing these cleanups could be providing additional assistance to help people, when you find the right balance. Stang said the city is in a challenging position because some landlords are unwilling to accept the citys rental assistance funding that could help connect homeless people with stable housing. Were trying to attack this from multiple angles, Stang said. We recognize were never going to end homelessness. People are always going to be entering into homelessness. Life happens, right? And the whole idea of getting to functional zero is to have a homeless ecosystem that has more people moving out of homelessness than coming in, so shelter will always be required. Its not working, Vice Mayor Mike Hoheisel said of the outsourced homeless camp cleanups. Instead, Hoheisel said he supports legalizing camping in designated areas in Wichita, similar to how Kansas allows camping at state parks. He said he has asked Layton to look into potential campsite locations. We dont want to take up high-traffic parkland that we have, you know, places that people go and play pickleball and other things, but if we do have designated areas, we can focus services there, we can have security there. We could get social workers out there. But I think one of the major hurdles were going to find in this is local residents who dont want designated camps close to where they live. So were looking into it. We have to have something to stop these from popping up in neighborhoods and private property, Hoheisel said. Ive gone out after some of the cleanups, and youll find thirty dirty needles from a campsite. And sometimes these campsites are in the middle of neighborhoods where children are playing. Stang, the housing director, said sanctioned homeless camps have not been a success in other major cities. She said theres good reason homeless people sometimes set up group campsites. Theres safety in numbers, she said. So when people do group campsites, theyre generally with people that they trust, rather than being entirely alone. When the camps are split up, sometimes those groups splinter into smaller groups that set up camp elsewhere. Were not seeing as many of the big campsites anymore, Hoheisel said. Its the small one, the small groups. Theyre smaller and theres more of them. Study shows problems Camping on the citys public property hasnt always been illegal in Wichita. At the request of former Wichita Police Chief Nelson Mosley, the City Council in 2013 unanimously adopted a camping ban on public property, which made it a misdemeanor offense with fines up to $500 or imprisonment of up to 30 days or 10 to 40 hours of community services for indigent individuals instead of a fine or jail time. The purpose of the ordinance, Mosley said, was to encourage a healthy safety standard for all citizens, promote healthy behaviors for campers, improve the quality of life of our citizens and keep Wichita a beautiful place to live, work and play. It had the support and endorsement of several homeless service providers and influential Wichita Downtown Development Corp., Fidelity Bank and the Old Town Association. A decade later, the latest research has found that displacing homeless people from campsites has devastating long-term health consequences for homeless people, including increases in overdoses, hospitalizations and infections. A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association led by Joshua Barocas, an infectious disease doctor and associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, was highly critical of camping bans, homeless cleanups and other policies that displace homeless people. Regular displacement increases the odds of discontinuing medications, overdosing and needle-sharing. The big takeaway from our study is that camping bans, displacement, sweeps, clearances whatever were going to call them could lead to approximately 25 percent of deaths among people experiencing homelessness who use drugs over the next 10 years, Barocas said in a video explaining his groups findings. That means that those cities that are implementing these types of policies have a direct effect on the health of these individuals. To put it a different way, it means our states and our cities are literally killing people with this, Barocas said in a recent interview with Denverite. The Eagle sent the study to a city spokesperson and Houtman. City spokesperson Megan Lovely sent the following written statement in response: In order to best serve our unhoused population, we are looking at addressing the root causes of homelessness and working toward functional zero by utilizing case workers to connect with chronically unhoused residents to address the unique mental health, substance abuse and other needs this population faces. Stang, the citys housing director, was not shocked by the studys findings. We look at reports all the time that show its more expensive to keep people homeless than it is to house them and provide them the wraparound services that they need, Stang said. But its hard to convince people who have funding to put the money ahead of it, if that makes sense. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the ethics revelations surrounding Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the various controversies surrounding the high court are destroying its integrity. The conclusion most people would reach is that this tangled web around Justice Clarence Thomas just gets worse and worse by the day, Durbin said on CNNs State of the Union Sunday. I dont know whats going to come up next. I thought Id heard it all. Justice Clarence Thomas and the Supreme Court as a whole has been dogged by ethics concerns after ProPublica initially reported on Thomas relationship with billionaire and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow. Durbin said the discoveries embarrass him but the question is whether it embarasses the Supreme Court and the chief justice. Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, leads a hearing in response to recent criticism of the ethical practices of some justices of the Supreme Court, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Clarence Thomas scandals reignite calls for Supreme Court code of ethics The scandals have reignited calls for the nine justices on the Supreme Court to abide by a code of conduct. The Senate Judiciary Committee last Tuesday held a hearing on ethics reforms in the high court, where Democrats and Republicans sparred over whether Congress should act themselves to implement stronger ethics rules for the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has no code of conduct, unlike the courts below it, which requires lower federal court judges to follow a code of ethics to "avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. Durbin requested Chief Justice John Roberts to voluntarily testify before the committee in April, but Roberts declined the invitation, citing concerns about the separation of powers. Chief Justice Roberts has the power in his hands to change this first thing tomorrow morning. He could announce a code of conduct for the court and finally mean something, Durbin said. He can even announce that the court will be subject to at least the minimum standards that apply to all federal judges. Story continues Durbin vowed that everything is on the table which could include subpoenaing Crow and other figures in the ethics scandals in his committees future work. What's Clarence Thomas thinking?: Do past Supreme Court cases offer clues about how the justices view ethics, transparency? Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts arrives before President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington. Durbin on Clarence Thomas discoveries: 'It just destroys the integrity of the court' The Supreme Court has been under intense scrutiny after revelations about Thomas relationship with Crow, which initially started with findings that Thomas accepted multiple lavish gifts from Crow, including travel on his private jet and yacht. Thomas failed to disclose these gifts in a possible violation of federal disclosure laws. Crow also purchased three Georgia properties from Thomas and his family members in 2014 and paid for the private boarding school tuition of Thomas grandnephew, both of which Thomas did not disclose, ProPublica reported. The ethics controversies extends to Thomas wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas, a prominent conservative activist. A conservative legal activist, Leonard Leo, arranged tens of thousands of dollars of payments for consulting work to Ginni Thomas over a decade ago and instructed for her name to be left off of paperwork, The Washington Post reported last Thursday. You shouldnt have that sort of thing happening at the highest court of America. It just destroys the integrity of the court, Durbin said of the discoveries. Related What if a code of ethics isn't enough to fix the Supreme Court? Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas listens as President Donald Trump speaks before administering the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, after she was confirmed by the Senate earlier in the evening. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dick Durbin on Clarence Thomas scandals: 'Just gets worse and worse' Farm workers in some areas have had to finish by 10:00 to avoid the heat (file picture) Vietnam has recorded its highest ever temperature, just over 44C (111F) - with experts predicting it would soon be surpassed because of climate change. The record was set in the northern province of Thanh Hoa, where officials warned people to stay indoors during the hottest times of the day. Other countries in the region have also been experiencing extremely hot weather. Thailand reported a record-equalling 44.6C in its western Mak province. Meanwhile Myanmar's media reported that a town in the east had recorded 43.8C, the highest temperature for a decade. Both countries experience a hot period before the monsoon season but the intensity of the heat has broken previous records. In Hanoi, climate change expert Nguyen Ngoc Huy told AFP that Vietnam's new record was "worrying" given the "context of climate change and global warming". "I believe this record will be repeated many times," he said. "It confirms that extreme climate models are being proven to be true." The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments make steep cuts to emissions. In Vietnam's central city of Danang, farmer Nguyen Thi Lan told AFP the heat was forcing workers to start earlier than ever and finish by 10:00. Vietnam's previous record temperature of 43.4C was set in central Ha Tinh province four years ago. Further west, the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka recorded its highest temperature since the 1960s while Indian authorities said parts of the country were experiencing temperatures that were three or four degrees above normal. In April, Spain recorded its hottest-ever temperature for that month, hitting 38.8C at Cordoba airport in the south of the country. In March climate scientists said a key global temperature goal was likely to be missed. Governments had previously agreed to act to avoid global temperature rises going above 1.5C. But the world has already warmed by 1.1C and now experts say that it is likely to breach 1.5C in the 2030s. In its report, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said "every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards". BROCKTON - Mother's Day is around the corner, and there are many ways to show a remarkable woman in your life that you care. Brockton businesses have an endless selection of ideas, crafts, drinks, baskets, and local bakers to cater to your wildest imagination. In this guide, you will find a series of local vendors who can make Mother's Day even more special. From unique gifts, exotic flower arrangements, dazzling cocktail creations, Hawaiian shaved ice, and much more. How about getting chocolate confections delivered right to your door? Or even a Mother's Day basket that's like a spa day all in one? Starting with a basic arrangement of bigger flowers to get a flow going, foral designer Keanna Banks of Brockton gradually adds more to augment the design, depending if she wants a symetrical design or asymetrical design. Tuesday, may 2, 2023. Chocolate confections, gifts, and floral arrangements Karina Yates, owner of Sweet By Kay, a local chocolate business that specializes in chocolate covered strawberries, champagne boxes, and breakable hearts with edible custom letters. Yates is holding a breakable heart box she created for a Mother's Day client. May 4, 2023. Holbrook. A lux Mother's Day box created by Sweet By Kay, a local artisan chocolate artist. Boxes can be ordered by visiting Sweet_ByKay on Instagram.com and direct messaging the business account. Karina Yates the owner created this business to bring beauty and delicious treats to Brockton. May 3, 2023. Holbrook. Sweet By Kay - A local business that caters to people with a sweet tooth. The Brockton native started the business in 2022 from the comfort of her home. Karina Yates, the owner, sells luxurious chocolate-covered roses and fresh-cut flower boxes to the public. Orders can be made via Instagram direct message at Sweet_bykay. Customers can indulge in chocolate-covered strawberry boxes with letters, breakable hearts, marble-dipped berries, boxes with champagne and wine, jumbo pretzels, double-decker rose boxes, and cheesecake lovers strawberries. If you have something more unique in mind, Yates is happy to fulfill any custom order, she said. Rockhead Chocolates owner Elizabeth McConville Poussier and her husband chief chocolatier Jean-Marc Poussier make chocolate in their home kitchen in Easton on Monday, March 27, 2023. Rockhead Chocolates - A business with decadent caramel treats, lavender-kissed dark chocolate ganache enrobed in white chocolate. A bouquet of exquisite, mouthwatering chocolate-marshmallow roses. Elizabeth McConville Poussier and her husband, Jean-Marc Poussier a Parisian pastry chef from France have transformed a hobby of creating homemade chocolates meant to spread joy during the holiday season into a rocking new business: Rockhead Chocolates. What makes Rockheads so special? They're handmade, small-batch artisan chocolates, made right in the couple's Easton kitchen, said Elizabeth, founder and owner of Rockhead Chocolates. Orders can be purchased at The Frippery Crafter's Collective and Pops Fine Wine in Easton or by ordering online. Story continues With her work completed, Brockton based floral designer Keanna Banks is ready to present her flower arrangements to her clients on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Write Me Flowers - A local self-taught florist Keanna Banks has had a creative eye since she was younger. Banks used to dabble in decorations, interior design and loves expressing herself through art. Her newest business venture is creating one-of-a-kind flower arrangements from the comfort of her home. Banks started her business by posting pictures on the social media app Facebook, bringing much-needed attention. She watched a simple tutorial on Youtube and created her first arrangement. The self-taught florist prides herself in putting together flowers that are not only beautiful but uncommon. To Banks sending flowers is like writing a love letter. It shows raw love and true emotions. Small bouquets range from $15 dollars and up, standard sizes are $25 dollars, and large sizes are $35 dollars. Putting flowers together became more personal and meaningful, the self-taught florist said. To place an order, please message Write Me Flowers on Instagram or email Writemeflowers@gmail.com. Fourteen-year-old Serina Ribeiro of Brockton, left, stands with her mother Lenilda Ribeiro on Thursday, March 3, 2022, after completing two high crafted cakes with great attention to design and detail. Serina would someday like to open a chain business of bakeries specializing in custom cakes. Kingdom Cake - Teen baker Serina Ribeiro, 15, fell in love with creating lavish sweet treats and launched a business a few months after with the help of her mother, Lenilda Ribeiro. The duo has baked over 900 cakes since 2019 to sharpen Serina's skills. All pictures of the cakes can be found on their Instagram page Kindgom_Cake. What makes this business different is how Lenilda bakes the cakes with secret family recipes passed down from Cape Verde, and Serina decorates them once cooled. The duo specializes in dazzling cakes that look realistic. To book them, please message them on Instagram at Kingdom_cake. Brianna Wangnoon shows one of her popular packages called "Tropical State of Mind," which contains a bathrobe, slippers, candle, body butter, face oil, self-healing book, notebook and pen, on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. The Healing Place - An all-in-one spa basket might be the relaxation your mother may need after a long day and running the world. The Healing Place, a business focused on mental health awareness and self-care, has baskets to brighten your day. Inside the basket, depending if you order a small or large, you'll find a robe, slippers, the entire skincare line of body butter, bath salts, facial oils, candles, and a notebook with a pen. Customers can choose between two bold scents, "Cry In Cashmere" and "Tropical State Of Mind." The Cry In Cashmere basket has warm tones of cocoa butter and a woodsy cashmere fragrance. In comparison, the Tropical State Of Mind basket gives pleasant island vibes of citrus, pineapple, mango, and coconut. Brianna Wangnoon, the owner, started this business as a way to distract herself and bring awareness to issues that many people have and suffer in silence. Orders can be made by visiting www.thelittlehealingplace.com Jacinta Monteiro, owner of Charming Closet at 222 Main St., Brockton showcases the jewelry and makeup available at the newly opened boutique. The Charming Closet - Is a quaint ethnic clothing boutique and makeup studio located at 222 Main St., Brockton. Jacinta Monteiro started the business by selling products from around the world in her home. Monteiro sells Brazilian lingerie, shoes, handbags, jewelry, accessories, and items for the home. Clients can also book makeup sessions to complete the entire look. Monteiro also sells items from Portugal, her native country, and is excited to offer these items to women in Brockton. Some of her most popular items include Brazilian butt-lifting jeans and lingerie. Local vendors to book Alex Burrell, co-owner of That's So Cool Shave Ice in Brockton, tastes one of his shaved ice masterpieces. That's So Cool Shave Ice - Book That's So Cool Shave Ice trailer to bring cool tropical flavors to your home. The shaved ice trailer has over 40 flavors straight from the island of Hawaii. Clients can pick from five packages that best suit their needs. Some of the flavors include passionfruit, Asian plum, honeydew, banana, blue raspberry, cherry, grape, strawberry, tigers' blood, and watermelon, to name a few. You can also add fresh chopped fruit ranging from strawberry to mango, coconut shavings, and condensed milk on top for a creamy snowcap. Potential clients can book the services by calling 401-423-5070 or emailing AlexandMaggie@thatssocoolshaveice.com during regular business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. First-time customers receive $50 dollars off their first package for their private event. An array of flavorful cocktail combinations has a kiss of dry ice to add a bubbly flare to the drinks. Sol y Sal a Brockton based business, handcrafts the cocktails and brings them right to an event. Sol y Sal - A trendy exotic cocktail business serving drinks made from real fruit juice, homemade sour mix, and dried garnishes. The cocktail catering business brings not just alcoholic beverages but a luxurious vibe right to your doorstep. You can have everything from drinks bubbling with smoke to beverages with aromatherapy and burned herb infusions. Nicole Pimentel was inspired by the beaches of the Dominican Republic while starting her business. The self-made entrepreneur wanted to bring clients tranquility and vibrancy from the beach. The cocktails give you the feeling of warm sand in between your toes and the taste of tropical fruit all in one cup. Arian Azevado works on the hair of her friend Chelsea Burr of Middleboro at Azevado's Boho Beauty Lounge at 1285 Belmont St. in Brockton on Monday, April 10, 2023. Bohemian Hair Salon - Nothing shows your mother 'I love you' more than a free hair appointment from the people she loves. Book a nice wash and blowout from Arian Azevedo, the owner of Boho Beauty Lounge, a hair salon located at 1285 Belmont St., Brockton. You can feel good knowing that Boho Beauty Lounge will use natural hair products on your mother's tresses. Inside, the salon gives you a clean, refreshed feeling from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the bright white walls, plants, and textured decorations. "It's a chill, go-with-the-flow vibe in the salon. That was my inspiration to create a space when life gets busy. It's just a place to relax and forget about how stressful life can be," Azevedo said. To book a reservation call (774) 219-2427. Kundalini Pearls Yoni Steaming Spa, 101 Main St., Taunton, held a grand opening on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Kundalini Pearls Yoni Steaming Spa - This Taunton spa is here delivering ancient holistic practices used for many centuries by women worldwide with a yoni steam. Now you may wonder what a yoni steam is. Well, the answer is simple. It's a process where a woman sits over a warm pot of water infused with organic herbs to promote vaginal wellness from the steam. The steam falls into the holistic nonconventional category when it comes to healing your womb. Djara Hampton and Maria Ramos, the owners of the Yoni spa, found progress from doing the steam at their home. The spa experience is what you would imagine, a light questionnaire, soft music playing in the background, followed by a guided meditation, refreshments, and snacks. Spa-goers are given a robe to wear while they complete the service. There are also over 11 blends of herbs to choose from to cater to the journey. Each blend is used for different ailments, including cramps, menopause, womb support, detox, libido, and fibroids. "For me, steaming has helped me to reconnect with myself while sending loving and positive energy to my womb. Steaming has been a healthful practice which has been very empowering to me on my personal journey," Ramos said. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton last-minute Mother's Day guide: flowers, chocolate, dessert Serhiy Lipko A video published by the Ukrainian Witness project on Youtube on April 28 features stand-up comedian and screenwriter Lipko, serving with the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In his own words, he balances civilian and military life. "I'd rather be a civilian who had some helluva military adventures than a serviceman who is really a subpar soldier, he explains. I don't want to be a liar and embellish my military exploits and achievements. Before he went on a combat mission to Bakhmut (he was there twice), Lipko already had military training he had studied at the Ivan Bohun Military Lyceum in Kyiv, followed by conscript service. But even though he was never "at ground zero," he repeatedly found himself in dangerous situations. Read also: Star Wars actor Mark Hamill dedicates new tweet to Ukrainians "As an aerial reconnaissance man, I fly, and the density of fire is such that bullets occasionally reach us. As a soldier, Lipko explains why human resources in the Ukrainian army are the most important thing right now. "Personally, my military background at the frontline is more of a hindrance to me: I seem to be constantly telling myself duty, duty, he says. But the civilians who join the Armed Forces allow our army to open up. If you try hard enough, you can find a great place in the Armed Forces. At the same time, the comedian also willingly comments on jokes about the delivery of draft notices and links this to the motivation of recruits: "It is commonly believed that a 'call-up' means 'you have to dodge, he muses. But this narrative is inherent in the Russian information field. Even those who joined the Ukrainian army motivated (at the beginning of the full-scale invasion) are now exhausted. There is no need to talk about those who perceive service as a punishment. They will take up a lot of commanders' energy. It is much easier to work with a motivated person. Story continues Lipko says that he still often receives messages on Instagram with offers to perform at corporate events sometimes "for 5,000 hryvnias ($135)." And that's only half the problem. According to the comedian, there are event managers who don't even bother to check his Instagram page and see that he is at war. Some do look up my page later, apologize, and tell me to take care of myself, he reveals. But there are also those who believe that people want to laugh in this difficult period. It's very hard for people, so I will come from Bakhmut and cheer them up., military irony. According to Lipko, only those who have been to war and have the relevant experience can make jokes about it. If someone who has nothing to do with the war starts joking about it in the hall during a stand-up, everyone's mood immediately drops. Will this war be like, say, the September 11 terrorist attack, which is already being memed? Yes, it will, Lipko acknowledged. Over the years, the pain subsides, and for future generations who did not see this war, it may also become a meme. It may take decades for this to happen. But personally, I will never be able to devalue some things, such as the loss of loved ones in this war. Read also: Game of Thrones star Jack Gleeson reflects on his Ukraine visit Another surprisingly relevant topic are jokes about Russians. The comic believes that one should not devalue the achievements of the Armed Forces by joking about how stupid Russians are. They (Russians) are also experts in their fields, he says. They are also learning. Imagine making a joke about a burned Russian tank because one of their soldiers had a bad smoke while a massacre is going on outside Kyiv. Given that Lipko is balancing civilian and military life, he has to somehow mentally adjust to the fact that sooner or later he will have to return to the front: "It's like diving into cold water, he believed. "You take in air and dive in. At first you are on adrenaline, then it gets colder and colder. And this colder is when I return to Kyiv. 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 The left lane of the Interstate 64 bridge over Illinois 3 in downtown East St. Louis will be closed beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday for roadwork. The lane closure over Illinois 3, which is also known as St. Clair Avenue, is expected to last until May 26. This closure is required to allow for the repair and replacement of a damaged bridge beam on the westbound Interstate 64 bridge structure at this location, the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a news release. Crews will also close the exit ramp from southbound Interstate 55 to northbound Illinois 3. Please plan ahead, expect delays, obey all signage and consider an alternate route for your specific trip, the agency said in a tweet. For more information, check out @IDOTDistrict8 on Twitter or go to the traveler map on at www.gettingaroundillinois.com. GOP Rep. Keith Self in the House chamber on January 4, 2023. Alex Brandon/AP At least eight people were killed after a mass shooting at an Allen, Texas, mall on Saturday. The New York Times reported that the victims' ages ranged from 5 to 61. Rep. Keith Self told CNN that prayer is "powerful" for families devastated by mass shootings. A Republican congressman representing Allen, Texas where a gunman killed at least 8 people in a mass shooting on Saturday said people who don't believe in the power of prayer following a violent incident aren't believers of an "almighty god" after he was asked what his response would be to people who feel prayers are not the solution to mass shootings. Authorities responded to a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets a mall near Dallas, Texas around 3:40 p.m. Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said in a press conference that at least 9 people, including the gunman, died. Seven others were also injured, according to the fire chief. The New York Times reported that the ages of the victims ranged from 5 to 61. During an interview with CNN, Rep. Keith Self called for prayer in light of the mass shooting, which included injured victims as young as 5 years old. When a CNN reporter asked what his response was to people who feel "prayers aren't cutting it," the congressman said, "Well, those are people that don't believe in an almighty god who is absolutely in control of our lives." "I'm a Christian. I believe that he is," Self said. Self also said he wanted to avoid making the tragic incident political but then pointed to the violence in "big cities" after being asked if he was concerned about the rise of violent incidents across the US. The congressman said he was "absolutely" concerned with increasing violence in the country and mentioned Chicago a city with a population of 2.697 million where crime spiked in 2022 as an example while stating Allen was a "very safe area." Story continues According to Census data, Allen, a suburb about 25 miles north of Dallas, has a population of 106,874 and had one reported homicide in 2020. "Any time there is violence, whether it be in one of the big cities riots or trashing of stores in Chicago or shootings like this. This is a very safe area. This is not usual. I know that we hear about the numbers of deaths in Chicago. This is not usual in this area," Self said. "So I'm certainly concerned about this." Republicans have repeatedly turned to crime in America as a platform talking point, framing it as an issue specific to large, Democratically-run cities. While overall homicides increased domestically in 2020, an analysis by Third Way, a public policy think tank, found that murder rates are higher in "Trump-voting red states" than "Biden-voting blue states." "In 2020, per capita murder rates were 40% higher in states won by Donald Trump than those won by Joe Biden," according to Third Way's report. A spokesperson for Rep. Self did not return a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Royal music events are a peculiar beast. Last years Platinum Party at the Palace was an eclectic affair, with the lineup George Ezra, Elton John, Rod Stewart seemingly pulled at random out of a royals-friendly ballot. The coronation concert, which comes a day after King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey, is very much the same. Of course, there have been plenty of rumours that the reason tonights billing at Windsor Castle is a hodgepodge of US pop, classical and dad-rock is because organisers struggled to attract the real mega-stars. Among those said to have turned down the event were Ed Sheeran, Adele, Elton John, Harry Styles and the Spice Girls. Oddly, Sheeran is now filling in for Katy Perry as a judge on American Idol, but his absence is more likely to do with the fact that hes only just disentangled himself from winning a major plagiarism lawsuit. Others, meanwhile, might have been less keen, given each star is limited to just one song. Its hard to imagine kicking Adele off the stage after a solitary Hello. So instead we have Olly Murs, who bounds up and down the purpose-built stage like a toddler whos eaten too many Haribo. Lang Lang, by comparison, is dignified yet passionate as he plays a grand piano medley of film soundtrack classics, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow. He later introduces Nicole Scherzinger for her debut live performance of Reflection, from Disneys live-action remake of Mulan. Its a truly mesmerising moment, reminding us that Scherzinger is capable of some incredible vocal gymnastics (even if she is weighed down by some very flashy diamonds). In the same vein as the Platinum Party, tonights event is a breathless onslaught of one inexplicably random performance after the other. Tiwa Savage is introduced by our host, Hugh Bonneville, who sounds hilariously unconfident describing her as the Queen of Afrobeats. Any sense of dignity from the Downton Abbey star is lost as the stage is crashed by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, the latter torn between wanting to sit in the royal box and finding a member of the nobility to elope with. A wobbly Lionel Richie warbles Easy Like Sunday Morning (what else?) at the grand piano before someone recharges his batteries in time for a rendition of All Night Long, which gets everyone (Charles and Cam included) up and dancing. Prince William, delivering a poignant tribute to his father, just about gets away with a gag about not going on all night. In a nod to King Charless love of the arts, we also get a ballet and theatre medley starring Doctor Whos Ncuti Gatwa, who makes for a wonderfully charismatic Romeo in a resplendent gold suit. Celebrities also pop up at random on the big screen Richard E Grant, Alan Titchmarsh, Hugh Jackman, Winnie the Pooh to share their favourite things about our new monarch, from his passion for the environment to his love of painting. Never one for subtlety, headliner Katy Perry turns up in a Quality Street wrapper and belts out Roar beneath a CGI tigers head. Her fellow headliners, Richie and Take That, simply cant compete, but they do their best. Take That are wheeled out right at the end, some of them looking oddly frail as they dad-dance to the insipid ballad Greatest Day, made even worse, if that were possible, by superstar DJ Calum Scotts tinny synth-based remix. Mark Owens in particular seems to struggle to hit the right notes, sounding more like the dearly departed Bernard Cribbins than a Nineties boyband star. Theres absolutely no clear theme to the evening. Take That are suddenly engulfed by a flock of Katy Perry lookalikes, resplendent in their very own Quality Street wrappers. A giant whale made up of colour-coded drones swims through the sky. Tom Cruise offers Charles a spot as his wingman. Its no Glastonbury, sure. But it is a lot of fun. Meghan Markle may have missed King Charles IIIs coronation on Saturday, but very wishful royal watchers still held out hope for a stealth appearance from the duchess. So when people caught a glimpse of a man with a heavy mustache and giant glasses at Westminster Abbey, some started wondering if the Duchess of Sussex was attending the ceremony incognito. Megan, youre not fooling us, one fan tweeted. Another joked, Someone showed up in disguise to The Coronation. Next to Andrew Lloyd Webber, no less. Someone showed up in disguise at The Coronation. Next to Andrew Lloyd Webber, no less. pic.twitter.com/rdG0fDB3l3 Ms. Martin Muses (@Teresa__Martin) May 6, 2023 Though people were hoping for some hijinks, the guest in question was actually Sir Karl Jenkins, a renowned Welsh composer whose music was included in the kings crowning. The Sussexes participation in the coronation was limited, at best. Prince Harry jetted in and out of London for the ceremony, while Markle stayed home with their children Archie and Lilibet in California, where they were celebrating Archies fourth birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 17, 2022. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 17, 2022. Last month, Buckingham Palace confirmed that only Harry would be attending the service. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the palace shared in a statement. The coronation was Prince Harrys first encounter with the royal family since the release of his bombshell memoir, Spare, in January. Story continues Prince William took part in a royal procession before sitting in the front row to watch his father take his oath. Harry sat two rows behind his brother and did not have an official role in the celebration. See the best tweets below: Well Im all agog! Who on earth is that next to Mr Lloyd-Webber, surely its someone in a disguise #Coronationpic.twitter.com/agSY6UdlBj Larry Grayson (parody homage) (@GraysonLarry) May 6, 2023 I don't know much about the #Coronation but I do know this is obviously a disguise and 100% they're going to try and steal the crown jewels pic.twitter.com/uuchDtfi2S Edward DeRuiter (@edwardderuiter) May 6, 2023 It's not the Queen preparing to whip off a disguise just as the crown is lowered onto Charles' head is it..? Surely not... #Coronationpic.twitter.com/5xgeXDl6TF FacePalm (@LeeWellsPrime) May 6, 2023 Related... The coronation of King Charles officially concluded Saturday, beginning a new reign of the monarchy. The coronation, which was just one element of the three-day celebratory weekend, was full of viral moments. Despite the palpable friction among the royal family, Prince Harry did show up to support his father, King Charles. As a non-working member of the royal family, Harry was not allowed to wear his military garb, although his medals were adorned on his suit. Harry was seated behind his aunt and uncle: Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Anne, Princess Royal. Keen viewers noticed that Harry's view was partially obstructed, due to Anne's ensemble, which featured a bright red feather sticking out of her traditional bicorn hat. CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III: THE HISTORIC DAY IN PHOTOS Social media erupted in hysterics, noticing what they believed to be a strategic move to block Harry. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP One person wrote on Twitter, "The Princess Anne's hat feather protecting Harry's privacy," referencing the prince's departure from the United Kingdom and separation from the royal family. "That had to be deliberate theyre so petty," another user wrote. Writer Kathryn Hall poked fun at the visual, writing, "Princess Anne deserves a medal for wearing that hat today." Despite the commotion it caused online, Prince Harry and Princess Anne were seen enjoying a warm moment together inside Westminster Abbey. Prince Harry and his aunt, Anne, Princess Royal, shared a sweet moment inside Westminster Abbey during King Charles' coronation. The shenanigans of Prince Louis, 5, continued as King Charles was crowned king. Putting on his best behavior, the young prince had several lapses in composure, much to the delight of viewers. Prior to their arrival at Westminster Abbey, Prince Louis and his siblings, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince George, 9, rode in a chariot with their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales. Inside, Louis put on an adorable display of confusion, boredom and disdain. On his way to the coronation, Prince Louis was caught making amusing faces to the crowd. PRINCE LOUIS STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DURING KING CHARLES' CORONATION WITH ADORABLE FACES Story continues The past histrionics of Prince Louis' at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee were remembered, as the extended royal family appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the king's crowning. "Im no Royalist, but Prince Louis is hysterical," one person posted on Twitter, adding a crying laughing emoji. "They must be dreading his terrible teen years ahead!" "Prince Louis always steals the show," another person wrote. On the balcony of Buckingham Palace, Prince Louis was seen dramatically waving to the crowd. Video of pop-star Katy Perry attending the coronation showed the "American Idol" judge pacing within Westminster Abbey, desperately trying to locate her seat. The footage went viral, with people taking to social media to comment on Perry's struggle. "She can't find it because her hat is in the way. Poor Katy," one user wrote beneath a video of the star. "SOMEBODY FIND THAT GIRL HER SEAT," another remarked. Katy Perry was pictured searching for her seat in Westminster Abbey. KATY PERRY ADDRESSES CONFUSION AT KING CHARLES CORONATION AFTER GOING VIRAL Perry, who is slated to perform at the coronation concert on Sunday, was acutely aware of the mockery online. Getting in on the joke, she cheekily tweeted to her followers, "don't worry guys i found my seat." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER We rarely see public displays of affection between members of the royal family, but after pledging his allegiance to his father, King Charles, Prince William gave the king a kiss on the cheek. The moment came just after Prince William, kneeling and clutching his father's hands, recited, "I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God." Before kissing King Charles, William stood up and touched his father's crown. Prince William kissed his father's cheek after pledging his allegiance to the king. One user wrote of the exchange on Twitter, "Priceless moment. my favorite moment of the ceremony. Best wishes to His Majesty The King." Princess Charlotte matched her mother, Princess of Wales, Catherine, ahead of King Charles' coronation. Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her young daughter Charlotte both debuted gorgeous tiaras for the coronation. Instead of wearing archived or symbolic tiaras, both wore newly created leaf tiaras by Alexander McQueen in partnership with Jess Collet, per Harper's Bazaar. The headpieces were made with silver bullion and crystal. "Little Princess Charlotte looks so lovely and I love that her headpiece matches her mothers tiara," wrote one individual on Twitter. The stunning tiaras of Princess Catherine and Princess Charlotte were on display Saturday. The king's coronation marks the first time Princess Charlotte has been photographed wearing a tiara. Ever since the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the calls for improved railroad safety have been growing louder. Nationwide, the government says some of these derailments could have been minimized, if certain safety recommendations were already in place. We took that question to the federal safety investigators, Congress, and the train industry to see what could have prevented these accidents. New bills are also picking up steam across party lines in a very divided Congress. Clearly we have a problem in the rail industry because weve got 1,000 train derailments every single year, said Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania proposed a bill that both Democrats and Republicans say would prevent future train disasters. The bill would create requirements for detectors that take the temperature of each railcar wheel as it passes. That was an issue in the East Palestine derailment and increase fines for rail carriers that break the rules. Im a little bit concerned, because we havent come out with our final recommendations yet, says National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. The N.T.S.B. is overseeing the investigation in Ohio. They showed us this list of recommendations that the board has tried to get Congress to pass before the East Palestine derailment. They include notifying communities when hazardous materials are transported by rail through their towns, calling for railroads to minimize safety risks to first responders, and improving the design of tank cars. We have recommendations, stemming back years to fortify those tank cars, says Homendy. She says the recommendations would have minimized the potential exposure to hazardous materials had they been in place for the East Palestine incident. Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey told us its the railroad lobbyists who are standing in the way. Too often in the past, the rail companies have opposed any kind of reform, especially reform that would lead to some measure of accountability, said Senator Casey. Story continues We looked through political contributions. According to the non-profit group, OpenSecrets, which tracks political donations, the rail industry donated $3,215,113 to political candidates between 2021 and 2022. Of that, 1.4 million went to Democrats. 1.7 went to Republicans. Ian Jefferies is the CEO of the Association of American Railroads, which lobbies members of congress on behalf of the railroad companies. We asked him how he would respond to critics who question if lobbyists are standing in the way of changes that could make cities and people safer. I think we have a demonstrated track record of boisterously supporting smart safety improvements and I would take significant issue that railroads are opposed to opposed to all regulation, said Jefferies. As for this latest push for a new law to change railroad safety, right now its working its way through the different committees here on Capitol Hill. Its not clear how soon or if it could get a vote. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW As Russias paramilitary organization, the Wagner Group, expands its presence in African countries, the Biden administration is pushing back with one of its prized tactics: sharing sensitive intelligence with allies in Africa in an attempt to dissuade countries from partnering with the group. The administration has used this tactic with increasing frequency, including in the months leading up to Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It serves the dual function of alerting allies to looming threats and placing adversaries on notice that the U.S. knows what theyre doing. Now, those tactics are being deployed as part of a broader push to prevent Moscow from gaining an economic and military foothold in countries in Africa, including those that have previously worked with Washington, according to interviews with four U.S. officials with knowledge of the effort. The U.S. has in recent months shared intelligence related to an alleged Wagner plan to assassinate the president of Chad as well as its attempts to access and control key natural resource extraction sites in countries such as Sudan and the Central African Republic, among other initiatives. The aim is to highlight for African officials how working with Wagner is likely to sow chaos in the long term despite its promises to bring peace and security to countries facing political turmoil and violence, the officials said. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment on the administrations strategy. The National Security Council also declined to comment. Russian officials did not respond to POLITICOs request for comment about Wagners connection to the state or its activities in Africa. The escalation of the administrations information sharing comes after more than a year of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow. The war in Ukraine has pitted the two countries against each other, with the U.S. providing billions in weapons to Kyiv and Russia continuing to launch attacks on Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Story continues The recent sharing of intelligence on Wagner highlights how the standoff between the U.S. and Russia extends beyond the battlefield in Ukraine to Africa, where Biden officials say Russia is using Wagner as a proxy to strike deals and help make inroads on behalf of the Kremlin. And it underscores the degree to which the Biden administration believes Wagner and the Kremlin pose a long term threat to U.S. interests on the continent. The best way to fight Wagner is with the truth, said one of the U.S. officials. Where we can find credible information that undermines Wagners malign influence, of course, we want more people to know about it, and that includes our partners, and the public. Information as a weapon The Wagner Group is increasingly involved in countries across Central Africa as a security and propaganda force protecting and promoting local political leaders. The four American officials, all of whom were granted anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive ongoing intelligence and diplomatic effort, described a growing sense of alarm about Wagners inroads in those countries. Wagners activities in Africa were further detailed in several documents obtained from inside the business empire of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner. POLITICO previously reported on some of the details of those documents, including how Prigozhin spread his forces and media network to Africa. POLITICO accessed the documents via an international journalism collaboration with outlets in the U.S. and Europe. The German news outlet WELT first obtained the documents and shared them with other media organizations overseen by Axel Springer, which also owns POLITICO. The documents span several years from 2017 to 2021. POLITICO has only included information from the documents in this report that it could verify with other sources, including open-source reporting. Prigozhin did not respond to a detailed list of questions. The U.S. concerns and assessments about Wagner, including its operations in Africa, were also reflected in the highly classified intelligence allegedly leaked by 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixiera, according to more than 50 documents reviewed by POLITICO. Teixiera disseminated the materials on Discord, a social media messaging site, in recent months. Over the past year, the U.S. has shared with allies sensitive intelligence about Wagners battlefield movements and operations in Ukraine. National security and State Department officials have also denounced Wagner publicly from the podium. As recently as this spring, officials have spoken about Wagners atrocities in Ukraine, including its brutality in the eastern city of Bakhmut, and its purchasing of weapons from North Korea. But the move to share intelligence about Wagner in Africa and the diplomatic endeavor to deliver that information has played out much more quietly. Although the U.S. often shares intelligence particularly with long-standing allies in Europe it has historically fostered a somewhat careful approach to divulging intelligence in an effort to protect sources and methods. The current intelligence-sharing on Wagner is widespread spanning multiple countries and continents including with countries the U.S. does not traditionally hold robust relations in the intelligence arena. U.S. officials have in recent months engaged in talks with officials in Central African Republic, Chad, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo to share U.S. intelligence related to Wagner. Diplomats have pressed officials in some of those countries to avoid working with Wagner or to help persuade other neighboring nations to cease interacting with the group. Representatives from the countries with which the U.S. has shared the Wagner intelligence did not respond to requests for comment. The administration is also using the intelligence-sharing strategy as a way of highlighting how Wagners presence in some countries and its inability to restore security there is bad for business. The idea is that if Wagner is seen as disrupting the flow of trade and investment, it could drive a wedge between Beijing, a long-time investor in Africa, and Moscow an alliance that has only strengthened in recent months and continues to concern Washington. Washington has urged officials in countries not to partner with Wagner not only because of the potential long-term security concerns it could present the U.S. but also because of the impact that the paramilitary groups actions in Africa could have on the battlefield in Ukraine. U.S. officials fear Wagner could use profits it reaps from mining concessions and other business contracts in Africa to help aid Russias war efforts. Some experts have said Wagners access to minerals and its ability to export them to market is overblown and that its profits are marginal and not likely to make an impact on the battlefield in Ukraine. But U.S. officials have in recent weeks gathered specific intelligence related to Wagners attempts to use its international connections, including those in Africa, to help support its fight in Ukraine. In February, Wagner personnel met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey for Wagners efforts in Mali and Ukraine, according to a signals intelligence report included in one of the documents allegedly leaked by Teixeira. Another section of that document says the U.S. has gathered intelligence that shows the transition president in Mali has also considered acquiring weapons from Turkey on Wagners behalf. Representatives for Mali and Turkey declined to comment on the documents. Despite its support from the Kremlin and its ability to secure lucrative contracts in Africa, some experts who study Wagner maintain that the U.S. and its allies have historically held far greater sway among African government officials than Prigozhin and his fighters. Theres no question Wagner has a strategy in Africa to connect neighboring states under Wagner influence. Washington is trying to disrupt that for a host of reasons, said Cameron Hudson, analyst and consultant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But let's not put Wagner on par with the United States government. These are not equals the United States doesn't see them as equals. What we have seen is Wagner doesn't have an ability by itself to create winners and losers in these countries. Making inroads Wagner is helmed by Prigozhin, a former caterer for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since 2017, Prigozhin has expanded the group into an international military and influence force with tentacles that span the globe. The organization, which has strong ties to the Russian state, including its security services, is known for its work helping prop up regimes in the Middle East, in countries such as Syria. And its forces are leading the fight in parts of Ukraine, especially in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Russians and Ukrainian soldiers are locked in a bloody battle. Wagner is viewed by U.S. officials as having gained newfound prominence in the wake of Moscows 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In recent years, Prigozhin has expanded Wagners operations to Africa, helping foster relationships for the Kremlin in countries such as Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad and Mali. The groups work includes securing critical mineral and oil sites in Africa as well as protecting government officials. Its presence in those countries has prompted senior officials in the Biden administration to draft a new road map for routing the group out of the region, the U.S. officials said. Although Wagner has worked on the continent for years, the Biden administration is newly worried about the extent to which the groups activities there are not only threatening regional stability but are also being used by the Kremlin as a way to develop long-term influential relationships relationships that could potentially sideline Washington for years to come. Washingtons stated strategy for the Sahel region, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced from Africa in 2022, lays out U.S. thinking about Russias influence on the continent. Without naming Wagner, the document describes how Moscow uses private military companies to foment instability for strategic and financial benefit. POLITICO has obtained and reviewed a series of internal documents from Prigozhins empire that detail how the leader of Wagner has expanded the paramilitary group and his businesses across the continent, specifically in Sudan and Central African Republic. They also mention the Democratic Republic of Congo. The documents confirm previous reporting, including by POLITICO, about Wagners operations in Africa. But they also provide unusual detail about the close connection between Prigozhins businesses, Wagner and the local African governments and militaries. Prigozhin set up offices in Sudan in 2017 and has in recent years built out a sprawling business network in the country. Prigozhin established his operations in Sudan by working with government officials including former President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted from power by the military in 2019 and by securing lucrative mining contracts. A CNN investigation last year revealed the extent to which Russia was smuggling gold out of Sudan and using Wagner to help plunder the countrys natural resources. According to the U.S. officials who spoke with POLITICO, Wagner appears to conduct much of its mining business through Meroe Gold. The U.S. and Europe have both sanctioned the entity. Meroe could not be reached for comment. Wagner also has a history of supporting the countrys security services. Prigozhins operatives in Sudan also work on disinformation and misinformation campaigns in the country to sway political events on the ground, according to documents and experts who study Wagners work in the country. Several of the documents from inside Prigozhins business empire outline detailed media strategies to suppress protests and to pay local Sudan journalists to promote content in support of the ruling party and against the opposition of then-president Bashir. One outlines recommendations on how to manage protests that swept the country in 2018 that threatened to topple the government of Bashir. The New York Times reported on a similar memo in June 2022. Among the suggestions included in the memo POLITICO reviewed: The creation of a Russian-run internet center that would control the narrative about the government and launch a campaign portraying protesters in a negative light. The plan also laid out plans to control the protests by blocking foreigners' access to areas with demonstrations and infiltrating the ranks of the protests organizers. Several of the documents obtained by POLITICO show the expansion of Wagners military activities in the country, including its connection to the countrys military. The organization has helped train soldiers over the years, the documents show. One of the documents appears to show a request by a Prigozhin-linked business to pay for the use of the Khartoum military airbase to ensure the arrivals and departures of employees and cargo. Another memo from 2021 outlines Wagner positions in the country, including on several bases. It also lists Prigozhin employees serving in other command centers where they coordinate with the Sudanese military and police, including Aswar, a company controlled by Sudanese military intelligence. Aswar could not be reached for comment. It is unclear whether, or the extent to which, Russia, Wagner or any of Prigozhins affiliate entities are currently involved in the ongoing violence in Sudan. U.S. officials did not answer questions about whether they assessed that the paramilitary group is currently providing aid or helping prop up either side of the conflict. The interference of external entities in Sudans internal conflict will only lead to more human suffering and delay the countrys transition to democracy, a State Department official said in a statement. Putting down roots Wagner has also set up command centers in the Um Dafuq region of western Sudan, where it has been accused of attacking civilians. It has used the town as a base for supporting its gold-mining activities in Central African Republic. The paramilitary organization set up shop in CAR in 2017, creating cultural centers and other local initiatives to make inroads with the government. Since then, it has moved in to protect the countrys gold mines and is training government forces, according to documents obtained by POLITICO and one of the U.S. officials. One 11-page document POLITICO obtained from Prigozhins network from 2020 details Wagners training of government forces and its protection of CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera. Another lists in detail the location of Wagner fighters, including how many soldiers are stationed at each base throughout the country. Other documents in the Prigozhin tranche detail media campaigns carried out by employees of the Wagner leader many of which were designed to spread Russian propaganda, discredit the French and organize protests against United Nations peacekeepers in the country. The documents also appear to show Prigozhin and his operatives considering engaging in political influence and research operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Military leaders in the country have denied Wagner is present in the country. But the materials show how Prigozhins people over the years have gathered information on officials inside the country, including their political backgrounds and popularity among the people. U.S. concerns increased after the departure of French troops from countries such as Mali and Central African Republic, when Wagner gained a greater foothold, striking deals with local officials. Wagner has seized on the security vacuum left in the wake of Frances departure in those countries, offering local officials protection and training for its armies. Representatives at the French Embassy in Washington did not respond to comment. U.S. officials have also received readouts and other assessments from officials in Ivory Coast relaying the fear that Wagners presence in Burkina Faso from which France recently withdrew could potentially destabilize the country, according to one of the leaked classified documents allegedly posted by Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guard member. Sharing intel to disrupt Wagner In attempting to blunt the fallout from the vacuum created by Frances departure, U.S. officials have shared intelligence on Wagners operations not just with African countries but also with global media. We've seen it in Syria, we've seen it in Ukraine, and now we're seeing it in Africa a strategy where we are trying to shine a light on [Wagner and Russian] activities, because they have such a robust propaganda campaign that is going to either obscure what they're doing or to pump out disinformation about what they're doing, Hudson said. The only antidote to that from a U.S. perspective is to release what we know. U.S. officials have stressed with African leaders the need to distance themselves from the paramilitary group. While outreach to each country is different, American officials have underscored with all parties the extent to which Wagner actually creates security problems rather than resolves them. "Wagner doesn't improve security. They are perfectly happy to go out and kill people and pretend that [those people are] terrorists, one of the U.S. officials said. But if you look at over time, with some minor exceptions where they're able to displace violent groups from one place temporarily, they create more terrorists than they actually eliminate. Chad, a country of about 17 million people located at the northern tip of Central Africa that has historically held close ties to France, has been an increasing source of worry and stepped-up communications among officials. In 2021, former President Idriss Deby died and his son, Gen. Mahamat Deby, took over. In October 2022, his transitional government orchestrated and carried out a bloody crackdown against protesters demanding democratic civilian rule. Dozens of people died in the protests. Human Rights Watch also documented instances of torture and unlawful detentions. Despite the governments crackdown, the U.S. has since continued to maintain diplomatic ties with NDjamena. The U.S. has for months communicated with local officials in Chad about Wagner and the threat the paramilitary poses to the country, according to one of the four U.S. officials, who is familiar with those diplomatic conversations. In several of those discussions, officials in Chad raised concerns about Wagner's creeping presence in the region, including its ties to rebel fighters, and requested additional support from Washington. African officials have in the past cited Wagner to request additional U.S. financial and military aid. But Washingtons engagement is not transactional, one of the U.S. officials said. Last month, American officials informed government officials in Chad that Wagner was developing an operation to destabilize the transition government in the country by offering rebels material support to execute a plot that would have potentially killed transition President Deby. The administration also disclosed that information to The Wall Street Journal, one of the U.S. officials said. We had informed the Chadian government of this specific plot. The Chadian government's long been aware of the other threats that Wagner has posed to the government. This was a different threat stream and we made them aware of it, the official said. Russia has denied the allegations about the plot to kill Deby. Thwarting Russias plans The administrations goal was not only to share the intelligence for Chadian officials but also to disclose it publicly through the media as a way of blunting Wagners operation. The U.S. officials said they are confident their strategy worked. The Chadian government's awareness of it has reduced the threat level, the official said. U.S. officials have also brokered conversations about Wagner operations in CAR, where the government is entrenched in active fighting with rebels despite the declaration of a cease-fire in 2021. That fighting has spilled over borders and drawn military engagement from Rwanda, Cameroon and the U.N. peacekeeping mission in CAR known as MINUSCA. American officials have shared intelligence specifically related to Wagners business operations in the country and shared it not only with local officials but also officials from neighboring countries with an interest in removing Wagner from the region. One revelation was that Wagner has helped secure a large gold mine in the middle of the country since 2017. It now essentially controls the site and over the past 10 months has significantly expanded its exploration pits, as POLITICO previously reported. American officials have shared the details of that rapid expansion with local government officials and have estimated that the paramilitary group could one day reap large sums of money if it finds a way to export the gold to market. Washington has also shared information related to Wagners broader military activities in CAR with allies in Europe and Africa, including Portugal and Rwanda. An uphill battle Its unclear whether the broader U.S. strategy of countering Russia in Africa will work. So far, African governments that have engaged in security and business contracts with the Russian paramilitary group, such as CAR, have not broken off ties. Faustin-Archange Touadera, the president of CAR, is being protected by Wagner soldiers and his government relies on the organization to help in its fight against the rebels who are attempting to unseat the government in Bangui. Officials in CAR and its neighboring countries have at times pushed back against U.S. attempts to dissuade them from dealing with Wagner. Theyve said they need greater assistance in dealing with Wagner and that in some instances the group offers legitimate security. There is also a possibility that the U.S. could choose to restrict some of the intelligence it shares on Wagner following the recent leak of intelligence by Teixeira a move that could infringe on the administrations strategy in countering Russia. Biden officials have already begun to discuss whether parts of the federal government need to update their policies not only on who has access to classified information but also how often and how widely it shares that intelligence with allies. President Joe Biden has also ordered U.S. agencies to temporarily restrict the flow of sensitive information while the Justice Department concludes its investigation into the leak of classified documents. Czech President Petr Pavel has privately warned the Ukrainian leadership against the disaster of a hurried counter-offensive. Source: Petr Pavel in an interview with The Guardian during his visit to London for the Coronation of Charles III. Details: During recent meetings in Kyiv of the Czech President with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Pavel warned that Ukraine's Armed Forces lack the element of surprise that contributed to the successful assault on Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts last autumn. The war hero, who chaired NATO's military committee until 2018 and was awarded by the Czech and French governments for rescuing French troops besieged by Serbs during the 1993 Bosnian war, said that Kyiv recognises that there are gaps in Ukraine's ability to attack Russian troops successfully. "Apparently, they still have a feeling that they do not have everything to start successfully an operation," Pavel said. As preparations are still underway, Pavel has appealed to Ukraine's PM during meetings last week not to be "pushed into a faster pace before they are fully prepared," the Czech leader said. "Because it might be a temptation to push them, for some, to demonstrate some results," he explained. "It will be extremely harmful to Ukraine if this counteroffensive fails, because they will not have another chance, at least not this year," Pavel said. According to him, Ukraine will inevitably face "terrible losses" regardless of the strength of its troops, and they cannot afford to fail. "Because its extremely demanding in terms of putting together personnel equipment, ammunition logistics, fuel financing. It will simply be one chance this year, so it has to be successful," he stressed. Background: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the expected counteroffensive Ukraine's "last great opportunity". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Czech President Petr Pavel believes that the West should prepare for the fact that there will be no complete victory in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Source: Petr Pavel in an interview with The Guardian during his visit to London for the Coronation of Charles III. Quote: "I think we should do anything at our disposal to encourage Ukrainians and to support them to be successful. But internally, we should also be ready for other contingencies." Details: Pavel has said that Kyiv understands that they should not "underestimate the Russians because they have enough manpower, they still have enough equipment, even though it is older, probably in lower numbers, but still, they have a large amount of artillery barrels, they have a lot of ammunition." He added: "They are not so incapable in terms of defence. And of course, being in defence makes it easier for them because Ukraine will have suffered terrible losses, even if they are well prepared. So attacking an enemy like Russia will be difficult and Russians will not be caught by surprise for the second time." The Czech president has said that Zelenskyy's primary demand during their meeting on 28 April was for ammunition amid preparations for a counteroffensive. EU member states agreed this week to supply Ukraine with ammunition from outside the union, including the UK and US, despite initial objections from France, a decision Pavel said would increase the ability to help Ukraine in the weeks and months ahead. Europe does not have the capacity to produce the weapons Ukraine needs, but it can buy them, and Zelenskyy has said he will provide skilled technicians for new munitions factories if the EU defence industry fails to do so. Pavel believes that the EU should source ammunition for Ukraine from all over the world, including countries that may not want to acknowledge their involvement in the conflict with Russia, or with which European capitals may feel some diplomatic discomfort in relations. "There are ways we can do that," he said. Background: Czech President Petr Pavel privately warned the Ukrainian leadership against the disaster of a hurried counter-offensive. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! David Beckham was accused of trying to improve his chances of a knighthood. (Getty Images) David Beckham came under fire from fans when accused him of begging for a knighthood after he posted a heartfelt tribute to King Charles III to mark his coronation. The patriotic former England player took to Instagram to share his passion for the historical event by posting a string of images of the King alongside a thoughtful caption. Beckham, 48, wrote: "Today our country comes together to celebrate the coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla @theroyalfamily." Read more: Snoop Dogg says he and David Beckham are 'naturally attracted to each other' However, despite his good intentions with the post some followers of the star accused him of having an ulterior motive in sharing the post. Taking to the comments section followers accused him of begging to receive a knighthood after he was previously omitted from the New Years Honours list in 2022. One scathing fan wrote: "Charles just give the man A knighthood at this point he's begging." A second added: "Youre not getting an MBE. Give it up." A third quipped: "B*** licking your way to a knighthood, one cringing post at a time." A fourth social media user ranted: "The whole country is NOT coming together. Do you live in such a yes man world that youre completely unaware of the state of England & the op ions of its population?? Read more: What are the signs of OCD? David Beckham opens up about tiring cleaning rituals It wasnt just Beckham that came under fire with his wife Victoria Beckham also receiving criticism for her own post. The 49 year old fashion designer shared images of the Spice Girls meeting with King Charles in the past. She wrote: "From then to now! I have so many fond memories of meeting His Majesty throughout my career, and he is always so supportive and kind. Watch: David Beckham spends hours cleaning family home while everyone sleeps "Today is a truly historic day and Im incredibly humbled to celebrate King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they embark on their new roles. VB." One fan cheekily remarked: "David's still not getting a knighthood." Another quipped: "Imagine Charles gave Victoria one, David would flip." The daylilies, roses and lavender are blooming in the Central Park garden. Two blocks away, some of the flowers are already wilting on Compassion Corner at Third and C streets, where a memorial stands for a beloved Davis character. Joggers and cyclists are still traveling the path in Sycamore Park every morning, many pausing for a minute or two to lay a bouquet and weep for a brilliant young university student. There is heartbreak, but also unease; some walkers have begun to carry bear spray and have no plans to stop. And along the railroad tracks on the east side of town, at a bend in the road where motorists speed by homeless campers living in tents on their way to Target or the Sudwerk Brewing Co. tap room, the only indications of last weeks mayhem are the strands of yellow police tape dangling from No Parking signs. The series of stabbings that rocked Davis struck many layers of what defines the citys fabric: its quirkiness, its academic institution and its ongoing struggle to house vulnerable residents. That the suspected serial killer behind the brutal attacks, Carlos Reales Dominguez, was a former student at the University of California, Davis has added another layer of tragedy to the weeks events. His first alleged victim, David Henry Breaux, 50, was a peace-loving fixture downtown who would ask those walking through Central Park for their views on the essence of compassion. He was found dead on a park bench on April 27, likely hours after he was stabbed multiple times. Karim Abou Najm was a 20-year-old student at UC Davis and the son of a Davis professor. A resident of a nearby home heard someone yelling around 9 p.m. on April 29 in Sycamore Park. Najm, who had been stabbed several times, was found dead next to the parks paved path. Kimberlee Guillory was the third victim, stabbed multiple times as she lay in her tent next to a brick wall near Second and L streets. Guillory one of nearly 200 homeless individuals in Davis is alert in an area hospital. Story continues Its been very shaking, Ann Moitoza-Seltzer said Wednesday as she walked through Sycamore Park, and I dont know when that feeling will ever go away. Davis is a safe city, with a violent crime rate roughly half of Beverly Hills. The attacks of the past week targeting vulnerable residents left the sense of security shattered. The arrest of a suspect has helped calm fears, but the wounds will take considerable time to heal. To have two (killings) in very quick succession and what seems like an attempt at a third not too long after that, its just really historic here in the city of Davis, said Dillan Horton, a member of the citys police accountability commission. And so its got, really, the entire community in a state of tension. Its just a really unprecedented time in our community. You can never feel safe As police closed in on an arrest Wednesday, the city displayed a strained sense of normality. A man played fetch with a border collie in Central Park during the lunch hour, throwing a ball in the direction of the bench where Breauxs body was found. A young child played alone on a nearby playground. And a group of seven UC Davis students ate garlic fries and sipped beer at Burgers and Brew across the street from Compassion Corner, grilling one another over the movies of their childhood (You havent seen Lord of the Rings? one yelled at a friend). Meanwhile, the memorial to Breaux grew. He was a gentle presence downtown for years, a college-town fixture who many residents knew. He self-published a book in 2010 titled, Compassion: A Compilation of Concepts on Compassion. Ten years ago, the city and Breaux helped create a bench-shaped sculpture in his honor at Third and C streets. Its a town full of characters, said Richard Houck, who lives next door to the home Dominguez and his roommates rent on Hawthorn Lane. A college town has characters and (Breaux) was one of them. Richard Houck, a neighbor of ex-UC Davis student Carlos Reales Dominguez, speaks on Friday, May 5, 2023, about news of his arrest for the recent stabbings of three people in Davis. Houck said that the number homes rented to students has been increasing but theyve had very few problems. Across town, the student bicycle rack was full at Robert E. Willett Elementary School next to Sycamore Park. But school officials called police to report a man who they said was acting suspicious and mourners gathered nearby at the scene of Najms stabbing. Moitoza-Seltzer said she had carried a canister of pepper spray on her morning walk through the UC Davis Arboretum. But it didnt feel like enough. Even the sight of another walker and the arboretum was unusually deserted made her nervous. So she returned home for a can of bear spray. This is what Im going to carry from now on, she said. I feel like reality has set in and you can never feel safe. The tension remained, even as word spread that the police were questioning what they referred to as a person of interest. More than a dozen people had called police reporting they had seen someone matching the suspects description walking on a quiet residential street. At Sycamore Park, about an hour after Reales Dominguez had been detained a block away, 50-year-old Lena Pu was walking her dog, Latte, on a paved pathway. Pu, a 30-year Davis resident, said she was not ready to believe the terror was over for Davis. I dont believe something until its final, she said. I try not to operate in fear, and in fact, Im actually here to mourn. Pu grew emotional. She said she did not know Najm, but added, Hes a 20-year-old young man. Its terrible. Its a wonderful community, she said. I know families. I live here, so I may not know him personally, but I know that the familys really hurt. Reclaiming a citys shared spaces A serial killers rampage eradicated the sense of respite Davis residents seek in their public spaces. The parks, the tree-lined streets of downtown, the bike paths. For nearly a week, none of them felt safe. Now the work begins in earnest to heal as a community, to take back our shared spaces and to move forward as one, Mayor Will Arnold said during a news conference during which the suspects arrest was announced. Davis, like most California cities, is also struggling to ensure its public spaces are safe for those without shelter. A count of the citys homeless population last year found 181 people living without permanent shelter, a slight decrease from 2019 but the second-highest number going back to at least 2009. Davis has a severe shortage of housing affordable to very low- and low-income earners; roughly 45% of the housing it needs to open this decade should be affordable to low-income families, one of the highest percentages in the Sacramento region, according to an analysis by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. Following the third attack, Davis officials increased their outreach to the homeless community, helping 20 unsheltered people move indoors Tuesday night. Many of the small camps that are normally set up near the site of Guillorys stabbing were gone the next day and the unhoused who remained were reluctant to leave their tents or speak with the media. Bill Pride, the executive director of homeless services agency Davis Community Meals & Housing, said he and many others feared the citys homeless population were the targets of the attacks. Breaux had been homeless off and on for years, Pride said, and had recently inquired about moving into permanent housing. There has been just this huge sigh of relief since that gentleman was taken into custody, Pride said. I think the real shock is that something that brutal would happen in Davis. Nearly 300 people attended a February ceremony when Prides organization opened Pauls Place, a housing and resource center near downtown Davis. Other cities likely would have attracted the usual cadre of politicians for a similar event. In Davis, opening a new center to help the citys most vulnerable residents turned into a community celebration. Theres a certain sense of compassion here that people are a little more willing to express, Pride said. This is kind of a different town. Over roughly seven days, the Davis community went through a roller-coaster ride of emotions as a serial killer stalked and stabbed three victims. With a suspect now in custody, mental health clinicians talked with The Bee about strategies to heal in the wake of traumatic events. People are going to feel any number of emotions shock, anxiety, a sense of being overwhelmed, said Dr. Caroline Giroux, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC Davis Health, and these and other sentiments are normal. Psychologist Dana Rose Garfin at UCLA said those who knew the suspect, Carlos Reales Dominguez, may feel they missed something that could have prevented what happened. When something like this happens, particularly with the people who knew the individual or the people who taught the individual, there could be a lot of feelings of guilt, Garfin said. How did I not notice the signs? Why didnt I interfere (or) intervene? ... Its probably really important for people to remember: Its not their fault when people make decisions like this. It is of their own accord and their own responsibility. Psychologist Paul Kim, director of counseling services at UC Davis, said his team has seen a moderate uptick in requests for counseling nothing they cant handle so far but they have already requested mutual aid from other University of California campuses to help manage a larger surge. Many people will be able to cope with their feelings by leaning upon their personal social networks family, friends and coworkers the three mental health clinicians said, but if you cant, reach out for professional help. Residents may have an intense response, even if they didnt know a suspect or victim personally simply because peoples ability to cope has been taxed by an unprecedented cascade of catastrophes, said Garfin, who co-wrote a paper on the phenomenon published Nature Human Behaviour journal. People are still trying to recover some sense of normality following three years of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Garfin said, and fresh examples of societal turbulence surface daily: random killings of children, mass shootings, and the like. Story continues And, in her paper, Garfin noted that people also are grappling with devastating weather events. This winter in the Sacramento region, for instance, a torrential deluge and windstorms killed at least 17 people, destroyed homes and flooded cities. If people are reading, watching or listening to this steady drumbeat of tragedy in the news media and then getting the latest take on all of it from friends and celebrities on social media, that level of exposure can amplify stress levels, Garfin said. Theres a cumulative, compounding trauma exposure, she said, that can make it harder to heal. Conflicting information, which is very prevalent on social media; rumors; not having clear communication are particularly distressing for people, Garfin said. Whether that happens through talking to people or the news media or social media, its really upsetting for people, and its hard for them to feel like theyre in control and that theyre safe. Garfin, Kim and Giroux offered some practical strategies that the Davis community can use to cope. Step away from news and social media sites, Giroux said, and try one of these anchoring or grounding techniques to find some inner calm: Take a walk in nature. Pet an animal. Go swimming. Practice deep breathing. These techniques are comforting, Giroux said, and force people back into the present moment. Theyre no longer fearing what could happen or brooding over what has happened, she said. Giroux, Garfin and Kim also suggested socializing with friends or family. Giroux said she often asks patients, family or friends in distress this question: What would be the most helpful thing I could do for you at this time? People may not want to talk about their feelings or the crime, Giroux and Garfin said, and forcing someone to do so can be harmful. People know how they operate, how they cope with things, she said. They are the experts on their own life, so its important to not assume that Oh, because I personally would want it, everyone would want that. We should avoid projecting. ... Its more about ... being present with the other person. Garfin said that people draw comfort from knowing that others care and want to help. Voicing that is helpful, she said. In the workplace, Giroux said, some people may want to take some personal time off, but others may want to work. They dont want to be at home with their own thoughts, she said. We can be shaken, but we express it differently, Giroux said. We have different ways to overcome what really affects us. So the its important to be open about supporting various ways to heal and to recharge and after an event. Its also hard to know how long it will take someone to recover, Giroux said: Some people will bounce back faster than others, and others will take a longer time because stress and trauma have a cumulative effect. ... If its not the first trauma someones going through, they might feel a bit more fragile this time. So its important also to be mindful of that and help them not feel ashamed that its taking them a certain amount of time to heal. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, younger individuals are experiencing higher rates of distress and theyre experiencing at much higher rates than older individuals, Garfin said, and researchers think this is because they came of age during this really difficult time in society. Kim said the counseling service is encouraging UCD students to seek care. They can receive free and confidential short-term counseling, he said, and crisis intervention referrals. Students can also seek crisis consultation services if theyre concerned about a peer, Kim said, and they can get guidance on meditation and other mindfulness techniques through a website called Therapy Assistance Online. Want to know everything the counseling service offers? Check out the Aggie mental health website, a one-stop shop for all UCD mental health-related resources. Counseling sessions can be in-person or virtual and group or individual, depending on the need, Kim said. I want students to know that theyre not alone, Kim said. Theres a lot of resources available to them. Wondering whether you need professional help. Garfin said people should consider it if they can answer yes to one or more of these questions, Garfin said. Are you having trouble completing work or school assignments? Are you continuing to struggle with ongoing anxiety or stress after others seem to be recovered? Are your emotions getting in the way of maintaining healthy, satisfying interpersonal relationships? Have you lost pleasure in activities you used to love? Are you having trouble sleeping? A Charlotte County man faces charges related to a suspicious death. Sheriff's Office deputies said they arrived at a house on Turbak Drive in Punta Gorda shortly before 5 p.m. Friday for a wellness check of a woman in her 50s. After knocking multiple times with no response, deputies said, they investigated the perimeter and noticed a foul odor emitting from the residence. A man, Justin D. Carver, 36, stepped outside and immediately locking the door behind him, deputies said. Highway fatal: 35-year-old Bradenton man dies Friday in motorcycle crash along I-75, FHP says They noticed Carvers evasive behavior and began to question him about the well-being of the woman. "Once inside the home, deputies were able to locate the victim in a stage of decomposition on the floor of one of the bedrooms," the Sheriff's Office said in a news releasse Carver was arrested and charged with failing to report a death to medical examiner and resisting an officer without violence. The Charlotte County Sheriffs Office takes incidents of this nature seriously and is committed to ensuring that justice is served. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time, Sheriff Bill Prummell said in the news release. Carver was being held at the Charlotte County Jail. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Sheriffs Office. An autopsy will be conducted and any additional updates will be released as the investigations allows. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Woman found dead in Charlotte County home, deputies investigating WASHINGTON Republican attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris are taking hold, and the White House is running out of time to reframe the narrative, Democrats say. At a meeting two days after President Joe Biden announced his 2024 reelection bid, a group of Democratic strategists told the White House as much during a briefing for television pundits on the pairs agenda. For more than two years, Republicans had been trying to paint Harris as incompetent. And yet, the strategists found, the White House was still developing its strategy for how to combat the ruthless assault against the first Black and Asian American woman to hold the vice presidency. A discussion ensued about ways to lift up Harris and improve her image, four participants in the meeting said. Democrats in the room argued that Harris would benefit from more public appearances in environments where she can be herself and in front of voting groups with whom she is already popular. President Joe Biden carries away take-out food from Taqueria Habaneros with Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, DC, on May 5, 2023. Biden has since made a visible show of support for Harris, defending her in an interview and playing up an unannounced visit the pair made to a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo. But some Harris allies fear its too late. The vice presidents poll numbers have been below 50% since the duos first year in office, and several Democrats, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, expressed concern that they may be beyond repair. Views about Harris, a former California attorney general who briefly ran for president and served a partial term in the U.S. Senate, may be hardening, and some Democrats say Bidens team did not take that seriously fast enough. In a CBS News poll late last month, Harris had a 43% approval rating and a 57% disapproval rating. Although she has wide Democratic support, Harris is viewed favorably by just 35% of swing voters. Harris negatives rose early in the administration after she was tasked with leading an effort to stem the tide of illegal migration to the U.S. from Central American nations. The assignment led to a barrage of attacks from Republicans, who sought to make her the face of the border crisis. Story continues In the past year, Harris has found a niche in promoting abortion rights, railing against the Supreme Court decision that gave states the ability to ban the practice. It has helped the vice president focus on a single issue that she talks about repeatedly, said Jamal Simmons, a former communications director to Harris who departed the White House in January. She continues to have 10 or 12 issues that she cares about and focuses on and pop up. This issue of reproductive freedom is one that is not going away. GOP attacks intensify on Harris The attacks on Harris are not a new phenomenon. But with the presidential campaign underway, Republicans focus on the vice president has intensified. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley suggested last month that Biden, who is 80, would not live through the end of a second term. Last week, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador wrote in a Fox News op-ed that Harris, 58, is one of the most incompetent elected officials in the country." Rep. Jim Clyburn, a national co-chair of Bidens reelection campaign, said the White House should not stoop that low and take the bait. That kind of lowlife stuff, they ought not respond to, Clyburn, D-S.C., said in an interview. Vice President Kamala Harris shops at Home Rule Records with owner Charvis Campbell in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2023. He tied the attacks that are meant to discredit Harris to the period after the Civil War, known as the Reconstruction era, and said discrimination against Black officeholders and anti-democratic events such as the Jan 6. insurrection will continue if they are left unchecked. Patrick Gaspard, an Obama-era official who was executive director of the Democratic National Committee, said he believes Americans are not yet paying close attention to the 2024 race. There isn't anyone in that White House from the president on down who can be shook by this at all, said Gaspard, referring to the criticism of Harris. The White House knows that attacking the vice president as a means of undercutting the ticket is part of an old political playbook, which Biden himself is familiar with after running for reelection alongside President Barack Obama, he said. And most voters will be concerned about near-term challenges, including the economy and their personal rights, Gaspard added. Rallying the Democratic base Staunch backers of Harris say that with the right approach, the vice president can still build on her support. In a Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll from mid-December, nearly 11% of voters said they were undecided about Harris. What will help her numbers go up is when they begin conducting a paid advertising campaign that extols the work shes been doing the last two years, said Simmons, the former Harris aide. Harris allies say questions about who the vice president is and what she has accomplished stem from a lack of familiarity with her background and record that was exacerbated by the constraints on holding in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic. I just think that Vice President Harris hasn't gotten the credit she deserves, Biden said in an MSNBC interview that aired this past Friday. She is really very, very good. And with everything going on, she hasn't gotten the attention she deserves. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris smile during a meeting with his "Investing in America Cabinet," in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, May 5, 2023, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona appears on a screen as he attends the meeting virtually. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ORG XMIT: DCEV420 The recent addition of Stephanie Young, a senior adviser whos focused on communications, was viewed by Democrats with close ties to the White House as a step toward bolstering Harris' image. She came to the vice presidents shop from When We All Vote, an organization founded by former first lady Michelle Obama. Young delivered the section of the presentation that pertained to Harris during the meeting with Democratic pundits and strategists alongside Harris press secretary Kirsten Allen. The meeting was an opportunity to share more about the Administrations work overall. It also served as an opportunity to share the Vice Presidents work and ensure the leading voices communicating with the American people were fully aware of what the Vice President is doing on the American peoples behalf. It was a two way conversation to increase understanding and connection, a White House official who declined to be named said in a statement to USA TODAY. The official emphasized Harris work on abortion rights, gun violence prevention and infrastructure projects and said the vice president would be out and in the fight over those issues in the weeks and months ahead. Democrats said they expect the White House to strategically deploy Harris to rally base voters, much as it did in the 2022 midterms putting her in front of audiences with whom she's popular. The vice president has relatively high approval ratings with Black voters, registered Democrats and voters under 30, in particular. Harris trip to Tennessee last month, where she spoke to students at a historically Black university and met with three state legislators who were ejected from office, was among public appearances that White House allies praised. Harris symbolizes to a diverse generation of younger voters what is possible in America, said Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, president of the progressive youth advocacy group NextGen America. And having the vice president out on the campaign trail making the case for another four years to Gen Z voters would be really smart on their part, she said. There is a lot that they can talk about about what they've done, and not just pointing to the other side and how bad the other side is. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dems want to boost Harris' image. Some VP allies fear its too late. Two anonymous women in Atlanta are fighting back against the private parking industrys practice of booting cars. They argue that the practice is predatory, and they are going viral online for removing the boots for drivers at a lesser fee than the parking companies. They call themselves the Boot Girls. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] They spoke to Channel 2s Courtney Francisco about the attention and praise they are receiving on social media. It expanded out of nowhere, said one of the women. The women wear pink and bedazzled masks to hide their identities. Recognizing the masks, a fan of the duo yelled out as they left an interview with Francisco, Thats the Boot Girls! We love you! The Boot Girls will swoop in and remove a boot from someones car for a flat fee of $50. If the driver cannot afford that, they say they work with them. However, they say $50 is less than most parking companies charge. A City of Atlanta ordinance allows the companies to charge up to $75 a day for every day the boot is on the car. The Boot Girls said they got the idea when their car was booted. They searched online and found ATL Boot Key. A business that sells copies of keys that unlock to boots. They say they bought the key for less than the parking company charged for the boot removal, and the idea grew from there. Christian Verrette owns ATL Boot Key. He said he started selling them after getting booted about a year ago. TRENDING STORIES: Its predatory, said Verrette. It is holding someone hostage. You are holding someone for ransom: $75, or you cannot go anywhere. The parking companies argue the drivers are parked on private property without paying. Verrette said ticketing is the better alternative. Im just trying to out-right eliminate the boot, said Verrette. It is not about business for me. Business has been good, but, still, at the end of the day, my heart is banning the boot. Story continues This week, after the Boot Girls video took off on social media, he said he sold $50,000 worth of keys. That is more than 300 orders. He said he recently handed out free keys in a low-income housing community. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Atlanta Police Department sent out a warning saying: Recently, it has been brought to our attention that many motorists within the city are investing in Boot Keys, which is a key used to unlock the booting device. While owning a Boot Key is not illegal, here is what the public needs to know: It is not illegal to own a Boot Key. If you use a Boot Key to modify, tamper, or disengage a booting device from a vehicle, you can be charged with: Criminal Trespass (O.C.G.A. 16-7-21) and/or Theft of Services (O.C.G.A. 16-8-5) and/or Theft by Taking (O.C.G.A. 16-8-2) and/or Damage to Property 2nd Degree (O.C.G.A. 16-7-23) Verrette said he believes those laws are a stretch, and he has legal representation. The warning also said: The Atlanta Police Department is aware that parking within the city when patronizing private business establishments can sometimes be challenging. Many of these businesses have designated parking areas that occupy private property. The owners of these businesses are authorized to either boot or tow vehicles that violate the terms of their private parking areas through independent contracts. The Atlanta Police Department does not intervene between motorists and private business owners when vehicles are booted in violation unless a criminal matter arises. IN OTHER NEWS: While the Duke of Sussex traveled to the U.K. for his father's crowning ceremony, Meghan Markle stayed in California with their two children Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry quickly returned to California after his father King Charles' coronation on Saturday. The church service commenced at 11 a.m. local time, and the Duke of Sussex, 38, headed back to the U.S. shortly after. He left Westminster Abbey with a Metropolitan police escort straight for Heathrow Airport to depart from the solo trip without his wife, Meghan Markle. The Duchess of Sussex, 41, stayed back in California with their two children. Prince Harry arrived back home just before 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time on a British Airways flight. The transatlantic trip from London to Los Angeles is roughly 5,400 miles, about an 11-hour nonstop flight. After touching down at LAX, he was picked up from the airport in a black Range Rover. His home in Montecito is roughly two hours from L.A. On Saturday, Harry's father King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned before 2,200 guests by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Related:Prince Harry Leaves London Hours After Father King Charles' Coronation TheImageDirect.com While the major occasion was a royal reunion for Prince Harry and other members of the royal family, who were all last together for Queen Elizabeth's state funeral in September, it was previously reported that the Duke of Sussex didn't plan to stay long. Saturday was also Prince Archie's 4th birthday. Prince Harry was not invited to the balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace that followed the ceremony. Related:Why Prince Harry Is Going to the Coronation Without Meghan Markle: 'It's Become So Personal' Handout/Chris Jackson/Getty for Buckingham Palace King Charles and Queen Camilla following the crowning ceremony Buckingham Palace announced in April that Prince Harry would attend the crowning ceremony and Meghan would not. "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," the palace said in a statement. Story continues Though family tensions eventually led the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step back from their royal roles three years ago, and relations have remained strained since the release of his memoir Spare over the winter, Prince Harry is thought to have attended the coronation out of duty and love for his father. "At the end of the day, he's going to be there for his dad," a close friend recently told PEOPLE. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! King Charles, 74, was said to be deeply saddened by the accusations of disloyalty and media manipulation that his younger son made against the royal family in his memoir. But it would be King Charles' "first wish" for Harry to join them at the coronation, says a source who knows the royals. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The 12th District GOP Convention was held in Louisville on Saturday, April 22. The crowd attending the Georgia GOPs 12th District Congressional District Convention held in Louisville Saturday, April 22 filled the county multipurpose building. The 12th district encompasses 24 counties throughout south-central eastern Georgia, from Wilkes County at the northern tip as far south as Laurens and Montgomery counties and stretching from Effingham in the east to Washington County in the west. This convention was to elect leadership within the district and to also elect state committee members, said District Chairman Mike Wiltse. There are state committee meetings three or four times a year and they get to vote on decisions that are made at higher levels. The 12th district sends 11 committee members to the state, all of which were elected during the convention in Louisville. Leadership for the district and six more district committee members were also elected during the convention. I am so happy that we held this in Jefferson County. Its a central location for most people in the 12th. The farthest anyone had to travel was an hour and a half, Wiltse said. Thats why we wanted to have it in Louisville, because its right in the center. US Rep. Rick Allen speaks to those gathered at a join Jefferson County Rotary and Kiwanis meeting in Louisville. Allen also spoke at the 12th District GOP Convention held in Louisville on April 22. The convention began at 10 a.m. and ran until about 1:30 p.m. United States Congressman Rick Allen (Dist. 12) spoke, as did Speaker of the House John Burns (Dist. 159) and Senator Max Burns (Dist. 23). Other representatives in attendance were Barry Fleming (Dist. 125) and Leesa Hagan (Dist. 156). On April 12 Allen also spoke to a combined meeting of the Jefferson County Rotary and Kiwanis clubs in Louisville. At both events he spoke about his committee assignments for the 118th Congress, including his new appointment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee that has jurisdiction over 80 percent of the United States economy. Allen also pointed out several House Republicans' accomplishments during the first 100 days under a new majority, including legislation to jumpstart domestic energy production, ensure parents are actively involved in their child's education and efforts to roll back regulations impacting the agriculture industry. Jefferson County was very hospitable, Wiltse said. Everything went very smooth. Id like to offer a special thanks to Alan and Ann York, he was the chair of arrangements committee, EMA Director Anderson, Jefferson County Administrator Jerry Coalson and the entire Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: District GOP convention held in Louisville Photo Illustration by Erin OFlynn/The Daily Beast/Getty Images and SSRN A lightbulb went off in Som Biswas head the first time he learned about ChatGPT. A radiologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Biswas came across an article about OpenAIs chatbot on the web when it was released in November 2022. While the world at large was still coming to terms with the seismic implications of the technology, Biswas realized he could use it to make at least one facet of his career a whole lot easier. Im a researcher and I publish articles on a regular basis, Biswas told The Daily Beast. Those two things linked up in my brain: If ChatGPT can be used to write stories and jokes, why not use it for research or publication for serious articles? He needed a proof of concept, so Biswas had the bot write an article about a topic he was already very familiar with: medical writing. After trial and error, Biswas was able to create an article by prompting ChatGPT section by section. When he finished, he submitted the paper to Radiology, a monthly peer-reviewed journal from the Radiological Society of North America. At the end, I told the editor, All that you read was written by AI, so that sort of impressed them a lot, he said. A few days later, the paper, ChatGPT and the Future of Medical Writing, was published in Radiology after undergoing peer-review, according to Biswas. After it was up, he felt he was on to something. ChatGPT could be used for more than just fooling around with creative projects. He could actually use it to help his career and research. What Biswas is doing isnt necessarily unique. Since the release of ChatGPT, academics and researchers just like Biswas have been using large language models (LLMs) as a tool to help them with their own writing and research processand occasionally, generating papers out of whole cloth using the bots. While theyve been helpful in this way, theyve also created a sea change in the scientific community that has many experts worried about the erosion of credibility in academic publishing. Story continues Since his first article, Biswas has used OpenAIs chatbot to write at least 16 papers in four months, and published five articles in four different journals. The latest was published as a commentary in the journal Pediatric Radiology on April 28. In it, Biswas is listed as the sole author, with an acknowledgement at the end that ChatGPT wrote the article and he edited it. However, by Biswas own admission, the papers he generates arent limited to topics within his radiology expertise. In fact, hes used the bot to write papers on the role of ChatGPT in the military, education, agriculture, social media, insurance, law, and microbiology. Hes successfully had these published in journals specializing in different niche disciplines, including a paper on computer programming in the Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science, and two letters to the editor on global warming and public health in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. A year ago, this type of output might have seemed completely unrealistic. Papers take dozens if not hundreds of hours of research before even putting word to the page. Researchers in the sciences might publish a few papers per year at the most. And its quite rare for someone to dive into writing on a topic outside of their lifes work. This Tiny Town Created by ChatGPT Is Better Than Reality TV However, those using ChatGPT to produce papers have already beaten their output in previous years by orders of magnitudeBiswas being one of them. And his motivation goes beyond just seeing his byline. As he told The Daily Beast, he wants to be an evangelist for a piece of emerging technology that he believes is going to change the way all researchers do their work forever. Health care is going to change. Writing is going to change. Research is going to change, Biswas said. Im just trying to publish now and show it so people can know about it and explore more. People Are Getting Silly. The release of ChatGPT initiated a groundswell of concern about how the LLM would upend industries and practices like copywriting, journalism, student essays, and even comedy writing. The world of academia and scientific literature also prepared itself for a coming upheavalone that is arguably much more drastic than previously anticipated. Theres been a really dramatic uptick in the different articles that we've been getting, Stefan Duma, a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech, told The Daily Beast. Duma is the editor-in-chief of the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. In the past few months, he said he has seen an exponential increase in the number of different papers submitted for publication in his journalincluding the two he published from Biswas in the letters to the editor section. The number of [letters to the editor] submissions went from practically zero to probably two or three a week nowso maybe a dozen a month, he said. This is astronomically large, because we usually might only get one or two letters about anything per month. Now we get more than 10 just about ChatGPT which is a big increase. Were Not Ready for the AI Boom. Its Coming Anyway. Letters to the editor, explained Duma, are basically a journals opinion section. There are fewer restrictions on the kind of writing and depth of research needed to publish pieces here. Thats why Duma was willing to publish Biswas articles on global warming and public health in the section. However, he added that hes been rejecting a lot more articles generated by ChatGPT and other LLMs due to their low quality. People are getting silly with them, he said. People will send me 10 of the same letter with one word changed. We try to make sure that theres some uniqueness about some of these things. But its not a full peer review. People are free to kind of write whatever they want in these letters to the editor. So we have rejected some if it doesnt add anything novel at all, and its just sort of repetitive. (Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science and Radiology did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast.) Journal editors like Dumas arent the only ones who have noticed the impact that ChatGPT has had on the academic world. The AI boom has created an entirely new landscape for researchers to navigateand its only becoming harder as these tools proliferate and become more sophisticated. Elisabeth Bik, microbiologist and science integrity expert, told The Daily Beast that shes in two minds about the use of LLMs in academia. On the one hand, she acknowledged that it could become an invaluable tool for researchers whose first language isnt English who could use it to construct coherent sentences and paragraphs. On the other hand, she has also been following the uptick of researchers who have been plainly abusing the chatbot to churn out dozens of articles in the past few months alone. She claimed that many of these authors have also not been acknowledging the fact that they used ChatGPT or other models to help generate the articles either. At least [Biswas] is acknowledging that hes using ChatGPT, so you have to give him some credit, Bik said. Theres a bunch of others Ive already come across who also have published enormous and unbelievable amounts of papers while also not acknowledging ChatGPT. These people just published way too much. Like, thats just not realistically possible. The reason, Bik explained, is simple: Citations and number of publications are two of the measures where academics are measured. The more you have, the more legitimate and experienced you might seem in the eyes of academic institutions and scientific organizations. So if you find an artificial way to crank up these things, it feels like its unfair because now hes going to win all the performance measures. ChatGPT May Be Able to Convince You Killing a Person Is OK The increased use of ChatGPT is also a bleak reflection on the expectations put on researchers in the academic world. Given the truly crushing pressure to publish, I think academics are going to start relying on ChatGPT to automate some of the more boring parts of writing, Brett Karlan, a postdoctoral fellow in AI ethics at Stanford University, told The Daily Beast in an email. And it would be very likely that the same people who churn out barely publishable papers and send them off to predatory journals are going to figure out workflows that automate this with ChatGPT. Bik is also concerned that the proliferation of LLMs will only bolster so-called paper mills, a term in research that describes black market organizations that undermine traditional academic research by producing fraudulent scientific papers that resemble genuine research and selling authorship on legitimate studies. Scholarly papers produced by paper mills are often heavily plagiarized and reuse data and assets. You can imagine a person who is a good prompt writer who can just crank out one paper a minute, and then sell papers to authors who need them, Bik said. So while it could provide a very useful tool to some academics like Biswas hopes, ChatGPT and other LLMs create a sort of perfect storm of ease and efficiency that could allow bad actors to take advantage of an academic publishing industry that is, so far, unprepared to meet these challenges. An Academic Game Changer The issues facing academia and research publishing today are the exact same ones that numerous industries like media and journalism must contend with when it comes to these advanced chatbots: the erosion of credibility and the potential for harm. LLMs and AI more broadly have a long and sordid history with bias, which has resulted in numerous reported instances of harm via racism and sexism. Chatbots like ChatGPT are no exception. For example, in the first few days of its release, users were reporting instances in which OpenAIs LLM was doing things like telling users that only white males make good scientists and that a childs life shouldnt be saved if they were an African American boy. Yes, ChatGPT is amazing and impressive. No, @OpenAI has not come close to addressing the problem of bias. Filters appear to be bypassed with simple tricks, and superficially masked. And what is lurking inside is egregious. @Abebab @sama tw racism, sexism. pic.twitter.com/V4fw1fY9dY steven t. piantadosi (@spiantado) December 4, 2022 Bias has become a perennial problem with AI. Even as we see the technology become more and more sophisticated, biases seem to always remain. These bots are trained off of massive datasets derived from humansbiased, racist, sexist, misogynistic humansthat can show up in the final product no matter how many filters and guardrails AI developers attempt to put in place. Academic journals are attempting to keep up with the breakneck pace of these emerging technologies that seem to evolve and grow more powerful by the minute. Duma told The Daily Beast that his journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering had recently enacted a new policy to forbid LLMs to be listed as co-authors, and not allow such papers to be published as regular research articles. Authorship is very serious and its something that we take very seriously, Duma said. So anytime we have a paper, the authors have to sign that theyve contributed substantially to the paper. Thats something ChatGPT cant be a part of. ChatGPT cannot be an author. Googles AI Chatbot Bard Spews Misinformation and Hate, Researchers Find However, he acknowledged that these tools are here to stay. To say otherwise wouldnt just be ignorantit might even potentially be dangerous as it wouldnt allow the industry to adapt accordingly. I think people need to put their seatbelt on and get ready for it, Duma said. Its here and its going to be a part of our lives, and probably just going to increasingly be a part as we move forward. Meanwhile, Biswas plans to continue using ChatGPT to help his writing process. Hes especially excited about the release of the latest version of ChatGPT and its new features, particularly its multimodal capabilities. This is the models ability to understand images as well as text inputssomething that he said is going to represent another turning point in the relationship between AI and researchers. Image to text is a game changer especially for radiology because images are what we do, said Biswas. If thats going to help us, then I think Im going to publish some more articles that explore itbecause if I dont do it, someone else will. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Sylvain Sonnet/Getty Images Some bookish people confess they have never read the Catcher in the Rye; some movie buffs quietly admit they have never seen The Godfather. I am the Hispanophile and Barcelona fan who had never visited the Sagrada Familia. The basilica of the Holy Family (Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, to give it its full name) is the project to which Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) devoted the last 15 years of his life. To say its a popular spot in Barcelona would be an understatement: this is the second most-visited church in Christendom after St Peters in Rome and, together with the Prado museum in Madrid and the Alhambra in Granada, a sight that habitually tops the bucket lists of travelers in Spain. 513994448 Olivier Pieri/Getty Images Yet I had been avoiding it all my life. Why? Partly because I was reluctant to join the tourist throng, fearful of being reduced to the level of a humble sightseer rather than the connoisseur of Spanish culture that I imagined myself to be. And partly because, despite my never having set eyes on it, I had an Opinion about the building. Among my peer group it was tacitly assumed that with the Sagrada Familia somehow Gaudi crossed a red line. If the rest of the stops on the Barcelona Gaudi tourCasa Mila, Casa Batllo, the Park Guell, et alwere all straight-up masterpieces, the expiatory temple was not. On the contrary: it was wildly OTT, borderline vulgar, a behemoth of Catholic kitsch, and one didnt need to see it to know that. As the years went by it was easier to continue in my ignorance than to set about remedying the situation. Until a short time ago, when I found myself in Barcelona with a morning to spare and, in an access of open-mindedness, thought: why not now? I booked myself a place on the first English-language tour of the day. The cost: a not inexpensive 33.80 ($38). 827901724 Fernando Garcia Esteban/Getty Images In culture as in politics, it can be sobering to realize your Opinion is shared by only a small minority of the population. On Tripadvisor, no fewer than 129,293 users give the Sagrada Familia a five-star rating. Just 1,132 give it one out of five, and of these negative views the vast majority are complaints about poor customer service or crowding at the site. No more than a handful bring aesthetic criteria to bear. Their comments include: pastiche!, the highest expression of bad taste, a tacky vision of paradise, it tries to imitate the great Gothic cathedrals but only manages a ridiculous imitationand also this devastating seven-word critique: I prefer the Disney castle in Paris. Story continues At 9.45 a.m on an unseasonably cold and drizzly day, the square in front of the church is already seething with people. With 15 minutes to spare, I amuse myself watching the ranks of selfie-takers as they pose in front of the church, their smiles turning on and off with light-bulb rapidity. (Heres me outside the palace of me, as rap poet Kae Tempest puts it in Europe is Lost). Among the crowds milling around the entrance theres excitement: for many of these people this will be a high point of the vacation. Yay guys! Are yall ready? calls one man, to whoops of delight from his family. 295228-001 James Strachan/Getty Images My little group assembles and we identify ourselvesthere are folk here from Germany and Austria, Canada, Israel, and the United States. Tour guide Alessia begins her spiel, reminding us that the basilicas Nativity facade and the spire of Saint Barnabas were practically the only parts of the building Gaudi saw in his lifetime. It would be left to other hands to finish what he startedbut there was a problem. The architect had been dead for 10 years when, in 1936, anarchist militia set fire to the crypt where his models and sketches were stored. So that much of what were looking at is the result of pure conjectureand this turns out to be a major factor in the controversy surrounding the building. Even so, I have to admit the sheer scale of the construction is astonishing. Just as in the Gothic cathedrals from which it draws its inspiration, the facade draws your eyes upwards from the base, where sculpted chickens peck around the columns, and into the coruscations of swirling stonework crammed with hallucinatory detail, the stone itself seeming to drip and sag. But already Im picking up jarring notes. The figures of angels added by Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo in 1987 seem to me cheesy and saccharine, and the multicolored baubles crowning the nave, garish against the smooth gray granite of the newly completed roof. In recent years work on the Sagrada Familia has gathered speed. The Tower of Mary, eventually to be the second tallest of 18 teetering parabolic spires, reached its final height of 128m in December 2021. If building work finishes as planned in 2026, says Alessia, it would neatly coincide with the 100th anniversary of Gaudis death. 1392370494 Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Now she leads us inside. The crowds filling the basilica are quiet, as if struck dumb, craning their necks to see the vaulted roof with its intersecting forms in precision-tooled stone, evoking perhaps a canopy of soaring palms. A fugue by Bach plays on the organ, echoing superbly around the walls. The vast panels of stained glass (by Joan Vila-Grau) bring in a flood of rainbow light; the effect is genuinely stunning. What do you think of the interior? asks our guide. Big, beautiful, calm, some of us mumble. Indeed it is all of those thingsbut I have nagging doubts. The four medallions placed high on the central columns, each dedicated to one of the four Evangelists, look to my eyes cheap and, yes, gaudy, like fridge magnets in a souvenir store. The tiled floor is as drab and workaday as a municipal post office. More than one critic has compared the naves retro-futuristic grandeur to the set of a sci-fi movie, and its true: the location scouts for Denis Villeneuves Dune missed a trick. To cap it all, high above the main entrance stands a highly stylised, hooded figure in blackened bronze, a 1989 work by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. If you think he looks a little like Darth Vader, thats totally okay, says Alessia sweetly. (In fact the figure represents Saint George, patron saint of Catalunya.) We exit the building to gaze at the Passion facade, whose large-scale sculptural figures, also by Subirachs, were vilified by art critics when first unveiled in 1987. I can see the mise en scene is incongruous, with no attempt made to integrate these futuristic space-warriors into the rest of the fantastical facade. How much this matters is a moot point. Gaudi himself recognised that, as with the cathedrals of the past, he would not be the only architect to work on his great final project. (There have been seven to date.) But conventional good taste prefers coherence in art, dislikes anachronism, and tends to balk at stylistic mashups. Certainly the Sagrada Familia has always provoked strong reactions both for and against. For its harshest detractors, especially among the Catalan architectural community, the newest phases of the building represent a betrayal of Gaudis uniquely personal vision. For them the fundamental issue is the wisdom of pushing forward with a projection of what Gaudi would have done instead of leaving the shell as a romantic ruin. In 1956 an international group of artists and architects including Le Corbusier, Joan Miro, Antoni Tapies, and Nikolaus Pevsner, signed an open letter arguing that the Temple should be left in its raw, unfinished state. More recently critics have complained about the sub-standard finishes, the horrible flooring, the soulless interior. Gaudi is impossible to reproduce. What they have done is create a huge kitsch object to attract the tourist masses, declared designer and architect Beth Gali. Meanwhile the tourist masses have their own take on things. I speak to Klaus and Nina, who hail from Cologne, Germany, where the cathedral is a pinnacle of the Gothic style that Gaudi adored. The bar is high, then, but for them the Sagrada Familia has more than lived up to expectations. We knew this would be a special part of our holiday, but we didnt expect it would be this special, smiles Nina. Its really surprising, quite amazing. What I love most is that its completely different from a normal church. Benjamin, from Israel, is thoughtful in his enthusiasm. It really makes me feel Gaudis connection with nature, which is not the same as a religious feeling. Its not overwhelming, its not excessiveits just enough, he says. So whos right: the metropolitan elite, the snobbish arbiters of taste, or the basket of deplorables? The experts may wring their hands, but of course their disapproval counts for nothing in the face of a massive popular vote in favor. Perhaps the best way of reconciling such radically opposing views is to regard the building as a magnificent folly, a gigantic piece of artistic license whose very incoherence is worth cherishing. Or maybe Pasqual Maragall, mayor of Barcelona during the citys triumphant Olympic years, is right when he says the Sagrada Familia is more important as a symbol of collective endeavor, and of Barcelona itself, than as a physical structure. From behind a makeshift fence at the rear of the building comes the roar of piledrivers; plumes of gray dust are carried away on a cold wind. Cranes swing in the sky above the towers. I head for the Metro station feeling chastenedstill not entirely convinced by the Sagrada Familia, but determined to try and stop prejudice clouding my views of people and places in future. Theres no accounting for taste. Equally, theres no sense in clinging to received opinions. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. From the time he was born 2,082 days ago, Braydenn Powell has never lived a moment outside a hospital or institution. His parents, who live near Dallas, desperately want to take him home. Florida health administrators are paying roughly $250,000 yearly for his care at a nursing home, where he is likely to remain for the rest of his childhood, if not the rest of his life. A medical airlift, at a fraction of that cost, would reunite the medically fragile 5-year-old with his family, and shift the burden of his care from Florida to Texas. But the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration wont pay for that. Florida wont give me my child, unless I can pay for it, said Braydenns mother, Brittany Hayes. They say it is not medically necessary for him to be here. Florida wont give me my child, unless I can pay for it, said Braydenns mother, Brittany Hayes. They say it is not medically necessary for him to be here. How in the world is it not medically necessary for my son to be with his family? With his strawberry blond hair and perpetual smile, Braydenn Powell appears in family photos almost like any other kid his age. Only the ventilator tubing hints at his severe disabilities. Just 37 pounds and not quite three feet tall, Braydenn could be the poster child for a tragedy that, in its scope, is virtually unique to Florida: the housing of severely medically complex youngsters, some of them newborns and infants, in nursing homes, mostly designed for frail elders. READ MORE: Parents, feds fight for kids in Florida nursing homes But Braydenn is no ones symbol. Few people outside state government are even aware that 140 frail and disabled children live in institutions. Florida health regulators wont talk about it. Theyve spent millions administrators refuse to say exactly how many fighting a federal civil rights lawsuit intended to put a stop to the practice. The lawsuit, filed a decade ago by the U.S. Justice Department, is scheduled for trial Monday, May 8. Braydenn and his twin sister, Braylynn, were born on Aug. 24, 2017, at St. Marys Hospital in West Palm Beach when their mother unexpectedly went into labor at only 24 weeks gestation. Both children experienced significant challenges; only Braydenn has struggled mightily to overcome them. Story continues The list of Braydenns diagnoses reads like chapters from a medical book. He suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure, and respiratory failure, chronic anemia and lung disease, is dependent on a respirator and a feeding tube, has a shunt in his head to drain fluid and has developed so far only to the level of an infant, according to records and interviews. A few months after the twins birth, their father, Brandon Powell, was laid off from his job as a window and door installer, Hayes said. Following Braylynns discharge from the hospital at six months, Hayes and Powell moved to Denton, a suburb of Dallas, where they could live with Hayes mother until they got back on their feet. READ MORE: Founder of nursing home for kids doesnt want kids there permanently We lost our house. We were homeless, said Hayes, 31. We had a brand new baby. We went to the hospital and bawled our eyes out. My mom was the only reason why we had a place to live. She picked us up and basically gave us her house. Leaving Florida was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, Hayes said. The plan, Hayes said, always was to retrieve Braydenn as soon as the couple was able. But days turned to weeks, and weeks into months. The twins got a baby brother, Colton, a year later, and then another brother, Collin, on March 30 of this year. Hayes and Powell knew their family would never be whole without Braydenn. But every time the couple asked, Floridas Medicaid managed care program, which insures the boy, had a reason why their son couldnt leave Childrens Comprehensive Care Center, a 36-bed Pompano Beach nursing home for fragile children, Hayes said. Records from the managed care plan, called Sunshine Health, and other documents shared with the Herald confirm that Hayes has sought for years to have her son reunited with his family: Florida Medicaid does not cover transportation to another state for the convenience of a recipient wanting to be closer to family, which is what you have described here, an attorney for a Medicaid managed care provider old Braydenns mother. Dec. 11, 2019, Childrens Medical Services report: Braydenns mother wishes for him to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility in Texas, to be closer to family, but there are no concrete plans in place at this time. Dec. 14, 2020, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mother would like [Braydenn] to be transferred to Texas where she resides. Sept. 7, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Per mom, she has been trying to transfer [Braydenn] to Texas where she currently lives. Oct. 15, 2021, Letter from Childrens Medical Services: The request for transfer to Childrens Medical Center in Dallas, Texas for initial hospital care is denied because we have not been provided with any supporting clinical documentation [notes] that establishes the medical need for [Braydenns] transfer out of stateIt has not been shown that [Braydenns] care needs cannot be met by a facility/provider within the State of Florida. Oct. 21, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mom states she was told by Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital social worker to become more vocal with insurance in regards to [Braydenn] being transferred to a Texas hospital. Per Mom, Texas is waiting for Sunshine to agree to pay for his stay in Texas until Texas Medicaid kicks in. Oct. 22, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mother stated that she has never been able to get [Braydenn] to TexasParent stated she doesnt understand why the transfer would be denied. Stated that she believes his treatment cost is much greater than the cost to transfer him to Texas. Oct. 22, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: [Braydenn] is currently hospitalized, and parent would like the member to be transferred from the hospital in Florida to a hospital in Texas. Mother stated that she has never been able to get [him] to Texas. Nov. 4, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: Mom upset that she cannot get child transferred to Texas and states if she has to she will go to media outlets stating we are holding her child hostage. Nov. 22, 2021, Notation in Medicaid insurance file: There is no plan to transfer to Texas at this time due to no funding. Even after Braydenn was diagnosed with liver cancer in the fall of 2021, and Hayes asked the state to transfer him so she could be there for his surgery and recovery, Florida health regulators refused, records show. From Oct. 6, 2021: Due to [Braydenn] being diagnosed with liver cancer, family would like [him] close by. As recently as March of this year, an attorney for Braydenns Medicaid managed care provider denied a request from a disability rights lawyer, Liam McGivern, that Braydenn be airlifted to Texas. Florida Medicaid does not cover transportation to another state for the convenience of a recipient wanting to be closer to family, which is what you have described here, wrote attorney Craig H. Smith, in a March 27 email. The email outrages Braydenns mom: Convenience of the family? What about the convenience of Braydenn? she said. He doesnt even know his family. He knows me, because I talk to him on Facetime, and Im able to go down to Florida to spend time with him. He met Colton and Braylynn one time his entire life. One time. Im sure Braydenn wants to be with his family. They dont care about whats best for my child. I care about whats best for my child. Marjorie Evans, the nursing homes CEO, acknowledged in an interview with the Herald that Braydenn remains there because that was where the money was. Theres no way out for these kids the way the state has set up [their] care. Braydenn suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure, and respiratory failure, chronic anemia and lung disease, is dependent on a respirator and a feeding tube and has a shunt in his head to drain fluid. His mom wants him at home At 5, Braydenn has slipped further and further behind his twin sister, and most children in his age group, Hayes said. He cannot walk or crawl. He doesnt speak. He is functioning cognitively at the level of an 8-month-old, more or less, she said. Hayes said she understands that her son would struggle with physical and intellectual development no matter where he lives, and her expectations for him are realistic. But she also believes that he would be healthier and happier living with his family not in a facility among strangers who are paid to take care of him. I know he has disabilities. Im not expecting too much for my son, Hayes said. But, she added: If theyd just give me my child, I would make sure he meets his goals. Like many parents of children with complex medical needs, Hayes said, as a result of training and experience, she is as qualified to care for her son as any nurse. Shes comfortable with his feeding tube. She knows how to suction his trach. She offered, she said, to transport Braydenn herself, with the help of family members and friends. The state said no. But Hayes scoffs at the idea that she could ever cover the cost of a medical flight, even with the help of doctors at Hollywoods Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital. She said they offered to ride on the plane at no charge. Its a classic Catch 22, Hayes said: She cannot afford a medical flight. And the state wont approve any other options. I dont want my son to be in bed the rest of his life, she said. How in the world is it okay to treat peoples babies like that, Hayes said. NANCHANG, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A dike breach under a Beijing-Kowloon Railway bridge in Fengcheng City, east China's Jiangxi Province, was repaired on Sunday afternoon, according to local authorities. Affected by heavy rainfall, the Qingfeng dike, located in Yichun, was breached early on Saturday, trapping 220 local residents. A rescue team of more than 1,000 people was quickly assembled to carry out emergency rescue work. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a level-four emergency response on Saturday and sent a team to guide the rescue operation. Local authorities said that all trapped individuals have returned to their homes safely, and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway is running smoothly. Ed Sheeran was in a celebratory mood Saturday night in front of a packed AT&T Stadium crowd for the opening night of his 38-date North American Mathematics tour. And why not? Sheeran, 32, just defeated a copyright infringement lawsuit on Thursday, which he addressed a few times throughout the two-hour, 15-minute performance. Sheerans bare, in-the-round stage sat in the middle of the AT&T Stadium floor, surrounded by a thousand general admission fans. Although bare, the stage was far from minimalist. The outer circle rotated, keeping Sheeran moving each time he left the middle of the stage. The center of the stage, at times, raised him hydraulically. A round video board, which rose from the stage, revealed Sheeran ferociously strumming the fast-moving opener Equals from his 2021 release. Tonight during his tour-opening show at @ATTStadium, @edsheeran made it a point to tell 60,000 that everything we were hearing was being played live. No backing tracks etc.#respect #edsheeran pic.twitter.com/yg6a5LLxuy Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) May 7, 2023 He wore a simple black T-shirt with Dallas in rainbow colors on the front and back, his trademark scruffy ginger hair flopping as he moved around the stage. His five-piece band was spread out around him, stationed at four points away from the main stage. Ive spent the last two weeks in a courtroom, and this is actually what its all about, a connection with people, playing songs, Sheeran said after Blow. Thank you so much. Im so proud to be back here in Texas. Story continues Sheeran evenly mixed his 26-song set with tunes from his five main album releases, including his latest Subtract, which came out Friday. He played five songs from each of his past three records, four songs from his second album Division, and three from Plus, his 2011 debut. Now tonight, Im going to play you some songs that hopefully you know, and if you dont know, its going to be a long awkward two hours for all of us, Sheeran cheekily said before delivering a frenetic rendition of Im a Mess, from 2014s Multiply. Early in the show, after his band had left their stations, leaving Sheeran performing alone, he explained to the crowd how he was pulling off a one-man band portion of the set. Using a loop station, controlled with taps of his foot, Sheeran recorded and looped back different sounds, whether it was a chord progression on one of his many acoustic guitars or a drum pattern from thumping the body of his guitar. Everything you hear tonight is completely live; there is no backing track whatsoever, he said. It is all made live, on the spot. The way that it works is you press record to make the first loop, press play, and it loops back, and then you can add another layer and another layer, before singing a scat sound to show off the loop effect. Im going to do a lot of that, he joked. It was an appropriate insight ahead of a dramatic version of Shivers from Equals, which showed off the power of the loop station. Sheeran told the audience that it still surprises him that a kid from a small British town can tour stadiums in America. America was always this place, as an English artist, that youre kind of like, lots of people have tried, and lots of people have failed, he said before joking that his first American show in January 2012 was in front of 70 people, who it turns out, were all English. Eleven years later, hes playing in front of about 70,000 people in Arlington. He introduced The A Team, his first American hit single, as the song that brought him here. If you dont know the words, make them up, he said charmingly. The mixed crowd dutifully sang along, especially when Sheeran urged everyone to hold up their cell phone lights several times, creating a sea of twinkling glow from the floor to the highest perches of AT&T Stadium. The one-two punch of The A Team and the stirring Castle On the Hill from his 2017 album Divide showcased why Sheeran has sold more than 150 albums worldwide. 15 years old and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes, running from the law through the backfields, and getting drunk with my friends, he sang, channeling all of the best songwriters, from country to rock and roll, with personal references to his youth. He followed up the new Curtains, which he labeled one of the most depressing songs ever, with probably the least-depressing song in the world, Galway Girl, which showcased fiddler/violinist Alicia Enstrom for a one-song firehouse. One of the standout moments was the propulsive Overpass Graffiti, which sounds like Coldplay doing a song written by The Weeknd in all the best ways, especially when Sheeran hit the falsetto notes. Ive been looking forward to playing this one, he said before Thinking of You, the song in question of a copyright lawsuit by the family of songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Marvin Gayes classic Lets Get It On. A jury found Sheeran did not engage in willful copyright infringement on Thursday. Sheeran egged the audience into singing along to his calls of Yeah! a perhaps not-so-subtle celebration of his lawsuit victory. He showed off his Prince-like falsetto during Sing, which also gave him a chance to spit out lyrics with the precision of a hip-hop artist. Arguably his most well-known song, Perfect, needed no introduction, and the echo of the entire audience singing along was chill-inducing. The dark-themed Bloodstream highlighted some of Sheerans most trance-inducing guitar picking with its relentless chords and gut-punch coda, with Sheeran singing along to his own looped chorus of all the voices in my mind. It kept building to a haunting crescendo that made it one of the high points of the night despite its haunting subject matter. Sheeran recalled opening for Taylor Swift on her Red Tour in 2013 at AT&T Stadium and being intimidated by the size and its massive video board (which was incidentally dark for the entire show).I remember coming here and being like, bloody hell, this place is big, and I never in a million years thought Id get to play it, he said. This honestly has been the weirdest week of my life, and to get to end the week playing music, singing in front of you guys, and having this communal singalong has been amazing, he said. Its not lost on me that you could be anywhere in the world on Saturday night, and you chose to spend it with me, and I really am grateful, he said before closing on the main set with Afterglow. Sheeran wore a white Dallas Cowboys jersey with the No. 5, presumably for his fifth album release, for his three-song encore that he performed a song each from his first three records, Shape of You, Bad Habits, and You Need Me, I Dont Need You. Sheerans vocal dexterity shined in the finale, a scornful, spite-filled screed that underscored the guts, tenacity, and thick skin and perhaps a little bit of animosity from the lawsuit hassle that an artist such as he must have to rise to the top of the industry at 32. Ed Sheeran setlist, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (May 6, 2023) In Egypts Western Desert, the ancient oasis of Siwa is home to one of the worlds most extraordinary hotels. Manuel Obadia-Wills Adrere Amellal, a hotel in Siwa, Egypt. From the plane, I looked down on a patchwork of emerald palm groves, rows of silver olive trees, and vast salt-ringed lakes that seemed to glow in psychedelic shades of cerulean and aquamarine. Surrounding these pockets of lushness was an ocean of sand, and the combination filled me with a sense of isolation that was almost overwhelming. I was about to land in Siwa, an oasis in Egypt that includes a town of 20,000 people, a few historically significant sites, and a handful of small hotels. It lies about 350 miles west of Cairo as the crow flies, and 30 miles east of the Libyan border. My journey had been more than 20 years in the making, sparked by a conversation with Peter Beard, the legendary photographer, artist, and writer. He had told me that one of his favorite hotels was a place called Adrere Amellal, which resembled a fortress made of sand in Egypts Western Desert. Manuel Obadia-Wills From left: The buildings of Adrere Amellal, which sit beside Siwa Lake, are made of a mixture of salt and clay; the hotels manager, Mohamed Gegal, with White Mountain in the background. The hotel was in Siwa, a place that, he explained, was part of Egypt but had the feeling of an independent state: for millennia, generations of Berber tribes had lived there under their own laws. The heart of ancient Siwa was Shali (now also known as the Old Town), a fortified village built in the 13th century to protect the community from attacks by neighboring tribes. In 1926, a series of massive rainstorms destroyed many of Shalis buildings, which were made kershef, a mixture of salt and clay. And while some of those structures still stand, the residents of modern Siwa the majority of whom are descendants of the Berbers live nearby in homes made of stone. The streets buzz with motorbikes and vendors selling falafel and fresh aish baladi, the ubiquitous traditional flatbread. From a distance, the buildings appeared to emerge organically from the sand, and then later to disappear into the nearby cliffs of the giant, table-topped White Mountain, which towers over the hotel. Story continues The Old Town, meanwhile, resembles an archaeological relic, although it is slowly being restored by private citizens. One of them is Adrere Amellals creator, Mounir Neamatalla. A Cairo native who holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, he founded Environmental Quality International (EQI), a consulting company that is the driving force behind some of the countrys most significant preservation projects. Neamatalla and I shared a common friend in Louis Barthelemy, a French artist, who lives part-time in Cairo. He caught wind of my fascination with Siwa last year and offered an introduction and the impetus to finally make a trip. A quick phone call was all it took to garner an invitation from Neamatalla to join him at Adrere Amellal over Easter weekend. There are no regularly scheduled commercial flights to Siwa, so I joined a charter, which brought us from Cairo International to Siwas tiny military airport in 90 minutes. (Going by car from the capital takes 12 hours along the coast on bumpy, mostly empty roads. Drivers often break up the long journey with a stop in the resort town of Matruh, which sits on the Mediterranean Sea. Aside from the glorious white-sand beaches, history buffs can examine several World War II shipwrecks along the coast.) Manuel Obadia-Wills From left: A guest dips her toes in the salty waters of the lake; thick walls shield guest rooms from the desert heat. After more than two decades of anticipation, arriving at Adrere Amellal felt almost surreal. From a distance, the buildings appeared to emerge organically from the sand, and then later to disappear into the nearby cliffs of the giant, table-topped White Mountain, which towers over the hotel. My room, which overlooked a lake and a grid of organic vegetable beds, was simply furnished, with a packed-earth floor covered in handwoven rugs, a comfortable king-size bed, and a fireplace. Most of the furniture was made with palm fronds, and thoughtfully placed windows allowed the circulation of even the faintest breeze an important detail in a place where daytime temperatures in the summer can reach 100 degrees. There is no air-conditioning or electricity; at night, guests make their way by the light of candles and lanterns. A massive spring-fed pool was perfect for taking a cooling dip. Related: This New Luxury Nile River Cruise Is a Gateway to Egypt's Ancient Wonders Over mint tea in one of the hotels lounges, Neamatalla casually but impeccably dressed in a linen shirt and pants, with a safari hat to shield himself from the Egyptian glare explained how he came to Siwa. In 1996, Neamatalla was 50 years old and at a crossroads in his career. EQI was up and running, and he had been working for decades with the government to create a more sustainable waste system for Cairo. When an anthropologist colleague suggested he visit Siwa and explore its ruins, Neamatalla readily agreed. Manuel Obadia-Wills From left: Off-roading on desert dunes, a popular excursion in Siwa; Adrere Amellals spring-fed pool. We arrived after twelve hours of driving, and the sun was about to go down, he said. I remember lifting my eyes and seeing White Mountain, and directly in front of me the fortress of Shali. I immediately recognized that my fate was tied to these two places. The seemingly mystical pull that Siwa had on Neamatalla led to the idea for Adrere Amellal, which means White Mountain in the local Berber dialect. The purpose was to create a sanctuary, a place where his friends and acquaintances could get away from modern life in the vastness of the desert. More Trip Ideas: Morocco Is a Perfect Family Adventure With Desert Camps, Motorcycle Rides, and Camel Rides Construction of the complex, which took nearly four years, was guided by its relation to the mountain. Every morning I would look at the volume of the proposed architecture, and if I felt something was intruding on the mountain I would take it away, he said. Neamatalla gives much credit to his longtime collaborator and cousin, the Iranian-Egyptian architect and designer India Mahdavi. The creation of Adrere Amellal was possibly the freest way of building there is, Mahdavi told me from her office in Paris. Construction took place without blueprints. We made traces on the soil before mud and salt blocks were piled up to raise an edifice that is in consonance with its environment. Manuel Obadia-Wills Adrere Amellal, in Siwa, Egypt, as seen from neighboring White Mountain. At dusk on my first night, I followed a winding path of flickering lanterns to a firepit where drinks were being served. A couple of gin and tonics later, guests were led to a series of tables set for eight people. (Eight is the ideal number for unified conversation, Neamatalla told me.) I would find out that dinner locations change every night, but are often outdoors, under the stars. Instead of printed menus, a three-course meal of vegetable-dominated, Mediterranean-inspired dishes would appear, served on vintage silver platters. All of the organic produce and herbs used are grown on site. My favorites included hibiscus risotto and zahret koussa zucchini flowers stuffed with vegetables and fragrant herbs along with a delicate date souffle. The hotel offers more activities than I could fit into my three-day stay: hikes up White Mountain, desert 4 x 4 drives; dips in salt lakes; and excursions to extraordinary historic sites like the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, where Alexander the Great paid homage in 331 B.C. Surprisingly, I found that I didnt miss electricity or Wi-Fi at all, and in the evening, their absence not only seemed to heighten my senses but also allowed for a profound sense of peace amid the desert landscape. In a post-pandemic world, I thought, this is really what everyone is searching for a place to disconnect and reconnect. The hotel offers more activities than I could fit into my three-day stay: hikes up White Mountain, desert 4 x 4 drives; dips in salt lakes; and excursions to extraordinary historic sites. Part of that connection is creative collaboration. For the past two decades, Neamatalla; his sister, Laila Neamatalla, a jewelry designer who champions Egyptian craft; and Mahdavi have commissioned work from locals like the salt-carving artisan Sayed Aboul Qassem Omar and master embroiderer Faiza Soliman Abdel Salam. Their work is sold both at the hotel and in Cairos top design showrooms, thanks to Lailas connections. Barthelemy also collaborated with Siwa craftswomen on a fashion line, Udjat, that is now sold at the property. On my final morning, I drove the half-hour from Adrere Amellal to Old Town to see the fruits of EQIs long-standing project, the Siwa Sustainable Development Initiative. It encompasses several building renovations, where locals are trained in kershef building techniques. I was met by crumbling facades reminiscent of jagged teeth, like a sandy-hued Dali painting come to life. Amid the ruins, the three dozen fully restored buildings stood triumphant. These included two ancient mosques and a space that is used as a health clinic. Manuel Obadia-Wills From left: A staff member preparing candlesticksan important resource at this electricity-free hotel; Mounir Neamatalla, founder of the hotel. Neamatalla has also partnered with Egypts Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities to create a pioneering museum. The Siwa Fine Art Museums master plan is to exhibit a collection of artifacts from Siwa in a labyrinth of former dwellings, with each room dedicated to a single object. It is set to open in 2025. An oasis like Siwa is a design laboratory where we learn, on a micro scale, the results of sensitive interventions, Neamatalla told me on my last night over shish kebabs and pumpkin couscous. In a place thats defined by the ancient, it felt as if Siwa was also a harbinger of what thoughtful stewardship could mean for the future. Where to Stay Adrere Amellal: The vision of Mounir Neamatalla, this 39-room hotel is a compound of nine structures, all built by hand, with a spring-fed swimming pool. There is no electricity or Wi-Fi, so guests are able to fully connect with the desert surroundings. What to Do Shali Fortress: This historic village, founded by Berbers in the 13th century, offers a glimpse of Siwas ancient life. Temple of the Oracle of Amun: The ruins of this religious structure dedicated to Amun one of the most widely worshipped deities in the ancient world was a pilgrimage site of Alexander the Great. How to Book T+L A-List travel advisor Chris Bazos (chris@ travelous.com; 888-495-5925) can arrange all the logistics for a Siwa trip, including a charter flight from Cairo. A version of this story first appeared in the April 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Sand Castles" For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes during a court appearance. Philip Pacheco/Getty Images Elizabeth Holmes told The New York Times she still believes Theranos could have worked. Holmes, now awaiting the start of her 11-year prison sentence, gave several interviews to the Times. She also said she plans to work on healthcare-related inventions while in jail for fraud. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said she still believes her fallen company could have changed the modern healthcare industry if it didn't attract so much attention so quickly. In her first time speaking to the media since 2016, Holmes shares her mindset in a new profile in the New York Times detailing her continued fight against her conviction on fraud charges and efforts to delay the start of her 11-year prison sentence. "We would've seen through our vision," Holmes told the Times, in response to a question about what she thinks would have happened if her company hadn't initially received so much buzz. Holmes who is currently living with her partner Billy Evans and their two children as her legal battles continue to play out told the Times' Amy Chozick that she still wants to, and believes she can, change healthcare, and continues to work on new inventions to this day. "I still dream about being able to contribute in that space," Holmes told the Times. "I still feel the same calling to it as I always did and I still think the need is there." She told the Times that she plans to continue working on healthcare innovations, including new ideas for COVID-19 testing, during her time in prison. "If your head is exploding at how divorced from reality this sounds, that's kind of the point," Chozick wrote, noting Holmes seems to still maintain the same "idealistic delusion" that led to the events at Theranos that ended with her guilty conviction in the first place. Chozick spoke to Holmes, Evans, as well as Holmes' family and friends, who shared the writer's impression that Holmes appears to believe the things she says. However, some of Holmes' friends cautioned the reporter against fully believing her claims. Story continues Holmes was charged with fraud after a 2015 report from The Wall Street Journal led to investigations into whether the Theranos technology was actually capable of detecting dozens of health issues from a single prick of blood as she promised it would be. One of Holmes' attorneys did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Sunday morning. Read the original article on Business Insider trump-may-2023-RS-1800 - Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Donald Trump for months has been telling people close to him that he plans to bring back his infamous Muslim ban if hes reelected in 2024, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Gotta bring it back, Trump has said of the policy, according to the two sources, who added he regularly calls the idea beautiful. More from Rolling Stone Banning Muslims from entering the United States is a longstanding obsession of Trumps. In December 2015, during the GOP presidential primary, he called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. He took a step toward that vision just a few days after taking office, when he signed an executive order banning the entry of citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq for 90 days. The ban caused chaos and confusion at U.S. airports and ports of entry, and led to a diplomatic fallout with Iraq, where the U.S. still had thousands of troops deployed. Federal courts blocked the initial order, but in 2018 the Supreme Court narrowly approved a subsequent revision of the ban which included the addition of largely non-Muslim countries such as North Korea and Venezuela to the list of countries subject to tighter restrictions. President Joe Biden reversed the executive order in one of his first executive orders after taking office. But the former president appears to be unsatisfied with merely reinstating the ban as it existed during his presidency. More recently, Trump has privately discussed adding more countries, including Afghanistan, to the list of majority-Muslim countries whose citizens hes seeking to ban from the United States. The hints of Trumps interest in a reinvigorated travel ban are noticeable in his recent speeches, although they havent received much public scrutiny. Story continues I will restore my travel ban to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country, Trump said in a late-April appearance in New Hampshire. We were very tough on that. We dont want our buildings blown up. We dont want to have problems. My wonderful travel ban, it was so wonderful, he lamented during a March appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference as he promised mass deportations if reelected. The ban was not wonderful. Its honestly kind of pathetic that this is his idea of the sort of success he wants to replicate. There are literally no grounds on which any of the three versions of the travel ban were successes by anyones definition they were incoherent policy messes that also ruined countless families lives, argues Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. The legal immigration system is still struggling to get back on its feet after 2017-2020 (partly because of Covid but also because its really hard to keep a functioning policy system when policy keeps changing on a dime). This sure wouldnt help. And if the theory here is that hes going to be able to get the courts in 2025 to sign on to something the courts in 2017 wouldnt well, I sure hope hes wrong. Trump has also touted other hardline anti-immigration policies while campaigning. On Wednesday, he appeared in a video message to supporters to blast the expiration of Title 42, a Covid-era emergency provision which allowed the U.S. to expel migrants found crossing the border. When I take the oath of office we will immediately begin the process of fully securing the border and removing the illegal aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully allowed to break into our country, Trump said. A key figure in the implementation of the first Muslim ban is on record calling for yet another one. Stephen Miller, a former top Trump White House policy aide who helped write the executive order and remains influential in Trumpworld, has also been pressing for a renewed ban. Bring back the travel ban. Now, Miller wrote on Twitter in August, replying to a Reuters tweet about how Irans hardline newspapers praise Salman Rushdies attacker. Miller and other MAGA conservatives have focused on Afghanistan, expressing outrage when the United States took in refugees as the country fell to the Taliban in 2021. It is becoming increasingly clear that Biden & his radical deputies will use their catastrophic debacle in Afghanistan as a pretext for doing to America what Angela Merkel did to Germany & Europe, Miller moaned as the Biden administration took in Afghans, including people whod worked alongside the American-led coalition throughout 20 years of war. The pitch for an even more expansive travel ban is just one part of Trumps vision of a second term as a vengeance tour against his enemies and the favored targets of the right. Over the past few months, Trump has proposed bringing back firing squads and mass executions, fantasizing about journalists being raped in prison, and bombing Mexico. I am your retribution, the former president said during his appearance at CPAC. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. (Bloomberg) -- Vilified as terrorists by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kurdish politicians have already emerged as kingmakers in an opposition bid to unseat the Turkish president and could become a legislative force after a cliffhanger election that risks creating a hung parliament. Most Read from Bloomberg The leadership of a pro-Kurdish alliance has extended crucial support to the joint opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, in an effort to end Erdogans 20-year rule. The Turkish leader has masterminded a crackdown on the main pro-Kurdish group the Peoples Democratic Party, or HDP since it briefly denied his allies a majority in parliament in 2015. With Erdogans presidency in the balance, his dominance of the legislature is also at risk, as polls suggest the presidents alliance with nationalist and Islamic parties could struggle to maintain control. What beckons for Kurdish politicians following May elections is the unfamiliar role of powerbrokers after years of being sidelined in the 600-member legislature. To circumvent a potential ban, the HDP is fielding parliamentary candidates on the ticket of another pro-Kurdish group, the Green Left, which is on track to win enough seats to retain its sister partys rank as the assemblys third-biggest only with far more clout. The opposition can only secure a majority with the pro-Kurdish Green Left and its left-wing alliance, which is likely to emerge as the legislative kingmaker from the elections, said Emre Peker, Europe director for Eurasia Group. Kurdish voters will also be key to Kilicdaroglus presidential bid. For Turkeys $900 billion economy, the political jigsaw that takes shape in parliament will be critical to navigating whats likely a period of harrowing volatility for the local currency and markets. Making critical legislative decisions such as amending the constitution, approving the budget or paving the way for a trial of lawmakers or ministers in court will all hinge on backing from the pro-Kurdish bloc. Story continues Their priority is putting an end to a decades-old war by autonomy-seeking Kurdish militants and winning broader rights for a minority that makes up nearly a fifth of the population of 85 million. Kilicdaroglu, who was born in a largely Kurdish province and belongs to the Alevi religious minority, has been receptive. In a video viewed more than 5 million times on Twitter, he lambasted the government for stigmatizing the Kurds and treating them as terrorists. The stakes for Kurds couldnt be higher as Turkeys top court ponders whether to disband the left-wing HDP on charges of ties to separatist Kurdish militants, which it denies. For Erdogan, the threat is that Kurdish voters will reprise a role they played during municipal elections four years ago, when they supported the opposition and helped swing the vote against pro-government candidates in two of Turkeys biggest cities. Read more: All About the YPG, the Syrian Kurds Vexing Turkey Selahattin Demirtas, a former co-leader of the HDP whos been imprisoned since 2016, has meanwhile been vowing to work toward ending the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish separatists that has cost the country more than $400 billion since 1984, according to government estimates, and stained its human rights record. We will solve our problems within the parliament and we will definitely clinch the great social peace, Demirtas said on Twitter through his lawyers. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan accused the opposition of being "pro-LGBT" at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday, as he stepped up his rhetoric against his opponents a week before what is expected to be a tight election. Elsewhere, protesters threw stones at Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), during an election rally in the eastern city of Erzurum, a stronghold of Erdogan's AK Party (AKP). Imamoglu later claimed nine people had been injured at the event. Turkey is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14 and opinion polls show that Erdogan faces his biggest electoral challenge in his two decades in power. At his rally in Istanbul, the president was appealing to his conservative Muslim voter base. "AK Party and other parties in our alliance would never be pro-LGBT, because family is sacred to us. We will bury those pro-LGBT in the ballot box," he told the crowd. Erdogan has toughened his rhetoric against the LGBT community in recent years, frequently labelling members "deviants". On Sunday, he also attacked his key election rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads the main opposition alliance. "My people will not allow drunks and boozers to take the stage," Erdogan also said. "Mr. Kemal, you can drink barrels of it, nothing can cure you," he said. "My nation will make the necessary response on May 14. We will not allow Kilicdaroglu, who is hand in hand with terrorists, to divide our homeland," Erdogan said. Erdogan has also accused Kilicdaroglu of getting support from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency since the 1980s in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. It is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The opposition has previously denounced claims by Erdogan linking them to terrorists as divisive and dangerous campaign rhetoric. Story continues At the event in Erzurum, Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, who would become vice president if Kilicdaroglu wins the election, was addressing his supporters from the top of an open air bus when some members of the crowd threw stones at him and his supporters in the crowd, video footage showed. Imamoglu cut short his speech and left the scene in the bus. "We are leaving for your safety," Imamoglu told his supporters, adding that he would file a criminal complaint against the Erzurum governor and police chief for allowing the violence. Footage showed at least one person wounded in the face. "Erzurum's governor called and told me that seven people were wounded. I spoke to nine wounded people at this time," he later said in a tweet. In the 2018 presidential election Erdogan won 72% of votes in Erzurum. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Susan Fenton) Election transparency and security is turning into a key issue in Turkey's tight May 14 vote There were 100 of them, all lawyers, determined to make next Sunday's Turkish election as transparent as possible. Filling a lecture hall in Ankara, they were completing vote monitoring courses organised by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's political rivals. Many were discussing a claim by Turkey's hawkish interior minister that the West was plotting a "political coup attempt" on election day. "The fact that the government is so close to losing for the first time makes us fear possible problems," lawyer Ilke Yakupoglu said. "There is no way to protect our votes other than by looking after the ballot boxes." Polls show Erdogan running neck-and-neck with opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is also threatening to end his Islamic-rooted party's control of parliament. The arrest last week of 50 lawyers appointed by a pro-Kurdish party to monitor the vote in Turkey's ethnically diverse southeast has only heightened tensions. They were among more than 100 people rounded up in what the government called an "anti-terror" operation. "These elections are critical," said Nuray Ozdogan, a member of the pro-Kurdish party who heads the Ankara lawyers' association. "The government's statements show that they will be neither free or fair." - Eroded trust - Riven by both failed and successful coups, Turkey nonetheless has established a proud tradition of democratic transitions of executive power through the ballot box. Turkey's election commission has pledged to guarantee a fair result in the nation of 85 million, including in areas of the southeast ravaged by the February earthquake that claimed more than 50,000 lives. But Kilicdaroglu, a 74-year-old former civil servant who heads a leftist secular party, said he "does not trust" voting officials. Turkey's democracy was last tested when the commission annulled opposition star Ekrem Imamoglu's defeat of Erdogan's ally in Istanbul's 2019 mayoral election. Story continues Many of Erdogan's own voters rebelled in a re-run vote, handing Imamoglu an overwhelming victory. Scarred by the episode, Kilicdaroglu's supporters plan to send 300,000 observers to the 50,000 polling stations across Turkey, doubling their number from the last presidential vote in 2018. "We will protect the 192,000 ballot boxes," said Oguz Kaan Salici, the main opposition party's election security pointman. The Oy ve Otesi (Vote and Beyond) NGO is separately planning to dispatch 100,000 of its own monitors, up from 60,000 in 2018. - Voting for the dead? - Groups such as Oy ve Otesi have also created websites to help nearly 1.7 million people who were displaced by the earthquake but will need to return to their hometowns to vote. Opposition parties are chartering buses to help out. European observers are nervous about the vote's fate in the heavily damaged region, concerned in particular about the possibility of people using victims' recovered identity documents to vote. "We don't really know what happened to the identity cards" of the dead and missing, Frank Schwabe, a German lawmaker who heads the Council of Europe's monitoring mission, told AFP. Schwabe will head a 40-member team, while the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will mobilise 350 of its own experts. Ozgur Yusuf Kavukcu, who left the completely destroyed city of Antakya for Ankara, said a lot of his friends wanted to return to both vote and monitor the process. "We are worried that others may vote in place of the dead," Kavukcu said. "There are people whose bodies have still not been found, like those who lived in my neighbouring building." But some members of the opposition predict a fair outcome and a smooth transition of power in case of Erdogan's defeat. "Power will change hands like it changed hands in 2002," when Erdogan's party first won, Salici said. "No one will stop that." bg-rba/zak/js Four years ago, at the start of the Sudanese revolution, British Vogue interviewed doctor and poet Marwa Babiker Elamin about the peaceful protests against the government. A few months later, they spoke again, when regime forces massacred protestors in a horrific and tragic surprise attack. In the years since successfully overthrowing ex-president Omar Al-Bashir, Sudan has struggled to find stability and remained under a violent military regime. Now, two factions of that regime, the Sudanese armed forces, loyal to Al-Bashir, and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), loyal to former warlord Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (or Hemedti), are caught in a power struggle that has triggered war in the capital Khartoum. Below, Elamin explains the reality of its impact. On April 15, I woke up at 7 a.m. in Connecticut to hundreds of WhatsApp messages. It was the afternoon in Sudan, and all hell had broken loose. I saw videos of missiles being fired and buildings collapsing. My messages were full of pictures of dead bodies, people injured, a lot of blood. It was really traumatic. Khartoum was being destroyed. People were dying in the streets. The day before, there were talks about the army and the RSF. Sudan was supposed to be in the process of transitioning from military government to civilian rule. That agreement would merge the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). I wasnt happy with that agreement, as it wouldve kept the same military leaders around with no accountability for their previous crimes. Nevertheless, the RSF were happy, but the army was stalling signing. I was in a meeting with five Sudanese community leaders in the U.S., Dr. Al-Baqir Mukhtar, Dr. Bakry Eljack Elmedni, Dr. Nada Fadul, Areig Elhag and Dr. Suliman Baldo, discussing whether war was a real possibility. Although people saw it coming, we couldnt believe it when it actually broke out. Overnight, Sudan changed. Now we are in a new reality. Story continues It started just two weeks ago, but every single person I know already knows someone who has died in this war. The stories are horrifying. A one-year-old child got killed because a small missile fell on their home. A woman was about to give birth; she got an ambulance and her father accompanied her, but as they got to the hospital, the ambulance was showered with bullets. They were able to get her inside the hospital. The baby was okay but she and her father died. Although the death toll says 500, I think the reality is closer to the thousands, because its not just the people hit by bullets or missiles who are dying, but those that wanted healthcare but couldnt get it. The majority of the hospitals in Khartoum have been shut down. Pharmacies are closed. People are dying for not being able to get their kidney dialysis. People who have small infections are getting septicemia because they cant get regular antibiotics. One of my best friends is a surgeon in El-Obeid. There are very few resources and he was overwhelmed last week with the amount of people injured. The doctors are suffering because theyre overworked. Theyre being targeted and its not safe for them: We heard reports about some of the doctors being kidnapped by the militia to treat their own wounded soldiers. Dr. Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman was one of the most famous doctors in Sudan, who has done so much for medical education. He was just killed last week. It was a shock to the whole medical community. Im very proud to be part of the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) because they have taken care of operating a hospital in Omdurman, paying all the fees and salaries. Up until a few days ago, it was the only operational delivery hospital in the whole area. They have a network getting medical relief and help. Donations to them go directly to operating hospitals and helping the wounded. There are people trying to flee the country and stuck in the exits. In Egypt and Ethiopia, the situation for those leaving is very bad. Theres not a lot of food or shelter, elderly people are dying because theyre sick or cant find enough water. It pains me to say that there might be a lot of refugees fleeing this war. All of this is overwhelming. I remember, in our conversation four years ago, I said that we want those who committed the war crimes and genocide in Sudan to go to trial to have accountability. Unfortunately, we learned that a few days ago, some have gotten out of prison. One that was wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes recorded a long speech about how they were supposedly put there unjustly and that they would be supporting the military. It was infuriating to me that such people could get out. This war is a step back for us. In the next few days, we might see other steps back in the human rights situation: the economy, health sector, education. All of this is very, very depressing. But I hope that this is us reaching the bottom, and that hitting it will give us an opportunity to start building something new. The RSF and the army were able to have a ceasefire for three days to evacuate non-Sudanese people from embassies, but they have absolutely zero regard for Sudanese human life. They really just dont care; they happily bomb buildings, kill people, raid homes. We need leaders in the future who actually value the life of the Sudanese people. We need to get our voices heard. This is not just another war in Africa. This is a country that has been fighting for peaceful transition for four years now. The people of Sudan did not want this. We are not prone to violence. We were being shot in the streets and still did not pick up knives or guns. Instead, we confronted militias with bare hands and bare chests. We did not want any more armed conflicts in Sudanwe are a country [that already has] war in Darfur, the Blue Nile area, and the Nuba mountains. These military groups are tearing the country apart, we need the international community to hear us, protest, and stand with the civilian rule. We want a civilian transition. We want peace. We want a country that will respect human rights. Hopefully, this conflict is not going to last years. I really hope once it ends, were going to learn from all the mistakes that got us here and start afresh. Originally Appeared on Vogue Over 8,000 civilians have died in Ukraine over the past year of tragic, gruesome conflict. Accounts from refugees who have escaped the violence have described the distinctive sound of ammunition hitting porcelain dishes and mirrors in their homes, as they huddle in a basement all of their belongings shattered, along with hope for a safe life in the only country they have ever known. Those lucky enough to have survived, have fled, and many of them have arrived here in America. Rep. Linda Haskins Ive been fortunate enough to be on a team in our community working to resettle Ukrainian refugees as they build a stable life in America and pick up the pieces of a traumatic past. When we discussed getting a TV with a cable connection, we cautioned them about news reports showing the bombs descending on their home city of Kyiv reports which are too often followed by a reporter recounting the latest mass shooting in our American schools, grocery stores, at birthday parties, concerts, in our churches and synagogues. Having just escaped a madmans terror, these refugees have come to a country where they thought they would be safe. The reality is that over 11,000 Americans have lost their lives to gun violence since the beginning of 2023 our everyday lives have become the active combat zone foreigners seek refuge from. As I leave each morning for legislative sessions in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, I wish I could assure my Ukrainian friends that change was imminent, that legislators could look beyond partisanship and NRA money and come together over common-sense gun violence prevention. The truth is, I cannot. On one of my first days in the House, Republicans, nearly in lockstep, voted to block a bill expanding background checks, which would have forced firearms dealers online and at gun shows to require that a purchaser was legally able to own a gun. Seems reasonable right? Within minutes, Republicans also blocked a bill to impose a waiting period between the purchase and sale of a gun to prevent impulsive acts of violence and suicide. Studies show a cooling off period saves lives but sadly many legislators are not putting lives first. Story continues More: Portsmouth threat sparks call for NH laws, banning guns '100%' on school grounds Earlier this month, Republicans voted to kill a bill requiring the safe storage of firearms to prevent accidents that are all too common causing the death of our children. Not only did the bill not pass, but Republicans voted to block any further discussion of the safe storage of firearms for the entire term. As the daughter of a deputy sheriff who never saw her fathers gun when he was out of uniform, I cringed. How can I assure my Ukrainian friends that their child will be safe as she goes to high school each day, or to youth group at church? Would I be lying to promise them that America would be different, that the sound of breaking porcelain and mirrors wouldnt follow them here? I will stand with all those who believe we must speak up, stand up, and do whatever it takes to stop this madness. Unfettered access to firearms, with no common-sense protections for public safety is not the New Hampshire way, and its not the American way. If we work together, we can be a refuge, not a battlefront. Linda Haskins is a Democratic state representative from Exeter. More: Portsmouth threat sparks call for NH laws, banning guns '100%' on school grounds This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter Rep. Haskins: We can make America a refuge, not a battlefront Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (1st L) attends the fifth round China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 6, 2023. The dialogue was chaired by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (C). Amir Khan Muttaqi (1st R), acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, attended the dialogue. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China, Afghanistan and Pakistan have pledged to further strengthen trilateral cooperation on security and counter-terrorism. When attending the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in the Pakistani capital on Saturday with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan interim government Amir Khan Muttaqi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that as traditional friendly neighbors, China is ready to make joint efforts with Afghanistan and Pakistan to implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. China is willing to share development opportunities and meet security challenges with the two countries to set an example of cooperation on neighbors, mini-multilateralism and hotspot issues through bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, he said. The Chinese side promised to strengthen trilateral cooperation with Afghanistan and Pakistan on security and counter-terrorism, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, and firmly oppose any form of terrorism and "double standards" on fighting terrorism, Qin said. He called for enhanced trilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism through such mechanisms as the coordination and cooperation mechanism among neighbors of Afghanistan within the regional multilateral framework. The Chinese foreign minister expected Afghanistan and Pakistan to take further measures to ensure the security and safety of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects. China is willing to strengthen strategic communication and policy coordination with Afghanistan and Pakistan through the trilateral cooperation mechanism, so as to boost good-neighborliness and strategic mutual trust, Qin added. Muttaqi and Bilawal said the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan cooperation is of great significance to regional peace and prosperity. They said Afghanistan and Pakistan are willing to actively promote trilateral cooperation, formulate a roadmap for cooperation in such fields as politics, security and economy, safeguard the common interests of the three countries, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and bring benefits to the people of the three neighbors and other countries in the region. The three foreign ministers agreed to uphold good-neighborliness and friendship, deepen political mutual trust, respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and properly address differences and disputes through equal consultation. They made it clear to oppose interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and all acts that undermine regional peace and stability. The three sides pledged to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation. China and Pakistan expressed their support for the Afghan interim government to strengthen capacity building to better cope with the threat of terrorism. Afghanistan stressed that it will not allow any forces to use its territory for activities against China and Pakistan. They also vowed to restart the dialogue mechanism within the framework of the foreign ministers' dialogue, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, agriculture, poverty reduction and people-to-people exchanges. The three countries agreed to advance cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, support the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, promote connectivity among the three neighbors and the region, and improve the cross-border trade system, with a view to enhancing trilateral economic integration and achieving sustainable development. On the night of 7 May, explosions were heard in the city of Mykolaiv. Source: Suspilne on Telegram, Vitaly Kim, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Details: Explosions were heard in the city Mykolaiv, Suspilne reported at 00:24. Vitaly Kim reported 2 explosions and said that "there will be more." The Head of the Oblast Military Administration expressed hope that the air defence worked. Subsequently, Kim reported a third explosion in the city. Update at 00:57: "I wont share any details. There were no calls for emergency services. Its either air defence, or [it hit] the field," Kim said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! This year marks the 50th birthday celebration for those born in 1973, including Castle Airman Marcus Thompsons baby the first child born in the New Year in Merced County. It is also a special year for Kathleen Crookham because she made history 50 years ago by being the first woman named to a principal position in the Merced City School District in 20 years. Her accomplishment was significant progress at a time when married women were known only as Mrs. (husbands full name). Finally, this August will mark the 50th anniversary of Summer Bartholomews rise when she became the first Merced County Maid to ever win the Maid of California contest. Ms. Bartholomew went on to win the 1975 Miss USA competition. Merceds Summer Bartholomew, center, is crowned Maid of California in August 1973. While these milestones are necessary to observe, it is equally important to remember the people and landmarks that passed 50 years ago. Howard George, retired Merced County Superior Court judge, passed away in March 1973 at 60, leaving his wife, Bettylou; two daughters, Margee Krum and Lyn George; and a son, William Skip George. Judge George was born in Newkirk, Okla., and came to Merced from Bishop with his parents in 1927 during the California Water Wars. A Merced High School graduate, he went on to receive his law degree from Hastings College of Law and then became a member of the law firm of Preston, Braucht, and George. Serving the country during World War II, Judge George attained the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He was active in the community, fraternal, and political organizations. He was a proud Rotarian, and his son, Skip, continues the tradition to this day. In October 1973, Deacon George Washington Jones, believed to be the oldest Mercedian, died in a San Francisco hospital at the age of 103. Deacon Jones was born Dec. 28, 1869 in Evergreen, Ala. At 12, with his fathers permission, he went to work for the railroad. Deacon Jones married Ella Hawthorne in 1902 and farmed in Guthrie, Okla. In 1935, he moved his family to Merced and worked as a farm labor contractor until his retirement. Serving as a deacon at Second Baptist Church of Merced, he was also active in civic affairs and lived by the love your neighbor philosophy. He was survived by three daughters: Evelyn Hartfield, Dollie Robinson, and Frances Ellis; a son Anderson Jones; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Story continues The passing of Emory OBanion on Dec. 3, 1973 marks the end of his more than 18 years of service as a Merced County supervisor. He was 61. He first took office in January 1955 and served as chairman of the board in 1960, 1965, and 1970. Supervisor OBanion did a lot for the county during his tenure and represented the West Side well. Early that year, he cut the ribbon for the successful national Campvention in Santa Nella, broke ground for the new County Administration building in Merced, and inspected the new County Landfill in Los Banos. Supervisor OBanion, a Dos Palos rancher, was very active on water issues. He worked closely with federal agencies on the Central Valley Project, including the construction of San Luis Dam and Reservoir. Representing the county in different capacities, he served as the chairman and member of various business and governmental committees and associations. He was survived by his wife, Naomi; four sons: James, John, Jeffry, and Jerry (who later followed his fathers footsteps as Merced County supervisor); and a daughter, Beverly Morehead. Merced County Supervisor Emory OBanion, behind the ribbon and wearing a tie, is seen at the Campvention ribbon-cutting ceremony in July 1973. While mourning the passing of these local leaders, Merced County residents also witnessed the destruction of historical landmarks. For example, the old Southern Pacific Railroad depot in Merced was completely razed in September. The old depot, built in 1900, was originally located on N Street between 15th and 16th Streets and was moved to M Street between 15th and 16th Streets in the late 1920s by the American Railway Express Company. Railway Express used the all-wood building with the distinctive supporting posts until April 1971, when it was leased by restaurant operator Ray Douglas for storage. The structure had been vacant for about two years before it was sold to the Cecil Antrim firm for salvage purposes. The Merced Southern Pacific Depot on N Street, circa 1910s. Several controlled burns of historic homes were performed in 1973. The home that housed Merceds first Catholic Mass in 1872 was burned to the ground on Oct. 3. Located at 19th and Canal streets, it was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, homes in Merced. Its original owner, Mathias Smythe, was not only a leader of the Catholic community but also the first justice of the peace in this new railroad town. Joseph Norvell, Merced Express publisher, purchased the home in 1881. When his daughter Louise Norvell, former Merced High School teacher, passed away on May 19, 1973, the house soon met its destructive end. On Oct. 24, a two-story home built in the early 1900s by the son of Merceds first mayor, M. D. Wood, was destroyed in a controlled burn. It was located at 19th and N streets and had a list of distinguished occupants, including its original owner, J. D. Wood, who (like his father) served as Merced mayor from 1920 to 1924 and from 1926 to 1932. It was later occupied by Col. And Mrs. John Macready. Macready Drive at the airport is named in his honor. To see all these histories and more that took place 50 years ago, visit the Remember 1973? exhibit at the Courthouse Museum. It is on display until May 21. KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Fighting could be heard in south Khartoum on Sunday as envoys from Sudan's warring parties met in Saudi Arabia for talks that international mediators hope will bring an end to a three-week-old conflict that has killed hundreds and triggered an exodus. The U.S.-Saudi initiative is the first serious attempt to end fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has turned parts of the Sudanese capital into war zones, derailed an internationally backed plan to usher in civilian rule following years of unrest, and created a humanitarian crisis. "Pre-negotiation" talks began on Saturday and "will continue in the coming days in the expectation of reaching an effective short-term ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian assistance," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Saudi Arabia will allocate $100 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan, Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya television said earlier on Sunday. Battles since mid-April have killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands of others, disrupted aid supplies and sent 100,000 refugees fleeing abroad. Manahil Salah, a 28-year-old laboratory doctor on an evacuation flight from Port Sudan to the United Arab Emirates, said her family hid for three days in their home close to army headquarters in the capital before eventually travelling to the Red Sea Coast. "Yes, I am happy to survive," she said. "But I feel deep sadness because I left my mother and father behind in Sudan, and sad because all this pain is happening in my homeland." Thousands of people are pushing to leave from Port Sudan on boats to Saudi Arabia, paying for expensive commercial flights through the country's only functioning airport, or using evacuation flights. "We were lucky to travel to Abu Dhabi, but what's happening in Khartoum, where I spent my whole life, is painful," said 75-year-old Abdulkader, who also caught an evacuation flight to the UAE. "Leaving your life and your memories is something indescribable." Story continues INTENDED AIM While mediators are seeking a path to peace, both sides have made it clear they would only discuss a humanitarian truce, not negotiate an end to the war. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia urged the warring parties to use the latest talks to move toward "scheduling subsequent expanded negotiations to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities," the Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said. Confirming his group's attendance, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, said he hoped the talks would achieve their intended aim of securing safe passage for civilians. Hemedti has vowed to either capture or kill army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and there was also evidence on the ground that both sides remain unwilling to make compromises to end the bloodshed. The conflict started on April 15 following the collapse of an internationally backed plan for a transition to democracy. Burhan, a career army officer, heads a ruling council installed after the 2019 ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir and a 2021 military coup, while Hemedti, a former militia leader who made his name in the Darfur conflict, is his deputy. Prior to the fighting, Hemedti had been taking steps including moving closer to a civilian coalition that indicated he had political plans. Burhan has blamed the war on his "ambitions." The extensive use of explosive ordnance throughout the fighting has increased the danger to civilians, especially children who can mistake the munitions for toys and play with them, said the United Nations Mine Action Service. Western powers have backed the transition to a civilian government in a country that sits at a strategic crossroads between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and the volatile Sahel region. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was travelling to Saudi Arabia at the weekend for talks with Saudi leaders. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Additional reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Alaa Swilam; Writing by Michael Georgy and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Mike Harrison, David Holmes, Diane Craft and Lincoln Feast.) Insider's author sat in both economy and business class for long-haul flights. Monica Humphries/Insider In the summer, I flew business class on an Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. This month, I had a 12-hour flight from Denver to Tokyo, where I sat in United's economy cabin. The two flights couldn't have been more different. Take a look. A year ago, I thought flying no matter the cabin was a similar experience. Everyone was boarding the same plane, suffering in the same low-humidity cabin, and eating bland airplane food. Insider's author on an economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider Then in June, I took my first business-class flight, from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand. Nearly nine months later, I hopped on a long-haul economy flight from Denver to Tokyo. The author in her business-class seat on an Air New Zealand long-haul flight. Monica Humphries/Insider Read more: After years in coach, I took my first long-haul flight in business class. Here are 10 surprising things about the most glamorous plane ride of my life. My entire perspective of airplane cabins changed after those 12-hour flights. Take a look at how the two cabin classes compare. Side-by-side images of Air New Zealand's business-class cabin and United's economy cabin. Monica Humphries/Insider Unsurprisingly, the biggest difference I spotted was price. A one-way business-class flight to Auckland at the time of writing cost about $4,500, according to the airline's website. A screenshot of a one-way business-class ticket on Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand Insider received a press rate for the round-trip flight to Auckland. Source: Air New Zealand Meanwhile, my round-trip ticket to Tokyo was less than $2,500. This means I could've flown to and from Tokyo twice for the same price as my one-way business-class ticket. A screenshot of a United economy flight to Tokyo. United When it came to the actual experience, the perks of business class started long before I boarded the plane. The author at the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider My business-class Air New Zealand ticket granted me access to Los Angeles International Airport's Star Alliance Lounge. The entrance to the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider There, I dined on a bowl of ramen, scarfed down plates of salad, and sipped on Champagne. The food and alcohol were included with access to the lounge, so I didn't spend a dollar on my meal. A bowl of ramen from an airport lounge. Monica Humphries/Insider I also didn't have to hunt for seating. Instead, I spent my layover hopping between the lounge's couches and the outdoor patio. Seating at the airport lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider With the economy flight, I didn't have lounge access. Instead, I spent hours in the airport terminal. I paid nearly $8 for a coffee, skipped expensive airport food, and opted for snacks from home. Story continues Insider's author packed her own snacks for her economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider I searched the airport terminal for comfy seating something the lounge had plenty of but ultimately settled on sitting on the floor so I could stretch out before the flight. Insider's author sat on the floor at her gate while waiting to board her economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider When it came to boarding in business class, representatives in the lounge announced when boarding started for my flight. A representative at the entrance to the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider For economy, muffled announcements were made over the airport's intercom system. I wasn't able to hear them, so I kept a close eye on my watch to make sure I didn't miss my boarding call. The author's gate for her United flight to Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider My business-class ticket also meant I was the first one to board the plane. Insider's author entered a nearly empty jet bridge when she boarded the Air New Zealand flight. Monica Humphries/Insider I stepped onto a nearly empty plane and had a short walk to my seat. After I got settled, a flight attendant offered me a glass of Champagne. A glass of sparkling wine at the author's business-class seat. Monica Humphries/Insider In economy, I was one of the very last passengers to board. Insider's author at the back of the boarding line for her economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider Once on the plane, I was handed an alcohol wipe instead of Champagne and walked the entire length of the aircraft to row 50. Economy class on a long-haul United flight to Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider When it came to the physical seats, I spotted major differences. Economy seats on a United flight to Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider As far as plane spaces go, my business-class seat was massive. Beyond two armrests, I had a large TV screen, a large tray table, and a footrest with enough space to stretch out both my legs comfortably. Insider's author could stretch out her legs in business class. Monica Humprhies/Insider My economy seat, by comparison, was small. My tray table had hardly enough room for my laptop, and my legs couldn't comfortably stretch. The author's legs bumped against the seat in front of her. Monica Humphries/Insider I also didn't have the same luxury of reclining. In business class, I could recline without impeding on anyone's space since the seats were positioned away from other passengers. In business class, Insider's author could recline far back. Monica Humphries/Insider Reclining in economy meant I was taking up someone else's personal space. The economy cabin on a United flight from Denver to Tokyo. Monica Humphries/Insider Both seats came with amenities. Air New Zealand business-class passengers are given a pair of over-the-ear, corded headphones. Monica Humphries/Insider In business class, I had over-the-ear headphones, a bag of toiletries, a water bottle, a blanket, and a pillow. Each passenger received a bag of toiletries on the flight. Monica Humphries/Insider In economy, I discovered a blanket and pillow, as well as headphones, at my seat. The blanket and pillow economy passengers received on a long-haul United flight. Monica Humphries/Insider The biggest perk was that my business-class seat could turn into a lie-flat bed. After dinner service, flight attendants stopped by with extra blankets and pillows and converted my seat into a bed. After dinner, flight attendants stopped at each seat to convert it into a bed. Monica Humphries/Insider The food and beverages were drastically different between the two classes. Side-by-side images of the breakfast on an economy flight versus on a business-class trip. Monica Humphries/Insider In business class, I could order endless liquor, wine, beer, and soda. The author's gin and tonic on a business-class flight. Monica Humphries/Insider In economy, I had to pay for liquor. I did receive a glass of complimentary wine, though. The author's red wine in a plastic cup on an economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider My dinner in business class felt like fine dining. I had cloth napkins, metal cutlery, and ceramic plates. A flight attendant stopped by and offered me three choices of warm bread, along with a little tray of salt, pepper, and olive oil. The author's first-course meal on her Air New Zealand flight. Monica Humphries/Insider I also had a menu of dinner choices, which included Alaskan cod and roasted chicken. The menu on the author's Air New Zealand business-class flight. Monica Humphries/Insider Meanwhile, there wasn't a menu in economy. Instead, flight attendants gave brief descriptions of the dinner options. On my flight to Tokyo, for example, I chose between a chicken meal and a veggie one. The veggie option on a United economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider I chose veggie and wondered whether I'd be eating eggplant parmesan, a grain bowl, or pasta for dinner. When I lifted the foil, I discovered a vegetable stir-fry. The uncovered veggie meal on a United economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider I also learned that you're not guaranteed your meal choice in economy. Since I was seated in the back of the plane, flight attendants had run out of one of the meals by the time they reached my seat. Breakfast on the United economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider As for the bathrooms, they felt similar in size and design. Air New Zealand's business-class restroom had decorative wallpaper. The bathroom on the Air New Zealand flight. Monica Humphries/Insider United's bathroom lacked that touch. Besides that, I noticed similar toilets and sinks. The author in the bathroom on the economy flight. Monica Humphries/Insider When the plane touched down in Auckland, I was one of the first passengers off simply because I was in business class. Passengers on a business-class flight get their bags from the overhead bins. Monica Humphries/Insider When I landed in Tokyo, I had to wait an extra 15 minutes before disembarking from the plane as the last to board, I was the last to disembark. Insider's author had to wait for other passengers to get off the plane. Monica Humphries/Insider Ultimately, the perks in business class changed the way I viewed luxury travel. But those luxuries come at a price a price I don't plan on paying anytime soon. Insider's author sat in both economy and business class for long-haul flights. Monica Humphries/Insider Read more: I flew in business class for the first time. It cost $6,000 and was the best flight of my life, but I wouldn't do it again for 5 reasons. Read the original article on Insider Dmytro Kuleba The diplomat emphasized that the countries of the Asian region have gained independence, defeated imperialism, found their own voice, achieved an economic miracle, overcame poverty, and now "Russian imperialism is no longer just knocking on the door, it is kicking it down. Read also: Moldova joins international Russia tribunal initiative, FM Kuleba says "Two words that I hear from my Asian colleagues a bit more often than I would like are 'solidarity' and 'neutrality'," Kuleba said. They express solidarity with Ukraine, for which we are grateful, but declare neutrality towards us and Russia. At the same time, there can be no question of neutrality when it comes to aggression, murder, terror, rape, looting, and mass atrocities. Asian countries should take a clear position in support of Ukraine and the UN Charter. Read also: Bahraini foreign minister pays first visit ever to Ukraine The Foreign Minister believes that "Russia is losing the war not only against Ukraine, but also against modernity, reason, and common sense. "Russia's war against Ukraine brings only bad news for everyone in the world," the minister added, emphasizing that it is still possible to avoid a clash of civilizations. Ukrainians are suffering the most, but Russian aggression is also destroying lives, economies and hopes of people in many regions. That is why Russia must be stopped. 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 Shown here in May 1945, these black soldiers were attached to the 666th Quartermaster Truck Company that was part of the Red Ball Express. National Archives Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had a problem. In June 1944, Allied forces had landed on Normandy Beach in France and were moving east toward Nazi Germany at a clip of sometimes 75 miles (121 kilometers) per day. With most of the French rail system in ruins, the Allies had to find a way to transport supplies to the advancing soldiers. Our spearheads were moving swiftly, Eisenhower later recalled. The supply service had to catch these with loaded trucks. Every mile doubled the difficulty because the supply truck had always to make a two-way run to the beaches and back, in order to deliver another load to the marching troops. The solution to this logistics problem was the creation of the Red Ball Express, a massive fleet of nearly 6,000 2-ton General Motors cargo trucks. The term Red Ball came from a railway tradition whereby railmen marked priority cars with a red dot. From August through November 1944, 23,000 American truck drivers and cargo loaders 70% of whom were Black moved more than 400,000 tons of ammunition, gasoline, medical supplies and rations to battlefronts in France, Belgium and Germany. These Red Ball Express trucks and the Black men who drove and loaded them made the U.S. Army the most mobile and mechanized force in the war. In this October 1944 photograph, Black soldiers are filling up gasoline tanks for the Red Ball Express. AFP via Getty Images They also demonstrated what military planners have long understood logistics shape what is possible on the fields of battle. Thats a point well known in todays war in Ukraine: As the Russian invasion stretches into its second year, logistics have been an important factor. Supplying the front lines The Red Ball Express gave the Allies a strategic advantage over the German infantry divisions, which were overly reliant on rail, wagon trains and horses to move troops and supplies. A typical German division during the same period had nearly 10 times as many horses as motor vehicles and ran on oats just as much as oil. This limited the range of the vaunted Blitzkrieg, or lightning attacks, because German tanks and motorized units could not move far ahead of their infantry divisions and supplies. Driving day and night, the Red Ball truckers earned a reputation as tireless and fearless troops. They steered their loud, rough-driving trucks down pitch-black country roads and through narrow lanes in French towns. They drove fast and adopted the French phrase tout de suite immediately, right now as their motto. Story continues Gen. George S. Patton wanted us to eat, sleep, and drive, but mostly drive, one trucker recalled. A convoy of U.S. trucks heads toward the front lines loaded with military supplies from the Belgian port of Antwerp in spring 1945. Photo12/UIG/Getty Images James Rookard, a 19-year-old truck driver from Maple Heights, Ohio, saw trucks get blown up and feared for his life. There were dead bodies and dead horses on the highways after bombs dropped, he said. I was scared, but I did my job, hoping for the best. Being young and about 4,000 miles away from home, anybody would be scared. Patton concluded that the 2 truck is our most valuable weapon, and Col. John D. Eisenhower, the supreme commanders son, argued that without the Red Ball truck drivers, the advance across France could not have been made. Fighting Nazis and racism The Red Ball Express was a microcosm of the larger Black American experience during World War II. Prompted by the Pittsburgh Courier, an influential Black newspaper at the time, Black Americans rallied behind the Double V campaign during the war, which aimed to secure victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home. Many soldiers saw their service as a way to demonstrate the capabilities of their race. The Army assigned Black troops almost exclusively to service and supply roles, because military leaders believed they lacked the intelligence, courage and skill needed to fight in combat units. Despite the racism they encountered during training and deployment, Black troops served bravely in every theater of World War II. Many saw patriotism and a willingness to fight as two characteristics by which manhood and citizenship were defined. In this Sept. 5, 1944, photograph, Cpl. Charles H. Johnson of the 783rd Military Police Battalion waves on a Red Ball Express convoy near Alenon, France. National Archives The boundaries between combat roles and service roles also blurred in war zones. Black truck drivers often had to fight their way through enemy pockets and sometimes required armored escorts to get valuable cargo to the front. Many of the white American soldiers who relied on supplies delivered by the Red Ball Express recognized the drivers valor at the time. An armored division commander credited the Red Ball drivers with allowing tankers to refuel and rearm while fighting. The Black drivers delivered gas under constant fire, he said. Damned if Id want their job. They have what it takes. A 5th Armored Division tank driver said, If it wasnt for the Red Ball we couldnt have moved. They all were Black drivers and they delivered in the heat of combat. Wed be in our tanks praying for them to come up. Logistics in Ukraine Days into the war, Ukraines armed forces destroyed all railway links between Ukraine and Russia to thwart the transport of Russian military equipment and tanks. Relying on trucks and road networks, Russian convoys encountered fuel shortages and counterattacks from Ukrainian military and civilians. A convoy of Russian military vehicles moves toward the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on Feb. 23, 2022. Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The Russian militarys ability to move supplies across extended distances as well as Ukraines ability to disrupt those supply lines is still pivotal in determining the future of the war. 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: Matthew Delmont, Dartmouth College. Read more: Matthew Delmont receives funding from National Endowment for the Humanities and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Oleksandr Permyakov, a native of Ukraine, detained on suspicion of attempting to assassinate propagandist Zakhar Prilyepin Read also: Russian propagandist in medical coma following car bombing According to Russian publication Moskovskij Komsomolets, he is believed to have fought on the side of the Donetsk puppet authority (DNR) against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to their data, Permyakov was born in the city of Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast. Together with his sister Iryna, they grew up without a father and were raised in an orphanage. Reportedly, Permyakov was sentenced to four years in prison for robbery committed as part of a gang when he was 15 years old. He served his sentence in a correctional facility near Bakhmut and returned to Druzhkivka after his release. In 2014, his sister moved to St. Petersburg, while Permyakov went to fight for the DNR. Read also: Luhansk collaborator dies in car bomb attack on propagandist Prilepin In May 2015, Permyakov crossed the border from Russia on foot, and a bayonet from an AK-47 assault rifle was found in his backpack. Permyakov is then believed to have returned to Druzhkivka, Russian media claims, where he worked in construction until 2022. He claimed to have been recruited by Ukrainian special services in 2018 in his testimony to the Russian Investigative Committee. Moskovskij Komsomolets reports that in March 2022, Permyakov moved to Kamianets-Podilskyi in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. He reportedly told his relatives that he moved away from the war as a displaced person, and in August 2022, he arrived in Russia. Initially, he visited his sister in St. Petersburg, and then moved to Moscow, where he lived and worked until February 2023. On February 19, Permyakov allegedly came to St. Petersburg to celebrate his mothers birthday and told his relatives that he was moving to Nizhny Novgorod, as he couldnt find work in Moscow. After that, he called his relatives from there and spoke about his affairs. On May 6, Russian media and local authorities reported that a car belonging to Prilepin had exploded in a likely car bombing. While Prilepins press service claimed that the propagandist was okay, the media reported that he was heavily injured and taken to hospital in critical condition. Later, it became known that Prilepin has been put into a medically induced coma Story continues Allegedly, the partisan movement Atesh claimed responsibility for the attempt. Russia called the bombing of Prilepins car a terrorist attack, and later announced the detention of a suspect in the assassination attempt, who was allegedly implicated Russia claims the suspect has Ukrainian citizenship and ties to Ukrainian special services. Read also: Videos and photos of Russian propagandist Prilepins car blast shared with the public The Office of the President of Ukraine hinted that the Kremlin might be behind the bombing of Prilepins car. Prilepin is a Russian propagandist, pro-war writer, and politician. He is a member of the Political Council of the A Just Russia (aka Fair Russia) Party. He has also held a number of positions in the Donbas occupation authorities, including as an adviser to the now-killed leader of the Donetsk puppet authorities, Alexander Zakharchenko, in 2015 and as a deputy commander of a special forces battalion for personnel management in occupied Donetsk from 2016-2018. In January 2023, Prilepin signed a contract with the Russian National Guard and went to fight against Ukraine. He is on the list of people who pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine. Read also: Atesh guerrillas in Crimea say they blew up Russian National Guards car, killing two officers 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 Osceola County mayoral candidate Jackie Espinosa plans to address the arrest of Carlos Irizarry at a news conference Monday. Irizarry is accused of running as a ghost candidate to sway the Latino vote for the District Four county commissioner seat in Osceola County. Espinosa announced the arrest on social media Saturday. The arrest comes nine months after Espinosas campaign filed a criminal complaint against Irizarry with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Read: Parent accused of punching umpire during baseball game at Osceola County school In her social media post, Espinosa said she is glad about the positive movement of the case but is emotionally torn because Irizarry was a close family friend. Irizarry was booked in the Osceola County Jail Saturday, but his official charges are not listed at this time. Read: Driver hospitalized after losing control of SUV, crashing into Osceola County home Last September, Channel 9 reported on Espinosas claims against Irizarry when she said he took votes from her during a news conference. This is not a Democrat/Republican issue, Espinosa had said. It is a people issue, and I believe every person, at every party level, needs to be properly represented. Espinosas team will hold a news conference Monday at Matadors Tacos and Tapas in Kissimmee. Read: Florida lawmakers fail to reach deal on vacation rentals 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. Thurston Countys former Racial Equity Program manager alleges the county manager unfairly terminated her earlier this year. Nicole Miller served as the program manager from August 2021 to January 2023. County Manager Ramiro Chavez previously said she left the role, but he declined to explain why. Miller recently spoke with The Olympian to share her account. I wasnt going to say anything for a long time about this because I thought I could just go quietly, Miller said. I just think its important that my experience as the racial equity program manager was also out there. When asked about Millers allegations, Chavez said he would not discuss administrative decisions with members of the media. Without a program manager, the county has paused its overdue racial equity efforts. On March 9, 2021, the Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution that declared racism a crisis and mandated the creation of racial equity action plan by June 2021. The resolution also called for the county to establish a policy advisory committee and audit its hiring practices with the intent of recruiting and retaining Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Over two years later, the action plan has not yet been approved. And the advisory committee, now called the Thurston County Council on Racial Equity and Inclusion, cannot meet until a new program manager is selected, Chavez said. If all the racial equity work stops because you fire the one person thats doing the work, how dedicated are you to the work? Miller said. On April 26, Chavez said he offered the Racial Equity Program Manager position to a new applicant, and he expects that person to join the county in a couple of weeks. The job listing indicates it pays between $6,968 and $9,291 a month. Chavez shared his update on the position during a diversity, equity and inclusion forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Thurston County. The event also included officials from Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and the Washington State Office of Public Defense. Story continues In his opening remarks, Chavez acknowledged that the county missed its initial deadline for creating the action plan. He hopes to finalize the plan by the summer, he said. We are not going to treat this plan as a project, Chavez said. This is not a project that will end in December 2023 or perhaps end in December 2024. This is a journey, and the journey requires commitment. The journey requires resources. Millers allegations Miller expected to review a draft of the action plan with Chavez on Jan. 26. She said the council reviewed a draft of the plan that month and she hoped to present it to the Board of County Commissioners soon after. She said Chavez asked for her resignation instead. When she refused to resign, Chavez gave her a termination letter. It was an absolute, devastating shock to come in and find out that I was losing my job, Miller said. I chose to not resign because I didnt do anything that warranted my resignation, and Im not going to be bullied. Miller shared a copy of the letter, which was signed by Chavez, with The Olympian. The letter alleges Miller failed to deliver a substantial and detailed action plan by a Dec. 31, 2022, deadline, and that this expectation was communicated to her when she was hired. The letter also alleges Miller missed deadlines she set herself, failed to provide any tangible deliverables and put the action plan, a mission critical project, in jeopardy. Miller contested all these reasons and said they were inaccurate. The action plan had been drafted over the past year, she said, but she wanted to finalize it only after the council had approved it. The seven-member council only started meeting in August 2022 and had spent most of its early meetings determining logistics, she said. I was not going to be producing a racial equity action plan until the community advisory council that we stood up had been able to weigh in on the plan, Miller said. Otherwise, its completely performative and disrespectful to that group of people. Miller alleges Chavez only met with her once a month and offered insufficient guidance. She said she did not previously know he had serious concerns about her performance. Miller said she wanted to work for the county because she wanted to advance racial equity in the community that she and her family call home. Yet, her experience made her question the countys commitment to that work. Im not a vengeful person, Miller said. This isnt about that, but I really think that its important that people ask really informed and intelligent questions about the countys dedication to people of color. Council members react Juliet Lawson-Hall, chair of the Thurston County Council on Racial Equity and Inclusion, said Chavez informed her of Millers departure in early February. She said the news surprised her because it seemed like the council was making progress on the action plan. On a personal and professional level, Nicole (Miller) was very pleasant, accommodating, authentic, passionate and everything, Lawson-Hall said. Lawson-Hall, who also serves as the Timberland Regional Library District Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, said Chavez did not explain to her why Miller left. Instead, she said Chavez reiterated the countys commitment to resuming work on the action plan. Despite the pause, Lawson-Hall said she intends to continue serving on the council. I hope it reconvenes, Lawson-Hall said. I live in Thurston County, and I would like to see it be a place where everyone can succeed and flourish. When asked about the draft plan, Lawson-Hall said it reflected the thoughts and discussions of the council thus far. Council-members Evelyn Clark and Jason Clark, who are not related, both said that Chavez informed them of Millers exit during a March 1 meeting that they requested. Evelyn Clark said Chavez did not elaborate on Millers departure, but she understood she was fired. She said she felt her concerns were dismissed during the meeting. When we start to actually get progress, we have somebody who was doing such a great job with us and then they get fired, that to me is honestly a way of showing the county is not ready for this work, Evelyn Clark said. Jason Clark called the news of Millers departure alarming. He described Miller as an engaging, community-oriented professional who worked with few resources. My thought was, if Nicole is gone, maybe it was because this is an incredibly large amount of work that was left to one person for an entire county, he said. The all-volunteer council met monthly and did not have a budget to work with. Chavez said the county intends to finalize the action plan before deciding whether to dedicate resources to the council or any related efforts. Fort Worth-area voters came to the polls this election cycle prepared to usher in growth. Voters were tasked with deciding the fate of $4.9 billion for area school districts, most of which was set aside to build schools as populations stretch the limits of classroom space in Tarrant, Denton, Parker and Wise counties. Voters approved new buildings and expansions in the Northwest, Aledo and Crowley school districts. Northwest Northwest had the biggest bond package of any school district in the area at $2 billion. Three propositions covered a high school, a middle school, four elementary schools and four early childhood centers, as well as home stadiums for three high schools and technological improvements. All three propositions passed, with 60.6% of voters approving new schools, 50.4% of voters approving stadium improvements and 61.7% of voters approving technological improvements across Tarrant, Denton and Wise counties. Northwest schools have added 15,000 students since 2010. Weve definitely been a fast-growth district will be a fast growth district for at least 30 to 40 more years, said school spokesperson Anthony Toise. So I think people are accepting of that, and when they move here, they they know that coming in. Northwest superintendent Mark Foust said he was grateful the communitys voices were heard at the polls. We look forward to the opportunity to address the growth thats coming our way by making sure we have the best possible facilities we can for our students, Foust said. The newly approved bond will cost the owner of $400,000 home $3.60 a year. Aledo Aledo schools have experienced 98% growth over the past 10 years. Demographers estimate that housing developments like Veale Ranch and Morningstar will add another 9,500 homes to the district by 2031. Aledos $123.8 million bond which passed with 56.4% of the vote, according to unofficial results includes expansions to Aledo High School and a new elementary school that will be built north of the new McAnnally Middle School. Story continues We are grateful for the Aledo Growth Committee and thankful that the community supported the proposal put forward by their fellow citizens and neighbors in approving this bond, Susan Bohn, Aledos superintendent, wrote in a statement Saturday night. It took the AGC many hours and studying student enrollment, financial information, districtwide facility needs and instructional goals to build a proposal that voters could get behind. As Aledo ISDs rapid growth doesnt look to be slowing down anytime soon, we look forward to getting to work immediately on the Bond 2023 projects. Aledo school board president Hoyt Harris wrote in a statement that the bond package will particularly help with filling capacity needs at the elementary level. Five of Aledos six elementary schools are expected to reach capacity by the 2024-25 school year. And that growth isnt stopping anytime soon. Demographers expect the middle school enrollment will reach capacity by the 2027-28 school year, and the high school enrollment reach capacity by the 2028-29 school year. More conversations will be had about the need for high school space come 2025, according to a press release from the district. Aledos bond package will cost the owner of a $400,000 home around $90 a year. Throughout the Aledo Growth Committee process, we talked about how the proposal we put forth would be for the benefit of our kids in Aledo ISD, Aledo Growth Committee co-chair Dan Reilley said. We are thankful that the Aledo community put their faith in the AGC and that our students will see the direct benefit of the 2023 bond proposal. Crowley Voters approved propositions for new schools with 53.4% of the vote and an outdoor learning center with 52.2% but rejected a performing arts center, with 51.4% voting against the proposal as part of a $1.17 billion package. A spokesperson for Crowley schools could not immediately be reached for comment. Crowleys bond package is not expected to raise taxes, according to district officials. TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Sunday his administration has managed to export products worth more than 50 billion U.S. dollars since he took office in August 2021. Raisi made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 5th Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran Expo 2023), Iran's official news agency IRNA reported. Iran was mainly known for its oil industry while its other capabilities were neglected, said the Iranian president, adding his administration had set up trade offices abroad to more effectively present Iran's scientific and economic prowess to the rest of the world. While lauding the country's economic and industrial achievements, Raisi said the "enemies" were working tirelessly to obstruct Iran's scientific and technological progress. Despite the hostility of the "enemies," Iranian experts and scientists have managed to develop domestically technologies in a variety of fields, including those in the defense and nuclear industries, as well as come up with original theories and ideas. Citing the United States officials' admission that the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran has ended in "abject failure," Raisi said the reason for the U.S. "fiasco" is the Iranian scientists' advancements in various scientific and technological fields. In addition, Iranian traders and businessmen have managed to "bypass and neutralize" the U.S. sanctions, said Raisi, adding that Iran Expo 2023 is a manifestation of the country's capabilities. Raisi emphasized that his administration has not tied the country's development and production to the negotiations on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal and will not do so in the future, noting that Iran will nevertheless continue the nuclear negotiations. He said while Iran proceeded with the nuclear negotiations with "honor and dignity," the United States left the negotiating table, violated its commitments and broke its promises. According to IRNA, 750 Iranian companies and representatives from 60 countries, including China, Russia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, attended Iran Expo 2023, which will be open to visitors by Wednesday. Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The U.S., however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal. The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022. Tracie D. Hall speaks onstage at 2023 TIME100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2023 in New York City Credit - Sean ZannPatrick McMullan/Getty Images Tracie knows the power of words, Amy Poehler said of American Library Association Executive Director and TIME100 Icon Tracie D. Hall, when she introduced Hall at the 2023 TIME100 Gala on April 26. When I met her, and when I asked her what her favorite word was, she answered quickly: Abracadabra. How fitting for someone who believes in the magic of encouraging children to read, and providing more books for the incarcerated. Ms. Hall teaches everyone that comes through her doors that they are the protagonist. They are the main character. They have the magic. And we cannot wait to hear what they have to say. Hall, the first African American woman to lead the American Library Association since its inception in 1876, has spent this year fighting against political book bans and devastating budget cuts to protect Americans free right to read. In her tribute to Hall, author Min Jin Lee wrote, Halls lifes work teaches each of us that the love of libraries and books can free us from hatred and lies not just for the present generation but for the liberation of all to come. At the TIME100 Gala, Hall spoke about what it means to lead an organization under attack, and how to have courage for your cause. Read her full speech below: I am here only because I represent a belief. The belief that stories can transform the way that we see the world. And that everyoneseveryonesstory deserves that opportunity. The belief that the books that contain those stories should be accessible to the readers that seek them. And that the librariesthe school libraries, the academic libraries, the public libraries, and yes, the prison librariesthat contain the books that contain those transformational stories should always be free and open to the public that they were built to serve. I am here as a librarian standing with thousands of librarianswarriors across this country, who, despite bomb threats and threats of jail time are fighting to ensure that these words that stand as a vision of the American Library Association will always ring true: Free People Read Freely Free People Read Freely Free People Read Freely To everyone in this room who, in doing your work and expressing your ideas with so much conviction, make our lives a little freer: I salute you. And I remind us all that free people think, create, live, read. Free people read freely. The issue of student loans stands to loom over President Bidens 2024 bid as he tackles one of his key first-term campaign promises being tied up at the Supreme Court. Biden managed to deliver on the promise of developing a program to forgive a chunk of student debt to the cheers of many Democrats and progressives who pushed him on the issue during his first two years in the White House. But his plan quickly hit a roadblock when GOP attorneys general sued the administration over the issue, which Republicans say would be paid for by people who never even attended college. The White House had warned that such legal challenges would arise, but Biden went through with the program anyway. The case made its way all the way up to the Supreme Court, where a conservative majority appears unlikely to give it the green light. Now, Biden has to sell his accomplishment but also its stoppage on the 2024 campaign trail. The strategy should be to lay the blame for this stall on Republicans and their opposition. Biden did everything within his power to make good on his promise, and while this is a setback, he remains committed to finishing the job, said Debra Dixon, former chief of staff at the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the Department of Education under President Obama. If the Supreme Court finds that student loan forgiveness was not within his administrative powers, then he will have to redouble his efforts to push for a legislative fix in a second term, added Dixon, now a principal at Ferox Strategies. Republicans have not shied away from their criticism of the debt forgiveness, messaging on how the plan is unfair to those who did not go to college or made huge sacrifices in order to avoid student loan debt. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R), who is likely running for president in 2024, said when Biden announced student loan relief last August that it was a handout to the wealthy. Period. The administration is also likely to tout other measures they are attempting to put in place to make paying back student loans easier, such as reforms to income-driven repayments that could leave some borrowers paying zero dollars a month. Story continues Meanwhile, it has attempted to show confidence in the legality of the current plan, refusing to talk about alternatives if the Supreme Court strikes it down. But Biden in March slightly detracted from that strategy. He said that hes confident were on the right side of the law but not confident about the outcome of the decision yet, while not offering any kind of Plan B. Advocates are looking for the president to step up and do more through executive action if the Supreme Court does in fact strike down the plan. With the continued threat to the legitimacy of the Supreme Court, I do think borrowers are looking to say, OK, should the Supreme Court come down with some unfavorable ruling, you still need to figure something out, you still need to cancel student debt some other way, said Braxton Brewington, spokesperson at the Debt Collective. Its not going to be enough to shrug your shoulders, take your ball, go home, and say, I tried but the Supreme Court told me no. Young people, many of whom struggle with student loan payments, are particularly essential to Bidens reelection and have been left disappointed and confused with his promise of debt forgiveness that hasnt yet been delivered. The youth vote was key to Democratic victories in recent midterm and presidential elections, especially in this past Novembers House and Senate contests. Young people are getting more involved in the issue of student loan debt than ever before. In the past, what we found was that current students, recent graduates and young people generally, they hadnt really felt the burden of student debt in the way that maybe older borrowers did, said Cody Hounanian, executive director of Student Debt Crisis Center. That has completely turned, a 180-degree turn. Young people, they see that student debt is an economic crisis that is preventing our entire economy from thriving and they see the writing on the wall that their futures are at risk because of the student debt crisis, he said. Biden is also going to face increasing calls to continue to extend the pandemic-related student loan pause as the perception of being the president who turns on a financial burden for voters during economic uncertainty could be a political killer. The pause has been in place since former President Trump started it in 2020 and has been extended several times. Anybody that takes the pause off is going to be relatively unpopular for a while and not just with Democrats, Daniel Collier, assistant professor of higher and adult education in the Department of Leadership at the University of Memphis, told The Hill in a recent interview. Currently, Biden has repayments set to begin 60 days after the Supreme Court makes a decision on his debt relief proposal or 60 days after June 30, whichever comes first. Whether Bidens plan is declared legal or not, this is not the last the president will hear on the issue. Liberals and progressives united around Bidens up to $20,000 in relief, but top Democrats before his announcement were pushing for more. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) back in 2021 were calling for Biden to forgive around $50,000 in student loan debt. An ocean of student loan debt is holding back 43 million borrowers and disproportionately weighing down Black and Brown Americans. Canceling $50,000 in federal student loan debt will help close the racial wealth gap, benefit the 40% of borrowers who do not have a college degree, and help stimulate the economy. Its time to act. We will keep fighting, Warren and Schumer said at the time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Bundeswehr NH90 helicopter is unloaded in Germany during redeployment from Afghanistan in May 2021. Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images Like other Western countries, Germany has scrambled to support Ukraine against Russia. That has highlighted "the neglected state and outdated focus" of Germany's military, a former general says. Before Berlin can support Kyiv or defend NATO, it will have to refurbish its own forces. Before Germany can arm Ukraine, it's going to have to rearm itself. That's the warning from a former German general who argues that Germany must refurbish its badly neglected armed forces though this will take years to accomplish. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Germany's attempt to supply weapons to Kyiv have "highlighted the neglected state and outdated focus of the German armed forces," Erich Vad writes in a recent essay for the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In the early years after the Cold War, the military of the reunited Germany comprising the West German Bundeswehr and parts of East Germany's National Volksarmee was a large, well-trained, and well-equipped force. In 1990, that force had almost 500,000 personnel. Today, the German military is just 183,000-strong, and it can't meet its recruiting goals. In 2018, half of its jet fighters and none of its six submarines were rated ready for combat. In 2022, German commanders complained that their Puma infantry fighting vehicles were plagued by defects. German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius in a Puma infantry fighting vehicle in January. Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images Finding spare Leopard 2 tanks and other armored vehicles that are in good mechanical condition to send to Ukraine has been a challenge. Many of the tanks that Germany sent came from the Bundeswehr's own stocks, thus reducing its tank strength. "There is a lack of armored and mechanized units, which have been severely cut back over the years, a shortage of ammunition and weaknesses in the logistics of depot stockpiling," writes Vad, who served as former Chancellor Angela Merkel's military policy adviser. "Many facilities, including barracks, are in poor condition." Story continues The problem is that Germany is juggling multiple commitments. It is being pressured to send arms to Ukraine and to fulfill commitments to NATO and European defense, all while meeting its own national defense requirements. Like other Western nations, post-Cold War cutbacks and the end of conscription deprived the Bundeswehr of funding, equipment, and manpower. In 2020, German defense spending was only 1.4% of GDP, well short of 2% goal that NATO members have pledged to hit by 2024. "Every past military reform in Germany has been intended not to make the Bundeswehr better in terms of national and alliance defense but to make the force smaller and cheaper," Vad writes. German army recruits break for lunch during basic training near Prenzlau in November 2022. Sean Gallup/Getty Images In addition, German defense policy focused for years on scrounging personnel and equipment to sustain a few thousand troops that were part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. "Armament procurement concentrated on armored transport vehicles rather than on battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles," Vad writes. Germany now finds itself having to switch from low-intensity counterinsurgency warfare to high-intensity mechanized warfare. The US suffers from the same affliction: The Pentagon has belatedly realized that two decades of counterinsurgency has left it unprepared for conventional warfare against major powers such as China and Russia. After being criticized for a slow response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Berlin is trying to correct the deficiencies. In February, it announced that a 10 billion Euro increase in the 2024 defense budget. This would be on top of a 100 billion Euro increase in 2022. Nonetheless, German officials have said it may take five years to reach the 2% goal. As the US has discovered, ramping up a nation's defense industrial base is a huge challenge. For example, boosting production of artillery ammunition will take years. In the US, only a handful of plants make that ammunition, but the US has been able to act unilaterally, unlike many of NATO's European members. Self-propelled howitzer ammunition at a Bundewehr training area in October. RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images Despite years of calls by France for pan-European defense, coordinating German defense procurement with other EU states each with distinct military needs and political priorities is difficult. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is trying to revitalize defense production, but "numerous bureaucratic obstacles such as directives on EU-wide tendering procedures, the awarding and acceptance of contracts, and the final approval of produced material continue to hinder his efforts," Vad writes. Europe's combined defense spending is far greater than Russia's. "And yet no one is taking the Europeans seriously in the military field," Vad argues, lamenting the EU's waste of "enormous sums in the defense sector" through duplicative production and certifications, lack of synergy, and "general egoism." Nonetheless, "Germany cannot go it alone" and other European NATO states should also increase their defense capabilities, Vad writes, adding that the US, while shifting its focus to the Pacific, "will remain indispensable" to Europe's defense: "It is clear that without the United States, Europe cannot strategically balance powers like China or Russia, or even NATO partners like Turkey." Vad also believes that "enhancements of military capabilities alone won't make Europe secure either now or in the longer term." Ultimately, Europeans will have to work together to find a political solution to the Ukraine war. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Read the original article on Business Insider Crimea First published in NV Magazine in April 2023. Reproduction is prohibited Read also: While panic grips Russians in Crimea, Ukrainian supporters show increasing confidence video from Yalta Another anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea has passed. Another reason to recall the stormy events of the spring of 2014 and the nine following years, to assess the current state of affairs, and reflect on the prospects. On the other side of the front, there is another occasion for celebration, but this time without grandiose concerts. The main culprit made a "spontaneous" visit to Sevastopol on the annexation anniversary, but he decided not to meet with the happy Crimeans, whose calls for "even stones from the sky" seem to start materializing. Preparations for Crimea's "2023 season" have acquired a new meaning. The occupation authorities do everything to make the population and guests feel safe - loud statements about how "everything is under control," 200 km of trenches, dugouts, mine barriers, and the familiar sound of air defense. Despite this, local tour operators are optimistic about 10-15 % of vacationers from the level of 2022, and property sales have reached record levels and wild discounts. So you have to ask: "Whats happened?" Read also: We will take Crimea without a fight, says Defense Minister Reznikov The following is what happened: paradoxically, but the fact is that Putins plans to grab even more Ukrainian lands and solidify claims to Crimea forever, actually helped bring the solution of the Crimean issue closer to Ukraine's advantage. Let's be honest: the chances of Crimea's return through political and diplomatic means were pretty illusory in the foreseeable future. The priority of political and diplomatic measures is discussed in the current Strategy of Deoccupation and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol (as of March 24, 2021). The official strategy definitely needs an update, but in general, it remains a relevant and entirely meaningful document, especially the part related to the stages of reintegration, namely its early preparation and implementation. Story continues Without battle First, we should emphasize the importance and timeliness of the first stage - the preparation for the liberation of Crimea. Preparing operational plans, military forces, and assets is only one component of the phase necessary but insufficient. No less important here is a comprehensive package of non-military forces and means for the operational restoration of control and subsequent support of life in the de-occupied territories. After the de-occupation operation, the next, third stage awaits us - a long process of reintegration In the extensive government plan for implementing Strategy 2021, the deadline for implementing most measures is defined as being "until the moment of de-occupation of the temporarily occupied territory." I may be wrong, but I assume that at the time of the plan and until today, the executors did not perceive the term as "urgent." Time is running out, and while de-occupation can be sudden and swift, reintegration will still take a long time. At the same time, the efficiency and quality of individual priority measures will set the framework for the duration and success of the entire process. Implementing the peninsula liberation operation and restoring the control of the Ukrainian authorities over the entire territory is the second, most challenging, and essential stage. It should be a military operation, although possibly and preferably without intense combat. I very much hope that the upcoming Crimean campaign will be an example of applying one of the main principles from Sun Tzus Art of War suppress enemy resistance without fighting. Sun Tzu also believed that it is better to dislodge an enemy army than to destroy it (it is better to capture a regiment, squad, or entire company than to destroy it). The moment when Ukrainian troops enter the territory of Crimea, the Russians have to accept the futility of resistance. Crimea is a peninsula geographically, but strategically for the Russians, it is an island and territory that is easier to capture than to hold. After the de-occupation operation, the next, third stage awaits us - a long process of reintegration, closely related to and dependent on the results of the previous two. Crimea has always been, to put it mildly, a unique region of Ukraine, and now the consequences of nine years of Russian occupation have been added to the pre-war complex of problems. Passive anti-Ukrainian sentiments will have to be dealt with for many years. Still, the threat of active resistance from the local population is low in the absence of external influence. In any case, everything possible and necessary should be done so that the solution to one urgent problem does not become a new long-term one. Read also: There can be no lasting peace with Russia until Ukraine liberates Crimea - opinion Successful implementation of each stage's tasks involves the awareness and consideration of the key players' roles. The right of Ukraine and the strategic necessity of de-occupation to ensure long-term peace and national security are seemingly obvious. But certain key players still need to be convinced, if not of Ukraine's right to liberate Crimea, then of the inevitability and realism of such a scenario. The Right to Support Given our critical dependence on foreign aid, our partners comprehensive support is both a guarantee of success and a lever of political influence. Few in the civilized world can deny Ukraine's right to restore its territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders in general. Still, it is far from a fact that our key partners will have the courage to confirm their support for Ukraine with practical steps when the time comes. There is still a mantra in the West that Putin will never be able to come to terms with the loss of Crimea and will do anything not to give up the peninsula because it will be the end of his political and physical life. Instead, they should bet on the success of Ukraine, overcoming their own fears and their own "red lines." The second key player is the occupiers themselves and, of course, Putin as a risk factor for nuclear escalation. Convincing them of Ukraine's right to restore its territorial integrity is useless. As for the troops and the occupation administration, Ukraine already has the experience of stimulating the occupiers to a "gesture of goodwill" or to "regroup." In the case of successful implementation of one or another option, when the prospect of defeat becomes evident to the Russian commanders, their commander-in-chief will have to refrain not only from drastic movements, but also from comments and, possibly, from public appearances. The de-occupation of Crimea will radically change the perception of the "Putin factor" in the West and inside Russia, speeding up the solution to the main problem. Read also: When will Ukraine reclaim Crimea, other occupied lands? Budanov The third, or rather the first and most important player, is Ukraine. It is notable that Ukraine currently has an almost unanimous understanding of the image of victory and confidence in victory. There is a clear official position of the president: "Nine years ago, Russian aggression began with Crimea. By returning Crimea, we will restore peace." There is no need to convince Ukrainian society of this because 93% of Ukrainians believe in victory. For 76%, victory means the de-occupation of the entire territory of the country, according to the survey of the Razumkov Center and the Democratic Initiatives Foundation. In conclusion, we should pay attention to one of the factors that, along with a comprehensive list of reasons and circumstances, contributed to Putin's blitzkrieg in 2014. Ukraine lost Crimea almost without a fight. The state was not ready to defend it with weapons in its hands. Undoubtedly, the critical state of the army and the security sector, in general, was an obvious and objective point of failure. But an equally decisive factor was the mental inability of Ukrainian politicians, society, and the international community to perceive the reality of the bloody conflict with Russia. The desire to avoid using force and, accordingly, human casualties the come with that seemed perfectly rational, but, as it turned out, strategically flawed. Within a month, the first shots rang out in Donbas, where the number of victims reached thousands, and eight years later - tens of thousands. At the moment, it is useless to go back in time and talk about whether giving up Crimea could have prevented a big war with Russia. The need to fight for Crimea to neutralize the threat of war in the future is absolutely obvious today. 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 Ukraine's Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat has spoken about the night attack of the Russian occupiers when they used long-range strategic aviation to launch six Kh-22 missiles over Ukraine. Source: Ihnat on air of the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote from Ihnat: "Six Kh-22 missiles were fired from seven bombers. They did not reach their targets." Details: According to Ihnat, these missiles' permissible deviation from target makes 600 meters, which is dangerous. Additionally, at night, the Russians launched up to seven aerial bombs on the eastern front and Ukraine's north. Reminder: The Russian occupiers hit the Mykolaiv district with five X-22 missiles, using their combat aviation, and the building of an industrial enterprise was damaged. The whereabouts of another missile are currently unknown. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Texas Gov Greg Abbott blamed a rising anger in American society as he responded to calls for action after a horrific mass shooting occurred at an outlet mall in his state Saturday evening. The Republican governor was speaking on Fox News Sunday as he faced scorn and derision from critics online over a 2015 tweet urging residents in his state to buy more guns and overtake California in terms of rates of new gun ownership. On Sunday, Mr Abbott pointed to the rise of mass-casualty attacks involving guns in both Republican- and Democrat-controlled states as evidence of a wider problem that he argued would not be fixed (or even stemmed) by tougher restrictions on guns. "One thing that we can observe very easily and that has there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that's taking place in America, he concluded. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), on proposals to reduce gun violence following the mass killing of 8 people in Allen, Texas: "One thing that we can observe very easily and that has there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that's taking place in America." pic.twitter.com/QG7bagz4ET The Recount (@therecount) May 7, 2023 But in the same interview, he suggested solutions like the ones that lawmakers in his state are now pursuing namely, legislation to restrict firearm ownership from dangerous people, including criminals. Texas, meanwhile, has been struggling to best implement laws that its leaders have already passed in this vein, thanks to opposition from gun rights groups. New legislation aimed at doing just what the governor described has for years been a non-starter in the US Congress; only recently did the body finally pass a bill strengthening background checks on gun purchases and providing grants for states to create and fund new red flag laws. That legislation, as significant as it was for the typically passive Senate, has done little if anything to stem the tide of shootings that have wracked Americas communities. It was also opposed by more than half of the Republican Senate conference, though notably not by GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. Story continues The state of Texas has seen several major incidents of gun violence just recently, and on Saturday saw at least eight people killed at an outlet mall by a suspected gunman who was shot dead by police. Mr Abbotts office referred to the Allen, Texas, shooting as an unspeakable tragedy in an initial statement pledging resources to the town in response. On Twitter, meanwhile, Democrats resurfaced his 2015 tweet and blamed GOP cheerleading of gun ownership for the present state of the American gun violence epidemic. An Iranian "Hacktivist" group gained access to Iran's Foreign Ministry servers and leaked a trove of data before defacing the ministry's website. The group, called GhyamSarnegouni, translated as "Rise to Overthrow," announced on its website Sunday it was responsible for taking down websites belonging to Iran's Foreign Ministry. The group also leaked a trove of data, including identification documents, ministry correspondence, phone numbers, and the names of over 11,000 of the ministry's employees, according to a report from Iran International. The official Iranian Foreign Ministry website remained down as of late Sunday morning, displaying a message that said it was "undergoing scheduled maintenance and upgrades." HACKERS BREACH IRANS ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, PROTESTS PERSIST Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei Earlier Sunday, versions of the Iranian Foreign Ministry website in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Munich, Germany, and Seoul, South Korea, were hacked with a message targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Death to Khamenei, Hail Rajavi," read the message. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Rajavi likely refers to the missing leader of the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq or his wife Maryam, who has become the public face of the group, according to The Associated Press. "There is a great revolution in Iran, the uprising will go until the demolition of the palace of oppression," the message continued. A fire burns during a protest on the streets of Iran. IRAN PROTESTS TRIGGER SOLIDARITY RALLIES IN US, EUROPE Hacking groups have increasingly targeted the websites and services of official government agencies since anti-regime protests began sweeping the country last year, including a hack of over 5,000 government security cameras and 150 websites belonging to the local government in Tehran. Hackers were also able to breach Iran's atomic energy agency in October of last year. Documents obtained in the latest hack revealed correspondence between Iran and European officials over a proposed prisoner swap of Iranian diplomat Asadollah Assadi, who is being held in Belgium, for Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, according to Iran International. Assadi is serving a 20-year sentence in Belgium for his role in plotting a bombing attack against an Iranian resistance group meeting near Paris in 2018. Vandecasteele was arrested by Iranian security forces in 2022 and faces allegations of "spying and cooperation with the United States, money laundering and smuggling $500,000 out of Iran." Vandecasteele was sentenced in January to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes for the charges the Belgian government has call "arbitrary." Guard towers at Florida State Prison in Raiford. Dr. Joseph Thornton, a former psychiatrist and medical executive director for Florida's maximum-security prison, wrote a thoughtful editorial on March 18 in support of ending the death penalty. He described executions as state-sanctioned retribution, a unique form of homicide, and that more needs to be done to treat individuals who are sick or broken. This is a subject I have struggled with for many years. Judaic scripture was unique among other religions for its time by limiting punishment to crimes against individuals and society proportionally and eliminating retribution. This was done in the name of justice to preserve social order and the community's protection of innocents. Some crimes are so egregious that death of the convicted perpetrator, after a fair trial, seems the only appropriate punishment. Chief judge: Plans for riverfront should include support for Mental Health Offender Program Rev. R.L. Gundy: Impact of jury disqualifications among Black citizens in death cases Letters: If you want less crime and other change in Jacksonville, you have to vote for it Over the last couple of decades, organizations such as the Innocence Project have exonerated several wrongly convicted individuals. Their families have struggled and suffered along with them, sometimes for decades, resulting in years that one can never get back. For the most part, justice is served in the court system and an appeals process seeks to ensure that result. Florida has seen swings in legislative proceedings of how many jurors must agree to impose a death sentence instead of life without parole. Previously, after U.S. and Florida Supreme Court rulings, it was required that the jury be unanimous in their deliberation. The Florida Legislature recently reduced that number to eight out of 12. Given that mitigating facts are considered during the sentencing phase of a trial, and that appeals are guaranteed, it seems reasonable that a majority of 10 is preferred over eight, to ensure a single rogue juror does not exercise outsized influence. Story continues In many cases a life sentence itself can be cruel punishment to certain individuals. But whether death or a life sentence, justice must be preserved to maintain a civil society where innocent people are supported by the powers of the state. On April 20, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that allows juries to recommend a death sentence by an 8-to-4 vote. In addition to requiring 10 jurors in agreement for a death sentence, extra consideration should be allowed when a victim's family makes known its preference for life without parole. After the trauma of witnessing a loved one subjected to senseless violence, why cause them further pain by the state limiting the judge's discretion and arbitrarily mandating death to the convicted offender? The opposite is worth equal consideration. Many times, victims and their families have suffered mightily and sense a measure of closure knowing that justice was done by a punishment that fits the crime. How can an objective observer comprehend the depth of personal conviction and feelings in either position? A universal application of only one judgment is not acceptable. Dr. Thornton perhaps discounts this fact; instead, he would have all prisoners rehabilitated and allowed to become better human beings behind bars. He postulates that more family support and mental health services will stem the tide of violent perpetrators. Perhaps so, but until then, will justice be served on behalf of so many innocent victims? I personally would like to see more life sentences adjudicated but understand full well that the death penalty is valid in some cases. I lack the wisdom to know if the death penalty acts as a deterrent to crime, but it is a reasonable means for a just society to carry out a fitting punishment. Richardson Rob Richardson, Jacksonville Beach This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: No way to know if death penalty truly a deterrent to crime Jeremy Lock/Reuters The gunman who murdered eight people and wounded seven others at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas, was identified Sunday as a 33-year-old former security guard named Mauricio Garcia whose social media accounts suggested an interest in neo-Nazi ideology. Garcia, whose family lives in nearby Dallas, was killed by a police officer responding to the carnage at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon. He had been living in a hotel, according to several media outlets, citing law enforcement sources. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the gunmans identity more than 24 hours after the mass shootingand a day after FBI agents swooped down on his parents home. His family has not commented on the massacre. It was unclear what connection, if any, Garcia had to the outlet mall and investigators did not publicly indicate a motive for the latest mass shooting to scar the nations psyche. But law enforcement sources said the investigation was focused on extremism. A patch found on his chest bore the letters RWDSan acronym for Right Wing Death Squad, which has been embraced by white supremacists. Additionally, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that Garcia both consumed and posted neo-Nazi and white supremacist content on the internet. Garcia was in the U.S. Army in 2008 and was discharged over mental health concerns, according to WFAA. No other details were available. Garcia was wearing a tactical vest and wielding an AR-15 when he opened fire on shoppers; photos of him dead on the ground revealed clips of extra ammunition strapped to his body, and more weapons and ammunition were found in his car. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Garcia completed firearm proficiency training in 2018 for his work as a private security officer. He was a commissioned security guard in the state from April 2016 to April 2020, when his license expired. During that time, Garcias profile shows that he worked for at least three security companies. Story continues One victim has been identified so far: 20-year-old Christian LaCour, a Farmersville resident who worked as a security guard. LaCours death was confirmed by his sisters mother-in-law in a Facebook post. Words can not even begin to describe the devastation that our family feels, she said in the post. [There] will forever be a void. Allen Mayor Kenneth Fulk acknowledged the shooting in a statement that pledged the citys complete support to the victims and their families. We know you are grieving, we are grieving, he said. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving. A vigil at an Allen church will take place Sunday evening to honor the shooting victims. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Han Kang: 'My speed of writing cant catch the speed of what I have up here' (Shutterstock) For one whole year, Han Kang found herself unable to write a disturbing development for a prize-winning author with a novel on the go. I couldnt write or read fiction, she says. I couldnt even watch things. When the South Korean author tried, words evaded her; she turned to documentaries, books about science. In truth, Hans clean, masterful prose and subsequent critical acclaim have always belied a life-long struggle with language. It is an impossible medium. Its always failing, she sighs. Starting out as a poet, Ive always felt that but particularly that year, I felt it more. This impossibility of language. The words returned, but the experience left a mark traces of which are all over her elliptical, resonant novel Greek Lessons. Its protagonist, having suddenly, mysteriously lost her ability to speak, finds solace in the classroom with her ancient Greek teacher who is, in turn, losing his sight. Written in 2011, the book is only now being published in English, following the success of Hans other translated works. Greek Lessons, though, operates on a quieter register than her previous books. Its pages contain nothing resembling the graphic self-harm and force-feeding of Hans fable-like novel The Vegetarian, for which she received global recognition and the Man Booker International Prize in 2016. Nor do they share the bloody ferocity of Human Acts (2014), a story that unfurls in the long shadow of a historical massacre. Even now as Han, 52, describes that troublesome period during which she lost her only medium, her voice is soft but her metaphors are sharp, visceral, capable of drawing blood. Language was like a double-bladed sword that I really wanted to grasp, but it wasnt possible, she says, setting her teacup down and placing her palms around an invisible knife. There was no particular reason, she clarifies unlike the protagonist of Greek Lessons, whose therapist suggests, futilely, that her sudden muteness is a result of her mother dying and losing custody of her son. I didnt take Greek lessons either, says Han, who is an easy conversationalist and generous with a smile. Only half the time does Han actually make use of the translator with us. And when she does, she takes care to listen and ensure her words are being faithfully conveyed. Violence its omnipresence has concerned Han since she was young. The daughter of novelist Han Seung-won, she was born in Gwangju, a provincial city near the tip of the Korean Peninsula. Her family moved to Seoul when she was nine four months, coincidentally, before her birthplace was devastated by the Gwangju uprising. Peaceful protestors and bystanders were brutally killed. When she was 12, Han discovered a book about the massacre hidden at home. In it were photographs of mutilated faces and bayoneted bodies. I felt the fear and shock deeply inside me. It made me think how far humanity can go and still be human, she says. That has always stayed with me and its something I have to constantly recreate. Its a conundrum, a fundamental question within me, so it comes out in whatever I write. In Greek Lessons, the violence is muted but present. Interestingly, its not the loss of language that Han depicts in these terms, but language itself. As a child, the protagonist experiences words that thrust their way into her sleep like skewers and confine her like clothing made from a thousand needles. Her point is: language is not always helpful. Youre sometimes in a place where youre in so much pain that you want to encapsulate yourself away from the world were living in, Han explains. You want to go into a corner of darkness all alone in total silence. In that moment, language becomes completely useless. Even that period of no writing, albeit troubling, was helpful. It gave me an opportunity to look inwards and observe myself. Greek Lessons inevitably brings up questions about translation. Its an apt conversation for Han; not only have her works been translated, but the translations themselves have provoked controversy in the past. In 2016, The Vegetarian about a woman who refuses to eat meat before rejecting food in any form became the first Korean-language novel to win the Man Booker International Prize. It was awarded both to Han and translator Deborah Smith, whose work on the book was praised. Soon, however, in the Korean media and later internationally, charges of mistranslation swirled. Writing in The LA Times, Charse Yun, a teacher of translation in Seoul, declared his admiration for Smiths translation but called it a new creation. It was, he argued, like Raymond Carver being made to sound like Charles Dickens. Han stood by the translation, and still does. Smith went on to translate Human Acts and later The White Book, Hans Man Booker International-shortlisted meditation on her older sister who died as a baby. Smith worked on Greek Lessons, too, although this time alongside Seoul-based translator Emily Yae Won. I find the translation process to be an extremely intriguing human activity, says Han now. I form the starting feature of something but in order to get to the finished form, it needs to lose everything I have created and be reborn. She compares it to flying from Seoul to London. Everything is completely evaporated before it is reformed again. She would appear then to agree with Yuns assessment that Smiths translation of The Vegetarian is a new creation but has little problem with that. She does wish, though, that there had been more time to go through Smiths draft of The Vegetarian thoroughly, admitting that shed read it only leisurely because she was preoccupied with Human Acts. When Im working on a new book, I put my 100 per cent in so I didnt have the luxury to do that, she says. Obviously, I wanted to make sure everything I had written was still there, which is why although it was brief I managed to go through it and pick up a few points. Hans writing is rooted in Koreas history in a way that is not always detectable to foreigners. For instance, the phrase priest of May appears in The Vegetarian. It has two connotations, says Han. Firstly, one of beauty. But the other is a historical, more secret meaning in Korean history because of the May 1980 massacre. Han explained this to Smith. I wanted to make sure that the meaning was fully embedded. Cover art for the translated version of Han Kangs Greek Lessons' (Penguin Books) The translation process appears to have grown more rigorous over time. When Human Acts came around, Han worked closely with Smith, going through the draft paragraph by paragraph. By the time of The White Book, they had become friends and, over email, went through the draft line by line. For Han, writing is something of a pure impulse one that exists separate to awards and audiences whom, she says, she never thinks of when working, anyway. She felt zero pressure following the Man Booker Prize success. I have the good fortune of being able to shut myself down when Im writing, so any stress or pressure that mightve been on me, I didnt feel it. For some authors, writing one book, let alone multiple, is a struggle. For Han, the struggle lies in writing them all before she dies. I always have something to talk about. She is often working on two or even three novels at once. My speed of writing cant catch the speed of what I have up here. She taps her head with her index finger. So that bothers me a lot. That will be a big problem when I die; I wont be able to finish all these ideas I have. Any stress or pressure that mightve been on me, I didnt feel it And yet when Han lost the ability to write all those years ago, it wasnt the first time. In her thirties, part way through writing The Vegetarian, she suffered from joint problems in her wrists reasons unknown. It lasted three to four years, during which it was impossible to write. I almost gave up. Eventually, she discovered a technique that eased the pain. Han laughs and picks up two teaspoons to demonstrate. Holding them like pens, she begins tapping away at an imaginary keyboard. Three years wasted before I finally found this skill and could finish the novel! As for this most recent hiatus, I ask, what allowed her to resume writing then? She pauses and thinks on it for a while. Before I wrote Greek Lessons, I had some inner conflict about embracing life, and a world where violence is omnipresent, she says. Maybe that year, I was moved forward towards a certain light. Greek Lessons is out now and published by Hamish Hamilton Representatives from Chinese enterprises mourn in front of the memorial monument at the site of the bombed former Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) BELGRADE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Serbians and the Chinese gathered at the site of the bombed former Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Belgrade on Sunday to mark the 24th anniversary of the killing of three Chinese journalists in the 1999 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aggression on Yugoslavia. China's Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, Serbian Minister of Sport Zoran Gajic, and dozens of officials and civilians laid wreaths and flowers at the memorial monument to honor the victims -- Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua News Agency, and Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying of the Guangming Daily newspaper. Gajic said that the Chinese Embassy bombing was a cowardly act conducted by the NATO aggressors, "in order to plant the seed of evil." "It is upon us to remember and recall and pray for all of those people who lost their lives, and also to pray for those who survived, and let them come to their senses, so we could pursue a brighter future, and become a happier humankind," Gajic said. Chen said that the martyrs of the bombing were "brutally killed," but that 24 years later, a growing trend of peaceful development brings hope to humanity. "Twenty-four years have passed, the international situation has undergone tremendous changes, and China and the world have also undergone earth-shaking changes. Although power politics and hegemonism are still the most profound root causes of today's world turmoil, the forces committed to peaceful development are getting stronger and stronger," she said. "Now more and more countries and people agree on the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. I firmly believe that more and more countries and people will unite and work together to build a world of lasting peace and common prosperity," Chen said. The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia started on March 24, 1999. Over the course of 78 days, 2,500 people were killed and thousands of people more were wounded, while 25,000 homes and a third of the country's energy sector were destroyed -- often by illegal weapons such as cluster bombs and depleted uranium warheads. On May 7, 1999, U.S.-led NATO forces carried out a brutal missile attack on the former Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, which left three journalists working there dead, more than 20 people injured, and the embassy building severely damaged. In the place of the ruined embassy building now stands a brand new Chinese Cultural Centre, overlooking two memorial monuments that memorialize the tragedy that took place here 24 years ago. People holding flowers mourn the victims at the site of the bombed former Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Representatives from Chinese enterprises make a bow in front of the memorial monument at the site of the bombed former Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Serbian Minister of Sport Zoran Gajic and China's Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo mourn in front of the memorial monument at the site of the bombed former Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Mage pulled off a major upset in the Churchill Downs stretch Saturday, hitting the wire first at 15-1 odds in to win the Kentucky Derby in just his fourth career race. The son of Good Magic joined Justify as just the second horse since 1882 to win the Derby despite not racing as a 2-year-old and only the third horse since World War I to claim the roses with just three previous starts. Strangely enough, Good Magic finished second to Justify on that Derby Day five years ago. It was also the first Derby victory for both Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who was making his 16th start in the race, and trainer Gustavo Delgado both Venezuela natives. What happened to everybody else in the 18-horse Kentucky Derby field? Heres a look. Two Phils almost wins As the horses turned for home, it looked like Two Phils might be the one wearing the roses. The winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park last time out and owner of the fastest Beyer Speed Figure in this Derby field took the lead from early front-runner Kingsbarns in the final turn and was at least a length clear of everyone else heading into the stretch. Two Phils was jostled around a bit in the early going but settled into good position behind the pace-setting trio of Verifying, Kingsbarns and Reincarnate heading into the first turn. He raced in fourth down the backstretch as the early leaders set a quick pace before making that strong move into the stretch. He was still in the lead at the eighth pole, but Mage making a huge move of his own put a head in front shortly after that and held off Two Phils from there, winning by one length. I was just saying, lets hold on. Lets fight off anybody coming, because they finish hard down this long stretch, said Two Phils jockey Jareth Loveberry, riding in his first Derby. And I had to make just a touch of a move early, but he fought back as hard as he could. Trainer Larry Rivelli, who was also in his first Derby, was happy with the effort. Story continues Man, he tried so hard and ran his heart out, Rivelli said. Im so proud of this horse and everyone involved. He ran an incredible race. The Kentucky Derby field makes its way out of turn four with eventual winner Mage on the far left outside and second-place finisher Two Phils in the lead on the inside, far right. The favorite makes a run Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Forte was scratched from the race Saturday morning, and that status landed on Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire by post time. The Derby favorite a colt that typically comes from off the pace was farther back than usual Saturday, going into the first turn in 16th place. From there, Flavien Prat rode Angel of Empire on the rail and then started picking off horses down the backstretch as he angled his way outside, ultimately making a wide move into the stretch and putting in a spirited run toward the finish line, still coming at the end but finishing third, a half-length behind Two Phils. Angel of Empire gave us a little thrill there, until about the eighth pole he kind of leveled off, trainer Brad Cox said. But, overall, very proud of his performance. Its a tough race to win, I know that. Long shots come next Finishing fourth and fifth in the race were Disarm and Hit Show at odds of 27-1 and 24-1, respectively for two of the top trainers in the sport. Disarm is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who started his 25th Kentucky Derby horse Saturday, still in search of his first victory in the race. (Last year, Asmussen had favorite Epicenter, who looked like the Derby winner in the stretch before 80-1 shot Rich Strike caught him.) Jockey Joel Rosario, who rode Epicenter last year, guided Disarm to a spot on the rail in the early going and appeared to get a clean trip there until it was time to make a move. He found plenty of traffic in the stretch but kept going, getting up for fourth with a strong run at long odds. Obviously, I was hoping for a better finish today, Asmussen said. I loved that he continued on, through it all. Hit Show, trained by Brad Cox, drew the far inside post but didnt find much trouble down on the rail, settling into nice position in sixth place not far off the pacesetters and making a move into the stretch that indicated he might have a shot at the end. Once they all straightened out, Hit Show ran on but ultimately tired out, still holding for fifth place. Cox was proud of the effort, he said. Hit Show had a great trip, from what I could tell. He had a shot turning for home. Derma Sotogake comes up short The Japanese mystery colt Derma Sotogake impressive gate-to-wire winner of the UAE Derby last time out broke awkwardly Saturday and was pinned in toward the back of the field in the early going. He settled in from there and looked like he might be on the verge of a big move around the final turn, but Mage had already run right by him by the time they made their way into the stretch, and Derma Sotogake ended up in sixth place, never really threatening for the lead. I was in the best spot to make a move, jockey Christophe Lemaire said. He stayed on but didnt have the speed to make it closer late. Tapit Trice starts slow Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice presumed by many to end up as the Derby favorite after the scratch of Forte instead went off as the 9-2 second choice and was slow to get going out of the gate, something that has plagued the big, gray colt in the past. When the field crossed the finish line for the first time, Tapit Trice was 18th and last, a position he held until they were well into the backstretch, where the son of Tapit started to move. Still, he had only six horses beat turning for home, ran up the middle of the track and passed tired horses to finish seventh, never getting close to the leaders. Our horse kind of broke a little slow, jockey Luis Saez said. In this kind of race, you gotta be right there. Saez acknowledged that Tapit Trices running style fast when he gets moving, but taking some time to get to that point didnt work out Saturday. He takes a little while to get going. Thats how he is, he said. Sometimes he breaks like that. Sometimes he breaks better. But today we had a little bad luck. A fast pace Leading up to the Derby, it was no secret that this was a field with no true pacesetters, leading some to predict the possibility of slow fractions out front and perhaps a chance for a horse to steal the victory by going to the lead. That didnt happen. Verifying (14-1), Kingsbarns (11-1) and Reincarnate (14-1) went straight for the front. And they werent slow about it once they got there. Verifying also trained by Brad Cox taking the lead, he set early fractions of :22.35 through the first quarter-mile and :45.73 for the half-mile. We wanted to be aggressive, but obviously not that aggressive, Cox said. I thought early on when I saw the (times) I thought, OK. Fast. And then I thought, Well, maybe we can slow it down in the turn. And they didnt slow down much. And I knew Verifying would be up against it. Coxs colt bowed out of the race completely before the final turn and finished 16th. Kingsbarns took the lead from there but was passed by Two Phils a few seconds later. He hung around into the stretch but quickly faded from there and finished 14th. Todd Pletcher, who now has a record 64 career Derby starters with just two wins, trained Kingsbarns and Tapit Trice, as well as the scratched favorite, Forte. Reincarnate was out of it before they hit the stretch and ended up 13th. After the race, Cox said the early fractions surprised him but acknowledged that once youre out front in an 18-horse field its tough to slow it down too much. At that point, youre committed, he said. He was drawn down inside. He had speed. We thought that would give him his best opportunity, but he had pressure throughout the backside from Kingsbarns. The rest of the field Long shots Raise Cain (eighth), Rocket Can (ninth), Confidence Game (10th) and Sun Thunder (11th) never factored into the mix, and their connections had no complaints afterward about their positioning or the way the race was run. Mandarin Hero, another Japanese contender, was 12th and also never a factor. King Russell finished 15th after a wide trip. Jaces Road was 17th and never really in the mix. Cyclone Mischief, who ended up with top jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. after Forte was scratched, broke poorly from the outside and ended up 18th and last. He missed the break, Ortiz said. And after that, he never got involved. Mages magic in 2023 Kentucky Derby brightens a dark week for horse racing Who is Mage? What to know about the champion of this years Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby 2023 complete order of finish and payoffs at Churchill Downs Congrats to all the wizards. Social media abuzz after Mage wins Kentucky Derby 2023 Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela The coronation of King Charles III was scheduled for Saturday, May 6, in Londons Westminster Abbey. Assuming all went as planned, Charles was seated during part of the ceremony on the oak Coronation Chair, which King Edward I had ordered built around the year 1300 to hold the royal Stone of Scone. Edward had brought the 336-pound rock from Scotland to England. Many monarchs had sat on the chair, or throne, as they were crowned, and Charles was to rest on it with the historic, 336-pound stone just under the seat. One of the most sacred moments was to be when the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England, anointed Charles with oil to consecrate him and set him above his subjects. At that point, a screen was to shield Charles from the view of everyone except a few clergy members. When the screen which will surround the coronation chair is removed, the king is revealed to us all as someone who has taken on the responsibility of serving God and serving the people, a church spokesperson told the Associated Press. The 700-year-old chair is called one of the most precious and famous pieces of furniture in the world on the Westminster Abbey website. I suspect not many other pieces of furniture are so revered that a toy soldier company produced a 3-inch model of it, complete with a tiny Stone of Scone. This small model of the British Coronation Chair includes the Stone of Scone under the seat. Kathy and I were fortunate to see the real chair several years ago at Westminster Abbey. It didnt look as grand as you might think would befit the Queen or King of England. And we got to pass by the stone last summer in the Scottish Crown Jewels room of Edinburgh Castle before it was moved to London temporarily for Charles coronation. A legend says the stone, which got its name from a long stay at the monastery of Scone in Scotland, has a biblical origin. Genesis 28:18 says, Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. (NIV) The tradition is that the sandstone that Charles was to sit on Saturday was the one Jacob used as a pillow at Bethel. It supposedly made a circuitous journey over centuries from the Holy Land through several countries, gained the nickname, Stone of Destiny and ended up in Scotland. Story continues Mike Haynes In the past, the entirety of each coronation ceremony was considered a Christian worship service, and the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, described the 2023 version as such but added that it would reflect contemporary society. In addition to hymns and prayers being offered in the Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic languages as well as English, non-Christian religions were to be recognized. Like his mother in 1953, Charles was to be presented with sacred objects such as the royal orb and scepter. This year, with Charles blessing, members of the House of Lords with Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh religious backgrounds were to present the king with objects devoid of Christian symbolism. Of course, I would prefer that the ceremony remain completely Christian as it has for 1,000 years. But I understand Charles reasoning. The king represents all the United Kingdoms subjects, and the latest census showed that less than half of the population call themselves Christian. Charles also is head of the Church of England, though. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, faithfully filled that role out of duty and also because of her strong personal faith in Jesus Christ. Charles has not indicated that he is as devout as his late, beloved parent. But the 2023 coronations theme was Called to Serve, based on a statement of Jesus in Matthew and Mark. Charles was scheduled to say, In His name and after His example, I come not to be served but to serve. Even as he juggles the duties of church and state, lets hope the new king, like Elizabeth II, will build his new house on the Rock of Salvation. Mike Haynes taught journalism at Amarillo College from 1991 to 2016 and has written for the Faith section since 1997. He can be reached at haynescolumn@gmail.com. Go to www.haynescolumn.blogspot.com for other recent columns. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Haynes column: Reflections on the coronation of King Charles Onuphrius quickly jumped into a car after he was booed near the Lavra Read also: Kyiv Pechersk Lavra head denies congregation prayed for Russia at church service In the video, Onufriy was seen leaving the Lavra, but was met with activists shouting Onufriy for exchange and Onufriy to prison. He quickly passed through the crowd and jumped into a car. On May 7, Onufriy conducted again Sunday services at the Lavra, in defiance of Ukrainian law. Journalists from NVs sister publication, Ukrainian Pravda, had previously found that Metropolitan Onufriy and more than 20 other ROC priests hold Russian citizenship. Read also: Become a prayerful Russian monk there UOC Archbishop on Metropolitan Onufriys Russian citizenship Onufriy responded by stating that he had already given up his Russian citizenship, but his Russian passport number was later found in the database of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, refuting his claim. In March, the state ordered the ROC to vacate the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra due to the termination of the ROCs rental agreement with the state-owned organization responsible for the sites management. Representatives of the ROC finally allowed a commission from the Ministry of Culture to take over state property at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in early April. However, they continue to conduct services there, including under the leadership of Metropolitan Onufriy. Read also: Moscow Patriarchate priest suspected of pedophilia ordained as bishop Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko previously stated that monastic life in the Lavra will continue, and assured that Ukraine has a plan of action. He said that the state will consider various proposals for the future use of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. 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 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered the full support of the state to local officials following a shooting Saturday afternoon at the Allen Premium Outlets. The Collin County Sheriffs Office told WFAA-TV that there are multiple victims, including children. The sheriff said that a shooter is dead at the scene. Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, he said in a statement. I have been in contact with Mayor (Ken) Fulk and DPS Director (Steven) McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources. Dave Durocher, executive director of The Other Side Academy, poses in the Armstrong Mansion on the TOSA campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Come on, would you like a tour? Dave Durocher asks as he swivels in his office chair and springs up, not unlike a coiled python, ready to roll. Weve been listening to Durocher tell his life story, which he can do in 30 minutes and still have time to spare, trying to get our heads around how he got all the way here from all the way there. I was a self-centered, hedonistic, gun-running, drug-dealing, out-of-control addict and criminal, is how he sums up the first 38 years of his life. Now, at 56, hes a law-abiding, drug-free, altruistic, tax-paying, sport coat-wearing, sober-as-a-nun executive director at The Other Side Academy, a place where felons are given the chance to take out a new lease on life. Just like him. Ever since Joseph Grenny launched TOSA in downtown Salt Lake City eight years ago, Durocher has been the full-time on-site manager. His fingerprints are all over what has arguably become the most successful inmate residential rehabilitation facility America has ever seen. Of the felons who are referred here instead of prison and stay at least two years, 74% wind up sober, crime-free and gainfully employed. For those who stay three years, the success rate is 85%; for four years or longer, its 95%. This, from people who have been arrested an average of 25 times. Equally remarkable, in eight years there have been no incidents of violence on the TOSA campus, no complaints from the neighbors, no petitions to shut the whole thing down. On the contrary. What began in one old building the Armstrong mansion on the corner of 700 East and 100 South has expanded into a complex of six buildings that house 105 students and serves as headquarters for TOSAs various commercial enterprises, including The Other Side Movers, The Other Side Builders and The Other Side Thrift Boutiques. The reformers have taken over. Theres no better example that people can change, even violent criminals, than Durocher. When I wasnt in prison I was on my way back, he says of the life/crime spree that began when he started stealing sips of his dads beer when he was 6 and lasted until his mid-30s, when he was surrounded by practically the entire Huntington Beach Police Department, including their helicopter. Story continues Dave Durocher, executive director of The Other Side Academy, right, talks with Jordan Holdaway, general manager of Other Side Academy Builders, during renovation of the Armstrong Mansion in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News He hoped theyd shoot him and get it over with, rather than facing another stay in prison, which would be his fifth and likely his last. But Durocher still had his wits. As he languished in jail awaiting trial, he employed the charisma that made him such a good drug-dealer into an all-out lobbying campaign with the judge to instead of prison send him to Delancey Street, an alternative program designed to purge convicts of their addictions and straighten them out so theyre no longer a danger to society. Long story short (for a more detailed, highly entertaining version, Google Durochers TED talk), the pitch worked. Durocher spent two years as a student at the Los Angeles branch of Delancey Street, graduated with flying colors, and then spent another 61 2 as resident manager. Hed left the L.A. Delancey Street to work for a time making stupid money in the oil fields of North Dakota legitimate money, the kind you have to pay taxes on before returning to California because I had a hole in my heart. I loved having a job, but anybody could do what I was doing, I wasnt doing anything of any value. I missed the people part. Thats when he met Joseph Grenny, the Salt Lake corporate trainer, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist who told him his plans to do a version of Delancey Street in Utah, but one that would be self-sustaining, with no strings attached to the government or any other outside entities. The Other Side Academy campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Grenny and his No. 2, Tim Stay, flew to Los Angeles to interview Durocher. They met at a steakhouse, where Durocher began by interviewing them. They sat in front of me at Flemings and I said I dont want either one of you to ask me a question. Whats the genesis of thought behind this, what makes you think you can, and why would you want to, whos first? By this point, Grenny had already sized Durocher up. My first impression of Dave was when I saw him sitting on a chair in the restaurant where we were to meet. He sat there ramrod straight, in a white shirt and tie, with that look of absolute confidence and commitment on his face. I had an immediate reaction that this was a good man and a born leader, so we never looked back. On the way back to their hotel, Grenny looked over at Stay and mused, So do we do a background check? What if hes lying about being a criminal; maybe hes an accountant. Within days, Durocher was in Salt Lake, laying the foundation for a program that above all else values two things: 1) a no-nonsense compliance with the rules, and 2) time. Rehabilitation stints of 30, 60 or 90 days dont come close to affecting permanent change. Give them 21 2 years, or more, and theyll remake a man, or woman, out of you. At the end of our interview, photographer Jeff Allred and I take Durocher up on his offer of a tour of The Other Side. As we move from building to building, he stops and introduces us to each student we pass, like a proud parent showing off his kids. I spent the first half of my life helping people die, he says, 18 years down the road from that Huntington drug bust when he was ditching cocaine out the window. I intend on spending the rest of it helping people live. Dave Durocher, executive director of The Other Side Academy, talks with Christopher Lynch during renovation of the Armstrong Mansion in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Mark Dalley, works on a truck at The Other Side Academy, in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Jordan Holdaway, general manager of Other Side Academy Builders, oversees the renovation of the Armstrong Mansion in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Felicia Tulak, with The Other Side Academy, organizes supplies in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News The Other Side Academy Armstrong Mansion turret room in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The organization works with former prisoners hoping to rehabilitate their lives. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Downtown Des Moines has seen a hot and sunny afternoon with temperatures reaching into the 80s while areas to the north and east have seen some severe storms pop up. More storms, which could be severe, are expected in the evening. Various severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service throughout the day for storms that included hail the size of a ping pong ball or a half dollar. Winds were estimated to be up to 60 mph with some storms. Storms bring down trees, semis near Iowa City A round of severe thunderstorms moved through Johnson County in eastern Iowa before triggering a tornado warning in Muscatine County on Sunday afternoon. Reports to the National Weather Service indicated several large tree limbs down across the area. Several trees of at least 1 foot in diameter were blown down near Tiffin, where a wind gust of 74 mph was reported. At least three semis have been seen blown over along Interstate 80, including two eastbound near the Williamsburg exit and another eastbound near Exit 205. Severe thunderstorm watch issued from Des Moines extending to the east and south, including Iowa City and the Quad Cities A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri until 12 AM CDT pic.twitter.com/I9Pqq94YSk NWS Des Moines (@NWSDesMoines) May 7, 2023 The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of central and eastern Iowa until 12 a.m. including: Des Moines, Waterloo, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Ottumwa, Dubuque and Davenport. Ames and Story County may see evening thunderstorms but are not included in this warning. More: What is a severe thunderstorm watch vs a warning? Here's a look at the differences Heavy winds, a couple of tornadoes and large hail will be the primary threats from the storms, the NWS said. Wind gusts could exceed 75 mph at times and hail could reach the size of an apple. Story continues Much of Iowa remains at enhanced risk for severe weather There is an Enhanced Risk for severe weather for Sunday afternoon into the overnight hours. All modes of severe weather are possible. #iawx pic.twitter.com/ebN1VogMnd NWS Des Moines (@NWSDesMoines) May 7, 2023 A warm front pushing through will bring an enhanced risk a three on the weather service's five-point scale of severe weather to Iowa this afternoon and evening. The greatest threat in central Iowa comes from about 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, according to the NWS. The storms will bring heavy rain, with 1-2" of precipitation possible in central Iowa and as much as 4" possible east of Des Moines, including the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Davenport metros. Heavy winds and large hail will be the primary threats from the storms, the NWS said. Wind gusts could exceed 75 mph at times and hail could reach 2", or roughly the size of an egg. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa weather: Severe thunderstorm watch for Des Moines, eastern Iowa Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Sunday said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts should state a clear set of rules for the nations highest court as it deals with ethics scrutiny rather than Congress taking action on the issue. I think there needs to be a clear set of rules and there needs to be openness about it, so that everybody knows what the rules are. Those are important. Every public official has to follow those. They can set those. They should set those, versus the Congress of the United States, because they are a separate branch of government, Hutchinson said on NBCs Meet the Press. A series of recent reports from ProPublica found that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow paid for Thomas to join in on luxury vacations, made a real estate deal with Thomas and paid money to a private boarding school for Thomass great-nephew. The reports have stoked a surge of scrutiny about disclosures and ethics standards on the Supreme Court. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing last week on ethics reforms for the court, for which Roberts declined an invitation to speak. The court needs to be transparent, first of all. They need to be clear on what their reporting rules are. They need to review those to make sure theyre very similar to the other public officials and branches of government, which is has broad reporting requirements, Hutchinson said on Sunday. Clearly they have not been sufficient, he added. Theyve changed those, but I think they need to step up just simply in terms of their transparency, so the American people understand what the rules are and what is required and is similar to other public officials. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Emma Ginsberg is a senior at Georgetown. Emma Ginsberg I'm a senior at Georgetown University, and I'm in my last few weeks of college. Recently, I spent my day working out in the gym, going to class, and studying. I also went to the Georgetown farmers market and attended a formal event at a friend's house. On a Wednesday during one of my last weeks of college, my day started at 6 a.m. with some light reading. I start my day off with a book. Emma Ginsberg I'm currently reading Ottessa Moshfegh's "My Year of Rest and Relaxation." I'm not always a morning reader, though. Sometimes I turn to TikTok or scroll through other apps before getting out of bed. At 6:30 a.m., I made my bed and got dressed in a workout outfit that I set out for myself the night before. I like to make my bed each morning. Emma Ginsberg I live off campus in a townhouse with four other Georgetown students. At Georgetown, we're only required to live on campus for the first three years. But our townhouse is just a block away from campus, so we aren't too far. I have my own room in the townhouse, and I like to make my bed each morning. It ensures I won't crawl back into it even when I really want to sleep the day away. Plus, I'm big on keeping a super-tidy space, so making my bed is really important to me. Once I made my bed, I did my morning skincare routine to help wake me up and make me look slightly more alive. I do my skincare before the gym. Emma Ginsberg I usually use moisturizer, vitamin C, and sunscreen in the mornings before heading out into the world. High-quality skincare is one of my few financial indulgences as a senior in college. At 6:53 a.m., I headed out the door and started my walk to the on-campus gym. I'm lucky because I get to walk by Georgetown's gorgeous Healy Hall. Healy Hall is gorgeous in the morning. Emma Ginsberg I loved taking my time on this walk because the campus was so quiet before 7 a.m. I loved the way the sun lit up Healy Hall, which is on the US National Register of Historic Places. At 7 a.m., I arrived at Yates Field House, the on-campus gym for Georgetown students. It was a leg day. Emma Ginsberg At the gym, I did a leg workout for an hour. When I first arrived on campus as a freshman, I was terrified of going to the on-campus gym. I was so scared of seeing my peers when I was working out. Luckily, when I returned to Georgetown after a year of online school, I decided not to waste any more time caring about what other people thought. Now Yates is part of my routine. Story continues After the gym, I headed home to put on the outfit I picked out the night before and did my hair and makeup. I got dressed for class. Emma Ginsberg Compared to students at other colleges, Georgetown students tend to dress casually but not too casually for day-to-day life on campus. Wearing leggings or sweatshirts to class is not the norm, so I try to pick out outfits on weekdays that are a balanced combination of comfortable and presentable. You can never go wrong with blue jeans and a black tee. I then made breakfast so I could eat and sip my coffee at 9 a.m. before starting my work for the day. My morning smoothie and coffee. Emma Ginsberg I'm one of those people who can't survive the day without a good breakfast, so I rotate between different breakfast recipes every week. This week my smoothie included frozen mango, banana, yogurt, water, spinach, chia seeds, and agave in it. Since I live off campus, I don't have access to the dining hall, but I don't mind cooking for myself. At 9:30 a.m., I sat down with what was left of my coffee to get some homework done in my living room. I do homework in my living room. Emma Ginsberg I try to work in my living room at least once a day because it's a great way for me to be productive while also still being able to chat with my roommates as they pass in and out of the house. When it's really nice out, I can often be found reading on our front porch instead. At 12:30 p.m., I headed to the weekly on-campus farmers market with a couple of friends. I love the farmers market. Emma Ginsberg The farmers market is a highlight of my week and has been since freshman year. It's run by students and one of my favorite things about going to Georgetown. On nice farmers-market days, the lawn is always crowded with Georgetown students eating amazing food and enjoying the sunshine. At 2 p.m., I headed to my favorite class, a 2 -hour seminar in the Car Barn building. My "Women, Domesticity & American Culture" class. Emma Ginsberg "Women, Domesticity & American Culture" is hands-down my favorite class I've ever taken at Georgetown. I'm an American Studies major, and I've specialized in studying domesticity throughout college; I just finished writing my senior thesis about Martha Stewart, so this class is right up my alley. On this day, we were discussing Nancy Meyers' "Something's Gotta Give." After class ends at 4:30 p.m., I did more reading in my favorite study spot on campus: the Bioethics Research Library. This is my favorite study spot. Emma Ginsberg The soft lighting, tall bookshelves, and windows that look out over Georgetown's front lawn make this my all-time-favorite study spot on campus. I've been coming here at least a few times a week since my freshman year, and I find that it's the spot on campus where I feel the most cozy and productive. Once I wrapped up my reading, I headed home and made myself dinner, which I ate around 7 p.m. My dinner was a salad, fries, and a turkey burger. Emma Ginsberg Tonight's dinner was a turkey burger, salad, and a side of frozen sweet-potato french fries from Trader Joe's. I love trying out new recipes every week, and I found this one in a cookbook that a friend bought me. If no one else is milling about the house, I tend to scroll on TikTok or call my parents while I'm eating dinner. At 8 p.m., I got ready for a formal event at a friend's house. I got dressed up for a party. Emma Ginsberg There are tons of events and parties to get dressed up for toward the end of the semester at Georgetown. Social life as a senior at Georgetown can mean anything from chill game nights to dressing up to go to parties and bars. I'm not usually one to go out on a weeknight, but since it's my last few weeks of college, I made an exception. At 11:30 p.m., I got home, took off my makeup, got ready for bed, and watched an episode of 'How I Met Your Mother.' I watch TV before falling asleep. Emma Ginsberg I always love to wind down for a bit before falling asleep, and the best way for me to do that is by watching my comfort show. Here's hoping my postgrad life is as fun as this sitcom makes it out to be! Read the original article on Insider (Photo/Cherokee Nation) Guest Opinion. For many young Cherokees, college is the doorway to realizing their dreams. It is the path to many different rewarding careers and ways to support a family. No young Cherokee who dreams of going to college should have to cancel those dreams because of the cost. That is why Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I have proposed increasing the college scholarships available to Cherokees from $2,000 to $2,500 per semester over the next two years. The increase will benefit more than 5,000 college students, across the entire United States, who receive the tribes scholarship every semester, especially in a time when the cost of higher education has grown substantially. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. We know that help accessing higher education can pay off many times over throughout a persons life. Without doubt, this investment will lead to a stronger and more prosperous Cherokee Nation. After they graduate, I hope many of these students will use their skills and talents in important roles at Cherokee Nation or Cherokee Nation Businesses. Whatever they do, I know they will help to build up our Cherokee communities even more. The proposed increase will be phased in gradually, with an initial increase of $250 per semester beginning this fall and an additional $250 per semester beginning in the fall of 2024. This measured approach ensures that the increase is fiscally responsible and can be sustained over the long term. I believe the Council of the Cherokee Nation also recognizes the importance of this proposal and will ensure its passage. In addition to the college scholarship program, the Cherokee Nation offers an array of education services, including a College Resource Center that provides comprehensive student advisors and scholarship searches. We also provide a concurrent enrollment for eligible high school students, as well as academic and cultural support for K-12 students through the Johnson OMalley program. Cherokee Nations workforce training and placement programs help Cherokees seeking to advance in careers outside of college. These initiatives reflect the tribes holistic approach to education, supporting students at every stage of their academic journey. Story continues Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. We also have a great partner in this mission that is also contributing mightily: the Cherokee Nation Foundation. This year CNF will set another scholarship record, with over $428,000 to 113 Cherokee students here at home and across the country. As I have said many times over the years, Cherokee Nation has a long and storied history of investing in education. It is one of the things that make us most proud as Cherokee citizens. Today, the increase in college scholarships is a continuation of that legacy. The students we invest in today are the leaders of tomorrow. With this rising generation of Cherokees, our future has never been brighter. Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with Utah Senate President Stuart Adams in Kyiv, Saturday, May 6, 2023. | Office of the President of Ukraine Editors note: Deseret News Executive Editor Doug Wilks, reporter Katie McKellar and photojournalist Scott Winterton are traveling with Utahs trade and humanitarian delegation to Ukraine. KYIV, Ukraine The Office of the President of Ukraine sits behind a phalanx of checkpoints where guards stand at post behind sandbag fortresses with cement and steel barriers, protecting a multi-block area that appears to have been a vibrant upper-class neighborhood before the war. Deeper in, tighter security protects Russias most-wanted target, the man who from Day 1 of Russias invasion of Ukraine refused to leave, organized resistance and galvanized world support in the name of sovereignty and freedom. Welcome, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, nodding as he extends his hand to greet each guest into this boardroom of pearl blue upholstered chairs that match the length-of-room board table. In simpler times, this could be a beautifully set dining room table in an estate. But today a microphone sits at each place with a simple pen and pad of paper. Today it is a war room. Related First to be greeted is Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, who has led a 30-person contingent in Ukraine that built momentum through the week as the delegations sincerity became more and more apparent and practical to government officials. Meetings with 10 ministers or their deputies highlighted Utahs unique ability to build businesses, provide humanitarian aid and, in perhaps the clearest statement of support by Adams, do what is needed to help Ukraine win the war. Second into the room was Jonathan Freedman, the honorary consul of Ukraine based in Salt Lake City and a longtime entrepreneur now also involved in humanitarian efforts on behalf of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy meets with the Utah delegation Saturday May 6, 2023 in Kyiv. | Office of the President of Ukraine Miles Hansen, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, was followed by Owen Fuller, CEO of Marq with deep connections into Utahs tech world. The contingent here totaled eight, including the Deseret News, which has followed and participated in the delegations work. Story continues Our objective with this trip was to generate momentum for Utah businesses, humanitarian organizations and policy leaders as they lean into their support for the Ukrainian people. Weve accomplished that objective and so much more. Now its time to roll up our sleeves to drive concrete action that makes good on our commitment to help Ukraine win this unprovoked war of aggression, Hansen said. The 80-minute discussion with Zelenskyy capped a remarkable week in Ukraine, including a high-level meeting with Rostyslav Shurma, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, that preceded the meeting with Zelenskyy. The 39-year-old former business executive has an impressive background in economics and entrepreneurship that was put to use in the steel business, where he rose to lead 30,000 employees as the CEO of Zaporizhstal, Ukraines fourth-largest steelmaker. Zelenskyy convinced him to join his team with a focus on economic concerns both current and in preparation for a prosperous post-war economy. In a meeting Thursday, he told members of the Utah delegation that the country is seeking partnerships, not handouts. Utah can make specific proposals business to business or sector to sector in energy, technology, agriculture, new technologies (including military technology), and in the government sector, where privatization provides opportunity for partnership. The goal is to be mutually beneficial for Ukraine and Utah. Related Those themes were reiterated in Saturdays meeting with the president. I would like to thank you on behalf of the Ukrainian people, because our society, we all feel and rely on your support the support of the United States from the very beginning of the full-scale war, from the very beginning of the Russian aggression, Zelenskyy said. Those remarks opened the meeting and came following trips to Finland and the Netherlands earlier in the week. Zelenskyy is, at the moment, the leader everyone wants to meet with in Europe. Ground rules for the delegation meant no cellphones in the room and the greeting statements were the only portion allowed to be quoted directly. But the substance of the meeting, which echoed many of the conversations had during the week with his ministers, could be explored. The message to the Utah delegation was this: Dont wait! There is great urgency to assist as Ukraine prepares for a much-anticipated counteroffensive. Utah is first in the door from the 50 states, but countries are also coming to support Ukraine in its effort to bolster all aspects of its economy. Fuller, CEO of Marq, explained Utahs unique ecosystem for developing successful tech businesses. Fuller also brought that message to the IT Ukraine Association this week, which has done well to highlight IT experts and now is also looking for product companies that can develop and grow here and perhaps with partners in Utah. Utah Senate President Stuart Adams speaks with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy, not pictured, in Kyiv Saturday May 6, 2023. | Office of the President of Ukraine We are looking for the private partners for every sub segment, said Shurma, who met with the delegation Thursday and also took part in Saturdays meeting with the president. Fuller noted during the week there are 8,200 technology companies in Utah, with technology making up about 11.5 percent of the states economy. Zelenskyy and his team wore the now-familiar shirts associated with the war, in his case a black shirt with the trident symbol. The meeting focused on opportunities for Utah to help, particularly in the area of energy technologies and in agriculture security. Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of Europe and its grain exports and agriculture industry have been interrupted. Everywhere Ive gone in Ukraine this week Ive heard people express their deep appreciation for Utah and America, Adams said, following the meeting with Zelenskyy. It makes me very proud to be both a Utahn and an American, Adams said. But Ive also been impressed with the spirit of the people of Ukraine, their commitment and resolve to remain free. But this war is more than a war about freedom. Its a war about good and evil. Women and children have been indiscriminately killed. Children have been kidnapped and taken away from their parents. We will always stand for good over evil. The destruction to families caused by the war highlighted the need for housing, bringing into focus the work of Svitlana Miller and the organization she founded, To Ukraine With Love. A native of Ukraine now living in Idaho with extensive ties to Utah, she was able to directly address Zelenskyy as part of the delegation. This week her group turned over keys for seven new houses to area residents who had their homes destroyed in the invasion. The total will be at 106 by next week. Mykhailo Fedorov, 32, the deputy prime minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and the minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, displayed the countrys impressive app, DIIA, with a goal of eliminating bureaucracy in all aspects of government-public interaction from driver licenses to taxes and eventually voting. He accepted an invitation by Fuller to attend the September Silicon Slopes Summit to further connect Ukrainian business and technology opportunities with Utah. Sen. Mike Lee, the senior senator from Utah, helped facilitate the delegations visit with Ukraines president. In an interview with the Deseret News, conducted by phone as the delegation left Kyiv by bus, Lee clarified his position on the war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is a bad man. ... And I want Ukraine to win this conflict, he said. He noted the heavy price tag for U.S. support for Ukraine was $113 billion alone last year. By comparison, Russias budget was $65 billion, he said. The more aid we provide the closer we are to being embroiled directly in war. It requires caution and Im not seeing that caution, he said. He then noted, It would be easier for me to consider additional funding if Americas European allies offered up a corresponding sum. And they havent. Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy stands arm and arm with Utah Senate President Stuart Adams and the Utah delegation in Kyiv Saturday May 6, 2023. | Office of the President of Ukraine I appreciate our senior senator, Mike Lee, for arranging our meeting with President Zelenskyy, said Freedman. The president expressed sincere gratitude to Utahns for opening their homes and communities to refugees, for their generous offers of humanitarian aid, and for standing with Ukraine as they fight against this illegal and unprovoked invasion. Among the ministries engaging with the delegation this week were: Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Restoration and Infrastructure, Ministry of Strategic Industries, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Agriculture. The Saturday meeting with the Ukrainian president prompted those of the delegation attending to extend their stay in Kyiv by a day. Then it was a 10-hour sprint by bus to Warsaw and flights back to the U.S. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (L) meets with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir in Islamabad, Pakistan on May 6, 2023. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said China firmly supports Pakistan in achieving unity, stability, and economic self-reliance. While meeting with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir here on Saturday, Qin said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and their time-tested and rock-solid friendship has always maintained strong vitality. China looks forward to higher-level cooperation and joint efforts with Pakistan to meet challenges and pursue common development and prosperity, the Chinese foreign minister said. China firmly supports Pakistan in fighting terrorism and is ready to work with Pakistan to promote high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and strengthen military exchanges and defense cooperation, Qin said. For his part, Munir said Pakistan and China are all-weather friends and brothers, and the Pakistani people often say that the friendship between the two neighbors is higher than mountains, deeper than the ocean and sweeter than honey. The Pakistani military is firmly committed to carrying forward the Pakistan-China friendship and building an unbreakable Pakistan-China community with a shared future, Munir said. The two sides also exchanged views on the Afghan issue and other international and regional issues of common concern. A new leak found that Iran concealed weapons within earthquake aid to Syria to target U.S. troops, The Washington Post reported. A new leak of U.S. documents that circulated on the online platform Discord and obtained by The Post appear to show that Iran hid military equipment in aid shipments to Syria after the region was hit by an earthquake in February. According to the leaked assessment, the military equipment hidden in shipments included small arms, ammunition and drones. The reported documents said that the deliveries were made through vehicle convoys from Iran in collaboration with local militant groups there and the Quds Force, which is a branch of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. The Post also reported that the document stated that the Quds Force officer directed an Iraqi militia group to embed weapons within legitimate earthquake aid. The documents suggested that [the Popular Mobilization Committee] chief of staff was involved in the shipments, although the group, which is an umbrella organization of militias, has denied the allegations, the Post reported. A senior official in Iraq prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudanis office told The Post that findings from the documents were fake. In reality the borders are wide open; in fact we are still suffering from illegals sneaking through the Syrian border, the official told The Post. Which means if these documents are right, its possible any time. Why wait for an aid convoy as a justification? For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced to death a police officer blamed for leading a group that gunned down well-known analyst and government adviser Hisham al-Hashemi three years ago in Baghdad. Hashemi, who had advised the government on defeating Sunni Muslim Islamic State militants and curbing the influence of the pro-Iran Shiite militias, was shot dead outside his Baghdad family home in July 2020 by men on a motorbike. A Baghdad court issued a death sentence on Sunday against Ahmed Hamdawi under Iraqi counter-terrorism laws, a judicial authority statement said. Media were not allowed access, but a lawyer who attended the court session said Hamdawi did not say anything in the court in response to the judge's ruling. He can appeal the sentence, a spokesman for Iraqs Supreme Judicial Council in Baghdad said. In 2021, Iraqi state television aired a video showing Hamdawi saying he led the group that killed Hashemi. The government officials then described the killing of Hashemi, who had written about politics, Islamic State and the role of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, as a targeted killing but did not accuse any particular group. Iran-aligned paramilitary officials denied any role in the killing. Some Islamic State supporters cheered his death, but no group had claimed the murder. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; editing by Barbara Lewis) A demonstration in January, 2023 against the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village slated for demolition since 2018 Israel's top court denied on Sunday a petition by a pro-settlement organisation to force authorities to demolish a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank, capping years of legal battles. The Khan al-Ahmar community, on a strategic highway east of Jerusalem, was slated for demolition in 2018 after a ruling that it was built without Israeli permits. Right-wing Israeli group Regavim had taken the government to court in order to force officials to raze the village, whose 200 residents have drawn international support. The Supreme Court on Sunday granted the state an indefinite delay to the demolition order, citing "security and diplomatic reasons" detailed in a classified government statement. Under pressure from the European Union and the International Criminal Court and amid years of political instability in Israel, successive administrations have delayed their decision on Khan al-Ahmar eight times. The Supreme Court on February 7 had approved the latest three-month delay after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing administration had requested more time before presenting a plan to demolish the village. In Sunday's ruling, the judges stressed Khan al-Ahmar was "illegal" but accepted that they should not interfere to force its demolition. The village is located in Area C of the West Bank, which covers about 60 percent of the territory and is under full Israeli control. It is almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain construction permits there. Israel has occupied the West Bank, home to around 2.9 million Palestinians, since the 1967 Six-Day War. Around 475,000 Jewish settlers also live there in state-approved settlements considered illegal under international law. Foreign states have told Israel that demolishing the Bedouin village would be a violation of international law. Regavim, whose stated mission includes "the protection of Israel's national lands", filed in 2019 a petition with the Supreme Court to force the demolition. Story continues The group accused Israel on Sunday of "caving in to international pressure", saying in a statement the court's ruling "is leading the country to the brink of anarchy". Earlier on Sunday, Israeli forces demolished a primary school in Jabbet al-Dhib, a Palestinian village near Bethlehem, further south in the West Bank, also following a petition filed by Regavim. Israeli authorities had determined that the school had been "built illegally" and posed a "safety hazard", but the demolition drew sharp criticism from the European Union which had funded the project. mib/ami/it Palestinians pick up papers and books from the site of a school that was demolished by Israeli authorities who said it was built without permission in Jabbet al-Dhib village, east of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank Israeli forces on Sunday demolished a Palestinian primary school in the occupied West Bank, citing safety issues and drawing sharp criticism from the European Union which had funded the project. Palestinians hurled rocks at Israeli forces who fired tear gas at them as bulldozers moved in on the site at Jabbet al-Dhib village near Bethlehem. The EU said it was "appalled" after Israeli forces arrived at dawn at the school site, which a Palestinian Authority official said served 45 students and consisted of five classrooms. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. The territory is home to around 2.9 million Palestinians. Around 475,000 Jewish settlers also live there in state-approved settlements considered illegal under international law. A trailer and classrooms constructed of tin sheeting were cleared out of their contents before the demolition, an AFP correspondent said. COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the occupied territories, imposed in March a two-month deadline to vacate the premises following an order by a Jerusalem court. The body had determined that the school had been "built illegally" and posed a "safety hazard". Ahmed Naser, a Palestinian education ministry official, told AFP the school had replaced another demolished by Israel in 2019. Naser noted its remote location, which he said prevents the "displacement and forced eviction" of local Palestinians, charging that Israel "wants to confiscate these lands". The EU called on Israel to "halt all demolitions and evictions, which will only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment". "Demolitions are illegal under international law, and children's right to education must be respected," the office of the EU representative to the Palestinian Territories said in a statement. Story continues COGAT said in a statement to AFP that authorities had attempted dialogue with the school's owners and cited an expert engineer who determined the structure could collapse at any time. In January, a group of United Nations experts had called for action to stop Israel's "systematic and deliberate" demolition of Palestinian structures. "Direct attacks on the Palestinian people's homes, schools, livelihoods and water sources are nothing but Israel's attempts to curtail the Palestinians' right to self-determination and to threaten their very existence," the experts said in a statement. Mubarak Zawahrah, head of the Beit Tamar local council where the school was located, told AFP Israeli authorities had agreed a stay on the demolition pending a court appeal on Wednesday. "But the Israeli army ignored that and just demolished it," he said. Naser, the education ministry official, said a tent would be erected Monday on the site with basic infrastructure to replace the demolished structures. COGAT and Israeli group Regavim said the demolition was the result of a petition filed by the right-wing organisation whose mission, according to its website, includes "the protection of Israel's national lands". Regavim in statement accused Palestinians of using the school's construction "against the law" to manufacture "a humanitarian crisis". str-he-ha-jjm/noc/fz/ami/it By Emily Rose JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, drawing harsh condemnation from the European Union. COGAT, a branch of the Israeli military, said in a statement that the building, located about 2 km from Bethlehem, had been constructed illegally and "was found to be dangerous to the safety of anyone studying or otherwise visiting there," and thus an Israeli court "had ordered it demolished." The European Union Delegation to the Palestinians, on its official Twitter account, said it was "appalled" by the school's demolition, which it said would affect 60 Palestinian children. The demolition was "illegal under international law" and would "only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment," the EU delegation said. COGAT said the building's owner had refused several attempts by Israeli authorities to engage in dialogue over the status of the structure before the enforcement of the demolition. Students and witnesses said the building had been brought to rubble with no trace of the school that once stood there. "We got ready to come to school and when we arrived we didn't find the school," student Mohammed Ibrahim told Reuters. "We want a school today! We want to study, if they (Israeli forces) will keep demolishing, we will keep building." Witnesses also said the contents of the building had been confiscated. "They demolished the school and they took everything with them," a nearby resident and witness whose grandson was a student at the school Ismael Salah told Reuters. "All the furniture, they put them in trucks and took them." Israel has often cited a lack of building permits, which Palestinians and rights groups say are nearly impossible to obtain, in destroying Palestinian structures in the West Bank, an area it captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Story continues The Palestinians want the more than half a million Jewish settlers there, along with Israeli soldiers, to leave the occupied territories. Israel balks at such sweeping pullouts, citing historical claims on the biblical lands. The Gush Etzion Regional Council, which represents a nearby block of Jewish settlers in the West Bank, welcomed the demolition. "This is definitely another step in the persistent struggle for our State lands, Gush Etzion Regional Council Mayor, and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Shlomo Neeman said in a statement. "There is still a lot of work to be done." The Palestinian Authority's ministry of education called the demolition a "heinous crime" and said it would cause "the school's students to be deprived of receiving their education in a free, safe and stable manner, similar to children in the rest of the world." An Israeli official source told Reuters that the dispute over the building's safety had gone on for six years and that a nearby school would absorb the students displaced by the demolition. (Reporting by Emily Rose, Yosri Al-Jamal, Ali Sawafta; Editing by Susan Fenton) Photo Illustration by Erin OFlynn/The Daily Beast/Getty Images Imagine walking the streets of your neighborhood when a group of fully armed soldiers stops you and demands to take photos of your face. Imagine trying to get out of the city for a day, but to leave, you need to cross a computerized checkpoint that scans your face to decide whether to let you throughwhile recording your every move. Imagine youre a farmer, tending your sheep, when a foreign soldier shows up and takes a picture of your face. Once your picture loads on his phone, he treats you like a terrorist and detains you on the spot. This is not a sequel to 1984, nor a nightmare episode of Black Mirror. This is the day-to-day life of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. Amnesty International recently published Automated Apartheid, a report detailing Israels extensive use of digital and biometric surveillance technologies in the occupied Palestinian territories. The report uses Hebron and East Jerusalem as case studies through which to elaborate on the different systems Israel uses to surveil Palestinians. I Fought For Israel, Now Im Fighting to End the Permanent Occupation of the Palestinian Territories One of the main revelations in the report is about a new, highly invasive surveillance system known as Red Wolf, which we at Breaking the Silence have recently heard about in testimonies weve received from soldiers who have used this technology. 1236459362 An Israeli soldier stands under a surveillance camera at a checkpoint in the flashpoint Palestinian city of Hebron on Nov. 9, 2021. Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images Red Wolf uses cameras installed at checkpoints and identifies Palestinians automatically using facial recognition softwarewithout their knowledge, let alone consentto instruct soldiers on how to treat them. This latest revelation represents another facet of the facial recognition and mass surveillance systems employed in the city of Hebron, alongside Blue Wolf, a smartphone facial recognition app that matches photos of Palestinian civilians taken by soldiers with data we maintain in our database on each and every Palestinian resident of the occupied territories. Yet another surveillance system, known as Hebron Smart Citya network of highly invasive and sophisticated cameras which are spread throughout the citymakes it impossible for Palestinians in Hebron to escape the watchful eye of the occupation. Story continues All these systems have significant implications on Palestinians basic human right to privacy. But perhaps even more significantly, they are also a means of control. In the last 56 years, Israels military control over Palestinians has expanded extensively. In the name of defense, we carry out home demolitions, enable settler violence, violently disperse protests, and hold ourselves to extremely permissive standards in our rules of engagement. As my IDF commander told me the last time I served in the occupied territories, these methods are used to make sure the entire Palestinian population feels like they cannot lift their heads up. Since then, our testifiers tell us this is still very much the norm. Testimonies we collected from former soldiers, drawn upon in Amnestys new report, reveal what Palestinians have already known for years: that the Israeli security forces have an insatiable desire for their most private information. What these revelations demonstrate is how we are expanding our control over Palestinians beyond physical space and into the digital sphere. A surveillance camera at a checkpoint in the flashpoint Palestinian city of Hebron on Nov. 9, 2021. Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images Today, not only do we control the cities, towns, and homes of Palestinians, we now also control their personal data. Palestinians biometric information is stored on Israeli databases, without their consent, with zero transparency, and most importantlywithout their ability to exercise any political right within the regime which decided to collect their information in the first place. A Palestinian living under Israeli military control today walks around knowing that our military can not only invade their home whenever we want, we can now also track them wherever they are. I Was Canceled for Criticizing Israel Surveillance has been a key feature of the occupation for many years. Specifically in Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank and the only one with a big Israeli settlement presence in its city center, this technology is most prominent. Hebron has always been used as an occupation lab of sorts, where new practices and technologies are tried and tested before being rolled out in the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories and, in some cases, also in Israeli towns and cities. If you ask Israeli authorities to justify all this, they will surely answer that these measures are necessary for security reasons. Weve heard this answer a thousand times, in a thousand different contexts. It is exactly how Israel justifies every element of the occupation. Most Israelis, unfortunately, have unquestioningly internalized this logic. Sometimes, the authorities will go to even further lengths, saying that surveillance systems amount to efforts to improve the quality of life for the Palestinian population. In other words, our total control over every element of the lives of the people we hold under military dictatorshipincluding storing their biometric datais for their own good. But security doesnt justify the extreme extent to which these systems are deployed on the Palestinian population; after all, they are used on everyone, from children to the elderly, regardless of security considerations. We monitor peace activists, just as we monitor Palestinians active in violent resistance. Crucially, these systems are not operating in a democratic capacitythere are no checks and balances, no regulations designed to protect the population, no protection from arbitrary or targeted abuse. As with everything else in the world of military occupation, what the commander says, goes. Meet Israels Version of Marjorie Taylor Greene Israeli soldiers walk past surveillance cameras in the flashpoint Palestinian city of Hebron on November 9, 2021. HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images We, as Israeli citizens, in whose name these human rights violations are being carried out, need to do everything in our power to end these practices. But its not our problem alone. As portrayed in the report, this is an international effort. Companies from around the world who are responsible for developing this technology are working hand in hand with Israeli state agencies and the Israeli army in order to control Palestinians in ways that would shame some of the worlds most vicious dictatorships. The occupation lab works in the international communitys interest, too: technology that is tried and tested here can very easily end up in other places. Meanwhile in Israel, hundreds of thousands of Israelis are protesting every week under the slogan resisting dictatorship, referring to the judicial overhaul Netanyahu and his government are trying to pass. We must seize this opportunity not only to fight for our own rights as Israeli Jews, but to talk about the dictatorship weve already been enforcing for yearsthe one in which we hold millions of Palestinians under our military control and surveil their every move. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Jack Dorsey encouraged the college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet to keep on posting. Jack Sweneey, Joe Raedle, Clive Mason/Getty Images Jack Dorsey encouraged the college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet to keep on posting. He encouraged the student to post updates to Twitter rivals Bluesky and Nostr. The @ElonJet account got banned from Twitter after Musk took over. Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey has doubled down on his explicit and implicit criticism of Elon Musk, encouraging the college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet to keep posting on rival apps Bluesky and Nostr. Dorsey, who has given money to both platforms and sits on Bluesky's board, got into a brief exchange on Bluesky with college student Jack Sweeney Saturday about the jet-tracking account. The @ElonJet originally started on Twitter but was banned in December after Musk took over the site. "What's ur take on ElonJet?" the college student asked Dorsey. "Keep on keepin on," Dorsey responded, adding: "Send updates here and to nostr." Bluesky is a much-hyped Twitter-like app that is currently invite-only. It has more than 60,000 users, Insider previously reported, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Twitter comedy account Dril. The project originally started at Twitter while Dorsey served as CEO, but was spun out and is now run by Jay Graber. Sweeney told Insider he joined the app on April 30 and set up his personal and @ElonJet accounts. "It has that enticing feeling like Twitter," he said. When setting up his account, someone had already claimed the username @elonjet, so Sweeney asked the person if they could hand it over and they did. "I wanted it in good hands," the owner told Sweeney. He also followed Dorsey's advice and joined Nostr on Saturday. Nostr, which stands for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays, is an open protocol that aims to create a censorship-resistant global social network. Dorsey tweeted in December last year that he had donated just over a quarter million dollars in Bitcoin to its anonymous founder, @fiatjaf. Story continues A screengrab of Jack Dorsey welcoming @ElonJet on Nostr. Nostr Dorsey's remarks cement an apparent change of heart towards Musk. The entrepreneur had been vocally supportive through 2022 of Musk's acquisition of Twitter but, after mass firings and patchy site reliability, now says the billionaire shouldn't have done the deal. Dorsey hasn't posted on Twitter since January, but is active on both Bluesky and Nostr. Sweeney created the original @ElonJet account in 2020, using public flight data to monitor the whereabouts the of billionaire's private jet. He shot to fame when Musk offered him $5,000 to take down his Twitter account in January 2022. The billionaire called the account a "security risk" and said he didn't want to be "shot by a nutcase." The student asked for $50,000 but it never materialized. When Musk acquired Twitter in October last year, Sweeney feared his account, @elonjet, would be banned. Musk said in November that he wouldn't remove the account. But in December, Sweeney's more than 30 accounts tracking celebrities' jets, including those of Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, and Kim Kardashian, were all suspended. He promptly set up shop elsewhere, including Instagram, Discord, and Mastodon. He told Insider on Saturday, however, that Mastodon wasn't as enticing as Twitter or Bluesky. About a week after the permanent ban, Sweeney set up a new Twitter account that had the same purpose as @elonjet, only it would be posting with a 24-hour delay to follow Twitter's new guidelines. Musk didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Black Democrat Rep. James Clyburn, one of South Carolinas most powerful politicians, secretly worked with Republicans during the 2020 redistricting process to dilute the strength of the black vote, making it harder for his party to gain seats in Congress. He did it to ensure hed be able to comfortably continue winning his seat for as long as he wanted to. Thats the explosive charge at the heart of a ProPublica investigation. Despite Clyburns denials to ProPublica, I have no reason to doubt thats precisely what happened. The non-profit investigative journalism outfit documented the behind-the-scenes meetings between Clyburns chief of staff and Republicans tasked with redrawing voting maps. The proof showed up in the 2022 midterms. Rep. Nancy Mace easily won re-election in the First District without having to truly gain support just two years after she skated by. Clyburn again won the Sixth District in a landslide even as the states percent of black voters fell and after his district lost a significant number of residents. The deal, of which we are only now being made aware, meant pushing key Democratic constituents into Clyburns district and made the First District more Republican-friendly. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sued over the gerrymandered voting map. A three-judge federal panel called it a racial gerrymander and said it was effectively impossible to have moved more 30,000 black voters into Clyburns district without it. But the court pushed back against some of the NAACPs claims by showing that Clyburn had requested some of the changes. Its just one example of the ugly often-hidden layer of what we keep referring to as a democracy, a term thats often misapplied given the state of things. In a healthy democracy, the people choose their representatives. Increasingly, thats not whats happening in ours. The most charitable reading for Clyburn is that he had to make a deal with the devil to ensure there would be at least one district in South Carolina that had to take seriously the concerns of the states black residents. The GOP has effectively had full control of the state for decades and has time and again diluted the black vote through a variety of measures. Theres little doubt theyd want a Republican running the Sixth District they run every other district if they could make it happen. Story continues In that sense, Clyburn has established a beachhead in the war over voting. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts the kind of white moderate Martin Luther King Jr. warned us about, a greater threat to racial progress than racists gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, making it easier for the GOP to hold fast to power that far exceeds their success at the ballot box. And it is true that despite the enormous power and influence Clyburn wields, the GOP drew the map in a way most favorable for Republicans. But Im sympathetic to the less charitable view, that the 82-year-old congressman prioritized holding onto his power even if he had to do it by helping the GOP further dilute the black vote, which represents about 25 percent of South Carolina voters. He isnt the first elected official to make such a short-term decision, and he wont be the last, the kind of decision that repeatedly harms the most vulnerable among us most severely over the long haul. Former Democrat Tricia Cotham did something similar in the North Carolina legislature when she switched parties and gave the GOP a veto-proof majority that could mean a curtailing of abortion care access Cotham not too long ago vowed to protect. Its enough to make voters cynical, at least those among us who want a healthy democracy even if it means we sometimes wont get our way. Or we may have to make a deal with the devil also, and join forces with the most partisan actors on our side to try and counteract the extremism on the other side. Unfortunately, there are few good options and those are being diluted, too. Issac Bailey is a McClatchy Opinion columnist based in Myrtle Beach. Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Jung Yeon-Je - Pool/Getty Images Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday expressed sympathy for those who suffered under Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, but did not offer the direct apology many South Koreans had wanted. Traveling to Seoul to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kishida said that his "heart ached" for the past suffering of Koreans, adding that he stood by Japan's previous remorseful sentiments. However, he did not comment on the issue any further. The meeting between the two marked the first visits between the leaders of the Asian nations in 12 years. Tensions between the countries have been fraught, largely due to "Japan's brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century," The New York Times reported. Even as the leaders resumed shuttle diplomacy talks conducted by a mediator many in South Korea were reportedly upset that Kishida did not offer a fuller apology. However, Yoon said he would instead try to focus on the future. Yoon added that an apology from Japan was "something that should come naturally from the other side's sincerity," per the Times. "We must abandon the notion that we cannot take a single step ahead for future cooperation until the past history is resolved." The countries have been at odds with each other over a 2018 Korean court ruling that ordered two Japanese companies to compensate their Korean employees for forced labor that occurred in the 20th century. However, Japan has refused to acknowledge this ruling, and has argued "that all compensation issues were already settled when the two countries normalized ties in 1965," The Associated Press. Despite the continued tensions between the countries, Japan and South Korea represent key alliances for the United States, and President Biden is expected to meet with both Kishida and Yoon later this month. You may also like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 scores year's 2nd biggest opening as summer movie season begins How similar is Succession to the Murdoch family's story? Texas state lawmaker faces House expulsion for having sex with 19-year-old intern Charles Raski, right, and Jennifer Nichols, left, after their kidney transplant surgeries in March. A Port Huron principal said his life has been changed after receiving a kidney donation from a fellow educator. Crull Elementary School Principal Charles Raski found out he had stage three kidney disease in 2016. His symptoms progressed over time and he was placed on dialysis in 2022, staying on it for about seven months while hoping for a new kidney. His wife created a Facebook page called Finding Charlies Angel to find a donor, which caught the eye of Jennifer Nichols, a counselor at Port Huron High School. Nichols said she lost her husband about nine years ago, although it wasn't related to kidney disease. She said she felt a call to help. Having been in the position of losing a husband and my kids losing a father, if there was something I could do to prevent another family from going through that, I wanted to do it," she said. Raski and Nichols ended up being the same blood type, a preliminary factor in organ donation. Nichols then had to go through multiple rounds of testing to confirm the match and to guarantee positive results. Their surgeries took place in March at the University of Michigan Hospital and now both are healthy and recovering. Raski said he feels like a new man and Nichols actions helped him get his life back. He said he is grateful and very blessed to receive her kidney. Jen saved my life," Raski said. "I went from being a sick man to a regular person. It's been amazing." Raski said the focus should not be on him, but rather on Nichols. He said it's people like her who save lives. Raski and Nichols were not close friends before the donation. They initially knew each other because their sons play on the same little league team and from their employment at Port Huron Area Schools. Raski and Nichols said since the starting the donation journey, their sons have become closer friends and so have they. "We're connected now more than ever," Raski said. Charles Raski and Jennifer Nichols five weeks post-op at the Times Herald office on May 1, 2023. Nichols said that since she was the donor, U of M allowed her to choose the surgery date. She chose March 29 because it was during Port Huron's spring break, and she thought it would be a good transition period before she and Raski had to take time off for recovery. Story continues Additionally, choosing the end of March for surgery meant she and Raski would be fully recovered in time for summer. "I'm looking forward to having more energy once I'm fully recovered, but the best part of this for me is that Charlie's body accepted my kidney and he's moving in the right direction," Nichols said. Nichols said she didn't donate for recognition, but because her heart was pulled to help another family. Jennifer Nichols after kidney transplant surgery in March. She donated one of her kidneys to Charles Raski. Considering organ donation Raski was originally registered to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. He said in cases like that, a transplant may be a two to three year wait, during which he would be on dialysis. With a living donor, Raski did not have to wait that long. He said he was lucky for that chance. According to Donate Life America, more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, with 85% of that number needing a kidney transplant. Raski said people should consider registering as an organ donor. "People don't realize how many people are in need," he said. Raski said that seeing patients in similar situation to him at U of M was humbling and gave him a new perspective in life. He said there were some who were sicker than him and still had to wait for a kidney to come along. Raski said he wanted to emphasize the importance of becoming a donor because it could save many lives. People interested in becoming an organ donor can register on donatelife.net. Nichols said if she hadn't been a match for Raski, she would have been directed to other people in need. After finding out she was a match, it was recommended to wait six months to see if another donor came along, but she didn't want Raski to wait. Raski said Nichols' decision was a miracle and it's not something to take lightly. He said she gave him more time with his family, and he will always be grateful. Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122. This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Port Huron school counselor donates kidney to Port Huron principal PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's anti-drug police have cracked down on a cross-border drug trafficking case, arresting two local men with nearly 10 kg of illicit drugs, the National Police said on Sunday. The duo, aged 17 and 20 years old, were apprehended on Thursday afternoon during a raid in northwest Banteay Meanchey province's Poipet city, which shares border with Thailand. "A total of 9.88 kg of ketamine, hidden in 10 plastic packs with a brand of freeze-dried durian, was confiscated from both suspects," the National Police reported, adding that the police are hunting for their masterminds and remaining accomplices. The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker. Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be jailed for life. According to the country's Anti-Drug Police Department, Cambodia nabbed 5,572 drug-related suspects, including 105 foreigners, during the January-April period of 2023, seizing a total of 361 kg of narcotics. Most of the seized drugs are ketamine, crystal meth, methamphetamine pills, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and cathinone. Jennifer Lopezs mom had major faith her daughter would get back together with Ben Affleck. Guadalupe Lopez raved about her daughters relationship with Affleck when the two women appeared together on Today on Wednesday. I knew that you would always get back together because I prayed for 20 years, she said, earning an affectionate eye roll from the star. Lopez and Afflecks romance is famously their second time around. The couple tied the knot in July 2022, 18 years after breaking off their first engagement. The Im Real singer revealed how their relationship has evolved, saying, I think when you have life experience behind you ... you realize whats really important. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck arrive at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Fashion Experience on Oct. 13, 2022, in Pasadena, California. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck arrive at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Fashion Experience on Oct. 13, 2022, in Pasadena, California. I love what I do. I have always said that, but since I had kids, that changed a lot for me. Now, having a family in this way and being married, you start kind of rejiggering everything. What is really important? How much do I want to work? ... You really start realizing, like, what I want to do with my life? Earlier on in the interview, Lopez talked about her husbands connection with her own two children, 15-year-old twins Max and Emme. They love Ben. Hes a wonderful, wonderful father and father figure to them, as well, she said of the actor, who shares three children with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner. Hes fantastic, Lopez added. Hes really stepped up to the challenge of what that is and what that means, and they love him. Watch the full clip below: Related... Jeremy Renner remarked on how the body is miraculous as he shared another look at his road to recovery since his terrifying New Years Day snowplow accident earlier this year. The Marvel Cinematic Universe star, who posted about an electric stimulation workout on his Instagram story in February, went through his current workout routine on camera just over four months after he suffered 30 broken bones as a result of the accident in Nevada. UPDATE: Ive decided to push through the pain of progress (this damn shattered tibia) and take the new parts for a tiny test drive, the Hawkeye actor wrote in the post on Friday. He continued: The body is miraculous. Even though I feel like the Tin Man, needing oil for all my new joints (hips, knees, ankles, tibia etc ). Encouraged after this warm up to press on ( dont tell my PT). The actor has shared several updates over the course of the year including one of his walk on a treadmill. He proclaimed in an interview with ABCs Diane Sawyer last month that he refuses to be haunted by the experience. I shift the narrative of being victimized, or making a mistake, or anything else. I refuse to be fucking haunted by that memory, that way, he told her. Renner appeared on the red carpet in April for the first time since the accident to celebrate the premiere of his series Rennervations. I set out a goal to be walking this carpet. And here I am enjoying it, Renner said. He continued, adding about the shows premiere: Otherwise it would have gone to an abyss with no date and lost traction and excitement and I would have been very, very, very frustrated. Im very excited right now because were here. Related... LONDON U.S. First Lady Jill Biden chose a white lambskin cutout dress by Gabriela Hearst for the coronation Big Lunch at Downing Street on Sunday, hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and his wife Akshata Murty. Biden first wore the dress in September when she met with Queen Letizia of Spain ahead of World Cancer Research Day in New York City. A black version of the dress, called Lara, retails for $15,900 on Gabriela Hearsts official website. More from WWD Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks wife, Akshata Murty (right) with First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden (left) before hosting a coronation big lunch in Downing Street, London, for volunteers, Ukrainian refugees in the U.K., and youth groups. This time, Biden kept it clean and left the thin white belt she wore last time out of her look. It made the outfit less serious and more approachable, considering the lunch was also a celebration for community heroes, Ukrainian families who have fled war, and youth groups in London. Biden was accompanied by her granddaughter Finnegan Biden, who opted for a fitted green dress with ribbon motifs for the occasion. The event took place as part of the Big Lunch, a nationwide initiative to bring neighbors and communities together to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla with more than 50,000 street parties expected to take place in the U.K. and beyond on Sunday. Queen Letizia of Spain (L), Honorary President of the Spanish Association Against Cancer and First Lady Jill Biden visit Columbia University Irving Medical Center on September 21, 2022 in New York City. According to the New York-based Hearst brand, the intricate cut-outs of the all-over, embroidery lace motif are inspired by a sketch by Hearst, who is also Chloes creative director. LONDON, ENGLAND MAY 07: Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds an oversized tea pot as he goes to pour a cup while sitting next to US First Lady Jill Biden as they attend the Big Lunch party on May 7, 2023 in London, England. Hearst is one of Bidens go-to brands when it comes to major events. In 2021, she wore an evening gown by the designer for the evening festivities after the swearing-in ceremony at the Smithsonian Museum. At lunch on Sunday, Biden and Sunak drank hot tea and enjoyed afternoon tea staples such as cheese and pickle sandwiches, cupcakes, and walnut cakes. The tableware, which included an oversized teapot with Union Jacks, and plate and mugs that said Charles III on them, was supplied by Emma Bridgewater. Story continues Guests attend Coronation Big Lunch outside Downing Street hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty for community heroes, Ukrainian families who have fled war and youth groups in London on May 7, 2023. Launch Gallery: Best Dressed Guests at King Charles III Coronation Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Javier Castellano was reminded of his Kentucky Derby drought right before the race. That's all over now. Castellano adjusted on the fly on Saturday, directing Mage to the win at Churchill Downs for the most significant of 5,646 career victories for the Hall of Fame jockey. Bunched in the second group nearing the far turn, Castellano guided the chestnut colt through traffic and into clear space at the stretch. Mage then chased down Two Phils, giving Castellano his first win in 16 tries at the Kentucky Derby. I feel like Im on top of the world, said Castellano, a 45-year-old Venezuelan rider who had Preakness wins with Bernardini in 2006 and Cloud Computing in 2017. He entered the Hall of Fame that same year. If one thing has been consistent in my career, I never give up. ... I always tried to be positive and tried to find the right horse to participate in one of the biggest races in the world. In his breakthrough win, Castellano made the most of a little patience and a backup plan. The 15-1 morning line choice didnt make the best break from the gate, even with the Derby field reduced to 18 starters following a string of scratches. That included favorite Forte, who dropped out Saturday morning. Finding a good lane was another matter, but Castellano and Mage kept at it even as Two Phils moved into contention by the final turn and seemingly had control. Mage moved into second in the stretch and ran down Two Phils from the outside, beating him by a length. We have a plan A, B, C, Castellano said of his strategy. When you go to the Kentucky Derby and when you have 20 horses, its really, really hard handicapping for anyone. Anything can happen in the race. If we break the horse out of the gate, he wouldnt be in the lead. But the horse, he missed the break. When I miss a break, Im using my best shot in the race. The Derby win capped a big day for Castellano, who also won the American Turf aboard Webslinger. As he savored that victory in the jockeys room, seeing that 0-for-15 record in the Run for the Roses on TV provided a wake-up call. Story continues At that moment it gave me so much inspiration and I think, This is the year, he said. Im going to break it here and win the race. I have a lot of confidence in myself and been describing the race, Ive been dreaming that (way) for many years. I only needed a little, little opportunity to get it done. He also believed something better was ahead in his second mount aboard Mage. The horse finished fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park before Luis Saez rode him to a runner-up finish to Forte in the Florida Derby. Saez was aboard Tapit Trice in the Derby and finished seventh. Castellano was back in the pack as well at one point, but his patience with Mage paid off with the horse saving his best for last. Just like ownership expected from the jockey. Javi has ridden Go Zapper, Honor Code, Bernardini, said Ramiro Restrepo, who helped broker the sale of Mage. I mean, these are Hall of Fame horses that are the Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson of our sport. So never did I ever think anything other than we were in great hands with having someone with his timing. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Jordan Neely had struggled with not being able to help his mother before she was killed in 2007 and was still grieving her death, an attorney for his family said Saturday on MSNBC while also demanding justice. Neely, 30, died Monday after former U.S. Marine Daniel Penny put him in a chokehold on a New York City subway. Neely was unconscious when officers arrived and pronounced dead at a hospital. No charges have been filed against Penny. At the time of his death, Neely was homeless and had mental illness, his family has said. Jordan Neely dressed as Michael Jackson in New York (Andrew Savulich / New York Daily News/TNS via Getty Images file) Donte Mills, an attorney for Neelys family, told Al Sharpton on MSNBCs PoliticsNation that Neely had demons as a result of his mothers murder. Family members had been trying to get him help, he said. We all know people who are on the brink of going through something major, a catastrophe where they just cant seem to get everything back together and thats where he was, he said. But he had a life that he was living and was reaching for. Neely testified at trial for mothers killer Neely was 14 when his mother, Christine Neely, was killed at their home. NJ.com reported that her body had been stuffed inside a suitcase and left on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York. Her boyfriend, Shawn Southerland, was convicted at a trial that Neely, then 18, testified in. He told the court that he tried to say goodbye to his mother before school on April 4, 2007, but Southerland refused to let him enter the bedroom, NJ.com reported. Mills said Neely learned his mother had been killed the night before and Southerland had dumped her body while he was at school. Southerland was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime. He had to live with the fact that he left his mother dead in their home. So, thats a lot to live with and he had troubles with that. But throughout his life, he was determined to make other people happy and thats what he did, Mills said. A part of that was entertaining. He really enjoyed Michael Jackson, he emulated him and his style, he continued. Story continues Several friends have spoken out about Neelys love for performing on subways and around the city. His personification of Jackson was loved so much in his neighborhood that his neighbor, Kizzy Gonzalez, had Neely perform at her sons birthday party. The bash was more than 20 years ago, but she remembered it clearly. To see Jordan perform as Michael Jackson, my son really thought that was the real Michael Jackson, she said in a phone call Saturday. Thats how great he was. He was always known as a great Michael Jackson performer, he took on the whole persona, she continued. He would spend his little change to buy the outfits to match what Michael Jackson wore in certain songs and certain videos. Gonzalezs cousin, Lance Clarke, of Brooklyn, knew Neely from the neighborhood and recalled seeing him in costume on numerous occasions. He used to have a full, pristine Michael Jackson outfit and he would perform in that outfit, he said in a phone call. Neighbor says over the years Neely looked shattered and tired Neely seemed to take a downward spiral over the years, Clarke said, and his beloved costumes would look tattered and torn. Eventually, Neely stopped dancing and would just sit down on the train, not perform, not ask for money. On several occasions, Clarke said he would tell Neely to get off the train and wait outside his apartment building while he gave him food and clothing. He just looked shattered. He looked just tired ... just a look of desperation and lack of hope, he said. Gonzalez said the Neely she knew was always soft-spoken but troubled. The last time she saw him was about a year ago. She said he seemed to be in distress, and like he was going through hard times. Jordan was a troubled young man, she said. I just know him to have suffered a very traumatic life and a very traumatic childhood. Calls for justice and charges grow Some witnesses told NBC New York that Neely was acting aggressively toward riders and threatened to harm them when he boarded the train Monday. Lawyers for Penny described a similar scene. When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived, the lawyers for Penny said in a statement Friday evening. Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death. Cellphone video captured by one witness showed Penny on the ground with his arm locked around Neelys neck. The witness, Juan Alberto Vazquez, told NBC New York that Neely was held in the chokehold position for about 15 minutes. The city chief medical examiners office said he died from compression of neck (chokehold) and the manner was homicide. Penny was taken into custody Monday, questioned by police and released. He has not been charged. The incident sparked a national debate, with people denouncing vigilantism and some politicians demanding officials do more to address homelessness, mental health and violence on subways. Attorney Lennon Edwards told Sharpton that what happened to Neely is an open and shut case. Theres no need to extend an investigation, so to speak, to determine that this man committed a killing and should have been arrested on the spot, he said. Neither Gonzalez nor her cousin has fully processed Neelys death. Clarke said he has not viewed the video because he isnt watching that boy get killed. Yes, someone on the train yelling is an uncomfortable feeling. But just because it makes you uncomfortable doesnt mean its a dangerous situation, he said. Just because it makes you uncomfortable, it doesnt mean it gives you the right to take a persons life. Gonzalez said she wants to see Penny arrested and charged. The justice system should do what theyre supposed to do, she said. There are repercussions. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com According to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the United States government will default on its national debt by June 1 if Congress does not act to raise the countrys $31 trillion national debt limit. Late last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would raise the debt limit while capping spending for the next 10 years. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall both praised the legislation, noting that it shields spending on popular programs such as Medicare and Social Security, while cutting elsewhere. By contrast, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill dead on arrival. President Joe Biden is now calling for an emergency meeting with House and Senate party leadership to resolve the impasse and avoid what Yellen warned would be a financial and economic catastrophe. Such partisan rankling raises fundamental questions: First, if the deficit and national debt are existential problems, why are politicians arguing rather than enacting solutions? Are current proposals a workable fix and if not, what would potential solutions look like? The answer to the first question is simpler. Research by our team at Policy vs. Politics, a nonpartisan organization providing Americans access to information and data about public policy without political spin, shows that bringing the federal budget into balance within 10 years requires painful spending cuts and tax increases something few politicians want to vote for. That pain would become impossibly large if tax increases are taken off the table and big-ticket programs are excluded from cuts. The thing to understand is that there are no easy fixes to Americas deficit problem. The federal budget cannot be balanced simply by cutting foreign aid (including assistance to Ukraine) or eliminating programs that few Americans want. The entire foreign aid budget is less than 1% percent of total federal spending. And virtually all federal programs are supported by large constituencies that is likely how they were created in the first place. Current proposals to deal with the deficit and national debt, such as the one praised by Hawley and Marshall, would cut federal spending by trillions of dollars. Even then, the federal budget would still be in deficit and the national debt would steadily increase. Additionally, by excluding defense spending, Social Security and Medicare from reductions, spending cuts would fall disproportionately on remaining programs everything else the federal government does, from public works to student aid. Our research shows if the House plan were implemented, most of these programs would ultimately see cuts of 50% or more, significantly limiting their ability to deliver anything close to their existing services. It is no surprise that current proposals are vague in specifying which programs would face the ax. Congressional support would likely vanish if members had to defend cuts of this magnitude one program at a time to the public. To balance the budget without gutting federal agencies, everything needs to be on the table. Congress will likely need to consider reversing the tax cuts enacted in 2017. Modest increases in the Social Security retirement age would save enormous amounts, as would changes in Medicare, such as expanding the federal governments ability to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and other services. Military spending should be scrutinized to ensure that new, expensive programs provide meaningful security benefits. The rest of the budget should undergo similar treatment. None of these changes would be easy or painless. However, the dangers from doing nothing about budget deficits and the national debt are increasing. Today, members of Congress face their last, best chance to address these issues. Meaningful change is possible, but only if members put politics to one side, negotiate in good faith, and make politically tough decisions for the good of the nation. Nathaniel Birkhead is a political science faculty member at Kansas State University. He co-authored this with William Bianco of Indiana University and Nicholas Clark of Susquehanna University. They also direct the research group at the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Policy vs. Politics at policyvspolitics.org No doubt they were celebrating from Miami all the way to Venezuela on Saturday night after Mage won the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. The lightly raced 3-year-old colt, who was a 15-1 shot in the Run for the Roses, boasted plenty of South Florida connections in trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. as well as his sons OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sam Herzbergs Sterling Racing and CMNLWTH. The emotions are just through the roof, obviously, Restrepo said afterward. The amount of friends that we all have. The ownership group is four different groups from four different backgrounds, all different age ranges, nationalities. I mean, its one heck of a melting pot that came together for this horse, so the amount of celebration thats going to go on, I cant even describe it going forward. Congratulations to University of Miami alumnus Ramiro Restrepo and his horse, Mage, on winning the Kentucky Derby! pic.twitter.com/boLIaesHSH GO CANES! (@83_87_89_91_01) May 7, 2023 Restrepo is a 44-year-old Miami native and University of Miami graduate who works for Fasig-Tipton as its South Florida market representative. His grandfather rode and trained horses in Columbia. Two of his uncles hot walked horses, including the legendary Secretariat, in New York. After Restrepos parents moved to Miami, Ramiro grew up going to races at Gulfstream Park in Florida. For the past few years, Restrepo and Gustavo Delgado Jr., who assists his father in training and runs OGMA equine investments, have been purchasing between three and five horses per year. At the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale at Timonimum, outside Baltimore, the duo paid $290,000 for a colt by 2018 Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic out of Puca by 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. They named him Mage, a kind of magician. Story continues We had a budget in mind, Gustavo and myself, to start bidding, Restrepo said. When it got to that number and I started to hesitate, Gustavo took out his whip, cracked me two times, and said, Lets go! Dont stop bidding. And we went up $290,000, which in the real world, its a lot of money. But in horse racing its just its a respectable number, but its by no means a lot of money. We ended up getting the horse. Since we went over budget, we needed to put together an ownership group. I immediately called Sam Herzberg of Sterling Racing. Hes in real estate down in Miami. I have known him in over 10 years. We have some great mutual friends in common. Part-owner Ramiro Restrepo, center, celebrates after Mage wins the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The emotions are just through the roof, obviously, Restrepo said afterward. Restrepo and Delgado each took 25 percent of the colt, then sold 25 percent each to investors Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH. The latter is a microshare investment company founded by Brian Doxtator and Chase Chamberlain that operates an app that allows investors to buy shares in horses. Mage had over 300 investors buy shares at $50 each for a piece of ownership in the horse. The 300+ Commonwealth app owners of Mage own 25 percent of the horse. Those who bought 50+ shares ($2,500) get morning workout and paddock privileges, winners circle access and opportunity to meet horse and jockey. pic.twitter.com/IzA29HKixN Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 6, 2023 Racing under the name Sterling Stables, Herzberg owned the colt Black Onyx who won the Spiral Stakes at Turfway in 2013 for trainer Kelly Breen, but it was scratched the day before the Kentucky Derby because of a non-displaced chip in his right ankle. I dont have to tell you how depressed you get when something like that happens, Herzberg said Saturday. This is the Derby. Some people I dont care who you are never make it to the Derby. I had a little barn. Then while in California last year, Herzberg got a call from Restrepo saying he had bought a colt that he believed was the best Good Magic offspring in the country. Herzberg bought in. And to come back here 10 years later and not only get in the Derby but win the Derby, I dont know, I dont know what to say, he said. Its just magical. Some of Mages many connections celebrate after their colt won the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Some of Mages connections celebrate after he won the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Mages magic in 2023 Kentucky Derby brightens a dark week for horse racing At age 45, jockey great Javier Castellano finally throws off his Kentucky Derby hex See the best photos, videos from 2023 Kentucky Derby: Mages big win, fashion, celebrities. Who is Mage? What to know about the champion of this years Kentucky Derby Who is Mage? What to know about the champion of this years Kentucky Derby Heres who owns every 2023 Kentucky Derby horse and the road they took to Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby 2023 complete order of finish and payoffs at Churchill Downs Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela Prince Harry wore a bespoke suit designed by Dior to his fathers coronation on Saturday (6 May) and royal fans have been sharing their thoughts on the look. Luxury fashion house Dior tweeted on Saturday that it had dressed the duke in a custom design by celebrity favourite British-born Kim Jones, saying to do so was an honour. Royal fans were surprised by Harrys decision to wear Dior, not least because it was a French brand royals are typically dressed by British designers for large events but because the suit simply looked ordinary. Social media users shared their disappointment with Harrys attire, with one person commenting: The suit looks pretty wrinkled, as another added: It looks weathered and worn, especially the trousers. Looks faded and in need of an iron - sorry!!! wrote another. Others, however, praised the duke as elegant and dapper in the designer ensemble. The suit was comprised of a black wool and mohair peak lapel tailcoat with a matching double-breasted vest and trousers, a white shirt and a grey tie. The brand has often been a go-to choice for Harrys wife, Meghan, who wore a Dior outfit to the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations last summer. The Duke of Sussex has now returned to California after catching a British Airways flight just hours after his fathers coronation ended. The dukes appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he criticised his family in his controversial tell-all memoir Spare. He was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and the dukes stepmother the Queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind his brother, the Prince of Wales. Harry is thought to have enjoyed belated celebrations for his son Prince Archies fourth birthday upon his return to Los Angeles, which fell on the same day as the coronation ceremony. Follow our live coverage of the coronation weekend here. The Independent has contacted Dior for comment. Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, has said that his soldiers from the "Akhmat" unit were ostensibly ready to move to the city of Bakhmut. Source: Kadyrov on Telegram Details: Kadyrov stated that he allegedly signed a letter to Putin, confirming the readiness of his criminals to move to Bakhmut "to reclaim the city and cleanse it of NATO and Ukrainian Satanists." He also assured Putin that his order would be carried out "in any case". Quote from Kadyrov: "Fighters are on combat alert; we are only waiting for an order. Several units have already moved towards conducting the "special military operation". I am sure that in the near future, we will liberate the city, despite all kinds of rumours about some terrible counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We have already begun to develop our strategy of actions in this area, together with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, taking into account the tactics of the enemy and the resources at our disposal." Reminder: On 5 May, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company, wrote a letter to the Russian Defence Ministry, stating that he would withdraw his mercenaries from Bakhmut after 10 May. He claimed that the reason for the move was that the Ministry of Defence did not give his fighters enough ammunition, and he did not want his people to be "doomed to a senseless death" because of this. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are sceptical about the claim made by Prigozhin. Later, Ramzan Kadyrov offered his help in the occupation of Bakhmut. Prigozhin announced that he would allegedly hand over the positions of his fighters in Bakhmut to Kadyrov's soldiers. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! For Brad Keselowski, the month of May sends a signal throughout the industry that a new part of the ever-so-long NASCAR season has begun the part that is really about refining who you are. Thats why Kansas Speedway matters so much. For us, I look at Kansas, at Darlington and Charlotte those are big races for us, Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 car and part-owner for RFK Racing, told reporters earlier this week. Two of the three are future playoff races. And we need to come out of there with solid runs. Were in that contender-to-relevant category in all of them. The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Kansas Speedway on Sunday at 3 p.m. Fans can watch the race on FS1 and can follow it on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Kansas has been a good racetrack for a bunch of drivers in the Cup Series now. Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick have all won three times. Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch each have two wins apiece. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace are all one-time winners there with Wallace winning most recently in the fall of 2022. Can Keselowski conquer this place again? Whats more important, he said, is settling into a good groove right about now. I feel like were entering the second third of the season here, Keselowski added. And this summer stretch is of course a really important stretch just to have a little bit of momentum getting into the playoffs. And if youre not in the playoffs, you really need to solidify yourself with wins, or good runs. Apr 16, 2023; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (6) races during the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Here are three other story lines to watch out for: Austin Dillon penalty. The driver of the No. 3 car wont have any of his points restored after the National Motorsports Appeals Panel upheld NASCARs ruling earlier this week. Among the damage: A loss of 60 driver and owner points, as well as the loss of five playoff points to the driver and owner. This appeals process marked the first time the panel provided an explanation to its ruling since NASCAR changed a few rules to promote more transparency in the appeals process. Story continues Legacy Motor Club seeking and needing a change. The race team owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson (and whose brand ambassador is all-time great Richard Petty) announced that it will partner with Toyota for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. (The team will finish out the year with its current manufacturer, Chevrolet.) This could be big for Noah Gragson and Erik Jones both of whom had promising 2022 seasons but have not lived up to the hype that either expected for 2023. Gragson sits 32nd in points right now, and Jones is 24th. Betting odds heading into Kansas. Kyle Larson who else? is the favorite to win it at 11-2 odds. William Byron (7-1), Denny Hamlin (7-1) and Martin Truex Jr. (8-1 odds and last weeks winner at Dover) are right behind him. Keselowski is at 40-1 odds, and Wallace is at 14-1. Apr 2, 2023; Richmond, Virginia, USA; Bubba Wallace waves to fans before the race during the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports TV channel, radio info for Kansas Speedway TOKYO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The majority of residents in Japan are opposed to the country's aggressive defense outlays, or the government's tax hike plan to finance them, a recent local media poll has shown. About 80 percent of respondents disapproved of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's call to finance a portion of defense spending by taxes, the survey conducted by national news agency Kyodo showed Saturday. The reading further expanded from the 64.9 percent rate reported in a similar opinion poll at the end of last year. The Japanese government has decided to increase defense spending by more than 50 percent to about 319 billion U.S. dollars in five years from fiscal 2023, as part of its plans to beef up defensive capabilities. For the year from April, non-tax revenue will be used to fund the government's defense outlays according to the budget, which is set to double from the country's long-held cap of spending equaling roughly 1 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to around 2 percent of GDP in the year starting April 2027. According to the survey, nearly 60 percent of respondents considered the five-year defense buildup plan "not appropriate," while 88 percent felt that Kishida's explanation about enhancing Japan's defense was "not sufficient." Among the polled, the largest group of 48 percent said the public cannot bear further tax burdens when asked about the main reason for the tax hikes to cover the rise in defense spending. The country's broader five-year plan has drawn staunch criticism from the public, opposition parties and scholars, in no small part due to the plan running contrary to Japan's constitutionally-bound pacifist stance. Regarding the country's major policy shift highlighted in its updated security documents, 76 percent of those surveyed did not know or were not much aware of Japan's new national security strategy and related documents approved in December, which included the plan to obtain counterstrike capabilities and boost its defense spending. The poll also revealed that nearly 60 percent of respondents believed that possessing counterstrike capabilities would lead to an arms race with neighboring countries. The Kyodo survey targeted 3,000 men and women in Japan who were aged 18 years or above. The questionnaire was sent out through mail on March 7 and received 2,043 responses by April 17, of which 1,959 were considered valid. Laurence Hewetson, from Bristol, wore top-to-toe union jacks. (Yahoo Life UK) Despite the rain, the King's coronation and the chance to see Royal Family members process to and from Westminster Abbey yesterday drew in big crowds. Millions of royal fans flew to London or travelled for several hours from their British hometown for this once-in-a-lifetime moment. There was cheer, camaraderie and song but if anyone dared put up an umbrella the crowd would yell in protest, desperate not to have their view blocked. The onlookers weren't all there to celebrate the King. A sea of anti-monarchy protestors stood in Trafalgar Square, carrying yellow flags bearing the 'Not My King' slogan, their mood a stark contrast to the jubilant royal fans, sporting union jack outfits, some clutching plastic cups of bubbly. It was a day of two halves, but how did it feel to be there in person? Laurence Hewetson, 48, from Bristol Lauren Hewetson, from Bristol, let his coronation outfit do the talking. (Yahoo Life UK) "I've come here today with my girlfriend she's my queen! You might have guessed I'm [pro-Royal] from the outfit. I think it's something to be proud of," Hewetson tells Yahoo UK. "Lots of nations are proud of their patriotism, so why not us as well? The Royals are part of our heritage. You can't change history and this is live history in the making. The Royals are part of our heritage today is history in the making "I came here from Bristol because I just wanted to be part of the celebrations, part of the atmosphere. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get anywhere close but I'm very glad I got to see the carriage and the King from Trafalgar Square. Now the ceremony's over, we're heading down to the Mall for some proper royal action." Lucy Wells, 36, from Cornwall Lucy Wells travelled six hours from Cornwall with her sister for the big day. (Yahoo Life UK) "I come from a tiny place, Redruth in Cornwall, so the crowds here in London can be quite overwhelming but it's been great. It's such a buzz, there's a really nice vibe. There hasn't been a coronation in my lifetime or my mum's lifetime, so I thought, 'Why not come along?' Story continues "I came up on the train with my sister Jen on Friday. My husband and two children are watching it back home on the telly. My mum is at home too, living the day vicariously through us. We keep Facetiming her with updates! "I come from a county that's 80% dependent on tourism so even though the Royal Family dont live in Cornwall, Wills is now the Duke of Cornwall, and [the associated] tourism is a huge thing for us. We wouldnt have jobs and homes if it wasnt for tourism so I think the Royal Family are really worthwhile and I love the pomp who doesnt? "We saw the protesters when we came here, but we live in an equal society so as long as they're not violent or massively disruptive, let them be. The amount of people who support the monarchy today outweigh the protesters significantly. There's definitely a lot more red, white and blue than there is yellow [the protesters' colour] in Trafalgar Square... My youngest son was due to be born on the same day as George, so I've got a special place in my heart for George "My favourite Royal? My youngest son Ted was due to be born on the same day as George, so I've got a special place in my heart for George. Ted was actually born two days early but when I see George on TV, walking to school and having his picture taken, I think, 'Oh my days!' As George grows up, I think my son will have that same connection to him because their birthdays are so close. "As I'm a country bumpkin [laughs], later on my sister and I will go round all the posh shops that we can't afford to buy anything in Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges and because of my [black and white] hair like Cruella's I'll have an Instagram moment in Liberty's [the young Cruella lands her dream job at Liberty's]." Jill Caine, 49, from Sevenoaks Jill Caine, from Sevenoaks, cracked open the bubbly to celebrate with her friend. (Yahoo Life UK) "Why did I come here today? It's what you do if you're British, be there for the celebration! I came here with my best friend and her mum. We got here at 9.30am and were so far back in the crowd, we didn't get to see the carriage but never mind, we'll need to watch it on TV later. "The atmosphere is really good here everyone's been so lovely and happy, apart from the protesters. I think they should have stayed at home because they've ruined it. If you don't like the Royal Family, don't come here [to the procession]." Renee Mauldin, 59, from Oklahoma, US Renee Mauldin flew over from the US for the coronation and managed to climb up high above the crowds to get a prime view. (Yahoo Life UK) Renee Mauldin managed to climb up high onto an electrical cable box. "Everyone kept getting in my way because I'm so short, so I thought, 'Here we go! I got on top of the box and solved it all.' I got to see the King pass by in the carriage, it was amazing. Everything was beautiful. I managed to get above all the umbrellas too. "I was here for Princess Beatrice's wedding and now I'm here for the coronation. I flew to London first and then I'm heading to Plymouth on Monday to stay with my brother and sister-in-law. For now though, I'm staying right here [up high]. I don't even mind the rain." Sam Keen, 19, from Hertfordshire Sam Keen, from Hertfordshire was hoping to catch a glimpse of his favourite Royal Princess Anne. (Yahoo Life UK) "I came here for the Jubilee and it was such a fantastic atmosphere, I wanted to experience it all again. I'm 100% a Royalist I just love the way the Royal Family represent the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. "I'm most hoping to see Princess Anne today I think she's brilliant. She does a lot for communities and charities and I really like the way she puts herself forward and gets involved. I love seeing everyone in their Great Britain regalia I'm surprised quite how many people are dressed up "I'm planning to stay by the Mall as long as possible and take it all in. I'm surprised by quite how many people are dressed up. I love seeing everyone in their Great Britain regalia all their flags and symbols. It's fantastic." Erika Yip, 20, from Hong Kong, is studying in Oxford Erika Yip, from Hong Kong, is studying in Oxford. She is 'neutral' on the royals, but got up at 4.30am to witness the coronation. (Yahoo Life UK) "My friends and I are studying in Oxford, so we felt it was such a historical moment we wanted to be part of it. We got up at 4.30am this morning to get the train from Oxford it was a long journey but it was worth it. "As I'm not from the UK, I'm neutral on the royals but I'm most looking forward to seeing Charles. I really want to see what he's wearing and see him go by in the carriage. Later my friends and I are going for a meal in Chinatown to celebrate." Watch: Queen Consort waves to onlookers as King's procession moves down Whitehall President Biden is expected to soon announce that he has chosen Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. to become the countrys senior-most military officer later this year. If formally nominated and approved by the Senate, Brown, 60, would become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Army Gen. Mark Milley, whose term ends at the end of September. The appointment would be historic, as Brown would be only the second Black man to become chairman after Gen. Colin Powell, who was selected more than three decades ago by President George H. W. Bush. It would also mean that, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in his current role, the top two senior Pentagon positions would be filled by Black men for the first time in U.S. history. Brown would also be the first Air Force officer to become Joint Chiefs chair in more than a decade. Not since retired Gen. Richard Myers, who was in the role until 2005, has the Air Force had one of its own hold the esteemed position. Though Browns nomination is not final until Biden formally announces his pick a looming decision first reported by Politico here are some things to know about the next potential Joint Chiefs chair. Hes been outspoken on racism and has already gone viral Brown is perhaps most known for an Air Force video released shortly after Minneapolis police officers murdered George Floyd, an act that set off a wave of protests and civil unrest across the country. Then the commander of Pacific Air Forces, Brown spoke on camera of his experiences as a Black man in America and in the military. The timing of the video was significant, as it was posted on June 5, 2020, days away from a Senate vote on his nomination to be the Air Forces next chief of staff. That vote would also make him the first Black person to serve in that role in the countrys history. Im thinking about how full I am with emotion, not just for George Floyd, but the many African Americans that have suffered the same fate as George Floyd. . . . Im thinking about my Air Force career, where I was often the only African American in my squadron, or as a senior officer, the only African American in the room, he said. Story continues Brown also spoke about the experience of living in two worlds as a Black man and as a military officer, noting that his own experiences didnt always sing of liberty and equality. Senior defense leaders rarely make such public commentary, and the publicity from it brought the national debate over racism and inequality firmly into the military sphere. I cant fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force, Brown said. Im thinking about how I can make improvements personally, professionally and institutionally so that all airmen both today and tomorrow, appreciate the value of diversity and can serve in an environment where they can reach their full potential. A decorated background Brown, a former F-16 fighter pilot, didnt have a typical route to the skies. He attended Texas Tech University on an ROTC scholarship, rather than the Air Force Academy, and has said he only expected to serve in the military for four years. Whats more, hes been frank about his early years in ROTC, saying that he almost quit after one semester. After receiving his civil engineering degree and commissioned as an officer in 1984, he eventually made it to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. in 1986 to train on F-16s. By the early 1990s he was an F-16 instructor pilot at the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, considered a top job for instructors. He would eventually reach more than 3,000 flying hours, including 130 in combat. But he was also gaining valuable experience at the Pentagon, first as an aide-de-camp to then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ron Fogleman in 1994, then later in 2004 as a lieutenant colonel working for retired Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the former head of Air Combat Command. From there, Browns career began to pick up steam, and he held stints as head of F-16 fighter wings in Italy, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, then deputy chief of U.S. Central Command. In the last two roles, he helped direct the air war against the Islamic State group. By summer 2018, Brown had taken command of Pacific Air Forces, serving in that role for nearly two years before he was nominated for Air Force chief of staff in March 2020. Hes been projected to be the front runner Brown may have an illustrious military career but hes not the only one to be a contender for Joint Chiefs chair. Biden has also reportedly considered Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger for the top job and has met with both men. But several of Browns colleagues have hinted at his possible accension, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall giving a nod and a wink to that back in March. Gen. Brown is an exceptional leader with broad strategic perspectives, and a thoughtful, measured approach to any problem set, Kendall said in a March 7 speech, I would hate to lose such a great partner. But there is a chance someone who outranks me considerably might see those same attributes in CQ. Even before Biden announces his decision, Brown on Friday received praise as a top choice from those inside and outside the military. He embodies both the joint and service perspective, but especially helpful will be his deep knowledge and experience in the Indo-Pacific theater the key to this decisive decade, said retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, a former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee. As Chairman, General Brown will be in a position to drive the joint force and joint operations to deal with the threats posed not only by China, but also Russia, Iran, and North Korea. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The man accused of killing eight people and wounding several others in a mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday apparently had been working as a security guard and was discharged from the U.S. Army in 2008 because of mental health issues, neighbors and an Army official told The Associated Press. Mauricio Garcia, 33, was killed by police, ending the attack. Garcia joined the Army in 2008 but was terminated three months later without completing his initial training, said Army spokeswoman Heather J. Hagan, who said the Army doesnt provide characterization for any soldiers discharge. According to an Army official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel issues, though, Garcia was kicked out of the Army due to mental health issues. Federal officials are looking into whether Garcia expressed an interest in white supremacist ideology, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official cautioned that the investigation is in its early stages. Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts that they believe Garcia used, as well as posts that expressed interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views, said the official, who could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Garcia also had a patch on his chest when he was killed by police that read RWDS, an acronym for the phrase Right Wing Death Squad, which is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups, the official said. In addition to reviewing social media posts, federal agents have interviewed family members and associates of Garcia to ask about his ideological beliefs, the official said. Investigators are also reviewing financial records, other online posts they believe Garcia made and other electronic media, according to the official. Investigators search motel, home A law enforcement official said investigators have been searching a Dallas motel near an interstate where Garcia had been staying. The official said police also found multiple weapons at the scene after Garcia was killed, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun. Story continues Two law enforcement officials said investigators also searched a Dallas home connected to Garcia. They spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation. A woman who lives three houses down from the low brick house said she saw a large group of uniformed officers go into the home Saturday between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. They went in like real fast, and I seen them do that like twice, said Marsha Alexander, who said officers were still in the area when she went to bed around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. They were gone by Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, a woman named Julie was sitting on the porch of her house, next door to the one searched the day before. She declined to give her last name to an AP reporter but said she awoke from a nap around 6 p.m. Saturday to see four police squad cars and a large group of officers outside her neighbors home. She said they entered the home and were joined about an hour later by FBI agents and other people wearing plainclothes, who she also took to be law enforcement. Texas may consider gun restriction The Texas House Safety Selection Committee advanced a bill on a 8-5 vote Monday that would increase the the age for buying semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 22. The bill heads to the full House floor for consideration, but it must first be set on the calendar for debate by a separate committee. We are not done. This is a first step and its a win, but now weve got to go and get it through calendars, Brett Cross, whose son Uziyah was killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School. A House bill regulating private firearm sales, including background checks on certain sales, and another that creates a three day waiting period for firearm purchases werent voted out of the select committee on Monday, the deadline for House committees to pass House bills. In the Senate, Gun safety bills proposed by Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat, include age restrictions on buying ammunition, a database for ammunition bought in bulk, high risk protective orders that would allow law enforcement to remove firearms from people who are a risk to themselves and others, required liability insurance for firearms and safe storage requirements for guns. None have had a committee hearing, according to a news release from his office. House Democratic Caucus Chair Trey Martinez Fischer said during a Monday news conference that there are procedural rules that can be used to revitalize bills. We have three weeks, and we need to spend every single minute of every single day not giving up on them, he said, gesturing behind him to a row of people whose loved ones were killed in the Uvalde shooting. It doesnt have to be this way Rep. Jeff Leach, whose district includes the Allen outlet mall that was the site of Saturdays shooting, took the mic at the front of the House chamber to address the attack in his community. As some have criticized calls for prayers from lawmakers amid calls for action on gun safety, Leach said he will never apologize for praying for those affected. I want to allow time before responding, as we so often do in these situations, responding with talking points or reactions, political statements, he said. There will be time for debates and deliberation and responses. Theres still a lot thats unknown about the shooting, Leach said. But one thing I do know is that this is happening way too much, and it doesnt have to be this way, Leach said. I dont have the answers. I dont have a bill in front of you. Im not sure there are any bills in front of you this morning, this session that could have prevented this. I dont know. I dont know. But I do know that it doesnt have to be this way, and I also know that if theres any deliberative body anywhere in this world that can discuss and deliberate on these issues thoughtfully, all of the potential solutions that we discuss its this House. How many victims are there? Seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said. Nine victims were taken by ambulances to hospitals. Two of them died after arriving, creating a total of eight dead victims. Three of the surviving victims were in critical condition, while four were stable. Three members of a Korean American family were among the slain, the Yonhap News Agency reported. A couple and their 3-year-old son were shot dead. Another of the couples children was also shot and is being treated at a hospital. The adults were Cho Kyu Song, 37, and Kang Shin Young, 35, The Dallas Morning News reported. Sisters who attended Cox Elementary School in the Wylie Independent School District also died, according to WFAA-TV. Daniela Mendoza was in fourth grade, and Sofia Mendoza was in second grade. The school district said the girls mother is in critical condition at a hospital. Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard from Farmersville, died as he worked at the mall, his sister Brianna Smith told ABC. He was a really sweet kid. Im sad that hes gone, Smith said. Words cannot even begin to describe the devastation that our family feels, one relative of LaCour wrote on Facebook. There will forever be a void. Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard from Farmersville, was killed in the Saturday, May 6 shooting while working at the Allen Premium Outlets mall, according to his family LaCours grandmother also wrote a tribute on Facebook, saying that Christian was a beautiful soul, 20 years old with goals for his future. I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him 2 weeks ago. Garcia also killed Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who lived in McKinney, WFAA-TV reported. On Sunday, Allen police said four victims were at the Medical City McKinney hospital, one in fair condition and three in critical condition. Two more victims were in fair condition at Medical City Plano and Medical City Childrens Hospital. A seventh patient was being treated at an undisclosed location with no update on that persons condition. Medical City Healthcare system said it initially was treating eight patients between the ages of 5 and 61. Read more about the victims here. Whats known about the shooter The Texas Department of Public Safety on Sunday identified the shooting suspect as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, of Dallas. Witnesses said the shooter was dressed all in black with a tactical vest and carried a rifle. President Biden called it an AR-15 style assault weapon. His gear looked like a SWAT uniform without the letters SWAT on it, one woman told CBS 11. Dashboard camera video circulating online appears to show the gunman get out of a gray Dodge Charger and immediately start shooting people on a sidewalk outside H&M. Witnesses said he fired dozens of rounds. The video appears to have been recorded from a witness car in the parking lot. Authorities are still investigating the motive for the shooting. FBI agents spent hours Saturday evening at a home in northeast Dallas where Garcia lived with his parents, WFAA-TV reported. Neighbors told WFAA that the suspect had lived there for as long as they could remember but that he had not been around in the past couple of weeks. The FBI confirmed Sunday that agents have searched two locations connected to Garcia. WFAA reported that the other location was an extended-stay motel where the suspect had been living recently. The motel was the Budget Suites, at 8150 N. Stemmons Freeway, according to The Dallas Morning News. A person who answered the phone at the motel on Sunday told the Star-Telegram that they could not comment. Sources say FBI agents were at 2 locations yesterday in Dallas where Allen shooter lived. This is where he lived with his parents all of his life and they searched an extended stay motel where he was staying. Neighbors say he worked as a security guard. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/e2WvvoCzmu Rebecca Lopez (@rlopezwfaa) May 7, 2023 Neighbors who spoke to WFAA described Garcia as quiet with unusual behavior. They said he always wore some kind of security guard uniform but they did not remember seeing him with a gun. A license on the Texas Online Private Security database listed someone who appears to be the suspect as having worked for three different companies since acquiring a security license in the state in 2016. His last job is listed as ending in 2020, when the license expired. The database shows Garcia was certified in firearms proficiency. The suspect was shot and killed by an officer outside the mall. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said that an officer was on an unrelated call at the outlet mall at 3:36 p.m. when he heard gunshots and ran toward them. He engaged the suspect and neutralized the suspect, Harvey said. Video shared across social media showed the suspect lying dead outside the malls Fatburger restaurant. A rifle with an extended magazine lies next to his body. Law enforcement sources said they found multiple other weapons, including a handgun, either on him or in his car. In the video, the shooter was wearing a body-armor vest with what appeared to be more than seven rifle magazines held in it. A tattoo on the shooters left hand looks to be the symbol of the City of Dallas. A pair of sunglasses with one of the lenses missing was lying next to the body. In the video, the shooter was wearing all black with a jacket with white liner on the inside. Allen police vehicles could be seen in the parking lot. Harvey said that police were not looking for other suspects and the gunman is believed to have acted alone. Public records do not immediately indicate that Garcia had any prior criminal record in Dallas or Collin counties. Sources also told WFAA that Garcia had been in the U.S. Army in 2008 but was removed due to mental health concerns. Investigating the suspects motive Federal officials are looking into whether the gunman expressed an interest in white supremacist ideology as they work to try to discern a motive for the attack, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official cautioned the investigation is in its early stages. Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe Garcia used and posts that expressed interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views, said the official, who could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Garcia also had a patch on his chest when he was killed by police that read RWDS, an acronym for the phrase Right Wing Death Squad, which is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups, the official said. In addition to reviewing social media posts, federal agents have interviewed family members and associates of Garcia to ask about his ideological beliefs, the official said. Investigators are also reviewing financial records, other online posts they believe Garcia made and other electronic media, according to the official. Where did the shooting happen? The Allen Premium Outlets mall is about 30 miles north of Dallas and is owned by Simon Property Group. It has about 120 stores. According to police radio reports and witnesses, victims were found near stores including H&M, Francescas and New Balance. Allen Premium Outlets announced that the mall was closed Sunday. Allen police said that people who left behind vehicles at the outlet mall could go to The Edge at Allen Station Park (201 E. St Mary Drive), on the west side of the senior center, on Sunday evening to board a shuttle to the mall to retrieve their vehicles. The park was to be open for that purpose from 5:45-9:30 p.m. Sunday. The service will resume from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the same location. The outlets will remain closed, and no one will be allowed to enter any store. Which law enforcement agencies responded? The Allen Police Department led the initial response to the shooting. Federal and state authorities with ATF and the Texas Department of Public Safety also were on scene. Collin County authorities and police from Frisco, McKinney and Wylie also responded to the mall. Allen police said the FBI is assisting with collecting witnesses accounts and video. Police said that anyone who witnessed the shooting can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Witnesses are asked to upload any video or photos to fbi.gov/allenmallshooting. The FBI confirmed in a statement that it was searching two locations connected to the shooter in conjunction with local law enforcement, Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the ATF. The FBI is devoting all available resources to the investigation including intelligence, digital forensics and victim services. The Texas Department of Public Safety is now leading the investigation, according to the FBI. The publics safety and a thorough investigation are paramount to all agencies involved, DPS said in a news release Sunday. Governor Abbott visits Allen Sunday Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke with Shannon Bream on FOX News Sunday and said he would be in Allen on Sunday to try to help the community heal. Abbott attended a community prayer service at an Allen church Sunday evening but did not speak there. Obviously, this is just devastating. Texans are hurting today, Abbott told FOX News. The people who are hurting the most, obviously, are the families of the victims. Families who lost a loved one. Families who have a loved one who is injured. Bream asked Abbott if there are any gun reforms he would push for in Texas or national reforms he thinks should be considered by Congress. At the state level, this is something weve been grappling with over the past year, Abbott said. There are some potential easy solutions, such as passing laws that we are working on right now, to get the guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and increase penalties for criminals who possess guns. Abbott told FOX News that he expects the Texas legislature to approve $3 billion in mental health funding this session. There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that is taking place in America and what Texas is doing in a big time way we are working to address that anger and violence at its root cause, which is the mental health problems behind it, Abbott said. President Biden calls for action In a statement released on Twitter Sunday, President Joe Biden called for more action to save lives and the White House ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. We need more action, faster to save lives. President Biden (@POTUS) May 7, 2023 Eight Americans, including children, were killed in Allen, Texas yesterday the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation, Biden wrote. Jill and I are praying for their families and those critically injured. Were grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar, the president said in the statement. We need more action, faster to save lives Once again, Congress must send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, Biden said. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe. What local officials have said In a statement, Allen Mayor Kenneth Fulk said, We are a strong and caring community and we want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you. The City of Allen pledges to offer our complete support. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving. Help for the victims GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub where it will link all verified fundraisers related to the shooting. A Family Assistance Center will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday at the Allen Senior Recreation Center, at 451 St. Mary Drive. The center will offer mental health services, spiritual care, and possible financial support, according to an FBI news release. LifePath Systems, the Collin County Mental Health Authority, is offering free counseling to the community. If you or someone you know needs assistance, call 972-422-5939 or visit the website at www.LifePathSystems.org. This report contains material from The Associated Press. Multiple Casualties Reported After Shooting At Outlet Mall In Texas Emergency vehicles line the entrance to the Allen Premium Outlets where a shooting took place in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. Credit - Stewart F. HouseGetty Images Police have identified the gunman that killed eight people and injured 7 others when he opened fire at a Texas outdoor mall Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. Police said 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, a mall north of Dallas, the Associated Press reported. Garcia was later killed on the scene by a police officer. The Allen Police Department initially included the gunman in the number of those killed. Nine people were transferred to the hospital after the shooting, where two later died, three remain in critical condition, and four others were stable, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said Saturday evening during a press conference. In a statement after the tragedy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered full support to local officials. Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, Abbott said. The governor has plans to visit the city on Sunday. Heres what to know about the shooting. What happened? More than three dozen shots were heard at around 3:36 p.m, alarming bystanders and an Allen Police Department officer that was near the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas. Hundreds of shoppers fled the scene on Saturday after a gunman got out of a silver sedan before opening fire at the mall, causing families to seek safety in back hallways, behind cars and in storage areas. The gunman was killed by an Allen Police Department police officer shortly after. A photo obtained by CNN shows the suspect lying on the ground with an AR-15 and extra firearm magazines. The shooter has not been identified by authorities, but they believe he acted alone. The names of the victims have not yet been released, though reports from witnesses allege that there were children, a police officer, and a mall security guard unconscious at the shopping center, AP reports. Story continues I pray it wasnt kids, but it looked like kids, Fontayne Payton, a 35-year-old H&M worker told the Associated Press. It broke me when I walked out to see that. The hospitalized individuals range in age from 5 to 61, authorities said. This is a tragedy. People will be looking for answers, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said during a press conference. Were sorry that those families are experiencing that loss. The shooting is still under investigation, and the FBI is asking the public for any information connected with the tragedy. The shooting comes a little over a week after another gunman opened fire on his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas, after they asked him to stop firing his gun in his front yard, killing 5 people, including a 9-year-old boy. This marks the 199th mass shooting so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Who was the gunman? Authorities have identified 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia as the gunman. Garcia, who was killed by a police officer on scene, was found with a tactical vest, rifle, and a handgun, senior law enforcement officials told the AP. Authorities also found additional ammunition and weapons in his car. The state of the gunmans mental health has been brought into question after law enforcement sources told ABC News that the gunman was removed from the U.S. Army in 2008 due to mental health concerns. Officials said they searched a motel where Garcia was staying along with his home in the greater Dallas area, and are also reviewing the gunmans connection to white supremacist ideology, based on Garcias social media accounts that allegedly spewed neo-Nazi views, and the RWDS patch on his chest (which stands for Right Wing Death Squad). Who are the victims? Two victims of the Allen Mall shooting have been identified thus far: Christian LaCour and Aishwarya Thatikonda. LaCour, 20, worked as a security guard at the mall. Thatikonda was a 27-year old engineer working in Dallas. Response to the shooting The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation and that they are closely monitoring the situation and in contact with state and local officials. President Biden also ordered all flags be flown at half-staff at the White House, public buildings, military and naval stations and naval vessels through May 11. President Biden also issued a statement on Sunday asking for Congress to send him a bill that bans assault weapons and high capacity magazines, enacts background checks, requires safe storage of guns and ends immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately, he said. We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene, tweeted Texas Rep. Keith Self on Saturday. Allen Mayor Ken Fulk called the shooting a tragic day for the city, saying that he wants the victims and families to know that the community will wrap our arms around you and offered full support. He thanked the fire and police department for their rapid response to neutralize the threat. We know the days ahead will be difficult and somber, he said. On behalf of the city council, our law enforcement personnel, first responders and all of our city employees we will remain strong and stand united. Sen. Ted Cruz said that he and his wife were praying for the victims, and for the community that is in shock from this tragedy. My team is in contact with local officials, and I have offered whatever support is needed to do justice and help those in need, he tweeted. Thank you to the incredible law enforcement who put a stop to the monster who committed this act of evil. A vigil for the victims will be at the Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church in Allen at 6 p.m Sunday. A law enforcement officer walks as people are evacuated from a shopping center where a shooting occurred Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. | LM Otero, Associated Press A gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas Saturday, killing at least eight people and wounding seven. A policeman on an unrelated call in the area heard the gunfire and responded by shooting and killing the gunman, authorities said, according to The Associated Press. The shooting comes just eight days after another deadly mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, left five people dead. Related Who were the victims of the Texas mall shooting? At least eight people were killed and seven injured, three of which were critically injured. The identities of the victims have not been announced yet, but a witness told AP that the some of the bodies looked like kids. CNN also reported that a Dallas-area medical group was treating victims as young as 5 years old, on Saturday. Though the officials have not released the names of the victims yet, WFAA confirmed the identities of two of the victims: Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard and Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who was visiting the mall with her friend. Who was the shooter in the Texas mall shooting? Law enforcement sources told AP that the gunman was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. An official said that police also found multiple weapons at the scene, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun. Related Investigators have not determined a motive yet, but social media posts from Garcia indicate that he frequently posted white supremacist and Neo-Nazi views, the Deseret News reported. How did politicians react? Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated in a press release Saturday. Abbott faced criticism for his response to the shooting, however, when he suggested that addressing mental health would solve gun violence in an interview on Fox News Sunday. Story continues People want a quick solution. The long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue, Abbott stated. California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed back against Abbott, tweeting, This is your reminder that @GregAbbott_TX cut $211 million in mental health funding. This is your reminder that @GregAbbott_TX cut $211 million in mental health funding. Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 7, 2023 Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez also responded to Abbott by stating in an MSNBC interview, Im disgusted with the fact that we have a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor that refuse to do anything. How did President Biden react? In a statement released Sunday, President Joe Biden asked Congress to pass legislation to address gun violence. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough, Biden stated. Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe. Kojo Quartey, president Monroe County Community College According to the Federal Reserve, student loan debt in the U.S. is $1.76 trillion as of December 2022, and the average household with student debt owes $58,238. In the state of Michigan, there are various options to ease this burden for the neediest students, two of which I will discuss here: Pell Grants and the new Michigan Achievement Scholarship. Pell Grants: A federal program based on income, for the neediest students, Pell Grants can be up to $7,395 for the 2023-24 year. In order to qualify for Pell Grants, students must complete the Free Application for Student Assistance (FAFSA). Any amount students receive can be applied toward living and other expenses. Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS): This new scholarship is available to Michigan 2023 high school graduates going on to three different college options: Up to $2,750 per year, if you attend a Michigan community college, for up to three years. It is free money from the state of Michigan to lower the cost of college tuition by thousands of dollars per year. The state of Michigan estimates that 8 out of 10 new students starting college in fall 2023 will meet the MAS requirements. To qualify, students must: Complete and file the FAFSA it is free and online. Graduate from a high school in Michigan in 2023 or after, with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieve a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after. Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous year. Parents of dependent students listed on the FAFSA also must have lived in Michigan since July 1 of the previous year. Show financial need by having an Expected Family Contribution of $25,000 or less. Students find this out when they file FAFSA. Enroll (be accepted and signed up for classes) full-time as a degree-seeking student at an eligible Michigan public or private college or university within 15 months of high school graduation or earning a high school equivalency certificate. Other eligibility requirements are available by Googling Michigan Achievement Scholarship Fact Sheet. Story continues Everyone who meets the eligibility requirements will receive a minimum or first dollar award of $2,500 to use toward tuition and mandatory fees. The second part or last dollar is up to $3,000 and considers specific scholarships and grants including tuition restricted and other specific state and federal aid that students may have in addition to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. Last dollar eligibility is calculated based on how much tuition and fee specific charges will be covered based on these criteria. Depending on ones situation, they may qualify for the full $3,000 or a portion of the $3,000. Money received cannot be more than total charges at the students college. To apply: File the FAFSA. Enroll at a qualifying institution such as your local community college (MCCC). This means getting accepted and signing up for classes. Create an account at MI Student Scholarships and Grants (missg.guarantorsolutions.com/StudentPortal) and select the institution you plan to attend. This creates your student portal where you can see the status of your scholarship. While the MAS is new, Pell Grants are not, and eligible students who complete the FAFSA can qualify for up to $7,395 for the neediest students. At MCCC, Pell Grants cover tuition and fees for many of our students. The total tuition and fees in 2022-23 for a county resident carrying 24 credit hours a year at MCCC is $3,668.95. If one receives only first dollar from the MAS ($2,500) and maxes out Pell ($7,395), a student can have a total of $9,895 before any institutional scholarships are applied, and will have an excess or surplus funds of $6,226.05 extra money to spend on other expenses such as books, transportation, food,and other living expenses; and absolutely no debt! By the way, at MCCC, all this is before other forms of aid such as SEOG, MI Reconnect, TIP, MI Competitive Scholarship and hundreds of institutional scholarships, including Presidential, Trustees, Performing Arts and much more. It does not get any better for low-income students or any other students concerned about debt and their future. Kojo Quartey, Ph.D., is the president of Monroe County Community College and an economist. He may be reached at kquartey@monroeccc.edu. This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Kojo Quartey: How financial aid can get an education with zero debt A military cadet stands in front of a billboard promoting contract army service in Saint Petersburg on October 5, 2022. OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images A new law allows Russian conscripts to be notified of their military service via government portal. Failure to report for duty can lead to a suspended license or blocked real estate transactions. Critics say the move creates "a digital system of social control" akin to a virtual Gulag labor camp. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill allowing conscription notices to be sent to recruits through a digital government portal and to be punished if they don't report for duty, whether or not they have an account. The April 14 bill authorized the creation of "a single registry of people eligible for military service" and tightened existing conscription laws, according to Russian state media agency TASS. The new law allows notice of compelled military service to be sent not just to a conscript's place of residence but also through the state services website, Gosuslugi, which many Russians use for tasks like paying fines or applying for passports. Electronic notices were previously used as a failsafe announcement, with only a printed copy starting a recruit's two-week countdown toward service. AP reported the bill aimed to close a loophole used by some Russians to avoid service by simply avoiding their home addresses. Notices will still be mailed to those called to duty, but the digital notices will become active seven days after being uploaded to the state portal, whether the conscript uses Gosuslugi or not, and regardless of whether they've received a hard copy in the mail. If a Russian called to military service fails to report for duty after receiving the summons, whether they object to the war or do not use the state service, their driver's license will be suspended, they will be prevented from making real estate transactions, and they will be barred from leaving the country, according to TASS. Military strategists suggest the move may signal a new wave of mobilization against Ukraine, according to AP. Still, Russian political analysts warn the move is a sign of something much darker and further-reaching than the front lines of the invasion. Story continues "With nothing to stop this approach from being expanded to other spheres to establish a state system of complete digital surveillance, coercion, and punishment, the Digital Gulag that has been widely discussed ever since the COVID-19 pandemic is now taking shape," Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote in an essay critiquing the law. The new conscription law, she wrote, "brings the Digital Gulag much, much closer." Representatives for Stanovaya at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. What is the Digital Gulag? In addition to changing the summons delivery procedures, the amended law creates a digital registry of Russians eligible to be drafted, including most Russian men under 65, AP reported. That registry, and the normalization of being punished for failing or refusing to comply with even the most extreme government orders, helps "facilitate the emergence of an entirely new system of controlling civic behavior in Russia," Stanovaya and other critics argue. The Digital Gulag, as critics like Stanovaya have called it since observing Russia's authoritarian approach to COVID-19, is reminiscent of the brutal forced labor camps run under Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin only updated for the digital age. According to the Wilson Center, nearly 18 million people passed through the Gulag camps from the 1930s to the early 1950s, and approximately 1.6 million died. Those sent to the Gulags included petty criminals alongside political prisoners, sentenced to work until death, or near death, in industrial mining and construction projects. With the digital registry and harsh punishments for noncompliance, "the government wants to create a digital system of social control by regulating individual access to rights and benefits," Stanovaya wrote. "Being outside of this system will effectively spell social death." Russian politician Leonid Gozman wrote in an opinion article for Novaya Gazeta Europe that the Digital Gulag's reach wouldn't be limited to banning conscripts from leaving the country for skipping out on the draft Russians will likely soon see the expansion of social surveillance nationwide. "These bans are like water in connected vessels, the water level will approximately be at the same height. They'll ban you from changing your job without permission: first for those employed in the defense industry, and then for everyone," Gozman wrote. "The unemployed will be put to order, too: those used to be called "social parasites". And then labor mobilization would follow: what use is there to waste time in the office or in the service industry, the front awaits!" While Gozman acknowledges that no government can last forever, he argues that Putin has succeeded in creating a fascist state and the current course of Russian life is on a dangerous downward trajectory. "There's nothing good this state can offer to us both to those who have left and to those who have stayed. The force is on their side, and they do not hesitate to use it," Gozman wrote. "I'm afraid for the country. And for all of us." Read the original article on Business Insider A gunman shot and killed eight people, including children, at a shopping mall north of Dallas on Saturday. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Allen Premium Outlets mall as eyewitnesses described a man firing indiscriminately at passers-by. A police officer on an unrelated call killed the gunman after hearing shots. Police have yet to identify him. President Joe Biden on Sunday called once again for Congress to tighten gun controls in the wake of the tragedy. He said the attacker, using an AR-15 style assault weapon, gunned down innocents in "the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation". "Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar," he added, calling on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and require universal background checks. As of Sunday morning local team, at least three surviving victims were in critical condition, police said. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people - including the gunman - were pronounced dead at the scene and two died later in hospital. The victims' ages range from 5 to 51, according to a hospital spokesperson. A police officer at the mall "heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect and neutralised the suspect," Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said. Some witnesses described the gunman as dressed all in black and wearing combat gear. Footage taken after the gunman's death appeared to show an AR-15 style rifle lying near his body. Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the shooting as an "unspeakable tragedy" and said the state was ready to offer any assistance to local authorities. US police have asked members of the public with video captured at the scene to contact the FBI, as they collect evidence. Shoppers were seen leaving the mall, some with arms raised "I heard about 10 pops go off, then ten to fifteen more shots - we see this guy dressed all in black, a vest, just shooting at people," said one witness, adding "we just got to the back of the store". Story continues Video from the scene showed people running for cover across a car park as a series of shots rang out. Allen has about 105,000 residents and is 20 miles (32km) north of central Dallas. President Biden on Sunday ordered US flags be flown at half-mast at federal buildings, military posts and American embassies until sunset on Thursday as he made his plea for tighter gun controls. Republicans in Congress are unlikely to back such a call, and gun ownership with few restrictions enjoys widespread support in Texas itself. Most adults aged 21 or over in Texas are allowed to carry a handgun without a licence, unless they have a previous conviction. In addition, there are few restrictions on possession of rifles and shotguns. Republicans control the Texas state legislature. In the US so far this year there have been at least 198 mass shootings in which four or more people were killed or wounded, according to the Gun Violence Archive. That is the most at this point in the year since at least 2016. The scene at Allen Premium Outlets as police secured the area One eyewitness at the mall, Fontayne Payton, told the AP news agency he heard gunshots though his headphones as he shopped at H&M. When people were allowed to leave the mall, he described seeing bodies outside. "I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids," he said. "It broke me when I walked out to see that." Allen Mayor Ken Fulk called it "a tragic day" for the city. "Allen is a proud and safe city, which makes today's senseless act of violence even more shocking," he said on the city's website. "However, I want to commend our police and fire departments for their quick response. Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today." Texas Senator John Cornyn tweeted that he was "grieving with the Allen community" and praised the quick response of "all of those involved in responding to this afternoon's horrific incident". Earlier this week police in Texas arrested a man accused of shooting dead five neighbours, including a nine-year-old boy. Francisco Oropesa was found hiding in a cupboard after a four-day manhunt. Many Kurds who initially supported Recep Tayyip Erdogan are now backing his rival in the May 14 vote Exhausted by crackdowns in Turkey's Kurdish heartland, Ali is backing the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in elections next Sunday -- though his faith in the presidential hopeful is not great. "It's time for a change," the 50-year-old told AFP in Diyarbakir, the Kurds' unofficial capital in southeast Turkey. "For anyone watching TV in Turkey, Kurds are terrorists," said Ali, who declined to give his full name for fear of retribution. "But I would be lying if I said I fully trust the opposition candidate," he added, referring to Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the secular CHP party. Representing roughly a fifth of Turkey's 85 million people, Kurds have suffered repressions throughout the course of the post-Ottoman republic, which was created by CHP founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923. Turkey officially denied the existence of such an ethnicity, depriving Kurds of cultural and education rights. Many Kurds embraced Erdogan's Islamic-rooted AKP when it ended decades of secular rule in 2002, seeing it as more inclusive and committed to changes. Erdogan tried to broker a deal to end a bloody Kurdish fight for an independent state, seeking to etch his place in history as the one who finally settled one of Turkey's most painful problems. The collapse of the talks in 2015 and a failed coup attempt the following year prompted Erdogan to resume military operations in Kurdish regions, pushing him closer to Turkey's nationalists. - 'Mosque or prison'- After holding out for much of the campaign, the pro-Kurdish HDP party has officially backed Kilicdaroglu, an endorsement that might just tip the close vote. The HDP's support "is a major boost" to Kilicdaroglu, Hamish Kinnear, a senior analyst at the Verisk Maplecroft risk consultancy, told AFP. Mehmet Emin Yilmaz, who wears a traditional Kurdish scarf, says he is ready to vote for whomever the HDP points to. "I am Kurdish. The HDP defends my rights. If the police unjustly detains me today, the HDP will take care of me," the 60-year-old said. Story continues But while the election is one of Turkey's most important in its modern era, deciding the future of its longest-serving leader, there is little excitement on the streets of Diyarbakir. "The people are intimidated, there are cameras everywhere. If more than two people gather, the plainclothes police arrive," said Erdem Unal, the CHP chief in Diyarbakir's historic Sur district. "Erdogan left Kurds with two options: mosque or prison," he said -- and not the cemevis, places of worship for the separate faith exercised by Alevi Kurds. "Diyarbakir has turned into an open-air prison," he said. - 'Piro'- Erdogan's alliance with the Huda-Par (Free Cause Party) has opened additional wounds. Huda-Par has links to the Kurdish Hezbollah movement, which is distinct from the Lebanese Shiite group of the same name. Comprised of Sunni Islamists, the Kurdish Hezbollah was implicated in the extrajudicial killings of Kurdish and women's rights activists in the 1990s. Some analysts viewed the Kurdish Hezbollah as a government tool for fighting the Kurdish insurgency led by the leftist PKK. Eyup Burc, founder of the pro-Kurdish IMC TV channel that has since been shut down, said Erdogan's embrace of Huda-Par meant he was trying to hang on to the most conservative elements of the Kurdish vote. "Surveys show around 15 percent support for Erdogan in Diyarbakir, and it's melting further," Burc said. Kilicdaroglu's leftist CHP is almost invisible in Diyarbakir. But the 74-year-old former civil servant appears to attract local sympathies because of his openly Alevi faith -- and less emphasised Kurdish identity. Most Kurds call Kilicdaroglu "Piro" from "pir", a Kurdish word for grandfather that also describes an Alevi religious leader. - 'Courage'- But many Kurds have long-standing reservations about Kilicdaroglu and his six-party opposition alliance. It backed Erdogan's military incursions into Syria, which hit Kurdish areas controlled by a sister party of the PKK. The HDP's support for Kilicdaroglu follows the arrest of more than 100 Kurdish activists, journalists and lawyers in what the government billed an "anti-terror" operation. The roundups were aimed at "sending a message to Turkey's (mostly Sunni) west", said Nahit Eren, who heads the Diyarbakir bar association. Abbas Sahin, whose Green Left Party will represent pro-Kurdish candidates in the parliamentary portion of the ballot because of a threatened shutdown of the HDP, vowed that Erdogan would be consigned "to the dustbin of history". But Gulistan Atasoy Tekdemir, the HDP co-chair in Diyarbakir, said Kurds expected "courage" from the opposition candidate, insisting that their support should not be taken for granted. fo/zak/js Robert Smith, the frontman of The Cure, has shared an anti-monarchy cartoon. The artist shared the satirical piece, which was written and drawn by artist First Dog on the Moon, hours before the coronation of King Charles III. Charles was ceremonially crowned as monarch on Saturday (6 May) in an event that dominated the UKs news cycle. Smith, who has been an outspoken critic of the monarchy in the past, shared the cartoon on Twitter. The image features a character saying: All hail the nature arbitrary of privilege thats hereditary. The huge cost of this ceremony could buy each British child a pony. Yet distracting profligacy must calm the masses all, lest we the fury of the poor unleash. Let them eat Coronation Quiche! the cartoon ends, echoing the infamous words of overthrown French monarch Marie Antoinette. In 2012, Smith rejected the idea of receiving a knighthood from the Queen, remarking in an interview: I would honestly cut off my own hands before I would go there, because how dare they presume that they could give me an honor? Im much better than them. Theyve never done anything! Theyre f***ing idiots. Smith isnt the only celebrity to have voiced dissent amid the waves of pro-monarchy celebration. Robert Smith of The Cure (Getty Images) Speaking on a podcast this week, comedian Russell Brand described the British public as bloody stupid for putting up with the coronation. Speaking on his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand, the comedian said: The whole of censorship is underwritten by the idea that were too bloody stupid to understand anything. And perhaps to a degree, we are. Because were willing to put up with expensive ceremonies to anoint further royalty. Lets face it, the death of Queen Elizabeth II meant that this is [the] time for a radical appraisal and review of whether or not we even need a monarchy. And the answer to that is no, we dont. Because what even is a monarchy? Over the weekend, the Met Police has also faced condemnation for an alleged totalitarian crackdown on protesters, and was heavily criticised for arresting late-night womens safety volunteers ahead of the coronation. DHAKA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said here on Saturday that China and Bangladesh should make their relations model of friendship among developing countries. Yao made the remarks at a symposium titled "Bangladesh-China Relations: Prognosis for the Future," which invited diplomats, scholars and experts to discuss issues concerning China-Bangladesh relations, Bangladesh's geo-political environment and foreign policies, and regional and international hotspots. "We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors and take on the responsibility of carrying forward the China-Bangladesh friendship," Yao said. The ambassador noted that China and Bangladesh should continue to firmly support each other in following a development path that suits their respective national conditions, deepen the strategic cooperative partnership, and explore new growth points. The China-Bangladesh relationship has increasing its meaning and value on the global and strategic dimensions, said Lin Minwang, professor of the Institute of International Studies from Fudan University. "China and Bangladesh should work together to maintain regional security and stability, as well as the stability of the Asian industrial and supply chains," said Liu Zongyi, senior fellow and secretary general of China and South Asia Center of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS). China put forward the Global Security Initiative, which has strategic convergence with Bangladesh, so both sides could strengthen cooperation and work together for development, said Li Hongmei, assistant research fellow of the Institute for International Strategic and Security Studies of the SIIS. Lewis Hamilton Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton has slammed controversial Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over the states Dont Say Gay law right before a Formula 1 race in Miami this weekend. He likened the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Florida to how queer people are treated in Saudi Arabia, which has a habit of criminalizing homosexuality. Its not good at all, Hamilton said according to a report from ESPN. I stand by those within the community here. I hope they continue to stand firm and push back. Ill have the rainbow on my helmet. Its no different from when we were in Saudi. Hamiltons comments coincide with the racing leagues recent three-stop U.S. tour. Over the years, Formula 1 has become increasingly popular in the United States. The other races will be hosted in Austin, Texas and Las Vegas. The British racer, who also happens to be the only Black driver in the league, has utilized his platform for speaking out in full support of human rights in the past, which also include LGBTQ+ rights. In support of his pledge against discrimination, Hamilton has developed a knack for wearing a rainbow flag on his helmet when racing in anti-LGBTQ+ countries. He wore it in a race in Saudi Arabia in 2021. He didnt share much sentiments about whether the league should race in Florida or not. Its not for me to decide something like that, Hamilton continued. I did hear and have read about some of the decisions that have been made in the government here and I do not agree with it and I do not support it. I really do continue to stand with the LGBTQ community and Im wearing a rainbow flag on my helmet this weekend and I just really want to continue to support the community here and let them know I stand with them and I hope they continue to fight against it. Hamilton added that it wasnt the people of Miami who facilitated the passing of those laws. I think, hopefully, all I can do the sport is going to be here whether I am or not but the least I can do is just continue to be supportive and just being here and having that on my helmet, hopefully that speaks well to the subject, he said. Hamilton holds the title for the most wins in Formula 1 history. DeSantis, who will more than likely run for president in 2024, signed the controversial Dont Say Gay bill into law last year. It has been further built up by his administration. On Thursday, the legislature voted to expand it more, while greenlighting other restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights in the state. Liv Little: Ive spent so much time talking about all the ways in which people can and should do better (Chantelle Nash) Liv Little cannot get sick. Not this week. A pot of raw ginger and hot water boils on the hob, while echinacea drops and herbal tea sachets decorate her dining table. Dont come too close! the writer warns me as a greeting. I think Im getting ill and I just cant let that happen right now. Were talking in the last few days before her tender debut novel, Rosewater, hits the shelves. Her calendar is chock-full of promotional commitments; every five minutes, her iPhone pings with new messages. And, yet, while were together, Little ignores each notification and gamely focuses on the conversation at hand. The former gal-dem CEO has, she tells me, waited her whole career for this moment. A common cold wont be the thing to stop her now. Were in her home for the week: a stylish studio suite in a central London hotel. Little, 29, moved to the Kent coast during the pandemic, but is enjoying the brief return to her home city. Hot on the heels of shooting her first short film, the details of which shes sworn not to share, Little is now fully and blissfully divorced from her past career path as a media mogul. In 2015, she founded gal-dem, an online magazine that put the perspectives of women (and people of marginalised genders) of colour at the forefront. Launched as a student project, borne out of Littles frustration with the lack of diversity at the University of Bristol, the publication grew to be a nationally recognised outlet and launched the careers of countless journalists. Little eventually stepped down from the company in 2020, and ever since shes turned her creativity more towards fiction than reportage. As she hands me a mug of ginger tea, she admits the switch has been really fulfilling. Dressed in a matching grey sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms, with gold rings stacked on most of her fingers, Little crosses her legs on the sofa. Right now, shes the picture of cool relaxation, with a calm, steady voice to match. But the last two years, which have included the recent closure of gal-dem, have been a mixed bag. You could say that shes spent the last few years figuring out where in the world she fits best. That question is also the main preoccupation of the vibrant and lyrical Rosewater. Our protagonist is Elsie, a talented poet in her late 20s whose already fragile sense of stability is destroyed when shes suddenly and callously evicted from her flat. Combine that with her being estranged from her best friend Juliet and her immediate family, her meagre pay cheque bartending at a local gay bar and the overwhelming sense of feeling that shell never make it as a poet, and its easy to see why Elsie is riddled with anxiety. Though shes never unconfident about her Blackness, her queerness, or her way with words, Elsie is unsure whether theres a place where she can truly stand tall. Shes unwavering in who she is, Little notes, its how the rest of the world receives her. Throughout the book, Elsie must pick herself back up again and allow the people who care about her to help. And, along the way, she falls in love with someone unexpected, which leads to some of the best romantic writing Ive read in years. Ive had a whole lot of love in my life, she says of her own affairs of the heart. I love my friends hard and deep I tell them, and I squeeze them, and I make them know I appreciate them. I want people to feel the love. And the same with my partner I want the best for her, and she does for me; we want to see each other shine. A brief pause. Ive seen the impact of feeling like you dont have that. I saw the challenges that my dad experienced, with him not feeling like he had the love and foundation that he wanted. Littles father, Harry Little, comes up in conversation often. During the writing and editing process of Rosewater, he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and, a year ago, succumbed to the brain and nerve condition. Understandably, Little looks back at the time she was writing her novel as the most challenging period of her life. That she managed to create such an exquisite story, despite what was going on in reality, is remarkable. For her, creating Rosewater was something of a life raft in the middle of a turbulent sea storm. I definitely am not glad that I lost my dad its horrific, and I wish he was here. But I also know that the depth of the feeling that I experienced, through caring for him, through losing him, has made me an infinitely better writer and maker of things. You dont even know how deep you can feel until you go through something like that, Little says. Despite the excitement of her book launch, she admits that this week stands as a big reminder of his absence. My dad didnt read books; he wasnt going to ever read mine, but he was so proud of the fact that I had written it. Just knowing that hes not going to be here for key milestones is really s**t, she says, with an emotional croak. It hits you again. Perhaps theres some consolation in the fact that Little hit plenty of milestones while her dad was still alive. By the time shed graduated from Bristol in 2016, a first-class politics and sociology degree in tow, gal-dem was well on the way towards becoming an esteemed brand with a staff of 70. With live events at venues such as the V&A Museum and a takeover of Guardian Weekend magazine in 2018, the site was leading the way for inclusive, forward-thinking British journalism. Before Little knew it, she was a public figure at the head of a major company. Rosewater focuses on a talented poets discovery of where in the world she fits best (Dialogue Books) I wouldnt say Im an accidental CEO, but I was 21 when I started gal-dem, and a lot happened really quickly, Little says, slightly more hesitant than before. The reality is, its very hard to be a Black woman in that leadership role, and people dont know it. Its very hard to raise money for mission-driven stuff. When youre 21, its great; you go in with this youthful naivete and then you start to realise that things are actually, really complicated. In time, not only did she crave the freedom to tell her own stories, but the grind of moving through an industry with ever-reducing resources and constant signs of bias towards white, upper-class men was mentally crushing. She eventually stepped away from the brand in 2020. It was a beautiful thing, and I learnt so much, Little explains. I worked with amazing people whove become incredibly important in media. But by the time I left, I was really unwell. I was so overwhelmed and overworked. For a long time, I didnt feel as if I was able to breathe. Like Elsie, Little was having regular panic attacks from the stress of long days and ever-increasing directorial responsibilities. Her partner and family feared for her health. Were talking less than three weeks since the announcement that gal-dem would cease publication after eight years, due to financial hardship. When I ask how shes feeling about it all, Little sighs heavily. Its sad, of course, she begins. But I feel like in these moments, it provides space for new things to be born in its place. Endings are hard, but I just want to exist in a space where Im really proud of the work we did. Gratitude needs to be the space I deal with it from. Liv Little, by the sea (NXSH) Journalism and publishing are both industries that have come under fire for continuously falling short of representing a wide range of perspectives. With the decennial Granta list causing online debate by naming only two Black authors in a list of 20 young British novelists to watch, how does it feel now being in another industry where there are still significant strides to be made on matters of inclusion? I feel like Ive spent so much time talking about all the ways in which people can and should do better, Little replies matter-of-factly. Also, I feel the onus is on the people in positions of power to change things. We know what they need to do, its quite straightforward, but theyre not doing it. All I can focus on is trying to contribute to the kind of stories that I want to see and that I think should be told. When it comes to her future, though, Little has no desire to return to media any time soon. In an ideal world, shed finish up her Masters in Black British literature, alongside working on her next book and some TV and film projects she cant yet discuss. As we finish up our cold-busting teas, Littles thrill at her burgeoning creative career brims over. Sometimes, Im like: is this real? she asks. Indeed, it is and with her talents, discipline and contagiously optimistic outlook, theres no doubt that this is merely chapter one of her next success story. Rosewater is out now Voters overwhelmingly elected Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker to a second term. Parker, who ran on a platform of safe neighborhoods and growing the citys tax base through investments in education and economic development, declared victory shortly after early voting results were released. Parker had 69.4% of the vote to defeat challengers Jennifer Castillo, Adrian Devine Smith, Ken Bowens, Jr. and Alyson Kennedy. Parker, speaking at a campaign event, thanked her family, members of the City Council and her predecessor, former Mayor Betsy Price, who she credited with laying the groundwork for the citys success. As Fort Worth grows toward 1 million residents, the city needs to make sure it remains a great place to do business and raise a family, she said. Parker touted her record on public safety, pointing to a 13% drop in violent crime. The city has credited Neil Noakes #FortWorthSafe initiative for the decline. Parker received support from Fort Worths police and fire unions and held a large fundraising advantage over her opponents going into the final week of the campaign. Parker had over $400,000 in reserves compared to just $100 combined for her opponents. Only 42,245 people voted in Fort Worths mayoral election, according to unofficial results from Tarrant, Denton and Parker Counties. More people show up to a sold out TCU football game than vote in city of Fort Worth elections, said Emily Farris, an associate professor in political science at TCU. She attributed the low number the election being in May, the lack of a competitive mayoral race, and the lack of partisan party identification. Partisan identity is a shortcut that voters use to know which candidate to support, she said. In low information elections, like city council, the lack of a partisan cue really raises the required effort of a voter to understand the candidates. There were also fewer candidates on the ballot in 2023 than the 2021 general election, said former Fort Worth city council member Cary Moon. There were 59 candidates running for eight council seats plus the mayor compared to 33 candidates running in the current election. Story continues Fewer candidate means less money is being spent on the campaign, so youre going to get lower turnout, he said. Former mayor Betsy Price, who helped found the civic engagement nonprofit Steer Fort Worth to boost participation among younger voters, said the city needs to do more to get residents more active. If people dont vote, theyre going to get what they dont vote for, she said. Incumbent Arlington city council members were able to hold onto their seats, with all three contested members winning their reelection bids, according to unofficial results Saturday night. Council members representing District 3, District 4 and District 8 handily won their elections. Council member Rebecca Boxall was unopposed in District 5 seat. District 3 Incumbent Nikkie Hunter, who works in health care management,won a second term with 58.3% of the vote to Marvin Suttons 41.7%. Sutton, a retired air traffic controller, previously represented the district. He did not seek reelection to the seat in 2021 after deciding to instead run for Arlington mayor. Sutton also ran for Tarrant County judge as a Democrat in 2022, but lost in the primary. Hunter, in a Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire, said her top priorities for the district include safe neighborhoods, low taxes and addressing issues in the district like streets, traffic and crime. Suttons priorities were sustainable infrastructure and smart economic development growth, as well as community-enhanced public safety and neighborhood services. District 4 In East Arlington, incumbent Andrew Piel defeated dog walker and sitter Chris Dobson 77.4% to 22.6% with all vote centers reporting. Piel was first elected to the seat in 2019. Piel did not return a questionnaire, but his website lists lowering property taxes, supporting police and fiscal responsibility among his priorities. Dobson priorities included increasing the transparency, ethical standards and professionalism of the council, according to his Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire. Dobson said he wants improved community control of city programs and to ensure resources are directed at needs rather than wants. District 8 Incumbent Barbara Odom-Wesley, who was first elected in 2019, won against David Mosby for in the at-large seat with 59.9% of the vote to Mosbys 40.1%, with all vote centers reporting. Odom-Wesley, a retired professor, said priorities for Arlington include promoting healthy communities, elevating health literacy and expanding public transportation, according to her Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire. Mosbys priorities included lowering violent crime, lowering property taxes and evaluating apartment construction applications. A new concern has emerged for a group of citizens including doctors in Madera the license for their communitys shuttered hospital is set to expire on May 26. The Madera Community Hospital closed its doors in January and filed for bankruptcy in March. Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, who is a specialist in cardiovascular disease, said the hospital owes a license fee of $100,000 before the license expires in the next three weeks. According to a license detail search on the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, the effective date for the Madera Community Hospital license was May 27, 2022 and its set to expire on May 26. The license status is currently listed as suspense. Ashraf said if the hospital loses its license, potential investors wont be interested in buying it and reopening its much-needed facilities. If we lose the license, were gone, Ashraf told The Bee. Ashraf said he and other doctors and community members have been concerned over the licensing issue. If the hospital lost its license, he said, it would have to start over in applying for a new license. The requirements are so stringent, he said, that it would take at least a year to get the license. Its a very lengthy process. Riley Walter, the bankruptcy attorney for the Madera hospital, agreed that if the hospital license expires it will make the situation more difficult. Walter said regulators promised to do everything to help, so we will see. There is no doubt reopening will be more costly if the license expires, he told The Bee. MCH is making effort to have interested parties either support an extension or put up the money for the license. The state could be helpful in extending the deadline. Walter said it would be harder to reopen the hospital under the same rules before the loss of license. Ashraf, and others who are worried about the Madera hospital losing its license, said there are four potential options, and they hope one of them will work out. They hope that either the state will provide a 90-day extension for the license; or that the $100,000 licensing fee can be paid through the hospitals bankruptcy process; or that the state will waive the fee for at least six months; or that private citizens, including local doctors, will pitch in to raise the needed $100,000 in time to pay the licensing fee. Story continues The state has to do something, Ashraf said. People are dying. Since the closure of the Madera hospital, two of Ashrafs patients with heart problems have died. One of the patients died en route to a hospital in Fresno and the other one died waiting for an ambulance at a Madera nursing home. In addition to Ashrafs patients deaths, at least two other adult patients have died at Valley Childrens Hospital since January after being transported to the childrens hospital because it was the closest receiving hospital in the absence of an acute care hospital in Madera. Responses from legislators office, governors office Alexis Xochitl Manzanilla, communications director and legislative aide for Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, said as long as Assembly Bill/Senate Bill 112 is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state will take into account extending the license and providing financial assistance to the hospital. Soria shares their concerns, Manzanilla said of the Madera citizens including Ashraf, and is working with the governor to find a solution to this licensing issue. AB/SB 112, which would create an emergency loan program with $150 million available for hospitals experiencing financial hardship across the state, was approved in both legislative houses last week. In February, Soria introduced AB 412 to establish the emergency loan program, but it was included into AB/SB 112 to speed up the process. The piece of legislation is now pending Newsoms approval and signature. The Governors Office referred questions to state health officials who handle hospital licensing. A spokesperson with the California Department of Public Health said the department intends to work with the Madera hospital regarding its state license as they work to identify a potential partner to reopen the hospital. But the spokesperson would not say if an extension will be granted. Ashraf said Trinity Health, owner and operator of Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, has already received $8 million through the Madera hospitals bankruptcy process. Trinity Health had made a $15.4 million loan to the Madera hospital, making it the largest creditor in the bankruptcy. They (Saint Agnes) wanted their money first, Ashraf said, before any other creditor got paid, which is why he and others are hoping the state will come to the rescue with the $100,000 licensing fee for the Madera hospital. But even if the license issue is cleared, then theres the hospital certification that would need to be addressed. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services certifies health care facilities for payments related to Medicare and Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California. It wasnt immediately clear on Sunday what the certification status for the Madera hospital is or if it has been terminated. Mage, largely overlooked and little discussed, worked his magic and captured the garland of roses at the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023. Here are some facts to know about this racing wizard. What were Mages odds? Mage went off with 15-1 odds at post time, and was considered somewhat of a long shot given his inexperience though he was not to be dismissed. The chestnut colt previously finished wire-to-wire at Gulfstream Park in late January, and finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth. Mage just missed the mark in the Florida Derby, finishing second behind Forte. But at the Kentucky Derby, Forte scratched, along with four other contenders, a dynamic that no doubt weighed in Mages favor. According to a news release from Keeneland, its 2021 September Yearling Sale produced the first three finishers Saturday Mage, Two Phils and Angel of Empire. He is the 24th horse sold by Keeneland to win the Kentucky Derby. Among Mages fans are players of the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons, who lit up social media with their support. Who was his jockey? Javier Castellano. According to NBC News, hes a native of Venezuela and was at a loss for words after his Kentucky Derby win Saturday. Hes (Mage) got a lot of heart, Castellano told NBC moments after crossing the finish line. Hes a little horse but (has) a big heart. Who is his owner? Mages ownership is shared between OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Streling Racing and CMNWLTH, according to Keeneland. Part-owner Restrepo grew up in a family of racing enthusiasts and calls South Floridas Thoroughbred tracks his playground, according to a profile by the Miami Herald. Ahead of the race Saturday, Restrepo told the Miami Herald winning the Kentucky Derby is his childhood dream. This is everything to me, Restrepo said. What was the payout for Mage? The payout for Mage, based on a $2 bet, is $32.42 for a win, $14.58 for a place and $9.08 for a show. Story continues A $2 exacta bet for Mage and second-place finisher Two Phils is $330.44. A $1 trifecta bet for the top three finishers is $982.36, and a $1 superfecta for Mage, Two Phils, Angel of Empire and fourth place Disarm is $15,643.60. Mages career earnings now, post-Kentucky Derby win, are $2,107,200, according to Equibase. Whats his pedigree? Mage was sired by Good Magic, who is a son of Curlin. Curlin was at one time the highest-earning Thoroughbred in North America. He finished his career with a record $10.5 million in earnings, according to the National Museum of Horse Racing. Mages father Good Magic is a successful stud, siring a slate of winners, according to TwinSpires. Mages grandsire Big Brown through his mothers line is notable in his own right with a successful racing career, according to TwinSpires. Mages magic in 2023 Kentucky Derby brightens a dark week for horse racing Kentucky Derby 2023 complete order of finish and payoffs at Churchill Downs Congrats to all the wizards. Social media abuzz after Mage wins Kentucky Derby 2023 Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela After what had been a dark week at Churchill Downs, a Venezuelan victory burst through the clouds to brighten Kentucky Derby 149. Following in the footsteps of 1971 Kentucky Derby winner Canonero II from Venezuela, Mage was the surprise winner of the 2023 Run for the Roses, accelerating in mid-stretch to give veteran Venezuelan trainer Gustavo Delgado and 45-year-old Venezuelan jockey Javier Castellano each their first Kentucky Derby victories. Im very, very happy, said Delgado, who came to America to train in South Florida eight years ago. Im happy for Javier, for my team, for Mage, for my owner, for my family. The son of 2018 Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic finished a length ahead of Two Phils, with Angel of Empire running third. Disarm ran fourth. At odds of 15-1, Mage paid $32.42 to win, $14.58 to place and $9.08 to show. Two Phils paid $10.44 and $6.52. Angel of Empire paid $4.70. A $2 exacta paid $330.44. A 50-cent trifecta paid $491.18. Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNLWTH. He is out of the mare Puca by 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. He was a $235,000 purchase by New Team at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale who was re-sold to Omega Investments for $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Years-Old in Training Sale in 2022. Like Triple Crown winner Justify in 2018, Mage was unraced at age 2. He broke his maiden Jan. 28 at Gulfstream before finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4 and second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby when he was passed near the wire by 2-year-old champion Forte. Alas, Forte was not among the 18 Kentucky Derby runners on Saturday. Owned by Mike Repole and St. Elias Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher, the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Derby was scratched on the morning of the race the first morning-line favorite to do so since I Want Revenge in 2009 by the state veterinarian for a bruised right foot. Story continues Forte was the fifth Kentucky Derby entrant overall scratched from the race this year, the most since 1936. He joined Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move, Skinner, Continuar and Wood Memorial winner Lord Miles as entries sidelined before the race. Lord Miles was scratched after trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was suspended indefinitely by Churchill Downs after two from Josephs stable were euthanized following races at the track. Parent Pride collapsed last Saturday. Chasing Artie collapsed on Tuesday. The week before the race, Sunland Park Derby winner Wild On Ice was euthanized after suffering a training accident. Two more horses were euthanized on Derby Day. Chloes Dream was put down after the second race. Freezing Point was euthanized after being injured in the Pat Day Mile. That brought the number of horses who have died at the track this meet to seven in just over a week. As for the Derby, Delgado entered 0-for-2 in the race. He had finished 18th with Majesto in 2016 and and 13th with Bodexpress in 2019. Trainer Gustavo Delgado is congratulated by his connections after Mage won the Kentucky Derby. Delgado earned his first Derby win in his third try. Javier Castellano, aboard Mage, and his connections celebrate their win in the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. And before Saturday, Castellano was 0-for-15 in the Derby. His best finish was third aboard Audible in 2018. As well, Castellano had ridden Mage in the Fountain of Youth but lost the Florida Derby mount to fellow jockey Luis Saez, who opted to ride Tapit Trice in the Derby. Winner of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Tapit Trice and Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire traded spots all day on the tote board for the honor of being race-time favorite. But while Angel of Empire made a late charge to finish third for trainer Brad Cox, Tapit Trice ran seventh for Pletcher. The duo of Japanese-bred horses did not live up to their pre-race billing in front of 150,335 at Churchill Downs. UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake ran seventh while Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero was a disappointing 12th. Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns, who like Mage had run in just three previous starts, finished 14th for Pletcher out of the 18 horses in the race. Mage actually missed the break from the gate, but made up ground under Castellano, who took his time throughout before finally winning the race he always wanted to win. Sometimes, you feel embarrassed when you ride so many times and dont see the results, Castellano said of the Derby, but I didnt give up. Gustavo Delgado Jr., who assists his father in training, said afterward he hoped Forte would recover from his injury. We faced Forte a couple of times and we respected the horse a lot going into the race, he said. Forte hopefully is going to be fine and well face him again later down the line. With the events of the last week, however, there is no getting around the hard truth that Thoroughbred horse racing is in a rough spot with the general public right now, attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. At least in this Kentucky Derby, Venezuelan connections brought nothing but smiles. Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela Kentucky Derby 2023 complete order of finish and payoffs at Churchill Downs Congrats to all the wizards. Social media abuzz after Mage wins Kentucky Derby 2023 The Kentucky Derby 2023 favorite scratched on race-day morning. Has that happened before? Another two horses die after Churchill Downs races, this time on Kentucky Derby Day Rapper Jack Harlow shares pick for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Heres the horses odds Im at a loss for words. Codys Wish adds another chapter to inspiring story on Derby Day. Mage rallied to a victory Saturday at the scratch-filled 149th Kentucky Derby, bringing trainer Gustavo Delgado and jockey Javier Castellano their first garland of roses. Capping a sad and tumultuous week at famed Churchill Downs, Mage a grandson of 2007 Preakness champ Curlin and 2008 Derby winner Big Brown stayed close to the lead throughout before finding a second wind down the stretch at Churchill Downs. Mage had raised eyebrows with an impressive second-place finish at the Florida Derby five weeks ago, in a race won by Forte, who was scratched ahead of Saturday's running. Hes [Mage] got a lot of heart," Castellano said moments they crossing the finish line. "Hes a little horse but [has] a big heart. Delgado, who, like Castellano, is a native of Venezuela, could barely speak after his horse won. When I come to the United States, my first dream [was] go to the Kentucky Derby! Delgado said as a member of his entourage joyously waved a Venezuelan flag behind him. Two Phil's took the lead shortly after the far turn and appeared to be in winning position as the crowded field turned for home. That's when Mage hit the accelerator, surged from the middle of the track to overtake Two Phil's and win by a length. "When he started making his move I felt really confident," said assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr., Delgados son. "When Javier started to ask him, I knew he would sustain that move." Mage went off at 15-1, the eighth most popular pick of bettors in the field of 18. A $2 win bet returned a $32.42 payoff. If Mage seeks the Triple Crown, his next race will be in Baltimore, where the 148th running of the Preakness is set for May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. The Belmont Stakes, the final jewel of horse racing's holy trinity, is set for June 10, just outside New York City. The Derby went off under a cloud Saturday at Churchill Downs, as seven horses have died there in the past week, including Derby hopeful Wild On Ice. Story continues In Saturday's second race, 3-year-old Chloes Dream suffered a right knee injury and was euthanized, trainer Jeff Hiles told The Associated Press. Then, in Race 8, Freezing Point suffered a left ankle injury and was put down, trainer Joe Lejzerowicz told the AP. The deaths led to the indefinite suspension of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in what Churchill Downs Inc. called the highly unusual sudden deaths of two of his horses. Joseph-trained Lord Miles had been scheduled to run in the Derby but was scratched because of the suspension. The deaths renewed concerns about the sport's safety record and treatment of horses. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a long-time critic of horse racing, said this week that thoroughbreds "don't consent" to their careers as racers and are "forced to sprint often under the threat of whips and even illegal electric-shocking devices at speeds so fast that they frequently sustain injuries and even hemorrhage from the lungs." Hours before the race, morning-line favorite Forte was scratched because of a bruised right foot. Forte was the fifth horse forced to withdraw late from the race. There hadn't been so many Derby scratches since 1936, when five entrants pulled out just before the race. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Mage wins the 149th Kentucky Derby in 2023. Sam Mallon/Getty Images The "Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports" lived up to its name on Saturday, as Mage won the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. A three-year-old colt, Mage went into the race with 15-1 odds. He was able to cross the finish line first with a time of 2:01.57 under jockey Javier Castellano, winning by a length following a push into the stretch. Having won the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Mage will now look to the Preakness Stakes. Mage's victory comes after a series of controversies have stricken the past few Derbys, and this year's festivities as well. The favorite of the race, Forte, was scratched with a bruised foot the morning of the race, a devastating blow to the horse who was ranked a 3-to-1 favorite to win the Run for the Roses. A series of deaths also plagued the Derby before the race, with two other horses, Chloe's Dream and Freezing Point, being euthanized following injuries. The pair became the sixth and seventh horses to have died at Churchill Downs recently. Beyond these deaths, renewed calls for investigations into doping with Thoroughbred horse racing have also come to light. This is especially true following the death of Medina Spirit, a 2021 Kentucky Derby racer, who succumbed to a heart attack seven months after winning the race. Medina Spirit had originally won that year's Derby, but had his victory disqualified after failing a post-race drug test. The horse's trainer, Bob Baffert, was also banished from the sport for two years. One fan who was attending this year's race told The Associated Press, "There's something going on. They need to find out, and set some rules and regulations to protect these animals." A new set of regulatory rules for anti-doping are set to be implemented on May 22. You may also like Wagner's Prigozhin posts graphic, profanity-filled video blaming Russia's military for his dead mercenaries Why are American students failing history? Colombia's 'cocaine hippos': A problem too big to ignore A Lowell man armed with a box cutter was arrested for assault and threatening to kill guests at a Tewksbury motel on Saturday night, police said. Justin Maryland, 47, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, threatening to commit a crime (murder) and disorderly conduct, Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus said in a statement Sunday. On Saturday, at approximately 8:30 p.m., police received a report of a man yelling, waiving a box cutter around and threatening to kill people in the parking lot of a motel at 95 Main St. Responding officers quickly located the man, later identified as Maryland, and ordered him to stop, Columbus said. When Maryland did not comply, officers tried to de-escalate the situation by keeping their distance and repeating their commands while aiming a department-issued Taser at Maryland, who eventually complied and was handcuffed, Columbus said. Officers found a box cutter in Marylands jacket pocket. He was taken into custody without further incident. This was outstanding work to bring this man safely into custody by de-escalating this incident, said Columbus. Im grateful, due to the officers quick response and actions, that no one was hurt during this incident. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW TALUQAN, Afghanistan, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A drug smuggler has been arrested in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province with 100 kg of illicit drugs discovered in his possession, an official with Border Security Force said on Sunday. The drugs included 50 kg of opium poppy, according to official Mohammad Akram, adding that the alleged smuggler was attempting to take the contraband out of the province but police identified and arrested him in Cha Ab district on Saturday. In similar operations, the security forces discovered 2,850 kg of hashish in the southern Uruzgan province last week. The Afghan caretaker government banned the cultivation of illegal crops, including poppy, their processing to drugs and drug trafficking in April last year. A Volusia County jury found a man guilty of six counts of attempted second murder on a law enforcement officer. Joseph Calvin Jaynes II had a standoff with Daytona Beach SWAT in 2021. In October 2021, Daytona Beach Police were investigating a possible break-in when they heard gunshots from the woods behind a home on Piccadilly Drive. Police said they noticed a garage door was left open. They cleared the residence, and when they came out of the house, they heard a shot fired. Body camera video shows when officers found Jaynes in a nearby wood line. He began pointing his rifle and shooting at the officers. Read: Outlet mall shooting: Police confirm 8 deaths; gunman also killed Police Chief Jakari Young said Jaynes got into a nearly six-hour standoff with officers and was shot in the leg. SWAT officers were able to arrest Jaynes outside his vehicle. No officers were injured in the shooting. Read: Florida lawmakers pass bill allowing radioactive material to be built into Florida roads The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the case. The oftentimes deadly and always disturbing trend of attacking our Law Enforcement Officers continues, State Attorney R.J. Larizza said of the case. We cannot and will not tolerate attempts to murder our brothers and sisters in uniform. There is only one appropriate sentence. The defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison. Jaynes is set to be sentenced on May 12. Read: 16-year-old boy dead after shooting at Texas after-prom party 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. A man is dead after his vehicle crashed into a utility pole in Indiana County. Pennsylvania state police say Richard Toy, 54, was driving in his 2014 Honda Civic on Route 422 in Armstrong Township when he experienced a medical emergency. They say he crashed into the guard rail and rode against it before his car hit a utility pole head-on. He was taken to a local medical center and was pronounced dead. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Teenager found fatally shot between 2 houses in Homestead Scratch-off ticket worth $3 million sold at local Shop n Save King Charles III coronation live updates: Coronation public ceremony ends VIDEO: Number of books being challenged, banned in schools, libraries is growing DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Washington State Patrol announced Sunday that a guilty verdict was reached in the fatal 2019 drive-by shooting on State Route 509 near Seattles South Park neighborhood. The shooting killed 20-year-old James Andrew Richardson III, an up-and-coming rapper who went by the name Tanaa Money. On Friday, 23-year-old Emilio Pay-Pay of Tacoma was found guilty of first-degree murder. Ali Sharif, 21, of Seattle, pleaded guilty last month to first-degree manslaughter, WSP said. Aden Mohamed, 28, of Seattle, is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting extradition to the United States to face murder charges. The three men were charged with first-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in September 2021. The deadly shooting happened on the night of Dec. 29, 2019. Troopers said someone in a car fired into the victims car, which had two men inside and was in the HOV lane. The driver, identified as Richardson, was shot in the face, causing the car to hit the Jersey barrier on the left shoulder. The passenger was not hurt. Troopers said Richardson was treated at the scene and then taken to Harborview Medical Center. He was taken off life support the next morning. Court documents state the defendants engaged in extremely dangerous and lethal behavior that further enflamed a dispute that apparently erupted over the filming of a video. The three men are known to be a part of the Holly Park street gang, according to documents. Pay-Pay was identified as the driver of the vehicle, and Mohamed and Sharif were the ones who fired the rounds out of the car, court records state. 7 people were killed and 6 more were injured after a car crashed into pedestrians outside a migrant shelter in Texas. Police have one male suspect in custody and are investigating if it was intentional. The victims were mostly men from Venezuela, according to the shelter's director. Seven people died and six more were injured on Sunday after a man drove his car into a group of pedestrians standing near a shelter for migrants and homeless people in Brownsville, Texas, a community on the Mexican border. According to ABC News, police have a male suspect in custody in connection to the crash who is being tested for alcohol and drug use. Martin Sandoval, a Brownsville Police Department investigator, told the local ABC affiliate that they are investigating whether the crash was intentional. Victor Maldonado, shelter director for the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center where the crash happened, told The Associated Press that he watched security camera video of the crash. He said it shows a bus stop near the shelter that is not marked and has no bench, so the victims were sitting along the curb. The Ozanam Center is the only overnight shelter in Brownsville and Maldonado said in the past few months they have been receiving about 250 to 380 migrants per day. Most of the victims in the crash were Venezuelan men, according to Maldonado. Emergency personnel respond to a fatal collision in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Several migrants were killed after they were struck by a vehicle while waiting at a bus stop near Ozanam Center, a migrant and homeless shelter The Associated Press Asylum seekers and other migrants from South America have flooded the southern border in recent months and years as they flee gang violence and other threats to their lives in their home countries. US Customs and Border Protection reported that in March, the number of "unique individuals" encountered at the border was more than 120,000, up from about 100,000 people in February. In April, US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said CBP apprehended more than 22,000 people in one 72-hour period. The influx comes as the federal government is set to adopt a new regulation on May 11 that will deny asylum to migrants who pass through another country on their way to the United States without seeking protection elsewhere first, or who use illegal paths to enter the United States. Story continues The migrant crisis is a highly-politicized problem in the United States. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made a spectacle of busing migrants from Texas to northern cities like Chicago and New York, Insider previously reported. The Brownsville Police Department did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Sunday, but the police spokesperson said more information about the incident would be posted soon to the police department's Facebook page. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read the original article on Insider How many flags are too many at official government buildings? For Fresno County District 2 Supervisor Steve Brandau, the lack of a formal policy for county buildings provides the potential for things to get out of hand. Thats why hes bringing a proposal to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to limit flag-flying on county properties to just two. Brandau is offering an amendment to Fresno Countys ordinance code to allow only the American flag the familiar Stars and Stripes and the official California state bear flag to be flown on flagpoles at all county facilities, both those owned by Fresno County and those that the county leases. Brandau, who served on the Fresno City Council before he was elected to the county board in a 2019 special election, said he wanted to head off potential controversy that could result from Fresno County having no formal flag policy. The city of Fresno frequently flies a variety of flags on the poles in front of City Hall to commemorate special dates, events, cultures and nations, including the recent raising of the Armenian flag to recognize the Armenian genocide. Other flags that have been flown on flagpoles at City Hall at various times have included Mexicos flag to commemorate that nations independence day in September; the rainbow Pride flag to recognize the LGBTQ+ community; the Juneteenth flag commemorating the freedom of African American slaves in Texas in 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation; and the POW/MIA flag to remember military prisoners of war and service members who remain missing in action. Some of those banners, however, are not without controversy. I have seen the contentiousness that comes from picking and choosing winners and losers in flag-raising and related ceremonies, both locally and across the country, Brandau told The Fresno Bee. The county currently has no guiding ordinance or direction on this issue. Story continues I have had many conversations about this in recent years, he added. Almost everybody I have spoken to feels that the American flag and the state of California flag are enough on government buildings. If the ordinance introduction is approved on Tuesday, it would return for a final vote at a later meeting, most likely on May 23. The policy would officially take effect 30 days after final approval. The ordinance would apply to any county offices, yards, landmarks or parks. There have been increasing numbers of controversies over specialty flags being flown at government buildings at the local, state and national level, Brandau wrote in a memo to his board colleagues. Some agencies have been accused of promoting divisive and ideologically motivated speech on public property. Other agencies have been input in the unenviable role of picking and choosing winners among potential flag raising events. An incident has yet to occur at a Fresno County facility, he added, but the county does not have a formal flag policy in place. Brandy Winfields family smiles next to a plaque at the entrance to the Brandy Winfield OPOTA Classroom at the dedication. The memory of a fallen deputy sheriff lives on. Marion Technical College recently named its Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) classroom in honor of Deputy Brandy Winfield, an alumnus who was killed in the line of duty. Thank you for bestowing this honor on Brandy. He was so special to us, said his widow, Sara Winfield. In addition to his mother, his brother, and his two sons, many members of the community remembered Winfields heart, dedication and hard work. I had the honor and privilege of working with the Winfield family, said Sheriff Matt Bayles. Oct. 14, 2004, changed my life and the lives of law enforcement officers in Marion County. That was the day that Winfield was shot investigating a report of a disabled vehicle. He was just 29 years old. Brandy was a tenacious worker, who loved being in law enforcement. He loved catching thieves. He loved helping people, Bayles said. He had an even greater love for his wife and kids. Many people donated to the fund to name the classroom in Winfields honor, including his elementary school art teacher. While she remembers young students causing chaos, Winfield stood out. One little guy sat and watched, did his best, and listened. He did it every week, said Connie Brown. I have always remembered him because he was so outstanding. Another instructor in high school and at the Marion Technical College law enforcement academy remembered being one of many teachers impressed with Winfield being prepared, punctual and a class leader who volunteered and won many contests among cadets. Bayles said as an officer, Winfield took all the training he could to improve his skills. Winfield was also remembered for his sense of humor, his mischievous smile, infectious laugh and love of jokes. Winfields son, Landon, is graduating from the academy this spring and attends the classroom named in his fathers honor. Brandy Winfield is an example to all of our cadets, said Greg Perry, commander of the academy and director of law and criminal justice at Marion Tech. Story continues The Marion community has been so generous in supporting this memorial, said Mike Stuckey, director of the Marion Technical College Foundation. Generous donations from the community have raised $14,352 for the $20,000 goal. Marion Tech is still accepting donations for the Winfield fund, which will support training and fitness equipment for the law enforcement academy. To make a donation, go to bit.ly/Give-To-Next and designate the Winfield fund. For more information, go to mtc.edu. This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Technical College, community honor slain officer Witnesses have described the horrific scenes when a gunman opened fire at a Texas outlet mall killing eight and wounding another seven victims. Survivors recalled the gunman, who was reportedly dressed in black body armour, getting out of a silver car and firing into a crowd of people at the Allen Premium Outlets in the city of Allen. The AR-15-wielding gunman, who has not yet been named, was also shot and killed by police after the shocking incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon. APTOPIX Mall Shooting Texas (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Seven people died at the scene and two more were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd told reporters on Saturday night. Shoppers detailed the chaotic scenes as people ran for their lives when the shooting started at around 3.36pm CT. Abu Akther told FOX4 Dallas that he was with his wife and one-year-old child when he heard gunshots and grabbed a woman who said she had been shot and got her to safety in a store. He described the situation as mayhem and panic as he tried to help the victim who had been shot in the side. Mall Shooting Texas (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Thats when she said, I dont know why I am shot. What is going on? And I saw blood pouring out of her stomach, said Mr Akther. Allen resident Steven Spainhouer was not at the mall when the shooting unfolded but rushed to the scene after his son, who was working at an H&M store in the outlet, called him. He described desperately trying to perform CPR on several victims and said he saw several children among the dead. I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people, Mr Spainhouer told CBS News. The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face. Armed law enforcement at shooting at Texas outlet mall (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Another man, who was not named, described the terrible sight at the scene of the shooting. I had my headphones on and then I heard boom, boom, boom, loud shots, he said. Bodies, like under white covers. Story continues We started running. Kids were getting trampled. My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents, pretzel stand worker Maxwell Gum told The Associated Press. He described a virtual stampede of terrified shoppers and said that he sheltered in a storage room at the mall. Kingsley Ezeh told CNN that she saw a male victim holding his neck, and that blood (was) just dripping down. She added: I turned around and I saw two ladies rushing towards me, and then one was like, Someones shooting! Someones shooting. Mall shooting in Allen, Texas (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Witness Kimberly Blake told the outlet that the shooting happened over and over and over again. It was nonstop. Elaine Penicaro told FOX4 Dallas that she had been outside the malls Converse store with her daughter when she heard all this popping. We kind of all just stopped, and then a second later, just Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, and there were sparks flying like it was right in front of us, she said. Sandra McKinley and her 13-year-old son, Ryan, huddled for safety inside the American Eagle store. We heard what we thought were fireworks, and then people running, she recalled. I think a lot of us were hoping, like, this isnt really happening, you know? In recent years, weve seen growing recognition and appreciation for what Ive witnessed during my three decades as a mental health professional and behavioral health executive our mental health is directly linked to our physical health, and vice versa. If youve ever experienced stress, anxiety, grief, or depression, youve likely felt the toll it can take on your body. More than happiness, mental well-being impacts a deeper sense of purpose and potential, our ability to genuinely flourish. When we connect with and care for others, and are cared about by others, were more likely to reach an overall positive and hopeful emotional state driven by a sense of belonging and satisfaction with life, work, and relationships. It also means having capacity to handle and adapt to lifes stressors, which is good for the mind and body. At Florida Blue we believe there is no health without mental health, and this guides how we support the people and communities we serve. People with depression have a 40 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular and other diseases according to an article in the nationally recognized Lancet health and science journal, and those with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions. The interdependence of physical and mental well-being is driving changes to the health care eco-system, where mental health screening is being integrated with primary care so we can understand and deliver personalized care for the whole person, including their social and cultural needs. One person dies every three minutes in the United States from alcohol, drugs, or suicide according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in five adults and one in six youth experience a mental health episode in any given year, and these statistics are getting worse. We dont have enough psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers to treat current demand, and are facing a significant behavioral health workforce shortage over the next decade. To improve access to a trusted professional, we must not only reduce the wait times for appointments, but also combat the stigma surrounding mental illness. Unfortunately, due to those stigmas, it can take a staggering five to 15 years for someone in need to reach out for help and during that time, a persons physical and mental well-being is negatively impacted. While these figures sound alarming, theres help. At Florida Blue were more than a health insurance company; were a health solutions company. Thats why weve recently added hundreds of mental health providers to our network and improved both virtual and in person access to care. Weve acquired a majority stake in a leading behavioral health company thats using technology to connect people quickly to mental health support and resources. Through the Florida Blue Foundation, weve also provided 46 grants totaling $15.3 million to organizations across Florida to help improve access to and quality of mental health services, particularly for underserved and uninsured communities. Were partnering with community nonprofits such as Childrens Home Society of Florida in Pensacola, which provides counseling in hundreds of schools, homes, offices and online wherever children and families are most comfortable. These innovative and local collaborations accelerate convenient neighborhood access to culturally relevant mental health counseling, and empower people to find meaning, joy, and purpose. Recently, 700 people gathered for our annual Community Health Symposium and Sapphire Awards which focused this year on improving mental health access and well-being. Organizations and individuals shared ideas for supporting children, seniors, employees, and each other. Our Foundation awarded nine grants for innovative and successful work to improve mental well-being in Florida. Locally, Connie Bookman, a licensed clinical social worker and founder and CEO of Pathways for Change, was a first- place winner and received a $100,000 award to support her organization. Pathways for Change is nonprofit that provides mental health, social services, and re-entry support for those who have served time in prison. Bookman has long focused on providing practical, life, health, and vocational skills to individuals in need while preserving each person's dignity and hope for a better future. Reimagining health care will require new and creative partnerships with organizations inside and outside of health care to improve the overall well-being of individuals of all ages in our community. By working together, we can make lasting changes that increase access and meet the unique needs of our community members. As neighbors, leaders, family members, and as individuals, we must recognize that whole-person health includes mind and body. Recognizing, appreciating, and addressing both the physical and mental needs were facing now and in the future is the only way well truly flourish. Dr. Nick Dewan is vice-president of behavioral health for GuideWell and Florida Blue. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Mental well-being drives our ability to flourish | Guestview SAN SALVO, Italy Jonathan Milan sprinted to victory in a crash-affected finale of Stage 2 at the Giro dItalia, while pre-race favorite Remco Evenepoel held on to the leaders pink jersey. It is Milans first Grand Tour and the 22-year-old Italian punched his fist in the air in delight as he crossed the line. The Bahrain Victorious rider edged out David Dekker and Kaden Groves in a bunch sprint at the end of the 126-mile route from Teramo to San Salvo. Its something that is incredible, Im without words, Milan said. I cannot believe it because its my first Giro, second stage. Yesterday I did a nice time trial, I was quite happy, I was pushing good but I could never imagine that today was coming a victory. Mads Pedersen and Mark Cavendish, two of the riders who would have hoped to contest the sprint, were caught up in a crash near the end. That came shortly before the three-kilometer mark and so also caused time gaps in the general classification. Evenepoel finished safely in the peloton to maintain his 22-second advantage over Filippo Ganna, with Joao Almeida seven seconds further back. Everything was pretty fine, said Evenepoel, who rides for Soudal Quick-Step. We were in the front so we were out of trouble but it was a pretty nasty crash I think. I actually saw it happen so we know who we actually can blame for this crash, but thats racing it wasnt a nice move so luckily we stayed out of trouble and arrived safe. Evenepoel had stormed to victory in the opening time trial. Primoz Roglic, who is considered Evenepoels strongest challenger, was 43 seconds behind the Belgian. There was an early breakaway in the opening road stage of the race as Paul Lapeira, Thomas Champion, Mattia Bais, Stefano Gandin and Alessandro Verre got away from the start. Verre sat up shortly after the first of two category-four climbs and Lapeira dropped back to the peloton after the second. The rest of the breakaway were swept up not long after, with 24 miles remaining, and they gave each other fistbumps after a long time out front. Story continues Stage 3 is a 134-mile route from Vasto that features two categorized climbs before the uphill finish in Melfi. The Giro ends in Rome on May 28. Milan sprints to win crash-affected Giro dItalia Stage 2, Evenepoel leads originally appeared on NBCSports.com Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast Read also: Russia attacks Bakhmut with phosphorous munitions video Prigozhin said that he has already contacted representatives of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov for his tpurpose. This occurred after Prigozhin published a video showing rows of bodies he claims were once members of Wagner, in which he insulted the leadership of the Russian regular army Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, citing a shortage of 70% of ammunition. Will the Kadyrovites be able to establish themselves in a city that Russia has been unable to capture for at least 10 months instead of the Wagnerites? Military observer Denis Popovich shared his insights in an interview with Radio NV on May 7. To begin with Prigozhin, this is a continuation of his information war, his confrontation with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. This has been ongoing for months. This is a separate chapter in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Read also: Kadyrov says his men stand ready to replace Wagner troops in Bakhmut (The confrontation) has reached its peak. We heard the foul language directed at the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, his threat to leave Bakhmut. Immediately, Kadyrov picked up on this story. And this has escalated into a media battle between Prigozhin, Kadyrov, and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Kadyrov is now trying to take advantage of the situation. Everyone in Russia thinks that Bakhmut will soon fall. Why doesnt Kadyrov seize this opportunity and announce that his Akhmat fighters will capture Bakhmut? He hopes that they will be able to finish this business and take credit for capturing Bakhmut. The only thing that Kadyrov obviously underestimates is the current situation in Bakhmut. The TikTok soldiers, the Kadyrovites, are firstly the Rosgvardia (Russian National Guard), which is not intended for assault operations. However, it is precisely assault operations that are necessary in Bakhmut. Story continues Read also: Chechen fighters believe Russia may collapse sooner or later Secondly, they have different capabilities. The Wagner PMC attacked in cannon fodder waves and had no problems with recruitment for a time. Meanwhile, the Kadyrovites, who had not been seen on the front lines before, do not have the same opportunities. Thirdly, there is a different attitude toward the Kadyrovites and the Wagnerites in Russian society. Prigozhins information campaigns, media events, direct communication with journalists, and communication with readers on Telegram channels have created many supporters for him. There is now sympathy for Prigozhin and his activities not only among citizens of the Russian Federation, but also among officers and soldiers of the Russian army. Read also: Sobbing Kadyrovite scolded by wife for his tears after recounting how commander left him to die video Kadyrov is perceived very differently, which is why he greatly underestimates the situation that currently exists in Bakhmut. 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 ZAGREB, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Decoupling from China is neither viable nor desirable for Europe, which is a close economic and trade partner of China, said Kresimir Macan, a Croatian political analyst, in an interview with Xinhua. Macan echoed the statement of European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on April 18, when she declared that "decoupling is clearly not viable, desirable or even practical for Europe." During her speech, the EC president said China's international and economic status, as well as Europe's own interests, make it all the more important for Europe to properly manage its relations with China. Europe must "carve out our own distinct European approach that also leaves space for us to cooperate with other partners," she said. As Europe and China are close economic and trade partners, it is in the interests of Europe to take such a stand, Macan said, adding that both Europe and China need each other in economic and trade as well as international affairs. China was the largest source of EU imports and the third-largest buyer of EU goods in 2022, with total bilateral imports and exports reaching 856.3 billion euros (959.96 billion U.S. dollars), according to Eurostat, highlighting China's economic significance to Europe. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which broke out in February last year, and the COVID-19 pandemic have made China a more crucial trade partner to the EU. Macan hailed China's economic growth rate of 4.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, noting that the World Bank has raised China's economic growth rate to 5.1 percent in 2023, significantly higher than the bank's January forecast of 4.3 percent, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set China's GDP growth rate at 5.2 percent this year, a substantial increase from last year's 3 percent growth rate. In comparison, the IMF expects the global economic growth rate to drop from 3.4 percent in 2022 to 2.8 percent this year, and the U.S. economic growth rate is expected to slow down from 2.1 percent in 2022 to 1.6 percent this year and the EU down from 3.5 percent in 2022 to 0.8 percent this year. "The Chinese economy will continue to grow, and I think that the future of the Chinese economy is bright," Macan said, adding that China will remain as a locomotive of the world economy. Flags of Moldova The European Commission banned the imports of four Ukrainian products to five EU countries on May 2, citing severe logistical bottlenecks in processing those goods. Read also: Polish agriculture minister resigns amid anger over Ukrainian grain imports On May 6, Moldovan Agriculture Minister Vladimir Bolea informed his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solskyi that Chisinau intends to join the EU decision to impose temporary measures on imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower originating in Ukraine, while allowing their transit. At the meeting, Bolea explained to Solskyi that Moldova's storage facilities have a significant amount of grain, and this raises concerns among farmers that they will not have enough space for the new harvest. Read also: Ukraine sends notes to Poland and EU decrying restrictions on Ukrainian food imports "At the same time, the trend of domestic grain exports is downward, logistics costs have increased, and prices on international exchanges have collapsed," he added. Our farmers need to make the most efficient use of grain stocks and prepare for the new agricultural season. The Moldovan Minister of Agriculture emphasized that Chisinau stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people who have been subjected to Russian aggression and is ready to engage in a "constructive dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities" to address the problems of farmers in both countries. As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to strengthen the dialogue at the ministerial level to facilitate the exchange of information and develop ties with members of the agricultural community, the statement said. 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 Texas woman found the body of her 16-year-old daughter after tracking her phone to the bottom of a cliff. The grieving mother first became concerned when she couldnt find her daughter during pickup on Wednesday (3 May) at Keystone School, according to the San Antonio Police Department. The woman then tracked the teens phone to an area near the Heroes Stadium but was not immediately able to locate her. After reporting her missing to law enforcement, the teen was found unconscious at the bottom of a cliff by her mother on Thursday (4 May), local news station KSAT News reports. First responders attempted to perform CPR on her to no avail, and the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has since been identified as junior student Siri Reddy. Authorities have said that it is believed she died as a result of the injuries she sustained while falling from the hill. She was a member of the National Honor Society, an award-winning member of the schools Science Fair team, a member of the Upper School robotics team, and contributed to The Keynote, the high school said in a statement to KSAT. Last year, she sang Vedrai Carino by Mozart at Music Fest at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and she sang in the cast of the Upper School musical Grease. An investigation into Siris death is underway. Police are investigating after a multiple vehicle pile-up Saturday night on a Kansas City area highway left one motorcyclist in critical condition. Officers responded to reports of a collision at 11:02 p.m. near Interstate 435 and U.S Highway 152 heading west, according to Capt. Corey Carlisle, a spokesman for the police department. An investigation determined that a Chevrolet Malibu traveling west on the highway rear ended a Harley Street Glide, also driving west. The impact ejected the motorcyclist from their vehicle and left them lying in the middle of the road. Shortly after, the Chevrolet Malibu was rear ended by a Honda Civic. Another car, a Dodge Ram, attempted to stop just short of the crash, but was hit from behind by a Toyota Scion. A Ford Focus also traveling on the highway then collided with the motorcyclist still suffering from injuries in the middle of the roadway. The motorcyclist was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. The Chevrolet driver suffered injuries in the pile-up and was transported to an area hospital in stable condition. No one else was injured in the collision, according to Carlisle. The area of the highway near the crash, around Shoal Creek, remained closed for over two hours following the incident. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said a 12-week abortion ban passed by the state's legislature will effectively ban "many abortions altogether." "They've dressed this up as a 12-week abortion ban, but it's really not," the Democratic governor told "Face the Nation," referring to the state's Republican lawmakers. "They ran through a bill in 48 hours with no public input, with no amendments, that drastically reduces access to reproductive freedom for women. "It will effectively ban many abortions altogether, because of the obstacles that they have created for women, for clinics and for doctors." Transcript: Gov. Roy Cooper on Face the Nation Last week, North Carolina lawmakers approved a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy starting July 1, a change from the current 20 weeks. Cooper has vowed to veto the bill, but Republicans have a veto-proof majority in both chambers. The ban limits abortions to 20 weeks in cases of rape or incest and 24 weeks for "life-limited" fetal anomalies, including some physical or genetic disorders. There is still an exception for when the life of the mother is in danger. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on The bill also has more medical and paperwork requirements for women and physicians, including that women make an in-person visit to a medical professional at least 72 hours before the procedure. The current law allows the three-day waiting period to begin over the phone. There's also a requirement for a follow-up visit for women who have a medically-induced abortion, which could be difficult for women who travel from out of state to North Carolina. "For medication abortions, the bill specifically limits it to 10 weeks," Cooper said Sunday. "With more requirements put on clinics that are already strained with four-week backlogs of people North Carolina has become an access point in the Southeast and what this legislation is going to do is going to prevent many women from getting abortions at any time during their pregnancy because of the obstructions that they had put here." Story continues Cooper said "many" abortion clinics in the state "are going to have to close" because of the new requirements. When asked how he planned to stop Republicans from overriding his veto, he said just one Republican needs to keep their campaign promise. "At least four Republican legislators made promises to their constituents during this campaign that they were going to protect women's reproductive freedom," he said. "They only have a supermajority by one vote in the Senate and one vote in the House." Cooper said he planned to go to Republican-led districts this week to educate constituents on what the bill does. "We're not going to let them disguise this thing is something reasonable when it's not," he said. Russia launches airstrikes ahead of Ukraine's planned spring counteroffensive North Carolina governor says 12-week abortion ban effectively bans many abortions altogether Rep. Patrick McHenry says there are no "red lines" in debt ceiling negotiations Olha Komarova Read also: Three finalists shortlisted in the running for NABU Director NV: Transparent competitions are something that NABU takes great pride in. Many anti-corruption experts consider transparent competitive hiring procedures to be the main motivation for NABU employees. But it turns out that you can pass the competition, be summoned by the deputy head of NABU, and told that you wont be working there. Was that the case for you? Komarova: First of all, I want to explain what the competition itself is. Its a sacred process designed to prevent the organizations leaders from selecting convenient or inconvenient people, and instead choosing individuals based on their professional qualities, knowledge, and integrity. So, the competition is not just about passing an interview. It is a very long procedure that took over two months. I had 38 pages of documents alone to submit. This included filling out a declaration, taking exams on Ukrainian language proficiency, and a lot of documents that needed to be filled out. Then, there was testing on knowledge of legislation, which was done at the Bureau through computerized tests. And then, there was an interview and an additional test task. There were ten members of the commission at the interview. It was a huge number. It was my first time at an interview where representatives of the Bureau, representatives of the public council, and representatives of donors sat at the table and asked me questions to find out how professional I was. After that, I was informed that I had won, that I had become the winner of this competition, and that I would be recommended for hiring. And the integrity check procedure began, which was another lengthy procedure involving filling out questionnaires. (Naturally), when Polina Lysenko invited me, I sincerely thought it would be related to my appointment. Read also: Two senior Ministry of Defense officials now suspects in procurement scandal NV: I will clarify: Polina Lysenko is the deputy head of NABU. Komarova: I believed that this would be a conversation about when Id be starting the job and when to take the oath (of office), but she immediately started speaking in a very superficial tone. It was a conversation of someone who wants to show their power. She didnt directly ask me to refuse, but I perceived it as pressure to do so. She said that I would not work in the Bureau, and there were two options for how this would happen. Either the director simply wouldnt sign off on my appointment, or I would be appointed and fired the next day because the position would be eliminated due to a reorganization. Story continues This was shocking news for me, and I didnt take it very well. We started arguing right in the office, and I said everything to her face that I later wrote on Facebook. I gave her a warning and said that I had a different opinion because I was really looking forward to working there with a positive attitude. But it just shocked me. Read also: Top officials from Presidents Office, government and almost all MPs in no rush to return to reporting wealth I dont accept her argument that she had this conversation in a humane way at all. I perceive it as manipulation. After all, you can talk to your friends and acquaintances in a humane way. We have never met before. This is a civil servant, and civil servants have their own regulations, procedures, and mechanisms for everything. Of course, it would be more comfortable for her if I just took back my documents as there would be nothing to be solved in that case. However, I believe that it just so happened that I am a person who does not tolerate injustice. And, of course, I am an uncomfortable person for the civil service. I wouldnt have applied to just any agency. I applied to NABU because I believed that my qualities, such as zero tolerance for injustice, would be useful there. And, of course, I couldnt keep this in the public domain, so I told her about it. The first thing I did (after talking to her) was to call the detective from internal control who handled my case regarding my integrity check and inform him of all the circumstances that I reveal publicly. NV: And what did he say to you? Komarova: Actually, he didnt say anything to me. He was in some kind of stupor. He said that he couldnt say anything to me right now and that we need to figure this situation out, so there was no specific information. I told him that I was ready to provide all the necessary explanations if there was an internal investigation or something else, like writing a statement, but I havent received that sort of request yet. The only people who contacted me were the Council of Public Control, who tried to find out the circumstances of what happened. They later made a statement. I havent had any contact with NABU employees regarding the resolution of this situation. From the public comments of both the director and his deputy, I can see that they decided to eliminate this position and not communicate it further. NV: Do you think they really started this reorganization irresponsibly and non-transparently, and you just got caught up in it, and you had to explain yourself somehow? Or do you interpret this as an unwillingness to take someone elses person? Komarova: Im convinced that this is their way of forming their own team under their control. Based on the information I have, I almost have no doubts about it. Read also: Vasyl Malyuk and Ihor Klymenko: what you should know about the newly-appointed head of the SBU and Minister of Internal Affairs My assumption is that they will start eliminating [positions] now, beginning with the administrative staff. They may cut communication to some departments, leaving only technical staff, demote some people, and perhaps just fire others. They will then hire political technologists and PR specialists with money from donors, with whom they will work. They are comfortable working with them because they do not fall under the category of civil servants, and there are no restrictions [on them], while everything [else] is heavily regulated. What will happen next? They will work with this team, covering it up by saying they need positions for detectives. However, if this scheme works well, it will spread to those detectives who will also be uncomfortable for them to keep. In my opinion, this practice may become widespread in this agency now, and it is a significant threat that needs to be resisted. Therefore, it will be necessary to see who else they will dismiss, who they will lay off, and to what extent personal relationships with management will have an impact, and whether they will really cut out any inconvenient" people. I believe that the public should now watch this situation very carefully. At the very least, I will watch it closely. I insist that Polina Lysenko should be fired. Her behavior is unacceptable for a civil servant of such a level. 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 Hey, job-seekers! Get ready to kickstart your career because the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce is hosting an in-person job fair on Thursday, May 11, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. You dont want to miss this opportunity to meet top recruiters from local businesses, both big and small. The event will take place at the Chamber office, located at 961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G in Fernandina Beach. Whether youre a recent graduate, an experienced professional looking for a new challenge, or someone just starting out, the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce Job Fair has something for everyone! You can look forward to meeting with vendors from every industry, including healthcare, information technology, hospitality, customer service, retail, manufacturing, and corrections. So, are you ready to explore different industries, learn about potential job opportunities, and connect with local businesses in person? Bring copies of your resume and dress in professional attire. While registration is not required, it is strongly encouraged. Head to the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce website at www.NassauCountyFLChamber.com or call (904) 261-3248 to register and get additional information. Bill Baker, President of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, is excited to host this in-person job fair, saying, This event will give job-seekers a chance to meet with local businesses and explore potential job opportunities, and it will give businesses a chance to meet with potential employees face-to-face. This job fair is just one example of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerces commitment to helping local businesses and job-seekers connect. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. DENALI PARK, Alaska The National Park Service is mourning the death of one of their own after an avalanche was triggered during an employees backcountry ski trip on Thursday in Alaskas Denali National Park and Preserve. According to the park, a witness spotted Eric Walter triggering the slide during a solo ski expedition around 1 p.m., and rangers were immediately dispatched to the site near the Savage River to look for any survivors. Denali staff said they used ground and air resources to locate a debris field, but a short time later found the body of Walter. "Our thoughts are with Erics family in this challenging time," Brooke Merrell, superintendent of Denali National Park and Preserve, said in a statement. "We are also incredibly grateful for the professional and compassionate response of our Talkeetna mountaineering team." 2016 Photo of Eric Walter NTSB CALLS FOR INCREASED SAFETY MEASURES FOR ALASKA SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO REDUCE AIR DISASTERS The forest service says avalanches are most common when the sun emerges after a snowstorm. The already set snowpack simply hasnt had time to adjust to the new snowfall, leading to increased risks from melting, wind or new precipitation. Less than half a million visitors enter the Denali National Park and Preserve annually. The remote site is home to North Americas tallest mountain. The peak used to be known as Mount McKinley, but its name was restored in 2016 to a more native term. Park staff said Walter was a beloved member of the Alaska Regional Communications Center and was known throughout the region for providing support and dispatch services. According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Walter was the first death from an avalanche in Alaska in 2023. Su-35 Aggressive and dangerous maneuvers repeatedly performed by the Russian Federation fighter jet near the Polish plane caused a high level of turbulence and significant difficulties in controlling the aircraft, the report said. Read also: Polish special forces protected Ukrainian negotiators at early 2022 talks with Russia The Polish crew worked with the Romanian border police, and four fighter jets from Romania and Spain, assigned for air policing, were alerted by the NATO Combined Air Operations Center, although their intervention was not necessary. The Polish crew acted calmly and professionally, managing to fully control the plane and completing a safe landing at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airport around 13:50. Read also: There can be no lasting peace with Russia until Ukraine liberates Crimea - opinion No members of the Polish crew were injured. 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 Eight alleged fake electors who in 2020 sought to cast Georgia's electoral votes for former President Donald Trump instead of Joe Biden agreed to immunity deals with prosecutors investigating the scheme, according to a Friday court filing. The Georgia investigation development comes as local prosecutors continue to pursue a wide-ranging inquiry involving the former president and his allies, election fraud and the electors' roles in casting fake Trump ballots. Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis said possible criminal indictments from the investigation could come between July 11 and Sept. 1; whether the grand jury will decide to indict is still unknown, but she asked for heightened security and preparedness during that period, regardless. Here's what experts say that means for the Georgia probe and Trump. Alleged fake electors scheme What we know Former President Donald Trump announces he is running for president for the third time at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 15, 2022. What was the 2020 elector scheme? After the 2020 presidential election, when it became clear Trump had lost the election and Joe Biden would become president, the now-ex-president and his allies allegedly devised a plan to use slates of alleged fake electors in battleground states to overturn the 2020 election. The plan, based on a debunked legal theory, relied on key states to find Trump-supporting electors and on former Vice President Mike Pence to toss out the real electors. Pence penned a letter Jan. 6 on the debate over the objections, which said his "oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not." The failure to overturn the election was a motivator for pro-Trump rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. How does it relate to the Georgia probe? On Dec. 14, 2020, alleged fake electors met in seven states Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada and Wisconsin and signed documents falsely claiming they were the "duly elected" electors from their state, at the Trump campaign's request, USA TODAY previously reported. Story continues "The fake electors in Georgia were supposed to throw confusion into the Electoral College vote count on January 6 by suggesting there were two competing slates of electors, with the Trump slate purporting to represent the legitimate electors," said Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University. Why did eight electors receive immunity? Kay Levine, a law professor at Emory University in Georgia, told USA TODAY that without an official indictment and without knowledge of specific alleged crimes the role the electors who received immunity deals are playing in the Georgia investigation is speculative. But the basics of immunity deals can offer some answers. "Without knowing the details, it suggests to me that there are eight people who the office at one point considered would be targets of this investigation and has decided that they would be more useful to this investigation as witnesses, rather than targets," she said. "That's the reason for an immunity deal." Looking at the broader context of the investigation, it's possible that conspiracy charges related to election fraud could be on the table, both Kreis and Levine said. Why have two electors not received immunity? The Friday court filing revealed that two of the alleged fake electors represented by lawyer Kimberly Bourroughs Debrow have not received immunity deals. That could be because prosecutors believe those electors were more central to the organizing and planning of the elector scheme, Kreis said. "So the DA wants to either prosecute them because of their role, or prospectuses are slowly working up the food chain and using additional information uncovered through immunity deals as leverage in future negotiations," he said. The 10 electors represented by Debrow make up just over half of the 16 people who met at Georgia's state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election, declaring themselves the states duly elected and qualified electors. More: Eight alleged fake Trump electors in Georgia accept immunity deals in grand jury probe What does that mean for Trump? The disclosure that the eight alleged fake electors received immunity deals doesn't shed any additional light on the specific charges Trump or his allies might face as a result of the Georgia probe, Levine said. But the immunity deals may indicate that Willis' probe could lead to charges for more central players in the 2020 electors scheme, like Trump, Rudy Giuliani or lawyer John Eastman, according to Kreis. Trump and his allies could face charges for fomenting a broad conspiracy to overturn the election or having engaged in a criminal racketeering scheme, though at this point, the extent to which the former president played a role in directing the scheme is unclear, he said. "The fake electors scheme was central to that conspiracy to solicit election fraud, which is why their actions could put Trump in serious legal jeopardy," Kreis said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GA probe: What 8 alleged fake electors' immunity deals mean for Trump Stuart Agnew attended the same classes as King Charles III when he was at Gordonstoun boarding school in Elgin on the Scottish coast A former classmate of King Charles III has said the monarch's school life "must have been hell" as many pupils did not want to be seen talking to him. Stuart Agnew, a retired Norfolk farmer and former MEP, said: "I didn't want to be seen sucking up to Prince Charles." They both went to the private boarding school Gordonstoun in the 1960s and studied history A-level together. Charles was the first Prince of Wales to be educated at a school, rather than at home by private tutors. Mr Agnew said that when he was sent to the school, which is in Elgin in Moray, it was relatively unknown, although King Charles' father the Duke of Edinburgh had been there. "Soon after, they announced Charles was going there and suddenly everyone had heard about it," he said. The pair had common ground - his family farmed in Norfolk while the royals had Sandringham. The popular perception, enhanced by the Netflix drama The Crown, is that the King did not enjoy his time at Gordonstoun, although he has has said this is a misconception. Mr Agnew said the King was treated differently in some respects. "He and I were two of eight people doing history A-Level and sometimes would be the first two to arrive in the class and he would start to ask me about farming and shooting... and I would start to talk to him about these things," he said. "If anyone else came into the room, I immediately stopped talking to him and moved away, as I didn't want to be seen sucking up to Prince Charles. "Everyone was like that; they didn't want to be seen doing that. "Imagine what that was like for him. "As the years went by I thought I would hate to be in his shoes, because of the huge expectation that was upon him, in that he had to do well academically. Story continues "He had to be in the choir and perhaps sing a solo, he had to master a musical instrument, he had to take the lead part in a Shakespeare play, he had to get the Duke of Edinburgh's Award gold. "He wasn't particularly sporty, but he did really try and I just felt really sorry for him - that so much expectation could be put on somebody like that at that age," said Mr Agnew. "It must have been hell. It wasn't his choice - he was born into it and he had to go where he was told. "I think he'll make a good king; he understands what has to be done; I wish him the best of luck." Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk People visit a conference room of the building of the Council of the European Union during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People rest outside the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People visit a conference room of the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People visit a conference room of the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People queue to enter the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People learn about EU member countries at the building of the Council of the European Union during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People enter the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) People visit the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. The open day is an opportunity for the public to discover how the European institutions operate. Visitors have free access to the institutions' buildings and some special introductory activities. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) As a healthcare executive and childrens advocate, Marjorie Evans has done almost everything thats been asked of her in Broward County: She founded a nursing home, Childrens Comprehensive Care Center, for children with medical complexities, and helped develop regulations for similar facilities. Shes consulted for local hospital districts and industry groups. Shes testified regularly before the state Legislature. Just dont ask her to defend those state lawmakers and healthcare administrators who insist that its good policy for kids to live all their lives in facilities like hers. READ MORE: Parents, feds fight for kids in Florida nursing homes I dont think children should be in any skilled nursing facility long term, Evans said in a recent interview. What they are doing with these kids is totally inappropriate. With a masters degree in counseling, Evans began her career as a volunteer with an agency that worked with children who had profound disabilities. The groups philosophy, she has said, was to avoid institutionalizing children. In 1971, Evans founded the Broward Childrens Center, a respected Pompano Beach service provider the center offers home healthcare, a day care center for severely disabled kids and group homes that also includes Childrens Comprehensive Care, a nursing home with a license for 36 beds. Evans said in an interview with the Herald that administrators offer a range of services at the home to protect not only the childrens physical health, but also their intellectual development, such as therapies and educational and social activities. Still, Evans is no fan of housing disabled and medically complex children in long-term care facilities. Like many things in Florida, Evans said the states reliance on long-term care facilities for frail children results from policy decisions that favor Medicaid the states insurer of last resort for impoverished and disabled Floridians that is heavily subsidized by the U.S. government over state general revenue dollars, which are more restricted. Story continues READ MORE: Frustrated mom fights Florida over fragile son Frankly this is all about the money, Evans said. Children should not be living in long term-care facilities, Evans said. That is an institution. Every effort must be made to nurture development, Evans said. Children with profound disabilities should be afforded the same opportunities to reach their potential, Evans said. Because children cant move, cant talk and cant communicate in any way they get written off, she said. Its not right to just write them off. On the night of 6-7 May, the Russian occupiers fired more than 30 projectiles at Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing an elderly woman and injuring three other people. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The occupiers attacked Nikopol district twice at night. They used Grad multiple-launch rocket systems and heavy artillery. They fired over 30 shells. A 72-year-old woman was killed. Three other locals were injured. One of them has a head injury. Two are in a state of stress and suffer from concussions." Details: Lysak has said that Russian munitions damaged seven private houses and a multi-storey residential building, smashed windows in a college dormitory, hit three gas pipelines, a power transmission line, 14 solar panels, some outbuildings and five cars in the city of Nikopol. The occupiers fired 20 shells at Myrove hromada, damaging two residential buildings, an outbuilding and a car [Hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]. In Synelnykove hromada, air defence forces shot down an Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drone last night, Lysak said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A group of Ojai residents is suing Councilmember Leslie Rule and her attorney. Rule hopes the city will defend her. A group of Ojai residents is suing City Councilmember Leslie Rule and her attorney, Jon Drucker, for allegedly violating the state's open-meeting law by revealing information from closed-session meetings. Now, Rule is hoping the city will defend her. California's law, known as the Brown Act, prohibits disclosure of confidential communications made in closed-door sessions, according to the lawsuit filed April 28 in Ventura County Superior Court. The suit claims Rule and Drucker reported out confidential information after Rule attended closed-session council meetings in December and January. Rule was elected in November to represent the city's 1st District, which covers a central section of the city. Drucker said Friday there was no Brown Act violation because the disclosed information wasn't properly placed on the closed-session agenda and therefore wasn't confidential under the act. Rule was also disclosing improprieties that took place during the closed-door sessions, he said, making her disclosures protected speech under the law. The conflict arose during the council's Jan. 24 open session. During the meeting, Rule spoke publicly about closed-session discussion that involved a lawsuit filed against the city by a community group, Simply Ojai, over the prior council's approval of a controversial apartment project in October. Rule claimed that during closed session, Mayor Betsy Stix recommended the city hire a certain outside law firm for potential litigation involving the project. The mayor reportedly made the recommendation based on a suggestion by Simply Ojai's attorney, according to Rule's account. Rule has said the recommendation is a conflict because Simply Ojai had filed its own lawsuit over the matter. Simply Ojai's attorney, Sabrina Venskus, is also one of two attorneys for the plaintiffs who filed the April lawsuit against Rule and Drucker. When Rule made the comments during open session, City Attorney Matthew Summers interrupted and said the closed-session details couldn't be revealed to the public. Rule eventually stopped speaking but distributed copies of her prepared remarks. Story continues During the same session, the council voted to place the apartment project on a future ballot in March 2024. The move was prompted by a successful signature drive launched after the project's approval in October. Request for public discussion The April lawsuit against Rule and her attorney also claims Drucker sent out confidential information about closed-session meetings that Rule attended. Rule and Drucker, the suit claims, have made it "impossible" for members of the Ojai City Council to perform their official duties because closed-session meetings are no longer confidential. "We haven't been served yet," Drucker said Friday, "but we will be moving to dismiss the case." Rule did not return a call Friday or a text message Thursday seeking comment. The Ojai City Council will meet on Tuesday in a regular session to consider Rule's request for the city to defend her in the lawsuit. Rule requested the discussion be held in open session. According to a report from City Manager James Vega, council members have a right to request defense and indemnity for certain lawsuits with claims that are related to their employment with the city. Venskus, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the city should not pay for Rule's legal fees or offer legal help because Rule disregarded the city attorney's advice against disclosing closed-session details. The group named as plaintiffs in the suit are David Byrne, Vickie Carlton-Byrne, Thomas Mashburn, Gerald Schwanke, Debby Russell-Swetek, Douglas La Barre and Leslie Ferraro. Venskus and Brian Acree, a Los Angeles attorney, represent the residents. Venskus, who also represents Simply Ojai in the apartment lawsuit, said this lawsuit is unrelated. Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ojai group sues council member over meeting disclosures Every morning for more than 20 years, there were hundreds, if not a thousand, students gathered in the school media center at Wiley Post Elementary for an unforgettable piece of their childhood. The source was music teacher Kathlyn Reynolds and, more specifically, her Early Beat. Former teachers and students returned Saturday for the 50th anniversary of Wiley Post Elementary, known for its uniqueness since it opened in 1973 in the Putnam City school district. The biggest roadside attraction on this stretch of memory lane was another Early Beat with Reynolds, now 93. This is one of the most important and iconic experiences of our childhood, to be part of Early Beat, said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, who attended the school from kindergarten through sixth grade in the 1980s. Retired music teacher Kathlyn Reynolds points to a 1980s picture of the student body at Wiley Post Elementary, where she taught for 21 years, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Oklahoma City. Reynolds and other former teachers gathered at the school to celebrate its 50th anniversary. For decades, the heart and soul of Wiley Post Elementary was Reynolds concept of gathering the entire student body to start each school day with 15-20 minutes of song, a program she named Early Beat, said Putnam City Superintendent Fred Rhodes, who started his teaching career at the school in the 1970s. Reynolds taught at Wiley Post for 21 years, starting on the day the school opened. She is the Putnam City school districts only Oklahoma Teacher of the Year winner, taking home the crown in 1982. Her morning music program is part of what distinguished Reynolds and the school, Rhodes said. Others sought to replicate it at other schools across the country. Reynolds said Early Beat was about more than singing Fifty Nifty States, her most requested tune, or the school song, Wiley Post is Flying High, which she co-wrote. It was the unifying force for the 1,000 students at the school. That need for unity, she said, is just as relevant 50 years later. It was just a beautiful way to start the day and give them all a sense of love and belonging, Reynolds said. It brought us all together. We need that a lot now. Open concept One element of the Wiley Post building was new to the group of former teachers and students interior walls. Story continues Until the late 1990s, Wiley Post was an open-concept school with multiple classes contained in the same large spaces. Reynolds was among the only teachers with a walled classroom. Perhaps a testament to the schools cohesion, teachers conducted separate classes in the same general areas, sometimes without so much as a bookcase as a partition. It took a certain type of teacher to operate in that environment, said Sharon McKay, who taught kindergarten through first-grade special education at Wiley Post in the 1970s. You have to be personable, McKay said. You have to enjoy being challenged once in a while. Wiley Post could have a flexible layout once again, but not to the extent of its original blueprint. Rhodes said Putnam City plans to renovate the building, like all its facilities over age 50, with 2020 bond funds to incorporate a floor plan with open, hybrid spaces. Impact of Early Beat To the students of decades past, the schools uniqueness didnt sink in until they left. How else could they know other places didnt have a music program quite like theirs? I grew up thinking that every elementary school choir had a vinyl album, Holt said. I thought that was normal. Dena Tunstall Chitwood started at Wiley Post in first grade. Early Beat became a special part of her routine. She adored music and loved starting each day with it. She took pride in being one of Reynolds sixth-grade helpers who rolled the piano into the media center and carefully placed the needle on the school record player. Wiley Post had advanced to cassette tapes by the time Reynolds retired and Chitwood stepped into her position as the schools music teacher in 1992. Chitwood carried on her former teachers traditions, and though she too has moved on from Wiley Post, Early Beat lives on as a weekly program. I learned from the best, Chitwood said. Something like Early Beat was good for the soul. Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Wiley Post Elementary finds its heart in music for 50 years Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said in an interview that she often talks to her children about the threats she received amid a man being arrested for vandalizing her office. I have to have regular conversations with my kids: What happens if I am killed?' Omar said in an interview with the Star Tribune published Saturday. I have to have regular conversations with them about how to walk down the street, things to look for. Omar, a Muslim Somali-American, also told the Tribune that she lacks confidence that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will address the issue of her needing extra security and protection due to the threats she received, noting how previous House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) used to handle her safety concerns. I dont know if I feel confident that if things were to rise to a dangerous level again if I can rely on the current speaker to take my safety and the safety of some of my other former vulnerable colleagues [seriously], Omar told the newspaper. In a statement to the Tribune, a spokesperson for McCarthys office said that the speaker has made clear his expectation that politics must be separated from security and has empowered the House Sergeant at Arms to work with U.S. Capitol Police to protect all Members of Congress as they deem necessary. Omars remarks come as Minnesota authorities arrested and charged a man last week, accusing him of setting fires at two Minneapolis-area mosques and vandalizing Omars office. Authorities said Jackie Rahm Little, also known as Joel Arthur Tueting, was accused of starting a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center on April 23 and starting a fire at the Masjid Al Rahma Mosque the following day. Little allegedly entered and vandalized Omars local office, authorities said, spray-painting the number 500 on the lawmakers office door. Little was charged in a federal criminal complaint with arson. Story continues Mr. Little is not only responsible for multiple arson attacks against mosques in my district and the vandalism of a Somali officers police vehicle, but also targeted my own office with vandalism on at least one occasion, Omar said in a statement confirming that her office was vandalized. We are witnessing an epidemic of hate against the Muslim community and other religious minorities in Minnesota and globally right now. This campaign of terror is designed to keep us fearful and divided, she added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Poles and Ukrainians are tough, smart and resilient. In many ways they have emulated their leaders, former Polish President Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul II and now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. To beat the Russians requires courage and stamina. Walesa and John Paul led the charge in Europe to defeat a suffocating communism. Zelenskyy is doing the same against a brutish expansionist government in Russia. In Ukraine, I found an abundance of brave and determined Ukrainians, and in Poland I discovered kind and generous Samaritans who opened their arms and homes to their beleaguered neighbors. I was raised by Polish and Ukrainian parents and grandparents in Detroit. We took our religion, our government and our labor unions seriously. We were baptized into the Catholic Church. When we were old enough to vote we joined the Democratic Party. David Bonior At work, we treasured our union solidarity. We fought in wars to protect our nation and our democracy. And if our neighbor needed support and comfort, we were there for them. In Poland and Ukraine, time and again we met people who exhibited and cherished those same characteristics and values. I traveled with Fr. Peter Daly, who is also a lawyer. Accompanying us was Dr. Jim McDermott, a psychiatrist and 28-year veteran of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his friend Tanya Keppler, who worked in the technology sector. After a morning of productive meetings and visits by our gracious hosts in the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine, we lunched with the archbishop and then drove 90 minutes in light falling snow to the archeparchy (an archdiocese in the Eastern Orthodox church) retreat house in the mountains. Up ahead we could see the three-story log cabin where 39 Ukrainian displaced persons have migrated from all parts of the country. Each had a compelling and heart-rending story. Up on the third floor beneath the pitched roof is the chapel where we gathered to hear them. Story continues Listening to stories of pain and horror We sat in an oval facing each other, 20 or so refugees and our delegation. There are several teenagers, including 16-year-old Constantine (most of the Ukrainians who appear in this piece asked that their last names not be used to protect their safety) who had arrived from Kherson with his mother and their cat named Massa. In November of 2022, after their house was bombed by the Russian military, they traveled through Mykolaiv and Odessa before arriving in Ivano-Frankivsk and then to the retreat house in the mountains. Constantine is a tall, lanky young man with a serious demeanor that belies his young age. I watched him as other refugees painfully unveiled their tragic stories of dispossession, torture and death. He listened intently, respecting their stories and pain. After all, they are now his family. I was taken by his maturity. Later he showed me on his phone the shelling that destroyed his home and the fire that raged through it. Firefighters work on a fire on a building after bombings on the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on Feb. 24, 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion began. Former U.S. Rep. David Bonior traveled to the war-torn country in March. His grandmother died because of a lack of medication. When Constantine visited her grave near a checkpoint, the Russians threatened to take him into their army. He said he managed to escape death, when a mine exploded in a food market just 20 meters from him. At night through his window he heard the terror of torture as the Russians murdered civilians suspected of siding with Ukraine. He said the screaming from torture and people begging the Russians to spare their lives haunts him. When the Russians approached Constantine or interrogated him, he could feel the fears inside him. He said the opposite was true when he was near a Ukrainian soldier he felt pride and protected. Safe. Later I asked Constantine what he wanted to do with his young life. He did not hesitate and said he will join the army. Before we left the retreat, Constantine and the other children signed a Ukrainian flag and presented it to us for coming and bearing witness and being representatives of the U.S., their steadfast ally in their fight for survival. Tears wet my cheeks as I accepted their gift and thought about how Constantine and the others see themselves as fighting not only for Ukraine but for those in democracies striving to remain free and strong. As Constantine spoke in a measured way and in a serious tone, I watched his mother, her eyes proud of her son who was leaving his childhood behind and growing into a brave young man. Was she worried about his desire to fight in the army for Ukraine? Was she pulled by the pride she felt for her son and fearful that an artillery shell or a mine explosion would take it all away? As I listened to Constantine and the others tell their stories I could feel the community that they created for each other, how their fate drew them together, bonded by the terrible scars of war and their determination to survive. It reminded me of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath: And because they were lonely and perplexed, because they had all come from a place of sadness and worry and defeat, and because they were all going to a mysterious place, they huddled together; they talked together; they shared their lives, their food, and the things they hoped for in the new country. In the evening a strange thing happened. The twenty families became one family, the children were the children of all. The loss of home became one loss, and the golden time in the West was one dream. 'We will stop this evil' The next day, back at the Ukrainian Catholic University, our four-person team was scheduled to visit a philology class, the study of language in oral and written historical sources. The professor was a friend from Michigan, Bob Wood. The student body was predominantly young and female, not much older than Constantine. The absent young men were now in military service. All 20 of us answered a blaring air raid siren by cramming into a small room in the basement of a campus building. We were bearing witness in a bomb shelter. In another of Bob's classes, a classmate joined us remotely on her phone dressed in her military fatigues from an outdoor location at the front in Bakhmut, the site of heavy fighting. She was a medic. It was surreal watching her participate in class while combat raged nearby. With precision, each student in our improvised classroom took an equal amount of time to tell their own story, each filled with the emotions that the war underscored. As the students spoke, it became apparent that these young scholars exhibited the same kind of grit and smarts, characteristics of the men and women on the front lines. Yana, a student with a boyfriend on the front, told us, "The best people in our country are dying. When we lose our best people, we will be ready to become the best people." Katarina is a student who will be going to Zaporizhzhia to help. "We have bravery and we have evil, we should not let evil win. Another student chimed in, "Being Ukrainian is about freedom supporting the truth." The themes the students spoke were accusatory of the Russians but were also uplifting and confident: "We will win!" "We are proud of our heritage." "This war has highlighted our national character." The students see a bright future for their country and are resolved to build a better Ukraine. Many are working to raise funds for the needs of the soldiers night goggles, drones and ambulances. Sophia, another student, emphasized, "We are ready. Our generation was brought up in Ukrainian wisdom. Why does Russia bring war? We have a feeling of responsibility for the future. We are securing our own identity now." Christina remembers the first day of the war in February 2022. "The whole night I was imagining the Russian tanks driving around my city which is in the far west of Ukraine." Then she said she realized the fear, strengths and emotions of the people of Bucha and the people in the south of Ukraine where the war was raging and innocent people were dying. Christina started to sob. "Children killed, women raped such things!" Gaining her composure, she paused and then added, "But we are strong and we will stop this evil." Putin's war, Russia's war Many of the students shared a disgust for the Russians and their war crimes, saying that they see this not only as Putin's war, but as a war of all Russians. We would later learn that on this very day the International Criminal Court overseeing war crimes charged Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova of kidnapping Ukrainian children. Fr. Mark Morozowich, a Ukrainian-American and dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at Catholic University in Washington, asked me a few weeks before our trip to Ukraine, "Who has given Ukrainians their national identity?" I answered that it was President Zelenskyy. Looking at me hard like one of my old seminary teachers, he said, "Putin." His answer may have been better than mine. But we both may have been a little off the mark. Yes, both historical figures have played a prominent role in elevating Ukraine in the eyes of the Ukrainians but also the rest of the world that believes in freedom and democracy. But it was the Ukrainian people who with pride and resolve are fighting not only for themselves, but for us as well. David Bonior represented Michigan's 12th and 10th Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 2002. This piece originally appeared in the National Catholic Reporter and is reprinted with the permission of NCR Publishing Company. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Ex-US Rep. David Bonior traveled to Ukraine, spoke to refugees Ukraine might quiet Russia's bombing campaign simply by acquiring advanced American-made fighter jets such as F-16s. The point is for Moscow to know they could be deployed. (Armando Franca / Associated Press) President Biden has a decision to make at this moment in the Ukraine war. Its outcome will not be determined only by the spirited resilience of the Ukrainian people. The deciding factor is likely to be how much support allies extend, and when. Over the past decade, Americas military support has allowed Ukraine to survive and fight back against Russias incursions and attacks. From blankets, uniforms and night-vision goggles under then-President Obama to Javelin antitank missiles under then-President Trump to HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, Patriot anti-missile complexes and M1 Abrams battle tanks under President Biden. Ukrainians are also painfully aware that international support so far has not stopped Russian leader Vladimir Putins relentless deadly attacks on their country. While Ukraine reclaimed about half of the territory Russia took early in 2022, the Russian military regrouped, mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops and leveraged its vast superiority in artillery and air power to stall Ukrainian advances and to pin down its forces in horrific, intense battles across eastern Ukraine, notably around Bakhmut. Every day for months, aside from 30 to 100 assaults and hundreds of bombardments along the eastern Ukraine arc of fire, Russia has bombarded 40 to 60 Ukrainian cities, town and villages in its northern and southern provinces. With numbers and scorched-earth tactics, Russia keeps inching into Ukrainian territories and adding miles of antitank dragon teeth defense lines and bunker-style defense positions throughout the occupied lands. The Kremlin seems confident that over time Russia will overwhelm its targets defenses and that Kyivs allies in the West will lose resolve. The stakes go far beyond who controls Ukraine. If successful, Russia will increase its capacity to challenge NATO directly in Europe, to influence resource-rich African states and to enable Chinas territorial expansion. Air superiority is likely to be decisive. Over the last two months, based on Ukraines military reports, Russias warplanes have been carrying out 30 to 40 attacks daily, while Ukraine has responded with only 10 to 15. Russia has the capacity to widen this advantage. According to the Flight International almanac, Ukraines air force numbered 43 MiG-29 Fulcrums and 26 Su-27 Flankers by late 2022. Meanwhile, the same source reported that Russia retained about 370 MiG-29, -31 and -35 fighters and 350 Su-27, -30 and -35 fighters . If Ukraines counteroffensive stalls inside the newly erected defense lines, this air superiority could enable Russia to destroy Western military equipment given to Ukraine; decimate and demoralize Ukrainian forces; and clear a path for a renewed invasion to bring most of Ukraine under Moscows rule. Story continues In this context, I hope the Biden administration heeds the calls of bipartisan groups of U.S. senators and representatives to provide Ukraine with advanced fighter aircraft. Combined with other support, this is an opportunity to turn the tide of war and decisively signal to Russia that its military campaign is futile. Biden may have held back such aircraft to avoid prompting the most-feared escalation: a Russian nuclear response. But the U.S. need not restrain support over that concern. For Putins current war of attrition to succeed, global attention to Ukraine must decline and assistance fatigue must set in. If he uses even tactical nuclear weapons in response to Ukraines improved battlefield performance, Ukraine is guaranteed to return to center stage and receive untold military assistance swiftly. Moreover, even China, Moscows most powerful sympathizer, has insisted that the use of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable. We also don't need to fear escalation of conventional warfare. Russia already "escalated" in February 2022 when it invaded, and it doesn't have the capacity to mount another all-out attack on land. At sea and in the air, its capabilities are no match for NATO's. Even excluding the U.S., other NATO members have about twice as many fighter jets as Russia does. Sending U.S.-made fighter jets such as F-16s would be a credible signal of our resolve to support Ukraine, precisely because it will be costly. According to the Pentagons policy chief, Colin Kahl , it would cost about $3 billion to provide Ukraine with just three dozen F-16s, which would deplete congressionally allocated funding. But this expense would be incomparably less than the cost of a protracted global standoff between the U.S. and Russia, or their proxies, if Russia retains its territorial gains in Ukraine and freezes the conflict. If the U.S. musters political will to support Ukraine with fighter jets, logistical barriers should be relatively easy to overcome. Ukrainian officers have proved to be competent, fast learners. They can train to fly American jets rather than MiGs. And although Ukraines airfields might not be perfect for F-16s, other systems can be provided in addition, including more rugged F-18s, Swedens Gripen, Frances Rafale and Europes Eurofighter. We have formed a solid working relationship with the Ukrainian leadership and the military. They have every reason to coordinate targets with us and not to senselessly attack deep inside Russia. When Ukraine has the capacity to bombard Russia and is choosing not to, Moscow will see that its own tactics have limits and could backfire. We saw this pattern last year after Ukraine deployed longer-range missiles that sank Russia's Black Sea flagship, the Moskva cruiser. After that April 2022 strike, the Kremlin pulled back its largest and most capable remaining warships into harbor and moved a significant number of ships 200 miles east from the main base in Sevastopol. These pullbacks enabled Ukraine to regain the strategic Snake Island south of Odesa and to liberate Kherson, an important Black Sea port. Providing advanced fighter jets will also show that Bidens daring visit to Kyiv earlier this year built deep mutual confidence and that when Biden said he looked President Volodymyr Zelensky in the eye and trusted him, he meant it. Mikhail Alexseev, a professor of international relations at San Diego State University, is the author of Without Warning: Threat Assessment, Intelligence, and Global Struggle. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Oregon District went to the dogs Saturday afternoon for the annual Weiner Dog Derby. The event started with a dog costume party, followed by the nail-biting annual running of the Wieners. >> PHOTOS: Annual Oregon District Wiener Dog Derby A portion of proceeds from mint juleps sold at the event will benefit the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, according to the events social media page. The event runs until 6 p.m. Orlando Health doctors and physicians at Doctors Center Hospital Orlando Health Dorado are joining efforts to launch the hospitals robotic surgery center in Puerto Rico. Robotic surgery allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with more precision and control than conventional surgery. Orlando Health hosted a Robotic Surgery Symposium in San Juan, where panelists discussed surgical techniques in different specialties such as gynecology, thoracic surgery, lung cancer treatment, and more. Dr. Alexis Sanchez is the director of Orlando Healths robotic surgery program. He said the conference supported the development of the program. Through this partnership, we continue to share knowledge as we work toward the ultimate goal of the program providing the best healthcare to people on the island using the latest technology, Sanchez said. Read: 15-year-old girl is the youngest graduate at Valencia College commencement Robotic surgery has several benefits. Using small incisions, patients will have less trauma to their bodies. Also, the risk of complications is lower, and the healing process is faster. With this technology, surgeons gain a magnified 3D view inside the body, making the surgery less invasive. In Puerto Rico, there have only been a few places that can perform this type of procedure, said Juan Carlos Marcial, chief executive officer of the Doctors Center Hospital Orlando Health Dorado. By opening this new center in Dorado, its going to increase the access to our patients and give them a high-quality service in a state-of-the-art facility. Read: Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida to host awards gala; how you can attend 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. A father who lost his daughter in the 2018 Parkland school shooting is facing criminal charges in Oregon. Andrew Scott Pollack, 57, was charged April 12 with four counts of coercion, stalking and second-degree disorderly conduct and three counts of menacing. The charges stem from alleged property disputes with his neighbors. Pollack, who has pleaded not guilty, made headlines advocating for school safety after his daughter Meadow Pollack, 18, was killed in the Feb. 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Neighbors Keith and Meagan Mapes alleged that Pollack stalked and threatened the couple, even trying to force them to sell their home. Court records show Pollack sued the Mapes over a piece of land in 2021. The Mapes counter-sued but lost in early 2023. Attorneys Eric T. Schwartzreich and Bradford M. Cohen, who represent Pollack, said in a statement that Pollack has already prevailed in a civil lawsuit and will, too, in criminal court. This should not be a civil matter, let alone a criminal matter, the statement said. This is a one sided land dispute, where Andy Pollack and his land are the victims. In the statement, Schwartzreich and Cohen also noted the allegations impact on Pollacks persona. The only thing this accusation does is sully the name of a man that has been fighting for school safety after the brutal murder of his daughter.... FRANKFURT, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More German companies reportedly consider relocating their production abroad due to high cost structures, according to German experts and media reports. A recent survey conducted by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) showed that investing abroad is currently more attractive for many German companies than in Germany. "While business expectations abroad are now being assessed much more positively again, it is noticeable that companies in Germany do not share this optimism to the same extent", said the German newspaper Welt. Volker Treier, DIHK head of foreign trade, attributed the trend of companies moving abroad to high cost structures in Germany, with energy prices being a major factor. As a result, a "sneaky move" of companies is occurring, said Treier. A new debate about locations is also taking place, "which we should conduct with great openness," said Karl Haeusgen, president of the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA). Some German companies have already scaled down production or increasingly relocated abroad, according to German newspaper Bild. Haeusgen called on clear statements on how Germany and Europe are to be secured and strengthened as industrial locations in the coming years. A mix of royals, world leaders and celebrities have flocked to Westminster Abbey today for the coronation of King Charles III. Some have served up chic, well-thought-out looks that clearly took a lot of planning and even the involvement of a stylist. Others, however, could have benefitted from the latter. Ranked from best to worst, here are the most eye-catching looks of the day. Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl singer Katy Perry arrived at Westminster Abbey in a bubblegum pink tailored dress, complete with a corset-style waistcoat. She also wore a large matching fascinator and pearl Vivienne Westwood choker with a golden orb, paying tribute to the late designer who died last year. Perry will be performing at the official coronation concert on Sunday (7 May) and has been invited to stay the night at Windsor Castle following the service. The Teenage Dream singer will be performing at tomorrows coronation concert (PA Wire) Jill Biden President Joe Biden has dispatched his wife to represent the United States at the coronation, and Jill arrived in a sleek blue midi skirt and matching jacket, with a bow in her hair. The look was completed with a pair of nude stilettos and a coordinated clutch bag. Jill Biden is attending the coronation on behalf of her husband (PA Images) Emma Thompson The Saving Mr Banks actor Emma Thompson also stunned in a red floral floor-length overcoat with a black midi dress. She posed for the camera holding up a peace sign and joking with fellow guests. Emma Thompson stunned in a long red overcoat (PA Wire) Penny Mordaunt Penny Mordaunt, Conservative MP for Portsmouth North dazzled in a leaf-printed deep teal dress and cape. She wore a matching hat. The outfit, however, lacked chicness from the waist down the ballet flats with diamante bows ruined the outfit. The look would have been elevated with a pair of teal stilettos instead. Update: as the day unfolded, it appears that Mordaunt has changed her shoes into a pair of nude heels. It seems to be a comfort decision, rather than a fashion choice, after all. Mordaunt dazzled in a leaf-printed deep teal dress and cape (Getty Images) Princess Charlotte of Wales Princess Charlotte wore a sweet matching outfit to her mother, the Princess of Wales, including an identical crystal headpiece made by the milliner Jess Collett. She also wore an Alexander McQueen dress with a cape in ivory silk crepe. Story continues Princess Charlotte wore an ivory outfit almost identical to her mothers (REUTERS) King Letsie III of Lesotho and Masenate Mohato Seeiso, Queen of Lesotho The pair coordinated, with the Queen of Lesotho wearing a beautiful pool blue gown with a subtle print. The Queen of Lesotho also wore a fluffy fascinator (Getty Images) Finnegan Biden Jill Bidens first granddaughter, 23-year-old Finnegan, arrived in a long yellow dress with a matching cape. Together, the pair paid a subtle tribute to the people of Ukraine as they wore the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Finnegan and the First Lady have been seated right next to the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska, and the group has been seen chatting and laughing together. Jill and Finnegan Biden paid subtle tribute to Ukraine (PA Images) Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia The Queen of Malaysia wore a gold embroidered dress with a regal-style fur cape. Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia (Getty Images) Olena Zelenska The First Lady of Ukraine wears an elegant muted green coat with pleated details and a matching dress. She completed the sleek look with a pair of white high heels (PA) Zara Tindall Tindall, who is the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal and granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, wore a cornflower blue belted dress and a brooch belonging to her mother. She also wore a matching hat with a fluffy pom pom. Blue is definitely Zara Tindalls colour (Getty Images) Jay Blades Wearing his signature tweed flat cap, the Repair Shop host looked suave in a black tuxedo. Jay Blades is best known for hosting the BBC programme about restoring family heirlooms (Getty Images) Akshata Murty The wife of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty, is wearing a baby blue jacquard dress with puff sleeves. There was a missed opportunity to elevate the look with accessories, though, and the choice of a black headpiece and stilettos dulled down the outfit. Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty arrive at Westminster Abbey (REUTERS) Therese Coffey The secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs turned up with the right sentiment, dressed in red, white and blue. But the printed dress paired with the clashing union jack scarf was a shocking move, making her look more like one of the enthusiastic revellers outside Westminster Abbey. Therese Coffey wore a union jack scarf paired with a printed day dress (Getty Images) Joanna Lumley We had high hopes for the Ab Fab star. But the Peter Pan collar and monochromatic navy blue and white dress made her look more like a sailor than a guest at the service. Lumley went for a navy blue and white outfit (REUTERS) Lady Susan Hussey The former royal household employee wore an iridescent purple suit with a matching pillbox hat. Hussey wore a tiered pearl necklace to add to the look (PA) Follow our live updates of the coronation here. Penny Mordaunt has addressed her starring moment at the coronation of King Charles III. The politician, 50, who is the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Privy Council, was, for many people, the surprise star of King Charles IIIs coronation with her fierce teal outfit and robust sword-bearing skills. At the coronation service on Saturday (6 May), Mordaunt became the first woman to carry the sword of state a symbol of the new kings authority during the procession at Westminster Abbey. Read our live coverage of the coronation weekend here. Her part in the ceremony included carrying the heavy sword for a full 51 minutes, which weighs eight pounds (3.6kg), before exchanging it for the jewelled sword of offering, presenting that to Charles. Mordaunts appearance at the crowning ceremony impressed royal fans on Twitter, with one person wondering: Who had Penny Mordaunt overshadowing everything on their bingo card? Tony Blairs former spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, tweeted during the event: Dont let anyone ever say I never say anything positive about Tories . . . I am in awe of Penny Mordaunts arm and shoulder strength! Star Wars and Game of Thrones fans got excited on social media as they praised Mordaunts likeness to a warrior princess. Penny Mordaunt carried a heavy sword for a full 51 minutes during the crowning service (PA Wire) Mordaunt has now addressed her viral moment at the coronation on Twitter, writing: Honoured to be part of the #coronation with thousands of others who played their part. Im very aware that our armed forces, police officers and others have been marching or standing for hours as part of the ceremony or to keep us all safe. In comparison, my job was rather easier. Huge and heartfelt thanks to all who made this so remarkable. Im so proud of you all and the King and Queen today. Honoured to be part of the #coronation with thousands of others who played their part. I'm very aware that our armed forces, police officers & others have been marching or standing for hours as part of the ceremony or to keep us all safe. In comparison, my job was rather easier. pic.twitter.com/ksmpGWUtog Penny Mordaunt (@PennyMordaunt) May 6, 2023 Mordaunts outfit received high praise from royal fans and fashion critics. Story continues The politician wore a teal caped dress designed by luxury ready-to-wear brand Safiyaa, embroidered with a fern motif, which is a nod to the privy council. The teal colour, called Poseidon, is a reference to her Portsmouth constituency. She arrived wearing ballerina flats, with studded bows and later changed into a pair of nude stilettos. Fans of Mordaunt have also pointed to the irony of her viral moment at the coronation given her day job as the Leader of the House of Commons a role granted to her by former Prime Minister Liz Truss, often given to MPs to keep them quiet. As President of the Privy Council, she became the first woman in UK history to proclaim a new monarch. Read our live coverage of the coronation weekend here. Marina Tauber, a member of the Shor political party, during a protest in Chisinau Read also: Russia wants to use Moldova against Ukraine, President Sandu warns According to law enforcement, the protesters were arrested due to suspicious behavior, and four confessed to receiving monetary rewards for participating in the protest. The police later claimed that they had discovered that some protesters possessed flammable substances, which they said were meant to set fire to specific objects. Read also: Activists and politicians from Shor are demanding the resignation of the president and the government and early elections. In April, a Moldovan court sentenced pro-Russian oligarch and Shor party leader, Ilan Shor, to 15 years in prison and a confiscation of property worth 5 billion lei (over $270 million), according to NewsMaker. Read also: Moldova to join EU in imposing restrictions on Ukrainian imports 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 The Police Scotland probe into SNP finances began in June 2021, when questions were raised about where more than 600,000 had been spent - Wattie Cheung Scottish police have consulted the National Crime Agency over its investigation into SNP finances, it has emerged. Detectives working on the case called on the body, which has been dubbed Britains FBI, to conduct an independent review of its work several months before Nicola Sturgeons home was raided and her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, arrested. While the outcome of its work has not been publicly revealed, the investigation stepped up following the external peer review. As well as the search of Ms Sturgeons home, police have seized a luxury motorhome from the driveway of Mr Murrells elderly mother-in-law and also searched SNP headquarters in Edinburgh. It is seen as good practice for officers working on complex or high-profile cases to call in other forces to check their work. A police source told the BBC the reviews would usually be conducted to check on the status, strategy and direction of an investigation. They added: The review checks that the lines of inquiry are correct, that nothing has been missed and that the rationale is proportionate and necessary. The National Crime Agency specialises in tackling serious and organised crime across the UK, including Scotland where policing is devolved. The Police Scotland probe into SNP finances began in June 2021, when questions were raised about where more than 600,000, raised in donations for independence referendums which never happened, had been spent. Members had been assured that the cash would be ring-fenced to campaign in a future vote on leaving the UK, but there was no obvious sign of the cash in the partys accounts. Colin Beattie, the former SNP treasurer who had previously tried to reassure members about the money, has also been arrested. Both he and Mr Murrell have been released without charge, pending further inquiries while the investigation continues. Ms Sturgeon is the third person named on the SNP accounts, along with Mr Murrell and Mr Beattie. The former First Minister, who abruptly announced her resignation in February, has not been arrested or spoken to by police. Story continues A women's razor Police have said little publicly about their probe, though items including a womens razor, a wheelbarrow, pens and a fridge freezer are said to have been included on a police warrant, more than 100 pages long. SNP figures have recently begun to question the behaviour of the police, whose investigation is known as Operation Branchform. Loyalists to Ms Sturgeon have been particularly aggrieved by the use of a forensics-style tent when they searched Ms Sturgeons home, which is believed to have been used so that the public and media could not see what was being seized. James Dornan, who represents Sturgeons neighbouring constituency for the SNP at Holyrood, said: Seriously, who was in charge of this fiasco? Who ordered it to happen and, if or when we find that nothing untoward happened, then who will be held accountable? This public parody of policing would never have happened to a PM or ex-PM so why was it okayed in Scotland? Meanwhile, Murray Foote, a former senior SNP spin doctor who stood down in March after issuing misleading statements about party membership figures, questioned whether the investigation may be a wild goose chase. He described the police raid on Ms Sturgeons home a grotesque circus. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Fallen officers from around the Pittsburgh area were honored in the North Shore. The Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Lodge joined the Fort Pitt FOP Lodge No. 1 and County of Allegheny FOP Lodge No. 91 for the special memorial. The officers and some of their family members gathered at the Pittsburgh Law Enforcement Officer Memorial on North Shore Drive behind Acrisure Stadium. This was the first time the memorial was able to be held in three years. It was delayed two years in a row due to safety concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic and was canceled last year due to bad weather. Any officer who died in the line of duty was recognized in a roll call. This year, the order recognized 11 officers who died from COVID-19 since their last meeting. Charles G. Stipetich who was shot, a 23-year-old Oakdale police officer who was shot and killed in Blawnox while he was off-duty in July 2022 was recognized. Chief Justin McIntire and McKeesport officer Sean Sluganski were also both recognized. Both men were shot and killed in 2023. The officers said their names will be added to the wall next year. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: He made the ultimate sacrifice: Brackenridge police chief Justin McIntire killed in shooting PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 1 police officer killed, another injured in McKeesport shooting There are currently 103 names on the memorial wall. None of those men on the wall on women on the wall thought for one second. They wouldnt be home. They never came home, said Chief Jim Lauria with Oakdale Police. A similar memorial will be held in Washington D.C. next week. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Teenager found fatally shot between 2 houses in Homestead Scratch-off ticket worth $3 million sold at local Shop n Save King Charles III coronation live updates: Coronation public ceremony ends VIDEO: Number of books being challenged, banned in schools, libraries is growing DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A gunman killed eight people and wounded another seven in a mass shooting at an outlet mall in Texas, say authorities. The gunman, who has not yet been named, was also shot and killed by police after the shocking incident unfolded at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, on Saturday afternoon. Seven people died at the scene and two more died later at the hospital, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd told reporters on Saturday night. (AP) Three wounded victims were in critical condition, while four others were in stable condition, he said. Medical City Healthcare spokesperson Janet St James, said their trauma facilities received eight patients between the age of 5 and 61 following The violence broke out at around 3.36pm CDT and a police officer who was already at the mall responding to another situation heard gunshots and engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat, Allen police chief Brian Harvey told reporters. NBC Dallas says that witnesses have told them there were at least two fatalities in the shooting at the busy outlet mall. The witnesses told the news channel that they saw two bodies covered by sheets on the sidewalk at the mall. Witnesses told WFAA that the gunman was dressed in black. Helicopter video also showed a silver car in the street in front of stores with its doors open and riddled with bullet holes. Law enforcement is on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. An active investigation is underway. Please avoid the area until further update, tweeted Allen Police Department. A Collin County Sheriffs Office spokesperson told WFAA that there are multiple victims, including children. The sheriff also confirmed that the shooter is dead at the scene. In a video posted to Twitter people could be seen running through a car park with the sound of loud gunshots heard in the background. News channel footage from helicopters showed long lines of people being escorted away from the shops with their hands in the air. Story continues Allen Premium Outlets is an outdoor mall with more than 120 outlet stores, its website states. It is located around 25 miles north of Dallas. (AP) We were outside the Converse store and we just heard all this popping, eyewitness Elaine Penicaro, who was shopping with her daughter, told Fox4. We kind of all just stopped, and then a second later, just Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, and there were sparks flying like it was right in front of us. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he was monitoring the situation. Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, said Governor Greg Abbott. I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources. US Representative Keith Self for Texass 3rd congressional district, which includes Collin County, issued a statement on the shooting. We are devastated by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene, he tweeted. This is an ongoing situation, but Allen PD has full control of the scene. A shooter is down and there are multiple casualties. They are continuing to work to ensure the scene is safe. The public is being asked to stay away from that area while this investigation continues. People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. LM Otero/AP Police responded to a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets just outside of Dallas, Texas. Authorities confirmed 9 dead, including suspected shooter, while 7 are being treated at hospitals. People familiar with the investigation told WaPo that the suspect may have had neo-Nazi beliefs. At least 8 people were killed by a gunman in a mass shooting at an outlet mall near the Dallas area on Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. In a press conference that evening, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, were dead at the scene. Two more people died after they were transported to local hospitals. Seven were still hospitalized at the time of the conference, with three in "critical surgery," he said. Calls about shots being fired came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, a suburb about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas with roughly 105,000 residents. A video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard. One unidentified employee at the mall told WFAA that the suspected shooter was indiscriminately shooting his gun from outside. "He was just shooting his gun everywhere, for the most part," the employee said. A police officer fatally shot the gunman. Three law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity identified the shooter as Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old man. People familiar with the investigation told The Washington Post that Garcia was a local resident and may have held white supremacist or neo-Nazi beliefs. They spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about an ongoing investigation. Garcia wore a patch on his chest that said "RWDS," an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad, the people told the Post. Investigators also found weapons on his body and five guns inside his nearby car, people familiar with the investigation told the newspaper. Story continues A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is now handling the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday afternoon, more than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from WFAA showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene. The Dallas office of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also responded. Allen Police Department Chief Brian Harvey said in a news conference that authorities believe the shooter acted alone. In a statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he has reached out to Allen Mayor Ken Fulk and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw in light of the shooting. "Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas, tonight during this unspeakable tragedy," he said. "I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources." This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates. Read the original article on Insider Wayne Couzens - AFP Police are to be told they must not dismiss indecent exposure as an offence by dirty old men. New guidance being drawn up by the police standards body is expected to spell out how indecent exposure should be treated more seriously as an offence that could be a gateway to violent sexual attacks. The College of Policing, which sets standards for forces, is conducting a review of the polices approach to dealing with indecent exposure in the wake of the scandal over PC Wayne Couzens. Couzens, a Metropolitan police officer, exposed himself to at least three women in the months before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard for which he was sentenced to a whole life term. Official figures suggest fewer than six per cent of the annual 10,000 offences of indecent exposure result in a charge or summons. Citing Telegraph writer Jemima Lewiss article last week about her disturbing experience of flashing, Dave Tucker, head of crime at the College of Policing, said: We need to move on from seeing indecent exposure as dirty old men who pose no threat. We need to be more sophisticated in our understanding and approach. The new guidance being drawn up by the college is expected to require police to review and prioritise cases if, for example, the alleged perpetrator has contact with vulnerable individuals and could pose a threat to them. Indecent exposure a potential gateway offence They will also be advised to treat indecent exposure as a potential gateway offence that could lead to more serious offending. After recent events, it made us think that we had to have another look at what we know about indecent exposure. What do we know about its links to other types of offending? Do we need to set out a more structured response to how we might deal with it, said Mr Tucker. He cited as an example Operation Ore, the police investigation into a website hosting child pornography in the late 1990s, where police conducted initial assessments so they could prioritise cases where individuals posed a risk to children or other vulnerable people. Story continues If people have access to vulnerable people, you will want to take action with them more quickly. Similarly, if it is someone who already has a history of offending, or is on licence or on bail for a particular offence, those are the sort of cases where you might need to put something more formal and quicker in place, said Mr Tucker. David Carrick - UNPIXS A meta-analysis of research into sexual exhibitionist behaviour by US psychologists found that up to 25 per cent of those who committed indecent exposure offences went on to carry out further or more serious crimes. Mr Tucker said the status of the offence - as one that can be tried either as a summary crime in the magistrates court where the maximum sentence is six months in jail, or in the crown court where offenders can be jailed for up to two years - had also contributed to its downgrading. The move comes amid a 19 per cent increase in police-recorded sexual offences to nearly 190,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which partly attributed the rise to more victims coming forward after the rape and murder of Everard. Concerns about how the police treat sexual offences have also been heightened by cases such as Couzens and David Carrick. As was the case with Couzens, Carrick was a serving Met officer who was allowed to remain at large while carrying out 85 serious offences against 12 women including 48 rapes over 20 years, with repeated clues of the danger he posed missed by Britains biggest force. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. The former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tip ONeil, popularized the phrase all politics is local to describe how politicians gain and stay in office. Tip may have mastered the politics of his day, but his all politics is local slogan takes on new meaning in our current malaise, as experts, analysts and armchair prognosticators take a stab at predicting what comes next after the Jan. 6 insurrection by armed vigilantes. Bob Kustra In a previous column, I touched on white Christian nationalists and the American Redoubt in Idaho where they gather to build fortresses to prepare for what they term the Second Civil War. Idaho has gained national attention for organized efforts by a growing right wing to unseat locally elected officials who they contend violate their personal and moral codes of conduct. Too often, these self-righteous arbiters of our community standards seek to hold all members of a community to their notions of right and wrong. North Idaho College recently made national headlines when a right-wing takeover of the college board jeopardized the colleges accreditation. A failed right-wing candidate for Congress in California moved to Meridian and led an effort to abolish the library district. Meridians Republican Party wasnt conservative enough for Conservatives of: Meridian, so this separate political action committee was formed to field and support candidates from the far right. At the state level, extremists ran off Republican legislators with years of service in their local communities but who didnt pass muster with extremist Idaho. This last session was a great example of how many legislative efforts were aimed at removing authority from locally elected boards according to the precepts of right-wing Idaho. So where is the countervailing power to this move to the far right? The answer in Idaho is not so clear and that comes as no shock to those who have followed local elections in America. For as long as I can remember, voters often failed to show up for local elections to which they paid scant attention but always voted in general elections where incessant campaign commercials drove them to the polls. Story continues Low-turnout local elections are low-hanging fruit for right-wing insurgents seeking to seize control of local governments. They target communities caught off guard by the slow but steady trickle of migrants from states they claim are too woke. But even with turnout low, over the years it seemed to me that voters who did follow local issues usually managed to make the right call and vote for public officials who understood the community in which they lived and reflected the community standards in place over the years. Thats how I saw the Boise region when my wife and I arrived here 20 years ago. Local government bodies seemed to reflect the traditional values of the community. But since Donald Trumps attacks on civic virtue, public discourse at all levels of government has declined. At his rallies, he harangued decent public servants doing their job and encouraged his followers to rebel often suggesting violence against elected officials who didnt square with Trumps dystopian version of America. Too often, Trump got his way as his acolytes left his rallies and then disrupted local government meetings time and time again. Their unruly behavior caused local governments to suspend their meetings as happened in Idaho in 2020 at an Central District Health board meeting when protesters showed up to protest COVID health precautions. In that case, the meeting was called off after 15 minutes due to safety concerns over protesters showing up at a board members home and scaring her children. If disruption alone doesnt work, Trumpian loyalists then run for office and seize control with their extremist agendas. Boise and many local governments in Idaho and beyond have been confronted and challenged by extremists who work quietly but effectively at removing citizens who reflect the majority standards of the community. In their place, they elect practitioners of Trumps divisive and uncouth brand of politics. They attack duly elected local government officials and attempt to impose their own narrow code of conduct on communities under the guise of freedom. There is a plain and simple lesson to be learned by anyone who believes in the democratic experiment at that level of government where citizens can have the most direct and positive impact on the quality of representation. Its time for voices of reason to prevail over the rancorous voices of division in local governments, especially at elections when it is so easy for extremists to capture a seat on a local board which can throw the entire community into a tailspin of controversy and hostility. In short, its time to show up and participate in the civic affairs of our communities. Its time to get involved in the work of our local governments. Its about showing up at local elections, by voting and supporting candidates who are committed to carrying on the work of those who have come before us and left a legacy of good government, not extreme government. It will take an information stream that saturates our communities with the details of when local elections take place and where people vote. Gone are the days when local governments could strategize on how to keep turnout low so the no votes wouldnt show up. Idaho is in transition in this respect, and its local governments can no longer assume only those who believe in quality education and good government will show up. A perfect example of how difficult it is to follow the byzantine array of local governmental bodies is the Ada Community Library district that operates separately from the Boise and Meridian libraries. There is an election for board members on Tuesday, May 16, and its a timely moment for voters to get the details on where to vote and show up at the polls. Just recently, the Ada Community Librarys board voted to remove from its collection six books that Idaho law would classify as harmful to minors, even though libraries are exempt from the law. Board members voted in violation of Idahos open meetings law, so heres an opportunity for voters to find out who is running, what they stand for, and then vote. It will take Idahoans organized in community associations and civic clubs to spread the word about local elections and the importance of showing up to vote. Its a message that our businesses large and small can share in the media and on their websites so there is no doubt about the commitment our employers who drive the economic engine of the community make to our locally elected officials. Its a message that parent-teacher associations can share with parents. Its a message that not-for-profit boards can pass along to those they serve, all in the interest of preserving the Idaho that has worked for generations and will not be captured by extremists. Tip ONeal had it right. All politics is local, and now its within our power to stake our claim to the American democratic experiment that eventually rejects the work of those who operate outside the traditional values of Main Street America. Lets show up! Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio and he writes a biweekly column for the Idaho Statesman. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator. NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The United States remains in Somalia in a conflict that shows no signs of ending anytime soon despite the Biden administration's talk of bringing an end to America's endless wars, said the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in an article on Friday. U.S. military involvement, assistance, and training have all contributed to perpetuating the war with the militant group al-Shabab, it cited a new Costs of War Project report. "Rather than bringing that country closer to peace and stability, U.S. policy has instead been one of the drivers of the conflict," said the report. "The United States is not simply contributing to conflict in Somalia, but has, rather, become integral to the inevitable continuation of conflict in Somalia," in which the United States has no vital security interests at stake, the report was quoted as saying. Current U.S. policy is exacerbating Somalia's security problems instead of alleviating them, said the institute. "At the very least, the Biden administration should end direct U.S. involvement in the war in Somalia," it added. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov likely aim to frame the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and regular Russian troops as ineffective and set conditions to blame the MoD for any Russian setbacks in the Bakhmut area, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War state. Source: an ISW report Quote: "Prigozhins decision to hand responsibility for Bakhmut over to the forces of a fellow silovik [enforcer ed.] deliberately excludes the conventional Russian airborne troops already operating on Wagners northern and southern flanks around Bakhmut. This decision reflects Prigozhins ongoing distrust of the Russian military command, and postures himself as independent from the Russian military establishment and allows him to save face if Wagner forces cannot capture Bakhmut and avoiding a repeat of the capture of Soledar where the Russian MoD took credit for what Prigozhin claimed was a Wagner success. Kadyrov, in turn, could benefit from the positive reputational effect of entering such a high-profile operation with the backing of Prigozhins personal notoriety. The switch from Wagner to Akhmat troops may also set conditions to blame the Russian MoD for future failures down the line if Akhmat forces experience similar difficulties to Wagner and are unable to completely capture Bakhmut, Prigozhin and Kadyrov may feasibly blame the MoD for failing to adequately support their efforts." (Akhmat is the collective name fro Kadyrov's forces ed.) Details: On the other hand, the ISW states that if the Russian MoD prevents Akhmat forces from relieving Wagner (as it is unclear if Prigozhin and Kadyrov can execute this maneuver without any Russian MoD support as they claim), the two Russian warlords and their allies will likely brandish the hypothesis that if only the Russian MoD had supported the maneuver, Chechen forces would have captured Bakhmut quickly. Story continues Background: On 5 May, Yevgeny Prigozhin wrote a letter to the Russian Defence Ministry, stating that he would withdraw the Wagner PMC mercenaries from Bakhmut after 10 May. He claimed that the reason for the move was that the Ministry of Defence did not give his fighters enough ammunition, and he did not want his people to be "doomed to a senseless death" because of this. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are sceptical about the claim made by Prigozhin. Later, Ramzan Kadyrov offered his help in the occupation of Bakhmut. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group private company, has said that he received a combat instruction presumably, from the Russian Defence Ministry saying that the soldiers would receive ammunition and weapons. Source: Prigozhins press service Quote: "They promise to give us ammunition and weapons, as much as we need to continue further operations. They swear to us that everything necessary will be put on our flank so that we are not cut off by the enemy. They tell us that we can act in Artemivsk [Bakhmut ed.] as we see fit. And they give us [Sergei] Surovikin (former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine ed.) as a person who will make all decisions within the combat operations of the Wagner PMC in cooperation with the Defence Ministry." Background: On 5 May, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company, wrote a letter to the Russian Defence Ministry, stating that he would withdraw his mercenaries from Bakhmut after 10 May. He claimed that the reason for the move was that the Ministry of Defence did not give his fighters enough ammunition, and he did not want his people to be "doomed to a senseless death" because of this. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are sceptical about the claim made by Prigozhin. Later, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov offered his help in the occupation of Bakhmut. Prigozhin announced that he would allegedly hand over the positions of his fighters in Bakhmut to Kadyrov's soldiers. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! COMMENTARY: Heartless Harry really knows how to twist the knife when it comes to his once-beloved family, who have done nothing but support him for thirty-plus years. Westminster Abbey was alight with the news that the bad-boy Prince had arrived to finally show some kind of respect to his father, King Charles, on this very historic occasion. Bouncing in laughing and smiling, there was no facial embarrassment, given the fact he has trashed his family across the world via TV, print and social media with endless fictitious stories about racism, recognition for his wife, Meghan, and general treatment of his lavish time in the royal family. Prince Harry attends the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London. But why did Harry refuse the chance to at least spend some time with his family alone without the praying mantis grip of Meghans arm? PRINCE HARRY BOLTS AFTER KING CHARLES' CORONATION; MEGHAN MARKLE LIKELY WATCHED ON TV: EXPERTS King Charles, along with Camilla, really had no idea what time Harry was arriving back here to the U.K., and even more so what time he was to depart, although he was happy to share this in the abbey with Jack Brooksbank in a conversation Harry had to know would be picked up by lip readers assigned to the royal occasions and splashed over the media that he loathes so much. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Prince Harry walks outside Westminster Abbey following the coronation of King Charles in London, May 6, 2023. CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III: THE HISTORIC DAY IN PHOTOS The message was loud and clear I am here for duty and media profile simple as that. He knows that this will be a talking point on any chat show or book promotion looming, but above all, for the ex-royal, its all about the cash. Never mind the move and reach-out from a family who has been subjected to months of bad press, thanks to Harry and his wife, Meghan. Prince Harry leaves after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London. Directly after the ceremony, Harry was seen rushing toward a car with a Met Police escort and looking to board a flight back to the U.S., where a world of feeding chickens, plotting revenge against the U.K. press and further attacks on his family, awaits. Prince Harry continues to feud with King Charles III and members of the royal family after his exit from British monarchy. While he may wear a rictus grin alongside the medals on display, he knew that all eyes would, for the first time, not be on him. Wife Meghan wisely chose to stay away, given that she knows how disliked she has become here in the U.K. Story continues Prince Harry attended King Charles' coronation while Meghan Markle stayed home for son's birthday. PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE ANDREW ATTEND KING CHARLES CORONATION AMID ROYAL FAMILY DRAMA But better things even the U.K. weather held off long enough for all to enjoy the wonderful, staged event, which delighted millions in the mall and billions around the world. The heavens opened, though, but this did not deter so many who were happy to be part of the wonderful celebration. King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony ahead of the flypast during the coronation on May 6, 2023, in London. A source who is close to Harry told me that he "didnt bow to the new king or sing the anthem" beyond shameful, yet to many, Harry is the victim. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Meanwhile, the star of the show for many was Prince Louis. But why did Prince Louis leave his seat during the coronation ceremony? There is much speculation on what happened, as he was there and then gone, but the simple fact was it was planned after the incident at the Platinum Jubilee, in which Catherine at points struggled to contain his excitement. And well, this could not happen at the coronation, and so it was agreed that he would have various comfort breaks. Meanwhile, George looking directly at his future with all that was going around him sat it out, as did Princess Charlotte. But what a memory all three are going to have. Prince Harry leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. (Getty Images) Prince Harry has landed back in California just 16 hours after his father's coronation. The Duke of Sussex caught a British Airways flight shortly after King Charles' service finished and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at about 7.30pm local time (3.30am UK). This was just 16-and-a-half hours after the coronation commenced at 11am on Saturday. British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss his trip. Watch: Prince Harry departs coronation service at Westminster Abbey The duke was reuniting with his son after Prince Archie turned four on Saturday, spending the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their US home. Harry's appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare. His book contained claims his father put his own interests above Harrys and was jealous of his wife. There was also the incendiary claim his brother, the Prince of Wales, physically attacked Harry during an argument about Meghan. The Duke of Sussex looks on as King Charles III leaves Westminster Abbey on Saturday. (AFP via Getty Images) Prince Harry talks to Princess Anne at Westminster Abbey. (AFP via Getty Images) Buckingham Palace has yet to comment on any of the claims. At the coronation, Harry was seated in the third row for the crowning of Charles and his stepmother the Queen in Westminster Abbey, and was placed two rows behind William. Harry chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church in the drizzling rain. Read more: King Charles's coronation: How the day of pageantry and protests unfolded He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone. During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever. His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier he had no formal role at the event. The coronation celebrations were set to continue on Sunday with big lunches attended by royals and a concert at Windsor Castle. The King and Queen will join 20,000 members of the public at the coronation concert where, along with other family members, they will see performances by Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Prince Louis Arthur stepped into the royal spotlight at his grandfather King Charles IIIs coronation and stole the show, once again. While millions gathered worldwide to witness His Majesty King Charles III officially being crowned king of England, fans couldnt help but notice Prince Louis making the silliest faces during the royal occasion. Once King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla made their first balcony appearance after their coronation, the royal family joined the British monarchs to watch the Royal Air Force flyover. KING CHARLES CROWNED: PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE GEORGE AND THE LINE OF SUCCESSION Prince Louis was spotted yelling on the balcony during the lively coronation celebration. Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Britain's Prince Louis of Wales, stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony as they wait for the Royal Air Force fly-past in central London on May 6, 2023. As the rambunctious five-year-old stood alongside his parents -- Catherine, "Kate" Middleton, Prince William and his siblings Princess Charlotte, Prince George -- Prince Louis couldnt help but yell in excitement for the joyful event. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Prince Louis, the youngest son of Princess Kate and Prince William, was additionally seen waving with both his hands and a pout on his face on the balcony. Prince Louis, the youngest son of Princess Kate and Prince William, was additionally seen waving with both his hands and a pout on his face on the balcony. He occasionally looked up and pointed at the royal jets that flew over Buckingham Palace. Prince Louis occasionally looked up and pointed at the royal jets that flew over Buckingham Palace. At the beginning of King Charles coronation, Prince Louis was photographed yawning before entering Westminster Abbey, as his sister Princess Charlotte held her brothers hand before the crowning ceremony. Britain's Prince Louis of Wales yawns as he arrives at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, ahead of the coronations of Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort. The royal toddler appeared pretty tired throughout the morning, as he also yawned during the traditional religious ceremony and while he was traveling in his carriage ride. KING CHARLES OFFICIALLY CROWNED BRITISH MONARCH Prince Louis yawns during the coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, on May 6, 2023 in London, England. Prince Louis was seen frowning and laughing at the carriage window while placing his hand on the glass. Britain's Prince Louis of Wales travels back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, after the coronations of Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla. This wasnt the first time the little prince showed off his playful facial expressions and antics during a major royal event. CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III: THE HISTORIC DAY IN PHOTOS Britain's Prince Louis of Wales smiles through the window as he travels with his family back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023. Last year at the late Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Prince Louis was the center of attention during the flypast, again. Story continues Prince Louis placed his hands on his ears and screamed on the balcony during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee He placed his hands on his ears and screamed on the balcony during the royal momentous celebration. Prince William and Princess Kate welcomed their third child, Louis Arthur, on April 23, 2018. The five-year-old is fourth in line to the throne. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER He was named after William's grandfather, King Charles III, and the Duke's mentor, Louis Mountbatten, who was killed by a bomb in 1979. King Charles III, the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was crowned on Saturday at Londons Westminster Abbey. Beside him was his wife, Queen Camilla. King Charles III, the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was crowned on Saturday at Londons Westminster Abbey. Beside him was his wife, Queen Camilla. The former Prince of Wales ascended the throne in September after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died September 2022 after serving her country for 70 years. She was the longest-serving monarch in British history, making Charles the longest-serving heir apparent. Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated King Charles III's coronation with a new clip they shared after the conclusion of the historic day. The Princess and Princess of Wales posted a recap video that featured official footage of the festivities following the crowning of King Charles and Queen Camilla at London's Westminster Abbey on Saturday. "What. A. Day.," the couple wrote on their official Twitter page. Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a new video hours after King Charles' coronation ended. "Thank you to everyone who made it happen," they added. KING CHARLES OFFICIALLY CROWNED BRITISH MONARCH At the beginning of the video, Kate, 41, and William, 40, were seen clad in their formal robes and mantels as they walked down steps leaving for Westminster Abbey. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by their children Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. The family was seen smiling while getting into black SUVs on their way to the royal church. The minute-long video featured highlights of the day including the royal procession and the flypast over Buckingham Palace. William, Kate and their children were seen waving from their carriage and smiling while gathered with the royal family on the palace balcony. The video ended with a closing shot of Charles waving while standing on the balcony with Camilla. The historic ceremony was Britain's first coronation since Charles mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago. The coronation was marked with touching tributes to the late monarch, who died at the age of 96 in Scotland last September. The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the historic ceremony with their three children. Kate sported the George VI Festoon Necklace, which was commissioned by King George VI in 1950 as a gift for his daughter, then-Princess Elizabeth. She also wore a pair of diamond and pearl earrings previously owned by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. The Princess of Wales coronation ensemble featured a custom gown by Alexander McQueen, the same designer who made her bridal gown for her royal wedding with William. Charlotte coordinated with her mother in a white McQueen cape dress and the two both donned glittering leaf headpieces by McQueen. Story continues CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER The entire royal family gathered on the balcony for the flypast over Buckingham Palace. During the ceremony, William, who wore the ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh Guards, honored his father with a spoken vow. George, who served as one of Charles' four Pages of Honour, wore a red uniform. He is the youngest future king to have had an official role in a coronation. However, it was Louis who stole the show once again at the royal event. The five-year-old was pictured yawning at the ceremony, pressing his nose up against the carriage window during the procession and shouting from the balcony as the flyover was taking place. Charles' historic coronation was attended by 2,200 guests and watched by millions around the world. Prince Harry put on a brave face for King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation but it was far from a happily ever after for the House of Windsor. The Duke of Sussex arrived at Westminster Abbey on Saturday for the historical ceremony alone and he left alone. The 38-year-old was assigned to sit several rows behind his brother, Prince William. Many royal watchers were hoping the coronation would break the ice between the battling brothers. According to reports, the siblings, who were once so close, have been estranged since Harry made his royal exit in 2020. During the coronation, William and Harry were never seen speaking or even acknowledging each other. And afterward, Harry swiftly flew back to California where he lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is seen standing alone before the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, at Westminster Abbey. "As Harry watched his father being crowned and his brother pledging his allegiance to the new king with a kiss on the cheek, he must have felt the slightest tinge of regret," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," told Fox News Digital. "Frankly, to keep his sanity, he has to keep telling himself he made the right decision by bailing on the royal family." KING CHARLES CROWNED: PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE GEORGE AND THE LINE OF SUCCESSION Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla wave on the Buckingham Palace balcony following their coronation ceremony in London. "Harry appeared to have no interaction with King Charles, Queen Camilla or William and [his wife] Kate [Middleton]," Andersen shared. "For his part, William seemed not at all interested in acknowledging his brother and vice versa that is how broken this relationship is. The U.K. still holds a great deal of affection for Harry, and I'm sure the people would love to see him back in the royal fold. It just seems sad that at a time when his countrymen and women are celebrating his father's coronation, Harry could not wait to hop on a plane and get back to Montecito." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "There were no signs of reconciliation everyone seems to have dug in," Andersen added. Story continues Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London. Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as senior royals, theyve repeatedly aired their grievances. Most recently, Harry wrote an explosive memoir, "Spare," which detailed his struggles with royal life, the devastating loss of his mother, Princess Diana, as well as his rivalry with William, 40, who is heir to the throne. In the book, Harry alleged that during an argument in 2019, William called Markle "difficult" and "rude" and then grabbed him by the collar and knocked him down. Harry suffered cuts and bruises from landing on a dog bowl. Harry claimed Charles implored the brothers to make up. Following the funeral of Charles father, Prince Philip, in 2021, the king pleaded, "Please, boys, dont make my final years a misery." Neither Buckingham Palace, which represents the king, 74, nor Williams Kensington Palace office, commented on any of the allegations. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Several royal watchers said Prince Harry appeared awkward as he sat several rows behind his elder brother, Prince William. British broadcaster and royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that the tension between the brothers was apparent during the ceremony. "Great Britain cannot afford to have a royal family which is fragmented and not representing the true values of the people," Turner explained. " In my opinion, it is not [William and Harrys] right to behave in such a dishonorable way." "It is said by many experts that King Charles is too weak to deal with the situation, that this cannot be resolved," Turner said. "It will be resolved if the people of Great Britain turn their backs on the new king and show the [same] disdain currently being played out in the public arena by the two brothers." King Charles III is shown during his coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London. "In my opinion, William and Harry are playing with fire, which could erupt the whole house of Windsor in flames," he added. Author and royal expert Katie Nicholl previously revealed in her book, "The New Royals," that even the late Queen Elizabeth II was allegedly "deeply hurt by Harrys decision to leave his family and the country." Charles became king upon his mothers death in September 2022 at age 96. "According to a friend, privately the queen confided that she was exhausted by the turmoil of their decision," Nicholl wrote. "She was very hurt and told me, I dont know, I dont care, and I dont want to think about it anymore,' says that person." PRINCE HARRY BOLTS AFTER KING CHARLES' CORONATION; MEGHAN MARKLE LIKELY WATCHED ON TV: EXPERTS During happier times, Queen Elizabeth II is seen laughing alongside her grandsons, Prince Harry, left, and Prince William, at Buckingham Palace. Britain's longest-reigning monarch died in September 2022. She was 96. "It was a source of sadness to the queen that she got to see so little of Archie and Lilibet and that Harry and Meghan were not able to join her for a weekend at Balmoral in August [2022] when the queen used to host a sleepover for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren," Nicholl said. Another point of contention for the queen was the icy relationship between Charles and Harry, which allegedly "caused the queen so much upset." Nicholl also reported that the king "desperately wants to reconcile with his son." Harry and his wife left royal life and moved to California following the intense scrutiny and racist attitudes from the British press. Markle, 41, is biracial. A cardboard cutout of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stands at the head of the table at a street party on Denman Road to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 7, 2023, in London. In a six-part Netflix series, they lobbed other criticisms at the royal family, alleging racial bias. Then in his memoir, Harry revealed private conversations he had with his father and brother. The book was particularly unflattering toward his stepmother, Camilla, who was once blamed for wrecking his fathers marriage to his mother. He accused Camilla, 75, of making leaks to the media to rehabilitate her own image after marrying Charles. QUEEN CAMILLA WAS NEVER CLOSE TO MEGHAN MARKLE, REMAINED 'SUSPICIOUS OF HER MOTIVES, ROYAL EXPERT CLAIMS On Saturday, the royal family's official website officially acknowledged Camilla as queen. Buckingham Palace had announced before the coronation that Harry and the kings brother, Prince Andrew, would not have any role in the service. Markle stayed behind in California. "Meghan's decision to not attend with Archie and Lilibet may have seemed like the right one at the time, given the fact that so much attention would be on her and that would have risked her being booed," said Andersen. "But Harry and Archie are now fifth and sixth in line to the throne, and the fact that she could not put aside her grievances for this once-in-a-lifetime historic event the most important moment in her father-in-law's life comes across to most Britons as petty and vindictive." Prince Harry appeared to look in the direction of his brother, Prince William, during their father's coronation ceremony on Saturday. Harry was seen entering the church in a black custom Dior three-piece suit with coattails. An honorary cross hung around his neck and military medals were pinned to the left side of his chest. He nodded, waved and spoke a few words to clergy and several guests already seated. Meanwhile, William played a prominent role during the coronation. He kneeled at his fathers feet, pledging his loyalty and then kissing him on the cheek. His eldest son, Prince George, served as a page boy, helping to carry the train of his grandfathers robes. During the two-hour spectacle, keen attention was focused on Harry by the media and royal watchers. Next to him was his cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE ANDREW ATTEND KING CHARLES CORONATION AMID ROYAL FAMILY DRAMA Prince Harry has a close bond with his cousins, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, as well as their husbands. Andersen noted that Harrys cousins are his "closest friends and allies among the royals." "Harry looked profoundly awkward and decidedly out of place like a spare part at the coronation," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. " While he has a decidedly dubious future at best, his brother, Williams, future is more solid and secure than ever." Prince William is heir to the British throne. "In contrast to Harrys slightly strange entrance, there were profoundly touching moments between the king and the Prince of Wales," she said. "There were solid father-and-son moments between them, demonstrating deep rapport. One wonders if the deep appreciation that the king had for William by mouthing Thank you was for much more than the components of the service and his paying homage." PRINCE HARRY'S ULTIMATUM TO KING CHARLES COULD PREVENT RECONCILIATION: EXPERT Prince William, Prince of Wales, kisses his father, King Charles III, during the coronation ceremony. The king was seen whispering a heartfelt "thank you" to his son. Royal expert Kelly Lynch told Fox News Digital that the ceremony would have made it difficult for the brothers to have any kind of heartfelt talks. However, she suspected that this could very well be "Harrys final appearance with his family." "At this point, both sides should put down their swords and move on with their lives Harry and Meghan to whatever good works they've set out to do and the royal family to continue upholding tradition and history as so many houses before them have," she said. "It's sad to watch. No family wants to fight, especially siblings." The final glimpse of Harry was that of him quickly arriving at Heathrow Airport. His son turned 4 on Saturday, and it was said he headed back for his birthday. Prince Harry is shown leaving Westminster Abbey after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London. A short while later, the king and his queen stepped out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace. They were joined by William and his family. Support opting out I feel compelled to write this as a parent, grandparent, and retired teacher. My concern is the Beaufort County School Boards decision to ban several books in our schools, including some that are classics. We want children to develop the ability to make informed decisions and to encourage their curiosity about many topics. Teens typically spend time on social media and playing video games with friends, not reading. They need critical thinking skills to succeed in the future. Books can help them develop these skills. Do you want a school board, however well-intentioned, to decide what our kids can read? This is clearly the role of parents. Supt. Frank Rodriquez is proposing a parental opt-out form. This rightly gives parents the option of making the decisions about the books their children read. (We know that not all books are age-appropriate.) Please take the opportunity to let your board members know that you do not want them to make book banning decisions. Support Supt. Rodriguezs opt-out form. Marcia Budarz, Bluffton Great care given A prior writer seemed unhappy with the medical care here in Beaufort County. My experience has been the opposite, the latest being a knee replacement surgery. Besides my physicians sterling educational background, he is board-certified and fellowship trained in orthopedics as well as being an associate professor of orthopedics at UNC Medical School where he was instrumental in building their busy joint-replacement program. Prior to my surgery and with my physicians guidance, I did pre-therapy for a month, along with adhering to all his recommendations. Imagine my surprise when on Day 1 after my surgery I was able to walk without a cane or walker. One month later, I am walking and biking around my neighborhood. Pain free. In addition, after giving up hope and deciding I would have to live with seemingly unknown medical problems, I had my problems solved by Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort doctors. My life is so much better with fewer pain issues. I could not be more grateful. Story continues From my experience, the Realtors showing homes here should feel free to state without reservation that we have exceptional medical care. Veronica Hunter, HHI Ethics code needed The recent news about Clarence Thomass financial entanglements with GOP megadonor Harlan Crow should be alarming to every American. This is what happens when the highest court in the land is given free rein to police itself. Clarence Thomas isnt the first justice to engage in unethical behavior. And if Congress continues to ignore the need for a Supreme Court code of ethics, he wont be the last. Of the nine justices currently on the bench, four have been called out for unethical behavior and connections in the last year. Neil Gorsuch sold property to the head of a law firm with cases in front of the Supreme Court. Samuel Alito dined with anti-abortion activists and allegedly leaked decisions on reproductive health. John Roberts wife has earned millions of dollars from law firms with business before the Supreme Court. Congress has a constitutional duty to act as a check on the Supreme Court and restore faith in our judicial system. Its time they act and pass a Supreme Court code of ethics. Theresa Deery, Bluffton Report obscenities While stopped at a traffic light on Ladys Island Drive, I noticed a pickup truck with a very derogatory statement directed toward President Biden posted across the trucks rear window. My first thought was that this truck also had numerous Marine Corps decals and surely the Marines would not find this acceptable. Next I thought about all the young children in Beaufort who no doubt have seen this display. And what must our tourists think of Beaufort when they see such? Does the owner of the vehicle (or any other South Carolinian for that matter) realize that S.C. law, Section 56-5-3885, makes it unlawful to display obscene material on a vehicle visible to the public? Beaufort, we are better than this. If you see such obscene material on public display, report it to law enforcement.. Yes, there is a fine for this crude behavior. Christopher Uhall, Beaufort Protesters in New York City disrupted subway service and clashed with police on Saturday as they called for justice for 30-year-old Jordan Neely, a homeless man who was held in a lethal chokehold by 24-year-old marine Daniel Penny last week after harassing other subway passengers. New York police arrested at least seven people on Saturday who were involved in the protests, according to the New York Post. The power was temporarily shut off at the Lexington Avenue and East 63rd Street station after protesters jumped onto the tracks, blocking an incoming Q train. Breaking: Protesters are now disrupting the subway in NYC for Jordan Neely pic.twitter.com/NSO5UjAs7x Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) May 6, 2023 Police took several minutes to get protesters off the tracks, after which the train was able to continue on to the station. Several protesters then blocked a cars open doorway, keeping passengers inside. One rider asked officers to move the protesters so he could exit the train. The protesters shouted at the passenger, find another train and you not getting off this train sir! NYC subway riders are getting frustrated with protesters interrupting and disrupting their rides #JordanNeely pic.twitter.com/DepIANsmlt Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) May 6, 2023 Police began evacuating the station, at which point protesters became aggressive. Officers tackled several demonstrators to the ground to make arrests. Police again clashed with protesters on the street level when demonstrators went on to block the roadway intersection. The protesters are calling for consequences for Penny, who has not been charged with a crime for his role in Neelys death. Penny was initially taken into custody after Neelys death on the F train on May 1, but was later released. Now the district attorney is considering charges that could include involuntary manslaughter, the New York Post reports. The city medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by compression of neck (chokehold). Penny released a statement through his attorneys on Friday night saying he never intended to harm Neely. Neely struggled with mental health issues, including schizophrenia, PTSD and depression, according to his aunt. He had been arrested 42 times, including four times for assault. At the time of his death, Neely had an active warrant for allegedly assaulting a 67-year-old woman in 2021. Reddit posts unearthed by journalist Andy Ngo show that subway riders had grown to fear Neely even nine years ago because of his erratic behavior. More from National Review JOHANNESBURG, South Africa A U.S.-sanctioned Russian oligarch is accused of making shady deals under sunny skies with South African politicians, the reported real reason why Russian President Vladimir Putin could evade arrest should he make a planned trip to South Africa in August. Oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, said to be close to Putin, has been accused of repeatedly bankrolling South Africas ruling ANC political party. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also president of the ANC, has so far failed to undertake efforts to arrest the Russian leader should he make the planned trip. Ramaphosas government has repeatedly refrained at the U.N. from criticizing Russias invasion of Ukraine, saying it is "friends" with Moscow. U.S. relations with South Africa are hanging by a thread. Its a diplomatic mess of epic proportions. The International Criminal Court (ICC) sparked fury by demanding that countries who are signatories to the court, including South Africa, arrest Putin should he touch their soil, accusing him of war crimes against Ukrainian children. South Africa has invited Putin to attend a summit here of the BRICS group of nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. So far, the government has not canceled the invite but has given reasons why it believes it doesn't need to arrest him, suggesting there is a loophole in the ICCs rules. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a welcoming ceremony at the Russia-Africa Summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Oct. 23, 2019. INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ISSUES PUTIN ARREST WARRANT OVER CHILD DEPORTATIONS FROM UKRAINE And precedent shows that, if its left to the government alone, Putin can extend his middle finger to the West by walking about in South Africa as free as a bird. Its happened before here in disturbingly similar circumstances. In 2015, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. But he was allowed to visit South Africa for several days and even given a large motorcade escort by the very police who, according to the law, should reportedly have arrested him. Story continues READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital asked the U.S. State Department whether Putin should be arrested in Africa. "There is no doubt that members of Russias forces and other Russian officials are committing war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable," a State Department spokesperson said. "We support accountability for perpetrators of war crimes." The view outside the International Criminal Court March 29, 2022, in Den Haag, Netherlands. South Africas Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told the local Business Day his police may not arrest Putin. Instead, they are exploring "the option to look at extending customary diplomatic immunity to visiting heads of state in our country." Officially, South Africa has still not committed to an arrest. "Cabinet has appointed an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the deputy president to discuss the legal opinion provided on the matter and propose a way forward," Clayson Monyela, the Department of International Relations head of public diplomacy told Fox News Digital. Monyela further said reports in some international media that South Africa is quietly trying to persuade Putin not to visit are not the correct "line." Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts the 14th BRICS Summit via video link in Beijing June 23, 2022. NEW WORLD DISORDER: CHINA, RUSSIA BLOC SHORES UP INFLUENCE AS COUNTRIES EAGER TO JOIN, INCLUDING US ALLIES "There is absolutely no legal basis (currently or in the near future) for the South African government to not arrest Putin," Priyal Singh, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), told Fox News Digital from Pretoria. "As a party to the Rome Statute, Pretoria has a clear-cut international obligation to abide by its commitments and to effect the arrest," Singh added. "Moreover, as a country that has domesticated these obligations in terms of our national legislation, the government would effectively be breaking its own laws if it did not follow through with the arrest." South Africas main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, or DA, is considering looking to the courts to force the issue. It is "in the process of exploring all potential legal options to ensure South Africas compliance with the ICC Implementation Act, should Putin physically visit the country in August," Emma Louise Powell, the DAs shadow minister for international relations, told Fox News Digital. In addition, Alan Winde, premier of the DA-controlled Western Cape plans to use the regional police under his control to arrest Putin at Cape Town International Airport should he arrive there. "If the Russian leader sets foot in the Western Cape, we as the provincial government will have him arrested by our own Western Cape government-funded Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers," Winde said in a statement late last month. "If the South African Police Service is not instructed to act, we will." This fighting talk has drawn the admiration of Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, the leading Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Its good to see some leaders in South Africa speaking openly and without ambiguity about Putins visit to their country," Risch tweeted. "This kind of honest government leadership is desperately needed to build the U.S.-South Africa relationship." South African President Cyril Ramaphosa answers questions about the BRICS partnership during a media briefing in Cape Town, South Africa, June 10, 2022. RUSSIA 'CHIEF BENEFICIARY' IN DEADLY SUDAN CONFLICT AS ATTEMPTED CEASEFIRE FALLS APART But this enthusiasm is not shared by South Africa International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor. She ridiculed any attempt to carry out an arrest, suggesting it could spark conflict. "Heads of state do not come to any country without security support," she told Newzroom Afrika. "The notion that security forces would let South African police pop up and take their president, I think we mustnt make ourselves laughable". So why is South Africa clearly reluctant to act over Putin? "To understand South Africas relationship with Russia, you have to understand its Cold War history. Russia was anti-apartheid before it was fashionable in the United States," Cameron Hudson told Fox News Digital. Hudson is formerly a CIA officer and director of African affairs at the National Security Council during President George W. Bush's administration. He is now a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa Program. "Moscow hosted leading figures in the African National Congress for training and education and supported them with funds," Hudson added. "But those ties are fraying. The previous presidency of Jacob Zuma moved South Africa much closer to Moscow and, in the process, also weakened democratic institutions in South Africa and saw a corruption spike. Given the countrys economic slide, corrupt deals of the kind Moscow has become associated with in South Africa are of decidedly bad odor." The DAs Powell added, "The African National Congress and its senior members have long been suspected of having financial interests with the Russian oligarchy that they may now be seeking to protect at the expense of the countrys domestic interests and obligations under international law." TWO CHARGED WITH EVADING US SANCTIONS TO HELP RUSSIAN OLIGARCH PROTECT $90 MILLION YACHT Sanctioned Russian oligarchs mysteriously have Ramaphosas support, at least when it comes to allowing their megayachts to dock at South African ports despite U.S. requests to seize them. "South Africa has no legal obligation to abide by sanctions imposed by the U.S. and E.U.," Ramaphosas spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told reporters, referring to a proposal to dock Russian oligarch Alexey Mordashovs $500 million megayacht "Nord" in Cape Town. The Nord superyacht in Hong Kong Oct. 14, 2022. Another sanctioned oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, helped out Ramaphosas cash-strapped ANC by funding its party conference late last year through his company to the tune of some $826,000, according to recently released information from South Africas electoral commission, the IEC. Its not the first time Vekselberg has reportedly channeled funds to South Africas ruling party. United Manganese, the local mine he owns 49% of, donated over $400,000 to the ANC in 2020, according to James Lorimer, the DAs shadow minister of mineral resources. Economically, the DAs Powell believes South Africas position on Russia makes no sense. "Despite Russia accounting for as little as 0.3% of South Africas trade ties, the ANC is willing to disregard South Africas crucial domestic interests in order to protect an alleged war criminal and shore up further political patronage with Moscow" she told Fox News Digital. "To put this into perspective, South Africa does less trade with Russia than it does with one of its most under-developed neighboring countries." The U.S.'s biggest trading partner in Africa is South Africa. Sources say the U.S. is frustrated, particularly by the Putin arrest saga, and may choose to drop South Africa from the AGOA trade agreement, where Washington gives products ranging from oranges to cars duty-free status on sale into the U.S. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks with Skolkovo Foundation President Viktor Vekselberg during his visit to the National Children's Sports and Health Centre in Sochi Oct. 11, 2014. "South Africa-U.S. trade relations could be seriously undermined if Pretoria does not carefully manage its relations with Washington and Moscow," said the ISSs Singh. Gustavo de Carvalho, senior researcher, African governance and diplomacy, at the South African Institute of International Affairs, told Fox News Digital he is concerned about the countrys current position over Russia. "As national elections approach in 2024, this delicate matter could significantly impact the nation's political trajectory and its relationships with key international partners," Carvalho said. "The United States should exercise caution in addressing this situation, as stringent measures could push South Africa further away and create a ripple effect among other Global South nations." Fox News Digital reached out to the ANC for comment but has not received a response. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) K-pop girl group Red Velvet has arrived in Manila ahead of their first solo concert on Sunday, May 7. PH REVELUV, the Queens have landed! event organizer PULP Live World said in a social media post Saturday afternoon. Only Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Yeri of the five-member group will perform their sold-out "R to V" show at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, as it was earlier announced that Joy will not be able to join due to health reasons. PULP also released more details to guide concertgoers, including the event day schedule, venue map guide, and more reminders. Red Velvet last went to Manila in July last year to headline the advocacy concert "Be You: The World Will Adjust." The group also performed in the country in June 2019 and in April 2015 for the "K-POP World Music Festival" and the "Best of Best in the Philippines" concert, respectively. (Bloomberg) -- The second meeting in two months between leaders of Japan and South Korea after years without a formal summit marks another win for the Biden administration, which has sought to unite the allies to cooperate against North Korea and undercut Chinas growing power. Most Read from Bloomberg Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Seoul on Sunday for talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The two are seeking to bolster business and military cooperation with the US even while remaining mindful of the importance of keeping ties steady with their biggest trading partner, China. Its a delicate balance as Washington and Beijing squabble over everything from the supply of chips and cutting-edge technology, to an alleged Chinese spy balloon being shot down over American skies and Chinas partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the forefront too is an increasingly belligerent North Korea, which fired an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US just hours before Kishida and Yoon held a summit in Tokyo in March. I would like to have a full and frank exchange with President Yoon based on a relationship of trust, Kishida told reporters in Tokyo before his departure for Seoul. The Biden administration has been seeking help from partners such as Seoul and Tokyo to impose sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips equipment to China in a policy aimed at preventing the countrys progression in a range of cutting-edge technologies. US efforts may have been a factor in the restoration of Seoul-Tokyo ties, said Kak Soo Shin, a former career diplomat who once served as South Koreas ambassador to Japan. Drivers could have also included concerns both countries share over the volatile security environment, mainly the challenge of addressing the North Korean nuclear threat and a coercive China, he said. Story continues It has been quite abnormal for Korea and Japan to leave their relationship in such a miserable situation for such a long time, Shin said. It was a lose-lose situation that the two countries have been trapped in a vicious cycle of fraying relationship, even though they could be natural strategic partners amid the flux of their strategic settings. Kishida and Yoon are likely to discuss issues surrounding security and high-tech industries, as well as restore shuttle diplomacy that was derailed more than a decade ago to political friction, the South Korea presidents office said. A formal summit between the two leaders was held in March in Tokyo for the first time in 12 years, followed by a security dialog in April and a meeting of their finance ministers last week. Yoon has been a supporter of Washingtons Asia strategy, including President Joe Bidens initiative to restructure global supply chains to reduce dependence on China. Japan in March said it will expand restrictions on exports of 23 types of leading-edge chipmaking technology, even as its trade officials repeatedly said it was not targeted at China. The last visit by a Japanese premier to South Korea came in 2018 when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the opening of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and held talks separately with then-President Moon Jae-in. The last formal bilateral summit in Seoul by a Japanese leader was in October 2011. Troubled History Yoon proposed a resolution for the long-standing dispute over compensation for Japans use of Korean forced labor during its 1910-45 occupation of the peninsula. His proposal, which involves South Korean firms contributing to a compensation fund for conscripted Korean workers, has not been well-received by the majority of the local public. The payments were meant to avoid forcing Japanese companies to provide compensation, in line with Tokyos contention all such claims were settled under a 1965 agreement. Bidens administration welcomed the move, calling it a groundbreaking deal. In the wake of the move, South Korea reinstated Japan to its list of preferred trading partners in April. Later that month, Japans trade ministry started seeking public opinions on restoring South Korea to Tokyos list of preferred trading partners, in a procedural step that would eventually streamline the export processes to South Korea. A key task for Kishida is to understand the domestic criticism Yoon has faced on his proposal to end the dispute over compensation, said Naoko Aoki, an associate political scientist at the Rand Corp. in Washington. Read: Why South Korea-Japan Ties Are Plagued by History: QuickTake I dont think Prime Minister Kishida can make everyone happy, but whether he can allay some of the concerns being voiced in South Korea would be an important part of the visit, she said. The summit in Seoul could also help in a show of support for Taiwan, which China sees as a part of its territory that must be returned, even if by force. In a visit by Yoon to Washington in April, South Korea made its strongest statement yet on the Taiwan Strait by expressing strong opposition to any unilateral actions in the region in comments that echoed statements from the Kishida government. Its important to recognize that the primary reason for trilateral cooperation involving the United States is to support Taiwan, said Cheon Seong-whun, former security strategy secretary in South Koreas presidential office. As such, engaging in collective strategic dialogue with China is crucial. The emphasis should be on arms control instead of an arms race, he said. Curtailing Chinas expanding nuclear arsenal is set to be a subject of discussion later this month with Kishida hosts a Group of Seven leaders summit in Hiroshima. Yoon has been invited and expected to join the Japanese premier and Biden for three-way talks on the sidelines. I dont think either of the two countries want to see the region reshaped and dominated by Chinas increasing military capability and economic coercion, Aoki of Rand said. --With assistance from Takashi Hirokawa and Shinhye Kang. (Updates with Kishidas arrival.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Carmen fled her home country of Honduras in 2015, escaping an abusive partner. Like countless asylum seekers, her life was deeply disrupted by family detention. Carmen fled her home country of Honduras in 2015, escaping an abusive partner. Like countless asylum seekers, her life was deeply disrupted by family detention. Carmen couldnt sleep through the night for two years. She hoped she would get rest after spending long days at the Berks County immigration detention center in Lessport, Pennsylvania. But rest never came for the 39-year-old mom from Honduras. Every 15 minutes, the guards would point their flashlights directly in their faces, confirming that the families were still there even though they had nowhere else to go. The light would wake up everyone, including her toddler son. The cycle was agonizing, and it went on for nearly two years. Carmen, who is being referred to by a pseudonym because she is an asylee and her family case remains pending, is one of the thousandsofmigrants who has been held in family detention. The policy began under the Obama administration in 2014, in response to an increase in Central American families seeking asylum at the border. The practice only expanded under former President Donald Trump, who cracked down on immigration with a series of harsh policies. Women and children were held in prison-like facilities for an indefinite period of timein an attempt to deter families from seeking asylum at the southern border of the U.S. President Joe Biden ended family detention shortly after taking office, but The New York Times reportedin March that the administration was considering reinstating the practice as Title 42 the Trump-era policy that has allowed border authorities to swiftly expel migrants under the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic is set to expire next week. The White House hasnt denied the report, even as Democrats have condemned the idea and vocally criticized Biden. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Story continues Im not saying its being considered. ... Im not saying it is not, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said after the report came out. Immigration rights activists have blasted the White House for considering reinstating the policy, saying that the most vulnerable immigrants, including women and children, are at risk. Inadequate medical care, access to legal resources, and maltreatment were all reported at various ICE facilities across the country. Numerous studies have also demonstrated that detention poses a serious threat to an individuals mental health and can have devastating effects especially on young children. Like countless asylum seekers, Carmens life was deeply disrupted by family detention. She fled her home country of Honduras in 2015, escaping an abusive partner. Even after they separated, he would show up to her house unannounced and bring over men who were dangerous. She felt unsafe in her own home. Carmen took her son, who was 3 years old at the time, and fled northbound, hoping to claim asylum in the United States. Together, they made the arduous journey, mostly on foot, through Guatemala and Mexico until they reached Texas. When Carmen arrived in October 2015, she was immediately apprehended by border patrol and taken to Karnes County immigration center, one of the three detention centers overseen by ICE that was used exclusively to hold migrant parents and their children. She and her son were held for 22 days, until they were transferred to Berks detention center in Pennsylvania, where they were detained for 21 months. Carmen and her son in their home in Indianapolis. Carmen and her son in their home in Indianapolis. By 2016, reports of human rights abuses at Berks had begun to surface. That April, a 40-year-old guard was found guiltyof sexually assaulting a 19-year-old Honduran woman he oversaw at the facility. In September, 22 women went on a hunger strike to protest their prolonged detentions. But things only got worse. When we realized Trump was president, we lost all hope, Carmen said. We realized that things were even going to get more difficult. The new administration enacted harsh anti-immigration policies, including holding families beyond the legal limit of 20 days and separating families. Carmen worked in the kitchen at Berks, washing dishes for an hour or two a day. She crocheted, partook in group prayers, and when allowed, she took her son out into the yard for the maximum limit of 30 minutes a day. They ate the same meals every day: chicken, pasta, salad or ham. I liked staying busy in order to not think about what was happening, because if you do that, then your mind betrays you, she said. The children were perplexed and scared, Carmen said. Her son began asking questions about why they were being held. Carmen tried to comfort him, explaining that it was part of the process to enter the U.S. an answer she was only half convinced herself. Tina Bernstein (left) and a group of women from New York are at the Texas-Mexico border stop at the Berks Immigration Center (right) on July 31, 2018, to protest the detention of families. Tina Bernstein (left) and a group of women from New York are at the Texas-Mexico border stop at the Berks Immigration Center (right) on July 31, 2018, to protest the detention of families. Its hard enough having to go through that situation, she said. But its even harder having to explain to your children why they are in the same situation, especially when detention is prolonged for such a long time. I felt that I was in prison without having committed a crime, she added. I had not found what I came looking for. She made friends with other mothers and their children, including some who were deported abruptly. She never knew what her own fate would be. When you arrive here, you come with fear, and you come scared. And when you end up in family detention, its just very difficult, she said. With the help of a legal nonprofit called Aldea - The Peoples Justice Center, Carmen and her son were finally released in August 2017. Once outside, she dropped down to her knees. I didnt know whether to scream or cry, she said. But it was the best day of my life. Carmen has since found some sort of normalcy. A sponsor took her in immediately after she was released and helped her find food and shelter. She currently lives in Indianapolis, with a new and loving partner and her three children. Her children are all enrolled in school. Shes still looking for stable work in order to support them. But after nearly six years, the memories haunt her and her son. He brings up their time at Berks sometimes, telling her he never wants to return. The sight of a police car continues to terrify him. Carmen's son writes a letter for Christmas wishing to be released from the detention center. Carmen's son writes a letter for Christmas wishing to be released from the detention center. Her story is exemplary of the experiences that other families have had because it highlights the trauma and the difficulty of being a parent in this scenario, said Adriana Zambrano, the programs coordinator at Aldea. Families and asylum seekers are the most vulnerable immigrants at this time, and they are being used as a very ineffective deterrent. To bring back family detention would just seem like a political game, and where families and children are the ones that are always losing, Zambrano said. Parents held in detention have to worry about the effects on their children, including the lack of nutritious foods and space for them to move freely, said Javier Hidalgo, the director of pre-removal services at the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service. Trauma compounds daily on the children and the parents, he said. Weve watched them deteriorate, or become more withdrawn. Weve seen children who are very vocal and are starting to become less vocal and more babyish, or infantile. Family detention wouldnt always mean families were held together, he added, noting that fathers or grandparents would often be separated from their children. This administration, and whatever administration is in place, needs to take a hard look at whats really behind the desire to [continue with family detention], Hidalgo said. Carmen still keeps in touch with other mothers whom she met during her time at Berks. Some still cant talk about their time there. One of her friends, a mother from El Salvador, never made it to the U.S. She was deported one month before Carmen was released. She had to be checked into a mental institution because of the confinement, said Carmen. No family should ever have to go through that. Its very psychologically damaging, Carmen said. We are a family seeking protection. We are seeking to find refuge in a safer place. The main reason is safety. Related... Real Salt Lakes Danny Musovski, right, and Houston Dynamos Artur battle for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Houston. The teams tied 0-0. | David J. Phillip, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) Steve Clark had five saves for the Houston Dynamo and Zac MacMatch saved four shots for Real Salt Lake as the two teams played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night. Real Salt Lake (3-5-2) improves to 5-0-6 in its last 11 match-ups with Houston (4-3-2). Real Salt Lakes 11-match unbeaten run against Houston is its longest streak against a single opponent. The Dynamos drought against RSL is its longest against a single opponent. Houston last beat Real Salt Lake in May of 2017. Clark and the Dynamo have not yielded a goal in five straight matches at home, winning the first four. Houston entered play as the third team in league history to begin a season with four shutout wins at home. The Dynamo had a 16-13 advantage in shots but took just five on goal. RSL had four shots on target. Real Salt Lake returns home to host Los Angeles FC on Saturday. Houston will host the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. The Red Arrows shared cockpit-view footage from the coronation flypast. (Twitter/Red Arrows) This is the dramatic view from one of the Red Arrows cockpits during the scaled-down coronation flypast. The world-famous display jets flew over Buckingham Palace on Saturday to celebrate the coronation of King Charles, wowing crowds on The Mall as well as members of the Royal Family who watched from the palace's balcony. More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and RAF had been due to take part in the flypast, but the weather meant it had to be scaled down and only helicopters from the three services and the Red Arrows ended up taking part in the two-and-a-half minute display. Coronation flypast: This was the view of #London from our aircraft this afternoon. The #RedArrows were honoured to join others from across the Royal Air Force and Armed Forces taking part in celebrations marking the Coronation of Their Majesties the King and Queen. #Coronation pic.twitter.com/MaDRTQ1gjr Red Arrows (@rafredarrows) May 6, 2023 The display was scaled down due to poor weather conditions - which were easy to spot in the cockpit footage. (Twitter/Red Arrows) The Red Arrows shared footage showing the view of the jets from one of the cockpits as they blasted over the capital. The footage shows the nose of the Hawk jet as it soars over London, as well as the other aircraft flying in precise formation alongside it. Read more: Prince Harry lands back in LA just 16 hours after coronation You can see the River Thames below, and the moment they start to spew red, white and blue smoke. The 40-second video also shows the moment the Red Arrows approach Buckingham Palace, with people packed into The Mall in front of it. The Hawk jets spewed their trademark red, white and blue smoke during the display. (Twitter/Red Arrows) The footage includes the approach to Buckingham Palace, with people packed onto The Mall below. (Twitter/Red Arrows) On Saturday, one RAF officer aboard one of the planes forced to withdraw from the flypast said it was good operational practice. Story continues The Voyager aircraft, recently used in British evacuation efforts in Sudan, had taken off from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire before holding a position over the North Sea, off the coast of Norfolk, later having to abort. Squadron leader Mike Willers told the PA news agency: "We launched, we sat in the holding pattern and we did everything to leave the pattern on time for the flypast. "We formed up with the [A400M] Atlas and we were always just waiting on a weather call with the warm front that was pushing through from the south west. "Unfortunately, the weather wasnt suitable for us to safely conduct a flypast, and ultimately we need to keep our people and assets safe, and everybody on the ground safe." The Red Arrows flypast was part of coronation celebrations on Saturday. (Getty) A Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft, flying out of RAF Brize Norton, was due to take part in the flypast but later couldn't due to weather conditions. (Getty) He said 35 RAF personnel on board, who were sitting at window seats for the best views, were left 'visibly disappointed', but their spirits were raised when the two aircraft carried out training exercises instead, before heading back to RAF Brize Norton. Willers continued: "Its good operational practice for us anyway, to launch [and] go through the process, to get away on time, get in hold, be plus or minus five seconds on our timing, and for the A400 to join up and practice formation. "Operationally thats all good stuff, and we hope for blue skies next month for the Kings birthday flypast." Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to reporters as she leaves the US Capitol on November 17, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Marjorie Taylor Greene blamed "mental illness, drugs, and evil forces" for the Texas mall shooting. The congresswoman repeated right-wing talking points that link antidepressants to mass shootings. Greene did not mention guns or gun control laws. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blamed "mental illness, drugs, and evil forces" for the mass shooting at a Texas mall that killed eight people on Saturday. The congresswoman re-posted a graphic video purportedly showing the deceased shooter lying in a pool of blood on Twitter and wrote: "This is exactly what this monster deserves." Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) May 7, 2023 She doubled down on the claims that mental health and drug addiction were to blame for mass shootings. Greene called for the federal government to partner with states for mental hospitals and drug rehab centers, to fund the criminal justice system, and to study SSRIs and "other factors that cause mass shootings." The Georgia Republican repeated the right-wing talking point that links antidepressants to mass shootings. Psychiatrists say there is little evidence to suggest the medications could increase homicidal tendencies. The Texas mall shooting suspect, who also died, has not yet been named, and it is unclear whether he suffered from mental health issues or drug addiction. Greene, a staunch defender of gun rights, did not mention guns or gun control laws. It has not yet been reported whether the shooter legally obtained the gun used in the shooting. People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting on May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. LM Otero/AP Authorities responded to a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets a mall near Dallas, Texas around 3:40 p.m, Insider reported. Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd told a press conference that seven people were found dead at the scene, while two more died after being transported to hospital. Seven others were also injured, according to the fire chief. WFAA-TV reported that some of the victims could include children. Story continues Data has shown that between 1966 to 2019, 77% of mass shooters purchased at least some of the weapons used in the shootings legally, according to the National Institute of Justice. There have been at least 199 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Read the original article on Business Insider WHITNEY GLACIER, Calif. Rescuers finally brought a lost climber to safety on Saturday after what they called a "12-hour mega rescue." The U.S. Forest Service Climbing Rangers and the Siskiyou County Sheriff Search and Rescue team were alerted that a climber was separated from their group and unaccounted for late Friday. The Mount Shasta Avalanche Center and Home of the Climbing Rangers said that the group attempted to summit Mount Shasta and hit whiteout/blinding conditions. 7 WEATHER EXTREMES EXPERIENCED AT NATIONAL PARKS A climbing ranger with full gear ready to search for the missing climber. The lost climber only had an open bivouac to spend the night on the Whitney Glacier, Mount Shasta's permanent ice and snow cover. The emergency cover with breathing holes had to withstand the frigid temperatures and light rain overnight at 11,600 feet. "Bivy sacks are single-person, minimalist shelters that offer an additional layer of protection against the environment for you and your sleeping bagthink cowboy camping with a full-body shell," wrote MSR Gear in their online discussion. Officials said that "extremely poor visibility" kept search planes and rescue helicopters grounded. Crews had to reach the climber on foot across the snowy and icy slopes. TENSE VIDEO SHOWS MASSIVE AVALANCHE SLIDING DOWN UTAH MOUNTAIN, ENVELOPING SKIERS IN SNOW CLOUD Weather conditions kept aircraft grounded. "USFS Climbing Rangers, in cooperation with Siskiyou County SAR, were able to locate the climber, alive and in remarkably good shape, and assist down the mountain to safety," they stated. "Despite being 15 minutes off the interstate, a rescue on Mount Shasta is neither automatic or instant," officials continued. "Even rescues that seem straightforward involve planning, effort and risk." The California center called the site where the climber was found "one of the most dangerous areas of the mountain to access," especially with the inclement weather. FOX METEOROLOGIST TRADES IN WEATHER WALL FOR ICE WALL Story continues The summit of Mount Shasta. "The lower portion of the glacier is a jumbled cocktail of boulders, ice seracs, and crevasses that defy route finding. Further up, the glacier becomes more confined with lots of exposure to rock fall," the center's website describes the hazards. "Be careful here." The hike up and back down took rescuers 12 grueling hours. Climbers do get caught in inclement weather on Mount Shasta with deadly consequences. Last spring, 4 climbers were injured, and one died on the icy slopes. 1 DEAD, 4 INJURED DURING CLIMBING ACCIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA AFTER UNUSUAL WEEKEND STORM Unable to find work, Amani Shaath opened her own Gaza seafront kiosk to sell hamburgers Seeking a path out of the Gaza Strip's grinding poverty, Islam Abu Taima combs market alleyways for scraps of cardboard, hoping to transform the castoffs into sellable toys. Poverty in the conflict-wracked Palestinian territory, a thin strip of land wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, has hit a rate of 53 percent, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Work opportunities are scarce in Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli-led blockade since the Islamist movement Hamas took power in 2007, and Abu Taima, an English literature graduate, has struggled to find a job. She lives with her husband Mohammed, who is also unemployed, in Al-Shati refugee camp where they began making toys for their five children because "the children keep asking" for them. Abu Taima's husband "started making bicycles and a small car for them to play with". "They were happy and we found them lovely," said the 39-year-old, whose home lacks running water or electricity. She now sells their creations for five to 10 shekels ($1.40 to $2.80) a piece on pavements in central Gaza's more affluent areas. Abu Taima and her husband also use their creative skills to make models and toys that would otherwise be unattainable to their family. "My husband thought of making old planes and convertibles like the ones famous people drive. It helps him come out of his depression," she said. For Abu Taima, scouring Gaza's markets for cardboard can be tough. "I find it difficult when I walk on the street because people look at me with confusion and ask: 'Why do you collect cardboard?' I can't answer everyone," she said. The couple makes one or two toys a day, but even if they sell all their wares the profit falls short of the 450 shekels needed to pay their monthly rent. "The goal is to help my family live, and make my living on a daily basis, as simple as it is." Story continues With the unemployment rate hitting 45 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund, many more Gazans are finding alternative ways to make a living. - Soap start-up - In Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Alaa and Salama Badwan have transformed their rooftop into a small plant nursery. "We use the roof because we lack space," said Salama, 40, between red and green-painted tyres serving as pots. Alaa collects the sap from aloe vera plants, which Salama then uses to make soaps in a makeshift home workshop. So far, they have yet to cover the start-up costs of the nascent project. Alaa, 37, came up with the idea while researching natural cosmetics online, which have become fashionable in the coastal enclave. They sell their produce to local pharmacies and have ambitions for it to become as popular as the famed olive oil soap from Nablus, a city in the occupied West Bank. "The situation is difficult but people's attitudes are positive," said Alaa. After returning to Gaza to help her family, 25-year-old graduate Amani Shaath failed to find work. According to Palestinian figures, the unemployment rate for young graduates has hit a staggering 73.9 percent. Shaath had worked for four years in fast-food outlets in Turkey, and in February took matters into her own hands by opening a kiosk on Gaza's seafront, selling hamburgers for 15 shekels each at the popular recreational spot. Beachside food outlets have multiplied in recent years, but few are staffed by women. "The first day, people looked at me with astonishment. That shocked me and I was scared that the project would fail," Shaath said. "Then people started to come and they encouraged me, especially because I'm a girl." az/cgo/rsc/jjm/noc/srm/lb A man is in jail after a shooting led to the lockdown of several Richland schools Thursday, and an investigation continues into drug sales to students. At least eight schools in Richland were locked down after a girl showed up at a Richland hospital with gunshot wounds. The Benton County Sheriffs Office reported Friday that a 15-year-old girl had shot herself twice, but the wounds were not life-threatening. The girl, who was not a Richland School District student, was released from the hospital after treatment, according to the sheriffs office. Initially, law enforcement believed that the shooting took place in front of Richland High School, according to dispatch reports. But as police investigated, they didnt find any signs of a shooting. They then learned it happened in an unincorporated area of Benton County, Richland police said on social media. Friday, the Benton County Sheriffs Office reported that the shooting happened in a home on the 30000 block of Kennedy Road between Richland and Benton City. The Tri-City Metro Drug Task had been investigating a convicted felon who stayed there and was suspected of delivering drugs to middle school students, according to the sheriffs office. Evidence was seized at a Benton County home on Kennedy Road as part of an investigation into drug trafficking after a teen showed up at a Richland hospital with self-inflicted gunshot wounds. A search of the home turned up guns and evidence of drug trafficking, it said. One man was arrested and booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of several counts of unlawful gun possession, according to the sheriffs office. Although the sheriffs office did not release the name of the man arrested, Jeffrey Kyle Hearn, 42, was booked on investigation of four felony counts of unlawful possession of a firearm Thursday night. Bail was set at $75,000. The illegal drug investigation is continuing with Benton County detectives assisting task force detectives, said officials. Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan (L), King Charles III (C), and King Letsie III and Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho (R). Karwai Tang/WireImage, Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images, Jeff Spicer/Getty Images King Charles and Queen Camilla were formally crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Royals from all over the world were invited to the historic event for the first time in 900 years. From Queen Letizia's hot pink dress to Kate Middleton's blue cape, here's what every royal wore. King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at their coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. The historic event was attended by more than 2,200 people, including members of the British royal family and, for the first time in 900 years, international royals from all over the world. Given it was the first British coronation in 70 years, attendees came dressed to impress. From Queen Letizia's Carolina Herrera dress and Kate Middleton's regal cape, to Princess Kiko's kimono and Queen Rania's couture gown, take a look at all everything the royals wore to Charles and Camilla's coronation. King Charles had several outfit changes, but his final look was the Robe of Estate, which is made of purple silk and embroidered in gold. King Charles III departs the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Charles wore several outfits throughout his coronation ceremony. According to Reuters, the monarch arrived wearing the velvet Robe of State, last worn by his grandfather King George VI at his 1937 coronation. The Royal Collection Trust noted that the robe was constructed using 36 yards of velvet or roughly 32 meters. The decor, the website added, includes 116 yards, or around 106 meters, of broad gold lace. During the ceremony, Charles changed into a gold-silk Supertunica coat. The outfit also included the Coronation Sword Belt and the gold cloth Imperial Mantle, which was made in honor of George IV's coronation in 1821. According to the royal family's website, the mantle is one of the oldest clothing pieces at the coronation. It was previously worn by King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II. His final look, and the one he wore in the procession from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace, was the Robe of Estate. It was last worn by King George VI in 1937. Story continues Queen Camilla wore a white silk dress with symbolic floral embroidery by Bruce Oldfield. Queen Camilla is crowned during the coronation ceremony. Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla's dress included embroidery with flowers such as daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine, and scarlet pimpernel, "representing the King and Queen Consort's affection for nature and the British countryside," a palace statement read, per CNN. The front hem also featured a rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock to represent England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively, according to Women's Wear Daily. Tributes to her two rescue dogs, Bluebell and Beth, were embroidered onto the dress as well, Town and Country reported. Kate Middleton wore a formal blue cape over an ivory dress designed by Alexander McQueen, while Prince William wore a military uniform with ceremonial robes. Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte process into King Charles III's coronation. Dan Charity - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Kate paired her dress and cape with a white headpiece designed by Jess Collett in collaboration with Alexander McQueen. William's military dress reflected his role as Colonel of the Welsh Guard. Similar to her mother, Princess Charlotte wore an ivory white caped dress and flower crown, while Prince Louis wore a navy tunic and pants. Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte arrive ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Dan Charity - WPA Pool/Getty Images Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, remained by each other's side for most of the coronation ceremony. The two youngest Windsor siblings arrived wearing polar opposite color schemes. According to Vogue., Charlotte wore a mini version of her mother's Alexander McQueen outfit for her grandfather's coronation. Her look consisted of a caped ivory white dress, matching slippers, and a silver floral tiara, identical to the Princess of Wales. Meanwhile, Louis wore black pants, shiny black suit shoes, and a dark navy buttoned tunic. Prince Harry wore a simple morning suit rather than a military uniform and pinned military medals to his jacket. Prince Harry arrives at the coronation. Phil Noble - WPA Pool/Getty Image Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, including two tours of Afghanistan, and has four medals: an Afghanistan Service Medal and Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilee medals, which represent his service, Insider's Isobel van Hagen reported. He did not play a formal role in the coronation ceremony since he is no longer a working royal family member. As a page of honor, Prince George wore a scarlet red coat with gold embroidery and white gloves. Prince George outside Westminster Abbey, London, ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images Per tradition, according to Heart, George was required to dress the part of a Page of Honour, which included wearing a red coat, black pants, and white gloves. The nine-year-old prince was among seven other young boys serving as pages of honor for Charles and Camilla at the ceremony. His role included assisting his grandfather with his traditional robes as he was crowned king at Westminster Abbey. Charles' niece Princess Beatrice wore a hot pink Beulah dress with voluminous elbow sleeves. Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attend King Charles III's coronation. Dan Charity - WPA Pool/Getty Images On Beulah's website, the dress is named "Sienna" and retails for 695 ($878.41). Beatrice may have chosen the dress as a nod to her daughter, Sienna Elizabeth, born in September 2021. She accessorized with a gold headpiece and gold clutch. Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, wore a black suit with a white pocket square. Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie, who is expecting her second child with husband Jack Brooksbank, wore an indigo coat and dress from Fendi. Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie arrive at the coronation. Dan Charity/WPA Pool/Getty Images Eugenie completed the look with a matching indigo fascinator, navy kitten heels, and a black clutch. According to Harper's Bazaar, the luxury brand Garrard designed the princess's silver jewelry, which consisted of a diamond collar necklace and diamond drop earrings. Meanwhile, her husband Brooksbank, who she married in 2018, wore a black suit, white shirt, and light blue tie. Charles' niece Zara Tindall wore a blue coat dress by Laura Green that matched her husband's tie. Mike Tindall and Zara Tindall arrive at Westminster Abbey for the coronation. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images Zara added a brooch to her baby blue coat dress that belonged to her mother, Princess Anne, Town & Country reported. According to WWD, the belted coat dress was custom-made for her by Laura Green, a luxury London-based fashion brand. Her other accessories included a light blue clutch and 18-karat white gold earrings drop earrings from Calleija, the outlet added. Zara arrived alongside her husband, Mike Tindall, who wore a morning suit but coordinated with her outfit by wearing a light blue tie. Crown Prince Akishino of Japan wore a morning suit while his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, opted for a beige kimono. Crown Prince Akishino of Japan and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Karwai Tang/WireImage The couple attended Charles' coronation as representatives of Akishino's brother, Emperor Naruhito, who could not participate in a foreign coronation per Japanese royal custom, The Japan Times reported. Arriving at Westminster Abbey, Akishino was photographed wearing a three-piece morning suit. Princess Kiko opted for a more traditional look. She paired her beige kimono with a pale yellow clutch and Geta-style shoes, according to Town & Country. Representing Spain, King Felipe wore a formal military suit while Queen Letizia opted for a bubblegum pink Carolina Herrera look. King Felipe of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain at Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Felipe, a distant relative of Charles through his paternal side, arrived at the British coronation wearing a military-style suit with a blue sash and gold embroidery. His wife, Letizia, however, took a much more modern approach to her coronation outfit. Vogue reported that she wore a pink Barbiecore-inspired Carolina Herrera skirt suit with a peplum style-top. She paired it with coordinating kitten heels, a clutch, and a disc-shaped hat. Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho wore a sleeved blue dress and coordinating fascinator. King Letsie III and Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Masenate Mohato Seeiso's floor-length gown featured a sweeping neckline and delicate, buttoned sleeves. She accessorized with a white feathered blue fascinator, which matched her white clutch. She arrived alongside her husband, King Letsie III of Lesotho, who opted for a black suit with a coordinating blue tie. Prince Albert II wore traditional regalia while Princess Charlene of Monaco looked sharp in a cream-caped suit dress. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Karwai Tang/WireImage Charlene's coronation look featured intricate floral buttons and a matching blush fascinator over her blonde pixie cut. She accessorized with pearl earrings and a small Monegasque badge on her lapel. Her husband Albert, who she married in 2011, wore a traditional military uniform heavily embellished with badges and other royal insignia. Likewise, Crown Frederik of Denmark wore military regalia while his wife Crown Princess Mary wore a plum-color wraparound dress. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Karwai Tang/WireImage The Danish royals attended in place of Prince Frederik's mother, Queen Margrethe, who is recovering from back surgery in February, according to a press release issued by the Danish palace. According to Sky News, Princess Mary's dark purple outfit was the work of Danish designer Soeren Le Schmidt. She accessorized the look with a light blue and silver broach, a matching veiled fascinator, and Gianvito Rossi heels. Dutch royalty King Willem-Alexander wore a morning suit while his wife, Queen Maxima, wore a delicately embroidered white gown. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands at Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Maxima's dress featured a white belt. She complemented the look with a sloping fascinator, white gloves, cream stilettos, and a matching clutch. Meanwhile, Willem-Alexander wore a three-piece morning suit and military badges on his lapel. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden also wore a military uniform. Meanwhile, Crown Princess Victoria was styled in a royal blue look. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria arrive to attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images The Swedish king joined various royals wearing military uniforms to Charles' coronation. Meanwhile, his heir, Princess Victoria, opted for a royal blue-colored ensemble. Her look consisted of a midi-length sleeved gown. She accessorized with a chic blue hat, matching heels, a silver choker necklace, and gloves. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway wore a light pink midi dress with a decorative bow while Crown Prince Haakon wore military regalia. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway arrive for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey, on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool/Getty Images Mette-Marit's blush belted dress featured floral embroidery. She paired it with a delicate pink fascinator, beige heels, and Paula Rowan gloves, according to Harper's Bazaar. Her husband, Prince Haakon, heir to the throne, wore a red and black military uniform with gold embroidery. Queen Anne-Marie, Prince Pavlos, and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece wore outfits featuring different shades of the color blue. Queen Anne-Marie, Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Karwai Tang/WireImage Queen Anne-Marie wore a custom Celia Kritharioti navy blue buttoned coat dress with a coordinating handbag, white gloves, and black heels, W Magazine reported. Meanwhile, her son Prince Pavlos, who is among Charles' 33 godchildren and had a close relationship with the king's late father, Prince Philip, wore a grey morning suit paired with a light blue tie. His wife, Princess Marie Chantal wore a custom baby blue Mary Katranzou midi dress with a matching fascinator and coordinating pumps. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan celebrated tradition with their coronation outfits. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Queen Jetsun Pema opted for a lilac kira, a traditional style of dress in Bhutan, along with blush pumps and a coordinating clutch. Similarly, her husband, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, wore an embroidered purple and orange Gho, another traditional dress style in Bhutan, with white-cuffed sleeves, black socks, and black shoes. King Abdullah II of Jordan wore a simple navy suit with a red tie while his wife, Queen Rania, wore a pale yellow couture midi dress. King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Queen Rania wore a custom pastel yellow Tamara Ralph dress, according to Marie Claire. The midi-length gown featured a unique off-the-shoulder design with sheer sleeves and a high neckline. She paired it with white pumps, a clutch, and a coordinating yellow fascinator. King Philippe of Belgium wore a magenta sash over his military regalia. His wife, Queen Mathilde, opted for a pastel pink caped dress and matching leather gloves. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England. Karwai Tang/WireImage Like Spain's Queen Letizia, Queen Mathilde decided to go full-out with the pink tones for her coronation outfit. Her bubblegum pink dress, which featured a built-in cape, perfectly matched her leather gloves, clutch, and heels. She accessorized with a silver choker necklace, earrings, and a white wide-brimmed hat. Read the original article on Insider Russias Ministry of Defence has claimed that their forces shot down 22 drones over the Black Sea on the night of 6-7 May. Source: Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti, citing Russias MoD Quote: "The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that 22 attack drones were spotted and destroyed over the Black Sea overnight." Details: The authority did not provide any details, photos or videos. Background: On the morning of 7 May, Russias MoD claimed that a total of 10 UAVs were shot down over Crimea. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) Agricultural group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) on Sunday warned that the Department of Agricultures (DA) memorandum order on the use of biofertilizers may result in another fertilizer scam. Released on April 27, the DA's Memorandum Order No. 32 sets the guidelines on the distribution and use of biofertilizers this year to improve rice production. In the memorandum order, the DA said the use of two bags of inorganic fertilizer urea per hectare costs 4,000 while its selected biofertilizer can substitute for at least two bags of urea without sacrificing the yield. Theoretically, a savings of more than 2,000 per hectare can be realized if the cost of biofertilizer is less than 2,000 per hectare, the DA said. If the biofertilizer chosen by the DA-RFOs (regional field offices) is less expensive, the fertilizer savings is increased, it added. But in a statement, SINAG chairperson Rosendo So said the basis for MO 32 is flawed from the onset as the cost of urea is now only 1,100 per bag. At two bags per hectare, the cost of urea is only 2,200 per hectare, contrary to the claim of MO 32 of 4,000 per hectare. DAs official bidding price of urea is in fact, only at 1,230 per bag; at two bags per hectare, it is only 2,460, again, way below the false information of 4,000 per hectare Thus, there is no real savings, as claimed by MO 32, he added. So also said SINAG is disturbed by the arbitrary insistence of biofertilizers, premised on the false claim of high urea prices. He also noted that the use of biofertilizers in commercial scale is not yet proven to result in higher yield and cost efficiency, and no field trials and commercial tests would merit a "sudden promotion" of biofertilizers nationwide. We are worried that another scandal that could approximate the fertilizer scam of the previous years may resurface, he added. He suggested to use compost chicken waste as cheaper organic fertilizer, and told the DA that pushing for the use of biofertilizers would not lower production costs, especially amid the looming El Nino. For balance fertilization, NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) use by rice farmers is indispensable. For cheaper use of organic fertilizers, why not use compost chicken waste, which is only 170 per bag (50 kilos per bag)? If the objective is to lower production cost, pushing for biofertilizer is not the solution, he explained. Why the haste in pushing these down the throats of our farmers? We should rather let the rice farmers decide on the most suitable fertilizer for their farms, be it inorganic or otherwise, he added. SINAG already wrote to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who also serves as agriculture secretary and Sen. Cynthia Villar, who heads the Senate committee on agriculture and food, to seek their immediate intervention to revoke or recall MO 32. In February 2009, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee concluded that the Fertilizer Fund Scam involved massive corruption scheme through the procurement and distribution of fertilizers nationwide. The panel said former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante and other former DA officials allegedly diverted 728 million in fertilizer funds to the 2004 presidential bid of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Russian military has been using various tactics to exhaust Ukraine's air defence system, explains Natalia Humeniuk, Head of the Joint Press Centre for Operational Command Pivden (South) Source: Humeniuk on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote from Humeniuk: "The fact that they are trying to use different tactics is because they are testing and exhausting our air defence system, trying to... find a way around it. They are also expanding their tactics as they do not have a sustainable stock of assets to act with. They use what they have left. The high-precision weapons are being somewhat saved while the rest are still in use, so they are testing and determining where the air defence systems are." Background: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force, has spoken about Russian forces night attack on 7 May when they used long-range strategic aircraft to launch six Kh-22 cruise missiles over Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! More than 1,444 children have been killed or wounded in Ukraine as of the morning of 6 May 2023, as a result of the Russian full-scale armed aggression. Source: Prosecutor General's Office Details: Since 24 February 2022, 480 children in Ukraine have been killed, and more than 964 have suffered injuries of various degrees of severity. The Prosecutor General's Office noted that these figures are not final, because the counting of wounded children in places of hostilities, in temporarily occupied and liberated territories is ongoing. Photo: micheleursi.hotmail.com/Depositphotos The biggest number of children were affected in: Donetsk Oblast 455; Kharkiv Oblast 275; Kyiv Oblast 128; Kherson Oblast 96; Zaporizhzhia Oblast - 89; Mykolaiv Oblast 89; Chernihiv Oblast 70; Dnipropetrovsk Oblast 67; Luhansk Oblast 66. The Prosecutor General's Office added that two children in Ukraine were killed on 5 May. Quote: "A 16-year-old girl died in hospital; she was seriously wounded due to an attack by Russian troops on 29 April in the city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast. A 12-year-old girl was wounded as a result of an airstrike on the city of Hlukhiv, Sumy Oblast," the Prosecutor General's Office added. Background: Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale armed aggression in Ukraine, more than 11,700 children have been searched for. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has warned that Russia may be preparing provocations for Victory Day [a Russian holiday that commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on 9 May ed.]. Source: Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, on air during the 24/7 national joint newscast, reported by the press service of the Defence Intelligence. Quote: "On 9 May, Russia may be preparing provocations... Since 2014, the occupiers have been using this kind of provocation, and it is possible that we will encounter it now. In this situation, provocations may be directed by the Russian special services against the Russian civilian population and timed to specific dates, for example, 9 May." Details: At the same time, Yusov has suggested that the Russians could also direct provocations against Belarus: such a false flag operation by Russians could be aimed at drawing the Belarusian army into the war against Ukraine. "No one in Ukraine or the rest of the world will believe in such performances anymore. However, this does not mean that there will be no provocations," Yusov stressed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Kyrylo Budanov, the Head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, has stated that Russia has no potential to launch a large-scale offensive anywhere in Ukraine. Source: Budanov in an interview with YahooNews Quote from Budanov: "As of now, Russia has no military, economic or political potential to attempt a large-scale offensive anywhere in Ukraine." Details: At the same time, according to the Chief of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, Russia is still capable of conducting serious defence operations, and this is "a problem that Ukraine will have to face." Budanov also said that Russia is trying to accumulate a certain stockpile of missiles to disrupt the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Volodymyr Havrylov, Ukraines Deputy Minister of Defence, believes that "Russia will be in panic" when Ukraine launches its counteroffensive. Source: Volodymyr Havrylov in an interview with The Independent Quote from Havrylov: "We will launch our counteroffensive when and where it doesnt matter now. [And when that happens] Russia will be in panic; you will see a lot of panic. They still dont understand that [their] propaganda is demonstrating a false picture of what is actually happening on the ground. This war will be won on the ground, not on the TV screens, not on the internet [...] I would not be surprised if on some day, maybe this month or next month, we will see something which contributes to the immediate collapse of Russian strategy or its military, [its] economy." Details: Havrylov said that holding the eastern city of Bakhmut was a key element of Ukraines preparations for the counteroffensive. Maintaining a foothold in the "fortress" of Bakhmut has allowed Ukraine to expose the fact that the Russian war machine is "not [of] the quality we saw a year ago when Russia launched the full-scale invasion in Ukraine and rolled in tanks in the first wave." "Bakhmut demonstrated that, not only to us in Ukraine but also to the enemy, that there is no military solution for Russia in this war; even worse, there is a military disaster awaiting Russia at the end of this war, and we will see it soon," the deputy defence minister said. He added that after months of attritional conflict, the situation on the ground might see rapid developments. "I can only say that we are doing everything possible to end the war as quickly as possibleI would really like 2023 to be a year of victory," Havrylov said. Previously: In November 2022, Havrylov said that by the end of December 2022 Ukrainian forces might enter Crimea, and predicted that the war with Russia would be over by summer 2023. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian invaders have killed six people in Kherson Oblast just over the past 24 hours. Civilians have also been injured in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration; Donetsk Oblast Military Administration Details: The authorities stated that the occupiers hit Kherson Oblast 51 times, including four strikes on the city of Kherson itself. The Russian military targeted residential areas of Kherson Oblasts settlements. Six people have been killed, and four have been injured in Kherson Oblast due to Russian aggression. Meanwhile, Russian troops injured five residents of Donetsk Oblast on 6 May, particularly in the settlements of New-York, Pivnichne, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka and Maksymivka. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! One civilian, a man, was injured in a Russian shelling of Nikopol on Sunday, 7 May. A gas station, business premises, several cars, and a power line were also damaged in the attack. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Lysak: "Today another person was injured in Nikopol; the man was just going about his day when enemy forces deployed heavy artillery to attack the city. The 43-year-old man has lacerations to his head and chest. A gas station and the premises of a transport firm were also affected. Two vehicles were damaged a car and a truck as was a power line." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian attacks damaged a gas pipeline and several private houses in Kizomys, and injured a woman near the village of Yantarne, both in Kherson Oblast, on Sunday, 7 May. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Prokudin: "Russia continues to deploy aircraft to destroy Kizomys. Five guided bombs were dropped [on the village], damaging a gas pipeline and around seven houses, three of which were completely destroyed. There were no civilian casualties. Russian artillery also shelled the area in the vicinity of the village of Yantarne, injuring a 62-year-old woman. Medics treated the woman, who did not require hospitalisation." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the explosion of a car carrying Russian propagandist and writer Zakhar Prilepin a "terrorist attack" supposedly orchestrated and carried out by the Ukrainian authorities under the auspices of "Western patrons". Source: statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry Quote: "Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating all the details of the incident. However, it is already clear from the materials acquired by the Russian Interior Ministry and the Russian Investigative Committee that this is another terrorist attack orchestrated and executed by the Kyiv regime, with [their] Western patrons behind it." Details: The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that "responsibility for this and other terrorist attacks lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities but also with their Western patrons, primarily the United States". Russia believes that the lack of reaction from Washington to the explosion of the propagandist's car is "self-incriminating for the American authorities". Background: An Audi car carrying Zakhar Prilepin, a Ukrainophobic writer and member of the political party A Just Russia For Truth, was blown up in Russias Nizhny Novgorod Oblast on Saturday, 6 May 2023. Russias Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the arrest of a man who might have been involved in blowing up Prilepins car. Later, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced that Oleksandr Permiakov, a native of Ukraine, who was detained on suspicion of attempting to assassinate Prilepin, admitted his guilt. Prilepin underwent a surgery in Nizhny Novgorod. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian propagandist Prilepin is in a coma after a car bombing Read also: Russian propagandist Zakhar Prilepin heavily injured in car bombing in Nizhny Novgorod According to him, Prilepin underwent "surgical intervention, primarily to fix his fractures. "The surgery was successful, Zakhar regained consciousness after the operation, and now he is in a medicamentous sleep to recover faster," the official said. Earlier, Nikitin said that Prilepin "has minor fractures, but there is no threat to his health." At the same time, the Russian Interfax media agency, citing its sources, wrote that the propagandists condition was said to be grave prior to his surgery. Read also: Who inspired Russias invasion of Ukraine? "The consultation decided not to transport him to Moscow, but to perform the operation in Nizhny Novgorod," the source said. His condition is assessed as serious. On May 6, Russian media and local authorities reported that a car belonging to Prilepin had exploded in a likely car bombing. While Prilepins press service claimed that the propagandist was okay, the media reported that he was heavily injured and taken to hospital in critical condition. Allegedly, Russian partisan movement Atesh claimed responsibility for the attempt. Read also: Videos and photos of Russian propagandist Prilepins car blast shared with the public Russia called the bombing of Prilepin's car a "terrorist attack," and later announced the detention of a suspect in the assassination attempt, who was allegedly implicated Russia claims the suspect has Ukrainian citizenship and ties to Ukrainian special services. The Office of the President of Ukraine hinted that the Kremlin might be behind the bombing of Prilepin's car. Prilepin is a Russian propagandist, pro-war writer, and politician. He is a member of the Political Council of the A Just Russia (aka Fair Russia) Party. He has held a number of positions in the Donbas occupation authorities, including as an adviser to the now-killed leader of the Donetsk puppet authorities, Alexander Zakharchenko, in 2015 and as a deputy commander of a special forces battalion for personnel management in occupied Donetsk from 2016-2018. Story continues Read also: Luhansk collaborator dies in car bomb attack on propagandist Prilepin In January 2023, Prilepin signed a contract with the Russian National Guard and went to fight against Ukraine. He is on the list of people who pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine. 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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) The Bureau of Immigration (BI) urges the public to be more careful when dealing with recruiters after it rescued two victims of human trafficking at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in April. The BI said the two women posed as friends who were traveling to Bangkok as tourists at the NAIA Terminal 2 last April 29. They presented proof that they were employed, but during the secondary inspection they admitted that their documents were only given to them on their departure date at the gateway and that Malta was their final destination. Both did not also know that their employment papers were cancelled. "They added that they were instructed by their recruiter to wait for the rest of their travel documents upon reaching Bangkok," the BI said in a statement Sunday. Both were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges against their recruiters. Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said people seeking employment overseas should be careful, and to go through the proper process to avoid harm. Russian propagandist Zakhar Prilepin stated that he was driving in his car when the explosion occurred to his right, under the other front wheel. Source: Prilepin in the first post on his Telegram channel since the explosion Quote: "Sasha [Shubin, who died in the explosion ed.] was sitting on the right in the passenger seat. I was driving the car. The explosion occurred under his wheel. I passed out for three minutes, regained consciousness and crawled to the broken windshield. Villagers who ran up helped me get out. My legs are broken (one fracture is open), and then some." Details: He also stated that he dropped his daughter off five minutes before the explosion. According to Prilepin, Shubin, nicknamed Zloy ["Evil", "Mean" or "Angry" ed.], who died in the explosion, has worked as his "guardian angel" for eight years and saved his life several times. Background: On 7 May, an Audi car driven by Zakhar Prilepin, a Ukrainophobic writer and member of the political party A Just Russia For Truth who allegedly participated in Russia's war against Ukraine, exploded in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region. At that time, the media reported that Prilepin was seriously injured, and the driver died. Partisan movement Atesh claimed responsibility for the attempt on Prilepins life. As Prilepin's press service reported, as a result of the explosion, his associate, an employee of the Oplot battalion of the Russian Guard, Aleksandr "Zloy" Shubin, was killed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia announced the arrest of a man who may have been involved in blowing up Prilepin's car. Subsequently, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that Oleksandr Permiakov, a native of Ukraine, detained on suspicion of attempting to assassinate Prilepin, admitted his guilt. Prilepin underwent surgery on Nizhny Novgorod and was put into an induced coma. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian invaders have fired at Mykolaiv Oblast, using strategic aviation to launch 5 Kh-22 missiles and damaging a building of a local industrial enterprise. Source: Vitalii Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration Quote: "According to an early report from Operational Command Pivden [South], 5 Kh-22 missiles were fired from Tu-22M3 strategic aircraft, the enemy attacked the Olshanske and Kostiantynivka hromadas (an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.). The building of an industrial enterprise was damaged; a hit in an open terrain was also recorded. " Details: Kim added that dry grass went on fire outside the facility. There are no casualties. In the city of Mykolaiv itself, the night was quiet. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A female deputy employed by the Laurens County Sheriffs Office who alleged she underwent an invasive strip search as part of her training has sued for sexual harassment, naming the sheriff, a former deputy, two current deputies and the county as defendants. Brittany Cash, the plaintiff in the case, says in her lawsuit filed in late March that she was a victim of former deputy Phillip Tollison, a supervisor at the jail who pleaded guilty in 2022 to five counts of voyeurism and six counts of misconduct in office, according to Cashs lawsuit, court records and a S.C. Law Enforcement Division report. Tollison also secretly videoed female staff undressing, the lawsuit alleges. Attorney David Morrison, who represents Tollison, did not respond to a reporters query about the case. Tollison has not yet filed an answer to the complaint. Cash is still employed at the Laurens County Sheriffs Office as a detention center officer. The State newspaper typically does not name sexual harassment victims, but in this case Cash is the publicly identified plaintiff in her lawsuit. Despite Tollisons reported multiple victims and potential 10-plus year sentences or misconduct, state Judge Walton McLeod IV sentenced Tollison to four months that he had already served in jail until getting out on bond, according to Laurens County court records of his September 2022 guilty plea and sentencing. Tollison, who is no longer with the sheriffs office, had to register as a sex offender as part of a plea bargain in the case, according to news accounts. He had been a Laurens County deputy since 2012, according to his LinkedIn page. Ms. Cash wants to hold everyone responsible accountable. Her primary concern is that this does not ever happen to anyone again and that female law enforcement officers can feel safe on the job, Debbie Barbier and Cindy Crick, Cashs attorneys, said in a statement. Further, Barbier said, Ms. Cash was disappointed in the sentence that Mr. Tollison received. Story continues Cashs lawsuit alleges her civil rights were violated because the sheriffs office failed to act promptly when informed of her allegations of sexual harassment, and also in its duties to protect deputies from predators over the years. The lawsuit does not allege any improper actions by the sheriff or the other two deputy defendants, but says the department had a deliberate indifference to protecting its employees from a hostile work environment. Deputies who were empowered and placed in positions of trust and authority by Defendants have been committing misconduct for years. Numerous sexual harassment incidents by male deputies directed toward female colleagues have occurred and little has been done to prevent these incidents, Cashs lawsuit alleges. In an answer to the lawsuit Laurens County filed in late April on behalf of Sheriff Don Reynolds and two deputies, Vera Lawson and Joshua Cogdill, the defendants admit that Tollison acted criminally but deny Cashs allegations that the sheriff and his two deputies are responsible for Tollisons acts. It is denied that these Defendants in any way promoted, condoned, or authorized any of the misconduct as is alleged in this Complaint against Defendant Tollison, and in fact ... these Defendants have been supportive to the Plaintiff throughout her employment at the Laurens County Detention Center, the answer said. In her lawsuit, Cash alleged that Cogdill was Tollisons direct supervisor, and Lawson, who supervised the offices training activities, told Cash that Tollison would be her teacher for pat down body searches. In response to Cashs allegation that the sheriffs office did not take prompt action about her complaints to them, the sheriffs answer said, As soon as the Plaintiff reported acts of misconduct on behalf of Defendant Tollison, the Defendants immediately took appropriate and necessary action to investigate those allegations, to notify SLED, and while under investigation Defendant Tollison resigned. And, the sheriffs answer said, neither he nor staff ignored complaints in the office about sex harassment. Attorney Russell Rusty Harter, a Greenville attorney designated by the sheriffs office to answer the lawsuit and respond to media questions, told The State that it was the judge not those that are named in this lawsuit that imposed the sentence in Tollisons case. He declined further comment. Laurens County, population 67,000, is located roughly midway between Columbia and Greenville. A scammer is making false calls to Westmoreland County residents and pretending to be a deputy sheriff. The Westmoreland County Sheriffs Department said the caller will use the name of actual deputies when they identify themself. The person on the phone is saying that the caller signed a subpoena to testify for a case with Judge Stewart and then tells them there is a warrant for their arrest. The scammer will typically then ask for money. Police believe the scammer is using an app to make the caller ID show up as the Westmoreland County Sheriffs Departments main office phone number. That phone number is 724-830-3822. Authorities say this is a scam. They will never ask permission for payment over the phone. Police encourage residents to avoid giving out debit, credit, or even gift card information over the phone. Anyone who receives a call from the Sheriffs Office is asked to call their main line (724-830-3822) to verify if is a real situation. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Teenager found fatally shot between 2 houses in Homestead Scratch-off ticket worth $3 million sold at local Shop n Save King Charles III coronation live updates: Coronation public ceremony ends VIDEO: Number of books being challenged, banned in schools, libraries is growing DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts By Gareth Jones (Reuters) - Russia stages its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square on Tuesday amid particularly tight security after a series of drone attacks, including on the Kremlin citadel, symbolic heart of the Russian state, that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine. Victory Day is a key anniversary for President Vladimir Putin, who often evokes the spirit and sacrifice that helped the Soviet Union defeat Nazi Germany in 1945 to kindle Russians' sense of patriotism, especially since launching what he calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. But several Russian regions have already scaled back events, citing concerns that they could be targeted by pro-Ukrainian saboteurs. And in Moscow, there appeared to be fewer military personnel and less military hardware involved in rehearsals for the parade, though residents wanted it to go ahead as always. "I think we need to hold (the parade) to boost patriotism among people as it is fluctuating due to the special military operation," said Andrei Kucheryavykh, a resident of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, visiting Moscow with his son. "People have to know what our great-grandfathers, our grandfathers and grandmothers went through... as many are beginning to forget what May 9 is and what it stands for." The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War Two, more than any other country. DRONE ATTACKS Russians' security concerns have grown over the past week following drone attacks targeting fuel depots and freight trains, while media on Sunday also reported overnight multiple blasts across Russian-occupied Crimea. Putin's office linked what it called the "terrorist" drone attack on the Kremlin in the early hours of May 3 to the Victory Day parade, which takes place below the walls of the ancient citadel. It branded the attack as an attempt to assassinate Putin, an allegation rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies. Story continues Moscow also blamed Kyiv and the West for a car bombing on Saturday that wounded a prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, in a village about 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow. His driver was killed in the blast. This year's anniversary comes as Russian casualties continue to mount in the Ukraine war, now in its 15th month, ahead of a planned counter-offensive by Ukraine to recapture occupied land. Kyiv has said it expects increased efforts by Russian forces to take the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut ahead of Moscow's Victory Day celebrations. Putin casts the Ukraine war as an existential battle for national survival, just like World War Two, saying Russian forces are fighting Ukrainian "Nazis" in the pay of a hostile West which wants to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia. Kyiv and its Western allies dismiss this as absurd and say Moscow is waging an imperial-style war to seize territory. In Soviet times, Victory Day commemorations were more low-key, with the emphasis on honouring veterans and their huge sacrifices, which are seared into older Russians' folk memory. Since 2008, under Putin, the anniversary has also increasingly become an occasion to burnish an image of post-Communist Russia restored to the greatness of former years. "It's our history. All our new generations should remember it, know it and not forget it," said one Moscow resident, Andrei. (Additional reporting by Reuters Television,; Writing by Gareth Jones, Editing by Angus MacSwan) Seven people were killed and another 10 were wounded when they were run over in front of a Texas migrant shelter by a motorist, say police. Authorities are investigating whether the incident was an intentional act. The shocking incident took place on Sunday morning near Brownsvilles Ozanam Center, which is a shelter for migrants and homeless in the Texas city. Police spokesperson Lt Martin Sandoval told KVEO-TV that seven victims died at the scene. The crash took place at a bus stop near the shelter in the border city. The male suspect, who has not yet been named, was arrested and charged with reckless driving, but Lt Sandoval told the news station that more charges will likely be filed. The incident took place at around 8.30am CT, say officials. The driver, who officials say is a Brownsville resident, is in the hospital being treated and under 24-hour guard watch, police said, and tests for drugs and alcohol will be performed, reported ABC News. Some migrants were killed in the incident, Lt Sandoval told Fox News. We are doing an investigation in forms of intoxication to see if he was intoxicated at the time of the accident, said Lt Sandoval. It can be three factors, Lt Sandoval said. It could be intoxication; it could be an accident; or it could be intentional. In order for us to find out exactly what happened, we have to eliminate the other two. The incident came the day after a gunman opened fire on shoppers at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, killing eight people. The gunman was shot and killed by a police officer responding to the violence. One injured victim told Valley Central that the group of men were sitting on the curb near the bus stop when a grey Range Rover slammed into them. Luis Herrera told the news channel that he and his friends, a number of whom were killed, were waiting to go to the airport when they were struck by the vehicle. We were going to the airport and it happened unexpectedly because a woman in a car passed by and advised us to separate and moments later the killer was coming in the car gesturing and insulting us, Mr Herrera said. Story continues Shelter director Victor Maldonado of the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center said that he had reviewed the shelters surveillance video of the incident. What we see in the video is that this SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about a hundred feet away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, Mr Maldonado told The Associated Press. And he told the news channel that most of the victims were Venezuelan men. The shelter is the only overnight one in the city of Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody, he said. The facility had not received any threats before the crash, but Mr Maldonado said it had in the wake of the accident. Ive had a couple of people come by the gate and tell the security guard that the reason this happened was because of us, Mr Maldonado said. Eight people have been killed and 10 others were injured after a car plowed into a crowd outside a shelter serving migrants and homeless people in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, and investigators believe it may have been intentional, according to authorities. The car careened into the crowd of people who were sitting on the curb at a bus stop near the Ozanam Center at about 8.30am, the police department in Brownsville, which is near Texass border with Mexico, said. That came four days before the scheduled expiration of Title 42, the Covid-19 era policy that allows border patrol agents to swiftly expel migrants at the USs southern border. Related: Spare us your prayers: Ted Cruz faces backlash after Texas mall shooting kills eight The shelter director, Victor Maldonado, told the Associated Press that upon reviewing the shelters surveillance footage, he saw an SUV run a light and plow into the crowd of people who were at the bus stop. The majority of those who were injured or killed were Venezuelan men. What we see in the video is that this SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about a hundred feet away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop, Maldonado said. Police lieutenant Martin Sandoval told the news outlet Valley Central that seven victims died at the scene, and several others were rushed to nearby hospitals. The toll was updated to eight after another victim died on Sunday night. Video footage posted online showed crowds of people at the scene while clothes and other personal items were strewn all over the road. Several people appeared to be tending to an individual who was lying on a grassy area. Sandoval said the driver was arrested and booked on a count of reckless driving. More charges are likely to be filed in what officers suspect may have been an intentional act, Sandoval added. It can be three factors, Sandoval told the Associated Press. It could be intoxication; it could be an accident; or it could be intentional. In order for us to find out exactly what happened, we have to eliminate the other two. Story continues He added that the driver was transported to a nearby hospital for injuries he sustained after the car rolled over and that no passengers were with him. Hes being very uncooperative at the hospital, but he will be transported to our city jail as soon as he gets released, said Sandoval, adding that the detained driver had given officers several different names. Then well fingerprint him and [take a] mug shot, and then we can find his true identity. Police have also obtained a blood sample from the driver and have submitted it to be tested for possible intoxicants. The Ozanam Center is the only overnight shelter in Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody, and it offers free transportation for migrants. In the last two months, weve been getting 250 to 380 a day, Maldonado told the Associated Press, adding that even though the shelter can hold up to 250 migrants, many who arrive also leave on the same day. Some of them were on the way to the bus station, because they were on their way to their destination, he said. Two days earlier, the US homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, said that immigration authorities faced extremely challenging circumstances along the border with Mexico days before the end of asylum restrictions implemented through Title 42 during the Covid-19 pandemic. A surge of Venezuelan migrants through south Texas, particularly in and around the border community of Brownsville, has occurred over the last two weeks for reasons that Mayorkas said were unclear. On Thursday, 4,000 of about 6,000 migrants in border patrol custody in Texass Rio Grande Valley were Venezuelan. Several people have been injured following a crash on Miller Chapel Road near Shue Road in Rowan County, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Just after 1 p.m. Saturday, troopers said a 2012 Honda passenger car pulled out in front of an unknown vehicle causing a collision. ALSO READ: Charlotte bride killed, husband seriously hurt in wedding night crash The driver of the Honda was airlifted from the scene to Atrium Health Northeast Concord. Four passengers in the same vehicle were by ground EMS to the same hospital, according to troopers. One person from the other vehicle was also taken to an area hospital with injuries. VIDEO: Charlotte bride killed, husband seriously hurt in wedding night crash Seagulls screeched across a cloudless sky as tourists climbed down the bluffs north of Cayucos to reach one of San Luis Obispo Countys mysteries: a shipwrecked fishing boat. The sun-bleached vessel leans against the rocky Estero Bay shore, caked with rust and algae. Relentless seaside weather has eroded holes into the ships hull, and visitors can hear waves slosh inside the abandoned boat as the tide rolls across the beach. Its an old boat, thats for sure, one visitor said with a laugh. Rumors circulate about how the so-called ghost boat came to rest off the coast of Estero Bluffs, with some claiming that its owner fell asleep at the helm while returning home from a fishing trip. Fisherman Jonathan Smith ran aground in Estero Bay in 2017, and his boat remains on the shore. Visitors often climb aboard to explore the wreckage. How did fishing boat wreck on SLO County shore? According to a U.S. Coast Guard incident report, boat owner Jonathan Smith was fishing on July 28, 2017, when his boat drifted too close to the Estero Bay shore. Smiths deckhand wasnt feeling well and went below deck to rest leaving Smith to fend for himself, the incident report said. At about 3:45 a.m., the boats propeller caught on a crab pot line, so Smith stopped the engine to try to untangle the line, the report said. Fog settled into the bay, partly obscuring Smiths surroundings as he drifted on the sea, according to the Coast Guard. He ran aground at about 4:40 a.m. in Estero Bay below the bluffs, the report said. At high tide, Smith tried to catapult his boat back into the sea with a winch attached to his anchor, which he dropped about 100 yards offshore. When Smith started his main propeller, the line was fouled in the propeller and parted, the Coast Guard said, and the boat drifted another 45 feet towards the shore. The vessel was officially stuck in the sand. When the tide receded at about 6:40 p.m., Smith and his deckhand exited the vessel safely, and the Coast Guard declared the boat a total loss. Graffiti is scribbled along the boat that ran aground in Estero Bay in 2017. What would it take to remove fishing vessel? The ghost boat is beached on land owned by the California State Lands Commission, according to Coast Guard External Affairs Chief Sheri Pemberton. Story continues Removing the vessel would cost about $70,000 money the State Lands Commission doesnt have to spare, Pemberton said. California State Parks runs a program to remove abandoned and derelict recreational vessels, but there is no program for commercial vessels, Pemberton wrote in an email to The Tribune. Smith is ultimately responsible for removing the boat, but being uninsured, he chose to abandon it, Pemberton said. The Coast Guard extracted petroleum and hazardous waste from the boat in 2017, but residual waste will likely leak into the ocean, she said. The vessels condition is unknown to commission staff and for that reason, the public should stay off and away from it, Pemberton said. Local fisherman Jonathan Smith ran aground in Estero Bay in 2017. His boat remains marooned in the bay, and state agencies dont plan to remove it. What happened to fisherman? So where is the boats owner? Some community members say Smith is a mechanic in Morro Bay. Others say he still boats on the Central Coast, docking his new vessel in the Morro Bay Harbor. All agree that hes committed to his privacy, and only sometimes has a cell phone. Smith is notoriously ornery, often clashing with local agencies and other anglers, according to the beached boats previous owner, Frank Loving. John was his own worst enemy, Loving said. Loving said its a tragedy to see a once-productive vessel marooned in the cove. Washington state resident Joseph Smith visited the ghost boat on April 30. As a boater, he wasnt thrilled about the idea of a shipwreck. Its horrific, the idea of a boat going ashore, he said. We try to be cautious on the ocean. In the eantime, the story of his shipwreck echoes across the Central Coast drawing adventure-seekers to Estero Bay to examine the wreck. Thats SLO Weird Ever wondered about the mysteries of SLO County? Our series, Thats SLO Weird, explores all the things that make San Luis Obispo County wonderful ... and weird! Curious about something? Send your story ideas to Stephanie Zappelli at szappelli@thetribunenews.com. By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German business software maker SAP and German engineering company Siemens have joined U.S. tech giants in criticising draft EU laws on the use of data generated by smart gadgets and other consumer goods. EU countries and EU lawmakers are working on the details of the Data Act, proposed by the European Commission last year before it can be adopted as legislation. The draft law, covering EU consumer and corporate data, is part of a set of legislation aimed at curbing the power of U.S. tech giants and helping the EU to achieve its digital and green objectives. U.S. criticisms have included that the proposed law is too restrictive, while the German companies say a provision forcing companies to share data with third parties to provide aftermarket or other data-driven services could endanger trade secrets. "It risks undermining European competitiveness by mandating data sharing including core know-how and design data with not only the user, but also third parties," the companies wrote in a joint letter to Commission President President Ursula von der Leyen, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager and EU industrial chief Thierry Breton. "Effectively, this could mean that EU companies will have to disclose data to third-country competitors, notably those not operating in Europe and against which the Data Act's safeguards would be ineffective," they said. Signatories to the letter dated May 4 and seen by Reuters included the chief executives of the two companies, Siemens Healthineers, German medical technology company Brainlab, German software company DATEV and lobbying group DIGITALEUROPE. The letter called for safeguards to allow companies to refuse requests to share data where trade secrets, cybersecurity, health and safety are at risk and that the scope of devices covered by the legislation should not be extended. The Commission confirmed receipt of the letter, saying it understood the importance of trade secrets but that companies should not use them as a pretext. Story continues "The Data Act isn't trying to change European or national law on trade secrets. However, it's important that trade secrets aren't used as an excuse for not sharing data," Johannes Bahrke told a daily news conference. "We have to find the balance there. And that's exactly what we're trying to do with the proposal on the Data Act. There are safeguards, so contractual and technical protections laid out in the Data Act," he said. Regarding a provision that allows customers to switch between different cloud providers, the companies said the legislation should preserve contractual freedom by allowing customers and providers to agree on contracts that work best for each business case. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Barbara Lewis) (CNN) London's Metropolitan Police said it made 52 arrests during the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, as the force faces growing scrutiny over its attitude toward anti-monarchy demonstrators. Thousands gathered in central London on Saturday to celebrate the once-in-a-generation occasion. But it also drew demonstrators, with protesters wearing yellow T-shirts booing and shouting "Not My King" throughout the morning. Republic, Britain's largest anti-monarchy group, told CNN that police without providing any reason arrested organizers of the anti-monarchy protest. At around 7 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) police stopped six of Republic's organizers and told them they were detaining and searching them, Republic director Harry Stratton told CNN at the protest. Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic, was among those detained, according to a video shared by the Alliance of European Republican Movements. Stratton said that when the organizers asked police why they were being detained, they were told officers "would figure it out" after they had searched the anti-monarchy protesters. After searching them, police told the six organizers they were arresting them and seizing hundreds of their placards carrying the slogan "Not My King." "They didn't say why they were arresting them. They didn't tell them or us where they were taking them. It really is like something out of a police state," Stratton said. "I think people are quite perturbed by the police reaction. But the crowd reaction to us has been overwhelmingly friendly," he added. The group posted on Twitter Saturday, commenting: "So much for the right to peaceful protest." Members of environmental activist group Just Stop Oil also appeared to have been arrested on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, the UK's PA Media news agency reported, adding that a large group of the protesters were seen in handcuffs. The Metropolitan Police confirmed several arrests had been made in central London and defended its actions. "A total of 52 arrests have been made today for offenses including affray, public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. All of these people remain in custody," the police said in a press release. Met defends arrests Commander Karen Findlay, who is leading the police operation, said in the release: "We absolutely understand public concern following the arrests we made this morning. "Protest is lawful and it can be disruptive. We have policed numerous protests without intervention in the build-up to the coronation, and during it. "Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. We also have a duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption. "This depends on the context. The coronation is a once in a generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment. A protest involving large numbers has gone ahead today with police knowledge and no intervention." Human Rights Watch, a non-profit campaign group, said earlier Saturday that the coronation arrests were "something you would expect to see in Moscow not London," according to a statement obtained by PA Media. Republic claimed it was expecting between 1,500 and 2,000 people to join the group at its protest in Trafalgar Square, just south of the royal procession route. "Instead of a coronation we want an election. Instead of Charles we want a choice. It's that simple," the group tweeted on Saturday. Growing police powers The Metropolitan Police, the UK's largest police force, has been scrutinized for its tough approach toward protests around the coronation. "Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low," the force wrote on Twitter this week. "We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration." Ahead of the event, the Met said that more than 11,500 police officers would be deployed in London on Saturday, making the coronation the largest one-day deployment in decades. The operation labeled Golden Orb saw officers line the processional route, manage crowds and road closures, protect high-profile individuals and carry out searches with specialist teams. There are also plans for facial recognition technology to be used in central London, which has sparked criticism from human rights groups. "We all have the right to go about our lives without being watched and monitored, but everyone at the coronation is at risk of having their faces scanned by oppressive facial recognition technology," Emmanuelle Andrews of human rights group Liberty, said on Twitter. The operation comes amid growing concern over the increase in the police's power to stifle dissent in Britain, following the recent introduction of controversial pieces of legislation. Last year, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 significantly "broaden[ed] the range of circumstances in which police may impose conditions on a protest." Under the new Act, it is an offense for protesters to "intentionally or recklessly caus[e] public nuisance" including causing "serious annoyance." In a statement to CNN, Liberty said this Act "has made it much harder for people to stand up for what they believe without facing the risk of criminalization." On Tuesday, a new law called the Public Order Act received royal assent from King Charles, which is a formality and the final hurdle before a bill becomes law. It will "give police the powers to prevent disruption at major sporting and cultural events taking place this summer in England and Wales," the UK Home Office said in a statement. Specific measures in the Act were introduced from Wednesday. Under this law, long-standing protest tactics such as locking on where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings could lead to a six-month prison sentence or "unlimited fine," said the Home Office. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Something out of a police state: Anti-monarchy protesters arrested ahead of King Charles coronation" Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said in an interview last week that although the new proposals from the Biden administration's measures on immigration are "helpful," she's "very concerned that all this is happening in the week or so" before the end of Title 42. In an interview with "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan at the McCain Institute's Sedona Forum, Sinema said that neither she nor Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs received answers from the Department of Homeland Security on specific questions regarding logistics and processing of migrants once Title 42 expires on May 11. Transcript: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on "Face the Nation," May 7, 2023 "Just today, I was on the phone with a sheriff of Cochise County he has gotten no information from the Department of Homeland Security of the federal government about what the flow is going to look like, about what they can expect for processing in terms of how long it takes to process migrants," Sinema said. "He's got no information." "Either the administration has that information and they're choosing not to share it, which is a problem since we're the ones who are going to deal with the crisis," Sinema said. "Or they don't have it and that's even more concerning, because how do you prepare for the inflow of migrants when you don't know what you're going to expect?" The Biden administration plans to open new processing centers for migrants in Latin America and will send 1,500 troops to the southern border in Texas to support the Department of Homeland Security in attempts to curb the numbers of migrants and prepare to receive the ones who do arrive there. Sinema praised those portions of the administration plans, but said that she has spent the last two years asking for "concrete plans." "While it's wonderful that the administration is announcing things like a 1,500 troop deployment and these new processing centers which will not be operational by next Friday those are good things," Sinema said. "Those are aspirational. That's not the same as operational. And so what I'm asking for and have been for two years, is for the administration to make concrete plans." Story continues Brennan asked Sinema if she had spoken to the White House directly about preparations for migrants. Sinema said she had but the response "has not been adequate." Sinema also spoke about a bill she recently introduced along with Sen. Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, that allows the U.S. government to expel migrants for the next two years similar to how the Title 42 health emergency authorities functioned. However, Sinema referred to this proposal as a "band-aid." Sen. Kyrsten Sinema speaks to Margaret Brennan on "That bill is saying, hey, Title 42 goes away on Thursday, and everyone here in Arizona knows we are not prepared," Sinema told Brennan. "The Biden administration had two years to prepare for this and did not do so. And our state is going to bear the brunt and migrants will be in crisis as soon as next week." Her legislation, she argued, will allow for "some time and space for the Biden administration to do their job. And for us legislators to actually create a plan that can get through both the House and the Senate." "And what bothers me about that, Margaret, is that look, they don't live in a border state," said Sinema. "So they don't know that the mayor of Gila Bend has to put migrants in his car and drive them to Phoenix, because they are released in a town that has no bus stop. They don't know what it's like for migrants to sleep outside, in the farms in Yuma, because there is nowhere for them to go. This is a crisis for our border communities and for migrants." Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is interviewed by Margaret Brennan on "Unfortunately, the parties are thinking about this from a political perspective, rather than a human perspective," she added. Besides Sinema and Tillis's proposition, House Republicans are also working on a new border security bill that is set to be voted on May 11, but it is almost certainly dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Sinema addressed the lack of willingness in Congress to negotiate across the aisle again when asked about the standoff over the debt ceiling. "Both parties are talking without listening to each other," Sinema said. "We're in a situation where one party is saying they will not negotiate at all with the other party. I think that's a very dangerous place to be because one, it's not realistic. And two, that is just not going to happen." However, Sinema did express confidence that the debt ceiling will be lifted "well in advance" of an actual default. Could they get it passed by June 1, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said is the earliest the U.S. could default? "They could get it done," said Sinema, "but it would be a challenge." What to know about tipping at self-checkouts Russia holds scaled-down Victory Day celebration hours after air strikes on Ukraine Migrants at U.S.-Mexico face uncertainty, confusion ahead of end of Title 42 The situation in the area near Europes largest nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, the head of the U.N.s nuclear watchdog said Saturday. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement that he was extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risk facing the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southeast Ukraine. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment, he said. He also said the Russian occupied facility, which is almost twice the size of Chernobyl, must be protected. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment, he said. The statement said that the IAEA had received information that residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most of the plant staff live, had started and the organization was closely monitoring the situation for any potential impact on nuclear safety and security. The IAEA experts at the site are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis, the statement read. Dmytro Orlov, the exiled mayor of Enerhodar, said in a Telegram post on Saturday that Russian forces were fueling an atmosphere of panic with recent announcements of evacuations. The first wave of evacuations began yesterday morning, but it cannot be called mass now. Some of the people who wanted to leave were loaded onto buses. Some left in their own vehicles. Accordingly, gas stations ran out of fuel yesterday. ATMs do not work, or work with great restrictions, and there is nowhere to withdraw money, he said. The general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement on Facebook that residents were being evacuated to Berdiansk and Prymorsk, two nearby towns on the Azov coast that are also under Russian military occupation. Story continues The statement also said that evacuations are subject to people who have Russian passports. The first to be evacuated are those who accepted Russian citizenship in the first months of the occupation. NBC News has not been able to independently verify either claim. Captured by Russia in the early days of the war, the Zaporizhzhia complex is still operated by Ukrainian technicians. The plants six reactors generate more power than any such facility in the United States. There was growing international alarm after shelling hit the site in August. Both sides have blamed the other for attacks in the vicinity of the plant. Grossi last visited the Zaporizhzhia station in March as part of an effort to secure an agreement from both sides on safeguards to ensure the plants protection. The number of staff at the plant has declined in recent months, the IAEA statement said, although it quoted the site's director, Yuri Chernichuck, as saying that operating staff would not be evacuated and are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of the site. The United States has previously accused Russia of failing to acknowledge the grave radiological risk at the plant. The 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant near the northern Ukrainian city of Pripyat is considered the worst on record. It required the evacuation of more than 100,000 people living within nearly 19 miles, and the resulting radiation was detected across Europe. Officially, fewer than 50 people died as a direct result of Chernobyl, a figure that scientists and environmental groups vigorously contest. Ukrainian lawmakers have previously speculated that as many as 3 million people could die and that 51 million more could be otherwise affected by radiation in a serious incident involving the Zaporizhzhia plant. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The situation in the area of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous; IAEA experts present at the plant hear shelling regularly. Source: statement by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Quote: "The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. This major nuclear facility must be protected. I will continue to press for a commitment by all sides to achieve this vital objective, and the IAEA will continue to do everything it can to help ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant." Details: According to Grossi, the IAEA experts at the ZNPP have received information that Russians started the evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most of the plant staff live. Director General Grossi expressed deep concern about the increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions for personnel and their families. Grossi added that the IAEA experts at the site are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis, including the attack late on 5 May. Background: The State Enterprise National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom refuted the statements of pro-Russian propaganda information resources regarding the complete shutdown of Zaporizhzhia NPP. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Supreme Court is about to begin issuing decisions every Monday until the summer after hearing arguments in several high-profile and hot-topic matters. Here is a digest of six of the most highly-anticipated opinions from the high court this summer: BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT: Biden v. Nebraska and Department of Education v. Brown Well after he declared the COVID-19 pandemic "over," Biden's administration fought to keep one pandemic response in place the student loan relief program that would cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in borrower debt. A coalition of six GOP-led states sued the administration seeking to block its debt forgiveness plan and calling it an executive branch overreach absent any clear congressional mandate. LEFT-WING PROTESTERS RETURN TO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES' HOMES AS DEMOCRATS TARGET CLARENCE THOMAS READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Activists stage a rally in front of the White House to celebrate President Biden canceling student debt. The Biden administration has already quietly forgiven billions in student loan debt. During more than three hours of oral arguments, an ideological divide was apparent over the limits of executive power during the health crisis and whether the White House properly implemented its debt forgiveness plan. While tough questions alone are not a clear sign of how the justices might rule, the court's 6-3 conservative majority appeared skeptical of the Biden plan and suggested he may have exceeded his executive authority. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College The court last fall heard two cases dealing with how colleges and universities look at race in making admissions decisions. For decades, schools have been able to use affirmative action to give preferences to applicants from underrepresented minorities using the argument that it promotes the interest of having diversity on campus. Students for Fair Admissions, however, claims that policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminate against applicants who are not from such minority groups on the basis of their race. In particular, the group claims that Asian Americans suffer from the practices of both schools and that White applicants are also harmed by UNC's. Story continues At issue in both cases is whether the court should overrule its precedent in 2003s Grutter v. Bollinger, which said colleges and universities can consider race to have a diverse student body. The court decided to hear the cases separately because UNC is a public school and Harvard is private, so legal issues are not totally identical. In the UNC case, the court needed to consider whether the school acted properly in rejecting a race-neutral alternative. In the Harvard case, it looked at whether the school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by penalizing Asian Americans with its policies. SUPREME COURT ACCEPTS CASE THAT HAS POTENTIAL TO ERODE POWER OF FEDERAL REGULATORS WORKPLACE SPEECH/LGBTQ+ RIGHTS: 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Lorie Smith is a business owner who says she puts her Christian faith above financial profit. But her efforts to manage both have put Smith in conflict with Colorado officials over the limits of workplace speech. At issue is whether she can refuse to create any website for a same-sex wedding despite a state's "public accommodation" law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. While the basis for Smiths legal challenge stems from her religious beliefs, the justices examined the free speech issues involved in a state law that Smith says would compel speech by forcing her to create sites that she does not want to and would prohibit posting the statement about her religious views. COPYRIGHT LAW/FAIR USE DOCTRINE: Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith In a case that will decide whether artist Andy Warhol violated copyright laws when he based a series of paintings of pop icon Prince on photographs he didn't own, the justices could make significant changes to the rights of artists in media from illustration to songwriting. The question before the Supreme Court is whether the "fair use" doctrine of the Copyright Act protects Warhol, who used images of Prince captured by celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith to create new works of art without her credit or consent. BIG TECH & SECTION 230: Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh and Gonzalez v. Google LLC Free speech access to the internet as we know it could soon be dramatically transformed depending on how the justices weigh in on cases about holding social media companies liable for content posted by third-party providers. At issue in one case is the scope of legal protections in the nearly 30-year-old Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and whether they apply to the algorithms that digital service providers like Google and YouTube use to recommend what videos and websites to show users. Section 230 gives broad legal immunity to social media companies, largely preventing litigation for content their sites. A separate case against Twitter deals with liability under Section 2333 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and whether hosting terrorist content online could constitute "aiding and abetting" under federal civil law, regardless of liability protections in Section 230. The home of a 94-year-old grandmother Geraldine Tyler was seized by Minnesota for unpaid taxes. TAKINGS CLAUSE: Tyler v. Hennepin County It sounds like a Big Brother nightmare: The home of a 94-year-old grandmother is seized by the state for unpaid taxes, and all the sale proceeds far above what she actually owed go to public coffers. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ALITO SAYS HE HAS A 'PRETTY GOOD IDEA' ON WHO LEAKED DOBBS DRAFT DECISION In a two-hour oral argument, a clear majority of justices on both the left and right appeared to be receptive to arguments from lawyers for Geraldine Tyler, 94, whose condominium was seized by Hennepin County, Minnesota, in 2015. The seizure was carried out as payment for approximately $15,000 in outstanding property taxes, penalties, interest and costs. The condo was ultimately sold for $40,000, and under the state's forfeiture laws, the county kept the surplus proceeds. Minnesota is one of more than a dozen states (along with Washington, D.C.) that allows the practice. The case could have nationwide implications for the power of the state to order homeowners to pay up or risk lose everything. The Supreme Court will issue opinions Mondays at 10 a.m. Fox News' Bill Mears, Shannon Bream and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a battle plan in August to reduce homelessness by half over a five-year period. Nearly nine months later, county staff presented a progress report on the San Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessnessto the board on Tuesday. Is the plan on track to succeed? It depends on who you ask. SLO County Homeless Services Division manager Joe Dzvonik told supervisors Tuesday that the county is making progress towards reaching the goals outlined in the plan, which includes building more housing from tiny homes and palette shelters to permanent supportive housing as well as expanding mental health, addiction and case management services, and identifying new sources of funding. So far, 461 people have exited homeless into permanent housing since July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, while the county has prevented 499 people from entering homelessness, Dzvonik said. A total of 1,516 people have accessed support services since July 1, he said. However, 1,029 people have entered homelessness during that time, Dzvonik said. I see hope, 5Cities Homeless Coalition Executive Director Janna Nichols said at Tuesdays meeting. Weve got a lot of gaps, but youre hearing people here today coming together. The 5Cities Homeless Coalitions Barca housing project could bring 30 interim shelter beds to South County. New housing projects on the way Four new housing projects are coming down the pipeline over the next three years, Dzvonik said, The 5Cities Homeless Coalitions Barca housing project could bring 30 interim shelter beds to the west end of Grover Beach, Dzvonik said. The $6.5 million Barca project would be funded by 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC), SLO County and Dignity Moves, with support from California State Parks, Caltrans and the cities of Grover Beach and Pismo Beach, Dzvonik said. These groups will submit funding applications for the state Encampment Resolution Funding Program, a $350 million competitive grant program that provides funding for housing opportunities that can help people get out of living in homeless encampments. Story continues Additionally, the county will foot the $500,000 bill for the interim shelter beds provided by BossCubez, Dzvonik said, while the city of Grover Beach has already provided $400,000 to purchase the land for the project. Dzvonik said the Barca housing project would function similar to the 5CHCs Cabins for Change program, which operates on a transitional housing model intended to get residents off the street, connected with services and into more permanent housing. Paso Robles could get an $8.5 million housing project consisting of 20 interim beds from transitional housing developer LifeArk. Transitional housing developer LifeArk plans to build an $8.5 million housing project in Paso Robles consisting of 20 interim beds, Dzvonik said. Land at 710 Pine Street has already been donated by the city of Paso Robles, which will join the county and homeless housing provider CityNet in applying for state Encampment Resolution Funding Program funds, Dzvonik said. Similar to the Barca project, this would be a 90-day transitional housing program in the vein of Cabins for Change, Dzvonik said. Farther south, Dzvonik said the city of San Luis Obispo could see two housing developments. The city, the county, Good Samaritan Shelter and Dignity Moves have filed a joint application for $13.4 million in Encampment Resolution Program funds to build the Welcome Home project. That project would consist of 34 interim shelter beds and 46 permanent supportive housing beds provided by LifeArk, Dzvonik said. The county has already provided land for the project on an empty lot behind the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services on Higuera Street, Dzvonik said. San Luis Obispo could see an $18 million motel conversion from Peoples Self-Help Housing using money from the third round of Homekey funding. In addition, Peoples Self-Help Housing of San Luis Obispo County is planning a $18 million motel conversion project in San Luis Obispo using money from the third round of state Homekey funding, Dzvonik said. The city of San Luis Obispo will apply for the funding along with Peoples Self-Help Housing, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County and the county, Dzvonik said. This funding would cover the programs development and first three years of operation, Dzvonik said, which would see the motels rooms converted into 15 family living spaces, with 15 interim shelter beds from BossCubez installed in the motels parking lot. Dzvonik said the projects future will be more clear in the next 10 to 12 business days as the applicants complete the bidding and funding process. The countys plan calls for about 1,650 new low-income housing units to be built by the end of 2027, with 500 of those units designated as permanent supportive housing, Dzvonik said. As of now, the county is a few hundred units short of those goals. A total of 409 new low income housing units are slated to be available by the end of 2024, with a total of 905 new units planned for the end of 2026. Its still clear that more coordination is needed between developers, service providers, the county and city staff moving forward and become better aligned with the numbers in this plan, Dzvonik said. San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services Division manager Joe Dzvonik gives his update on the countys five-year plan to reduce homelessness to the Board of Supervisors May 2, 2023. SLO County to improve homeless outreach, data management The countys current data management system is flawed, Dzvonik said, because there isnt one simple way to track one persons case to determine when they enter homelessness, when they access services, and if they eventually find housing. Service providers often have to enter extensive data sets multiple times to have the ability to share information, Dzvonik said. Right now, we do not have a way to measure which programs are effective or guide us in the reallocation of resources towards success. The SLO County Homeless Services Division is searching for a new data management system into which local homeless service providers could enter data. That way, each agency can see when an individual speaks to a service provider, accesses services such as an overnight shelter and allows the service providers to collaborate to find that individual housing. In March, the Homeless Services Division opened the application process for new data management systems, and will select a new one in August, he said. San Luis Obispo County Supervisors John Peschong, Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson listen to public comment Feb. 7, 2023. When the county has better data to understand how folks become homeless, what services theyve accessed and where theyre falling through the cracks, county staff can do more targeted street outreach, Dzvonik said. During county budget talks for the next fiscal year, the Homeless Services Division will ask for another $1.8 million to support street outreach and homelessness prevention, Dzvonik said. Street outreach is the most critical component of the countywide plan, because unhoused people, or those at risk of becoming homeless cannot be identified, assisted or tracked through the continuum if no one is contacting them directly on a weekly if not daily basis, Dzvonik said. Supervisor Jimmy Paulding agreed. Outreach is a critical link between the safety net that we described with all those services and getting people out of homelessness, Paulding said Tuesday. San Luis Obispo County Supervisors Jimmy Paulding, Debbie Arnold, John Peschong, Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson listen to public comment Feb. 7, 2023. Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site closure still planned The countys five-year plan originally called for an expansion of its safe parking site at Oklahoma Avenue, located just north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 1. In late February, however, the county announced the site would begin drawing down its operations to eventually close over the coming year, though no official deadline was set. This means that the county will close the site to new residents, while continuing to provide services to current residents until they are placed in new housing. Dzvonik emphasized on Tuesday that no current residents will be forced to leave the site before they find new housing. The Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site was initially intended as a 180-day pilot program. Although several residents have been staying at the site since it opened in August 2021, the county still views the site as a transitional opportunity to find housing for residents. More than half of the roughly 60 households currently living on the site have been there longer than 12 months, Dzvonik said. Although there are cases of success where participants achieve enough stability and direction to move on to a better situation in their lives, this has not occurred in the number and timelines originally envisioned, Dzvonik said. Multiple service providers met onsite for the first time Friday as part of this surge in services, which will include efforts from CAPSLO , 5CHC, El Camino Homeless Organization, Transitions-Mental Health Association, LAGS Recovery Centers and the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services program. San Luis Obispo County Public Works Director John Diodati explained that it would be expensive to transform the Oklahoma site into permanent housing because the land was originally a landfill. State law would require the county to remediate the former landfill, which would cost at least $3.1 million, Diodati said at Tuesdays meeting. On Tuesday the supervisors suggested that the county pursue other sites for parking programs that arent as cost-prohibitive. County staff will also look into opening smaller, overnight-only parking programs similar to the programs operated by the city of San Luis Obispo and CAPSLO for people who want to keep living in vehicles and campers, which Dzvonik said have a relatively greater level of success with moving clients into housing than the Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site. Site resident Dave Richford said at the Tuesday meeting that folks at the Oklahoma Avenue site may prefer to continue living in their vehicles. Richford asked that the county look into creating campground-style lots for unhoused people and their vehicles to replace the transitional Oklahoma Avenue site. I just want to stress that if we end up going back to the streets, which we hope to God we dont have to, were going to be dealing with the police department, which is most of our problem, Richford said. The community, we dont want to invade their privacy, their concerns we want to be able to get somewhere where we can have affordable housing. (Bloomberg) -- Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger will step down months before early elections planned for Sept. 30 after his caretaker cabinet started to fall apart, he said Sunday in Bratislava. Most Read from Bloomberg Slovakia, traumatized by conflicts, doesnt deserve the political crisis to continue for even one more day, Heger told journalists. Four ministers had left the stopgap administration since Heger lost a vote of no confidence in December. The latest casualty was the agriculture minister, who quit last week following a report that a company he owns had received 1.4 million euros ($1.5 million) in European Union funds. President Zuzana Caputova said shell appoint a non-partisan cabinet in the week starting May 15 to govern until the early election. Ludovit Odor, deputy governor of Slovak National Bank, will lead the new, technocratic administration as prime minister. Heger had said earlier he intended to stay in power until the September vote to ensure stability for the eastern European Union member state of some 5.4 million people. Still, in a nationally televised speech on Thursday, he admitted that hes co-responsible for chaos in the country. His government lost a no-confidence vote in December after years of bickering over issues ranging from public spending and financial support for families, to how to handle the pandemic, and Europes cost-of-living crisis. Even so, the administration enjoyed a strong international reputation. It supports EU sanctions against Russia and provided significant military aid to Ukraine, including MiG-29 jets, infantry vehicles, and the S-300 missile system. Story continues Former three-time Prime Minister Robert Fico leads opinion polls four months before the Slovakian vote. He questions support for sanctions against Russia and has said hell stop arms deliveries to Ukraine, hinting his return to power could impact future EUs decisions. (Updated with the PMs and Presidents comments from second paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. I house-sat in cities like Amsterdam while traveling in Europe. Hannah Docter-Loeb In the fall of 2022, I spent three months traveling around Europe by myself on a budget. I used Trusted Housesitters to find house-sitting jobs in exchange for lodging. House-sitting provided me with a cost-effective way to make food, do laundry, and live like a local. I spent the fall of 2022 traveling in Europe. Around the same time I was planning, a friend sent me a TikTok of a couple who travels using Trusted Housesitters, a site that pairs house sitters and pet owners around the world. It seemed like a great deal free lodging in exchange for pet care so I joined the site about a month before I embarked on my trip and paid a little over $100 for a basic-sitter membership. The low-level membership currently costs $130. I didn't have any issues house-sitting, but I also wasn't on a tourist visa because I have EU citizenship. It can be more complicated to house-sit on a tourist visa depending on the country you're visiting. Here's how house-sitting helped me save hundreds of dollars throughout my European travels. I planned gigs in Scotland, England, and the Netherlands. I set up my house-sitting jobs far in advance. Hannah Docter-Loeb I like to describe the Trusted Housesitters matching process as a mix between Tinder and Airbnb. I first made a profile with a clear link to my personal website and made sure to state that I'm a dog lover. I then searched the database of people looking for house sitters, filtering by location and dates and looking at reviews. The site has the capability to put you in touch with pet owners as they tend to want to talk further on the phone. I was happy to do this because it's hard to gather all of the information and assess the situation over text or email. Before I left the US, I had three jobs set up in Scotland, England, and the Netherlands. That being said, many house-sitting jobs don't have to be booked that far in advance. When I was in Europe, I saw a number of people looking for sitters with less notice. I primarily saved on accommodations. Story continues I spent 25 days in Amsterdam. Hannah Docter-Loeb One of the best parts of house-sitting was the ability to stay in big cities for very cheap. I spent $103 dollars to use the site and house-sat for a total of 45 days out of my three months of traveling, which means I was paying a baseline of about $2 a day. Although I was saving on accommodation in all three locations, the place I saved the most was in the Netherlands' capital, Amsterdam. I spent 25 days there with an adorable Maltipoo named Pretzel. There's no way I would've been able to afford to stay there for as long as I did if I wasn't house-sitting. Hotels and even hostels can be pricey, and in those cases, you're paying for one room I had whole houses and apartments to myself. I saved on food by primarily cooking my own meals. I mostly cooked for myself while traveling abroad. Hannah Docter-Loeb Each house I stayed in had a sizable kitchen, well stocked with spices, oils, and all the essentials to cook. When I was house-sitting, I primarily cooked for myself to reduce food costs. The people I house-sat for were also very generous, encouraging me to help myself to what was in the cabinets and even stocking the fridge before I arrived. I was working remotely while traveling, and house-sitting helped me save on internet costs. Nothing is better than getting work done with the comforts of a canine companion. Hannah Docter-Loeb Although I ventured out to the occasional coffee shop to do my remote work, having a comfortable place with reliable Wi-Fi (and sometimes a coffee maker) did wonders for my wallet. I didn't have to pay extra for internet hot spots or find cafes to sit in to get my work done. I didn't have to pay for laundry. Only one house I stayed in had a dryer. Hannah Docter-Loeb All of the places I stayed at had in-unit laundry, and I was encouraged to use it as much as I pleased. Only one location had a real dryer I discovered that air-drying is much more common in Europe. But I definitely saved some cash by not having to pay for laundry machines or detergent. I got to experience local life and avoid overpriced tourist traps. I avoided tourist areas. Hannah Docter-Loeb I stayed in non-touristy neighborhoods and suburbs of major cities, including Glasgow in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Although I could easily access the city center thanks to public transportation, I liked staying away from tourist areas and found that sometimes things were a bit cheaper because of it. I hope to house-sit again soon. I really enjoyed this unique way of traveling. Hannah Docter-Loeb Although I struggled a bit with my first house-sit, I'd overall recommend the experience to anyone looking for an inexpensive and unique way to travel. It's definitely a big responsibility, and it may seem scary to stay in someone else's house. But it's all about knowing your comfort levels and trusting your gut. Once I've recovered from this bout of travel, I'm planning on browsing the site again. Correction: May 7, 2023 An earlier version of this story left out information about the writer's EU citizenship. House-sitting while traveling on a tourist visa can be more complicated. Read the original article on Insider My chargers folded up. Gabbi Shaw/Insider While using TikTok, I often end up on videos showing people packing for trips. Before a recent trip to Dublin and Copenhagen, I invested in some TikTok favorites. I'd recommend almost everything I bought, but I wasn't convinced by the $10 hand sanitizer. TikTok has 150 million active users in the US alone, has become more popular than Google in some age groups, and is one of the top three social-media apps opened every day and I'm one of those active users. I check it every day and even use it as a search engine, so before a recent trip, I decided to do some searching on a corner of TikTok I've taken to calling "PackTok" a subset of ASMR-like videos dedicated to packing suitcases, luggage, or any other bag to see what I needed to bring with me to Europe. I made purchases from TikTok-favorite brands like Beis, Touchland, CalPak, and Amazon to see if I could make my trip as stress-free as possible and for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised by my purchases. Keep scrolling to learn more about my TikTok-inspired travel haul. My first TikTok-approved travel product came a few years ago, when I purchased a weekender bag from actress Shay Mitchell's brand, Beis. My Beis bag. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Mitchell, known for her roles in "Pretty Little Liars," "You," and "Dollface," founded Beis in 2018. "I've been very fortunate in my life to be able to travel to a lot of places from an early age and with that experience has come a lot of different suitcases and bags," Mitchell told Conde Nast Traveler in March. "I began to think that I could create the product that I've always wanted for myself and that I think other people would enjoy. Nothing excites me more I could talk about bags and zippers and all of it forever," she continued. The Weekender was one of the first products that was included in Beis' initial launches, and it has since become a social-media favorite. I bought mine back in April 2021, when I was riding high off the idea that traveling was back after the pandemic halted everything. Story continues The Weekender Bag, which retails for $108 online, has proven to be a solid investment over the last two years. The detachable bottom of my Beis bag. Gabbi Shaw/Insider I've converted a few people in my life to Beis fans, including my roommate, my brother, and my mom. Between the different pockets inside, the keychain clasp, the zip-up flap in the back to attach it to my roller luggage, and most importantly the shoe compartment on the bottom, I've found everything to my liking. I've seen some complaints online that the bag can be a bit heavy to carry, but I tend not to overstuff mine to ensure it fits as a carry-on item. But I could see how carrying it on one shoulder might be problematic for some people. Beis did not respond to Insider's request for comment regarding this potential issue. The beige color gave me pause at first, especially since Beis offers more color ways, but it's held up much better than I thought. I was anticipating having to whip out the Tide to Go constantly, but it hasn't been used once. So while planning an overseas trip recently, I once again turned to TikTok to find some cute, hopefully affordable, and most of all useful gadgets and travel accessories. Packing. Gabbi Shaw/Insider I spent around 10 days in Dublin and Copenhagen, my first trip overseas since 2019 and my first trip since I became a full-on TikTok addict. As The New York Times reported in September, more and more people are using TikTok as a search engine, especially Gen Z. While I'm firmly a millennial, I do see the benefits of using TikTok in that way. In my experience, the app is like Instagram, YouTube, Yelp, and Google all in one: You can search for items or restaurants, see what they look like and how they're used, and read comments to see what people actually think. For my trip, I used TikTok to look up places to stay, restaurants, activities, and travel must-haves. This last search led me to an entire world that I began calling "PackTok," with influencers creating ASMR-esque videos of packing their luggage and other bags with aesthetically pleasing items. Since I had such success with my Weekender, I decided to listen to TikTok and purchase some of the most-seen products on the app. Since I was in the market for a new checked suitcase, I returned to Beis. My Beis suitcase. Gabbi Shaw/Insider The company has only grown in popularity since I purchased my Weekender. In April 2023, Womens Wear Daily reported that the brand had reached $120 million in profitable revenue. Beis offers three separate sizes of luggage: a carry-on, a 26-inch roller, and a 29-inch roller. I chose a beige shade that would match my Weekender. After watching TikToks like this one by @jamesandcaleigha, I was excited to see just how much could fit inside one of the checked rollers. I purchased the 26-inch Check-In Roller in beige for $308. Right away, I was blown away by the care and thought put into making this suitcase chic and practical. Inside the Beis suitcase. Gabbi Shaw/Insider This roller was apparently designed by someone who knows that travelers love to maximize every bit of space. The left side of the suitcase features a panel with two pockets: One is waterproof so your wet bathing suits and other clothes won't taint the rest of the your clothes. Underneath the panel is more space. On the right side there is a detachable insert with a zipper pocket on one side and a mesh pocket on the other perfect for underwear, socks, and other delicates. The suitcase also came with a laundry bag, another bag, and a hidden zippered pocket inside the suitcase. The suitcase came with a built-in scale so I'd know if my bag was overweight. It also came with a strap to hang a bag from. All my bags. Gabbi Shaw/Insider The built-in scale was an incredible feature, especially for someone without a scale in their apartment. With this bag, I just simply had to pick up my suitcase and check if a little window on the handle turned red. If it did, the bag was over 50 pounds. As you can see, I was traveling with a lot. I attached my backpack my personal, under-seat item to the suitcase using its strap to give my back a break while I walked through the streets to my hotel. The generous size of the case led me to my second purchase: a pair of packing cubes I bought on Amazon for $24.99. The packing cubes. Gabbi Shaw/Insider The set I opted for came with three packing cubes of varied sizes, a shoe bag, an underwear bag, a socks bag, a cosmetics bag, and a drawstring bag. I chose this set from Bagail for two reasons: I liked the color and I liked that they could all be consolidated into one bag for storage, as seen in a TikTok video by @torilanaee. I ended up using all three cubes and the shoe bag because I had already purchased a cosmetics bag, my suitcase came with a drawstring bag, and I just threw my underwear and socks into the mesh compartment of my suitcase. The packing cubes were definitely aesthetically pleasing. However, almost immediately, one of the straps meant to compress my clothes snapped. My snapped strap. Gabbi Shaw/Insider It's possible that I tried to force too much clothing into the cubes, but when I was using the compression straps to squeeze everything inside, one snapped. As such, I decided not to use the straps on the rest of my cubes. Bagail has not responded to Insider's request for comment. But did they help me pack more, or did they just match my suitcase? My packing cubes inside my suitcase. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Packing cubes are something that the internet has been telling me to use forever, way before I was on TikTok. And while I liked the way they looked in my suitcase, I still can't decide if they actually helped me pack more than usual, or if they were necessary for me to stay organized. I know other people swear by them, but I didn't find them particularly helpful when I was rifling through my suitcase over the course of my trip. And my suitcase, which was crisp and clean at first, did get quite beat up and scuffed across four flights. The scuffs on my suitacse. Gabbi Shaw/Insider These scrapes were likely due to how the baggage was handled on my flights, as well as my own to-ing and fro-ing. Any hard-shell suitcase will take some bangs and bumps along the way, so I wasn't surprised that there some damage, and I know I selected a lighter color among the options available, but still I didn't realize the marks would be so noticeable. Beis has not responded to Insider's request for comment. While I maybe wouldn't have gotten the light-beige color in retrospect, I can fully endorse my suitcase. My Beis bags. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Overall, I was pleased with my experience with both Beis pieces of luggage, even if the beige might not have been the most practical choice. That said, I've gotten a suitcase stolen from the airport before, so at least this unique color would be easy to spot at baggage claim. My other big splurge was a toiletry case from the TikTok-favorite brand CalPak. I purchased the Small Clear Cosmetics Case in lavender for $75. My CalPak cosmetics case. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Toiletry and cosmetic cases can take a beating between the products shoved into them and the rough-and-tumble of traveling. While $75 for the CalPak case seemed like a lot for such a simple item, I figured that I've spent at least that much over the years purchasing other similar products that broke quickly. I thought that this one, at least, could be a real investment. Also, when I saw just how many products could be packed into this case, as seen in this TikTok video by @mariannejthepa, I knew it could be helpful, as I pack so much. I loved the two-sided, two-pocket design, and the clear panels made it easy to see everything. The full cosmetics case. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Compared to simple zippered pouches which always force me to dump my products out on the counter to find what I need this cosmetics case made it quite easy to locate what I was looking for. I used one side for makeup and the other for haircare, skincare, and body wash. I thought this purchase was definitely worth it. But I do know that not everyone wants to spend $75 on a cosmetics case. I found plenty of similar "dupes" via TikTok on Amazon, but they might not last as long. The CalPak case. Gabbi Shaw/Insider CalPak appears to have a good warranty policy, with its products coming with a one-, two-, or five-year warranty. On CalPak's website, the case has 4.8 stars with over 440 reviews, proving I'm not alone in my newfound devotion to this case. Another product, an $11.89 brush holder from Amazon, helped keep my makeup brushes clean and organized. Brush holder. Gabbi Shaw/Insider I used to travel with my makeup brushes either loose in a cosmetics bag or in a Ziploc. This Feryes brush holder is sealed with a magnetic latch and could easily fit inside my cosmetics case. I thought it was cheap and worth buying. I also purchased a $29 Apple AirTag to put in my luggage so I could track it, but I found it filled me with equal parts dread and relief. An AirTag. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Apple introduced the AirTag, a tracking device designed to help users keep track of their items, in April 2021. Since then, airlines and airports have become the villains in some travelers' horror stories, as some luggage has found its way seemingly everywhere except its final destination. TikTokers began slipping AirTags in their luggage so they'd know if their bags made it on the plane and to the correct destination. In theory, that's a good plan. But I found myself anxiously checking the Find My app over and over again to make sure my luggage was still with me. Thankfully it was, but what if it wasn't? What could I have actually accomplished if my bag ended up in Spain instead of Ireland? I think, for me, it's worth living in ignorant bliss. Maybe I'll attach the AirTag to my keys or wallet instead, so I can find them if I misplace them. A product you're definitely familiar with if you're on "PackTok" is the $10 Touchland hand-sanitizing mist. Touchland hand mist. Gabbi Shaw/Insider While I admit it does look sleek, and it's cool that it provides a mist rather than a gel or liquid, I still can't recommend spending $10 on hand sanitizer. You can get other hand sanitizers in larger quantities for less money, and with the same strong scent. In my opinion, there are other things you can spend $10 on. When reached by Insider about this product, Touchland said the brand combines "sleek and convenient designs" with a focus on skincare and scent. "Touchland is a lifestyle brand that creates elevated personal care products," a rep said. "While the brand plays in a commoditized industry, Touchland has been able to create a new market for people who value innovation, quality, and style in their personal care products," the rep continued. But the two most useful items I found on TikTok were related to my technology. My portable charging station. Gabbi Shaw/Insider I'm a diehard Apple user, with an iPhone, AirPods, and an Apple Watch. Traveling with all of that can be a hassle it can be annoying to carry three separate chargers for the different products. At home, I have a charging station that fits my watch, phone, and headphones, and I was excited to discover that I could purchase a foldable one from Amazon after seeing it briefly in this TikTok by @teresalauracaruso. When I saw so many packers using this portable, foldable charging station for $33.99, it was an immediate buy. This will be coming with me everywhere. My chargers folded up. Gabbi Shaw/Insider I really appreciated the foldable aspect. This could slip into any bag or even a coat pocket. No more dealing with tangled cords and clunky power cubes. Something else I like about wireless charging is that it forces me to put away my phone at night to charge it. Like others, I've been known to scroll on my phone for hours at bedtime, which has been shown to disrupt sleep. Now, I'm forced to put it away and actually go to bed. The other product that was a lifesaver? A $34.99 Anker portable charger that attached to the back of my phone via a magnet. My portable charger. Gabbi Shaw/Insider Portable chargers used to be these little bricks that you'd have to carry around with your phone and a little cord in order to use. But since Apple introduced MagSafe, a special type of wireless charging, in October 2020, there have been innovations in the world of portable charging. I already use a MagSafe wallet/PopSocket combo on my phone, so I'm used to holding some extra weight on my device. And since my iPhone is running at 85% battery capacity, I knew I'd need a portable charger if I was going to be out all day on my travels. When I saw TikTok user @angelicasong raving about this charger, I knew I had to try it. The one she recommended cost a little more money and had a feature where you could also use it as a phone stand, which I didn't really need, so I opted for the cheaper version that was solely a charger. This charger seamlessly attached to my device, brought my phone from 20% to 100% over the course of an hour or two, and still had enough juice so my friends could use it too. I spent $635 on the recommendations from TikTok, and overall, I was impressed. I'll definitely be using the app for similar things in the future. My CalPak. Gabbi Shaw/Insider The items I would recommend to anyone would be the portable charger, the Weekender, the makeup-brush holder, and the charging pad. My cosmetics case and suitcase were also great, but they were definitely splurges. While I can see their benefits, the Touchland hand sanitizer and the AirTag, on the other hand, just weren't for me. Read the original article on Insider After a fallow few years in the cinematic space and an uptick in attention to its various TV series, Star Wars is finally getting back into the movie business. At last months Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told a rapt crowd that a trio of new features are currently in the works. Those films include new joints from James Mangold (who recently worked with the Lucasfilm crew on this years Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, out this summer), long-time Star Wars TV guru Dave Filoni, and Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoys previously announced feature, which we now know will center on the return of Daisy Ridleys Rey. More from IndieWire But just when can fans expect to see these films? As Kennedy told Empire during an interview at this years London event, not until 2025 at the earliest. Its much better to tell the truth: that were going to make these movies when theyre ready to be made and release them when theyre ready to be released, she told the outlet. Yet Kennedy and company are already thinking about how the films will be released when the time comes, which will likely include a break between films and a bent toward eventizing them for movie-goers. Ive often brought up [James] Bond, she told the outlet. Thats every three or four years and there wasnt this pressure to feel like you had to have a movie every year. I feel that was very important to Star Wars. We have to eventize this. Taking a break between films certainly sounds like a good idea, especially after the whiz-bang four-year adventure that was the release pattern for the recent sequel trilogy, but it seems as good a time as any to remind Kennedy that if theres one thing Star Wars films are able to do, its be an event, even if that magic has been lacking with recent entries. Story continues Kennedy also offered up a few new details on what is likely to be the first film out of the gate, Obaid-Chinoys feature, which picks up 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. What were exploring is the evolution of the Jedi, Kennedy said. Were going very far back, were looking at the present. [] The First Order has fallen, the Jedi are in chaos theres even a question of how many exist anymore and Reys building the New Jedi Order, based on the text that she was given and that Luke imparted on her. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Fruit unfit for human consumption and evidence of roaches and rodents helped a Miami Walmart Supercenter grocery fail state inspection on Wednesday. Unlike Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspections of restaurants, Florida Department of Agriculture inspections that get the lowest result of Re-Inspection Required doesnt shut down the supermarket, convenience store, food distributor, food processor, retail bakery or wholesale bakery. But, an inspector can hit equipment or areas with Stop Use Orders that can make operations inconvenient or impossible. Inspector Simeon Carrero didnt have to whip out any Stop Use Orders at 3200 NW 79th St. Wednesday. But, he did find a number of problems. READ MORE: Walmart involved again as tahini recalled (again) on salmonella concerns The handwashing sink in the meat departments backroom area didnt have paper towels, leaving employee hands dripping after washing. Two of the slicers in the deli department had been in use for over four hours without being washed. Another one that wasnt in use still had old debris. Also in the deli area, an employee wore gloves but touched a door, hair nets, equipment, then proceeded to work with open foods with the same gloves. In the produce areas cold holding unit, there were strawberries with mold and several spoiled mangoes in a display Whatever was wrong with the mangoes didnt bother the flies because Inspector Carrerro saw several small flies above mangoes display. READ MORE: National discount chain recalls 7 kinds of Advil In the backroom area, the inspector saw several coolers and freezers with soil, debris and ice build up. The backroom food storage area had soil, debris, several old mouse excreta and dead roaches. (CNN) Multiple people were shot, some fatally, at a mall near Dallas by a gunman who authorities believe was acting alone and who is now dead and at least nine victims were transported to trauma facilities, officials said Saturday. A Dallas-area medical group says it is treating victims as young as 5 years old. Authorities in Allen, Texas, responded to the shooting at an outlet mall in the afternoon, with ATF personnel on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. There was a search for a second gunman, according to a source, but police now say they believe the shooter acted alone. Police said an Allen officer killed the shooter. Video from above the scene showed hundreds of shoppers exiting the area, many holding their hands up. The aerial footage appeared to show at least three bodies covered by sheets outside the mall. Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said nine victims were transported to area medical facilities, but he didn't specify the number of injured or dead because authorities don't have an accurate count. At a press conference Saturday evening, police said they would provide another update later in the evening in which they may provide the total number of casualties. LIVE UPDATES ON THE SHOOTING Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey described how the shooter was killed. "One of our officers was on an unrelated call at the outlet mall," said Harvey. "He heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect, and neutralized the suspect." Witnesses told CNN that they saw the gunman who was dressed all in black, and was wearing tactical gear. Police believe they have identified the vehicle of the deceased suspect, which is being examined by the bomb squad as a precaution, the source says. Disturbing images from the scene were a reminder of the horrifying impact of mass shootings in America, often at places where people go to enjoy themselves. The attack marked one of at least 199 mass shootings this year in the US with four or more people shot, excluding a gunman, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Gov. Greg Abbott called the attack an "unspeakable tragedy," saying in a statement that "our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas." The City of Allen tweeted: "Our hearts are with the individuals and families impacted by this tragic event." Jaynal Pervez told CNN affiliate KTVT that he arrived at the mall after his daughter, who was inside, called to inform him about a shooting. "We saw the police outside the door, and they told us we had to go, and that they are still looking for the person," Pervez said. "There's no more safe places. I don't know what to do." Police in Allen asked residents to avoid the area. Tony Wright, a resident whose home backs up to the Allen Premium Outlets, said his family thought they heard construction before they realized it was gunshots. Wright said he was driving away from his house at the time and didn't hear the gunshots himself, but his family called him moments later, "freaking out," and saying they heard gunfire. Initially, however, it wasn't clear. "Everyone thought it was hammering," he said of the noise of gunfire that sounded like construction. But he said once they saw people fleeing the outlet mall, the family locked the doors and hunkered down. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Police confirm deaths in Texas mall shooting; at least nine victims transported to hospitals." Tamika Manning of Colorado held a Say His Name sign above her chest in the Saturday afternoon heat and faced Kansas City, Kansas, police headquarters, which employed the officer under investigation for the shooting that killed her 25-year-old cousin. She stood on the median of Seventh Street and Minnesota Avenue for almost three hours as part of a rally demanding more transparency from local authorities. Her nephew, Amareeya Henderson, died April 26 during a traffic stop turned shooting near the 12th Street bridge. The officer involved was placed on administrative leave shortly after per police protocol, according to Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman for the department. Manning and her two daughters, who traveled Monday from Colorado to support family, want to know the officers names and see the police footage. Ive already seen Amareeya... I want everybody to see what was done to him, she said while staring down the departments building. Over a dozen people joined her for the protest, organized by Justice for Wyandotte, a local advocacy group, positioned around the corners of the crowded intersection. Im just shocked that theres not more people here, Manning said. I think were just desensitized, this happens so often. For the families Co-founder of the Justice for Wyandotte organization Nikki Richardson explained that while the event initially aimed to advocate for accountability in Hendersons case, they also hope to highlight similar ongoing cases around the metro. She noted some of the events participants arrived carrying signs adorned with the names of other Black men in the metro killed during police shootings such as Tyrea Pryor, killed in Kansas City in 2022, Malcolm Johnson, killed in Kansas City in 2021 or John Albers, killed in Overland Park in 2018 This is for the families, she said. There needs to be reform in the open records request act in reference to officer involved shootings, even though families are submitting requests [for footage], they are getting denied. Story continues The lack of information leaves families traumatized and limits the type of changes communities can advocate for, according to Richardson. Early intervention in police misconduct and better access to data in police shootings should be the start, she said. Protesters gathered outside KCKPD headquarters at the intersection of 7th and Minnesota Avenue Saturday afternoon to ask for greater transparency in the investigation of police shootings around the metro area. The event was held by the advocacy group Justice for Wyandotte. Pictured from left to right: Ashley Beck, Mitch Shiller, Ryan Minor, Sebastian Scott and Lindsey Carroll. Organizer Sundiata Moon with Decarcerate KC, a group aiming to end mass incarceration in the metro, believes the calls for more transparency are due to community members growing wary of how police funding is used. Im optimistic... I just think we need a better world for our kids, he said as his 6 year old raced around the curb. Other protesters agreed. Kathy Steen, who learned of Hendersons death over TikTok last night, said she came out to express her support, despite feeling nervous to leave her home. I dont come outside. I used to walk, but I dont walk around my neighborhood anymore. I live in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood, she said. I dont want to be accused of stealing from someone or doing something Im not supposed to do because Im walking in my neighborhood. Steen, who is in her 60s, said this was the first protest she had ever attended. We lost a major part of our family Tamika Manning and her two daughters eyed drivers as they raced by, barely turning their heads to notice the familys posters, each with Amareeya Hendersons name written in bold. It just seems like so little for so much of what we lost... We lost a major part of our family, she said, discouraged by the lack of a public outcry. Her 29-year-old daughter, Deshauna Hayes-Hand, said her mind replays the fateful phone call where she learned of Hendersons death. Hayes-Hand and her family moved away from the metro in search of a safer environment when she was young. Her cousin, Henderson, kept in touch with the rest of the family. Since the age of nine, Hayes-Hand considered him a protector: always mediating any family arguments or fights between friends. He was careful about following rules and a cautious driver, she said. As you can see from this situation, we still cant survive here, she said. In a statement released during the event, the family said they are outraged that Amareeyas life was taken through unjustified violence... If there is nothing to hide, release the footage to the public! But after speaking with a representative from John Albers family, Manning appeared dejected. She told The Star that hearing about their years-long struggle to attain police footage made her doubt whether anyone would get more information about her nephews death. The family has submitted an open records request and has yet to hear back. The Kansas City Police Department is investigating the shooting as an outside agency from the Missouri side of the state line. As youve probably heard, Taylor Swfits three shows at Gillette the weekend of May 19 have been a hot ticket. The Swifties have even sold out the train. But if youre still on the outside looking in, dont worry. Theres still a way to prevent yourself from having a cruel summer. From May 9-12 those that visit any of four Capital One Cafes in Boston can enter a raffle to win tickets to the three throws. To enter, patrons must visit the Capital One Cafe at Havard Square, Assembly Row, Ink Block or in the Seaport and scan a QR code inside the building. Two winners will be selected at random for each location. The Harvard Square Cafe is located at 24 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138 and is open: Monday-Saturday: 7am 7pm Sunday: 8am 5pm The Assembly Row Cafe is located at 425 Revolution Drive, Somerville, MA, 02145 and is open: Monday-Friday: 6:30am 7pm Saturday: 8am 7pm Sunday: 9am 5pm The Ink Block Cafe is located at 310 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, 02118 and is open: Monday-Friday: 7am 6pm Saturday-Sunday: 8am 5pm The Seaport Cafe is located at 57 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210 and is open: Monday-Friday: 7am 6pm Saturday-Sunday: 8am 4pm 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 A Sudanese flag placed above the muzzle of a machine gun covered with an ammunition belt of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries before a rally for supporters of Sudan's ruling military council in Abraq village - 22 June 2019 With the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, transformed from tranquil city to war zone, Saudi Arabia and the US have called the warring parties to Jeddah to seek agreement on a ceasefire. But as Sudan expert Alex de Waal says, it will just be a short-term, emergency step. Short presentational grey line There is a dilemma for mediators: whatever decision they take on the format and agenda for emergency talks will determine the path of peace-making in Sudan through to its conclusion. To silence the guns, the American and Saudi diplomats will deal only with the rival generals who have each sent a three-person negotiating team to Jeddah. The agenda is a humanitarian ceasefire, a monitoring mechanism and corridors for aid. Neither side wants to open negotiations towards a political agreement. The civilian parties and neighbourhood resistance committees, whose non-violent protests brought down the authoritarian regime of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir four years ago, will be onlookers. It will not be easy to get the two generals to agree to any kind of ceasefire. The army chief, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, will insist that he represents the legitimate government. He will label Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as "Hemedti", as a rebel. But Hemedti, his de facto deputy until the clashes, will demand equal status for the two sides. He will want a freeze-in-place, leaving his paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters in control of much of Khartoum. Gen Burhan will require a return to the positions in the days before the clashes began. Getting a compromise means hard bargaining with the generals. The mediators need to gain their confidence and assure them that, if they make concessions now, that will not leave them exposed and vulnerable. The downside is that the two warring parties will then demand the dominant role in political talks and an agenda that suits their interests. One thing on which Burhan and Hemedti - and the Arab neighbours - agree is that they do not want a democratic government, which had been on the cards before the fighting began. The two military men had run the country since the 2019 which ousted Bashir, refusing to hand power to civilians. Story continues The real losers are the civilians who helped oust Bashir in 2019 and want elections and a democratic government Another point of agreement will be amnesty for war crimes. Negotiations dominated by the generals are likely to end in a peace agreement in which they share the spoils, setting back the prospects for democracy for many more years. But if the fighting is not stopped soon, Sudan faces state collapse. Abdalla Hamdok - prime minister of the joint military-civilian government ousted by the generals in 2021 - has said the country's new war threatened to be worse than Syria or Yemen. He might have added, worse than Darfur. Frontline reinforcements There is a grim predictability about how Sudan's civil wars unfold. In the opening days, the military commanders - army generals and rebel leaders - are driven by an angry resolve to land a knockout blow on the other side. Combat is fierce as each side focuses its attacks, and it is easy to identify who is on which side - and who is staying neutral. The RSF has its roots in Darfur where some fighters are alleged to have been involved in what the International Criminal Court considers a genocide We saw this when the Sudanese civil war broke out in 1983, again in Darfur 20 years later, and in the conflicts in Abyei, Heglig and the Nuba Mountains close to the north-south border at the time when South Sudan separated in 2011. The first clashes in South Sudan's own civil war in 2013 also looked like this. On 15 April, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF, each side vowed to destroy the other. They concentrated their firepower on each other's strategic positions in the capital, regardless of the massive destruction inflicted on the city and its residents. Past wars show that if the fighting is not quickly halted, it escalates. Each side brings reinforcements to the frontline, bids to win over local armed groups that are not yet involved, and solicits help from friendly foreign backers. We are in that phase now. The regular conflict script tells us the adversaries will not be able to sustain their cohesion for long. They will run low on weapons, logistics and money, and cut deals to get more. The fissures within each fighting coalition will begin to show. Other armed groups will join the fray. Local communities will arm themselves for self-defence. Outsiders will become entangled. All of this is already happening. It is most advanced in Darfur, Hemedti's homeland, which is in flames again. Up to now, we have not seen civilians being systematically targeted because of their ethnic identity. But that is a major risk, and as soon as fighters on one side commit mass atrocities, the antagonism will escalate. The next stage would be conflict spreading across the country, igniting local disputes as it goes. Armed groups will fragment and coalesce, fighting for control over the lucrative locations such as roads, airports, gold mines and aid distribution centres. In Darfur, after the fierce battles and massacres of 2003-04, the region collapsed into anarchy. The head of the joint African Union-United Nations mission called it "a war of all against all". This was the lawless political marketplace in which Hemedti thrived, using cash and violence to build a power base. There is an all-too-real scenario in which the whole of Sudan comes to resemble Darfur. 'Abandoned in moment of need' The US and Saudi mediators are high-level and even-handed. Unlike other Arab neighbours - Egypt backs Burhan and the United Arab Emirates has ties to Hemedti - Riyadh does not have a favourite. The US is threatening sanctions. That is unlikely to deter the generals - Sudan has been under American sanctions since 1989, and military-owned businesses thrived nonetheless. The one thing Gen Burhan (R) and Hemedti (L) are likely to agree about is that neither wants a civilian government Effective pressure needs international consensus. Everyone - including China and Russia - agrees that the fighting is a disaster. Protocol at the UN puts the responsibility on its African members to raise the issue at the Security Council. Up to now, they have not acted on this. The African Union convened its Peace and Security Council the day after the fighting to demand a ceasefire but has not been part of the US-Saudi mediation effort. In the meantime, every passing day risks the war becoming intractable. Silencing the guns today is a hard-enough task. It would be far harder if there were dozens of fissile armed groups claiming a seat at the table. What is unprecedented about today's armed conflict is that the battleground is in Khartoum. It is generating a humanitarian crisis quite different to the rural displacement and hunger that the country's aid workers have dealt with over the decades. Civilians trapped in urban neighbourhoods may benefit from old-style food convoys, but they also need utilities - electricity, water, and telecoms. And they desperately need cash. With the central bank burned and local commercial bank branches closed, some people rely on mobile phone banking services. Others are penniless. With the UN and most foreign aid workers evacuated, local resistance committees have stepped into the vacuum, organising essential aid and safe passage for civilians to escape. Civilians have become trapped in urban neighbourhoods with truces failing to hold Many Sudanese feel that the international community abandoned them in their moment of need, and ask that such local, civilian efforts become the lynchpin of an aid effort. There is a danger that hunger will become a weapon of war, and aid will be a resource manipulated by warlords. Aid agencies will need to find ways to bypass them and directly help civilians. There are no simple solutions to Sudan's escalating war. The situation may yet get much worse before it gets better. And it is likely that whatever decisions are taken in the ceasefire talks - who is represented, on what terms, and with what agenda - will shape the country's future for years to come. Short presentational grey line Alex de Waal is the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the US. Ala Danedn was loved for his smile and tireless work as a volunteer A 27-year-old electrical engineering student has died trying to fix the power at a hospital affected by the fighting in Sudan's Darfur region. Muhammedin Fadul Idris Wadi, known to his friends as Ala Danedn, was electrocuted at Sayed al-Shahada Health Centre in Fasher city on Thursday. He was part of a group volunteers trying to keep the clinic going amid fierce clashes and looting. "He was known for his smile, even in the time of the war," his friend said. "He gave his life as a servant of the people of Fasher," Ahmed Ishaq, who studied with him at the University of Fasher, told the BBC. Ala Danedn was admired for his tireless work and selfless community initiatives, he said. A tag line accompanying his profile photo on Facebook reads: "Don't wait for the opportunity, create it." Since the conflict broke out in Sudan between rival military factions on 15 April, his group of volunteers, called the Youth of the al-Thawra Initiative, have been focused on assisting medics in Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. All medical facilities in Fasher, except South Hospital - a repurposed maternity clinic - had to close because of their proximity to the fighting, or the inability of staff to reach them. "I saw him working with all effort to clean and receive the wounded in South Hospital throughout the first week," said Mr Ishaq. "He kept us buoyant psychologically in difficult times with his kind words - and he worked like a bee." The volunteers then turned their attention to the Sayed al-Shahada Health Centre, which had been damaged and looted and subsequently abandoned by staff. They felt it was important to try and reopen it given its proximity to vulnerable neighbourhoods in the south of the city including Abu Shanbat and Zam Zam camps, which are home to communities who fled their villages in the ethnic violence that ravaged Darfur 20 years ago. Story continues His group raised money to organise for the facility to be refurbished and buy food, medicine and other medical supplies. "He was good at networking with pharmacies and medical supplies companies," Mr Ishaq said of his friend's dedication to see the health centre reopen. The health centre managed to open again last week thanks to the volunteers The clinic started operating again last Monday with the help of 25 volunteer medics and 80 community volunteers, but was still facing difficulties. With many places cut off from electricity - or having an erratic supply - Ala Danedn had been attending to an electric problem at the health centre on Thursday evening. His friend said he collapsed after receiving a strong shock and was transferred to South Hospital. But after 48 hours volunteers there were unable to save him and the undergraduate died on Saturday night. "We had promised one another that after the war ended that we would meet once again in the city centre, replacing the sounds of bullets with melody, music and joy - sessions he loved," Mr Ishaq said. "But Ala Danedn is gone and we owe it to him to keep our covenant as volunteers to make life better for our people." The fighting that erupted three weeks ago is devastating the country - hundreds of civilians have died and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes. The army and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are continuing to fight for control of key areas of the capital, Khartoum, despite attempts to get the two sides to talk. Around seven million people are trapped in their homes in Khartoum, unable to get basic supplies including food. Envoys from the army and RSF have started talks about a short-term ceasefire in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, according to Saudi officials. However, several previous ceasefires agreements have failed to halt the fighting. The war in Sudan has killed hundreds, wounded thousands with bombardment hitting numerous medical facilities and forcing them to close When a maternity hospital in the Sudanese capital came under bombardment, Esraa Hesbalrasoul snatched her premature twins from an incubator and rushed out in a panic. In the chaos, only one of the infants survived. Hesbalrasoul now tends to her baby in a small hospital in the capital's twin city of Omdurman that for weeks has struggled to weather the near-ceaseless fighting. Numerous medical facilities have been shelled in the fighting that broke out on April 15 between rival generals and the forces they command. The battles have left only 16 percent of hospitals in Khartoum fully functional, according to the United Nations, putting countless lives at risk. But the small Al-Nada hospital in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman remains a lifesaver, keeping its doors open to offer vital health care despite the mounting odds. When strikes shook the ground on April 20 around the facility initially caring for the twins, "we were told we had to evacuate everyone right away", Hesbalrasoul told AFP. "There were no ambulances available so we had to transport our babies as best we could," she said. "But one of them died because of the lack of oxygen." Her tragedy is hardly an isolated one. The UN estimates that there are "219,000 pregnant women in Khartoum, including 24,000 women expected to give birth in the coming weeks". Al-Nada is one of the rare facilities they can turn to. Its director, Mohammed Fattah al-Rahman, in particular credits a generous donation from the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA-USA), which has allowed it to keep running. With this money, "we have been able to deliver 500 births, naturally and through caesarian sections, and to admit 80 children", he told AFP, surrounded by premature babies in incubators. But the war is never far from the dimly-lit facility. Sounds of gunfire and blasts can often be heard echoing in the distance. There is no air conditioning, only overhead fans that attempt to relieve the heat which often reaches up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) even before the blazing peak of summer. Story continues As the war rages, killing hundreds and injuring thousands so far, much of Sudan's meagre medical resources have been diverted to tending the war-wounded with urgent care. "There have been no obstetrics or paediatric services since the beginning of the conflict," Rahman says. That meant that Sudanese couple Fatima and her husband Jaber could find no facilities to treat their young son for meningitis, until they arrived at Al-Nada, which offers paediatric care as well as maternity facilities. - Fear of 'collapse' - Even before the war broke out, mothers and children faced grave dangers in Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries. Almost three out of every thousand women die in childbirth in Sudan, eight times higher than the figure in neighbouring Egypt, according to the UN children's fund, UNICEF. It says 56 out of every 1,000 Sudanese children die before reaching the age of five. Last year, the UN estimated that one in three Sudanese needed to walk more than an hour to get medical care. Today, the small team that keeps the Al-Nada hospital going fears conditions will soon force them to stop their essential work. "Our stocks of medicines are starting to dwindle," said Alaa Ahmed, a pharmacist at the hospital. "If it goes on like this, everything will collapse." The prospect of getting more supplies from the government warehouse on the other side of the Nile River is not only unlikely -- it is closed and unaccessible -- but possibly deadly while combat rages. As a result, Ahmed laments, "a lot of people ask me for medicine but unfortunately I can't give it to them". bur/it/hkb With one hand holding a Venezuelan flag, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano planted a kiss upon the Kentucky Derby trophy. Over his shoulder, one of Mage's connections shouted, "Sweet 16!" Eighteen years after finishing seventh in his Run for the Roses debut with Bellamy Road, Castellano rode Mage to victory in Derby 149 on Saturday at Churchill Downs, ending one of the longest droughts for a rider in race history. The 45-year-old from Maracaibo, Venezuela, who ranks second among North American jockeys in career earnings, was one of just four to make 15 or more Derby mounts without a trip to the Winners Circle. That streak fittingly came to an end with a colt who is trained by a man from Castellano's hometown, Gustavo Delgado, who also picked up his first Derby win in three tries. To make the victory even sweeter for the jockey, he and Mage left Post 8 with 15-1 odds. Mage wins: How he pulled ahead to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Watch it again: Relive Mage's win in the 149th Run for the Roses Mage jockey Javier Castellano celebrated with his team in the winners circle after he won Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on May 6, 2023. "Its unbelievable," Castellano said. Before he and Mage covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57, besting second-place finisher Two Phil's by a length, Castellano sat in Churchill's jockey room watching NBC's broadcast of the Derby. His name appeared on the television, and attached to it was, "0 for 15." Winning jockey Javier Castellano, center, clinches his fist in celebration aboard Mage as jockey Jareth Loveberry looks on from second-place Two Phil's, right, after the 149th Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. At left is third-place Angel of Empire ridden by Falvien Prat. May, 6, 2023. "It gave me so much inspiration," Castellano said. "I (thought), 'This is the year. I'm gonna win the race.'" To do so, he and the son of Good Magic had to conjure a rally from the back of the pack, going six wide off the final turn to surge past Two Phil's and jockey Jareth Loveberry down the stretch. Before Saturday's race, Castellano's lone finish on the board in the Run for the Roses came in 2018 aboard Florida Derby winner Audible. He took his time when he missed the break out of the gate. He didn't panic when, on the backstretch, he felt pressure from Tapit Trice. And in the end, he picked up his 131st Grade 1 win and third Triple Crown victory. Story continues "It's like when an artist is telling you exactly what (they're) doing with a painting," said Gustavo Delgado Jr., the trainers son and assistant. "What a masterpiece." After winning the 149th Kentucky Derby, jockey Javier Castellano celebrates aboard Mage as they are lead to the Winner's Circle by outrider Greg Blasi Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. May, 6, 2023. More on Mage's win: Mage, trainer Gustavo Delgado provide reason to celebrate during unexpected Kentucky Derby Payouts and odds: How much did you win thanks to Mage's victory? This masterpiece almost didn't happen, because Castellano was expected to ride trainer Ben Colebrooks Raise Cain before teaming up with his fellow countryman just 11 days before the race, when Luis Saez opted to ride Tapit Trice for Todd Pletcher and left Delgado without a jockey for Mage. Delgado Jr. told Daily Racing Form in late April it came down to Castellano and Mike Smith because the team wanted an experienced rider to counteract Mage's inexperience in the 3-year-old's fourth career start. With Castellano sharing their hometown and having jockeyed the chestnut colt to a fourth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park 7 1/2 lengths behind scratched Derby favorite Forte he was given the nod. "He is also almost like family," Delgado Jr. told Daily Racing Form. "His father (Abel Castellano Sr.) rode for my father, and we all come from the same town in Venezuela. We are all very close friends. Now, they are more than that. They are Derby champions. Finally. Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023 winning jockey: Who rode Mage at Churchill Downs Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian president, with Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad - Iranian Presidency / Avalon Syria was readmitted to the Arab League on Sunday in a major coup for Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad made possible by thawing relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Syrian government had been mostly isolated on the world stage for more than a decade due to its lethal and bloody crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011 which led to a war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced half of the countrys population. The United Arab Emirates has been in favour of bringing Syria back into the regional fold for years, but faced opposition from many Arab states. Saudi Arabia recently joined the lobbying efforts after it agreed to normalise diplomatic relations with arch-foe Iran, which is one of the main backers of the Assad regime. "Syria's regional isolation is officially broken," analyst Fabrice Balanche said, calling Sunday's decision a "diplomatic victory" for Assad. "The earthquake is the best opportunity to get closer without losing face," he said, adding that "Saudi Arabia's concern for Syria is part of the context of reconciliation with Iran." Sundays decision dealt a heavy blow to Syrians in exile who fear that if Arab states decide to normalise diplomatic ties with Syria that refugees worldwide could be sent back to a brutal regime where they are seen as opponents. 'Whitewashing of atrocities' The Syria Campaign, a rights group, slammed the decision to readmit Syria as a whitewashing of 12 years of atrocities and a devastating setback for justice. Nothing has changed since Syria was forced out of the Arab League over its brutal crackdown against peaceful protesters in 2011. The only thing that has shifted is the moral compass of Arab member states. Over the years the brutality and scale of violations committed by the regime have risen sharply, said Laila Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign. The decision, effective immediately, will allow Bashar al Assad to travel to Saudi Arabia for the next meeting of the Arab League on May 19. Story continues In a statement, the foreign ministers who met in Cairo to make the decision on Sunday emphasised their "keenness to launch a leading Arab role in efforts to resolve" the Syria crisis and its "humanitarian, security and political consequences". For many members the need to stop the spread of Captagon, a methamphetamine that has flooded the region and whose production is tied closely to the Syrian government, is a major reason for needing to reintegrate the regime. While it plagues the whole region, Saudi Arabia has become the biggest market for the drug while Iraq and Jordan struggle to stop it pouring over their borders. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Turkiye has rejected a proposal by Washington that an S-400 anti-missile defence system which Turkiye bought from Russia be sent to Ukraine. Source: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, quoted by the Turkish news agency Anadolu Details: Cavusoglu said the US had argued that the S-400 system purchased from Russia should exclude Turkiye from the F-35 fighter jet program, and suggested that Turkiye hand control of the system over to the US or another country, such as Ukraine, as it tries to fight off Russian forces. Cavusoglu said these proposals were unacceptable because they were intended to encroach on Turkish sovereignty. Quote: "The US asked us to send the S-400s to Ukraine, and we said no." More details: According to Anadolu, in 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defence system from the US proved futile, Turkiye signed a contract with Russia to acquire the state-of-art S-400 system. US officials expressed opposition to its deployment, arguing that S-400s would be incompatible with NATO systems. But Turkiye stated that the S-400s would not be integrated into NATO systems and would pose no threat to the Alliance or its armaments. Asked about returning to the F-35 programme, Cavusoglu said Ankara does not want to return to the programme but rather wants Washington to pay back the money that Turkiye paid for fighter jets before it was removed from the programme, while its jets were never delivered. Ankara is now "producing its own national combat aircraft", he explained, adding that Turkiye also wants to improve ties with the US and that the necessary mechanisms have been established to that end. But Turkiye also wants to buy F-16 jets and upgrade kits from the US, he added, mentioning that the request is not progressing in Washington as fast as he believes it should. Ankara requested F-16s and upgrade kits from the US in October 2021. The US$6 billion deal was to include 40 jets and upgrade kits for 79 warplanes that the Turkish Air Force already has in its inventory. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A hole dug for fun in the side of a sand dune at Cape Hatteras National Seashore became a death trap when it collapsed atop a teenager, according to the National Park Service. The 17-year-old male was visiting the North Carolina park from Chesapeake, Virginia, officials said in a news release. He is believed to have smothered Saturday, April 6, after becoming trapped under several feet of sand on a beach near Frisco. At approximately 2 p.m., seashore law enforcement rangers responded to a 911 call regarding a teenager trapped in a hole, the park reported. Prior to arriving on scene, family and friends went looking for the teenager and found him buried under several feet of sand, apparently caused by portions of the adjacent dune collapsing into the hole. Rangers worked with family members to extract the teen while simultaneously performing CPR. The teen died at the scene, officials said. His identity has not been released. Investigators say the hole had been dug in a back-dune area behind the primary dune and not visible from the beachfront. Details of who dug the hole were not released, but it is common for tourists to dig in the sand at the national park, resulting in frequent warnings from the National Park Service. The holes can fill with water at high tide, trapping children and animals, experts say. Emergency vehicles can also become stuck in the holes at night. We urge visitors not to dig deep holes on the beach due to the danger they present to beachgoers and emergency response staff, Park Superintendent David Hallac said in the release. 25-mile-long wave of trash washing up on Outer Banks is linked to US Navy, park says Visitor took ancient artifact from Outer Banks beach and park rangers tracked it down Live 6-foot shark washes ashore on Outer Banks beach as visitors watch, video shows Texas Gov. Greg Abbott emphasized the importance of addressing increasing anger and violence in the wake of a mass shooting Saturday in Allen, Texas, that left at least eight dead and seven injured. What Texas is doing in a big-time way, we are working to address that anger and violence but going to its root cause, which is addressing the mental health problems behind it, Abbott said during an interview on Fox News Sunday. The Republican governor also called for increasing penalties for stricter laws to get guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and to increase penalties for criminals who possess guns. But notably absent from Abbotts call for legislation that would prevent gun violence in his state were demands for stricter gun control laws. The shooting Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets was the second recent mass shooting in the state, after a gunman shot and killed five people at a house in Cleveland, Texas, on April 28. People want a quick solution. The long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue, Abbott said, noting that there have been mass shootings in states with varying levels of gun control. Critics of the idea of treating gun violence largely as a public health issue have noted that the nation doesn't have enough mental health professionals, mental health facilities or funding for either mass screening or treatment. Abbott said his state had added "almost $25 billion to address mental health" in recent years and will look to add more for Texas' rural communities and for schoolchildren. Meanwhile Sunday, Democratic State Sen. Roland Gutierrez slammed Abbott and other state leaders for their response to the shooting, particularly for the time it is taking for information about the shooting to be made public. Official information on the Allen shooting was still scarce Sunday morning. We are in a situation in this state where were as if youre living in communist Russia. The governor, the lieutenant governor, and people like them and their law enforcement agencies refuse to tell us the truth as to whats going on here, Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, Texas, the site of a school shooting last year, said on CNNs State of the Union. Its just a sad state of affairs that were living in. This is not the Texas miracle that Greg Abbott likes to call it, he added. (CNN) Amid mounting pressures to charge the man who restrained Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway train car this week, the man's attorneys contend he didn't foresee the "awful tragedy," which has sparked protests and further accentuated the city's struggles with homelessness and mental illness. Daniel Penny, 24, has been identified by his attorneys as the US Marine veteran who held down Neely on Monday afternoon while they were aboard the train in downtown Manhattan. Neely, a street artist known for his Michael Jackson impersonations, had begun shouting at passengers that he was hungry, thirsty, and had little to live for before Penny forced him to the floor in a chokehold until he stopped breathing. "We would first like to express, on behalf of Daniel Penny, our condolences to those close to Mr. Neely," the law firm of Raiser and Kenniff, P.C. said in a statement Friday. "When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived." "Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death," the statement said. "We hope that out of this awful tragedy will come a new commitment by our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways." Neely's killing, which happened as he was experiencing homelessness, comes as the nation's largest city continues to grapple with the fundamental issues of a growing population of unhoused people and a mental health crisis despite government efforts to alleviate the challenges. Attorneys representing Neely's family said the 30-year-old had mental health issues since he was 14 when his mother was murdered in 2007. Moses Harper, Neely's friend, told CNN he was traumatized when his mother's brutal killing was followed by her body being found in a suitcase. Neely's death has been ruled a homicide by New York City's medical examiner, but the ruling does not determine whether there was intent or culpability, which is a matter for the criminal justice system to consider. Charges have not been filed in the case, which is under investigation by the Manhattan district attorney. A witness told CNN although Neely was acting erratically, he did not harm anyone nor did they see him armed with a weapon. "Passengers are not supposed to die on the floor of our subways," Neely family attorney Lennon Edwards said. Over the weekend, prosecutors are expected to continue reviewing evidence and witness statements, a law enforcement source told CNN. Four passengers who were in the train car have been interviewed by police, and authorities are still seeking to speak with several others. The case is being investigated by senior prosecutors who plan to review the medical examiner's report, obtain additional medical records and examine video footage, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said. Thomas Kenniff, one of the attorneys representing Penny, ran as a Republican candidate against now-Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in 2021. Neely's killing prompted protests Friday from some who called for Penny to be arrested and charged. Demonstrators gathered outside Bragg's office, chanting "Indict Daniel Penny" and "Why is the killer free." Some held signs that read, "Jordan Neely deserved better from New York." Civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton also called for Penny to be charged in relation to the incident. Speaking at the National Action Network's Saturday Action Rally in New York, he said the veteran "needs to be prosecuted." Sharpton added that he had spoken with the Manhattan DA's office about the fatal chokehold. "This man needs to be prosecuted cause what you will do if you do not prosecute him, in my judgment, is you will set a standard of vigilantism that we cannot tolerate," Sharpton said. "The precedent alone is a threat to all of us." Prior to his killing, Neely had a lengthy arrest record with New York police, a law enforcement source told CNN's John Miller, including 42 arrests on charges including petty larceny, jumping subway turnstiles, theft, and three unprovoked assaults on women in the subway between 2019 and 2021. But Sharpton said that "none of that was known to the man choking him." "This man did not have his bio on his back," he said. "This man had a mental issue and the way you handle that is not to put him in a chokehold and squeeze the life out of him. A mental issue on a train is not to be sentenced with death." It is not clear whether Neely and Penny had had prior interactions. Chokehold lasted several minutes, witness says Juan Alberto Vazquez was on the train when the deadly chokehold began and recorded the situation as it unfolded. As soon as Neely got on the train, he started yelling about being "fed up and hungry" and "tired of having nothing," Vazquez told CNN. Before he was killed, Neely said, "I don't care if I die. I don't care if I go to jail. I don't have any food ... I'm done," according to Vazquez. As the yelling continued, many passengers became visibly uncomfortable and moved to other parts of the train car. Neely did not appear to be armed or looking to attack anyone, Vazquez told CNN. Then a rider later identified as Penny came behind Neely and put him in a chokehold, with the two eventually falling to the floor, Vazquez said. Neely did not interact with that passenger at all prior to the attack, Vazquez continued. In the video recorded by Vazquez, Neely and Penny are seen on the floor of a subway car with Penny's arm wrapped around Neely's neck. The two men were on the floor for about seven minutes, Vazquez said, adding he started recording about three or four minutes after the chokehold began. Two other passengers approached Neely and the man holding him down. One appeared to be mediating the situation while the other seemed to help Penny restrain Neely, according to Vazquez. After a while, Vazquez noticed Neely stopped moving and talking, he said. After police arrived, Neely was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. CNN has not been able to independently confirm what happened leading up to the incident or how long Neely was restrained. This story was first published on CNN.com, "The man who held Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold never intended to harm him, his attorneys say" Texas lawmakers offered their support following a shooting Saturday afternoon at the Allen Premium Outlets. Nine people, including the gunman, were killed and seven victims remained hospitalized, officials said Saturday night. The victims included children. Medical City Healthcare system said it was treating eight patients between the ages of 5 and 61. Two patients died at hospitals. Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy, Abbott said in a statement Saturday. I have been in contact with Mayor (Ken) Fulk and DPS Director (Steven) McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resourc U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on Twitter that he and his wife Heidi were praying for the families of the victims. We pray also for the broader Collin County community thats in shock from this tragedy, Cruz wrote. My team is in contact with local officials, and I have offered whatever support is needed to do justice and help those in need. Thank you to the incredible law enforcement who put a stop to the monster who committed this act of evil. Heidi and I are praying for the families of the victims of the horrific mall shooting in Allen, Texas. We pray also for the broader Collin County community thats in shock from this tragedy. Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 7, 2023 U.S. Sen. John Cornyn wrote he was grateful for the Allen police officers and Collin County first responders. I am grieving with the Allen community tonight, and I send my gratitude to the brave @Allen_Police officers, Collin County first responders, and all of those involved in responding to this afternoons horrific incident. Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) May 7, 2023 Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick offered prayers: Please join Jan and me in mourning the victims of the unspeakable tragedy in Allen. Please also join us in prayer for the victims families and friends along with the residents of Allen, he wrote in a statement. We are grateful for our brave first responders who were deployed to stop the shooter and investigate this hideous crime. We are thankful for their bravery and courage. Eight Dead After Shooting At Outlet Mall In Texas Flowers and a stuffed animal are left at the scene the day after a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, on May 7. 2023. Credit - Stewart F. HouseGetty Images Saturdays mass shooting at an outdoor mall in Allen, Texas, that left 8 victims dead, and 7 more people injured, is the 199th mass shooting of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The Gun Violence Archive, an independent research and data collection organization, defines a mass shooting as an event where at least four people were shot or injured, outside of the gunman. More than 14,500 people have also died from gun violence this year alone. On Sunday, Biden called for more action after revealing that the Texas gunman used an AR-15 style assault weapon to carry out the shooting. The gunman, who has been identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was later killed by authorities. Eight Americans, including children, were killed in Allen, Texas yesterday the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation, Bide wrote in a tweet Sunday. Jill and I are praying for their families and those critically injured. Were grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously. Saturdays mass shooting was the second in Texas in just two weeks. A little over a week ago, on April 28, another Texas gunman shot and killed 5 people in a home next to his after his neighbors asked him to stop firing his rifle in the yard because their baby was sleeping. Numerous mass shootings have cost the lives of some 273 people in 2023 alone, with another 781 people injured. On January 21, a gunman in Monterey Park, Calif. killed eleven people at a Lunar New Year event. The 72-year-old shooter, who used a semi-automatic Cobray pistol later died when authorities closed in on the white cargo van that was identified as a vehicle of interest. On April 10, a 25-year-old shooter killed five of his colleagues and injured another eight at the Old National Bank building where he used to work. The shooter used an AR-15 style rifle to fire at his colleagues in the conference room after a meeting. Police killed the suspect in a shootout. Story continues On March 27, a gunman, who was later killed by police, shot and killed six peopleincluding three children who were all nine years oldat the Convent School in Nashville, a school the shooter used to attend. The suspect used an AR-style rifle during the massacre. Studies show the shootings are impacting the mental health of young Americans, who reportedly feel greater anxiety and stress. Its also changing the way people live, with a third of adults saying that they stray away from certain events and places as a result of their fear. Since 2020, there have been at least 600 mass shootings every year across America. President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass gun control legislation and said he would sign it immediately, as the nation reels after another mass shooting on Saturday. At least nine people dead, including the suspect, and seven others were wounded during the mass shooting at a shopping center in Allen, Texas. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar, Biden said in a statement Sunday. Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe, Biden said. Stay in the conversation on politics Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter President Joe Biden announces sweeping executive orders about gun control from Monterey Park, California where 11 people were shot to death in January. Biden: GOP lawmakers 'shrug' at mass shootings The attack at an outlet mall in Texas on Saturday afternoon was the latest in a string of mass shootings across the country. Texas was also the site of a mass shooting last weekend when a gunman killed five people in Cleveland, Texas. Gun control advocates celebrated last June after Biden signed a bipartisan gun control bill in the wake of a shooting at an elementary school that left 21 people 19 students and two teachers dead in Uvalde, Texas. But as the country continues to experience a slew of mass shootings, Biden has pleaded with Congress to do more, including banning assault weapons. After a mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee that left three children and three adults dead in March, Biden said he has exhausted all of his executive authority. Congressional Democrats have followed Bidens lead and have also called for stronger gun control laws, but there appears to be little appetite among congressional Republicans for any additional laws. Most Republicans in Congress have pinned the issue on mental health instead. After the Nashville school shooting, House Speaker McCarthy told reporters he did not think one piece of legislation could deal with mass shootings and said weve got to deal with mental illness. Story continues Biden in his statement specifically went after GOP lawmakers, blaming them for inaction on mass shootings. Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough. Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023 in Allen, Texas. According to reports, a shooter opened fire at the outlet mall, injuring nine people who were taken to local hospitals. The police have confirmed there were fatalities but have not specified how many. The unidentified shooter was neutralized by an Allen Police officer responding to an unrelated call. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas mall shooting: Biden pushes for assault weapons ban, gun control A gunman clad in black body armour and armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle opened fire at a Texas mall on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring seven others. The suspect was identified by law enforcement sources as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, NBC News reported. Authorities say the gunman was neutralised by an Allen Police Department officer who was responding to an unrelated call. Dashcam video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman getting out of a grey sedan just outside the entrance of the Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling centre on the outskirts of Dallas, and immediately begin shooting at passersby in the carpark. An Allen Police Department officer attending an unrelated call heard the gunfire, and neutralised the suspect, police said. What we know about the suspect On Sunday, several media outlets reported that the gunman had been identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. Police have not yet confirmed the gunmans identity or released a possible motive. According to CBS News reporter JD Miles, Garcia was a security guard with no serious criminal record. He had been living in a motel at the time the shooting, Mr Miles said. The gunman arrived at the mall just after 3.30pm local time. Video showed him exiting a grey sedan vehicle, dressed in black tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style weapon before opening fire. Law enforcement have reportedly raided the suspects home. People gather across the street from a shopping center after a shooting Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Hundreds of shoppers could be seen trying to flee the scene on aerial footage after the gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style gun around 3.30pm local time. Bodies of the victims, including several young children, were covered by sheets. Seven people including the suspect were killed at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said at a press conference on Saturday. Nine people were transported to hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries. Three survivors were undergoing surgery and remained in a critical condition on Saturday night, Mr Boyd said. Four others were in a stable condition. The injured included children as young as five, a Dallas area hospital told CNN. After a mass shooting at a Texas mall shooting left eight people dead and seven others wounded on Saturday, people who witnessed the massacre and its aftermath described the "unfathomable" scene. Steven Spainhouer rushed to Allen Premium Outlets a shopping center in Allen, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, where the shooting happened when his son called just after 3:30 p.m. local time and said he had heard gunfire. The gunman was identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Sunday. Investigators are looking into whether the gunman was motivated by domestic violent extremist ideals, according to a law enforcement source, who told CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton that the perpetrator was heavily armed and appeared to be on a mission. The source said the gunman used an assault-style weapon, had multiple rounds of ammunition on his person and was wearing armored ballistic gear. "When I heard those shots, and then when the multiple shots happened, my heart just immediately just dropped," said Spainhouer's son, who works in the H&M store at Allen Premium Outlets. The shooter opened fire in the parking lot outside, authorities said. In an emotional interview with CBS News Texas, Spainhouer recalled performing CPR and administering aid to those suffering from injuries in the lot. He arrived at the scene before authorities, who did not get there for about 10 minutes, according to CBS News Texas. "I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people," Spainhouer said, noting that at least three victims could not be saved even after he applied CPR. "The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes," he recalled. "So I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side, and she had no face." Story continues Spainhouer also helped a child who survived the shooting and was hiding beneath his mother's body. The mother had died. "When I rolled the mother over, he came out. I asked him if he was OK and he said, 'My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt,'" he said. "So, rather than traumatize him anymore, I pulled him around the corner sat him down." The boy was "covered from head to toe" in blood, Spainhouer told CBS News Texas, "like somebody poured blood on him." Spainhouer said, "no one can see what they saw today and not be affected by it." "It's just unfathomable to see the carnage," he continued. "It's tough when you see a family that's out shopping, having fun, get wiped off the face of the earth because somebody with a gun has some other type of issue." Investigators were combing through the suspect's social media and online accounts looking for clues to see whether he may have had links to domestic violent extremists and like-minded individuals. Investigators are also looking at possible affiliations he may have had with prison gangs and cartel members. At a news conference Saturday night, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd told reporters that six victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the afternoon shooting, and another nine were transported by paramedics to nearby hospitals. Two of the wounded people later died from their injuries, Boyd said. At the time, three of the hospitalized victims were in "critical surgery" and four others were in stable condition, according to the fire chief. Their names were not immediately released. Among those pronounced dead on scene was the gunman, who was shot and killed by an officer, officials confirmed. He can be seen on a viral dashcam video pulling into the lot outside of Allen Premium Outlets in a silver sedan, getting out of the car and, without closing driver's side door, opening fire on a group of people standing on a sidewalk. Dozens of additional shots can be heard as the suspect then moves closer to the shoppers. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said that an officer who was responding to an unrelated call nearby heard the gunfire, responded to the scene and "neutralized" the suspect. Authorities believe that the shooter acted alone, according to the police chief. President Joe Biden on Sunday issued a statement calling the shooting "too shocking to be so familiar" and again called on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban. "Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables," Mr. Biden said. "Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough. Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe." News helicopters captured aerial footage that showed hundreds of people leaving the outlet mall at around 5 p.m. on Saturday. Shoppers who had been inside at the time of the massacre recalled hiding in various locations, as the mall ordered all patrons to shelter in place, in comments to the Dallas Morning News. "It was a scary moment," said Sheila Faulks, who hid with her husband, Dale Faulks, in a storage room at the Crocs store. "It puts you in a different frame of mind. It was an uneasy moment." Brishon Brisby, a 27-year-old from North Dallas who went to the shopping center with her family to return a pair of shoes, told the Dallas Morning News that they were near the Tory Burch store when she heard gunfire in the distance and people yelling "shots fired." Brisby said she heard a second round of gunshots and remembered people running, screaming and crying. Police chased her out of the parking lot, according to the Dallas Morning News. Brisby told the newspaper that she is afraid. "If it can happen today, it can happen tomorrow," she said. Hazmat incidents on U.S. roads on the rise What's driving the markets, and how money impacts Americans' mental health How the end of COVID-19 emergency order impacts health policy Mass killings have been a regular feature in Texas life for the past 16 years, except for three years: 2010, 2012 and 2014, according to a database of mass killings in the U.S. since 2006. The study shows 2,087 people were killed in 551 mass killings in the past 16 years. In Texas, 228 people were murdered in that time, and 215 of the victims were killed in shootings. That is 7.9% of all victims of mass killings in the United States. This constituted deaths by a lone gunman that killed at least four in Texas. Only three other incidents with four or more victims were recorded in this time frame: stabbings that killed four each in Laredo and Port Lavaca and an incident that killed five in San Antonio by asphyxiation. As the nations foremost law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation defined for years a mass shooting as any incident in which at least four people are murdered with a gun, according to the Department of Justice. In 2013, this definition was revised by Congress to mean 3 or more killings in one incident. August of 2019 was the deadliest month in Texas when it comes to mass killings with 30 people killed and another 47 injured in shootings only 25 days apart. A single shooter armed with an assault-style rifle stopped at a Walmart in El Paso Texas Aug. 3, 2019, because he was hungry after a 10-hour drive from Dallas. Police believe he went into the store, ate and cased it without his weapon before later going back into the store and opening fire. Gov. Gregg Abbott said after the shooting that it was one of the most deadly days in the history of Texas. Patrick Wood Crusius, 24, pled guilty in U.S. District Court earlier this year to a 90-count indictment, including 45 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and 45 counts of using a firearm while committing a crime. Add to that the seven killed and another 22 injured in a killing spree just hours after a 36-year-old man, Seth Ator, was fired from his job at a trucking company, the months record is deadly indeed. Story continues Shootings in Texas with a lone assailant that killed more than four people Data was collected by USA Today in partnership with The Associated Press and Northeastern University. A Texas man who said he was one of the first to respond to Saturdays mass shooting at a Dallas-area outlet mall has recalled trying to save some of the victims, including a child he found beneath his dead mother. I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people, Steven Spainhouer told CBS News. Spainhouer said he raced to the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen a little after 3:30 p.m. after receiving a call from his son who was working inside the malls H&M retail store and heard gunfire. Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, on Saturday that left nine people dead, including the gunman. Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, on Saturday that left nine people dead, including the gunman. The gunman fatally shot eight people and wounded seven others, three of them critically, before being killed by an officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said. The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face, Spainhouer said. He continued on and said he found another child beneath his dead mothers body. A girl runs as other shoppers leave with their hands up after police responded to Saturday's mass shooting north of Dallas. A girl runs as other shoppers leave with their hands up after police responded to Saturday's mass shooting north of Dallas. When I rolled the mother over, he came out. I asked him if he was OK and he said, My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt, he said. So rather than traumatize him, I pulled him around the corner, sat him down and he was covered from head to toe ... like somebody poured blood on him. Spainhouer identified himself as a gun lover and former police and Army officer in a separate interview Sunday with MSNBCs Jonathan Capehart, but he said that even he believes there should be more gun restrictions, including a ban on automatic rifles. It wasnt mental health that killed these people, it was an automatic rifle with bullets, he said. Prayers and condolences wont bring these people back. We need some action in our legislatures at the federal and state level for better gun control. And Im saying that as somebody who loves guns. Story continues "It wasn't mental health that killed these people, it was an automatic rifle with bullets." Witness of the Allen, TX shooting Steven Spainhouer tells @CapehartJ#SundayShowpic.twitter.com/qJDcdM8OA2 The Saturday/Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart (@weekendcapehart) May 7, 2023 President Joe Biden said the gunman, who was not immediately identified, wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. Biden again called on Congress to pass a bill containing stricter gun control measures, including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He also urged universal background checks, an end to immunity for gun manufacturers and a requirement for safe gun storage. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe, he said. A mother and daughter embrace on Sunday where flowers were left at the scene of a shooting the day before at Allen Premium Outlets. A mother and daughter embrace on Sunday where flowers were left at the scene of a shooting the day before at Allen Premium Outlets. Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who has called for more guns in his state, blamed Saturdays shooting on mental health issues. What Texas is doing in a big-time way, we are working to address that anger and violence but going to its root cause, which is addressing the mental health problems behind it, he said in an interview with Fox News Sunday. Texas last year ranked 33 in the country for having a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care for adults, according to the mental health advocacy organization Mental Health America. Overall, it came in dead last for access to mental health care for adults and youth. Related... (Bloomberg) -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ochas conservative political party warned voters against throwing the country into a black hole of conflict by supporting opposition groups that are proposing sweeping societal changes, as a power struggle intensifies ahead of next weeks general election. Most Read from Bloomberg A video by the United Thai Nation party on Sunday asked voters if they really wanted Thailand to not be the same, taking a swipe at campaigns for change by leading opposition parties Move Forward and Pheu Thai. Move Forwards campaign slogan in this election promised Thailand wont be the same. The opposition groups are seeking to end nearly a decade of Prayuths military-backed rule after he came to power in a 2014 coup, and are projected in surveys to win a majority. More than two million Thais had registered for early voting, which took place Sunday. Thailand Begins Early Voting Ahead of General Election The decision of the people on May 14 will decide whether Thailand will move forward with stability and unity as it has done in the past eight years, or will be dragged backward into a black hole of conflict and mutiny, United Thai Nation said in a video caption. Those who think differently will uproot the culture, traditions, and good values of society. Thailand wont be the same anymore. Different scenarios in the video portrayed progressive changes as unwelcome and intimidating to Thai society. In one scene, an old lady learned from her grandson that Thailand was being invaded because there were no soldiers after military conscription had been canceled. Both Pheu Thai and Move Forward are proposing to end mandatory military conscription if voted to power. Story continues Opposition parties have dominated pre-election surveys. Pita Limjaroenrat of Move Forward Party, which is particularly popular among the liberal-minded youths, has climbed in recent weeks to emerge as voters most preferred prime minister choice in many polls. Pheu Thai, linked to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is projected in surveys to win the most seats in the election for the 500-member House of Representatives. Thaksins daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is challenging Prayuth as one of Pheu Thais three prime ministerial candidates, has said the party will not form a coalition government with military-backed groups. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Many Thais lined up on Sunday in long queues to vote early in parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14. More than 2 million Thais had registered for early voting out of 52 million eligible voters who are aged 18 and above, according to the country's election commission. "I wish to see change and improvement in management," said 51-year-old Gosol Pungtaku, one of the 800,000 Bangkok residents who registered for one-day-only early voting in the capital. Another voter, 34-year-old Siriporn Namphet, said she voted for change. "Its like having seen what the previous government has done and now hoping for a new administration to take over and govern more effectively," she told Reuters. The election could upset the status quo after more than eight years of a conservative pro-military government led by former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha. Prayuth, 69, who first seized power in a 2014 coup and remained prime minister after the 2019 election that critics said was rigged to favour the junta leader, a charge the government denied, is trailing far behind opposition parties in recent opinion polls. Opposition Pheu Thai Party, a populist group that won five general elections before 2019 and was ousted by Prayuth in the coup, is leading in most polls followed by the progressive Move Forward Party. The election is for the 500-seat House of Representatives. (Reporting by Napat Wesshasartar and Artorn Pookasook, writing by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Canton City School District Too many Canton City Schools students are being promoted to the next grade level even though they are missing too much school and arent meeting academic expectations. Superintendent Jeff Talbert has introduced a change to the districts student retention policy that he hopes will stop the trend. Under the proposed policy, students who are chronically absent and failing at least two core classes will be required to enter an alternative learning program or must repeat the same grade level. We have a lot of students not performing to our standards, Talbert said. And we need to draw a line in the sand. He said the recommended change is prompted by two startling numbers: 48.9% of Canton City Schools enrollment more than 3,800 students were considered chronically absent last school year because they missed 10% or more of the school year, and 40% of students in grades 4-12 have more than one failing grade on their report card this year. Ten percent of the school year is roughly 17 days. More about chronic absenteeism: 30% of Ohio students chronically absent from school in 2021-22 school year School board members are expected to discuss and vote on the revised policy during their regular monthly meeting that begins at 6 p.m. Monday in the Commons of the Timken Career Campus. The meeting also can be viewed live at http://boelive.ccstv11.com/. If approved, the policy would take effect in the 2024-2025 school year, which gives administrators time to design the alternative programs that can handle a higher number of students while still helping them get back on track academically. What does Canton City Schools' existing retention policy say? The districts existing retention policy states that if a student is truant for 10% or more of the school year and has failed at least two courses, the student must be retained unless the principal and the teachers of the failed subjects determine the student is academically prepared to be promoted. Story continues Talbert, who returned to the district as superintendent in 2020, said a review of school practices found the retention policy hasnt been followed, possibly because too many students would have been held back. Under the proposed new policy and the accompanying administrative rules, students academic progress will be reviewed during at least these three key junctions: When they finish sixth grade and are choosing where they want to attend for middle school, at the end of eighth grade when they choosing where they want to attend for high school and at the end of their sophomore year. If youre not coming to school and youre not progressing, we cant just push you along, Talbert said. Those days are over. Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert is recommending a revised student retention policy that would require students who are chronically absent and failing at least two core classes to either be placed in an alternative educational program or repeat the same grade. Talbert said students and their parents will be notified well in advance if the student is in danger of being retained or placed in an alternative program. He also said students will be given ample opportunities, through after-school programs and summer school classes, to get on track academically. He said there will be an appeal process and exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances, where a student missed several days of school due to an injury, for example. He said those discussions would be handled during the placement discussions. We are no longer asking our students to perform at minimum standards, Talbert said. Our standards are college and career-ready standards. Talbert emphasized that the policy affects only those students who are missing too much school and failing academically. The students who attend classes regularly yet still struggle academically will continue to be given the additional support they need to progress, he said. If we dont require students to come to school, then all the curriculum weve adopted, all the other things we have in place will be for nothing, Talbert said. When asked about the studies that show retaining students can harm them emotionally and socially, Talbert said not giving students the foundational skills they need to succeed will be far more hurtful. I guarantee there is more social and emotional damage done to a kid sitting in the 10th grade that cant read, Talbert said. Or the kid sitting in the 10th grade that doesnt know his math and is sitting in an algebra II or geometry class. Thats more of a problem than me telling you that you missed too much school and you missed the foundational skills you need to be successful, so Im going to put you in another program that will help you do that. Talbert said administrators are assessing the districts current alternative options and how to modify or create new programs to meet student needs. Students in good academic standing but who want or need to learn in an environment that is different from a traditional school setting also will be able to choose to attend the alternative program, Talbert said. What do school board members say? School board members, who reviewed the revised policy last month, have indicated support for the change. Member Eric Resnick said the new policy has the potential to be a game changer for the district and community as it raises expectations for students. This is consequential policy change, and I believe it is the right direction," he said. Member Kim Brown said administrators need to make sure families are aware of the change so they can be fully prepared in 2024 when the consequences begin. I think its about time that we really push our students and our families, she said. Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @kweirREP This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton City Schools considering new student retention policy (CNN) Almost 25,000 people who live in the Canadian province of Alberta have been evacuated as wildfires rage across the region, which is seeing abnormally hot weather and high winds, emergency officials said Saturday. There are at least 103 wildfires burning across the western province, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said at a news briefing. "Much of Alberta has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires," Smith said. "These conditions mean it is very easy for a wildfire to both start and spread quickly." The result is the "unprecedented situation our province is facing today," she said. The fires have burned 121,909 hectares roughly more than 301,000 acres and since Friday, at least 45 new wildfires have started and 14 local states of emergency issued, according to Smith. "I want to assure everyone that our province has the right tools, the right technology and the resources in place to tackle this challenge" she said. Some residents in the community of Fox Lake, where the fires are severe, had to be evacuated by helicopters, according to Christie Tucker, Alberta Wildfire's information unit manager. On Friday morning, dozens of firefighters in Fox Lake were battling the blazes, which burned nearly 11,000 acres, officials said. In Drayton Valley, firefighters, helicopters and air tankers battled an out-of-control fire that torched over 3,700 acres, according to Tucker. Authorities in the municipality of Yellowhead County and the town of Edson have also ordered an immediate evacuation due to wildfires burning in Alberta, Edson officials tweeted. The town of Edson has a population of just under 9,000 residents, according to the community's website. On Friday night, Alberta officials expanded the mandatory evacuation order in Lac Ste. Anne County, which is about 50 miles northwest of Edmonton. Officials told residents evacuations could last up to three days. Portions of Big Lakes County home to about 5,600 residents were also ordered to evacuate, including residents east of the West Prairie River and Highway 749 and south of Township Road 724. It's unclear how many people are affected by the evacuations. Officials asked Banana Belt residents to prepare "their properties by removing log piles, deadfall, and plowing around properties if possible." "There is the potential for danger to life and health," Big Lakes County officials said in a post. "Temperatures have been 10 to 15 degrees above normal for a little while now," Tucker said. "We still don't have green grass and leaves all over the province, which means that the ground is very dry." The northern province has been experiencing extremely warm conditions and high winds, Tucker said, and residents are not allowed to have open woodfires on public or private lands while the fires are burning. There have been 348 wildfires in Alberta since January, burning more than 61,776 acres, Tucker said. "That's significantly more wildfire activity this time of year than we've certainly seen any time in the recent past," Tucker said. Evacuations ordered in British Columbia In northeastern British Columbia, the Peace River Regional District expanded its evacuation order for the Boundary Lake wildfire early Saturday. The BC Wildfire Service "continues to respond to the Boundary Lake wildfire located at the BC/Alberta border, east of #FortStJohn," the agency tweeted, adding that the wildfire was estimated to cover 4,695 acres. "The area is being impacted by heavy smoke and visibility is poor. Aviation resources are currently being challenged by the poor visibility. Drivers are advised to avoid Highway 64 due to the poor visibility," the BC Wildfire Service said. The initial evacuation order was "expanded as a result of aggressive fire behavior and the risk to life safety," according to Peace River officials. The order includes areas on the east to the Alberta border and on the south to the south side of Imperial Avenue, district officials said. In southeastern British Columbia, a state of local emergency and evacuation orders were issued this week by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary due to "the imminent danger of flooding to the life and property of persons resident or present." "The #BCWildfire Service is prepared to support flood response across the province this weekend," the agency tweeted Friday, adding that "20 personnel have deployed to the #CacheCreekBC area, 33 personnel are stationed in the #GrandForksBC region, and an additional 20 personnel are on standby to assist if needed." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Almost 25,000 people in Western Canada evacuated as wildfires rage across region amid hot weather and high winds" Tom Cruise set his sights on a new wingman during King Charles IIIscoronation concert on Sunday. The Top Gun actor offered the monarch some high praise while jetting by in a quick, pretaped cameo during the celebration. Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan started the video segment, describing Charles body of action man skills. At 22 years old, His Majesty got his wings as a fully trained RAF pilot, Brosnan said. Adventurer Bear Grylls added, Hes also a naval aviator and a trained commando helicopter pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. Then, Cruise soared by in a fighter plane, telling the king, Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time. Cruise has been a part-time resident of the U.K. since he started shooting the Mission Impossible films. Kate Middleton and Tom Cruise walk the red carpet at the London premiere of Kate Middleton and Tom Cruise walk the red carpet at the London premiere of "Top Gun Maverick" on May 19, 2022. Last year, Cruise invited Prince William and Kate Middleton to the London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, where he broke royal protocol by walking the Princess of Wales down the red carpet by the hand. Cruise later told reporters about his kinship with William, saying, We have a lot in common. We both love England, and were both aviators, we both love flying. 20,000 guests made their way to the grounds of Windsor Castle for Sundays concert, which featured performances by Lionel Richie,Bette Midler,Andrea Bocelli,Katy Perry,Nicole Scherzinger, Take That, Steve Winwood and more. Story continues CORRECTION: Cruise was piloting a P-51K Mustang fighter aircraft. The aircraft was incorrectly identified as a jet. Related... The following is the transcript of an interview with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Independent of Arizona, that aired on "Face the Nation" on May 7, 2023. MARGARET BRENNAN: Thanks to all of you for coming out today, and thank you to the Institute as well. I'm excited to talk here with Senator Sinema today. But I do just want to say on behalf of all my CBS colleagues, that it's so great to be at a forum that celebrates so much of what Senator McCain stood for, which is straight talk. We do that on Face the Nation every Sunday and we looked at the records, and in the 69 year history, John McCain had the top number of appearances on the broadcast 112 times. So- SENATOR KYRSTEN SINEMA: I'm gonna break one. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we are hoping this won't be your last time, Senator. So- SEN. SINEMA: I don't know that I can hit 112. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I'm so glad to get to talk to you here today. SEN. SINEMA: It's great to be here. MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to talk big picture off the bat. You know, John McCain, he often voted with his heart, but he took stands, and when he did, he came out and explained why. Often, on Face the Nation or other programs. But right now we are seeing across the country, this declining confidence in institutions, whether it's Congress, whether it's business leaders, medical leaders, journalists, how do you fix it? SEN. SINEMA: That's an important question. You know, and I think about the speech that John gave on his very last floor opportunity in the United States Senate. This is in 2018. And the last floor speech that Senator McCain gave, he talked about the concern he had with the partisanship at every cost mentality that had taken over Congress and much of our political system. And I remember, I remember in that speech, he said that folks were more interested in ensuring that the other party lost or prevented the other party from getting a win. And then they were no longer focused on the much more inspiring and more meaningful work of bringing people together, people of good faith to actually solve problems and improve lives of the people that we serve in our country. Now, not a lot of people talk about that last speech that John gave, but John gave that speech as his last floor speech on purpose. And it's because in his decades of service, as you mentioned, he was a man of strong opinions, often voted with his party but was unafraid to stand alone and break with his party when he thought he was doing something right. But he always did it with dignity and honor and respect of others. And in that last speech, in 2018, he spoke about the importance of getting rid of the uninspiring activities you see now of partisanship and restoring the inspiring activity of working together. So how do we fix this in our country? I think that it's not really that difficult. It's all of us choosing to behave with that same level of dignity, of respect for each other of honor, refusing to do that uninspiring activity of just trying to prevent the other from a win, and instead focusing on what can we do to bring our country together and demonstrate that we're serving them. And, Margaret, I- I would suggest that what I tried to do in the United States Senate right is to show that we have differences, differences, which should be celebrated. That's an important part of a democracy. But those differences shouldn't stop us from getting things done, that we actually can come together. So when we demonstrate an ability to work together, to solve problems, to make a difference in people's lives, what we're actually doing is restoring that faith in institutions and government and helping America see that actually, government can get it done, we can solve those problems, but it takes all of us doing that. So one of the challenges- it takes time, but it also takes a dedication, a willingness to not hit back when someone attacks you or says something that's untrue or unkind. It takes a willingness to rise above and not engage in the petty and the small. And it takes a willingness to be that example to those around you in your personal life, your work life and your political life, of demonstrating those values that John spoke about so eloquently in his last speech. Story continues MARGARET BRENNAN: It took us decades to get here- SEN. SINEMA: It did. MARGARET BRENNAN: that working away at faith in institutions. It's going to take time to get back. I want to zero in on something specific here. In a poll conducted for this forum, only half, 50% of young Arizonans believe the midterm elections were legitimate. Republicans more than Democrats feel that way. I mean, this is a state with a lot of high profile election deniers, not the only one, but very high profile ones. On this specific part of the democratic process. Why do you think it is so significant? I mean, 50% of young Arizonans doubt their own voting process. SEN. SINEMA: Well, we're currently living in a climate where it's okay to say things that aren't true. Which is crazy, right? Like growing up, in my household the way I was raised, and I know we all come by our own opinions of who you are honestly. But in the family that I was raised in, one thing you could never ever do was say something that was untrue ever, because once you did that, no one would trust you. And that was something I was- I was taught growing up. My family took it very seriously. But what I think we're facing in our country today is this situation where people don't know what's true and what's not true. People aren't sure what's fact and what's fiction. And part of that, frankly, is because much of the media that we consume, isn't actual news. It's opinion. MARGARET BRENNAN: It's not journalism. SEN. SINEMA: That's right. And so when people are confusing opinion or media with news or journalism, then the lines get very blurry. And when folks are getting their information from a source that they trust, but it's not a source of factual or verifiable information, then it's easy to see how someone could believe something that is not factually accurate. It's up to us, all of us, as Americans, to be willing to do the work to say I'm hearing this information, but is it indeed true? Can I find the facts? What is accurate? Because unfortunately, what's happening in our public discourse is members of both political parties are twisting stories to create their own narratives, which may or may not be true, and we see it every day. MARGARET BRENNAN: And not even to acknowledge an election result. I mean, that is still apparently an issue in the state of Arizona. SEN. SINEMA: It is. MARGARET BRENNAN: We just heard from the governor. SEN. SINEMA: It is. MARGARET BRENNAN: Why? Why is it taking such a hold here, and at such a level? We're- we're not just talking about media silos, you're talking about people who are running for public office. SEN. SINEMA: Well, one of the unfortunate things that's happening in Arizona, and we see this in other parts of the country as well, is that the two political parties have gotten more and more extreme. They've moved away from that center of working together and finding that common ground and they're, they're going towards the fringes because that's where the money is, and that's where the attention is, and that's where the likes on Twitter are, and that's where you get the clicks and the accolades. And there's an incentive to continue to say things that are not true and not accurate. And that's how you get folks running for political office, who are outside of the mainstream. Now, you're sharing this data, and it's important data. Something else to think about, though, is that Arizona is one of the states that has the highest level of Independents in the country. We are a state of folks who don't often march to the drum that is being taught to us, right. So most of us don't fit neatly in one box or another. And I think the challenge that we have right now in our political discourse, is to make it okay for folks to think on their own. Make it okay to be different than those who are around you. To make it okay to have an opinion that is different than your colleagues or your family or your friends. And instead of saying, you must agree with whatever it is that you were told by your company, or whichever may, you know, whichever political opinion that you are more closely aligned with. Instead, say actually, a diversity of thought is not only important, but it's integral to the protection of democracy. But in today's political climate, Margaret, as you see every day, there is less tolerance for difference. There was less willingness for individuals to have their own opinions to make their own decisions. And I think that's something that we have a duty to do, which is to remind everyone you should think for yourself. It's okay not to agree a hundred percent with another. It is, in fact, important to our democracy that you're not doing that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well you, with your own party affiliation challenge the two party system? SEN. SINEMA: Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you done with parties entirely? SEN. SINEMA: Absolutely. MARGARET BRENNAN: Now that you're an independent, you'll never become a Republican? SEN. SINEMA: No. I mean, I just, I'm laughing because I literally just spent time explaining how broken the two parties are. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah (CROSS TALK) SEN. SINEMA: So you don't go from one broken party to another. MARGARET BRENNAN: Point taken but you're talking about trying to function within a system that is built around those two parts. SEN. SINEMA: That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: And so you get stuck in that in order to continue to function in our democracy. SEN. SINEMA: Well, Margaret, there was certainly attention for folks to try and get me stuck there, but it hasn't worked. Right. You know, Arizonans know this, that over the last two years, in addition to being unwilling to march along the party line as I was told to do, what I did instead, was forge meaningful bipartisan relationships with folks across the political spectrum and passed incredible legislation that has changed the lives of Arizonans and will continue to do so for years to come. So what I'm- what I'm hoping is that these last two years of work, whether it be the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the marriage- the Respect for Marriage Act, Electoral Reform Count Act. I mean, the list is really long. Each of these pieces of legislation passed with broad bipartisan majorities through the United States Senate. Passed through the House, signed by the president. I hope that that demonstrates to Arizona and to America that our system works better when we put down the partisanship, when we seek to find the common ground. And when we block out that noise of the detractors on the outside, who seek to destroy the opportunity to solve those bipartisan challenges. MARGARET BRENNAN: Let's talk about one of those challenges that I know you're trying to forge some bipartisanship on and that is immigration. In 2007, Senator McCain was on Face The Nation and told my colleague Bob Schieffer about the need for immigration reform and border security. But as he put it, to look at this as a humanitarian issue, 'these are God's children' was something he said. That failed, even though he had President Bush's support at the time. Now we're in the midst of the hemisphere's worst refugee crisis, partisanship is at such a high level. Is it simply a political reality that you can't get comprehensive reform done? You have to chip away at this piecemeal? SEN. SINEMA: So, I- I- guess that I would challenge the way that you asked that question, because it sounds as if you're saying one is a better option than the other. MARGARET BRENNAN: No, it's just one is where we are. In 2007, he couldn't get that done, even when he had the president's shoulder behind him. SEN. SINEMA: So I think you're right in saying that is where we are. And folks in Arizona know that I always like to work in the space that we're in, and I wanted to seize the opportunities to solve as much of the challenges that we face as we can. Right now, I'm working on an immigration framework with Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and many folks who are here today know that we put out a bipartisan framework back in December, and we ran out of time to pass it before the holidays. You'll recall we have to do the budget. That's important, keep the government running. And so we came back in January and immediately hit the ground running. So in early January, Senator Cornyn and I and Senator Tillis brought colleagues, the largest bipartisan Senate colleague group ever, to both Texas and Arizona to see firsthand the absolute crisis that we are facing. It is a humanitarian crisis. And it is a crisis for our border communities who do not have the infrastructure to manage this kind of influx. Then a couple weeks later, Senator Cornyn and I again traveled to Mexico City to meet with President Lopez Obrador to talk about Mexico's role in this crisis. And then just several weeks ago, I brought members of both the House and the Senate down to the Arizona border again, and in just a couple of weeks, I'm bringing another group of colleagues. So what I'm doing right now with Thom, is what I think is integral to passing any piece of legislation, which is first, come up with a framework that is workable, realistic, and that makes a measurable difference in the lives of the people that you serve. Number two, teach your colleagues about the issue, so they can see firsthand the needs. You know, most of our colleagues have never been to a border. They- they've not seen what we experience every single day, and I was born and raised in southern Arizona. The failure of the United States government to secure our border and manage immigration properly has been a crisis my entire life. And I know that everyone else in this room, who's a native born Arizonan would agree with me. We have been dealing with this our entire lives. And it's time for us to solve it. So I'm not spending a lot of time worrying about whether we're doing a huge big bill or a modest bill. I want to solve the crisis that's in front of us. And I'll do it with any colleague I can, and as much as I can. And that's what we're working on right now. The good news is- is we have a really great coalition with Juan Ciscomani, new member of Congress from Arizona. On our team, we've got Henry Cuellar. We've got David Valadao, Tony Gonzales, these are all border state guys who understand this issue. MARGARET BRENNAN: But this is to talk about doing something more than what you introduced yesterday. SEN. SINEMA: Yes, that's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Which what you introduced was a temporary two year authority to expel migrants, but with an exemption for asylum claims because of the immediate Title 42 expiration that's coming up. SEN. SINEMA: That's a band-aid. That bill is saying, hey, Title 42 goes away on Thursday, and everyone here in Arizona knows we are not prepared. The Biden administration had two years to prepare for this and did not do so. And our state is going to bear the brunt and migrants will be in crisis as soon as next week. It will be a humanitarian crisis because we are not prepared. So the legislation we introduced yesterday is about tiding this over, giving us some time and space for the Biden administration to do their job. And for us legislators to actually create a plan that can get through both the House and the Senate. So Thom and I are continuing to do the larger work, build the coalition, and prepare to move a piece of legislation through both chambers. MARGARET BRENNAN: So this is- this is the first step in that sort of piecemeal approach. In the version you put out back in December, it did have a pathway to citizenship SEN. SINEMA: That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: For migrants and an extension of border security enhancements. So is that still the goal and can you get Republican votes to go along with you on those provisions? SEN. SINEMA: Yes. So the- the framework we put out in December does four things. It enhances border security. It does extend Title 42 elements for some period of time for a transition. It reforms our asylum system, which is severely broken and has been hijacked by the cartels and is being used to smuggle individuals and drugs into our country. It also adjusts the visas that are backlogged in our country so that we can have the workers we need, and it adjusts the status of Dreamers so that they can have a path to citizenship. These four elements together address some of the needs and concerns of people on both sides of the political spectrum. It's designed to bring people together and get everyone some of what they need in order to get to yes. It also solves some of the key challenges we face in our country around security, migration, and jobs. MARGARET BRENNAN: But the votes aren't there for this replacement, essentially of Title 42, the two year ability to expel migrants without guaranteed asylum hearings. SEN. SINEMA: We don't know that yet. We just introduced the bill yesterday. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Republican Senator Lankford was out criticizing it, saying it doesn't solve the problem and he has been a partner to you. (CROSSTALK) SEN. SINEMA: Oh it doesn't solve the problem. Yeah, no, but I don't think that's a criticism. He's right that it doesn't solve a problem. MARGARET BRENNAN: You think you can get this passed before next week before May 11? SEN. SINEMA: Oh, God, no, Margaret. This is the United States Senate. (laughter) MARGARET BRENNAN: That's what I was saying. SEN. SINEMA: I don't think you can get agreement on a restroom break by next Thursday. The United States Senate is functioning at a fairly dysfunctional level right now. And that's due to the partisanship that is driving both parties. As you and I both know, both parties have benefited for decades by not solving this challenge. MARGARET BRENNAN: Um-hmm. SEN. SINEMA: They use it to bash each other in elections. And what bothers me about that, Margaret, is that look, they don't live in a border state. So they don't know that the mayor of Gila Bend has to put migrants in his car and drive them to Phoenix, because they are released in a town that has no bus stop. They don't know what it's like for migrants to sleep outside, in the farms in Yuma because there is nowhere for them to go. This is a crisis for our border communities and for migrants. And so, unfortunately, the parties are thinking about this from a political perspective, rather than a human perspective. So the goal of what we're doing here and James Lankford is a dear friend of mine and a partner in this effort, (unintelligible) larger structure. We are working to try and attack the root of the challenge to fix the broken system, so we can have a regularized immigration system and a secure border. MARGARET BRENNAN: You also have the date on the calendar of 2024 looming, and getting close to a presidential election cycle always raises the level of complication. Do you really think you can get the kind of deal you're sketching out here on the cusp of an election? SEN. SINEMA: Well, you know, Margaret, this isn't going to surprise you. And when I tell you that I'm really not concerned about the election right now. I'm 100 percent concerned about the challenges (CROSSTALK) MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you just said that one of the biggest things that politicians like to manipulate, essentially for political gain. SEN. SINEMA: It's my hope that they stop doing that. (laughter) What I tried to do over the last few years, Margaret, is show, through the actions of introducing legislation, building the coalitions, and passing really historic milestones for our country, is to show colleagues on both sides of the aisle that you can still manage your politics and get things done for our country. You can actually work together and people will like it. Americans are hungry for that collaboration and coalition. So I guess I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing, Margaret, which is set an example and forge a path forward. MARGARET BRENNAN: But you don't have a date where you think this needs to get done by? SEN. SINEMA: No. MARGARET BRENNAN: You said the administration failed to create a workable plan to process migrants after May 11, Title 42. They would say they've got the troop deployment, 1,500, processing centers, a phone app, expansion of legal migration, regulation to bar migrants from asylum if they did not first seek asylum in a third country. Hopefully, the senator's mic is working now. Do you support any of what the administration has done? SEN. SINEMA: Well, these steps, which all have been announced in the past week or so, are helpful. These are very helpful. Having 1,500 troops along the U.S.-Mexico border is helpful. It is a border of over 2,000 miles though. So 1,500 troops isn't gonna get the job done. That's just the reality. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. SEN. SINEMA: We also are very concerned that all this is happening in the week or so before the rollout. Just today, I was on the phone with a sheriff of Cochise County. He has gotten no information from the Department of Homeland Security of the federal government about what the flow is going to look like, about what they can expect for processing in terms of how long it takes to process migrants. He's got no information. Neither have I about how many buses that will be available to transport migrants. Now he's gotten the information he does have from me because I call him every few days, but he's not gotten that information from the Department of Homeland Security. Margaret, what's unfortunate is that I'm asking for that information and I'm not getting it. And so either, either the administration has that information and they're choosing not to share it, which is a problem since we're the ones who are going to deal with the crisis or they don't have it and that's even more concerning, because how do you prepare for the inflow of migrants when you don't know what you're going to expect? MARGARET BRENNAN: And that hasn't been shared with the governor? SEN. SINEMA: It has not been shared with the governor. I spoke with the governor yesterday. MARGARET BRENNAN: Wow. SEN. SINEMA: It has not been shared so we do not have this information. There are three nonprofit organizations in Arizona that provide incredible, incredible assistance for our border communities. One is in Yuma. One is in Tucson. One is in Phoenix. They don't have this information. And they're the ones who are responsible for accepting the migrants after they're released from custody. So while it's wonderful that the administration is announcing things like a 1,500 troop deployment and these new processing centers, which will not be operational by next Friday, those are good things. Those are aspirational. That's not the same as operational. And so what I'm asking for and have been for two years, is for the administration to make concrete plans. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. SEN. SINEMA: Rent the buses. Hire the drivers. Build a soft-sided facility so that we can process individuals. We need more holding capacity. I mean, let's be realistic here. And that's what's not we're not prepared for that. And that's frustrating, Margaret, and the reason why it's frustrating is because I know that that means that the sheriffs in our southern border are going to be bearing the brunt of it. And our men and women, the Border Patrol will be working even longer shifts. And that the mayor of Sierra Vista who tells me about the high speed chases that occur in his town on a daily basis will get worse, not better. MARGARET BRENNAN: Have you talked to the White House directly about this? SEN. SINEMA: Yes, I have. MARGARET BRENNAN: What's the response? SEN. SINEMA: It has not been adequate. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you care to elaborate? SEN. SINEMA: I do not. (laughter) MARGARET BRENNAN: Because what you're laying out is a level of crisis concern. So SEN. SINEMA: Yes, that's correct. MARGARET BRENNAN: They were trying to call SEN. SINEMA: That's what I have been doing. I've been raising the alarm, because MARGARET BRENNAN: They return your calls? SEN. SINEMA: Oh, yes. Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: And just not share information? SEN. SINEMA: Right. That's correct. This is a problem. We've had two years to prepare for this. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think that's personal? SEN. SINEMA: No, no, not at all. I don't think it's personal. I think that there's a system in Washington, D.C. that is deeply disconnected from the real lives and experiences of border communities and the migrants who seek to come to this country. And the lack of preparation is not ever personal. In my opinion, nothing's personal in politics, right? People are doing what they gotta do. We all come by who we are through our own lived experiences. It makes sense that folks in Washington, D.C. don't really understand what it's like to be the mayor of Sierra Vista. But what I would like, Margaret, is for them to learn. MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about a quote that stood out to me that was in a recent New York Times profile of you. It quotes you as saying, 'one of the big problems in negotiations is that often some -- not exclusively men, but often men -- are so busy talking about what they need, they're not spending any time hearing what someone else needs. If you give them what they need, you can get what you want.' So on May 9, five men, including President of the United States and four congressional leaders, are going to meet to discuss the standoff over the debt ceiling. You've been listening. What does the deal look like? SEN. SINEMA: Yeah, I'm glad you've asked this question because I've been disappointed with the conversations up to date. Both parties are talking without listening to each other. They're just talking right past each other, right? So President Biden says 'I want a clean debt limit to meet the full faith and responsibility of the United States of America.' To be clear, he's correct. We must meet the full faith and credit responsibility of the United States of America. That is our duty. However, it's not correct to assume or to pretend that either party is used to or always is willing to pass a debt limit without conditions. Both parties have played this game for years. And Margaret, we haven't known each other for very long, but if you've known me in the past, you would know that every time this comes around, I say to my colleagues 'it's playing with fire, guys. We shouldn't play with the full faith and credit of the United States of America. This is our job, we should do it.' But both parties do it. And they just up the ante and up the ante and up the ante, and this has been going on for many years. And so we're in a situation where one party is saying they will not negotiate at all with the other party. I think that's a very dangerous place to be because one, it's not realistic. And two, that is not going- it's just not going to happen. So Kevin McCarthy, as we all saw, took him a long time to become Speaker. Barely squeaked by with the votes, had to make a lot of concessions to get the job and he has a very, very narrow road to walk. So he has to thread a needle where he can get the votes he needs to pass a debt limit increase and continue to be Speaker. Now, there have been sounds coming out from the Republican conference in the House for months. Patrick McHenry, who's the Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, some of you may remember him. He's the guy in the little bow tie. He was the one who was corralling the votes. He's the one who actually helped get those votes over the finish line for Kevin to become Speaker. Patrick has been talking for months about what a deal could look like. People have not been listening. They should be. And so both sides MARGARET BRENNAN: Well he talked about short term possible lifting of the debt ceiling SEN. SINEMA: That was recently. Have you paid attention to what he's said (CROSSTALK) MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. It could be a default. SEN. SINEMA: He's said some other options as well. He's mentioned a number of options. And I think folks should actually say, let's hear these options. The reality is the bill that Kevin and his colleagues passed through the House is not going to be the solution. The votes do not exist in the United States Senate to pass that. But what the President is offering is not a realistic solution either. There's not going to be just a simple clean debt limit. The votes don't exist for that. So the sooner these two guys get in the room and listen to what the other one needs, the more likely they are to solve this challenge and protect the full faith and credit of the United States of America. We're on really shaky ground right now. And it's been a long time that these two gentlemen not talking with each other before they start these conversations. MARGARET BRENNAN: And now we have June 1 as the X date, according to the Treasury Secretary. SEN. SINEMA: That's right. That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you think that gives enough time for a broad agreement? If there's been no talking to date, how do they get it done? SEN. SINEMA: They could get it done. MARGARET BRENNAN: By June 1? SEN. SINEMA: Yeah MARGARET BRENNAN: Well in advance before an actual default? SEN. SINEMA: They could get it done, but it would be a challenge. I think what it would require is both Speaker McCarthy and the president and their respective party machines to kind of drop the facade, you know, like where they're at right now. And just sit down and talk about brass tacks. What does Kevin need in order to deliver the votes? And what does the president need in order to feel comfortable with the full faith and credit of the United States of America? Get to that point, and then figure out a way to give each man what he needs. MARGARET BRENNAN: Get past the vote in the Senate that Senator Schumer is planning to have? SEN. SINEMA: I don't know. I don't know what vote he's planning to have. MARGARET BRENNAN: When you're talking about the political machine, what do you mean? SEN. SINEMA: Well, I mean, there are two political machines happening right now. There's a whole lot of House Republicans saying, 'Kevin's bill or nothing' and there are a whole lot of Senate Democrats saying, 'clean bill or nothing' and neither of those are going to get us to the finish line. And so it's time to get to the finish line. And the way to get to the finish line is to listen to what the other party needs. Figure out a way to help them get what it is that they need. MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you weighing in on this at all? SEN. SINEMA: I have conversations with my colleagues every day. MARGARET BRENNAN: That sounds like a 'yes.' Well, back in 2011, it was a senator who helped deliver, you know, coming back from the brink the last time there was the risk of default. SEN. SINEMA: That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Leader McConnell jumped in. Right now it doesn't look like he's jumping in. SEN. SINEMA: I don't think he can. MARGARET BRENNAN: Why? SEN. SINEMA: Well, I don't think that a solution that was negotiated by Senator McConnell would carry the kind of weight that is needed with House Republican members. MARGARET BRENNAN: So SEN. SINEMA: I think- I think Senator McConnell knows that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Which is why he's saying talk to the House. Well, they'll all be in the room on May 9. So we'll see what happens, but why do you think there's not the same sense of urgency on the Senate side? If this is truly a hard date on the calendar and some would debate that. SEN. SINEMA: That's right. Well, I think there's a recognition that the solution must come between Senator- between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy. And the- the lift of votes on the House side is more challenging than the lift of the votes on the Senate side. And you know, that's a different place than we've been in the past, Margaret, right? Like, the last two years, as you saw, the bills that I worked on and that wrote and authored and shepherded through, those all originated in the Senate. But that's- we had a different balance of votes at that time. So circumstances have changed. What hasn't changed is the need for folks to be willing to put down the partisan talking points and think about putting the country first, solving the country's challenge. That is much more important than winning a political point in the media. Much more important. MARGARET BRENNAN: President Biden acknowledged you as the lead co-author of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, in the earlier times you were talking about. He called you the most determined woman I know. Leader McConnell said you're the most effective first term Senator I've seen in my time in the Senate. What would you want to get done in the second term? SEN. SIMENA: Well, the first thing I'd like to do is to save the full faith and credit of the United States of America. I think we all probably share that goal right MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, that's got to be done by June 1. SEN. SINEMA: That one's a real short-term one. Immigration, you know, it's been part of my life's work. Folks who've known me for a long time in Arizona know that I started my career as a social worker. And when I started my career as a social worker, I actually worked in the immigrant refugee community. That was many years ago. So this is- this has been- it has been really important to me my entire life. As a child of a border, you know, region, this is something that my whole life has been concerned with. So that's really high priority for me. I also think it would be important for us to address the issue of permitting. And this is something that's bubbling up and starting to take shape right now in both the House and the Senate. We've got to address permitting reform, in order to get to a national security future that allows us to be independent of China, and to get to a clean energy future that allows us to operate independently of other rogue nations like Russia and Venezuela. MARGARET BRENNAN: This is something Senator Manchin wants, potentially, included in a package to- a solution to the June 1 standoff. SEN. SINEMA: That might be a little complex for three weeks from now. MARGARET BRENNAN: You think SEN. SINEMA: It could be, but you know, it's not impossible. We- to put it in context, I want to make a reference to another bill that we did last year. One of the bills I'm most proud of in my career was the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. You remember that was- the Uvalde shooting in Texas happened on a Tuesday morning and by Thursday morning Senator Cornyn, Senator Tillis, Senator Murphy and I were all sitting in my hideaway in the Capitol basement working on a piece of legislation and 28 days later we passed a bill through the United States Senate. Which as you know in Senate times, is I mean, that's- that's like an hour. So could it happen in the next couple weeks? Possibly. It's not impossible, but it's difficult. So permitting is something that's really high on my priority list this year, but- but I'll be honest with you, Margaret, the thing that's highest on my priority list and folks who know me have been seeing this for some time. It's demonstrating to Arizonans and the American public that we can restore faith in our government by working together and solving real challenges that impact the lives of the people that we serve. So there are topics of concern for me, immigration, obviously permitting, those are very important. But equally important to me is restoring faith in our institutions, in our governments, and helping Americans see that the system is worth protecting and saving. That it doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or Republican or an Independent, in fact, be whatever you want to be. That's an Arizona way, but- but be invested in this system, believe in it, help it thrive and survive. And that's what I really hope is running through the work that I've done in the Senate these last few years is demonstrating the value of our institutions, restoring that trust and faith in it and showing people that you don't have to spend your time attacking other people on Twitter. You can spend your time solving problems and doing so is actually worth the effort. That's- that's the thing that I probably care about most. Because as a patriot, I want this form of government to last long after you and I leave this stage and leave this earth. I want our kids and our grandkids to have the same confidence in these institutions that you and I were raised with. MARGARET BRENNAN: So it sounds like you want a second- another term. SEN. SINEMA: That was a good one. Very good. I like it. That was good. That's probably the best one yet. I'm not here to talk about politics today. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, everything is politics. SEN. SINEMA: I'm not here to talk about elections today. There you go. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, this is a key battleground. It will be, certainly, in 2024. Why keep people guessing? SEN. SINEMA: Well, I want to stay focused on the work that I'm doing. I think you can tell and I hope folks who are here today can tell how much it matters to me to actually make progress, solve challenges, deliver results. That is why I get up and go to work every day. I don't get up and go to work every day so that people can say, you know, is she running again or not? That's just not my concern. What I want is to deliver real meaningful results. It's what I've done for 20 years. It's what I intend to continue doing. And frankly, I think Arizonans are exhausted by this constant election focus of A versus B or red versus blue or good versus evil. And it's exhausting. I think people want a break. And- and I want to give them that break by demonstrating that the real work can happen independent of focus on election. MARGARET BRENNAN: When I asked initially what would you want to get done the second term, you did say immigration reform. SEN. SINEMA: That's right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Are we that far off from it, that we're looking past 2024? SEN. SINEMA: No, I'd like to do it before then. But as we all know, I'm an impatient person. I'd like to get that done now. This is- this is the work I want to do now. And part of the reason is, as I mentioned, this has been important my entire life. Our state has suffered for the last 40 years because of the federal government's failure to do anything about it. And we're facing the worst crisis of my life right now with immigration. So I want to do it now. I want to do it as soon as possible. Now, you asked me earlier about a timeline. And the reality is Margaret, I don't control the timeline. It's about when and how can I build a coalition that is strong and durable enough that we can pass this legislation through both chambers and get it to the president's desk? MARGARET BRENNAN: You'd need the president's buy-in on this. SEN. SINEMA: Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you consider him an ally in this? You work together, and he praised you on- on bipartisan infrastructure, but then you just said you're not really getting what you need when you ask hard questions about the border. (CROSSTALK) MARGARET BRENNAN: And you have a working relationship with the White House now as an Independent? SEN. SINEMA: Yes, yes, I do. I talked to the White House several times this week. I feel confident that if we are able to get a workable plan that has the support of 60-plus senators in the United States Senate, I feel confident that President Biden would support it. I feel confident. MARGARET BRENNAN: We're coming up on time here. And I know you have a hard deadline. But I do also want to ask what you think is going to be the deciding point. I know you- you don't- you said you don't focus on politics, but the deciding point in how people judge success right now. When we look at the polling here in Arizona, it's the economy, number one. Abortion, number two for young voters that shows up as a reason for concern. Politics are going to determine what is possible in the next election cycle here. What do you think is going to drive that? What do you think is going to be driving the conversation in Washington? SEN. SINEMA: I'm not sure what will drive the conversation in Washington. And here's the reason, Margaret. I think the conversation in Washington is often deeply disconnected from what's happening with people's real lives here in Arizona. But what I can tell you is what I think is going to drive people's decisions in Arizona. Arizonans- look, we- we all come to who we are through our own lived experiences, right? We're all a little bit different, should be celebrated. But we are who we are because of our own lives, because of our communities, our experiences, how we grew up. And in Arizona, there are a few things that we deeply value. First is freedom. We believe deeply in the freedom that is afforded to us as Americans. Two, we believe in opportunity that people should get to go and be whoever they want to be. And three, we believe in protecting the security of ourselves and our friends and our neighbors. So those are the three key values that really drive us as Arizonans. So when I think, what will Arizonans be looking for when they're thinking about who they want to support and what they believe in in the next election? They'll be looking for folks who are delivering on those key values. So what I hear from folks is this: government is difficult, the bureaucracy is slow. What Arizonans want is a government that is efficient, that is lean, that makes their life a little bit better and easier, and then gets out of the way so they can live their own life of freedom. That's what Arizonans are looking for. Now, whether or not that will be reflected in Washington D.C., I can't tell you, Margaret, because usually what happens in Washington D.C. is disconnected from what we're thinking about here in Arizona. But what I can promise you is I keep my head and my feet rooted right here in this great state. And so it doesn't matter to me what folks are talking about in Washington. What matters to me is what folks in Arizona are looking for. And what they're looking for is someone to solve the problems that government creates in their lives, and then get out of the way. MARGARET BRENNAN: Sounds like a reelection campaign, Senator, but we're not talking about politics today. We are talking today with you about so many things of importance as you will throughout the weekend here at the Forum. Thank you all for having us, CBS. Thank you, Senator for your time. SEN. SINEMA: Thank you. MARGARET BRENNAN: Appreciate it. Open: This is "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," May 7, 2023 Nature: Prairie chickens Fashion industry disruptor Aurora James Rynn Azerial Willgohs in Iceland, left, and Willgohs in North Dakota at a vigil she organized for a trans woman who was violently attacked in Minneapolis. Rynn Willgohs The nonprofit TRANSport provides support to transgender Americans who want to leave the country. The group has received more than 100 applications from potential emigres in the past few weeks. Leaving the US is "a life-saving measure for a lot of people," one of its founders told Insider. In anticipation of this story being published, Rynn Azerial Willgohs planned to warn the local police in North Dakota so they could increase protection patrols near her home. Willgohs, a 51-year-old transgender woman who's active in the LGBTQ-rights community in Fargo, has endured severe harassment, doxing, and stalking and has had to move homes. The next time she relocates, she hopes it will be to Iceland. When Willgohs visited the remote island nation in the Atlantic on the northernmost fringes of Europe for the first time last year, she was struck by the level of acceptance and the difference in social attitudes. In the next couple of years, Willgohs plans to go into self-imposed exile and leave North Dakota for a place that feels more secure and has more protections for LGBTQ people. Amid an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country, Willgohs helped found TRANSport a new organization to help "at-risk" transgender people leave the hostile environment in the US and relocate to a "more accepting world," says its website. She said the group had received more than 100 applications in the past few weeks. TRANSport aims to give financial assistance to those who want to move abroad, help get their legal documents in order, and offer general advice and support to navigate the process. "It's a life-saving measure for many people," Willgohs told Insider. 'They call us pedophiles' The team at TRANSport creates an individualized strategy for anyone seeking to leave the US, whether to Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, or elsewhere. The "Trans Rights Map" resource on the group's website illustrates which countries offer the best protections for trans and gender-nonconforming people. Story continues Eris Rhoades is a new client, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. Rhoades, who lives in Minnesota, has wanted to leave the country for some time because of America's flawed healthcare system, lax gun laws, and the country's general "desensitization" to violence, she said. As a trans woman in her mid-20s, the recent barrage of anti-trans legislation and transphobic politics across the country has made her decision to leave even more pressing, she told Insider. Politicians get away with "spreading misinformation about trans and LGBT people. They make us out to be monsters, they call us pedophiles" and "use God as their justification for doing it," she said. After hearing about the silencing of Zooey Zephyr, the first openly transgender woman elected to the Montana state legislature, Rhoades' mind is made up. She filled out TRANSport's intake form and is in the process of getting her documentation in order first and foremost, legally changing her name. She is considering going to Iceland, like Willgohs, or possibly Portugal. She hopes to make it out of the country on a student visa, but she's still at the beginning of a potentially months-long process. "I hope things don't get really, really bad in the meantime," she said. Willgohs said TRANSport plans to use various methods including student visas, digital-nomad visas, work visas, or possibly asylum claims to legally allow people to live in other countries. Willgohs hopes to procure a work visa for her move. Willgohs, left, at a rally in Fargo in June. Rynn Azerial Willgohs While living as an LGBTQ person in the US has always been fraught with danger and discrimination, community members say they've recently seen an increasing number of red flags recently. Willgohs said the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the legislative sessions in North Dakota have been particularly "abysmal" in the last few months. The state has advanced a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills this year. The Human Rights Campaign recently condemned North Dakota for targeting the existence of trans and nonbinary people "for no reason at all, other than discrimination." Fleeing the 'land of the free' Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city. Boyloso / Getty Images TRANSport is part of an increasingly visible infrastructure that helps Americans often ultra-wealthy ones who want to emigrate. Since "the tumult and instability of the Trump years," the trend of Americans trying to leave the country has been "much more prevalent," Jayesh Rathod, a law professor and the director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at American University, told Insider. In a new research paper, "Fleeing the Land of the Free," Rathod outlines how "US citizens have fled the country, filing approximately 14,000 asylum claims since 2000." Given the country's "recent flirtation with authoritarianism," there could be a "larger exodus of US citizens," he writes. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, thousands of new users joined r/AmerExit, a group on Reddit for Americans wanting to move abroad, The New Republic reported. Members of marginalized groups, such as Black and LGBTQ people and Asian Americans, have signaled in the forum they feel the US is becoming increasingly unsafe, the media outlet said. 'It just doesn't compute that there would be a US citizen who would want to leave' Trans-rights activists protest outside the House chamber at the Oklahoma state capitol before the state of the state address, on February 6, in Oklahoma City. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki While people seek to leave the country for many reasons, applying for asylum is likely out of the question for the time being. It would be tough to claim asylum elsewhere as a queer or trans US citizens, because the prevailing wisdom is that "most of the harm that queer Americans experience is from private actors, not from the government itself," Rathod told Insider, which, he added, is "very debatable." Before claiming asylum elsewhere, a trans person experiencing violence would need to prove they could not "internally relocate" and move to a blue state similar to the trend of people who need abortion access going to states that are abortion safe havens. While certain rights are "on paper" in "trans refuge" states such as Minnesota or California, having official legal protection is not necessarily enough, Willgohs said. Trans people still face disproportionate social discrimination and violence all across the country. So while claiming asylum or refugee status would be near impossible at the moment, the fact that Americans are considering it points to the level of desperation trans people are feeling. "I wish TRANSport didn't have to be a thing. I wish that we didn't live in a country where our rights are regularly debated in our government," Lillian Guetter, the president of the Fargo Pride Collective and a TRANSport collaborator, told Vice News' Anya Zoledziowski earlier this year. "But I'm glad Rynn has stepped up and made these big moves for us." Across the US, institutional transphobia is rampant as legal protections for transgender people are being eroded. Forty-five states have proposed anti-trans bills in 2023, according to Track Trans Legislation. These politics are being increasingly accepted by the public a recent Washington Post survey found clear majorities of Americans support Republican-lead anti-trans policies. Trans Americans are four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than cisgender people, according to a 2021 UCLA study. A 2022 Insider investigation found that at least 175 transgender people were killed across the US over the past five years, and only three cases were charged as hate crimes. A few weeks ago, a transgender woman who stars in a forthcoming documentary was fatally shot in Atlanta. But people trying to leave the country based on increasing LGBTQ-phobia face another obstacle, Rathold said. "The US has a long-standing narrative as a haven for LGBTQ people, and with cases like this, it upends that narrative," Rathod said. "It just doesn't compute that there would be a US citizen who would want to leave, because it means you have to recognize the real conditions the community is facing." Is leaving the answer? Organizers at TRANSport and others hoping to leave the country have faced criticism from some advocates, who say that it's essential to stay and fight for improved legal protections. And people face discriminatory, racist, transphobic, or generally hateful policies and attitudes in Europe and worldwide. Nowhere in the world is a "utopia for the LGBTQ community, that's the reality we're living in," Rathod said. "Most people who are thinking through these questions understand it's an individual choice." Rhoades said moving somewhere completely unfamiliar is "scary," but continuing to live in the US, with the way the politics are going, "is even scarier." Thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets of Manhattan to participate in the Reclaim Pride Coalition's fourth-annual Queer Liberation March on June 26. Erik McGregor/ Getty Images Willgohs said she supported anyone who wanted to "stay and fight," but being an outspoken activist in Fargo has taken a toll. "I don't have to be here. I don't have to be in a physical environment where I could be murdered or attacked on the street," she said. She said she sometimes likes to tease the hostile commenters in online threads. "You want us gone?" she says. "Donate to our cause, we'll be happy to go." Read the original article on Insider Fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson is preparing for war against his former network, a source with knowledge of the situation has claimed. Axios reported the state of TuckerWorld on Sunday with a headline indicating Tucker Carlson ready to torch Fox News. The former cable news star remains under contract at Fox News, preventing him from signing deals with other networks or streaming services for his content. He was fired from the right-wing news network last month after having been found to have disparaged Fox executives in private texts using sexist language, while using overtly racist rhetoric in others. That was far from the extent of the text messages released during the months-long Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit that eventually culminated in a $787m settlement and Carlsons ouster. In others, he admitted that he and other Fox stars were platforming allies of Donald Trump whom they knew to be lying about the 2020 election. Now, according to Axios, Carlson is preparing for a potentially very public fight with his former network but hes holding his fire until the time is right. "Now, we're going from peacetime to Defcon 1," said an ally of Mr Carlson, speaking to Axios. "His team is preparing for war. He wants his freedom." "[Allies] are coming to him and saying: 'Do you want me to hit Fox? that source added. "He's been saying: 'No. I want to get this done quiet and clean.' How much Carlson will be successful in keeping his war against the company quiet and clean remains to be seen. The former host has given little indication of his plans, other than a short video to his folllowers promising to see you soon. While at Fox, his show was routinely criticised for platforming white nationalist talking points, including the Great Replacement Theory, a racist conspiracy which argues that Democrats are trying to replace white people in America. Since his firing, the network has been the target of a seemingly unending cascade of ridicule and mockery for allowing the situation stemming from the Trump campaigns 2020 election conspiracies to get so out of hand. President Joe Biden even took the opportunity to pile on during his address to the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner, telling guests that Fox journalists were present for the opportunity of a free meal. The network itself did not issue a comment on Axios reporting, instead directing reporters to the statement issued after Carlsons firing which falsely claimed that the two sides had agreed to part ways. Carlson is supposedly considering offers from Rumble and Newsmax, among other conservative outlets, which could rival his old contract with Fox News valued as much as $20m a year in size. Amy Rose Boisvert sits outside a blind in Rhode Island in 2019, scanning the terrain for turkeys. In the foreground is a turkey decoy designed to draw male turkeys near enough to shoot. Wild turkey hunters in Ohio might be getting their groove back. Beset a year ago by the establishment of a one-bird limit brought by low turkey numbers, this seasons early returns suggest resiliency among both hunters and turkeys. Through last Sunday, the take totaled 10,351 bearded birds, 2,800 more than were checked at the same point a year ago. Counting the two-day youth season, the first week of the South Zone season and the opening weekend of the five-county Northeastern Zone season, the take increased a rollicking 37.1% from the 2022 totals of 7,551. The numbers already are within range of last years statewide season-finishing count of 11,872 turkeys. That this years take will surpass last years appears almost certain given that three weeks of the 30-day season remained in the South Zone, which includes central Ohio, and four weeks in the northeastern counties. The turkey take during spring hunts amounted to 14,546 in 2021, 17,894 in 2020, 19,088 in 2019 and 22,612 in 2018. The turkey population underwent a predictable cyclable boom in 2016 after the Brood V hatch of 17-year cicadas in much of Ohio, as the insects provide nourishment for turkeys. However, numbers tailed off during subsequent springs attributable to relatively poor hatch success. The lowering numbers finally pushed the Ohio Division of Wildlife to set a one-bird limit last year, which altered the spring season dynamic for many hunters. A year ago, the division issued 48,815 spring permits, representing a decrease of more than 12,000 from the previous year. Permit totals for 2023 through Sunday stood at 45,027. Muskingum led Ohio counties after the first nine days of hunting with 316 turkeys checked, followed by Gallia 297, Tuscarawas 287, Belmont 279 and Monroe 277. Later-starting Ashtabula, traditionally among the top turkey counties, reported 170 checked after the opening weekend. Licking led central Ohio counties with 210, followed by Fairfield with 79, Delaware 56, Union 35, Franklin 17, Pickaway 16 and Madison four. Story continues Things to do As part of the modestly labeled Biggest Week in American Birding, curious humans in drab duds will be training telescopes and field glasses through next Sunday on neotropical migrants that flash colors rivaling those of the most flamboyant performers dyed feather boas. Organized birding activities take place at famed haunts along the Lake Erie shoreline between Huron and Toledo. That said, Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus is a pretty good place to witness migrating birds. One caveat: Although people decide when to declare bird week based on past patterns, birds are driven largely by weather and not by publicity, marketing and calendar dates. In short, there are days when the boardwalk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is as alive with birds as any aviary. Other days, not so much. Find details at the Web site, biggestweekinamericanbirding.com. A nature hike is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday at Alum Creek State Park. Meet at the Howard Road Boat Ramp. An introduction to archery, including hands-on instruction, is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Alum Creek State Park. Meet at the campground amphitheater. A 4-mile Mothers Day Morning Hike is scheduled from 10 a.m.-noon next Sunday at Alum Creek State Park. Meet at the New Galena Picnic Area. Parting shots The addition of almost 500 acres bumps up the size of Woodland Trails Wildlife Area in southern Preble County to 1,684 acres. The daily limit for keeping black bass taken from Lake Erie through June 23 is one not shorter than 18 inches. The daily limit reverts as of June 24 to five not shorter than 14 inches. outdoors@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Turkey hunt numbers in Ohio continue to soar Ethics code needed The recent news about Clarence Thomas financial entanglements with GOP mega donor Harlan Crow should be alarming to every American. This is what happens when the highest court in the land is given free rein to police itself. Clarence Thomas isnt the first justice to engage in unethical behavior. And if Congress continues to ignore the need for a Supreme Court code of ethics, he wont be the last. Of the nine justices currently on the bench, four have been called out for unethical behavior and connections in the last year. Neil Gorsuch sold property to the head of a law firm with cases in front of the Supreme Court. Samuel Alito dined with anti-abortion activists and allegedly leaked decisions on reproductive health. John Roberts wife has earned millions of dollars from law firms with business before the Supreme Court. Congress has a constitutional duty to act as a check on the Supreme Court and restore faith in our judicial system. Its time they act and pass a Supreme Court code of ethics. Theresa Deery, Bluffton Lead for tolerance A coworkers close friend recently committed suicide. She happened to be gay. A persons identity as LGBTQ does not in and of itself cause an increased risk of suicide; however, bullying and other social pressures can increase this risk. It is known that states with hate crime laws have lower rates of LGBTQ suicide. On the other hand, states with uninclusive or blatantly discriminatory laws do have higher rates of suicide among LGBTQ people. The Trevor Project ranks South Carolina as low in its acceptance of LGBTQ people. At a minimum, I urge my elected officials not to follow other right-leaning states by enacting anti-LGBTQ legislation. To improve the health and well-being of the state, my legislators could speak out against the blatantly political demonization of LGBTQ people occurring in red states all over the country. South Carolina could lead as an inclusive and accepting state (unlike Florida and Texas). Story continues I urge my elected officials to do the right thing and help stem the tide of bigotry surging through the country. Lee Hugar, Columbia Keep Cola fashionable Note: Juliette Muller is the CEO and Owner of Columbia Fashion Week, a platform that showcases emerging designers and promotes local businesses. Columbia is a city with a rich history and a vibrant culture. Despite the potential for growth and development, the city has yet to establish a thriving local fashion industry. By creating a local fashion industry, we can promote business and opportunities for creatives while also showcasing the unique style and spirit of our city. Currently, many of us rely on big-box retailers or online shopping to find the latest fashion trends. This leaves local designers, boutiques, and creatives at a disadvantage as they struggle to compete with larger companies that can offer lower prices due to economies of scale. By creating a local fashion industry, we can support small businesses, promote entrepreneurship, and create new job opportunities. Creating a local fashion industry doesnt have to be difficult. We can start by supporting local designers, boutiques, and fashion events. We can encourage entrepreneurship by providing resources and funding for small businesses. We can also collaborate with local schools and universities to develop programs that foster creativity and innovation in fashion. Lets work together to bring fashion to the forefront of our citys culture and economy. Juliette Muller, Columbia Report obscenities While stopped at a traffic light recently, I noticed a pickup truck with a very derogatory statement directed toward President Biden posted across the trucks rear window. My first thought was that this truck also had numerous Marine Corps decals and surely the Marines would not find this acceptable. Next, I thought about all the young children who no doubt have seen this display. And what must our tourists think when they see such? Does the owner of the vehicle (or any other South Carolinians for that matter) realize that S.C. law, Section 56-5-3885, makes it unlawful to display obscene material on a vehicle visible to the public? South Carolina, we are better than this. If you see such obscene material on public display, report it to law enforcement. Yes, there is a fine for this crude behavior. Christopher Uhall, Beaufort Court needs ethics code The recent news about Clarence Thomas financial entanglements with GOP mega donor Harlan Crow should be alarming to every American. This is what happens when the highest court in the land is given free rein to police itself. Clarence Thomas isnt the first justice to engage in unethical behavior. And if Congress continues to ignore the need for a Supreme Court code of ethics, he wont be the last. Of the nine justices currently on the bench, four have been called out for unethical behavior and connections in the last year. Neil Gorsuch sold property to the head of a law firm with cases in front of the Supreme Court. Samuel Alito dined with anti-abortion activists and allegedly leaked decisions on reproductive health. John Roberts wife has earned millions of dollars from law firms with business before the Supreme Court. Congress has a constitutional duty to act as a check on the Supreme Court and restore faith in our judicial system. Its time they act and pass a Supreme Court code of ethics. Theresa Deery, Bluffton Set tolerant example A coworkers close friend committed suicide today. She happened to be gay. A persons identity as LGBTQ does not in and of itself cause an increased risk of suicide; however, bullying and other social pressures can increase this risk. It is known that states with hate crime laws have lower rates of LGBTQ suicide. On the other hand, states with uninclusive or blatantly discriminatory laws do have higher rates of suicide among LGBTQ people. The Trevor Project ranks South Carolina as low in its acceptance of LGBTQ people. At a minimum, I urge my elected officials not to follow other right-leaning states by enacting anti-LGBTQ legislation. To improve the health and well-being of the state, my legislators could speak out against the blatantly political demonization of LGBTQ people occurring in red states all over the country. South Carolina could lead as an inclusive and accepting state (unlike Florida and Texas). Story continues I urge my elected officials to do the right thing and help stem the tide of bigotry surging through the country. Lee Hugar, Columbia Opt-out offers solution I feel compelled to write this as a parent, grandparent, and retired teacher. My concern is the Beaufort County School Boards decision to ban several books in our schools, including some that are classics. We want children to develop the ability to make informed decisions and to encourage their curiosity about many topics. Teens typically spend time on social media and playing video games with friends, not reading. They need critical thinking skills to succeed in the future. Books can help them develop these skills. Do you want a school board, however well-intentioned, to decide what our kids can read? This is clearly the role of parents. Superintendent Frank Rodriquez of the Beaufort County School District is proposing a parental opt-out form. This rightly gives parents the option of making the decision to read all or certain books. (We know that not all books are age-appropriate.) Please take the opportunity to let your own board members know that you do not want them to make book banning decisions. Point them in the direction of the Beaufort County School Districts opt-out proposal. Marcia Budarz, Bluffton Report obscene stickers While stopped at a traffic light recently, I noticed a pickup truck with a very derogatory statement directed toward our president posted across the trucks rear window. My first thought was that this truck also had numerous Marine Corps decals and surely the Marines would not find this acceptable. Next, I thought about all the young children in the area who no doubt have seen this display. And what must our tourists think when they see such? Does the owner of the vehicle (or any other South Carolinians for that matter) realize that S.C. law, Section 56-5-3885, makes it unlawful to display obscene material on a vehicle visible to the public? South Carolina, we are better than this. If you see such obscene material on public display, report it to law enforcement. Yes, there is a fine for this crude behavior. Christopher Uhall, Beaufort A University of California, Berkeley, professor has apologized for claiming to be Native American after years of her identity being questioned. Elizabeth Hoover, an anthropology associate professor at UC Berkeley, issued an apology Monday for falsely identifying as Indigenous in a letter on her website titled, Letter of Apology and Accountability. I am a white person who has incorrectly identified as Native my whole life, based on incomplete information, Hoover wrote in the letter. In this 2020 image taken from video, Elizabeth Hoover, UC Berkeley associate professor of environmental science, policy and management, conducts an interview with Indian Country Today. Hoover said her family claimed to be Native American and she identified as a woman of Mohawk and Mikmaq descent. Hoover said she never confirmed it with these communities or researched her heritage. Hoover began teaching at UC Berkeley in the fall of 2020 where said her identity was challenged for the first time. And in 2021, Hoovers name appeared on an Alleged Pretendian List compiled by Jacqueline Keeler, a Native American writer and activist. The list included the names of more than 200 people that Keeler said were falsely claiming Native heritage. I interpreted inquiries into the validity of my Native identity as petty jealousy or people just looking to interfere in my life, Hoover said. I was wrong and should have done my due diligence in response to those who were only guarding the integrity of their community. FALSE IDENTITIES: Raquel Evita Saraswati, Rachel Dolezal and the scandal of pretending to be another race FORMER UC DAVIS STUDENT ARRESTED What to know about the three stabbings in Davis, California Elizabeth Hoovers false roots Hoover first addressed the claims about her identity in an October 2022 post to her website where she said she conducted genealogical research to verify her descent and found no records of tribal citizenship for any of my family members in the tribal databases that were accessed. Without any official documentation verifying the identity I was raised with, I do not think it is right for me to continue to claim to be a scholar of Mohawk/Mikmaq descent, even though my mother is insistent that she inherited this history for a reason, she said in the October post. Story continues According to Hoovers mother, her grandmother was a Mohawk woman who married a French-Canadian man. Hoovers mother reclaimed her Mohawk heritage as an adult and shared it with her children, she said. She took my sisters and me to ceremonies and powwows as kids to connect us to our heritage, Hoover said. My dads family said his grandma was Mikmaq, which was also something we were proud of but never quite as close to. Students demand Hoover's resignation A month after Hoover posted the letter, former students demanded her resignation , calling for her to acknowledge the harm she caused, apologize and stop identifying as Indigenous. By claiming a false identity on grant and job applications, Hoover robbed Indigenous scholars of these opportunities, the letter said. In Monday's letter, Hoover admitted she received academic fellowships, opportunities and material benefits that she may not have received if she didnt identify as Native. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UC Berkeley professor apologizes for claiming to be Native American Henry Cejudo said he tried to climb Mount Everest, and took little solace that he nearly reached the summit. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist ended a three-year retirement from the UFC with a near-miss. He dropped a split decision to bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in the main event Saturday of UFC 288 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was a fight that could have gone all the way, with all three judges scoring it 3-2 in rounds. Mike Bell had it 48-47 for Cejudo, giving the one-time flyweight and bantamweight champion Rounds 2, 3 and 5. But he was overruled by judges Derek Cleary and Eric Colon, who each scored it 48-47 for Sterling. Cleary gave Sterling Rounds 1, 4 and 5 and Colon gave him Rounds 1, 2 and 4. Yahoo Sports had it 48-47 for Sterling. It was a brilliant performance by an exceptional champion, but it was also an incredible performance by a guy who is now 36 and hadn't fought since the early days of the pandemic. "The guy is freaking smart," Sterling said of his vanquished opponent. "I don't think a lot of people could even appreciate what was going on in the middle of that Octagon. Both of us [were] making adjustments to each other's adjustments. It was a high-level, physical chess match." Cejudo praised Sterling and spoke of how awkward he was to fight. Cejudo has repeatedly referred to himself as the greatest combat sports athlete of all time, but when he was asked if he felt Sterling deserved to be regarded as the best bantamweight ever, he gave him extraordinary praise. Cejudo expects a lot of himself and, as a result, is often harsh on others. But when he mulled over the question, he gave a surprising answer. "I think he is," Cejudo said. That's open for debate, but Sterling's record, particularly recently, is not. In his past five fights, he's beaten three former champions, downing Petr Yan twice, T.J. Dillashaw and Cejudo. He also submitted Cory Sandhagen in the first round and Sandhagen is ranked, at this point, No. 3 in the bantamweight division. Story continues Sterling has been unfairly mocked and ridiculed because he was the victim of an illegal, and very ill-advised, knee thrown by Yan. He came back to beat Yan, ran through Dillashaw and then bested one of the best in UFC history. He may not be the best bantamweight in UFC history, but he's not far. His height and range were problems that Cejudo never fully solved, and Cejudo was left lamenting missed opportunities. All three judges gave Sterling the first, a round Cejudo felt he had in hand. "I let that first round slip away," Cejudo said. "He kind of stole it after I'd taken him down. I relaxed too much against the cage. I probably should have respected his cage a little more. I was trying to catch a breather in there." Aljamain Sterling plays to the crowd in Newark, New Jersey, after a split decision win Saturday over Henry Cejudo in the main event of UFC 288 at the Prudential Center. (Chris Unger/Getty Images) It was the kind of fight where the most minute errors were magnified. Cejudo isn't sure what the future holds for him. UFC president Dana White praised him for his effort after the long layoff, but said he believes in ring rust and it's hard to overcome such long layoffs. "Even Muhammad Ali," White said. "He was gone for three years and when he came back, he was never the same. I'm not saying he wasn't good. He won a lot of fights and he did some great things, but he was never the same as he was before those three years." Cejudo's wife, Karolina, is pregnant with the couple's second child. Cejudo said he never wanted to fight as a father because the life of a fighter requires one to be selfish. He did it Saturday, but he's not sure whether he has another in him. He seemed to be leaning toward it, though, when reporters pressed him about various potential fights and he talked about the UFC showing him the money. "Even these last two to three months, not being able to give my kid that attention. ... I'm a good father and I love spending time with my kid," Cejudo said. "I love playing with her. But it's just like, cutting weight, not holding her, kind of neglecting her, having a lot of my training partners play with her. That's the stuff that, I know a lot of you guys don't give a f***, but to me, time with my kid means the world to me." As Cejudo faces an uncertain future, Sterling knows exactly what's in store for him. White confirmed that he'd face No. 2-ranked Sean O'Malley on Aug. 17 in Boston. O'Malley came into the cage Saturday to confront Sterling. Things got heated between them and nearly became physical, as Sterling vowed to destroy him. Sterling hopes the win over Cejudo will finally earn him respect from the keyboard warriors who take to social media to taunt him with words they'd never dare say to his face. Sterling clearly has been tired of it all. "Put some respect on my name," he said after he went out and earned that respect. Asked about O'Malley, he started to breath fire. "My thoughts on Sean O'Malley are that that mother f***er is frail," Sterling said. "Frail. If I can take down a short, stocky guy like Henry who is actually a gold medalist and has good takedown defense, what am I going to do to Sean O'Malley? Let's be honest here, guys. Yeah, he was promised a title shot. He opted not to take the title shot and gave Henry a chance to come back and chase history. I beat Henry and now there is no more running. "You either want to swim with the big boys or you don't. If you don't, get the f*** out of the pool." UFC newcomer Ikram Aliskerov finished Phil Hawes with an amazing first-round KO Saturday in the early prelims of UFC 288. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Ikram Aliskerov won a spot on the UFC roster with an impressive performance on "Dana Whites Contender Series" on Sept. 13 when he won via Kimura submission in the first round. Nothing he did at Apex that night could have prepared anyone for the fireworks he displayed on Saturday on the preliminary card of UFC 288 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, in a middleweight bout with Phil Hawes. Aliskerov entered the bout with a 14-1 record, his only loss coming in 2019 to Khamzat Chimaev, now a highly ranked UFC fighter. When the fight with Hawes began, the two went at it immediately, exchanging hard kicks. Aliskerov caught Hawes with a high kick, but after wobbling for a second or two, Hawes seemed to shake it off and moved toward Aliskerov. Thats when Aliskerov unloaded a blistering combination, catching Hawes on the butt of the chin with a jab and a powerful right hand: Aliskerov shut the lights out on Hawes #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/SnP6qRJtZ0 ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 6, 2023 Hawes crumpled to the ground into a heap and the fight was immediately halted as Aliskerov walked away, arms raised in celebration. This is a guy from Dagestan, Russia, whose strength is his wrestling and he put together one of the best combinations youll ever see. Im not going to say too many words, but Im here and I have a lot of goals in this sport, Aliskerov said. Hopefully, with Gods help, Ill be sure to make some noise here. He not only made plenty of noise in the two minutes, 10 seconds it took for him to finish the fight, but he made a call out that raised eyebrows too. He called out decorated wrestler and heavily hyped prospect Bo Nickal. Nickal already has his second UFC fight scheduled during International Fight Week in Las Vegas on July 8, facing Tresean Gore. But after seeing what Aliskerov did in his UFC debut Saturday, a fight with Nickal would generate plenty of interest. One thing is for sure: There will be a lot more interest in Aliskerovs next fight, no matter who its against, after what he did Saturday. Tony Ferguson was arrested on Sunday morning (Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). Tony Ferguson, a longtime UFC fighter, was arrested early Sunday morning after crashing into multiple parked cars in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department via ESPN. According to TMZ, the 39-year-old was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Footage of the aftermath began to circulate on YouTube via AXN News early Sunday. In the video, a seemingly unscathed Ferguson is seen near a pickup truck that had flipped over and crashed into multiple parked cars. TMZ cited police sources, reporting that the crash occurred around 2 a.m. PT. The report alleged Ferguson refused to take part in a field sobriety test and he is reportedly facing a misdemeanor charge. A man was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition after the incident, KTLA5 reported. Ferguson has been a UFC fighter since 2011. The former lightweight interim champion (25-8) has lost his past five bouts. 'El Cucuy' is also responsible for the longest win streak in UFC lightweight history. He was most recently submitted by Nate Diaz with a guillotine choke in September. This is a developing story and will be updated. Police detained six organisers from the pressure group and seized hundreds of their placards, said Republic The head of an anti-monarchy group who was arrested before a protest at King Charles III's coronation has been released from police custody, the group said. Republic, which wants an elected head of state, said late on Saturday that its chief executive Graham Smith was released, some 16 hours after he was first detained. He was one of more than 50 people held using new powers rushed into law this week by the UK government to crack down on protests by direct action groups. London's Metropolitan Police has been criticised for making the arrests, which included volunteers of a local women's safety team that the force supports. Last month, the Daily Mail newspaper claimed that protesters were planning to throw rape alarms to spook horses taking part in the parade, which included military bands. The newspaper also said climate change activists from the Just Stop Oil group were planning to disrupt the event. Just Stop Oil members were among those picked up on Saturday. Republic's Smith, who last week told reporters he and other members had no plans to disrupt the procession. The protest went ahead, with opponents waving "Not My King" placards and booing. "Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK," Smith tweeted. "I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name." Human rights groups likened the arrests to those in authoritarian states but police defended their tactics, claiming it was "proportionate... in line with relevant legislation" after public concern. London has been repeatedly targeted in recent years by direct action groups. Hardline interior minister Suella Braverman promised police more powers to stop protesters using "guerilla tactics". phz/rox The top commander of Ukraines ground forces says Vladimir Putin is pushing to try and capture Bakhmut before tomorrows Victory Day celebrations in Russia, with an increase of shelling in the frontline city. Today, it is important to make decisions as quickly as possible and predict the actions of the enemy, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on his Telegram channel. The Russians still hope to capture the city by 9 May. Our task is to prevent this, he said. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has climbed down on his threat to exit from Bakhmut yesterday amid renewed promises on weapons by Moscow. In an audio recording posted on his Telegram channel, he said: We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off [from supplies] will be deployed. At least five people have been injured in overnight large wave of Russian attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Key Points Wagner hopes to take Bakhmut by tomorrow, says Ukraine Five injured in Russias mass strikes on Kyiv ahead of Victory Day holiday Wagner group appears to U-turn on Bakhmut withdrawal threat UN nuclear watchdog warns of new dangers around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Russian forces evacuate towns near Zaporizhzhia plant Exclusive: Ukraine says whole of Russia will panic when counterattack begins Wagner hopes to take Bakhmut by tomorrow, says Ukraine 04:21 , Arpan Rai Russian forces, including the Wagner mercenary fighters, have amped up their shelling on Bakhmut as they look to take it by Tuesday Russias annual Victory Day Ukraines top general leading the defence said. This comes as Wagner Groups chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to climb down on his threat to exit from Bakhmut yesterday amid renewed promises of weapons by Moscow. In an audio recording posted on his Telegram channel, he said: We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off [from supplies] will be deployed. Story continues Food warehouse in Black Sea city engulfed in fire after Russian attack 04:15 , Arpan Rai A food warehouse in the Ukrainian city of Odesa near the Black Sea has been set ablaze in an overnight attack by Russia, officials said. Several other blasts were also reported in other parts of Ukraine. Photos of a large structure fully engulfed in flames were shared by Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, in what he said was a Russian attack on a foodstuff warehouse, among others. Other visuals on social media of the food warehouse under attack showed the entire facility up in flames as emergency workers were engaged in rescue efforts at the spot. Five injured in Russias mass strikes on Kyiv ahead of Victory Day holiday 04:14 , Arpan Rai At least five people were injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv, officials in Ukraine said early today as Vladimir Putins forces launched a large-scale wave of drones and missiles across the capital and besieged country. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three people were injured in blasts in Kyivs Solomyanskyi district and two others were injured when drone wreckage fell onto the Sviatoshyn district. Some of the drone wreckage also fell on a runway of the Zhuliany airport, Kyivs military administration said. No fire has been reported from one of two passenger airports but emergency services were working on the site, officials added. This comes a day before Moscow prepares to march its military forces for the cherished Victory Day holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany. Blast heard in Odesa, say reports 03:00 , Liam James Ukrainian media reported an explosion overnight in the Black Sea city of Odesa. Air raid alerts were also reported in capital Kyiv, as well as in other regions of the country. The Independent could not immediately confirm the reports. Recent weeks have seen Russia resume airstrikes against Ukrainian cities following an attack on a Crimean fuel depot which Moscow blamed on Kyiv. Ukraine is meanwhile preparing to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces in occupied territory. EU mulls sanctions on Chinese firms linked to Russian war effort 02:00 , Liam James The European Union has proposed sanctions on Chinese companies accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons to support Russias war machine, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The blocs proposal follows a US move to sanction Chinese business for involvement with Russia. Last month, the US put five firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its entity list, barring them from trading with any US firms without gaining a nearly unobtainable special license. Beijing protested, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. Nine Ukrainian explosives experts killed in Kherson, says Zelensky 01:00 , Liam James Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address that nine Ukrainian explosives experts who were engaged in demining were killed in a single Russian attack in the southern Kherson region on Saturday. They were ... restoring safety for our people, Mr Zelensky said. Ukraine farmers risk losing their lives or livelihoods Monday 8 May 2023 00:00 , Liam James A grassy lane rutted with tire tracks leads to Volodymyr Zaiets farm in southern Ukraine. He is careful, driving only within those shallow grooves veering away might cost him his life in the field dotted with explosive mines (Samya Kullab writes). Weeds grow tall where rows of sunflowers once bloomed. Zaiets land hasnt been touched since the fall of 2021, when it was last seeded with wheat. Now, its a minefield left by retreating Russian forces. Zaiets eschewed official warnings and demined this patch of land himself, determined not to lose the years harvest. He expects that 15 per cent of his 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) of farmland was salvaged. Click here to read on: Ukraine farmers risk losing their lives or livelihoods Ukraine bombards Crimea targets ahead of counteroffensive Sunday 7 May 2023 23:00 , Liam James Ukraine launched more than 10 drones overnight on the Crimean Peninsula, including three on the port of Sevastopol, a Russian-installed official said early on Sunday, adding that air defence systems repelled all the attacks on Sevastopol. No objects (in Sevastopol) were damaged, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said on the Telegram messaging app. There were no immediate details of any damage from the strikes elsewhere on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Baza, a Telegram channel with links to Russias law enforcement agencies, reported earlier on Sunday that according to the channels preliminary information, there were no casualties in what it said was a series of attacks on Crimea. Russian forces evacuate towns near Zaporizhzhia plant as IAEA warns of very real nuclear safety risk Sunday 7 May 2023 22:00 , Liam James Russian forces evacuated residents from a town near the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Sunday as the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he was extremely concerned about the safety of the facility. Ukraines military said local Russian passport-holders were being taken to the port city of Berdyansk and the town Prymorsk, both on the coast of the Sea of Azov. The evacuation, which could not be verified on the ground, comes as Ukraine is expected to launch a much-anticipated counteroffensive to retake Moscow-held territory in the area. Click here for the full story: Russia evacuates towns near nuclear plant as IAEA warns of very real safety risk Russian troops reportedly attack Zaporizhzhia Oblast 75 times over last day Sunday 7 May 2023 21:00 , Tara Cobham Russian troops have attacked Zaporizhzhia Oblast 75 times over the last day, according to The Kyiv Independent. Putins forces attacked 16 settlements near the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past 24 hours, said Governor Yurii Malashko, although no casualties were reported. He added homes and cars were damaged. This comes as the UN has said the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas. Wagner group appears to U-turn on Bakhmut withdrawal threat Sunday 7 May 2023 20:00 , Liam James Russias Wagner mercenary group appeared to have to ditch plans to withdraw from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, saying they had been promised more arms by Moscow and suggesting they may keep up their assault on what Russia sees as a stepping stone to other cities in the Donbas region. Elsewhere, Ukrainian and Russian media reported explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea, and Russias defence ministry said its air defences had detected and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had said on Friday that his fighters, who have spearheaded a months-long assault on Bakhmut, would pull out after being starved of ammunition and suffering useless and unjustified losses as a result. But in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, he said: We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off (from supplies) will be deployed. A spokesman for Russias defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment after Prigozhins latest statement. Click here to read on: Ukraine showing at Liverpool Eurovision opening Sunday 7 May 2023 19:30 , Liam James This years Eurovision acts are being welcomed to Liverpool with an opening ceremony. The Turquoise Carpet ceremony opened on Sunday afternoon in the city, which is preparing to host the song contest final next Saturday on behalf of last years winners Ukraine. Hosted by Olympian Sam Quek and Ukrainian presenter Timur Miroshnychenko, the ceremony will see all 37 acts take to the carpet for a welcome to the city. Liverpool ceremony welcomes Eurovision competitors Air raid alerts across Ukraine due to overnight strikes Sunday 7 May 2023 18:45 , Adam Withnall Air raid alerts blared for several hours overnight into early Sunday over roughly two-thirds of Ukraine, with officials saying that air defence systems shot down a number of drones, including one over Kyivs airspace. During the last air alert, an enemy reconnaissance UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was detected in the airspace of Kyiv, the military administration of Kyiv said on the Telegram messaging app. The drone was destroyed ... Preliminarily, there have been no casualties or destruction. The alerts extended from the capital Kyiv and regions to the west of it through to all regions in the east as well as south to Kherson region and Russian-annexed Crimea. A Russian-installed official in Crimea said that Ukraine sent more than 10 drones over Crimea. Putin is unprepared for the blowback his assault on Ukraine will bring Russia Sunday 7 May 2023 18:00 , Liam James Borzhou Daragahi, foreign correspondent, analyses this weeks puzzling attack on the Kremlin: The small drones managed to bypass security surrounding the Kremlin, Russias most sacred political and religious site, before they were blasted out of the sky during the early morning hours of 3 May. The Kremlin angrily described the drones as a Ukrainian and Western-backed assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin. It almost definitely was not. It was yet another sign that the fallout from Putins disastrous war of imperial conquest was moving closer and closer to the heart of Russian power. No one should take anything the Russian government says at face value because, well, its Russia. The drones did not appear particularly large or sophisticated. Putin, who has over the years slowly turned into a Bond villain caricature of himself, was probably at one of his compounds, bunkers or palaces and nowhere near the fortress-like presidential residence that is the formal seat of Russian power and a major tourist draw. Russia is unprepared for the blowback to its assault on Ukraine | Borzou Daragahi Watch: Zelensky congratulates King Charles on coronation Sunday 7 May 2023 17:03 , Liam James Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Britains King Charles on his coronation on Saturday and offered him and the British people thanks for their support in the war against Russia. He described the king and Queen Camilla, his wife, as true friends of Ukraine and said his reign marked the beginning of a new era for the British monarchy. Britain has been a key Western partner supplying military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February last year. Security worries overshadow Russia's Victory Day preparations Sunday 7 May 2023 15:46 , Tara Cobham Russia stages its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square on Tuesday amid particularly tight security after a series of drone attacks, including on the Kremlin citadel, symbolic heart of the Russian state, which Moscow has blamed on Ukraine. Victory Day is a key anniversary for President Vladimir Putin, who often evokes the spirit and sacrifice that helped the Soviet Union defeat Nazi Germany in 1945 to kindle Russians' sense of patriotism, especially since invading Ukraine. However, Ukrainian intelligence has warned of Victory Day provocations by Russia. The Kyiv Independent suggested Moscow might stage false-flag attacks against Russian and Belarusian populations around 9 May, according to Ukraine's General Intelligence Directorate chief Andrii Usov. Pope Francis reiterates his appeal for peace in Ukraine on Sunday Sunday 7 May 2023 14:44 , Tara Cobham Pope Francis reiterated his appeal for peace in Ukraine as he addressed crowds gathered in St Peters Square, Vatican City on Sunday. Pope Francis reiterates his appeal for peace in Ukraine as he addressed crowds gathered in St Peters Square, Vatican City on Sunday (Getty Images) Russian forces evacuating town near occupied nuclear plant, Kyiv says Sunday 7 May 2023 14:00 , Tara Cobham Russian forces are evacuating residents from the town that serves the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainanian military said on Sunday. Ukraine is expected to start soon a much-anticipated counteroffensive to retake Moscow-held territory, including in the Zaporizhzhia region. In its morning update, Ukraine's General staff said Russian forces were evacuating local Russian passport-holders to the port city of Berdyansk and the town Prymorsk, both on the coast of the Sea of Azov. "The first to be evacuated are those who accepted Russian citizenship in the first months of the occupation," it said in a statement. The reports could not be independently verified. The head of the U.N.'s nuclear power watchdog said on Saturday the situation around the station, Europe's largest, has become "potentially dangerous". Both sides have accused one another of shelling the plant and efforts to secure a safety zone around it have failed. Russian troops reportedly attack Zaporizhzhia Oblast 75 times over last day Sunday 7 May 2023 13:12 , Tara Cobham Russian troops have attacked Zaporizhzhia Oblast 75 times over the last day, according to The Kyiv Independent on Sunday. Putins forces attacked 16 settlements near the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past 24 hours, said Governor Yurii Malashko, although no casualties were reported. He added homes and cars were damaged. This comes as the UN has said the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas. Russian troops attack Zaporizhzhia Oblast 75 times over past day. Russian forces attacked 16 settlements near the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past 24 hours, Governor Yurii Malashko reported on May 7. No casualties were reported, but homes and cars were damaged. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 7, 2023 Russia claims it destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over Black Sea overnight Sunday 7 May 2023 13:05 , Tara Cobham Russia's air defences detected and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight, the country's defence ministry said on Sunday in a daily briefing. Russia's claim could not be independently verified. A Russian-installed official said earlier that Ukraine had launched drones at Crimea overnight, without providing details. Separately, the defence ministry said its forces had gained more ground in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, claiming two "blocks" in the northwestern and western parts of the city. Polish plane on EU border patrol narrowly avoids collision with Russian jet Sunday 7 May 2023 12:29 , Tara Cobham A Polish border guard aircraft on patrol for the European Union's border agency Frontex over the Black Sea near Romania narrowly avoided a collision with a Russian fighter jet on Friday, Romania and Poland said. A Russian SU-35 jet carried out "aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres" approaching the Polish aircraft without keeping a secure distance, leading to turbulence, loss of altitude and a temporary loss of control of the plane by the Polish crew, Anna Michalska, a border guard spokesperson, wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "The Russian jet flew just in front of the nose of the Polish plane, crossing its trajectory at a dangerous distance, estimated by the crew at about five metres," Michalska said. After three approaches the Russian jet flew away, Michalska added. The incident took place in international airspace. The Romanian Defence Ministry said in a press release that the Russian jet's behaviour was completely unacceptable. "This incident is a further proof of the provocative approach of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea," the ministry said. Two combat aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force and two from the Spanish Air Force designated for Air Police missions were alerted by the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain. While the four aircraft were ready to intervene at any moment, their intervention proved unnecessary, the ministry said. "It looks like a planned provocation by Russia, the crew acted responsibly and luckily nothing happened. We can see that Russia is trying to draw international attention by such provocations," Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller told private television Polsat News on Sunday. Russia's Wagner group signals it will stay in Bakhmut after threat to quit Sunday 7 May 2023 11:17 , Tara Cobham The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group appeared on Sunday to ditch plans to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after receiving promises overnight that they would get all the arms needed to capture the devastated city. Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Friday that his fighters, who have spearheaded the months-long assault on Bakhmut, would pull out because he said his men had been starved of ammunition and had suffered "useless and unjustified" losses as a result. Prigozhin, who has publicly heaped scorn on Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the top army brass over their conduct of the war in Ukraine, said officials in Moscow consumed by "petty jealousy" were holding back crucial supplies to his men. However in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, Prigozhin said: "Overnight we received a combat order, for the first time in all this time." "We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed to prevent the enemy from cutting us off (from supplies) will be deployed on the flank," he added. The battle for Bakhmut, which Russia sees as a stepping stone to other cities in Ukraine's Donbas region still beyond its control, has been the most intense of the conflict, costing thousands of lives on both sides in months of grinding warfare. Ukrainian troops have been pushed back in recent weeks but have clung on in the city to inflict as many Russian losses as possible ahead of Kyiv's planned big push against the invading forces along the 1,000 km (620 mile) front line. Prigozhin also said on Sunday that Russia's Defence Ministry had assigned General Sergei Surovikin to work alongside Wagner. "This is the only man with the star of an army general who knows how to fight," he added. Surovikin commanded Russia's Ukraine campaign for several months before the chief of the General Staff, Army Army General Valery Gerasimov, was given overall operational command above him. The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appeared on Sunday to ditch plans to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Exclusive: Ukraine says whole of Russia will panic when counterattack begins Sunday 7 May 2023 10:58 , Tara Cobham Success for Ukraine in its long-awaited counterattack against Russia could spell the complete collapse of Vladimir Putins military or even the Russian economy, a Ukrainian minister predicts. Speaking in an interview with The Independent, deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov was deliberately vague about the timing of the offensive, which is expected imminently as the mud and rains of spring give way to more favourable fighting conditions. But when it does come very soon was the timing set out this week by Volodymr Zelensky the offensive will expose Russias tightly controlled propaganda regarding the war effort and lead to a reckoning among ordinary Russians, said Mr Havrylov. Arpan Rai reports. Ukraine says whole of Russia will panic when counterattack begins: They will suffer the consequences Russia's Wagner chief says he was promised arms to continue fighting in Bakhmut Sunday 7 May 2023 10:29 , Tara Cobham The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Sunday he had been promised overnight as much ammunition and weaponry as needed to continue a months-long assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Prigozhin's comment, made on his Telegram messaging app channel, came two days after he announced plans to withdraw from Bakhmut complaining that his men had been starved of ammunition and had suffered "useless and unjustified" losses as a result. Russia claims its destroyed two British made howitzers in Ukraine Sunday 7 May 2023 10:00 , Tara Cobham Russia has claimed it has destroyed two British-made howitzers, which were being used by Ukraine in Donetsk. Alexander Gordeyev, a Russian military spokesman, told the Russian news agency TASS the suicide drones were also used to destroy a similar UK howitzer and a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft system used by Ukraine near Maksimovka. Lancet loitering munition destroyed an enemys UK-made L119 howitzer in the area of Shevchenko, he said. The munition is a small drone with a range of up to 25 miles and is one of Moscows most advanced weapons, used for reconnaissance or attack missions. Pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin wounded by car bomb with Russia blaming Ukraine and US Sunday 7 May 2023 09:23 , Tara Cobham A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, has allegedly been wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver an attack that Russia immediately blamed on Ukraine and the West. The state Investigative Committee said the writer's Audi Q7 was blown up in a village in the Nizny Novgorod region, about 250 miles (400km) east of Moscow, which it was treating as an act of terrorism. It said Prilepin had been taken to hospital. The committee released a photograph showing the white vehicle lying overturned on a track next to a wood, with a deep crater beside it and fragments of metal strewn nearby. An interior ministry spokeswoman said a suspect had been arrested. State news agency TASS quoted security sources suggesting the suspect was a "native of Ukraine" with a past conviction for robbery with violence. Interfax news agency quoted a source in the emergency services as saying Prilepin's condition was serious and doctors would operate on him. Pro-Kremlin Russian writer and publicist Zakhar Prilepin is claimed to have been injured in a car bomb (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) A view shows a damaged white Audi Q7 car lying overturned on a track next to a wood, after Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin was allegedly wounded in a bomb attack in a village in the Nizhny Novgorod region (REUTERS) Widespread air raid alerts in Ukraine as drone shot down over Kyiv Sunday 7 May 2023 08:36 , Tara Cobham Air raid alerts blared for several hours overnight into early Sunday over roughly two-thirds of Ukraine, with officials saying that air defence systems shot down a number of drones, including one over Kyiv's airspace. "During the last air alert, an enemy reconnaissance UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was detected in the airspace of Kyiv," the military administration of Kyiv said on the Telegram messaging app. "The drone was destroyed ... Preliminarily, there have been no casualties or destruction." The alerts extended from the capital Kyiv and regions to the west of it through to all regions in the east as well as south to Kherson region and Russian-annexed Crimea. A Russian-installed official in Crimea said that Ukraine sent more than 10 drones over Crimea. Local officials in several Ukrainian regions reported that air defence systems were deployed overnight, but there was no immediate information early on Sunday on potential casualties or damages. Gas pipeline, power lines damaged in Ukraine attacks on Russia's Belgorod - governor Sunday 7 May 2023 07:55 , Tara Cobham Overnight Ukrainian shelling of the Belgorod region on Russia's border with Ukraine damaged a gas pipeline and power lines as well as a house in the village of Spodaryushino, the region's governor said on Sunday. "Most importantly, there were no casualties," Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The report could not be independently verified. The Belgorod region is one of several in southern Russia where targets such as fuel and ammunition stores have been rocked by explosions since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but it has said recently that destroying infrastructure is preparation for its planned ground assault. UN nuclear watchdog warns of new dangers around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Sunday 7 May 2023 06:00 , Adam Withnall The head of the UN nuclear watchdog has warned that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station had become increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, calling for measures to ensure its safe operation. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued the warning in view of what he said were evacuations under way in the nearby town of Enerhodar, ordered by the local Russian-installed governor. The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, Grossi said on the agencys website. Im extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant days after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of his neighbour in February 2022. Exchanges of fire have frequently occurred near the facility, with each side blaming the other. Grossi visited the Zaporizhzhia station, Europes largest nuclear power installation, in March, as part of efforts to speak to both sides to secure an agreement on safeguards to ensure the plants safe operation. He has repeatedly warned of the dangers of military operations around the plant. Russia last September proclaimed the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, including Zaporizhzhia region. The plant is located in the part of that region under Russian control, with many of the staff operating it living in Enerhodar on the south bank of the Dnipro River. Yevgeny Balitsky, Russian-installed governor of the Russia-controlled part of Zaporizhzhia region, said on Friday he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the frontline with Ukrainian forces there. He said Ukrainian shelling had intensified in the area in recent days. A widely expected Ukrainian spring counteroffensive against Russian forces is viewed as likely to take in the Zaporizhzhia region, around 80 per cent of which is held by Moscow. Ukraine bombards Crimea targets' ahead of counteroffensive Sunday 7 May 2023 04:50 , Adam Withnall Ukraine launched more than 10 drones overnight on the Crimean Peninsula, including three on the port of Sevastopol, a Russian-installed official said early on Sunday, adding that air defence systems repelled all the attacks on Sevastopol. No objects (in Sevastopol) were damaged, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said on the Telegram messaging app. There were no immediate details of any damage from the strikes elsewhere on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Baza, a Telegram channel with links to Russias law enforcement agencies, reported earlier on Sunday that according to the channels preliminary information, there were no casualties in what it said was a series of attacks on Crimea. According to Ukrainian monitoring of Telegram channels, explosions took place in Sevastopol and Saki - where Russia has an air base - as well as a few other places. Strikes on Russian-held targets have intensified in the past two weeks, especially in Crimea. Ukraine, without confirming any role in those attacks, says destroying infrastructure is preparation for its long-awaited counterattack. The happy coincidence nod to Ukraine at Kings coronation Sunday 7 May 2023 03:00 , Martha Mchardy The carpets at Westminster Abbey, upon which King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned on Saturday 6 May, resembled the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine. After months of preparations and anticipation, the United Kingdom has crowned its new king and queen. Photos and videos showed that the carpets inside the royal church were blue and yellow, resembling the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Maanya Sachdeva reports: The happy coincidence nod to Ukraine at Kings coronation Firefighter tells of humbling experience delivering equipment for Ukraine Sunday 7 May 2023 02:00 , Martha Mchardy A firefighter who was part of a convoy of fire engines and lorries delivering life-saving equipment for Ukraine has described the experience as very humbling after reaching Poland. The timing of the shipment is meant to honour the Eurovision link between Ukraine and the UK, with the vehicles leaving Liverpool on Tuesday, the city which will host the competition later this month. Darren Cleaves, station manager for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, was in Poland to help deliver fire engines as well as life-saving equipment for Ukrainian firefighters. Sarah Ping reports: Firefighter tells of humbling experience delivering equipment for Ukraine What is Wagners role in Ukraine? Sunday 7 May 2023 01:00 , Martha Mchardy Wagner has taken an increasingly visible role in the war in Ukraine as regular Russian troops have suffered heavy attrition and lost control over territory in humiliating setbacks. Prigozhin claimed full credit in January for capturing the Donetsk region salt-mining town of Soledar and accused the Russian Defense Ministry of trying to steal Wagners glory. He has repeatedly complained that the Russian military failed to supply Wagner with sufficient ammunition to capture Bakhmut, the reason he cited Friday for his withdrawal threat. Wagner group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Prigozhin has toured Russian prisons to recruit fighters, promising inmates pardons if they survived a half-year tour of front-line duty with Wagner. The U.S. estimates Wagner has about 50,000 personnel fighting in Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 of the convicts the company enlisted. A U.S. official says nearly half of the 20,000 Russian forces killed in Ukraine since December have been Wagners troops in Bakhmut. The U.S. assesses that Wagner is spending about $100 million a month in the fight and has taken delivery of weapons from North Korea, including rockets and missiles. Ukraine claims to have shot down Russian hypersonic missile in slap in face for Putin Sunday 7 May 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy Ukraines air force has claimed to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly-acquired American Patriot defence systems the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscows most modern missiles. Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defence systems. It comes as Kyiv accused Moscow of using phosphorus munitions in the eastern city of Bakhmut. Drone footage released by the Ukrainian military shows parts of the city the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war ablaze as what is alleged to be white phosphorus rains down. David Rising reports: Ukraine says it has shot down Russian hypersonic missile in slap in face for Putin Russia's Prigozhin says no further offensive in Bakhmut possible without ammunition Saturday 6 May 2023 23:38 , Martha Mchardy The head of Russias mercenary Wagner Group said on Saturday that he had still not received additional ammunition from Moscow ahead of the expected withdrawal of his forces from Bakhmut because of heavy losses and inadequate supplies. As of today, no one has come to replenish ammunition, to provide it in the necessary volume, Prigozhin said in an audio message posted on the Telegram channel of his press service. There can be no offensive without a counter-battery fight, without defeating the enemys means. Wagner forces, he said, had no ammunition and could not pursue any further offensives near the city, under Russian siege for some 10 months. Because I will lead more men to certain death. On the 10th (of May), we will start withdrawing units, he said. He added that his forces have taken 95% of Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine that had a population of more than 70,000 before the war. Prigozhin has, however, prematurely claimed successes before. Reuters was not able to independently verify the claim. The remaining 5% plays no role in the so-called development of success and the Red Armys march to the West, he said. Ukraine leads world reaction to King Charles IIIs coronation Saturday 6 May 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy Ukraine released an upbeat video to congratulate Britains King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their historic coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, where world leaders gathered to witness the once-in-a-generation royal event. The video released by Ukraines defence ministry was edited to the tune of London Calling by The Clash, and showed British weaponry deployed to the Ukrainian frontline and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky meeting King Charles and British prime minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Keir Starmer and former prime minister Boris Johnson. On the eve of the historic coronation, wed like to thank our British friends for your friendship. We are grateful for your unwavering support and partnership, especially in the past year! the defence ministry said on Twitter. Shweta Sharma reports: Ukraine leads world reaction to King Charless coronation Pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin wounded by car bomb Saturday 6 May 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy A prominent Russian nationalist writer, Zakhar Prilepin, has been wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver an attack that Russia immediately blamed on Ukraine and the West. The state Investigative Committee said the writers Audi Q7 was blown up in a village in the Nizny Novgorod region, about 250 miles (400km) east of Moscow, which it was treating as an act of terrorism. It said Prilepin had been taken to hospital. The committee released a photograph showing the white vehicle lying overturned on a track next to a wood, with a deep crater beside it and fragments of metal strewn nearby. Mark Trevelyan reports: Pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin wounded by car bomb Watch: CCTV captures moment Ukraine ammunition depot explodes Saturday 6 May 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy What are white phosphorus bombs? Saturday 6 May 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut with phosphorus munitions. Drone footage released by the UKrainian military, shows parts of the city the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war ablaze as what is alleged to be white phosphorus rains down. While white phosphorus weapons are not banned in their entirety, but their use in civilian areas is considered a war crime. Writing on Twitter, Ukraines defence ministry said the phosphorus attack targeted unoccupied areas of Bakhmut with incendiary ammunition although it is unclear exactly when the alleged attack took place. Joe Sommerlad reports: All we know about deadly white phosphorus bombs Russia accused of using in Ukraine Watch: Ukraine accuses Russia of using phosphorus munitions in Bakhmut Saturday 6 May 2023 20:45 , Martha Mchardy Air raid alerts issued for most of eastern Ukraine Saturday 6 May 2023 20:38 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian officials issued air raid alerts on Saturday evening for areas covering roughly two-thirds of the country. The alerts extended from the capital Kyiv and regions to the west of it through all regions in the east as well as south to Kherson region and Russian-annexed Crimea. Ukraine raises hundreds of millions of dollars for counteroffensive Saturday 6 May 2023 20:36 , Martha Mchardy Hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised by Ukraine for a spring counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied territory. Ukraine has reportedly raised $325 million dollars to spend on drones for the counteroffensive through crowdfunding from 110 countries. The project aims to launch 60 companies to produce attack drones, according to reports. Preparation for the counteroffensive has also involved training 10,000 drone pilots. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines deputy prime minister and minister for innovation, said: We have recently completed the first part of the UAV pilot training project; 10,000 pilots have been trained during this time.That is, the Drone Army is about the comprehensive development of the UAV sector, both from the point of view of production and from the point of view of their use. Wagner chief claims of limited munitions after Bakhmut withdrawal could be legitimate, according to leaked documents Saturday 6 May 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy The head of the Russian private military company Wagners claim that limited munitions which lead to his withdrawal from Bakhmut could be legitimate, according to leaked documents. Prigozhin said on Friday that his troops will leave the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, citing a lack of ammunition supplies that he blamed on Russias military command. The documents, leaked on Discord said military officials could not decisively say whether Wagner was receiving munitions because they were not directly distributed by the Russian defence ministry, according to The Washington Post. The documents also noted that Prigozhins claims could be legitimate. Deputy Minister of Defence Gerasimov reportedly ordered to stop munitions supplies and also planned military transport flights, which were set to transport munitions to Wagners headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, the documents state. However, as Prigozhin public statements escalated the Defence Ministry proposed doubling the munitions supply to Wagner, and in February the ministry said Prigozhin claims about munitions were untrue. The Wagner chief responded to this by posting pictures of the dead soldiers and a request for munitions directly to Gerasimov. The documents reportedly indicate that Prigozhin was called to a meeting with president Putin as a result of this. The meeting almost certainly concerned, at least in part, Prigozhins public accusations and resulting tension with Shoygu, one document said. Russian forces claim to have destroyed two British-made howitzers in Donetsk Saturday 6 May 2023 20:26 , Martha Mchardy Russian forces have claimed to have destroyed two British-made howitzers used by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk. Russian military spokesman Alexander Gordeyev said a Lancet loitering munition destroyed an enemys UK-made L119 howitzer in the area of Shevchenko. The Lancet loitering munition has a range of us to 25 miles and is one of Russias most sophisticated weapons. Leaked files show tension between Russian military and Wagner chief Saturday 6 May 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy Leaked files show tensions between the Russian military and the head of the private Russian military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The documents, allegedly leaked on Discord, indicate that the Russian military leadership struggled to respond to Prigozhins public statements, The Washington Post reports. One document stated: The officials initially noted that, if the MoD was going to try to counter Prigozhins public statements, they should find allies of equal status to fight Prigozhin rather than doing so itself. However, they were ultimately unsure how the MoD could successfully fight an information war with Prigozhin if the Russian government did not forbid Prigozhin from making public releases, according to The Washington Post. Prigozhin personally appealed to president Putin to intervene. Russian foreign ministry says Ukraine and West responsible for attack on writer Saturday 6 May 2023 19:56 , Martha Mchardy Russias Foreign Ministry on Saturday said Ukraine and Western countries backing it were responsible for a car bombing that injured a Russian writer and killed his driver. A ministry statement, quoted by Russian news agencies, said: Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with Ukrainian authorities, but also their Western patrons, the United States in the first instance.... The statement said Washingtons failure to denounce this and other attacks was self-revealing for the U.S. administration. Ukraines security service will not confirm or deny involvement in Russia attack Saturday 6 May 2023 19:56 , Martha Mchardy Ukraines SBU security service told the state Ukrinform news agency on Saturday it could not confirm or deny involvement in a car bombing that injured a Russian writer or other attacks. Officially, we cannot confirm or deny the SBUs involvement in this or other explosions which occur with the occupiers or their henchmen, Ukrinform quoted the agency as saying. Russia says bomber who injured novelist acted for Ukraine Saturday 6 May 2023 19:55 , Martha Mchardy Russias top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraines special services. The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russias war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict. Russias Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry in turn blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well.Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since the coup detat of February 2014 have painstakingly nurtured the anti-Russian neo-Nazi project in Ukraine, the ministry said, referring to the 2014 uprising in Kyiv that forced the Russia-friendly president to flee. In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as Putins brain. The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast. Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies. Russian news outlet RBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that Prilepin was travelling back to Moscow on Saturday from Ukraines partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novogorod region for a meal. Who is writer Zakhar Prilepin - target of car bomb in Russia? Saturday 6 May 2023 19:30 , Martha Mchardy Zakhar Prilepin, 47, is the author of six novels, often focusing on dark themes. His debut novel The Pathologies told the story of young soldiers in the Chechen wars. He has also written numerous poems, essays and articles, and is the recipient of various state awards including a 2021 arts prize from the defence ministry. He is an outspoken pro-war figure on social media, with around 300,000 subscribers each to his Telegram and YouTube channels. Russia Novelist Zakhar Prilepin (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) For years, he has organised Russian proxy fighters in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, boasting in a 2019 YouTube interview that his unit killed people in big numbers. The extent of his direct combat involvement is not clear. Mr Prilepin has been politically active as the co-chair of the A Just Russia - For Truth party. Last year he took a prominent role in creating GRAD, a parliamentary group that seeks to identify cultural figures with anti-Russian views and persuade the state and business to stop funding them. GRADs initials stand for Group to investigate anti-Russian activity in the cultural sphere. Grad is also the Russian word for hail, and the name of a missile system. Since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, he has been sanctioned by Switzerland, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the European Union Watch: Moment malfunctioning Ukrainian drone shot down over Kyiv Saturday 6 May 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy Kyrylo Budanov "As of today, Russia has no military, economic or political potential to create another attempt for a serious offensive anywhere in Ukraine," he said. Read also: Russia has considered replacing Putin for a year Budanov However, it is nonetheless capable of conducting serious defense operations, "and this is the very problem we are about to face, he added. Budanov also believes that Russia's missile stockpile is getting close to depleted. "They are trying to accumulate certain stocks and have them ready in order to try to disrupt our offensive, but the truth is that they have taken their stocks almost to zero," he stated. Read also: When will Ukraine reclaim Crimea, other occupied lands? Budanov 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 Key developments on May 7: Wagner chief claims army promised enough ammunition to keep fighting in Bakhmut after threats Commander: Russia intensifying attacks in Bakhmut with heavy weaponry Ukrainian military: Russia moving civilians out of occupied Enerhodar Russia's Wagner Group claimed on May 7 that Moscow had promised enough ammunition and weapons for its mercenaries to continue their deadly assault on Bakhmut a few days after it published an expletive-laden video threatening to withdraw from the city. "They promise to give us as much ammunition and weapons as needed to continue further actions, they swear that everything needed will be put up on our flank, which is necessary for the enemy to not be able to cut us off," Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said. "We are told that we can act in Bakhmut in such a way that as we see fit," Prigozhin added, whose mercenaries are known for committing war crimes. 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 Prigozhin's claim comes two days after threatening the Russian Defense Ministry that his mercenaries will leave Bakhmut on May 10 due to a lack of ammunition. He also recorded an insult-laden address to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, blaming them for a "70 percent shortage of ammunition" on the battlefield in Ukraine and for the deaths of Russian soldiers. The Russian military leadership has struggled to respond to Prigozhin's public insults and appealed to Putin to intervene, according to leaked U.S. intelligence documents seen by the Washington Post. Story continues Prigozhin's rants suggest that the pleas have fallen on Putin's "deaf ears," according to the May 5 Washington Post report. The tensions between Wagner and the Russian Defense Ministry have intensified since January. When Russia captured Soledar, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed victory over the salt-mining town northeast of Bakhmut initially without mentioning Wagner. In March, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a D.C.-based think-tank analyzing the war in Ukraine, said that the WagnerRussian Defense Ministry rivalry has likely reached a "boiling point" over Bakhmut. Wagner a shadow of what it once was: Russia security expert on the rage of mercenary boss Prigozhin After seeming to have calmed down over early spring, the internal conflict between Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Russian Defense Ministry has escalated dramatically. In the early morning of May 5, Prigozhin recorded a video in front of what he claimed to be the bodies of doz Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell Fight for Bakhmut Meanwhile, Ukraine admits it's getting harder to defend Bakhmut, a city once home to 70,000 that has endured heavy fighting since last summer. On May 7, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russia had intensified its attacks on Ukrainian positions using heavy weaponry and regrouping troops to keep the offensive running. "This indicates that the enemy is not going to change his plans and is doing everything possible to take Bakhmut under control and continue offensive operations," Syrskyi, who commands Ukraine's Land Forces, said. Syrskyi said that Russian forces appeared to be trying to capture Bakhmut by May 9, on which both Russia and Ukraine celebrated Victory Day over Nazi Germany. "Our task is to prevent this," Syrskyi said in his Telegram post. Russian deportations Russian forces have begun deporting civilians from the city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on May 7. Enerhodar, with a pre-war population of about 50,000, is home to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. It is among the 18 occupied settlements near the southern front line from which Russian occupation officials on May 5 ordered civilians to evacuate. Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov, who is exiled from his hometown but receives information from the military and sources inside the city, said the first evacuation took place on the morning of May 6. Orlov said that the first deportation was not a large-scale one. He added that it was mostly people who wanted to evacuate, getting on a bus or leaving in their own vehicles. He added that the gas stations ran out of fuel on May 6 but did not say when he expected them to be refilled. According to the official, the internet partially works in Enerhodar, and the prices of products and medicine have risen. The health concern is particularly worrying, Orlov said. He explained that the Russians began taking medical equipment out of hospitals and loading it onto cars, and some patients were given no option but to leave because "a number of departments in the hospital" stopped providing medical care. The situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly worrisome as shelling around the plant continues and Russia forcibly evacuates residents from the area, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Most of all, remaining civilians with Russian passports are subject to evacuation even if it is against their will, according to the General Staff and Orlov. Throughout the war in Ukraine, Russia has used its passports as a "Russification tool" in occupied territories and is "almost certainly" forcing the local population to take Russian passports, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in April. Russia has distributed around a million Russian passports on Ukrainian territory since 2019. During a meeting with the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, General Carsten Breuer, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, expressed hope for the supply of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine's partners. Source: Telegram channel of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Quote: "I was glad to welcome General Carsten Breuer, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, to Ukraine this week with an official visit. We had a constructive conversation. I described the situation at the front and talked about the preparation of the Security and Defence Forces for future actions to liberate our territory. [I] thanked for the military assistance already provided by Germany: IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems, Gepard anti-aircraft self-propelled artillery systems, Leopard tanks and other weapons. [I] expressed hope that in the future all our partners will make the right decision and Ukraine will receive F-16 aircraft." Details: Zaluzhnyi and Breuer also emphasised the importance of continuing to support Ukraine in the future, and agreed to be in touch and do everything possible to strengthen Ukraines defence capabilities. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Red Square, May 3, 2023 HUR representative Andriy Yusov stated that the invaders have used such tactics since 2014, and it is not unlikely that such actions will be repeated. Read also: Russia using drone strike on Kremlin to cancel May 9 parades, conceal poor state of military In this situation, provocations may be aimed by the Russian special services against the Russian civilian population and may be related to specific dates, such as May 9, he noted. He also suggested that Russians may direct provocations against Belarus in order to involve the Belarusian army in a war against Ukraine through a false flag operation. Read also: Second railway attack in 2 days in Russias Bryansk Oblast derails 20 cars However, he added that no one would believe these sorts of acts anymore, although that does not mean the Russians wouldnt try it. Earlier, Russian media reported that this years V-E Day parade in St. Petersburg will not feature aviation more than 20 cities in Russia have decided not to hold parades this year, mainly citing security reasons. Read also: Authorities MIA after explosions rock Russias St. Petersburg Russian authorities have also announced that security measures will be much stronger than in previous years, although they did not disclose details on what those security measures would entail. 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 Ukraine's top officials are trying to lower expectations, fearing that the outcome of the counteroffensive may not meet the expectations of their allies. Source: The Washington Post, referring to interviews with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov Details: In an interview with the Washington Post last week, Oleksii Reznikov said that "expectations of our counteroffensive operation are overestimated in the world". "Most people are waiting for something huge," he said. In his view, this could lead to "emotional disappointment". Quote from the Washington Post: "The buildup ahead of the assault the details of which remain secret has left Ukrainian officials grappling with a difficult question: What outcome will be enough to impress the West, especially Washington? Some fear that if the Ukrainians fall short, Kyiv may lose international military assistance or face new pressure to engage with Moscow at a negotiating table not on the battlefield. Such talks would almost certainly involve Russian demands for a negotiated surrender of sovereign territory, which Ukraine has called unacceptable." Quote from Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "I believe that the more victories we have on the battlefield, frankly, the more people will believe in us, which means we will get more help." Details: As WP has noted, the inflated expectations are partly due to Ukraine's previous victories on the battlefield first by repelling Russia's attempt to capture Kyiv, and later by driving the occupiers out of their strongholds in surprise attacks in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts. "We were inspiring because it was believed that we would fall within 72 hours," Reznikov said. However, he said, in light of the experience, the partners now have "common expectations that Ukraine will succeed again." Reznikov has said that Western partners have told him that they now need "another example of success because we need to show it to our people." Story continues "But I cannot tell you what the scale of this success would be. Ten kilometers, 30 kilometers, 100 kilometers, 200 kilometers?", he responded. Now Russia may have a geographical advantage and a larger number of soldiers. Being aware of the enormous obstacles, Ukrainian officials continue to demand additional weapons from their supporters in the West. Zelenskyy has told the WP that Ukraine would be ready to launch a counteroffensive "as soon as it receives the weapons it has agreed on with its partners". Reznikov has revealed to WP that Ukraine's "first assault unit" is more than 90% ready for the start of the operation, but some units are still training abroad. According to Zelenskyy, he will consider the liberation of any Ukrainian territory a success. "I can't tell you which cities, which borders are [considered] a significant success for us, and which are an average success... only because I don't want to prepare Russia for how, on which fronts, where and when we will [attack ed.]," he said. Ideally, as Reznikov says, a counteroffensive would not only liberate villages and towns, but also "cut the logistic chains of [Russian ed.] troops" and "reduce their offensive capability". Ukraine is also asking for weapons to carry out long-range strikes. Kyiv's partners have long expressed concerns that such weapons could be used to strike at Russian territory, which could potentially provoke a large-scale escalation on Moscow's part. But the absence of such weapons puts Ukraine at a significant disadvantage, Zelenskyy said. "I don't quite understand, I'll tell you frankly, why we can't get long-range artillery," he said, assuring that Ukraine would not use such weapons to strike at Russian territory, as some allies fear. Zelenskyy has stated that it was the lack of long-range artillery that prevented Ukrainian forces from pushing Russian troops out of the territory they control on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro River after liberating Kherson. "They can take troops from there and move them to the east or to the south. And still, they are reinforcing. Why? Because they know that we cannot reach them and we suffer every day because they have the ability to shoot at our people," Zelenskyy said. "They withdrew all their command posts, fuel depots, ammunition depots, more than 120 kilometres away. Thats why we need something interesting with a range capability of 150 kilometers. Its become more difficult for them logistically. But we need to push them deeper and deeper," Reznikov added. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Editors Note: This is issue 86 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from April 29 - May 5, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks in Ukraine. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union within the project Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery implemented by the KSE Institute. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the editorial team of the Ukrainian SOE Weekly and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Corporate governance of SOEs PrivatBanks annual report approved; the bank will pay Hr 24.2 billion ($) in dividends to the state budget for 2022. On April 28, the Cabinet of Ministers approved PrivatBanks annual reporting for 2022. This includes: the banks annual report for 2022, including the supervisory boards report; the supervisory boards remuneration report; and measures to be taken as a result of considering the supervisory boards report. The above documents were not published along with the Cabinets decision and were not yet publicly available otherwise at the time of writing. A remuneration report was publicly available on PrivatBanks website earlier. In addition, the Cabinet approved the following allocation of PrivatBanks net profit of Hr 30.25 billion ($) in 2022: 80% (Hr 24.2 billion, or $) to pay dividends to the state budget; 5% (Hr 1.5 billion, or $) to the reserve fund; and 15% (Hr 4.5 billion, or $) to cover losses accumulated in previous years. In SOE Weekly (Issue 85), we reported that the Cabinet of Ministers established how much SOEs must pay in dividends for 2022. While most SOEs must contribute 50%, PrivatBank must give 80%. In Issue 78, we reported that PrivatBank paid over Hr 197.7 million ($) to its top executives and supervisory board members in 2022. Story continues The Cabinet approves Ukrzaliznytsias annual report for 2022. The disclosure, approved on April 28 includes the companys audited consolidated financial statements, the supervisory boards report, and the executive boards report for 2022. The above documents were not published along with the Cabinets decision and were not yet publicly available otherwise at the time of writing. In SOE Weekly (Issue 72), we reported that in 2022, Ukrzaliznytsia saw a net loss of Hr 10.8 billion ($). The company expects losses of Hr 20.2 billion ($) in 2023 due to the large social burden and restrictions on cargo transportation. In Issue 70, we reported that on Dec. 30, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Ukrzaliznytsias consolidated financial plan for 2023. As we reported two years ago (Issue 27), no information was available to indicate that the Cabinet had considered Ukrzaliznytsias annual report, the supervisory boards report, the executive boards report, and the distribution of profit for 2020, although it had done so for 2019 and 2021. In SOE Weekly (Issue 23), we reported that, according to the 2020 results, Ukrzaliznytsia took a net loss of Hr 11.9 billion ($). The government has never made any statements on such performance of the company. This was still the case at the time of this writing. The Ministry for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development will check all SOEs under its jurisdiction for corruption, starting with Boryspil International Airport. On May 2, the Ministry for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development announced the launch of a pilot project to audit the corruption prevention system at Boryspil International Airport. According to the ministry, the procurement and contracting system will be analyzed, and potential risk areas and ways to eliminate them will be identified. This will help to prevent abuse and avoid conflicts of interest at the enterprise. The project will last for two months. Boryspil Airport has become the first SOE under the ministrys jurisdiction to launch a risk assessment and audit project like this. Afterwards, this programme will be repeated at other SOEs, the Ministry added. Cabinet launches corporatization of Energoatom. On May 2, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the conversion of the state nuclear operator Energoatom into a joint-stock company to comply with the law. The Cabinet established a commission for this purpose. It is chaired by Oleksii Sobolyev, Deputy Minister of Economy, and includes Petro Kotin, Energoatoms CEO, Farid Safarov, Deputy Minister of Energy, and another eight members. This commission has the following key tasks: to develop a draft plan to transform Energoatom and submit it for the governments approval; and to submit documents needed to contribute Energoatoms property to the authorized capital of the corporatized successor, the new joint-stock company Energoatom. In SOE Weekly (Issue 80), we reported that, on March 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on the corporatization of Energoatom. In Issue 79, we reported that the corporate governance reform of Energoatom was among the governments top priorities for 2023. According to the Cabinets Priority Action Plan, Energoatom was to be converted into a joint-stock company by May 2023. The nuclear power operator is also slated to receive a competitively selected supervisory board with an independent majority. The deadline is November 2023. In Issue 74, we reported that Verkhovna Rada passed draft law No. 8067 (in the second reading) on the corporatisation of Energoatom on Feb. 6. For a detailed account of the corporatization of Energoatom, see SOE Weeklys Issues 41, 53, 58, 69, 74, and 79. This Week in Ukraine Ep. 6 Ukrainian grain exports, and the mayhem they cause in Europe This Week in Ukraine is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independents reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraines most pressing issues. Episode #6 is dedicated to Ukrainian grain exports, and how they destabilize European domesti Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina Energy Ukrenergo endures another Russian missile and artillery attack on its energy facilities. On May 4, Ukrenergo reported that Russia launched another missile and artillery attack on Ukraines energy infrastructure. The attack started on May 3 afternoon and continued into the night. According to Ukrenergo, on May 3, engineers from Khersonoblenergo were killed by the massive Russian missile and artillery shelling. As a result of the shelling, the equipment of electricity distribution companies (i.e., not Ukrenergos equipment) in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts suffered the most damage. Trunk power grids did not sustain any new damage, Ukrenergo added. According to Ukrenergo, at midnight, Russia launched a missile attack on a power generation facility in Donetsk Oblast, damaging equipment and cutting off power to about 186,000 consumers. Ukrenergo emphasized that despite all the losses and damage, Ukraines power system continues to operate in a balanced manner and there is no electricity shortage. In SOE Weekly (Issue 78), we reported on the previous wave of Russias missile and drone attacks on March 9. This was Russias 15th mass strike since the attacks started. After every Russian mass missile attack on Ukraines vital infrastructure, emergency outages often last for days due to the ongoing repair works. During such outages, people in Ukraine may be left without electricity, heating, water supply, or access to mobile phone networks. Privatization The SPFU will try to sell the dilapidated Elektronmash for the third time. On May 3, the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) announced a third attempt to auction off the Elektronmash factory in Kyiv. The SPFU scheduled the auction for May 29, with a starting price of Hr 61.3 million, or $ (excluding VAT). The plants property includes 37 real estate objects (workshops, administrative buildings, warehouses, and a 16-storey office centre). According to SPFU, Elektronmash was one of the most powerful computer manufacturing companies in the former Soviet Union, employing around 10,000 people. During Ukraines transition to a market economy, the plant was unable to adapt to competition and slowly decayed into ruin. The company has overdue accounts payable of Hr 21.4 million ($). In 2022, Elektronmash suffered a loss of Hr 8.2 million ($), in 2021 Hr 24.0 million ($), and in 2020 Hr 10.9 million ($), the SPFU added. The company has also been cutting its workforce: In 2020, Elektronmash employed 175 people, in 2021 it had 149, and in 2022, just 127. According to the SPFU, the previous two auctions for the sale of Elektronmash could have brought Hr 970 million ($) or Hr 430 million ($) to the budget, but unscrupulous investors failed to complete the purchases on time. See more in SOE Weeklys Issues 51, 56, and 62. Confiscation of the aggressor states assets, nationalization, and asset seizure Ukrnafta wants to manage Ukrnaftoburinnya, owned by Kolomoisky, Fuks, and Khomutynnik. On March 3, Ekonomichna Pravda (EP) reported that Ukrnaftas CEO Sergii Koretskyi asked the Ministry of Economy to hand the corporate rights of Ukrnaftoburinnya to Ukrnafta. The state previously took these corporate rights away from its owners. According to the registry, Ukrnaftoburinnyas ownership is split between Ares Systems Ltd (22.49%), Deripon Commercial Ltd (22.49%), JKX Ukraine B.V. (10%), and Ariana Business Limited (22.49%). According to the media, the company is associated with businessmen Ihor Kolomoisky, Pavlo Fuks, and Vitaliy Khomutynnik. Ukrnaftoburinnya is one of the largest private gas producers in Ukraine, producing 725.4 million cubic metres in 2021. According to EP, its 2021 net profit was Hr 5.65 billion ($). In 2022, it fell to Hr 3.77 billion ($). Ukrnaftas letter to the Ministry of Economy was dated April 27. In the letter, Koretskyi claims that Ukrnaftoburinnya was developing the Sakhalin oil and gas condensate field, but focused on gas production, although the oil reserves at the field are greater. Koretskyis letter says that Ukrnafta would be able to increase oil production in the Sakhalin area by 14% and increase gas production by an unstated amount. Ukrnafta also wants to take over Sirius-1 LLC, Sakhalinske LLC, and East Up Petroleum LLC, which are Ukrnaftoburinnyas partners in joint venture agreements in the Sakhalin field. Shares of these companies had been seized and given to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA). Meanwhile, EP reported that on May 3, the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv granted Ukrnaftoburinnyas motion to cancel seizure of Ukrnaftoburinnyas shares. The ruling of the investigating judge is not subject to appeal, the ruling states. The full text of the ruling will be published on May 8. However, on May 4, following a new motion of the Prosecutor Generals Office and the State Investigation Bureau (DBR), the court seized the corporate rights of Ukrnaftoburinnya and transferred these to ARMA again. In SOE Weekly (Issue 84), we reported that ARMA received all shares of Ukrnaftoburinnya after the asset was seized on April 7. The shares were seized in connection with a criminal investigation into the development of Ukraines largest explored gas field, the Sakhalin, in Kharkiv Oblast. See more about this case in Issue 84. Army of hired guns: How Russias PMCs are becoming the main invasion force Private armies are illegal in Russia, so naturally, Moscow has been using them for decades. Now, its making them the main invasion force. The rate at which Russia creates new private military company-like units sped up after 2014 but it really took off during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv IndependentIgor Kossov SOE Weekly Event Discussion: Stepping on the same rake Salary populism for the public sector. On May 4, the SOE Weekly hosted this discussion in co-operation with Ekonomichna Pravda. The speakers included: MP Volodymyr Tsabal and SOE Weeklys team members Andriy Boytsun, Oleksandr Lysenko, and Dmytro Yablonovskyi (moderator). As we reported in SOE Weekly (Issue 83), on April 10, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 8312. Among other things, this law set a salary cap of civil servants and SOE employees in wartime (effectively, Hr 67,000, or $). On April 11, MP Volodymyr Tsabal (secretary of the Radas budget committee, the Voice faction) proposed a draft parliamentary resolution to cancel the decision to adopt the above law. The events speakers discussed the negative consequences of such a cap, including its adverse effects on the corporate governance of SOEs and its inconsistency with Ukraines commitments under the EUs macro-financial assistance programme and the IMFs EFF programme. They also agreed that such limitations would not lead to any actual saving on budgetary costs. The recording of the discussion in Ukrainian is available here. The South Carolina State Capitol building in Columbia, S.C. on May 3, 2023. (Audra Melton/The New York Times) COLUMBIA, S.C. When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, advocates on either side presumed that the country would divide along the bright color lines: red states completely banning abortion, blue states protecting it. That prediction failed to anticipate the Sister Senators. The Sisters, as they call themselves, are the women in the South Carolina state Senate the only women: three Republicans, one Independent and one Democrat in a legislature that ranks 47th among states in the proportion of women. As a block, they are refusing to allow the legislature to pass a near-total ban on abortion, despite a Republican supermajority. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Three times in eight months, Republican leaders in the chamber have tried to ban abortion beginning at conception. Three times, the women have resisted, even as fellow Republicans have threatened primary challenges and anti-abortion activists have paraded empty strollers and groups of children heckling the women as baby killers. Before the most recent debate started in April, the anti-abortion group Students for Life dropped off gift bags at the offices of the three Republican women containing plastic spines, infant-size but intended to encourage the women to grow one, with notes signed, the pre-born. The women filibustered, taking the gifts to the podium on the Senate floor to declare themselves even more firmly in resistance. Ive got one hell of a spine already, but now Ive got another backup, Sen. Katrina Shealy said, flanked by the two other Republican women, all holding their plastic spines like trophies. After three days of debate, during which the women spoke for as long as four hours each at a time, Senate leadership acknowledged again that it did not have the votes to pass the ban. I dont think the Republican Party saw us coming, because we didnt do what they thought we were going to do, Shealy, the senior member of the group, said in an interview with the other women around a table in her Statehouse office. They thought we would do just what they told us to do. Story continues But as men argued that abortion was killing babies, the five women insisted that abortion bans are about controlling women and that they will not be controlled. They have argued that the ban reduces women to baby machines like the dystopia of The Handmaids Tale and rejected as ludicrous claims from male legislators that women use abortion as birth control. I dont believe any woman goes out on Friday night and has sex and gets pregnant so she can have an abortion the next day, Shealy said. The debate in South Carolina, a deeply red state where abortion for now remains legal up until 22 weeks, shows how much has not happened according to plan now that overturning Roe has made abortion bans a reality rather than a symbolic gesture or plank in a party platform. Many Republican-controlled states have outlawed abortion, largely through bans triggered by the Supreme Court decision in June. But states that were expected to have not, stopped by voters in ballot measures (Kansas and Kentucky), Republican legislators (South Carolina and Nebraska) or courts that have temporarily blocked bans, saying they are probably unconstitutional (Utah and Wyoming). Pro-life and pro-choice have proved muddy if not increasingly meaningless distinctions. And views on abortion have turned out to be far more nuanced than a red/blue divide: Polls show groups that might have been expected to generally back bans on abortion, Republican women among them, moving away from a desire to make most abortion illegal. Even in South Carolina, polls show most voters support some abortion access and disapprove of overturning Roe. Theres got to be gray area, said Sen. Penry Gustafson, another of the Republicans. The three Republican women are white, the two others Black, and all describe themselves as holding deep religious faith. They are all mothers, and several have fostered children or supported relatives or other young people through college, and they say their experience of pregnancy informs their views on abortion. All the women support the right to abortion, but with some restriction, although they vary on gestational limits: Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, a Democrat, and Sen. Mia McLeod, who left the Democratic Party this year, lean toward codifying Roe, which allowed some right to abortion up until fetal viability, around 24 weeks. Gustafson and Sandy Senn, the third Republican, would prefer to restrict abortion after the first trimester, with exceptions. Shealy said if it were up to her personally, she would leave the decision to women, their partners and their doctors: Women know whats best for their bodies. Still, she and other Republican women describe themselves as pro-life, not pro-choice. They proudly embrace the states Republican creed, which begins I do not choose to be a common man and includes a pledge to think and act for myself. They also believe that women should be allowed to think and act for themselves and that most would say that the decision on abortion should be left up to them. There are millions of women who feel like they have not been heard, Gustafson said during their filibuster last month. And thats why Ive been standing up here this long. Their positions hardly make them champions to reproductive rights groups. Two of the three Republican women, Shealy and Gustafson, voted in favor of a six-week ban, which the Senate passed. This is before most women know they are pregnant. The Republican women successfully insisted on adding exceptions for medical emergencies or cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal anomalies. They call it a compromise between the ban at conception and bills they put forward that would have placed the question of abortion rights to voters on the ballot or banned abortion after the first trimester, with exceptions. The Republican leadership in the Senate declined to put those measures to a vote. Senn voted no on the six-week bill, saying any ban should begin at the end of the first trimester, no earlier. The House has refused to vote on the six-week bill, holding out for the ban at conception, but still has until Thursday to do so. Instead, it has pressured the Senate to repeatedly vote on the ban at conception. Senate leadership has done so, despite having acknowledged it did not have the votes. If they had done it the one time, thats one thing, Senn said. But then a second time and a third time. They knew what the outcome was going to be. They were forewarned. Its like they dared them, agreed Matthews. Im like, Youre going to get it, Senn added. Youre going to get an earful. An earful she delivered: We the women have not asked for, nor do we want, your protection, she said, addressing her male colleagues on the floor, wearing flip-flops for comfort during the filibuster. We dont need it. We dont buy into the ruse that what you really want is to take care of us. Gustafson, elected in 2020, got her first taste of politics when a friend took her to a Tea Party rally in 2016. She had owned a restaurant and acted in community theater, including in the role originated by Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias, a classic film about strong Southern women. Banning at conception allows nothing for the in-between or things we cant even conceive of, she said. There are too many things that can happen. The women have found support from a few male Republicans in the chamber. But others have accused them of betraying the party by seeking bans short of one starting at conception. Im not willing to sit by and let the goal posts be moved for what it means to be pro-life for the Republican Party, Sen. Richard Cash said. As other states in the region have restricted abortion, the Republican women worry that South Carolina has become a destination for it. The number of abortions has risen since Roe was overturned, and nearly half are women coming from other states, according to state figures. The South Carolina legislature is an unexpected place to find so much talk of womens rights. It took until 1969 to formally ratify the 19th Amendment, which gave all U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Abortion rights supporters were shocked in January when the states highest court declared that privacy protections in the state Constitution extended to a right to abortion, overturning a six-week ban with limited exceptions. That opinion was written by the only woman on the court, who has since retired, and the legislature replaced her with a man. The Republican leadership is trying to pass the new six-week ban in the hopes the new court will overturn the decision. Shealy and Gustafson knocked off popular incumbents to win their seats; Shealy ran as a petition candidate against a Republican and wore bedazzled Wonder Woman sneakers to win it. (I still wear them when I get mad, she said.) A newspaper editorial at the time accused her of an over-eager desire to be liked. For three years, she was the only woman in the chamber, and leaders continued to address the body as Gentlemen of the Senate. One Republican colleague said women should be barefoot and pregnant, not in the legislature, and later told her women were a lesser cut of meat. Shealy, now chair of the committee on family and veterans services, is the self-described Mama Hen of the five women. Come, girls, she said, herding them to a photograph, Chop chop. Female legislators are still unusual enough to attract attention. The women! a lobbyist exclaimed as the quintet passed him on the escalator. I need to go with yall! A parent in the upstate region of South Carolina objected to The Handmaids Tale in a school library after Senn mentioned the book during the filibuster. But she and the other senators say most of their constituents agree with them. Senn said older women, in particular, have sent notes with small donations. One of them said, This old crone is proud of you. And women who staff the legislative offices have flashed them thumbs-up. One stopped McLeod as she got out of her car Wednesday. She said, Thank you for what you did last week, she said. Many of them work for Republican men. Matthews added, They always say, We cant say what we think. c.2023 The New York Times Company Press Release May 7, 2023 Hontiveros: Privatization not a "silver bullet" for PH airport issues, focus on better management Senator Risa Hontiveros on Sunday warned that the privatization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports will not be a "silver bullet" that will solve the deteriorating conditions in air terminals, saying that the government should instead focus on greater accountability and better management of local airports. The senator's statement came after several administration officials and lawmakers expressed their support for the privatization of NAIA operations in the wake of a recent power outage that disrupted dozens of flights in the nation's main international gateway. "Hindi "silver bullet" o tamang reseta ang privatization sa lumalalang problema ng palpak na serbisyo sa ating mga paliparan. This is an issue of performance and accountability - hindi gaganda ang serbisyo sa NAIA kahit pa pribadong sektor ang nagpapatakbo nito, kung wala namang reporma pagdating sa sistema ng pangangasiwa ng NAIA at ng iba pang paliparan sa bansa," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros pointed out that a private sector takeover of public utilities like airports does not automatically guarantee better services for the public, as evidenced by the country's experience with its privately operated water, electricity and rail systems. "Tingnan natin ng maigi ang nangyayari sa ating water, power at rail utilities, na ilang dekada nang privatized. Mahal na singil at paulit ulit na problema ang hatid ng mga utilities na iyan sa mamamayan," she said. She also noted a study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which reported that 5 out of 6 international airports (Hamad, Tokyo, Incheon, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Istanbul) which are rated best among the world are publicly owned and operated. "The majority of the best airports in the world remain state owned. There are plenty of good practices in airport operations for us to emulate, if the government is indeed serious about fixing our airports," Hontiveros added. "Instead of rushing towards privatization and deregulation, Malacanang and the Department of Transportation and its attached agencies should work towards ensuring clear lines of accountability and responsibility in relation to airport operations. Ayusin natin ang sistema ng pagpapatakbo ng NAIA, para hindi nauuwi sa turuan at kamot ng ulo ang pagtugon sa bawat isyu - mapa power outage man, mahabang pila, o aksidente sa paliparan," Hontiveros stressed. Hontiveros said she supports the call by House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto and other officials for an immediate technical system audit of NAIA operations so the government can proactively identify and address weaknesses. "Kung magkakaroon ng audit, malalaman natin kung ano yung mga proyektong dapat agarang paglaanan ng pondo, para na rin sa ikagaganda ng serbisyo sa NAIA," she said. For Hontiveros, insisting on deregulating or privatizing NAIA will create a "dangerous and reckless" mindset in government which is predisposed towards allowing private corporations to takeover public services instead of demanding better performance from public officials. "Sometimes, there is no alternative to demanding that our public officials actually do their jobs well. This is one of those cases. We should demand more from our public officials and not encourage further complacency in the bureaucracy by bringing in the private sector everytime our public officials are unable or unwilling to do their jobs," Hontiveros concluded. Imagine that your body just went through a physical trauma, perhaps needing major surgery. Recovery time will be months. While recovering, you are now responsible for a tiny human that depends on you for its every need. During this time, there is a good chance that you will experience mental health issues in addition to dealing with your physical recovery. On top of that, you either are not being paid or have limited paid leave while going through this. This is the reality for many families after the birth of a child. Despite widespread support, the United States currently has no national policy on paid parental leave; it is one of only six countries without such a policy. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 25% of employers offer parents some degree of paid parental leave. In Florida alone, 8.4 million employees do not have access to paid leave. Of those that do have access to paid parental leave, the average length of this leave is six to eight weeks. Time to birth a new narrative: Local grad student speaks out on link between race and maternal mortality Two sets of twins in a year: Florida couple calls first pair of babies the Alphas, second are the Bravos Letters: If you want less crime and other change in Jacksonville, you have to vote for it Both parents should have access to paid leave after the arrival of a child, whether it be through birth or adoption. The length of that leave should be long enough to allow the greatest benefits for the family. Studies have shown that paid parental leave is beneficial to children, parents and society. Benefits to children The American Psychological Association states that the first few months of a childs life are critical for healthy development. A childs brain development even future mental health depends on the social and emotional experiences that occur during this time. This is directly related to the time spent bonding with their parents. Longer paid parental leave results in fewer learning and behavioral problems. When both parents are involved, there are better long-term health and developmental outcomes for children. Story continues Benefits to parents Paid parental leave has physical and mental health benefits for parents. For women who have given birth, it provides necessary time to heal from the physical toll of pregnancy and childbirth. For all new parents, paid leave allows them to better adjust to the demands of parenthood and the potential effects it can have on your health. According to the American Psychological Association, parental leave results in better mental health outcomes, including lower levels of depression. The effects were even stronger when both parents were able to take leave. Studies show that a child's brain development and future mental health depends heavily on the social and emotional bonding that occurs in the first few months after childbirth. Longer paid leave can assist in providing better outcomes for many families. Paid leave also contributes to the overall stability of the family unit. It allows parents to focus on caring for and bonding with their child instead of worrying about whether they can pay their bills or the security of their job. Reducing financial stress allows parents to prioritize the well-being of their family. Paid parental leave also promotes gender equality as it allows fathers to play a greater role in childcare. Benefits to society By allowing the family to spend more time together, paid parental leave strengthens families which in turn strengthens our communities. The main argument against paid parental leave is the cost of parental leave policies. However, investing in paid parental leave would actually save money in the long run and benefit our economy. Access to paid parental leave could potentially reduce health care costs by billions of dollars each year. The Pew Research Center found that families without access to paid parental leave often go into debt or end up using public assistance programs just to make ends meet. The ideal solution would be a national paid parental leave program that supports all employees regardless of where you work, the type of job you have or your income level. As parents, we should educate ourselves on any paid leave policies proposed by Congress or at the state level. We need to advocate for ourselves and our families by letting our elected officials know the significance of this issue and urging them to vote in favor of paid leave policies. We, as parents, deserve better. Our children deserve better. All families should have access to paid parental leave not only for the benefit of the family unit but for the benefit of society. Colosimo Sara Colosimo, M.S. is a lecturer in the biology department and graduate student in the Master of Public Health program at the University of North Florida. This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: No paid family leave for millions of Florida employees and new parents The Florida State Capitol buildings in Tallahassee. Imagine you are living in a state that has very few state-level zoning restrictions on the building of industrial factories in any location. Learning about a plan to construct a manufacturing factory in proximity to your neighborhood, and worried about the environmental impact on residents, you and a group of concerned citizens organize a petition drive to mobilize residents and meet with city officials. After gaining popular support and convincing city council members, a local ordinance is passed prohibiting unrestricted industrial development. Other communities also organize campaigns to pass comparable local legislation to prevent industrial development in proximity to residential properties. At the same time, suppose a trade organization representing industrial manufacturers armed with professional lobbyists and generous campaign contributions heads to the state capital to lobby against such ordinances. David Jaffee: No magical solutions to Jacksonville affordable housing crisis What's next for JaxPort? CEO sees methodical growth as facility works to add more cars, cargo Letters: If you want less crime and other change in Jacksonville, you have to vote for it As a result, the Legislature passes a bill that nullifies and prohibits any local ordinances regulating industrial development. All your efforts have been for naught, and any community hoping to implement similar regulations should not waste their time. This is what is known as state preemption. Under state preemption, local governments are prohibited from implementing certain ordinances, even when supported by a majority of citizens and lawmakers in that jurisdiction. Today we are witnessing this anti-democratic process playing out on the question of tenant rights and protections. Because Florida has some of the weakest provisions regulating tenant-landlord relations in the nation, local governments have passed Tenants Bill of Rights to ensure basic protections related to discrimination, rent increases, lease renewals, arbitrary fees and evictions. Miami, Orlando, Tampa and St. Petersburg have all passed a Tenants Bill of Rights. Story continues Associations representing corporate landlords, apartment owners, Realtors and property management companies have organized to squash these ordinances. As a result, two pieces of corporate-backed legislation SB1586 and HB1417 are now before the state Legislature. With the stroke of a pen, these bills would void all existing tenant protection laws. It would also effectively extinguish the effort to pass a Tenants Bill of Rights in Jacksonville. A piece of local legislation that was included as one of the recommendations on affordable housing by the City Councils committee for Critical Quality of Life Issues. Proponents of the legislation claim that a confusing patchwork of different local regulations across the state, created by various tenant protection bills, disincentivizes the provision of affordable housing. If that were the primary concern, one obvious solution would be to pass statewide legislation that incorporates the central tenant protections and rights found in existing ordinances. But that argument is really a smokescreen hiding the true intent to protect the interests of corporate landlords, apartment owners and property managers. As preemptive legislation in Florida expands, citizens will come to realize that democratic civic engagement in local public affairs is futile. The consequence, perhaps intended, will be a politically silenced population. Further extinguishing any remaining semblance of home rule is the currently pending legislation (SB 170, HB 1515) that will allow any business to file a suit against a local government if they perceive a local ordinance to be arbitrary and unreasonable. With that we will witness the death knell of local democratic governance. Jaffee David Jaffee, Neptune Beach This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tenant protection, home rule threatened by pair of Florida bills The United States has high confidence in the veracity of Ukraine's statement that it used an American Patriot air defence system to intercept a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile. Source: CNN with reference to an informed source Details: CNN notes that while the Patriot system has been successful in countering ballistic missiles, its ability to stop air-launched hypersonic missiles was purely theoretical before last week. Ukraines intercept has now provided a real-world demonstration of that capability something that has been viewed within the Pentagon as a major development, the source said. The production of hypersonic ballistic missiles has always been challenging for Russia, and sanctions have only made it more difficult, according to CNN. But prior to last week, Russias calculus was that if it did use a hypersonic ballistic missile, whatever it was shooting at would assuredly get hit, the source said. This intercept has called that calculation into question. The fact that this intercept was conducted by a Ukrainian crew that was trained in Oklahoma, but had no US advisers on the battlefield, is even more of a feather in the cap for the Pentagon, the source added, calling it a major return on investment. The intercept also has likely caused a severe amount of uncertainty for Russia, raising the question of whether Ukraine is in possession of a sustainable countermeasure against hypersonic ballistic missiles, the source added. Background: The media outlet Defense Express, after analysing photos of the missile wreckage, suggested that a hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal missile was successfully shot down over Kyiv for the first time in the early hours of 4 May. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said that Ukraine's air defence did not shoot down a Russian ballistic missile in the skies over Kyiv on 4 May. On 6 May, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said that the Ukrainian military had indeed shot down a Russian Kinzhal missile. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D) said on Sunday that people need to really wake up in the wake of seven people being killed by a gunman at a Dallas-area outlet mall on Saturday. People need to really wake up. I mean, wake up to whats happening here. Its almost become some normal event for everybody. This is happening in your communities, and it can happen anywhere in the United States, Gutierrez said. And, certainly, its happening a tremendous amount in Texas, where Republican leaders have just allowed people to run free with AR-15s and any gun that they can get their hands on. Gutierrez represents the Texas town of Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers were shot to death at an elementary school last year. Seven people were pronounced dead on scene Saturday at the Allen, Texas, mall, and another two were pronounced dead at the hospital. At least seven other people were wounded, some critically. I have seen hundreds of hours of bodycam of what happened in Uvalde. And as much as you dont want people to see that in America, what happens, literally, their face is gone. I have seen two images like that in the Uvalde victims, where little girls faces are just gone, the rest of the childrens bodies riddled with the damage to mangled like you cant believe, the state lawmaker said. Police havent shared details about the shooter, who was reportedly killed on the scene, or the weapon, though images circulating online indicate the gunman used an AR-15. I have seen images on the internet that this was an AR-15. I cant confirm that as yet. Thats the other distinction here in Texas, Gutierrez said, and called out authorities for the delay in sharing information about the shooter and the weapon. Here in Texas, here we are yet again in another incident where were waiting a day, because I would imagine theyre pretty scared to tell us it was an AR-15. We already pretty much know that. Story continues Law enforcement came under scrutiny for the response to the Uvalde shooting after the Texas House committee that investigated the shooting found law enforcement waited for more than an hour outside the fourth grade classrooms, the shooter inside with the students. Later reporting found responders held off on confronting the shooter out of concern over the AR-15 rifle he used. Gutierrez compared living in Texas to living in communist Russia and called out Gov. Greg Abbott and other leaders and law enforcement for refus[ing] to tell us the truth as to whats going on here. This is not the Texas miracle that Greg Abbott likes to call it. Were living in a Texas nightmare, and its a nightmare that they created. Its a chaos that they created, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. UVALDE, Texas Arnulfo Reyes, the sole survivor of Classroom 111 at Robb Elementary School, says the district where he taught for more than a decade abandoned him in the year since a gunman killed 11 of his students and left him with injuries, both emotional and physical, that will never fully heal. He has heard only twice from Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Gary Patterson, with each phone call lasting less than five minutes, Reyes said. Pattersons predecessor, Hal Harrell, waited a month after the May 24 massacre to contact him. I refused him, because he had a whole month to visit me, Reyes said. Neither Patterson nor Harrell, who was the superintendent at the time of the shooting, responded to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the school district did not reply to multiple phone calls and emails. Theyve never really given support, said Reyes, 46. They just forgot us. Image: A composite of photos of all of the victims, 19 children and two teachers, who were killed in the mass shooting at an Uvalde elementary school in 2022. (Chandan Kanna / AFP via Getty Images file; NBC News) The school district has been criticized for renewing contracts for several employees and administrators who were accused of mishandling communications with parents the day of the shooting. Parents have also complained about being silenced during heated school board meetings and being banned from school district property. Although several parents sued the school district and police for how they handled the shooting, including waiting 77 minutes before they entered the two classrooms where the gunman was holed up and shooting with a high-powered rifle, Reyes chose not to. He said suing would not benefit his recovery. Instead, he and more than a dozen other plaintiffs filed a civil claim against the deceased shooter, his family and companies that made security and communications equipment used in the response. They should have protected the school a long time ago before it even happened, Reyes said of district officials. I dont think theyll change, unfortunately. He is seeking at least $1 million in damages, which could rise as he accumulates more medical bills, said his lawyer, Mark DiCarlo. Story continues Reyes has undergone 11 operations since the rampage in Uvalde, about 80 miles west of San Antonio. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed, unleashing a torrent of grief, anger and lingering questions in the close-knit community. Image: Mourners hug at a memorial for the victims in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022. (Liz Moskowitz for NBC News) As law enforcement officers waited in the hallway for more than an hour for a better-equipped Border Patrol SWAT team to arrive, Reyes lay on the floor of his classroom surrounded by dead and dying children. He wondered when help would come and hoped at least some of the students he told to play dead survived. None did. Reyes was shot multiple times in an arm, his back and a lung. A titanium rod connects his elbow to his wrist, where the bone was shattered. Sleep eludes him. Most days, the only interaction he has with people is during one of his many medical appointments. Reyes, who lives alone with his Chihuahua, has spent most of the year secluded from the greater community, rarely leaving his home and only occasionally allowing close friends and family members to visit, he said. He shops for groceries early in the morning before customers, with their sideways glances and hushed whispers, fill the aisles. He said he hates being the subject of gossip, and he has shied away from media interviews in recent months. Locked away in his home, Reyes questions whether he could have done something differently on that gruesome day. He has replayed the afternoon countless times in his mind, sometimes breaking into sobs and crying until he is exhausted. I try to keep myself busy with little projects, just trying to change my mindset to think about the happy times I had with them how they acted, how they talked, Reyes said. Sometimes it does beat me. I sob and try to let it out. The feeling he cannot shake, he said, is that of abandonment, by the responding law enforcement officers who waited more than 70 minutes to take down the shooter and then by the school district that has been absent during his recovery. I thought they would have been more caring, more compassionate, he said. I feel like I never even worked for them, like Im nobody. Im nobody to them. His fear keeps him mostly homebound, and he wonders whether anyone would come to his rescue if he were in a car accident or experienced a medical emergency. He is ambivalent about returning to work in a school district that has banned angry parents from board meetings and seemingly offers few resources to survivors. Reyes said his sole comfort is knowing he is a champion for his students and the others at Robb Elementary. I have to be a voice for my 11 students, he said. But I do mean all of them. We have to be a voice for them. Image: The empty playground at Robb Elementary School on April 25. (Jordan Vonderhaar for NBC News) This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A verified GoFundMe hub called How to Help: Allen, Texas Mall Shooting has been established for people who want a safe destination for their donated money. The hub includes accounts such one from VictimsFirst, an advocacy group for victims of mass shootings. The advocacy group will work with local victim advocates in Allen to distribute all of the money collected directly to victims. The names of the victims, including children, hadnt been made public as of Sunday afternoon. Our hearts go out to the victims, families, and first responders impacted by the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas, according to GoFundMe in a statement. To make it easier for people who want to support those affected, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub housing all verified fundraisers related to the shooting. A gunman dressed in black tactical gear, identified as Mauricio Garcia, drove to the Allen Premium Outlet stores Saturday afternoon and opened fire on unsuspecting shoppers, killing at least eight people and sending others to hospitals. The incident falls squarely within the parameters of a mass shooting as defined by the U.S. government. Mass killings have been a regular feature in Texas life for the past 16 years, according to a database of mass killings in the U.S. since 2006. The study shows 2,087 people were killed in 551 mass killings during that time. In Texas, 228 people were murdered in that time, and 215 of the victims were killed in shootings. That is 7.9% of all victims of mass killings in the United States. The remodeled Tiffany & Co. flagship store. Avery Hartmans/Insider Tiffany & Co. reopened its New York City flagship, called The Landmark, on April 28 after four years of renovations. I visited the store a few days after it opened. It was filled with eager customers admiring five floors of Tiffany jewelry, accessories, and home decor. While the jewelry was stunning, the museum-quality art and the luxurious architecture were the best parts keep reading to find out what the store is like inside. While the Tiffany Landmark might be brand new, Tiffany & Company is a 186-year-old business the first Tiffany store opened in New York City 1837. An illustration of the interior of a Tiffany's store in New York City in 1879. Kean Collection/Getty Images Source: Tiffany & Co. The jeweler opened its flagship Fifth Avenue location in 1940. The store was opened "without any ceremony," but 12,000 shoppers still visited on opening day, The New York Times reported. The "silver floor" at Tiffany's New York City flagship, circa 1955. Sherman/Three Lions/Getty Images Source: The New York Times Tiffany and its Fifth Avenue store were immortalized in the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" starring Audrey Hepburn. Hepburn's style in the film not to mention her adoration of the brand catapulted Tiffany to icon status. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Photo by Paramount Pictures/Getty Images Source: Tiffany & Co. In 2019, Tiffany began a gut renovation of its flagship store and moved into a temporary space next door, an old Niketown store. The company unveiled renderings of the exterior a year later that included a glass addition and an eighth-floor roof deck. A rendering of the Tiffany flagship by architecture firm OMA. OMA/Bloomimages.de Source: The New York Times Soon after, there was a major shake-up inside Tiffany's: French luxury giant LVMH bought the company for $15.8 billion, adding the jeweler to its stable of high-end brands, which includes Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Dom Perignon. The Fifth Avenue Tiffany's store in 2019. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Source: Insider Now, roughly four years after renovations began, Tiffany's flagship has reopened with a new name The Landmark and new leaders at the helm: CEO Anthony Ledru and Executive Vice President Alexandre Arnault, son of LVMH chief exec Bernard Arnault. Alexandre Arnault, Gal Gadot, and Anthony Ledru perform a ribbon-cutting at the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store grand re-opening on April 26, 2023. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP The new store opened on April 28, and Tiffany hosted multiple celebrity-studded events to celebrate, including a ribbon-cutting with "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot and a party attended by stars like Michael B. Jordan, Blake Lively, and Florence Pugh. Story continues Michael B. Jordan attends the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store grand re-opening event on April 27, 2023. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Source: Harper's Bazaar Pop star Katy Perry decked out in jewels, of course performed for party-goers. Katy Perry attends the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store grand re-opening event on April 27, 2023. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Source: Vogue After all that fanfare, I had to check out the new flagship for myself. I arrived at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street around 11:30 a.m. the store had only been open for a half-hour, but there was already a line outside, waiting behind Tiffany-blue velvet ropes. The exterior of The Landmark on Fifth Avenue. Avery Hartmans/Insider I stood in line for five minutes or so, and even though I'd brought an umbrella, I was grateful for the tents outside (thanks, Tiffany's!). When I got to the front of the line, an employee bagged my umbrella for me so it didn't drip on the floors. There were about 10 people ahead of me in line outside The Landmark. Avery Hartmans/Insider The first floor of the store was dedicated to iconic Tiffany jewelry, like Bone Cuff bracelets and "Bird on a Rock" brooches. The windows inside weren't actually windows at all they were digital displays of what looked like Central Park, complete with blooming flowers and bejeweled birds. A view of the ground floor of Tiffany's The Landmark. Avery Hartmans/Insider I had several more floors to check out, so I headed to the elevators. Hanging in the elevator bank was a Tiffany-blue painting by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat Jay-Z and Beyonce fans might recognize it from their 2021 Tiffany ad campaign. The painting "Equals Pi" by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Avery Hartmans/Insider Source: Tiffany The elevator took me to the fifth floor first, which was packed with customers admiring cases of sterling silver heart tag bracelets if you were a teenage girl in the early 2000s, you probably remember them well. The fifth floor also housed racks of silk scarves ... My favorite of the scarves were printed with the "Bird on a Rock" pattern by designer Jean Schlumberger. Avery Hartmans/Insider ... brightly colored Tiffany handbags ... These heart-shaped mini tote bags retail for $1,700. Avery Hartmans/Insider ... and an homage to Audrey Hepburn and "Breakfast at Tiffany's." The movie's theme song, "Moon River," played on a loop and Hepburn's black gown from the film was displayed behind glass. Audrey Hepburn's character, Holly Golightly, eats a croissant in perpetuity on the fifth floor of Tiffany's. Avery Hartmans/Insider Next, I headed down to the fourth floor, and rather than take the elevator, I descended the mirrored staircase that spirals through the heart of the building. The staircase was inspired by legendary jewelry designer Elsa Peretti, according to The New York Times. The mirrors in the stairwell had a trippy effect, making anyone walking down them appear in duplicate. Avery Hartmans/Insider Source: The New York Times The fourth floor specialized in gold and diamonds, and the first thing I noticed was this celestial chandelier suspended above the jewelry. An employee told me it was inspired by the drawings by Jean Schlumberger, another iconic Tiffany jewelry artist. This chandelier was one of my favorite parts of the entire store. Avery Hartmans/Insider I decided to head up to the sixth floor next, which houses home goods. Tiffany dinnerware was displayed to look like Tiffany was expecting a dinner party at any moment, and I noticed that no detail was spared even the floral arrangements were real. These cups look like paper coffee cups, but they're bone china and cost $170. Avery Hartmans/Insider The sixth floor was also home to some incredible art, including this untitled painting by artist Julian Schnabel and an installation of a dinner table set with custom Tiffany-blue plates. Artist Julian Schnabel's work is displayed on the sixth floor of Tiffany's. Avery Hartmans/Insider Source: The Wall Street Journal Nearby, some of Tiffany's most well-known window displays had been recreated, including this one from 1963 by legendary window dresser Gene Moore. Upside-down cones made "marvelous holders for rings and bracelets," Moore said, according to the plaque. Avery Hartmans/Insider This one from 1970 features hypnotizing rows of flatware try to spot the one fork that doesn't match the others. The "wrong fork" was placed to "see if the observers are really observing," designer Gene Moore said, according to a plaque. Avery Hartmans/Insider The sixth floor also houses, appropriately, Tiffany's restaurant, the Blue Box Cafe. It was operational when I visited the breakfast smells were wafting onto the sales floor but a blue velvet rope barred people from entering. Tiffany's Blue Box Cafe opened in 2017 so customers could truly have "breakfast at Tiffany's." Avery Hartmans/Insider Source: Insider Up on the seventh floor, I peeked in the Patek Philippe boutique, which displayed high-end watches. This was among the quietest of the floors it seemed like anyone who wanted to check out a watch needed to make an appointment. The seventh floor houses a Patek Phillippe boutique and a jewelry workshop. Avery Hartmans/Insider The eighth floor was also closed off, so I began to head back down. If you visit the flagship store, skip the elevator if you're able the staircase is truly breathtaking, and even the railing is wrapped in a luxurious leather. This seventh-floor view offered me a glimpse of the statue down below. Avery Hartmans/Insider I finished my visit on the third floor, which specializes in engagement rings. I was greeted by a towering Venus statue created by artist Daniel Arsham. This 12-foot-tall statue is titled "Bronze Eroded Venus of Arles." Avery Hartmans/Insider Source: The Wall Street Journal The third floor was truly filled with art, from the foiled ceiling an homage to Andy Warhol's Factory to a mirrored, ceiling-height installation by artist Rashid Johnson. The ceiling at Andy Warhol's Factory was famously covered in aluminum foil. Avery Hartmans/Insider Source: The Wall Street Journal It also housed one of my favorite displays of the day, a Valentine's Day-themed window of arrows in the shape of a heart, framing a gigantic yellow diamond engagement ring. This window display was from Valentine's Day 2014. Avery Hartmans/Insider At this point, I'd begun to notice how friendly all the Tiffany employees were and how many were stationed throughout the store. I'd been greeted on every floor I visited and several people had taken the time to show me around or explain the art and architecture in detail. The "rose room" on the third floor houses art by Rashid Johnson. Avery Hartmans/Insider I also realized that for the whole hour I wandered the store, I forgot that it was storming outside Tiffany really had transported me to a lavish world where everything glitters and pesky things like rain don't exist. An employee recommended I stand behind the Venus statue to get this cool view. Avery Hartmans/Insider Still, it was eventually time to head out. As I headed toward the exit, a smiling employee spun the revolving door for me, ushering me out to Fifth Avenue and back to real life. The Tiffany & Co. Landmark on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Avery Hartmans/Insider Read the original article on Business Insider A Texas teenager was shot and killed while sitting in a parked vehicle with his mother, Houston police told news outlets. The mother and son were in the parking lot of an apartment complex on the citys south side when the shooting happened, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, police told KPRC. The 16-year-old was sitting in the passenger seat when another vehicle pulled up in front of them and opened fire, police told KHOU. At least five shots were fired, and one hit the teen in the head. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died, KTRK reported. His mother was not injured. While its not clear what led to the shooting, police say an investigation is underway. Feud between parents ends with mom shooting woman outside school, Michigan officials say Kids had front row seat for home invasion that left father of 5 dead, Ohio cops say 2-year-old shot in head after accidentally knocking gun off shelf, Texas family says Man pauses date to kill parking lot scammer, then returns to restaurant, Texas cops say Russian businessman and Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin at an economic forum in 2016. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images The leader of the Wagner fighters said they would not retreat from Bakhmut after being promised ammo. On Sunday, Yevgeny Prigozhin said he would get "as much ammunition and weapons as we need." Prigozhin had threatened to withdraw his mercenaries after a rift with Russia's military chiefs. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, said that his troops are no longer planning to withdraw from Bakhmut after Moscow agreed to send as much ammunition as needed. Prigozhin had issued an expletive-ridden message to Russia's military leaders, blaming them for deliberately depriving his mercenary fighters of ammunition and threatening to withdraw on May 10. He has for several months complained publicly of "shell hunger," which he said was causing the group to suffer heavy losses. Wagner Group fighters have played a key role in bloody fighting in the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine for months. But in an audio message posted on Telegram on Sunday, Prigozhin said he had been promised the crucial supplies. "Overnight, we received a combat order for the first time in all this time," he said, according to a translation by the Associated Press. "We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. We have been promised that everything needed," he added. Prigozhin also said that Russia's defense ministry had assigned General Sergei Surovikin to work with Wagner, who oversaw the Ukraine war for several months before General Valery Gerasimov took over the role. "This is the only man with the star of an army general who knows how to fight," he said. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia's 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 The outspoken Prigozhin and Russia's military leaders have been feuding for months. The Wagner chief often publicly criticizes them for not supporting his fighters and arguing over who can take credit for Russian victories in the war. Recent leaked Pentagon documents shared by National Guard airman Jack Teixeira revealed analysis suggesting Russia's military leadership has struggled to deal with Prigozhin. It has previously appealed to President Vladimir Putin to intervene, per the Washington Post. The Wagner Group had become a major power player in the war, scoring some publicized wins in Ukraine when Russia's invasion was floundering. Read the original article on Business Insider Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner In his message, Kadyrov stated that he and Prigozhin were "whipped into shape" by Vladimir Putin. Read also: Prigozhin says Wagner mercenaries will leave Bakhmut on May 10 due to lack of ammunition "I am sorry that my brother behaves like this," he said. He, I and all of us were whipped into shape by one person Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, so we owe him our livesZhenya, you will be on the defense until we reach the positions. And when we start attacking, only then will we determine where you should go next. I am telling you by the code of the underworld you have to do this, that, and the other. Read also: Russia attacks Bakhmut with phosphorous munitions video Kadyrov also told Prigozhin that "people will contact him and explain. At the same time, on May 7, Prigozhin reported that he had received a "combat order" promising ammunition and weapons in sufficient quantities to continue the offensive in Bakhmut. Earlier, Kadyrov wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking for permission to send units of the Chechen special forces Akhmat to Bakhmut instead of the Wagner PMC. Read also: Kadyrov says his men stand ready to replace Wagner troops in Bakhmut The fact was made public by Kadryrov in the evening of May 6, a few days after Prigozhin announced his intention to withdraw his units from Bakhmut due to an alleged shortage of ammunition. 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 David Zaslav attends NRDC's "Night Of Comedy" in 2022, in New York City. Santiago Felipe/Getty Images Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO said he thinks a "love for working" will end the writers' strike. David Zaslav also said the 10,000 striking writers deserved to be paid fairly. Zaslav was criticized by a striking writer on CNN last week for his near-$250 million comp packet. The CEO of media giant Warner Bros. Discovery says he thinks the widespread writers' strike will be ended by writers' "love of storytelling and lover for working." Speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box Friday, David Zaslav was asked what, apart from time, would bring writers back "I think a love for the business and the love for working," Zaslav told Squawk Box. "We all came into this business because we love storytelling, we want to entertain and when we're at our best, we get a chance to have an impact on the culture. "Almost all of us got into this business, you know, with a lot of sacrifice in order to to be part of that journey. And so that's what's gonna bring us together." Around 10,000 writers belonging to the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) are striking because of stagnating wages, rising living costs, and a significant drop in the average number of episodes being aired per season of a show. Meanwhile, the transition to streaming has effectively wiped out the traditional revenue stream of TV residuals royalty payments. They argue this has occurred during a time of soaring profits as legacy broadcasters reap rewards from their switch to streaming services. While Zaslav lent into emotive arguments to end the strike, he did also suggest writers deserved a better pay package. "In order to create great storytelling, we need great writers," Zaslav said in the interview. "And we need the whole industry to work together and everybody deserves to be paid fairly." But tensions are growing between TV executives, who have seen their pay swell in recent years, and writers reportedly struggling to make ends meet. Story continues Speaking on Tuesday to CNN, writer and WGA member Adam Conover called out Zaslav's near $250 million compensation package in 2021, most of which came from an intermittent stock option. He earned around $39 million last year. "That's about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively," Conover said in reference to Zaslav's 2021 pay packet. "So I would say if you're being paid $250 million these companies making enormous amounts of money, their profits are going up, it's ridiculous for them to plead poverty." Conover added: "If you look at these companies, they're making more money than ever. It's the people who make the shows for them that are making less." Warner Bros. Discovery didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Warren Buffett CNBC/YouTube Warren Buffett compared AI to the creation of the atom bomb at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. Buffett has long spoken about his fears around nuclear war keeping him up at night. The legendary investor said AI can "change everything in the world except how men think and behave." Warren Buffett compared artificial intelligence to the creation of the atom bomb, becoming the latest high-profile business figure to express alarm about the rapid advancement of the technology. Speaking at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting, Buffett was both skeptical of AI's capacity to replace humans and cognizant of how much the technology can already do. Though stating that the tech currently had limits, like not being able to tell convincing jokes, he said: "It can do all kinds of things. And when something can do all kinds of things, I get a little bit worried." "We did invent for very, very good reason, the atom bomb. And, World War Two, it was enormously important that we did so. But is it good for the next 200 years of the world that the ability to do so has been unleashed?" Buffett paraphrased a quote from Albert Einstein after the splitting of the atom, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb. Einstein indicated the bomb had "changed everything save our modes of thinking." "With AI, it can change everything in the world, except how men think and behave, and that's a big step to take," Buffett concluded. Buffett has long been a vocal opponent of nuclear weapons, reinforcing the weight of its comparison with AI. He has made several comments about its dangers spanning decades, saying he would give all his money to reducing the probability of attacks if he knew how. In an April interview with CNBC's Squawk Box, the "Sage of Omaha" said the prospect of another pandemic or nuclear war kept him up at night, rather than the success of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett's comments follow the resignation of the so-called "Godfather of AI" from Google last week. Geoffrey Hinton told the New York Times about his worried that it was too late to reign in the technology's excesses. Story continues In an interview with Reuters, Hinton said AI's threat to the world could be more urgent than climate change. Read Insider's coverage of Berkshire Hathaway's annual conference here. Read the original article on Business Insider The Telegraph It was a curious sight. Russias annual Victory Day parade, a display of military might and a celebration of its role in defeating Nazi Germany, could only muster a solitary T-34. The serried ranks of tanks seen in recent years were absent; many of them will be lying burned out in the Donbas. Putins speech, meanwhile, was desperate, even delusional. He claimed civilisation was at a decisive turning point; that a real war has been unleashed against Russia; that the West seeks the disintegra WEST PALM BEACH City police arrested two Colombian women found with six stolen cellphones at the SunFest music festival Saturday, according to the West Palm Beach Police Department. Officers found the two women while still at the festival and arrested them for grand theft and resisting an officer with violence both of which are felony charges. The cellphones were returned to the victims, who identified the women as the suspected thieves. Police have not identified either woman or said what prompted the resisting arrest charge. Both women refused to tell officers their names and were taken to the police department headquarters, the agency said. Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Police: Women caught stealing cellphones at SunFest Saturday We asked the public how to name Kansas Citys fabulous new airport terminal, and the public has spoken: Soon, travelers will be flying in and out of Pork Butt International. OK, maybe not, but Kansas City barbecue was the runaway winner of our highly unscientific poll asking readers who or what deserves the honor. Smoked meat got 31% of the vote, with Negro Leagues great Buck ONeil and The City of Fountains trailing behind more than 10 percentage points apiece. Other contenders Charlie Bird Parker, Walt Disney, former Mayor Sly James all came in with totals in the single digits. We wont name the local celeb who garnered only seven votes, a statistical goose egg. The whole thing was in good fun, and we cant help but crack a smile that the winner echoed a recent Star guest commentary by local blogger Devan Dignan, who suggested giving the nod to Kansas City Barbecue King Henry Perry, the Black pitmaster entrepreneur whose pushcart paved the way for the institutions of Arthur Bryants and Gates Bar-B-Q. Whatever name eventually graces the new KCI, it wont likely be meaty. But we hope the powers that be conduct their own much more comprehensive study of what Kansas Citians want, and choose a moniker befitting the airport it graces. A Wisconsin officer was killed in the line of duty Saturday after being shot by a potentially drunken driver, authorities say. St. Croix County Sheriffs Deputy Kaitie Leising , 29, was dispatched around 6:15 p.m. local time to the township of Glenwood on a report that a potentially drunken driver was in a ditch, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a news release. When Leising arrived at the scene, she asked the driver, Jeremiah D. Johnson, to participate in field sobriety tests. After about eight minutes of dialogue between the two, Johnson drew a handgun and shot her, the state DOJ said. St. Croix County Sheriffs Deputy Kaitie Leising was killed in the line of duty Saturday after getting shot by a potentially drunken driver. Leising shot at Johnson three times before he fled to the nearby wooded area. None of the rounds hit Johnson. Witnesses who had stopped to assist the driver in the ditch helped Leising before officers arrived. Authorities transported the deputy to a local hospital where she later died. Officers searched the woods near the scene and found Johnson an hour after the shooting incident. According to the release, an officer witnessed Johnson die from a self inflicted gunshot wound. 'We will miss her infectious smile and personality' Leising, 29, joined St. Croix County Sheriffs Office in 2022 after serving at the Pennington County Sheriffs Office in South Dakota for two years. Officers escorted Leising from the medical examiner's office in Ramsey County, Minnesota to the funeral home. Deputies and officers will stand vigil by her side until the services are complete, the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Our love and condolences go out to the family of Kaitie Leising and all those with whom she served. We, as a law enforcement family, will do everything possible to continue to provide support and comfort to her family," the sheriff's office said. "We will miss her infectious smile and personality. She will be missed by all she touched." Investigation underway The Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident. The DCI will be assisted by the Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Crime Lab and a DCI Crime Response Specialist. Story continues DCI is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the St. Croix County District Attorney when the investigation concludes, the state DOJ said in the release. The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office Facebook page updated its profile photo to a sheriffs badge with a black ribbon draped over it. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wisconsin shooting: St. Croix sheriff's deputy killed in Glenwood City A missing woman in Australia was rescued after five days in the remote wilderness. Victoria Police Twitter Screenshot A woman lost in the wilderness of Victoria, Australia, was rescued after five days, police said. Lillian took a wrong turn while on vacation and was stuck in her car without cell phone service. She had lollipops and a bottle of wine to sustain her until authorities found her. A woman who was lost in the remote bushland in Victoria, Australia, was safely rescued after surviving five days on lollipops and a bottle of wine, authorities said on Saturday. The 48-year-old woman, referred to by police only as Lillian, took a wrong turn trying to drive to Dartmouth Dam while on vacation. After hitting a dead-end, her car became stuck while she was trying to turn around. There was no cell phone service in the area, so she could not call for help. After her loved ones didn't hear from her, authorities embarked on an extensive search of the area for several days. Aerial footage posted on Twitter by Victoria Police shows the moment authorities in a helicopter spotted her car in the hilly terrain as Lillian waved up to the camera. "Lillian was found a good 60 kilometers away from the nearest town, and due to health issues, she was unable to try and walk for help, so stayed with her car," Wodonga Police Station Sergeant Martin Torpey said in a statement, adding she had the "great common sense" not to "wander off." As she was only planning a short day trip, Lillian had "only taken a couple of snacks and lollies with her but no water." Luckily, she happened to have a bottle of wine she had bought as a gift for her mother, which "got her through," Torpey said. Read the original article on Insider By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - The World Food Programme (WFP) will suspend food aid to over 200,000 Palestinians from next month due to a "severe" shortage of funds, the group's senior official for the Palestinian territories said on Sunday. "In light of the severe funding shortages, WFP is forced to make painful choices to stretch the limited resources," Samer Abdeljaber, the WFP's country director, he told Reuters by phone from Jerusalem. "WFP would have to start suspending assistance to over 200,000 people, which is 60 percent of its current case load, from June." The most impacted families are in Gaza, where food insecurity and poverty are the highest, and in the West Bank. The United Nations agency offers impoverished Palestinians both monthly vouchers with a value of $10.30 per person and food baskets. Both programs will be affected. Gaza, which has been run by the Islamist Hamas group since 2007, is home to 2.3 million people, of which 45 percent are unemployed and 80 percent depend on international aid, according to Palestinian and U.N. records. "WFP understands the implications of this unavoidable and hard decision on hundreds of thousands of people who also depend on food assistance for their most basic needs," said Abdeljaber. Citing security concerns with the enclave's Hamas rulers, Israel has led a blockade together with Egypt that has put restrictions on the movement of people and goods for years. The U.N. agency will continue its aid to 140,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank, said Abdeljaber, who added the suspension decision was taken to save those who are at the highest risk of not being able to afford their food. Unless funding is received, WFP will be forced to suspend food and cash assistance entirely by August, he said. Chanting "No to Hunger" dozens of Palestinians staged a protest outside the WFP offices in Gaza City to protest the decision. Story continues "The voucher is life, the message they sent us equals death since there is no other source of income," said Faraj Al-Masri, a father of two, whose family gets vouchers worth $41.20 per month. In Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, Jamalat El-Dabour, whose family receives $164.80 worth of vouchers per month, said they will "starve to death" as her husband was sick and unemployed. (Reporting and writing by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Mike Harrison) Police officers watch as protesters gather in the Broadway-Lafayette subway station to protest the death of Jordan Neely on May 3 in New York. Jake Offenhartz/AP Jordan Neely was on a "Top 50" list maintained by NYC outreach workers, The New York Times reported. It means workers identified Neely as someone who was homeless and in need of urgent assistance. Neely died at the hands of Daniel Penny, an ex-Marine who put Neely in a chokehold on the subway. Jordan Neely, the 30-year-old homeless man killed on a New York City subway by a fellow passenger last week, had a history fraught with personal loss and struggle, according to outreach workers who tried to help him over the years. Neely's mother was brutally murdered when he was young, and he later fought drug addiction. Police have arrested Neely multiple times over the years, and he was on a "Top 50" list maintained by New York City outreach workers who help the city's homeless, The New York Times reported. His presence on the list meant he was considered to be in urgent need of assistance, the Times reported. He was taken to the hospital on several occasions, both voluntarily and involuntarily, and he used K2, an often-abused strain of synthetic marijuana, outreach workers told the Times. In the summer of 2019, an outreach worker noted that Neely had lost a significant amount of weight and would sleep upright, the Times reported. His behavior had become erratic. One worker said he threatened to kill a subway booth agent but disappeared before help arrived. Neely had more than three dozen arrests, many of which were for trespassing or subway fare evasion. But at least four arrests came after he was accused of punching people. Two such instances were in the subway system, according to the Times. Witnesses to Neely's death on May 1 said though he was yelling, he hadn't assaulted anyone in the subway car, the Times previously reported. Neely died after 24-year-old Daniel Penny, an ex-Marine, put him in a chokehold a maneuver that can be deadly and is prohibited among New York City police officers. Penny's attorneys said in a statement that Neely was "aggressively threatening" Penny and other passengers. The attorneys added that Penny "never intended" to cause any harm. Story continues Penny has not been arrested and has yet to face any criminal charges. Meanwhile, Neely's death has sparked protests in the city. Before he was on the most-watched list among outreach workers, Neely was known around town for his Michael Jackson impersonation, something he leaned into after the death of his mother when he was only 14, according to the Times. Neely lived with his mother until she disappeared in 2007. Her body was found strangled and hidden in a suitcase in the Bronx, and her boyfriend was charged with murder, according to the Times. At the subsequent trial, Neely said his mother and her boyfriend had a "crazy" relationship with a "fight every day," the Times reported. After his mother's death, Neely dropped out of his Manhattan high school and began performing in costume as the King of Pop on the subway. "Everyone called him Michael Jackson," Wilson Leon, a former classmate, told the Times. "The Michael Jackson of Washington Irving." Read the original article on Insider Dozens of protestors block the subway rail at the Jay Street-Borough Hall subway station on December 21, 1987. Ricky Flores In 1987 Ricky Flores captured protesters in a subway tunnel after the death of an unarmed Black man. On Saturday, people did the same for Jordan Neely, a Black man who was killed on a subway car. Flores was shocked to see the new images, which he said have many parallels to his photo. Picture this: it's December 21, 1987, and crowds of protesters have gathered in the New York City subway to protest the unjust death of a 23-year-old Black man named Michael Griffith, who died in Howard Beach, Queens, after a group of white men violently beat him and his friends. In a highly unusual move, the group climbs down into the Jay Street/Borough Hall station tracks to disrupt operations. The moment is memorialized in a photograph. Over 35 years later, a similar moment occurred: On Saturday, protesters in New York City hopped on a subway track, chanting "no justice, no peace" to protest the death of Jordan Neely, who was choked by a 24-year-old Marine vet named Daniel Penny on Monday. Ricky Flores, who captured the historic 1987 photo, told Insider that when a fellow photojournalist showed him the photos of Saturday's protest, it felt like history was coming "full circle." "There was a sense of those two events crashing together," Flores told Insider. Protesters entered the tracks around 6 p.m. at the Lexington/63rd Street subway station. The action resulted in train operations being halted for nearly an hour. "Jumping on tracks is dangerous, reckless and can be life-threatening," NYC Transit President Richard Davey said in a statement obtained by Insider. "While peaceful protest has always been part of American fabric, endangering transit workers and other responders, while also delaying New Yorkers just trying to get where they need to go, by deliberately risking contact with an electrified third rail, is unacceptable." Story continues A spokesperson for the NYPD said arrests were made but could not provide any more details about the protest action. The New York Post reported at least seven arrests were made, according to law enforcement sources. 'Nobody knew they were gonna do that' Flores, a longtime photojournalist who has captured many important events in New York City, told Insider he rarely sees people occupying the rails themselves. Still, the subway is often used as a place to protest even back in the day. Around the time he took his photograph, Flores said many people were organizing to call into question police tactics used against Black and Latino communities. On the day of the Howard Beach protest, led by Reverend Al Sharpton and multiple high-profile civil rights leaders, 500 people marched the streets of Brooklyn, and 150 of them made their way to the subway tunnel, according to a UPI article from the time. After occupying the rails, four subway lines had to be shut down. Before hopping down to the rails, protesters yelled, "No Peace! No Peace!" UPI reported. A police officer also warned protesters through a bullhorn that the power was still running on the tracks, to which Sharpton replied: "The power is still on in our community." Flores told Insider that the protesters split into three highly organized groups on that day. He decided to follow the one he knew was most radical. This was the group that ended up jumping onto the tracks. "Nobody knew they were gonna do that," Flores said. "And it was clearly planned and well thought out because they had to organize their people. It was a radical approach to protesting we hadn't seen before." Fast forward to 2023, and Flores says it's striking that the same types of conversations on racism, policing, homelessness, and the policy that shapes it all continue to dominate national politics. And that New York City is once again the epicenter of these conversations. On Saturday morning, Sharpton took to the podium at an event for the National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by Sharpton, to urge that Penny, the man who choked Neely, be charged for his death. "You're not going to choke this young man to death and not let us stand up and raise our voices," Sharpton said, according to the New York Daily News. "From a civil rights point of view, we are petitioning the choker and the two folks helping him are all brought before a grand jury." Flores said that despite it appearing like history is repeating itself, he's seen a tonal shift especially in the media as to how people view Neely's death versus how many people reacted to the death of Griffith. Flores pointed out, for example, that there were more white people at today's protest than he was used to seeing in the '80s. Flores said he hopes protesters will see real change this time around. "It's just a crazy, crazy, crazy feeling to experience that again," Flores said. "And a lot of these problems we should have been done with. Opioids, addiction, we shouldn't have this problem. This problem was dealt with effectively back in the '60s and '70s and '80s. And here we are back full circle again." Representatives for Sharpton did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Sweep avoided: New Zealand celebrate their 47-run win over Pakistan Henry Shipley and Rachin Ravindra shared six wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 47 runs in the fifth and final one-day international in Karachi on Sunday. The victory meant New Zealand avoided being swept in the five game series, which Pakistan won 4-1. New Zealand batted first and were bowled out for 299 in 49.3 overs with half centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham. Fast bowler Shipley then took 3-34 and spinner Ravindra a career best 3-65 as New Zealand survived a brilliant 72-ball 94 not out by Iftikhar Ahmed to dismiss Pakistan for 252 in 46.1 overs. The defeat means Pakistan's rise to number one in the ODI rankings lasted just 48 hours and they are now third behind Australia and India. Ahmed led Pakistan's fightback from 66-4 as he added 97 for the fifth wicket with Agha Salman who scored run-a-ball 57 but New Zealand held their nerve to get last man Haris Rauf run out for one. Ahmed's fiery knock contained eight fours and two sixes. A holiday crowd of around 20,000 had come in anticipation of Babar Azam making his 100th ODI memorable but they were left disappointed when Pakistan skipper was caught off a miscued shot off Shipley for a five-ball one. Before that opener Shan Masood had fallen for seven. Fakhar Zaman managed a laborious 64-ball 33 and Mohammad Rizwan fell for nine, leaving Pakistan struggling on 66-4. Usama Mir scored 20, Shadab Khan 14, Shaheen Shah Afridi nought and Mohammad Waseem six but could not offer enough to support Ahmed. New Zealand's innings was built around Young's 91-ball 87 and a 58-ball 59 from Latham after the visitors won the toss and opted to bat at the National Stadium. New Zealand lost Tom Blundell for 15 and then Henry Nicholls for 23 before Young steadied the innings in a 74-run third wicket stand with Latham. Young hit eight fours and two sixes and was looking set for a hundred but was smartly caught by wicketkeeper Rizwan off leg-spinner Shadab in the 30th over. Story continues Mark Chapman upped the tempo with a breezy 33-ball 43 with two sixes and five fours, adding 56 for the fourth wicket with Latham. Chapman was unlucky to be caught behind off the glove as he tried to sweep Shadab to leg side. He took 22 off one over from spinner Agha Salman. Latham also holed out off spinner Mir in the 42nd over after hitting five boundaries. Ravindra (28) and Cole McConchie (26) added useful runs before New Zealand were bowled in 49.3 overs. For Pakistan, Shaheen took 3-46 while Mir and Shadab claimed two wickets apiece. Pakistan won the first two matches by five and seven wickets in Rawalpindi before taking the next two in Karachi by 26 and 102 runs. sh/pb/dj Sweep avoided: New Zealand celebrate their 47-run win over Pakistan Henry Shipley and Rachin Ravindra shared six wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 47 runs in the fifth and final one-day international in Karachi on Sunday. The victory meant New Zealand avoided being swept in the five game series, which Pakistan won 4-1. New Zealand batted first and were bowled out for 299 in 49.3 overs with half centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham. Fast bowler Shipley then took 3-34 and spinner Ravindra a career best 3-65 as New Zealand survived a brilliant 72-ball 94 not out by Iftikhar Ahmed to dismiss Pakistan for 252 in 46.1 overs. The defeat means Pakistan's rise to number one in the ODI rankings lasted just 48 hours and they are now third behind Australia and India. "It's is certainly pleasing to put on a complete performance in the last game," said Latham. "Shipley bowled fantastically well with the new ball, he found the right lengths on this wicket after we got a par score." Ahmed led Pakistan's fightback from 66-4 as he added 97 for the fifth wicket with Agha Salman who scored run-a-ball 57 but New Zealand held their nerve to get last man Haris Rauf run out for one. Ahmed's fiery knock contained eight fours and two sixes. A holiday crowd of around 20,000 had come in anticipation of Babar Azam making his 100th ODI memorable but they were left disappointed when Pakistan skipper was caught off a miscued shot off Shipley for a five-ball one. Before that opener Shan Masood had fallen for seven. Fakhar Zaman managed a laborious 64-ball 33 and Mohammad Rizwan fell for nine, leaving Pakistan struggling on 66-4. "The way we planned, we couldn't finish it that way," said Azam. "However, the entire series was outstanding. There were good performances. There were many positives, we were able to check on our bench strength." Usama Mir scored 20, Shadab Khan 14, Shaheen Shah Afridi nought and Mohammad Waseem six but could not offer enough to support Ahmed. Story continues New Zealand's innings was built around Young's 91-ball 87 and a 58-ball 59 from Latham after the visitors won the toss and opted to bat at the National Stadium. New Zealand lost Tom Blundell for 15 and then Henry Nicholls for 23 before Young steadied the innings in a 74-run third wicket stand with Latham. Young hit eight fours and two sixes and was looking set for a hundred but was smartly caught by wicketkeeper Rizwan off leg-spinner Shadab in the 30th over. Mark Chapman upped the tempo with a breezy 33-ball 43 with two sixes and five fours, adding 56 for the fourth wicket with Latham. Chapman was unlucky to be caught behind off the glove as he tried to sweep Shadab to leg side. He took 22 off one over from spinner Agha Salman. Latham also holed out off spinner Mir in the 42nd over after hitting five boundaries. Ravindra (28) and Cole McConchie (26) added useful runs before New Zealand were bowled in 49.3 overs. For Pakistan, Shaheen took 3-46 while Mir and Shadab claimed two wickets apiece. Pakistan won the first two matches by five and seven wickets in Rawalpindi before taking the next two in Karachi by 26 and 102 runs. sh/pb/dj Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he expects May and June to be fruitful in weapons supplies and talks with Ukraines partners. He has also said that Ukraines partners will announce new measures to help Ukraine very soon. Source: President Zelenskyys video address Quote from Zelenskyy: "This week, which has been very fruitful for Ukraine, is coming to an end. These days we are preparing for new actions in May and June. We have to do our best to make sure this time is fruitful both in terms of the supplies of weapons for our soldiers, but also in terms of decisions Ukraine is implicated in, and in terms of negotiations with our partners. We have prepared a legislative initiative that will be important for people in our society. We are continuing to work on sanctions against the aggressor. We are expecting to hold international meetings on various levels in Kyiv. We are talking to our partners about the weapons that can help us do more to restore peace. This week many of our partners have done a lot to help Ukraine and its people: from the US, to New Zealand, from the Netherlands to Belgium and Croatia; and Northern European countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. I am grateful for every decision in Ukraines favour that our partners have taken." Details: Zelenskyy stressed that the Ukrainian government is also working on new measures to help Ukraine with other partners. "We are expecting [these measures to be announced] very soon it is just what we need to maintain our frontline strength, to protect our skies, to bring terrorists to justice, and to restore peace in all of Ukrainian land as quickly as possible. I will outline all decisions that can be publicly discussed," he said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! BEDFORD Following a rocky leadup to the GOPs 53rd District nominating convention, Tim Griffin, the chair of the Bedford County Republican Committee and a former prosecutor in Amherst and Bedford counties, smoothly secured his partys nomination for this Novembers general election on Saturday. Griffin was running for the newly drawn 53rd House District nomination against Sarah Mays, a Forest resident who owns and operates a Christian day care center in Amherst County. Mays conceded and moved to name Griffin the nominee after the votes were tabulated. Party officials said that because Mays conceded, the total vote tally would not be released. The newly drawn 53rd District covers Amherst County, as well as parts of Bedford and Nelson counties. Saturdays convention, held at Jefferson Forest High School in Bedford, was filled with Griffin supporters, donning his campaign shirt, sign and stickers as the party selected its candidate to run against Democrat Sam Soghor, chair of the Amherst County Democratic Committee. Griffin, in his speech to the delegates in the auditorium who would soon be casting their ballot in the convention, gave his pitch on why hes the right person for the Republican Party in Richmond. As you know Im a lawyer and a ... former prosecutor, Griffin said. I have stood in a room in front of 12 people of different backgrounds, different opinions, different faith and convinced them on a verdict. Thats not easy to do. That is not something that you can just go learn in a day. Im equipped to go to Richmond, he added. I am equipped to convince people of our values. Griffin said that should he be sent to Richmond, he wants to go on offense. Roe v. Wade, after 50 years of fighting ... we have an opportunity now in life. Were going to go to Richmond and were going to introduce bills to outlaw abortion, Griffin said to an auditorium full of applause. These battles are only going to grow in intensity. You know this after 2020 and 2021. I believe Democrats got a taste for power during the COVID lockdowns and I believe that they will be back for us again, he added. I promise you Im the one you want standing between them and you next time. Griffins status as a candidate recently came under scrutiny, when he faced a challenge to his residency after a complaint was filed in early April by three Bedford County residents. The complaint argued Griffin failed to legally establish residency and domicile at his address and sought to have him removed from the voter roll. Just two days after the evidentiary hearing, Bedford County Registrar Barbary Gunter found that Griffin legally met residency requirements and she could not justify canceling his voter registration record. On Saturday, when asked about the controversy and what it meant for Mays to ultimately nominate him for the spot on the ticket, Griffin said, Im thankful for Sarah Mays for running and Im looking forward to us all joining together and running together into November. Mays, a first-time candidate for any public office, said after the convention she feels "very blessed" in the journey of running for the nomination, adding, "it was amazing just to be able to stand in front of people and just share a portion of my story and the things that I stand for and just to give God the glory in the end." She said she ultimately conceded and nominated Griffin for the ticket because "I felt like the Republican Party just needed to be unified." "Tim has been doing this a long time for his work and I was not shocked by the outcome, just because when I started six months ago, no one knew me. And I was going up against someone who has had a face in the area for 10-plus years," Mays added. Mays said she plans on remaining active in local politics and will continue to use her voice as an anti-abortion activist. "I'm sad that I waited so long to kind of stand up and use my voice," Mays said. "But now that I have, I definitely will be using it from now on, but for now I just want to see where God leads and see what his purpose is for me." Vance Wilkins Jr., former Virginia Speaker of the House and current Amherst County Republican Committee chair, said Mays move to nominate Griffin was very gracious, adding that she has a future in politics. She is a good person and so its nothing wrong with her running and losing. I lost my first few elections ... thats the way it goes. I commend her for wanting to run and being a candidate. She ran hard. Wilkins, who did not publicly endorse a candidate before the convention because he was committee chair, said Griffin now has his support. Hes been fighting on [the national] level, hes been fighting on the local level. And his philosophies, to me, are very strong, Wilkins said. With the nomination now officially his, Griffin said hes ready to move forward together into November as his party looks to maintain the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. I think we just want to put forward a bold vision for conservative leadership, Griffin said. And thats what were going to do in November ... run on the issues that we care about, that the people of this district care about. Virginia University of Lynchburg honored graduates Saturday afternoon in its 133rd commencement ceremony. James Coleman, faculty chair and dean of the Leonard N. Smith School of Religion as well as Lynchburg City School Board chairman, in his opening remarks to start the ceremony, told graduates that the greatest tragedy in life is not to try and fail, but to have gifts and do nothing with them. Class of 2023, today is all about you knowing that you can and will tackle the world with your VUL degree, Coleman said. VUL President Kathy Franklin, in her speech, asked graduates to stand and turn to all of their family members who supported them along the journey and say, thank you, in what she explained is one of the colleges cherished commencement traditions. To the family members or friends around me, thank you. Thank you for trusting your loved ones, our university in their time here. Thank you for all that you have done to ensure their success, Franklin said. To the graduates, Franklin said from this day forward you will remain forever a Dragon and forever a part of the VUL community. Let today serve as a beginning and not an ending, follow your passions, your interest and your foundational values to discover your own unique path to live a life of purpose, Franklin said. Most importantly, embrace the opportunities ahead of you and use the platform youve earned to change the world for the better. VUL honored over 200 graduates Saturday, as students received doctorates, bachelors, masters and associates degrees. Pierre Batteau, who received his doctorate in health care administration, said its a relief and joyful to receive his degree as its been a long journey. Its one of the hardest things in my life to get here today, Batteau said. Batteau said there were family sacrifices, late nights and a number of things that went into his achievement. After receiving his degree, Batteau said he has a duty to make the world a better place and to work with the health care administrators to make health care better for himself, his children and for the future generation. Masse Adjetey-Adjevi, who also received his doctorate in health care administration, said he feels relieved and accomplished to finally receive his degree. It was a bumpy road and I had to make a lot of sacrifices to be where I am today. So it was not easy. It was a very stressful program, but its worth it, Adjetey-Adjevi said. Regina Wright, who received her Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, said she plans to do outreach and help youth and adults in Virginia do great things, see opportunities and help them to recognize their potential. I think its a relief, but its also encouraging to keep going, Wright said. John M. Borek, Jr. an ordained minister, former president of Liberty University from 1997 to 2004 as well as a current faculty member in the school of business and professional studies at VUL delivered the commencement address. Youre part of a line, a line of graduates from HBCU institutions across this country, Borek said. Theres 107 [HBCU] institutions, and so youre unique. A theme of Boreks address to the group was inspiration. He told graduates to never forget the person who inspired them, and make sure to inspire someone else. Borek talked about Martin Luther King Jr. and encouraged the group to read Booker T. Washingtons autobiography, saying those two men were great inspirations. Borek said you cant listen to Kings speech in Washington D.C. and not be inspired. He emphasized that King was an inspirer and encourager. You can be that and you must become that youve got to inspire somebody and encourage somebody, Borek said. Borek said he was the first person in his family to graduate from high school, as he was raised by his grandmother and great-uncle. He said his grandmother, great-uncle and mother inspired him along his journey to finish school. He also told a story of his grandson, who was struggling in college. Borek had him come visit, and he and his wife encouraged him to keep going which helped him to finish a physician assistant program. He encouraged the graduates to go talk to someone a brother, sister, neighbors child and do the same. Talk to some young kid, encourage them, inspire them, Borek said. Misjuns wholly mistaken History does not look approvingly on those who censor books, ban plays, and demand that art be hidden from the public. People know the frenzied opposition to works of art arises from ignorance, a fear of ideas, and, often, a hatred of the other. City Council member Martin Misjuns has invited the derision of citizens with his wildly exaggerated claims that reveal a deep ignorance of the play he so deplores. The Prom neither mocks nor attacks Christians or Christianity. Rather, it is explicit and unambiguous in making its positive ending dependent upon Jesus commandment that people love their neighbors as themselves. The plays criticism is reserved for unthinkingly intolerant people, whose hostility prevents their seeing the reality of what they leap to attack. If Mr. Misjuns had seen The Prom, he would, I hope, know this. Is it possible that he would see himself as a target of the plays assault on intolerance? Mr. Misjuns is quoted as having written, The mere thought that children are PRACTICING and PERFORMING this level of bigotry is beyond belief. Yet he appears to have been eager to believe it despite the fact that there is no bigotry towards religion in the play. The lines Misjuns cites are sung by four ill-informed Broadway actors who have no real basis for their hyperbolic characterization of the intolerant citizens of Edgewater, Indiana. Anyone who cares about our students education will understand that children must learn to look at the facts, explore their values, ask questions, think critically, and draw valid conclusions consistent with the evidence. When Mr. Misjuns refuses to do these things and then goes on to suggest that the school superintendent should be fired, he provides students with a very poor example of what it means to be an adult. RICHARD C. BURKE Lynchburg Now in its third year, the World-Heralds and Daily Nonpareils special recognition program, Nurses: The Heart of Health Care, wants to thank all of the community's nurses and health care workers. While we are grateful for their contributions every day, today is especially poignant as we celebrate 2023 Nurses Week. This year's national theme is "You Make a Difference." Once again, we asked our readers to nominate a nurse who has made a significant impact in their lives or the lives of others. A panel of local, experienced judges determined our honorees -- seven from Omaha and three from Council Bluffs -- and were introducing the them in this section. All of our honorees are representative of the national theme: They all make a difference. The World-Herald and Daily Nonpareil are once again proud to partner with our presenting sponsors, RTG Medical and Methodist Jennie Edmundson, as well as our supporting sponsors, Methodist Health Systems and Iowa Western Community College, to honor these outstanding nurses. Whether this week, next week, next month or every day, we say "thank you" to our local nurses for everything they do for their patients and their communities. Council Bluffs was ablaze earlier this week, but it was under control thanks to Pottawattamie Conservation and the Council Bluffs Fire Department. A series of controlled land management burns were held across the city all day Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, crews worked prescribed burns at Narrows River Park, as well as near St. Patrick Catholic Church and College View Elementary School on Valley View Drive. The burns took place at Vincent Bluff State Preserve and on vacant lots near the West Broadway viaduct Thursday. Chad Graeve, a natural resource specialist with Pottawattamie Conservation, was on the scene at Vincent Bluff. He said the area, a rare patch of remnant prairie in the heart of the city off Thallas Street, hadnt been burned since 2015. It should be burning more frequently than that, he said. But weve just been constantly looking for the right weather to do this, and we finally got the opportunity. Graeve said fire is a natural part of the health and restoration of prairie grassland, and crews like his can get the job done in a safe, secure manner. These controlled burns invigorate the land by promoting new growth and strengthening the habitat and overall ecosystem in those areas. From an ecological standpoint, these grassland systems require fire, he said. Its part of the natural process in restoration. Also, in this instance, the fire was used to remove built up combustible fuels to reduce risk in the Wildland-Urban Interface, according to a press release from Pottawattamie County Emergency Management. The WUI is the zone of transition where unoccupied land and human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels, Graeve said. These buildups of vegetative fuels can become cause for concern due to wildfires. Crew members at Thursdays controlled burn mentioned recent fires theyd helped contain in Iowa and Nebraska in recent weeks. The dry weather and high winds are a recipe for wildfire, which is why this weeks series of burns was so important. Wildfire is a major concern, he said. When we have a time and place, and all of our resources ready so that we can have an organized operation instead of an emergency response, we stand a much better chance of success. While Graeve said all of this weeks projects were necessary, he reiterated how important it is to keep places like Vincent Bluff is good shape. He said before Iowa saw settlement, the state was more than 80% prairie. Now, he said less than 1% of Iowa is made up of prairies. And, having a virgin prairie in an urban area is quite unique. Vincent Bluff is one of 95 state preserves in Iowa, and it achieved that status in 2009, according to the Loess Hills Preservation Society. Its so rare in this state, so we have to take care of it, he said. As the afternoon hours turned to evening, the rolling hills of Vincent Bluff were still smoking, but the fire was under control. The crew of a dozen or so conservation employees and firefighters gathered to discuss how they felt the operation went. As they went around in a circle, people from both parties mentioned how they learned new things from each other. Both crews have their own way of communicating and handling situations, so it was interesting to see new perspectives and ideas. This is also an excellent training event, for our program and the Council Bluffs Fire Department, Graeve said. We saw a really nice operation mixing the two departments together. A lot of good learning happening. Vincent Bluff may be a bit charred for now, but Graeve said the hills should start filling back out with new vegetation in the following weeks. Commentary on Teacher Appreciation Day and Week Who was your favorite teacher? Its a question we all can answer. Not only can we likely tell at least one story of how a teacher has made a difference in our lives, we can likely remember the teachers name, the grade and the core memories of the moments that left an impression. Mention that its Teacher Appreciation Day or Week and youre bound to elicit a similar memory. Former students remember how a teacher impacted their lives in positive ways. Parents gratefully acknowledge a partner in learning and caring. Practicing teachers recall a moment, or a mentor, that set them on their path as an educator. Teaching is the profession that makes all professions possible. Teachers notice kids, notice their gifts, notice opportunities for students and notice the very special humanity in each student in the classroom. And they truly transform lives. University of Northern Iowa is home to the largest teacher education program in the state, where we cherish the legacy of being the leading choice for students who were made to teach. We see you. In recent years, weve been reminded of how teachers and the teaching profession are part of the very fabric of our lives, our communities. During COVID-19, life paused as we dealt with a great unknown. In the world of teacher education, critical classroom experiences in the field halted mid-semester, including student teaching. We pivoted well, sometimes, stumbled into virtual learning. Our school district partners were figuring out when, if and how they would finish a school year. An uncertain future lay ahead. And yet today, despite the aftermath of a pandemic and societal shifts and changes that test many of our teachers daily, we still see, hear and read about dedicated teachers leading, learning, adapting and rising to the challenge. As we admire the resilience and dedication of these hard-working professionals, we acknowledge their frustration and fatigue as well. Teacher burnout is real, as are escalating retirements, and in some places, students and teachers choosing other careers. But there is hope in the midst of todays realities among the next generation, too. In a recent story in The Northern Iowan, elementary education major Abigail Morlan put it this way: The pay is nowhere near enough, but I have decided to continue for the kids and because I am so passionate about education. They are future leaders and change-makers, so I want to make a positive impact and give students the tools they need to be independent and thrive. Teacher Appreciation Day and Teacher Appreciation Week serve to remind us of the undeniable impact of the teachers among us. We respect and celebrate them while being committed to doing our part to build a stronger, more diverse and even better prepared teaching workforce. Right now, were creating new pathways for students to find their way into teaching. Were reassessing the curriculum to make sure it meets the needs of todays future teachers, their classrooms and society. Were streamlining processes to benefit, not hinder, the growth of the profession. Shaping todays teachers is a team effort. We simply could not support the teaching workforce in Iowa without the leadership of our faculty across four colleges and our teaching partners, many of them our alumni. All personify dedication, humility, passion and professionalism. As a result, our undergraduate teacher preparation program is in the top 1% nationally for the number of students pursuing bachelors degrees in education. We have graduated an average of 470 teachers each year for the last decade a surprisingly steady number compared to state and national trends. As a society, we need to keep encouraging, mentoring and nurturing the passion to teach that we see at the College of Education in our classrooms and out in the field every day. To our teachers-to-be, our teaching faculty and our colleagues in classrooms across Iowa and beyond, we see you. We applaud you. And we thank you. Colleen S. Mulholland EdD Dean, College of Education, University of Northern Iowa Iowa Area Education Agencies talks unsustainable budget cuts from Iowa Legislature Iowas Area Education Agencies depend on state funding to support its programs and services. Iowa legislators decision to cut funding to Iowas Area Education Agencies for the second consecutive year directly impacts our systems ability to support our states most vulnerable students, which includes students with disabilities. These cuts are unsustainable, and we do believe there will be service impacts as a result. While our staff will remain focused on supporting all children in Iowa, our organization cannot continue sustaining reductions in funding like these. We have heard assurances from our legislative partners that they will try to work collaboratively with our system to address this shortcoming in funding, and we look forward to working hard this summer to find a solution that better supports Iowa children. The AEA provided the following comments from Iowa families: Iowa taxpayers like me hope legislators use our money to multiply resources in a way that helps all Iowans. Until I had a family member who needed AEA services, I was unaware of how broadly and profoundly those services impact children and families. My family member received AEA services in Koeta, a small rural school, and those services continued when they relocated to a larger metro school in another part of our state. We should be more aware of the impact of cutting funding necessary to support organizations like the AEAs. Trudy Caviness Ottumwa Our son is graduating from a nonpublic high school this month and we wouldnt be where we are if it werent for the services we received from the AEA. Over the years he has received hearing and speech services from the AEA, which included speech therapy, audiologist equipment checks, sign language interpreter services and support from an itinerant teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. If the funding for any single cog of that support wheel were eliminated it would have greatly affected his ability to succeed in a classroom with his peers. Ann Finneman Cedar Rapids My wife and I are both fourth generation Iowans, raised in Iowa schools and have received advanced degrees from Iowa universities. When our son, Leo, was born, we were proud to raise him in Iowa. When he was diagnosed as autistic, we were lost. The AEA was the first organization to offer services to Leo. Free of charge. No matter how much we made or didnt make. The AEA provides services to Leo and every child in Iowa who qualifies. They have been an educational load-bearer in this state for as long as I can remember. The $5 million dollars in cuts to AEA funding takes those services right out of the hands of children who need them most. These cuts will hurt the poor and disabled more than anyone. These cuts will hurt educators and schools at a time when public education is already under attack. Most importantly to me, these cuts hurt my family. We want to stay in Iowa because of the education our son receives and because its our home. These cuts from the legislature make it clear that there isnt room in Iowa for families and sons like mine. T. Voyna Bettendorf The president of the French party Les Republicains (LR), Eric Ciotti, and Rachida Dati, member of the party and emblematic figure of the French right, expressed the clear position of their formation recognizing the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara. In an interview with Tel Quel weekly magazine, the members of the French liberal-conservative political party stressed that their party adheres to the autonomy solution proposed by the Kingdom. My position is very clear () I recognize this sovereignty, said Eric Ciotti, who was on a visit to Morocco at the head of a delegation of his party. He recalled that he expressed very clearly support to the Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, several years ago, especially in the process of appointing the LR candidate in the 2017 presidential election where he competed. He said he also expressed this position very clearly in a tweet last March. Referring to the Moroccan autonomy initiative, Ciotti noted that this solution marks the willingness of the Moroccans to find a form of compromise acceptable to all. The initiative is all the more commendable because what has been accomplished in the Sahara region is quite remarkable, he said. What the Moroccan authorities have accomplished is a success, he said, noting that the political party he chairs adheres to this autonomy solution proposed by Morocco and which is recognized today by major democracies. He also stressed that the gesture expected from France by the Moroccan authorities must happen, saying that the LR party, which is currently in the opposition, can carry this debate and go in this direction. Asked about the official recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara if his political party comes to power in 2027, Ciotti said that we are not on a commitment or a promise. It is a constant position that we have always had . In the same interview, Dati, who is part of the delegation accompanying Ciotti, said that there is no doubt about the sovereignty and Moroccanness of the Moroccan Sahara. Historically, France has been one of the first countries to recognize this Moroccanness and to always support the proposals of His Majesty the King, she said. There has never been any doubt in our political group about the support of this position which is obvious, she insisted. Today, it seems that this evidence is being questioned, but the evidence must be confirmed. It is not questioned, it is not questionable, she said. The president of the LR party held talks with leaders of several Moroccan political parties, including the National Rally of Independents (RNI), and the Istiqlal Party. In statements to the press, he urged his countrys government to fix the mistakes that have led to a notable deterioration in bilateral relations between Morocco and France. Today we must ensure that mistakes made and the lack of consideration shown towards Morocco are fixed, Ciotti told the press. Ciotti stressed Moroccos importance as a key ally to the EU. We need Morocco, Europe needs Morocco. Europe cannot send such unfriendly messages to Morocco, we need this strong link so powerful between Morocco, the European Union and France, the French politician stressed. He called for restoring the strength of the ties of friendship that rest on a shared history between France and Morocco. This is another opportunity for me to reiterate the strength of the bonds of friendship based on a shared history between France and Morocco, said Ciotti, calling to restore the power of these ties, which are now () put somewhat in trouble, so that they regain the quality they should never have lost. When Lincoln County commissioners meet on Monday morning they will take up various items related to the courthouse generator. They also plan to consider resolutions to amend the clerk of the district court petty cash fund balance and to include additional fees collected for various county services. The countys vision insurance through Nebraska Association of County Officials is up for renewal, so commissioners will consider authorizing Chairman Jerry Woodruff to sign the renewal documents. They will also consider granting a right-of-way request made by Custer Public Power District. Otherwise, there are the routine agenda items: considering motor vehicle tax exemptions, and property tax exemptions and refunds, if any. Commissioners always set aside time for closed sessions, if needed, to discuss litigation, or security or personnel issues. At the end of the meeting, time is set aside to hear concerns from elected officials and department heads. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners room at the east end of the courthouse, 301 N. Jeffers St. The complete agenda, including the specific time breakdown, can be found by going to lincolncountyne.gov and clicking the Meeting/Agenda link on the left side of the page. UPDATED, May 8, 2023, 9:30 am: Corrects starting time of May 9 event. *** Dalene Skates smiles when nationwide peers marvel at North Platte Area Habitat for Humanitys record of steadily building homes for 25 years despite its host citys modest size. She cites that record of consistent support, plus a healthy dose of popular demand, as inspiring the pending opening this fall of western Nebraskas first Habitat ReStore of donated home improvement items. From the very beginning, the first month I was here, somebody coming in asking if we had a ReStore, said Skates, executive director of Habitats North Platte affiliate since 2016. Thats when I started looking to find out what it was. I didnt know myself what it was. North Platte Habitat leaders will announce Nebraskas fourth current ReStore Tuesday at a reception that also will mark the silver anniversary of the affiliates 1998 founding. The 5 p.m. event at Venue 304, 304 E. Fifth St., also will pay tribute to the firsthand volunteer roles played by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in spreading Habitats affordable housing mission around the world over four decades. Skates said local Habitat leaders have already collected truckloads of gently used furniture, appliances, lighting, windows, fixtures and building materials for the ReStore. The affiliate in March purchased a former Carhart Lumber Co. building at 221 N. Sycamore St. for the ReStore, as well as a warehouse across Sycamore at 220 W. Sixth St. for a donation receiving center and warehouse for Habitats homebuilding projects. North Platte Habitat will retain its offices and headquarters at 420 N. Cottonwood St. for at least the time being, Skates said. Habitat for Humanity International, co-founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, became known worldwide after fellow Georgian Carter began volunteering at the ministrys homebuilding sites in the mid-1980s. The 98-year-old former president is now in hospice care. The legacy of North Plattes affiliate dates to Feb. 10, 1997, when the late Telegraph Editor Keith Blackledge then five years retired hosted a lunch at the downtown Depot Bar & Grill (the site of todays North 40 Chophouse) for local residents interested in organizing a Lincoln County affiliate. A steering committee was appointed that March 3, and articles of incorporation were completed June 23, 1997, according to North Platte Habitats records. Blackledge, who died in 2010, was the first board president when Habitats international headquarters in Americus, Georgia, approved North Plattes affiliate status in January 1998. Skates said the affiliate has enjoyed stalwart backing ever since from volunteer homebuilders, individual donors and corporate sponsors. It has finished an average of three houses a year since dedicating the first in September 1998. Work has begun on Houses Nos. 65 and 66, the first two in an intended eight- to 12-home development on land Habitat has purchased or plans to buy near East Second Street and McCabe Avenue. Skates and Michelle ODea, who joined North Platte Habitat as outreach coordinator last August, said the ReStore will add another source of financial support so the affiliate can endure for at least another 25 years. Nearly 1,000 ReStores operate in the United States and Canada, Skates said, including two in Omaha and a third in Lincoln. Grand Island had a ReStore until it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. Local interest in starting a North Platte ReStore has been persistent, she added. As she prepared to go to her first Atlanta conference of Habitat affiliates in April 2022, that day three people came in asking for a ReStore. Throughout her week at the Habitat conference, at every meal break there was someone at my table who worked at a ReStore, Skates said. By the end of the week, I felt like somebody was trying to tell me something. When I came back and told the (North Platte) board, they went nuts and said, Absolutely, lets do it. Then its been an odyssey. Habitat International required the local affiliate to put together a business plan and financing package first, she said. Approval for the ReStore came from the Americus headquarters in February. ODea, who grew up in North Platte, spent 30 years living in Lincoln and then Texas before moving home last summer. She knew and loved Habitat ReStores from her time in Lincoln. Their decision to do a ReStore was what attracted me to this job, ODea said. North Platte-area residents have an existing source for used local building materials and home-improvement items in the Construction Connection, 422 E. Sixth St. It and the Thrift Connection store, 501 E. Fifth St., help support The Connection homeless shelter across from The Telegraph at 414 E. Sixth St. Skates said she presented Habitats plan to Connection Executive Director Ashley Lewis in case the ReStore plan would undercut the shelters finances. She said Lewis, who was unavailable for comment for this story, told her competition is a great thing. Because Construction Connection helps the shelter accomplish its mission, we want them to be supported, too, Skates added. Area residents also can find used furniture and some other home improvement items at The Salvation Army Family Store, located in the Francis Square building at 1101 S. Cottonwood St. Skates said North Platte already has filled its new West Sixth warehouse with donated items and is now storing items at its North Cottonwood offices. Habitat requires affiliates approved for a ReStore to collect items for several months before opening. Frankly, most of our donations have been furniture, she said. Weve had several apartments that have been cleaned out and their contents donated to Habitat. When someone dies and their family members are far away and dont know what to do with their stuff, they can come to us, ODea added. Both women said North Platte Habitat will pick up donated items throughout the city and its immediate surrounding area. Potential donors can call the main affiliate office at 308-534-6251. The new ReStore will succeed to the degree that local and regional residents patronize it, ODea and Skates said. North Platte Habitats funding comes from no-interest mortgage payments from its homeowning families, individual and corporate donations and the affiliates fundraising events. This is a funding source for us, but people need to understand were a donor-based organization, ODea said. Having a way to fund us is extremely important. Leaders of some larger Habitat affiliates, Skates said, have told her theyve had to cut back or even suspend their homebuilding operations. Some affiliates nationwide also rehabilitate houses for their selected families. Its not complicated to explain why North Platte Habitat has been able to keep building houses for 25 years, she said. I think its just (that) by gosh and by golly, were going to get this done, Skates said. We cant do less, because the need is so great. One indisputable fact stands out amid the hyperpartisan wreckage of the 2023 Nebraska Legislature: An apparently secure two-thirds conservative majority blew its best and perhaps only opportunity in 50 years to protect unborn human beings against destruction in the womb for reasons of sheer convenience. Fallout from the Unicamerals one-vote failure April 27 to advance the so-called fetal heartbeat bill to a final vote has focused on the most proximal reason it fell short. That would be the decision of state Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, one of Legislative Bill 626s cosponsors, to decline to vote when the time came to break the usual liberal filibuster. But were compelled to say recall that we cheered Roe v. Wades reversal last summer and called on senators to protect unborn life posthaste that LB 626 was placed on thin ice well before Riepes non-vote. Two months before, to be precise. Even in a state with a sizable anti-abortion majority, the large numbers of abortion-rights advocates in Omaha and Lincoln guaranteed that stricter abortion controls in Nebraska werent inevitable after Roes reversal. It should have been obvious that, in the event the U.S. Supreme Court changed its mind on Roe as it did, the Legislatures abortion opponents needed to make their most of it without pushing other divisive issues. They needed to demonstrate against the inevitable liberal charges of callousness, hypocrisy and indifference to mothers and their born children that they indeed value the full humanity and equal dignity of all human beings, from conception to natural death. We warned as much here Jan. 29. Its time, we wrote, for pro-life Nebraskans and their elected representatives to prove they do, against those insisting they never have. A few did prove this during LB 626s debates, including North Plattes own state Sen. Mike Jacobson. He spoke movingly on the Unicameral floor about his and wife Julies struggles with miscarriages, their sons premature birth and death and their adoptions of their other two children, now both adults. We dont believe Jacobson is alone on the floor. So how did pro-lifers manage to lose the battle over LB 626? It was set up when the Health and Human Services Committee majority that sent the abortion bill to the floor also advanced LB 574, the bill to forbid transgender health care for minors. You know the rest: One outraged liberal Omaha lawmaker, sustained by others, launched the Unicamerals most scorched-earth filibuster in memory. No matter their constituents feelings about LB 574 and its goals, conservative senators should have realized that advancing it to the floor this session apparently to satisfy their partys national agenda was most foolish. Day after day, liberal senators used LB 574 to pound on the very They have no heart theme conservatives most needed to avoid, given their long-awaited opportunity to more fully protect the unborn from unwarranted termination. Conservatives floor arguments on both bills couldnt overcome that perception. LB 626s supporters apparently never even thought of voicing another argument weve offered here: Roes denial of the full humanity of the unborn matches the attitudes about and treatment of African Americans, Native Americans, European Jews in the Holocaust and too many other groups in world historys most awful displays of inhumanity. This must not stand. Liberals needed to be persuaded to at least help ensure that LB 626 covered all the gray-area situations doctors face when the lives of both mothers and their unborn children are on the line. We urged this in our Jan. 29 editorial. But the well was too poisoned. Finally, Sen. Riepe, a retired hospital administrator, pushed for a less stringent 12-week abortion ban and then sat out the cloture vote when his fellow LB 626 cosponsors resisted his efforts. Thus pro-life Nebraskans got nothing. We agree with what Jacobson told The Telegraph in the disasters wake: Though he (and we) backed LB 626, a 12-week ban is better than Nebraskas 20-week ban. Anything that protects more unborn lives is welcome. But even a 12-week ban seems unlikely now. The grave damage to the Unicamerals collegiality probably wont dissipate while this set of 49 senators remains together. All Nebraskans have lost from the open warfare between the Legislatures extreme left and right poles. But unborn Nebraskans once more have lost the most. It didnt have to be that way. Citaly Ramirez reacts as she visits a memorial, set up near an entrance to the Allen Premium Outlets, on Monday. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images A heavily-armed gunman dressed in black tactical gear open fire at a busy outlet mall in Allen, Texas, on Saturday afternoon, killing eight people including three children before he was shot and killed by police. The 33-year-old shooter reportedly espoused white-supremacist and neo-Nazi views on social media. The identities of the victims we made public on Monday. The attack was the second-deadliest mass shooting of the year and continued what the Associated Press has determined to be a record pace for mass killings in the U.S. in 2023. Below, what we know about this still-developing story. The Gunman and Motive Authorities have identified the shooter as 33-year-old Dallas resident Mauricio Garcia. Police found multiple weapons on the gunman and in his car, including an AR15-style rifle and a handgun. No motive has been confirmed, but there is also a growing pile of evidence indicating that he held white-supremacist and neo-Nazi views, and authorities are investigating the shooting as an act of racially or ethnically motivated extremism. The gunman wore a patch on his chest during his massacre that said RWDS an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad a term that is popular among white supremacists and right-wing extremists. Investigators have also reportedly found hundreds of social-media posts apparently authored by Garcia containing violent, extremist rhetoric as well as espousing incel, white-supremacist, and neo-Nazi views. One online profile investigators found included a Google Maps screenshot indicating when the outlet mall would be busiest plus posts praising Hitler and images of weapons and ammunition he had purchased. Bellingcats Aric Toler has assembled a Twitter thread showing posts from Garcias purported account. The shooter reportedly joined the U.S. Army in 2008 but was terminated after only three months. An Army official told the Associated Press that Garcia was discharged before he could complete his training over mental health issues. Neighbors told the AP that Garcia had been working as a security guard. Another eight crosses have gone up at Allen Premium Outlets in honor of the victims of Saturdays shooting. All but one have been publicly identified. A stream of people have been coming to pay their respects at the memorial throughout the day, rain or shine. pic.twitter.com/PGjG9Sl1iC Toluwani Osibamowo (@tosibamowo) May 8, 2023 The Victims All eight people killed in the attack have been publicly identified as of Monday evening. 6yo William Cho is the only surviving member of his family after they visited the #AllenTexas mall Saturday. According to a family friend, his parents (Cindy and Kyu Cho) and his 3yo little brother James were 3 of the 8 killed in the mass shooting. @FOX4https://t.co/ZaxpgDAsCP Peyton Yager (@peytonyager) May 8, 2023 Three members of the Cho family A Korean-American couple, Cho Kyu Song, 37 and Kang Shin Young, 35, and their three-year-old son were among those killed by the gunman, according to a GoFundMe launched for their six-year-old son, William, who was injured but survived the attack. Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32 The Texas Department of Public Safety announced on Monday evening that Cumana-Rivas was among those killed at the mall on Saturday. Christian LaCour was working as a security guard at the Allen outlet mall when the shooter opened fire. His grandmother described him as a beautiful soul with goals for his future. I was so proud of him. pic.twitter.com/V7zT8Vpa3w GIFFORDS (@GIFFORDS_org) May 8, 2023 Christian LaCour, 20 Lacour, a resident of Farmersville, Texas, worked as a security guard at the mall. A relative told the Dallas Morning News that he was a sweet caring young man who was loved greatly by [their] family. Wylie ISD has confirmed 4th grader Daniela Mendoza and 2nd grader Sofia Mendoza were killed in the Allen shooting. The sisters attended Cox Elementary in Sachse. The school district says their mother, Ilda Mendoza, is in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/BLEKONn8uv Shannon Murray (@ShannonMFox4) May 8, 2023 Daniela Mendoza, 11 Sofia Mendoza, 8 The two sisters lived in Sachse, Texas and were both in elementary school, where Daniela was in fourth grade and Sofia was in second grade. They were at the outlet mall on Saturday with their mother, Ilda Mendoza, who remained hospitalized in critical condition as of Monday, according to a letter sent to parents in the Wylie Independent School District. Family members for Aishwarya Thatikonda confirmed she was one of the victims killed at Allen Premium Outlets Saturday. The 27-year-old was living in McKinney and worked as a project manager for a local contracting company. Her family lives in India and is traveling to the U.S. pic.twitter.com/XfdzoCvJmn Shannon Murray (@ShannonMFox4) May 8, 2023 Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26 Thatikonda was a project engineer from Hyderabad, India who lived in McKinney had been working for the Frisco-based construction company Perfect General Contractors since 2020. She had been living in the U.S. for about five years, having moved here to attend graduate school. She earned a masters degree in construction management from Eastern Michigan University. The owner of Perfect General Contractors told the Dallas Morning News he thought of her as a member of his own family. Arrangements are reportedly being made to have her body sent back home to India, where here parents still live. She was reportedly at the mall with her fiance, who was also shot by the gunman, but survived. The Injured The identities and conditions of all the people who were reportedly injured in the attack is not year clear. Allen Fire Department chief Jonathan Boyd said on Sunday that six victims were pronounced dead at the mall, and another two were pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. Medical City Healthcare, which operates trauma facilities in North Texas, said on Saturday that it was treating victims who ranged in age from 5 to 61 years old. In this aerial view, police block an entrance near a memorial to those killed at the Allen Premium Outlets mall. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images The Attack Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in the parking lot of the Allen Premium Outlets shopping center, the gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and immediately began opening fire on people walking on the sidewalk. Allen police later said that an officer already at the mall for an unrelated call heard the gunshots and quickly responded, ultimately engaging and neutralizing the shooter. JUST IN: Zach Horn, an attorney for the lone #Allen officer who shot and killed 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia Saturday, released the following statement to @wfaa just now: pic.twitter.com/ojwpmhVr6y Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) May 8, 2023 In bystander footage shared on social media, what appears to be the body of the shooter can be seen lying in a pool of blood outside one of the stores, a long gun at his side. The beginning of the attack was captured by a survivors dashcam camera as they drove away; dozens of shots can be heard on the video. One nearby resident told CNN that his son said hed heard as many as 70 gunshots. Warning: Disturbing video. Mass shooting in Allen, Texas. Shooter gets out of silver car, opens fire on several shoppers outside mall. pic.twitter.com/j9UmR9ucIR Mike Sington (@MikeSington) May 6, 2023 Videos shared on social media of the mayhem that followed showed people running away from the mall through the parking lot. Many survivors who were unable to flee hid inside stores, where employees quickly rolled down security gates while people sheltered in back storage areas. When I arrived at the Allen Premium Outlets, I captured this. The look on that childs face I cant shake. 8 people were shot and killed. There are 7 more injured at the hospital. @wfaa Allen, Collin County, TX pic.twitter.com/xljxqu8Jf0 Tiffany Liou (@tliou) May 7, 2023 Its not clear how many people were at the mall at the time the shooting began, but the Dallas Morning News notes that the mall, which is about 35 miles north of Dallas, is one of the busiest shopping centers in North Texas, so it was likely packed on Saturday afternoon. Just before 5 p.m., live footage from a local-news helicopter showed hundreds of survivors leaving the mall after apparently having been given the all clear by law enforcement. Many held their hands up as they walked away. What appeared to be four bodies covered with white tarps or blankets could also be seen in helicopter footage just outside an H&M store. Many witnesses have told reporters that they saw bodies lying motionless on the sidewalk following the attack. One witness, Steven Spainhouer, told CBS News that he rushed to try to help those gunned down by the shooter and came upon a harrowing scene: Spainhouer said he got there before any first responders and while a handful of people around him recorded videos of the bodies on the ground, he tried to save lives. I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people, he shared. The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face. Spainhouer said he also found a child, who survived while covered by his protective mother who had been killed. When I rolled the mother over, he came out. I asked him if he was OK and he said, My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt. So rather than traumatize him, I pulled him around the corner, sat him down, and he was covered from head to toe like somebody poured blood on him. Another man who rushed to help, U.S. Navy veteran Joshua Barnwell, came upon the same scene and attempted to perform CPR on a young girl who ultimately did not survive: Joshua Barnwell, a U.S. Navy veteran, says he performed chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth on a woman who was shot by a gunman outside an Allen, Texas mall over the weekend. He shares the "true depth of the depravity that he saw following the "massive, rapid gunfire." pic.twitter.com/2ujdEtpDJk CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 8, 2023 Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6 in Allen, Texas. Photo: Stewart F. House/Getty Images The Political Response Texas governor Greg Abbott, who has repeatedly weakened gun-ownership restrictions in the state, praised the quick response of local law enforcement on Saturday and called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy. On Sunday, President Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings and said that the shooting was too shocking to be so familiar. He also, once again, called for Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons and requiring universal background checks for firearm purchases. This post has been updated. We all should have friends like Clarence Thomass. In recent weeks, weve learned that the Supreme Court justices dear friend, real-estate billionaire and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, has: (1) Treated Thomas to annual vacations so ritzy, their market value sometimes exceeds $500,000. (2) Bought Thomass mothers home from him, made $36,000 worth of improvements to the residence, then let her live there rent-free. He also purchased the house immediately next door to Thomass mothers place, which had been known for parties and noise, and then had the decrepit structure torn down. Crow also bought two other lots on the street off of Thomas, and his investments into the block near-singlehandedly gentrified the blighted area. (3) Built a seven-foot-tall, 1,800-pound statue of Thomass beloved eighth-grade teacher. (4) Gave $500,000 to a nonprofit organization that employed Thomass wife. (5) And paid for Thomass grandnephew to attend private schools that cost roughly $50,000 a year. The Supreme Court justices old pal, conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo, meanwhile, has discreetly funneled tens of thousands of dollars to Thomass wife. In 2012, Leo told the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill his nonprofit, the Judicial Education Project, and give Ginni Thomas another $25k from the organization, specifying that the paperwork should have no mention of Ginni, of course, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post. While lovely for Justice Thomas, this largesse is less than ideal for the Supreme Courts public image. By all appearances, Thomas flagrantly violated ethics laws by failing to disclose myriad, exorbitant gifts from Crow. And Leos order to give another cash infusion to Ginni Thomas in 2012 may be an even more egregious breach of decorum, if not law. Whereas Crow never had personal business before the Supreme Court, the Judicial Education Projects payment to Thomass wife came shortly before the court ruled in Shelby County v. Holder, in which the nonprofit submitted a brief challenging the Voting Rights Act. Thomas subsequently ruled as the JEP had advised. All this has led to a lot of rather silly discourse. On the one hand, conservatives feel compelled to pretend that there is nothing wrong with a Supreme Court justice accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts from a partisan donor or his wife taking tens of thousands from groups with business before his court. Even more risibly, theyve been forced to carry on promoting the fiction that the Roberts Court is committed to neutrally interpreting the Constitution amid outlandish displays of its justices partisan loyalties. On the other hand, many liberals find ourselves arguing as though we are principally interested in seeing a more ethically scrupulous Supreme Court rather than a less reactionary one. The (laughable) case for Clarence Thomass pristine ethical conduct. Thomass legion of conservative apologists have an unenviable task. In a world where low-level civil servants get nervous about letting friends buy them lunch, it is not easy to explain why it is totally fine for a man entrusted with enormous, democratically unaccountable power to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts from partisan political activists, let alone fail to disclose them. The best that the rights finest minds have come up with goes something like this: Crow and Thomas have been close, personal friends since 1996. Their vacations reflect the combination of their mutual affection and Crows enormous wealth; how could a billionaire heir ask a Black man born into poverty to pay for a room on his superyacht? Perhaps Thomas should have disclosed these gifts. But ethics rules stipulate that justices dont need to disclose the receipt of their friends hospitality. Sure, it was recently clarified that hospitality refers solely to food and board provided in a friends personal home, not transport on private planes or yachts owned by their companies. And sure, many judges say this was obvious to them even before the recent clarification. But were all entitled to an honest mistake every now and then. As for Thomass mothers house: Crow simply believed that the childhood home of Americas second Black Supreme Court justice warrants historical preservation. Do progressives now think it is a crime to care about African American history? Purchasing the property at market value enabled Crow to renovate the structure so that it will be ready for conversion into a museum upon the death of Thomass mother. Until then, he has no intention of evicting a 94-year-old woman from her home. Perhaps Thomas should have disclosed the transaction. But he had made so many investments into the homes upkeep that he actually took a capital loss on the sale and therefore believed it was not reportable. As for the grandnephews tuition, since when do liberals oppose giving young Black men a quality education? Maybe Thomas should have disclosed the tuition payments, since they did effectively save him upwards of $100,000. But really, those were gifts to the grandnephew, not to him. Finally, we all know that Clarence Thomas and Ginni Thomas have totally separate careers, and are not at all interested in each others activities or views. Surely a husband and wife brought together in part by their shared enthusiasm for conservative politics would never, like, discuss conservative causes that would soon be debated before the Supreme Court. So there is no reason to think that giving money to Ginni Thomas could plausibly influence Clarence Thomass views. Leo merely wished to purchase Ginnis services as a political activist. He only asked to keep her name out of the paperwork because he believed that liberals would jump at any opportunity to spin a conspiracy theory about the Thomases corruption. And progressives have just proved him right! In other words, conservative pundits have served up a dozen different flavors of weak tea. The claim that none of these payments actually influenced Thomass jurisprudence seems plausible. Thomas was a reactionary long before he met Harlan Crow. It is possible that Crows largesse was motivated by a desire to insure against the risk of Thomas converting to liberalism a la David Souter. But it is also possible that Crow might genuinely enjoy Thomass company. Indeed, it is possible to have a thoroughly uncharitable view of Crows motivations and still believe that his generosity was motivated by personal affection. For example, a man who derives his wealth from something as arbitrary as inheritance might reassure anxieties about his own intellectual mediocrity by counting a Supreme Court justice as one of his personal friends. Similarly, a white conservative billionaire might find great validation in hearing his points of view affirmed by a Black man who grew up poor. Regardless, the idea that Thomass behavior is not grotesquely unbefitting someone with his power and responsibilities is insane. If you are going to claim the authority to impose your interpretation of the Constitution onto the polity, you cannot accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of gifts from political partisans and then hide them from the public! Sensing the weakness of this position, most conservative pundits have declined to defend Thomass behavior so much as impugn the motivations of his liberal critics. The latest attacks on Justice Thomas have nothing to do with ethics, former Trump administration official Mark Paoletta wrote in the National Review. Instead, the attacks are about undermining the Supreme Court now that it no longer acts as a super-legislature for implementing the Lefts progressive policies. National Reviews Dan McLaughlin expressed similar sentiments, tweeting, We all know none of this is actually about ethics. And thats why the people beating the drums on this stuff including supposedly nonpartisan media outlets persistently fail to give comparable coverage to benefits, non-recusals, & financial misreports by the liberal justices. The idea that other justices have secured gifts as lucrative as Thomass and the media is simply failing to spotlight them is unsubstantiated and, given the extremity of Thomass behavior, highly improbable. But the suggestion that liberals are more interested in using Thomass ethical violations to erode the Supreme Courts legitimacy than they are in reforming that institutions ethics rules is plausibly true. Or, at least, in my view, liberals should be more interested in doing the former. For progressives, a corrupt far-right justice might be preferable to an ethically unimpeachable one. As a general matter, flagrant government corruption is bad for the progressive project. If people view the state as full of self-dealing parasites, it will be much harder to persuade them to accept higher taxes in exchange for more social services and public investments. And insulating democratic politics from the corrosive influence of class inequality requires, among other things, ethical norms that deter open bribery. It is also genuinely offensive for someone with Clarence Thomass level of power to evince such contempt for public concerns about corruption. So I dont think liberal outrage over his actions is insincere. That said, if progressives have an interest in preserving public confidence in the integrity of the federal government writ large, we have no such interest with respect to the current Supreme Court. Surely, the primary problem with the Roberts Court is not that its reactionaries occasionally profit off their power. Rather, it is that the courts conservative majority (1) denies rights that progressives deem inviolable, and, in other domains, (2) circumscribes popular sovereignty in deference to a facially implausible interpretative doctrine that just so happens to almost invariably yield substantive outcomes favorable to the American right (which, uncoincidentally, cultivated and exhaustively vetted every single member of that majority). This has led the Roberts Court to, among other things, repeal the right to an abortion, gut the Voting Rights Act, bar restrictions on corporate spending in American elections, veto Arizonans attempt to limit the influence of such spending by providing candidates with public funds, legalize most forms of political bribery, restrict the capacity of consumers and workers to sue corporations that abuse them, bar municipalities from outlawing the public carrying of firearms, undermine the capacity of public-sector unions to finance themselves, limit the Environmental Protection Agencys capacity to regulate carbon emissions, and uphold the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering. The Court also came within one vote of nullifying the Affordable Care Act and is on the cusp of radically reducing the policy-making power of federal agencies. I dont think any progressive can credibly claim that we would respect the legitimacy of a court that ruled this way if only its justices meticulously reported all of their free private-jet rides or even forswore all gifts that would confer the appearance of corruption. Nor is it plausible that gifts like Harlan Crows are the reason why the Roberts Court has undermined myriad causes that liberals care about. There are tens of millions of conservative true believers in the United States. If right-wing billionaires endow institutions dedicated to shepherding young reactionaries through law schools, clerkships, and Senate confirmation hearings, they will get people who genuinely believe in the cause onto the Supreme Court. So: Given that the Roberts Court is going to be an obstacle to social progress either way, do liberals actually want its conservative justices to uphold the highest of personal ethical standards? Perhaps the most commonly cited harm of Thomass actions is that, in the Washington Posts words, they fail to protect public confidence in the independence of the courts. Yet public confidence in the independence of a reactionary and power-hungry court surely is not desirable from a progressive point of view. To the extent that there is any brake on the Roberts Courts ambitions, it is the majoritys concern for safeguarding perceptions of its legitimacy. The Supreme Court commands no army. And Congress has the authority to add justices at will. Should the Courts exercise of power come to seem illegitimate to a sufficiently broad portion of the public, elected officials may feel comfortable nullifying its decisions, or a unified Democratic government might find the will to eliminate the conservative majority through dilution. So although the justices are insulated from direct democratic accountability, they must still pay some mind to the popular mood. The more fragile their perceived legitimacy, the more reluctant they may be to put conservative dogma above majority opinion. It is therefore in the interest of the progressive movement to undermine the Courts legitimacy. When conservative justices let GOP megadonors give them yacht rides and renovate their mothers houses while allowing right-wing activists to funnel tens of thousands of dollars to their wives they make liberals task easier. So it makes sense for progressives to publicize Thomass obscene indulgences. But I think its true that the end goal of doing so isnt to secure ethics reforms that will render the Supreme Court less vulnerable to perceptions of corruption. The point is (or at least, should be) to promote the perception of judicial corruption. There are, of course, hazards to the delegitimization of the Supreme Court. Even with its current partisan composition, the high court still constrains some extraconstitutional attacks on basic rights. But there are plenty of democracies that give the judiciary little scope for judicial review and get by just fine. If it is not possible to redesign the Court so as to render it more credibly independent from our nations polarized politics, then weakening its authority (and thus, judicial review) seems preferable to acquiescing to right-wing minority rule. From my perspective, therefore, a perfectly straitlaced and ethically unimpeachable far-right jurist is not preferable to a garishly venal one. If conservatives are right that (at least some) liberals are not motivated by a concern for the Supreme Courts ethics so much as contempt for its politics, they cant help but act in bad faith themselves when making that argument. Precisely because whats at stake is the perceived legitimacy and independence of a partisan Supreme Court majority, conservatives cant say: The idea that progressives are shocked and appalled by the revelation that conservative activists and donors enjoy special access to Justice Thomas is absurd! Of course Republican bankrollers and movement leaders routinely enjoy private audiences with Thomas Clarence Thomas is himself a conservative activist! He wouldnt be on the Supreme Court if he werent! You cant credibly argue that Harlan Crows gifts have done more to shape the Roberts Courts jurisprudence than the right-wing legal society that groomed many of its current members. Progressives arent opposed to a few illicit gifts; theyre opposed to the entire conservative judicial project. Our movement watched the Warren Court advance liberal goals that Democrats couldnt or wouldnt through legislation, and we decided to emulate it. We figured out how to engineer a Supreme Court majority and use it to advance substantive goals too unpopular to move through democratic politics. We beat the libs at their own game. And now theyre being sore losers. For at least a generation, the Supreme Court is going to be a vehicle for the raw exercise of right-wing power. And the left cant stand it! Instead, commentators like Paoletta write that the left wants the Supreme Court to act as a super-legislature for its priorities, while Thomas and his colleagues merely wish to impartially issue legal opinions that are faithful to the Constitution. Of course, this is a risible lie for anyone with eyes to see it. And thanks to Clarence Thomass supreme venality, the number of Americans with such eyes is likely growing. Wow she is grown up. Hope she is doing well. Reply Thread Link She looksbright. Clear eyes, all there. I was concerned way back when about substance use during pregnancy. Its really nice to see. Reply Parent Thread Link She doesn't only look bright She's an honour roll student Reply Parent Thread Link What is time Im glad that except for one appearance a year, shes been able to live out of the limelight. Reply Thread Link ikr? I cannot believe it's been that long. I love how private her life is. I want good things completely out of the spotlight Reply Parent Thread Link i was thinking this too, it's nice that people can see she's doing well but her life is so private. it's also smart that her public instagram is shared with her dad. Reply Parent Thread Link aw she looks so much like Anna, I'm glad she's been able to live away from the press and spotlight for the most part. Also I'm glad it turned out that Larry was her dad and not that creep Howard.... Reply Thread Link ugh Howard was the worst. Reply Parent Thread Link I dont know much about him, whys Howard a creep? Reply Parent Thread Link I think he had a sam lufti sort of influence? The guy who was a really bad influence on Britney. I can believe I remembered his name by heart Reply Parent Thread Link He was the one supplying Anna with drugs, and it was so she would be easier to manipulate IMO. He wanted her money/to control her. Reply Parent Thread Link she is about the only celeb kid that i'm surprised is not older than she actually is. i feel like we lost Anna a lot longer ago Reply Thread Link That was truly my first thought. Reply Parent Thread Link same. I'm shocked it's only been 16 years and not more Reply Parent Thread Link This just re-emphasizes I've been on ONTD for 16+ years. We broke the site when Anna Nicole died. Who's the user with the blue icon saying "The day ONTD died" (referencing that)? Reply Parent Thread Link I got a bit weepy when I saw mini Anna Nicole Smith when her face lit up during guitar. Anna had that quality Reply Thread Link Wow she is so beautiful and looks like her mom. Her dad seems to have given her a relatively normal childhood and I hope that is true and that she's happy and thriving. Reply Thread Link wow she looks so so much like her mother, i'm glad she's thus far kept out of the public eye Reply Thread Link The makeup they keep putting on her is a bit much because shes naturally absolutely gorgeous. Shes glowing in that Janet Jackson post. Its damn sad that she lost both her mom and brother. Im glad the dad proved everyone wrong - no one believed back then that hed actually raise her. Reply Thread Link I still remembered those old ONTD posts when he first took custody of her. Many believe he would use the little kid for fame. People were making many assumptions when he appeared at at an event or took her to an event. I'm glad people's assumptions were wrong. I also remembered her eyes at that time had certain issues. Reply Parent Thread Link I still don't trust her father, but he's done well by her for the most part. Reply Thread Link What type of comment is this? What basis do you have to not trust her father? Reply Parent Thread Link He started off as paparazzi that followed Anna. I'm not gonna forget that. Nowhere am I claiming he doesn't love his child. So there isn't anything to get offended by. I don't trust the majority of people who were around Anna, not even most of her family. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link whoa! talk about a time capsule. she's a clone! Reply Thread Link Wow she looks so much like her mom. I think its adorable that this is the one event a year that the public gets to see her and Larry seems to be doing a great job. Reply Thread Link She looks so much like her mom! It's nice to see her living like a normal teen. Reply Thread Link I'm so happy that the rare times she pops up on the public radar, she seems to be a happy, well-adjusted kid living a life where she gets to experience/worry about normal teen things. Also it blows me away how much Larry looks like a blond Christian Kane. Reply Thread Link Im so old Reply Thread Link I have to wonder how this acquisition would have worked out if they hadnt tried to ban adult content. Reply Thread Link I think they had to ban adult content because of that law. ironically I read about it on a tumblr post FOSTA-SESTA. Reply Parent Thread Link What law? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link what a coinkydink, i regret yahoo buying tumblr too! Reply Thread Link They're still trying to monetize the userbase; Like look at Tumblr Live or whatever the main demographic is about jokes and fucking around, not smoky eye smoozing at the camera. We have to tell people how it works because it's so much different than TikTok where you have to monetize yourself. also is this the first time anyone is hearing about Yahoo Screen? Reply Thread Link Leaning into Tumblr culture and launching Blaze is the smartest thing theyve done. I mean, the ultimate Tumblr users goal is to force their posts on as many people as possible lol. Reply Parent Thread Link That plus the check marks and the merch. Sure, it's 10 year old joke references but hey They've also been doing a better job with getting franchises and celebs to so their version of an AMA and actually promoting it. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like they finally took the advice from the Tumblr community to heart after like, 10 years, and realized that they could make money if they let us be really, really annoying natural habitat and all Reply Parent Thread Link I knew about Yahoo screen because Community moved there for their final season. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link never heard of yahoo screen before Reply Parent Thread Link I admit I bought the color of the sky tumbler. I've used the site for over 10 years; they can have some of my money. The addition of live is so obnoxious. At least the snooze option exists. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I still don't understand how they justified paying over a billion for a site that had no history with ad supported products. Reply Thread Link I have to think that the size of the userbase/certain artists and shows basically helping launch off of tumblr influenced them, but yeah, I don't think anyone in that deal quite understood Tumblr or its userbase or its "charm." Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, the sheer fact they considered Tumblr to be "social media" shows they didn't really understand it at all. It never operated in that way. A lot of the time people didn't want their posts to go viral, it was all about being anonymously weird and cringe. Reply Thread Link I couldn't find it now if I looked but I did see a quote floating around from Mayer that part of the reason for the porn ban was that they couldn't afford to pay Apple the... I guess the porn fee to keep the app on their store or something? Reply Thread Link Yup, Apple threatened to delist because of that and concerns the site was aware of sex trafficking (adults and minors) and wasn't monitoring it. So they ran some algorithm to pick Block nsfw, except it was so untested it blocked everything. The artists were also concerned because the guidelines were so vague and made their exit to Twitter and Patreon. Some have trickled back in after Elon, but honestly, why bother when they get more exposure elsewhere. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah the sex trafficking was definitely a concern and it's frustrating that their solution was to just ban all NSFW at the discretion of bots instead of, IDK, hiring more people to monitor that sort of thing but ofc they can't mess with the CEOs paychecks Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i loved the platform, still do but it's pm dead. thanks for nothing, yahoo. Reply Thread Link I never figured out what the hell tumblr even was, so not shocked. Reply Thread Link They didn't understand tumblr at all. I think now it's better but back then if you didn't have chrome extension (xkit) that fixed tumblr bugs it was super annoying to be on the site and they did nothing about it. I'm sure there are ways to monetize it but it works different from other social media, there are no influencers on it. Viral posts are just memes and text post that are rarely funny outside of tumblr. Reply Thread Link tumblr felt like the most authentic social media because it was so bad and too incompetently designed to feel commercial. the devs gave us a barely-working skeleton of a site that didn't even have functional search, so everything good on there was openly built by the community. there were definitely influencers on tumblr but social media marketing wasn't as much of a concept, so it was stuff like fitness girlies selling their own meal plans Reply Parent Thread Link tumblr def had "influencers" but since all the circles of users were decentralized based on interest/fandom, you really didn't know who the big name tumblrs were unless you were dialed into that corner of the site lol Reply Parent Thread Link the way it should be, imo. users should have to look and discover what they want to see, not have it forced on them. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Basically this. Only the KAWAII girlies knew about the likes of STARPOWERR or uhhh JASMINE BLU!! You knew what time it was when either of them two posted. Had grown ass women putting giant bows in their hair and tilting their head to a full 90 degree angle crickin that damn neck for the perfect starpowerr'esque shot. Had the girlies getting disney tattoos from movies they likely aint even seen. The goths were at each others NECKS over Fawn doe whatever. FELICE!!! Felice fawn. Then that Dakota Kiki girl came out hot on the scene too. Changed girlies LIVES. They were like, what level of photoshop satanitry is THIS! The indie girls?? FALLING over themselves for Aly ANTORCHA!! Maaaaaan, those were the days. What a time to love cute shit. Reply Parent Thread Link They probably should have spent 5 minutes on Tumblr before they bought it. Idk who uses it now but when I was active there were a lot of small fandom circles that just wanted to make gif sets and talk to people with shared interests. It's kind of hard to monetize that. Reply Thread Link That's what you get for trying to push consumer algorithms onto neurodivergent, queer, absurdists obsessed with fictional characters. I hope this article isn't a prelude to a sales pitch though. Yahoo's bafflement has allowed the site to run feral, just how I like it. Reply Thread Link Yahoo already sold it awhile back. It's owned by wordpress now. Reply Parent Thread Link it's so funny hearing people's conception of tumblr because it was so insular for social media. i was on tumblr for years with a moderately successful blog (around 100k followers) and never came across fandom stuff, ever. i didn't even know adult content was such a thing on tumblr until they banned it and it killed the site. and you had niche communities like sugaring, lifting who were all in their own silos. tumblr was the spiritual successor to livejournal because you could be insulated from huge parts of the site, where you have your one little corner of the site and who knows wtf is going on anywhere else Edited at 2023-05-07 04:26 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Why would you admit that? Reply Thread Link Clearly a humiliation kink which ironically I learned about on tumblr Reply Parent Thread Link what a bunch of yahoos Reply Thread Link Tumblr was about fandom and finding users who make gifs for the particular fandoms, and pretty random gifs AND po*ns. When they ban the porn aka mass exodus as some users term it, so many users migrated to twitters and elsewhere. It's not just po*ns that got affected, hugh amounts of fanartists got their accounts frozen if their arts were flagged by anyone who considered them not PG. There were periods at the beginning where normal users also have their accounts frozen by some automatic system that were trying to make everything super sanitize. Their system made Tumblr worse than before. When the artists/creatives leave, fans followed them. Yahoo killed Tumblr fanbase. Yahoo also inadvertently pushed or encouraged certain creatives to use those paying sited like Patreons and such. They put most of their work there and only few samples on Tumblr to minimize loosing+getting them flagged. Edited at 2023-05-07 04:12 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Remember "female presenting nipples" lol. Reply Parent Thread Link I stayed on Tumblr for a little while after the ban and it was hilariously awful. I remember images of like just an actor in a beige suit getting locked because it was flagged for nudity. Reply Parent Thread Link I had gif sets of animated movies like Madagascar and The Lion King flagged. lmao Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah it was one of the worst bans for content I have ever seen. Basically anything with queer/gay/lesbian mentioned too immediately got flagged, even if it was benign/not nsfw. Reply Parent Thread Link Their app updates were horrendous during that time too. Everytime they fixed one thing, they broke 4 other things. They frequently had updates that'd break the infinite scroll function, so you'd be taken back up the top of your dashboard every time you reblogged a post or clicked on a blog to view. I had to make backups of whatever version of the app that didn't do that every time I updated just so that I could roll back if I didn't like it. I think it use to be that they only showed you an add after every 10 post but Yahoo started messing with that and at its worst, I think they had an ad for ever 4th post, on top of having a moving ad underneath the posts that peaked through when you scrolled. So many people complained that they had to scale back. To make matters worse, there were a ton of tumblr copycat sites that were in development, trying to appeal to all the angry tumblr users. Pillowfort was one that people had high hopes for but they couldn't work fast enough to get it past beta testing at the time. I even opened a Mastadon account but the community was so different and not at all comparable to tumblr that I only used it a handful of times before abandoning it because I hated the UI so much; it was too cluttered and not at all customizable. Reply Parent Thread Link Tumblr is still iconic. I still see jokes going viral on Twitter or Instagram that are stolen from 10 year old Tumblr posts. That was one of my fave things about Tumblr too, posts get resurrected and passed around all the time. There's no time limit you don't constantly need new stuff. I'm still on it and it's still happily chugging away. Filmblr is still especially active. Reply Thread Link it's true like a bunch of the funny posts I see on Facebook these days are recylced screencaps of tumblr posts Reply Parent Thread Link Yup, a few days ago somebody reblogged a post I made in 2015 and it resulted in a bunch of new likes and reblogs. I went to look at the tags for a a bit but honestly cant figure out how it surfaced. I cant think of any other social media where that kind of thing happens. Also I love the ability to look at blogs archives. When I come across a new (to me) fandom thats been around for some time its fun to see what kind of stuff was posted at first. Reply Parent Thread Link lol I reblogged a post from like 2016 two weeks ago. You're welcome! Reply Parent Thread Link Ngl, I love that tumblr is the only site where you can not only do that without shame, it also gives great joy to the person you reblogged it from. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah, I still get random likes/reblogs of posts from 5-10 years ago. Reply Parent Thread Link i love whenever i come across a "tumblr heritage post" and reblog it. it's like some weird little artifact that is reverently passed around and displayed by members of the community. Reply Parent Thread Link me too, it's my fav social media and prob will be forever I've seen some ppl pass around how-to posts for new users recently which is nice, I think we're al realizing that the site needs to make some money for it to keep existing, so new users is a good thing Reply Parent Thread Link i've had my tumblr since the beginning and i will never ever let it go lmao Reply Parent Thread Link She sounds amazing, the director and the visual department should be blacklisted though. Reply Thread Link I'm curious, what didn't you like in this clip? Reply Parent Thread Link The colours (too muted) and the animation is terrible (hair and tail animation looks amateurish). And dont get me started on the atrocities committed to flounder and Sebastian. Edited at 2023-05-07 06:19 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed. The animations throw me off so much that I might not see it. That makes me sad because Halle sounds amazing. Reply Parent Thread Link Blank Check said Rob Marshall is a director who gets worse with every film and.... seems about right. Reply Parent Thread Link She does sound amazing and shes very well casted as Ariel imo. But omg @ Flounder lol. I get that he looks like a real fish - but this is why it was better suited as an animated film in the first place. And Id say that about most Disney live - action films. Someone on Twitter called him Fetanyl flounder lol. But Im glad they cast Halle as someone who can legitimately sing. Beauty and the Beast is my fav Disney movie. I could not with Emmas singing lol. Reply Parent Thread Link Was about to comment the same thing. The color grading is awful. Ariels world should be vibrant and fun. Disney is being cheap by allowing this (it costs more to brighten). I also just hate the focus on realism in comic book movies and these adaptations. Obviously the CGI should ideally be good but it doesnt have to reflect reality! Like the ocean doesnt need to be that dark lol. And flounder doesnt have to look like a real fish. I liked the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies because it still had a lightness and fantastical vibe to the action sequences it wasnt focused on being dark and gritty like every blockbuster seems to be these days (for which I blame Christopher Nolan) Anyway! She is so lovely though, but just imagine brighter ocean scenes filled with blue and purple lighting on her missed opportunity Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Jodi Bensons will always be my fave (her version had a unique type of sweetness and yearning), but Halle sounds amazingthe rest of the movie, man, I dont know. Its so unappealing visually Reply Thread Link I dont get why they opted for realism. The original is so colourful and fun, but this just looks washed out and depressing. Imagine under the sea with this colour palette, it makes me want to cry. Reply Parent Thread Link From the clips we've seen of Under the Sea, it's brighter! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My coworkers are so mad about this movie and considering all but 2 of us are poc, it makes me so sad Reply Thread Link Flounder: IDK, I'm liking this and will be watching on opening night. Reply Thread Link Hes just a squishy little fishy like yall know if you saw him irl at the aquarium youd be like awwww Reply Parent Thread Link Im in awe, she is perfect Im so ridiculously excited for this movie but its hard reading so many negative comments online. Personally I think that it looks beautiful and a lot of heart went into it and theyre giving me what Ive dreamed of having since I was a kid. Ive ALWAYS wanted a TLM live action movie my whole life. Ariel is the first fictional character who ever truly enchanted me, this is the first story in my life I can remember fully connecting with, since I was 4 years old. I NEVER though theyd give me a Black Ariel who looks like me let alone an actress who captures the spirit of the character SO well. I am filled with so much joy from the existence of this film and every bit of promo I get makes me so happy. I feel like for every one commenter who is enchanted like me, there is a hundred other comments filled with so much vitriol, and Im like chill tbh! Nurture your inner child! Fuck, I even think Flounder looks adorable lmao. Idk Im getting everything I want from these trailers and promos so Im just hoping the final product delivers for me. Haters gonna hate! Reply Thread Link Seriously! At this point idgaf. Im excited and Haileys voice brought me to tears. I loved Little Mermaid since I was basically a baby and you bet your ass Im seeing it opening weekend!! Reply Parent Thread Link People are needlessly nitpicky when it comes to this film and idk why. I love TLM and I can't wait for this :) Flounder and Sebastia look fine too! Reply Parent Thread Link I got choked up reading your post. Reply Parent Thread Link Ill be there opening weekend to see this. The Little Mermaid was the first movie I saw in theaters so its super special to me and I am beyond excited to see this version. Halle is everything I could have wanted for Ariel, she embodies her personality but more importantly she can sing. Most of the comments about the brightness dont bother me, the original version under water sequences were never very bright. Its only been in the remastered versions that Disney upped the saturation on the colors making everything way brighter than what I remember watching as a kid. Reply Parent Thread Link I love how the people I see who are most excited are LGBTQ MOC. It makes me happy. Reply Parent Thread Link Ohh, I love this comment! I get it! TLM was the first movie I saw in theatres (when I was two) and it's been my favourite ever since. Ariel is just special to me, and I'm so thrilled that they cast Halle - she captures Ariel's spirit so perfectly, she's beautiful and her voice is just stunning! The movie is destined to be a hit with me for that reason alone. I've never seen a Disney live action movie in theatres, but I'm definitely seeing this twice, lol. I can't wait! Edited at 2023-05-08 02:25 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Could still use more saturation, but looks loads better than the teaser. I really love her tail, she sounds spectacular and captures Ariel perfectly. This will be the first Disney live action I'm warching on the big screen idc Reply Thread Link Fucking flawless she's so perfect for Ariel!! I'm so excited I've been looking forward to this for so long :') Reply Thread Link so visually unappealing put rob marshall in jail!!! Reply Thread Link I'm so tired of the muted colors trend. Reply Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] As for "Poor Unfortunate Souls", the part about men preferring women who don't talk has been omitted and not replaced with new lyrics. However, there are a couple more lyric changes (spoilers ahead because they have to do with some story changes). This: Take a gulp and take a breath And go ahead and sign the scroll has been replaced with this: Pluck a scale from off your tail A drop of blood inside the bowl! because in this version Ariel doesn't sign a scroll, but signs the deal by ripping a scale from her tail and putting it into the cauldron. And this part: Larynxes, glacydis, ad max Laryngitis la voce to me has been changed a bit: Amnesia, glossitis et max laryngitis La voce to me! That's because in this film Ursula puts a secret spell on Ariel so she doesn't remember she has to be kissed by Eric before the three days end. Poor Unfortunate Soul changes courtesy of dvdizzy forum Reply Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] Oof that is so violent, but I kinda like that as a nod to the fairy tale because the sea witchs spell is brutal in that. Also makes me very curious how they change Kiss the Girl. Reply Parent Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] Yes, you want her Look at her, you know you do Possible she want you too Use your words, boy, and ask her If the time is right and the time is tonight Go on and kiss the girl Kiss the Girl is very minimal Reply Parent Thread Expand Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] Why make Ariel forget something Ursula herself told her two minutes ago? She could've just not said it in the first place. That last bit sounds so dumb: Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ever since I saw an article or something about people being outraged at "Skinny Flounder", that's all I can think about when this movie is mentioned and it makes me laugh Reply Thread Link Even the animations are on ozempic. Reply Parent Thread Link With the exception of TLK and Mulan, I just realized that none of the live action movies so far have remade movies during my lifetime. They're all older. Hm. Ok. Reply Thread Link While I am excited for the movie, from all the spoilers I've read...it doesnt seem like they take the time to really expand on any of the characters and them likely omitting Daughters of Triton really is discouraging. Reply Thread Link The daughters of Triton is a great opening to the movie. Reply Parent Thread Link I can't wait to see this and hear Halle's beautiful voice from a theatre sound system. Reply Thread Link The new Ariel Limited Edition Doll inspired by live action Disney's @LittleMermaid arrives tomorrow at 8AM PT. https://t.co/JkeXZJk8E9#TheLittleMermaid pic.twitter.com/yOP25oafql shopDisney (@shopDisney) May 7, 2023 I just want to know if Under the Sea will slap. I love Daveed but I worry Disney will tell him to tone it down. Reply Thread Link I LOVED the rendition of Friend Like Me tho so I have hope. Reply Parent Thread Link The one issue I've had so far with the film is Daveed's voice and the small snippet I heard of Under The Sea doesn't sound great to me. It's a shame cause I love him! Reply Parent Thread Link Top priorities for President Tokaevs administration include both efforts to diversify its economy away from over-reliance on hydrocarbon exports as well as attract more FDI. Less than a month after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Kazakhstan began negotiating with hundreds of Russia-based foreign firms about their possible relocation to his country. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin began his ill-fated special military operation (SVO) against Ukraine, subsequent international sanctions imposed in response produced the slowly mounting hemorrhaging of foreign firms based in the Russian Federation to other post-Soviet states, with many choosing to relocate to Kazakhstan. On April 19, Kazakhstans Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov told participants in a government meetingheld to discuss his nations socioeconomic developmentthat his government is in talks with 43 major international companies based in Russia regarding their relocation to the Central Asian country. According to Smailov, beyond these 43 firms considering the shift, 24 foreign companies have already moved to Kazakhstan. Businesses that have relocated their base of operations from Russia to Kazakhstan include Honeywell, InDriver, Weir Minerals, Ural Motorcycles, Fortescue, TikTok, Koppert and Emerson. According to the same reports, discussions for the same continue with Boeing, EPAM Systems, Youngsan, Skoda Transportation, GE Healthcare and Philips (Tengri News, April 19). Corporations began to fear the fiscal consequences of running afoul of a series of increasingly harsh sanctions against Russia after the start of Putins SVO. The rising exodus of foreign firms seeking more benign opportunities for foreign direct investment (FDI) coincided with increased efforts by Kazakhstan, Central Asias most prosperous nation, to secure more FDI. The volume of foreign interest was not insignificant; on December 22, 2022, Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Almas Aidarov stated that less than a month after the SVO started, Kazakhstan began negotiating with hundreds of Russia-based foreign firms about their possible relocation to his country. Aidarov said at a briefing to Kazakhstans Central Communications Service (???, or CCS): Since the beginning of the conflict and the announcement of sanctions against the Russian economy, we have identified 362 companies that have publicly announced their withdrawal or reduction of their activities in the Russian market. These 362 companies are foreign companies that have operated in Russia and are of interest to us. Since March, we have reached out to the parent companies of these brands with a proposal to relocate to Kazakhstan. To date, 62 companies have given us a positive response that they are ready to consider Kazakhstan as an alternative platform (Sputnik Kazakhstan, December 22, 2022). As top priorities of Kazakh President Tokaevs administration include both efforts to diversify its economy away from over-reliance on hydrocarbon exports as well as attract more FDI, the stampede of foreign companies exiting Russia represents an unexpected potential windfall. Three months after the SVO began, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tleuberdi visited the US, where his delegation held talks with prominent businessmen in New York and Washington D.C. According to official Kazakh central bank statistics, as of October 2021, FDI in Kazakhstan totaled $170 billion, including $40.4 billion from the US (US State Department, 2023). The Kazakh delegation held meetings with Boeing, Valmont Industries, Honeywell, Pfizer, Champion Foods, Paramount, SMP Robotics, LA Solar Group, Ardmore Capital and JPMorgan Chase & Co. officials. According to Merzhan Iusupov, Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Invest, a national company responsible for attracting FDI to the country: In connection with the relocation of many companies to Kazakhstan, we express our readiness to create all the institutional conditions for establishing direct interaction with foreign companies by providing opportunities for moving to Kazakhstan or opening joint ventures (Interfax, May 24, 2022). The outgoing river of foreign businesses flowing out from the Russian market may soon turn into a raging flood. On April 25, Putin signed a decree entitled: On the temporary management of certain property, which established a mechanism for the introduction of temporary management of foreign assets in Russia (Official Internet Portal for Legal Information, April 25). Putins decree provides for the temporary management of foreign assets held by the Russian subsidiaries of Finlands Fortum Oyj and Germanys Unipro (both energy companies) by the Federal Property Management Agency, in order to generate assets of paramount importance for the stable functioning of the Russian energy sector (Vedomosti, April 25). The decrees legal framework makes it possible to introduce temporary external management of foreign assets in the event that Russia, Russian legal entities or individuals are deprived of the right of ownership of property abroad, which could create a threat to Russias national, economic or energy security. With the notable exception of Belarus, Putins relentless SVO against Ukraine has generated a growing degree of coolness in post-Soviet nations towards their former Russian comrades. Russias recent moves against foreign business entities remaining within the confines of the Federation are likely to promote still more to leave, with nearby Kazakhstan appearing like the prime alternative in the post-Soviet Eurasian space. In 2021, global FDI totaled $1.58 trillion, up 64 percent from 2020s exceptionally low levels. Kazakhstan remains the number one FDI destination in post-Soviet Central Asia, absorbing approximately 70 percent of total FDI regional inflows (Lloyds Bank, April 2023). As Kazakhstan continues to reform its economic and legal structures to better accommodate foreign and domestic investment, it seems likely that many of the new fiscal refugees from Russia will consider making their temporary exile to the steppe more permanent. By John Daly via Jamestown.org ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Fusion Appoints Vice Presidents for Sales and Fusion Marketplace, Bringing More Expertise to the Company Fusion is thrilled to announce the addition of two vice presidents to its leadership team. Dan DeVeney, vice president of Fusion Marketplace, and Brian McCulloch, vice president of sales, bring decades of expertise to help Fusion scale for sustained growth and carry out the objectives of the company's three brands - Fusion Medical Staffing, Fusion Marketplace, and Fusion Workforce Solutions - as they work to ensure everyone they touch has a better life. Dan DeVeney joins the company as Vice President of Fusion Marketplace, a job platform that empowers healthcare professionals with information needed to make the best choices in their careers. DeVeney leads the execution of Fusion Marketplace's vision to deliver the industry leading traveling healthcare professional experience. He has a wide range of leadership experience in development, product, UX, SEO, data, and operational leadership. Prior to joining Fusion, Dan was a key strategic marketing and technology leader at several companies including Spreetail, Oriental Trading Company, and Hayneedle. Brian McCulloch joins Fusion as Vice President of Sales. In this role, McCulloch is responsible for leading Fusion's three sales divisions (nursing, allied, and long term care) and the sales onboarding and training team, while creating a culture of performance, positivity, and accountability. He was previously the Vice President of Business Performance at Home Instead / Honor Technology and has experience in mortgage lending and banking. "We are delighted to welcome Dan and Brian to Fusion's leadership team," said President and CEO Steve Koesters. "Their experience and expertise in their respective areas will be invaluable for Fusion as our business and impact grow. Both exemplify our core values of being humble, driven, and positive and they will be instrumental in us continuing our mission of ensuring everyone we touch has a better life." Fusion provides career opportunities for healthcare professionals by helping medical facilities fill their staffing needs. The company works to improve the clinician experience at every angle, always keeping quality patient care as the main goal. Fusion is currently hiring in several departments and is looking for humble, driven, and positive individuals to add to the team. All open positions can be found at fusionmedstaff.com/careers. About Fusion Medical Staffing: Fusion Medical Staffing connects traveling healthcare professionals with their dream job anywhere in the country, helping medical facilities fill their staffing needs. We give our travelers the support they need to be heroes in their workplace. We exist to ensure everyone we touch has a better life. We strive to stay humble, driven, and positive. About Fusion Marketplace: Fusion Marketplace is a staffing recruitment platform where healthcare travelers are in control - with more transparency and the ability to view jobs from multiple agencies under one roof. Healthcare travelers now have more career, agency, recruiter, and lifestyle choices in one convenient location. Unknowns known. Learn more at fusionmarketplace.com Haley Walker has been named community outreach specialist at Heart Ministry Center. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications focused on public relations and advertising. She previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services until she decided to stay home with her children. Since that time, Haley has kept busy raising her four children and volunteering in the community and at her children's school. Some of Haley's favorite things to do are cook, working out, travel, and just about anything outside. Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP Receives 2023 Business Excellence Award Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP announced receipt of a Greater Omaha Chamber 2023 Business Excellence Award celebrating 25 years in business. The award is part of an annual tradition recognizing area organizations in four categories: Leadership, Innovation, Philanthropy, and Sustained Excellence. More than 70 companies were nominated for this year's awards, with just 17 businesses identified as award recipients, "trailblazers who go above and beyond every day," according to event organizers. "Thriving communities rely on businesses to drive innovation, generate employment opportunities, and foster social connections. Attributing success to hard work and dedication, we proudly recognize the 17 organizations being honored today as more than just excellent - they are truly exceptional," said Tim Burke, interim president, and CEO, of Greater Omaha Chamber. About Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP Headquartered in Omaha, NE, Lamson Dugan & Murray (LDM) has more than 45 attorneys practicing within the areas of Litigation and Corporate Law. LDM's extensive experience enables the Firm to offer expertise in 26 different practice areas, allowing the Firm to remain committed to quality representation, accessibility, and relentless hard work on behalf of clients. LDM also has locations in Lincoln, NE and West Des Moines, IA. About Greater Omaha Greater Omaha is a No. 1 ranked up-and-coming tech hotspot, a "top 10 best place to live on a $60,000 salary," and was named America's No. 2 Best Small City by Resonance Consultancy. Greater Omaha is home to more than 30 communities and nearly 1 million people. About the Greater Omaha Chamber The mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and a prosperous region through visionary leadership and collaboration. Franks Pizzeria is now open in the Capitol District near north downtown. The locally-owned restaurant, with two other outlets in the metro, is known for its New York-style pizza and a variety of other Italian dishes. I know from a reliable source that the fried ravioli is tasty and craveable. The menu includes pasta dishes such as eggplant parmesan and baked ziti, calzones and stromboli, salads (the antipasto is especially good), a variety of sandwiches and cannoli and zeppoles (similar to donut holes) for dessert. The new downtown Franks, at 1170 Capitol Ave., operates until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It opens at 11 a.m. seven days a week. Other Franks locations are 711 N. 132nd St. in Omaha and 5413 S. 72nd St. Suite 116, in Ralston. Another outlet is expected to open at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna sometime this month. Visit frankspizzeriaomaha.com for more information and a complete menu. Fremont restaurant reopens Alto Kitchen + Bar in Fremont reopened this week after being closed for several months. The restaurant, at 317 Main St., has been renovated and reimagined, according to social media posts. It still will serve signature salads, pasta, pizza, steaks and other items. They hired a number of new staff members as well. The website is altokitchenandbar.com. Waterloo eatery coming soon Salted Edge Modern Kitchen + Bar is coming this summer to Waterloo. The restaurant promises chef-driven dines and fine wines, according to its website, salted-edge.com. A menu is not yet available. The head chef will be Joel Hassanali, who was previously with the Fresh N Delicious concept that operated Best Bison near 76th and Dodge Streets. He also has a catering company called Kitchen Explosion. Salted Edge will overlook West Shores Lake at 243rd Street and West Dodge Road. It will have bars both indoors and on the patio, and boaters will be able to dock nearby. Another El Muchacho Alegre A second Omaha-area location of El Muchacho Alegre restaurant appears to be on its way. A sign on the former location of Angus Burgers and Shakes at 10177 S. 168th Ave. Suite 101 says the popular Mexican eatery will soon occupy that space. Omahas other El Muchacho Alegre is at 6222 N. 72nd St. in the Sorensen Park Plaza. Its extensive menu includes all the common Mexican entrees, plus steak and seafood dishes, soups, salads, five desserts and more. The restaurants traditional margarita was the top choice in a recent Omahas Great Grub feature in The World-Herald. For more information and to see a menu, go to www.elmuchachoalegremenu.com. Meat shop transition Otillie Meats in Lincoln is closing its retail shop, according to a post on its Facebook page. The business, however, will continue to sell its gourmet sausages online. Customers can purchase and reserve individual meat packs for local pickup in Omaha or Lincoln and direct shipping nationwide. Otillie also will be distributing its products in local restaurants and at small retail shops. They hope to grow their business with other retailers, so if youd like to see their sausages in one of your favorite establishments, let them know. They currently have 12 varieties of sausage on their website, otilliebutcher.com, including chorizo and Cajun flavors. They also sell cuts of beef and pork. The shop, at 129 S. 27th St. in Lincoln, will stay open through May. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 12:30 to 5 p.m. Fridays. Dessert auction? Yes, please A dessert auction will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging on May 11 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Senior Companion & Foster Grandparent AmeriCorps Senior Programs are sponsoring the event. They will use the proceeds to recognize the tireless efforts of volunteers, according to a social media post. A variety of vendors will be on hand, including Big Mamas Kitchen and Catering, The Rib Shack, Daves Cakes, The Cordial Cherry and Wendays Bakery and Boutique. The ENOA building is at 4780 S. 131st St. For more info on the auction, call Beth Paleogos at 402-561-2217. Beef passport is now available The free 2023 Nebraska Beef Passport gives food-lovers exclusive offers at participating locations across the state. And every time you use it to buy beef, youll earn points to unlock prizes from the Nebraska Beef Council. More than 40 restaurants and meat processors from east to west are participating this year. To obtain a pass and learn more about how it works, go to bit.ly/BeefPassport. <&rule> Ask Betsy Flood if, after 37 years working as a nurse, she has thoughts of calling it a career and her answer is immediate and direct. Nope. Not yet, she said. Ive loved all that nursing has taught me. I know I still have care to give. I love caring for people. And she has cared for many working in the NICU, in the adult ICU, as a flight nurse, as a lead ER nurse, and in clinical and surgical settings for physicians not to mention her work in UNMCs biocontainment unit that treated patients from Africa who contracted Ebola. That was probably the pinnacle of my career, she said. Hospital administrators asked her to join the special unit, which trained in preparation to treat patients. It was an interesting time. So was the trip to a rural community, during her time as a flight nurse, to pick up a boy born at 24 weeks and weighing one pound. The air ambulance landed in an intersection. The newborns eyes were closed and his lungs werent fully formed. He stopped breathing several times during their return to Omaha. The heartbreak at the time, she recalled, was that the babys parents could not come along in the air ambulance. A few days later, she met his parents but then lost contact. Until 16 years later, when the family asked if their sons care team could be gathered so they could say thank you. I have taken care of thousands and thousands of patients and I usually never know what happened to them. Flood said a desire she experienced as a child to help people and a love for science in high school sparked her career choice. She initially worked in Iowa City (Iowa) where her husband was attending law school in a NICU. I loved my work from the get-go. A return to Nebraska led to her long-term stay with Nebraska Medicine. Her return came during a time when nurses outnumbered available jobs. She landed a job in the adult NICU instead of on a hospital floor where nurses typically started their careers. For Flood, her time in ICUs reinforced what she learned in nursing school. Her nominator wrote that Flood is great with patients. Betsy is able to speak to patients with confidence about their care and with compassion when things are scary and dire. She will hold your hand and be quiet with you or give you a smile and wink to let you know it will be OK. Omaha police arrested a woman on suspicion of second-degree murder Sunday in connection with a fatal shooting in the Capitol District. Gom Gout, 23, of Omaha, was found suffering from a gunshot wound shortly after 1 a.m. near 10th Street and Capitol Avenue, a police spokesman said. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died. Keloni Jones, 24, of Omaha, was located a short time later while walking in the downtown area and taken into custody. Jones was taken to Omaha Police Headquarters to be interviewed. The Douglas County Attorney's Office then determined the charges, the spokesman said. Jones also was arrested for suspicion of using a weapon to commit a felony. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, at omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a cash reward for information. MINERAL WELLS, Texas Desperate to fill open positions amid a statewide teacher shortage, school officials in this rural North Texas city of about 15,000 chose to follow the lead of neighboring districts by converting to a four-day school week at the start of the current student year. We decided if we cant beat them, join them, Superintendent John Kuhn said. As the school year nears a close next month, Kuhn proclaimed the four-day week a really good success, which, among other positives, produced a surge of qualified teacher applicants that helped the district fill its vacancies. The seven-member school board has unanimously authorized the four-day schedule for the new school year that starts in August. Nationwide, the number of four-day schools has increased by 600% over the past two decades, now numbering more than 1,600 in 24 states, according to research published in 2021. The schedule is most popular in small, rural districts. In Colorado, which has the largest percentage, 124 of the states 178 districts (70%) follow a four-day schedule. Many four-day schools report higher test scores, fewer discipline problems and strong support from parents, teachers and staff. But amid the success stories, the idea is facing headwinds as emerging research points to academic declines and other problems. School districts that go from five days to four typically make up at least some of the missing hours by adding time to the other days or extending the school year. But four-day schedules average only 148 school days per year, resulting in less time in school than the national average of 180 days per year for five-day schools. Several states have imposed restrictions or bans on four-day schools. In Oklahoma, for example, a 2019 law requires school districts to seek waivers for four-day schools. Lawmakers in Missouri and Texas are pushing legislation to block the practice. In another part of North Texas, the suburban Mesquite Independent School District, just east of Dallas, three months ago pulled back from what had seemed to be almost certain implementation of a four-day school week, after a comprehensive study raised fears of academic setbacks among fragile student populations. The six-state analysis, published last summer by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, found lower student achievement in four-day schools, with larger negative effects among Hispanic students, as well as in those in towns and the suburbs, as compared to rural areas. Reviewing the relatively new findings at a board meeting in February, Mesquite officials dropped the four-day concept out of fear it would result in harmful consequences for students, 61% of whom are Hispanic. I took it off the table as the administration recommendation, Superintendent Angel Rivera told Stateline. Im not going to experiment on kids. Lawmakers push back Over the past several years, school districts in many states have rushed to embrace the four-day school week in hopes of easing a variety of problems, from staff vacancies to budget pressures, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the analysis published by the Annenberg Institute. In some states, lawmakers are pushing back. In Missouri, where more than 160 school districts (out of 518) will follow four-day schedules next year, a Senate-passed education bill carries an amendment by Democratic state Sen. Doug Beck that would prohibit four-day school weeks in cities with more than 30,000 residents, unless approved by district voters. Beck, whose district includes the St. Louis area, said he believes Missouri should mandate five-day school weeks, calling the reduced schedule a bad idea and a push to the bottom. In Texas, state Sen. Donna Campbell, Republican vice chair of the Senate Education Committee, also is pushing a bill that would require five-day weeks. Campbell said in a statement that her bill has spurred a robust public discussion regarding the relationship between students instructional time and academic achievement. In the future, I would like to see Texas collect data on student achievement comparing the various school week models. At a committee hearing on her bill, Campbell said the four-day schedule has unintentionally caused hardships on working families and does not seem to improve student outcomes. Research also suggests that it seems to have some negative effects on children, she said. But school district officials who testified during the hearing were unanimous in their opposition to the bill, saying it would override local decision-making. We know what works for us, said Paula Patterson, superintendent of the Houston-area Crosby Independent School District, which serves more than 6,000 students. When Crosby switches to a four-day schedule next fall, it will be the largest Texas district to do so. Four days with an exceptional teacher is much more effective and productive than five days with a less effective teacher. Recent research Scholarly research on four-day school weeks has been slow to emerge, leaving school districts to rely heavily on anecdotal conclusions. All of the research we have today is almost exclusively from the last three to four years, said Emily Morton of Portland, Oregon-based NWEA, a nonprofit educational research organization formerly known as the Northwest Evaluation Association. Morton was one of the authors of the study published by the Annenberg Institute. In addition to that analysis, there have been at least seven other major studies, including a 2021 study by the RAND Corporation and an Oregon analysis led by Paul Thompson, another coauthor of the analysis published by the Annenberg Institute. Thompsons Oregon study found that 11th graders on a four-day schedule performed worse on math tests than five-day students. The findings, Morton said, are largely a story of trade-offs, showing an overall small to medium negative effect on achievement, though close to zero in rural districts, along with positives such as downturns in fighting and bullying. Morton acknowledged, however, that the shortened week has been a morale booster in many districts, reducing time pressures, adding to family togetherness and softening academic stress. School district leaders say the reduced schedule has curtailed or eradicated vacancies and eased the workload on staff. The folks who do this schedule, they love it, Morton said. The communities are really positive about it. Though some schools have chosen Monday as the off-day, Friday is the new Saturday in most districts. However, many schools remain open on the expanded weekend for optional extra instruction or catch-up days for teachers. How K-12 public school funding has changed over the past decade How K-12 public school funding has changed over the past decade Education revenue has increased overall since 2012 For the last decade, education expenditures have been greater than education revenue The percentage of education revenue coming from federal sources has decreased in most states LONDON King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony steeped in ancient ritual and brimming with bling at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain. At a coronation with displays of royal power straight out of the Middle Ages, Charles was presented with an orb, a sword and scepter and had the solid gold, bejeweled St. Edward's Crown placed atop his head as he sat upon a 700-year-old oak chair. In front of world leaders, foreign royals, dignitaries and a smattering of stars, Charles declared: "I come not to be served but to serve." Inside the medieval abbey, trumpets sounded, and the congregation of more than 2,000 shouted "God save the king!" Outside, thousands of troops, hundreds of thousands of spectators and scores of protesters converged. It was the culmination of a seven-decade journey for the king from heir to monarch. To the royal family and government, the occasion code-named Operation Golden Orb was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world. To the crowds gathered under rainy skies thousands of whom had camped overnight it was a chance to be part of a historic occasion. Julie Newman, a 77-year-old visitor from Canada, said the royal procession had been "absolutely fabulous. Couldn't ask for anything better." "But we're ready to go back home and watch it all on the television," she added. But to millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke largely gone. And to a few, it was reason to protest. Hundreds who want to see Britain become a republic gathered to holler "Not my king." They see the monarchy as an institution that stands for privilege and inequality, in a country of deepening poverty and fraying social ties. A handful were arrested. As the day began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. Notables streamed in: U.S. first lady Jill Biden, first lady Olena Zelenska of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron, eight current and former British prime ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals, and celebrities including Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie. During the traditional Anglican service slightly tweaked for modern times, Charles, clad in crimson and cream velvet and ermine-trimmed robes, swore on a Bible that he is a "true Protestant." But a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Anglican church "will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely." It was the first ceremony to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths, as well as the first in which female clergy took part. Charles was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land a part of the ceremony so sacred it was concealed behind screens before being presented with the Sovereign's Orb and other regalia. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby then placed the crown on Charles' head, while he sat in the Coronation Chair once gilded, now worn and etched with graffiti. Underneath the seat was a sacred slab known as the Stone of Scone, on which ancient Scottish kings were crowned. For 1,000 years and more, such grandiose ceremonies have confirmed the right of British kings to rule. Charles was the 40th sovereign to be enthroned in the abbey and, at 74, the oldest. These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September. The king does remain the U.K.'s head of state and a symbol of national identity and Charles will have to work to bring together a multicultural nation and shore up support for the monarchy at at time when it is waning, especially among younger people. While most Britons view the monarchy on a spectrum ranging from apathy to mild interest, some are fervently opposed to it. The anti-monarchy group Republic said several of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested as they arrived at a protest in central London. Police, who'd warned they would have a "low tolerance" for people seeking to disrupt the day, said they made 52 arrests. Human Rights Watch said arrests of peaceful protesters were "something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London." The multimillion-pound cost of the all the pomp the exact figure unknown also rankled some amid a cost-of-living crisis that has meant many Britons are struggling to pay energy bills and buy food. Charles has sought to lead a smaller, less expensive royal machine for the 21st century, and his was a shorter, smaller affair than his mother's coronation. The notoriously feuding royal family put on its own show of unity. Prince William, who is next in line to be king, his wife, Kate, and their three children were all in attendance. Toward the end of the ceremony, William knelt before his father and pledged loyalty to the king before kissing him on the cheek. Then Archbishop Welby invited everyone in the abbey to swear "true allegiance" to the monarch. He said people watching on television could pay homage, too though that part of the ceremony was toned down after some criticized it as a tone-deaf effort to demand a public oath of allegiance for Charles. William's younger brother Prince Harry, who has publicly sparred with the family, arrived alone. His wife Meghan and their children remained at home in California, where the couple has lived since quitting as working royals in 2020. As Charles and the key royals joined a magnificent military procession after the ceremony, Harry stood waiting outside the abbey until a car arrived to drive him away. Large crowds cheered as Charles and Queen Camilla, who was also crowned, rode in the Gold State Carriage from the abbey to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a procession of 4,000 troops and military bands playing jaunty tunes. From the palace balcony, the king and queen waved to a sea of people who cheered and shouted "God Save the king!" Photos: King Charles III's coronation from the ceremony to the outfits The Nigerian Army has denied troops of Egwu Eke III, also known as Operation Python Dance 3, shot or wounded persons in Aba, Abia. Col Sagir Musa, Deputy Director, Public Relations, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, made the denial in a statement in Enugu on Saturday. Musa urged members of the public to disregard the information. He, however, said that six members of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were arrested and handed over to Abia State Police Command by the troop. According to him, the attention of the division was drawn to an online news publication alleging that some soldiers of 144 Battalion on routine patrol in Aba shot three persons and one of them died instantly. The division wishes to state that, although there was an incident involving 144 Battalion patrol team with some traders at Asa-Nnentu Spare Parts Market in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia, at no time was anybody shot at, wounded or killed as lopsidedly and wrongly reported by the online medium. For record purpose, this was what happened: At 12.00 hours on Wednesday, Feb. 6, troops of the Battalion on exercise Egwu Eke III were alerted on the massive presence of some youths allegedly disrupting commercial activities and pasting posters with the inscription There will be no elections in Abia State and Entire Biafra Land, Support Biafran Referendum, Vote for Biafra, Vote for Total Freedom from Slavery among others, which were unusually widely pasted on private shops around Aloaji general area of Aba. Consequently, as professionally responsive soldiers, the team moved to the area to ensure peace and security; no person was to be harassed or molested by miscreants or violent secessionist agitators. Unfortunately, some of the misguided traders and hoodlums loitering around started chanting anti-soldier commentaries, with some of them boldly obstructing troops movements. This situation, necessarily, in the circumstance, caused two of the personnel to fire warning shots to disperse the surging crowd, he said. Mr Musa said that since that day, the area had been calm and the outlawed IPOB posters removed, while residents had been going about their normal businesses unhindered. He warned individuals and groups o desist from confronting troops on legitimate duty. Nigerian Army personnel will not tolerate violent secessionist agitation; we remain apolitical, neutral, professional and responsive in the discharge of our constitutional roles in line with the vision and policy directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai. Members of the public are requested to disregard the wrongful publication as there has not been a genuine report of any major fracas, rights abuses, shooting, wounding or killing of anybody by soldiers since the commencement of exercise Egwu Eke III, he said. The deputy director said that the division appreciated and commended the cooperation from the public which, he said, assisted in the successes it recorded so far. The suspected killer of Nipsey Hussle has been arrested and detained by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). We reported that Nipsey Hussle was shot in front of his own clothing store on Sunday afternoon at close range, by a man who fled in a getaway car. According to the LAPD, the suspected [] More Sudans latest new military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has announced a series of populist measures he hopes will appease demonstrators demanding civilian rule. I announce the restructuring of state institutions according to the law and pledge to fight corruption and uproot the regime and its symbols, al-Burhan said on Saturday, a day after he was sworn in to head Sudans new ruling military council. He also ordered the release of all prisoners jailed by special emergency courts and the immediate lifting of a night-time curfew imposed by the council earlier this week. Career soldier Burhan took the helm of Sudans transitional military council on Friday when his predecessor General Awad Ibn Ouf a close aide of ousted veteran president Bashir quit after little more than 24 hours in power. Burhan also pledged Saturday that individuals implicated in killing protesters would face justice. His initial announcements indicated he wanted to show the tens of thousands of protesters on the streets that he is not part of the regimes old guard and was genuinely committed to reform. Indeed he vowed to uproot all the vestiges of deposed president Omar al-Bashirs regime. He also accepted the resignation of the head of the feared National Intelligence and Security Service, Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salih widely known as Salih Ghosh the military council announced. Salih Ghosh had overseen a sweeping crackdown against protesters in four months of mass demonstrations that led to the armys toppling of Bashir on Thursday. Dozens of protesters were killed and thousands of activists, opposition leaders and journalists arrested. The police said Friday that 16 people had been killed in live fire in Khartoum alone over the previous two days as NISS agents led a desperate last stand for Bashir before the army intervened. But in a statement Saturday evening, Burhan said the deputy chief of the NISS was a member of the newly formed 10-member council which also includes the police chief and military figures Burhan named as the councils deputy Mohammad Hamdan Daglo, who is also known as Himeidti, field commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) counter-insurgency unit, which rights groups have accused of abuses in war-torn Darfur. A photograph published by state news agency SUNA had shown Burhan talking with protesters outside army headquarters on Friday, before his elevation to the top job. Khartoum erupted with joy when Ibn Ouf tendered his resignation on Friday night barely 24 hours after taking the oath of office. Car horns sounded as jubilant crowds streamed out of their homes chanting: It fell again, it fell again. But protest organisers urged demonstrators to keep up their week-old vigil outside army headquarters. Ibn Ouf had served as Bashirs defence minister right up to the presidents downfall, ending three decades of iron-fisted rule. A former military intelligence chief, Ibn Ouf remains under US sanctions for his role in the regimes brutal response to a 2003 ethnic minority rebellion in Darfur region. Bashir himself came to power in a 1989 Islamist military coup, toppling an elected government led by Sadiq al-Mahdi. Burhan comes with less baggage from Bashirs deeply unpopular rule than Ibn Ouf. The grass-roots Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) composed of doctors, teachers and engineers, has spearheaded the nationwide protests. It hailed Ibn Oufs departure as a victory of the peoples will. But it demanded that Burhan swiftly transfer the powers of the military council to a transitional civilian government and said it would continue to stage sit-ins to that end. Post Views: 119 Pa Joseph Diri, the father died aged 88 on February 12, 2023. Other dignitaries that attended the burial ceremony, were former President Goodluck Jonathan, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, and several prominent Nigerian leaders. Others included former First Lady, Dame Patience; the former PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu; and state governors, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, (Delta); Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and his wife, Betty; Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Darius Ishiaku (Taraba). In a speech, Diri said he and his family as well as the entire state were humbled by the large turnout of high-profile dignitaries in his community to bid his father farewell. He said, We are indeed overwhelmed. There can be no love more than that. I would not have thought even in the wildest of my imaginations that there would be a large number of high-profile Nigerians here to celebrate my father. In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that media personality, Tomike Adeoye, on Saturday, announced that she and her husband have welcomed their second child in the United States. Adeoye announced this in a post on her official Instagram handle. Media personality, Tomike Adeoye, on Saturday, announced that she and her husband have welcomed their second child in the United States. Adeoye announced this in a post on her official Instagram handle. She also shared photos of herself and her two kids. She wrote to accompany the photos, Mother of 2?!! Idontbelieveitsmall girl like meThank you Lord Jesus for granting my heart desires! It was my babys first time away from me for days since we got to the USmy girl fell ill straight upmany thanks to Aunty Dele and Uncle Tayo who took very good care of her and kept sending me videos of her! The reason I was in the hospital without worrying about her one bit! God bless you Aunty & uncle! Love you so much. Look whos the cutest big sis in town!!! My girlllll #tomikeadeoye Tomike Adeoye is also an actress, entrepreneur, influencer, and vlogger. In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that sixty-two (62) suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys have been arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over alleged involvement in offences bordering on internet fraud in Ilorin, Kwara State. Advertisement BY SULE TAHIR SOLDIERS have arrested the Madaki of Janjala, Malam Ibrahim Aliyu alongside 13 suspected bandits informants in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna state. A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to our reporter through phone on Wednesday, that troops invaded the community on Tuesday in eight Hilux vans, motorcycles and picked up the suspects. He said the troops stopped at Kagarko town where some suspects were picked up before driving into Janjala community which is about three kilometers away from Kagarko. The two arrested suspects in Kagarko town led the troops to some houses in Janjala, from where they picked up 11 other suspects, he said. Another resident of Janjala, identified as Yahuza Suleiman, disclosed that the village chief was picked up by the troops and moved to Kaduna over reported cases of abduction in the community. And since the soldiers came and picked the Madaki and some suspects, his phone number was not connecting, but someone I was able to communicate with this morning told me that he is being questioned in Kaduna about the kidnap incidents in Janjala, he said. This medium had reported that bandits have for months been invading Janjala community and some neighbouring villages in the area, kidnapping residents and killing some of them. There was no official response from the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command over the arrest by the troops at the time of filing this report. Related Advertisement Advertisement A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has faulted the promise by the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he would make corruption unattractive, especially in the Judiciary. Frank, who described such statement as a lie, said that the former Lagos state governor do not possess the capacity and ability to fight corruption in the Judiciary. Tinubu, had while speaking in Port Harcourt, during the inauguration of a Magistrate Courts Complex built by the Governor Nyesom Wike administration, reportedly promised to make corruption unattractive. Frank in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said Tinubus track record on corruption fights was abysmal. According to him, It is insulting to the sensibility of majority of Nigerians, that Tinubu who has been linked to several corrupt practices, including the famous bullion van episode, will suddenly become the anti corruption czar. He said, A man whos unable to answer questions on the activities of the Alpha Beta company and several other properties linked to him, obviously do not posses the prerequisites to fight corruption. It is however ironic that Tinubu, whose political career is peppered with allegations of corruption, would try to position himself as a champion of anti-corruption, only aimed at fooling the gullible. Of utmost importance is the caliber of persons currently hobnobbing around the President-elect for one favour or another. These individuals who are busy outwitting one another, all in a bid to grab juicy government portfolios with statutory immunity, may all have a case or more to answer with the anti graft agencies. These characters who are currently vying for leadership positions in all arms of government, including the Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary will most likely be cleared for public service, thereby joepadizing the fight against corruption ab initio. The Bayelsa born political activist believed that the incoming administration, if confirmed by the judiciary, will habour many politicians of questionable characters giving them a safe haven to operate. A closer look at these individuals reveals that they are made of high net worth personalities who may have previously been convicted of crimes, or currently facing investigations or prosecution by the EFCC and other sister anti graft agencies. The jostle for the position of the Senate President by one of the leading contenders is a clear testimony to the fact. It is therefore pertinent to ascertain whether Tinubus potential administration will be comprised by these glaring associations. Consequently, the statement credited to the former Lagos state governor in Port Harcourt is laughable, given that the facts prove otherwise as clearly evident by the current realities. Its worthy to note that Tinubu, whose ruling party campaigned on an anti-corruption mantra will suddenly drive an anti-corruption fight when even the incumbent President, who has no known history of corruption is unable to tackle the menace, rather the corruption index has risen exponentially under this administration. Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, furthermore added that it will be difficult to take Tinubus words on fighting corruption seriously. He said, Evidence of corruption linked to his interests continues to surface, as even the recently concluded general elections were grossly compromised. Tinubu should note that hes yet to be sworn in and should focus his attention on the pending cases challenging the legitimacy of his victory at the polls rather than making any such promises on an illegality pending before the tribunal. Lastly as a nation seeking a change, we must demand accountability from our leaders, regardless of their party affiliation. We cannot afford to remain silent whilst corruption continues to plague our democracy. Those who seek to lead us, must henceforth show by their actions that they are committed to a corrupt-free Nigeria. Related Advertisement Advertisement As the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State draws closer, there is a resurgence of smear campaigns in the state. We witnessed high-level smear campaigns in Imo after the Supreme Court judgement of Tuesday, January 14, 2020, which ousted Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP and restored the mandate which Imo people freely gave to the Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma. Unable to manage their loss, the PDP launched a season of smear campaigns targeted at distracting the governor and making the state ungovernable. While a large majority of Imo people file behind their performing governor, the weakened and rejected opposition considers smear campaigns a veritable tool to discredit the governor. But knowing that the outdated strategy is no longer working, the battle-weary opposition, with all their internal squabbles, now deploy subterfuge in order to create the narrative they consider good for their desperation. In the course of this, they have built unholy alliances with some discredited, disgruntled civil society groups. On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, a certain group that hides under the toga of civil society organisation, the so-called International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (otherwise called Intersociety), a meddlesome interloper, lent itself to smear campaigners and took up a hatchet job. Many Nigerians believe that Intersociety is a fluke, a front, and an enabler of non-state actors wrecking havoc across the entire Southeast. In its garrulous nature, it laboured in vain to sell the lie that the Uzodimma administration is perpetrating political gangsterism, house burnings, and terror. The entire Southeast has witnessed an ugly turn of events with sordid experiences of insecurity to the point that some of the bandits engaged in merciless beheading and cannibalism. Security officials were wantomly killed. The custodial centre and the police command were brazenly set ablaze and over 1,800 inmates freed and unleashed on the society. Members of the ruling APC in Imo, especially appointees of the state government, were targeted and killed, their properties destroyed. The bandits did not even spare the countryhome of the governor. They took over some communities in Orlu Zone and made attempts to even take over Owerri, the seat of power, and overrun the government. Rather than oppose the criminals and support legitimate government action to quell banditry, Intersociety took sides with the non-state actors, spreading barefaced lies, alleging carelessly that the government was rather killing innocent youths. Intersociety, though not a political party, has abandoned its self-given mandate and dabbled into politics. In the buildup to the 2019 elections, Intersociety made erroneous claims about some governorship aspirants, and when it was challenged, it feigned human error. This is how low the group has gone, lending itself to emotional outbursts and serving as echo chamber, pleased to rehash and circulate trending gossips. Speaking on the defection of PDP bigwigs to the APC in Imo State, the group came in defence of the political party and said the defection amounted to political banditry and gangsterism. The group added that Imo State has politically deteriorated further and became a killing field following the Imo governorship roguery of 2019 leading to Nigerias Supreme Court canonization of the present governor in Jan 2020. Since then, Imo State had been turned upside down; forcing it to become a killing field and Southeast capital of political banditry and corruption. This flawed logic depicts Intersocietys modus operandi, which encompasses irrational thinking and adoption of falsehood to achieve a pretermined end. But this hatchet job has exposed Intersocietys underbelly, as it is curious that having admitted that the insecurity in Imo was politically orchestrated by those who lost power, Intersociety is now shy to tell those politicians their sins to their face. Is it not curious that Intersociety wants the removal of Governor Hope Uzodimma after he has successfully addressed insecurity and restored peace in Imo, even without any form of support from them? Besides Intersocietys subterfuge, another smear campaign surfaced on Saturday that the governor was attacked by some gunmen. The fabricators of the smear campaign also came up with another lie that one 93 year old pensioner died at the state secretariat trying to undergo another round of verification. The government has swiftly and categorically said that no such thing happened, saying: For the avoidance of doubt, no such thing happened. Rather, what is at play is nothing but orchestrated falsehood arising from extreme hallucination due to alliance and communication with the devil by the author. The government added: We are aware that sore losers in Imo State politics can never and have never wished the governor and his government well, hence they have continually resorted to raking up matters they know are pure lies to destabilise him. Why would someone try to smear the governors image in spite of all he has done, all he is doing? The answer is dirty politics. The oppoaition is not relenting. Having discovered that they have no chance of winning the governorship election slated for November 11, they now resort to smear campaigns. They know that nobody believes their lie that the governor has not done well, and they think they cannot keep quiet and surrender. A responsible opposition would do so and allow the better man to continue. But in the case of the disgruntled politicians we have around as opposition leaders, they would rather pull down the roof than support the better man. It is this idea of continuing the fight that results in smear campaigns. The disgruntled opposition believes the best they could do is to divert attention from the governors good works and create a false narrative. This strategy is not new. It started in 2020, but we are now witnessing a resurgence. Whenever the governor records a great feat, the opposition resorts to creating a false narrative to divert the attention of the people and thus try to diminish the impact of the good works done by the governor. The governor on Friday flagged off the first batch of 1,000 pilgrims to the Holy Land, and about 300 Christian pilgrims took off to Israel the same day. For those who do not know, this is the first time in 12 years the Imo State Government would be sponsoring pilgrims to the Holy Land. The Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Owerri, the Most Rev. Dr. David Onuoha, who is also the president of the Christian Council of Nigeria, made the point during a church service in Owerri. He said. For 12 years, no pilgrim from Imo State had visited the Holy Land. But just on April 28, 2023, the first batch of 300 pilgrims out of the 1,000 pilgrims sponsored by the governor were airlifted to the Holy Land of Israel. The governor, by doing that, has opened Gods window to Imo people and Imo State, as the prayers of the pilgrims will bring progress, peace, and blessings to the state. Obviously, the opposition is disturbed with the news that the governor has broken the jinx of 12 yesrs embargo on sponsoring pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is equally not happy about the governors readiness to pay gratuities and other entitlement to civil servants, including the immediate release of promotions for civil servants. For over 16 years, Imo State never paid gratuities to its workers, and the opposition knows that the payment of accumulated N169BN gratuities by the governor is a backbone-breaker, hence the resurgence of smear campaigns. A civil society group, the Global Association of Concerned Imo Youths (GACIY) captures this in its statement of Sunday, April 30, 2023: While such disinformation is not new, our detractors spawned it nonetheless hoping to eclipse the record-setting airlift of the first batch of 1,000 Imo pilgrims to the holy lands which our governor facilitated barely 24hrs prior. This event is unprecedented and continues to dominate discussion and headlines country wide and must have knocked the wind out of self-styled opponents. The malicious storys sole objective was, therefore, to dampen our morale. What other fabrication could give the impression of a state in tailspin than a governors convoy being pounded by armed criminals? Such nonsense might excite the cowards behind it, but it can demolish our delicate reputation as the premium business and leisure destination, and with it our jobs, our esteem, and our revenue. In the midst of the resurgent smear campaigns, Governor Hope Uzodimma remains undaunted. He keeps rededicating himself to serve the state better and more than he has ever done. The determination by the governor to continue to deliver on his mandate in spite of the distractions is the best response to the smear campaigners. Collins Ughalaa Special Adviser (Public Communications) to the Governor. Related Advertisement Advertisement Patriotic citizens of the state wants Mai Rakumi as minority leader From Umar Usman Duguri The 2023 election is seemingly over in 2/3 states of Nigeria. What is now at the moment is the leadership tussle for various house and federal assemblies for a smooth running of governance as enshrined in the constitution of the country. Interestingly, Bauchi state, as usual voted new set of lawmakers to represent them at the state 10th house of assembly for good decorum and better relationship between the executive and the legislative arm of government as fairly seen in the incumbent 9th assembly maintained amity to favor the masses of Bauchi state enjoyed the lofty programs of governor Bala Mohamed in the last four years of his first tenure. That is why governor Bala Mohamed become recipients of multiple awards in his commensurate of his immeasurable social services and infrastructural development that spark plug the twenty local government areas of Bauchi state with fidelity, these and more was the compliment of the popular Bauchi state amalgamation of Patriotic citizens of the state, who over the years dedicates themselves to service to humanity and development of the state, which is the cardinal principle of its registered objective. The group of Patriotic citizens of Bauchi state headed by comrade Dahiru Musa, appeal to stakeholders, members-elect or return re-elected to massively adopt Honorable Mubarak Haruna popularly known as MAI RAKUMI as the 10th state house of assembly Minority leader during a press conference yesterday in Bauchi, considering his nurtured leadership experience especially about lawmaking and a good representation in the opportunities he had that earn him the acceptability of his Jamaare constituency to beat the outgoing incompetent and benchwarmer who didnt make a single contribution despite availability of funds at his disposal and the trust he received during his election. The group leader further rolls out Mai Rakumis achievements before his recent landslide victory to formally represent Jamaare in the incoming house of Assembly as an outstanding considering positive impact to the socio economic wellbeing of the people he over two decade salvage himself to their service. The achievement are; securing employment for hundreds of youth in a lucrative places so as to replicate it to the younger ones whenever the need arises as well as reducing the menace of restiveness. Renovation/drilling of Borehole in almost all the existing communities in Jamaare which was part of the resolution taken and observed as the NEED of every living soul based on its importance. In the areas of social service Mai Rakumi has succeeded in partnering with relevant rehabilitation bodies to rehabilitate abandoned/ victim of drug abuse to a better life that include among other things scholarships from kindergarten to tertiary institutions. Therefore, the coming of Mai Rakumi to the next house of Assembly is one of the best awaiting moment people have been praying for, likewise his election as minority leader will undoubtedly make a fair house of assembly thst has the majority of its elected leaders members of the state ruling PDP of Governor Bala Mohamed, Mai Rakumi, has number of times pledge to support whatever request the executive arm may brought to favor the good people of the state despite, party difference with the governor. Isa Abdullahi, another member of the group said we believe Mai Rakumi possesses the necessary leadership qualities to effectively steer the affairs of the minority and work collaboratively with his colleagues to address the pressing challenges facing our state. His track record of integrity, accountability and inclusiveness makes him the ideal person to head the minority and to promote the common good. Recently, in a media chart response to the groups called, Mai Rakumi, told newsmen that, governor Bala Mohamed is my Father not my governor alone, he is one of the best people I mentoring from their leadership style for years, therefore, I promise myself, I will consolidate the vision of the governor to chart a better way for the continuity development of the state. Allah knows, my intention is good and development of Bauchi state our incumbent governor is doing in changing the narrative of the state, that is why I made it a promise not a pledge to be fair and just in consolidating the good urban renewal project work the governor is doing that attract him commendation from all and sundry including president Muhammadu Buhari that applauded the governor for judicious utilization of the states resources with visible projects when he came to the state during the last visit of the president to the state. On the called by the patriotic citizens of the state, I wholeheartedly thank them for seeing the qualities in meto be the minority leader based on my previous record of representation at various points and fora. Insha Allah, I wont disappoint them in whatever capacity I found myself because, it is the people that brought us to where we are and we are living our life for them. Related Advertisement Sani, in a tweet on Sunday, said the relocation showed the bad attitudes of political leaders in the two States. Shehu Sani Former Kaduna lawmaker, Shehu Sani has said that the relocation of the elections petition tribunal to Abuja doesnt tell good about the attitude of the political leaders. Sanis statement followed the relocation of the elections petition tribunal of both Rivers and Ebonyi States to Abuja. Recall that Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, Monica Mensem, last month ordered the relocation of both Ebonyi and Rivers Election Petition Tribunal to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with immediate effect. Sani, in a tweet on Sunday, said the relocation showed the bad attitudes of political leaders in the two States. He wrote, The relocation of the elections petition tribunal from Rivers and Ebonyi to Abuja doesnt tell good about the attitude of the political leaders in those states. Former Kaduna senator, Shehu Sani has reacted to the relocation of the election petition tribunals from Rivers and Ebonyi States to Abuja. Last month, the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, Monica Mensem ordered the relocation of both Ebonyi and Rivers Election Petition Tribunal to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with immediate effect. In a tweet on his official Twitter handle on Sunday, Shehu Sani said the relocation of the elections petition tribunals from Rivers and Ebonyi States does not speak well about the attitude of political leaders in those states. He wrote, The relocation of the elections petition tribunal from Rivers and Ebonyi to Abuja doesnt tell good about the attitude of the political leaders in those states. The relocation of the elections petition tribunal from Rivers and Ebonyi to Abuja doesnt tells good about the attitude of the political leaders in those states. Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) May 7, 2023 In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday attended the burial of Pa Abraham Joseph Michael Diri, the father of the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri. Pa Joseph Diri, the father died aged 88 on February 12, 2023. A pro-Biafran group, Biafra Nations League (BnL) has given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to release the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, or face a shutdown of all oil exploration in the Nigeria/Cameroon maritime borders. The threat, which was made by the leader of the group, Princewill Chimezie Richard, also extended the ultimatum to the withdrawal of military troops from the South-East region. Richard, at a press conference in Calabar on Saturday, also called on Cameroonian authorities to desist from forcing and collecting proliferated taxes from Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula. READ ALSO: IPOB accuses FG of plotting to infect Nnamdi Kanu with tuberculosis We want to use this medium to reiterate our decisions to shut down maritime borders if our demands are not met within 14 days, effective from 8 May, 2022, Richard said. This is not an empty threat. The BnL enjoys support from other pro-Biafran groups and we are capable of doing anything. We cannot disclose the extent of our capacity. You should know that we command massive loyalists and followers even amongst the natives. It will be disastrous if our demands are not met. We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to release Kanu before he hands over on 29 May, 2023, and stop being recalcitrant by not obeying court orders. We are disappointed and have lost confidence in Buharis government. I cant say I have confidence in Bola Ahmed Tinubu who would be replacing Buhari. I dont even know him. Even if Kanu is released, it will not stop our agitation for Biafran sovereignty. We are demanding for safety and freedom from Nigeria. We have never believed in Nigeria. BnL is not alone in this struggle. There will be no negotiation about Biafra. Nigerian authorities should not force us to take laws into our hands, he added. Suspected drug barons have abandoned their drugs in Lagos State after a gun battle with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). It was gathered that following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives laid ambush for the traffickers last Thursday along the Eleko beach road in the Lekki area of the state. NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying that the two trucks were flagged down by operatives of the narcotics agency but they failed to stop. He stated that the situation led to an exchange of gunfire that lasted 30 minutes by armed men escorting the trucks and NDLEA operatives. After they were overpowered by the NDLEA operatives, the truck drivers and their armed escorts escaped into the bush abandoning the trucks and the drug consignments, Babafemi said. While one of the trucks painted red has 149 jumbo bags weighing 6,548kgs, the second one with blue colour has 53 big bags with a weight of 2,304kgd, bringing the total number of bags to 202 and gross weight of both to 8,852kgs. Meanwhile, operatives are already on the trail of the drug lord who shipped the illicit consignment into the country. The Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairmen in the North-West have endorsed the former Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Barau Jibrin as the Senate President and Deputy respectively. The APC Chairman in Jigawa State, Alhaji Aminu Sani, who addressed journalists on behalf of the forum on Sunday in Kano State, described the choice of the two men as a perfect step aimed at ensuring good governance in the country. He said the partys national leadership has demonstrated their readiness to salvage the country from its socio-economic problems. Sani said: We see the joined ticket of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin as a wise leadership for the 10th National Assembly that will work for the betterment of Nigeria. READ ALSO: Akpabio meets Buhari, promotes self for Senate president Barau Jibrin, for example, is a man of integrity who has never been found wanting in all his national life and he is focused. His decision to withdrew his ambition and accept to be deputy clearly shows that he is a leveled headed person and deserves commendation. The chairmen, therefore, urged the newly elected senators to support the party leaderships choice so that Nigeria would have leaders with an interest in national growth. They also urged Akpabio and Jibrin to join hands with the executive to ensure good governance in Nigeria. Join the conversation Opinions Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now Financial inclusion agents saddled with the responsibility of offering banking services to unbanked especially those in the rural areas where banks are not in sight, have identified poor mobile network connectivity and super agents roll out of advanced technology devices as major challenges of their efforts, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal. Fasasi Sarafadeen Atanda, managing director, ECOSA Hybrid Network, operators of banking agents in several rural areas across the country told newsmen that technologically related hiccups in their operations do affect them. According to him, there is inherent challenge of mobile network availability in rural areas for our banking transactions. We use point of sale terminal for our transaction which requires mobile network connectivity for it to work but as a result of poor network connectivity some of our transactions fail which lead to rigorous process of reversal of money. Although, Nigerian Communications Commission has promised to assist mobile network operators to expand their networks to these areas, but with the existing telecommunications infrastructure, poor network connectivity is a problem for us presently, he said. He also lamented advanced technology devices that super agents roll out for transactions at rural locations which make their work difficult. Technology super agents and Fintech are rolling out for us at rural areas are advanced and does not work well at such environment. Image where 4G PoS are deployed at rural area with 2G network coverage, more so banks deploy soft touch Automated Teller Machine (ATM) with programming that speaks English that dwellers hardly interpret. Super agents with their technology partners also deploy for our use Andriod PoS whose power doesnt last longer. Android PoS consumes power more than windows powered PoS and considering that there is no electricity supplies at some of these rural areas, such PoS dont last long before their power goes off. Atanda however, urged central bank of Nigeria, to review its policies on agent banking to empower Agents to log complains on behalf of their customers on transaction issues. Atanda was responding to presentation delivered by Ronke Kuye, managing director, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF) at DigitalPay conference held in Lagos earlier this week. Speaking on Ubiquitous customer touch-points: The agents banking benchmark for scale, she identified some impediments to SANEF realizing the objective of increasing financial inclusion to 80 percent by 2020. Among them are, cumbersome process for BVN enrolment; low proximity to financial access point, where there are only about 17,000 bank branches to serve 100million Nigerian adults; She lamented high cost of transactions to customers, as well as lack of compelling products to attract the unbanked. There is inadequate financial literacy and campaigns among the unbanked, including language barriers. And also lack of simple interoperable technology/payment platform for account opening and other transactions as well absence of central coordination of stakeholder efforts on financial inclusion. Post Views: 70 A new study by the Research and Intelligence Unit of the omni-media group, RED | For Africa, indicates that about 43 per cent of Nigerians with active social media accounts have been influenced to buy smartphones based on brand focused online marketing campaigns. The research study was undertaken by RED | For Africa to analyze and give insight into the impact and effectiveness of social media marketing campaigns in influencing consumer choices and driving sales of phone devices in Nigeria. Speaking on the study, Head of Research and Intelligence, Isime Esene, said, People do not buy things by chance, and even for technology brands that provide both functional and social value, consumers need products that will not disappoint, fail, or crash when they are needed. As a rapidly growing sector in Nigeria, marketing technology devices and properties on social media is an important business activity for all major brands in the industry. But if it is to be done effectively, it is important to understand what exactly drives the choices and decisions for targeted consumers, he added. Mr. Esene explained that the research data is designed to help smartphone brands position themselves to understand their customers better, and also improve their bottom-line. More research reports are expected to be released, covering contemporary issues and topics in media and communication, church culture, politics, and governance. The research report is built on an extensive survey conducted with 1,007 respondents between ages 18 60 years across Nigeria, and further supported by three focus group discussions to assess buying decisions and major interests of smartphone product consumers. A sizeable number of the participants (83 percent) are resident in Lagos, with others covering Oyo, Kano, FCT Abuja, Enugu and Osun state. Also, the age division between participants is 18-25 years (61.07 percent); 26-35 years (26.42 percent); 3640 years (8.15 percent); 41-50 years (2.78 percent) and 51-60 years (2.68 percent). Results from the research study indicate that while 78.57 per cent of respondents between ages 26 to 35 years have been exposed to communication materials from social media mobile phone campaigns, more than half (60.38 percent) of respondents, say they have never been influenced to buy a phone by a social media campaign. Likewise, only 42.7 percent of those aged 1825 years have previously bought a mobile because they were convinced of its value by a social media campaign. The report said top three priorities for those looking to buy a smartphone are Features & Specifications, Price, and Brand Reputation. Although the price consideration is really high among those who earn less than N100,000 monthly. Also, about 52 per cent of the respondents say they probably would be influenced to buy a phone due to a social media campaign, 13.7 per cent say they definitely would not. Social media campaigns appear to be effective for increasing awareness, but cannot be fully dependable in driving action for those who want to buy phones. This assertion was further supported by brand managers in surveyed phone wholesale stores. To drive action, messaging for phone campaigns on social media should focus more on the phone features and price indication, depending on the target customers and selected platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others), the report added. The Pope appeared unwell yesterday (Picture: Reuters/AP) Pope Francis has missed a planned Mass with clergy in Rome due to an unspecified illness. The Vatican said the pontiff, 83, had a slight indisposition and would proceed with the rest of his planned work today but preferred to stay near Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel where he lives. There was no word from the Vatican about the nature of his illness, but the pope was seen coughing and blowing his nose during the Ash Wednesday Mass. Yesterday, he told well-wishers: I wish, again, to express my closeness to those who are ill with coronavirus and to health-care workers who are caring for them. It comes amid an outbreak of the strain of coronavirus also known as Covid-19 in Italy that has infected more than 400 people, almost all of them in the north. Rome had three cases, but all three were cured. Francis had been scheduled to go to the St John Lateran basilica to meet with Rome clergy and celebrate a penitential Mass at the start of Lent. The Argentine pope has generally enjoyed good health. He lost part of one lung as a young man because of a respiratory illness, and suffers from sciatica, which makes walking difficult. Francis has had a busy schedule lately, including his public general audience on Wednesday and the Ash Wednesday service later in the day in a Roman basilica. Some Lent Ash Wednesday services were cancelled or limited in areas of northern Italy hit by the spread of coronavirus. Twelve people have died of the disease in Italy, in the worst contagion from the coronavirus so far recorded in Europe. A number of people wore masks in St. Peters Square at yesterdays audience but only one person was seen wearing one at the popes Ash Wednesday service. -AP Adams Oshiomhole According to a report by Daily Trust, some of the personal staff of embattled chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomohle have been denied entry into the party secretariat by the security operatives drafted to the party office. The staff who drove in a black Toyota Jeep to the party secretariat were denied access even after proper identification. The security asked them to move away from the gate of the party office. Meanwhile, Daily Trust observed that workers from the anti-Oshiomholes group were also on a stand-by observing all the drama happening in the secretariat. Daily Trust had earlier reported that no fewer than 20 police vans were mounted at the entrance of APC secretariat located at Blantyre streets in Wuse 2, Abuja. The vans were strategically positioned from the entrance of Blantyre street down to the end of it. Daily Trust gathered that the reason for the lock-down, is connected to the possible resumption to office by the embattled APC chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomohle. Policemen and other security agents barred staff and journalists from entering the building of the party secretariat. Recall than an FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja suspended Adams Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Justice Danlami Senchi who ordered the suspension also asked Oshiomhole, to stop parading himself as the chairman of the party pending the determination of the substantive suit seeking his perpetual removal as the national chairman. The appeal by Oshiomhole against the ruling of an FCT High Court which suspended him from office has not been fixed for hearing. In a Notice of Appeal No:FCT/HC/CV/837/2020 filed on Wednesday before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, Oshomhole asked the appellate court to allow the appeal and set aside the ruling of the high court delivered on March 4. Meanwhile a Federal High Court in Kano has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any other person aside Adams Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the APC. Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa gave the ex-parte order yesterday following Wednesdays ruling of an FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja. Justice Lewis-Allagoas order followed an ex-parte motion filed by one Aliyu Muhammad Rabiu and argued on his behalf by his counsel, Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi, before the Kano court, court documents sighted by our reporter revealed. Edo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Magdalene Ohenhen, has raised the alarm over rising cases of men having s*x with their own daughters in the state. She raised the alarm on Wednesday when she joined a protest to the NUJ Press Center in Benin, to demand justice for 17-year-old Gift Alonge, who was impregnated by her father. The protest was organised by Brave Heart Initiative for Youth and Women (BHI), headed by Lady Grace Osakue. The victim was allegedly impregnated in 2017 by her biological father, Jacob Alonge, who forced her to procure crude abortion, before impregnating her again in 2018. Its a very sad situation. Edo State is becoming something else, and the earlier we stop it, the better for us. It is becoming a normal thing in Edo State for men to impregnate their own daughters. She said there was another case of a man who slept with his own daughter for over 10 years before the case was reported. Men of Edo State, its time we stopped all this. Edo State forbids it, it is a taboo. We are begging Edo men to stop sleeping with their daughters, it is an abomination, Osakue said. Earlier, Osakue had disclosed that Gift Alonge, her uncle, Mr. Ukere Adagbogu, and two members of BHI, Rhoda Braimoh and Promise Ezekiel, lost their lives in an accident while on their way from Igarra to attend a court sitting in Benin. She expressed worry that the court failed to pass its sentence the same day the accused pleaded guilty, which she said made it possible for him to change his plea when he discovered that the victim and witnesses in the case died in an accident. Osakue alleged that the accused, who is reputed to be a powerful native doctor, may have used magic wand to cause the accident that claimed the lives of the victims. In his remark, the Chairman of NUJ, Edo State Council, Sir Roland Osakue, called on the judiciary to be forthright in the dispensation of justice. Somebody has pleaded guilty to a plea, why was the law not applied to him on that same day? he queried. To Invest & Earn High Profits Take A Loan & Pay Low Interest Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that they had little doubts about Senators Ahmad Lawan and Ovie Omo-Agege before they emerged as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. Osinbajo made this known at a Thanksgiving service on Sunday February 23, for Mr Omo-Agege in Efurrun, Delta State. The Vice President described Omo-Agege as a brilliant and bright lawyer whose courage placed him at a spot of winning elections in a rugged terrain. Osinbajo said; How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region. 100 years ago May 7, 1923: Fourteen aldermen and a mayor will this evening take over the reins of the city government, which during the past eight years has been in the hands of commissioners. The meeting is expected to be a long one, as there are many ordinances that will be passed having to do with changes in returning to the aldermanic form of government. 75 years ago May 7, 1948: Five generations of one family were together Monday through Thursday of this week at the home of Mrs. Vitula England, oldest member of the group, in Mackinaw. Mrs. England, 85, resides with her son and daughter-in-law, the Grant Englands. Also gathered were Mrs. England's daughter, Mrs. Zelma Young, 63, of Falls of Rough, Kentucky; Mrs. Young's daughter, Mrs. Katherine Wick, 45, of Detroit, Michigan; Mrs. Wick's daughter, Mrs. Ilma Kabboush, 26, and her 7-month-old son, William, also of Detroit. 50 years ago May 7, 1973: The bird exterminating firm the McLean County Board tried to hire to rid the courthouse of pigeons and starlings has been forced out of business by federal safety regulations, said Charles Areson, owner of National Bird Exterminating Co. of Clinton, Indiana. Areson told a reporter that federal OSHA enforcers had "gotten real tough with us." 25 years ago May 7, 1998: McLean County has essentially concluded Operation Broken Crown, an investigation into marijuana and cocaine trafficking linked to the Latin Kings street gang in 1997. The case saw 11 men sent to prison for sentences totaling 56.5 years and another 14 individuals convicted and sentenced to probation. Assistant State's Attorney Robert Freitag labeled the effort a major success because it was the first time that local authorities were able to infiltrate Latin Kings drug activity. 101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922 Gerthart's Union Gas and Electric Co. Hoover Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists Moberly & Klenner W.P. Garretson W.H. Roland Pease's Candy Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine The Kaiser's Story of the War Ike Livingston & Sons Gossard Corsets Cat'n Fiddle 'Stolen Moments' Case Model X The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co. The Pantagraph want ads Franklin Motor Car Co. 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' Calumet Baking Powder Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket 'The Emperor Jones' 'California Fig Syrup' ROANOKE Woodford County's oldest food pantry is under new leadership and seeking community support to upgrade and expand. For 40 years, Greg Funk and his wife Toni ran the Roanoke Food Pantry, serving a sizeable chunk of Woodford County. After Toni Funk's death in October, her husband decided to step down and let a new board, headed by Todd Harris, take the reins. "Our goal is to take what Greg has and just kind of build upon it," Harris said. "The hardest thing that we're going to have to replace is Greg because he's done all the work himself." The pantry is currently open 9 to 11 a.m. every first and third Monday of the month at 311 N. Main St. in Roanoke. 'On my shoulders' While Greg Funk has managed the food pantry for four decades, he said the initial idea and effort came from Charles Johnson, then a local minister and firefighter. Johnson noticed that many of the community's firefighters needed some help with groceries. He turned to Funk, who was fire chief at the time. "He approached me saying a lot of firefighters were out of a job," Funk recalled. "It was 1982, that's when you had a whole bunch of guys lost their jobs." Funk said the firefighters agreed to give Johnson some money from their slush fund: $50. "They gave him 50 bucks ... that's a lot of money back in '82," Funk said. "And he went to the grocery store and picked up a bunch of supplies. We put out cinder blocks in the back of the fire house, put a plank on top of that, put the food on top of that. And we started that way." That same year, though, Johnson got a call to be the minister at a different parish, Funk said. "And then it was put on my shoulders." Needed a menu Before Johnson left, though, Funk said they had to shake things up a bit, add some variety. "My wife came over one day and she said, 'What are you doing?'" Funk said. Perplexed, he asked her what she meant. "She says, 'You just have egg noodles back there. People don't exist only on egg noodles,'" Funk said. So, he went to Johnson and told him, "'My wife ... said we need a menu.'" Funk and Johnson then visited a food pantry in Washington, Illinois, and modeled their operation after it. Funk has been using that model for the past 40 years. He said everyone who has visited the Roanoke Food Pantry has walked away with a grocery bag filled with, at the very least, two cans of fruit, seven cans of vegetables and two cans of soup. Now, the pantry has snacks, canned goods, boxed goods, pantry staples and other household needs, and a clothing section that contains mostly children's clothes. Paper products are offered on the first Monday of the month and hygiene products, like soap and shampoo, on the third Monday, Funk said. A permanent home Funk said the pantry reorganized as a nonprofit in 1984, switching funding from the firefighters' union to community donations. Still, it remained in the firehouse for 20 years before needing to be relocated. "They wanted the room I was using," Funk said, "And they were getting bigger." The pantry then moved into an empty spot behind the local library, until: "Four years ago, we had to move again because the library decided they needed that room," Funk said. "So I was an orphan all this time." The current location at 311 N. Main St. is owned by the Morton Community Bank, parent organization of Hometown Community Banks. Jeremy Knepp, executive vice president of Hometown Community Banks, is also the treasurer for the pantry's new board of directors. "When we talk about Greg and Toni and what they've done," Knepp said, "they've not only started the food pantry, but they've grown it, they've enhanced it." Knepp described the pantry as "a wonderful community outreach to provide for those in need." "From the bank standpoint, we're a community bank we want to see the enhancement and growth of our local businesses and organizations within our community," he said. "And we feel like Roanoke Food Pantry is a great example." Knepp said the new board wants to break out of the "just a food pantry" mentality. He said they are thinking of "ways that we can expand and make the food pantry more of a resource center and potentially add some additional things." What's next Knepp and Harris said they want to get the community more involved. They hope to find local religious organizations interested in helping and volunteers who could help to staff the pantry. Harris said the organization's board aims to purchase the building from the bank for $50,000, establishing it as the pantry's permanent home, by the end of June. Then, Harris and Knepp said, renovations will be needed to ensure the building meets accessibility standards, and to upgrade its amenities and expand its resources. That could cost another $35,000 to $50,000. To do this, Harris said, they need the community's help. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can contact Harris at the Knapp-Johnson-Harris funeral home at 309-923-3651 and ask for Todd Harris. You can also email him at tharris@mtco.com. MAIL-IN DONATIONS Donations can be mailed to the Roanoke Food Pantry, 311 N. Main St., Roanoke, IL 61561 Actors feather up in Bloomington for barnyard children's opera BARNYARD OPERA 050123-blm-loc-2opera.JPG 050123-blm-loc-3opera.JPG 050123-blm-loc-4opera.JPG CHICAGO Migratory bird movement is in full swing, and experts are urging Chicagoans to turn off their lights at night to help protect the birds from fatal window collisions. Thousands of birds carpeted the sky last night, according to Annette Prince, director and president of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, a nonprofit dedicated to the respite and protection of migratory birds through daily rescue efforts, when on Thursday Chicago experienced a drastic shift in wind patterns moving up from the south, prompting waves of birds to pass through downtown looking for green space to settle. Chicago is on the Mississippi flyway, and birds pass through the city on their journey north toward Canada in search of a good place to nest and breed for the summer. On her way to work Friday morning, Prince found a little bird in the street, stunned. He couldnt even move, he just sat there blinking and hurt, she said. It would have been just a matter of seconds before a car came and ran him over. Birds fly at night to protect themselves from predators. They navigate using the moon and stars, but artificial light from city buildings can skew their flight and make them crash into glass. On Friday morning, the CBCM hotline was swamped with calls from people around the city. Prince said after a night like Thursday, its not uncommon for people to look out onto rooftops from their downtown offices and find them littered with dead and dying birds. During key migration months spring and fall CBCM leads volunteer groups ranging between eight and 20 people to walk around skyscrapers and scoop up fallen flyers. They take the injured ones to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn for rehabilitation and care, and take thousands of dead birds each year to the Field Museum, where they are added to the collection for documentation and research. Using weather surveillance radar techniques, real-time bird migration numbers can be found online at BirdCast. Researchers from the Field Museum are now also going out across Illinois to conduct a spring species count from the ground. CBCM volunteer groups collect up to 7,000 birds each year, about a quarter of which are injured, said Prince. And thats just the tip of the iceberg. Thats just what weve found, and what people report to us, she said. A study published in June found that bird collision mortality could be reduced by about 60% if artificial light was cut in half. This would have global implications, as birds are a critical part of controlling insects, distributing seeds, and pollinating plants. These birds are doing a really hazardous thing, and we make it even more hazardous by putting buildings along the lakefront, said John Bates, curator of the division of birds at the Field Museum. Chicago has been ranked as the most dangerous city for migratory birds in North America by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In July 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Bird Safe Buildings Act, requiring bird-safety building features to be implemented in construction and renovation of state-owned buildings in Illinois. But Prince said she has heard bird strikes are increasing in the West Loop, as skyscrapers, stores and restaurants bring more glass to downtown Chicago. Thrushes, orioles, woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers and herons are among the species of birds she and her volunteers pick up on any given morning. The glass confuses them because its clear and they think they can fly into it, or they think its a tree and its really the reflection of a tree, said Prince. Prince said sometimes she finds birds that weigh as little as two pennies. Theyre spectacular, she said. Bright orange, yellow and red. Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 CHICAGO The $49.6 billion budget Gov. J.B. Pritzker introduced in February estimated the cost of a program that provides state-funded health insurance to adult immigrants who are in the country without legal permission at $220 million. Just three months later, that estimate has grown fivefold, swelling to $1.1 billion and threatening to blow a hole in the Democratic governors proposal for the budget year that begins July 1, the first of his second term. At the same time, revenue flowing to the state appears to be slowing, putting further pressure on Pritzker and the Democratic-controlled legislature as they try to assemble a spending plan that continues the financial progress made during the past four years. The General Assemblys spring session is scheduled to adjourn May 19. Illinois created a program in 2020 that provides Medicaid-style coverage to immigrants 65 and older who are in the country without legal permission or who have green cards but havent completed a five-year waiting period and are therefore ineligible for the traditional health insurance program for the poor, which is jointly funded by the federal government. The program has been expanded twice, now covering those 42 and older. Even as enrollment has far outstripped expectations, some Democratic lawmakers are pushing to further expand coverage, opening the program to people 19 and older, which the Pritzker administration estimates would cost an additional $380 million in the first year. The financial pressure is exposing tensions between Democrats open-arms stance on immigration and the limited resources available in a state that has only recently begun to stabilize its chronically shaky finances. Advocates whove backed the program and are seeking further expansion question the accuracy of the states cost estimates and are pushing back on what they see as anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly among Republican lawmakers. Pritzker, who has signed the health care program expansions into law and trumpeted them in news releases, now appears to be distancing himself from the effort, which a spokeswoman described as a legislative initiative that relied on independent outside cost projections. Every balanced budget that has passed is negotiated with the General Assembly and includes priorities the governor lays out in his budget address and the priorities of lawmakers in the General Assembly, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email. As the program was implemented and real costs were calculated it became clear the program was going to cost much more than what the advocates had predicted. With an estimated surplus of $303 million, of which $138 million was earmarked for the states rainy day fund, the budget Pritzker introduced for the coming year did not include enough cushion to absorb the $880 million overrun. Whats more, the legislatures bipartisan forecasting commission just lowered its revenue estimate for the current year, essentially erasing a projected budget surplus, after tax receipts dropped substantially in April, compared with the same month last year. While the change brings the legislative commissions forecast in line with Pritzkers more conservative estimate and doesnt affect projections for next year, the administration nevertheless is urging lawmakers to be judicious with spending proposals. I would simply encourage caution, Department of Revenue Director David Harris told a Senate committee late last month. During a Wednesday budget hearing for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which administers the health care coverage for immigrants, state Sen. Chapin Rose, a Republican from Mahomet, said the projected overrun in the program next year is a significant hit because of the other choices that are now going to have to be made by the General Assembly on how to fill this $880 million gap. The program also is running over budget in the current year, with the total tab now expected to be about $690 million, more than three times what was budgeted, according to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. However, the department expects to be able to absorb the cost due to lower-than-expected spending in other areas, Ben Winick, the departments chief of staff, told a Senate committee Wednesday. Rose said the projected current year cost overrun would be enough to cover increased funding for services for intellectually and developmentally disabled residents and put the state in compliance with a federal consent decree. Community service providers have repeatedly requested such funding in recent years, but Democrats have said the state cant afford it. The governors office wouldnt say how it proposes to address the exploding costs of the immigrant health care program, or whether options such as closing enrollment in the program or raising taxes to pay for it are on the table. The administration is working with the General Assembly to discuss the path forward for this legislative initiative, Abudayyeh said. As for the proposed expansion of the program, Pritzkers focus remains on investing in priorities he outlined during his budget address, she said. The popularity of the program, despite some shortcomings, among a population that has few other options for health care coverage perhaps shouldnt have been a surprise. When the program was introduced for those 65 and older in 2020, the budget for the entire year was spent in the first month, according to a briefing the Department of Healthcare and Family Services gave lawmakers earlier this spring. The initial cost overrun shouldve raised alarms with HFS, and the Pritzker administration shouldve shared this information with all of the members of the General Assembly, state Rep. Norine Hammond, a Macomb Republican, said at a news conference last month where she was joined by other members of the House GOP. The cost of the program is simply unsustainable and will lead to the loss of funding for services for our most vulnerable citizens, Hammond said. Rep. Ryan Spain, a Peoria Republican, called for a moratorium on new enrollments. It is time that we have some adults in the room, and we need to exercise some fiscal responsibility, Spain said. We have to hit the pause button on this program before its too late. Sen. Omar Aquino, a Chicago Democrat who is sponsoring the proposal to lower the eligible age for enrolling in the program to 19, said Illinois has been a trendsetter when it comes to providing health care coverage to citizens and noncitizens alike. He said his bill is only trying to build on the legislation that made the state the first in the nation to provide coverage for noncitizens children, he said, as well as the more recent coverage for adults. For seniors, 65 and older, back in 2020, and every year since then, we have expanded coverage. So, this year (we were) ultimately trying to finish that work that has been really in the works for over a decade, said Aquino, whose district includes Latino neighborhoods on the Near Northwest Side. The proposal isnt meant for asylum-seekers, like those who have been sent to Illinois from Texas and other states, who Aquino said get coverage through the federal government. But theres a possibility after a certain amount of time that they end up transferring over to the program, though thats undetermined, he said. These are really for families that have been sort of already in the state of Illinois for a long time. The idea that noncitizens live in one community and in one house noncitizens live in all our communities and theyre in mixed-status families, Aquino said. Despite the budgetary concerns from analysts and Republicans, whove decried what they view as excessive spending in Pritzkers budgets since he became governor in 2019, Aquino said he intends to continue with his efforts to expand the immigrant health care program. We know the impact that this has had throughout the state of people who have been able to get health care coverage for the first time in their lives, and so we know how beneficial its been, he said. Aquino deferred to HFS when asked how the state might cover the costs of the program and his proposed expansion. Thats something that HFS is sort of, supposedly, working on to get proposals to us, he said. Thats more of a discussion there. The higher-than-expected enrollment in the existing program should be viewed as a positive, said Tovia Siegel, campaign director for Healthy Illinois, a coalition that advocated for the programs creation and also backs the proposed expansion. It means that more people than we expected are getting access to life-saving and life-changing health care, not only emergency and specialty care, but also primary care, preventative care, dental, vision, behavioral health, really comprehensive health care, Siegel said. Despite the initial surge, she said enrollment should plateau, as it has among the 65-and-older population that first became eligible in 2020. Siegel pointed out that taxpayers already bear the costs of immigrants and others without health care when they show up in emergency rooms, often to be treated for conditions that could have been averted or taken care of at a lower cost if those individuals had access to primary care. Siegel also noted that the state appears to be leaving federal money on the table by not getting reimbursement for qualifying emergency health services provided to immigrants without documents. Indeed, Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson told the Senate committee that the department believes it will be able to recover about $100 million or more in federal cash to help with next years outlay on the states health care program for undocumented immigrants. Siegel said arguments against the program and its expansion are fueled by a lot of, unfortunately, tired and typical talking points around immigrants taking our resources. Gorner reported from Springfield. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term Former Minister of Science, Environment, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng says he has done nothing wrong as far as claims against Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is concerned. Prof Frimpong Boateng in his report presented to the Chief of Staff in March 2021, accused Oppong Nkrumah of bringing some journalists together to scheme to bring him down while he served as Chairman of the now-dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). On Saturday the 8th of February 2020, Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister for information assembled a group of journalists from both NDC and NPP affiliated media houses at the Forest Hotel in Dodowa to discuss a strategy to bring me Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng down, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng alleged in his report. This was however debunked by the Information Minister, insisting that the claims were false. But in response Prof Frimpong Boateng said: I have good advice for you, though. When I was part of the government, we were colleagues and I related to you as such. Now I will advise you as my son, just as I do my children. After all you are the same age as my 4th-born son. When I returned to Ghana from Germany to start the cardiothoracic project you were just 6 years old as my 4th child. I will not lie to you or insult you or be harsh on you. My advice is, always remember that political power is both short-lived and effervescent. In about 2 years time you may no longer be in government, and you may experience the real world as former high-profile political power holders do. I will urge you to do your work diligently and avoid the coded and evil tactics Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere boastfully and unashamedly told the world on Good Evening Ghana that you employ to deal with your real and perceived enemies. Speaking further on the issue on UTV, Friday, Prof Frimpong Boateng said "I know exactly why I did that" According to him, "I did no wrong. I know exactly why I did that. Someone else could've done worst but I did the minimum so let's take it like that". Meanwhile, Prof Frimpong Boateng has denied slandering persons in his report. "The report was more than 100 pages but I considered a lot of things so I had to summarize it into 36 pages. I'm not maligning anyone; I'm just speaking the truth. those I spoke about are my friends but I had to be brutally honest with the President. if he has put his presidency on the line, you have to be honest with him" he added. 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. Featured Video " " John Dillinger and his gang were responsible for 10 deaths, three jail breaks and more than 20 bank robberies before he was finally gunned down by law enforcement on July 22, 1934, just two months after Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and killed by law enforcement in Louisiana. Wikimedia Commons/HowStuffWorks They had John Dillinger behind bars in the Lake County jail in Crown Point, Indiana. His jailers boasted that their facility was escape-proof. But Dillinger hadn't become a successful criminal by accident. Ruthless, ingenious and hard-boiled, he whiled away his time carving a piece of wood into a replica of a small handgun and painting it with shoe polish. Unbelievably, he was able to use the fake gun to trick his captors and managed to escape. By the time he was done, Dillinger's gang was responsible for 10 deaths, three jail breaks and more than 20 bank robberies. He became America's first true celebrity criminal and was named the country's Public Enemy No. 1. Advertisement Dillinger liked fast cars a lot. He stole or bought them at regular intervals and used them to outrun the cops in their four-cylinder rattletraps. There's some evidence that he even penned a letter of appreciation to Henry Ford for building such fast machines. Roaring across state borders, he covered vast territories and left local law enforcement in the dust. In an interview, Dary Matera, the author of "John Dillinger: The Life and Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal" says that at the time, J. Edgar Hoover was trying to convince the government to give him the money to turn the Bureau of Investigation into a truly effective national police force. He used Dillinger's interstate outrages to point out the need and his campaign worked. Hoover's first order of business was to deal with Dillinger. But how? He caught a break when a woman named Ana Cumpanas contacted the Bureau. Cumpanas was Romanian immigrant who ran a brothel in Gary, Indiana. One of the prostitutes who worked for her was dating Dillinger. Threatened with deportation, Cumpanas wanted to cut a deal with the FBI. She would tell them where Dillinger was if they would make sure she wasn't sent back to Romania. The FBI agreed to help her as best they could and Cumpanas decided to work with them. On July 22, 1934, FBI agents staked out the Biograph Theater in Chicago. According to Matera, most FBI agents were "pencil pushers, or, as I like to call them, Hoover's army of geeks. They couldn't shoot, so Hoover hired a couple of military assassins." Together, says Matera, the geeks and the assassins loitered outside the theater until the show was over and Dillinger emerged. He'd recently had plastic surgery and believed himself so unrecognizable he could wander the streets with impunity. But he'd also been in and out of prison for much of his life and it took him no time at all to clock the law. He headed into an alley to evade them and, according to the FBI agents, drew a weapon as he ran. One of the geeks fired wildly and hit two women in the crowd that was emerging from the movie theater. "The assassins got Dillinger in their sights. The bullet that killed him entered the back of his neck and exited under his right eye," Matera says. It was "an execution shot. They'd been sent there with orders to kill Dillinger and that's what they did. Hoover had no intention of putting him on trial." " " The crowd was in a celebratory mood outside Chicago's Biograph Theater on the night John Dillinger was killed there by police. Wikimedia Commons One reason for this, Matera believes, is that a trial could have been very messy. Not only was Dillinger an admired folk hero by the time he died, he might also have had information that some powerful people didn't want to emerge. There were undoubtedly policemen and politicians he'd bribed, not to mention bank officials who might have hired him. One widely believed rumor, says Matera, is that in some cases bank officials would hire Dillinger to rob their banks. He might steal $10,000, but they would claim he'd taken $50,000 and keep the difference when their insurance claim came through. One way or another, says Matera, it really was Dillinger they got. As with many celebrity deaths, rumors persist that the man they killed that night was actually a double. But, Matera says, doubles never run. They don't want to get shot. Also, he points out, Dillinger was enamored of his celebrity. "He couldn't live without his fame. If he'd truly survived, he would have resurfaced somewhere in Mexico and thumbed his nose at the FBI." That said, two of Dillingers descendants claim that they doubt it's really his body that's buried under his headstone. In September 2019 they plan to disinter the corpse and use DNA to determine its true identity. As far as Matera is concerned, "It's just a publicity stunt." Time will tell. Now That's Interesting Despite her collaboration with Hoover's FBI, Ana Cumpanas was deported anyway. As for Hoover, he might have forgotten to help out his key informant, but he never forgot the man he used to build the FBI. A death mask was made of Dillinger's face and, according to Matera, it hung outside Hoover's office, not unlike a hunting trophy, for the rest of his very long career. Dillinger's brain, however, has gone missing. " " This painting by Peter Paul Rubens is titled "The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek," c. 1626. Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images The mysterious biblical figure of Melchizedek has intrigued (and puzzled) religious thinkers and scholars for centuries. He makes a brief but significant appearance in Genesis the first book of the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) when he blesses the patriarch Abram and is introduced as the "priest of the Most High God." From that single mention, various Jewish sects and early Christians developed their own disparate interpretations of who Melchizedek was and what he represented. Some apocalyptic Jewish writers cast Melchizedek as a heaven-sent high priest who existed before the flood and would return to usher in the messiah. Meanwhile, early Christians saw Melchizedek as a "type" or precursor of Jesus Christ, in that they both derived authority from an eternal and higher priesthood. Some have wondered if Melchizedek was even Jesus Christ himself in another form. Advertisement Who was the real Melchizedek? Unlike nearly everyone mentioned in Genesis and other books, Melchizedek has no recorded father, no genealogy. He is not the "son of" anyone. If a man by that name ever existed, he's been long lost to time. But exploring how the meaning of Melchizedek has been interpreted and reinterpreted over time is equally fascinating and instructive. Let's start with the account in Genesis, which appears straightforward at first, but is as problematic as they come. " " A battle scene from the series "The Forty-seven Faithful Samurai" by Utagawa Yoshitora, 19th-century Japanese artist and printmaker. Universal History Archive/Getty Images No one is quite sure who the first samurai was. Historians do have some idea of when regular warriors began taking on the characteristics of the samurai. In the fifth, sixth and seventh centuries, C.E., there were rivalries in Japan between princes and clans, as well as succession wars when an emperor died. However, most of the fighting was done against those people who were native to islands of Japan, which imperial Japanese referred to as emishi or barbarians. Some emperors realized that the emishi were good fighters and in later years, emishi were recruited to fight in battles against other clans or rebellious religious orders. Some of the military tactics and traditions of the emishi were incorporated by Japanese soldiers and were later used by the samurai. Advertisement The samurai's status as an elite class comes from the proliferation of powerful families that lived far from the capital, passing their land and their prestige, from one generation to the next for hundreds of years. The members of these warrior houses or clans attained noble status. Barbarian military traditions combined with elite status and the kyuba no michi warrior code to form a template for the earliest samurai. By some reports, the word samurai first appeared in the 12th century. For a long time, the samurai provided the main military force used against emishi and other clans. In the 1100s, two powerful military clans served the emperor of Japan: the Taira clan and the Minamoto clan. These two families became bitter rivals and in 1192, Minamoto Yoritomo led his clan to victory over the Taira. The emperor, the traditional head of the Japanese government, declared Minamoto Yoritomo shogun, the head of the military. However, Yoritomo used his new power to strip the emperor of all political power, make his position as shogun permanent, and set up a military dictatorship known as bakufu. So, the samurai went from being servants to the land-owning daimyos to being the rulers of Japan under the shogun. After Yoritomo died, his wife, Masako, became a nun. Through her family, however, she still had influence over the government. Though not perfect, her family, the Hojos, maintained control over Japan for over 100 years. The Ashikaga clan wrested control from the Hojos in 1338. The Ashikagas failed to provide a strong central authority in Japan, and the clans descended into constant fighting. During this period, the daimyo built impressive castles with walls, gates, and moats that made them difficult to attack. This sengoku, or civil war period lasted until Tokugawa Ieyaso took control of Japan in 1603. Tokugawa enforced a strict isolationist policy, and kept control of the daimyos by forcing their families to live in the capital, while the daimyo himself lived on his estate. Each daimyo was required to visit the capital at least once per year (daimyos who fell into disfavor were given estates far from the capital, making the trip much more expensive and time-consuming). This policy ensured the control of the daimyos because their families were basically held hostage, and the expensive annual trips prevented them from gaining too much economic power. Tokugawa also banned the carrying of swords by anyone but samurai. All swords owned by non-samurai were confiscated and melted down to make statues. This marked the samurai as a very distinct and noticeable class, above the common citizen. During Tokugawa's enforced peace, samurai were seldom used in combat. It was during this period that the samurai took on other roles, escorting their lords back and forth from the capital, working as bureaucrats in the bakufu and collecting tribute in the form of rice payments from the daimyo's vassals. Armor Glossary Do - the main torso armor, which hangs from the shoulders. Tsurubashiri - leather covering on the do, sometimes with elaborate and colorful designs. Sendan-no-ita , kyubi-no-ita - small armor plates which hang from the shoulders and protect the cords that hold the rest of the armor together. Kote - armored sleeve, only worn on the left arm, leaving the right arm free to fire a bow. This practice of leaving the right arm unarmored was continued out of a sense of tradition long after samurai no longer relied on archery in combat. Read More "The United States' first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was fatally flawed from the moment it was adopted," says Stephen Phillips, a professor of political science at Clemson University. "It created a national government with very little power that was essentially impossible to change, and that consisted of only a legislature no independent executive or judiciary." The government set up under the Articles of Confederation was so bad it only lasted a decade. And it wasn't so much a government as a "firm league of friendship" between the 13 original states, which could all vote on issues that affected the collective, but decisions were only made when at least nine of the states voted the same way. It was a dicey time in American history. Advertisement "Economic and security crises mounted throughout the 1780s, showing the national government was simply unable to act to protect the national interest," says Phillips. "Political leaders recognized that the country needed a stronger national government, which meant a revised constitution. Amid the background of political crisis, the Confederation Congress authorized a convention of delegates from the states to debate amendments to the Articles of Confederation to create a stronger national government with greater power. The important question for the delegates is what this government would look like and what powers would it have." 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: Tiny items can tell a big story. Ancient winegrape seeds under a Microscope from Avdat. Credit: Prof. Guy Bar-Oz, The University of Haifa A new study led by the paleogenetic laboratory of the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University and the University of Haifa analyzed DNA from ancient local wine grape seeds discovered at archaeological excavations in the Negev. One seed was found to be almost identical to the Syriki variety used today to make high-quality red wine in Greece and Lebanon, while another seed is a relative of the white variety called Be'er, still growing in deserted vineyards in the dunes of Palmachim. Exported to Europe The genetic study was led by Dr. Pnina Cohen and Dr. Meirav Meiri of the paleogenetic lab at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University. The seeds were found at archaeological excavations led by Prof. Guy Bar-Oz from the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa, in collaboration with researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority. Other participants included researchers from the University of Haifa, the Weizmann Institute, Bar-Ilan University, and research institutions in France, Denmark, and the U.K. The paper was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Archaeological excavations conducted in the Negev [in Israel] in recent years have revealed a flourishing wine industry from the Byzantine and early Arab periods (around the fourth to ninth centuries A.D.), especially at the sites of Shivta, Haluza, Avdat, and Nizana, which were large, thriving cities at the time," says Prof. Guy Bar-Oz from the University of Haifa. "The findings include large winepresses, jugs in which the exclusive wine, exported to Europe, was stored, and grape seeds preserved for more than a thousand years. This industry gradually declined following the Muslim conquest in the 7th century, since Islam forbids the consumption of wine." "The cultivation of wine grapes in the Negev was renewed only in modern times, in the state of Israel, mostly since the 1980s. This industry, however, relies mainly on wine grape varieties imported from Europe." Ancient local winegrape seeds from Shivta, Israel. Credit: Prof. Guy Bar-Oz, The University of Haifa Extracting DNA One especially interesting finding was a large hoard of grape seeds, discovered on the floor of a sealed room at Avdat. The researchers explain that these seeds have been relatively well preserved thanks to protection from climatic phenomena such as extreme temperatures, flooding, or dehydration. To learn more about the seeds, in the hope of discovering which varieties they might belong to, the researchers prepared to extract their DNA in the paleogenetic lab. "The science of paleogenomic uses a range of advanced technologies to analyze ancient genomes, primarily from archaeological findings," explains Dr. Meiri from the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University. "Since the DNA molecule is very sensitive and disintegrates over time, especially under high temperatures, we usually get only small pieces of DNA, often in a poor state of preservation. To protect them we work under special conditions: the paleogenetic lab is an isolated clean laboratory, with positive air pressure that keeps contaminants out, and we enter it in sterilized 'spacesuits' familiar to everyone from the COVID pandemic." To begin with, the researchers looked for any organic matter remaining in the seeds. For this purpose, they used FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy)a chemical technique applying infrared radiation to produce a light spectrum that identifies the sample's content. Finding remnants of organic matter in 16 seeds, the researchers went on to extract DNA from these samples. Ancient grapes: Still around today The extracted DNA was sequenced, with an emphasis on about 10,000 genomic sites where variety-specific features are usually found, and the results were compared to databases of modern grapevines from around the world: In 11 samples, the quality of genetic material was too poor to allow any definite conclusions. Three of the remaining samples were identified as generally belonging to local varieties. Finally, the two samples of the highest quality, both from around 900 A.D., were identified as belonging to specific local varieties that still exist today. Avdat Excavation. Credit: Tali. Erickson-Gini and Scott Bucking The discovery was quite extraordinary: One seed was found to belong to Syriki, a known Middle Eastern variety with a long history of cultivation in the Southern Levant and Crete, still used today to make high-quality red wine in Greece (where it is known to have arrived from the east) and in Lebanon. Since wine grapes are usually named after their place of origin, it is quite possible that the name Syriki is derived from Nahal Sorek, an important stream in the Judean Hills. Moreover, this variety may even appear in the Biblein Jacob's blessing to his son Judah: "He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch (soreka); he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49, 11); and perhaps also suggested in the giant cluster of grapes brought back by the men sent by Moses to explore the land: "When they reached the Valley of Eshkol (identified by some as Nahal Sorek), they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them" (Numbers 13, 23). The other high-quality seed was identified as related to Be'er, a white wine grape variety still growing in the sands of Palmachim on Israel's seashore, in remnants of vineyards probably abandoned in the mid-20th century. For the first time ever, the researchers were able to use the genome of a grape seed to determine the color of the fruit, discovering that it was in fact a white grapethe oldest botanical specimen of a white variety ever identified. Be'er, a unique local variety, endemic to the land of Israel, is used today by the Barkan winery to make a special white wine of its own. Tiny items tell a big story "The wonderful thing about paleogenetics is that sometimes, tiny items can tell a big story," says Dr. Meiri. "This is exactly what happened in this study. With just a bit of DNA extracted from two grape seeds we were able to trace continuity in the local wine industryfrom the Byzantine period, more than a thousand years ago, to the present day." "We believe that our findings are also significant for Israel's modern wine industry, which has been growing and thriving in recent decades. Today, most varieties grown here have been imported from Europe, so that the local conditions are not optimal for them. Local varieties can be more suitable for the local climate and soil, especially in the desert region of the Negev. Our study opens new paths for restoring and improving ancient local varieties, to create wine grapes that are more suitable for challenging climatic conditions such as high temperatures and little rainfall." More information: Pnina Cohen et al, Ancient DNA from a lost Negev Highlands desert grape reveals a Late Antiquity wine lineage, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213563120 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences By Saio Marrah Sierra Leones Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David Francis says Sierra Leone and South Korea will further deepen their bilateral relationship by boosting trade and investment. He was speaking during commemoration of the 60th anniversary of friendship between Sierra Leone and South Korean, an event that was held at the Freetown City Councils Lobby on Monday 28th November, 2022. Prof. Francis said the government of Sierra Leone is interested in building ties with its South Korean counterpart in the Mines, Agriculture, Education, Energy, Tourism and Infrastructure sectors. He said the private sector has immensely contributed in the rapid transformation of South Korea from low income country to now an industrialised one. In that vein he said: In my discussion with the Minister of Trade and Industry, and the Ambassador (South Korea) that we have agreed in the next coming years there will be 20% increase in the Korean private investment established in Sierra Leone, he said. Prof. Francis observed that instead of going out begging for aid, the government has now changed that trajectory and that it is now focusing on showcasing Sierra Leone to its bilateral and multilateral partners that Sierra Leone is a land of opportunity for trade and investment. This he said is to enhance collaboration between the countries pointing out that no country has ever developed through aid. Prof. Francis said both countries will further strengthen their relationship from the usual political sphere to that of building a foundation for credible long term development of the two nations. He also explained to the South Korean Ambassador how Sierra Leone has now become a significant player in the world stage and the country is Africas endorsed candidate for the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2024 and 2025. He expressed the hope that Sierra Leone will secure a vote from South Korea in attaining that UN status. He also congratulated the two countries for maintaining the bilateral relations that began on the 25th October 1962. The Foreign Minister also highlighted the support South Korean has been rendering to Sierra Leone, especially during the countrys civil War, and Ebola outbreak. In his statement the South Korean Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Kim Youngchae said the commemoration will ensure a week-long staging of various colourful events that will include an Exhibition. He also spoke about the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), opening of the new Honorary Consular Office and joint cultural performances by the two countries, as also some other events planned. The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, also spoke of how brilliant an idea to observe the anniversary by bringing together the cultural values and trade opportunities of the two nations and for both to learn from each other. She added that it is because of the strong ties between the two countries that lead to the construction of the Freetown City Hall. She recalled her visit to Seoul where she noticed how rapidly South Korea has transformed from that of a low income country to an industrialised one, which she said Sierra Leone can also learn from. Copyright 2022 Politico Online QUEENSBURY The Granville man accused of driving drunk and causing a fatal crash will be back in court on Monday. Michael Campbell II, 39, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter for the Wednesday crash. Police said he was driving a 2018 Ford F-15 east on Quaker Ridge Road near the intersection with Quaker Ridge Boulevard when he failed to keep right and crossed the center line, striking a 2005 GMC Safari head on. The driver of the Safari, 33-year-old Nicholas J. Canning, was killed in the crash. Canning has ties to both Queensbury and Florida. Warren County Sheriffs Lt. Russ Lail said Campbell is free on bail of $15,000 cash/$45,000 bond and is due in Queensbury Town Court on Monday at 10:30 a.m. LONDON A local resident who was in London during the crowning of the first British king in over 70 years believes the world may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the monarchys storied and epic history. The queen did a lot by her dedication to duty and her personal charisma in keeping everything in order and organized and in line. And now that shes gone, theres an intellectual reckoning the likes of which could only be comparable to the debates around the 2016 and 2020 election in the United States, said Parker Taft, a South Glens Falls native, who is currently studying abroad at The London School of Economics. A self-proclaimed history nerd, Taft graduated from South Glens Falls High School in 2020, and is now duel majoring in political science and economics at Siena College. Close The coronation procession takes place on Saturday in London. People take pictures during the coronation process in London on Saturday. People take pictures during the coronation process in London on Saturday. The coronation procession takes place on Saturday in London. The coronation procession takes place on Saturday in London. Coronation procession The procession for the coronation of King Charles III took place in London on Saturday. The coronation procession takes place on Saturday in London. People take pictures during the coronation process in London on Saturday. People take pictures during the coronation process in London on Saturday. The coronation procession takes place on Saturday in London. The coronation procession takes place on Saturday in London. Taft said he arrived in London the day after the queen died and he was excited to be able to see the first coronation in 70 years. Its definitely been interesting and as a historian and amateur political analyst, seeing how the country has changed, even within the span of the year, is fascinating, he said. In the days leading up to the coronation, Taft said there seemed to be a sense of anxious anticipation among the British people regarding the change in leadership and how the new king will be able to balance his duties with recent events surrounding the royal family. Its full of history and its impressive and awe-inspiring, but also theres a certain sense of haste and of urgency and of concern like if they dont hurry-up and get it done with, something bads going to happen, he said. As well as the optics of putting on such an expensive event at the same time as theres a huge cost-of-living crisis across the country with thousands of people relying on government payments to just make ends meet. Thousands more going hungry, students being unable to afford tuition and housing, its really an interesting and complex time in U.K. history. For the most part, Taft said the pomp and circumstance leading up to the Saturday event had been rather lackluster, with most Brits more looking forward to having the day off on Monday than the crowning of a new king. The formal part of the coronation is mostly of interest to historians, the old folks, as they say, and the tourists, he said. Whereas the average Joe on the street, most of them are more happy looking to the bank holiday. They get Monday off. However, on the day of the celebration, Taft said the spectacle and the grandeur of a royal coronation energized the air. I think it went better than expected. There was certainly an air of excitement, he said. It was certainly interesting and awe-inspiring to be there at such a historic time. As an American, Taft said getting a front-row seat to the uniquely British event was, quite literally a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. Its something that happens, oftentimes once within a persons lifetime, and at its most frequent at 20-30 year intervals. Whereas an inauguration or the creation of a new prime minister or president is a relatively common political event, he said. I think thats why so many Americans are interested in it and are fascinated by it. Because it is something that is out of the ordinary for us, but it comes from a country that we share so many common cultural, linguistic, economic and political ties with. A tie with our collective historical past Taft said America holds a proud distinction of being one of the only powerful nations never to have been ruled by a king or queen. Historically speaking, the crowning of a new monarch would usually follow some bloody conflict, or civil upheaval. The notion of a peaceful transfer of power, not just from one generation to the next, but at the whim of the people, is a relatively novel approach to governing. However, its all Americans have ever known. According to Taft, the crowning of a king speaks to a collective realization of our past as a people and reunites us with a part of ourselves we moved away from, nearly 250 years ago. It gives us a sense of a deeper, richer past for our common heritage than what we would normally experience within the 200-odd years of American history, he said. We dont have those deep and ancient roots. We dont have that idea of hierarchy and divine right and established, noble families dedicated to the service of their country. Of course, the United States famously put the idea of a monarchy firmly in its rear-view mirror and has hardly looked back, but Taft said the fact that such a prevalent political dynasty still exists today, and one with which we share such close ties with, allows us to appreciate what a positive impact a monarchal structure can have. We look to the U.K. as sort of an example of what we would like, Taft said. A sort of a unifying figure, a group of people dedicated to the service of the country and the state, and that is sort of above the partisan politics that sort of wracks us today. Few political figures embodied that sense of indomitable duty more so than King Charles mother, Elizabeth II. Her time as queen spanned some very tumultuous and difficult decades. Through it all, however, people in the U.K. and even the world could look to the queen as a stable and by extension, a comforting position to focus on. Taft spoke of the distinct difference he observed in how the British people mourned the passing of the queen and the crowning of their new king. Every place had flags and bunting out. Every shop had a picture of the late queen veiled in black lace. It was truly an entire nation in mourning, he said of the time following the queens death in September 2022. With that stable force now gone, and uncertainty about what the new king will do, Taft said the sense of loss has begun to give way to apprehension for the future. Theres also a certain sense of royal fatigue. Between the Platinum Jubilee, the queens tragic death, and then the issues with Prince Harry and Megan Markle and the U.S., and then the issues with certain revelations regarding the personal finances of the royal family, the Monarchy and the Crown of States, he said. When Queen Elizabeth was ascending the throne, she was young, she was vital, it was a Britain reborn into the Cold War of the 50s and 60s. It was still a Britain that was a world power. King Charles is assuming a Britain that is very much questioning its identity. Unlike the U.S., which follows a single constitutional outline of the specific powers and roles each governmental entity has, Taft explained that the U.K. has operated under the purview of several documents drafted throughout its history but without well-defined parameters for its officials. Its a very gray area where royal prerogative stops and where parliamentary power begins, he said. Neither Parliament, nor the late queen really wanted to define it all much because once you define something that clearly, it makes it difficult to change. Taft speculated that the queens deferment to the will of parliamentary procedure stemmed from her being raised during the fight against fascism and the struggle to defend democracy during World War II. Whereas Charles is very much a product of the post-war boom. He was raised in a point of privilege, and so theres concerns that he may try to actively pull back, at least some of the inroads made by Parliament into royal prerogative, he said. I personally, from what Ive observed, do not think Parliament is going to tolerate any guff from King Charles, or any excessive meddling on his part. The future Like every nation that has stood the test of time, Britain has a checkered past. Even before Elizabeths death, calls for a referendum of Britains colonizing and imperialistic history had been sounded. But the queens hands-off approach to ruling and adherence to the royal image coalesced more with the conservative, Tory Party viewpoint of maintaining the traditional structure of the nation. Now that Charles is in charge, many liberals in the U.K. see this as the time to strike. Unlike the queen, who never openly broke with her government on any major issues, King Charles in notorious for being highly opinionated, and theres concerns about whether he will allow the wheels of democracy to work as theyre intended, or if he will try to actively meddle in parliamentary politics to achieve the outcomes that he desires, Taft said. Charles III has long been a champion of combating climate change, ethnic equity, and other more liberal initiatives. Taft said the fear among conservatives is that he will become a political pawn for the extreme left-wing of Parliament to push its agenda, according to Taft. The liberals, though, fear the opposite could happen; that rather than risk the balance of power tipping away from them, the conservatives will side with those calling for a move to a republic to strip the crown completely of its power. Now that King Charles is assuming the throne, theres a huge debate because some say hes going to be the progressive monarch. Hes going to reshape the U.K. identity and the identity of the monarchy into something thats more aligned with sustainability and duty to the people and social justice, he explained. And then still others are saying that can never be achieved within the traditional structure and hierarchy of the royal family and nobility, and that we should really start beginning a shift towards a republic. This would not be the first time Britain has dabbled in a reboot of its political structure. Ironically, Britains first attempt to restructure itself into a republic following a civil war in the 1640s was bookended by King Charles namesake predecessors, King Charles I and King Charles II. Even though the British republic only lasted about a decade, the desire for a new form of government has never fully gone away. Even as it was in the 1600s, socio-economic divides seem to be the sticking point for most. But as a new generation takes the throne, Taft said hes observed that while elder generations seem to cling to the established traditions of the old empire, an even younger generation of Brits see it as a time for a change. For baby boomers its because they grew up with the last days of empire, with Queen Elizabeth at her ultimate power. For Gen-X, its because they identify with the fairytale story of Charles and Diana, he said. But many of the newer generation, the millennials and the Gen-Zs, they dont identify with the monarchy. They see it as a stuffed windbag, for lack of a better term. Theres a handful, which are more conservative, Tory-leaning, which support the monarchy and the ideas of the monarchy, Taft added. And the majority of the young people and the students focus more on aspirations of a republican kind of government with a formalized constitution along the lines of that of the United States, or the German federal Republic. Only time will tell if the reign of King Charles III will be remembered as a fall, or rejuvenation of the British monarchy, but no matter what the history books say, Taft asserts that this will be marked as a turning point for the U.K. I dont think theres been such a unique time in British history since the end of the Second World War. I think this is definitely a poignant moment, he said. Whether the monarchy is reshaped, or a new republic is born, Tafts time in the U.K. has shown him that the prevalence of Great Britain should never be discounted, no matter what form it takes. I definitely think that the U.K. is a country of much intrigue and much complexity, but one that is certainly a close American ally and should remain a close American ally, he said. It is a country of fundamental strength, and I think it will only become stronger moving forward. The $229 billion state budget is the biggest in history. And it makes big investments in the Adirondacks. Tiffany Rae-Fisher leads the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, which got a boost in the budget, bringing its funding up to $420,000. Rea-Fisher is thrilled with that news and with all the state funding coming to the Adirondacks. Your budget shows your values, so the fact that the state is valuing this region, not only from a place of recreation, but from a diversity perspective, safety perspective, education perspective that means a lot, said Rea-Fisher The budget also includes $2.1 million for the Timbuctoo Summer Climate and Careers Institute. That program will bring students up from New York City this summer and introduce them to the Adirondack wilderness. Rea-Fisher said funding the Timbuctoo Institute is another key investment in diversifying the park and investing in its future. You cant fight for something if you dont love it, so getting people up here, people of color to fall in love with the Adirondacks so that they can be a critical part of this region moving forward is essential to the survival and this area being able to thrive, said Rea-Fisher. On a broader level, the Adirondacks will get a major investment through the massive Environmental Protection Fund or EPF included in the new budget. I think that the $400 million EPF was actually one of the bright spots in the budget, said state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, whose district includes the eastern Adirondacks. While Stec voted against all 10 budget bills, he applauded specific funding for the park, including $90 million for the Olympic Regional Development Authority, $500,000 for fire safety at Camp Santanoni and $250,000 for the Paul Smiths VIC. One thing Stec said he thought was lacking in this years budget is money for more basic needs in the Adirondacks. Infrastructure road infrastructure, broadband, cellular service, continue to be main issues inside the park that I think weve lagged behind other communities that are outside the park, said Stec. One piece of infrastructure that did get a significant boost in state funding from the budget is hydropower, specifically three Adirondack dams two in the Old Forge and one on Great Sacandaga Lake in Saratoga County. Republican state Assemblyman Robert Smullen, who represents much of the southern Adirondacks, voted against all 10 budget bills, but said he was happy to see the $20 million investment in those dams. I think that work is very important because first of all, the Conklingville dam provides a tremendous almost of green energy its hydroelectricity, almost continuous. Its a great dam, but secondly, I would note that were closing in on having those facilities there for almost a hundred years. So Smullen said its time to update those dams, especially with the states climate goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The budget also includes $2 million to survey the climate and lake ecosystems in the Adirondacks. Michael Barrett, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, describes the budget as a huge victory for the park. Hes especially happy to see $100,000 for the ADKs High Peaks info center at the Adirondack Loj as well as $8 million within the Environmental Protection Fund for land stewardship in the Adirondacks and Catskills. It goes towards educational stewards. It goes towards trail work, recreational infrastructure like parking and trailheads, it goes to water access, accessibility and inclusion projects. GLENS FALLS The weather was pretty fly Saturday for the annual Glens Falls Rotary Clubs Fishing Derby. The goal is for kids to come and have fun and bond with their parents and grandparents, Dave LeBel, with the Glens Falls Rotary Club. Around 70 kids ages 3 to 15 competed in four age brackets for the top spot in three categories the longest fish the heaviest fish, and the smallest fish caught. Prizes for the competition were donated by the Lake George-based fishing supply store Fish307. Each year the pond at Crandall Park is stocked to the gills with fish from the Warren County Fish Hatchery for the event. In addition to the Fishing Derby, LeBel also said the Rotary has taken over servicing the Ben Osborn Fund, which maintains around 25 book stations located throughout Brant Lake, Chestertown, Fort Ann, Glens Falls, Granville, Hudson Falls, Lake George, Lake Luzerne, North Creek, Queensbury, Schuylerville, South Glens Falls, and Warrensburg. The stations serve as drop-off and also pick-up points for childrens book donations. Ben Osborn was a soldier in the Army, killed in Afghanistan in June of 2010, and his parents memorialized him by starting the Ben Osborn Memorial Fund, he said. Rotarians are now taking over for Mr. Osborn, whos now 80. He was doing this by himself. We have, like 25 Rotarians doing what one 80-year-old used to do. For more information about the Glens Falls Rotary and scheduled events, visit www.glensfallsrotary.com. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Mostly the results are released in first week of June or the second last week of the June. Considering the past trends, the results for class 10 and class 12 is expected to be released in the month of June 2023 as well. No date and time has been confirmed by the officials of the board. The state board will confirm the date of result on the official website - mahahsscboard.in or on mahresult.nic.in. Reportedly, the evaluation of the class 12 and class 10 paper is going on and more than 50 percent of work is done. Maharashtra SSC Exam 2023 was held from March 2, 2023 to March 25, 2023 and the HSC Exam 2023 was held from February 21, 2023 to March 21, 2023. More than lakhs of students have appeared for the exam. TINLEY PARK Police are offering tips on how residents can stay vigilant and prevent being scammed in the wake of an instance in which parishioners at Trinity Lutheran Church in Tinley Park were targeted in a text message scam where the sender pretended to be a member of the clergy or staff with the church. In the messages, the sender requested parishioners to send gift card information, according to an email from the church. The messages came from one phone number, the church notification said. The church advised members who received the texts to not reply to them. Tinley Park police Chief Matthew Walsh said police administrators have been preliminarily working with Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce officials to address senior fraud. Recently, Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce executive director Mary Kay Campbell said she met with a chamber member from a financial institution who stated that scams among senior citizens have been on the rise. Campbell said chamber officials and police will meet soon about putting together a seminar for seniors on how to stay safe against scam messages. Its something that we really want to address, Campbell said. If residents get a message requesting gift card information they should not do that and ignore the messages as a scam, Walsh said. If the scammer indicated the gifts are required to pay off a debt with an agency or to help a loved one, Walsh said residents could confirm with the business or loved one if thats true. If there is no immediate answer, residents can call police to confirm if what they are receiving is a scam, he said. If it doesnt seem right, investigate further. They try to play on peoples emotions, Walsh said. In Palos Park, police have been actively promoting scam awareness and education. Many scammers think of seniors as prime targets because of their retirement savings or because they may live alone, said Palos Park police Chief Joe Miller in an email in March announcing senior scam awareness seminars. The seminars were a way to make people aware of tactics fraudsters use to collect personal information, solicit funds, and compromise security, the news release said. According to statistics provided by Miller citing the FBIs recently published Elder Fraud Report, with information and statistics compiled from their Internet Crime Complaint Center, in 2020, the FBI received 791,790 complaints from fraud and scam victims of all ages. About 28% of the frauds were reported by victims older than 60, reporting losses of $1 billion. This amounted to an increase of $300 million, compared to losses reported by seniors over 60 in 2019. Older adults reported an average loss of $9,175, though 1,921 victims reported losing more than $100,000 in a scam or fraud, Miller reported in a news release. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term Last Sunday was a wonderful day! Nine Augustana students, two colleagues and I left at 7:35 a.m. to go to Kalona, Iowa, where we spent the day with members of the Amish community. We arrived in Kalona in time to join the 16 families in the Amish district we visited for their Sunday worship service. They have church every other Sunday, with Sunday school for young people on the intervening Sundays. The Sunday worship service we attended was two hours and fifteen minutes long. When you have worship services that are two or more hours long, it is not necessary to have church every Sunday. Once every two weeks will suffice. The Old Order Amish, of which the community that we visited is a part, do not have church buildings. Their services are held on various farms on a rotating basis. A wagon, known as the church wagon, is used to haul folding benches to the place where the Sunday service will be held. On this occasion the service was held in an out building used to store buggies, which had been moved outside to open up the space for the church benches. The Old Order Amish do not own cars. They arrived for the service in buggies pulled by standardbred horses graceful trotters that are the breed used for harness racing. In keeping with a longstanding Amish tradition, the men sat on one side of the meeting room while the women sat on the other side. The Old Order Amish do not use musical instruments, believing they are too Hochmut (haughty.) All singing is a capella. One person will begin a song, setting the pitch. Others will then join in. The service began with a German hymn that all Amish communities use to begin their services, followed by a second hymn that is also widely used. The powerful and uplifting hymns lasted for 20 minutes. They were followed by two sermons (one in Pennsylvania Dutch and one in German), scripture readings and prayer. Two hours later, the service concluded with additional singing. In many churches, including the one of which I am a member, the church service is followed by coffee and donuts, after which everyone goes home. That is not the Amish tradition. Their service was followed by a simple luncheon that featured wonderful homemade bread. They extended a warm invitation to us and welcomed our joining them for lunch. Amish do not work on Sundays (unless they have cows or goats to milk, which cant wait until Monday morning.) After the luncheon they remained there to visit with each other for much of the afternoon, welcoming us to join in the conversations. Because of other commitments, most of those in our group left to return home late in the afternoon. Two of us stayed on for the evening activities. The student who stayed on was invited by some young women her age to join them at their home for the remainder of the afternoon. The Augie student rode with them in their horse-drawn buggy as they headed home. I visited a cabinet shop owned by a member of the community who makes cabinets and furniture of incredible quality. Everything that he makes is custom ordered. His father, who is the bishop of the district, has 500 goats that need to be milked twice a day. He invited me to watch the milking of the goats. People assume that the Amish are low tech. That might be true with respect to their modes of transportation. But when it comes to milking goats, they are very high tech. Using a homemade apparatus designed by another Amish farmer, they had three feeding and milking platforms. The goats, knowing that food awaited them, ran up a ramp when the door was opened. A system of stalls with swinging gates channeled the first goat to the stall on the far end of the platform. When she entered that stall, a swinging gate allowed entry to the stall next to her, which would be entered by the next goat. This would continue until all the stalls were filled. While in the stalls, the goats were milked by milking machines powered by a diesel-powered generator. (Most Old Order Amish are not connected to a power grid.) When the goats were all milked, another door would open so that they could run out and the next group of goats could enter. In the evening, a wholesome homemade supper was followed by an amazing hymn sing that lasted more than an hour. A wonderful day indeed! Each year, May is Bird Month in Nebraska. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and partner organizations celebrate with a variety of activities across the state throughout the month. More information can be found at nebraskabirdmonth.org. Here are some opportunities: Southeast District Birding Day Set for May 11 Birders of all ages are invited to join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for Southeast District Birding Day on May 11 at Table Rock Wildlife Management Area in Pawnee County. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot at the southeast side of the WMA, along Highway 4. Birders will divide into groups and hike different areas, looking for woodland, grassland and other bird species. At 11 a.m., birders will meet at Kirkmans Cove Recreation Area, 3 miles to the east, where a Nemaha Natural Resources District park pass will be required and available, for lunch and speakers. Participants should bring lunch, binoculars, cameras, field guides, insect repellant, bag chair as well as appropriate clothing and footwear for steep terrain. RSVP by May 9 at the event listing on the calendar at OutdoorNebraska.gov. Birding at Lake Mac is May 13 Learn about common birds at Lake McConaughy during Birding at Lake Mac on May 13. Participants also will have the opportunity to make pine-cone bird feeders and enjoy a short bird outing at this free event, which begins at 10 a.m. at the visitor center. Binoculars and bird ID books will be provided, and participants will receive Nebraska Bird Month swag. For more information, contact Meghan.Manary@Nebraska.gov. Platte River SP, Schramm to host Birding Basics Chat Come to Platte River State Park on May 6 or Schramm Education Center on May 7 for a Birding Basics Chat. Learn what it takes to be a birder and ways to identify birds. Explore resources you may want to have in your birder backpack. At Platte River SP, meet at the Nature Center below Mallet Lodge for this free program, which starts at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. At Schramm, meet in the lobby of the education center at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Ponca State Park hosting Migratory Bird Day Join fellow birders at Ponca State Park on May 13 for Migratory Bird Day. The park attracts amateur and experienced bird watchers. Nearly 300 bird species have been reported in the area; warblers, scarlet tanagers, northern orioles, red-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings and ruby-throated hummingbirds are just a few of the highlights. Join park staff between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. for a full day of birding activities. Make a bird feeder, watch for birds, and learn the history of migration along the Missouri River. Call the park office 402-755-2284 or check Facebook: Ponca State Park NE for details and a list of program times. Make a Recycled Bird Feeder at Mahoney State Park Come to Eugene T. Mahoney State Park on May 13 and make a recycled bird feeder. Learn about different kinds of bird seeds and feeders, then create one using recycled materials. Guests are encouraged to bring a few items to recycle such as an empty soup can or plastic bottle. Other materials will be provided. Meet at 10 a.m. at the picnic tables in the grassy area in front of Owen Marina. Visit Indian Cave SP for Migratory Bird Day Indian Cave State Park will host a variety of family-friendly activities during the Ninth Annual Migratory Bird Day on May 27. Fun, hands-on bird crafts and games for all ages will take place from 4-6 p.m., followed by a fish fry from 6-7 p.m. and a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt at 9 p.m. See the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov for more information. A park entry permit is required. Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt on tap at Lewis and Clark SRA Bring the children to Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area on May 27 for a Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt. This event, which starts at 9:30 p.m., will help celebrate Migratory Bird Weekend. Eggs will have treats in them; some also will have bird trivia to win fun prizes. A park entry permit is required. Recently, 25 members of the Bitterroot Health Auxiliary were given a sneak peek of the new Infusion and Oncology Center at Bitterroot Health. Many of the volunteers in attendance also signed up for shifts to provide hospitality services and enhance the patient experience in the new treatment area. Gloria Wukelich is a retired nurse who moved to the valley several years ago and has been volunteering at fundraising events for the Bitterroot Health Foundation. She is thrilled to commit to two shifts per week to assist infusion patients. "This is just an amazing facility and I'm so looking forward to helping our community, especially those going through difficult treatments," she said. The Infusion and Oncology Center is an addition to the south side of Daly Hospital in Hamilton and one of several phases to renovate space for improved patient care. Access through a new main entrance provides a convenient and more direct route to infusion chairs for those with compromised immunities. This was a vision by our organization in 2018, said Jennifer Bush, director of Patient Care Services. The pandemic caused some delays, and yet, here we are in this beautiful space ready to provide the best experience possible for our patients needing care. Bush was part of a team that toured many oncology centers in the western region and helped design a space that was patient centric while also giving staff and volunteers the best working conditions to take care of patients. The center provides 13 options from private rooms to group areas near large windows for patients to choose their comfort level during treatments that can last from one to six hours. Were able to provide increased options for appointments by expanding services up to five days a week, Bush said. We realize that there are many in our community who are unable to travel for treatments, and in rare cases some choose no treatment at all because of the strain on friends, family and finances. We know that by opening this space with access to oncology specialists, we will be providing essential treatments closer to home and that will make all the difference. Bitterroot Health has contracted with Intermountain Health of Utah to provide oncology specialists to work with a local team of Bitterroot Health employees to staff the center. They will start seeing oncology patients in early summer. Dr. Erik Rupard traveled to Hamilton on April 21 with a team of Intermountain Health specialists to tour the new space and meet with oncology patients. Hell be communicating during their appointments via tele-health. We have treatment rooms with large screen televisions where patients can sit with our nurses and nurse practitioners to speak with Dr. Rupard and develop a patient-centered treatment plan with support, Bush said. The cameras they have are amazing. If I was sitting in this chair, they could read the fine print on my badge while we speak, so the ability for them to interact with patients is nearly as great as having them in the room. Jenny Van de Baan is the nurse practitioner committed to the Infusion and Oncology Center full time. She will be receiving training with the oncology team in Utah for several weeks prior to the opening of the center as well as receive continued training and support. The clinic has been the focus of a capital fundraising campaign for the Bitterroot Health Foundation since the end of 2020. Theyve raised a portion of the $4.2 million budget for the new center, but are still meeting with donors to provide support. Everything from cupcake sales by our high school volleyball players to bricks in the courtyard to generous multi-year pledges by loyal donors has helped to build this center, Stacie Duce said. Duce is the Director of Philanthropy and has been providing tours to donors during the last few weeks. Based on the size of the charitable gift, we have spaces in the center named after our donors or in memory of those they wanted to dedicate their gift, she said. Were really grateful for the generosity of our neighbors and friends. Valerie Gates just received news that her most recent chemo treatment will be her last. After a recent tour, she quipped that shes sad she won't be able to receive a treatment in the new space, but shes happy to support the cause financially so that others can receive infusions and chemo closer to home. Ive spent a lot of time as a patient and as a caregiver to my husband and to my friends, Gates said. This is a wonderful place, even better than some that Ive seen at bigger hospitals and renowned cancer clinics. Troy Collins, a Hamilton resident and internationally-recognized impressionist artist, toured the space when hard hats were still required. He was inspired to paint a 10-foot canvas called, Healing Waters that adorns the wall in the new entrances foyer. I wanted to paint something that would provide hope to people as they come to the hospital and face overwhelming challenges, he said. The scene features the Bitterroot River that runs nearby and is a view from my studio. My wife, Gina, has been battling breast cancer and I know what it means to be a caregiver of someone going through those treatments, Collins said. We all need to support each other when families are going through that process the patients, the caregivers, everyone. This is something that I could do to help. Calming photography of local landscapes was provided by Nathan Wotkyns of WideAngle Photography in Hamilton. I am very honored to share something beautiful to comfort those receiving treatments at our hospital, he said. Peg Doerfler is President of Bitterroot Health Auxiliary and a breast cancer survivor. She helped arrange the pre-opening tour for the Auxiliary volunteers. "It was a wonderful opportunity for our volunteers to see the new space and find excitement about truly serving in our community, she said. We hope the Auxiliary is joined by others, especially if they have a heart for taking care of our patients." The Auxiliary donated $50,000 as a sponsor of the refreshment center for patients. They also purchased the blanket warmer and blankets for the new center. Doral Vial has been volunteering on Wednesdays in the Specialty Clinic for several years. Before Covid, we used to have kind of a potluck lunch for everyone who was receiving infusions. It really felt like a community experience, she said. Now the Auxiliary will help make sure patients have what they need during those long infusions good food, someone to talk to if they wish, and especially those warm blankets. A Montana nonprofit, UnitedLuv, donated 14 iPads for patients to use during treatments. Those will be delivered by Vicki Eaton this month in memory of her son who suffered from cancer as a young adult and used his business earnings to buy iPads for others who were receiving treatments. The Auxiliary members are working to create and gather items for new oncology patients. Whatever we can do to help make it a pleasant experience is our priority, Doerfler said. Other pieces of equipment that have recently been unboxed and set up in the center. For instance, IV pumps, have been purchased by collective fundraising efforts by local groups and businesses including the American Heritage Girls who donated their earnings from their Ravalli County Fair food booth, Bitterroot Health employee donors, and Colors of Cancer event participants. If there ever was a philanthropic cause that will significantly benefit the most people in this valley, our community supported cancer center is the answer, Duce said. We all will be affected by a cancer diagnosis at some point in our lives whether its a loved one, a friend or ourselves. So Im incredibly proud to help rally funding for a space where we can help each other endure that challenge in the best situation possible and closer to home. For more information on volunteering in the new infusion center or to make a donation, call the Bitterroot Health Foundation at 406-375-4674 or email stacieduce@bitterroothealth.org. Donations can also be made online at www.bitterroothealth.org/GIVE Netflix's controversial docudrama Queen Cleopatra" will be available May 10th.The name Cleopatra is synonymous with the ancient world and particularly the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt. The Ptolemaic dynasty was a Greek-Macedonian royal family that ruled Egypt from 305 BCE to 30 BCE. It was founded by Ptolemy Soter, one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander died in 321 BCE, his empire eventually became divided into four empires with the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt being one of them. There were several women in the Ptolemaic dynasty who were named Cleopatra, but Cleopatra VII is the most well-known of them all. Cleopatra I was the first woman in the Ptolemaic dynasty to be named Cleopatra. She was married to Ptolemy V and ruled Egypt jointly with her son Ptolemy VI for several years. Cleopatra I was the first woman to rule Egypt as a monarch and is credited with founding the cult of Serapis in Alexandria. Cleopatra II was the daughter of Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra I. She was married to her brother Ptolemy VIII and ruled jointly with him on various occasions. Cleopatra II was known for her intelligence and her skills as a diplomat. She played a significant role in negotiations with Rome during her reign. Cleopatra III was the wife of Ptolemy VIII and the mother of Ptolemy IX. She ruled jointly with her husband on two occasions and was regent for her son Ptolemy IX after her husband's death. Cleopatra III was known for her beauty and charm, but she was also ruthless and was responsible for several acts of cruelty during her reign. Cleopatra IV was the daughter of Cleopatra III and Ptolemy X. She ruled briefly as co-regent with her brother Ptolemy X, but her reign was short-lived. Cleopatra IV was executed by her brother for attempting to seize the throne. Cleopatra V was the daughter of Ptolemy XII and ruled briefly as co-regent with her sister Berenice IV. Cleopatra V's reign was short-lived, and she was forced to flee Egypt after her sister seized power. Cleopatra VI was the daughter of Ptolemy XII and ruled briefly as co-regent with her sister Cleopatra VII. Her reign was short-lived, and was likely killed by her sister in a power struggle. Cleopatra VII is the most famous of all the Cleopatras. Initially, she ruled Egypt jointly with her brother Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra was known for her beauty, intelligence and political savvy. She had affairs with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, which helped to secure her position as queen of Egypt. Initially, Cleopatra had a relationship with Julius Caesar. But after Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra aligned herself with Mark Antony. Together, they waged war against Octavian (later Augustus Caesar), the heir to Caesar's power. Cleopatra and Antony were eventually defeated at the Battle of Actium. Shortly after, Cleopatra committed suicide rather than being captured by Octavian and then taken to Rome as Octavian's trophy. Cleopatra's reign marked the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the beginning of Roman rule in Egypt. Her story has inspired countless works of art, literature, and film over the centuries and remains a symbol of beauty, power, and romance. undoubtedly, her most famous portrayer of her in a movie was by Elizabeth Taylor in 1963 epic "Cleopatra". Also starring in the movie was Richard Burton who would eventually be her husband, twice. Youth in Virginias juvenile correctional center the systems equivalent of a prison will stay longer under new guidelines the Board of Juvenile Justice quietly approved, and which it said were to take effect in July. But they took effect as of March 1 for new residents sentenced to an indefinite term in Chesterfield Countys Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center the only one in the state after a transformation plan launched in 2015 cut the number of such centers, boosted community services and saw a measurable drop in repeat arrests. The new guidelines boost the minimum terms by as much as a year for some youth; the maximum terms for some rise by as much as 18 months. The new guideline minimums exceed the 2015 guidelines maximums for each of the various tiers the group of offenses of which youth are convicted and each risk level at which DJJ staff assesses them. They affect roughly two-thirds of Bon Air residents, who have been sent there under an indefinite sentence. Judges set specific terms often lasting years for more serious offenses. Some misdemeanors and probation or parole violations that used to be on the tier with the shortest minimums and maximums two to nine months have been bumped up one or two tiers. A low-risk youth sent to Bon Air for animal cruelty who would have served a two- to four-month term now faces eight to 11 months behind bars; a low-risk parole violator who would also have been in Bon Air for two to four months would now stay for 10 to 13 months. The Department of Juvenile Justice says the longer terms are needed because recidivism is not coming down, although its own reports show that re-arrest rates for Bon Air residents have declined to 39.8 percent in 2021, the latest year for which data is available, from 53 percent in 2015, the year the shorter guidelines were proposed. The agency also says about 29 percent of youth at Bon Air run out of time to complete substance abuse or anger management programs. But short staffing means some youth have to wait for a slot in a program to open up, advocates say. DJJ also says the shorter terms called for with the 2015 guidelines are prompting some commonwealths attorneys and judges to bypass the juvenile system, trying more youth as adults and sending them to adult prisons. In 2014, the year before the shorter guidelines, judges sent 58 youth to adult prisons; in 2019, that number was 114. But advocates say an agency struggling with 25 percent of its jobs unfilled needs to think more carefully about how the number of youth in Bon Air would increase under the new guidelines. They also say the agency needs to remember that DJJs own studies before implementing the shorter guidelines showed recidivism increased for youth who spend more than 15 months behind bars 15 months was the maximum under the 2015 guidelines. The Virginia studies echo findings from similar studies in Washington state in 2020, in Ohio in 2013, in Florida in 2008 and in New York in 2006. The Virginia data that DJJ used to reduce terms in 2015 showed that the probability of recidivism expressed in the one-year re-arrest rate rose 33.3 percent if a youths stay in a correctional center was longer than 15 months. It showed the probability of re-arrest within one year was 44.3 percent higher for youth staying longer than 15 months compared with youth who had a length of stay of 10 months or less, said Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Arlington Countys commonwealths attorney. Moving many misdemeanors and all parole violators to higher tiers will dramatically increase the length of stay for all indeterminately committed youth, without a corresponding public safety benefit, she said. Given the earlier data analysis, there will be increased recidivism under these (length of stay) guidelines, since 12 out of 20 Tier/Risk categories have a proposed late release date of at least 15 months, with several of them extending considerably longer, and the highest at 36 months. A blanket solution The guidelines will also likely increase the number of youth in Bon Air at a time when 25 percent of DJJs posts are vacant. That poses major safety concerns, advocates say. I remember the first time I visited a Virginia DJJ youth prison. Standing in the solitary confinement unit ... listening to the sounds of screaming teenagers, said Alex Frank, former assistant commissioner at the New York City Department of Corrections at Rikers Island Jail. She currently works on restorative justice projects for the nonprofit group Race Forward. Every corrections agency I have worked with is susceptible to the same dangerous recipe large and overcrowded facilities with high staff-to-youth ratios, resulting in higher rates of violence, uses of force, lower program participation, less family contact, and worse public safety outcomes, she said. Lengthening stays takes the individual out of the equation; it imposes a blanket solution that defines what experience, data and science tell us, said Julie McConnell, a law professor and director of the Childrens Defense Clinic at the University of Richmond and a former Richmond prosecutor focusing on juvenile offenders. Were telling them youre dangerous, the only way we can deal with you is to incapacitate you ... were interrupting your life with family, your education at a crucial time in brain development, and leave them behind for the rest of their lives, McConnell said. Im not saying there shouldnt be accountability, but we need to do what we know can work, she said. Supporters of longer stays But family life and social milieu can be overrated, supporters of the longer stays reply. How about data on the link between juveniles most likely to commit serious criminal offenses and thus more likely to recidivate when many of them are returned to the same terrible home environment that led them to this life of crime? said Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorney Bethany Harrison. Just this May I had two juveniles, 14 and 15 years of age, that I tried in juvenile court, she said. They were co-defendants charged with two counts of malicious wounding, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of (assault and battery) by mob, grand larceny, two counts of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of brandishing, and possession of a handgun by a minor. If they were adults they would have faced a max of over 100 years in the penitentiary. They were sentenced to a commitment to DJJ with an estimated length of stay of six to nine months, Harrison said. She said a different offender, convicted of robbery and sent to Bon Air for seven to 10 months, picked up new charges and violated parole and, while out, killed a man. There is a growing concern among law enforcement about the increase in youth involved in serious violent crimes, said Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and chair of the Board of Juvenile Justice, which oversees the juvenile justice system. Theres been a sharp rise in juvenile firearm cases, from 1,706 in 2021 to 2,319 in 2022, she said, sparking a growing concern among police and prosecutors about a rising number of youth involved in serious violent crimes. Under the previous, shorter length-of-stay guidelines, DJJ did not have the education or jobs training programs to prepare youth to return to society. There was an emphasis on literature I believe it was Russian literature and quilting that did nothing to prepare youth to find good-paying jobs that would get them out of the criminal justice system, Schrad said. She said the department needs to be able to keep youthful offenders long enough for them to successfully complete the jobs training, education and treatment needed for them to have a second chance. The longer terms match treatment and programming, while the reorganized tiers better match treatment needs and better recognize the severity of various offenses, she said. The Department of Juvenile Justice now has clear release goals for objective determinations for release, including completed mental health treatment and vocational programming, she said. There are reviews for early release if all requirements are met. Work release and furloughs help incarcerated youth to gradually re-enter the community with complete continuity of care. Schrad said: We tried shorter length-of-stay guidelines, with no empirical evidence that they were working to reduce youthful offender recidivism. Ive been working in this area for more than 30 years, and we have to do something different. But URs McConnell said she keeps thinking about the DJJ staff she has come to know and the work they do with their often challenging charges amid staff shortages and limited resources. Stepping in earlier, which takes more resources, and making sure Bon Air has what it really needs to offer timely, effective programs is what is needed more than increased times inside, McConnell said. We let kids get to an extreme thats when they go to Bon Air and we expect to fix everything there, she said. From the Archives: Richmond buildings that are no longer around